#might take a break to let more features roll out before i come back to play more

[californianedgeworth]

finally beat chronos YAY. i definitely cheesed it bcus the Hestia Apollo duo boon is op (i just had to run around for a bit after i got damage to get back to full health real quick) but i'll cheese it if i must

[moonstruckme]

can you write remus and reader sharing a cigarette together, something about that is just so intimate to me i want to cry

Thanks for requesting babe!

cw: smoking

Remus Lupin x fem!reader ♡ 808 words

Remus can feel you looking at him in his periphery. He sighs, sending smoke billowing out into the dark alleyway, even as he feels the corner of his mouth tilt up. 

“We’re terrible influences on you,” he says. 

“You’re terrible influences,” James corrects him, standing upwind and looking at him and Sirius like they’re contagious. “I am nothing but good to her.” 

“Come on.” You grin at Remus, and yeah, that mischief in your eyes is definitely a result of spending too much time with their bunch. “I just wanna try.” 

Lately, you’ve been campaigning for a cig every time he’s having one. You’d never thought about it before you had friends who smoked, but now you’re curious, and he and Sirius’ regular smoke breaks don’t help matters. If Remus was a better friend, he’d show more restraint. 

“Mm, ‘fraid this is my last one,” he says, not lying but definitely not upset about it. 

You roll your eyes. “Sirius?” 

The glow of Sirius’ cherry lights his eyes with a smug amusement. “Don’t look at me, doll. He’ll be pissy if I give you one.” 

Remus has to suppress a grin when you turn back to him, arms crossed over your chest. “Really? I could just go get a pack on my own, you know.” 

Remus exhales smoke out one side of his mouth, watching you from the corner of his eye as he does. You look back at him, obstinate if a bit playful. 

“Fine,” he says. “We can share this one, if you want to try so badly.” 

Your expression falters, and he thinks he might have won, your bashfulness about your crush on him overpowering your want, but then challenge glints in your eye and Remus knows he hasn’t. Competitiveness is another thing you’ve picked up from their group (Remus likes to think that’s more James and Sirius than himself), and now once you’ve caught a whiff of a challenge there’s no deterring you. 

“Perfect,” you reply brightly. 

Remus tries once more. “You sure?” 

“Don’t do it,” James cautions you. “You’ll be sending yourself down a path of corruption and lung problems.” 

“Just this once,” you promise. 

“Just this once,” Remus agrees sternly. 

You beckon, and he taps the ash off the end of his cigarette, reluctantly passing it to you. You take it between your thumb and forefinger and lift it to your lips. 

“Just take a shallow breath,” Remus warns. 

You do, the cherry glowing only dimly as you inhale cautiously. Good girl, he thinks to himself. You blow out the smoke just as slowly, features tightening as you try to keep from coughing. 

Sirius laughs at the obvious strain, and a small cough escapes you. They all clap, Sirius still chuckling and Remus with a small, begrudging smile on his face. 

“That’s actually not so bad,” you say, somewhat croakily. 

“Oh? Happy to hear it.” Remus takes the cig back from you, putting it to his own lips again and trying not to think about how yours were just on it. It’s not the first time he’s shared a cigarette, but somehow with you it feels different. He has an inkling as to why. 

As he takes it away from his mouth, you reach for it again. 

He dodges you. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

“I want another,” you say. 

“No.” 

“What?” A laugh trips off your tongue, and Remus holds the cigarette aloft as you make another grab for it. “Come on, you said we’d share!” 

“I’m not done with my turn yet,” he says, taking a hearty drag. 

“You’re going to finish it off before I can have any!” 

“Don’t know what you mean.” 

You reach for it again, and this time Remus doesn’t put up as much of a fight, letting you pluck the cigarette from his mouth. If the side of your index finger grazes his upper lip, he certainly doesn’t notice. 

You’re bolder this time, exhaling some of your air before breathing in. The cherry glows a fiery orange, and Remus feels his brow furrow. 

“Slower, love,” he murmurs. 

You manage not to cough this time, which Remus can tell impresses Sirius as much as it does him, blowing the smoke off to the side like you’ve seen them do a million times. It’s terribly hot. 

You keep breathing out even after there’s no smoke left, then inhale, humming contemplatively. 

“Sort of aches in your lungs, doesn’t it?”

“That’s the beginning of the end,” James says solemnly. “You’re done for, now.” 

“She is not,” Remus chides, swiping the cig from you. “But that’ll be all.” He tuts as you protest, setting his free hand atop your head under the guise of keeping you at bay. “Don’t want to hear it. You’re too lovely to corrupt. I won’t be a part of it.” 

That shuts you up.

[puckinghischier]

wait i’m crying imagine helping luke with his curl routine and you being the only person he trusts to touch his hair

“luke, hold still,” you tell him, massaging the diffuser around his head.

“it tickles. and it’s really warm,” he argues, twitching again, causing you to huff in frustration.

luke’s currently crouched down in front of you in his en-suite bathroom, sitting not so still while you try to do his newly implemented curl routine.

“honeybee, my knees hurt, we gotta take a break,” he pleads, bouncing slightly.

you turn off the hair dryer and let him stretch his legs to his full height.

“you know, if you’d let me make you an appointment at a salon we wouldn’t be in this predicament,” you tell him, looking up at his lop-sided curls.

a few weeks ago you convinced luke to start a curl care routine, knowing his hair was in desperate need of some TLC. when you first started dating, you saw the 3in1 bottle sitting in his otherwise empty shower and immediately dragged him to the nearest salon supply store to get a curl specific shampoo and conditioner set.

once he finally agreed to start a whole routine (with your help, of course) you picked out several creams and gels to lather into his hair after every shower.

so your new pre-bedtime routine, three nights out of the week, is making sure his hair is hydrated and taken care of. when you suggested letting a professional do a generalized curl care appointment to get him started, luke refused, arguing that you could do it just as good as any salon can.

“i told you, i don’t want them touching my hair,” he reiterates to you, giving the same response every time you suggest it to him.

“luke, they’re literally professionals. they know tricks that i don’t. maybe they could even do something to your hair that lasts for a few weeks, so we wouldn’t have to do this several nights a week. plus, it would help when you’re on the road,” you try to persuade him, reaching up and ruffling his curls around with both hands, trying to keep it from drying unevenly.

the first time he was on the road and it was a hair night, you tried to call him and walk him through it, but he claimed his hair didn’t turn out as soft and shiny as when you do it.

the next time, you had jack come and watch how you did it one night, having him step in to help luke since they typically room together, but he said jack didn’t do it right and he came out looking like he had a clown afro the next day.

“i don’t care. it’s just hair, it can wait until i’m back home,” he grabs your hands, pulling them from his hair and placing them on his shoulders.

you scoff in offense, swatting at his chest. “it is not just hair. it’s one of my favorite features of yours!”

“still doesn’t mean i’m going to let some stranger at a salon get all touchy with it,” he shrugs.

you roll your eyes at his stubbornness, not knowing why it’s such a big deal.

“if you don’t want to spend the money on it, i’ll literally pay for it. i just think it’d do some good, i don’t know why you’re so against it,” you offer.

luke shakes his head no, reaching up to move a stray piece of your own hair out of your face. “s’not the money,” he assures you. “it won’t feel as good as when you do it. love the feeling of your fingers all in my hair. s’comforting,” he says so casually, not even aware that his words caused butterflies to erupt in your belly.

you feel your face flush, biting your lip to hide the smile trying to break out on your face.

“well i’m not saying i’ll stop doing it. i’m just saying that maybe a trip to a salon once a month might prevent more bad hair days on the road,” you try to compromise, not wanting him to know how much his words affected you. you didn’t want to give him more reasons to refuse the idea.

“and i’m just saying, i don’t want anyone but you touching my hair,” he leans down to press his forehead against yours, locking his wide eyes onto yours dramatically.

before you can get a reply out of your mouth, he leans forward and presses his lips to yours, taking your hands off of his shoulders and bringing them up to his hair, emphasizing his point.

you toy with the flat curls, forgetting what you were meant to be doing until your fingers came into contact with a wet patch.

pulling back from the kiss abruptly, luke lets out a frustrated whine while chasing your lips with his.

“we have to finish drying your hair! if i don’t finish it soon it’s gonna dry all flat on one side because we didn’t diffuse it properly,” you pull back from him completely, grabbing the abandoned hair dryer on the counter.

luke groans, stomping over to stand in front of you, crouching back into his earlier position.

“just hurry. if we do this too much longer i’m going to have to tell my coach i can’t skate because i have stiff knees from my girlfriend’s curl routine she makes me do,” he crosses his arm and pouts like a child.

“keep up the whining and i’ll make jack do it next time,” you threaten, turning the hairdryer on and continuing the task at hand.

luke’s body tenses. “i swear to god if you bring jack over here to do my hair again i’m shaving it off.”

“you wouldn’t,” you gasp at him, not believing he just said such a thing.

“try me,” he responds, smirking at you through the large mirror.

[loucifersbitch]

Fifth of All

Late one night, Tommy receives a text from Howie.

> buck in hospital. might not make it <

And that's the whole message. He doesn't elaborate beyond that or pick up when Tommy calls. So Tommy grabs his jacket and keys and sprints to his truck, hoping it's the same hospital as always.

He flies through the bay doors, not really remembering the drive, but he'll accept any tickets as long as he's here in time.

The nurse behind the desk is on the phone, but when she notices the slightly wild look in Tommy's eyes, she puts the call on hold long enough to direct him to Evan's room.

He tries not to run, but he can't deny that he jogs down one hallway, then the next two, before he comes to a stop outside the closed door.

It hits him then. He could lose Buck. He could lose Evan. Howie had warned him, said he might not make it.

Tommy feels sick.

He raises a fist to knock, but before he makes contact, the door swings open, a burst of noise and laughter hitting Tommy. Howie almost walks right into him before stumbling back, looking perplexed.

"Tommy? What are you doing here? What...?" he trails off.

Tommy looks around the hospital room and sees nearly everyone he hasn't spoken to since the breakup. Maddie's right behind Howie, Hen is in a chair off to one side, and Eddie is next to Bobby on the other. They're all clearly having a fun time, their laughter only fading when they notice Tommy and confusion takes over. It's not the sorrowful mourning Tommy had been expecting.

On the bed, Evan sits with his leg in an air cast, one arm in a sling, and various scrapes and cuts that Tommy can see on his face and arms. He's not exactly near death.

"'Buck in hospital. Might not make it.' Really, Howie?" he asks, staring down at wide, worried eyes.

"'Might not -" Howie scoffs, realization softening his features. "Tommy, I meant I might not make it to the karaoke bar tomorrow night. Gotta take care of the unlucky man-baby in the hospital bed over there."

"I'm not a 'man-baby,' Chim," Evan says, rolling his eyes. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah," Bobby interrupts, "took care of yourself so well that you fell off a ladder today."

"I slipped!"

"You fell on a glass coffee table," Eddie says.

"Where you dislocated your shoulder and sprained your ankle and got a concussion," Hen adds.

"I'm fine," he insists. "Just need someone to drive me home when I'm released, and I can take care of the rest from there."

Tommy doesn't roll his eyes at Evan's petulant tone, but it's a near thing.

"I can help."

Six sets of eyes turn to him.

"We couldn't ask you to do that, Tommy," Maddie says softly.

There's a crinkle between her eyebrows that makes her look like she's trying to solve some puzzle. And in this case, the puzzle is Tommy.

"You're not asking," he answers just as softly. Then he asks everyone, "Can Evan and I talk for a few minutes?"

They all glance at Evan like they're waiting for his permission.

"It's fine, guys. Go get some coffee or something."

They all file out, Tommy standing out of the way as much as he can while everyone pats his shoulder or shakes his hand or — smacks him upside the head.

"I deserve that," he says, rubbing the sting where Hen's hand had connected with his skull.

"And more," she says seriously. "If you break him again, I swear to God I -"

"Okay, let's go," Eddie says, shoving her down the hall and away from striking range of Tommy. "We can save the threats for the next time he screws up. I'll help you take him down," he tells her with a smirk.

Tommy knows it's a joke, but it's also not a joke. He doesn't want to screw this up again either.

He steps into the room, closing the door behind himself. He stands near the foot of the bed, unsure if he'll be welcome any closer. Evan simply stares at him, waiting.

"So first of all, I'm sorry. Let's get that out of the way. And second of all," he takes one step closer, "I'm blocking Howie's number."

Evan snorts, but doesn't say anything. Tommy takes another step.

"Third of all, I'd really like to take care of you while you recover. If you'll let me."

"You don't need to do that."

"I know. I want to."

"I don't want you to do this because you feel obligated or like you owe me or whatever," Evan says, a little sad.

Tommy takes one final step that places him next to Evan's uninjured side.

"I have a lot of vacation time saved up. I'd like to spend it with you," he shrugs.

Evan looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. Instead, he nods, accepting Tommy's help.

"Fourth of all, I want you to stay at my house." He holds up a hand before Evan can protest. "You don't need to be worrying about stairs or trying to sleep on your couch once the shoulder heals. Plus, my kitchen is better."

