#oh and because someone usually asks: the book is called the whistling

[fingertipsmp3]

Today on bad decisions, I started reading a really good ebook and was like “oh I’ll just knit at my grandma’s, I don’t need to bring my iPad with me.” Stupid. Stupid behaviour

[iamgonnagetyouback]

𝟷𝚔 || 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄…?

♡ ︎ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: Tooth rotting fluff, James being an oblivious idiot

♡ ︎ꜱʜɪᴘ: oblivious!James Potter x fem!reader

James Potter had been in a mood all day, sulking in the corner of his dorm, chin resting on his knees as he stared dramatically at the wall. His glasses were askew, hair even messier than usual, and the sighs he kept releasing were loud enough to echo in the stone room.

“James, you’ve got to stop,” Remus said from his bed, flipping the page of his book. "It's exhausting just watching you."

James let out another exaggerated sigh, flopping onto his back, staring at the ceiling now. “Y/N used to call me James,” he said in a low, defeated voice.

Sirius, perched on his own bed, raised an eyebrow and looked at Remus, baffled. "Mate," he said flatly, "that's because it’s your fucking name."

James groaned, as if Sirius had physically slapped him with that reminder. "But now she’s going on a date… with someone else.” His voice broke at the end, his hand dramatically placed over his heart like he was on the verge of tears.

Remus, looking for the quickest way out of this melodramatic spiral, rolled his eyes. “You don’t even know who the date is with.”

“And that,” James sat up again, his hair sticking up like he’d been struck by lightning, “is the worst part! It could be anyone. Maybe that bloke from Ravenclaw with the fancy broom. Or worse, Snivellus.”

Sirius barked a laugh. “Snivellus? Dating Y/n? You’ve lost it, Prongs.”

Just then, there was a knock on the dorm door. Before James could collapse back into his theatrics, Peter jumped up to answer it. “I’ve got it!”

He pulled the door open, and there you stood, dressed up and looking absolutely stunning. Peter's jaw dropped, Remus immediately smiled, and Sirius gave a low whistle.

“You look amazing, darling!” Sirius grinned, eyeing James, who had turned his back to the door the second Peter opened it.

You smiled at them, giving a small twirl. "Thanks, boys!" Then, you glanced at James, who's now dramatically slumped against the headboard. “James, are you ready to go?”

James stiffened, eyes wide behind his glasses. “Ready?” He didn’t turn around, muttering, “Why would I be ready? I’m not going to third wheel on your date.” His voice cracked at ‘date,’ and you blinked, totally confused.

“What are you talking about, James?” you asked, giggling. “You are my date.”

That got his attention.

James scrambled to turn around, almost toppling off the bed. “Wait—what? Me? How? When?”

You tilted your head, laughing softly. “Yesterday, I asked if you wanted to go on a date with me, and you said yes.”

James blinked at you, utterly confused. He slowly turned to Remus, who gave him a look that said ‘You absolute idiot.’ Then, to Sirius, who rolled his eyes, and finally to Peter, who gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.

Realization hit him like a bludger to the head. “You weren’t joking?” he asked in disbelief, his face turning bright red.

You raised an eyebrow, still amused. “No, James, I wasn’t joking. Did you really think I was asking someone else?”

James jumped up so fast, he nearly tripped over his own feet. “Oh Merlin’s beard,” he muttered, rushing toward the door. “Give me two seconds, I—uh—just—hold on!”

He slammed the door in your face before you could even react.

You blinked at the wood in front of you, completely baffled. “Did he… just shut the door?”

Inside, James was rushing around like a madman, pulling off his shirt, rummaging through his trunk, grabbing a new one, throwing things around in the chaos. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!” he shouted at no one in particular, though it was probably aimed at Remus and Sirius.

“We did, mate,” Sirius snickered. “You just didn’t listen.”

James finally yanked on a half-decent shirt, and in his frantic haste, he opened the door, nearly knocking you over. He grabbed your hand, pulled you inside the dorm, and then he bolted out, closing the door behind him.

You were now standing alone in the middle of the boys' dorm, looking completely confused while the three Marauders tried and failed to stifle their laughter. Sirius doubled over, clutching his stomach.

“James… you’re killing me,” Remus wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye.

You glanced at them with a raised brow. “Is he always like this?”

“Only when he’s madly in love,” Peter grinned.

Before you could respond, there was another knock. The door creaked open, and there stood James, leaning against the doorframe, slightly out of breath, hair still a mess. His cheeks were bright red, and he looked at you like you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“You look gorgeous,” he said, voice soft and sincere, his eyes wide with awe.

You couldn’t help but smile at his flustered, dorky charm. “Took you long enough to notice,” you teased, and he chuckled sheepishly.

Sirius called out, “Don’t leave her waiting again, Prongs!”

James held out his arm, and you gladly took it, flashing a playful grin at the other boys before the two of you headed out the door.

Sirius gave a final, dramatic sigh from behind you. "Our boy's growing up."

Remus just shook his head, laughing.

[echoalyssa]

Jordan with an s/o who also plays football. Imagine he takes the team to meet his gf at a game and the teams asking him which one of the cheerleaders is his gf and he says your number and you take off your helmet and there all shocked, oh and along with the team can you add Olivia and Layla??

Authors Note: I fucking love this request. Thank you for submitting it! I actually played boys football for a sec and I did a similar imagine with Brett Talbot from Teen wolf!!

The lights of the stadium are almost blinding, the noise and rumbling of the spectators is calming to him. He'd grown up around this, it was all he knew. He can feel it radiating through him, giving him that buzz that only football does. It's different watching in comparison to playing though.

It was the bye week for Beverly Hills which meant that tonight was the night. Jordan spots his friends in the stands where he'd previously left them so that they would have the best spots. Spencer nudging Olivia's side and pointing at cheerleaders.

It's like a big guessing game to them because Jordan was normally an open book but not about her. They didn't even know her hair color.

Layla is tapping on her phone muttering something about 'finding her on instagram.'

JJ loops an arm around his neck, whooping loudly and probably a couple shots in.

"So where is she?" Asher calls to him.

Jordan smiles, finding her easily in the sea of practicing bodies on the field. She moves different to the rest of them, more graceful. She slips between the bodies like she's dancing.

"I know! I know!" Yells Layla, pointing to a pretty blonde stretching on the sidewalk. She holds up her phone which displays the girl's instagram.

Jordan chuckles, thoroughly enjoying the mystery. He had nothing against the cheerleaders, band kids, or the color guard, but none of them compared to you.

If his friends just looked harder, they would see her.

Layla shows him a few more before he finally takes pity on her.

"Alright alright. It's number seven."

He sticks two fingers into his mouth, whistling a sharp whistle.

Spencer, Layla, Olivia, and Asher crane to look, confused as to how a cheerleader could have a number.

She turns to the noise immediately, knowing his signal to her was unique.

Jordan's friends are all still peering around curiously, somehow still missing the football player making a beeline towards them.

She slinks up beside him, tugging off her helmet and shaking a mess of hair out of the way. Jordan loops an arm around her waist, pulling her into him.

Layla screams behind him, somebody is smacking the bench and he can hear someone's ringer snapping a picture.

He lets her go, knowing that his friends will want to meet her. She greets them all with her usual magical smile.

"Guys! This is Y/N!"

His twin sister sweeps towards his girlfriend, wrapping her up in a hug and telling her they she's going to be the best sister in law ever.

Spencer is still staring in shock. Jordan's girlfriend is one of the top running backs in California.

Asher chuckles, "I fucking knew it man."

Asher had asked ONCE if Jordan had thought Y/N was hot.

Jordan continues to laugh, holding her helmet while she gives all of his friends hugs. Introducing herself even though they already know her.

"I can't believe you chose my brother!" Olivia calls to her and Jordan reaches over to smack her.

Y/N would fit in great.

[myonos]

Partner In Hatred (pt 2/4)

• heeseung x female reader • e2l • wc: 1.4k

• genre: fluff, angst?

• warnings! mutual bullying(?), swearing, heeseung and y/n are both dickheads to each other 🤣 insults, rumor spreading, physical violence in the first part, mention of a bone breaking.

• summary: Y/N and Heeseung have been enemies since the age of 5. The universe keeps them in each others lives until one day when Heeseung moves away. After years apart, Y/N and Heeseung meet again after he moves back home for college. Both are dreading seeing the other again until they realize, they’re both hot now?

taglist: open @cowstiddymilk

masterlist

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ONE YEAR LATER

You look around at all your classmates as you prepare to walk the stage.

After four somewhat grueling years of high school, you are officially graduating.

You got top grades and are graduating fifth in your class.

Your top college choice was the one right in your hometown, whose programs are some of the best in the country. You got accepted and were ecstatic to start in the fall.

Now you get to enjoy the summer with your best friends. Hanni already had plans to do multiple fun outdoor things. Ningning wanted to stay inside more, have girl time, sleepovers, etc.

Yunjin was in the middle and didn’t care what you did, as long as you all did it together.

The announcer took you out of your thoughts.

"I’d like to congratulate the class of 2023!"

Everyone got out of their seats, cheering and throwing their caps, as you did.

You turned to your friends on the right, smiling. Now the fun begins.

You all decide to go home, change your clothes, and relax. The day was slow and exhilarating. As you all sit on your couch, a jarring sound outside your house.

Hanni gets up to see what it is. "Someone’s moving into the house across the street."

Oh, that’s the house Heeseung lived in.

You get up yourself, maybe you’ll be close to them.

As you stop at the window, your eyes nearly blow out of your head.

There he is, the same menace who plagued your life for years, Lee Heeseung.

"No fucking way."

"What?" Everyone says it simultaneously, looking at you.

"It's him."

"Him... as in Lee Heeseung?" Yunjin says.

You can't do anything but nod.

Ningning and Yunjin run to join you and Hanni at the window. Ningning whistles, "Damn, he's fine as fuck!"

"Ningning!" You scoff, "You're not supposed to complement my enemy!"

"Well, he is," Yunjin says. Hanni nods in agreement.

"None of you are helping," you shout, pulling the curtains closed.

"Are you having trouble admitting he's attractive?" "That's not usually hard for you," Ningning laughs.

"He was ugly when I last saw him; now he's not."

You sit on your couch in disbelief. Is this Lee Heeseung? The same Lee Heeseung who called you ‘four eyes’ and ‘noodle arms’ and made childish rumors about you?

What if he sees you and thinks the same?

No, he can't see me. We’ll return to how we were, which is stupid because we're too old for that.

Just then, your phone dings with a notification.

It’s a text from your mother.

Mom

Heeseung’s mom just told me they moved back into their old house!

We’re going there for dinner tonight. I want you to be on your best behavior.

How fucking great!

You send her a dry "ok" back and put your phone away.

"Well, now I have to see him. We’re going there for dinner tonight."

The girls squeal, clapping their hands erratically.

"We’re going to make you look so good, not that you don’t, but even better, so he’ll drool over you," Ningning says.

You scoff, "I don’t want to look good for him. Why would you think that?"

Hanni grabs your shoulders tightly. "This could be your chance for the relationship between you two to take a 180."

"From total enemies to lovers, it’s perfect," Yunjin adds.

You take Hanni’s hands off your shoulders and ask, "What movies, books, or, god forbid, fanfics have y’all been looking at?"

"Forget that!" Ningning interjects. "Let’s go plan your outfit."

You groan as they pull you upstairs.

The girls take their time finding an outfit for you.

By the time they do your hair and put light makeup on you, it’s almost time for dinner.

Just as your mom gets home, they leave, reminding you to tell them what happened afterward.

You can feel your hands shake as you and your mother cross the street.

Once at their door, you feel yourself staying behind your mother, just in case Heeseung answers the door.

He doesn't, and instead his mother answers, immediately hugging your mother.

"Y/N!" she says excitedly. "Look how big you’ve gotten. You’re even more beautiful."

You smile hesitantly and say, "Thank you, Mrs. Lee."

She ushers you inside, and as you approach the kitchen, you see Heeseung is already sitting on his phone.

When he looks up, his eyes widen as he spots you.

You ignore his gaze, but you feel it follow you as you sit down.

Dinner is a whole buffet of korean food and you feel grateful that Mrs. Lee cooked for you and your mother.

Everyone helps themselves and as you’re loading your plate, you feel Heeseung’s gaze back on you.

“The tension in this room is crazy. Can you two lighten up?” Your mother says, laughing with Heeseung’s mother.

That just makes you tighten up more.

“Anyway,” Heeseung’s mother starts, “Y/N, how have you been these last couple of years?”

You clear your throat awkwardly. “Well, I graduated 5th in my class and got accepted into my dream school.”

She congratulates you before saying, “Heeseung also graduated top of his class.”

For the first time tonight, you look at him.

“Congrats,” you say, clearing your throat again.

“Thanks,” he says, “You too.”

“You’ve gotten so handsome since I last saw you, don’t you think so, Y/N?” Your mother always puts you in awkward situations.

You look at Heeseung again and it’s almost as if he’s waiting for you to say no. It’s almost funny.

You nod, “You’re very handsome.”

He visibly relaxes, and you have to stifle your laughter.

“Thank you, you’re beautiful. You always have been.”

That makes you do a double take in your head. He’s always found you beautiful? Wow.

You know you were lying earlier when you told your friends he was ugly when you were younger. He wasn’t, but of course, you didn’t want to admit that at 13.

When dinner has finished, you offer to do the dishes, but of course, Heeseung offers to do them with you.

As you stand next to each other, you wash while he dries, and you keep your mouth shut.

"You’ve grown up a lot," he says.

You were hoping he wouldn’t say anything.

You reply, not to be rude, "You have too."

He chuckles from beside you and says, "I hope you realize I’m not the same as I was all those years ago. I know our hatred of each other was technically my fault."

Wow, I wasn't expecting that.

"I realize, and I’m sure you realize the same for me."

"Maybe we could be friends," you say, hoping you’re not rejected.

"I’m sure we can."

You take the initiative as new friends to flick soapy water at him, getting his shirt wet.

"You did not," he says, his mouth open in shock.

"I did," you giggle, but it barely escapes your mouth before he’s gathering water in his hands to splash on you. He gets the entire front of your shirt wet as you gasp like you weren’t expecting it.

Then it’s a battle, with both of you splashing each other with whatever water you can reach.

You pull the hose out of the sink and spray him with it.

He shrieks at the cold water, and before he can get you back, your mother comes in.

"I’m glad to see you two getting along for the first time, but why at the expense of my kitchen?" Heeseung’s mother sighs.

You both look at her sheepishly as you apologize. She waves it off but decides you’re both going to clean it.

You spend the next half hour wiping up water and finishing the dishes.

Once you and your mother are ready to leave, nudge Heeseung in his side and say, "I’m glad we’re friends now."

"I am too," he says. "Maybe we’ll hang out over the summer. I heard we’re going to the same college."

Your eyes widen. "No way, that’s great. We’ll hang."

You smile at each other one last time before you and your mother trek back to your house.

As you get ready for bed, you think about Heeseung.

Not only is he hot now, but you became friends. You never thought the day would come when you two would get along, but you’re happy to have a new friend, even if it took 15 years.

As your eyes are about to close, you remember to text the girls. Within seconds, they’re blowing up your phone, asking more even though there’s nothing more to say. You decide to be mean and not answer; sure, you’ll get it in the morning, but why not?

As your eyes finally close, you think to yourself, this summer’s going to be great.

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notes: well, here’s part 2! i’m thinking there’s gonna be 3 or 4 at most but we’ll see. i really struggled getting this to a higher word count cause i’m so rusty 😭 if there are any mistakes in terms of spelling/grammar etc pls excuse me i am stupid and have adhd 🫣

[anonymousewrites]

Logos and Pathos (Book 3) Chapter Twenty-Seven

TOS! Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Festival of Friends

Summary: The Enterprise arrives on Celia for its Festival of Luminosity, and they get to meet (Y/N)'s family.

            Captain’s Log: We are in orbit around Celia to act as the Starfleet representation to their Festival of Luminosity. It is a celebration of their history, and as our very own Negotiations and Communications officer is a Celian, we were the perfect choice. As such, we have a landing party gathered, and we will be joining the entirety of the festivities.

            (Y/N) was buzzing with excitement as they stood in the Transporter Room beside Spock. Finally (for (Y/N) really had no patience when it came to seeing their home planet after so long), Bones and Kirk walked in.

            “So, Lieutenant, how are you feeling to be going back to Celian?” asked Kirk, smiling widely.

            “Although I love my work on the Enterprise, sir, I am looking forward to the festival. It was always so much fun growing up, and I haven’t been back for many years,” said (Y/N), smiling brightly.

            “I’m always up for getting out of this ship,” said Bones, as not-grumpy as he could be. “And a party? That means a few good drinks, and that’s a good enough reason to go down to Celia for me.”

            “Doctor, it amazes me that you are given the chance to an observe a unique culture, and yet you manage to focus on the most banal aspects of it,” said Spock, the usual repartee beginning between the pair.

            “Yeah, because it’s the culture and not (Y/N) you’re interested in,” replied Bones, just as witty in his retort.

            “Speaking of (Y/N),” said Uhura, turning to her friend. “Aren’t you going to be involved in the festivities even more than us?”

            “I am a Celian,” said (Y/N), smiling. “It’s customary, and I know all the traditions.”

