#made something for the enjoyment and to spend time with myself
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itsdafavone · 2 days ago
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❝𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤?❞
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cw: kinda fluff - light cussing, mention of fighting.
tropes: friends-to-lovers (kinda enemies), grumpy x grumpiest.
pairing: best friend!katsuki bakugou x f!reader.
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if there was something that for the surprise of both of us never made any truly mad, that was probably how neither of us could've won. Each other, of course.
me, and him that have always "allowed" me to follow him around; we never won from a fight against one another. Always truly infuriating but we never thought about it that deep since our friendship was way more important than this shit, even if none of us would admit it out loud. But here am I, I've stopped to take a brief moment and think about it all, since Mina called me out:
"girl y'know that ain't normal for such talented person such as yourself..."
she took a pause, trying go figure if that was what she was going to say, frustrated because couldn't find her "right" words, kept going
"and your, uh, friend?" giggled "it's not possible that none of you are able to win."
it's frustrating how kats' spends more time in my mind than I would find enjoyable... not that I would find enjoyable thinking of him; but lord it could be way less.
so it all started to descend in ruins in our first spar in a while. I wasn't feeling really good, but denying something to him, mainly when it comes to a fight, it's something that you'll never forget. Why? the spoiled brat will make sure you never forget how weak, self aware and fearful you were; afraid of losing to a god like him, even if he was completely convinced it was obvious you wouldn't. He is a complete fool, a natural.
but how I was delighted to fight with this fool every time. All of our fights were so deep highlighted by not holding back ever. A dance only we could pull up, our momentary show that makes everything worth it, even losing. Letting go all of the social cues, obligations and images of ourselves; only pure and raw anger.
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until we are too tired to keep going, to sick of using one another to it's own sake, quirks denying their activation and lungs burning like hell.
a good visit to recovery girl (who couldn't stand our bullshit anymore), a bath in an almost shared dorm; and a nap. Him not insisting, but sleeping in the ground, me in his oh so sweet scented sheets. An ether aroma that never failed into embracing me to sleep, never.
"wake up." he would throw a pillow at me, even if his voice was almost tender when he commanded. I would look annoyed at him taking my deep breath, too sore from the day before to discuss, just like him.
"what time is it?" monotone voice, almost closed eyes, he would smirk. Shit, he made me late on purpose, and I fell for it again.
"shit kats', I fucking hate you!" got up and went all fast to my dorm, luckily the door aside.
"but I love you..." he murmured, before I could get out the door. What the fuck?
I turned to look to him, in total disbelief, a hint of hope in the corner of my eyes, for sure. He fixed his uniform belt.
"Tyler the creator." looked deeply at me, felt like it was through my soul and back. "IFHY." how well I knew him, he was trying act nonchalant.
"sure" even for that tiny brief moment that the stars aligned and time has peaked its final form, stopped and stood completely between us; I've still left for my dorm, looking desperately for my uniform.
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the classroom had a weird taste as the day follow its steps, I wasn't in the mood for conversations and my friends respected my boundaries. Just feeling nostalgic for things that wasn't that much time ago, and for others that were way to long.
and feeling melt under his gaze.
all classes finally had their ending, stretching myself close to the door after finishing cleaning, taking my shoe's and being stopped mid-going-away.
"wanna go buy groceries?" he was legit serious, like, drop dead serious. Even if it was out of nowhere; I said a weirdly uneventful: "yeah, why not?".
walking there was awkward, a constant feeling that there's something being unsaid. I didn't dare looking his way, too afraid I would spill what I've been thinking, and how it have been almost all of the time about him. He wasn't particularly comfortable either, not from the way he was constantly itching the nape of his neck.
I stopped, because my body suddenly told me to. Not that it was right, but it felt right and necessary. He made the same, turning to face me.
"what?" he was feeling the nitroglycerin escaping from his palms, his body telling him to fight but not to talk.
"there's something you want to tell me?" he did a micro reaction, his eyes briefly grow bigger and went back to usual as fast. "there's something you need to tell but feel like you can't?".
he laughed not too hard, more in disbelief than anything.
"you're a pain in the ass huh?" unbelievable how you could predict, what himself couldn't say out loud.
"yeah, with the ones that deserves it!" you both giggled, feeling the tension in the air fade away.
he leaned towards you, just enough so he could see all of you. Not only outside but inside too, your eyes telling him exactly what he needed; the weird reassurance of your presence.
"you're makin' me sick." he told you calmly, brows furrowed in concentration.
"makin' you sick?" you said half smiling, almost teasingly. Until it snapped. You knew katsuki, he wouldn't say that in a appropriate way. Your face giving away the fact you've already got everything figured out.
he gave you that shit-eating grin, turning his back and keeping his steps not so steady so you could easily catch up.
he made you sick to your guts too.
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✸notes: that was actually so fun to write, even if it's short 😭
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andypantsx3 · 7 months ago
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did not get as much writing done as i wanted during my first day to myself in 4 weeks (😭) but roo did help me do yoga for the first time in forever (standing under me and putting her mouth in my mouth) read half a book (i have not read anything in 4 weeks straight) and i made the BEST steak and asparagus of my life, with a little lemon parm arugula salad on the side. i cook red meat like once a year so this was huge.
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vandalizedheart · 16 days ago
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might actually start going with The Substance schedule regarding this blog...
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i'm pretty sure i've cut all content consumption out of my routine now
i don't mean that in the sense of i no longer consume content, i mean i've managed to remove it from routine behaviour
yes i will scroll instagram but it's not the first thing i do on waking until i get through all the posts since yesterday. it's just something i choose to do when i feel like it
yes i will watch youtube but i no longer go through all videos since yesterday from all the channels i'm subscribed to and watch them all or add it to watch later if i can't squeeze it into the day. this was my most recent success so i'm avoiding my subscriptions tab so i don't fall into the hole and am instead looking up individual channel videos to watch for no more than an hour. when i'm convinced my brain will behave i believe i will be able to scroll subscriptions casually and only when i want to.
this used to cause me such trouble because i genuinely saw these things as part of my routine so i'd be over here like man my routine of consuming content is all messed up because i went out for the day with someone i will need to double it tomorrow to fix it so i'm back on track. or i'd be like kinda wanted to do this today but a youtuber i follow uploaded a 2 hour video so I won't be able to fit it in :/
anyway that was trash. now i think i just have routines around food (3 meals a day) and work/study. Everything else is clean and free. I can do whatever I feel like when i have free time. i feel a little lost now but at least i'm no longer spending hours on content consumption when it's not actually making me happy
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insidekatmind · 11 days ago
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Shopping-Jude Bellingham
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Wearning: +18,smut
It was a mild Saturday afternoon, perfect for a stroll downtown. Jude had offered to accompany you shopping, even though you were sure he was doing it more to spend time with you than out of any real interest in the stores. Not that you minded; his presence made everything more enjoyable.
You walked into a bright boutique, mirrors reflecting rows of elegant dresses. You glanced around, fascinated by the variety of colors and fabrics, while Jude leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed and a slight smile on his face.
“So, where do we start?” he asked, his voice calm but tinged with amusement.
You looked at him, unsure. “I don’t know… Maybe something elegant but not too formal. Like a dress that works for a night out or a casual lunch.”
Jude nodded, stepping forward. “Alright, let’s see what we can find.”You picked up a navy-blue dress with a delicate neckline and held it up for him to see. “What do you think about this one?”
“It’s nice,” he said, tilting his head to get a better look. “But maybe a bit too simple for you. You need something that stands out more.”
You smiled, appreciating his comment. The two of you continued browsing the store, and every time you picked up a dress, he had something to say:
“Too short.”
“Too long.”
“This one looks like it’s from an old movie—not in a good way.”
Eventually, you found two options you really liked: a fitted scarlet red dress and a flowing emerald green one. Turning to him, you held both dresses up. “Now what?”
Jude burst out laughing. “Ah, here we are. The moment of great indecision. I knew this was coming.”
You looked at him, pretending to be offended. “That’s not true! I’m just trying to choose the right one.”
He rolled his eyes, still smiling. “You always take forever to pick. I’ll never understand why it’s so difficult for you.”
You stuck your tongue out at him playful. “Well, excuse me for wanting to make sure I look good.”He chuckled. “There’s no need to worry about that. Believe me, you’ll look stunning in anything you choose.”
The compliment surprised you and warmed your cheeks slightly. He glanced at you as you walked over, his eyes wandering over your frame, lingering on your curves a moment longer than necessary. His arms were still crossed, his casual pose not doing anything to quell the desire that flared through you.You sit on his lap and kiss his jaw softly. “I haven't thanked you yet for joining me shopping,” you say seductively.
He hummed, his eyes fluttering shut as your lips graze his skin. He placed his hands on your hips, holding you still above him. “It was my pleasure,” he mumbled, his grip tightening.
You smile at his words and kiss his lips. He responded quickly and his arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer as his mouth moved against yours. He tugged on your lower lip with his teeth, coaxing a soft gasp out of you.
His strong hands were slowly roaming around your backside, tracing over the curve of your waist and down to your thighs. He pulled back, his breathing already a bit faster. “You know, it’s quite tempting to have you here, all to myself in this small room.”
You smile mischievously at his words and trace your fingers over his muscular shoulders. "From what I remember we've never done that in a dressing room."
A smirk spread across his face as he chuckled slightly. “No, we haven’t. But, I’m sure it’s something we should fix, don’t you think?” His hands pulled your hips even closer, making your legs straddle his. You bite your lip and nod.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered, his voice a low rumble against the skin of your neck. His lips gently grazed over your collarbone, moving in a hot trail along your flesh. He slipped his hands under the material of your dress, teasing the skin of your thighs.
You moan softly in response so as not to attract attention. “We should hurry” you whisper hearing the voices of the girls who are waiting for the dressing room to be free.
His smirk grows wider at your words “Right, wouldn’t want anyone to walk in and find us like this,” he said with a quiet chuckle, his hands massaging into your hips. “But it’s just so hard to stop when you look this beautiful.”
“I didn't say you had to stop,” you whisper seductively, getting up off of him, undressing.
He watched you, a look of desire and want in his dark eyes as you began undressing. His hands grip the chair, tight, as if it’s the only thing keeping him from pouncing you. “You can be naughty when you want to be, love,” he murmured, his voice rough with held-back cravings.
You smile in amusement and give him a striptease while taking off your bra and thong.
He sat back and watched you, his eyes drinking up every movement of your body. His fingers were white from gripping the chair so hard, his breathing growing heavier. “God, you’re incredible,” he breathed, his gaze roaming slowly over your bare skin.
You smile mischievously and sensually approach him and begin to undress him. He leaned back, watching you with a darkened gaze as you began unbuttoning his shirt. His hands remained restrained, fingers digging into the fabric of the chair as your touch roamed over his skin. “You're teasing me, love,” he whispered, his voice growing deeper.
Your fingertips gently caressed his chest, tracing the firm planes of muscle. He let out a soft sigh as you continued to explore, taking your time as you made your way down his body. He was clearly enjoying the effect you had on him, the desire in his eyes growing with each passing second.
You kiss him sensually as you position your pussy on his cock and let it enter you. He responds hungrily, his arms wrapping around you and pulling you closer as you sink down onto him. His hands run up your back, holding you tight against his chest. “You’re killing me,” he mutters against your lips, his mouth then trailing hot kisses along your jawline and down your neck.
You try to moan softly as you begin to ride him. He groans against your skin, his grip on you tightening. He looks up, his eyes dark with desire and lust as he watches you riding him. “You feel incredible,” he whispers in your ear, his breath warm against your sensitive skin. His hips begin to move with you, matching your rhythm.
“so good love” you murmur as you feel Jude push into you harder. You bite his neck to keep from moaning.
He lets out a low moan at your words, and the bite on his neck sends shivers down his spine. His hands grip your hips, guiding you as he pushes up into you harder. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me”.
You try not to moan loudly as you feel his thrusts increase. “Jude” you moan holding yourself tight.
He responds instantly to the sound of his name, a primal noise rising from his chest. He looks up at you, his eyes meeting yours in a fierce look of desire and wanting. “Yeah, love?” he asks, his voice a rough whisper as he continues to move with you.
"I'm close" you murmur moaning. He nods at your words, his breathing heavy and irregular. “So am I,” he pants, his fingers digging into the flesh of your hips. “Together?” he asks, his lips finding your neck again. The heat between you is nearly scorching, the air thick with tension.
You nod, closing your eyes in pleasure. He groans as he feels you tighten around him, the sensation pushing him over crazy. “you’re squeezing my cock” Jude moans and pushes into you more.
He holds you close, his arms wrapping around you as he holds you tight against his chest. His breathing is heavy, his heart racing from the release. “God, you’re amazing,” he whispers, his face buried in your hair.
You moan and come on him and Jude comes inside you. He tightens his grip on you as he finds his release, a soft moan escaping his lips. He remains still, his head leaning against yours as he regains his breath. “You’re incredible, you know that?” he murmurs, his fingers tracing small patterns on your back.
“But we should probably clean up and get dressed before someone figures out what we did in here,” he chuckles softly, slowly shifting back.
You chuckle and nod. "yes you are right"
He grins, gently helping you off his lap and zipping up his pants. He runs a hand over his hair, trying to tame the messy spikes it had taken on. “They are definitely going to wonder what took us so long,” he says with a smirk, glancing at the clock on the wall.You smile.
He hands you your clothes, still watching you with a heated look in his eyes. “Just a shame we had to stop,” he remarks, his gaze wandering over your body as you began to get dressed
“You’re making it very difficult to behave.” he says, watching you slip the dress back over your head. “I swear, the second we get home I’m picking up where we left off.”
You smile and give him a quick but sweet kiss on the lips. "let's go come on".Jude returns the kiss with a smile of his own, his hand finding your waist. "Lead the way, love. The quicker we can get out of here, the better," he says, still watching you with dark, wanting eyes
You giggle and grab his hand, dragging him outside. Jude lets you lead him out of the store, a smile still on his face. He couldn't help but watch you, admiring the way your hair fell and how the dress clung to your figure.As you walk, he keeps a firm grip on your hand, his fingers intertwined with yours. You could feel the heat between you still there, even outside the store.
God, you loved that man.
