#lunchtime favorite character love

[beyondspaceandstars]

valentine's day with matt

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! This is a quick little headcanon/thoughts/scenario (?) I came up with. I’ve had a strong Daredevil fixation lately. But, anyway, this is just a silly little fun thing but I hope you enjoy it. I don’t know if it’s very good but it’s festive and sweet, I think :)

also apparently there is a limit to how many characters you can use in a bullet-point list so i apologize for the atrocious formatting, i can't figure out how to get around that dumbass rule with this text editor

There is no doubt in my mind that Matt is an absolute romantic when he’s in a real, stable relationship

He doesn’t let himself into them but when he finds a person and dedicates himself fully, there’s no holding him back from worshipping his partner

Matt met you in the late spring, way past Valentine’s Day for that year, and frankly, he wasn’t sure if you’d want to stick around past the summertime

He got nervous when you two started getting serious and when he eventually let you in on his nighttime activities he was sure you would run for the hills

But you hadn’t

And the next thing you both knew… it was the season of love. Valentine’s Day. Your first Valentine’s Day together was just around the corner.

You truly didn’t expect much. Maybe a nice dinner and flowers—the expectation of flowers would even be pushing it. In your past relationships, Valentine’s Day hadn’t been anything. You’d try to get your partners to do thing, go out on dates with you, but no one ever seemed very interested in it all.

“It’s a holiday to sell things,” your last boyfriend had said to you when you’d asked him if he wanted to have a nice dinner at your favorite steakhouse. It was then that you had simply assumed men just didn’t do Valentine’s Day.

Matt, on the other hand, was stressing—seriously stressing—over February 14th.

The man would be practically making himself sick trying to plan out the day. But he was very good at hiding his stress. At least, from you. Foggy wasn’t spared from witnessing Matt’s panic.

"What about that new Italian place around the corner? Does it look nice?"

"Matt, do you think you’re maybe overthinking all of it?"

Matt would never admit if he was but…yes, he was.

You were unaware of it all and tried not to think too hard about the holiday. You had gotten Matt a small gift and were going to suggest having a night in with a nice dinner and a bottle or two of wine…

But then he caught you off guard.

You were out for lunch with him the day before Valentine’s Day. You two didn’t work too far from one another and so lunch dates (depending on your schedules, of course) had become a pretty regular part of your weekly routine.

It was about halfway through your lunchtime when, out of nowhere, completely unprompted, Matt said, "I made us reservations for tomorrow night at an Italian restaurant not too far from here."

Your jaw went slack and your heartbeat shot up. The concern that fell on Matt’s face told you he noticed.

"If… If that’s okay with you," he stammered, trying to walk back on his words. "If you don’t want to do anything for Valentine’s Day, I understand, I’m sure I can cancel—,"

"No!" Your outburst took both of you by surprise. You almost start laughing out of nervousness. "I mean, I’d love to. It sounds amazing, I was just…surprised. No guy I’ve been with has ever really wanted to do anything on Valentine’s Day."

Matt frowned. A deep, serious frown. "You’ve never gone out for Valentine’s Day?"

"Not really." You felt your cheeks go warm. "I’m very excited." Your heartbeat hadn’t settled since he mentioned dinner plans.

The next day, you were giddy. You had stayed over at Matt’s place and decided to wake up early to make him a nice breakfast. He was speechless. You two would exchange "Happy Valentine’s Day" before swapping sweet kisses and going your separate ways for the day.

You’d assume you wouldn’t hear from Matt again until dinner time but then a giant — giant — bouquet of roses was delivered to your office. You were stunned. As were your coworkers. And then the flowers made you hopelessly tear up.

It was already the best Valentine’s Day you’ve ever had and you still had dinner to look forward to.

After work, you returned to your apartment and freshened up.

You were quite nervous for some reason. It didn’t make sense. You’d been going out with Matt for almost a year. You two had been on numerous dates. Hell — you two slept together regularly. But this? Valentine’s Day dinner? This was what was making you all jittery?

It was a mix between never really knowing what to expect for Valentine’s Day and wanting everything to go perfectly.

Matt was patiently waiting for you outside the restaurant when you arrived. You saw a smirk creep its way onto his lips, no doubt sensing your presence.

"Hi, honey," you said as you approached and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You made quite the ruckus at my office today with that garden of flowers you sent."

Matt chuckled. "Were they okay? I kind of had to trust the florist’s opinion and he could’ve scammed me for all I know."

You laughed. "They’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen."

"You clearly haven’t looked in the mirror lately."

"Matthew Murdock, you’re silly."

The restaurant he had chosen was stunning. Very fancy, very chic. A nice modern, clearly high-end, Italian restaurant. You gasped when you saw the array of artistic decor. It was just all so…romantic.

"Is it… Do you like it? Is this okay? I also had to trust Foggy for advice on this place—,"

"It’s wonderful, Matt. Everything is so wonderful."

He took your elbow and gave it a squeeze.

The hostess then escorted you two to your table, Matt continued holding onto your elbow and you had to keep yourself from laughing. No doubt he had already mapped out the place in his head.

Your table was in the back of the establishment, kind of hidden and private. You wondered if Matt had dropped some extra money to get something so intimate. You were tearing up at the thought.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked after you two took your seats.

"You make me feel so special."

Wordlessly, Matt found your hand and kissed the back of it. It was almost silly but it made your heart skip a beat. Seriously, you felt like a teenager on a first date.

You diverted your attention to the menu. You quickly realized Matt had the same one as you — a.k.a. a menu he couldn’t exactly read. It looked like Matt came to the same realization as you when he picked it up.

"Oh, should I see if they—,"

Matt shook his head. "Read it to me?" He leaned back in his seat, waiting, a little cocky or proud of himself.

You blushed. "Sure, I think I can manage that."

Dinner went by very nicely. You raved about the food and Matt looked relieved that you enjoyed it. You two even split a dessert. Matt "accidentally" got whipped cream on your cheek, which he just had to clean up himself. You teased him it was just a ploy to get close to you and he didn’t deny it.

Afterward, you two walked arm and arm back to his place. The night was peaceful and lovely and…perfect.

"I have a gift to give you later," you said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Mhm," you sighed. "Well, maybe I have a couple of gifts."

"Oh?" Matt smirked.

"I gotta thank my lovely boyfriend properly. This was the best Valentine’s Day," you admitted.

Matt stopped on the sidewalk. The streets were quiet and empty. His arm untangled from yours, his hands grinding your waist with ease. "It’s not over yet," Matt said in a hushed tone. "Besides, I might have a couple of gifts for you as well."

And then he kissed you deeply. The world around you felt like it had stopped.

"Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart."

"Happy Valentine’s Day, honey."

[wardenparker]

Hummingbird Has Landed, ch 10

Marcus Pike x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

After the debacle of his failed engagement and relocating to Washington to take charge of his task force, newly minted Special Agent Marcus Pike is ready to get back out into the dating pool once more. A slew of bad dates has him feeling a little down, and he takes an old friend up on an invitation to get away and get his head on straight. Imagine his surprise when he finds not only fresh air, but his soulmate as well - hiding in plain sight but in the unlikeliest of places.

Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 12.3k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: occasional mention of American politics, pregnant character, food/alcohol consumption, mentions of clothing/regulated dressing for occasions, mentions of therapy because we believe in self care here, reader is in a previous relationship, love triangle, reader is mentioned as turning 30 during the course of the story, dom/sub dynamics* In-laws (nice ones though!), passing mention of federal agents possessing guns, family dynamics, that one family member that married someone awful, the mystery of Agent Bailey begins to unravel, discussion of life in the public eye, planning for the future, discussion of collaring. Summary: After a rather dramatic birthday, heading to Texas to meet Marcus's family seems like a walk in the park. Notes: I am 100% certain that I have missed errors this week, loves. But alas, ya girl is back to working five days a week and she is SO tired. ✌ Please enjoy the chaos that is the Pike extended family!

Ch1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9

The flight from Washington DC to Dallas is just over three hours long and you had agreed that it would be better to leave early in the morning on Saturday to arrive at his family's compound before lunchtime. The last two weeks have been a dream as you and Marcus spend basically all of your extra time together, sharing dinners after work and alternating beds for overnight stays. He's even come to his first Friday Night Dinner with your family, which makes it all the more appropriate that you're now flying with him to meet his.

Airline points used, Marcus was well aware that on a commercial flight, Agent Bailey would be much more comfortable with First Class and boarding the plane last. Allowing for the rest of the plane to embark so they were not filing past her and you. Now that the flight is closed and you are settled into your seat, he looks over at you with a smile. "Ready for chaos?" He asks playfully, picking up your hand. "My family is....energetic."

“I’m excited,” you assure him. You’re also nervous, but that’s natural. His big family is having their annual springtime get together for the start of baseball season and — according to Marcus — this is the biggest Pike family get together of the year. It’s a week of pickup games with his cousins, big family meals, revisiting old favorite haunts, and catching up on life. It used to be a way to help distract Marcus and his Mom as his Dad started out the new season every year and started traveling, but now it’s just their favorite reason to get together.

“Don’t feel like you have to do anything you don’t feel like.” Marcus insists. “Plenty of times half the cousins or wives and husbands end up in the stands watching and shit talking.”

“Baby if you think I’m not playing at least one game, you’re nuts.” Marcus has been so sweet about reassuring you and making sure you know nothing is expected of you on this trip, but frankly it just sounds like fun. Like the kind of happy chaos that is a complete break from your normal life.

He flashes you a grin. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He admits shamelessly. “After the games, we grill out or eat whatever we threw on the smoker that morning.” He shrugs. “It’s a party the entire time.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” You have been, and you are, and seeing him get excited would make the whole thing worth it even if you weren’t.

“Everyone is excited to meet you.” He promises. “Oh and mom asked if you had any allergies? Food or otherwise?” He shoots you a sheepish grin. “Forgot to ask.”

“Nothing at all. I’ll eat anything you put in front of me and sniff whatever weird Texas plants you guys have got.” A teasing grin counters his embarrassed one. “My brother and I did a campaign stop in Texas; I don’t think there was anything too sniffly in Austin. But I know the state is big.”

“Huge.” He snorts, smirking slightly. “You know what they say. ‘Everything’s bigger in Texas’.” He jokes.

"Oh yeah?" The smirk that forms on your face is immediate and you lean over to nudge his shoulder. "Is that how you grew up so big?"

“Not that big.” He chuckles. “My cousins – the males – are bigger.”

Snorting slightly, you can't help but laugh as you nudge Marcus again. "That sounds painful."

“Shit.” Marcus chokes and shakes his head. “I didn’t mean that.”

"Well good," you're still laughing, juvenile sense of humor on full display even if you're quiet. "Otherwise I'd feel bad for their spouses."

He snorts and leans into press his lips to yours. “I’m the biggest.” He boasts, completely lying and he winks to acknowledge that. Not like him and his cousins have compared…since before puberty.

"Naughty." It's chastising, but you giggle as you steal another kiss as you both settle back in your seats for a short but comfortable flight.

Marcus hums as the flight attendant comes by. “Do you want a mimosa?” He asks softly. “Start our vacation off right?”

"Why not? Let's have a fancy flight." First class is already a bit of an extravagance, and you smile at the flight attendant gratefully. They are well aware of who is on board – Agent Bailey had background checks run on the flight crew as a precaution – and discreetly point out your agent to the gentleman. "And a cup of coffee for the woman in the suit right over there? She'll say she doesn't want anything but I know she'd love a cup right about now."

“Yes madam.” He nods and smiles back at you, finding it refreshing that you aren’t over demanding like some political figures. One asshole really set his teeth on edge last month.

"Thank you so much." The last thing you want to do is make a fuss for the flight crew, and you sit back with Marcus's hand in yours. As nervous as you might be, this is going to be a good week.

“Anywhere you want to see in particular?” Marcus asks, stretching his legs in the extra space the first row gives you. “We don’t have to rent a car. Although I know Agent Bailey will want one of the Secret Service vehicles to follow.

"I want to see whatever you want to show me. Any place you used to hang out when you were growing up, or favorite local places, or even places you've never been that you've always wanted to go." It's his hometown, after all, even if he wasn't born there. Texas is where he became the Marcus that you know and love.

“There’s a band that’s playing Friday night.” Marcus tells you. “At the bar where I used to play.” He chuckles. “It’s my old bandmates.”

"One hundred percent." Your agreement is absolutely instant and there is a giant smile on your face. "No contest. It will be the perfect way to spend our last night in Dallas. Well...last night for now. I know we'll come back plenty of times."

“Awesome.” His grin is wide, happy that you would want to listen to some music and hang out. Potentially meeting old friends. “Then that’s what we’ll do. You’ll like the place.”

"I'll love it." Just like everything else this week, you're looking forward to it because it's something that you'll share with him. It's the early memories of your relationship, as you share the things with each other that made you who you are.

The family compound is exactly that. A compound. Built during the first contract with the Yankees, Pike’s Place as it was fondly referred to, had started out as a way for Marcus’s dad to build the retirement home of his parents’ dreams and ended up being the multi-generational property it is today.

There are more than a half dozen buildings in the property, a large pool and a garden, and even their own personal baseball diamond. It’s like having a resort built specifically for his family. Stuck smack in the middle between a ranch to the south and another large family property to the north, no one would even have any idea that neighbors existed around here if they weren’t told about it.

The main house is a beautiful American Craftsman-style building with a deep front porch and a swing out front, painted bold blue and white against the yellow Texas sun. Matthew and Donna Pike’s house is well-appointed but far bigger than it looks on the outside, and all around it is a stunning garden that they keep together as a shared hobby. The backyard sprawls on endlessly, but for right now you can see more cars than people. It looks like everyone is congregating with Uncle Matt and Aunt Donna.

Marcus’s smile gets visibly wider the closer you get and when the car stops, he’s almost vibrating with joy. He’s not nervous at all, knowing that his entire family will adore you. “Are you ready?” He asks again, not even waiting to the reply before he is shooting out of the car to open the door for you.

“You didn’t tell me you grew up in the cutest place on Earth,” you tease happily, practically giggling at how picturesque it is as you get out of the rental car.

“It’s home.” He looks around the property proudly. “Even when we were living somewhere else because of dad’s job, this was always home.”

“It’s beautiful.” You squeeze into his side and grin back at Agent Bailey as she gets out of the second rental car. “I hope you get to relax a little while we’re down here, too. It’s got to be a hell of a nice change of pace from looking at the inn every day.”

Agent Bailey notes the fence that seems to stretch around the property with approval. “We might be more secure here.”

“Glad to hear it.” Anything that makes her more comfortable is more than okay with you. With as hard as she works, she deserves to be able relax whenever she can.

“Dad installed a fence when he had some fans come up to the house when he was on an away trip.” Marcus explains. They had done one of those ‘where the star athletes live’ things in the Sports Illustrated magazine and someone figured out where it was.” He shakes his head. “Dad was furious, and the compound got an upgrade.”

“Sounds like a solid response to me,” the Secret Service agent agrees as she looks around the property.

“Although, he does open the compound up for youth programs. Training, spending the day with baseball players.” Marcus smiles proudly.

“I love how proud of him you are.” You slip your hand into Marcus’s again and give him a beaming smile. “Time for the chaos, baby. Let’s do it.”

Marcus laughs as the two of you hear the playful shouts from the backyard. The little welcoming barbecue that your father had insisted on was already in full swing. He can’t wait to see how you take all of his cousins and nieces and nephews wearing name tags.

It only takes about a second before someone notices you, letting out a boisterous shout across the yard and garden. “Well, looky what the cat dragged in!”

“Charlie.” Marcus leans in to tell you as every head turns your way. “First cousin from my mom’s side. Can’t believe he’s the first one.”

“Is Charlie not usually this friendly?” You ask under your breath, smiling and waving as more and more heads turn your way.

“Just…unobservant.” Marcus hums, smiling wider when his mother drops her platter of finger foods on a table and rushes forward. “You made it!”

Dr. Donna Pike is a tall woman with a wide smile and honey brown eyes, but right now her most noticeable feature is her long arms which reach out to fold out her only son like a protective mama bird. "Flight was okay?" She asks, smiling at Marcus's nod before she shifts over to hug you in turn.

When she had been told that Marcus had found his soulmate, she had been thrilled. Not because he had to be with his soulmate, she wasn’t narrow minded like that, but because he’s always had so much love to give. She can only hope that you will do well receiving it and return a fraction of it back to him. The others hadn’t seen how pure his heart is. She says your name and squeezes you tight. “How are you? It’s such a delight to meet you.”

"Thank you for having me." Her hands are on your shoulder and it's instantly obvious where Marcus's beaming smile comes from. "I've heard so many wonderful things from Marcus about his family, I'm really excited to meet everyone."

“Well if anyone is too much, or we all are, you just tell us to go away.” She snorts, shooting you a grin. “We are a bit much as a collective.”

"I promise my threshold for much is very high." It has to be, with the kind of people that are always around political figures, but this week is not about you. You do smile again, though, and urge Agent Bailey to come closer than her usual three steps away. "And thank you for understanding that things are not very conventional for me right now. This is Agent Bailey. She's my duty agent and an absolutely superb human."

Donna smiles at the agent, although she doesn’t attempt to hug her. Aware that it might be deemed as threatening. “She is also extremely welcomed.” She nods and offers her hand. “I hope you can relax and have some fun as well, Agent Bailey. We have a comfortable room set up for you at the top of the stairs, just down the hall from them.”

"Thank you, Dr. Pike." Agent Bailey accepts the handshake gratefully. Some people perceive her presence as threatening and that just isn't the case. Especially not here.

“Please, call me Donna.” She insists. “Now, we’ve told the children they are not to ask about your gun, but I do hope that you will change out of your suit into more weather appropriate clothes?” She asks. “Texas is too hot for bespoke all day.”

Agent Bailey actually laughs at that, and you smile when she nods. "I'll be dressed down while I'm here, don't worry about that. Being conspicuous doesn't do much good in protection most of the time."

“Good.” Marcus’s mother smiles. “I’ve also taken the liberty of moving Marcus’s gun safe into your room. For when you are needing to secure it.” She frowns and looks towards Marcus. “Did you bring your own, sweetheart? I didn’t think to ask.”

"Very kind of you, ma'am, but not necessary." Agent Bailey assures her. "I have a portal safe in my luggage. Agent Pike also has his firearm so we'll both be secure and safe that way."

“Told you.” Matthew Pike snakes his arm around his wife and kisses her cheek. “Always overthinking. But I love it.”

"Precautions are good, sweetheart," Donna reminds him, but she smiles.

Marcus and his father could be twins, except for the older man has more pronounced wrinkles from a career spent in the sun. “So this is the gorgeous creature the universe paired you with?” He unwinds his arm from around his own soulmate to pull his son into a bear hug. “Aren’t you a lucky man?”

"I swore I was only going to do this once while we were here." Standing beside Marcus and practically vibrating, you know you probably look silly but you don't care. "Mr. Pike, I am a huge fan and I promise there will be no more fangirling from this point on, but I just wanted to say that once."

There’s a grin that matches his son’s, currently on both of the Pike men’s faces. “Marcus….she has taste.” He teases, winking at you and pulling you in for a hug. “You can fangirl all you like, sweetheart.”

“I’m just very excited to be here,” you admit, laughing as you hug your soulmate’s father in turn. “Marcus…he’s absolutely amazing. I hope you’re as proud of him as he is of both of you.”

“More-so.” Matthew promises, already liking you. “Although, let’s get you settled and a first drink in your hand before we introduce you to everyone else, hm?”

You and Marcus follow his parents through the house and Agent Bailey notes the features of the house with interest but doesn’t interfere. So far, everything is straight forward. She just hopes it stays that way. For your sake.

The tour of the house is easy. A large, open concept main living area is perfect for entertaining, and lines of sight. “Our bedroom is downstairs.” Donna explains. “So you kids will have the top floor to yourselves. Everyone else is staying in the bunkhouse this trip.”

The bunkhouse, as it has been explained to you, is the largest building on the compound which basically amounts to a Pike family motel. Plenty of parking and plenty of rooms to stay in makes it the place that is customarily occupied by Marcus's enormous brood of cousins. "And I'm sure Marcus told you," Matthew glances back at you as the five of you walk together. "But the basement is a game room. Foosball table, game systems, all that kind of thing."

