#my mornings were organized and my afternoons were work but it was fun

[technicolorxsn]

I'm so fucking scared I feel like I'm gna throw up lol

[andypantsx3]

LOADS OF FUN : TODOROKI x READER

SUMMARY: After moving into your first apartment together, Shouto seems more amorous than ever. You're not sure why—but when he comes home to you doing a load of laundry, more than your clothes are about to get tumbled. TAGS/WARNINGS: nsft (18+ only, minors please dni!), pro hero au, gn + afab reader, established relationship, fluff, emotional sex, table sex, cunnilingus, the shouto domesticity kink agenda goes absolutely crazy in this one lol (2.8k) NOTES: This piece is part of my pretty boy summer Shouto x Reader collab! Please go check out the other incredible fics people have written over the course of the summer; you will absolutely die over how good they are. This fic was also made possible through donations to the Fics for Gaza project. I cannot thank everyone who donated to one of the charities enough, as well as those who organized, reblogged, discussed, and got the word out. Lastly, I am so grateful for your immeasurable patience with me as I take time between fics to manage my workload, I hope I'm not too out of practice here lol. In summary: thank you, thank you, a million times thank you.

The sound of the door opening was hidden in the thump and glug of the washing machine starting its spin cycle.

Halfway across the house, you were oblivious—you had the clean laundry spread out on the kitchen table, hunting through the pile trying to match one of Shouto’s socks to another that seemed to have vanished into that mysterious void which opens somewhere between the laundry basket and the dryer. One of his shirts was half-folded over your shoulder, abandoned in favor of the sock search.

The rest of your things were still mostly tangled together on the table, warm and fresh and cottony, the few shirts you’d already folded sagging off the kitchen chairs.

It still gave you a little thrill—even several weeks after you’d moved in together—to see Shouto’s things twined up with yours—his enormous socks dwarfing yours, your sweaters clinging to the occasional piece of his hero suit that hadn’t seen enough action to need his agency’s industrial cleaners.

It all added to your sense of satisfaction with your afternoon—a frosty weekend day you’d spent cozy indoors, moving slowly and leisurely through some chores. A pot of soup simmered on the stove, and your favorite playlist worked itself through in lazy loops. Shouto was due off his rotation soon, and you hummed contentedly to yourself, entertaining pleased little fantasies of curling up with him for the rest of the weekend.

Which of course is when something moved in the corner of your eye. Your hum sawed up into a strangled screech, and you whipped around, flailing. Shouto’s sock launched itself full force at the intruder before you even registered you’d thrown it. In your shock, your leg caught against the table and you went stumbling—

—right into a pair of warm hands that caught you about the waist.

Your hands were on the man’s shoulders to push him off before you realized you recognized the touch—and that you’d caught sight of a distinct mop of scarlet and white hair as you’d whipped around.

“Shouto! Again?” you scolded reflexively, even as your heartbeat stuttered out of its wild kick into high gear. You tipped your head back to stare your boyfriend in the face, shoulders slumping in relief, letting him take some of your weight.

Shouto peered down at you, that tiny scrunch between his brows that indicated concern. “Are you alright, love?”

Your heartbeat pounded thunderously in your chest. “I’m—fine. But my god we need to get you a bell. I almost peed.”

Shouto’s mouth shifted minutely into something that might not have registered in anyone else’s face but was most definitely a regretful downturn on his. He looked even more unfairly beautiful than when he’d left you this morning—a little flushed and windswept from the unseasonable cold, that full mouth pink and pretty.

Your mind flicked momentarily off and back on like a circuit breaker, the way it always did when you had to process Shouto.

You’d understood he was once-in-a-generation levels of beautiful before you’d even met him, his face staring up at you from the glossy pages of various tabloids over the years. But in person, even after years of knowing him and several more dating him, Shouto’s appearance still managed to cross all the wires in a person’s brain. His features were an incomprehensible blend of aloof and elegant, sensual and warm—like a cold masterpiece of a marble sculpture had suddenly found himself with a consciousness and human desires and miles of warm skin.

“I did not mean to startle you,” he said, his voice low and warm. He sounded sincerely regretful.

You knew he hadn’t meant to—you’d long suspected his silent tread was habitually ingrained in him from years of hero work. And, in your most private and ungenerous thoughts, you suspected from years of making himself unobtrusive in his father’s home. The thought sat sour in your mouth, like a slice of pickled lemon.

You resisted making an equally sour face, shoving the thought away to make space for the reflexive flush of pleasure seeing Shouto always brought you.

“Welcome home, Sho,” you said instead, smiling up at him. Shouto’s hands moved on your waist, sliding gently beneath the hem of your tee-shirt to rest on the skin there.

He was still in his hero uniform, and as usual you felt a little goofy in comparison, in nothing but a tee and a well-loved pair of fraying sweatpants, which were this afternoon decorated with little flecks of soup from a brush with the pot.

But Shouto’s eyes were warm where they rested on you, and that perfect mouth crept back into a contented set. His long fingers smoothed over your skin as he watched you, thumb brushing your hip. He did not look like he found you at all goofy.

In fact, as his eyes dropped down to your ankles, slowly dragging back up to your face, you rather thought he looked a little appreciative. He even took a rather ungentlemanly step back, still holding you, to better take in the whole picture. His eyes wandered over the swell of your hip, the lines of the shirt against your chest, before darting to his own shirt, still folded over your shoulder.

His fingers flexed tellingly on your waist, and those heterochromatic eyes were both a little bit darker as they flicked back to yours.

His obvious regard made you feel warm. You shifted on your feet, shuffling.

“I was just—doing laundry,” you said for something to say, your mouth feeling kind of dry. Something about him always made you feel sort of shy and light-headed, even after all this time together. “And I made soup. I was thinking we could eat on the couch and watch one of those horrendous old All Might films?”

Shouto’s eyes darted to the stove, then beside you to the pile of your laundry, lingering for a long minute. His long lashes dipped, almost fluttering as his gaze traced over the tangle of your things together. His eyes flicked back to you. He was still for just a moment, watching you assessingly.

And then all of a sudden the world spun in front of your eyes. The hands at your waist lifted you clean off your feet, and you let out a startled “oof!” as you found yourself laid out in the pile of laundry on the table, sheets and sweaters bunching beneath you.

Shouto moved over you, stepping between your spread thighs, right at the edge of the table.

“You have no idea,” he intoned in a deep, delicious tone that went right down your spine, “what it is to come home to you like this.”

You wondered at that, feeling a strange combination of confusion and flattery, when Shouto’s mouth descended onto yours. His mouth was soft and sweet and insistent and absolutely perfect. The table groaned as he laid some of his weight out over you, pinning you into the laundry as he kissed you.

Your fingers clutched at him immediately, curling in his silky-soft hair, cupping his face to yours. One of Shouto’s own hands shifted to your thigh, holding you against him as he pressed himself harder into you.

You heard yourself making little gasps of appreciation as Shouto’s mouth moved down to your neck, laving hot kisses down your throat. You reveled in the feeling of him over you, broad and strong, his shoulders blocking the glow of the overhead light, casting shadows over you.

He’d been a lot like this lately, ever since you’d moved in together. He’d been adequately amorous before, of course, and blessed with a pro hero’s strength and unflagging stamina. But a few weeks after you’d moved in together you’d actually decided you needed to reactivate your gym membership given the amount of incredibly athletic sex you were suddenly having over almost every surface in the house.

One of the only spots yet to be touched was the table though, which Shouto seemed determined to rectify at this very moment.

He pulled back from you, his mouth flush from your kisses, looking a little entranced as he stepped out from between your thighs. You made a little noise at the loss of weight and heat over you, but Shouto caught the fabric of your sweatpants, gently but determinedly tugging them off of you. Your underwear was tossed right over one broad shoulder as Shouto went to his knees, and then his mouth was right back on you.

A wave of wild heat licked up your stomach at the noise of appreciation he made before sealing his mouth over you, strong fingers clutching your thighs to keep them apart.

“Oh my god!” you said, pleasure zinging right up your spine with the first lave of his tongue over you. “Shouto!”

Shouto let out a deep, pleased hum, two long fingers sinking into you embarrassingly easily as he worked your clit with his mouth. Your back arched and you could feel your clothing shift with you, Shouto’s shirt balling up under your shoulder blade, still half-draped over your shoulder.

“Oh, oh!” you heard yourself saying as your fingers twisted in the clothing, shuddering with every lick and suck of Shouto’s perfect, amazing, talented mouth.

He worked you with the expertise of long, dedicated practice—everything about him calculated to drive you insane. One moment he was excruciatingly soft, mouth slack and the touch of his tongue as fleeting and light as the brush of a butterfly’s wing. Then the next he was sucking relentlessly, teasing firmly with the tip of his tongue as his fingers played with you.

Your first climax hit you mortifyingly quickly, and Shouto seemed to know it before you did. His grip tightened on you, holding you down as you bucked against his mouth. Shouto looked more than a little smug as he got to his feet again, unbelting himself and laying back out over you.

He kissed you some more, the taste of yourself always a sort of shock to your system. But Shouto never seemed to mind, and if anything only seemed hungrier for you, mouth pulling at yours like he meant to devour you.

You felt the touch of his hand between your thighs as he lined himself up, then sank into you easily, groaning appreciatively like he’d just sunk into a hot bath. He bit carefully at your neck, one large hand pressing your stomach down to keep you pinned against the edge of the table where he wanted you.

“I always want to come home to you like this,” he intoned into the skin of your neck, his mouth sucking dizzying patterns into your skin. “Always.”

You could barely think past the slide of him inside you, thick and full and blissfully exquisite. He really was the most perfect man on earth, and he always felt like it too.

You barely managed to blink your eyes open to watch him, trying to catch his meaning in his face. Shouto watched you back, those blue and grey pinned on you like he couldn’t bear to look away from you as he moved inside you.

“You—” you panted out, trying to cling to the thoughts threatening to wiggle out of your grip. “What do you—? Of course you’ll always come home to me.”

Shouto bucked into you harder, the slap of his hip against the bottom of your thigh echoing loudly over the burble of soup on the stove. His eyelashes fluttered, mouth softening, and a realization struck you almost dizzy.

Oh, he really liked that.

You suppressed a wave of giddiness, charmed and helplessly pleased that he seemed to like the idea so much. Was that why he’d been so especially ardent this past month? Was it really because you’d moved in together?

Shouto’s arm hooked under one of your legs, drawing it up firmly over his shoulder so he could press even further inside of you. He looked so good like that that you nearly lost the thread of your thoughts, especially when his next thrust felt like that. Your eyes nearly rolled back in your head.

“Ah!” escaped you. “Fuck, Shouto. Like that, please!”

Shouto’s thumb pressed down on your still-sensitive clit and he had to dig the fingers of his other hand into the flesh of your leg to keep you from bucking him right out of you with the way you squirmed. Sweet fucking gods he was unreal.

Shouto fucked you harder, the sound of your skin slapping together obscene in the quiet of the kitchen.

You tried again, struggling to watch his reaction with the way you wanted to throw your head back and babble nonsense instead.

“You’ll always come home to me,” you repeated, gratified when Shouto’s grip on you tightened, a soft sound escaping him. “You want me right here for you?”

“Ah—yes, love,” Shouto panted, staring down at you again. He looked like he knew what you were doing but didn’t care. “Yes,” he hissed.

“Just like this?” you prompted, trying not to slur the edges of your speech when he gave another particularly mind-bending thrust of his hips. His chest rose and fell heavily and he looked a little wild-eyed, gazing down at you.

“Like this, for me,” he said. “In my home, in our home—”

You could hear the table squeal and groan with the force of his next thrust, and then you had to grip the sides of it to steady yourself as he fucked you, looking blissful. Your nails scrabbled at the edges of the table, caught in between a million sensations—the glorious fullness of Shouto inside you, the gentle grind of his thumb against your clit, the way he looked all flushed and beautiful and panting and wanting—

You squeezed your eyes shut, too overcome with the sight of him to look at him anymore, but it was no use. Your entire body trembled as you came, and Shouto let out a low swear at the way you clenched up around him, hunching over you and pressing himself so impossibly hard against you as he came too.

He slumped down against you, weighing you into the soft-smelling cotton of the laundry you were now definitely going to have to rewash. You could feel his chest rise and fall as he panted, his breath tickling the skin under your ear. He left an unbearably soft, sweet kiss just under the lobe, at odds with the near-wild way he’d just been fucking you.

You warmed, petting through his hair with a helpless affection.

“Well now I know what time I should always do our laundry,” you said.

Shouto huffed into your neck, but you could feel a tiny smile curve his mouth.

“It is not just that,” he said, but did not elaborate for some minutes until you elbowed him gently. He peeled himself off of you just enough to look down into your face. “It is the thought of our life together. Our clothes piled together. You in the home we chose and we made…” he said, trailing off.

But you thought you got the sentiment. It was about how easy it was, how uncomplicated. A safe place to come home to, no expectations, just soup and a pile of sweet-smelling laundry and someone happy to see you. It was something far away from what he'd grown up thinking a home was, possibly something he’d thought he’d never have—something you were determined to make him realize now that he always would.

You let your fingers pull through his hair again, smiling up at him. “I am going to have to do our laundry again, though,” you teased. “In case that interests you.”

And despite what he’d just said, Shouto did in fact look a little too interested. You watched his mismatched gaze trail over to the closet that opened onto the washer and dryer. A contemplative look snuck across his handsome face, carefully curling the corner of that plush mouth.

“There is another place we have not yet broken in,” he said slowly, voice dipping low. He looked down at you with an earnest expression completely in contrast to what he was suggesting.

You couldn’t help but laugh, and that was all the permission he needed to pull you up, gathering you up in his arms and layering a fat handful of laundry on top of you. His belt buckle rattled loosely beneath you where he'd barely done it up in his haste, and you laughed harder when he turned off the stove as you passed it.

Though it turned out to be a needed precaution—as neither of you found yourselves free to sit down to dinner for several hours yet.

[rue-isabelle]

Author's note: This is a dark story!

Age is just a number (Part 3)

The sun was setting outside Carlos’s window, casting the room in warm orange hues. He sat on the edge of his couch, phone propped up in his hand, waiting for the familiar buzz of an incoming FaceTime call. It had become a ritual—Yn’s voice and face were the highlights of his evenings. Tonight was no exception. His heart skipped a beat as her name flashed on his screen.

He swiped to answer, and there she was, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, face glowing with excitement.

“Hi!” she greeted, her voice light and bubbly. “You ready for another round of my super interesting daily updates?”

Carlos chuckled, leaning back against the couch. “Always. Tell me everything.”

Yn tilted her tablet toward the camera, revealing a sleek pair of black ankle boots with silver embellishments. “So, first of all, I bought these amazing shoes. Aren’t they cute?”

“They’re beautiful,” Carlos said, though his eyes didn’t stray from her face. He couldn’t help but be captivated by her excitement.

“And,” Yn continued, moving the camera up to reveal a small haul of makeup items, “I finally got that lip gloss I told you about. The one that was sold out last time? Look, it’s so shiny.”

She swiped some on her lips, puckering at the camera with a playful smile. Carlos’s heart raced.