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wontmindd · 1 year ago
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Alastor with a pure hearted s/o
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a/n I'm fully aware that Alastor is aroace. My scenarios are meant to be interpreted as a deep, unconditional love, not necessarily romantic. I'm not aroace but I'm all for educating myself, so please if something's off let me (gently) know. Hope you enjoy :)
TW! canon typical violence
being a twisted person is not a requirement to reincarnate in Hell. Sins depend on religion, culture, societal norms. You were more of a victim, in fact.
you never got used to being in Hell. Surviving not only the Extermination but also the inhabitants becomes harder and harder every year.
it's kill or be killed, but you just can't bring yourself to do any harm to anyone, even if it means risking your own life.
as soon as you hear about princess Charlie Morningstar's new hotel for souls who want a second chance, your bags are PACKED
it's not like you really need redemption, you are pure hearted already. it's more a matter of understanding the reasons why you ended in Hell and coming to terms with them. maybe then the gates of Heaven would open for you. it's also a safer place for you to be.
Charlie welcomes you excitedly; Angel Dust, Husk and Vaggie aren't that friendly at first since your personalities don't match, but they eventually grow fond of you
and then there's, well...the Radio Demon.
you never met an Overlord before, and Alastor was supposed to be gone for years. But his presence wasn't frightening. A big smile spread across his face, he welcomed you like a gentleman.
you heard stories about his lifestyle and even previous murderous acts as a human, but for some reason you just can't bring yourself to fear him.
at first you were kinda pathetic to him. so naive, out of touch with the evils of Hell. he didn't dislike you. just thought your life was so easy to throw away in a society like that and that you wouldn't last long.
it seems like you two don't have much to share. he just wanders in his den, while you spend time in your room. you greet each other and have small talks, but nothing more than that. that's until he hears jazz music play behind your door.
he mentions it during dinner, and you start talking about your interest in 30s jazz music, especially the one of the Roaring 20s. you come from a later era, but you're very much cultured about jazz and its forms and that's enough for Alastor to develop an interest in you.
he has so many jazz artists recommendations, and you share some of your favourite pieces with him through your gramophone.
without even noticing, Alastor starts spending hours in your room just listening to music. some time even practicing swing dancing. and talking about jazz culture all around the world, and entertainment in general. he has many fun facts about the history of radio too!
the others at the hotel notice your growing bond and low-key support it, in their own, weird way. Angel Dust is especially convinced that you two are hooking up, as Husk not-so-kindly explains that it's more likely for Alastor to ascend to Heaven than express interest in sex.
you would start to open yourself up a bit to the Radio Demon. he doesn't understand why, since it didn't ask or never showed much empathy. but he just can't bring himself to tell you to stop. he wants to listen.
you manage to make him talk about some glimpses of his own life and thoughts. you knew that he was the complete opposite of you. incline to Evil, an enjoyer of all things that made your stomach clench. but he's still the one person who spends hours with you just listening to both jazz and your fears.
one day, Alastor decided that in no way you are walking around the city without him. it's just too dangerous for you. he tries to teach you how to use weapons and demonic powers to defend yourself but he doesn't feel like you can make it into Hell by yourself.
you like strolling through the streets with him, arms intertwined, chatting and laughing even if demons around you are shitting their pants just by seeing the Overlord walking around.
but one day, Alastor can't find you.
you're not in your room, or in the Hotel hall. No one saw you that morning. He starts to feel something he never felt in his life: fear.
he darts out the Hotel, trying to find you. that's when he sees you just a few streets away.
a group of animal-like demons is encircling you. you are on your knees, arms over your head to protect yourself. A lion-demon is holding a knife over you and your arms are covered in cuts. you hold something close to your stomach.
that's when Alastor realized that he had feelings for you.
when he threw himself between you and the demons attacking you.
it's the first time you see Alastor without a smile. his teeth are gritted, face full of unprecedented violence and will to kill, breathing heavily in and out in a sort of animalistic way, but there's no trace of his characteristic smile you love.
his body starts to morph into his full demon form. his horns grow exponentially, his body too as it hovers menacingly on top of your aggressors as they start to feel a pure fear they never felt before.
in a matter of a second, they are gone. Alastor has always been a calculated, elegant killer, but this time he only felt a raw, ferocious instinct to kill.
as he's done, he turns around towards you. he doesn't want to, but he snaps.
"W̶̞̐H̷̻͒Y̷̰̅ ̶̠͛D̸͕́I̸͔̍D̴̿͜ ̷̯̇Y̶̭͌Ỏ̴̬U̵̖̍ ̷̛͎Ģ̷̕O̸̩͑ ̷̹̈́O̶̮͆U̸͍̇T̴̙͆ ̷̧̀W̴͓̅I̷̞͑T̸̗͒H̴̹͒O̴̺̓Ṷ̵̂T̵̺̚ ̵̢́M̴̜̅E̶̬̋?̸̻͋!̸̦͂"
you flinch, you never saw Alastor lose his composure. he was always so calm and collected. his voice was static, choppy.
the tears that were cornering your eyes start streaming down your face "I-I..."
"Ţ̶̈Ḧ̴͙́Ė̵̩Ỳ̷̳ ̷̳̒Ã̸̡L̷̛͚M̶͇̚O̸͈̔S̴̜̎T̸͚̊ ̷̤͝K̷͊͜I̵̺͝L̵͚̎L̴̤̆Ẽ̴͖D̶͍̈́ ̵̻͝Y̵̰̑O̸̜͘Ù̶͍!̵̻͝ ̸͓̾D̴̯͒O̶̅͜Ṉ̶̌'̷̹͒T̵͎͋ ̶̺́Y̴̹͂O̶͍̅U̴̘͌ ̵̘̾Û̷̪N̸̩̊D̵͎̋Ȅ̴͜R̵̮͂S̸̰̄T̸̝̅A̵͓͘N̷̩͂Ḏ̴̀?̵̗̍!̸̭̎"
suddenly, your bleeding arms fall from your head. you expose what you've been protecting all along.
a vinyl, a really old record from Alastor's favourite jazz artist. a rare find.
"I-I know but...tomorrow it's your death anniversary and I wanted to give this to you...as a surprise. I'm sorry"
Alastor's face immediately softens. Eyebrows raised, smile still not seen. He's just surprised and...moved.
He doesn't say anything, he just picks you up in his arms and takes you back to the Hotel where he bandages your arms.
Feeling guilty for putting yourself in danger, you ask Alastor to come to your room in order to apologize to him.
As he closes the door behind him, he says that there's no need to apologize.
"I'm...glad that you are still in your room. Listening to jazz, alive"
words didn't come easy, but he did feel the need to say it. you smile at him.
you propose to put his gift on the gramophone and so you do. music starts to flow between the small space you shared with the Radio Demon.
that's when you and Alastor start slow dancing. his arms around your waist, yours encircling his neck. his smile is back, but soft and...almost loving.
with his silent agreement, you reach for his cheek and graze it.
"Thank you for saving me, Alastor. Even if you are everything I distance myself from in this life...I'm glad you are the person that you are with me. In my next life, I'll make sure to be a sinner again if it means dancing with you like this"
Alastor now understands his feelings. It's something deeper than care. It's love. But not the same love you reserve to a friend and not even romantic. It's something deeper, more visceral.
He doesn't answer, just closes his eyes and leans in to press his forehead against yours.
you later fall asleep on your bed to the quiet sound of the gramophone playing, hands intertwined on Alastor's chest.
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versadies · 10 months ago
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FOR ME? (neuvillette x gn!reader)
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SALUTATIONS. for me?
ADDRESSED. neuvillette (x gn!reader)
STAMP. in which he came back from his trip to qiaoying village and brought a few things for you!
CONTENT. ooc (?), fluff/no-angst, established relationship, possibly cheesy, possible grammar errors, takes place during hustle and bustle quest from the recent lantern rite update!
POST-SCRIPT. here’s my post dedicated to @staarri’s birthday and milestone event — congratulations on your milestone and happy belated birthday to you, zira! furthermore, this fic is inspired by a wriolette fanart made by @/visualkid_n that i saw on my feed !!
LINKS. masterlist / taglist
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For a man such as NEUVILLETTE who is as busy as can be and rarely leaves Fontaine, you thought you were in a different universe when your lover first told you that he’ll be going on a trip to Liyue and visit Qiaoying Village. It’s not often to find your lover taking a break from his duties as the Iudex, let alone travel to another nation with his busy schedule, yet here he was.
He tried to invite you really, telling you that he’d like you to come with him and spend time together, but given your schedule, you could only turn him down despite wanting to accept.
And so you spent half a day with your lover away from the nation, often wondering how he is and if he’s not sulking too much about you not being able to come with him. Though, knowing how he is, you’re sure he’ll be alright – he can live in not seeing you for a day.
Take note, it was only half a day.
To your surprise, Neuvillette came back home much earlier than expected, standing by your doorstep with a few bags in hand, his eyes brightening at the sight of you.
“How was your trip?” You asked as you provided him some water for him to drink after he came inside your shared home.
“It was… quite enjoyable, but not as much as I longed for you to be there with me.” He responds softly, thanking you for the drink before taking a sip.
You gave him an apologetic smile, sitting down next to him on the sofa. “Sorry.. I’ll come with you next time when you decide to travel again.” You spoke, before glancing at the numerous items that are placed on the floor. “Though may I ask, what are all these items for?”
Neuvillette placed his cup down, glancing at the items as well before saying casually, “Ah, they’re for you, my dear.”
Come again?
You blinked a few times, staring at your lover as if he just told you the most absurd thing.
“Eh? All of them…?” You clarified.
It didn’t help that the Iudex looked unbothered, as if this is almost nothing for him. “Yes, of course. Why do you look so surprised?” He asks. “I was only thinking of you and how you were while I was away, and I happened to find a lot of things that reminded me of you.”
“Neuvi…” You said, staring down at the bag, still processing the fact that your lover bought so many things in one day just for you. “I do hope you’re aware that you didn’t have to do such things! This is quite shocking for me!” You commented.
He hummed. “I am aware, of course. But I happen to find myself making a few spontaneous decisions that’s inspired from my trip. Do forgive me, my dear, I did miss you after all.”
You could only sigh with a smile of defeat. “Well, it’s not as if I can reject such thoughtful gestures from you, but do go on and tell me more about your trip. How was Qiaoying Village? I read Charlotte's article about Liyue’s tea industry earlier.”
“The trip is quite refreshing. I took the opportunity to try their local spring water, and the aftertaste is much purer than what was delivered to me in Fontaine.” He said with a pleased look.
You find yourself listening intently to him as he goes on about the waters of Liyue, not being able to hide the amused look on your face from how fond he is about tasting water, and it only took a few minutes before he changed the subject to something else.
“Ah, that reminds me, I mentioned earlier that my trip happened to inspire a few spontaneous decisions, and one of them happened to be trying out ceramics.” He explains.
“My, the Iudex trying out ceramics?” You teased, causing his mouth to twitch upwards more.
“It’s quite an interesting activity. I’ve never once thought about how quotidian vessels were crafted until I participated in their very making. Nonetheless, I made something for you.” He adds.
To your shock, Neuvillette brought out a tea set with a design that reminded you of a certain sea creature. Who knew your lover would be amazing at the ceramic arts?
“Neuvi, you made these? For me?” You ask, aweing at the cute design that he made. “They’re so cute! You did such an amazing job, you made it by hand and everything!” You flattered him.
He smiled more from your compliment, placing the tea set down on the coffee table for you to touch and admire his work that he made just for you. “I thought it’d be good to give you this. It’d mean a lot to me if you’d accept.”
“Of course I will! You made this yourself, I couldn’t ask anything more than that.” You replied.
Suddenly, an idea came to your mind. “Tell you what, why don’t we use this for water tasting together when the next delivery arrives?”
“That’ll make me all the more happier, my dear.”
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PENPALS. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @ragnvdnr @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii @mrkamisato @shenhesl0ver @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @ladycoleigh @034ven @dear-dairiess @owozi8 @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @nejibot @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @flowersforayato @headintheclouddd @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @moonlightaangel @alice0blog @shotosbrainrot @sniffoat @chihawari @mxsomn @kuni-kuzushii @jiminscarmex @mitsukii14 @ylimeprive @sachispet @loreleis-world @sn-owo @starforecasts @someonetookmynamelmao @ceylestia @astrequa @ymikkos @reallysporadicarcade @melodyyamino @dudufodd @somberrock @yevenly @lemontum @nghing @shaiah @miss-lady-witch @yashe @imkaaayy @badlywrittens @0rah-s @totallynotaraidensimp @garlicforthewin
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eatmangoesnekkid · 27 days ago
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I’m so tired of feminist women over 40 saying how they continue to be invisible to men the older they get.
I have never felt invisible to men and I’m close to 50. I do not try to be visible to men. I simply take care of myself and that naturally increases my visibility.
Today in my rebounding class, a young attractive Italian guy in his 20s asked for my number after class. Another lady in class commented on how attractive he was. After letting him know that I wasn’t interested and having a chat, I said to him that I was going towards 50 years old.
Santos was stunned. He, like everyone else, could not believe it. He said “I thought you were 25.” He was completely shocked and said “you are very beautiful” which made me blush because I could feel his sincerity. And I was sweaty in leggings and had my hair in two messy afro puffs in a gray winter climate. But it is really my aura, the fact that I don’t carry a lot of density in me, along with my love of being a woman, that attracted him at the level of the *unconscious.*
As we get older in these beautiful female bodies, our physical merely becomes a hologram of what lives in our subconscious in ways that we can no longer mask, hide, or lean on through youth or genetics. I was never the “pretty” or “beautiful” girl growing up; I was the smart girl. The “good” girl. The “nice” girl. But what I have learned is that every year we truly take care of ourselves will add up overtime and radiate out into the world in a higher frequency eventually.
Moral of the story —do not believe these women who say they are invisible to men because many of these women have spent years, their whole lives, living in their heads or complaining about their monthly cycles, not fully embracing being a woman. Now they want men to find them attractive after all those years of being disconnected from their own bodies. Over the years that constant dissonance and disconnection with self will add up and show through one's aura.
You must enjoy being a woman. This real genuine enjoyment is your magnetism.
Take care of your body. Be aware of what you are feeding your mind and your skin. Love your bleed time. Find ways to enjoy your breasts. Smile at yourself in the mirror. Nurture your softness. Laugh often- don’t take everything so seriously. Destress and nourish yourself in ways that stop you from having monthly cramps. Believe in something much more than what you have been taught about female physiology. Be lighthearted and connected to earth. Grounded. Let go, get rid of some things, sometimes people included. There are some deeper female mysteries that I will keep more veiled and private on this blog but will teach openly in my online school. I am a feminine wisdomkeeper which means that much of my work happens behind closed doors and in the underworld of the body and psyche.
