#other names I’ve heard in the last 15 minutes

[buildoblivion]

[taegimood]

— bestfriend!ot5’s reaction to you offering to help with their boner ♡

pairing: ot5 x fem!reader (separate) rating: nsfw, mdni wc: almost 3k oops 😭 warnings: some smut (oral obviously, m receiving), suggestiveness, perviness, pet names (babe, sweetheart, pretty girl), tiniest but brief bit of angst in tyun’s, some alcohol in jun’s, beomgyu being an annoying brat lmao

a/n - this took me forever to start (and to finish.. all in one sitting rip my eyeballs) but i loved writing this omg who wants a pt 2 follow-up 🫢

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yeonjun: this is the moment he’s been waiting for, y’all

it’s just like any other tipsy late-night shit-talk sesh on yeonjun’s living room floor, until it’s not. you’ve been lazily sitting against the foot of his couch facing each other while joking about beomgyu’s latest failure to get laid when somehow the conversation turns to your own personal sex lives. it’s not like you’ve never talked about that stuff with jun before; you’re best friends, after all. but something about tonight feels different. maybe it’s because you’ve been drinking, maybe it’s because the dim lighting of his living room is giving it a strangely sensual vibe, or maybe it’s the way he’s looking at you- facing you with his chin in his hand as his elbow rests up on the couch cushion, eyes more lidded than usual and sculpted collarbone peeking out from the sweater that at some point had slipped down his shoulder- but when the topic turns to your experiences with oral and he’s in the middle of complaining about how his last fling always gave him the worst head, what comes out of your mouth as you suddenly interrupt him is a shock to the both of you.

“i could do better.”

yeonjun’s eyebrows shoot up. the words had died on his lips. your own eyes are wide as you freeze, before fidgeting nervously, attempting damage control. “i mean.. from what i’ve been told. just saying.” you swallow hard as you inwardly kick yourself, avoiding his eyes and his silence as you bring the bottle of soju you’d been sharing to your lips in an attempt to feign casualty.

“is that an offer?”

it’s your turn to be speechless, nearly choking as you set the bottle down a little too hard, turning quickly to stare at him in shock; oh, he’s not joking. he watches you expectantly, a level expression on his face; though if you were to blink, you’d miss the smirk that his lips were threatening to inch up into. when your gaze flickers down to see the tent in his sweatpants that he hasn’t even bothered trying to cover, you swallow hard. the tiny crush you’ve always harbored for your best friend suddenly seems not so unreciprocated after all. you collect yourself. you’ve gotta be cool about this.

“well… do you want it to be?”

your best friend’s hands wrapped in your hair and his shameless moans filling the room as he pumps his cock in and out of your throat isn’t exactly how you imagined the night to go, but here you are! you can already tell from the lewd promises and filthy praises that he’s groaning out as you swallow around him — your legs will definitely be sore in the morning. <3

soobin: soobin.exe has stopped working

he didn’t mean for you to see, he really didn’t. you weren’t supposed to be home for another 15 minutes; what else was he supposed to do when it’s the first time all week that his hermit of a roommate has finally left their shared apartment and he hasn’t been able to comfortably get himself off since last weekend?

your convenience store run ended in disappointment as the tuna gimbap roll you were craving turned up empty on the shelves. with a grumble you had just grabbed the nearest container of ramen and a snack for soobin before trekking back to your apartment sooner than hoped for (by either party..), not in the mood to sit there and eat as you’d originally planned; but unbeknownst to you, soobin hadn’t heard you arrive back home, and also unbeknownst to you, he was stuck in a very… compromising position.

“soob, they didn’t have the- oh, fuck.”

rounding the corner into the living room to see your best friend seated on the couch with his sweatpants shoved down around his hips and his head thrown back as his hand fists up and down his very hard - very big cock - was definitely not on your daily bingo card. (or your lifetime one either, to be quite frank.) at the sound of your voice he’s acting faster than you’ve ever seen him move, a pillow shoved over his lap and his large figure smushed back into the couch cushions so quick that you question whether you even saw his cock at all, or if it was just your mind playing tricks on you. you decide that it wasn’t the latter, however, at the sight of his bright red face and quick, heavy breaths- a deer in headlights as his mouth opens and closes for a few moments, trying to find the words to speak.

you’re in the same boat — what are you supposed to say? hey, sorry that i caught you trying to get yourself off in our shared space that i also own which you’re very much aware of? and by the way your cock is the most beautiful thing i’ve ever seen and i want it in my-

wait, what? you don’t even have time to process the sudden warmth between your thighs as soobin finally finds his words. well, kind of. “i-i’m so sorry, i swear i didn’t- i was just trying to- i thought you’d still be a while, i- it’s been so long since i-“ he cut himself off at the last part, an even deeper blush coming over his cheeks at his accidental admission. wonderful, now she’s gonna think i’m some sort of incel. but the last thing that either of you ever expects is happening as you step forward carefully, approaching his shocked form on the couch before stopping to maintain some distance.

“soob.. do you want help?”

let’s just say that his best friend slotted between his thighs as she bobs her head up and down his fat cock with eager moans and a mix of spit and pre-cum lewdly dribbling down her chin wasn’t exactly on soobin’s bingo card, either. but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t pay you back for it right after. <3

beomgyu: *laughs in your face* 👁️👄👁️ switch-up

um, did he hear that right?? it was an innocent instance of you utterly roasting each other into the grave with bullying remarks, just another tuesday for the pair of you- you’re just sitting on your bed in your usual criss-cross legged gossip-time position when beomgyu apparently decides that he’s bored laughing at something soobin did and chooses you as the better candidate to laugh at instead. the plushie of yours that he’d had resting in his lap is now a method of defense as you attempt to thwap him over the head with your own plushie, yelling at him to “take it back!” as he cackles mercilessly after claiming “at least soobin can get bitches if he stops being shy enough, you’re just an all-around lost cause.”

“you don’t even know what you’re talking about!!!” you whine as you finally manage to knock him onto his back, going in for the kill as your leg swings over one of his, your plushie smushing down into his face as his now-muffled giggles still ring out annoying as ever. “i get bitches too!” you defend yourself, although even your own words immediately cause you to cringe; damn, you really do sound like a loser, huh? but your momentary lapse of attention has beomgyu knocking your plushie away, laughing even louder as he responds “that is EXACTLY what someone who can’t get bitches would say.” you groan and smack his chest, rolling your eyes as he cradles himself dramatically. “you’re literally wrong. i’ve dated before! like once. and there was that other guy from the smoothie place last year.. we, like, hung out a few times.” but you’re mumbling now, pathetic to your own ears as beomgyu’s shit-eating grin grows with each word.

“you’re kinda proving my point, here, babe.” you shiver at the pet name, however condescending his tone may be. god, how is he still so attractive even when you want to strangle the fuck out of him? “you’re so cocky,” you complain with another roll of your eyes, an attempt to both distract yourself from beomgyu and distract beomgyu from the humiliating topic. he sits up to lean back on his hands as it’s clear you’re finished with your little murder attempt. “yeah, cuz of my monster cock.. that can get bitches.”

that’s it. the sudden urge to prove yourself to him overtakes you as you snap back, “i bet your ‘monster cock’ has never even seen head as good as what i can give.” another laugh— until he realizes you’re serious. the smile falls right off of his face. you don’t miss the way his fists clench around the blanket he’s leaning back on; or the slight strain in his voice as he answers, voice suddenly low and almost breathless- “yeah?”

you were right; beomgyu’s cock has never gotten head as good as what you’re giving him right now as your throat bottoms out with a filthy gag, no hesitation when you lift off with a pop before sucking on him hard enough to send his head reeling. you know what.. maybe beomgyu wouldn’t mind being proved wrong more often after all. but of course, he has to prove himself to you now, too. <3

taehyun: “if… you want to” he definitely wants to

taehyun was stressed. that was clear to anybody; the recent storm closing the businesses down for the week, including the local gym, and his own job that he of course relied on to pay rent. you had been over at his apartment when the weather took a turn for the worse; so now here you were, snowed in with no where to go, forced to work from taehyun’s computer, eat his food, and wear his clothes. (the latter of which neither of you would admit to being turned on by. …….yet.) taehyun was doing his best to work out from home with what little equipment he had, although he wasn’t able to do much, which frustrated him to no end — not as much because he was a gym rat, but more because it was his primary stress reliever. so today it doesn’t help, of course, that his pretty best friend is currently sat at his desk in one of his baggy sweatshirts and a pair of sweatpants that she had to roll 6 times to fit her little legs.

he didn’t mean to snap at you. when you accidentally knocked his extra monitor off the desk and onto the floor, cracking the screen, it was just because you turned around too fast— you were excited to see him :(— but it’s the last straw of the day for taehyun. he can’t work out properly, his job isn’t paying him during the off-time, he’s had a constant boner from you hanging around in his clothes all week, and now- now he’ll need to go get his stupid monitor fixed once the weather clears up. “shit, tae, i’m so sorry-“

“god, why are you so fucking clumsy, y/n?”

the silence causes instant realization as his eyes snap up to meet your wide, now-watery ones. “i’m.. i’m sorry..” you whisper, and immediately he wants to punch himself. “fuck,” he groans as he shakes his head, coming to kneel down in front of the chair you were still sitting in. “i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to snap at you like that. you’re not clumsy. i know it was an accident, please don’t cry.. i’ll pay for the monitor. it wasn’t your fault.” he’s murmuring while he soothes his hand up and down your arm. you’re shaking your head as you wipe at your eyes. “no, no, it’s okay; i know you didn’t mean to snap. i’m still sorry though. let me help pay for it…. i know you’ve been stressed, tyunnie.” you say the last part quieter, gentler as you meet his eyes. he hates that his cock twitches in his pants at something so innocent; but what you say next makes him feel much better about his own perverted thoughts.

you’re nervous about your next words. you really hope you’ve been reading the room right this last week. “let me help you..?”

his eyes widen, before he quickly recovers in an attempt to keep a level expression. “help.. me?” do you mean what he thinks you mean??? “the weather still sucks. there’s not much you can do, sweetheart.” he chuckles, testing the waters with a pet name as he studies your face carefully for a reaction. his eyes flicker down and quickly back up when your thighs squeeze together marginally in response. a-ha. “no, tyun… let me help you here.” you whisper with a soft, testing touch to the band of his sweatpants. oh, so you definitely mean what he thinks you mean.

who really needs the gym or your own closet after all, when you look so pretty on your knees for him with his cock down your throat as he calls you his pretty girl and promises to fuck you so good later just like you deserve? not the two of you, apparently. <3

huening kai: *spits out his drink* coughing fit

kai wasn’t kidding when he told you that he might be too busy to hang out if you came over, although this wasn’t exactly what you’d had in mind. when you headed over to his apartment you figured he was caught up studying for some big exam or something of the like; what you didn’t think you’d find was him yelling into his headset at beomgyu as his fingers flew over the buttons of his controller, leaning forward in his seat with crazy eyes and 3 open cans of energy drinks next to the screen. you sigh. “kai, really? this is what you meant by ‘too busy’..?” he jumps slightly at the sudden sound of your voice in his room, but doesn’t turn around. “y/n! yeah, sorry- i’m just in the middle of- FUCKING MOVE, BEOMGYU! of a tournament right now, been trying to rank up for hours- BEOMGYU!!!”

you wince at the intermittent screaming, plopping down on his bed to watch as you hear gyu’s protests of self-defense piercing through your best friend’s headset. “i think you’ll need a hearing aid after this..” you mumble, receiving no response as expected. however, you get bored after scrolling through your phone for a while, sulking shamelessly at the lack of attention you were receiving — although you were warned that if you came over he might not have any to give. you sigh, but you understand; these tournaments are important to hyuka, even if you couldn’t care less about them yourself. don’t get me wrong, you love gaming too, especially with your friends— especially with kai — but you weren’t exactly as obsessed as they were when it came to being the biggest legend in this group of - you squint - 100 players that this world has ever seen.

selfishly, you had almost even hoped for more from this evening… you’ve been trying to drop hints lately at your feelings for kai, although your level of success was yet to be determined. this would be the first instance all week that you’d have some alone time together; despite his claim to busyness, you still figured you’d try your luck by coming over. you eye the 3 energy drinks and his bouncing legs with a chuckle. what are my options here? hmm.. you’d worn some particularly short shorts tonight, knowing he’d definitely notice the plushness of your thighs.. experimentally, you stand up and approach his desk, standing next to it so he’d be able to see you if he shifted his eyes to the right. “hyuka, want me to get you some water? i don’t think you need any more of these.” you fiddle with one of the cans on his desk. he hums distractedly in response; you can tell he hadn’t heard what you said. “hyuka..” this time you reach out to card your fingers through his hair, effectively causing his fixed stare to snap briefly over to you in surprise; ‘briefly’ turning into a momentary distraction as his gaze catches onto your shorts, flitting back and forth between the screen and your soft thighs. “h-huh?”

“some water?” you repeat innocently. “o-oh, uh, yeah..”

when you come back, to say you’re shocked is an understatement as the bulge in his shorts has seemingly popped up out of no where, and the bright pink blush on his cheeks tells you he knows it, too. you don’t realize you’re standing there staring at it with the glass of water still in your hand until kai quickly mutes his mic, eyes still glued to the screen as he groans “i’m so sorry y/n, please don’t think i’m gross, i- i had no time to grab a pillow, we’re in the middle of a battle and my score is-“ wordlessly, you’re sinking to your knees and situating yourself beneath the desk. his bouncing legs freeze. “what- fuck, w-what are you-“

“can i help you? you can keep playing your game,” you ask sweetly. the sight of your innocent eyes blinking up at him nearly has him cumming in his shorts then and there as he breathes out, “fuck- are you sure?”

you definitely show him how sure you are as you worship his cock with your throat, all sloppy and wet, making sure his mic stays muted so beomgyu can’t hear the way you’re making him whine and moan as he bucks his hips up into your mouth the best he can. now just wait until his tournament is over and he has you all to himself. <3

[controversially-young-girlfriend]

read me like a book 💌prof. spencer reid x reader

💋 office hours with your fav professor. oneshot smut with softdom spencer and praise 💋

you’re prone to skipping an occasional lecture - 9am is just too early to be up! you’re a week ahead on your developmental psych notes! but you’ve never missed a class with dr. spencer reid.

as much as you enjoy the course content (and actually do the required readings) your mind goes blank once professor reid enters the lecture hall and his words fade into the background as you admire his curly hair and soft eyes. you’re almost mad he’s so hot because your lack of focus just landed you a C+ on your recent essay. you’re embarrassed not at your own academic efforts but rather the effect he has on them.

as usual, you doll yourself up before heading to class and take a seat right in the middle where dr. reid tends to lay his eyes while lecturing.

after the heard of girls auditing the class finish talking to professor reid, you approach the front of the class to ask about your essay.

you’ve always loved talking to him after class, getting a few minutes of one-on-one time with him. he’s different when not lecturing, and has an endearing awkwardness that you’ve become infatuated with. you loved when a simple question turned into what felt like a personal lesson.

“hi dr. reid, i’m wondering if i could discuss my recent essay with you?”

“definitely, however i think the next class is starting in a few minutes. would you be okay to discuss it in my office?” he tells you and you feel yourself get hot. you’ve talked to him plenty of times but never in his office, your mind immediately fantasizing about all the things you’ve imagined him doing to you in there.

you try and remain composed on the walk there, making small talk to not let any signs of your schoolgirl crush on him show.

he opens the door for you, closing it before walking over to his desk. you hand him the essay and feel your heart flutter when your fingers grace each others briefly. you try your best to follow the feedback he’s adding in red pen but you’re transfixed on the way he’s moving his hands.

you snap out of it when he softly says your name, “i hope you’re not discouraged by the grade. you’re a smart girl.” you hope he doesn’t notice how hard you’re blushing at him calling you smart.

“i know you understand the concepts but your analysis needs to remain objective. i would have given you a B if you stayed closer to the assignment outline.”

the feedback is fair but you’re worried about your gpa. “is there anyway to do some extra credit or raise my grade?”

dr. reid tells you “come see me back here before the next assignment is due and we’ll go through it together.”

you’re grateful but dreading the end of this conversation and having to leave his office.

“thanks professor reid! i really enjoy these post-lecture conversations.” you know your words are implying something more, but you’re wondering if it shows.

dr. reid replies “me too.”

you guys make eye contact until he looks to the left and takes a deep breath. “by the way, most student-teacher relationships end horribly. not to mention they’re pretty explicitly banned in the contract i signed to guest lecture here.”

“oh my god oh um i’m sorry i didn’t mean to say anything that would make you uncomfortable.”

“don’t worry, you didn’t say anything. i think you just forgot that i make a career out of profiling people.” dr. reid tells you with a slight smile on his face

“so what gave it away then?”

“you’ve been blushing for the last 15 minutes and stumbling over your words despite being a normally eloquent student in class. you’re leaned into me talking right now and i’ve caught you staring at me multiple times.” he says while smiling. you’re relieved he’s not mad, but can’t quite identify his intentions of telling you this.

“well professor reid, you’re good at your job. but like you said i’m a smart girl, so it’s only fair i get to profile you back.”

you can tell you caught his attention with that, feeling him getting a bit nervous but leaning in to hear what you have to say. your legs are now touching as you list the little traits of his you’ve noticed all semester.

“you have a whole fan club of girls who come to your lectures and wait to talk to you. do you give all of them the student-teacher relationship talk? or am i just getting special treatment?”

he puts his hand on your thigh. “do you wear skirts this short when you talk to your other professors.” you’re shocked at how far he’s going but you don’t want him to stop.

“you’re easy to read, princess. i know when you’re sitting in my lectures and thinking about me. you subtly bite your lip and stare, and i can only imagine what you’re fantasizing about. i’d guess you get off on me being your older professor, me fucking you bent over my desk as i tell you how how you’re such a pretty little slut for me.”

is he a profiler or a mind reader? you don’t want to let him win but he looks at you self-satisfied and starts talking before you can think of a reply.

“and i’d place my job on the line that you’re wet just hearing that.”

“well professor reid, i’ll leave it to you to prove your theory.”

reid pushes up your skirt and feels your soaked panties. you watch him smile before pulling you into his lap and kissing you.

the makeout deepens as he grabs your waist, slowly guiding it to grind against him as his tongue is in your mouth. you hold him by the hair until he leans back to look at you. through heavy breaths he says “i’ve been thinking of you since i saw you in my first lecture.”

he takes your shirt and bra off, moving kissing your lips, down to your neck, and then down to your chest. you take off his cardigan and begin working on his button up shirt, leaving you both shirtless against eachother. “you’re so beautiful like this.” he tells you.

you feel him adjust your legs to take off your skirt and panties. slowly teasing his fingers at your entrance, he quickly dips a finger in just to tell you “you’re so wet, so desperate for me pretty girl.” as you try and rub against his hand for contact. he’s right, you need him badly right now.

dr. reid rubs circles on your clit and you let out a soft moan. he watches your face as he slips his fingers inside. “fuck you’re good, dr. reid.” you can tell being called by the honorific turns him on by the way he gripped you tighter and sighed. he takes his fingers out from inside you and pushes them into your mouth. you give him a show, looking him right in the eyes as you work your tongue around them. “you’re such a slut for me, baby.” you’re shocked that this sort of dirty talk is coming from your nerdy, cardigan wearing professor.

he pulls his fingers out and you unbuckle his belt. you palm him which earns a slight moan out of reid. “seems like you want me just as bad” you tell him. you pull down his boxers and he grabs your hair into a ponytail. with his other hand he lifts your chin slightly to ask, “well how bad do you want me?” you immediately begin going down on him, eager to impress.

you’re blissed out listening to the praises coming from him between the heavy breaths. “so pretty baby”, “taking me so well”

he lifts your head up, “wanna bend over the desk, sweetheart?” you gladly agree, anticipating him as he grips your hips and plants a kiss on your neck.

he’s big but you’re savouring every inch of professor reid inside of you. thrusting slowly as you adjust to the feeling. he speeds up as he talks you through it, “such a cute little slut sitting in my lectures imagining me fucking you like this. you feel so fucking good baby.” you begin to unravel with pleasure.

you can barely form a sentence but manage to ask “have a thing for fucking college girls, professor reid?” you say between moans.

he thrusts into you harder and positions his mouth right beside your ear, “just the ones who come into my office in short skirts to seduce me.”

you guys won’t last much longer, he feels your core tightening around him. “i want to watch you cum for me.” he tells you.

you unravel in his arms, with him finishing soon after. he holds you in his arms as you catch your breath. “maybe your profile was right about me, dr. reid” you say to him lightheartedly.

“you can call me spencer. although there is a definite appeal to being called dr. in this context” he says.

you help rearrange the papers on his desk that were pushed off earlier and get dressed again.

“um don’t worry about your essay grade. if you ever want to do this again perhaps i can count it as extra credit.” he smiles and tells you.

“i’d love that. i’ll be here after every lecture.” you say with a massive smile on your face.

he kisses you once more, “now go study. i’ll see you next week.”

[y0urm4m]

“SUPERMAN”

Warnings:unprotected sex(wrap it before you tap it 😮‍💨),car sex,semi public,smut,hook ups,swearing, alcohol usage,drug use,arguing, mentions of threesome, name calling ‘slut,baby’, mentions of vomit!

My entry for the writers comp by: @annamcdonalds67 (honestly was super fun to join in and do this so thanks for making the comp)

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Chris pov:

“Yo, pass me my lighter.” I told the girl next to me. She rolled her eyes passing me the lighter. The other girl sitting up grabbing her clothes.

“Right I’m heading out.” I mumbled, the two girls looking at each other before one of them spoke up. “He’ll come running back when he’s fed up with the next one, don’t worry Celina.” The blonde one spoke now scrolling her phone. “Of course he will, he always does.” Celina added.

I shook my head walking out. How can she say that when they were the ones begging me to fuck them, I laughed to myself at the thought as I pulled out the drive way.

— My phone buzzed. Jenna, what does he want. I broke it off with her weeks ago, she was so determined to stay I practically had to push her out my apartment. “What do you want jenna?” I mumbled puffing from the lit joint in my hand. “Hey Chris, am I gonna see you at the party tonight.” She giggled. I almost choked on smoke. “Yeah, but I ain’t there for you. So don’t be expecting anything.” I spat, ending the phone. I wasn’t going to not go cause she was there, I just had to stay away from her.

Reader pov:

I huffed looking down at my empty rolling box. My dealer was currently out of town, doing god knows what and I was currently completely out of weed.

I decided to call up Sydney to see if she had any other dealers. I clicked on her contact listening to the ring, “what’s up y/n.” She spoke. “Do y’know any possible dealers around town at the minute? I ran out.” I asked biting on my nails. I heard her huff through the phone. “I don’t know any dealers but there is Chris he always has some on him, I’ll send you his number one sec.” She replied sighing. “Alright, thanks.” I said smiling. “No problem girl, anyways I’ve got something to do bye love you.” She said. “Oh alright, love you too.” I replied ending the phone.

— I stared down at my phone, Chris’ number on my screen. It was only for some weed it should be fine I mumbled to myself and began typing.

:Sydney told me you could possibly hit me up with some weed?

:Uhm let me check how much I’ve got and I’ll get back to you

I rolled my eyes tapping my hand on the kitchen counter awaiting a reply. I was sat for around 15 minutes before I heard my phone buzz, I whipped my phone up to see what this Chris dude said.

:I have some spare but the only place I can meet is at this party I’m supposed to be at

:Oh I suppose I can meet there depending on where and what time

:It starts at like 9 or something I’ll just send the info I got sent

I chewed at my cheek looking at the address Chris had just sent me. Not much else I could do except go and hope I didn’t get mugged when I got there.

:I’ll be there

:alright lmk when you turn up

— I sighed finishing the last of my eyeliner and slipped my shoes on, heading towards the door. This was it I would just grab the weed and go home.

The whole drive there I was full of worry, until i was outside the house.

Just a classic house party, the uneasy feeling washed away. I headed up to the door walking past people already drunk out their mind, moving back as someone threw up right in-front of my feet. “Watch out!” I said pushing the drunk man back, rolling my eyes as I walked past him.

:you here yet

:yeah I’m near the front door

I was stood at the door awkwardly until I felt a pair of eyes burning into the back of my head. I turned around my gaze reaching a pare of blue eyes. I’m guessing this was Chris. I walked up to him.

“Are you Chris?” I asked, looking up at him. He looked me up and down, raising an eyebrow. “You’re who was messaging me about weed.” He chuckled. “Does that surprise you orr.” I replied looking confused. “Don’t worry about it, anyways you wanna smoke some with me now? Or you just going to leave?” He said sucking on his teeth.

I could either smoke with Chris or I could go home smoke and sleep. I guess I didn’t come here for nothing. “I guess I could stay a little longer.” I said smiling. “Alright, the only place I usually smoke is in the bathroom so follow me.” He said walking off, i just followed like a lost sheep.

— There me and Chris sat passing a zoot back and forth. Whatever strain Chris had, I’d never had before and it was strong. Although I wasn’t complaining.

“What is this shit, I’ve never had it but it hits the spot.” I giggled, looking at Chris. “It’s called gorilla glue.” He replied twirling the joint sat between his finger tips.

Our conversation was cut short as the bathroom door was practically slammed open. “There you are chrisss.” The girl slurred, as I grabbed her shoulders before she could slip over the bath mat. I raised an eyebrow at Chris, he rolled his eyes. “Jenna what the fuck are you doing?” He asked furrowing his eyebrows. She turned her head to the side looking at him, he shook his head. “I’m going to get a drink, I’ll just leave you two for a second.” I said slipping past the two of them heading straight for the drinks. I was not going to get involved with whatever was happening.

Shortly after I had left, I saw Chris walking up to me. But before he could get right up to me, another girl started speaking to him. What’s up with him and these girls. I watched him shake his head at them and walk over towards me. “You alright?” He asked looking down at me before grabbing a bottle of Jack that was next to us. “Uh yeah I’m all good.” I replied drinking the rest of my drink, squinting my eyes to look at the girls that were talking to Chris prior.

— “You wanna smoke another?” Chris asked motioning another joint towards me. I nodded slipping off the kitchen stool, pushing past drunk people dancing.

We sat outside this time sitting on the steps, I took a hit from the joint slowly making tiny o’s as I exhaled. This time the high hit even harder as there was now alcohol in my system.

“You high baby?” Chris chuckled, I didn’t even take time to process the nickname. “Yea.” I answered giggling, but after the thought of the way Chris had said the nickname it had my thighs clenching together for some sort of friction. Chris seemed to take notice of the way a reacted. “Yeah?” He spoke softly as I felt his hand start to make small circles on my thigh.

I felt a rush of confidence rush through my body as the words left my mouth. “We should take this back my place.” I said looking up at Chris through my doe eyes. His eyes shone with lust, “I don’t think you understand what you’re asking right now.” He chuckled,

And with that I was on my way to my house with someone I met not even 5 hours ago. We were sat in the car, Chris driving. His hand on my thigh once again. “Chris talk to me.” I whined. “You want me to tell you something?” He replied chuckling once again. “Uh huh.” I licked my chapped lips. “I know what you wanna hear.” He said taking a u turn pulling into an empty car park.

And there I found myself in the back of Chris’ car, sat on his lap. His hands rested around my waist as I pulled his lips into mine.

His lips parted slightly, allowing my tongue to slip inside. As one of his hands made its way to my ass squeezing it roughly.

I pulled back, grabbing the bottom of his top. “Fuck, you’re a desperate slut aren’t you.” He mumbled his head now rested in the crook of my neck. I hummed pulling his shirt over his head chucking it next to us.

— Chris began pulling my top off, my tits on full display. “No bra.” He said raising his eyebrow,a harsh breath left my lips as I felt his breath on my hardened nipple. He looked up at me. “This okay?” He asked. I nodded. “Words y/n.”he added sternly. “Yeah it’s fine.” I replied moving forward on his lap for some sort of friction. He grabbed my hips. “Patience,” He grumbled, flipping us over him now towering above me.