“Perfect,” he murmured, voice softer than he intended. “It suits you.”

Yn giggled, her cheeks flushing. “Okay, okay, enough of my shopping adventures. I also got some work done. Look!”

She switched her camera to show her tablet screen, where perfectly organized school notes were displayed in elegant handwriting, adorned with soft pastel highlights and little doodles in the margins.

“See? Aesthetic, right?” Yn asked proudly.

Carlos leaned closer to his phone, feigning serious study. “Wow. I didn’t know notes could look like art. You really do everything perfectly, don’t you?”

“Stop,” Yn said, brushing off the compliment, though her smile widened. “But yeah, I figured if I have to study, it might as well look nice.”

“I wish I had been that organized in school,” Carlos admitted with a laugh. “My notes were just scribbles. I think even I couldn’t read them half the time.”

Yn laughed, her whole face lighting up. Carlos stared for a second too long, completely mesmerized. She shifted the camera, now angled toward her outfit—a cute sweater and pleated skirt.

“I threw this on earlier, but wait until you see my pajamas!” She darted off-screen, returning moments later with a fluffy pastel pajama set covered in little cartoon clouds. “Aren’t they adorable?”

Carlos couldn’t hide his grin. “Muy adorable. But you could wear anything and still look beautiful.”

Yn rolled her eyes playfully, though her blush deepened. “You’re too sweet. But enough about me—what about you? What have you been up to today?”

Carlos leaned back, shifting the phone in his hands. “Not much,” he said vaguely. “You know, just the usual. Some workouts in the morning, then I spent the afternoon planning a little holiday.”

“A holiday? That sounds fun! Where are you going?” Yn asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.

“I was thinking about somewhere warm. Maybe a beach,” Carlos replied, keeping the specifics vague. “I like to stay active even on holidays—some hiking, swimming, things like that. And then there’s the food. I’m all about finding the best local spots to eat.”

“That sounds amazing,” Yn said wistfully. “I wish I could go on a holiday like that. But it’s not like my parents would ever take me. They’re always so busy.”

Carlos’s brow furrowed. “They travel a lot for work, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” Yn sighed. “They’re never home. It’s just me most of the time. Which is fine, I guess—I’m used to it. But still, it would be nice to have someone around, you know?”

Carlos’s chest tightened at the hint of loneliness in her voice. He had been thinking about it for days, but now felt like the right time to bring it up.

“Yn,” he said carefully, his tone soft but serious. “What if I came to visit you?”

Yn’s eyes widened. “You mean… here? Like, in person?”

“Sí,” Carlos said, his lips curving into a small smile. “I want to see you. For real this time. We’ve been talking so much, but I feel like I need to meet you in person. Only if you’re comfortable with it, of course.”

Yn’s smile grew impossibly wide. “Are you kidding? I’d love that! My parents are never around, so we’d have the house to ourselves. I can finally show you my favorite spots in town.”

Carlos felt a wave of relief wash over him at her enthusiastic response. “Perfect. I’ll arrange everything. Just say the word, and I’ll be there.”

“Word,” Yn said with a grin, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Carlos laughed. “Alright. Let me figure out the details, and I’ll let you know when I can come. It won’t be long, I promise.”

“You’d really do this?” Yn asked, her voice tinged with wonder.

“For you? Of course,” Carlos said softly. “I’ve been wanting this for a while, Yn. I can’t wait to see you.”

Yn’s cheeks flushed again, her smile never fading. “Me neither.”

As they continued talking, planning out the logistics of their meeting, Carlos couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. He knew this wasn’t a typical situation, but something about Yn felt special—different. And he was willing to do whatever it took to make their connection even stronger.

-------

The next day, Carlos arrived at Yn’s house just as the morning sun cast a golden glow over the quiet neighborhood. Yn stood at her front door, dressed in a simple sundress that flowed with the breeze, her long hair catching the light. Her heart raced as she watched him step out of his car, wearing a casual button-up shirt and jeans that somehow made him look effortlessly perfect.

When their eyes met, Carlos smiled warmly, striding up to her with an ease that made her knees feel weak. Before she could say a word, he wrapped her in a gentle hug, his arms strong yet comforting, his cologne surrounding her in the most intoxicating way.

“Hola, hermosa,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to press a soft kiss to her cheek.

“Hi,” Yn whispered, her cheeks flushed. “You’re really here.”

Carlos chuckled. “Of course I am. I told you I’d come.”

She beamed, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. “Come on, I have so much to show you!”

Her excitement was infectious, and Carlos followed her through the house as she gave him a tour. She showed him the cozy living room where she watched movies, the kitchen where she often experimented with baking, and finally, her bedroom.

“This is it!” Yn announced, throwing the door open dramatically.

Carlos stepped inside, taking in the soft pastel tones, the neatly made bed, and the little trinkets and photos scattered around. It was so perfectly her—sweet, bright, and full of personality.

“It’s beautiful,” Carlos said, smiling as he glanced at the fairy lights strung along the walls. “Just like you.”

Yn blushed, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. “Stop flattering me. It’s not that special.”

“It is,” Carlos insisted, his gaze soft as he looked around. “You can tell a lot about someone by their room. Yours is cozy, warm… it feels like home.”

Her heart fluttered at his words. She pointed to her bookshelf. “Okay, but this is my favorite part—my little library.”

Carlos walked over, brushing his fingers along the spines of her books. “You read a lot.”

“I love it,” she said with a shy smile. “It’s my escape.”

He turned to her, his expression tender. “I can see that. It suits you.”

After the tour, they headed to the kitchen, where Carlos suggested they cook together. “I’ll teach you how to make perfect spaghetti Bolognese,” he offered, rolling up his sleeves.

Yn lit up. “I’d love that! But fair warning—I’m not the best cook.”

“Don’t worry, mi reina,” Carlos teased, “I’ll guide you.”

As they started, Carlos positioned himself behind her, his larger frame enveloping her smaller one. His hands gently covered hers as he showed her how to chop the onions and garlic.

“Like this,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear.

Yn’s cheeks burned as she concentrated, his proximity making her heart race. “Am I doing it right?”

“Perfect,” Carlos said softly, his voice filled with pride.

When it was time to stir the sauce, he guided her hands again, standing so close that she could feel his chest against her back. Once she got the motion right, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

“You’re a natural,” he praised, his lips brushing her temple in a soft kiss.

Yn felt herself melt into his embrace, her body relaxing against his. “It’s because you’re a good teacher,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the bubbling sauce.

Carlos couldn’t help but smile. He was obsessed with their height difference—the way she fit so perfectly in his arms, her head just below his chin. It made him want to hold her forever.

As if reading his mind, Yn turned her head slightly to look up at him, their faces suddenly inches apart. Her breath hitched as their eyes met, the air between them thick with unspoken emotions.

“Carlos…” she murmured, her gaze flickering to his lips.

“Yn…” he whispered back, his voice low and filled with longing.

Slowly, they began to lean in, their lips just a breath away from touching. But before they could kiss, a loud hiss broke the moment—the water from the pasta pan was boiling over, spilling onto the stove.

“Oh no!” Yn exclaimed, breaking away from Carlos to grab the pot.

Carlos groaned in frustration, running a hand through his hair. “The timing!”

Yn giggled as she turned off the burner, her cheeks still flushed from their almost-kiss. “Maybe it’s a sign we should focus on cooking before we burn the kitchen down.”

Carlos laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe. But next time, no distractions.”

Yn felt her heart flutter at the promise in his words, and as they finished cooking together, she couldn’t help but feel that this was just the beginning of something even more magical.

--------

After finishing their dinner, Carlos and Yn moved to the living room. The soft glow of the TV illuminated the room as Yn scrolled through the movie options on the streaming platform. She was curled up on the couch, her knees tucked under her as she scanned titles, while Carlos lounged beside her, his long legs stretched out and his arm resting casually along the back of the couch.

“How about this one?” Yn asked, glancing over her shoulder to show him the screen.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. “A romantic comedy? Again?”

Yn pouted, her lips forming a small, exaggerated frown. “It’s my favorite genre! Please?”

Carlos sighed dramatically, pretending to be reluctant. “Fine, fine. I can suffer through one more,” he teased, though his smile betrayed him.

Yn grinned triumphantly and pressed play. As the movie began, she settled beside him, leaning just slightly into his side. Over the next hour, their positions gradually shifted. First, Carlos’s arm slid lower, resting on her shoulder. Then Yn tucked herself closer, resting her head against his chest. By the time the credits started rolling, she was lying completely on top of him, her small frame fitting perfectly against his.

Carlos’s arms wrapped securely around her, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head. He could feel her breathing, slow and steady, and the warmth of her body against his sent a wave of contentment through him.

“Comfortable?” he asked softly, his voice teasing but warm.

Yn tilted her head up to look at him, her cheek pressed against his chest. “Very.”

Carlos smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You’re going to fall asleep on me like this.”

“Maybe that’s the plan,” Yn replied with a sleepy giggle.

He chuckled, holding her a little tighter. “You’re impossible.”

As the room fell quiet, Yn let out a small sigh. “We should probably go to sleep.”

Carlos hesitated, not wanting to let go of her just yet. “You mean I should go sleep on the couch?”

Yn sat up slightly, looking at him with an expression that was equal parts amused and bashful. “No, I meant we should go to my room.”

Carlos blinked, taken aback. “Your room?”

Yn nodded, standing and grabbing his hand. “Come on.”

Still surprised, Carlos let her lead him down the hallway to her bedroom. The pastel hues and soft fairy lights he’d admired earlier felt even cozier now. Yn turned to him, her cheeks slightly pink.

“You can sleep here with me,” she said shyly, motioning to the bed.

Carlos tilted his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

She laughed softly, brushing past him to climb onto the bed. “Just don’t hog the blankets, okay?”

Carlos kicked off his shoes and joined her, lying down on his side. Yn turned off the lights, plunging the room into a gentle dimness illuminated only by the soft glow of her fairy lights. The bed dipped slightly as Yn slid closer, curling into his side.

Without thinking, Carlos pulled her into his arms, his larger frame easily enveloping her. Yn relaxed against him, her head nestled under his chin as he became the big spoon.

“This okay?” he asked, his voice low and gentle.

Yn hummed in response, her fingers lightly gripping his arm around her waist. “Perfect,” she whispered.

Carlos smiled, his heart swelling. His hand moved to her waist, stroking gently, his fingers brushing against the soft fabric of her pajamas. Every little movement she made, from her breathing to the way she shifted slightly to get more comfortable, made his chest tighten with affection.

“You’re amazing,” he murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her neck.

Yn shivered slightly under his touch but didn’t pull away. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she teased, her voice tinged with sleepiness.

Carlos chuckled, his lips brushing her ear. “You know, mi pequeña,” he began, his voice dropping to a whisper, “I could stay like this forever. Just holding you.”

Yn smiled, her fingers gently brushing his arm. “I like being in your arms. It feels… safe.”

Hearing her say that made Carlos’s heart ache in the best way. He kissed her neck again, his lips lingering this time as he whispered sweet nothings in Spanish.

“Eres mi todo,” he murmured. “Mi hermosa estrella.” (You’re my everything. My beautiful star.)

Yn let out a soft sigh, her breathing evening out as she drifted off to sleep. Carlos stayed awake, his hand still lightly stroking her waist. He couldn’t help but admire her—the way her face looked so peaceful, the soft rise and fall of her chest, the way she trusted him so completely.

As his thoughts wandered, doubts began to creep in. What would the guys think if they saw him now? If they knew about Yn?

Lando’s voice popped into his head, sharp and serious. “Mate, are you insane? She’s 18! This isn’t like you. You are acting like a fucking pervert.”

And Charles, always the moral compass, would be even more dramatic. “Carlos, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind? This is—this is crazy! She is younger than your sister. Fuck she is younger than the youngest drivers on the grid. Have you lost your mind?!”

Carlos groaned quietly to himself, shaking his head. He knew they’d judge him. They’d be shocked, maybe even disgusted. He wasn’t sure how he’d explain it to them—or if he even could.

But then Yn shifted in her sleep, her small hand clutching his shirt, her body pressing closer to his as if seeking his warmth.

In that moment, all his doubts vanished. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. Yn was here, in his arms, trusting him completely. That was all that mattered.

“Te quiero mucho,” he whispered into her hair, his voice filled with quiet conviction. “I’ll protect you. Always.”

And with that, Carlos closed his eyes, letting himself drift off, his heart full of peace.

[m00nsbaby]

AITA for texting my fiancé that "this isn't working"?

Steven Grant x reader.

Tags & warnings. None. Yes, this literally is just a silly little thing that I read on reddit and I thought it was so funny lol. Reader is gender neutral!

Word count. 823.

Moving in with Steven was one of the best decisions you could make in your life, right after saying 'yes' when he proposed.

The only inconvenience came at a precise time between morning and afternoon, sometimes even at night, all depending on the mood of his boss. Waiting for Steven to return from work was such a headache, boring hours and dead time as you tried to find your own job.

The upside was that you now had complete freedom to organize his apartment to your liking, and if anything needed a complete makeover, it was Steven Grant's dark and disorganized home.

You had just made a completely necessary expense, a gigantic mirror that was clearly bigger than your capabilities. Worse yet, considering that if there was something you despised with all your heart, it was the mere idea of reading an instruction manual.

When the mirror arrived, the Amazon delivery guy mocked you to your face for your difficulty in handling the box and getting it into the house.

You: Baby, the new mirror just came in!

You hit send after the message.

You: I’m going to try to put it together but I may need your help later.

And just as you said, you got to work with the phone by your side, waiting for a response from Steven.

You assumed Donna was in a terrible mood because at least two hours went by without a reply, although you were really too busy to worry about that.

For a moment, you insisted on the idea of finishing assembling the darn mirror before Steven arrived home, but that clearly didn't happen because for the two and a half hours of effort you put in, you didn't feel like you were really getting anywhere.

Plus, you had extra screws that shouldn't have been left over.

You: This isn’t working and at this point, I think I need to just give up.

You put the phone aside and lazily lay down on the carpet. Why was assembling furniture so hard? Although not as difficult as having to accept that you couldn't finish it on your own.

You stayed there not knowing how long, but you estimated it was a few hours because you heard the front door indicating that Steven was home. The smile lasted only a short while because as you straightened up to greet him, he walked past you without even looking at you, heading straight to the bedroom.

"Steven?" you questioned, slightly furrowing your brow. You stood up slowly, giving him time to exit the room.

When you finally confronted him, your heart almost jumped out of your chest. His eyes were red, completely filled with tears.

"What happened, baby?"

"Why?" he asked, his voice breaking. It shattered your heart into pieces.

"Why what, Steven?" He sniffled, and you searched his gaze when he started avoiding you.

"Why are you giving up on me?"

You nearly killed him right then and there.

"What are you talking about?"

He didn't take long to pull his phone out of his pocket and shake it a bit in front of your face; he was on the verge of sobbing.

"Y-Your messages, you were breaking up with me."

The moment Steven mentioned your text messages, you had to press your lips together to keep from laughing in his face.

Your expression almost made him cry harder. Were you making fun of him?

"Steven." Your voice came out in a playful tone as you almost burst into laughter. "I was talking about the mirror."

