#now time for a toasted cheese sandwich

[applecherry108]

I was simply trying to google search obituaries to figure out what year my grandmother was born. Instead, I can only find her husband, my grandfather, and bc he was a vet there’s like, comments from friends and family. I knew and always felt he was closer with my uncle and cousins, but it’s like we didn’t even know the same man. Reading how kind and generous he was is surreal when my core memory of this man is him forcibly grabbing me, a then pre-school age child, by my shoulders when I was upset and crying, being dragged in front of a mirror and him shouting “look how ugly you are when you cry!”.

Like idk if it was bc I was the youngest, the only girl, bc I lost interest in sports as I got older, or bc I wasn’t the child of his golden kid (my uncle), but I was never close and never had a good impression of my paternal grandfather. I know I’m ND and sometimes struggle with emotions, and I remember feeling so out of place and wrong for being 16 and not at all upset or even crying at his funeral, while my cousins could barely keep it together, but damn. “Loving and generous” we did not know the same grandfather.

[bonecouch]

now im crying for different reasons

[stayandot8]

Emergency Contact

Genre: comfort fluff, chan's having a rough time

Relationship type: established boyfriend/girlfriend

Important Contents: slight swearing, Chan going through the stages of a panic/anxiety attack

WC: 2.4k

masterlist

The small moments I could sneak my boyfriend away from his work were few and far between. The few times it did work were a perfect storm of my big puppy eyes or a smile with just the right amount of head tilt and his need to get away from it all. Sometimes it was a member annoying him past his limit, sometimes it was his musical ear being drained and needing inspiration from the outside world. Other times, I was just too insistent and he couldn’t resist. Or so he said. But when he sat silently across the cafe table, watching the people pass by, I wondered which it was. 

“Chris?” I nudged his foot with mine, his attention snapping back to me and my plastic cup of motivation to get the day done. His eyes were big, silently asking what I nudged him for then his shoulders slumped as realization hit him. 

“I’m sorry, baby. I know I’m not the best company right now.” His gaze landed on his untouched pastry in front of him. I glanced at it, a sad smile involuntarily creeping on my face. It’s not as though he was usually talkative, but at least he looked at me from time to time. 

“It’s okay, you just seem more distracted than usual. Is it Han again? Do I need to have another talk with him? Or Minnie? Is he making more old jokes? I swear, with all the karma he’s banking, he’ll go gray before you do.” Finally. A chuckle. A small sigh of relief escaped me as I watched him break off a piece of the croissant in front of him. I didn’t even know if he had eaten earlier. “You left before I got up this morning. Or did you sleep at the studio again?”

“I tried to sleep with you for a few hours but I didn’t really sleep that well.”

“Have you eaten today?” His hand stopped, his face dropping. “Christopher.” He looked like a kid who had been caught stealing cookies. “Please tell me this croissant is not the first time you’re eating today.” He didn’t move. “Christopher! It’s four in the afternoon!”

He laughed sheepishly, slightly embarrassed by the pink tint to his cheeks. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, it wasn’t on purpose.” He shook his head at his lap. I could only shake my head at him, a mixture of slight disappointment and exasperation clear. 

“Well you know I have to get another for you before you go, right? Even if I have to sneak it in your bag, you’re taking it. Maybe a sandwich too. Or a cake pop…”

“Hey now.” He broke me of my train of thought, that dazzling smile of his making my heart skip a beat. “I can buy my own food, thank you very much.”

“Well apparently not. Now do you want a sausage, egg, and cheese or a smoked ham?”

“I don’t want anything else than what I have in front of me.” He tried to wink at me too, but I was having none of it. 

“Tell me which one you want or I’m getting both. And a cake pop.”

“Baby-” I got out of my seat and grabbed my wallet before he could continue his thought and half-sprinted for the counter, him hot on my tail. Luckily for me, the last person in line had just finished and was walking away, leaving the perfect window for me to rush straight to the girl behind the counter. 

“Hi, can I get both the sausage egg, and cheese and the toasted ham breakfast sandwiches? Thank you.” As the payment terminal flashed with my total and within the two seconds it took to unzip my wallet, Chan had slipped his card on top of the screen. The terminal beeped with the acceptance of payment. I slapped Chan on his arm. Hard.

“Oh you’re so going to pay for that later.” He playfully smirked at me, staring at the screen to avoid my eyes. 

“I thought I just did.” 

*

*Incoming call from: Channie ❣️*

“Hello?” 

Sniffles met me on the other line. My body immediately went still, ready to jump wherever I was needed. My world stopped when Chan was in trouble. Or anxious. Or pissed. Which, all of these emotions aside, he was a generally happy guy so it didn’t happen a lot. But when it did…

“Chris? Are you okay?” I whispered into my phone, trying not to let my voice carry to any prying ears that might be nearby. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk quickly finding a bench off to the side to sit and put my bag down. There were more wet sounds coming from the phone, which only worried me more. He tried to be strong for us, for me and his bandmates. He tried not to let his emotions out too much, but I made sure he knew that I would be there when he did need to let them out. And this was the first time he was letting me in.

“Send me your location, I’m on my way. Don’t move, okay? I’ll be there soon.” I gathered my stuff again, ready to put down my phone to see his location. 

“Don’t hang up.” More sniffles. A little part of me felt guilty for feeling relieved at being needed by him. I had always felt it was me going to him for my big feelings about the world. But this… This was new.

“I won’t. Where are you? Can you tell me where you are?” 

“Studio.” He choked out. I nodded like he could see me and started in a slight sprint, knowing the way from the store I had just left, picking up some last minute shopping for the holidays. Luckily, I hadn’t found much, so I didn’t have many bags to carry while I ran. 

“Chris, I’m on my way. Just stay put, okay? I’m coming. I’m not hanging up. Just breathe for me, baby. Take a deep breath whenever you can.” I heard some small whimpers coming from what sounded like further away, like he had set the phone down away from him. Whether he was trying to hide whatever noise he was making or what, I didn’t know. He hadn’t done a very good job because I heard everything. My veins tightened with the sudden rush of anxious adrenaline washing through me. Some ragged breaths came through the phone as the tall building I was running for came into view. The big letters on the top loomed overhead, like a constant reminder of its founder and the expectations set forth by it. 

Sometimes some of the members would talk about how said expectations were too much sometimes. They felt like they couldn’t be fully themselves under the wing of such close eyes, so they would find ways to channel that energy into other things. Most of the time it was through their music, others it was through vlogs or what they called ‘talkers’ or outings with each other. Concerts were a big thing with them too. They had less supervision on tour, so they felt they could get away with more on the road. Should they ever push it too far, there were always consequences waiting for them here at home, but never so severe that they stopped pushing their boundaries. I guess anyone would feel that way if they had to push down the parts of themselves that made them...them.

Pushing through that revolving door, I waved at the security at the front desk and grabbed my permanent guest badge that Chris had saved for me to come in whenever he was here. As long as he was, I was free to enter. I wasn’t sure what deal he had to cut to get me this pass, but I figured that in my case, ignorance was bliss. Holding the phone to my ear, I pointed to it and strolled/sprinted  past them and into the elevator. 

“Just keep trying to breathe for me, okay? I need you to try and take a breath. You might start to get a little shaky if you haven’t already. But I’m here, I’m getting in the elevator now, I’m coming.” As the elevator dinged open to let out whoever was in there, Han stepped out, head down in his phone and mask up and covering half his face. He looked up and nodded to me, clearly not surprised I was here. If he didn’t say anything to me, then I assumed he didn’t know anything that was happening to the boy on the other end of my phone line. He would’ve been a good one to call seeing as he dealt with this kind of stuff the most to my knowledge. 

Whatever force that pushed him to call me instead of one of his members, I wasn’t going to question it. I knocked softly on the studio door and let myself in. I looked around in the recording room, looking for the same boy I had seen earlier, his familiar black hat and clothing not catching my eye. But what I did see was an open file on the computer, open with the music application and unfinished. I turned once more to see my boyfriend, curled up in a ball and rocking against the wall. His phone was balancing precariously on his knee that was tucked into his chest and his head was resting on the wall with his eyes shut, like he was willing himself to calm down and keep his breathing under control. He wasn’t doing a very good job. It looked like…well, it looked like the aftermath of a panic attack. 

“Chris… Chris, baby, I’m right here.” I shoved off my bag and threw it on the couch, where it landed with a small thud. I tossed my phone on top of it. I knelt down to be eye level with him and placed my hands on his bare knees, his loose shorts had ridden up down near his upper thighs. I thought the skin contact would be better to ground him, letting him feel that I was there if he couldn’t hear me very well. I squeezed his knee with slight pressure, just in case. His cheeks were visibly wet while he tried to breathe through his mouth. I watched his chest try to rise and fall, stuttering on the way out. His lips pursed out as he breathed, his hands latching onto mine on his knees. He gripped them like he thought I would fly away if he let go. I turned my hands over to thread our fingers together and he lowered his knees and pulled me by our connected hands so that I was sitting in his lap. He only let go of my hands when I was fully in and he could wrap himself around me fully. 

I started rubbing his back, letting my nails graze him while my other hand went to the back of his head. He tucked his head into my shoulder until his breath was tickling the tiny hairs on my neck. I kissed the side of his head that I could reach. 

 And we stayed there.

*

“Any idea what brought it on? Or did it just come on out of nowhere?” 

We were still on the floor, not quite as entangled as we were before but I was still in his lap, chomping on the food we had ordered bit by bit. I wouldn’t let him stop until I felt like he had actually eaten what was close to a meal, especially when I saw both sandwiches from the shop we went to this afternoon untouched in his bag. I might’ve had to force the first couple bites on him but a girlfriend had to do what she had to do, especially when he then ‘playfully’ demanded she spoon-feed him herself. He still wasn’t back to himself, but he was getting there.

“No idea.” He said softly, chewing through his thoughts. “Nothing really happened, I just…” He trailed off. 

“It’s okay, Chan. Shit just…comes up sometimes. I know, I get it. These things can come out of nowhere and grip you and not let you go until it’s run its course. Maybe today was just your day.” He nodded in agreement, staring at the wall. 

He had one hand wrapped around my waist, half to keep me steady on his leg and half, what I believed to be the real reason, because he simply didn’t want to let go. But the other hand he was resting on his opposite thigh. Every so often he would pick at his cuticle with one of his fingers but quickly stopped, probably thinking I wouldn’t notice. 

“Do you think it had something to do with the upcoming album? Is it finished?” I pondered out loud. He quickly shook his head though, diminishing the thought. 

“No, the album is done and approved. It wouldn’t be that.” If I had known any better, I would think he was almost offended I would suggest such a thing. And in his normal state, he might have been. “Even the choreography is done. The concept art, the photocard selection, it’s all done. I don’t know what happened.” His voice was slowly getting stronger as he thought what could be the source of his panic. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“You know, not everything has to have a reason.” He shrugged, not really liking that answer. “But I’m happy you called me.” He smiled softly at the floor.

“You were on my mind. You’re always on my mind. I just wanted to hear your voice. That was the only thing I could think of that might help, so I called you.” I couldn't fight my smile at that. And I tried hard. 

“I would’ve been happy if you called anybody instead of facing it alone. You don’t have to face all your strong, negative emotions alone. That’s what we’re here for; your friends and me. We’re here for the good, bad, and ugly.”

“But I knew you would answer. I know… that I can depend on you when I need you.”

“And I’m so happy you know that now. As a fact, not just an idea.” 

His arm grew tighter around me.

“If I ever go to the hospital or something, I’m making sure they call you.”

[petermorwood]

Today I made bread (again)

Not just because we'd eaten the last lot, although that was a reason.

It was an experiment which I've intended for a long while but keep forgetting to do: make one loaf using the Kenwood stand mixer (knead time 12 minutes) and the other in the Magimix / Cuisinart food processor (knead time 2 minutes) and see which came out best.

It's the same recipe each time...

500g bread flour

7g dried yeast

7g table (fine-grain) salt

250ml warm water

30ml olive oil

...with everything else - first & second rising, then baking - done as simultaneously as I could manage.

*****

The result was a surprise; I'd expected longer kneading would cause better-developed gluten and that loaf would rise more, but it actually ended up as the smaller of the two.

The 2-minute Magimix loaf is on the left, the 12-minute Kenwood one is on the right.

Despite the visible difference in size, their weight after baking (681g and 682g) is so close as to be identical.

Once they cooled, I sliced them to see what the insides were like.

And here's their crumb. First the Kenwood...

...then the Magimix.

There's hardly any visible difference apart from slightly larger holes at the top of the Magimix loaf.

There's a slight tactile difference; the Kenwood loaf crumb is firmer, not by much but enough to notice with fingertip and presumably teeth.

This might give better structural integrity to an over-filled sandwich made soggy by an overflow of sauces, relishes and other tracklements, or for toast softened by an excessive quantity of butter (although my Dad would have said there was no such thing).

Whatever.

I've completed my experiment, and proved that an extra 10 minutes or so of kneading doesn't do anything dramatic, at least with the brands of flour and yeast we've used successfully for some years.

OK, cleaning the Kenwood bowl and dough hook took less time and trouble than cleaning the Magimix bowl, dough blade, lid and feed chute, but again it was no more than a couple of minutes which were more than cancelled out by the kneading times.

*****

And now, since I seem to have a couple of slices of splendidly fresh bread needing attention, several kinds of cheese and cold cuts in the fridge, and various sauces, relishes and tracklements in the cupboard, I'm going to make myself one of those over-filled sandwiches.

I might even add an excessive quantity of butter (No Such Thing!) to the outside, then toast it... :->

[weasleycream]

. ୭.ᰍㅤ𝅄 ֹ " 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐏 " 🔪 Ⳋ

ઈઉ ㅤִㅤ𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 ; 𝑅𝒵!𝑀ichael 𝑀iyers 𝓍 𝐹em!𝑅eader

ઈઉ ݁  ㅤִㅤ𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ; Use of bad words, mentions of blood, childhood love, quite cloying, Michael Myers is sweet, bad grammar in English.

ઈઉ ㅤִㅤ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 ; 4k+

ઈઉ ㅤִㅤ𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱

ઈઉ ㅤִㅤAnother little whim, I really love RZ Michael, since I saw him as a child and as an adult I fell in love 🤒❤️‍🩹

Her family had moved to Haddonfield, Illinois a little less than two weeks ago for work reasons, for a girl who was barely nine years old she understood it quite well, she even liked the change of environment, without a doubt for the little girl that little one The town was beautiful and quiet, he was really happy to have found a peaceful place where he would be happy with his parents.

"Y/N, Honey! Come down now, dinner's ready!" called her mother from downstairs, breaking her out of her little bubble of imagination. She opened the door to her room and hurried down the stairs, instantly smelling the pleasant aroma of freshly prepared food, knowing immediately that her mother had prepared her favorite dish, a delicious Bolognese pasta with cheese and toasted bread.

"I'm here, mommy!" She said arriving in the kitchen to sit in the small dining room for four people, seeing how her father was there calmly reading a newspaper, which he then put down when the little girl arrived.

He hummed a little with a mischievous smile on his face before he began to speak, drawing the attention of his curious daughter "Y/N Daughter, we already found school, starting tomorrow you will start your classes again, aren't you happy?" she announced and asked her daughter waiting for an answer "It's the school we saw a few blocks from here, I'll be able to take you every day before I go to work"

The little girl just smiled a huge smile to jump happily, going to hug her father. "Yes, dad! I'm very happy, I'll be able to make new friends!" She was excited, above all because now they won't have to look for a teenage babysitter who only concentrates watching pretty boys and pull her by the hand to take her to school, she loved the fact that her father was now going to take her.

After that, dinner went quite normally while they told the little girl what her school was like and that she was going to have a great time, earning a smile from her, who was surely not going to be able to sleep from excitement that night, thinking about what the other children in their school and classroom were going to be like. As soon as he finished, he left his plate in the sink and thanked for the food, went up to his room to brush his teeth in the small bathroom he had there, he changed and put on his animal pajamas, went to the window to close it. and close the blinds, but before doing so, he could see a blonde boy with hair down to his shoulders peek out. They made eye contact, and the girl shyly waved with her hand and a small smile, receiving a somewhat surprised and confused look and then shyly returning the wave with her hand, and closed the curtain, leaving the girl looking out, thinking that she could speak another day with the neighbors child.

It was already daylight, opened her eyes with extreme happiness, getting out of bed as soon as she heard her mother knock on the door to get her up and help her get ready for her new school.

Minutes passed and her mother was already combing her hair, she let her put on that cute pair of baggy jean shorts that reached her knee with the favorite band t-shirt, his mother combed his hair in medium hair ponytail the top layers of her hair leaving the lower ones loose along with her adorable bangs, then she went down excitedly wanting to see how her mother was preparing her snack for the afternoon in her new lunch box, a delicious sandwich with avocado and mayonnaise (and obviously cheese with ham) was now inside the little pastel blue box along with fresh cut strawberry pieces and a carton of chocolate milk. She packed everything into her small shoulder backpack along with her notebook and pencil, closing it to wait for her father to finish breakfast, since she had stuffed everything into her as if she had never eaten out of excitement, wanting to leave now to her new school.

