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avaf00rd · 1 year ago

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media day

Leah Williamson x Reader

For everyone that rages at it I’m gonna check it aight

—————————-

“whats today” asked Leah’s strong Milton Keynes accent behind a digital film camera. You looked up and smiled at her camera.

“It’s media day!” You softly said, voice still horse, still half asleep and leaning at the kitchen bench with your girlfriend, she was going to put a bunch of captured videos from every six months on a video for her instagram. It was a new goal of hers. The idea made your heart melt.

Some days she would just set it up as you two spent time together. If you were travelling and watching the sunset on the beach with Leah as an example, she would set the camera up behind the two of you cuddling and looking out.

Other times she would film you and your friends being silly in the gym, or videos of you and your dogs.

Later, Leah drove the two of you to the training grounds. Both with hair neat and light makeup on, ready to film some media.

Most of you girls didn’t mind these days, some hated, but you found it so much fun. Leah filmed you as you skipped through the entrance and down the hauls, the blonde chuckling behind you. You turned around and winked for the camera before you ran into Beth and Steph coming up the other way,

“Hello!” Beth said hugging you. You hugged her tightly before doing the same to Steph.

“You’re after Caitlin and Jen. You have to do another game for a video this one is more fun than the last one trust me” Beth said to you two, letting you know what the first media duty was, also reminding you at how bad you were at the last challenge you filmed was.

When you stepped into the area with many cameras and back drops for shoots set up, you girlfriend was immediately peeled away from you to go take some photos in the new training tracksuit set. Claiming they didn’t have enough content for the particular set.

You were sitting on one of the lounges scrolling through instagram as you noticed Jen come up to you with a microphone “y/n!” The tall brunette exclaimed. “Mind if I sit?” She asked pointing to the spot on the couch next to you.

“Of course Jenny” you smiled moving your legs that were laying there, before putting them back on top of Jen’s lap so they could lay there once again.

“Oh ok” Jen and you giggled as you relaxed back into the couch with you legs resting over her lap. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“Hit me” you said smiling at the camera

“I went over to grab a cookie from the snack table. And Caitlin foord had informed me that you had eaten the entire bowl of cookies? Can you confirm or deny?” She asked you

“What!” You laughed. “Caitlin not fair!” You yelled across the indoor area as the girl poked her tongue at you. “Deny. She ate most of them I had two!” You said looking into the camera, getting louder at the last part so the brunette across the room could hear.

“Rumour confirmed. Now who do you think looks the best in the new home kit?” Jen said smirking, motioning towards her chest as she was wearing the said kit.

“I think it really suits me im not gonna lie…..” you grinned “But best might have to be Jen Beattie” you shrugged, you high-fived her before you noticed a blonde with her arms folded glaring at both of you.

“I didn’t see you come through the door” you smiled at Leah, patting the spot next to you so she could sit.

“Jen best dressed in home kit?” She questioned towards the camera.

“Yes-“ Jen said proudly

“No! It’s a tie!” You grinned

“Mm sure” Leah said

“Ok one final question and Leah you can answer this too. Any pre game traditions you have together? Like as a couple?”

“Well Leah Can’t cook so I end up cooking pasta. I feel like when you ask a footballer their night-before meal they all say this. But it’s seriously you know, good carbs for the following game day” you said into your microphone to Jen and the Camera

“I can cook some things” Leah said

“Let’s be real here Leah, I don’t even live with you and I know this” Jen laughed, making Leah pout cutely at the camera

“You make great weetabix darling” you said rubbing her shoulder in sympathy causing her to upside-down smile at you.

“And there you have it let’s find our next guest” Jen’s voice trailed off, leaving the couch as the camera man followed her and the mic.

Leah pulled you into her embrace on the couch, you now completely collapsed on top of her. “I’m already tired” your girlfriend huffed below you.

“let’s get you a coffee I was about to get one” you said getting up to head towards the snack table containing a coffee machine just to your luck.

“Yuck no thanks” said the non-coffee drinker.

———————

“Hi im Y/n y/l/n”

“And I am Leah Williamson”

“This is Arsenal’s Name Three game, where we are going to be asked to name three of a category or something like that in under 5 seconds” you shrugged smiling wide

“Here we go” Leah said rubbing her palms together

“Name Three dog breeds. Go” you asked with cardboard game cards in your hand

“Ok um Husky, Border Collie and erm Labrador” she smiled proud of getting it right in 4 seconds.

“Nice work” you smiled, adjusting your position on your seat as Leah read her card.

“Name three Arsenal men’s players from the 2021/2022 season!”

“Um Martinelli, Tomiyaso, Saka!” You clapped after quickly finishing “did I have to say full names?” You asked the people behind the camera who shook their heads.

“Dang that was quick good job sweets. Okay my turn now I’m gonna beat your time” Leah said.

“Oh god good luck. Three countries that speak Spanish off you go” you read as her 5 seconds started

“Shit um Spain, El Salvador and”

“1..” you counted down

“Mexico” she smiled proudly finishing her answer in less than a second. “That was an easier question than you think”

“I’m shit at Geography” you shrugged to the camera

“Ok y/l/n your second is name three shades of red” she smiled reading, knowing you most likely wouldn’t get this.

“Is red one-“ you questioned

“Time starts go!”

“I don’t know any! Um plain red and… oh pink is one right” you exclaimed

“Bowbow! Times up. And I don’t think Plain red counts, nor pink” she laughed

“Surely” you mumbled crossing you arms. The camera started recording as you were given the next card. “For your final question Leah, three fake blondes on the Arsenal team” you giggled reading out your card.

“Oh my god that’s funny um shit Beth, Laura and also oh wait no she’s not…and Chloe!”

“Time! You didn’t get the last one in time!” You argued

“I so did!” She exclaimed

“Nope”

“I did but whatever then you just cannot handle losing” she said, receiving a glare from you. “Ok for the final question of today for lucky y/n here. Name three country songs starting with L”

“What! Not fair”

“Ready?”

“Absolutely not!

“Okay three two one start!” She exclaimed, studying your face as your face scrunched up in thought.

“Love you anyway Luke combs, lovin on you and like a wrecking ball by Eric Church” you yelled jumping up as you got them “yes! Got em!” You yelled excitedly you and Leah both laughed as you settled behind Leah’s back arms around her neck in a hug, with Leah bringing her hands up to your arms as you recorded the outro.

“I think we have a clear winner-“

“It was a tie missy” you said slightly whacking her head. “Anyways tune into our sold out game this weekend against Manchester United at Arsenal.com and Sky News sports. Check out our socials for further details” you smiled.

“See you next time” Leah giggled with her thumbs up, slightly cringing at it.

“Thanks ladies was brilliant” said one of the girls behind the camera, letting you now go back to where the rest of the girls were.

——————

Media days isn’t just snapping a few cute pics and playing a fun game. It was a little bit more effort and just loads of hours and hours of sitting and waiting to be called up to take pictures or film something for social media.

“What does selling out the emirates mean to me? Um it just feels surreal. As a child I remember coming to the emirates to watch Chelsea and Arsenal play, as a child when your in places like that with just tens of thousands of people it doesn’t feel real and it’s just so overwhelming. All of those people there to watch one game of silly football I would think” you laughed “but just wow 60,000 what a number I guess and it will never hit me that me and the girls have achieved this, if you told me this was happening 12 months ago I would have probably laughed. Especially telling little me sitting there at a sold out emirates in 2005, that I would be on that pitch with the same scenario just blows my mind” you smiled as you put down the phone you were asked to share your thoughts on the sold out game on.

“Sorry that was a bit of a ramble there” you said shyly, handing the phone back to the media manager.

“Absolutely not. That was so good thanks for doing that” she smiled at you before you went back to where you could see Lia, Leah and Kim all sitting down on the fake grass inside.

“Hello kimmy” you said resting your chin on her shoulder, before your eyes fell on a fast asleep Leah laying on Lia’s leg, phone in hand but dead asleep”

“Oh hello” Kim laughed hugging you back “this one was a bit tired” she pointed to your girlfriend

“Yeah she didn’t get the best sleep” you sighed going to sit next to Leah passed out on the floor.

Lia and Kim both scrunching up their faces in disgust at your response. “ no no not like that freaks. She was up playing piano again” you defended, groaning at the last part.

“Poor you. When you were away and she asked me to come over while she practised, she was up for hours” Lia laughed.

“Every night when I’ll tell her I’m going to bed, usually that implies she will too and she hops up and follows me. But lately she just says ‘night!’ and stays up playing for hours” you said, Kim smiling in amusement at the sleepy girl, before a strong Irish voice was heard.

“Here’s the sleepy girl!” Katie shoved the camera at Leah’s sleepy state passed out next to you. “And the wag!” she said now putting the camera in your face, you following your eyes at her continuous joke.

You were injured for one of your England games and were in the stands without being on the pitch with the English girls, an article released from the game called you ‘Leah’s Wag’, Katie found it hilarious and now called you ‘wag’ a lot.

“Is that Leah’s camera” you smiled up at the brunette, camera still in your face.

“You know it chick” Katie said “give me an update on what’s happening!” She said motioning for you to talk to her ‘vlog’

“Umm im ready to be told i can go home” you said sweetly, genuinely waiting to get told by the staff all was good and we could leave.

“Same here” Katie grinned wide panning the camera to her face. “Ooh!” Katie said skipping off with the camera after she found Jen making a TikTok with Beth.

Now you and Leah were left together laying on the ground, her still asleep, you thought, as her arms reached out in a stretch. “Hi baby” you said sweetly kissing her check, then her nose, then her lips.

“How long did I sleep for” she asked looking around slightly.

“No idea. Not too long I don’t think”

“Sorry about that” she said snuggling into your legs

“Don’t apologise. We should be able to leave soon. Actually I’m just gonna ask. I can’t wait any longer seriously” you said before getting up to find one of the media girls Ryhanna who was sitting down editing something on a computer. She said it was supposed to finish at 2, but we should be find to leave now.

“I’ll check hang on” she said getting up to ask someone

“Thank you” you said gratefully before walking over to the small drinking tap, filling up your water bottle which was next to it so you could give some to Leah.

“Yep you and Leah are all good to go!” She yelled from a bit away “see you guys tomorrow”

“Thank you so much. See you then!” You said, now happily skipping back. “We can go now!” You hummed, reaching your hands out to Leah so you can pull her up.

She smiled contently and happily letting you pull her up from the ground. You hugged some of the girls goodbye, who were now curious and jealous as to when they could leave.

“After you” Leah said holding the door open which led to the parking lot out the front. You gave her a sweet look and reached for her hand as you walked to the car together.

“Let’s get some sleep” she said leaning on your shoulder as you walked.

“It’s barely five” you laughed at your tired girlfriend. “It’s all that piano practise you stay up to do”

“Yeah yeah” she said walking to the drivers seat

“No missy your gonna fall asleep on the road let me drive. You took her hand in yours, pulling her away from the handle and also grabbing the keys from her hand.

“Off you go my passenger princess” you tapped her butt to shoo her away to the passenger seat

“No you’re my passenger princess” she said with warm cheeks when you both buckled your seat belts. Your reached for her hand once you made it onto the main road, interlocking fingers as you gently kissed hers.

“Smile your on camera” she exclaimed as you slowly turned your head to her and the camera, your girlfriend filming the entire sweet moment, lightly pulling your tongue out at it before facing back at the road in front of you, pecking all of her fingers again as she giggled like a small girl next to you.

#woso #arsenal women #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson imagine #leah williamson #arsenal x reader #arsenal wfc #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso community

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lostcherise · 4 months ago

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Green Is the Color

pairing: jesse pinkman x f!reader

summary: Jesse - a friend, a roommate, a fool who's hopelessly in love with you. He did his best keeping his feelings on check, but it all unraveled after one night you brought a guy home. (this is based on a request by @madzzz0797 my lovely mutual)

warnings/tags: roommates!au, pining, jealousy, allusions to masturbation, light angst (if you squint, i really need to improve on that), jealous jesse, smut, oral (m and f receiving), p in v,

word count: 8,237 (i'm sorry?? don't know what happened there)

Lady, lady love me, 'cause I love to lay here lazy.