All in all, when you *consciously* spend time being good to your body and saying good things about every facet of your womanhood and femaleness, then you won’t have any problem with people of all walks of life being attracted to you. Every year your aura will get bigger and bigger, more radiant and alive. Adore yourself and the world can’t help but to love and adore you back….at any age.
Living on earth is a game of frequency and consciousness. Nothing more or less.
—India Ame’ye
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trustywukkiii · 1 month ago
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JOLLIBEE DATE JOLLIEBEE DATE
JOLLIBEE DATE | LAIOS TOUDEN (sfw)
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synopsis — curious on how to spend your lunch together, laios recommended a special restaurant you haven’t been to in a while. excitedly and proudly, you decided to show him the ropes of a place that showed off your filipino roots. (laios x gn!filipino!reader)
content warnings — public displays of affection
word count — 2.2k words
author’s note — this is kind of self-indulgent since i’m filipino myself! i also tend to enjoy introducing jollibee with my friends who haven’t tried them! if you’re filipino, i hope this somewhat resonates with you! and if not, i hope it inspires to check the restaurant out sometime! hope you enjoy reading!
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Laios has always been open-minded when it came to food. Whether it be from another culture, or a completely raw parasite from the bowels of a squid. Nevertheless, his attitude has always endeared you.. and never failed to surprise you every time.
“What was that place called again?” Laios innocently asked, his mind wandering. You two have been brainstorming a place to eat out for lunch. You weren’t sure what to suggest, so your lovely boyfriend offered. “You know, the one you share pictures of when you’re eating with your family? I’ve heard good things about their fried chicken! I’d like to try, if that’s okay with you.”
Damn right it was. Hell, you were excited. Nothing made you prouder to be Pinoy than seeing others try out such a staple in Filipino fast food. Especially Laios of all people! Something tells you deep in your gut that he’d love it.
Thankfully, there was your local Jollibee just a few minutes away from home. It had those big posters of families eating with big smiles on every wall, you could hear a mixture of Filipino and English amongst the customers and staff, and most especially, you could smell that tasty nostalgic smell from the kitchen at the back of the cashier.
You hoped Laios didn’t notice, but you were carefully watching his every reaction upon entering the place. And as per usual, Laios never disappoints.
“Woah! Is that—?!” His eyes brightened upon falling onto the big red and yellow jolly mascot that entertained the kids. “Judging based off of the wings, it’s an insect. And it also has stripes on its hind. Is it a bee?”
“Correct, big guy.” You gleamed at his enthusiasm. “Hence, why he’s called ‘Jolli-bee.”
“That makes sense!” He smiled as he held his chin.
To be honest to yourself, Laios had a fair resemblance to the big bee chef. Both have that cute cheeky open-mouthed grin, the soft round face, and this warm feeling of inexplicable hunger you get when looking at them. Laios has always been a great cook and you’ve loved every meal he served, and Jollibee just reminds you of that nostalgic enjoyment you got out of eating such savory fast foods.
“What would you recommend?” He looked at you as you both stood in the waiting line.
You pointed towards the bright and long menu hanging from the ceiling. “You sure you don’t want to check out the menu first?” Admittedly, you’d love to pick for him. But you wanted to give Laios a chance at that freedom to try out whatever he wants. “You’re the one trying the food out after all.”
“But I trust you!” Laios squeezed your hand as you two slowly approached the cashier. “And you know the food here best— Surprise me. Please? I’ll pay for the food.”
Oh, how could you ever say no to such a thoughtful man. You squeezed his hand back and grinned excitedly. “Nuh uh. It’s my treat! Save us a seat while I order our food, okay?”
You know the man best. You could see it in his calculating eyes as he’s thinking on how to repay you anyway. Perhaps he’ll buy you more of those cute figures of that favorite show you like. He always loved supporting your interests such as you do his. “Alright. I’ll wave you over.”
The two of you eventually settled by a table at a comfy corner. While waiting for the food, Laios would glance around at the other customers. He’d take a peak at what they were eating. There were a variety of burgers, buckets of chicken, and a wide array of drinks.
“You know,” Laios whispered your name. “The color palette of the restaurant reminds me a lot of McDonalds. So much red and yellow, it kinda gives you that hungry effect.”
“Huh, I kinda noticed that as well.” He’s such a nerd for details.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
“Ah, food’s ready,” you indicated from the small machine on the table.
“I’ll pick up the food!” Laios stood up almost immediately with the biggest smile on his face. He left no room for refusals. “Here, lend me the receipt and I’ll be right back!”
As he skipped away from your table, you could catch him bubbling with giggles, eyes closed with excitement. You watched as he proudly displayed the receipt to the staff, retrieved the delicious bagged goods, and sauntered right back to you like a jolly pup who fetched a bone for you. “So, what do we have here?”
“Mm! First, I want you to try the fries. They’re not too salty and they’re the right amount of munchy!” You dug through the bag and pulled out the little cup of fries. You took a fry out and held it out to his mouth.
If it were anybody else you were eating with, they’d probably get taken aback from your forwardness. But this is Laios we’re talking about. He’ll always be excited to support you whenever something interests you. He needn’t say a word as he took a bite of the fry in your hand. He cherished the taste in his mouth with slow chews. He even tilted his head as he tried assessing the right words in his head. Then, his golden eyes beamed. “It’s good!”
The anxiety that once swelled in your heart immediately faded upon this. Oh, you couldn’t love him any less. You dug through the paper bag again. “If you want to add ketchup, here’s some packets for you.”
“Thanks!” He gently took them from your hand. He reached for more fries as well, eating them one at a time in such a polite manner.
“Woah, woah, hold on!” You laughed. “Save some room for the main course!”
“Ah, right! Sorry,” he rubbed the back of his neck as he blushed. “The fries just taste so good already!”
“I know right?” Finally, you pulled out the wrapped burger and placed it in front of Laios. “Here! This is a very iconic menu item of Jollibee’s— a yumburger with cheese! It’s very important that you specify at the register for it to be ‘with cheese’! C’mon, try it out!”
Laios wasted no time. He began unwrapping the burger as you began unwrapping yours as well. You waited until he took the first bite before you could take a bite on your own. You watched him take a big bite, rest onto the back of his chair as he chewed energetically. “Mmm!” He swallowed. “Woah, it’s just like a cheeseburger but without lettuce or tomatoes! The beef is juicy and the cheese is soothing too! The burger is incredibly simple, but it has a delicious sauce that enhances the savoriness overall!”
“Hehe, I’m glad you think so!” You expressed it with a smile. As Laios continued eating, you pulled off the disc covering the bucket of chicken, and you two were engulfed in a strong aroma.
“Ooh! Is that the chicken?” Laios asked. “May I have one?”
“Of course, here. Try it with gravy! It’s super good!” You handed him a drumstick and a little container of gravy.
You could practically see Laios drooling as he poured the sauce carefully onto the piece and expertly chomped down. He hummed with delight, glancing at the ceiling as he did. “I like it! The gravy perfectly complements the juiciness of the chicken! It’s not too oily either! And the skin is sooo crunchy! C’mon! You should dig in too!”
Laios waited for you to start eating as well. He surely didn’t want to spend the afternoon chowing down on his own. Seeing you indulge yourself in food made his heart (and stomach) full.
The two of you would continue eating. It was peaceful just to eat in each other’s company for Laios thought it was more than enough just to have you beside him, eating lunch together without a single worry in the world.
“Oh! I almost forgot about our drinks!” You jolted mid-bite. While you tried digging into the bag once again, Laios casually wiped crumbs off the corner of your lips with his tender thumb. God, the small things he does for you. It could practically make your heart explode.
“Here, these are what you call Coconut Dream Freeze’s!” you said, handing him his little plastic bottle with a straw you already placed for him. “They’re kindaa new? They were released just this summer. I really like them.”
“I see..” Laios took it into his hands. He inspected the white chilly substance with a squint. Then, he sucked onto the straw slowly, sparks slowly glimmering in his eyes. “Huh, it’s sweet, but not in an overbearing way…! It kinda reminds me of taro milk tea.”
“Really? Huh, never thought of it that way.”
“Still, it’s pretty tasty! Perfect for a warm day.” He chuckled before taking another sip of the drink.
It always made your heart burst at the seams whenever he analyzed food that way. Besides his passion for monsters, his love for food sort of reminded you of yourself. You had your fair share of interests too. Rarely you ever get to meet a guy who purely enjoyed his own hobbies and interests too, let alone never afraid to show it. But Laios just gets you.
The rest of lunch was spent eating to your heart’s content. Laios got a brain freeze for a moment, and you suggested putting his thumb on the roof of his mouth. The poor man winced until it went away, and he whimpered a little ‘thank you’ once he finally calmed down. You’ll definitely buy a cup of water from the cashier before you leave maybe.
Once Laios got back to chewing on his food, you’d notice his gaze fixed on the mascot entertaining a children’s birthday party. As much as you knew your boyfriend, you couldn’t quite place exactly what he was thinking most of the time. Laios would have a hard time reading you too sometimes, so exchanging questions has always been a common practice in your relationship. It made things easier that way, and lessened the risk of misunderstanding.
“What’s wrong, Laios?” You placed your hand atop his bigger and surprisingly calloused hand. “You’ve been eyeing the mascot for a while now.”
“Hm?” Upon seeing your concerned expression, he quickly snapped back. “Oh, it’s nothing serious, promise!” He assured you with a gentle smile. “I was just wondering if we could get a picture with him? I want to remember this day. But.. it might come across as weird if we ask in the middle of their party.”
“Oh, Laios.” He’s always such a sweetie. “How about we come up to them once we pack up— together. I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“Really?”
“Of course. C’mon, we should hurry before he leaves!”
Laios was quick to begin packing up your leftovers with you. He insisted on holding the bag while you held your drinks.
You two quietly sauntered towards the Jollibee mascot. Once you finally caught his attention, asking for a picture went without a hitch. Thankfully, a kind stranger offered to take the picture of you three on your phone. You stood by Jollibee’s left, and Laios took the right. Everyone gave big grins, and the picture was taken almost instantly.
You and Laios thanked both the stranger and the mascot before leaving the restaurant. While walking, you wanted to check the photo. You hoped you didn’t look like trash at the time, but Laios consistently reassured you that you looked amazing as ever.
Once you’ve opened your gallery, you clicked onto the photo and it made your insides warm. Laios looked as happy as ever. You could tell that this surely was a day for him to reminisce from now on.
However, your eyes were probably playing tricks on you. You squinted and leaned close to your phone. Laios was smiling the same exact way as the Jollibee mascot. Both with kiddy grins and soft round cheeks that only accentuated his sweet face.
Laios would make a great Jollibee costume for Halloween, you thought. You didn’t want to bring it up to the man just yet. He might get the wrong idea, however, it only made the man that much cuter.
After a few minutes of walking, you two have just arrived home at your shared apartment and placed your leftovers on the coffee table. Not long after you two sunk into the couch, your head resting on the tall man’s shoulder as he had his arm around your waist.
He softly whispered your name.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for the lunch,” Laios said, a sheepish smile on his face as he tried meeting your gaze. His body tensed as he desperately tried not to mess up his words. “I just wanted to get to understand you a bit more. I hope it wasn’t too weird to do it this way.”
“Are you kidding?” You leaned even closer. You couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m super happy you got to try the place out. I don’t get to go there often anymore, so… it was nice coming back there and sharing it with you.”
Laios immediately softened at this. He cupped your face and planted a chaste kiss on your forehead. “Guess that means we should come back there again. Or.. if we’re feeling too lazy, we can always order online.”
“Hm,” you giggled. You nest right into his chest where you can feel his warm heartbeat. “Sounds good to me… by the way, would you ever consider cosplaying as Jollibee?”
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alwaysonthemend · 1 month ago
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A/N: Happy belated new years, everyone! I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season. Apologies for this being a day later than intended – I hope you all enjoy it.
Thank you for sticking with me even though I've been MIA lately <3
(and if you saw me accidently post this last night... no you didn't)
Warnings: 18+ ONLY / minors dni / typos, probably / cussing / unrequited love (but not really) / p in v sex / unprotected sex / fluffy smut / jake being amazing
Word Count: 7k
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There was really no one to blame but yourself. 
No matter how many times you had tried to logic your way out of this being your fault… well. You always came back to the same conclusion. This was entirely, irrevocably, and utterly your own fault. 
Holidays have never been the easiest for you – seasonal depression coupled with a healthy dose of loneliness has never been a mixture that makes the Christmas season particularly enjoyable for you. Not that you weren’t learning to be okay with being single; not at all. In fact, you would much rather be alone than settle for someone who doesn’t treat you right. But something about the holidays just seems to make all that hurt and loneliness more powerful than usual. 
Christmas day had been alright – you had spent the day with a few loved ones and exchanged gifts and shared a meal. Looking forward to seeing the people closest to you had been what got you through the dreary, cold days leading up to Christmas. But now that the day has come and gone, now that you’re stuck in the weird in-between of Christmas and New Years, you find yourself particularly lonely. 
So, when you had received an invite to a company New Years party, you had been less than thrilled at the thought of spending another New Year with nosy coworkers who cared more about getting to know someone for gossip than actual friendship. You were even less thrilled at the prospect of yet another New Year of being single. In fact, you’d been quite content with skipping the event entirely, but you’d made the mistake of mentioning the affair to your best friend Jake, who had been helping you with some home renovations the week before. He had promptly scolded you for being a spoilsport, insisting on an alternative way to spend your New Years Eve. 
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“I don’t want to go alone.” 
Jake grins and rolls his eyes playfully at you. “So dramatic. Just come with me to my family’s get together, then.”
“Oh Lord no.” You exclaim. “That’s even worse! I don’t know most of them, other than Josh. I can’t just invite myself to a family function.”
“You’re not.” Jake quips, plopping down beside you on your sofa. “I’m inviting you to my family function.”
“Absolutely not.” 
Jake looks at you unimpressed, narrowing his eyes the way he does when he’s thinking. “There’s only one alternative, then.” Jake continues to stare, waiting for you to ask what he means. When you don’t give him the bait he’s looking for, he continues on anyway. “I come to your office party with you, then.”
“How is that the only alternative? I do my thing, you do your family thing. That’s the alternative.” You can feel yourself growing frustrated the longer this argument goes on – Jake may mean well, but he’s like a dog with a bone sometimes and just doesn’t seem to know when to quit… and right now seems to be one of those times. You don’t want to go to someone’s else’s family function; you don’t want to go to a stupid office party – let alone by yourself; you would much rather just be alone at home. 
