#not very christmas themed but I think that's fine??

[ifindus]

A secret santa for @lyresbird ! ✨ I can never resist a historical piece 🙏 Hope you like it!

And big thanks to @mada-jpeg and @maribeilschmidt for organizing the hetalia secret santa ✨

[angelsworks]

Goldilocks and the Four Bears

Chapter 2

Poly!141 x reader

Summary: You wake to four strangers at the end of your bed.

Warnings: 18+, dark themes, mention of kidnap, mention of torture,

Note: Merry Christmas Everyone - I hope you all enjoy this chapter! 🎅🏻🎄

Masterlist -> Here

For the first time in a long time, you slept well. More than well actually, amazing.

Your body was supported at all points, neck raised slightly, head cushioned on a thick feather pillow. And the sheets were actual bedsheets. One matching set of dark grey linen sheets, adorning the king sized mattress.

A luxury compared to how you’ve slept in the last few months. You never could fall into a deep sleep. Knowing that at any point your captors would come back to your room, kicking you from your slumber and starting your torment once more. When you did try to sleep it was on the concrete floor. Curled in a ball, spread like a starfish, lying on your front. All positions that you’d tried and failed to have a restful night of sleep in.

It must have been the light that woke you, you think wistfully to yourself. A ghost of a smile graces your face at the sight. Light streaming in and hitting the bedspread. Particles of dust, dancing carelessly in the rays. Things were turning around.

You roll on to your back. Stretching your neck from side to side and groaning. Your eyes find the ceiling, a plain white rectangle above you. You take a moment or two to enjoy the silence of the morning, letting yourself wake up.

It’s when you turn to your other side to gaze out the other window, that your peace is disturbed. The window itself is fine, the glass is intact, with a thin frosting of snow on each pane. But the figure that leans beside it is not something you wanted to see, in the previously empty cabin.

A mix of a gasp and shout of surprise leaves your sore throat as you jump in place. Your body becoming rigid and tense with stress at the sight of the intruder. Now sitting more upright, you see that the stranger not alone. He stands with three other men, each more imposing than the last.

While the one by the window did frighten you, his boyish dimples and lean figure have nothing on how the Goliath by the dresser makes you feel. He stands tall, taller than the rest. His face covered by a skull painted balaclava. His grey eyes give nothing away as they stare blankly at you on the bed.

Between the two opposites, are another two men. One stood next to the nicest looking of the four, crossing his arms and trying to keep his face stoic. His hair is styled into a Mohawk and the sight reminds you of bad guys from old movies. His blue eyes stand out against his brutish appearance. Softening the fear that his very being brings you.

The only one left is the man who sits on a chair found in the room. His legs naturally spread a little due to the size of his thighs. His arms are crossed over his chest, causing the muscles in his forearms to bulge under his long sleeve shirt.

His face is blank, hiding what his true thoughts are and most likely what he truly feels. His face is adorned with a healthy amount of facial hear. The feature ages him and makes him look rugged. Your eyes draw to the thick line of hair that he harbours above his pink lips.

They say nothing. They just stare. The action unnerving you. Making you feel like some sort of zoo animal.

The sight of the four muscular and good-looking men put you on edge of course. But there’s something else. Urges that you’d never thought of before. Feelings were never part of the mission. You were determined to keep it that way.

“You sleep alright love?” The man sitting asks you. Him deciding to speak first and the fact that he others look towards him leads you to believe that he is the leader of the men. Despite the authority that they all seem to hold.

His voice is low and quiet. The sounds rumbling together at the low volume. The words are clear enough though, that you can make them out a few feet away on the bed.

You don’t respond, you can’t. What is he wanting you to say? Yes thank you, it was the best sleep of my life.

So you strengthen your resolve and stay silent. Slowly shifting your position so you’re sitting up more instead of lying down. You calm your breathing and focus your mind. You let your eyes glance over the men in the room again.

“Enjoy sleeping in a strangers sheets?” Again his voice is quiet, soft even. But his eyes tell a different story. His eyes that are squeezed into a glare, glower at you. When you meet his eyes it’s too intense. You feel as if you’re on trial for your life. Come to think of it you are.

You stand no chance against these men. In any capacity. If they wanted to kill you, they could. If they wanted to hurt you, they could. If they wanted to take you, they could.

The last thought resonates with you deeply. That’s when the a prick of fear starts to grow in the back of your head. You realised how lucky you were that Miasma had no interest in hurting you in any sort of sexual way. Despite there being many opportunities too, the guards found more enjoyment in kicking you around then fucking you.

“Not going to answer love? Fine.” The man stands from his chair. He moves to stand at the bottom of your bed, hands stretching out over the bed frame. His presence getting that much more suffocating. When he stands close you find no refuge from his gaze. You can’t look to the other men as much, only him. Only his cold, piercing eyes that tell you telling this man anything but the truth is a death sentence.

“What are you doing in our house?” His tone is sharper, harder. The softness found in the low rumble of his previous words is lost.

Your mind races through the cover story you had before infiltrating Miasma. The details around it are so fuzzy. It feels like you’ve got the right story but there are undecided parts.

What were you here for?

Start simple. If you start simple you can fill in the details later. Give yourself a chance to think.

“I got lost in the woods.” Good start, it’s vague enough. Now change your tone.

“I’d been walking for so long and I,” your voice cracks for good measure and you feel your eyes starting to water. You use the emotions from the last few hours to fuel your tears. You were scared. You were afraid. These were all real feelings, you just had to try and channel them. “I was just so cold and so desperate. This was the first place I’d seen in miles.”

For a moment you see his eyes soften. In a flash they’re back on your again. Hard and cold and unrelenting.

“What we’re you doing in the woods, in the middle of winter?” He asks you. Behind his imposing figure you see the one with the Mohawk shift in his stance, trying to get a better look of you.

Your story doesn’t have to just convince the man I front of you. It has to convince the other three in the room. The thought registers as you run through your cover story as quickly as you can.

“I’m a zoologist. I was out here studying brown bears before they went into hibernation. Then these men-” you pause your story, desperate to have a few tears running down your cheek before telling them the rest. You need to sell this or all you’re done, all you’ve survived, would be worth nothing now.

“Go on love, finish your story.” The soft tone has returned, no doubt that it was due to the sight of your tears running and sniffling nose.

“These men came in trucks,” your eye contact won’t be enough you realise, so you free your hands from your side and use them to talk. “It didn’t seem right so I abandoned my stuff and hid. They came looking round and they, they had guns. I snuck away quietly but they found me. They took me back to some sort of military base. Last night was when I managed to escape.”

It wasn’t far from the truth. At least now you’d have a way to explain the myriad of injuries that had been inflicted on you.

The man hums audibly. You aren’t sure if you’ve done enough to convince him. His face doesn’t give anything away.

“Why do yer have their clothes if yer were a captive?” A voice from behind the man calls out, thick with a Scottish accent.

The clothes by the fire.

The captain watched your reaction for a moment. You hope he doesn’t think the flash of realisation that was on your face a moment ago, is evidence you’re lying.

He moves to the side slightly so that you can look the Scotsman in the eye as you answer him.

“They took my clothes. It was the first thing I grabbed when I escaped.” The four men say nothing for a moment. Eyes dead set on you, on your movements, your body language. Contemplating your words, your tone, your story and your tears.

It feels like hours until the leader speaks up again. Hours of waiting for them to pass judgement on you and your future.

“They hurt you?” He asks, tone quiet once more.

You hesitate, “A little…why?” Why does he care? Why would any of them care?

The man ignores your question, “Do you need a first aid kit?”

The question confuses you. Is this some kind of trick.

Part of you wants to say yes. Knowing you’ve got cuts and bruises a plenty that could use cleaning or stitching in some cases. But your hyper aware of where they’re placed. To get to the cuts on your back you’d have to raise or take off your shirt. Not exactly something your eager to do in the four men’s company.

Your shake your head, eyes now wide and mutter out a no.

It causes the men’s eyes to narrow.

“Don’t lie to him lass. Ye wouldn’t want to see what happens if ye do.” The Scotsman threatens.

You bite your lip, “I can handle it. It’s nothing serious.”

“Serious or not, we need to see what damage has been done.” You don’t miss the we in that sentence. Do they all really need to see how banged up you are?

You still shake your head at the premise. The idea causing a pit to form in your stomach.

“You stay put love, we’ll find a first aid kit and bring you a drink. Don’t move.” He fixes you with a final look before he leaves the room. The rest of the men trailing after him.

When the last of the men leaves the room, he shuts the door. The sight of the dark oak door brings air back into your lungs, it lets the haze that’s filled your mind clear.

You need to run, you need to get out of here.

You need to return to Gunner. You don’t need to be getting involved with these four strangers. Who just so happen to be extremely handsome and muscular.

You don’t trust them. Not one bit. How do you know they aren’t Miasma, here to find out what you know and finish the job?

As quietly as you can you leave the warmth of the linen sheets and step on to the plush carpet. Creeping towards the now shut door as you gently pry it open. You have little time to get out the cabin before it’s too late.

You cringe as the door scrapes against the carpet. The sound is practically deafening in the silence you’ve created in the master bedroom. You pause for a moment, convinced the men from downstairs have heard you.

When you don’t hear the thunder of steps up the stairs, you begin your mission to escape. Moving as silently as you can along the carpeted floor. Hoping to get out before they find the first aid kit.

“What are we doing price?” Ghost finds himself asking in a hushed voice as the entirety of the 141 congregate in the kitchen.

“Looking for a first Aid kit lieutenant.” Price answers and returns to searching the cupboards.

Simon wants to scream at his captain. He wants to complain to his team. He wants to know why they’re entertaining this girl. No matter how pretty she may be, she’s lying about something. Simon hasn’t got this far in his career without being an expert in body language.

Price busies himself with rifling through the cupboards. Thankful that Laswell keeps all safe houses fully stocked.

His hands brush past plates and cans and glasses before coming to the last cupboard. Finally his hands grasp the large green box, packed with medical supplies.

When his gaze moves from the first aid kid, he sees his men staring out him. Looking confused at the sight.

“I’ve got Laswell doing background on the insignia on the jacket. I want to see she’s lying. Looking at those so called injuries will do that.” Price tells the team as he checks the first aid box before taking it upstairs.

It seems the rest of the team h av e a permanent frown on their face.

“I just don’t think any of this is right.” Ghost mutters. “It all just feels wrong.”

“Aye, she looks so frail and small. How can a lass like that escape a group of armed men?” Soap questions.

“She’s either insanely lucky or has some sort of special training.” Gaz voices to the others.

The thought permeates within their heads. Are you some sort of secret agent? Able to escape from armed men at hidden facilities?

The sound of a creak breaks them from their thoughts.

[earlysunshines]

under the mistletoe

kim minji x fem!reader ; fluff

synopsis: your ex is going to be at your cousin's christmas party so you convince your super cute gorgeous amazing stupid idotic hot best friend to play girlfriend for the night--it should be fine, right? it's not like anything real will happen... right? right??

warnings: fake dating but there's like no angst bc they're too gay to be doing all that (i can't write angst idk) ; making out!!! HOORAY!!!!! ; nerd minji my lover ; they're so gay ; kinda fast paced ; anything else not mentioned ; not proofread!!!

a/n: wanted to get winter themed fics out for all three before christmas but that prob won't happen LOL anyways this idea has been marinating in my head forever, enjoy!!! oh, and merry christmas!!

“i hate jake.”

minji looks away from her phone, one eyebrow raised as she watches you sink into the cushion even further. this is the third time you’ve groaned dramatically in the last five minutes. 

“…jake is your cousin.” she points out, dryly.

“and the worst person on earth.” you mutter, setting your phone down beside you. minji watches you lean over until you flop against her with a very questionable posture. “he’s forcing me to go to his stupid christmas party.”

“and this is a problem because…?”

“because,” you huff, sitting up straight again. “my ex will be there. probably just to annoy me.”

minji immediately makes a face, scrunching her nose in disgust. “ugh, gross… didn’t she dump you for ‘personal growth’ and in that same month started dating a man?”

“i fear.” you reply, crossing your arms. “her egos so big that she probably thinks i’m miserable over her. i got over her the moment i found out she was with a man! she thinks im some stupid, emotionally immature—ugh.“

minji rolls her eyes. “i can’t believe you dated her—for four months.”

“not my brightest time.”

“it baffles me,” minji begins, “i hated her, you know?”

“oh, i know.” you glance at her, failing to hide a small smile despite your frustration. “you were not subtle about it.”

“well i wasn’t trying to be,” she says flatly, setting her phone down and looking at you properly. you peel yourself off her shoulder, moving yourself over to lay flat on your back your couch with one leg over minji’s lap. “so, what’s your plan? you can’t just go and let her get under your skin.”

you let out a long sigh, rubbing your hands over your face. “i don’t know. maybe i just… won’t go.”

“that’s an option,” minji starts, poking at the gingerbread man on your pajama pants mindlessly. “but jake will never shut up if you skip.”

“i know,” you groan, running your hands further up to grip at your hair out of frustration. “what do i even do? show up alone and let her pity me? she’s going to think i’m a loser—a bigger loser than the one she already makes up in her head.”

“you could just… not show up? make an excuse?”

“jake is pretentious—he’ll know i’m bluffing.”

“send him a fake screenshot of the thermometer showing that you have a high fever?”

“no, he’ll know.”

minji sighs, tilting her head as she studies you. “so what’s your plan then? cry in the corner? accidentally spill juice on her—or even worse—on yourself and hide in the bathroom?”

“you’re so mean to me.” you huff, sitting up and leaning against the opposite side of the couch now. you stare at minji for a bit, she’s looking at you with raised brows and a curious expression that makes you sit up straighter. “oh my god, i have a plan.”

minji immediately looks suspicious. “what kind of plan?”

“it involves you.”

“absolutely not.”

“i didn’t even say anything yet!” you kick her thigh, making her push your foot away. “just listen. you play my girlfriend for the night,” you say proudly, grinning at her like it’s the most obvious solution in the world.

minji blinks. “what?”

“we date—not for real—for the party.”

she stares at you for a moment, then bursts out laughing. “you’re kidding me.”

“i’m not! think about it—it’s perfect. she’ll see me with you, someone way better than her, then she’ll get off my back, and i won’t have to spend the whole night dodging her.”

minji shakes her head, though there’s a faint flush creeping up her neck. “and why would i agree to this?”

“because you love me?” you say skeptically, giving her a stupid pout and your best attempt at puppy dog eyes. “please, minji. you just have to stick with me and pretend to like me and plus–you’ll get free food and drinks. please?”

minji hesitates, poking at the gingerbread man on your pants again, the same one right over your shin. you tear your leg away from her, expecting an answer. “i don’t know…” she mumbles.

“i’ll treat you to dinner.” you add, which makes minji shoot her head up.

“dinner?”

“whatever you want.” you promise.

minji sighs, letting her head fall back against the couch. “fine. but only because i can’t stand her either—and i kind of feel bad for you.”

you barely let her finish the sentence before launching yourself at her, wrapping her in a tight hug with your arms around her shoulders. you’ve pushed her down a bit, she’s holding your weight, and her senses are overwhelmed from the scent of vanilla that clouds you and the warmth radiating off of your body. 

“thank you!” you exclaim, your voice heavy with relief. 

her hands hover awkwardly in the air for a moment before resting lightly on your back. “you’re welcome?”

it’s only then that you realize how close you are—your face inches from hers, your breath brushing against her lips. you can feel her tense beneath you, her gaze flicking from your eyes to your mouth and back again. her lips part ever so slightly, and the light press of her hand on your back falters.

the air shifts, something growing heavier on you two, but before you can dwell on it too long, minji gently pushes you off with a nervous laugh.

“y-you were crushing me,” she says, her cheeks tinged pink as she sits back, putting some space between you. “are you that happy that i agreed?”

“yes,” you grin, unable to stop the warmth spreading through your chest. “you’re the best, seriously.”

“yeah, yeah,” she mutters, reaching for a pillow and chucking it at your head. “just don’t get used to it.”

you groan when the pillow hits you, grabbing it from her hands and leaping over to get her back. you two fight each other playfully on the couch, you even knock minji’s glasses off her nose. and through the bickering, your heart skips a little when she’s trapped one of your legs between both of hers, and you’re trying to defend yourself while pushing her off—hyperaware of the proximity.

maybe playing girlfriend for a bit won’t be too bad.

-

after getting dumped months ago, the first person you turned to was minji.

she didn’t hesitate. the moment she saw your glossy eyes, she pulled you into her arms, holding you close until you calmed down. that night, she didn’t hold back her thoughts about your awful ex, and you stayed over, letting her cook you breakfast the next morning.

you’ve always been good friends, spent a good amount of time together, but somehow, after that night your friendship felt different—deeper—after that.

since then, you’ve found comfort in each other, always finding reasons to be together thrown in with superficial insults. sometimes it’s quiet—her sitting on your couch while you fold laundry and hum along to something playing on your phone, or maybe it’s you at her place while she studies. even when she hates chores, minji pitches in without complaint, and you never question why.

then there are the little outings: a walk in the park, dropping off a package, or now: grocery shopping. it’s nothing extravagant, but somehow it always feels like enough. it’s always enough with her.

you and minji are strolling through the grocery store side by side. minji holds a small basket in her hand while you grab and toss random items in with little thought. she’s squinting at a list on her phone, her lips moving slightly as she mutters the items under her breath. 

“i was thinking,” you begin, and minji looks up, quirking a brow.

“oh god.”

“you’re so mean to me.” you flick her shoulder before continuing. “if we’re going to be girlfriends, we need a solid backstory. something believable.” 

minji grabs a jar of almond butter and tosses it in the basket. “you’re overthinking this.”

“no, i’m not. what if someone asks us how we got together? we need a solid story,” you argue, “and i know jake is going to be interrogating me as soon as i introduce you—or at least curious, maybe.”

minji sighs. “fine. how about… we were hanging out, just the two of us, and suddenly we just fell in love or something. we confessed while watching a romance film, maybe?”

“wow,” you giggle, “that’s so original. super romantic.” 

“it’s simple and probably believable,” she says defensively, nudging you with her finger. 

“it’s corny.” you tease, turning and stepping into the next aisle. “how about this: we were at a concert and locked eyes and—”

“that’s even worse.” minji groans, covering her face with her hand.

“i didn’t even finish!” 

“exactly. it sounds like hyein made that up.” she snickers, “i can’t believe she’s also your cousin.”

“one cousin that probably won’t make it to the party,” you sigh in relief, “she’d blow the whole plan, knowing how we are.”

“what?” minji questions, curious as to what ‘we are’ is. before she can ask, you cut her thoughts off.

“we’ll go with your idea i guess. but we also have to spend lots of time together, more than we usually do, and we kind of just have to make it believable.”

“that’s nothing.”

“well i can’t really trust you on that, minji. you’re not the brightest.”

you two continue to bicker and poke at this whole ‘fake dating’ ordeal. as you head out to the checkout line, loading your items onto the conveyor belt, an elderly lady in front of you turns around, her eyes twinkling as she smiles warmly.

“you two make such a lovely couple,” she says, her voice kind. “you compliment each other so well.”

both of you freeze for a moment, caught completely off guard. you glance at minji, whose ears have turned a noticeable shade of red, and you can’t help but grin.

“uh, thank you.” minji mumbles, suddenly very interested in organizing the groceries.

you don’t correct the woman, instead leaning slightly closer to minji and whispering, “see? it’s already working.”

minji rolls her eyes and shoves you lightly with her shoulder, unable to hide her flustered expression. it’s different than her usual, calm demeanor, and you like it. it’s cute.

you laugh, nudging her back. “you’re kind of cute when you’re like that.”

“what?” minji asks, a lump forming in her throat. “you’re so… you’re so annoying.”

—

countdown: two weeks until the party

you’re doing your best not to think about having to drive almost forty-minutes south for jake’s stupid party at his stupid (-ly nice) house. instead, you’re at your usual cafe spot with hanni, danielle, and minji. the conversation is casual, filling the air, along with the occasional hiss of the espresso machine.

you’re mid-rant, your hands gesturing animatedly as you lean forward. “i’m just saying, if you’re going to take a lit class, at least try to understand the material. this guy skims a few pages of virginia woolf and pretends he’s a ‘feminist.’ he’s doing the absolute most to appeal to women—half that class is gay!”

“which guy was this again? there’s too many men you hate on.” hanni asks playfully, sipping on her latte.

“heeseung. oh my god,” you huff, leaning back in your chair. “he’s so fake. he’ll throw out random quotes that barely connect to what we’re discussing, and the worst part? half the class buys it because he’s loud and confident. he doesn’t actually care about the themes or depth of anything. all heeseung does is show up to class, dress like some girls ‘dream man’ pinterest board, and plays pretend.”

danielle glances up with a small frown. “that’s frustrating. especially since you actually like the  material.”