"Huh? What mirror?"

"The new mirror, it arrived." Your eyes were almost watering from holding back laughter. "I'm guessing that the previous messages didn't send; I was talking about not being able to assemble it on my own."

You stepped aside to let him see the mess you had made on the floor, with the mirror halfway assembled.

Steven exchanged glances between the things and you.

He looked at the things.

He looked at you.

He looked at the things.

He looked at you.

Realization hit in seconds, and you couldn't say anything more when you felt Steven's arms squeezing you against his chest. You couldn't stop laughing even though your laughter sounded odd, muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

"Bloody fucking hell, love!" Steven cursing was definitely a special event. It only made you laugh harder. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

He lifted you off the ground, and tears were already streaming down your face. It took much longer than expected to calm down from the laughter.

Still breathless, you let him kiss your face, as well as embrace you with his strong arms that refused to let you go.

"Still, I need you to check the mirror." You took a deep breath, your cheeks already reddened, one of your hands held onto him, and the other wiped the corners of your eyes. "I think I damaged it."

[yourstarvic]

Summary: Starting a new job is always exciting. Especially with it's taking care of four hungry Jackals. So, here you are, working your way with their crazy antics but at least you get to meet your favorite player.

Pairing: MSBY Jackals x Manager!reader, no romantic pairs...(yet? Still thinking about it...Maybe do a poll? Let me know what ya'll think)

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You dragged your feet as you entered the training setter, the events from yesterday with Sakura drained your energy that you still haven’t recovered. A Sunday was meant to rest, get brunch, drink mimosas, and lounge around, but work had called you one more for a managers and coaches meeting. With fingers crossed and a prayer on your lips, you hoped for an early day. 

“Good morning!” You smiled, walking into the conference where a few of the managers were already waiting. 

“Good morning!” They all responded to you, smiling as bright as yours. Taking a seat next to one of the manager, they happily invited you to their conversation as you organized everything for the meeting. 

“So,” Hana hummed, wiggling her eyebrows at you. “How was date night yesterday?”

“Wait, Hana-“

“I got called in,” you pouted with a cold tone. “And when I did get home for a date night, he wasn’t even there. He went out with some high school friends. Saying there was no point since I worked. And then we argued this morning.”

“Are you serious!”

“You got called in?”

“If it was planned, follow through! He could have waited!”

“I’m more tired than upset,” you sighed, placing your cheek on the table as you looked at them, hiding a yawn behind your hand. “It’s been a while since I had a day off.”

“Sorry,” Yuki winced at your strained voice. “But this meeting won’t take long, promise!”

“I hope so…”

Thankful the meeting went by quickly. Covering the next month's schedule and practice games, what each player needed to work out, and what each of you could do to help each other, you were happy that it went by so quickly. Now, having your afternoon and evening free you were going to spend the day exploring the city.  “Any fun plans?” Hana asked, catching up to the right as you left the training center.

“I wanted my boyfriend to show me around Osaka,” you pouted, “but with the argument this morning, maybe another day. Sleep sounds so good right now.”

“Can I ask… Why were you arguing about?”

“I rather not talk about it-”

“Sorry!” She quickly apologized, feeling she had overstepped. “I didn’t mean to!-”

“It’s not that,” you quickly assured her, scratching your neck in embarrassment. “It's just something… Embarrassing.”

“I see,” she hummed, “

Waving at her as the two of you parted ways, you started to head back to the apartment that you shared with your boyfriend. You thought of ways how to talk to your boyfriend about the argument. Telling him about the advertisement yesterday, and he wasn’t happy with how close you were either Sakusa. You understood where he was coming from, but it was your job! And you didn’t have a say in it! And you’ll get to be on TV! It should be an exciting and proud moment…right?

Deciding to take a detour, you walked through a park that was near your apartment complex, wanting to clear your head before talking to your significant other. Enjoying the peacefulness, you sighed in contentment, seeing family and couples enjoying the day; casually walking, playing on the playgrounds, or a picnic underneath the cool shades of the tree. It was peaceful. At least, it was peaceful. 

“One more!”

You know that voice. 

“Just one more!”

Don’t look. 

“One more-”

Making eye contact, you instantly flinched. Quickly turning away and started to take a step away. Yet the voice was quicker. Hearing the excitement in his voice made you feel guilty that you wanted to run away, “(L/n)-San!”

“Hey, Hinata!” You turned, smiling at the tangerine. Walking up to him, he happily ran towards you, excited to be seeing you outside of work. “What are you doing here?”

Beaming at you, he puffed out his chest with pride, “My sister visited me and I’m helping her out!” But he suddenly deflated, a scrunch of his nose as he mumbled, “And shittygama is also helping out and visiting.”

“Shittygama?” You question yourself, wondering how bad a person had to be for Hinata to make a foul face and give someone such a nickname. “I didn’t know you had a sister.” Quickly changing the topic, turning his mood. 

“Yeah! Let me introduce you!”

Walking over to the sand volleyball court, you saw a young girl who looked just like Hinata, with an energetic smile and sparkling eyes. “This is my sister, Natsu!”

“Nice to meet you,” you greeted her, smiling wider as Hinata looked so proud of his little sister. “I’m (L/n) (Y/n), I’m a Manager for MSBY Jackals. I work with your brother.”

“Nice to meet you!”

“And this is,” Hinata forcefully said. Not wanting anything to do with the other person. “This is-”

“Kageyama Tobio!” You cut Hinata off. Your eyes went wide as you stared at the man in front of you in awe. There he was, his blue eyes staring at you in surprise when you burst his name out. His figure looming over that you crane your head up to have a good look at him. “I’m a huge fan! I’ve seen you play ever since you joined the Alders and when you first joined the Olympic team!” Excitement bubbled in your chest as you stared at him. The Kageyama Tobio! In front of you! 

“Thank you,” he said quickly, nodding his head at you, his face not changing to any emotion.

“(L/n)!” Hinata whined pushing the setter away to stand between the two of you, “You can’t go around saying that to the enemy!”

“Don’t push me!” Kageyama angrily said, pushing Hinata’s head down. 

The two started to bicker at each other. Fighting as young kids. Pulling on hair, tugging in shirts, pulling the other’s cheeks as they insulted each other. You stared at them for a few seconds, then turned to look at Natsu who only shook her head in disapproval, “How does Hinata-San know Kageyama?”

Turning to look at you, she tilted her head in confusion, “You don’t know?” Shaking your head at her, she turned to look at the duo, “They went to the same school.”

“I see,” you hummed, taking in the information. Until it registered in your head, “Kageyama went to the same school as Hinata?”

“You really don’t know!” Natsu exclaimed with wide eyes. This caught the two pro athlete's attention, seeing how very surprised you were when finding the news. “All through high school, they were known as the crazy duo! Especially during nationals!”

“You didn’t go to school here, right, (L/n)-San,” Hinata asked, pretending the fight he had with Kageyama never had happened. 

You smile, feeling warmed that Hinata remembered a small detail about you. “I’m from the States and stayed till I graduated from University. I started being a fan of yours when a friend of mine showed me a video of you. Your sets are amazing and always dead on.”

“Oí! Stop changing the topic to him!”

The Alders setter, ignoring his old schoolmate, gratefully smiling at your euthanized smile, “Thank you for supporting me.”

“Weren’t you leaving!” Hinata showed his teeth to Kageyama, a suddenness of protectiveness overcoming him. You are his manager, the MSBY manager. You shouldn’t be having heart eyes over a mediocre setter who gives him great tosses. You should have heart eyes for your team! A team that you work with, not the enemy!

“And weren’t you the one that wanted him to stay?” Natsu pointed out, giggling at her brother’s antics.

“Who’s side are you on!”

“You’re not one of the greatest setters, but one of the great volleyball players in the generation,” You gushed, excitement bubbling through you.

“Come on Natsu!” Hinata grumbled, pushing Kageyama away from you, “We got to get going! Kageyama has to leave.”

“Stop pushing me!” Kageyama barked at the Jackal, digging his heels. 

“Shut up! Manager thief!” 

“Sorry about them,” Natsu laughed, seeing how successful her brother was in pushing the setter away from you. Still fangirling that you had just met Kageyama, you didn’t mind Hinata and his fight with each other. “They always fight over something.”

“I don’t mind,” You blissfully sighed. Looking over at the young girl, you noticed the ball in her hand. “Sorry that I interrupted your practice time.”

“More like Shoyo and Kageyama practice,” she pursed her lips, watching the two volleyball players arguing away from them. “I really wanted to hit some good sets in.”

“If you would like I could help,” You offered, a way to make up for the interruption. 

“Really!” She was delighted over the request. “I would-”

“Natsu!” Hinata's voice yelled out, “Help me stop Kageyama! He’s trying to get away.”

“Maybe next time,” You giggled, seeing how quickly she deflated at her brother’s request. 

Sighing in defeat, waved a farewell at you, “Next time! See you, (L/n)-San!”

Saying goodbye, you waved at her as she quickly ran after her brother and Kageyama before turning on your heel and skipping back home. The smile of the excitement of seeing your favorite volleyball play echoes in your head. Today was a great day, you happily thought. Quickly grabbing your phone out of your pocket, you quickly sent a text to a friend from college, telling him about meeting the famous young setter. 

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Notes: Sooooo what yall think 🫣 I had to out Kageyama in there ❤️ he’s my number two (after Sakusa ❤️) I hope yall enjoyed it! Don’t forget to take care of yourself and drink lots of water! 🔫❤️

Taglist: @usermins @walllflowerrrsss @nagi-core

[cafeinthemoon]

Ever Dream (Apollo x reader)

Chapter 1/1

Wordcount 7,3k

Title Ever Dream

Fandom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Record of Ragnarok

Symbols ✔ . 1️⃣ . 💛

Warnings: Apollo is extremely inconvenient in the beginning; angst with a soft, bittersweet ending

Tagging ? (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A. Finally I can fulfill my promise and post this little story with Apollo!

At first, he wasn't appealing to me at all, but as his character was developed, I found myself liking him (I basically understood that my lack of interest in him and his fight was due to me not moving on from Hades' loss, since snv doesn't feel the same for me anymore) Also his personality is a bit weird in this one bc I've started to write it before his flashback came out, and since I've wrote so much it would be a waste to restart my work to adjust his depiction to something more "pleasing", so I just kept things this way. But I hope you have fun with it :)

“Come out, come out

Wherever you are [...]

Give in, give in for my touch

For my taste

For my lust”

(Nightwish, Ever Dream)

Summer days might be the favorites among the mortals, for they were long and favorable to the body and the heart, as a good presage for the ones who needed it, but that didn’t apply to you. Yes, as many, you appreciated cheerful encounters of friends under the shadow of a tree on a warmth afternoon, as well as playing games in the city’s lake with your sisters, but none of these small delights were enough to make you enjoy Summer above the other seasons. Honestly, you would be happier during Spring, when the beauty of the flowers would be in its apex, or during Winter, when you would stay long periods at home, in front of a good fire, with warm food and crafting to occupy your hands; even Autumn had a special place in your heart, with its meadows of red leaves and winds whispering mysterious tunes.

The thing is that you used to work as a gardener during Spring and Summer, and this latter was always the most difficult one, for the land where you lived was always too hot for any activity to be possible under midday sun, so you would adjust your routine to work at early morning or when the sunset approached.

It was a hard work: the plants would suffer with the heat, and you must know the right moment of the day to pour water in them, in order to not burn their roots; some of them would even become dusty with the lack of rain, only to be harmed after sudden, summer storms, and it would take an entire day for you to clean the fallen leaves, broken branches and garbage brought by the wind – not to speak about the mud; and, as if none of this wasn’t enough, you would have to fight against seasonal infestations.

It was a lonely work, also: there would be days when you would stay in silence for so long that hearing your own voice after going back home or speaking to yourself during work brought a sensation of strangeness. But you enjoyed the solitude, using it to perfect your abilities and organize your thoughts.

Some would say that you should start thinking seriously about your situation, that is, that you couldn’t live only for the plants and that you were already in the age of considering marriage, but you would just escape from their demands inside the labyrinths of the garden. Not that you would get angry with them, though. You understood their preoccupations, but you were aware of where they came from: they didn’t understand that happiness could have many sources in human life beyond building a family.

And, as long as your own happiness came from the garden, you would stay inside it.

***

If the humans who knew you were the only ones watching your steps with what you’d call an abnormal interest, you could deal with it. But fate wanted things to be complicated for you, so your peculiar, solitary routine hasn’t caught only the mortals’ attention.

It happened that, close to your garden’s location, upon a greenish hill, a temple was built centuries ago. A temple to honor the deity whose powers were always strong across those lands – Apollo, Son of Zeus and Guardian of the Sun, Master of Poetry and Music, and owner of more titles than you could remember. You’ve never seen him in person, though it was said that he used that building as his temporary residence on summer days, which explained the intense temperatures during that time of the year; it also explained why the lights of the temple would be fed until late hours and why there would be sound of chords, drums and high voices all day. You respected the work of the people living there, of course, but you’d appreciate a bit of silence during a period that was so difficult for you, and there you had another reason to show up only when the sun wasn’t shinning in all its splendor.

Little you knew that, from the highest spot of the temple, upon a parapet only accessible to himself, the Lord of that house, to whom all those honors were directed, has been observing that lonely, little mortal who would come every day to take care of her flowers with the same dedication as Heracles by the time he had to fulfill his twelve tasks.

He couldn’t remember when was the first time he saw you: the only thing he knew was that, while he stood at that temple, he couldn’t spend one day without seeing you. Every morning, before his worshipers woke up, Apollo would walk up the stairs that led to the private space where the highest balcony of the temple was, and he would sit at it, with his back leaning on a column, to witness the girl’s arrival and her preparations before work; he would stay there, watching in ecstatic silence as she separated her tools, touched each plant with those delicate fingers of hers, examined each spot of them and gave them the necessary treatment, smiling and, sometimes, mumbling to herself.

Not only he noticed your diligence and dedication, but it didn’t escape him how much you were beautiful. Yes, you were surrounded by appealing fruit trees, flowers of the most interesting shapes and shades, all of them between intricate green walls that only added in majesty, yet your figure caught the man’s eyes above all of them – eyes that were trained to not miss anything that could be pleasing to one’s sight.

The god would cheer at himself with the fact that you were oblivious to this, while he, at that height, was completely out of your sight. It was like in the old days, where he would observe the mortal realm from his spot at the Olympus, except that this time there would be no difficulties in reaching you: as one of the city’s inhabitants, you were basically his neighbor, and knowing that building like the palm of his hand, he knew the secret shortcuts that would lead him to your garden’s gates.

At first, Apollo would state that his morning observations were just a hobby, and that with all the work to keep him occupied at the temple and the attentions he would get from the worshipers – particularly from the priestesses – he would soon forget about you and your flowers. However, he wasn’t fool to the point of lying to himself for too long, and soon he would admit that he was interested in you. Well, he was already desiring you, in a way that didn’t happen since… a few centuries ago, maybe by the time of that temple’s inauguration, when he would lure some of the city’s mortals into it. And now, there he was, leaving the comfort of his bed every morning, sometimes even before the sun came up to greet him, for anything but to catch the exact moment when your feet stepped into that garden, wondering how your voice would send shivers all over his body in case you whispered in his ears with the same docility you did to the flowers, how soft your skin would feel if he caught your frail form between his arms, and the heat he would sense once his lips touched yours.

