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weryze · 2 months ago
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Take Control of Your Quit-Smoking Journey
Quitting smoking is one of the most significant steps you can take toward improving your health. For many, this journey can be challenging due to nicotine addiction. Thankfully, products like new nicotine gum and anti-smoking gum have become effective tools in managing cravings and reducing nicotine dependence. With the convenience of nicotine gum online, it’s easier than ever to access these helpful products. Here's everything you need to know about how nicotine gum can support your journey to quit smoking.
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What is New Nicotine Gum?
The New Nicotine Gum is a refined version of the classic nicotine gum, designed to help individuals reduce their nicotine cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms more effectively. The updated formula often includes a variety of flavors to mask the bitter taste of nicotine, making it more pleasant to use. This gum comes in different strengths to suit your individual needs, whether you are a light or heavy smoker.
New nicotine gum works by delivering small, controlled amounts of nicotine to your system when you chew it. This helps curb the urge to smoke without exposing your body to harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Over time, as you reduce your dependence on nicotine, you can gradually lower the dosage, making it easier to quit smoking completely.
A Key Tool in Quitting Smoking
Anti-smoking gum is specifically designed to aid smokers in their quest to quit. It is a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) that helps to reduce withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, and cravings. The gum is most effective when combined with a comprehensive quit-smoking plan, which may include behavioral support or counseling.
The way Anti Smoking Gum works is simple: you chew the gum when you feel the urge to smoke, and it releases nicotine into your bloodstream through the lining of your mouth. By satisfying the craving for nicotine, the gum helps reduce the need to smoke and can be used as a temporary alternative while working toward becoming smoke-free.
One of the key benefits of anti-smoking gum is that it addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Chewing the gum gives your hands something to do, helping to break the habitual action of smoking, while the nicotine in the gum helps reduce withdrawal symptoms.
Convenience at Your Fingertips
With the rise of e-commerce, purchasing nicotine gum online has never been easier. Many reputable pharmacies and health retailers offer a wide selection of nicotine gum in various strengths and flavors. This convenience allows you to compare prices, read reviews, and choose the product that best suits your needs without leaving your home.
Buy Nicotine Gum Online also gives you access to bulk purchase options, which can be more cost-effective if you’re planning to use it over an extended period. Many online platforms also offer discreet shipping, so you can receive your gum without any hassle or worry.
When shopping for Nicotine Gum Online, it’s important to buy from trusted retailers to ensure you’re getting authentic, high-quality products. Always check the reviews and product details to make sure you’re choosing the right gum for your quit-smoking journey.
How to Use Nicotine Gum Effectively
Using nicotine gum effectively requires some planning. It’s recommended to chew the gum slowly until you notice a tingling sensation, then rest the gum between your gums and cheek to allow the nicotine to be absorbed. Chewing too fast can lead to swallowing nicotine, which reduces its effectiveness and may cause stomach upset.
It’s important to follow the dosage instructions provided on the packaging. Most nicotine gums come with specific guidelines on how often and how many pieces to chew per day, depending on your level of addiction.
Conclusion
Whether you’re exploring new nicotine gum, anti-smoking gum, or looking to purchase nicotine gum online, these tools are designed to help you take control of your quit-smoking journey. Quitting smoking is a personal and challenging process, but with the right support and nicotine replacement therapy, it is achievable.
Nicotine gum can help you manage cravings, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and gradually wean yourself off nicotine, leading to a healthier, smoke-free life. Start your journey today and make the commitment to a better, nicotine-free future!
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soup-is-here · 2 months ago
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Mouthwashing Spoilers
TW: Addiction and Self Harm
I wanna go on about Swansea's final monologue but it's hard to put into words, but I'm gonna try anyways cause it's a short, but strong story about autonomy again. This post ended up significantly longer than I wanted though
It's the autonomy to choose the "less healthy" option because it's appealing to you. It's the moral assignment to normality and stability. An alcoholic is an alcoholic by choice, technically, but do they owe us otherwise? Is it morally reprehensible to enjoy taking LSD at a party? Should we see someone as less than because they relax with a xanax instead of a hot shower? It's not healthy. We know that. We've seen anti-drug ad after ad after ad. But is that the part that's morally wrong, in and of itself? Does enjoying the drugs and chaos make Swansea a worse person?
Like him talking about his entire life and ending it by saying between the "stable" "normal" life and him waking up every morning with a new hangover, he preferred the latter. People always talk about getting clean and fixing their lives and Swansea did it! He did the thing "good men" do! A wife and kids and a trade job and sobriety! He was doing it! He was finally "worth" something!
And he hated it! I mean I don't know if he actually hated/despised it, but he misses his previous life. He misses drugs and partying and living like you might not wake up the next day. He said the thing that changed him was seeing himself dead in a ditch under the bright beam of a streetlight. Now he's looking down the barrel of a gun. And as he looks down it, he looks back. That was his preference. It felt good to be like that. And he wouldn't be here if he stayed there
We always have a narrative about drugs or gambling or sleeping around where a person suddenly realizes that they aren't "doing anything" with their life and becomes stable and it's always played like addiction is a false pleasure. Swansea got to the stability people said would be the real pleasure of life and that just wasn't true for him. One bad paycheck could've been the difference between his stable life and falling apart anyways. His lifestyle was going to kill him someday apparently, yet he's staring down the barrel of a gun at his steady trade job to feed his wife and kids.
I don't know quite how to word it but Swansea is the poster child for rehabilitation. There's this weight to him saying his alcoholic period was the best time of his life. Like it just hits at that pang that makes people wear DARE shirts while smoking weed and post those videos of smoking 100 cigarettes at once. Anti-vaping ads tell you about the damage they do to your body but everyone knows that already. Everyone knows "this is what your brain looks like on drugs." I smoke medical marijuana and it isn't good for my lungs but it's good for my pain. Doing drugs isn't good for me and I know that and that's sorta the point sometimes.
I don't know it's just this weird pang where I know what Swansea means, just not to nearly the same extent. I don't have an addiction so I don't think I could fully understand it. Maybe a better thing I could relate it to for myself is self harm. It's not healthy sure, but who do I owe health? Myself? Other people? And what is healthy? Is it feeling better now? Is it resisting now and feeling worse for it until it stops? What if the coping skills I learn make it worse? What if they make it better? Do I want it to get better? Does Swansea want to get better? What would better feel like to either of us?
Who knows until you try. Swansea got a collared shirt, a mortgage, and a credit card. He got a job and a wife and kids. He got sober. He got healthier, depending on your definition.
But did he feel better? He's looking down a barrel of a gun and he has to decide if he feels better. It doesn't seem like he regrets his new life. He says he wants his kids to be better than him. He wants good things to happen for them. He saw himself as one bad slip away from falling again. I don't think he felt better though. I think he got healthier. He likely would've ended up in the ditch he dreamt about, but we don't know that. We also don't know if that's what he'd prefer. But, we do know he got healthier, depending on your definition.
#mouthwashing#tw addiction#tw self harm#It got a little personal in the end but I keep watching that scene cause it reminds me of a convo with my therapist#It's been a lil under a year since I last self harmed#but he told me that things like addictions and self harm are tools#they're neutral actions that either make you feel better or worse#and that's usually up to the circumstances around the action rather than the act itself#Taking narcotics might fill you with shame or make you feel giddy. Maybe even both#Self harm can make you feel embarrassed but cathartic#That's unhealthy#now what?#There needs to be something to replace that feeling or you'll just crave it until you can't stand the feeling anymore#And sure you can talk about will and self control but why? Who are they doing this for? Themselves? Friends? Family?#Cause there's so many factors that can make that difference and sometimes the answer is 'No one'#So you crave and is that healthier? I'm not saying to self harm again or break your sobriety#But there's gotta be something to replace it. AA and NA use a higher power and ppl use nicotine gum for smoking#Essentially what I'm saying is that it's not the end of the world to enjoy your addiction#Is it unhealthy? Absolutely. Wounds can get infected and drugs can be laced or you can OD#But is it morally wrong for Swansea to say those were the best days of his life?#Is it wrong for him to live the sober life and decide he preferred his alcoholism?#My therapist doesn't want me to harm myself. He'd prefer for me to learn new coping skills to replace it. And I did#The urges still come up for me sometimes. He says they come up for him too. Less so. But they do#He says a relapse could happen. What's wrong with that? You just start over with a new goal and a new skill. And if that skill is worse?#Well that original tool is there until you get a new one. It's not great but it feels better than a new bad tool#And maybe it's okay to fiddle with that old tool if you don't wanna bother with a new one again
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innocent-artery · 1 year ago
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Kinktober 5th: Goldmine
aka hair pulling with Rodrick Heffley
2k words
Summary: Rod learns something new.
Pairing: Rodrick Heffley x reader
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, extensive warnings will not be given. This story includes sexually explicit material, reader discretion advised.
While reading, I recommend listening to the altar is my hips, a spotify playlist by me!
~
"Y'think I should get a leather jacket?"
Your shoulders shook under the weight of Rodrick's arm as you chuckled. "Why, you get an idea for a costume?"
"Absolutely. Even got the name for it." You could see the familiar smirk he wore even as your eyes remained on the screen. Smoke billowed in your peripheral, the smell of his near-finished cigarette long since clung to your clothes.
"It'd be a cute couples costume too," he continued, "you could be Tina Gray."
You turned to look at him. "Oh could I now?"
"Yup." He grinned as he put his cigarette out. "You've got the bedroom personality for it too."
You swung a pillow at his face, but Rodrick easily caught it and tossed it behind him. You huffed in false annoyance, falling back into your spot curled up under his arm.
His hand fell absentmindedly to your hair, gently twirling strands around his finger. The sensation makes your eyelids heavy, getting sleepy as he continued to soothe you.
Until you felt a sharp tug. Your eyes flew open, and you audibly gasped. Your entire body froze, and you curse yourself when Rodrick turns his head. A soft "oh?" leaves his lips, which are curled up into a curious smile. It had only been playful tug, but that was before he knew you'd react like that.
"That's not how you do it," you breathe, ghost of a grin teasing your lips.
"Yeah?" His voice was a condescending lilt. "How d'you do it?"
Instead of speaking, you take hold of his wrist, pushing it towards the back of your head. His fingers thread into your roots and he takes a fistful, tugging slowly. Your eyes flutter shut and your lips part in a deep sigh.
Before your eyes close, you catch a glimpse of your boyfriend's reaction. His eyes are wide and full of amusement, and he's smirking incredulously. His brows raise, and you can see the gears turning in his brain.
"That's interesting," Rodrick mumbled, almost more to himself. "I wonder..."
He climbs up over you, legs caging in on either side of your hips. His foot kicks the TV remote onto the floor but Elm Street is long forgotten. His hold on your hair returns, the tingling in your scalp pulling a weak noise from your throat.
"Now, what would happen..." Rodrick's thought trails off as his fingers ghost over your throat, touch only featherlight until the pads of his fingers find your pulse points and press. Your breathing is shaky and your vision begins to blur, but your hands still fly to his shoulders. You might have even been a little embarrassed at how your hooded eyes began to cross if not for the fact that it just felt so good.
"Aw, y'like that?" Rodrick lilts, his face pulling closer to yours. Heat creeps up your neck.
"Y-yeah," you attempt to nod, but you aren't given much room for movement.
"I like that too, baby." He murmurs against your mouth before he kisses you slowly, tasting of nicotine and gum. They were gentle, teasing kisses, but quickly gave way to a more desperate rhythm as his tongue glided over your lower lip. He hummed a deep note when you let him in, when you whimpered as he started sucking on your tongue.
You let out a disappointed noise when Rodrick lets go of you, rolling back to sit but it's forgotten when he pats his thigh. You quickly oblige, skin heated and brain frazzled.
As soon as you're sat on his leg, the friction to your clit has you gasping into his mouth. Almost involuntarily, your hips began to roll against him, so slowly but enough to make your head swim and heat boil in your gut.
"Oh, sweetness," Rodrick murmurs in between kisses, "so needy already? I've barely done anything."
He knows he doesn't need to do much. Just a few words- or a tug of the hair- and you'd be turned into a pile of mush. He knows you too well, and he loves having that effect over you.
Even though he's teasing you, you can't be bothered to care, muttering an mhm and rutting your hips faster. Your hands fall from his shoulders to his chest, then trail to his thigh to ground yourself.
"Atta girl, keep goin'." Rodrick murmurs in your ear, licking a stripe down the shell of it, planting soft kisses wherever his lips wandered. "'M right here baby, that's it, yeah, good girl."
Rodrick's encouragement was sweet honey to your ear, and a sickening contrast to the hand that hand re-found purchase at your scalp, tilting your head back so that he could teethe at your neck, soft plucks of skin turning into bruising. Deft hands made work of your top, leaving your chest bare.
Your rutting became increasingly frustrated; your thighs burned and you weren't getting any closer to your high.
"Rod... need..." your words were mumbled and breathless, and your brain was too cloudy to be fully coherent anyway.
"Hm? Couldn't hear you, bunny, say that one more time?"
"Need more," you cried, hands pushing into Rodrick's hair when his tongue laved over your nipple.
"More what, baby?" He lilted, cupping and pinching your other tit lovingly. He groaned when your fingers clutched his hair tighter.
"Need you, Rod please..." you sighed, tugging at his wrist.
Rodrick chuckled. "Baby, I don't think I can do that. Might hurt you if I don't get you nice and prepped, yeah? How about we start with fingers?"
"Anything, please," you babbled, nestling your head into the crook of his shoulder.
"Alright, alright, I got ya. Let's get these off, hm?" He tugged at the belt loop of your pants. They were off in record time, along with your underwear, leaving your entire body bared to him. You felt naked, more than just literally.
Once you were situated on his lap again you tried pulling on the hem of his shirt. "Off," you mumbled. Happily he complied, and you took the opportunity to lean forward and plant loving kisses to his neck, his collarbone.
You didn't realize when you'd risen up off your behind that it gave Rodrick the space to slip a hand between your legs, pulling a squeak out of you, muffled against his jaw.
"Aw, so messy baby. A little hair pulling did all this?"
You knew that it was a few other things, but you were so far gone you gave him a whiny 'yeah' anyway. Rodrick's fingers massaged your entrance, gathering slick and smothering it around your clit, making obscene noises- probably on purpose.
"So fuckin' wet, sweet, y'hear that?" Rodrick presses kisses to your pulse point, up to your jaw, then kisses you deep. Swallowing your moans into his mouth as the kiss turns messy.
"Please, Rod..." you're breathless and your pleas are barely coherent, but Rodrick knows exactly what you're asking for. You keel when you feel a finger glide into you, curling up towards your stomach.
"Yeah, good fuckin' girl." Rodrick's grin widens at your reaction when a second finger joins the first. "Always so eager, hm? That's my girl."
"Yeah, 'm your girl," you pant, hips canting to meet his hand.
"That's right," he coos, thumb tracing wide circles over your clit. "So proud of you, my girl."
"Rod," you whine, "need you."
"Hm?" He hums between nips to your collarbone. "You have me."
You shake your head vigorously. "Need you inside."
This gets Rodrick's attention. His fingers slow, while his free hand moves from your hair to his pants. He makes quick work of his pants, pulling his half-hard cock out from his boxers. You watch as he takes his fingers, soaked from your cunt, and wrap them around himself, stroking slowly. His head falls back against the couch, lips hanging open and you feel the sudden urge to bite them.
Before you get the chance, however, Rodrick is pulling you forward, lining himself up to take you. Slowly, so slowly, he runs the tip of his cock through your folds, smearing your slick around. You jerk when his head catches on your clit, sending electricity shooting up your spine.
"Rod..." you whine against his neck, "please."
"Please what?" You want to slap him for the knowing glint in his eye, but that was for another day.
"Please fuck me."
And who was he to deny you? Guiding your hip, Rodrick eased you down on him, guiding you but letting you set your own pace. The stretch set your loins on fire, but it was heaven.
Your head kicked back, and you let your voice have a mind of its own as you sunk down on him. Long and pornographic, and Rodrick matched it. You felt him throb inside of you.
"Fuck, sound so pretty." Rodrick started rolling his hips into you, and you cried out at the sensation. "Yeah, that's it. Moan like a fuckin' whore for me, c'mon."
And who were you to deny him? You had the house to yourself, and the name alone sent your brain into overdrive. He filled you up so nicely, and the drag of his cock inside of you made your skin tingle with delight.
"Rod, yeah, oh- just like that, ohmygod-" your voice was caught in your throat when Rodrick, with the usual knowing twinkle in his eye, takes a fistful of hair and tugs you forward into a sloppy kiss.
All of the sensations- that Rodrick was giving you- were sending you closer and closer to tumbling headfirst off of that ledge. The sting in your scalp, his tongue sliding against yours, the sounds of wet slaps and your combined moans. The smell of cigarettes and the heat of his skin under your fingers. The head of his cock piledriving into your cervix again and again and again.
"Rod I- oh god, I'm gonna- oh, so close- Rod please," you pant into his mouth, fingers raking down his chest and leaving faint red lines in their wake.
"I gotcha," he grunts, hand snaking between your bodies to press circles over your clit. You can hear it in his voice that he's holding back. You don't want him to. "That's it, baby, come for me. Make a mess on my cock, c'mon."
That extra pleasure is all it takes to have you diving headfirst into a mind-numbing orgasm. Your eyes screw shut, and all you can feel is Rodrick. Shaky hands rest on his shoulders, holding on for dear life as hot pleasure courses through you.
You're acutely aware of the hot spurts hitting your cervix, and the fluids seeping out of you, but your body is still tingling all over. Your voice has long since become scratchy, but that doesn't stop you from whimpering and crying as he coaxes you through it.
"Good girl, did so good for me, yeah?" His grip on your hair is no longer a grip, but gentle, soothing strokes, almost as if to apologize.
You hummed, dropping your forehead against his shoulder as you breathe. The smell of sex had permeated the air around you, and you were suddenly very aware of how sweaty you'd become.
"Think we need a shower, baby, c'mon." Rodrick nudged your head.
You wanted to, you felt sticky, but your body was on fire, this time with a less-than-pleasurable ache. Begrudgingly, you lifted yourself off of his now soft dick, hobbling down to reach for your clothes and then to the nearest bathroom.