            Uhura smirked and crossed her arms. “So we get to see that dance I saw you practicing in the recreation room?”

            (Y/N)'s cheeks warmed in embarassment. “You will. But I’m a bit rusty.”

            “I’m certain you’ll be wonderful,” said Spock.

            “Thanks, Spock,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “Yes, and we will have a great time watching you celebrate your festival!” said Kirk. “So how about we head down?”

            “Right, let’s get the transporting over with,” said Bones, stepping onto the Transport Pad.

            “You all heard the doctor,” chuckled Kirk, stepping up.

            Spock, (Y/N), and Uhura stepped up.

            “Scotty, energize,” said Kirk.

            “Yes, sir,” said Scotty.

            The Transporter powered up, and the group dematerialized.

l

            The landing party—Spock, (Y/N), Kirk, Uhura, and Bones—materialized in Celia’s council building. The building had a tall ceiling where a mural of the sky and clouds stared down at them. Outside, the sun shone and a large garden sloped away to the nearest city. The group took a few steps to the wide open doors and looked outside. The city of Lelas stretched out in front of them, beautiful architecture highlighted by the sun and green pathways growing free.

            Bones whistled. “Now this is what I call a nice city.”

            (Y/N) smiled. “This is home.”

            Yes, thought Spock. This place, peaceful and beautiful, would create someone like (Y/N).

            “(Y/N)!” shouted an excited voice.

            “Uh-oh,” said (Y/N).

            A blur of long blond braids and a pale blue suit rushed by everyone to nearly tackle (Y/N) in a hug. “Ah! I’ve missed you!”

            (Y/N) stumbled and laughed as they tried to keep themself upright. “Hi, Merope.” It was their cousin, here to greet them with her wife.

            “Darling, they’re working,” said a calmer voice.

            Kirk smiled and turned to the second Celian who had arrived, this time the ambassador Alekto. “Ambassador, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” he said, extending a hand.

            “It is, Captain,” said Alekto, smiling and shaking it. They wore a purple dress with flowers crawling up the end. “And this time on a far more enjoyable occasion.”

            Spock nodded. “Indeed.”

            The last time they had encountered one another had been when the Enterprise had taken ambassadors from various planets to a neutral planet to discuss the admittance of Coridan to the Federation. It hadn’t gone smoothly—what with attempted assassination and his father’s need for surgery—but it had ended in success.

            “We’re so happy to have you all!” said Merope, smiling brightly and letting (Y/N) go.

            “Clearly,” said Bones, chuckling as (Y/N) groaned at their cousin’s antics.

            “Darling, again, they’re working,” said Alekto, gently taking her wife’s arm.

            “Fine, fine,” said Merope. She just grinned at (Y/N). “I’m sure we’ll have a ton of time for fun once the festivities begin.”

            “Don’t worry, Merope, we’ll have time to catch up,” assured (Y/N).

            “I’m going to hold you to that,” said Merope.

            “Alright, alright,” said Alekto, patting her wife’s arm. She smiled. “And now for a more official welcome.” She extended an arm around her. “Welcome to Celia. We are happy to host one of our own, Lieutenant (L/N), but we are honored to also have foreigners come to experience our Festival of Luminosity. So, thank you, Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Lieutenant Uhura. And welcome once more.”

            “Thank you,” said Uhura. She smiled. “I’ve heard so many stories from (Y/N). I’m sure we’re going to have a wonderful time.”

            “Yeah, I’m up for a party after all the work I’ve been doing,” said Bones jovially.

            “We still have to meet the council,” reminded Spock.

            Kirk smiled. “And I’m sure we’ll enjoy that, too.”

            “Well, then, follow me,” said Alekto, turning with her wife and walking in the direction of the council chambers.

            “If I can ask, what exactly is this festival about?” asked Bones as they went. “I like a good party as much as the next person, but I usually like to know what I’m celebrating.”

            “The Festival of Luminosity is to celebrate the day that Celia gained control over empathy and became a peaceful planet,” said Spock.

            Merope smiled. “You’re quite knowledgeable.” She smirked at (Y/N) knowingly. Any empath seeing their emotions around Spock knew how they felt.

            (Y/N) just smiled and nodded alongside Spock. “Yes, the festival celebrates our history. We have a lot of singing and dancing during the various festivities, so that’s why I’ve been practicing.”

            “And there’s the Crown of Radiance, correct?” remarked Spock. He had researched and paid attention whenever (Y/N) spoke to him of their culture. He would make sure to understand and respect their traditions.

            (Y/N) smiled. “Right.”

            “The Crown of Radiance?” asked Uhura.

            “Now that sounds impressive,” said Kirk.

            “It is,” agreed Merope emphatically. “But it’s only given out once ever fifty years.”

            “What is it?” asked Bones.

            “It’s an honorary title given out to a single Celian per generation during the Festival of Luminosity,” explained Alekto. “It symbolizes Andromeda, the first Celian to develop empathy and lead our planet to peace.”

            “Wow, it must be a pretty special Celian to get such a title,” said Kirk.

            Alekto nodded. “A Celian given the Crown of Radiance is usually an incredibly powerful empath that has done some great deed with their empathy,” she explained. “They have to be someone who really has the spirit of Andromeda and the peace she fought for.”

            (Y/N) smiled. “It will be our first time seeing someone crowned. It’s very exciting for Celians of my generation.”

            “It’ll be an honor to see it,” said Spock. He glanced at (Y/N). He wondered who could possibly be more deserving of the Crown of Radiance than them. Admittedly, he was biased and only knew one Celian, but (Y/N) was just…incredible. And even logic came to that conclusion.

            “It’s going to be quite something,” agreed Kirk.

            Alekto paused at a set of doors and looked back at them. “We’re at the Council chambers. Everyone ready?”

            Everyone nervously squared their shoulders, and even (Y/N) shifted. It had been years since they were on Celia, let alone saw the Council in any capacity. Spock brushed his fingers against theirs in support, and (Y/N) smiled.

            Alekto and Merope exchanged surprised glances before smiling, and (Y/N) sent them a playful glare as their emotions turned teasingly warm.

            Then, the doors opened, and Merope stepped back to let Alekto guide the Starfleet representatives into the Council Chamber. The room was wide open with plenty of seats for people sitting in on meetings or waiting their turn to speak to the council. The Counselors themselves sat at a long marble table, each wearing official robes in different colors of the rainbow with gold stitching on white scarfs.

            “Ambassador Alekto,” greeted one counselor, standing.

            “Counselor,” said Alekto, nodding politely. “May I introduce the Starfleet representatives?”

            “Of course,” said another counselor. “We are happy to have them.”

            Bones gave a happy sigh. “Real hospitality instead of people trying to trap us or kill us.”

            (Y/N) just chuckled and patted his back.

            “This is Captain James T. Kirk,” said Alekto, gesturing to Kirk, who waved. “This is his First Office, Commander Spock.” The Vulcan inclined his head in acknowledgement. “His Medical Officer, Dr. McCoy.” Bones smiled and nodded. “The Communications Officer, Lieutenant Uhura.” She smiled and raised a hand in a wave. “And the Negotiations and Communications Officer, Lieutenant Commander (Y/N).” They smiled and nodded, aware of the recognition of their name.

            Alekto then gestured to the Counselors. “And now can I introduce our Council. We have Counselor Coronis of Internal Affairs.” The woman in red robes nodded and smiled. “Then we Counselor Hyperion of Foreign Affairs.” The man in orange waved. “Counselor of Legislation, Helle.” The person in yellow smiled. “Counselor Leander of Agriculture.” The man in green nodded. “Nereus, Counselor of Education.” The person in blue waved. “And finally, Counselor Rhea of Judiciary Affairs.” The woman in purple smiled.

            “We welcome all of you to Celia,” said Nereus.

            “It’s a pleasure to have people from multiple cultures present for our Festival,” said Hyperion, smiling.

            “And to have one of our returned after so long,” said Leander.

            “Thank you, Counselors,” said Kirk.

            “We are honored to have been invited,” said Spock, formal as ever.

            “We hope you all enjoy yourselves,” said Coronis.

            “If you are in need of anything, simply let one of our staff know,” said Rhea.

            “And Ambassador Alekto will act as your guide during your time here,” said Helle. “And she is known for being quite good at her job.”

            Alekto nodded and smiled. “If you guys have any problems, just let me know. And now that all the introductions have been made, I can take you to your quarters.”

            “Thanks,” said Bones as Alekto led them out and the Counselors nodded goodbye.

            “No problem,” said Alekto. “I know that the Counselors are pretty busy with preparations for the start of the festival, anyways, so we can get on to some less formal activities.”

            “What are some of the festivities that are going to start soon?” asked Uhura.

            “We have a city-wide lunch,” said Merope, appearing back beside her wife.

Alekto nodded. “All of our local restaurants prepare food and donate to the community, and then we let everyone simply go around and decide what they’d like.”

            “It gets pretty chaotic, but there’s always way too much good food for one person anyways,” said (Y/N), smiling fondly at the memories.

            “And then we have singing and dancing,” said Alekto.

            “I love that part the most,” said Merope.

            “It sounds lovely,” said Uhura.

            “You should join the singing,” said (Y/N). “You have a great voice.”

            Her friend smiled. “Maybe. But I don’t know your songs.”

            Merope shook her head. “We have a ton of free time during the celebrations. I mean, first we have organized performances from various levels of schooling, and then us adults dance together, and then it’s a free-for-all, so anyone can join in to sing or dance whatever they’d like!”

            “Then maybe I will,” said Uhura excitedly.

            “If the lunch is soon, I need to go and get ready,” said (Y/N).

            “Do you get a costume?” teased Bones.

            “I have a more Celian outfit to wear, yeah,” said (Y/N). They chuckled nervously. “I just hope it’ll look good for the celebration.”

            “I’m sure you’ll look nice,” said Spock.

            “Thanks, Spock,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “Before you go, we have two more people for you to say ‘hi’ to,” said Merope.

            “Oh? More officials?” asked Kirk.

            “Don’t worry. It’s nothing formal,” said Alekto, shaking her head. She pointed ahead of her to where a woman and a man were standing and waiting for the group.

            “Oh, god, did you bring my parents to the Council Building?” said (Y/N) incredulously.

            “I told Merope you’re technically working right now and she should wait for at least lunch, but, uh, she insisted,” said Alekto, chuckling.

            “So that’s why her emotions were so bright. She was excited about her surprise,” said (Y/N).

            Merope smiled. “Guilty as charged.”

            “We get to meet the people who raised you?” said Bones. “Maybe that’ll help explain your taste.”

            “Doctor, (Y/N)’s parents are a pleasure to meet, and yet you insist on deciding to, as you say, ‘tease’ me,” said Spock.

            “(Y/N)!” said (Y/N)’s mother, finally seeing her child and smiling.

            “Welcome home,” said their father.

            “Hi, Mom, Dad,” said (Y/N), letting their parents hug them and hugging back. “It’s great to see you.” They smiled as the familiar warmth of their parents’ emotions encompassed them.

            “Oh, good, we were worried Merope was pushing for seeing you too soon,” said their mother, stepping back.

            “Merope always gets her way,” said Alekto fondly.

            Merope laughed and kissed her wife on the cheek. “It’s not my fault you spoil me.”

            (Y/N)’s mother waved to the group. “Hello, I’m Eirene, (Y/N)’s mom. And this is my husband, Nikomedes. We’re so happy to meet (Y/N)’s colleagues and friends.” She smiled widely.  

            “So, who are your friends?” asked Nikomedes brightly.

            Spock, Kirk, Uhura, and Bones were quickly realizing that (Y/N)’s warm personality definitely came from Nikomedes, but their general calm and patience came from Eirene. All the energy was clearly on Nikomedes and Merope’s side of the family.

            “This is my Captain, Kirk,” said (Y/N). “My friends McCoy and Uhura.” They shifted nervously, and their parents’ raised their eyebrows knowingly as (Y/N)’s emotions turned to love as they looked at Spock. “And this is my boyfriend, Spock.”

            Nikomedes grinned widely, and Eirene smiled softly. “Well, it’s great to meet you all,” said Nikomedes.

            “It’s nice to meet you, too,” said Bones.

            “Right,” agreed Kirk.

            “Yes,” said Uhura.

            Eirene looked at Spock. “Especially anyone so close to our child.”

            Spock nodded. “It is an honor to meet the family of my t’hy’la.”

            (Y/N)’s parents nodded approvingly at Spock. They trusted (Y/N)’s taste, and he seemed nice, and for (Y/N) to have such deep emotions for him, it meant their relationship was truly strong.

                        “He seems good, (Y/N),” said Eirene, smiling at her child, and Nikomedes gave a thumbs up.

            (Y/N) turned red. “Yeah, yeah, I know, Mom.” They gave their dad a look. “And stop that, Dad.”

            “Well, now that all the introductions are done, I guess it’s time for (Y/N) to go and get ready,” said Merope. “They’re the only Celian not ready for the Festival.”

            “Who held me up?” said (Y/N), smiling still.

            “Me! But I’m also who’s gonna make you all pretty, so be nice to me,” said Merope, grabbing (Y/N)’s arm and dragging them away.

            “I’ll take you guys to where we’ll be having the lunch,” said Alekto, gesturing for the group to follow her.

            Eirene turned to the Starfleet officers as they walked. “How has (Y/N) been doing in Starfleet?”

            “They are a good person and a great officer,” said Kirk. “We’re lucky to have them on the Enterprise.”

            Spock nodded. “Indeed. They are invaluable. Many people have benefited from their presence.”

            “They’ve saved our lives, even,” said Uhura, smiling. “And they’re always willing to help people in need.”

            “Yeah, the amount of trouble they’ve gotten us out of is only beaten by the amount of times we’ve gotten into trouble,” said Bones.

            “We’re glad,” said Nikomedes, smiling. “I can tell our child is cared for.”

            “We were worried,” said Eirene. “(Y/N) choosing Starfleet…it was quite unexpected.”

            “Really?” said Bones in surprise. “They’re a perfect negotiator.”

            “Oh, yes, but we—indeed, all of their professors, friends, and family—thought they’d go into work more geared towards their empathy in a more emotion-based environment,” said Eirene.

            Alekto nodded. “Like being an Ambassador like me or working with different planets in need of guidance.” She smiled. “A lot of people thought that they’d become a Counselor pretty quickly if they went into governing.”

            “Well, they do a lot of good work and help many people in Starfleet,” said Kirk, smiling.

            “We’re sure, and we’re very happy for them,” said Nikomedes, clearly speaking the truth. It was evident that (Y/N)’s family loved them very much.

            “It is merely that empaths will such strong abilities usually stay on Celia or close to Celia since their skills are perfect for our planet,” said Eirene.

            “Other Celians have gone to Starfleet,” said Spock, not to argue but to discuss. “What makes (Y/N)’s position unique?”

            “The Celians in Starfleet have the basics of empathy to work well in confined quarters with others,” said Eirene. “And (Y/N)…”

            “(Y/N) was the prodigy,” said Alekto. “Their empathic abilities are off the charts in strength.”

            Nikomedes nodded. “So we worried when they chose Starfleet since we don’t want them to be harmed because of how much they feel from others and because it was unusual.”

            “Is (Y/N)’s empathy really that strong?” asked Uhura, surprised. “I thought what they could do was normal.”

            “All empaths can feel and manipulate emotions to some degree,” said Eirene. “Most have a specific emotion or sensation they specialize in. (Y/N) is strong in everything. A lot of people were hopeful they’d stay on Celia since such strength could be helpful.

            “But if they’re doing well and happy, that’s all that matters to us,” said Nikomedes.

            Eirene nodded. “Yes. We don’t care about people’s expectations for (Y/N). We’re just happy they’re happy.” She paused. “Alekto, dear, Nikomedes and I still need to pick up a few things for the lunch. We’ll return in a bit, alright?”

            “Right, Auntie,” said Alekto, smiling, watching her aunt and uncle walk away. She glanced at the Starfleet officers. “You know, there’s one more thing Uncle Nikomedes and Aunt Eirene didn’t mention.”

            “Oh?” asked Spock, raising an eyebrow.

            “Yeah,” said Alekto. “No one really wants to talk about it, but, uh, people thought (Y/N) would stay on Celia because even though they have really strong empathy, a lot of people thought they were pretty and could do well in something traditionally Celian.”

            “So not just bureaucracy and helpfulness,” said Bones.

            “(Y/N)’s said that they don’t like people looking at their appearance,” said Uhura. “They had a lot of trouble at the Academy because of it.”

            “What would (Y/N) have done with their empathy if not use it?” asked Spock, not liking the idea of people wanting (Y/N) to be a certain way. He knew they were beautiful, but he knew how much more they were.

            “Dancing, modelling, ambassadorship…” Alekto sighed. “Everything that deals with people and perception can be helped by appearance. Plus, (Y/N) is very free-spirited. People thought Starfleet was too ‘serious’ for them.” She smiled. “But I remember that as soon as (Y/N) realized that’s what people, they refused to back down. If there’s one thing (Y/N)’s good at, it’s proving people wrong.”

            “They’ve definitely shown what they’re worth,” said Kirk, smiling.

            “And many people respect (Y/N) for who they are,” said Spock.