He waited patiently until he saw how his father finally finished. "Hurry up dad, we're too late!" The little girl rushed, jumping desperately. 'God, Y/N, we're going forty minutes early, wait a little,' he replied, going back up to brush his teeth and get what was missing in his work briefcase, making the little girl get desperate and start to go around the whole anxious room.

When she got back down, she said goodbye to her wife with a small kiss and hug around the shoulders. The girl copied her action and hugged her mother's legs and hips and said goodbye to her with a big hug. happy smile, receiving the same from her mother. When they finally left, she ran away absentmindedly, without noticing that a boy blonde with chubby cheeks was passing by, colliding and both of them falling to the ground with a crash. 'That makes you restless! Apologize to him now, honey,' her father shouted, closing the door from the porch.

"Uhm… Sorry, I was distracted, let me help you." He apologized immediately without taking into account his now scraped and somewhat bleeding knee, he got up quickly and held out his hand, waiting for the blonde boy he had seen the night before to take it. .

The boy looked at her doubtfully for a few moments and took the girl's hand, standing up from the ground and quickly picking up the small knife that came out of her pocket, hoping that the girl or the adult who was approaching them don't had noticed it. .

"Excuse my daughter, boy, she is quite excited to enter her new school, although I believe do you study there, would you like to join us?" She finally said as she reached the children's side, inviting the boy to come with them.

Distrustful, the boy gently shook his head with a bored look, beginning to walk, leaving the other two behind, until the little girl came forward and walked next to him.

"I'm Y/N, what's your name?" She asked as soon as he got to her side and held the strap of her backpack nervously.

"Michael" He responded without faltering, paying'nt attention to the girl next to him, hoping that she would not be noisy, unfortunately, the little girl did not stop talking to him all the way to school, receiving dry and annoyed responses from the blonde [ she will will move away like the others] he thought immediately after reaching the corner next to the institute.

They arrived and the blonde boy simply entered the building quickly without speaking to the little girl or saying goodbye to the adult. The little girl just looked at him until he disappeared through the main door of the building, waiting for her father to speak and say goodbye to her, wishing her a good day.

"Well honey, I hope you have a good time here, and remember, anything ugly or bad they say to you, tell me or your mother, I love you, don't forget it." He said goodbye to her little daughter with a kiss on the forehead and a light hug, to get away from her a little, waiting for her to come in so he could leave without worries. The pretty girl walked timidly into her new school, looking for her address.

After the hallways suddenly emptied, indicating that classes had already started, the more nervously she began to search more quickly for the principal's office, finding it on the third floor where all the high school students were. She knocked on the door and waited patiently, until apparently a somewhat disheveled teacher opened it, looked down, and saw her.

"Do you need anything, honey?" She asked him with a certain false kindness, sketching a false smile that the innocent little girl did not notice, timidly playing with her fingers.

"Well… I'm new and I was looking for the principal's office to find out my classroom and schedule… Can you help me?" She said nervously, looking into her eyes as she finished speaking.

The older woman made a face, simulating a kind smile, "Sure, honey, wait a moment." He took her shoulder and made her go to a kind of 'waiting room' and left her sitting, while she saw the principal's office in front of her, where the teacher entered. A few long minutes passed and the woman finally came out with some papers in her hand and a look of annoyance on her face. "Come on, girl, I don't have all day," she urged, now in a less fake voice.

They walked through the hallways and down the stairs to the first floor again where they headed to a classroom a little away from the main exit. When they arrived, the teacher simply knocked on the door and entered, and spoke to the other woman inside, who looked at the door and gave her a warm smile, which made her nervous and she looked down at her feet.

Another tedious minute passed, the woman accompanying her came out with the papers already filled out "Here is your schedule and the list of materials you need, if you have any concerns tell your teacher" and with that she left, leaving him. she there at the door, until the woman called out to her when she opened the door.

"Okay kids, quiet!" She asked, raising her voice a little, drawing the attention of the children, who were speechless when they saw her. "This is Y/N, she will be your new partner from now on, I want their to treat her well and help her advance in her grades. Well Y/N, sit in the window seat, I will explain a bit what we were doing." He went to the assigned seat and sat down, leaving his suitcase on the small hook that was on the side of the table, and paying attention to what the teacher was saying with a nervous and shy look, feeling a small blush. on his face in the face of shyness.

They spent two hours where they saw some Language and the other where they saw Social Sciences, she took notes of what the teacher explained on the blackboard, and when she announced recess time, she didn't know what to do and stayed sitting looking the window, where you could see a road with one or another vehicle passing by. She was scared when a small group of girls and boys suddenly arrived at her seat, where they began to talk to her about trivial things, but that could not prevent her from seeing that he neighbor, the one she had bumped into hours before, was there, I hadn't noticed it when it arrived. She excitedly stood up from her seat, taking her snack without eat it, and walked to the side of the blonde boy who seemed somewhat displeased at not being alone in the classroom at recess that day.

"Michael! I didn't know you were in the same class! How exciting! Don't you think so?" She greeted the little girl, pulling a chair next to the child, sitting down, she saw that the taller child had nothing to eat and was only coloring with some crayons and colored pencils on a somewhat crumpled sheet of paper.

"Ah, I should have guessed, what a thrill" He mentioned without any interest or joy in his voice "What do you want?" she asked in a hostile manner, not looking at the girl next to her, as she continued coloring meaningless doodles on the page.

"Nothing! I just saw you and wanted to talk to you, it would be more entertaining than talking to the kids who came to my table out of nowhere, I also saw that you didn't have anything to eat, aren't you hungry? Can I share my snack with you!" offered, placing the blue lunch box on the little free space on Michael's table, opening it to reveal what her mother had packed for her.

The group of children who initially approached the little girl who had walked away from them now looked at them with great confusion. As soon as they spoke to her, they told her not to go near the strange boy of the classroom, but as soon as she saw him in the classroom completely alone, she went after him, they looked at each other very strangely and left, giving the innocent girl a confused and annoyed look.

"Don't bother" The blonde boy responded, still without turning around, remaining in great silence.

"Well, it doesn't matter, I'm still going to leave you food, even if it's half, it's bad that you're still hungry, Mikey!" The little girl answered, taking the Sandwich and biting it until she ate half, leaving the other remaining piece in the lunch box again, and then taking the strawberries and doing the same, also with the chocolate milk. All in view of the boy's surprised look at the girl's nickname and actions, he thought that she was going to leave after all, but she was still there, and her was really going to feed him.

Recess passed, and after making sure that Michael had really eaten what she left him, she returned to her seat with a smile, even though Michael was very quiet and dry when it came to talking, she did not stop talking to him, and she really enjoyed it, because she knew that despite that, Michael had listened to her at all times.

Then, hours passed until school finally ended, she turned to Michael again with a big smile.

"Michael! Do you want to go back to my father and me? Like this morning!" She offered excitedly, waiting for his response, she jumped off of happily when he gave her a vague nod quickly putting things away, afraid she would see the polaroids scattered all over he backpack.

So days passed, which turned into weeks, and those weeks turned into months, and so on until finally he had lived in Haddonfield for a year and a half. I was on mid-year vacation with Michael, they had three weeks off and I was really enjoying it, today I was going with Michael to the stream that was a few streets near his house, where I was going to give Michael a surprise, I knew that they would both They had become really close, even Michael was possessive of her when she talked to other people and she got sad when she thought that Michael was going to leave her aside when they had different people in their school work.

He happily jumped out of his bed as soon as he woke up and headed downstairs where his mother was making breakfast while his father was getting ready for work.

"Mommy, mommy! Did you make them? Tell me yes, please!" She ran excitedly towards her mother, hugging her waist while he looked at her expectantly, waiting for an affirmative response.

She laughed at her daughter's haste, turning her head slightly to look at her. "Yes, I made the cookies that Michael likes so much, just like you asked me, sweetheart," her mother agreed, receiving a big smile from her daughter, who jumped up while still hugging her.

"And, did you also receive the Ring Pop i ordered?" She asked again this time with more insistence, because it was the most important thing she was going to give to her dear friend.

"Of course, honey, don't worry," she responded affirmatively again, making her daughter jump with excitement again, this time releasing her and running through the kitchen, making her laugh with amusement, "but don't hurry, first you're going to get ready and have breakfast, otherwise "You're not going out," she said when she saw that her little girl started looking for the cookies and candy all over the kitchen.

She snorted a little dissatisfied now, but she hurried, going up the stairs again, while her father went down them, surprising him with the hurry with which he was going, he arrived at his room again, and began to choose the clothes he would, she found a Michael's t-shirt, one that he had lent him one day when he went to his house for a sleepover, since his annoying sister had intentionally spilled all her juice on his t-shirt, Michael kindly lent him one of his t-shirts (without mentioning that it was his favorite in that moment) from the band Kiss, one of the many he had. She knew he had to return it, but he wanted to wear it that day, he took it along with an equally black Bermuda shorts and some slightly worn black converse. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, then took a quick shower, changed and quickly went down to the dining room where her mother had already served breakfast to her and her father, she sat down and began to eat quickly.

"Darling, don't eat so fast, Michael isn't going anywhere" Her father scolded, seeing how his daughter was almost choking on the food for swallowing so quickly, his wife handed a glass of water to his daughter so she could the food will pass easily.

"Leave her, she is happy because she has almost reached two years of friendship with Michael and she wants to give him something" Her mother relieved, letting her daughter be, ignoring her father's scolding, as she continued to eat faster.

She let out a sigh and smiled "Well, I'll let it go just because I'm happy that she got someone special" she didn't understand why her father said that, although Michael was special, very special to her, she saw him as her best friend and other half, and not as someone to classify as 'someone special' in your family.

She finished breakfast and thanked, leaving the plate in the sink, she quickly brushed her teeth again and then said goodbye to her parents, before her father left, she ran to the house next door, where Michael lived, she He stood on tiptoe and reached for the bell, ringing it three times. He waited a few minutes, listening to the usual screams inside the house due to the multiple fights that Deborah, Michael's mother, had with her idiot boyfriend, he heard steps approaching the door and heard how the man of the house screamed. 'Michael, you're not as much of a sissy as I thought after all!' She clearly got upset, she hated how that old man treated he dear friend, but she couldn't do anything.

The door opened and she watched as Michael opened the door with his plump lips pursed adorably, who upon seeing her, with a small smile, softening his gaze, hugged her and greeted her.

"Y/N! I thought you would come a little later, I hope you didn't rush to eat for you came quickly" guessed her dear blonde friend, stepping aside for her to pass "Sorry for the mess, wait for me at the living room, I'm going to bring something and I'll come back to lower,” he invited her while he accompanied her to the living room, leaving her sitting.

She waited until she listen choose how Michael went down the stairs and said to her mother: 'mom! I'll go out with Y/N ​​for a while and I'll be back in the afternoon!' and with that, she took her hand and they left, before hearing her sister's constant complaints.

They walked for a while while talking about anything that came to mind until they reached the small stream where they looked for a tree with good shade to sit. When they found one, the little girl who is now 10 years old, she spoke up.

"You did bring your Ring pop, right?" She asked as took out his, it was of strawberry and the plastic of the ring was an electric blue color, and then looked at his friend, waiting for an answer.

"Ah… Yes, of course, I hope you like the cherry one, I didn't find any other flavor," he mentioned, taking the candy out of his pocket in the same way, revealing a ring of the same brand, but with colored plastic somewhat bright yellow.

"Don't worry, Mikey! You know I love cherry" Of course he knew it, but he wasn't going to reveal the fact that he only really found apple or orange candy, it took him a long time to find a one of cherry one since it was the best seller, but he would search everywhere just to find something she wanted or liked. He couldn't hide the blush on her pale cheeks at that thought.

"Well, then why did you want me to bring one?" She asked after trying to control the slight blush, and waited, watching as the girl's cheeks also turned red from her nerves, giving her an adorable sight, she tried to stop herself from cracking a smile.

"Well… You know that in a few months we will celebrate two years of friendship… And well, I appreciate you very much, and I wanted to give you something to celebrate… Here, I asked my mother to make this for you" he said, handing him the box decorated with twisted hearts and glitter. Since he came home, Michael was curious about the small decorated box, but he didn't mention anything.

He took it in his somewhat chubby hands, and opened it, he saw several homemade cookies with chocolate chips and lemon, his favorites, he also saw several packages with gummy bears and small chocolates and bonbons, next to them, a letter on a page of notebook. , folded like an envelope and sealed with a children's notebook sticker.

"Read the letter when you need it, I made it for when I can't be there for you and you miss me" The boy nodded and put the letter in the box and closed it again, leaving it aside.

"Thank you very much Y/N… I really love you very much…" He said moved as he hugged her tightly, she was very special to him and sometimes he thought that she was too much for him, but still, he needed her among so many problems .

"I love you too Mikey.." she responded, returning her hug, giving him a small kiss on her cheek, and then separating from him. "Now open your Ring Pop, let's make a promise for when we're older and twenty-one," she said, and took the strawberry candy and opened it, taking it gently without putting it on, making Michael repeat his action.

Then, she spoke again, looking him straight in the eyes with great affection "I, Y/N L/N, solemnly promise that I will be with you throughout my life, that we will be best friends and that we will be there at all times, in good times, in bad times, and be best friends forever, and forever" he said, as he took his friend's free hand, and put on the strawberry ring, intertwining their fingers, leaving each one a free hand. "Now you, Michael."

The boy, who was stunned by the girl's gaze, could not pay attention to the words she said, much less after she intertwined her hands in that cute way "I uh… I, Michael Myers… Ehm, I promise to always be with you at all times, and to be the best of friends forever, and ever" he imitated distractedly while doing the same, and intertwined the other hand, leaving them both in a nice moment.

"Well… I heard that when two people love each other, and want to be together for a lifetime, they get married when they are older, and seal their promises with a kiss, then, when we are twenty-one, you promise me that you will marry me." ?" she asked innocently, getting closer to him, staying a short distance away, making a blush begin to adorn both of their faces.

"I promise you Y/N, I promise you that when we grow up, I will make you happy and I will be with you at all times" And so, he shortened the short distance and brushed his lips with hers, in an innocent kiss, which was soon inexperienced, sealing his great promise, which would continue throughout his life.

★ WAAAHHHH I LOVED THIS WITH MY LIFE, I'm seriously thinking about making a fic of this (really, I'm strongly considering it, maybe I will).

★ Credits to the fanart, textual aesthetics and dividers to the corresponding people!

[catiuskaa]

COACH OR PLAYER?

SUMMARY: there’s always a time when one just has to know, but is the coach able to risk it and play their own game?

WC: 1.43k (omg)

CW: caution! content hot! lol, just suggestive, a sneaky reference to the devil wears prada, some sports/gameplayer terminology.

REQUESTED! by annonie right here. i gotta say, good music taste, pookie. I had fun with this one, I really hope you do too! <3

[⛓️☆ 🎀 ☆⛓️]

Bet.

“Do I look that cold?”

You hesitated, smiling after he lend you his jacket.

“Maybe.” He shrugged playfully, scrunching his face in a funny way, which made his glasses fall a bit further down the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I’m just that hot.”

You rolled your eyes, biting your lip.

Sometimes you wished you could just forget about it.

“He said that?” Your roomate Jeongin scoffed. “Man figured a way to lower a standard that was already non-existent for his category.”

You blinked, deadpanning at him before sighting and merely continuing making a simple grilled cheese for dinner.

“Now’s when you ask, Innie, what category?”

The olive oil teased you, its sound almost threatening as you pulled your sleeves as far as they could reach, trying to cover your hands.

“What if I’m not interested?”

He scoffed with a smirk, already munching what had been meant as a dessert, his eyes never leaving the sliced pieces of fruit.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea, everybody wants this.”

You laughed, sitting down on the sofa next to him, and he lowered the TV’s volume, going as far as to sit propperly —criss-cross is propper, and that’s on period, he’d say— and facing towards you, clearing his throat and leaving the plate on the coffee table.

The crisp feeling of toast was better than you imagined, considering you’d thought you weren’t even that hungry at first. You chewed gingerly, unbothered by what was starting to feel like a piercing stare to your forehead.

“Jeongin-a.” It was funny how hard he tried to play it as if he hadn’t been startled by your tone. You blinked again, merely meeting your eyes with his. “I’d rather you speak than drill holes on my head.”

He groaned, throwing his legs over the sofa’s armrest, passing his hands through his face. You ate quietly, waiting for him.

“It’s just that…” he sighed. “I never know when you’re going straight ahead for someone. I don’t think I know now either.”

You frowned, covering your mouth with the back of your hand, still eating. “The fuck you mean, pal?”

He stood up faster than you expected, which almost threatened your grilled cheese sandwich to end up facing the floor.

“I know you like him. Shit like that is your whole modus operandi. But ever since our bet, I just don’t know.”

It’s probably a famous last word. At the rate it’s said, it’s gotta be. It’s easygoing, slipping off one’s tongue quickly, as if ripping off a band-aid.

“Bet on it.”

“That just scrambles my eggs, dude.” You had winced a while back, playing half-annoyed, suddenly focused on the contents inside the can in your hand. “I don’t think I’m interested.”

He had chuckled, opening another can of beer.

“Why?” He said, smirking teasingly. “Even coach leaves the fucking bench if the rest of the players suck,” his face was serious, his pink-tinted cheeks obvious, considering his weak alcohol tolerance.