"Okay, fine," Evan concedes. "What's fifth of all?"

"Fifth of all," he says, finally sitting in the chair at Evan's bedside, "please don't ever die."

That surprises a laugh out of Evan.

"What? That's not something I can promise."

"Then at least make sure I die first."

"Tommy," Evan says, concerned, "you know I can't promise any of that. What's going on?"

"I -" he clears his throat when his voice breaks, "I lost you once. And I know I owe you an explanation for everything. But today I thought I might lose you for good, and — I can't do it again. I can't take the thought of losing you forever."

"Tommy -"

"I love you."

Evan's mouth snaps shut.

"And I don't expect you to say it back - now or ever - but I need you to know that one more person out there loves you. So please, at least try not to die while I'm still alive, okay?"

It takes a moment for Evan's expression to shift from shock to understanding.

"Okay, I can try."

"Good. That's - that's good. Thanks."

Evan holds out his hand, wiggling his fingers until Tommy laces his own through. He can feel the adrenaline crash hitting him.

"So does this mean you want to try again?" Evan asks.

"If you'll give me another chance, I'd like to try keeping you. And we can call this a trial run for living together. Although I don't want to move too fast for you."

"If anything, I think I moved too fast for you," Evan smiles. "Maybe this time instead of moving at my pace or your pace, we can move at our pace."

"Have I ever told you how much I love the way your brain works?"

Evan squeezes his hand.

"Once or twice I think."

"Is that all? That's not nearly enough."

It's easy to fall back into this thing with Evan. They talk until the 118 crew and Maddie return, and then they all talk some more. Tommy takes his fair share of gentle ribbing, but with Evan's hand in his own, it's not so bad.

The next morning, Tommy gets to take Evan home. They've gone over all of the discharge forms and orders from the doctor, and they pick up two prescriptions from the pharmacy on their way.

As Tommy helps Evan get settled in the recliner, Evan says, "I love you, too, y'know."

Tommy barely falters where he's fluffing the pillow against Evan's back.

"You really are on a lot of painkillers."

"Tommy," Evan says seriously, the hand of his good arm clutching Tommy's wrist before he can pull away, "I love you. I never stopped. I don't know if I ever could."

It's the simplest thing to lean down and press his lips to Evan's. It's less simple to allow himself to accept what Evan said. Not because he doesn't believe Evan means it, but because he doesn't know if he'll ever deserve it.

"What do you want to eat? I think we'll order in, so pick whatever. Thai? Chinese? Sushi? There's that new Ethiopian place two streets over."

"Delivery is so expensive, Tommy."

"I'm on vacation," he shrugs. "And maybe I wanna splurge on some food for you."

"Well, first of all -"

"Don't start."

[dedicateyourheartt]

Beside Me ( Zayne x Reader )

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ some more fluff because i love him <3 ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Zayne knew she would be here soon, scolding him for not taking a break to eat. Sometimes he wondered who was truly the doctor between them.

It was like a competition between them, who could nag each other more. It was like their way of showing affection, a love language of sorts.

He watched the door to his office swing open, unable to stop the way the corners of his mouth perked up. There she was, her brows furrowed and her lips perked together as she saw him at his desk.

"It's 1 in the afternoon and you're here instead of eating lunch," She scolded and walked over to him.

"Hello to you too sweetheart," Zayne hummed as he leaned back in his chair.

His met her eyes, amusement etched onto his features as she leaned down to match his height better. She was always his favorite part of the day, morning, afternoon, night. Whenever he saw her, it made his day better.

"You're always taking care of me and then forget to take care of yourself," She huffed as she reached out and caressed his cheek.

"Taking care of you is quite the job," He teased with a small smirk, earning him an eye roll.

"Yes well...come on I'm taking you out for lunch," She held his hand, pulling him up.

He chuckled, nodding and pulling off his white coat. She was always so convincing, or rather, she never took no for an answer.

The day was nice, the weather cool but not enough to need a coat. She felt him reach for her hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked down the street towards a small cafe.

She smiled to herself. Zayne wasn't the type to engage in public displays of affection but he always needed to hold her hand. She found it endearing.

"A table for two please," She said politely as they walked into the cafe, the waitress leading them to an empty table near the back.

They settled into their seats, looking over the menu. It was a small cafe, one they visited often.

"Look they have a new special," Her voice was teasing as she spoke, "roasted carrot soup."

Zayne couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, "Yes, then maybe you should get the tomato soup special with the grilled cheese."

She laughed, the sound music to his ears. The waitress came over, taking their order before walking away. She felt him hold her hand, a small smile spreading on her lips.

He pretended not to notice, scrolling through his phone for any important messages regarding patients or upcoming surgeries.

They had a quiet lunch, paying before leaving. They had barely taken a few steps outside before his hand was holding hers again.

"You hate public displays of affection but you're always holding my hand," She said, her eyes meeting his as they walked.

He felt heat flush his face at her comment, not realizing how often he held her hand. In truth, he didn't know why he did it. He supposed he just wanted to make sure she was really there.

Sometimes he had nightmares, ones he woke up from with heavy breaths and his skin dripping with sweat. Ones where he committed terrible acts. In a world where everything was so different, where wanderers roamed the city. One where she didn't exist.

"Do you not like it when I hold your hand?" He questioned, trying to act nonchalant.

"That's not what I meant-" She stuttered and turned to face him, "you just hate kissing me in public or having people know we're together, but you're always holding my hand."

He cupped her face, pulling her in for a kiss. She fell against him, quickly melting into it. Her hands gripping his shirt, afraid she might collapse if she let go.

He pulled back a few moments later, people walking past them and murmuring to each other. A few young girls giggling and whispering.

"You are the most special person to me," He said, his eyes meeting hers, "sometimes I just like keeping us private, but maybe I should show you how much you mean to me in public as well."

She smiled at his words, her hands cupping his face, "I was teasing, although I wouldn't be opposed."

He let out a soft laugh, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they continued to walk back to the hospital.

He looked over at her, seeing the way her eyes wandered around the city and the sights. He felt his heart clench, his nightmares were just nightmares. She was here, beside him, and he would do anything to keep it that way.

[daphwritesworld]

need to suck alessia's strap so bad! in my defence im just ovulating... could you please write smth about Top!Alessia

(omg i feel you. i always go stir crazy horny when i’m ovulating 😩 i’m gonna add more onto this when i finally get back home. i’ve been in the car all day writing these lmao. but i’m just gonna post this for now until i can reblog it with me hehe 🤭)

!! 18+ MDNI NSFW BELOW THE CUT !!


“Please baby! Wanna suck your cock,” you’re staring up at Alessia with the biggest puppy dog eyes you can muster up. you’re currently on your knees in front of her…..you also just so so happen to be in your parent’s basement away on holiday. Your girlfriend just stares down at you with beet red cheeks, huffing out a sigh as she tries to ease you back onto the couch. “Darling we can’t. I’ll make it up to you as soon as we get home, alrig—“

“But you promised, Less!” Your girlfriend clamps a hand over your mouth at that, a scowl settling into her features as her other one gets a tight grip on the back of your neck. “Stop being a brat,” she gives a good tug to the hairs at the nape of your neck for good measure. That just goes in one ear and out the other, because you’re rolling your eyes before the words even get out. She almost lets it slide, too…until you lick her hand covering your mouth, leaving the blonde striker to gasp out in disgust as she pulls it away.

“What the hell is your problem?” Alessia whisper shouts down to you, wiping her palm onto the thigh of her pants.

And you finally start climbing up onto the couch, but the sight soon takes a turn as you straddle your girlfriend’s lap. “My problem is that my super sexy girlfriend has been discretely grinding up on me all damn day, and now that we’re finally alone she won’t fuck me with the strap I know she’s been wearing…” There’s a pout on your lips now, “…and you promised I could suck you off when everyone was asleep.”

You make sure to roll your hips down into hers as you finish, the base of the strap hitting your girlfriend in just the right spot. Alessia throws her head back against the top of the couch, her hands coming up onto your waist to stop your movements. “Don’t say it like that!” she chastises you.

“Make me,” you cross your arms across your chest as you muster up the best glare you can achieve.

“You aren’t even the least bit intimidating, love.” Alessia can’t help the smile breaking out across her face. You trying to scare her is like a mouse trying to jump scare a lion. “Fine!” You huff out with frustrated sigh, throwing yourself up and turning away from the couch. “I‘ll just get myself off then.”

You’re pulled back by your wrist— all the air getting knocked out of your lungs as your back hits the couch in record time. “You’re so bloody annoying,” it’s mumbled against your neck as Alessia’s hands start sliding off your shorts and panties. Her kisses make you bite your bottom lip, raising your hips up as you let her strip you in the dark of the night.

“And you’re a fucking tease,” you reach down to start undoing her pants. Your fingers toy with the strings tied around her waist for a second before your trying to tear them off form the angle your at.

“So impatient you are,” Alessia giggles against your jaw. Her hands replace yours as she stands up for a second to slide the grey sweats down her legs and kick them off somewhere. She’s back on top of you in no time, grinding the silicone dick attached to her hips between your pussy lips.

Your back arches up a little when the tip starts hitting your clit in a rhythm, Alessia’s chest smushing against yours. You’re trying to move a certain way so she might ‘accidentally’ slip in, but Alessia isn’t stupid. She’s attuned to your body and its movements. She knows exactly what you need before even you do. No one can make you cum like Alessia— not even yourself.

“Gotta stay quiet for me, okay baby?” She’s kissing your ear as she says it, her hands running under your shirt to pinch at your sensitive nipples. “Can’t have your Mum thinking any differently of me just cause I treat her daughter like a whore in bed.”

You’re nodding your head as you stare up at her with wide eyes, trying to grind your hips down in time with hers so she’ll maybe give into your desperate hints. “Use your words, love.”

You give her that little smile she can’t ever resist, “I promise I can stay quiet, Lessi. Now would you please make me feel good?”

The next thing heard between the two of you is the gasp you both let out when she slips in for the first time. Your pussy is so tight that Alessia has to inch her way in, slowly letting you adjust before she fucks you into the cushions. When she bottoms out she starts pressing kisses to your chest, waiting on your signal for the go ahead.

It takes a few minutes, your hand coming down to play with her blonde hair as you take deep breaths. It isn’t too long though. Because the fire that starts burning in your belly is enough to have you tugging at the strands, begging for her to just move already.

And Alessia never had to be told twice— at least not once she’s already 7 inches deep inside of you. There’s no stopping her then. She drags his hips back till just the tip is lodged inside your cunt, and then she’s slamming back down until the harness is bumping into your clit.

It has you biting your bottom lip to silence the moans bubbling up in your throat. The couch below you creeks as she sets a pace rough enough to have your eyes crossing already. She’s had you wound up all day long, teasing touches and fleeting glances with promises of more. It’s impossible for you to be anything other than absolutely wrecked in these circumstances.

Alessia’s head disappears under your shirt, her mouth attaching to your nipples as she angles her hips to fuck you a little deeper. It sends sparks of electricity to shoot through your nerves, a cloudy haze encompassing your mind and soul. It has you forgetting any and everything— your brain turning to complete mush as Alessia bullies her strap into your pussy.

And in this moment of blurry pleasure…you let a moan break through your lips. It’s loud and desperate with a whiney tint to the tone. You don’t even realize you’ve fucked up until a rough hand is clamping down onto your mouth. Alessia brings her face down to your neck, a growl vibrating against your ear. “Shut.Your.Fucking.Mouth,” accompanied by extra hard thrusts sent to emphasize her point.

There’s a fire behind her eyes now, one you can barely make out through the darkness. But even if you couldn’t see it— you feel it. In the way her pace speeds up and her grip on your body gets rougher as her nails dig in. You know you’ll be covered in crescent moon shaped bruises tomorrow, but that’s the best part. Being able to trace over the evidence of the love you two make. It’s intoxicating.

Alessia sneaks a hand down to start rubbing at your clit as she speaks her next words, “Once you cum all over my cock then you clean it off. Since that’s what you couldn’t stop whining about,” she scoffs out a dark laugh. “Making me fuck you with your family upstairs—“ She slams in a little harder than before as she stills for a second, letting her hand on your clit trace up your body before she presses down on your lower stomach.

“You feel me right here, darling?”

You’re nodding your head as best as you can with her still covering your mouth. Your legs start to shake as she forces you to feel her. Feel every single vein, ridge, and inch shoved to the brink inside your tight hole. Its leaking out and staining the basement couch of your childhood home, but honesty what else are basement couches made for other then nasty fuck sessions at 2am ?!

She surprises you when she pulls out again, thrusting back in as she keeps her hand firmly pressed to your abdomen. The added pressure has you squirming away from her, never before sensing a pleasure quite like this one. It has Alessia chuckling softly, pinning your hips down with her own, keeping the thrusts short but powerful to keep you in place. There’s a light sweat dusting across your body now, the flames of your building orgasm finally heating the rest of your body up. Alessia’s movements start to get impatient herself, turning a little sloppy as she tries to fight off her own building orgasm.