“I was going to show her.” Marcus admits with a shrug. “But she’s bowled in the White House, I doubt our game room would impress her.”

"You are seriously underestimating my love of foosball," you assure Marcus. "I'm terrible at it, but I love it."

“Don’t worry.” Matthew chuckles. “My son excels at pool but cannot figure out a foosball table.”

"Then we can be terrible together," you decide, thankfully garnering a laugh from both Marcus and his parents.

“Which will be a lot of fun.” Marcus chuckles. “When bad weather rolls through, we enjoy the game room and there are people everywhere.” He warns. “One time, we had a checkers tournament, so all the little kids could be involved too.”

The group of you stop in the kitchen for large glasses of sweet tea, and Agent Bailey excuses herself to bring her things upstairs and change into some more civilian-oriented clothes. There are pictures of the family all around the house, but none as prevalent as the pictures of Marcus. His graduations, his triumphs, and some absolutely adorable childhood photos adorn the walls of the house, and you smile at every single one. At one time his wedding picture must have hung on these walls too, or other pictures of him and Lara, and for a moment your heart clenches with regret that he was ever hurt but swells with the knowledge that he’ll never be hurt like that again. The next wedding pictures on these walls will be of you with him, and those will never be coming down.

“Home sweet home.” Marcus hums, watching you take in the space that he had mostly grown up in.

“Ready kids?” Matthew Pike chuckles, opening the sliding kitchen doors to the backyard with great ceremony.

“Don’t worry.” Marcus quickly assures you. “Everyone has had their rabies shots. So they aren’t as feral as they seem.”

For all the teasing, the hugs from his cousins are immediate. They descend on you like a swarm of eager birds, flapping their wings and chattering away as they all introduce themselves and say how happy they are to see Marcus and to meet you.

Marcus smiles at every one of them. Greets them like long lost friends, which they are. They are the friends of his entire childhood and he's happy to introduce you.

A man wearing a name tag that marks him as Uncle Rob holds up two more name tags proudly — one emblazoned Marcus and the other Birdie. “Marcus told us you prefer your nickname,” his father explains with a grin.

“It’s perfect,” you assure them, taking the name tag with a bursting heart. “Absolutely perfect.”

“Uncle Rob is a treasure.” Marcus tells you as he is pulled into a hug and slaps his uncle’s back.

"Uncle Rob is his mother's younger brother," the man clarifies with a happy grin. "Four of the cousins are ours, but I won't quiz you on the family tree just yet."

"I appreciate that." Your laugh of acknowledgement comes easily. "But I've been studying, I promise."

Marcus laughs, knowing how worried you had been over this visit, and it seems as if you are blending in well. He reaches out and squeezes your hip affectionately. “She’s a quick study.”

"Probably mandatory." One of his cousins – her nametag says Selena – teases as she offers you a hug. "Can't imagine the way family debates go when your Mom is the President."

"They're....active." You admit with another laugh. The hug is readily accepted, too. Pikes are apparently very huggy people. "I'm just glad we don't have to come up with opening and closing arguments."

She laughs and nods. “No, but here you might be asked the ERA or RBI stats of anyone you are a ‘fan’ of.” She advises. “So beware.”

"I can absolutely handle stats." For some reason Selena's energy is a lot more calm and reassuring than some of the other cousins, and you feel a little more at ease with her at the moment. "Most of the time I've got those on lock even when nobody's asked."

“How do you take your hotdog?” She asks, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Get it right and we can be friends.”

"It's not gonna be what you want it to be," you laugh, though you do appreciate the way Selena measures her new acquaintances. "I'm from Philly, so pepper hash and spicy mustard."

Her frown is replaced by a smirk and she nods. “You didn’t say ketchup, so you’re good in my book.” She smirks, eyeing Marcus who is huffing and rolling his eyes. “I don’t claim her.” He snorts.

"Too bad," you tease back, looping your arm through his cousin's. "She's delightful and I'm adopting her immediately."

“She’s not housebroken.” He warns, ducking the playful swat she aims towards him.

"Neither is my brother, and we let him into the White House," you snort, laughing even harder when Selena snickers.

Matthew chuckles and he pats his son on the shoulder. “Too late now, son, Selena has charmed her.” He advises.

"I steal hearts," the woman beside you jokes, throwing you an exaggerated wink. "My parents named me after Selena Kyle. It's not my fault."

“Last year you said you were named after Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.” He reminds her with a grin, slapping away her hand again and tapping her chin fondly. “You were lying?” Of course she was, considering she was nine when Selena rose to fame.

"You should keep the Catwoman reference," you advise her with a grin. "Mysterious and nerdy. Very sexy choices."

“See?” Selena smugly grins at Marcus. “Your soulmate has taste.”

Marcus can’t help but grin at that. “So I keep hearing.”

“I have the very best taste.” You agree with that assessment wholeheartedly, leaning back over to Marcus to kiss his cheek.

That makes him laugh quietly and he leans in to hug Selena. “You do. Especially in soulmates.” He teases.

“Oh no.” Pretending to be grossed out, Selena rolls her eyes dramatically but is smiling fully at seeing her cousin happy. “Did you finally find someone as gross as you are when you’re in love?”

“Grosser.” Marcus hums, grinning at you lovingly. “My perfect match.”

“Stop hogging them!” A voice calls out from halfway down the yard, and yet another of Marcus’s smiling cousins can be seen lounging on a picnic table. “We all need to get our annual harassment in, ya know!”

“Oh god.” Marcus hangs his head, even as he laughs. He knows everything is in good fun and he will be harassing them right back.

Thank god for the nametags. You'd be utterly lost without them, even after the flashcards you made for yourself with permission from Marcus to scout his Facebook page for photos of his family. There are just too many of them. The conversations swirl and so do the introductions, but Marcus sticks with you. By the time everyone starts eating the conversation dies down a little and you find yourself at a table with Marcus, his parents, Selena, and her twin sister Harper. Plates of barbecue and cold salads come with fresh glasses of cold sweet tea or cans of soda, and the most relaxed atmosphere of chaos you've been in the middle of in a long time. In your book, this is vastly preferable to a State dinner.

“So what do you think?” Even Agent Bailey has a plate and a drink in her hand, talking to Rodger, one of his dad’s oldest friends. He always comes to these weeks. “She’s gonna relax some?”

"Seems like it." The sight of Agent Bailey socializing is like a miracle to you. A unicorn in real life if ever you saw one. "Any chance your Dad's friend is a beer guy? I found out last week that Agent Bailey brews her own as a hobby and I am endlessly fascinated by all the niche hobbies I keep finding out she has."

Marcus chuckles. “Rodger owns the brewery that supplies the Rangers with the Pike’s Pints.” He explains. “So he’s kind of a renaissance man when it comes to beer.”

"So she has a new best friend?" You laugh, leaning into his side as you eat. "That's fantastic. I hope she has some new ideas to be excited about by the time the week is out."

“My question is this…when does she have time?” He asks, shaking his head. “She’s always with you.”

"I don't think she sleeps." It's a question you've asked yourself plenty of times, but have yet to find an answer. "Apparently she has a dog and a husband and everything? A whole damn life. I'm so glad that doing the job she does hasn't kept her from it."

“Holy shit.” He snorts and looks back at the woman in question with more than slight admiration. “She’s a superhero.”

"She really is." There's no denying that whatsoever.

The meal progresses and his mother smiles at you. “So please, tell me about your inn.” She insists. “Marcus said that you have created a beautiful oasis.”

"It's my happy place." The question – and the description – make you beam. "And...sort of my first child, as well. I bought it from the previous owners a few years ago and my best friend runs the restaurant. It's a beautiful historical property in Alexandria, just outside of DC."

“It sounds like it’s your baby.” She smiles happily and nods. “He has had nothing but praise for it, and you, since his first phone call.”

"He's been wonderfully supportive. I couldn't ask for a more understanding or helpful partner." You do flash him a grin, though, and decide to rat him out to his mother just a tiny bit. "I do think the restaurant is at least half the reason he spends so much time there, though. It's amazing."

“He has always led with his stomach.” Donna snorts, shooting you a conspiratorial grin. “When he was a teen, he was always starving.” She intones dramatically.

"Isn't that how all teenage boys are made?" The laugh you share isn't at his expense, just shared amusement, and you pick up your sandwich again. "At least, my brother was always that way. I swear he ate six meals a day from ages twelve to twenty."

Marcus laughs and Donna rolls her eyes. “Marcus still sometimes eats six meals a day.” She snorts. “At least that’s the way it sounds when he calls. Always snacking.”

“That’s probably my fault these days,” you admit with a guilty grin. “I’m a snacker. Maybe that’s just another fun little quirk in the broad scheme of things.”

“I just have to run more.” Marcus chuckles, picking up a pickle spear and biting it in half. “So I can still beat everyone here stealing second.”

“We’ll see.” Selena narrows her eyes at him in challenge. “I’ve been training.”

“Oh you have, have you?” Marcus snorts and winks at his cousin. “Twenty bucks says I steal more bases than you.”

“Fine,” Selena shrugs, smirking as she leans back in her seat. “I’ll be out there stealing more hearts, anyway.”

“I’ve already got the heart I want.” Marcus informs her, picking up your hand and kissing the back of it dramatically.

“I love you, too.” Over the weeks, the promise has become stronger between the two of you and little daydreams about the future don’t seem so far off anymore — though you haven’t really planned anything beyond agreeing that you want to be together.

"See?" He smirks towards Selena with a fluttering of his lashes. "She loves me, so I am complete."

“You’re completely gross and I’m very happy for you,” Selena teases back. “You’ll have the picturesque wedding you always dreamed of, and a million kids, and make an east coast version of Pike Place.”

"Ohhhhh." He tilts his head curiously as he looks back at you. "Modern day Kennedy Compound?" He suggests. "Our version of Hyannis Port at the inn?"

“That’s a lot bigger than a little colonial cottage at the back of the grounds,” you remind him, but the idea makes your chest swell with absolute love. “But I think if we build at the back of the property we could do a bigger house and get away with it. People wouldn’t even be able to tell the two are connected.”

He smiles at the idea. "We will have to find out who owns the property adjoining yours." He hums. "Expand."

“So you’re already talking about a family, then?” His father, obviously enamored of the thought, smiles broadly. His son has always been a family man, even when that definition just meant his best friends were his cousins.

"We are planning out a lot of things." Marcus admits with a grin, unable to contain the happiness at the idea. "Not sure when that's going to happen, but we are on the same page."

“Maybe sometime before we’re too old and gray to travel all the way to DC?” Matthew jokes, although he’s only half joking.

You groan quietly and Marcus smirks as he looks at you expectantly. "Told you." He laughs. "You said your parents would be first, but I knew it was going to be mine."

“I’m still shocked my Dad didn’t bring it up at dinner last night,” you admit. You had been absolutely certain that your folks would use Friday night dinner as a chance to interview you about your intentions as a couple.

"I'm sure he wanted to." He laughs. "But we've classified that as Need To Know." He jokes.

“That may be the only way to survive with them.” Still, you can’t help but let the smile grow on your face. “By their standards, we’re taking positively forever.”

"I guess that means we should just run off to Vegas and get married." Marcus teases with a wink. "Really mess with their expectations."

“We would have four parents very upset with us,” you remind him. Every time you joke about getting married or have a little daydream it just sounds better and better, but you would never push him to elope. His family means to much to him, just like yours does to you.

"Yes they would." Donna points her fork at him playfully. "I don't care how you get married, I just want to be there."

“Yes ma’am.” That gets an instant agreement from you — not at all ready to set the precedence of going against your future mother-in-law about something like this.

"Good." She smiles in approval and smirks at her husband. "We will clear our schedules whenever they decide on a date."

"Well," you laugh, leaning into Marcus's side. "I guess you were right about not needing to worry over their approval."

“The fact that I love you is all my parents ever need to know.” He smiles and Matthew nods. “Marcus has a good head on his shoulders and a heart of gold. With you being his soulmate, you have to be the same.”

For dinner on your second night in Texas, Marcus promises to take care of everything and disappears with a grin on his face while his mother and Selena take you on a long walk around the large gardens of the compound. Anticipating a little girl talk and some bonding with his family, you had readily agreed.

“So how are you liking Texas, Birdie?” Donna asks curiously as the three of you stroll in the warm morning. You have been a dream to have visit and it’s obvious that you adore Marcus, so she has loved you being here. She just wants to make sure the feeling is mutual.

“It’s beautiful.” It’s not too hot yet, being the beginning of April, and walking around the compound is a nice way to settle in and work off the big breakfast everyone had this morning. “I’ve only been here once before and this is far less stressful.”

“I am sure the campaign trail was never relaxing.” She sympathizes softly. “Although, if you have to take up the trail again, we can offer you a respite from the questions and prying wherever we can.” With being her baby’s soulmate, she will be just as protective over you.

“I’m sure when re-election comes, I’ll be volunteering to come to Texas again just to be able to see my in-laws.” The thought is actually relaxing, to be able to take respite with such kind people, but the in-laws part excites you a bit.

“In-laws.” She beams when you say that. “Now I promise I won’t insist that you call me ‘mother’ or anything, but I hope that we can be friends.”

“Let’s start with Donna and Birdie and go from there,” you suggest, smiling just as broadly as she is. “I absolutely want us to be friends. Marcus loves you all so much and I know it means the world to him.”

“He is our only child, and we want him to be happy.” She promises. “But that doesn’t mean smothering him or not letting him live his life.” She laughs. “Matthew almost had a heart attack when he came home one break to find Marcus with shoulder length hair and an earring. But he never said a word.”

“Oh, please tell me you have pictures of that.” Marcus had told you about his long hair phase, but claimed no photos remained. You’ve been hoping that his parents have one tucked away somewhere.

Donna grins. “I have them all.” She promises. “Snuck them up to the attic before he could burn them.”

“He looks like the nerdiest member of Nirvana,” Selena snorts, giggling with the jovial malice only family can truly master.

“He was…too polite to really pull off the grunge look.” Donna admits, smiling at Selena’s almost evil outlook.

“He’s such a sweetheart.” There are hearts in your eyes when you say it and you don’t care to hide them one bit. “It’s—he’s better than I could have dreamed of for myself. Truly.”

“I have to confess….” Donna looks out over the gardens and sighs. “I have been so very worried about Marcus. He’s is such a loving man. He always has been, from the time he was a baby. But when he called me to say he had discovered his soulmate…” she looks back at you. “I was so very afraid that you wouldn’t understand his heart.”

“How do you mean?” She obvious cares for her son very deeply, and you do want to make sure that the relationship you have with her is honest. No misunderstandings if you can help it — which means asking for clarification. “Because he’s so giving and quick to jump in headfirst?”

“Yes….and no.” She admits. “Marcus is….well, he’s a caretaker. A fixer. You have a problem, he comes up with a solution. You feel tired and down, he will take some of your burden and try to cheer you up.” She sighs softly. “Oftentimes, so many women have been conditioned to be strong, independent, so they view that as misogyny or finding them helpless. It’s insulting to them and they resent him for it.”

“They don’t understand that offering care is his way of being supportive. It’s not that he doesn’t think they can do it themselves, it’s that he views being helpful as a romantic gesture as much as anything else.” You nod, understanding that entirely. “I think the hardest part for Marcus and me right now is that we’re both like that a lot of the time. Which means we’re constantly doing little fixes or giving little gifts or making little gestures. We’re still finding the balance.”

“That makes me feel better.” She admits with a smile. “You understand his need in doing it.”

“He wants me to know I don’t have to do it alone,” you acknowledge, offering her a smile as you walk. “And I want to make sure he knows the same.”

“You two truly are soulmates.” She chuckles. “And I have never been more happy to say those words.”

“Just as happy as I am to hear them, I promise you.” Stopping in your steady tracks, you touch her arm gently and offer her a slightly more serious look. “A lot of people interpreted the things I said on the campaign trail to mean that I’m against soulmates, but I’m absolutely not. I just don’t think anyone should be discriminated against for who they love. Anyone, and unfortunately a lot of people still believe only soulmates should be able to get married.”

“Those people…in my most professional opinion…” Donna snorts. “Are assholes.”

“Agreed.” You nod your head but Selena snorts at her aunts phrasing as the three of you start walking again.

“Do you have any specific plans while you are here?” Donna asks, curious if you had wanted to spend the entire time at the compound.

“I want to see whatever Marcus wants to show me.” It seems like an easy answer, but honestly you’re just here to meet his family and spent time with your soulmate. Anything more is a bonus. “Or anything you guys have in mind. I just…” you shrug in admission. “I never take vacations. So I’m reminding myself not to worry about work and trying to relax.”

“A workaholic.” She smirks slightly. “Something I’m very well-versed in.” She teases.

"Can't exactly stop yourself from taking work home with you when you live at work," you admit with a grin.

“As long as it’s work you love, I don’t see a problem with it.” Donna tells you.

"I really do." They already know that, of course, from how much and how proudly you talk about the inn. But still, you're beaming. "Marcus suggested we look at building our house on the property since I already own it, and I think it's only going to be a little while before we start in on that plan."

Building something together is something that Donna highly approves of. She nods. “Word of advice?” She offers with a smirk. “Have a general contractor negotiate any and all disagreements.”

"Noted," you agree instantly, knowing that Marcus's parents have a whole lifetime of experience in this particular area.

“It will solve a lot of arguments.” She rolls her eyes and laughs. “Over tile size!”

When Selena snorts out a laugh you have to suppose it's a family joke or at least and a family story, and you laugh too. "It's always something small, isn't it?"

“Yep.” She shakes her head and laughs. “One fight was about if the dishwasher should be on the left or right side of the sink.” She huffs. “Matthew rarely loaded the dishwasher, but thought that it continuously unfair to live in a right handed world as a leftie.” She rolls her eyes again, although it’s more amusement than annoyance.

Small things always seem large when they're under the microscope, and you can see how those things could get out of hand. But fortunately, from what you and Marcus have talked about so far, you're mostly on the same page right from the start. "I can see us tussling over little things pretty easily, but I think it will all turn out pretty well in the end. It's definitely a solid way to work through our skills in compromise and communication, though."

“Marcus knows how to communicate.” She promises. “He’s good at it, and if he’s not, I’ll give you free sessions.” She jokes, knowing the last thing any couple would want is to have an in-law involved.

"You'll be glad to hear that I have an excellent therapist to help me handle stressors and any manner of other unexpected event in my life that I need extra help in processing." The importance of simply having an impartial third party is not lost on you, but having a professionally trained and educated one is all the more important when possible stressors could include death threats sent to your family members.

“Very glad.” She nods and reaches out to pat your hand gently. “You are under a lot of pressure. That is obvious.”

"When we get back I have a meeting at the White House." Though you shudder for dramatic emphasis, it is unnerving. Those meetings about social outreach and the image of the First Family had gone well for Junie and Alex but since you're fairly certain what your mother will ask of you, you're dreading it.

“If you ever want to talk, just to vent, you can call me.” Donna offers softly. “Not in a professional capacity, although anything you say would be kept between us.”

"I really appreciate that." It's not something she has to offer. Not at all. But you're so grateful that your soulmate's parents have so far turned out to be wonderful people.

“Of course.” You might not take her up on the offer, but she wanted to extend it.

"And I hope you know you're always welcome in DC. Anytime, no hesitations." You swing back to grin at Selena on your other side. "You too. We could use another partner in crime."

“I am absolutely going to come visit.” Donna promised, and Selena nods eagerly. “Me too! I want to see this inn.”

"If you want to come and stay there, I'll have a word with the owner," you joke, and throw in a wink.

“And the food.” Donna insists. “Marcus has raved about your best friend, Sydney.”

"She's an absolute goddess." You promise them both. Building up your friends and loved ones is always easy for you. "Just the most talented chef you could possibly imagine. And an amazing person, to boot."

“She has to be.” Selena isn’t joking this time. “Marcus doesn’t waste time on people who aren’t amazing.” Now she gives a small, preening grin. “Which is why he loves me so much.” She jokes.

“I know what it is.” After about one full day of hanging out with Selena, you’ve narrowed down why it is that you are so comfortable with her, and it makes you laugh endlessly. “You’re exactly halfway between my best friend and my brother. Who are two of my top three favourite people in the world, despite the crap I give my little brother on a daily basis.”

“That sounds like a high compliment if I’ve ever heard one.” She laughs. “I’m the little sister Marcus never wished he had.”