The shower was peaceful, and the water was soothing on your muscles. You both worked in a comfortable silence.
"Well, I was right." Rodrick finally said.
"About what, the hair pulling?"
"Nope."
You turned around to face him, head tilted in confusion. His mouth was curled upwards and his eyes were lifted in a smile.
"You do have the bedroom personality of Tina Gray."
.
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lo1k-diamonds · 2 months ago
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Stellar Behavior 💜 Part 1
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“What is worth an innocent’s life? You decide.”
PAIRING: Officer!Yoongi x Mafia (f)reader
SUMMARY: Yoongi has been in the police force for long enough to know that the system isn’t perfect, so when an injustice is about to put his protégé in jail, he has no other choice but to go to you. You’re the devil, but you’re hard to resist, and he needs to decide between falling into temptation or showing you that two can play the game.
WORD COUNT: 4.8k
GENRE: Gangster AU, Law AU, enemies to lovers, smut
RATING: R (explicit)
WARNINGS: corruption, power dynamics, blackmail, threats w/ a knife, slight degradation, sexual favors, oral (f rec)
A.N. I'm soooo excited, this fic is 🔥 Infinite thank yous to @moonleeai and @downbad4yoongi for working through my crazy and being incredible! Enjoy 🔥🔥
Masterlist | Masterpost | AO3 | Wattpad | Next Chapter >
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Yoongi huffed and threw his eyeglasses onto the keyboard, rubbing his eyes so roughly he saw lights. It was no use; no matter how much he went over the evidence, again and again, he couldn’t change it.
“Hyung.”
He uncovered his eyes, only to be met with Taehyung’s sadness. His shoulders sagged from the sleepless nights ever since Jimin had gotten arrested, with dark circles bringing even more desolation to his otherwise heavenly features. He knew it wasn’t Taehyung’s intention, but the sight only unnerved Yoongi even more.
“Go home, get some sleep.”
Taehyung flinched, “But—”
“That’s an order, Officer.”
Taehyung stiffened and instantly bowed and showed his respects to his Superintendent before turning and leaving. Only then did Yoongi heave a deep breath and observe around him. It was weird seeing his department at the police station empty, without the officers at their desks taking calls or doing paperwork while on one of their 24-hour shifts. But they had all been shaken up, and so he had sent them home.
He was proud of his Division, and as their Chief, he couldn’t be more certain of everyone’s conduct and character. This included Jimin’s, and it was the reason why he was losing his mind over this case.
No matter how much he reviewed the footage and evidence, there was no mistake — Officer Jimin had seemingly shot his partner dead during an arrest gone wrong. This was a natural conclusion, judging by the body camera of the now deceased cop, Officer Junghee, that had captured Jimin nearing him with a fuming pistol in his hand. One that matched the ballistics report on Yoongi’s desk.
This was why the prosecution wanted to charge him with manslaughter at the very least, but Yoongi could not be convinced. The body camera also captured the panic in Officer Jimin’s voice and expression as he tried to save his downed partner. Yoongi didn’t care if that was Jimin’s gun or if it was fuming in his hand — he didn’t believe it.
“It wasn’t me!” The words Jimin shouted as he was arrested conveyed an absolute world of hurt and combined with the shock in Jimin’s eyes was seared into Yoongi’s retinas, causing him to dig the heel of his hands into his eyes again. But no matter how much he attempted to change the image, it wouldn’t. Jimin, his protégé, was still being handcuffed and taken away while begging, “I didn’t, you have to believe me! He put it in my hands! Hyung!”
Yoongi nudged his eyeglasses off the keyboard, locked his computer, and grabbed his coat. On long nights like these, he didn’t bother staying in uniform, only wearing black pants with a white shirt and his badge and holster belt. He made his way outside and got into his car, acknowledging whoever he met along the way. Temperatures were freezing, and his car didn’t start immediately. He reached for his nicotine gum while he waited for the car to warm up. When it finally started, so did the 3 AM news on the radio right as he left the parking lot.
“In a shocking revelation, an officer from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency shot his partner dead after pulling up to a suspicious vehicle in Dongjak District. The mounting evidence is undeniable, and the prosecution is discussing the potential penalty in such a case, with the spokesperson revealing in a press conference that while mistakes happen, justice needs to be served.”
Yoongi kept chewing and driving as the prosecutor’s voice echoed through the speakers. On the outside, Yoongi was the picture of calm, cool, and collected, but inside, he was fuming. He had spoken with the prosecutor many times, who preferred a clean-cut arrest to build his case to run for whatever political role he was after rather than fight for justice, as he claimed. Yoongi had always known that multiple interests abound in the justice system, but now he was starting to get pissed.
When he parked the car, he looked outside through the windshield, observing quietly as the people moved in and out of the Aether. The bouncers kept drunks at bay, and despite the booming music and the flashy lights, everything looked normal for a nightclub.
He removed his belt and badge, shoving them in the glove compartment so hard that something fell out. He reached to grab it from the floor, his frown instantly turning into a scowl. It was a photo of him hugging a woman, laughing, taken many years ago when they were still happy. When they were not even married yet, let alone divorced.
He got out of the car and ripped the photo into as many tiny pieces as possible, dropping the scraps in a trashcan along with his gum. Then he stopped in front of the bouncers with his hands in his pockets, saying six little special words.
“I want to see the boss.”
The first bouncer just scoffed a laugh and shook his head, but the second one eyed him from head to toe, “If you’re here to inspect, then you have to identify yourself first.”
“Not an inspection,” Yoongi said nonchalantly, glancing around. “It’s not an official visit.”
The smirking bouncer kept the flow of the people going in and out while the serious one, resembling the first almost to a T, pressed his earpiece further into his ear, waiting for orders. Yoongi had noticed the cameras already while he was walking up, and he wondered how long it would take for them to know exactly who he was and why he was there.
The serious bouncer moved closer to him, “Are you armed?”
“No.”
“I have to make sure.”
Yoongi glanced at him, then nodded, raising his hands as he let the man make sure he was unarmed. When the tall man rose from his knees after checking Yoongi’s ankles, he lowered his arms and waited for the goon to catch his breath.
“Alright, you can go in.”
He moved past the bouncers and into the entryway, but he hadn’t even made it to the coat check when someone approached him. Just by the light clothing, styled hair, and badge hanging on his belt, Yoongi could immediately tell that the man worked there.
“Follow me.”
Yoongi wasn’t there to sightsee, but he could appreciate the columns and marble structures and statues. Along with the paintings, velvet curtains, and carpets, it made the Aether look like a temple or divine abode of the Gods. The aesthetic intensified as they went up the stairs, but he didn’t have time to register much. In a second, he was walking into what appeared like an ordinary office — a pleasant space with a large desk at the center in front of huge dark windows that showed the lights flashing from the dance floor. He ignored the liquor table, the cabinets with files, and the black velvet sofas to the side. What his eyes were immediately drawn to was you — you who had pushed the large computer screen to the side so you could watch him come in. Your chin rested graciously on your intertwined fingers, with your elbows on the desk, eyes flickering with amusement, watching him through dark curled lashes. He hadn’t even noticed he had walked to your desk or that the door had closed behind him, but then you stood up, letting your delicate arms fall alongside your tight black dress. Your black, straight hair slid over your shoulders, framing the plunging cleavage of your dress, and when you smiled, he felt hot—molten hot.
“Welcome, Superintendent,” you smiled with a glint of amusement, your perfect teeth shining in the overhead light, and he clenched his fists behind his back. “Or should I say Yoongi? I was told you weren’t here in an official capacity, but…” You eyed him from head to toe, and he did his best to stay poised and calm. “You don’t look like you’re here to club.”
Yoongi was already sweating, not out of nervousness but because of you. Because you always eyed him like you owned him, always had a hint of mischief to every smile, and were always as elusive as a ghost. One he couldn’t catch and had grown tired of running after.
Still, hearing his name in your mouth for the first time… made him pull on the collar of his shirt, “Not here to party; I’m here on business.”
Your eyebrow twitched, and he looked at you seriously; you were a cunning fox of the worst kind. Worse than a weed, than a pest, than the bloody smoke still hanging in the air and making his fingers twitch. He had a simple goal, and he had to stay focused.
“Not an official visit, but you’re here on business…” you mused out loud then shrugged. “Soon, it will be four in the morning,” you revealed with a hint of disdain as you neared the table that held liquor in crystal decanters. “Surely, if you wanted to do something official, you’d wait at least three more hours?” You chuckled as you poured a finger of whiskey into a glass. “Want some?” He shook his head, and you shrugged again. You made your way back to your desk, but instead of going around it, you perched on the side of it, close enough for him to see your dress parting, giving hints of your upper thighs, “What can I do for you, Chief?”
Yoongi had nerves of steel; he ignored the lush skin of your thighs, the cleavage, the numbing sound reverberating through the walls, the dimmed lights, and the way your eyes seemed to challenge him with every blink.
He focused, “I want your help.”
Your eyes widened comically, the image of innocence and confusion, “Mine? What could such a powerful person need from me?”
Thankfully, your coy attitude irritated him and helped him concentrate. “I know the suspicious car they were chasing was one of yours.”
Your eyes widened even more, but this time, you brought your glass to your lips to hide a smile, “My, my, Officer. I know I have many cars, but to say I was a fugitive—”
“You know what I mean,” his jaw clenched, and you licked your lips.
“I don’t,” you could only smile, and he clenched his fists again. There it was. It pissed the fuck out of him. “Are you going to arrest me, Chief? Make good use of those deduction skills of yours and put pretty handcuffs around my wrists?”
He hated that his heart jumped in his chest as you whispered salaciously and leaned into him, shortening the distance between you. He hated how tempting you looked, and he hated the way your eyes fixed on his, as if you were ready to follow suit with your provocation. You were probably a tease like that with everyone all the time. It pissed him off even more.
He only blinked, ever the master of showing a relaxed demeanor, “I have no evidence to arrest you, nor am I here in that capacity.” 
It instantly hit him, as you straightened your back and finished the drink in your hand, that he was going to have to ask for your help. Not outsmart you, not convince you, not squabble with half facts and hunches — he needed your help and that meant he had to come down off his pedestal.
“My— An officer from my team will be sentenced for something he didn’t do. I’m out of options; I’ve hit a dead-end.”
Your lips pressed into a thin line as you put down the empty glass, “Don’t tell me — the system he holds and protects with his life won’t even try to prove his innocence.”
His jaw clenched; he hated that you weren’t completely wrong. “I’m trying to prove his innocence.”
The corners of your mouth twitched in a smile. “What makes you think I can help?”
He kept his mouth closed for a thoughtful moment. There was no use in accusing you again. Your smile wasn’t sly, so he decided to go for it. “You’re one of the biggest players.”
“Me?” You acted surprised, “I just own a few businesses here and there…”
“They say you’re the one to contact for information.” You tilted your head, and he insisted, “Even if that wasn’t your car, you’d know about it because it was on your turf. You’re you. I just know you know something that can help us solve this.”
That answer seemed to satisfy you because your lips and eyes revealed a small yet genuine smile that caught his breath. It made him realize he was leaning towards you now, exposing himself like that, but he couldn’t bring himself to hate it. Not when you looked at him like that, feeding into his hope.
“Say I do,” you started, eyes fixed on his. “Say I have evidence that could exonerate Officer Park.” He snapped straight; he had never told you the name of the Officer, and the media didn’t know it either. Yet what got him were your words, “Why would I help you?”
He clenched his jaw so hard that his teeth clicked. He just about growled with the way irritation mixed with his desperation, making him reel.
“Come on, Chief. Talk to me,” you pressed, wanting him to push through both the shock and the stick up his ass. “You must be desperate enough if you’re asking for my help, and I’m not denying it. I’m saying I might have what you need. What would you do to save an innocent from prison for life or worse?”
He didn’t think, “You have it? Something that could undeniably prove his innocence?”
He knew before he was done asking that it was impossible and that he was acting crazy. Yet, you leaned into him, meeting him halfway, your breath hitting his chin, “In those exact words? I do.” You sat back and let your words sink in, not knowing they gave him a full-body shudder. He always knew you were powerful and had your ways, but holy shit— “What do you have that I want?”
He opened his mouth but instantly closed it. Objectively, he had nothing. But maybe there was something he could do. First, though, he needed to know it was real. “What evidence do you have? Show it to me—”
“Hmmm, no,” you pressed your lips and twisted your nose, displeased. “That’s not how this works. This is based on trust. Besides, you don’t seem to have anything to offer.”
For a split second, he wondered if you were bullshitting him, but he honestly didn’t care. He had to do something. “You want something concrete for a maybe?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” your tone hardened as your expression lost humor.
“Alright, name it. Tell me what is worth your help.”
His tone was soft, and it worked to soothe you. His dark eyes helped; there was so much willingness in them, and you liked that. The man there asking for your help to correct an injustice was the kind of man you were looking for.
“Since you asked,” you cheekily started, pulling your hair behind your shoulders. “I want three things.” He didn’t even blink, so you continued, “The first is a favor. Of my choice and at my discretion whenever I shall need it. The second is for you to get on your knees. And the third is for you to eat.”
He blinked, “What?” He looked down to follow your hands over your thighs, and you spread your legs for him, though the black dress covered between them. He shook his head in bewilderment, “You’re crazy!”
“Crazy?” You chuckled, “I think I’m being quite reasonable.”
“You— Do you hear what you’re asking?”
He sounded breathless and could feel the heat on his cheeks, which was not ideal. He almost managed to step back, but a quirk of your eyebrow kept him still — he needed that evidence.
“Oh my, Chief Min. Are you getting heated at the thought of a couple of favors?” He scoffed, and you continued your tease, “Or is it the knees? Too proud to beg?”
“No, not too proud,” he mumbled between teeth. He was ready to kneel on the floor and beg, and the heat rising in his neck told him the rest wasn’t a problem either. And that was the problem. “The favor—” He cleared his throat, scratching it, “What is the favor?”
“I don’t know yet,” you shrugged, and it seemed to him like it didn’t matter. He knew that couldn’t be true, that had to be what you were really after — something specific from the Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Police. And yet your eyes were shining in such a way that he almost forgot who you were. Almost.
“Something illegal, no doubt.”
You sighed and he took the moment to let the anger cool him — you were a criminal about to use his good intentions to surely accomplish something even worse. Instead of cooling him, irritation made him snap his knuckles and shift on his feet.
“I don’t know what it is, but it shouldn’t matter,” you said more coldly, squinting your eyes. “What is worth an innocent’s life? You decide.”
There was a hint of impatience in your tone that only riled him up more. He turned to you, “What’s stopping me from just—”
“You’re not that stupid,” you interrupted, raising your chin. His eyes noticed the surveillance cameras and you smirked, “They’re not who you should be concerned about.”
Your smile was predatory but he scoffed. You didn’t need to threaten him, and he didn’t like the coercion. He refused to look at you for a moment, giving you the impression that he was weighing his options. In reality, he was figuring out what angered him more — the fact that he was about to make a deal with a devil like you, or that he was that turned on from it.
You huffed and got off the desk, your heels clicking on the floor like a timer had just gone off. “Never mind—”
He grabbed your arm to keep you from walking away, and in a second, something sharp was poking his lower stomach. You both froze in place, your gaze angry and fixed on his, while his heart raced inside his chest. He didn’t let go of your arm, and you didn’t lower your knife.
“I never heard a yes from those pretty lips, so…” you spoke quietly, then pressed the blade harder. “Hands off.”
He knew you could put your money where your mouth was, and that if you wanted to kill him and get rid of him, you would. Yet, his grip didn’t lessen as he observed you. He was still trying to figure things out — not what to do, but you. He hated you objectively; you represented everything wrong with the world. Jimin was innocent; you shouldn’t be bargaining for his life, you should do the right thing. But you weren’t, you wanted to play with fire. Maybe even to get burned.
“What is it…” he started quietly, still eying your angry eyes. “Is it the risk? The humiliation? The footage for blackmailing me later? The power over a figure of authority?”
You scoffed, leaning in to answer just as quietly, “No risk, Chief. The footage might be insurance, but you’re a man of your word. No power over you because you’ll be doing it willingly. And no humiliation,” you chuckled. “It’s a privilege to eat at this table. Although…” You looked down, then smirked. “I can play if that’s what you like.”
He looked away from your eyes for the first time and almost flinched; his pants had a tent. He couldn’t even think; why was his body betraying him like this? He tried pulling away and letting you go, but you pressed the tip of your knife harder.
“Nuh-uh,” you whispered, taking a deep breath a little closer to his neck. “I heard the missus left cause you couldn’t get it up, but won’t you look at that—” Your tone was sly, and he gripped your arm harder in retaliation. You laughed, “I guess she just didn’t know how to play. Or maybe you like this,” your voice lowered wantonly, and a shiver ran up his spine as though he was starting to attune to it. “Like not having a choice, to be in danger, to be forced to do something reprehensible.”
He had to lick his lips because for a second he thought he was drooling, “I have a choice.”
You smiled and his cock twitched, “Then choose.”
He eyed your smile and leaned into you, but you chuckled and playfully pressed the tip of the knife to impose distance, ignoring the red droplets tainting the fabric.
“On your knees, Chief.”
His eyes snapped to yours, and he pulled you by the arm, disregarding the blade, so you’d walk back until the back of your thighs hit the desk. Then, he gripped your hips and helped you on the desk, fisting your dress in the same movement to get it out of the way as he kneeled between your legs. Your knife had slipped from your hand as you rested them on the desk for support, and you didn’t think to pick it back up. You wanted him to eat you and mean it, but he was going above and beyond — nuzzling your thighs and inhaling your scent, frantically fighting with your dress, and trying to pry your legs further apart so he could have access.
When his nose poked your clit, you jumped in place, and his fingers dug into your hips, even through the fabric of the dress. Just looking at the way he was fighting to get his mouth on you was positively melting you, but you wanted it to actually happen.
“Slide them down,” you breathed after he nuzzled and licked your core through your panties enough times to cover you with goosebumps.