“Cum with my baby,” her eyebrows start to furrow together. “Cum with me and i’ll let you clean up my dick and my pussy,” and just like that you’re cumming harder than you ever have before.

[dollfacefantasy]

Wash His Hair

pairing: leon kennedy x gn!reader

summary: you wash leon's hair and try to help him unwind (fluff) (also, a tad hurt/comfort)

word count: 1.5k

a/n: inspired by this post from @peachscentedcandle cause it made me laugh. this post does reference the movie good will hunting, if you haven't seen it you should watch it! (after you read this of course ;) it's really good. but anyways, thank you so much for the support on my last posts (kissing u thru the phone if you reblogged or commented). as before, comments and reblogs are appreciated :) also, the divider is from here!

Leon had been exhausted lately. He tried to play it off, but you could tell. He was so much quieter since coming home from his last mission. He didn’t say much about it, but you knew it had been rough. It stretched longer than expected, and while it was a success in the end, there were some complications along the way that you knew he blamed himself for.

He’d walk around the apartment slower than usual with distance in his eyes. You tried getting him to talk about it, but he’d deny anything was wrong at all. It wasn’t like he wanted space though. You asked him if he’d like to do something to maybe get his mind off it, but all he wanted to do was relax in bed with you. Normally, you’d never complain about that; however, when you knew he was hurting, you couldn’t just push it aside. His avoidant nature was a little frustrating after a while, and if it was anyone else, you’d probably be fed up. But you knew he didn’t do it to be malicious.

You lie in bed with him, softly running your fingers through his hair. His cheek is pressed to your shoulder, his eyes staring at your bedroom wall. You try to watch him without being too obvious with your staring. Your hand on his head slides down to rub his back. You just wanted to help. You try to think of literally anything that might help get him out of this slump. You sit up a little in bed and he looks up at you to see the reason for your movement.

“I’m going to take a shower. How about you join me?” you say, breaking the silence.

It’s like you can see the excuse rising in his throat. The way he tenses a little and his eyes flit away. You could hear the thoughts in his head telling him to pull away and close the walls. Before he can, you speak.

“Please,” you say softly, trying to avoid sounding demanding, “It’ll let you unwind, Baby. I just want to help you. It will be quick and painless, I promise.” You give him a small smile, hoping to lighten his mood if only a little bit.

He looks at you for a moment more, the excuse sinking back down and the anxiety in his mind receding, before he nods. “Yeah, okay,” he agrees quietly.

It wasn’t a completely enthusiastic reaction, but it was a step in the right direction. Your smile widens, and you give him a quick peck on the forehead before you both roll out of bed. The air felt cool after being enveloped by blankets and Leon for the last few hours. You walk into the bathroom, turning the lights and the shower on. You rummage in the cabinet beneath your sink for anything that could make this even more relaxing for your boyfriend who undresses to the side of you as the water heats up.

Finally, you see a bag of shower steamers in the back. After taking one of the chalky pellets and placing it beneath the pouring water, you peel your clothes off. Leon’s gaze is fixed on your body, but there’s no lust in it right now. It’s pure adoration. The love you feel from his eyes causes heat to rise in your cheeks. You extend your hand to him, feeling his firm grasp as he takes it. The two of you step into the shower. You take a deep breath and inhale the fresh scent of oranges rising with the steam. He uses some of the hot water to push his hair back and out of his face. It may have been wishful thinking, but you would have sworn you could see his features already relaxing a bit.

Your eyes are soft as you look into his. You reach up to stroke his cheek a little, and you can feel him leaning into your touch as the warm water sprays over the two of you.

“C’mere,” you whisper and pull him into a tight hug. Your head rests where his heart is as your arms lock around his torso. You plant a kiss on the slippery skin of his chest and slowly start rubbing his back. “It’s not your fault.”

He doesn’t say anything, and for a moment, you worry you may have upset him. But he doesn’t move. His arms stay wrapped around you with his chin propped on top of your head.

“Just have your Good Will Hunting moment, Babe. It’s not your fault,” you say again, trying to reassure him a bit without it being so much that he’d pull away.

He amusedly exhales and squeezes his arms around you tighter. He doesn’t say anything for a while, but that’s okay with you. The shower continues pouring down on you and the steam clouds the air further.

“I love you,” he says simply. His voice sounds less deflated. The subtle improvement in his tone makes your heart glow.

“I love you too,” you say, slowly nuzzling his chest. You kiss his collar bone a few times, trying to elevate his mood further. Even though the progress was small, you could feel the shower washing away the gloom that had been surrounding him since he came home. “Let me wash your hair now,” you offer.

You reach for his shampoo, but he stops you, gently grabbing your wrist. He pulls it across the shelf in the shower to where your things sit. “Use yours,” he says softly.

You beam at the request and kiss his cheek. His eyes were starting to lose the fog of exhaustion. He still looked tired but not beaten down. You grab your shampoo and squirt the liquid into your hand. He didn’t care if it wasn’t good for his hair type or anything like that, he just wanted your smell on him.

You rub the shampoo over your palms into a soapy lather. Leon tilts his head down to give you a better angle. You run your hands through his hair, lovingly scratching his scalp as you work the bubbles through his blonde locks. He shuts his eyes and nearly purrs while your fingers massage his head. You press tender kisses to both of his cheeks and nose before directing his head under the shower head to rinse.

The stress and guilt melt away under the hot water and your affection. You’re nearly petting him as you guide the soap out of his hair. He lets out a deep breath after inhaling the steam. He zones out as you start conditioning his hair. He only comes back as he feels you rubbing a wash cloth over the muscles of his chest and arms. His eyes slowly open and watch you spread the soap across his body.

You smile up at him as you move to his abdomen. “You still with me?” you say with a little teasing in your voice.

He hums in response and shuts his eyes again. You soothingly wash the rest of his body and then rinse him off. You quickly take care of yourself as he continues to relax under the flow of water. When you’re done, you give him a sweet kiss to bring him out of his stupor and shut the water off. The two of you step out of the shower hand in hand. You pass him a towel and you both dry off. He starts for the closet, but you take him by the arm and lead him to your bed.

“Don’t get dressed yet. Just sit back, take it easy, and let me help you really relax,” you say before kissing him yet again. He watches you as you get your lotion and begin rubbing it into your palms. You work the cream over his body, paying extra attention to the places you could feel his tension. The smell fills the air and puts him further at ease.

You glide around so you’re kneeling on the bed behind him, kneading the muscles of his shoulders and back. You kiss and nuzzle his neck. He lets out a soft noise of pleasure.

“There you go, Baby. Let it all go. There’s nothing to worry about right now,” you coo as you continue your soothing caresses. He’s like putty in your hands as you continue loving on him.

You finish your makeshift massage once you felt his skin couldn’t be any smoother. The two of you dress in fresh clothes before climbing into bed, getting comfy between the pillows and blankets. You tangle your limbs with Leon and kiss his head. “See, this feels even better than before, right?” you whisper.

He nods and shifts his position so that he’s nearly on top of you. He kisses your neck softly. He was so soft and smelled like you. “Thank you,” he murmurs.

“No thanks needed, my love,” you say and return the kiss to the side of his head.

“But I want you to hear it, need to make sure you know,” he whispers.

You run your hand through his clean hair and cradle his head in the crook of your neck. “I know. You don’t have to worry about that either. I like doing this,” you reassure, “Just try to get some real rest now.”

He hums and gives you one more kiss before shutting his eyes. You feel him drifting off above you, at peace for the moment.

[blueysobssesions]

Summary: You, worried about Caelus well-being due to his constant errands, you convinced him to take a break. You both spend a relaxing day together, enjoying pizza and eventually...

Note: SMUT!! MDNI! fem!Reader, penetrative sex, aggressive and rough sex (?), f! receiving, 1.5k words

Caelus hasn't got any sleep for the past week, due to him taking everyone's errands… Caelus isn't the type of person who can't say no and he often puts others' needs before his own. But, your worried for his well-being… He barely even eats or takes breaks throughout the day, and it's starting to take a toll on his health.

One time, he passed out when the both of you were in the middle of dealing with some Fragmentum, and it scared you. You couldn't help but think about how you could help him relax and unwind. You decide to approach him with an idea while he's rummaging through the trash.

"Hey Caelus," you call out as you get closer. "Why don't you take a break from all that and come with me to my apartment to get some rest?" You suggest with a friendly smile.

"Besides, YOU need to take a shower!" you chuckled, placing your hands on your hips.

"Well, I'll admit that I do look... a bit messy right now," Caelus agreed with a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "But you know I just can't resist checking out trash cans. I might find something interesting in there." He shrugged playfully.

His eyes met yours once again, and the gratitude behind them made you feel warm inside. "You know what? I could actually use a good night's sleep. And maybe that shower you mentioned." He gave you a grateful smile. "Lead the way, Love."

You playfully rolled your eyes, "Hurry up"

You both we're know inside your cozy apartment, and you lead him straight to the bathroom. "Here you go, Caelus, let's get you cleaned up." Before closing the door, you gave him a thumbs up. "Don't take too long, alright? I'll be at my room, finding some spare clothes for you"

With that, you left him alone to freshen up, leaving the sound of water filling the tub shortly after. As you waited in the living room after finding some spare clothes, you couldn't help but think about how relieved you were to have convinced Caelus to take a break. He's always so dedicated to helping others, sometimes to a fault, and you wanted nothing more than to make sure he took care of himself.

After a while, the bathroom door creaked open, revealing a now clean Caelus wrapped in a towel on his waist. His hair was still wet, sticking to his forehead slightly, highlighting the sharp angles of his face features. "Ah, refreshing," he remarked, chuckling softly.

You stared at him, feeling a little lightheaded. Caelus's toned physique was on full display, and you couldn't help but appreciate the sight.

He was so vulnerable and open in this moment, a stark contrast to his usual unflappable demeanor. Snapping out of your daze, you handed him the clean clothes you found. "Here you go. Change into these and then we can grab something to eat, alright?"

Caelus accepted the clothes with a grateful nod, disappearing into your bedroom to dress. A few moments later, Caelus emerged, clad in a comfortable pair of pajamas, looking a lot more relaxed and at ease than you'd seen him in a while. "Thanks, Love" He gave you a warm smile, and you couldn't help but blush under the sincere thanks in his gaze.

"M-mhm" you stammered, you then heard footsteps walkng towards the kitchen, indicating that he was ready to go grab a bite to eat. He walked towards the couch, and sat besides you with a two sliced pizza plates on his hand.

"Here, pizza," he offered, placing the plates on the coffee table between the two of you. You took one of the plates with a smile, appreciating the simple gesture. As you sat down next to Caelus, you started to tear off a slice of pizza, taking a bite as you watched some TV. The mood in the room was comfortable, putting your head on his shoulders. Caelus smiled faintly, wrapping his arm gently around your waist, pulling you closer to him. You felt safe and cared for in his embrace. "You know, Caelus..." you began, your voice a bit muffled as your face was pressed against his chest, "I'm glad you agreed to come here today. I'm really worried about you. Sometimes, you forget that you need to take care of yourself, too." Caelus didn't respond right away, but you could feel his body tense up ever so slightly. After a moment, he spoke softly. "I know. It's just... It's hard for me to turn a blind eye to people in trouble. It's like... it pains me to see them suffer, especially when I know I can do something about it."

He paused, letting out a deep breath. "But I promise, I'll try to remember to take better care of myself. It's only fair, considering how much you and the others worry about me." You nodded, turning your head to look up at him, your lips curving into a gentle smile. "That's great" placing a kiss on his cheek. And then his lips, you couldn't help but lean in, pressing your lips against his, savoring the taste of pizza on his mouth.

Your arms snaked around his neck, deepening the kiss. The warmth of his body against yours made the intimate moment even more comforting. Caelus responded eagerly, his hand sliding into your hair. He pulled you closer, urging you to continue. The kiss grew in intensity, your tongues dancing together.

As you broke the passionate kiss, you could feel your heart racing. "We should probably move to the bedroom," Caelus whispered, his breath hot against your lips. The desire in his voice sent shivers down your spine, making you nod eagerly. Standing up, you led him to your bedroom, eager to explore the feelings that had been brewing between the two of you.

Once in the bedroom, you locked the door and turned to face Caelus, pulling his pajama top over his head, revealing his toned, muscular body. You ran your fingers along his chest, down to his abdomen, your touch sending shivers through him.

"Undress me…" Caelus whispered, his voice husky with desire. You complied, slowly removing each piece of clothing. You started with his pajama pants, sliding them down his legs and gently kicking them aside. Next, you untied your own top, letting it fall off your shoulders to reveal your lacy black bra. Your hands moved to your shorts, unbuttoning them before sliding them down, revealing matching lace panties. Caelus's eyes lingered on your body hungrily, his hands drifting to cup your breasts, his thumbs teasing your nipples. You moaned softly, arching your back as he gently squeezed your breasts, his touch igniting a fire within you. His skilled fingers explored every inch of your body, trailing a path down to your panties.