Soft and distant singing was your alarm for the day, definitely a gentler sound than the angry robotic beeping of your digital alarm clock. A sleepy smile crept its way on your lips, your eyes still shut, and you snuggled deeper into the pillow with a content sigh. You rustled about a few more seconds beneath the covers, before you bravely opened your eyes and welcomed the warm glow of a sunny Sunday morning.

We got everything we need right here and everything we need it's enough. Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms.

The singing grew louder as you made your way down the hallway to the kitchen, accompanied by some occasional clanking of utensils. Walking on your tiptoes, you tried your best to be as stealthy as possible, it was a rare occasion to get to listen to Jesse sing. Your smile grew, and you bit your bottom lip fighting the urge to laugh at him. Although he was off key at times, you somewhat enjoyed his singing voice; just as buttery smooth as always.

Like waking up too early, maybe we could sleep in. Make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now.

With his back still turned to you, he kept on singing, only interrupting himself for a celebratory 'yeah bitch' after successfully flipping a pancake into the air, to which you failed to contain your laugh, so much for stealth.

"Shit," Jesse whipped his head back to look at you. So much for a greeting. "Good morning." he smiled, face a tomato red and quickly redirected his attention back on the stove and he really hoped you hadn't noticed the rosy hue adorning his cheeks.

"Good morning," you smiled back at him. "How come you're cooking breakfast?" you peered over his shoulder, the pancake batter bubbling to life before Jesse flipped it to reveal the golden brown bottom.

"It's my turn to make us breakfast for the weekend, remember?" Jesse noted the obvious, with a teasing raise of a brow.

Realization hit you, sleep ridden eyes widening softly. "You're right." you bumped his shoulder with yours.

You smiled at the little tradition you two had created a year ago, a year after living together as roommates. Each weekend you guys took turns to cook breakfast for one another. It had all started after you had seen Jesse cook for the first time, what you later realized was his favorite choice of breakfast food - huevos rancheros. Initially, it had come as a shock to you, he really gave off the impression that he hardly knew how to boil an egg, which you also had admitted to him. And that's when he took it upon himself, as a personal challenge to prove himself and made it a house rule that you alternate cooking breakfast for each other on the weekends.

"Banana pancakes on the menu today, m'lady." Jesse informed you in a fake posh accent.

"God, you know your way around a lady's heart." you sighed, with a resting palm on your chest, and placed a quick peck on Jesse's cheek. Before he could even register what had just happened, you were already setting the fully stacked plate onto the small white worn down kitchen table, right next to the small kitchen stand that housed various appliances you had no room for in your guys' small kitchen .

When you weren't looking, with your back turned to him while you set up the coffee maker, Jesse moved to graze the spot your lips had left their fiery mark on. His cheek still burned beneath his touch, even after one minute had passed- as if the blood coursing through his veins had suddenly transformed into molten lava burning him on the inside out. See, ever since you and Jesse had moved in together, he found himself in a rather sticky predicament.

He was in love with you. And you didn't know. And mostly likely did not share the sentiment. And that's why he kept his mouth shut about it, and opted to suffer in silence.

Even now to this day, two years after his big revelation, he was scared. Scared of how much he loved you, scared of how one day he'd wake up and decide that he would come clean, two years was a long time to keep to himself after all, and risk losing his most meaningful friendship yet. It had been two years since that one night Jesse had come to surprise you at the end of a very tiring day of work and evening classes. He remembered how your brows were furrowed, while you hugged an oversized hoodie you had confiscated from Jesse's clean laundry two weeks prior, closer to you. Your head was hung low, and you were paying no mind to your surroundings, so much so that Jesse had to honk to get your attention.

And the moment your mood shifted when you had noticed him, was the first time his heart swelled up in his chest. How a wide grin stretched on your face, and how you had jogged excitedly over to his beloved Monte Carlo. The second time was just minutes after you had gotten in and and he had suggested you drop by your favorite ice cream parlor for a much needed pick me up. Jesse took much pride in being able to read you so well and know what you need in an instant, and that's how he had come to the conclusion that night that we was falling for you at light speed.

Deep down he knew that no good was bound to come out of this situation he had created for himself, but to his defense that wasn't entirely his fault; you had your part to play in this too. With the way your eyes twinkled when the sun shone just right during the golden hours of the day, the way they crinkled at the corners every time you laughed at a sorry attempt of a joke he would make, the way your nose would scrunch in distaste whenever you didn't like something, the way your plush lips pursed whenever you were deep in thought, the way your smell lingered on for just a few fleeting seconds whenever you would leave his side. You smelled like a mix of pears, oranges and jasmine, which in turn reminded him of being bundled up on the couch on a cozy autumn afternoon. And Jesse would be a liar to say that he didn't often dream of spending most of his days like that with you.

A series of expletives left Jesse's mouth, which in turn had your attention. You whipped your head back, just in time to see a black disk being discarded into the bin. "Mmm, crispy." you mused, scrunching your face in mock delight with a shimy of your shoulders.

"Shut up." Jesse flipped you off, but the smile dancing on his lips showed no annoyance.

With a playful eyeroll, you set two steaming cups of cheap drip coffe on the table. Jesse soon followed, a sugar jar on one hand and a bottle of maple syrup on the other. You stacked a couple of of pancakes onto your plate and proceeded to drizzle a bit of maple syrup on top, all the while Jesse threw in his fifth spoonful of sugar in his coffee. "I'm still surprised you have teeth." you quipped.

"These bad boys?" Jesse bared his surprisingly straight pearly whites at you. "Nah, they've been through worse." he shrugged and proceeded to take a sip of his coffee flavored syrup with a hum. And he was right; he'd been four years sober and you couldn't be more proud of him. Although he hardly believed so himself, Jesse had really managed to turn his life around. Getting kicked out of his aunt's house at just 19 was the start of a long journey towards recovery for him. At first the path was lonely with a lot of setbacks. His first struggle: passing his SATs and getting accepted to college. That was when you had come into the picture and that was when the steep uphill towards the top was less bleak with you on his side.

"That's why you should appreciate them more." you countered, left cheek all puffed and rounded, filled with sweet pillowy goodness that you washed down with bitter coffee, the contrasting flavors on your taste receptors sending happy signals to the neurons in your brain. Another bite, another appreciative hum that resembled a moan a little too much. With a quirk of a brow, you shot Jesse a quizzical look that fell unnoticed as he was too busy shoveling food in his mouth while fidgeting on his seat.

What you did not know was that at that moment, Jesse was fighting his own personal hell; trying to get those sinful sounds of yours out of his head. You really had no business moaning over some banana pancakes, he wasn't even that great of a cook; you had to be exaggerating on purpose. If that was the case, then you had definitely gotten what you wanted.

Oblivious, you continued eating, almost quietly. Almost. After every two bites or so, you'd sneakily slip a quiet moan that would have Jesse twitching in his pants. "You know what I think?" you asked, swallowing the last bite of your pancakes. "Ditch business," you pointed a fork at him, before grabbing another pancake from the now smaller stack. "Go to culinary school." To which you earned a disbelieving snort from him.

"You know what I think?" it was Jesse's turn to ask you that. He leaned in, his eyes gleaming with something more as they studied your face and in those seconds you took the chance to drink him in too. The five o'clock shadow that accentuated his chiseled cheeks and jawline, his eyes; the bluest oceans you often found yourself helplessly drowning in, the way the corners of his lips quirked into a smirk. "You pretend you like my cooking so you can get in my pants." he teased, his tone lower than usual.

"What would you do then?" you asked, surprising even yourself with your fowrward question. Part of you wouldn't mind if Jesse would brush it off entirely, pretend nothing was ever said, yet curiosity was eating at you from the inside. What would he do? What did you want him to do? It so seemed that Jesse was more dumbfounded at your brazeness, as he was a sputtering mess, wide eyes avoiding yours entirely, seemingly more focused on finishing his breakfast. Surprisingly so, another small part of you grew disappointed as seconds ticked by and Jesse remained silent, downing the last sip of his now lukewarm coffee.

"Gonna hit the, uh," he paused to clear his throat, voice thick and strained. "Hit the shower..." Jesse jutted his jaw on one side, the tip of his tongue rolling beneath his cheek and without saying much else, getting up in a hurry. Your gaze trailed his retreating form, until he disappeared into the hallway, and inside the bathroom.

A few seconds pass, before you decide to go back to your room, that was conveniently next to the bathroom. The sound of the shower running resonated through your room in a low, steady hum. You crawled into bed and closed your eyes as you laid there, relaxing.

Until you heard it.

At first you thought your mind was playing tricks on you, but no, you heard it again. A little louder this time. With your eyes transfixed on the ceiling, your mouth fell open as you let out a silent gasp. There it was again, it was almost being drowned out by the water running, but being right next to the bathroom it was hard to miss the sounds of Jesse moaning. Heat rushed to your cheeks, it felt so wrong, as if you were intruding in on his personal time. You could leave, hang around in the living room, until he finished, literally. Or, you could lay there and listen to Jesse struggle to keep his voice down, his sinful whimpers growing a tad louder as he brought himself closer to the edge.

"Jesus." your heart was threatening to burst out of your chest at high speed. A familiar burning traveled all the way from your chest and nestled in your abdomen, your body pumping with a feeling you couldn't exactly put your finger on. Out of their own accord your thighs squeezed and squeezed until you could get a semblance of euphoria, but it was not enough. Jesse's muffled moans grew in frequency and a few curse words slipping in here and there, and you could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Oh....fuck." it was long and drawn out, and it was like music to your ears. Silence fell from the other side of the wall other than the water hitting the shower tiles, which also stopped after a minute or two. Your heart was beating so fast, you could hear the blood pumping in your ears, because what the fuck had just happened? You had just eavesdropped on your roommate masturbating and you enjoyed it. With a swift swipe of your tongue over your dry lips, you let out a sigh and turned your head to glare at the top drawer of your nightstand.

With a scrunch of your brows, you squeezed your eyes shut for a second, and reached inside for your old trusty pink vibrator. You caught your bottom lip between your teeth, an alien sound leaving your lips as you sucked air in, and stared at the small yet wondrous toy in your hand. It sort of felt wrong that you were so turned on by your roommate jacking off, but you were so dead set on chasing your own high at that moment that you gave no second thoughts, and the toy buzzed to life.

The next weeks were pretty much spent trying not to think about that one Sunday morning, so much so that you sought temporary solutions in going out on dates, but to no avail. You couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, maybe like the fact that you looked for Jesse in all the guys you had gone out this, 'but Jesse...' always lingering in your mind as an afterthought to every little thing. You didn't know what it was exactly about that morning, but it had awakened suppressed emotions you hadn't even realized you had, or had chosen to ignore them. Only one guy, Andrew, was deemed worthy and made the cut, and that was only because he had earned the least amount of 'but Jesse's out of the previous ones, so he had earned himself a third date.

That is how you had ended up stumbling in inside your dark apartment, your tangled bodies hitting your entryway stand in a frenzied state of kissing and groping.

"Shh," you mumbled in between kisses, but that only seemed to spur Andrew on, and he let out a throaty moan the moment your fingers tugged at his golden brown hair, that very much resembled Jesse's. "Be quiet, you're gonna wake my roommate up." you broke the kiss with a whisper and blindly dragged him towards your room.

Meanwhile, he tried to attatch his lips wherever he could, whether it were along your arms, the side of your neck to which you moaned, only because your mind was wandering off to a certain someone. "I can. Question is," he paused, his lips overing just above your ear, his hot breath fanning over your skin. "Can you?" Easy there tiger, was how you truly wanted to respond, yet you masked it with a moan. He was sweet talking you the entire time but his words fell unnoticed as they mindlessly slipped from one ear and out the other. Clothes were being discarded in a frenzy and soon enough you found yourself tangled in between the sheets with the almost stranger.

The nightstand lamp cast a soft glow on his features, your eyes scanning his face, searching for a sense of familiarity. You found it in his eyes, the same hue as Jesse's yet they weren't the same at all. Andrew leaned down to bury himself in your neck, and your eyelids fluttered shut and pictured the only pair of blues you were longing for, while Andrew worked his way on your body, set on getting you there. The room was filled with noises of you, moans mixing in with the rhythmic sound of skin slapping against skin, that only grew faster by the minute. There it was, that familiar burning growing within, ready to envelop you like a wildfire. With furrowed brows, you tried to consentrate on it, trying your damn hardest not to let it slip away. Above you, Adrew groaned hotly, his rhythm growing sloppier by the second, and his hips stuttered as he stilled inside you and spilled into the condom.