“That’s not even funny.”

He had dissmissed your denial, grunting a bit, approaching you further, and laying a hand on your shoulder.

“You’re normally blind to this type of things, but with this guy, you can’t even say if he’s just playing.”

Alas, your can had been empty. But now, a small idea had blossomed and filled a part of your mind.

“I bet that if I flirt back, he’ll back off. That’s my bet.” You had slammed the can against the table, your expression that of a winner.

Silly little thing.

No one can win if no one wants to stop playing.

[⛓️☆ 🎀 ☆⛓️]

“Hey,” you grinned, watching him smile at you as he took his big headphones off and left them hanging on his neck.

You closed the door of the studio behind you, taking a seat on the chair next to him.

“Pity. I had a better seat saved for you, doll.” Jisung teased, tapping on his thighs playfully.

You chuckled, biting your lip.

Every player knows that rules exist for a reason. The issue in the gameplay is the rules. They limit one’s extent to keep the game going. Rules are there to make sure the result is fair.

But what if any fairness can get out of this?

Your eyes didn’t leave his when you smirked.

“Sure thing, jagi.”

The chair threatened to move backwards with the added weight, but Han planted his shoes on the ground with more firmness, his arms traveling to your waist, making sure that even if the chair gave up, you wouldn’t end up on the floor.

Your back was facing him, and you knew you were using that to your advantage when you stoond up just enough to sit a little further, just a tiny bit, now able to lie your head on his shoulder comfortably.

It’s no surprise that this match’s winner could have been already decided, considering your current position in less than ten minutes together. A good player knows when not even the VAR can rule these points out if they wanted to.

Han knew he wouldn’t.

You don’t, however, so it could start to look like the gameplay may take a turn. He could get the upper hand, seeing as his arms cheekily traveled around your waist and he sighed, his breath hot against the skin of your neck, and your head could figure out you had lost, judging by how hard it was to fight off the shivers that ran through your spine because of him.

You were blushing, sitting on his lap. You weren’t sure you could remember what you were supposed to be doing in the studio anyways.

After all, rules are followed because everyone knows them. But what happens when none of the players can decide where to draw the line?

“What do we have here?” Your tone sounded cheeky, yet neither of you will comment on it as you point at the big screen slightly above you.

“A beat I was working on.” His voice too felt slightly lower, its sneaky undertone able to hit you like a truck if spotted, hunting you like a sweet you couldn’t help but crave.

Your hands traveled to his neck, and you fidgeted with the golden chain there, teasing as you purposefully graced your fingers against his skin, tickling, tantalizing.

“Can I listen to it?” You snickered while putting on his chain.

Sometimes, one of the players may not be really acquainted with the rules. And at the end, in this gameplay, at least, no winners can achive said golden medal when you’re not able to ignore how his fingers never once stopped playing with the light-coloured threads that decorated the end of your high-waisted shorts.

The drums and beats and bass all filled up the sound-proofed room once Jisung pressed play.

You giggled, returning the chain to its rightful owner, letting it dangle, following its patter from his nape, to his collarbone, and down to his chest.

He shivered, almost unnoticeable, and you smiled.

“It’s a fire beat.” I’m winning. “Have you planned what to add to it?” Turn it against me.

He smirked, nodding, his hands pressing you even more against him, as if that could make you able to read his mind, then make him able to take your breath away as he’d finally let the bomb inside him explode, take you from your thighs and sit you on the table before him, not bothering to move anything an inch as his fingers unbutton your blouse and how you would hastedly discard his sweatter off him.

But that won’t happen as of now, so he just grinned, taking your hands, always a little colder than his, and used the sleeves of his sweater to cover them, warming them up with the fabric. Which was as intended. Not merely holding hands as he kept at bay all of the thoughts that flooded him whenever your studio sessions came around.

Of course not.

“Oh, yeah.” He replied, a faint blush not noticeable thanks to the coloured lights. Its direct if you’re thinking the same as him, but that, he won’t know, so still, he replied cheekily.

“There’s still things to do.”

His eyes found yours, and he smirked.

“I don’t think I’ll be done soon.”

It’s ridiculous how he bit his lip, almost threatening you to follow along and bite him too.

“It’s just a little too good. Don’t you think, doll?” The way he paused after every sentece started to drive you wild, and you fidgeted with his rings again, both of your hands hidden in the holes of his sweater.

It’s also sweet how you didn’t know he was not wearing anything else underneath it.

At least, not yet.

Rules says you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

And Han Jisung is and has always been a thorough player.

[⛓️☆ 🎀 ☆⛓️]

~Kats, who thinks has been exposed to lots of euro matches to end up writing this. lol

catiuskaa, july 2024 ©

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 134 }

drugstore perfume.

peter parker x fem.reader

notes: post no way home.

{ gone, today | i might just see you around | it hurts but i understand | if you can't find another reason not to stay }

there was a cute guy that often stopped by your diner, exuding a type of loneliness that kept you achingly captivated.

he orders simple meals, often opting for a lighter meal consisting of a simple sandwich with a bowl of whatever the soup of the day was. with your workplace being a diner that remained opened for 24 hours, for once, you were happy that your usual shift was the graveyard shift.

without fail, he would come in around 2 to 3am, wearing a hoodie with unexplained cuts and bruises dotting his skin. and despite the minor injuries that were kept sustained against his face, it didn't do much to mar his soft and gorgeous features.

each time you would serve him, he would give you that same, sad smile. his kind eyes always appeared grateful before digging into his meal, yet it was clear that he was keeping many parts of himself hidden from you.

you had a sense that... that there was so much more to him than meets the eye.

why was it that every time he would enter the diner, he was covered in fading bruises?

why was he always alone, never once coming into the diner with a friend or family member?

and why did you have this inexplicable urge to comfort him each time he would gaze out the diner's window, his unblinking gaze staring at the cityscape with some unknown emotion you could never quite place.

you wanted to get closer to him-

to find out all the mysteries he had to offer.

and you were finally going to do something about it.

it was like you had become so accustomed to his presence, with you getting ready for work each night whilst sporting a gentle smile on your face. once your uniform was on, you step out of your apartment and began your trek towards the diner, your strides having a bit of the bounce to them.

your walk to work was uneventful (as per usual), with you clocking right at 10pm, ready to relieve your coworker of her shift as you take her place, taking on orders for the new patrons that surrounded the diner.

you kept busy, doing your best to not look at the clock as the hours ticked by, your heart practically pounding as it neared 2am. as if responding to the late hours, the amount of customers you served began to dwindle down, leaving you alone with the cook as the diner was now empty.

with a hum, you begin wiping down the tables, eyes trailing over to the clock once more, seeing that the time read 2:05 when you hear the sounds of a door opening.

you look back to see him, flashing you a sheepish smile as his brown eyes met with your welcoming gaze. he spends a few seconds admiring you, shaking his head while fighting back a blush. a cough was heard coming from him before he looks away from you.

walking with a comfortable pace, you allow yourself to stand next to him, brushing back your hair while taking out your pad and pen.

"hey peter, your bruise looks a lot better today."

you greet him by stating his first name, shivering a bit when he lets out a hum in response. those gentle vibrations heard coming from him was enough to make your knees a little weak for him.

"uh, thanks... i told you before that i can heal pretty well."

you nod and meet his gaze, your smile kind and genuine. "what can i get for you?"

"what's the soup of the day?"

"tomato bisque."

"then i'll take a grilled cheese, with some coffee, please."

"got it, peter."

you felt yourself smiling when you turn away from peter, already replaying the interaction you just had with him within your mind. he was just so sweet, and you felt your desires to get to know him growing in response.

you linger against the cooking area, waiting by the window for the cook to finish making peter's order. paul looks at you while toasting up the bread on his grill.

"what's this about? you hardly linger close to me when i'm trying to work." paul lets out a grunt before placing the cheese on top of the slices, combining them together into the perfect grilled cheese.

"i know i know, but... this guy's special to me." you admit to the cook with a whisper, a familiar heat felt against your cheeks. "so i was wondering... could you make me a sandwich, too? just so i can talk to him a bit?"

paul lets out another grunt, "don't see why not. we ain't busy or anythin' so sure. get your boy, then."

you can feel the heat spreading across your cheeks as you waited for paul to finish. within the next 10 minutes, he places both of your orders on a tray while giving you a wink. you smile brightly at him, taking the food while making your way towards peter's table.

peter looks away from his phone, setting it off to the side as you caught a glimpse of the news article he was reading.

SPIDER-MAN STRIKES AGAIN! STOPPING AN ARMED ROBBERY AT THE FIRST AMERICA BANK!!

"here's your order pete. and oh? i didn't peg you to be a fan of spider-man."

your voice was casual as you sit across from him with your own grilled cheese and tomato bisque soup. peter's blushing face and sudden gape made it clear that your question made him feel flustered when he quickly reaches out to shut off his phone, hiding the news article from you.

"ah, y-yeah, i was just curious about him, t-that's all." his voice appeared crack, but he was all too eager to change the subject when he sees you sitting across from him with the same meal.

"oh, you're eating too?"

"yes...uhm, i just wanted to keep you company, i guess?" you admit to him with a shy smile, trying to hide your shyness when biting into your own grilled cheese sandwich.

peter's eyes were seen furrowed for a brief second before his expression changes into a sweet smile. "thanks, i think i could use your company, actually."

that was all that needed to be said when peter begins to enjoy his own meal, biting into his grilled cheese dipped into the tomato bisque. he sneaks glances at you, and you could tell that he wanted to say so much more than what he was actually letting on.

you strengthen your resolve and decide to guide the conversation first. "this may not be any of my business but... i notice that you've been coming here for a while."

"mhmm." peter looks back up at you, and you notice how his rich, brown hair falls across his forehead, making your hands itch with the urge to gently brush it back.

however, you were able to fight back such urges, keeping your hands tightly balled up against your lap in response. "s-so, what i was wondering is... why are you always alone?"

you allow your question to linger within the air, sensing that it was an uncomfortable question for peter to try and answer. his hand seemed to grip tightly at the spoon, and you watch when he seemed to bend the metal in response.

your eyes go wide when peter suddenly stands from his seat, running a hand through his hair as he grabs his phone reached into his pockets to get out his wallet.

"sorry, i have to go."

he grabs a few bills from his wallet before tossing them on the table, filling you with a guilt when you look back at his half-eaten meal. "wait, peter, i'm sorry. i didn't mean to-"

"keep the change."

that was all he said before he quickly leaves the diner, making your heart turn cold as ice was felt coursing through your veins. upon hearing the commotion, paul walks out of the kitchen right as peter left. confusion was seen in the man's gaze when he looks down at the table, seeing the completely bent spoon while letting out a whistle.

"damn, did he do that?"

yet you couldn't bring yourself to answer him, simply taking both of your half-eaten meals, being filled with a guilt for potentially overstepping your boundaries with peter.

just who are you? those were the thoughts that lingered within your heart and mind, filling you with an even deeper yearning to get a better understanding of the mysterious young man who seemed to have built a wall around his very heart...

{ ... }

your shift didn't end for another hour, yet paul could sense how distracted you had become and let you off early. he tells you that the waitstaff for the morning shift was on their way and that you could go home to cool off.

"i'll let 'em know you weren't feeling too well, so you just focus on getting some rest."

you give him a grateful smile, clocking out while grabbing your belongings together. "you're the best, paul."

he lets out a rich chuckle while stating your name, "you're damn right i am. be careful going home now, okay?"

with one last nod, you give him a wave and got out of the diner, taking in the cool, early morning air as the sky steadily began to lighten in response to the incoming sun.

"hey."

a soft voice stops you from stepping forward, and you look behind you to see peter himself waiting off to the side. he wore an apologetic expression on his face, adjusting his hoodie while coming closer to you.

"mind if i walked you home?"

you shake your head eagerly at peter, "n-no, i don't mind at all."

he smiles at you, taking a stance right next to you as he kept up with your casual pace. you look back at him and smile.

"were you... waiting for me?"

"yes." peter admits with a sigh, running a hand across his hair once more, making them appear much messier than before. "i felt like an ass for how i treated you back there."

"n-no! don't be, i...i may have gone too far with such a question. a-and, i'm sorry."

"i'm sorry, too."

admittedly, your heart felt so much lighter with your respective apologies stated clearly, no longer feeling the guilt when you continue walking back to your apartment with peter by your side.

you spent several seconds in silence when his voice was heard cutting through your thoughts. "i've lost so many people, that's why you always see me alone."

your heart clenches when you could detect the unbidden sadness in his voice. "you have, peter?"

he doesn't meet your gaze, keeping his eyes against the skyline when he nods at you. the more you looked at him, the more you could see his soft brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears from beneath the sunlight.

"yeah, i have..."

you stop walking, not liking the fact that peter was suffering so much. his loneliness truly didn't seem intentional at all. wishing to change the subject for him, you sigh and lighten up your tone.

"you know, i've been curious about the bruises i see on your face sometimes..."

peter stiffens in response to your observation, but you quickly hold up your hands in response.

"i-i mean, i don't think much of it, i just thought you were into boxing, or were an mma fighter or something."

your words succeed in making peter burst out in a laugh. "what? are you serious? an mma fighter?"

"ah, you're laughing at me?!"

you join in with him, actually feeling so relieved that he had relaxed, even just a tiny bit, while talking to you. he continues to laugh, and you allow yourself to bask within the sounds of his joy.

"sorry, that's kind of flattering, but i may not be bulky enough to be an mma fighter..." peter purposely trails off, continuing to walk with you when you see a wistful smile painting at his features.

"but that isn't to say that i can't fight."

you freeze and stop walking once more, your eyes looking up at him with intrigue. peter also stops walking again, appearing like it was taking him a herculean effort to not laugh at his very moment.

"care to elaborate, pete?"

he lets out a sigh of your name before shrugging. "nah, i don't think i will. i like keeping you on your toes."

that was all he says before walking ahead of you, making you gasp as you ran towards him, telling him how mean he was being to you while he laughs, seeming to enjoy this banter with you as he continued to walk you home.

{ ... }

your mind was constantly filled with thoughts of peter, and you couldn't seem to sit still whenever your daydreams with him would take over.

after walking with you to your apartment, you traded numbers with him and end up texting him on a near daily basis. he was charming, funny, and had to be the most attractive guy you had ever met. your happiness was so infectious that your co-workers take note of the change in your attitude, seemingly happy that things were going well for you and peter.

today was your weekend off, and you decided to spend it out in the city. you texted peter once more early in the morning, but had yet to receive a reply back from him. not thinking much of peter's sudden inactivity, you went on with your day.

you thought about your plans, and wondered if you wanted to head to a café, or your local bookstore to treat yourself to something nice. and maybe, if peter ever replied back to you, you could invite him to join you with whatever activity you wished to do.

that was all that filled your mind when you waited at the stoplight for your turn to cross the street. you stopped checking the messages on your phone and placed it back within the safety of your bag. when you saw that it was safe for you to walk did you finally cross the road-

however, the screeching sounds of tires quickly approaching you makes you freeze in response.

as if time had gone into slow motion, your eyes take in the quickly approaching car, seeing a couple arguing in the front. the driver was not paying much attention to the road, still screaming at his girlfriend as your eyes take in the close proximity of the car.

within the next seconds, the woman sees you and screams, "WATCH OUT!"

yet before the car could make its grave impact into you, you felt your body being flung away as a pair of powerful arms rescues you from the speeding car.

you were hit with an intense vertigo, filling you with a dizziness as your eyes take in the passing scenery of the city. you were so close to puking-

yet within the next second, you found yourself safely planted against a rooftop.

your steps were unsteady as the same pair of powerful arms that saved you continues to wrap around you.

"hey, hey, look at me, are you okay? you're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

your blurry eyes finally look forward, seeing the familiar mask of a vigilante, taking in the spider motif seen against his skin tight suit. you could tell that he was staring at you with concern, even with the way his mask covered the entirety of his features.

the adrenaline slowly simmers down, bringing you down to your knees as you kept on trembling within spider-man's arms.

"oh my god, i was about to- i-i nearly-"

before you could even process how you were so close to dying, you felt spider-man wrap his arms around you, bringing you closer to him as you felt a pair of soft, chapped lips pressing desperately against your own.

the way his lips perfectly slot against yours was enough to make your anxieties go away. you feel the way his hands delve into your hair, pressing one last deep kiss against your lips before pulling away from you.

"ssh, don't even think about it anymore. you're here, safe and sound in my arms. just breathe... just breathe..."

spider-man continues to distract you, holding you in his arms as he walked closer to the edge of the building. his grip on you was tight when he brushes back your hair, pulling down his mask once more while giving you a chance to calm down.

when your breathing goes back to normal, becoming even while losing its hyperventilated quality did he softly ask you, "do you want me to take you home?"

you were still recovering from the shock of his kiss and your near death experience, only managing to give him a nod in response. and despite how you couldn't see his smile, you could hear it in his voice.