This extended for days, until he finally had enough.

That morning, he watched you as always, but this time something inside him awakened, and he just let his body move away from the parapet and reach for his private chambers, where he caught his best garments and a pair of golden sandals, and then wandered to outside the temple, to the narrow path behind the hill, covered in stones and sand, only known by himself, and in one minute or two, he was standing at the garden’s entry.

Today is the day. The day when I shall make you mine.

***

It should be a pacific, ordinary morning of work at the garden.

You arrived at the usual hour, reached for the spot of the garden where you started working the day before, separated your tools and went to take care of your tasks.

You’ve spent one hour, maybe two like this, so concentrated in what your were doing that the sudden rustling between the leaves somewhere behind you made you startle and drop your garden shears. You turned around…

And found quite a spectacle for that time of the day.

Coming out of a narrow space between two green walls, you saw a young man dressed in garments that you supposed to be only appropriate for the Summer Festivities, not so far in the land’s calendar: he had a white toga around his body, which hems and details appeared to be sewn with golden threads; golden were also the strappy sandals he had on his feet, as well as the laurel wreath on his head. The first rays of the sun reached the space between you at that hour, and the golden light poured itself over the man’s figure as the hug of a beloved one, revealing that the metallic ornaments he carried were, in fact, gold, and conceding a singular glimmer to his eyes, which you thought to be of the same shade. But that wasn’t the only peculiarity seen in his appearance: his hair, falling on straight strands to his waist, were of a soft pink that reminded you of some of the flowers in your garden, but a comparison wasn’t possible, since they were out of sight at that moment.

Yes, the visitor was a beautiful man, though eccentric, so your first thought was that he was the son of a noble family that came to the city to honor the god of the Sun at the temple beside your garden.

He’s probably thinking that the garden is part of the temple’s territory. I must clarify this mistake and lead him back through the right path.

And you were going to do that very thing, but he was faster.

Without waiting for an invitation or at least a question about his presence there, the man approached your spot and stopped in front of you, observing your tiny person surrounded by flowers and tools with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief: was this girl really engaging in physical work this early?, his eyes seemed to ask.

You stepped behind, closer to a bush of wild roses, but glanced over your shoulder before touching the thorns – something that made the stranger giggle. You didn’t like that at all.

The first words said between you were his.

– I’ve always said that wild roses were not my favorites, but the truth is that they’ve scared me and charmed me at the same time, and I just couldn’t deal with it – he stretched an arm to touch a spot above and behind you; not disguising the feeling that he was closer than a stranger should be, your eyes followed his movement and found his fingers reaching for a flower of the bush – A ridiculous mistake from an arrogant heart… – and, turning his golden eyes to you, – Don’t you think, my flower?

Your eyes widened, but you managed to control your mouth to not scoff at those words: you’ve been working at that garden for too long now, and from time to time there would be one and other man who would come to celebrate the Summer Festivities at Apollo’s temple, many of them from privileged houses… and about whom you’ve already had a clear opinion.

Let me see… Extravagant clothing at this time of the day, bad sense of direction, abnormally elevated self-confidence and no regard for personal space. Of course, another womanizer who relies on cheap flirting to win innocent hearts. He knows that this type of chatting only works when the speaker is young and beautiful like him, but things would be very different if we had an old, naughty man in his place.

You knew that, if you didn’t do anything to get rid of him, he would bother you for the rest of the morning, and you wouldn’t be able to complete the works of the day, but fortunately you also knew how to deal with this kind of situation, so you decided to act right now...

By moving aside and bending down to grab the garden shears that he made you drop. You stood up again and started removing the small, green leaves from its blades as you spoke.

– My Lord, I suppose you entered here by accident – you started; and, looking into his eyes, still with the shears’ blades up – Because, you see, despite the proximity, this garden doesn’t belong to Apollo’s temple. No festivities will happen here.

It was with a bit of diversion that you observed the bright smile fading from his pretty face, but you remained impassible, for you were aware that this one was an experienced gentleman and wouldn’t give up so easily.

And he didn’t.

– I must be indelicate and disagree with you, Miss – he moved his hand away from the flower, but, with an eye on your shears, he hid both hands behind his back – For a garden is a never-ending festivity itself, and the one that is going on right here owes all its beauty to the work of your hands.

You swallowed. He did have a way with words, then. But not even this would be enough for you to allow delays in your routine, and you made that very clear.

– If this is the case, my Lord, I must make use of the same indelicacy and interrupt our conversation here – in a swift move of your hands, the shears closed and opened twice with a metallic whisper – And keep working on the garden’s beauty.

And, without waiting for a response, you turned your back on the man and restarted to prune the bush with the roses, just as you were doing when he arrived.

Not even this was able to shake the young man’s confidence, for he just stepped aside and continued to talk, caressing the flowers at the same time. No irritation or offense was sensed in his tone.

– Then I must leave you to complete your mission – and, after a pause, – But I’m trapped here, and you’re the only one who can release me... by letting me know your name.

Your hands stopped and you turned to him again. You weren’t willing to reveal it to him, but if that was going to make him go away, you would do it.

– Y/n s/n.

The young man opened a satisfied smile. But, instead of saying his own name in return, he just stepped back and nodded.

– For this I will be forever grateful, my y/n. I will make sure that Apollo’s blessing falls over you and your work concerning this celebration of beauty.

And without waiting for a response, he turned away and left.

***

If only the Festivities in honor of the Lord of the Sun were shorter, or if your garden was located in somewhere else, the strange events of yesterday involving that extravagant individual would be just a funny story to remember in an encounter between your friends, or even something you would forget after a week.

But, unfortunately, things don’t always go as we plan, so to your surprise – and exasperation – the situation happened again in the next day.

You were pouring water on the soil, in a spot of the garden not so far from the one where your first encounter happened, having only the sounds of the water falling from the can and the early birds singing on the trees as your company, when the rustling noise of indiscreet steps upon the grass caught your attention.

You turned around… and found the shinning figure of the young man smiling at you, his right hand leaning on the tree at his side, his golden eyes upon you with the same enthusiasm of the last day.

You bit your lip.

I can’t believe it. Did he forget everything that happened yesterday?

If he noticed your displease or if he chosen to ignore it, you didn’t know, but he started a casual conversation without waiting for an invitation.

– Good morning, dear y/n! – he left his spot beside the tree and walked toward you with no sign of embarrassment – As I can see, the festivities continue today.

You just gave him a silent nod in reply. The man’s smile widened in contentment.

– That’s good to hear, for today I bring you something that you might appreciate…

Only then you noticed the object he was carrying on his left hand: a bracelet made of gold, in the shape of a vine and with a white gem in its center, with rays surrounding it as an imitation of the sun. You looked at the object and hesitated.

– My Lord, it is not…

But when the words were still crossing your lips, you felt a strong hand holding your wrist and pulling it forward, making you drop the watering can; before you did anything, the man put the bracelet around your wrist and spent a moment admiring it, with your tiny hand between his.

You even tried to pull it back, but the he held you in place. You swallowed.

Heavens, his appearance is the most deceiving thing I’ve ever seen! I don’t know many soldiers who possess this strength!

Because of this, you understood that you might have been in danger since the other day, so that time you kept your mouth shut and waited to see what his next step would be.

And you didn’t know if you should feel relieved or shocked when you found it out.

– Now you were granted the necessary permission, my dear – he spoke with softness; and, pulling you closer to whisper in your ear, – The way to the Summer Festivities has opened to you at the Temple of the Great Apollo.

You had no time to respond, to move away or to show any form of refusal. The man, still holding your hand, pulled you with him and started running between the green walls and trees, rushing toward the depths of the garden and not allowing you to stop.

You glanced behind and your heart ached when you saw your work unfinished and the watering can forgotten on the spot it fell, the remaining water leaking and soaking the soil.

***

The path through which he led you, as well as the environment you found when you entered the temple was what you would sense in a dream: in one moment, he was carrying you by the hand through the green labyrinth, in a pace that defied time; in the next one, you were inside high walls of white, imposing columns with marble flowers surrounding them from their highest to their lowest spot, and countless tables of gold with goblets, jars and trays full of fruits, sweets and other tempting treats that were taken by uninhibited, joyful people dressed in flowing fabrics and barefoot, running, hopping and dancing between themselves to the frenetic sound of chords, flutes and drums. The place was a mixture of sounds, colors and smells that confused and numbed your senses, in a way that you were only able to stand thanks to the strong hold of the young man.

Despite that, you still noticed how strange was that those people seemed to move to the music as if they were just one, yet they acted like they weren’t seeing each other, lost in their particular world, to the point you wondered if they knew what they were doing or if they were just caught under a spell.

Are they really happy, or are they forced into this? It’s unsettling...

The people only showed a believable reaction when you arrived… Well, actually, when they put their eyes on the young man, and started reaching for him with no regard for your presence, pushing, bumping and even stepping upon your feet.

In a way you couldn’t understand, he opened his arms wide to receive them without letting go of your hand, with a satisfied smile on his face that seemed to light up when the first rays of sunshine entered the place, embracing him with the same passion as the people around.

It was when a thought crossed your mind as fast as those rays, and you stared at him with a knot in your stomach.

Could it be that he…?

The chorus around you, chanting the same words in delight, was the confirmation for it.

– Apollo! Apollo-sama! You finally arrived, Apollo-sama! Please don’t make us wait this long for you again, Apollo-sama!

His face brightened up with the call of the humans, as if it absorbed their joy and turned it into vital force, returning it to them with the warmth of the sun; to them, he was god, father, husband and master, and he was more than happy in taking all those roles for himself, in what you saw as a hungry, even predatory way. Though you still found it a beautiful thing to observe, you no longer saw any resemblance with a man in his figure.

He was something else.

Feeding himself with their energies and keeping them gravitating around him is like a diversion to him. How scary.

And with the same diversion, he pulled you to a tight embrace, giving you no choice to walk away, for many people came to him and were no dismissed, so that you were trapped between him and them, and you didn’t know for how long you would be able to breathe.

Somehow, he managed to walk among his worshipers and take you with him before you in fact were smothered, and without decreasing in enthusiasm, he looked around and chanted:

– My children, my flowers! Another day of Summer came to bless you! Enjoy it, cherish it like it’s your last!

Immediately, the people obeyed him and, as if slowly forgetting about his very presence, restarted the celebration, dancing and jumping around and opening the way for you two at the same time, not really realizing what they were doing.

Not wanting to join them and not being able to release yourself from Apollo’s grip, you had no choice but to follow him.

***

You walked up spiral, white stairs with golden banisters, ran through a corridor and ended up in front of an enormous pair of doors, which he opened with a slight touch of his hand.

They revealed a wide room that, even in your lack of experience in these matters, you knew to be worthy of a god: everywhere you looked, you saw comfortable chairs and couches, covered with satin sheets and surrounded by trays of sweets and fruits, and countless jars of wine; there was also a small fountain pouring water, with a jar and cups around it. You also saw books, parchments and musical instruments ready to be used. Everything there was arranged to display beauty and pleasure, as expected from its owner.

Once you stepped inside, you heard the sound of the keys turning to lock the doors from inside and shivered.

– My y/n, will you follow me to the balcony? – Apollo passed to your side – There’s something I need to reveal to you, but it has to be in an appropriate place!

And, without waiting for your response, he tightened his grip around your wrist and pulled you across the room, to reach the said balcony.

You passed under an arc with a pair of curtains of a peach shade and found yourself in a place that could serve as a common room of a human house by its largeness, except for the fact that it was uncovered; on it, there was wine, fod and water as well, and a couch twice the size of the ones inside the room, yet none of those objects interfered while you walked among them.

Apollo stopped at the parapet with you by his side. With his arm stretched over it, he indicated the entire view.

– Let your pretty eyes enjoy what’s in front of them with no shame, my dear – he laughed – Trust me, the view of your lands from the Olympus is no match for this!

And you were, in fact, impressed with what you saw.

From there, you were able to spot various things, from the mountains that surrounded the city, passing through the town itself, with its marketplace and daily movement, to nearer places… such as your garden, its open fields and the very spot where you were working this morning when Apollo arrived and abducted you.

Your face burned with the thought.

He has been spying on me from here? Since when…?

You never had the opportunity to inquire him on this, because he had no shame in telling you the whole story.

– Since this Summer started, though I cannot precise the day, I’ve been trapped in this balcony, just as I am now – he turned to you with a strange glimmer in his eyes; you sensed his hand letting go of your wrist and wrapping itself around your waist, bringing you closer as he spoke – I’ve been trapped by you, my flower, for I couldn’t spent one morning without seeing you from here, cherishing with your whole figure, your steps, the work of your hands, all for your precious garden…

You put your hands between you and him, in an attempt to prevent him from approaching even more.

– My Lord, with all the respect, this is my work – you managed to speak – I would never be able to properly take care of a garden if I refused to pour my heart into it…

The god’s response was to widen his already present smile, giving to it a hint of something that would be called presumption if he was a mortal man.

– I know it! I know well how these things work, and for this I am jealous – he caressed your face for an instant, his eyes swallowing each traits of yours with greed – I am jealous of your flowers, of your trees, and everything that has been blessed by the touch of your hands…

You gasped.

– My Lord, I think this is going too fa…

Your words were cut off by his next act, which consisted in wrapping his arms around you and lifting you from the floor, taking you to the couch you saw before, not so far from your spot on the parapet. There he sat you down, then knelt to take off your sandals – of course, without missing the chance to let his fingertips wander through your feet and legs. With no visible ways to escape this situation, you could only observe the scene in silence.

The door is locked, I don’t think I could open it as fast as he closed it, he’s too strong for me to put a physical fight and is too lost in his own fantasies to hear a word I say. I see no solution besides climbing up the parapet and jump.

While this thought was still crossing your mind (and your eyes glancing at the parapet), Apollo was already climbing the couch. You tried to move away, but he was faster: holding your jawline, he pulled you close to him, his lips brushing yours as he spoke.

– I beg you, my little flower… stop making me jealous… pour your heart to me… be mine…

You opened your mouth to speak, to reply, to try and reason with him one last time, to ask for his divine favor and beg him to let you go, but Apollo didn’t even give you the time to breathe: convinced that actions would teach you better than words, he covered your mouth with hungry kisses, his tongue reaching for yours in a hurry, his hands grabbing your body with voracity. With the lack of air, your lungs started to burn and your eyes got filled with tears.

Your hands, still free, pulled him away by his chin; he stared at you in incredulity.

– Please… my Lord… – you forced your words out, alternating them with gasps – Please… reconsider…

For the first time, Apollo seemed to have his patience tested, and the slight twist in the color of his eyes instilled fear in your heart like you’ve never felt before.

– Too late to think, my y/n… It’s time to act.

He pushed himself upon you on the couch and a second kiss happened, longer and hotter. Now that your attempt to stop him failed, desperation was taking over you, leaving you with two choices: letting him continue or dying for opposing to a god’s will.

The latter seemed less painful for you, so you opted for it.