            Alekto smiled at him. “I’m sure some people do.” She didn’t need to be able to feel the Vulcan’s emotions to know he cared. “And I’m glad (Y/N) really has a place to belong.” She laughed. “I hope they get a chance to really shove it to the people who thought they couldn’t do it.”

            “Very diplomatic,” laughed Uhura.

            Alekto grinned. “I might be an ambassador, but (Y/N)’s my cousin-law-law. So as soon as I’m off-duty, I’m just here to support my family.” She shrugged. “And if I don’t encourage (Y/N) to stand up, Merope will.”

            “We won’t let them be disrespected, either,” said Bones protectively.

            Spock nodded. (Y/N) was his t’hy’la, an incredible person full of passion and strength. They were beautiful, intelligent, skilled, and so much more. But it was everything put together that made (Y/N) the person he loved.

Taglist:

@a-ofzest

@grippleback-galaxy

@genderfluid-anime-goth

@groovy-lady

@im-making-an-effort

@unending-screaming

@h-l-vlovesvintage

@neenieweenie

@keylimeconstellation

@wormwig

@technikerin23

@ilyatan

@nthdarkqueen

[moghraidhs]

jackbucky pt vi

The letter arrives on a Monday.

Bucky’s sitting on his cot, reading Guys and Dolls for the tenth time, when Curt comes in with a couple of letters in his hand.

“Those from your folks?” Bucky asks. He’d stopped joining in on mail calls a long time ago. The sting of not getting any letters has (mostly) faded by now.

Curt smiles. “Not all of them. One’s for you.” He tosses Bucky the slim white envelope with a wink.

Bucky almost drops his book in his haste to catch it. “For me? Really?” He looks down at the letter. Sure enough, his name is scrawled across the front in bold, black ink.

“Well, open it then,” Curt pokes him in the shoulder, eyes alive with curiosity.

Bucky obeys automatically. Tearing open the envelope takes little more than a couple of seconds, and then…

It’s a photo of Jack. There’s a note attached.

Dear Major Egan,

Consider this a gift. I wish you both the best of luck.

Sincerely,

Raymond Bryan

“Who’s Raymond Bryan?” Curt asks, because of course he’s still there.

Bucky swallows. “One of the journalist guys who was here a couple of weeks ago.” He looks back at the photo, his hands trembling a little.

Jack isn’t looking at the camera, his attention focused on someone standing next to him out of frame. His hair’s a little rumpled, mouth curled in a small smile. He looks…well, stunning.

Curt whistles softly. “Well, how ‘bout that?”

Bucky skims his thumb across the photo almost reverently. He’s never had anything like this: a picture to take to the skies with him. Practically everyone else in the 100th has something; hell, even the ground crew carry pictures from wives or sweethearts. It had hurt at first, until Bucky had made peace with the idea that something like that wasn’t meant for him. And now he has this. He’s not sure whether to laugh or cry.

He does neither, though. “Where’s Jack?”

Curt shrugs. “Probably in the Air Exec’s office, like usual.”

“Thanks.” He’s out the door before Curt can say anything else, long legs eating up the ground.

True to Curt’s word, Jack is in his office, his head bent over some papers. Bucky watches him momentarily through the window. His heart feels like it’s about to beat right out of his chest, his whole body light and giddy.

Not even in the air and he feels like he's flying. It’s stupid, really, but he can’t stop it.

“Hey, Jack,” he says as he enters the office.

Jack looks up, the lines of his face relaxing briefly. “John? Everything alright?”

“Yeah. Um…” Bucky shifts on his feet from side to side. “I wanted to show you something.” Before he can lose his nerve, he slides the photo across the desk towards Jack.

“One of the journalists from London sent it earlier. I asked him for a photo, but I thought he’d forgotten until today.” Bucky grins. “Now I’ll be able to have my man with me wherever I go.” He doesn’t intend for the words to come out, but they do anyway, and they actually sound…right.

It’s a rare thing for Jack Kidd to blush, but he does so then, colour flooding his cheeks. “Oh,” he says, quiet, and Bucky’s heart beats even faster.

“You don’t mind, right?” A sudden, insidious thought spears its way into his mind. “I can send it back–”

“John.” Jack’s hands land on his, warm and solid, and Bucky stops mid-sentence.

“I love it,” Jack says. He’s smiling, more with his eyes than his mouth, and there’s nothing but sincerity in his voice. Bucky stares at him, and his chest feels full to bursting.

“Can I get a kiss?” The words come out almost of their own volition.

Jack shakes his head, properly smiling now. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Bucky has heard the words a million times before. As a taunt, out of frustration or anger. Only a few have said it with affection. When Jack says it, though, it feels…special.

Bucky tilts his head, putting on his best puppy eyes. “Please, Jack?”

“Someone might walk in,” Jack mutters, but his eyes flick down to Bucky’s mouth regardless.

Gotcha.

“Just one,” the Air Exec says finally, and Bucky beams.

Jack cups Bucky’s face in his hands and kisses him. He’s good. Bucky melts into the touch, chasing Jack’s mouth with his own, his hands tugging the other man closer.

Good, good, good…He never wants this to end.

Someone knocks on the door, and Jack pulls away “One minute,” he calls, sounding infuriatingly calm in spite of his previous occupation. Bucky watches him, dazed and out of breath and happy.

“Guess that means I’ve gotta go, huh?”

Jack smiles at him. “For now.”

And there’s the mischievous streak that Bucky loves. Heat flares in his stomach and he smirks back. “That a promise?”

Jack ducks his head and kisses him again, somehow quick and lingering at the same time. “You can count on it.”

[axel-the-goat-guy-and-gal]

Okay Lore Time

So Al is constantly on the run.... Well, kind of....

So Al is from an alternate dimension and moves himself and his equipment (such as his circus) into different dimensions at the drop of a hat. He does this with a device he got from some sort of ancient structure somewhere in his original dimension. When he picks up this device it pops out "Shadow." (Thats not it's name, I just still havent thought of a name yet... In the meantime I'm using "Shadow" as a placeholder name.) And this "Shadow" character is only visible to Al and is a corrupted part of one of the unnamed-dimensional-travel-device's functions. Shortly after Al gets the device, it immediately starts and takes Al- as well as some nearby debris- into a new dimension.... He then proceeds to talk with "Shadow" and try and figure out what the hell just happened but then the device glitches again. Oh yeah also with each new dimension he's dropped into he's immediately called either a freak or abomination of some kind or just attacked outright. That's because more often than not a dimension wont have a sentient species that looks similar to Al. Or if it does it's usually seen as "bad" in some way. So as Al gets jumps the first time, he is immediately spotted by some travelers, he approaches seeking help and they run and scream.... A few hours later he gets jumped by some militia of some kind and thrown in a cage. He spends about a week in the cage with no-one interacting and given a small portion of food and something to drink, all the while chatting with "Shadow" and getting some ✨Exposition✨... After a while the device fires again, this time sending him into another new area... this time not as hostile, but people are still very cautious. He goes and finds a bar, before realizing he doesnt have the proper currency for this dimension and is subsequently kicked out. He finds a box and gets under it as it begins to rain.... He wakes up to a strange rat-creature poking at him, curious. Al freaks out, lands on the device and he jumps again. He jumps from place to place over and over again, never staying more than a day. Until finally the device just seemingly breaks altogether. Shadow dissapears, and Al is left in a dimension with flying ships and massive spinning cogs and wheels, wings and whistles dotting the landscape... Al was plopped right into a steampunk world lol. Its here where he luckily finds someone thats not only nice, but able and willing to help! He asks this new friend of his to help fix his dimensional-device... He does so, on one condition! Al promises he will return and maybe have a drink or two with his new friend. Al gladly accepts. Al spends the next fw months at character-which-I-also-need-to-name's house, helping out with various tasks and chores in exchange for free housing and the help with the device.

Also Shadow out of nowhere calls Al gay a little while after the device fixed, making Al spit out his drink in front of Steampunk-Guy. Al waves it off saying "went down the wrong pipe" and gives a look to Shadow that implies "We'll discuss this later"

Also also Al finds Juno losing a street fight in an alley, and comes in and lends a hand. Al buys the feline a drink at a nearby bar and they get acquaintd. Also Juno follows Al and freaks the both of them out when he is brought with Al in the dimensional jump. This is basically how Al gets a sort of team together. Al creates a gang of rag-tag group of misfit friends. A sort of interdimensional "freakshow" if you will... (I had to tie it in to a circus theme SOMEHOW x3)

But yeah thats all I got for right now.

Due note that this is the shortened version. If I do end up doing more with this I'm gonna extend all this and make it more fleshed out. Add more depth.

This would essentially be just the first chapter of the hypothetical book.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Three Gables pt 2

A little late, because life and Christmas are just... it's a lot.

Last time we had a lady who wanted to sell her house and someone who really wanted to buy it and everything in it. Including the remaining possessions of her dead son. Who had died of pneumonia? I think, but also been involved with some sort of woman his mother did not approve of.

And a servant was fired after everyone was kind of terrible to her, even if she was spying for some bad guys.

And there was a lot of racism, which I expect will increase.

Anyway

"Now, Watson, this is a case for Langdale Pike, and I am going to see him now."

Ah, it's another randomly referenced character that it sounds like we should know and yet we do not. Unless I have forgotten him. I don't think I've forgotten him.

Langdale Pike was his human book of reference upon all matters of social scandal. This strange, languid creature spent his waking hours in the bow window of a St. James's Street club and was the receiving-station as well as the transmitter for all the gossip of the metropolis. He made, it was said, a four-figure income by the paragraphs which he contributed every week to the garbage papers which cater to an inquisitive public.

OMG, he's the paparazzi!

Well, the Edwardian equivalent of it.

Holmes, I thought better of you than this. You're really feeding this guy information. Ugh.

'Please come out at once. Client's house burgled in the night. Police in possession. — Sutro.' Holmes whistled. “The drama has come to a crisis, and quicker than I had expected."

Really? You must have known you sped up their timetable a little. They knew you'd gone to see the place and they were worried enough about you they tried to warn you off. It makes sense that seeing you there would move up their plans.

“Well, they don't seem to have got much. Mrs. Maberley was chloroformed and the house was— Ah! here is the lady herself.”

She was chloroformed and it's just an ordinary burglary? I hate to see what you call an odd burglary.

Just going to skip over the extra racism.

“Well, I don't think there is anything of value missing. I am sure there was nothing in my son's trunks.”

You hadn't even looked in them and Holmes told you that he thought there was something in them. Why are you so confident in this, lady?

"It is in my son's handwriting.” “Which means that it is not of much use,” said the inspector. “Now if it had been in the burglar's—” “Exactly,” said Holmes. “What rugged common sense!"

Please allow me to use my Holmes-English dictionary. I'll just check... yeah... Mmhm.

“I never pass anything, however trifling,” said he with some pomposity. “That is my advice to you, Mr. Holmes."

Oh, oh no. Oh poor boy. You are being set up for the biggest of falls. You have no genre savvy. I'm sorry. This will hurt.

“Seems to be the end of some queer novel, so far as I can see.”

Please, tell me more.

“Why should they go to my son's things?” asked Mrs. Maberley.

Clearly they wanted the manuscript of his magnum opus of homoerotic literature, Mrs Maberley. I can see no other possible reason.

And honestly, relatable.

"Man must live for something. If it is not for your embrace, my lady, then it shall surely be for your undoing and my complete revenge.”

🔥VENGEANCE!🔥

So it's not a homoerotic bodice ripper, at all. It's a tell-all memoir.

"I hear that she is about to marry the young Duke of Lomond, who might almost be her son."

Refreshing to see an older woman-younger man romance portrayed for once. Usually it's the older man preying on the sweet young ingenue. This time the sexual predator is the woman. Although... honestly, nothing that's been said so far makes me think she's doing anything but having a good time.

“Not at home means not at home to you,” said the footman.

RUDE!

The lady had come, I felt, to that time of life when even the proudest beauty finds the half light more welcome.

Also rude!

Come on, Watson. You're not exactly young yourself at this point. And you're still apparently marrying people left right and centre. Do you hide in the shadows?

Pah.

...two wonderful Spanish eyes which looked murder at us both.

I know what he means by this, but also I am imagining her irises being the Spanish flag.

Beautiful.

“I need not explain, madame. I have too much respect for your intelligence to do so—though I confess that intelligence has been surprisingly at fault of late.”

Holmes is in such a bitchy mood in this one. He's just insulting everyone as much as he can. I kind of love it.

"I feel that I may be frank with you, Mr. Holmes. You have the feelings of a gentleman. How quick a woman's instinct is to find it out. I will treat you as a friend.”

Wow...the bullshit is strong with this one.

“No doubt it was foolish of me to threaten a brave man like yourself.”

You should totally stroke his bicep and ask if he works out. That's clearly where this is heading. Lolol!

“No, no, you would not. You are a gentleman. It is a woman's secret.”

Wow. Just... wow. Weaponising femininity indeed.

✨ Gaslight. ✨ Gatekeep. ✨ Girlboss. ��

So roguish and exquisite did she look as she stood before us with a challenging smile that I felt of all Holmes's criminals this was the one whom he would find it hardest to face. However, he was immune from sentiment.

That's because unlike you, he is not ruled by his horny brain, Watson. Please, take some deep breaths, drink a glass of cold water and come back when you've calmed down. You were literally just saying you thought she was too old to stand in proper lighting, my dude. Down boy!

"Because I had given he seemed to think that I still must give, and to him only. It was intolerable."

OK, fine. I'm on her side now. She's still the most ridiculous person ever, but this is a valid and correct point. Douglas needed to take no as an answer.

Barney and the boys drove him away, and were, I admit, a little rough in doing so.

I'm torn. On the one hand, Douglas needed to understand that just because his sense of entitlement told him she owed him something, he really didn't. On the other hand, don't hire people to beat people up. Maybe just hire bodyguards to keep turning him away and save the beating for if he escalates?

I feel like everyone sucks in this story.

This... this is the same story from Charles Augustus Milverton except the female character is rich and has agency. And yet we're supposed to not side with the people who stole back the blackmail material that would ruin her? Because she's promiscuous?

Yeah, she's kind of terrible, but her crime was getting people to beat him up. The theft seems fair, honestly.

“Very good. I think you will sign me a check for that, and I will see that it comes to Mrs. Maberley. You owe her a little change of air."

Yeah, she was chloroformed and it's possible that the beating led to her son's death. She definitely deserves something for all of this.

"Have a care! You can't play with edged tools forever without cutting those dainty hands.”

Weird line to end on, but okay. Basically 'fuck around and find out' in Holmes speak, I guess.

But yeah, this is just a different version of Charles Augustus Milverton and A Scandal in Bohemia only this time the lady is the bad guy. And she actually has done some horrible things. But if she'd come to you and said 'Mr Holmes, I had an ill advised dalliance with a young man and I need the evidence before it ruins my upcoming wedding!' Holmes might have done the burglary himself.

Well, probably not if he found out about her having Douglas beaten up.

But it's a weird change of perspective.

[sirowsky-stories]

The Flowers Always Know

Chapter 16 - Sexual Therapy?

Description: After the stress you'd both gone through lately, Marcus once again tried to distract you from your worries. But this time, it didn't work out quite the way he'd planned.

**Beware! Author chooses NOT to display warnings on the individual chapters of this story. Read at your own risk!**

Rating: Mature/Explicit 18+ONLY Word Count: 5833 (2807 words added) Masterlist (this story)

   Marcus was a man of his word, which was usually a good thing.    But when he dusted off every trick in the book to try and annoy you in his efforts of distracting you from how much shit you were still dealing with, it really wasn’t.    Everything from pinching your ass to wolf-whistling loudly while you were on the phone, to stealing and hiding your papers, to hiding himself and jumping out at you… He tried it all hoping to get you off balance.

   He even stole your left shoe and then not at all accidentally dropped it down a stairwell.    At one point you got so frustrated with him that you just swatted in his general direction, only to have him catch your hand and proceed to lick the length of your fingers, like a fucking six-year-old, all while you were on the phone with the CEO of one of the richest toy-companies in the world.

   “What? It’ll make it easier to turn the papers over,” he whispered when you fixed him with a glare which would’ve put Medusa herself to shame.

   He wisely backed off and let you finish the call unbothered, probably noticing you were truly done with him at that point.    You had actually gotten a nice large sofa for your office, after Marcus had suggested it, and he now sat down and made a show of toeing off his shoes and letting them fly about the room as he laid down flat on his back.    The sofa was just long enough for him. You’d checked before you’d bought it.

   “What is the matter with you?!” you went at him the moment you’d ended the call, succeeding only in making him grin. “For fuck’s sake, Marcus, it was Elliot Brady!”

   That caught his attention, making his eyebrows shoot up as he recognized the name and slowly sat up, turning so his feet came down to the floor again.

   “The Elliot Brady…?” he asked in an impressed tone while resting his elbows against his knees, but he knew you wouldn’t joke about someone so influential, so you ignored the question and pointed a firm index finger at him.

   “You are so lucky I was able to keep my cool. Because if you had messed up that call, you would have been responsible for losing the Heroics a $70 million deal.    And you’d better believe I’d have made sure to let the whole fucking building know,” you cautioned, and he did look mildly shocked at first, but then his playful mood once again took over and he grinned wickedly at you.