“exactly!” you say, stirring your straw around for no reason at all. “and don’t even get me started on how he turns every discussion into some weird way to hit on the girls in class. like, ‘oh, you’re so insightful. you must be really in touch with your emotions.’ oh my god i can’t stand straight men. i can’t stand people who enable them.”

minji chuckles quietly into her drink. the sound draws your attention, and for some reason, when your eyes meet hers, the air between you shifts. her gaze softens slightly, her lips quirking upward in a way that makes you stare a bit.

“he probably thinks he’s all that.” minji remarks, her voice steady but her gaze soft.

you falter for half a second, your rant losing steam. it’s not just the way she’s looking at you—it’s the way your chest tightens like someone tying a knot and tugging. it’s unexpected, and the way minji smiles down at her cup makes you feel all tingly inside. that’s odd. more than odd.

“yeah, exactly.” you quickly look away, ignoring whatever is making you do a double take. “he’s so one-dimensional, self-absorbed, and i hate him.”

minji bites back another smile, trying to keep her focus on her drink instead of the way you light up when you rant. she likes the way you talk, the furrow of your brows, the passion in your tone. she knows it’s a little dangerous, this quiet admiration she can’t seem to shake, the same admiration she pushed down your first semester. she’s gotten too good at keeping it to herself to lose now, and why now anyway?

hanni nudges you with her elbow. “at least he’s giving you plenty of material for complaints. maybe you could analyze him for an essay.”

you laugh, the sound warm and genuine. 

minji’s stomach does a little flip—she wishes it wouldn’t.

“i’d seem like a fan,” you reply, shaking your head. “i’d rather focus on something—or someone—that actually matters.”

the words hang in the air for a second longer than intended, and your eyes dart back to minji’s. it’s fleeting, but there it is again—the strange flutter, like time paused just enough for something to stir.

minji looks away quickly, busying herself by looking out the window, and you clear your throat, turning your attention back to hanni and danielle.

the moment passes, but the undercurrent lingers. neither of you speak on it.

—

countdown: nine days until the party

minji’s apartment is chaos, but the adorable kind. her two-year-old nephew is currently standing on the couch, holding a stuffed dinosaur in one hand and a juice box in the other, refusing to eat the carrot sticks minji had cut up for him.

“you’ll like it if you just try it,” minji sighs, sitting in front of him. he’s sitting on the couch, towering over her because of the level difference. it’s almost comical.

he shakes his head, lying flat on his back and ignoring her.

you lean against the kitchen counter, biting back a grin as minji sighs dramatically and pinches the bridge of her nose. “you’re lucky you’re so cute,” she mutters, and you can’t help but giggle at the sight of her bickering with a child. she pinches his cheek and adds, “otherwise i’d be less lenient, you troublemaker.”

“he’s kind of like you. stubborn… and cute.” you tease, muttering the last part to yourself. you pull out your phone to snap a picture, minji whirling around a moment too late after you capture the scene. 

“aw, i’ve got to make this my wallpaper.” you laugh, walking over and sitting down next to her. 

minji rolls her eyes, shoving you lightly. “is this for our ‘fake dating’ thing?”

you hadn’t thought about that; in fact, you forgot about it for a brief moment. “oh,” you begin, looking at her with a strange confusion in your heart. “well, no. i thought it was a cute… candid moment.”

“whatever.” she grumbles, but her lips twitch into a reluctant smile as she returns to negotiating with her nephew. “but send me that, please.”

…

lunchtime comes with fewer arguments, mostly because minji bribes the toddler with nuggets. the three of you end up at a cozy cafe, not too far from the one you frequent with your friends. the kid is perched in a high chair between you and minji, eating happily. 

minji is effortlessly charming, coaxing him to eat some of the carrots she brought with her and laughing at the attempts of sentences that he babbles. her eyes crinkle at the corners in a way that makes your heart feel a little too full.

you snap another picture when she’s not looking—minji leaning over to wipe ketchup off the kid’s cheek, her expression soft and so full of care it marks your chest ache.

“why are you smiling like an idiot?” she asks, catching you mid-photo.

“no reason,” you lie, slipping your phone into your pocket with a small, secret grin.

…

back at minji’s apartment, the liveliness dies down and reaches something still, something quieter. her nephew gets tired from the walking that occurred after lunch, so when you’re all back home he’s tucked under minji’s arm, clutching his dinosaur.

minji’s in a crewneck and grey sweatpants with two braids resting against the pillow her head is on, loose strands fraying out. she reaches over to drape the blanket over the two of them, and you watch from the door frame as you lean on it. 

her eyes close from exhaustion, and that’s when you quietly grab the polaroid sitting on her shelf. it’s a spontaneous decision, but perfect for the moment. you turn it on, smile at the two, and press click. the flash catches you off guard, you’re afraid to wake them—but neither of them budge. 

the photo prints out slowly, and once it’s fully spewed out you shake it in your hand so it can develop. it takes a moment to develop, but once it does, the smile on your face grows and stretches from ear to ear: minji’s face is relaxed, peaceful, and her nephew eunwoo is nestled against her with a similar expression. you slide the polaroid into the back of your phone case—just because. 

as you turn to leave, minji stirs, her eyes fluttering open just enough to see you.

“stay,” she murmurs, her voice laced with sleep.

“minji,” you start, but she shifts a bit, making room for you while keeping eunwoo comfy. she pats an empty space beside her and grins tiredly.

“just for a little while,” she whispers, her eyes already closing again. “please?”

it’s the ‘please’ that does it. you hesitate only for a moment before stepping closer, your heart beating so loudly that if makes you wonder if she can hear it. climbing into the bed next to her, the mattress dips as you settle, minji instinctively drapes an arm over you, and it feels just right. the warmth of her so close is almost too much, but its perfect in a way you can’t bring yourself to think about twice.

you’ve always been fine with being touchy when it came to minji—lingering on the couch together, playful shoves, nudges, and maybe a limb or two resting on one another—but now? it’s much different. it’s easy to close your eyes and let yourself fall when she’s so close.

…

you wake up to the light outside fading, the room covered with the remnants of the sun shining through the window. minji is still beside you, her face turned toward yours, her breathing slow and even. her nephew is a small weight against her other side, pressed against her with the way her hand is angled and still clutching his dinosaur.

minji’s eyes flutter open just barely, and she looks at you like she’s still dreaming. there’s something unsaid in the way she gazes at you, something quiet and tender and a little overwhelming. 

you don’t say anything, and neither does she. but the more the silence stretches on and with each slow blink she gives you while her lips form into another small smile—you realize you don’t want the moment to end.

she’s close, warm, and comfy—that’s minji. you realize it then as the sun continues to set, as your breaths are the only sound filling the room, and as minji absentmindedly strokes her thumb against your shoulder repeatedly that you wouldn’t mind being her real girlfriend. not if it meant being this close to her whenever you wanted and getting to love her on a different level.

the thought doesn’t scare you. it doesn’t feel rushed or strange or anything too overwhelming. it just is. the thought simply lingers in the air.

she shifts slightly, her arm moving over to rest on your back before pushing you closer to her. she lets out a content sigh as a full smile takes over. your heart flutters, and you smile back, just as soft.

eunwoo stirs, a little groan wakes both you and minji up a bit more. his voice breaks the moment as he mumbles something incoherent, and you see his little hand reaching over and squishing minji’s cheek in the process, even messing her braid up a bit more. you laugh at the sight and minji turns to him, brushing his hair back gently.

“time to wake up,” she murmurs lowly. “your mom might show up soon.”

the three of you wake up slowly, with minji being the first one to rub her eyes and sit up first. before she tends to her nephew, she glances at you with a strange new feeling in her eyes and it makes you think that maybe she feels the same way. maybe she wouldn’t mind if the agreement could stretch to new years and further. maybe she wouldn’t mind if it weren’t fake.

—

countdown: five days until the party.

minji stays near your side as you navigate the packed clothing store with her, hanni, and danielle. there’s a variety of t-shirts that you stop by so you can skim through, dresses that hanni and danielle consider buying for their sisters, and assortments of accessories that you all try on together, snapping pictures to add to your favorites folder.

“this is hideous,” you mutter, holding up a sweater that resembles a traffic cone but ten times more saturated. 

“you should try it on,” minji insists with a smirk, already holding a ridiculous blazer with sequins lining it. “with this too. your ex won’t know what hit her, maybe the light will reflect off you and she’ll—”

“you think you’re so funny,” you narrow your eyes at her. “i can’t be the only one stealing the spotlight with my… hazardous outfit, can i? as my girlfriend you have to compliment me.” you grab the most outrageous pieces you can find—a neon, yellow turtleneck and pants that are somehow both plaid as they are glittery—then shove them into minji’s arms.

“so you want to play like that?” she grins, darting off to find something even worse.

hanni and danielle stand off to the side, watching the chaos unfold as you and minji start handing each other more and more ridiculous items for each other to try while giggling like middle schoolers. hanni’s shaking her head, her lips twitching into a smile. “they’re like an actual couple.”

“they really are.” danielle agrees, watching minji as she holds up a pair of fuzzy reindeer slippers and waves them at you like she’s found gold. 

“you’re going to look amazing in these,” minji says, basically cackling.

“you’re going to look even better, babe,” you retort, putting a dramatically large hat on top of her head. 

the entire store can probably hear you two laughing like idiots as you head into the dressing rooms, but neither of you care. and when you both step out, dressed head to toe in the most absurd clothing, hanni is the first to burst out laughing, immediately pulling her phone out and documenting everything. danielle hides her face behind her hands, trying not to laugh but failing miserably. 

minji steps out and winks at you. she’s clad in an oversized t-shirt that says “elf of the year” and the glitter, plaid hybrid pants you handed to her. she looks like an absolute idiot, and you figure this might be the moment you really fall for her.

“you look so stupid.” you laugh at her with an amused look on your face.

“you know,” hanni says between giggles, “if you two show up to the party like this, you’ll definitely convince everyone you’re together.”

danielle nods, her cheeks pink from laughter. “you’re already convincing enough.”

minji glances at you, her smile softening just a little. “maybe we’re overthinking the outfits,” she teases, but there’s something in her eyes that lingers longer than it should.

you shake it off. “maybe.” you say, your tone playful as you walk back into the dressing room.

“you’d still look good in that, though. you do now.” she replies, but her voice is quieter, as if she only wanted you to hear it.

instead of letting yourself get flustered, you roll your eyes and step inside the changing room, looking in the mirror to see a faint blush on your cheeks.

— 

countdown: <24 hours

you’re curled up on the couch with minji since both of you have been much more comfortable with being this close. a movie plays in the background, her arm is wrapped around you, and a blanket covers your legs that tangle together. the movie is something light and easy—your pick, though you can’t seem to focus on the plot. 

minji feels your leg tapping up and down subtly against her, notices your tongue poking at your cheek, and the way your fingers fidget with one another. she’s aware of everything, of course she is. she’s sitting close enough that you feel her shift toward you, her presence grounding but not enough to fully settle your nerves.

“you’re doing that thing again.” she says.

“what thing?” you mumble, avoiding her gaze.

“the thing where you’re silently spiraling, fidgeting,  freaking out—the latter.” she says simply, turning to look at you. “what’s on your mind?”

you sigh, pausing the tap of your leg and fidgeting and everything else. you run a hand through your hair before letting your upper body go limp against the cushion of your couch and minji’s forearm. “the party… i feel like it’s going to go bad or something. my ex, she’s… she’s so unbearable and extra! she’s only invited because she’s friends with jake’s girlfriend and ugh i don’t even know if this whole plan is going to work out because she knows you and—”

“hey,” minji cuts you off gently, and before you can protest, she reaches out and places her hand on yours. her touch is warm, her thumbs brushing over your knuckles before she boldly moves her hand over to your face now, cupping your cheek. “it’ll be fine,” she assures, and her voice is so steady that you almost believe her.

you blink, your breath catches, then shivers when you breathe out as best as you can. she’s looking at you with her pretty brown eyes through the frames that make her look like a huge nerd while simultaneously the cutest person as well and—

“minji…” you start, her name leaving your lips before your brain can process it. your stomach is doing something stupid and fluttery, the tension crackles between you like wood in a fire, keeping you two in place, pulling you closer. 

you flinch at the sound of the abrupt buzz of your phone beside you. it snaps the moment in two, making you glance away from her as reality takes over again. she pulls her hand back slowly, resting them back on your hand instead. 

she leans back and lightly mumbles, “you should get that,” her voice quieter than before.

you reach for your phone, your chest tight and your mind racing as you answer it.

it’s jake. of course it’s jake. his voice on the other end barely registers, something about ‘you’re coming, right?’ and ‘don’t bail on me!” followed by a stupid chuckle. your thoughts are still stuck on minji, and you’re wondering if the tension in the air weighed her down just as it did to you.

the call drags on, you glance at her from the corner of your eye. she’s staring at the screen, pretending to be absorbed in the movie, but her fingers fidget with the blanket. you can tell she’s just as thrown off as you are. 

when you finally hang up, placing your phone back down beside you, minji looks over with a brow raised.

“jake,” you answer, even if she never asked anything. “he’s… yeah. just checking up on me.”

“right.” minji purses her lips.

you two sit awkwardly far from each other as the movie continues on, but eventually, you can’t take it anymore and return to your normal position. this time, your head rests on her shoulder comfortably, and your hands are intertwined. minji rubs her thumb against the back of your palm, and you think you could stay like this for hours.

–

countdown: finished!

minji parks the car and you take a deep breath in.

“relax, babe.” minji’s attempt at lightening the mood makes you smile softly. “we got this.”

“you sure?”

minji rolls her eyes, then takes your hand in hers as she does a rundown on your ‘relationship.’

“we’ve been friends for a while, i fell first but you’re the one who confessed first while we watched a romance movie—” 

you cut her off, “and?”

“and after that we’ve been glued together by the hip. i know your likes and dislikes by default, um, our first date was… by the river? bike rides…?”

“you don’t sound certain.” you tease, “but you’re right.”

“whatever. and that’s it. everything else is just… our um, friendship.” minji’s voice dies down a bit when she says ‘friendship,’ the word articulates as if it were bitter on her tongue. “now let’s go.”

you and minji are side by side, her shoulder brushing against yours as you step through the door. music and scattered conversation are heard throughout the house, and you instinctively stick close to her. jake is the first to greet you, his grin wide as he pulls you into a quick hug.

“you made it!” he beams, then his eyes dart to minji. “and this is…?”

“this is minji,” you introduce, your tone casual while your thumb begins to scratch at your skin.

“minji,” jake repeats, a teasing edge creeping into his voice. “didn’t know you were dating anyone… you know she’s here— well, never mind that. guess we need some more time to catch up, huh?”

minji laughs softly, her hand lightly grazing your arm. “it’s a recent thing, few months.” she says firmly.

“yeah, kind of a surprise for us too. it happened out of nowhere, but i’m really happy.” you add with a shrug, trying to ignore the heat spreading up your neck. jake raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push further, to your surprise, and waves you both inside before giving minji a friendly side hug.

the party is more crowded than you expected, a mix of familiar faces and strangers scattered throughout the house. it’s not really a family gathering, not with the way jake’s friends have taken over the kitchen and living room. he’s always had a thing with turning events, even familial, social.

you and minji linger close, navigating through the small groups with an ease that surprises even you. every so often, while you’re greeting some mutual friends, you catch her glancing at you, a smile tugging at her lips and something in her eyes that you can’t decipher.

“when you said your cousin was inviting you to a holiday party… i expected it to be very formal and family-like.” minji murmurs as the two of you settle on the couch in the living room, plates of food balanced on your laps.

“he invites the cousins that are older and are on good terms with him.” you reply, rolling your eyes fondly. “he likes things like this. but hey, he’s fun, and he knows how to grill.”

minji laughs, nudging your leg lightly with hers. the sound is soft and warm, cutting through the background noise and settling somewhere deep in your heart. 

as the two of you eat, you find yourself leaning into her presence without thinking. her knee bumps against yours and neither of you moves away. 

“i’ll grab us some more soda,” you say after a while, setting your empty plate on the table and standing.

“don’t get lost,” she teases, her smile lingering as you head toward the kitchen. 

you glance back once, catching the way she watches you leave. it’s subtle, but it’s enough to make you feel like she really adores you.

…

cold air hits your face as you dig past cans of beer and bottles of wine while you shuffle through the fridge. you finally spot the sodas in the back and grab two coke zero’s, but the condensation already makes your hands feel slick and damp. as you shut the door, you hear someone clear their throat.

turning, you come face to face with her. it’s like being hit with a wave you didn’t see coming, but at the same time you were preparing for it. now that it hits you, it’s really chilling. her hair is a little different, her smile just as sharp, and she seems as pretentious as before. you’re surprisingly able to stay calm.

“hey,” you greet sweetly, forcing a casualness into your voice that you don’t feel.

she tilts her head, a little smirk forming. “hey, it’s been a while.” 

“it has,” you reply, gripping the sodas just a little tighter.

before the conversation can turn into something messier, a guy steps up beside her. tall, charming, and really just a face that resembles all the guys that she would compliment while you two were dating. “this is yeonjun, my boyfriend.” she says, her words are slow and deliberate like shes shoved a nail into your skin and twisted it.

you smile tightly, nodding at him. “nice to meet you, i’m an old friend of hers.” 

the air is heavy, and you can tell she’s waiting for you to falter. your hands are damp now, the condensation dripping from the cokes, and you’re wondering how to get out of this.

someone answers your prayers. a warm hand settles on your waist, grounding you instantly when the familiar warmth is recognized. then, soft lips press to your temple. your heart stutters in surprise and your brain malfunctions momentarily. you turn your head slightly, catching the familiar scent of minji’s floral perfume before you can even see her.

“hey, love,” love? that’s a new one, but you can’t say that you hate it—especially when it comes out so naturally from minji. 

she reaches over to take one of the sodas from your hand and when you glance back over to your ex—it looks like someone just slapped her. “minji?”

minji smiles politely,  her hand still resting at your waist, tugging at your waistband not so subtly. “yeah, nice to see you again. i was wondering what was taking y/n so long, i was getting thirsty.” she gives you a soft glance as she chuckles. 

you manage to recover quickly, leaning into her touch. her presence fuels your words, “i was just catching up,” you explain, gesturing toward your ex. “oh, right—you remember minji, don’t you?” you pause for just the right amount of time before looking at her lovingly, adding, “she’s my girlfriend now.”

your ex blinks, surprise evident in her expression. “oh. wow. i didn’t know… you two were—”

“yeah,” you interrupt, turning toward minji with a grin you don’t have to fake. you can’t remember the last time you faked anything with her, really. “she’s amazing. i’m glad we’re together, she’s lovely.”

minji rolls her eyes before moving her hand up to your shoulder, rubbing it lightly. “you’re doing that thing again.”

“what?” you question.

“being so fond,” she twirls a piece of your hair with her finger, “you’re too sweet to me.”

“because you’re my girlfriend, idiot.” you giggle right after that, and minji follows. “i’m not lying when i say all those things.” 

minji smiles at you, something mellow and real in her eyes. you can tell she knows exactly what you’re thinking. her hand moves over to cup your cheek briefly before she uses it to open her can of soda. she glances back up at the pair in front of you, your ex and yeonjun, giving them an intimidating glare—directly mainly to your ex. 

“we should get back, jake was asking about you.”

“was he? i guess we should…” you say, glancing at your ex one last time, her expression unreadable now. “it was nice seeing you again.”

minji steers you away, her presence steady and comforting as she leads you with her hand returning to your waist. you don’t miss the way your ex’s gaze lingers on the two of you, but that doesn’t cross your mind anymore. not when minji’s here, leaving you flustered and happier than you’ve ever been.

—

the living room is filled with laughter and conversation when you and minji step back inside. your cheeks are still warm from the cold air outside—or maybe from the conversation you just had, both of you had been reminiscing on how harsh minjis nephew eunwoo can be towards minji. her laugh lingers in your mind, and for a moment you almost forget where you are.

“there you two are!” jake’s voice cuts through the noise, and everyone turns toward you and minji as he gestures for you to join the group. “you’re just in time!”

but then you notice it—the small branch of green hanging above your heads: the mistletoe.

jake grins, wide and mischievous as if this were part of his plan. “looks like you two are under the mistletoe~” jake points out as if he’s a child.

the room quiets, and suddenly, every pair of eyes is on you and minji. your shoulders stiffen and minji’s hand brushes against yours.

you glance at her, and she’s already looking at you, her face flushed but calm. you’d stare for a moment longer, maybe tease her for how cute she looks, but you’re in the spotlight now. there’s something steady in her eyes, like she’s silently saying, it’s okay.

someone whistles, and the teasing murmers start, but they fade into the background when minji tilts her head slightly toward you, her voice low and gentle. “we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

you shake your head, a small smile forming. “it’s fine,” you whisper back, “it’s just a kiss, right?”

she nods, her expression mirroring yours—reassuring, gentle, and maybe just a little nervous.

and then, without overthinking it, you both lean in. the kiss isn’t hurried or awkward—it’s soft and lingering, not too much but far from a quick peck. your hand brushes against her neck, and for a moment, everything kind of blurs except her.

when you pull back, the room erupts into cheers and coos of “aww,” but you barely hear them. your eyes are still locked on minji’s, her cheeks a shade of pink that you will definitely comment on later.

before you can process anything, her hand comes up to cup your cheek, her thumb brushing against your skin. she leans in again, this time pressing a brief, tender kiss to your lips. it’s a kiss that’s not influenced by the branch above you, a natural, instinctive kiss that makes your heart stop beating for a bit.

you both pull away, a silent realization settling between you. something’s changed. something you can’t quite name but can sense in her dilated pupils, slight bite of her lip, and bright smile.