He immediately obliged, and you shimmied to help him get rid of them. He threw them on the floor, then gripped your legs apart before giving you a look that seared you in place. You didn’t know what it was, but you were living for it, and the excitement burned your gut. The Superintendent looked like a piece of forbidden heaven between your thighs; who knew he’d have you melting like this just at the hint of doing what you asked?
A smirk spread on your lips as he kept struggling with your dress, until suddenly — rip. He bunched the fabric and pulled it, causing the slit that revealed your thigh to rip, and you chuckled. You liked that energy, that hunger; the way he was willing to destroy to have his way. Instantly, he had free leeway to uncover your core and press his mouth, rolling his tongue all over your slick folds.
You jolted with a sigh, gripping his hair at the back of his head. The more he laved his tongue over your slit to taste you, the more you had the urge to move, but you stayed still. With your eyes closed, you enjoyed every second of his discovery, from his licks to his tasting and humming. You heaved the breath you were holding when he nibbled your heat right before finding your clit to suckle, and your voice finally came out. You could almost laugh at how easily he had found his way, but your mind wasn’t there. While he found his rhythm, you guided him with expressive sighs, grazing your acrylic nails over his scalp without ever forcing him. You wouldn’t; his hunger was part of the power trip. Chief Min would eat you, give you what you wanted, and service you because you had that much power. You could bring someone like him to his knees. He liked it.
You suddenly pulled on his hair so he’d look up at you, and he did, not even bothering with a quizzical look. You bit your lip to stop a smile and relented your grip, and he looked down for a second. It was all it took for him to get back to it, and you let your head fall back with a sigh — case in point.
“The things you do for duty, Chief…”
His tongue kept laving over you as if you were desert, focused, regardless of your taunt. In fact, he seemed to have forgotten where he was or why because his hands started gently exploring your spread thighs. His fingers pressed to your curves and didn’t stop even when he felt the garter that held the knife you had used on him. Instead, he pulled on it, making it snap against your thigh, ripping a stronger moan from you. 
It was then he realized you needed something stronger, so he pressed his face harder against your cunt, latched onto your clit, and started rutting into you. You were surprised but instantly melted, and your fingers curved around his hair. The grind of his lips pressing into you while his mouth held the suction was already maddening, but the thrumming of his tongue on your clit was the cherry on top. You didn’t have time to make it a challenge, or maybe you didn’t want to; his rhythm was perfect against your heat, and you moaned when it intensified. The strumming was precise and maddening, each tap firm and steady, giving you enough time to despair for the next one and moan when it came, leaving you to anticipate what would come next. 
Your hips started moving on their own, and that was when you knew you had let go. There was no point in pretending he wasn’t doing it just like you wanted, or that you weren’t rolling into his face to feel him harder, forcing him to dig his long fingers into the flesh of your hips as he drank the slick melting out of you. The very sounds of his humming and licking drove the blood to your cheeks and emboldened your hips, messily humping against his mouth. You could feel the edge right before you, and every time you ground on his mouth, you thought that would be it.
“Fuck,” you groaned between teeth, looking down to find burning brown eyes drinking you more greedily than his hot mouth. He wasn’t stopping you or holding you back, he was letting you fuck his mouth however you wanted, and it popped you. 
You let your head fall back and pressed his face to your cunt, your moans pitching higher when he sucked harder, as if to pull all the pleasure out of you like it was venom. He rode your climax with you, gripping your trembling legs around him as though he wished you’d smother him, and finally, you looked down. Your walls were still throbbing in the aftershocks when he dragged his tongue across you slowly, and you groaned through a smirk, then pulled him away by the hair.
“Easy there,” you smiled and let your legs down.
You quickly pulled your dress down to cover you again while your other hand raked through your long hair, putting it in place. He rose slowly to his feet with his eyes on you, and you didn’t even try hiding your heaving chest; he could see it well with such an observant gaze. His eyes were so intense that you shuddered and bit your lip, but avoiding them only landed your own on his evident arousal, and you smirked.
Looking up, for a moment, your taunt got caught in your throat. Min Yoongi looked the absolute best covered in your cum from nose to chin — deliciously ravenous.
You licked your lips, raising your hand to his face but stopping before you touched him. He mimicked you, his pink tongue collecting your slick over his lips while he focused on yours. Still, when your hand moved down, so did his eyes. You smirked, dodging his erection at the last second to hide your hand under your dress.
You hummed, closing your eyes as your fingers collected your wetness mixed with his saliva, and then brought them straight to your mouth. You licked them first, tasting what he did before putting them in your mouth and sucking. 
You clenched, knitting your eyebrows as you realized how turned on you were. You were throbbing and craving something to push into you and fuck you senseless, and opening your eyes, you saw the same urge staring right back at you.
Your fingers left your mouth with a pop, and then you smiled, shaking your head, “Should have asked for a good fuck too.”
His dark eyes stayed on yours for a moment, and even when he wiped his chin with the back of his hand, they remained on yours. It was almost a taunt, and you grinned; you loved a good challenge, and even more the kind of fucking that lustful gaze promised. But you knew the worth of asking, and you were not going to come out losing.
“Maybe next time.”
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munson-blurbs · 1 year ago
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Single Dad!Eddie x Fem!Reader Series
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Summary: Your weekend getaway to Indianapolis comes with a boyfriend who's trying to quit smoking, a five-year-old who has difficulty acclimating to new routines, and your own insecurities about your mothering abilities. What could possibly go wrong?
Warnings: angst, insecurities about motherhood, lost child, Eddie gets mad at us, discussion of menstrual period/PMS
WC: 7.7k A/N: There is a moment where someone refers to us as Harris's mom; however, she doesn't see us. There is no indication that we resemble Harris in any way.
Chapter 16/20
Divider credit to @saradika Eddie edit credit to @eddiemunsonsmum
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The morning dew still kisses the grass when you arrive at the Munson apartment, hauling your duffel bag up to their half-packed car. Eddie’s leaning into the backseat, only his jean-clad legs visible from your vantage point. Harris stands behind him, watching his dad’s every move earnestly and intently. If you had a camera on you, you’d take a photo of this Kodak moment.
“Hi, boys!” you chirp as enthusiastically, tucking your lips into your mouth to stop yourself from laughing when Eddie bangs his head on the roof of the car. “You okay?”
“Y-Yeah, ‘m good,” he mutters, rubbing at his scalp with one hand, expression somewhere between a grimace and a smile.”Morning, Sweetheart. You sleep well?”
You nod, opening your arms as Harris races towards you for a hug. “What about you guys? Or were you too excited about our super-fun weekend?”
“Daddy snored!” Harris reports with a grin, overjoyed to share what he perceives to be a juicy morsel of gossip.
Eddie gasps in mock-offense, reaching out to take your bag and arranging it amongst his and Harris’s in the trunk. “I did not!”
“Did too!” Harris retorts, turning back to you and adding, “like, so loud!”
You crouch down, and hold a pinky out in front of him. “We’re gonna have to stick together this weekend if we’re going to survive,” returning his smile when he wraps his little finger around yours in a promise.
“Can’t believe my girlfriend is conspiring against me with my own flesh and blood,” Eddie grumbles, eyes widening when he realizes what he’s said; rather, in front of whom he’s said it. His panicked gaze meets yours, and you both anticipate some reaction from Harris, but he’s fortunately unfazed and too fixated on the utter silliness of his dad’s snoring. Eddie clears his throat, determined to change the subject before his son catches on. “I think we’re ready to ship out,” he offers, slamming the trunk shut and pressing down to double-check that it’s closed.
“Snacks?” you ask, running through a mental checklist of necessities.
Eddie holds up a family-size bag of pretzels. “Got ‘em.”
“Water?”
“Backseat,” he points to the floor to the left of Harris’s booster seat–a recent upgrade from his carseat. “Harris will be in charge of that, right, Har?”
“Right!” Harris confirms with a thumbs-up.
“Sounds good. Put him to work,” you tease. Eddie’s heart skips a beat at the playful relationship that you and his son have, swapping smiles and making each other laugh. “Music?”
Eddie juts his chin towards the center console, filled to the brim with cassettes. “Always.”
You cock your eyebrow knowingly before posing your next question, preparing yourself for some visceral response. “Nicotine gum?”
Eddie groans, patting the pack of Nicorette in his pocket. “Unfortunately, yes.” About a week and a half ago, Harris had come home from school crying after the school had put on an assembly about the dangers of smoking. Eddie had been meaning to quit for a long time, but his son worrying over real problems, using words like cancer and heart attack, was what finally pushed him to chuck every pack of cigarettes he owned into the trash. 
“Okay,” you smile and clap your hands together, “I think we’re good to go!” You help Harris buckle his seatbelt before climbing into the passenger seat.
The sedan rumbles to life, catching on the second key turn and disrupting the otherwise still morning. “Gentlemen, start your engines!” Eddie roars in an exaggeratedly deep voice, and Harris giggles from the backseat. With Eddie’s hand on the gearshift, you seize the opportunity to squeeze it, light pink tickling his cheeks at your touch.
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It’s only thirty minutes into the drive before it starts.
“Daddy, I gotta pee!”
You can practically feel the patience leaving Eddie’s body, fingers tightly gripping the wheel until his knuckles flush white.
“Har Bear, we just hit the road,” he tries, knowing his efforts are fruitless. “Can you hold it?”
“No, it’s a ‘mergency!”
“Fuck,” Eddie swears under his breath. The likelihood of it actually being an emergency is slim to none, but he’s in no mood to risk it. “All right, I’ll pull over at the next rest stop, ‘kay?”
Eddie takes the next exit, parking at a truck stop and nearly falling out of the car in his scramble to get Harris to the bathroom. “C’mon, c’mon,” he mutters, walking so quickly that Harris nearly trips over his own feet. You quicken your own pace just to keep up with them. 
The scent of coffee grabs your attention as soon as you walk in the door, and you make a beeline for the tiny Dunkin Donuts tucked in the corner. The cashier looks as though they could use a shot or two of espresso, eyelids closing under their visor as you give your order. When the boys get back from the bathroom, you present Eddie with a large coffee with far more milk and sugar than your own, and hand a chocolate donut to Harris. 
Eddie's eyes shift back and forth from the donut to you before he speaks. “It’s, like, 9 am,” he points out. “He’s gonna be bouncing off the walls if he eats that now.”
Oh. Obviously. What were you thinking, giving an already-hyperactive child pure sugar in the morning? All of the times you’d cringed when parents had sent their kids into school with Cocoa Puffs or some equally sugary cereal, and you’d given his son a chocolate donut for breakfast. “I’m sorry,” you sputter, shaking your head in frustration. “I should’ve asked you first, or saved it for later.” 
“‘S fine,” he mutters, heaving an exasperated sigh as Harris takes a giant bite of donut. “At least there’s two of us to chase after him,” he adds with a weak smile. 
Harris has devoured nearly the entire donut by the time Eddie’s buckling him back in, chocolate crumbs tucked into the crevices of his mouth. He’s oblivious to your faux pas, and you’d like to keep it that way. 
“I really am sorry,” you say again, guilt gnawing in your stomach. “I should’ve known better; I guess I just got excited about our little vacation together.”
Eddie’s grin is more genuine this time. “Me, too, baby.” He sneaks a quick kiss to your cheek when Harris is focused on what remains of his snack. “The whole no-smoking thing has me extra bitter, y’know?”
You know. You definitely know, but you’re not about to point out all of the ways he’s been short-tempered lately. Instead, you relax into your seat and try to brush off your mistake as Eddie turns on the radio and guitar riffs replace the silence. 
Eddie rolls down the window as the springtime sun warms the air, and you stretch as the rush of wind cools your body. His curls whip around the base of his neck, dancing in the breeze, and you can’t help but push them out of his face haphazardly. 
Your stomach growls, and you’re grateful for the blaring music masking the embarrassingly loud noise. You’d forgotten to grab something for breakfast in your rush to leave your apartment, and coffee is a poor substitute for the most important meal of the day. 
You reach down to the bag of pretzels nestled against your feet. “Y’want?” you ask Eddie, who nods and opens his mouth for you to feed it to him while he concentrates on the road. Laughter bubbles up from within you as he takes one from your hand by pinching it between his teeth. 
Harris giggles, too. “Daddy, you look like a goat from the zoo!”
“Oh, yeah?” Eddie slides the snack into his mouth and bites down with a crunch, “and what sounds do goats make?”
“Hmm,” Harris ponders this for a moment before bleating a resounding, “maaaah!”
You swivel in your seat to give him a high-five. There’s donut residue on your hand when you pull back. “Smarty pants! I bet you know every animal sound there is.”
You and Eddie rattle off different species as you feed him more pretzels. Harris manages perfect impressions of each, until you call out, “sloth!” and effectively stump him. 
“Ms. Sweetheart!” he cackles maniacally, partially because of his sugar rush, you’re sure, “that is so silly!”
“Y’just gotta do everything suuuuper slooooow.” You drag out the last two words to emphasize your point. “Like this: Haaaaarrisssss…caaaaan…youuuuu…haaaaand…meeeeee…aaaaa…waaaaterrrr?” This brings on a fresh round of giggles from the backseat; even extra-bitter Eddie manages a hint of a smile.
Harris grabs a bottle at a snail’s–no, a sloth’s–pace. “Heeere…youuuuu…goooooo!” His pace is far from hurried, and you feel the gentle tap of the plastic cap against your shoulder blade a full thirty seconds later. 
“Thaaaaank…youuuuu!” You crack open the bottle of water and take a swig, quenching a thirst only made worse by the salty snack. “Wanna play again? See how many other animal sounds you can do?” you ask, grateful to have found a way to keep him occupied. Before you can close the bottle, Eddie reaches over and snags it, lifting it to his lips. 
“Daddy, no!” Harris screeches from the backseat, little hand shooting out in protest, causing Eddie to slam on the brake. Water sloshes over the top of the bottle and onto his pants. 
“Shit—what, Har?” he snaps, shoving the now half-empty bottle into the cupholder. He swipes haphazardly at the wet patch on his thigh, darkening the denim as it spreads along the fabric. He gives up with a mumbled, “whatever,” when he realizes he’s only rubbing it in more. 
“You’re gonna get her germs,” Harris points out matter-of-factly. 
Eddie huffs out a terse chuckle, slightly amused but still irritated. “Yeah, yeah, right,” he mutters, and you take that as a sign to reach back and get him his own bottle. 
The remainder of the drive is uneventful, though Eddie has to dip into his Nicorette stash when a maroon Toyota Corolla weaves in and out of lanes at lightning speed and cuts him off. He instinctively reaches for the pack of cigarettes he’d always kept in the console, groaning when he remembers that it’s long gone. 
“Good job, baby,” you murmur softly, giving his knee a quick squeeze in approval as he pops a piece of gum into his mouth. “‘M proud of you.” 
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You pull up to the hotel just after 10 AM, the morning chill has dissipated as the sun’s rays warm the air. The fair weather made the trip smoother, a small miracle if you’d ever seen one. Truthfully, you don’t think Eddie’s frayed nerves can handle a rainy day.
Eddie takes Harris’s hand as you all walk through the parking lot and up to the front desk. A middle-aged concierge greets you, the customer service smile plastered across his face faltering when he clocks Eddie’s ripped jeans and disheveled wind-blown hair. 
“Reservation’s under ‘Munson,’” Eddie says to him, not making eye contact; your heart is a sinking stone when you realize that he also noticed the man’s shifting expression. “I called ahead and they said we could check in early.”
The concierge nods. You catch a glimpse of his shiny silver name tag, proudly proclaiming “STU, ASSISTANT MANAGER” gleaming in the overhead fluorescent lighting. “Room 325,” he grunts, handing you and Eddie keys dangling from matching logo-branded chains. Elation is a sunflower blooming in your chest; your first vacation has officially begun. Maybe it’s a little getaway only ninety minutes from home, but it’s a new adventure that you’re taking together.
Eddie flings his and Harris’s shared bag, then yours, onto one of the queen beds with a groan. “We made it!” he announces, flinging an arm over your shoulder. The pads of his fingers brush your upper arm, a tissue-paper light touch that has you soaring.
“Daddy? I gotta pee again,” Harris’s urgency breaks the moment. He’s hopping from one foot to the other, a potty dance if you’ve ever seen one.
 “Go for it,” Eddie says, pointing towards the bathroom. He shakes his head when his son sprints the short distance.
Once the door closes, Eddie’s hands are on your hips, tugging you so close that your stomachs touch, your breasts pressed to his chest. His mouth immediately swoops down to your neck, nipping gently at the flesh along your collarbone. 
“Hello there,” you manage to speak through a laugh. You’re unable to say more, as he’s pressing his lips to yours in a hungry kiss so fervently that your teeth nearly click together. 
“Hi,” he breathes once he’s pulled back, brushing the tip of his nose against your own. “Sorry, y’just look really pretty.”
You wrinkle your nose in confusion. “I’m wearing sweatpants. I don’t even have makeup on.” Truthfully, you’d meant to at least swipe on some mascara, but you were preoccupied making sure that you’d packed everything you needed for the weekend. 
“Don’t care,” Eddie mumbles, leaning in for another kiss, “still s’fuckin’ pretty. Don’t know how I’m gonna keep my hands off of you.”
The solution to that problem comes in the form of a flushing toilet and Harris calling out, “I’m done! Gonna wash my hands!”
Eddie throws his head back in frustration before burying his pink-tinged face in his hands. “This, uh, was not exactly how I imagined our first time in a hotel together,” he admits. 
“At least he’s washing his hands,” you joke, trying to ward off the throbbing need building in your core. It fails miserably. You want him, need him, to relieve the ache in the way that only he can. You yearn for the way his fingertips dance across your skin, eagerly reaching under your shirt or dipping below your waistband, desperate to make his girl feel good.
The two of you break apart as the bathroom door swings open. You fly across the room and pretend like you’re rifling through your duffel bag while Eddie flops onto the bed. His shirt rides up slightly as he lays down, and you have to fight the urge to bite the exposed sliver of tummy. 
“When are we going to the market?” Harris asks, catapulting himself onto the bed and landing next to his dad. 
Eddie rolls over and checks the digital alarm clock between the two queen beds. “Doesn’t start for another few hours,” he says. “I was gonna try and take a quick nap before we—”
“I’m not tired!” Harris whines, and you can see in Eddie’s deflated, tense physicality that his already thin patience is wearing down further. “I wanna go now!”
