#man i keep trying to do ridiculous romance things and instead they keep catching Plot

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere King Naga // Part 1

Thinking about living in the forest once you’ve transmigrated to another world. Instead of getting caught up in some romance plot or adventure you decide to just live in a little cottage. Where you catch and cook your own food, making some passive income when you do venture into the town. On your way back from one of these trips you happen upon a little bundle crying on the dirt path.

“Oh my, who forgot you little sunshine?”

You smile when their crying ceases when you lightly rock them, beginning to notice a few odd-looking patches on their cheek. Then when those tiny eyes finally open little slits look back up at you while their mouth with little budding incisors open to coo at you. All of it leads to you opening up the bundled wrappings around them to find a wiggly and stubby little snake’s tail. It is then you make the perilous decision to raise this little naga in secret. 

In this world, you could tell it wasn’t advanced enough to accept monsters or anything not human into the community. That you might be branded a monster as well just for caring for the creature. Nonetheless, you rationalize that this is perfect for your forest life–where you’re more likely to meet other monsters than humans. Thus your life with this little one begins and you thank his naga-biology that he grows up fast. 

“I caught a mouse! Are you proud of me!”

“Yup, I’m real proud! Now come on you need a bath.”

But not too fast. Life is good for a while while you tend to the house your little one—Nox ventures to the perimeter of the forest to play before returning to you. He is still a child. Things go on normally until he comes slithering to you with snot in his nose, tears in his eyes, and babbling through tears. Hugging and holding him you check for injuries and when you find none you try to convince him to talk to you.

“What’s wrong, Nox?”

“I-I-There’s a guy out there! A-a-and he keeps following me! Look!”

Hiding behind you and clutching your pants, following his finger to the underbrush of the forest around you harden your stance. Thinking about the knife in your pocket and your other hand holding onto Nox, keeping him behind you. Watching the leaves and branches rustle with movement you prepared yourself for a fight. 

“Are you this child’s guardian?”

It’s another Naga, standing tall on a tail adorned with patches of gold in his white tail. Hiding further in the brush you can tell there are black rings around the tip of their tail which seems to be coiled a lot closer. He’s lean but muscular and his golden eyes are glaring at you. 

“I am. Why?”

He hisses, “To think a human would take in a hatchling purely out of goodheartedness is ridiculous. I’m going to take this child home where he belongs.”

“Nooo!”

“He’s my kid and if you want to fight for him I will do that.”

With a final pat on Nox’s head, you tell him to stay near the house. You goad the naga man into a place near the forest saying you’d rather not do this in front of Nox before taking off running. You know he’s following as you hear him angrily hiss and slither through the wood. Bringing him to a desired spot you turn keeping your knife behind you as he launches his tail in your direction. Expecting it, you dodge finally revealing your knife and aiming it at his tail creating a gash that has him hissing. 

“Haaaa Insolent Human! How dare you!?”

Usually, with a knife like yours, you never would have broken the protection of the scales but taking care of Nox offered some invaluable insight. You tried to dodge again but failed as his tail coiled around you in the blink of an eye. Squeezing immediately it took you a moment to turn your knife around to stab at what scales you could. He grunted but seemingly had settled for the stab at the expense of strangling you. 

“I’m going to enjoy watching the life leave from you, human! Your kind makes me sick.”

The pressure was unbearable but your adrenaline was high and with the simple gesture of bringing you closer to spit in your face you took a leap of faith. Abandoning your knife for some wiggle room you launched forward clamping onto his neck your only weapon left—your teeth. 

That seemed to catch him off guard his tail unraveling enough to let the rest of your body go. Now allowed to pin him down, using your feet and hands to pin down his own as you continued to bite into his neck you didn’t stop until you heard him moan.

“Aaaa~! Wait no, please! You’ve got to let aah~!

In your peripheral, you could see his alabaster tail twirl and twist oddly. From your position, you couldn’t see his face but you could imagine what his expression was. Considering you could feel the connection of his hips bucking against your own. The final nail in the coffin other than his constant streams of wonton moans you could hear the familiar worried slither of your son coming through the wood. 

He was calling for you. Hopefully, so loud he would miss the Naga continuing to make the loud moans despite you standing over him and wiping your teeth of his blood. Finally, looking at him you could see the darkened tips of their ears and cheeks as they continued to oddly curl on themselves. You didn’t bother trying to stop him, not wanting to trigger another fight you just ran scooping Nox up and barricading you both in your home. Hopefully, by the time the Naga man comes to his senses, he will have accepted his loss by then and leave. 

Unbeknownst to you that Naga would spend all night shifting and rolling in their ground replaying the fight. All the while moaning and groaning, driving all the smartest predators far away. This would continue until daybreak when he finally stopped but the heat in his cheeks was far from gone.

“That–that human is perfect…a human…who would’ve guessed.”

After a day you venture out, Nox sticking close to you while you undo the locks of the door with a knife in hand. Looking out you hoped you’d find no one in the clearing near your home—that was not the case.

“Hello human!”

Slamming the door on his face, you replay the expression and the closeness that they were standing outside the door. If only to sate your curiosity you opened the door again. 

“Hi–”

Slam

“How are–”

Slam

“You?”

When he seems to stay in that same place the whole rest of the day, you eventually encourage Nox to keep his nose down and help you with your chores.  Ignoring the smiley Naga who was oddly no longer hostile.

“What are you doing? Hanging your human clothes? How cute can I help?

“Is this how humans catch their food? How human-like so clever I would’ve never thought a net would be how you do that!”

“You are such a good parent to your little one? Would you like to have some more?”

Once you're able to shoo the intrigued Nox away, you decide to hose this guy down for answers. Good thing he’s happy to provide them. He finally introduces himself as a King of Naga who was coming to pass judgment on a Naga child living with a human from the smaller snakes of the forest. You hold your complaints about his presumptuous assessment, to ask why he’s still here assuming the fight said that you were capable enough to raise Nox.

“Yes well, now I’m courting you!”

“Excuse me?”

“You not only bested me in battle, you also did the most submitting action and claiming that a Naga could do. You…bit me~”

“Even so…I’m not a Naga.”

“Well usually that’d matter but I am the King of all Naga once my neck has been bitten and claimed there can be no others that is until you die.”

“Can’t you just pretend I died in the battle?”

“Preposterous your my destined mate! No other will do!”

Thus your days are spent trying to explain to Nox why the Naga you fought with was hanging around so often. On top of that the King Naga whose real name was Shian, had begun to ramp up his advances. No longer happy to just wave at you behind trees or happily follow you with your chores. He gets closer, testing your boundaries and breaking them as he intends to instigate some kind of reciprocation.

He is a King, And he’ll get what he wants....eventually.

Part 2: Here

[akaluan]

Prompt: As always, Erich/Kisuke(/Alexis?) 32, 25

(32: Flirting under fire, 25: Time travel Erich/Kisuke(/Alexis?))

“This is not quite what I had in mind when you said ‘let’s go back in time and fix things!’” Erich shouted as he swept his arm out, emerald reiatsu trailing from his fingertips and lingering as brilliant streaks that suddenly flared bright-bright-brighter—

Shinigami and Quincy froze as the ward settled around them, locking them in stasis until they either gathered the strength to break free or he released them.

It wasn’t the best solution, but it would have to do until they could finally sort out how the hell to stop, well… whatever people wanted to call this goddamn mess.

(Would he even be born after all this meddling?)

(Whose bright idea was it to stop the Quincy purge?)

Erich grimaced and flicked his fingers, trying to shake the growing numbness in his hand at the blatant overuse of power he’d been indulging in. He was stronger than most combatants on the field, but there were so many combatants that his chosen method of crowd control was tiring.

“Aw, but it’s turned out so well!” Kisuke shouted back as he smoothly ducked away from Kyoraku’s blade and traded places with Alexis. He cast a glance at Erich, lips quirked into a tiny, pleased smile, and said, “I always enjoy the sight of you showing your strength. It’s… inspiring.”

“You seriously think this has ‘turned out well’?” Erich snapped, trying to ignore the shivery curl of pride-pleasure-want that Kisuke’s words caused; now was not the time for such things, and he wished Kisuke would just… not.

(But oh, it felt so good to be seen, to be appreciated…!)

(No, he needed to keep his mind on the battle at hand!)

He absently sent another stasis ward at the handful of Quincy and Shinigami that had decided to try to gang up on him; points for (temporarily) getting along in the face of a common enemy, but it had been a long time since run-of-the-mill foot soldiers could get the jump on him.

(Even if he was being distracted.)

“Maa, I think we’re getting there,” Kisuke said with a touch of laughter, even as he flicked his hand to send a silent kido at Ukitake. Whatever it was, it made the Captain hiss and withdraw, shaking his off hand as he gave Kisuke a narrow-eyed look.

Ukitake pursed his lips, then let his blade dip just slightly out of form as he said, “I’m not certain what you believe you’re doing—”

“Correcting a grave mistake,” Kisuke interrupted airily.

“Correcting genocide,” Alexis bit out as she slid inside Kyoraku’s guard, grabbed his shoulders, and yanked him down as she drove her knee into his stomach. Judging by the way Kyoraku gasped and hunched over, she’d also coated her knee with reiatsu.

(Poor bastard, that was never an enjoyable experience.)

(Alexis was damn good at fighting dirty.)

Ukitake blitzed past Kisuke, blade up and eyes hard—

Erich locked blades with the infuriated Captain, muscles straining against the raw power that Ukitake could bring to bear, and said, “We aren’t here to kill you.”

“No?” Ukitake asked sharply, gaze darting over Erich’s shoulder before refocusing on him. “I’m not quite sure I believe that.”

Erich shrugged. “Believe what you will. I’ve killed no one so far and your partner will be fine.” He eyed Ukitake’s stance thoughtfully, then twisted his body around and in, free hand reaching for Ukitake’s wrist—

His Ukitake would never have fallen for something so obvious, but this one… this one didn’t have the same sort of experience. This one hadn’t spent over a year sparring with him almost once a week. This one didn’t know his tells, or his habits, or anything about him, and…

He felt no shame in capitalizing on his own familiarity with the man.

His hand closed over Ukitake’s wrist. Squeezed just so—

Ukitake inhaled sharply as he flinched, hand spasming and zanpakutou dropping—

Erich caught it by the tsuba before it could fall too far, then disappeared in a burst of hirenkyaku and landed at Kisuke’s side. “Willing to listen to us now?” he asked idly as he carefully ran blut vein down his arm and took a firmer hold on the blade itself, unwilling to offend Ukitake by even the pretense of turning the man’s zanpakutou on him.

Kisuke leaned in, warm breath ghosting over Erich’s ear, and whispered, “Showing off for me, Erich? I certainly appreciate it.”

Erich swallowed and turned his head a bit to glare at Kisuke, feeling his cheeks heat as he did. “Will you not?” he hissed in exasperation.

“But you look so good like that,” Kisuke murmured, then laughed and ducked away when Erich tried to elbow him in the chest. “Maa, Erich-san needs to learn to take a compliment!”

Erich sighed, unable to resist casting a long-suffering look at Ukitake as he did; the man smirked at him in response, an edge of familiar playfulness about him that dissipated a moment later when Alexis appeared at Erich’s side with Kyoraku in her grip, constructed ropes tying his arms behind his back.

“Look, I���d rather not keep fighting you,” Alexis declared, expression stern as she stared at Ukitake. “You’re outmatched, and with us here this effort to exterminate the Quincy is doomed to failure.” She nodded towards where Kurosaki was in the midst of combat with the Soutaicho and added, “Besides, once Kurosaki-kun finishes his fight, I have no doubt your leader will call it all off anyway.”

“You truly think the Quincy will accept that?” Ukitake asked, curious-skeptical-considering as he examined the three of them and then the masses of frozen fighters all around them. “They seem no more pleased to see you than we do.”

Erich cast a thoughtful look at the combatants that he’d frozen and flexed the fingers of his free hand;  even with Tessai going around and adding a seal atop his ward, thereby taking some of the burden from him, he couldn’t continue to use his powers so flagrantly. He had enough strength left to hold his own against Ukitake or Kyoraku, but not both, and he had yet to sense the Quincy Clan Head on the field.

(Whether that meant the Clan Head wasn’t present or had already been killed, he didn’t know.)

(He didn’t even know who was supposed to be the Clan Head in this time!)

(No one who survived had ever spoken of it to him, or written it down anywhere he could find…)

(Damn the Shinigami for the destruction they had wrought!)

“I suppose they don’t,” Erich finally said, then shook his head and straightened his spine, chin tipping up as he fixed Ukitake with a steady look. “But it doesn’t matter. I was a Clan Head at one point and I will make them listen if I must.”

(Hopefully the Clan Head wasn’t dead.)

(Hopefully they listened to him instead of fighting him.)

(Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully…)

Erich bit back his worries and flexed his free hand again, trying to chase away the lingering numbness of overusing his power. He couldn’t afford to drop his guard around Ukitake, even with Kyoraku captured and the man’s blade in his hand; Ukitake was a cunning opponent who would do nearly anything for those he cared about, and right now Erich was not one of the people he cared about.

Ukitake stared back at Erich, wary-thoughtful-wondering as his gaze traveled from Erich’s face to the careful way Erich was holding his zanpakutou, then over to Alexis and Kyoraku. “You know us,” he said slowly, thoughtfully, as his aggressive stance began to fade. “You know us and how we fight. You’re Quincy and you’re working with a Shinigami.”

“Ex-Shinigami, thank you,” Kisuke interrupted with a sniff. “I prefer the Living World these days.”

Ukitake hummed and swayed back a bit, arms crossing over his chest as he fixed all three of them with his best Stern Captain look. “Ex-Shinigami, then,” he said agreeably, even as his gaze never wavered. “You are aware, however, that there are… problems with how Quincy—”

Alexis cut him off with a rude noise, then bared her teeth when he gave her an unimpressed look. “Then work with us to fix it,” she snapped. “We unmake Hollows because they unmake us! But because we barely register to you, it’s us who are in the wrong instead of them!”

“That’s not—”

“What you meant?” Erich cut in ruthlessly. “I don’t care what you meant. I don’t care what rationale you’re using to justify destroying an entire people, but I refuse to let it stand. We’re neither perfect nor innocent of bad deeds, but we still deserve a chance to live.”

Ukitake pursed his lips and looked away, body rigid in the way that Erich knew meant guilt was eating at his friend’s conscious.

(War was one thing, they all understood war, but this…?)

(This wasn’t war.)

“You’ll need to convince the Soutaicho of this,” Ukitake finally said, slanting a sidelong look at Erich  as he did. “I am not averse to stopping these fights, but neither Kyoraku-san nor I am in control of this.”

“Kurosaki-kun will sort it out,” Kisuke said with a light grin. “He’s persuasive like that.”

Erich adjusted his grip on Ukitake’s zanpakutou, trying to ignore the growing buzz of displeasure against his senses, and asked, “Do you surrender?”

Kyoraku started and stared up at him with wide eyes, then quickly looked back to Ukitake. “Jyuu—”

“I do, so long as you swear not to hurt us,” Ukitake spoke over Kyoraku.

“We won’t,” Erich agreed easily. “Though I hope you understand that I’m not returning your zanpakutou until all the fighting is done.”

Ukitake grimaced but nodded. “I figured as much.”

Erich carefully constructed a temporary sheath around Ukitake’s zanpakutou and hung it from his belt. “Thank you,” he said as he rubbed at his tingling hand. “And your friend?”

Kyoraku heaved a sigh and sent Erich an exasperated look as he said, “Do I really have any options, here?”

“Agree to surrender and I’ll let you up,” Alexis told him.

“You’d just… let me go?” Kyoraku asked her, clearly befuddled by the suggestion. “But—”

“I captured you once, I can do it again,” Alexis answered with a shrug. “So, yes or no?”

“Anything to get out of these ropes,” Kyoraku joked, flashing a grin up at her as he said, “I normally don’t let anyone tie me up until the third date, but I’ll make an exception for a beautiful lady like yourself.”

Alexis scoffed and rolled her eyes as the ropes binding Kyoraku’s limbs dissolved back into reishi. “Trust me,” she drawled, “if I wanted to play like that, you’d know.”

Erich snorted in amusement at Kyoraku’s flummoxed look. “She doesn’t fluster easily,” he told the man dryly, then shook his head and turned to scan the sky; he needed to find the person leading the Quincy side so he could… speak with them about the battle. There were a few options if he was going by power levels, but based on his experiences…

(There.)

(That one.)

He pulled strength into himself, replenishing his power, and then darted forward, arrowing towards the Quincy he’d singled out.

(He needed to stop this battle, stop this war, and then… and then…)

(It was time and past for the Quincy hidden in Seireitei’s shadow to fall.)

(He refused to allow his people to die, even if he had to slay the progenitor of those very people.)

(He swore it.)

[screamingatanemptyroom]

Please Fix the Story pt 2 - Zombie Apocalypse

Hey everyone, here is a continuation to the the fix it fic Reverse harem short story I posted a few days ago! 

Part one linked here. 

(FYI although it is a different world, the main character as well as Liam are the same people. As stated at the end of the first part, Liam cannot bring along any memories from prior worlds) 

Enjoy!

__________________________

GRRRR!

I looked around at my surroundings as I arrived in the new world, trying to catch my bearings.

Broken down buildings, abandoned cars, no people around and zombies about to attack… yep, definitely a post-apocalyptic setting.

I was in the middle of a city road, surrounded on all sides by tall, buildings with shattered windows, exposed beams and hanging wires. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt the unsettling atmosphere slowly settle over me. There was a strange silence to the world, the absence of people talking, cars honking, electronics beeping. There was just the wind, my breathing and silence…

GRRR.

…and the growls of the twenty or so zombies slowly approaching me.

I climbed up on an abandoned car, trying to catch my bearings. The movement tore at the four or five wounds that were scattered over my body, forcing out a groan of pain.

Multiple bruises, possible broken ribs, several cuts to arms and legs that still have broken bits of glass in them… it’s like I’ve been in a bar brawl.

It was always frustrating before I could accept the memories of my character and the world setting. I had no idea where I was, how I had gotten here, and more importantly what my mission was.

First things first, I need something to defend myself with.To my pleasant surprise, a quick survey of the area revealed a backpack that looked full and a sword resting on the ground nearby.

I jumped down, biting my lip to hold back a cry of pain at the motion, and quickly pulled the backpack on, unsheathing the sword and looking at it. It looked like something out of a museum, with an ornate gold plated hilt and a long, slightly curved blade. The weight and length were just at the limit of what this current body could bear, and I gave the sword a few practice swings with a grin.

Wonder how my character got a hold of a sword… this body doesn’t seem like one that practices fencing.

Putting my questions out of my mind, I held up my sword, centering my thoughts and bringing my heart into focus, just as I had trained in the past.

Fortunately, one of the previous story worlds I had lived through since the day I woke up without memories had been an assassin novel. The mission had been difficult; protecting the assassin’s guild from destruction after the hero left them behind to chase the heroine on an adventure. The author had regretted destroying his beloved family and guild members, and abandoned the novel. So I was tasked with spending years training weapons skills in the group, finally fighting against the rogue gang that attacked and defending the hero’s family in his place. Completing that mission had taken seven years in total, but  on the bright side I had gained a good amount of fighting experience.

I closed my hand over the familiar weight of a sword in my palm. Time to start a new world.At the thought I felt a pang of loneliness and couldn’t help but close my eyes and smile bitterly. How is it that I’ve spent years and years in some of these worlds, and they still didn’t manage to move my heart as much as four weeks spent in a silly high school romance novel world?

“Liam.” I whispered quietly, opening my eyes with a sigh. He had so easily bypassed my defenses, making me care about him to the point that I had hesitated about moving on to the next world.

I have to keep moving forward, it’s my only hope of recovering my memories and going home.

Grrrr.

Thinking about the world and people I had left behind had depressed my mood, but thankfully, an outlet for my emotions had just presented itself on a silver platter.

“Time for some emotional therapy… by killing zombies.” With a  smile I put away all stray thoughts and feelings, suppressed any sensation of pain or fear. There was only me, my sword, and the targets to destroy.

I was ready.

Silent, I sprang forward, my sword raised.

My first slash cut off the nearest zombies arm, the sword slicing through the rotten meat and brittle bones with ease.

Thud.

The arm hit the ground with a dull sound. The zombie’s wide, lidless eyes stared down at the detached limb for a few moments, as if confused, before turning back towards me with renewed energy.

GRRR.

Right, undead. Cutting off limbs won’t do much. So let’s try decapitation.

Ducking under the zombie’s remaining arm, I straightened up behind the monster and aimed this time for the neck.

This time both head and body fell to the ground, and became still.

Success!

The rotten blood and flesh dripped onto my hand from the stained blade. Disgusted, I swung the sword back and forth, which only served to scatter the remnants in the air, releasing a horrific smell. I gagged, forcing myself to breathe through my mouth and leaping at the nearest zombie with a snarl.

“This is so gross!”

SLICE! Two zombies fell to the ground on either side of me.

“I hate this world so much!”

Swish! Slice! THUD!

“WHAT IF THERE’S NO RUNNING WATER AND I CAN’T SHOWER?!!!”

A zombie’s growl cut off suddenly as the head flew out into the distance.

“I don’t even know what the mission is, but it already SUCKS!”

Letting out my frustration, I took out the remaining zombies, standing in place in a puddle of goo, my breaths coming in an out with a harsh gasping sound as my out of shape body tried to catch up with the practiced movements I had just put it through. My heart beat rapidly in my chest, breathing caused sharp pains as my broken ribs protested and made their presence known.

I was injured, I was tired, and I was covered in zombie guts.

I want to go home.

But I didn’t know where home was.

Feeling sorry for myself, I sat down on the ground, pulling out my phone and checking the mission.

“This better be a quick one.”

As I pulled up the familiar screen the first thing I noticed was a notification.

**** CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!****

“… Pardon?”

As you continue to complete world missions in an efficient and satisfactory manner, you will gain experience and level up the mission system, allowing you additional benefits and assistance.

A small experience bar glowed at the bottom of the notification, with only a sliver of the space filled in and a large number “2” next to it.

“It took TWELVE worlds for me to get to level 2?!” I fought the desire to throw my phone with rage, and continued to read.

With your new level, you have unlocked key character descriptions and world map in the mission app! As well as… other benefits!

“…” I stared at the screen silently. Why do I feel like this thing is just messing with me now?I’m just going to ignore this. It’s too rage inducing.

I clicked through the message and moved on to the mission description.

**** NEW WORLD: WAR OF THE UNDEAD ****

This post-apocalyptic zombie infested story follows Eric, a young man with a military background and the will to fight as he survives the end of the world. By his side is the love of his life Hannah, who holds his hand through the uneasy tides of crumbling social structures, horrifying monsters and evil villains.

Complaints about the story were rampant as the heroine of the novel was deemed “useless” with no discernable skills, often getting kidnapped and wreaking havoc for Eric to clean up after. Unable to balance the two main leads, the author finally gave up and never finished the story, leading to the world’s instability and eventual destruction.

                                                                               The Author’s wish, and your mission, consists of two parts: First, help the heroine develop into a well-rounded character, able to stand on her own two feet instead of a two dimensional plot device designed to give the hero problems to solve. Second, help humanity establish a good foundation for a new society, leaving the story on a high note with hope for defending against the zombies.

**** DO YOU ACCEPT THIS MISSION?****

I glared at my screen, desperately wishing for a “decline” option.

HELP HUMANITY ESTABLISH A FOUNDATION?!!! HOW LONG IS THAT GOING TO TAKE??

I let out a sad moan, leaning against the broken car and staring up at the dull grey sky with a hopeless gaze.

How long do I have to live in this world and go without a hot shower?

I clicked Accept, my finger stabbing the screen angrily, accomplishing nothing other than a sore fingertip. The memories of my character rushed in, the splitting pain and confusion passing quickly as I accepted them with ease.

“… Well, I guess it could be worse.”

I was a small side character in this story, the spoiled princess of the hero’s group that caused trouble. Upon joining up with their team, she would constantly complain, wishing for luxury and pampering in a world where survival was the only priority. She was tolerated as she had brought with her a large bag of supplies from her family’s mansion, as well as an antique sword that she had taken off the wall as she left, but the goodwill of the hero and his friends quickly ran dry in the face of her spoiled personality and increasingly ridiculous demands.

Finally after several years and multiple fights, her character was kidnapped along with Hannah, the heroine. The hero was forced to choose one to save, and selected his loved one without hesitation. Even at the end her character believed she was too important to be killed, threatening her captors right up until they threw her into a pit of zombies.

It seemed as if I had started this world right after my character had abandoned her first team. They had gotten into a fight with a roaming bandit group, (which explained my current injuries) during which my character had escaped, leaving her teammates behind.

As the story moved on she would then meet up with the hero and his camp, joining and staying alongside them until her untimely demise.

Unfortunately it looks like one of the hero’s companions was a friend of this character, which will make it difficult to explain the large difference in the personality… Rubbing my headthoughtfully as I considered the problem, I finally gave up and sighed. Oh well, the apocalypse changes people, they’ll just have to accept it.

The phone in my hand vibrated once more, with surprise I glanced down at the new alert.

With your level up, you are able to change your character’s name to one of your choosing. All characters’ memories will be adjusted accordingly.

**** Select a character name? ****

I struggled internally with a sudden childish desire to name my character “ass-licker” or something equally stupid, just for the chance to hear everyone have to say it seriously.

But if I was going to spend a few years in this world… that would get old fast.

I slowly typed out a name, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

“Blaire.”

My favorite world so far.A memory I wanted to keep with me.

I wonder what happened to Liam after I left? Before I could consider that thought too closely, a panicked scream broke the silence of the city.

“HELP!”