And just like that, the fire dwindled.

Jesse dragged his feet across the hardwood floor, sluggishly making his way to the kitchen, dragging a hand across his bed ridden eyes and face. Despite having splashed his face with cold water, he couldn't get rid of the sleepiness, maybe a cup of coffee would do the trick. As he neared the kitchen, he heard rustling and your muffled voice, probably talking on the phone, he assumed. He neared the kitchen entrance with a smile, ready to greet you and his entire mood shifted.

Where Jesse normally sat on the kitchen table, when he would share his meals with you, was another man. Jesse's heart plummeted and it felt as it was being cut to pieces with a blunt butterknife, slow and painful. Maybe he was overreacting, but the way that stranger had moved the chair to be closer to you, the way his body was shifted close to yours, and the fucking way he was playing with your hands while you talked; it drove him over the edge. His chest heaved and he clutched the hem of his oversized graphic tee, trying to keep the little green monster growing inside him at bay.

You giggled at something the guy said to you and Jesse's chest constricted, only he got to make you laugh like that. At that moment, your gaze lifted up and connected with Jesse's, surprise painted on your features for just a couple of seconds, but you hid it with a smile. "Jesse, good morning. I made extra coffee for you." you pointed at the coffee maker.

"Mhm, morning," he mumbled under his breath. "Thanks." he tried a little louder, his voice coming out broken from the lack of use and all the pent up emotion that tightened around his throat.

"Andrew, this is my roommate I was telling you about." you turned your attention to the guy next to you. "Jesse, this is Andrew."

"Hi." Andrew greeted Jesse after a beat of silence. "You know," he chuckled dryly. "I thought your roommate would be a girl, to be honest." his laugh dying out as both you and Jesse remained silent, you only giving a polite smile in response and Jesse glared at how he was still holding your hand. He didn't even know this guy, if it was serious, surely he would know you were seeing somebody, so why was holding your hand as if you two were dating?

"Why, you'd feel less threatened?" Jesse grumbled coarsely. In turn, Andrew's smile fell in an instant, his lips pursing in an o shape as he tried to process Jesse's comment. Just as shocked at Jesse's sudden aggressiveness, you momentarily pushed your head back and frowned in surprise, your eyes holding a silent conversation with his, to which Jesse merely shrugged in response. Quietly, he grabbed his favorite mug - it was a Billy the Puppet mug you had gifted him on his birthday about a year ago - poured himself some coffee and left the kitchen without a word.

Once in the livng room, the TV came to life, Jesse flipping the channels mindlessly until he settled on some Seinfeld reruns. Ten minutes into the episode, he heard your voices approaching, yet he didn't turn his head to look as you bid Andrew farewell. Although, from the corner of his eye he was able to catch a glimpse of Andrew leaning down on your level and pecking you on the lips just as he was leaving. Jesse's top lip curled, the jealousy eating him up on the inside; that should've been him. And that chance was lost on him because he was a fucking coward, he had made his bed and now he had to lie in it. It's just that he hadn't expected it would hurt him so much and he was being unreasonably selfish for wishing things wouldn't work out between you two.

The TV screen went black, which earned you an angry scowl from Jesse. "Yo, I was watching that!" his tone raised.

"What was that?" you asked in the same tone, chucking the TV remote at his chest. Jesse's frown deepened, whispering a silent ow, while he rubbed the sore spot of impact.

"What was what?" Jesse asked indignantly, emphasizing his t's.

"Back then," you stated obviously. "In the kitchen?" you pointed at that direction, trying to get your point accross.

Jesse let out a sarcastic snort. "Just stated the obvious." he replied more calmly this time, his eyes locked in on yours.

"Well," your chest puffed out as you took in a deep breath, the motion catching Jesse's gaze, making his mind briefly wander off to somewhere else. "It was rude." To which Jesse merely scoffed at as a response.

Silence fell over both of you, the tension grew and a frown resurfaced on Jesse's features again. "Look, I-" he paused to clear his throat, also recollecting his thoughts in the meantime. "I'm sorry. I'll be nicer next time." If there will be one, Jesse wanted to add but he would be treading on thin ice after that.

"You seem to like him." he pointed out, taking in a few seconds to study your face, yet he couldn't really put a finger on the emotion painted on it, it almost gave off a vibe of uncertainty. "How long you two been goin' out?" he questioned hesitantly.

"Not long." you shrugged, tucking a strand behind your ear, then rubbing the base of your neck. That is your tell when you're nervous, Jesse noted silently to himself. "Third date was last night."

Ah. Jesse's brows rose momentarily, the corners of his lips turning down and h,e let out a soft hum. He was aware of what happened on the third date, however, he wasn't expecting for him to have slept over. Maybe it was growing more serious faster than he thought. The monster inside him grew, its angry green vines tightening around his heart, causing his brain to paint pictures of you and him tangled in between the sheets, touching you in places Jesse could only do so in a wet dream.

"Well, I hope it goes well." he lied through his teeth, topping it off with a smile, in hopes of sounding more sincere.

It had, much to Jesse's disappointed, but he tried to keep that to himself, save for the sneering looks he'd throw Andrew's way the times he'd show up at your guys' apartment. All the while, Jesse tried to keep his distance the following weeks, because to himself that was the best course of action, which was turning out to be a terrible idea. Because he wasn't a regular friend, and stepping down to that status seemed to be hurting him more than not being able to be your boyfriend. In the midst of it all, he was also hurting you, it was painted on your face every day. Mainly the reason why he'd be cooped up in his room on his free time, to avoid seeing the hurt look on your face.

Jesse was no stranger when it came to addiction, you were his vice. The most addictive drug he had ever been on; his highest highs, his lowest lows, and he was going through major withdrawal symptoms. Avoiding you like that was doing serious damage to his psyche. He was trying his damnest to detach himself from you. However, the harder he tried, the more he felt the urge to crawl into your bed, curl up against you, hold you tight until his body would mold into yours and the two of you would finally become one in the most literal sense.

Saturday morning had rolled, and Jesse having woken up first, made himself a cup of coffee. He had dragged his chair right next to the open kitchen window, blowing smoke from his cigarette outside - you hated it when he smoked it up inside the house, especially in the kitchen. After one long drag, he took a sip of coffee. Cigarettes and coffee, breakfast of champions, he thought and chuckled dryly to himself.

"Jesse, we've talked about this before." your voice sounded defeated.

"Cigarette's outside the house." he argued.

"Barely." you scoffed with a shake of your head, moving to open the hood fan to get rid of any lingering smells. No reply came from him, but him putting out his cigarette when he was barely finished with it, was enough of an answer for you.

After a quick inspection around the kitchen, you realized the sink was empty, no dirty dishes cluttering the basin, all counters and kitchen table empty, too. "No breakfast today?" you mused, unable to hide the sadness in your voice.

Jesse replied indifferently with a grunt. "Nah, fridge was empty."

Exasperated, you let out a huff through flared nostrils. "What's up with you?"

That question made Jesse stir in his seat. "Dunno what you mean." he replied with a curt jerk of his shoulders.

You move to stand near him, leaning forward to catch his avoidant gaze. "Jesse, we barely talk? And even when we do it feels as if it's done out of necessity. Also, you never," your tone increased and you followed with a pause, just for the added dramatics. "Ever, forget our weekend breakfasts." Jesse's silence fell heavy between the two of you, a disappointed scowl gracing your face. That's what upset Jesse even more, he'd rather have you be annoyed, angry at him, than disappointed. Anything. Anything but disappointed, because he feared that's when he would start losing you.

Torn at the turn of events, Jesse was beginning to second guess his method and it seemed he was left with the only option he had left. That, of course, was to come clean, which was much easier in theory.

"Don't you have like a date to go to?" Jesse asked, dismissing your previous comments entirely. His lips were formed in a tight line, he was unsure of why he was asking that, knowing the answer would hurt him.

"Actually... we broke up two days ago."

"Yeah? Why?" Jesse kept his head hung low, however he lifted his gaze to study you. There was a large hole at the hem of your shirt, it had once belonged to him and even used to be one of his favorites, up until one time it got snagged in the dryer. It had become your go to sleep attire from then on. Your finger kept tracing circles around the edges of the hole nervously.

"Don't know, I broke up with him. It felt as if something was missing."

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm good." your voice brightened a bit, the usual perk in your tone almost there. "He was more bummed than me, though." you grimaced and shrugged it off.

Jesse simply nodded in response, this time really lifting his head to properly look at you and he swore you looked as if there was something else lingering at the tip of your tongue, but you kept your lips sealed. Instead, you asked, "Wanna grab waffles?"

The drive back home was silent, the only sound in the car cabin was the occasional slurping of your lemon flavored slushy. Although, you had somewhat tried to maintain your weekend tradition, your shared breakfast seemed more forced than having a date with a guy your mom had set you up with. Without having realized you had just arrived home, Jesse had just pulled the handbrake up, the croaking of the lever breaking you out of your trance. On the way up the stairs, Jesse kept his pace up a few steps ahead of you, the soles of his Nikes screeching as they rubbed against the stairs. The flesh of your bottom lip was trapped beneath your teeth, the corners of your mouth also forming a harsh frown. A dull pain shot through you when you dug your teeth in deeper, while you tried to bury your frustration building up within. You were losing your best friend and worst part of it all was you didn't know why.

First thing Jesse did once he set foot in, was chuck his black beanie on the hallway stand, most of his sandy brown hair was sticking out in various places in a disheveled mess, while the ones closer to his face stuck on his skin, a shade darker and wet with sweat.

"Jesse."

"Jesse." you repeated sternly, not accepting his low grumble of a response.

"What?"

You bit your lip again, the frustration brewing in your stomach making you nauseous. "You tell me."

"There's nothing to tell." Jesse feigned confusion, again. He kicked off he shoes and trudged to the living room, plopping himself on the sofa, the old piece of furniture groaning beneath his weight. You followed in, only seconds after, each step growing more powerful as frustration turned into anger.

"Don't play dumb with me. Tell me what's going on." you demanded as you stopped to stand in front of him, between the couch and coffee table.

Jesse's forehead wrinkled in exasperation, his icy blues bore into you. Though, just for two seconds and they fell back on his lap.

"You've been avoiding me, and don't you dare," you pointed a finger at him just as his head snapped up, his mouth moving to say something, "Don't," you paused again, closing your eyes and exhaling, "Don't you dare deny it."

Jesse sat there stunned and accepted your outburst in silence, because he wasn't dumb to not know it was well deserved. Your eyes left his form and darted up to the ceiling, feeling the corners tickling with fresh, warm tears that threatened to spill. "I feel... I feel like I'm losing you. I'm losing us." you cried into the ceiling. "I'm losing us and it hurts."

"Yeah, well loving you hurts me more." Jesse snapped, jumping up to his feet. "Every day hurts because I'll always be your best friend, your-your r-roommate," he spat those words out as if they were poison. "It fucking hurts how you try and find happiness in other guys, yet it never works out. I-I could make it work out, but you won't give me a chance." he was yelling at this point, his neck red and strained while his voice ripped through.

Dumbstruck you stand there with your mouth agape, your mind in a state of delirium upon hearing Jesse's confession. Your stomach was doing somersaults and if you felt nauseous before, then now you definitely felt like throwing up. It seemed as if it was your body's natural response at that point.

"I want to be happy for you, I do. Call me selfish all you want, but I can't stand you looking happy in somebody else's arms - like that bitch, Andrew." Jesse spat his name.

"I wasn't." you whisper, and upon Jesse's silence you continue, "I wasn't happy with him, I mean. That's why I broke up with him; because in every thing he did, I kept searching for you in him and it was never going to work out." you confess, waiting for Jesse's response. His eyes darted left and right as he was trying to process your own confession.

He sized you up, lingering for a little longer on your lips. "So what does this mean?" he asked lowly, voice tired and hoarse.

"Just fucking kiss me, dumbass."

In light speed, his lips came crashing down on yours; teeth clashing and all. It was by no means what you would usually describe as a perfect kiss, though it was full of raw and pent up emotion, so much so that you were flying on cloud nine. With every move of his lips against yours, he unleashed the sea of emotions into you; that way he wasn't drowning anymore, that way he could finally stay afloat with you by his side.