“Hey, Har Bear,” you try, hoping you’re not inserting yourself into the dynamic too forcefully, “why don’t we go on an adventure while Daddy sleeps? We can wake him up when we get back.”
Harris hops down onto the floor and readily slips his hand into yours. “Bye, Daddy!” he calls out, dragging you towards the door. “Me an’ Ms. Sweetheart are having a ‘venture!”
Eddie gives you a weary but grateful smile as he scoots upwards to rest his head on the overstuffed pillow. “Godspeed,” he mumbles into the sheets, already beginning to doze off as he speaks.
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The elevator dings and you shuffle into the small space, reaching for the “L” button to bring you down to the lobby.
“I wanna push the button!” Harris laments, and his sudden shriek has you instinctively pulling your hand back before regaining your composure.
Do you correct him? Let him press the button despite raising his voice? Deciding a consequence comes naturally to you in the classroom, but the anxiety of making the wrong choice serves as a massive roadblock. “You have to ask nicely if you want to push the button,” you offer, sending up a silent prayer that this staves off an impending tantrum.
He pouts for a moment before relenting. “Can I push the button?” It’s more grumble than request, but you accept it anyway.
His hand remains tucked safely into yours when you leave the hotel, basking in warm weather. You breathe in for three, breathe out for three. Okay. You can do this. Your job revolves around children; you can survive an afternoon taking care of just one.
Except that one happens to be your boyfriend’s son, and if you mess this up, it could ruin both Munsons’ perceptions of you.
“Where’re we going?” Harris asks, and you realize that you have no earthly idea; to be honest, you’re surprised that he so readily agreed.
”We can go for a walk?” you suggest, pasting on a smile in feigned confidence. “Maybe we can find a playground or something?”
“Okay!” he chirps. He’s fast for someone with little legs, and you have to remind him multiple times to use his walking feet. Yeah, this kid needs to burn off some energy, stat.
To your relief, there’s a playground just a few blocks away, fully equipped with a swing set and a jungle gym. Harris races across the grassy field onto the wood chip-covered area, assessing the space to figure out what he wants to conquer first.  
You sit on the bench next to a woman who simultaneously reads a James Patterson novel and keeps an eye on the jungle gym, where a little girl is dangling from the monkey bars, putting one hand in front of the other. 
She looks over with a sympathetic smile when you breathe out a long sigh, sinking into the wooden back like a weight has been removed from your shoulders.
“I hear that,” she says with a kind chuckle. “Mine will be tired for about…hmm, five minutes? Just long enough to get her home, and then she’ll be hopping around like the Energizer Bunny.” She shakes her head. “Is yours the same way?”
Yours. The term is peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth, and it takes a beat too long for you to respond. “Y-Yeah, I’m pretty sure he would sleep run if he could.” The stranger laughs at your joke, and you relax a bit. “Sorry, he’s really my boyfriend’s son, and it’s kind of…new to think of him as being mine, too.”
You expect her to pick up and move to a different bench, away from the weird woman who’s baring her soul on the playground, but she just closes her book and turns to you. “Carly is technically my stepdaughter,” she explains in a hushed tone, “but her mom’s not in the picture so, for all intents and purposes, she’s my daughter. No ‘step’ necessary.” 
“Is…is it hard?” you ask, the question spilling from your lips in a desperate plea for answers. “Being a stepmom?”
She nods. “Oh, absolutely.” She brushes a strand of hair from her eyes, and you can see a sparkle behind them. “But, trust me, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Her words, spoken freely of judgment and purely with empathy, alleviate the nervousness burning through you. “Thank you,” you murmur, gratitude forming a lump in your throat that you struggle to swallow.
“Ms. Sweetheart!” Harris shouts from the top of the jungle gym. “Look what I can do!” He hesitates for a moment before reaching out his arms and grabbing onto the metal pole. You stand up to call out a preemptive warning, to get to him before he can fall, but before you can, his chubby hands grip the pole. He hooks his legs around it and slides down expertly, not letting go until his sneakers are firmly planted on the wood chips scattered across the ground. 
Pride warms your heart when his eyes lock with yours, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as he awaits your approval. Anticipation reverberates within his little body, and before you can get in a word edgewise, he’s jumping up and down with an excited, “didja see me?”
“You’re amazing!” Your praise floats through the air and envelops him like a long-awaited embrace. “Super brave, too. I don’t think I could do that.”
He furrows his brows before a knowing smile forms on his lips. “Yes, you can! I’ll show you.”
Kind of walked right into that one, you lightly chastise yourself, but you dutifully shuffle towards where he’s already darting up the steps on all fours, hands splayed out for balance. 
“C’mon, Ms. Sweetheart!” Harris cheers, waving his fists in the air in earnest, and you simply cannot let the boy down. He easily glides down once more, big brown eyes looking up at you from the ground. “Just like that, see?”
“Right, got it.” You give him a thumbs-up and emulate his movements, holding on tightly to the metal pole and sliding down. You grimace as it squeaks under your grasp, nails on a chalkboard, but your feet reach the ground soon enough. 
Harris flings his arms around you, chin digging into your thigh as he gazes up in adoration. “I told you you could do it! Y’just had to try!” His admiration is fleeting; he soon spots another child leap from the swingset to play elsewhere. “Can you push me on the swings?” he pleads, already leading you to the equipment. “I just need a little help getting started, but then ‘m good.”
You hold the chain links dangling from the top of the structure, allowing Harris to maneuver himself onto the rubber seat. He scoots back so his bottom is fully supported and announces, “‘m ready!”
“Hold on tight,” you remind him, more out of routine than necessity, as you pull back the rust-covered chains. You move as far back as you can, double-checking that he hasn’t let go, and release the swing. His squealing giggles are music to your ears, and you push him a few more times before he’s able to take over independently. 
His mop of curls defies gravity as he sails back and forth, pumping his legs to gain height. “Ms. Sweetheart?”
“Hm?”
“Do you love my daddy?”
You ponder the thought for a moment. You know exactly how you feel about Eddie; he simultaneously kicks up the butterflies in your stomach and calms every buzzing nerve in your body with just a smile, but you’re unsure how much he wants to tell Harris. You settle on the truth, direct and simple: “yeah, I do love him.”
Harris wastes no time asking a follow-up question. “A lot or a little?”
“A lot,” you answer quickly, realizing the magnitude of your enamoration as you say it aloud. The way Eddie’s kisses wrap you in an armor of safety; you hope your kisses have the same effect on him. “Definitely a lot.”
He hums his acknowledgement. “Grampa Wayne says Daddy loves you a lot, too, but I can’t ask you to be my mommy yet.”
You freeze in place so suddenly that the swing’s momentum nearly knocks you down; you step out of the way just before his sneaker-clad feet can make contact with your torso. “You want me to be your mommy?” you repeat dumbly, still half-convinced that you heard him incorrectly. 
“Mhm,” Harris confirms, “but Grampa says that being a mommy is a big ‘sponsibility, and I gotta be patient. That means I gotta wait until Daddy says it’s okay to ask you,” he elaborates matter-of-factly. 
This is clearly something they’ve talked about, extensively enough that Harris knows that he shouldn’t say anything about it. You’re temporarily rendered speechless, words failing you as you search for an appropriate response. Do you thank him? Act like you hadn’t heard him? Hope that a sinkhole opens up in the middle of the playground and swallows you whole?
“Th-That’s great, Har,” you manage, shoulders suddenly heavy with the weight of his statement. He goes back to focusing on pumping his legs, leaving you to tend to the anxiety gnawing at your insides.
Motherhood–the term stepmother seems arbitrary, given that Harris’s biological mother has all but dropped off of the face of the Earth–is a terrifying prospect. Any time you try to explain your fears, people just shrug them off, claiming that you’d be a ‘natural,’ that your years of teaching would ultimately ‘pay off’ when you had children of your own. As if teaching and parenting were remotely the same.
To you, the differences are as clear as day. When you’re a parent, there’s no ‘clocking out.’ Your obligations don’t begin at 9 AM and end at 2 PM; they’re twenty-four hours, seven days a week. It’s not the same thing. Not even close.
Before you became a teacher, you had to go to school and take education courses. Read your textbooks cover to cover. Had to do an internship for a semester. You’d had ample opportunities to determine whether or not it was the right job for you. Motherhood doesn’t offer that luxury: you don’t know if you’ll be a good mom until you’ve already chosen to become one.
“Ms. Sweetheart?” You jump out of your skin when you realize that Harris is slowing himself down, scuffed Reeboks scraping against the ground as he comes to a stop. “Can I get ice cream?”
You bite back a laugh. “You just had a donut, silly boy,” you remind him with a gentle ruffle to his curls, trying to keep your tone breezy, “but we can grab some sandwiches. Maybe even get one for Daddy, too?”
His lower lip quivers, making your heart lurch. “B-But–”
“And,” you interject, “we can go out for ice cream after the market. With Daddy.” You hope it’s a promise you can keep.
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It was too good to be true. Deep down, you knew it, despite the fleeting victory of getting Harris to eat an actual lunch. His hands were sticky with peanut butter and jelly–you were making a mental note to reassure Eddie that, yes, some had gotten in his mouth–when you’d done the unthinkable. The unimaginable. 
You hadn’t let him press the elevator button.
He howls and sinks down to the floor, knees slamming into the linoleum tile and making him scream even louder. 
“Buddy, you’ve got peanut–” 
“I wanted to press…the…BUTTON!” he shrieks, every minor inconvenience he’s encountered today culminating in what you can only dub the Tantrum of the Decade. The crash from the sugar rush, not going to the market when he wanted to, the lack of ice cream are represented in every fat tear rolling down his reddening cheeks, in every flail of his legs as you try to scoop him up and bring him into the elevator, in every heaving breath. He’s overtired, overwhelmed, and out of his normal routine.
Your own eyes get misty as the metal door slides shut, enclosing you in a small space that seems to shrink with each wail. The kid has the lung capacity of an Olympic swimmer, while you’re drowning in your own pity.
He’s still sobbing when you reach the third floor, and Eddie’s flying out of the room as soon as he hears the sound of his son crying. Curls disheveled from his nap, crust still at the corners of his eyes. I woke him up, you realize. Another nail in the coffin.
“Wh-What happened?” His voice is raised, not in accusation, but just to be heard over Harris yelling. “Did he get hurt?” He takes Harris from your arms, clutching him to his chest in sheer panic. Reflexively, he inspects his boy’s head, arms, and legs for bruising and blood.
You shake your head, afraid that any attempt to speak will have your voice fracturing into pieces, no better than the little boy’s meltdown.
Fortunately, Harris has no problem filling his dad in. “I–wanted–to push–the button–and–she–said–NO!!!” Each word is punctuated with a hitched breath and is angrier than the last.
Eddie looks at you, more puzzled than worried now that he knows his son is unharmed, and a visit to the emergency room is unnecessary.
“His hands were sticky from his sandwich,” you mutter, unable to make eye contact with either Munson. “Oh, um, this is yours,” you add robotically, handing him the bag containing his hoagie, now a darker shade of brown from the grease it’s soaked up. You wince at how stilted you sound, simply going through the motions, not at all like the enthusiastic presentation you’d planned on the walk back to the hotel. 
“Thanks.” Not unappreciative, but far from enthusiastic, and you can’t blame him. “Let’s just, uh, let’s just get him in the room.”
The sleepiness consumes Harris after a few more arduous minutes in his dad’s embrace. Eddie rubs circles on his back to calm him down, tiny shh sounds passing through his teeth. Harris begins to catch his breath; hiccups like aftershocks ricochet in his chest, gradually subsiding into soft snores. 
“Jesus,” Eddie whispers as he gingerly places him onto the unmade bed, still warm from where he was lying just moments earlier, “that was one hell of a wake-up call.”
You speak at the same volume as him, though you don’t even have to try. Shame buries your voice deep in your diaphragm. “I’m so sorry.” Your right incisor digs into your lower lip as emotion ravishes you. The absence of Harris’s tantruming creates a loud silence that neither of you have the energy to fill. 
“I could say the same to you,” Eddie says with a soft chuckle, taking your hand and squeezing it tight as he sits down on your bed. “His meltdowns are no joke.”
“I should’ve just let him press the damn button.” You’re only half-serious, but your stomach sinks when Eddie says nothing; instead, he carefully unwraps the sandwich and takes a bite. A glob of mustard lands on the parchment paper with a soft plop. 
He doesn’t disagree. You made a mistake—two mistakes, if you’re counting the donut fiasco—and Eddie saw it. Saw that you’d failed. 
“Did you get enough rest?” It’s a feeble attempt to change the subject, and you both know it, but you go for it anyway. 
He lets his knee knock into yours. “Never enough, Sweetheart,” he says with a smile, wiping his lips with the flimsy deli napkin. “But, yeah, I got some sleep.” He leans in and murmurs in your ear, “Would’ve been better with you next to me, though.”
You turn so that your nose brushes his. “If I was laying next to you, you wouldn’t be able to sleep,” you quip, stifling your laughter when he takes your cheeks in his hands and smacks a kiss to your lips. 
“I would be a perfect gentleman.” He stretches and exposes the happy trail below his navel. “My eyes are up here,” he teases, catching you checking him out. “And you were worried about me.”
The dynamic shifts back to playful and lighthearted, his joke chipping away at the tension that’s been weighing you down.
“Shut up and eat your sandwich, Munson.”
“Yes, dear.”
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You’ve showered and changed into a fresh set of clothes, jeans replacing the ratty sweatpants you’d donned earlier. You’d tried to wash the day’s stress down the drain along with the eucalyptus-scented soap suds, and though you don’t feel completely recharged, you’re ready enough to tackle the market.
Still, you can’t stop yourself from murmuring to Eddie, “d’you want me to stay here with Harris? Just in case it’s too much for him?”
He considers it for a moment before shaking his head, shrugging on his denim jacket. “Nah, he got his nap. Should be fine.”
The little boy in question slips one hand into yours and looks up at you with a grin. Eddie had talked to him earlier, reminded him about expressing himself in ways that didn’t hurt people–or their ears–and Harris apologized tearily. All is forgiven; at least between you and him. You still feel an uneasiness with Eddie, though it may be one-sided, as he’d quietly lamented that you two couldn’t shower together.
“We’re goin’ to the market! We’re goin’ to the market!” Harris chants, shuffling on the balls of his feet in a little dance. “Ms. Sweetheart, guess what?”
“What?”
“WE’RE GOIN’ TO THE MARKET!”
“Shocking,” Eddie mutters under his breath, a wry smile on his lips, and you use your free hand to swat at his stomach. “Okay,” he pats the wallet in the side pocket of his jeans, “got the company card, keys, handsome son, beautiful girlfriend…” He glances around the room; this time, he’s either unaware of his slip-up or is unbothered by Harris knowing your relationship status. “Looks like we’re good to go!”
The car ride isn’t too long; it’s only about a ten minute drive before you reach the market. And since you’d remembered to let Harris press the elevator button, it didn’t feel endless.
“Now, Harris,” Eddie says as his son climbs out of the car, hopping onto the parking lot pavement, “the market’s gonna be busy–”
“I know!”
“--so you have to hold my hand, or Ms. Sweetheart’s hand–”
“I know!”
“--the whole time. Got it?”
“Yes!” He’s far too exasperated for a five-year-old, and you have to bite your cheek to keep from laughing. “Can we go in now?”
Eddie obliges and takes Harris’s right hand; you take his left, the three of you walking towards the gigantic building together. 
You’d figured it would be crowded, but you’re unprepared for just how overstimulated your senses become upon entering. Vendors shout advertisements for their booths, beckoning potential customers to check out their wares. Snippets of different conversations infiltrate your  ears, and you swallow hard to clear your head, though the grainy muzak pumping through the overhead speakers doesn't help. 
Immediately, you spot a booth selling secondhand books, and you look at Eddie with a hopeful gaze.
“Go,” he motions with a smile, laughing when you all but skip off to the stack of novels. You don’t want to take too long, as neither Munson has the patience to wait while you peruse your options. A weathered paperback copy of The Grapes of Wrath catches your eye, some pages dog-eared and smelling faintly of stale smoke, and you fish out two quarters from the bottom of your bag and place them in the vendor’s hand.
“Okay,” you breathe when you get back to Eddie and Harris, overwhelmed just by the short walk. You grip Harris’s hand even tighter, all-too protective of him in such a crowded space. “Let’s go get some records!”
Eddie finds a variety of vinyls that he knows will sell at Rock Records—from older classics like Louis Armstrong, Etta James, and Buddy Holly, to more recent gems from Van Halen, Queen, and Michael Jackson. 
“Babe, check this out!” he announces gleefully, showing off a copy of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning. “I must’ve listened to this a hundred times when it was released in ‘84.” His enthusiasm is palpable, and you have to wonder if this purchase is for the store or for himself.
To his credit, Harris lasts a full twenty-five minutes before he starts asking for ice cream again. “You promised, renember?”
Eddie grins at him, then at you. “A promise, huh?” He clicks his tongue. “Can’t break that.”
“I think I saw a booth down there that’s sellIng some.” It’s a local shop, and you know one cone will probably cost more than a half-gallon at the grocery store, but you’ll risk the upcharge if it means avoiding a second meltdown today. 
“I’ll be right there,” Eddie tells you, eyes flitting back towards a row of booths you’d passed by earlier. “Just get me something with chocolate?”
“What’s the magic word?” Harris interjects. 
“Please.” He lays it on thick, throwing you a wink before turning around. 
You grab a $5 bill from your back pocket, change from when you’d bought the sandwiches earlier, and approach the ice cream stand.
“Can I please get one cherry chip cone, one chocolate fudge cone, and…what do you want, Har?”
“That!” He points to a giant display of model cars displayed in front of a toy vendor’s booth. “I want the orange one!”
“We can look after,” you reassure him. “First, you have to pick the ice cream flavor you want.”
“Hmm,” he presses on tiptoes to peruse his options before pressing his forefinger to the glass, pointing to cookies ‘n cream, declaring, “that one!”
The vendor hands him his cone, then turns to you and confirms, “just the three cones?”
“Mhm.”