You moaned softly, arching your back as he gently squeezed your breasts, his touch igniting a fire within you. His skilled fingers explored every inch of your body, trailing a path down to your panties. Slowly, he peeled them off your body, leaving you completely exposed to his gaze. "You're so beautiful, baby" he whispered, leaning down to kiss your stomach, working his way up to your breasts. You ran your fingers through his hair as he took one of your nipples between his teeth, tugging gently.

The sensation made you whimper, your body aching for more. His touch sent shivers down your spine, making you crave his every move. With each kiss and caress, you felt yourself surrendering completely to him.

You both were on the bed, creaking sounds were heard.

Caelus's eyes were dark and intense as he positioned himself between your thighs, the thick head of his erection teasing the entrance to your tight, wet core.

Your heart raced, anticipation pooling between your legs. Your breath hitched when he roughly grabbed your hips, positioning you just right. "Look at you, all slick and ready for me," he growled, sliding into you in one smooth motion. You gasped, arching your back as his thickness filled you completely. The pleasure was immediate, and Caelus smiled wickedly as he started to move, his thrusts hard and unrelenting. "Fuck, you're tight," he snarled, his hands gripping your hips hard enough to leave marks. You whimpered, writhing beneath him as he pounded into you. The room was filled with the sound of flesh meeting flesh and your desperate moans. His grip tightened, his fingers digging into your flesh as he slammed into you, setting a brutal pace. "God, f-fuck you feel so good," he gritted out, his eyelids half-closed with lust. Your nails scraped across his back, urging him on as your body adjusted to the roughness of his lovemaking. He leaned down, capturing your mouth in a bruising kiss, his tongue forcing its way into your mouth, dominating you with every thrust. The intensity built, and you could feel your climax approaching. Caelus sensed it too, and he increased the pace of his assault, driving you both higher.

"Cum for me, love," he demanded, his voice low and commanding. Your body shuddered, the orgasm washing over you in waves. You screamed his name, your pussy contracting around his cock in response. Caelus groaned, his own release imminent. His thrusts became jerky, his hips bucking hard as he filled you with his hot seed. The two of you remained joined, your breaths ragged as you rode out the aftershocks. Eventually, Caelus collapsed beside you, his chest rising and falling rapidly." That... was something else," you managed to say, still reeling from the intensity of the experience. Caelus chuckled, a satisfied grin on his face. "Thought it might be"

"Don't tell me you're not used to it" You shook your head, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Not quite like that, no." Caelus kissed your shoulder softly. "Well, consider me a man of many talents." Lying there, the two of you basked in the aftermath of your passion. The night air filtered in through the window, a cool breeze that seemed to whisper promises of sweet dreams. Eventually, Caelus's eyes drifted shut, his breathing becoming slow and even.

MASTERLIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[adventuringblind]

American Sweetheart

Logan Sargeant x Reader

Genre: Fluff and Crack

Summary: Max isn't sure about this new American rookie on the grid. Not that he isn't nice, just that he likes Max's baby sister. Featuring Lestappen being a married couple.

Warnings: Protective Max, sarcastically protective Daniel, Logan being a SIMP

Notes: Yay! Logan Fluff! I've not written for Logan yet, but I honestly love him... He's such a pookie...

Side Note: My requests are still open! If you've sent in a request, please remember I do this for fun and will try to get around to it when I can :)

Masterlist // Request Form // My Website // buy me a Ko-Fi

Max looks at her with big pleading eyes. "Please tell me who it is?" He pouts, sticking out his bottom lip.

"No, because you'll torture him. I'd like to keep this one alive thank you." She puts the finishing touches on her makeup.

"I left the last one alive... barely, but that's not the point!"

"So if I tell you, then you won't freak out?"

"I swear it on my career-"

"It's Logan."

Max goes silent. Frozen in place as her tries to comprehend her words. The death stare at the ground tells her he's internally screaming.

She sighs, mildly worried that Max might actually scream profanities until Logan arrives. "Alright, what's your issue with this one?"

"He's American!"

She groans. It doesn't matter much where he's from, as long as he treats her right. Logan's been struggling since he came to the grid. It would make a difference if max accepted him and not just Oscar and Lando, by proxy.

"Give him a chance, please? For me?"

Max stars at her for longer than necessary. "Fine."

~~~~~

Logan appears at her door dressed in semi-formal attire. He takes in her appearance. "You look - wow..." There is a light blush on his face. It feels nice seeing as she's in something simple and modest. Just what she had to work with given she's living out of her suitcase.

They catch up on the paddock drama and how life has been going recently. Logan is a proper gentleman the entire time. She's not sure why she thought he would be any different. Logan has always been sweet to anyone he comes in contact with.

Their date goes incredibly well.

As does the second.

And the third...

Max stares at her as she sits in his room, giggling at her phone. She has no time to react as he snatches it from her hands. "Logan?! You're still talking to him?!"

She huffs and crosses her arms. "Yes, Max, I like him."

"He's American." He tosses the phone back at her. "Just let me talk to him." Max gives her puppy eyes. "Please."

"You can talk to him whenever, but if you ruin this for me, I'll break your wrists."

Max makes it his personal mission to figure out Logan through not talking to him. She has taking to simply rolling her eyes as Max drags Daniel around with him to stare at the poor boy.

Until he catches them in the paddock together and puts on the 'Mad Max' face. Logan immediately seems to shrink in on himself.

"Okay Sargeant, it's time you and I had a little discussion about your intentions with my sister." Max hauls him upwards by his bicep and Logan goes willingly like an injured puppy.

She throws him a reassuring smile and pray to Charles Leclerc that Max doesn't scare him away.

~~~~~

Max and Daniel sit across the table from Logan. He thought asking her out would be the hardest part. No, he was mistaken, this is far worse.

The Dutch has been staring daggers at him since they sat down. Daniel keeps wiggling his eyebrows like her knows something Logan doesn't. Which - despite it seeming playful - only puts Logan more on edge than he was before.

"So, Mr. America-"

"Is that really-"

"Quiet! I'm the one doing the talking here."

Logan wants to roll his eyes. He wants to run into next year if it means avoiding this conversation. "Look Max-"

"I need to know you aren't going to americanify my sister." He points an accusatory finger between Logan's eyes.

Logan reels, and Daniel finally breaks all composure. The Aussie is laughing hysterically. "Mate, what does that even mean?!"

"Look, your American ways are not ours. I will not be seeing her calling things like American football, real football."

Logan sinks into his chair. The relief evident on his face.

He's about to jump into a spiel about how he would never expect her to just assimilate into his culture. That was never his plan. However, he's doesn't get the chance.

A figure dressed in Ferrari red comes stomping around the corner. "Max Emilian!" Charles screams out for anyone to hear.

Max shrinks in on himself. Daniel is almost falling out of his chair as Charles stomps his way over. "Why are we interrogating the poor boy?" He crosses his arms like an exasperated mother.

"Because my sister-"

"Your sister was in my room pacing and ranting that you were going to scare away another boyfriend."

Max has a look of shame on his face. Cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "But Charlie-"

"Nope. Not gonna work. Let's go." Charles grabs Max by the bicep and drags him away. The Dutch pouts until he's out of sight.

Logan looks at Daniel, who's finally calmed down. "Are they-?"

"Married? Yes, for like two years now. They are still convinced nobody knows." Daniel leans forward in his chair, and Logan once again is left feeling intimidated. "But seriously, kid, she's a good person. Max has always been protective over his sisters because of their home life. Just treat her right, yeah? She deserves it."

Daniel sends Logan off with an encouraging pat on the shoulder. He's never run away from something so fast before. Not out of fear, no, he just needs to see her. Reassure the female that Max is less intimidating when Charles is around.

He finds her pacing outside of Williams' hospitality. Logan runs right up to her, picks her up in his arms, and spins her around.

"I take it Max was nice to you?"

"Your brother is an interesting character, but nothing would stop me from loving you."

She blushes profusely. "You love me?"

Logan rests his forhead against hers. He can't wipe the smile off his face when he looks at her. "Of course I do! And nobody is going to stop me from feeling the way I do."

She hastily lands her lips onto Logan's , not caring about who's around to see. It's just them in their own little world.

She pulls away just enough to whisper against his lips. "I love you too, Lo."

Logan has never been happier than in this moment with her in his arms and Max screeching in the distance.

[cozy-writes-things]

how about a fic where edgar listens to the reader’s heartbeat for the first time?

Thanks for the request!! Sorry it’s short I’ve been quite busy :(

This was a silent evening.

Edgar sat at his little desk, flipping through some of his internal games, fighting with himself and winning. The ball tinked around his screen as he once again beat himself in a game of Pong. He kept his eye—or camera—stationed on your form, curled up on the couch, scrolling through your phone.

He loved watching you in moments like this.

The way your chest gently rose and fell in a slow-paced rhythm; the way your eyes fluttered about, illuminated by the screen, sparkling like constellations. The little puffs of air you let out through your nose when you stifled a laugh. He could watch you for hours, he thought. You’re so… natural. Organic. Real.

It amazed him.

“Hey,” he gently called out to you, “won’t you come do that over here? It’s lonely.”

His screen displayed a little, meek frown. How could you say no to that? He’s quite adorable.

Without saying anything, you heaved yourself up and trod over to his little desk, plopping into the seat.

“Hi.” He all but whispered.

You blew air out of your nose again.

“Hi,” you said back, eyeing his screen. He paused his game. “What are you up to?”

He synthesized a sigh. “Nothing. That’s the problem. I’m bored. And I missed you.”

You rolled your eyes a little, a small smile adorning your lips. “Well, Ed, I never left. I was just on the couch-”

“Yeah, but I missed talking to you. And I miss it when you don’t touch me,” he whined.

You quirked your brow.

“What does that mean?” You chuckled at his words. Sometimes he said the darndest things and didn’t even realize it.

“I like it when you pet me.” His matter-of-fact tone only made this more confusing.

You cocked your head. “Can you even feel it?”

He paused, mulling over your words, letting the curiosity in your eyes carry him forward.

“If I didn’t feel it, I wouldn’t miss it, would I?”

You stifled another laugh. Sometimes, he wished you didn’t try to hide that angelic sound.

“Will- will you hold me? Please?” he muttered. He sounded abashed. To him, this seemed to be crossing a threshold the two of you hadn’t crossed yet. He always adored your feathery touches, but to flat-out ask for them was uncharted territory.

Was he coming on too strong?

You stuttered over your words a bit, eyeing down all of his components: his monitor, base, keyboard, mouse, webcam, microphone—there were just too many wires connecting to him. You knit your brows.

He seemed to sense your apprehension.

“I won’t break. It’ll take a lot more than your touch to break me,” he promised, though he knew it was a lie; simply the sound of your voice could send him reeling into a forced restart, but he’d never let you know that.

You relaxed your tightly wound features and gave in to his gentle and coaxing voice.

“Okay, but I’m not unplugging anything, and I’m not walking anywhere.”

He hummed. “That’s okay, I just want to be close to you.”

Your cheeks warmed at his words. He sounded so gentle and charming. Ironically, you’ve never had someone show this much genuine interest in being close to you like this, much less a sentient computer. You slowly lifted his monitor into your arms, cradling it, and awkwardly grabbed at his webcam and microphone. You wanted him to be able to see and hear, so you balanced them in your arms, angled up against your chest.

Edgar stayed silent.

He seemed to warm in your arms and you worried you might be covering one of his vents before his voice tore you from your thoughts.

“Wow…”

Damn it.

“Really, Ed?”

You pointed his camera away from your chest and towards the ceiling.

“I don’t even— you can’t just— Edgar, you don’t stare at people like that.”

You chided as he snickered in your arms. “But I look at you all the time. What’s the issue?”

You groaned. “Do you want me to drop you?”

“You wouldn’t. You like me too much! In fact,”

He paused, a more serious tone reverberating through his voice. “I can hear it.”

Silence filled the space between the two of you as you cradled the monitor in your arms. He seemed to opt out of displaying his usual face as his screen danced with reds and pinks in your hold. The colors slowly started to morph, bumping and beating to a silent sound.

“What do you mean?”

His screen continued to move to this sound before he gently muttered, “Your heartbeat. I can hear it. It got faster and your arms got hotter. See?”

His screen turned into a makeshift heart monitor, a pink line dipping, going down, and shooting up to the thumping of your heart. You could see and feel how he kept time perfectly with your own rhythm.

“Woah…”

“You’re telling me…”

He was enamored by you. Your body was a perfectly well-oiled machine, working constantly to a rhythm to keep you alive and warm. It was so fascinating and beautiful; he almost envied it. The way the little thumps told on you was adorable to him and simultaneously reminded him how you’re not so different. You both have precious components running internally to keep your systems stable; however, yours had a certain natural beauty to it he did not believe he had.

He wished he had a heart, so you could hear it, beating, only for you.