He looked down at my skirt, as if to ask for permission. I nodded my face flushing pink as he began pulling my skirt down. I pushed my hips up helping him take it off, my lacy underwear now on show. He smirked at the sight of my underwear, “This all for me.” He chuckled his eyes full of desire as he began to unzip his cargos and pull down his boxers with.

I reached my hands up to help pull them down, out of desire for immediate sexual relief.

“Fuck, so impatient.” He muttered shaking his head.

Finally pulling down the rest of his clothes, he smiled down at me. He was big, and I wasn’t even the slightest bit surprised.

He then pushed my panties to the side, running his fingertips over my clit making tiny circles before inserting his middle and ring finger inside me. “Fuck, Chris.” I gasped at the feeling of his fingers stretching me out.

He sped up, curling his fingers inside of me reaching places I didn’t even know existed. I let out a high pitched moan and the immediate pleasure flowing through out my body as Chris placed his other hand on my lower abdomen. “Shit.. Chris I’m close.” I whimpered at the feeling of the knot forming in my stomach. “No you’re not, you can wait to come on my cock.” He spat, pulling his fingers out of me. I whined at the loss of contact, but before I could begin to complain Chris’ hand was in-front of my mouth. “Spit.” He demanded. I collected the saliva around my mouth, spitting in his palm, a small grunt leave his lips.

He then used the spit as lubricant, pumping his dick a few times. “You sure you want this?” He asked, his other hand tucking the loose hairs behind my ears. “Yes.” I breathed out. He nodded moving the tip of his dick in-front of my entrance, slowly burring himself inside of me.

I hissed in pain at the stretch, as Chris began thrusting into me. “Fuck your so tight baby.” He groaned burying his face in the crook of my neck, my hands pushing through his brown locks of hair. His thrusts speeding up. The car windows fogging up, the only things heard were skin slapping and groans and moans slipping out of mine and Chris’ lips.

Suddenly Chris pulled me up by my waist, now I sat on his lap. His eyes still on mine, watching me as i pushed my hips up slowly sinking back down on his dick. “Fuck, Chris.” I moaned out. A Loud groan falling from his lips in return. His hands making their way back to my waist squeezing the flesh. I then began raising my hips and slowly sinking back down but it seemed as if Chris had other plans. Just as i began moving my hips back down, his hips jutted up thrusting into me causing me to let out a loud whimper. “You like, you dirty little slut.” He growled, squeezing the flesh on my hips even harder. There was definitely going to be bruises there tomorrow, no doubt about it.

“Fuck, Chris don’t stop.” I moaned, the knot in my stomach forming once again. “Yeah, you’re close aren’t you. I can fucking feel you clenching around me.” He grunted. I began toppling over, shockwaves of ecstasy rushing through my body as i came but Chris didn’t stop. He was trying to chase his own high now, i could tell he was close by the way his cock kept twitching inside of me.

He let out a loud groan slightly croaking out my name, as he shot ribbons of white inside my walls. I sighed. blissed out and out of breath.

— “ So am i dropping you home then.” He muttered pulling his boxers and cargos back up. I nodded slipping my clothes back on, looking down at my phone. Multiple missed calls and messages from Sydney. Shit she must be worried sick.

I had finally made it home, Chris dropping me off and driving away. I waved at the car, slipping into the front door, taking my shoes off and looked at my face in the mirror. The makeup I had put on before I left looked practically non-existent, my hair looked like a birds nest and my eyes looked as red as a tomato.

I brushed my hand through my hair sighing and taking time to recollect what had just happened. I just had sex with someone I hadn’t met even a day ago, what the fuck. I looked down at my phone, maybe Chris would have messaged me or something. Nothing, absolutely nothing.

I decided why don’t I message him instead. For 10 minutes I sat staring at the keyboard, my finger tips hovering the screen before I started typing.

:hey I hope you made it home safe

:yea I made it home fine

:good, we should see each other again some time

:yeah just hit me up when you need more

Oh. I didn’t mean about drugs of any sort, I genuinely wanted to see him again.

:That’s not really want I was talking about but yeah I will do

I guess I got the wrong intentions about what happened.

Read

Did he really just leave me on read. I sighed messaging Sydney but before I could send the message she was already calling me. “You fucked up girl, like bad.” She spoke as I could hear shouting in the background. “What do you mean? And what is going on in the back.” I asked my eyes widening as she spoke. “Well everyone knows you fucked Chris for one, and two I’ve got Jenna screaming in my face right now because of your actions tonight.” She muttered down the phone.

Jenna the drunk girl that I stopped from falling over, is now bitching about me. “I’m not the only girl he’s fucked since they broke up, anyways he literally left me on read so she can stop whining,” I replied rolling my eyes. “But I’ll call Chris and get him to sort her out, bye.” I mumbled, ending the phone and calling Chris.

“Chris you need to sort your little ex girlfriend out, cause she’s whining to Sydney about what happened earlier.” I said filing my nails. “Not my problem.” He spoke his mouth obviously full of food as it sounded like a mumble. “Chris fuck you, literally an hour ago you was moaning and groaning my name.” I spat, my blood boiling as he spoke. “Can’t get pissed off now, you was the one all over me ma.” He replied. My eyes widened at that sentence. “Y’know what actually kiss my ass Chris, I’m going to Sydney’s to sort your ex out and I swear down if you don’t come and at least pick her up I’ll drop her outside your front door and you can deal with her inside your house.” I spat through the phone ending it.

— I eventually turned up to see Sydney and Jenna outside, Jenna still crying and shouting. I strutted over, Jenna’s face dropping when she saw me. “What the fuck is she doing here.” She spat, her face full of disgust. “I’m here to sort this shit out, Chris is also on the way.” I said looking at Sydney who stood in her dressing gown. I felt bad for all the shit I’d caused tonight because of Chris.

My attention drifted to the sound of a car pulling up, Chris’ car to be in fact. He slipped out the car, joint in hand. I shook my head looking at him. “You gonna sort ‘your girl’ out!” I shouted at him, Jenna still going off. He shrugged looking down at Jenna, who was now sat on the floor, her makeup was also non existent.

“Chris you actually need to sort this whole situation out, playing around with girls and leaving them like this.” Sydney spoke joining Jenna on the floor. “I don’t even know why she’s being like this we broke up.” He shrugged once again. “Chris- I guess that’s what you think- but you didn’t even tell me you wanted to break up you just told me to leave.” Jenna slurred resting her head on Sydney’s shoulder. “What can I say, bitches they come and go.” He shrugged, finishing the joint and throwing the bud on the floor squishing it down with his shoe.

My eyebrows raised at the derogatory reply Chris had. “Really Chris, you have no respect do you.” I spat, folding my arms. “He wasn’t always like that Y’know,” Sydney piped in. “He isn’t the Chris I met 2 years ago, the Chris I knew wasn’t a drug dealer or a ‘fuck boy’. This was before he met Jenna, I don’t even know what happened to be honest.”

Chris’ face dropped as he walked over to Jenna. “Come on Jenna, I’ll drop you home.” He sighed, looking down at the drunk girl.

Sydney stood up, walking over to me. “Do you just want to come in? It’s late as shit, you can just go home tomorrow.” She asked, tightening her dressing gown. I nodded, before turning to look back at Chris and Jenna, Jenna quickly hunching over vomiting on Chris’ shoes. “Shit!” He shouted jumping back a bit. “I’m sorry Chris.” She mumbled standing up and walking over to Chris’ car. “I’ll see you later Chris.” Sydney spoke, as she walked inside. I looked back at Chris shaking my head before walking inside Sydney’s place. Leaving Chris who was trying to get vomit off his trainers and Jenna who had already fallen asleep in the car.

Chris pov:

I sighed, turning the corner to drop Jenna home. The comment Sydney had said earlier replaying in my head.

‘He isn’t the Chris I met 2 years ago, the Chris I knew wasn’t a drug dealer or a ‘fuck boy’. This was before he met Jenna, I don’t even know what happened to be honest.’

She was right though, I wasn’t always like this. I was in the wrong group of friends before I met Jenna or y/n or any of the girls I’d slept with in fact. The group of friends I was in was the reason I am how I am, the reason I do the drugs I do and the reason I’m like this. But I can’t really blame them for how shitty I treat people, I usually go home recollect what had happened that day and smoke my life away.

Flash back:

“Yo Chris try some of this!” Nathaniel shouted to me jogging over. A joint, I’d never had any sort of drug before. “I uh- I don’t know- I don’t smoke.” I said looking down at my feet. “Awh c’mon man don’t be a party pooper.” Leonard piped in throwing his arm around my shoulder. I bit my cheek looking at Nathaniel take a puff from the joint. “I guess I could try it.” I sighed, Nathaniel handing me it.

I gulped, brining it in between my lips. Taking a big toke, I could feel my chest tighten as I exhaled. Almost coughing my guts up, everyone around me laughing at my reaction.

End of flash back:

I remember sitting by myself for the rest of the night but the next time they offered I took it once again, my main priority was to prove I could smoke.

But then when I began smoking, then came all the girls wanting to hook up with me. At first I would refuse and say no as I had a girlfriend, my first girlfriend ever. Although that didn’t go to plan as I walked in on her fucking Nathaniel, that’s when I had stopped being friends with that group but the bad habits didn’t stop. I just became worse and what i guess you could call a drug addict and a piece of shit.

If I could warn my younger self of all the horrible people and stuff awaiting him in the future I would, I’d tell him it’s not about ‘popularity’ or even ‘having a girlfriend’ and to have fun to a certain extent whilst he can.

I’ve caused a lot of drama in the past but tonight I just wanted to wake up and it be a dream. Y/n was a genuinely nice person and I feel shit for fucking her over, Sydney was done with all the drama and Jenna, she needed an apology, sleep and aspirin for when she woke up.

Once I had made it to Jenna’s place, i helped her inside. And placed some aspirin I had found in the glove box, on her side sighing as I left.

I slid into the drivers seat pulling out my phone, calling Sydney and apologising. “I’m sorry for all the shit tonight Syd.” I spoke rubbing my hand over my face. “It’s not just me you need To apologise to chris did you just forget about y/n.” She sighed through the phone. “I was going to call her after.” I replied, still sat outside Jenna’s house. “Well maybe you should call her now Chris, I’m gonna go bye.” She muttered ending the phone.

I drove to my apartment before calling y/n so she had all my attention.

I clicked on her contact, calling her. “What do you want Chris?” She asked. “I just wanted to apologise for everything earlier and for leaving you on read.” I spoke, biting my cheek. “It’s fine Chris, i understand it’s how you ‘roll’ now.” She replied. “Also maybe if you were still up for it I could take you out to make up for today?” I asked,rocking my knee. “I don’t know Chris after what happened tonight.” She sighed as I could taste blood from how much I was biting on my cheek. “I shouldn’t have asked it’s fine, after tonight it’s understandable.” I said as she said something inaudible to Sydney. “Y’know what, why not Chris.” She added. “Alr-” I began speaking but she butted in. “But one thing, you have to stop messing around with these girls it’s unfair. I’m not going to get involved with the whole drug situation as I can’t say much myself but messing around with girls is a no go.”

“I promise I’ll stop fucking around with girls.” I replied smiling slightly. I didn’t expect her to say yes to be honest because of everything that happened. “Right I’ll speak to you tomorrow Chris, I need sleep after everything that’s happened today.” She muttered, I chuckled slightly. “Alright, night I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I replied ending the phone.

That night I made a promise, a promise I never broke and never would break.

——————————

A/N: The enddd, this took foreverrr to write. Honestly don’t know how to feel about it but it was fun to write. Anyways hope you enjoyed — hugs and kisses Gracie 💋

Tag list: @junnniiieee07

[lilzyex]

Bloodstains of a past life ₊˚🕯️♱‧₊˚. M.S

(Chapter 1)

In which

Julia went to a bonfire party where she met a sort of strange set of triplets. She never heard their name before. Never even saw their face, but they felt so familiar. Everyone around them knew them well. Even her closest friends which was weird. They never talked about them. But now it seems as if they attended her high school for years.

pilot Chapter2 Chapter3 Chapter4 (tbc)

I was finishing my eyeliner when I got a call from my friend Ava I quickly reached for my phone and picked up the call “hey” I say

“Yo Julia quickly! We already bought the booze and you have 10 minutes to get to the park before we literally go without you.” Ava said in a sarcastic tone

“Alright alright! I’m almost ready I’ll be there in 15.” I say opening my mascara with my teeth holding my phone in one hand “did you guys buy jäger?” I say taking the mascara out of my mouth putting it on my eye lashes

“Yes, don’t worry we thought of you. But you’re paying gas now because we bought the booze” Ava said

“Alright” I chuckle and hang up the phone on the other line I could hear Ava yell “15 MINUTES JULIA! We’re not waiting 50 years for you mate. Some ppl are already texting me if we’re on our way!”

I look at myself in the mirror one last time checking myself out I look at my black shorts with dark nylons and a white crop top. I did a curly hair method on my hair and looked at my gold jewellery

I quickly take my bag and I close my room door.

I rush down the stairs of my house where I meet my mom “be back by 11!!” She says

“Mom” I whine “at least 12? Please Ava can be out until 1am!” I complained reaching for the front door

“I don’t care what Ava can or can do! Be back by 12 jesus”

“Bye love you” I say closing the front door behind me

It was a really sunny day and it was extremely hot outside my eyes squinted at the brightness of the sun

After 10 minutes of walking I see Ava waving at me from the back of Oliver’s car. I wanted to sit at the front but it already was taken by Abigail

I open the door of the car “hey!!” I say sitting down next to Ava

“Hi!!” Ava hugged me and raised the bottle of jäger “My baby!” I giggle as I take the bottle in my hand pretending it’s my baby “ok alcoholic.” Oliver said sarcastically “Oliver you should be the last person to say that” Abigail defended me as Ava and I chuckle in the back seat

“So how long until we get there?” I ask as Oliver started driving

“About 20 minutes” Oliver said “juli you’ve already been there. You’ll see!” Ava said “I literally don’t remember. Why couldn’t we go to the usual place? The forest that isn’t too far away from town like 5-10 minutes?” I ask

“Oh Chris said that cops go there often and he told us it’s better in the other forest more aesthetic also. Oh did you bring your camera!” Ava said

“Yeah I did.” I realise she said the name chris “who’s chris?” I ask confused. Knowing there’s no chris in our school or town as I know of

Ava and Abigail look at me funny. “Julia hello? Chris sturniolo. He literally is in our history class?” Abigail said

“He’s so hot!! Oh and also he’s a triplet! I’ve never met triplets. But they’re all SO hot.” Ava said

“What?” I became even more confused “yeah their names are Matt and Nick. Too bad Nick is gay.” She explained “Wait it’s not even that bad! We can try to set him up with Oliver” Abigail said Oliver immediately rolled his eyes “Abby stop”

“No this is great! Finally a hot gay guy for you!”ava giggled

“How do you even know he’s gay for fucks sake?” Oliver groaned “oh Stella told us, she tried to flirt with him. Didn’t end well” Ava tried to hold in her laugh

I get a weird wave of Deja vu when I heard the name Sturniolo. I knew them from somewhere, but definitely not fucking school.

I look out the window trying to forget the feeling I have in my chest.

17 minutes later we arrive infront of the woods and we call Bryan who invited us in the first place because he wanted to get with Abigail. We all know it even she does, but she’d never get with Bryan he’s not her type at all. And also he’s a fuckboy. But the invites to the coolest high school parties even tho we weren’t really considered popular in our school were worth it.

“Hey Bryan” Abigail said on the other line we heard Bryan’s voice “hey sweetheart, so where are you guys?”

Abigail awkwardly giggles and says “in front of the woods. Where exactly are you guys?”

“I’ll send someone to get you. Are yall next to a fallen tree?” He asks

“Uhh yep” Abigail says

“Alright. Matt! Can you go to the broken tree a few friends of mine are waiting there they don’t know their way here”

I heard on the other line.

Matt.

A few minutes later I see a tall brunette walking towards us. I could barely see his face but some I could sense some fear inside me for my reason at all

“You okay?” Ava asked “uh. Yeah” I say keeping my eyes on the brunette

“Hey” Matt said looking at Ava chris Abigail but when his eyes met mine his eyes went wide.

“Mary?” He said with a concerned look on his face

I scrunch my eye brows “No im.”I pause “im Julia.”

He tried to laugh it off “oh. You just look.” He tried to get any excuse he could out of his mouth, but still completely shocked by her looks “you remind me of an old friend of mine.” He said “anyways let’s go” he made us following deeper into the woods

The walk was akward when Ava whispered into my ear “girl did you see that?? He totally wants you!!”

I shake my head “stop”

Moments later were being greeted by Bryan who is already handing Abigail a drink “thanks, we also brought some booze” she said grabbing Oliver’s backpack taking out a bottle of vodka and jäger

“Oh that’s great!” Bryan said practically eye fucking Abigail

Matt went to sit down next to his two brother who were sat at the fireplace

Suddenly chris and nick looked at me with horror in their eyes

“If we do kill someone tonight we have to keep a really fucking close eye on that girl her name is Julia. But I don’t fucking believe her.” Matt whispered to nick and chris

“Fuck that’s Mary. You turned her into a vampire?! I thought you killed her!” Nick whispered with a pissed off tone

“I didn’t! Okay. She was dead when I left her.” Matt said “what the fuck.” Chris sipped on his drink

An hour later I found myself sitting next to the fire with Abigail sitting across from me was Matt and chris.

Chris was talking to Ava while Oliver went for another drink.

I felt eyes on me again when I looked up from my drink to see Matt staring at me. The eye contact lasted what felt like minutes and none of us broke it.

I felt a strange feeling in my stomach. I swear I met him before. It’s almost like I know everything about him but at the same time nothing. I look at his bright blue eyes, the eyes I remember looking into maybe in a dream.

Maybe im just drunk. I said to myself, and I continued the conversation I had with Ava.

“Guys! Did you guys know that the story of the bitten Mary was in this woods?” Bryan yelled out as he leaned against his best friend Lucas

A few people agreed and yelled out. A few people started scaring each other.

I sat there confusion washing over me, why did he call me Mary?. I knew about the story but I thought it was a made up story to scare people into not going into the woods alone.

“What?” I asked Jake he smirked at me and sat down next to me “dear Julia. The bitten Mary is a TRUE story about a girl who died in this woods. She got attacked by a wolf” he explained as a few people came to sit down to hear the story, Jake put his arm around my shoulders “people say her spirit is angry and is stuck in this exact woods. And if you’re alone she’ll kill you but only young people because she’s mad that she died at a young age.”

“And how can she even kill people she’s a ghost?” Some girl said not believing the story

“She’ll bite you and drink your blood until you die. Don’t believe me? Go deeper into the woods and you’ll see.” He said

“Alright someone give me a shot I wanna see if your bitten Mary isn’t an excuse to flirt with Julia.

She takes a shot and gets up to walk deeper into the woods “good luck!” Jake Bryan yelled

“Should we go scare her?” Jake said chuckling

“Nah fuck that I know she’s already shitting herself walking there” Bryan said chugging his beer after.

2 hours later im wasted, my legs feel weak as i feel a warm sensation in my throat. I can’t help but smile at Ava while she’s talking to me and that buzz in my head I love the most.

“I’m gonna go get another drink” I giggle stumbling towards the tree where the alcohol is on the floor

The rest of the night went pretty well before I realised I was supposed to be home an hour ago I look over at Oliver to see him drunk “fuck! Oliver why are you drinking you’re supposed to drive!” I said seeing Oliver sitting with Nick “it’s okay I can drive you home.” Matt said

I turn around my intention is telling me not to let him drive but we had no other option “thank you” I sigh out of relief “I quickly drag Oliver in my drunk state almost making us both fall I see Ava and Abigail next to the drinks

“Guys we’re going home Matt is driving us since Oliver got fucking drunk” I said “msorry” Oliver chuckled

“I’ll take him” Matt said

The drive home was pretty quick since I almost fell asleep. Finally we got Ava home now it was time to get me and Oliver home. A few minutes later we were in front of my house and when Matt stopped the car I said out of pure frustration “who the fuck are you guys?” Matt turned towards me so he can look me straight in the eyes “were in history class together don’t you remember? You remember right?.” He didn’t take his eyes off of me

It was almost like he wanted to hypnotise me or something “no I don’t. I’ve seen you in my life” Matt look confused “yeah. I’m kind of a quiet type of person. Unlike you.” Matt said turning around quickly

I get out the car slamming the door behind me and slowly getting into my house so nobody wakes up.

Soon I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth and went to bed.

(A/N : did yall see the tvd reference 😜 sorry if there’s any mistakes I didn’t re read this)

[davidchiemcore]

transcript for DRDT Prologue Episode One! going to make this a series where i (hopefully) write down all the dialogue for drdt, if i dont get burnt out. at the end, ill post a google doc with them all together

???: ……

???: Fuck!!

???: Fuck, fuck, fuck, this really hurts…

???: Ouch, I really wasn’t expecting her to attack me like that.

???: I made a massive mistake to trust them. I can’t rely on anyone.

???: All by myself, I have to end the killing game.

???: And even if I can’t do that…

???: I have to kill Teruko Tawaki.

???: No matter what.

Prologue: Distrust and Despair

Teruko: …I had a weird dream.

Teruko: Huh? Where am I?

Teruko: When I opened my eyes, I found myself resting on a bed in an unfamiliar place.

Teruko: This looks like some sort of hotel room.

Teruko: Wait, how did I even get here? I have no recollection of coming here.

Teruko: The last thing I remember was–

Teruko: Ah! I was going to the entrance ceremony of Hope’s Peak Academy!

Teruko: But this doesn’t look like Hope’s Peak at all, much less any sort of school. Just what is going on?

Teruko: …

Teruko: No use staying here, I suppose. I think it would be best if I left this room and tried to find out more about this place.

Teruko: I stepped out of the room and found myself in a hall with 15 other doors exactly like the one I left.

Teruko: Do all these doors lead to rooms like the one I just left?

Teruko: They all have nameplates on them. The one I came out of has my name.

Teruko: Teruko Tawaki… That’s me.

Teruko: I don’t recognize any of these other names, though.

Teruko: I tried each door. They were all locked. Seems I’m also locked out of the room I just left.

Teruko: No good, I guess.

Teruko: I should keep exploring.

Teruko: AH!!

Teruko: I walked to the end of the hallway and rounded the corner, when suddenly–

Xander: AUGH!!

Teruko: *CRASH*

Teruko: I crashed into another person pretty roughly, knocking us both to the ground.

Teruko: O–ouch! That really hurt…

Xander: …

Teruko: Are you alright? Sorry for knocking you over like that.

Xander: …

Teruko: Ah-! You’re bleeding! Are you okay?

Xander: Oh. Yup. I’m fine…

Xander: Heh heh……

Teruko: E–eh??

Teruko: All of a sudden, he collapsed.

Teruko: Um–Hello??

Teruko: No use… He’s unconscious.

Teruko: …

Teruko: I can’t believe I accidentally knocked someone unconscious within minutes of being awake. I feel bad…

Teruko: I should find something to treat him with. Maybe there’s a medical room around here.

Teruko: After a little bit of searching, I stumbled upon what looked to be an infirmary.

Teruko: Let’s see. There’s bandages, gauze, various medicines–perhaps some ibuprofen?

Xander: Yeah, that would sound pretty nice.

Teruko: Alright, I see–

Teruko: Wha–AH!

Xander: Oh, sorry, did I scare you? I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that, really!

Teruko: Y-you! Were you just pretending to be unconscious??

Xander: Err, no. You did actually knock me unconscious. Well, I’m fine now.

Teruko: Oh. And, your eye…

Xander: Like I said, I’m fine now. Don’t worry about it.

Teruko: Are you sure? You were bleeding; that doesn’t seem like an injury to brush off.

Xander: Like I said!! Totally fine! I’m a tough guy, I can handle it.

Teruko: I’m still really sorry, uhm… uh, what’s your name?

Xander: Oh! Ack, how rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself. I’m making a terrible first impression.

Xander: Alriiight! The name’s Alexander Matthews. But you can just call me Xander, it’s much cooler sounding. I’m the Ultimate Rebel, nice to meet you!

Ultimate Rebel - Xander Matthews

Teruko: Ultimate?

Xander: You must have heard of Hope’s Peak Academy, right? An exclusive school that only accepts students, known as Ultimates, who possess extraordinary talents.

Xander: It just so happens that I’ve been accepted there! Pretty incredible, huh?

Teruko: Ah,you’re a freshman of Hope’s Peak? I am too. We might be classmates.

Teruko: I should introduce myself as well. I am Teruko Tawaki, the Ultimate Lucky Student.

Ultimate Lucky Student - Teruko Tawaki

Xander: So you’re the Lucky Student, huh, Ms. Teruko? You’re the one who’s got accepted by the lottery.

Teruko: Oh, right. That’s correct.

Teruko: Unlike the rest of the students of Hope’s Peak, my talent of luck is a little unconventional, so I hope you won’t find it too strange.

Xander: Strange? Why would I find it strange?

Xander: Everyone who’s got accepted into Hope’s Peak is given an incredible opportunity to build their own skills and talents so that they can later shape the world!

Xander: Even if you were selected by lottery, not scouted like normal students, you still have got just as much potential as every other Ultimate to develop into an even more amazing person!

Xander: As you know, everyone who graduates from Hope’s Peak goes on to become incredibly influential and important. That’s why being an Ultimate, no matter what kind, is a huge deal!

Teruko: I’m well aware of that. It’s just that… for me, it’s more than just lacking a talent.

Teruko: I’m cursed, you see.

Xander: …Cursed?

Teruko: Cursed with horrible luck.

Teruko: No matter what I do, I always become victim to misfortunes and accidents. I often fall or break things, or worse, injure myself. So do those around me.

Teruko: No doubt, your recent injury is probably as a result of the influence of this curse.

Xander: I see, that makes a bit of sense. It must be difficult living like that, I’m sorry to hear that.

Xander: And yet, despite that, you’ve still been selected to be the Ultimate Lucky Student. Maybe it was some twist of fate.

Xander: Even misfortune can be overcome or adapted, so I would take the fact that you’re here at this academy as a good sign! So, don’t give up hope!

Teruko: Ahaha… Aren’t you full of energy.

Teruko: By the way, just what kind of talent is “Rebel?”

Xander: Oh, are we discussing my talent now?

Xander: To be frank, I’m actually sort of pissed at the Academy for having given me this title. Calling me a “rebel” just makes me seem like some sort of unruly, lawless kid, which I am *definitely* not!

Xander: It's almost an insult to all the hard work I’ve put in throughout my life!

Teruko: Hard work put into what?

Xander: Revolution.

Xander: Simply put, I’m the sort of person who feels very strongly about everything. So whenever I see something that feels wrong to me, something unjust, I’ll do whatever I can to fix it.

Xander: For example, exposing corruption. I’ve got quite a number of corrupt government officials jailed. Society is messed up, and it’s up to me to change it.

Xander: Of course, in order to make any sort of impactful change in this world, you need to break the existing rules. That’s what got me the title of Ultimate Rebel, I suppose.

Teruko: Wow, I’m not quite sure what to think of all that.

Teruko: Or even if I can believe the things you just said.

Xander: Hey! You better not be accusing me of lying!

Teruko: But at the very least you seem to be very passionate and energetic.

Teruko: Moving on… Do you know anything about this place? I seem to have woken up here without knowing how I came here. And I was supposed to be going to the entrance ceremony of Hope’s Peak.

Xander: I was just about to ask you the same thing!

Xander: Have we both got kidnapped, or something?! If that’s the case, I’ll be pretty pissed at whoever’s responsible.

Xander: Err, sorry for getting worked up again.

Xander: But yeah, it looks like we’re in the same situation. Woke up in a mysterious room without knowing how we got here.