“He loves all of you like siblings.” Even if he hadn’t said so explicitly, it’s easy to tell.

“We grew up together.” She agrees. “Even if we lived apart, summers together were important. Holidays spent driving each other and our parents crazy.” There’s a fond smile on her face. “Hopefully our kids will experience the same things.”

“I hope so, too.” The idea head settled into your bones and made you sunny with daydreams. “My siblings’ kids, too. The biggest family we can possibly make for them, since we never had any cousins growing up.”

“Pikes tend to assimilate the families that join them.” Donna shoots you a grin. “They are like the Borg.”

“That’s how we collected friends when I was a kid,” you laugh. The Pikes are definitely not like the Borg — they all feel far too much for that and you adore it. “Make friends with one of the three of us and suddenly you were just another family member.”

“That sounds familiar.” Selena snorts. “We love having people around. The more the merrier.”

“Absolutely.” The morning sun has hit the top of the sky but it’s not too hot, just making you stop warding off the crisp breeze as it disappears into a mellow midday.

“If you don’t mind me asking…” Selena hesitates. “There was some talk about you dating a Congressman?”

There it is. You were wondering how long it would take someone to ask the very fair question. At least it’s Selena and not Cousin Terry’s wife Hannah who seems to distrust you purely for being the daughter of a politician. Which…is also fair…just not a stereotype that applies to you personally. “I was. For almost a year. I was still seeing him when Marcus and I met, but…” you shrug your shoulders a little, with honesty in the sheepishness. “I fell in love with Marcus so fast, and so deeply. Even if he hadn’t turned out to be my soulmate, I still would have ended things with my ex.”

“I didn’t want to pry, I just hadn’t seen anything about a break up and wanted to know if you were ‘public’ yet.” Selena reassures you. “There’s already been a message in the family chat about not posting while we are here on social media. So we don’t potentially ‘out’ your relationship.”

“It will be out by Easter.” Breathing a sigh of relief isn’t subtle, so you swallow it down and simply tighten your smile into an affirmative. “He’s coming to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House with me. After that, just…try to be conscious of people asking about family photos? If you’ve got ones with Marcus and me in them, we’ll just ask everyone to keep them private. You know, friends only.”

“We are used to that.” She nods and sends you a smile. “We’ve got your back. Don’t worry. No one here is going to judge you. Besides Hannah.” She snorts. “And let’s be honest, she’s a bitch.” Donna chokes out a laugh, quickly smothered, and swats at Selena’s butt from behind you. “Selena!” She scolds, obviously still trying not to laugh.

“Oh.” This time the relief whooshes out of you, but you end up laughing. “So it’s not just me?”

“Hannah is…the least comfortable with the easy, familial closeness of our family.” Donna snorts. “When she first started coming, there was an…accusation.” She hums delicately.

“What could poss—” As soon as your mind spins on it for long enough to actually ask the question, your mouth falls open in horror. “Oh my god! That’s—obviously, obviously I don’t think that. Please know that I have never ever thought that.”

“You don’t think I’m sleeping with Terry?” Selena snorts. “Thank God!”

“No, I definitely do not think you’re sleeping with your first cousin,” you laugh but still shudder.

“Apparently, Hannah doesn’t believe men and women can be friends. Not even relatives.” Selena shrugs. “So if it seems like all the female cousins keep their distance from Terry, it’s not because he’s a pervert. He’s actually amazing. His soulmate is just fucking nuts.”

“Got it.” Even though you flash a thumbs up in acknowledgment, all you can think of is how glad you are that Marcus didn’t stay with Vanessa. She would have hated this for the exact same reason. Probably been Hannah’s only ally.

“Hannah isn’t all bad.” Donna adds, trying to soften it some. “Just….a little…set in her ways. But honestly, this is the only time of year they come. They rarely join other holidays.” She looks over at you. “And pleased don’t think that we expect you to come for every holiday, but we will invite you.”

“We’ll come as often as we can.” You can promise that easily, though you know sometimes he’ll have to work and you’ll have to be at official events with your family. “It…will be easier once my mother is out of office.”

“I understand.” Donna is well aware of the demands of public figures. She had to be seen at a certain number of games and it was her own personal mission to attend the post seasons games any time Matthews’s teams made it. “Just know that we want what is best for you.”

“And that is so much more appreciated than you could know.” Maybe she does. Maybe she understands every bit of it. But because you appreciate the honesty of the words from your soulmate’s mother so much more than you expected to, you leave the phrasing as it is. No stumbling or correcting.

Donna winks at you and links her arm through yours. “You and I are going to be good friends.” She predicts with a happy smile. Marcus is over the moon in love with you and from what she could see, you are much the same. There is nothing more than Donna could ever wish for her baby, to find a smart, loving, good person – and you fit that bill perfectly.

Most of the day is spent in the massive pool down by the bunkhouse, with a little day drinking and a whole lot of horsing around and even a little heckling when some of the cousins got into a competition over best diving form — which quickly degraded into silliest dive. Now it’s sunset, and you’ve thrown a shirt and shorts over your dried out swimsuit for Marcus’s surprise.

“Hey babe.” Marcus finds you again, smiling at the relaxed smile on your face and he hands you a new drink. “You look like you’ve had a good time.”

"Well howdy stranger!" A slight affectation in your voice is just to make him laugh, and you grin when it succeeds. "Where have you been all day? Did you have fun with your Dad?" Matthew Pike had disappeared after breakfast along with his son, and when you had remarked on it to Donna during your walk, she had just said not to worry.

“Of course.” He grins, unable to stop himself as he moves over to caress your neck. “I was taking care of a few things for tonight. Why? Did you miss me?”

"Every second." And you don't care who knows it either. You sit up in your chair and stretch a little more to kiss him, catching the fresh scent of the bodywash he favors as it mixes with his bergamot and musk cologne. He's fresh and clean and it makes you wonder what he's been up to as much as it makes you want to drag him up to his bedroom.

“Good.” He smirks against your lips and offers you his hand as he steps out of your sphere. “Come on.”

"Ooo, is it surprise time?" The look of delight on your face is undisguised as you readily take his hand to pop up from your seat. "I'm all yours."

“Yes you are.” He beams about that fact as he pulls you closer. “Say goodnight to everyone, Birdie.” He hums quietly. “We probably won’t see them again tonight.”

"Good night everybody!" You wave immediately, wrapping your arm around Marcus's waist and barely sparing a backward glance in favor of grinning up at him.

“Damn.” He whistles as he guides you away from the pool and over to the truck. He’s already talked to agent Bailey and cleared things with her, so he just nods as the two of you pass by.

“Damn what?” You pose, laughing a little as you wonder if he’s amused at how quickly you’re ready to leave just about anyone behind to spend time with him.

“I could be a kidnapper and you would just go willingly.” He teases, reaching out and tugging on your ear gently.

“You’d be the best looking kidnapper around and Agent Bailey would have a hell of a time bringing me home,” you tease, hopping into the pickup when he opens the passenger door for you.

“Yep, you have Stockholm Syndrome.” He teases, leaning in to steal one more kiss before he closes the door and hurries around the hood.

Once he’s back in the cab beside you, you flash him a grin. “Belle got a library, I got the softest dom in the whole world and awesome in-laws. I’m okay with it.”

“Softest dom?” He snorts, tilting his head while he tries, and fails to look offended. “I’m a hard dom.” He protests.

"How hard you fuck me when we get going is not what I mean," you clarify, settling into the corner of the seat as he starts to drive the two of you across the compound. "You have the softest heart in the world and I feel very lucky to be the one you've decided to give it to."

“I know.” He promises. “I was teasing. I want you to be happy, healthy and loved. That’s all I want.”

"I am. All three, absolutely." Leaning against his shoulder on the drive, you hum slightly and end up sounding a little sheepish as you look out the window. "I missed you today. Even though we weren't apart too long."

He chuckles slightly and lifts your hand to press a kiss to your knuckles and scrapes his teeth over the delicate skin. “I’ll show you how hard of a dom I am.” He teases. “I’ll put a collar on you.”

Not expected that reaction from him, you make a remarkably incoherent noise of interest and surprise before turning your head to look at him. "Don't tempt me with a good time, Pike."

He had been joking, but the way you react has him pausing. “Is that something you’re interested in?” He keeps the question casual, not wanting to seem like he’s pushing or judging, he’s doing neither.

"I always thought it sounded kind of sexy," you admit, wondering if he was just joking and not serious at all. "I mean it's not like...like something mandatory for me to be happy in a relationship, obviously. If--if you're not into that and at all and you were just joking—"

“Baby.” Marcus squeezes your hand. “Anything you are interested in is something we can talk about. If it’s an absolute no, then I’ll explain why. But I think it sounds kind of sexy too. Collars don’t have to be spiked dog collars where I pull you around on a leash and make you bark.” He snorts.

"A lot of day collars just look like cute little necklaces." Alright, you may or may not have done a little looking into it a few years ago with the guy you were seeing at the time. He was long gone now, but the idea had remained in your head. It was not something Sam would have gone for so it had never been brought up to him.

His brow ticks up, noting your interests and he hums. “They do.” He agrees. “Something sexy about being claimed, isn’t there?”

"Absolutely." He turns left at a pair of apple trees on the western part of the compound and keeps going, while you continue to snuggle next to him like a contented house cat. "I mean...I'm wearing a Pike family nametag. That's about as claimed as it gets."

“Not quite.” Marcus chuckles. “There’s definitely more claiming that can be done.”

"Is that a promise?" You tease, grin growing a little wider when he turns toward a tree line up ahead.

“Absolutely.” He follows the less worn paths through the trees, although it’s obvious from the tire marks through the grass road that someone has been there recently.

"So can I have a hint about where we're going?" This isn't a part of the property that you've been to yet and it's beautifully woodsy in a distinctly Southwestern way that you're finding fantastic.

“You’ll see.” The tree line gives way to clearing and Marcus smiles as the pond comes into view. “Right now.”

The little clearing in the trees is picture perfect. It looks more like a movie set than real life, the tree-lined pond ringed with fairy lights sitting side-by-side with a red and white checked gingham blanket and large picnic basket, and a small cooler to boot. "Baby," you sigh out the endearment excitedly. He knows you love surprises -- your family told him so -- but you weren't expecting anything. That, of course, it was makes surprises so wonderful.

“Now you know what I’ve been doing all day.” He tells you as the truck pulls to a stop close to the picnic sight. “Wanted to make this perfect.”

"It's gorgeous!" You breathe, practically squeaking with excitement as you turn to snuggle into his side as soon as he parks the truck. "Is this your old make out spot? Because if it is? It's an awesome choice."

“Maybe a few times?” Marcus shrugs his shoulders and gives you a boyish grin. “Not too many times.”

"Could make it one more." The exaggerated wink you aim at him makes both of you laugh. "If you wanted to, I mean."

“That was my evil plan.” Marcus admits without any remorse. “Bring you out here, woo you, make out with you.”

"Pretty good plan." Right about now he could undo your seatbelt and haul you into his lap in the truck and you wouldn't protest even for a second. "It's absolutely gorgeous, baby."

“Wanted to give you a special night.” He’s explains, unlatching his seatbelt so he can open the door and walk around to help you out.

“Every night with you is special.” As soon as you’re out of the truck you press in to kiss him, enjoying the lingering warmth of the early evening.

“So you’d rather go have dinner with everyone else than have a romantic picnic by the pond?” Marcus asks, reaching for the door handle. “We can go back…”

“Ohhhhh no.” You shake your head immediately. “We’re staying right here. In our perfect little oasis.”

“I thought you would say that.” Marcus chuckles as he takes your hand to guide you over to the blanket. “I brought wine, but we don’t have to drink anything stronger than lemonade.”

“Wine sounds nice.” You’ve been moderate in your drinking today, having two cups of water for every alcoholic beverage and making sure to eat, so you’re not worried about being too inebriated. “And very romantic, but I don’t ever doubt that from you.”

“Well. I know that it might not be the fanciest, but I wanted to make an effort.” He grins at your praise and both of you sit down on the checkered spread.

“You’re perfect level of fancy for me.” Once you sit down here starts to unpack things, and you fidget slightly on the blanket. “But…Speaking of…of that? I wondered if I could talk to you about an idea that I had.” The actual thought has been rolling around in your head for a while for uncomfortable reasons, but now that it’s Marcus it’s actually a nice thing you don’t mind dreaming about a little.

“Speaking of fancy….” He chuckles. “Alright. I’ll pour out the wine. You pitch me your idea and we will strategize.” He jokes as he opens the top to the wicker basket and produces two, picnic friendly wine glasses and sets them down to retrieve the wine from the cooler.

“Unless you had something else you wanted to talk about?” Maybe that’s what this beautiful picnic is and you’ve usurped the purpose of the night by jumping the gun, you can’t be sure.

“I’m wanting to talk about whatever you want, my love.” He promises as he uses the corkscrew to open the bottle.

“Very accommodating of you.” But that’s Marcus and you know it. Instead you focus on opening up the containers he’s packed away that are holding your dinner. “Do you remember I told you that my mother wants the three of us kids to all do…sort of…family publicity type stuff? Like Junie getting a dog and being willing to be public about it?”

“Yes.” He nods and pours out the wine into each glass. “You didn’t sound terribly enthusiastic about it, although you tried to put on a good front.”

“I’m not terribly enthusiastic about it.” You can admit that, especially to him. “Which is why I’m not sure if this idea is selfish or not.”

“Honey….” Marcus hands you the wine and takes the container with the cheese from you to open. “You are not a politician, you don’t seek the spotlight. Sharing yourself with the public in a way you need isn’t selfish.” He’s pretty much guessed that it has to be some idea about your relationship, and he’s okay with that.

“It’s selfish because it’s something I’m asking you to do with me.” The wine glass is cold in your hand, a soothing and grounding change from the warm day. Although now that the sun’s down it will be cool sooner rather than later. “Because I’m more comfortable and more confident with you beside me in that spotlight.”

“Whatever you need.” Marcus promises. “Undercover work was never exactly fun for me, and I’m out as a UA now that the picture of us dancing was posted in the papers.”

“I feel like I ought to apologize.” The wine he chose is fruity and dry, much more complex than you would but for yourself despite his claim that it’s not fancy.

“No, sweetheart, please don’t.” Marcus shakes his head. “I was aware pictures would be taken. It was my own choice. And I don’t regret it for a second.”

“I didn’t know art crimes required undercover work. Though I suppose it makes perfect sense now that I think about it.” And you’re definitely stalling, but you push it further by assembling a charcuterie bite from the containers around you.

“It’s rare, but I only took the last assignment where I went undercover was because I needed to get away after things ended with Teresa.” He explains.

"Well, you'll have nothing like that reason ever again." The idea of Marcus with a broken heart is too much to stomach, and the coping mechanism of assembling the perfect charcuterie bite for him now pushing the thought out of your mind.

“I know.” It’s freeing to know that you two are very much in the same pages. Despite the fact that being soulmates does guarantee happiness, you and him will do everything to make sure that your story is a good one.

"So...the thing I wanted to talk to you about..." Enough stalling. Time to be an adult. "Is not because I want to push you, or rush you, or anything like that. But...because I keep thinking about it and thinking that getting ahead of the curve is the only way to really control it, and controlling it will be so much less stressful and make half as much work in the long run."

You’re cute when you’re flustered, Marcus leans back on the blanket, completely relaxed as he takes a sip of his wine. “So are we talking televised wedding? Or just pictures?” He asks.

"We are not broadcasting the wedding." That's the point at which you draw the line, you already know that. It's too much. Too invasive even for a family in the public eye. "I was thinking more like...letting photos be released along the way. Like sharing engagement photos, or photos of dresses that I don't pick. Things like that?"

“I’m perfectly fine with that.” It’s an easy agreement, one that has him lifting a brow. “That was all?”

"Even if that includes sharing photos of your bachelor party or sitting down with a reporter yourself?" The fact that he's willing to agree to it so easily is utterly shocking to you, and you feel like you have to do your due diligence and double check. "Or even share part of the proposal?"

“Whatever you feel comfortable with.” Marcus agrees. “It’s like the family days at the parks or when mom and dad would have interviews.”

Sometimes you really do forget that he already has a frame of reference for all of this. That he understands being a family in the spotlight. You take a sip of your wine and build him another bite from the charcuterie containers, offering it to him with a grateful smile. "I love you. Completely. I really hope you know how grateful I am for you."

“Why don’t we plan to have photos released from our engagement, you and I can sit down with a reporter about the expectations of soulmates and politics. There can be a website for all this with links to charities or causes that you want to champion or bring to light?”

"I don't understand how you get even more perfect." When he takes the cracker from your hand you run a finger under his jaw and end up feeling heat in your cheeks all over again. "When we get back I'll talk to Mom and whoever from her team is supposed to be coordinating my media stuff. And..." That same hand of yours squeezes his knee gently. "This is not me trying to rush you into anything. I'm sure we'll get enthusiastic and rush all on our own."

“Us?” He feigns surprise and smirks slightly. “Maybe we will, maybe we will surprise ourselves.” He turns and kisses the palm of your hand. “But I doubt it.”

"I doubt it, too." It's a kiss from his lips that you want most, and lean forward to steal it without shame. "But I love that we're on the same page so easily."

“So after that birthday….um, debacle…” he makes a face. “Are you totally opposed to the idea of a surprise proposal or what?”

"As long as it's you proposing, a surprise is fine." Debacle is the right word, and you roll your eyes slightly. "I actually do love surprises. Mom told you that."

“You might have changed your mind.” The sun is setting and right on cue, the fairy lights that he had spent the majority of the day stringing around the pond come on.

The way you coo at the change in lighting is full of delight, and you lean into his side on the blanket with nothing short of delight on your face. "See this is why I love surprises. For things like this."

“I was hoping you would like it.” Marcus grins as you stare in loving awe of the lights as they play off the water and the sunset.

"You know...the back of the property at the inn has a little pond like this." You lean back against him and enjoy the view around you. "There's nothing around it really, so I haven't thought about putting a garden there or anything. But...it could be in the backyard of our house if we wanted it to."

“I think we could do that.” Marcus smirks and reaches out to touch the rim of his glass against yours. “Our own little escape.”

"And it's far enough back from the inn to soothe your very sweet concern over historically matching buildings." Which you love, but you don't want him to get so hung up on it that he ends up sacrificing another aspect of the house he might truly love.

“You have something else in mind?” He asks, wondering if you want something different for how you raise your children and where you live.

"I don't really know a hell of a lot about architectural styles," you admit. "I just don't want us to miss out on our dream house because we got stuck on making the buildings match. We can set our house back enough that it will have its own space."

“Any house that has you and our family in it is my dream house.” He promises, smiling at you happily.

"I love you, too." In a way that makes you feel like your heart is going to swell right out of your chest, but in the absolute best possible way.

“I know you do.” Marcus murmurs softly, wondering how he got so lucky with you. “I am a lucky man.”

Leaning back lets you kiss him, just a soft thing but tender and full of desire and promise before you pull back and smile at him softly. "I guess we're both lucky, then."

“Oh!” Marcus pulls out his phone, forgetting that he had programmed it and opens it up to the music app to start playing music. “Forgot that part.” He huffs. “Too eager to pour wine.”

You know even on the first song that it's a playlist of love songs. There is nothing more supremely on point for Marcus than a night like this, with all of the magic that he's infused into this beautiful little dinner. "I don't know how, but you keep making it better every second."

“That’s high praise.” He hums, putting together a bite for you and holding it out for you to eat. “I’ve enjoyed having you to spoil.”

“And you’re about the only person in the world I’ll ever let do it.” The admission comes with a laugh, and you place another soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for suggesting this trip, love.”

“I’m glad you got to come.” He admits with a smile as you take the offered bite and groan at the taste. “I know it was hard to take off last minute and I appreciate it. Next time we will have it planned better.”

“It’s less that it’s hard and more that I get very determined about being hands on,” you admit. “Malachi can run that place in his sleep during the day, and my managers are great. I just…always worry.”

“It’s your baby.” Marcus acknowledges easily. “It’s like a case for me. My team is incredibly proficient at their jobs, but if there is a stake out or some kind of op to be run, I like being there.”