“okay, okay, lovebirds. sorry about my cousin and her girlfriend,” jake jokes with a laugh, breaking the moment and taking all the attention off you two. “i just wanted to thank you all for coming.”

his words don’t process, in fact, you don’t really hear much of it because minji’s fingesr slip between yours, warm and steady. as jake continues talking, you glance down at your joined hands and then back at her. 

you squeeze her hands lightly. the feeling is new, but it feels like it’s always been there. it feels good, it feels right.

…

once jake’s speech ends, you catch minji’s eye. there’s longing in her look, she’s asking a silent question and you have the answer. without a word, you grab her hand, weaving through the guests and slipping up the stairs unnoticed—they don’t know your cousin’s hosue like you do.

the hallway is dim, shadows playing on the walls as you pull her to a stop. before she can say anything, you turn, your hands finding her cheeks, and kiss her.

it’s different this time—no crowd and no stupid mistletoe hanging above. it’s just you two. you, and minji, with her lips are pressing against yours softly. she tastes sweet, warm, and familiar, and the way her hands rest under your jawline sends a shiver down your spine.

you pull her closer, hands moving down and pulling at the fabric of her shirt like you’re trying to stop yourself from losing your balance. her lips move against yours in harmony, in sync, and nothing else in the world matters except the two of you in that moment. 

when you two finally break apart, you’re both breathing heavily—from kissing so much and from utter shock. minji’s eyes search for yours in the darkness, her lips parting slightly as she catches her breath. “come on,” she murmurs, tugging your hand gently.

she pulls you into a nearby room, and you barely manage to glance around before realizing who’s room it is.

“minji,” you whisper, stifling a laugh, “this is jake’s room.” 

“i could care less,” she cuts you off with another kiss. her lips are insistent, and her hands find your waist again, drawing you closer. “when i kiss you, i just— i can’t help but want to kiss you more and more and more and more.”

her confession is punctuated by kisses–soft, desperate, and consuming. you melt into her, your hands threading through her hair as you let her guide you toward the bed.

she’s nearly on top of you, her legs on either side of yours with he lips trailing to your jaw, then back to your lips. 

“i want to be your real girlfriend,” she whispers nervously. “i want to kiss you like this, be with you, everything.”

you pause, cupping her face in your hands as you pull back just enough to meet her eyes. she looks at you, eyes lidded and vulnerable. your heart swells.

“i want to be your real girlfriend too,” you confess, using your thumb to stroke her cheekbone. “i think this is the best present i’ll ever get.”

she giggles before closing the distance again—instant, radiant, eager— and you can feel her smiling against your lips. 

“should i put a bow on myself and lay under the tree?” she says when she pulls back, but just enough so your lips ghost each other. “to seal the deal.”

“you’re impossible.” you laugh, digging your fingers deeper into her scalp before pecking her quickly. “we should take this to the car… jake will kill me.”

“i think we can settle for a few more kisses.”

“is there a mistletoe constantly hovering over you?”

“no…” minji mutters, “but maybe we could steal the mistletoe and make it happen.”

you roll your eyes at her, but regardless you close the distance once more. and just when you think she can’t be more of an idiot—she proves you wrong.

“and you still owe me dinner, by the way.”

“whatever,” you mumble in adoration, “it’s a date.”

[bloatedandalone04]

Under the Tree

➪the one where you and tyler celebrate christmas together, and he has a surprise waiting for you underneath the tree.

Warnings: fluff, swearing, mentions of smut, nothing too wild (yes, i write fluff too).

Word Count: 2.8k

Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡ | Merry Christmas !

The department store was crowded, but what store wasn’t during this time of year? Christmas was next month, after all.

You were currently in the ornament aisle of the store, practically shoulder to shoulder with Tyler and an elderly woman that was standing to the left side of you. While you felt a little bad for dragging your boyfriend here after he just finished a rather grueling chase yesterday and likely still needed to rest, Tyler was still a pretty festive guy. And the chances of there being another tornado for the next few months was unlikely, so he would have lots of time to rest. 

And he didn’t even look annoyed or irritated at the moment, even though you had been in this aisle for about fifteen minutes now. His arm was slung around your waist as your eyes flickered all over the various boxes of Christmas tree ornaments, an active debate going on in your head as you thought about what theme you wanted to go for this year. 

This would be yours and Tyler’s first Christmas together, alone that is. You’d been together for almost three years, and the first year you had spent the holiday with your own families, and the second year with all of them together, but this year it was just you and him. Tyler’s family is going on a vacation this year, so you and he spent last weekend with them, and your mom was taking care of your dad since he just had surgery on his leg, so it wasn’t really a good year for them. Though you were planning on stopping by a few days after Christmas. 

With that being said, this was the first year it was just you and Tyler, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t so excited to spend the holiday with him. 

“No rush, babe, but is there a reason we’ve been standin’ here for over ten minutes?” he asked after watching you glance between two different boxes over and over again. “Again, no rush at all, but…someone’s grandma is looking a little pissed off.”

When you looked to your left and saw the elderly woman glaring at you, your hand came up to cover your mouth as you tried to hold in a laugh. “She has a valid reason,” you said, leaning more into your boyfriend’s side to give her a little more room. “This time of year is…stressful for everyone.” 

Tyler hummed in agreement, wrapping his arm tighter around you as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of your head. “True…but I don’t think pickin’ out what to put on the tree is very stressful,” he teases, “Or at least it’s not supposed to be.”

You laughed quietly, watching as the woman grabbed a box of all red ornaments before briskly leaving the aisle. “I don’t know which ones I want,” you whined, pulling him back to where you were before. “I don’t know if we should do red and green, or white and gold, or white, gold and red.” 

Tyler laughed under his breath as he looked at the multitude of different colored ornaments on the shelves. “Well, we have a pretty big tree, why don’t we do a mix of all of them? And maybe we can add some random ones here and there. We still have the ornament my mom got us last year to put on too, remember?”

“Oh yeah,” you smiled, looking back at him. His mom had gotten you a cute ornament that said both yours and Tyler’s names on the brims of a Santa hat that two penguins were wearing, and you were kind of obsessed with it. “That’s actually a really cute idea. You’re better at this than I thought you’d be.”

Tyler smirked, wrapping his arm around your waist again as he pulled you back against his side. “I love Christmas, you know that,” 

You nodded, wrapping both your arms around his middle as you leaned your head against his chest. “I know you do,” you hummed, “But most guys don’t.”

“Baby, I think we’ve long since discovered that I’m not like most guys,” he grunted, reaching for both the big boxes of the red and green ornaments, leaving you to grab the smaller box that held both white and gold ones. 

When he gestured for you to finally leave the aisle, you rolled your eyes. “Must you always show off?” you huffed, grabbing the smaller box before following after him. 

“In front of you?” he grinned, “Always.”

-

“Pick a movie already,” you groaned, worried that the candy cane hot chocolate you had made for both you and Tyler would be stone cold by the time a film was even chosen. The living room was only lit up by the recently put up Christmas tree in the corner, an array of ornaments scattered on its branches, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t think it was one of the cutest and prettiest things you had ever seen. 

Tyler turned around from where he was hunched over the fake fireplace. The remote had been lost a long time ago, so whenever either of you wanted it on, you had to get onto your knees and hit the button manually. 

The look he gave you had you cackling as you draped the big throw blanket your mom got you a few years ago across your body. “I did,” he said, “Two of them, actually. You said no to both.”

You laughed and sipped on your drink. “The Grinch is so overrated, and Home Alone is so overplayed,” you mumbled, placing your whole palm around your mug to warm your hand. “We watch it, like, five times every December.”

Tyler, once he turned the fireplace on, stood up and towered over you, his hands on his hips. His red and green Christmas pyjama pants he was wearing made your smile grow, even though you were wearing matching ones, complete with Max from The Grinch scattered all over the fabric. “Because it’s a classic,” he defended his choice of movie as he moved towards the couch. “And it’s good. Your choice was awful, but you don’t hear me complainin’, do you?”

His words weren’t harsh at all but rather teasing as he grabbed his own mug before sitting next to you and leaning over to kiss your cheek when you draped the blanket over him as well. “Love Actually is good,” you muttered, bringing the rim of your mug up to your mouth again. 

Tyler laughed, reaching for the remote with his free hand. “Babe, it’s barely a Christmas movie,”

“Okay, you have not seen it enough times to be able to say that,” you said and Tyler grunted. 

“Alright, fine, it doesn’t feel like a Christmas movie,” he corrected himself as he flipped through the Holiday section on Netflix. “How about…this one?”

You looked up and saw that he was hovering over Four Christmases, and your lips curved into a smile. “Okay,” you answered, cuddling close to him while being careful not to spill your drink. 

When the opening scene started, Tyler turned his head and nuzzled his nose against your temple. “We should do that,” he murmured, draping his arm around your shoulder as he pulled you closer to his side. 

“What?” you laughed, your eyes still on the TV but your focus was almost entirely on your boyfriend. 

“You know…roleplay,” he said, and your face heated up as you looked over at him, seeing the mischievous look in his eyes you were very used to by now. 

“Roleplay?” you echoed, tilting your head back to get a better look at his handsome face. “You wanna call me a bitch, hmm? And tell me you hate my earrings?”

Tyler’s face heated up now and he quickly shook his head. “No, that’s not what I meant,” he rushed out, but you just laughed and draped your legs over his under the blanket. “I just meant, like…you know, pretendin’ we don’t know each other, only for me to kiss you in front of a room full of people like it’s the only thing I want to do for the rest of my life.”

You bit your lip and pressed your cheek against his shoulder, running the tip of your nose along his jawline. “You already do that,” you murmured, “Kiss me in a room full of people. What would be different?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead before pressing his own against it. “We could make it like our first date all over again. I could act all cool and confident, when really I was already fallin’ head over heels for you, and you could pretend you aren’t completely obsessed with me already and just dyin’ to hear more of my storm chasin’ stories.”

You scoffed, pulling back to lightly slap his shoulder. “You’re so full of it,” you shook your head before moving closer to him again. “It wasn’t your stories that drew me in, it was you. Just you.”

Tyler smiled down at you before leaning in and pressing a firm kiss to your mouth. “Everythin’ about you drew me in,” he mumbled against your lips. “Your eyes, your laugh, your smile…and those tight jeans you were wearing definitely did somethin’ to me.”

You rolled your eyes and placed your hand flat against his face, pushing him away from you. “Once again, you’re full of it,” you muttered, quickly pulling your hand away from him when his tongue poked out and licked your palm. “And disgusting.”

Tyler laughed, and the sound made your mouth curve upwards in a smile as you turned your gaze back to the movie. “You love it,”

-

Christmas Day always seemed to creep up on you ever since you became an adult, unlike how it seemed to take forever to arrive when you were a kid. 

With that being said, it was just as exciting as it was when you were younger. Back then, you, like any other kid, loved receiving gifts, but now that you are older, you love giving them out. 

Okay, maybe you go a bit overboard every year, but your mom could always use another mug, and your dad could always upgrade his housecoat. And Tyler could always stock up on that piney, sexy cologne you fucking love. 

When you woke up on the 25th of December, alone and cold in your bed, you groaned and grabbed Tyler’s Tor-nae-do hoodie and shrugged it over your shoulders, the grey fabric matching well with your Grinch pajamas. 

You left the room and walked down the stairs, hearing the faint sound of Christmas music playing from the living room. When you entered the room, you found Tyler sitting on the couch, his laptop placed on his thighs and his legs kicked up on the coffee table as he scrolled through the comments on an old upload. 

“Working on Christmas?” you asked with a tired grin, crossing your arms as you leaned against the doorway. 

Tyler looked over at you, his handsome grin forming on his lips as he closed his laptop, instantly giving you his full attention like he always did. “Someone has to,” he teased, setting it aside as he leaned back on the couch. “Kinda hard to make money when you’re in bed and sleepin’ all morning.”

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, pushing off the wall when he reached his hand out to you. “It’s only ten thirty,” you mumbled, crawling onto his lap as you snuggled up on his chest. “And yeah, yeah…you’re the breadwinner out of the two of us. I know that.” 

Tyler hummed as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head, his arms wrapping around your body as he held you against him. “That’s not true and you know it,” he murmured, dipping his head down to nuzzle his face against your neck. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

You smiled, closing your eyes as you pressed a soft kiss to his jaw. “Merry Christmas, Ty,” you said back, sitting up on his lap and placing your hands on his chest. “What do you say? I make breakfast, we sit for a bit, then open presents? Maybe after we can have a nap too…you kept me up late last night.”

Tyler smirked, shrugging a bit as he ran his hands up your back, under his hoodie. “What can I say? I know how to celebrate a holiday,” he grinned, then sat up a bit. “How ‘bout presents first? I got you somethin’ I’ve been dying to see you open for weeks now.”

One of your brows raised as you let out a soft hum. “Weeks, huh?” you echoed, a small smile forming on your lips. “Alright, we’ll do presents first.”

“Okay,” he immediately agreed, his hands giving your hips a gentle squeeze. “Open mine first. It’s right there, under the tree.” he nodded towards the corner of the living room, the Christmas tree lit up in a soft, warm tone, and under it was a small, surprisingly well wrapped box. 

“Okay,” you said, getting off his lap to retrieve the box, and one of the gifts you got him. You walked back over to him and sat down on the couch beside him, rather than on top of him again, and placed your gift for him on his lap. “Remember, we said we weren’t going to go overboard since it’s just us this year, right? You remember that?”

Tyler grinned and draped his arm around your shoulders. “Babe, just open it,” he laughed, his other hand wrapping around one of your thighs to pull you closer to him.

You laughed quietly too, draping your legs over his lap. As your fingers began ripping at the wrapping paper, you noticed that Tyler began to shift beside you, but he only gestured for you to keep going when you looked over at him. “Are you okay?” you asked, glancing up at him again as you pulled off the rest of the paper. “You’re acting kinda weird or anxious or-”

You cut yourself off when you opened a small box, and you quickly looked down to see what was in it. When your eyes caught sight of the princess cut ring that was sitting on the velvet cushion inside the box, your throat closed up as a soft gasp left your mouth. 

“Ty,” you murmured, your eyes burning a bit with unshed tears as you tore your gaze off the stunning ring to look over at him. 

Tyler looked less nervous now as his fingers ran up and down your thigh, his eyes wide but his face relaxed. “Baby,” he said back, reaching up to caress your jaw in his hand. “I love you. More than anythin’ in the world. You know that.”

You nodded quickly, your hands shaking a bit as you looked between him and the ring in the box. “Yeah,” you whispered, gripping his arm tightly with the hand that wasn’t holding the box. 

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Tyler rasped, taking the ring out of the box as he held it between his fingers. “I want to marry you, babe. I want everythin’ with you, forever.”

Your cheeks heated up in a blush, your eyes filling with tears as you moved closer to him. “I want that too,” 

“Yeah?” Tyler grinned, taking your left hand in his as he held the ring up to you. “Will you marry me, baby?”

You were nodding before he even finished asking the question, your arms thrown around his shoulders as you pressed a deep kiss to his mouth. “Tyler, oh my God,” you mumbled against his mouth, your voice muffled by his lips. “Yes.”

Tyler laughed against your lips, his arms wrapping tightly around you as he pressed multiple kisses to your mouth. Neither of you knew how long had passed before you finally broke the kiss and pulled back so he could slide the ring onto your finger, and already you were absolutely obsessed with it. 

“It’s so beautiful, Ty,” you said quietly as you gazed down at the new addition to your left hand. 

“Yeah? I tried findin’ the prettiest one because you’re the prettiest girl,” he smirked, running his hand up and down your spine as you snuggled up against his side. “This one will have to do.”

You scoffed and shook your head, nuzzling your face against the side of his neck. “It’s perfect,” you mumbled, kissing his shoulder. “I love it. I don’t even want you to open my gift now because you’ve given me the best one by far. I feel cheap.”

Tyler laughed, holding you tightly against his side as he looked down at the gift bag you had put on his lap. “Oh yeah, it’s gonna take you at least…I don’t know, four Christmases to catch up to me now,” he said, a proud smile on his face, and he was clearly happy with his stupid joke as he reached for the bag. “Oh, and thanks for the cologne by the way, wifey.”

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Hey love I absolutely love your fics 🥰 I was wondering if you could write a dark toxic romance for Lando or Charles or even Logan where she’s the girl next door??? I love you keep it up ❤️

Crazy For You || LN4

Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, implied smut, gaslighting, dub/con, dark themes WC: 4k Part one || part two || part three || part four

It had been two months since you moved into your apartment in Monaco and you still hadn’t managed to introduce yourself to your neighbour. He kept strange hours and seemed to be away more than he was there. From what you had glimpsed, you had been delighted to see he was probably around your age and quite handsome in an innocent way. Mr Riley on the other hand was a stoic old man who only spoke to you when your cat climbed over the balcony and into his space.

Known for its year-round beauty and calm climate, Monaco had welcomed you with a comfortable breeze and enough sun to warrant leaving the house without a jacket, even at dusk on a winter's night. If you had checked the weather reports you would have seen that a storm was quickly blowing in from the coast - arriving by the time you had finished having a few cocktails with your new friends. 

Christmas lights twinkled around the shop fronts as you exited the bar and nutcrackers stood proud in doorways. You always loved Christmas and seeing the smiles it put on children’s faces but there were no children out this late. 

“Are you sure you don’t want a ride?” Luke asked as he twirled his keys around his finger. “It’s about to start raining.”

“She’s good,” someone answered for you and you looked over to see your elusive neighbour at your side, his hand coming to rest in the small of your back. “I can take her home.”

“You didn’t tell us Lando was picking you up.”

Your mouth was dry and you didn’t know what to say as the liquor, or his presence, left you confused. Lando, you stored that piece of information away and tried to figure out why it sounded so familiar. 

“I was just out doing some Christmas shopping and about to head home,” he said with a smile. “Ready?”

“Uh, yeah,” you mumbled as you let him guide you away from your friends.

“Are you sure?” Luke asked with a frown. “You don’t look comfortable. Do you even know him?”

“Kind of, I’m just surprised,” you assured him. “Lando is my neighbour.”

“Okay, well, text me when you get home.”

You gave Luke a nod and waved to the others before going your separate ways.

“Are you cold?” Lando asked, already slipping his arms out of the jacket he wore over a dark hoodie. 

The alcohol had made you numb to the temperature but you let him drape it over your shoulders anyway, wrapping you in the decadent scent that came along with it. 

“Thanks.”

“Any time, it’s what neighbours do.”

“I don’t think Mr Riley would,” you teased.

“The grumpy old guy in 4C? We just call him Carl, like the movie Up.”

You smiled awkwardly and toyed with the zip on the jacked. “I’ve never seen it.”

“What?” He pulled you to a stop and grabbed your shoulders with a serious look on his face. “This just won’t do. I cannot be seen with someone who hasn’t watched Up!”

“Oh,” you mumbled as you started to take off his jacket and hand it back. 

“What are you doing, you muppet?” He grabbed the jacket and put it back on your shoulders before opening the door to a very expensive looking car. 

“I thought you meant…”

“It’s fine, I have tinted windows,” he teased. “As soon as we get home though, we’re watching the movie.”

Lando followed you inside without an invitation but you could hardly turn him away with his boyish smile and mop of curly hair that sprung out of his hoodie when he pushed it back. “This makes sense,” he chuckled as he stuck his head in the bedroom, pointing to the wall that your bed was pushed against. “Our apartments are mirrored. I thought I woke up to a voice a few times. Do you watch Friends?”

Your head tilted at the odd question. “Why do you ask?”

“You sing ‘smelly cat’ a lot.”

Mortification hit you and you felt your face burn as you turned to the culprit walking through your house with a loud purr. “That’s Eddie. Do you have any pets?”

“No, I’m always travelling for work and I’m not very good at looking after myself let alone another living thing. Do you actually know how to use those things?”

You looked at the kitchen where he was pointing to the appliances. You had planned to make some Christmas cookies over the weekend and had the stand mixer ready on the benchtop. You thought he was joking but he was genuinely intrigued by the inquisitive look of wonder on his face. “Cooking relaxes me,” you said with a shrug. “You probably have plans already but if you want to come over and-”

“Absolutely, say no more, I’m in.” He crossed the living room and dropped into the middle cushion of the three seater sofa and patted the space beside him with one hand, the other reaching for the remote. “You do have Disney+, right?”

 “You really do like to make yourself comfortable, don’t you,” you joked as you took a seat beside him. 

“I’ve been told I can be a bit much,” he said with a small frown, placing the remote down. “Should I go?”