Teruko: What a perplexing situation…

Xander: No use just standing here. I’ve got an idea. We should look around, see if there’s an explanation somewhere. At the very least we can examine our surroundings for clues.

Teruko: Right. We may find something new.

Teruko: These large doors are conspicuous. We should check inside.

Xander: Fine by me!

Teruko: Xander kicks the door open forcefully.

Teruko: You could have just…

Teruko: Used… the… han..dle…

Teruko: Eh?

Teruko: We found ourselves in a large room full of chairs and a large, ominous screen at the back. But more importantly…

Xander: There’s other people here?!

Teruko: 14 other people stood in front of Xander and me.

David: Ah, have more people arrived?

Ace: Maybe they’re our fucking kidnappers! We should ask ‘em a few questions!

Arei: Are you two freshmen of Hope’s Peak Academy as well?

Xander: We are. Is this our class?

Whit: Whoa, new people. You guys got any idea what’s going on?

Charles: Don’t be ridiculous. I sincerely doubt that these two can bring any new information to the table on our situation.

Teruko: So, it seems our whole class is here.

Xander: Just what is going on? Have the rest of you blacked out when you were entering the Academy?

Levi: Yes, that happened to the rest of us as well. Our situation is awfully strange.

Veronika: Maybe the Academy is trying to surprise us! Wouldn’t that be fun?

Hu: If you two are in fact our classmates, why don’t you introduce yourselves?

Hu: I know this situation isn’t ideal, but at the very least we should be acquainted with each other before we try and figure out what’s going on.

Teruko: Ehm, introduce myself? In front of all of you?

Teruko: Wouldn’t it be better if I just talked to you individually?

Eden: That’s okay, then introduce yourselves to us one by one.

Charles: Excellent, another 10 minutes of time wasting. Why don’t you two take your time blabbering about insignificant things, it’s not like we’re in a potentially life-threatening situation.

Teruko: …Yeesh.

Xander: Hey!

Xander: Let’s talk to everyone together. That way we’ll both be way less nervous if we’ve got a friend by our side.

Teruko: …

Teruko: Thank you, Xander.

[pandenewie]

08 - It’s Giving Control Freak

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Being a pushover is one of Jungwon’s many… quirks you could say. He often finds himself using his rare off-time running around and doing favours for anyone who asks. It’s not rare for him to spend his afternoons in a random classroom, offering his help to whatever teacher needs it - much like today.

Except Mr Jeon isn’t here yet, and as much as Jungwon wants to have faith in his friend Ni-Ki, the one who set him up with this task, it wouldn’t be the first time the younger boy had set him up.

The clock strikes 10 past 3 - marking a marvellous 15 minutes that Jungwon has been waiting. Just as he’s about to go home (setting a mental reminder to email Mr Jeon and apologize for leaving) the door to the classroom opens and shuts.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Jungwon’s eyebrows furrow at the familiar voice, turning around to see a confused Y/n standing by the door. “Uh… I’m waiting for Mr Jeon.”Jungwon says, a slight waver in his voice. This is the first time he’s even made eye contact with Y/n since their… disagreement. Let alone spoke to them.

“Mr Jeon hasn’t been here all week.” Y/n says blankly. Oh. Well… that would make sense. Jungwon isn’t in any of his classes, so it’s not like he would have known.

“That explains why I’ve been waiting I guess… but why are you here?” Jungwon asks. From what he knows, Y/n doesn’t hang around after school. They’re not in any clubs or extracurriculars, and they’re certainly not the type of person to offer up their time like Jungwon is.

“Detention.” Y/n mumbles, almost embarrassed. Jungwon’s eyes widen at their words… they got detention? He can’t help but feel a little guilty - as if it is his fault.

“Uh… can I ask why?” He speaks hesitantly. Y/n sighs, fidgeting with their top as they avoid eye contact. “Skipping class… yelling in the halls… and… dress code.” Y/n mumbles, their voice almost going silent at the last part of the sentence.

Jungwon doesn’t know what to say. Well, he knows what he wants to say but he likes to think that his self-control is impeccable. Another one of his quicks. Unfortunately, his self-control seems to have clocked out for the day. Four words leave his mouth before he can even fully comprehend them himself:

“I told you so.”

Y/n’s head snaps up at Jungwon’s words, their eyes narrowing as his own widen in shock. He didn’t mean to say that… at least not out loud.

“Oh fuck off, Jungwon.” Y/n scoffs, turning around to leave the classroom. “I’m just saying… actions have consequences.” Jungwon mumbles, his eyes widening even further when he realises Y/n heard him. He mentally curses at himself to stop talking.

In the blink of an eye, Y/n is face to face with Jungwon, their index finger jabbing at his chest as their words cut through the air. “I don’t need you to tell me that actions have consequences, I’m not an idiot. But if you would focus on something other than yourself for once, you would see that no one likes the dress code. I’ll get detention every fucking day if I have to until it’s changed. Because unlike you, I sacrifice myself for other people.” And with that, Y/n turns around to leave once more.

Jungwon is the definition of being stretched too thin, and for possibly the first time in his life, he feels his restraint snap. All senses of rationality go out the window as Jungwon strides towards Y/n, ripping their hand off the door handle and turning them around to face him.

“You have spoken to me maybe twice ever, and both times have done nothing but yell and insult me. Who the hell are you to say that I don’t care about people? Do you have any idea how hard I have to work? How many people depend on me?”

“Oh boo hoo. It’s almost like that’s your job, Jungwon.” Y/n spits. “You’re literally the president of the student council, you signed up for this!”

“Name one member of the council other than me.” Jungwon challenges calmly - a stark change from the aggravation in his voice just moments prior. Y/n’s eyebrows furrow, they’ve never seen him like this. He squeezes their wrist and they quickly try to rack their brain for an answer…

Nothing.

“Exactly.” Jungwon mumbles, stepping back from Y/n’s frame and collapsing into his previous chair. Y/n watches curiously as he buries his head in his hands, letting out a tired sigh.

“I know the dress code is unfair, Y/n. But I can’t fix that. Not when I have all this other stuff on my plate. So please just… leave it.” Jungwon sounds almost desperate, and Y/n mentally curses at themself as guilt starts to form in the pit of their stomach.

Their body seems to move on its own as Y/n cautiously takes the seat next to him. The atmosphere is awkward and uncomfortable, and Y/n has to bite back a snide comment. They’re not that mean.

Swallowing their pride, Y/n lets out a sigh before mumbling a quiet “I’m sorry”. They can practically see the way Jungwon’s body tenses up at the words. He hates it when people pity him - hates feeling vulnerable.

“You can… stop, y’know. It’s not your job to do everything.” Y/n says quietly. “Who’s gonna do it if I don’t? Jungwon asks, awkwardly shifting in his seat. “Even if I did… pull back. The guilt of not doing things is just as bad as the burnout of doing it all.”

Well… now Y/n feels like shit. They always assumed Jungwon did everything for selfish reasons - that he wanted to be the centre of attention, the one with all the praise. Little did they know, he does it all because he has to. He was right, Y/n can’t name a single other person on the council this year. They thought it was because Jungwon was stealing all the spotlight, but it’s actually because he’s the only one doing the work. Heck, he probably does more than some of the teachers do.

Glancing at the time, Jungwon sighs as he rises to his feet. “I should go, I’ve still gotta finish my essay for tomorrow’s class.” He says, causing Y/n to look up at him confused. “You have an essay to write, and yet you were gonna spend your afternoon helping some random teacher clean their classroom?” They ask in shock. Jungwon smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he nods. Y/n shakes their head, sighing as they go to move past him - knocking their shoulders together in the process.

“I don’t get you, Jungwon.” Y/n mumbles. The words cause an awkward chuckle to escape Jungwon’s lips. “That makes two of us.” He finishes his words with a sound of confusion as Y/n jingles the doorhandle once, twice, three times. 

“Is it jammed?” Jungwon asks curiously, moving his hand to push hard against the door. “Probably… yet another thing this stupid school needs to upgrade.” Y/n mumbles, ramming their shoulder against the wooden surface.

“You got a paperclip by any chance? Or like… a really thin pen?” Y/n asks, rummaging through their back to find any form of sharp object. Trust the one day they forget to bring extra bobby pins for the girls, to be the day they get locked in a room.

“Paperclip.” Jungwon says, holding the small piece of metal in front of their eyes. Y/n quickly takes the item from his hand, mumbling a quiet thank you which causes Jungwon’s ears to perk up - a small smile spreading across his face.

The smile quickly turns to a look of shock as Y/n stretches out the paperclip, quickly shoviving it into the lock. “Hey, wait… you’re gonna pick the lock?” Jungwon asks, pulling Y/n’s hand away from the door. “That’s destruction of poperty.” He adds, earning an eyeroll as Y/n yanks their hand out of his grasp. “Would you prefer we stay locked in here till tomorrow morning?” Y/n asks sarcastically. When Jungwon doesn’t respond, they go back to their task - the lock releasing with a click in no time.

As Y/n turns around to grab their bag, they furrow their brows at the sight of Jungwon crouched over a desk, writing what appears to be a note. “Watcha doing, Prez?” Y/n asks, pulling the piece of paper from his grip. “Writing an apology note for the broken lock.” Jungwon says matter-of-factly. He takes the paper back and grabs the tape from Mr Jeon’s desk, fastening the note to the classroom door.

“Oh my god, you really are a goody-two-shoes.” Y/n can’t help but laugh. “Oh, and here’s your paperclip back. Think of it as a souvenir.” They add with a wink, placing the broken paperclip in his hand before turning around to leave the classroom. Jungwon shakes his head as a small chuckle escapes his lips. He looks down at the paperclip sitting in his palm, before stuffing it into his pocket and following Y/n out the door.

The hallways are silent and dead as the two students make their way out of the school buildings. They walk side by side, but without spearing each other so much as a word or glance. Eventually, Jungwon breaks the silence with a sigh. Something Y/n has noticed he does a lot. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Y/n can’t help the laugh that escapes their lips, causing Jungwon to look at them confused. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That was your definition of yelling?” They ask sarcastically, causing Jungwon to shrug. “Well… kinda.” He mumbles, causing Y/n to roll their eyes. “You really are too nice, aren’t you?” They ask before silence falls between them once more. A few moments pass before the peace is broken once again, only this time by Y/n:

“Just to be clear, I still don’t like you as a person.”

“That’s okay… the feeling’s mutual”

“Watch it, Yang.”

“Sorry.”

TAG LIST (closed): @kang-yeosangs-initials @kpopstanmeg @b1ndignity @soobiverse @dudufodd @mikadorbs @pagesofmiracles @tya0 @ilovewonyo @bringer-ofchaos @huening-ly @ifearjwn @callmeblondie @run2min @straykids-riley (can't tag) @rikimylove @chaechae-23 @lacimolela @n1ght-maring (can't tag) @luvvsjungwonn @yenqa @tzuyusluv @viyqe @vocaloshin @deadgirlwalking3

[diazsdimples]

A small snippet of my Chapter 15 WIP!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They’d just gotten back from a very low-key call when Eddie cornered Buck in the loft of the fire station. Buck was in the kitchen, preparing himself a smoothie when Eddie sidled up to him, sitting on a barstool opposite the man and resting his arms on the countertop.

“Hey” Eddie said as he sat down.

Buck looked up and smiled. “Hey yourself���.

“I’ve been thinking�� Eddie began.

“Hope it didn’t hurt too much”.

Eddie sent Buck a flat look before continuing. “I was thinking about your proposal the other night”.

Buck stiffened imperceptibly. “And?” he asked, as casual as possible while chopping up mango pieces and throwing them in the blender.

Eddie leaned forward on his arms. “And I think you’re right. It’s the natural progression of our relationship and it makes sense. As you said, Chris and I basically live with you anyway and there’d be a load of financial benefits, as well as being able to see you and Aidan more often”.

Buck nodded as he listened, only half-paying attention to the banana he was peeling. “What did Chris think?”.

Eddie dipped his head and let out a small laugh. “Chris was all for it. He prefers his room at your house anyway. Plus, and don’t tell him I told you this, but I heard him talking about his “baby brother” to one of his friends yesterday. He seems just as in it as we are”.

Hearing this made Buck go giddy. They were finally starting to be a proper little family. He set down the banana and sidestepped around the island, standing in front of Eddie.

“Does this mean you accept my proposal?”

“Proposal? Who proposed? You’re getting married??”. The moment was interrupted by Chimney’s arrival, the man clearly having only heard the final part of the conversation.

“Married? Already?” Hen chimed in, following closely behind Chimney as she went for a glass of water. “You two move fast don’t ya?”

Eddie rolled his eyes with a playful huff. “We are not getting married” he emphasised, ignoring the two sets of disbelieving raised eyebrows that were shot in his direction.

“Eddie and Chris are going to move in. We figured that because they already stay at mine during the week and it’s a 4 bedroom house, it made more sense” Buck explained, placing a reassuring hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

Hen nodded understandingly but Chimney was undeterred. “Considering the rate you two move that means a wedding couldn’t be more than, what, 4 months away?” he teased. Buck flushed deeply and ducked his head so his friends couldn’t see his flaming cheeks.

“Ooo what do you think they’ll do with their last names?” Hen asked as she settled herself into the barstool between Eddie and Chimney, regarding the former with amusement. “My money is on Buckley-Diaz”.

“Not Diaz-Buckley?” Eddie queried.

Chimney wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Nah, doesn’t flow well. What you really need is to make up a whole new surname”.

Buck shook his head in disbelief and moved back to where he’d been preparing his smoothie, chopping up a pineapple with unusual force.

“What, like Biaz or something?” Hen asked as she sipped at her water.

“Something like that, but also not, it’s gotta sound right” Chimney replied. He looked up at Bobby as the fire captain wandered into the kitchen, about to make a start on dinner. “Hey Bobby, when Buck and Eddie get married, what do you think they should change their surname to?”

Bobby looked up, alarmed. “Buck and Eddie are getting married?” he asked in disbelief.

“No!” Buck said emphatically, shooting Chimney and Hen a warning look while Eddie snorted into his coffee.

“But just say they were, what’s a good name that’s like a mix of the two of theirs.” Chimney pressed. “We’ve overruled Buckley-Diaz, Diaz-Buckley and Biaz”.

Bobby looked thoughtful for a minute. “Dickley” he eventually replied, confidently.

“DICKLEY!” Hen shrieked with laughter as Buck and Eddie stared at the older man, dumbfounded. “Cap you’re a fucking genius”.

“It works so well too because they both love dick and are both total dickheads” Chimney chuckled as he wiped a tear from his eye. Bobby looked mighty proud of himself as he sidestepped around Buck to grab a spatula.

Buck decided then would be the perfect moment to turn on the blender, it’s loud whirring drowning out Hen and Chimney’s hoots of laughter and weak repetitions of “Dickley” between hiccups.

[thatskindarough]

Oh it was only 3 actually, counting that one animatic on YouTube (that BTW i had no idea was yours! I was pleasantly surprised <3)

And I found it so funny that you have somewhat an idea of who I might be PFFF you can throw the guess, it would be funny if you get it right (don't have to say my name if you don't remember it, you can just go for something you remember NFKDSJ)

also time for an actual question since i'm already here, what program did you used for the animatic? I've always wanted to get into animating but most softwares cost money or are free but really bad so I could use some recommendations 👀

Good to hear there is no imposter lol. I should probably start using the false pfp so people know it’s me but I’m too lazy to change them all 💀 also my guess was right as to who you were but probably mainly because I put on my Aziraphale detective hat and you were the last notification before the ask inbox notification and your icon had a red beanie. We meet once again.

As for the animatic I used procreate for drawing and capecut for composting. Not the most efficient method but I liked it. I ended up segmenting off each camera angle into a different canvas and making any animation for the shot that way. I love capecut because the free version has every editing function you need for an animatic and the watermark only appears as a black screen at the end so it’s so easy to crop out. It’s probably the best free editing software I’ve found. (I also used a screen recording device to record the audio cause even if you buy a song it sometimes doesn’t allow you to put it in the program.)

I honestly recommend procreate if you have a device that supports it. I think it’s still only a 10 dollar onetime purchase. But if you don’t have a device that supports it, I have used things like flip a clip which is free, and the paid version is pretty cheap. I have also dabbled in an app called rough animate, also free (you don’t have to pay for the onion skins) which was also okay. I got frustrated cause of the lack of brush choice but other than that it’s not bad at all. If you can’t pay anything at all I’d recommend this because, unlike flip a clip, you don’t have to pay to unlock the a lot of the really helpful features. Ibis paint also added an animation feature I think so that’s an option. Idk if you need the paid version for it, but I remember only having to watch ads for a minute to unlock all the brushes so maybe it’s the same for the animation feature lol.

If you have a computer set up, I’ve also heard nice things about Krita for animation. It’s free and from what I remember it had a really good timeline set up. I actually tried to use it, but my computer at the time was old and slow and it lagged to much, and then I had a shitty no screen tablet and my hand eye coordination when it came to drawing and writing is quite bad, so it just wasn’t a good set up for me personally. But I know people make it work. I mean, people make this kinda shit in MS paint, if you’re dedicated enough you can technically do it in almost any program (though you may not be able to make it as polished as you’d like.)

Then there is Clip Studio Paint, which does cost money but is way less expensive than like, harmony or adobe. The EX version which gives you a second of free animation per project is a $5 monthly subscription for once device, PC MaC IOS, and the Pro version (which is more expensive) gives you unlimited animation animation access for I believe around 10 -15 dollars a month (still less than most streaming services lol). There’s also a one time purchase version that is $50 dollars, but it goes on sale A LOT for $25! Although I don’t think it gives you more than a second of animation. CSP also has a very long free trial period, for EX it was legit like 3 months. so if you try it out and like it, I’d definitely suggest finding a way to pay for it. It’s actually used in some professional studios in Japan, so if you have any professional aims for your work it’s a good starting platform to get into industry software. However a lot of the nice things CSP offers for animation are not needed in the story boarding/animatic stage, so if that’s as far as you wanna take your animations it maaaaaaay not be worth it unless you love it.

If anyone else has other cheap or free recommendations feel free to add on. I have attempted to make animatics on procreate, rough animate, and flip a clip; all of which I have uncompleted projects on. It just so happens that procreate is what I was using when I finally made an animatic I liked enough to see until completion. Whatever software you do use, just make sure you learn how to use it before attempting a big project. Do some smaller stuff before you try anything big.

Edit to check the comments! We got other good recommendations for computers!

[blood-darkened-moon]

Since one or two people were interested in the story with Alfred and Spencer, here’s what I’ve written so far, minus the last unfinished scene. I probably won’t continue this fic since it’s too boring and too niche even for my standards. Keep in mind that this isn’t a finished work. In the, at the moment unlikely, case that I decide to continue writing, I’ll rewrite some parts of it. As for the possible continuations I’ve talked about, I’ve planned to have Alfred interact with characters from the Village, but I guess no one would want to read this either. So I won’t write them.

[Untitled W(IP???)]

Alfred didn’t normally suffer from travel sickness, but his stomach was starting to turn. The car rocked from left to right and back again, taking every pothole the road had to offer. The word “road” was a generous choice. They were rather driving on a gravel track that consisted of more potholes than driving surface and that for far too long.

Alfred would have assumed that Spencer had chosen this route out of sheer spite if the old bastard wasn’t in much worse shape than he was. Spencer hadn’t spoken a word for some time. He was pale, panting, and looked like he was going to kick the bucket any minute.

The worst thing was that it would go on like this for ages. They hadn’t even covered half the distance to their destination, and even the gravel track itself still seemed to stretch into infinity.

“Pull over. Howard, stop the car.”

At Spencer’s command, the car pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. How many breaks has it been by now? Five? At their speed and the constant stopping, they would still be stuck here tomorrow. On the other hand, Alfred was grateful for the opportunity to stretch his legs and settle his stomach.

It was sunny and warm outside. A few clouds drifted past in the blue sky. Pastures and paddocks stretched out to their right, meadows and fields to their left. A few farmsteads could sometimes be seen in the distance, but they were few and far between. They had passed the last village quite some time ago. The road was now rising noticeably, and the peaks of mountains could be seen in the distance, but it would probably be a few hours before they actually reached the Carpathian Mountains.

Alfred walked along the road to take a closer look at the landscape. The other breaks had all lasted at least 15 minutes. This one would be no exception. As he walked along the path, Alfred cursed himself for having put on his new shoes this morning. The street was covered in dust, which also settled everywhere on his cloths.

Spencer and Alfred had landed in Romania yesterday. They had spent the night in a hotel in Bucharest. Alfred had used the evening hours to do some sightseeing beforehand, much to his relief without Spencer. That had been too much for the old bastard before today’s trip.

They set off this morning after breakfast. Spencer had organized the car for the trip, as well as everything else that went with it.

At first, the roads had been reasonably asphalted, but at some point this gave way to a patchwork of asphalt patches, until these disappeared as well and only gravel and potholes remained. Why Spencer had chosen this particular route through the wasteland was unclear to Alfred. There had to be better roads, at least until they got closer to their destination.

It went to... Where actually? Had Spencer ever mentioned the name of the place they were heading for? If so, Alfred had forgotten it. Spencer only ever spoke of “The Village”. It was a tiny place somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains. Spencer wanted to visit an old friend of his there.

The wind carried the smell of freshly mown grass to his nose. Alfred heard horses neighing somewhere in the distance but saw none. He couldn’t see anything else but grass and road. There was absolutely nothing in this area, no people, no civilization, just nothing.

Maybe Spencer was planning to kill him. That would be the perfect place. Had that perhaps been his intention from the start? Was that why he had chosen this remote gravel track instead of a proper road? Was he going to shoot Alfred somewhere here and leave his body on the side of the road? It would surely take weeks to find his remains here, as sparsely populated as this area was. No, that’s not his style. Spencer uses different methods. Alfred dismissed his paranoid thoughts.

As he walked, Alfred once again reflected on how he had gotten into this situation in the first place and if there hadn’t been a way to wriggle out of it. He had gone over the events in his head hundreds of times in the last few weeks.

It was a month and a half ago when Spencer informed him of his plans. Initially, Alfred wasn’t supposed to come along. Spencer had wanted to make the trip with Alex Wesker as his companion, but she had gotten wind of it in time and had scheduled as many important, non-postponable business appointments during this period as possible. Spencer had been anything but pleased when Alex had to cancel with “regret”. And, as so often, Alfred was his second choice.

Before Spencer contacted Alfred, Alex called him to congratulate him on his “luck”. She couldn’t help but laugh gleefully the whole time. Only towards the end of their phone call did Alex adopt a more conciliatory tone. 

“He’s been exhausting lately. Much worse than before.”

“I know. I...” Alfred tried to reply.

“No, you don’t. You hardly ever see him. You’re sitting comfortably on your island while I’m constantly exposed to his moods. I can’t take it anymore! Not for two weeks at a time. Not the way he is now. So ... old. Before I go to that shithole with him, I’d rather shoot myself.”

“Better shoot Spencer that would save us both from this shit.”

Alex chuckled, though more out of politeness than amusement.

“Look, I’ll make it up to you, but I need you to take over for me this time. Spend some time with him. Maybe it won’t be so bad.” She said the last sentence with little conviction in her voice. After a short pause, she added, “I’ll see you again in November at the latest. We’ll be in Singapore for a week. I try to schedule our business meetings, so we have a few days off in between. Then we’ll do everything you want. And I’ll ask around a bit. Maybe I’ll find something that satisfies your, shall we say, special cravings. I’ll pay.”

It wasn’t about the money. Alfred had enough of that, but he wouldn’t turn down her offer. At least, it was a small compensation for the horrors that awaited him. Alfred sighed.

“You said two weeks?”

“Yes. I guess he’ll call you tomorrow or the day after. Pretend you don’t know anything.”

“I know that myself. You don’t have to tell me,” Alfred replied, perhaps a little too angrily, but the whole situation was fraying his nerves.

It wasn’t the first time Alex had informed him prematurely of Spencer’s plans, and it wouldn’t be the last. He knew how to behave so that the old bastard wouldn’t get suspicious.

“Very well.” Alfred was about to hang up.

“Alfred. ... Thank you,” Alex said almost affectionately.

“Well, I have no other choice.”

“That’s true. Still.” Then she added unnecessarily, “And don’t let the vampires bite you.”

“Very funny. But it’s probably gypsies I need to worry about ... and Spencer’s moods.”

They said their goodbyes. He would be stuck with Spencer in a shabby, nameless mountain village for two full weeks. Alfred was sure that he would loathe every second of it.

Spencer called him late in the evening the next day. He said that everything was ready for the trip. Alfred would just have to pack a few things at the appropriate time and go to the airport in Buenos Aires. He would be picked up from there.

Alfred was not allowed to take his domestic staff with him. Supposedly there would be some on site. Spencer only took his chauffeur with him, more like his bodyguard, Alfred assumed, whom Spencer passed off as his chauffeur. He hardly ever went anywhere without bodyguards.

Despite everything, Alfred tried to negotiate with Spencer. He knew that the old man wouldn’t be dissuaded from his plan, not after Alex had already backed out, but he at least wanted to try. Not a chance. Spencer insisted that Alfred accompany him for the full two weeks. If Alfred refused to come with him, Spencer would no longer have his back when it came to the continued operation of the Antarctic Base. And Alfred urgently needed Spencer’s support to prevent it from being closed down.

The facility had long been a thorn in the side of Umbrella’s finance department. Due to its location, it wasted vast amounts of resources, was no longer up to date, and was hardly profitable. Alfred did everything in his power to reduce operating costs and minimize other expenses. Renovation work was limited to what was absolutely necessary, he had the room temperature lowered as far as was still tolerable, lights were only allowed to be switched on in areas where work was being done, he had the food rations gradually reduced, the quality of the food was now only one step above sawdust, the number of workers had been reduced, and the workload of the remaining ones had been increased.

It helped to make the facility more lucrative, but without Spencer’s help, they would still shut it down sooner or later. Every few months, Alfred was sent new documents on possible alternative locations. He was promised that he would be allowed to continue running the new facility and that he could even get more funding. He was even awarded compensation for the villa. Who shat into Alexander’s brains back then when he had the crazy idea of building his villa and the facility in the middle of the fucking South Pole?

As much as Alfred hated the Antarctic Base, he could not accept the offers and had to insist on continuing to operate it. At least for the foreseeable future. Only five more years. Just five more years and his beloved sister would finally be awake again, and he could leave the damned South Pole behind him. He would even personally burn the entire Antarctic Base to the ground when the time has come. But until then, Alfred couldn’t move Alexia. He had to hold out a little longer, even if it meant being Spencer’s lackey.

“Edward? Are you coming? We want to go on.”

Alfred sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. Spencer had been calling him Edward a lot lately. It wasn’t just his grandfather’s name, it was also Alfred’s second name, but no one called him that, and he didn’t know what to make of it. Is it a warning? A compliment? Or is the old bastard just getting senile?

With little motivation, Alfred returned to the car and got in. Spencer was already seated. He looked better, at least not anymore as if he was ever on the verge of death. The car slowly started to move and promptly drove through the next pothole. Alfred grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip. He refrained from eating, otherwise, he would soon regret it.

“Edward, have I ever told you about how I met Miranda?”

“Yes, several times.”

Spencer ignored Alfred’s comment and carried on regardless.

“It was back in 1952, you know, I needed some time to find myself. I was looking for challenges, and I foolishly thought I could challenge nature itself, even subjugate it. But this mistake almost cost me my life. I chose mountaineering as my challenge. There is nothing more impressive than standing on the highest peaks in the world and looking down on everything and everyone. How small and insignificant the world seems to be then. Almost as if you were God looking down on your creation. My trip to the Carpathians was not the first one I had made. I had already climbed several mountains before, but always with a guide up to that point. This time I wanted to try it alone. I was young and thought I was immortal. Everything went well at the beginning, but ....”

Alfred let Spencer talk but stopped listening. He knew the story by heart. Spencer had already told it umpteen times. Alfred could repeat it if he wanted to. He could even list every part that Spencer always told differently.