   “Oh, hermosa… I so love it when you take charge,” he said, letting his voice drop and turn husky while he leaned back on the sofa and spread his legs wide, pushing his hips forwards to show you the large bulge which was already straining against his jeans.

   The sight caught you off guard, and the sudden clench of your pussy, knowing how good that bulge felt inside you, made you lose track of what you were even thinking. And of course, the little bastard could tell.    He shot you a deeply satisfied smile as he took in your rapidly heating expression, because he knew once he got you to certain point, you wouldn’t be able to turn him down.

   You tried to tell yourself it wasn’t worth it. That all those noise-complaints which had been filed against the two of you after the last time he’d been “distracting” you, had been embarrassing enough to last you a lifetime.    But it was late afternoon on a Saturday, so the building was practically empty by now, and you were already soaking through your panties.    Also, you really wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face.

   Screw it.

   Getting up and rounding your desk, you approached him while opening your jeans and pulling them down, letting your underwear trail down with them. You’d already kicked off your shoes, something you liked to do whenever you knew you’d be by your desk for a bit.    Once the pants were off, you leaned over and placed your hands on his knees, and then you waited. He took the hint and opened his fly, starting to tug his pants down, but you didn’t move your hands, which forced him to stop at the knees.

   He looked up at you questioningly, and you smiled wickedly at him, before you dropped your head down and licked him, from hilt to tip.    He hissed and growled and his hands grabbed at your hair and shoulders, as if he didn’t know what to do with them, but had to do something, touch something. And every other part of you was out of his reach because of how you were standing.

   It was incredibly satisfying to hear and feel him lose control, because he was ordinarily very good at restraining himself, even when his desires were downright maddening.    You’d only ever gone down on each other for foreplay before, though, trying to prolong the act, since neither of you managed to last more than a minute or two after penetration. Still, you both preferred the intimacy of regular sex, even if these kinds of variations could be enormously fun.

   But this was different, and he knew it. You were playing with him, in a way you never had before, offering nothing in return while you took full advantage of him.    Licking him again, you then pulled his tip into your mouth and sucked hard on it for a couple of seconds, and were rewarded with seeing his abs clench down and his body tremble with the sensation.

   The satisfaction of knowing how much he craved you, and that you had complete control over him now, sent a fresh volley of wetness trickling down the insides of your thighs. You wanted him almost desperately, to the point where your core was crunching, but you ignored it.    Keeping your hands firmly planted on the tops of his knees, to keep his pants on so he couldn’t spread his legs any wider, you worked him hard using only your mouth.

   You sucked him in deeper, letting your tongue play along the back of his shaft, massaging him gently. Then you pulled back and let him slip completely out so that you could duck down further and play with his balls.    He was panting hard by then, and you could feel him struggle to keep his hands from just grabbing your shoulders and pulling you up to straddle him.

   But you also knew he really had meant it when he’d said he liked seeing you in charge, and it was obvious he was dying to know what you were gonna do next if he just left you to it.    Taking his length into your mouth again, you buried as much of him as you could take down your throat, swallowing around him to keep from gagging, which elicited a deep, guttural sound from him and made his trapped legs tremble under your hands as he tried to keep from bucking deeper into your throat.

   Starting to work back and forth, you quickly got used to feel of him, allowing you to take a little bit more each time, and it made him fucking feral, growling through each strained breath while he tried his damnedest not to interfere.    Meanwhile, the insides of your thighs were seriously wet at that point, and you were throbbing for him, but you weren’t going to stop. Instead, you moved your right hand from his knee to your sex and stroked yourself, making yourself moan on his cock.

   The sight of you pleasuring yourself, along with the vibrations in your throat, finally drove him wild enough to try and take over, and his hands were suddenly grasping at your upper arms, trying to pull you off him and up onto his lap so he could fill you.    But you looked up into is eyes and harshly swatted his hands away, before redoubling your efforts of stroking yourself, moaning again while you let him slip halfway out of your mouth before plunging down on him again.

   You could tell how close he was by the devastated look he gave you, and by the pulsing in his length, so you slid two fingers inside yourself and toppled over the edge almost immediately, keeping him deeply embedded inside you while you rode out the first waves.    He followed right after, the sight and feel of you way too much for him to be able to hold back, just as you’d known it would be.

   You were impressed by his self-control, though, as he kept his hands away from your head while he came down your throat, clearly not wanting to risk hurting you by holding you down onto him too hard or for too long.    He did buck up involuntarily, but since your head was free, you simply followed the movement and kept him only as deep as you could manage, sucking him until he was good and spent, seeing him all but collapse once you freed his cock from your mouth.

   When he’d completely stilled and was just laying there and panting hard, slumped so low on the sofa that only his shoulders and head were leaned against the backrest, you got up and went over to your desk.    Pulling out wet wipes from a drawer, you handed him a couple and then cleaned off your legs and chin, before pulling your jeans back on and tucking your soiled panties into your back pocket.

   “Wait…” he breathed, clearly perplexed by this turn of events. “That’s it? You’re not gonna let me have a go at you?”

   He looked so adorably confused where he sat with his pants still down by his knees, his soft but still swollen and saliva drenched member resting against his hip, his arms splayed to the sides, still breathing roughly while beads of sweat littered his temples and his neck.

   “Nope,” you simply replied, but your tone was firm.

   “Why not?” he pressed, sounding both disappointed and slightly offended, as though he worried you didn’t think he could get the job done.

   Contrarily, you knew he very much could, repeatedly and without much effort, which was exactly why you weren’t going to let him.    He’d made it a habit to use sex as a way of keeping you from thinking too hard about things, which had been helpful at times, you couldn’t deny that.    But this time, you knew he was also using these distractions and humour as a way of trying to scrub out the hurt, and you couldn’t let him do that.

   You wanted nothing more than to pretend none of it had happened, but it would never go away simply because you chose not to think about it. If anything, it would only come back worse if it was supressed for too long.    He might not get it yet, but you knew he would eventually, and you wanted him to reach that conclusion on his own, so you evaded the question for now.

   “Because,” was all you gave him, which understandably only frustrated him.

   “Because, what?”

   You merely smiled and sat back down at your desk, waking up your computer screen to send the last few emails and notifications needed to keep the right people in the loop on the deal you’d just made, seemingly oblivious to the declining mood of your partner.    But you knew exactly what he was feeling when he begrudgingly cleaned up, pulled his pants back on, and then sat there and scowled while you finished your work.

   The cogs in his brain were so loud you could almost hear them from across the office, as he no doubt worked tirelessly to figure out what your angle for not letting him pleasure you, could possibly be. You’d never turned him down or kept him at a distance before.    And that was precisely the clue you knew he’d figure out, because there was only one reason why that would’ve changed, and he was easily emotionally intelligent enough to realize it.    Once you were done, you switched the computer off and put your shoes on.

   “Okay, I’m ready to go home,” you announced then, meeting his eyes with a soft smile while you moved towards him.

   He had stopped looking at you by then, staring at his own hands instead while he puzzled over your behaviour, but once he heard you say the word home, his focus shifted.    There was no denying the significance of that word when it came from your lips, especially now when there was still so much tension within your relationship. But hearing it made his scowl evaporate and he smiled warmly at you as he stood up to take your outstretched hand.

   “When we get back, it’s my turn,” he grinned with a wink, but you shook your head at him.

   “Nope,” you sighed, a bit disappointed that he’d apparently not gotten anywhere in his pondering yet.

   “What? Seriously babe, why not?” he countered again, and for a moment you contemplated just handing him the answer.

   But you had more faith in him than that, so you opted to go with a believable alternative instead.

   “Missy,” you shrugged, which made him flinch.

   Clearly, he hadn’t thought about the fact she’d be home when you got there, but as he re-evaluated, something seemed to occur to him, and his smile returned.

   “So, you think I might make you scream, huh?” he wondered in a highly mischievous tone.

   “Oh, honey… I expect nothing less,” you shot back with a deep and suggestive voice, playing along to help keep his mood up.

   He almost stumbled over his own feet, hearing that, and had to let go of your hand when he stopped to regain his balance, so you gave him a heated look over your shoulder while continuing to walk leisurely away from him.    His responding expression quite clearly stated that had there been a contest between you, to see which of you was better at sexual manipulation, you’d already won.

-=¤=-

   You spent the drive talking about what to make for dinner, but when you got back, the rest of the little family was already cooking and the whole house smelled wonderful.    Missy shot you a nervous glance when you walked into the kitchen, but then she saw how comfortable you were with the house again, and her worry melted into a wide smile.    After her reaction to seeing you lethargic on the ground yesterday morning, you could imagine how every bump on the road to recovering your relationship with her father, must seem huge and frightening to her.

   There was no question she’d heard what had gone on in the master bathroom the evening before, she was way too sharp not to have pieced together the broad strokes of what that had been about, and you were certain it had made her very anxious.    In fact, you’d been surprised that she hadn’t mentioned it before leaving this morning. But seeing her face now, you knew she’d been worried sick about it.

   “Hey, sweetie. Did you have fun at the park?” you asked, trying to keep the energy light.

   “Yeah, the guys wanted me to tell you that the new powered-friendly playgrounds are awesome!” she answered, just a tad too enthusiastically.

   “Really? Oh, that’s great! I was hoping we got it right, but I wasn’t very confident, it was such a mess during development.”

   “Oh, you nailed it! It works for everyone, regardless of what their powers are, and it was still just as fun for me to use too.”

   “Well, I’m glad. But I hope you’re not being overly praising just because you know I’ve been feeling bad lately,” you pondered, hoping she wouldn’t feel put down, but also wanting to make sure she knew that she didn’t need to pretend everything was fine around you.

   “No, I’m not. You’re an awesome designer,” she declared, and yet, there was something in her voice which made you feel like there was more to it than that.

   “But…?” you pressed, and she sighed.

   “I just… I heard you. Last night,” she admitted, and wetness began to pool in her eyes. “And I thought that… you might never be okay.”

   She was crying by the time she finished and moved around the edge of the island while she reached for you. You wrapped your arms around her back and lifted her up to hug her, and she snaked her legs over your hips and hugged you back with all the strength she had.    As with all things concerning his daughter, you felt the need to make sure Marcus was alright with what you were doing, and finding him standing next to Anita, you were reassured to see him look only moved by the scene. Teary-eyed and moved.

   “I am okay, my darling,” you whispered to the girl, still holding her tightly against your chest. “And last night is why I’m okay. I just had to get that crap out, or it would’ve turned rotten and mean inside me.    I’m so sorry you had to hear it, but just because it sounded and felt terrible, doesn’t mean it was a bad thing. Because now that it’s out, I can replace it with good things. Do you understand?”

   “Yeah, I think so,” she snivelled, and she sounded so small when she allowed herself to be fragile like this. “I just don’t want you to leave. Please, tell me you won’t leave.”

   It was the first time you’d heard her voice any hint of the fear she must carry so deep within her heart, of losing another mother figure, and it left you feeling so torn.    On the one hand, it was proof of her very real affection for you, and her hope for a future where her family might be whole. But on the other, it was also a reminder of how easily broken this little girl’s heart really was, and how very carefully you would have to hold it.

   “I’m not going anywhere. I’m a fighter, remember? When things get tough, I get tough,” you reassured her, pulling back to give her a hopeful smile and a loving kiss to the cheek, which was finally enough to draw a small giggle from her and chase away whatever dread had tried to overtake her.

   But then Anita suddenly cleared her throat unnecessarily loudly.

   “If you two are done dancing around over there, dinner’s ready,” she announced, pulling a large pot off the stove and carrying it to the table.

   “Mooom, why would you do that?! They were having a moment,” Marcus whined, clearly upset that she’d interrupted a bonding opportunity, which he’d obviously been enjoying.

   “Hm, there’ll be plenty more, no need to waste good food over it,” his mother grumbled, but you saw through it without even trying.

   “Don’t let her fool you, honey,” you chuckled while you put Missy down. “She’s just trying to avoid crying in front of all of us. I mean, the fierce Mrs. Moreno has a reputation to live up to, right?”

   At first, it didn’t seem like she was gonna react to that at all. But then, once all the food was on the table, without a word, she picked up a slice of tomato, and then flung it at you.    It hit your shoulder before dropping to the floor with a wet little splat, and you slowly raised your head to meet her defiant glare.

   “Did you just…?” you trailed off, because you were too shocked to even say it out loud, while she merely raised her eyebrows at you in response.

   Oh, that was a challenge if ever you’d seen one.    Marcus saw your expression change and was about to say something when you grabbed a slice of cucumber from the table and chucked it at her head.    It hit her right on the nose, and that was it.    The food war was on.

-=¤=-

   You stepped out of the shower a couple of hours later, having finally gotten the smell of garlic and chili out of your hair after three bouts of shampoo.    Of course, she’d had to start a food war with fucking chilli stew, of all things.

   “I can’t believe that just happened,” Marcus shook his head where he stood by the closet, picking out a clean t-shirt to wear. “I haven’t been involved in a food-fight since high school.”

   In truth, he was a bit sour about it, because the kitchen really was a mess, even though you’d tried to tidy up the worst of it. But he’d also happily taken part in the chaos, so you weren’t sure if he was upset it had happened at all, or if he was simply disappointed in himself for participating rather than putting a stop to it.    You stood in the doorway to the bathroom with one towel around your body and another in your hands as you dried your hair.

   “Don’t worry, tomorrow’s Sunday, we can spend all day cleaning, if need be,” you reminded him, but he paused in the middle of pulling on his fresh shirt.

   “We?” he questioned, clearly referencing the fact that you’d been the catalyst for this particular incident, albeit unintentionally.

   “Yes,” you confidently countered, having no intention of being made the bad guy in this scenario. “It was your mother who started it, and then left just in time for clean-up.    And don’t even try to imply you didn’t take part, or that you didn’t enjoy the hell out of it.”

   Try as he might, he couldn’t deny it, because you’d all seen him laugh and squeal as he’d chucked handfuls of chilli at his family, giddy as a child with the unexpected turn of events, just like the rest of you.

   “It was kinda fun,” he sheepishly admitted, to which you grinned and shook your head, while you turned and went back into the bathroom to put some moisturiser on your face, hoping it would keep any ruddiness from the chilli at bay.

   Your partner had already showered and since the evening was still young, your plan was to get dressed and join Missy in the living room for a movie before bed.    But while you were still in the bathroom working the cream into your face, you heard his phone ring, and you could tell it was Miracle Guy from Marcus’s reaction. Miracle only ever called when he was upset about something and wanted team leader to fix it.

   You didn’t really pay much attention to the call, it was never anything important anyway, but hearing your partner sigh heavily brought back his reaction to your refusal to let him pleasure you earlier, and you wondered if he’d figured out why yet.    Deciding to find out, and help him understand if he still didn’t, you took the towels off and peered through the doorway into the bedroom.

   He was by the window on your side of the bed, with his back to it, his head bowed, and his eyes closed while he pinched the bridge of his nose. That was his classic Miracle-bullshit stance, and you intended to take full advantage of it.    Completely naked, you snuck across the room, and laid down on your back on the bed behind him.

   Watching the muscles in his arm play when he shifted poses, putting a hand on his hip, and the way his ass-cheek perked when he moved his weight to one leg, was enough to make you heat up for him. Raking your eyes over his muscular chest and snatched waist had you gushing for him a mere moment later.    You let your fingers find your folds and softly caressed yourself until your breathing deepened, keeping your eyes on his face when he turned towards the sound.

   It was worth it just for that. The shock and awe and utter lust in his eyes was enough to make you buck into your own hand.    He ended the call without another word and then let the phone hit the floor as he took you in, his eyes turning several shades darker before he managed to force himself to move and slowly approach the bed.

   He kneeled on the edge of it by your feet and put his hands on your knees, spreading your legs wide to give himself a better view.    You watched him closely as he drank in the sight of your glistening wet and swollen pussy before he leaned in and kissed the soft skin on the inside of your left thigh.    He was drunk on arousal, just as you’d intended, but you had an ulterior motive as well.

   “Have you figured it out yet?” you asked in a voice unintentionally husky with your own arousal, but the question still got his full attention.

   He paused his heated kisses leading the way up towards your centre, resting his cheek against the warm, tender flesh of your leg while he met your gaze.

   “Yeah… Sorry it took me all day, but hearing what you said to Missy finally made it click,” he whispered, then closed his eyes and rubbed his nose against your thigh, as though a particularly strong scent had just hit him, before he continued. “I have to let you get to those low points, no matter how badly I wanna protect you from them.”

   “And?” you pressed, needing to be certain he understood all of it.

   “And I can’t use sex as a universal cure for emotional pain. I know. I’m sorry,” he added, holding your gaze to let you see the honesty in his eyes.

   “Thank you,” you offered, to which he nodded and then turned his attention back to your body.

   “Can I eat you now?” he asked, moving to the other thigh and starting back up with the kisses, and when you took too long to answer, he bared his teeth and scraped them along your skin, just hard enough to make your hips roll involuntarily with the stimulation.

   “Yes,” you breathed, impressed that he hadn’t just taken over already.

   It seemed he really had meant it when he’d said he enjoyed seeing you in charge, to the point where he probably found it even more enticing to have to wait for your permission than to simply do what he wanted.    Some part of your brain registered that information as potentially useful, but then his lips reached your delicate center, and you lost the ability to think.