Beside the couch, just like the other seats at that room, there was a small table with a metallic jar on it; you glanced at it when Apollo let go of your mouth and brought his kisses to your neck, and supposed that it was full. An idea came to you, but you had to be careful.

If I fail at this, it’s over for me.

With slow movements, you managed to bring your body closer to the table’s side, taking the god with you, leaving him too occupied in his caresses to notice anything around. You even reciprocated some of his touches to disguise your nervousness, and waited until you were sure that your hand would reach the jar’s wing.

When the moment came, you stretched your left arm… and your fingers closed around its wing, lifting it from the table with all the strength you could find.

Everything happened too fast for your eyes to follow: catching him in a surprise was your only and greatest advantage, and you managed to do it. The jar flew from the table and hit Apollo’s head, forcing him away from you and dropping the laurel wreath from his hair; confirming your prediction, the jar was full, and the water spread all over the place as the metal clanged against the floor.

You wasted no time: you dragged your body out of the couch and fled the balcony, leaving your sandals and a paralyzed, dismayed Apollo behind. You crossed the room like a ray and somehow unlocked the door easily despite your shaking hands; not only this, but you had the nerve to take the key with you and lock the door from outside to slow the man who would certainly come after you.

***

Your feet barely touched the stairs while you walked down. Behind your back, there was still silence, but you knew it wouldn’t take long until Apollo reached the door and found a way to open it, so you wouldn’t stay to see what was going to happen.

You soon were back to the wide room where his worshipers were celebrating, and it was with no surprise that you found them as happy as before, and that, as you joined the crowd to reach the exit, they barely remembered you. Still, you couldn’t help finding it scary to be squeezed and pushed to all sides by those strangers, who screamed, sang and danced with no regard for each other and for themselves, as victims of a sinister spell.

***

The image of you running away from him was the most terrifying of the nightmares.

Apollo could have ran after you, grabbed you and pulled you back to the balcony. He could have also stretched his hand toward you and used his golden threads to wrap your body and force you to stay, to submit to him. He even managed to raise his hand while you turned your back to him and moved away, passing under the arc that separated the balcony to the rest of the room… but he didn’t do anything.

He just stood there, paralyzed by the surprise with your reaction and the resulting dizziness in his head, his vision darkening as he came to the shameful conclusion.

What I did… there was nothing beautiful about it.

***

The sun was higher in the sky when he regained his consciousness and left the balcony. It must have been one hour or two, judging by its position now – long enough for the effects of the strike to diminish. His head hurt so much that he was sure he would be dead if he was human.

He left the balcony and passed by a mirror, not so far from its entry. He spotted the bruise on his forehead and flinched: it was darker, deeper than he first imagined. Not that he should be worried about having a permanent scar, of course, but it would ache for days.

The god crossed the silent room and stopped by the doors. One look to the lock and he noticed the absence of the key; the shadow of a smile came to his lips.

Clever girl. Trying to slow me down.

He raised his left hand and, working with his golden threads, he involved the doors and pushed them out of their hinges, destroying both with a thunderous sound. He walked out of the room in firm steps, the wreckage cracking under his golden sandals as he approached the stairs and walked them down.

In a minute, he has reached the first floor, where his worshipers continued to celebrate, yet this time a wave of uneasiness has spread silently among them, clearly provoked by the sound of wrecking materials upon there.

Of course, he was eager to leave and start chasing after you, but he was empathetic with the ones who were there just to love him, and made sure they were all calmed down by his words; with this, they were free to go back to their worshiping, knowing that their Lord would be back in a few moments.

He left the temple and rushed to the garden, as his feet were led by instinct to the place that first connected you, but it was with no surprise that he saw you weren’t there; you didn’t even use the garden as escape route. Still, his heart didn’t ache less with the sight of your tools on the soil, and your flowers abandoned, for they meant only one thing.

Not only you were gone, but you weren’t coming back.

***

Autumn came sooner to those lands that year.

The Temple of the Sun closed its gates long before the last week of Summer, and the worshipers returned to their homes with a strange weight in their hearts; it was clear that their god wasn’t content, but the reason was only known by himself, and perhaps as an act of mercy, he protected them from his wrath by sending them away, assuring them of their innocence and promising a warmer season of festivities for the next year.

The days quickly became short, and the winds of the new season were colder than they were in the previous years; the city’s inhabitants were caught in a surprise, and even feared what Winter has reserved for them. The streets were empty, the markets saw their clientele grow thin, the richest traveled to distant lands and the common people were hidden inside their houses. In the wild, the beasts and the small creatures were sharing the same difficulties, and just as it happened with the humans, there was no guarantee that they would make it through the longer period of cold.

Apollo, on his turn, stood in that house alone, instead of traveling back to his place and his divine fellows at the Olympus: he missed their company, but had no strength to face them after the ugliness he created; it has been a monstrosity and a shame, and this was something he must endure all by himself. And so he did it, spending his days and nights wandering among the cold walls of marble, inside which the sound of chords, voices of adoration and the wine being poured in the goblets wouldn’t be heard, and the echo of his own steps were his only partner; the fires lightened by his followers stopped making him warm even before they turned into smoke and cinders, the sweetness of their incense made him sick and the golden altars and objects of devotion turned gray to his eyes.

All because of what he did to you. Because in his eagerness to make you stay, he ended up scaring you away, and the sun that should have kept you content and safe almost burned you to death. How, he asked himself, how did he deprive love from its natural beauty, he who lived to exalt the beautiful? But silence was the only thing to reply.

***

Apollo visited your garden every morning, staying there for a while before returning to his temple and to his dark meditations. Protecting his physical form from the cold with a gray cloak, he wandered through the natural walls that were once green, but now had only brown and red to offer to his sight; the grass was now a shadow of what they were, just dried vegetation that would crack and whiter under his feet, and the flowers came undone to the touch of his fingers.

Many times he passed by the spot where he abducted you, and tears would fill his eyes as he looked at the watering can and the tools rotten on the cold soil, useless after so long time without executing their functions. One morning, he even considered touching them, but when he approached his hand no remnants of your spirit could be sensed in them, and he moved away.

Well, your presence just vanished from the garden itself, and even from the town: sometimes, he would disguise himself among the mortals and seek for your face in the corners of the streets, but he knew the search was worthless. You were long gone.

Actually, you left and hid on the other side of the land, and even your acquaintances haven’t heard about you since Autumn began. But even you couldn’t deny that the season was less merciful that year… and it didn’t take long for you to realize it had something to do with the episode at Apollo’s House. Maybe he couldn’t accept that a mortal woman defied him, and decided to punish her entire land in return; or maybe he just decided to leave sooner, and with him Summer has left. It was hard to be sure when it came to the gods.

However, as much as you weren’t willing to try and seek for his favor against your will in order to save the people of the city, innocent and defenseless against Nature, your heart has been yearning for your garden, your true house, where your happiness and strength and life purpose were. You’ve been struggling to stay in your hideout and wait until the god’s wrath was over, but you just couldn’t take it anymore.

One morning, despite the cold and the adversities, you dressed up and traveled back there. You had no idea of what you were going to find once you stepped into your beloved garden, and a thousand nightmares haunted you while you were on your way, and the times when you thought of giving up and return to the hideout weren’t few…

But all of this noise disappeared when you found yourself, in fact, standing before the garden’s gates. A breeze passed by you at that moment, coming from inside the garden, and sent a chill through your body – a chill that reached your heart.

You forced your feet to move ahead.

As you walked, farther from the entry and closer to the depths of the garden, you noticed that the sensation of loneliness that you were anticipating didn’t come. Yes, the flowers were dead, the grass was dry and the birds disappeared from the trees, but you had this strange feeling telling you that you weren’t the only living being wandering among the reddish vegetation.

A sudden instinct led your feet to the very place where your watering can and shears were left the day you were taken away by Apollo. Were they in the same place, still waiting for your return? You’d only know if you reached there.

And you did. And they were there. Covered in dirt, dead leaves and ivy.

But they weren’t alone. Someone was watching them in silence, standing among the desolation as if they were just a part of it that was waiting for you to come back as well.

And, perhaps, they were, for when they turned to you, your heart dropped.

It was him. It was him, there was no way for you to be mistaken.

The golden bright in his eyes has faded away, and so was his smile. The pink of his hair was no longer glowing, and the paleness on his skin was unsettling. He was still the god of the Sun, but the Sun just settled.

Suddenly, you were scared. What if he was there waiting to cease your existence in revenge? What if that was just a vision to deceive you, and you were now in a new trap, from which you had no chance to escape like the first one?

You tried to move your feet, but they wouldn’t obey you. Your heart ached inside you, and your eyes were getting filled with tears.

Is this how I’m going to die, then?

Apollo left his spot and walked toward you. He was still silent, but no sign of his intentions could be sensed, and you were too scared to try and guess them. Still, something wasn’t right – and when you finally had the courage to look straight to his face, you understood what it was.

From his eyes you saw tears rolling. And in his expression there was only room for incredulity and pain. It was when you knew: it wasn’t a vision; it was really him. And he couldn’t believe you were there.

Apollo stopped before you and you flinched, not knowing what to expect. You shut your eyes tight… and no touch, no extravagances nor punishment came.

You opened them again and found the proud god kneeling on the dirt soil, taking his cloak from his shoulders and leaving it beside him on the ground, his eyes glued on you all the time, as if you could disappear at the slightest distraction.

You didn’t know how long you stood like this, having only the winds to voice your anguish, but the silence became unbearable, and you opened your mouth to speak – but, as always, he was faster.

– Forgive me.

Two words only, but enough to shake your spirit and think of how strange reality could become. A god apologizing? When would you imagine such a thing?

– Forgive me, my flower – he repeated, since you stood quiet – For those things I’ve done weren’t but terrifying.

He stretched his hand to touch your clothes, but gave up on the gesture as to prove his feeling of shame.

Again, your heart ached, and your mouth dried out. You couldn’t just stand there with no reaction, no word, after traveling for so long to reunite with your beloved garden. But you didn’t know what to do or what would be right, so you just let your body decide.

You knelt on the soil too, before the astonished god, and didn’t try to stop yourself when you saw your arms throwing themselves around him, your head resting on his shoulder, and your skin shivering to the warmth of that embrace. You should be scared, you should be aware of any spell working at that very moment, you should be disgusted to see him there – but you weren’t.

– Yes, Apollo-sama – you murmured, not recognizing your own voice – They were terrifying. But I’m no longer scared.

And that was true. All your fear was leaving. And with the first signs that the Autumn was going away with it, you were strangely in peace.

[nenelonomh]

weekly reflection, week one

whilst looking at my calendar for the upcoming week, i realized that i had forgotten to reflect on my week at school. i planned this as a way to encourage better study habits and to hold myself accountable.

this week i studied 6 hours 27 minutes (measured on ypt). my sessions were 40 minutes - 2.5 hours long. i definitely want to build the habit of studying every day, where i can. even if it's just for 20 minutes before school starts.

on monday, i went out with my sister after school. school was horribly exhausting but i made sure to honour our monday tradition. i think we're going to start hanging out more sporadically instead of each week monday. when i got home on monday i was so exhausted and i didn't do any work.

on tuesday, i had training after school. we did a high intensity circuit - which was actually super fun. since my friend gem had tutoring at the same time, we studied together in the refectory for 40 minutes. then, i caught transport to my friends house and went to karate. i got home ~8:00 pm, which is super late for me - but i managed to shower and get ready for the next day.

wednesday morning i had another training session: a lower body weights session. my legs were so sore the rest of the week, but i managed to beat a lot of my records! on wednesday afternoon i simply went home and tried to study.

something that i have noticed this week is that after school i need a break. otherwise, i feel horribly overwhelmed and unable to do any work. i've been looking into breathing exercises - to calm myself and reset before i begin my afternoon study.

(the reason that i have to study so hard right now is because my exams are in week 6, which means that i only have 4 more weeks to learn and revise everything.)

on thursday i was lucky enough to get dropped off to the train station, instead of catching the bus. on thursday afternoon after school i went home and studied. this was the day that i achieved 2.5 hours.

on friday, i organized a study date with my friends at our local university library. it was super fun, and i was semi-productive but i got really tired around an hour in. then, i struggled to do any work and i just wanted to go home.

meal prepping this week was super helpful for me. not stressing about making my lunch for school when i'm getting ready in the morning saves so much time. i'm going to continue to do this and look for some more recipes. maybe i'll post a meal plan lmao.

next week i'd like to attend more karate sessions and start making my piano practicing more of a habit.

saturday and sunday will be a part of next week's reflection since i was meant to write this on friday arvo.

❤️ nene

[mariipun]

Adventures of Wally & The Gang (plus their Caretaker)

Adventures of Wally and the Gang (plus their Caretaker)

Associates Meeting (one-shot)

Warnings: None. Just fluff and funsies honestly; silly antics some of the cast members get themselves into. By no means are my interpretations in relation to Clown’s work, and therefore, not canonically based. Consider this an introduction to the whimsical one-shots to come with our dear Caretaker and the gang.

Word Count: 1,970

Brief Description: Set in the modern world, the Welcome Home cast is alive and aware, living alongside humans. And you have been contracted to be their Caretaker. [you are referred to by the puppets as “Caretaker” or “Care” for short.]

Dedication: @nonomives @kandavers

 *blows kiss* Wanted to give you both this as my debut. 

[I am open to constructive criticism, feedback and ideas! Please inbox me if you have any! I’m a bit rusty with writing, so I appreciate any insight]

In a world much like the Muppets, puppets co-exist with humans. Although the colorful ensemble of characters from the beloved children’s TV show portrays themselves as sweet, educational, fun-loving personas-- when they aren’t on the air, they happen to get themselves into quite a lot of mischief. And you, the lucky individual that you are, have been contracted as their Caretaker to ensure these chaotic puppet actors stay on schedule and don’t put themselves in situations that could cause bad publicity.

You walked off set after speaking to one of the producers as the show had wrapped up earlier than expected. This made it easier to schedule the upcoming appointments you had meticulously organized around the otherwise busy puppet’s schedules. With clipboard in hand, you made your way over to the break area, where most of the cast members were chatting with stagehands, makeup artists, or lounging in their deck chairs.

“All right everyone!” You clapped your hands together to garner the attention of the cast, all eyes turning to you except for Barnaby standing over the spread table, hungrily grabbing at the box of doughnuts one of the interns had placed out. You deadpan at him before shouting his name, earning an audible hmph?! as the blue mass turned to look at you, a sprinkled doughnut hanging from his mouth, with two others in hand.

“Okaaaay—now that I have everyone’s attention, we have an early flight to catch tomorrow for our meeting with our studio associates, which will take place later in the afternoon once we’ve arrived.” You scan the break area to ensure they’re still listening, amused by Julie and Sally as they respond with shared squeals, already chatting about plans to sightsee the area and meet their adoring fans. Their bubbly response caused you to grin momentarily, before turning serious.

“That means! You all need to be awake, packed, and ready to go at 6 A.M. sharp.” You say sternly, now earning loud groans from a few of the puppets.