“I can’t let you spend New Year's Eve at a shitty office party or alone here. That would make me the worst best friend ever.” Jake leans backwards onto the sofa, dramatically tossing his head back to rest on the back of the couch. “Besides, it’s in the contract.”
“Jake, nothing is in that damn contract. You made it up.” The Best Friends Contract was something that he had announced was in existence a few years ago in order to explain away his reasoning for always paying for your food when the two of you hang out. “The Best Friend Contract states that a good best friend must never turn down being paid for when the other is more than happy to cover.” You’d called bullshit on the first utterance but it has unfortunately stuck as his go to excuse for anything he did that you tried to argue with him about. 
“Don’t you disrespect the contract like that.” He reaches up and pinches a bit of your hair at the ends with his fingers and tugs a little. “It clearly states in the contract that a best friend never lets the other spend New Years Eve alone.” He tugs again just to be a little shit and then grins widely at you. “I don’t make the rules, sweetheart.”
“Yes, you literally do.” You swat his hand away from your hair, fighting back a smile of your own. “And besides, even if you did show up at my office party, it would end up being awkward.”
“Elaborate.” He demands, reaching up to mess with your hair again and then pouting when you smack his hand away for the second time.
“You know how nosy my coworkers are. They’ll all be asking all night if we’re dating and I’ll have to explain: no, he’s not my boyfriend; no, he’s just my best friend; and yes, he’s a guy and yes, he’s still my best friend.” You huff dramatically – you’ve dealt with it all before with him at parties or events where people can’t seem to understand that a man and a woman can be best friends without it meaning more. “It’ll be awkward and annoying for everyone involved, Jake.”
“So we pretend.” He replies simply, shrugging as if it’s an obvious conclusion. “Just say we’re together and no one will be the wiser.”
“Jake… how on Earth do you think that will be less awkward?”
He just shrugs in answer, still grinning like an idiot at you. “It’ll be fun. Like a game.” He leans in closer, his grin turning a little wicked. “Unless you're scared.” 
“Of what?” You demand, trying to ignore the way your stomach feels like it’s doing back flips when he looks at you like that. 
“Dunno.” He leans back, looking completely innocent again. “You tell me.”
You sigh, knowing that he’s already won. “Fine.” 
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The thing is, you don’t know his siblings or the rest of his extended family very well, but you know how much Jake loves them. So why on Earth would he rather come with you as a fake boyfriend to a shitty office party instead of spending time with them? You’d asked him as much… demanded, even, why on Earth he wanted to skip spending the night with his family. He just smiled at you like he’d been doing for the entire stupid argument and said it was in the contract – a best friend never lets the other spend New Years Eve alone, even if it means pretending to be a significant other.  
So here you are, waiting anxiously for him to come pick you up. You had chosen a long dress for the occasion – just a little too tight in certain areas that you normally don’t like to draw attention to, but it was a little too late now to find something else. You’d styled your hair the way you normally do, though you had added a little more makeup than usual and a glossy lip to top off the look. You’ve been ready for the better part of an hour now since you always tend to start getting ready early when you’re nervous. 
I have no reason to be nervous, you keep telling yourself, it’s just Jake. But that last part is exactly why you’re nervous. You still have no idea why he’s so willing to do this for you – why he’s content with being a fake date at an office party where he doesn’t know anyone instead of spending a fun night partying with his family. Not to mention, the thought alone of Jake in a nice suit makes butterflies erupt in your tummy.
What if he’s only doing this out of pity? What if he’s miserable the whole time? What if it’s awkward pretending to be together and he regrets ever agreeing to this? What if-
The questions swirl through your mind at such a constant rate that you’re quite sure you may vomit from the nerves before he ever even arrives. You’re moments from texting him and calling off the whole thing but then comes the knock at the door – and you know that he’s the only person it could be. 
Steeling yourself and resolving to act like a big girl, you rise up from your seat on the sofa and open the front door. 
“Wow.” The word slips from your lips without your brain being able to fully process, yet you can’t think of anything else to say. Jake has always been attractive – going from being a cute young man when you first met to the handsome one standing before you right now. The all black outfit suits him; black always does. His hair is freshly washed, the ends delicately curling against his shoulders. His usual necklaces adorn his neck, with a few extra bracelets and rings added to the ones he usually wears. 
Chocolate eyes crinkle slightly as he smiles, his head tilting just barely to the left as he regards you. “I hope that was a good “wow” and not a bad one.” He glances down, a tiny hint of shyness to the action. 
“No. It-” you clear your throat, “it was a good “wow.” You look very handsome.” You’re quick to recover, mentally shaking yourself. 
“And you look wonderful.” His eyes give you a once over, making you feel both emboldened by your choice of dress and slightly embarrassed. “I’m a very lucky man to have you as my fake girlfriend.”
The joke breaks the slight awkwardness of the moment and you laugh softly. He’s always been good at that. 
“And I’m a lucky fake girlfriend.” You grab your bag from the hook on the wall and step out into the chilly night with him. He hovers beside you as you lock your door, and then the two of you walk side by side to the warmth of his waiting car. 
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Your pulse is racing as you and Jake enter your office building. It only gets faster still as the two of you get onto the elevator. 
“Nervous?” Jake asks as you press the button for the correct floor. The doors closing feels like a curtain call of doom.
“A little.” You shrug, but Jake’s concern for you is written all over his face. “Some of my coworkers can just be a lot.” You explain, hoping that will be enough explanation for him and he won’t go digging further into your other fears for tonight. 
“I’ll just use my natural boyish charm.” Jake grins and loops his arm with yours as the elevator dings. 
“Boyish? You’re almost 30.”
Jake gasps dramatically and then tugs you off the elevator and towards the party that’s already been started for a good 30 minutes. One of the TVs on the wall has been turned to a countdown for midnight. You recognize many of the guests, though there are several that you don’t – likely other people’s plus ones that you’re sure they’ve been dying to show off. Though there’s one woman that stands out… the one woman that you absolutely didn’t want to see tonight. 
“Who are you death staring at?” Jake murmurs into your ear, startling you a little. When did he move that close? 
“Her name’s Jess. And she’s a stuck up bitch.”
“Woah.” Jake's eyes widen at your harsh words and looks back towards her, his eyes giving her a once over. “She’s definitely, um..” Her dress is skin tight and short, barely covering anything. Big hair and high stilettos makes it so that she sticks out like a sore thumb. “She’s definitely got a style.” 
You giggle a little at his attempt to be nice – in all the time you’ve known him, you can’t think of a single time when he’s ever insulted a woman’s appearance or choice of dress, even when it’s totally warranted. 
“Aaand she’s walking over here.” Jake supplies, making you scowl at him. 
“Yeah, I fuckin’ noticed.” You say lowly, clenching your teeth in what you hope is a convincing smile. “Jess! Hey.”
She smiles widely at you, flashing her overly white teeth. “Y/n! I didn’t think you would show tonight.” Her perfume is so strong you’re pretty sure you’re already getting a headache by the time she makes it to you. You begin to explain that Jake wanted to come but she’s quick to interrupt you as soon as her eyes land on him. 
“Well it’s certainly lovely to meet you.” She purrs, stepping closer to him and practically turning her back to you. “I’m Jess.” She extends her hand, which Jake shakes just barely before dropping it again. 
“Jake. It’s nice to meet you as well.” His smile is tight, mostly forced, but she either doesn’t care or is too stupid to notice. 
“Now tell me how you managed to snag this handsome young man, Y/n?”
Already your heart rate is starting to pick up, anger and hurt at her apparent disbelief that you’re dating him making you want to reach up and rip her obnoxious strip lashes off her eyes. Even though it’s the truth, your brain not-so-kindly reminds you. 
“Well, I-”
“We’ve been friends for years.” Jake interrupts you, taking a side step closer to hook his arm with yours once again. “Naturally, I fell in love with her the very first time I met her.” Those chocolate eyes find yours, a comforting warmth in them that instantly makes you feel better. “But I only recently managed to work up the nerve to ask her out.” 
His tone is sickeningly love-struck, so believable that you have to stop yourself from openly staring at him in shock as he speaks. You find yourself nodding along, more than happy to play along that you’re both in love with each other. 
“Of course, I had feelings for him the whole time, too.” You squeeze his arm a little. “Just never thought he felt the same. Turns out we were both oblivious.”
“But here we are.” Jake turns to look at you again as he speaks, those warm eyes making you feel all melty and gooey inside. 
“Here we are.”
Jess, for her part, manages to seem utterly crestfallen as the two of you speak, as if she had known Jake for years and been in love with him, too. Eventually, she turns her nose up in the way she does when she feels offended and plasters a saccharine smile onto her painted lips. “Well how sweet is that?” She asks, though gives no time for either of you to speak further. “Well, there’s still plenty of people for me to see tonight so you two enjoy yourselves.”
She’s gone before either of you can reply, disappearing and leaving nothing but the smell of her sweet perfume. 
“See?” Jake asks, tugging you towards the refreshments. “Not so bad.”
“Sure.” You scowl but gratefully take the cup of punch that he offers you. 
– 
A few other coworkers come to say hello, with the two of you giving the same performance each time you get asked how the two of you met. It gets easier, and each time it happens you can almost picture the story that the two of you weave – Jake shyly admitting he’s been in love with you, you declaring you love him back, you kiss, happily ever after, blah blah blah. It’s too easy to imagine and you find yourself wishing that you were anywhere but here with anyone but him. 
Jake glances towards you, probably noticing that you’re standing there as stiff as a board, trying to look romantic and in-love while sipping punch like it’s a secret weapon against the sheer discomfort you’re feeling. 
“Hey,” he nudges your shoulder with his, “at least try to look like you’re enjoying yourself.” 
You turn to look at him, rolling your eyes at the teasing grin that awaits you. “I don’t know how you’re doing this. This is a nightmare.”
“It’s not so bad. It’s funny watching people try to act like they’re nicer than they are.” Your heart warms a little – Jake very rarely ever complains, no matter how shitty a situation, so of course tonight is no different. His suit is a little wrinkled now from almost an hour of milling about and mingling, and his tie slightly askew in a way that’s almost charming, but also makes you want to reach up and fix it. You hate that you notice things like that about him. “Besides,” he continues, taking a sip of his own punch, “you have plenty of practice with being around these people. You should be used to it.”
You snort at him. “Yeah, well, there’s a difference between working with people and pretending that we’re, you know, in love around them.”
Jake laughs a little. “I think you were doing just fine. But our little charade has become a bit lackluster.” He grins a little, the mischievous one that he does when he’s up to nothing good. “Maybe we could work on a kiss or something. You know, really sell it.”
Your eyes widen as you choke on your punch. “I– what?”
“Okay, maybe not a kiss.” Jake adds on quickly after your reaction. “But we’re barely convincing anyone right now. You look like you’re getting ready to ask me about the office coffee order, not like you want to whisk me away for a midnight kiss.”
Okay, so maybe he’s a little right on that one. You glance around, trying to think of anything other than kissing Jake, when your eyes land on the makeshift dance floor. 
“Come dance with me.” 
“Um.” Jake answers eloquently, “I don’t dance. You know that.”
“Actually,” you begin, already tugging him forward by the arm, “I’m pretty sure that it’s in the contract that you have to dance with me.” Jake opens his mouth to say something but you speak before he can. “And don’t say it’s not. You make shit up about the contract all the time. It’s my turn.”
Jake groans. “Fine.” He mutters, scowling at you as you tug him through the people who are already dancing with their significant others. It’s only 11 minutes to midnight now according to the countdown so you figure everyone is gearing up for the big New Year’s kiss. “But only for you.”
Your stomach does stupid little somersaults when he says that but you ignore them. The room had been filled with the chatter of voices but as soon as you press closer to Jake they grow silent, as if the world beyond the two of you completely disappears. Jake stands awkwardly, his hands hovering just barely above your waist, unsure of where to land. His gaze maps out every inch of your face except your eyes and a tiny blush dusts his cheeks. 
“Are you blushing?” 
Jake scoffs, his palms finally settling fully onto your hips. “No, I’m not blushing.” He stage whispers at you, though you’re pretty sure no one is paying enough attention to have heard him. “I’m nervous. I don’t dance.”
Although you feel equally as flustered – probably more so than Jake, you feel oddly at ease this close to him. You choose not to examine that feeling too deeply at the moment. “I can tell…” you tease, taking one of his hands off your waist with your own. “We hold hands with this one.”
“Oh.” He mutters softly, his gaze flickering to your shoes. He offers his hand for you to take, looking as if he was offering a fragile gift. 
Hyper-aware of every minute rise and fall of his chest with each breath and every flutter of your own heart, you take his hand. “Right.” You answer, smiling a little at him, noticing every single detail – of his warm fingers, of their roughness, of how perfect his hand feels in yours. 
The music shifts to something a little more lively as the countdown hits 7 minutes now, though you and Jake have yet to actually start dancing.
“So, um…” You begin softly, trying to fill the silence that is quickly becoming awkward. “I guess we just… move around a little?”
Jake’s eyes find yours, comedically widened and you can’t help but laugh at the fact that this is what finally has broken his cool demeanor. 
“Right. Moving. Moving is good.” Jake’s voice is a little higher than normal and it makes you feel better about your own nerves. “We can, uh, move.”
“You lead.” You remind him, starting to move slowly back and forth with him. “Right? You’re the guy.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” He answers dryly, making you giggle. 5 minutes to midnight. “I thought you were the one who knew how to do this…”
“I do!” You answer, a bit more enthusiastic than you’d meant. “I mean, I do know how to dance. But I’m not… you know, leading.”
He takes a breath, his hand sliding down a fraction to hover over your lower back. You stiffen for just a second before your body relaxes into the contact. “Okay. Leading. I got this,” Jake mutters, his voice carrying an unexpected determination.
Your movements start out a little awkward and timid, but soon the two of you find rhythm with each other, the nerves melting away bit by bit until it feels as if the rest of the world grows muffled – the two of you in your own little universe. 
“Not so bad, right?” You ask him, glancing up into those chocolate eyes of his and trying not to get lost in them. 
“Nah. Not bad.” He smiles at you, then glances at the countdown on the wall. “Three minutes.” 