She punches some numbers into the register, expression far too serious for the gig. “That'll be $6.”
Exhaling, you hand her the bill in your palm. There’s no way the stodgy woman is going to cut you a break for the extra dollar. “Give me a sec; I should have a single in my wallet.” You let go of Harris’s hand, fumbling around in your bag until you pull out what you’ve been searching for. 
The vendor takes your money and hands you the remaining two cones, already starting to melt with all of the body heat surrounding you. 
“Thank you,” you say with a polite smile. “Okay, Har, let’s—” Your blood runs cold when you realize he’s nowhere to be found.  “Harris!” you call out, voice shaking on the last syllable, unable to hide how frantic you feel. “Harris!”
Eddie, already on his way from his earlier errand, runs over to you. “Where’s—”
“He was just here!” You push your way through the crowd, accidentally brushing your scoop of cherry chip along someone’s jacket, but there’s no time to apologize. 
You and Eddie take turns yelling out his name, bile rising in your throats with each unanswered shout, until you hear somebody ask, “is that your mommy and daddy calling for you?”
Both your and Eddie’s heads swivel towards the conversation, breathing identical sighs of relief when you see the familiar mop of curls in front of the toy car display.
“Oh, thank God.” It comes out in one breath, your chest deflating as you and Eddie rush towards him. 
“Harris, what are you doing?” Eddie admonishes him, heart still racing as the surge of adrenaline tapers off. He picks him up, fingers digging into the shirt fabric as he holds him as close as possible, and presses a kiss to his scalp. There will be some sort of consequence later–revoking TV time and a lecture on stranger danger–but for now, there’s only the comfort of knowing he’s safe.
“I just wanted to see the cars,” Harris protests, trying and failing to wriggle from Eddie’s grip. “Can I get the orange one?”
Eddie huffs out an incredulous laugh, astounded that Harris doesn’t understand the seriousness of his actions. “No, you can’t!” he yells, attracting unwanted attention from other shoppers, “and you can’t wander off like that! I told you that you have to stay with one of us the whole time!” He flexes his palm before clenching it into a frustrated fist. “What were you thinking?”
Harris’s eyes fill with tears. “I j-just wanted to s-see them,” he tries again, taken aback by the anger in his dad’s voice. “An’ Ms. Sweetheart was right there!”
The mention of your nickname reminds Eddie of the other adult involved. “You were supposed to be watching him,” he spits, gritting his teeth to keep from raising his voice at you. 
You wince at his tone, filled with venom for the first time since his comment about Grandma forgetting you all those months ago. The difference is that, now, you deserve it. Letting go of his hand was careless; at the very least, you should have reminded him to stay put. The early morning donut, the elevator button were menial indiscretions compared to this mistake. There’s no denying that you’d royally messed up.
“I’m so sorry.” Sorry for not keeping a closer eye on Harris. Sorry for waking him up from his nap via a screaming child. Sorry for waltzing into their lives and thinking you had a snowball’s chance in Hell of being a decent parent. The ice cream drips down the cones and onto your hands, pooling in the crevices between your fingers. You dump them in the nearest trash can, neither of you hungry anymore.
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You can’t return to the hotel soon enough, and as soon as Eddie puts an episode of Rugrats on TV for Harris, you begin inconspicuously packing your collecting your toiletries from the bathroom to back in your luggage.
“What’re you doing?” Eddie asks from the doorway. He’s got his arms folded across his chest, perplexion wrinkling his brows. 
“Going home.”
He presses his forefinger and thumb to his eyelids and shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like–”
“No,” you interrupt him, choking down your frustration, “you were right. You trusted me to watch him, and I didn’t.”
“Hey, hey,” Eddie steps forward and puts out a hand to stop you from grabbing your toothbrush, “it was an accident. Things happen in a split second, yeah?” He thinks back to the way Harris had tumbled off of the bed months ago. “We found him, and that’s what matters.”
He’s trying to comfort you, which somehow makes you feel worse. You lost his kid, but he’s focusing on making you feel better.
The next words out of your mouth shatter his heart into pieces: “I think it would be better for everyone if I leave.”
A small puff of air escapes his nostrils, unsurprised but hurt nonetheless. “‘S too much for you, isn’t it?” he mumbles, not even daring to glance in your direction as he says it. 
He knows. He knows that you aren’t cut out for this, that you’ll never be the mom Harris needs or deserves. In his own words, he knows it’s too much for you.
You say nothing in return, and your silence is louder than the cartoon squabble just a few feet away.
“Fine, just…just go, then.” He slams one palm on the bathroom sink, the other raking through his hair so forcefully that a few strands come loose. “God, I need a fucking cigarette!” he mutters, jaw clenched.
“I’m so sorry.” It’s all you can think to say. You’ll repeat it over and over again if it rectifies the situation. 
“Yeah, whatever.” He starts to leave the room, not even turning back around to say, “I’ll tell Harris you’re not feeling well.” He wants to ask you to call the hotel room when you get home but bites back the request. That’s something one partner asks of another, and you aren’t partners anymore, he realizes bitterly, and it’s his fault. He’d put the responsibility of parenthood on you far too quickly. 
He could have insisted that Harris stay and nap with him rather than letting him go to the park. He could have kept Harris by his side while you got the ice cream, or the three of you could have gone together. Instead, he’d just assumed that this was a role you had no qualms about taking on. In his eagerness to build this little family, he’d squandered the foundation before it had even set.
Eddie watches as you walk away, the words wait and don’t go and we can figure this out lurking behind his molars, but he remains silent. 
When the door slams behind you, he bites on his thumb. Go after her, some part of him—his conscience, maybe—nags, but he pushes the thought away. He can’t ask you to stick around and be a mom to his son if it isn't truly what you want to do. 
He removes his finger from between his teeth and shoves his hands in his jacket pockets, temporarily confused when he’s met with some resistance. The tiny brown paper bag crinkles as his fingers make contact with it, and he pulls it out dejectedly. 
He’d spotted the necklace while scavenging for record vendors and made a mental note to return to it when you weren’t there to see. A tiny metal heart on a chain that he’d planned to give to you at the end of the trip. It was the reason he’d left you alone with Harris; he’d wanted it to be a surprise. 
“Well, that was a fuckin’ waste,” Eddie says to no one in particular, shoving it back in the confines of his pocket. He sits next to Harris, hoping Tommy Pickles’ shenanigans will melt his brain for just a few moments. 
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The next bus to Hawkins pulled up thirty minutes after your cab arrived at the station. It was the only way to get home, and an embarrassingly large part of you hoped that Eddie and Harris would swing by, enveloping you in a tight hug and promising you that you’re doing a great job. That you’re enough. 
That moment remains a daydream, one that replays over and over as you lean your head against the window. It’s all highway from here to your small town, close to three hours on the road because of the intermediate stops, but you’re in no hurry to return. If it hurts now, you can’t imagine the pain when the loneliness sets in. 
Of course Eddie wasn’t coming to rescue you; you’d let him down right when he’d needed you. It was all so superficial on your end, thinking that you could be a mother just because you’d taught Harris how to read and have dinner with him and his dad once a week. 
Wallowing in pity is too indulgent, too pathetic, but you can’t keep from berating yourself. You’re a preschool teacher; how hard is it to remember to hold a kid’s hand?
Tears slip down your cheeks involuntarily and you swipe at them before your seat partner can notice. The last thing you need is to strike up an emotional conversation with a complete stranger. 
And what is it with you and crying today? Getting choked up when Eddie had pointed out the donut mistake, feeling like you were going to have a meltdown alongside Harris, and now this? It’s like you have an endless supply of tears. 
The most likely culprit is your run-of-the-mill PMS; you can always count on being overly sensitive on those select few days. You open your bag and take out the pocket calendar where you keep track of important appointments and dates, including your periods. 
Today’s April 26. You flip back to March, rifling through the pages until you see that the first day of your last period was the twentieth. 
You’re almost a full week late. 
--
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riki-riks-chick · 6 months ago
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Chainsmoker┃L.HS
smoker!heeseung x reader
heeseung smokes cigarettes, but yn wants him to quit.
cw: arguments, cigarettes, smoking, addiction.
wdct: 748
this is a request to make a longer version of this req.
═════════════
Third Person POV~
"Heeseung.. Wake up, baby.." You shake his shoulder, trying to wake him as he groans. "What?.." He asks sleepily as you sigh. "We're supposed to go shopping today, and then we're going to lunch. Get up." He nods, sitting up. "Okay.."
The two of you spend the next hour getting ready before heading to the front door, but you stop, turning to Heeseung.
"Give me your lighter.." You sigh, holding your hand out as he sighs, giving you the lighter. "Baby.. Do I really have to?" He asks as you nod. "Yes, smoking is terrible for you and I hate it.. I'll carry your gum if you want, but at least try the patches.. You're not making any effort to quit.."
He sighs, pretty much ignoring you as you roll your eyes, grabbing your keys before stepping out the door, locking it behind Heeseung.
Throughout the day, Heeseung is in a bad mood. And you know it's because he wants to smoke, but you physically can't stand it. It's not only a very unhealthy habit, but it's annoying. The nicotine kisses, the brand new outfits that now smell like cigarette smoke. You're so over it to the point that you're considering Heeseung not moving in with you permanently. And that's not something you want because you love your boyfriend, but he can't seem to give it up.
"Heeseung, do you think this is cute?" You ask, holding up a cute cardigan as he nods. "Yeah, whatever." You roll your eyes, hanging it back on the rack. "I get that you're pissed, but don't take it out on me. I'm only trying to help, Heeseung." You whisper yell as he scoffs. "Have you ever considered that I don't want your help?"
His tone is seething with anger, and it only makes you more upset. "Fine then.. Don't expect me to ever help you again. And you can move back to your apartment while you're at it."
Your tone is bitter, and he simply scoffs, turning to walk away. "Where are you going?" You question as he turns around, glaring at you. "Somewhere you aren't."
He then walks away as you sigh, running a frustrated hand through your hair. He's so stubborn sometimes. You've tried to get him to quit smoking multiple times before. You had even given up clubbing and drinking because he said, "I can't be the only one to give something up." 
Now it's been a year and you haven't had an alcoholic beverage at all, but he's still smoking.
And you're not perfect, and you can't judge him for his addiction, but you're only trying to help.
You walk around for the next thirty minutes, trying to give Heeseung time to cool off before using his location to find him.
His location said that he was at the convenience store just a block away, so you walked there, taking your time. Soon enough, you found him outside the convenience store, a cigarette perched between his fingers as he took a slow drag. 
Once his eyes met yours, he exhaled, putting the cigarette out. You walked over to him, ignoring the strong and recognizable scent of cigarettes on him. "I'm sorry I spoke to you that way."
You apologize, not wanting him to stay mad over what you said. He doesn't seem to want your apology, though.
"I don't wanna talk right now." He speaks lowly, and you sigh, grabbing his hands in yours. "Please, Hee.. I didn't mean that.. I was just upset and I misspoke." You apologize again and Heeseung's gaze drops. "So you do wanna live with me?..." He asks as you nod. "Of course I do.. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, baby.."
You hug him and his wraps his arms around you, rubbing your back. "Sorry, I probably stink.." He pulls away, rubbing the back of his neck as you smile.
"It's fine.. I'll try to be less controlling.." He shakes his head. "No.. You were right.. It's a bad habit and I'm gonna quit.. I don't want you to resent me.." 
You smile, kissing his cheek. "I could never resent you.. Don't worry.. We'll help you quit together. Okay?" He nods, hugging you again.
"I'll try my hardest.."
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kittenlittle24 · 5 months ago
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Courthouse
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Request by @schnitzelbutterfingers: Tritter assaulting f!reader after finding out she is House’s weak point and then she just became completely depressed and then House kind of forces out what happened to her
I do apologize, I changed it a bit.
As usual, gif not mine, I adore comments, likes and reblogs
Masterlist
Parking the car, you angrily slammed the door shut before making your way to the detention facility. You paid the clerk the $15,000 bail before leaving to wait outside.
You leaned against the car, foot tapping anxiously, arms crossed. Limping down the stairs at the entrance to the building, a grin on his face upon seeing you.
“I called Wilson!”
“You’re an arrogant idiot.” You told him and entered the car.
You drove in silence, every time he tried to talk, to justify himself you were sure, you raised your hand to shut him.
You dropped him at the entrance to the hospital and waited for him to get out.
“I’ll see you in the office.” You informed him quietly.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise and opened his mouth to say something but instead shut it back up and nodded once before leaving your vehicle.
Later that day House got a call about Tritter who got a search warrant for his house and found a stash of about 600 pills, which of course made Tritter add trafficking to the charges.
Convinced that House is an addict and decided to apply pressure on his co-workers to testify against him.
When Wilson found out House had stolen his prescription pad to write himself prescriptions he came straight to you, he told you he lied, and said he signed them himself, however, Tritter noticed that the signatures didn't match, and as a result his car was impounded and accounts froze.
When the diagnostic team refused to turn him in as well, Tritter decided to go after all of your weaknesses: he went after Cameron by appealing to her love for House, not knowing it was no longer there. He went after Foreman by promising to help his brother get out of prison, and Chase by making it look like he has already co-operated, not that any of you believed that. The only one he has yet to try was you. Which made everyone uncomfortable.
Due to clubbed fingers, House diagnosed the patient with lung cancer, and tests confirmed small cell lung carcinoma, which has metastasized. The patient only had a few months to live. Cameron volunteered to break him the news which allowed you to leave for the day.
You made your way to your car, searching your purse for the keys. You jumped as you looked up and saw Tritter leaning against your trunk.
“Oh good you didn’t forget me, I was insulted.”
He half smiled as he chewed his nicotine gum, “Did you hear that I searched Dr. House’s apartment,”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you also aware of the fact that I found 600 Vicodin pills in his apartment?” Pushing himself to stand upright and fully smiling, “Should I say, your apartment? Found a picture of you and your mom in a drawer on a bedside table. I assume you wouldn’t want your boyfriend to go to jail and lose his medical license. It wasn’t Dr. Cameron that’s in love with him, it’s you. You know that lying to a cop is a criminal offense?”
Crossing your arms across your chest, “You think threatening me will help you convince me to help you put House behind bars?”
“If you don’t, you’ll face the same consequences as your colleagues. Just one phone call away from having your account frozen as well.”
Moving to open your car door, you tossed your purse to the seat next to the driver, “Good thing I went grocery shopping yesterday.” You snarked and entered the car.
“Is he worth your medical license?” He yelled.
Turning the engine on and reversing out of the parking space, you pulled the window down, “I’ll see you in court.” And drove away.
Entering the apartment, threw the keys on the counter, your purse was tossed aside and you walked straight to the bedroom.
House looked up from the piano, slightly confused at your lack of greeting. Marching back to the living room you dropped his pillow and a blanket on the couch before turning to face him, “You’re sleeping here until this mess clears up and you apologize to Wilson.”
You went back to the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
You woke up in the middle of the night, at first you weren’t sure what pulled you from sleep but you did when you felt the bed dipped.
“Get out.”
He laid down and put his arm around your waist, he kissed your shoulder blade.
“Come on, don’t be like that.”
Moving his arm off of you, you pushed the blanket back and sat up.
“Fine, you take the bed.” You said as you left the room.
He rushed after you as fast as he could without his cane, holding onto his thigh.
“Don’t you think you’re being ridiculous?”
Turning sharply to look at him, “Wilson got his car impounded because of you, that’s the only reason I came to bail you out. He cannot write prescriptions, everybody’s accounts are frozen, my license is on the line because Tritter searched the apartment and you don’t give a crap.”
He took a step closer to you, “He threatened you?”
Sighing, you rubbed your hand across your forehead, “Doesn’t matter what he did.“
“He’s a bully.”
“I don’t care House! You caused this mess! I’m going to sleep, don’t come after me because I don’t want to see your face right now.”
Sitting down heavily on the couch he saw his bottle of Vicodin on the coffee table. Reaching, he popped it open, shook two pills out, and tossed them back before lying down and settling to sleep.
After a week of separate sleeping and House and Wilson fighting due to Wilson cutting a deal with Tritter. He was offered to go into rehab, but no jail time. Of course, he believed that Wilson was only cooperating with Tritter to get his practice back.
You unlocked your apartment door, tired and cranky. It was dark and quiet. You assumed maybe your boyfriend used the opportunity you weren’t home to go to sleep in your shared bed.
You shut the door and entered the living room to see House passed out on the floor near his vomit, along with the prescribed oxycodone that he stole from Wilson’s dead patient.
Rushing to his side to check if he had a pulse, he turned his head to look at you with hazy eyes.
Tears streamed down your face as you looked down at him, “I can’t anymore.” You whispered, got up, and left the apartment.
The next day House went to Tritter to take the deal, but Tritter turned him down. Tritter found out about the stolen oxycodone, so he didn’t need yours nor Wilson's testimony to prosecute House.
He came back from court, he stood next to you in the kitchenette. You moved to sit on the opposite side of the table, as far away from him as you could while still being in the same room. House didn’t take his eyes off you the whole DDX. Soon as he ordered tests you were the first to flee the room.
A few days later, following Cameron’s visit the team performed electroshock therapy on the patient. He remembered his name after the treatment, but little else. You let his brother and Amy into the room. He didn’t react negatively, but he didn't recognize them.
The patient was getting better, despite his memory loss. The only side effect was that his voice had gotten higher. Wilson came to see House again and even brought him a new tie for court. House apologized to Wilson because he knew that Wilson was trying to do what he thought was best.
You ran into Wilson in the elevator on your way to the clinic after he came back from seeing House and was on his way to leave work.
“Did you force him into rehab?” He asked.
Shocked you turned to face Wilson fully.
He looked at you slightly horrified, “You didn’t know he was there?”
“Tell me what’s going on.” You demanded.
“House entered rehab voluntarily. A few days ago. I thought you had something to do with it, he said you haven’t been home since the oxycodone fiasco.”
You shook your head just as the elevator doors opened to reveal the hospital lobby and clinic. Instead of going to the clinic, you press the floor for the rehab center.
You found him vomiting in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, and looking miserable. He glanced up at you before lowering his gaze back to the floor.
“Didn’t think you’d come.”
