#not sure i like the colors but that seems to be me with all the stuff i make rn lol

[clockwayswrites]

Fresh Birb! Part 32

masterpost

“Thanks for the excuse to get some fresh air,” Danny said. He sounded grateful enough that Jason felt a little bad for using the ‘stroll around the yard’ as an way to gather some intel.

“Hey, trust me, I get how overwhelming the manor can get,” Jason said, “and there are a lot of us in house right now. It’s easier in small doses for sure.”

“I could see that,” Danny agreed. “But there’s also something nice about the full house. It’s all very… alive feeling.”

The words were more melancholy than they should be. They were more like how Jason, who knew the feeling of death all too well, might say them. It brought troubling thoughts to mind.

“Yeah, that can be nice about it. Sure is quieter if I’m not here or at Roy’s,” Jason agreed after maybe too long a moment.

“Is Roy that much more talkative when it’s just the two of you?”

“Oh, no. Well, yeah, but it’s more about his little girl, Lian. She’s three and a half and an absolute handful most days. She’s also at that age where she’s pretty much narrating her own life in half understandable babble so there’s just a lot of constant noise.”

Danny chuckled. “I bet. Stayed with a friend for a bit when I was between jobs and stuck there for a few months by a non-complete clause. Her one kid was that age at the time and the oldest five. I didn’t know just how much everything there was when having kids that age. It made me actually feel a little sorry for my parents.”

“You the youngest, oldest, or middle?”

“Youngest. I’ve got one older sister, Jasmine,” Danny said. “You could sorta say there’s a half a sibling too. I basically grew up with my best friend and there were some weeks I spent more time at his house than ours.”

“That close to him?” Jason asked.

“Yeah. That and it was easier, sometimes, to not be at home.”

“Oh.”

That implied some unfortunate things that Jason hadn’t quite been expecting. Danny seemed pretty well adjusted. He was even good at handling Damian, but Jason supposed that maybe part of that was because Danny had been through his own issues.

Danny just shrugged. “I have a life long friend out of it. We don’t see each other in person much these days since we’re on other sides of the country, but we still talk plenty.”

Jason gave a soft hum and, a beat later, asked, “What made you end up in Gotham of all places?”

“Wayne Enterprises, actually,” Danny said. “The rep in the industry as place to work is unparalleled really, especially for what I want to do.”

“And what’s that?”

“Help people,” Danny said, honestly and with a crooked little smile. “Which I know sounds cheesy, but I really wanted to create things that help people. It’s not like I mind making a better cellphone battery or anything, but it’s nice to know that I get to work on things that help not just with the little, everyday issues but also the big, life changing ones. The fact that those things get to help the city I live in too is a real plus.”

“Gotham has a way of getting to you like that,” Jason said.

“Yeah,” Danny replied softly, gaze in the direction of the Gotham sky line.

And then a scream split the air.

Not a human scream, thankfully, but a repeated screech that had both of them starting and looking around for the source. The screech turned to a warbling clucking as Jerry emerged from behind the landscaping. His tail was high and spread, his wing tips brushed the ground, and he was looking almost shockingly colorful.

“A turkey?”

“Damian’s.”

“Damian has a turkey,” Danny said slowly.

“And a cow,” Jason said. “Cat, dog, a few snakes. He tried to keep a rat but Alfred stopped that pretty quickly.”

Danny rubbed at his temple. “This is why he knew how to take care of wings, isn’t it?”

Jason tried not to smile. “That came up, huh?”

“He’s been sending Bruce information about it,” Danny answered.

Jerry made another loud warble and struck what Jason could only describe as a pose.

“So… does he do this often?”

“His name is Jerry, and nope,” Jason said and pulled out his phone.

Jerry strutted closer to Danny, tail feathers shaking.

“Oh… oh,” Danny said with the tone of someone for who horrible realization was dawning. “Can you, ah, talk him down?”

“I’m afraid I’m morally obligated to film this,” Jason said somberly. He couldn’t hold back his smirk any longer.

Danny shot him a withering look and started to back up towards the Manor. “Really.”

“Really. Good luck.”

“Well, fuck,” Danny said and then took off running.

Jerry followed at top speed with a scream.

Jason sent the video to Bruce. ‘You have competition.’

[norrisainz33]

baby blue || cs55

☆ summary: carlos sainz is married to famous pop star y/n who has been connected to the f1 world for years having been a mercedes ambassador and good friends with lewis hamilton. after a video of y/n and lewis surfaces, y/n shares some big news with the spanish driver.

☆ pairing: carlos sainz x famous!wife!reader x lewis hamilton

☆ fc & warnings: rihanna! a little angsty, mentions of pregnancy, translated spanish

☆ requested: yes! thanks for this idea and for your patience. had to add in some written parts to this to tell the story! hope you enjoy xxoo

masterlist

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

ynuser has made a post

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ynuser: 📍 bahrain

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user1: pink is your color

dualipa: real! miss u my sweet gorgeous girl

user33: you just gonna post like we didnt see the video from the paddock

user18: no for realllll like girl be soooo for real

user1: nah nah nah you guys need to but out you know nothing!! they're just friends. we dont need to scrutinize everything they do

tatemcrae: my icon fr

user2: ynlewis supremacy

user8: seems like shes a ynlewis truther herself bsed on that video

user3: lewishamilton come get your girl

user4: more like carlossainz55 come get your girl yikes

[comments on this post have been limited]

✿

staring down at your phone you watched as the video played over and over each replay making your stomach twist a little more. you cursed yourself for not remembering where you were before having your very public breakdown in front of lewis at ferrari hospitality. what was supposed to be a quick visit to tell lewis (one of your closest friends) that red suited him and say a quick hello to alexandra had spiraled into something entirely different. one moment you were complimenting him and the next you were sobbing in his arms. of course, the media caught every second of it and in true fashion they plastered the video everywhere. the rumors started flying almost immediately with the world convinced you and lewis were more than just friends as they have been for years.

but here's how the conversation really went:

"hi lewis!! god that red is doing wonders for you right now," you smiled as you took in the sight of your best friend decked out in ferrari gear.

"thanks, y/n/n. i think so too," he grinned - his confidence and happiness clear.

"you ready to hop in that car and show everyone you’ve still got it grandpa?"

"absolutely. you know better than anyone how much i want to make this work." his voice was full of sincerity and something about the way he said it made your chest tighten and tears started welling up in your eyes.

"oh no, don't cry on me now…" he said his hand gently brushing at your cheek.

you laughed but it was shaky as the tears fully spilled down your face. "sorry, sorry… i just - i'm so excited for you, and i miss danny and checo," you rambled suddenly feeling overwhelmed. he gave you a confused look not exactly sure where all of this was coming form.

"something tells me there's more to this, y/n/n," he said his tone shifting as he took a step closer.

without thinking, you blurted it out. "i’m pregnant."

lewis froze for a split second before pulling you into a tight hug, letting you cry into his shoulder. the kind of cry that left you feeling both raw and relieved at the same time.

"hey, hey— the cameras are loving this," alexandra’s voice suddenly broke through and she frantically pushed both of you toward the ferrari hospitality area her tone full of urgency.

as she led the way you couldn’t help but feel the weight of everything.... the unexpected turn your life had taken and the way the world was watching every moment unfold and it was too late to take it all back now.

✿

ynuser has posted a story

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user1: wow a rare carlos sighting on a story.. awk timing after that vid....

carlossainz55: wow posting me? surprised its not lewis.

ynuser: carlos don't start please. you know its not like that

carlossainz55: then why was it lewis holding you while you were crying and not me? and why won’t you even tell me what happened?

ynuser: i did tell you. it’s just been so overwhelming lately especially with the pressure from my label to release new music. on top of that i haven’t been feeling great which makes everything harder. you literally held my hair while i threw up all night. come on carlos please.

carlossainz55: mi amor you know I’ve had a hard time with your relationship with lewis. and now that he’s taken my seat… it just gets harder to see him in ferrari red while comforting my wife. it’s hard not to feel jealous!

ynuser: i’m really sorry carlos. i can’t even imagine how that feels. focus on your last practice session and get the data you need. we can talk properly when you’re back at the hotel ok?

carlossainz55: fine but you’ll explain everything word for word right?

ynuser: of course. now go -- i see on tv that the power’s back on

carlossainz55: yeah yeah ill go. i love you -- even when im upset

ynuser: i love you too. always

user33: damage control?

alexandrasaintmleux: love you pretty girl. please let me know if you need anything both charlie and i are here for you too

ynuser: i love you more alex 🤍 thank you for always supporting me. oh and for noticing the cameras before they got too much

alexandrasaintmleux: thats what friends are for. please please please keep me updated

user10: i just know everyone's tearing u up in these replies so im here to say i love and support you bb

lewishamilton: did you tell him yet?

ynuser: considering you’re both at the same testing... no I haven’t

lewishamilton: oh don't give me that. you could have told him last night!!

ynuser: yeah well i was scared!!

lewishamilton: sweetheart, the faster you rip off the bandaid the faster he (and everyone else) stops getting the complete wrong idea

ynuser: i know i know i know!!!!!! easier said than done here lewis.

lewishamilton: he tried to approach me this morning and i was able to avoid it but if he comes to me and starts asking what is up... i'm not going to lie

ynuser: alright message received. him and i agreed to talk everything out tonight.

lewishamilton: good.

user11: idc abt this man release new music pls im begging its been ages

schecoperez: mi amiga what in the world is going on?

ynuser: too much honestly... i'll call you bc BOY do i have a lot to share and ALSO i miss you SO MUCH

schecoperez: will be impatiently waiting :)

user44: tbh idc abt f1.. id rather see pics of u. free my queen from this nonsense sport!!!!

✿

you flopped back onto the giant hotel bed letting out a big sigh. alex and lily had just left after giving you the pep talk of a lifetime and dropping off the cake. if it wasn't for them and all the effort they’d put into running around bahrain to find someone who could make you this cake, you probably would’ve chickened out of telling carlos altogether. it wasn’t something either of you had planned for yet. you’d only gotten married a few months ago and between carlos switching to a new team and the insane pressure your label had been piling on you, it felt like the wrong time to be having a baby. hence, your breakdown in the paddock with lewis. but like alex and lily said everything happens for a reason and maybe this was just the moment it was meant to happen, no matter how daunting it all felt.

you quickly sat up when you heard carlos fumbling with the door to the hotel room and immediately, tears started to well up. you tried to hold them back but they came rushing down as soon as carlos stepped through the door. his brow furrowed when he saw you crying on the bed.

"mi amor..." he sighed setting his things down on the couch and shrugging off his williams jacket. "what’s going on with you?" he asked gently kneeling in front of you and placing his hands on your bare knees.

you were fully sobbing now desperately wiping away the tears as he watched you in silence. "i just... i..." you tried to speak but the words got tangled up in your sobs making it harder to get them out.

"cariño take a deep breath," he said softly taking your hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze. you obeyed and took slow, deep breaths, trying to calm yourself down. which wasn’t easy these days with all the changes your body was going through. eventually you shook your head not being able to calm yourself enough and pointed toward the box on the table hoping he would understand. carlos’ eyes followed your finger and he stood up walking over to the table. "y/n, what is...?" he stopped mid-sentence struck silent as he stared down at the contents of the box—a small cake with 'we’re having a baby' written on it and a pregnancy test sitting next to it.

you kept focusing on your breathing summoning the courage to look at your husband who stood completely still. in the endless seconds it took for him to react - guilt, panic, and despair began to settle in. "i’m sorry, carlos, i know this is a horrible time. i should’ve told you earlier, we should’ve talked about this first, and i just—i’m sorry this—"

"stop, y/n," he interrupted, his voice thick with emotion. you couldn’t tell if the tears in his eyes were good or bad. but then in the blink of an eye, his face softened and his expression lightened up. "don’t apologize for this, my love." he picked up the test and glanced back at you. "this is real?"

"yes," you whispered.

he dropped the test moving swiftly toward you and pulling you into a tight embrace. "we’re going to have a baby chili," he mumbled into your neck holding you like he never wanted to let go. and with that all of your worries melted away.

✿

ynuser has posted to their private story

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lando: what u posting close ups of food for

ynuser: you’ll find out when you’re older

lando: tf that supposed to mean

ynuser: means you can’t keep a secret to save your life

lando: a man accidentally includes a photo from a wedding in 1!!!! photo dump and he can’t ever come back from it

ynuser: exactly

lando: 🤨

lilymhe: THE CAKE HAS BEEN EATEN???

ynuser: it has!!!!!! and everything is ok

lilymhe: i’m so relieved

carlossainz55: the best cake i’ve ever had 🤍

ynuser: i'm really quite glad you think so

carlossainz55: of course gorgeous. i am so excited that we get to be parents

ynuser: i'm so happy that you're happy

carlossainz55: over the moon actually. i already called the florist and local bakery near casa de mi familia to get everything sorted for when we tell them in a couple weeks. i also sent you room service and some special deliveries so if you hear a loud knock on the door this morning, just know its from me

ynuser: carlos 😭😭😭😭

carlossainz55: i also may or may not have already slipped and told teto..........

ynuser: I THOUGHT WE WERE TELLING HIM AND GIGI AT DINNER ONCE YOU OFFICIALLY FINISHED TESTNG

carlosainz55: ....... i mean that was the plan originally but we were cycling this morning and he could tell something was up and well i couldnt lie!! i swore him to secrecy it is ok

ynuser: i'm making my lawyers send him an nda

carlossainz55: LOL

ynuser: i'm serious

carlossainz55: oh... well in that case… whatever makes you feel best my love!!!

alexandrasaintmleux: details mon ange

ynuser: he finally got back after testing and i completely broke down into tears bc of course i did—im a mess with these hormones. he immediately was worried ofc and was like “mi amor, what’s wrong?” but I couldn’t even stop crying long enough to explain. so i just pointed at the cake box instead and then be opened it, stared at it for what felt like an eternity… honestly, it was probably 8 million years and then HE started crying. which just made me cry even more. but honestly after we got everything out it felt like really good. he was beyond excited like already talking about the little one and brainstorming names and looking up where to buy baby clothes in spain and already planning how to tell his family and mine

alexandrasaintmleux: 🥹😭 see!! it was all ok!!! i’m so so so glad he was excited. i knew he would be!! he wanted so badly to be dad

lewishamilton: so?

ynuser: i told him

lewishamilton: thank god!! now i can assume uncle duties without getting my face bashed in

ynuser: you’re so dramatic

yourbff: i’m so happy for you guys 😭

ynuser: thank you sweetheart 😘

dualipa: assuming i’m missing context here

ynuser: i’ll face time you baby girl

carlossainz55 has posted to his story

[sharing the joy with our family ☀️💙]

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anasainzvdec: mi hermano i am so excited for you. i can't wait to be an auntie 🤍

carlossainz55: i love you ana! you will be the world's best aunt

user2: PINON!!!!!!

carlossainzoficial: ¡tal vez la mayor alegría que hayas podido compartir con nosotros! [perhaps the greatest joy you could have shared with us!]

carlossainz55: me alegro. no puedo esperar a que seas abuelo, papá. [i am glad. i can't wait for you to be a grandfather, dad]

carlossainzoficial: estoy muy orgulloso del hombre en el que te has convertido y de la vida que has construido con y/n. [i'm so proud of the man you have become and the life you have built with y/n]

carlossainz55: ¡no me hagas llorar papá! [don't make me cry dad]

user4: sharing joy??? with your family..... what does this mean?

lando: google translating this as we speak

lando: and what joy are you sharing and why are you not also sharing it with me?

carlossainz55: i will be on sunday muppet. you are coming to dinner at my house no?

lando: oh heck yeah ill be there

user18: what an interesting wording you have here mr.sainz - what are you talking about?

ynuser: petition to bring pinon with us everywhere

carlossainz55: jajaaj i don't know that she would like that

ynuser: 😭😭😭😭😭 fair ig. tho i think a baby and a puppy would be a perfect pair......

user55: the world is healing youre back with pinon

alexandrasaintmleux: EEEEEEK!!!!!! y/n filled me in on how it went. truly so excited for you. i can't wait for the big dinner party where you're telling all of us 🤍

carlossainz55: i am very much looking forward to this weekend. we'll see you soon mi amiga

carlossainz55 has made a post

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carlossainz55: spent the weekend celebrating the news with some of my favorite people. you are so loved already baby chili. you're mommy, daddy and loads of aunties and uncles can't wait to meet you so very soon 💙🌶️

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user55: crying my eyes out rn you have no idea

ynuser: thankful for you, our baby boy, and the amazing people we have supporting us 🤍

carlossainz55: even more thankful for you for giving me the greatest gift i could have ever asked for my beautiful wife

user85: may a love like this find me expeditiously

user1: well…. a baby wasn’t on my bingo card

lando: dibs on teaching baby chili how to drive

charlesleclerc: i already called dibs

georgerussell63: no i believe i did

carlossainz55: frankly, i dont trust any of you to teach him

charlesleclerc: WOW

user4: congratulations 😭 i'm seething with jealousy 😭

alex_albon: can't wait to be the favorite uncle

lilymhe: with me as the favorite aunt

alexandrasaintmleux: um hello? i'm going to be the favorite aunt

lando: FALSE I AM THE FAVORITE AUNT

ynuser: guys please lets not fight

user23: carlando having their own pic at the end is sending me. classic carlando behavior

user13: man this vroom vroom got my girl and now they’re having a baby? smh

lewishamilton: congratulations you two! overjoyed to see two of my favorite people becoming parents ❤️

carlossainz55: thank you 💙

user88: tea

user56: so many of the drivers being at their baby shower has me in genuine shambles im not ok this grid baby is going to be so loved

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

a/n: phew this took me forever... hope you enjoy!! likes and reblogs appreciated as always ❤️‍🔥

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

disclaimer: pictures are not mine and everything i write is fiction

© norrisainz33 || please do not rewrite, translate, or copy any of my works posted here on to any other platform

[goron-king-darunia]

Story time! I thought writing and essays especially were stupid for most of grade school. Teachers would "correct" deliberate choices I made for creative writing and spelling was my absolute nemesis because we didn't exactly have dictionaries in class let alone the internet so I couldn't figure out how to spell words I'd heard and got marked down for using them.

When it came to essays on reading comprehension the questions seemed... How do I put this. I understood solving equations in math. They put a bunch of similar questions to make sure you could get consistent results so they knew you knew the process and not just that you memorized that 2+2 was 4 but weren't grasping somehow that 2 was a unit of two ones each so that 1+1+1+1 also equaled 4. But with reading questions they always seemed... like they weren't testing consistent things? Some questions would make sense like "Why do you think character did X? (Though my ass would get so mad if I got marked down on those because like "You're asking my opinion? You're asking me to interpret the text, the answer should vary?!" Even though I didn't have the language for that.) And then the other half of the questions were the questions I also hated on history tests where it was just memorizing pointless trivia that no human being would need to know like "what color were the curtains in the MC's bedroom?" which is the same shit as like "what happened on the 4th Thursday of May in 1411?" Like bitch, why would I know that? The date isn't as important to history as the actual events so ask me "what was X historical event about?" instead. I can tell you what the Boston Tea Party was about but why the fuck would I memorize the date? "What happened on page 12?" JUST ASK ME WHAT THE INCITING INCIDENT IS INSTEAD, I CAN GIVE YOU THAT ANSWER!

So I grew up putting minimal effort into English class for a while because a lot of the questions were some form of "what is the title of the book" levels of dumb, "give us your pre-approved opinion" frustration questions or the goddamn trap questions of "what was the MC's cousin's name that gets mentioned once in the entire book?" type questions. So I just phoned a lot of stuff in. Made my essays the bare minimum so I could move on to stuff I liked more.

Until about 7th grade when my English teacher made us do daily writing exercises. You had to write 5 paragraphs at least on any topic you wanted and it had to be 5 good paragraphs every day, around 5 sentences per paragraph. And I HATED it. "What do you MEAN I have to write an ESSAY every day?! This sucks!"

But the more I had to do it, the easier it was. Especially when the teacher realized that my handwriting was just not going to improve so I was allowed to write my entries during class but then type them at home and paste them into the book. So then I could actually look up words I wanted to use and learn to spell them correctly instead of having to guess or flip through a big ass book that at best the class had to share during school hours. (Electronic Pocket dictionaries of the 2000s my beloved. I carried mine everywhere when I finally got one.)

And for once I wasn't being graded on if my opinions on fucking Sonic the Hedgehog were valid or not. I wasn't being graded on whether Sonic being blue is actually deep symbolism or if blue is just a neat color. I was being graded on tangible qualitative skills like whether I could construct a good argument and whether my sentences were full sentences and whether all 5 paragraphs related to each other.

And suddenly writing was fun. And when we had free reading periods and could read for pleasure instead of "Okay, pick one of these pre-selected books so you can do a report on it later" I started to enjoy reading too. Enough that by the time I reached high school, I'd picked up Dante's Inferno at the nearby public library and read it on my own only to get excited when the next year it was required reading and I was ahead of the curve because I'd read it once before.

I get it. School is fucking terrible and the measures they use to test when you're "good" at something or not are fucked.

But if I decided to phone it in forever, I wouldn't be able to read through a full news article today or read through contracts and insurance benefits. I would have to trust strangers to tell me the truth on current events and business things. I could be fed easy-to-read lies and swallow them hook, line, and sinker because lies can be as short as you want but the truth is rarely brief.

If I kept phoning things in, I wouldn't have enjoyed half the stories and games that I do, met the friends that I've met, or made the art that I've made.

Having to write 5 paragraphs every day for a year taught me that... 5 paragraphs isn't much at all. Nowadays when I write a "short" story, it's 5,000 words or more. For fun.

I wouldn't know the things I know or how to find out the things I've learned if I just gave up and let the Liar Box with the Fake Answers write all my papers.

I get why it's tempting. School is awful if you're a normal kid, let alone a special needs kid like my ADHD ass. But not only will you not learn very useful and necessary skills by asking the liar box to write your papers, but you're setting yourself up to trust and rely on the liar box, and by direct extension, setting yourself up to forever rely on and trust strangers to give you "correct" information without having any of the skills to learn for yourself if their information is correct.

600 words is not that much. It's a chunk to be sure. But it's not that much.

This is already 1000 words. It doesn't take that long and I promise it's so worth it to be able to express your thoughts in your own words and learn things with your own power instead of having to trust a machine and the strangers that lie for fun to give you the stuff you want to know.

[hazbinhotei]

curing a hangover.

read part one here

warnings/tags: reader is hungover, alastor being a little shit, cunnilingus, P-in-V penetration, minor olfactophilia and dacryphilia if you look hard enough

word count: 6292

summary: The aftermath of one drunken night leaves you reeling—and Alastor surprisingly eager to help you recover in the most intimate way imaginable.

alastor x f!reader. my first ever smut fic, so please be gentle with me, my darlings. i did not expect this fic to end up so long but i really just had such a hard time diving straight into smut without some more interactions between reader and alastor—i love me some character building! i've always been a MDNI account, but especially in this instance—minors kindly go away!

It wasn’t just the hangover.