Following the distressed sounds, I entered a nearby building. In a large open area filled with broken concrete and other debris, a single young man was cornered by three zombies. He held a metal bar in his hands, which he was swinging wildly, barely keeping the monsters at bay. They were slowly crowding him into a corner, but seemed unable to reach any closer. The man continued swinging, all the while a constant stream of half-intelligible cursing and complaints escaping from his mouth.

“Damned traitor…. Make him regret… snap his neck… no that’s too good for him! … boiling… oil… funnel…!”

For all that this is a life threatening situation, why do I get the feeling he seems… like he’s having fun?

Shaking off the wayward thought, I rushed in, sword drawn, striking the zombies down with a few swings. As their heads tumbled to the ground, I kneeled down, using their shredded clothes to carefully clean the blade. As I looked up, I saw the startled face of the man I saved, and felt a moment of panic.

“Liam?”

After staring silently a few moments, I shook my head sadly

It wasn’t him.

He was older, taller, with a slimmer build. His hair, though a similar dark shade, was longer and roughly cut. His face was not the one in my memories, with a slimmer nose and a more pointed chin, but his eyes… they were the exact same shade of dark blue as Liam in the previous world. It was the eyes that had initially caused me to call out, the amused light in them so familiar it was as if he were still right in front of me.

But he wasn’t. I had left that world, and therefore Liam, behind.

“I’m sorry, I mistook you for someone else.”

The man shook his head, his face still pale with shock. “Don’t be sorry! You saved my life!”  He walked forward, holding out a trembling hand to shake. “I’m so glad you showed up when you did!”

I took his hand, trying to smile comfortingly. “Happy to help. Are you going to be okay? How’d you end up here all alone?”

“I got separated from my… friends.” He looked at me closely. “You’re such a strong person, I would have died without you!  I know I’m weaker than you, and might be a burden but… would you… be willing to let me tag along until we get to camp?”

Poor guy, he still looks terrified.I patted him on the shoulder. “Of course.”

He sighed with relief. “Thank you. You’re my hero!”

I laughed at that. “Just call me Blaire.”

“I’m William! But you can call me Liam.”

“Liam?” I paused, unable to hold back from asking.  “I’m sorry… but… have we met before?”

“Hmm… Unfortunately no, I would have definitely remembered you. But perhaps we were fated to meet?” His eyes were clear as he spoke, without any recognition. I frowned.

It can’t be the same person… but he’s just as weird as Liam from the other world, that’s for sure. Unable to shake the sense of familiarity, I sheathed my sword and gestured for him to follow.

“Let’s go.”

“Of course, savior of my life! I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth!”

“… Just to the camp is fine.”

As we stepped out into the street we were immediately confronted by the sight of a large group of tough-looking, scarred men, each carrying multiple weapons. As I tensed up, my hand on my sword hilt, the closest man in the group spotted us, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“BOSS! You’re still alive!”

I glanced back at Liam, who looked mildly annoyed.

“Boss! We killed the traitor and brought back the weapons he stole from you!”

Tossing out a duffel bag, the zipper was open enough to spot multiple guns, grenades and other deadly weapons.

“…”

“…”

We all stared at the bag in silence for a few moments.

“Boss?” I finally asked.

He gave an awkward grin. “It’s just a friendly nickname.”

“So I’m guessing you won’t need my protection on the way to the nearest camp.” Feeling mildly disappointed, I stepped away, preparing to leave. Only to pause at Liam’s panicked shout.

“Wait, no!” He stepped closer, waving his arms frantically. “I definitely need your protection! These guys are just joking! I’m actually quite a weakling, and desperately need someone strong like you to look after me.”

“What are you saying boss?” One of the goons interrupted. “You’re probably the most deadly man alive…”

THUD

A stone flew through the air, striking the man between the eyes, and knocking him to the ground.

“Shut. Up.” Liam hissed,

“OUCH! That hurt!”

“Now you tell this beautiful woman who saved my life and has promised to protect me how weak and helpless I am!”

The large muscular men all turned towards me, terror in their eyes.

“Boss is the weakest!”

“Definitely weak!”

“He needs protection!”

“He’d die without you!”

“…” I gave Liam a look. Do you really think I’d buy this?

His response was a shameless smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t drag you down! I’ll cook for you!”

“…”

“Run errands!”

“…”

“Do housework!”

I finally spoke up. “Really? You’d do all that?”

“Yes, I…”

“You can’t expect the Boss to act like a servant!!” One of the men burst out angrily, only to fly back as another stone struck him in the face. Another burly, scarred thug took his place.

“Ahem. What my friend meant to say is, Boss is highly skilled in all of these tasks. He’s great husband material!”

Liam gave the man a thumbs up. “Shark, you’re a smart fellow. You’ve just been promoted to my new right hand man!”

“Thanks Boss!”

“Now take care of things while my life savior and hopefully future wife escorts me back!” He grabbed the duffel bag, offering the contents to me before choosing a small handgun and a grenade for himself and handing the rest to Shark.

The man took the remaining weapons with a terrifying smile. “Definitely!” With a sharp whistle, he and the other men quickly turned around and ran away, dragging the injured man who had protested Liam taking on cleaning duties behind them.

“…” I watched this all with confusion. How did the title of future wife get added on to a simple request to escort him to camp?I almost told him to go away, but hesitated. Faced with his almost puppy-like look of anticipation I swallowed the words I was about to say, helplessly turning back in the direction of the hero’s camp. “Let’s go.”

__________________________

We traveled together for a few days, and I found Liam to be an entertaining companion. At each stop he would light a fire, cook a meal, and arrange the camp. Any offers to help were met with stiff resistance.

“You’re the one doing me the favor.” He answered once with a smile. “I’m just trying to support you!”

“…”

“You know…” He added nervously. “If you think that I’m useful… I’d be happy to work for you full time in exchange for your protection.”

“…”

“For example, if we got married it would be super convenient to bring me along as your support husband.”

I sighed quietly, rubbing my head. “You know we’ve only known each other three days right?”

“The great thing about that concern is that it becomes less relevant the longer we’re together!” He grinned briefly, before putting on a serious expression.

“You asked me once if we met before… and even though I know we haven’t I can’t shake the feeling that I know you. As if there’s a voice shouting from the depths of my soul, telling me that if I lose you I’ll regret it forever, but if I can stay by your side I’ll be the happiest man alive.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head. He reminds me so much of Liam spouting his minion nonsense. But if he’s the same person… how did he follow me here?

“By the way… if you thought that sounded poetic, I would like to add ‘well-spoken’ and ‘artistic’ to the lists of attractive traits that I bring to the table as a potential husband or even just a good lackey.”

“…” Let’s just ignore him and get to camp as soon as possible.

__________________________

We arrived at the camp. Fortunately our path had been fairly clear, we met very few zombies on our way. As we walked up to the camp entrance, and attractive man and woman met us, their expressions somewhat guarded.

“Who are you and why are you here?” The man called out.

I paused a good distance away to avoid seeming to threatening, and studied him closely. He looked to be in his mid twenties, with close-cropped hair and classically handsome features. He had a gun at his hip, and a knife close to his hand, obviously ready to respond to any danger.

Smells like a male lead.

I held up my hands, showing that they were empty of weapons and tried to appear friendly.

“I’m Blaire. I’ve recently split from another roaming group and was hoping to join your camp here.” I carefully put my backpack of supplies on the ground and opened it, showing off the contents. “I’ll share some of my supplies. I’m also decent with a sword, and can add to your fighting force.”

The man looked both me and the bag over carefully. “I’m Eric.” He finally spoke up, his expression slightly more relaxed. He pointed at Liam who still stood next to me. “Who’s your friend?”

“I’m Liam, her lackey!” He announced before I could say something. “Also hopeful suitor.”

“Are you joining as well?”

“Of course!”

I glanced over at him. “What about your gang?”

“What gang?”

“…”

“… Those punks you met earlier? They’ll be fine.”

I sighed and turned back towards the hero of the story. “So what’s your answer?”

He watched us both, obviously thinking carefully. “On a trial basis.” He turned around, carefully protecting the delicate young woman next to him. She was petite, barely coming up to Eric’s shoulder, and had a fair complexion already turning red in the sun. Her eyes were large with an innocent light in them, as she stared at me with a nervous look.

This must be Hannah, our heroine. She definitely seems… easy to kidnap. So helping her become a well-rounded character is mission number one, huh? I followed behind them, my mind racing with plans to help turn her into a force to be reckoned with in this post-apocalyptic wasteland.

This is going to be fun!I rubbed my hands together, a villainous laugh escaping me.

Liam poked my arm, whispering. “Blaire, although I personally think your evil laugh is wonderful, and I could listen to it all day… I feel like I should warn you that you’re scaring the young girl over there.”

I paused, catching Hannah’s terrified expression, and tried to give her a reassuring smile. In response her face turned even more pale under her sunburn, and she hugged Eric tightly as if wanting to escape.

“Was my smile that terrifying?” I leaned over towards Liam and asked quietly.

“I’m the wrong person to ask. I find your strength and ability to intimidate the masses vastly reassuring.”

“Thanks… I guess.”

I followed the lead characters into the camp silently, Liam following close behind me.

It was time to save the story.

And… hopefully find a way to shower.

[fandom-collective-writers]

What He’d Never Lose (Nobunaga Oda x Reader)

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Pairing: Nobunaga Oda x Reader

Prompt: Jealous Ikesen Nobunaga, fluff and smut, making up after a fight

Warning: Smut and Fluff

Intended Audience: Female Audience

Word Count: 4,132

Requested by: Anonymous @ikemen-discord-writers

Written by: @lordsister

Disclaimer: I do not own Ikemen Sengoku or any of its characters. I do however, own the plot of this fanfic. Please do not reblog or repost this on any other website.

He had balls, Nobunaga would give him that, even if he was a fool for thinking he ever had a chance of wooing the Devil King’s queen.

Taking another swig from the sake in his hand, Nobunaga glared as the river of honeyed words continued, drawing polite chuckles from the girl seated at his right. It was a wonder Lord Kunieda hadn’t noticed the warlord’s red gaze yet, intense and burning as it was and for so long.

“My lord,” Hideyoshi murmured next to him, a question in his low, angry tone. It was clear he wanted to tear the visiting lord’s head from his neck just as much as Nobunaga did.

Holding up a hand in answer, Nobunaga didn’t bother looking at his vassal, keeping his gaze set firmly on this idiot who had the audacity to romance a woman while she sat at her lover’s side. There was going to be hell to pay for this, he would make sure of that.

From the moment the Lord Kunieda had arrived, his unworthy eyes hadn’t left (y/n), every few minutes bearing witness to a new attempt to butter her up with sweet words and compliments, the man even going so far as to lay a pile of luxurious gifts from his province at her feet in a very obvious attempt to win her affections. 

He hadn’t gone any farther than words and his gaze had remained respectfully on your face, but Nobunaga still didn’t like it, especially since you didn’t seem to express even the slightest discomfort in response to the lord’s advances. If anything, Lord Kunieda’s friendly disposition made matters worse. It would have been easy to cast him out in shame if he had been lecherous or untoward in any way, but he was neither of those things, blinding you to the desire Nobunaga could see lurking just beneath the surface. 

When his gaze lingered on you just a moment too long or he moved just a little too close to you to be considered simply friendly, Nobunaga saw it, the same interest he felt towards you reflected in the other man’s eyes, the impulse to take you away and intimately learn all there was to know about your strange, wonderful self, so different than any other woman of the Sengoku. 

But your were his treasure, your love his and his alone, and Nobunaga would be damned if he ever let another man take you away from him.

He continued to watch, calculating his next course of action, as you continued to talk with the visiting lord, enthralling him without even knowing it. It seemed as if you and he hadn’t stopped talking for a moment since he arrived, your conversation continuing well into the evening as the Oda warlords and Lord Kunieda’s traveling party feasted on an elaborate banquet.

He watched with narrowed eyes as Lord Kunieda poured your sake for you, a sign of utmost respect, and you thanked him, bringing the red cup to the lips he’d kissed so many times. It was a simple gesture, curious as Kunieda had yet to pour for his host and superior, but nothing to be as overly upset about as Nobunaga was now, the flames of his anger effectively fanned.

This lord wasn’t here to make an alliance if the minimal amount of words he had spoken to the Oda warlord was anything to go by. If anything he was here to make a marriage alliance. To say that Nobunaga was jealous would be an understatement. His blood was boiling with rage and the desire to take you away to his rooms and mark you again and again and again as his own.

Nobunaga had never been the kind to hide his displeasure and now was no exception. Enough was enough. 

“Lord Kunieda,” he began, wrapping an arm around your waist as he did and drawing you so close you were practically sitting in his lap. In his peripheral vision he saw you look up at him questioningly, but ignored it in favor of holding Lord Kunieda’s gaze which had snapped up to meet his for the first time since he arrived. Nobunaga took an odd pleasure in the way the man froze under his gaze, mouth pressed into a firm line as he struggled to school his features. 

“Y-Yes, my lord?” Kunieda replied, shuffling in place uncomfortably.

‘Yes, squirm, fool.’ Smirking savagely, he continued, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were here to steal my princess away from me.” A hush fell over the banquet hall and he felt you freeze against him, shooting him a warning look, but he ignored it. “You must have an abundance of confidence in yourself and your province to make such advances in the very presence of your host.”

Lord Kunieda’s jaw dropped, his mouth opening and closing ridiculously before he choked out, “M-My most sincere apologies, my lord! It-It was never my intention to come off as rude!”

“Oh?” Lifting a brow, he watched pitilessly as the man sunk into a bow, his shoulders shaking slightly. “Then what were your intentions?” All pretense of humor was gone from his voice, replaced with cold hostility. 

The hall was silent, the room holding its breath. Lord Kunieda finally spoke, his voice shaking as he answered, “I only wished to learn more about the Oda Princess of Azuchi everyone’s speaking of. I’m terribly sorry for letting my own curiosity get the best of me. It was never my intention to make advances or insult my host. Please, don’t let my thoughtless actions reflect on the success of our alliance.”

All eyes turned from Kunieda to Nobunaga who lounged against his armrest, you still tucked safely against his side. “I’m afraid I’m not in the most gracious mood tonight. I’m sure you can understand why.”

Kunieda said nothing, but Nobunaga saw his throat bob.

“I-” he began, but stopped. He would have gladly sent the prostrating lord back to his province empty-handed with his tail between his legs that very second, but his eyes suddenly shifted down to yours and what he saw there gaze him pause, the smug expression on his face falling. Your gaze was pleading, desperately asking him not to do what you knew he was about to do, and while a part of him grew angrier over the fact that you would defend someone who was obviously interested in taking you away, the larger, better part of him knew you were right. He couldn’t blame a man for feeling as he did for someone as amazing as you, but oh how he wanted to tear him apart anyway. “The night grows old,” he finally said, looking back to his audience. “I’ll make my decision to continue as planned or not in the morning.”

A collective sigh or relief went through the visiting party, Lord Kunieda thanking him even as he remained in his bent position, forehead pressed to the tatami mats. A few grumbles went through the Oda forces, but they complied with their lord’s decision anyway, rising to their feet to retire to their individual manors for the night.

Bringing you up with him as he stood, Nobunaga said, “I need to speak with you in the tenshu. Now.” He didn’t wait for your answer before taking your wrist in a gentle albeit firm hold and leading you out of the room, ignoring your questions and complaints as he pulled you up the stairs and through the sliding doors.

“Nobunaga, what was all that about? What were you talking about when you said he was trying to steal me away?” you demanded when he released you, your tone angry and confused as he turned his back on you to close the doors.

He didn’t answer your questions, instead stating, “I’m going to send Lord Kunieda away empty-handed tomorrow morning.”

“What?! Why?!”

His glare met yours, his form towering over you as he took a step closer. “I have no interest in making alliances with men who don’t know not to touch what’s not theirs.”

“He wasn’t trying to make advances on me, Nobunaga!”

“Yes, he was. And you weren’t doing anything to deny him.”

“He wasn’t doing anything wrong!”

Nobunaga scoffed, taking another step closer so that he had you cornered between himself and the wall. “He’s supposedly here to make an alliance, but he hasn’t spoken more than ten words to me. He seems to have plenty to say to you, however. He’s kept your attention from me all evening and you seemed to be enjoying it well enough.”

“I was not!”

“Don’t lie. I saw you smiling at him.”

You pushed hard against his chest, trying to put some space between the two of you, but he didn’t budge. “I was being polite, Nobunaga! If you have this lord’s support, that’s one less province you have to take by force! Why are you being so jealous?”

Taking your chin a little more harshly than he intended, Nobunaga forced you to look up at him, to meet the fire in his red eyes. “He thought he could get close to what’s mine, (y/n). I could see it in the way he spoke to you, the way he looked at you. Are you really so naive and foolish that you cannot tell when another man wants to spread your legs?”

That was too far, and he knew it the second after it passed his lips. The next thing he knew there was a slight stinging sensation in his hand as you smacked him away, your expression hurt and angry as he watched tears bead in the corners of your eyes. 

“I can’t believe you,” you choked, stepping away from him before he could reach out to catch you. “I can’t-” Turning on your heel, you bounded out of the room, the sliding door smacking against the doorframe as you pushed it aside in your rush to get away from him. 

Nobunaga shouted your name, taking a few steps after you, but you were already long gone, your pounding footsteps growing faint as you disappeared down the corridor. His outstretched hand fell to his side as the warlord bit his lip, head hanging in shame. 

His own cruelty astounded him. How could he have said something like that to you, the person he loved so, so much; the only woman he would ever love? 

As much as he wanted to chase you down right that instant and hold you close, erasing all the bad as he begged for your forgiveness, he knew that would only hurt you more. You needed time to yourself until you were ready to accept him crawling back into your good graces. 

For now, the Oda warlord gently closed the door to his room and sat down on the futon, preparing to wait through the long, sleepless night ahead while the pain he had inflicted on you burned bright in his mind and tears pricked at his eyes. 

He was the real fool in all of this. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took a week for him to crack, his patience wearing thin as desperation began to set in.

Nobunaga hadn’t slept since his fight with you and what rest he did get was fitful and shallow. The morning after his blunder, with Lord Kunieda and his party anxiously awaiting their fate, he had decided to allow the alliance to proceed anyway, lest he risk incurring any more of your wrath. It surprised everyone in attendance but no one was willing to question it. Even Hideyoshi didn’t dare come near him, sensing the dark cloud hovering over his lord. Kunieda left soon after, saying something about needing to get back to his province, and while you were sure to have heard news of his decision, you still didn’t come to see him.

Nobunaga strained to catch little glimpses of you throughout the days, watching you from the balcony of his tenshu when you went into town, assigning you work via Hideyoshi that brought you closer to him, even peaking through the doors of your room to watch you sew whenever he passed by, keeping as quiet as possible.

As the days went by without a word from you, he grew more and more exhausted. It was lonely without you. His nights were either spent working or staring at the ceiling of the tenshu. He couldn’t sleep without you beside him.

Finally, exactly a week after the fight, he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to make things right with you. He was willing to get on his knees and beg if that’s what you wanted. He just had to have you back in his arms. Anything to stop this agony of being parted.

Rising from his futon, Nobunaga quietly opened the doors and slipped down the stairs, shuffling to your room. A light emanated from beneath the door, but when he knocked softly there was no answer. Calling your name as he opened the door, he found your room empty, a lamp burning low in the corner and half-finished sewing pieces scattered across your desk. The cover of your futon was turned out on one side, signifying that you had gotten up some time during the night just like he had. 

Leaving your room, he continued his search for you. He wasn’t going to wait any longer to settle this. He couldn’t.

Nobunaga caught sight of you in the courtyard, sitting on a stone bench and looking up at the moon and stars. His heart thumped in his chest as he stood in the shadows, watching the way the milky light bathed your features, making you ethereal. You were his angel. The only thing that would have made you more beautiful to him in that moment was if there had been a smile on your face. Instead, there was a heaviness to the set of your shoulders, an unspoken sadness that he knew he was to blame for.

Stepping into the courtyard, his wooden sandals crunching on the stones revealed his presence to you. Your eyes snapped to him, clear and surprised in the starlight, and he held your gaze, unable to look away even if he wanted to. This was the first time your eyes had met his in a week. Nobunaga’s hope grew when you didn’t make a move to run away from him, but he stopped before he reached you, leaving a few feet’s space between you and him.

Neither you nor he dared say anything, lest the moment break and the pain and heartache come rushing back in. Lifting his hand in a silent offer, he held his breath as time stretched between the two of you, hoping with all his heart and soul that you would take it, that you wouldn’t turn away from him.

With a shuddering breath, you closed the distance and threw yourself into his arms, fully accepting him. Nobunaga could’ve cried it felt so good to have you close again, warm, safe, and loved. His lips pressed to your head, lingering as he took in your scent and held you tighter.

“Can you forgive me, my love?” he spoke, his voice a low murmur in the night air as you nuzzled into his chest. “Can you forgive me for being a fool?”

You nodded against him, biting your lip as you whimpered and clung tighter to him, your tears wetting his kimono. “Yes,” you choked, taking in a shuddering breath. “I forgive you, Nobunaga.”

“I’m sorry, (y/n). I’m so sorry I hurt you.” The warlord could feel tears of his own pricking his eyes, a burn forming in his throat as he tried and failed to keep his voice steady. 

“I forgive you, I forgive you,” you repeated, tilting your head up to look at him. To his surprise, there was a smile on your face, so happy and joyful even as tears continued to stream down your cheeks. “I’ll always forgive you.”

The relief was almost enough to send him to his knees at your feet. His lips captured yours, desperate to feel you after so long without you. Your arms moved from his torso to his neck, drawing him even further down to you as your lips moved with equal passion. Nobunaga didn’t let you go until both of you were thoroughly breathless, even then only pulling back just enough to draw in air, his forehead pressed to your own. “Thank you. Thank you, (y/n).” Giving you another quick kiss, he murmured, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” you responded, cupping his cheek in your hand lovingly and brushing away the few stray tears that fell with your thumb. 

Catching your hand to press his lips to your palm, he looked at you questioningly, wondering if he had the right to ask you this yet or if the hurt was still too fresh. “Will you come back to bed with me?” 

You blinked, processing, before a bright smile appeared on your lips, and he couldn’t help but smile back. “Nothing would make me happier right now, my love.”

He didn’t need more confirmation than that. Taking your hand, the two of you practically raced back up to the tenshu, trying to stay as quiet as possible (not that it would matter later on). Several times, Nobunaga traded joyful smiles with you, and you had to stifle your giggles more than once as he leaned down to give your ear a playful bite.

A weight had been lifted from both of your shoulders, the exhaustion of sleepless nights falling away in response to what the rest of the night promised. There was happiness now where there had been hurt an hour before.

His lips were on yours again before the sliding door was fully closed, eagerly swallowing your moan as his tongue met and tangled with yours. Laying you back against the futon, he continued to kiss you as his hands smoothed up your legs to your obi, parting your kimono and baring your lower half in the process. Kissing down your jaw to your neck, he bit and sucked at the tender skin, leaving marks that would bloom into beautiful hickeys later on. 

“Nobunaga,” you mewled, hands fisting in his kimono as his fingers probed at your dampening heat, stroking up until he found the bundle of nerves and pressed on it. He smirked against your neck as you arched beautifully, pushing your breasts towards him and crying out his name. His name would be the only thing you could say by the time he was done.

You whimpered as his hands left you to tug his kimono off and he chuckled, smiling at you as he moved farther down your body and hoisted a leg over his shoulder. “Patience, my love. I have a lot to make up for and I plan to do it...thoroughly.”

Your hands fisted in the futon a moment before his mouth met your core, his tongue licking a strip across your slit as his thumbs stroked at the insides of your thighs, feeling them tremble against his head. He moaned at your sweetly familiar taste and his grip tightened as his tongue slipped inside of you, satisfying his starvation for you. Your moans grew louder and your hips bucked against his face as his hand stroked up your thigh to pinch your clit, drawing circles around the bud with calloused fingertips and drawing you ever closer to your release.

“Ngh-! N-Nobunaga, I’m-!” He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes in rapture until they flew open, his mouth detaching from your core with a wet pop and a cry of protest from you. Not yet. He wasn’t going to let you have that pleasure you so wanted just yet. Not until he was buried deep inside of you, falling off over that edge with you.

Leaning back on his haunches to look at you and lick away the traces of your essence dripping from his chin, Nobunaga felt his breathing quicken as he took in the beautiful way your breasts heaved, skin flushed with pleasure, hair spread out around you like a halo, and legs splayed in desire and trust for him. A low growl tore from his throat at the sight, his cock becoming painfully hard as his instincts screamed at him to shove himself into the woman he loved and prove to her there was no one better for her than him, that he was the only one for her. He swore he’d never seen anything more beautiful. You shivered under his hungry, primal gaze, an answering whine rising from you as your lust and love filled eyes beckoned him to take what he wanted, to become as close as possible.

Still, there was one thing he had to do before he could take you the way he wanted.

Reigning himself in for a moment, he leaned down to press a kiss to your breast, feeling your heart flutter beneath his lingering lips. “I never want to hurt you again,” he promised softly, leaning into your touch as your fingers carded through his hair. The expression you were giving him when he looked up had shifted to something so tender and loving, he almost thought this was a dream, that he was actually slumped over his desk in reality and that you were still hurt, nursing your broken heart.  But when he lunged up to kiss you again, desperate and passionate, he knew this was real, your warmth and the feel of your small hands on his back pulling him closer too vivid and familiar to be a dream.

Your lips abruptly broke away from his, your head thrown back against the mussed covers with a moan, when he suddenly rutted between your legs, coating his considerable length in your wetness and prodding against your entrance teasingly. With a moan of his own, Nobunaga’s lips attached to your exposed neck, his breath fanning across your skin as he breathed hard with need.