“No, no, I appreciate the company,” you said as you caught his arm to stop him from going. “Being alone in a new country is a little isolating, it’s nice having someone here.”

He settled back into the seat and sent you a grin as he searched for the movie. “Anytime you need someone to talk to, you can just knock three times.”

The weeks before Christmas were a madhouse. Work kept you busy as well as the many requests to go home for the holidays, but it just wasn’t going to be feasible to take leave so soon after starting. You knew your parents were going to be disappointed but you promised them you weren’t going to be alone for Christmas.

You had eventually found out why Lando’s name was so familiar when Luke explained who he was and why he was away so often. But since the race season was over he had plenty of time to spend at home, yours and his.

Just like every other evening, you knocked three times on the living room wall knowing Lando would be able to hear it despite the special Christmas Eve stream he was on. It was the last one of the year and he wished everyone a Merry Christmas before the live feed of him playing Counter Strike came to an end. 

“Ouch, Eddie, fuck,” Lando swore a few minutes later as he knocked at your door. “Stop it.”

You opened the door to the frequent occurrence and took the hissing Eddie from his outstretched arms before he could get clawed again. Your ginger cat seemed to hate Lando for some reason, or maybe it was because he was always bringing the escapee back home to you.

“I think you should just move in with me,” Lando joked as he followed the mouthwatering scent into your kitchen. He came to your house for dinner most nights after finding Eddie on his balcony and usually stayed for a movie. That routine had changed slightly when the movie he chose one night was Friends With Benefits. There had been a moment after a sex scene when you both looked across at each other and the idea had passed between your eyes. 

He cleared his throat and you realised you had been staring at him for too long. “Eddie likes my place better.”

It clicked, he wasn’t actually asking you to move in with him. But for a moment you had considered it.

“Right, Eddie,” you laughed at your idiocracy. “I really don’t know how he keeps getting out. I must be going crazy because I’m sure I locked the window this morning.”

You both looked at the window that opened onto the balcony, the skies dark with another storm. “Maybe your cat is a genius and learned how to open it?”

You rolled your eyes but managed a laugh at his attempt to make you feel better while you readied two plates and took them to the table where he sat. “Maybe I should change his name to Houdini.”

“Better than Ed the Ginger.” Lando grinned as he pulled you onto his lap and scooped up a dollop of creamy mash potato with his forefinger, holding it up to your mouth. You sealed your lips around his finger and swirled your tongue around the tip, watching the blue of his eyes be swallowed by his pupils. “Naughty girl, you’ll be getting coal this year.”

Your head fell back with a laugh.“Who are you? Santa Claus?”

“Well, you are sitting on my lap, aren’t you?” He winked and his tongue rolled across his bottom lip. “Wanna see my North Pole?”

“Oh my god, eat your dinner,” you giggled. “We still have to watch A Christmas Carol and Nightmare Before Christmas!”

You had both written a list of all the Christmas movies you wanted to watch and they were the last two left. It was just in time as midnight was going to come all too soon and you wanted to be tucked up warm in bed when the storm hit.

A loud crash had you jolting awake and you blindly reached across the bed in search of Lando to find it empty. Panic gripped you as you wondered if you were being broken into and a scream almost erupted when your light flipped on and Lando rushed in soaking wet. 

“Holy shit, you’ll never believe what just happened!”

You stumbled into the living room where Lando threw an arm out to save you from stepping on the glass that covered the floor. The doors that opened out onto your balcony had been completely shattered during the storm and you shivered as the cold wind and rain blew straight into your home. A huge puddle was quickly spreading across the carpet and it was making its way to the Christmas tree in the far corner while you were still in shock. 

“The presents!” 

Lando twisted away from the pot plant that had been on your balcony wall, now it lay on the floor with the dirt turning to mud. Seeing the urge you had to cut across the glass, he shook his head and pointed to the kitchen where you would remain safe. “I’ll get them.”

Lando carefully navigated his way to the tree, turning off the power to the glittering lights, and bundled the gifts up before hopping his way back with a wince. The wrapping paper on some of the presents were splattered with rain drops but most seemed in perfect condition when he placed them on the kitchen bench.

“You’re bleeding,” you gasped as he balanced on one foot and you wrapped an arm around his waist to help him. “There’s a first aid kit in my bathroom. Can you make it there?”

He nodded and limped with your help away from the mess. “I think you should come and stay at my place until the doors can be fixed.”

“Are you sure?” you asked as you carefully used a pair of tweezers to pull out the small sliver of glass in his foot. “I can just get a hotel.”

“Ouch,” he groaned as it came free and blood welled at the site. “Not on Christmas Day, everywhere will be fully booked. I really don’t mind. It would save you from having to pack a bag.”

“If you’re sure…”

He smiled at the silly Spider-Man bandaid you placed over the wound before running the back of his knuckles across your cheekbone. “I am.”

You shivered at his cold touch and remembered how wet he was when you woke up. “What were you doing up anyway?”

He bit his lip and looked away sheepishly. “I was putting a present under the tree when a flower pot blew through the door.”

“Oh, wow, that wind must be insane. I hope all the boats are safe out there,” you mused, knowing some people lived on the mariner. “Wait, you got me another present? Lando, there’s already too many.”

“I wanted to spoil you,” he said with an unapologetic shrug. “You have single handedly kept me fed for weeks. You may have put a few restaurants out of business too.”

“You weren’t that bad were you?”

“You have no idea,” he chuckled. After testing his foot he took your hand and led you back to the presents to find a thin box that hadn’t been under the tree when you went to bed. “It’s after midnight, you know, you could open it.”

You took the box, surprised by the weight it had, and untied the pretty bow on top. The delicate silver writing drew a gasp and you looked at Lando with wide eyes. “Tiffany? I can’t open this, it’s too much.”

“Go on,” he urged as he placed your hand on top of the lid and gave it a squeeze. “Please, for me.”

Your fingers slipped twice as you tried to open the hinge and Lando’s hand enveloped yours, lifting it open to reveal the beautiful necklace within. The teardrop gemstone was the same shade as his eyes and it hung from a white gold chain that was polished to shine impossibly bright, even in the dim light. 

“Lando, it’s beautiful,” you whispered in awe as he lifted it up and stepped behind you to drape it around your neck. The weight of the stone settled in the centre of your chest and you turned to face him with a sincere, “Thank you.”

“So..?” He bit his lip as he showed you the empty box, a question written in the silk lining. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

It wasn’t until the week after New Years that a glazier would be able to fix your doors. The holidays had left a backlog of people needing repairs but supply chains had been delayed too. Once the doors were finally fixed you realised the carpet was beyond repair and that took another week to have done.

It was strange to go back home after nearly three weeks of living in Lando’s apartment. It was too quiet.

“Babe, have you seen my hairbrush?” You had looked through the bathroom drawers he had cleared out for you to use but there was nothing left. You went back to your apartment and did another search but it wasn’t there either. It wasn’t the first thing you had lost going back and forth and you were beginning to worry.

“I’m sure it will turn up somewhere, love,” Lando said as he paused his game and turned to his friend in the simulator behind him. “Max probably used it.”

“Did not,” his friend replied with an indignant splutter. “Didn’t I see you singing into a hairbrush?”

“You’ve been experimenting with drugs again,” Lando snorted. With a resigned sigh, you decided your hair was decent enough to get away with at work and Lando tipped his head back so you could give him a kiss goodbye. “I’ll order dinner tonight. Chinese?”

“Sounds good,” you said as you gave Max a wave on the way to the door. “Try not to let him sit there all day, you know how his back gets.”

“Yes, yes, Lando has an old man’s back. I’ll make sure he moves his ass at some point,” Max joked. “Have fun at work.”

You screwed up your face at the sarcasm and their laughs followed you out of the apartment. You weren’t sure they had actually moved all day as they were still in the same spots when you got home. You had crossed paths with the delivery man in the lobby and your arms were laden with the takeaway Lando had ordered.

“How many spring rolls did you order?” you murmured as you kept unpacking more and more of the small styrofoam boxes with the treat.

“He’s going for a record,” Max said with a roll of his eyes. Ten minutes later Lando groaned, holding his stomach tightly. “I told you to stop.”

You had quickly showered and changed into some comfortable clothes and found most of the boxes empty when you joined them at the table. “How many has he had?”

“18, and he’s got no chance,” Max bet, reaching over to steal a spring roll for himself and swiping it through the sweet chilli sauce. “You’ll thank me later. Ah, fuck.” Max looked down at the red blotch on his white Quadrant shirt before sauntering off down the hall. “Mate, do you have any more stain remover? This one’s empty.”

“Yeah, under the sink there should be another bottle,” Lando yelled back, dropping his fork onto his plate in defeat. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Why the hell do you have cat food?” Max appeared in the living room with the same brand of pet food you bought for your cat. 

“That’s not mine, obviously.”

You looked at Lando, who was rubbing his full stomach and as reclined back as much as the chair would allow. “It’s not mine.”

“You brought it over during the storm, remember?”

“No I didn’t.” You hadn’t wanted to disrupt Eddie’s routine and fed him at home each morning before work.

“Yes, you did.” He laughed as he tapped your temple gently. “You have a terrible memory, love. You can’t even remember where you left your hairbrush.”

You didn’t have an argument for that, since you still hadn’t found it. You were sure you hadn’t brought any cat food over, but maybe he was right. You did seem to be a little confused lately.

“I think I need an early night,” you admitted as you cleaned up the dishes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You’re not staying?” Lando asked with a pout as he joined you at the sink, wrapping his arms around your waist and peppered your neck with soft kisses. “Who am I going to cuddle with?”

“I’m sure Max wouldn’t mind a snuggle,” you teased him as you turned in his arms. “I have an early start tomorrow but I can stay tomorrow night.”

He groaned at the thought of sleeping alone and held you tighter so he could have you in his arms a little longer. “Fine,” he huffed, relinquishing his hold on you and filling the kettle. “I’ll make you a chamomile tea so you sleep better.”

You smiled at his sweetness and savoured a few more minutes of kisses before the water boiled and he scooped out a few spoons of some boutique tea leaf mix he swore was the best sleep tea money could buy. Given how rich he was, you believed him.

Placing the hot mug in your hand, he bit his swollen lip and nodded to the front door. “Go before I tie you to my bed and never let you leave.”

“You wouldn’t,” you laughed, rolling your eyes as he winked. “Goodnight, baby.”

“Goodnight, love, sweet dreams.”

Something disturbed your sleep and you rubbed your eyes as you woke up well before your alarm. You reached for the lamp beside your bed and accidently knocked into the cup of tea you hadn’t finished before falling asleep, the cold liquid sloshing over the side before you caught it and froze. 

Your bedroom door creaked open but it was too dark to see who it was. Your heart hammered in your chest as you tried to think of what to do before the shadow reached the edge of your bed. Your throat was so clogged with fear you couldn’t even scream, your hands trembled and closed them into fists before banging on the wall behind you, begging Lando would wake up at the sound.

Bang, bang, bang.

The figure lunged onto the bed, pinning you down with their weight and slamming your fists into the mattress. “Shh, love, it’s me.”

You relaxed as Lando’s voice soothed you, but the fear soon crept back up your spine with an icy shiver. “How did you get in here?”

“You forgot to lock your door,” he whispered as your wrists began to ache from the hold he had. “I was coming to check in on you.”

“No, I didn’t,” you said as you tried to shake him off. “I know I locked it. I know…I…I’m not crazy. Get off me, get off me right now.”

“You were meant to be asleep, love,” he groaned as his hands tightened to the point a pained cry escaped your gritted teeth. 

“Why are you doing this?” you whimpered as he kissed your neck, but you couldn’t feel anything but repulsion. 

“You should have just moved in with me, we are meant to be together.”

“You’re crazy,” you spat as you tried to buck your hips and throw him off but he was too strong. “Help! Somebody, help!”

His hand clamped over your mouth and you bit him as hard as you could before kicking and climbing away. 

“I’m not the crazy one, that’s you, love,” he laughed. “You’re my girlfriend, you’re sick, but I’m going to take care of you, okay?”

“You are fucking insane!”

“No, no, sweetheart, I’m trying to help you, remember?” 

You froze in the doorway as you saw a cutout of your key on the kitchen bench, along with your hairbrush, phone, a negligee and dressing gown. All things you had been convinced you had lost in the last few weeks.

“Why are you doing this?” you repeated as you backed away from your boyfriend. He was someone you had trusted, someone you thought had fit perfectly into your new life - but he had been messing with you this whole time. Max and the cat food came to mind. “Eddie…he used to go to Mr Riley’s house.”

“Couldn’t have that,” Lando tutted with a shake of his head as he took a step closer, “not when he was going to help me get close to you.”

“Don’t! Don’t come any closer to me!”

“Baby, don’t be like that, let’s just go back to bed. You’re under a lot of stress, let me make you a chamomile tea.”

You swiped your phone up as you bolted but he was quicker and blocked the front door, holding his hand out. “Give that to me, you don’t want to do that.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I do,” you hissed as you started to dial the emergency number.

“It’s you they will take away,” he said with a blase shrug that made you pause. “Everyone knows how unstable you have become.”

“Me?” you shrieked.

“You’re barely holding it together now. They aren’t going to believe anything you say.” He opened his arms as if to say, I’m famous and you are no one. Unfortunately, he was right. “Come on, love, let’s go back to bed.”

He took the phone from your limp hand and locked it before slipping it into his pocket. You were so confused that you had no idea what to do when he guided you back to the bed, turning the sheets down before tucking you in gently. “I love you,” he whispered as he kissed your forehead and handed you the cold mug. “Drink up, baby, this is all just a bad dream.”

Click here for the next morning.

[starlightkun]

⇢ word count: 1.7k ⇢ genre: fluff, very suggestive (no smut but discussions about/implied sleeping together lol), strangers to one night stand to coworkers to lovers? lmao i think i got that progression right, holiday/christmas themed, sleeping with a hot stranger at the office holiday party when you’re tipsy and oops it turns out they’re your new coworker trope, part of my 2024 hallmark movie marathon ⇢ warnings: cursing, just look at the tags and decide if u want to read on tbh. honestly this has probably more horny energy than is warranted for it having zero smut lol ⇢ extra info: this was originally going to continue on after this ending but i ended up feeling like i was losing the plot, so the other stuff i was writing is going to be a separate fic. they’re not a part 1/part 2 at all, but you can kinda see the vision if u read both i think this is part of my 2024 hallmark movie marathon, three short, unrelated fics starring jisung all with cheesy hallmark christmas movie-esque premises. there’s no continuing plotline between fics in this series, they’re all standalone fics ⇢ author’s note: uhm so surprise hallmark movie marathon for jisung this year i guess! i did this last year where i had a(n unplanned) series of short fics with cheesy hallmark christmas movie-esque premises all starring kun and i guess i’m in my jisung era rn! so enjoy and happy holidays! ⇢ 2024 hallmark movie marathon

“I meant I usually wouldn’t have been looking to get laid at the office holiday party at all for this exact reason!” You whispered emphatically. “Except I already felt bad about myself because I got stood up, and I was tipsy, so I ended up throwing myself at the hottest stranger I could find. God, of course it bit me in the fucking ass.”

“Here. Fresh pot.” A cup of coffee was set on your desk in front of your face by Jaemin, as your other coworker Jeno helped himself to the bowl of peppermints perched on your desk.

“Are you seriously hungover?” Jeno snickered as you pulled your head out of your arms. “You left the holiday party like two hours early.”

You glared at him, taking a timid sip from the steaming cup.

“Smart choice, really, you got to miss Mr. Suh’s rendition of Santa Baby,” Jaemin informed you, hopping up on your desk and knocking your keyboard askew.

You rolled your eyes as you moved your things out of his way.

“Were we that boring? You didn’t even say bye or—”

Your gaze lazily drifted around the floor before you inhaled and immediately choked on the too-hot coffee, spitting it back out into the cup as it burned your tongue.

“Are you okay?” Jeno asked, his words garbled as he talked around the peppermint in his mouth.

“Ack—Fine,” you coughed, eyes still tracking the man who had stepped off the elevator with your boss. “Who’s that? With Mr. Suh?”

They both turned around to follow your line of sight curiously. Mr. Suh seemed to be giving him a tour, gesturing to various areas of the floor as he spoke.

Jaemin guessed, “Uh… transfer from the satellite office, maybe? I think I saw him at the party last night.”

“Oh yeah, Mr. Suh mentioned we were getting a transfer a couple weeks ago,” Jeno nodded. “That must be him.”

You quickly diverted your gaze as they changed trajectory towards your desk.

“And over here, as you can see, people tend to congregate around Y/N’s area,” Mr. Suh explained to the man with him, his tone playful. He fetched a peppermint from the bowl. “It’s the candy.”

“Good morning, Mr. Suh,” you greeted him, sitting up straight.

“She’s also my best employee, so I excuse it,” he continued.

“Jeno and I are right here,” Jaemin pointed out indignantly.

“This is Park Jisung, he started at the satellite office a couple months ago and is transferring to our team now,” Mr. Suh made introductions, not addressing your coworker’s complaints. “Jisung, this is Lee Jeno, Y/L/N Y/N, and Na Jaemin. You’ll come to know the rest of the team as well, but Y/N will handle your initial training as you settle in.”

Your alarm must have been visible on your face, as your boss’ features turned concerned. “Y/N? Is everything alright?”

“W-Well,” you began panicking even more, looking around at the folders on your desk. “It’s just that you said that the Q4 reports were top priority, and I don’t believe that I’ll be able to complete those on time to standard and train somebody thoroughly at the same time. Sir.”

Mr. Suh nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. My apologies. Jaemin: I’ll leave Jisung to you then.”

“Second choice,” Jaemin tsked as you were using all your willpower not to audibly sigh in relief.

“How do you think I feel?” Jeno joked.

“Let me know if you have any questions, Jisung. We’re excited to have you on our team,” Mr. Suh smiled kindly.

Jisung finally spoke, his deep voice shooting up your spine. “Thank you, sir.”

As they all dispersed from your desk, you finally relaxed just a tiny bit. Until you felt a pair of eyes on you. You looked up just in time to catch Jisung’s gaze as he glanced at you over his shoulder as he followed Jaemin to his desk. You froze, unable to look away from those same eyes that just last night had stared into yours while—

Your phone ringing made you jump out of your skin, and you swore under your breath as you looked at the name on the screen. Reception.

“This is Y/N,” you answered, trying to keep your voice level.

“Oh!” Your receptionist gasped. “Sorry, wrong extension!”

“It’s fine,” you sighed, hanging up.

Time to do a very careful review of the Q4 reports that you already had finished.

Midday, Jaemin and Jeno stopped by your desk again, Jisung in tow.

“We’re taking Jisung out to lunch. You coming?” Jaemin offered.

You didn’t even spare the new employee another glance, staring at your computer monitor. “Thanks, but uh, maybe another time, guys. Have fun.”

“Alright, see you later,” Jeno shrugged and stole another peppermint.

You didn’t breathe until the elevator doors closed behind them. Once they were gone, you grabbed your purse and headed for the stairs to take your own lunch break.

As soon as the clock struck 5:00, you were gone. Mr. Suh had already sent out an invite for a team dinner at the end of next week to welcome Jisung, but tonight, you could at least leave. Hurrying into the stairwell, you made a rather embarrassing sound when you were face-to-face with Jisung on the other side, leaning against the railing, hands tucked into his slacks.

The door had already closed behind you, and he spoke before you could back out.

“You’re avoiding me,” he said plainly.

You huffed, hurrying past him to descend the stairs. “Can you blame me?”

He kept pace with you easily thanks to his long legs. “I mean, obviously I didn’t expect you to bring it up in front of everybody, but a hello would’ve been nice.”

“How quaint after your tongue was down my throat last night.”

“Pretty sure my tongue was other places too—”

“Okay, okay!” You hissed, screeching to a halt on the landing between floors to slap a hand over his mouth. He raised an eyebrow at you over your hand as you continued ranting quietly. “Seriously, how was I supposed to react when you showed up today? And how are you so normal?”

Jisung slowly reached up and wrapped his fingers around your wrist, pulling your hand off his mouth so he could talk. “I was surprised too, okay? But I was planning on at least being civil, except you never gave me the opportunity. I mean, it couldn’t have been that bad, right? You were awfully loud.”

“Pot, kettle,” you retorted. You yanked your arm from his grasp, suddenly aware of how close you were. “I was tipsy, got stood up by my date, and thought you were somebody’s plus-one. What’s your excuse?”

“Okay, ouch.” He put a hand over his chest. “I might’ve been a little less than sober and didn’t exactly consider the possibility that I would be transferring to your team of all people, but you weren’t a pity fuck, Y/N.”

“That’s not what I meant,” you groaned, your skin getting warm. You pivoted on your heel, rushing downstairs again.

Jisung just followed you, of course. “Then what did you mean?”

“I meant I usually wouldn’t have been looking to get laid at the office holiday party at all for this exact reason!” You whispered emphatically. “Except I already felt bad about myself because I got stood up, and I was tipsy, so I ended up throwing myself at the hottest stranger I could find. God, of course it bit me in the fucking ass.”