Though to be fair, the hangover was its own personal Hell—screaming behind your eyes like a banshee with a megaphone, and your stomach doing acrobatics that defied several laws of physics. Your mouth tasted like someone had poured sand into a blender with regret and served it lukewarm. Your soul felt wrinkled.

Even the walls of the hotel seemed to wince when you staggered into the kitchen, hoodie up, sunglasses on, and death in your eyes.

(The sunglasses indoors was definitely an active choice, a mental wave of a white flag as you hoped and prayed no one in this damned hotel would bring up the fact that you were so publicly caught snogging the Radio Demon less than 24 hours ago. At least, not bring it up while the tempest in your head demanded you rip apart the first demon who dared to piss you off this morning.)

No one dared speak to you. Husk took one look and slid the coffee pot across the counter like a peace offering before vanishing away down the hall. Niffty, bless her overly cheery heart, started to chirp a greeting—saw your face—and made a hard left turn, muttering something about reorganizing the mold drawer. Even Angel Dust tiptoed around you. Angel. A man who routinely did lines of coke on the lobby dining table at 2AM. He gave you a once-over and simply nodded in solemn solidarity.

But of course—it wasn’t just the hangover.

Of course.

The one person immune to your carefully cultivated aura of “speak and perish” was him.

Smug. Pristine. Radiant. Like he hadn't spent last night flirting with alcohol poisoning just to egotistically one-up you in a drinking game that he proposed you two play. Not a hair out of place. Not a wrinkle in sight. Wearing that damn bowtie like he’d earned it.

He didn’t just walk into the kitchen. No—he waltzed in, humming a cheery little tune and radiating danger in four-part harmony. You ignored him, continuing to stir your coffee, hoping he would show you some pity to at least not bother you for the first few hours of the day. But of course he wouldn’t. He was Alastor, of course.

You felt him before you saw him. That chilling presence sliding in behind you, brushing too close, violating several unspoken rules about personal space and hangover protocol. You felt your bloodshot eyes twitch, whether that be from the hangover or the Sinner standing right behind you, you weren’t sure. Inhaling slowly, you continued to look at the caramel-colored beverage in front of you, once more praying to any deity out there that perhaps you were just imagining his presence.

"Good morning, darling!" he purred, like your skull wasn't splitting open. "Sleep well?"

You didn’t answer. You couldn’t answer. Not when your entire existence was currently held together with willpower and lukewarm coffee. You weren’t planning to reply at all until he cleared his throat—clearly waiting.

You swore the mug cracked in your hand. “…I had a dream that I died. Peacefully. In my sleep. You ruined it.” 

He chuckled, that low, musical hum that scraped up your spine and took residence in your brain like a catchy song you couldn’t get rid of. "Such vivid dreams. I do hope I was in them."

Despite your irritation, your stomach fluttered at his soft tone, the vocal static accompaniment absent as sincerity intertwined with his usual mirth. You turned slowly, craning your neck to look at him through your sunglasses. Pursing your lips, you watched him through the tinted lenses. “You know, I think I like this color palette of you more.”

Alastor’s eyes seemed to narrow when you lifted your chin up defiantly, a deep rumble of satisfaction emitting from his chest. “Ah, but chère, now I can’t see those lovely eyes of yours!”

He leaned down to remove the sunglasses, his long fingers brushing against your temple a bit too gently for your liking. You were about to protest before Alastor ripped the glasses off your face, your frown twisting to hiss like a vampire as you shut your eyes tightly in a failed attempt to shield yourself from the light. “Alastor! What the fuck!”

He only laughed at your pain, dropping the sunglasses on the counter behind you and covering your upper face with his large palms. You continued to shut your eyes after the light behind your eyelids disappeared, not daring to open them and face the sadistic asshole in front of you. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Open your eyes, chère.” You shivered at the sudden proximity of his voice, his breath tickling your right ear as you involuntarily swallowed. You weren’t sure why you necessarily listened to Alastor, but as your eyes hesitantly fluttered open, you realized you weren’t in the headache-inducing bright lights of the hotel kitchen. No, you were suddenly greeted by plush red cotton sheets, pupils adjusting to the dim glow of soft green lights littering the walls. 

You glanced around, realizing quickly you were in a hotel room. Not any hotel room—Alastor’s. You jolted up from the bed, wincing as you moved a little too fast for your hangover’s liking. “Alastor, why exactly am I in your bed?”

Your eyes landed on Alastor standing by his desk, coat discarded on the loveseat next to him, fingers starting to undo his bowtie. You practically short-circuited at the scene, your cheeks turning a bright red as you blinked in surprise. “Al, what is going on?”

“Why, I’m here to cure your hangover, dearest,” he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

You paused, trying to make sense of the current situation you were in—which was not giving you much to work with. Your brows furrowed. “And exactly how do you plan on helping?”

He hummed softly, placing his bowtie on the table as he approached your spot on the bed. “By getting in bed with you.” 

You choked on absolutely nothing, coughing up air as you gave him an incredulous look. “What?!”

“Oh please, nothing will come of this encounter if you don’t wish for anything to happen. I’m simply trying to help in any way I can.” He sighed dramatically, sitting on the edge of the bed next to you as he waved his hand over the other, a tall glass of water appearing in it.

You were too surprised by the turn of events to comprehend his statement, throat suddenly dry by the glorious cup of water practically dangling in front of you. He sighed once more, rolling his eyes as he handed you the glass. “Drink up.”

You snatched the cup with both hands and downed it, gulping so fast it nearly splashed back up your nose. Your eyes closed as you sigh in relief, your body an ounce better than it was before as you passed him the glass. Though you still had a raging headache, your eyes weren’t throbbing from any bright lights nor were you unknowingly suffering from dehydration now. 

“Would you like another one?” Alastor hums softly, watching your pacified expression. You shake your head, opening your eyes to look at Alastor. He was watching you with surprising patience, his smile small but genuine. You pause a moment to observe him, him merely doing the same as you meet his glowing stare. Those damn eyes—blood-red, always gleaming with mischief. But now, as he stared at you with uncharacteristic softness, you couldn’t help but get flashbacks from the way he watched you the entire time last night.

You inhaled through your nose, groaning as your moment of peace is suddenly interrupted by the remembrance of last night’s affairs. "...Are we going to bring it up or not?"

Alastor took a second to think, brow raising in confusion when he didn’t understand what you were talking about. "Bring what up, dear?"

You stared, huffing at him in exasperation. "The kiss, Alastor. Are we just gonna pretend that didn’t happen?"

His smile froze, ears twitching faintly���as if caught off by the thought of it as well. Then, just as quickly, he lit up like you’d handed him a fresh corpse wrapped in a bow and sealed with a kiss.

“Oh, that!” he chirped. “Heavens, no. I’d never forget something so…” He paused, his eyes dragging slowly—lazily—down your face. “…tantalizing!”

A sharp inhale slipped through your nostrils. You visibly recoiled, your face now a dangerous shade of crimson. “Tantalizing?!” you sputtered.

His smile turned downright wicked, lips curling upward. He leaned forward to set the empty glass on the bedside table, the movement smooth, casual. But your eyes betrayed you—snagging mid-motion, drawn down to the curve of his back, the subtle shift of fabric over lean muscle.

And then you saw it.

Somehow—somehow—you had missed it before. Blame the hangover. Blame the shock. Blame the fact that your brain was probably still rebooting from the whole appearing-in-Alastor’s-bed thing. But now that your gaze had landed on it, there was no un-seeing it.

The harness.

A jet-black leather harness wrapped around his broad chest, completely visible now that he was sans his usual red coat. Despite just drinking water, your throat suddenly felt extremely dry. You tore your staring upward like a Sinner yanking their hand from a Bible.

Too late.

He was already watching you. And oh, he was delighted.

His smile widened by degrees. His eyelids dipped into a half-lidded stare, slow and heavy with implication. There was no point pretending. Between your flushed cheeks and the way your eyes had lingered a millisecond too long, you may as well have been holding a neon sign that read: I JUST OGLED THE RADIO DEMON.

He savored your expression. A content hum rumbled in his chest, not quite a purr—but close.

“I do wonder, though,” he mused, voice dropping to a velvety murmur, “was it only the liquor?” His head tilted again, that playful glint never leaving his gaze. “Or...”—He leaned in slightly, just enough to send your pulse scattering—“would you still taste as sweet sober?”

Your eyes widened by the shift in his attitude, clearly feeling confident from your little staring mishap. Swallowing, you folded your arms, trying not to give into his very tempting flirting. “Alastor,” you warned, your tone brittle, “I’m five seconds away from tearing that smug expression off your face.”

“If that’ll help your hangover, by all means.”

You paused, confused if his words were another jest or genuine. “What?”

“I told you,” he said, gesturing innocently, “I’m here to cure your hangover. Whichever way you find fit.”

You blinked at him. Hard. The silence stretched. Finally, you squinted, hugging your crossed arms harder against your body with a slow, suspicious edge. “You’re messing with me.”

His brows raised in mock innocence. “Moi? Never. In fact…” he paused, his tone shifting just slightly—less cheek, more earnest, like the static had dialed down a notch. “I realize I’ve put you in quite the precarious situation. One that now, unfortunately, involves the rest of the hotel bearing witness. And for that”—He gave a faint, ironic bow of his head—“I do apologize.”

The cogs in your head churned in overtime to try and understand the current situation. 

You somehow were sitting in the middle of the Radio Demon’s bed, being pampered by that very demon himself, because he wanted to apologize? The very concept was laughable, and you especially found this whole thing unnecessary when it was simply a drunken mistake.

(Not to mention that you enjoyed every second of being in Alastor’s lap. How were you ever going to forget that intoxicating smell of cedarwood and death?)

You forced away your drifting thoughts, looking at him with a raised brow. “You’re doing all this to apologize? Really? All you did was kiss me.”

Alastor’s lips twitched, like he was resisting the urge to grin wider. It was a losing battle.

“Correction, dear,” he said, voice dripping with faux innocence. “You kissed me first.”

Your jaw dropped at how he completely ignored your question, instead focusing on your word choice. You scoffed, once again scandalized. “While wasted! That doesn’t count!”

“Ah,” he mused, tapping his chin as though pondering the secrets of the universe. “Then perhaps we should try again.”

You stiffened, throat catching at how he spoke so easily. His voice still held that familiar playful edge—but beneath it, something was shifting. The air thickened. His grin didn't widen this time. Instead, it softened, just a touch. Like he was testing the waters. 

His eyes flicked across your face—your mouth, your eyes, your mouth again. When he spoke next, the room felt smaller somehow. Quieter. You could hear the gentle hum of the fire in the hearth, blending seamlessly with the low radio static emitting off Alastor, the mattress creaking as he leaned a fraction closer.

“Why, I don’t do this often, you know,” he murmured, the static in his voice dimmed as he almost gave you a bashful look.

Your brows furrowed.

“And I realize,” he continued slowly, almost cautiously, “our unfortunate interruption last night may have left… desires unfinished for you.”

His eyes searched yours, expression unreadable. But his voice—oh, his voice—held the kind of vulnerability that cracked through your defenses like light under a locked door.

“I’m here to help.”

You blinked at him, stunned. The words didn’t even register at first—not fully. Not until they echoed in your chest a second time.

“…Wow,” you managed, trying to keep your tone light, deflecting with a slight teasing huff. “How noble, Alastor.” You bit your lip at how Alastor’s gaze studied every detail of your expression like a hunter, his lips thinning as if he was waiting for more from you—a challenge wrapped in silk.

You swallowed down your nerves, catching on the way his intertwined fingers twitched in his lap. “...Did it leave unfinished desires… for you?”

He stilled, his eyelids dropping as he took in a deep inhale at your words. And when he looked at you again, there was no mask. His smile had turned into something so hesitant—so faint that it barely registered in your mind as a smile at all, the corners of his mouth barely upturned. A long, soft silence filled the room as he looked at you with such intensity, you forgot how to breathe.

“I’d be lying,” he said, voice suddenly deep and sure, “if I said I am not undoubtedly yours, ma chère.”

The world stopped. Your breath caught. The heat that had been simmering under your skin now rushed to the surface, electric and dizzying. You opened your mouth to say something—anything—but the words tangled. You hadn’t expected that. Not from him.

The man sitting in front of you was one of Hell’s most feared Overlords, a man who had crumbled the strongest of demons. And yet, he was also a man who had just confessed his feelings for you, just hours after french kissing you in a drunken stupor. Sure, Alastor had always seemed to be kinder to you than to anyone else in the hotel, but you had always just brushed that off to be mere acceptance of your presence—not a fondness for it.

Alastor simply waited patiently for your reply, legs crossed politely over the edge of the bed as he twisted his body to face you. His ears were flat against his head, his thumb tapping against his skin in a small display of nerves. And Satan help you, your heart surged at the sight like a moth to a flame.

“I—” you started, voice breathy. But as your brain failed to come up with a response, you didn’t try to say anything else.

You just leaned in, cupping his cheeks with your palms as you placed a gentle kiss on his lips. The gesture was familiar. But this time—unlike the inebriated mess of a kiss you’d given him last night—you had the decency to pull back. The radio static in the room swelled, the old radio on one of Alastor’s shelves crackling to life, playing a charming jazz melody.

“Dare I presume that’s your way of telling me you share the same sentiments toward me, darling?” Alastor chuckled, pulling his hands away from his lap to lean in closer to you.

Before you could react, Alastor had leaned in close once more, stealing another kiss from your lips. You couldn’t help but giggle in response, “Yes, you ass.” You gave him a light kiss on the cheek, your eyes twinkling with joy. “I’d hope you’d think I’m better than to just snog any demon in the lobby, drunk or not.”

Alastor’s grin turned sly, humming in satisfaction at your words. You gasped as he pushed you down onto the bed, your body bouncing gently as you found yourself now facing upwards. Your mind blanked at the sight of Alastor popping off his shoes, rolling off the leather harness with practiced ease. He climbed onto the bed alongside you, draping a casual arm around your body as he laid beside you. 

“Oh, I knew your kiss seemed too passionate for me to be just a passing fancy,” Alastor teased, “Good news is that I’ve found a lasting obsession with having your lips on mine.”

He didn’t wait for you to react as he leaned in to kiss you once more, this time harder. You sighed into the kiss, eyes fluttering shut as he pulled you closer. His hand found the side of your waist, firm but not forceful, fingers splaying like he was grounding himself in the moment. His lips were warm, steady, moving against yours with a relaxed confidence that stood in sharp contrast to the rushed, sloppy kisses from the night before.

And oh, the effect it had on you.

You shifted instinctively, hand coming up to bury your fingers into the trimmed hair at the nape of his neck. He hummed at the contact, the sound reverberating against your lips—low and pleased, a static buzz of delight that thrummed in your chest.

He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, nose brushing yours, and for a fleeting second you forgot what air was. His lips parted slightly, inviting you to meet him halfway, and when your tongues brushed, your breath hitched. That was all he needed to hear.

“Mmm… positively divine,” Alastor murmured as he pulled away just enough to catch your dazed expression. His smile was lazy now, lopsided and glowing with something deeper than amusement. “You make the air taste sweeter, chérie.”

“Flatter me more, why don’t you,” you teased breathlessly, though your voice came out more of a whimper than anything else. He chuckled, deep and velvety, as he leaned in again—no room left for anything between you now but fabric and heat.

This time, it was slower. 

Less fire, more honey. His kisses dragged along your lips like he had all the time in Hell to savor you—and damn, it felt like he would. He brushed his nose along your cheekbone, feathered kisses down to your jaw, then up again as you curled into his touch, the edge of your thigh sliding along his leg. His velveteen hand traced gentle circles at your hip, occasionally slipping beneath the hem of your hoodie just far enough to let you feel the scalding contact of skin against skin. But he never pushed. Never rushed.

Instead, he lingered like a melody stuck on a loop, exploring the shape of your lips with his own, pressing kisses that grew longer, needier, then softer again. He was addicted, drunk on your taste, his usual collected composure starting to become carnally hungry as he continued his kisses.

“You’re… you’re really not gonna stop, huh?” you asked, giggling between kisses as you tried to catch your breath.

Alastor nipped at your lower lip, grinning devilishly. “Darling,” he whispered, his voice dipping into a fond growl, “not unless you ask me to. But I do hope you won’t, because I am utterly enchanted.”

Again and again, he kissed you, each one a little different than the last—some chaste, some daring, all brimming with a dangerous kind of tenderness that made your body warm up. And in between those kisses, he whispered little nothings: praises, teases, threats of affection so sweet they made your toes curl.

By the time he finally pulled away, just barely, your lips were swollen, your face flushed, and your heart? Utterly, stupidly his.

“Stars above,” you mumbled, dazed and breathless. “You really do like kissing me.”

He laughed, brushing his nose against yours once more, eyes sparkling. “You’d be surprised how long I’ve been waiting to do this.”

You were going to fire back something clever—something cocky, maybe flirty—but the words fizzled out the moment his hand slipped beneath your hoodie.

Fingertips ghosted over your waist, your body shivering at how soft his hands were. The contrast of his sharp claws against your delicate skin made your spine tense, a soft gasp slipping from your parted lips—and Alastor felt it. He smirked against your mouth, already chasing another kiss before you could even process the last one. He shifted beside you, rolling slowly until he was caging you in from above with his large frame.

Teeth grazed your bottom lip, not rough—teasing. His tongue slipped past your lips, curling against yours with surprising precision, like he was memorizing the shape of your hunger. You moaned before you could stop yourself, thighs instinctively shifting beneath him. He groaned in response, low and guttural, barely restrained, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest like thunder waiting to crack open the sky.

“Dearest,” he purred, pulling back just enough to press a kiss to your chin, then your throat, then just above your collarbone. “Those little noises of yours are going to drive me mad very easily.” He pulled away for a second, looking down at you as his red locks surrounded your peripheral vision—it was just you and him in this moment. 

“Is… is this something you want?”

You felt his hand rub circles into your stomach soothingly, his eyes searching yours to make sure every bit of your being wanted him just as much as he wanted you. You can’t help but laugh at the uncharacteristic sweetness of it all, shaking your head gently beneath him. “Who would have thought the Radio Demon was so respectful in bed?”

“Why, I am a Southern gentleman after all, sweetheart!” He drawled, his smile widening at your teasing remark. “But tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll stop immediately. No matter how hard it’ll be to—quell my hunger.” He finished his sentence with a sharp nip at your neck, making you involuntarily squeak at the pinch.

You hummed, intertwining your hands into his hair. “Thank you for the concerns, but I promise this is everything I want.” 

He groaned at the way you scratched his scalp, his ears twitching from the feeling. You smirked at the starry look he gave you, his lips once more meeting yours. Your eyelids shut as you mewled into the kiss, Alastor’s hands returning to underneath your hoodie with more need. Your breath started to shorten as his hands hesitantly reached higher and higher, your chest rising and lowering faster.

His hands cupped your breasts, your thighs instinctively pushing together as you felt your head spin from the contact. You had to withdraw from the kiss, gasping for air as Alastor watched you with half-lidded eyes. He leaned down to kiss your neck instead, his fangs nibbling softly as he fondled your chest with such tenderness. You gasped when his thumbs rubbed against your nipples, and you felt Alastor grin against your skin as they peaked under his touch. 

Every caress of his sent a jolt of fire straight to your core, the heat between your legs growing. You were sure you were starting to seep through your panties, the room a thousand degrees hotter with how Alastor was groping your body. 

“You feel like sin,” he murmured against your skin, breath hot, lips grazing the shell of your ear. “I could get drunk off the heat of you alone.”

Before you could reply, Alastor removed his hands from your breasts, leaning back on his knees to pull you forward in a searing kiss. You were temporarily winded from the sudden movement, sitting up as you desperately tried to match his pace. His hands gripped the hem of your hoodie, lifting it up over your head as goosebumps littered your skin from the sudden exposure. He discarded the material somewhere off the bed, pushing you down once more as his hungry mouth met the skin of your chest.

You moaned out his name, your hands carding through his locks again as his tongue swirled around your left nipple. His thumb stimulated your right nipple in similar fashion, your eyes glazing over as you let yourself succumb to the pleasure.

His mouth detached from your mound, going lower and lower as he continued to fondle your breasts. Wet kisses were placed in a trail down your stomach, his mouth hesitating right at the top of your shorts. He glanced up at you, your core clenching at the way he locked eyes with you before pulling down your shorts and panties in one steady go.

Alastor wasted no time pulling your thighs apart, your cheeks suddenly warm at being completely exposed to him. He had you spread out like a decadent offering, laid bare before him, your body instinctively trying to fight the vulnerable position. You struggled in his grip, his strong hands holding the bottom of your thighs steady as you tried to push them together once more. Your stomach coiled in embarrassment when he took a deep breath in, his nostrils flaring at the scent of your arousal. “Alastor—”

Your complaint was lodged in your throat as your eyes landed on his expression. His pupils were blown wide, grin parted, as though the image of you—dripping, glistening with need—was something sacred. One of his hands moved to gently spread your lips, and his thumb ghosted over your clit with maddening care, pulling a soft gasp from your throat.

“My, my…” he breathed. “So wet already. And all for me.”

And then, without further warning—he devoured you.

His mouth latched onto you with terrifying precision, tongue flicking in fast, deliberate strokes against your clit while his hands gripped your thighs, keeping you pinned to the bed. The sensation was immediate—sharp, electric, almost as if a wire had been connected straight from your core to your spine. You cried out, hips bucking, but he held you, kept you right where he wanted you.

“Easy now,” he murmured against you, voice muffled but amused. “Let me take my time.”

You were soaked—and he seemed to love it, moaning softly as his tongue dipped down to taste everything. He licked up your arousal like it was nectar, slow and indulgent, before circling back to your clit and sucking, gently at first—then harder. The lewd sounds of Alastor’s mouth mixed with the faint love song crackling from the radio, your eyes rolling to the back of your head from the pleasure overwhelming your body.

Your back arched. Your hands tugged on hair behind his ears, desperate for more. He groaned when you pulled on him—deep and vibrating against your sensitive flesh. The sensation made you whimper, thighs trembling on either side of his head.

“Th-that—Alastor—fuck—” You lifted one of your arms to cover your eyes, your face burning hot from the shameful sounds Alastor was eliciting from you. 

A shadowy tendril wrapped around your wrist, pulling your forearm off of your eyes. He pulled away only briefly, his mouth slick with your juices, a feral grin splitting his lips.

“Oh darling,” he purred, voice thick, eyes gleaming. “Don’t shy away from me.”

Then he buried himself in you once more.

His tongue moved with devilish skill—flicking, circling, pressing in just the right rhythm, while his fingers slipped lower, teasing at your entrance before easing inside you. One. Then two. Slow, curling motions that had your entire body clenching around him. You felt Alastor finger you with precision, the faint reminder of his pointed nails against your walls made your head spin. He could tear you apart in an instant, and yet here he was, devoting himself to giving you nothing but pure, unadulterated pleasure.

He fucked you with his fingers and licked you like a man starved—like you were the only thing he’d ever wanted. He’d groan when you moaned. Chuckle darkly when you cursed. Murmur “that’s it, my sweet, give in” when your hips started grinding against his mouth.

You were unraveling—gasping, writhing, begging for something you couldn’t name. The pressure was building exponentially, and you could barely form a thought beyond more more please don’t stop—

And he didn’t.