You nod, your mind suddenly filling with thoughts of what this would feel like if it was real… what it would feel like to kiss him to bring in the new year. It makes your chest squeeze to think about so you say instead, “Thanks again for coming with me to this. I don’t know why you did it… but thank you.”
“Told you… the contract.” He grins but it softens after a moment. “But really, I’d rather be with you, anyway.” 
His answer gives you pause. He doesn’t mean… right? Surely he doesn’t mean anything other than that he just enjoys your company as friends. You want so desperately to believe that it could be more. “I feel the same.” You reply quietly. “I mean that- that I would much rather be with you, too. Even at a stupid New Year’s party.”
Jake smiles, a tiny huff of laughter escaping him. He’s so close that you can feel his breath on your face, smell his cologne. His eyes lock with yours and you can’t do anything but stare back. “Speaking of New Years.” His eyes cut to the countdown and then back to you. 
Everyone around you begins to count down from ten, their voices blending together – becoming muffled as you once again lose yourself in his gaze. 
9…. 
He wouldn’t be here tonight unless he really wanted to be. 
8…
He chose to be here. 
7…
With you. 
6…
His hand tightens its grip on yours.
5…
Your heart is pounding – so loud it’s like a drum pounding in your ears. 
4… 
The damn contract… years of wanting him. 
3…
God damn it, you’re tired of being afraid and he doesn’t move at all when you lean in. 
2…
His eyes flicker to your lips. Fuck it. 
1..!
Your lips hit his cheek as he turns his head at the very last second. Stunned, you pull backwards, whipping your hand from his. He looks just as surprised as you do – perhaps even more so. For a moment, neither of you move. The people around you cheer, their excited movements blurring as everything around you moves in slow motion. 
“Y/n, I-” Jake cuts himself off as you shake your head, taking a step back from him. Then another. The shame and embarrassment hits all at once, stealing your breath. “Y/n, wait-”
“No!” You shake your head again, walking backwards from him even further. “I- I can’t-” The words won’t come. Nothing you say could ever fix this. Letting instinct take over, you do the only thing you can think of – you turn and run. 
People complain and shoot glares as you shove through them, though you pay no mind to anything except getting as far away as possible from him. Distantly, you can hear him call your name again but you don’t look back. The elevator doors open and you practically throw yourself into it, pressing the close button over and over again as you see Jake making his own way through the crowd. In what you can only imagine is an act of pity from the universe, the doors close before he makes it. 
You manage to hold the tears in until you reach the dark street outside. Fireworks boom in the distance and you can still hear the excited chatter and whoops from inside. The hot tears burn as they run down your face, no doubt ruining your makeup. You must look a mess, but you don’t care. You glance around at the deserted street. He drove. You don’t have a car. But you can’t spend another second with him. 
“Y/n!” The building doors slam open and out he comes, his eyes wild and frantically scanning around until he sees you. “Y/n, please!”
You take off running down the pavement. Well… you take off running the best you can in the heels that you had spent so much time picking out because you wanted to impress him. Like a fucking idiot, you think bitterly. 
You barely make it 15 feet before his fingers wrap around your wrist, tugging you backwards and stopping you from going further. He looks so upset, so affected that you almost fall for it. Almost. “What?” You bite out, tugging uselessly at his grip. 
“Y/n… please. Give me just one fucking minute to explain.” His voice sounds just as wrecked as he looks. 
“There’s nothing to explain. It was a stupid mistake. I don’t- I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking.”
“Just one minute.” He begs and you feel your resolve crumbling. Of course it does. It’s him. 
You nod. “One minute.”
“I—” His voice breaks, cracking under the weight of his own panic. He runs a hand through his hair – the way he does when he’s stressed or upset. “I don’t know how to—god, I’m just—I don’t know how to say this.”
“I’m an idiot. And I—I’m in love with you,” he blurts out, the words tumbling out in a rush, like they’ve been stuck in his throat for years and now that they’re coming out too fast to control. “I know it—god, I don’t know why I never said it before. I don’t know how to… to keep pretending I’m just your friend when every time you laugh, or make a stupid joke, or chew on your lip when you’re thinking… it kills me because you’re my best friend and I’m not supposed to love you. But I can’t stop it. I can’t. I’m just—fuck, I’m in love with you.”
What feels like millions of emotions and thoughts hit you all at once, each one slipping away before you can pull a coherent thought together. “Then why… why did you do that?” Confusion, hurt, doubt – each one digging its fingers into the little tiny seed of hope in your chest and throttling it before it can form. 
“Because I’m an idiot.” He stresses again, his fingers tightening on your wrist. Without even thinking, you step closer to him, as if your own body is betraying you. “Because I’m scared of fucking this up or of losing you and I can’t-” he rubs his palm over his face with his free hand, his expression scrunching up in frustration. “I didn’t know what it meant. I’d made that stupid joke about us kissing and… and when I realized what was happening I panicked.” The chocolate of his eyes is dimmed, glazed over now with unshed tears. “I was afraid that maybe it didn’t mean anything. And I couldn’t- I wouldn’t survive kissing you and it not meaning anything.”
“But it did!” You insist, finally breaking free from his grasp. “It meant everything.” You wrap your arms around yourself, the chilled breeze finally starting to get to you now that you’re standing still.
“I know. I knew it as soon as I saw your face after and I knew that I’d fucked it up. I knew I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life because it would have meant everything to me, too.” His hands drop defeatedly at his sides, shoulders hanging low – the perfect picture of a man heartbroken. “Let me make it right.” The words are more of a plea, his eyes so sad that you want to reach out and comfort him. “Tell me I can make it right.”
There’s a part of you that wants to keep hiding it forever, to keep burying it deep in your chest where it can’t hurt you. But the louder part of you is tired of waiting, tired of burying it, tired of being afraid. 
“I forgive you,” you take a step towards him, closing the gap that had felt like it stretched out for miles, “and I understand why. And I- I love you, too.”
Your eyes flutter closed as his lips find yours at last, his hands finding your hips and guiding you closer to him. You can feel the heat of his skin, the heavy rise and fall of his chest. You can taste the fruity punch from earlier on his tongue, coupled with the taste of him. And you want more of it – more of everything. You want to touch every inch of his skin in the way you’ve always wanted but never been allowed. 
He pulls away after what could have been minutes, hours… you can’t tell. All you can focus on is the feeling of him. “I will spend a lifetime making up for what I did to you tonight.” He murmurs, resting his forehead against yours. “I will spend a lifetime making sure that I never see that look on your face ever again – by my own actions or someone else’s.”
“A lifetime?” You ask, loving the feeling of the word on your tongue. A lifetime. A lifetime of him, said so simply – as if he cannot fathom any other ending after this. 
“Two lifetimes,” he continues, “three, even. As many as it takes.” His grin turns a little wicked. “Starting with tonight?” 
The sudden wave of desire that hits you almost makes you dizzy – you feel yourself nodding, you feel the heat rising from between your thighs and spreading throughout your body like a wildfire. Years of waiting, of wanting. And now you have him. “Take me home, Jake.” 
✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉
Your heart is pounding as the two of you tumble through the front door of Jake’s home, both sets of hands exploring each other as his tongue explores your mouth. The ride here is hazy, nothing but a blur as Jake kicks the front door shut behind you. You’ve been to his house plenty of times before so you pay it no mind as Jake starts leading you further into the house and towards the stairs, knowing that his bedroom lies waiting for the two of you upstairs. 
You both stumble at the top of the landing, nearly falling over and making you giggle. Jake grins, grabbing your hand and tugging you towards his room. He kicks that door shut, too – and then he’s on you once more, gently pushing you back to the wall. His body cages you in, the feel him pressed so closely making you feel weak in the knees. 
“Is this okay?” He asks lowly, his fingers delicately tracing your skin at the tops of your thighs, just barely dipping underneath your dress. Compared to the kiss the two of you just shared, it’s an innocent action, but it feels even more overwhelming because it’s him doing it. At your nod, Jake’s hands continue to explore, his rough fingertips moving higher up and hooking in the elastic band of your panties. “And this?” You nod again and he tugs them down your legs and you step out of them. “Tell me what you want.” Chocolate eyes, almost black, lock onto yours. 
“I want you.” You answer him, finding yourself just as breathless as a teenager during her first time. 
“As much as I’ve dreamt of hearing that,” he murmurs, “more specific.”
You feel your cheeks grow hot, the words that want to spill out seeming crude in such a delicate moment. But the unbridled want in his eyes makes you say them anyway. “I want you to fuck me.” 
He growls a little, a deep rumble in his chest, at that. His hands find your waist and he guides you away from the wall, gently pushing you to the bed. The edge of the mattress presses into the backs of your knees and he guides you to sit. 
“That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” He answers, sinking down to his knees on the floor in front of you. Deft fingers wrap around your ankle as he lifts your foot slightly and begins to undo the straps of your heels. “But I won’t be doing that tonight.” He lifts your other foot and you glance down at him in confusion. “There’s a million things I want to do to you,” he continues, both shoes now off and placed neatly by the nightstand. “Kiss you, taste you,” he rises, stepping between your parted thighs, “but I won’t be fucking you. I don’t want to do that to you tonight. Ask me what I want to do to you.” He demands softly. 
“What,” you can’t help but stare at him, your heart beating so fast you fear it may burst from your chest, “do you want to do to me?”
He grins like a kid in a candy store. “I want to make love to you.” He slips his fingers beneath the straps of your dress and slides them down off your shoulders. “Is that okay?” 
Lifting your hips as he helps you out of the dress, you nod. “More than okay.” Summoning every ounce of bravery you have, you reach out and slide his jacket off his shoulders. It falls to the ground alongside your dress. You grab his tie and haul him closer, crashing your lips to his. Frantically, you help him undo the buttons of his shirt, then his slacks, leaving both of you in nothing but his boxers.
“Let me look at you a minute.” He breaks the kiss and pushes you backwards onto the bed. You do your best attempt at scooching backwards in what you hope is a graceful, sexy way, but he pays it no mind. His eyes roam your skin, lingering on your bare breasts, then down to your exposed pussy. You want to cover yourself, to hide yourself away from his piercing gaze but he stops you from moving away with his palms settling on your knees. “Don’t do that,” he whispers, spreading your thighs further, “don’t hide from me. You’re perfect. Stunning.” 
Jake lowers himself between your legs, his arms hooking under your thighs and pulling you closer to him. His eyes lift to yours. “Let me taste you? Please?” He begs, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. 
It’s the “please” that gets you, slick dripping out of you even more. You nod your head. He presses a soft kiss to the inside of your thigh. Then the other side. Then a little higher. Hips squirming, you mutter his name. “Don’t tease.”
“I’m not teasing.” Another kiss, this one closer to where you want him, but still too far. “I’m taking my time. I want to remember every second.” 
Finally, his tongue laps against your aching clit and you cry out, one hand fisting in the sheets and the other reaching down to tangle in his hair. Jake moans against you, his eyes closing in concentration as he circles your clit, toying with you, seeing what movements make you squirm the most. His brows furrow as he dips lower, his tongue pressing just barely into your entrance before swiping back upwards to your clit. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever done before – he’s unlike anyone you’ve ever had before. He’s paying attention, finding what makes you tick and using it to coax the warmth in your lower belly to spread. 
You feel yourself arching upwards, grinding your soaked pussy against his mouth. He groans into your heat, two fingers now prodding at your entrance as his tongue never lets up. His fingers press in deeper, stretching you out as you climb higher and higher to a peak that you know you won’t return from. Cracking your eyes open, you peak down at him again, and you can barely stand the sight that awaits there. His eyes are still closed, his brows drawn together with determination. His mouth attached to your clit and his fingers hidden inside you, curling so deliciously. But what really gets you – the final nail in the coffin that sends you so deep into pleasure you fear you’ll never return, is the way his hips grind desperately into the mattress, as if the very act of bringing you pleasure has rendered him unable to wait for his own. 
“Jake, I’m gonna come.” You warn him, and he only nods his head in answer, his tongue working harder and his fingers faster at your broken warning. Your orgasm is a steady build, starting deep in your belly and working its way outwards, engulfing every nerve-ending with white hot pleasure. Distantly, you hear him moan as your thighs tighten around his face, as your walls clench around his fingers. 
Your body is trembling when he finally pulls away, his fingers then instantly being brought to his mouth. He sits up, his eyes closing again as he licks your release from them before they open again and find your dark gaze. He gives you a lazy grin, his chest and face flushed. “I knew you’d taste sweet.” He tells you, climbing his way upwards towards you to kiss you. You can taste yourself on him and you already want more of him. 
“I need you inside me.” You demand, your hands mapping out every inch of his skin that you can reach before hooking in the waistband of his boxers and tugging them down. 
Every inch of him is just as perfect as you’d imagined it to be. A perfect length and mouth-wateringly thick. His swollen head is flushed and glistening with precum. Slightly bashful, he leans down and kisses you again. 
You reach between your bodies and wrap your fingers around him. He draws back and whines, his body going tense as you work him a little, smearing his precum over his throbbing length. “Fuck, Y/n.” He mutters, placing his forearms on either side of you. After a few pumps, you guide him between your legs, lining him up with your entrance. He starts to press in slowly, his lips wrapping around your left nipple and sucking softly as he sheaths himself inside of you. Both of you cry out softly, your quiet, panting breaths mingling with the other’s. He fills you perfectly, the stretch so delicious you never want to be without him inside you again. “You feel…” He never finishes, instead moving over to suckle at your other breast. 
“Move, baby.” You beg and he instantly obeys you, drawing out from you and then pushing back in, his pace slow but pointed and powerful. Your hands grip his shoulders, sliding down to hold tightly at his biceps as he rocks into you. 
He pulls away from your tit to look down at you, his pupils so wide his eyes look black. The bed frame creaks with each powerful thrust of his hips. “I won’t last with you looking at me like that,” he murmurs, seizing his bottom lip between his teeth. 
“You feel so fucking good, baby.” You fight to keep your eyes from fluttering shut – you want to see his face, to see the way it contorts and twists in pleasure. 
“You feel even better.” He brings his thumb up to your lips, dragging it across your bottom lip before pressing into your mouth. You suckle at it, moaning around it. He moans too, then pulls the digit from between your lips and drops his hand to rub your swollen clit in time with his thrusts. “Need you to come first, angel. Wanna feel you squeeze around my cock.” 
You can feel your second orgasm building, your body starting to tremble as he starts to move faster, his cock twitching inside of you as you both near the edge. His lips part, desperate little groans filling the air between you as he fights back his own release. “Please, baby.” He urges, and that’s all it takes. The band inside your belly finally snaps, your vision going white around the edges as your orgasm rocks through you. He thrusts into you frantically, working you through your release before pulling out of you, ropes of hot cum painting your lower belly as he finishes. 