   At first, he kissed your folds ever so lightly, working his way up towards your clit. He used his nose to brush against it while he blew warm air over your sex, and it made you shiver with anticipation and delight.    Making his tongue wide, he licked a hot wet trail from your already gushing entrance to your clit, and then he stayed there, firmly massaging your nerves for a bit.

   You squirmed against his mouth, seeking more friction, but now that he was there, it seemed he wasn’t going to let you decide how he pleasured you.    A large hand came to rest on your lower belly and suddenly you were trapped against the mattress, unable to move under the firm pressure of his grip, and it somehow made you even more aroused.

   Keeping his mouth on your button, he brought his other hand up to your entrance, letting his thumb play with the little hole, but without slipping inside you at all, which drove your already blazing sex into a frenzy.      Acutely aware of the fact that you were not alone in the house, you bit your jaws together and forced yourself not to moan out loud, but he seemed to take that as a challenge.

   Without warning, he pushed two thick fingers into your swollen cunt and the delicious feeling finally made you lose control, releasing a guttural gasp which you had no hope of strangling.    But you were getting so lost in the pleasure that you couldn’t really remember why you should be quiet anymore.

   Sliding his fingers in and out, slowly but firmly drawing them all the way out before working them in again, letting your walls relax in between each push so that it kept being a stretch every time, not allowing you to adjust to the girth, sent you into overstimulation of the sweetest kind and left you trembling against his restraining hand over your belly.    But it also kept you from reaching your peak, leaving you dangling on the precipice, ready to tumble, but held back by his slow and masterful manipulation of your senses.

   It wasn’t enough, and yet it was also too much to handle, and the desperate frustration left you begging, pleading for your fucking life as every breath threatened to strangle you.    He murmured heavily against your clit, reassuring you in between licks and kisses that he was almost ready for you, and somewhere in parts of your brain which were capable of having thoughts, you wondered what the hell he meant by that.

   But then he started thrusting his fingers into you, and the world fell away and all you could see were stars, all you could hear was the frantic beating of your own heart, the only feeling in existence an unbearable pleasure.    You could feel a scream building in your lungs, and you knew instinctively you’d never be able to silence it, so you threw an arm out towards the head of the bed, looking for a pillow, but you were too far away from it.

   As you neared the climax and felt your body begin to curl in on itself, a glimmer of reasoning sparked in your mind and you grabbed the duvet, shoving a fistful into your mouth on nothing but the blind hope it might be enough to keep you from being heard outside the room.    You only just managed to bite down on it in time.

   His fingers were still fully embedded within you when your torso lifted itself up, and the waves came crashing down over you.    A gush of slick pressed out around his digits, and you could feel how he ducked deeper between your legs to lick it off his fingers as he kept slipping them back and forth to help you ride out the high, before he refastened his mouth to your clit and worked it hard to wring every last spasm of satisfaction from you.

   Meanwhile, you were biting down so hard on the duvet that your jaws hurt, in your determination not to be heard outside the room, although you had no idea if it even worked. Your own body was just too damned loud.    But having to breathe through your nose with such a high pulse, meant you couldn’t get enough oxygen into your body fast enough, and suddenly you were getting light-headed and dizzy.

   You opened your eyes and found him lying on his side next to you, propped up on one elbow while he studied you closely, but there was a proud smile playing in the corners of his mouth, and a playful glint in his gaze.    It took you a few seconds to realize how he could’ve moved from the bottom of the bed to lying by your side in a mere instant, but then it dawned on you, and you groaned.

   “Okay, yes, I fainted, but that was because of the damned covers not allowing me enough oxygen,” you tried to explain, but his smile only grew wider.

   “Whatever you say, hermosa.”

   He was so fucking smug, and honestly, you had no comeback. You’d actually fainted, and while it was probably partly because of the comforter, it definitely wasn’t the only reason.    Not that you were ever gonna admit to it when he was gloating about it.

   “Shit. You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”

   “Never,” he grinned, but then he kissed you and rolled on top of you, and it was only then you realized that he’d also had time to shed his clothes while you’d been out of it. “But now I really do need to be inside you, or I might actually explode.”

   He wasn’t kidding about that, though. He really was achingly hard.

   “Oh yeah, we definitely need to take care of that,” you huffed a laugh, and then tried to pull your legs up around his hips, only to find them so weak still that all you could manage was to drag them slightly further apart underneath him to give his hips more room.

   “Are you gonna be able to stay awake this time?” he teased, while he lined himself up.

   You merely shook your head at him in a dismissive kinda way, misleading him into thinking you were gonna simply take on that on the chin, while you waited for him to push inside you, making sure to relax your now softened pelvic muscles to give him easier access.    But, once he was fully embedded and had begun to groan in pleasure, you clenched down on him with everything you had, and he literally yelped.

   “You tell me, babe. Do I feel awake to you?” you whispered in his ear, while he trembled between your thighs, trying to recover enough that he could at least move.

-=¤=-

   Amazingly, you did actually make it out of bed to join Missy for a movie on the sofa, later that evening, and you weren’t exactly surprised when she smiled at you as you walked in together.

   “Have fun?” she asked with the kind of raised eyebrows which suggested she knew something she shouldn’t.

   Marcus was absolutely mortified, frozen to the spot the moment he heard her, looking more uncomfortable than you’d ever seen him.    But you could tell from the way she presented her question, that this didn’t bother her, which instantly left you much less concerned.    So, you took his hand and tugged him with you down onto the couch.

   “Yes, actually. We did. Sorry,” you offered, and just as you’d predicted, she waved it off while reaching for the popcorn bowl.

   “Don’t worry, all I heard was dad scream. Which has never happened before, in any circumstance. So, whatever happened, I’m assuming you won.”

   “It’s not a competition,” you corrected, before grinning proudly at her. “But yes, I did.”

   You didn’t see it, but if you’d looked at your partner right then, you would’ve found him much less uncomfortable after hearing you claim victory in that day’s sexual games.    Not just because he wanted you to always win those kinds of playful battles between you, but also because within your pride, he heard a victory of a different kind. The kind which meant you’d won something much more important than a silly game.    You’d won your confidence in this relationship back. And that was truly a victory to be celebrated and cherished.

[porcupine-girl]

I wanna hear about scrivener 👀

OH BOY

I saw I had an ask and I was like oh man I hope someone asked me about scrivener.

I write everything in Scrivener. Not just all my fic. I wrote my dissertation in Scrivener, I write my original fiction in it, I wrote the two magazine articles I've published in it.

First I will link you to my Scrivener tag, which probably contains everything I will say here because I never do shut up about it.

So first off, I will admit that Scrivener is not for everyone. Some people work better with linear programs like Word or GDocs without any bells or whistles.

HOWEVER

It is important to know that you can totally 100% use Scrivener without any bells or whistles. In fact, I recommend it at first! Don't overwhelm yourself. Then start to play with the cool features one by one.

I got it in 2014, and literally my fic writing skyrocketed immediately. Same for my dissertation when I started doing that in Scrivener a few months later. It's so good for my brain. It might not be for yours. But it might be just the thing.

I will put most of my gushing under a cut. My brain is only half-functional right now which probably means I'll go on and on and both repeat myself AND forget half the things I want to say.

Things I have done with Scrivener that I can't do with other programs:

I keep all my fic in one Scrivener file, which is called a "project." All of it. Every word of fic I've written since 2014. This does not slow it down AT ALL. In Word if I get over a few dozen pages it starts to crawl. I have well over 1.5 million words of fiction in this project, organized into many subdocuments and folders, and it is smooth as silk and easy to navigate. See the video below.

Why do I keep it all in one project? I'm so damn "out of sight out of mind." When I had all my fic in separate documents in a folder, it was so easy to forget what was there. I'd be working on one thing and forget anything else existed. If I closed that file and didn't open a new one I'd forget that working on fic was a thing I could do. No more! It's all right there in the sidebar so I can switch between fics whenever I want. And I basically just keep it open 24/7, it opens automatically when I reboot my computer.

I do other stuff this way too. All my picture books are in one project, all my magazine stuff is in one project. Love it.

When doing my dissertation I created my own citation manager within scrivener. This is Advanced Scrivening but it shows the versatility.

I used the notecard/corkboard view for this. It's also very useful for things like listing out plot points and figuring out how they fit together.

I don't write as nonlinearly as I used to but I still sometimes need to skip ahead to get a scene out of my head or because I just don't know what comes next but I know what comes after that. Scrivener makes that super duper easy.

I can also make documents within my fic that aren't the text of the fic. I usually have at least one for my outline, and sometimes have one or two for brainstorming when I'm stuck on a plot point or for keeping track of timelines and such. I often also have a doc where I dump cut bits that I might want to use later (or in another fic entirely - anything I know I need to cut but that might come in handy someday).

For original fiction you can get lots of templates that have various things you can use like character sheets or plot beats or whatever. You can have all your character sheets etc right there in the project.

You can put other stuff in it besides scrivener docs. You can drop entire PDFs into your scrivener file, let alone images and such. When I say I had a citation manager within it I mean I literally had the PDFs of the papers in there too. I use this a lot for my nonfiction writing stuff.

There's a split screen mode that's so useful. Sometimes when I'm editing I'll make a copy of a chapter or whatever so that I can keep an eye on what it used to look like to remind myself of where I want to go with it etc etc. Or I might keep the outline over there, or a character sheet, or whatever.

There's a revision mode that will keep track of up to five text colors for different revision stages - BUT what I use it for is tracking my word count. I do all new writing in revision mode, then every so often (especially if I'm about to delete a chunk) I select everything that's whatever color and record the word count in my word count text doc before removing the revision color. Then as soon as I go back to writing everything new that I type is the color again, I don't have to remember to set it back each time. IDK if how I worded that quite makes sense but it works great.

Here is a video I made a while back showing my fic project - as you can see, the ONLY time it slows down at all is when I try to view ALL OF IT at once, which I only ever do very occasionally out of idle curiosity as to my total wordcount. I just checked - I actually now have nearly 2 million words in this project right now. Can you even imagine trying to navigate a 2 million word Word file? That's about 8000 pages. No thank you.

Also there are mobile versions but I haven't gotten around to downloading those yet. I really should though; when I get the urge to write in the middle of the night on my phone I do it in an email and send it to myself and in the morning I paste it into scrivener lol

Anyhow, I highly recommend trying out the free trial (which is 100% functionality for 30 days) and seeing if it works for you. If you want to buy it, you can find various deals all over the place - for example, a code for Nano participants for 20% off, or if you win nano I think you can get 50% off.

I will say, it's not the best for formatting. I've said this before - I view it very much as a writing program, not a finished-product-creating program. I move my writing to Pages or OpenOffice if I need actual formatting beyond the most basic stuff like bold and italics. Fic I can just put right into AO3, though.

[leuchtstabrebell]

Whumptober Day 15 / Prompt: "I'm fine"

Sirius always tries to make Peter feel bad about things he has no control over. It is, honestly, pathetic. Like, come on! Peter has had a pretty tough week, and all he wants to do is relax with a nice novel in the living room. He puts on some music, and whistles to himself. He does not think about his friends or about the loneliness or the devastating great void threatening to close in on him. Nu uh, not thinking about it.

But then Sirius comes home. And Peter immediately knows that something is wrong.

Sirius thinks he is so very good at hiding his suffering, because the alternative, that people do notice but they just don’t care, or don’t care enough to do something about it, is so much worse. Sirius tells himself that he is so good at hiding the pain. He did it at Hogwarts too, when he came back from the holidays and no one said anything, not the other students and not one of the teachers. But no, Sirius, as we have already established, is loud in everything he does, even in suppressing, and he projects his pain outward very obviously.

But Peter will not give him what he wants – concern, or attention, as always.

Sirius kicks off his boots as usual, not even wincing. There is no blood visible anywhere but the stiffness he holds himself with gives Sirius away. There is a slight limb when he makes his way to the bathroom.

“Did you wash your hands?” Peter calls to him once he has exited the bathroom again and joined Peter on the couch. “No, I want to spread my germs everywhere,” Sirius says and reaches for Peter with his hands, making spooky sounds. He pronounces “germs” weirdly, like it’s French. Peter has got to give it to him, there is not even a hitch in his breath as he talks. But he slightly favors his right side as he sits.

“Is everything alright?” Peter asks, annoyed. How he hates this whole song and dance.

“I’m fine,” Sirius says, predictably.

No. No, Peter refuses to engage with his antics. “Oh, well, that’s nice to hear,” he says and turns his attention back to the book.

They sit like that for a few minutes. Sirius is reading the Daily Prophet, occasionally muttering to himself. There is something dark red spreading under his white shirt. He wears those thin white things on purpose, surely.

“Don’t get blood on my furniture,” Peter says.

“Oh fuck,” Sirius says, looking down at himself. He makes a decent show of being surprised.

“I didn’t– I thought–,” he says and stands up fast. There is something strange in his eyes, a trapped fox. He goes to the kitchen, where their first aid kit is, and starts rummaging. Suddenly he stops. From where he is sitting, Peter can’t see what he is doing. He can, however, hear the sound of muffled sobbing. With shaking fingers, he turns the page. He tries to focus on the letters, but his brain refuses to translate them into meaning. The sobbing does not stop, a horrible, high pitched and broken thing.

Carefully, Peter puts the book down and stands up. He makes his way to the kitchen. Through the doorway, he can see the black and white and red shape of Sirius crumbled on the floor, one hand clinging to the counter. The bandage on his chest is soaked nasty. His eyes are red-rimmed, and he looks so very alone, down there on the floor.

I wish someone would care, Peter can almost hear him say.

Well, too bad, Sirius, Peter thinks, and leaves.

[to-star-lake]

in the early days when you joined bonten as their new advisor, you spent a lot of time with koko; drawing up business plans, managing the books, overseeing construction on new clubs and buildings.

koko had the nicest office of all of the bonten leaders. it was on the top floor of a highrise in the middle of the shibuya business district. complete with high-end leather and mahogany furniture, and a gorgeous city view.

you'd spent time with each of the bonten executives when you joined and koko was probably your favorite to work with. you found takeomi too serious, kakucho boorish, mochi too macho, the haitani's were exhausting, and sanzu..well..

koko was like you; blunt and efficient with work, a little impatient, maybe a little condescending. you enjoyed your daily work with him in his office. it was always quiet, productive, and his assistants always served the best sencha.

except today.

today when you walked in through the mahogany double doors that led to his office, you were almost decked in the face by a toy rubber basketball.

"he shoots! he scores? no! he misses!" you heard a voice yell, followed by a maniacal cackling.

what...the hell is this? the floor of koko's office, which was normally clean, surgically clean, was littered with teddy bears, squeak toys, board games with their pieces strewn about haphazardly, a jump rope, a putting green, and a trash bin overflowing with crumpled candy wrappers.

the rubber basketball that almost hit your head rolled towards the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on one end of the room and you saw a kiddie basketball hoop attached to one of the shelves. and below that, sanzu, flopped on his stomach on the floor, a different flavored ring pop on each of his fingers.

"koko..i'm really bad at basketball," he grumbled, picking himself up and walked over to koko's desk, slamming his hands down on the surface, the sudden gust of wind almost blowing the stack of papers in front of koko away.

"oh no, well, why don't you go try the putt putt?" koko sighed, not even looking up from his work, waving his hand in the air like he was shooing away a fly. "ah, y/n! finally, someone sane. please, get over here, i need you to look at something," koko waved you over when he noticed you standing in the doorway.

you made your way across the minefield of toys on the floor and greeted sanzu as he walked past you. "good morning," you smiled cordially.

he sauntered past you, looking down at you through bloodshot, half-shut eyes, his usual sinister smile plastered wide across his face. he'd opened his mouth to say, "good morning, little prin-" but then stepped on a pile of toy soldiers and tripped, tumbling to the floor, his long limbs getting all tangled up in themselves.

"uh... hey, koko?" you took a seat in the armchair beside the desk, setting your laptop down on the tabletop. "what's going on here? where's mikey?"

koko let out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes. "sometimes mikey goes off on his own, and when he does, the rest of us have to take turns...babysitting," he nodded at the gangly man with bubblegum colored hair with a plastic toy putter in his hands. "i pulled the short straw today," he sighed, pushing the large binder of documents he was looking at over to you.

"koko!!"

"jesus, what now?" koko looked up, so annoyed you could almost see the steam coming out his ears.

"there's no balls," sanzu pointed at the putting green on the floor.

"well, who decided to ambush people by pelting them with the balls outside the bathroom last time?"

sanzu stared back at koko blankly.

"ugh, nevermind. could you play with something else? y/n and i have work to do." koko scooted his seat closer to you, and began circling a few line items on the page in front of you. "got this today from the guys over at the club in akasaka. these totals look off to you?"

you glanced over the document, and flipped back a few pages and reviewed the itemized lists also included in the binder. "damn," you said, looking up at koko. "these assholes are skimming."

koko opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a sudden loud popping noise. both of you turned to see sanzu on the floor, pulling the heads off of a pile of barbie and ken dolls.

koko raised his hands to his temples, the frown lines between his eyebrows deepening by the second. "jesus christ, this psychotic clown, if he wasn't the number 2 I swear to god-” he muttered under his breath.