“I’m grateful you understand.” Others hadn’t, and so the fact that Marcus is supportive of your need for work as well as your need for a family is very much appreciated. “And Sydney was joking about sending care packages to your stake outs if you wanted them, so I think your team is about to be very happy, too.”

“If she did, she would become an unofficial member of the team.” Marcus snorts. “They wouldn’t be happy with pizza anymore.”

“I’d have even more FBI agents on my doorstep,” you giggle at the image. “There’s already three of you, we’ll need to designate a dining room or something.”

“The Fed Room.” Marcus snorts, grinning at the idea. “It would never be empty.”

“Syd may have thrown a tiny bit of a fit when I told her I don’t want her to cater any of our wedding stuff,” you admit, cringing slightly as Marcus starts to open another round of containers from the picnic basket. “But she’s my best friend and will be my maid of honor. I want her there by my side, not stuck in the kitchen.”

“How about she can cater the engagement party?” Marcus suggests. “That way she’s involved but it’s not taking over her enjoying your wedding day.”

“I wasn’t even thinking about an engagement party.” The compromise makes you turn up your chin to look at him with wide, starry eyes. “It’s perfect. Just like you, love.”

“We have to have a party.” Marcus teases, kissing your nose. “The press can have the story of my proposal and the engagement party. That’s also a good way to keep our actual engagement to ourselves.”

“I’m so fucking glad you’re with me on this.” The honest laugh is stifled but full of relief as you lounge with him in the blanket. “I would never think of any of this and I’d just end up stressed out or going along with whatever anybody else planned to avoid having to think about it.”

“I will fix anything you ever ask me to.” Marcus promises. “But if you ever don’t like something, you never have to worry about me being upset by that.”

“And the same goes for you,” you promise him, with the same measure of seriousness in your eyes and honesty in your voice. “I hope you know that.”

“I know.” He picks up a grape to pop into his mouth. “You and I are very communicative.”

“I feel like I should apologize.” Your voice lowers slightly, the unsureness seeping through it.

“Why?” Marcus frowns slightly, not liking that comment at all. You have nothing to apologize for. He loves that the two of you are talking and planning your lives together.

“Past relationships…have not been as okay with my tendency to talk everything out at length.” It’s not something that you really ever planned on bringing up, since Marcus likes to dream and plan and plot like you do. But maybe it’s good that he knows, since it has slipped out without you meaning to. “I always felt like I was bothering them with it. And ended up apologizing a lot.”

He frowns even more, reaching out after he sets down to his wine glass and pulls you close. “Sweetheart, I want to talk things out. Even if it’s as mundane as brunch locations or if the entryway table should be moved.” He promises. “Please never feel like you should apologize. I want to hear everything you have to say.”

“You might regret saying that when I get going about the logistics of booking rooms for large parties.” It’s a decent attempt at a joke, even if it’s wry, and you lean into Marcus’s comforting warmth with a sigh. “I’m still getting used to the idea that you are as straight forward and wholeheartedly enthusiastic about this entire relationship as I am. It seems surreal but it’s too wonderful to be a dream, so I’m just doing my best to process the whole thing.”

“You process however you need to.” He kisses your forehead. “I’ll be right here to reassure you again. You’re my partner, my lover, and my friend.” He murmurs. “The most important person in the universe to me.”

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon   @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer

HHL: @haileymorelikestupid @anoverwhelmingdin @storiesofthefandomlovers @missladym1981 @babeincolor @angelofsmalldeath-codeine

My Masterlist!

[paper-starz]

i was so surprised by the lack of AUs in the My Friendly Neighborhood fandom! So, me and a few discord buddies decided to create our own! The Opposite Au! (Or the OPP AU for short)

its basically a personality swap with a few story changes!

(click read more for bonus doodles + character descriptions!)

NORMAN

Norman is THE BEST character on 'My Friendly Neighborhood' and he WILL remind you constantly!

He has like a bajillion fans and friends that are definitely NOT made up! Of course he has fans and friends from all over the world what do you mean he doesn't???

He's a bit of a diva... ok "bit" is an understatement. He genuinely believes that he deserves to be treated better than anybody else! He proudly displays a star on his door as a symbol of his supposed stardom!

There's a blurry line between fiction and reality for Norman. He believes his on-screen friendship with Lenard translates to real life, despite their mutual mistreatment of each other. Lenard is definitely NOT Norman's friend. (In fact, most of the puppets in this AU despise each other)

Incredibly overdramatic. He once laid down on the floor for 3 hours straight because someone ate the last chocolate chip cookie.

Norman is still very lonely.

JUNEBUG

Much more calmer and introverted than her OG counterpart. She would rather stay inside reading books than play outside with her so-called 'friends'.

She is the resident bookworm of the neighborhood, incredibly smart too!

Her demeanor is highly apathetic; even if chaos erupted in the neighborhood, she wouldn't even lift her eyes from the pages of her book.

She also speaks in a very monotone voice.

She still very much hates responsibility.

She and Norman have a sort of pseudo rivalry with each other, even though it mostly affects Norman. While others react to Norman's antics, Junebug's indifference to it annoys him the most.

Even if she's not currently reading books, she's usually staring off into space or thinking about something. Ms. Lilianna is not fond of her due to her inattentiveness during one of her lessons.

Has a horrible habit of sneaking up to people and scaring them due to the fact that she walks VERY quietly.

MS. LILIANNA

It's MISS Lilianna. Not Lilianna, MISS Lilianna! She is your teacher and you WILL show her some respect!

Miss. Lilianna is incredibly strict and uptight. If you so much as even breathe loudly she will get furious with you!

She does genuinely love teaching! She teaches math, science, english, history... but her favorite lesson to teach are RULES!

Currently, she has 874 rules in her rule book. Here are some examples:

22. No talking while she's talking, that’s rude. 23. No chewing gum 24. no smiling 25. no breathing too loudly 26. no running 27. no jumping 28. no laughing 29. no living 30. no screaming 32. no playtime 33. no snack time 34. no lunchtime 35. definitely no nap time. 36. No blinking more than once per minute! 37. You must sit at a perfect 90 degree angle 38. No writing with anything other than a blue ballpoint pen with a 0.735 mm tip!

Her favorite rule is rule #17: "Everyday is Teacher's Day!" You must give Ms. Lilianna gifts and hugs to show how much you appreciate her!

The most important rule is the "No complaining about the rules" rule! Or else you'll be sent to the principals office! Which is her. She is the principal, the custodian, the janitor, every and any faculty member of the school!

...Except for the Art teacher. Please don't show her any art, she will not understand anything. She lacks any and every sort of creativity.

Her favorite weapon to use is the classic ruler! Light weight AND teacher-y

Baldi's basics lookin' ass

LENARD

Anxious Dog Energy right there.

Poor Lenard is very shy and super self conscious. Like Junebug, he would rather stay alone than be anywhere NEAR people.

He has a bit of a stutter.

He is so anxious, that he's developed several self-defense mechanisms!

He will either SCREAM BLOODY MURDER

Or he will bite you

Or a combination of both.

Sometimes he'll bite for no reason whatsoever!

Lenard is TERRIFIED of being watched, especially while practicing. Memories of him being taunted and teased during the show's production still haunt him.

He's developed severe scopophobia because of this.

He will usually sing and dance in private. Though, he's not a very good singer nor a very good dancer.

GEORGE

The epitome of "I hate my job."

This George really hates being a taxi driver. I mean, wouldn't you hate being stuck as a taxi driver for the rest of your life?

After MFN got cancelled and the puppets got abandoned, George ripped out the 'T' in his taxi cab hat. He tried ripping out more from his taxi uniform, but stopped since his uniform were the only clothes that he's got.

He's now stuck in exitensial dread. What IS George now that he's not a taxi driver? He might've hated being one, but that was all that he's got.

He hates any and all vehicles with 4 wheels or more. All the taxi cabs in the studio are smashed, even the wheels have been taken out!

He still likes rats. However, it's mostly a "appreciate from afar" type of ordeal. The rats in the studio are vicious little beasts.

He once saw a puppet get too close to the rats. Let's just say that the puppet is now a pile of cotton fluff.

The only time he was genuinely happy during the show's production was when they were filming the Pirate's Cove film. It was his first experience of being anything other than his taxi driver role. He still has his pirates hook and he would fight you tooth and nail if you try and steal it from him

AND THATS EVERYONE (for part 1 ofc)

Thank you to my friends who definitely helped with this AU (you know who you are!)

Oh! And please click the images for better quaity!

[oletusfragments]

— I SMILE A LOT WHEN I'M IN FRONT OF YOU ; I FEEL LOVE, AFFECTION

⋄ Surprising each other on Valentine's Day

Characters: Andrew Kreiss, Demi Bourbon, Norton Campbell

▭ self indulg. ▭ genderneutral ▭ fluff ▭ not proofread ▭

— ANDREW

Being with you feels like a dream. Andrew hadn't realized that it's almost Valentine's day.

Just kidding, he's actually been thinking about it since December. What? You're so special to him. It's only right he does something special for you too.

He noted every small detail that gives a clue about what you're fond of. And despite his dislike for social situations, he approached Emma to help him set up a gift for you.

Actually, he tried to approach her. It was the gardener that confronted him after she noticed that he's been following her while staring at her as if wanting to ask her something. Much to the grave keeper's relief, Emma was happy to help.

But he can't help but get worried. The gardener kept giggling and snickering whenever he was with you. She might give away the surprise! But for some reason, you were also fidgety. Do you already know? Maybe you don't like it? Oh god, he's even more uneasy now.

He thought of dropping the surprise but then that means he won't have anything for you at valentine's day. No, he loves you. And he trusts you.

The day of the much awaited Valentine's day finally arrived. After lunchtime, he planned to ask you to meet him in the garden while trying not to be obvious as possible.

"Can you meet me at the garden later, dear? I-it's nothing serious. I just...have something to show you."

"What? That's funny, I was going to ask you the same thing." You said to him.

What a coincidence, he merely thought.

Meanwhile, you were feeling antsy. Andrew did say that it's nothing serious. But you hoped it wouldn't ruin what you want to do for him today.

After you both parted, Andrew immediately went to his room to quickly get his presents and arrive first at the garden. It'd be ugly if he arrived last, he thought.

The albino waits at the garden with trepidation, as he stands there holding your presents—a bouquet of your favorite flowers, and a present wrapped in a wrapper of your favorite color.

"Ah! Andrew, you're already here..."

He hears your voice and footsteps approach him. But why do you sound slightly disappointed? Oh no. No, it's too late to back out!

He feels your figure behind him and he preps himself. His hands slightly trembling from nervousness. He inhales, gathering up courage before turning around to face you, almost losing his balance.

"Y/N, Happy Valentine's Day!" Andrew shouts. Oh Lord, he didn't mean to be that loud. The grave keeper flushes in embarrassment while hanging his head low, and his eyes closed.

"Oh...I..."

He knew it. You're embarrassed for him, aren't you? He trembles in his stance, scared of what you'll say next.

But only your laughter was heard.

Andrew gulped. Were you making fun of him now? He looked up at you, confused and mortified.

But there you were in front of him, bathed in the sunlight peeking from the clouds. You were holding a bouquet of his favorite purple irises wrapped in a light pink wrapper and a gift wrapped Ina wrapper with heart patterns. You were laughing heartily.

To him, you looked breathtaking. It doesn't matter if you say you look like a mess or you're only wearing casual clothes. You looked beautiful.

"Ahaha! I was planning to surprise you first."

His mouth falls agape in shock and his blush deepens. What? "I–...those are for me?"

"Of course! Did you think I wasn't going to do anything for you today?" You asked, walking closer to him.

"I didn't think...well..." The grave keeper fumbles over his words.

You take the present you were carrying to your other arm so you could caress his cheek.

"Andrew, you mean the world to me. And I'd do anything to prove to you just how special you are." You say before pulling him down/tilting his head up to meet your lips–taking him in a sweet kiss.

The two of you part, breathless.

"I love you."

— DEMI

February 14th isn't just about Valentine's Day, it's also Demi's birthday! It's twice the celebration!

That is why you've been wracking up your brain trying to think of something to do for the lovely barmaid of the manor.

Perhaps you've been too stressed trying to come up with something since Demi kept trying to ask you what was wrong despite telling her that you're fine.

"You sure? Don't work yourself up too much, okay?" Demi says, combing her fingers through your hair.

If you didn't stop yourself, you might've fallen asleep from the gesture with the help of her voice that sounded like a lullaby to you after going through a frustration.

Really, what can you do for this beautiful woman?

What can you do?

That question never left you. Even as you wrote a newfound idea. The reason why your mind stays awake even though your eyes wanted to close that night.

The day after that, you started planning and preparing furiously. It almost intimidated the others around you. It was like you had grown another pair of arms as they witnessed you feverishly prepare something in the kitchen.

Demi had taught you how to mix drinks before. She was so passionate about teaching it to you that she even expressed that she anticipates your progress. In fact, in the future, once the both of you find Demi's brother, you plan to set up a bar run by Demi and you.

So you thought, why not mix a drink to show her how much you've improved? Paired up with a romantic dinner or lunch (whatever you prefer) date, prepared by your own hands.

That is what you've been trying to achieve in the kitchen. A mix that you could impress her with.

You felt giddy and nervous while making it. And those feelings never leave you even as you look at your own work on the special day.

A white table embroidered with floral patterns, two seats–that you made sure was comfortable to sit on, in front of it are the meals you've prepared, and in the middle of the table was a vase containing a few roses. The drink you've especially made was lying in your hands. You were still unsure, even after the million taste tests you did. It tasted fine but will it be good enough?

Demi was going to arrive here sooner or later. There's no time to panic or to alter things. You'll just have to make sure it goes well, and if it doesn't–you leave it up to date and hope for the best.

"Well, my. Is this all for me?"

You almost jumped out of your skin. The bottle in your hands almost shattered from your grip. But the presence behind you merely laughed.

"Yes–! Demi! Happy Birthday! …And Happy Valentine's day too!" You greeted, facing her sheepishly.

The barmaid chuckled once again. How precious you are, she thinks.

"And what's that?"She points at the porcelain bottle in your hands.

"Ah, well...I made it for you. It's a mix I made on my own. I hope you like it."

Demi grins wider. She rushed up to hug you and kissed your cheek. "Aw, geez. You've certainly outdone yourself. How can my present be as amazing as yours?"

What? You break away from her embrace. "What do you mean?"

Demi pulls a small red box adorned with a white ribbon from her pockets. You could smell the faint scent of chocolates and roses from it.

"I have something for you too." She says while handing it to you.

You shook your head, "But Demi, it's your special day today! You shouldn't have…"

"Ha! That's right. It's my birthday and I get to do what I want. And I chose to give you a gift." She declared, urging you to take the gift.

Her eyes narrowed and she gave you a sly grin, "You'll do anything for the birthday girl, right?"

You could only sigh as you gave up attempting to argue with her. Cradling the bottle on one of your arms carefully while you use your vacant hand to take her gift.

"Now let's dine in! I can't wait to try what you've made!" Demi grabbed your arm and pulled you with her as she rushed to the table.

"Ah–hold on!" You exclaim.

The rest of the time was filled with smiles and laughter as the two of you enjoyed your time together.

— NORTON

Look, he's broke. That is no secret. He would have never thought that a holiday, something he hardly think about, turns into a day he'll stress himself out on.

Everyone could see that the prospector is working harder to earn money than usual. That says a lot, because Norton has always been a hardworking individual. Others regarded this change as just desperation to conquer poverty quick.

Perhaps the said motive still stays true. It's what the prospector claims to the few people that asked him to atleast take a break. But what he's not telling is that it's always you that appears in his head as he works. How badly he wants to use his money to get you the riches you deserve to be pampered with. But dear, he needs that money to eat, that's why he's trying to earn more.

Actually, You and Norton aren't a thing yet. He's planning to confess to you this valentine's day—as cheesy as that may sound.

He wish he could give you more, really. But he hopes that these three red roses and chocolates in a heart shaped box is enough. It was the most popular gifts—and the cheapest.

Beneath the moody exterior that shouts "I don't care!" Is a heart that is nervous and wishing to love. He does in fact care, he does in fact love you.

Norton may not be able to afford certain things, but he could prove to you that he can give you all the love in the world. He just hopes that you'd give this poor man a chance.

Please? The plead repeats on his head as the pen writes an invitation for you to meet him at the garden on the day of valentine's.

Please? The word repeats on his head, his heart starts to beat faster as he approaches you with the gifts at hand.

"...I love you. I mean it." Please. Let me love you.

In front of him, you stand surprised. But what you did next shocked him even more.

You pulled your very own gifts and a love letter addressed to him from behind you.

You smiled warmly at him, something that felt like a comforting blanket after being in the cold for too long.

"I wanted to tell you the same thing! I–...I love you too." You confess, face flushing.

Norton stands, face blank but cheeks turning noticeably red. His eyes softened, and he let out an eased sigh.

"I have one more thing to give to you, actually." He says, moving closer to you.

"Wha–really? Norton that's–" You couldn't finish your sentence. Taken aback when he took your hands in his and put it in his chest. Where you could feel his heart racing despite his unbothered expression.

"My heart. It's yours." He says and captured your lips in his.

[ Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone! (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡ ]

[hutaoscoffinn]

Hello, I love how you’ve done the request that I asked for Rika. Now with that out of the way; I NEED ROMANTIC DOMESTIC HEADCANONS WITH RIKA!!! STAT! I LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND YOU WRITE HER SO WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!!!

p.s. if you want to add some Nsfw in there, I certainly wouldn’t mind…

BLESSED OFC ALL THE CUTE RIKA AND DOMESTIC RIKA HEADCANONS I HAVE SO FUCKING MANY SO YES HERE TAKE.

I also have an NSFW headcanons in the works sooooo I’ll let this be fluffy and sweet~

Warnings: fluffy as hell good LORD, domestic Rika, Rika is a simp whats new, Rika is love shaped, slightly suggestive but nothing explicit, mentions of making out, lots of kisses, lots of pure love from good ol Rika

Character: Rika of the elite 4

Requests: OPEN

Ahhhh yes domestic Rika lets get into it

Rika takes you on dates as much as she can, at least one every two weeks but she usually takes you on at least two dates a week

And she always pays as well

You will never pay for a date as long as you are dating Rika

You can’t sneak the bill, you can’t get your card out faster than her, nothing

She always pays

And she will always pay for your morning coffee if you get it, tea, anything

Its her favorite thing to treat you and she will all the time

Rika brings you flowers whenever she can, she will pick up your favorite food and bring it to your place if you’re too lazy to cook

Speaking of food

Rika always cooks breakfast in the morning and she will make sure you eat something

You are her everything so she’s doing her best to take care of you

Now when Rika does cook in the morning she always does it shirtless with sweapants or shorts on and a sportsbra

This has absolutely lead to several makeout sessions in the kitchen in the morning where you two almost forgot about the food

So yeah safe to say she does it just to get a rise out of you

Rika will always expect and very lovingly demand a morning kiss before she goes off to work

She in fact will not leave until she gets her dose of your kisses before she leaves

If you try to deprive her of her morning kiss, she will go to lengths to get what she wants

Her methods include picking you up, pinning you to the wall, chasing you around the house, tickling you, ect

Dont deprive her of her kisses unless you want to face the consequences unless you want those which I mean, valid

While Rika is gone and at work, she will always send you random texts around lunchtime to remind you to eat something

Sometimes she will even have a lunch or leftovers she saved for you to eat and she will remind you of that

On all the lunches she prepares for you, she will always leave a little note to remind you of her love for you

She’s a simp what can I say

Along with her texts to remind you to eat, she will always send you random I love you texts

Along with any funny pictures or videos of the other league members while she was at work

If theres a challenger that stuck out to her or a match she easily won, she will call you to boast about her victory and/or give you all the details

She also does random I love you calls simply because when she thinks about you she misses your voice and wants to hear it

“Rika, why did you call I thought you were busy?”

“Mmm I just missed your voice baby.”

Whenever you need to ramble or rant about something to Rika she will always listen intently, soaking in every single word you are saying

She will also keep eye contact with you as you talk and she will have the most lovestruck look in her eyes

Sometimes she cant handle the amount of love she has for you and she just has to give you a kiss before you can continue

“Sorry love, you can keep talking now.”