Bored, Alfred looked out of the window. They hadn’t gone far since their last stop. Startled by the car, some birds that were looking for food in a meadow flew off. The sun was now beating down mercilessly and heating the car. Alfred opened his window a crack, hoping the breeze would help, but the stench of manure made him pause. Heat or stench? He decided he could bear the heat a little longer and closed the window again.

Spencer was still busy with his story. It would be some time before he got to the part about Miranda. At the moment, he was busy describing every detail of his tour in intricate detail. Every tree, every rock, and every watercourse. Every now and then, Spencer made sure he had Alfred’s attention by addressing him directly. With Edward, not with Alfred. However, Alfred had learned to react subconsciously to the name by now, which at least spared him having to listen to Spencer’s stories in endless loops.

[verai-marcel]

Your Hearth Is My Home (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x Female Reader, Part 27 of 28, 18+)

Summary, Notes, Tags, & Part 1 are here.

CW: There is EXPLICIT SMUT in this chapter.

Act I - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12

Act II - Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | 

Act III - Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 (18+) | Part 28 (END)

AO3 Link is here, my love.

Word Count: 5,624

——————————

Act III, Chapter 6 - The Return

Astarion stood at the dock, staring out over the water. The silver moonlight shone brightly, as if it wanted to cheer him on. It was a full moon too, just like it was when they defeated the Netherbrain. 

It felt like a lifetime ago.

He had come here every night, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for a whole hour, just… waiting. And every night, he left feeling a little disappointed.

But tonight felt different.

Yesterday, as the sun rose in the sky, he had hummed a song he remembered, a song she had sung to him. The melody had lulled him into what he thought was a reverie. But he had fallen asleep. And he had dreamed.

He had dreamt of her.

So he stood at the very same spot where he had last seen her, looking out over the water, and for the first time in a while, he hoped.

Against the soft, rhythmic splashing of the waves, he could almost hear her voice, a warm, rapturous melody that made him feel like he was sitting in front of a cozy campfire, with her sitting in his lap as he sipped from her neck, savoring her warm blood. He could imagine her taste, sweet on his tongue, lingering like honey wine, warm and soothing, just like her. 

The singing in his mind grew louder.

“Gods, it’s like she’s right here,” he mumbled to himself. “I’m losing my damn mind.”

He was so sure that he was going crazy that he didn’t even question when the water at the foot of the docks began to swirl in a whirlpool. But as it grew bigger and faster, he began to step back, away from the edge of the pier.

Then he stopped. Her voice was getting louder.

The whirlpool glowed for a moment, then an intricate circular rune began to appear above the water, lines steadily being drawn in a light blue hue that was very familiar. Hope bubbled in his heart like a spring.

Magic crackled in the air as the lines drew out the rest of the pattern. The circle closed and there was a flash of bright light. He covered his eyes against the supernatural glare.

He heard a soft thud and opened his eyes. He blinked.

In the echoing silence, Astarion said her name like a prayer.

***

It was strange, suddenly being back in Toril. You weren’t sure how much time had passed on this side. After all, a whole year had passed for you. But when you looked up, you saw Astarion standing before you, looking a little more pale than you remember. He called your name, like a supplication, and you nearly cried.

As your fey form faded back to your human form, you leapt into his outstretched arms.

The two of you held each other tightly. Nothing short of the end of the world would tear you two apart.

Finally, you moved back so you could see his smiling face, keeping your arms around him. “How long have I been gone?”

He tipped his head in confusion. “Twenty-eight days.”

You blinked. “That’s it?”

He frowned. “Why…?”

You stepped back. “I… I’ve been in the Feywild for a whole year.” You started to cry in relief. “I thought time went faster here, I thought everyone would be gone!”

Astarion pulled you back into his arms and pressed his forehead against yours. “It’s alright, darling. I’m here.”

He let you cry for a little while before he pulled back. “Well. You’ll have to tell me all about your year away,” he said as he stepped back and offered you his arm. “We have a lot to catch up on, it seems.”

***

As you walked with him to his home, he told you briefly about the others. Wyll and Karlach had left for Avernus together a couple of weeks ago when Karlach’s engine started to give out. Shadowheart and Gale had moved to Waterdeep. Jaheira and Minsc were still around in Baldur’s Gate. Halsin had taken the orphans in the city and left for Thaniel’s lands.

“I’d like to let them know I’m back safely,” you mentioned casually.

“I’ll write to them,” Astarion said, just as the two of you reached his home. It was a small townhouse in the city that had belonged to one of the murder victims of the cult of Bhaal. No one wanted to claim it, so Astarion took it, and had been slowly patching it up.

He opened the five locks on the door and opened it with a flourish, guiding you inside with his hand on the small of your back.

The ground level was bereft of any furnishings. A plain foyer led to a small kitchen and pantry, with a small side room and a door to a stairwell on the other side. The stairs were honestly a bit of a mess with chipped stonework and sharp edges on the steps.

“What’s upstairs?”

He shrugged. “Nothing much right now.” 

You took a quick peek with his permission. There was only a small room on one side of the hall and a covered balcony on the other that faced the river. It, too, was empty, with dust and cobwebs everywhere.

This place needs some work.

However, once you followed him down to the basement, you were a bit in awe. 

The stairway opened into a cozy sitting room, minimally decorated with a rug and some cushions for lounging. You noticed that some ornate daggers were displayed on a mostly empty bookshelf. There were a few colorful tapestries hung on the wall to give the room a bit of life, and a small fireplace to keep it warm. Against the wall across from the fireplace was a chaise lounge, a throw blanket haphazardly tossed across it.

There were two other doors for the washroom and bedroom. The luxurious washroom had two sinks and a tub large enough for two, with a door that connected to a grand bedroom with minimalist, stylish decor. There was a king sized bed covered in black silk sheets, and night stands on either side with two drawers each, clearly stuffed with knick knacks and jewelry. Bookcases lined two of the walls, floor to ceiling. They were only half filled.

“You have a lot of shelving,” you noted, looking at the empty bookcases on either side of the door leading back to the sitting room. “Planning on collecting more books or knick knacks?”

“Perhaps I’m waiting for someone else to fill the other half.”

You turned to look at him, and his shy expression made your heart skip a beat. Somehow, he always seemed so much more attractive to you when he suddenly showed signs of being a normal person instead of a charming rake.

“Perhaps someone would take you up on that,” you commented as you followed him back to the sitting room. He led you to the cushions in front of the fireplace and sat down with you.

“Shall I?” you asked with a grin.

“If you could,” he replied.

You sang your fire cantrip, and you noticed that he was watching you with a content smile on his face. As you watched the wood burning, listening to the crackle and pop of the embers, he curled himself around you and held you close.

“How did you know that I was coming back?” you asked.

“Just a hunch.”

You laughed softly at him using your own line.

“But I really did,” he insisted, though his pout wasn’t making it any more believable. Then he took your hand in his. “I dreamed of you. You were singing on the dock in the full moonlight, and you turned to me and waved for me to come to you.”

“I thought you didn’t like to dream. How did you even fall asleep in the first place?”

He turned away, looking a little embarrassed. “I… I hummed your song. I was surprised it worked, to be honest.”

You blinked. Then you laughed. “Will wonders never cease?”

“Gods, I hope they do. I just want to laze around in bed with you for a whole week.”

“I still need to eat, you know. And find some way of making money so that I can eat.”

He huffed. “I can make enough for both of us.”

You looked at him curiously. “And what have you been doing while I've been gone?” 

His eyes glittered with amusement. “It turns out that if you kill bad guys, you can get away with murder. And no one wonders when their bodies suddenly disappear.”

You grinned mischievously. “So you're telling me you've become a hero of the night?”

He rolled his eyes at you. “Stop that, you're making me sound like one of those blasted romance novel protagonists.”

Cackling with merriment, you patted his knee. “I'm actually quite proud of you, despite my teasing.” 

Astarion held you close. You could feel his happiness, like sparkles of light on the edges of your own emotions. Wrapping your arms around him, you sighed happily in his embrace. 

After a few moments, a serious question came to mind. “Do you miss the daylight?” you asked quietly. 

He shrugged. “It was… hard, at first. I hate to admit it, but Wyll and Karlach helped me… accept my circumstances. If not for them I probably would have been a wreck for much longer.”

You kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

“And I’ll forever hold a grudge.”

When you frowned, he smiled and tapped you playfully on the nose before he leaned down and nuzzled you. “I’m joking. You were trapped in another plane. I can hardly blame you.” He sighed. “It'd be nice if I could find a way to not burn in the sun. I haven't given up, but I've come to accept the shadows as a part of me.”

You smiled at him, so proud of his growth. So proud, in fact, that you hesitated to tell him that there might be a way. 

He picked up on your silence, however, as he searched your gaze. 

“You're thinking about something.” He tapped your forehead. “What did you learn in that Feywild?”

You swallowed. You hemmed and hawed. But finally, you decided to tell him, and trust him to make his own decision. 

“There might be a way to prevent you from burning in the sun.”

“Weren't you already doing that? Before”—he gestured with one hand—“you disappeared.”

You shook your head. “That wouldn't have lasted more than a day.” Mother chastised the hells out of me when I told her what I was trying to do. “There's… another way.”

He stared at you for a few moments, observing your expression. “You sound hesitant.”

You took a deep breath. “Because you’re not going to like it.”

“Try me.”

You wrung your hands nervously. “You… you’ll have to bind yourself to me. With a seal.”

“Oh. So like a warlock. Is that all?”

You looked at him in panic. He doesn’t understand. “It’s not the same! Because I’m not a full archfey, my… mortality… affects how the pact works.” 

He raised an eyebrow.

“It means that you are linking your life to mine and keeping me anchored to this plane so that I can stay in Toril when I use spells more powerful than a cantrip,” you quickly explained. “But I'm mortal. At some point, I'll pass away. And when that happens, your life, which is tied to mine, will end too.”

He was quiet for a moment. “And this will let me walk in the sun?”

You shrugged. “It might. My mother thinks it should, in theory. But she wasn’t sure because a vampire spawn has never contracted with an archfey before.” And an archfey would never contract with a vampire, but he doesn’t need to know that.

Astarion hummed in thought. After a few moments, he nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

You were a little shocked. “Wait, you’d bank your eternal life on a maybe?”

“I have the freedom to make my own choices.”

“But I’m mortal! You have forever—”

“I told you. I’m not afraid to die. But to live forever without you? I don't even want to consider it.”

Ugh, I knew he was impulsive. You swallowed. “This goes for me getting killed too.”

“Then I’ll just have to protect you.” He paused. “Does it work in reverse? If I’m killed…”

“I’d just be released from the pact,” you replied, noting that he sighed in relief at your answer. “Are you sure you want this?”

“Never been more sure of anything.” He took your hand. “So bind yourself to me.”

Smiling, tears in your eyes, you held his hands tightly. “We’ll have matching seals,” you said as one last ditch effort to get him to reconsider. “You’d have to live with that fashion faux pas for the rest of your life.”

“Hmm, well, when you put it that way…” He laughed. “Come now, do you honestly think a small thing like that will stop me from wanting this? When can we make our pact?”

“Erm…We can perform the ritual tonight, since it’s a full moon. Otherwise, you have to wait for the next one.” You wrung your hands again. “Are you sure?”

“Stop trying to delay this.” He tipped his head. “Unless, you don’t want this?”

“I…” You paused. Did you? Astarion waited patiently for your answer, but you could tell he was getting worried by your silence.

Do I want to be with him for the rest of my life? Yes. Of course I do.

You took a deep breath. “I want this. I just want to be sure that you do too.”

Astarion smiled. “I do.” He leaned in a bit. “So. How do we do this?”

You got up and led him to the bedroom.

“Oh, is this one of those sexy rituals?” he asked as you took off your shirt.

“Not really,” you half-lied, even though your mouth went dry when he followed suit and removed his own shirt. Gods, he really looks like he’s sculpted out of marble. You took off the rest of your clothes, dropping them on the ground before kneeling down on the cold stone floor in just your underwear. You patted the spot in front of you. “Kneel here, please.”

“So polite,” he said with a smirk as he removed the rest of his clothes and knelt before you. “Not that I mind, but why must we be dressed in only our underwear?”

“In case our clothes catch on fire.”

He raised an eyebrow. 

You shrugged. “We’ll be fine. I think.”

Astarion let out a soft huff. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“No.”

He blinked. Then he shrugged. “Well then. I guess we’ll fumble through this together.”

You slowly straddled his lap, his eyes going wide for a moment, but he didn’t stop you. You took his hands and placed his right palm against the small of your back, his left hand covering his right. You did the same to him.

“Whatever happens, whatever burning sensation you feel, don’t let go.”

He nodded, understanding. Staring into his eyes, you began to sing.

My strength will be yours

Within this seal I weave onto thee

Our hearts will combine into one

I will forever be with you

Tonight, our souls meld

Our fates aligned by breath and by blood

Let our lives be ever intertwined

Bind us always in starlight.

Astarion winced as the rune began to take hold on the small of his back underneath your palm. You could feel the same rune on your own skin, like a burning quill, drawing an intricate pattern into your flesh. When you felt the circle finish, you let out a sigh of relief.

“It is done,” you said, leaning back and moving your hands to his shoulders. “You want to see?”

He nodded, and you got off his lap and turned around. Reaching down, he traced the circle’s lines with his fingers. “And the same rune is on me?”

“Should be,” you said, shifting around to kneel behind him. “Yeah,” you confirmed as you touched the light silver-blue seal. “We match.”

He turned towards you, and you realized with a sudden rush of heat to your cheeks that he was quite happy. His exuberance was making a sizable bulge in his underwear.

“Darling,” he purred, leaning closer. “Perhaps we should celebrate.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before cupping your cheek. “We’ve yet to enjoy each other, now that the world is no longer coming to an end.”

Yes, it was time. A mixture of eagerness and nerves made you tremble slightly as you nodded.

Astarion smiled and stood, holding his hand out to you to help you up. Hand in hand, he led you to his luxurious bed, playfully pushing you down and straddling your thighs. You expected him to lean down and kiss you. Instead, he took your hands in his.

“This will be a first, being with someone I truly care about.” He held your hands delicately, as if you would break under the slightest pressure. “I don't even know where to begin.”

“We could start with a kiss, perhaps.” You smiled shyly up at him. “This is new to me too.”

His eyes widened, but you quickly clarified. “I've had a few awkward fumblings hidden away in closets and storage rooms, nothing… Real.”

“Oh darling,” he said, sounding eager. “Then consider this your real first night.”

He kissed each of your hands tenderly before setting them down gingerly beside you. His gaze became intense as he leaned down, his body covering yours. You reached up and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, feeling his sculpted muscles, his smooth skin. When your lips met, he let out a soft moan as he slowly drew out the kiss, gently nibbling your lower lip before coaxing your mouth open. Your tongues met, hesitantly at first, but the kiss grew deeper, your breaths quicker as his hips moved against yours.

Your legs opened on their own, just so you could feel the brush of his body against you more intimately. As he leaned down to nuzzle your neck, he hooked his hand under your knee and spread your legs even wider.

“My sweet witch,” he murmured in your ear before playfully biting your earlobe. “Will you give me a treat?”

“Did you say please?”

He smirked. “Please,” he asked in a low tone.

“Alright, since you asked nicely,” you replied breathlessly. 

He let out a deep, knowing laugh before he let his fangs graze along the sensitive skin of your neck. “Gods, I’ve missed you,” he rasped before he bit down.

You let out a soft cry as the pain and pleasure mixed in your mind. His hips rolled, rubbing himself against you in a most pleasurable rhythm, and you lifted your own hips to meet his pace, the thin cloth of your panties growing wet. To your surprise, he released you from his bite after only a small taste, kissing your wound before lifting himself up to meet your gaze.

“Saving some for later,” he said when you gave him a questioning look. His eyes fluttered shut as he licked a drop of blood from his lips. “I want you fully awake for what I’m about to do to you.”

Your cheeks heated with the implication. Oh goodness. 

His hands grazed the neckline of your bra, his finger lingering at the laces that kept it intact. “Shall I take these off for you, my dear?”

“If you can,” you said with some sass.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Perhaps.”

His eyes narrowed as he deftly undid the laces with one graceful pull. “Easy,” he purred as he lowered his head to nuzzle between your bare breasts. His gaze stayed on yours as he lightly skimmed his fangs across your skin before taking a nipple between his lips. As he gently sucked and pulled on one, he teased the other with his forefinger and thumb.

You let out a pathetic little moan. 

He chuckled. “Sensitive, are we?” Shimmying down your body and laying kisses as he went, his lips reached the hem of your panties. Without breaking eye contact, he bit the fabric and pulled it halfway down your thighs.

“You’re already so wet, my love,” he murmured as he propped your ankles over his shoulder. “Are you so eager for my touch?”

You were. You could feel his lust, pulsing like a living thing, and it was doubling your own desire. “Feeling how much you want me is heating me up so much.”

He grinned as he pulled your panties off and flung them over his shoulder. Then he held your legs against his chest, pressing his cheek to your calf. He closed his eyes for a moment before turning his head to kiss it tenderly. “Good. I want you to feel every bit of it.”

Taking your legs off his shoulder, he spread you wide. Bending down, Astarion laid a trail of kisses up your inner thigh. With his face between your legs, he grinned. “All of that nectar, just for me.”

You forgot how to breathe when you felt his tongue against your core. He masterfully pleasured you, alternating between delicate licks and taking in your bud between his lips and sucking hard enough to make you scream. He was making your insides coil up, the tension building with each touch.

He brushed against your folds with his finger, caressing your bud with his thumb as he moved up your body, kissing a wet trail up your stomach, around the curves of your breasts, along your collarbone. He nibbled playfully at your neck before lifting himself up on one elbow to look down at you.

You felt his finger penetrate you as he stared, watching your reaction. 

You gasped as he pushed deeper.

“Darling, you’ll need to loosen up,” he teased. “Or I’ll never fit.”

Oh gods. Your breathing hitched at the thought.

“Did the thought excite you?” He pressed another finger into you. “Of me spreading you open, taking you, claiming you?”

You whimpered with need.

He laughed, low and deep. His fingers moved faster, his thumb stroking your core with more pressure. He watched you carefully, making sure every touch brought you to greater and greater heights, until you felt the dam finally burst under all the delicious pressure. Pure bliss flooded your body, and you let out a strangled cry.

“Astarion!”

“Good girl,” he murmured. “So good, coming for me.”

Then he slipped a third finger inside of you while you were still spasming, and you shook with the intrusion. He continued to pump his fingers in and out of you, slowing his strokes as you came down from your high. You spread your legs wider for him, your hips jerking forward to meet his hand.

“Who knew? My sweet little witch was secretly a wanton temptress.” Kissing the corner of your lips, Astarion pushed himself completely up and away from you with a knowing smirk. With your eyes glued to him, he peeled off his underwear.

Your eyes must have bugged out, because his smirk became extra arrogant. “Like what you see, my sweet?”

You nodded. But you were a little concerned. He’ll never fit.

As he crawled back over you, he tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I can’t wait to sink into you. I’ve been waiting forever for this.” He kissed you again. “Waiting forever for you.”

You felt the tip of him nudging your entrance.

Oh my goodness. He’s…

He pushed. You winced. He stopped.

“Deep breath, darling.”

You obeyed.

“That’s it, that’s my sweet love,” he coaxed as he pushed a little further inside. “You feel so good, better than heaven.”

He slowly rolled his hips in a steady rhythm, and with every stroke, he sank a little deeper into you.

Fuck, he is so thick, he’s splitting me open.

His attention was so hyper focused on you that when he finally hilted inside of you, he paused, watching you squirm underneath him, his mouth slightly open as if he wanted to take a bite.

“Look at you, so helpless under me,” he murmured. “Giving me your trust.” He kissed your cheek tenderly. “You do trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course,” you said in a breathy voice. “Make love to me.”

He laughed softly. “I was going to use the word ‘fuck’, but if you want it sweet and gentle, I can do that for you.”

His hips rolled slowly as he built up a steady rhythm, making sure you felt every inch of him as he showed you how much he loved you.

But after a few minutes, you could tell he was ebbing in and out of being present, and you held his face in your hands. “Astarion?” you asked gently.

He blinked, his gaze refocusing on yours. “I’m here, my love.”

Something isn’t right. This isn’t quite what he wants. “What do you want to do?”

Astarion glanced away for a moment before giving you a smile that you knew was a lie. “Whatever you want to do.”

You ran your hands through his hair soothingly. “I want you to be happy. I want you to tell me how you want to make love to me.”

He stared at you for a moment, his hips slowing and finally resting himself inside of you. “I…” He trailed off, swallowed, and tried again. “I’ve always had to… perform, for the sake of others. But with you… I just want to ravish you, darling.” He leaned down and nuzzled your cheek. “But I don’t want to hurt you, either.”

You could feel the hot pulse of his desire and shivered with the depth of his need for you. Oh. Oh my.

Astarion lovingly kissed your jawline. “I want to fuck you so hard you forget where you end and I begin. I want to be so lost inside of you that I never want to return.”

With a fluttering breath, you wrapped your legs around his waist and dug your ankles into the back of his thighs. “Then take me the way you want to,” you whispered.

He lifted himself up onto his haunches and grabbed your hips. You only had a split second to realize what his smirk meant before he rocked his hips and slammed into you, pushing all the air from your lungs. You gasped and began to make helpless, breathy noises as he fucked you as hard as he promised. He reached down with one hand and cupped your cheek tenderly, a clear contradiction to his ravishing thrusts.

“You make me so happy,” he said before he fell upon you again, slipping one hand between your bodies. His fingers rubbed your core as he nestled his head on your shoulder. You could feel his breath against your neck as he spoke.

“Will you let me bite you when you come?”

“Yes,” you breathed, unable to deny him anything.

“Thank you,” he said against your skin, his tongue flicking out as if he was tasting your skin, preparing to bite. He pressed his lips against your pulse and kissed you gently, even as he was thrusting into you even harder and faster, making his eagerness to both come and to drink from you readily apparent.

You were out of breath with his continuous pounding, so you reached up and touched his cheek, just as he looked directly at you. A blast of passion came through your empathy, and you moaned helplessly from its onslaught, the intensity of his gaze making your heart thump even quicker.

He smiled knowingly. “I just felt you tremble around me. You’re close, aren’t you?”

You nodded, unable to use your voice.

He gave you quite possibly the sexiest little grin before taking you with even more vigor, stroking you rapidly. “Good girl. Come for me, please,” he rumbled.

For whatever reason, that was enough to make your body ignite. You swear you saw fireworks behind your eyes as your climax took you hard, shaking you down, making you scream out Astarion’s name over and over like a prayer.

He purred more praises, coaxing you through your completion. You looked at him in a haze of bliss and noticed his pupils were blown out. 

“My sweet treat,” he murmured before he licked your pulse and bit down on your neck.

Your vision went black, then pure white in half as many moments. Pleasure erupted from your neck and your core, and you swear you came again, your channel throbbing and squeezing around him.

Distantly, you could feel him letting go of your neck, hear him cry out as he thrust once, twice, thrice more before stilling, his hips crushing yours against the mattress.

“Fuck,” he rasped, staring down at you. “You are fucking amazing.”

He rolled over and took you with him, draping you over his body as you caught your breath. When you finally looked up at him, you noticed he was staring through you. Reaching up, you cupped his cheek.

“Are you with me?”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, even though he didn’t need to. Perhaps it was the comfort of the motion, since his body didn’t need the air. When he opened his eyes once more, they were solidly focused on yours.

“Yes. I’m here with you,” he whispered as he leaned his cheek into your touch.

You knew he was telling you the truth, that his mind was in the present. You could feel that bubbling affection, a fountain of fondness that enveloped you, made you feel cared for, made you feel seen. “Will you be alright?”

His smile flickered for a moment. “There were a few moments when… I wasn’t here. But I came back on my own. It… may take a bit of time, but I think I’ll be alright.” He hugged you tight. “As long as I have you to return to.”

You hugged him back. “I’m glad. I’ll do whatever it takes to help.”

“I know, darling.” He brought your forehead against his and took a deep breath again. When he looked up at you, his smile was genuine in its softness. “I love you. And I’ll always love you, until the very end.”

***

You woke in the morning, your neck and, well, your whole body sore. You could hear sounds coming from the washroom and knew Astarion was primping for the new day. 

Wait. Day? 

You immediately sat up, and immediately regretted it as the blood rushed from your head. Groaning in discomfort, you slowly keeled over and held your head. 

You could hear Astarion walking over and sitting on the bed next to you. When you raised your head, he was holding a potion out to you. 

“Drink this. You'll feel better.”

You gratefully took the bottle and drank it in one gulp. “Oof, this potion tastes like iron shavings and over-cooked mushrooms.” You blinked. “Huh, but my head feels much better.”

Astarion was looking at you with a withering glare. “I made that just for you, you know. It's not my fault your journal didn't have better instructions.”

You looked at him in surprise. “You kept my things?”

“Well, of course. Who else would have them?” 

You shrugged. “I don't know, I thought…” You paused. You didn't want to tell him that you thought only Shadowheart would have remembered to grab your pack. “Well, I don't know.”

Astarion continued to stare at you until you began to fidget under his scrutiny. “I know you're lying, but it doesn't matter. What does matter is that I have your things, and that your potions journal is impossible to decipher.”

You could only laugh; you had written your apothecary notes in a shorthand that only you knew. You were honestly impressed he got as far as figuring out the base ingredients for your headache potion.

He put his hands on his hips. “Well, now that you're feeling better, let's go face the new day, shall we?”

Day. Daylight. You panicked. 

“What's wrong, darling? Afraid it might not work?” 

“Of course I’m afraid! I was told it could work, not that it would.”

“Only one way to find out.” He scooped up your clothes and tossed them at you with a ‘hurry up’ gesture. The moment you were done pulling your clothes on, he took your hand and dragged you up the stairs. You followed him to the shades in front of the window.

He stared at the draperies for a few moments before turning to you. “Ready?”

You hesitated. 

Astarion stepped closer to you and pulled you into his arms. “Whatever happens, whether this works or not, I won't regret bonding with you.” 

How did he know what I was thinking? Somehow, he had soothed your worries with just the right thing to say. You took a deep breath. “Alright. The moment you start to burn, I'm closing them.”

He nodded. 

You pulled the drapes open. The sunlight made a sharp rectangle on the stone floor. 

Slowly Astarion began to approach. As the light shone onto his face, you held your breath. 

Seconds passed. Then a full minute. 

And he did not burn.

He turned around to face you, his beatific smile nearly as blinding as the morning sun. “Darling, I can feel the sun again,” he purred as he walked back to you. “I believe this is cause for celebration.”

With that, he dragged you back downstairs and kept you busy long enough that he didn’t get to enjoy the sun any further that day.

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

Act III, Chapter 6 End notes: Whew, finally! Haha, I felt a little strange, writing a love scene for a different fandom and different characters, but I hope this was steamy for everyone. This is technically the end of the main story, but I’ve got an epilogue for y’all, aligning with the epilogue in the game, so hopefully that’ll be a nice cap to the end of the story.

The binding spell is sung here. Please forgive my terrible singing, haha.

Tags List: @numblytemporary @xalphafox @avitute @stormyjane7 @kmoon21

[whorelyyy]

I guess you really do have to leave the house to meet people...

Today, she was going to enjoy herself—her weekend. She remembered seeing a thrift store with a café in the next town over. A budget-friendly shopping spree? Yes, please, Raz thought excitedly as she headed out the door.

She hurried into the car, blasting her favorite songs on repeat and singing along loudly. Who didn’t love a little pump-up mix moment? About 15 minutes later, Raz parked and walked into the thrift store, Thrifttea. She grabbed a raspberry boba tea and started browsing the racks. She was determined to find something cute today.