Both of you are left panting, the meaning of what just happened and the weight of what’s been confessed tonight settling over the two of you like a weighted blanket. 
“I love you,” Jake offers, pressing his lips to yours for another kiss, “and I’ll keep kissing you as many times a day as you’ll let me to make up for the one I didn’t give you at midnight.” 
You can’t help but grin up at him, already knowing that no one could ever hold a candle to the man who’s gazing down at you with nothing but reverence in his eyes. “I love you, too.” 
✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉
Fin
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nekropsii · 1 year ago
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Hello, pardon and I don’t want to be a bother but I would like to ask for your take on something. And if you’re not down to answer this question, that’s completely fine, you seem to make large opinion posts on a noteworthy basis so I understand if you don’t have the energy or motivation to give an opinion right now.
But I wanted to ask for your take on the ethics of enjoying Homestuck in the modern day. Many people such as myself and seemingly you as well enjoy Homestuck but are painfully aware of all the gross stuff in it. And as I see the comic pop up in more and more dni lists, with people claiming that enjoyers of Homestuck are supporting these things inherently, no matter the fact that most of us stand against Hussie and attempt to reclaim Homestuck as something to express joy and our identities in, it makes me wonder more and more the ethics of enjoying Homestuck. Since you seem to have thoughts on the matter, I was wondering if you’d like to share your take.
I once again want to stress though, absolutely no pressure to answer. I am not entitled to your time or hearing your opinion. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. I was just asking in case you wanted to speak about it.
Hi, Anon! This is a very interesting question, and you were right to assume I have thoughts on it. They might not be as long and complicated as some of my other essays, but they still exist, and I would quite like to share them. Thank you for the opportunity.
My opinion on The Ethics of Enjoying Homestuck is that I believe it's perfectly fine to do so. I also think it's perfectly fine to dislike, or hate, or not want to associate with it or any fans of it. This is a personal boundary set by and for the individual, and it's not my business to question, nor my place to cross it. However, I don't really agree with the way some people go about communicating or enforcing this boundary. I've seen some people put Homestuck and Harry Potter on the same level before. I've seen some say that enjoyment of either piece of fiction is, at least in part, comparable. I heavily disagree with this- and the fact that this is a point that comes up shows to me that there's quite a few people who don't actually fully understand why so many people are saying to stop supporting Harry Potter.
The conflation of the two things reads to me as if some believe that Harry Potter has been "cancelled for having a problematic creator"- and that's not wholly true. Yes, J.K. Rowling is, by definition, problematic, and she is the creator of the Harry Potter franchise, but people have drawn such a hard line against supporting the series not just because J.K. Rowling is Transphobic, but because she has honest to god legislative power. She is, as it stands, currently the backbone of the TERF movement, and is spending a lot of time and money to ensure that Transphobes dominate the government. Monetary support of Harry Potter pools into her funds, which adds to her ability to further Trans Genocide. Communal/Fandom support of Harry Potter increases her visibility as a public figure, which adds to her ability to further Trans Genocide. J.K. Rowling has made very clear statements saying that she takes any support of the Harry Potter franchise- any at all, including Queer/LGBT+ Friendly fan content- as support of her beliefs. Support of Harry Potter is a method of legitimizing and validating Transphobia, and is being used as a way to further Trans Genocide.
If J.K. Rowling was just an average Transphobe, the outcry would not be nearly as severe, and the line wouldn't be nearly as clear cut. It would just be disappointing, bring to mind the phrase "same shit as always", and many would make the personal choice to distance themselves from it. But that's not the reality we live in. We live in the reality where J.K. Rowling has sway on the government, and is getting real people hurt and killed.
Andrew Hussie, creator of Homestuck, however, is just some random asshole with no political power outside of his own vote. Yes, Homestuck is filled with plenty of unsavory elements- random out-of-place interjections of Hussie's own past bigotry included- but at the end of the day, Homestuck has no influence over government action. Hussie has no tangible political influence, and does not want to have tangible political influence. We don't even have evidence that Hussie still holds the same beliefs as he did during and prior to the creation of Homestuck. This is just some random indie comic, made by some random guy in 2009. J.K. Rowling is dangerously close to billionaire status, and using that power for evil.
It's fine to like something that's not very morally clean- or something made by a not very morally clean artist, during a not very morally clean point in time in a not very morally clean place in this world. It's okay. The fixation some have on this is OCD-inducing. The best that can be asked is that one recognizes the bigotry, and doesn't perpetuate them. That's all. You can read, watch, play, and enjoy just about anything, as long as you don't make the more unsavory elements out to be a good thing. Don't start acting like Racism is awesome, or Antisemitism is cool, or Transphobia is based, et cetera, and you'll be totally fine.
The ability to find value in something impure or unsavory is a valuable one. Some may not want to associate with that, or find the particular flaw in the work in question to be too uncomfortable to stomach, and that's fine, too. Not everyone can just sit through Era-Appropriate Casual Homophobia or Racism and come out feeling fine enough to keep going. I'd argue- hope, even- that most feel at least a bit bothered by such things. It's all about personal tolerance levels. No one's committing a moral crime by either enjoying it or not wanting to even look at it.
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bountycancelled · 1 year ago
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LOST CAUSE
bada x reader (part 1)
MASTERLIST | NEXT
warnings: none really, it's just kinda sad
content: petnames (only one is used in reference to reader, but a few are mentioned) alcohol mentions (reader drinks away her feels) sad gays and bad gays, unedited becusse I'm lazy, a whole lotta projecting myself onto reader
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being bada's best friend would be the death of you, you were calling it right now.
she wasn't a bad friend by any means, quite the opposite actually. from the late night talks that would last until the early mornings before you both passed out, the tiny, sentimental gifts she would randomly get for you without expecting anything in return, to the way she would hold you, god, she was perfect. you loved everything about her.
but, that was the problem, wasn't it? you loved her. and a part of you wants to blame her for making it so easy, falling for her, but you know that would be unfair. not only because she wasn't leading you on or anything, but also because she couldn't do any wrong in your eyes.
everytime your heart fluttered at one of her actions, it would sink just as quickly. she's doing this as a friend, you would always remind yourself. but your not so friendly reminders didn't stop you from hoping. for something more, that one day, miracously, bada would realise that she was in lo–
"what's got you so worried?" you were pulled out of your daily dose of dramatic reality checking by none other than bada. her head was in your lap, she stared up at you with a look that you could only describe as... content. comfortable. and so, so beautiful.
"huh?" you answered, having not heard her clearly, too busy being in your head instead of in the real world, where unfortunately, you belonged.
she raised her arm and pressed on the space between your eyebrows, a small pout on her face. "you're frowning. what's wrong, pretty?"
the nicknames. the fucking. nicknames.
pretty, gorgeous, baby, love, honey. it was things like that made you believe, even if just for a moment, that she knew that you liked her, loved her, and was just toying with you for enjoyment.
you'd feel guilty everytime you had that thought. she wouldn't. not to you, not to anyone, not ever.
"it's nothing, really. I'm just in a mood today." you shrugged, hoping that she would, for your sake, take your half-hearted explanation and leave it there.
she nodded, clearly unconvinced, but moved one nonetheless. "do you still wanna go to the club tonight? we can cancel and spend the night together instead." she offered, lifting her head off of your lap in favour of placing it on your shoulder, waiting for your answer.
"no, we can still go, we'll just come back here together. we've blown off our friends enough times, I'm starting to feel bad." you joked, and once again, the atmosphere was light and airy. with that settled, you both stood up, trying to find something to wear for the nights activities.
you walked into her closet, sprinkled with tops and skirts from your own, almost laughing at the absurdity of the situation. for someone who claimed that being around bada was painful, your personal stamp on her home sure made it hard to believe.
"how's this?" you said for what felt like the 29th time to bada (it was only the third) as you spun around for her, showing off one of your options for the night.
she sat at the edge of the bed, ready to go about 20 minutes before you, as she usually was. her head was tilted back, staring at the ceiling as she waited patiently for you to finally choose something to wear.
you tried not to stare at her neck, which she made easier for you by finally looking at you, tilting her head to the side as she inspected your outfit.
"I was gonna say its looks as good as the other two because you look amazing in anything and everything, but... I like this one. a lot."
the way she looked at you when she said that, with her bottom lip between her teeth, stayed with you as you walked to the club together, hand in hand. did she really have no idea how much she affected you? you weren't sure if you hoped that she didn't, or did.
but you weren't going to think of that tonight. you were going to drink, and dance, and hang out with your friends, and not let bada affect you. if only for just one night.
okay, maybe you had had one too many drinks by now, but you weren't drunk just yet. it was still the normal you, just with a few tweaks. a little less shame here, a little more confidence here, nothing too major.
you were half in minah's lap and half in tatters, singing obnoxiously, almost as loud as the song blasting from the speakers. you weren't even thinking of bada... wait, where the hell was bada?
you squinted your eyes as they darted across the dance floor, hopelessly trying to locate her in the dim lighting of the club. but you didn't have to look for long, because she was headed back to your table, a smile painted on her face.
you stood up, suprisingly not stumbling as you walked up to her, wrapping your arms around her shoulders. "where were you?" you shouted over the music, wearing a curious expression.
she bit her lip excitedly before speaking into your ear, sending involuntary shivers down your spine. damn you and your natural charm, bada.
"I met a girl." you didn't mean for your face to drop in the way that it did, but from the looks of it, bada didn't even notice. if she did, then she didn't mention it.
"she actually wants to come over to my place..." bada trailed off, sending you a pleading look, a certain lust-driven glee shining in her eyes.
"oh." you said flatly before you could stop yourself, moving your arms away from her and crossing them over your chest.
she quickly wrapped her arms around your middle, squeezing while pleading her case in an effort to soften the blow. it doesn't help, not one bit.
"I know we were supposed to have a binging marathon, but please baby? just this once? I'll make it up to you real good, you know I always do." 'because I always let you.' you wanted to add, but you bit your tongue, you weren't feining for a fight with bada right about now.
you sigh, your arms hanging limply by your sides. "okay. I'll just crash at lushers'." you fight the urge to gag as she squeals in excitement, at the prospect of spending the night with someone who isn't you.
she gave you a curious look, most likely sensing your jealousy apprehension, her arms still around you, feeling more suffocating than comforting at that moment.
"...are you sure?" no. I'm not, don't go with her.
you nodded furiously, removing her arms from your frame, and turning her around, pushing her toward the dance floor where she had left her pursuit for the night. "go, she'll think you're blowing her off if you keep talking to me."
"are you actually, super, one hundred percent certain that I can go with her?" she pushed you further, and you knew that she knew that you weren't really all that okay with it.
but what was the point? you could easily sway her into sticking to the original plan, but she would've spent the whole night daydreaming about what could've been with the mysterious girl at the club. you didn't want to deal with that. you were tired of feeling like a second choice.
you wanted her to choose you, because she wanted to choose you. not because you asked her to.
'no, I'm not sure. I don't want you to go with her. I want you to choose me for once. choose me.' you screamed in your own mind, but all that could be seen on the outside was you smiling the best you could at bada, nodding once more before walking back to where the rest of your group sat, downing the drink in front of you.
you didn't know if it was even yours, but it didn't matter to you right now.
minah noticed your sudden change in mood, holding your hand in hers in a silent attempt to comfort you. you squeezed it as means of expressing gratitude, you didn't wanna talk about it.
but, you didn't need to. she knew, and if the downright pitiful looks the rest of the group were throwing your way were anything to go by, it seemed that everyone else knew too.
you wanted to leave, so you left. lusher had no problem going home early with you, she could tell that you weren't in a good headspace. you left with lushers arms around you, half to make sure that you didn't stumble, and half to try to make you feel a little better.
you left with a bitter taste in your mouth, and not from the shitty drinks you were downing.
you left without saying goodbye to bada, which you never did. she waved when she saw you by the door, that big smile still evident even in the dark lighting.
you didn't wave back.
a/n: this wasn't planned, and I wrote it in a day, but I hope you guys like it. also, doing a bada series and and a bada smau at the same time isn't my brightest idea, but fuck it, we ball.
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sanarsi · 2 months ago
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sanarsi’s 2024 favs
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I wanted to say at the beginning that this year was an incredible metamorphosis for me, full of happiness and tears but there were definitely more good moments! I’ve been here for less than half a year and honestly? I’ve fallen in love with this fandom. You’re wonderful, I haven’t met such nice people on the internet in a long time who offer so much support. I can’t even describe how grateful I am for the interactions with you and I hope for even more next year!
Someone told me that I should start appreciating my work so that’s what I’m going to do so thank you @iamasaddie @evolnoomym and @gothcsz for the tags. Love you so much!
Adventure here is a great way to spend my free time, and I hope that with time I will be better at this little hobby of mine to give you even more stories that will be more and more emotional and hot! I don’t have many works and they are all fanfics so I’ll try to choose just a few :)
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One Shots
Euphoria with prof Joelllll love that protective man
Okay so actually I really like this shot, I spent some time on it and surprisingly I wrote it faster than much shorter ones. It didn’t have any corrections like most of my works, so it has some mistakes, but I’m determined to improve all of them. I like this vibe and the fact that it’s long enough to get lost in it.
Sweet treat DDDNE obsessed Joel? gimme
Over time I discovered that I was really into that dark topics??? idk but I really enjoyed writing this sick side of my lovely man. I want him to be as fucked up as possible hihi
Cheri Cheri Lady love step daddy vibes with Reed
Something about this man awakens the wild animal in me. I love him and the fact that he will be a wonderful exemplary man only to do all the nasty things with us later. Ughhh gimme that man right now.
Flying days and nights angst with my sweet boy Dieter
This one was wonderful and I discovered that I really like writing angst. I like to come back to it sometimes to give myself some hope in shitty moments. It’s just so neutral but pleasant to read. Really like this one!
Controversially young girlfriend tlou old Joel? don’t need anything else
This has become a classic in some way? One of my first works that gained huge reach which delights me. I fell in love with him and that’s exactly how I’d want him — not caring about the opinions of others and loving me more than life itself, gentle and tender.
Goddess with hubby Oberyn ahhh
That’s exactly how I imagine his love. I love these sweet and emotional shots because sometimes I need a shot of tenderness especially from a man like him.