When Rika comes home, she’s always ready to give you a big hug and just hold you to her chest

She wraps her arms around you, pulling you in close and rubbing your back as she presses kisses to your temple, forehead, cheeks, anywhere her lips can reach

She always eats dinner with you if possible

If she is away during dinner, she will call you while she eats so that you two can still eat together even though she is away

As far as goodnights go

Rika always holds you as you both fall asleep, she needs you snug and safe in her arms as you drift off to dreamland together

Which makes any overnight trips incredibly difficult for her

If you’re gone overnight or she is, she will always call to fall asleep on the phone with you

But her quality of sleep isnt as good as it is when she has you snuggled up against her

She’s tried everything to get decent sleep whenever you or her are gone for the night; weighted blankets, hugging pillows, hugging stuffed animals, ect

Nothing can beat how soundly she sleeps when you’re with her

And when you two do get to fall asleep in the same bed, she has to give you a million goodnight kisses

She also can’t sleep before she tells you she loves you and until she hears it back

So dont fall asleep before you can tell her, K?

Reblogs are always appreciated <3

[justtonto]

Fav characters

1. Bridgette (underrated queen)

2. Lindsay

3. Zoey (she's my main kin in the whole total drama)

4. Rock and Spud (can they count for one? Also, they're literally the only characters I've ever cheered for to win)

5. Ella (she's my drawing muse)

It's hard for me to rank any characters, I have a lot of favorites. I also really like Mickey and Jay.

My ideal team is

Trent, Jo, Ella, Rock, Spud, Brick, Anna Maria, Duncan, Scott, Izzy and Sugar, it's a nuclear mix.

Favorite rairpairs (rairpairs are the reason I live)

Scoey - Scott could definitely fall in love with Commando Zoey. Scott thinks she's just a nice girl at first, but then when Zoey shows her brutal side, he's like "....Wow"

Justin x Izzy - It's hard for me to explain their dynamics, but I love them, especially when it's Izzy isn't crazy theory

Brick x Dawn - why I thought this ship had more fans than one

Mickey x Sammy = ever since I came up with this ship I've always thought of them as two kids at school that no one is friends with and they're sitting together at lunchtime

Beth x Duncan - they could be cute and their relationship wasn't that bad in action

That's not even half of the rairpair I love yet, if I wrote it all it would be too big a post

I don't know how rairpair it is, but I love Gweather.

Total drama I've been watching since I was a little kid, I remember waiting for it to start on TV, it's been half a year since I decided to revisit it and I've been active in the fandom since then

[callsign-joyride]

Soon You'll Get Better | Bob Floyd

Summary: You have a seizure at The Hard Deck. Bob and the Dagger Squad immediately help.

Content warnings: Seizures in public places, hospitals, medical terminology, angst to comfort

Word count: 1k

A/N: This fic is dedicated to a friend. We both have epilepsy. I would not and will not write anything about medical conditions that I don't have or don't know anything about.

You slept through your alarm. It was set to go off at six, but you and Bob saw a movie the night before, so you were up later than usual. You barely had enough time to pack your lunch and get out of the door so that you could be at work on time. Thank God for night showers, you thought as you started the car. You greeted a few of your fellow teachers and the school librarian before heading to your classroom and getting the lesson for the day ready. It was easy because you had planned a character analysis of Tony Stark in the first Iron Man movie.

As lunchtime rolled around, you checked your phone for unanswered text messages and graded papers. Bob asked you if you wanted to go with him to The Hard Deck tonight, and you didn’t hesitate to say yes. You loved spending time with the Dagger Squad, and you were especially close with Phoenix and Rooster.

Bob had dinner cooked and on the table by the time you got home. Your plate was still warm, too, and the small act of kindness made you smile. You talked about your students and he talked about the training exercises that he had to do, even though both of you knew that you still didn’t understand a lot of what he was talking about after being together for years. He did the dishes while you went to the bedroom and changed your clothes. Really, you just swapped the floral blouse for a band t-shirt. After changing out your bag to something smaller, you were finally ready to go.

The bar was only a few minutes away. The short distance was one of the perks of living on a Navy base, but you liked it because of the proximity to the beach. Everyone got pretty used to you running to the beach whenever you felt like it. Bob said hi to a few of his friends before walking you over to the bar and ordering your favorite drink. You weren’t feeling well but you didn’t want to worry anyone so you didn’t say anything. 

All it took was one sip. Phoenix was on your left and Bob was on your right. As soon as the fruity flavor of the drink hit your stomach, something wasn’t right. 

“Hey, you okay?” Phoenix asked as you started to shake and twitch. Bob seemed too caught up in his conversation with Coyote to realize what was happening behind him. It felt like you couldn’t speak and you didn’t have control over your movements.

“Is she good?” Coyote asked. Bob immediately swiveled around in his barstool to face you. Phoenix was holding you in her arms while you were twitching.

“She’s having a seizure. Penny, is there any chance that you could get everyone out of here?”

Penny nodded her head and stood on the counter as she told everyone to leave out of the nearest exit if they weren’t going to help. Bob helped you lay on your side and looked around for anyone that would help.

“Okay, Coyote, there are rescue meds in the glove compartment of my car. Phoenix, call 9-1-1. She’s probably gonna throw up when she comes out of this so I need… Thanks, Rooster.”

“They’re on their way,” Phoenix said after a few moments. Coyote came rushing in with the gallon-size Ziploc bag of rescue meds and drew up the doses once Bob told him what you needed. Almost immediately after he gave you your meds, the ambulance pulled up and two EMTs rushed out with a gurney. 

He was able to ride with you to the hospital while everyone else decided that they would meet you there. It took a few minutes for you to fully regain consciousness after what happened, and Bob was holding your hand when you woke up. He was gentle when he hugged you and told you that everyone was waiting outside to make sure that you were okay. A few doctors came in and started to talk to you, but Bob refused to leave your side.

“Have you been taking your meds regularly?” The female doctor asked. Your stomach lurched as you looked between her and Bob a few times.

“I took them late last night because we saw a movie. Now that I think about it, I forgot to take them this morning because I was running late for work. I overslept.”

“We’re gonna run a few tests and keep you overnight for extra monitoring.”

The doctors told you what the tests were going to look like before they left. All you felt like you could do was cry and apologize.

“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. You’re okay and that’s all that matters to me. I’m not mad at you.”

“Penny had to close the bar early and our drinks! Who’s gonna pay for our drinks?” You asked through tears. Bob grabbed the bucket and held it under your chin when you started to hiccup. He rubbed your back and sat on the bed next to you while he explained everything that happened.

“Babe, paying for drinks is the last thing anyone is worried about right now. I can let a few people in if you want?”

“Yeah, but can we do two at a time? I don’t want to get more overwhelmed and stressed out than I already am.”

“Of course.”

It took about an hour for everyone to visit, and you were all tired by the end of it. Even though you were practically exhausted, the doctors still made you do the tests. You cried at the end of it when they told you that you wouldn’t be able to drive for a few months. Bob knew that it was worse because you were so tired.

“Hey, I’ll talk to Mav when I can go back to work. We’ll figure it out. You’re always gonna have someone to drive you to work and back, okay?”

You nodded your head and he wiped your tears before turning off the lights and crawling into the hospital bed next to you. It was a little awkward at first because he didn’t want to sleep on the side that had all of the IVs and monitors on it, but you eventually got it figured out. 

“Bobby?” You whispered.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Tag list:

@littlebadariell @cycbaby @luckyladycreator2 @idontcare-11 @blue-aconite @maverick-wingman @shawty-fenty @littlemisstopgun @rosiahills22 @katieshook02 @justanothermagicalsara @caitsymichelle13 @smoothdogsgirl @adoringsebstan @cherrycola27 @alexxavicry @mrsjaderogers @mak-32 @thefandomimagines @tallrock35 @caatheeriinee07 @bradshawseresinbabe @atarmychick007 @3sriracha

[p4ndawrites]

Office Love

Tag: Kenma fluff, NB reader, mention of a female reader (Kuroo's fiancee), shy and awkward reader and Kenma.

Hope you enjoy!

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Kenma watched the newest member of his team nearly walk into the door, making him laugh softly. They were indeed somewhat strange, but that made it all the more intriguing to learn more about them. How someone could be amazing at game designing and a walking disaster a few seconds later intrigued him. Not to mention the fact that they struggled to say a word to him during their interview but could immediately rant about the newest season of MHA when he mentioned that he had been late to a meeting due to binge-watching the said anime. It was a cute idea that they were so timid yet brightened at any mention of one of their interests, and boy did it make him want to know more about the strange game designer.

Also maybe it was the fact that they had been so similar that it hadn't been funny. Anime and games had been his world since well, forever really. I mean volleyball had been an interesting thing to do but he had partially done it for Kuroo so it couldn't compete. He had always been the quiet geek with his pudding-like hair and obsession with cats so it was refreshing when he met someone who reminded him of the person he used to be in high school. Not that he changed a bit. Nope, his lack of dating and his friend circle other than the volleyball players could testify to that.

He watched as they groaned, hand securing the newest model figurine that they had created for the launch of their new Otome game. They had been trying to branch out of their usual action and sport-themed games by trying a new type of game consisting of love and a storyline which had taken his gaming company to a new level. Them being the head of designs had been spectacular, the characters highlighting a boyish charm that went along with the tragic love story themed around one's high-school experience. The boys had managed to fit the storyline, each showing their hidden charms but what made him raise an eyebrow when he checked the designs was the shy geek who oddly resembled the pudding head himself. Not to mention that they had openly said Sora Hizashi (his assigned name) had been their favorite character because of his adorable yet neutral personality. One that doesn't express emotions as openly as others and is adorable when confused about certain emotions that he could not understand. I mean did they even try to hide who they based the lovely character on? No, no they most certainly did not.

He smiled slightly before flopping back down on his chair as he stared off into space. How long had they been working for him now? A year? A year and a half? Gosh had it been that long, he truly wondered. To some, it would seem like they weren't all that special but to him, they had been so beautifully and perfectly them that he had managed to develop feelings for them. He had been tired of the dates Kuroo had set him up on, how everyone he'd been on a date with had never been honest with their true intentions but them, they couldn't lie to save their lives and it sure was adorable.

I mean it had been obvious that the anime-obsessed designer had a thing for their boss. The thought itself brought a grin on his face with a shake of his head as he thought of the not-so-subtle things they did to make sure that he was always happy and the slight change of plans that would happen when he seemed on the edge of passing out. How he never came into the office without there being coffee on his desk or how he always received a homemade meal around lunchtime after the time he had almost fainted because of his unhealthy eating habits. How he would receive little deserts and sweets when they went to purchase some for themselves, the shy smile when they mentioned that they had 'purchased too much' or 'thought he would like it' never failed to make his heart flutter. Each and everything thing they did had a purpose and he knew that the reason for all the deserts was because he mentioned how much he loved sweet things recently.

"Oh wow I'm shocked Kenma, are you smiling?" The voice of his best friend echoed in the room making him groan as he sat up straight. There stood the rooster, a smug smile settling across his lips as he all but knew what the pudding head had been thinking of.

"Why are you back so soon?" He asked boredly making Kuroo feign a look of hurt at his bestie. "I came back and this is how you treat me, you're so mean to me Kyanma!"

Kenma sighed before rubbing his temples as he could feel a headache coming soon. The bedhead had supposedly left Japan for what should have been a month as he traveled the world with his beloved Chibi-chan but now here he was, annoying the poor male.

"But to answer your question, my soon-to-be in-laws had thrown a birthday party for her so we came back for that. We're leaving the day after tomorrow." He said before grabbing the lollipop on the desk and quickly removing the wrapper before plopping it in his mouth. "I thought I'd come visit you to see how you're doing with your love problem but I see there's little to no progress on the situation" He sighed dramatically making Kenma roll his eyes.

"It's not that simple Kuroo"

"But it is. Ask them out like how I did with F/N!"

"Firstly F/N asked you out and secondly, you should understand since you were just as much a chicken as I was." The bedhead groaned slightly as he noticed how instead of taking his lovely advice to heart, he decided to target him instead.

"Well the point is you need a plus one for my wedding in two months or else F/N will kill you" Kenma gulped making Kuroo grin "And you know how feisty my chibi-chan is~"

"Fine but how should I ask them?"

" With a lovely 'Hey I like you let's date!"

"This is why f/n did it instead of you you wannabe rooster."

"Shush just do it gosh or should I call chibi-chan?"

"N-no fine, I'll do it..."

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Y/N smiled gently at the awkward male in front of them as he stood stiffly beside their desk.

"What can I help you with Kozume-san?"

"Uhm well, I bought this for you?" He rubbed his neck sheepishly before showing the bouquet of roses behind him. White, red, and pink mixed beautifully as they stared at the adorable mini bear attached to the ribbon of the bouquet.

"Oh wow... there beautiful" They glanced up at him as their eyes sparkled making his ears turn pink "Thank you Kozume-san"

"Kenma..."

"Hmm?"

"Kenma is fine. You can just call me Kenma" He spoke softly as he shifted uncomfortably before clearing his throat "Uhm... I-I wanted to ask if you're free this Saturday"

"Yes, I am. Is there something you need for work then?"

"No no. I just... wanted to take you out on a date. That's if you'd want to go out with me"

Y/N's face lit up as he felt his face gradually get warmer making him look down. How dare they be so adorable without trying to be? They're going to be the death of him.

"I would love to!" They smiled making him smile softly in return.

"Okay then I'll text you the details and I'll pick you up on Saturday."

"Yep, it's a date!"

Kenma smiled one more time before turning around and walking to the room as he all but glowed. Not that they were any different to him as he looked back at them to see them glancing softly at the bouquet in front of them. A date.

He had been lucky enough to get a date with the person of his dreams and he couldn't be more thrilled.

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copyright © p4ndawrites

Do not steal work or repost as your own

[americasass81]

Vibranium Knight

Warnings:- Mild Kidnapping, Use of Pet Names, Cockwarming, P in V Smut.  18+ only. Do not read if any of these warnings are upsetting. Feedback is welcomed.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

Author’s Note 1:- @targaryenvampireslayer just a little something I wrote for you Suz to hopefully make your working day a little brighter.  Sorry it took so long but I hope it’s worth the wait being that this is my first time writing for this character I know you adore..

Author’s Note 2:- As always, all images have been found through google search.

Synopsis:- Enjoying a beautiful Spring day was not supposed to introduce you to a whole new world of possibilities but that’s exactly what happens when your distracted state intersects with an Avenger on a totally personal mission.

Pairings:- dark-ish!Sam Wilson x Female Reader.

Word Total:- 4,836

The office was quiet as you sat down at your desk and turned on the monitor, but the silence didn't really help.  The truth was nothing did.  ‘Why did it have to be this way?’ you thought as you now stood back up and headed for the nearest coffee machine while your computer flickered to life and the pinging of the elevator told you that soon your colleagues would be filing out of it to join you in another monotonous day of being totally undervalued while you scrimped and saved to hopefully retire before the humdrum working existence stole all semblance of joy from your life.

Sitting back down now and stealing a quick, generous amount of the caffeine infused beverage designed to see you through the day, you nodded kindly at your colleagues and exchanged pleasantries about your weekend activities before throwing yourself headlong into your work and counting down the seconds until lunch brought a much needed and welcome relief.  Or at least that's what it usually did.

Powering down your computer at the 1 o'clock mark and picking up your jacket while rising from your chair, a brisk walk to the elevator past the fire alarm that you'd dreamed so often of pulling just to add some excitement to the boring office routine, a smooth, uninterrupted trip down to the ground floor and your were free.  At least temporarily anyway.

Stepping outside the door then and taking in a few delightful breaths of the sweet spring air, you contemplated getting in your car, letting the top down and just spending your hour's break cruising around the city.  After all, it wasn't very often you got weather like this that let you feel the wind in your face or the sun shining down on you in a manner that wouldn't leave you burning up from the inside out afterwards.  No, this was exactly the type of weather you relished.

Not too hot, not too cold, you took one last delightful lungful and agreed instead that this was far too glorious a day to waste even a second of it sitting around in smog-fueled traffic.  Walking instead now to your favorite restaurant and collecting your usual order to go, you next headed to the local park and finding one of the easily accessible benches beside the river, sat down and tucked into the mouthwatering ramen noodle dish that only David managed to prepare just the way you liked it.

Although to be fair you thought as you took that first delicious bite and savored every single flavor that assaulted your taste buds, the other staff members never really screwed up this dish and it was the main reason you loved their food so much, but there was just something extra that seemed to make it taste a whole lot nicer when David made it.  Maybe he added something the others didn't.  Maybe it was his infectious smile and sunny disposition.  And then just maybe, it was the fact that he always had it hot and prepared for you the second you walked in as if he somehow accepted how excruciatingly tedious and demanding your work environment was and how precious this lunchtime break was for you.

A good deed in a weary world.  And yet something so small that made a world of difference to you.

Finishing up your meal now and dumping the rubbish in the nearest bin provided, you then decided that a bit of exploration was due you before you headed back to the grind of daily life necessary to pay your bills and afford you some small pleasure away from the hustle and bustle of trying to get a leg up in the corporate world.  And perhaps it was this very ruminating that found you off the beaten track in an area of the park you had never ventured before as a cloth came up to cover your mouth while the world went black all around you.

Coming back to the waking world some time later with absolutely no idea of what had happened in between or how much time had passed exactly, two things at least were perfectly clear .... and only one of them brought you any semblance of relief.  Looking around the room now while simultaneously focusing your gaze on the outside world that greeted you through a nearby window, you knew beyond all doubt now that this was not your apartment while the vegetation blooming back at you confirmed this too was no longer the city you knew and worked in.  As for the second thing?  Well, the pounding in your head told you you were well and truly alive, but whether or not that was a good thing or a bad thing remained to be seen.

Rising slowly from the bed now and thankful from your head to your toes that every stitch of clothing you had last put on was at least in place, you still needed to know exactly what was going on.  Walking then from the side of the huge bed over to the double doors that clearly opened on the outside world, you placed your palms on the handles and sent up a silent plea before quietly as possible pushing down and releasing a breath as the latches gave way and an exit appeared.  Giving one last look behind you then to make sure you hadn't alerted whomever it was that brought you here against your will, you next stepped forwards into the unknown and faced what lay ahead.  And what an experience that was.

Gazing around you now at wide open fields in every direction set against the backdrop of a picturesque mountain and river, it would have taken your breath away if not for the truth of what it revealed .... you were totally and utterly cut off from civilized society.  Taking an extra few moments still to just stand there and soak in the peace and tranquility so evident in every rock and blade of grass before you, you then pulled yourself away from the quiet and headed back towards the house.  It was time to figure out where you went from here.

Turning around then and walking back through the double doors that just moments ago had offered you freedom and then stolen it away just as easily, you stopped up short however when a man appeared through another door in the bedroom covered in only a towel as water droplets running down his exposed upper half told you he had just returned from a shower.  Which actually explained why your absence had gone unnoticed .... at least until now.

"Well hello there chicklet, am I to assume by your return that you're not yet ready to try and make a run for it?" he asked while you simply stared blankly back at him as a thousand questions exploded in your mind like fireworks on the 4th of July.  Yet nothing came out.  So it seemed he would have to try again.  "You don't remember me, do you chicklet?" he now asked as he walked fully into the room, closed the doors you had neglected in your shock and then sat down on the seat situated at the foot of the bed to await your response.  A response that came rather quickly this time.

"Remember you?  When the hell did I ever meet you?" you asked, but any answer from him was unnecessary as flashes of memory answered your own question for you.  For you see you had met him.

Oh sure it was now a lifetime ago and he went by The Falcon back then, but there was no mistaking that beautiful smile, those soft eyes or the fact that you haven't lived your life under a rock.  No, the whole world knew of Sam Wilson.  Formerly known as the heroic Falcon, now carrying the mantle of Captain America, the whole world had witnessed his strength and character when The Flagsmashers had sought to create even more chaos out of the tragedy that was the Blip and the resulting return of all those people that had been snapped away.  You on the other hand knew him personally.  Kind of.

Sitting by the catwalk many years back at a New York Fashion Week event your friend Alice had somehow managed to get both of you tickets for, your memory of lying beneath the strapping superhero when guns began blasting and bullets started flying might have remained more prominent in your mind if it wasn't for well .... said gunfight.  As it was, you remembered being tackled to the ground, moved this way and that to a safe place before the winged superhero told you to stay put upon rising from your position and heading off to help The Black Widow deal with whatever skirmish was wreaking havoc on the spectacular event.