She sipped her boba while going through the first few racks. Nothing stood out yet, but she wasn’t worried. She had a feeling a good find was coming. Moving to the other side of the store, she heard a voice behind her.

“I love your outfit! I have the same top, but in black. Did you get it from Bullet?”

Surprised, Raz turned and smiled. “Yeah! I just got it—the set, actually.” She motioned to her matching skirt and continued, “I’m a sucker for a matching set. Plus, I saw Yeliah from Kept Woman wearing something similar, so I had to. And less thinking,” Raz laughed softly, “gotta love an automatic outfit.”

The woman’s beautiful husky voice responded through giggles, “An automatic outfit—I love that. I could use something like that. I always make such a mess putting together outfits, littering my room with every piece of clothing I own.” She smiled and added, “I’m Elena, by the way.”

Raz smiled back. “Elena, that’s a pretty name. I’m Raz.”

“Thank you, it’s a family name,” Elena replied with a shrug and a smile. “Nice to meet you, Raz.”

“You too,” Raz said, smiling.

“So, great taste in clothes and music? I love Kept Woman. I got to see them on their last tour, Why Is This. Were you there too?” Elena asked.

“Ugh, I wish! I’m new to the area, and I would’ve killed to see them live. You’re so lucky!” Raz gushed.

“A crime! I hope they tour again so you can catch them. Yeliah is such a powerhouse,” Elena said.

“Fingers crossed,” Raz giggled and added, “Do you know of any other good shows coming up soon?”

Elena paused for a second, thinking, then excitedly replied, “Actually, tonight at my work, DJ Free Fears is playing. I’ve seen him a few times in San Myshuno—you should totally come! I can even get you in for free.”

“Oh my god, I would love that! Thank you so much!” Raz continued eagerly, “I can totally pay for my ticket though—”

Before she could finish, Elena cut her off. “No way! I get free tickets to events. It’s no big deal, I promise. Plus, you seem cool, Raz. I want to get to know you better.”

Raz felt her smile grow, her cheeks flushing. “At least let me buy you a boba. What flavor do you want?”

Elena grinned and laughed. “I’ll take a black milk tea.”

Raz beamed as she made her way over to the counter. “Perfect.”

Raz ordered Elena’s tea, and the two found a table to sit and chat. The conversation flowed easily, and they quickly discovered how much they had in common. They both loved the same music, studied business in college, and hadn’t finished their degrees. The similarities just kept coming. It was nice, Raz thought, to have someone to talk to like this. She really liked Elena—she was witty, kind, and easy to talk to. Raz hoped this friendship would stick.

Hours passed without them realizing, and before they left the shop, Elena made sure they exchanged numbers. As they stepped outside, Elena quickly typed something on her phone.

“Okay, I just sent you my work address. It’s a club over in Windenburg. I’ll be working, so I’ll have to do bottle service when people order, but I should have time to hang out too!” Elena looked up at Raz with a smile. “Text me if you need anything!”

Raz’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I can’t wait! Thank you so much again, Elena. Meeting you feels like serendipity.”

Elena smiled warmly and pulled Raz in for a hug. “I agree.” As she started walking toward her car, she called over her shoulder with a goofy grin, “Get ready to party, girly!” mimicking drinking from an invisible bottle.

Raz laughed enthusiastically. “I’ll see you later!” she called after her, still smiling.

[randomshipperhere]

The 31 Days Before In Space With Markiplier

!!🧹CLEANING OUT DRAFTS WRITTEN IN LIKE 2022. Posted as is last written🧹!!

A recap of what happened in the one month before the release that is more or less related to ISWM. Open to any missed info and note.

I used my time zone for this so some events may have happened hours earlier or later for others. That and also the date I found certain posts. So you have to keep those two factors in mind while reading through. Also minor note is that I write them on the day and once it’s over I do not mess with previous entries.

This post is for fandom historical purposes or in case someone needs a refresher in the future or someone is feeling nostalgic.

March 5, 2022: Mark released the official trailer for In Space with Markiplier.

He has replied to tweets, and reblogged stuff on tumblr. If you look at the keywords for the trailer, he was cheeky and typed “you’re looking for an easter egg aren’t you?”. No need to call us out.

2 Major fan agreements: Chica is seen as the most important part of the trailer, and we aren’t qualified enough to run a spaceship.

March 6, 2022: He is seen in multiple comments section of ISWM trailer reaction videos on youtube. Pretty active on social media probably reading fan reactions on all platforms he knows. Like a lurker. 

March 7, 2022: Unrelated but it sparked discussion. Matpat made a Game Theory video of Mark’s ideal Pokemon. 

March 8, 2022: Some memes about how ISWM is free and not paid got popular. Not sure the origin date of this fandom meme but he does go on a rant in “nothing strange is happening here.” about being confused why people think Distractible Podcast was paid.

March 9, 2022: Mark has interacted with his fans on twitter. Gave the fans a scare.

A fan announcement is released to change names and locations when ISWM drops. Mark himself liked an earlier version of the tweet.

Unrelated to ISWM but related to fandom matters. 10 Minute Power Hour - Season 2 Trailer on The Grumps youtube channel was posted. I’ve heard that marktwt ended up having to see his ass on their timelines for a few days. Cannot confirm nor deny.

March 10, 2022: Cursed stream. Watching the Same Video 100 Times. He has way too high of a charisma stat that there was a good amount of people went along with this insane stream from start to finish. He had a very Actor-esque monologue in the middle and got permission to show BTS photos (say Thanks Amy). Live viewers was consistently around 25k.

This is the day a good amount of the fans decided we will give him hell when the show comes out.

March 11, 2022: I’m not sure why but the Markiplier fandom on tumblr decided to make some Bald Mark edits.

March 12, 2022: The Test 2. Timestamp: 51:34. It’s another tease for ISWM but this is from the last frame of Everything has to begin with the date release from the ISWM trailer.

March 13, 2022: Not much outside of some fans making a copypasta. “Hello. This is Markiplier. I have been logged out of my main account and I need your credit card information so I can keep making Youtube Let's Plays.”

There are variations but the main content of the copypasta is the same. Mick also posted this on his twitter.

March 14, 2022:  Mark did a livestream “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2: REVISITED”. It managed to reach over 100k viewers live on average (probably, I was only there in the last 50 minutes). For whoever needs it. He likes being called a himbo.

March 15 & 16, 2022: Nothing noteworthy to say about these days.

March 17, 2022: Since so much nothing has happened. I’ll report that Mark uploaded Assessment Examination. Cursed Thumbnail BTW. Thanks, I hate it.

March 18, 2022: Nothing to note.

March 19, 2022: Mark went live. FNAF 3 Revisited. He mentions 1928 so WKM fans are triggered. Also briefly explains why he hasn’t been active.

March 20, 2022: Mark retweets this. 

March 21, 2022: Mark went live. FNAF 4 Revisited. I find it funny that if you ctrl+u and searched for the keywords he just keeps adding instead of changing things around. First one I didn’t get to watch live.

March 22, 2022: The Grumps: 10 Minute Power Hour. Our [REDACTED] boys doing chaotic things as usual. 2 weeks left before release, I’m assuming Mark will start messing with the fandom big time when there’s only a week left.

Mark went live and streamed Sister Location. Peaked at 106k viewers. He’s still adding keywords there.

March 23 & 24, 2022: Please move on to the next date.

March 25, 2022: On youtube, Mark started a premiere countdown.  Mark retweeted 2 fan arts on twitter. Then he had a bit too much fun over on tiktok.

March 26, 27, and 28, 2022: Please move on to the next interesting date. I guess instead of just the trailer thumbnail, we had the trailer playing too.

March 29, 2022: DING! DING! DING! DING! Something finally happened! One of the captains found a link to an unlisted video because their premiere glitched. It’s mostly the same. The only thing that has changed is that the slap is in reverse. Here is the link and from unlisted it went to private. So that link is useless now but hey, at least we have the URL.

He really played us like that huh...

March 30, 2022: Because timezones are a thing, I’m writing the part 2 here. A couple of our fellow captains found 2 codes from the video. One and two. The first one has an update. First link references Venus, and the second link is with Zeus so Jupiter. This amazing captain has a pretty solid idea. Whether this will be true or not is up to the future.

Thumbnail changes are also happening. Mark is also messing with the polls. Three times actually.

Mark liked this post on twitter.

(kinda lumped them together because I was still looking for posts of peeps trying to figure this stuff out.)

March 31, 2022: Knock! Knock! 3rd edit has us shown a robot and a new set of codes. This time it’s for Kronos aka Saturn. Differences for today’s trailer. Theory of possible upcoming codes. Link to the video that is now privated. Thumbnail change is even more fucked up with the mouth erased.

April 1, 2022: Captain Atterid with updated code results. Also better compilation post of trailer thumbnail changes. Mark changed the thumbnail for April Fools. He also seemed to stop creating a poll asking whether we had reminders on.

It was Ares this time around. Theory for upcoming planets as well.

April 2, 2022:

.

April 3, 2022:

.

April 4, 2022:

.

April 5, 2022: In Space With Markiplier releases in my time zone :)

Happy Space Expeditions fellow Captains!

.

In order: Aphrodite-Venus, Zeus-Jupiter, Kronus-Saturn, Poseidon- Neptune, Ares- Mars,

March 22: I’m assuming Mark will start messing with the fandom big time when there’s only a week left.

Hey I got it right!

[threadandlace]

Seamstress for the Band- Seamstress for the Band series, part one (4.0k)- REPOST

After being a complete idiot and deleting the ENTIRETY of my account (not just my secondary blog), I am back at ground zero. So, here is Seamstress once again!

Writer’s note: Before Sacred the Thread, Starcatcher, even my own DIG concerts, I heard Tiny Dancer by Elton John and decided to focus on what I really loved about Greta Van Fleet- their stage costumes in all their glory and the stories behind them. This story has been a labor of love over the past six months and I’m really excited to share it. I’ll warn you that this is a behemoth of a story, with 15 parts and set to be released on Tuesdays and Saturdays. And a reminder- it’s fiction, take it all with a grain of salt! Enjoy!

“Listen, I think this is going to be a really good gig for you. Plus, they specifically requested you to come along. And it’s going to pay well! I really don’t get why you aren’t more excited.”

You glanced up from the wine you were swirling in your glass. Your eyes fell on your best friend, Jen, who sat perched on the dark green velvet couch. She looked especially bird-like today, wearing some sort of feather-covered coat that hung loosely on her sharp frame. You shook your head as you took her words into consideration. “Jen, I’ve never traveled with a band. Made adjustments on the fly, changed outfits last minute on the road. I really think this is more of a challenge than I’m up for.” 

She took a deep sip of her wine, sliding down into the couch and leaning her head back as she considered her response. Not only was Jen your best friend, she was also your business partner. You’d gone to the Fashion Institute of Technology together, living and exploring New York side by side while perfecting your craft. Jen had a keen eye for patterns and colors, you for silhouettes and shapes. Together you were unstoppable in the fashion world, although you were both new to the professional scene. You’d both moved to Nashville shortly after graduating, opting for a tiny 2-bedroom apartment with smoke damage, a non-refundable down-payment, and a suspicious tenant across the hall for a chance to make it. 

Now, 2 years later, you were seated across from each other in the small warehouse you were able to find and put a deposit on. It was an older building, but spacious, and the light was good. You’d dug into your fascination with architecture and had worked to create the perfect space for the two of you to live and work. The main floor was what you’d typically expect of an industrial design space- concrete floors, large workbenches with room to draft, open space with tall walls covered in fabrics and trimmings all painstakingly organized and categorized. Against the far wall, you had a sitting area that doubled as your living room. Through a large archway was the kitchen, which had more of a home-y feel to it. A spiral staircase was erected beside the arch, leading from the main floor to the second which contained your respective rooms and bathrooms laid out along a platform. You had both worked hard to get to this point- countless hours of working multiple jobs, spending your regular 9-5 life in the service industry (Jen at a local coffee shop, you at a craft store) before coming home and spending your 5-9 working on elaborate costumes and clothing designs. You had gained traction by reaching out to local bands and assisting with festivals, working to get your name and portfolio out. Jen had taken to high fashion, aspiring for the runway while you worked on making costumes that told a story as rich as the music being played by those wearing your designs.

“Look,” Jen continued, snapping you out of your walk down memory lane. “You guys have all worked together well so far, and they’re so hands-on. It’ll be a piece of cake. You can absolutely do this, stop over-thinking.” She stood up from her spot on the couch, peeling her feathery coat off and dropping it onto the couch behind her. “Enough of your anxiety. I’m going to bed and you better be ready for me to drop you off at the pickup point tomorrow morning,” Jen said, bending to give you a quick peck on your cheek. You watched her sashay up the stairs and down the runway, throwing you one last theatrical kiss before disappearing behind the stained glass door of her bedroom. 

You chuckled to yourself as you rose from your position seated on a plush purple loveseat. You took the last few sips of your wine as you surveyed the racks of clothing against the wall. You’d worked tirelessly on the first pieces for the band you were working with on their upcoming tour. They’d released their fourth studio album a few months earlier and were hitting the road again after a well-deserved hiatus. They’d approached you after the band’s singer had seen some of your work at a local bar, where the lead singer for a C-list band had worn your jumpsuit. It had been elaborate and flashy, exactly what the frontman, Josh, had been looking for. You chuckled to yourself as you ran your hand over his newest costume- a black jumpsuit with a deep, curved neckline and green crystals strategically placed all over. The suit was heavy- you’d used actual crystals that the two of you had picked out at a local shop and painstakingly sourced. This group was big on sourcing ethically and making unique items that told a story, something you resonated with deeply.

You gaze shifted to the other sets of clothes, all neatly labeled and hung on the rack. The tour had an overarching theme, all of it loosely connected to the tone from their newest album. The previous album and tour had a more dreamy, psychedelic vibe that was full of shades of silver and white. The new album and tour was more established in the folk genre as they went back to their roots, focusing on acoustic sound and continuing with a mystical rock feel. All of the outfits needed to be consistent with both the new tour and album, but also cohesive with the old album and tour. You’d worked closely with the group’s past designers, making sure you fully understood their thoughts behind each design and had their blessing to use variations for your creations. 

You ran your hand along the drummer, Danny’s, top for the opening set. It was a semi-sheer blouse with intricate silver designs with both lace and beading work. You picked at a loose thread, a twinge of panic shooting through your stomach as you realized there was a slight error with the lace on a corner of the sleeve. You closed your eyes and tilted your head back, taking a deep breath before dropping the sleeve and turning on your heel and heading into the kitchen. You placed your wine glass into the sink, placing your palms onto the cool surface of the granite countertop. You took another deep breath and reminded yourself that you’d have to do a lot of last minute fixes tomorrow- clothes always had issues after being transported. You’d fix the issue then, no big deal. You worked your way up to your room, forcing yourself to ignore the clothes on the rack, suddenly screaming at you with glaring imperfections. 

_________________________________________

“Bitch, you better be awake!” You jerked awake at the sound of Jen’s voice, shrill and threatening as she yelled from outside your door. You grabbed for your phone, checking the time. “Oh shit!” you moaned as you rolled out of bed, the sheets still tangled around you. You had 10 minutes before you needed to leave in order to make it to the pickup point on time. You ran into your bathroom, glancing at yourself in the mirror as you squirted some toothpaste onto your toothbrush and popped it into your mouth. You leaned forward, doing a double take. You looked rough. Really rough. You hadn’t drank much the night before, but it was enough to leave your skin slightly blotchy and your eyes bloodshot with leftover mascara crusted on your lids. The redness was likely a direct result of staying up way too early into the morning, researching everything you could about the four men you’d be working for. 

“Fucking shit,” you whispered to yourself as you went through the motions of making yourself more presentable- brushing your teeth, running a brush quickly through your hair and scrubbing off yesterday’s makeup. You threw your pajamas into the hamper before sliding on the outfit you’d (luckily) picked out the afternoon before- a pair of loose, straight leg copper-colored pants that you paired with a black crop top and your favorite jean jacket. The jacket had been a labor of love and was covered in various patches and buttons from places you’d been with an intricate embroidered design on the back. It had been with you since you’d graduated high school and you’d slowly added more to it over the years, each stitch symbolic. You twisted your hair into a claw clip and quickly put on a few coats of mascara and deodorant before grabbing your worn, checkered vans, making a choice for comfort over style. 

You chucked your remaining toiletries into the open bag on your counter and shoved it into your suitcase before zipping it closed. You’d luckily always been good at packing and did so well in advance. You were especially pleased with this habit considering you were rolling your suitcase to the stairs with just minutes to spare before you had to leave. 

“Morning babes,” Jen said as she pressed your favorite travel mug into your hand and grabbed the last of your equipment from beside the front door. Jen was a morning person, and as much as it could drive you crazy, it was times like these where you thanked the universe for leading you to each other. You took a quick sip of the coffee she’d made, taking a moment to savor the taste. You knew it’d be a while before you’d be able to have another one of Jen’s perfectly crafted coffees. 

You let the wave of sadness wash over you as you watched Jen carefully load your supplies into the trunk of her Wrangler. She looked up and caught your eye, motioning for you. “Get out here and put your suitcase in! We need to go!” she said, hurrying towards you. You laughed as she dragged you out of the door, turning to quickly lock it behind you as you rolled out your suitcase. You hopped in the front seat, nearly squishing the breakfast sandwich she’d made for you that was sitting on the front seat, wrapped neatly in a paper towel. You looked down at the sandwich teary-eyed as she joined you in the front, clicking her seatbelt on with one swift motion. “Are you gonna eat that or get all sappy on me?” she said, jabbing you in the ribs with her pointy elbow as she started the car. You let out a chuckle and shook your head, “I’m gonna miss you so much. You’re incredibly overbearing, but I love you so bad.” She gave you her signature megawatt smile and chuckled, “you’ll be home for a break in like, two weeks. That’s nothing. And I’ll call you all day every day.” She paused as she put the car into reverse. “Besides,” she continued, turning to check the road behind you, “you’re gonna need to talk to me all the time. For ideas.” You both laughed as she headed towards the pickup point. 

Jen pulled her car into the lot which was empty except for three large tour buses, a handful of vans and a few cars. You watched as people worked quickly to move luggage to and from the various vehicles. Jen pulled up to a woman holding a clipboard and rolled her window down. “Hey, we are with wardrobe, where should we go to load stuff?” Jen asked, gesturing to the stuff in the back of the car. The woman leaned down and smiled at you. “Oh, hey Emily! Good morning!” you said, recognizing her as the women that was almost single-handedly running this entire production. Emily turned and gestured to the middle bus, “that will be your workshop. I’ll send a couple of guys to help you unload.” You and Jen nodded and thanked Emily before Jen pulled around to park beside the bus. You grabbed your backpack and slung it across your shoulder before reaching back into the car to grab your coffee. “Let’s see what we are working with before we unload,” you said to Jen, gesturing to the bus. You both walked over to the door, which slid open with a pneumatic hiss. 

“Good morning ladies!” An older gentleman wearing a ball cap with bushy white hair poking out leaned down to greet you. He stuck out his hand as you climbed the stairs onto the bus and shook your hand, “I’m Albert! I’ll be your driver for the tour, God willing!” You introduced yourself and Jen, noting that only you’d be staying on. Albert nodded, and pointed towards the back of the bus, “y’all go check it out. They really put together quite a space for you.” 

You were shocked when you walked into the middle portion of the bus. There were benches under the windows on either side of the bus and the middle of the bus held a large, blank table. Towards the back of the bus was a desk with sewing and embroidery machines and shelves with all the tools you could possibly need. You ran your hand over the supplies, noting how they’d taken your suggestions for what you’d need for a mobile studio and exceeding your every expectation. On the wall behind the desk there was a large cork board covered in push pins, ready to be used. There was a small bathroom and across from it there was a large, open wardrobe area with slots for shoes under a large, empty rack. On the back wall and behind a curtain, there were two twin bunks. You set your backpack down on the bottom bunk before turning to Jen. 

Both you and Jen were in awe at the space. They’d thought of everything and the workspace felt huge, despite being enclosed in a bus. “This is gonna be a great gig,” Jen said, motioning to the space. You nodded, the excitement and astonishment rendering you speechless. 

“So, what do you think? Will this do for our seamstress?” You and Jen both jumped before turning around. The band’s frontman, Josh, was leaning against the wall in the hallway, his younger brother Sam standing behind him, inspecting the temperature gauge. You smiled warmly and nodded, suddenly shy. Jen sensed your awkwardness and rushed forward to introduce herself. 

“I’m Jen, I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m her other half, but the high fashion side,” Jen said, shaking Josh and Sam’s hands. “I’m Josh, and this is my little brother Sammy,” Josh said, giving her hand a squeeze before nudging Sam forward to do the same. “Oh, I definitely know who you guys are. You-” Jen paused and gestured to Josh, “have come a long way fashion-wise. I’d love to talk to whoever styled you in the early days. They need some serious help.” Josh laughed deeply before shaking his head, “Well, our grandma helped us originally, and we picked out a lot of our outfits, but I whole-heartedly agree.” Jen nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder “the open vests were a look though. And the low cut jeans.” Jen turned to look at you “you guys should bring back those jeans. The fans would get a kick out of that.” You all laughed at the thought. You shook your head, “no jeans this tour, but we are changing it up a little bit. You’ve seen the sketches though so you should know, Jen.” “The sketches! We need to get all your crap before Albert takes off to-” Jen paused for a moment, thinking, “wherever the fuck you guys are headed.” “Michigan,” Sam said with a smile. “That’s where we are from so we like to start out up there for a few shows.” You and Jen nodded. “I love that,” you finally said, giving the two men a smile. Josh motioned behind him towards the front of the bus and you nodded again, the four of you turning to head outside. 

Albert was sitting in the driver’s seat reading a book when you made it back to the front of the bus. He stood and placed the book on the dashboard before opening the door of the bus. The five of you stepped down onto the asphalt and headed to the back of Jen’s Jeep. “I didn’t think the talent typically helped load,” you said as you opened the trunk. “Well, all of our people are busy moving our stuff, so we can help. Nothing else to do,” Josh said with a smile. Sam, Josh and Albert listened to you and Jen explain where things needed to go in the bus, the three men nodding occasionally in response. 

You stepped to open the door to the backseat to get the garments that were hung. Sam stood behind you and reached out to help carry some of the clothes, taking care to hold onto the hangers carefully and not rustle the outfits too much. You turned to grab the last set and felt a strong hand rest on your shoulder. You turned and looked up to see Danny, the drummer, smiling at you with his hand out, ready to take the clothes from you. “Good to see you! Welcome aboard!” he smiled at you as you handed him the clothing, his eyes crinkling slightly. You watched as he walked towards the bus, his curls bouncing slightly as he walked. Jen slid in next to you before whispering, “he sure is handsome.” You laughed and turned to her. “You haven’t met Jake yet. He’s the crowd favorite.” 

As if on cue, Jake walked up from the other side of the car. “You called?” he said, giving you both a sly grin. You felt your face turn bright red as you turned to grab more clothes from the car. Jen jumped forward, her extroverted and naturally flirty personality taking over. “She wasn’t kidding, I can see the appeal. You must be the guitarist too, such talent. Your suits,” Jen paused to reach out and touch the embellished details on a suit jacket you were holding, “has sent our poor girl for a loop through. You have some great ideas, and luckily you have a very talented designer who can help make it happen.” 

Jake smiled at Jen for a moment, likely taken a bit back at her forwardness. “So are you coming with us too, or…?” he started, clearly curious. Jen shocked her head and chuckled, “no way! I’m into high fashion and less costuming. She’s your girl for that. I’ll help where I can from here.” He nodded and pointed to the last few boxes in the trunk, “do those go in too?” You both nodded and he reached forward to grab the boxes, his shirt riding up slightly to expose the tanned strip of skin of his hip. Jen gave you a look as she slid the last box towards herself. “He is fine as hell,” Jen whispered to you as she grabbed the final box, pushing the trunk closed with her hip. You giggled as you walked behind her, carrying the last of the hanging clothes. 

Once you were back in the bus, you busied yourself with organizing all of your supplies and the clothes. You sorted the finished and partially finished pieces by member, using a sticky note on a hanger to separate them. The working concept was a different color and wardrobe for each state with minor adjustments to each member’s wardrobe between shows within the same state. Whether it was something as minor as adding some lace details or more drastic like changing the color of a specific part of a suit, the group wanted to keep fans on their toes and express themselves through their costumes. You had the first state’s clothes finished, you just needed to finalize fit and fix a few last minute defects. 

You felt a body behind you and turned, almost bumping into Danny’s chest. He was tall, probably a little over 6 feet, with a muscular yet slender build. His curly hair had been gathered up into a loose bun, his bangs and some framing pieces of hair tousled perfectly. He truly was handsome, and his calm demeanor was comforting. “Sorry,” he said with a chuckle, backing up to give you some space. He pointed to the racks. “Can I see what you have ready for me?” he asked, giving you a reserved smile. You nodded and reached to pull out his clothes, turning to place them on a hook on the opposite wall. 

You started with his first outfit, which was complete. It was a slightly sheer top in a deep emerald green color with crystals which you had painstakingly applied by hand, one by one. The material was lace overlaid on mesh in order to ensure breathability. It was also sleeveless, allowing you to meet both of the criteria he had specifically asked for- ventilation and mobility. He was very easy-going when it came to his outfits, with minimal input giving you creative liberty when designing for him. He reached out to run his hand over the shirt and smiled at you. “This looks amazing. I can’t wait for the final fitting.” You smiled and nodded quietly, moving the shirt to show him the pants. They were a shiny black material and stretchy with the same green mesh with lace overlay from the shirt on the sides of the pants. “Breathable,” you said, gesturing to the sides and showing how it wasn’t see-through, but was light. “Gorgeous,” he said, running his hands along the fabric and lightly brushing against your hand. 

You moved to show him the other pieces you had started for him, but were interrupted by Emily calling out to you from the front of the bus. You and Danny turned to face her and you saw everyone else doing the same. Jen was perched next to Jake on a bench on one side of the bus, Sam sitting in the corner on Jake’s other side. Josh stood leaned against the table in the center of the space, flipping through some of your sketches. 

“Alright, we are all loaded up. It’ll be three hours until our first stop for lunch. So wherever you want to be for that first leg, figure it out,” Jen said before double-checking her clipboard, nodding and turning to leave. Jen hopped up and ran to you, pulling you in for a bone-crushing hug. “I’m going to miss you,” you whispered into her ear. You couldn’t help but tear up a little bit- you hadn’t been away from Jen for more than a weekend in years, both of you bound to each other. Jen rubbed light circles on your back, something she did often to ground you. “You’re gonna do great. And I’ll see you before you know it,” she whispered before letting go of you and giving you a final squeeze on your shoulders. You noticed then that all four of the men were still in their same spots. Sam and Jake watched you and Jen intently before turning to look at their hands, Josh had turned back to flipping through your sketches, and Danny had made himself busy looking through the shoe collection in the closet. 

Jen turned and started towards the front of the bus, turning to wave to the group. “Please don’t forget to water my plants!” you called out to Jen as she disappeared from view. You knew she’d remember though- you’d programmed reminders every day on her phone.

You turned to face the group. “So, who wants to do their first fitting on the road?”

[3terna15unshin3]

Then Because She Goes

Pissed again, I’ve been dying to meet you

★ Chapter 9 of 15, 4075 words

★ Matty Healy x Original Female Character

★ warnings: none

<< 8

20 February, 2019

“I feel like we should’ve kept it curly,” debated Matty as the driver skipped over a bump on the road so intensely his rear almost left his seat. “Patti’s always right and all—but whenever my hair is straight I never hear the end of it. Not from the fans, not from my mum,”

Their whole team squished into the van that was now driving them to The O2. The nervous front man looked at himself in the grainy reflection of the iPhone camera app.

“Sorry, say that second sentence again? I didn’t catch it.” Patricia, the band’s stylist, responded.