"you just hang on to me as tightly as you can, okay? i won't ever drop you, and all you need to do is just trust me."

you give the masked vigilante a nod. "yes, i trust you, spidey."

wrapping your arms around him, you hid your face within his neck as he used his webs to travel quickly through the city. his webs lands with an accurate precision against the buildings, yet still remained durable enough to hold his and your weight. shutting your eyes, you bask at the sensation, feeling as though you were flying from within spider-man's arms.

in just a few minutes, he lands at the front of your fire escape, unlocking your window with his skilled hands as he climbs into your apartment with you.

your eyes go wide when a sudden wave of clarity hits you, feeling spider-man go into your room when he sits on top of your bed with you, this time, his body was trembling.

"spidey-"

he ends up holding you tight, wrapping his arms around your back while hiding his face within the curve of your neck.

"i-i thought i lost you... f-fuck, i thought you were going to be gone from my life, too."

your heart begins to pound, recognizing that broken quality of his voice when you place you hand behind spider-man's head. the hero allows you to pull his face away from you, not even stopping you when you completely lift up his mask-

revealing peter to you.

you caught a glimpse of his bloodshot eyes for a brief moment when he suddenly kisses you again, allowing you to taste the saltiness of his tears as he crushes your frame closer to his body. sobs were felt raking down his form when you gently kiss him back, all while whispering gentle words of comfort to him.

you allow him to cling to you, letting his tears fall freely when you lay back against your bed with him. as he continues to cry against your neck, allowing those warm droplets to cascade down your skin, your heart became softer for him. making sure that you were holding him tightly against you, you begin to draw invisible circles around his back, waiting for peter to catch his breath.

after several minutes, you felt him pressing a kiss against your cheek, catching your attention when he frames at your face.

"sorry, for giving me a minute to... to let it all out."

he rests his forehead against yours, and you were filled with a soft affection for him, running your fingers through his hair in response.

"did you want to talk about it."

"eventually, i will." peter manages to tell you in a breathless whisper. "eventually, but not now."

you hum in agreement, falling back against your bed while still gently running your hands against his soft hair. "take all the time that you need, peter. i'll be here... i'll always be here for you."

peter lets out a sharp inhale, now strengthening his hold on you when he slowly admits to you.

"you're the reason why i came to the diner so much."

your heart nearly bursts in response to his words, making you meet his gaze once more, seeing the love he had for you shining in them.

"really?"

"yeah...really." peter smiles while brushing the back of his hand against your cheek. "when i first came to the diner, i wasn't expecting to see such a cute waitress; one that stole my heart at first glance."

he sighs and leans forward to kiss your cheek, the action feeling quite soft and sweet to you. "at first, i just wanted to protect you; to make sure that you were safe while working. but... the more i observed you, the harder i fell for you."

peter meets your gaze once more and shakes his head, "that night, when you asked me why i was so alone all the time, i wanted to come clean to you right then and there, b-but, i had to stop myself. i knew that when i finally told you, then it would need to be the full story, with me not hiding a single thing from you-"

you cut off his words with another kiss, basking in his tiny moans of your name before pulling away from him.

"you don't have to worry about telling me, peter. i won't ever leave your side, so... you have all the time in the world."

you go back to wrapping your arms around his back, letting him rest his head against your shoulder when you reassure him once more, "i won't ever leave you, and i'll be happy to listen to your story when your ready."

basking in the way his body loosens up, you allow peter to wrap his arms tightly around you, speaking with a bit of a tremor in his voice when he asks you, "do you promise?"

"i promise." with your oath lingering in the air, you press your lips against his forehead, ready to stay by his side as you smiled to yourself, feeling happy that you managed to break down his walls- slowly becoming the absolute love of his life.

{ and as these days go by | they can't change how long we've waited for | a love that's more ... a love that's more. }

a.n. - lmao, i am so sorry it took me a whole month to get a new peter parker story out. when i realized i had gained a few new readers with joy, i knew that i couldn't stop writing for peter with just that story alone. this is unedited, but it has become one of my favorite stories that i have written in a long time. 🥹

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[arc852]

First Meetings 2/3

Summary: How Jimmy met Grian and Joel.

Warnings: anxiety, being/feeling trapped, hunger pains, fear, helplessness, arguing, and being grabbed

Word Count: 6756

Part 1

AO3 Link

It's finally here! So sorry about the wait, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble but I think I'm pretty happy with how it came out!

This is the meat of their first meeting, so we finally get to see just how badly it really went lol. I hope you guys enjoy!

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 Jimmy woke up with a start to a blaring, ear piercing sound. He let out a yelp that was thankfully covered by the loud sound as he sat up, breathing heavily. As his brain caught up with him, he realized it was the sound of an alarm. He’d learned that humans usually set them so they could wake up and get to class on time. But if it was the weekend, then why was it on? And why had no one turned it off yet? Jimmy held his hands against his ears, trying to block out the sound.

 “Joel! Turn off your alarm!” Jimmy heard Grian yell over the blaring bleeps, sounding annoyed and groggy, having also been jostled awake by the alarm.

 Joel groaned and Jimmy watched as Joel’s hand came out from the bed and blindly tapped on his phone. The noise stopped and Jimmy let his hands fall with a sigh of relief.

 “Seriously, Joel?” Grian asked.

 “Sorry, I forgot to turn it off!” Joel said, also annoyed by his own mistakes.

 “The two days we get to sleep in and you forgot to turn your alarm off for one of them.” Grian continued.

 “I get it! You can shut up already!” Joel yelled back and then both were silent for a long moment. Jimmy thought they had both fallen back asleep until Grian spoke up again.

 “...We should probably get up.” He said and then Jimmy felt the bed above him shifting before Grian’s feet hit the floor to Jimmy’s right.

 “Yeah, yeah. I can’t go back to sleep after that anyway.” Joel agreed and Jimmy noticed him getting up and out of bed as well.

 As the two humans went about their morning routines, Jimmy’s stomach growled and ached. Jimmy licked his lips as he realized it had now been a full day since he had last eaten anything and about the same since he’d had a drink of water. He was really starting to feel the effects of that now.

 Still, there was nothing he could do about it.

 Jimmy curled in on himself and watched the humans walk around the room, doing various things. They finally picked up their old clothes, throwing them in two separate hampers in the corner of the room. They then both took turns in the bathroom, walking out dressed and then started discussing breakfast.

 Jimmy tried to tune them out as they talked about food, feeling his stomach ache with every mention. 

 “I don’t really feel like going anywhere though.” Jimmy caught as he zoned back in. It was Joel who had spoken.

 “We can get it delivered then.” Grian answered and then it was silent for a moment. At this angle, Jimmy could only see their legs and feet, so he was unsure what they were doing. “Okay…you want the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich?” Grian asked and Jimmy realized they must be ordering on their phone. He had seen a lot of college students do that before.

 Food delivered right to your door, whenever you wanted, sounded like a dream if Jimmy was being honest.

 “Yeah, but add avocado and ham. Extra toasted.” Joel listed and Jimmy could just barely hear Grian typing on his phone now that he knew what was happening. 

 “Got it…” There was another second of silence. “Okay, it’s all ordered. Should be here in 25 minutes.”

 “Cool. Wanna look for another movie to watch while we wait?” Joel suggested and Jimmy could already see him going over to his desk to grab his laptop. The typing on the laptop was a lot louder than the phone had been.

 “Sure, I’m down for a movie day.” Grian said and then met Joel over by his desk. Both humans were hunched over, talking back and forth over what movies they wanted to watch that day. Jimmy barely paid attention to what they were saying, not really understanding it anyway.

 25 minutes later, at least, Jimmy assumed it was around then considering what Grian had said before, there was a knock at the door. Jimmy jumped, startled by the sudden loud thud and his eyes honed in on the door. Grian went to answer it, opening the door to grab the food. 

 “Thanks.” Grian said, food in hand and then shut the door as the delivery driver started to walk away. Grian turned back around and placed the bag on Joel’s desk.

 The aroma hit Jimmy all at once. It smelled so good.

 Another ache in his stomach made him wince.

 “Here, you can grab yours. We can watch the movie on my bed.” Grian said and then picked up his sandwich and the laptop, heading closer to Jimmy. Jimmy tensed slightly but of course Grian was coming this way, he was underneath his bed after all.

 “Sounds good to me!” Joel said. “That just means I get a crumb free bed tonight.”

 “You better not be leaving crumbs in my bed.” Grian said and despite Jimmy not being able to see him, he could picture the glare on his face clear as day.

 “What happens, happens.” Joel said and then chuckled. He grabbed his sandwich, unwrapping it and taking a bite as he headed over toward Grian and his bed. Jimmy watched with increased interest as a piece of bacon dropped from his sandwich and onto the floor.

 Joel paused. “Whoops.”

 “Joel.” Grian said, disappointment clear in his tone. “Could you not?”

 “Oh come on, it wasn’t even that much.” Joel continued walking, getting into the bed on the opposite side Grian did.

 “You’re not even gonna pick it up?” Grian asked, incredulously.

 “Eh, I’ll do it later.” Joel said, muffled from a bite of food.

 “Unbelievable.” Grian said but didn’t get up himself to go pick it up either. Instead, Jimmy heard the start of the movie going as the two humans got comfortable and ate their food.

 Jimmy was barely paying any attention to them though, all his focus was on that small sliver of bacon that had fallen from Joel’s sandwich. He licked at his dry lips, wanting nothing more than to run out there and grab it.

 But he couldn’t. Not yet at least. Grian and Joel had just barely started their movie, they could still not be fully engrossed into it yet. 

 But also, he couldn’t wait until they went to bed either. He was sure the bacon piece would be picked up and thrown away as soon as they were done. Jimmy couldn’t let that happen though. He needed to eat. He also needed water but that was something he would have to try for later on. Maybe he could try and get into the bathroom and up to the sink later tonight?

 He shook his head. He needed to focus on what was in front of him first. And that was a piece of food that was threatening to disappear if Jimmy didn’t act fast enough.

 If Jimmy waited just a bit longer, he could run out quickly and grab it before either human had a chance to look up. And hopefully, if they tried to look for it and saw that it was missing, they would only assume they had accidentally kicked it away.

 It was his best option and his only one at this point. He really needed to eat, so he would have to take the risk.

 He waited until Grian and Joel were halfway into their second movie. The humans had already finished eating and had tossed their trash onto Grian’s side table, not wanting to get up to throw it away yet. They seemed completely engrossed into the movie, at least as far as Jimmy could tell. If he was going to do this, now would be the time.

 Jimmy took a deep breath and got closer to the edge of the bed, but not quite going out into the open yet. He heard the movie playing in the background, the humans themselves quiet as they watched. He eyed the bacon halfway across the room and then, without any more hesitation, Jimmy quickly and as quietly as he could, took off.

 He darted across the room, making it in less than a minute. He quickly picked up the piece of bacon, holding his prize close to his chest. He was about to turn around and head back to under the bed, when suddenly, he heard one of the human’s gasp.

 Jimmy tensed but tried to keep his nerves calm. The humans were watching a movie after all, they could just be reacting to that. Hopefully.

 Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

 “What…is that?” One of them spoke, Jimmy didn’t care to distinguish who it was, too busy feeling his nerves spike as he realized they had seen him.

 Jimmy dropped the bacon and ran toward Joel’s bed, not wanting to risk trying to get back underneath Grian’s. As soon as he had moved, he heard the humans’ shout something and jump off the bed, their movie paused and all but forgotten.

 Jimmy could feel the thuds of the humans’ feet as they followed after him but thankfully Jimmy had a head start. He was able to reach underneath the bed before either human could catch up to him. Jimmy went all the way to the back wall, pressing himself against it as he looked at the legs and feet of the humans only a few feet away from him. His breaths were rapid and his eyes were blown wide as he realized just how dire of a situation he was in.

 He might have managed to get under the bed in time but he was far from safe.

 The humans had appeared to pause for a second as soon as Jimmy disappeared underneath the bed. “Was that some sort of mouse?” Joel asked, though his unsure tone was enough to tell that he already knew the answer to that question was a resounding no. Still, Grian answered.

 “That was definitely not a mouse.” Grian said, breaths slightly heavy at the sudden excitement. “It…It looked like a tiny person.”

 “Okay, so I wasn’t just seeing things then. Good to know.” Joel said. “A tiny person…”

 Suddenly, without warning, Grian’s knees hit the floor and he twisted his body so he could peer underneath the bed. His eyes scanned the area and Jimmy felt himself freeze, a shiver running down his spine as he met eyes with the human.

 The human’s eyes widened, filled with shock and awe. “There it is.” Grian practically whispered, the shock also clear in his tone. “It…It really is a tiny person.”

 “Really?” Jimmy heard Joel say but he tried his best to block it all out.

 Jimmy wanted nothing more than to just not be here. He was trapped, not just underneath the bed, between a wall and a pair of humans, but in the entire room itself. Even if he managed to hide again, which was looking close to impossible now, he was sure the two humans would tear the entire room apart looking for him.

 And they would find him. Because he was trapped.

 Jimmy was suddenly finding it very hard to breathe. His worst fear was coming true and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He pressed further into the wall, trying to ground himself, trying to forget for just a moment that there were a pair of human eyes on him, just long enough to try and catch his breath.

 Unfortunately, this meant he wasn’t paying attention to what the humans were doing. He suddenly heard a noise of strain and foolishly looked back toward the human only to nearly jump out of his own skin as a hand started to reach for him. Jimmy yelped, wishing for all the world that he could just melt into the wall. But, thankfully, it seemed Jimmy was safe for now, as the hand only got about halfway underneath the bed before it stopped. 

 They couldn’t reach him.

 Small victories.

 “I can’t reach it.” Grian said with a grunt and then the hand retreated after a moment, once again leaving a clear view of Grian’s face. The human bit his lip. “Hey, it’s okay. You can come out.” Grian said, speaking to Jimmy for the first time. “Come on little guy.”

 Jimmy didn’t so much as move a muscle, let alone answer. Like he would just walk right up to the human. They must think he was an idiot or something.

 Jimmy realized, as soon as the thought entered his mind, that they probably did. Maybe not in those simple terms but…were they even aware he could understand them? Humans always looked down on his kind, not quite seeing them as people. And based on the condescending tone Grian used, it wasn’t hard to see that that’s what was happening here.

 Grian tried reaching for him again and Jimmy couldn’t help the small whimper that escaped him. He knew Grian couldn’t reach him from here but he couldn’t help but keep his eyes on the hand trying, afraid that if he were to tear them away that, somehow, the hand would grab him.

 Unfortunately, he was so focused on Grian, he had forgotten about Joel.

 Jimmy’s attention jumped to the legs of the bed, which were suddenly moving forward. Jimmy frowned, his scrambled, fear-filled brain trying to make sense of what was happening. The darkness let up as the bed moved, revealing the lights above. Jimmy looked up in confused fear, his eyes darting back and forth between the new opening and Grian.

 And then there was a hand descending down, heading right toward him. Jimmy had no time to even try to run, the only thing he could do was duck down, trying to make himself even smaller. It didn’t help though, in fact, it made it worse. The hand engulfed his entire body in less time than Jimmy could comprehend and he found himself completely enveloped in the fist, his body scrunched up even tighter at the lack of room. He then felt the hand shoot back up, bringing Jimmy with it.

 As he was brought up, another hand joined the one he was trapped in. He now found himself held in between two hands, which, while offering him more room, was no less terrifying.

 Jimmy struggled within the hands confines, kicking away at the fingers that were larger than his entire body. They didn’t so much as budge though, his efforts and struggles all for nothing. His breathing came out in short pants as he realized this. As he realized he had been well and truly caught. 

 “I got it!” He heard Joel exclaim, much too close and far too loud. Jimmy flinched away but there really was no point when he was literally in the human’s hands. He was already much closer than he had ever wanted to be to a human.

 “Nice work, Joel.” Grian said and Jimmy heard some shuffling. He could only assume Grian was standing back up. 

 Jimmy closed his eyes. He could imagine the two humans, both surrounding him and staring down at where he was still hidden from view within Joel’s cupped hands. Looks of awe and curiosity, faces full of smirks and grins. He wouldn’t have to imagine for long though. 

 He opened his eyes back up just in time to see a small gap start to open up in Joel’s hands. Jimmy tensed up even more and couldn’t help the yelp as the fingers parted away to reveal a giant eye. Jimmy backed away as much as he could in the cramped space, but while it but distance between him and the eye, it only put him closer to the curve of Joel’s hand. He froze, doing his best to stay in the center of the hand, to avoid the most contact.

 The eye was wide as it took him in before it left and the gap quickly closed back up. “This is so weird…” Joel said, trailing off. “I can’t believe this is real.”

 “It doesn’t even look like there could be anything in your hands.” Grian said, his voice in awe.

 “Oh, it’s-he’s? Definitely in there.” Joel said with a slight unbelieving chuckle. Jimmy weakly tried to kick at the walls of flesh again, despite knowing it wouldn’t do anything. “This is so weird. I can feel his tiny legs kicking me.”

 “Okay, well come on. Open up, I want to see it.” Grian said.

 “Okay, okay.” Joel said and that was all the warning Jimmy got as Joel’s hands opened up. Jimmy shut his eyes tight, not unfurling himself from his curled up position. He didn’t want to see them. He didn’t want this to be real.

 Unfortunately, he wasn’t given a choice, as suddenly, the human’s thumb slid itself underneath his curled up body. It managed to easily break apart his curled up position and ended up pressing gently against his chest before maneuvering him into a seated position in the hand. He was manhandled so easily, so casually. His struggles didn’t even compare.