No, that was definitely an encounter you were only too happy to forget.  Even if it did include a run-in with an actual Avenger.  But wait, if Sam Wilson was still an Avenger and he was now currently occupying a house in the middle of absolutely nowhere with you, then what exactly did that mean for your current location?  After all, you had woken up that morning in England just like you did every other morning and Sam Wilson, as far as you could recall, was everything good that the United States of America had to offer.  But they were oceans apart.  Literally.  So where the hell were you now?

In the time you had lost had you somehow been transported across the Atlantic to the good old U. S. of A.?   Or was Captain America himself currently shacked up in the most idyllic of settings deep in the heart of the English countryside?  Looking out the double doors once more and realizing now that you could in no way place this location in either country, you were about to give up and ask him where both of you were when a glance through the door he had just entered brought a whole new set of questions and distractions flooding through your mind.

Walking into that room while completely ignoring the half naked Adonis and staring in awe now at the rows of fabric that had caught your attention, one half of what appeared to be a gigantic closet filled with fabulous dresses, comfy casual wear and shoes that would have made Miranda Priestly swoon told you that you were in far more serious trouble than you had previously imagined.  For this situation was not something that had just sprung up overnight.  No, every little detail here had been meticulously planned.  So turning back to the bedroom now and facing the man you suspected to be your abductor, you took a deep breath before asking that very same man what the fuck was going on.

"Aw come on now chicklet, isn't it obvious?" he asked with a smirk before continuing as you sat down on the chair nestled in the corner of the room.  "I built this place for you.  For us.  This beautiful, isolated spot where you can live a life of pampered luxury without that tedious job sapping your joy and killing your creativity.  I've read some of your work, you know.  Who says fantasies don't come true?"

Staring at him blankly now as your mind began spinning with what he had just told you, your anxiety spiked to the point where if you weren't sitting down you would most possibly pass out yet again.  As it was, you now had no alternative but to tell your brain to shut up and think.  For what he was saying couldn't possibly be real.  Right?

Oh sure, you were far from stupid or naïve.  Anyone these days could find anything on the internet with enough savvy if they looked hard enough and of course you were well aware that one or two celebrities at least poked their virtual heads on Tumblr from time to time.  BUT THIS?  Had Sam Wilson really found your blog and read your fics?  Had he truly discovered your secret desire to feel his powerful, naked body pressed against yours after he rescued you from a job that treated you no better than a mechanical robot tapping away at a keyboard and answering questions for people who couldn't even be bothered to thank you afterwards?  Worse yet, how had he managed to put all the pieces together and actually track you down?

No, this couldn't seriously be what was happening here.

Looking up at him now however and seeing the truth etched quite plainly on his handsome face, you quickly got up from your chair and began frantically pacing back and forth before him as your anxiety spiked once more to levels you barely remembered previously experiencing.  "No, no, no.  This can't be happening.  This can't be happening. This.  Can't.  Be.  Happening," you now repeated like a manta in the hopes that saying it enough times, with enough conviction, might make it so.  But that didn't happen as was evidenced when the man whose presence you now tried desperately to ignore reached out, pulled you onto his lap and stopped your ranting the only way he knew was guaranteed to shock you out of your current state.

He kissed you.  And what a kiss it was.

Slow and deep.  Soft and with nothing but luscious lips well versed in the art of seduction, the humming that left your throat as his lips first massaged your top one and then your bottom before alternating back and forth would have been a sound he could happily listen to all day if he didn't have other plans.  For he wanted to hear you scream.  Continuing to gently devour your lips without seeking entry, his hands now moved to cup your ass and massage here too as your brain began the process of slowing down the panic currently controlling your system.  After all he did want you to agree to this and for that he needed you to be calm and thinking clearly.  Well as clearly as his kisses would allow anyway.

Switching from a humming to a purring now as his ministrations continued to calm you while a warm feeling slowly made itself known between your thighs, you were finally relaxed enough to ask Sam what the plan was next, but it seemed he asked that question for you first.  "So chicklet, can I interest you in a life of pleasure and debauchery after all?" he asked as his lips finally left yours and he pulled back from your face just long enough for you to look into his eyes as he continued, "What do you say?  You willing to live here and let your creativity flourish while I spend my days saving the world and my nights ravishing every inch of this .... divine specimen," he finished as his palms squeezed your ass cheeks while his eyes roamed over your clothed form as if it was the most glorious sight he had ever seen.

And maybe it was, but you rarely thought so.

Looking back at him now in return as if he had completely lost his mind and wanting to tell him so, you opened your mouth to turn down his proposal but his lips now buried against your neck brought a whole different response.  One you never consciously planned on making.  "Yes.  Yes.  Oh my god, yes," you moaned out continuously as Sam now nibbled on your neck and shoulders before soothing the harsher nips with his tongue while his hands still caressed your ass and made you wonder if you could actually orgasm from this situation alone.  Which was actually a frightening concept when you thought about it.

Coming to your senses long enough now as a result of this stray thought however, you pushed back slightly from the man beneath you to fully take in the position you were in.  Sitting atop the thighs of Captain America, who was currently wearing nothing but a towel as he set the embers burning in your loins, you wanted to tell him to slow things down but he wasn't having any of it.  You had accepted his offer and he now intended to show you exactly what that meant.  "May I chicklet?" he asked and before your mouth could raise any objections, your head gave an imperceptible nod and that was all the consent he needed.

Returning to kiss your lips now as his tongue this time sought to invade your mouth and distract you from what his hands were doing, you might have been shocked by the strength he displayed in standing up with you in his arms and letting the towel fall from his waist if he wasn't so good with his damn mouth.  As it was, he was very good.  Kissing you endlessly, while twisting his tongue with yours as well as biting it gently every few swirls, you only now noticed the changes taking place when his face disappeared from before you, your back now rested against his chest and the closet door appeared in your vision once more.  He had completely turned you around without ever letting you go.

But that wasn't even the most remarkable feat.

Sitting on his lap still as his lips now returned to tasting any bit of skin they came in contact with, your brain tried to figure out not how he had done what he'd done, but how your jeans and panties now lay lodged around your ankles as his hands began to make themselves acquainted with your most private region.  Roaming along your thighs, squeezing here and there as well as opening you up as wide as was possible atop his powerful legs, the warmth now spreading outwards from your core just ached for him to quench it but he just wanted to have some fun.  And all at your expense it seemed.

Running his fingers back and forth along your slit now as his other hand slid up your top to rest against your stomach, you whined and pleaded for him to make you come but that it seemed was not yet in his immediate plans.  Circling your clit extremely slowly instead to the point where your hips began to move against him, he stopped and slapped your pussy once before chuckling into your neck at the yelp that left your tender lips.  "Patience chicklet, we're a long ways off from making you squirt all over my sheets but .... maybe I can give you something to take the edge off," he offered and with that he once again defied the laws of man by somehow using a foot to finish removing your lower garments before lifting you up and slotting his shaft into your warm, wet and waiting pussy.

And what a feeling it was .... for both of you.  Long and hard and thick enough to split your lower regions apart, you were by no means an innocent virgin, but you suddenly doubted you would ever be satisfied with any rod other than the one currently making its presence known to your fluttering walls.  Not that Sam had any intention of allowing another man or his equipment anywhere near you.

Making you comfortable then as your perfect flower held him snugly in place and his weeping tip just kissed your cervix, his hands now removing your top clothes while his lips by your ear whispered not to move told you his plan was a simple one .... to pleasure you with everything he had except what you really, really wanted.  In other words, he planned to torture you.

Verbally railing against him now as his hands began massaging your breasts while his lips now became acquainted with every bump and dip along your spine, your hands moving down to tend to the ache between your legs brought a murderous slew of profanities streaming from your mouth as his teeth made themselves known to the soft juncture of your neck and your shoulder.

"Chicklet no," he reprimanded now as he pulled his teeth back and he ran his lips over the spot that was sure to sport a lovely mark come morning, "you'll get your release when I give it to you and not a second sooner," he continued as his hands now moved further upwards to allow his fingers dance against your shoulder blades.  Pressing here and kissing there now as you held onto his thighs to keep from toppling forwards, the moans you soon started releasing as his skillful talents worked out knots you never knew existed were matched only by the devious chuckles coming from the man behind you when the odd thrust upwards added a growl from you every now and then.

The bastard wasn't playing fair.

Continuing to run his fingers over every inch of your glorious body as his hands moved down to finally rest atop yours, you hoped now you might finally get some release, but Sam it seemed still wasn't cooperating.  Taking your left hand in his now and linking your fingers together, he next took your hand and moved it to his sac before speaking.  "You feel that chicklet?  What you do to me?  You have no idea the number of nights I've gotten myself off to your writing wishing we could make it real.  Who knows, now that I have you we might even give your back door the attention it so desperately craves," he added and realizing what he was now referencing, your body produced a burst of strength you never knew you possessed and hurled you back across the room as horror dawned on your face while surprise clearly settled on Sam's.

"Please tell me you've taken one too many blows to the head and taken leave of your senses?" you now asked as you reached for the throw resting on the chair and wrapping it around you while waiting for the superhero to prove your suspicions wrong.  For he couldn't possibly be suggesting that.

Unfortunately for you however that's exactly where his mind was headed.  Reiterating once more that he wanted to experience everything with you, both sexual and otherwise, he now joined you on the floor before promising that any and all adventures would only take place when you were ready and with your complete and unwavering consent.

Content at least with the sincerity you found in his eyes and voice, you agreed in principle to give him a chance as he then stood up, offered his hand and pulled you gently from the floor when you easily obliged.  Walking you to the bed then before tipping up back onto it, a few kisses later and his shaft was buried deep inside your pussy as his eyes stared into yours and fingers once more laced with your own just inches from the headboard.

Pulling out slowly then before plunging back in at the same leisurely pace so your quivering walls felt every ridge, vein and twitch his impressive phallus possessed, it was nothing compared to the magic his lips were working.  Feasting on your breasts with just enough pressure to dull the lines between pleasure and pain, his tongue soothing the skin felt like utter bliss.  As were his words.

Dripping with honey and whispered out between bites and moans, the professions of love, praise and plans for your future together did far more in this moment to turn you on really than anything his physical form was capable of.  It was unlike anything you had ever experienced before.  Continuing to gaze into his eyes now as you felt your body moving ever closer to that elusive release you thought would never come, Sam stalled his hips just long enough to whisper those three little words that sent a flutter straight to your heart as your walls contracted and tried to pull him deeper.

"I offer freedom," and with that he kissed you deeper than he had before, brought your interlocked hands closer together and pounded into you with such abandon now that it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.  And yet you still didn't feel pain.  There was nothing but love and pleasure and as both of you finally reached the precipice and leapt forwards together there was a strange sense of completeness.  Of being whole.

Continuing then to kiss you through your orgasms as wave after wave of warm cum flooded your insides and reached the sheets as Sam had earlier promised, your eyes closing on this liberating experience shut out any words he murmured as sleep dragged you into its welcoming embrace.

Opening your eyes on the world again and almost crying out from the loss of the dream that was both bizarrely weird yet oddly satisfying, you snuggled deeper into the soft sheets to hold onto the memory a little while longer.  For you didn't want it to disappear.  Someone had wanted to worship you.  To love you, provide for you and show you that their world began and ended with you.  But of course that only proved it had to vanish.  Work wouldn't wait, wouldn't give you what you most craved.

Groaning in frustration now as you resigned yourself to heading back to the daily grind, a hand appearing from behind you and resting across your stomach brought your focus squarely and securely on the other half of the bed however.  For it seemed you weren't alone.  Frantically wondering what to do now in regards to fight, flight or simply screaming your lungs out like the damsel did in every single horror movie you had ever watched, turning slowly now to assess the situation brought a whole new shocking and wondrous revelation to your unbelieving eyes.  The dream it seemed was real.

Laying beside you now, his hand still resting where it had just landed, his naked form clothed in fabric and sleep, Sam Wilson looked a vision if such a thing could be said about a man.  But what then did this mean for you?  Was the dream actually real and not a dream at all?  Had this real life, honest to goodness superhero been serious when he offered to pamper and pleasure you every second his presence wasn't required to save the world?  Did this really mean you never had to work in that deplorable, dead end job again where you were less valued than the office chair you sat on?

Contemplating all these questions now while reaching out to touch the man beside you simply to further confirm his existence was real, you were just about to place your palm gently upon his cheek when you thought better of it.  This was nuts.  Total, complete and utter bonkers.  Your life wasn't meant to be this easy and carefree.  Writing stories and having your every sexual desire catered to by your very own superhero.  Never again having to worry about bills, unappreciative bosses or rude customers whom it seemed had never been taught terms like kindness or common decency.

No, things like this never happened to you and so as you resigned yourself to the fact that all of this was simply wishful thinking, you turned away from the god before you and prepared to exit the bed and return to the reality that was your life.  But it seemed this trip was only ever meant to be one way.

Joining you now away from the peaceful embrace of slumber that previously held all of his attention, Sam opened his eyes, reached out his other hand and pulled you tighter towards him.  "Now, now chicklet, I hope you don't plan on sneaking out of our bed to run off somewhere at this god awful early hour.  It's too warm and cozy here for me to have to chase you down and fuck you where I catch you," he murmured between still sleepy breaths.

Gulping down your shock now as images of his glorious erection splitting you apart the previous night sprang forth before your eyes, his knowing smirk told you he had you right where he wanted you.  You weren't yet ready for another round.  Still unsure of where he got his stamina from and how you were meant to keep up, the throbbing still present in your pussy and his intense gaze raking over your equally naked form quickly and easily made up your mind.

Now was the time to be his good girl.

Finally admitting defeat and turning back onto your side, you silently allowed Sam Wilson to spoon your bodies together and pull the covers back over both of you before closing your eyes and drifting back to sleep with the promise that when you woke again you would try employing reason and common sense to regain control over your future.  Even if the grip around your midsection solidly confirmed your plan was doomed to failure and the future he promised was now yours for the taking.

[dhr-ao3]

Keeping It Spicy

Keeping It Spicy https://ift.tt/Qp9PsAy by Leahofthesky He held out a glass to her with a smile. “Congratulations on your achievement, Granger.” Their glasses clinked. “Thank you. Here’s to reconnecting with old friends.” “We’ve never been friends, nor could we ever.” She took her time looking his body up and down, landing on his mouth, “That's a shame. Why?” Her body language stole his attention. He held her gaze. “Too many naughty fantasies involving you and your Hogwarts uniform. I only have the worst of intentions, Granger.” I hope you enjoy this quick steamy One Shot of our favorites reconnecting at a hotel bar in Paris. Words: 3392, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Lunchtime Love Stories Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Original Characters, Kingsley Shacklebolt Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: POV Draco Malfoy, Adult Hermione Granger, Hotel Sex, Roleplay, Penis In Vagina Sex, Oral Sex, Lipstick & Lip Gloss, Not Cheating, Pining Draco Malfoy, Drunk Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Married Sex, Short & Sweet, Smut, Shameless Smut, Smutty, Draco Malfoy In Love, Happy Ending, Short One Shot, No Plot/Plotless via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/ZW7yp62 July 07, 2024 at 10:11PM

[anisaanisa]

Currents 🌊

Tagged by: @justafewsmallsteps, thank you! I love tag games! 🤩

current time: 11:47a.m and I'm running face first towards lunchtime!

current mood: Like I'm being chased by slow-moving tigers. +1 for Anxiety

current activity: Entertaining the offspring (school's out for summer) but only when he wants it, ofc 😒 #mothersontap

currently thinking about: Vampires. look-

current favorite song: Oh dear. All of them. But according to Spotify, my top listened to track this month is Goodbye by Ramsey, which is, you know, A Moment in Arcane: LoL T.T

currently reading: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

currently watching: My back. The Witcher Season 3 just dropped and I'm avoiding spoilers like the show runners are avoiding questions (But I also just watched both Spideyverse moovees and they're 11/10 would recommend shwing)

current favorite character: Inuyasha. Kagome. Inuyasha. No, Kagome. No, it's Inuyasha. Mmmmm, it might be Kagome. Help

current WIPs:

The third annual InuKag Anime-Only-Jewel-Void-Kiss IYRedraw

There are a dozen on rotation at any given time, but right now I'm punching to finish the last few chapters of As Per My Last Email

Technically, technically, the Incomplete's™ over on AO3. Technically!

Tagging: @iam-jacks-redacted-information @fiddlespoons @sin-and-punishment @eowynwise @superpixie42 @coquinespike and anyone else that wants to join!

[abcketchup]

I will come running to you

Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Angst, little fluff, poetic like writing

Warning: adaptation (?) inspired (?) by Sewol Ferry's tragedy. mentioned of death, abandoned (?) ship sinking. Bunch of angst.

a/n: one little, short story that I wrote for my assignment- but I altered it to be fan fiction structure- the original character's names were Ace Cooper and Rose Stan ㅋㅋ but I wrote Ace imagine him as Yoongi - oh and this story also attributed to Sewol sinking ship tragedy, something like that, few bits of a spring day by bts and through the night by IU.

<3<3<3<3<3<3

You recalled the memories fondly.

Walking along the path of the road near your parents' house reminded you of your past. With you and him together learning what's the meaning of life and love. Walking hand in hand as both of you grow up. When he smiles, it's warm like the sun in the evening, when he laughs, it resounds through the wind, soft and breezy. You met when you were six, still a child, eyes full of mischief, energy filled with young spirit. Bright smile on your face as you asked for his name.

“Hello! I’m Y/n. L/n Y/n. What is your name?”

Eyes warily looking at the girl in front of him, your rosy chubby cheeks, pink lips, and eyes twinkle like a little star that he sees in his bedtime storybook every night before he sleeps. Timidly, he answered, “I’m Yoongi. Min Yoongi.”

Yet, just like writing his name on the sand, soon faded along the waves. Disappearing far away, leaving you here, lonely just like a lonely whale.

Soon enough, you realise that he is more important than you ever dared to admit. Like you hate his gut, but no one can touch him. When you notice his eyes dim a little bit because of the bullies, when his smiles are not really reaching his eyes, he forces the smile out. Or every time he eats his favorite food, his eyebrow frowns as if he is mad whenever he eats something he loves.

“Why do you look mad every time you eat?” you asked, as both of you were sitting on the bench during lunchtime.

“I’m not mad.” He pointed to his lunch box, “My mom just made the most delicious food ever!”

Every bit of his habit you know, you don't really want to, but he already lives in your heart rent-free. You know what he loves and what he hates, you even can draw constellations of stars with the knowledge of him.

But fate has different plans for you. When you were sixteen, he moved to another region.

“You really are going?”

“Yes, can’t live here alone, you know.” He jokes.

“No, you can live here with me and my family! You know that my mom doesn’t mind.” You insist, still trying your luck coaxing him to stay. “We can give you the guest room!”

He smiled; eyes softened as he ruffled your hair.

“Y/n, you know that I can’t.” He takes your hand into him as he promised. “I will keep texting you and send you a letter every month, okay?”

Despite that, you lost contact, and you missed him. You don’t know what has happened to him. Suddenly, he just stopped texting, and the letters also stopped coming. You really hope that he is okay. Happy and healthy.

Every winter came by you would bring two mittens as he always forgot. Every summer comes by you bring two bottles of water, because he always has a patchy throat. But he's not there with you.

Now, you turn twenty. So does he. You think he must be happy, with his new friends, he must pass the exam, entering his most desired university, a few steps closer to his dream. He must be getting taller now, you smile, endearing with those memories. But then, you saw someone, a guy, eerily the same one you imagined just a few moments prior. Is that him? No way…

Against your will, you sprint to him. And without you realising it, “Yoongi!” You tug his arm. You feel like your heart stops beating when he turns; so familiar yet so different, his eyes locking with yours. It’s been so long since you last said his name. It feels foreign.

“Y/n?” And the guy looks at you, now fully turning around facing you.

“Yoongi?” You repeat, eyes getting wet.

“Yes, it’s me.” He smiles.

Not a single time wasting as you leap into his arms. All those devastated feelings, horrible assumptions, and overthinking about how he’s doing, are gone with the mere presence of him in front of you.

“You stop texting me.” You mumble, face deep in his chest. “And the letter stops coming too.”