“Patti’s always right—”

“Patti’s always right.” She repeated in unison with him, emphasising her point sternly and with a mischievous smile on her face. The guys laughed at the defeat on Matty’s face and continued teasing him, taking Patti’s side.

A hand, belonging to Adam, reached to run over the sleek hair, giving it a gentle pat. “There’s nothing you can do to change it, mate. It’s too late now.” He pointed out, only adding to his insecurity. “And it’s sort of James Bond-y. Classy. I like it.”

Sighing in relief, Matty smiled and thanked him. But, part of him was still unsure. He frantically adjusted it with his fingertips and grew frustrated as it refused to cooperate. “Actually, I need one more opinion,” he said, pulling out his phone.

“Do you guys mind if I ring someone?”

“Get over the hair Matty, it’s staying like that whether you like it or not.” George complained, “Who do you need to call right this second, anyway? About your hair?”

“Este.”

“Oh. I see.” A grin took over George’s face as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down to the rest of the guys.

“And Este is?” questioned Patti.

“You met her backstage before the Pryzm show last year. Filipino, black hair. Was with a short redhead?”

She nodded in realisation, now remembering the familiar name. Matty explained that he and Este had been seeing each other, but were only friends back when Patti was introduced to her. The stories he began to tell evoked more teasing from his band mates, but he was used to it.

When it died down, Matty sent Este a text to make sure she’d answer, before giving her a ring and seeing her face show up on his screen.

“Hey!” he greeted. “Say hi to Este, everyone,” The camera panned to the rest of the band, Patty, Jamie, and their bodyguards that surrounded him. They waved and threw excited hello’s and hey’s her way.

Este’s face lit up before pulling one of her hands away from holding her phone to wave at them. “Hi, guys! Happy Brits day! I’m so excited to see you guys win,” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and heard various voices thank her.

“Don’t butter us up too much, love. You’ll get our hopes up.” responded Ross, forcing Matty to turn the screen towards him to get his point across.

She laughed, shaking her head. “I’m just being honest! Also—you all look great. Very dapper.”

“You remember Patti. She deserves all the credit,” claimed Matty. He kept the camera on himself so he could keep looking at Este.

Patricia muttered a quiet “Hi, darling!” from her seat, over Matty’s shoulder. She waved, but Este couldn’t see past his face that took up most of her screen.

“You’ve outdone yourself.” Este complimented, as a brief conversation about each of the guys’ outfits began. The two girls went on for a couple minutes, both interested in fashion and indulging in each other’s presence, before Matty interjected.

“That’s actually why I wanted to ring you, I needed your opinion on the straight hair. It’s a little floppy. Just regretting it a bit, I suppose, but everyone keeps telling me it looks good. What do you think?” He whined and turned his head back and forth so Este could fully see the style.

“I’ve seen floppier.” She defended. “And if anything, the event you should be looking sleek and classy for is the fucking Brit Awards, so it’s fitting. I like it. You can pull off any hairstyle.”

“See, I knew I needed to call you, E. You’ve convinced me.”

From beside Matty, George groaned in annoyance and swiftly grasped Este from the hands she was sitting in to virtually bring her in close. “Este, I hope you know that every single person in this van has been saying that exact thing for the past ten minutes and this dickhead still would not sway. So thank you for shutting him up.” said George.

This time, the laugh singing out of her mouth was far from a chuckle and echoed from deep in her belly. “It’s my pleasure,” she said through her laughter, “And while I’m here, George, I’m going to let you know that I like your outfit more than Matty’s…” Este whispered.

“Alright, mate. Now I see why you trust this girl’s opinions!”

After more bickering between the bandmates and some final, genuine compliments from Este, Matty was forced to hang up by their increasing close proximity to the arena. His tense and stressed demeanour seemed to drop, following the much needed reassurance through his phone and his girl. Hann, observing his noticeably calmer state, decided to say out loud what everyone else in the vehicle was thinking.

“You’re whipped, d’you know that?”

“I know.”

-

Este

Today 21:17 PM

Performance in 3 mins

Gonna shit the bed

You’re going to kill it !!!!!!

the O2 will be creaming their pants

Este

Please don’t talk about cream in pants when I’m about to go on stage

My bad

the O2 will be respectfully and appropriately reacting !

A giddy feeling burst in Este’s stomach when she and Cate heard The 1975 announced as the winners for both categories they were nominated for. The two of them sat comfortably next to each other on the sofa, all four eyes glued to the screen. It was surreal to see Matty up on the stage. Her heart raced as they performed. She struggled to make sense of it all.

With thumbs typing away, a congratulatory message was sent from Este. The adrenaline pumping allowed her to ramble a bit, not really caring about punctuation or formality. A matching run-on paragraph appeared in response, from Matty, who was equally excited by the accomplishment.

By the time she and Cate shut the television off and made their way to bed, Este caught some photos of the successful night on Instagram. A couple by their manager, some by their photographer, one by Patty. When she found one of Matty that made her flutter, she reposted it to her story. In the corner, the text read ‘FIT!’, before Este reposted another picture, this time of the whole band. For a caption, she typed ‘jk @the1975 is the best and they deserve every award x’.

-

8 April, 2019

Este had never had to memorise the time difference between South America and the UK until now. When she woke up on the rainy Monday morning that was April 8th, Matty’s birthday, she had to stop herself from giving him a call right away. It’s four in the morning in Columbia, Este, he won’t pick up, she thought. Although their communication had been pretty consistent since his travelling began, Este was still quite fearful of the possibility of bothering him; so she didn’t even send a text for him to wake up to. She’d wait until she knew Matty would be awake.

They were lucky that a lot of the beginning of their friendship lived on via text—so they were good at it. Sure, the 5 hours between Este in Manchester and Matty in a new South American city every day made it inconvenient at times, but they held their ground. Neither of them held grudges about response times, both just thankful to have each other there to confide in.

Matty told Este everything. She did the same, but her day-to-day was slightly less eventful than his, so it didn’t seem as important (though he thought otherwise). Whenever he was free, whether it was a couple of hours on a plane or a few minutes between songs during soundcheck, he managed to still be there for her. Este appreciated his efforts.

She constantly updated him on what books she read and gave him unsolicited reviews of them. He was happy to hear about them, especially once she finished Slouching Towards Bethlehem and pointed out that her favourite essays of the collection happened to be his favourites as well.

It was embarrassingly nerdy, and quite pretentious. Just the way they liked it.

Right after a dinner break during her Monday shift, her phone lit up with Matty’s name. He was calling. But, Este was juggling both putting in an order for a customer who had clearly woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning and receiving a box of new inventory into the system; so she let it ring until it eventually stopped.

“Why do I have to pay if it’ll take weeks to come in? Shouldn’t I be able to keep my money until I have the product in my hand?”

Este bit her tongue to hold back the annoyance from peeking through in her voice as she responded, attempting to dumb the ordering process down for the stubborn customer. With much more convincing than usually needed, she finally got him to pay and leave the store. The stack of books still needing to be priced and shelved stared back at her intimidatingly, but with the many hours left in the work day to complete the task and the lack of customers occupying the shop, Este decided to call Matty back.

When she opened her phone, she saw some notifications from Matty after she didn’t pick up.

matty

Today 16:52 PM

Too busy for me now?????

Kidding, ring me when ur free pls x

Shaking her head and laughing at the desperation in his messages, that were now sent 11 minutes ago, Este clicked the button in his contact and held the device up to her ear. She heard the sound of it connecting.

“I was worried you might be dead,” Matty answered.

Her eyes rolled at his drama, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “I was dealing with a customer. Just some stubborn boomer,” Este explained, “But you’ve got me now. No need to cry on me.”

“I’ll cry if I please, thanks very much. And now that I know you have time to talk I’m going to hang up and FaceTime you instead.” he clarified, ending the call before Este could even respond.

The incoming video call from Matty came through. Este glanced at the clock before answering. “Why did you hang up on me before I could even wish you a happy birthday?!”

“I didn’t call just to hear you wish me a happy birthday. Couldn’t care less about that. I wanted to see your face and hear your voice.”

His skin looked healthy and slightly tan. The hair on his head was significantly longer than when she last saw him in person; the sides growing fluffy and messily surrounding his ears. A chunky chain sat around his neck and a simple t-shirt clothed his torso. He was also newly thirty years old.

“How does it feel? Being thirty?” Este teased.

“Exactly fucking the same, actually. I am still very young and relevant.”

Este sat her phone down in front of a jar of pens and pencils to prop it up. Her hands raised to her defence. “Hey, I never ever said you weren’t young. You’re projecting.” She argued with a grin. “But actually, Happy Birthday. You should be partying, not calling me.”

Now it was Matty’s turn to look for the time. The only clock was the one glowing from the microwave; as he sat alone in his hotel room, waiting for a car to come to pick everyone up and drive down to the airport. They were catching a hefty red eye flight back to LA where they’d be in writing sessions for a couple of days before their first show back in America.

“It’s noon here, love. Definitely not party time. Not yet. Plus, I’ll be in Los Angeles by tomorrow. That’s when the partying will happen.” He pointed out, “I wish you were here, though. To celebrate with me.”

Este’s bottom lip jutted out. “Me too. Maybe I should book a flight to LA,” she joked.

His eyes lit up in false hope, realising that it wasn’t likely that she was serious. “Don’t tempt me.”

“I mean, I have always wanted to go to Coachella…” she teased. Giggling at the possibility, Matty’s ears perked with her response. Este shut him down quickly.

“But, how are you doing? Like, actually. No bullshit.”

A quietness fell over them as Matty messed with his hair to pause and answer with truth. She noticed that lately, in recent interviews (which Este found herself watching in secret whenever she missed him more than usual), he wasn’t afraid to take the time to think before answering a question. With furrowed eyebrows, and sometimes a stutter spilling out of his mouth to fill the space, Matty used words that were purposeful and thoughtful to him; instead of the constant wit and snarky charisma he usually hid behind. So, she wasn’t surprised or taken aback by his silence.

“It’s getting overwhelming quite quickly, to be honest. I think since these last couple of weeks have been festival shows in countries we barely come to. The fans out here are extra passionate—so I feel welcomed but also just so disoriented. Like, they feed me so much energy on stage, so much that I barely know what to do with it all, and carrying that with me once it’s over just sort of feels hard to do. But it’s still rewarding. I’m enjoying myself. I don’t know. Sorry, I’ll stop. Not really sure what I mean,”

“You could read me the dictionary and I’d listen. Please don’t apologise, or stop. Ever.” Este chuckled. “But I totally understand what you mean. You give so much of yourself up during these shows, for the fans. You need to remember to do stuff for you, too.”

The thoughtfulness of her response pinned a small smile of relief on his face.

“Yeah. The guys help a lot too. The fact that we’re all in it together. And that they’ve been my best mates since we were literal children and know me better that I know me. Probably helps a bit,” joked Matty, still playing with his hair. He wished it was Este’s hands doing the soothing action instead of his own. “I do need to do more just for me, though. You’re right. You’re always right, to be fair. And now that I think of it, this is probably the only thing I do for me—call and text you. You’re the closest I can get to feeling at home.”

——— 24 April, 2019

Este

Today 04:19 AM

Adding ‘If Cats Disappeared From The World’ by Genki Kawamura to my list of books Matty should read that Este likes but Matty probably won’t since he’s picky

Attachment: 1 Image

It’s one of the only books I’ve read recently with a male narrator and the way the author writes through him feels so Matty so i actually think u might like it

Today 05:25 AM

Also one more thing

kind of fucked that you go over to America and suddenly add I Couldn’t Be More In Love to the setlist

Not impressed

Many hours later, when Matty peeled his eyes awake, he clicked on the photo to read what she’d sent after chuckling at her final couple of messages. The passage read:

“To live means to cry, to shout, to love, to do silly things, to feel sadness and joy, to laugh, even to experience horrible, frightening things. Beautiful songs, beautiful scenery, nausea, people singing, planes flying across the sky, the thundering hooves of horses, mouthwatering pancakes, the endless darkness of space, cowboys firing their pistols at dawn….”

“And next to all the movies that play on a loop inside my head sit the images of friends, lovers, and family who were with me when I watched them…”

“…I’ve been stringing together the movies I've seen like rosary beads. All that human hope and disappointment held together by a thread.”

He continued to be blown away by Este’s skill of knowing exactly what type of words would stick with him and which ones washed away easily. The optimist he saw in Este shone through the beginning of the quote, while the powerful and matter-of-fact sentence that wrapped it up turned it slightly sideways. It provoked a rather existential train of thought; Matty getting lost in the image for a couple of minutes as he thought about the fragility of what surrounded him.

To respond to her message about the addition of her favourite song off of A Brief Inquiry (a choice Matty fought for with Este subconsciously in mind) to the set, he took a copy of tomorrow’s setlist. A sharpie gripped in his hands stroked out its title, blacking out I Couldn’t Be More In Love. He snapped a photo and sent it.

Este

Today 10:02 AM

Attachment: 1 Image

Tomorrow’s set

For you

In solidarity

——— 9 May, 2019

Sam stuck around for an extra few hours after some car problems that held him back in the morning. Having the company was nice, and Este couldn’t remember the last time their shifts had overlapped for more than even an hour—so she and her boss spent the time happily getting tasks done as a team and enthusiastically chatting.

But, since his position as the owner of the shop forced him to be strapped with piles of monthly paperwork to fill, Este was typically the one greeting and helping customers whenever the door chimed. So, when a girl walked in and asked for some recommendations, she was the one to take care of it.

A dark grey beret sat over her blonde hair and right above her sparse eyebrows that framed the graphic purple eyeliner drawn on her skin. Her voice was soft and polite as she spoke kindly to Este, who walked with her through the shelves. Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at The End of The Lane poked out of the bag slung over her shoulder, inspiring similar suggestions to blaze through the Greenhouse worker’s mind as they got closer and closer to the fantasy shelves.

“Coraline has been a favourite of mine for probably, like, over ten years. I’m glad you came here with a Gaiman book.” Este shared excitedly.

“This is actually the first one I’ve ever read! If you know his stuff well I’d love suggestions of similar styles or other books by him you’d recommend. Only just getting into fantasy now,”

Luckily, Este tracked down a copy of Coraline that was in good condition, to hand it to her. “If you’ve seen the film, you’ll love the book. This one and Stardust are my favourites and are quite consistent with his ‘magical realism mixed with horror’ type of style.” she suggested. “But, if you want to read some fun fantasy that’s a little more lighthearted and will for sure get you into the genre, I love Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s super fun and an easy read. I don’t think we have a copy right now, though.”

The girl in the beret, who Este soon learned was named Alex, listened intently to her ramble, before picking two of the suggestions offered and bringing them up to the till as they continued conversing. Small talk in the shop always came around to the classic ‘So what’s the best thing you’ve read recently?’ discussion—an easy topic that most thought of to fill the silence at the register. Alex followed suit and asked her.

“I just read a Joan Didion book for the first time, and it was really great. Essays have always freaked me out but they’re way less intimidating than I thought,” she answered and scanned Coraline and Piranesi for Alex to buy.

She pulled out her debit card. “What made you want to start getting into essays? I don’t read much non-fiction myself,”

”It was because of a friend of mine, actually, who has gotten me to read a couple of essay collections so far.” Hesitation could be heard in Este’s voice. Knowing that she was talking about Matty and calling him her friend was odd—but she couldn’t figure out what else to call him. “And they’ve all impressed me. I think he’s just one of those people whose taste I admire and trust, so it didn’t seem as scary when I knew he liked them.”

“I trust your taste too, Este, so I’m excited to read these. Thank you for the help.” Alex said as she shoved the used novels into her bag, smiling widely.

Este smiled back. “No worries. It’s been my pleasure,”

But, when leaving for the back room to track down Sam, she heard a “Wait!” from the front of the store.

Alex stood in the door, one foot stuck out to prop it open as she spoke through the gap. “Sorry if this is forward, but I’d love to take you out sometime. For coffee, maybe, if you’re free. And available.”

Oh god. She’s asking me out, panicked Este internally.

As flattering as it was, especially coming from a person as beautiful as Alex, there wasn’t a cell in her body that could perceive romance with anyone that wasn’t the curly-headed band boy that was across the world from her. Awkwardly spluttered words in Este’s head attempted to be strung together into sentences to let Alex down gently.

“That’s super sweet of you,” she started, “But I’m not single at the moment.”

The sentence scared her. A lack of better wording made it sound like Este was in a relationship, but considering the parameters of one, she wasn’t sure if it was even true. Either way, it got the job done—leaving her frozen in place with embarrassment and forcing the customer out of the door.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! Enjoy your day,” Alex said as she left.

Bright blond hair belonging to the store owner poked around the corner of the doorway to Greenhouse’s back room. Sam, being nosy, and having heard the entire exchange, wondered his way into Este’s love life.

“Since when are you not single anymore?”

-

13 May, 2019

matty

Today 19:33 PM

Hi darling

Been working on this today, I want opinions

1 Audio Message

Geniusly suspended chords on acoustic guitar could be heard in the background when Este pressed play. A couple of instrumental measures sounded before Matty’s voice crept in.

“You are mine, I’ve been drowning in you,”

The ‘Keep’ option was immediately underneath her thumb as Este knew she would want to come back to what she was hearing. His vocals sounded timid and frail. The guitar drowned them out. It was hard to make out what words he was saying, but the feeling was there, and enough. The hair on Este’s arms stood up.

Today 19:38 PM

Goosebumps

Genuinely so beautiful

Sing me to sleep pls???

If you asked me to I would

So u like it????

Yes matty of course I like it

Sounds very very fresh and not like anything I've heard before, but what's new that's always how it is with you x

Only critique is u need to annunciate bc I can't tell what ur going on about

Don’t wanna spoil just wanted to make sure the vibe was right u know

You’ll get the lyrics once it’s recorded. I think you’ll be the only one who gets it

you just looooove being cryptic don't you

Yeah

For no reason in particular :)

10 >>

[valentineforlemonandcherry]

Joke’s On You 15

When Fred Weasley carelessly bumps into you into the hallway, you decide to take him a notch down; not by berating him, but by showing him up at his own game of using your charm and intellect to get what you want. And it’s fine if the end result doesn’t leave everyone quite satisfied - in fact, that’s what you want…

[Fred Weasley x Reader.] [Warning: Story Contains Explicit Smut.] [Warning: Non-Consent.] [Warning: Manipulation.] [Warning: Humiliation.] 

⍟ Click Here for Joke’s On You Home Page (All Chapter Links) ⍟

Two days after New Year’s, whilst cleaning, Molly Weasley discovered Fred and George’s “Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes” order form. “What in heaven’s name is this? Fake wands, trick sweets, decoy objects – MAIL-IN ORDERS? NO! HOW DARE THE TWO OF THEM - !? FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY! YOU TWO GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE!” 

The entire family eavesdropped on Mrs. Weasley’s berating the twins – though it was admittedly quite easy to do so, since Mrs. Weasley’s voice could be heard from a solid three rooms away. In fact, it would have been harder to avoid overhearing the implosion occurring between Mrs. Weasley and the twins.

“About time,” Percy stated crisply.

Ron shrugged. “I dunno why Mum’s so mad. At least they know what they want to do.”

“Because it’s stupid, that’s why. They could be applying themselves to something more useful - ”

“Perce, will you give it a rest?” Bill cut in. “Mum’s already making your points for you.” 

You remained silent. Honestly, you didn’t want Fred to change. You didn’t want Fred to be anything other than what he was. But you could hear Molly’s genuine, even desperate, concern about her boys and for some reason, it pained you to hear Fred and George brushing her off. At the same time, you understood what it was like to have people misunderstand that you were serious about something. You knew what it felt like to have people dismiss your efforts just because they didn’t appear to conform to traditional paths. Your mind went back and forth as you heard Mrs. Weasley and the twins arguing.

Ginny muttered quietly, “Mum doesn’t even know how much Fred and George have already sold at Hogwarts, does she?” 

Bill laughed tiredly. “‘Course not. Poor ol’ Mum couldn’t even imagine how much Fred and George have been spreading their merch around.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasley’s voice went on in the background: “- HOW HARD YOUR FATHER AND BROTHERS WORKED TO BE DECENT PEOPLE AND GET RESPECTABLE JOBS AT THE MINISTRY!”

Fred’s voice sounded out, as he replied snarkily, “Mum, thinking that we’re ever going to be ‘decent’ and ‘respectable’ is the same as calling us ‘Gred’ and ‘Forge. It makes no sense. It isn’t how you raised us.”

At this, Mrs. Weasley let out a high-pitched whistling noise, as though she had turned into a kettle or a frog. 

You sighed, “Fred really doesn’t know when to shut up, does he?”

The entire family shook their heads in reply.  

You got up from the chair you were sitting on and walked to the window. You could see Errol, the family owl, swooping in the skies. Maybe it’s time for me to go home, you thought. I’ve stayed here for far longer than I intended.

During your stay at the Weasleys, everything had been so happy and blissful. However, one thing had kept weighing on your mind – your parents. You were worried that they hadn’t received your letter, since they weren’t accustomed to receiving owl mail. Also, even if your parents had received your letter, you were worried that they would be displeased by the fact that you had decided to go to a friend’s house at the last-minute and without asking their permission. You quietly went up to Ginny’s room and packed your things. You dressed nicely, wearing a formal, button-up top and a long, quite modest skirt. You wanted to look put-together in front of your parents.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

As soon as Mrs. Weasley let the twins go (after much berating and arguing), Fred and George raced to their upstairs room. The moment the door closed behind them, they both burst into rambunctious laughter.  

You sat at the edge of your bed and stared at your feet. You brought your toes together and then let your feet fall open. I wonder if they can laugh things off so easily because they’ve got each other… You weren’t sure how long you were sitting like that when a voice cut through your thoughts. 

“Hey, what’re you staring so hard at? Don’t you know the size of your own feet?” Fred stood in Ginny’s doorway. He looked quite pleased with himself, wearing an arrogant, if not charming, smirk and leaning against the door.

You replied, “Hard to have any coherent thoughts what with the racket you’ve created in the house.”

“Oh, so is that what’s up with your skirt?” Fred replied snarkily. He gestured at your skirt. “Are you planning on running away and living in the mountains all by yourself? It’s certainly frumpy enough to hide a whole load of goats under.”

You stared at Fred. “You’re just full of good ideas today, aren’t you?”

“Always am, always am,” he chortled. “But you didn’t answer my question. Why’re you dressed like that, huh?”

Instead of answering his question, you asked your own.  “Is your order form real?”

Fred scoffed. “‘Course it’s real. What kind of question is that? And if it hadn’t been for you and Percy, George and I would have sold three times as much.”

“If I’d let that happen, McGonagall would put a stop to your little black market altogether, so I reckon you should be thanking me,” you argued back. But then, you asked, in a much quieter tone, “You’re okay with how upset your mum is? About your form…”

Fred paused. “Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

That’s right. We have, you realized. When McGonagall stopped Umbridge from expelling Fred and George and Fred came and found me in the library afterwards, I asked him the same question.  

“Right, sorry. No need to go through it again, then. It was just a thought I had. A silly little thought.” You got to your feet. “Anyways, Fred, I better head home - ”

“What?” he blurted out. “You’re leaving? Now?” 

At this, you turned and gave Fred your usual glare. “What do you mean ‘now’? I’ve been here for two weeks. There’s only one more week of holidays left. When will I go home, if not now?”

“Oh.” Fred stood up straight, so that he was no longer leaning against the door. He stepped forward before rocking back on his feet. Finally, he said, “Well, I feel like you just got here.”

“Anyways,” you said, speaking quite matter-of-factly, “I had a lovely stay. Thank you, Fred.”

Fred groaned. “Ugh, I hate when you talk like that, too.”

“When I talk like what?” you asked. “I’m not calling you ‘Freddie boy’ or anything, am I?”

“No, but you’re acting like you’re little miss proper when – C’mon, I know you’re a hellcat. You’re my hellcat.” Fred came over to you and pinched your cheek.

You scowled and pulled away. “I am proper, Fred. At least, I’m more proper than you.”

At this, Fred frowned. His smug cheerfulness was slowly beginning to fade. 

“Anyhow, I’ll be off.” You repeated, in a formal voice, “Thank you, Fred. It was really lovely. Please thank your parents for me.” Then, you were gone, already out of the room. 

Fred stared at the small indent you’d left in the blankets at the edge of the bed. He hesitated. Was it just me or did that feel really off? 

Fred slowly came downstairs, only to see you shaking hands with all of his family members as you prepared to travel home by Floo Powder. 

“It was a delight!” Mrs. Weasley was saying, beaming at you. “I can’t believe what a wonderful friend Fred has. Please come whenever you’d like!” 

When you turned around to hug Ginny good-bye, you glimpsed Fred standing at the foot of the staircase. Your eyes met his. You smiled and waved, but Fred could tell that you didn’t mean it. You let go of Ginny and turned away. 

What’s going on? Fred thought. Why’s she acting so funny all of a sudden? 

Throwing the Floo Powder into the fireplace, you stepped in and cried out loudly, “1456 Aspen Lane!” 

Whoosh! A flurry of green flames erupted in the fireplace, and you disappeared. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

George stared at his brother, who was about to pace a hole in the already worn-out carpet of their bedroom. “Oi, what’s going on? Miss your girlfriend already?” 

“‘S not that,” Fred said dismissively, shaking his head. 

“Y’know Mum’s thrown out all of our order forms?” George sighed. “We have to start from scratch again.”

“It’ll be a pain, but we can do it easy,” Fred assured him. “We went through the trouble of making all that stuff. It’s not hard to list them.” 

“But we have to calculate the prices again.”

“I can do that. It’s not hard. I’m good at Arithmancy, remember?”

“Fred, you’re horrible at Arithmancy. You only think you’re good at it. It was Lee who was able to set the right prices for everything last time.” 

Just then, as Fred walked the length of their room for the hundredth time, he noticed the butterfly net propped up against the wall. Leaping forward, Fred grabbed it off the wall. “This is it!”

Already knowing what Fred was thinking, George let out a resigned sigh. “Took you long enough to think up an excuse. Go.”

Fred headed downstairs, where his parents were. “Mum!” he called out loudly. “Look what my friend forgot!” 

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked up just as Fred came into the living room, waving the net over his head. Speaking quite quickly, Fred reeled off, “She forgot her net! I think I’d better return it to her. Don’t you?”

“Oh no, she wanted to give that to her parents,” Mrs. Weasley remembered. “That’s a shame.”

“We should give it back to her right now,” Fred suggested. 

Mr. Weasley offered, “Fred, if it’s that important, I should probably be the one to - ”

“No!” Fred yanked the butterfly net away from his father. “It’s my fault she forgot it; I was keeping it in my room. So, I should be the one to give it back to her. Right?”

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanged doubtful looks. 

“C’mon,” Fred wheedled. “It’ll only be a couple minutes. We know her location. I can just pop into the Floo Network and back. It isn’t even illegal or anything.”

“Well, no, it’s not illegal,” Mrs. Weasley said uneasily, “but it’s you, Fred.”

Fred said indignantly, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Mrs. Weasley bristled at once. “You know quite well what it means! Between all the letters I get from all of your professors at Hogwarts and that horrendous order form I found in your and George’s room - !” 

Eager to avoid another family feud, Mr. Weasley hastily put up his hands. “All right, all right, let’s not get in a tizzy. Fred, you can go and give her back the net. But you come straight back, you hear? Absolutely no detours.”

“Fine,” Fred agreed easily. Then, he muttered under his breath, “Wasn’t planning on it, anyways.”

Mrs. Weasley smacked Fred on the back of the head with a soft over mitten, but it still made enough of an impact for Fred to murmur, “Ow” as he took his butterfly net and headed to the fireplace. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

“We’re very disappointed in you.”

You shifted nervously in front of your parents.

Unfortunately, they had returned home to find Errol pecking a hole in their window frame. (In fact, Errol had waited patiently for an entire day, like a good bird, before the restlessness got to his old bones and he began to peck, peck, peck at the wooden frame.)