"I love you too." you whisper softly against his lips, before pulling him in for another kiss, more gentle this time. You use your body to push his back down on the couch, landing with a loud thump. Automatically, your legs are on either side of his hips, your core nestled against his thigh when you opened up your legs to shift yourself to sit closer to him on his lap. Your hands held on his cheeks while you moved to kiss every inch of his face, your thumbs caressing loving shapes on his skin. Settling with a ghost of a kiss on the corner of his lips, you move to nuzzle your nose against his, your foreheads touching.

"I want you, so bad." his hot breath fanned against your face, it tickled your lips and you closed the gap between you to satisfy the itch. Slowly, but surely, you felt yourself melting into him with each passing second, with each swipe of his curious tongue against yours. Jesse's kisses were like a drug, and now that you had finally had your first taste, you were already hooked. His cheeks burned hot beneath your palms, also loving the contrast of the soft skin on his cheekbones, with the roughness of his four day stubble. Reluctantly, you moved your hands away from his face, resting them on his shoulders, massaging them and moving to do the same on his chest and then back up.

Meanwhile, Jesse's hands were on your lower back, too hesitant to move down to squeeze the slopes of your ass. "I want you to touch me."

Jesse groaned, his hands immediately taking heed of your command. While his hands were preoccupied, he moved down to attack your neck with a trail of blazing kisses, stopping once he had found that sweet spot that had you writhing on his lap, where it turned into biting and sucking on supple skin, selfishly branding your skin purple. All the while, your hands slowly crept down his abdomen and up his shirt, memorizing how every inch of him felt. Thinking that it would be easier to do so without a shirt on, your hands found their way on his hoodie, peeling it off his shoulders. Jesse abandoned his post on your neck for a few seconds, so he could pull his t-shirt off his head, his upper body completely bare; he was all lean muscle.

"Take off yours too." he mumbled, his hungry mouth attatched to your neck once more.

"Mhm, no." you giggled as he playfully bit you.

"Not fair, mine's off." Jesse complained. His deep, gravelly voice rumbled against your skin, causing electrifying bursts of pleasure to vibrate thoughout your entire body. His hands were off your ass, already hitching your sweater up, his nimble fingers moving up to trace the outline of your unclad breasts. "Shit, no bra?" he bit his lip and broke into a wolfish grin, making heat rise all the way up to the tips of your ears.

Your hands abandoned their resting place on his chest and moved above your head. Jesse lowered his head, but his big blue eyes stared up at you his pupils blown out from all the love and deep want he held for you. Ever so tantalizingly slow, he pulled your sweater up inch by inch, placing hot open mouth kisses on each inch of skin slowly revealed. Once the garment was fully off your head and on the living room floor somewhere, he buried his face in the valley of your breasts, his nose rubbing against the mounts of flesh, as he took a hardened nipple in his mouth.

Not once did his eyes leave yours, his powerful gaze along with his gentle assault on your nub had you moaning and clenching around nothing. His lips curled around your nipple sucking it even further into his mouth, all the while his tongue curled around it. The pent up need and desire was accumulating in your chest and it felt like a nuclear reactor about to go off. Jesse moved to pull back from your breast, only after softly biting and grazing his teeth on your soft flesh, causing you to take in broken breaths.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" he said and rested his chin on your chest. His eyes were wide open, literally and figuratively, so open he was allowing you to look in to all those feelings he had tried to keep hidden; for the first time in years he had the chance to be really open with you without any fear whatsoever. At a loss for words, you simply pulled him in for a searing kiss, fingers coming up to tangle at the roots at the back of his head, his own mimicking your actions. Too lost in the moment, you started grinding down on him, feeling him harden through his baggy sweats.

"Let me help you with that, hm?" you whispered hotly in his ear, biting on his earlobe and tugging harshly, earning a shocked moan from him. You pulled back just in time to see his face flushing a beet red and you smiled smugly. You took your own sweet time as you slid off his lap, not wasting any second to leave his chest and abs unattended, making sure his skin was marked. Teasingly, you halted for a moment, your lips hovering over his clothed length for a couple of seconds before you made contact with him, mouthing his cock over the cotton fabric of his sweats. His thighs had now replaced his shoulders as your resting place, and you made sure you massaged him as your curious hands worked through their ascent towards his waistline. Immediately, your fingers hooked around the elastic bands of his sweats and boxers, pulling them both down with a swift movement; Jesse slightly moving his hips upwards to assist you.

His hardened cock sprang free and you took a moment to drink in the sight of him, all spread out on the couch, flushed and naked. Your thighs rubbed together, the heat in your core increasing just by looking at him. Wanting to savor this moment, you started slowly kissing your way up his inner thighs, until the tip of your nose bumped against his balls. Teasingly, you took one in your mouth, swirling your tongue around. A strained curse was heard above you and you lifted your eyes to see that Jesse's were shut, his face contorted in pleasure. Your hand was wrapped around his shaft, idly moving up and down in a circular motion, coming all the way to his tip to collect the bead of precum, and rubbing it all along his length as you stroked your way back down. Your mouth found its way on his other ball, repeating the same rolling action with your tongue, before moving to put both in your mouth.

With a lewd sound, you pulled away, a string of drool connecting his balls and your mouth. Collecting more spit, you spat on his tip and slathered his girth with it. You took a moment to examine the sight in front of you, moving to lock gazes with Jesse, both of you looking at each other with lust blown eyes. Biting your lip, you teased your way to his tip, beginning to suckle on it gently. After a few seconds of only paying attention to his head, Jesse was growing impatient, trying to thrust himself further into your mouth, "Fuck, you're killing me." he let out a high pitched whimper.

Almost sorry for teasing him, you bob your head up and down, easing him on gently against your tongue, allowing your jaw to get used to his size as you took him deeper, inch by inch. Finally, with a low hum your nose bumped against his pelvis the moment you took him all in. You'd never been so full. Pulling away for a much needed breath of air, you returned to the task ahead of you, with much more vigor, suppressing your gags as you rhythmically bobbed your head up and down his shaft; making sure to hollow out your cheeks for extra suction.

Jesse was a whimpering mess and his sounds took you back to that day you had overheard him pleasuring himself, the memories of that day fueling the fire burning within you. Your own moans vibrated against his cock, making his whimpering moans grow in volume. The wet patch on your underwear just reminded you of how much you also longed for his touch, but you kept on gowing until you felt your jaw numbing, only then did you pull away.

Your lips urgently met his in a frantic, yet passionate kiss. "I want to feel your lips on mine." you whispered lowly.

For a second, that left Jesse confused, given how he was just kissing you, until realization finally clicked and he immediately sprang to action. Your positions were now reversed, helping Jesse unbutton your jeans as his trembling hands struggled. "I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous." he apologized, seemingly embarrassed.

"Me too." you reassured, unzipping your pants and letting them peel your jeans off of you; the pair of pants meeting its fate on the floor along with all the other discarded items of clothing. You were left in just some old pink cotton hipster briefs; your choice of underwear clearly showing that you hadn't been expecting this turn of events. Though, to Jesse you still looked hot, hell, he'd think the same if you even wore a sack of potatoes. He gulped loudly, his eyes transfixed on the large wet spot in the middle of your undies; God, you were soaked.

Unlike you, he skipped the teasing entirely, diving straight into work, ripping your panties off of you and delving into your pussy. He was eating you like a man starved, nose buried up all up in your pussy, constricting his airflow, but he didn't care, he was ready to suffocate. Just then, he made it his life's mission; to die nose deep in your needy pussy, the thought bringing him utter bliss. With just one taste of you, he was already drunk on your taste.

He hummed against your center, his tongue moving in circles around your swollen clit in a steady motion that was bringing you closer and closer to seeing stars. Breaking away for a much needed breath of air, he angled your hips forward closer to the edge, throwing your legs up wide and open. He kneeled a bit further, taking a mental picture of the sight in front of him. "I'll never get tired of seeing this." he moaned, angling himself lower to proceed on pleasuring you. His tongue lapped up all your juices and slid in and out of you; your soft muscles tightening around him. You glanced down on him, noticing how his right arm was moving up and down stroking himself while he ate you out. His voice vibrated against you in a low moan, and you felt your thighs quake as you were nearing to the edge.

"Please, I need you." you begged, tugging at his hair in a motion for him to stop. Funnily, Jesse seemed to be more disappointed than you, not being able to get you off at least once before he was inside you, but if you were so willing to forgo that part, then he didn't mind; anything to keep you happy.

Soon enough, Jesse found himself sitting on the couch once more with you straddling his lap. Your hand moved in between you, grabbing on the base of his dick, angling his tip right at your entrance. Given how wet you were, you sank down on him with ease, and you sat unmoving for a few seconds relishing in the way he filled you up just right, as if your bodies were made for each other. Jesse's hands found their way on the flesh of your ass, squeezing you lightly and moving to grind your hips against his in a motion for you to start moving. With no further need for instructions, your hips began rocking up and down in a familiar motion on his length.

Jesse's right arm snaked around your waist, holding you down and pulling you in, flush against his chest, while his other hand moved to cup the side of your face to bring you in for a kiss. It was the gentlest kiss you'd exchanged thus far, his lips slow and deliberate against yours. You moaned against his lips, your clit occasioanlly rubbing against his pelvis, each time you gound your hips as you came down on his cock, causing your walls to tighten around him as you were a few steps away from nearing your release. Jesse was too, given how he couldn't contain his moans and whimpers, accompanied by a series of praise for you.

"You ride me so well, baby." Baby, such an ordinary word, yet it had you reeling with a flurry of emotions. You didn't mind though, in fact you should get used to that now.

Your ass slapped against his thighs rhythmically, the set pace quickening with each descent.

"Oh, God baby, I'm so close." you whined and pressed your forehead against his. You stopped going up and down and started to grind your hips against his, seeking the much needed friction on your clit to bring you over the edge.

"Let it out for me, let it all out." Jesse whispered before he pulled you in for yet another kiss. Angry red scratches marked his chest and you dug them even deeper once your hips stalled their movement. Your orgasm ripped though you in a hot white flash and your thighs trembled with pleasure.

Not given even a second to recollect yourself, Jesse gripped your hips so hard they would be bruised tomorrow. Angling you a bit higher, his hips began pounding into you in a fervent pace. Your hands steadied themselves around his neck, your fingers locked in around the roots of his hair. They were a bit sweaty, but so were yours and you truly didn't mind. All you cared about at that moment was to get to see him come. His breath came out in broken gasps, mingled in with some moans here and there and beads of sweat collected on the corners of his brows. Overstimulated from your previous orgasm, you felt your walls tighten around him once more, a telltale sign of the fire igniting within you once more.

One of his hands left your hip and moved up to brush away loose stands that were sticking to your sweaty forehead, his touch featherlight and sweet, in contrast to the way he was fucking into you like a madman. "I'm gonna come." he groaned.

So lost in bliss, all you could do was nod. His pelvic bone was hitting against your clit, just the right way for you to clench around him and come undone once more. You came so hard your breath was knocked over and you felt like passing out. Jesse hissed, your cunt still pulsed around him and it sent him over the edge with a groan. His already tight grip tightened even more the moment he spilled into you, coating your walls white with his cum. After a few seconds, his moans died out and his head slumped back on the couch and looked up to the ceiling. "Shit that was..."

"That was amazing." you both spoke at the same time and broke into a smile.

You were still on him, he was still in you and if it weren't for his cum dripping out as his cock softened you would've stayed like that a little longer. However, afraid to make a mess, Jesse got up to grab a clean washcloth you wipe you both clean. Once you were both all wiped up, you laid down on the couch in a tangled mess of naked limbs.

Both of you remained quiet, there was no need to say anything for the moment was perfect as it was; you on his chest, hearing the steady drum of his heart, him drawing soothing patterns on your back. Seconds after, though it was Jesse who broke the silence as a thought occured to him.

"Whose room are we gonna sleep now?"

tags: @madzzz0797 @nika-sophie05

#jesse pinkman #jesse pinkman x reader #jesse pinkman smut #jesse pinkman angst #jesse pinkman fluff #breaking bad #smut

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dunmeshistash · 4 months ago

Note

Fav detail about elves I didn't fully register until I saw that one summer colour page - elves look rosy when they're light-skinned, but get slightly greyer as their skin darkens.