He holds you tight, as he pets your head. “I’m sorry, Y/n. Things are a bit chaotic over there. But now I’m free from the chaos, so I’m coming to you running.” He chuckles, feeling his chest vibrated. “Liar.” You pinch his shoulder as you chuckle, “I’m the one who is running up to you.”

A few moments pass in silence as you bask in each other's presence. It’s kind of awkward with people passing by, and you hug like a long-lost lover; no, you are just best buddies, maybe.

“Hey, people are staring,” Yoongi claimed, voice near to your ear.

Reluctantly, both of you break apart. Yoongi smiles, taking your hands into his as you both continue walking ahead, “Do you really miss me that bad?”

You turned your head, gaze narrowed to him, “What? You’re not?” A bit offended that as if only you adore this friendship. Yoongi laughed, “Of course, I missed you. That’s why I’m back.” You hummed, “You better be.”

You relive your childhood memories, spending time going through the city recalling those fond memories.

“Will you ever tell me why you suddenly disappear?” You can’t help but ask him. It keeps bugging you as to why he’s gone all those years.

“I’m always here you know, guarding you like a guardian angel.” he wiggled his eyebrows, teasing you.

As the sun starts setting, the night shows itself, now you are in front of your house, and Yoongi insists on seeing you back home. Making sure that you're back safely.

“You’re not coming in?” you asked, “My mom would be elated to see you, you know. I’m not the only one missing you.” You feel a bit reluctant to let your best friend go.

“Nope, I’m staying at the hotel in the city.” He said as he put his hand into his coat. “I don’t want to trouble her. You know how she gets if I’m coming.” He smiled, endearing at the thought of your mother welcoming him home.

“But, I promise I will come to see you again.”

“Well, last time you promised too.” You pouted, “but then, poof, you're gone like dust.” And he laughed.

“Okay, I’m sorry about that, but this time, I’m serious. I will come back again soon, okay?” He tries to persuade you. But you still do not believe in him. “Then, can you give me a specific time when you will come?” You try to bargain.

You don't want to wait for him anymore, because all those years of waiting are painful to you. You indeed realise what you're feeling but then you still need time to rearrange your heart, your feelings.

Tapping on his chin, thinking “Maybe, next weekend?” He tilted his head, “How about that?”

Elated, you nodded your head enthusiastically, “I can’t wait to see you again.”

As he promised, he tried to see you every weekend, unless he was busy. Both you and Yoongi are in your sophomore year in different colleges in the city but are still nearby to each other. You promised to meet in the middle, spending time with each other, filling those years of longing when you were apart.

These few months, you fill your time with friendly banter and jokes like you used to. Every time you spend time together, you can’t help that you feel like your heart could burst every time he is near you. You realise that you absolutely have some feelings for him, but you need to ensure your feelings first.

A week later, you meet up as usual at your favourite cafe spot. Both of you carry on your date with usual conversation, updating your days in college, playful banter and other meaningless conversation.

Yoongi sips on his coffee as he just realises that he needs to tell you something. “Oh, by the way, next weekend, I have a college trip with my classmates,” he cast a glance at you instinctively where you just picked on your cake before continuing, “wherefore, I might have to skip our weekend meet.” There, he said it.

Yoongi has been restless with guilt since he knows how much you value your weekend meeting; thus, he feels guilty about skipping it. When he looks over to you, “Y/n?” trying to gauge your reaction you are still mindlessly picking at your cake. A few moments pass then you speak up, “How long?”

“Just for three days.”

“I want to see you off!”

Skip to the present, now you were standing near the jetty before Yoongi boarding. “Hey Yoongi,” you start, breaking the silence. “After your trip, can you come and see me at the playground where we used to play when we were kids?”

Yoongi stared at you, confused. “Um, sure. But why at the playground?” You pursed your lips, kind of bashful. “Well, there is something that I want to tell you.” Your eyes stray to the sea behind Yoongi, somehow embarrassed, “It's just that playground, looks … fun!” It’s where we first met each other, but you can’t bring yourself to say that out loud. As Yoongi is about to retort, suddenly his friend calls out for him. They are about to board.

“Well, see you after your trip,” you said, smiling.

Yoongi stared at you for a little before he decided to pull you in for a hug. “I will come running to you after the trip,”

You scoffed, “Liar.” pushing his shoulder playfully while chuckling as you broke the hug, “I was the one who came running to you.” Yoongi giggles, “Okay, then let’s run to each other next time, okay?”

And off he goes, after a few repeated goodbyes. Your chest feels constricted, you can’t help but be reminded of the last time you were bidding goodbye and he’s gone for a few years.

‘Don’t overthink, he is just going on a trip for three days. Soon, you will see him again and tell him how you truly feel about him.’ You console your heart while promising yourself that you will tell Yoongi the truth of your heart.

As the days pass by, you and Yoongi text each other, updating your day with pictures of what you do, with mundane and sometimes exciting as Yoongi showing the sea and activity on the board. Until the day when Rose, dreading to see Yoongi, arrived.

Posing in the mirror, choosing your clothes, which one suits you better? Which one will make his heart beat a little faster?

Ring… ring… ring… Unknown number.

“Hello, Y/n's speaking.”

“...”

And you indeed come running to him, and he’s not there.

“Is this Y/n, Yoongi's friend?” - “Yes, I am.”

You arrive at the jetty, it’s crowded with parents, family, and friends. All were devastated by the news.

“This is Yoongi's brother. Yoongi once gave me your number. I don’t know why before, he just said in case of emergency. And now…” Somehow you feel like your heart stops beating, feeling like your nightmare turns into reality. “What happened?” Reluctantly you asked.

You are walking past everyone, and without thinking, you just push anyone in front of you, heart beating loudly. Still not grasping this reality.

“We got called regarding Yoongi's cruise ship.” Yoongi's brother sniffles, this is not good. “Their ship was sinking last night when they were on their way back.”

And when you're by the sea, the ship that Yoongi rode a few days ago is not there.

“He and his friends didn't make it.” Yoongi's brother broke down in tears as your heart broke into pieces. “Come to the jetty, y/n. We will wait for you here.”

Then, you saw a woman in her 50s, eerily familiar with the guy that you came running for. You make your way to her, “Mrs. Min?” you ask tentatively, not sure since it’s been years since you last saw her. “Y/n?” She asked, voice hoarse from hours of crying, “Yes, it’s me Y/n.” Confirming that it was you, Yoongi's mother immediately grasps your hand, “Yoongi…he’s” She tries to tell you, but the words are not coming out. And you understand, since you're still hoping, Yoongi's ship miraculously arrived, and all of this was just a prank or misinformation from the ship’s captain. A cruel joke for them.

Afterwards, you are in a group of crying messes, yet no one cares since everyone is in their own devastating state, crying for their loved one, sailing into a ship straight to heaven.

After the news of the cruel, awful tragedy spread out into the media, you didn't dare to open your social media. Your friends who know of your friendship with Yoongi, send their condolences to you and his family. Throughout the funeral, you were there, holding onto his picture. Even your family came and reunited with Yoongi's family. you still couldn’t believe that night was your last conversation.

“Well now, I should go to sleep. Tomorrow I’m coming back home.” Yoongi talks through the phone, he’s been telling you about his trip excitedly, and you hum, “Yeah, tomorrow you should come running to me, remember?” Yoongi laughs, making your stomach flutter with butterflies. “Of course, I’ll come back to you running. Full speed!”

And that day before he’s boarding, that was their last hug. You should hold him tighter, not letting him go.

It’s been a few months, but you are still coming back to your favourite cafe, sitting at the exact spot with two drinks, iced caramel macchiato: his favourite. You fixed your gaze on the seat opposite yours, where Yoongi used to sit.

“Why didn’t you sit here next to me?” you asked, since you think it’ll be easier to talk.

“Oh, because here, I can see you clearer.” Yoongi grinned, making you a blushing mess.

Sighing deeply, you stand. Bringing both drinks, you make her way to the counter, handing out one of the drinks to the barista, which he gladly takes, as usual.

You walked through the city, the shops, the park, reminiscing those memories time and time again. You're exhausted. You think that going through the memories could lessen this longing, this grief. However, you know that this is not healthy, and not helping at all. It just makes you hold onto him harder, tighter, rather than letting go.

Another month passes by, and now you are packing a few things into a box. “Should I take this box into the lorry too?” Ask one of the guys, who is from the moving company. “Ah, yes, please. I already packed everything into the boxes.”

“You are moving out?” Lynn asked, shocked by the sudden news. You just smiled and nodded. “Why? I thought you loved it here, you know, the city of your childhood.”

“I did, and I still do.” Your expression changed to dejected. “But I can’t move on from him if I keep reminiscing the memories of him here. It's just too much. I’m still moping in regret because I didn’t tell him that I loved him. No, I still love him, Lynn.” You broke down in tears, the one with an ugly sob from deep in your gut. Lynn pulled you in for a hug, softly petting your head, trying to console you.

For the last time, you walk along the path of the road near to your parents' house, reminding you of your past. With you and him together learning what's the meaning of life and love. Walking hand in hand as you grow up. When he smiles, it's warm like the sun in the evening, when he laughs, it resounds through the wind, soft and breezy.

“Hello! I’m Y'n. L/n Y/n. What is your name?”

“I’m Yoongi. Min Yoongi.”

But, just like writing his name on the sand, soon faded along the waves. Disappearing too far away, leaving you here, as you will always miss him. All the words you keep in your diary, you can’t show them all to him, especially that you love him.

'How can I be so lucky, to stumble into you, who sends me a blessing? If we’re together now, ah, how great it’d be. '

“I’m moving to a new city,” you said while staring ahead at the wide sea. “But soon, I’ll come back here again.” you smile even with your eyes full of tears.

Moving on doesn’t mean that you have to forget everything instantly, but at least you could be able to remember those memories without tears rolling down your cheeks. Because for you, you should remember Yoongi with smiles on your face, as he’s the other side of your heart.

“I will come back here running to you.”

xxxxxxxx

a/n: end of the story!

disclaimer: this story is purely from my imagination. It has nothing to do with the real-life event.

Just like the Titanic, where they portrayed what they thought was happening on the ship. Thus, this story is also purely fictional made by my overreacting brain. - i miss yoongi already :(

[sarcasticmothwrites]

20 question for writers tag game

tagged by @alexandia03

1. Total number of ao3 works?

54

2. Total ao3 word count

233,997.

3. Fandoms I've written in

On the AO3: Empyrean, Repo! the Genetic Opera, Xiaolin Showdown, and a bunch of one-offs for Yuletide or other collection/prompt fics.

Pre-AO3, I've written FFVII, FFVIII, Hellsing (how I met my spouse), GI Joe, Babylon 5. Buffy/Angel. X-Men, X-Files. Probably others I'm not thinking about, I've been writing fanfic since before I knew that other people did it and by that I'm talking 1988.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

Scott Pilgrim vs. the Unspoken History - Based on the 2010 film, Scott Pilgrim/Wallace Wells. Written for @copperfirebird

At Lunchtime, in the Wilderness - Calvin & Hobbes + Where the Wild Things Are, Gen. Also written for @copperfirebird.

Time and Time Again and Again and Again and Again - Xiaolin Showdown, Chase Young/Jack Spicer. Written *with* @copperfirebird, just for variety.

A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste - Repo! the Genetic Opera, Graverobber/Nathan Wallace. Written for a request meme.

Sketchbook - The Empyrean, Violet & Brennan, Naolin/Brennan. The most recent of my top five by a LOT, this was my first posted Empyrean fic.

5. Do I respond to comments?

Not unless they ask a question or something similar. I'm not good at writing comments.

6. What has the angstiest ending?

I'm not sure if this is "of the top five" or "of the 54 pieces I've posted on the AO3," but I'm going to go with the latter because the former has angst but not really in the ending. So.

Angstiest ending is Dear Alex, a Yuletide fic I wrote for @copperfirebird. A Wrinkle in Time is one of his very favorite books, and this is Kate and Alex Murray figuring out how to be a married couple again. It made me cry, writing it.

7. What has the happiest ending?

It might be New Year's Welcome, which is FFVIII Seifer/Squall/Rinoa and is about finding a home and a place when you thought you'd lost everything.

8. Have I received hate?

Nope. Possibly because I've mostly stayed in very small fandoms.

9. Do I write smut? And what kind?

Yes, I do. If I had to describe it, I would call it lyrical smut, where it's about the flow of the words and the feeling more than the specifics.

10. Do I write crossovers?

One of my top 5s is a crossover, in fact, but it's not something I do very often.

11. Have I ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, back in the ff.net days, and it was a very weird feeling.

12. Have I ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have I ever co-written a fic?

Many. @copperfirebird and I are partners in life and fiction.

14. What is my all-time fave ship?

I can tell you who my favorite child is (I only have one) but I could not possibly pick my favorite ship. I would have a hard time picking a favorite ship in any given fandom.

I love relationships between people whose feelings are bigger than their abilities to communicate it, but who find understanding in the silences; people who are drawn together despite all the reasons that they should not be; and people who are deeply loyal to one another.

15. A WIP I'll never finish

The Future Waits Without Us was supposed to be a large multi-part story that I wrote two pieces of.

Probably Came Too Far To Die because I have one mostly-written chapter I haven't published yet and then I have no idea what I'm doing. I have never known what I was doing with this fic, but I didn't let it stop me.

16. Writing strengths?

Lyrical prose. Three-part clauses. Emotionally complex characters. Witty banter.

17. Writing weaknesses?

Plot. Too bad that's, like, an extremely important part of story building.

18. Do I like foreign language dialogue?

This is a weird question. I don't have any problems with other people writing in multiple languages. There are bilingual characters who should use multiple languages. I'm more prone to things like, "This sentence is written in the common tongue," he said in Tyrrish.

19. First fandom I wrote for?

Dragonriders of Pern when I was in 7th grade.

20. Favourite fic I've written?

It's hard to pick one, but there are two fics that I'm always breathlessly startled I was able to write. Both of them were Yuletide requests, and I know Yuletide's coming around again when I start getting kudos for these.

The first one is In Two Bodies, Alexander and Hephaestian, inspired by Mary Renault's Alexander Trilogy. If you were wondering what I meant by "lyrical smut," this one's an excellent example.

The second one is Finding Zihuatanejo, inspired by the beautiful Stephen King short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption." It really feels like I got the narrator's voice down perfectly.

tagging: Anybody who hasn't done it yet

[third-arch]

My Trafalgar Law HC's!! pt.5 🤍🤍

He's never told/will tell anyone this, but he once cosplayed as Homura Akemi in his room. He thought he looked super cute (and he did)

He has a Raphtalia nenderoid. He has her on his desk. He doesn't make a big deal about it or acknowledge it, but it's super cute.

^^He's got one of these on his bed

This isn't really a HC, but he smells really nice. His entire place smells really good, too. Luffy really likes the smell of his car LOL and never let's him forget that.

I've mentioned this before kinda, but his comfort game is Deemo. He likes listening to the music from the game and putting it on while he works, now and then.

His favorite flavor of ice cream is plain vanilla. He can deal with chocolate chips, but he's pretty picky. If you give him a warm brownie alongside it tho, he'll be hooked.

His Genshin Impact team would be Albedo, Fischl, Yoimiya, and Xiao. He also ships Xiao and Venti. He mains as Albedo, but he also really likes Gorou, Barbara, and Chonghyun (it was his starting main).

He would never have Tiktok.

I've also mentioned one of these before, but he can play the piano and the ocarina really well. Also slightly cannon but he can sing very well.

He doesn't drink soda, but if he had to choose, he prefers regular Dr. Pepper.

If he was the reader, his favorite Straw Hat would be Nami, but he also likes Chopper, Corazon (in every HC in every timeline lol), and Ace.

He loves summer weather. He hates the snow.

He's very good at photography and likes going on walks now and then to take photos.

If you asked him what song he's been jamming to recently, he'd say Der Shelby pt.2-Hozier.

His favorite Victorious character is Jade West. He also likes Beck.

He'd own a dog, probably like a husky, golden retriever, or a samoyed. When he's a doctor, he'd own 4-5 dogs.

I really don't see him dating anyone unless they gave like sunshine/warm colored vibes. Ace or Luffy coded characters would probably have the best chemistry with him.

His favorite SpongeBob episodes are "Shanghaied", "Wet Painters", "Graveyard Shift", and "Dying for Pie".

If he could visit any place in America, he'd probably choose Yellowstone.

He'd cry for John Lennon if he visited the Dakota Apt.'s in New York.

He convinced Luffy that the Blair Witch Project was real.

He would be really good at Prop Hunt.

He is a very patient and safe driver.

Young Law HC's

This HC is kinda sad/sentimental, just a heads up.

I like to imagine if he grew up in the Modern World, he'd really like basketball. Corazon would save up the money to buy tickets to basketball games, and would take Law. Corazon is overall just the best most wholesome awesome Dad ever in my HC. He's doing his best. He'd show up to the Father's, Grandparent's, and Mother's day events at his school to make sure he wasn't alone. If he couldn't make it, he'd have one of his marine buddies go. He'd get Law happy meals and buy him ice cream. He'd have an album full of polaroids with him and Corazon.

This one's kinda sad but I feel like he'd be a really lonely kid throughout elementary school. He'd be really unpopular, but would be seen as "Quiet and Smart, and kinda intimidating". He'd watch Ace play basketball and eventually join him, and get sad when he graduates to highschool. He'd be really lonely and listen to music during lunchtime at a table by himself. He'd eventually have a friend group, but he'd still have issues with depression. He'd also be really good at art, but never pursue it. Teachers would think he's a very bright individual and is very polite, but very quiet.

For his birthday, he'd ask for comic books, robot figures, and a new pair of sneakers.

He'd love Radiohead. This is a bit biased, but his favorite song would be "No Surprises-Radiohead".

He'd also really like the Beatles. John would be his favorite member. He'd 100% have a Beatles poster in his room.

I don't wanna make the HC more angsty, but Corazon would make sure he goes to therapy.

He really likes dogs. He'd like animals in general. Corazon would take him to the zoo, and they'd look at the penguins and the petting zoo.

[smoshmonker]

smoshy tag game !

tagged by @smoshidiot <33

1. how long have you been watching smosh?

I don’t remember for sure. but it was sometime around 2010/2011 and I was OBSESSED with lunchtime with smosh. having it back again has been surreal lmfao

2. favorite smosh cast member(s)?

not counting ian and anthony, my faves have always been amanda and tommy <3

3. favorite pairing(s)?

amanda and shayne’s friendship means EVERYTHING to me. ian and anthony too bc friendship literally always wins

4. favorite reoccurring character?

dare I say mr grub. I miss that chaotic bitch. also sergeant anous my beloved

5. favorite smosh video?

sleepwalking disaster easily became a favorite after it came out because I always loved sleeping pill disaster. also legend of zelda rap

6. first video that got you into smosh?

I don’t remember :( but I used to watch the lunchtime playlist on repeat, so much so I could quote a bunch of it

7. favorite picture of the cast?

I mean like. it’s gotta be this one

8. favorite picture of your fave?

it has to be this. it’s my brand

but also consider:

9. what smosh series do you want to see more of?

I hope they do more family feud tbh. and they NEED to do more beopardy </3

10. dream guest on smosh mouth?

drew gooden my beloved

i tag @yourinterestisnotcringe @squig-s and @kubabamia !

[analiavs]

Give Me Some Sugar

Kylar/Briar

word count: 4455

Warnings: Kylar, rape, stalking, kidnapping, electrocution, KYLAR, drugging, choking, a pinch of mind break and a dash of Stockholm syndrome

Summary: Briar catches the attention of a sweet little sugar daddy. But of course he's more than meets the eye

AO3 link for those that prefer:

Hit read more if you prefer to read in tumblr (it's long tho)

He’d been searching for his beloved when he saw them, Hanshoku Kanona made flesh. He couldn’t believe his eyes. S-rank ass, D-rank chest, long brown hair with matching eyes, milky skin, and perfect teeth. He’d thought his beloved would be the closest he’d ever get to seeing perfection in real life, but the lithe form in front of him changed everything. 

“Listen kid, I’m not for sale.” The voice, while not deep, was male. Well, maybe absolute perfection came at a cost. How could he have thought himself worthy of seeding the pinnacle of humanity after all. Nevertheless he could practically visualize his darling in a mating press.