 The thumb didn’t move. It stayed pressed against his chest and Jimmy felt constricted, like he could barely breathe. Even though he knew the pressure wasn’t enough to block any air, the panic was doing a good enough job of that anyway.

 “Wow, his heartbeat is going crazy.” Joel commented, able to feel Jimmy’s pulse under the pad of his thumb. The human’s voice pulled Jimmy’s eyes up in that direction and…well, it was exactly like how he had imagined it. But worse. The humans were so close, their eyes looking him up and down, full of that awe and curiosity he had guessed but that still had Jimmy’s heart racing even faster at actually seeing it. He cowered further back into the hand, though the thumb still pressed against his chest kept him from being able to move too much.

 “He’s probably scared.” Grian noted. “Or maybe it’s because of how small he is. Don’t small creatures have faster heart rates?” He looked toward Joel, eyebrow raised.

 Joel blinked at him. “I don’t know, why are you asking me? You’re the biology major here.”

 Grian chose to ignore that and looked back down at Jimmy. “It’s probably a bit of both, honestly.” Grian said, and then leaned down a bit more, his face coming closer to Jimmy. Jimmy let out a small whine, trying to lean back as far as he could away from the human. “It’s okay little guy, we’re not going to hurt you.”

 Jimmy swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat. They were speaking to him again and of course it was with that same condescending tone. But even without the tone, could Jimmy really even believe them? The words were empty, something to be said in the hopes that they could get their little catch to calm down and be easier to control. Jimmy knew perfectly well how humans worked.

 “Can he even understand us?” Joel asked, his awe turning more toward curiosity as he looked right at Jimmy’s face for any signs of recognition.

 “I mean…he’s very human-like. I’d be a bit surprised if he couldn’t.” Still, Jimmy saw the look of doubt on Grian’s face. Grian turned to look back down at Jimmy and titled his head. “Can you understand us?”

 Jimmy froze, not knowing what he should reveal. Would it be better to answer? Worse? Jimmy didn’t know. He didn’t know what these humans wanted from him. He blinked back some tears, refusing to cry. And then, with a lot of hesitation, Jimmy nodded. Better that they ran with him being more human-like than turning to him being more animal-like, he supposed.

 Despite Grian’s earlier words, both humans looked very surprised that Jimmy could indeed understand the two of them.

 “Did…he just nod?” Joel asked, looking to Grian to see if he saw the same thing.

 “He…did. Wow, okay, so he really can understand us.” Grian said, his eyes wide. “That’s amazing.” He breathed out, his awe returning tenfold.

 “Wait, if you can understand us,” Joel started, turning back toward Jimmy, who flinched. “Then does that mean you can also talk?”

 Despite the fact Jimmy didn’t think he could talk right now, at this moment, due to the panic still invading his chest, he gave another little nod. Might as well tell them that too, while he found himself revealing things. Wasn’t like it was a huge leap anyway, from being able to understand them to also being able to talk. 

 He watched as Joel grinned at his nod, an excitement in his eyes that had Jimmy’s nerves feel like they were on fire. “Well, you have to say something now. Don’t leave us in suspense.”

 Again, Jimmy didn’t think he could even if he wanted to. The pressure on his chest was starting to become uncomfortable now and if he opened his mouth to even try, he feared no words would come out. He shook his head and looked away, not knowing how they would react to him denying them something.

 Turns out, the reaction was a pout from Joel. “Oh come on, you can’t tell us you can talk and then not.” Joel reached out with his free hand and poked Jimmy in the side. Jimmy flinched back, his eyes wide as he watched as the hand stayed close. As if ready to attack again. “Might think you’re lying to us.” Joel’s eyes glint with mischief, his tone teasing.

 That scared Jimmy more than anything, though. And suddenly things were becoming just too much. His focus zeroed in on his chest, the pressure on it was overwhelming now and Jimmy couldn’t help but want it off. He braced his hands against the thumb and pushed. He knew it wouldn’t budge, he knew he was too weak to move it but he had to try.

 But surprisingly, the thumb did budge. In fact, it moved off his chest entirely. Jimmy sat there with his arms outstretched, blinking in confusion. That brief confusion soon turned into another bout of fear though, as Joel’s other hand came close once more, invading his space to snag one of his outstretched arms in between his thumb and forefinger. Jimmy’s breath hitched and he froze, scared that one wrong move would have his arm torn in two.

 “Look at his little hand. It’s so small.” Joel said, his tone turning to one of child-like awe. Grian’s face came into view once more, trying to get a better look. 

 “All of him is small, Joel.” Grian said but he was smiling, also staring at Jimmy’s trapped arm in awe. They seemed to have moved past him being able to talk, at least for now. “Okay, my turn.” Grian suddenly said.

 Jimmy was still trying to process what that meant when Grian’s hand suddenly descended upon him. His arm was dropped as Joel’s hand moved out of the way, making room for Grian to pinch Jimmy on his sides with two fingers, lifting him up and away from Joel’s palm. Jimmy kicked his feet, panic overtaking him as he looked down at the size of the drop. He had never had any problem with heights before but now, held so carelessly between pinched fingers, he was scared he would slip from the hold and drop below. A drop that would surely kill him.

 Fortunately, he was not in that pinched hold for long. Instead, transferred over and placed down on Grian’s palm. There was not much difference between either hand, though Jimmy noted Grian’s hand was slightly colder than Joel’s had been.

 “Hey! I wasn’t done holding him!” Joel exclaimed as Grian had forcefully taken Jimmy from his hands. Grian tutted at him, holding Jimmy close to his chest as Joel tried to reach back for him.

 “You gotta learn to share.” Grian said, a smirk on his face. “And you’ve held him for long enough.” Grian said, chuckling as Joel huffed and pouted, his arms crossed.

 “Fine.” Joel grumbled, but his demeanor quickly changed, coming up next to Grian in order to still see Jimmy clearly. He grinned. “It feels cool holding him though, right?”

 Grian hummed and Jimmy felt a shiver go down his spine at how Grian was scrutinizing him. Grian’s thumb came over to his side and started rubbing along his arm. Jimmy tried to flinch away but, of course, he was trapped on the hand. “It’s definitely weird.” Grian said after a moment. “Having an entire person in your hand…” He trailed off, the thumb lifting slightly to move some of his hair out of his face. Again, Jimmy flinched.

 This was painful, agonizingly so. Not knowing what was going to happen. Not knowing what these humans had planned for him. They were still in the awe and curiosity stages, still content with simply looking and touching him. Which was already terrifying enough. But soon, soon that would pass and something would actually be done to him. The thought left him shaking.

 Grian frowned. “I think he’s still scared.” Grian said, noticing the slight tremors coming from the little person in his hand. 

 “Oh, you’re right.” Joel said, also noticing. “It’s okay, little guy, we’re not going to hurt you. Promise.” Joel said, repeated Grian’s words from earlier. “I mean, come on, we haven’t hurt you so far, right?”

 They hadn’t hurt him yet. That much was true. But again, words didn’t mean anything. Besides…there were worse things they could do to him, if they truly weren’t planning on hurting him. Worse things…like being trapped, or kept…or…

 Jimmy was shaking even harder now, his mind going to the worst possible things. 

 Joel frowned and turned to Grian. “He wasn’t shaking like that in my hands. You should give him back.”

 Grian glared at him, holding Jimmy a bit closer. “He’s fine, I can handle it.” Grian was not giving up his turn with the tiny person so easily. Grian turned his attention back to him, once again moving his thumb, this time to rub against the little person’s back. “See? You’re okay.” Grian said to the guy.

 Jimmy was certainly not okay. The furthest thing from okay, actually.

 “Okay, my turn again.” Joel said, not letting anyone process his words before diving in and grabbing Jimmy from Grian’s hand. Joel’s fingers curled around his body, just a little too tight and Jimmy gasped.

 Instead of putting him back on Joel’s open palm though, he was kept like that. And Jimmy squirmed within the grasp, his chest tight with panic and the pressure.

 “Joel!” Grian exclaimed, so loud that Jimmy winced, unable to block his ears because his arms were trapped in Joel’s grip. “Give him back!”

 “Nope. Gotta learn to share.” Joel said, repeating Grian’s own words with a smirk of his own. “Besides, I think it’s time we got some answers.” At those words, Jimmy froze. He glanced up, meeting Joel’s eyes on accident. He knew them knowing he could talk would come back up.

 Grian’s frustration at Joel taking the tiny person from him ebbed away as his own curiosity got the better of him. It seemed both humans had forgotten about his fear.

 Or, more realistically, they were just ignoring it now.

 “So…what are you?” Joel asked, bringing Jimmy closer to eye level. Both humans were looking at him again. Not that they had ever stopped but now they were really looking. Like despite asking the question, they were still trying to figure it out for themselves.

 Jimmy shifted, at least, as much as he could in the grip. What would they do if he didn’t answer? Would the grip around him grow tighter? Would they take back their words of not hurting him? Jimmy didn’t want to find out but his throat still felt blocked from fear. “I-I…I…” He tried, his voice shaky and his words stuttering. 

 Grian and Joel leaned in even closer, eyes wide with awe. “He really can speak.” Grian muttered, despite the fact Jimmy had only managed to say the same one word three times.

 The hand finally opened up around him, and he all but fell into Joel’s open palm. There was no sense of relief for Jimmy, though. “Come on, what are you?” Joel asked once more, pressing him to try and speak again. Jimmy tried his best to swallow the lump in his throat.

 “I’m…I’m a borrower.” He finally forced out, not meeting their eyes. Joel blinked, having gotten his answer but not knowing what that meant.

 “A what?” Joel asked, feeling confused. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it definitely wasn’t that.

 Grian hummed, looking like he was in deep thought for a moment, the name triggering something deep in his mind. “Why does that sound familiar…?” He muttered to himself. Joel turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

 “Huh?” He asked Grian but Grian just shook his head.

 “Nothing. Not important.” Grian turned his attention back to, what was apparently, a borrower. “So, what does that mean? What’s a borrower?” Grian asked.

 Jimmy winced, but he had known simply saying what he was wouldn’t be enough for them. “I’m like you…just smaller. We, um, borrow things from humans…in order to survive.” Though it was easier to talk now, his panic had not lessened at all. He refused to look up at them as he spoke, afraid the words would catch in his throat again if he did.

 “I’ve never heard of anything like that before.” Joel commented and looked to Grian who only gave a shrug in response. Joel grinned as he turned back towards the borrower, poking him in the side again. “Although, based on what you described, it sounds more like you’re a little thief instead.” 

 Jimmy tensed, Joel unknowingly hitting a sore spot for Jimmy and his kind. Before he could stop himself, the words flowed. “We don’t steal, we-we just take what you wouldn’t miss.” Jimmy bit back and then shot a hand over his mouth when he realized what he had said. But instead of being angry, Joel let out a surprised laugh.

 “Oh, so the borrower can also talk back, huh?” Joel grinned and Jimmy felt a deep fear settle in his gut. “That’s so cute.” Shame rose up and showed on Jimmy’s cheeks. The condescending tone was starting to grate on his nerves.

 “I think that still counts as stealing.” Grian also chimed in and then reached over and once again plucked Jimmy off of Joel’s hands. Jimmy yelped and Joel startled, turning to glare at Grian.

 “Okay, no, that was definitely still my turn that time.” Joel said, his tone frustrated. Before Jimmy could even fully sit down on Grian’s palm, Joel was grabbing him again. 

 “Joel! Seriously, I want to hold him too.” Grian said, eyes narrowed and then reached his hand to grab for Jimmy again. Joel pulled his hands back, jostling Jimmy and making him feel dizzy. “You’re actually going to hurt him if you keep grabbing him and moving him around like that!”

 “Hey! You’re the one who grabbed him first!” Joel yelled and Jimmy placed his hands over his ears, their voices too loud, too much.

 Everything was too much. Their voices, their touches, their anger. They didn’t see him as a person, just an object, something to argue over, something to keep and look at and-and-and--

 “Stop!” He yelled and both humans froze. Jimmy was currently in Grian’s hands again, but Joel’s hand was close by, having reached out to grab him once again. They looked down at him, eyes wide and Jimmy had to quickly look away as tears began to form. They fell as he closed his eyes tight, hugging himself. “Please stop…please…please just let me go…”

 It was silent for a long, long moment. Jimmy could feel his heart beat in his head, pounding as he waited for what the humans would do to him. He shook as he let himself finally cry, it being long overdue.

 “Oh…blummin’ hell…” He heard Joel mutter and Jimmy flinched. The hand he was on started to move then and Jimmy gasped and held himself tighter, waiting for the grip to close around him and squeeze, or for him to be put in some sort of-of cage or jar or something…

 Jimmy’s eyes flew open as he was placed on a hard surface and looked just in time to see Grian’s hands leave. He looked around, expecting to see glass or bars but…he had simply been placed on the nightstand. Joel’s nightstand, if he wasn’t mistaken. 

 “Hey…” Grian’s voice cut through his thoughts and he flinched, eyes snapping up to look at the two humans towering over him. They looked…sad. Maybe even upset. That only terrified Jimmy more, his fear outweighing his confusion. Grian, when he noticed Jimmy’s attention was on him, continued. “We’re…we’re really sorry. We didn’t…we didn’t realize how much we were scaring you.”

 Jimmy blinked, his mind going blank as the confusion came back. They were…sorry? What? What was going on?

 “We were just…curious.” Joel chimed in, his words falling a bit flat. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from Jimmy. “I guess that’s really not an excuse though, huh?”

 Jimmy didn’t know what was happening. One minute they were fighting over him, treating him like a toy they had found, and now…now they were apologizing to him? “What…What are you doing?” Jimmy’s voice was still shaky, his cheeks still wet with tears, but he had to know.

 Grian winced. “We’re apologizing. Because…we messed up.” Grian and Joel exchanged a glance with each other, before Grian turned back to Jimmy. “And, well…you told us to stop. So we did.”

 Jimmy took in a shaky breath, unbelieving. “I really wasn’t expecting you to actually listen.” At his words, both humans winced once again.

 “Yeah…” Joel said with a sigh. “That’s definitely on us.”

 There was a pause, all three of them not knowing what to do. Jimmy could still feel himself trembling but now the fear was joined by something else. Something unknown. After a moment, Grian lowered himself to be more eye level with Jimmy. Jimmy flinched at the sudden movement and eye contact and Grian bit his lip at the reaction.

 “I know it’s not much, but we really are sorry. We’re not going to hurt you and we’re not…going to grab you again.” Grian said, his voice far softer than Jimmy had ever heard it. “We definitely went about this all wrong.” Grian said with a slight self-deprecating laugh.

 “Really wrong. We’re idiots.” Joel said, his tone also self-deprecating. “Grabbing you, fighting over you. We were treating you like a blummin’...I don’t know. But we weren’t treating you like a person.”

 Grian nodded in agreement and Jimmy’s eyes widened at their words. Could they really be…but that didn’t make any sense. Humans weren’t like that. Right? They acted like Grian and Joel had before, not…not like this.

 “Hey.” Grian said again, getting Jimmy’s attention. His smile was small, not quite meeting his eyes, and his voice low. “We should have asked this first but…what’s your name?”

 Jimmy felt his throat close up at how much he wanted to cry again. No one had asked him his name in…years. Of course, this was also his first time talking to anyone in just as long. But the sentiment was still there. Especially to be asked his name by a human…things really had taken a 180 here.

 “...J-Jimmy.” He managed to get out. It felt weird to say his name out loud.

 “It’s good to meet you Jimmy.” Grian said and if it was weird to hear his own voice say his name, it was definitely weird hearing it come out of a human’s mouth. “I’m Grian. And this is Joel.”

 “I know.” Jimmy said and then hunched in on himself when he realized what he had said. But the humans didn’t appear angry, just…confused.

 “You know?” Joel asked, uncrossing his arms and tilting his head.

 “I-I mean, I didn’t, I…well…” Jimmy tried to come up with something, waving his hands in front of him as he did so.

 “You must have overheard it, right?” Grian chimed in, interrupting Jimmy’s stuttering. Jimmy tensed, looking at Grian.

 “I…yeah. You’ve…you’ve said it a few times. To each other.” Jimmy answered, his eyes glancing away as he lowered his hands.

 “Oh, yeah I guess that makes sense.” Joel said and then paused for a moment, thinking something over. “If you don’t mind me asking…where did you come from?”

 Jimmy didn’t know why he felt inclined to answer. Maybe because the humans were acting so different from before, maybe because he still felt fear at them going back to that if he didn’t, but either way, Jimmy found himself answering. “I live in the uh…the walls. Of this building.”

 Joel hummed. “I guess that…makes sense?” He didn’t sound too sure of that though. “But then, what were you doing in our room?”

 Jimmy bit his lip. They already thought he was some sort of thief, what would they think if he told them he was trying to borrow from them. Would they be mad?

 Grian frowned at Joel’s question, wondering the same thing. But as Jimmy didn’t seem keen on answering, Grian decided to go back and walk through everything that had happened. They first saw Jimmy in the middle of the room and when he ran, Grian swears he remembers him dropping something…

 Grian stood back up and looked behind him toward the floor. Something small caught his eyes and he went over to it, bending down and picking it up, bringing it with him as he went back to his full height. His eyes widened with realization when he saw the object Jimmy had dropped was the piece of bacon from Joel’s sandwich. The one that he had dropped on the floor earlier that day.