He knew. He felt the way your body tensed, the way your cries grew higher, the way your legs tried to close around his head—he pressed his free hand to your stomach, grounding you, keeping you open and his.

“Come for me, chère,” he whispered into your skin, voice thick and reverent. “Let me taste it.”

His words pushed you over the edge, snapping the invisible rubber band inside your stomach. You shattered with a cry, your orgasm hitting you like a storm, thighs trembling violently as your entire body curved off the bed. Alastor held you through it, lapping up every drop, groaning with delight as he worked you through the high with soft, slow licks until you were twitching, sensitive, your hands weakly trying to push him away. 

“Al—Alastor, too much,” You whimpered pathetically, your hands softly pushing him away from your overstimulated core. He finally pulled back, chin dripping with a mix of his saliva and your wetness, eyes black and gleaming.

And he smiled.

That big, sharp, genuine smile.

“So sweet,” he sighed, voice dreamy as he kissed your trembling thigh. “I could gorge myself on you for hours and still crave more, dearest.”

You were too blissed out to answer—just a panting, whimpering mess beneath him.

He crawled up your body slowly, pressing soft kisses to your stomach, your ribs, your chest. And when he finally reached your lips again, he kissed you with the same mouth that had just ruined you—and you didn’t even hesitate to return it.

You could taste yourself on him.

Alastor cradled your face in his hand, brushing your sweaty hair back gently, his voice a soft murmur against your lips. “Still with me, ma douce?” 

His voice vibrated against your lips, his hands coming up to his neck to quickly unbutton his shirt. His hands moved with practiced accuracy, your body still regaining strength from your orgasm. You glanced down at the strain in his slacks, your mouth watering at the sight of just how badly he needed relief. Withdrawing only enough to stand at the foot of the bed, he dragged his belt open with a snap that made your stomach flip.

“You’ll tell me if it’s too much, won’t you?” he asked, even as he slid his trousers down his hips, freeing himself.

You nodded instantly, but your breath caught in your throat once your gaze landed on his member. He was long. Thick. Already dripping at the tip from how hard he was, how worked up you’d made him just from tasting you. His cock curved slightly upward, pulsing with anticipation as he crawled back over you, guiding himself to your entrance with one slow, grinding drag of his tip along your still-sensitive folds.

“Alastor, stop teasing.” You hissed as he continued brushing the head of his cock against your wet slit. A deep hum of amusement escaped his chest, his eyes fluttering shut as he relished the way your lips invited him in.

When he pushed in—it was slow. Torturously slow. Stretching you inch by inch, making your mouth fall open with a sound that bordered on a sob. You were still so aroused, your walls fluttering, clenching down on him as he eased deeper.

“Ohhh, fuck—” you gasped, legs trembling.

Alastor groaned—really groaned—his voice breaking for just a moment as your warmth enveloped him fully. You clenched around him as he hissed out your name like a prayer.

“You feel—divine,” he growled, his composure splintering as his hips finally pressed flush against yours. “Like you were made to take me.”

He stayed there for a moment buried to the hilt, before pulling back and thrusting in again with a force that made your body jolt up the bed. The rhythm started hard and deep—slow but intentional, like he was trying to imprint himself into every inch of you. There was no frantic rutting, no careless pace. Every thrust was a symphony of tension and release. Your moans came unbidden, rising with every grind of his hips, every brush of his pelvis against your overstimulated clit.

And Alastor loved it.

He drank up your reactions as if it were ambrosia, glowing red eyes fixed on your face, on the way you gasped and cried out, on the way your nails clawed at his back. Your sounds were music to his ears, your blissed out expression making his dick twitch. You looked thoroughly fucked, Alastor’s chest swelling with pride as he felt his antlers start to grow ever so slowly. You bucked beneath him, hips grinding up to meet his thrusts, and he groaned again—sharper this time. The sound shot straight through you, and your hands flew to his hair, yanking him down into another kiss that had your teeth clashing, your tongues tangling.

“This pussy—fuck,” he mewled into your mouth, “this perfect little pussy—clinging to me like she doesn’t want me to leave.”

His voice was fraying now, strained, unraveling at the edges. “Is that it, darling?” he rasped, still kissing you between words. “You want me to stay right here? Fill you until you can’t think?”

“Y-yes—please, don’t stop, Alastor—”

One hand suddenly snaked beneath your thigh, grabbing one of your legs and hooking it over his shoulder. The angle changed—oh God, the angle changed!—and you cried out, your back arching as he hit deeper, harder, grinding against that sweet, devastating spot inside you that had you seeing stars.

“There,” he smirked, voice low and breathless. “There it is.”

He continued to pound into you until you were sobbing his name, clutching the sheets, tears brimming in your lashes from the sheer overwhelm of it. Alastor's smile turned feral as he saw your tears, his pace faltering as he kissed your tears as they fell.

“My beautiful girl,” he whispered, soft between the pounding thrusts. “So good for me. Taking me so well. You were meant for this. Meant for me.”

You whimpered at his praises, cumming again without warning—your body locking up, your orgasm ripping through you like a wave breaking against stone. Alastor groaned at the feeling of you clenching around him, pulsing, twitching, milking him as he drove in deep one final time.

He buried himself to the hilt and came with a growl—deep, guttural, almost animalistic—his cock twitching as he filled you, spilling inside you with a heat that made your thighs quiver. You felt him pulse inside you, bury himself deeper, hips twitching with the last few, slow thrusts.

Alastor collapsed beside you with a sigh that was more satisfied than smug for once, his arm immediately curling around your waist to tug you flush against him. His skin was slick with sweat, his breath still uneven, but his smile—that damned smile—was gentler now. Calmer. Like some longing ache inside him had finally eased.

The two of you lay there in silence for a moment, your body still twitching with the occasional aftershock as your breath steadied. Your face nuzzled into the crook of his neck, warm and safe as your hands gently played with the soft fur of his chest. He sighed at the feeling, inhaling deeply as he relaxed.

Then, with absolutely zero shame in his tone, he spoke.

“So,” he drawled lazily, voice low and playful, “did I cure your hangover?”

You tensed, lifting your head just enough to blink at him, eyes wide and incredulous. You paused for a moment to focus on your head, realizing your headache was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, laughter flowed out of you, your head thrown back as you giggled at his question—of course he still remembered.

“You know what…” you breathed, grinning at him like he’d just said the funniest thing. “Surprisingly, you did.”

Alastor chuckled, eyes glittering with delight. He merely leaned down to kiss your forehead, brushing away the hair stuck to your forehead. Cuddling closer, you dropped your head once more to the crook of his neck, his fingers stroking lazy circles on your back, and the silence that followed was heavy with comfort. After a pause, you tilted your head to glance up at him again.

“...Did you get me drunk because you knew I’d kiss you?”

Alastor gasped dramatically at your questioning. Hand pressed to his chest, all mock offense and theatrical flourish. “Oh contraire, chérie!” he insisted. “I was trying to get us both drunk so I could confess my affections for you—never did I expect you to do something so scandalous.” 

He paused, grin widening into its usual smirk. “But alas, it ended in my favor… so I must thank you for it.”

You groaned into his shoulder, rolling your eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

He laughed—a full, rich sound that rumbled against your cheek as he kissed the top of your head once more.

“Perhaps,” he whispered. “But I’m your idiot now.”

tag list: @railgunuzi @frompiscium @rose-in-blue @catticora @milkissesx + @lovingyeet @flannychan @ari-hatake24 [want to join/be removed from the tag list? check my pinned post!]

[foxy-eva]

Escort

Summary: Spencer was supposed to meet an escort in a bar. When you start flirting with him, he’s completely unaware that you're not the woman he hired. 

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader 

Category: Fluff, Smut

Content Warnings: (18+, minors DNI) misunderstanding, miscommunication, awkwardness, mentions of sex work, heavy make-out, allusions to sex, fade to black sex

Word count: 1.3k

Author’s Note: I wrote this for @imagining-in-the-margins Wrong Recipient challenge (I know I’m super late whoops)

Masterlist

The hotel bar still seemed quiet when you stepped in and took a look around. A lonely feeling had overcome you on this business trip, so you decided you wanted to meet someone new today. 

Lucky for you, the handsome man sitting at the bar looked like he wanted some company, too. With an unusual surge of confidence you approached him, relieved when you found him smiling at you. 

With a saccharine smile painted over your face, you sat down beside him and cooed, “Hi stranger.”

“Hi,” he almost whispered. “I have been expecting you.” 

That certainly was a pick-up line you hadn't heard before. You decided to play along. 

“Yeah? I’m glad we finally met. I was looking forward to spending time with someone so handsome.” 

A wonderful rosy shade spread over his cheeks at your words and it let your heart jump. It was almost unreal how beautiful this man was and he seemed to be completely unaware of that. 

For just a split second your eyes glanced over his hands, expecting to find a wedding ring but there was none. 

“I’m obviously not married,” he said, completely catching you by surprise. You hadn’t expected him to notice. “Or seeing anyone, for that matter,” he added.

“I don't think that was obvious but it’s good to know.”

He raised his eyebrows at your words. “Yeah no, I’m not like that.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I know other men do it but I personally would not talk to uhm… a woman like you if I was in a relationship.”

“A woman like me?” His choice of words was a little odd.

He cleared his voice and shifted in his seat, making his discomfort obvious. “Yeah uhm.. I mean someone…”

“Someone as beautiful and radiant as me?” You laughed as you attempted to save this poor man from embarrassing himself any further. 

“Exactly,” he chuckled as the pink color on his cheeks turned a shade darker. 

Conversation between the two of you flowed easily after that as you began telling him a little bit about yourself and he let you in on some details about his life. 

“So, Spencer, if you live in DC, what brings you all the way here?” 

“My cousin’s wedding tomorrow. That’s actually why I’m here, in this bar I mean. I know it sounds pathetic but when I responded to the invite a few months ago, I checked the box for plus one. I was really optimistic that I would have someone to go to the wedding with by now,” he sighed as his sight dropped down to his glass. 

“That didn’t work out, huh?” 

Spencer shook his head. His whole demeanor gave away a certain feeling of loneliness you were very familiar with. Instinctively you reached for his hand and gently brushed over his skin. 

His eyes found yours once more. Then, after a short moment of silence, he said something you didn’t expect. “I would really like it if you went to the wedding with me.” 

His words were bold, almost contradicting his entire demeanor. You felt surprised yet flattered by his invitation. 

“I love weddings,” you chirped. “And I don’t have any other plans tomorrow.” 

A wonderful smile spread over his face. “Then it’s a date.”

The straightforwardness of his invitation boosted your confidence, too. There was an undeniable connection between you two and the more you talked, the more attracted you became to him. You were sure that this aching inside your chest could only be soothed by his nearness. 

The soft curve of his lips looked so kissable. His smirk gave away that he must have noticed you staring at his mouth. You found his eyes again and almost drowned in the wild honey of his irises. 

“So, profiler,” you playfully purred as you leaned closer. “What does my body language tell you?”

You watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed and his tongue darted out of his mouth to lick his lips. “I’m not entirely sure,” he muttered. 

Taking his hand in yours, you got up from your seat and snickered, “Why don’t you follow me and find out?” 

There was no resistance from him when you led him to the elevator. As soon as the door opened, you stepped in, leaned against a wall and pulled him closer. He stared at you with pupils blown wide and his mouth agape. He stood close enough for you to feel the heat radiating from his body. 

“I’m not a profiler but I’m pretty sure you’d like to kiss me right now,” you cooed as you pushed your chest against his. 

“You’re right,” he breathed as he leaned down. “Can I?”

Right when you wanted to close the gap, the elevator got to your floor and interrupted you with a loud ding. Spencer almost jumped at the sound. You grabbed his hand once more and dragged him all the way down the hall to your room. 

There was no time to be wasted once you stepped inside your hotel room. His lips were on yours in an instant while he pushed you against the closest wall, making you gasp into the kiss. He deepened the kiss as his tongue met yours, melting into you as if you had done that a million times before. When he pressed his body against yours, you noticed his hardness straining against the confines of his pants. 

“Someone’s excited,” you whispered as you let your hand wander down his body with a clear goal in mind. Once you reached his belt, Spencer suddenly stepped back. 

“No, wait,” he mumbled and looked at you almost in shock.

“I’m very sorry if I overstepped,” you sincerely apologized. 

“No, no, that’s not it. We just uh… should talk about this before,” he said. 

Not entirely sure what he meant, you said, “Okay?”

“You uhm… only agreed to go to the wedding with me. So I’m not sure about the uh.. conditions of this… encounter,” Spencer stuttered. 

His words only confused you more. With raised eyebrows you looked at him. “What conditions?”

“Your uhm… rate and what that includes exactly.”

It took you a few seconds to understand what he was talking about. Suddenly the things he said earlier made a lot more sense. 

Your voice was laced with disbelief when you said, “Wait, you think I’m a hooker?”

This situation was so absurd that you weren’t entirely sure if you should laugh or cry about it. 

“I mean… I think the website used the word ‘escort’?”

It was still hard to believe what was happening. You decided to give him the benefit of the doubt instead of getting angry at him. “Spencer, I’m not an escort. How could you think that?” 

Spencer stepped back until his legs hit the bed. He sat down and shook his head, clearly unable to fully grasp what was happening. “Why else would you want to have sex with me?”

His words made you laugh. “Because you’re cute and sweet and very attractive!”

“And apparently very stupid,” he sighed. Regret was written all over his face when he said, “I’m very sorry I offended you. I really thought you were the woman I hired for the wedding tomorrow. We were supposed to meet in the bar to talk about the details.” 

“That wasn’t me,” you clarified.

“Yeah, clearly.” 

“I’ll still go to the wedding with you, if you want,” you said as you sat down beside him. “And you don’t even have to pay me.” 

Your words made him smile. “Yeah?” 

Nodding your head, you climbed into his lap. He seemed a little caught off guard but welcomed you on top of him nonetheless. Your mouth gently brushed over his neck when you breathed, “And guess what?”

“Hm?” You felt his throat rumble under your lips. 

“You don’t have to pay for this either.” 

Thank you for reading! Please like, reblog and leave a comment to show your support and help me stay motivated to write more stories!

Taglist: @adoredfromafar @grumpyy-bearr @frickin-bats @pleasantwitchgarden @cynbx @xserenax-13 @alexxavicry @samuel-de-champagne-problems @evvy96 @reidsbookclub @lover-of-books-and-tea @sebs-oxygen @nomajdetective @kobaltdragon @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @castiels-majestic-wings @hits-different-cause-its-you @spensreid @silversprings-mp3 @person-005 @kittyisick @siriuslyval03 @sleepysongbirdsings @brownbunnyb

[invincibledc]

PLAYDATE

☆Summary: being babysat by invincible when you were young, it turns out his half brother needs a friend from the neighbor.

☆Note: reader is black, all shades of African Americans are loved! 😜😮‍💨 (coming from a black writer lol)

☆Genre: fluff

‧₊˚ ⛲️ ‧₊𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍 & 𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐁𝐎𝐑’𝐒 𝐊𝐈𝐃!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑‧₊˚ ⛲️ ‧₊

Mark Grayson had babysat you since you were little and when he was in highschool. Mark always made sure you were okay, mark even put you on seance dog. But now, mark can’t babysit you no more. You’re 12 and you can take care of yourself, but the reason mostly was because he went to college and is doing superhero stuff.

You sat on your couch, reading seance dog as a church lecture plays in the background. You can’t lie that these past days have been boring. You’ve been known mark was invincible since you caught him flying towards his house. Hell, your mom isn’t even surprised.

“The graysons always doin' some shit.” She says, smacking her lips and walking away from the blinds to listen to pastor Mike on the tv. “What they doin' ma?” You questioned her as you sat up.

“The usual. Flying around, but it seems that there’s a boy your age flying around.”

“Huh?”

Just in que, your mom opened the door for you to see your old babysitter and a kid with purple skin. He’s short. Raising a brow, mark walked in with a nervous stare.

“Hey Ms. L/N.” He turns to you and smiled more at ease. “Hey y/n.” Mark walked over to you. Giving you a small hug, you hugged him back before looking at Oliver who stared at you. He was picking at his fingers. Even after mark had let you go, Oliver just stood by the door awkwardly.

Whilst mark talked to your mom, you knew it was mostly about a “play date” and you haven’t had one of those in a while. You put your comic book down, walking over to the purple boy.

“What’s your name? I’m y/n.” You said with a soft smile. You reached a hand out, showing your lighten skin of your palm of your skin color. Oliver reached out, it’s like his shyness immediately faded as he held your hand.

“I’m Oliver, nice to meet you!” Mark and your mother looked over to see you both talk. You grabbed his hand and took him to see your room.

“Well that was quick.” Your mother said impressed at how you were easily to be social with the Grayson kid.

“Yeah..I’m glad you let Oliver come by. Me and my mom been trying to get him to have normal childhood. So, I thought why not let him see y/n.” Mark smiled while talking, your mother couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Well I’m glad they’re getting along this quick, y/n hasn’t been much able to have any friends rather than read comic books you put them on.” Your mother looks at mark with a slight frown.

“No offense mark, but you’re not quite what I want my child to be in school.”

“No offense at all Ms. L/n, i understand.” Despite the shade, mark just agreed to the brown skinned woman who nodded.

“Good to know.”

You and Oliver started to play uno, and unfortunately, you had to describe a lot of rules. And he understood it well.

[jean47mclean]

I don't think it's niche by any means but I've ALWAYS wanted to write a Marching Band AU because man I suffered too much for 4 years to not make my comfort characters suffer either.

Been thinking about it here and there but I was in Color Guard so I'm not as familiar with their instruments lol

I would say for JJK though I've thought quite a lot about it. And yes I know this is an American thing but whatever.

Really wanna make Shoko, Gojo, Geto, Utahime, Haibara, and Nanami the seniors to the other student's sophomores + freshman. I'm thinking Yaga as band director

As for where they'd all go...

From what I know about band kids *cough* the rest of my family *cough* I'll try my best

Gojo: trumpet. I've heard all trumpets have HUGE egos. Any more to explain for that?

Shoko: percussion. They're all chill. Kinda knew everyone but also kept to theirselves a lot. If I didn't make her a student she'd for sure be one of the med tent people (shout out to the med tent people they literally keep the band afloat)

Geto: oboe. This one's a little harder for me to explain, but canonically he's just as exceptional and skilled as Gojo but more overlooked just because Gojo has two super special techniques. To be an oboe player, you have to be pretty dedicated to your instrument and good at it. The same isn't said for trumpet but I think Gojo also plays Oboe in class, just prefers trumpet while marching

Utahime: tuba. My sister actually plays tuba, and they're very important to the band. They're often very overlooked, but their written parts are integral to the overall music. Also according to my sister the tubas and trumpets have some beef so... yeah

Haibara: clarinet. Almost every single clarinet player I know is extremely friendly, talkative, and outgoing. It's not a necessarily hard instrument and it's often one of the most popular, but they're very social people. I think he'd be a great section leader :')

Nanami: trombone. Many of the trombone players I've met are very level headed people. They know what they want out of life and keep to themselves for the most part. I have personal beef with them but we aren't gonna get into that. Otherwise it just felt like the one that fit the most for someone as collected as him

Kusakabe: I'm actually gonna go an interesting path here so stay with me. We're gonna make him one year older and have him coach the Color Guard. As a CG graduate my section was pretty self-reliant, we didn't really need our coach that much. As soon as we had our choreography it was pretty much up to the captains to organize and lead sectionals, and I think Kusukabe's lazy bum would be more than cool with that. He'd be killer with the rifle and saber tossing, probably made it to nationals or something if he competed

(Side note but Mei Mei shouldn't be allowed in Marching Band for obvious reasons)

Megumi: flue. There's two types of flutes, and Megumi falls into the first category. He's pretty quiet and reserved, but insanely talented. Pretty reflective in nature and seems to know everyone more by coincidence than by choice. Level headed, precise, and only steps in when necessary

Yuuji: bass drum. Drumlime is super team reliant, everyone needs to know their part and they have a LOT of extra hours poured into their section, but it's very rewarding to them. They're obviously some, if not, the most important people to the band in general. I think he'd be too confused with the tenor drums (cuz there's like 5 or 6 of them) and the snare just seems to tiny for him. I think he'd like that it kinda feels and sounds like a heartbeat

Nobara: saxophone. My dad's main instrument is saxophone and oh boy. I can't really imagine my girl playing anything else. They're slightly self-absorbed and are extremely argumentative people, but they sound really good if played well

Kirara: majorette. It's a time-comitment for SURE, and even though they come off as kinda pompous people it's just because they HAVE to know what they're doing and being aware of each other. I've also kinda related their batons to twinkling stars if thrown high and fast enough, which is really cool. I've also found that the majorettes often felt like they had really strict rules that sucked and I dunno. Felt very Kirara coded lol

Hakari: trombone. I'm combining the two opposing trombone personalities I've interacted with. Some other trombone players I knew were self-absorbed, a little too horny, brash, and typically uninterested. They had their silver linings, but all in all not the type of people you'd really wanna befriend

Yuuta: mellophone. Purely because french horn is his main in class instrument and you have to be incredibly talented to sound good on the french horn. Mellophone/french horn players are often friendly but reserved. Nice to everyone but has a close knit friendgroup. Also apparently french horns often get very "melancholic tunes" in music

Toge: clarinet. Lots of clarinet players are jokesters, class clowns, memers, etc. I feel like the sections would learn JSL just for him and eventually almost the entire MB does just because like. Yeah clarinets have one of the two hugest sections of the entire MB and they're pretty peaceful people

Maki: color guard! Mostly because I relate her use in weapons instead of techniques as similar to the use of flags, rifles, and sabers instead of instruments. She'd 100% switch between rifle and saber, and would despise using the flags. Less personality based with this one, but you can't tell me she wouldn't itch to throw a saber or rifle instead of playing an instrument

Panda (yes I'm including him): snare drum. We're going with mostly the comedy of this huge tall guy, like 6'4 or 6'5 guy playing the tiny drum of all things. People are constantly wondering why he doesn't play bass and he plays snare purely because it's funny and he has a good time in drumeline

Todo: tenor drums. You need to be soooooooo friggin talented to play these drums man AND very fast. I swear I can't even see the stick moving sometimes when they play. Takes a lot of self control, knowing the beat, and being firm in what you do to play well. I think these suit Todo extremely well

Momo: piccolo. ugh I feel like she'd play piccolo because wind instrument and flying lol. But also I knew quite a few stuck up and rude piccolo players so yeah

Mai: color guard but flags and rifles. She's always so upset that Maki is better than her at rifle even though she's been practicing it for longer than Maki has. She doesn't touch sabers though the balance just feels too off, and since Maki doesn't like flags Mai is great knowing she's good at something Maki isn't

Miwa: color guard. I feel like this kinda goes without saying, but between the saber, Kusakabe being the coach, and giving most sword users a position in CG, it just fits too well. This one however is more based on personality, because everyone in my section was very kind and respectful to each other. She'd probably also do flags but she could totally do saber as well and be pretty good at it

Kokichi: tuba. It's a pretty hefty instrument, they're seriously no joke. Be a cool contrast to how in this universe he can play the heaviest instrument compared to his crippled body in the JJKverse. This is also the time whereI should mention that Utahime and Kokichi are kinda similar in terms of personality and I feel like they get along well

Tsumiki (guess you weren't expecting her): clarinet. Just read previous clarinet personality descriptions and I think you'd get why I put her here

Okay it's 3 am and I'm tired. Might make a part 2 of this or something later but hopefully someone out there enjoyed reading this. Would Be very interested to hear opinions and other instrument choices 👀 talk marching band to me lol

if you have a niche sport/job/hobby it’s your sacred duty to make the most specific incomprehensible AUs with the characters you like. no more coffeeshop aus no more college aus you have to put those guys in a microbial lab. your fave is a high school english teacher. that show is about bowling now sorry. THIS IS MANDATORY!!!