Hunter/Prey and my faveee dark Dinnnn
I remember that I really liked this shot but it’s probably because I have a soft spot for this masked man. Not to say anything but…. I would do anything for him. Like— ANYTHING.
And I think that’s it? I would like to give more but in other works I know I could give more and I will because I really like most of the ideas I came up with and I know that they just need a little more attention to refine them so that they can come back to you better.
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Lovely Moots
I would like to tag everyone, unfortunately tumblr won’t let me but know that I love and appreciate you all. I’ve chosen a few people who have really made my time on this app more enjoyable and I want you to know that I love interacting with you and reading your works. I’ve never seen so many talented people. Yall deserves everything and even more 🫶🏼
@evispunk @pedgito @punkshort @iamasaddie @aurorawritestoescape @laligraves @ace-turned-confused @studioghibelli @xdaddysprincessxx @21stcenturywitchcraft @gothcsz @itsokbbygrl @alwaysmicado @almostempty @syd-djarin @pattwtf @amyispxnk @joelmillerisapunk @joelssluttyknee @mrs-hardy-hunnam-butler-pascal @604to647 @slimybeth69 @eloquentlytired @evolnoomym @toomanystoriessolittletime @penascigarette @mermaidgirl30 @punkygreeny
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teaboot · 1 year ago
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Your post about art vs content got me thinking about the differences between the two. To me there is no difference besides the mindsets. One is of creator and the enjoyer, the other is content and consumer it removes the personhood, the joy/emotion, from the equation. Like a writer or video creator may not see their work as art so content creator maybe a way to refer to themselves comfortably but it sounds so machine, emotionless and lifeless, like a cookie cutter recipe mass producing something verses people lovingly crafting something...then again Disney uses a cookie cutter recipe for the most part and it brings out bangers cause people lovingly make it their own so maybe I'm thinking too hard on this
Does my long-winded rant make sense?
see, I get what you mean, but I still feel like the willingness to entertain calling art of any kind "content" reduces it to the facet of consumption where in reality, the experience of consuming art is not the sole defining trait of it.
Reducing arts like music, writing, painting, dance, voice acting, theater, etc. to the role of "content"- a thing created to be consumed, measured and valued by how pleasant or easy it is to digest- I feel that it was our biggest red flag to herald the incoming tide of AI "art".
Because if art is "content", if arts are nothing but consumable matter, then obviously the key to success is to produce as much soft, tasty, edible paste as we possibly can at the lowest possible expense.
It's the same issue I have with "meal replacements", diet culture, nutrient slurries, twenty-step skincare routines, 24/7 body padding and shapewear and laxative teas and "grind culture". It's not a cause, but a symptom, of the disease that is late-stage capitalism.
Things must be produced at low cost and remain in high demand forever. Things must be perfect and palatable and the new hit trend forever. People must pay hand over fist to consume without asking anything in return, and if they start dropping like flies at the unending unrewarded thankless demand of it all, then that must be treated as a weakness. We should all take pride in how much we can spend, pay, give, produce, and think as little as possible about what we ask for ourselves.
So, who cares if, of two identical paintings, one was made by a person and one was made by a computer program? It's the same work, so what does it matter? What does it matter?
I am an artist. I make art. I ask a question, make a statement, declare something horrific or challenging or upsetting or wrong or grotesque, and when you respond, we are together experiencing a conversation. We are existing, two people living one life and reaching out and touching across time and space. No matter the work, you're at the barest minimum saying, "I'm alive, and you're alive, and at one time or another we shared this same world, and at the end of the day we aren't too terribly different. My heart is worth sharing, and your heart is worth the struggle of understanding."
An AI-generated piece, a computer-generated voice, a CGI puppet of someone long since dead and gone, they cannot speak. They have no voice. Ay best, they are the most chewable, consumable, landlord-beige common denominator possible that you can sit and listen to like the lone survivor of a shipwreck listening to the same three songs on a broken record, and at worst, they're the uncaring vomit of an empty, unloving, value-addled hack wearing the skin of someone I know over their own.
When you abandon art to say that you make content, that should not be a point of pride. That's an embarrassment. That's not sitting down for an intelligent discussion with an equal, that's kneeling at the feet of the crowd and saying, "what do you want to see me do? I can be anyone you've ever loved. I can be them, I can be anyone, as long as you love me."
I can make content. I can be consumed. What do you want to consume? I'll make myself consumable. I'll make myself just like anything you like. And I'll make so much of it that you'll never have to go anywhere else, because it'll all be right here, and under all the cut-and-paste schlock you've seen before I will sit alone in the dark and the silence and I will know that I am safe, because I am valued, because I am desired, and I need to be desired or else I am worthless like a factory that no longer churns out steel or a hen that no longer lays eggs or a cow that is too old to make milk.
Content, the most literal meaning, is something which is contained inside a container. What it is doesn't really matter, and the best it can hope to be is something worthy of being scooped out and used.
Art is an experience that transcends value. Art is something you can eat without paying for. You can make it out of anything and anyone can do it. It can be crude and vulgar and bad, and that's a strength because it means something. It always, always means something, and it doesn't matter if you like it or not. It's not content because it doesn't fill anything. It's a living, breathing thing, and whether you want to birth it or eat it, then you're going to have to be willing to put the fucking work in
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yenonnoff · 10 months ago
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TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE! 21. cat chase
note: continuation will be on chapter 22 (word count: 3.9k)
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“are you sure about this?”
the train station had been completely silent. there wasn’t a single soul in sight until two figures stepped into the deserted space.
“do you honestly expect me to spend the next three hours by myself completely bored out of my mind? not happening.”
the sound of shoes against concrete came to a stop and you shifted to face atsumu. “what about the rumor?” atsumu’s shoulders tensed, his expression unreadable. you let another silent minute pass before turning away. “nevermind.” even now, he still didn’t want to tell you about emma.
the two of you continued towards the platform, halting a couple feet away from the yellow line. there really was no one around, it was just you and atsumu. but what did you expect when you were heading to a small town three hours away from tokyo? it was the morning of a weekday, too.
you didn’t notice atsumu inching closer; you didn’t notice the way his gaze was glued to you.
he faked a cough. “i forgot to tell you earlier, but you look nice today.”
you’ve been around him for so long that you’re not shocked by the randomness of the compliment. was it even a compliment? for all you know, it could be a distasteful lie or an attempt to bait you into doing something absurd. he has a knack for dragging people into his antics unfortunately.
“thank you,” you responded, catching the satisfaction in his eyes. he must’ve been waiting for you to return the compliment because he placed an eager hand on his hip, a smirk adorning his features. “what are you doing?”
“waiting for my highly anticipated compliment.”
“so the great actor atsumu miya needs validation too, huh?”
he smiled, “all i heard was ‘great actor.’”
you looked him up and down. he went casual as always but it was frustrating to see how much it suited him. a basic white tee hung loose against his chest and he carried a small backpack. his signature denim cap was nestled on top of his head, strands of blond poking out from the side. “you look…presentable.”
if you weren’t so occupied with his appearance, you would’ve caught the corner of his lip twitching, a faint blush dancing across his cheeks. your gaze was ticklish against his skin.
ducking his head, atsumu rubbed the back of his neck. he was covering a laugh, muttering under his breath, “‘presentable’?”
the train allowed him a couple minutes to recover before gliding up to the station. you saw atsumu tilting his head towards the opening entrance. “you first,” was all he said.
“if you’re letting me go first, that means i’m taking the window seat.”
atsumu winked, “that was the plan.”
“how amicable,” you mused, grinning. for a moment, you had thought he was the type to fight with you over the treasured spot. good thing he wasn’t, it made the trip much more enjoyable for you.
stepping into the train, you immediately looked for your seats. you paused at a row, preparing to scooch inside when atsumu’s palm landed on your elbow. he gently redirected you farther down the aisle, saying something along the lines of, “people don’t usually use that word to describe me.” it was either that or a comment on how silly you were for mistaking your seats. you weren’t sure which one it was. he was making you feel ticklish.
afterwards, you wasted no time getting into your seat by the large window. atsumu slipped into the seat to your right, hanging his backpack on the seat in front of him. he stretched while the announcement declared the destination and safety policies. when the train began to pick up speed, atsumu leaned backwards with a lazy expression. “looks like you’re stuck with me for three hours.”
you repositioned in your seat until you were comfortable. you replied, “then let’s make sure to get along during that time.”
he inclined his head towards you, a mischievous smile dancing on his features. “obviously. but how will i know you won’t take incriminating pictures of me while i sleep?”
“please,” you scoffed. “like i would want pictures of you to fill my camera roll.”
“people kill to take my pictures!”
you felt yourself loosen up. this interaction—chit-chatting about irrelevant things—made you think of your friends. you were reminded of the comforting feeling you felt when you were with them at the cafe. the endless stream of inane conversations, their faces full of sweet mirth. you found it ridiculous how much things have changed. you would’ve never imagined the day when you’d be able to talk so casually with atsumu miya. you had hated him only a couple weeks ago.
“thank you, atsumu, for agreeing to come.” it might’ve came out of nowhere, but you meant it. you don’t remember how long you contemplated your choices last night; you only remember wanting to take him to your hometown. it was the most grueling decision ever: a three hour trip to your favorite place on earth or heading somewhere closer and more practical.
but you were on a mission. the latter option wouldn’t have held a candle to where atsumu had brought you. it was hard to beat a hidden gem, aka a rundown record store (that magically has every album in the world) right next to a beautiful beach.
you just know he’ll be amazed when he sees the place that raised you. it was a small town but notable for being bathed in tranquility. everywhere you look there'll be luscious greenery. random flowering hedges decorated the neighborhood, painting the area in vibrant shades. in the spring there would be colorful peonies; in the fall hydrangeas would take over. if you visited during sakura season, you could go sightseeing. if you were lucky enough, the residents would host a (typically unplanned) local festival for the children to enjoy.
it’s been a while since you last visited. this would be the perfect opportunity for the both of you—the only problem was getting atsumu to agree.
you fidgeted. “i know it’s far away but it’s worth it, i promise.”
atsumu shot you a confused look. “if i didn’t want to come, i would’ve told you last night, silly.” a typical atsumu answer. you should’ve known better than to worry, it was just who he was. atsumu doesn’t do things half-heartedly. if he decides to do something, it’s because he wants to. and he’ll see his decision through to the end.
“good,” you exhaled. “i even messaged you late at night to improve my chances.” he quirked a brow and you explained, “people are more easily persuaded during nighttime.” the truth burned your cheeks. it was even more embarrassing since he was sitting only a couple inches away from you.
atsumu blinked until the realization dawned on him. “when they’re tired, am i right?” he added with a laugh. “you’re scary.”
“that’s a good thing,” you sighed with relief. “if it’s coming from you, it’s a compliment.”
“whatever you say,” he cooed and rested his head against his seat.
for a moment, you don’t say anything. you were no stranger to atsumu and his confusing actions, but recently it’s become intensified. you noticed it during the first day of filming: his gazes were longer and more purposeful, even his way of talking was strange. whether it was to you or about you, there was always a soothing, melodic ring to his voice.
you hadn’t noticed it until jolie pointed it out. actually, it seemed the entire cast of that summer knew except you. jolie, sugawara, and akane exploded when they realized. semi was just there, too busy going through the script to care or engage.
the three would nudge one another with cheeky smiles, and at a certain point, you were sure they were sending secret messages through their indiscernible gazes. their behaviors didn’t bother you though. you didn’t even stop to ponder what caused the change in your co-star. you were just happy they were having fun.
atsumu rested his chin between his index finger and thumb. he said, “i’ll keep your scary technique in mind. maybe i’ll use it on ‘samu.” when silence took over, leaving nothing but the roaring of train tracks, he went on to explain, “‘samu’s my twin brother.”
your eyes widened drastically. this was your first time hearing about this. even if you remember atsumu vaguely from your volleyball manager days, his teammates were blurry faces in your memory. was “‘samu” on the same team as him? now you were curious.
“is he staying in tokyo?”
“yeah, he lives there with his onigiri restaurant by the studio.”
your hands clapped together in excitement. “that’s amazing! i should stop by sometimes. my friends are big foodies.”
“you’re giving me that look,” he grimaced. “now i have to give you the location.”
“you really are amicable,” you smiled. he groaned briefly, saying, “don’t tease.”
“do you get along well with him?”
atsumu’s grumbling was replaced with a noise of amusement. “not at all. we’re not cut from the same fabric or anything like that.”
“cloth,” you corrected.
“same thing! he gets on my nerves.”
you had a feeling he was lying and you wondered how close they actually were; after all, how nice is it that your twin brother’s restaurant is near your studio?
“that’s nice, i don’t have any siblings to fight with,” you daydreamed.
“i assure you, having one isn’t fun.”
“must be hard being identical twins. what’s he like?”
atsumu huffed with tight arms crossed over his chest. “average. the only thing saving him is that he has my face.”
“don’t be rude. he has an onigiri restaurant.”
atsumu took off his denim cap to ruffle his hair. he mumbled, “why are you so interested in him anyway?”
“i’m just curious,” you laughed. this was really getting to him. “i am an only child after all.”
the two of you didn’t continue the conversation after that. atsumu’s head was turned away from you, potentially lost in the music blaring from his earbuds. you opted to look at the passing landscape instead. small grassy hills zoomed by and sometimes you even saw nearby towns in the distance.
you busied yourself with that until you couldn’t anymore. the silence was excruciating. you would fall asleep if only your adenosine receptors were working. it’s only been an hour into the ride and you were bored out of your mind.
truth be told, there was a thought that’s been bothering you ever since the first day of filming. if you were going to say something to quell your discomfort, it might as well be this.
“atsumu, i have a question.” he turned in an instant, plucking out his earbuds to hear you properly. “the staff members—do you get along with them?”
his questioning gaze pierced through you until he dipped his head in contemplation. “i don’t go out of my way to talk to them unless i have to if that’s what you’re asking. why? are you not getting along with them?”
you shook your head. “actually, it’s the other way around. they were… saying stuff about you, atsumu.”
honestly, you hadn’t meant to be there. you were only passing by when you overheard a group of people talking rather loudly. you were already walking away until you heard what the topic of the conversation was about.
it started with simple gossip. some talked about how it’s been over a year since atsumu last worked on a project; others mentioned his past relationship with his ex. then it suddenly became disturbing to listen to them. left and right you heard people asperse your co-star for his overbearing attitude.
cocky, pretentious, surly—you could go on forever. standing there, a part of you agreed with them. atsumu miya was an incredibly irascible and blunt person; he was wickedly cruel, but that didn’t mean he deserved to be berated so casually by those who worked with him. it was one thing to have opinions, but another to be unprofessional about it.
he’s cocky, yes, but that wasn’t all there was to him. how could they sum him up in just one word? it was ridiculous to you.