“Nobunaga!” you begged, wrapping your legs around his waist as you tried and failed to pull him into you.

“Who do you belong to?” he husked into your ear, a deep part of himself needing to hear your response, to soothe the wounded beast that wanted nothing more than to destroy any other man that looked at you.

“You, Nobunaga,” you answered breathlessly, turning your head to look him in the eye. “You and only you, forever.”

“That’s right.” In one smooth thrust he plunged himself into you all the way to the hilt, his roar joining your scream of pleasure. It felt unbelievably good, feeling your walls squeezing and fluttering around his cock as he drove himself into you again and again, imprinting his name into the deepest parts of you. “You’re mine, (y/n). I’m never letting you go,” he snarled, one large hand holding yours above your head while the other gripped your hip, holding you in place. 

Each thrust was punctuated with the word “mine” as his fingers tangled with yours, squeezing as he kissed you again, sloppy and breathless. It wasn’t long until he felt his peak approaching, the tightening of your walls signaling your own impending climax. Releasing your hands, he moved back to your clit, pinching and pressing enough to send you over the edge just as he did, roaring your name into the night as his release filled you to the brim and your own dripped down his length. Your satisfied cry of his name rang in his ears as he slumped over you, panting into your ear as your chest rose and fell against his with your own harsh breathing. A few moments passed, but he didn’t pull out, his hips continuing to move against you once more. Nobunaga wasn’t done making love to you tonight. Not by a long shot.

His thrusts were slow, deep, and forceful now, making you feel every inch of him as his body joined with yours. “I love you,” he said softly, burying his face in the crook of your neck as he did and wrapping his arms around you, holding you safe and loved.

You embraced him back, body moving in gentle waves to meet his thrusts. “I love you, too.” He could hear the smile he loved so much in your voice, the smile he’d wished to see for so long. “Always.” 

For the rest of the night, he held that smile close as he continued to make love to you. Nobunaga had what he wanted most - your love - and looking into your eyes and seeing the way you looked at him was enough to know he knew he would never lose it.

[deadmomjokes]

For me, part of being asexual means that I get really, REALLY grouchy about a lot of romance in media. Rather, the obsession with romance, sex, and sexuality in media. I am that person that will roll my eyes and turn off a movie if it looks like it’s turning into some steamy nonsense, and I will never willingly sit through a romcom even if you paid me. Sex scenes? I’m out. Passionate kissing? Peace, I’m going to the kitchen, want anything? Call me back when the actual story gets back on. Ridiculous ‘ooh they have such SEXUAL TENSION and chemistry, let’s see how close we can get to making them kiss and just have them breathe heavily in each others faces to get our audience all bothered’? I will end you all. I HATE when books or movies or shows throw in a romantic or sexy subplot just for the lols, at least what I perceive as the lols. Basically, a romance has to be really super duper well-crafted for me to get behind it and not be just utterly enraged or completely turned off from the story.

(Also please note that when I use the term romance in this context, I’m using it as a catch all for ship-based storylines that, due to our culture’s obsession with sex, usually include or hinge on sex or kissy scenes.)

That being said. When a romance is done well, and I mean really well, I absolutely 100% lose my mind. I feel that mess in my soul.

So with that introduction, allow me to lay out a few of my favorite (and, in some instances, most maddeningly painful) romances/canon ships in media.

(read more because I went off. like I said, I feel this way too deeply when it’s done well.)

Winry Rockbell and Edward Elric in FMA:B. Slow burn, mutual pining, mutual cluelessness, what’s not to love? So soft and tender and funny all at the same time, and the mad respect Ed has for Winry is absolutely delightful. She does her own thing, and he’s totally supportive, just as she is of him. And a happily ever after??? UGH, I can’t, it’s perfect. The most straightforward and least convoluted of my whole list, and it’s comparatively easy to breeze through. FMA:B is great anyhow, so do yourself a favor and go watch it.

Audrey Parker/ Nathan Wuornos in Haven (with major caveats). Caveats first: they went overboard with the sexy stuff in my opinion. It got too smutty for me, but my tolerance for that stuff is super low, and it did still air on TV, so evidently it wasn’t as bad for the target audience as it was for my sex-in-media-repulsed self. I also find the final seasons to get a bit stale and repetitive in terms of them trying to advance the love story narrative (all the plot points for it got addressed in earlier episodes/seasons, so why are we going over it again??). They also have a bit of an issue in some episodes with dragging out conflicts because the characters just won’t talk to each other like adults. But overall, taken as a whole, it hits hard. Again, we have a slow burn, mutual pining dynamic that starts as a genuine platonic friendship, and transforms into a dimension and time defying chosen soulmates love story for the ages. The things they would do to save each other, even if it means they can never be together, just so they have the joy of knowing that their beloved is okay. The tiny ways they take care of each other- Audrey testing Nathan’s coffee to see if it’s too hot, Nathan slowing down so he doesn’t out-pace her, it’s just adorable.

Faramir and Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings BOOKS. This is an interesting one because it happens really quickly and between two minor characters. But Tolkien did this really interesting thing where he established these two characters separately, and then brought them together and played off what we knew about each of them in context of everything else that had happened with the main story, and suddenly it has, as one of my professors would say, “the illusion of depth.” Faramir absolutely falls head over heels for Eowyn but won’t act until she can deal with her own crap and be emotionally available. Eowyn realizes that she was hung up on ideals, illusions, and false dichotomies. Faramir has been through a lot and is looking for peace. Eowyn is looking for who she really is when she realizes she has more than two choices in life. They find healing together, and in the process, find what they were looking for in each other. And all that happens in the space of, like, 4 pages. I LOVE IT.

Sam Carter and Jack O’Neill in Stargate SG1. This one will hurt you to no end. You will hate life. But gosh dang if they aren’t perfect. This is the slowest burn and most mutual pining of all slow burn mutual pining ships to ever grace media. I’m talking 8 seasons of these two sharing feelings but being unable to express it for one reason or another. What are those reasons, you ask? Jack is her superior and respects her too much to put her in that position. No fraternization on the team. Sam has career aspirations, he won’t ruin her life. He’s got his own issues to work through and knows he isn’t emotionally available. Sam is clueless for a while, then when she realizes she has feelings for him but it couldn’t be because of their work dynamic and because he’s still dealing with his own crap, she tries to move on but keeps coming back to the unspoken fact that she still loves him. To the point that she breaks off her own engagement to a great guy because she realizes she was only trying to move on-- and wasn’t successful. They are clearly in deep for each other, and yet they keep making excuses why they can’t say it.

In the whole series, they never officially get together, and I HATE THAT. There are multiple alternate realities and timelines where they are together, and happy, but in the main timeline, they can’t get over themselves, and it hurts so bad because they’re so perfect. Jack knows she’s the smartest person in the room, and he supports her and defends her and listens to and defers to her. He respects her first as an expert, then as a colleague, and then as a woman whom he deeply loves even though he can’t find it in him to love himself. She appreciates his experience and leadership, and trusts him implicitly. She knows she’s got more book smarts, but relies on his judgement and ability to remain calm under pressure. She also knows she can be real with him, and he knows that when she calls him on his BS he better listen. She is his conscience, and he is her backbone. And in between episodes where they’re clearly pining for each other, and even during, they’re really great friends and a great team. I could seriously write an essay on why this ship is both perfect and intensely frustrating, but then again, you could just watch a great and classic series and see what I mean for yourself. (Then you’d also get to meet the perfection that is Teal’c, and watch Daniel Jackson’s transition from Milo Thatch in Space to sassy beefcake demigod who still loves archaeology.)

Beren and Luthien, Tolkien part 2, electric boogaloo. A love so powerful it transcends death, fate, hell and heaven all at once. It’s kind of wild and not what you’d expect if you’ve only read LotR (or only seen the movies), because it’s more a classic fairy tale than anything, but hot dang if it isn’t still one of the most powerful, moving, deeply impactful love stories in all of writing. It’s even a “love at first sight” narrative and I STILL fall hard for it. This story legit moves me to tears every dang time I read it, or even think about it too hard.

It starts as a simple “forbidden love” story, but these two loved each other so much that they defied one of the most powerful kings in all the world at that time (who was also Luthien’s dad, oopsies), defied Satan himself and marched into Hell just for the chance to be together, and then changed the very way the world works forever just so they could stay together and not be parted. Luthien is a total BEAST, while never giving up her gentle, loving, and tender nature. For the love of this man, she defies her father’s wishes and breaks herself out of her own dang tower to go rescue her prince instead of the other way round, she sends Sauron (yeah, he’s here too!) scurrying with his tail between his legs, wrecks his house, and frees all his slaves and prisoners just to try and get to Beren, drags his butt out of heck part 1, then willingly walks into literal, actual Hell with him and proceeds to enchant Satan and all the demons within. Then she gets her bf outta there after he loses his hand, and goes back to face her father unafraid. Basically, Beren undertakes a literally impossible task just for the chance to be with Luthien, but Luthien is the one that makes it happen because she loves him too much to sit around knowing he’s going to die. She’s willing to die with him rather than live without him, but more willing to dare death to come at her and get some because ain’t no way she’s losing him.

Then, at the last, when all should have been their happily ever after, everything goes wrong and she loses her beloved, and instead of mourning forever, she yeets off her mortal coil out of pure “Oh no you didn’t, not after all we went through” just to go stand before the God of Fate and the Dead and plead with him to change the rules of the universe itself just so that she can be with Beren. And he does it, because their love is so strong. Just for them, all of existence is rewritten so that they might never be parted.

And if you don’t think that’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard, consider also: these two crazy kids were so wonderful that the Goodest Boy in all the world, a functionally immortal and super-intelligent dog sent from heaven itself by a literal god, willingly turned on all his masters and spontaneously learned intelligent speech just so he could help them out and be their Good Boy til the bitter end, thus (in Tolkien’s mythos) starting the whole “man’s best friend” thing with dogs. So yeah. And, uh, Tolkien based it on him and his wife, to the point of ripping their first meeting frame-for-frame from real life. It’s too much y’all.

Anyhow, this post is way, way too long, but I was just feeling the need to get that out there. Maybe I’ll have more in the future, but for now, this is what was on my mind. Particularly the last two.

[1zashreena1]

I Am Having a Snuggle -10

18+, m/f, technically OCxDiego Jimenez [Power]

Summary: Princess doesn’t sleep much after her long distance meltdown. Soft Murder Panther to the rescue! Well, except for that one hard part.

WARNINGS: Ridiculous descriptions and ‘the code is more like guidelines’ outlook on grammar. Is it OOC if the character was given essentially zero development in canon???

FEELS. SMUT (aka The Good Stuff), the L word, plus size woman+fit man, soft!Diego (srsly disgusting and if you bring it up later he will stab you), coddled Princess, mentions of... The Belt*tm,  is a relationship happening?? apparently. Leftover high school Spanish.

A/N:  Princess took on a life of her own and has essentially become an OC. There are infrequent mentions of her description (specifically as plus size) and her actual name in later pieces (its Bicki). She started as self-insert so she looks like me (plus size, white, short, blue eyes, curly hair). If that is not your thing, I totally understand. And do not feel obligated to read this, I will not be offended!

I’m not a fan of “plot” so be aware that most of this series is just meandering through their relationship, angst-fluff-smut whiplash style. But with dick jokes.

Special thanks to @chelsfic for the shared Diego headcanons re: coffee preferences. ILY Mommy

TAGLIST: @chelsfic @symbiont13 @nicke0115 @bunnykjm @rosee-sensuelle @girlpornparadise @mandoplease @heresathreebee @xxsteph-enrixx @jetiikad @joalsglasses @mutantcookiesecrets @demoncatstone @squidlywiddly87 @lockedoutofmyotherblog @poeedamerons

You snap awake with a gasp. What woke you up? You lay there for a second, holding your breath and listening. With your vision being so horrible your hearing is a much more reliable sense. Its pitch black tonight, no moonlight breaking through the cloud cover. You don't keep any ambient lighting on while you sleep so you couldn't see anything if you tried.

There. A soft bang outside somewhere. Then another. It almost sounds like car doors. I wonder if the baby is sick again and First Floor Mark is taking her to the hospital?

Your worry is cut short when you jolt to full awareness because your apartment door is opening. You flip over to your back and dive for the nightstand. Glasses first, Smithfield 911 second. You sit up to brace yourself against the wall and hold the gun in your lap, fingering the safety. 

The door closes and you hear it being locked. 

With a heaved sigh you make sure the safety is on and wait. Heavy footsteps come ever closer to your bedroom and you can see the light of his phone before he appears in your doorway.

Diego freezes when he sees you sitting up in bed. Then he smiles. Wide and sparkling in the low light, you can't see them but you know the dimples are there.

"Princess, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He greets you warmly, voice like liquid velvet, wrapping you in heated comfort. You can tell he is wearing most of a suit, the jacket is gone, but you have no idea what color. His collar is unbuttoned. That's not distracting at all.

You arch one brow and struggle not to smirk. "Damnit Diego, you almost got shot." You display the gun, barrel pointed to the ceiling.

He rumbles lowly at you, purring in pleasure, as he spreads his arms open. "Princess, that is hot. Come here, now!"

With a bark of laughter you drop the gun to the bed and launch yourself at him. He staggers back a step but catches you securely. You wrap all your limbs around him and squeeze. His hands cup your ass and he returns the gesture with enthusiasm. Diego turns his face into yours, you know exactly what he wants and you give it to him with no hesitation. 

His lips are soft but his beard is all scratchy tickles. You delight in the contrasting textures, moaning softly as you try to merge your bodies into one entity. His left hand climbs up your back to squeeze your neck right where you always carry all of your tension. 

"Ohhhhhh..." Your mouth drops open and you go boneless in his grip. He gives no quarter and shuts you up with his tongue while his groan vibrates against your chest. Your nipples respond with alacrity. 

He tastes like coffee and chocolate, maybe a hint of cinnamon. What the hell did he eat? You can't get enough of it. 

You never favored long bouts of kissing, makeout sessions were too intimate and your previous partners were more than happy to skip right to the main event. But its different with Diego. He doesn't drool on you and his mouth is consistently at least ten degrees hotter than your own. He always tastes like coffee and some outlandishly ridiculous flavored creamer. The instant a new variety of non-dairy creamer is released he has to try it. His child-like excitement over it is incredibly endearing to witness.

You sink both hands into his hair to pull him back. His eyes are huge and you watch with rapt attention as he licks his bottom lip. "Princess. Bed. Now." He croaks, nodding his own head like he's trying to peer pressure you into consenting. 

Completely unnecessary, baby. 

"Yeah." Your soft whimper is stupidly needy. Only Diego does this to you. Has this effect on you. You feel like the cover of a really bad romance novel. A strumpet. The ludicrous term makes you giggle. You gaspingly add another request, "But naked!"

Diego jumps into motion and takes two huge steps to the bed. You're already fighting with the buttons on his shirt and you don't quit as he lays you down on your back. There is only absolute faith that he won't drop you. 

The moment you're down his hands go to your cami, fingers sliding under the elastic band of the shelf bra and gathering the whole thing up to go over your head. You have to let go of him for a split second so he can fully remove it and that makes you whine unhappily. Diego tosses the shirt over his shoulder carelessly and smushes both of your breasts together to attempt a self-smothering. You laugh breathlessly until he latches onto a nipple.

"Ohhhhhh. Fuck. Yeah. Yeahhh." Nice porn moan, only practicing self-affirmation here. You still can't believe this works. The strong suckling sensations go straight to your cunt. No wonder other women always said they liked it. This is unique to Diego, too. He is the only person that your body has ever responded to in this. Sure, you liked your breasts fondled, squeezed, compressed utterly flat. But your nipples? No, they had some kind of epiphany the first time Diego sealed his lips around one and sucked.

You pet over his hair and he rumbles into your skin, the vibrations make your back arch. Your hands push on his shirt collar. You wanted bare skin earlier, now you need it. His hands disappear, then so does his shirt, but the attention to your nipple never falters. His sneaky fingers snake down over your stomach, he pauses to squeeze the squishy middle, then continue to your pants.

"No!" You yelp and Diego freezes. He releases your harried nipple to look up at you in puzzlement. 

With his brows drawn together he questions you, "Princess. What is--"

You don't let him finish. "Take your damn pants off right fucking now! I missed you, not your clothes!" You even sound frantic to yourself. Desperate. And you don't care.

He growls at you but straightens up and reaches for his belt. 

Oh god. His belt. Your gulp is audible. Its the same belt from that time he detained you on the jet. Spanked you delirious with it and then fucked you over a seat. All as punishment, of course, for sending a booty pic to Julio. You spent the next day on your belly while Diego torturously worshiped your ass. It was amazing.

His slow, evil smile confirms that he witnessed the entire memory play out across your face. That predatory stare never leaves yours as he opens the buckle and whips the soft leather free of the pant loops. He holds the belt up in the air, then drops it to the floor off the side of the bed. "Next time, Princess. We have the whole flight together. Maybe this time I'll make you keep count of how many times you come."

The threatening promise (promising threat??) makes you keen, high and piercing. Diego laughs at your obvious need, but he resumes stripping at a faster pace. You pop upright to get your pants off and complete the maneuver just in time to witness his cock achieve freedom. Before either one of you realizes it your hand is wrapped around him.

Diego collapses forward into you but catches himself on his hands before you get crushed. Not a bad way to go. You think. Crushed by hottest criminal sugar daddy with a heart of gold just for her. A beautiful obituary. 

You tighten your fingers around him; each one individually and in consecutive order, creating a rippling effect. He drops his forehead to your shoulder with a purr. You turn into his face to nuzzle up along his jawline. "Baby," you breathe, punctuating it with a long lick up the shell of his ear. "I missed you. So. Much."

His answering growl triggers violent shivers. He uses those wide shoulders to force you down onto your back. Planting one knee on the bed between your legs, he insinuates both hands under your ribcage and shoulders to slide you up the bed. His hands are so massive that they span the entire width of your back. That fact should scare you, instead you feel secure, even treasured, with how gently he handles you. He can be delightfully rough, you've been on the receiving end of that before. But right now is Soft Murder Panther hours.

He has to move up with you because you are not relinquishing that magnificent erection. 

"Princess," he rumbles directly into your ear, "Let go now or you will be disappointed later. I spent the entire flight thinking about every soft inch of you. Need to be inside you. Nowww." His confession ends in a breathy sigh as he begins pressing kisses over your entire face. 

You reach up to take off your glasses but he's already there, holding them by the frame around the lenses and not the easily bent arms. You blink back tears as you watch him stretch over to set them on your nightstand exactly how you do it. 

When he comes back you cradle his face with your hands, holding him still so you can just take this all in. His eyes search your face, looking for any hint of discomfort as he rests more of weight onto you. You nod gently and he gingerly, deliberately gives you the rest of his bulk. His presence drowns out everything else. All you know is Diego. Everything you ever wanted.

With minimal effort you guide him down until his forehead meets yours. He whimpers softly for you and your hands pet down his stubbled cheeks. This kiss is no less passionate than the wild ones earlier but somehow sweeter. You open your eyes to find him watching you, gaze unguarded and face completely open.

You stroke over his cheeks again, one thumb gliding along his plush lower lip. Diego nips your thumb, then engulfs it in his mouth to suck. Your moan is pure need, "Please, baby."

His hips roll and you feel the underside of his shaft rub the entire length of your labia. You arch and move with him this next time. The third pass lands the perfect angle and his thick heat spreads you wide. Your mouth opens but no sound comes out as you press your head back into the bed. He keeps pushing until you're completely filled. And then he pushes a little more. Just enough. 

You gasp in a shuddering breath and your back arches off the bed while you clench down around him in waves. He groans long and low as he watches you come on him. "Ohh, Bonita. Good girl."

Your quiet huff of laughter dissolves into a moan as he sets a steady pace. Long, solid strokes so you can feel every glorious inch, an inexorable push on your cervix every time he bottoms out. Your fingers claw into his shoulders, clinging like your life depends on it.

He burrows into your neck to sear your skin with his beard, soothing the burn with soft licks and velvet kisses. "Princess. Diego's perfect little princess. Its good? Tell me." He pants, open-mouthed and greedy.

You nod into his hair. "Perfect. Is perfect. You're perfect." He shakes his head 'no', rubbing his face on you. His right hand reaches down, gripping your thigh with purpose. He pulls your leg up, wrapping it around his waist, the other follows of its own accord. His knees spread, widening his stance and shifting the angle of his thrusts. Incredibly, he manages to get deeper inside you. Without a conscious command your mouth opens to spill out pure desperation and mangled ecstasy. "Yes, baby. All of you. Give me everything…"

He drops frenzied kisses all over your face while you two share the same air. His tone turns emotional, raspier, "Want to. Please. Please, please, please let me. Take care of my princess, be better. Just for you. Please, mi amor." 

That's new. New and heart-wrenching. You can't decide if its being used as a pet name or a declaration. It doesn't matter, the agonizing emotion behind it still makes you seize up with pleasure. He moans in approval, moving continuously throughout your entire climax. Just as your back begins to loosen he accelerates his thrusts, driving you right back up into another orgasm. You realize the ringing in your ears is actually a noise being made by your mouth.

"Yes, Princess. Come for me. Let Diego please this pretty little pussy." I am never going to regret admitting that I love his dirty talk. You congratulate yourself for that moment of successful communication. Diego hasn't shut up since then and you are so very grateful. 

He sweeps hands down your sides to grasp your hips. Even at your current size 16 his fingers still curve around both your front and back. He makes you feel small and delicate, vulnerable and fiercely protected. Cherished. Loved.

He half kneels under you, pulling your pelvis into his lap. Every intense, short thrust hits your g-spot and makes your vision swim. Your trembling never stops, its just constant rolling pleasure. You reach up for him, needing to be joined together endlessly. The muscles in his arms ripple and contract as he scoops you up. 

He has you sitting upright in his lap, legs around his waist and your arms tight behind his neck. Your entire weight rests on his left arm under your butt, holding you steady while he thrusts up into you with abandon. The right arm climbs up your back for him to thread fingers into your curls and press your forehead to his. Your mouth hangs open while you sob in bliss. 

"Si, Princess. Dame uno mas, come for your Diego. Be mine." You have no defense for his fierce begging whispered directly into your face. 

"Diego. Diego, baby, yes I-I-" Your voice cuts out as your orgasm sends you into convulsions. He presses your hips down fast to his so he can pump his own climax deep with a gravelly moan. 

He collapses forward, both of you dropping to the bed like a stone, then proceeds to just lay on you and pant. After an undefinable amount of time, Diego rubs his cheek against yours. He is purring again, the deep vibrations rumble through your chest. You pet over his hair, scratching his scalp with your short, practical nails. His back arches and his hips roll; he's still buried deep inside you. "Princessss. Bicki. Mi amor." His sigh is content.

You kiss his temple. Murmuring breathlessly to him, "Love you too, Murder Panther." You nuzzle into his beard, relishing all the textures. His breath catches, then his chest heaves. He pulls back from you, extricating his limbs so he can flop onto his side next to you. Your head turns for a kiss and he is already there, sealing his mouth to your own languidly.

 With one last fleeting peck to your chin, he rolls you onto your side and pulls you back against him in one fluid movement. Your head is pillowed on his left bicep and you wrap his right arm up tight to your chest. The entire length of his body is spooned up behind you. Instead of being suffocating you find it soothing. His soft little snuffling snores lull you back to sleep.

I am having a snuggle.

[theradioghost]

hey, can i pester you for some podcast recs? something with a good dose of humour and not too many episodes to catch up on. a sprinkle of queer romance would be a nice bonus. my fave so far is tsco starship iris, and i also loved greater boston, wooden overcoats, the bright sessions and caravan. and thanks always for all your great recs! you’ve brought many hours of joy into my life :)

We Fix Space Junk -- Two intergalactic repairpeople -- a knowledgeable cyborg veteran and a former socialite on the run -- travel the universe meeting people and fixing things at the behest of the terrifying intergalactic corporation they’re trying to work off their debts to. Hilarious British sci-fi sitcom featuring Evil Space Capitalism, many many wonderful AI characters, and an absolutely delightful teenage space wasp-human-cow hybrid princess who is probably off accomplishing her grandiose special destiny somewhere offscreen while the main characters deal with things like their bosses possibly trying to kill them (again).

Death by Dying -- People have a tendency to die in odd ways in the small town of Crestfall, Idaho. Luckily the town also has an Obituary Writer, an eccentric and nameless but impeccably stylish fellow whose closest friend is the Angel of Death, and who has a knack for solving murders even though that’s definitely not his job description. Throw in walrus haikus, extremely rude ravens, Something Mysterious And Malevolent Lurking In The Dark Woods Outside Of Town, disappearing childhood homes, silent nuns, ghost bicycles, and three man-eating cats, and you get something like a delightful cross between Wooden Overcoats and Lemony Snicket. (Also, OW is peak Canonically Bisexual Dumbass.)

Less is Morgue -- Riley is a paranoid, reclusive teenager with a fondness for conspiracy theories who lives in their parents’ basement. They’re also a predatory ghoul who feeds on human flesh. Evelyn is a cheerful, outgoing young woman with questionable tastes in media. She’s also a ghost, ever since she was killed by a falling stage light at a Nickelback concert 16 years ago. And since Riley dug up and ate Evelyn’s corpse, they’re roommates! Will they ever manage to record a coherent episode of their podcast without something going ridiculously wrong and/or Riley eating one of the guests? Probably not!

Victoriocity -- The steampunk buddy-cop comedy-mystery thriller you never knew you needed but definitely do! Featuring Inspector Fleet, a grouchy, extremely driven policeman looking for the murderer of the Empire’s greatest inventor, and Clara Entwhistle, an even more driven and unfailingly upbeat rookie journalist who has just arrived in the island-spanning, bizarre cityscape of alt-history Even Greater London. Come for some of my favorite sarcastic British narration since Adams and Pratchett, stay for characters-are-begrudgingly-forced-to-work-together-until-they-come-to-genuinely-and-deeply-care-about-one-another-as-friends trope. (Also for Tom “Eric Chapman” Crowley as the aforementioned grumpy detective.)