[possesseddesiress]

Between us (English Version)

CONTENT WARNING: This story includes themes of transformation and body control with a suggestive approach. If this type of narrative is not to your liking or you do not meet the recommended age, we suggest you do not continue. All images used (if any) belong to their respective owners. I claim no authorship over them and they are only used for illustrative purposes.

If you decide to go ahead, welcome to Possessed Desires, where mind and body are never completely under your control.

Between us (English version)

Iker and Yuki were very close, good friends. They had grown up together, being friends from a very early age, even though each one belonged to a different culture, they had gotten along well from the first minute they met. And from there, they did everything together, they never left each other's side.

Even though time would go by and they would change; by the time they reached adolescence, Iker started working out until he got a big and defined body, he was very muscular and a big hit with the girls.

On the other hand, Yuki remained small, thin, a bit effeminate, discovered a passion for fashion and identified as gay.

But despite those differences, they remained friends. They graduated, and chose the same university, Iker started studying engineering while Yuki majored in fashion, then they managed to rent an apartment in one of the dorms to be together.

Iker sometimes asked Yuki for help to dress better and surprise girls, Yuki to gain more muscle. Always helping each other.

That afternoon, they were both in a museum, it was their “afternoon together”, an occasion they set aside once a week to meet and spend time together away from everyday life and school.

— It's an interesting exhibition, isn't it? – Yuki murmured as they moved through the area of ancient cultures. Some sculptures, remains of ruins, contraptions.

— Yes, there are interesting things – Iker advanced next to him, between them there was a difference of at least 30 cm in height. Iker was almost two meters tall while Yuki was only 1.65 cm tall. And nothing to say about the difference between their musculatures or even their styles of dress, the Mexican wore more sporty styles while the Asian loved bright colors and more daring styles.

They ended up arriving at a remote area of the museum, still unfinished. Apparently there was no one watching, so Iker pushed aside a pair of curtains towards an exhibit in progress.

— I don't think we should do that – the smaller and more timid Yuki muttered.

— Come on, it's something new. Aren't you excited?

Yuki was silent for a while until she finally let out a sigh, nodding.

— Ok... Let's go.

They crossed the threshold before the bigger one dropped the cloth, the room was dimly lit, there were some pots, instruments and remains of rocks, nothing interesting or new. Until Iker seemed to notice something.

— Look at that – the brunet smiled as he saw something in the center of the room. It was some kind of mirror, its frame was made of stone, it looked quite old.

Although that wasn't the only thing special about it, it was also a kind of double mirror, but it was translucent in a very faint way. You could see your reflection and at the same time, barely see the other side.

The guys, excited by this discovery, stood in front of the mirror, each on one side. They looked at it curiously before they began to move in circles, examining.

— Wow... Where do you think it's from?

— No idea, but it looks ancient, probably one of the first cultures – Iker murmured.

— Is that so? How smart you are for studying engineering – Yuki joked with him.

— Excuse me, Mr. designer, maybe this is too much for your brain.

The guys began to joke with each other, though in a way the tone of the jokes began to rise.

—Surely you couldn't stand a day in my shoes – Yuki sentenced while looking at him with a mocking smile.

— Rather you couldn't be in mine, your manicure would be ruined by taking one of my weights.

— And your clumsy hands would ruin my designs.

— You wouldn't even know how to flirt with a girl.

— And you'd be scared to mess with another man.

Unnoticed, the mirror seemed to become charged with a very dim light.

— Surely you couldn't be in my body.

Iker whispered with narrowed eyes.

— You wouldn't last a week in mine.

Unnoticed by the boys. An energy shot out from under the mirror towards both of their feet. After that, they both walked out of the room as if nothing had happened.

And the rest of the day went on as normal, they went back to their room, had dinner, chatted for a while until they went to sleep.

In the night was when the “strange” happened. The same energy came out of their bodies and intertwined with each other, their energies were sucked and deposited into each other's body until they faded away.

The next morning, the first to wake up was Yuki. He felt strange from the first moment he opened his eyes, heavier? Had he eaten too much last night? He sat up in bed, sleepy and not seeing around him properly; he rubbed his face.

And then he felt it. He opened his eyes like plates noticing his huge brown hands, he looked around noticing that he was in Iker's room and not his own, it was filled with some sports and car posters, his weights on the floor and even the scent was totally his.

— Uh, uh... What is this?

He mumbled looking down at his pecs, weighing them, swallowing saliva. He felt huge, heavy, even silly.

Nothing compared to his old body, he was so thin and small, and overnight he went from being like this to this.

— This is wrong, this is wrong...

As he was thinking about it, he heard a familiar scream. He immediately got up to go to his room, where he saw his old body tangled in the sheets with a confused expression.

— What did you do, Yuki!? – he heard his former body say in an Asian accent. Just the way he used to talk.

He watched how he touched his body, his slender arms, her soft face, even how he took his tresses to observe them absorbed.

— Iker? – He said in her new deep voice.

— Who else would it be, silly!!!?

It was strange to see Yuki's body act like that, he was always reserved, quiet, didn't shout about almost anything. But now, it was clearly someone else who had command of his body.

The new Yuki stood up, examining himself from head to toe with a hint of disgust in his expression.

— Dude, my muscles are gone! – He could only see his thin outline. Palpating his chest to find something flat, he also touched his hips, noticing that there was the most amount of muscle there as well as on his thighs – Why does your body look like a girl's!!!?

— Shut up! Respect, I look like a Gorilla!

The New Mexican muttered.

He observed himself again in front of his friend this time, stroking his arms. He even sniffed slightly.

— Damn... Not bad.

He murmured smiling.

— Hey! Don't just take over my body like that!

— Don't you like it? Because your new body seems to say otherwise.

And indeed, it did. The new Yuki had an issue down there “down below”, he immediately covered himself with his hand, his face flushed.

— It's not my fault, it's your body!

—Well, that's weird. I don't feel like I'm lusting after some girl or something straight like that.

A smug smile appeared on her face as she stared at him.

— Get out of here!

Iker punched his former body in the arm, Yuki just let out a couple of laughs as he left the room. He returned to the room which corresponded to his body, still not believing that the two had swapped.

He had always felt comfortable being small, effeminate, very happy in his body.

But now... he felt different. Masculine, powerful, imposing. He peeked into his friend's closet, his clothes were spandex, sweatpants, compression shirts, some plaid shirts, all a far cry from his typical tops or stylish t-shirts.

He took one of the compression shirts to put it on, and strangely discovered a taste he experienced for the first time: how tight it felt.

He brought his hands back to his pecs, enjoying how wide and big they felt, he was playing with them when Iker walked in.

— Stop playing with them, they're not balls.

—They look like it.

Yuki paid attention to his old body, noticing the clothes he was wearing.

—Wow...

— Don't say anything.

The old Iker muttered a bit annoyed, now he was wearing quite “stylish” clothes, a white shirt made of what seemed to be silk, a neat pair of pants and a golden chain.

Not at all similar to what he would wear being himself, so he felt like a sort of “Barbie Girl”: with curls, nice clothes, smooth skin and perfume. He didn't even know how he ended up getting dressed up like that, it was like going into automatic mode.

— What now? – He muttered moodily.

— What do you mean, what now? – Yuki raised her eyebrow.

— Yeah. Are we going to go to our classes, lock ourselves in until we figure out how to solve this?

The opposite one was thoughtful, then he swallowed saliva as he remembered something.

— No, no... I can't skip today.

— What? Why?

— I have a very important presentation today, me lleva la chingada – he said in a perfect Mexican accent. Which stunned both of them. The silence was awkward until Yuki spoke again – It's about my dressmaking subject, I have to present my final project.

— The dress you've been working on for weeks?

— Yes, yes. It's my final project, it's 100% of the grade.

The now huge boy sat up in bed, overwhelmed. The remaining one came over to try to comfort him.

— Then I'll go in your place.

— You don't know anything about dresses, the only thing you know is how to take them off – he muttered overwhelmed.

— Hey, don't overdo it. I'm not as dumb as you think. Besides, if this happened – Iker pointed to his clothes – Don't you think I can manage to present your project?

They looked at each other for a while, to which the now dark-haired man let out a resigned sigh.

— All right, I'll trust you.

They both ended up leaving the apartment. Yuki heading to the engineering department while Iker to the design department, making a promise to try to be as similar to their new bodies as possible. Iker didn't want to see his body acting feminine, nor did Yuki want to see hers acting like a guy with no brain cells.

Iker advanced through the corridors, still getting used to feeling small, he felt that his gait had even changed, as if he now “floated”, before he felt that his steps echoed everywhere because of his musculature, but now, he was as agile as a feather.

He was turning the corner towards the living room, he had about 15 minutes to spare to get there. When he ran into a guy.

— Hi, Yuki – a muscular guy seemed to stop him in his tracks.

— Hi, Adam – it was hard for him not to be surprised when he recognized the boy's name.

— How are you? You didn't call me last night – the opposite gently closed the distance while staring at him with a flirtatious smile.

— I was... busy – he whispered as he watched him approach, but he seemed to be petrified. He wanted to move but couldn't, he just watched him getting closer and closer.

— It's a pity... – Iker felt a series of things seeing that boy flirting with him exactly as he used to do with girls – I really missed your company – he murmured, starting to caress his curls.

And when he least expected it. He kissed him.

For a second he felt disgusted to feel another man kissing him, but the more the seconds passed, it felt so natural...

He kissed him at a slow start, but he wanted more, he wanted more, he needed more. Iker turned up the intensity of the kisses, almost occupying his tongue as he held the guy against himself.

— Wow, someone looks excited. What's wrong? You look different today.

— Nothing – he mumbled with a silly grin on his face – I guess it's a new day.

They chatted for a while, kissed some more and he even liked the feeling when Adam grabbed him by the waist to hold on to him.

He ended up going into Yuki's classroom, and finally presented his project. It was as if his knowledge in engineering had been replaced by knowledge in fashion, tailoring, dressmaking, he knew exactly what fabric his friend had used, the type of closure, embossing, the falls. He had even achieved a perfect grade in that exhibition.

On the other hand, Yuki was anxiously sitting in his classroom, until a couple of Iker's friends arrived.

— What's up, bro? – the typical stereotypical brainless jock approached him, surrounded by at least 3 other guys just like him.

Yuki was silent for a microsecond before a strange outburst came from him.

— Bro! How are you?

He stood up, bumped fists with the guy and even his pectorals with each other. He never thought he would do anything so... Masculine.

And he even did it with the other three, as if it was something natural in him. He talked to them, and a series of sports knowledge, Iker's conquests, and more topics outside of him, came naturally out of his mouth, in addition to an extremely masculine personality where most of the vocabulary was based on: “Bro”.

— And today you will see Monica?

His mind immediately went into action, apparently Iker had forgotten to mention that he had a date today.

— Yep, bro – he nodded – We'll go for a coffee in an hour.

He was nervous inside himself, what would he do when he was with her? Would he feel attraction? Would he flirt with her? What if they ended up entangled in...?

No, no. He tried not to think about it. His class moved quickly. He had always been bad at math, but now he seemed to have mastered the subject from top to bottom, even complex physics topics, he knew it all.

His subject was over, and apparently the appointment he had pending was five minutes away.

— Good luck, bro! Monica certainly is a good catch, she has good “attributes” – the guys laughed to each other to leave the room and leave him alone.

Yuki felt overwhelmed, but he knew that this was something important for Iker, so he was forced to go. He ended up arriving at the cafe and saw the girl waiting for him: red-haired, slim, she was quite cute.

The boy didn't feel... anything, though. He admired her beauty, no doubt, but he didn't feel attracted.

He sat in the chair across from her and they both began to talk.

For hours.

Strangely, Yuki felt a great friendship with the girl, as if the chemistry between them flowed naturally.

— You're so funny, Iker! I thought you'd be an airhead like all your friends.

— Well, that's me, I guess – he smiled slightly. His heart was beating fast, what if she was already trying to kiss him? He wasn't feeling any heterosexual “urges” in Iker's body. That was worrying him, he had felt an automatic mode with his friends, with his subjects and knowledge? So why wasn't it happening now?

— I'm glad you're like that. But... I think we've been getting along really well and I don't want to ruin that, would you rather we stayed friends? – the girl smiled softly. And that was quite a relief for him. Yuki nodded.

— I'd love to.

They chatted for a while more until they said goodbye. Yuki thought about going back home but he felt anxious, like he will need something to be well, so he thought about going to the gym. He knew where Iker went to work out, so he immediately set off.

And again on autopilot he began to exercise, loving the way he felt his muscles pumping, how they swelled and became big as they flexed. How much he could carry!

Even how stinky his body was starting to get, how the sweat soaked into his clothes to make them damp and clingy. He felt ecstatic, lost in all those sensations.

He was powerful, big, huge, his pecs were so fat and thick! What could he say about his arms, they were fantastic without a doubt!

He smiled egocentrically, seeing himself through the reflection. There was hardly anyone in the gym, so he fearlessly lifted his armpit to start sniffing it, losing himself in his senses.

— Pff... How stinky... – he muttered. He stuck out his tongue, starting to lick himself, enjoying both the aroma and the taste of his sweat. He caressed his pectorals, he knew that partly all that acting was wrong, that was the body of Iker, his best friend.

But geez... He wasn't blind. He knew what a great catch Iker was even if he wasn't gay. But he wouldn't say it out loud in front of him, much less that he'd had more than one dream involving him.

And now he had him all to himself.

He continued with that exploration session until he was finally bored. He picked up his things and left in the direction of the apartment.

Where Iker had a “curious” moment as well. His rest of the day had been relaxed, taking classes, talking with Yuki's friends.

He discovered how interesting he now found fashion, pop music and things that although he didn't dislike, he didn't find so relevant either.

He even took a few “cute” pictures throughout the day, he was liking the feeling of being this small.

Even how other men saw him, besides the clear fact that he had made out with Adam even walking out of class.

He felt an urge that seemed born. He'd seen a few girls, even Yuki's friends, several of them he found pretty and desirable in more ways than one when he was himself, but now. He didn't pay even the slightest attention to the areas he used to look at when it came to a girl.

On the contrary, now he did that with guys: he noticed their pecs, their big muscles, their biceps. He had seen a pretty muscular guy in shorts and a tank top and almost went crazy right there.

When he got home, he found the apartment completely alone, although he didn't really care, he went into his new room right away to check his closet.

And started trying on clothes. He admired Yuki's style, some of his outfits looked cute, but he had never thought of wearing something like that.

But now he was wearing each one of his outfits, trying different tops, sweaters, tight pants, he even ventured to try Yuki's underwear, some of them were really revealing...

But he liked the silhouette what his body was adopting now, how her hips or her buttocks looked. The more he went through his closet and drawers, he ended up finding something: a toy.

It looked elongated, somewhat thick. He had never occupied something like that, if another kind of toys a little more in line with his sexuality, since he had never thought of putting something “in there”.

But now he felt an urge, too strong to ignore, it was like that urge to exercise that he had being him.

He lay back on the bed, carefully settled the toy against his entrance and gently let it go. He let out a sigh and a confused gasp at the sensation it gave; he thought it would hurt.

But it seemed like Yuki already had experience with it when he noticed how he managed to enter without any problems.

Iker almost screamed at the top of his lungs when he finally found that sensitive spot, he almost seemed to see stars. He immediately began to pound the area like crazy, pulling the tool in and out, he was anxiously moving against the bed, sweating and with a flushed face.

It was all chaos, he lost complete track of his surroundings, and that's why he didn't even notice that Yuki had come home.

Yuki was about to say hello out loud when he heard noises coming from her room, he didn't even take the moment to listen anymore, he knew exactly what was going on.

His heart pounding with excitement as he took step after step towards the open door of his room, he peeked his head out. And then he saw him:

His body moving against the sheets, tangled at his feet and no clothes on him, his hands wrapped around his manhood, the toy skewered. His white skin filled with beads of sweat, the scent alone that permeated the entire room...

It was like activating something inside him.

— Y-Yuki! – Iker opened his eyes in fright when he felt the hands of his opponent against his body and felt him on top of him.

— Shhh...

— I-it's n-it's not what it looks like, I-I...

— Save it.

Yuki muttered gravely, he grabbed his former body's hips to feel his skin, which made Iker let out a mute gasp.

— W-wait. W-what w-what are you w-what are you doing?

The former Mexican closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of the huge brown hands resting on him.

— I told you... I don't feel anything straight in this body.

And with that, he stamped his now lips with his old ones, enjoying the unbridled sensation of kissing and touching between the two.

He got rid as best he could of everything that was in his way so that they were skin against skin. He kept kissing him, feeling Iker's nervous hands work their way down his pecs, which he played with like a fool, pressing the reliefs.

Yuki grabbed the toy to pull it out all at once, which caused a yelp from Iker.

— W-what do you plan to do?

—Shhh... Let yourself go.

He mused until he skewered his manhood into him all at once, this caused Iker to roll his eyes with a goofy grin, almost as if his brain cells were melting. It was a racket, the sound of flesh hitting flesh, the gasps and grunts, the grinding of wood, the slender legs of Yuki's original body wrapped around Iker's thick hips.

— Ah!

— Tell me Iker.

— W-what?

— Tell me Iker, Yuki.

The Mexican hesitated a moment to answer, though his brain was fucked at that point.

— Yes, Iker! Yes!

The two of them stayed like that for almost the whole night, until they woke up hugging each other.

They didn't even think about how to solve that "problem", they both felt comfortable as they were, there was no need to go back to being who they were.

Iker settled completely into being Yuki. He became an even better designer, hung out with his friends, enjoyed his new career and all the opportunities in it.

Yuki also became completely comfortable with being Iker. He loved exercise, sports, spending time with his new friends, even if they were a bit “dorky” from what he was used to.

And even better, he enjoyed his new boyfriend. Now everything was as it should be, just between them.

———

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you liked it, don't forget to follow it and share it so more people can discover it.

I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, so if you have any fantasy or scenario in mind, let me know in the comments or in messages.

See you in the next story... Who knows what body you will occupy this time?

———

[matchpointfaist]

anobrain x art donaldson au

a/n:: tw for drugs/alcohol abuse mention, descrption of preexisting injury, art is just really sad to be honest, age gap but nothing crazy! gonna make this 2 parts :)

once upon a time, art donaldson had it all. a great tennis career, a best friend he'd known for a decade, a girlfriend with an even more promising career than his own. he'd been on the straight path to success, with a 4.0 gpa at stanford and a sure spot in the US Open.

that was all before. before the injury that rendered his shoulder useless, before his girlfriend left him for his best friend in the world, before he dropped out halfway through his senior year of college and went from a household name to a bad example.

he'd moved back to his hometown after everything to clear his head. one year, to get his life back on track, turned into two. then five, and then next thing he knew he was 30 and living off of the remains of his sponsorship savings paired with mediocre income from selling party drugs to rich kids with daddy's credit card.

that was where he met you. you were different from everyone else he'd sold to. he never got the impression that you had daddy's money, or that you even had parents, to be honest. you had the sort of face that could be in a magazine, but an air about you suggested that you'd never cared, or maybe even noticed.

monthly meet ups in his car turned into weekly, and you seemed to linger a little longer each time, like you'd rather be sitting in the passenger seat of his car than anywhere else. you seemed perpetually stressed, lips bitten raw and shadows under your eyes each time he saw you. he found himself, stupidly, wanting to fix it. you seemed worse than usual when he finally let himself ask.

"are you alright?" you seemed to bristle at the question, avoiding his eyes and straightening your shoulders, "yeah, i'm fine. why?" "you just look tired," he shrugged, lighting a cigarette and cracking the window, "you always look tired, i guess," "how sweet," you mumbled, but your posture relaxed slightly, "just have some shit going on, i'll be fine,"

"like what?" he couldn't help himself now, you had him. "working a lot, trying to make rent and my roommate just told me she's moving so i have to find a way to cover her half, too," he was surprised you were even telling him any of this, "it's not a big deal," he wasn't sure where it came from, what fucked up part of his mind, or if it was his compulsive need to fix things, but the words spilled out of his mouth quicker than he could think, "do you need some help? i could pay it this month, help you get on your feet,"

you went tense all over at that, shaking your head before you could even consider it, and opened his car door, "i don't need a hand out, jesus. you barely even know me," and then you were gone, the crumpled $50 in the cupholder the only evidence that you'd ever been there.

he knew what it was like, to feel like some charity case, really. but he did know you. he knew you were 22, and that you'd moved out as soon as you turned 18, and that you had a roommate you borderline hated and an ex you definitely did. he knew your favorite color was purple (you had a streak of it in your hair and you almost constantly wore a dark purple sweater), that your favorite band was the 1975 (you put them on every time the two of you smoked in his car), that you worked at a coffee shop in the mornings and bartended in the evenings.

he knew you wouldn't let him get close, despite your odd sort of friendship you'd formed over shared, messily rolled joints and cheap cigarettes. he knew you were scared, for whatever reason, and that you never seemed to be completely comfortable. he just needed to learn how to fix it, that was all.

the next week, he pulled up to your usual meeting spot, despite never receiving a text from you asking him to. and there you were, purple sweater and cutoff shorts and threaded converse, climbing into his passenger seat with an apologetic smile. "hey," you said quietly, and he knew immediately something had to be wrong. your voice was hoarse and raw, and your eyes were rimmed red with smeared mascara, but that small smile stayed on your lips, just for him. "hi," he held out the joint he'd rolled just for you, smiling slightly as you took it, "what's wrong?"

it all came out in a mess after that. all the walls you'd seemed so hellbent on keeping up crumbled, your shoulders shaking with silent cries as you pulled your knees into the seat, teary gaze focused on the view outside the window. he wasn't sure what to do, he just knew he needed you to stop, to feel better. his hand went to your knee, rubbing circles into the skin, shushing you gently. "just talk to me," he murmured, "what's going on?"

you finally caved, telling him all about how you’d fallen behind on bills and your roommate moved out and you’d have to move back home if you didn’t figure shit out real quick, how you were terrified that you were failing at life when you’d just barely gotten started. he’d listened to every word, his chest aching for you, wishing he could take it all away, or at least some of it.