It looks like a creative decision that was made a little later, though, around the time of introducing the black-skinned elves, which makes sense - in order for them to be pure black, something other than melanin had to be happening there.

Idk if that's really an active choice or just bad coloring on Kui's part ngl.... unfortunately making darker skin ashy is a common mistake by artists, especially if they tend to draw light skinned characters more often, they might pick a light skin tone and just make it darker which turns them ashy. Dark skin is often neglected when people study painting skin color (you know how it is with racism and colorism being ingrained in society and the reflections of it showing up where you wouldn't expect)

Kui also wildly changes the colors she uses so it's hard to take any of it meaningfully in small details, If you look at art of Thistle or Kabru you can see their skin colors change both hue and darkness between art. Even his hair keeps changing how intense the yellow is and sometimes is fully white.

In this case there's also the scan differences but you can see how much Cithis skin changes art to art too

It really doesn't have much consistency in undertones, I imagine some of it might be traditional art (copic markers or watercolor?) but even between her digital art the undertones keep changing, sometimes she's greyish sometimes yellowish sometimes more redish and in the swimsuit one she even looks kinda purple to me

Kui is a great artist but based on how she has also painted Kabru and the twins greyish (the worst one under this paragraph) I can't say the greyish tone of the darker elves is any sort of intentional choice but rather mistakes.

She does it to some extent to her lighter skinned characters too, but I think it's especially obvious in the darker skinned ones (here's Senshi getting slightly paler/grayer between different art)

At least now we have the anime with more set on stone colors/darkness, and I'm overall happy that the dark skinned characters got officially darker overall (although some of the skin tones still look a little off to me)

Anyway, other than the obsidian skin elves I don't think there's any indication the greyish tone was intentional.

Sorry for the long winded response, it's just something I wanted to acknowledge since sometimes I see people discussing skin colors in my notes

#ask #idk what to tag this maybe I rambled way too much #uh #speculation #long post #longpost #dunmeshi complaint #maybe #I love ryoko kui but she gotta step up her dark skin coloring game #I think her more recent art has better colors tho

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sycamorelibrary754 · 3 months ago

Text

Trick or Treat

Summary: You and Natasha celebrate Nikolai’s first Halloween with your family and friends.

Pairings: Natasha x Reader, Avengers x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: None

A/N: As always, this story can be enjoyed independently, but if you're curious about the family's rich backstory, check out my ‘Home is Anywhere You Are’ Holiday Series. Happy Halloween!

The digital clock cast a faint blue light in your dimly lit bedroom. You gathered all the necessary sewing supplies from your closet and carefully retrieved the baby monitor from your nightstand. Natasha was still lost in slumber, and you were determined to keep it that way. Her late-night training sessions meant she often didn't return from the compound until midnight. "So much for semi-retirement," you thought with a wry smile. Nevertheless, it allowed you time to get started on your family’s Halloween costumes before Nikolai woke up. He had recently started sleeping longer stretches at night, so you knew you had a small window to work.

You and Nat decided to channel your inner witches and style your costumes after your all-time favorite Halloween film, Hocus Pocus. The plan was for you, Natasha, and Yelena to dress up as the Sanderson sisters while baby Nikolai would be Max. As you looked at images from the movie on your iPad, you heard a tiny meow from the corner of the room. Liho hurried into the room and hopped onto the loveseat beside you.

You couldn't help but smile and say, "Your Binx costume looks great, Liho. Did you make it yourself?"

You carefully began to measure and cut up the softest, coziest fabrics, envisioning the adorable little costume you would create for Nikolai's first Halloween. It felt like just yesterday that you had unexpectedly given birth to Nik at the Barton's on Easter, but seven months had flown by in the blink of an eye. He was reaching a new milestone every day, getting closer to crawling and constantly scooting across the floor in his adorable army-crawl style. Natasha couldn't resist capturing every precious moment on her phone, and she filled the team group chat continuously with Nik's videos and photos.

You wanted Halloween to be just as magical as it was when you were a kid. Your mom used to handcraft all of your Halloween costumes, and now, as a mom yourself, you understand just how unique that tradition was. You've never been as skilled with a sewing machine as your mother, but you're giving it a shot.

"Ouch," you hiss as a bobby pin pricks your fingers. Well, if anything, the blood spots might add to the spooky charm of the costumes.

An hour later, you could see the fruits of your labor taking shape. The room was filled with the colorful fabric of the costumes, each piece carefully pinned into place. You had meticulously sewn the primary layer of each outfit. Each stitch was a step closer to bringing your creative vision to life.

“Hey there," a familiar, raspy voice said.

You looked up and saw your wife shuffling into the room. Her socked feet padded along the floor, and sleep was still evident in her eyes.

"Good morning, honey," you said, kissing her lips. "I thought I’d start the Halloween costumes before Nik wakes up."

"Mmm," Nat hummed. "I’m looking forward to seeing how they turn out. I've never had a homemade costume before. Well, except for the ones Stark makes."

Nat settled into a nearby loveseat, tucking one leg under her body as she watched you work. The hum of the sewing machine filled the air as the needle danced up and down, leaving a trail of perfectly spaced stitches. Your fingers moved precisely, gently yet firmly guiding the fabric through the machine. Your movements were fluid and precise.

You paused to change the thread, and Nat saw the intricate patterns and textures unfolding on the fabric. Your focus was intent, and your brow was slightly furrowed in concentration. The air was filled with the scent of fabric, and the soft whir of the machine created a soothing background hum.

Suddenly, Nikolai’s soft whimper emitted from the baby monitor as if on cue.

“I guess that's the end of this work session,” you sighed, about to rise from your chair.

“It’s okay, Y/N. I got him,” Natasha said, touching your shoulder.

Thanks, sweetheart," you replied.

A few moments later, you heard Nik's bedroom door creak and Natasha's voice coming through the baby monitor.

"Good morning, my malen'kiy mal'chik

(little boy)," Nat said softly.

You could hear Nik responding to Natasha's voice with baby babbles.

"Hey, Nikolai. Look at my big boy! Did you have a nice sleep?" she asked.

You heard your wife humming a gentle Russian lullaby, the same one she had sung to him since he was born, before saying, "Shall we go see Mommy, huh? Let's go, little one.”

Natasha strolled into the room, gently holding your son in her arms. The little red bedhead hair on his head is a beautiful reminder of your wife.

"There's Nikolai!" you say with a smile. "Hi, baby."

Nik reaches for you, his Y/E/C eyes sparkling as he smiles at you and wiggles his legs.

As you hold your son in your arms, he reaches for a strand of your Y/E/C hair.

You carefully turned him around to face forward and asked, "Do you want to see your Halloween costume?"

You show Nikolai the purple tye-die fabric you used to sew his shirt, and he eagerly reaches for it, attempting to put it in his mouth.

"I think he approves," Natasha remarked with a smile.

*^~^*

After dedicating several more days to carefully sewing and enduring a few more pinpricks, you finally finished the Halloween costumes. On Halloween day, Yelena arrived early to play with Nikolai before the three of you got ready for the evening. It was going to be a quick night. Natasha had promised Melina and Alexi that you would stop at their place before heading to the compound for Tony’s annual team Halloween party. There would be enough time for everyone to dote on your son and maybe even sneak some candy for your secret chocolate stash that Nat pretends not to know about.

Nikolai was all set and looked adorable in Max’s vibrant tie-dye shirt, splashed with shades of purple, green, and red. The soft baby sweatpants added to his cozy ensemble, and to top it all off, he sported a pair of baby Nike Air sneakers.

Yelena called from the bedroom, “Okay, I am ready for my grand entrance.”

“Enter away,” Natasha yelled as you both sat cross-legged on the floor while Nik played on his Activity Play Mat.

Yelena made a vibrant entrance into the room, embodying the enchanting spirit of Sara Sanderson. Her stunning blend of pink and purple gown hugged her figure with a corset-style top that perfectly showcased her lively and playful energy. She truly stood out as the youngest and most captivating sister—something she delights in, reminding everyone after your deep dive into Hocus Pocus. A luxurious purple cloak draped elegantly over her shoulders while her long, flowing blonde hair tumbled down her back in soft waves. The finishing touch? A striking dark nude lipstick that added an alluring flair to her already magical look.

“Wow, you look fantastic, sestra!” Nat exclaimed.

Yelena shot back with a playful smirk, “I know, right? You outdid yourself, Y/N.”

You felt your cheeks heat, a mix of pride and a bit of shyness as you tried to brush off the compliment.

“Your turn, you two,” Yelena said. “I’ll wait here with the man of the house.”

You and Natasha scampered off to change into your costumes. Meanwhile, Yelena sat down next to Nikolai.

Yelena leaned closer, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Let’s play along and rave about their costumes, but deep down, we both know mine’s the showstopper, right, little Nik?”

Your baby boy gurgled happily, his laughter bubbling over like a secret only they shared. in response.

"That's what I thought," she replied with a knowing smile.

“Okay, we’re ready.” Natasha called out a few minutes later, her voice echoing through the hall.

Yelena responded with equal enthusiasm, “So are we!”

Natasha was the first to enter the room, embodying Winnie's character. She wore a striking green-and-purple dress that flowed elegantly around her, the colors vivid and eye-catching. The matching cape billowed as she moved. The Hocus Pocus Spell Book was clutched in her hands, its worn cover hinting at countless magical secrets. She styled her red hair perfectly, teased it high, and held it in place with impressive hairspray, creating a dramatic silhouette. Excess blush on her cheeks gave her an almost doll-like appearance, while bright red lipstick completed the look, making her smile pop against her fair complexion.

You followed closely behind as Mary, capturing the quirky spirit of the middle sister. Your outfit boasted a fabulous, mismatched patterned dress that swirled with a rainbow of fabrics and colors. Atop your head sat the iconic hairdo, resembling a strangely shaped ice cream cone. A deep red cloak cascaded over your ensemble, adding an air of mystery. Eerie accessories—like dangling charms and spooky jewelry—clattered softly with every step. Your dark eye makeup dramatically framed your eyes, enhancing the playful spookiness of your costume. Your bright red lips completed the transformation, making you feel utterly enchanting.

“Wow, you two look incredible!” Yelena burst out. “Don’t you think so, Nikolai?” Yelena said, looking down at the baby.

Your son erupted into gleeful laughter, his eyes sparkling with delight as if he genuinely grasped every word his aunt had shared.

"I couldn't agree more." Yelena continued, giving your son a playful wink that made him giggle even harder.

After a whirlwind of Halloween family photos, everyone piled into the car for the drive to Melina and Alexi’s house.

“Are you ready to see your babushka and dedushka, Nik?” Natasha asked, her eyes sparkling in the rearview mirror as she glanced back at your son’s eager face peeking from his reverse car seat.

“Mama’s right, buddy,” said Yelena with a playful smile. “Get ready for a mountain of cheek-squeezing and an avalanche of snuggles and kisses. They can’t wait to spoil you!”

“Have your parents ever celebrated Halloween?” you asked, tilting your head curiously at Natasha.

She let out a long sigh. “Well, there was that one year back in Ohio when they got creative and turned every room in our house into a different trick-or-treat stop. They didn't want the neighbors to see us, so it was like a private haunted tour.”

“So, basically, the answer is no,” Yelena quipped, her expression as deadpan as ever.

Sometimes, it's easy to forget the weight of Natasha and Yelena’s past. Their childhood was an elaborate illusion, where genuine memories were just a flickering mirage. You couldn’t wait to create new memories with your son. Each moment was a chance to build something real and joyful that could help your wife heal her inner child, too.

*^~^*

As you parked the car in front of Alexi and Melina's home, an impressive display of Halloween decorations immediately caught your eye. Towering above the porch were two enormous inflatables—one was a bright orange pumpkin, its mischievous grin glowing against the dusk, and the other a ghost, swaying gently in the evening breeze, its expression delightfully eerie.

The porch was draped with thick, wispy cobwebs that shimmered in the fading light, creating an elaborate, spooky atmosphere. Jack-o'-lanterns flickered with candlelight, casting playful shadows that danced on the walls.

“Oh my God,” you murmured, taking in the scene with astonishment.