“I thought you were really smart.” Jisung’s sincere words caught you off-guard. “I mean, I know neither of us were all there, but you seemed to really know a lot about your job. And you were funny. Obviously hot too, I mean, whoever stood you up was a fucking—”

You pushed him against the wall by his shoulders, not covering his mouth now, but just staring him in the eye. The exit door of the stairwell was right next to you, which would lead into the employee parking under the building. Most employees took the elevators, so it was only the two of you.

“What do you want from me?” You asked him, eyes narrowed.

“What do you want?” He challenged, eyes glinting as he looked down at you.

Memories of last night that you had been trying to push away all day flooded your mind now. Jisung’s lips on yours, on your neck, collarbones, his deft fingers unzipping your dress so his big hands could caress your bare skin. You had worn red lip gloss to the party, and it looked so pretty scattered across his chest and abdomen.

“What are you thinking about, baby?” Jisung murmured, hands finding familiar holds on your hips, fingertips lining up to the bruises they’d left without even looking. “If it’ll be even better sober? Because I am…”

His pupils were blown, his breaths shallow and quick as his gaze flitted from your lips to eyes. Despite apparently being able to read your mind, he was still gauging your reaction, waiting to see if he’d crossed a line. Acknowledging what had already happened was one thing, suggesting a repeat was a whole other story.

Fuck it.

You nodded quickly, dropping your hands from his shoulders. “Is your car here?”

“I—Fuck, yeah.” He dug into his pants pocket for his keys as he grabbed the exit door with the other.

“Mm,” you sighed in content as Jisung pressed lazy kisses down your spine. “You were right.”

“Oh? About what?” He asked humorously, resting his cheek on your shoulder blade, mimicking your own position with your cheek squished against his pillow.

“It was even better sober.”

He laughed, running his hand down your arm to lace his fingers with yours. “I love when a hypothesis works out.”

You looked at where your linked hands rested on the mattress next to you, how natural it looked. It wasn’t the first time you held hands, tonight or last night. But it was the first time you’d done so when you weren’t in the act. Somehow, it felt even more intimate.

“What do you want from me?” You asked quietly, talking to your hands. That was easier than turning around.

“What do you want?” His voice was soft and gentle, patient yet at the same time, you could sense the underlying anxiety in the question.

You couldn’t take it, needing to see. Letting go of his hand, you turned over in his arms. When you met his eyes, you felt like you were looking at something you shouldn’t. Like he was letting you, hardly more than stranger, cradle his heart in your hands.

“I want more,” you confessed. “I-I don’t know if this is a good idea, it probably isn’t, but—”

“Okay.” He nodded quickly.

“Okay?”

“I can work with that,” he said, cupping the back of your head and kissing you again.

⇢ 2024 hallmark movie marathon

TAGLIST

@annenakamura @bee-the-loser @lotties-readings @ppddpjdr @reiofsuns2001

@giirlfriendd @shaqs-oatmeal @sofipolii01

@tearinka @yoursyuno @yutasputa69

@winkeuu

[thylacines-toybox]

Chamomile (he/him)

Originally a Senger Naturwelt fox plush, which I modified into a thylacine! A lovely plush made with cotton fur and stuffed with wool. He was a Christmas gift from @wolfies-toys (and the mod was inspired by their custom Senger rabbit-thylacine too!)

Details of the thylacinification process below...

Here he is originally as a fox, and honestly I was tempted to keep him as is! Not everything has to be a thylacine after all... but he would make such a fine one! As lovely as his fox-form was, I don't regret the change at all (and of course, he's very happy with it too!)

The patient is ready for dinner surgery. Tonka in the background is being the anaesthesiologist.

First I dealt with his foxy tail, unpicking the white tip and setting it aside. You need to be quite careful with this cotton fabric, as it frays more than most plush materials I'm used to!

I then cut a section out along the top of his tail (not too much at once!) and ladder stitched down it to form a narrow point. Stitching along the top rather than the bottom also produced a nice slight upward curve!

Onto the ears: I unpicked them from the head, flattened them out and turned them inside out, then stitched them into a round shape instead of a point.

I had intended to use the white from the tail to replace the ear insides entirely, but the pieces weren't quite big enough. So instead I just ladder stitched them on top of the ginger, and honestly... I think it looks even nicer! Again I had to be quite careful of the fraying edges here.

Each ear also gets folded at the top and stitched in place.

The original fox had the unusual problem of a very tall forehead! I didn't think this tall shape quite suited a thylacine head, so I had to shorten it. This was actually really simple, using a very wide ladder stitch following each of the two seams over the top of the head, pulling that big dome downwards. The non-stretchy fabric actually took it very well.

Before and after of dome tallness! I did have to remove a fair bit of the wool stuffing to allow for head squishening... He's actually quite solidly stuffed in there!

Then the ears get sewn back into the head, lower down than before.

And of course, stripes! I used an alcohol based permanent marker for this which worked very well, though he was a little fumey for a few days...

And the final step... as a member of my thylacine plush collection, he needs a herb or spice themed name! I actually happened to give him that chamomile flower pendant to wear before I'd even decided to make him a thylacine, so this time it was an easy choice.

(I'd originally considered naming the fox Ripper, but instead I reused that name for someone else...)

[coastershells]

S T E A M E D

IN WHICH — dallas needs to cool off. you’re very willing to help to the best of your abilities.

⚠️ : suggestive themes , and smut. the whole thing this time.

not proofread , made while i was literally dying while playing christmas games. / requested? | yes : no

── WC : 2.6k ★

you stare blankly at the clock on your nightstand , and then looked out your window. you had a straight clear view of the moon , and honestly , it was beautiful.

but even still , you sigh.

it was a friday night , and you were getting more irritated by the second. your boyfriend , dally was supposed to be at your house about..

you slowly take another glance at the clock. and it changes to midnight.

— yeah , three hours ago.

you grumble as you shuffle off your bed and head towards your door. seriously , how many times has dally set you up like this? told you to stay awake so you guys can hangout late at night? just to be ‘ held back ‘ at his job?

you can’t keep doing this. you can’t keep staying up for him.

you open your door slowly , trying to silence the sound of your old door creaking , and you tiptoe to the bathroom.

you take a look at yourself in the mirror , then groan. you think about showering , but you really can’t bring yourself to be troubled with all of that tonight.

you settle on just brushing your teeth instead , grabbing the toothbrush and toothpaste , while looking at yourself in the mirror. after a few seconds , the awkwardness gets to you and you look away.

you finish your bathroom visit off with washing your face and heading back to your room.

you expected to return to your empty room , with the same view of the moon and your dim lamp on your vanity.

but you don’t. you see the last person you expected that night.

dallas winston.

and your mood can’t help but just switch all the way. you were gonna yell , question where he was and why he was so late , and why he still had his shoes on while standing at your window. but just as fast as the words started to bubble up , they fell dead in your throat.

he looked.. mad?

well, he always looked mad. but boy , he looked pissed. you thought you were the worst of it.

“ dal? “ you call out to him and he shifts , looking up instead of down at the floor. and that’s just enough for you to see his face fully. his brows seem to go down , but it doesn’t help with his body language and everything else.

“ hey , sweetheart. sorry — fuck , sorry i’m late. i know y’so sick of me. “

you shake your head slightly , and walk over to him , placing a hand on his shoulder and feeling the cold leather. “ it’s fine , it doesn’t matter. what happened , dal? why do you look like.. “

he looks away from you , and his brows seem to knit together again. “ it was some socs. “ he breathes out , and you let your hand fall from his shoulder , staring at him. “ pulled some knives. got me good on my side , i’m sorry. i’m so , so sorry. i can’t keep making you stay up like this. “

dallas seems to ignore whatever you said after that , because he pulls you in closer and embraces you in a tight hug , but something clicks in you.

“ dal , they cut you? “ you questioned into his chest. “ yeah , bleedin a bit. i don’t wanna sit on your bed. scared it’ll leak. or somethin’ , knowing you you’ll make me sleep on that side. ya jerk. “ he replies , giving a kiss to the top of your head.

“ i’ll bandage you up , and i’ll walk you home in the morning. i don’t want you walking home. “ you slowly pull away from his hug , and he rests his head on your window , exactly blocking the moon. you head over to the box under your vanity and pull out a first aid kit , you fumble to open it before you actually do , and pull out necessities.

“ lift your shirt , and , uh , take off your shoes , please. “

“ will do , dollface. “

it takes a minute to wrap him up and convince him he won’t bleed on the bed , but he eventually listens to you , not wanting to argue and get more mad than he already is.

“ you don’t have to.. uh.. “ you play with your fingers. “ apologize for being late. it’s fine. you had a reason , a good one. “

“ doesn’t excuse it. wanna make it up to you , just.. gimme a second. need to get out of this fucked mindset. “ he voices , low and unsteady. and it makes you concerned.

then , a thought runs through your mind , just so briefly.

“ i could , help — i mean , i think? i don’t know , do you want.. “ you hate how much your stumbling over your words. but dallas seems to catch on.

“ really? right now? thought we were just supposed to ‘ hang ‘ , baby. “ he turns to face you and laughs dryly. “ kiddin’ , i’d never turn down a opportunity like that. “

“ c’mere , “ he says. “ take that shirt off. wanna see you , pretty. “

you snort at his comment , but you still take your shirt off. you lean onto him and he fiddles with your bra before sliding it off. you stiffen slightly before he rubs your back , slowly trailing that hand to your breast.

“ don’t be nervous. this isn’t anything new. “ he mumbles as he uses his other hand to place on the back of your head , pushing you towards him for a kiss.

the kiss is broken as he turns you to place you on your back , and you whine at the spit line that connects your lips. you swat at it and dallas sighs out a laugh.

“ gorgeous , holy fuck your gorgeous. “ he says as he ducks down to take your other breast in his mouth. you stifle a moan when you just now remember — your parents are still home.

“ dal — fuck — can a girl get undressed fully first? “

dally pulls away from you and eyes down your body , grabbing the waistline of your pants and urging you to lift your hips so he can slide them down.

knowing him , he slid down your panties with it.

“ asshole. “ you murmur as you feel the cold air hit your sex , and you look to the side instead of at him.

“ mmh , i can’t hear you.. “ he sings out as he puts two fingers to your folds, spreading them as you give another moan , this one not so covered. with his other hand , he releases your breast and goes for your hand , in which you happily take and grip onto.

you whine when he teases you , he doesn’t push his digits into you , he simply plays around with you. you try to use your free hand to urge him , but he lightly smacks it away.

“ patience , baby , or i’ll make you get on your knees instead. s’needy.. “

“ dally , please , fuck. you — you can’t.. “ you trail off and cover your face with your free hand. in which dally pulls his hand away from yours and flicks that hand out of the way. you moan in both pain and pleasure.

“ what are you covering that face for , pretty? i wanna see you for every second of this. “ he smiles at you , and you watch him go down and lick at your clit. and god , you wish he would stop teasing you already.

“ needa get some ropes or something next time i stop by , i’ve gotta keep your hands above your head. “

he takes another lap at your clit and you just think you can’t wait anymore. “ dallas — fuck! you — you can’t just — “ you arch your back , and you wonder ; when did you get so sensitive?

all your thoughts disappear when your hand reaches down to the back of his head , and you push. dallas seems to be surprised by your act , but hums as he lets you.

the next few seconds are followed by whines and moans from your throat as he wraps a hand around your thigh , and just when you think you’re finally gonna reach your high , after so long — he pulls away from you , completely overpowering your hand.

you sit up slightly in confusion , and he laughs. “ whuh , dal! why?! “ you whisper shout at him , and he eyes you down before responding. “ told ya i’d have you on your knees if you were impatient. c’mon , on the floor. “ he demands.

you give him puppy eyes and he shakes his head. “ if you do a good job , i’ll fuck you right. promise , baby. “ you give up as he fumbles with his belt and let’s his pants , along with his trousers fall. and you’ve forgotten just how lengthy he is , both in height and —

“ time does nothing but past , doll. “ dallas says , lighting a cigarette. how unkept could he be?

“ i hope you drop that on your fucking balls. “ you mumble as you drop onto the floor infront of him , staring up at him.

“ you wound me. “ he comments as he places his free hand on the back of your head.

with that , you raise yourself and wrap your mouth around his shaft and hold a giggle in your throat as he groans softly. the saltiness of precum on his tip hits you as you slowly begin to move back and forth.

dallas doesn’t stop you , and you’re not quite sure you want to stop. dallas shivers and let’s out a small gasp. “ doin’ — fuckkk.. doin’ well just , ugh , just like that. “ he praises , and if you could , you’d smile up at him.

you’d be irritated that he forced you to earn your orgasm if he hadn’t tasted so good , and if his voice wasn’t so soft and it didn’t do something to you everytime he made a unholy sound. but you’re more than happy to do this , to help him blow off some steam. just this once.

dallas swore under his breath , and you felt his cock twitch in your mouth , he jolted and released.

you pulled away once you were sure he was done , and figured spitting it out onto your floor wouldn’t be so good for future you cleaning up your room. so being wise , you swallowed his saltiness.

you looked up at him , waiting for his approval as he caught his breath , staring down at you. at the moon highlighting his features made it all so better.

“ did good , sweetheart. i’ll give you what you deserve. c’mon , up here. i’ve got another on me. “ he stretches his hand out to you and you happily took it. being on your knees probably took a toll on you ability to stand , and it’ll definitely be gone by the end of this.

dallas finishes off his cigarette and places it in a cup without looking. damn , you groan. it was probably your soda , too.

he holds you by your waist and hovers you over his shaft , and this time , it’s your turn to shiver , in both excitement and fear.

“ gentle , dally , gentle. “ you whine as he smiles at your figure. “ s’pretty , and s’wet. god , you didn’t even need prep this time. got wet just by my existence , hm? “ he teases as he finally pushes you down onto him.

you try your best to silence your moan , but it comes out strangled , and out of pure embarrassment , you do nothing but bury your head into his shoulder , though the act is immediately stopped with a hum.

“ we not doin’ that. wont move until i can see your face , baby. “

you whine as you grip onto his hair. “ dal , i can’t — my.. “ you whine as you buck your hips into his , and a groan comes from both of you. his free hand grabs onto your waist.

“ stop. cut it out. “ he growls out and you bite back a sob. “ my parents , “ you whisper. “ they’ll hear , dally — please. “

“ don’t give a damn , sweetheart. head up or i’ll let you suffer for this night. “

without seeing any other choice , and desperately wanting to be held by him , you take your head off his shoulder and look into his eyes. you see a look of victory in his eyes and he begins to move , and that’s all you’ve ever asked for.

“ god , dal , please. please just — “ you let out another moan , and this time you don’t try to hide it. you’re too focused on how good he feels inside of you , and the low groans escaping from his mouth.

“ please what? come on , use — use your words b — baby. that voice can be put to — fuck. it can be put to use. “ dallas manages to say.

you try to make out what you want to say , but the gasps and moans that come out of you after every word you try to make out makes it hard.

“ better not — better not be a complaint. y’basically begged for — fuck , for this. “

his right hand turned you both around and you were on your back yet again , and you just knew that he wasn’t going to actually listen to your words of ‘ being gentle ‘.

and boy , you couldn’t be more right.

dallas started off slow , but randomly got faster and fell out of rhythm once or twice. you couldn’t do anything but let the moans slip from your lips and get absolutely destoryed. the sounds of wet skin echoing in the room probably didn’t help the noise , and you swear you heard someone get up from the other room.

you wanted to panic , but you didn’t have it in you.

“ ah — fuck , gonna — “ dallas groans out. “ gonna — shit — “

even though dallas hadn’t said what he was gonna do , you knew what was happening. and you were just about there with him , a single final harsh thrust finished you both off , and just as that happened a knock that fell on deaf ears was as your door.

dallas did a final few thrusts to make sure what he had put in you stayed inside of you , and you slowly reached for his st christoper necklace , and pulled him onto your chest. did you slightly regret it because he was sweaty? maybe. did you care a lot in that moment? no.

“ y’did so well.. “ dallas whispered. “ better than i expected. such a good girl. aren’t you? “ he ran a hand through your hair , and was about to reach down , in which you stiffened.

until you heard a knock at your bedroom door.

ah , shit.

you’re definitely gonna be in trouble.

but you can’t seem to care , as you look at dallas , and play with his st christopher and then look at the moon.

and both are as beautiful as they have always been.

and honestly? that’s all you can bring yourself to care about.

BONUS SCENE !

you and dallas sit silently on your couch , your parents glaring down at you. and you look over to dallas who looks ashamed. or maybe he’s faking it. he’s good at that.

“ i told you to keep it down. “ you mumbled. dallas gave you a look that said ‘ shut up. ‘

your mom finally spoke up. “ next time you do this , do it when we aren’t here and sleeping. and for the love of god , use protection on my daughter , especially if you don’t like kids. “

you winced and dallas swallowed. “ yes ma’am. “

“ good. now go lay down. no funny business. “

you want to kill dallas right now.

AN : i kinda want a taglist. like nobody comments but if u wanna be on it lmk this little section down here looks so boringgg..

on a more serious note , see you all tomorrow lovelies !!

[hnslchw]

a nonsense christmas - LN4 x Reader

Summary: The holidays bring unexpected reunions, stirring up memories you thought were long behind you. As snow falls and emotions rises, you are reminded that sometimes the season isn't about what you planned—but about the surprises that lead to something more.

Warnings/Themes: slight angst, very warm fluff, second chance romance (?) (let me know if i missed any! English isn't my first language)

Word Count: 1.5k

Author's note: Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays here's an early gift for you. Hope you guys enjoy this one, something different from angst for once. I should really start writing for other people, but i dreamt of Lando last night 🤷‍♀️ anyways hugs and kisses to everyone.

You adjusted the strap of the overstuffed gift bag on your shoulder, balancing a smaller box in your other hand. The icy December air nipped at your nose, but the cold did little to dampen your excitement. You’d been looking forward to this for weeks—Pietra always went all out decorating for Christmas, and you couldn’t wait to see her.

The plan was simple: drop off the gifts, catch up with Pietra for a few minutes, and then head off to finish your errands. Even though you were flying out for a winter vacation tomorrow, you’d insisted on squeezing in time for this visit. Spending a bit of the holidays with one of your closest friends was too important to pass up.

The door swung open before you could knock.

“Hey, look who it is!” Max grinned, stepping aside to let you in. The warmth of the apartment hit you immediately, along with the faint hum of Christmas music and laughter from inside.

“Hey, Max!” you said brightly, already looking past him for Pietra. “Where’s P?”

“Right here!” Pietra called, appearing from around the corner. Her face lit up when she saw you, and she hurried over to wrap you in a tight hug.

“You didn’t have to come all this way,” she said, but the warmth in her tone betrayed her words.

“Of course, I did,” you replied with a grin. “I couldn’t miss seeing you before Christmas. And I brought presents!”

Max raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Presents? You’re making us look bad.”

“I doubt that,” you teased, handing Pietra the overstuffed bag.

But before you could say more, a familiar voice floated in from the living room. It was light, teasing, and completely unmistakable.

Lando.

Your breath caught in your throat as you glanced toward the couches. The living room was filled with Max’s friends—Will was sprawled across one side of the couch, laughing loudly at something Niran was saying. But sitting at the edge of the group, holding a beer and smiling softly, was Lando Norris.

You hadn’t seen him in months, not since the two of you had broken up.

Pietra must have noticed your sudden tension because she frowned slightly. “I should have warned you,” she whispered. “I didn’t think you’d run into him.”

You shook your head quickly, pasting on a polite smile. “It’s fine,” you said, though your pulse betrayed you.

As if on cue, Lando glanced over. His gaze met yours, his smile faltering for just a moment before he gave you a small, almost uncertain nod.

“Hey, come say hi!” Max urged, motioning toward the group.

You cleared your throat, taking a step back toward the door. “Actually, I didn’t realize you guys were here. I just wanted to drop off your gifts, but I really need to head out. I’ve got more stops to make, and I’m leaving early tomorrow for my trip.”

“Oh, come on,” Will called from the couch, grinning. “Stay a bit! It’s Christmas.”

You forced a light laugh. “I wish I could, but I’m on a tight schedule. Piet, can you help me grab something from my car? There’s a few more gifts I forgot to bring in.”

Pietra hesitated, clearly wanting to say something, but nodded. “Of course.”

-🎄-

The cold air outside was a welcome reprieve as you and Pietra reached your car. You opened the trunk, pulling out two small packages for Will and Niran and holding a third in your hands. Your grip tightened on the last one as your heart sank.

It was Lando's.

You’d bought it months ago, back when everything felt easy between you. The Cooking Mama game had been a nod to one of your inside jokes—about how he always insisted he’d make a better chef than you despite never stepping foot in a kitchen. You’d pictured him laughing when he opened it, teasing you about how thoughtful you were.

But life had a way of changing plans.

Pietra’s eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at the package in your hands. “That’s for him, isn’t it?”

You sighed, nodding. “Yeah. I bought it before we broke up.”