“you’re not failing,” he said softly, reaching out to hold as much of you as he could across the console, “you’re gonna be okay, alright? everybody gets a little behind sometimes,” “it’s not just a little behind, art, i’ve got no savings and no plan and my job is shit-“ you started up rambling again, your voice shaky. “hey, hey, look at me,” he tilted your chin up, brows knit in concern, “i’ll help you sort it out, okay? we’ll figure it out,”

“i can’t ask you for help, it’s hard enough i’m sitting here crying to you,” you sniffled, “i didn’t mean to drag you into all this, you’re just so sweet,” “you might be the only person in the world who thinks i’m sweet,” he smiled slightly, brushing a piece of hair from your face, “why don’t you just stay with me tonight and we’ll sort this out in the morning, yeah? if you need to move back home i’ll help you,”

“are you sure i wouldn’t be overstepping?” you asked, more timid than he had ever heard you. “of course you wouldn’t be overstepping,” it was ridiculous, the thought of you inconveniencing him in any way, “buckle up, kay? you can sleep in my room and i’ll take the couch,”

the ride to his apartment was quiet, but not awkward. it never seemed to be uncomfortable between the two of you, just static silence filled with occasional glances and shy smiles. “it might be a little messy,” he laughed apologetically as he unlocked his front door, despite knowing he preferred to keep his space clean. you glanced around as he walked you inside, and he was struck by the intimacy of seeing you in his space, surrounded by his things, like you were truly a part of his life.

"it's nice," you finally said, gazing out the balcony window, "how long have you lived here?" his mind fleeted back to memories of a younger version of himself, full of ambition, hopes and dreams that never came to fruition. "uhm, about five years," he cleared his throat, suddenly all too aware of the space in the room that you occupied, of the way he'd chased the feeling of being known only to struggle with the idea of you knowing him, "do you wanna smoke before i head to bed?"

he was grateful you agreed, glad to have something to do other than watch you trace the lines of his life throughout the apartment, but he wasn't sure this was much better. you sat across from him in the windowsill, your eyes hazy and soft as you exhaled smoke, and he thought in this light you looked more and more like someone he could fall in love with. but that was insane, and he'd only known you for a few months, and you were probably unavailable, he reasoned with himself. that didn't stop him from watching your every movement, entranced by the way the smoke cast a veil over your features, by the simple motion as you passed him the joint.

"you can borrow some clothes if you need to change before bed," he offered, voice thick, "i'm sure i have something," "i'd appreciate that, thanks," you gave him a small smile, following him to his room hesitantly, eyeing everything like you needed to commit it to memory. he'd never regretted anything more when you emerged from his bathroom a few minutes later, his old stanford shirt hanging loose on your frame, brushing your thighs as you walked. he nearly choked, his eyes going anywhere but to you, terrified of what he might say if he lingered. he was grief stricken for a life that didn't exist, seeing you in that tattered red shirt. he could've been the sort of man you deserved, could've been someone you'd be proud of, good enough to get you out of any problems and into the safety of a nice life. his eyes were stinging, and he blinked tears away, clearing his throat.

"well i'll- i'm gonna go to the couch," he gestured awkwardly to the living room, "there's a white noise machine on the nightstand, if you need it," "i think i'll manage without it, but thank you," you laughed, and he wished desperately to eternalize this moment, "thank you again, art. for everything," "it's really no problem," he ran a hand through his hair, anything to distract himself, "i'll be in there if you need me, okay? goodnight,"

he almost couldn't tear himself away, but he forced himself out to the couch, eyes lingering on the doorframe despite you being long out of sight. the mental image of you curled up in his sheets was enough to keep him awake for what felt like hours, his jaw tight, head clouded with bad judgement. he'd finally started to doze around 2am when the floor creaked slightly, and he looked up to see you only feet away, tip toeing through his hallway. you were so beautiful that way, totally oblivious to his gaze, all alone in your head as you snuck back to the windowsill, a cigarette between your fingers.

"leavin me already?" he asked, smiling to himself as you jumped, startled by his voice cutting through the silence. "sorry, i didn't mean to wake you," you frowned slightly, "not leavin, just couldn't sleep 'nd needed to smoke," "it's okay," he waved a dismissive hand, stretching before coming to join you, "can't sleep either. d'you want me to make some coffee? "i can do it, feel bad enough stealing your bedroom. might as well make myself useful," you looked hopeful, eager to help, and his chest warmed at the thought of you wanting to do something for him.

so there you were, in his kitchen, humming to yourself as you steeped coffee in his french press, looking like you belonged there. he'd never realized how lonely he'd been until you came into his life, taking up empty space he'd once been content to leave hollow. he could get used to it, he thought, and that terrified him. the idea of doing anything to run you away, to disrupt this relationship, friendship, whatever the two of you had, he couldn't take it.

you settled onto the couch next to him, sipping your coffee, watching as the sun slowly rose through the curtains. "did you think any more about what you're going to do?" he asked after a bit, disturbing the peaceful silence, "about your apartment, i mean," "i think i'm gonna move home," you sounded so disappointed, it made him sick, "maybe that'll give me a chance to save up, get my bearings and just restart," "ah," he busied himself circling the rim of his mug with his fingertip, his mind racing with thoughts on how to fix this, how to take all your anxieties and pass them on to himself, "and you're sure that's what you want?"

the story was all too familiar to him, a mirror of what he'd been through years prior, bringing all the memories to the surface once again. maybe your fall from grace wasn't as high as his, but he was sure it would scar just the same. "i don't think anyone wants to move back home, but i don't know that i have much of a choice," you shrugged, "i'll get used to it," "you could stay here until you're back on your feet," the offer hung in the air again, just as it had last night, "i mean it, i don't mind at all. you shouldn't have to move away just because you're having a hard time,"

"art, i can't ask you to let me move in here," you frowned slightly, "it's so nice of you to even offer, but i need to figure this out on my own," "you're not asking," he said it like it was simple, and he supposed in his mind, it was, "i'm offering. i wanna help you, and i'm telling you is not an imposition, okay? or i can just pay your rent, whatever you owe. we'll call it an early birthday present,"

"i can't let myself be in debt to you," you said quietly, looking anywhere but his face, "don't you see that? this isn't just some casual amount of money, this is a lot for me, and i appreciate you but it's just too much," "you wouldn't be in debt to me, okay? what can i say to make you see that? i want to help you, i'm not expecting anything in return, just let me be there for you," "i'm not gonna let my dealer pay my rent, art. let's be serious about this,"

that stung, just as much as if you'd slapped him. "right, yeah. i'm just your dealer," the words felt bitter on his tongue, like his body was rejecting the very thought. "that's not what i meant, art, i'm sorry," you reached for him as he stood from the couch, your hand cool against the flushed skin of his wrist, "i'm not good at this, i don't know how to just take help from people, okay? i'm sorry, please come sit back down,"

"i'm not good at this either," he sighed softly as he sat back beside you, eyes trained on your fingers still lingering on his arm, "i just- i hate the thought of you struggling, okay? and i could have this all wrong, so please tell me if i'm overstepping, but there's something more here," he gestured between the two of you, "don't you feel it? if you don't, just tell me and i swear to you i'll never overstep again,"

you hesitated, the tension between you palpable enough that art could feel his heart racing, could feel his face flushed in anticipation, preparing himself for rejection. "yeah, i feel it too," you finally said, "that's part of the reason i can't just accept handouts from you, i don't want anything we might have to be built on me owing you something," "i would never make you feel like you owe me anything," the very idea of it was ridiculous to him, "you know me better than that,"

"i can't afford to chance it, art," your voice sounded so small, then, and the idea that you'd been through this before finally occurred to him. this wasn't the kind of hurt that just materialized itself. "okay," he finally sighed, raising his hands in mock surrender, "will you at least stay here while you work things out with your parents to move back home?"

"i'm starting to think you just want me in your bed," you smiled over at him, and the relief he felt was a rush, like he could breathe again now that you'd relaxed. "maybe," he laughed softly, "just wanna know you're safe, that's all," "how come you didn't tell me you went to stanford?" you asked curiously, tracing your fingers over the hem of the t shirt he'd given you. "oh, uhm- didn't seem important," he shrugged, any relief he'd allowed himself to feel immediately replaced by shame, "it wasn't a big deal,"

"i couldn't sleep, so i looked you up," you said, tone casual and light, the opposite of what he was feeling, "you were famous, art," "i wasn't famous, i just played tennis," he said quickly, "and it doesn't matter anymore, anyway, so that's why i didn't tell you-" "i'm just asking," you laid a hand on his shoulder, looking over his flushed face, "most guys would've bragged about that," "i don't have a fuckin' thing to brag about," he shook his head, "i'm sure above all the articles about my success you saw the articles about my failure,"

"who cares about failure?" you rolled your eyes, "i read that you had an injury, and then i stopped reading to give you privacy," he glanced over at you then, the sincerity in your voice striking him, "yeah, i had surgery on my shoulder," he admitted hesitantly, "had a really bad breakup, kinda lost my shit. dropped out and moved home," "oh, art," you said softly, "i'm so sorry,"

"don't-" it came out sharper than he intended, "please don't feel sorry for me," "i don't think it's fair for you to try to fix me but i can't even feel sorry for you," he knew you didn't mean anything by it, but it unsettled him nonetheless, his jaw clenched as he bit at the inside of his cheek. "my entire career, my life, going out the window is not the same as you having to move back in with your parents," he knew as soon as he said it he'd gone too far, could tell from the way you jerked your hand away from him, your eyes steely.

"i didn't say it was," your voice was level, like you'd closed yourself off, "i need to go, i have a shift later and i should call my parents," "you don't have to go," he hated how he was immediately pleading, "let me drive you, at least," "i'd rather walk, thanks," you disappeared into his bedroom, returning in your own clothes, the stanford shirt folded neatly on his bed. "thank you for letting me stay here," the words sounded difficult for you to form, "i'll just call you later or something," "i'll pick you up from work," he offered, looking up at you from the couch as you lingered by the door, "i'm really sorry-" "don't apologize," you shook your head, "you were right, it's not the same thing at all,"

he watched you go, as he watched most of the good things go from his life, complacent and sidelined. he ran the conversation back in his mind, combing through all the chances he had to fix it, to explain what happened and why he was so touchy on the subject. he'd just have to work harder next time, have to figure out some way to keep you.

[naughtyneganjdm]

Christmas in Jackson - Chapter 12

Summary: Joel spends Christmas with Y/N and his family where Y/N learns more about Joel's past.

Characters: Joel Miller, the reader (OC), Tommy, Maria, etc.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61159651/chapters/164865715

Warnings: Swearing, Fluff, Sad Moments, etc.

Notes: I feel so ridiculous posting the end of this near April, but I think this story had like 3-4 chapters left. Thank you to anyone that still reads this and takes the time to interact with it. If you'd like to read previous chapters, check them out here.

“Honey, would you please put down the very expensive bottle of alcohol that Y/N brought for us before you end up dropping it,” Maria requested, calling out to Tommy from where she was working on one of the side dishes for their Christmas dinner. After their late night together, Joel and Y/N showed up to Maria and Tommy’s house around mid-afternoon. Since it was a holiday and they were up late together, they didn’t think it would be a big deal sleeping in. They just got cleaned up when they woke up and came over to Tommy and Maria’s home across the street. When they got there, they all started cooking together because that was a tradition Joel started with Tommy and Maria when he moved to Jackson. Even though Y/N felt close to Tommy and Maria, she still didn’t know them exceedingly well. Because of that, she ended up buying them the alcohol Tommy was eyeballing and a blanket for their baby when it was born. Tommy however was very focused on the bottle of alcohol while the other three worked on the meal together. “I feel like Joel could use your help with what he’s doing.”

“I’m sorry honey, I was just reading the label,” Tommy explained trying to excuse his actions. Setting the bottle back at the center of the kitchen table, Tommy cleared his throat and had a bit of color to his face. Rubbing his hands off on his pants, Tommy moved further into the kitchen and sighed loudly. He seemed lost because he didn’t know where he was needed. Stepping beside Joel, Tommy dramatically took a look at what he was doing. Looking to Y/N, he made sure to get her attention with a big smile. “You didn’t have to get us nothin’ like that Y/N. I woulda been just as happy with a pack of twelve.”

“Just say thank you and move on,” Joel snorted, his eyebrows bouncing up with his head bobbing about. Since he opened the gift, Tommy had been pretty locked in on it. “When it’s dinner time, you can crack it open and have some of it since that’s what we know you wanna do.”

“Thank you, again,” Tommy listened to Joel, gazing over his shoulder at Y/N who was helping Maria. With an amused smirk, she gave Tommy a nod. Truthfully? She was happy that he liked what she got them. Because there was that small chance that he could have been offended that it wasn’t something more personal. “So what did the two of you do yesterday for Christmas Eve?”

“Oh you know,” Joel shrugged his shoulders, reaching for one of the seasonings. After using a certain amount, Tommy reached for Joel’s wrist to suggest it was more than enough. Behind a wrinkle of his nose, Tommy shrugged his shoulders and let Joel continue with what he was doing.

“No, I don’t know. Which is why I asked,” Tommy stressed with a chuckle, joining Maria when he realized that Joel was already set with what he was doing.

“It was a very nice day,” Y/N spoke up from where she was standing, shrugging her shoulders. There was no reason they couldn’t tell Maria and Tommy what they did yesterday. “Joel took me to that hot springs in the middle of nowhere which was gorgeous. I’ve never been to something like it. We were alone, it was really romantic and sweet. Then we had some dinner. Afterwards we went to the ranch to go see Justified and Callus.”

“Wow,” Maria reacted, seemingly surprised that Joel would do that. Stealing quick glances between Joel and Y/N while Maria worked on mixing something made Y/N smile. “Taking you to meet the family? Now that’s special.”

“I think Callus fell in love with her,” Joel commented with a smirk, his right eyebrow arching in amusement. Y/N shook her head, but the way they both looked happy together was something Maria and Tommy easily picked up on. “The boys were fighting for her attention because they liked them scratches she was givin’ them.”

There was a long pause with Joel tipping his head from side to side, “I was thinkin’, I reckon we should get Y/N a horse like we did Ellie and Dina. I feel like she’d love to learn how to ride.”

“For the few days that she’s here?” Tommy snickered, turning to brace his back against the counter. Stretching out his hands, Tommy grasped firmly to the edge of the counter and smiled. “In order for her to have a horse, that means you would have to take care of it when she’s gone.”

“We can let her ride on Shimmer if she’d like,” Maria suggested, turning to give her attention to the boys while Y/N continued to work silently behind them. “Shimmer just kind of hops from person to person anyways. And she’s good with people.”

“Well, Shimmer is an option, but when Y/N moves in with me I think she’d prefer to have her own,” Joel swallowed down hard when both Tommy and Maria’s eyes grew wide with shock after he just blurt that out. What he was trying to do was tell them in a way where he was comfortable that Y/N had agreed to moving in with him. Setting down the spoon that she was using, Y/N offered a nervous smile when almost simultaneously Tommy and Maria looked back at her. “I asked Y/N to move in with me and she agreed.”

“You…you,” Tommy stammered through his words, clearing his throat when he realized his response to Joel’s confession probably came off rude. Trying to shake off the initial shock, Tommy shrugged his shoulders and immediately nodded. “I mean, yeah. If she moves here, I think we could find her a horse.”

“Wow,” Maria stepped forward to place her hand in over the side of Joel’s face getting him to smirk. The difference between Maria and Tommy’s reaction to the news was vastly different. It was clear that Maria was very supportive of his decision. “Good for you Joel.”

“Kinda fast, don’t you think?” Tommy blurt out what he was genuinely thinking, releasing a grunt when Maria smacked at the center of his chest with the back of her hand. Grumbling something under his breath, Tommy huffed and rubbed at the area she hit. “I just mean, it’s been a week. What is she going to do about her job in New York or her place?”

“I’ll have to figure it all out,” Y/N announced, finally breaking her silence. There was tension flooding into the kitchen between Joel and Tommy. Tommy’s comment no doubt made Joel uncomfortable. It was obvious just by the expression that flooded over Joel’s features. Moving around the counter, she stepped before Joel and held her hand out toward his. Sighing loudly, Joel accepted her hand and moved in beside her. “I’m not worried about it though.”

“So Jackson did rub off on you, huh?” Maria seemed genuinely happy for them, reaching her hand out to grab a firm hold of Y/N’s shoulder.

“Something like that,” Y/N whispered, gazing over at Joel who gave her a weak, but proud smile. “Moving here doesn’t mean I can’t get a vacation home there for when I want to visit. We really never talked much about that option. We only agreed to me moving here yesterday.”

“Wow,” Tommy seemed shocked, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. Taking a moment, Tommy headed for the fridge to grab himself a beer. Right when he was about to open it, Maria reached for it and snatched it from him. Placing it back, she gave Tommy a glare who dramatically shrugged his shoulders. Just by the expression over Tommy’s face, they all could tell that he wanted to say something. It looked like he was going to explode if he didn’t, but at the same time he was desperately trying to hold it in. Clearing his throat, Tommy forced himself to look away from all of them and toward the ground. “Joel, you wanna join me on the deck for a moment?”

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea. I reckon they need us to keep helpin’ them cook,” Joel explained pointing over toward the items that were on the counter and Maria waved her hand about. “I don’t want to leave you to finish everything.”

“Everything is pretty much done Joel, they just have to be cooked. The preparation was the hardest part and that’s all finished. The two of us can take care of everything else,” Maria assured Joel, opening the oven to place a few things in and then closed it up. There was a need for Tommy to talk to Joel and she knew that Tommy didn’t want to offend Y/N. Hell, he had already made an ass of himself, so Maria wanted to be sure to show her support for the two of them. Allowing Joel to go outside with Tommy made sure that it wouldn’t include Y/N and upset her. “We’re all set here.”

“Yes ma’am,” Joel sighed, realizing that he wasn’t going to get out of this talk that Tommy wanted to have with him. Realistically? Joel didn’t want to have this conversation because he could sense where it was going. And he wasn’t in the mood for it. Stepping forward toward Y/N, Joel wrapped his arm around her with his hand settling in over the small of her back. Leading her toward him, he gave her a weak smile and peppered faint kisses at her lips. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“I think I will be okay with Maria. She’ll take good care of me,” Y/N winked, brushing her fingers through Joel’s hair before he followed Tommy outside. Once they were long gone, Y/N turned on her heel and folded her arms out in front of her chest. Many thoughts were spiraling through her mind, but she felt uncomfortable at the idea of bringing them up. Then again, it was probably better just to ask instead of letting her negative assumptions linger. “I’m going to assume that Tommy doesn’t approve of this whole thing between Joel and me.”

“It’s not that,” Maria immediately shook her head, reaching for a hand towel to start wiping up some of the mess that was left from their preparing. “I think Tommy is actually very happy that Joel has someone in his life again. We were both worried about him.”

“Then what seems to be the problem?” Y/N was curious to know what was going on with Tommy since he appeared to be acting weird. Normally, she would keep her mouth shut in these situations, but Tommy had made everyone ill at ease with his actions.

“This just isn’t normal for Joel. I think Tommy is worried because…” Maria paused, swallowing down hard and shrugging her shoulders. Consideration was weighing heavy on Maria’s face with her thinking of what to tell Y/N. “Joel is just genuinely not like this. I think Tommy is worried that Joel is…”

“Having a midlife crisis?” Y/N blurt out getting Maria to involuntarily chuckle to herself. Covering her mouth with a smacking sound caused Y/N to smile showing that she wasn’t at all upset with Maria for laughing. “Don’t worry about it. Joel has been very open with me about this being rare for him.”

“And you are comfortable with that?” Maria confirmed with her, her eyebrow arching in curiosity. By her tone, Y/N knew that Maria was trying not to offend her.

“Well, Joel told me yesterday that he loved me,” she confessed to Maria getting used to the look of surprise from both Maria and Tommy’s faces today. It made her snicker, but she understood this wasn’t normal for them. “Joel and I have just really bonded. And the way we feel for one another is something I’ve never experienced.”

“Tommy would have shit himself hearing that,” Maria blurt out and maybe it was wrong, but Y/N laughed. “I’m not trying to be rude Y/N, but Joel was in a sixteen-year relationship where he never told the woman he was with that he loved her. In fact she ended up…” Maria paused, her face twisting when she realized that she was saying too much. “Let’s just say, I don’t think Joel has told anyone that he loved them other than his wife who abandoned him when he was younger.”

“I understand that and I think it seems like Joel went through a lot in his life,” Y/N noted, not exactly sure what everything was, but she could understand it just by the pain and suffering that Joel displayed to her. “But I accept Joel for who he is and I know how he makes me feel.”

“I don’t want to throw Joel under the bus,” Maria began, looking down almost in shame that she was starting a conversation this way, “but are you sure you are okay with that? Joel has…a dark past and he’s done things…”

“Maria,” Y/N paused her, holding her hand up and shaking her head. “I don’t want you to think I’m rude here, but we don’t talk about Joel’s past. I see Joel for the man that he is now and I love him. I think he’s perfect. Broken and all. Because, if you haven’t noticed I’m very broken too. For some reason? We heal each other by just being around one another. When I’m around him, I’m happy. There is this comfort that I’ve never felt other than when I’m with him. I don’t care what he’s done because I know who he is now.”

“That’s what any family member wants to hear when someone they care about falls in love with someone,” Maria replied, this time leaving Y/N amazed to hear that Maria was so positive about the whole thing. “And I think Tommy would be very happy to hear you say something like that. I just also think he’s worried about you. Because there are moments with Joel where life gets hard for him and Tommy doesn’t want you hurt. How fast things have happened just has made Tommy cautious. That’s all.”

“That makes sense. I recognize that Tommy is a good brother and a good man,” Y/N commented, clearing her throat when she thought about all the things she had dealt with Tommy over the last few days. Smirking, she forced herself to look down and bit down on her bottom lip. “Joel and Tommy have a very interesting relationship.”

“I am sorry for that,” Maria apologized, tipping her head from side to side. “Tommy did tell me some of the mistakes he has made and I can only imagine how uncomfortable that was for you.”

With a laugh, she knew that Maria was referring to Tommy walking in on them having sex and she didn’t think she should really respond much to that other than giving Maria a small nod. There was a long silence between them until Maria went to speak up again.

“I sincerely apologize for asking this, but…” Maria huffed out, almost annoyed with herself for considering this when she looked toward the door where the boys left earlier. “I have known Joel for a while now. And I can’t…it’s hard for me to picture that he’s a very giving lover considering how things are. But you seem very…attached? So am I to assume that I’m wrong?”

“Very,” Y/N was firm in her answer, responding quite quickly. Maria’s dark eyes grew wide, appearing to be impressed with how confident Y/N was in her answer. Shrugging, Y/N didn’t know if she would embarrass Joel by elaborating, but she didn’t really mind. “Joel is a very, very giving lover.”

“No kidding?” Maria made it clear that she previously assumed Joel would not be the best of partners when it came to sex. “Wow.”

“Tommy isn’t the same way? It’s not like a Miller boys thing where they both like going down on you and they both have large…” Y/N stopped herself, biting down on her bottom lip realizing how inappropriate it was for her to actually start to say that. A loud laugh fell from Maria’s lips and it had a warmth flooding into Y/N’s face. “I am so sorry.”