“Okay, okay.” You waved your hand dismissively to the choir of complaints. You didn’t know why they were complaining, considering they usually wake up this early in the morning to start the show. Rolling your eyes, you let out a breath, mentally preparing for whatever shenanigans these puppets will pull on you later. “You guys have the rest of the day to relax since it’s only 2 P.M. right now. Just remember, we need to stick to the schedule. I don’t want to have to explain myself to the Manager if things derail.”

With a resounding “All right” from everyone, you went your parting ways and continued to work out the schedule’s details. “Also! Julie, you better pack light! We are only staying for two days, so don’t bring your whole wardrobe with you—again…” You called after her, ignoring her refusal to do so.

[Next Day: 5:41 A.M.]

You grabbed your duffle bag, slinging it over your shoulder before grabbing the briefcase on your way out of your small apartment. Before descending the stairs of the apartment building, you turn back in to grab your coffee, yawning in the process. “Ugh, gonna be a long day.” You murmur to yourself, the lingering drowsiness from slumber not yet leaving your body. You check the time on your phone as you take a gentle sip. You only lived a 7-minute walk away from the set, which you were grateful for since (1) You didn’t own a car and (2) The Studio provided you with lodging once you agreed to be the cast’s Caretaker. The pay was all right considering the added bonuses of what the Studio provided for you, although, it’s probably due in part to the various applicants that had been hired and then immediately quit due to their lack of ability to actually wrangle the cast from committing any sort of war crimes. (Guess the Studio needed to give some sort of incentive for someone to fill the role). Taking on the task was daunting at first since you quickly learned how eager the members were to push boundaries. You didn’t necessarily blame them for being curious since there was still so much of the world they wanted to learn about. Of course, this made your job more difficult to handle at times.

[5:53 A.M.]

You walked through the studio’s hallways, quietly greeting good mornings to other studio employees as you passed. The meeting location for everyone was in room 2A, usually reserved for auditions, but opened for you to ensure everyone came on time. Arriving at the room, you saw that most of the members had already arrived. Poppy, sitting comically large on one of the chairs and leaning against the wall as she continued to sleep. Barnaby and Wally both lazily tapping on their phones; Frank and Eddie who were both reading; Howdy who had just strolled in with a loud yawn, and…. Julie and Sally? Who weren’t even here yet. Of course, knowing them Sally would come in ‘dramatically’ late, as per usual, and Julie would usually stroll along. You greet those who were already there good morning, earning a few mumbled good mornings in return and a quiet snore from Poppy. You leaned against the wall next to the entrance, taking out your schedule:

6 A.M. - morning roll call

6:10 A.M.- arrive to cars

6:30 A.M. - board private jet

8:30 A.M. (projected arrival time)

9:00 A.M. – early check-in

-

-

-

1:30 P.M. – production meeting

-

-

-

5:30 P.M. – dinner reservation (for self)

-

-

You nod, everything was still on track for the most part… Sally would soon come in beaming and entered the room with a loud, sing-songy “I’m here!”, followed by the same response as the heaving Julie dragged an absurdly stuffed suitcase in tow. The sudden intrusion caused Poppy to jolt awake, everyone else looking over as the pair came in. You glanced at the time, 6:12 A.M.

“You’re late…and I told you to pack light--” You comment, shaking your head gently as the two tried to begin explaining. Raising a hand to stop them, you turned to everyone with a small smile, went over the plans for travel, and ushered them all to the awaiting cars outside.

[8:32 A.M. Landing]

As the jet landed, everyone deplaned and entered the cars that would transport them to the hotel. Once you have all arrived at the hotel, you check everyone in, soon giving them each their own room keys on the same floor. You gave them all a nod of approval as you all entered the elevator and went up to the 14th floor. You all agreed to meet in the lobby after freshening up to discuss any further plans. As you waved to them, you entered your room and took in the welcoming atmosphere. Plush pillows, clean sheets, a stocked mini fridge, a desk, a great window view, and a bathroom full of high-quality amenities you would surely take back home. (No one’s going to miss a few small bottles of shampoo and conditioner anyway). You place your briefcase on the desk, plop the duffle bag on the chair, and throw yourself onto the inviting bed. With arms spread wide, you inhale sharply as you stretch, sighing in contentment for a moment. The temporary silence gave your much-needed overworked mind some peace, before going into the bathroom to get ready. You would soon greet everyone with a much chippier attitude as they had all been waiting for you in the lobby area. You took notice as more guests began to enter the hotel, some with young children excitedly pointing out Wally and the others, pleading to meet them as their tired parents tried to calm their resounding squeaks. It was times like these when you got a break, witnessing the excitement and wonder of fans felt endearing. You were with a group of celebrities after all. Trying to keep a low profile was, unfortunately, not an option in your field of work.

“So, what do you guys want to do?” Eddie inquires. Everyone began throwing out ideas, Julie insisting they go shopping; Frank, who commented on a museum exhibit; Sally wanting to check out the old (presumably haunted) theaters; Howdy and Poppy bouncing ideas about taking a tour downtown; and Barnaby mentioning an all-you-can-eat buffet. The overwhelming chatter droned out your thoughts as everyone turned to you, arguing that they “Should do this!”, “No, this—“, “Care, I want to—“. You tried hushing everyone as their voices became increasingly loud in volume, garnering more attention from the hotel guests as their rambunctious natures were disturbing the ease of the lobby.

“Hold on, hold on. We only really have three more hours before we go to the meeting, so we might not be able to do everything today—” You try to console everyone, your response not satisfying the puppets as they began bickering amongst themselves. You heard a few complaints that you were being too ‘strict’, too ‘uptight’, ‘just relax a bit will ya, we’ve got time’. You huff, knowing you needed them all together since they’d do ‘who knows what’ when apart from you. Maybe you should just ask to be promoted from Caretaker to Glorified Babysitter at this point, the title is more suitable. You attempted to hush them again, only to be met with more insistence that they do “this idea, or that”. You could barely put a word in as your eyes slowly fell on Wally, who in his usual laid-back manner, said nothing. Simply observing the conversations and locking eyes on you.

You could tell by his demeanor, mischievous grin on his face, he was brewing up a plan. Your eyes narrow, squinting at him as you both engaged in a stare-down. “Don’t—” You emphasized, everyone else taking notice and silently watching. “Wally. Do not—”

“Scatter.”

“I said-- Ah!--?!” Before you could protest, you were encased in oversized blue arms, Barnaby coming up to give you a hug from behind, his chuckles booming loudly in your ears. He picked you up slightly, your legs kicking as you tried yelling for them all to “Get back here!”. Both Sally and Julie bolted for the entrance, waving hello and goodbye to those they passed by; Howdy and Poppy scuttled away, continuing to chat; Frank and Eddie looked at each other before heading to the museum, as Wally sneakily exited stage left. You went limp in Barnaby’s arms, cheeks red with frustration as you slowly descended back onto your feet. He chuckled, patting your shoulder (insult to injury).

“You know kid, you should just take it easy. We finally have some downtime, just let ‘em go and have some fun. Same with you, see you in a bit.” He chimed, walking off to the hotel’s restaurant.

You stood there in defeat, running your hands up and down your face before pinching the bridge of your nose. As expected, it was gonna be a long day indeed.

[2:03 P.M. Associates Meeting]

“Shouldn’t they have been here already?”

“Yeah, I tried calling Care, but they hadn’t respo—”

You burst into the meeting room, hair disheveled, breathing heavy with Wally and Julie tucked under your arms while the rest of the members stood behind you with smiles and greetings. You stomped in, some of the associates just staring as you plopped the two in their seats as the others strolled in before settling down themselves. You said nothing, cheeks hot and nostrils flared before clearing your throat and smoothing your hair. You move off to the side, taking refuge in the seat placed against the wall. You finally slump, head tilted back and resting on the wall as the meeting began.

Yeah, you needed a promotion… and a raise.

[meganlpie]

A Riddle in Pastries

Based on this request: Could you do a s1 Edward x shy reader, where the reader is new assistant for Kristen and has a crush on Ed and secretly leaves small presents on his desk (like coffee or pastries).

Here you are, my lovely! *I do not own ANY Gotham characters. They belong to the writers/creators of the show as well as the creators of the comics.*

Warnings: Fluff-ish?? Brief mentions of workplace bullying. It's a little short

Pairings: Edward Nygma x reader

From the moment you'd met him, you had developed an unexpected crush on Edward Nygma. Your boss, Kristen, called him strange and creepy. But you didn't see it that way. Edward simply didn't understand social cues sometimes. It wasn't his fault. Despite that, the man was an absolute genius that no one else seemed to appreciate. Not the captain, not the detectives, not the other officers, and certainly not Kristen.

          "I don't know what you see in him, Y/N," Kristen remarked one afternoon, "But maybe, if the two of you got together, I wouldn't have to be around him so much." You rolled your eyes at her as you went back to your work. You hated how Kristen had everything organized, but this was her space first and she was in charge so you muddled through. But her comment had sparked an idea in you. There was no way in hell you'd be able to tell Edward how you felt. You were far too shy. But maybe there was another way. One that spoke to Edward's more eccentric side.

*time skip Ed's POV*

          Ed cocked his head to the side when he noticed the pastry on his desk that morning. He would have thought it was mistakenly left there if not for the note with his name neatly written on top. As far as he knew, no one in the precinct liked him or even tolerated him enough to leave him a gift. He was wary as he set down his belongings and sat in his chair. Ed debated opening the note for a moment since he was often the butt of office pranks but something told him this was different. So he donned a pair of gloves(can't be too careful) and opened the note.

          Much to Ed's surprise, there was riddle written in green ink on the note. He read the card and a smile crept onto his face. Someone actually left him a riddle. It wasn't difficult for him to solve, but he was touched that someone had taken the time to do this for him. But who? His first thought, of course, was Ms. Kringle. But then he shook his head. She would never. Ed had no more time to ponder as he needed to get to work, but the question remained in his mind for the rest of the day. Who?

          The rest of the week, Ed came in to find a pastry and a riddle. Every day, it brought a smile to Ed's face. And every day, he continued to wonder who it was. He was smart and had narrowed it down to a couple of people. One of the officers that liked to poke fun at him. Maybe it was an elaborate prank. Or you. You were shy and quiet, but always smiled at him when he came into the records room. You seemed nice. Or at least, you tolerated him.

          Once that idea was planted in his mind, it wouldn't leave. Ed spent the weekend and much of the next Monday contemplating. He paid extra attention whenever you were in his line of sight. He often found your gaze straying to him, but you quickly looked away whenever you saw him looking. As the day went on, Ed was almost certain it was you leaving the riddles and pastries. The only way to know for sure though would be to catch you in the act.

          The next day, Ed came into work extremely early so he could hopefully learn whether his hunch was right or not. He waited out of sight around the corner from his workspace. Sure enough, he managed to catch sight of you entering the room, pastry box and note in hand. Ed rounded the corner and stood in the doorway as you turned around.

          You jumped and let out a little cry of surprise. "It was you," Ed stated. You looked like you might cry a little. "I'm sorry!" You moved to push passed Ed, but he gently touched your arm. "Why? Why would you do this for me? The food? The riddles? I figure out it was you leaving them, but I couldn't figure out why." You tilted your head in confusion.

          "Really? Ed, you're a genius. If you think about it for a moment, I'm sure you can make the connection." Ed nodded as his brows furrowed over his glasses. "The only reasons I could think were that you were just like the rest of them. Making fun of me." You shook your head immediately and Ed continued, "The other is that you have…feelings for me." Ed felt his face heat up as you bit your lip and looked down at your shoes. "Is it weird? It's weird isn't it? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Ed. Really." Once more, you tried to leave.

          "Please stop doing that," he said. You looked at him again. "Stop leaving before I get the chance to say anything." You sniffled a little bit. "I think I've embarrassed myself enough."          

"Would you-that is-would you like to go out? With me? I could cook for us," was Ed's only reply. Your eyes widened. "Really?" He smiled as a little chuckle left him. "Yes." The frown on your lips turned up into a brilliant smile as you agreed.

(a/n: I hope this is what you were looking for! I am working on the second part of "Dating is Hard (When a Hitman Loves You)" as well!)

Forever Tags: @fizzyxcustard @brewsthespirit-blog @sirkekselord @aikibriarrose @lady-of-lies @motleymoose @stories-by-shanna-p @dark-angel-is-back @esoltis280 @supernatural4life2022 @asgards-princess-of-mischief

[foster-the-world]

Let's glow!

Last week myself and another mom ran ten glow parties for about two hundred kids. As most things with PTA, it was kind of annoying to organize but turned out to be totally worth it. The kids had so much fun. We got silent disco headphones - so I made sure to dance for at least one song during every party. All ages (1st through 5th) loved the parties. The bigger kids busted out their tiktok dances. It was fun to see the energy. I'm glad to know the older kids weren't too cool to dance. I'll be handing over my PTA exec board duties happily next week. I still plan to be very involved but happy to give up the meetings. I'll probably volunteer to manage teachers appreciation week and end of year parties, again. I have one more monthly newsletter to send out.

My husband went Upstate alone for the weekend. He came back happy and relaxed. I'm glad we made it happened. Baby boy's a lot - which was kind of sad to (re)realize. We normally manage him by splitting up duties. One of us takes him in the mornings and then the other comes in the afternoon or vice versa. So the extra-ness is much more manageable. My in-laws kindly came to get the girls yesterday around noon. They took them swimming at their condo pool. It was a like a light switch flipped with baby boy. The second they were gone he started playing by himself calmly. This was after nonstop unregulated behavior the 36 hours before. For the thirty minutes after they left he entertained himself. Then after his long nap he was calm again. We went to the children's museum. I didn't have to correct him once. I sat on a bench across the room must watching. This is unheard of for him. I normally have to be within six inches of him, with constant corrections, just in case. The museum was pretty empty. I was hanging out with all the (assumingly) divorced dads. Its making me think he's going to need a really small class size for kindergarten. Crowds are really his downfall. There is one DOE program with only 12 kids (8 Gen Ed and 4 special needs) but he'll need an autism diagnosis. Which I still am not convinced he has but think we could probably get. We also won't know if he will get a spot. Limited spots and from what I read the squeaky wheel gets the grease. We can also sue and have the DOE pay for private school. These special needs private schools in NYC essentially become entirely funded by the DOE as everyone, regardless of income, sues. Anyway, working on getting the neurological assessment booked. My husband is calling today to figure out what insurance will cover. Fingers crossed.

I saw graduation photos from the school that would most likely fit his profile. Maybe twenty kids were graduating. It made me kind of sad. It feels like it will benefit him to keep his world small (for now) but I want him to be a part of the big ole world. The girls school is small class sizes but much bigger overall. Anyway, no reason to worry about him graduating from 8th grade/HS. Let's get him through 4k, first.

[noneedtoamputate]

Flyboys and Flirting

I had a chat with @shoshiwrites earlier this week after seeing this photo of Callum Turner in a turtleneck (thanks @hogans-heroes for doing God's work.) I blame her entirely for my Bucky Egan obsession. Like Ellen, I am not one to like the bad boys, but there is something about him and his character development during Masters of the Air that got to me. I tagged the photo with something like Chuck wouldn't mind Ellen taking off her sunglasses to check Bucky out, and Shoshi said no one deserves to look that good in a turtleneck. Based on our chat, here's a little fun one-off I wrote about Colonel Egan stopping by the tobacco store.