“You should still give it to him,” she said gently.

You shook your head. “No. It doesn’t feel right.”

Pietra gave you a small, knowing smile. “Sometimes the right thing doesn’t feel easy. But it’s Christmas—you never know what might happen.”

You hesitated, weighing her words. But before you could decide, the apartment door opened, and Max stuck his head out.

“Hey, everything okay out here?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you said quickly, passing one of the gifts to Pietra and keeping the others in your arms. “Just finishing up.”

After a round of goodbyes inside, you finally escaped back into the cold evening, your chest heavy with unresolved emotions. As you drove away, you couldn’t help but wonder if you’d made the right choice in walking away.

-🎄-

Days later, the mountain air was crisp and cool as you zipped your jacket, your breath visible in the frosty air. The ski resort was picturesque, blanketed in snow and bustling with holiday travelers.

You hadn’t expected to run into anyone familiar here, which was why the sight of Lando standing by the lodge hit you like a shock of cold water.

He noticed you almost immediately, his face a mix of surprise and determination as he crossed the snowy path toward you.

“Hey,” he said softly, his cheeks pink from the cold—or maybe from nerves.

“Hey,” you replied, your voice cautious.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he admitted, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. “I thought you’d be halfway across the world by now.”

“Change of plans,” you said lightly. “I needed some quiet.”

He hesitated, his eyes scanning your face. “Can we talk?”

Your first instinct was to refuse, to keep walking. But something in his voice—earnest, almost hopeful—made you pause.

“Okay,” you said finally.

-🎄-

An hour later, you were sitting together by the fireplace in the lodge, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in your hands.

“I never got to thank you for the gift,” Lando said suddenly, pulling something out of his bag. It was the Cooking Mama game, the wrapping paper still torn at the edges.

You blinked, startled. “How—?”

“Pietra,” he said, smiling faintly. “She said you’d never forgive her, but she thought I needed to see it.”

You felt your cheeks heat, your heart pounding in your chest. “I bought it months ago,” you admitted. “Before everything… fell apart.”

Lando looked at the game, then back at you. “It’s perfect. But you always knew me better than anyone.”

You looked down at your hands, unsure of what to say.

“I miss you,” he said suddenly, his voice quiet but steady. “And I don’t just mean the jokes or the little things. I miss *us*. And if there’s even the smallest chance we can get that back…”

Your heart twisted as you met his gaze. “I don’t know, Lando. What if—”

“What if we get it right this time?” he interrupted gently.

For a long moment, you just stared at him, the warmth of the fire softening the edges of your hesitation.

“Okay,” you said finally, your lips curving into a small smile.

-🎄-

That night, Christmas Eve, the two of you sat together in your cabin, playing Cooking Mama and laughing like you hadn’t in months. Snow fell softly outside, blanketing the world in quiet peace, but inside, your heart felt lighter than it had in a long time.

It wasn’t the Christmas you had planned, but as Lando smiled at you, his hand brushing against yours, you realized it was exactly what you needed.

[scribblesofagoonerr]

first christmas | buddy & monkey: double the trouble

summary: the first part of the flash back to buddy & monkey's first christmas.

double the trouble masterlist

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful,” Jordan sang the song lyrics aloud as you were forced into a shopping trip with Leah and Jordan, and a 7 month old Buddy, who seemed most fascinated in the lights and decorations draped around the shop, “Since we’ve no place to go. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”

“I’m bored,” You felt like you’d already voiced your opinion a few times, but both the older girls seemed too distracted by the Christmas decorations to notice your disinterest in the shopping experience, “How much longer do we gotta be here for?”

Christmas was known to be a festive time, it was supposed to be filled with magical memories and joyous fun, however for you, the past had always been the complete opposite.

Growing up, all you’ve ever known is a bleak Christmas day in a cold and mould infested house, with numerous beer cans strewn around while the stale smell of cigarettes lingered in the air.

So your version of Christmas? It was nothing but plain hell.

You knew this year would be different though, of course, in your new home. It’s the only topic Leah’s been talking about since the beginning of November, so you’re confident to think that the blonde is definitely planning to go all out this Christmas.

Which led you to where you are currently standing in the Christmas aisle in a busy shop, and you were growing bored, increasingly fast.

“Why are you all mopey, little one?” Jordan was the first to notice your complete disinterest in the Christmas decorations.

What was so special about these decorations, anyways?

“I’m bored. When can we go home?” You complained one more time, darting your interest to something completely different - Lego, bingo. Now that was fun!

“Got something better to do, huh?” Leah teased as she turned to look at you.

You shrugged your shoulders in response, “I got homework to finish, and a game of Fifa I wanna play as well.”

“Since when do you willingly do homework?” Jordan joked, nudging you playfully with a grin.

“Since, uh, now… I’m bored here, can we please go home?” You all but attempted to plead, you were bored out of your brains right now at that very moment.

Jordan chuckled in amusement and gently patted your shoulder, “Just a bit longer, little one.”

You resisted the urge to throw your head back and groan aloud. Why do people actually like to shop? It’s so… dull.

“I think we might need to get a new tree this year, you know? We’re due a new one, and maybe some decorations to go on it–” Leah rambled on, her excitement for the new tradition this year. “Oh, and the baubles! We need to get new ones’ for both the girls this year,” 

“Whatever you want to do love,  it’s fine with me,” Jordan agreed with the blonde before she turned back around to look at you, “Have you decided what type of advent calendar you want this year, little one?”

You arched your brow in confusion, “What’s an advent calendar?”

“Well, it’s a chocolate in a calendar, pretty much… And look, they even have ones’ that are Shrek themed as well! How cools’ that?”

“I… I don’t get it,” You murmured, still confused about the idea of it.

“During the 24 day run up to Christmas from the 1st of the month, you get to open a window each morning with something behind it, normally chocolate,” Leah took over explaining to you,  “If you don’t want chocolate then there’s other options of what you could get?” She suggested.

“Um, I… I do like chocolate,” You were apprehensive to agree, you did kind of want one but you didn’t want Leah and Jordan to go out of their way and buy you one, “But it’s okay, I don’t need one of them. I’ve never had one before, I don’t need one now.” You told them.

You’ve never needed one before, so why do you need one now?

You never understood the tradition of advent calendars. You were never lucky enough– no scratch that, you never even attempted to ask your dad for one, despite how much the other kids at your school would boast about them.

What was so good about one of them anyways?

Jordan, however, seemed very insistent for you to pick one up though, even with your reluctance to disagree, “Little one, you need to have one. It’s a tradition.”

“No, no, I don’t. I’m fine,” You repeated, shaking your head, “I don’t need one of them.”

“But you have to have one, little one. Oh, what about a sweet one instead? You like them, don’t you?” Jordan’s eyes widened in excitement, pointing her index finger in the direction of one designed with sweets, “I’m pretty sure there’s even a crisp one as well!”

“No, it’s okay. I really don’t want one,” You continued to insist on not wanting a calendar, much to Jordan’s continuous insistence that you needed one.

Jordan shook her head at your response, “Nonsense, I’m not having it– I’m getting you one of them,” Without further words, she proceeded to grab the one with the Shrek design on it and tossed it in the shopping trolley in front of her, “You can’t go without one, not on my watch, little one.” She joked, although you couldn’t help but feel bad about you having it though.

It’s something you weren’t entirely used to, you didn’t know how to react when people brought you stuff.

“Le,” You whined, looking at Leah with a somewhat pleading look with a bit of hope that she would jump in and help you out, “Tell her. Please.”

“Jord, calm down a bit love,” Leah told her girlfriend with a soft tone of voice, sharing a knowing look with her, before she turned back to you, “I think Jords’ just excited for you to have one and share this experience, my girl.” She explained gently.

You shook your head in protest against the idea, “I don’t want one, I don’t need one. Save the money, save it for something else!”

“Little one, it’s not going to break the bank,” Jordan snorted in amusement, failing to see that you were beginning to get worked up over it, “It’s just an advent calendar.”

“I don’t deserve one,” Your bottom lip trembled, your hands began to become shaky and you could feel your breath getting rigid.

Jordan furrowed her eyebrow in confusion, “What’re you talking about? Everyone deserves an advent calendar, little one.”

“I don’t. I’m nothing but a menace, I’ve not been doing well at school… I got into a fight with a kid,” You began to stutter your words, feeling yourself getting upset by such a silly little thing.

“Menace or not, you still deserve an advent calendar, and you’re not going to change my mind on the matter, little one,” Jordan continued to insist, not realising how you’d become a lot more stiff about things.

“I don’t… I don’t want one!” You exclaimed, feeling all the emotions inside you get too much, as Leah and Jordan both pause and look at you in concern, “I… I don’t want one!” You repeated, barely louder than a whisper.

Leah seemed to understand straight away as she gestured for Jordan to watch Buddy before she moved to stand in front of you, “Hey, breathe,” She told you in a calm and gentle tone of voice, “It’s okay, you’re okay. How about me and you go stand outside, and get a bit of air, yeah?”

You nodded hesitantly in agreement, “O… Okay.”

“Alright, come on then, my girl,” Leah murmured, gently wrapping her arm around your waist as she guided you out of the busy shop to stand outside, “Just copy me okay? In and out, in and out…”

You followed her instructions and began to slowly feel the overwhelm start to drift.

“Is that better now?” Leah questioned, genuinely concerned as she rested her hand on your shoulder.

“A bit,” You told her quietly in agreement, “I… I’m sorry for having a meltdown in the shop, I didn’t mean to do that. I… I’m sorry for my outburst.”

“Hey, you don’t need to apologise, alright? It’s okay to feel overwhelmed,” Leah reassured you, pulling you in towards her as she enveloped her arms around you, “If you really don’t want to have an advent calendar either then that’s okay, I think Jord was just getting a bit excited and she wants you to experience the things that you haven’t before…” She held you close, her hands gently rubbing your back as she whispered soothing reassurances.

“I just… I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal,” You murmured, your voice muffled against Leah’s coat, “It’s just chocolate.”

“I know, my girl,” Leah replied softly, using her own nickname for you that comforted you the most, “But well, it’s not really about the chocolate, though. It’s more about the memories that we’re going to make instead. It’s about creating new traditions for you, me, Buddy, and Jords as well.”

You stayed quiet for a moment, processing her words that Leah always had a way of making things sound less daunting, like they weren’t as overwhelming as they felt.

“I don’t wanna waste money though,” You mumbled, still hesitant, “You already plan to spend so much on me, and Buddy as well as Christmas decorations…”

Leah pulled back slightly to look at you with her eyes full of understanding, “Listen to me, my girl,” She said with a gentle firmness, “This isn’t about money, alright? It’s about showing you how much you’re loved, and that you are a part of this family. You deserve nice things, just like Buddy does, and you deserve to feel the magic of Christmas, even if it’s new to you.”

“I… I don’t know what to think,” You admitted, as your bottom lip wobbled again, and you ducked your head, hiding your face. 

Leah cupped your cheeks gently, coaxing you to look at her, “I know it’s hard to accept sometimes,” She said, her voice a whisper, “But Jords and I love you so much, and we want to do this for you. Can you let us? Just this once?”

You hesitated, then gave her a small nod in agreement, “Okay, but only if it’s not too expensive,”

“Atta girl,” Leah smiled, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, “It won’t be. I think that Jords’ might be more excited about the fact there’s a Shrek one for you.” She teased, her tone light and affectionate.

You pouted, “Can we go home now?”

Leah laughed, draping an arm around your shoulder as she steered you back inside, “Patience my girl, patience.”

“Yeah, Le’s still got the rest of the aisle to ogle over,” Jordan joked, catching the tail end of the conversation, and exchanged a quick glance with Leah, checking if you were feeling better.

“Urgh, but it’s so boring! They’re all the same, aren’t they? I’m flippin’ bored!” You groaned dramatically, bouncing back to your chaotic self like you hadn’t just had an outburst ten minutes prior to being back in the shop.

Leah chuckled and took over pushing Buddy in her pushchair again, “We won’t be much longer.”

“Ugh,” You huffed, wandering over to a shelf of toys where your curiosity piqued, “What does this do?”

Jordan turned around to see what you were talking about and smiled in amusement, “Press it and find out.”

“Okay then…” You furrowed her eyebrow in confusion, reaching forward and pressing the button as the music blared aloud, and in the process making you jump half a mile, “Jesus– Oh my God. That was scary!” You exclaimed, holding your hand over your heart.

Jordan burst out laughing at your reaction, while Buddy seemed to find great amusement in the music at least, “Made you jump, huh?” She teased.

“Shut up,” You grumbled, though your lips twitched into a reluctant smile, “Do people actually like these things?”

“So, I take it you don’t want one, then?” Leah teased.

“No!” You were quick to exclaim, “Absolutely not. Not a single chance!” You were dead set against the idea of one, even if Buddy seemed to really like the music.

“Are you sure?” Jordan joked.

“I’m positive. Nope, I definitely don’t want one of them!” You insisted, firm on your decision as you were just relieved it stopped playing the music, much to Buddy’s disappointment instead.

Leah pointed to a display of stockings nearby, her eyes lighting up, “Oh, look at these! How adorable are they?” She was in awe over them as she turned to look in Jordan’s direction, “We have to get them. All four of us can match!”

“They’re cute,” Jordan agreed.

“That’s settled then. We’re getting them,” Leah didn’t hesitate to quickly rummage through and find the correct initials for all of you before placing them in the ever-growing shopping trolley, “What do you want for Christmas this year, my girl? You need to start and think, so you can make your list out for Santa.”

You tilted your head, “Santa?”

“Yeah, you know– the man in red and white who brings you presents,” Jordan explained, throwing her arm around your shoulder and steering you in the direction of more Christmas decorations.

You frowned, “Well the kids’ at school talked about him, but he never visited my house– Does he only visit special houses?”

Leah’s smile faltered briefly, “Uh, I think he might’ve been stuck getting in the house.”

“Oh,” You murmured in realisation, “Well, me and this ‘Santa’ have personal beef then.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest.

Leah’s eyes widened and she tried to lean in to Jordan and whisper, “Remind me to hold her back when we take them to visit the grotto,” She was almost certain that you might attempt to try and fight the man.

Jordan snorted, “Noted.”

“I don’t like this Santa fella,” You declared.

“Right then,” Leah began to speak as her gaze softened, “How about you have a think what you would like for Christmas, write it down and then you can give it to one of us instead. How does that sound?”

You shrugged your shoulders, “But I won’t want anything though.”

Jordan frowned, “You have to have presents to open on Christmas day, little one. You can’t not have anything to open.”

“Why? I don’t get it,” Your voice softened, the usual spark dimming as confusion flickered over your face, “It’s never happened before.”

Jordan hesitated, her eyes darting to Leah for help, “Well…because it’s Christmas, and everyone deserves them on this very special day.”

“I… I still don't understand,” You murmured, your voice quieter now, “I’ve never received them before. Why hasn’t he come before? Was I really that bad?”

Leah crouched down in front of you, her gaze steady and full of warmth, “No, Monkey, you weren’t bad. Not even a little bit.”

You frowned, your arms wrapping around yourself protectively, “Then why now? Did I do something to deserve them this year?”

“You don’t need to do something to deserve them, my girl,” Leah reached out, gently taking your hands in hers, “I think Jords’ might’ve worded that a bit wrong.”

“Yeah,” Jordan admitted, stretching the back of her neck awkwardly and unsure what exactly to say next in case she messed up again, “Sorry, little one.”

You looked between them, still uncertain about a lot of things, “Oh.. Okay then.”

Leah’s lips quirked into a playful smile, “It’s just nice to receive them from Santa, you know? This year we’ll leave out milk and cookies for him, maybe even a carrot for Rudolph, and then when you’re asleep, he’ll come and pay a visit. So when we wake up on Christmas morning there’ll be presents waiting under the tree, just for you.”

“Wait… Whos’ Rudolph, and why is he getting a carrot? That’s lame!” You exclaimed, trying to keep up with the different names’ that you’re very unfamiliar with, “Why isn’t he getting cookies? That’s not really fair, is it?”

“Rudolph is one of Santa’s reindeers that helps him fly his sleigh,” Leah chuckled, shaking her head in amusement, “He’ll need a healthy snack as well, he can’t eat cookies like Santa.”

Your brow furrowed as the skepticism creeped in, “This Santa fella sounds like a creep still…”

Jordan laughed and shook her head, “He’s not, little one. He’s just… magical. It's part of the fun.”

You kept your arms crossed, not entirely convinced about things, “Yeah, I’m not convinced much there but whatever you say,” You told them both, “I’m still mad at him for not showing up until now though.”

“This tree is perfect,” Leah beamed a wide smile as she stood there with her hands on her hips as she admired the brand new tree standing in the corner of the living room, “I can’t wait to decorate it!”

“Are you sure that you want to put it up already?” Jordan questioned, raising an eyebrow, “It’s only the middle of November.”

“It’s never too early for Christmas, Jord,” Leah replied confidently.

“Are you sure about that?” Jordan teased, admiring the way that her girlfriend stood there beaming with pride.

“I’m sure! The house is going to look so magical when it’s all done, and it’s going to be great for both of our girls,” Leah turned towards you, her smile softening, “Do you want to help me decorate the tree, my girl?”

You hesitated, shifting awkwardly, “Do I have to?”

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to, but it might be fun,” Leah suggested in a gentle tone of voice, “We can even put your special bauble on there that we brought, can’t we?”

Jordan snorted in amusement from across the room, “Remember how much fun this is when our 7 month old is trying to pull all the lights and baubles off the tree, eh?” She teased.

“Don’t be a Grinch, Jord,” Leah shot back, playfully as she stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend.

You tilted your head curiously, “What’s a Grinch?”

There was a short collective gasp from both Leah and Jord, “He’s only the best character in one of the greatest Christmas films!” Jordan exclaimed, “We can watch it if you want?”

Leah laughed at Jordan’s reaction, “It’s a bit too early for Christmas films, don’t you think?” She teased in response to earlier.

Jordan scoffed, “Oh, really? Says’ the one who wants to put the tree up already!” She pointed a finger at you and Leah dramatically, “We’re watching The Grinch. No arguments. It’s for educational purposes.”

“Whatever you say. Just as long as you don’t complain about me putting the tree up then,” Leah responded, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“You can go ahead and put the tree up, me and our girls are going to watch the movie,” Jordan instructed, wasting no time to turn the TV on and sought out the film to watch.

“I think Buddy’s more interested in the lights,” Leah retorted, watching Buddy, who was currently mesmerized by the dangling, twinkling lights draped across the tree as her tiny hands tried to reach out for them, determined to grab them, “No, no. Those aren’t for you to pull on, bubba.” She said, scooping Buddy into her arms before she could cause too much mischief.

Jordan smirked in amusement, “Oh, I give it a week before she’s trying to pull the baubles off the tree.”

“No way,” Leah gently kissed Buddy’s forehead, “Those aren’t for you to pull on, bubba. Mummy’s trying to decorate the tree so it’ll be all pretty. You just like looking at them, don’t you, huh?”

Buddy babbled happily in response, making Leah and Jordan both laugh.

“Let me take her so you can finish the rest of the tree,” Jordan offered, scooping Buddy into her arms and pressing a gentle kiss on top of her forehead, “I don’t blame her for being so mesmerized, you’ve made it look wonderful already, love.”

“Thanks, babe,” Leah murmured, exchanging a gentle kiss on the lips with Jordan, “Monkey,” She called over to you gently as you sat curled up on the sofa with your head buried in your phone, “Are you sure you don’t want to come and help decorate the rest of the tree? There’s still a fair bit to go.”

“Oh, uh, no… no, I’m alright,” You hesitated, your hands fidgeting nervously, “I’d probably just end up messing it up or something.”

Leah moved closer to you, “You won’t mess it up, my girl. I’m sure of it.”

“I’ve never decorated a tree before though,” You admitted, looking down while your voice is barely audible, “I… I don’t know what to do.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Leah’s heart ached at the vulnerability in your voice, she moved to sit beside you and pulled a box of baubles closer, “Everyone has to start somewhere, right? How about this? You take the special baubles we picked out for you and choose a place for them on the tree. You can make it your own.”

“Are you sure?” You continued to look at Leah hesitantly.

Leah smiled warmly, “I’m positive, my girl. Come on, let’s do it together.”

Tentatively, you picked up a shiny bauble with your name etched on it. With Leah by your side, you found a perfect spot on the tree and carefully hung it on the branch, “Is this okay?”

“There we go,” Leah said proudly, stepping back to admire your work, “Hey, that looks amazing. Nice one, my girl!” She said as she wrapped an arm around your shoulder, squeezing you lightly.

"How much longer do we have to wait in this line now?" You grumbled, your impatience getting the better of you as you fidgeted in your spot, "It feels like we've been here forever!"

Another tradition you couldn't fathom was the idea of going to pay a visit to Santa at his grotto, but you were, standing in a line with Leah, Jordan, Buddy and Amanda, who'd decided to join the trip to experience the magical moment of Buddy meeting Santa for the first time.