 “Were you…trying to find food?” Grian asked, turning back around to look at Jimmy. Jimmy’s eyes were wide, his shaking growing once again.

 “I…” Jimmy started but quickly trailed off, his arms reaching to hug himself. At the piece of food, he was suddenly reminded of just how hungry he was. The fear had dulled the ache in his stomach but now it felt like it was eating itself. The empty gnawing feeling making him curl around himself even more.

 Not to mention, his dry throat. The tears had been a bad idea. He was so thirsty. The mix of fear, hunger, and dehydration was quite the messy combination.

 Both Grian and Joel looked at each other and then at Jimmy and then at the piece of cold, stale bacon in Grian’s hands. It was nothing more than a crumb, trash as far as the humans were concerned but Jimmy had risked his life for it. “Oh for goodness sake…” Joel muttered to himself.

 Jimmy bit his lip, eyes not leaving the piece of bacon pinched between Grian’s fingers. His stomach pains were becoming too much. And with everything else boiling over and being too much, he needed his stomach aches to lessen. He needed something to lessen and his hunger looked to be his best option right now. He swallowed thickly and glanced back up at the humans, hoping they wouldn’t be mad. “Can…can I have it? Please?” He forced himself to ask, trying to ignore the shame he felt creeping in again.

 Something in Grian and Joel broke at that. To be so hungry that you would take trash left on the floor was…awful. Not to mention how scared Jimmy still was of them. To ask them despite his fear was telling, that was for sure. The two humans looked at each other for a long moment, an understanding passing over them. They nodded, knowing what they had to do. Grian turned back to Jimmy, keeping his tone as soft as possible.

 “No.”

 Jimmy’s breath hitched and the arms around his midsection tightened. Of course it was going to be a no, of course. He shouldn’t have asked, now they knew how desperate he was. They could take advantage of that now.

 “Hey.” Grian’s voice cut him out of those thoughts and Jimmy looked at him. “It’s not what you think. It’s just…” Grian looked to Joel, who nodded.

 “We think we have a better idea.”

[emo-batboy]

Battinson and Food

He’s vegetarian and I will hear none of your crap

Depression meals, so many depression meals

I already made a post of his greatest hits here but here's three more:

A whole tub of apple sauce

Instant grits mixed with a hot chocolate packet

And a bowl of croutons

Some meals have actually graduated from the “Depression Meal” category to “Whenever I Can Sneak It Out of the Kitchen” status (because Alfred is appalled every time)

Dick, with the invincible, titanium-lined stomach of a 9yo, doesn’t know why Bruce makes them, but he loves taking bites of Bruce’s weird concoctions.

His favorites so far are:

Cream cheese and jelly sandwich

Spoonfuls of peanut butter (with chocolate chips, that was his idea)

And frozen garlic bread

Diner Food is King. (This is New Jersey. What did you expect?) His go-to order is two eggs over easy, well-done rye toast, grits with syrup and butter, and a fruit cup with no melons from the 24-hour place two blocks east. Hasn’t changed since he was five. Never will.

Bruce can cook food that is edible. Edible.

Like if he tries to make Italian, he can successfully cook the pasta. He can make a basic sauce. He can even plate it.

The tomato sauce is crunchy in some places, yes, but it’s fine :) and it is edible

but Bruce has NEVER succeeded in a baking endeavor, and it positively devastates him every single time

“Baking is science! I love science! I’m great at science. So why didn’t the cake rise when I did everything on the recipe?!” “You need to make it with love-“ “That wasn’t on the ingredients list, Alfred!”

He can handle spice surprisingly well. It’s not like he could avoid it while training all over the world, so he ended up building a tolerance, but his eyes still go unbelievably red every time.

He really fucks with bagels (I mean, what self-respecting Gothamite doesn’t) and he has a very specific bagel order for every possible mood from the great place downtown

The workers at Bagel Kingdom know which moods correspond with which order, and they have a designated spreadsheet taped to the back of the counter so they can work accordingly.

They know he’s barely hanging in there when he gets a toasted blueberry bagel with no butter.

He’s having a good day when he gets a plain bagel sandwich with tomato, provolone, two fried eggs, and hot sauce. In that order. That’s the shit

When he’s stressed, he gets a pumpernickel bagel with strawberry cream cheese to cheer himself up.

The workers of Bagel Kingdom will NOT let you disrespect his bagel.

Bruce almost burnt the tower down when he tried to cook a toaster waffle in the microwave while running on 40 hours without sleep, and he just kept cooking it because it wasn’t crisping for some reason

Alfred needs to force him to eat all the time

(It is definitely because Bruce suffers from disordered eating.)

There was one period of time in which Bruce went days without food, and Alfred (lovingly) threatened to send him to in-patient if he didn’t eat

Bruce said that those gross, mushy, lukewarm blueberries were the only thing he’d tolerate when he was struggling, so blueberries became their indicator: if Bruce can’t stomach blueberries, he goes to in-patient.

He’s gone twice, and Bruce was very mad each time, but he still uses healing methods that he was taught in there so it couldn’t have been that bad.

(He’s also friends with some of the nurses now. He, Denise, and Kayleigh have a group chat.)

Dick once convinced him to test taste different kinds of olive oil to learn the difference between regular and extra virgin. It was absolutely disgusting, and he ended up puking an hour later. Alfred now puts child locks on the kitchen cabinets.

The first time Bruce ever makes a meal that doesn’t look horrid is when he spends two weeks practicing Romani dishes for Dick the month after he adopts him.

He has since perfected three different recipes:

Stuffed peppers

Goulash

Cabbage rolls

(Keep in mind Dick is not vegetarian like Bruce.)

He tried making almond cake like 80 times (which is more like a biscuit but still a baked good) but could never do it right so Alfred makes them instead.

At dinner time, Dick always eats off Bruce’s plate more than his own. Alfred has chastised him several times, but Bruce only encourages him more. He thinks it’s cute. And so does the general public when they attend dinner parties.

One of Bruce's favorite memories of his parents is when he had a bad dream in the middle of the night so Thomas and Martha drove him out to the nearest diner to have a chocolate milkshake at 3 am.

Now, after patrol, if Bruce saw something traumatic or something that reminded him of his parents’ death, he’ll go to that same 24-hour diner and sit for a bit with a chocolate milkshake.

He continues this tradition after Dick becomes Robin. (Even if it took months for Bruce to even consider the idea of letting Dick near harm’s way.)

No matter how hard he tries to keep Dick away from the gruesome stuff, he can’t stop everything. They get milkshakes a lot more than Bruce would like.

But eventually, it turns into a treat whenever Dick does well in school or needs a pick-me-up.

And when they add Jason to the mix, they introduce him to the tradition as well.

They know everything will be okay when they have chocolate milkshakes together.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Bread Debut: Miitopia

Hey, everyone, look! It's Bread! Did you know? Bread is the best thing since sliced bread. Some of you might argue that Bread is sliced bread but consider: Bread is an enemy in a Video's Game. Can sliced bread say that? I didn't think so.

Bread is one of the very first enemies encountered in Peculia, and from this first encounter, the theme of the world becomes immediately apparent: Funny! Yes the game has been funny up to this point, but this is the Funny world, so they need to show you some especially funny enemies to make that clear. Enter Bread! And also Running Nose, who is also delightful and might get its own post someday.

But not today, Buster! Today is Bread's time to shine! Despite how wacky it is, Bread is a pretty standard enemy. All it can do is float up to you and tackle you. Nary a Special Attack to be seen! But that's okay, I think. Even without any condiments, Bread adds flavor to the game! Unless the eyeballs count as a condiment? Maybe if you're Shrek.

For some reason, the Miitopia Wiki has these descriptions for every enemy that don't exist anywhere in-game and are completely made up. Personally I think we shouldn't be insulting the Darker Lord for using their imagination. I think it was an inspired choice of them to make Bread into an enemy. Some of us would benefit from taking each others' eyes and putting them on random everyday objects to create new and exciting monsters. You know, for perspective. Maybe one of us can even become the living forks in Miitopia 2!

Now, as you're probably aware, Miitopia is an RPG, and every good RPG's bread and butter is introducing Stronger Color Variations. But alas, Miitopia does not have Buttered Bread, nor does it have Wheat Bread, Burnt Bread, or Very Lightly Toasted Bread...

...Because it goes above and beyond!

Meet Ham Sandwich! More than a mere Stronger Color Variation, Ham Sandwich not only gets two slices of grilled bread, but also Ham and Cheese! And lettuce. There's also lettuce.

Unlike Bread, Ham Sandwich does in fact get a Special Attack, called Wide Attack, which as the name implies, is a Wide Attack that can hit three Miis at once.

...Okay, it's not really that special, but is getting attacked by Ham Sandwich not special enough for you already? You gotta savor the occasion.

But remember to make room for dessert! Today's dessert? A Bread Sandwich! This is "Traveler" Bread, which takes the Dugtrio approach of giving us three slices of Bread at once! The more, the merrier, I say! And if that wasn't enough for you, "Traveler" Bread is a BOSS FIGHT!

Traveler Bread takes a page out of Ham Sandwich's book, once again getting the Wide Attack, but unlike Ham Sandwich, it gets TWO turns, meaning it can hit three Miis at twice! And that's it really. A small change to the Bread formula, sure, but it's okay. It's hard to improve upon perfection.

And that's it for the post. BEGONE!

[lisbeth-kk]

May Prompts (14) Eavesdropping

The Luckiest Girl in the World (chapter 14)

Summary: When Rosie wakes, the pain tells her that this day will be horrible to endure. She's forgotten that she has a caregiver waiting for her downstairs to ease that pain.

Fourteen Years Old

Two months before my fifteenth birthday, I woke and just knew this would be a shitty day. My period had turned up during the night without any pre-warning. Like a tiger sneaking up on its prey. The pain was like sharp claws digging into my abdomen. I curled around myself before I realised that the evidence probably was visible on my pyjama bottoms and the sheets.

“Fuck!” I exclaimed and slammed the door on my way downstairs to wash myself in the bathroom and soak my clothes and sheets to avoid permanent stains.

My parents had learned to leave me alone on mornings like these, but I could always rely on breakfast being ready for me when I emerged from the bathroom. 

Dad probably had to eavesdrop to the sounds I made to time it correctly. Papa, on the other hand, seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to me and Dad and how long it took us to shower, walk from the tube station, do the grocery shopping, or returning from a visit at Nana’s.

If Dad was home, there would be grilled cheese sandwiches and tea. This Monday, Dad had an early shift, so it was Papa who treated me with French toast and my favourite smoothie. He’d also procured a glass of water and paracetamol.

“That bad?” Papa inquired and scanned my face.

It almost brought me to tears this care and thoughtfulness. His low and soft voice did the rest. I didn’t hesitate for a second when he opened his arms but went willingly and clung to him while he stroked my back. We stood in silence before I went to blow my nose.

“Thank you,” I murmured and seated myself at the table.

“Of course, Bee,” Papa said. “Do you need a note for gymnastics?”

“No, it’s fine. We’re going to the gym today. Lifting weights and such. We’re free to do whichever exercises we want, so I’ll just choose those that aren’t too straining and painful,” I told him with a grimace.

For a moment he looked kind of fragile and lost. He didn’t cope very well when one of his Watsons was in pain or ill.

“I’ll be fine, Papa,” I assured him after I’d eaten and swallowed the painkiller.

“I don’t like seeing you like this, my heart,” he whispered.

“I know, Papa. It’s a natural thing though, and I’m lucky to have you and Dad to care for me,” I retorted and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

After I’d put on my yellow Converses, I reminded Papa that I wouldn’t be home until late.

“Babysitting at Pinkerton’s,” I elaborated when he looked puzzled.

“Is that a good idea today, Bee?” Papa asked, his voice concerned.

“Well, these babies have to be paid, you know,” I said and pointed at my shoes.

“Bee! I told you, there’s no rush to pay us back. In fact, let’s say they’re fully paid as of…”

“Sherlock Holmes! A Watson never cheats,” I tutted.

“Watson-Holmes,” he muttered under his breath.

“I heard that,” I laughed, gave him another hug before I ascended the stairs to the front door. The pain from an hour earlier was just a fading memory. For now.

Also available on AO3

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @helloliriels @raina-at

More tags in the replies

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Jade Leech - "A Love That Always Seems To Taste Better on Toast"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

In which a certain eel merperson experiences a picnic for the very first time. Or; In which Jade Leech gets to live out one of his many domestic fantasies with the love of his life.

Warnings -> Suggestive if you squint hard enough.

                                                                                                   

🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬

"Here, I'll feed it to you. Say aah~"

[Name] coos as they lift a slice of toast slathered with peach jam to Jade's mouth; a sweet, loving smile playing on their lips.

The dual-color-eyed man sports a love-struck smile; eyes hooded as his cheeks and ears bloom a brilliant red hue. His lips graciously parted to accept the offered food in front of him.

"Aaaaaaah~"

He hums playfully, sinking his pointed teeth into the crispy, sweetened bread and pulling a fairly large-sized piece away; all while his hand is gently clasped around their wrist.

[Name] and Jade were in the campus greenhouse, having a picnic. Something, [Name] had found, that the eel merperson had no experience of while having a conversation about the ways someone could pass their time back in their old world.

So, as of now, the two were sat upon a classic red and white plaid blanket; a large woven basket holding various jars of homemade jam, an entire loaf's worth of toast, a small wedge of cheese, and some sandwiches, sat off to the side within arms reach. A large pitcher of cider sat next to the basket; the beverage's deep, rich color contrasted with the vibrant yellow lemon slices that floated atop the liquid.

"Hmm, delicious. And you said you made all of this yourself? My~ how talented you are, Angel Fish."

Jade purrs; long tongue darting out to lick the leftover jam and bread crumbs from the corner of his lips.

"Although...."

A sultry smirk bloomed onto his lips as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against [Name]'s warming ears while his arms encircle their waist; pulling them onto his thighs.

"....I think I know of something that should taste even better. And would you look at that, it's sitting right on my lap and looking downright scrumptious.~"

🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬•♡•🐬

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!

[chaptersleftunwritten]

Silver & blood taste the same…

Blurb: FBI special agent Amaranthine Delaware has a nose like a blood hound. She can sniff out crime wherever it may lurk, not even the shadows are safe. But what happens when a crazed killer is tearing through towns rampantly and she has no idea who they are and where they're going next?

Pairing: Bill Skarsgård x OC

Part 1 of ?

Warnings: Gore, blood, violent depictions, homicide, dub-con, somnophilia, sexual themes, sexual acts, swearing, mentions of torture, kidnapping, mentions of weaponry, mental health struggles, addiction (alcohol dependency and cocaine) and possibly more throughout. 18+. Read at your own discretion and risk. You have been warned.

-

October 17th, 2013

The killings started in the early fall here in Indigo Grove. It must have been around September time because all the kids were back in school and that's how our first Jane Doe was discovered. She had been left- no, she had been discarded, in an overgrown area of greenery near a family home. It was the youngest of the children who found her... now two lives are ruined.

I say 'it must have been around September time...' but I know that it was. I remember everything from that first day. Every smell, every sob, every single one of my hairs standing on end as I try not to dry heave onto the ground next to the poor girl laying there on the frozen earth. Her red eyes staring up at me forever piercing and tainting my soul.

I try not to panic at the coffee counter as the barista with smudged eyeliner blinks at me, evidently annoyed at my prolonged silence and stilled movement, "Sorry," I breathe, finally, "How much did you say that was?" she rolls her eyes as she glances back at the till.

"You owe 5.75 today, ma'am."

Ma'am? The word makes my head spin. Her and I are clearly close to being the same age and she is referring to me like I am some 30 year old woman. I would laugh if I weren't so tired.

I stuff my hand into my damp coat pocket and pull out my purse. Loose strands of my rain soaked hair stick to the side of my face. The purse is a faded shade of purple and the faux leather is of a smooth grain. It's about the only thing that has been with me through thick and thin.

I rummage through the compartments of the purse, my cold shaking fingers scraping together the last of the coins that I have. I count them out in my palm before quickly handing them to the cashier.

She looks down at the metal like it is a foreign form of currency before she as well briefly counts them, obviously not trusting my judgement. After slotting them into her till she rewards me with my morning beverage and sweet treat. Nothing better than sugar at 8 in the morning.

The lights in the café are dim as I enter further into the sea of tables, every person appears like a blurred silhouette- or maybe it is just the three glasses of wine from last night catching up to me. My patrol partner, Johnny Franklin, is sitting in a dark far away corner of the café at a small table for two. He is tucked against the wall, his coffee mug in one hand and his toasted sandwich in the other. He orders the same thing every day; Regular coffee with three spoonfuls of sugar and whole fat milk alongside a toasted cheese and tuna melt sandwich and a chocolate chip muffin for dessert.

Johnny is around the same age as my older sister Jocelyn, which I find great comfort in… maybe that’s why I enjoy having him around. He is also a creature of habit, making his days predictable. I always know where he is going to be and when he is going to be there. It’s why I stay so fond of him, he doesn’t surprise me.