“No, you’re fine,” Maria dismissed Y/N’s worries, resting back into the corner of the kitchen. “You’re kind of like family now, so it really doesn’t bother me. I guess the Miller boys just have good genetics.”

“Oh?” Y/N understood what Maria was attempting to say and it made her chuckle under her breath. Even though they weren’t being very detailed, they both made it clear what they were saying to one another. “Then good for you honey. But? I promise you that’s not the only reason I want to be with Joel. The sex is nice, but I just really like being near him. I mean it when I tell you that I really do love him.”

“I don’t have to question it,” Maria lifted her hand to circle her own face before smiling. “I see it in the way that you look at him and the way you talk about him. The eyes are always the biggest giveaway. And I have no doubts that you love that man.”

----

“For fuck’s sake Joel, how good is that sex?” Tommy snorted, moving out onto the deck with Joel, gazing back over his shoulder to make sure they were alone when he reached for his back pocket to pull out his cigarettes. Joel’s eyebrows bounced up and he made an expression that showed he wasn’t enthused with the question. “You asked her to move in with you? It’s been a week. And for the first few days, you two hated each other.”

“You’re smoking again?” Joel grunted, heading over toward the corner of the deck to rest back against it. What Joel was doing was avoiding the subject all together. Joel didn’t think it was Tommy’s business. It was his own life after all and Tommy really didn’t have a say. Tommy placed a cigarette between his lips and swiftly lit it up before shrugging his shoulders. “And Maria is okay with that?”

“We haven’t really talked about it, but I’ve been…stressed?” Tommy grumbled, releasing a long exhale of smoke after he pulled the cigarette away from his lips. “Maria knows that when I get overwhelmed, sometimes I smoke.”

“And I’m overwhelming you?” Joel tipped his head to the side, not sure how to respond to that. Almost immediately, Tommy shook his head and scoffed. “Then what is making you smoke?”

“Life Joel. I’m gonna be a dad, Maria’s father is up my ass about being the best husband and father I can be. He’s inserting himself heavily into our lives now that he knows she is pregnant,” Tommy responded, waving his hand about in the air and pointing toward the house. Originally, they were going to wait until after Christmas to tell everyone, but since Joel found out first in a strange way they had told everyone about them being pregnant. Now Tommy regretted it. “I’m not gonna be smoking because you are having a relationship with someone. I love you big brother but come on.”

“Fair enough,” Joel was actually relieved to hear that because he didn’t want to be to blame for Tommy going back to one of his old vices. “Y’know, you’re a big boy. You can put your foot down with Maria’s father. This is your family Tommy, you can tell him that he doesn’t have a right putting his nose in your business.”

“I feel like that statement was kinda directed at me,” Tommy huffed, his dark eyes narrowing with the tiny smirk that pressed in over Joel’s features. “Y’know I like her Joel, I do. And I think you two are great together, but I do know you…”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Joel’s southern drawl grew deeper, his face scrunching up in frustration with Tommy’s comment about him.

“Don’t make me say it,” Tommy frowned, bringing the cigarette back up to his lips. Stressed, he took a long puff of it and knew that he didn’t want to elaborate to Joel what he meant. Instead of responding, Joel’s jaw flexed and he held his hand out asking for Tommy to continue. “You were in a relationship with Tess for sixteen years and you never once told her that you loved her. You never referred to her as anything other than mine and now you’re calling this woman your girlfriend?”

“Can we not bring Tess into this?” Joel begged, his arms folding in front of his chest in frustration. A warmth flooded into his face when he shook his head. “I know what I did and I know where I fucked up in that relationship.”

“And suddenly you’ve changed from being that person?” Tommy reached for further information, knowing that he was upsetting Joel, but it was something that had to be said. “You’re having Y/N move in with you? Do you really think that she’s gonna be okay with you not loving her? Or you being emotionally constipated?”

“About that,” Joel cleared his throat, reaching up to itch at the back of his neck since Tommy brought up something about his past that he felt guilty about. “I told her yesterday that I loved her and she told me that she loved me too. So I reckon you shouldn’t worry too much about this whole thing. I’m gonna treat her right. The way she deserves. I know where I went wrong with my life before and I don’t want it to be like that again.”

“Jesus, what have you done with my brother and who are you?” Tommy choked, getting some of the smoke caught in his lungs to the point he started coughing. By the time he finally stopped, he looked to Joel who didn’t seem entirely happy with his brother’s response. “Again, how good is that sex?”

“It’s not about the sex,” Joel defended himself. Taking a moment, he knew that he didn’t like talking about his personal life to that extent with his brother, but it didn’t hurt to brag a little. “Although, the sex is very, very good.”

“No fucking kidding,” Tommy scoffed, patting at the center of his chest to get himself to calm his body down. “How many times have the two of you had sex at this point? I’ve walked in on one of them. And I know that night at the inn, you two did it at least two times.”

With an arrogant smirk, Joel folded his arms in front of his chest and got comfortable before shrugging his shoulders, “Is that an I don’t know because you haven’t paid attention or is that an I don’t know because it’s been that many times?”

“Well,” Joel slurred, wondering what the right response here was. He could be honest and talk to Tommy about this, even though he hated talking about his private life with people. Or he could lie and avoid everything all together. Biting down on his bottom lip, his eyebrows bounced up and he smiled. “It’s been a lot. I really don’t know the number. One of the days, we spent all day in her room having sex. Many, many different ways.”

“Bragging, that’s also not like you,” Tommy reminded his brother, shaking his head and letting out an amused sound. What he was experiencing with Joel right now was so vastly different from what he was used to with his big brother. Joel was smiling and proud. Bragging about things he would have never talked about in the past. This woman definitely changed Joel. “So the doctor is very honest about her talents and she has you hooked.”

“Yes, she is talented, but that’s not why I’m hooked,” Joel restated, his dark eyes narrowing out at his brother with Tommy insisting that the reason he was hooked on Y/N was because of the sex. “The sex is nice, but I really love this girl. I’m telling you Tommy, I love her.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt that she is willing to give you extensively long blowjobs in the middle of our inn,” Tommy stammered provoking Joel to growl and look back toward the door again to make sure that the women wouldn’t hear them. “How do you have sex all day Joel? When was the last time you had sex before her? How are you even managing?”

“Your curiosity is frustrating,” Joel stressed, his face scrunching up with him inhaling loudly. “It’s not like we had one long sex session. We’d have moments, do things between them. We just really like one another. And like she said, she’s a doctor and she knows how the human body works. I’m sorry that your sex life doesn’t compare.”

“Oh, that was cold,” Tommy frowned, shaking his head at the comment. “I have no doubts that you really like one another. From what I’ve seen…”

“Again, that’s incredibly weird territory. I reckon you should probably erase those from your mind,” Joel interrupted Tommy, waving his hand from side to side since Tommy had involved himself in Joel’s intimate life several times. “The last thing I wanna picture is you and Maria going at it. Y’know?”

“I get that, but there is one thing I do wanna talk about with you. You’ve never once used protection with this girl, have you?” Tommy inquired noticing that Joel got offended that his brother went straight to that. Joel was focusing on love, Tommy was going back to sex. And speaking things about Joel’s sex life that shouldn’t have been being talked about in the first place. “I know she’s a doctor, Joel, but…”

“That whole minding your business thing Tommy…” Joel grumbled, throwing his hand up and circling Tommy in that moment while pointing out at him. “What we do when we have sex is none of your business. The only reason you know we don’t use protection is because you walked in on us having sex. Most normal people would have left and came back, but not you. No you stayed and found out the hard way.”

“I told you, I was afraid that if I made a sound leaving the two of you would lose a special moment,” Tommy defended himself causing Joel to roll his eyes and shake his head dramatically. “And I won’t lie, I got locked inside of my body. I was so mortified that I didn’t know what to do.”

“You should have left,” Joel reiterated how he felt about the situation remembering how embarrassed he was in that moment. “When it comes to the protection thing? The first time we slept together, it was emotional. It was passionate. It was a special moment. I didn’t have any condoms on me because I haven’t had sex in a very long time. She was on vacation and she didn’t have one neither. I didn’t expect that we would be sleeping together. But she said it was okay.”

Tommy seemed like he wanted to fight it further, but instead he bit his tongue, “Also, you know just as well as I do Tommy, it feels so much better without the condom. It’s more intimate. There is a connection…”

“I didn’t need to know all of that Joel. But…y’know people get pregnant when they don’t use protection. Just look at Maria,” Tommy reminded Joel hoping to spark something inside of his brother. Now he sounded like the annoying parent figure, but this was someone that Joel just met. No matter how in love they were. “From what it sounds like, you’ve been loading her up and stuffing her full of your swimmers.”

“Tommy!” Joel groaned out in a disgusted breath, looking toward the door to make sure that neither women were by it.

“Listen, I support this relationship. I do. But Joel, you’re old,” Tommy stressed, provoking Joel to release an offended sound. It was something he said the day before and Joel didn’t like it then either. A dark shade of red flooded into Joel’s face and Tommy knew he was stepping on thin ice with this discussion. “It doesn’t bother me, but I know there is an age gap between the two of you. That womb is still very fertile and it’s likely that she could get pregnant with how much the two of you are fucking. Birth control is strong, but…”

“That womb is still fertile?” Joel interrupted Tommy with a wrinkle of his nose, grunting out at the thought. “The shit that comes outta your mouth sometimes little brother surprises me. Yeah. I know I’m an old man which you like to remind me lately. And if she did end up pregnant, would that really be such a bad thing? What if we did have a baby? D’you think I wouldn’t be a good father? Because the first time…”

“Hey, hey…” Tommy could tell that Joel was getting worked up and he stepped forward to hold his hands up in the air to stop Joel from having that meltdown that he was headed for. “Joel, I know you would be a good father. Life has just been hard for you and I worry about you. Okay? I want you happy. I do and if you think you can handle being a father again, I would be very happy for you. I can see this girl is very special to you and I’m just…I’m not used to this from you. You will have to forgive me for worrying about this. I just am not used to it.”

“I’m not used to it either Tommy, but I know how she makes me feel,” Joel defended himself, his voice raspy since he was right on the verge of having an emotional moment. “She brings out the very best in me and I want to have a life with her. She makes me feel like a good man again. The way that she looks at me, the way that she touches me…she sees the best parts of me and she makes me believe I can be happy again. For the first time I want to be here Tommy. I look forward to waking up and that’s because of her.”

“Okay,” Tommy finished off his cigarette, putting it out and then moving in before Joel to reach out to place his hands in over Joel’s shoulders. “Then I will do whatever you need to be here for you to support you. I love you, you grumpy asshole.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Joel snickered, accepting the hug that Tommy was giving him. It lingered for a moment before Tommy stepped back and sighed loudly. “What?”

“Before you get frustrated tomorrow, I know that you’ve told Ellie about Y/N,” Tommy explained to Joel, looking down toward his feet. “Ellie called me. Told me that she was worried about you. I guess you texted her about Y/N and sent a photo. Said you were excited for Ellie to meet her. I just…I don’t want you to get irritated that both Ellie and I were nervous with how fast things were moving. So don’t get irritated with her if she doesn’t hook onto Y/N right away. We’re just used to the version of you that you’ve been.”

“Well thank you for warning me, but I think Ellie will see exactly why I love her when she meets her,” Joel suggested, nodding back toward the house when he thought about the woman that he had in his life for a short amount of time. “Other than Ellie? She’s the best thing that happened to me since my life fell apart. And I think when Ellie understands that, just like you, she’ll realize that she had nothing to worry about.”

----

“Here, I think I have a photo of the boys from when they were younger that you would like,” Maria insisted, leading Y/N into the living room by holding her hand. The two of them were just randomly talking about their lives, getting to know one another more until Maria mentioned having younger photos of Joel and Tommy together. Motioning Y/N to sit on the couch, Maria held her finger up and went over to search for a photo booklet that she had. Coming back to the couch, Maria sat down beside Y/N and started flipping through things. “Here you go.”

“That’s them?” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh seeing Tommy and Joel as children. It was a photo of two very young versions of them dressed in oversized boots and overalls. They were covered in dirt from head to toe and had no doubt just gone fishing. They were both holding up fish at each side of them. The one that Tommy was holding onto was almost bigger than him. “They are so cute.”

“You can look at this,” Maria offered, holding it out toward Y/N who uneasily accepted the photobook. Flipping through the pages, she could tell that this was a Miller photo booklet that no doubt came from when they were younger. The very first page had a photo of a young Joel holding a newborn Tommy. Each page showed them aging and it made her smile to see. Stopping on a photo, she saw a teenage version of Joel dressed up for what she assumed was prom. Instead of the ruggedly handsome man that she had grown accustomed to, Joel was clean shaven and very chiseled. There was a certain boyish charm to him that was so different than what he was like now. “He looks different, huh?”

“Still cute,” she stressed to Maria, gazing upon the woman that was standing next to Joel in the photo. Curiosity was getting the best of her in that moment. “Was this her? His wife?”

“It is,” Maria nodded slowly, watching closely as Y/N turned a few more pages. A moment later, Y/N paused, her body language changing completely. What she had turned to was a page where Joel was with his ex-wife and she was very pregnant. Joel looked happy, with his hand covering her swollen stomach. Swallowing down hard, Y/N felt her face grow hot. Clearing her throat, she didn’t know how to react when she saw a photo with Joel holding onto the baby with a young Tommy standing beside him. There was a glow to Joel holding the baby. Turning the page, she felt her chest aching seeing the photos of the little girl aging. It made her smile, but at the same time she knew where this was headed. And it hurt to think about. Yet it all made sense. After turning a few pages, she stopped on one of the polaroids. It was the little girl much older with her pressing a kiss over Joel’s cheek. The photo beside it they were both laughing with Joel covering the little girls eyes. Putting things together, Y/N closed up the booklet and looked to Maria with a saddened expression. “He didn’t tell you about Sarah, did he?”

Right now she was at a loss. How easily she put things together after seeing that booklet made her feel awful. She had promised Joel that he didn’t have to tell her anything that would hurt him, but somehow she still found out. This was none of her business, but suddenly she was very much aware of why Joel was so sad. Why he tried to hurt himself and felt like there was nothing to this world.

“Sarah was Joel’s daughter,” Maria started, her voice quiet and a sadness to her tone. Hearing the word ‘was’ only made it worse knowing that Sarah was being referred to in the past tense. “After they had Sarah, Joel’s ex-wife abandoned him and the baby. It left Joel to be a single father taking care of her all on his own. And…” there was a long pause with Maria realizing that Y/N was getting emotional at the thought of what she was learning about Joel. “There was a tragic accident and Sarah died. That’s why Joel wears that broken watch. It was the last thing she gave him before she died.”

Biting down on her bottom lip, Y/N tried to avoid the tears that wanted to fall hearing this about Joel. Clearing her throat, she lowered her head and reached up to wipe at her eyes that were burning. Everything Joel said to her, all of his feelings and the way he was reacting to things, it all made sense. A few of the pieces of Joel’s puzzle were laid out in front of her and she didn’t need the whole thing to understand why Joel was the way he was.

But hearing this? It felt wrong. This was something that Joel should have told her. She made a promise to him that she didn’t need to know who he was before. And if he didn’t want to tell her about this? She should have never had learned it in the first place.

“I appreciate you showing me this,” Y/N started, tapping her fingers against the top of the photo booklet. Shifting uneasily, she held the booklet out to Maria who seemed nervous after Y/N had reacted the way she did. “While I loved getting to see the photos of Tommy and Joel, Sarah is none of my business. Not yet. I promised Joel that he didn’t have to talk to me about the things that upset him. Joel’s past can remain a mystery for me until he is comfortable enough to tell me. And if he’s never comfortable enough? Well then I can accept that. I love Joel and I want him to trust me. So while I appreciate you opening up to me, I shouldn’t be hearing this. Not yet.”

“I understand,” Maria grasped tightly to the booklet, giving Y/N a nod. A sense of embarrassment flooded through her that she did spill as much as she had to Y/N. “I’m sorry to put you into that position.”

“You didn’t know,” Y/N hushed her, sliding forward to wrap her arm around Maria to give her a firm hug. “You are by far one of my favorite people I’ve met in a very long time. I hope you know that. So don’t think I’m upset with you or anything.”

“I feel the same way,” Maria returned the gesture hearing the sound of a timer going off in the kitchen. Pulling back, Maria nodded over toward the kitchen and sighed. “I guess I should go check to make sure we’re on the right track for dinner.”

“I’ll join you,” Y/N stood up watching Maria quickly return the photobook to where it was originally. Taking a moment to gather herself after Maria left the room, Y/N went to follow Maria only to stop when she saw that Joel was standing in the hallway. His back was pressed up against the wall. His head was lowered with him looking down at the floor. His breathing was loud enough for her to hear and it made her worry. Moving out toward him, she reached out to place her hand in over his shoulder. “Joel? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” his dark eyes slowly lifted to meet her worried stare. Reaching out to her, Joel pulled her into his arms and wrapped her up tightly. Burying his nose against the side of her neck, he sighed loudly and appreciated the way she clung to him. Lifting his arm slightly, he got a look at the broken watch that was there. What Y/N didn’t know is that he walked in right as Maria started to talk about Sarah so he heard everything in terms of that discussion. And hearing what she said to Maria? It blew him away. And truthfully? It made him emotional, but he was doing everything he could to hide it. “I love you. So much.”

“And I love you,” she repeated, sliding her hand up to caress in over the side of his neck. There was something in Joel’s expression that made her frown. “You okay?”

“I’ll always be okay when I’m with you,” he assured her, lifting his hand to curl his fingers around her wrist loosely. Caressing at her pulse point, he leaned in to press a loving kiss against her lips. Tipping his head back, he could see that her eyes were damp. “Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah,” she dismissed his worries with his thumb sweeping in over her cheek. “I think something in the kitchen was just working on my allergies. I probably look a mess.”

“You’d never look a mess,” he whispered, leaning in to steal another kiss from her. That was her way of hiding what had just happened. She didn’t want to put him on the spot or make him feel sad about what she knew. The sound of someone clearing their throat was heard and Joel lifted his head to see Tommy staring out at them. “Yes Tommy?”

“I’m gonna turn on the news. They should have Santa on the gondola right about now at the park we went to,” Tommy alerted them getting a deep rumble of an amused sound to fall from Joel’s throat. Moving out of the hallway, Tommy turned on the television having the sound flooding out toward them. “You wanna see this?”

Hooking his fingers with hers, Joel led her into the living room to see that they were showing footage of Santa waving from the gondola while he was riding in it. A few of the town was being interviewed before footage of Santa and Mrs. Claus getting off the gondola was shown. They were surrounded by a crowd waving when Y/N stepped forward to look at the screen.

“That’s the woman from the night we first kissed,” she pointed excitedly at the television drawing Joel to step forward. Observing the image, he narrowed his eyes trying to get a look at the woman they had as Mrs. Claus. “She’s the woman that told us the holly was mistletoe. This woman right here is the reason the two of us kissed that first time.”

“Tommy, who is that?” Joel snickered, knowing that Tommy often knew everyone in town. Y/N wasn’t wrong, that was indeed the woman that had so blatantly told them that they were under mistletoe that night. “She’s right. That’s the woman that came out of our inn and told us that we needed to kiss or else we would have bad luck.”

“I’ve never seen that woman in my life, as far as I’m aware,” Tommy responded, joining them by staring out at the television trying to see if it would spark one of his memories. “Are you sure that was her? Because I’ve never seen that woman in our inn, ever.”

“No, that’s her,” Joel snickered having Maria join them after she heard their conversation from the kitchen. She joined in and got a look at the woman, shaking her head when she didn’t recognize her either. “None of us know her?”

“Maybe she was in the bar or restaurant,” Maria explained, shrugging her shoulders when they all looked to her. “She could have just taken a walk through the inn because wherever she was going was in that direction?”

“Does this mean I can tell everyone that my brother got hooked up with someone by Mrs. Claus?” Tommy joked having Joel push into his shoulder with a snort. “Oh come on! That’s a fun story. Your matchmaker was the woman that was hired to play Mrs. Claus this year in our town. You have to admit that’s a good story.”

“Well Mrs. Claus wasn’t very good at her job being Santa’s wife because she had no idea what mistletoe looked like,” Y/N piped in, loosely wrapping her arm around Joel’s abdomen to pull him in closer to her so she could cuddle in next to him. “Because she absolutely insisted that we had to kiss underneath it.”

“Or maybe she did know what it looked like and knew you two had no idea and wanted to make the two of you kiss,” Tommy countered, letting out a hearty laugh after Joel groaned out loud. “I’d say Mrs. Claus was her disguise and she was actually Cupid.”

“Well regardless, I’m very happy that woman convinced me to kiss this beautiful man,” Y/N hummed, tugging at Joel’s shirt to get him to lower down so she could pepper loving kisses over Joel’s lips who chuckled against them. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

“I would tell the two of you to get a room, but she already has one at the inn and I know that you two don’t always make it to the room,” Tommy grunted from behind them getting Joel to glance back at him with an annoyed expression. Throwing his hands up in the air, Tommy moved over to wrap his arm around Maria and shrugged. “I’m just sayin’ the truth big brother. Can’t fault me for that.”

----

“So do you want to run away now?” Joel questioned, dropping down on the couch beside Y/N once they finally made it back to his home after spending a very long day at Tommy and Maria’s. Thankfully, after the boys had gone outside to talk, everything seemed fine with Tommy. Instead of acting strange, they all had a very good time where they just enjoyed each other’s company.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Joel pulled her in closer to him allowing her to rest her head against his shoulder. Getting to have her cuddle up to him like this felt nice. The way her hand pressed in over the center of his chest made him feel content, “I’m sure it’s been a long day for you.”

“The only place I want to run is to your arms,” she whispered, caressing her hand in over his chest and lifting her head up to stare out at him with a weak smile. Hearing that had his lips parting causing his breathing to grow louder. “Nothing is going to chase me away from you.”

“I’m glad I told you I loved you because I couldn’t imagine holding in an I love you right now,” he slurred, using his free hand to sweep his thumb in over her jawline. His touch was tender, his eyes full of affection for her. Closing her eyes, she leaned into his touch and enjoyed the way he seemed to be cherishing her in the moment. “You have no idea how much you impressed me today.”

“By how much food I ate?” she teased him, chuckling when he buried his nose in against the side of her face and his laughter followed. “Not what you meant?”

“Just how well you fit in. This whole thing feels like we’ve been together a very long time. Everything feels so…” he paused, thinking of the right word as she cuddled back into him again. “Natural?”

“I love you and I like your family Joel. It does come naturally,” she retorted, enjoying just being in his arms right now. Sliding her hand down in over his abdomen, she heard the loud exhale he released and it made her smile. “I think we’re stressing your brother out though.”

“I think he’s just stressed in general right now and we haven’t helped,” he countered, knowing that she didn’t hear the conversation he had with Tommy outside when they were alone. “I think Maria’s family and the baby just have him really tense. He works so hard to be the best version of himself, but it’s hard being under a microscope. Having people expect you to be a certain way.”

“He does it well,” she suggested, leaning back to stare out at Joel in a way that made him smile. Patting him on the chest, she stood up and motioned him to wait. “Before it gets too late, I have something for you.”