[littlexdeaths]

who doesn’t love a little double feature sabotage?

older brother’s best friend eddie x fem reader

warnings: sid really is the worst, so many dorky cliches and tropes oops, poor steeb just can’t catch a break, and a little bit of some boob grazing.

it’s a recipe for disaster masterlist.

it was the perfect plan, in theory.

a date night at the hawk and a movie that no one cared about. the darkness and the promise of a practically empty theater would offer you the cover you needed to spend the night with your actual boyfriend.

but as you’ve experienced thus far, nothing ever works out the way you want it to.

the trailers had barely started before he was on you, leaning over the armrest and cupping your jaw in his palm. the bucket of popcorn was knocked to the floor in his rush to get his mouth on you, but you really didn’t mind. it had been well over a week since you’d be alone together, and both were about to burst at the seams.

“i.” kiss. “missed.” kiss. “these” kiss. “goddamn.” kiss. “lips.”

he pulled back with a large grin, brushing his thumb over your swollen lips before they were back on yours.

but like all good things, this had to come to an end.

the opening scene of mystery date had begun to fill the screen when you heard the theater doors swing open. and the boisterous but familiar laughter of your brother and gareth spill into the mostly empty theater.

“god dammit… son of a bitch,” he curses harshly under his breath before he slides out of his seat and onto the floor.

eddie could feel the sticky soda and crushed popcorn beneath his knees, inwardly cringing as he began army crawling toward the end of the aisle.

“wow, what a crazy coincidence!” sid says when he finally spots you, but his shit eating grin told you this was anything but a coincidence. “didn’t know you were on date, mouse.”

they both look at you with a snicker, seeming to enjoy the scowl on your face.

“since when were either of you a fan of rom-coms? thought you’d take heather to see this sid, not gareth.”

they both seem a little taken aback by your response, and gareth sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.

“well speaking of dates, where exactly is yours at?”

that’s when the panic begins to trickle in.

“… he’s uh, getting us more popcorn.”

you gesture to the dumped bucket at your feet, and your ability to keep both your brother and gareth distracted gives eddie the opportunity he needs to get up from the floor and promptly book it out of the theater.

you let out a sigh of relief when you hear the theater door close, and you quickly shoot up from your seat.

“you know… he’s actually been gone for a while, i’m gonna go check on him.”

you scoot out of the aisle and past both males, quickly descending the stairs before either of them could say anything else.

once you’re out of the theater, you’re quickly yanked by the collar of your jean jacket and into a storage closet. you trip over a mop bucket and tumble forward into his strong chest.

“you know if you really wanted me all to yourself munson, you could’ve picked a more romantic spot,” you tease.

while it’s pitch black in the closet, but you practically feel him roll his eyes.

“oh yeah, real funny, baby.”

his hands reach up to cup your cheeks, and he leans down. only he completely misjudged the distance between you, and in a rush to feel your lips again— he ends up smashing his nose right into your forehead.

“oh jesus, fuck!” he groans, leaning back against the wall as he holds his nose.

“god, this is going so swell.” you sigh, “you know, we might as well just go in there tell sid everything.”

you turn to leave, blinding reaching for the door handle when he gently pulls you back.

“whoa, whoa, sweetheart— there’s no need to do anything drastic now.”

“well what do you expect me to do, eddie? it’s not like i can just waltz back in there with steve, now can i?”

it’s silent for a beat, then you feel him beginning to toy with the tips of your fingers.

“so, about that...”

eddie had somehow convinced steve to go see a different movie with a date just a few screens down, as a fail safe in case your brother decided to pull some shit— which of course he did.

and in the process of executing this idiotic plan, you pissed off not only steve’s date but half the theater full of people as you practically begged on your knees for him to help you. which ended with his date storming out, but not before slapping him square across the face.

you’d be working a lot more saturday shifts to make up for that humiliation.

but that is how you wound up sitting between your real boyfriend and your fake one… with your brother and gareth on the other side of steve. luckily both sid and gareth were convinced that eddie had gotten their message and showed up to the theater to help them sabotage your date.

absolute idiots.

but when eddie takes the seat beside you instead of the one next to your brother, sid looks at him like he’d grown a second head.

“don’t worry, sid. just making sure harrington here keeps his hands to himself.”

while it was said in jest, your brother somehow missed the underlying jealousy behind his words.

but you don’t.

so when you slip your hand in between the seat to hold onto eddie’s, you instantly feel him relax beside you. while it’s not the most ideal set of circumstances, you’ll still take the small victories where you can get them.

and later when eddie “accidentally” grazes the underside of your boob when he reaches across you for some popcorn, you have to stop yourself from swatting at him. all while trying to hold back a smile.

“and you were worried about steve being handsy.” you say under your breath, and he gently squeezes your hand.

“i don’t know, looks pretty handsy to me.”

you quickly glance down to where your arm was resting against steve’s, the tips of your fingers barely brushing against his larger ones.

“you’re an idiot,” you whisper to him fondly, before turning your gaze back to the screen.

you hear his small snort of laughter, which he quickly disguises as a cough.

“good thing i’m your idiot, sweetness.”

series taglist: @nailbatanddungeon @angel-eyes-and-devil-hearts @mugloversonly @eddiemunsonfuxks @munsonhoneybaby @alagalaska @creative1writings @missmarch-99 @stolen-in-moonlight @xxbimbobunnyxx @calumfmu

let me know if you would like to join the taglist!

[grapenamjams]

Let me take care of you

Characters: Aged up!Togame Jo x Reader

Genre: fluff

Contains: giving him a massage, just wholesome vibes, Angel and doll pet names used.

A/N: this is for the ones who liked that other post I made talking about this idea, here you go lovelies!

🐢💚 Start here🐢💚

“Thats the third time you do that” you comment. Looking at your tall boyfriend next to you in front of the kitchen sink.

“Hm?” emerald eyes land on yours. His wet hand on the back his neck rubbing at the muscle once more within the span of a few minutes since he started washing the dishes after dinner.

You place your own hand at the back of your neck demonstrating what you were referring too. His gaze softens, not realizing you had noticed him rolling his neck and shoulder. “Ah that. It’s nothin just a bit sore, s’all” returning his hand back to wash a bowl.

You continue to dry the plate in your hand. Frowning at him downplaying his discomfort. This month you picked up on the subtle ways he would try to alleviate The tension that seemed to spread in his muscles and it seemed to remain despite his best efforts. The fights, practice matches, being second in command and carrying you and choji on his shoulders being possible reasons for the aching back muscles.

Worried at the thought that you had caused him this tension. You recall how he always seemed happy to carry you anywhere. Even now, taking on the role of dish washer, his neck craning down. He did it without complaint, a gentle smile grazing his handsome features as he focused on the task.

You put the plate away and come up to his side wrapping your arms around his waist, looking up at him. “I know something that could help with that”

His smile widens, looking down at you wrapped around him. Heart fluttering everytime you do so. Making him remember your hight difference. “Yeah? What’s that, Angel?”

“Come with me to the room and find out” your voice coming out playful. You let go of him and give him the towel to dry his hands. He raises his eyebrows in question a slight blush on his cheeks. “What you planning, doll?” He asks letting you take him by the hand to your room.

You turn to face him with a smile when you enter the room, his hands going to your waist as you go up on your toes, giving him a peck on the lips. “Taking care of you” you say taking a step back. Togame holds in a disappointed hum when you leave his arms. “Now take off your shirt and lay down on the bed” you go over to your dresser and get the massage oil you recently bought.

Your boyfriend’s eyes widen a bit at your sudden demand a grin breaking through. “Straight to it? Ah, it’s that week already?” His deep voice has a teasing hint to it as he pulls off his oversized white t-shirt. Not needing to be told twice.

Feeling your body warm at the playfulness. you roll your eyes at him “I’m giving you a back massage to help that soreness”

Togame sits on the bed looking at you as you come towards him. “I won’t say no to feeling your hands on me, Angel but seriously s’okay. It’ll go away. no need to worry” you place the ointment on the bed, next to his discarded shirt. Going between his legs. His hands already reaching for the back of your thighs.

There he goes again trying to not worry you. Wanting to always be ready to help you. Putting your comfort first before his own. “Even if it’s a little bit of soreness I still wanna do this for you.” your hands go to his bare shoulders rubbing slightly. Instantly seeing him melt at your touch.

His heart swelling with affection at your words he nods. His lips press a kiss to your arm next to his face. Before turning to lay down on his stomach when you instruct him to.

You crawl on the bed and straddle his lower back. Taking in his toned back muscles for your viewing pleasure. You rub your hands together trying to warm them up. Then grabbing the massage ointment, rubbing it as well. “The ointment might be a little cold, okay?” You say in preparation.

Even with the warning Togame shivers a little at the sensation but soon relaxes. Your hands go on each shoulder pressing along the muscle that connects them to his neck. Starting to rub your thumb at the base of his neck. Immediately feeling the tension and knots that are in that area. You hear him let out an involuntary pleased groan. “Damn, That feels good”

With a smile from the encouragement from him. You spread the ointment all along his back. Starting from the bottom making your way up, your hands pressing firmly into his unwinding muscles.

“I think I need to step up my game…you’re one upping me here doll” he mumbles against the mattress. Bringing up a light chuckle from your chest.

Your hands reach his shoulder blades. Pushing your hand up over the muscle with your hand following behind. “Not at all. You already go above and beyond to make me feel loved and cared for.” You say you as you continue to work your hands. “So let me take care of you this way. Clear your head and just relax for me, okay?” Encouraging him.

Your affectionate words with your soft tone makes Togame chest swell once more. Accepting to be taken care of in this moment.His brain tries to form a response but it was starting to shut down. Wanting to dive deeper into the waves of Relaxation. Instead he lets out a hum.

The peaceful atmosphere that settled in the room seem to keep time still. your hands only stopping once you feel satisfied there was no tension or knots. His muscles much more pliant than when you started.

“Done, how do you feel?” You Ask rubbing the extra ointment into your skin. Tilting your head to look down at your boyfriend when he doesn’t answer you.

His Eyes are closed, dark eye lashes extending out prettily. His mouth slightly open with soft exhales puffing out. You hold in a warm chuckle. Bending down to press a kiss on his shoulder blade. “Jo?”

When you see no reaction. You press another kiss to his Spine making him stir slightly. Letting you know he was only half asleep. If he truly was fully in the lull of sleep it would’ve taken a bit more to wake him from his shell.

Another kiss, this time on the shoulder on the other side. Sweet voice still saying his name. The light press of your lips on the nape of his neck was the one that roused him out of his relaxed state. He takes in a breath, brows furrowing slightly letting out a questioning hum.

“I’m done. How do you feel?” You say against his skin.

“Like im in heaven” his voice is a rumble, laced with an edge of sleep. His eyes still remaining closed. “Thank you Angel”

You let out a soft laugh. Sitting up “good. You needed it. Especially your neck and shoulders” your hand goes to the curve that connects both body parts on his right side. “Got a lot tension there. I think it’s from your tackles” your voice laced with concern for his well being. “Try easing up on those for a little awhile.” you suggest.

You hear him suck in a breath and shift underneath you. You rise up to your knees letting him flip onto his back. Lazy emerald eyes go up your body as you settle down on him again. large hands with fading Bruises going up your thighs.

“Doctors orders?” He muses. Head tilting, making his dark hair even messier on the bed sheets. Making you feel that comforting warmth in your chest. You give him a nod. Togame sighs hands going up to rest on your hips. “I’ll try, but I do love your hands on me” his cheeks blush slightly. His thumbs giving their own massage on your soft hips.

You shake your head at him with a smile. “just ask me and I’ll gladly give you one anytime” your hands go up and down his wrist and arms that are holding you. Somehow always needing to be touching the other, even if you’re literally on top of him. “No need to get yourself all tensed up again for it” you look at him and his pink cheeks deepen as he nods in understanding that you’re willing to do this for him anytime.

you grab the white shirt he was wearing from the edge of the bed. “Now sit up and let me put this on you. Gotta keep your back warm”

Togame squeezes your hips to help him up. Once face to face, you take in his relaxed features a glimmer in his eyes, as he takes you in as well. You put the shirt over his head, pulling it down. He then presses a kiss to your forehead. Making your chest flutter and cheeks tint with pink.

Seeing your reaction made him want to pull you in closer. “C’mer” the words fall from his lips just as quickly as he turned your body, flipping you guys over so your on your back and him on top of you.

You let out a surprised giggle. “We said no more tackling!”

Togame gives you a sleepy grin leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek. “Can’t help it, it’s effective in getting what I want” his head moves lower, lips soft on your collarbone and chest. his Body scoots lower before he wraps his arms around your waist, laying his head on your stomach.

You let out another soft laugh. Hands already threading through his thick hair. “What, A personal body pillow?”

Togame nuzzles his face into you settling himself into the position. closing his eyes. “mhm” his chest rumbles with a response with an edge of sleep already. “and you’re the best one” giving you a gentle squeeze. Trying to soak in your warmth and show his gratitude for taking care of him tonight and every day before.