“Mornin’ sunshine,” He grumbles lazily, bringing his coffee mug up to his thin pale lips to take a leisurely slurp as I take a seat across from him. A small stubbly beard has grown in on and around his mouth, I notice this as he says, “You seem as chirpy as ever today.” His hoarse voice is dripping with sarcasm and I pray that this won’t be the running theme of the day. Johnny talking nonsense and me with a pounding headache.

“Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system.” I wave my hand, almost dismissing him- or maybe I’m trying to swat him away like he is a fly. He is always getting all twisted up in other peoples shit.

“You look like shit, kid.” The now empty coffee mug comes down onto the cheap wooden table, a light clatter of the porcelain following close after, “I’m in two minds of even telling you what I got paged this mornin’…”

And there it is. That horrid feeling of dread, doubt, despair, anger, hurt, anxiety- my body knows what he is going to say before he has to say it. The way my stomach twists into painful tight knots and how my breath is now lodged, undoubtably stuck in my throat. The world around me pivots on a sideways axel and I’m struggling to make it stop.

“Tell me.” I am strangled as the words come out, almost too quiet for myself to hear. Do I want to know? Can I handle what Johnny is going to tell me? The answer is no, probably not. But this is the work, and I owe it to those girls to catch this sick fuck-

Johnny’s beady brown eyes examine my features. It takes him a moment but he sucks in a deep breath and I see his bushy eyebrows knit together, his mouth also downturning distastefully, “Another body was found early hours this mornin’, around 3am. She has thought to have been out there for at least two weeks they said.”

The sourness in my mouth intensifies. Two weeks… two whole weeks. Evidence could be lost, the crime scene tampered with, decomposition.. animals. The thought alone sickens me to my stomach. How could she have been missed for that long?

“Who found her?” I ask after a long pause, my mind is buzzing with fear. That’s the thing about this line of work, people expect you to have no feeling- but I feel everything.

Johnny takes a bite of his sandwich and grease pools at the corners of his mouth making me cringe. I want to scream at him for even being able to stomach anything after telling me that information. He chews for an agonisingly long time before he finally grumbles, “A trucker on the highway nearly swerved off the road- agents at the scene think she must have still been alive after the attack and tried to crawl to the nearest road to wave down some help but her wounds were fatal. She died as she reached the highway.” Another bite. Another bite of that disgusting fucking sandwich.

My nostrils flare as I suck in a deep aggravated breath, standing up from the table the chair legs scrape along the floor, the screech punctuates my exit and I am gone before Johnny even has the time to comprehend what’s happening.

Dark clouds swell the sky and the chilly air nips and whips at my cheeks. The rain conjures a hellish dance upon my head as it pelts from the heavens above, drenching my hair further. My chest rises and falls with every breath I struggle to pull into my lungs and I find myself thinking about him.

He keeps me awake every night. I dream about him, I write about him- I wonder, what does he eat? What does his morning routine look like? What does he hate? What does he look like? His eyes, his lips, his smile… is it nice? Is it a nice smile, a warm smile, a welcoming smile? What does he smell like?

He consumes my life, he controls my every thought.

I hate it. I hate him.

It feels personal. Every murder… every life that he takes. And I know that it shouldn’t, but it does.

It fucking does.

-

Blue lights flood my vision, captivating the world around me in an inescapable light. The light in which we should all feel safe in, but I don’t. I never have.

The yellow and black police tape is lifted for me as I enter through to the official crime scene. The highway has been closed off and traffic is being redirected elsewhere, creating this ungodly eerie silence. I want noise, I need the noise… it’s too quiet.

“Special agent Delaware, this is Milo Reed, our truck driver.” My supervisor, Harold Hawkins, approaches me from a nearby vehicle. The man stood to his left is as pale as chalk, his eyes wide and dark with purple circles cladding the skin beneath his sockets.

My steps are steady and slow as I inch closer to the pair, deciding it may not be best to go in for a handshake in this moment, “Milo, my name is Amaranthine and I’m the lead detective on this case. My partner will soon be here to take care of you.” My own voice echoes inside of my mind. I can’t imagine how this man may be feeling. All he manages to muster in response is a nod and then he is shuffling off in another direction, his actions meek and stilted.

My next walk feels like one to the gallows, but I find comfort in one thing. I know what his mark is, I know what he has left behind that’ll tie this girl to the last and to the one before her. The butterfly. He irons it into their skin. Always in a different area, but always just as deep and just as brutal. Taking something so beautiful and blackening it with evil…

That’s how he got his name from the media.

The butterfly killer.

It headlined in every newspaper a month back, and it still continues to steal the spotlight today. Front page, big and bold for all to see. I bet he is basking in the glory of all of this…

It makes my stomach churn.

As I advance further into the scene I spot an unmissable tanglement of red hair on the ground. The colour is admirable.. it is absolutely gorgeous. Or so I thought, that is until I realise that it’s not at all the colour of the victims hair- it is her blood.

I fight the urge to vomit, swallowing down whatever salvia I have in a desperate attempt to maintain my composure- especially in front of my male colleagues.

“Have you been briefed?” One of them ask and I nod my head, remaining silent, “It was him, she has been branded on her right shoulder. Her wounds, however, are of different technique. He was angrier this time and he used some sort of screwdriver.” His words are so cool it leaves my skin feeling icy cold, like the decaying corpse in front of us, “She has been photographed but with the recent weather conditions, evidence might be tricky to recover. We will be lucky if we identify any from her, never mind any from him.”

I can feel a slow build in my chest, a rising fire of complete rage. When will this end? Will he ever be satisfied? And will I ever catch him?

“Try your best.” I plea and my eyes flicker from the ground to the flashing lights that are now intensifying my headache and then back to the body. The attending agent has left my side and I struggle to grasp the reality of anything around me.

I crouch down to further investigate our victim. She tried to fight. She tried to flee- she wanted to live so desperately that she crawled 10 metres from her drop off point before her lungs finally filled with blood.

She died alone.

I watch as they carefully remove her body from the scene and into the back of an ambulance, taking her back to the lab where hopefully we will be able to identify her.

She will have a family somewhere, and they are waiting on her coming home.

-

“You can’t smoke in here!” I am four vodka cokes deep in the ‘Hell Gate’ bar just off of the highway and maybe I’m feeling brave and maybe the buzzing red lamp above my head has officially drove me insane but I have had my eyes on this delicious stranger since I arrived and I’ll be damned if I leave here without him. I know that he has noticed me and I know smoking indoors is illegal, and it has been for over 10 years, but there’s just something about watching him do it that makes my insides flutter.

The music in the bar is deafening but it’s pretty vacant of people, even the bartender keeps disappearing elsewhere. The man spares me a quick look, taking one long last drag of his cigarette before he is stumping it out into a nearby ashtray. His face slowly turns towards mine and just like that, he exhales the large cloud of cancerous smoke right into my face.

“What you gonna do about it?” His gravelly deep voice challenges me and my thighs clench together at the mere sight of him. Plump pink lips, stunning round eyes, a strong nose and not to mention the gorgeous brown hair. His tall frame slouched leisurely over the bar has my mind reeling with sin.

I just want to forget. Just for one night.

My front teeth toy with my bottom lip, nibbling on the cushiony skin as I try my hardest to force my drunken brain to think of a quip and sultry response but all I seem to muster is a pathetic, “Steal your lighter.”

He hadn’t noticed but around three seconds ago I had pinched his lighter from on top of the bar and secured in my pocket.

A smugness braces his face, pulling his lips up just ever so slightly at the corners, “What’s your name, angel?” I can tell that I’ve caught his attention by the way his body leans into mine and the total thirst that has consumed his eyes. He wants me.

“You first.” I counter, proud of my own confidence. It’s not every day I manage to pluck up the balls to talk to guys and I would like to thank my liquid courage for tonight. Wherever it may lead.

“Bill, but you can call me whatever you want.” I expect to see a hand stuck out in front of me, but I don’t. He keeps himself to himself, and I quietly admire that. It’s sort of gentlemanly…

I take a short but sweet sip of my drink, letting the alcohol sere my throat on the way down before I chirp, “Amaranthine, but my friends call me Amara.”

His eyebrows perk up momentarily on his forehead before they proceed to faintly knit together in what I assume is confusion, “Are we friends, Amaranthine?”

I bite rabidly at the inside of my cheek, pinching the flesh to stop a shit eating grin from taking over my entire face. There is a short pause as I pretend to think of an ‘honest’ answer, “We can be. If you wanna?” My blood feels hot as scolding iron as it flows through my body, flushing my face for a brief moment.

“Hmm,” Bill’s pink tongue darts from his mouth to swipe over his bottom lip, his teeth gentle nipping the skin, “I don’t know… what do your friends usually say about you?” He is closer to me now and I can feel my breathing start to become a bit ragged. It takes every ounce of restraint I have to not press my lips to his. They are all I can focus on. I wonder what he tastes like.

“My friends would tell you to run for the hills…” In order to regain composure I play with the metal lighter that belongs to him, flicking the cap and watching as the flame would erupt from within. On the side there is a word that is engraved… Love.

It takes mere seconds before Bill is pulling my wrist toward him with force, but not enough to hurt me, only enough to frighten me. And it does, and the gasp that leaves my mouth is borderline erotic and makes my cheeks fervent. He is gentle to take the lighter from my loose grip, placing it into his dark jean pocket and then returning his attention back to my face.

“I think this could work… this ‘friend’ thing.” His grip remains tight around my wrist, “Only thing is.. I don’t think friends fuck their friends, do they, Amara?” Somewhere along the way Bill has stood up from his barstool and he is now towering over me. He must be at least 6ft 2 and looking up at him from my seated position is making my mind spin uncontrollably. I thought I was attracted to him before but now… I want him to take me right here, right now in the middle of this dive bar.

“Friends sometimes do that.” I say meekly as I swallow thickly, all the saliva in my mouth has mysteriously disappeared and maybe it was the alcohol or maybe this is just what he does to me. The greed grows between my thighs and as I'm staring into his eyes I can see the hunger growing within him too- infatuation blowing his pupils to the size of bullet holes.

He yanks me to my feet, his face is uncompromising and I am on fire with anticipation, "Your place or mine?" His lips brush the shell of my ear and I feel electricity race down every vertebrae in my spine, making my legs unsteady. His voice is almost a moan and his tone is low and yet I am willing to totally submit to his every beckon and command.

"Mine..." I feel like I can't breathe, "I.. I don't have a ride." My quavering voice declares my evident embarrassment and Bill tucks some loose strands of my wind stricken hair behind my ear.

"It really is your lucky day." Bill winks at me, a semblance of a smile gently appearing onto his face and his long arm snakes around my waist, guiding me toward the bar exit.

"Oh- I haven't paid!" I exclaim in a state of panic.

"Shhh-" Fuck. His voice is like a lullaby, "I know the owner, don't stress." It was at that moment that I realised, in my inebriated state, that I would believe every word this man said.

-

Sober Amara would never have given her home address to a total stranger- but drunk and horny Amara just did. We are always warned as children- don’t speak to that strange looking man, don’t go near that lady, stay away from them and so on.. but if we lived up to those rules- to that fear, we would never live. We would be so alone..

I juggle my keys, struggling to control the adrenaline that is coursing through my veins, causing my hands to tremble. I manage to slot the key into the lock and jimmy it open- I really have to get that looked at.

I shoulder barge my way inside, losing my balance as I do and I expect to see the floor coming up to meet my face- but instead I feel Bill’s colossal hands gripping my waist firmly, holding me restrained in the air. Shock roots us both to the spot and I can feel something brewing rapidly between us.

My apartment is small, but it’s cozy and it’s home. I keep it clean for the most part, overall the only mess visible is the case files I’ve left on my desk and the map that’s strung up on my wall. To the average person, like Bill, I’ll probably look crazy. Luckily for me, that’s not where his attention is.

“I'm waiting for your permission to let me have my way with you.”

The door has been kicked shut and I can hear the rhythm of my own heart pounding in my ears. I’m starting to feel a bit lightheaded, like I am levitating above the ground. He knows just what to say, he knows how to look at me in just the right way to make my mind turn to mush- it’s almost like he knows me. Have we been here before?

“I’m gonna need your help to get my clothes off…” my hands dance up to behind his neck, cradling it gently whilst pulling him closer to me. My fingers card through his luscious dark hair, tugging the roots playfully which causes a groan to erupt from his lips.

Bill's large hands come to fondle with my chest, his fingers struggling with the buttons of my blouse. His breathing hitches and with a leap of faith and a lewd huff he rips the seams apart. My mouth falls agape as I watch the buttons fly across every square inch of the room. Some of them I'll never be able to find again...

His lips are on mine before I have time to form any sort of coherent thought and the warmth of his skin is enough to heat my entire body for days. My lips part, allowing his wet tongue to slip inside of my mouth and I moan out at the contact. He tastes like alcohol and cigarettes with the mildest touch of mint- just what I expected. Abruptly he pulls away and I whine with the need to have him near again, "I'm going to take good care of you, I promise. I just wanna enjoy the view. It's not everyday I get to fuck someone as pretty as you." His voice has dropped an octave or two lower and the simple task of breathing becomes obscenely hard in that moment and I battle the urge to pounce on top of him right there and then. He slides my ripped blouse down my arms, letting it fall to the hardwood floor below my feet. He steps further away, urging me with his eyes to continue undressing.

"You don't have to be gentle with me, I won't break..." I offer him a smirk and my feet move toward him with gentle strides and I notice Bill's eyes fluttering to and from my chest. My bra is boring but it's black- and black always leaves an impression no matter what it is. Plus, he seems to like the colour, considering he is dressed from head to toe in it, "You can do whatever you want with me."

The air vibrates between us, "What do you want to do to me, Bill?" My eyes flutter innocently up at his stocky frame and he pulls a quick breath into his lungs through his teeth.

"You want me to tell you, or do you want me to show you?" He is walking towards me now, an impure domineering twinkle gracing his eyes. He backs my steps up until I feel the wall crash into my spine and his long muscular arms cage me to the spot, "Are you afraid?" His face is craned down into my neck now, I can feel his breath on my skin and it settles just above my main artery that I can feel thumping.

I shake my head.

"You got any neck ties laying around here?" He asks and I nod in response.

"Top drawer, in the bedroom." I nod toward the dark hallway that connects my living room to all the other rooms in the house. He glances at it before allowing me to move from the wall, his hand slapping my ass hard.

"C'mon then, lets go get them." I giggle a bit as I run toward the bedroom, Bill following closely behind me, "And take the rest of those clothes off before I get there- or you'll regret it."

Excitement pricks at my heart and I assume he is talking about my suit pants and my shoes, and so I am happy to oblige as soon as I pass through the doorway into my bedroom. It's dark in there- pitch black, so I scramble around for the lamp on my bedside dresser, stumbling over clothes that have been left on the floor and more case files that really should be getting organised but aren't. My shoes are first to go, kicked beneath the bed and my pants are peeled down my legs. The rain had caught us on the way in so my skin is a bit damp and cold, making the fabric cling to my skin like it has been glued down.

I pull open my drawer, ignoring the vibrator that I usually hide in there I retrieve multiple neck ties- just in case he wants more than one and then I sit on the edge of the bed, watching the open door as Bill’s sturdy frame emerge's from the darkness of the hallway. Like a hunter stalking its prey.

"Are these okay?" I hold out the palms of my hands, the colourful neck ties splayed flat across them as I present them to Bill like a knight receiving his sword.

Bill's hands find his knees as he bends down to my line of vision, his face mere inches from mine, It’s almost mocking and I feel like I am about to get a telling off for bad behaviour, "I'm going to fucking ruin you, sweetie." His lips pinch his cheeks as he smirks devilishly, his hands pushing me harshly down onto the mattress- knocking the air out of my lungs.

“Wrists.” He demands and I clasp my hands together in the air without a second thought, my drunkenness blinding every ounce of my reasoning. Bill climbs on top of me, his knees at either side of my torso and he hovers there as he skilfully knots and binds my wrists tightly together. He has done this before...

“Please take your clothes off,” I beg, my voice coming out as a sweltering breathy pant and after he had finished securing my wrists to the bed frame he stands from the bed, my body moving with the shift in weight.

“You’re so polite, so fucking cute- you know what good girls get?” He perks an eyebrow, his hands gripping the hem of his black t-shirt as he pulls it up and over his head. The sight of his abdominal muscles tensing and contorting to the movement of his body has my mind sobering up slightly. I want that image permanently engraved in my mind, “They get anything that they want, sweet cheeks.”

He moves onto his jeans next and even just watching him unbuckle his leather belt has my pussy aching for more. I can’t stop admiring his body- he is so lean and strong, chiselled by the Greek gods themselves.

“Like what you see?” His voice takes the reins of every one of my thoughts and I nod my head, my thighs impatiently rubbing together desperate to get some sort of release, “Awww, is she pulsing?” Up until this moment I'd never been provided the chance to experiment this much in the bedroom, my one night stands were always so vanilla and borderline unsatisfactory- so to have my hands tied to the bed and someone as hot as Bill mocking my arousal... it's all so new. I love it.

"Touch me." It wasn't supposed to come out as a command, but it does and the dimple that screws itself into Bill's cheek leaves my wrists tensing against their restraints.