"hey, sanzu?" you called out and sanzu's head jerked up to look at you, his eyes suddenly bright and attentive, like a child amongst the sea of toys on the floor.

"yes, princess?" he called back.

"could you go on a coffee run for us?"

sanzu tilted his head a little, confused. "a coffee...run?"

"yeah...you know, to buy coffee?"

he blinked, still confused.

"to buy...starbucks?"

"ah! you want me to buy you starbucks," he suddenly shot up.

"yes! yes, please, for me and koko, that would be great," you smiled, thinking you were finally getting somewhere with him.

he walked over to the desk. "anything for you, princess. and you can call me haru," he hummed, taking a bright pink ring pop off his finger and sliding it onto your ring finger, and a blue one onto koko's ring finger. "be back in a flash."

he turned to walk out of the office, whistling and not bothering to avoid the toys scattered on the floor, simply stepping on them as he went.

the doors closed behind him and you turned to koko, "now we can get some work done."

"let's hope he takes his time," koko rolled his eyes, sliding the ring pop off his finger, holding onto only the plastic part as gingerly as possible, a disgusted look on his face because he could tell sanzu had definitely licked the candy already.

"is it always like this when mikey's away?"

"sanzu? yeah, pretty much. but mikey tolerates him cus he's been with him longer than any of us, he's his loyal mad dog," koko sighed. "but that bastard's insane. apparently back in the day he got moved back and forth between all of mikey's captains cus nobody could handle him."

"wow. yeah, i guess i can see that," you glanced over at all the toys scattered on the floor. "seems pretty tough for you too."

"oh, i've actually done the best with him," koko scoffed. "last time, he was the haitani brothers' responsibility, they decided to take him to a hostess club. thought it'd be a good distraction for him. crazy maniac decided to pay for all the women there."

"all of them? that's..that's a lot-"

"no, that's not the crazy part. he paid for all the women, and then made them line up against the wall with liquor bottles on top of their heads and he used them for target practice." koko ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "anyway, who knows when he's gonna be back so we should try to get as much done as possible while he's away."

you nodded. the two of you worked dilligently, reviewing the rest of the books collected from bonten's other clubs and businesses in town, making one stack for ones that pass, and one that required additional scrutiny.

after a while, you stretched your arms up over your head, noticing the sun hung high in the sky and glanced at the clock on the wall. it read 12:15.

"i wonder where he is," you said, realizing it'd been almost two and a half hours since he left.

"who knows what that lunatic gets up to," koko sighed, turning the page of the binder he was leafing through.

"i actually could've used some coffee though," you yawned.

"i can have my girls make some sencha-"

just then the doors to his office burst open, and sanzu staggered in, eyes blood red, a blue gift bag in one hand, the other dragging a giant 10-foot teddy bear behind him.

"and suddenly my headache's back," koko muttered and sanzu approached the two of you at the desk.

sanzu dragged the huge teddy bear over and plopped it beside you. "i got this for you, princess."

"hah..um...where'd you get this..giant thing?" you didn't even know where to begin.

"there's a carnival downtown. i got it playing a shooting game," he grinned from ear to ear. koko groaned, knowing sanzu, by 'shooting game' he probably meant he threatened to shoot the person manning the booth if he didn't give him the bear.

"hah..i see, thank you. but why is it missing its eyes?" you asked, looking at the bear's face and noticing the eyeballs had been ripped out, only some tattered threads remained in the sockets.

"they were ugly," sanzu shrugged. "koko, i got you something too," he dropped the gift bag down in front of koko.

"thanks.." koko reached into the bag and pulled out a tiny cross-stitched sweater which could've only been made for an infant. "uh...dude, what is this?"

"it's a sweater for your chihuahua," sanzu explained, yawning and plopping down onto a chair by the desk.

"i don't have a chihuahua?"

"i could've sworn you did," sanzu tilted his head, as though in deep thought. "oh, i guess it's just you that's always yapping. it's amazing y/n puts up with this every day," he laughed, but his tone was filled with hostility.

you saw koko's body tense in your periphery and you quickly spoke up to diffuse the sudden tension. "haru, did you get coffee?"

"coffee? oh! the starbucks. yes, i did."

you stared back at him. "that's great, uh...so where is it?"

"on the corner of harajuku square, by yoyogi station," he smiled.

"what?"

"oh my god," koko groaned, raising his palms to his eyes and rubbing them in circles.

you looked back and forth between koko and sanzu.

koko took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, turning to look at you. "he bought the starbucks."

[tendouluvr]

not telling them you’re pregnant - f!reader

- fluff, sliiiight angst maybe

- characters: suna, sakusa, semi

- warnings: pregnancy (i don’t go into detail of giving birth or anything), cravings, morning sickness aka throwing up, two mention of the act of sex in semi’s, some cursing

- wc: 1.4k, 888, 946

a/n: it’s f!reader cuz pregnancy but there’s no specific pronouns/gendered terms used

also idk how suna got so long, he was the last one i wrote for bc i couldnt think of anything lmao

[2. iwaizumi, atsumu, kageyama]

SUNA

#! suna has been practicing late into the night the past few weeks

#! there’s a big game coming up and the entire team is feeling the pressure and adrenaline from the crunch time

#! you haven’t been feeling too good lately, a lot heavier and more tired than usual

#! thinking it was just stress from work and the missing presence of your boyfriend, you pushed through it and thought it would go away in the next few days

#! unfortunately, luck wasn’t on your side and you started to get sudden needs to throw up

#! it didn’t take you long to realize why your physical and mental drive have been down lately

#! you’re pregnant

#! or you believe you are

#! you bought a few tests, some of different brands so you can have a variety, and headed home to confirm your suspicion

#! a few minutes later, staring back at you was multiple positive symbols and the bolded ‘PREGNANT’s

#! taking a few deep breaths, you decided to tell suna tonight once he comes home

#! you thought it was better to let him know as soon as possible

#! it wouldn’t hurt anyone plus the faster you rip the bandaid off, the easier it’ll be to deal with it

#! so you waited

#! and waited

#! until 11pm that night, when suna finally came through the front door

#! “tarō! how was practice? can we talk?” you hurriedly greeted him

#! he was taken aback, not expecting you to be right beside him and in his ear as soon as he came in

#! of course you weren’t, you made sure to put some space in between you and him

#! but suna was stressed and tired, so everything is intensified to him at the moment

#! “can you back up?” he mumbled, pushing his way from in front of you to walk to the kitchen

#! “oh, sorry. can we talk?” you sheepishly smiled, hoping he would say yes

#! you’re not blind, you can tell that suna was tired but you really didn’t wanna put this off

#! you were just gonna tell him, he gets surprised, you both talk it out, and then go to bed and continue figuring things out tomorrow morning

#! but before any of that can happen, suna bluntly told you, “no. i’m tired. i’m sure whatever it is isn’t a big deal. can it be tomorrow? i wanna sleep.”

#! you didn’t get to answer before he was already walking away to the bedroom

#! understanding where he was coming from, you mentally agreed to talk to him tomorrow. one day wouldn’t change anything and you’ve seen plenty of people not tell their partners until a few weeks in

#! he was right, it wasn’t a big deal (yet)

#! so you waited until tomorrow

#! and waited

#! and once again, he came home late

#! “hey! can we quickly talk, babe?”

#! “i’m tired. tomorrow, okay?”

#! “oh, okay. night, rin!”

#! “g’night.”

#! night came and there was still no talk

#! this continued on for about 2 weeks, you finally choosing to not care anymore and just let him find out whenever he finds out

#! technically, you could’ve just blurted out a simple, “i’m pregnant.” any point during your nightly five seconds conversations

#! but seeing that he really was tired, springing it onto him would either put him in a full body shock for three days or he just doesn’t fully process your words until three days after

#! a month has passed, your stomach was still barely showing like most women at their one month mark

#! you decided to book an appointment for a checkup, it’ll be while suna’s at practice

#! and that doctor appointment was the exact reason suna found out

#! he was at practice when komori entered the gym

#! he had a doctor’s appointment for his annual checkup, and that’s where he saw you

#! you didn’t see komori, busy reading the directory to find your way to the right office

#! but he saw you on the way out. seeing that you looked a bit busy, he chose not to greet you and just quickly walk to his car lmao why is this funny to me

#! entering the gym, he greeted everyone and apologized for his tardiness even though it was excused

#! walking up to suna, he tapped him on the shoulder and quietly told him, “i saw yn at the hospital earlier. it’s been awhile since we all got together huh, they looked a bit different.”

#! ok so komori, being the smart person he is, deducted that you were pregnant when he saw your finger pointing at the ob/gyn office

#! and he genuinely thought suna knew so his comment was suppose to be a small joke that was meant to tease suna and his sex life

#! suna, however, was confused

#! look different? did you get surgery?

#! “what do you mean?”

#! komori rolled his eyes and gave a sweet smile at suna, “congrats you two! when were you gonna tell the rest of us?”

#! suna: 👨‍🦲 huh

#! “are you guys not pregnant?” he blinked at suna’s frozen reaction

#! suna became unresponsive so komori just walked away mumbling to himself about being sure he read the sign right

#! a loud whistle blew and it shook suna out of his daze, everyone got ready to play a practice game of 3 vs 3 while suna ran over to the coach

#! “hey coach, um i think there’s an emergency at home. can i go? ok thanks.”

#! his coach just stares after him as he sprints off, you think? is there an emergency or not?

#! suna quickly drove home, he may or may not have speed a little, and entered the apartment

#! “yn? baby?” he called out only to be greeted back with silence

#! probably still at the hospital....what were you doing there? he thought to himself while rummaging around the house to find anything that could give him somewhat of an idea

#! he was digging around in the bedroom when you came home, his head so frenzied he didn’t hear the front door open

#! but you heard the ruckus from the bedroom and immediately went into fight or flight

#! panicking, you took out your phone to call suna while quietly opening the front door to make your way back out before the intruder catches you

#! the phone rang and rang until it was picked up. “suna?” you whisper-yelled into the speaker. you had a habit of calling him by his last name when you were freaking out. he noticed and was equally alarmed

#! “what’s wrong?” he whispered back just as panicked

#! “there’s someone in our apartment. can you come home?”

#! “huh? oh, are you home?” he cackles into the phone speaker making you move the phone away from your ear, “it’s me, sweets, c’mere.”

#! you warily walked on your tiptoes over to your bedroom, peeking your head in and what a surprise, it is suna

#! “jackass! why are you home?!”

#! “why didn’t you tell me?” he cut straight to the point

#! “huh?”

#! “you’re pregnant. when were you gonna tell me?” his voice sounding stern, but the quiet smile dancing on his face tells a different story

#! “i tried.”

#! “huh? what do you mean?”

#! “all those times i asked if we could talk. i was trying to tell you.”

#! his heart dropped, eyebrows furrowing, while he stared you down

#! suna became unresponsive once again, standing there trying to think back to the first time you asked him

#! two weeks ago

#! “i’m sorry,” he quietly whispers

#! “hm? i..it’s fine....i was a bit sad, but i’m over it. at least you know now,” you casually shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big deal

#! “no. i shouldn’t have pushed you aside like that. even if you weren’t pregnant, even if you had just wanted to tell me about some stupid video you saw that day, i shouldn’t have told you off. i’m sorry, i love you a lot and you deserve so much better.”

#! “tarō, shut up. i accept your apology and i forgive you, now make it up to me by giving me a back massage while i show you the ultrasound pictures!”

#! he kisses you before lifting you up bridal style making his way to the bed

SAKUSA

#! contrary to popular beliefs, sakusa is not an obsessive germaphobe who finds everything disgusting but you

#! he wouldn’t be playing volleyball if he was that afraid of germs,,,,,

#! yes, he cringes if random little kids grab onto him after games because 1) he’s drenched in sweat and that feeling is not fun

#! 2) he doesn’t even know themmm

#! and 3) he wanna go home

#! but sakusa loves you and if you happened to get pregnant, he would love your kid(s) just the same

#! however, he never told you this. he never really had a reason to voice this out loud

#! so when you actually did get pregnant, you were confused

#! the only interactions between sakusa and kids you’ve seen multiple times were the moments between him and his fans

#! you guys have been to family parties and his nieces, nephews, and cousins looooves him

#! maybe it’s the fact that he’s a tall looming giant and they just want to climb

#! but besides those moments, you don’t recall him ever telling you upfront that he wants children of his own

#! and the constant stress and pressure he always seem to be working around also doesn’t help reassure you in any way

#! being an athlete for a living means always watching your body, health, and looks for the cameras (but omi could care less about the last thing)

#! he also has to make sure whether or not he’s working well with his teammates, practice and improve on anything he’s having problems with, and deal with atsumu’s dramatic ass

#! you’re an overthinker and because of that, all of these reasons were just reasons for you to postpone the pregnancy news to your long term boyfriend

#! it wasn’t too hard anyway, considering practice runs late sometimes and he’s busy majority of the time doing other stuff

#! when you guys do have alone time together, you both are so focused on one another that you actually forget that you’re pregnant and you never told him

#! you’re about to hit the three months mark now — time goes by fast — and sakusa has noticed you and your body changing

#! at first he just thought you were going through a phase of cravings and a bit of bloating, so he didn’t mention it and just let you be

#! he never got to witness you getting morning sickness because he goes on early runs or he was just out doing morning errands so he wouldn’t have to deal with it later that day

#! so when he caught you in the kitchen cutting up a lemon, the last thing he was expecting you to do was bring the lemon directly up to your mouth

#! “uh, what are you doing?” his deep voice caught you off guard, effectively stopping the hand that was holding the lemon

#! you just stare at him, not wide-eyed, not surprised, just stare

#! “eating a lemon.”

#! “i can see that.... why exactly?”

#! “dunno, the baby i guess.” you casually shrugged it off before popping the lemon slice into your mouth

#! “ah-,” he opened his mouth to stop you from eating the lemon, your words not fully processing in his mind, but cut off midway and froze when he finally realized

#! hearing him pause like that made you suddenly remembered that you never told him you were pregnant

#! you slowly turned back to look at him, mouth still slowly chewing the lemon slices

#! a moment of silence later, he unfreezes and just starts stiffly walking towards you

#! he grabbed you by the shoulders, made you look him in the eyes, before whispering, “you’re pregnant?!”

#! “y-yes..”

#! his eyes were wide, black pupils expanding as he stared you down, his lips slowly curving into a small smile

#! “you’re pregnant....,” he whispers, mainly to himself, hugging your head into his chest

#! “mhm, get off me i’m trying to eat,” you gently pushed him off but he wouldn’t budge

#! “omiiii please, if you get off i’ll give you a slice,” you tried bribing him. he couldn’t tell if you were being serious or just teasing

#! “no.”

#! “um ok, two slices?”

#! “no.”

#! “omi!”

#! he giggles before opening his arms to let you go

#! “why didn’t you tell me?”

#! you didn’t reply right away, making him start to overthink

#! did you not want the baby? or did you not want a kid with him? did you not want to be with him anymore? or was it not his?!

#! he childishly shakes his head side to side at the last question. he knew you wouldn’t do that

#! but you were still silent, making him nervously glance at you from the side

#! “sorry, piece of lemon stuck in my teeth. i just forgot to tell you,” the words easily flowing out of your mouth nonchalantly

#! sakusa’s fingers were literally about to start twitching from anxiousness beside you

#! a sigh of relief was heard from him and you turned to look at him

#! “you okay?”

#! he doesn’t answer, just gives you a smile and goes back to hugging you from behind

SEMI

#! you were currently sitting on the couch in your shared apartment waiting for semi to come home

#! he’s been on tour for a few months now, you both kept in touch by facetiming, texting, calling, and any other methods of virtual communication

#! you would tune into the live recording of all of his performances when you had time so you could watch him

#! a few weeks into tour, you suddenly felt different than usual but shook it off as nothing and probably just you missing your boyfriend

#! you believed that until one morning you were woken up by the sudden urge to throw up, dashing to the restroom as fast as your drowsy body can go

#! it was then that you realized you might be pregnant

#! the night before semi left, you both had sex to enjoy your last few hours together before he had to leave for a few months

#! with the new realization, you quickly dressed yourself to make a short trip to the store to pick up some tests

#! after half an hour of looking at yourself in the mirror, trying to wrap your head around this, you finally opened the first box

#! a few minutes later, all 5 tests were lined up on the bathroom counter showing positive

#! you stared at the tests, trying to make sure you weren’t reading it wrong

#! once you began to understand the responsibility of being pregnant a few hours later, you made a mental note to go out and buy some food for yourself the next day

#! you decided to sleep off the rest of that day

#! through all of the facetime calls with semi, you never once told him you were pregnant

#! you knew that if you told him he would freak out and either demand to go back home, or stay but all of his attention would be on you being pregnant alone at home for the rest of the tour

#! so here you are now, sitting with a 4 1/2 months baby bump waiting for your beloved to come home

#! it was around 6pm when the front door opened, sounds of shuffling bags and heavy steps could be heard from the musician

#! he cursed under his breath when he almost tripped over a duffle bag with some of his loungewear, calling out for you as he walks further into the apartment, “baby? i’m home!”