Once your parents had shooed Errol away, they opened your letter and realized that not only were you not home, but you weren’t sure when you were coming home.

“You didn’t write to us before you went to this person’s house nor did you ask us for permission. You didn’t give us any contact numbers so we couldn’t even ask you or an adult at the residence to know if you were all right - ”

“The address on the envelope is my friend’s address,” you supplied.

“What? The Burrow?” You father crinkled his nose in confusion. “That’s not a real place.” 

Your mother explained, “Your father and I were supposed to head off on a research trip to South America yesterday, but we had to stay at home and wait for you - ”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” you asked. “You could’ve written to me and I would have come home earlier. I’ve told you that you can use Muggle post - ”

“- Regular post - ” your father interrupted. 

“ – To reach me. I’ve also shown you where you can go to send Owl post - ”

“Please. We’re supposed to trust a man in a Santa hat to give our letter to some owl that can find you wherever you are? How does that work?” Your father shook his head. “Listen, sweetheart. The point is that you were careless. You understand why we’re upset, don’t you?”

You stared at your father. Finally, you muttered, “It’s not a Santa hat.” 

Your mother, seeing your reluctance, said in exasperation, “Seriously, I don’t understand what’s gotten into you. You were the most responsible, intelligent, and lovely girl before you got that ridiculous letter to go to Hogwarts - ”

Your hands slowly clenched into fists. 

“ – And now you believe in magic tricks and owl post?” Your mother looked at you sadly. “What happened to you? And when are you going to come back to the real world?”

Your throat closed in upon itself. 

“Honey, you have so much potential. You’re so smart. We know that. You could be something, if you chose to apply yourself. But you don’t know how to be serious. All you try to do is escape responsibility now. Is everything just a big magic trick to you now? With your cauldrons and broomsticks and crystal balls? I mean, what good is any of that going to do in the real world?”

Slowly, a soft ringing began to sound out in your head… 

“Do you know why we taught you to be a scientist? Because science is the language that is going to save our world from disease and poverty. But even if you don’t care about science, you should care about something realistic. Instead, you’re off studying at a magic school? How long do you expect us to let you entertain yourself?”

You were breathing quite quickly and flashes of red were streaking through your vision. You wanted to speak, to defend yourself, but you didn’t know how to do it without bursting into a rage; only, you didn’t want to be angry at your parents. After all, how could they understand the depths and gravity of magic and the magical world, when they weren’t a part of it themselves? 

But I am serious about my life. I am serious about helping other people. Just because it’s not the exact way that you want me to do it – Does that make it wrong? Of course not. Why can’t you see - ? Your vision was blurry with tears. Why can’t you see that I’m trying, in my own way, to make you proud of me? 

“Oi.”

You started. I know that voice. But there’s no way – Am I imagining his voice?

However, when you turned your head, you saw him: the last person you would ever expect to see standing in your parents’ living room – Fred Weasley, all gangly-limbed and freckly, with his offensively bright red hair, and ash all over his oversized, hand-me-down clothes. To top it all off, Fred’s first full sentence to your mother was, “Lady, respectively speaking and all that, could you give it a rest?”

Your parents gasped in surprise. Your father stood protectively in front of you. Meanwhile, your mother blurted out nervously, “Who – Who on earth are you?”

Fred gestured towards you. “A friend.”

Your parents looked at you, aghast. “Is it true? You know this person?”

You slowly nodded your head. Meanwhile, you were looking at Fred with a hard look, clearly saying to him, What on earth possessed you to come here? 

“But no one was at the door!” your mother pointed out. “How did you get in here?”

Fred shrugged. “The fireplace.”

“The fireplace!?” 

“Fred,” you said finally, “what are you doing here?”

“Oh, right.” Fred reached back into the fireplace and then, with a grunt, he pulled out the huge butterfly net. The wire net got caught at the mouth of the fireplace and Fred had to give it a good yank to get it out. As the net finally came loose, it threw ash all over the clean living room carpet. 

“My goodness!” your mother shouted.

Fred looked down at the carpet. “Oops. Sorry, didn’t realize how much ash there was on that.” He held out the net. “Anyhow, I came to return this.” 

“A butterfly net?” your father said, confused. 

“She wanted to bring it home for you.” Fred tossed the net at your father, who caught it in a rather startled manner. 

Fred came closer to you, then. As he did, he said to your parents, “By the way, your daughter’s top of all of her classes and she’s set to save the world. It’s probably not my place to say this, but I dunno why you’re lecturing her on seriousness.” 

“Fred, that’s enough,” you said firmly.

“Yeah, I reckon it is enough,” Fred agreed. With that, he gently but firmed pushed aside your father, grabbed your hand, and pulled you out of the house. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

You didn’t want to cause a scene and alarm your parents or get Fred into trouble, so you let him pull you away from the house. But once you were out of sight of your house, you called to him, “Fred.”

Fred merely clutched onto your arm harder as he yanked you down the street. It wasn’t even romantic, because Fred wasn’t even holding your hand; rather, he had his hand wrapped around your forearm in a claw-like grip.

“Fred, you can let go of me now.” When he didn’t let go, you said uncertainly, “Fred? Fred.” 

Fred ignored you. He had led you quite a ways from your house now. The two of you were at the very end of the street, close to a Muggle park.

Exasperated, you finally yelled, “Fred, you’re going to walk us out of the neighborhood!” 

All of a sudden, Fred turned around and hugged you.

“Ah!” you cried out in a muffled voice, as your face was suddenly pressed up against his chest. “What’s gotten into you? What are you even doing he - ?” 

“I get it,” Fred said gruffly. He squeezed you tightly in his arms. “I get it now.” 

You managed to poke your head through his intense hug. You stared up at Fred with narrowed eyes. “You get what?”

“Why you’re so serious at school. Why it bothers you that I want to open up a joke shop. Why it affects you when I don’t take my mum seriously.” 

Your eyes widened. You stopped trying to weasel your way out of Fred’s hug. 

Fred clutched you even harder in his hug. “Your parents don’t even know, do they? How hard you’re trying.”

Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, you said to yourself furiously in your head. You slid back down and hid your face against Fred’s chest again, this time burying your face against him. Outwardly, you muttered in a defensive voice, “I didn’t want you to know… I’d rather you just think of me as a prick.”

“Okay,” Fred whispered. “Done.”

The tiniest warmth appeared in your heart, when you heard Fred going along with you. You softened slightly, and you ended up admitting, “Mum and Dad think the magical world’s all a big joke. Because to them, magic means we can play God. We can find cures for so many diseases and fix so many problems that Muggles struggle with, so they resent it. They resent me. So, I try to show them that it is serious – that it’s a whole world and not just some stupid trick, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You squeezed your eyes shut as you said once again, “But I really didn’t want you to know… There’s no need for you to know. I like you the way you are – all happy and charming and stupid.”

“Hey,” Fred muttered suddenly, “you could’ve just left the last word out.” 

“But now you know,” you whispered tightly. “You’ve figured me out…”  

“It’s not like that. I won’t say anything more about this, I swear,” Fred assured you. He noticed how hard you were trying to keep yourself together. He could feel you shivering in his arms and he could hear the quick huffs escaping you as you tried not to break down. “All I’m saying is - I get it, love. I’m sorry I didn’t before.”

Hearing Fred apologize slowly made you return to yourself. After a moment, you pushed your head right back through his hug. Staring up at him like some strange, glassy-eyed bug, you pressed, “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”

Fred couldn’t help but smile at how funny you looked, all trapped in his arms and with your head sort-of squeezed through his hug. “Well,” he replied, “I could’ve been quicker on the uptake.” 

You thought this through. 

“That’s true,” you finally admitted. “But that’s true about everything, Fred. Remember the button trick I played on you? It took you ages to figure that out. I thought I’d become the next Professor Binns just waiting for you to catch on.”

Fred felt his heart lighten. He could see your spirit returning. You seemed to relax more into his hug, but at the same time, your gaze was more defiant than ever. This was how Fred loved you best – free, spunky, and mischievous. He grinned. “Aw, c’mon, it didn’t take me that long to figure out the button. It just took me a bit longer than it should have to realize it meant that you wanted me to make love to you.” 

You smiled a little as you teased him, “And then you galloped over to me like some heathen and nearly broke my back trying to get some.”

“I did not. I was a perfect gentleman.”

“Oh, please. That was when I realized you have a terrible habit of just tossing girls onto beds like they’re a sack of potatoes. I figured you all out from that first night,” you said, smirking now. “You really don’t remember?”

Fred rolled his eyes at you, even as he gave you a loving squeeze in his arms. “Not all of us have ancient crocodile brains. It’s not my fault you remember everything since the beginning of time.” He paused and looked at you. “That reminds me – I’ve been meaning to ask you, since you’d know: What came first, the chicken or the egg?”

“You,” you replied immediately. “You came first, Freddie. You, the most primitive little life form, had to come first, so that everyone else could evolve beyond you.”

Fred pulled a face. “That’s low. Even for you, that’s low.”

You laughed softly. “But isn’t that what you came for? To get teased by me?”

At this, Fred let out his usual, defeated sigh. “I reckon you’re right on that point.”

You leaned in and gave Fred a sweet kiss on his neck before you buried your face against his chest and gave him a smattering of happy bites on his chest through his jumper. Finally, you clamped your teeth around one of the buttons on his shirt and bit it off. Holding it lightly between your teeth, you looked up at Fred and grinned toothily at him.

Fred stared at you doubtfully. But then, he whispered adoringly, “Crocodile,” before he pulled you into another tight hug. 

Still feeling rather embarrassed, you muttered, “And you know what, I placed first in Charms, so I think I deserve a kiss for that.”

“Huh?”

“My parents don’t know how serious I am, but you do,” you explained softly. “So I want to hear you congratulate me. For all my hard work paying off.”

Fred’s nose scrunched up. “You want me to praise you for getting good grades?”

“Mhm.”

“Uh… Okay.” Fred awkwardly muttered, “Good job, you beat out all the other nerds.”

You leaned back and stared up at Fred. “That’s not much of a congratulations.”

He groaned. “Gimme a break. I’ve spent my whole life making fun of Percy for the same thing. It’s hard to suddenly become a whole different person!”

A whole different person? Merlin, you’re dramatic, you snickered in your head. Outwardly, you sighed, “Fine, fine. Well, then, say something simple, like, ‘I’m proud of you.’”

Fred grudgingly repeated, in a totally deadpan voice, “I’m. Proud. Of. You.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his excellent delivery.

Fred followed up with, “But not as proud of you for lighting that firework all wrong and stranding yourself in a tree.” He paused. “But still, y’know, proud. Grades. Yeah.” He patted you on the head.

“Are you finished?” you asked him, watching him with a deeply amused expression on your face.

Fred looked down at you. “Depends on what you mean by finished. I’m absolutely over all this ‘grades’ and ‘top of class’ rubbish, if that’s what you’re talking about, but I’ve no intention of going home so soon.”

You lifted your eyebrow at him. “Oh?”

Fred grinned at you. “I promised my parents that I wouldn’t make any detours, but they didn’t say anything about a time limit.”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

An hour later, the two of you were lying down together in the grassy field of the park. You were resting your head on Fred’s outstretched arm. You and Fred looked up at the sky together and made fun of all the strange, senseless shapes passing by. 

“That’s a rabbit – a mean, mean rabbit. You see how it’s front teeth sticks out?” “Ah! Next to it’s a toothless dragon! No wonder the rabbit has such outsized teeth – He stole them off the dragon!” 

“The poor dragon…”

“Well, it’s made of cloud anyways. It’ll be fine.”

“Fred! You aren’t supposed to break the game like that.”

“Sorry, sorry. Oi, look! That’s Snape!”

“Huh?”

“See that hooked nose?”

“Oh… Blimey, he doesn’t look too happy up there, does he?” 

“Reckon it’s because there’s too much oxygen filling up his gigantic nose. Or else a balloon went up one of his horrendously large nostrils.”

“Fred!”

“I’m only joking. Well, sort-of.”

“Oh! It’s a heart! How cute…” As you admired the heart-shaped cloud floating by, you absent-mindedly traced a heart on Fred’s shoulder.

Fred’s gaze dropped to you. Yeah, how cute… Reaching out with his other hand, Fred looped his arm around you and pulled you closer until you were fully leaning into him. 

Holding you, Fred lightly ran his fingers up and down your back. “You know, seeing your parents, I finally understand how an ancient, old, crotchety crocodile is born in this day and age.”

“Excuse you,” you said sharply. “You take that back about my parents right now, Fred Weasley.” 

Fred replied lightly, with clear laughter in his voice, “Take back the answer to one of life’s great mysteries? I don’t think so.”

You decided to give his shoulder a good bite. 

“Ow,” Fred muttered.

“Take it back,” you insisted – when suddenly, you caught yourself. “Wait, what am I saying? I’m not even a crocodile. I’m an alligator.”

Fred smirked. “Ah, so close to admitting the truth. Pity, pity.”  

“You’re terrible,”  you muttered, rolling away from him. “I made such an effort to impress your parents and then you come invade our living room without any warning, throw ash all over our carpet, insult my mother, shove aside my father, and drag me out.”

Fred grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “‘S quite a snazzy introduction, don’t you think?” 

You glanced over at Fred, only to see his sharp, light brown eyes glinting merrily in the lowlight. You groaned. “You’re a lost cause, Fred Weasley.”

“I am, I really am,” Fred agreed sincerely. Then, dropping all pretenses, he said, “And if you haven’t noticed yet, I’m trying to drag you down with me.” 

Drag me down with you? You meant to scoff and reply with a snarky comeback, such as, “If you think you can drag me anywhere, you’re wrong, Freddie boy. I’ll take you to hell first,” but then you caught how Fred was staring at you. There was a glimmer of some deep-rooted intention present in his gaze. It was as if he’d decided to have a place for you in the life he meant to live…

The light-hearted tone of your prior conversation slowly faded. In its place, there grew an intense sense of warmth and protectiveness between the two of you. 

“Really?” you whispered. “That’s what you’re trying to do?” 

“Yeah, I reckon so,” Fred whispered back. “Since it’s you and all.”

In reply, you reached up and warmly pressed your hand against his chest. The corner of Fred’s lips twitched up into a smile for a moment, and Fred pressed his hand overs yours, but then he went back to gazing at you. 

Off in the distance, the sun started to slip down the horizon.  

You hated to break this moment, but you felt that old worry creep into your heart. “Oh… It’s nearly dark already. I have to go back,” you said reluctantly. “I don’t want my parents to think that I really ran off.”

“Hmpfh. They deserve some chaos,” Fred muttered sourly. 

“They’re only mad because I didn’t give them a heads up about staying at your place,” you pointed out. “They’re right to be mad.”

“But they said all those things to you,” he replied sullenly. “About how you’re treating life like some big joke and how they think you’re irresponsible.” 

“Well, of course,” you said lightly, defending your parents. “They’re not magical, so how would they know?” 

Fred shook his head at you. He wanted to be angry on your behalf. He wanted to curse at your parents and make them realize how incredible you were. However, Fred could see now that that wouldn’t be helpful to you; it wasn’t what you wanted. It was tough for Fred to bite back all the things that he wanted to say because he was so used to following his instincts and because he felt protective over you. But he merely said, “Me too. Mum and Dad are waiting for me to come back. And I have to start packing.”

“Oh yes,” you mused, “your books…”

Fred suddenly snorted. “Are you kidding me? I left all of my schoolbooks at school.”

You blinked. “What? Then how did you get all your homework done these past weeks?”

“What homework ‘done’?” Fred said, looking disturbed by the very thought of it. 

“The homework all of our professors assigned us over break!” 

Fred shrugged. “George, Lee, and I always do it all in a rush the night we get back. It’s a tradition by now. I’d hate to break tradition.”

“Fred!” you berated him. Fred rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about it.” 

“But then, what do you have to pack?” you wondered. 

“All our joke stuff. It’s not safe at home anymore, now that Mum’s found our order form,” Fred explained. “We’ll have to bring it all to Hogwarts.”

You sat up at this. “What? Bring it all to Hogwarts? All your – your stupid trick wands and candies and stuff?”

“That’s right,” Fred said proudly. “We’re going to sell more of it than ever.”

Your mouth dropped open. “On the premises? That’s illegal.”

“Well, I didn’t really plan on getting caught, so…”

Giving Fred a stern look, you warned him, “If you think I’m going to let you get away with this - ”

“Of course you will,” Fred said smugly. “You’re on my side now, of course.” 

Grasping you by the waist, Fred brought you over onto his lap. Looking up at you with a bright twinkle in his eyes, he teased, “Before, being a hardcore prefect was just an excuse to come chasing after me without having to admit you wanted me. Right?” 

Prodding his chest with your finger, you replied cuttingly, “That’s where you’re wrong, Fred. You are truly, truly mistaken.”

“So, what then?” Fred mused. “When we go back to Hogwarts, we’re back to an all-out war?” 

“If you try to sell your products, we absolutely will be,” you declared firmly. Fred grinned happily. “All right. Come and get me, then.”  

You let out a disgusted sigh. “Ugh, Fred Weasley, you make life so damn difficult. Why can’t you just bloody well keep to yourself…?” Your voice trailed off, however, as Fred definitely was not keeping his hands to himself right now. Instead, he was running his hands suggestively up and down your thighs.

You lifted your eyebrow “May I ask what you think you’re doing?” 

“What?” Fred said playfully. “I like the view from here.” His eyes fell down to between your thighs.

“Hmpfh.” You crossed your arms. “Thought you said you didn’t like this skirt.”

“Yeah, I don’t. You look like a cross between a yodeling farmer and my Aunt Muriel,” Fred said easily. “But now you’ve got me thinking about what’s under it, if you get my drift.”

“Hm…” you mused. “Now that you mention it, I suppose it has been a while since I let you taste me.” As you spoke, you slowly reached down and began to lift your skirt just a little. “I didn’t let you last time because I know you get satisfaction from eating me out and I couldn’t have that when I was trying to make you repent, now, could I?”

Fred’s gaze was glued to you, watching you with anticipation as you played with the hem of your skirt. Your thighs kept peeking out under your skirt now and once in a while, when you tugged at the hem, Fred would catch a flash of your inner thigh, almost all the way up to your panties.

You glanced down at him, to make sure he was looking at you – and he was. Fred Weasley was mesmerized. You laughed merrily in your head. However, outwardly, you gave no sign that you noticed his intense want for you. Instead, you murmured aloud, as though in deep thought, “Only, you were a bit mean to me when I was at the Burrow.” You let your skirt fall back down, covering yourself back up and piling up a little around Fred’s stomach and waist.

Fred paused. “Huh? What d’you mean? I was nice to you, you hellcat. You were the one who played all kinds of tricks on me. Did you forget what you did to me on New Year’s? Tying me up and all that rubbish. You made me feel like a right chump.”

“You are a chump,” you agreed immediately.

Fred scowled.

Changing tactics, you chose that moment to lean forward ever so slightly and whisper sadly, “But you didn’t let me build a dungeon.”

Fred groaned. “You’re still on about that?”

“Mhm,” you replied lightly. You sat back again. This time, you leaned back enough that your hands were resting on Fred’s thighs. You slowly began to move your hips on top of Fred’s, as you questioned, “You know why I wanted to build that dungeon?”

“Because you’re crazy?” Fred supplied dryly. Though, even as he was saying this, his breath hitched, for he felt your hips glancing lightly off of his.

Your eyes narrowed, but you refused to reply directly to Fred’s insulting comment. Instead, you gave Fred’s sides a little squeeze with your thighs as you confessed, “Because I wanted a place where I could make your dreams come true.”

Fred hesitated. “What do you mean?” He looked a bit offended as he insisted, “I don’t want anything to do with a dungeon. That’s your crazy idea, love.”

“That’s because - ” you pushed your hips into Fred’s and he moaned softly “ – you’re thinking of a ‘dungeon’ in some stupid, outdated way.”

“Oh yeah?” Fred challenged. His voice was starting to get a bit tight, as you were rocking gently on top of him.

“Yeah,” you emphasized. “My dungeon would be nice. Clean, cute, full of sparkly things.” You sighed with happiness as you imagined it. “I’d have nice pink ropes to tie you up in, Freddie. And I’d keep all of my outfits there and wear them one by one, to drive you crazy in.”

Fred scoffed. “Doesn’t sound like it’s my dream in any way, you pervert.”

“Well,” you replied, “it would be a place where we could be together for hours, uninterrupted. I could sit on you, Freddie, like I’m doing now, but just a bit higher… so that you’d be kissing me, tasting me...” You reached down and gently brought the front of your skirt up all the way to your hips, so that Fred could see your panties. They were pink and lacy and featured a little red heart in the center.

Fred suddenly gulped. “Uh…”

You laughed lightly. “Finally catching on, huh? See, in the dungeon, I could sit on your face for hours, Fred. That’s what I’d do. Yeah…” You closed your eyes. Bringing the hem of your skirt up to your mouth, you bit on it, holding it between your lips. Then, you put both your hands down on Fred’s thighs and you began to move your hips in earnest.

Fred audibly groaned, as he felt you press up against him. He was given such a lovely view of you as you grinded away on top of him. That little red heart just above your pussy kept flashing - disappearing and then appearing again - as you worked your hips against him.

She moves so well, Fred thought, watching your hips roll forward over and over again and your thighs tensing so beautifully before him.

You started to breathe a bit harder yourself, as you whispered dreamily (in a slightly muffled voice as you kept your skirt in your mouth), “I’d tie up your pretty little hands with pink rope, give you a cute little bow, and then sit on your face all day. Yes, I’d get to have your cute little mouth all to myself, Freddie, and I’d cum on you and cum on you…”

Suddenly, you broke out of your dreamy state and snapped at Fred, “Don’t touch my thighs!” for Fred, being to get quite tense and needy under you, had slipped his hands on top of your thighs and began to squeeze them.

Fred let out a pained huff as he drew his hands back. He glared up at you.

You merely smiled back before closing your eyes again. Slipping back into your reverie, you picked up from where you had left off. “You’d be moaning and whimpering under me like a soft little puppy – God, Fred, you make such cute noises - and you’d lap at my pussy and make me all wet, so wet, and whenever you wanted me to cum, you’d grab onto my thighs and moan and beg for me. And of course, I’d cum for you just like you wanted. Yes, I’d take care of you so well, Freddie. I promise. I’d give you all the pleasure I could. Mm, yes, I’d let you taste me for as long as you liked…” You breathed out a little sigh, and your skirt finally fell out from between your lips. However, your skirt caught on your hips, keeping your panties and thighs exposed. You reached down with one hand and playfully ran your fingers along the top line of your pink, lacy panties. Your index finger merely slipped under your pantyline for a brief second, before you pulled your hand away again.

You looked down at Fred. You grinned wickedly when you saw what a terrible mess he was. He was blushing all over, with splotches of pink on his cheeks. His ginger hair was a total mess, what with him lying down but continuously lifting his head to watch you on top of him. Besides that, he was huffing out hard, heavy pants.

Ah, look at his chest go up and down. How cute. Your skirt slipped back over your thighs as you very intentionally placed your hands on Fred’s chest. Oh, and his heart is beating so quickly…

Finding him quite endearing, you leaned forward to kiss him. However, just before your lips touched his, you stopped and whispered, in an accusatory voice, “But you think that the idea of a dungeon is crazy, so of course, we won’t do it.”

Fred let out a low whimper. “Wait,” he bleated out. “That’s not what I meant – not what I meant at all - ”

You put your fingers on his mouth to quiet him. “Shush, baby. I get it. Now that you get to fuck this pussy and cum in me all you want, now that you’re my boyfriend, you don’t care to eat me out anymore.”

Fred blinked furiously. He tried to speak, with his lips moving against your fingers, as he protested, “‘S not true. I wanna eat you out, as your boyfriend.” He swallowed hard, getting all nervous from just imagining it. “Swear,” he bleated out hopefully, staring up at you.

You cocked your head at him. The ends of your soft hair brushed over Fred’s cheek as the wind blew gently across the empty park. You slipped your index finger into Fred’s mouth, making him gasp a little. Keeping your eyes on Fred’s soft, pretty mouth, you whispered tauntingly, “Well, then, you spoke too quickly, didn’t you, Fred? You didn’t ask what the dungeon was for. You didn’t give me a chance to tell you all about the dreams I have of you – tying you up in my bed, putting a collar on you, spanking you, taming you, mmm. And you’d get to love me as much as you wanted. I would sit on your face, baby, and I wouldn’t move or let you go until you said you were done with me.”

Fred’s eyes, always so merry and playful, were now narrowed in concentration at you. He sucked hard at your finger and unintentionally let out a desperate little moan. Also, he didn’t seem to realize it, but he was tugging hard at the grass with his hands, pulling out tufts of it so that grass littered the ground around his hands. Finally, he puffed out, “You’re such a – a minx.”

You burst out laughing, “A minx?”

Fred flushed angrily. “You want me to say what I’m really thinking?”

“No, Freddie boy, I don’t want to hear what you say at all,” you confessed. “I like you best when you whimper.”

Fred blinked. “You – You do?”

“Oh, yes. I thought that was a well-known fact by now.” As you spoke, you slid your finger into his mouth. “Your mouth makes such a pretty shape when you whimper.”

Fred spoke around your finger, stating, “Buh I swound stoo-pid.”

Giggling, you pumped your finger in his mouth a few times as you agreed gently, “Why, yes, you do.”

Glowering at you, Fred suddenly clamped his mouth shut. You allowed yourself a brief smile as you pulled your hand away from his mouth. “Pouting’s cute, too, I s’pse,” you said. You victoriously ran your hands all over his chest. Oh, Freddie, I can’t tell you how much I love having you like this. Seeing you in such a state, all worked-up and dazed, and feeling your heart beating so quickly – You’re seriously such a sweetheart. I love that I can get you all riled up in a matter of seconds. You slid your fingers into his shirt, making use of the small opening that existed because you’d pulled off a button with your teeth a short while ago. When your fingertips touched his bare chest, Fred moaned lightly.  

You leaned down and bit gently along his ear, making Fred squirm. As he fidgeted underneath you, you dug your fingernail into his chest, making a cute little crescent in his chest. “Mm,” you purred. “My chest. Yes…”

“Ah…” Fred breathed out. He squinted, shutting one eye and looking up at you blearily with his other eye. His brow was furrowed tightly.

You wiggled your hips on top of him and moaned softly, “My lap. Yeah, Fred, you’re all mine. I know you said you’re in control, but just look at us, Fred, hm? I’m on top – I’m always on top, and I get to cum on you and cum on you. And you’re gonna love it, yeah… Ah…” You gave Fred a little show, biting down on your lower lip and looking down at him with half-lidded eyes as you pushed your hips gently into his. Soon, you heard Fred’s breath catch and you felt Fred’s thighs tensing between yours. How cute, you thought. I wish I could spend all day teasing you, Fred, and all the days after loving you… and being in love with you.

Reaching down, you grasped his chin and turned him towards you. You whispered tenderly, “Look at me, sweetheart. Look at your mistress.”

Fred’s eyes flickered up to yours at once. When Fred saw your expression, he inadvertently twitched. For there was your wicked, kittenish smile, proving without a doubt that you were, per usual, intent on teasing him – on being quite mean and manipulative, on twisting his words this way and that, on getting him all hot and bothered for you while adamantly refusing to promise release.

“You want me to cum for you, baby?” you whispered seductively.

Fred nodded.

“Yeah? And you’ll be nice to me?”

Fred nodded again.

“And in return you want me to cum on your face, is that right?” you murmured, blinking down at him.

Fred nodded fervently at this.

You smiled – a rather arrogant, overly pleased smile. And yet, Fred also saw a soft, deep tenderness lighting up your eyes – and that warmth was unmistakably for him. Him. Fred. You were looking at him with those soft, adoring eyes. Fred felt a powerful sense of satisfaction and warmth spread throughout this chest. I don’t ever want to let her go, even a little bit, he thought. He reached up and grasped your face with both of his hands and he brought you down just enough to kiss you.