Quid Pro Euro -- From one of the other leads of Wooden Overcoats, this doesn’t have a typical plot as such but has made me laugh so hard I pulled a muscle despite the fact that I know nothing about the EU. Which is what this near-surreal, Look Around You-style comedy is about: Felix Trench’s vision of a simultaneously hilarious and terrifying alternate European Union, seen from the perspective of a serious of educational tapes from the ‘90s predicting what the EU would look like in the 21st century. It’s hard to describe this show in any way that does it justice, but it’s incredibly funny.

Time:Bombs -- A miniseries by the exalted creators of Wolf 359, which (because they are madmen) was written, recorded, and produced in the space of one week. Also, a comedy about an NYC bomb retrieval squad on New Year’s Eve, most of whom are just trying to get through the night while their leader attempts to break a record for most bombs cleared before the calendar ticks over. Chaos and hilarity ensure.

Superstition -- Wisecracking, bi, Jewish, definitely-a-private-eye-just-don’t-check-her-qualifications Jacqueline St. James receives a message from her father, which is weird, because her parents disappeared years ago. Following the trail leads Jack to Superstition, Arizona, a town in the middle of the desert where everyone’s got secrets, assorted ghosts/monsters/cryptids harrass the locals, and the missing persons rate is the highest in the nation. As a protagonist Jack is Looking For Trouble And If She Cannot Find It She Will Create It, so while Superstition isn’t a comedy per se, it’s got a fair share of laughs and is also just so, so excellent in general.

Standard Docking Procedure -- A self-declared hopepunk scifi workplace comedy about the somewhat dysfunctional staff of Pseudopolis Station, effectively a high-tech interstellar truck stop. It’s funny and heartwarming, nothing truly bad happens, and Julia Schifini is there.

Solutions to Problems -- A morally-questionable human named Janet who has defintely never done any illegal time travel and an easygoing, physically indescribably alien who likes to go by Loaf host an intergalactic advice podcast. Are you tired of your species’ insistence on solving everything via ritual combat? Not sure how to talk to your partner about whether body-swapping has a place in your sex life? Dealing with being a superpowered teenager summoned into being by the collective will of an apocalyptic groupthink cult? Janet and Loaf have you covered! Provided that Janet’s on-and-off girlfriend, the AI who supplies the air they breathe, doesn’t kill them all first. Oddly heartfelt comedy in the form of a relationship advice radio show from the Space Future.

Middle:Below -- This show’s tagline is “Remember: bad things WILL happen,” and that is basically a lie. This is actually a short, incredibly heartwarming and frequently funny show about Taylor Quinn, the only human with the ability to pass between the land of the living (aka the Middle) and the land of ghosts (the Below). Meaning, of course, that the dead call on him to fix all their problems, with the help of a girl named Heather, a ghost named Gil, and a cat named Sans. (Also, some of the most comparatively wild live shows I’ve ever heard.)

Inn Between -- Ever wonder what fantasy characters get up to between adventures, during all that time they seem to spend at inns? This show skips all the adventuring, question, and action, instead focusing on the quiet moments between where what is Definitely Not A D&D Party meet and progress from bickering strangers brought together by circumstance to close-knit found family -- all at the inn, of course. (Lots of queer folks in here also, although there’s no romance at least in the first  couple seasons.)

The Godshead Incidental -- A relatively new but very exciting and so far really enjoyable show!! Following a young woman who writes an advice column through her life in a familiar, and yet strange city where anyone might be a minor god -- your editor, your landlord, that weird guy on the street who was shouting about how he’s the God of Memory and you got into a fight with him and now you keep forgetting everything? Also, your apartment is full of pigeons now because you found out the aforementioned landlord is secretly the god of doorknobs and he’s panicking. Good luck! (Starring Ishani Kanetkar, aka Arkady from Starship Iris!)

Gal Pals Present: Overkill -- Madison, a middle schooler at a Girl Scout camp, agrees to play a game with a somewhat tastelessly bright-pink Ouija board. However, Madison doesn’t know that she’s a natural medium, and now sarcastic mid-2000s 19-year-old Aya Velasquez has joined the many ghosts who are for some reason haunting scenic Harding Park. Aya, however, will not rest until she can solve her own murder (and possibly get to know that other ghost girl a bit better, who says romance has to stop when you’re dead?). Absolutely hilarious writing of a narrator who is almost definitely wearing spectral Uggs during the entire show.

Dark Ages -- The Rivercliffe Museum of Mostly Natural History is one of the finest museums anywhere! Or it would be, if anyone ever actually visited it. Or maybe if the staff weren’t a disastrous and dysfunctional collection of criminals, weirdos, wannabe immortals, idiot bisexuals who can’t just admit they like each other, and one extremely uptight elf with no people skills. Also, it would probably help if the legendary and fearsome Dark Lord, finally returned from his millennia of dormancy to complete his prophesied conquest of the world, wasn’t hanging around watching the chaos unfold because they’ve got his crown on display. (Fantasy workplace comedy with a theme song that did not need to go that hard?)

Brimstone Valley Mall -- It’s mid-December 1999, and at one mall in South Central Pennsylvania, a group of demons are going about their evil work -- namely, working at various dinky kiosks and restaurants, hoping of achieving every demon’s dream of getting to work at Hot Topic, trying not to do too much evil because Earth is way more fun than Hell and no one wants to get promoted back home, and preparing for their band's triumphant opening performance at the upcoming Y2K party. Just one problem: their lead singer is missing. Another absolute masterwork from The Whisperforge.

Arden -- 10 years ago, Hollywood starlet Julie Capsom vanished into the woods of northern California, leaving behind a car containing a human torso that may or may not have belonged to one Ralph Montgomery. Now, private eye Brenda Bentley and reporter Bea Casely, both of whom were among the first at the scene and both of whom have their own very strong opinions on the case, are setting out to solve the mystery on their true crime podcast, Arden. Providing, of course, they can stop arguing with each other long enough to solve it. (Or, a not-really-parody-but-definitely-comedy “true crime” podcast where the crime is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet -- and even knowing that, it’s still a genuine mystery with twists and a surprise ending! -- and the hosts are wlw Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. In other words, it’s perfect. Season 2 is upcoming soon and is adapting Hamlet!!)

Alba Salix/The Axe and Crown -- Another high fantasy workplace sitcom, this one a medical comedy about the titular not-very-personable witch who runs the kingdom’s House of Healing and the various shenanigans she gets into, between her somewhat scatterbrained sister and brother-in-law the king and queen and her assistants, an overly-whimsical fairy and a wannabe monk forced to do community service. The same feed contains The Axe and Crown, a spinoff set in the same world that manages to simultaneously be a sitcom about the staff of a local pub trying to stave off foreclosure and come up with schemes to beat their business rivals, and a heartfelt story about gentrification and recovery starring a gay veteran with PTSD? Which is possibly one of my favorite podcasts? (Also contains one of the most unbelievable crossover cameos possible: Leon Stamatis.)

The Adventures of Sir Rodney the Root -- Also a high fantasy comedy! When a witch transforms heroic Sir Rodney into a small piece of wood, his closest companion Sir Gilbert must set out to cure him by collecting several highly powerful and dangerous relics, accompanied by a snarky dwarfen thief, an imperious princess, a slightly creepy human child raised by fairies, a picky elf sorcerer, a dead unicorn possessed by the ghost of a stoner, and a bard who breaks the fourth wall too much for his own good. So far as I can tell, nobody is straight.

The Amelia Project -- A dark comedy about a secret organization that helps people fake their deaths. Which is honestly a pretty full summary, barring the two important points that 1. this show contains possibly the most continuity-warping crossover event of all time (it’s the center point of this absolutely chaotic diagram), and 2. in one episode Felix Trench plays a character named Bartholomew Fuckface Chucklepants Knucklecracker.

[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,450

Chapter 26: Young Forever

“Even when I fall and hurt myself, I keep running toward my dream.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

Dawn had not yet stretched its lovely red fingers toward the sky. She was still sleeping, waiting for the moon to take its rest after providing the world with its light. The world was cold; a chilly breeze rushed over Jimin’s body and he hugged the tweed jacket a little closer to his frame. He was accustomed to the shadows, the few people who continued to mill about on the streets serving as a faceless and nameless backdrop to his world.

A world of darkness.

Every day and night that passed, Jimin prayed that he would be able to greet the sun – to feel its warmth on his face. Spring was on the horizon, seemingly just around the corner. Despite the warmth that it provided, as it did every year, Jimin never truly felt he deserved the sun. He walked the dark and broken road that his brothers walked, not wanting them to face the hardships of the future alone. All in the name of a dream that they shared; together.

The dream was no longer a dream.

It was now reality.

And yet Jimin still couldn’t quite fathom it. For nearly ten years, it was a seemingly unattainable goal. Not that he didn’t believe in his Hyungs or the drive of his own younger brothers. They were determined and, as a result, he was equally determined to make impossibilities possible. Just as they depended on him, he regarded them as his own source of inspiration.

Without them, he had no dream of his own.

He didn’t know when he’d come to this realization, but it was something he kept very close to himself. Jimin never wanted to burden his brothers with the troubles that often circulated in his mind and in his heart. Years ago, when they were young and believed that their life path was already forged, Jimin thought that he would simply take over his family’s pastry shop. It was just something that was always assumed – a source of income readily provided for him. His passion for serving customers and throwing his heart into a cake seemed natural.

He foolishly assumed the same for the others.

Seokjin’s family was of old money – a line of aristocrats that continued to carry the tradition of handling the financial aspects of their little country town. Namjoon’s father was the local doctor and his mother ran the pharmacy. Hoseok’s line consisted of farmers and it was always believed that he, too, would take up farm work. Taehyung’s family were also farmers; their orchard was rich and always provided a bountiful harvest. Yoongi’s father was a police officer, slotted for the position of police chief in Hwaseong, and his mother owned a boutique.

Jungkook’s future was the only one that was uncertain; his parents dumping him off at an orphanage when he was still just an elementary student.

In a way, Jimin wondered if they were doing this for their maknae; the one whose place at the finish line was undetermined. He didn’t have the heart to outright ask Namjoon if this was the true endgame for them all. Because save for Jungkook, they had security; they had certainty.

They had a future.

At least this way, they all had a guaranteed one.

With this in mind, he was less worried about the path they carved to get to this point. Blood was shed and sacrifices were made. It was necessary in some respects. But now they could put it behind them. They could go back to being the people they once were. Wild and free from the chains that bound them; young forever.

That was the hope, anyway.

Jimin sighed, brushing some of his hair away from his face as he came to the end of the sidewalk. The crosswalk blinked and beeped, alerting all to stop. Traffic zoomed by in opposite directions of each other and people around him continued their conversations. Some were animated – boys consoling their beloveds. Others were the standard fussings of loved ones reassuring the people they were on the phone with that they would be home soon.

His own phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see who was calling him. Seeing Jungkook’s name picture flash across the screen, he smiled and answered.

“Oh, Jungkook-ah,” he said with a smile, “what’s up?”

“Hyung, you look cold,” Jungkook said, causing Jimin to look around him. But as far as he could tell, he didn’t see his younger brother anywhere. He heard him laugh on the other line. “In front of you, Hyung. Across the street.”

Jimin looked across the street and saw Jungkook on the other side of the crosswalk, waving one arm back and forth excitedly. Jimin shook his head and chuckled, eliciting another laugh from Jungkook.

“Stay there. I’ll come to you.”

“Okay!”

He hung up the phone, dropping it back into his pocket just as the light changed. Everyone began moving at once and Jimin made sure to keep himself just a little bit ahead of the others. It was a short walk, but Jimin felt like he was literally walking down memory lane; experiencing everything they’d gone through in just a few short steps. When he reached the other side, it was Jeon Jungkook the man who was standing in front of him; not the boy.

I wonder when it was that he became an adult, he thought just as Jungkook reached out to wrap his arm around Jimin’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Hyung! I’ll warm you up!”

Jimin laughed at Jungkook’s wide smile. “This guy,” he said at the tail end of his laugh, “don’t be ridiculous.”

Jungkook pulled Jimin a little bit closer before releasing him, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “I can’t help it.” He shrugged. “I think we deserve to be a little silly, don’t you?” He saw Jungkook’s smile soften. “We can finally take a breath, right?”

The question took Jimin by surprise. In retrospect, it shouldn’t have, though. It seemed that Jungkook must have been worrying about their futures just as much as he was. Maybe even more. The end of the race was upon them and it felt like they’d been running toward that very end for so long.

So very long.

Reaching out with one hand, he ruffled Jungkook’s hair playfully – laughing when he saw his younger brother sidestep out of the way. Honestly, he didn’t know how to answer Jungkook. He wanted to tell him that he was right; that it was okay to breathe and take in all the clean air they’d been denied for all these years. But there was still a level of trepidation that existed in their world; as though things hadn’t been resolved quite yet.

Instead, he chose to change the subject.

“You’re out late, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin said, catching the look his younger brother gave him, “were you on your way home?”

He shook his head. “No, not yet.”

“Not yet?”

“I, uh,” Jungkook began, not sure if he wanted to finish what he was starting to say. Jimin watched him scratch the side of his head and he couldn’t help the laugh that spilled from him. Jungkook looked like a schoolboy who was about to get scolded. “…I was just taking a walk.”

“Did you go see Noona?”

Jungkook’s cheeks reddened and it wasn’t from the cold. Jimin laughed again, dodging a cuff that was aimed at his shoulder.

“Hyung, stop teasing me!”

“But you make it so easy.”

Jimin lightly bumped his shoulder against Jungkook’s, amused at the younger man hanging his head in defeat. He’d been caught. He decided to tease him some more.

“You could have just stayed the night.”

Jungkook balked at the idea, rearing his head back slightly as if Jimin had suggested he run for a political office of some kind.

Jimin shrugged. “What? It’s not like you haven’t stayed the night before.”

“That was different,” he said, shrugging both shoulders as he kicked the front of his shoe across the pavement.

“How so?”

“I was sick and could barely walk!” Jungkook pouted as he looked at him. “I’m a man who respects boundaries, okay?”

Jimin smiled, shaking his head as he sighed. “So what? You both were up binge watching some show or playing video games until she kicked you out?” He clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Heartless, that woman.”

“Tell me about it!” Jungkook exclaimed suddenly, causing a few pedestrians to look in their direction. He cleared his throat loudly and Jimin stifled the urge to laugh loudly, biting his lower lip for an added measure. “I could have just slept on the couch.”

“Give it some time, Jungkook-ah,” he reassured, placing his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder to give it a squeeze, “she’s trying and showing she cares in her own way. Don’t read too much into it.”

Jungkook groaned. “Easy for you to say. She actually likes you.”

He raised a brow. “And you think she doesn’t like you?” Jimin scoffed, his hand falling back to his side. “I don’t recall her telling Seokjin Hyung that she was my girlfriend, do you?”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“B-Because!” Jungkook looked genuinely flustered and Jimin smirked. “I mean, we hadn’t even discussed it before that night. Like, not officially anyway.” He rubbed his hair roughly. “I was going to ask her properly that night, y’know? But she up and said it like that and what was I supposed to do?”

Jimin shrugged. “She’s an assertive person, Jungkook-ah. You should know that by now. Are you even surprised that she took matters into her own hands?”

“No, but still…”

“She stole your thunder?”

“Yes, she did!”

“Don’t be so selfish,” Jimin said, narrowing his eyes at Jungkook even though he was still smiling, “let her have this. Give her control.” He looked away from Jungkook and stared up at the sky, his pace slowing a measure. “She had a lot of things thrown into her lap at once and I’m sure she’s still trying to process it all, even now.”

Jungkook slowed his pace down as well, casting Jimin a sidelong glance. “Are you talking about Yoongi Hyung?”

Jimin said nothing; he only nodded. He heard Jungkook sigh beside him and he suddenly stopped, causing Jimin to halt his steps just a couple of feet ahead of him. He turned around and looked at Jungkook whose gaze was now pointed to the ground.

“Jungkook-ah?”

“…I know I should feel guilty for Yoongi Hyung,” he said softly, his eyes still cast downward, “and I know that he’s doing his best to pretend that everything is normal. He doesn’t treat me any differently.”

Jimin remained silent. He didn’t want to interrupt what Jungkook was trying to say; what he was trying to process and properly digest. In a way, he understood fully what was torturing Jungkook. He could grasp the concept more than he let on. But this was something that he knew Jungkook wanted to understand and handle on his own. He wouldn’t interfere, no matter how much he may want to.

No matter how much he cared for her.

“But sometimes I wish he would.” Jungkook finally lifted his gaze to meet Jimin’s, his brows furrowing as the worry lines formed on his forehead. “Sometimes I just wish Yoongi Hyung would punch me, curse me, and throw me away. It would hurt less if he did.”

He watched Jungkook avert his eyes. Sighing, Jimin took a step toward him so that he could close the gap. Once again, he reached out to ruffle Jungkook’s hair. However, Jungkook didn’t step away. It almost looked like it hurt him slightly, but the real pain was tearing him apart from the inside. Jimin knew that look; the look of one who was bottling all their emotions inside in an attempt to appear normal and unfazed on the surface.

It was the look of a man who was doing his best to bury everything inside.

“It would hurt more to deny your heart what it wants, Jungkook-ah.” Jungkook looked up at him, his smile long gone despite Jimin’s remaining. “Yoongi Hyung? He’s a prime example of what you shouldn’t do. He may say otherwise, but I’m sure he regrets what he did and how things wound up. But you know what? That’s his burden to bear, not yours.”

“Jimin Hyung…”

“And regardless of the intent, Eden Noona was damaged by it. She was hurt and that’s something that Yoongi Hyung must come to terms with. That wound is deep, and it’s probably festered over the years.” His hand slid from Jungkook’s hair and fell back to his shoulder. “That is a scar on her heart that won’t go away. It will always be there. The only thing that you can do, what you’re now obligated to do, is acknowledge that pain and help her get through it. Not erase it.”

Jungkook blinked, seemingly unsure of what he was supposed to say next. But Jimin shook his head and smiled, patting his brother’s shoulder gently.

“By claiming to be your girlfriend, she’s giving you that opportunity. She wants to know what you’ll do with it.”

She’s stubborn and doesn’t believe she deserves to be loved by anyone.

“She wants to see if you’re going to be genuine from start to finish, wherever that might be.”

She doesn’t believe anyone will stay by her side; that she’ll be abandoned at a moment’s notice. Noona worries about that as much as you do, Jungkook-ah.

“So, the only thing you can do is continue being who you are; because you’re the one she chose.”

Jungkook’s eyes seemed to brighten and he nodded, his expression showcasing his newfound determination. They were now embracing the sunlight. They could enjoy the fruits of their labor and now, more than ever, could share it with someone.

“I…I gotta go, Hyung,” he said, turning to head in the opposite direction. “I’ll see you at home!”

Jimin watched as Jungkook began running down the sidewalk from where he’d originally come from. He paused, turning to look back at Jimin and he waved. Jimin returned the gesture and then saw him disappear into the small crowd of people.

It has to be you, Jungkook-ah…

When he was no longer in his sights, Jimin sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to paint itself across the sky. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he closed his eyes and waited for dawn to break through the clouds; for it to light up the world around him.

…because she didn’t choose me.

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection 2019 Day 17: Friends To Lovers

No Longer A Bat-chelor | @envydean Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 6787 Main Tags and Warnings: Wildlife Rescuer!Dean, Wildlife Vet!Cas, fluff, blanket sharing Summary: Dean's always been too busy for a relationship, but, after a visit to the wildlife vet with his latest rescues, Cas asks him out and Dean agrees. Maybe the universe just needed him to wait until the right time.

Catch 22 | @dmsilvisart Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 3664 Main Tags and Warnings: friends to lovers, pining, halloween, swearing, suggested or mild sexual content Summary: Their entire town knew that Dean or Cas were a sure thing if you wanted meaningless sex and you were in for a damn good time. Word got around and neither man left their partner wanting when the night was through. DEAN A year ago, at this Halloween party, Cas and Dean ended up tumbling into bed together after the festivities. They had been friends for ages and occasionally fuck buddies when one of their dates hadn’t panned out. Since then, they’ve been a regular for each other but still not exclusive. Dean knew Cas occasionally had other partners and so did Dean. Truth be told, it had been a couple months since Dean got any enjoyment out of sex that wasn’t with Cas. CASTIEL Cas was leaving his schedule open in case Dean called. It was pathetic but that's what it was. He wanted his best friend around as more than just a hookup, He wanted Dean to himself. He hadn’t enjoyed sex for months unless it was with Dean. Don’t get him wrong, he still had sex, but there was no connection. He couldn’t leave fast enough when all was said and done. He always spent the night with Dean though.

C Is For... | @spinnerjen Rating: Mature Word Count: 24369 Main Tags and Warnings: Major Character Death, Cancer, Terminal Illnesses Summary: Summary: Health expert and dietician, Castiel has just been told he has two years to live... He plans to make the most of it.

Since Always | @casbeanwrites Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1936 Main Tags and Warnings: friends to lovers, fluff, mutual pining, best friends, first kiss Summary: They are best friends, they always have been. Or so Dean constantly tells himself.

Memories Can Hurt or Heal | @fangirlingtodeath513 Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1606 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe - No Monsters Summary: Dean moved into this house months ago. There's one box on the top shelf of his closet that remains unpacked. A rainy Saturday morning seems like the perfect time to reminisce, doesn't it?

Goddamnit, Cas! | @imbiowaresbitch Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3932 Main Tags and Warnings: Friends to lovers, human Cas, porn without plot, fluff Summary: Human!Cas has an oral fixation and it is positively destroying Dean's ability to think. Cas isn't trying to be a cocktease, but Dean is about to burst. And yeah, Cas is a total cocktease.

Not a couple | @huntersandwerewolves Rating: Explicit Word Count: 2426 Main Tags and Warnings: school reunion, friends to lovers, confessions, first kiss, frottage Summary: Castiel had had enough. After years of sexual tension, unrequited feelings and being teased by their friends, he was done. Dean wasn’t in love with him and he was fine with that, but he didn’t have to rub it in. The length Dean went through to make sure people knew they WEREN’T dating was ridiculous and frankly, Cas had had enough.

trustworthy for such work | @reallyelegantsharkfish Rating: Explicit Word Count: 7474 Main Tags and Warnings: Dragon Castiel, djinn dean, Dragons, Djinni & Genies, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Demisexual Castiel, Mutual Pining, Magic, Wishes References to Addiction, References to Knotting Summary: Cas hugs his pillow, and he’s mostly asleep when a memory works its way in. His father watching Fox news, a fearmongering piece about ifrits in healthcare. His father’s voice, saying, Blood is how they take your wishes. Cas always assumed that meant through feeding. But —

First Words | @suckerfordeansfreckles Rating: General Word Count: 1051 Main Tags and Warnings: friends to lovers, mild hurt/comfort, mentions of alcohol, Cas had too many drinks, love confessions Summary: Cas isn’t sure why he decides to text Dean now, at 3:24 a.m. — but with how his stomach is roaring and his head is pounding, his mouth still tasting like cheap tequila, all he wants is his best friend to take care of him. Cas: I don’t know why i even let Meg drag me out to party, but this isit Cas: i think i’ll die Cas: i didn’t realize i had such a low alcohol tolernce

Untimely Confessions of Love and Other Things - A Hunter's Realization in 5 Parts | @lemonsorbae Rating: General Word Count: 1732 Main Tags and Warnings: Post-Canon, Pining Dean, Oblivious Castiel, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers Summary: They’re dangling off his tongue again, those three little words; the three most terrifying words in the entire English language. It’s getting harder and harder to hang on to them, to keep them imprisoned.

Adventures in Problem Solving | @blueeyesandpie Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 5726 Main Tags and Warnings: no warnings, fluff and goodness, College/University AU, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Christmas, Fluff, Russian Castiel, Human Castiel, Student Castiel, Student Dean Winchester Summary: Dean and Cas have been living together since freshman year and despite their many differences, that's how Dean wants to keep it. Then senior year rolls around and Castiel reminds Dean that his student visa expires soon after he graduates. Dean has a mad plan, but can they keep up the charade long enough for Cas to stay in America where he belongs, or will Dean's growing feelings get in the way?

i need you | @breathingdestiel Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1688 Main Tags and Warnings: au, actor!cas, actor!dean Summary: Dean and Cas are acting in the same movie after a long time. This would be fantastic if Dean didn’t have a huge crush on his best friend.

Sweeten My Heart | @breathingdestiel Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 2332 Main Tags and Warnings: hs!au, pining Summary: Cas is in love with his best friend who is straight and could never love him back. But why is Dean all of a sudden calling him sweetheart, sunshine, and other pet names? Is it possible that Cas's love isn't unrequited after all?

Pen Pal | @peanutbutterjelly-pie Rating: General Word Count: 5246 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe, Pen Pals, Friends to Lovers, Fluff Summary: “Hey, Cas, you wanna be my pen pal?” * * * * * * * * * (Dean is twelve years old when he asks Castiel to be his pen pal, not knowing that it will change his life completely.)

I'm Okay With That | @DesiraeLovesDestiel Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6221 Main Tags and Warnings: Professor Cas/Mechanic Dean, best friends to lovers, pining, love confssions Summary: "Look Cas, I'm sorry, okay? Really. I never meant for you to find out, or make you uncomfortable. We can just pretend this whole thing never happened." "Seriously? Pretend that I didn't just learn you've been in love with me for fourteen years?" Dean has been in love with his best friend Castiel Novak since they were children. A fact that Cas was NEVER supposed to find out.