“I’m a man. Don’t underestimate me, I’ll be sure to win your heart.” He quoted his favorite badass anime character  Yūdokuna otokorashi-sa. 

“Excuse me?” 

“What do you like? I’ll prove myself worthy of your love.” 

“Honey I have expensive tastes, a brat like you could never satisfy me.” Just as quickly as he’d met them, he watched his beloved strut away. He’d seen him then. A designer suit and jewelry adorning his body. If his beloved wanted to be a sugar baby he could provide.

Kanona would never have been driven by greed, but once he’d lured his beloved into his grip he could show him the way. He’d make sure to get as much information as possible from the strippers at school. And finally lay his trap.

—- 

He cornered one of the Chads the next day. 

“Listen man, I don’t want any trouble.” He’d put his hands up. Yes, he had his knife out, but it was necessary for the interrogation. It was lunchtime so there wouldn’t be anyone in this hallway.

“Just answer my questions and there won’t be any problems.”

“Ok ok, just put the knife down dude.”

“NO! Not until you answer my questions.” He pulled some of his pictures out, his hands trembling from the adrenaline.

“Who is this? And what do you know about them?”

“Huh, Briar. He’s the owner of the brothel. A really corrupt and evil person, is he blackmailing you? If you need help Kylar-” The information close at hand his frenzy grew.

“No I don’t! Give me more information!”

“Um ok. He’s um basically an alcoholic, but he only drinks wine. He’s got a daddy kink. Shit… what else? He’s dangerous, I don’t recommend catching his eye. If he really likes you, you'll get better paying but more degrading shows or have to service him personally.” The Chad rambled. He trembled with rage at the thought of this jock getting to touch his beloved. For a hot second he considered stabbing him, but it wasn’t his fault if his beloved was slutting around trying to find his soulmate. Besides, neither of them were still pure.

“Never touch him again!” 

“Listen man, if it was my choice I’d never even go to Harvest St.” The Chad shrugged. He grit his teeth before leaving to get to his next target. He found her flashing passersby in the courtyard. He couldn’t believe he’d once thought this mere Stacey was worthy of his affection.

“Come with me!” 

“You wanna fuck?” The bimbo asked, eagerly following him. He led her to a bathroom stall. 

“What do you know about Briar?” She seemed confused, lowering the skirt that didn’t cover the cum dripping down her legs. He couldn’t believe only yesterday seeing that would have filled him with jealousy.

“The brothel owner? He’s a real shady sonnuva bitch. You don’t want to get involved with him bruv, you might end up in a real froggy situation.” 

“Tell me about him!” She scoffed,

“What about him? He’s a sloppy drunk and a solid fuck. Likes pretty things, likes breaking pretty things. Real sadist type ya know? One of the worst scum this town has to offer but he’s charismatic.” They weren’t saying anything of substance about his beloved. Merely his negatives, the negatives he was going to fix.

Without saying anything else he left the bathroom stall. That must mean no one truly knew him. He’d get his beloved to open up to him and only him. He chose to forgo the rest of his lessons and dedicate himself to his mission. 

He rushed home to collect his tool kit. He heard his parents hissing with displeasure over him cutting class. But they didn’t understand, no one did. He grabbed his surveillance equipment: bugs, camera, binoculars, his spy cameras, and tracking devices. 

He stared reverently at his poster of his dear Kanona, soon he would be able to feel her between his fingers. He dressed in a fully black outfit, completed with a hoodie, mask, gloves, and sunglasses. While he may not be the ideal size of an alpha male it wasn’t all negative. Plus, that Stacey had always told him he had inches where it mattered.

One look at his dick and his precious would know he was a true alpha male. And ever since he’d started following Dr. Magnum’s workout videos he’d been gaining physical strength. Combine that with his limitless pepper spray supply and he would be unbeatable. Finally, factor in his wealth and there was no debate he was a high-value man. 

He recited Dr. Magnum’s fifteen affirmations for high value men in the mirror until he felt the strength from the words in his soul. Prepared and confident he headed towards Harvest Street. He followed the hidden paths that avoided the other townspeople. 

He made it to Harvest Street without a confrontation and snuck into the brothel unnoticed. Since it was still afternoon, there weren't many patrons. He had to be extra discrete while planting his bugs and spy cameras.

He kept a constant scan of the brothel as he worked. No one noticed him. Once he set devices to have a 24/7  stream of data from the brothel he slid into the shadows to wait for his beloved to come out of his office.

As it got later in the evening more patrons and strippers arrived. His beloved shouldn’t associate with all these dirty grimy people. Well, soon the only person his dear Kanona would see was him. Shortly after the Stacey strutted in, Briar finally stepped out of his office.

He resisted the urge to abduct his darling right then and there and forced himself to focus on his mission. He picked the lock to the room with ease and slipped in, making sure to lock it behind him. 

Instead of a desk like he expected he saw a rather ornate sofa. There were a few filing cabinets and barrels in the room but besides that the room was empty. He quickly set up his bugs and cameras. He found a stash of wine bottles. 

They were expensive, but not as expensive as some of the bottles in his parents' wine cellar. He might have just found a good use for them now.

He went through and inspected the other fixtures in the room. The barrels he saw a large amount of aphrodisiac drugs. He wanted to go through the filing cabinets, but he didn’t want to risk leaving a trace. As he was doing a final sweep he noticed a door hidden in the wall. 

Intrigued, he picked the lock and snuck into the room. It looked like a bedroom, a private bedroom. Glee tickled his spine. This room was meant only for his darling’s eyes, no one else. This was their little secret. He was overjoyed as he planted his bugs and spy cameras. There was even a little bathroom attached to the room. His feed would be glorious, he could never have expected such a stroke of good luck. He set cameras everywhere. 

He took note of what kind of soaps and perfumes he preferred. Even the clothes and jewelry. And couldn’t resist the urge to steal a pair of red briefs out of the underwear drawer. His beloved scent was all over them. He inhaled deeply, sighing in pleasure.

As much as he wanted to stay in the room forever, he knew he couldn’t linger for too long or he’d run the risk of being caught.  Reluctantly he snuck back out of the bedroom and office. No one saw him, all focused on the admittedly impressive autofisting going on on stage. Even the security guards were watching his ex obsession contort herself on the stage. 

He spotted his beloved sitting next to the Headteacher of all people. He swallowed down  jealousy and refocused. Now came the tricky part after all. Even for the Stacey he’d never considered implanting a tracking device, but now it felt necessary. 

He couldn’t risk his precious Kanona ever being able to get away from him. He readied his syringe and crawled on the disgusting ground to evade attention. He made it to his beloved's ankle, the needle tip was small enough that he wouldn’t feel it, but he wished he could sanitize the area before sticking him. He plunged it quickly and efficiently, as he’d predicted it went unnoticed. 

While he was under their table he decided to eavesdrop and tie Leighton’ shoes together. 

“Ugh, I tried to get her to do private photoshoots for me, but she laughed and said she could use the publicity.” He was so close to his beloved, but he didn’t dare touch him. He did sniff him though. 

“Psh, pay her enough and she’ll do anything. If you can’t even afford one of Bailey’s whores you really are worthless. This towns so fucked who doesn’t have a sextape floating around at this point? Once your students figure that out, you’ll be powerless. We’d have to call you Failton.” He was glad his beloved didn’t seem to care for the Headteacher even if they were sitting together.

“Shut up slut, what’ll you do when people realize they’re paying for something this town provides for free?”

“Convenience fee darling, besides my services satisfy certain tastes. The underground has a queue after all.” His beloved’s voice took on a layered tone. These underground dealings were likely what had struck fear in the Chad and Stacey’s heart. Well he’d just have to purify his darling’s soul. He took one last sniff before sneaking away. 

He had the rest of his preparations to make after all. Back at home he prepared his surveillance room. He set up the different channels for his camera feeds and then their complimentary audio channels. He had several screens dedicated to showing the feeds and then a central screen that could enlarge a feed and play the audio. 

He watched his beloved for a while before heading to bed. Now that the preliminary preparations were complete he’d be able to relax. Continue to go to school and keep his parents and society satisfied. 

Soon he’d have his precious Kanona and she’d never want to ever be apart from him. Ever.

___

When some creep had talked a big game about winning him over he hadn’t really put much stock in it. He knew he was hot, and he used it to his advantage. So when the guy popped up a week later with the most expensive bottle of wine he’d ever seen he almost didn’t know how to react.

He recovered quickly enough to smile and twirl his hair on a finger. He assumed  he’d raided some cellar and had no idea what he actually had in his hands. 

“Aw, thanks cutie.” He cooed, grabbing the bottle. He batted his eyes and asked his name.

“Ky... Kylar.” Even a stutter, this was going to be too easy. He’d always been partial to keeping a sugar daddy around, though it had been a long time since he’d had a consummate sugar daddy. Nevertheless, his old charms came flooding back like muscle memory.

“Kylar… hmm what a cute name.” Kylar’s whole face turned red, he bit back a laugh. 

“Maybe you can satisfy my tastes after all.” He smiled before strutting away from the guy. He could practically hear the gears turning in his head as he walked away. 

Usually he would drink in his office, but he wanted to savor this in private. And be sure it wasn’t tampered with.

He grabbed his fanciest wine glass and a corkscrew then settled onto his bed. The seal was still perfectly intact, he smiled. 

Aged one hundred years, he couldn’t wait. Alone he was free to dress up and fantasize a bit. 

He slipped into a lace negligee and posed in front of the mirror.

“Honey you’ve still got it.” He hadn’t even had to give anything up for the wine bottle, his new diet must be working better than he’d thought. He inspected his body carefully, there were no imperfections that he could see. He put on a jewelry set, now he looked perfect. 

He laid down on his bed and uncorked his wine bottle. It smelled heavenly, he poured himself a glass and flicked it around with his wrist. He sipped and moaned. The bottle really didn’t disappoint, it was smooth and strong.

He drank almost half the bottle and found himself asleep. In the following weeks Kylar got him luxury perfumes and soaps. He quickly swapped them into his daily routine. His skin and hair had never been so soft. 

He’d never had a paypig before but he was loving it. Kylar’s weekly visits soon came to be his favorite day of the week. 

A few months into their relationship Kylar came up to him holding some jewelry boxes. He couldn’t wait to see how they topped the gifts he’d already received. 

“Ooh, come to my office sweetie.” He practically dragged him to his sofa. 

“What’d you get me this week?” He purred. Kylar stuttered but finally managed to say jewelry. Eagerly, he grabbed the biggest case first. 

It was a genuine pearl necklace. He could feel his jaw drop a bit, this was the most expensive jewelry he’d ever held in his hands. It practically shone in the box.

His hands shook as he put the necklace on. Then he reached out for the next box. Pearl and opal earrings, he put them on eagerly. This matching set must look gorgeous. He could see the shine reflecting from them.

It made his own jewelry look like mere trinkets in comparison. 

“One more.” Kyar said and opened up a ring box. A lustrous opal ring surrounded by small pearls. It was gorgeous. He took off the rings he already had on and put it on his ring finger. He stared at it, mesmerized by its beauty.

“I got the rings and earrings custom made, though they can’t compare to your beauty.” 

“Aw, you're such a smooth talker.” He waited for the shoe to drop, surely even a virgin wouldn’t give such expensive jewelry for nothing in exchange. 

“Don’t worry my love, these are just gifts from me to you. I can wait-” He muttered something under his breath and before he could blink Kylar was gone. How flattering, he hadn’t thought he could still get people to fall in love with him with just a look. 

He rushed into his room to dress to match his new jewelry. He slipped on the light blue suit jacket Kylar had gotten tailor made for him. Then gazed at his reflection in the mirror. 

He wasted almost half an hour enraptured with the jewelry. Such lustrous gems weren’t often seen by commoners. He needed to keep himself in Kylar’s good graces. He giggled to himself wondering how Kylar would top this. He hadn’t imagined that the brat was anything more than just a thief. 

He finished picking out the luxury outfit that matched his new jewelry, he wondered how long had Kylar been planning out these gifts for them to match perfectly. With a spritz of the cologne he’d been gifted, he finally stepped out of his room. 

All eyes were on him, as they should be. He could taste the jealousy in the air. He smiled and called his driver. There were some “independent contractors” he wanted to get under his control today. When the limo pulled up he slid into his seat.

“Take me to the cafe and after that the pub.” He was craving pancakes, but he was likely going to get a fruit salad. Then shakedown some floozies and he could call it a day.  Five minutes into the ride his eyes got heavy and he fell asleep. 

When he woke up his head was pounding. There was something heavy around his neck, he sat up slowly. He kept blinking trying to refocus his eyes. He felt around his neck and found a collar that was attached to a metal chain. He tried to get it off, but it wouldn’t budge. Who would dare kidnap him! He shook with rage as he tried to free himself. 

There were no weak points on the chain. It was better than the restraints he used in the underground. He took in the room. He was on a king sized bed and the blankets were soft enough. There was a dresser with a mirror attached. He looked at himself. 

His hair was a mess but he looked normal enough. He still had his ring and earrings on, but the necklace had been replaced with the collar. He got off the bed. To his surprise the chain could extend from the wall. He walked towards one of the doors in the room and the chain didn’t stop him. He opened the door and found a bathroom. It was already prepared with toiletries and cosmetics. 

Was this another underground ring trying to show off their power? But there was no way his bodyguards wouldn’t have noticed. He walked out the bathroom to the next door and tried it. 

He’d expected it to be locked but it opened out to a hallway. He tried to step out of the room, but the chain didn’t extend anymore. He tried to force it and suddenly the chain flew back into the wall, yanking him on the bed by the neck. He coughed and sputtered trying to regain his breath. 

He tried to feel for a weak point on the collar, but couldn’t find it. He pressed on the usual failure points, but nothing worked.  He heard a rustling coming from the hallway, he prepared himself for a confrontation. But to his shock it was Kylar. 

“My precious Kanona-chan, finally I have you all to myself. It’s been so hard waiting, but tonight we can finally consummate our love.” Kylar’s face was split into a monstrous grin. 

“What the fuck are you talking about!?” He got up ready to beat the shit out of the little motherfucker, but an electrical jolt from the collar brought him to his knees. 

“Oh my love, don’t be like that. I don’t want to have to punish you. Tonight we’ll have so much fun. I have your outfit for tonight. You already have the ring.” Kylar paused to giggle to himself. This guy was insane, he backed up into the bed. 

“You can’t keep me here, you… you psycho.” He spat. He screamed when the collar jolted him again. He collapsed onto the bed. Kylar walked up to him and pet his hair.

“Oh darling, don’t worry no one will find us here. So put this on. I don’t want you to get punished again.” He spoke like he wasn’t the one hurting him and dropped a brown parcel onto the bed. 

“I’ll give you some privacy to get changed, but it’s not like I haven’t seen it before. And make sure you put everything on. If anything’s missing you might have to get punished.” Kylar stalked out of the room. He pressed a hand to his chest, his heart was actually racing. He knew he was angry, but could it be that he was scared too?

With shaking hands he reached for the package. He opened it and found a white short ball gown. He stripped and put it on numbly. It didn’t even cover his butt. He’d done the same to countless whores, but he’d never expected to be on the receiving end. There wasn’t even underwear in the bag, though there was a white leg garter. He slipped it on. 

He looked in the mirror. He looked like some kind of perverse bride, he’d had girls do a few shows on the concept but it was a little too cliche for his tastes. It didn’t take long for Kylar to stumble back in, this time wearing an ill fitting suit. 

“My beautiful bride, this will be a night we remember for the rest of our lives. Tomorrow we’ll dance, but tonight we’ll have some fun. Just like in the first volume of Isshō tsudzuku no ni jūbun'na hanshoku.” Kylar pushed him onto the bed. He had no idea what he was raving about, when he tried to struggle he was shocked again. He went limp on the bed. 

“First, the garter.” He watched Kylar go down to his thigh. The bastard mouthed at it, kissing his leg sloppily. Before finally grabbing it with his teeth and pulling it down. Once he finished that he jumped up and pressed a kiss to his mouth, it tasted overwhelmingly of mint. 

“I’d follow the manga to a t, but I wouldn’t want it to hurt. Heheeheehe, I learned that the hard way. No, my darling there’s no pain play till volume three. Today’s our simple wedding night.” Just how long did this freak plan on keeping him here. 

“Listen… I’ll let you get one freebie. Just let me go after ok. Please Kylar, there won’t be any consequences if you do.” His voice sweet as pie, he batted his eyes. 

“You want this just as much as I do my love? Oh my darling I’ll never let you go!” This motherfucker wasn’t listening at all. Kylar pinned him on his back and climbed up his body till he could kiss him. Kylar forced his tongue into his mouth. Kylar kept his eyes open staring directly at him while he kissed him. Eventually he just closed his eyes to escape his gaze, letting Kylar do what he wanted. 

Green eyes weren’t a rarity in this town, but something about Kylar’s eyes actually made him feel nervous. Kylar didn’t let up for air, he felt his eyes start to water. He had no choice but to bite down on Kylar’s tongue to try and get him to let up. Of course the collar shocked the hell out of him, but at least Kylar pulled back. He gasped for air, still laying on his back. 

“Oh my dear Kanona-chan, if you wanted to skip to consummation you should have just said that. You know I could kiss you forever.” Kylar was completely wrapped up in his own little fantasy world. He didn’t even respond. Just stared at the ceiling, willing it to be over with already.

He doubted a shrimp like Kylar could be packing much, or have stamina. That’s what he told himself as awkward fingers breached him. At least the dude knew to use lube.

He still felt pretty limber from the monthly farm orgy, so at least he had that going for him. Though small as Kylar’s hands were he could probably double fist him and he still wouldn’t feel it. He wasn’t particularly skilled either. If he told himself it was just a pity fuck that might make it more bearable. 

Despite the crushing blow to his pride, so far things had been pretty vanilla. So really he just needed to focus on escaping. Or cajole the creep into taking the collar off. He didn’t bother watching Kylar put it in. Maybe if he seemed disinterested Kylar would get a reality check.

Thus he was wholly unprepared for the biggest cock he’d ever taken to get rammed into him. He felt the wind get pushed out of him, even Remy’s stupid bulls weren’t that big. He tried smacking the idiot as he tried to blink the tears out of his eyes. 

“What the fu- mmph” somehow the whelp was able to reach up and kiss him. Effectively muffling his complaints. He tried biting down on Kylar but that only seemed to inspire him. He’d never felt anything like this before. Maybe Remy could enjoy a battering ram on his prostate, he preferred his lovers to be more sensual. He almost choked on the spit pooling in his mouth. Finally Kylar let up so he could breathe. He gasped and sucked air in, body bouncing from the force of Kylar’s thrusts. 

“You bastard! I’ll sell you to the farm for this! Mmph-!” The hands that had been clawed around his waist wrapped around his neck in a death grip. He tried to claw them off. Kylar looked mad as he humped into him. 

“You love this , you love this, you love this…” He kept repeating it. He tried to loosen Kylar’s grip, but he was electrocuted. His body spasmed as Kylar kept fucking him. His body started feeling tingling as black spots started appearing in his vision. In a way the novelty was thrilling. 

He never let anyone be so rough with him. None of his playmates ever so much as slapped his ass. As he started losing consciousness, his eyes started rolling back. He felt his arms falling limp at his sides as the world went black. When he woke up, he gasped. 

His body tingled. He’d never felt anything like this, he felt his own dick was hard. Another hard jab to his prostate, he gasped gently. He felt hypersensitive now, his mind was foggy. He hadn’t realized when it started to feel good. He moaned quietly. Kylar suddenly stilled. 

“Oh my dear Kanona! I knew you would love this too! If it’s better for you, you can call me daddy.” Kylar said pressing frenzied kisses around his chest before starting to thrust into him wildly. He bounced with each thrust. The shrimp had a surprising amount of core strength. Kylar’s sweat dripped onto him. 

“I’m gonna breed you now, but don’t worry you won’t get pregnant until volume 6.” He shivered, feeling his own orgasm finally force its way out. Finally Kylar’s hips stuttered before he ground into him and collapsed onto him. He couldn’t believe he’d passed out on top of him. And he was still inside. Ugh… at least he didn’t have to deal with the cum dripping out for now. Kylar was almost endearing, cuddling into him. He shook his head. He needed to focus on escaping. But the afterglow got to him too and he fell asleep.