The line to Santa's grotto stretched endlessly, or at least so it felt like it to you, and you couldn't help but continue to fidget impatiently while standing beside Leah, "Patience, my girl." She reassured you, knowingly.

"This is our Monkey we're talking about. I don't think she has patience," Jordan joked, peering up from looking at her phone, amused by your grumbles.

Amanda gave you an amused smile, bouncing a bundled up Buddy in her arms, "We're almost at the front now, Monkey."

You huffed, glancing ahead at the entrance of the grotto, "Why're they so small?" You speak your mind without a second thought, gesturing to the small people, dressed in bright costumes, bustling around, "Those little people are kinda low-key terrifying." Their cheerful movement only made your expression sour further.

"They're called Elves, Monkey," Jordan said, stifling her laughter.

You squinted, still not entirely convinced, "I don't care what they are called, they're still freaky," You muttered, "Are people actually that small?"

"Monkey!" Leah hissed, her voice dropping to a sharp whisper, though her lip twitched in amusement, "You can't say things like that, don't be rude."

"But I'm not bein' rude, I'm just bein' honest," You argued, gesturing dramatically towards said elves, "They are tiny though, right? Like, freakishly small!"

"Stop it," Leah shot you a warning look.

Amanda cleared her throat, clearly fighting back her own laughter, "So, do you know what you're going to ask Santa for this year, Monkey?" She asked, steering the conversation in another direction, and trying to get some inkling of what you would like.

"Hell nah, there's no way I am tellin' that creep what I want," You told her firmly, crossing your arms your chest, "Amanda! Did you know that he actually sneaks into houses when you're asleep?"

"Yes, I've heard about that," Amanda agreed, her tone teasing as she rocked Buddy, who stared at you with wide eyes.

"It ain't right, is it? It's weird, like dude, I'm sleepin' so g'way!" You exclaimed, your hands flying around in exasperation, "He like sneaks into the house in the middle of the night, and that's just borderline creeper alert!"

Amanda chuckled in amusement, entertained by your antics that she's not seen entirely before considering you're usually more secluded and reluctant to speak around any of Leah's family, "Your big sister certainly is funny, isn't she?" She coos to Buddy, bouncing her lightly in her arms.

"Looks like it's nearly our turn to go in now," Jordan motioned, nodding towards the family ahead of you as they disappeared into the grotto.

"Great," You declared with a newfound determination, your face set in a scowl, "Me an' the fella in red need to have words." You told her, rolling up your sleeves, more than ready to scrap with him.

"Whoa, no, no, no!" Leah was quick to react, grabbing your arms and pulling you back, "I don't think so. Monkey you cannot fight Santa."

You scrunched your face up in confusion, "Why not? He's the one that's left me out every other year until now! Let me 'ave him. I can fight him!"

"No, absolutely not," Leah told you in a firm tone of voice, "I know you might be upset about the past but that still doesn't mean you can try and fight him, alright?  It's definitely not okay to do that."

"But, he forgot me..." You whine in protest.

Leah sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose,"Monkey, I'm being serious now. No fighting Santa Clause, do you understand?"

"There's a sentence I bet you never thought you'd say, love," Jordan quipped, amusedly.

"Fine," You grumbled, crossing your arms, "I won't try to fight Santa."

When your turn finally came, Buddy's reaction was immediate and dramatic. As soon as her eyes locked on Santa's jolly face, within seconds she was letting out an ear-piercing wail, burying her face in Amanda's shoulder, clinging onto her like her life depended on it.

"Oh dear," Amanda said, patting Buddy's back, "I didn't expect that reaction."

"Oh bubba," Leah cooed in a gentle tone of voice, "He's not that scary, I promise."

"Here, let me take her," Jordan said, gently scooping Buddy into her arms, "Shh, it's okay, Buddy. It's okay."

"Is it? Cos' I think she might have the right idea," In your defence, you did try and keep your word, however your anger can't be helped, and seeing the man with a joyful expression just made you twitch with rage.

"Don't even think about it, Monkey," Leah warned, sensing your intentions.

Ignoring her, you stepped forward, jabbing a finger in Santa's direction, "Listen, 'ere, mate, yeah?" You began, your tone scolding, "You can't come into me' house while I'm asleep, you creep! But also, since you're taking notes... I like Shrek and LEGO, so, capiche?"

"Oh no," Amanda mumbled, trying to stifle her laughter.

Leah groaned, pulling you back, "That's enough, Menace. Reign it in."

"But I wasn't done yet!" You protested.

"Oh no, we're definitely done. Let's go, out there," Leah declared, steering you toward the exit, "Keep this up and you'll be getting coal in your stocking."

You scrunched your face up in confusion, "What's coal?"

"Never mind," Leah muttered.

"Well at least this trip has been somewhat memorable," Jordan quipped, exiting the grotto with a tearful Buddy in her arms.

Leah exhales a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose, "And to think I just wanted a photo of the girls with Santa, is that too much to ask for?" She mumbled, glancing between you and Buddy.

"What's so fun about a walk in the woods? It's freezing outside!" You complained, leaning up against the doorframe of the living room with a scowl etched on your face.

"It'll be fun," Leah chuckled as she finished off wrapping a present, carefully placing it in a gift bag.

You scrunch your face up in disagreement, crossing your arms over your chest, "I'm not convinced."

It was now Christmas Eve, which meant there was yet another tradition - a walk with Leah's entire family. You weren't overly keen on the whole idea of that one though.

"Do I have to come?" You questioned, not thrilled about the idea.

"Yes you do. Stop being grumpy," Leah said, smirking.

"I'm not grumpy, but there's gotta be better things to do than go for a walk in bitter temperatures!" You dramatically huffed, throwing your arms up in the air in protest.

"Okay, now you're being dramatic," Leah teased, "It's not even that cold outside--  Buddy's excited, aren't you, bubba?" She cooed, crouching down to scoop Buddy off her playmat, where she lay there, admiring the twinkling lights.

You glanced at Buddy, who let out some babble you didn't really understand, "Yeah, she sounds like she's thrilled. Besides, she doesn't even have to walk!"

"What's going on?" Jordan asked as she walked in, eyebrows raised.

"Leah's forcing me outside when it's freezing Jord!" You whined in protest, dead set against the idea, "Why do I even have to come?"

Jordan chuckled, "Oh, I'll leave this one up to you to deal with." She joked, gently taking Buddy from Leah to get her ready to go out, "Come on little miss, let's go and get you ready to go out, shall we, hm?"

"Oh thanks babe, I really appreciate the help," Leah murmured sarcastically, shaking her head, "You're part of the family now, Monkey, and it's a tradition of ours."

"But I... I like being warm," You mumbled, keeping your arms crossed over your chest.

"It's not that cold outside, Monkey," Leah said, rolling her eyes as she walked through the hallway to grab her coat off the peg, "You'll like it, I promise."

"It's England, it's always cold, Leah," You complained, still not liking the idea one bit.

Leah pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head, "Here, coat and shoes on, please."

"Fine," You huffed, stomping your foot as you reluctantly took your coat from Leah, "But I'm still not happy about this!"

As it turned out, you did end up having some kind of fun at least, with Jacob, Leah's brother and Ben, Leah's cousin.

"Race you there!" Jacob shouted.

"Nah, I'm gonna beat you first!" You yelled, sprinting ahead.

You and Jacob seemed to get on like a house on fire, he was only a couple of years older than you give or take, so it was fun and Ben was like a big kid anyways.

"I'm gonna beat you both, slow pokes!" Ben joined in, grinning as he bolted to catch up with you both.

From behind, Leah and Jordan watched with amused smiles as they walked with the rest of Leah's family, "So much for her not wanting to come then, huh?" Jordan quipped.

"Tell me about it," Leah chuckled, shaking her head as she watched you race ahead of Jacob and Ben, "Be careful, Monkey, or you'll slip--" She trailed off as you skidded slighty but caught yourself, "Yep, she definitely didn't listen to a single word I said then."

"Relax, love," Jordan reassured her girlfriend, clasping her own hand in Leah's, "She'll be fine, she's sensible."

Leah raised an eyebrow, "This is Monkey, we're talking about right? The one who personally tried to fight Santa at the grotto, remember?"

"Yeah... You're right there," Jordan laughed.

"Oh, I heard all about that!" Holly, Leah's cousin, chimed in, clearly amused, "Absolutely hilarious!"

"Oh, don't even remind me," Leah groaned, "It was so embarrassing, honestly."

"But she did seem determined about it, though," Jordan quipped.

Berny smiled warmly, "I have to say it's nice to see her coming out of her shell a bit more now."

"I'm used to her being quiet around here. She's a right little firecracker, isn't she?" Amanda chuckled, noting back to the trip at the grotto, and also hearing about other incidents.

"Oh, she definitely can be," Leah said softly, "It's taken her some time getting used to it, but she's slowly starting to get there."

"I have to admit when you first brought up the idea of bringing a teenager home when you were heavily pregnant, I did have some concerns," David, Leah's dad, who had been quiet until now, piped in.

Amanda hummed in agreement, "I think we all did."

"Same here," Jordan admitted, "But you try going against a hormonal heavily pregnant woman who was determined to do it. I know when to pick my battles." 

Leah shot her a playful glare, but her face softened at Jordan's next words, "I wouldn't have it any other way now with our little family." She said, leaning over and kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.

"Nice save," Leah retorted, smitten by her girlfriend's words.

"She's a great kid, Le. She does seem settled," Holly stated, watching with a fond smile as you ran around with Jacob and Ben, laughing and having fun.

Leah nodded in agreement, smiling, "She is great, and she absolutely adores Buddy as well."

"They are going to be double trouble together," David joked, patting Leah on the shoulder, "I'm telling you when Buddy's old enough to talk, they'll run rings around you both."

"I don't look forward to that," Leah grimaced, her head filled with images of all sorts of chaos you and Buddy would cause, "Thank God there's still time to prepare for that."

"Do you think she's excited for Christmas?" Berny wondered.

"I think so?" Jordan replied, making it sound more like a question than an answer.

"She's never really gotten to properly experience it before, until now," Leah explained to her family, "She was pretty reluctant to even let us buy her an advent calendar this year."

Jordan winced at the memory, "Yeah, that was an experience."

"It's a first Christmas for both of them, you'll just have to make it extra special," Jordan, Leah's cousin, chimed into the conversation.

"And just think this time next year, you'll have your little boy as well," Leah told her with a soft, genuine smile, "Buddy will have a friend then." She added, glancing down at the sleeping 8 month old in her pushchair.

"That's right," Jordan hummed, resting her hands on her own ever-growing baby bump, "I can't wait to meet him."

"It'll fly by before you know it," Amanda told her, "Leah said the same about Buddy, and before we all knew it, she was here." She cooed, crouching down to place a gentle kiss on the top of Buddy's forehead, who was still fast asleep.

"I just don't want Monkey to feel too overwhelmed by it all, and I know our family can be a lot sometimes," Leah admitted, feeling weary about tomorrow and how much it might be for you compared to usual.

"Don't worry, bubba, I'm sure she'll be fine," Amanda reassured Leah, "Don't overthink it so much, alright? Let's just take it one day at a time."

"Yeah, you're right," Leah nodded in agreement.

"Now, I've wrapped both of the girls' presents for you both to take back to your house when you go," Amanda explained to Leah and Jordan, "I thought it was best so you could open tem at home without everyone around."

Leah nodded along, listening to Amanda's explanation, "Thanks, Mum. I'm sure the girls will both love them,"

"I bet Buddy will love the wrapping paper more," David chuckled, peering down at his granddaughter, who's succumbed to sleep.

"I have kept the receipts anyways just in case the clothes aren't the right size, so we exchange them, of course," Amanda added in, weary about the fact that the clothes might not be the right size.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Jordan quipped, shrugging her shoulders, "Oo, speaking of trouble, here she comes!" She motioned to you, racing back towards them.

"I won!" You exclaimed, slightly out of breath as you leaned over, your cheeks were rosy red from the cold, "Did you see? Them two are slow!"

"Oh yeah, totally. You definitely out run them!" Jordan teased, ruffling your hair, "You look freezing, little one. Ready to go and grab a hot chocolate now in the cafe?"

Your eyes lit up at the question and without any hesitation you answered, "Yeah!"

"I've heard that you really like hot chocolate, Monkey?" Holly chimed in, curiously, having heard about your liking for the sweet drink as the whole family headed in the direction of a cosy cafe.

"I do, but it has to have whipped cream and marshmallows, otherwise it's lame," You rambled, your shyness completely going out of the window.

"I tend to make pretty good hot chocolate, if I do say so myself," David declared, keeping his hands stuffed in the pocket of his trousers.

"Oh yeah, Monkey. You'll have to try one of David's special ones that he makes," Amanda piped into the conversation with a knowing smile.

Leah chuckled, "I learnt it from the pro himself. Ain't that right, Dad?"

"Of course, sweetheart," David replied in agreement.

"Really? Can I try one?" You asked, curiously, wanting to try it for yourself to make sure it was really that good.

"Of course you can," David agreed, a fond smile on his lips, "Tell you what, I'll make you one tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"Deal!" You exclaimed.

You all reached the cafe and didn't waste time huddling inside of it, it was mostly quiet, with only a few other people sat down, and the smell of hot chocolate and fresh baked pastries filled the air, enough to make your mouth water.

"Right, you, come on let's go and find a table to sit down at," Jordan gestured you in the direction of a table in the far corner, big enough for the whole family.

"I'll go and order the drinks," Amanda made the decision, looking around everyone, "Hot chocolate, all round?"

"Yeah, please, Mum!" Leah agreed, steering the pushchair in a spot that wouldn't be in the way and Buddy could still sleep peacefully.

"Go on then!" Jacob didn't hesitate to agree, sliding into the empty seat on the other side of you, "Monkey, when you come round tomorrow, we have to play Fifa!"

"You're on!" You declared, nodding in agreement as the two of you just fell into conversation about the game.

A bit later on, you sat there with your warm hot chocolate in your hands while deep in thought. You weren't used to all these people around you and it feels somewhat strange, but also comforting as well.

"What're you thinking about, my girl?" Leah noticed your distant look, looping her free arm around your shoulder and pulling you in towards her.

"It's just, well it's weird, you know?" You mumbled, hesitant to speak your feelings into words.

Leah arched her eyebrow, "What is?"

"Havin' a family, like, a proper family," You admitted, your tone of voice quiet, afraid to say the wrong words to her, "I just... I just, I mean, I've never really had one before, it's always just been me and my dad, and now there's a lot of people around. They've welcomed me in, but they... they don't really know me, do they?"

Leah's expression softened, "They're getting to know you, Monkey, and they all love you," She explained in a gentle tone of voice, "And that's family, for you. You're one of us now, remember? You're a Williamson." She declared.

"Actually, love," Jordan interjected with a grin, "She's a Williamson-Nobbs, remember? Get it right."

leahwilliamsonn posted

liked by katie_mccabe11 and 1,229 others

leahwilliamsonn traditional christmas eve walk & back home ready for santa to pay a vist! 🎅🏼🍪🥛

View all 180 comments

bethmead_ oh i bet they're both so excited! 🥹💗

view 13 replies liked by 73 others

liawalti oh i adore both of them so much! ❤️

view 9 replies liked by 28 others

viviannemiedema 🎅🏼❤️

view 17 replies liked by 43 others

jordannobbs can't wait to see both of their faces tomorrow! 🥹💗

view 7 replies liked by 93 others

katie_mccabe11 remember to sleep with one eye open, menace! 😉

view 10 replies liked by 32 others

© scribblesofagoonerr

[star-daughter]

So let's talk about Vivziepop's designing skills!

The amount of sadness I feel when I see Vivziepop's designs of the demons in Helluva Boss is impossibly high

Simply comparing them from where she is pulling from feels like looking at a newborn compared to a grandma. Now let's go through them!

Lucifer

Viv's Lucifer, a popular depiction of Lucifer ("The Fallen Angel" by Alexandre Cabanel), and one with Jesus ("The Temptation of Christ" by Ary Scheffer)

You can see a big difference in a lot, as you can see Lucy (which will be Viv's version) has well. Clothing but we can give her a pass for that as I don't think Youtube would be fine with an animated dick on screen. Another thing is his lack of wings, bat-like or feathered along with blonde instead of red curled hair and yellow eyes instead of the blue Lucifer has in The Fallen Angel.

But what I see as the biggest thing is Lucy's lack of muscles! In both of these depictions I have chosen Lucifer appears muscular whilst Lucy has Viv's favorite smile and body shape.

Asmodeus

Here we have Viv's Asmodeus (Ozzie) and Asmodeus from Collin de Plancy's "Dictionnaire Infernal"

I will give Viv major props, I LOVE Ozzie's design. If we removed the feathers, made his head bigger, and some small things it would be AMAZING! But comparing it to Asmodeus it's... wooo.... very different.

First you can see is Asmodeus does not look conventionally attractive with his strange old man face, elf ears, bull head, ram head, serpent tail, and literal chicken legs. Ozzie does have the 2 heads on his shoulders (just very small) and a tail (not a serpent one) but other than that the similarities end. Though I do think taking Asmodeus the direction to being physically attractive to most people was a good way to go.

A personal nit pick is the clear lack of a BADASS DRAGON. Yes, Asmodeus has a BADASS DRAGON. On his little Dictionnaire Infernal image he's sitting on a BADASS DRAGON which he holds a banner as he rides. Viv you could have made Fizz a cool dragon demon! Make him look LESS like Blitz's twin brother and more like something that related to the Ars Goetia canon.

Beelzebub

Now this is Viv's Beelzebub and a fly-like Beelzebub (Beelzebul) (I've left out the more manly versions of Beelzebub to keep it fair as Beelzebub is a woman)

So a big thing we can see is Beelzebub is a furry whilst Beelzebul is a straight up fly, taking the term "Lord of the Flies" much more seriously. Now comparing these two is basically impossible minus their wings and extra arms. Now with them looking nothing alike I'll put some of my own personal critique's in.

One, Beelzebub's hair and tail makes me want to vomit. It's constantly moving thus every frame it must be moved which is HORRIBLE on an animation stand point. Two, Her clothes. A direct quote from the Helluva Boss wiki says "Beelzebub represents the animal tamer/animal shows" when her clothing looks like that it's hard to believe. If it was casual clothes? Okay I'd believe that but it being her debut episode wouldn't you want her in her normal clothes? And that's ignoring her magical disappearing bra... is that just an arm strap? Three, the ear thing. God the ear thing! Viv said they were supposed to appear like beehives... girl what beehives have you been seeing? Maybe she meant honeycomb? Still I see zero resemblance.

Mammon

Here we have Viv's Mammon, Mammon (Mam) from the painting "The Worship of Mammon" by Evelyn De Morgan, and Mammon (Mon) from Collin de Plancy's "Dictionnaire Infernal"

As we can see Mammon looks like the Teen Titans Go Robin mixed with a Christmas tree, the Christmas theming is quite clever I'll give Viv that. Christmas is a time of greedily taking all that is given to you through gifts. Now I could complain about how Mammon is poor rep for a fat character and simply is a widened version of her normal body type but I already made a post about that

But comparing him to Mam and Mon? Nothing similar. Mam we can see appears like a very large naked buff dark skinned man whilst Mon is a freakish old man with wide eyes and tattered clothes. Mammon shares zero similarities to either of them.

Another thing is Mammon's monster form... I believe everybody has seen it and hochie momma it is HORRIBLE! From the screenshots I've seen we don't see all of it but he's clearly intended to be a spider of sorts which is great! Spiders can often be seen with 6 flies trapped on their web being hoarded for later but Viv seems to have taken the lazy route of extra legs and 2 extra set of eyes. Anthro spiders can be so so SO cool but I feel scammed. Stolen from. My life savings have been taken by this shitty design.

Paimon

Here we have Vivziepop's Paimon and Paimon (Paimonia) from Collin de Plancy's "Dictionnaire Infernal"

As we can see they appear nothing alike minus the crown and odd chicken legs though Paimon lacks the camel that Paimonia has. Paimonia also has a feminine face and a humanoid body, nothing like Paimon. Though I personally think Paimon's design is stunning what made Viv connect the two, is it because the Goetia family is intended to all be ripped from the Ars Goetia? I feel though that Paimon's design takes as much as it can from Paimonia while making him look related to Stolas but why does he need to be named Paimon?

Stolas

Here we have Vivzie's Stolas and Stolas (Stolos) from Collin de Plancy's "Dictionnaire Infernal"

So, I have a lot of issues with Stolas's design, it's ugly first of all but compared to Stolos's cute yet shocked wide eyes and charming little beak it's even more obvious how ugly it is.

First, Stolos is shown as an owl (but also is described as a Raven). which Viv got right along with keeping his crown and odd horn-like feathers. However, I believe making Stolas that skinny doesn't follow the model of most owls as they can be pretty fluffy and plump. Even Stolos has a round fluffy chest that trails into his comically long legs.

Second, that cape is very horrifying but not in a good way. Nobody wants to animate a cape with that many rips! Even if they don't have to be precise. Also, why do his buttons have no lineart when everything else around it has lineart? I have the same issue with Blitz's design and his random chest orbs.