Hands | @marian-elisa Rating: Explicit Word Count: 2297 Main Tags and Warnings: Friendship/Love, Canon compliant, missing moments Summary: Dean wasn’t sure of when it happened, but holding Cas’ hand had become just as vital as breathing for him. Or: a reflection written from the point of view of their hands.

Let's Just Get a Beer Instead | @a-winchester-scorned  Rating: Explicit Word Count: 5941 Main Tags and Warnings: Destiel, Bottom Castiel, PWP, Top Dean, First Time Summary: Dean’s plan to get Cas laid didn’t go as planned, so they settle for a few beers at a dive bar.

Dean Likes (Cas') Anatomy | @braezenkitty Rating: Explicit Word Count: 2328 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, First Time, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Time, Blow Jobs, Frottage Summary: Dean and Cas have been best friends since they were kids, and they've also had crushes on each other for just about as long. They finally get their shit together thanks to an Anatomy midterm.

Not good enough? | @notfunnydean Rating: General Word Count: 6099 Main Tags and Warnings: sad!dean, Crying!Dean, pining!dean, Pining!Cas, two idiots in love Summary: When Dean finds a list in Cas’ room, where Cas has written down everything he hates about him, Dean tries to become a brand new person. But Castiel seems to hate that as well.

Ten Years Gone | @mittensmorgul Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 4011 Main Tags and Warnings: Fluff, Anniversary, Feelings, Dean's Top 13 Zepp Traxx Mixtape Summary: Ten years after Cas first pulled Dean out of Hell, they both realized that somewhere along the way, they'd saved each other.

What Do You Wish For? | @envydean Rating: Explicit Word Count: 1500 Main Tags and Warnings: Camping, Fluff, Smut, Fingering, semi-public smut, First Time, allusions to Dean/Others, Wishes, Recreational Drug Use, Weed, sharing joints Summary: Dean, Cas, and their senior high school friends are on their annual camping trip. The sun has set and Cas wants some space to reset himself after a lot of socialising and Dean joins him.

Cold-Hearted | @supernatural9917fic Rating: Explicit Word Count: 1595 Main Tags and Warnings: they were roommates, Friends to Lovers, angry breakup songs, Fluff and Smut Summary: Dean's just gone through a bad break-up, so Cas helps him the best way he knows how- booze and angry break-up songs.

Never or Forever | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 5604 Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Universe, Fluff, Romance, Relationship Reveal, Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Mistaken for a Couple, Resolved Romantic Tension, First Kiss, Family Dinners, Everyone Ships Castiel/Dean, Bisexual Dean, Bisexual Jody, Matchmaker Jody Mills, Wayward Sisters, Everyone Is Alive, Kaia Nieves Lives, Eileen Leahy Lives, POV Jody Mills, Eavesdropping Summary: During an impromptu family dinner, Jody figures out that Dean is in a happy long-term relationship. But does he even know? Cas is clearly paying attention. Yet Dean seems to think he's single. Jody never thought of herself as a meddler – but clearly, under circumstances such as these, something must be done.

Gulls N' Roses | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 2414 Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Universe, Romance, Fluff, Gift Exchange, True Love, Roses, Misunderstandings, First Kiss, Holding Hands, Ghost Hunters, Seaside Storms, Arcades, Dean Loves Pie, Angel Castiel, Autistic Castiel Summary: While mid-hunt, Dean gives Cas a red rose. Interpreting the gift as a gesture of true love, Cas decides to give Dean something very special in return.

Prince of the Ether Realms | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 5423 Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Universe, Fluff, Romance, Weddings, Misunderstandings, Marriage of Convenience, Dean is Bad at Feelings, Sam Knows, Shipper Sam, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Portals, Cuddly Dean, Angel Castiel, Agender Castiel, Prince Castiel Summary: To complete a spell, Castiel needs to marry a human. Sam, Dean, and Cas make do with a simple two-minute ceremony in the bunker's library. It means nothing, it's just a means to an end. But what begins as a shortcut for spellwork becomes something far more important, as the human Cas chooses to marry is Dean. As it happens, the shift in their relationship is very real – and the effects, one might say, are universe-bending.

Whoa There Cowboy | @almaasi Rating: Explicit Word Count: 5381 Main Tags and Warnings: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Smut, Fluff, Romance, Dean's Cowboy Fetish, Cowboy Dean, Bisexual Dean, Cowboy Castiel, Porn Watching, Misunderstandings, First Kiss, First Time, Masturbation, Roleplay, Frottage, Love Confessions, Cuddling & Snuggling, Castiel Watches Dean Winchester Sleep, Episode: s13e06 Tombstone Summary: If you're gonna jerk off, watch something you find sexy, Dean said. There's a dirty cowboy movie on TV, and that suits him perfectly. But he never expected that Cas would want to watch /him/.

A Place and a Feeling | @almaasi Rating: Explicit Word Count: 24402 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe, Romance, Schmoop, Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Feelings With Porn, Real Estate Agent Castiel, Castiel in Glasses, Castiel in Panties, Bisexual Dean, Workplace Relationship, House Hunting, Love Confessions, Desk Sex, Premature Ejaculation, Moving In Together, Cuddling & Snuggling, Pets, Adopted Children, Adoptive Parents Castiel & Dean Summary: Human AU. Dean Winchester still hasn't found the perfect little house in the suburbs he's always dreamed of. On the off-chance that another meeting with his totally adorkable realtor could finally change everything, Dean keeps going back to Castiel's agency. Like Cas always says, home is both a place and a feeling. But what if the place Dean's looking for is Castiel's house, and the feeling is Castiel himself? Sometimes the most unprofessional choices lead to the most enjoyable personal consequences. This is one of those times.

...and so you fell 'verse (WIP) (Series) | @babybluecas 

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 15605 Main Tags and Warnings:canon divergence, alt-season 9, fallen!Cas, fluff and angst Summary: After the fall, Cas finds his way to the Bunker, but that's hardly the end of his road. Humanity comes with its burdens, but it might have some perks as well.

Tag Your Porn | jscribbles (AO3) Rating: Mature Word Count: 3517 Main Tags and Warnings: panty kink, fourth wall, TFW reads fanfiction, naughty Summary: When Becky sends Sam some of EllenOfOz's fanfiction, he makes it his mission to use Destiel fanfiction to mortify Dean. But to his surprise, Cas seems intrigued by panties, Dean slowly becomes engrossed in fanfic, and what the hell are they doing cooped up in Dean's room for so goddamn long? Sam is scarred for life when he goes to find out exactly what they're up to.

[jbuffyangel]

Weekly Rundown 10/21/18-10/26/18

Time to rundown what I’m watching, loving, hating and everything in between! Spoilers ahead! Full episode reviews and reactions are linked in the titles.

Daredevil Season 3

Just so y’all know - most nuns do not wear their habits in public anymore. It’s been that way since Vatican II, but TV refuses to catch up.

The action is amaaaaazing again. I love how Matt actually gets tired when he’s fighting.

I don’t want Matt to put that ugly Daredevil suit on again he looks ridiculous. Keep the black mask and call it a day.

I want Foggy to propose very badly. I need a Foggy wedding in Season 4.

Is there any particular reason why Karen didn’t haul ass to Frank’s Punisher lair when her life was in danger and Matty Mcbrown eyes was off Daredeviling an existential crisis? That’s where I’d go.

Matt refusing to ask the other Defenders help because “it’s not their fight” is the stupidest reason ever.

Arrow (“The Longbow Hunters”)

It is a bit creepy when Stan says, “I bet a guy like that would do anything to keep his family safe.” Maybe Stan is a nuthouse, but leave me to my dream for now.

Is it me or did Yorke look older than 40? 1978????

Deputy Director Bell is evil. Calling it now.

The Longbow Hunters don’t actually use bows. This is a twist I did not see coming.

Bl*ck S*ren can’t lawyer worth a damn, but she can wear a suit.

“Stay behind me.” That was oddly hot Rene. I’m wildly uncomfortable that I find you attractive right now, but it is what it is.

Rene: Been back in town a week and you’re already sneaking out of A.R.G.U.S. behind Papa Dig’s back? I’m so proud.

Felicity: Thanks man.

This whole exchange was delightful and not remotely derogatory like “Blondie.” THY NAME IS CHARACTER GROWTH.

“Grab your balls Curtis, we’re going in.” If the Rene character only exists to say this one line of dialogue then it was worth it.

Why didn’t BS and Dinah go after the Longbow Hunter? What is up with allowing all these criminals to run away at a moderately brisk pace and our people acting like they can’t catch them? They are called legs! Move your ass!  

BITCH YOU BETTER NOT STEP ON THAT PHOTO!!!!!!!

Legends of Tomorrow  (“The Virgin Gary”)

Legends Season 4 premiere is fantastic and full of all the hi-jinks I’ve missed over hiatus.

“Speaking of the same old crap isn’t that what he did last year?”Legends gets points for acknowledging that Wally gets the storyline shaft a lot.

When you are officially a hero the time bureau gives you a medal, but I was more excited about the balloons.

It would be super weird if the Legends spent more than a day in 2018.

Remember when Oliver asked Sara to move in with him and she went running screaming in the other direction? It all worked out because Sara knew he was really in love with Felicity. I’m just saying she’s come a looooong way.

I want to be clear about one thing and it’s not up for debate. Ready? The best thing about Legends is Mick. It’s always Mick. That is all.

OMG NATE’S FATHER IS BIFF FROM BACK TO THE FUTURE?????!!!!!!!! THIS IS SPECTACULAR CASTING!!!

Manifest “Connecting Flights”

It was nice to fill in the back story of the characters left behind after the plane went missing, however the show is starting to lose my attention. I need more movement on these character relationships. Manifest is hitting a lot of the same notes week after week.

This Is Us (“Toby”)

Randall is going ahead with the city council job? Are they independently wealthy Does no one have to work?

Baby Toby is the cutest.

Holy crap is this how in vitro really works? It’s so friggin expensive and no guarantees. Wow, my sympathies to all those who have gone through this excruciating process.

Randall unbuttoning his shirt is all the reason I need to vote for him. Done deal. 

Toby used his wonderful sense of humor to cheer up his depressed Mom. Ugh my heart.

But for real though sometimes you need just “one damn day.” #MomLife

Three hours to get ready Kate? Just as an FYI - that’s all over when you have a baby. You’ll be lucky to get a shower.

Miguel carried a piano up stairs to cheer Rebecca up. That’s love.

“There’s so much of her in you it scares me.” THAT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SAY TO YOUR CHILD ASSHOLE.

A+ on the prom dresses. Absolutely what I wore in high school. We were fashionista slaves in the late nineties.

Kate’s impression of Adele is dead on.

Miguel tries so hard. He’s just trying to keep his promise to Jack.

Rebecca is such an amazing mom. Kate doesn’t give her nearly enough credit.

KATE IS PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Rookie (Pilot” and “Crash Course”)

I really loved The Rookie. I typically don’t hate procedurals, but this one has surprised me thus far. It’s fast paced, so it held my attention more. I hope it stays that way. 

I love how it is the rookies versus the training officers. It fills my Rookie Blue void.

I am not invested in any ships yet. I am not buying the romance between Nolan and Lucy so far. I actually think Lucy has more chemistry with Bradford and Nolan with the Captain.

A Million Little Things (“Friday Night Dinner” and “The Game of Your Life”)

I want to love this show, but they are making it next to impossible. I hate cheating storylines in any show. It’s one of the main reasons I quit watching Shonda Rhimes’ shows because she is unable to write one without including adultery. Arrow’s original love story revolved around cheating and was an absolute mess. It feels like a lazy way to inject drama. This cheating storyline between Eddie and Delilah is making two characters who are otherwise very likable extremely unlikable. 

Instead of jettisoning this plot into the atmosphere where it belongs and never speaking of it again, A Million Little Things is double down on it.  Delilah is pregnant! Oh wonderful, now we get to play “Who’s the Daddy?” for several weeks.

Apparently, the writers come from The Fl*sh school of writing. Characters can only be mad at other characters for one episode. All the friends found out about Eddie and Delilah’s affair and the very next week they are sitting down to pizza. It’s at Delilah’s house and Eddie’s wife Katherine comes too because FRIENDS. No. Just no.

Instead of being angry at Eddie and Delilah, the friends make excuses for them. Regina’s conversation with Delilah turned into a huge “I didn’t see your pain” apology, which is flat out ridiculous. What Delilah did was so off the charts wrong there is no excuse for it. If you are in pain see a therapist. It’s not an excuse to cheat on your husband. Also, Regina you are not to blame for Delilah lying to everyone for over two years. 

Gary, who has been the angriest, decides he’s being too hard on Eddie (ya know by actually holding him accountable for his actions) and lets Eddie move in with him after his wife finally kicked him out. Are you freaking kidding me with this? I was already mildly irked at Gary for giving Delilah a free pass, but I understood his reasoning because her husband just jumped off a building. She has been punished quite a lot. But Eddie? I think we could muster a couple episodes of anger towards Eddie.

The writers attempted drum up sympathy for Delilah by shining a little light on her seemingly perfect marriage with Jon. It’s not really perfect, but what marriage is? Jon was short with Delilah during a family dinner. He took a phone call from work and snapped, “Everything I do is for this family.” What a bastard. Of course, that is reason enough for Delilah to jump into bed with Eddie, her husband’s best friend. GIVE. ME. A. FRIGGIN. BREAK. If my husband slept with someone else every time I was cranky with him, he’d have a harem.

So, on top of being suicide apologists, the writers are adding cheating apologists. There is no reason to cheat. It’s just mean. Nobody has put a gun to your head. If you want out of your marriage you march to an attorney’s office and file for divorce. Not sure if you want a divorce? Then go to counseling. But cheating, under any circumstances, is wrong. It’s cruel and selfish. It’s trying to have your cake and eat it too. A Million Little Things trying to excuse away Eddie and Delilah’s heinous behavior is almost as bad as the cheating itself. Trying to make suicide and cheating okay with excuses is dangerous behavior. I AM NOT A FAN.

Stray Thought - on what planet is a school program presented in the middle of the freaking day? What kind of ridiculous school do Eddie and Katherine send their son to?

Blindspot (“The Quantico Affair”) 

Zapata has a very interesting running stride. Sorry I was in cross country. That stuff interests me

Roman saying "He knows. This is it. Kill him" underscores the dramatic tension.

I’m gonna need someone on Team Blindspot to pick up on Remi's side eye. Y'all are FBI agents for goodness sake.

I don't actually know what Patterson's name is, but I feel confident it is not Lisa.

I think Martin Gero saw me write "Where is Patterson's storyline?" in my last review. I could have opted for patience, but complaining loudly via written word felt like a better plan. 

Hey watch the condemnation Remi aka Jane aka double secret agent who told so many lies I can't keep it straight anymore.

OMG Rich not explaining how the tattoo was solved is the best thing ever. PLEASE DO THIS EVERY WEEK

I wanna talk about the Book of Secrets mostly because Rich calls it the Book of Secrets.

Hahaha. Her one night stand showed up at work. This is how Meredith and McDreamy began. I highly recommend elevator scenes too.

One night stand boy is Weitz's nephew. IT. JUST. GOT. BETTER

Sure Madeline come on in and check out our super secret tattoo murder board.

"Thundercats ho!" OMG was that an ad lib?

Totally ship Patterson and this dude. I should probably learn his name.

Somebody tell Rich about the one night stand. Pleeeeeeeease.

I'm not calling him Lincoln. He shall be known as "Slab of Man-Ham" forevermore.

Patterson and Rich are the perfect work wife/husband team. Remember Rich is the work wife

How does Weitz maintain employment? This may be the greatest of all Blindspot's mysteries.

Of course "Jane" and Weller are on the train Weitz. IT'S THEIR JOB. Seriously someone get this dude a DVD of #Blindspot S1-S3

Patterson girl, Jane is never that cranky with you when she's diffusing bombs. SOMEBODY NOTICE PERSONALITY CHANGES PLEASE!!!

"You're new here." ALL KNEEL TO PATTERSON.

[floofsta-x]

things you said under the stars and in the grass -> For Hyungwonho because of the Newton MV XD

o m g. YES??? kdlfsa;a. I am getting so many feels already writing this….so yes you didn’t ask for it but here is an actual fic instead of just a mini. Extremely sappy romance alert

Swing on a Star

genre;; realistic, high school!AU

pairing;; Hyungwonho !!

plot;;

@ramenrulz8p said: things you said under the stars and in the grass !! 

        Send me a prompt and a ship! (✻Ask Box)

The story of a bad boy / former bully and the nerdy son of an Astrophysicist: their unlikely friendship and then relationship. On their first date, they find a place where they can get away, a peaceful escape amidst the swirling confusion and stressful expectations of the everyday.

warnings;; fluff!! very, very cute fluff!! also the beginnings of smut.

words;; 6753 (6.7k)

Staring up at the sky, Hoseok had never felt more at peace. If ever there was a night to cherish and enjoy, this was it. Nothing could get better, even the alignment of the twinkling stars up above. Hoseok practically was praying and begging any higher power that might be listening to not let this end; he needed one more minute, even another long, lingering moment, here. Civilization, stress, and trouble was miles away. The weather was perfect, not too hot nor too cold; a gentle breeze rippled his dark hair. It seemed that the pesky bugs were resting, as he hadn’t seen any all evening. His lungs sucked long, greedy gulps of fresh oxygen. Here, the air didn’t leave a dirty taste in his mouth, like back at home. Still, these weren’t the sole reasons he was happy. They were just other, beautiful things that had fallen into place.

Yes, this night was perfect, but even more so was the tall, handsome boy currently using his abs as a pillow. Hoseok could listen to Chae Hyungwon talk forever. They laid stretched out in the soft, green carpet of grass, perpendicular to each other. The younger pointed to the sky, slender hand moving every once in a while to trace a constellation. His low, confident voice was soothing and relaxing, and yet made Hoseok’s heart beat faster.

Was it really two months ago that they first laid eyes on each other?

Hoseok, also sometimes called Wonho, didn’t usually drop by the library. Why would he? After all, there was a reputation he had to maintain. As a muscled, biker jacket wearing bad boy, tough was in his blood. The last place he would get caught dead was in amongst the shelves of a stinking library. Someone might think that he actually cared about school. On that particular day, though, he had begrudgingly agreed to go. He owed a friend a favor, and had promised that he’d run some errands for him in restitution, no matter how ridiculous– or shady. “Begrudgingly”, of course, wasn’t quite literal; he couldn’t complain too much. In all honesty, he felt relieved that he wasn’t asked to do anything more taxing than return books. So, stack of long-overdue novels under his arm, Hoseok walked in, swagger and all.

It had been a while since he was in here, so, naturally, his gaze swept the room, taking in what had changed. It wasn’t much; maybe they had moved a few shelves, or added a couple, he wasn’t sure. One thing did catch his eye, however. Over in the corner, a tall, slender figure was sitting at a table, surrounded by piles of textbooks. He was dark-haired; his slender hand furiously scribbled in a notebook at his side. Wonho wasn’t quite sure why, but he lingered on this stranger. 

The other boy seemed to know that he was being watched. He popped his head up–and a firm, intense, perhaps even lazy gaze locked onto Wonho’s nonchalant one. Dead silence reigned; time stood still. Hoseok instantly saw through the thick wire rim glasses and hunched posture to the fine-featured man underneath. How could someone possibly be so handsome?

Suddenly the bad boy found himself becoming shy. Blush rising to his cheeks, he broke eye contact and quickly slid the books he was carrying into the return slot. Then he high-tailed it out of there. Hoseok spent the next day and a half wondering what exactly had come over him in that moment.

After that day, whenever he set foot near the library, which was more frequently than before, he was unable to think of anything except the kid who should be on a catwalk instead of digging into advanced calculus and chemistry. Everyone close to him noticed that he was constantly distracted and aloof. Wonho heard a lot of questions about if he was ok or needed help; but far and away he got asked the most if he was in love. Most of the time, he just laughed it off and said he was fine. Only in his most alone times did he admit to himself that he truly wasn’t sure. The answers might be yes, or they might be no.

It took Hoseok a week to work up the nerve to go back. Only after a long internal speech about how he wasn’t scared of anything did he square his jaw and promise himself he’d do it. Part of him thought it was silly. Yes, there was a cute boy in the library. So what? Yet, he desperately wanted another peek. Was it too much to ask to watch the beautiful student who, with a single glance, had captured his heart?

So he wandered in during the same period he had before. Sure enough, there he sat, nose deep in a thick book on physics. This time he didn’t look up. Hoseok brushed off the questions of the librarian on duty, and chose a spot where it was easy to keep an eye on the bespectacled boy. Hopefully, nobody would notice him loitering and glancing pointlessly through novels.

Finding the courage to approach was a whole other ballgame in itself, too. Another three weeks were come and gone before Hoseok finally decided fuck it, I’ve been watching him anyway. He gave himself the same pep talk as before and made his heavy feet go. His heart was pounding and he was pretty sure that his face was an embarrassed red. Somehow, miraculously, he kept his cool, pulled out the chair across from the slender bookworm, flipped it around, and sat down backwards, flashing his best smile.

The boy glanced up warily and scanned him over once. Almost immediately afterwards, he dropped his gaze back to his book. Drumming his fingers on the countertop, he let out a long sigh and finally drawled, “Can I help you, Wonho?”

The melodic baritone that hit Hoseok’s ear nearly reduced him to a blubbering, crying mess there on the spot. But then, he realized that the other boy had just called him by name and gave a start. “Wait–what–you know me?”

“Of course. You and your no-good buddies have tortured and bullied my friends in the past. I figured that it was only a matter of time before I was a victim. Well, here we are, huh?”

Wonho had to fight a sudden urge to retreat as the weight of what the nerdy kid was saying hit him. Yeah, if he was one of the guys he hung with, they’d be trying to extort money right now, and if not that, being plain rude in general. This conversation was definitely not going the way he dreamed it would. So he sank back and lowered his voice. “Uh–actually, I just wanted to say–call me Hoseok.”

That apparently wasn’t what the other was expecting, either, because like that first day, his head popped up. Still, his tone was flat as he followed up with, “Ah–Okay then. Hoseok. Um, can I help you? Is there anything you need from me?”

“No,” slipped out of Wonho’s mouth before he could stop it. Instantly his inner oh, shit sensor started going off. He mentally slapped himself. “Wait, wait, I mean–yes. I do.” Unconsciously, his tongue darted out to lick his lips. “If you’d be willing to give it, your friendship?”

The tall boy’s eyes grew wider, then narrowed again. “Oh my fucking god. You can’t be serious.”

“But I am.” Hoseok was at the point of begging now. “Please?”

There was a long moment of empty silence as the nerdy kid debated what he wanted to say. Wonho did his best to put on puppy dog eyes, hoping cute charms would work. Finally the former sighed in resignation. “Ok, alright. I don’t have reason to doubt you or say no, so. I’m Chae Hyungwon.”

Hoseok visited every day without fail after that, and his admiration for the younger grew. In no time, the schedule was familiar. Wonho often paused to reflect on the fact that he never thought he’d have a friend like Hyungwon. The dark clothing and torn jeans he wore did not belie his defiant, rebellious attitude. Besides the dark, grungy fashion sense, he sported several piercings. True, there were studs in them only intermittently, and the lip piercing he had healed over. Still, the older folks whispered and judged simply based on the number of holes in the cartilage of his ear. He didn’t care, though. If a teacher or parent told him to do one thing, he did the opposite. Nobody could get him to show up to class reliably. His mother had given up trying to discipline him years before. Wonho didn’t like the system, and something within him yearned for ever more freedom.

In stark contrast, Hyungwon always had his nose dutifully buried in a book. He studied for every test and passed classes with flying colors, in the ninety to one hundred percent range. Most of all, he listened to the wishes of his parents and obeyed, like a good and honorable son.

Yet–as Hoseok learned after a few weeks–there was more to the tall boy than compliance. It was his dream to become an astronomer. However, all his life his Astrophysicist father had discouraged him. Don’t even consider it, he said; apparently, astronomy was inferior to specialized fields. Being a doctor or a lawyer, even a mathematician, would be better. After years of this, Hyungwon simply nodded when he wanted out of the argument. No, that didn’t mean that he had given up. He just became better at keeping his mouth shut about it. The determination to resist still burned hot in his breast. That was why he studied so hard; it was his own way of defying authority.

In the beginning, Wonho often skipped class to be in the library with Hyungwon. Not that he didn’t normally ditch, but he had a purpose behind it now. His lies that he was off on a free period worked for a while, but then, the younger found out the truth. After that, whenever Hoseok would straggle in, Hyungwon would push him to the door. (“Yah, you’re going to be here forever.”) As a result–surprisingly, Wonho’s grades started to improve. He had the brains to pass, it was just that he didn’t want to put in the work. Now, though, the image of Hyungwon sitting in the library, using every iota of brain power to make his dream come true, drove Hoseok on.

Much to his own surprise, Hyungwon warmed up to Wonho too. As the weeks passed, he actually came to look forward to his visits. Still, bad impressions don’t fade quickly; at first, Hyungwon was still afraid of the elder. There had to be some hidden, ulterior motive in this unlikely friendship. Hoseok was nothing but kind, however, and the fear melted. Every day, Wonho would lazily waltz into the library. Pulling a chair and sitting down in it backwards, he’d proceed to ask what impossible knowledge Hyungwon was cramming into his brain. The bright smile that accompanied the question always made the day better.

Still, the tall boy didn’t realize at first how far he had fallen. That is, until the first time he referred to Hoseok as Hyung in his carefully-kept memoirs. Once it hit him what he had written, he stopped abruptly and mulled it over for a good long time.

Eventually, giving a sigh, Hyungwon reached up, to the top of his desk. The wooden box that held his old, filled journals rested there. He knew exactly which dog-eared notebook to grab from inside, and thumbed through its pages until he found the date he wanted.