“You have something for me?” he repeated, his dark eyes getting bigger when she stood up from the couch. Moving over toward the Christmas tree, she reached around it for a bag she had hidden behind it. How she managed to do that without him noticing him surprised him. As she made it back to the couch, Joel sat up straighter with her sitting beside him again. “What is this?”

“Christmas gifts,” she explained, opening the bag slightly to show that there were wrapped presents inside of the bag. Digging inside, she pulled out the first item and held it out toward him. Surprised, he accepted the gift and let out an amused breath. “It’s what I did with my free time when we were separated.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he pointed out, his eyebrows furrowing when he took another look at the bag that she had. “You didn’t have to get me anything, let alone multiple things.”

“Oh, don’t get worked up about that. Trust me, they aren’t the best presents in the world. I just thought you should get something because we did just start dating and it would be weird not to get you something,” she dismissed, throwing her hand about in the air. Snorting, Joel opened the first gift she handed him. Amusement flooded his veins when he set aside the wrapping paper to hold up the button-down plaid shirt. “It looks like something you would have in your closet. I just thought I would change up the colors a bit.”

“I like red,” he chuckled folding the shirt up and setting it aside when she held another item out for him. Sucking in a sharp breath of air, he accepted the gift and realized how strange this felt for him. Sure, Tommy and Maria exchanged gifts with him and he pampered Ellie for a while, but he wasn’t used to people going out of their way for him. Tossing the paper aside again, he noticed that it was another shirt when he started to unravel it. Holding the t-shirt up to his chest, he snorted when he got a look at the design and heard her laugh out loud. Over the front of it was a grumpy bear with an arrow pointing upwards along with the big words ‘I’m with Grumpy’ written out over it. “Oh, wow.”

“I think it suits you,” she teased him noticing the color that flooded into his face. A low rumble of a raspy laugh escaped his throat when Joel motioned her to wait. Undoing the buttons of the shirt he was already wearing, Joel tossed it over the back of the couch to hang it there and swiftly pulled the t-shirt down over his body. Once he got the material in place, he heard her clapping and her laugh was all he needed to know that he made a good decision. “It looks great on you. You have to admit. You and Grumpy Bear do have a lot in common.”

“Because we’re both so cute and cuddly?” he mused, his right eyebrow arching in amusement with her reaching out to playfully squeeze at his cheek. Laughing once more, he sighed when this time she handed him over a box. Even though these were what she considered small gifts, he could tell that she was proud of them. Once he got the wrapping paper off, it took him a minute to tear into the cardboard box. Once it was open, he pulled out the mug that was inside. Gazing upon it, he could hear her laughing when he read out the words on it. “I’m a ray of fucking sunshine.”

“I thought it fit you with your glowing personality and because you are such a fan of coffee,” she liked that her gifts were causing him to laugh because when she first met Joel, he wasn’t a man she ever pictured being able to laugh like this. With a nod of approval, Joel set the mug down on the coffee table beside where he placed the other shirt she had gotten for him. Grabbing another one had Joel’s head tipping to the side with his eyes narrowing. “What?”

“How many gifts did you get me?” he accepted the next one, surprised that she seemed to keep pulling them out. “I’m a simple man y’know? Just having you here with me is a gift in itself.”

“Smooth talker until the end,” she sighed loudly, appreciating the comment but knowing that she just wanted to do something nice for Joel. “I only have a few more. I promise. And these ones are little more serious.”

Working open the next present, he released a confused breath when he dug inside of the box to find a Christmas ornament. It was red in color that on one side said ‘our first Christmas’ along with the year. On the other side, it had two puzzle pieces put together with his name and hers that read ‘you are my missing piece’.

Smirking, his gaze lifted to hers. Behind her eyes he could see that she was incredibly proud of that gift. With a firm nod, he stood up from the couch and headed over to the bare Christmas tree. Placing the ornament on the tree, he looked over his shoulder at her and sighed, “Next Christmas we will have to find other ornaments to put on here so it isn’t the only one.”

Joel was already talking about next Christmas in terms of their relationship. That made her smile to hear. That meant he saw a future with them and it felt nice.

“I think we have time to do that,” she whispered, glad to see that Joel didn’t seem to completely hate the presents that she was giving him. Once he was done, he moved back to the couch beside her and she cleared her throat uneasily. “Now this is the last one and I…I really debated giving this to you because I don’t want to upset you.”

“Oh?” he muttered, accepting the final gift and he could tell how different this one was in comparison to the others. This one actually had her nervous. Every part of her seemed anxious and he wondered what could really have her that way. Unwrapping the paper, he realized that it was a nice black box that he was holding onto. Working it open, he felt his heart skip a beat when he got a look at what was inside.

“I completely understand if you don’t want to keep that,” she began, a lump growing in her throat with Joel reaching for what was inside the box. Pulling out the pocket watch that she got for him, she slid in closer to him while his thumb swept in over the design on the front. It was a very detailed design. It was a scene of horses pulling a carriage. It looked like something out of the old west. “This one really stood out to me, especially with all the paintings you have on your walls here and at the inn. I don’t expect you to give up the watch on your arm, which is why I got you the pocket watch. I thought it might be nice to have something you could carry with you when you actually need the time.”

“It’s perfect,” he muttered no doubt getting emotional after he caught the conversation that Maria had with Y/N about Sarah earlier. Nodding, he lowered his hand and looked to her with a heavy-lidded stare. Outstretching his free hand, he curled his fingers around the back of her neck to lead her to him. Pressing a lingering, passionate kiss over her lips, he only slightly pulled away to nuzzle his nose in against hers. Now he understood why she was nervous about this. She didn’t want to upset him since she knew what the watch meant to him. “I will start carrying it with me immediately.”

“You don’t have to, I’d completely understand if you didn’t…” she went to continue on, but he hushed her and shook his head slowly. At this point, he could feel that his eyes were damp, but he couldn’t help himself. The watch was a sensitive subject and she understood that. That’s why she went out of her way not to replace the watch, but to give him something he could carry along with that. “I’m sorry they aren’t better gifts. I didn’t have a lot of time.”

“I love them,” he assured her with a firm nod, giving her one final kiss before reaching for her hand. Hooking his fingers with hers, he pushed her gift into his pocket and led her to the stairs. Helping her up them, he heard her let out a confused breath when he headed for his work room. “What?”

“I thought we were headed to the bedroom,” she teased him, reaching out to playfully tickle at his sides. Arching forward and away from her, Joel’s laugh sent a warmth throughout her body. Shaking his head, he nodded toward his work room and stopped at the door. “What?”

“Close your eyes,” he requested with a hum, a half smirk tugging at his lips. Doing as he requested, her eyes fluttered to a slow close and he opened the door. Taking her by her hand, Joel led her into the room and directed her with his hands to slowly lower down into one of the seats. Waiting for confirmation that it was okay to open her eyes, she listened to the sounds of Joel moving around the room. “Keep them closed.”

“They are closed,” she insisted, biting down on her bottom lip. Curiosity flooded her body with what Joel was up to now. “You aren’t going to put on another cute pair of boxer briefs are you?”

“All of my boxer briefs are cute,” he snorted, his voice sounding closer to her. Gradually, the warmth of Joel’s body was before hers and she could sense him. “Alright, hold your hands out.”

Obeying, she did as he asked of her and felt something carefully being placed in her hands, “You can open them now.”

Unhurriedly, her eyes fluttered to an open and she felt a long exhale escaping her lips when she saw there was an acoustic guitar in her hands. Taking a quick look up at Joel, she could see that he was excited to give it to her and it made her smile. Gazing upon it, she saw that her initials were engraved into the body along with an owl engraved into the neck.

“Do you know why I picked an owl for you?” he kneeled down, his hands reaching out to caress in over her knees. Shaking her head, she continued to inspect the guitar and it took her breath away with how beautiful it was. “I was going back and forth between that and a butterfly, but ultimately? I picked the owl cus’ it symbolizes wisdom, intuition and knowledge. Owls have the ability to navigate through the darkness of ignorance and reach the light of understanding. I’d love to say I came up with that, but I read it. You see, for me, you see through the darkness of me and you found the light. So I thought it represented you perfectly. You’re smart and you have a deeper understanding of things in this world than most people do.”

“That’s beautiful Joel,” she assured him, a lump developing in her throat as she dragged her fingers across the neck of the guitar. “This is amazing. How did you do this? Where did you find the time to make this for me?”

“I’m magical,” he snorted, bobbing his head about offering her a cheesy smile that brought forth a warmth throughout her body. “I promised you that I would make you one and since it was Christmas time, I just figured I’d rush it. But I assure you, it’s a perfectly good one.”

“Can we play?” she wondered, lifting her head, eager to see if they could actually attempt to play it. With a nod, Joel groaned when he got up from the ground. Holding his finger up, he reached for a chair so that way he could sit before her. Motioning her to hold the guitar the correct way, Joel was helping to position her hands and she couldn’t help but smile as he went straight into teacher mode. “Do you think since it’s Christmas, maybe you would consider singing for me today?”

“Don’t push it,” Joel grumbled under his breath, his dark eyes lifting to hers with a smirk tugging at his handsome features. “I know you really wanna hear me sing, but it’s just not gonna happen. I can play the guitar for you if you would like.”

“That’d be nice,” she agreed to his offer realizing that no matter how many times she asked Joel to sing for her that he was likely never going to do it. But it didn’t hurt to try. Watching as Joel got up to grab one of his guitars, she released a long exhale. What was nice about this whole thing was how happy she actually was. She wasn’t used to this kind of feeling. By the time Joel got back to his seat, she must have been staring at him weird because he tipped his head to the side and offered a weak smile. “Sorry. I’m gawking. I just love you, so much.”

“That’s the kinda thing I like to hear,” he assured her leaning forward to meet her halfway to press a quick kiss over her lips. Pulling back, he genuinely looked happy too and that was a nice thing to see. “I love you too.”

----

Tags: @jdmorganz @carolineesnell @ayumi-wolf @dilfsandmartinis @christinamadsen

@brittmb115 @thegirlwiththemostcake3 @ashleyfilm

[xoxorory]

Vows, Vows, and a Wedding Plans with Percy Jackson

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Daughter of Aphrodite!Reader Genre: Humor | Fluff | Word Count: ~1.8K Warning: English si not my 1st lenguage lol Requested by: @simpingmyassoff

It had been a long time since Percy and I started our relationship. Four years together, almost five. Sometimes it felt like everything was a dream, as if the world was brighter when we were together. Him, with his carefree attitude, and me, always lost in my thoughts, but with one certainty: Percy Jackson would be my future. And no, I wasn't exaggerating.

"Babe, what are you doing?" Percy asked, looking at me from the door of the cabin.

"Nothing," I quickly replied, covering the notebook where I had been planning every detail of our wedding. I knew he would never take me seriously if he saw it.

"Sure," he responded, knowing something was up. He came closer and sat down beside me. "Can I see what you're writing?"

I sighed. There was no turning back now. We had already talked about getting married young, and of course, we had so many ideas in mind. It wasn't crazy considering what we were: demigods, with such uncertain lives that we thought the best thing was not to waste time.

"The thing is..." I started, looking at the notebook I had already started filling with drawings, colors, and details. "I've got the whole wedding planned."

Percy looked at me curiously, narrowing his eyes.

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything. What I want is for it to be on the beach," I said, getting excited. "It's perfect, don't you think? A small wooden bridge, like those that go over the water, so the dress doesn't touch the sand. In light blue and white. And a wedding cake with those colors, light blue and white, with pink details."

Percy stared at me in silence for a moment, then let out a low laugh, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Are you serious?" he asked, smiling as always.

"Yes," I replied without hesitation. "The vows, Percy. The ceremony. And the speech... well, I want your mom and my mom to give it."

Percy looked at me a little confused, and I saw his eyebrow raise. Sometimes I forgot how inexperienced he was with these things.

"Sally and... and my mom?" Percy seemed even more puzzled.

"Of course," I said, rolling my eyes. "Aphrodite has her... ways. And Sally has to be part of this, she's your mom! Besides, who better to talk about love than the two of them?"

Percy leaned back, propping his arms on the sand. "You surprise me, you know? I didn’t imagine you had all this in mind."

"Oh, Percy," I said, looking at the sea. "It’s just that it’s something I can’t get out of my head. I’ve been thinking about this since we were fourteen. I always knew we’d be something bigger than anything else in this camp."

Percy looked at me with tenderness, as if all of this made more sense than I realized.

"You know... I don’t care about the cake’s color or what the dress is like," he said, standing up to come closer. "All I want is for you to be my wife. I don’t care if it’s on the beach, in the activity room, or even underwater."

I laughed, feeling my heart race. He always said things with such confidence that sometimes it scared me. It was so natural for him, like there was no challenge in our relationship.

"You’re a mess," I said, touching his cheek.

"I know. That’s why I fell in love with you."

Percy grinned from ear to ear. Then he leaned toward me, taking my face in his hands with that intensity that left me breathless.

"I love you," he whispered, his eyes reflecting a promise that was deeper than any words.

I felt a little embarrassed by how sudden the moment was, but I didn’t pull away. I leaned in to kiss him softly.

"And I love you," I replied, never breaking eye contact.

We were ready to face whatever came our way. We knew what we wanted, and although the demigod life made it difficult, we would face it together.

Percy laughed between kisses and pulled back a little to look at me.

"What I want is for all of this to be real. And if that beach wedding with the pink cake becomes a reality, I don’t care."

I gave him a little shove, laughing.

"Wait, and you haven’t thought about your vows? What would you say, Percy Jackson?"

His face lit up with a conspiratorial expression.

"I’ve got it figured out," he said, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. "I promise I’ll always be with you, even when the sea is about to swallow us. And I promise nothing will separate us, not even the roughest waters."

"That’s not a very romantic vow, huh?" I said, laughing.

"It’s what I’ve got," he said, winking. "Does it work for you?"

I just nodded, feeling that my future with him would be everything I had dreamed of and more.

And even though our life was chaotic and dangerous, we knew that anywhere, under any sky or by the sea, the only place we really wanted to be was together.

And with that, the future became a lot brighter.

[cherry-cough-syrup]

Take the Plunge Part 3

Recruiter/Gong Yoo x Reader

Part one - two

a/n: Omg, are you falling for him?? Why would you do that? I really like how this part went and it helped me figure out how I'm going to end the series. Might take a break and work on my Sang-woo fic idea?? If I made a mistake, no, I didn't.

Wc: 3.1 k

No TW's this time. You give him a blowjob. I'll have to ramp it up in the next chapter to make up for this. You are sassy as always in this chapter, never change <3

(I couldn't put the photo I wanted so you get this)

You woke up at noon, rubbing your eyes as you adjusted to the light pouring from your window. You winced when you sat up, remembering what happened last night. Your ass was incredibly sore on the side he hit and you weren't sure you'd be able to sit properly for the next few days. You lift your shirt, inspecting the bandages on your stomach. What a psychopath you muse. Breaking into your house, slicing you up, then patching it. Who does that?

You had mixed feelings about him. He was crazy, truly, but the attention he gave you, the obsession? It made you feel things you didn't want to confront. He's stalking you, putting your life in danger, hurting you. He makes you play these games because that's what he gets off on. Are you just a means to him getting satisfaction?

You stew in your unpleasant thoughts in your bed. The usual bedding of random blankets and pillowcases has been replaced by a red set. You laugh at the sight, of course, he replaced them with the same color that caused the need to do so. He could've chosen any other color, but he wanted you to remember what he did, what you let him do and liked.

After breakfast you make your way back to your room, wincing as you try to find the most comfortable way to sit at your desk before you start studying. You open up your left side drawer and find a brown card with a triangle, square, and circle printed on it. You flip it over, and a street name, date, and time are written. You know exactly who it's from, the thought of him going through your belongings makes your stomach curl. It's a few weeks from now, giving your cuts time to heal, but you're nervous to find out why he wants you healed.

_____________________________________________________________

You stand on the dimly lit street, the trees swaying, making shadows dance around you. The cold is almost suffocating as you wrap your jacket tighter around you, bouncing on your feet to try and produce some warmth. Right as the time hits 7:30 pm, a car rolls up, stopping with the back passenger door in front of you. It's nice and clean, but it isn't flashy. You've noticed that about him, he radiates expensive energy but never in a flashy sense. You can just tell by looking at him, no need to show off. The driver steps out, coming around to your side before opening the door. You peer inside, seeing your stalker relaxed against the seat, sipping a drink. Rolling your eyes, you thank the driver and slide in, keeping yourself pressed into the door and away from him. You're mad at him, the unsavory thoughts creeping back in as he looks at you. You're just a game to him.

He undoes his seatbelt, setting his drink down as he slides towards you. "I missed you, almost couldn't wait for those cuts to heal," he admits, wearing a smirk that almost resembles fondness? 'You're just seeing what you want to see' you scold yourself.

You laugh, unsure if he's even capable of feeling that emotion. "I don't know if I believe that. You seem to feel nothing unless you're causing someone fear and pain," you turn to look at him, a challenging smirk playing on his lips and you mimic it.

"Wrong, I feel a whole lot when you're coming for me," he mumbles as he invades your space, his voice low in your ear.

Your smirk falls, replaced by a blush all over your face as you drop your gaze, finding a new interest in the leather seats. He grabs your chin, forcing you to look at him. He's burning you alive with the way he studies your face. He's so hard to read. You can't tell if he likes you or just what you let him do. You try to act like you have no choice, but if that's true, why are you in his car right now? Letting him touch you and make the pit in your stomach flutter?

"Where are we going?" You ask, breaking from his grasp and settling your gaze on your fidgeting fingers. He smells incredible; expensive and clean with a hint of alcohol.

"I want to play another game," he says, a hand resting on your thigh as he picks his drink up.

You roll your eyes. "Yeah, I figured that part out already. Thanks, Captain Obvious. I asked whe-"

He grabs your face, pinching your cheeks in his hand as he forces you to meet his eyes. There's anger in his eyes, challenging you once more. "You need to watch your mouth around me. I let it go for our first game, made you quiet for our second, and I'm running out of patience for it," he snaps, giving your face a rough squeeze before leaning against the seat and running a hand through his hair.

"Long day at work it seems," you mumble. He's in the same suit he wore when he played ddakji with the man on the bridge, so you assume he was doing the same today. It dawns on you that you have no idea what he does for work. Hell, you don't even know his name. You turn to him, debating.

"What's your name?"

He laughs, a full-on laugh right in your face. "If you win our game tonight, I'll tell you."

"What's the game?" You ask, a warmth spreading across your body from the sound. He hadn't laughed like that before, and it was the most genuine you'd ever seen him, even if it was at your expense.

"Hide and seek. I bought an abandoned building recently and haven't gotten the chance to check it out. We'll be on an even playing field so you'll have a chance, wouldn't be fun otherwise." He rubs circles over your thigh, which would be soothing if it was anyone else. His hold feels possessive, not comforting.

You spend the next 10 minutes in silence, not meeting his eyes that never leave you. They're burning you alive and you almost start ripping your fingernails off just to distract yourself. You let out a breath when the car rolls to a stop and you nearly barge out of the car before he grabs your wrist to stop you. "Ladies don't open their doors." You roll your eyes again, sure they'll get stuck if you do it anymore tonight. You've been together for 20 minutes and you're already annoyed.

You take in the building as he walks you to the front door. It's about 10 stories high but pretty narrow, which means you'll have to climb quite a few stairs to put some distance between the two of you. Maybe you could hide close to the stairs and make a run for it once he went past you? No, you hadn't paid attention on the drive here and had no idea where you were. Plus, he gets pretty upset when you don't play by the rules. He knows where you live, there's never any real hiding from him. The thought almost makes you laugh.

"I'll give you 5 minutes to hide. I get 10 minutes to find you. We play until I get bored," he says, pulling his phone out to set a timer.

"What's the punishment?" You can feel the nerves getting to you, but you push them down. You need to focus on winning.

"A surprise," he smirks, opening the door to the entrance. "Your time starts now."

You book it, damn near flying up the stairs, that same laugh from earlier haunting you as you sprint up. You make it to the fifth floor in 3 minutes, no time to be proud of your accomplishment with your lungs aching as you take in the area. It looks like it used to be an office of sorts, 10 cubicles are in the center, 3 doors on the opposite side of the stairs. You make your way over and the first one is jammed, the second leads to a disgusting single-person bathroom, and the 3rd is a storage room filled with boxes. You make your way inside, shuffling boxes around you as you hide in the corner.

It's dark, the box above your head looks like it could cave in at any moment. You've been in here for several minutes when footsteps grab your attention, causing you to hold your breath in case he can hear. He tries the first door, and the second, a sound of disgust coming from him almost makes you giggle before he swings open the door to the storage room.

Your heart is trying to beat out of your chest with such force you think you might faint. His footsteps grow closer, occasionally stopping as he checks for you. They go right past you, searching the other side of the room as your heart begins to calm down. You're gonna win this, you have to win this.

His footsteps go by you once more, and you hear him turn the knob and swing the door open, but just before he steps out the box above you collapses, a startled yelp escaping your throat as the pain begins to throb in your head. You hear a deep, unhinged laugh as you mentally curse at yourself. It's not the same amused laugh as earlier, it feels like a threat. The footsteps grow closer again, but just before they reach you, an alarm goes off. You feel like you could throw up from relief.

"I'm impressed," he says, shutting the alarm off. "You can come out now."

You shove the boxes away, crawling out of the mess. He really does look impressed with you and you have to fight the smile trying to surface. Your insides feel fuzzy. "Damn box nearly ruined my life," you say, pushing past him to leave the stuffy room.

He grabs your wrist, spinning you around to crash into his chest. Your uncaught hand reaches up, grabbing his arm to steady yourself. He leans into your ear, whispering, "My name is Gong Yoo, but I prefer you calling me sir." You want to smack the smirk right off of his face. Rip it off, really, but the knowledge of his name almost makes you blush.

"I think I prefer calling you my stalker, honestly," you say, and he tightens his grip on your wrist, using his other hand to cup your face. His eyes are narrow as he stares into you.

"I think you'll prefer it when you're coming around my cock," he says, pressing a firm kiss to your lips before walking out of the room. "You've got 5 minutes, your time begins now," he yells out.

You stand there for a moment, trying to get your brain to work so you can hide again. Shit, you didn't hear if he went up or down. You go to the third floor, it's a big meeting room, not useful. You get to the second floor, and it seems like some sort of locker room. You make your way towards the back of the room, barely squeezing yourself into locker 218. The locker is bigger than a school locker, but your shoulders are on fire from the tight fit. You pray it doesn't lock from the outside, he might not have the keys for them.

Your heart starts trying to escape again when you hear familiar footsteps walk into the room. You're hopeful he'll waste time checking the lockers or just assume you wouldn't be able to fit. Unfortunately, he makes his way straight to the last row before he starts checking. Of course he is, why wouldn't you go for a locker far away from the front?

You groan when he opens your locker. You struggle to get out, wincing when your shoulder harshly catches on the latch. He just stands there, an amused smile on his face as he watches you struggle.

"Not smart to pick the last row of lockers," he scolds and you advert your gaze on the floor, huffing.

"What's my punishment?" You ask, looking up at him.