Stepping forward, you crossed your arms across your chest, “Because you told everyone not to tell me you’re here.”
He shrugged once, “Tritter came to visit.” He shared quietly.
You sat down opposite him on the floor.
“Told me, he doesn't give addicts another chance, and even my actions are a lie.”
“You caused all of this.”
He nodded, “I know.”
Getting up, “Good luck with the trial.”
“Will you be there?”
You paused at the bathroom doorway, “I haven’t decided yet.” You said honestly and left.
You got to the hearing as Tritter gave his testimony about House taking another patient's drugs. You sat beside Wilson and he held your hand in silent support. Everyone paused to stare at House as his phone rang, the team (minus you) called House in court to say that the patient’s memories were false. House ignored the judge’s instructions to give up his cell phone and made a smarmy comment to the judge. You rolled your eyes and looked at Wilson in despair. He then left the courthouse and the judge found him in contempt.
On his way out of the courtroom, he noticed you sitting and winched, making you even angrier.
House came back to find Cuddy on the stand. She told the court that she had the pharmacist substitute placebos for the oxycodone because she was afraid that House would be in a particularly vulnerable state. She even had an inventory report to back it up. Tritter accused her of perjury, but she only held back the inventory report because she didn't expect the matter to go this far, she said and looked at you this time. The judge chastised House and dismissed the charges, not before instructing the bailiff to incarcerate House overnight for leaving the courtroom, and ordered House to return to rehab upon release from jail.
You went with Cuddy and Wilson to visit House in jail. Cuddy, furious that she had to perjure herself, told him that she would be working him harder than ever and left.
Wilson gave him his withdrawal medication, which you figured out was actually Vicodin.
You waited further back until Wilson left, only then you neared the bars separating the two of you.
“Great way to celebrate our one-year anniversary.” You told him.
Sighing, he put his hands on top of yours through the bars.
“It’s just one night.”
“You didn’t even learn anything from what happened, those were still Vicodin and you got your way.”
“No, I got out of jail. Well, sort of at least. I hurt you along the way and I am sorry about that.”
“You should be.”
He chuckled, “I’m sorry.”
Reaching between the metal bars, you cupped his cheek, “You’re going to make it up to me. For the last few weeks as well as being stuck in a jail cell on our first anniversary.”
“Anything you want.”
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weryze · 6 months ago
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Kick the Habit: Exploring the Benefits of New Nicotine Gum
Smoking is a tough habit to break, but with the right tools and determination, it’s possible to quit for good. One of the most effective aids in the fight against smoking addiction is nicotine gum. This article delves into the benefits and options of New Nicotine Gum, anti-smoking gum, and anti-smoking chewing gum, offering insights on how they can support your journey to a smoke-free life.
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The Science Behind Nicotine Gum
Nicotine gum is a type of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) designed to help reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with quitting smoking. When you chew Nicotine Gum, it releases a controlled amount of nicotine that is absorbed through the lining of your mouth. This helps to satisfy the nicotine cravings while you work on breaking the habit of smoking.
What's Different?
The latest advancements in nicotine gum have made them more effective and easier to use. Here are some key features of new nicotine gum:
Enhanced Flavor Options: New nicotine gum comes in a variety of flavors, making the quitting process more pleasant. Popular flavors include mint, fruit, and cinnamon, catering to different taste preferences.
Improved Texture: Modern formulations have improved the texture of nicotine gum, making it more enjoyable to chew. The gum is designed to be less sticky and more durable, providing a better chewing experience.
Variable Nicotine Strengths: New nicotine gum is available in different nicotine strengths, allowing you to choose the dosage that best suits your needs. Common options include 2mg and 4mg doses, helping you to gradually reduce your nicotine intake.
A Key Ally in Quitting
Anti Smoking Gum plays a crucial role in helping individuals quit smoking. Here’s how it can support your journey:
Craving Control: Chewing anti-smoking gum helps to manage nicotine cravings, reducing the urge to smoke. This makes it easier to resist the temptation and stay on track with your quitting plan.
Behavioral Support: Smoking is not just a physical addiction; it’s also a behavioral one. Chewing gum provides an oral substitute for the act of smoking, helping to break the hand-to-mouth habit associated with cigarette use.
Flexible Usage: Anti-smoking gum can be used whenever cravings hit, offering flexibility and immediate relief. This is particularly useful in stressful situations or environments where smoking is not allowed.
Choosing the Right Anti-Smoking Chewing Gum
When selecting Anti Smoking Chewing Gum, consider the following factors:
Flavor Preferences: Choose a flavor that you enjoy to make the experience more pleasant. Popular options include mint, fruit, and cinnamon.
Nicotine Strength: Assess your nicotine dependency to determine the appropriate strength. If you are a heavy smoker, you may need a higher dose initially, with the aim to gradually reduce it over time.
Usage Instructions: Follow the recommended guidelines for usage to maximize effectiveness. Chew the gum slowly until you feel a tingling sensation, then park it between your cheek and gum to allow nicotine absorption.
Real-Life Experiences with Nicotine Gum
Many individuals have successfully quit smoking with the help of nicotine gum. Here are a few testimonials:
John, 45: "I struggled with smoking for over 20 years. The new nicotine gum with its refreshing mint flavor made quitting so much easier. I didn't feel the urge to smoke as much, and within a few months, I was smoke-free."
Lisa, 30: "The anti-smoking gum was a game-changer for me. It helped control my cravings and kept my hands busy. I also liked that I could choose different flavors to keep things interesting."
Mike, 50: "Chewing gum was a great alternative to smoking, especially in stressful situations. The different nicotine strengths allowed me to gradually reduce my dependence, and now I'm proud to say I've quit smoking."
Conclusion
Nicotine gum, anti-smoking gum, and anti-smoking chewing gum are powerful tools in the journey to quit smoking. With new formulations offering better flavors, improved textures, and variable nicotine strengths, these products make the quitting process more manageable and less daunting. Whether you’re just starting your journey or need additional support, nicotine gum can be a vital ally in achieving a smoke-free life. Embrace the change and take the first step towards a healthier, smoke-free future today.
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bitchlessdino · 10 months ago
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Would you like a receipt? Pt. 1
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In Valentines collaboration with @svthub hosted by my wifey @wongyuseokie, pt 2 out now! Pairing: Childhood bf!junhui x working class gn!reader Genre: fluff, slight angst, slice of life Word count: 2.9k tags: second chances, exes to ???, childhood friend/boyfriend!junhui, spontaneous dates, misunderstandings, smut in part 2!!! Summary: Coming across a grade school ex-boyfriend while you worked a shitty seasonal job around Valentines was not in your 2024 bingo card. author note: to sweet mio at @skyechild i apologize in advance for making you wait for the second half. I promise it'll be worth the wait. but yes! i am your one and only cupid. I hope you enjoy what i have so far. And to answer your ask, idk if i have a favorite thing about myself? Maybe it's the constant desire to look for new things to improve on or my attitude in trying new things? What i look for other people is pretty simple tho. That would be ease. I'd like if someone felt comfortable with me and vice versa. if i can make someone's day by making them laugh or just existing then that would be great. happy valentines day mio! From yours Truly, Cupid💘
Tag: @shiningstar-byulxx @misssugarlips @tommolex @hoeforhao @dkakapizzaboy @junhui-recs @svtup @buffhoshi @meowmeowminnie @caratochan @lovebot4han @camisun93 @emmmui @toruro @jeonride @novalpha @nvmrljk @feat-sun @tinkerbell460 @aaniag @tacosandbitch @cottoncheol @embrace-themagic
Valentine's Day has always been a bit of a hit or miss for you. The last time you remember eagerly anticipating the holiday was back in high school. Since then, the allure of celebrating love and romance seemed to fade away, as you realized that not everything in the world is adorned in shades of pink and red. Valentine's Day became a luxury, a whimsical indulgence that felt distant and impractical for someone navigating a world that often left little room for such extravagances. Life, for you, was a series of tasks, responsibilities, and the constant juggling act of making ends meet.
From the time you were in high school, you entered the realm of adulthood, where dreams sometimes took a backseat to the more immediate needs of providing for your family. The dreams you put on hold lingered in the recesses of your mind, awaiting their turn to be fulfilled. Working tirelessly, you made sacrifices, dedicating yourself to a job that demanded your energy and time. Despite the challenges, you pressed on, ensuring the well-being of your family, who toiled alongside you, if not even harder.
Now, as an adult working a part-time job that offers a slightly better paycheck than your previous one, you’ve grown used to the matter. While the financial gains may not be monumental, every improvement counts, especially when compared to the downfalls of your previous workplace.
Amidst the whirlwind of your daily hustle, Valentine's Day transforms into a distant echo of the past–a time when celebrations were carefree and seemingly attainable. However, for you, navigating the world feels akin to maneuvering on an almost empty tank. In this moment, mere existence becomes a means to sustain yourself.
“Is this a gift? If so, would you like it to be gift-wrapped for you?”
The middle-aged man raises an eyebrow, smacking that mint gum that doesn’t seem to mask his nicotine-coated breath. “Is it extra?”
“It’s two dollars extra.”
Usually, you’d really sell the idea that the highest premium quality wrapping paper would be used to then be topped off with a satin ribbon that truly pulls it all together, but for such a customer, you know you’d be wasting your breath.
He scoffs, snatching the bag off the counter. “Are you trying to scam me? Fuck that shit.”
You let a sigh of relief slip past your lips the moment he made his way out the sliding door, muttering to yourself about the smell. You reach down for your Powerade hidden on a bottom shelf of the counter you stand behind, hoping this supposed ‘power’ would relinquish itself to you for another long shift.
It’s the day before Valentine's Day, which means the rush has become a regular occurrence since about a week ago. The store is bursting with vibrant displays of flowers, stuffed animals clutching oversized lollipops, and decadent heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. Not such a bad gig if you look at it.
However, the true predicament lies in the presence of aggressive customers, drawn to discounts like magnets. They're all about grabbing anything and everything that's on sale, making things more complicated than they need to be. It's like they're trying to see how far they can push things and make your day even crazier. Dealing with them adds an extra layer of chaos to the already busy scene as if you haven’t lost faith in humanity enough.
“I bought this yesterday and it’s DIGUSTING! I want a full refund and extra compensation for my time and taste buds being wasted on this disgusting excuse of a candy.”
Popping open the box revealed a sorry sight–almost half the candies were missing as if they'd gone on a little taste adventure without an invite. The poor box looked like it had been through a candy apocalypse, so messed up that I couldn't even be sure if it originally belonged to our store.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry you're dissatisfied with our products. However, because the box is so damaged and half of the contents have been consumed we cannot accept this return,” you respond in your most polite service voice.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Where the hell is your manager? The customer is always right!”
At last, a wave of relief crashes over you like a superhero arriving just in the nick of time during closing hours. The once bustling crowd has dwindled, allowing you to begin the task of rearranging items and securing the cash register, signaling the imminent conclusion of yet another busy day.
Just when you're on the verge of clocking out and calling it a day, a sudden interruption unfolds at the entrance. A lone figure materializes outside, softly tapping on the glass as if pleading to be granted entry.
"Please," his voice is all muffled through the glass, "I know you're about to close, but pretty please! I just need to grab something real quick. I already know exactly what I need!"
It’s not every day you see a man of his looks and caliber beg to be given access to a candy store as if he were a determined child. There's this undeniable air of urgency about him–as if he’d die if we didn’t get what he needed–but it doesn't overshadow his perfectly proportioned features that illuminate under the evening street lights. Ultimately, you decide to approach the door, swiftly undoing the top lock of the door and allowing him inside.
He expresses his gratitude with a grateful clasp of his hands, swiftly navigating through the inventory to grab what he urgently needs. Returning to the counter, you initiate the process of unraveling the closing procedures, all the while fervently hoping that no one else decides to join the stranger in last minute browsing.
"Sorry," he apologizes as he drops his items on the counter: several heart-shaped boxes and a bear clutching a mini Mylar balloon that shouts 'I love you,' with a small box of chocolates in its other paw. A classic and popular choice.
“That’s a lot of chocolate. Big family?”
He shakes his head, "Nah, these are for a company thing. I've been busting my butt for weeks, and the one simple task I get, I can't even manage it until the last minute."
"Got it. And the bear? Picking up a last-minute surprise for your girlfriend too?"
A slightly offended look crosses his face. "Oh, if I had a girlfriend, I’d do way more than make up my tardiness with a teddy bear.” He holds the fluffy creature in his hand, “This is just for my mom. So, if you ever spot a lady with my face and long hair, please, keep it on the down-low."
You chuckle softly, bagging up his purchases. "I'll remember that. Cash or credit?"
He extends his hand, revealing his credit card with his full name on display. As you sound out the name in your head, it strikes you as unique yet oddly familiar. You run the card through the machine, unaware that the customer is squinting at you, also trying to place where he might know you from.
"Hey, have we met before? You seem really familiar," he questions.
"Uh, not sure, but your name does ring a bell," you reply as you hand the card back. "Haven't come across too many Wen Junhuis."
"Wait, how do you know my name?" he questions.
"Well, it's on your credit card, sir," You respond with straightforward precision.
"True, but no one has picked it up as quickly and accurately as you did. Maybe we do know each other."
You shrug. "Maybe so. I think the last time I heard a name like that was back in elementary school. A classmate maybe."
"Hold on, you couldn't be Y/n, right?" he questions, his eyes widening with realization.
You take a brief pause to grasp the implication, acknowledging it with a nod. "Been a long time coming, hasn't it?"
His smile widened across his cheeks, evoking memories of a similar grin on a boy more than half his age. "Yeah. Well, I be damned. I'm surprised you remember my name."
"It's pretty distinctive; I'm surprised you remember mine."
He scoffs. "You are a core memory, thank you very much. One of the nicest and coolest people in our grade. God, remember our first Valentines?"
"Yes," you softly chuckle, the memories of childhood innocence flooding back. "I begged my mom to get these really nice scented Valentine cards to give to the class."
"And you gave me the lemon one because I love lemons, and I gave you one of the hologram cards of a cat that smiles when you flip it on its side."
"I was so excited to show my sister, and I just know she was so jealous."
"Yeah, where did the time go?" he sighs, his smile turning wistful on his lips.
You shake your head, still smiling from the unexpected trip down memory lane, and finally, hand off his gifts back to him. "Would you like a receipt?"
"No, I'm good. So,” He leans over the counter curiously, “What are you doing this Valentine's?"
"Working the day. I'll probably just grab takeout for dinner and head home. You?"
"It's a workday,” he says proceeding to grab his things. “So most of the day is spent in the office. But, I'm free the rest of the evening…would it be weird if I asked you out for Valentine's Day?" he nervously proposes.
You raise an eyebrow, slightly taken aback but intrigued. "You want me to be your Valentine?"
"Couldn't hurt," he nonchalantly shrugged, a wry grin playing on his lips. Then, as if a light bulb flickered to life above his head, an idea dawned on him, sparking mischief in his eyes.
"Unless you've got a 200-pound, all-muscle boyfriend ready to beat my ass," he quips, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. The words linger in the air, forming a playful challenge and a subtle admission that, just maybe, he wasn't entirely impervious to consequences.
It harks back to a past altercation, one of those rare 'couple quarrels' you had. The promise was made in jest—that you'd leave him if he ever pulled on your hair again, and he'd have to face a burly 200-pound muscle man. Though uttered in humor with no evidence of said muscle man, it struck a chord of genuine concern in his little boy heart, and he kept that promise until the end of your relationship. The memory lingered, manifesting now in an unmistakable charm, a blend of audacity, bravado, and humor that fills the air with laughter and unadulterated ease.
You chuckle. “Lucikly, I don’t, but I don’t know you. Who knows what kind of person you, or I, have become in the last fifteen or so years? Maybe I'm a bitch.”
"Well, as long as there’s no one else in the picture, I see no problem. Bitch all you want to me." he grins.
Your expression shifts into a playful contemplation, "Why me? I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people out there dying for a dinner date with you. I mean, the last thing we shared was a juice box."
"Maybe I'm hoping to reignite an old spark. If I recall our MASH game correctly, we were supposed to be living in a shack with 20 kids, a dog, and daily commutes on a scooter," Junhui retorts.
"Thank goodness that scenario never played out, but, um, I'm not sure dinner is a good idea."
As the banter unfolds, you realize it's been an eternity since you've experienced the thrill of a proper date. The mere thought of dressing up, the nervous excitement before meeting someone, and the shared laughter over a romantic meal become fragments of a distant past, like pages in a cherished novel stored away on a forgotten shelf.
“We never know unless we try, right?” He says, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“You always hit on exes that you stumble upon on a random Tuesday?”
“Only the pretty ones.” Junhui grins, swiftly extracting a candy box from the bag. With a quick scribble on the side, he hands it to you. “If you change your mind. Happy Valentine's Day.”
You roll your eyes playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you accept the candy. “Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Jun.”
You depart with a box of candy in hand when your shift ends, Junhui's number hastily scribbled on the top, the ink still fresh as that abrupt encounter. As you make your way home, the city lights shimmering in the distance, you find your thoughts circling back to his audacious proposition.
The weight of the candy box seems to mirror the gravity of the decision before you. The city streets, now quieter in the late evening, echo with dilemma of pursuing his offer. You can't deny the charm that lingers in the air—a mix of confusion, nostalgia, and an unexpected connection. The mere act of considering his offer adds a layer of excitement to the night, anticipation for plans that have been yet set in motion.
As you unlock the door to your apartment, the scent of familiarity welcomes you warmly for once, likely due to the refreshing end of your night. You set the candy aside–already having memorized Junhui's number–and with a decisive tap, you enter his number into your phone. The screen lights up with his name, a digital beacon inviting you to venture into uncharted territory. As you send a quick message, the city outside continues its gentle hum, and you can't help but feel giddy. You’re eleven all over again.
The memory of Junhui's charismatic grin lingers in your mind, a subtle tug at the edges of your thoughts the moment you hit send, and you throw the phone aside, letting yourself get rid of the electrifying nerves running through your body. When you hear the notification going off–Junhui’s name on display–you realize there’s no going back.
The following day, you’re excited about living for once. Delighted to have something to look forward to after work, you board today's bus with a genuine smile on your face, a subtle change that doesn't escape the notice of the bus drivers, who have grown accustomed to your early presence by now.