February 12th.

Im Changkyun showed up at the door after school this evening, crying, with bruises on his cheeks and a black eye. Of course I snuck him past my parents and brought him to the safety of my room, where we could talk. My stash of Kleenex was also there, which he desperately needed. I have a huge soft spot for Changkyun-ah; it broke my heart to see him so shaken up. He’s a couple years younger than me, very talented and hard-working, and almost as headstrong as myself as well. But today, I could tell that something had terrified him. When I asked what was wrong and who did this, the only thing he could say was “Wonho”. (Ironic, right, considering the meaning of the name?) I didn’t press any further, and probably won’t, to be honest.

As I’m writing this there’s rage growing within me. Especially because, I think I know this Wonho. He has about the same amount of age on me as I do on Changkyunie. One of those leather biker’s jackets is always on his shoulders, and he hangs with Park Jason. So, yeah, he’s pretty much a no-good tough guy. I’m fully aware that he works out and his bicep is probably thicker than my waist, but I don’t care. I’m going to fight him and make him pay. He needs to know that it isn’t cool to jump weaker kids for whatever’s in their wallet, or the cash their moms sent with them to pay for lunch. How are there even people so mean–

Clenching his jaw, Hyungwon ripped the page-long entry clean out. There was a satisfying crunch as he balled the paper in his fist. How in God’s name could his new friend Wonho, with the cute ears, sparkling eyes, and plump lips (Hyungwon admittedly thought about them way more than he probably should), be the same person who had beat up Changkyun all that time ago? Yes, he looked the part, and had the reputation, but it was impossible. He was so kind and caring and cute and funny and handsome–

Perhaps that was only his best side, and Wonho was building him up to let him down. But until this newfound sense of trust proved to be a foolish thing, Hyungwon would. There was no shame in believing in something as pure as that boy’s eyesmile. His new friend was proving himself to be very good at worming his way into Hyungwon’s heart.

Tossing the old February 12th entry into the wastebasket, Hyungwon returned to his current one.

–Hoseok-hyung. I was halfway through writing the honorific and I realized, it’s the first time I’ve ever called him that. Yah, I know that Hyung is a heavy term. It indicates that the recipient is deserving of respect and admiration. It’s also born of a close bond between two individuals.

I thought about it, and went back to February 12th, four years ago. The day that Changkyunie named a Wonho as the man who beat him up. That page is gone now. I refuse to believe that Wonho and my Wonho are the same individual. Hoseok, from the library, has only shown me kindness and regard since we first saw each other five weeks ago. I want to learn about him, more than I do about the cosmos, even now.

Besides, dare I say it, I think I’m falling in love.

One night, Hoseok woke up from the bliss that was his first dream starring Chae Hyungwon. That was the moment he knew he had to do something about his feelings. They were really getting out of control, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep quiet for much longer. He constantly felt like he could explode. Even if the younger boy didn’t return them, something had to happen, or else. More than likely, if he kept it bottled up, he’d make more of a fool of himself than if he had just told Hyungwon in the first place.

There were a lot of things he was risking by doing it, though. First of all, there was his dignity. Contrary to popular opinion, a fragile heart existed in his wide, muscled chest. His buddies did sorta pick up on this, but in the wrong ways. They were constantly pressuring him to admit that he was a womanizer. He never denied or confirmed it, but they firmly believed that he was anyway. Oh, not like girls had never been the recipients of his affection; it was just that then, he had met Hyungwon. Once the initial puppy love he felt for the tall, nerdy kid was over, he still wanted no one else. If anyone knew he loved another male, he would never hear the end of it. He’d probably lose a lot of friends, too, but that didn’t matter much anymore.

Second, his mother had always been super-religious. That was why Hoseok worried that when he came out, it would reach her. She had always been only loving and caring toward him, her rebellious oldest son, but he was sure that he’d catch major flak from her. Maybe she’d even kick him out of the house. What then? Where would he go? Hyungwon definitely wouldn’t let him stay; Hoseok couldn’t ask such a huge favor of him, anyway. Besides, there was a possibility that if his friends didn’t know, he could do some couch surfing for a while. Eventually, his mum would forgive him and reconcile, like she had done so many times in the past for “smaller infractions”.

Most of all though, Hoseok’s third and last fear squeezed his heart and lungs. Nothing scared him more than the very real possibility that he might lose the friendship he had painstakingly built with Hyungwon over the last couple months. True, it was just the occasional conversation. Most of the time, it was non-verbal. Watching the younger boy’s shifting eyes as he scanned through a book. Listening to the scratch of pen on paper as he took notes. Wishing he could be the pen, when it cutely tapped his lips as he concentrated. Admiring the slender fingers that adjusted his glasses every once in a while. Still, it meant everything to Hoseok, and he wanted to let Hyungwon know that. They seemed to understand each other.

They had taken to meeting each other outside the front doors of the school after the last bell rang. Of course, this was often when the library closed and Hyungwon was finally forced to leave. Honestly, however, it was a great arrangement. In that case, Wonho had time to hang with his buddies, then slip away after a while to be by his crush’s side. With nobody usually in the parking lot, either, they could walk and talk without too many questions. They had their occasional bout of nosy people (most of whom Hoseok kept away by widening his stance and furrowing his eyebrows). For the most part people often went on with their business without caring, anyway.

That day, Hoseok leaned against his usual pillar, head in hand, trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say. He felt great pressure to execute it perfectly. One little awkward pause or break, and he might lose Hyungwon’s attention altogether. Then, he’d feel too embarrassed to try again.

The tall boy got out later than what was standard, but Wonho didn’t mind that much. It gave him more time. Still, when Hyungwon finally appeared, Hoseok didn’t feel prepared in the slightest. So he just put on his best smile and matched Hyungwon’s pace. “Hey.”

“Hey, Hoseok.”

Hyungwonie seemed to be in a good mood, which made Wonho’s heart leap. Maybe this was the appointed day after all. I can do this. All there was now was to wait for the right time. Neither said a word as they approached the blue hatchback Hyungwon called his own. He unlocked it, and in front of the driver’s door, turned to Hoseok. “You’ll be safe going home, right?” That question was a daily routine, too.

“Of course.” Quickly, after he had given his customary reply, Hoseok tacked on, “Oh, um, Hyungwon…?”

“Yes?”

“Well–I don’t mean to make you too uncomfortable, but I have a confession.” Glancing down, Wonho shuffled a little. This was the moment of truth.

The younger simply smiled, shook his head, and waved a hand. Even knowing him for as short of a time as he had, Hoseok could tell what he meant. It was a cue to go on.

“I really, really like you.” The words slid out of Wonho’s mouth faster and more confidently than he thought they would. He reached up and scratched the back of his head with a hand. “Not like, as a friend, but…more than that. You’re the most amazing guy I’ve ever met and I just wanted to tell you. Even if, uh, you don’t feel the same way.”

There was a brief silence. Hoseok waited with baited breath, until he heard Hyungwon’s flat, perhaps slightly sad voice. “Hoseok–” A twisting, sinking feeling invaded the older’s gut. That was, until he glanced up and saw the pink rising in Hyungwon’s cheeks. Swallowing, the taller boy started again, more cheerfully and confidently this time. “Hoseok, yah, I really don’t know what to say. Thank you. You know, I–I, uh, think you’re amazing too. Your smile always brightens my day, and even when we don’t talk, I know it’s okay and you understand me. I find myself thinking a lot about how glad I am that you approached me and wanted to be friends. Long story short, I really like you back, so…”

Shy grins grew across their faces as they finally met each other’s gaze. They reached out and clasped hands easily, Hoseok’s smaller palm slipping into Hyungwon’s larger one. The former’s face showed the incredulity and sudden happiness he was feeling then. Suddenly, he wanted to taste Hyungwon’s lips. He turned red at the thought, but swallowed and reached up to tug at his white shirt collar. “Can I–kiss you?”

“Of course.“

Hoseok reached up and found soft lips waiting. Slow and unhurried, the two of them made out there in the heat. When they finally broke, Hoseok sighed lovingly. “Yah, you’re so handsome,” He whispered. “I should take you on a date.”

“I would love that.” 

Wonho’s heart fluttered wildly when Hyungwon tucked away a stray lock of hair. The elder smiled and glowed even more. “Besides, you need some time off. You’re always working so hard. Live a little. We don’t have to have a curfew if no one knows where we are. Just you and me–what do you say?”

So, that Friday, Hyungwon left his parents a note that went something like:

Mom and Dad:

I will not be home after school. I just wanted to let you know, so you didn’t freak out and send authorities after me. A friend and I are going to get away. I feel I need a forbidden thing called “fun”. Seriously, though, I reckon my straight A grades and hard studying in the past three years have warranted a day away from all work and no play.

I may be home late tonight or tomorrow morning, so please leave the front door unlocked. I am sorry if this makes you worry, but I promise that I am safe.

–Hyungwon

He and Hoseok had planned this out extensively, and an adventure awaited them. The older boy had pulled some strings and reserved a camping spot out at the national park. It was still the school year, so the place was empty. But why? It was Spring; everything was tranquil and beautiful. They expected to be able to sit and talk, bathed in warm sunlight. There, they could just be together, without the weight of worry on their backs. The plan was to get some food, and then head out. The forecasts were favorable, thank God, but if the weather took a turn for the worse, they could sit in Hyungwon’s car. It would still be romantic, and they’d wait it out, perhaps drive back into town if they needed to.

The weatherman called for a clear night, too. It would be perfect for stargazing, which made Hyungwon happy and excited. After much debate, he decided to take the telescope from the tall bookcase in the family living room. This was the first time he had touched it, as normally his dad didn’t let him. He had often pleaded and begged to as a kid, but apparently it would only feed his desire to become an astronomer–or some bullshit like that. Immediately, he snuck it out to the car and hid it in the storage space behind the passenger’s seat. Hopefully it would be a nice surprise for Hoseok. He also wondered if he should add the absence of the telescope to his note, but in the end didn’t. No one would miss it. Besides, he was already breaking five household rules at once. What was another one?

Making sure he had his packed bags, a first aid kit, flashlights, and various other things they’d need in case of an emergency, he left to go pick up Hoseok. He had memorized the way and the address the night before. As he got closer, the butterflies in his stomach intensified. Was this really the beginning of their twenty four hour first date? So far, it was surreal, and they hadn’t even seen each other yet. Hyungwon was afraid that he’d get to his destination and it would evaporate into mist.

The neighborhood his boyfriend lived in was in stark contrast to his upscale one. Most, if not all, of the houses had peeling paint and askew shutters. Hyungwon didn’t have reason to fear it, however. After all, it seemed like a quiet and peaceful suburb. He pulled into the driveway to find the older boy waiting for him. A full mattress leaned end-up against the porch railing. Hoseok had said that he did some strange things as it was, so his mom wouldn’t think too much about the missing bed. Hyungwon smiled and finally took a breath; seeing the muscled, dark-haired man waving at him made things solidify and become real.

Pulling the release lever for the trunk, it lifted open, and Hyungwon hopped out to help his boyfriend. Dropping the second set of seats into the floor, he bailed before Wonho shoved the mattress in. It was just smaller than the space, a perfect fit. This was the “camping” part of their date; they were going to sleep next to each other that night.

After Hoseok threw in his own things, some pillows, and sheets, he pushed the trunk closed and hopped in the passenger’s seat. He didn’t hesitate to give a radiant smile to Hyungwon. The younger watched him with a longing look. Then, leaned over the center console to capture Wonho’s lips in a kiss. They were still new to this relationship thing. So, they weren’t surprised when they both felt their cheeks heat up. They held hands all the way to school.

Time couldn’t fly fast enough for either of them. It did, though, despite lots of bored, whiny, complaining thoughts that it wouldn’t. Hoseok was in the library hallway at three o’ clock sharp. Hyungwon was even out early (something that stunned the head librarian, who was usually the one pushing him to the door at closing). Today they didn’t care if anyone stared at them as they laughed and talked. How could they not? Their plans had them amped up. More lively conversation accompanied the unexpectedly difficult act of making the bed. The back of the car was simply too small of a space. It was at least alright; they could share quick kisses as they ducked in and out and occasionally leaned in at the same time and met. They were the last ones out of the lot, but it was worth it.

At about four-thirty, they stopped by a burger joint. Like the hungry boys they were, they ordered a lot. To be more exact: thirty-five dollars’ worth of beef, bread and french fries, as well as two extra-large chocolate shakes. Hoseok pulled two crisp twenty dollar bills out of his wallet to pay for it all. As he handed them to the lady cashier, Hyungwon suddenly thought of something. Despite his initial determination not to ask, it popped out of his mouth anyway, before he could stop it.

“H–Hoseok-ah, please don’t tell me that–that's–dirty money.”

The elder’s eyes widened. No doubt, he had immediately understood what his boyfriend meant. Dropping his head, he slowly shook it side to side. “No, um–I worked full-time at the electronics store down the street this summer. We have to give all t–that kind of thing to Jay, anyway.”

Hyungwon studied Wonho’s face closely, but found no hint of deception, or trace that he was lying. Guilt flooded him that he had brought it up, so his next question slipped out timidly. “But you…really–?”

“Jumped innocent kids? Intimidated people into submission? Beat people up? Yeah.” A shadow flickered across his face and through his eyes; Hyungwon didn’t have to ask. He knew that he was reliving a few beatdowns, seeing fists and scared eyes flashing across his vision. “When I joined up with Jason, I never expected to have to do anything like that. I feel bad about it now, but when they looked to me to throw punches…I abandoned my honor and gave in. Fuck, Hyungwonie, I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know how anyone could love me after I’ve been so cruel.”

“But I do.” Hyungwon placed a hand on his cheek, and leaned over to press a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips just as the cashier was handing back Hoseok’s change. The petite gal yelped and nearly scrunched the money in her hand. Every pair eyes shifted to them, but they didn’t care.

Momentarily, they broke. Wonho gave a shy smile to the cashier and bowed as she dropped the bills and coins in his hand. As they moved aside for the next person in line, their hands clasped. They had just kissed in public, this was pretty much nothing now.

“Hoseok, I fell in love with you for your bright smile, your dashing good looks, and last but not least your caring nature. Yes, you have hurt my friends in the past, but I’ve forgiven you. I hope that now you can do the same for yourself.” Hyungwon rubbed soothing circles on the back of Wonho’s hand. “You’re worth so much more than the people you call your friends. Please, I’m always here for you, baby.”

Wonho gave a curt nod, eyes misty with tears. “That means so much more to me than you know.”

“Why does a kind soul like you even hang out with guys like that, anyway?”

“Because that’s where this belongs.” Hoseok gestured to his clothes. Even today, it was black jeans ripped at the knee, army boots, a metal band tee, and the ever-present leather jacket. “When this became my standard outfit, nobody would approach me anymore. And then, out of the shadows, came Park Jason. He took me under his wing, introduced me to the other guys–and I didn’t realize how deep in I was until it was too late.”

Hyungwon’s eyebrows knitted together. “If you don’t want to be friends with them anymore, I can help you find a way out, start again. I know that once my close-knit circle realizes that you’re really kind and that we’re dating, they’ll warm up and–”

A sharp no came from the elder’s mouth, and Hyungwon stopped abruptly. Almost immediately, Hoseok turned slightly crimson and apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you. What I meant was–I’m sorry, and I appreciate your offer, but I–I can’t. Not yet. If I leave the group to be with you, every one of those boys will have my hide. Including Jay. And messing with him is not a good idea…ever. Just please give me a little time. I’ll think of something…alright?” He reached up to place a single peck on the taller one’s cheek. 

Hyungwon was about to relent. At that moment, though, the person behind the counter held up a big bag and two extra-large chocolate milkshakes. Wonho winked briefly at his boyfriend before stepping up to claim them. He returned with a huge smile. “Well, ready to hit the road then?”

“Is that even a question you need to ask?”

Seconds later, it was back into the car and off for the national park, a good hour and a half’s drive away from their home. They ate as they headed out, Hoseok feeding Hyungwon french fries. For two otherwise-mature guys, they were certainly acting very cute towards each other. They played a game involving how fast Wonho could move his hand as he brought bites to his boyfriend’s mouth. If he didn’t do it quick enough, he got a peck on the hand. Of course his reaction every time he felt those lips on his fingers was to giggle. He might have been too slow on purpose sometimes, too.

As expected, when they finally got to their camping spot, everything was beautiful. There were a few burgers and fries left in the car if one or both of them got hungry. They took a casual hike together, before it got dark. Now, it was down to sitting and enjoying the night.

Hyungwon talked animatedly about Cassiopeia, the Queen, and how her constellation had some of the most mysterious stars. Enraptured, Hoseok reached down to comb a hand through the younger’s hair. He was listening, but he probably wouldn't remember anything later. He was too busy thinking about how blessed he was to have such a passionate, smart boy to himself.

Once Hyungwon finished his story, he turned his head to glance at Wonho. A smile spread across his face, and he hummed at the soothing feeling of fingers running through his dark locks. 

All at once, he seemed to remember something, and his eyes shot open. “Oh! I almost forgot! I have a surprise.” He bolted up, Wonho along with him.

“Really? Where is it?”

“In the car. I have to get it and set it up.”

“Ok. Give me a kiss first though, won’t you?”

They both shifted their weight and leaned into each other, lips connecting again. Their embraces were still sweet, but growing ever more heated. When they pulled away, neither went very far. Hoseok especially lingered, pressing his forehead to Hyungwon’s. His hand buried itself in the soft hairs on the back of the other boy’s neck, and he could get lost for hours in those big, dark eyes. “Yah, you’re so handsome,” he murmured finally. “I should take you on a date.”

Hyungwon burst out in a chuckle, and his gigantic white grin appeared. “That again? Come on, Hoseok-ah, I’ve already said yes once. This is our first date.”

“Really? Wow…how did I get so lucky?”

“Ah come on, you know that I’m the luckiest one here.” Hyungwon laughed and pushed the older boy’s chest, gently but firmly. “I gotta go get the surprise. I’ll be right back.” He got up and ran back to his car, pulling the box from its spot.

He returned to Wonho’s side with the telescope, and his boyfriend gasped at the sight of it. “No way. That’s your dad’s…You’re totally not allowed to touch it…right?”

“It won’t matter if nobody but me and you know about it.” Flipping open the lid, Hyungwon pulled the stand out first before setting the telescope itself on top. Once he was sure it was stable, he ducked down to peek through the viewing tube. “Whoa. I forgot how disorienting this is.”

“See anything cool?”

“No, but here, if I move it around like this--” Hyungwon wrapped his hand around the end. Tilting the scope in a different direction, he began a search for other things. “And, focus it, I get something pretty cool.” There was a silver band at the base of the eyepiece that he turned, and things became easier to see. After a minute he stopped and gestured to Hoseok. “Wanna try?”

“Of course.” Wonho stepped forward and peered in, too. Presently, a smile grew on his face. “Hey, I can see the craters on the moon.”

“Yeah, it’s a one hundred thirty millimeter. It’s powerful enough to look at Saturn.”

The elder popped his head up, giving his boyfriend a wide eyed stare. “What!? No freaking way. You gotta be kidding me.”

“Yah, I’m not. I dunno if it’s visible tonight. But you can try.”

Like Hyungwon had, Hoseok wrapped a thick arm around the base of the telescope and moved it slowly around. “Yellow, with rings, right?”

“Yep.”

For a little while, the chirp of the crickets was the only sound. Hyungwon blinked lovingly as Hoseok stuck his tongue out cutely, in his concentration. Finally, he straightened up, a wide smile on his face. “Found it.”

“Nah way. I gotta see this.” Hyungwon stepped forward, bending over, and scrunched an eye closed to look into the viewer once more. “Hey, yeah, you did.” There was the yellow-tan planet, centered in the lens. Its storm spot swirled spectacularly on its surface. The rings were perfectly symmetrical, and varying colors to boot. “Whoa.”

“It’s awesome, isn’t it?” 

“It is,” the tall boy felt an arm around his shoulders, and smiled contentedly. “but not as awesome as you.”

Hoseok gave a full-bellied laugh. “Oh, be quiet.” But when they were next at eye level with each other, he kissed him.

Space, and being able to view it, was an almost-bottomless source of fun and excitement. Before they both knew it, though, it was late--and certainly far past their normal bedtimes. When Hyungwon yawned, Hoseok wrapped him in a warm hug and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Hm, we should probably get some rest if we need to drive home tomorrow.”

“But what if I don’t want to? Let’s stay out here tomorrow and the next day and the day after that...please?”

“We could, but what would happen to your dreams of being an Astronomer, babe?”

“I don’t care. I’d study the stars in your eyes forever.”

“You really must be feeling tired if you're saying sappy stuff like that.” Hoseok booped the younger on the nose. “Come on, let’s get to bed, huh?”

Hyungwon nodded, but insisted on putting the telescope away first. Once that task was complete, they kicked their shoes off and climbed into the back of the car together. Despite his tough, muscled appearance, of course Hoseok was the one who buried his face into his boyfriend’s chest. When he had his fill of his scent, he drew his face close to Hyungwon’s and gave him a soft goodnight kiss.

Unexpectedly, The tall boy captured it with his lips, drawing it out and locking his arm around Wonho’s waist. The elder could sense that Hyungwon was burning and hungry. He was all but glad to return the sentiment with his own love. Hoseok reached up to let his fingertips dance across the sharp lines of Hyungwon’s face. “Baby--” He managed to gasp between deep, long kisses.

“I need you.”

There was something pressing into the older’s thigh, and he chuckled. “Alright. Well, I’m all yours.”

A warm pair of hands edged up Hoseok’s shirt.

[becbibliophile]

#FriendstoLovers 

After catching her husband in a compromising position, the last thing that Finley Granger wants is to enter the insanity that is the dating world. She’s dealing with enough upheaval: she’s quit her job as a journalist in Atlanta to start over as a librarian in the backwoods town of Green Valley, Tennessee. But her grandmother has other ideas. When GramBea teams up with her sister, Dot, and their best friend, Estelle, Finley finds herself surrounded by a trio of well-meaning yet incredibly bumbling matchmakers.

In spite of their efforts, there’s only one man she’s curious about, and that’s Zeke Masters, the library’s volunteer IT specialist. Sure, he’s 6’4”, impossibly built, ridiculously good-looking, and gets her nether regions tingling. However, it’s the tingle of her journalist spidey-senses that holds her attention most as she wonders why he’s on sabbatical from Seattle. Is he on the lam, or on the run from a bad relationship?

As Finley finds herself reluctantly drawn to the gorgeous IT guy, she can’t help but wonder: should she indulge in a little rebound fun with the mysterious Zeke – or has she finally met her match?

GOODREADS | AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS

Can I just say… I’m am loving ALL the Green Valley Library reads in the Smarty Pants Romance Series. Who knew a library in small-town Tennessee could be so fun! LOL.

Katie always takes me on a literary ride that I don’t want to hop off. I loved this book about a woman- Finley Granger, who is trying to redefine herself and open herself up to the one thing that she now knows was missing in her life… LOVE. After catching her husband in an affair, she decides to move in with her Grandmother, Godmother and Great Aunt. Let the fun begin.

There were moments… OH MY was I ever laughing so hard. I was reading at my son’s football practice and got some good stares. I just couldn’t stop laughing. And HOLY HOTNESS – Zeke Masters ticked off everything I love in a hero. I feel all of us can find a little bit of Finley in ourselves and my heart hurt for her and all that she was going through. But ZEKE!!!! Well, he makes it all better!

A super fun read! Loved it so much. It can totally be read as a standalone – but I highly recommend all the books in the Series!

#ContemporaryRomance #EmotionalRead

Choosing Us:

What do you do when you meet your soulmate at seven-years-old?

You give… You live… And you love… Together. Forever. To have and to hold.

Until you hear the words, “I just don’t love you anymore.”

Putting an end to me. To you.

To us.

Choosing You:

A single glance. A fleeting moment. A solitary touch could make everything worth it. This was my breaking point. This was where I lost myself completely. I did the only thing that made sense. The only thing I had left to give. I begged her…

To take me with her.

GOODREADS

BOOK ONE:  AMAZON | B&N | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO

At the time of posting Book One is currently FREE on all platforms

BOOK TWO: AMAZON | B&N | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO



MY THOUGHTS

I couldn’t really make just one book as my top reads because this duet is just that a Duet. You must read book one to get book two. And let me tell you these books blew me away.

This was my first read from Monica and it absolutely blew me away. There isn’t much I can say about the books without giving away the whole plot. But these books have so many twists and turns, you won’t want to put the book down until you’ve read them both!.

#SecondChanceRomance 

Love at first sight.

That’s what it was when Rip Myers came up to me in kindergarten. From that point on, we were inseparable best friends.

When I work up the courage to tell Rip I love him, I am met with rejection. He tells me he treasures our friendship too much. That statement might as well be a knife to my heart.

I want to hold out hope that he’ll change his mind.

Instead, he moves on.

The only choice I have is to pretend that doesn’t slay me.

So, I say yes…to the man I love. But he isn’t the man I’ve been in love with nearly my entire life.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | B&N | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO

MY THOUGHTS

Let me just say that I get giddy anytime a Kelly Elliott book hits my eReader. And this book was one of my most anticipated! If you haven’t read Kelly, she writes amazingly epic family saga, Texas romance novels.

This book was special because we got to see a next-generation from the Cowboys and Angels series – all grown up. But don’t let that stop you from reading this book, because the book can be read without having read the previous books.

I had some truly big laugh out loud moments and this book was so much fun. I highly recommend this series and any series by Kelly.

When I read one of Kelly’s books I feel like I’m home. I sink into her books and just relish each moment I have with these characters.

#Frenemies #BossRomance #Forbidden

It started out like any normal day.

Then the fender bender happened.