“Wow,” Nat addedsaid, her eyes sparkling as she tried to draw Nikolai’s attention toward the decorations.

“Sure,” Yelena saidchimed in, her tone an uninterested contrast to the festive surroundings. She was unimpressed but unable to hide a slight smirk as she surveyed the porch.

You rapped your knuckles against the front door, the sound echoing in the quiet evening. Inside, you could hear the faint rustling of movement.

“Who’s there?” Alexi’s voice called through the door, a hint of playfulness lacing his tone.

“It’s us, Dad!” Natasha replied, her voice bright with anticipation. “Open the door!”

A mischievous grin crept across his face as he asked, “What’s the password?”

“For God’s sake,” Yelena exasperated. “It’s not a password, you doofus.”

“Yes, it is. You must request a trick or a treat!” Alexi exclaimed.

“Oh my God,” Yelena muttered.

“Come on, he's having fun,” you said, playfully nudging your sister-in-law.

“Trick or Treat,” you all said in unison.

“There it is!” Alexi exclaimed, his voice bubbling with excitement. As the door creaked open, a gust of cool air brushed against him, revealing the striking scene behind it. He stood proudly in a tattered suit, his face painted a ghostly green with jagged scars across his cheeks. Beside him, Melina embodied the essence of Frankenstein's bride, her hair teased into an unkempt frenzy, and her tattered and white gown seemed to flutter like a ghostly veil. Together, they made a captivating, spooky pair.

“There’s my little champion!” Alexi boomed, a wide grin lighting up his face as he knelt to get a closer look at Nikolai. “He’s growing bigger and stronger every day, just like his grandpa!”

“Wow, you two look fantastic,” you said.

“Thank you, so do you three, darling,” Melina replied. “I wasn’t sure about the hair being a bit much, but your father insisted it was the way to go. Now, hand me, my grandson.”

As Natasha gently placed Nikolai in Melina's arms, his expression shifted. When he saw her, his lower lip quivered, and a loud wail escaped him.

“I guess the hair was too much, Mama,” Yelena teased as she patted her mother on the shoulder and strolled past her into the warmth of the house.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Natasha exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she examined the candy bowl. “Full-size candy bars? The kids are going to remember this house.”

Melina chuckled, shaking her head. “Let’s just say your father went overboard at the store. That’s the last time I let him handle the Halloween shopping.”

“But look at the stash!” Alexi declared, brandishing a handful of full-size Reese’s, Kit-Kats, Snickers, and even a king-size bag of M&M’s. “I love America! You’d never find treats like this back in Russia.”

You, Yelena, and Nat took turns answering the door. A parade of enchanting costumes continuously greeted you. Wizards, witches, ghosts, and even a flawlessly dressed Black Widow appeared—though she had no clue that Natasha Romanoff herself, had just handed her a Kit Kat bar.

After snapping some more entertaining family photos to frame and cherish, you bid farewell to Alexi and Melina and made your way to the Avengers' Compound for more Halloween hijinks.

*^~^*

The compound's exterior was bathed in an eerie orange glow, with cobwebs covering the walls and jack-o'-lanterns lining the walkway. As the elevator doors slid open, you were met by an enveloping darkness—the common area was shrouded in shadows.

“Friday, what’s going on with the lights?” Natasha called out. She held Nikolai snugly against her chest, his head nestled against her shoulder. The silence that followed left her question hanging in the air.

“FRIDAY, vklyuchi chertov svet! (Turn on the fucking lights!) Yelena shouted, her patience wearing thin.

A playful smirk danced across your lips as you teased at your sister-in-law. “Oh, come on, she’s not Russian.”

Yelena shot back, her eyes narrowing, “She’s not even a she!”

Out of nowhere, Clint jumped out, dressed as a mummy. His voice booming, “Boo!”

The three of you leaped a foot into the air at Clint’s sudden jumpscare. Little Nikolai burst into tears, his tiny hands clutching Nat’s costume desperately. Streams of glistening tears cascaded down his cheeks as he buried his face deep into Mama’s neck, seeking the comfort and safety of her warm embrace.

“What the hell, Clint?” you shouted in disbelief.

With a calm demeanor, Natasha passed little Nik into your arms, “Here, hold our son, Y/N. I have to kill my best friend.”

Natasha fixed her piercing gaze on Clint, a look she typically reserved for her enemies. “Come here,” she said, her voice low and determined.

“Come on, Nat. It was just a bit of Halloween fun.” Clint protested, inching backward with a sheepish grin.

Yelena stepped forward beside her sister. “You’re going to regret I didn't kill you the first time, Barton.”

“Uh-oh,” Clint muttered, the realization dawning on him.

Suddenly, the room burst into brilliant light, illuminating the rest of the team. Everyone's eyes were glued to Natasha and Yelena as they sprinted after Clint, who was darting around the furniture in a desperate dance of evasion.

“Why are two Victorian ladies chasing Clint?” Tony asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Dressed in a sleek, high-tech vampire costume.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me, Mr. Stark?” Peter exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he fiddled with the bow and arrow on his Kate Bishop costume. “Those are the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus.”

“Ooooh… right, I don’t know what that is,” Tony admitted with a sheepish grin, his vampire fangs showing.

“It's a Halloween cult classic from '93!" Kate added as she fumbled to peel off the Spider-Man mask that clung stubbornly to her face. "Seriously, Peter, how on earth do you breathe in that thing?”

“Yeah, well, I was a bit preoccupied with taking over Stark Industries and having sex to catch up on movies,” Tony shot back.

“Ladies!” Steve suddenly shouted, his commanding voice cutting through the chaos. Natasha and Yelena halted as Clint dove behind the super soldier dressed as a patriotic zombie.

Meanwhile, Wanda approached you with a warm smile. The redhead looked fantastic dressed as Lucille Ball. She wrapped her arms around you and gently rubbed small circles on Nik’s back, soothing him as his tears slowly faded. He reached out for the Scarlet Witch, tiny fingers grasping at her.

“You are amazing!” you cheered as Wanda tenderly embraced your son.

Wanda smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “Lots of practice,” she replied, her voice soft and reassuring.

*^~^*

Colorful cocktails flowed freely, with standout creations like the "Avengers' Punch," a fruity concoction brimming with berries and citrus, and the bold "Hulk's Smash," a vivid green drink that packed a punch.

The buffet table was a feast for the eyes, adorned with creatively named dishes courtesy of Pepper. Guests indulged in "Iron Man" sliders—juicy mini-burgers topped with zesty sauces—and "Super Soldier" salads, artfully arranged with fresh greens, colorful veggies, and a rainbow of dressings. To satisfy every sweet tooth, the selection of "Gamma-Sized" desserts included towering cupcakes and decadent orange and black sugar cookies.

Cradling Nikolai in your arms, you couldn't help but smile as you watched Thor energetically bob for apples. Each time he emerged from the bucket, his face gleaming with water, an apple clenched between his teeth, Nik erupted into giggles.

“Nikolai Odison!” Thor exclaimed, his voice booming with warmth as he wiped the drops of water from his face. With a playful grin, he scooped your son into his strong arms; Thor chuckled as he looked down at the little boy. “How’s my little namesake? Not giving your mommies a tough time, are you?” he asked.

“He's growing so fast,” you admitted, a mix of excitement and disbelief in your voice. “We think he might start crawling any day now.”

“Once that little guy is mobile, you two are done for,” Sam teased, adjusting his Sherlock Holmes cap with a knowing smirk.

“I know, right?” Natasha sighed, a playful grin on her face. “That’s why all of you will take turns babysitting in the future.

“Anytime, you two,” Bucky said with a playful grin, effortlessly spinning the bowler hat from his Watson costume around his finger like a basketball, its brim catching the light with each smooth rotation.

“Excuse me?” Tony interjected with an exaggerated hand raise. “Hi! I don’t babysit. I’ve got my own little one to keep alive,” he said, gesturing to Morgan.

“Fair point,” Natasha replied in mock seriousness. “But then I guess we should fill Pepper in about some of your party boy dalliances.”

“Ha! She’s fully aware,” Tony shot back, a cheeky grin on his face. “Who do you think had their clothes dry cleaned and called a car for them the next morning?”

“Even for Mardi Gras ’96?” Natasha asked, arching an eyebrow playfully.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tony said, leaning in as if bracing for the punchline.

“Try me,” Natasha replied, her expression unyielding.

After a moment of silence, Tony relented. “So, what bedtime stories does he like?”

“Goodnight Moon is reigning supreme right now,” Natasha said, smirking as she lightly tapped Tony’s cheek in appreciation.

*^~^*

As Yelena finished sampling a colorful assortment of candy from Morgan’s overflowing Halloween loot bag, the vibrant wrappers crinkling in her hands, you could sense it was time to head home. Nikolai let out a tiny, adorable yawn, nuzzling his head into the comforting curve of your shoulder.

Fortunately, you had the foresight to pack his cozy pajamas, so you gently changed him, the soft fabric a perfect embrace for his sleepy frame. After completing the task, you exchanged quiet goodbyes with everyone. By the time you and Natasha dropped Yelena off at home, little Nik had already drifted into the sweet world of dreams, his soft breaths a lullaby to the peaceful night.

Once back home, you and Natasha took extra care as you cradled your baby boy. Together, you placed him carefully into his crib, ensuring he was nestled snugly beneath his favorite blanket. With meticulous silence, you both tiptoed out of his room, the faint glow of the nightlight casting a warm, soothing light as you closed the door softly behind you.

You both removed your costumes, the vibrant colors replaced by cozy pajamas as you settled down for the night.

“So, what do you think of Nikolai’s first Halloween?” Natasha asked, snuggling up next to you in bed.

“It was magical,” you replied, a contented smile spreading across your face.

“I agree,” Natasha nodded eagerly. “Those photos will be the cutest addition to his baby book.”

With a playful sigh, you added, “The only thing I regretted was not bringing any candy home.”

A teasing grin played on Natasha’s lips. “Oh, you mean for that secret stash hidden in the lettuce crisper?”

You smirked back at her, feigning innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Nat raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re not interested in any of this chocolate I brought home?” She held up a tempting selection: a Hershey Bar, a pack of Reese’s, a bag of M&M’s, and a Kit Kat, all glistening with sugary allure from beside the bed.

Your eyes sparkled with excitement at the sight of the treats. “Oh, I never said that!” you replied, a grin on your face.

“Thought so,” Natasha teased, leaning in closer and pressing a soft kiss against your lips. “Happy Halloween, Y/N.”

“Happy Halloween, Nat,” you returned, a warmth blooming in your chest as you savored the family moment—and the candy.

#natahsa romanoff #natasha romanoff and you #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha x you #mcu #the avengers #fluff

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lexicorp · 27 days ago

Text

Transformers Earthspark: Another Place, Another Prison

[screenshot edit thats a bit silly--the maltos are actually generally rather chill even with star being a bit of a lil shit lmao]

This chapter really shoves Starscream into a social gathering with all da peeps for a series of goofy games. Which he roasts the shit out of the majority of the time. He's more into it at the start and gets progressively more drained from it all. It's not as fun if you don't plow the competition after all--XD

just a chap with fun family shenanigans and definitely nothing sus

Previous Chapter: Bee's Good Guy Crash Course

First Chapter: The Need For Read

Next Chapter: Make or Break

Chapter 11: Family Feud

The “Malto Family Game Night”. An intriguing premise. One Bumblebee thought he should drag Starscream into, it seemed, despite the title clearly only set to invite those who are real members of their collective. It even seemed a stretch that the humans and Terrans considered Bumblebee an “honorary” member to begin with. The Terrans, as Earthen cybernetic children, theoretically shared some level of kinship with humans to an extent. As well as apparently being bonded to them on a deeper level. But both he and Bumblebee had no such connection, why should they be roped into human nonsense?

Why would they allow them to encroach on their little tradition? Perhaps this was some sort of test pertaining to the practice the bug had wanted Starscream to get, after his little lecture. A challenge to see how well Starscream could interact with them.

Well, for whatever goal the bug had, he certainly could stand a bit of competition. A chance to destroy them at their own ridiculous games? Irresistible. The anticipation of victory, especially one he could lord over the scout later, might just make the growing chaos around him bearable.