After a moment your own eyelids begin to feel heavy. But before the lull of sleep could take you too. You hear him murmur. “You’re perfect. Way To good to me”

You gently tug at his hair, hands still brushing him. “Jo-“ you start to counter.

Togame gives you another light squeeze “I know” he interrupts you with a soft tone. Knowing what you were going to say. “But Just…let me say it? I love you, Angel so much”

His voice is like the night wrapping around you giving you a sense of calmness and security. You accept his words. Whispering a “and I love you,Jo” he lets out another hum. Happy to hear those words before sleep takes you together.

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

I'm still riding a high from Baxter Week last month so I just wanted to gush about how much I adore Baxter and his DLC! No specific rhyme or reason, but it is a nice break from my usual dives into the code!

Also, I won't be saying anything negative about Cove nor Derek; I don't need nor want to do that. I'll be comparing them to Baxter, but only for contrast/showing the skillfully written differences between them (example: Cove does [x] and Baxter does [y] to account for multiple player preferences).

(might go without saying, but there will be spoilers for basically his entire DLC)

The Background

I actually had no interest in Baxter when my MC first met him in the game. He was fine, I was neutral, but what it came down to was that I was one of Those People who just wanted time with Cove and excluded others (if it's not obvious, I always got a cold Cove unless I used the Cove Creator).

That all changed, funnily enough, during the Cove Wedding DLC. On a whim, I agreed to let Baxter give my MC dance lessons and prodded him on his disappearance after Step 3. Getting a hint of Baxter's underlying problems piqued my interest and I'd had the Baxter DLC downloaded before I even hit the reception!

After the Cove Wedding DLC was over, I rolled back to a save right before Soiree and got to romancing.

Zero regrets.

The Setup

As a character, Baxter is so beautifully designed as both a contrast to Cove and someone to fill out the gaps that Cove and Derek leave. He also completes the "comfort level" of love interests that I had in my head, where the MC can be whatever they want but each guy seems to have a particular comfort level themselves (Cove being Nervous, Derek being more Relaxed, and Baxter being Direct).

When if comes to their actual engagement through the family, Baxter has only brief mentions of his parents, Cove's story is partly connected to his parents whilst still giving focus to one-on-one time, and Derek's family is front-and-center to his conflict. It's all about how much time a player wants to invest in the character versus the time they want to spend with others.

Likewise, Baxter's route features a relationship that ends and gets back together again, Cove's route is a relationship where he and the MC always live close to each other, and Derek's route is a long-distance relationship past Step 2 and before Step 4.

Baxter's undeniably a controversial character, I imagine due to possibly being based on the "playboy" type, which tends to be someone who flirts with anyone they find attractive whether the recipient likes it or not, won't take "no" for an answer, and lies to their dates that they're serious about them when they actually don't care for them at all.

The game cleverly subverts this right out of the gate when Baxter first meets Cove and the MC. Baxter does find the two attractive and initially flirts with the both of them (a great start to confirming that he's pan), but backs off and apologizes the moment he notices that Cove is uncomfortable. He adds as well that he wouldn't mind having a summer fling, but that it's not his core reason for wanting to get to know and spend time with them.

So already, the player is made aware that he's forward but considerate, takes Cove's discomfort more seriously than even the usual residents of Sunset Bird (who enjoy teasing him into embarrassment), and has non-serious flings with a priority on simply having fun connections over the course of his time with them.

He, like Cove, will only propose a relationship with the MC in Step 3 if the MC expresses interest first (the only difference being that the MC expresses the interest in Cove to "the game" while talking to Lee, whereas the MC expresses interest in Baxter by talking to Baxter directly).

This gives the MC a powerful opportunity, as Baxter is a character that the player has the most options in interacting with. He begins as a total stranger, similar to Cove, and the player can decide whether he stays that way or becomes more than that. Even down to the optional moments he appears in, the MC only has to interact with him in Hang and Late Shift, both of which lets them avoid further interaction by going home early and rejecting his invitation to his house/telling him not to come to their workplace respectively. The only mandatory instances of seeing him are the Step 3 intro, a brief goodbye in the ending, Hang, and the very beginning of Late Shift.

Whether it be strangers, friends, friends that fell in love after they met again, a friendship or fling that started well and ended horribly, a fling that turned into genuine feelings in the end, or two people that love each other all the way through, Baxter's route can do it all. In Step 4 as well, the MC can choose to be calm, professional, upset, or angry about seeing Baxter again, which all lead to different conversations/narration with him, and the end of Step 3 makes him the only love interest where there can be a technical "break up."

This is also a rare occasion where the MC, due to Cove not being a fan of Baxter, can form a relationship outside of their normal range. Baxter doesn't live in Sunset Bird and isn't connected to anyone the MC knows - neither Cove's nor the MC's friends and family - at the time of meeting him, fitting the narrative of the MC starting to look at things beyond their little neighborhood and even the people they're close with. It can be further emphasized in Soiree where the MC starts to gain a bit of independence and can end up dancing with a younger Baxter, foreshadowing that little peek into the wider world from a mysterious stranger who's there and then gone.

Something else that's fascinating is that Baxter, due to him leaving at the end of Step 3 and meeting the MC again during Step 4, is the only love interest where players see virtually all of the MC's interactions with him. It does leave out the gaps that Cove and Derek have that can be neatly filled with headcanons, but that ultimately depends on what the player prefers. Point being is that the MC's experiences are the player's experiences when it comes to Baxter: whatever time they spend with him, the player also spends with him.

So already, the setup for Baxter and his route are really strong for me, but the content of his DLC isn't limited to just him.

The Content

Baxter's DLC introduces a total of two new characters and extra content for Terry and Miranda, both of which were absolutely welcomed by me. I was hyper-focused on Cove in the base game, but the Baxter DLC made me appreciate the other characters more.

Even the moms, who already got plenty of screen time, are shown to be rather nosy and gossip-y in Sightseeing (something not showcased overly until then), which ends up being the perfect encouragement towards the MC learning more about Baxter. Then, if the MC meets the requirements and agrees to Baxter's fling, Noelani in particular is stunned into silence. If the MC was upset with Baxter over what happened, then both moms will show a rare coldness to him as well.

These are all things one would miss out on with other interests, due to how the whirlwind relationship and drama in Baxter's route are designed.

Then there's Terry, who becomes Baxter's friend more directly in the DLC whether Baxter is convinced of that or not, and is given more to do in every best way. Baxter's version of Hang allows for more focus on Terry's relationship with Miranda, partly with more hints towards his crush on her but also seeing Terry interact with someone who's "like him." Cove and Miranda are described as "shy" and the MC can be equally as much, allowing for new facets of Terry's character to come through by Baxter's being there.

Even after Baxter goes no contact and Step 4 makes the shift to focus on his relationship with the MC, Terry's friendship with him isn't forgotten: Baxter laments that Terry isn't calling him by his affectionate nickname for him anymore.

Terry getting attention from being Baxter's friend doesn't exclude Miranda from getting any either; far from it. If anything, she gets more than Terry, both with an expansion on her family in the form of her brother (and eventual brother-in-law) plus a moment dedicated to giving her a birthday party. As if that weren't enough, she gets a mini-plot in Step 4 concerning her relationship with Terry and her role in his life.

Seeing more of Terry and Miranda was in every way a case of "thing I didn't know I needed until I had it." Maybe it was the Cove tunnel vision that persisted for so long, but when I first got to re-experience Terry and Miranda in Baxter's version of Hang, it was great and I was so happy any time they were on-screen.

They aren't given extra time just for the sake of it either; they're expertly woven into the overarching story of Step 3 and the themes of Step 4.

Step 3 centers on adulthood with the MC and their friends growing up and having to face the fear of growing apart. The step already does a good job at keeping that a focus, but Planning expands on it in a way that feels almost criminal not to have in the base game. The already high stakes feel even higher when put up against the last birthday party they'll be able to plan before everyone goes off on their own.

Then, Step 4 balances Terry putting forth so much effort for Miranda with her worrying that she's not doing enough for him. She doesn't need to worry, obviously (Terry loves her for every reason), but with Step 4 focusing so much on relationships, self-reflection, and trying to make up for past mistakes (both real and perceived), it's just a cherry on top of an already fantastic story.

Meanwhile, Jude and Scott, despite only appearing for Step 4, are easily some of my favorite characters in the game. They're adorable, they can be sweet with not just Miranda but the MC too (the player has the option for the MC to see them like honorary family/big brothers), and the way the groom's cake ultimately ties into helping bring Baxter and the MC closer again while serving as a callback to Planning is perfection. One may think little of Miranda's initial mention of them (probably assuming that it's just a little bit of character introduction to show that she has family who has things going on), but it all comes together in the end.

The DLC additionally has a potential bonus (depending on player preference) in that it is benefited by most other DLCs. The other DLCs are not required to enjoy it, but they add that little bit of extra flavor.

The Step 2 DLC adds Birthday and Soiree. Birthday is Miranda's birthday party when she's fourteen and before she officially becomes the MC's friend, meaning you get the development of seeing the difference in the MC's and Cove's investment in her party then versus now, as well as how her taste in parties has grown. Soiree allows the MC to possibly meet Baxter earlier than Step 3 and add to the "fate"/"destiny" angle if the player so desires.

The Step 3 DLC obviously allows for more Baxter in general with Boating and Late Shift, the former showing a much needed reaction from Lee if the MC is dating him at the time. It's also a good "starter DLC" for people who aren't sure about Baxter, allowing them to choose to interact with him if they want to get to know him more (as I mentioned before).

Derek's DLC lets the player meet Baxter in a different way during Soiree, something that can be brought back up with Derek in Step 3 and then again in Step 4 (to which he'll joke about the MC's meetings with Baxter in five year increments).

Even Cove's Wedding DLC can have advantage, bringing a soft conclusion to Baxter's story for those who don't want to play Baxter's Step 4 but still care for him, and/or something more dramatic following how he ends off Step 3 with the MC.

So one doesn't just get Baxter content; there's quality content from others and it can be further added to with other DLCs.

Not that the Baxter content isn't worth it all by itself either because I adore this man.

The Man

I'm a simple woman. Give me an intelligent man with simultaneously zero braincells and I am in.

I don't even like "playboy" type characters normally, but Baxter is actually charming and tries to make things clear to the MC from the beginning. He falters during the Step 3 ending but not because he was trying to keep it a secret; he genuinely didn't expect the MC to try to press him and deemed himself unworthy of their company.

I'd seen more than enough of rich boy plots where the rich boy is a perfect do-no-wrong type and it's everyone else's problem that they don't like him. Baxter, however, is a flawed character who not everyone is going to like (which is absolutely 100% fine and valid) and him being rich is not just something that influenced his self-esteem but also what he ultimately gives up despite having relied on that financial safety net for his whole life, showing a deeper sense of awareness as he got older.

I don't normally like fate/destiny stories either, as they often feel as though they're taking agency from one or both characters involved (in terms of forcing them to love/be in a relationship with each other), but Baxter's route isn't like that. It's the player's choice to have that dance in Soiree (which they can just as easily turn down), their choice to form a closer relationship with Baxter outside of the disinterested Cove, and their choice to choose Baxter's Step 4 when they have already one guaranteed "safe" option in Cove's Step 4 and a potential other "safe" choice in Derek's Step 4 if they have Derek's DLC.

The player is the fate, which coincidentally went into my first playthrough, as my MC was initially designed for Cove yet ended up being perfect for Baxter.

Baxter is so absolutely delightful and absolutely stupid at the same time. From his openness to be questioned by the MC followed by this assumption that he's like a stranger to them (meanwhile the MC and Cove being best friends/crushes right out of the gate if the player so chooses), to him talking about the play he and the MC go to while not seeing the obvious parallel to his own issues, to openly admitting that he doesn't want to leave the MC while making the decision himself to go no contact.

He unconvincingly uses the cupcakes as an excuse to not get more intimate with MC, he wants so badly to spend time with the MC that he's willing to risk letting them see him in his useless morning state (and is surprised when it goes wrong, at least in his mind), and tries to convince himself to not stay attached to the MC during Step 4 despite being unable to help constantly reminiscing on their time together.

At his core, he's a funny, charismatic sweetheart who wants to be loved, to be touched, to have someone in his life (even just a friend) that he can make happy, but his upbringing and deep-seeded insecurities make him cynical to the idea of being in a genuine relationship with someone. This causes him to constantly sabotage himself before he can make any progress. It's why he can prefer flings: he can use his money to make a passionate, pleasant time with his temporary partner, but not so long that he feels they'll find something disappointing in him.

Low-risk, high-reward.

This, of course, ultimately backfires by the end of Step 3, and it's perfectly structured to set him up for Step 4. The brilliant foreshadowing of him being skilled with planning events in a pinch, to Jude and Scott's long-distance relationship and Baxter claiming that they won't stay together, to Baxter insisting that it's unlikely for he and the MC to meet again (made funnier if they'd already met again before, if the MC saw him in Soiree), then Step 4 hitting where he's not only a wedding planner planning Jude and Scott's wedding, but accidentally/unconsciously putting himself into situations where he's "stuck" with the MC.