“and?” atsumu said in a low voice. “screw them, let them say what they want to say.”
“you’re not bothered? the staffs—”
his eyes were narrowed now, and he leaned in to say, “i couldn’t care less about what they say about me. you should know that it’s different in this industry, y/n. people only believe what they want to believe; they only listen to what they want to hear.”
your lips thinned in frustration. you were completely speechless. atsumu tilted away from you slowly, dragging a tensed hand across his face. you barely caught his next words: “but that doesn’t mean i want you to hear them.”
your brows knitted together. “what do you mean?”
“you know exactly what i mean.”
“no, i don’t,” you pressed, leaning slightly over the armrest that separated the two of you.
you watched as he opened his backpack, pulling out a gray jacket. “i’m tired, y/n. wake me up when we get there.” when you opened your mouth to complain, he threw the jacket towards you.
“sleep.” he pointed to the jacket on your lap with a scowl. “use that if you get cold. night.”
you watched as he turned in his seat, getting situated to fall asleep. you stared at him in disbelief, there was no way you were going to sleep now.
“what happened to you?” atsumu chuckled from behind. you ignored him, stepping off the train and onto the ground. you didn’t get a wink of sleep on the ride, and it was equally frustrating how your co-star could tell.
you started walking to the right while eyeing the time on your phone. atsumu caught up quickly, his long strides irking you. “so, where are we heading first?”
you closed your phone and peered up at him. “should we go eat?”
“sure. you’re in charge today after all.”
“then i’ll lead us there. i’ll pay for the meal too.”
his hand shot up instantly. “i’m paying. don’t fight it, y/n, i insist.”
“then you’re paying for the snacks too,” you grinned.
“so this was your plan the whole time…” he said. what could you say? you were an opportunist.
as the two of you continued on, you were flooded with nostalgic memories. your hometown was surrounded by earthy hills and fields of grass that stretched for miles on end. you’d spent most of your childish summers running through those green fields. sometimes you’d get scolded by nearby farmers for your recklessness, then get invited to their wooden engawa where they spoiled you with fresh cut up fruit. (it was a small price to pay.)
speaking of farmers, you waved to a group of them in the fields. they all looked up from their sun hats and said in excitement, “if it isn’t our little y/n!”
atsumu inclined his head to catch your flustered expression, a smile tugging at his lips.
“they all knew me when i was little,” you explained. “they helped watch me when my parents were busy.”
he hummed. “this place is pretty small. i’m not surprised they’re all familiar with one another.”
a soft chuckle. “you’re right about that. you could say the whole town was there to witness my first everything.”
you don’t notice his gaze softening. “you grew up well, y/n.”
when the two of you headed farther into town, you stopped by a local restaurant. everyone greeted you with warm smiles, chanting, “welcome back,” or “it’s y/n!” in excitement. even the owner stepped out to give you a big hug. (poor atsumu felt left out.)
once you actually got to sit down and look at the menu, you realized you never asked for atsumu’s preferences. you just hoped he wasn’t too picky. despite the numerous times you’ve come with your friends, you still take forever to decide on your meal. it seems you’re not alone in this: atsumu shares the same level of indecisiveness as you.
after eating, atsumu paid and you reluctantly left the restaurant. you strolled down the neighborhood with him by your side, passing small family-owned businesses that lined both sides of the streets. growing up in a small town meant that distinguishing between houses and shops was hard. families tended to use the first floor of their home as stores due to convenience. you knew because your family ran a convenience store below your second floor.
when you pointed this out to atsumu, he bursted out laughing. “you really did grow up well. you were living the life that every child wanted, you know that?”
you shrugged. “sure my parents let me eat whatever i wanted from the store, but they took that privilege away after seeing me experiment with the food.” growing up this way was probably the trigger for your fondness towards food.
“like what?” he asked. you counted on your fingers, “vanilla ice cream in ramen, chips dipped in chocolate—make sure it’s sea salt! then—“
“okay, okay. i get the point.” his face twisted in disgust. “are we gonna visit your parents’ shop then?”
your smile froze and you lowered your gaze to the ground, “my parents aren’t—”
suddenly you heard an abrupt shout. the two of you turned around frantically in the direction of the voice. you watched as two kittens skidded by, they ran through the alley in lightning quick steps and you stared with your mouth hung open. atsumu tapped on your shoulder to redirect your attention: a middle-aged woman was running out from a nearby store with a distraught expression.
she ran until she came to a stop right in front of you. resting her hands on her knees, she gasped exhaustedly for air. you and atsumu glanced at one another. when the woman looked up, familiarity struck you.
“aunt april!” your hand came to cover your mouth. it’s been over a year since you last came to visit, and you blamed it on your hectic schedule. filming your last project, vengeance, had turned you into a workaholic zombie.
however, the woman in front of you hasn’t changed one bit. curly gray hair still sat neatly on top of her head—styled just the way you remembered—and she was still wearing the dainty earrings you gifted her years ago.
the store she came running out from was her store.
you saw her eyes widened, excitement and relief swirling in them. “y/n! you’re back, how long has it been?” she glanced to your left, a grin overtaking her features. “let me guess, this is… that kuroo guy, isn’t it? it’s hard to see with his cap in the way,” she mumbled.
you and atsumu shared another glance. april went on, leaning from side to side to capture all his angles. “can’t be the orange haired guy—this one’s too tall. can’t be kenma either, he’s always slouching.”
you moved slowly to place yourself in between her and atsumu; if you didn’t stop her, she would’ve gone on forever. you laughed nervously, “no, auntie, none of my friends are with me today.”
you saw her face tip in disappointment. it was an annual routine for you and the group: visiting your hometown every fall to watch the hydrangeas bloom and have picnics in the fields. everytime you came, they did well to familiarize themselves with all the residents. now they have a hopelessly loving connection to your hometown, and the residents look forward to seeing them visit again every year.
“then…” april sidestepped you to scrutinize atsumu again. you saw him straighten his back, his signature charming smile present. “is he your boyfriend?”
you didn’t get a chance to speak. “you never told me you had one! well you haven’t been in a relationship since sato. did i tell you he came to visit last spring? poor guy was hoping he’d see you again.”
“auntie, wait!” the woman turned at your sudden hastiness. “the kittens—you were chasing them, right?”
“the kittens!” horror washed over her face and she staggered backwards. atsumu reached out to place a steady hand on her shoulder. “they sprinted away when i wasn’t looking. those rascals…”
atsumu tilted his head towards you, whispering, “we wasted a lot of time already, they might not be around anymore.”
you stared at april anxiously, weighing your options. you didn’t know what was going on, but you were confident the kittens were important to her. plus, you haven’t seen her in a year, how could you turn a blind eye to the woman that basically raised you? plus… the kittens could get extremely hurt!
“i’ll help find them,” you said. atsumu’s stare burned through you and you sent him an apologetic glance. april tried to shut you down, forcing a smile on her wrinkly complexion. you reassured her, “please, i want to help.”
“you can’t! you’re on a trip.” insistent hands were placed on both sides of her hips and she furrowed her gray eyebrows. you knew this stance: she wasn't going to be easily convinced.
“auntie, you have a store to manage. you shouldn’t be running in the heat,” you said.
“your uncle is covering for me,” she huffed. you reached out to place both hands on her shoulders, ushering her back to the store. you said hastily, “uncle! that’s right! you have to tell uncle that i’m here—he’ll be so excited to see me again. you know how he gets when he thinks he’s being left out.”
her brows pinched together. “you have a point… alright then, but don’t overdo it, alright?”
you nodded quickly, watching as she headed back inside. though she didn’t leave completely, not until she was able to give you a plastic bag filled with cat treats.
when you were finally alone with atsumu, you stood there with guilt swallowing you. “i’m sorry, atsumu, you don’t have to help. you should wait inside the store, or if that’s too uncomfortable, there’s a bench at the fro—“
his heavy sigh cut you off. “you are so rash, you know that? i said you were in charge today, so if you want to go find some kittens, then obviously i’ll help too. it’ll be quicker with two people anyway.”
“wow,” you clasped your hands together in awe. “you really are amicable.”
“stop saying that,” he groaned. “just go look for the kittens, and listen to your aunt. don’t overdo things.” you were about to complain when he reached for the treats inside the bag. then he pointed down the street and rushed off.
this wasn’t how you thought the trip would go, but desperate times called for desperate measures. you just hoped atsumu wouldn’t get hopelessly lost.
you spent the first fifteen minutes running around, checking behind flower pots and cardboard boxes. you searched through alleyways and even asked nearby residents if they saw two kittens—one orange, one white—dashing around. it wasn’t until later that you saw white fur sticking out from behind a bush.
“there you are.”
it took some coaxing to leer it out but you could tell it was just frightened. you cradled the kitten in your arms. “you look just like snowball,” you smiled. “now then… where could atsumu be…?”
masterlist ⌒☆ previous ⌒☆ next
fun facts:
atsumu took pictures of the restaurant menu and sent it to osamu to annoy him.
y/n's hometown is actually the worst for those who have allergies (so sorry).
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TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE! 。o♡ an atsumu miya smau
synopsis: when y/n l/n, a rising actress, decides to star in a romance film that could make or break her career, she’s unable to showcase her skills, revealing her inexperience within the romance department instead. worst of all, atsumu miya, her co-star and the main lead’s love interest, seems to hate her guts! with absolutely, unbearably zero chemistry between the two, an idea was proposed: spend time with one another in the upcoming weeks. will y/n be able to ignore her professionalism and listen to her heart? and will she, a clueless romantic, be able to pick up on the signs her co-star is sending her?
a/n: shoutout to may bc she kept up with my writer's block and made sure i wrote everyday...
taglist is open! dm or ask to be a part of it! (those bolded were unable to be tagged)
⌒☆ @kqbukimono @empathum @clyver @chosoluv @oceansfloor @sunarots @marga-j @rukia-uchiha-98 @wyrcan @thechaosoflonging @rintarousgirl @ast4rg1rl @seiamor @saiewithakatana @usermins @literally-a-ferret @terrarain @iuspired @haruskatana @wolffmaiden @ris-krispie @vellichxrr6782 @animenaces-world @reignsaway @emii4evr @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @yuminako @tojirin @v3nusplanetofluv @vyvixen @secondary-character-25 @tenjikusstuff4 @444choso @mylahrins @deimmortales99 @hisfuture @staywhelmed8801 @dl-yum @nessaasstuff @milesmoralesluvs @101tsumu @ryeyeyer
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wingzie · 1 year ago
Text
The Life of a Jikooker, Online and Offline
Sometime last year I revealed my real first name on Twitter. Though I am known more prominently as “Wingzie”, a name given to me by a good friend of mine, I wanted to add a bit more of a human touch to my account. It was a reminder that, even if I spend a rather large amount of time making posts, I also have a life away from the screen. There's been a few occasions when my army life and personal life have become interlinked.
I am lucky enough to have made wonderful friends since becoming Army. Thus, I will always say that your fandom experience and enjoyment will depend on who you interact with and what you engage with. It's because of these friends that I have been to South Korea or gone to Olle in London for BTS’ tenth anniversary. I've explored new local places or exchanged gifts. It's also because of these friends that I felt safe enough to talk about Jikook in my first ever group chat in 2019. I feel a certain love and connection between us, online and offline, that I don't think many others will understand. 
However, there is a certain loneliness in being a jikooker. I have been unfairly judged or dismissed just for talking about them. Either individually or as a unit. It calls into question why this is. I personally do not see myself as a shipper. The definition of a shipper is that you WANT them to be together and that is not the case with me or many other jikookers at all. The definition of shipping has changed so much that we are seen as bad people just for talking about them, when we are just talking about their moments together.
In the last few months or so I have experienced more of an Army life outside of Twitter. I have been to various offline events and spoken to so many and I couldn’t help but notice two things: 1) Jikookers have a terrible reputation
2) People are scared to talk about them as a unit compared to others. The first part can be somewhat understandable and it’s why I never bother fighting. It brings negative attention to them, when we should be boosting them instead. All they see are people just attacking each other and it is sadly true that a small number of Jikookers are Tae antis. I have left a few group chats because of that or because of ex-jikookers hating on Jimin or Jungkook. However, there are also a huge number of us that DON'T behave this way and it depends on what you focus on.
At a previous event I bumped into a local Tae bias. She clearly knew who I was and was under the impression that I hated Tae. I soon proved her wrong but I guess this is where some of the problems lie: There are a lot of focus on stereotypes, without giving us the chance to prove otherwise. I have also been to events where Army have cited misinformation and they needed to be corrected. I am aware that not everyone has my memory, but they were so callous about their comments that I was shocked. There was a huge disconnect between reality and what they were thinking and it is so important to check sources. Especially when BTS' history and ours is so rich and can be easily accessible in this social media age. 
Being scared to talk about Jikook is something that will always confuse me. I joined a BTS Discord and left shortly afterwards when I realized that they had a channel for every until apart from Jikook. I also went to an event shortly after the “You can handle it” Weverse Live and the group I was with mentioned every single part of that Live, apart from when Jimin was in the comments. They also said some things about Jungkook that made me feel really uncomfortable and they ignored what I was trying to say. They saw him as a puppet, for their own desires, rather than his own person. And I think that is also something I have seen on the increase lately. It should be allowed and in fact encouraged to talk about them as a unit without being shamed for mentioning them together. Ignoring them doesn't help either.
I am Jimin and Jungkook biased, but the definition of having a bias itself has also changed. You cannot say you have a bias now without automatically saying “but I love all of them”, when that should go without saying. I have seen this change since Mots:7 and it emphasises how much the fandom definitions have changed and how it has also shaped our communities. I have been to other events where I am sadly seen as an anti, once they find out my Twitter ID. My account includes all members, I just happen to post about Jikook and their moments most of all and there is nothing wrong with that. Ultimately, I wrote this without any clear message or goal in sight. I just wanted to express what I have experienced and my feelings about it. I will always cherish the memories I have with those that are closest to me and our beautiful conversations about BTS or Jikook. I just wish others did the same and understood what this community is actually about, online and offiline. My account will always be a safe place for all the members and I refuse to be villainized for talking about Jikook at the same time.  Much Love Wingzie/Becca
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