#! he was about to speak up again when he saw you asleep on the couch

#! bouncing his way over, he got onto his knees at the edge of the couch to observe your face. god i miss you, he thought to himself

#! he gently shakes you awake, you jolted in surprise not knowing you fell asleep in the first place

#! “hmm- what?,” soft murmurs falling from your lips as you adjusted your eyes at your surrounding

#! “eita!” he grinned at you, both of you pulling each other into a hug

#! “fuck, i miss you so much.” he whispered into your ears before placing his face into your neck

#! “i miss you more.” you tightened your grip around him making him move up on the couch to get more comfortable

#! you both moved around until he had you cradled in between him, your back against his chest

#! his hands going under your his shirt to caress you there when his movements stopped right on top of your stomach

#! it was silent as his warm hands rubbed your stomach in circles, the gears turning in his head

#! “are you- you feel- why’s your tum so round and hard?” he quizzically asked, still rubbing your stomach

#! “pregnant.” your voice a low whisper, he almost didn’t catch it

#! “what?”

#! “pregnant.” you repeated, a bit louder this time

#! “huh?”

#! “pregnant!” you sighed, moving his hand so you can get off of him

#! he grabs your wrist to stop you from walking away and turns you to look at him

#! “you’re pregnant?!”

#! “i just said that. yes.”

#! you knew you sounded blunt and a bit mean, it wasn’t his fault he doesn’t know at all, but your hormones have been making you crankier and it’s out of your control

#! “sorry. yes, i’m pregnant.”

#! his eyes continuously darts up and down from your eyes to your bump

#! “how long?”

#! “since you left.”

#! “was it the night before?” he was referring to your act of intimacy the night before he left

#! “yea.”

#! “wow. why didn’t you tell me?”

#! “because.”

#! “‘cuz what?”

#! “because i know you. you would either stop touring and come home, or stay but lose focus. i was just trying to not distract you because i know how important your career is to you. and because i thought that you’ll be having a six months break after this tour before your next comeback, i would tell you when you came home. i’m sorry if you’re ma-,”

#! “i’m not mad. oh don’t cry, babe, look at me.”he carefully cups your face, “it’s okay, it’s okay. i get why you kept it from me. and now that i have no schedule for the next six months, i can be there for you until the end of your pregnancy and the beginning of our baby’s life alright?”

#! you weakly nodded against his palms, and he brings you back down to lay your head on his chest as you both softly talk about the past months without each other

[thebaddestofbatches]

The Bad Batch Preferences pt. 1

Kissing

------------

Crosshair

Favorite Place: Just behind your ear and along your jaw. He prefers to wrap his arms around you from behind and these places are easier to reach. Plus they’re more sensitive and he likes to watch you squirm.

Makeouts: Definitely. And frequently. Whenever he gets back from a mission, you do something he finds hot, or just because he hasn’t kissed you in awhile.

First Kiss:

It was hot on Techitua. Dusty too. You lowered your shades on your nose, a polarized version of Tech’s goggles as Crosshair opened a case on the ground.

A makeshift shooting range was set up parallel to the Marauder, a metal piece with a target spray painted on it placed at a distance of 25 meters.

Hunter had told you that if you wanted to stay on board, you needed to know how to defend yourself and assigned you to Crosshair, without even asking if you had any prior experience.

“Alright. I don’t expect you to be top notch with this thing.” Crosshair said, his tone borderline patronizing as he removed a small blaster from the case. “Blasters take a lot of practice to use correctly and you’re only a doctor. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t hit anything.”

You raised an eyebrow at him and took the blaster from his hand. Barely looking at the target, you took aim and fired one, two, three, four, five shots.

Crosshair’s slack jaw and a quick glance told you they all hit the bullseye.

“You forget, soldier,” You said smugly. “I’m an army doctor. I can rip you apart and put you back together just as easily.”

Crosshair’s toothpick hit the dirt and then he was on you, smashing his lips to your hungrily.

.*(*)*..**(*)**...**(***)**...**(*)**..*(*)*.

Echo

Favorite place: Your hand. He likes to hold your hand and bring it up to his lips for absentminded kisses. When you cup his face, he turns his head and presses kisses to your palm.

Makeouts: Not too often. He’s shy after all his modifications and you definitely have to initiate them, but once he relaxes, then he’s into it.

First Kiss:

“Dang ferreck!” You swore as the control panel of the rescued radio shocked you for the fifth time that night.

You gave it a swift thump on the top in retaliation, gritting your teeth.

You needed this to work. It had to work. It’d been so long since you heard real music.

Another try at the wiring and another spark that singed your fingertips. You let out another string of curses and tossed your screwdriver onto the counter with a clank before thumping your forehead against the table repeatedly.

There was a gentle touch on your back that stopped your assault on your cranium. You didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. You could feel the poke of Echo’s prosthetic through your tunic.

“You alright?” He asked.

“No,” You grumbled into the metal.

Echo sighed quietly and after some shifting behind you, you raised your head to see his human hand disconnect two crossed wires and reconnect them at new points. There was a fizz of static and then a gentle song began to float through the speakers.

You let out a whoop of joy and leaped to your feet, grabbing the clone by his collar to pull him down for a quick kiss.

“Thank you!” You squealed, snatching up your screwdriver again and leaving Echo standing there, stunned and pink.

.*(*)*..**(*)**...**(***)**...**(*)**..*(*)*.

Hunter

Favorite place: Your neck. He likes to feel your pulse point and kiss the sunmarks and spots along your skin. It’s also one of the best places for him to get your scent.

Makeouts: Not as often as Crosshair, but frequent. He likes to be affectionate with you and when he gets time or feels stressed, being around you and close to you is his priority.

First Kiss:

You’d been separated from the Batch in a marketplace and were now wandering aimlessly.

As you passed an alleyway you heard a whistle and a man sidled up to you.

“Hey gorgeous,” He said. “Where you going?”

“Away from you,” You muttered, but he heard it anyway and snorted. “Feisty girl.”

A gag rose up in your throat and you increased your pace. Behind you the man called. “Hey I’m talking to you! Though I appreciate the view!”

A hand landed on your butt and you whirled, fist raised to deck the stranger for daring to touch you. Before you could though, someone stepped between you and punched him, hard.

You looked up to see Hunter, a deep scowl on his tattooed face as he glowered at your harasser.

“Don’t touch her,” He growled, drawing up to his full height.

The man spat and launched himself at Hunter, sending them both rolling to the ground.

There was some yelling and sounds of fists hitting bodies before Hunter scrambled to his feet breathing hard as your harasser lay on the ground, groaning.

Hunter turned to you with worried eyes and you punched him in the arm hard and then quickly pecked his lips. “You didn’t have to make a scene.”

“Sorry,” He said, not sounding sorry at all as he pulled you in for another kiss.

.*(*)*..**(*)**...**(***)**...**(*)**..*(*)*.

Tech

Favorite place: Your forehead and temples. He can get so busy with this or that and a quick peck to the forehead is his go-to for affection when he’s caught up in something.

Makeouts: Usually whenever he gets an idea he wants to try with you. He learned affection mainly from books so he’s picking up more and more as he goes. Usually you initiate the sessions. However, when he gains confidence later in the relationship, things get more serious as he experiments.

First Kiss:

“Tech?” You called from the porch of your hideout. Hunter had sent you to fetch the male for dinner and so far he was nowhere to be found.

“In here!” The clone called and you followed the sound into the shed to see Tech holding two vials above a pot.

“What’re you doing?” You asked leaning on the doorframe.

“I’m testing a theory. The substance excreted from the fire salamanders’ skin may have some properties that can boost our explosives.” He replied, carefully tipping the vial of white powder in, followed by the orange liquid.

“And you thought it was a good idea to test that in my shed?” You said, quirking a brow.

The technician had the decency to look a little abashed. “Well it isn’t in the house.”

He set the tubes aside and picked up a firestarter, holding it over the pot. “And a spark to trigger the reaction..”

Crack. Fwoomp! Boom!

The small windows shattered and you ducked as a blaze burst up from the pot and then died out just as quickly, sending up a cloud of ash and dust.

When the smoke receded, you heard Tech give a small cough and looked over to see his whole face covered in soot and the front of his normally gelled back hair spiked up.

You burst into giggles, picking up a small cloth from the worktable and approaching the clone to wipe his goggles clean.

He blinked at you from behind the lenses, like he was surprised to see you and you smiled. “That went well.”

Tech gave you a sheepish look. “I’m sorry about the windows. I’ll fix them tomorrow.”

You laughed again, waving him off. “It’s alright. I was prepared for damages when I brought you lot here.”

He gave you a grateful look and suddenly you couldn’t help yourself, darting forward and pecking his lips.

Tech immediately turned scarlet. “What was that for?”

You shrugged. “For being you.”

And then you passed him the cloth with a wink. “Hunter says dinner’s ready. You should probably clean up a bit before you come inside.”

.*(*)*..**(*)**...**(***)**...**(*)**..*(*)*.

Wrecker

Favorite place: Your cheeks and nose. He likes to pepper kisses all over your face. He’s so enraptured by you that he wants to keep you close at all times to make sure you’re real. Plus he’s a massive cuddlebug.

Makeouts: On occasion. But this boy is too much of a teddy bear for anything more than gentle loving touches. He’s slow and sweet and so very careful with you.

First Kiss:

The Batch was pinned down in an abandoned bunker as a gang faction gathered outside. Echo was doing his best to reboot the turrets while Tech worked on the doors, but unless it happened fast, you weren’t getting out of this unscathed.

You were peering out one of the broken windows with Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker picking off grunts where you could, but they had greater numbers and illegal firepower.

A shot from a bike mounted turret hit the wall above your lookout and the ceiling caved in, causing Wrecker tackle you, cradling you to him as he rolled away.

“You alright?” He asked, pushing off of you, his voice higher than normal.

“Yeah.” You said and Hunter swore as glass shattered behind you.

“Echo!! What’s the status on those defense systems?!”

“Same as you asked thirty seconds ago!” Echo snapped. “These circuits are rubbish! This place should have been scrapped for parts years ago!”

Parts.

A light bulb went off in your brain and you immediately turned to Wrecker. “Give me a charge!”

“Why?!”

“Trust me!”

He gave you a look you couldn’t read under the helmet, but dropped an explosive in your palm.

Immediately you started dismantling it. “I need a gravmag, some wires, and anything explosive we can spare. Oh and Echo’s arm.”

“What?” Said Echo.

You ignored him and started your hunt for parts as you snatched a screwdriver, a multipurpose laser tool, and pliers from Tech’s backpack, stripped a console, broke Crosshair’s gravmag off of his grappling hook, and took three more charges from Wrecker. You dismantled, screwed, and rewired before beckoning Echo over and having him weld it all together.

“(Y/N),” Wrecker asked as he fired off another shot. “What are you doing?”

You waved him off as you activated your new, shoddy weapon of mass destruction and bolted for the window, lobbing it as hard and far as you could.

“Hit the dirt!” You yelled and there was a large boom and the whole building rattled.

When the dust cleared, you beamed proudly at the clear landscape.

The gang that had been surrounding your hiding place was now lying unconscious having been thrown a good 50 meters in all directions at extreme speeds.

“What-“ Said Crosshair in his rare stunned tone. “What did you do?”

“Simply,” You said. “I reversed the polarity and made it into a big bang.”

Wrecker whooped and tossed his helmet aside, scooping you into a bear hug and peppering kisses all over your face. “THAT’S MY GIRL!”

You turned pink and he drew back from you enough to press a sweet kiss to your lips, which only served to fill your face with crimson.

There was an awkward cough from one of his brothers and Wrecker turned a similar shade of red, setting you back on the ground.

“Er-“ He said, patting your shoulder awkwardly. “Good job.”

[letarasstuff]

Showing the Bird

(A/N): This was requested by an anon, I hope you have fun reading it!

Summary: Spencer's daughter always is quick to pick things up she shoudn't do, this includes a certain gesture with her hand and middle fínger.

Warnings: A kid showing her middle finger

Wordcount: 1.6k

✨Masterlist✨ _____________________________

Spencer is a technophobe. That’s why (Y/N) has limited access to any kind of electronics, which is a good thing for a three year old. The only sort she is allowed to use is the TV in the living room and even there her choices are limited to the several DVDs the little family owns and cable TV. Emily is in the process of persuading him to get a subscription to a streaming service for (Y/N)’s sake.

“Ok, Sweetheart. One hour of TV today before eating dinner and getting ready for bed, like we negotiated”, Spencer reminds his daughter before turning it on a kid’s channel. She nods, already engrossed by Peppa Pig hanging up on that sheep for being able to whistle.

Earlier the two Reids made a deal: If (Y/N) got all the states and their capitals right, she is allowed one hour of television. This may sound like he forced her to learn this information, but it’s really just a way to stimulate her brain and the toddler is eager to learn. Spencer only has to make it look like she has a gain in it.

The young doctor doesn’t like to leave his kid alone while watching TV. It’s not because he can’t leave her on her own for a few minutes. Spencer wants full control over what (Y/N) sees and what not. Especially he can tell what effects something has on a child and he doesn’t want her exposed to things she shouldn’t be subjected to at her age.

“Daddy, why are the animals talking to each other? I know they are translating all languages to us, but a pig speaks not sheep language.” Spencer is slightly baffled at her question. It’s mostly cute that she explains most things to herself in such a plausible way.

“Uhm, well Sweetheart. You have to-” Saved by the bell. Or more like the ring of his cellphone. Still he hesitates to get it. It’s Morgan, who probably calls because the team needs help with the case.

Spencer had to stay behind for this one, because he planned on taking his vacation days with (Y/N) to fly up to Las Vegas to visit her grandma. But Diana spontaneously took the opportunity to go on a trip with the sanctorium. Now the two do all the things they don’t have the time for in their regular day.

They already were at the aquarium, visited three different museums and even went to the movies once to watch the latest disney movie. Spencer really had to keep himself from pointing out the inaccuracies to not spoil (Y/N)’s fun.

Now the father debates taking the call. He doesn’t want to leave his daughter alone while the TV is on, but also doesn’t want to talk about a case right in front of her. The option of turning the TV off is also from the table, because this would be just plain mean.

So he answers it, afraid that the voicemail will turn on. “Hey Morgan, wait a second, I’ll have to leave the room”, then he puts his hand over the speaker and turns to the toddler. “Sweetheart, I have to talk to your Uncle Derek real quick. I’ll be right back.” She nods and goes back to her cartoon.

But while her father is in the room next door, the audio gets awfully quiet. Frustrated, because she isn’t able to understand properly what they are saying, (Y/N) looks for the remote. And there it is, waiting patiently for her and her little toddler hands.

But instead of turning the volume up, she accidentally changes the channel to an old cop movie. Curious about what is happening on the screen, the girl leaves it on for a few seconds. Upon entering a room, another man greets him with his middle finger raised. (Y/N) looks at her own and tries to copy that movement. On the third try she kind of gets it.

Getting bored of not knowing what the plot of the movie is, she turns it back on the cartoon she watched earlier and settles back down on her little chair next to the table full of books (Spencer put it there to avoid her sitting too close to the TV and straining her eyes while watching her shows, the distance is perfectly measured).

Just as (Y/N) sits down Spencer re-enters the living room, feeling relieved because he was able to help his team. “Hey Sweetie, is everything alright?” Happily she nods, showing him the bird.

Spencer’s face? Just imagine the shook Pikachu. “(Y/N)! You don’t do that! This is really mean!” He tells her in a stern voice. Where did she learn that from? He doesn’t know it, but the genius is almost a 100% sure she saw someone on the street doing it, (Y/N) always was quick to pick things like these up.

The toddler looks at him with a sad face, close to tears. “I-i-i didn’t know. I’m sor-sorry”, she says, beginning to cry. Oh no, this is not what Spencer was aiming for. “No no no, don’t cry. It’s alright. I’m not mad at you. You just don’t do this, people can get really hurt by your gesture.”

After calming her down, he thinks of something they can do outside of their apartment, to forget the little incident. “Do you wanna go to the office with me? All your aunts and uncles are going to get there soon and maybe we can go eat dinner with them?” Excited by the thought of seeing her family, (Y/N) nods and jumps up to get her own little go bag.

It’s a bright pre-packed backpack with small coloring books, normal books, pencils and other knick knacks she might need when she goes out with her father. The only thing that they have to put in is her favorite stuffed animal of the day. They call it like Spencer’s work bag, because the toddler once overheard the word at the office and refused to call it something different than his.

“Hey, look at who decided to give us a little visit!” Penelope exclaims as soon as the team leaves the elevator. (Y/N) tries to keep up with her preppy step, desperately holding onto her hand to not lose her.

As they finally come to a halt in front of everybody, the little girl smiles sweetly at them. “Hi”, she says in the most adorable voice. But instead of doing her usual wave, she raises her small hand with her middle finger standing out.

You just hear a faint “NOO!” and a crashing noise before Spencer comes along in a jog. He scoops his daughter up, looking her into the eyes. He takes a few steps away from where the team is standing.

“(Y/N), what did we say about this gesture”, he asks her in a serious tone. Instantly tears start to form in her eyes again, but Spencer knows he has to be strong now. “(Y/N), you have to stop doing it. It can really hurt people. Do you remember when Jason made fun of the braids Auntie Penelope put your hair in?” She nods.