As the bus carries you through the familiar townscape, you can't help but revel in the subtle shift in the air. The usual humdrum of daily life seems to have given way to a vibrant undercurrent of anticipation for the holiday. The ordinary scenes outside the window take on a slightly pink hue, and you find yourself savoring the details that often go unnoticed illuminated with festive decor.
Work hours also pass with a newfound energy, and the anticipation for the evening grows with each passing minute, even with the rambunctious customers buying more gifts just in the nick of time. The mundane tasks of the day become a mere backdrop to the vibrant scene that awaits you once the clock strikes the end of the workday.
Today, the world outside the candy store seems to radiate brighter than any other day has. The street lights gradually flickering on, usually just a backdrop to your daily grind, now beckon with a promise of surprises. As the day unfolds, you find yourself counting down the hours until your appointment time arrives and you quickly change into your Valentine's date attire, anticipating Junhui's reappearance.
Time moves forward—one hour, two hours, three hours. Doubts begin to creep in. Were you merely indulging in wishful thinking at this point?
The rose-tinted glasses, which once painted the day with a hopeful hue, must have started to expire. Now, a subtle gray takes over, bringing you back to the stark reality of the passing moments. The initial excitement begins to wane, replaced by a tinge of disappointment and a hint of uncertainty.
As the clock ticks away, doubts and questions swirl in your mind like a gathering storm. The vibrant anticipation that once filled the air begins to dissipate, leaving behind a quiet unease.
You glance at your reflection in the mirror, the Valentine's date attire now carrying a touch of wistfulness. The city outside, once alive with the promise of a special evening, now takes on a different tone. The street lights, initially beacons of excitement, cast shadows that dance with anxiety and unease. The imminent arrival of buses amplifies a fleeting thought–maybe, just maybe, you can still catch it if you run.
Taking a leap of faith, you hastily gather your belongings and make your way to the bus station, adhering to your initial plan—opting for takeout in the solitude of home, if restaurants are still an option at this hour. Amidst the uncertainty, your phone succumbs to the lack of power, its screen plunged into darkness, mirroring the tone of your night.
The familiarity of home brings no comfort, only disheartenment. You set aside the dinner you had envisioned for tonight, plugging in your phone to replenish its drained battery, intentionally avoiding any further interaction with the outside world for the remainder of the night.
When your phone finally regains its power, messages burst to life in an instant, one particular message standing out, beckoning attention. That is, of course, if you were still around to witness it.
Junhui: I’m so sorry! You will not believe the day I had. My office was bombarding me all day with extra work and i only left now. Please tell me its not too late.
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P.S. and here's that valentine i wanted to give to you <3 i hope you like it as much as this fic so far
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sebsbarnes · 9 months ago
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inked || tangerine
tattoo artist!tangerine x shy!freader
summary: you meet tangerine's friends for the first time
warnings: language
word count: 1.7k+
masterlist
a/n: def not my best work but i needed to post something to get me out of my writing slump :/
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"f'the love of god, please," tangerine pinched his nose, "i'm not askin' for much."
lemon snickered before cooing at tangerine's pleading eyes. tangerine was desperate to get lemon, ladybug, and maria to not be crass fools for once in their lives. just a few minutes was all he was begging for, yes begging, tangerine begging that his friends be nice.
"first of all dude," ladybug started, chewing loudly on a piece of gum, "how did you even get a girlfriend. no offense but you're kind of a prick. secondly, you, with someone shy? no way, man."
"yes, she's shy," he hissed, "that's why i'm asking yous to not bring it up or make jokes 'kay?"
maria placed a hand on tangerine's arm, "we will be nice. stop stressing it's weird to see."
tangerine sighed, slumping further into the chair. he was anxious for you to meet everyone. it was a big step for him, he'd never introduced anyone, to, well- anyone and your personality was much different than the group's, a stark contrast to be exact. your appearance was warm and inviting but you were incredibly shy while the people you were soon meeting were intimidating and outgoing.
tangerine's eyes wandered over to his co-workers-turned-friends all hunched over either drawing on a sketchpad or setting up their station. maria was sanitizing some tools for her first appointment, lemon was crafting new designs for his portfolio, and ladybug was instructing his canvas on how to sit in the chair. all of them were covered head to toe in tattoos and piercings, often using their downtime to decorate each other's skin with new ink. tangerine's appearance mimicked his friends. he, too, was covered in ink that scattered up his thighs and torso to his arms and neck. most people raised a brow seeing the two of you together.
tangerine walked out the steps of the building and leaned against the wall. he placed a cigarette between his teeth hoping the nicotine would ease him. he felt bad, in a way, he didn't want to force you to meet his friends even though you insisted it was okay. he'd talk so highly of them and it felt good knowing tangerine was willing to take the steps to further the relationship.
"hiya hun," tangerine grinned, flicking the cigarette to the pavement as he saw you approach.
"hey tang," you smiled sweetly, placing the bags you were holding on the floor and wrapping your arms around his waist. tangerine raised a brow at all the bags you were holding to which you let out a small chuckle.
"well, this is the equipment that i came here for, and i know it was probably stupid of me but i felt like i needed to bring your friends something. i just want them to like me and really this is no big deal i wanted to. not-not just to win some sort of brownie points but because i... wanted to...?," you rambled, slightly cringing at yourself. tangerine looked down at the bags you had pulled open and inside was food from a place he had mentioned to you previously that he and his friends would often stop by after work.
"you're too sweet, love," tangerine placed a kiss on your forehead, "let's go inside, 'right?"
you pressed your lips in a tight line suddenly feeling anxious to step inside. tangerine propped the door open for you while holding most of the bags you brought. inside the tattoo shop, you were greeted with punk music and the sound of needles vibrating. no one picked their heads up at the sound of the door opening and you felt slightly uncomfortable, not knowing whether to say hello or wait for a pair of eyes to land on you.
ladybug picked his head up from his client and saw you, "ahh. so you're the girlfriend?"
"really, ladybug," tangerine hissed, irritated with his so-called greeting.
ladybug defensively raised his gloved hand while the other continued to shade in the tattoo he was working on, "i didn't mean it in a bad way! it was simply a question, right? i wasn't being mean," he peered up at you.
a small laugh escaped your nose, "no you weren't being rude and yes i am the girlfriend."
"see!"
tangerine excused himself to the back quickly, taking the new tattoo gun that was accidentally shipped to your apartment to a back closet. you stood idly observing the shop. there was sketch paper framed across the red walls displaying each of the artist's works, statues of skulls and ravens, and some dated concert posters taped to the ceiling. you felt yourself shrinking in the longer tangerine took to come back.
"tangerine's never mentioned a girlfriend before, how long ago did you start dating?" the only girl in the shop asked, who you could only conclude was maria.
"it's been a few months now," you replied, playing with your fingers.
lemon rolled over on his chair, "with the utmost respect, why the hell are you dating my brother? isn't he an asshole?"
you couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled up, "well, to other people yes, but he is super sweet to me," you noticed their raised eyebrows, "actually a complete gentlemen. i was stuck on the side of the road with car troubles and he pulled over and helped me out. we managed to get my car back to my apartment and tangerine even offered to come back the following day to continue working on the issue. from there, things progressed. i didn't know he had this asshole persona until we ran into one of his old friends, carver? carter? one of those. and that's when i learned he isn't always the nicest."
"yeah you're nothin' like him, i'm just surprised by-"
"the fuck did i say about interrogatin' her?" tangerine snapped at his brother, coming back over to you.
"tan it's okay," you said gently placing a hand on his arm, "they are allowed to ask questions."
lemon and him stepped to the side, hearing tangerine hiss that lemon was an idiot. they continued to bicker as you looked down at the table next to you, the words 'maria's portfolio' were scribbled on the cover. with every page flip you saw another beautiful tattoo or a photo of a fresh piercing.
"do you have any?" maria's voice startled you.
you glanced back over the picture of a heavily pierced ear, "no. no piercings or tattoos. kinda lame right?"
maria tsked, "not at all! everyone has their style preference. i didn't get my first piercing until my 20s and most people would guess otherwise."
she tucked her hair behind her ear showing off the metal and you noticed the rings looped around her lip and nose. it looked good on her, as if they had been there her whole life. tangerine always wore dangly earrings that you'd help pick out and he had more daring ones like his tongue.
"i've always wanted some, i think the nose ring looks cute but i'm too nervous," you sighed slightly. you were too intimidated to go to a piercing and tattoo shop to get it done and you never wanted to bother tangerine with the request. he didn't do piercings but if he did, you had a feeling you would have a few by now.
"well if you are feeling adventurous one day let me know or let tangerine know and i'll do it for you! it'd be an honor," maria winked.
"i appreciate that," you smiled.
"plus it would give me some girl time and i wouldn't have to entertain these losers the whole day," she pointed a thumb behind her shoulder.
you suppressed a laugh as tangerine joined you once more. though you found yourself at ease in maria's presence, you relaxed once tangerine's arm was situated around your waist. sure on the outside looking in you and tangerine didn't seem to fit but with him you've never felt more like yourself. with him, a better version of yourself comes out and a better version of tangerine comes out when he is with you. in a whisper, you told tangerine you needed to leave and he took the clue to announce your departure to the group.
"let me know if my brother is an ass to you!"
"nice meetin' ya!"
"i'm serious about that piercing! tell tangerine to let me know when you wanna get it!"
"it was nice meeting you all! and i'll be sure to tell tang!" you waved them goodbye as you exited the door and you heard ladybug cooing at your nickname for tangerine.
"how are you, doll? everything alright? how'd ya feel?" tangerine asked you, running his hands down your arm as you leaned against your car, the coldness of the rings adorning his fingers leaving goosebumps.
"they all seem nice, i was nervous," you bounced your head up and down, "but i'm glad it was brief. i-i think next time i'll be okay to be around them all longer," you hummed, "maria is cool and i think i'd enjoy hanging out with your brother. ladybug... he..."
"yeah," tangerine laughed, "he is a dick most of the time. he is too nonchalant and it doesn't always translate well. but, i am sorry they all kind of grilled ya a bit. i warned them, i said if they make a fuckin' scene i'll-" tangerine was starting to go red in the face as his voice became angry.
you quickly cut him off, "babe, i'm not offended at all. everyone has different personalities, 'kay? i'm fine, you're fine, and they are fine. i promise you. don't be sorry for anything."
tangerine sighed a bit rubbing circles on his temples. you leaned forward pressing a kiss to his lips. it's like you could see the stress and anger vanish from his body as his shoulders and jaw relaxed.
"make sure you all eat and if not then we will actually have a problem," you joked.
tangerine wrapped his arms around your shoulders, rocking you both gently. "i'll see you later today, drive home safe. love you, hun."
when tangerine walked back inside he saw his friends circling around the bag of food with questioning looks on their faces.
"yeah you assholes sat here interrogating the poor girl and she brought you lunch. dickheads," tangerine said pointedly, giving a slight shove to ladybug's shoulder.
the friends went quiet for a moment before lemon spoke up, "honestly, mate, you seem proper happy with her. she seems like a sweet girl and i'm sorry if i fucked up the first impression."
ladybug popped open the lid to one of the to-go containers, "yeah dude, your whole aura is different when she's around. you seem happier."
slowly a smile spread across tangerine's face. he felt his face run hot thinking of how happy his life has been since he met you. tangerine nodded his head, "that's my person."
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archangeldyke-all · 11 months ago
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ugh the one about sevika not wearing her reading glasses 🙁
what would growing older with sevika look like?
a;lkjs;ldkfj this is sooooo cute ugh
men and minors dni
it would take forever for her hair to go fully white. for a longggg time she rocks the salt and pepper look, and it's about the hottest thing you've ever seen.
i don't think she'd have many physical ailments as she grew older, the strength and muscle she developed in her younger life helps keep her strong as she grows old. but she'd hate it when she starts being unable to move like she used to. when she has to stop tapping out during training ten minutes in, or when she can't bench press as much as she used to, it really gets to her.
these are the moments that you swoop in and remind her that it's normal and natural for strength to diminish with age-- that it's a blessing, in fact, because it means she's lived long enough to be getting old.
you'd help her find new hobbies to replace the ones she can't do anymore.
she really likes gardening, surprisingly enough. it's something physical she can do that isn't an explicit work out, and the smell of the dirt, the small new developments on her plants every day, the ritual of weeding and watering every morning, it's all very therapeutic for her.
when she starts coughing from her years and years of smoking, you demand that she quits, helping her overcome her cravings with lollipops and gum and nicotine patches and make out sessions when she's particularly insatiable.
sevika's definitely a cranky old woman. she's been a cranky old woman since the day she was born, but she's finally old enough for her body to match her personality. she's always scowling at kids and grumbling under her breath, wearing a glare while she's out in public. (but she's only soft smiles with you, you're her sweetheart, she can't keep the act up around you.)
she's definitely the type of old woman to just sit on the porch all day. in the evenings she'll drink, sometimes she'll read, but usually she just watches the world go by with you at her side, holding your hand between your matching rocking chairs.
just like you help her as she grows old, she helps you.
when your memories start getting fuzzy, she's patient and kind and always gently reminding you of your best moments together, relishing in the giant smile it brings out of you as her words bring back the moments with clarity.
when your arthritis starts getting bad, she'll massage your joints every three hours, making sure to keep you medicated and comfortable, helping you in and out of your compression socks and pressing kisses to your aching joints.
your libidos dip, but don't completely disappear. you guys make sundays your sex days, both of you taking arousal pills in the morning so you can spend the day going at it. (of course, with your aging hips, it's a little slower than it used to be. but it's just as intimate and special all the same)
this next one is gonna be sad in a bittersweet way so get ready.
when you both die, it's at the same time, on the same night, both of you peacefully asleep and wrapped in each other's arms. sevika used to tell you she'd go when you go, and you'd tell her the same. turns out, neither of you were joking.
taglist!
@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @ellabslut @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa @badbye666 @femme-historian
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visualbutterflysworld · 1 year ago
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Bf!Vinnie
Headshots fr fr.
y’all can request but just know it may take a long time
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How you met
I think Vinnie definitely wouldn’t date anyone in the industry, or well marry anyone in the industry.
Anywho :P
I think you guys would met at the airport or maybe you’re a journalist? It would be super awkward but it would be a cute type of awkward situation yk.
After a few dates and blah blah blah
here’s the main canons !
Vinnie is super clingy.
Like this man loves to be on top of you. He does travel a lot so you don’t mind.
His love language is definitely physical touch.
I think he may also have a giving/receiving gifts love language. “Vinnie, I told you to stop buying me stuff.” “You said you needed a new watch?” “I wasn’t asking for you to buy me one!” “Oh well…this is a happy Friday gift?” “Vinnie!”
Vinnie would keep the relationship private but not a secret! Like when he posts about you or talks about you the comments are just filled with love and adoration.
“Show us Y/n!” “We came for Y/n? Not for you Vin.” “Tell Y/n I said hi!”
Vinnie loves playing pranks on you! He even calls himself the king of pranks.
*you minding your own business walking in the hallway* “Rah!” “Jesus fuck Vincent!” You definitely would prank him back. If he really makes you mad then you prank him by implying y’all do it and the you be like peace 🤗
Vinnie’s favorite part of you physically is your boobs! I know a lot of people think he’s an ass man but, naw I know he got a titty fixation.
“Let me play with your boobs.” “Vin, I’m reading.” “And?”
Vinnie likes smoking with you. Weed only tho! You actually make him stop smoking those nasty ass cigarettes.
*you coughing around him while he smokes a cigarette* “you okay babe?” “No, I’m asthmatic and you’re smoking that nasty ass cigarettes.” “Oh shit! Why didn’t you tell me!? I’m quitting right now” he probably would have to chew on those gum things for a while to get off the nicotine.
During intercourse, Vinnie makes sure you yk first. He also loves eating you out like there’s no tomorrow. Like you would have to constantly fight this man off. Like that one reel!
“Get off my car, Vinnie. Let me go to work!” You trying to pull out. Him coming to your window. “I could just have a smidge of coochie.” You would be laughing of course “Get away-” “Just a little bit. A parcel!” “No!” “Ma’am, could you spare something?” “No!” “Please!” “No!” “It’s been 15 hours!”
I think Vinnie would definitely want to marry you. Like you’ll change his view on marriage.
“Mama, I think I’m gonna ask Y/n to marry me.” “What! You’ve been together for only a year!” “I know but not like now! I think just sometime a few years down.” “Oh! Well go ahead!”
That’s all I got! Happy Halloween!
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lokischocolatefountain · 2 years ago
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Shit Habit
A Married!Javi Drabble
Rating: PG13 (just suggestive stuff, nothing explicitly smutty. Warning: mention of Stechner)
Series Masterlist
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“What happened to the nicotine gum?” She asked, looking up from her book, catching him with an unlit cigarette between his lips, lighter clutched in his hand.
“Had a conversation with Stechner,” was all he needed to say. She hummed in understanding. Stechner had become a staple of his angry rants to her about work and he’d become a center of her jokes where she’d curse “fucking Stechner” whenever anything went wrong in their day.
“Fucking Stechner,” she cursed as he predicted, making him smile halfheartedly before parroting “Fucking Stechner” back at her. He was bringing too much of his work back home. But she still found him acceptable enough to keep around, beckoning him with her index finger. He followed, walking away from the open window to where she sat on the sofa. He tried to sit, but she stretched her legs out on the sofa before pulling him away from the seat by his hands.
He raised an eyebrow at her and she simply smiled before she began unbuttoning his shirt.
“I have to say, you look really good in a white shirt and slacks. Like a conventional office worker.”
“Huh. Fucking hate it. And the stupid SUV. I need my jeep back. Not this stupid little—” he sighed and pushed his hair out of his forehead. “Sorry, I’m just… It’s this job— it’s different. I can’t be on the field like I used to be anymore. I have to send other guys, trust that they won’t fuck up. Duffy and Lopez ended up on the news and I had to take responsibility for their shit.”
“Aww honey,” she cooed, her voice so soft it melted away some of the tension in his muscles. “Maybe this is why Noonan and Messina were always pissed at you and Steve. Because they had to face the fire after you broke the rules.”