The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he was also a total jerk. We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth.

Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways. The insurance companies would have to figure things out. I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about.

Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in. The guy from the accident.

Whoops!

Yeah, so I didn’t get the position.

The problem was, I really wanted it. No, I needed it. Anything to get me out of my current career and back into working with kids.

So, even though Hollis LaCroix was as intimidating as he was devastatingly handsome, I went back to see him and begged for a chance.

To my surprise, he gave me a shot taking care of his troubled niece.

At least my attraction to him wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. I wasn’t about to jeopardize my job or the strong bond Hailey and I formed.

But resisting the magnetic pull between us wasn’t that simple. (Then there was our little underwear game—don’t ask.)

We continued to flirt without crossing the line—until it finally happened.

This is the part of the story where we fall in love and live happily ever after, right?

Well, life has a way of throwing some major curveballs.

Ours was one I didn’t see coming.

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

MY THOUGHTS

Hands down one of the best books yet from this dynamic duo. They just have the right recipe for a book that will have you laughing one minute and ripping your heart out the next.

Hollis and Elodie (Ok I admit, it took me waaaaayyyyy too long to figure out how to pronounce her name – Was it E LO DEE or Melolie without the M — ARRRGH) were the perfect match and I kinda figured out the big twist a little early on… but even with all of that, this book was still perfection.

Hollis is a workaholic, love scorned, douchcanoe. He needs to find a nanny to help him with his 11-year-old niece, whom all of a sudden is living with him after her dad was placed in prison.

Elodie needs a change in her career. She thinks that she would be the perfect match for Hollis’ niece Hailey since she grew up in a similar situation. She’s also love scorned and has sworn off men. At least until she meets Hollis.

The banter and sexual tension between these two are OFF THE CHARTS. I was crying laughing at the games these two would play and I just couldn’t put the book down.

5 PLUS STARS!!! I’m an addict for these two when they collaborate and hope this never ends!

#BestFriendsSister #Forbidden #RomCom

What happens when the cute mountain man you made out with, in an ice fishing shack turns out to be your brother’s best friend?

A whole lot of awkward, that’s what.

Maggie’s mind is reeling when she discovers the guy she became tangled up with at Marv’s Bait & Tackle isn’t a stranger like she thought.

The big snag: Sam and Maggie’s chemistry is hot enough to melt ice, which makes keeping their secret far more difficult than either expected.

Especially when one of them decides they want this arrangement to be more than just a catch and release.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS

This was an audible read for me. This book was fantastic. First off, Amy Daws is hilarious. Her words keep me laughing and smiling and I was crazy about this book. Second, the audio actors were amazing! I usually hate when the actors have to go from their voices to those of the opposite sex but Erin and Teddy did a great job of not annoying me with horrible transitions. LOL. And speaking of the actors – I fell in love with this story because it was so well performed.

Sam meets a girl in the bait shop that is obviously off her rocker. But she’s cute and funny and so he decides to help her on her quests to become less “plain” and more exciting for her ex-boyfriend whom she knows will soon become hers again once she shows him how adventurous she can be. What Sam never expected was that Maggie was really Megan, his best friend’s little sister who still thinks she’s with her “boyfriend”.

Sparks fly between Sam and Maggie and soon she finds that Sam is maybe a more perfect fit for her than the ex.

This book kept me rolling in laughter and I loved it so much. If you are looking for an entertaining, hilarious listen or read- then this is the book for you.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR MORE GREAT READS!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Reads of 2019 / Books 25-21 on today's list @KatieAshleyLuv @AuthorMRobinson @author_kelly @PenelopeAuthor @ViKeeland and once again - @amydawsauthor. Check out the blog and enter to win an Amazon GC! #FriendstoLovers  After catching her husband in a compromising position, the last thing that Finley Granger wants is to enter the insanity that is the dating world.

[jrazillashadowworks]

Tranquil Hearts: Of Vines and Flame Chapter 3

Well, finally got another chapter of this Punky romance finished! I really hope you enjoy this silliness. 

Paul was at a complete loss, as the young man across from him, smiled brilliantly, an air of innocence flashing across his countenance. “I’ve never seen you before!” the new arrival exclaimed excitedly, patting the horse’s neck gingerly. Their voice was soft yet playful, much like a gentle breeze. “Is this your friend?”

The mayor’s mouth moved but no words escaped his dry lips. Befuddled and exhausted, he stood there awkwardly. For some strange reason, a sudden wave of relief washed over Paul, as if the new arrival brought peace with them. “Y-yes,” he replied, finally finding his voice after swallowing. “He got away from me when that roar spooked him. I thought I had lost him.”

Blinking wildly, utterly fascinated, the young man, who looked to be but a couple years younger than the Mayor nodded. “Good thing I found him then! I was able to calm him easily. I’m good with animals, see!”

“Clearly you are. Thank you very much,” Paul said with a warm, grateful smile, the normal, elegant cadence returning to his tone. Remembering the niceties, a rosy blush set into his cheeks. “My names Paul. Sorry for not introducing myself sooner. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Although he reached his hand out stiffly, around the horse’s front, the other simply tilted his head at the gesture before walking before the Mayor.

Paul got a clear view of the young man now, trying his best to not show that he was looking him over. Standing but an inch taller than himself, they wore a dirt splotched, form fitting white shirt, under a weathered, black leather, fur brimmed and cuffed hunter’s jacket. Slightly baggy, faded black pants covered their legs, ripped holes revealing patches of scrapped and bruised skin underneath. Tied haphazardly to his feet were scuffed, high rise, leather boots. Thick, messy, windswept hair crowned his head, black with a strange white stripe down the middle, a few pale strands hanging in his handsome face, as the rest was brushed back. Though he would never admit it, the Mayor was reminded of the skunk that ran across his path yesterday.

“I’m Skunky,” the young man chimed.

The Mayor’s jaw slacked slightly at the name, though he quickly collected himself as to not seem rude. Though it was almost assured to be only a nickname, anyone could understand the reasoning behind it. Before he could focus on it too long, or respond, Skunky suddenly closed the gap between them and hugged Paul tight. Surprised, a blossom of pink, flushed his cheeks, as strong arms wrapped around. Unaccustomed to this impropriety of social norms, Paul hesitated, stuttering softly in the embrace before awkwardly hugging back. However, a sudden whiff of the gentle, pleasant aroma of fresh plotted earth and pine wafting off the young man, cleared his mind, and relaxed him. It was a scent of pure nature.

Pulling away, the one known as Skunky, flashed their glorious smile. “You are the prettiest and best smelling person I have ever met!”

As if he wasn’t blushing already, Paul’s face tinted a deep, beet red now, inwardly giggling that they had the same thoughts about the other. Eyes shifting to the ground, he fidgeted on the spot, even though he heard no underlining meaning to his words, no flirtation. This strange man was simply complimenting him, innocently.

“T-Thank you, Skunky.” Though he wanted to compliment back, finding Skunky more than a little attractive, he kept himself from doing so, not wanting to make the situation any more awkward for himself. Not to mention, it was against the social standards set for him. He even reprimanded himself for even thinking such things.

“You’re welcome!” Skunky’s expression turned thoughtful. “So were you simply taking an enjoyable stroll through the forest?”

“Actually…” Trailing off, Paul reminded himself the reason he had come out here in the first place. “I know it’s going to sound silly but I was searching for the one known as the forest spirit.”

Skunky’s brows shot up, and it was only then that Paul noticed a small scar that cut the right brow in half at its edge. “Forest spirit?”

“Well, let me explain. We were fixing up a wildlife reserve in the forest that a storm had destroyed. I, along with my assistant Amara, paid a visit to the volunteers to see their progress and show our support.” He didn’t have to worry about Skunky losing interest, the young man seemed to be hanging on every word Paul was saying. The absolute focus made him blush more. “However, when we arrived, the volunteers met us with the news that it had been repaired by the Spirit. So I simply left a letter for them as thanks…”

His words dragged as the last of his breath seeped through his lips. Before continuing, Skunky cocked his head to the side. “Letter?” Reaching into his jacket, the young man procured the folded up note. “This?”

Amazed, Paul’s countenance dropped, making Skunky chuckle lightly. “That’s a silly face you are making.”

“Are you?” His voice was barely intelligible. “The spirit?”

“I don’t know what a spirit is, but, I am the one who fixed the um…what did you call it?”

“Reserve.”

“Yes! That!”

The Mayor’s face showed all kinds of emotion now, parched lips muttering over muddled words. The amount of sheer luck was almost fantastical coming out of the disaster that had unfolded only minutes before. Paul had come face to face with the spirit he was searching for after all. Through the flood of pure relief, he felt warm tears well up in his eyes though he quickly wiped them away. A rush of exhaustion followed. Staggering, Skunky nearly lunged forwards to keep him upright.

“Are you okay?!” Genuine worry filled his tone and features, for the person he had just met.

Latching onto Skunky out of reflex, he smiled wearily. “Yes. I’m just very tired.” Feeling the bone dry fingers clawing his scorching throat he added, “And thirsty.”

“Why don’t you come to my house for a bit then? You can relax for a while and I can bring you some fresh spring water! It’s not too far from here.”

Silence ensued as the Mayor looked him in the eyes, glistening emeralds of pure innocence and kindness. Though it went against all sane thinking for him to follow someone he just met into the forest, Paul couldn’t help but feel an unnatural ease around this man. He mustered a nod and Skunky hopped for joy, letting out a jubilant laugh.

“Why don’t you ride on your friend here?” Skunky asked, while patting the saddle. “I can lead him on by the um, the strap things.”

“Reins?”

“Right!”

Paul felt bad that his new companion would be walking alongside him instead of riding, he did not fuss over it however, and carefully lifted onto the horse. Sitting up high, he looked down at Skunky who was stroking the muzzle of the horse gently and speaking very softly. Paul was unable to pick up what he was saying. He wanted to ask but of course kept from doing so. There was no need to pester him about such things. With a gentle tug of the reins, they were off back into the forest.

There was no need to worry about getting lost, this time. His guide, led him into the foliage, and down invisible pathways through the green, Paul had figured Skunky had traversed countless times before. Now, he was able to finally relax and catch his bearings. He looked about as golden beams of sunlight peeked between the branches, creating cones of dancing light on the lush surroundings.

Skunky checked back on Paul periodically through the trip, as if to make sure he was still there. Each time their eyes met, the Mayor would blush again. It was getting ridiculous and oh so embarrassing, though Skunky did not seem to notice. Was he even going to survive this? He wondered. Finally breaking through the tree line, they stepped into a magical place.

The Mayor was awestruck when he viewed the fantastical meadow, nestled perfectly within the forest. Pale, healthy grass, made up the ground, not a single dead or dry blade within the entire vicinity. Beds of yellow, purple, and myriads of other colored flowers spotted here and there, boxed in by tiny stones. Leafy vines, lined the grass, creating designs much like the ones around the habitat. These snaking trails, led up to a decent sized, white stone, circular hut at the very center. The vines clung to its sides, coiling together around the doorway and up to the plank wood roof, which had multiple finches tittering on its peak.

Squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks and even a skunk played about in the area, unperturbed and content. It was a small paradise, Paul had never imagined would be in this forest. Skunky lived up to his title. “This is my place,” Skunky chimed, throwing his hands out, dramatically, showcasing everything between his arms.

Paul tried to reply but was still in a cathartic trance, tears welling up from the sheer beauty. “It’s absolutely astonishing,” he whispered.

“That’s good right?”

Lolling his head into a nod, Skunky giggled. “Yay!”

Leading the horse up to the front door, Skunky held out his hands to help Paul dismount and once he was planted safely on the ground, opened the door for him. “Make yourself at home!”

Stepping inside, his feet clapped against the cracked floorboards that squeaked under his weight. While Skunky hurried around, Paul scanned the interior. It was a very humble abode, compared to what it looked like on the outside, with a very low table in the center of the floor with two, moth bitten, embroidered pillows, he assumed were used for chairs, placed on either side of it. An ashen, fireplace was set inside the left wall with a dull pot, in dire need of polishing, hanging over the burnt wood. Sacks full of different nuts and berries sat on either side, giving off a natural, sweet and hearty aroma that masked the barely noticeable stench of burnt wood.

Skunky’s clothes, riddled with holes, were haphazardly folded on top of a chipped, faded oaken dresser, the drawers missing entirely. There was an overused, wooden bow, resting on top of the clothes, and quivers full of arrows leaning against the shelf, along with an open knapsack, with what looked like notebooks inside. The Mayor’s eyes fell on a pathetic excuse for a bed next, which was little more than a thin, ragged bedroll without a pillow or cover. It made Paul sad to imagine that Skunky slept on something so uncomfortable a thing. Immediately, he wished to help him out, maybe buy him an actual bed sometime. Then he remembered, it was not his place to do so. They were still pretty much strangers to one another.

A single window, cut out of the stone, above the bed, revealed the gorgeous surroundings outside, vined tendrils squirming through the opening, reaching inside and crawling down to the floor. Overall, it was a stark contrast from Paul’s lavish home within Ekard but there was an undeniable charm to this place that was not lost on the Mayor. Skunky pat him on the shoulder, jumping him out of his thoughts, wagging a small cylinder bottle. “I’ll be right back. You can eat whatever you want, however much you want!”

“Thank you,” Paul replied just before Skunky dashed away.

Finding the sack of berries again, he picked out a few, plump blackberries, and raspberries before sitting cross legged on one of the pillows. Examining them, in the light of the window, he noted the moist sheen that coated their exteriors. Plopping one in his mouth, he exclaimed at the burst of tart flavor, the plentiful juices, tickling his taste buds. Feeling the brunt of his hunger, urged on by the sweet taste of the berries, he found himself eating more, mixing them with the fresh nuts for a cornucopia of flavor. It was a wonderful snack that calmed his wailing stomach.

Sitting there silently, he listened to the collection of fluttering birdsong outside, resting his hands on the table. For some reason, his glance kept falling on the knapsack on the floor, to his right. He knew better than to go sniffing through others belongings but the steady current of curiosity got the better of him.

Lifting out the first notebook he got his hands on, bound in a brown, leathery hide, he sat back down, caressing the smooth face with his hand. What lied within, surprised Paul. Flicking through the pages, gently with his fingertips, Paul was gifted with some of the best sketch art he had ever seen. Pictures of all things nature, cluttered the pages, not a single space unused. Expertly drawn birds, plants, trees, animals, came to life on the yellowed paper.

The Mayor was utterly enthralled, taking every single picture in before turning the page. Skunky was clearly a man of many talents, despite his deceiving appearance. He cursed himself for judging based on that fact. Apologies were definitely in order. Turning to the last page, he caught a glimpse of a distinguished, bald man with thick, powerful brows that hid his eyes, and a gruff, bristling goatee.

“I’m back!” Skunky announced in a blaring, sing song that sent an electric shock up Paul’s spine.

Exclaiming, the Mayor slapped the book shut and sat it on the table, covering his hands over it, face burning bright red as Skunky came around the other side of the table and plopped down with a thump. Grinning from ear to ear, Skunky placed the full cylinder bottle of water on the table right before Paul. “Drink up!”

Gulping, Paul shifted uncomfortably on the seat, glancing at his hands, the bottle, and then Skunky who cocked his head to the side, patiently, staring him down. It was indeed a precarious situation, one the Mayor was having trouble thinking through. Surely, he would find out how nosey and rude he was, should he move his hands. Not a picture he wanted painted of himself, especially with such a new acquaintance.

“Oh, w-w-wait,” Paul stuttered. “The box! Would you be so kind to get the box tied to the horse? Please?” He tried his best to give a smile, though it most likely ended up looking desperate and pathetic.

“Of course,” Skunky replied, happily. Then he was up and out in a flash.

With no time to lose, Paul scampered across the floor, replaced the book and scurried back, to compose himself as if nothing had changed. A single bead of sweat rolled down his cheek as Skunky rejoined him, placing the box beside the cylinder. “Aren’t you thirsty?”

“Of course! Thank you.” Taking the long bottle, he hastily uncorked it and shot it up, feeling the ice cold water run down his parched throat. With all propriety cast aside, replaced by burning thirst, he chugged the water completely, until it was bone dry. Not ever, had he tasted something so crisp and refreshing in his life. Pulling away, he exhaled softly, wishing there was more.

“What’s in the fancy box?” Skunky asked, curiously, poking his finger to it.

“I’m not sure. It’s a gift for you, from Kina.” Paul could not deny, that he was very interested in finding out as well.

“For me?!” Hands striking out, he snapped the box to his chest, face alight with unbridled excitement. “It’s wonderful! Thank you Kina,” he shouted, as if his voice would reach her.

Paul giggled as Skunky fumbled with the chord, gloved hands fiddling until finally untying it. Lifting the top off, he gasped as he pulled out a new toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and some wrapped chocolate. Somehow holding everything in his hands, he hugged them all, as if these daily items, people took for granted, were cherished, royal heirlooms. The sight was so pure, it warmed the Mayor’s heart. It was so strange. They had only been together for maybe an hour or two but Paul was beginning to understand that he already had a keen liking to this man.

“I have a gift for you as well,” Paul said. Reaching into his pocket, flashing the certificate before giving a bow as he held it out to Skunky, who after moving the other items to left arm, took it, examining it with starry eyes. “Ooooh,” he cooed. “This is very pretty paper. Thank you so much! I love it, Paul!”

After a minute of watching Skunky look over the certificate, Paul cleared his throat, lightly. “You know what it is don’t you?”

Blinking, Skunky looked up to him, innocently. “Pretty paper, right?”

“Well, yes, but, it is also a gift certificate for the most lavish restaurant in Ekard. They have the most delicious foods you can imagine. This paper gives you an all-expense paid visit, where you can have whatever you’d like.”

Skunky stared in awe. “This paper is magical!” Then he looked into Paul’s eyes, an almost serious glint, deep within them. “Will you go with me?”

Feeling the familiar blush scorch under his skin, Paul gasped, lips twitching. “Uh-Uh-Ah.” His heart pounded in his chest, thumping loudly in his ears, as he fretted, fingers twining together. “O-Of course, he breathed, sheepishly.  

“Really?!” Skunky nearly jumped off the ground, brimming with enthusiasm. “Wonderful! I can’t wait!”

This was the most excited reaction, Paul had ever gotten by someone just wanting to be with him. Though it embarrassed him, he did enjoy it immensely, and being in Skunky’s company was refreshing and nice. Taking a second to find his voice again, he sat up straight. “When would be a good day for you?”

“Any day,” Skunky sang, hugging the certificate to him.

“Then, how about Thursday?”

“Perfect!”

At that very moment, Paul had not the mental capacity to wonder what others may think of this-him going on an outing with this strange person. He was much too exhausted to mull over the matter however, barely able to keep his head up. A nap was an increasingly wonderful thought, at that very second. Silence filled the hut as the two sat quietly. Skunky then slapped his own knees, perking the Mayor up. “I forgot to get some water for your horse! I’ll be right back! I’m sure he’s just as thirsty!”

“You are too kind,” Paul said.

Once he was gone, yet again, the Mayor leaned his arms on the table, his head weighing like a block of lead, drooping. It was impossible to think logically when he was this tired and his home was a good ways away. “Maybe only for a few minutes,” he whispered to himself, leaning his head on his arms. Just like that, he was lost to the world.

There was no way of knowing how long he had been out, but when his eyes finally drifted open, it was dark outside, little lights blinking in and out, hovering in the darkness. A candle on the table flickered, casting shadows on Paul’s face as he slowly lifted his head, a string of drool clinging to his chin. Noticing warmth on his back and a weight he did not have before, he turned his head and felt the fur collar of the leather jacket, he remembered Skunky wearing, that somehow hung over his shoulders.

Had he wrapped it around him to keep him warm while he was asleep? Paul wondered, muddled and drowsy. Caressing the leather, it took Paul a minute to realize what had happened before shooting up perfectly straight. “Oh no! I passed out! What time is it?! I have to get back!”

“You are awake,” the light hearted chime of Skunky’s voice said from behind him.

Spinning on his heel, he wiped his lips, trying his best to compose himself even though his nerves wracked his body. “Yes. H-How long was I asleep?”

Skunky counted on his hand, expression suddenly very focused. “About four hours. I was going to move you to the bed but I didn’t want to wake you.”

For the millionth time, his face flushed and then a sharp strain in his back snapped him out of it. Wanting to stretch but feeling awkward being watched, he tried to mask it as best he could. “Thank you for covering me.”

“No problem! I hope it kept you warm enough.”

“It really did.” Carefully, he handed the jacket over, Skunky immediately shrugging it on.

“It’s so toasty,” he beamed, pulling it tight, relishing in the warmth.

Definitely a strange but sweet person. “I hate to be rude but I really must be getting back.”

“So soon?” Skunky pouted.

“I’m afraid so,” Paul replied. “But hey, we will see each other again in a couple days.”

“That’s right! If you are in a hurry, I could perhaps ride the horse with you?”

“You know how to ride horses?”

Skunky shrugged. “Well I have ridden an elk before, and a bear. It can’t be that much different.”

Paul’s jaw slacked. He had to be joking, but his face remained unchanged, without a hint of humor. “A-Alright then.”

Saddled up on the horse, Skunky took the reins, Paul sitting behind him, staying upright by tightening his legs. “You may want to hold on,” Skunky grinned, peeking back with a gleam in his eyes.

With a click of his tongue, the horse nearly swung around, Paul nearly falling off, only keeping upright by reflexively, and instantaneously wrapping his arms around Skunky’s firm chest, tightly. Inhaling sharply, the Mayor held on for dear life as the beast shot back through the forest, the darkened surroundings passing in a blur.

Wind whipped at them, as they sped through, Paul holding on tighter and tighter as they jumped over unseen underbrush, and clopping up and down the constantly changing terrain. Though he was scared out of his wits, Paul was utterly surprised by the expert horse handling by Skunky, who responded perfectly with each movement, keeping up the gait. At times, Skunky laughed, voicing encouragement to the beast, urging him to go faster. By the time they made it back to the main path, the Mayor’s head was practically mushed against the riders back, completely adhered to him.

Finally, the ride slowed to a calm gallop and Paul was allowed to lighten his steel, vice grip on Skunky who did not seem to mind in the slightest. “That was fun, wasn’t it?” He giggled.

There was no possible way he could respond, a constant tremor going through Paul’s body. Surely, whatever he would have said would have been a jumbled mess. He simply nodded. Allowing a few seconds to compose himself, Paul finally breathed. “I think I can handle the rest of the way.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind taking you all the way to the gates at least.”

“I’m sure.” There was a lingering foreboding sensation in his mind that it would be best to return alone and not clinging to a random stranger. It was already assured to be much worse. “We can meet at this spot, next time.”

Stopping the horse with a gentle pull of the reins, Skunky then shifted about to where he was sitting, facing Paul. He then proceeded to hug him fondly. “It was so wonderful to meet you, friend! Thank you for coming to visit and for the amazing gifts!”

Hesitantly hugging back, Paul smiled. “My pleasure, Skunky.”

Sliding off the horse, Skunky stood, patting the mane, offering heartfelt praises and appreciation to the beast, while Paul scooted up the saddle. “Will you be safe heading back?”

Smacking a fist to his chest, the forest boy smiled widely. “I’m the spirit or whatever, remember?”

Paul chuckled. “That you are. Take care, Skunky. It was very much a pleasure.”

“You too!”

Urging the horse with a gentle kick of the heels, they moved on, the two watching each other until out of sight. Once the Mayor was by his lonesome yet again, he sighed heavily. What an adventurous day. Surely, the next day would prove just as eventful, for he would need to somehow explain the situation to Amara and get her understanding. Guess sooner rather than later, he thought, as multiple, floating flames came blazing into view, accompanied by darkened forms and raised, alert voices.

“Mayor Paul!” They cried out, repeatedly, moving erratically.

Hands shaking, Paul gripped the reins and steeled himself for the extremely awkward and stressful ordeal ahead. “I-I’m fine,” he called out as loud as he could muster.

Then he was swarmed, all lights coming to surround him, the flames revealing troubled and stressed Ekard guards, practically pale as ghosts. At the sight of their Mayor, they began to express their relief. They marched around him, as he rode to the gate, where a mass of people awaited. In the group, he caught sight of the guard of the gate who allowed him passage, who was sweating bullets, face a strange, blueish color in the dim light. Paul felt bad for him. That was, until his eyes came upon another, in which icy fear was stricken in his veins, stealing its place. His countenance immediately mirrored that of the guard as his stomach plummeted to the ground.

Searing, reddish brown eyes, glowered at him from the very front of the group, arms crossed, countenance, ice cold. “A-Amara…”

[angstymarshmallow]

About Rules of Engagement Book 2.

Well folks, here we are - at the end of another book. At the end, for another rant. There are many things that come to mind when thinking about the Rules of Engagement. Sibling bonding, love interests and their not-so-rival/rivarly, the cliche tropes and of course how can we talk about Rules of Engagement without mentioning their ‘evil’ aunt and cousin?  In any case - shall we begin?

Rules of Engagement began as one of those choices books that I grew mild affection for. Book One, while a tad bit un-engaging grew on me the more I read it and by the end I was excited for book 2. Unfortunately, that excitement did not last. 

I guess I’ll start with the pros this time because, the cons definitely outweigh the pros.

1. Multiple POVs =‘s Multiple Plots. One of the most interesting things about Rules of Engagement is the fact that we get to play as MC’s siblings, as well as MC herself. The lovable big brother that has to prove he’s falsely in-love with his secretary Elena who he actually falls in love with anyway.  MC’s younger siblings - brainy twin; a young girl that has been pinning over a scholarship for the better half of the year and party twin; her other half that’s biggest problem not at all really  is having to keep a steady job before the end of the summer. For the most part each sibling leads intriguing lives; whether personal or work related, they make for a pleasurable playing experience. This is also it’s achille’s heel but we’ll get to that in a moment.The Multiple POVs also brings personality to the series. Playing each sibling means immersing oneself into their lives. With different personalities constantly in development allows for a unique gaming experience. 