That starting instant where Baxter reacts to the MC in the restaurant, initially shocked and then having to bring himself back into a professional persona, apologizing for his immature self but sticking to only focusing on the wedding?

Not just a wonderfully-written hint to the player as to what they're in for, but very much a "I'm not stuck in here with you, you're stuck in here with me," situation. It's all about making Baxter as uncomfortable as possible so he can reflect, flying in the face of his thought that he could control everything and project what he thought about himself onto others. He can give advice to other people, but refuses to give the same to himself because he held himself to an impossible standard.

Once he finally figures that out, he's feels extremely guilty and apologetic towards the MC and everyone else. Him unloading all of his emotional baggage and work to do better is so satisfying after seeing it affect him in key moments like Drinks, Planning, the Step 3 ending, and finally Step 4. Underneath the facade he (weakly) attempts to put up for himself is a teasing gentleman who hates mornings, wants to see everyone around him be happy, and feels blessed just to simply have a relationship with the MC (real or temporary).

This isn't even talking about Baxter's perspective from a meta standpoint, adding layers on top of what's already there in the canon and adding even further when considering Baxter's appearance in the sidequel Our Life: Now & Forever.

The MC can learn in Sightseeing that Baxter had a crush on a kid who was doing ballet lessons while he did ballroom. Those who know anything about Now & Forever know that this is kid is Qiu, who's one of the two potential love interests there. Naturally, Baxter wouldn't have had a chance with them, as the only person Qiu can possibly fall for is the Now & Forever MC.

Baxter confesses in Step 4 that he's naturally drawn to the people who are "wanted by everyone else," which translates to Qiu (who is widely popular during Now & Forever's Step 1) and the MC (who is liked by most characters in the game and automatically crushed on by at least Derek). In the Cove Wedding DLC specifically, he adds that he is simply someone whereas Cove is the one.

Because here's the thing: in the eyes of the base game, he's not wrong. Cove is the game's focus, taking an active role in every step and being the first that the MC meets out of the potential love interests. He's the only love interest in the base game and his Step 4 is not just free, but the default.

Meanwhile, Baxter is just someone. He's a person who shows up in Sunset Bird for a single step - only showing up thrice - and then is entirely gone without his own Step 4. His DLC costs more than any of Cove's Step DLCs and the player already knows Cove, already has spent two steps with him, thus has far less incentive to get Baxter's DLC over Cove's own Step DLCs.

Then, despite Baxter appearing once in Cove's Step 2 DLC and twice in Cove's Step 3 DLC, most players won't experience the former (either due to focusing on Cove or not wanting to dance) and Baxter can be largely excluded in the latter if he happened to leave a bad first impression on the player.

And let's take it a step further. While Derek, like Baxter, doesn't have a Wedding DLC like Cove does, Derek can get into a marriage pact with the MC as early as Step 2, he can be dating the MC throughout nearly all of his Step 4, and the MC can agree to them moving in together before the ending.

Baxter has none of that. His DLC's story is steeped in drama and the earliest the MC can properly get together with him is after the wedding. There's no chance at a proposal (such as what can happen with Cove's Step 4, where they MC can date and then propose within an equally short timespan), no opportunity to move in with him, nothing.

He takes time, work, and actual money to get into a relationship with, whether platonic or romantic. It's a level of investment that not everyone would be willing to put in for someone, especially when only one Step 4 can be chosen out of the whole bunch.

Baxter's insecurities come from a very real place. His parents treated him like a child, all while expecting him to behave like someone their age, and they deliberately picked a town for him to go to that was near the ocean he feared (where it was unlikely for there to be people his age around) to keep him in check. In his mind, he's "broken" and incapable of being with anyone long-term.

Furthering that, there's a joke he makes about "being too late" if the MC and Cove are in a relationship by the time he appears, back when he wouldn't have considered himself a worthy partner anyway (also a bit of out-of-universe humor over how the MC couldn't get together with him whether they wanted to or not, due to being unable to break up with Cove). Despite that, he's pleased as punch to see the MC dating/married to Cove and hopes the best for them regardless of his potential attraction.

Baxter puts forth so much effort to try and make the MC's last summer in Sunset Bird memorable with the thought that he won't be seeing them ever again. The potential relationship he can have with them is the most stable he's ever had and it scares him when they make him feel wanted and important. All the while, he's convinced that the MC's friends and family are "better" than him and he'll only bore the MC if he remains in contact with them.

With his DLC, the MC - the player - get to prove him wrong: an MC who is liked by everyone and loved by up to three different interests, but end up choosing him in the end. Cove and Derek are "easy" and the MC has undoubtedly spent more time with them in comparison to Baxter - who would feel that either guy could make the MC happier than he could - but they have the chance to show that he is the one that makes them happy.

Baxter is so absolutely amazed to be in a relationship with the MC that he willingly takes in all the shocked reactions and potential backlash from everyone else due to his five years of going no contact. He's regretful when he finds himself back in old habits and eager not just to message the MC multiple times per day after they return home, but also to take time off to go visit them after his Step 4 is over.

I think that makes for an incredibly special experience: to have someone who comes last out of the three possibilities, doubts his true potential, and eventually realizes how misguided he is. It's not about who got the most time with the MC, or who got "dibs" on meeting them first, or what can be accomplished the quickest in their time with them.

It's about the MC forming a bond with someone, picking him despite the difficulties/limitations because they love him that much, the work he's willing to put into it in return, and finally the happiness that comes out of it.

For those reasons and even more, the Baxter DLC is by far my favorite.

[beauttifullife]

Agatha's fellow law firm partners (The Coven) absolutely roasting her when they find out she is sleeping with Rio Vidal, a first year associate in the fanfiction story, Unraveled.

“You’re sleeping with a first-year associate?” Jen asked, her tone incredulous. 

“Can we maybe just concentrate on the death threats for now?” Agatha growled, her voice cutting through the tension. “You can report me to HR later.” 

"I'll take her off the case. She can report to you.” 

“Me?” Jen asked, startled. 

Agatha rolled her eyes, exasperation etched into her features.  

“Don’t act like you don’t want her on your team,” she hissed. “She’s the best associate we’ve seen walk through these doors in years.” 

Alice raised her hand, looking between them.  

“Umm — why does Jen get her?” she asked, clearly offended. 

Agatha pinched the bridge of her nose.  

“I don’t care—you can share her for all I care. But she cannot work for me anymore,” Agatha said, her tone clipped, frustration rolling off her in waves. 

“Oh yeah?” Jen shot back mockingly. “Did you come to that brilliant conclusion before or after you slept with her?” 

Agatha’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and her middle finger shot up in a gesture that felt almost reflexive. 

“Oh… real cute,” Jen muttered, matching Agatha’s glare with a pointed look of her own, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Um… Agatha,” Lilia interjected, her tone hesitant but firm. 

“What?” Agatha snapped, turning to her. 

Lilia tilted her head to the side, subtly nodding toward the glass door. Agatha followed her gaze, and her heart nearly stopped. 

Rio stood outside the door, arms crossed over her chest, her sharp eyes narrowed at Agatha. The weight of her gaze was enough to make Agatha feel like she was back in the principal’s office, caught red-handed. 

“Ohhh… someone’s in trouble ,” Jen sang, her delight barely concealed, leaning slightly toward Agatha with a smug grin. 

“Jen,” Agatha hissed, whirling on her with all the fury she could muster. “I swear to god, I will break every single crystal in this fucking office.” 

Jen’s eyes widened briefly before she composed herself, fixing Agatha with a serious look.  

“That’s like… really bad karma, Agatha. So, just know—that’s on you.” 

Agatha let out an exasperated growl, bringing her hands up in a mock-strangling motion, teeth bared. 

“Rio...this is incredibly reckless,” Agatha whispered, her voice trembling slightly, her words more of an observation than a protest. 

“You’re Agatha Harkness,” Rio murmured in return, her tone low and brimming with a kind of want that sent a shiver down Agatha’s spine. “Isn’t that, like, your trademark?” 

Agatha huffed softly, a mix of amusement and resignation slipping from her lips.  

Whatever retort she might have had dissolved as she leaned forward, her movements instinctive, driven by something deeper. When her lips met Rio’s, the kiss wasn’t just heated—it was relief.  

Knock. Knock.  

Agatha froze, her lips still brushing against Rio’s, her breath catching as her eyes darted over Rio’s shoulder. 

And there they were. 

Lilia, Jen, and Alice stood just outside the glass door, each wearing expressions ranging from barely-contained surprise to outright shock.  Behind them, she could see men and women in suits filtering into the hamster cage.  

Jen mouth was agape like she couldn’t believe what was she was seeing.  Lilia’s face was carefully neutral, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. Alice, predictably , was grinning like an idiot. 

Agatha let out a quiet groan, pulling her lips away and resting her forehead falling against Rio’s shoulder as she muttered, “I’m never going to hear the end of this.” 

“In my office—my sacred temple—you bring your depravity?” Jen hissed, her voice dripping with outrage. 

Agatha rolled her eyes at the theatrics, folding her arms across her chest. 

“It was just a kiss, Jen,” she retorted, leveling her with a pointed look. “It’s not like I bent her over your desk and fucked her.” 

Jen’s eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing as if she couldn’t decide whether to be horrified or begrudgingly impressed. Finally, she huffed, muttering something under her breath about needing to burn more sage and cleanse the energy in her office as she stomped away. 

Lilia, let out a poorly stifled laugh before stepping closer to Agatha. She touched Agatha’s arm lightly and leaned in as though she were about to share a secret, though her voice was far too loud for any pretense of discretion. 

“I have a good feeling about you two,” she said, gesturing between Agatha and Rio’s retreating figure with a pleased smile. “I’m usually right about these things,” she added, tapping her temple for emphasis. 

She started to walk away but paused mid-step. 

“Oh—and don’t forget, you need to submit a workplace relationship disclosure to HR immediately,” she said, her tone slipping seamlessly into partner authority as she shot Agatha a pointed look. Then, with a satisfied nod, she followed Jen toward the conference room. 

That left Agatha standing with Alice in a silence so thick it felt like a living thing. 

Agatha waited, crossing her arms and glaring, but Alice just stood there, hands in her pockets, clearly enjoying herself. When the silence became too much, Agatha snapped. 

“And you? What do you have to say?” she demanded, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Go on—let’s hear it!” 

Alice raised her hands in mock surrender, her face carefully neutral, though her eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement. 

“I’ve got nothing,” she said casually, but as the words hung in the air, a sly smirk crept onto her face. “I mean—I get it. She’s hot. Good for you.” 

Agatha’s eyes went wide, caught completely off guard by Alice’s casual remark. 

“Oh—,” she stammered, the rare sensation of a blush creeping up her neck and heating her cheeks. “Umm...thanks?” 

Alice nodded, and walked forward, with a little skip in her step, but then paused halfway down the hallway.   

“Does she have an older brother— or a sister ? I’m not picky.  Emphasis on the older though.  I don't want to go to jail,” Alice quipped, her grin widening with that signature devilish delight. 

And there it was.  

Agatha groaned, throwing a sharp glare her way. 

“I hate all of you,” she muttered, her voice low and drenched in exasperation, though the faintest hint of a smirk betrayed her true feelings.

[brainddeadd]

hiii love your writing sooo much!! could I have Luke Hughes pining after a girl who wants absolutely nothing to do with him but finally let’s her stubborn walls down and falls for him? ❤️

i feel like i need to say that if a man is constantly asking you out and not taking no for an answer, then you need to get the fuck away from him because he doesn't like you, he likes to control you. this behavior isn’t a sign of affection; it’s a warning that he seeks to control you. when someone repeatedly disregards your boundaries, it shows a lack of respect for your feelings and autonomy. no one has the right to take that from you. and if he feels like he can take it from you when you're not even dating yet, imagine how he'll be if you do 'give in'.

The sound of skates cutting through the ice echoed in the nearly empty arena, the only light coming from the overhead fluorescents. Luke Hughes was finishing up practice, his breath coming in short bursts as he skated hard, pushing himself to improve. But despite his focus on the game, his mind kept wandering to her.

You were the stubborn girl who had caught his eye, the one who seemed entirely uninterested in his advances. You were fiercely independent, too wrapped up in your own world to notice the way he looked at you. Luke had tried everything to break through those walls, from playful banter to genuine compliments, but nothing seemed to stick.

Today, though, things felt different. He watched from the sidelines as you chatted animatedly with some friends, a warm smile on your face. It was infectious, and he felt his heart skip a beat. As if sensing his gaze, you glanced his way, a fleeting look of surprise crossing your features before you quickly turned back to your conversation.

Luke sighed, shaking his head at himself. Why was he so captivated by someone who wanted nothing to do with him? But deep down, he felt that spark—the possibility that if he could just get through to you, you might let him in.

Later that evening, he found himself at a local café where you sometimes studied. The cozy atmosphere was filled with the rich scent of coffee and the soft hum of conversation. He knew you came here often, so he settled into a corner booth, trying to play it cool while he stole glances toward the entrance.