“You’re saying it’s karma?” He asked, finally lighting the cigarette. When the first puff filled his lungs, his hand finally stopped its restless fidgeting. He was never going to be able to quit at this rate.
He kept his eyes away from her, easy to do as he stood while she was sitting. He was afraid that if he looked, he’d see disappointment. She never suggested that he quit or even demanded it of him. She had every right to demand it, especially now. She never asked for shit. It should make him feel at ease, but the more he messed up and she went without fighting him on it, the worse he felt. He knew how to defend himself against anger— he would make excuses, tell her he couldn’t quit when his job was so stressful again. But she said nothing, just offered kindness and slipped a strip of nicotine gums into his suit pocket when he dropped her off at work in the morning. What was he meant to do with supportiveness?
The second puff tasted bitter in his heart and he quickly put it out on the glass top of their coffee table as he’d gotten rid of his ashtray in a bout of enthusiasm over quitting.
“Good boy.”
He snorted. Good? He went two weeks without smoking and now that they were in Colombia, he was right back to the terrible habit.“That was my fifth cigarette today.”
“Used to be seven a day on average. You only took two puffs of this last one…and I know you’ve been very stressed lately. Good boy,” she said, pulling him down to her by his hand. Guided by her hand, he knelt down by the sofa.
“It’s a shit habit.”
“It is,” she agreed, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. “You’re an impatient man, Javier. You want everything to happen immediately. Cut yourself some slack, acknowledge that you’re doing better now than you were doing last month. If you feel shit about where you’re at in your journey to quit your smoking habit, you’ll just feel worse and quitting won’t feel worth it anymore.”
He nodded, knowing she was right. But it didn’t stop him from feeling like shit. He placed a hand on her knee, his thumb caressing a scar she’d gotten from a childhood fall in the playground. He traced the shape of it, and visualized the shape without even having to take another look at it. A new body every night used to be fun but now, he needed the familiar terrain of her body. He needed to know that when he made his way up her thigh, he would go past that mole, that when he buried his face in her neck he would smell the scent of her coconut shampoo.
“Alright… since you’re already on your knees…” she trailed, smiling suggestively as she threaded her fingers through his hair.
“Ask you to marry me?” He squinted, feigning innocence. It was fun to pretend when he knew exactly what she was asking for.
“Well, don’t be too confident with that. Just because I said yes once doesn’t mean I’ll say yes again,” she teased, the back of her hand grazing his cheek.
“Oh?”
“Mhmm. My back hurts and I threw up right after I woke up and it’s all your fault. So, I’m not so enthusiastic about you anymore.”
“I’m sorry…” he said, pulling her shorts down her legs. He started with her belly, placing a kiss on it as it’d become customary of late. There was no visible difference in her yet, nothing apparent, but it felt good to acknowledge it with small affections. He had to quit his habit soon. He shouldn’t be smoking around her. While she chose to build a life with his sorry ass, shit habits and all, this baby didn’t and it would be the wrong example to set for it.
“Don’t say sorry. Show me how sorry you are,” she said, guiding him by his hair between her legs. Laughter bubbled over from his chest and he pushed her legs apart, settling himself comfortably between them.
“Si, Jefa.”
_______
Tag list: @harriedandharassed @cowboychickenlittle
Drop by my inbox if you’d like to be tagged too
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fandomshifter · 6 months ago
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Can I get general headcanons for the proxies? (Or basically Tim,Brian,And toby?)
Okay, I'm back with creepypasta things!! So send me more asks 🙏 🙏🙏
These headcannons are based on my au "Don't go into the woods." There are general all-around headcannons & personal headcannons for each Tim, Brian & Toby. Hope you enjoy!! Again, these are my personal headcannons. Yes, the mansion exists. Yes, it's found family. Yes, it's also horror. I have also watched Marble Hornets and hate twinkified versions of the proxies. Also, would anyone be interested in OC stuff ?
⦻ THE PROXIES ⦻
⦻ The proxies are the top dogs and have a lot of respect from members of the mansion. They are directly under Slenderman in terms of rank. When Slenderman is away on business with his brothers or 'recruiting', the proxies are in charge of the missions and the mansion.
⦻ All proxies have a scar of the symbol [⦻] located somewhere on their body, that's personal to them. Slenderman can use it as a homing beacon to find their location or sense if they have died, which he can choose to bring them back or keep them dead. Tim is on the base of his neck, Brian's is on the middle of his back, and Tobys is on the right side of his neck.
⦻ Proxies get given heightened senses. They can run faster and are stronger. However, they have to train to be able to deal with the new changes to their body. Ontop of these injuries can heal quicker, but they will still need to see nurse Ann or Eyeless Jack to get it bandaged and checked on. Small injuries take a short time to heal & and bigger injuries take longer to heal. Missing limbs take a shorter amount of time only because they are kinda important to be able to do their jobs.
⦻ Very frequent visits to many different states. For recruitment, proxies have a list of people they have to visit and get close to, basically infiltrating their life to see if they would be fit to work. Then Slenderman would give them "Slender Sickness," which would then result in said person either dying before going to the mansion or living to become a proxie, which is highly rare.
💊 TIM WRIGHT [MASKY] 💊
💊 Drives a red truck everywhere. He stole it from a victims house and changed the licence plate. He doesn't let anyone else drive it unless he really really needs too and it's usually Brian or Liu.
💊 He chainsmokes when he is stressed. People can usually find him smoking outside on the porch, or he is in his room smoking while watching a movie or a TV show. If he isn't smoking, he's eating sweets or chewing gum. He always has both on him.
💊 Considering the proxies' clothes get ripped all the time, for the first few months of living in the mansion, he learned to sew clothes back up. When people started to find out, they would always ask him, especially Jeff & Nina. So he would make people pay him depending on how long it would take him.
💊 Due to being from the South, his accent tends to slip out during heated arguments. People found it funny at first. Now they take as a warning not to make him ANY angrier. The last time that happened, Jeff ended up getting tied to a tree for 5 hours.
💊 He is the leader of the proxies, having know of Slendermans' existence longer than anyone in the mansion, so they have a close "bond" of sorts. However, he feels alone because, in a way, he has no one to relate to since Brian & Toby only knew of his existence for a few years before joining, but him...He's know Slenderman his whole life and feels like there is no life worth living without Slenderman because everytime he runs, it always comes back.
💊 He has: Depression, insomnia, suffers nicotine addiction & Slender-sickness.
🔫 BRIAN THOMAS [HOODIE] 🔫
🔫 Brian has a motorbike that he uses on solo missions or just to have a drive during the night. Most nights, he can't sleep, so him and Tim would race each other. Tim in his truck, Brian on his bike. They would race down empty & quiet roads.
🔫 He has a pair of reading glasses that he only wears in the comfort of his own room or Tim's room. He wears them to read [ obviously ], but also when he uses a computer and knows he is going to be on his phone for a long period of time.
🔫 He can understand & write in Binary [ code like 1s & 0s ]. He uses it to fuck with his victims because it freaks them out. He also uses it as a party trick during get-togethers or as a game.
🔫 Brian isn't mute like many others headcannon him as. It's more like he doesn't like talking to people he doesn't have, too. He has too much going on physically and mentally to the point where he doesn't care what people think of him just as long as he gets his job done.
🔫 Brian is in charge of locating targets. He sometimes works with BEN, but more often than not, he does it by himself, having been a computer nerd back in his younger days.
🔫 He has: Depression, PTSD, OCD & Slender-sickness
🪓 TOBY ERIN RODGERS [TICCI TOBY] 🪓
🪓 Toby grew up in a religious household, his father being a Christian man, so he grew up very sheltered on things such as 'self expression'. So now, being at the mansion, he expresses himself more. This being with clothing styles, makeup, gender, Sexuality. Ontop of this, he doesn't mask his personality or hide his mental issues behind a wall.
🪓 You can find him drawing in his notebook during his free time. If the weather's nice, he sits outside in the forest, and if it's raining, he sits in his room smoking a joint while he doodles away. Nobody knows what he draws or what they look like. It's like a diary to him.
🪓 Out of the 3, he is more hands-on. He doesn't think before he kills, he let's Tim & Brian do that. He also doesn't like using guns and things such as, like I said hands on, so blunt force trauma and mutilation are his go-to. Especially if the target is an abuser and so on and so forth, then their body parts will be found all over the state.
🪓 He hates being inside for too long, so he has a set time every day where he goes on an hour long walk in the forest. He doesn't do anything he just walks and takes in the scenery because each walk he takes is never the same.
🪓 He is not allowed to drive. Tim & Brian taught him how to, but he has a habit of speeding or panicking before he can turn the engine on. He stole Tim's truck once and drove around with Jeff & BEN. ALMOST crashed the car, Tim was fucking pissed, which is why he created the truck ban.
🪓 He has: CIPA, Tourette syndrome, ADHD, amnesia caused by slenderman & Slender-sickness.
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allthecanadianpolitics · 3 months ago
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Health Canada-approved nicotine pouches will only be available behind pharmacy counters starting next week, as part of Health Minister Mark Holland's promised crackdown on the sale of new nicotine products to children.  Holland plans to publish a ministerial order next Wednesday that will only allow the pouches to be sold in pharmacies, and will ban all flavours other than mint or menthol. "Nicotine pouch flavours like berry frost or tropical breeze are not going to be allowed to be sold anywhere. They'll be recalled," Holland said in an interview on Thursday. The order will also put limits on the labels and advertising of all nicotine-replacement therapies, including gums and lozenges. After a grace period of six months, manufacturers will have to revise their packaging to include warnings about nicotine addiction and ensure they're not designed to appeal to children.
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Tagging: @newsfromstolenland
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creedslove · 1 year ago
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CARIÑO MIO 💔
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Javier Peña x f!reader
Warnings: angst, fluff, embarrassment, sort of abusive relationship, violent (ex) boyfriend, Javi being protective
A/N: this idea stuck with me the whole day after I read this request, I couldn't simply write headcanons on it, it needed to be longer because ugh 🤌 also, I was indecisive between Javi or Joel, but this screams Javi so yeah... also, there's one line that was totally inspired by a dialog between Monica an Chandler from Friends. I don't recall seeing that scene on the show so it might be a deleted scene, but I thought it fit perfectly our Javi P and his cariño!
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Javier blew some smoke as he stood in front of the window, he knew Gabriella would take forever to get ready, and even if it annoyed him, because she always did it on purpose, telling him she wouldn't take more than a few minutes and always getting late to events, he was also glad about it, since he didn't want to go at all.
Usually, he would be up for it on a regular basis, but not when he knows he's gonna see you there. You, his cariño, the woman Javier had loved the most in his life, but also he had lost it for not being enough for you. He remembered every single detail about your relationship together, he always assumed that was a girl thing to do, because he had never bothered memorizing dates or small things that could have happened between him and his partner, but that was it only until he fell in love with you, the hardest he had ever felt towards anyone, and then he realized that yeah, he kept every single small detail in his mind because he cherished it. From the moment you two flirted for the first time, to how you started to hang out, sleep together and all the bliss that followed until you two broke up, he kept it all in his heart. He still remembered how you ended their relationship, you were tired of putting up with his erratic behavior, of expecting from him something he couldn't give you.
"I'm tired of being your tutor in this relationship, if you are too scared of being in a relationship, just don't be in one"
You had told him after one argument and Javier saw you were right, he was a grown man who was afraid of being called your boyfriend, of thinking of proposing to you some day and to be seen holding your hand. He was pathetic and he knew it, he also knew you deserved better than that, so he did what you told him: he took the decision of not being in a relationship with you any longer and set you free, so you could actually meet someone who could take care of you.
He just didn't know it would hurt as bad as it did, that he would miss you as much as he did, but life went on and there was nothing he could do, after watching you getting over him, he just figured maybe he could do the same. And that was how he met Gabriella. She wasn't you, she never could be, but she was pretty and Javier liked that. However, when he heard you had found yourself a new guy, Javi didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to be a decent person and be happy for you, but he couldn't lie to himself and say he was happy for you, because he wasn't. It made his skin crawl to even think of another man touching you, even if he already had a new girlfriend, it was a thought that disturbed him and he didn't like it one bit.
•••
"I see you haven't quit smoking yet, Javier…" you said with a smirk as you saw him standing on the sidewalk, taking another puff while everyone was probably already inside and having their fun. Not Javi, though, he would always stop for a cigarette, and even if you had asked him to quit and he started an experience period with his nicotine gum, all in order to please you, when you two broke up, he had no reason to stop smoking at all, not that you complained about it, but you worried about his health, and that warmed his heart to no end.
"I got no reason to quit cari-" he cleared his throat "and you know you can still call me Javi… there's no need to be formal"
You chuckled and folded your arms, looking at him and bit your lips
"Yeah, but you aren't my Javi… not anymore at least" you shrugged. "Besides, if you don't want to be so formal, why don't you call me cariño anymore?" You asked and raised your eyebrow at him, who just ran his thumb over his bottom lip and remained silent.
You looked at him and wondered if you should properly greet him, perhaps a hug? A kiss on the cheek? A handshake? No, that would be pathetic. You took a step closer just as he threw away his cigarette butt and walked towards you, perhaps he missed your physical touch just as much as you missed his. You couldn't ask him, but as his body language showed he was so eager to wrap his arms around your body, then yes, maybe he did miss you as much.
"Come on, Javi, let's get inside!" Gabriella's squeaky voice interrupted whatever was about to happen between the two of you and Javier had no other option but to follow her inside.
As you all were scattered around the table - Gabriella and Javier, sitting across from you and your boyfriend, along with your other friends in common - you tried to make yourselves at ease, but it was odd. You couldn't stop comparing your boyfriend to Javier and how inferior he was; he couldn't simply be compared to Javi, because Javier Peña was like a walking sin, he was handsome, sweet, funny, and no one would ever touch you the way he did. You were doomed to have the ghost of Javier haunting all your relationships because you simply couldn't break the spell you were under.
Javier on the other hand, just stared at you, like he did when you both were together, he just loved watching you talk to whoever it was, friends, family, people you'd just met… it didn't matter, he just loved observing you with the same intent one would observe a work of art. You were intelligent to the point it was so easy and natural for you to speak about pretty much anything with a lot of confidence. You were polite and sweet, but also assertive when necessary, it just brought a sense of peace and pride to him, he was just proud you were his… or used to be, at least, it was hard for him to get rid of that claim he felt towards you, but in a way it was like you were still his. He frowned softly as he saw your boyfriend opening his mouth to agree with whatever stupidity Gabriella had said that embarrassed him. He saw you rolling your eyes at the subject and he couldn't help but smirk, after all, you were still his girl.
When the food arrived, Javier finally realized how hungry he was, the burgers were pretty good, the fries were exactly the way he liked and of course that wasn't as good as the food you made him, but that would do. He wiped his lips softly with a napkin but something was still missing.
"Can you please pass me the salt, cariño?"
Javi's voice was soft and distracted as he extended his hand to welcome the salt shaker at the same time you absent-mindedly handed it to him
"Of course mi amor"
The silence was deafening and it took you a few seconds until you realized what you'd said. Your eyes were wide as you noticed how big was the shit you got yourself into. The mood was absolutely dead, and you had killed it. Javier looked at you with a shocked expression, he had no idea where that came from, but he liked it, even if Gabriella was digging her nails into his arms and your boyfriend's teeth were about to shatter at how hard he was clenching his jaw. Your other friends just looked at each other and smiled awkwardly, immediately changing the subject but that wasn't enough to lift the spirits, quite the opposite, the tension was thick and you cleared the throat.
"Uh… here it is, the salt I mean… Javier'' you said his name slowly and avoided everyone's stares, looking down at your burger but realizing you weren't hungry anymore. As people slowly went back to chatting, you excused yourself and headed for the restroom, washing your face and sighing as you thought of what the fuck had happened. You didn't know exactly what was up, you were so distracted, Javi had called you by your old nickname at the same time you simply responded by using the nickname you used for him. You used to be his cariño just as he used to be your amor. It was an awkward situation, that could be seen as kind of cute, if it weren't for how angry your boyfriend was the moment you stepped out of the restroom.
He gripped your arm making you wince in pain at how strong it was
"What the fuck was that, huh? Calling Peña that in front of everyone? If you don't have respect for yourself fine, not my problem, I should've known how a woman who sleeps with a man like Peña isn't worth it, but the least you could do is respect me!"
You groaned and tried getting rid of his grip, shocked to see how violent he could turn, of course you had never liked him as much as you did Javi, but you thought he was at least a nice guy. You swallowed, fear taking over you as he didn't seem to be willing to let go of your arm.
"Get off her now" Javier's voice was calm but firm as he stood behind your boyfriend, his blood was boiling to see your scared eyes, but as a good cop, he was very focused and knew he needed to calm down. "Get off her now and leave" Javier repeated his words but the moment he saw your boyfriend wasn't moving, he pushed him against the wall and reached for his gun, knowing the man would run away as soon as he saw Javi holding his pistol, which was a card he hated pulling, but he didn't think twice if it meant that asshole would keep his hands away from you.
Once you and Javier were alone, he gently held your arm, rubbing it softly where your boyfriend, well, surely ex-boyfriend at that very moment, had held you with a strong grip.
"Come on, let me take you home…" and you scoffed
"Yeah, because Gabriella will love to see you giving me a ride"
"She left with the rest of our friends… you really know how to kill the vibe" he winked at you and made you chuckle, a blush spreading through your cheeks as you looked at him
"Listen Javi… I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-"
"Cariño, I also didn't mean to, it's okay, it was out of habit, but hey, it was pretty good to see I'm still your Javi, tu amor" he smiled at you and you wanted to kill him for being such a sweet, charming man, who could just make your heart melt and your knees get weak at the slightest words.
"Yeah, well, I didn't hate to know I'm still your cariño… you don't call your girlfriend that, do you?"
He placed his hand on your face, caressing your cheeks gently with his thumb, the distance between the two of you completely closed.
"I could never call anyone that, hermosa… you are my cariño, you and no one else, it had only been you, mi amor" he said sweetly and leaned in, lips resting against yours.
No matter how much you both struggled against your feelings: he was your Javi, tu amor, and you would always be his cariño.
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