There were too many conversations about too many things being discussed in one room. He’d tried to track a few, but quickly found his audials begin to mute the chatter with a light ringing. If it hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from calling them all into order himself.

Finally, Hashtag got everyone’s attention and pointed to the whiteboard that now held doodles of all their faceplates, separated into groups. “Alright fam! The teams we’ve decided on are: Me, J.B, and Nightshade with our name NightTagBreaker! Mom and Dad as Purple. Thrash and Mo as Mash–”

“‘Cause we’re gonna MASH the competition!” Thrash cheered as he smacked servos with his human partner.

Hashtag didn’t even seem fazed by the interruption, and scoffed without a hint of disdain. “We’ll see about that! There’s also Robbie and Twitch–”

“Their team’s name is Twobbie.” Mo said with the most dastardly smirk toward her brother, and a mocking tone to the name.

Robbie and Twitch both stood with crossed arms, the human retorting first with an air of superiority. “Uh no. Our name is Twin Blades!”

Twitch plucked her swords from her back and twirled them as an example with a proud grin. “We’ve got the blades, and we’re basically twins. And way cooler than Mash.”

Thrash gasped melodramatically with a servo to his chassis, “How dare you!”

“We’ll see who has the cooler name when we beat you!” Mo shot back with a throw of a digit in their direction. Threats so early in the competition? Bold.

Hashtag edited the name on the board discreetly, then turned to ask, “What’d you guys decide on for your name Bee? I was thinking it could be StarBee or Beam for the combo style like ours–” She gestured to her two partners– “Or BugBird, because y’know, Bee is bug coded and Starscream can fly. OR you could be Primary! Because together you have yellow, red, and blue!”

Starscream took his servo from under his faceplate to tip it at the crowd, straightening his posture with a slight tilt of his helm as he offered confidently, “Why not simply call us The Victors?” He wasn’t exactly thrilled that they had just decided that he was paired with the bug, but that wouldn’t change his plans of total domination over this strange event.

Many of them rolled their optics at Starscream’s proclamation, but Hashtag actually had to stop herself from laughing. Not entirely the correct response. Still, at least she was amused, rather than angered by his insinuation.

Bumblebee shook his helm in a way that Starscream couldn’t tell if he actually disapproved or not. “StarBee is fine, Hashtag.” He determined, then mumbled, “Even if it would be nice if my name was first…”

“Well, you always were more of just the backup, rather than a leader, scout.” Starscream pointed out haughtily. “Obviously my piece of the title would come first.”

Bumblebee glared at him, “I am not your backup! We’re partners and this is friendly competition! And please try to remember what I was telling you yesterday…” He sounded exasperated.

Starscream dropped his smirk and crossed his arms to align himself with a more professional posture. “Are you going to disclose the rubric, or will your little test be void of any comprehensible scale like all of your Autobot riddles?”

Bumblebee was about to respond, but the Malto matriarch, Dorothy, interrupted. “No tests. We are not making game night about work again. Right Bee?” The bug nodded, looking rather guilty. “We’re here to have fun.”

“Yeah!” Twitch flew up to meet Starscream’s faceplate, “So don’t you ruin it! Family time is sacred!”

Starscream leaned slightly toward her, thoroughly unamused. “Yes, how dare I encroach on your ridiculous expression of familial bonding.”

“Okay guys!” Hashtag interjected, “This isn’t exactly supposed to be the mood of this scene. Can we rein it in please?” She looked more at Starscream than her sibling, with a pleading look to her optics. Twitch backed down, as did he.

“Wonderful!” Nightshade collected a set of cards that seemed to be sized for Cybertronians. “The first game Hashtag and I decided upon from the list of requests, is Uno! Three teams will be in one group, and two in another.”

“Then we shuffle it until every team has had a chance to go against each other!” Hashtag added while shuffling the cards and splitting the deck into two stacks. “First group will be NightTagBreaker, Twin Blades, and Mash; then Purple and StarBee.”

“Would it not make more sense to put the team of three into the group with just two teams?” Starscream asked not as much for some level of fairness, but more in the hopes that he could avoid interacting with Megatron’s little spy. He’d much rather attempt their card game with Hashtag and Nightshade.

“I mean, maybe, but we’ll get there eventually.” Hashtag gave him an awkward smile, then quickly moved on. Scrap.

They all took to their tables and dealt the cards. Starscream attempted to read the rules from the little box that was cast aside, but Dorothy’s human conjunx told him that it was apparently quite simple. Same color, same number or action, and you could play your card on your turn. The wild card and plus four were clearly above all the other pathetic actions in the roster. Although the skip option was satisfyingly petty. Starscream managed to skip Bumblebee three times in a row, in fact, which he found hilarious.

The bug however, was less amused, “We’re supposed to be on the same team! Could you maybe not sabotage me and actually try and collaborate?!”

“Only one of us needs to win to get the credit. I don’t need your help to claim victory over these humans at this silly game.”

“I don’t know about that.” Dorothy tauntingly raised her singular card. “Uno.”

“WHAT?” Starscream’s wings flared and he looked over at the bug’s absurdly large set of cards, then slammed a servo on the table to get his attention. “Unleash a counterattack you fool! You must have something in that embarrassing stack in your servos!”

“Oh look who came crawling back for my help.” The scout hoarded his cards with juvenile snark.

Starscream stuttered and his optic twitched as he growled through gritted dentas. “Excuse me, but if you don’t we both lose you bit-brained idiot!”

“How about not calling your partner names, and actually asking nicely? Or just working with me instead of acting like I’m still your enemy?”

The bug was a stubborn fool. Ask nicely? Did they expect him to phrase orders as optionary as the Prime did? That’s ridiculous! And of course the bug was still his enemy! How stupid was this mech? Bumblebee had been the first to point a blaster at Starscream in the Titan. Just because the Autobots were acting as if something had changed, didn’t mean anything. This was all just another assignment for the scout.

Wait…who said that Starscream couldn’t simply take the bug’s cards and do it himself? If they were on the same team, then what did it matter who carried out the move? He didn’t know what stupid arrangement of words they wanted from him. It’d be far easier to–

Starscream forcefully snatched the cards from Bumblebee’s servos in a crimson flash, and slapped down a plus two to destroy the Malto’s hope of victory. He made sure to keep his own remaining two cards safe from getting lost amidst his stolen pile. The bug complained and tossed his servos around before attempting to steal his cards back, as Starscream pushed against his faceplate to hold him off.

Then, Dorothy cleared her throat before crossing her arms. “I win.”

“Wha–HOW?!” Starscream shoved the bug aside before pointing a digit at the human. “You lost your turn and were supposed to gain additional cards as the action dictates! You couldn't have possibly won!”

Her optical ridge rose and she tapped the card plainly placed upon the one he’d taken from Bumblebee. “My last card was a plus two, and I can stack it on yours. Maybe, you should have actually talked it out with your partner.”

Oh, so this fleshling aimed to lecture him now? And since when could actions be placed upon one another as a means of canceling the other out? That made no sense with the rest of the rules! Sure, if you were not at the receiving end and were simply the player that is being skipped towards–but mid-action?? That was ridiculous, she made that up!

Lightning flickered between his wings. He didn’t lose. She’d only crafted some absurd reason to disguise the fact that she was clearly only attempting to prove some point, and make Starscream look like an idiot. That’s what it was. But he couldn’t do anything about it. The human was Megatron’s little agent. Starscream would be scrapped if he did anything against her.

Starscream’s optics were burning as he wished again that he could set those blasted cards ablaze with only his processor. This game was just another tool for them to mock him. His vents were the same.

“Chill, it’s not like losing one game is the end of the world. Even if I am definitely blaming this loss, on you. I was just the card draw scrapyard–” Bumblebee was attempting to retrieve the scattered cards, and Starscream reflexively grabbed his wrist and pulled the scout up as he rose to his peds.

“This IS your fault!” Starscream said dangerously, even as the scout transformed out his blaster with his other servo. But as a deafening silence strangled the cavern, and Starscream stared into the bug's startled yet defiant optics…he hated it. He was doing it again.

His anger attempted to subside, replaced by something else as his grip loosened on the bug. But the curse didn’t seem to approve of that, and it instead tried to channel its power into the servo which mistakenly held Bumblebee. Starscream’s optics widened and he wrenched his servo away. Then yelped as he found Wheeljack’s little device had sent an equal pulse up his ped in some pathetic counterattack to the power. Instead of neutralizing the surge at his servo, all it did was make him fly back clumsily, and hit his helm on the ground. All while the power still felt as if his arm was being ripped apart by scraplets.

“Uh, you guys okay over there??” Twitch called from their own game.

“Ugh…Peachy.” Bumblebee commented dryly as he picked himself up after having apparently fallen back as well. “Someone is just a sore loser.”

Starscream only sat up to grip his violently shaking servo as he glared at it. He wasn’t like Megatron. “Perhaps…It was an overreaction.” He couldn’t apologize. He was too distracted. But he could acknowledge the bug’s point. Maybe that would be enough.

Bumblebee watched him a moment before a ridiculous grin came to his faceplate. “No kidding.”

The scout offered Starscream a servo, and he stared at it hesitantly as the lightning slowly died from his frame. He didn’t smack it away, but he didn’t take it either. Instead, he forced his annoyingly numb right ped to cooperate as he pulled himself up. “Besides, with the human’s knack for simply realigning the rules to her whim, how could either of us be at fault? Megatron clearly taught her well.”

“Excuse me?” Dorothy put her servos on her hips. Apparently his comment was somehow offensive. Even the buckethead’s agent detested being compared to him. How poetic.

Starscream paced to give himself enough distance from bot and human alike, before tipping a servo and his hip out in unbridled sass with an innocent vocalizer, “Oh but I’d never blame you for such a thing. In fact, I might have pulled such a stunt myself if we were more acquainted. Although that was a bit of a clumsy rule you constructed in your haste. Perhaps I could give you some advice for–”

Dorothy put her servo up to silence him. “No. I didn’t make it up. Well, not right at that moment–it’s just a common house rule for the game. It makes things a bit more interesting, and can lead to crazy close calls like that.”

“Yes we would never cheat! Especially Dottie!” Her conjunx attested with a protective servo around her shoulder, which she patted with hers. Disgusting.

Starscream’s faceplate scrunched at their show of affection, but willed himself to put on a smile. “I meant no disrespect, truly.” He gave her a half-afted bow, then began assisting the bug in collecting the cards that had fallen to the floor. “So I assume we shall be shuffling the groups now then?”

Not a moment later, there was an obnoxious uproar from the kids as the Twin Blades team celebrated their victory. They had their own argument about how it was achieved, yet it seemed more out of curiosity for their strategy. Of which they happily went into dramatized detail. They all laughed and congratulated them, with playful counters at how close it had been. No one was angry, or accusatory. The only touch they shared was gentle. Starscream stared at them, transfixed.

Sure, it was not as if he had always fought with his trinemates over such silly things. But still, there had typically been some sort of transition into a wrestling match to settle the true victor. Anything close to that here was meager at best. He wasn’t surprised…only, afflicted with a strange sense of yearning. Which was ridiculous.

“Sounds like it.” Bumblebee remarked as he placed the now reforged stack of cards on their table, then added teasingly, “Are you actually going to be my teammate this time, fly boy?”

“Yes, it seems that might be necessary.” Starscream avoided the bug’s optics as he took his seat again.

Team NightTagBreaker switched places with Purple. He didn’t quite care for the dinobot, but the other two terrans could be rather pleasant. Although it did seem that “J.B.” was far more focused on the game than attempting to bite his peds this time.

Starscream and Hashtag shared a glance, and he was the first to break the silence between them, “Do not expect us to go easy on you.” Mimicking her siblings’ manner of playful banter.

“Wouldn’t dream of it!” She responded with a theatrical tone and servo to her chassis.

“If anyone should be going easy, it is us!” Nightshade added, to which the dinobot seemed to finish the thought.

“Yeah! Because–we are three bots, and you are not.”

“Don’t think that numbers are everything kids.” Bumblebee warned as he fanned out his new selection of cards in his servos.