Bill's eyes settle between my legs, his tongue swiping out to briefly coat his swollen lips in momentary shine as he prowls up the mattress and only then do I see how stiff he is in his briefs- I just want him inside me.

Despite my state of tenseness Bill separates my legs with ease, a small 'fuck' leaving his throat as he drinks in the sight of my pantie class core, "Wanna make you scream..." Two of his slender fingers tactically stroke over the slick covered fabric that sticks to my puffy slit, teasing me softly as he applies just the right amount of pressure to my stimulated clit, "You're so wet already and I've barely touched you-" An egotistical hum swims through his deep voice, "My fingers are covered in you already."

I can't help the mewl that leaves my mouth as I watch Bill foam at the sight of me. No one's made me feel like this before, this wanted- this desired. Bill gasps as his fingers hook beneath the fabric of my underwear and it is shortly followed by a profane groan as his fingertips tease my needy entrance, "You're killin' me, baby." It makes my head whizz with exhilaration as Bill tears the poor garment of clothing from my body, slightly burning my skin with the friction as he does.

Goosebumps arise on my skin at the expose to such cool air, making me shiver where I lay. Bill's head of messy brown locks dip between my spread thighs, pressing trails of kisses from my kneecaps up to my bare centre where his tongue strokes a long slow strip through my glistening folds. His lips make a 'pop' noise as he sucks my sensitive cluster of nerves roughly , pulling away only to dive right back in again. And again...

"A..ah!" My back curves up from the comfortable springs beneath me but Bill continues to secure my hips in place, the grip his fingertips have on me is bruising as the room is filled with nothing but the lewd noise of wet sloppy slurping and pleasure pained moans.

"She's dripping," He coo's cutely, his voice is a muffled hum against my pussy and the vibrations cause my legs to quiver as they cage Bill's face between them. After one final stroke of his muscular tongue Bill spits on my folds before rising to steady himself on his knees, "Think you're ready for my cock now, babe?" His huge hand lads a sore slap against my heat and I cry out at the sting, tugging harshly on my bounds. It hurts but it also feels so fucking good...

"Yes! Yes, please. I'm ready... just want you to fuck me, Bill, please." I say with so much agony that it is comedic.

Two of his slim fingers push inside of me, filling and spreading me out as Bill finally free's his shaft from his underwear. His hand pumps at his length a few times, his thumb gently spreading the pre-cum from his tip to the rest of his thick rod, "Say, 'pretty please' and I'll think about it." His smile is more intoxicating than any of the alcohol that I've consumed and I'm growing to detest the affect he has on my body.

He carries on touching himself, his eyes hooding as he throws his head back in total bliss, "Pretty please." The words are almost a sob as I wiggle my hips, trying to meet him halfway. He bites his bottom lip, clearly satisfied with my pleading he taps his dick a few times against my slit only to shock me at the very last second as he pushes himself all the way inside. The stretch is glorious and my eyes are rolling to the back of my head at the sensation of him filling every inch of me.

"So warm- you're squeezing me so tight." It's now Bill's turn to moan as he bottoms out of my pulsating cunt and plunges himself back in again, "Keep this act up and I'll end up cumming before you do, sweetheart." The image of him coating my walls with his hot spunk makes me want to scream.

His thrusts quicken and with more ferocity, the room is captivated by the loud sounds of wet skin slapping skin and the perverted moans from both Bill and I.

"Don't stop! Ah.. fuck! Please don't stop!" My screams reverberate in my chest, bouncing off of every wall and playing back at us. It's evident that Bill has no intentions of slowing down and I struggle to keep my eyes open long enough to watch the perfect contour of his parted lips widen and how his dark eyebrows pinch together in pure delight.

He pulls out of me and grabs my hips. He flips me around to my stomach before pulling my ass up into the air where he spanks the skin brutishly and I endure the red marks that tingle their way up to the surface. Forcing my face down into the pillows he holds my head there as he propels himself back inside of me and the scream that leaves my mouth leaves me drooling all over my pillowcases. My mouth is unable to close from the constant moans exiting past my lips.

"I knew you were a slut, look at you-" He slaps my ass cheek again, punctuating his words, "Taking my cock so well. Am I hitting that sweet spot, baby?" I try to speak, I try to communicate with him but I can't. It's all too intense, "Right there? Yeah, Ugh, fuck yeah!" Bill's moans bless my ears and I feel a knot forming in the pit of my stomach, my high is hurdling toward me with every thrust his thick cock gives.

"Want you to cream all over me, can you do that?" I nod into the pillow, having given up on my words and Bill releases a noise that is somewhere between an hum of approval and a moan, "So good for me, so fucking good.." Maybe I hadn't noticed before now, but the way he praises me only increases the fire consuming my insides and I don't know if it's because of how attracted I am to Bill or just a newly discovered kink of mine but whatever it is it's working.

I struggle to breathe against the fabric of the pillow and my eyes pinch closed alongside every muscle in my body tensing as my howling orgasm washes over me. My legs are a shaking mess and I swear I pass out for a moment or so because Bill is the only thing keeping me kneeling upright as he pounds into me from behind- chasing his own release that soon follows closely after mine...

And we are left both a panting muddle of sweaty flesh in a room stinking of nasty sex.

-

taglist: @colorful-white-ideas

[nevermorgue]

For modern AU, what do you think that the misfits would like food-wise?

Fantastic question! Let’s see:

Lenore: Girl loves protein!! Anything with chicken, steak, you name it. And of course, venison. I don’t think she’s a picky eater, loves a good full plate with varied stuff on it. Loves a big burger on occasion. She has a little bit of a refined palette due to her upbringing but she ends up being a gigantic fan of like food truck style food

Duke: Stereotype to a T. Claims the French do pastries better, but America’s better at everything else. He likes having light breakfasts, think like fruit bowls or toast. Only really has snacks when in front of the TV. He’s also the type to make ramen and put a ton of extra shit in it like onion powder or cheese or egg

Pluto: Literally whatever he can find. He has a preference for fried foods. Will eat a salad if it has breaded fish or chicken in it. LOOOVES sea food. He will order like a salmon somewhere and Duke just starts fucking meowing at him. he’s a stupid cat. Didn’t ever have sushi until Eulalie taught him all he needs to know. Now that’s ALL he orders whenever they get Japanese take out.

Morella: Hearty, filling meals that can easily be shared. Broths, soups, things like that. She loves veggies especially when they’re roasted or steamed. Also loves when a bunch of things are mixed together stir fry style. She’s a huge fan of trying different cheeses when she makes sandwiches to try different flavor combos.

Berenice: Is the type of person to see ‘candied crickets’ on sale, buy them, and then crunch on them loudly. Will try the craziest shit for the hell of it. Has a surprisingly refined palette, also a seafood lover. She loves trying new things and mixing things. Like she would get a burger and put peanut butter on the inside of the bun just to see what it tastes like. Just because she can. Huge fan of gummy worms, and her favorite pastries are always anything cherry flavored.

Eulalie: Is also willing to try weird things. Will share the crickets with Berenice. She loves eating traditional foods that remind her of Japan, especially to judge how close they taste to the real deal. Huge fan of pastas and parmigianas. She’s trying to make sushi pasta a thing but nobody’s down for it.

Also Morella totally tries to host potlucks at her house because that’s her favorite thing in the whole world. She even gets Annabel’s group to come and it’s one big happy not drama filled time!!

[eliashirsch]

How About A Picnic?

He’s like this often. Mostly when he doesn’t get what he wants, like: when the weather isn’t a perfect ninety degrees sunny without a cloud; when his bike creates that rattling noise during that time of the month again; when his toast isn’t crispy all the way to the edges; when he wakes up and Ice isn’t there with him.

Living with Maverick means seeing him pout every ten minutes. Like what he’s doing now. Bottom lip jutting out, eyes wide and slightly teary, shoulders defeated. The man is fifty-nine years old. 

It’s all for show, of course. If Maverick Mitchell is anything but, it’s easily offended. His heart is locked away in solid steel and guarded with spiked iron. He’s just looking for a reaction. Which Ice, for all of his reputation, can’t help but react anyway.

“What’s wrong?” Ice asks, coaxing Maverick to turn around and face him.

Maverick’s not giving in easily. His back’s turned, hands on his hips like a sulking toddler who’s been refused a second cookie. “Aren’t you the so-called ‘Maverick Whisperer’? Can’t you tell?”

“I’m not a mind reader,” Ice says for the hundredth time. “C’mon. Tell me. Is it the kids? Are they teasing you again?”

“No,” Maverick hisses and dodges Ice. “Go away. I hate you.”

No, you don’t. Ice resists saying it in fear of Maverick shutting him out even more. When he’s in a fussy mood, Maverick can’t handle too much ribbing. 

“I’m sorry,” he says instead. “Is it something I did? Did I forget an anniversary?”

“You’re a shitty husband if you have to ask that.”

“Well, better late than never.”

“Hmph.” Maverick scowls and pouts even more. 

Ice considers him, then gets an idea. Maverick narrows his eyes at him as if he can see the lightbulb on top of his head. 

He takes Maverick’s arms and yanks so they’re flush chest to chest, trapping his arms underneath so Maverick can’t escape. 

Ice drops a kiss on Maverick’s nose. “Tell me.” Another to his right eyebrow. “C’mon.” To the right eyebrow. “Tell me. You know you want to.” To the high of his cheekbone. “Tell me.” To his forehead, lips, jaw, neck, ears. Then all over again.

Maverick’s tense shoulders drop little by little, and by the twentieth kiss, he’s giggling and squirming, trying to get away from Ice’s wet lips. 

“Stop!” Maverick lets out.

“Only if you tell me.”

“Fine, you asshole!” Maverick glares, fierce as a kitten. “I wanted to go on a picnic but it’s going to rain later today.”

Ice can’t help but throw his head back and laugh. Oh, Mav. “Is that it?”

Maverick flushes. “I knew you’d laugh.” He slaps Ice’s chest, though the sting of it is chased away by a gentle rub. 

“I’m sorry,” Ice says through chuckles. “It’s just—you’re so goddamn cute, you know?”

“I’m not cute!” Maverick protests cutely. 

“You are.” Ice smiles. “The cutest.”

Maverick’s pout appears again, Ice kisses it away. 

“We can just go on that picnic now,” Ice suggests.

“Now? But it’s eleven in the afternoon.”

“So?”

“So? The sun’s way too high for that!”

Ice shrugs. “So what? You want to go, right?”

Maverick stares at him in quiet amazement, probably thinking about how his usually fussy boyfriend is suggesting to go on a picnic with the sun at its peak. Probably wondering what happened to him.

Love. Love happened to him. Ice will do anything for Maverick if he asks.

“Alright,” Maverick says. “But you’re making the sandwiches.”

“Sandwiches?”

“It’s the tradition! And you’re—better at cooking than I am,” Maverick struggles to say those last few words. 

Ice smirks. “You could just slap on some peanut butter and jelly and call it a day.”

“A perfect sandwich requires ham, a sunny-side-up egg, cheese, and slightly burnt toast!”

“Fine, fine.” Ice rolls his eyes like making a sandwich for his husband is that much of a burden. “I’ll get to cooking.”

“Atta boy.” Maverick smirks, and slaps Ice’s butt. 

[t3a-tan]

How would human Oliver react to finding a borrower James?

I'm happy with this one ^^

---

Oliver lived a fairly quiet life. He worked as a child psychologist throughout the week. On Thursdays he ordered a takeaway and would finish his leftovers on Friday, on Saturdays he went to the library to check out and return books, he tended to his garden every couple of days, and on Sundays he mowed some of his elderly neighbors' lawns.

Most mornings he had toast or cereal. Every other Sunday he had a full English. On Fridays he went out for a cream tea— scones with jam and clotted cream were his favorite after all. On Tuesdays he gave some jars of handmade jam around the neighbourhood, and sometimes a few extra treats if he made them.

He went to a local sandwich shop for lunch every day other than on weekends, where he always ordered the same egg salad sandwich. He always got cheese and onion crisps, always had a medium coffee, always sat in the same seat by the window.

He had a routine and he stuck to it.

To his coworkers he was known as a good worker; polite, well-received, compassionate. He wasn't friends with anyone though.

This didn't upset him in the slightest. He liked his quiet life, and whenever he got close to others they ultimately ended up discovering his past, rumours would spread, and then everyone would treat him differently again.

He had gotten used to the usual pitying looks when he was younger after he became an orphan— then the disturbed looks when he wasn't fazed by the loss at all. That passed. Now people presumed he had grieved already so it wasn't so difficult.

But then his cousins went missing.

Just a few months before he received his doctorate he got a call— an awful horrible and truly terrible call. It informed him that his uncle and aunt, his guardians, had been shot dead, and his two younger cousins had gone missing.

He graduated the year after instead.

But now he lived a quiet life. A quiet life, waiting, hoping to receive another call telling him his cousins were found alive. Rumours had initially spread saying he was responsible and even though he had been cleared by the police every time, people still talked about it.

So things were fine like this. Quiet. Sometimes a bit lonely, but nothing Oliver couldn't handle. He stuck to his routine and that was that.

Well… That was that until as he began pouring cereal into his bowl of milk, a tiny man fell out along with it. Oliver froze, staring down at the man in a mixture of shock, disbelief, and pure confusion. The man in turn, after right himself, stared straight back at him.

"...uhm… Hello there..?" Oliver wasn't sure why exactly there was a tiny man sitting in his bowl of shreddies soaked in milk, but he was sure that there was a tiny man there. As baffling as it was, it was better than a rat falling out.

Was this some form of mutated rodent? No. They looked entirely human all aside from their incredibly diminutive size. Oliver began cycling through every myth and fairytale he had read that might give him something else to go off of… though perhaps this was just a shrunken man..?

He received no response to his greeting— aside from a frightened look. That's fair, Oliver thought, I imagine it must be rather disorienting to fall out of a cereal box at half past six in the morning.

"Hmm…"

To remedy that fact, Oliver first considered picking the tiny man up with his fingers to get him out of the bowl…but on second thought, he wanted to avoid getting his fingers covered in milk. Instead he picked up his spoon, very carefully bringing it towards the man in order to scoop him out onto a dishcloth or something— though he stopped the moment he heard the tiny man cry out.

"Don't eat me..! Jesus—" The man exclaimed, splashing about in the bowl to get away from his spoon. Oliver shut his eyes for a moment as a few drops of milk splashed onto the lenses of his glasses. Opening his eyes again, Oliver's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Eat you? Why on Earth would I do such an awful thing..?" Oliver took off his glasses, wiping them off on his shirt and reminding himself to clean them properly later. Placing them back on his face, Oliver found himself looking down at the clearly shaken little man once more, taking note of the fear that was apparent in their expression and body language.

He waved the spoon slightly to bring the man's attention onto it again.

"I only intended to get you out of the bowl and onto a dry surface, as I'm sure it's not particularly comfortable steeping in milk and soggy cereal." He placed the spoon back down. "I suppose I should have asked permission beforehand though… My apologies. Do you require assistance?"

The tiny man went from looking horrified to seeming completely lost— Oliver wasn't sure why… he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary had he? He was working on not overcomplicating everything he said but it was hard when he was simply talking in the same way he thought.

"I-I…no?" It was spoken more as a question, but Oliver respected it nonetheless, putting his spoon down and moving away from the bowl. He opened his dishes cupboard, taking out a new bowl and pouring milk into it once again. He looked into the cereal box first this time before pouring shreddies into the bowl of milk just to make sure this wasn't a repeat incident.

He looked towards his previous bowl, seeing that the man had yet to move. Somewhat confused, Oliver walked back over, setting his new breakfast down onto the countertop just beside it before pulling up a stool, not yet sitting.

"Although you may do as you wish, I would prefer to clean that bowl and put it away sooner rather than later. Are you sure you don't need any help at all?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. That seemed to snap the tiny man out of his frozen state as they quickly scrambled into action and pulled themself out of the bowl, dripping milk all over the counter.

Satisfied, Oliver picked up the bowl, draining the milk into the sink before dumping the soggy shreddies into the bin. As much as he didn't like waste he didn't plan on eating a breakfast someone had been sitting in. He grabbed a paper towel before walking back over, offering it to the man.

They stumbled back away from his hand, but Oliver didn't falter— he even offered a reassuring smile.

"I'll clean the counter after so don't worry about making a mess. You may leave— though I suggest drying off first. Feel free, also, to wash off in the sink." He waited patiently, observing how hesitant the tiny man was to accept the towel. After thirty seconds had passed and the man had made no progress, Oliver tilted his head, pulling away slightly.

"Are you afraid of me..?" He asked, not offended in the slightest. Hardly even surprised either— considering the size difference it would just be instinctual to fear him, but he thought he was at least being calm and gentle enough to dissipate that slightly. The man met his eyes— his were brown. A nice deep shade of it, Oliver noted.

Although he sensed that they had a response hanging on the edge of their tongue, Oliver didn't get to hear it as they suddenly ran off. Although startled, Oliver didn't make any attempts to stop them, watching with some interest as they opened up a hidden entrance into the walls and quickly hid away inside.

Oliver stayed silent for a few moments after, processing the events that had just happened.

"..my name is Oliver, by the way."