Meanwhile the team stands awkwardly in the background, not knowing what to do. They never really witnessed the genius reprimanding his daughter in front of them. Though it’s not directly in front them.

“You were hurt by his words. The same is with the gesture you just made. We don’t do this to people, we don’t want to make them feel bad. Now, I don’t want to punish you, because you didn’t really know the meaning. Just apologize to your Aunties and Uncles. Next time you do it, there will be a hard no on TV for a week.”

Quickly wiping her eyes, the toddler mutters a small “Ok Daddy.” Spencer’s heart hurts a little at that, but he needed to be stern in this one.

She wiggles out of his grasp and slowly makes her way over to the others. (Y/N) gives each of them a hug, apologizing individually to them.

“So, who wants to see the new pictures of Sergio I got on my desk?” Emily asks in a cheerful tone to break the awkward tension. Immediately the girl takes upon that offer and bounces off to the desk with her godmother in tow.

Spencer still stands near the elevator, watching the interaction going down through the glass doors. Hotch pats him on the shoulder. “I know it’s difficult to be mad at them or strict even, but you did the right thing”, he reassures him briefly before making his way to his office. The genius smiles, as a parent you seldom get encouraging words about how you raise your child. It kind of feels like walking down a path with closed eyes. But on both sides are deep rivers with piranhas in them.

Derek takes a place beside his best friend. “You know, as serious as this is, it’s also as funny. I mean how she just smiled sweetly as a cupcake and deadass pulled her middle finger up like nobody’s business? My man, in your case I would keep a close eye on her during (Y/N)’s teen years.” Both laugh at the bizarre situation.

But luckily the toddler learned her lesson from this and stopped showing people the bird as a greeting. This is until she learns the next inappropriate thing, she should rather not do.

Taglist:

All works:

@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962

Spencer Reid x child!reader:

@ilovetaquitosmmmm

[jiminrings]

I REQUEST A SOFT BADBOY DRABBLE WITH SHY READER AND HES TEASING HER BUT SOMEONE ELSE JOIMS IN AND THEYRE DOING IT TO BE MEAN BUT HES LIKE STFU BEFORE I PUMCH UR FACE ONLY IM ALLOWED TO BULLY SHY READER GRR 😡😡😡😡 and soft readers like 0.o but *squeals incoherently* 😭😭😭😭

last name, jeon.

drabble week: day two

drabble week masterlist

pairing: badboy!jungkook x shy!reader

wordcount: 3k

glimpse: "can't you tell that i really don't want you to be here?"

notes: a tiny change on the plot!! also: frat boy!jimin from day four makes an appearance :D

feedback + support mean the world to me!!

“do you wanna form-“

... yes

you DO have an alliance with jungkook

it's a very fair trade honestly

he pretends to be your boyfriend!! there's no specific boundaries to it, but he springs into action as soon as you're put into an inconvenience

in exchange, you whore him out to your friends!!! :D

no but literally that's how he called it

the whole reason this came to be in the first place is because you hATE confrontation with a burning passion

especially when it comes to those "i have a crush on you" moments that people spring on you all of a sudden

you don't like them back!!! that's the truth!!! but the problem is that you aLWAYS feel guilty letting people down

you obviously don't have the obligation to like someone back just because you sit next to them in class :// IT'S JUST IN YOUR NATURE TO FEEL THAT WAY

you wouldn't get into a relationship with said confessor to ease your guilt, clearly

do you plan on denying their advances? yes

but hOW????

you always take the passive-aggressive approach

you get jungkook to carry your bag and hold your hand, walk in front of said person and pretend not to see them, jungkook makes sURE to put some snide eye contact in there aaaaand the whole ordeal is finished :D

you've managed to let someone down slowly without having to speak to them in-person!!!

jungkook comes more handy than that too

you take him when you want to eat out because you're too anxious to eat alone

you take him when you want to go somewhere in which lining up is essential and you're also too anxious to stand by yourself

you take him when you want to go shopping when there's a sale but you're almost always intimidated by the barrage of people and salespeople so he asks and answers the questions for you

jungkook, in hindsight, is the perfect fake boyfriend for you <3

ALSO jungkook wants something from you

"whore me out to the girls from the families your family's friends with, and it's a deal :D"

that alliance and exchange is going pretty well so far

you mAY be on the more-reserved side but that doesn't mean you're self-aware!!!

you know that your parents are loaded and your shy nature could be somehow chalked to that since you didn't really have anyone that wasn't as non-superficial as you'd like, since they were the overprotective helicopter two-rotor seven-blade parents :(((

jungkook, however, is the only constant you have in your formula

you've known him since childhood and have been friends ever since

his mom's your mom's personal assistant, and one day when mrs. jeon couldn't find a babysitter for jungkook, your mom didn't hesitate to let four-year old jungkook come with her to work

jungkook's your fIRST actual friend that hates gold spoons with you because of how tacky they look :-) he's your emotional support person basically

your emotional support person who was sO close to running late from picking you up during his free day >:( you were about to break into a sprint if he arrived a second later, because you managed to spot a jock coming to you from the corner of your eye awhile ago

You Do Not Like Him <3

"and i even changed into a short-sleeved shirt to ward off your suitors. how romantic of me, don't you think?"

now that he mentions it, it's only now when you can drink him in in full-display

... wow

his right arm's the only one with his tattoos while his left's completely blank, but something about the balance just makes you !!!!!!!! even more

his arm's not completely covered but it was coming to be, something about the blank spaces of skin that are yet to be inked being a nice touch

"very romantic, kook."

now tHAT'S the answer he wanted to hear

he forcibly on your helmet for you to showcase, your grunts of annoyance being drowned out by whistling

(he's even looking left and right and making eye contact with anyone who has their eyes landing on you!!!!)

your cheeks smushed is a look he'll never be tired being in awe of, but he'll never tell you that, of course

"do you ever wonder if your parents would kill me if i misplace even a single hair on you?" jungkook thinks out loud and you don't even flinch with how sudden his thoughts could be, sitting on his seat first so it'd already be balanced when you do, "you sure you’re okay riding with me?? on a motorcycle????"

he usually uses yOUR family's vehicles (they let him and insisted he just takes one at this point) but when you called him, he was en route to kim kradle (it's a one-stop vehicle shop apparently) to get new rims for his motorcycle, bUT NOT ANYMORE HE GUESSES????

you come first compared to the booking he's waited on for three weeks

"i have insurance, i think."

no that's the wrong answer

why did you even bother.,,.,

jungkook flicks your nose because your forehead's protected by the helmet, his face contorted in half faux frustration

"you were supposed to be mad at me for asking that — not logical!! don't even joke about that."

"... my life insurance? like, in the instance that i-"

oW THAT HURT

he flicked even harder this time!!!

you roll your eyes at him and it doesn't go unnoticed, a hand outstretching instead of his fingers flexing

“wallet, please.”

????

jungkook's surprised that you even look confused, this time rolling his eyes at you

“you rolled your eyes at me. you need to bribe me so i won’t rat you out.”

right

he has a never-ending knack for the you're rich jokes

you also know that he likes the cold and would turn the fan on even if it's too hot for a blanket, just because he wants to feel cocooned

you also know that he picks from the fourth row of drinks from the front because it's always been a habit

("the germs cling on to the first row!!!")

you also know that maybe, just maybe, you can't stand it tonight when he's putting himself out there instead of being your faux boyfriend

you keep on zoning out and hoseok, perhaps the only tolerable fellow rich kid you can tolerate within your circle, finally connects the dots in his head and snickers

he's been talking about finding the vintage sneakers he's always wanted on depop and how he almost got scammed for like tWENTY minutes already

in reality, all your nods and scowls aren't towards his story

it's to jungkook and... who's that? jihye whose dad is so colossally shitty, that this one rapper wrote a diss song for him? oh yeah, that jihye

"you like him. like actually 'lose your virginity to him' love him."

WHAT???

there's no way

"how did you-"

"you blush like one."

alright that answer was too quick

hoseok should've ATLEAST tried to wait for a few seconds before answering

"a-and the love part?"

"babe, jungkook may not be the richest one here and that should say a lot," you peer up at him nervously and he actually chuckles, peering to everyone at this function, "dude's humble — he could also just be dense to not see you love him."

okay very true

hobi's making a dig rn at how jungkook coinicidentaally happens to be blonde and maybe this is your cue to leave

hobi does not realize that his hair is aLSO dyed blonde while talking shit about jungkook and his hari

okay this is it

once again, you are NOT listening to hoseok and he's figured out what you're doing by now

you're psyching yourself up with a couple of shots and your heels are digging on the carpeted ballroom

MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY TO BE MORE OUTGOING!!

"pretend to wobble. it doesn't help that nothing can sink you."

oh okay makes sense

if you're gonna try and charm jungkook while trying to play it off as just being tipsy playfulness, atleast make it believable

hoseok snickers because this is just A+ content with the things that you choose to do in your way

shy girl with high alcohol tolerance mannn coming of age film writers would LOVE you ://

you're about to cross the distance between you and jungkook, but something knocks you on your shoulder with a gentle force that seemed intentional

is that-

hold on a second

"what a coincidence :O"

jimin?

jimin???

as in, wholesome yet slightly fuckboy-ish frat guy jimin???

he looks dashing and composed, meeting your eyes perfectly and he doesn't let your confusion startle him

"i know that look. what am i doing here?"

he says it eloquently as if he's practiced it

AND HE DID!!!

you must've looked so shocked that you immediately apologized, shaking your head no

"i-i didn’t mean-..."

you're confused, sure, but that doesn't mean you're immediately judging

it's just that you never saw jimin here or any function of the like, but you wouldn't put it past him if he does go to these things!!! he looks like a million dollars anyways

"relax, doll. you’re so far the only other person i know that i've seen in these type of things."

he looks calm and collected, but maybe that's just because he spent the last five minutes waiting for you to stand so he could bump into you

this place is just sO suffocating and a familiar face is gonna be his relief from something so fancy that it became mundane

"have we been in the same event before this?"

"not that i recall, no. i get invited but this is only the first time after awhile that i went."

jimin drinks from his champagne flute, wiggling his eyebrows playfully, "wanna know why i'm here?"

you're curious!!! what can you say!!!!

you never really interacted with jimin at all before this, but a familiar face like his is comforting

because hoseok's already engaged in another conversation and jungkook's,,,, being jungkook and is fawning all over jihye

jimin chuckles at your insistent nodding, leaning closer to whisper to your ear

"my stepdad’s loaded as fuck."

oh so that's why

he tugs you down to sit at the nearest possible empty chairs, all its occupants gone anyways because they're in the dancefloor busting tRULY horrendous moves

maybe it's because jimin feels lonely too like you are, and it's him feeling comfortable because he's pulled you like ten seconds ago and not once asked him anything out of bounds

maybe that's why he fell into conversation with you easily because you're always intently listening

"might love me as a real son too. maybe that’s a bonus? you don’t really expect that shit in the things you see."

this situation is actually pretty cute

you snort because maybe you’re nOT that shy when you drink,, that’s the only thing that changes in you probably

this whole conversation that sprung from boredom was unknowingly the subject of many stares, including jungkook who you were initially supposed to go to

“you’re worthy of love, jimin.”

:O

jimin sPITS his drink because where the fuck did THAT come from???

why did you say that and why does he feel that he needed to hear that

“i-i think — i think you need more,” he raises his own glass to your lips hurriedly, caught in surprise but you still gulp nonetheless

“you’re-“ you keep sputtering as he keeps making you drink, but he rubs circles on your back at the same time and it's when you realize that jimin the frat guy may not be that bad, “what??? don’t think you’re not the only one with daddy issues! shouldn’t we have like, a radar for each other?”

jimin snorts at your counter and his eyes crinkle to the point where he can't see anything, not being able to see how you're still trying to recover with all that fizz down your throat

wow ur really enjoyable to talk to

“you’re insane and i think-“

listen

you're not really big on feeling beyond a sense and all that stuff, but you feel as if the aura around you just got dark all of a sudden

"who are you calling insane?"

jungkook appears at your side in an instant, hands wrapped around your shoulders while you remain seated

you've honestly forgotten that you were supposed to go to jungkook, but you're reminded of that vERY clearly now

"go away, jimin," he mutters through his teeth, looking at him dead in the eye

hold on

wait

THAT'S JIMIN???

okay now he's confused

sometimes jungkook's mouth just moves on its own without loading the thought process

"why are YOU here?"

jimin furrows his brows, shocked that he'd even see jungkook here out of all people

the guy barely even attends classes!!! and that's coming from him!!

"why’s he here?"

he crouches to your ear, eyes still furrowed at the younger guy

"long story."

nO???

jungkook scowls bitterly because jesus fuck

YOU’RE ON WHISPERING TERMS NOW????

he left for one second, and the moment he comes back, that's when this fucking frat guy approaches you?? was he waiting on him to leave??

you and jungkook only act as a couple when the need arises, and even if you don't feel it, hE feels that this is the need!!! this is the need and it is arising!!!

"get back to uh, alpha bravo charlie or something, park. beat it."

why’s he reciting the nato phonetic alphabet???

jungkook sounds half-angry and half-sad at the same time, and you don't know which side should you focus on

“move,” he repeats this time again but more sternly, making jimin much more confused since jungkook's trying to pull him away from his seat

jimin doesn't budge and it makes the frown even more evident in jungkook's face

what is he FEELING

“can’t you tell that i really don’t want you to be here?”

“i’m not here for you, though. i’m here for y/n.”

he answers honestly, shis gut telling him that there's definitely something going on between the two of you

“y/n doesn’t want you here," kook argues back surely, only noticing your bitten lips now that makes him realize that you're not exactly sober; just a happy kind of rush

he sees you raise your hand timidly, an equally cheeky smile on your face that's only directed to jungkook like it's meant for him

"i-i actually don’t mind."

you don't,,,

you don't mind?

HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE

WHAT ARE YOU DOING

why aren't you signaling him to commence the faux boyfriend act!!

"y/n has a boyfriend."

“... i’m not hitting on her.”

alright this is more than the entertainment that jimin wished for lol

“yeah, well she has a boyfriend still so beat it.”

you do??

the last time you checked, jihye's gonna have jungkook as her boyfriend within the night!!

“i don-“

ALRIGHT THEN

jimin decides to indulge jungkook, knocking his knee with yours as he winks slyly, urging you silently to watch on, turning to look at you and ask

“what’s your boyfriend’s name?”

you don't answer.

that gives him all the more reason to do so.

“last name, jeon.”

jungkook looks the most determined you've ever seen him, eyes characteristically angry with his arms across his chest that his suit tightens, “first name, me.”

....

......

the three of you know that’s not the truth

jimin takes it in, sighing when he sense that something else is about to be unfold and he does noT want to be a part of it

not before whispering to your ear again for the last time, of course

“pretty weird name if you ask me,” you laugh automatically, momentarily forgetting that jungkook's standing by you on just your opposite side and could hear you

he leaves and that only leaves you with jungkook, looking up at him as he's too frantic to even sit

“what are you doing?”

“being a social butterfly," you quip just as fast, drinking your water afterwards

jungkook only clenches his jaw by then, being taken-aback when you speak again

“who are you doing?”

://

“i’m busy being mad at- wait a minute, WHO???”

who instead of what??

the short-lived enthusiasm you had with jimin left with him, crashing just as hard when you're reminded of jungkook's presence

“jihye’s a pretty nice girl. you should go home early tonight.”

his brows furrow, trying to get you to look at him but you avoid his gaze insistently, “what? what are you talking about?”

“she’s not my girlfriend though.”

you're not at all satisfied with the answer because it sounds so wrong, knowing that jungkook's a handsome guy and everyone wants to be with him!!!

and he probably wants to be with everyone else besides you.

“then who-...”

“don’t know yourself anymore? jimin must’ve really swept you off your feet, huh?”

jungkook huffs as he qualifies for a rebutt, your internal wallowing being cut short

“he’s not my boyfriend.”

...

....

“well would you look at that,” jungkook snickers, sighing through his nose as your eyes finally meet his, directly stubborn yet soft around the edges

“she’s not my girlfriend, and he’s not your boyfriend. what a coincidence.”

god did he feel so threatened the moment his eyes couldn't find you besides hobi and instead next to jimin, eyes crinkled in laughter without hesitation

have you been chasing after one another this whole time?

jungkook silently grabs you by the hand and you wave no opposition to it

maybe it's your liquor-influenced vision or maybe it's you hyperfixating on such a warm moment, but your eyes immediately lock to see the matching red thread bracelet he wore like yours

you're dressed in next year's spring collection line, and the structured silk black gown that has a train behind it doesn't exactly scream to have a simple red thread bracelet as its accessory according to your mom's designer and everyone else —

but you don't have the heart to take it off

there's no need to take it off

jungkook drives your car and no one says a single thing about anything

his hand’s on your thigh and you don’t question it, eyes locking into the way his hand looks perfect and the way the bracelet looks meant to be wrapped in his wrist in the first place

you're sure this time that it's not the newfound courage you have, but rather the need to do it

you kiss jungkook's cheek on a red light.

it's on a red light that jungkook realizes he could fit the visage of his world within one hand, finally kissing you like he's always wanted to

“yeah. what a coincidence.”