"I'll tell you when we're done playing," he replies, turning around and walking towards the door. You want to walk over and push him down the stairs, but you doubt the driver will take you home without him. "I want to play one more round. This time, if I catch you, my cocks gonna be in your mouth," he says, closing the door and walking down toward the first floor.

"Like it wasn't going to already," you mutter, making your way out of the door. It was obvious by now that he got off on these games, and you wouldn't go separate ways until he got his fix. You manage to climb 4 flights in 4 minutes, but it doesn't give you much time to hide. It looks like an in-office daycare of sorts. There are two doors on the opposite side of you. One leads to a bathroom, the other is a small kitchen. You hide underneath the cabinets, the stench of old food making you fight not to gag. You hear a strange noise as you steady your breathing, it sounds like scratching. Trying to ignore it and muffle your gasps for air with your hand, it grows louder. You look down, eyes widening at the sigh of a rat scratching and chewing at an old box of crackers right next to your foot, and it takes every ounce of self-control in your body not to scream. Instead, you shift your foot, hoping to scare it away. The rat jolts, throwing itself against the cabinet door to open it, and scurrying away. The cabinet closes with a loud thud and you curse under your breath, burying your head in your hands. You hadn't noticed the footsteps approaching the kitchen door until they stopped and you could feel the smirk on his face as the door swung open. He calls out your name, taunting you, and something burns deep in your stomach from it. He hadn't used your name before, but you weren't surprised he knew it. You heard the cabinet's opening and didn't even try to remain quiet anymore, just sat and waited. He opened the one you were hiding in, smiling down at you before he straightened up, waiting. You just sat there, pretending like you couldn't see him.

"I found you," he states.

"Hadn't noticed," you scoff. He grabs your arm, your head knocking into the ceiling of the cabinet as he pulls you out and onto your knees. His mask slips, his face contorted in anger.

"I have just the thing for your smart mouth," he spits, grabbing your chin and forcing you to look at him as his other hand undoes his belt. You're faced with his hard cock in a matter of seconds, the tip leaking with pre-cum as you take in the sight. "I had a busy day and that mouth isn't making it any better. Let's change that."

You roll your eyes, taking his cock in your hand and giving it a few pumps before opening your mouth. You would've given him another snide remark, but you're exhausted from running around and just want to go home. You slowly lick his tip, pressing your tongue down as you collect the dripping pre cum. He groans as you close your mouth around him, slowly making your way down his length.

"Faster," he demands, his hand going for your hair. He doesn't pull, but his grip is firm. You pick up the pace, moving your hand away as you take more of him in. You moan when you feel him hit the back of your throat, forcing yourself to take the last inch of him and bury your face in his pelvis. He lets out a low hiss, his hips bucking into you and making you gag. He murmurs a light 'fuck' under his breath, repeating his actions.

"You sound so pretty when you gag around my cock," he says. You look up, his eyes are full of lust, his mouth in an 'o' shape as he watches you take him. His hair is falling in front of his eyes and he keeps pushing it back. Tears prick at the corner of your eyes as you continue.

You take him out of your mouth, giving your throat a break as you run your tongue on the underside of his shaft and swirl around the head of his cock. It sends a jolt of electricity through you as he tips his head back, a gasp escaping from his lips. You wrap your lips around him again, hallowing your cheeks and sucking as your nose meets his pelvis again, holding there for a few seconds while his hands grip your hair tightly, tugging on the strands. It hurts, but it feels so good. You moan and it causes him to shiver, animalistic groans and swears leaving him as you pull your head back so only the tip is in your mouth, then swirling your tongue around him before you take him all the way. Spit is dripping down the side of your chin as he starts fucking into your mouth. You're gagging and moaning around his cock, tears flowing down your face.

You feel him tense, his thrusts become sloppy as your name falls from his lips, filling your mouth with his seed as he rides out his high. You choke as he releases your hair and pulls out, but you manage to swallow everything. You're both panting and your head is pounding from all the hits it's taken today, so you keep your eyes on the ground as he tucks himself back into his pants.

You wipe the tears from your eyes before looking up at him. He leans down, wiping the drool and missed tears from your chin before holding a hand out. You ignore it, getting up on your own before pushing past him and making your way down the stairs. You're angry again, and you don't even know why. Because you liked it? Because you felt something in your chest when he called out your name like that?  

You make it back to the car, not waiting for the driver as you get in and slam the door shut. Gong Yoo slides in a moment later.

"Not nice to slam doors," he chastises, crowding your space. "You didn't even wait for me to tell you your punishment," he pouts, though his eyes have a certain glint to them that makes your stomach uneasy.

"I don't care. Do whatever you want," you groan, leaning your head against the seat and shutting your eyes.

He smiles, tapping the window that separates you from the driver. "Very well," he says, grabbing a briefcase you hadn't noticed lying on the floor. The last thing you remember is that familiar sharp pain in the side of your arm.

a/n: give me feedbackkkk

[aleksa-sims]

RL Story

My Mom and Sister came to me. I didn’t invite them or anything. They were shopping together and eventually decided it would be a great idea to annoy me. 😒 Don’t get me wrong, I love my family , but these spontaneous visits.... are no fun! Especially since my Mother is a real pain!

As soon as she entered my apartment, she started to criticize my interiors. It's too colorful for her, yk? 💁‍♀️ And it looks kind of messy. She said, I should have invested more money in my furniture. It's (my drawer) poor quality. 😡😡.... 80% of my stuff is from Westwing! So what kind of crap is that woman talking? I mean, sorry! I’m not such a freak like her, who spends over 3,000 € on a fucking couch!!!!

Even for Lucas it was hard to.... enjoy his bottle, due to her yapping...

Mom (to me): What happened to your hair A.? Your head looks so messy.

Ana: Did you play with the socket? 😄 ... JK, sis! I like your hair!

Me: My whole life is a mess, Mother! 😒

Mom: Is something wrong? ... Where’s N.?

Me: He's......um... Ugh, he went to the ER. He had pain in his hand and wanted to have it checked.

Mom: Oh, no. What happend?

Me: Huh?... Um, n-nothing! Hee.. probably hurt himself playing soccer. 🤷‍♀️🥵

I was hoping my mother wouldn’t stay too long. I didn’t want her to know about Nico’s and my fight.

A little later Nico came home. Unfortunately my mom and Ana were still there, and Nico didn’t seem to be very happy about it. But instead of just pretending everything’s fine, he acted like a jerk! 😠

Nico: What is going on here? 😒

Ana: Oh, hi N.! Nice to see you too. 🤨

Nico: Yea..... I have to get up early tomorrow, so...

Me: What's your fucking prob, N.? It’s Friday and stop with your stupid excuses, you don’t have to get up early tomorrow. 😠

Nico: You sure? But hey! I don’t want to ruin your.... nice family reunion. I'm up, grab some shut-eye. And don't make so much noise, got it? 🤨

Mom: Don't tell me you're going to bed early... I mean... what's wrong with you? Are we disturbing you? 

Nico: Sorry, but I’m tired.

Mom: We are your guests, you’re being rude to us. Have I ever treated you like this, when you came to my house, to see my daughter in the middle of the night? 🤨

Nico: C'mon! You really expect me to answer that question?... You and your husband have always treated me like shit and even kicked me out. 🤷‍♂️

Me: Stop it, N.! That's PAST! My parents have never been rude to you since we got back together!! You’re just being disrespectful to my Mom and Sister for no reason. I never behaved like this to your Mom, not even to Melanie, although we all know she deserved it!!

Nico: I didn’t kick anyone out, I just want to go up because I’m tired. Besides, how dare you talk to me like that! You live here with me! You must please me, not your guests! We’ll talk about that later! 😠

My Mom was totally pissed at Nico. Which I understand, because I was too!!! 😠

Previous/Next

[karmacharmeleon18]

I just saw a tiktok where someone said "Isn't it crazy that we have to wait for male idols to go to the military to finally seem them be a healthy weight?" and it got me thinking

First of all how fucked up that is of course

But also do you think idols feel some sort of relief when it's time to enlist? Because they get to be away from the cameras?

Or is the negative impact enlistment can have on their career just too scary for them to look forward to it?

I know as a fandom we see enlistment as a catastrophe because FUCK THE MILITARY but I'm really trying to look for positives and maybe idols being able to EAT is one of them... the bar is in hell.

I remember that back in 2022/Guerrilla on the official Ateez website Mingi's weight was listed as 60kg. Yeosang who is 10cm shorter than him was listed as 57kg. That sounds crazy to me

I am 165cm, 20cm shorter than Mingi, and I weight the SAME as him 🙃 part of my weight is muscles bc I'm a swimmer, but Mingi is muscular too? He's a damn athlete

It's absolutely insane that my healthiest weight is the same of that of a muscular adult man that's 20cm taller than me 🙃

So many fans look at idols in the military and are like "omg he's gotten huge" and I'm like?? that's an average muscular man, he's just getting FED 😭

I asked someone else and they were absolutely horrid in their answer, it turned out they're a bootlicker who loves the military lmao I hope I'm not still in enemy territory. "patriotic" people are terrifying.

Yo, anon, you were very lucky I saw this. Tumblr keeps eating my asks, I receive notifications but can't see them when I check my ask box, or I can see them but my answers don't upload 🔪🔪 if you see this, it means you got REALLY lucky lol

But excuse me, 60kg? Song Mingi? The Song Mingi that can pick up Yunho and Jongho and everyone in Ateez? Who practices for 3-4 extra hours on top of regular practice with all the members? Who absolutely owns the stage? That Song Mingi?

And... I'm the same weight as gym rat Kang Yeosang???????

Well, damn 🙃 I don't know what to do with this information.

As a fandom we talk over and over about how concerning this is, especially when Wooyoung and Seonghwa stress about their weight too much (Wooyoung eating one meal a day to lose weight?? Seonghwa not drinking water for fear of bloating before certain events?? Hongjoong and Mingi having to reassure him that he looks great?? Mingi taking care of all of his meals and making sure he eats?? And at the same time dieting himself for the Calvin Klein photoshoot?? What a mess. What a huge fucking mess. And Ateez is one of those groups that love food and enthusiastically eat in front of the camera. I wonder how many sacrifices they make off camera, afterwards. I really don't know what else to say about this. It enrages and concerns and frustrates me)

Now, I, as a European, cannot find any "relief", or any other positive emotion, in the idea of joining the military. Even if I try to put myself in the shoes of a Korean idol, I just can't.

Europe is currently setting plans in motion in order to rearm, and some countries are even talking about reinstating forced conscription. And the general feeling is as you said: fuck the military.

I think there is no universe where I would join the military of my own volition. Theoretically I understand wanting to protect your own land from an invasion (let's say Russia? Or the damn United States trying to steal parts of Denmark), but in general, the military in the West is not used as a defensive tool. It is used worldwide to oppress, torture, kill people (specifically brown and black people) in countries very rich in resources so we can steal them. We use our militaries to exploit other countries and people. So if we put it in these terms, absolutely fuck the military.

And yes, patriots are not seen in a good light. "Patriotic" tends to be a code word for violent, racist bigot who thinks people of color are destroying "European values", sooo... yeah, let's not go there. No patriots on this blog, don't worry.

Now, do I think that idols, who grew up in a country were conscription is the norm, and seen as good and something to be proud of (I assume?), might feel differently? A country, may I add, that is still at war? Because in 1953 North and South Korea firmed an armistice/ceasefire, not a peace treaty? Do people who grew up in this environment think differently than I do? Seems very likely to me lol

They might feel pride in it, because they're doing their duty.

I still don't think "relief" is the right word, though. I mean of course finally eating actual food instead of being terrified of gaining one gram of weight is good. Great, even. But it comes at a cost, you know? Your freedom is still severely limited, just in a different way compared to being an idol. Sure, you're not on camera every minute of every day, but you are still being watched. You know what I mean? You superiors are watching, your fellow men are watching and, above all, kpop fans are STILL watching. And haters too, are STILL waiting for you to make a mistake. The entirety of South Korea is, metaphorically speaking, watching. Just doing it in a less direct way, with less access to the idols (until the idols make the news for whatever mistake they made, whether huge or tiny *cough* Suga *cough* and get hated for it)

What I'm saying is that I think idols still feel the weight of the gaze, the expectations, the judgment of the people.

And on top of that, add the threat, the pressure of being part of an active military still involved in a war.

You know what I mean?

Being able to eat, rest, become a healthy weight, having people monitoring your health to ensure that you are, indeed, healthy, and not sweeping issues under the rug for the sake of a comeback, are of course positives. Don't get me wrong. I understand where you're coming from. But I don't think they make up for what the idols lose when they join the army. They have to put their whole career on hold for years. The career they sacrificed their whole childhood for. Blood, sweat and tears. The industry is so fickle, you can lose popularity in an instant. Peopls say even BTS will struggle to bounce back.

And how you join the military might affect your popularity too.

Like, when Suga was deemed unfit for combat training and became a social service worker instead, he got hate for it.

Or let's talk about Ateez. I've seen people (specifically from other fandoms and Ateez haters) speculate about how some members might not be eligible for military service, namely Jongho (leg injuries), Mingi (chronic back pain + a lot of ableist comments about his anxiety) and Wooyoung (autoimmune skin disease triggered by intense sweating).

If ineligible, they'd have to do alternative service like joining the police force or social services, places where they would not have to physically train so intensively. But they would not get to slack off in any way, and would still have to put their careers on hold.

And yet these people act like they'd be "dodging" the draft. Like they'd be cowards and criminals.

Conveniently ignoring the fact that the military has specific criteria you need to meet in order to join, and certain health issues might be a hard no. And that most idols don't have the connections certain rich, corrupt men have to fake ailments and actually dodge the draft (*cough* Trump *cough* for 5 times *cough* because as he told his advisors he was "just not going" *cough*)

You see how much pressure surrounds the whole issue of enlistment?

Some fans hate the idea because fuck the military, some hate it because omg I can't see my fave for two years, and some hate it because omg this idol is a crook and a coward for doing social services instead of learning to hold a rifle!!

See?

Now, my very personal, very biased opinion is that the vast majority of idols see enlistment as a necessary evil. It's something they have to do. So why lose sleep over it? It's coming, whether you like it or not. And it's what's expected of you, training to defend your country, so you might even feel proud.

Maybe you are right that they might feel some sort if relief? Like: finally I'm getting this over with and I'm not disappointing anyone, I also get food and sleep and health checkups as added bonuses.

I really don't know, I'm just saying shit lol but maybe you are right and I'm just too biased to see it.

It's my understanding that many Korean men enlist right out of high school, so they can get the whole issue "out of the way" before going to uni, starting a career, starting a family. Military service ends, and their life starts.

Most idols can't do that because right out of high school is the perfect time to debut, when they look young and innocent and approachable.

(Ateez is already hated enough in Korea for being scary/alternative/punkish, imagine if they had debuted buff and with a buzz cut 🙃 "Will you be my friend?" and people would be running for the hills)

But maybe when they day comes, relief might play a tiny part, because they can finally get military service out of the way and get a semblance of normal life for the average Korean man.

But still, in my opinion the cons far outweigh the pros.

As you said, the fear or losing your career must be overwhelming. Compounded by the fact that they are joining an active military.

Anyway, I sincerely hope no idol wants/is looking forward to joining the army specifically because they idolize power, violence, learning to shoot people, you know? People like that just unnerve me on a fundamental level. I understand it's my European bias speaking, I come from an environment where enthusiasm for the military means you're a violent asshole. Things are different in South Korea, a country that is still technically at war. But yeah, seeing the army as a necessary evil is very different that seeing it as something you just cannot wait to join.

I hope this makes sense lol it's 1AM here and my brain is fried because of uni and this damn exam I'm studying for. But this was a nice break, so thank you for you ask ❤

[274th]

Hi. You know what I wanna see in the new Tomodachi Life? Of course you do. I've been cooking this list for ten years.

Mii Customization

A makeup system similar to Miitopia's, if not the exact same one, is essential. While I personally still want my Miis to look like Miis, it feels pretty crucial to have those kinds of makeup options even for just Miis. Being able to share them is also a must. Bonus if we get tattoos.

It seems like we're getting new hairstyles, with an option to use an ombre gradient on them. I want them to go nuts. Different bangs options for certain hairstyles. Different ponytail/pigtail options. All kinds of different textures and styles. Anime-esque styles. Realistic styles. Textured hairstyles. Ahoge options like in Miitopia. Let me go apeshit.

Speaking of... Fantasy skintones. Customizable skintones, eye colors, and makeup colors. The skintones is a must for me, but I'm sure there are people out there who would LOVE to have that option too, to get their skintone just right, but also the skintones of their OCs and favorite characters.

Separated tops, bottoms, shoes, socks, hats, glasses, accessories, a la Miitomo, with more ability to customize their appearances. Bonus option: Allow people to make their own shirts and hoodies and such like in Animal Crossing, with a hub where you can share your creations with others. Bonus 2x if it uses the Miitopia makeup system and you can do all kinds of shapes.

Mii Personalities and Interactions

Traits a la Sims. The MBTI-based sliders were fine, but I want to mix and match traits, and I want those traits to mean something. I want those traits to heavily influence how a Mii reacts to situations, and not just influence their pose and funky things they say.

Memories. I want Miis to remember the fights they had, the good times and the bad (within reason), also like Sims. I want those memories to influence their relationships.

I need these motherfuckers to have cliques and friend groups and as complex of social lives as Nintendo can make them. I want to be able to make a graph of my Mii's relationships. And I want some influence over it, not just RNG. I personally don't want a TON of influence but I want some.

Yeah of course make them gay as shit. I'm not stupid of course I want gay Miis and queer Miis. I saw someone suggest opting out of relationships and babies and such and that's a damn fine idea too.

Not just traits, but preferences you can set. Likes the color red. Dislikes the smell of lemons. Loves horses. Dislikes corn. Likes goth clothes. Dislikes preppy outfits. Stuff like that.

Gameplay

I want to decorate each individual Mii apartment like in Animal Crossing. I want people to go apeshit nuts with furniture and whatnot. Complex builds. Some pre-determined rooms or room bases would be nice, and even just "you can put this thing in this room slot" would be fine too. Bonus if you can customize colors.

More group activities for Miis. More minigames and such. I actually haven't considered this one as much because I liked what we had and most of my desires are fine-tuning Miis, and we clearly already got it so the little guys can wander around outside.

But if they can wander outside I'd love more locations, more building types, more hangouts, more things to do.

Basically I need this to be the perfect ant farm of all the shit I like.

And that's a fairly complete list.

[zippidi-dooda]

A flat sigh blew out as you deflated onto a secluded bench. The other students seemed to have forgotten the events already, buzzing about merrily away from you.

You kept your eyes on the colorful floor, carpeted like an older arcade or pizza plex would be. The lights were dim but cast a blue-ish glow around everything. People munched away at the crowded tables, some cheering for the person you had just fought as they disappeared back into the crowd.

You had been told off with a warning, thankfully that was it, and the directors left quickly after separating you two. They'd been working here too long to care much about what had happened.

You were glad.

It was better that way.

Still, you felt a pair of eyes on you from across the hall.

You looked up.

Shinso.

He sat at his table for a while before getting up and heading over to you. His eyes, a bright purple hue just as wild in his hair, stayed on yours as he walked.

You wondered if you should look down. But he kept getting closer, so you decided you might as well lock on strong.

When he sat, all the way at the opposite end of the bench, you both looked to the ground.

A second or two of silence. Pondering. Settling.

"I can still do something, you know." He stated.

He hunched over, hands knitted together over his knees. Blunt and tired as you knew him to be.

"I know," you replied, "I'm glad you didn't this time."

You scooted closer, hesitating before resting your head on his shoulder, wrapping your arms around one of his.

You could feel him tense, flinching for a moment, but he didn't push you.

"It's not right." He spoke again. "Sibling or not, they shouldn't be picking fights with you like that."

Shinso wasn't exactly a friend. Not much of an acquaintance either. You hardly spoke to each other really. Only when you were paired for projects in class, and even then you only spoke the minimal for what was required.

"I know," your voice was dejected. This was a cause you'd long resigned to lose. "But eventually they'll get what's coming to them. They'll feel bad about all this then."

He glanced at you, where he felt you slump further into his side. His frown narrowed further.

"They would've hurt you if the teachers didn't stop by this time."

Yeah, he had caught you in the middle of one of your fights before. Been nice enough to use his quirk to stop things from getting too bad. Your sibling slowed down a bit after that, taunting you for being so weak that you needed an outsiders help.

Shinso was kind.

But you asked him to not do it again.

He listened.

"They're older than you too, they shouldn't want to hurt you so badly."

You squeezed his arm lightly. "Can't help that. They've done worse. I know that's bad to say or whatever but ...," you trailed off, remembering what it'd been like growing up.

"I don't really care. Sure, I'm mad at them. But ultimately, I'm happy. That's more than they could ever say. I had a good life other than all this. What other kid could say they went to so many amusement parks and restaurants nearly every day? I like my life. Wouldn't change anything if I could. Even this."

Shinso paused. "It's still not okay." He looked back at the floor.

"I know."

You watched him for a moment.

What was his life like? You didn't even know if he had siblings.

"Thank you." You said at last. "For caring. And for listening to what I said last time."

He shrugged. "I can still do something about it."

"Please don't. They'll be gone next year anyway. Won't have to worry."

He looked at you again. "If I ever see a bruise, I don't care what you ask me. I'm going to deal with them."

You smiled, feeling warm inside.

But how could you smile right now? Was all he could think.

"I heal fast."

"That's not reassuring."

"They've started doing less." You looked up, finally scanning the crowd again. "I dont really know what's going on with them. We have the same caretakers now but, the first few years before we really grew up together, they weren't raised by people who didn't care about them or what they did. And I've never really felt pain that much so ... Maybe that's why they do it."

He looked at you, irises a melancholic purple. "That's still not an excuse. And it's frightening how much you don't seem to consider yourself in all this."

You smiled at him again, squeezing his arm. "I'm alright. Thank you, Shinso. For worrying about me."

"Someone has to."

You leaned into his side again, happily watching everyone pass by. You're not sure why he wants to help, but you know you'll always be greatful he had. Even if you guys just go on ignoring each other when these types of events aren't happening. He'd be someone you'd always be able to look back on fondly.

He let out a deep sigh, settling back into the wooden bench with you, eyes scanning the room absentmindedly. So many people, too worried about themselves to care what a random fight between family could mean.

He didn't fully know himself.

But the part in him that wanted to be a hero knew he had to try and step in.

And he'd keep on doing it. Until you figured out why you had to start doing it yourself.

"We could dance." He hummed, eyes drifting to the ceiling.

You chuckled. "You like to dance?"

"No. But I saw ya wandering around the dance floor before all this happened."

You laughed again before nuzzling yourself closer to his side. "No, it's alright. This is fine."

"Alright." He breathed out.

He rested his head back, tucking his hands into his pockets. His eyes shut, the soft purples hidden underneath long lashes.

"If anything happens, just squeeze me. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Shinso." You hummed.

He could feel it against his chest.

"Hitoshi."

"... Hitoshi ...." You corrected, smile melting onto your lips. "Thank you, Hitoshi."