This time, Starscream collaborated with the bug as they discreetly disclosed which cards they possessed, and plotted how to best use them. He used his skips to instead protect his unlikely ally from unwanted card draw, until he could change the color again. As well as parrying reverses, or waiting until the other also had a plus two, as to avoid friendly fire. Perhaps that strange rule could be rather useful, when he actually knew to utilize it. Then, he also did not see why they could not stack other actions in such a way as well…

When the scout had called Uno, the dinobot attempted to skip him to postpone their victory. Unbeknownst to them, Bumblebee also had a skip card, but the bug did not place it down. A pause for dramatic effect?

Starscream cast aside his own useless cards and smacked the bug’s shoulder plating. “Reveal your card already you–eh, just what are you waiting for? We won. Cancel their action with yours!”

Bumblebee looked baffled as he stared at his card then back at Starscream. “What?? Jawbreaker skipped me, I can’t cancel that. It’s your turn. Why don’t you use that reverse card you had?”

Starscream’s wings pulled back and he ripped his cards back off the table to hit them with his other servo. “This scrap will do nothing to change it to the correct color! Why on Cybertron can you not just do as that human did before?! Countering an action of equal title mid-attack is perfectly legal in your stupid house rules! We’ve even done it multiple times this round, how is this any different?”

“Stacking only works with the plus two’s and four’s,” Nightshade attempted to explain their absurd standards, “It is not as if you can add onto one skip with another.”

“Uh-huh, you can’t do that Starscream, that’d be cheating.” J.B. insisted like a foolish child. “Right? Because, that’s definitely against the rules.”

Lightning jumped across Starscream’s frame again.

How was he the one cheating? Their “mom” had come up with it first! Noone had cared when she did it. How did it make any less sense to use the skip card in such a way than the other one? Of course the skips could be added onto one another! All they’d need to do is make it a double skip so that–if he and the scout didn’t already win–it’d send the next turn over to Hashtag. How was that concept so hard for them to understand? This game was stupid.

Bumblebee nudged him, “Hey, we haven’t lost yet!” Starscream didn’t look at him, nor say anything for a long stint of time. “C’moooon, what cards ya got huh?”

Starscream’s optics flickered red and he took in an extended vent, then hiked his wings up with a strained grin and peak to his vocalizer. “Fine, yes, of course! Let's look at what cards I have. Numbers and a single useless reverse action? That will surely lead us to victory. Especially, when as soon as I place something down, those three will no doubt begin a chain of plus two actions of which you would be defenseless against. Or a plus four. Or they could start a reverse chain between one another. Or lock us in a color neither of us have in a plot to instigate the idiotic notion of infinite card draw!”

“You don’t know what cards we have,” Hashtag seemed to be getting frustrated with him, “And besides, it’s just a game. If we outplay you, we win, it’s not that deep!”

“Well, Uno does contain a higher percentage of RNG than skill, but that is a fair point regardless.” Nightshade nodded.

“Um, so, can we just…finish the game now?” J.B asked meekly.

Starscream’s wings swiveled up and down as he forced the stupid power back into the corner of his spark. “Sure.” He could play nice for Hashtag’s sake.

The game proceeded just about as insufferably as he anticipated. He and the bug ended with far too many cards, and Nightshade claimed the win for their team. That was fine. He didn’t care.

Every other match of that accursed Uno left Starscream and Bumblebee once again so close, only for it to be ripped away time and time again. Every instance, more inane than the last. How could they have not even won once?! The last time was entirely the bug’s fault, when he’d blatantly ignored Starscream’s order. He made sure to tell the scout just how stupid that had been, but then the others only seemed to get mad at Starscream for it instead!

The next game that was chosen attempted to usurp the last in stupidity. The “tic-tac-toe” was near impossible to not end in a tie. It had to be replayed repetitively until a victor was concluded. It was boring, exceedingly plain, and the only viable strategy was far too easily thwarted. In fact, when Starscream was in the midst of cornering their opponent, they instead reversed it back onto him! Bumblebee had obviously ruined the whole thing with his insistence on starting in the middle when it was clearly best to start at a corner. Even when they finally did manage to succeed in one matchup, it was anticlimactic as slag.

The next was a quite straightforward game titled “Spot-it”. All that needed to be done was match an icon on your own card with the one in the discard. And finally, Starscream was able to dominate. Every single match, he rapidly pinpointed the correct image and practically blazed through his entire stack with only minute lapses in his speed. No one stood in his way! No one even got a chance! It was glorious!

Starscream laughed maniacally as he gained yet another point without the pathetic aid of the bug. “HAHAH you all are not even TRYING! This game is far too easy. Or perhaps you simply have a slow processor for such things, eh, Bumblebee?” He flicked the bug’s helm and fluttered his wings. Elated that he at long last obtained even a fleeting moment of triumph amongst them. “Good thing you have me to carry your constant lag.”

Bumblebee glared at him, then rolled his optics, “Riiiight. You’re taking this whole thing way too seriously.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Starscream stated in a more dismissive than questioning manner with a slight tip of his helm and a shrug. “What’s next then?”

“Pictionary!” Hashtag held up the box with far more excitement than she’d had previously. “Nightshade and I even made more little figurines and an extended board for all of us to play together!” She and her sibling began the setup, while J.B. distributed the items required for each team. “The person who draws whatever it is rotates, then the others on your team need to guess what the person is trying to show them! The color on the board determines what subject it is, and you kinda get a bit of a clue on what it is from that too.”

Simple enough, if the bug could draw a straight line. Starscream claimed the marker first, as he was far more confident in his own artistic ability. The first object he got was a “basketball”. He didn’t know what that was, but he did know how to depict a basket and a ball separately. Surely the scout could comprehend an icon based word puzzle as simple as that. Which he did. But the words only got stranger from there, and that is where their downfall began.

Items like “Taylor Swift”, “Swan”, or “Cell Phone”, were ridiculous. Was he supposed to have done research before this blasted thing? They had to redraw cards in an attempt to acquire a usable item multiple times. Yet even then, there were many moments where the bug had far too much confidence in his ability to depict whatever it was he’d gotten. His illustrative skill was predictively lacking, and he was lucky Starscream had been able to make out any of it at all. At the very least, Bumblebee was adequate at determining what Starscream was forced to illustrate.

The worst of it was when there had been the perfect opportunity to draw himself throwing Megatron into the Pit–for the action topic of course–and the blasted timer ran out before he could finish! Apparently there needed to be some sort of middle ground in which to prioritize what details were necessary. He could make sacrifices for the sake of their victory, sure, yet it was still disappointing. How was he to find any sort of satisfaction in this game, if he could not at the bare minimum depict the buckethead getting tossed into a scrapheap?

Although he would admit that this game certainly seemed the most balanced, those with their ridiculous bonds and understanding of one another, inevitably gained some sort of advantage. Which got annoying fast. Every little moment longer the scout took to guess what the item was, or the next incoherent blob he depicted, made the tapping of Starscream’s ped quicken.

Starscream growled and his wings flicked back, “NOW what is it?” He squinted as the crude image began to take some sort of shape. “The Autobots?” The bug shook his helm and gestured for it to be more general. “Cybertronians?” A gesture for him to elaborate. “What other word is there!?–” His optics flashed red, with a brief moment of his spark feeling as though it were being wrenched out of his intake, as the word came to him–“Transformers.” A disgustingly rudimentary title. Of course that was all that they were reduced to in this human game under the subject of pop culture.

He was correct. But he still felt distant from the bug’s excitement toward their apparent close call. Starscream hit a servo against his own helm in an effort to knock out whatever had possessed him. This reflex was evidently questionable, but he was easily able to brush it off. He couldn’t have his processor glitching in the midst of this event. It would not only be quite discomfiting, but would also bring more petty disruption to something the Terrans seemed to have put a great deal of effort into. He had to keep it under control.

By the end of it, he and the bug only managed to cross half of the spaces needed to win. Infuriating. Starscream despised losing. They weren’t even able to claim second best. Pathetic.

By the next game, Starscream was decidedly over it.

This “Charades” only served to make one dance around like a fool in some absurd hope at expressing the word on their slip of flimsy scrap. It was near identical to the concept of the last, but regressed into something far less tolerable. Perhaps it could be more amusing if it was less about imitating Earth creatures and instead aimed toward mimicking someone else in their group. That had been a favorite amongst his trinemates back in the more tolerable cycles amidst the Decepticons.

Bumblebee flapped his arms around stupidly as he attempted to display what he’d plucked from the pile. He looked utterly ridiculous. Starscream would never catch himself offline doing such a thing. What was the bug even supposed to be? He was acting as though he were attempting to fly, similar to how Nightshade seems to need to operate their alt mode. Clearly some form of Earthen avian, but how was he supposed to know which classification was required?

“Ugh,” Starscream rubbed his optics, “what do you call those tiny avian creatures on this planet?”

“Birds!” Twitch chirped in an oddly endearing manner.

“Right. That is what he is, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, basically.” Bumblebee halted mid motion to shrug, then whirled his arms around before finding his balance again. “Think we can count that one Alex?”

“Mmm…” Dorothy’s conjunx, Alex, squeaked his uncertainty at the notion. Obviously unsatisfied with such a vague answer.

Dorothy smacked his shoulder, although it looked like it barely connected. “I think we can give it to ‘em. Starscream hasn’t exactly gotten as acquainted with what all our little guys here are called yet.”

“I don’t need your pity points, human.” Starscream muttered in a visceral hiss. When would he have had the time to study such things? Why should he care what all these birds were labeled on this insufferable planet? He had far better things to do! Starscream had a million other exceedingly more important matters that required his brilliant processor, than reverting back to cataloging miscellaneous fauna on some backwater rock!

“Oh, I suppose it’s alright.” Alex relented, none the wiser to Starscream’s bitter comment. “Why don’t you try another one, Bee?”

Bumblebee chuckled as the timer ran out, “Sorry pal, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until next time to witness my famously flawless acting skills. How about you and Dot go next? Gotta show me your moves too!”

Starscream watched the rest of them play out what remained of the game with blank optics. The images he processed paced in a choppy framerate, and the clarity distorted to a lower quality. A moment's glance at the scoreboard told him that there was absolutely no way they would win in the larger scheme of things. It meant nothing. He couldn’t even attempt to sabotage the competition, or challenge the validity of his competitors' victories. He’d surely get caught, and only gain pointless drama that’d get him into trouble. Which he did not need more of.

Had he even passed that scout’s stupid test? Even if Starscream didn’t claim the more favorable glory he sought, it’d be worse if the failure was calculated against whatever new standard Megatron sought from him. Starscream was actually surprised his ever looming Lord hadn’t made further appearance by now. He was sure something was bound to happen soon. Perhaps this was all some sort of means to get him to let his guard down. Or to determine what could be used to force him in line. Megatron might be getting a byte more creative in his time as a traitor. Even if he was attempting some type of psychological approach, surely he’d revel in any excuse to beat the slag out of Starscream for any reason he could pull out his exhaust pipe.

This whole ordeal seemed too calm. Too casual. They all had many moments of clear annoyance towards him, yet constantly held themselves back but only a few meager remarks. It was not as if he held any particular power in this situation to warrant them to fear standing against him. They only seemed unsure, or dismissive. Even occasionally acting as if their apprehension was entirely absent. They were clearly hiding something.

Starscream had been lost in his own thoughts for so long, that he’d just about missed their little awards ceremony to conclude the night. That was until there was a crack and pop that sent a far too familiar shock through his muddled audials. He flinched and stumbled backwards away from the noise. Nearly trampling one of the Terrans but unable to utter an apology as he barely processed their presence.

It was only a device to distribute colorful material over the crowd. Their laughter was mocking him. Their celebration over their stupid series of trials that they rigged towards their own success, was disorienting.

Starscream was done. He’d played their games. He was not about to attempt to decode what they wanted next.

He stealthily retreated back into his corner of the cavern. It hadn’t been all horrible, he supposed…Regardless, he was tired. They were all too loud in the wrong way.

The curse flared with thoughts echoing some stupid impulse that’d use its power to blast them into oblivion. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about any of it. Then their threat would be neutralized.

But that wasn’t right.

Lightning flickered and stabbed across his frame as he now sat with his wings to those soaring seekers on the wall. He just wanted to leave. To fly away to a Cybertron where they were waiting for him. Where he too could enjoy such festivities. Where they’d cheer his name for his achievements. Where he could revel in their praise–perhaps even…alongside his trinemates, untainted by his mistakes.

Where…it would all feel real.

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