Feel free to put in your own reblogs and replies with your opinions! You can also send in asks with designs from HH or HB that aren't linked to previously existing designs unlike these fellows and I'll throw in my personal thoughts.

-Mod Paimon

[dark-moonlust]

A December to Remember

Commission December 2024 for anon

Disclaimer: Copyright @ 2024 by Kate Hart

This commission is owned by Kate Hart. As the original writer, I strictly forbid any form of reproduction, replication, or translation of my stories without my explicit consent.

Pairing: orc x fem reader

Summary: this story follows reader and her orc boyfriend, Ghrath, through their first Christmas together. They try to find the perfect Christmas tree and celebrate their first Christmas together.

Warnings: no smut but it’s implied, flirty and funny moments, touches, kisses, fluffy and romantic themes, Xmas story about love, laughter, decorating, and first-Christmas together —may cause excessive smiling or daydreaming about orc boyfriends! 😘

Cold winter air stung your cheeks as you drew your orc boyfriend, Ghrath, deeper into the snow-covered forest. You tightened your scarf around your neck as you walked through the woods, Ghrath's hand enfolding yours, calloused yet warm. His emerald-green skin shone out against the white winterland but the cold didn't seem to hurt him at all—as if it ever did. You were dressed in warm layers but unlike you, your boyfriend wore jeans and a thin shirt. The snow crunched beneath his boots as his golden eyes darted between the trees.

“Okay, explain this again, my love," he mumbled, his deep voice vibrating through you. "We cut down a tree, drag it inside, and then decorate it? Why?"

"Because it's tradition. It's also festive and makes the house feel cozy,” you explained, squeezing his hand. He was amusing you but you could tell he secretly liked it—anything that made you happy was worthwhile to him.

"Hmph," Ghrath didn’t speak but his expression softened as he noticed how your cheeks flushed red with enthusiasm.

It was the most bizarre thing he’d ever heard. Orcs didn’t celebrate Christmas like that. They fought battles and took part in mighty competitions. For him, picking the best Christmas tree was less of a holiday tradition than an odd human quest, but he was determined to enjoy it. His mate wanted a tree, therefore you would get one.

Whatever made you happy, he would do it.

"This one looks strong," Ghrath said, pausing in front of a gigantic pine that was easily 20 feet tall. He stood boldly, arms folded across his wide chest, waiting for your approval.

You tried not to laugh. "Babe, we don't need a tree that can double as a watchtower. I told you it needs to fit in the living room."

Ghrath frowned as he looked between the high tree and you. “Are you sure? I think it would create a statement. Guests would see it and think, "Yes, Ghrath must be the strongest mate to find such a mighty tree."

You laughed, coming closer and running your fingers along the tree trunk. "It's not all about size, big guy.”

He arched a brow. “You didn’t think that this morning when you were choking my di—”

“Hey! Don’t bring sex into this!” You lightly smacked his chest, your cheeks stinging with heat. "This is about our tree.”

"You are adorable when I tease you.” He wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you close to him, the warmth of his body seeping through your thick jacket. "I'll behave. I promise.”

You gave him a sharp look but your lips twitched with a grin you couldn't hide. "You better."

“Okay, my love, tell me what to look for when searching for the perfect Christmas tree."

“Well, the tree needs to be healthy. Green and with needles that bend rather than break. See how this one's needles are stiff and brittle?" Walking to one of the trees, you took a branch and showed him, the needles snapping beneath your fingertips. "That suggests it is very dry. It’s not the one.”

Ghrath tilted his head, fascinated, and bent down to sniff the branch. The pines tickled his nose. "Hmph. Fine, my love. I will find the perfect tree for you."

You smiled, pulling his hand to lead him farther into the trees. His heavy boots made the snow crunch louder as you searched the woods. Every now and then, Ghrath would pause and point theatrically to –surprise– yet another massive tree.

"This is the one! Look at it, my love. It's straight, tall, and sturdy. Like me, yeah?" His tusks glinted as he gave you a playful wink.

"Ghrath," you murmured, stifling a giggle, "that tree looks fine but again, it’s too big. It would crush our house. Where would we even put it?"

"I'll cut off the top and stick it through the ceiling,” he said casually. “Problem solved."

This time you burst out in laughter, leaning in and burying your face in his chest. His hand immediately reached up to cradle the back of your head and his deep chuckle echoed through you.

“What? You think I can’t carry it? I'm the strongest.”

"Ghrath, I don't need to test you. I already know you're the strongest," you said, pulling him down by the front of his shirt and kissing his lips softly. "But all I want is the ideal tree. Not a mountain that will destroy the house."

Your mate sulked and walked over to another tree that was smaller but equally absurdly tall. "This one, then?”

“Babe, are you kidding me?”

“No? You are impossible to please, woman." He gestured toward a small crooked fir. "What about this one?"

"Ghrath, that one looks completely haggard.”

“Hmm… it is a little weak,” he hummed to himself. “Not good for you, my soft little mate. I will find one more satisfying."

After what seemed like miles of travel and several teasing comments from Ghrath (one of the trees was "too skinny—it would snap like a twig." Another one was "clearly too short and weak—look at those sad little branches." By the time you spotted a medium-sized but perfectly symmetrical evergreen, you were virtually in tears. Ahhh, finally! The tree was strong and sturdy, with soft needles that clung to its branches as you ran your gloved fingertips down them.

You turned to Ghrath, grinning. "This is the one, babe! It’s perfect!"

Here’s a little peek at the commission! Since it turned out a little bigger than expected, the rest is posted for free over on my Patreοn if you’d like to read it. Hope you enjoy!

[pangaeaseas]

The Problem of Religion in Harry Potter (or, what is Wizard God?)

tl; dr: I wish more hp fics did something with religion and the wizarding world

so to state my credentials up front: I've read a lot of hp fanfiction, a little on the Reformation and religious history--like, I have probably more background knowledge than the average person but I am very emphatically not an expert and have never actually taken a class specifically on any kind of religious history, and I'm an ex-Catholic who did ten ish years of religion classes. There are probably a LOT more people more qualified to talk about this than me but whatever I've never actually seen very much meta written out on this specific issue so I'm giving it a try. (if you have written or read such meta, please send me recs)

ahh the Problem of Religion one of the great unsolved mysteries of the hp world building (similar issues include What the Fuck is Going on with Ireland, How Does the Ministry Actually Work, What is the Population, etc) and I call it 'unsolved' because the fandom has no massively popular solution (like Lordships for the Problem of the Wizengamot) and in general tends to just not think about it, much like JKR originally did. Now IMO she probably intended most wizards to be, like, generically Church of England or whatever without much investment--basically copying the Muggle equivalent whenever it isn't spelled out how the two worlds differ, which is I think a lot of her un-filled-out world building is meant to be. Which. OK. You can do that, but, you know, religion is a very very important aspect of worldbuilding and in my opinion ignoring it and expecting it to be just the same as 1990s Muggle Britain is uninteresting and lazy.

This (wizards are meant to be some kind of Christian and probably Church of England just for simplicity's sake) is evidenced by things like Hogwarts having Christmas and Easter breaks, James and Lily having a Bible quote picked out by Dumbledore on their tombstone, and Draco Malfoy, most emblematically wizard of wizard characters who can be taken as a potential baseline, automatically saying things like 'Good God'. Which, you know, implies that the idea of a single God, and probably the Judaeo-Christian God because that's the same cultural background as the rest of Britain, is taken for granted by wizarding society. It doesn't necessarily imply anything about Draco's or even the Malfoys' personal beliefs, and of course you have other characters saying things like 'Oh my Merlin' and "Morgana" and things like that. Which in my opinion wasn't meant to be indications of some kind of Merlin or Morgana worship but more quirky and fun flavor things of the kind jkr loves to include without thinking out the implications. But you absolutely can take those statements that way--this post is absolutely not meant to dictate how people want to headcanon and I am absolutely here for giving wizards a well thought out pagan or Non-Christian religion, I just don't think that was the author's intent. There's also plenty of other things that imply Wizarding cultural Christianity that I'm not remembering off the top of my head.

And, of course, much better writers than me have extensively discussed all the Christian themes in HP. Of course, themes don't need to affect how people worldbuild in fanfic.

So: with HP canon, we are looking at a society that is probably culturally Christian and probably (key word) intended to be Church of England. But, because JKR wasn't putting much thought into it and basically just took a Chrisitian bedrock of society for granted, the implications of this are not really explored at all. So what I'm interested in is how fandom deals with it.

Mostly, that is...not at all, either taking cultural Christianity in the Wizarding World for granted the way JKR does or by ind of handwaving that wizards have evolved beyond the need for religion and that's just how it is. And that's perfectly fine! Not everyone wants to come up with a full, working, wizard society, and even if they are trying to worldbuild some aspects of wizarding society religion is often ignored, because people don't want to deal with it for often valid reasons (religious trauma, just disinterest, grew up agnostic, not Christian but thinks wizards probably are etc, etc, etc, ) Personally I wish more fics delved into what wizarding religious belief actually is, but to put it bluntly, that's just me. And I have never dealt with religion in my own fics. So don't takethis as judgement at all.

But there are interesting headcanons when people do choose to try and worldbuild religion in HP.

Fom what I've seen, one of the major ways to deal with religion in HP (aside from not dealing with it at all) is to give wizards, often pureblood wizards, some kind of pagan, often Celtic-inspired, religion. And this is quite defensible! Sometimes this is badly executed and/or turned into Death Eater apologia, but the idea of wizards having a different religion is really interesting and a good deal more interesting (IMO of course) than just not mentioning religion at all. Most fics that I've seen don't delve too deeply into, like the actual history and theology of these religions, but there are definitely some that do. (Also if you know any PLEASE send me recs). So if handled well, this is a great way to add some religion worldbuilding in the world of Harry Potter.

However, my personal favorite set of possibilities--obviously I have some personal bias as a history nerd with a long standing if never as deeply researched as I would like to interest in the history of Christianity and as an ex-Catholic--is that, well, we know the statute of secrecy started..when, exactly? 1690. So this much is obviously a result of JKR's Hollywood understanding of witch hunts (a subject for another time and someone far more qualified). For interested wrodlbuilders, we can take this as a guideline at best, as personally I think it would have taken a good deal longer than one year to agree on and implement something like the Statute and I tend to take 1690 as an end date, not a start. I also tend to take the Statue as a largely European phenomenon, at least at first. But, uh, what was happening in Britain at the time..oh, right...the Glorious Revolution....what was happening that created the conditions for the Glorious Revolution...oh, the English Civil War...which was because of...oh yeah, and what was also happening on the continent, maybe it involved, wait, thirty years..oooh, the Thirty Years War...wait weren't there a whole bunch of massive social shifts happening in Europe at this point in time isn't that funny but surely the stature of secrecy could be considered a part of these massive social shifts...all of which was heavily influenced by...you guessed it, the Protestant Reformation.

Wait. So. Maybe, the separation of Wizards from Muggles, at least in Britain, wasn't actually about Muggles hating wizards or wizards hating Muggles. Maybe it was about religion. Now personally I find this ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. The possibilities, the possibilities...

Wizards had a massive religious civil war that created the blood status system in its modern form? Particular families have wildly different denominations? Excellent. Religion both in terms of level of religiosity and in terms of denomination is a blood status marker? Excellent. Purebloods are all Catholic (what does this do to both Catholic and not Muggleborns?) Excellent. Purebloods are all Puritans? Weird, but if you can pull it off excellent. Purebloods are all one of the wacky new denominations that sprung up after the Reformation and then either died out or conquered the world? Excellent. Pure bloods are all Lutherans who really hated Henry VIII? Excellent. One of my favoirite ways to create a wizarding religion was someone who had most pure bloods follow a denomination that split off from Catholicism in the Great Schism and then a small minority being Catholic, with the worlds splitting around the Reformation. Even the paganism headcanons can be incorporated: the Reformation could conceivably have made it much more difficult to keep practicing wizard paganism causing separation of the worlds.

Personally I would love to see a world that used the history of the Protestant Reformation super well, but it's not the only way to relate a Wizarding religion or a Wizarding religious history. I just wish more people tried to do that at all. Let wizards be religious! Or let them be irreligious but have thought about it, instead of just ignoring religion at all as something that might conceivably have influenced human societies. Maybe Wizarding Britain has state sponsored atheism. Just say that outright!

Another thing I'd like to see more fic doing is theology: how does having magic impact people's religious doctrine? Does every major religion essentially have a wizarding branch with its own theology because magic impacts their view of the world so much, or do most wizards simply follow the majority Muggle religion in their country with no modifications? if so, why? Do some wizards disagree, potentially violently, over how to incorporate magic into their religion? Do some people refuse to use magic because they think it goes against their religion? Etc etc etc you could go on forever. I've seen fic, which randomly enough was about Regulus Black, do this pretty well (or I thought so as a non-Jew) for Judaism, and I'd love it if done with other religions.

Anyway. Now I have to figure out how the hell religion works in the Wizarding Britain of my own headcanon.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Okay, I just want to say that everything is so surreal in this new event being both a Twister Wonderland fan and a Nightmare Before Christmas fan… having said that and since it’s so early, I’m kind of like 50/50 on some theory:

To me, either they are going to play this straight and wholesome with Skully being the misunderstood character being a true twist of Jack Skellington OR either Skully gets obsessed to the point he takes over Halloween and either gets tricked to work with Oogie Boogie or becomes twisted Oogie. My money is that it’s not as wholesome as we think it is, but what do you think?

As a Twstie and also a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas though I do think Jack’s feelings for Sally are abrupt, I agree that this is very surreal 😭 even moreso because I initially thought Endless Halloween Night was going to be our Nightmare event (with the kidnapper being a twisted!Jack)…

I really REALLY hope they don’t play it straight and wholesome… Halloween events are the ONE major instance where the Twst event stories try to take themselves seriously/tackle larger issues and I don’t want that to just go away 💀 I think it’s fine to have Skully be misunderstood or play the active villain, so long as he has clear flaws displayed and they tie in well with the themes of the event. Both can also happen because this game is about villains and humanizing them. I’m not picky about how the devs achieve it, all I’m asking for is a cohesive story that’s both fun and says something meaningful.

[olderthannetfic]

My god, classic mystery is not for the devolved brain of a chronically online person that is meeee. I thought I start off with popular Queen of the Genre, Agatha Christie. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I've read dense classics before. But this is not that. It's so dry. It's the only way I think I can describe it. The words slip through my brain like sand. It's grating to look at. Like, damn. I didn't know my brain was in such a dire state. The Murder on the Orient has a bit more stick but then and then and then and then and then....And then.

I don't know what exactly it is that makes reading so aggravating to my senses. I read non fiction books. Those are dry. But I don't.. Help.

Advice for getting into classic mystery. Help.

--

Oh no!

Nonnie, why is it that everyfuckingone starts with that wretched book? Either that or And Then There Were None?

Literally any other Christie would be fine. But no. You had to choose that shitty, depressing, rules-breaking turd of a book.

I do think that reading a given genre can require a little warm-up for lack of a better word. Whenever I go back to golden age mystery, I'm surprised yet again to find that it's all in omniscient POV. I don't know why I'm surprised. It's not like this is news. And yet!

That particular type of omniscient tends not to delve deeply into emotions and does read as drier than a modern mystery novel, at least to me.

--

Traditionally, there are four Queens of Crime. Christie is the one with the best recent live action adaptations. She is not necessarily the favorite of all mystery enthusiasts. Try:

Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham

For Christie, try The Secret of Chimneys.

There are piles of other authors of the genre and era, including Georgette Heyer who is better known for romance. Her mysteries are very much in the same vein but with more human emotion.

There are many, many more obscure authors from the classic period, and little-known books are always being rediscovered. Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story by J. Jefferson Farjeon became an unexpected success a few years ago when people were looking for Christmas-themed mysteries. Murder for Christmas: A British Holiday Murder Mystery by Francis Duncan is another such case. That one has a really charming detective, an old guy addicted to romance fiction.

[charlesslut16]

-Ugly christmas sweaters-

summary : lando and you go to a christmas party, which had the theme 'ugly christmas sweaters' but lando does not like his sweater....

PAIRING : lando norris x fem!reader

WARNINGS : none

note : i hope you like this imagines! Request some more, as we have not every day in the dezember masterlist!

december masterlist ; masterlist 

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

One week before your friend's Christmas party, you bought Christmas sweaters, ugly ones, as the theme had been 'ugly Christmas sweaters'. You knew that Lando didn't like the theme, but for you and your friends' sake, he would do it.

So two days before the party, you confronted and showed Lando the Christmas sweaters. Obviously you knew that Lando wouldn't be as happy, but if you were being honest, you could not care less.

“You’re telling me that we—no, I am going to be wearing that?” Lando softly lifted one of the sweaters, holding it as if it was a bag of 2 weeks old garbage. As if he was going to be infected with something dangerous.

“For our friend’s Christmas party?”

The splash of colors and patterns really confused him; it seems like the designer operated on a whim. Every thing looked out of order and nothing fit together. Like someone had destroyed it and then.

"Come on, it’s not even that bad! The theme was ugly Christmas sweaters, and I picked out the best ones the market had on the hanger, I think they're cute," you stated, defending the sweaters you had bought a week ago.

"This is far from cute! It is horrendous. Your taste in fashion must be very questionable," he scoffed, nonchalantly returning the sweaters to their initial resting place on the chair, so that he did not have to look at them anymore.

"I've practically styled your entire wardrobe, and you've received so many compliments because of me!" you argued back. Now he had gone too far, to question your fashion taste, although you had styled most of his clothes combinations.

"Alright, but your sweater choices are still terrible!" Lando countered.

Ignoring his protests, you insistently hold the sweater in front of him, trying to picture the look despite his puzzled expression. You knew that even if they did not look so good, Lando could pull them off nonetheless.

“Not in a million years will you catch me wearing that. In will never live this outfit down.” Lando declared, hands up in protest.

But, you didn’t care whatsoever, as your determination knew no bounds.

“Stop moving, you're making this harder.”

“What—” he started, but you were already on a mission, determined to make him at least consider the sweater. Even if Lando was a grown man, you needed to put it on him, so that he could see how it looked on him.

“It does suit you.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but you can't just say that by imagining how I'd look in it!”

“Why don't you try it on?” You extended your hand, catching him off guard. His reaction was too slow, and you ended up tossing it at him.

“I'll wait for you.”

Lando sighed loudly, unfolding the sweater and eyeing it with skepticism. He wasn't convinced, but just trying it on wouldn't bee that bad.

“Fine, but don't get your hopes up. It still looks absolutely horrendous.”

As he struggled to put it on, you couldn't help but laugh at the sight. The vibrant colors clashed with his usual style, making it even more amusing. The orange colour he normally would was bright and colourful but this. Absolutely vibrant.

“Ta-da! Happy now?” Lando struck a pose, a mockingly exaggerated smile on his face. You knew that he hated every second of it. Like when he drove and became second and not first, or when his brother hated the last donut that he wanted.

You chuckled, "Look! It doesn't even look that bad! You can totally pull it off. I mean, you can totally pull off everything that somebody gives."

Rolling his eyes, Lando played along with your answers and exclamations.

"Sure, sure. It looks fantastic on me. Just a bunch of silly trees and tiny elves on this sweater with squiggly lines—seriously, what were you thinking when you added this to the cart? It ruined everything good on me."

You shrugged lightly, unfazed by his words. Lando often exaggerated things, and you were accustomed to it. It was nothing unusual for Lando to overreact and overdramatic, things as they were or had been.

“I expect you to stick with this—we've got just two days until the party.”

“But can we not switch—”

In the middle of his sentence, you stood up and walked away into the kitchen to make you a hot cocoa and to go back to your shared bedroom, so you stopped hearing his complaints and overdramatic nature.

Two days later, the day of the Christmas party, you had the exact same conversation, but you knew that Lando could do nothing about it, as he knew that he would do almost everything for you in a heartbeat.

His complaining tone faded as you rushed down the stairs with the matching sweater in your hand. Quickly draping it over your white shirt and white skirt, you settled on the couch in the living room. As you scrolled on your phone to pass the time, you later heard shuffling in the background.

“Ready to go, my handsome man?” you looked up, seeing your boyfriend in the sweater you bought—he hadn’t changed it. You gave him a big smile, rising from your seat, as you wanted to hug him and tell him how good he looked.

“Looking good there, Norris.”

“Keep it up, and I’ll run up the stairs to change,” he teased, soon linking arms with you as you headed towards the door. But you knew that he was just teasing, he would not change as the time was at a limit.

“Honestly, though, I don’t think I look too shabby in this,” he asserted, eliciting a giggle from you.

“What can I say? I have an eye for what works.”

“Maybe you're onto something.”

"Maybe I need to trust you more, with clothes."

"You should."

He opened the door, so he could let you both out and locked the door after you both, but before you could walk to the car, he pulled you into his chest and gave you a romantic long kiss and then pulled away to look into your eyes.

"I love you, angel"

"I love you, handsome."