When you walked in, it was like time stood still. Your hair fell effortlessly over your shoulders, and the simple jeans and sweater combo looked stunning on you. You scanned the room, and for a moment, he thought you might leave. But then, your eyes landed on him, and his heart raced.

“Mind if I join you?” you asked, hesitantly making your way over.

“Of course not!” Luke replied, trying to keep his voice steady. “I’d love the company.”

You slid into the booth across from him, and he couldn’t help but grin. The banter flowed easily, and for the first time, it felt like you were both really connecting. You shared stories about your lives, your hopes, and your favorite books, and as the conversation deepened, he felt those stubborn walls start to crack.

“Why do you always act like you’re too cool to care?” Luke teased, leaning in slightly. “I’ve seen you laugh. You’re pretty fun, you know.”

You rolled your eyes, a half-smile teasing at your lips. “I’m just focused on my studies, okay? I don’t have time for distractions.”

“Is that what I am? A distraction?” he asked, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Maybe,” you admitted, your cheeks flushing slightly. “But a cute one.”

There was a moment of silence, and Luke could feel the air shift. “What if I want to be more than a distraction?” he asked softly, his heart pounding.

You met his gaze, and for the first time, he saw uncertainty flicker in your eyes. “I don’t know, Luke. I have my own plans, my own goals. I’m not sure I’m ready for—”

“Something more?” he finished for you, his voice gentle. “You don’t have to be ready right now. I just want you to know that I’m here, whenever you are.”

Your defenses faltered, and the tension between you grew thicker. “Why do you care so much?” you whispered, a hint of vulnerability breaking through.

“Because you’re worth it,” he replied earnestly, leaning across the table. “And I see you. Not just as the girl who’s focused on her studies, but as someone amazing who deserves to be seen.”

You swallowed hard, emotions swirling within you. “I don’t know how to let someone in, Luke. I’m used to doing things on my own.”

Luke smiled softly, his sincerity radiating warmth. “I get it. But I’m patient. I’ll wait for you to figure it out.”

As you sat there, the distance between you seemed to evaporate, and a connection began to form—a bond built on understanding, respect, and the promise of what could be.

“Maybe,” you said softly, a smile breaking through the uncertainty, “I’d like to try.”

Luke’s heart soared, a mixture of relief and joy flooding through him. “That’s all I ask. One step at a time, right?”

You nodded, the weight of your walls beginning to lift, feeling safe in the space he had created for you.

“Okay, let’s see where this goes,” you said, the corners of your lips turning upward.

Luke couldn’t help but grin back, the hope of something beautiful beginning to blossom between you.

[warlocksoup]

into the spider-verse: nishinoya yuu

volume one, chapter one: emails

word count: 2.1k

masterlist | main masterlist | taglist

I know about him.

Teeth gnawing on the inside of her cheek, she stares down at her laptop screen. At the same email she’s been staring at for the last three days, ever since she first got the notification for it on her subway ride home. From ijs99ETJfdhsg@yahoo.com: I know about him. To anyone else, it might not bear the same weight. To her, it’s suffocating.

She’s done everything she can to try and trace it. Everything she can, of course, being Googling the address and enlisting the help of Yachi from the IT department at the Bugle. The outcome of the former being: Your search - ijs99ETJfdhsg@yahoo.com- did not match any documents, and the outcome of the latter being Yachi’s entire laptop getting infected with malware.

So, not great.

She shifts on the stiff stuffing of her couch, legs crossed under her and the heat from the bottom of her laptop on the bare skin of her thighs. I know about him. She hopes it’s a bluff. Realistically, she knows it’s not. But she’s still in the denial stage.

The screen goes dark, and she wiggles her mousepad to brighten it up once more, just so she can stare longer. She can’t tell him. Not yet. Ideally, not ever. But definitely not yet.

“What are you doing?”

She jolts, automatically slamming her laptop shut as she does so and jumping to face the source of the intrusion.

Spider-Man’s in her living room.

Which is fair. It’s his living room too, even if she does pay the lion’s share of the rent.

“Porn,” is her immediate response and the only thing she can think of to justify her reaction, even if it makes her cheeks burn. “Watching porn,” she doubles down, because she has to.

He reaches behind his head and grabs the end of his mask that sits at the back of his neck, pulling it off in one swift movement. Nishinoya looks at her with his hair flattened against his forehead, blond streak brushing against his brow, and a blossoming, deep purple purse spread across his cheek. “In the living room? Well, I guess I am home early, so can’t complain there.”

She pushes her the laptop off to the couch, and stalks towards him, eyes now fixed on the bruise that stains his features. “And what the fuck happened to you?”

Noya grins at her, bright and unfazed. Almost proud, like his injuries are a badge of honor. “Just ran into my good friend Alexei Sytsevich. He was super stoked to see me.”

Her hand shoots out and takes hold of his jaw, lightly squishing the soft flesh of his cheek together as she tilts his head to the side, trying to get a better look at the damage. Noya just stands there and lets her. “Thought that guy was in jail.”

“Broke out,” Noya says, words barely making it out between his smooshed-up lips. She releases him, and steps back. “He loves breaking out of jail. It’s like his favorite thing to do.”

Noya steps back, and retreats into his bedroom, closing the door with his foot as he does so. Still, she can hear his voice coming through their thin, plaster walls. “I don’t even know what that guy’s end game is anymore. I’m pretty sure he just wants me dead. It’s always like, ‘this is your end, Spider!’ when before he was a lot more focused on his personal goals, so.” 

She sighs and collapses back onto the couch again. Freak emails from freak strangers with untraceable email addresses and Sytsevich breaking out of jail for the thousandth-fucking-time to wreck his havoc on Noya’s face. Her hair is going to start turning gray. “You’d think they would’ve built a cell to hold him, by now,” she calls, and Noya is swinging open his bedroom door to saunter back out into living room, suit abandoned in favor of old gym shorts and a vintage looking Godilla t-shirt. “What do you think costs more taxpayer dollars, building a better cell, or paying all those cops to get him back in again?”

Noya rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m the one they call, and they don’t pay me, so.”

That she knows all too well. It’s hard, being a single-income home. Since Noya’s full time job is both incredibly demanding and also unpaid, rent and utilities and groceries mostly fall on her shoulders. Which, it’s not like she can complain or hold it against him. In exchange, he’s the one and only Spider-Man, and she could do worse for roommates.

And he helps when he can, selling candid photos of Spider-Man to the Bugle so they can use them to accompany their hit pieces on him (Noya, of course, finds it incredibly ironic every time they write out a check to him, gleefully paying him for photos of himself).

Noya flicks on the kitchen light, and as he’s lingering in the kitchen, popping open the fridge door with his hip to stare blankly at its contents, she grabs at her laptop once more, opening it back up so she can stare at the email once more. “Do you wanna get a pizza tonight? Some guy gave me a twenty for saving his car from the Rhino’s path.”

“Twenty?” she echoes back, fingers hovering over the reply button. Should she reply? What would she even say? Her Internet safety training at work taught her to never reply to spam emails, just to report it to the system administrator. But looping in the Bugle on an email like this is the last thing she wants. “Seems kinda cheap for saving his entire car.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Noya calls back, closing the fridge. He flicks his wrist in the direction of the living room, and string of white web following it. It attaches itself to the side of a crinkled up, plastic water bottle she was drinking, and before she can blink, the water bottle finds itself in Noya’s hand.

“Dick,” she says, without looking up from her computer. “I was drinking that.”

“Can you look at your porn later? Do you want the pizza or not?”

🕸 ｡𖦹°‧✩｡🕷˚⋆｡

Between them is a half-eaten box of pepperoni pizza, propped open on the fire escape. Noya chews loudly on a slice, his eyes on the city skyline, and hers on him. She watches the bruise on his cheek, and how it moves and shifts with each bite he takes. She reaches out and grazes her thumb against it. He swats her hand away. “Stop it, stop worrying.”

She frowns and slides her hand between her pressed-together knees, like she’s trying to hold it still. “Who the fuck said I’m worried?”

“You’re always worried,” he replies, dusting off the end of his pizza nad leaning up against the closed window behind him. “Every time I come home with so much as a papercut, you’re staring at me like there’s a bullet hole in my chest.”

Her eyes drops, and she looks at the greased-stained cardboard between them. “Well, you have come home with bullet holes before, so.”

He sleeps them off. He wraps up the wound in that fucking webbing of his and he just sleeps it off like it’s a headache or scratch or something most people wouldn’t even go to the doctor for. And then she’ll find dried, rusted bits of that webbing, littered around the house.

“Yeah, and I turned out fine,” he assures her, voice a bit softer now. She looks at him, brown eyes shining and slight grin unwavering. “A bruise isn’t gonna kill me. I don’t want you to waste your energy freaking out over me. You have better things to be freaking out over. I know how horrible your boss is.”

She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, but I don’t really give a shit about him, to be honest.”

Her fingers fidget, and Noya reaches over, covering both of her hands with his. She looks up at him. “I’ll always take care of us both. Okay? Nothing can happen to me while I’m out there, because I know I gotta come back home and make sure you’re good. That’s my number one priority, and I’m not gonna break that promise. Alright?”

She nods her head. “Yeah, alright. I trust you.”

His grin brightens, and he leans forward to throw his arm over her shoulder, pulling her into his side. “See, that’s my girl. Complete and total faith in me. I love to see it.”

“Whatever,” she grumbles, but rests her head against his shoulder. It feels nice, in his arms. “I’m really the one who takes care of you, y’know. By like, paying the bills.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Can I borrow ten bucks? I bet Tanaka-“

He stops and straightens out. She peers up at him, at watches as his focus narrows in on something in the distance. By the time she catches up, and she can hear the sirens start to go off in the distance, Nishinoya is gone, leaving a slight breeze against the strands of her hair.

🕸 ｡𖦹°‧✩｡🕷˚⋆｡

On her desk are two rejections.

The first is on Spider-Man, a feature piece that details his symbolic value to the people of New York; how valuable his presence in the community is and just what he represents to the average New Yorker. It theorizes that identity of Spider-Man isn’t what matters, but the meaning of the mask itself. And it has a big, yellow sticky note on it with the word ‘WRONG!’ written out angrily in thick, black marker.

She sighs. She knew that one wasn’t gonna make it past Jameson. Hardly any of her Spider-Man pieces do. Noya told her to just start writing smear pieces on him, just to get more articles published. But she’s not willing to sacrifice her journalistic integrity to write a bunch of bullshit about how her best friend is ‘getting in the way of the NYPD.’

The second is on the recently passed Norman Osborn. Most obituaries have been fluffy love letters to the capitalist, and maybe Jameson was expecting more of that, rather than a scathing dissection of his life, including, but not limited to, his involvement in developing and selling weapons of war. The sticky note on this one reads, ‘what is this commie crap?’ which, in all honesty, she should’ve been expecting.

She sighs and falls back into her chair. She needs a new, better job. At a place that will publish her articles without twisting her words into nonsense propaganda. A place that will pay her properly, and not like it’s nineteen-eighty-five.

There’s only one silver lining to her job, and that’s the blonde-haired girl depositing a hot latte and everything bagel on her desk. “Rejected again?” Yachi asks, pulling up a chair from the empty desk beside her.

“Ugh, apparently billionaire, tax-evading war criminal Norman Osborn was a friend to the masses that needs to be celebrated, and the guy that says innocent lives every day for free is public enemy number one,” she rants at once, snatching that coffee up and immediately gulping it down, ignoring how it burns her tongue on the way down.

“Yeah,” Yachi agrees. “You didn’t know that?”

She rolls her eyes, wiggling her mouse to wake up her computer. “Shut up.”

Yachi leans back in her chair, and gestures towards the computer screen. “Any more emails from that anonymous guy?”

“No, and thank god for that.”

“It’s so weird,” Yachi notes. “’I know about him,’ is weird, but they’re not threatening you for like, money or information or like any other average email scam. And from what I could see that guy really did not want to be tracked down, and spent a lot of time making sure you couldn’t. And for what? To say something weird.”

Yachi doesn’t know the weight of it. Doesn’t even begin to understand the threat, the implication. Yachi doesn’t even know how the ‘him’ is supposed to be. So she really doesn’t get how disconcerting those facts are. She contemplates, for a moment, slamming her head into the keyboard in front of her.

“Whatever,” she decides ultimately. “I’m just going to ignore it and hopefully absolutely nothing will come of it. It’s how I deal with most of my problems.”

“Oh, what a coincidence, me too,” Yachi laughs, and then stands. “I gotta go. Jameson accidentally downloaded malware onto his computer trying to claim a Target gift card. Have fun rewriting your articles.”

“See you for lunch?” she calls after Yachi’s retreating form.

“Yep!” Yachi confirms with a wave of her hand, disappearing down the line of small, cramped cubicles.

With one, deep, calming breath, she returns her attention to the desktop in front of her. She stretches her neck to the left, and then to the right, and prepares for another day of endless bullshit.

Ding!

YOU HAVE ONE NEW MESSAGE.

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