For instance; I never feel any of the siblings are too similar to each other in terms of dialogue or actions, or even personality. Party twin’s indecision towards her relationships at work versus brainy twin’s determination to her scholarship for working for Blaire. 

2. Romance Options. Although for MC her romantic entanglements are of a particular blend strictly male; some of her other siblings are able to pursue relationships of the same sex.Although there isn’t much of it, Mira as a possible love interest later in the story for party twin; and brain twin’s evolving relationship with Aubrey who pushes her to be adventurous, bold. Inclusive more than exclusive, it reminds the player of the illusion of options and enriches the story-line. 

Secondly, with regards to the strictly all-male romance options for MC - all three men have seemingly different personalities and attitudes. Granted, they kind of have to if they are supposed to appeal to a mass audience but I think it’s done well to the point where I never feel as the player, that MC is on a date with anyone else apart from the specific love interest. 

3. Story line Book 2 began with the impression that MC could finally make her choice. However, the more it lingers on; it turns out to be the last and final choice for MC to date all three men simultaneously without having to make a choice. Originally, I’m placing this here because having options is always a great opportunity to know other characters better, but it isn’t the only driving force. Playing as MC’s siblings is also apart of the story line, but sub-plots that continue to pique the interest of the player even when the player doesn’t feel remotely interested into having multiple dates with three LIs.

The cons are coming.

1. Multiple POVs =‘s Multiple Plots. Remember I mentioned about this being it’s Achilles's heel? Let me explain. While I appreciate immersing us the audience into multiple POVs, it also took away from MC’s storyline. It made hers feel superficial and shallow compared to some of the other goals her siblings had to achieve before the end of the summer. I liked having multiple POVs, and multiple plots because it kept things constantly interesting but ultimately it hurts MC’s plot and made me less inclined to play as her. I was more excited to play as big bro or brainy twin. This leads me to point 2:

2. MC’s Lack of Personality. Due to some of the circumstances I mentioned briefly earlier; I didn’t have a good feel of MC’s overall personality. Other books does it well; for instance the Freshman MC is usually confident and flirty, or Endless Summer MC and The Royal Romance MC, being fearless and adventurous. None of this really transitions well into Rules of Engagement MC’s. Unless I am really off the mark, she has such a lack of one that all I had to focus on was getting through another hopefully romantic date and liking the suitors more than my actual MC. This sort of added to the distinct desire of wanting to play as her siblings more because I didn’t know who my MC was. As weird as that sounds, she was as close to a blank canvas without being able to paint anything substantial as you could get.

3. Diamond Options Not Making a Difference. Man, I was waiting to bring this up for so long. But it pains me so much to use diamonds, only to have it not affect or change anything. Mostly if people wanted to spend more time with Carter or Mira as party twin; they had less chance to do so because the book in some ways ‘forces’ the party twin to spend more time with her boss. It is a gripe for people uncomfortable with a boss-to-employee relationship being anything less than professional, and uncomfortable for those that didn’t care for such a ship to begin with. 

Secondly, this irates me the most. After brainy twin accepts the opportunity to work under Blaire Hall for a competitive internship; after spending diamonds to ensure her an edge over Paulo only to have it mean absolutely nothing. Had I known she was going to leave anyway; I probably would have saved myself diamonds. I don’t have a problem with linear narrative for the most part I understand games have a certain amount of limitations. What I do have an issue with is being under some apparent delusion that brainy twin could be successful and disregard her nana’s wishes to pursue a career.

4. Nana’s Will. How could we discuss the siblings without discussing their nana? Their sweet and kind nana that left them five hundred million each with the catch of completing a list of things. In hindsight, with every sibling their nana had completely different goals - from finding love, to making long lasting commitments and pushing oneself outside of their comfort zones - these are admirable things, until you realize how ridiculous some of it really is. I could probably think of at least two paragraphs of how silly I think most of it is, how it undermines a woman’s ability to want to find her career first; or how unrealistic it is to marry someone you’ve just met before the end of the summer, or how blurring the line between boss and secretary is bizarre (although in this case nana had no idea Elena was big bro’s secretary) but then I would be typing for hours instead of writing a sort of objective and constructive criticism of book 2.

5. The Alpha B_tch trope. I kind of wanted to glaze over this really quickly because of how Mira was introduced to the staff on the ship, as well as Madeline’s brief cameo as Leo’s finance, and Blaire Hall. In all three circumstances all three women are introduced antagonistically and the player doesn’t have a chance to really understand them, or choose how to react to them with the very limited options. Personally I think they all have admirable qualities ; determined, strongly opinionated and sometimes stern (maybe unnoticeable at first to some). They are pretty strong female leads and deserve a more positive representation than just being “the mean bitch” for the lack of a better term. (Granted in Mira’s case, party twin can develop a better relationship, Madeline isn’t around long enough to see if the two could get along, and Blaire Hall has this great heart to heart with brainy twin).

5. The ‘Evil’ Aunt and Cousin. It was okay in book one (for the lack of being anything better) but I really hoped by book 2, the siblings relationship with their cousin would have developed faster than this. There isn’t really much interaction between the rest of their family other than a sneer here or there, or their aunt and cousin continually trying to foil their relationships. My biggest gripe would be the lack of development, mostly their aunt and cousin are as one dimensional as they could get.

6. The Pregnancy Scare. What was really the point? Was it only to add drama to party twin’s already problematic life? Was it to warn us about the danger of not using protection? My mind is still trying to come up with reasonable explanations for so much build up only to have it be nothing more than a pregnancy scare. Party twin was never pregnant, this is only mean to emphasize how irresponsible she is. Ha. Ha. Jokes on you. (They dragged it for so long that I was skeptical she was pregnant to begin with but still I raised my eyebrows at this).  Ultimately, my criticism ends with the overall message of this plot point. What conclusion were we as the audience supposed to draw other than it be a small attempt of adding more drama?

6. The Ending. Oh man the ending. Where to even start? How can I really type how much the ending bothered me without sounding emotional about it? First of all, realistically speaking - there is no way any of the men that doesn’t win MC’s heart would simply be okay with her making out and pretty much saying marrying one of them in the spotlight of where they are. It really is absurd to me that there isn’t an ounce of emotional outbursts, or any kind of inclination that the other two suitors cared when MC declared one of them ‘the one.’  That was my biggest gripe with the ending (as I can’t remember at this point anymore, but rest assured I am probably missing something with brainy twin and party twin’s circumstances).

Originally I had many ideas and thoughts concerning book 2 but after leaving this in my drafts for awhile; this was really the only things I could think. In any case I welcome anything else people would like to discuss or add in the fandom!

TLDR: Rules of Engagement book 2, had some good moments specifically its immersive multiple POVS, and romance options not being limited in terms of personality and character development. Sadly the pros do not outweigh the cons, and book 2 felt like an interlude to something more. But we’ll get to that by the end of Rules of Engagement book 3.

[graceivers]

Review #61 - Until You Loved Me

Until You Loved Me Author: Brenda Novak Genre: Contemporary Romance, Pregnancy & Babies, Sports Rating: ★★★ Recommendation: it’s a toss-up; once was enough Summary: Ellie Fisher becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with Hudson King, a NFL quarterback. Hudson is dealing with personal demons that threaten to scandalize his personal life. Ellie is still reeling after catching her fiancé cheating on her. Will a baby between them two help bring them together or ruin their lives as they know it?

Female Lead: There were two very distinct sides of Ellie—one I really liked and one I severely disliked. Which part of her did I like? The adult, career-driven, mature, and mostly responsible Ellie, of course. That Ellie had most of her life together despite catching her fiancé in bed with another man. Regardless of the obstacles thrown at her, this Ellie stood tall and proud. She went to work everyday even though she had to constantly face her ex and his lover day in and day out. She had distinctive career goals and knew what she wanted to do with her doctorate. She took the news of her pregnancy in stride despite some initial panic and always did what was right even if it was difficult and didn’t yield the results that she wanted. I loved this Ellie because she was strong.

I did not much like the Ellie in the latter half of the book after she moved in with Hudson and miraculously and suddenly fell in love with him. I thought a lot of the decisions Ellie made at this point in the book were not self-serving but rather to placate Hudson. Sure, there were moments we still saw her tenacity and fire when she refused to accept much money from Hudson other than the ‘salary’ they agreed upon, but other than that, her purpose from an educated career-woman turned almost subservient when everything she did was for the benefit of Hudson instead of herself. Did I accept her reasoning for leaving her job and not working for a while to focus on the pregnancy and those future postpartum months? Yes. That, however, did not mean Ellie had to completely cater her life to Hudson’s needs. Male Lead: To be honest, I didn’t like Hudson. Yes, he had the extremely sad backstory of his birth and childhood that I sympathized with. Yes, he seemed on a superficial level like a decent person given his wealth and status as an elite NFL quarterback. Yes, he did good by mentoring those boys at that school he himself went to before becoming a professional athlete. My problem with Hudson was his underlying and yet incessant need to make everything about himself. Again, perhaps this was due to the fact that he was unwanted as a baby and went through numerous foster homes, which would undoubtedly make anyone feel neglected and alone. Still, adult, thirty-two-year-old Hudson only seemed to care about what he wanted and what would make his life the best it could be. This was painfully evident in his treatment of Ellie. And as a result, I couldn’t much enjoy his character. Plot & Writing: This book… Until You Loved Me was not what it seemed. Novak included numerous twists and turns, which made the book interesting but also just a tad disturbing. And while Novak was obviously a good writer that kept the book at a decent pace, there were a number of choice decisions the author made that not only disappointed me but also made me feel uncomfortable so much that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read on.

I struggled trying to accept and support the relationship between Hudson and Ellie. As I said before, I thought Ellie’s strong character unfortunately became one that only served Hudson and his wants and needs. Hudson essentially used Ellie when he got her to move to California with him. He made her move because he wanted the baby. He kept pushing her to have sex with him not only because ‘he was a man and he had needs’ but also because he was using sex—and therefore Ellie—as a distraction when the investigation into his birth and biological family apparently went to a place of extreme discomfort and disgust. The first time Ellie stated that she was in love with Hudson—not to his face—I was like, what? Since when? What do you even like about him? What do you even know about him? I had a super hard time believing Ellie would fall in love with Hudson that quickly. Novak wrote that they had these supposedly great conversations together to get to know each other and whatnot, but none of those conversations were actually written into the book. What did Ellie truly love about Hudson besides the fact that he was a tortured soul who needed some comfort and closure? What did Hudson truly love about Ellie besides the fact that she wasn’t interested in his fame and fortune and was carrying his child? I cannot answer those questions.

One of my major issues with the book was how the baby, and essentially Ellie, were treated. Once Ellie found out she was pregnant and came to terms with the fact that she was with child, she so strongly stated that she wanted the baby. SHE WANTED THE BABY. She planned on carrying to term and raising the child. Why in the hell, then, were so many people trying to take the baby away from her? WHY WERE MEN TRYING TO TAKE THE BABY AWAY FROM HER? There was her ex who all but tried to bully her into giving her child up to him and his partner. The dude brought it up multiple times even though Ellie made it painfully clear that she was not selling her child to her ex because she wanted to keep it! And then freaking Hudson. First he blew up in her face and made her cry so bad that she was basically afraid of him, and then he made a complete one-eighty and was like, ‘THE BABY IS MINE! I’M GOING TO BE A PART OF ITS LIFE! YOU CAN’T STOP ME! I WILL TAKE THIS CHILD!’ And that was basically when I started severely disliking him. Stop trying to take the baby away from Ellie, for goodness sake. She’s a mature and capable and independent adult. She didn’t need these ridiculous men barging into her life and telling her what to do with her own child.

I won’t really discuss the whole situation of Hudson looking into the circumstances of his birth and how he was left as a day-old infant. What I will say is the number of plot twists Novak decided to insert regarding this pot was interesting. One of them in particular was what made me feel uncomfortable and hesitant to complete the book. But once Novak doled another out, I was intrigued enough to press on and see its relatively satisfying and less uncomfortable conclusion. Favorite Part(s): Hudson wearing sunglasses in the nightclub like a loser when he first spotted Ellie. But actually, one thing I did enjoy about Hudson was his relationship with his teammate, Bruiser. They had decent conversations, and I could really imagine their camaraderie and closeness. Final Thoughts: What I read definitely was not what I expected when I picked up Until You Loved Me. This book ran into more chick lit territory, which was fine with me. It was just that some of the subject material pertaining to a plot twist surrounding Hudson’s family mystery and the treatment of Ellie were off-putting to me. I would recommend Until You Loved Me if you enjoy chick lit and are okay with some unsavory plot points. Otherwise, you can skip this one.

[wolforion20]

This show is really fast-paced and I find this a complete hoot to watch. The characters are distinctive and quirky and there is a nice mix of comedy and drama. I definitely am recommending this show to anyone who likes a well-balanced legal drama. If you like romance, this might not be your thing as I’m not sure you are going to find it. If it is there, it will probably be more of a subtle plot like in God’s Quiz. And don’t get your hopes up if you ship Dean and Mr. Perception. There is a love interest for our lawyer who has yet to be introduced.

In the last episode we left GoGo in a dire situation. The criminal had just gotten the upperhand during their fight. The man takes his gun and pulls the trigger point blank at GoGo’s head. Nothing! He’s used up all of his bullets. GoGo mocks him for this and then their positions are reversed. In order to get a maximum amount of bounty, GoGo tries to pry the information on the stolen good, but the police arrive. GoGo accuses the criminal for calling the cops on him, lol, but the criminal then has a little accident in his underwear. Really? This is a silly, yet serious, drama.

GoGo sees Dean and Sun-hop leaving and curses the blind lawyer. It was the who called the cops! He will get back at “Mr. Perception” (this is Dean’s nickname for Sun-hop) for losing half the bounty, just you wait! Sun-hop was the one who requested Dean call the police, but the blind lawyer comments this is because Dean encouraged him to do so because the criminal had a gun. These two, always bickering. Dean asks him to accompany her for a late night meal, but Sun-hop refuses since he has an early case in the morning. Now she’s not hungry because he refused her.

Now we get to have Sum’s case tried. The opposing counsel [Hugo Wong as “Walter” Wa Ye] does not like Sun-hop’s new evidence and believes it should not be allowed since they have no confirmation that it is really that wanted criminal’s voice. Sun-hop reminds them that the morning news confirmed the criminal was arrested in the same village where the poisoning incident happened. It is brought up again that Sum confessed to the crimes at the station, so what about this confession? Dean whispers to Sun-hop that the judge is nodding to Wa Ye’s statement as it makes sense. Sun-hop calls Sum to testify. The boy is visibly uncomfortable. He tells Sun-hop that he only buried the poor dogs because they were so pitiful. Sum then asks if he says he did it, can he leave and go home? Sun-hop uses this as proof that Sum was not being truthful when he confessed to poisoning the dogs. Wa Ye drops the charge of unlawful burying the animals’ corpses and leaves the animal cruelty charge up to the judge who renders a not-guilty verdict.

As in the prior two cases, Sun-hop talked about the misconceptions people had about Sum. Since he is mentally handicapped and only has the development of a ten-year-old child, everyone thought he would be cruel to animals with no reason needed and unjustly accused him. What would happen if they scarred that poor child for life? Good point. Sum’s mother is happy her son is free and innocent of the crimes. Sum baked dog-shaped biscuits/cookies for them. This is also his own way of helping out his mother. Sum’s mom cannot believe how mature he really is at heart. Sun-hop said that since he took no fees for this case (a vow he made to GoGo in episode 1), he will take all the cookies. LOL. Dean ignores this and goes off to play with Sum by showing him how to make shadow puppets.

This brings a memory back to Sun-hop. He was a child and he has not yet gone blind. He was doing shadow puppets, but they were not turning out right and were fuzzy. His father comes over and adjusts the lamp and voila! Once the flashback is over we see Sun-hop sitting in his apartment turning a lamp on and off. I can’t wait to get more of these little tidbits of his past.

It is now morning and Sun-hop goes through his routine like normal. As a blind person, everything has a spot and a special label that can be felt. Unfortunately…his peaceful world is about to explode. His landlady shows up and he goes to pay her the rent, but she says she has to let him go as she needs the place for her poor nephew that is currently homeless. Who is the nephew? GoGo! She is surprised they know each other. If that is the case…how about they share? Sun-hop is adamant—no! Then she has no choice but to ask Sun-hop to leave. Sun-hop then calls her his baby and invites her inside. He tells her that she does not want to lose the income by letting her nephew stay free, right? He will sublet the apartment and make sure GoGo pays as he should. I thought it was funny when he let her in and she said she was scared since this was the first time he ever did that. So…against both of their wills, these two men become housemates.

We have a nice explosion of English mixed in after Baobei leaves (that is seriously the landlady’s name). GoGo asks him to give him 5 to which Sun-hop replies that he will give him 5 minutes in English. 5 for what? To move into the guest room. Sun-hop says he will draft up an agreement and layout the terms of rent, etc. GoGo should have the money, right? GoGo then says he still hasn’t gotten even with Sun-hop for that incident. But that’s fine. Sun-hop will like him after living together awhile. Sun-hop doesn’t care if GoGo likes him and he says he doesn’t care to like anyone either. Like is said in English and the way Sun-hop stressed this was funny. Ahhh, Sun-hop. He tries to keep people at arm’s length but it just is not working.

At Pledge, they are running a vote to nominate a queen for their bar. During the voting process, Pledge’s workers intimidate some of the voters. For what? The roses are counted and Mandy is declared the winner until another employee said Dean tied for the win. Dean’s good mood is gone. She slams her hand down on the table and goes to the front. Who instigated this? Well…the workers thought this was a good idea since Dean scares the customers. To try to placate their boss, they go to Sun-hop and tell him that he’s the only one who can calm Dean down. Thus a blind man is invited to be the tie breaker. He feels Mandy’s face, but Dean jerks away and won’t allow him to touch her. He then declares her as the winner. Why? It is not because she is pretty but because she has a commanding aura as a queen. Any complaints? Nope. This makes Dean very happy.

If we are honest…it’s the teeth that are Dean’s least attractive feature. Without those she will be quite pretty. Sisley Choi does a great job with the false teeth. In Substitute Princess, our leading lady sounded odd when wearing the false teeth of her original look. Sisley’s speech sounds completely natural. Kudos for her.

Outside of Pledge, Dean is holding her final rose and basking in happiness. She knows that her outer appearance is ugly. This is a fact. Surprisingly, Sun-hop says that she is not really ugly. To him she is like Maggie Cheung. Although it has been 30 years since he lost his sight, he still remembers the Maggie Cheung from his six-year-old perspective. She was very pretty with a gap between her two front teeth. This is after Dean said she couldn’t go out and win Miss Hong Kong with her looks (in real life Sisley was runner-up for Miss Hong Kong, btw) and Sun-hop agrees before saying she could win runner-up like Maggie Cheung. Of course, Sun-hop cannot be nice for long periods of times. When Dean goes up to cuddle into him, he says he is only lying to her so she will keep giving him cases. She then squishes him to her and says she hates him. She gets a call and Sun-hop shudders when she gets up. Although…with Dean’s back turned, Sun-hop gently caresses the crown of flowers and smiles. Hmmm.

Dean gets a call—there is an assault case that needs defending. Ngai Yu-Chun [Zoie Tam] was doin performance art when she kicked a man in his balls. She can get up to three years in prison for this! Say what? Yes…a person can do significant damage with a severe enough kick to the genitals…but three years when the man wasn’t even seriously injured? Yowza.

The next day Ngai goes to Sun-hop’s office. Dean is there and acts as Sun-hop’s eyes when they play the video footage. There is no sound, so Sun-hop’s super senses won’t help here. Instead, he pays close attention to Ngai’s reaction to the video. Ngai’s performance is done in the nude earning her much ridicule. She is not doing this to be vulgar. People are born naked and die naked (not necessarily on the death part). Her piece is based on this principle. She has endured much ridicule and scorn and derision for this. The man in question had his hand in his pocket masturbating and then ran up to Ngai. Feeling threatened, she kicked him. However, from the angle, you cannot see the man do anything really wrong or threatening. Ngai goes to leave to find a new lawyer, but Dean says that while Sun-hop is blind, he sees a person’s true colors. Dean tells the Maggie Cheung story and helps convince Ngai to keep Sun-hop. He comes out and tells Dean to let him know when she will say such a disgusting thing again as he’ll jump off the roof. Dean says she hates him and he says he is not nice. Again, love these two together. Of course, he will not represent Ngai for free, however, he is convinced she was defending herself based on her reaction.

Sun-hop’s normal routine is completely disrupted. GoGo uses use toothbrush and mouthwash and even takes his morning coffee! GoGo has also moved things so they are not where the are supposed to be. While Sun-hop is yelling at GoGo, the other man is taking money out of his jars. The blind man is not stupid, but GoGo is. He keeps inciting Sun-hop with all the things he did. Sun-hop chases after GoGo who yells at Sun-hop to catch him if he can. Sun-hop nails him with the mouthwash bottle before GoGo can flee to safety. He yells at GoGo to return the money—all $170. GoGo says he is being petty…it was only $160. This man.

Sun-hop is outside trying to hail a cab with no luck. He’s standing holding a taxi sign. GoGo offers to give him a ride…which meant sharing a taxi so Sun-hop could pay for it. They go to a dealership so GoGo can get his precious motorcycle back. He does say he will give Sun-hop a ride once its his again. His friend says that he only sells sedan’s so there is no way he would be able to sell the bike. He then asks GoGo for help finding a missing person. GoGo refuses, but Sun-hop quickly says GoGo will take on the case and Sun-hop will make sure he goes through with it. This is Sun-hop’s way of making certain GoGo gets the rent money to pay him, lol. Sun-hop threatens to sell off the bike for rent otherwise.

Sun-hop is again outside waiting for a taxi when GoGo rides up on his re-acquired motorcycle. He will give him a ride. Sun-hop refuses, but GoGo doesn’t take no for an answer. He takes off Sun-hops sunglasses and puts a helmet on his head. Sun-hop is shell-shocked. GoGo then helps him on the bike and apologizes for hurting him a little bit. Sun-hop doesn’t want to wrap his arms around GoGo, so he opts for the saddlebags, but once GoGo takes off, he wraps his arms around GoGo’s middle for safety. After awhile, Sun-hop seem delighted and lifts his arms up. GoGo calls him sentimental. This is Sun-hop’s first time on a motorcycle after all. GoGo then says that going 60 is like a D-cup. He can go faster and let Sun-hop experience an E-cup. Pervert.

After GoGo drops Sun-hop off, he goes back to his friend who wishes to find high school classmate Cherry whom he had a crush on for 20 years. He doesn’t know her last name or anything. He had gotten her a present and was going to confess to her at their senior prom. She had accepted his request for a dance. He goes to the bathroom and manages to injure himself by zipping his manhood into his fly. He wants to correct this mistake now.

At the apartment, GoGo is badgering Sun-hop once again. If Sun-hop is blind and there is no sound to that surveillance video, how can he know what he is watching? Sun-hop says he knows by gauging GoGo’s reactions to the video. Our PI then goes to do his investigation, bothering Sun-hop with all of the noise. GoGo quickly finds his friend’s crush, Cherry, but her name has changed and she’s not the same innocent girl, but a clubbing woman. I believe GoGo thinks she might also be a prostitute and tries to lure her to a hotel when he goes to find her in the club, but she’s not biting. He goes back to the apartment after being rejected and searches for her on the internet “Wong Lai-Fan Never” [Ali Lee]. He is completely shocked when he discovers just what Never’s profession is.

If GoGo is a good detective…wouldn’t he have gotten all the information before seeking her out for his friend? This man. He does tell his friend that he found Cherry, but she isn’t who she used to be. His friend doesn’t care. He wants to see her for himself and to give her the gift he couldn’t all those years ago. Plus, he will see if she’s really changed as much as GoGo says she has. His friend doesn’t believe you can totally leave the person of the past behind. It is interesting to note that if Never had become such a wayward woman, then why was she constantly avoiding the men’s hands? Oh…and when GoGo had went back to the apartment for more research, Sun-hop wasn’t there so he trashed the place yelling “freedom.” So immature.

The time has come for Sun-hop to go to court. He is approached by the prosecutor Wa Ye. This means that his opponent is offering a plea or dropping the case. Of course it is a plea deal! Ngai pleads guilty and must not commit another crime for 12 months and this all goes away. Thus Ngai won’t have a criminal record and won’t have to go through a lengthy trial. Sun-hop tells Ngai to do what she feels right. If she continues on and they lose the case, Sun-hop will appeal endlessly for no additional fees. Ngai agrees to continue as she doesn’t want to admit guilt when she was truly the wronged party.

It just so happens that Never is a judge so GoGo is at the same courtroom to see for himself. The trial begins and Sun-hop lays out the points of doubt in the video. The man who was injured and called to the stand. Sun-hop asked why his hand was in his pocket. He was scratching his itchy groin. That doesn’t sound suggestive at all. He then complains that Sun-hop is blind, so what should it matter if he re-enacts the scratching. GoGo is incensed and yells at the man earning him a second warning from Never who turns and scolds the man as well. The man insists he was only verbally condemning the woman and never set out to harm her. Ngai tells her side, but Gotham is quick to lock in on everything was just a feeling Ngai had. There was nothing solid beyond her feeling uncomfortable and frightened for no apparent reason.

Do you think Sun-hop will lose or will he manage another win for a person society looks down upon?

Legal Mavericks Episode 2 Recap This show is really fast-paced and I find this a complete hoot to watch. The characters are distinctive and quirky and there is a nice mix of comedy and drama.