San Francisco

October 1957

Afternoons were usually quiet in the shop, a good chance to catch up on pesky tasks like organizing receipts for the accountant. He called Chuck last week, and Ellen saw the headache start behind Chuck’s eyes. Chuck hated anything to do with taxes.

She decided to get a babysitter for Friday and come into the shop for the day. They’d get everything sorted and then go out for dinner, just the two of them, as a reward for a solid day’s work.

They were in the back room, Chuck at the desk and Ellen perched on the counter next to the sink going over August’s purchases, when the bell above the front door rang.

Chuck sighed and rubbed his temple.

“You keep working. I’ll go out front,” she said as she hopped down, giving his shoulder a squeeze before walking out into the store.

Her eyes widened at what she saw. She forced her mouth to remain closed though her jaw wanted to drop to the floor. 

A curly-haired man with a mustache, aviators, and a bomber jacket, looking better in a turtleneck than any man had a right to, stood in front of the high-end cigars. He must have heard her footsteps, because he looked her way, took off the sunglasses, and flashed her a smile, a smile she knew he put on for everyone and had nothing to do with her.

This was a Bad Boy.

Ellen never had gone for the Bad Boys. She’d always liked the honor roll students, the boys next door. She suspected Chuck had gone through a Bad Boy stage, but by the time she met him, he owned the store and shaved every morning and parted his hair just so and was always on time to everything. 

Every once in a while, she wondered what it would have been like to be with a Bad Boy, the boy who kept her out past curfew or had a motorcycle or had a mustache that normally didn’t do anything for her but made her hot and bothered. 

She congratulated herself on wearing a pencil skirt and heels today instead of her usual shirtwaist dress and flats. 

“Can I help you?” she asked calmly as she walked toward him. 

“Yes, I think you can,” he said slowly, still smiling. “I should introduce myself. Colonel John Egan, United States Air Force.”

“Ellen Grant, co-owner of this store,” she said, shaking his hand. “Cigars, I see. What flavor are you looking for today?”

“Perhaps you can explain my options,” he said. 

Despite whatever game they were in the middle of, she wouldn’t play dumb. She went through what made each cigar different, whether they were flavored with sweet Mexican vanilla or spicy Indian pepper, how each one was rolled slightly differently and had different shapes and filters, affecting their taste. 

“Which one is calling you? Sweet or spicy?” she asked coyly, barely believing those words came out of her mouth.

“A little bit of both, I would say.” He lifted his eyebrows just a bit. “Let’s take a box of each.”

They walked over to the counter.

“I just flew into Hamilton Air Force Base last night for meetings. I’m sure my colleagues will enjoy these tonight,” he said. 

“I’m sure they will,” Ellen agreed. “Any cigarettes? Luckies or Chesterfields?”

He looked at her quizzically. “Luckies. How did you know?”

She laughed. “It’s my business. But for most officers, it’s one or the other.” She rang up two packs. 

They made small talk for a few minutes, about the store and his Pentagon desk job, but mostly about flying.

“You seem to know a lot about planes,” he said. He looked down at her finger, the one with the diamond ring on it. “Is your … co-owner a pilot?”

“Well, he was in planes, but he didn’t fly them. A paratrooper,” she explained.

He looked impressed. “The 82nd?” he asked. 

“No!” Ellen almost shouted. “The 101st.”

“Sorry,” John apologized.

“You should be. Those guys in the 82nd were a bunch of amateurs.” She grinned as she handed him the bag.

“Well,” he said, a little deflated at the prospect of leaving, “This has been a delight. Thank you, Mrs. Grant.”

And with that, the spell was over.

“Likewise, Colonel Egan. Enjoy your cigars and the rest of your trip.”

He smiled, nodded, and walked out the door without a second glance. 

Ellen turned around to walk into the back room when she saw Chuck, leaning against the wall, arms folded on his chest with an amused look on his face.

“What?” she innocently asked as she walked past him.

“You were flirting with that flyboy,” Chuck pointed out. 

“I was not!” Ellen could barely keep a straight face.

Chuck couldn’t, and he laughed out loud. “I heard the whole thing. God, it’s so predictable. All it takes is a pair of fancy sunglasses and a leather jacket and all the girls fall for it.” He shook his head. “Here I was thinking my wife would be better than that.”

“Oh,” she said, closing the gap between them and putting her hands on his shoulders. “Are you jealous?”

“Of that guy?” he asked incredulously. “Please.” 

Ellen tilted her head. 

“I’m not jealous, but nobody should look that good in a turtleneck,” he conceded.

She playfully hit him on the arm. “That’s what I thought!” she said.

“I’m not jealous,” he said again, grabbing her by her hips. “I’m the one who gets to do taxes with you and go out to dinner with you and go home with you,” He gave her a slow, sultry kiss. “When is the babysitter off duty?” he asked

“Nine o’clock. The kids should be asleep,” she sighed as he found the spot on her collarbone that she liked. 

“I hope so.” His hands left her hips and roamed lower. “No, I’m not jealous of that guy who is going to be smoking cigars with the brass tonight while I get to be with you.”

“You know, you can be bad, when you want to be,” Ellen remarked. 

“Very bad,” he agreed.

Ellen didn’t want a bad boy. She didn’t want a hotshot pilot with a mustache. But she liked knowing her clean cut, responsible husband who didn’t own a turtleneck could be bad if he wanted to be. That was enough for her. 

[theunstuffedpepper]

Got in some solid movement yesterday! Packed the boys into the wagon for an hour ride around the neighborhood in the morning. I opted for the wagon because I couldn’t find 1 necessary piece to get the double stroller working, and it was kinda wonky with the car seat in the wagon, but it was fun! Then after finding that missing piece, we did a double stroller walk in the afternoon. Holden was digging it. Derrick seemed pretty cool with it too. Having them both all by myself is still slightly intimidating and very exhausting, but I like to think I’m getting better at it.

In the spirit of losing weight, both B and I weighed ourselves this morning. We’re gonna try and do it together now. I’m still hovering about 3 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight and very much looking forward to seeing that number drop more. I updated my apple watch activity goals in the hopes of not just ignoring them every day like I did while I was pregnant and up til now. 😅

I’ve been in a “sprucing” mode around the house.. new porch leaner and some fall decor. I ordered some things to make the main bathroom more efficient space-use-wise. B has to fix our pantry shelves that are sagging and I ordered some pantry organizers to complete that little project. Photos to come; that’s todays project.

B put some flooring down in the laundry room and threw up a coat of paint. We had ordered a new washer/dryer because my MILs house didn’t have a set. We gave her ours, which were dated but working great otherwise, and got a new set for ourselves. It took about two weeks to have them installed because the washer arrived not working, but anyway now they’re in. B built a butcher block folding table over them and I love, love the look.

We’re finally winding down projects around the house.. We decided the other day to pare down for a while and focus on saving some money. It’s music to my ears, really. I’m a saver by nature.

Aaaand off I go to vacuum again, because I just made direct eye contact with a 2-year-old while he crumbled an entire handful of Chex into my living room carpet. Having kids is a trip.

[sacredbbl]

Fraternity Fever

Jake X reader

Tw: swearing; drunkenness , alcohol, marijuana

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Chapter One

Y/N POV

It all started on a crispy autumn afternoon. You had just transferred to the University of Michigan this year from a small community college in your town. It was weird being a junior, but still feeling like a freshman. Your rock had been Jayden; Jayden was not only your roommate but one of your only friends here. As you walked back from your last class of the day, all you could think about was how excited you were to be going back to your dorm. You could finally finish the book you had been trying to read for weeks. You scanned your ID at the door and crashed into your bed. Just then, you saw Jayden’s face . She was waiting for you to come back.

“Y/N what are you doing tonight?”, dog earring your book to keep your page .

“ I am planning on finishing this book, how about you?” Jayden then jumped onto your bed, her curls bouncing as she got up.

”Y/N don’t be lame, It’s a Friday night, let’s go to Sigma Chi Rho’s party!” She stood up and barreled towards your closet. Jayden was beautiful . Her curly brown hair went down to the small of her back and sat perfectly on her sun kissed skin, Her gorgeous green eyes stared into your closet.

“I don’t know anyone, why would I go?”

“Sigma Chi Ro’s are super cool. I know the president, it will be super fun Y/N! If you hate it you can always leave.” She gave you those puppy dog eyes that she knew you could not say no.

“Fine, but you have to pick out my outfit.” You sighed.

She squealed with excitement. She handed you a black dress that fit you in all the best ways. After twenty minutes of getting ready you decided to take a courage shot and start walking to the sigma house. The air was crisp as you walked the ten minutes to the party. As you got closer, the music became clearer and then you could hear yelling.

“Dude you can’t come in, you are going to kill the ratio!” Say a skinny boy with long hair . Jayden told you he was a pledge who was working at the door tonight. He seemed a little buzzed, and angry. He was talking to a freshman boy whose date already went in.

“What the fuck man, I brought a girl!”

“ You are not going to be fucking let in! You know the rules, if you are not a brother you need at least three girls to get in.”

The guy he was fighting with angrily leaves.

Suddenly we were the next people in line.

“Hey Sam what’s up?”Jayden threw her arms around his shoulders in an embrace.

“Nothing much, Jayden, should be fun tonight, tell me if you run into Danny; That fucker is working door tonight and I am not doing push ups because of him.” He said with a chuckle.

“Sure will!” She replied as she grabbed your hand and pulled you through the doorway. As you walked through the door, you made eye contact with Sam, mouthing a thanks. Then you were whisked away into the bustling crowd.

Jake POV

Another morning. The sun had only risen by the time that you had managed to drag yourself out of the bed. The start of the semester once more - as usual, the entire college would be busy tonight, parties having been organized by essentially every group, every society, but most importantly, every frat. All of you had spent weeks planning this one - games were one of the main things that brought everyone to the house, surprisingly. You never spent the majority of my time playing the games - You always had.. other things to attend to. You had found yourself, tonight, in charge of the music. Playlists had been passed around, but you couldn’t seem to find one that fit right, until an old one passed your screen.

The house was busy already - people hurrying around, trying to hang decorations - you didn’t fully understand it, nobody would be spending their night judging us based on the decorations, and the streamers definitely weren’t the main aspect on everybody's lips for weeks afterwards. Like the others, you found yourself skipping the lectures for the day - it was to be expected.

You had been to the store earlier in the day, bulk-buying anything that could have possibly been needed. Forcing the bottles into the cupboard, just about big enough to fit everything, you turned to Josh once everything had been put away - “Everything’s sorted, I think. Who’s coming?” He stared back at you for a moment, before a soft chuckle left his lips “It’s the first day of senior year - literally everyone that we know. Probably the usual suspects - definitely some juniors” he finished with a wink. To say that you had a reputation would be an understatement. You sighed in return, shoving him slightly before making your way back upstairs. Searching the wardrobe, you found yourself running your hands through your hair. Something felt different.

The usual outfit won once again - black jeans and an old band shirt. Opening the dresser drawers, you retrieved the usual necklaces and rings, pulling them on quickly. It was still relatively early, but people were already arriving, making their way into the house, before quickly to the kitchen. Being a senior, it was your job to keep an eye on everyone. Many a night had been ruined by people drinking too much and inevitably fighting. Josh had been dressed for hours, meticulously planning his outfit as he always did. Shooting him a nod as the house began to fill, the two of us got to work. The music was working well already - with people dancing throughout the whole house. You hadn’t expected it to get so busy so quickly.

Danny and Sam had arrived late, as usual. It was odd having somebody that you grew up with being a new pledge, it felt like getting to know them all over again. The four of you had become even closer than before, spending essentially every living moment together - there wasn’t a single thing that happened in any of your lives that the others didn’t know about.

You watched Sam and Danny as they were talking to people, seeing a commotion starting at the door. A soft sigh left your lips as you began to make your way over. Before you could reach the door, Josh gently pushed you out of the way - as president, he was usually the one who would deal with this sort of thing.

You turned on your heel, seeing the crowds of people move like a wave, before making your way back into your room - your safe haven. Pulling a small bag from your dresser, your fingers wrapped around the joint that had been rolled the night before. You moved out onto the balcony, leaning against the railing as you lit the joint between your lips.

A smile found its way onto your lips as you exhaled, looking up at the stars that adorned the night sky. Your hand made its way into your pocket, pulling your phone from it. As you opened it, you found yourself appreciating the quiet - you could feel the vibrations of the bass underneath your feet, and the cold breeze running through your hair. Scrolling through the usual social media, you wound up watching some of the old frat videos from when you were all younger - josh doing his campaigning for president, everybody had seemed completely enamored with him. It was something that you felt a pang of jealousy for - his ability to talk. Whenever he would begin, you loved to watch people’s reactions, seeming to pause whatever they were doing just to listen to him. You, on the other hand, were much quieter - you liked to keep yourself to yourself.

Y/N POV

As Jayden pulled you through the crowd you realized that you recognized a lot of the faces in the crowd from different classes. She then stopped, and you found yourself at the keg. You grabbed a red solo cup and started filling it up with the cheap beer but anything is good as long as you are drunk. She started talking to the boy next to her. He had a warm smile and big, brown eyes. Suddenly he was facing you.

“Hey, I’m Josh let me know if any of these boys bother you. It is my responsibility for you to have fun. After all, I am the president.” As soon as he finished his sentence his attention turned to another pledge

“Danny what the fuck are you doing in here ?” Josh hurried away. You turned back around to find Jayden but she had disappeared. Typical Jayden. You left the keg and walked around the party, anxiously looking for her familiar face. You took the last sip of your beer and grabbed another drink - this time, the jungle juice. You took a sip and gagged. “God that is strong”.Perfect you thought to yourself, as you moved your way through the crowd to find Jayden. Finally after a couple more drinks you found her. She was on a ratty old couch that had certainly seen better days, basically swallowing the blonde whose lap she was on.

Deciding not to interrupt, you tried to find the bathroom.As you stumbled through the crowded house.You felt the alcohol kick in . You stumbled through the bustling hallway, bumping into partiers , You stumbled up the stairs, carefully making sure that you didn't spill any of your alcohol . Once you got to the top, you glided your hand along the wall as you walked down the hallway. You decided to open the last door on the left . As soon as you walked in, you were hit with the scent of marijuana . As your eyes focused you realized you were not in the bathroom.

Josh pov

As you made your way away from the door, seeing that the guy had walked off, seemingly frustrated, you began to make your way through the crowd. You had already decided to not drink as much as you usually would, taking the time to introduce yourself to some of the newer pledges, and the freshmen that had made their way in. An old friend caught your eye - Jayden.

“Hey!” You exclaimed, making your way over to her. As the two of you caught up, you realized that she had brought a friend. Introducing yourself, you did your utmost to make sure that she felt welcome. Before you could continue the conversation - intending to ask about what she was studying, where she was from - something caught your eye. Danny. Stood in a group of juniors, seemingly trying to show off.

”Danny what the fuck are you doing in here?” You began, furrowing your eyebrows. You made your apologies to the girls, before moving towards him “You’re door!”

He seemed to huff at you as he heard you speak, before nodding his head, quickly making his way back to the door, when Sam stood, seemingly trying to deal with someone who was already way too drunk to be here.

As you continued through the house, you filled your cup with a soft drink, doing your best to watch over the heads as everybody moved around.

“Where the fuck is Jake?” You grumble, despite knowing that he had done what he always did - snuck off with somebody. It wasn’t rare that you’d check his bedroom throughout the party, and find him in there with any amount of girls. Each time that you would check, it would be someone different. He never seemed embarrassed when you walked in, if anything, he was proud of himself. Ever since he had joined the frat, the same time that you did, he had built up a reputation for himself - an absolute womanizer. You could count on one hand the amount of girls in the college that he hadn’t slept with at this point. He didn’t seem to mind the reputation, though - it was something that he relished in. It was easy for him, one conversation and the deal seemed to be done. Watching the crowd, your eyes found their way to the door, where Danny and Sam stood, ushering people in. In all honesty, they weren’t the best at keeping the ratio, but they did seem to try their hardest.

Only a small bit later, you could tell that the majority of people were truly feeling the effects of the night - stumbling in and out of the bathroom, talking to people that they had never spoken to before. You found it fun - seeing how people would change when there was alcohol involved.

Jake POV

Having made your way to the chair on the balcony, you noticed the music only getting louder. Grabbing the glass that sat on the floor, you raised it to your lips, allowing the cold water to fill your mouth. Placing the glass down once again, you reached for the lighter on the table. A small sigh left your lips, in all honesty, you didn’t really care about what was going on downstairs, you knew that Josh knew how to handle it. There was nobody new, nobody that you hadn’t already spent an evening with. You didn’t care for any of them, it was nothing but fun for you, just something that you did to pass the time. As the flame danced around the tip of the joint, illuminating your face, you inhaled, the smoke filling your lungs.

It was then that your bedroom door opening caught your attention. Confused for a moment, you stood up, trying to make out the figure. As soon as your eyes adjusted, you realized that, although you didn’t recognise the girl, she was definitely at the party, having essentially fallen through the door.

”Can I help you?” You called, your voice filled with annoyance. You had come up here for a peaceful night, and yet now there’s a stranger standing in the middle of your room. Waiting for her to speak, you pulled open the balcony door, crossing your arms as you watched her. “I asked you a question.” You speak, raising an eyebrow.

“Where am I?” She chokes out while giggling .

As she replied, you couldn’t help the soft chuckle that left your lips - God.. her laugh.

“You’re in my bedroom.”

“Why am I in your bedroom?” she giggled, her words slurred together.

You could feel yourself softening for a moment as she giggled again. Regaining your composure, still leaning in the doorway, you took a moment to reply. “That’s not something that I can answer. You just showed up.”

As you answered, you watched her face turn as white as paper. You knew that the alcohol had gotten to her as she fell to the ground and puked all over herself and your floor.

“Oh my fucking God.” You spoke, considering for a moment the possibility of calling Josh. Staring down at her, you move towards the bathroom, grabbing a towel for her. Coming back into the room, you placed it down beside her, before reluctantly reaching your hand out for her to grab. You didn’t realize it, but she was whimpering .

“I’m sooo sorry” she cried .

You sighed as you watched her, pulling her up from the ground. Unconsciously placing a hand around her waist, you lead her to the bed, allowing her to sit. You paused, and looked at her for a moment - unsure of what exactly you were supposed to do, you just knew that she couldn’t stay in her clothes. You walked to your dresser and grabbed an old tee shirt you didn’t mind losing and an old pair of sweats. “Arms up” you spoke, as you slowly tried to help her change making sure you don't show your frustration. You took the dress that she had came in, throwing it onto the bathroom floor, before looking into the mirror, “What the fuck are you doing?” You whispered, to nobody in particular. Looking back to the bed, you saw that she was still sat there, clearly feeling sorry for herself. You hoped harder than you ever had before that nobody would walk into the room.

Through tears, she spoke again - “I’m so sorry, I’m drunk ……where’s Jayden”

Continuing to look at her, you crossed your arms once more. “Yeah, I noticed.” You knew Jayden - a friend of Josh’s. “Do you want me to go get her?” You hummed, beginning to make your way to the door, looking back at her.

“No, she is busy,” she whispered. You looked at her dumbfounded, unable to understand why she had been left alone in such a state.

“What the fuck do you mean busy?”

“She is probably hooking up with someone right now!” She slurred

You found yourself grumbling as she spoke, “Yeah, okay, sure” you replied, before making your way to the wall across from her. You weren’t too sure what to do with her, but knew that you couldn’t be seen leaving with her. You knew you had a reputation but this would make it even worse.

“Well guess you are taking my bed tonight” You sigh as you laid her on her side. You pulled her shoes from her feet, laying them beside the bed, before sitting onto the couch that lived in the corner of your room. You debated whether to go out into the party to find Josh to see if he could deal with this, but you knew he had a lot to deal with, especially since the pledges were fucking up their jobs - you could handle this. You had been that drunk before. You could help a drunk girl for once without anything happening. Though you had never been sober before while taking care of a drunk girl.

You found yourself lighting the joint once more as you lay back onto the couch, blowing the smoke up towards the ceiling. This hadn’t been how you expected the night to go. Sure, you had ended parties with a girl in your bed before, but not like this, this was different. She was different.

[baileys-3]

NEW CHAPTER ONLINE on AO3 - Chapter 13

Sneak Peak after the link

Due to some unforeseen events, one evening when they don’t see each other suddenly turns into three.

The next day, Lucy spends the evening with her Aunt Amy and Tamara as planned. Whenever she visits, they enjoy cooking traditional dishes from their homeland together. It always makes Lucy feel connected to her roots, and she loves cooking with her aunt. Since Tamara has been living with her, she has also caught the cooking bug on these evenings. And the three of them always have a lot of fun chopping, preparing, frying, and everything else that goes with it. The evening is usually the highlight of the month for her; this time, though, she has to make an effort to enjoy it, and she really does try. But she can't help but think about Tim and how much she misses him. The butterflies in her stomach keep fluttering just at the thought of him.

She's only seen him briefly several times at the station today since they're both trying to keep extra distance from each other during work hours so that no one gets the idea that something could be going on. And that doesn't make it any easier to carve out time to talk while on the clock. They do share some glances, though.

And a hell of a lot of messages. By Tim's standards, he has always been very modest when it comes to texting or generally making social contact on their phones. She receives the first message shortly after six in the morning. She sees it after her alarm has gone off. She disappears into the bathroom for a moment and then switches on her phone, yawning while she reads the message.

Tim: Don't forget my coffee and donuts ☕️🍩😏

He even used emojis. Which probably took him a few minutes to find in the first place. Because Tim isn't the emoji -using type.

They write several messages back and forth until she enters the locker room at the station and then puts her phone away. They see each other briefly at roll call, where she learns that the two men arrested had nothing to do with the dead body in the rented car. However, some weapons and a lot of extremist material were found in the house, so both will probably spend a long time behind bars. The search for the perpetrator continues, and more background interviews are scheduled for the day. But thankfully, these only last until lunchtime. After that, she can go back on patrol as usual.

In the meantime, Tim is called to a few locations as a supervisor but never to one where Lucy is. Their lunch times don't synch up either, so they don't see each other at the food trucks. But that doesn't stop Tim from exchanging several messages with Lucy during lunch with Aaron, which earns him one or more sideway glances from his go-fer. Not that Aaron knows who he's texting with, but he can see that he's not just checking his results and statistics app. Because he types too much for that. At least Aaron knows when to keep quiet and doesn't ask any more questions.

The afternoon is pretty uneventful. Lucy is called out on several small calls, which consist more of assistance than actual police work. Assistance is still an essential part of police work, and it's also one that she always particularly enjoys. The afternoon ends up being pretty quiet. So when she gets back to the station, Lucy sends a text to Tim…

Lucy: Going to have a shower, and then I’m heading home. Is there a chance we can meet?

His reply comes almost immediately.

Tim: Just got back to the station. I've got some paperwork to do. Text me when you're done. We can meet in the garage at your car.

Half an hour later, she arrives at the underground garage, freshly showered, only to find Tim, still in uniform, leaning against her car. As she comes close enough, he pulls her around the corner and behind a small post that she didn't even know existed until now. Then he pushes her against the wall and kisses her passionately until she gets dizzy. Tim seems to have some weakness in pushing her against walls, which suits her. Because she clearly has a weakness for being pushed against walls by Tim. They don't have much time because they are still in the LAPD underground parking lot, and someone could walk by at any moment, even if they are somewhat concealed. Their few minutes consist of kissing and whispering snippets of conversation so that nobody who walks by hears them. Lucy has to admit that she gets a little adrenaline rush from this private meeting and realizes for the first time what it means to date in secret. She finds it exciting that their relationship is a secret between them, something that only belongs to the two of them.

[halfmoth-halfman]

the end of march is here, so we've got a new monthly fic rec list!!

just like last month, this is only for fics that i read and were also written this month. if you wanna see more of my fic recs and favs, i have em all organized on my recs blog, here!

and as always, if you have any fic recs of your own, feel free to send em my way here or on my sideblog - i love finding new fics and writers!

Alex Keller

blood on my hands - @uselsshuman

✧ two of my favorite things: alex keller and emma's fics! alex being a great caretaker and having friends everywhere is amazing. this is the perfect fic to scratch my alex itch!

Joel Miller

to think i'd forgotten - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ i don't think there will ever come a day when i am not completely blown away by just how good anything jo writes is. doesn't matter the fandom or character, everything is absolutely top tier and this joel fic is no exception.

John Price

the five times - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ a fic i couldn't put down and even after i finished it, i had to read it a million more times. i already love price, but this fic only made me love him more and the writing???? i literally have no words for how good this is.

a handful of birthdays - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ one of my favorite price fics ever. such a cute and fun way to show a relationship evolving over time and written so beautifully. this is definitely a fic i reread whenever i need a pick-me-up.

in dreams - @yeyinde

✧ the day i don't immediately fall in love with one of lev's fics is the day i die. there should be a museum dedicated to her fics because every single one is a piece of art.

gravity - @soapskneebrace

✧ drunk shenanigans are always a fun time, and price being a gentleman at the end is the perfect cherry on top of this well-written sundae.

afternoon coffee - @lunarvicar

✧ another spectacular addition to the mothiverse! price being a mother hen is too perfect and him demanding moth lick the spoon again even more so. i may be a bit biased, but the mothiverse is one of my fav price series and every addition just makes me love it more and more.

John "Soap" Mactavish

sweet melodies - @johnnytavish

✧ everything i've ever wanted and more. i'm a sucker for singer!reader and this is so perfect. the teasing from her and the rest of the 141? amazing. the reader being a siren on stage? fantastic. this entire fic? perfection.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

gossamer silk smiles - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ whoever the anon was that requested this is doing the lord's work because i have never read a more perfect gaz fic in my life. perfect doesn't even begin to cover it. i love this fic with every fiber of my being and every piece of my soul.

kiss prompts || kiss 39: last kiss before dying | kiss 3: forehead kiss | kiss 13: morning kiss - @cowboybxtch

✧ do you want to have your heart broken into a million pieces and then put together with the cutest and most wholesome fluff you've ever read? then these kiss prompts are for you! i know i say fics are beautifully written a lot, but there's no other way to describe this little series. they're beautiful. gorgeous. stunning.

König

overflow the stars - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ listen, i'm not a könig girlie, but this fic right here? chef's kiss. i swear, there isn't a single character that hal can't make me love. everything she writes, every character she writes for is so well done, her talent floors me.

Leon Kennedy

in my veins - @uselsshuman

✧ did i create a resident evil section in my fic recs just for this fic? yes, yes i did. and i have absolutely no regerts because i love this fic and i will never be normal about any of the amazing stuff emma writes.

Multi Characters

141 sleeping headcanons - @maes-chocolate-cookie

✧ this is so cute and i love it. they fit the characters so well, especially price sleeping with a thick blanket no matter the temperature. i feel that on a deep level.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

sassy series || grocery list | cough - @peachesofteal

✧ i saw the words soft dad!simon and was immediately sold. then i read the rest of the fic and felt my heart clench at how goddamn cute this entire series is. "Simon is a good partner and dad I will be taking no questions." you're right, peach, and you should say it.

something tells me, i'm going to love you forever - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ no words, just this:

your blood on his hands - @vesper-tinus

✧ i had to take a lap around my living room after i read this. this fic killed me. it destroyed me in the best way possible. "Maybe in the next life." how dare you do that to me but also i love it so much.

happiness series || a late night last minute request | four - @lethalchiralium

✧ more for one of my favorite family man simon riley series! the interactions between simon and his kids always get to me, this is such a soft and wholesome series even when it hurts.

pi day - @kioplama

✧ went in for a cute little fic for pi day, came out blushing and tearing up over "Professor Riley". really, really cute and the reaction to simon pulling out a ring made me laugh.

about someone, that isn't you - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ this fic killed me. absolutely wrecked me. completely destroyed me. jo is too good at the angst and making me feel and getting me all caught up in my emotions. i don't know how she manages to create such stunningly painful fics, but it's a skill to be admired. i don't think I'll ever get tired of how good her fics hurt.

you wake up together - @ninetailedfoxmanchi

✧ lazy morning fics are the best. something about the pure domestic bliss and reading about ghost being calm and happy just sends my heart sailing.

untitled - @blackssuunn

✧ a lovely fic with simon being a big softy. as someone who mostly writes and reads fluff, this is top tier, grade a, perfectly written fluff and all i want to do is curl up and reread this fic over and over.

cuddlebug - @saltycurry

✧ self-indulgent tooth-rotting fluff? sign me tf up. i am absolutely here for it and i loved every word of this fic. i know there's a theme of super fluff in these recs, but i won't apologize for it when i get cute fics like this to read all day.

a good man - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ this is gonna be another picture because i can't find the words to explain how much i adore this fic and i feel like my emotions are best described like this:

[bbarican]

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ----- holy week 2024

wednesday ended up being not so busy thankfully kasi im pretty sure somewhere along the way narealize ng bosses ko na wala na talagang may gana mag work nung day na yun

we left for batangas ng wednesday night kaso tbh hesitant talaga kami to live nang dahil nga willow is pregnant and we all felt like she was about to give birth anytime soon

ayun, thursday morning, our plans were all over the place kasi nga manganganak na si willow

buti nalang our relatives who live a bit near to us got to attend to willow and bring her to the vet on time and everythings okay naman in the end, we have 5 healthy puppies!

i got a bit frustrated lang yesterday kasi suuuuuper daming plano na hindi natuloy and as you all know i hate it when plans dont really get followed

but im glad na i had fun going to the beach after so long, catching up with some of my really good childhood friends after so long too, and eating good food and relaxing as much as possible

we decided to leave earlier than anticipated; we left kaninang umaga and we just got back home this afternoon

since wala na kaming other plans for the rest of the long weekend, i invited him over to my place and he said yes and im really really excited to just binge watch so many movies with him tomorrow

but before that, i have my things and my room to organize and clean and i have some puppers to take care of too

i hope yall are staying safe and hydrated and are having a peaceful holy week with your friends and family