You gasped as you fell forward slightly. Fred quickly reached down with one arm to hug you to him, so you wouldn’t fall over. Meanwhile, his other hand cupped your cheek as he kissed you. He kissed you so well, even lifting his head off of the ground to capture your mouth more deeply with his.

“I’ll be nice to you,” Fred promised, in a rough, breathless voice, “so just – just – shut up and let me kiss you now.”

“Fre – Mm…!” Your voice cut off as Fred kissed you hard again.

You shut your eyes and let yourself fall into the kiss. “Mm,” you moaned softly, and when Fred moaned back with an even softer, “Mm… Baby…”, you couldn’t help but smile. Your hands slowly slid up his chest and slipped onto the grass just above his shoulders. You shifted forward and kissed him back, opening your mouth a little to catch his lips against yours.

Fred breathed out softly, but quite quickly, when he felt your lips slip perfectly against his. For a moment, the two of you were intertwined together perfectly. It was an incredible kiss, the kind that sent butterflies fluttering in your tummy and made you go all hot all the way to your toes.

The kiss kept getting longer and longer, as neither of you made to let the other go. Your mouths kept meeting, and you felt Fred’s tongue swipe adoringly across your lower lip. You moaned in reply, giving Fred permission to gently slip his tongue into your mouth and tangle his tongue with yours for a brief, perfect moment.

You were both becoming breathless. In fact, your head was spinning a little. Only, Fred was hugging you so hard that your entire body was pressed up against his, even though he was lying under you. He had both his arms wrapped around you, and he was holding you so tightly that he could feel your tummy against his and he could feel your tight little thighs pressing into his sides.

Ah, head – spinning – dizzy…! you thought blearily. Finally, you had to push gently against Fred’s shoulders to break his hug – and when you did, both you and Fred gasped for air.

Between his hard pants, Fred whispered to you, in a soft, pleading voice, “Sit on my face, baby.”

The softness in your gaze immediately went away and you gave Fred a hard stare, challenging him. Seeing that you were all ready to tease him again and drive him to distraction, Fred quickly jumped in and pleaded, “C’mon, I gotta taste you, love. Don’t be so mean to me. Not today. Not when I came after you and not when I’m not gonna see you for a whole week.”

You hesitated.

Recognizing that you were softening, Fred murmured, “Baby, please.”

You bit down on your lower lip, contemplating. Though, truth be told, your own thighs were twitching. But you did your best to still yourself and make it look as though you were seriously considering saying no.

Fred stared up at you. His throat was parched, and he felt like his heart was about to burst. “C’mon,” he stressed. “Please. I want to taste you. Why won’t you let me taste you? I thought that was what you wanted from me. I thought – I thought - ”

There we go, you thought happily. That’s the Freddie I wanted to hear. You suddenly broke into a soft laugh.

“What?” Fred blurted out, abruptly feeling embarrassed. “What’re you laughing at me for, you demon?”

“It’s because you’re so needy, Freddie, baby,” you said honestly. “It makes me laugh.” You traced your finger along his lips as you admitted, “But, that’s why I love you.”

Fred paused. “That’s why you what?”

You blinked, taken aback. “Huh?”

Fred’s arms were suddenly vicelike around you. “Tell me what you just said.”

“Well, anyways,” you said quickly. With a bit of effort, you managed to break Fred’s hug around you.

Fred’s embarrassment faded away entirely. His begging expression was immediately replaced with a huge, shit-eating grin as he joked confidently, “C’mon, say it again. Don’t be shy, mistress of the dungeon. What’d you say to me?”

Shifting up quickly, you lifted your skirt and then – you sat on Fred’s face, cutting off his next line of “Godric, you’re so into me, but you can’t even admit – mmpfh!”

You squeezed your thighs around his head and whispered harshly, “Your turn to shut up and kiss me, Weasley.”

Fred moaned hotly from between your thighs. He melted at once, relieved that you were giving to his pleas and giving him what he wanted. Still, in a muffled voice, he protested, “I heard you, you know. You’re gonna have to fess up ‘bout what you just let slip.”

You bucked your hips forward, pushing your pussy against his mouth to shut him up. “Hmpfh, I hope you suffocate down there.”

To which Fred replied earnestly, and with a low groan running through his voice, “Me too.”

Meanwhile, you took a good look around to check that no one was in or around the park. Thankfully, the park was still completely empty. Still, you neatly spread out your long skirt all around you, to hide the fact that you were sitting on your boyfriend’s face while in the middle of a public park.

Fred dutifully began to lap at your pussy, though you were still wearing your panties.

You sighed. “Fred. What are you doing? Kiss me first, you dummy. Make me wet, make me soak through my panties.”

Fred paused. Then, you felt his mouth press warmly against your panties.

Ah… Yes… Missed this feeling. Your head fell back slightly and you stared with dreamy, half-lidded eyes up at the evening sky. Missed you like this, Fred.

Fred’s hands slid up your thighs. He lifted his head a little to kiss your pussy better. His lips pressed against your pussy, opening up your pink little folds.

“Mm,” you breathed out. You wiggled your hips against him slightly, subconsciously wanting to be rid of your panties so Fred could take you bare.

Fred’s heart thumped happily when he felt you wiggle on top of him. Good girl, he praised in his head. When he kissed your pussy harder and felt your pussy lips open against his mouth, he moaned in his head. He could start to taste you. Yes, he breathed out. Here’s my girl. Mm, fuck, all sweet and perfect between her perfect thighs. God, I love this.

“Be good,” you whispered down to him. “I bought these panties thinking of you, so you can get them as wet as you want, but you should pay a little homage to the fact that I bought them for my boyfriend, right?”

Hearing you, Fred took it very slow with you, though you could feel from the way he gripped at your thighs that he was impatient for more. Finally, you gently rolled your hips against his mouth and said huskily, “Good boy, Freddie. Now go on, put my panties to the side and taste me. You’ve earned it.”

Fred moaned lowly. You felt his hand slip over your thigh, brush past your tummy, and then you felt his fingers slip in to hook around your panties and drag them to the side.

Fred breathed in and then, a second later, you felt Fred press his hot, wet mouth against your bare pussy. Your mouth dropped open and your thighs shivered at once. Because it felt so good. Ah.. You started panting immediately and strangled little moans escaped you. Your tummy buckled already, as you felt such a wonderful sense of release from having Fred taste you. His – His mouth, your brain stuttered out. So warm and mmm, he’s kissing me… Ah…

Fred was quite busy. He kissed your pussy gently and ran his tongue all up and down your clit before he began sloppily eating you out. Like a man starved, he pushed his tongue over and over again against your little pussy hole to make you wet and to taste you.

You reached out and grabbed onto the fabric of your skirt quite tightly. Biting your lower lip hard, you bent your head down and tried to control your breathing. Fred felt you trembling on top of him. And he could hear, even from under your skirt, the little moans and whimpers spilling out of your mouth.

More, Fred thought. Want more of her… He tried to push his head deeper between your thighs, but just then, you inadvertently squeezed your thighs together, pushing Fred out a little.

Fred growled, “Spread your legs, baby.”

You took a deep breath and tried to bring your legs apart.

“More,” Fred urged.

You moaned and attempted to acquiesce but – “More,” Fred insisted.

“S-Stop bossing me around,” you blurted out, feeling rather overwhelmed. “Nngh, Fred… T-That’s plenty f-for you. Ah… Hurry up and kiss me again.”

Fred sighed. But he acquiesced and buried his head between your thighs again. You breathed out heavily. Merlin, I’ve forgotten how good Fred can make me feel. And he really has gotten better at this. He listened to everything I said about taking it slow and – oh, God, I think it’s backfiring on me a little because I – I can’t think straight anymore… I really just might cum all over him, again and again.

As if Fred could hear your thoughts, he moaned out just then, while he was pressing his mouth against you and licking at your cute little cunt, “Mm, Godric, it’s been far too long since we’ve done this.”

You nodded, fully agreeing with him. It was a shame that Fred couldn’t see your blushing face, nodding along as you gripped at your skirt and panted from pleasure.

Fred finally reached up and pried your thighs apart for himself.

“Ah!” You gasped and jolted on top of him. “D-Don’t be such a brute, Fred! Don’t p-pry my legs apart like t-that! It’s indecent - Uhn!” Your hands flew out and you messily had to grab onto Fred’s thighs for a moment as Fred repositioned you.

Ignoring your half-hearted scolding, Fred grunted softly as he pushed his face in tighter between your thighs, now that you’d managed to open your legs a little more for him. You felt his nose nudge gently against your clit as Fred made to thrust his tongue into your pussyhole.

You shut your eyes tightly and you felt your pussy clench as his tongue entered you. “F-Fred!” you whisper-shouted. A moment later, your pussy thumped heavily against Fred’s mouth.

Fred’s hands now slid under your warm thighs. For a brief moment, he lifted you slightly. Then, he slipped his hands through and grasped at your ass. He pushed his hands against your tight little ass, pushing your hips forward and allowing him to fuck his tongue deeper inside of you.

“A-Ah!” you gasped loudly. Your hips jerked forward – Fred groaned loudly and kissed you wetly – as you arched your back, with your head dropping back and your hair streaming down your back. You breathed out heavily. At the same time, your hands flew to the collar of your shirt and you yanked at the neckline harshly, needing to let out the tension somehow. Honestly, you were feeling much too hot and if you weren’t in a public park, you’d have discarded your shirt quite a while ago. You jolted again, pushing your pussy once more against Fred’s eager, waiting mouth.

“Mmphf!” Fred groaned, loving how wet and warm you were for him, and savoring the sweet taste of you. “Fuck, so sweet, baby…” His tongue delved in and out of your sweet folds expertly, making you wetter by the second. “C’mon, more, more, more,” he begged. “Mmmm…”

You shut your eyes tightly. The tension in your tummy and between your legs was building, building, building… Fred was eating you out so well, pleasuring every part of your pussy, and even stopping to place kisses and bites all over the insides of your thighs. Meanwhile, he was running his hands all over your ass, and every so often, he’d jerk you forward a little, and he’d take the chance to press his open mouth hotly against your pussy.

“Ah…!” you gasped again. Your hands tightened into fists – and you accidentally tore open the front of your uptight, prim blouse. Startled, you stared blearily as you saw the top button go flying off and into the grass. How ironic, you thought hazily. A button for a button…

Just then, you were pulled out of your half-coherent thoughts, for Fred gripped your ass hard enough that you felt his nails dig into your soft, plush skin right.

“F-Fred…” you stammered out. “Hold me m-more gently.”

Fred shook his head – while his mouth was still pressed up hotly against your pussy.

You groaned and you felt your tummy tighten. You nearly squirmed right on top of Fred’s face, but you managed to hold yourself back. “W-What do you mean ‘no’?”

Fred parted from you for just a moment to demand, in a rather hoarse voice, “Ride my face.”

“No,” you whispered feverishly. “It’s not proper. We’re in a – a park. And my s-skirt can only cover s-so much.”

“I don’t fucking care,” Fred growled lowly. “I need you to cum on me. Need it right now.” He stopped to give you a harsh bite on your thighs, making you visibly flinch on top of him. He warned, “I’m not letting you go ‘til you cum on my face.”

You nearly whimpered with want – because that was exactly what you wanted Fred to do to you, too. Still, you tried to hold onto your reasoning and your dominant persona as you muttered back, “And since when did y-you start calling the s-shots? Huh, Freddie boy?” You started to stand up, to get off of Fred.

Fred whined, “No, come back. Baby…”

“No, that’s enough,” you said sternly. Unfortunately, your legs were quite wobbly.

“Ah!” you gasped a little as you floundered for a moment. Fred quickly reached up and caught you by the hips. He helped you come back down safely – right back to his face.

When Fred immediately made to kiss your pussy again, you whispered, “Fred, d-don’t be bad now. What if we’re caught here? This isn’t – isn’t civilized.”

“But don’t you wanna cum?” Fred retorted.

“I – I do,” you confessed. “But Fred – ah!” A sharp moan left you as Fred abruptly gave your ass a little spank.

“Fuck civilized. I want you,” Fred said desperately. With that, he went right back to making the most out of having you sitting on his face – working his mouth to pleasure you as much as he could.

“Fred!” you cried out. When you realized that your voice was far too loud for the park when you were trying your best not to get caught, you quickly stuffed your shirt sleeve into your mouth to quiet yourself.

Meanwhile, Fred bit harshly at your thigh again. “Listen, I get that you’re a weirdo and you get pleasure from denying me. But what’s the point of all that if you’re gonna deny yourself? I know you want to cum. I can feel how tight your little cunt is, baby. So, let go. Let me make you cum. Ride my face, love.” With that, Fred kissed your pussy hungrily and he pressed his hands into your ass, drawing you into him.

You moaned out again, low and long, and your sleeve stuffed in your mouth did little to muffle it.

B-Better to get it over with q-quickly, you calculated hazily. So as not t-to get caught. Ah… Fred’s mouth… He’s kissing me so, so well… Mm.. Ah! Ah, ah, ah!

You finally gave into your desires. You started to bounce your pussy lightly on Fred’s face. Your hips went up and down and your breasts bounced lightly under your tight shirt (though with one button open now).

“Yes,” Fred groaned. “Just like that, give it to me, sweetheart.” His hands slid up to your waist and he squeezed you hard enough that he pushed yet another gasp out of you.

“Ah!” By now, your heart was thundering in your chest and you were nearly oblivious to everything around you. You were trying to be responsible – trying to keep an eye on how low the sun was in the sky and trying to make sure that no one was around – but, as tended to happen with Fred, you slowly lost yourself until you felt that the only two people in the entire world were you and him, and you loved that feeling so much. Because when you were with Fred, you could be anything – proper or mischievous, pleasant or mean, cold or passionate, smart or silly, smur or vulnerable – and Fred would take it all with his cheeky smile (which you quickly turned into a pleading little whimper) and it made you feel so safe.  

You bounced more heavily against Fred’s face. You were getting wetter and wetter, and you were very much chasing that tipping point. It’s close… So close… You let out a tight, labored, “Nngh!” as you kept going.

Fred was moaning non-stop now, fervently kissing your pussy with every bounce – until finally he used his grasp on your hips to sit you down right on his face.

“Ah!” you cried out, as you felt Fred bury his face between your thighs and feverishly suck at your wet little pussy. “Not so – Fred, you’re – you’re – uhn!” You fell over. Your hands slipped on your skirt and you nearly fell on Fred. You hurriedly batted your skirt away, revealing Fred’s face, all bright red and buried between your thighs, with his mouth latched hungrily onto your pussy. Then, your hands slammed down onto the grass, just above Fred’s head. Fred’s hands naturally slipped up to your breasts. You felt his hands fumble for a second and then his palms pressed heavily against your breasts, pushing against your nipples.

“Oh Godric - ” you choked out. You were sitting quite low, with your feet tucked neatly on either side of your bent legs and your ass pushed out so that you could rub your pussy all over Fred’s mouth. Your hands were stretching out in front of you and your back was arched intensely. And, as Fred ate you out so adoringly, your entire silhouette, from the tips of your fingertips to the tips of your toes, shivered.

Fred chose that moment to growl, “Cum.”

You inhaled sharply and held your breath – your body bucked – you didn’t remember ever reaching for Fred’s hair, but suddenly, your fingers were tangled in his hair and you were tugging at his locks, pulling his head even deeper between your legs and at the same time, squeezing your thighs around his head as hard as you could -  Both of you were whimpering madly and then, Fred thrust his tongue into your sweet cunt one last time – and you came.

“Ah!” you cried out a desperate, wanting cry that rang out across the park. Your thighs trembled heavily and your toes curled up tightly in your perfectly tied, perfectly clean shoes.

Fred groaned with satisfaction as he felt you cum all over his mouth. Yes, Baby, just like that, keep cumming, keep cumming! He went right to work, busy lapping up your cum here and there and making sure to place some very wet kisses right on your pussy. Then, determined to draw out every last bit of cum inside of your sweet pussy, Fred dragged your panties back over you and he furiously rubbed his fingers against you, making you shiver and bleat out, “A-Ah, ah, ah!”

Unable to take any more, you fell onto your side. Fred followed you, however, keeping an iron grip on your waist. He pressed his fingers even harder against you, all but stuffing that little red heart into your pussyhole.

“Ah! Ahh!” You grasped at the grass – it was your turn to rip it out in handfuls – and your feet kicked out for a moment as your entire body hummed with an intense, throbbing energy.

“More,” Fred groaned. “C’mon, baby, I know you’ve got another one in you. Cum for me. Cum, I said.” Taking his hand away, Fred pressed his mouth to your panties again. He flicked his tongue against your panties, and you could feel his tongue rubbing up against your clit, through your panties.

“F-Fred!” you breathed out. “Nngh!” You were getting teary and you were hardly aware of your own state, splayed out on the grass while your boyfriend insisted on eating you out again right after you came, pushing and kissing and touching you where you were the most sensitive.

“Ah!” you gasped out loudly. “Ah, ah, ah!”

Fred growled, with his mouth right at your pussy. A harsh breath exploded from you when you felt Fred’s growl thrum against your pussy. You swore that it ran all down your spine. You shuddered on the grass.

“Mm, getting so fucking wet, this little pussy,” Fred said approvingly, lapping roughly at your pussyhole and tonguing it fiercely. “Knew you could do it, knew you could be a good girl.”

Your pussy throbbed heavily and you let out another weary, feverish cry. “Fred!”  

Just then, Fred flipped you over onto your back and pinned you down. You stared dizzily up at the sky as Fred, now kneeling in the grass, kissed you all over your thighs. When you instinctively made to curl up and to place your hand between your legs to soothe yourself, Fred pushed your hand away and firmly kept your thighs apart so that he could lean forward and place one last, loving kiss where that little red heart was on your panties.

“B-Brute,” you stuttered out accusingly.

Fred suddenly came forward, until he was hovering over you, with his hands on either side of your head. “Yeah,” he whispered down to you, “I am a fucking brute. About time you caught on, mistress.”

You meant to call him yet another name, but you had barely opened your mouth when Fred thrust against you. His hips pushed your legs open aggressively and he sank down between him. Groaning heavily, Fred pushed his hips against yours. “Uhnnn, I can feel how wet you are, baby, even through our clothes. Fuck, you’re all wet, aren’t you? Aren’t you?”

You let out another too-loud moan, huffing out, “Ah!”

Fred’s coarse jeans pushed roughly against your thin (and now soaking wet) panties. You reached up and gripped the front of Fred’s shirt and held on with all of your might as Fred rutted into you, without even bothering to take his pants off. For your part, you lay there in the grass, with your legs splayed open and your skirt hiked up so high it was almost a blanket lying across your tummy.

“Mm, baby,” Fred moaned, as he rubbed his bulging cock all over your wet, wet panties.

“F-Fred, p-people m-might s-see,” you stuttered out heavily. Your voice caught on nearly every word as, with every thrust, Fred pushed your breath out of you.

“So what?” Fred growled. “I’m a brute, just like you said.” Then, in a gentler voice, he whispered needily, “Besides, I’m almost there, love. You can hold on for me, can’t you?” Reaching down with one hand, he ran his hand feverishly up and down the back of your warm, sweet thigh. Then, leaning forward, he leaned down and sucked hard at your neck as he grinded his hips against you. He whispered again, “Almost there, mistress, I promise,” before he bit your neck hard.

“Nngh,” you breathed out.

“You – You can hold on for your boyfriend, can’t you?” Fred breathed out, as he slammed his hips into you.

“I – I - ” you stuttered out incoherently between moans.

“Mm, yeah, keep that wet little pussy of yours right there. Soaking through my jeans now, aren’t you?”

“I’m n-not that wet,” you whispered back. “You’re l-lying.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Fred replied. “I’m going to cum all over you anyways.”

“Don’t want your – your dirty cum all over my n-nice skirt,” you muttered, though, in truth, that was exactly what you wanted.

“A-Almost – uhn - there,” Fred grunted fiercely again. Holding his breath, Fred pushed his hips into yours furiously, pushing harder and harder each time. The back of your thighs were getting quite red as his jeans rubbed up against you. Not to mention that your pussy, already wet from having cummed on his face, was getting even wetter and sloppier because damn it all if his jeans didn’t feel so incredibly good rubbing up against you like this.

“Feels s-so good,” Fred moaned. “S-So good, baby, f-fuck – Fuck!” With a loud, heavy groan, Fred toppled onto you. You groaned as you felt Fred shivering hard against you. You hurriedly slid your hand into Fred’s hair and grabbed his hair and jerked his head back.

Fred whimpered as you made him look at him. In a low, commanding voice, you whispered fiercely to him, “Cum, Freddie. Right now.”

Her eyes… Fred found himself entirely taken by how intently you were gazing at him. Meanwhile, you softly lifted your leg and rubbed your thigh against him, through his wet jeans.

Fred groaned loudly. You wrapped your fingers in his locks even tighter and growled at him, “Now.”

Upon hearing your command, Fred felt himself cum pitifully in his own briefs. He whimpered and then moaned wantingly. You moaned with him, as you felt an intense warmth suddenly pressing up against your pussy. Wish we were really bare for each other, you found yourself thinking. Wish I could feel all that warm cum inside me…

Fred fell over on top of you. He pitifully bucked his hips against you, trying to ride out his orgasm by rubbing himself against your hips and thighs. “Mm – ah – mm!” he gasped loudly.

You lifted your head just enough to bite his throat as you teased him by cooing at him, “Just look at you, Freddie boy. Look at the state of you – can’t even control your own hips. You’re cumming like a fucking animal, aren’t you? And in your own pants, how very pathetic – how very adorable you are.”

Fred cursed, “N-No, f-fuck…” before he gave you entirely and collapsed against you.

You giggled as you caught him in your arms. “Mm, well done, Fred.”

Fred let himself get his breath back before he whispered to you, “Damn it. I wish I could’ve cum in you. Your pussy was all ready for the taking. All warm and wet. Wish I could’ve made it mine.”

Meanwhile, you were trapped under Fred. You didn’t mind it at all, except you were very aware that your thighs and pussy were quite visible to any passerby and besides that, you were having a bit of a hard time drawing enough breath. But you loved it. You loved being smothered by Fred. Who cared if you couldn’t breathe, when you were under him?

However, Fred noticed. “Sorry, love,” he said. He made to get up altogether, but you grabbed him and made him stay with you. “No,” you said, clearly annoyed. “Who gave you permission to leave so quickly, hm? You stay here with me. Right… here…” Then,, you busied yourself with kissing Fred’s chest.

Fred looked down at you. Your eyes were closed and as you placed kiss after kiss on his chest, you began to breathe rather quickly. Your breasts began rising and falling quickly under your shirt, which was far too prim and proper for Fred’s taste, except - He blinked. When did she lose a button?

Fred reached down. Grasping your chin lightly, he made you look up at him.

Your eyes were alight with happiness, as you’d not only gotten to ride his face, but also tease him as he came and claim his chest as yours – all things that Fred knew you loved to do by now.

“Did that feel good?” Fred confirmed, speaking in a low murmur.

“Mhm, you were properly pathetic, Freddie boy,” you said gleefully. “And you took your time with me, making me all wet. You did so well. Mm, think my pussy’s still all flushed and warm because of you, Fred.” You kissed his cheek and murmured, “Because of my boyfriend.”

Fred leaned down and made to kiss your cheek – when he playfully bit your cheek instead. As you squirmed a little, he said, “Knew you’d enjoy it. Why’d you fight me so hard on it?”

You looked up at Fred dreamily and let out a hazy little, “Hmm?”

“We’re properly dating now, so you can’t pretend you aren’t just as crazy about me as I am for you,” Fred said proudly. “Just kissing my chest makes you go all dreamy, doesn’t it? You’re clearly head over heels for me. I mean, I knew it from the very beginning, of course, but now there’s no going back. You’re just as pathetic for me as I am for you, and don’t you deny it anymore.”

The dreamy look in your eyes suddenly went away, as you pulled a face at him. Fred chuckled.

“I let down my guard a little and do you the favor of telling you what you want to hear, and then you go on and on about it,” you grumbled. “I thought you were a gentleman, but you use everything against me, after all.”

Now that you had some strength back in your legs, you made to roll away. Only, Fred caught you and whispered right in your ear, “Well, you said you love me.” He captured you tightly in his arms as he teased you gleefully, “Isn’t that right, mistress?”  

Scoffing, you made to kick Fred in the hip.

Laughing, Fred let you go.

You immediately rolled away from Fred. You buried your face in your arms and muttered, “Ugh, I hate you.”

Obviously still delighted, Fred reached over and poked you playfully in your side. “Aw, c’mon, I’m only teasing you. You don’t let me have any fun with you.”

“I’m not responsible for that,” you said sternly, though with your face still hidden in your arms. “And remember, I bargained for my fun. So, you have to bargain for yours.” 

“What? When I was fucking you in my closet?” Fred said crudely. “When you made me agree that you could tie me up and call me absurd nicknames?” All the while he was speaking, Fred kept poking you hard in the side. “And you’ve already done all that, so I reckon I’ve kept up my end of the bargain.”

Finally, you sat up and grabbed Fred’s hand to stop him. However, at that moment, you suddenly remembered something else from that night: “Speaking of the closet, that reminds me – bring your heart boxers, Fred.”

Fred’s pleased smirk suddenly turned into a scowl. Wrenching his hand away from you, he said incredulously, “What? No way.” 

You scowled right back at him as you insisted, “I meant what I said. If you don’t wear those boxers for our Valentine’s Day date, I’ll keep your balls blue until the end of the year. So, you see, I’m being nice in reminding you to bring them.” 

Changing his tactic, Fred sidled up to you, pushing his head onto your lap. He looked up at you and said confidently, “You couldn’t resist me for a whole year, love. Your heart would explode.”

You snorted. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Fred replied at once. “I felt it today - how much your cute little pussy wanted me, even needed me. Got so wet for me, didn’t you, babe? You were like a fucking animal, cumming all over my face, trembling like that, riding my face, and in public, no less. Yup, I’d say today definitively proved that you can’t resist me when I lay the ol’ charm on you.” He shot you a wink.

You flicked Fred hard in the forehead.

“Ow!” Grabbing his forehead, Fred rolled off of your lap.

You got up and primly brushed off your shirt and skirt, making sure they were free of any leaves or branches. Fred got up, too. 

“Anything in my hair?” you asked him.

Fred studied you. Then, he came over and sweetly brushed your hair back.

“No, nothing.”

Immediately suspecting a prank, you reached up and checked your hair. Sure enough, there was a huge dead leaf wedged into the top of your head now.

“Fred!” you said, exasperated. 

Fred laughed. “Shucks, I was really hoping your parents would see it.” 

You threw the leaf at his face. “Eat dirt, Weasley.”

“Nah,” Fred said, easily ducking the leaf. “But I’ll walk you home.” 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

When the two of you reached your house, Fred seemed to become a bit uneasy. Finally, he said to you, “Listen, if your parents keep harping on you, you should use the butterfly net on them.”

A part of you wanted to berate Fred for suggesting such crude behavior towards your parents, but another part of you wanted to laugh at his suggestion. 

Fred’s worried about me, you realized. And once again, the thought struck you: Fred’s really kind. He’s a complete sweetheart, isn’t he? 

“I’ll be fine,” you promised him. “Anyways, don’t you want to come inside to use our fireplace?”

“Nah, I can Apparate,” Fred said. “I just had to use Floo Powder to get here because I didn’t know where your house was.” 

“Oh, right.”

“Anyways.” Fred lightly flicked your forehead. “You stay my hellcat, you hear?”

You knew what he meant: Don’t let your parents get your spirits down. The corner of your mouth lifted. But at the same time, you crossed your arms and gave Fred a serious warning. “When we get back to Hogwarts, you’re going to get more than you bargained for, y’know. I am going to catch you if you try to sell any of your products at school. Don’t think I’ll go all soft on you just because of today.”

Fred grinned. “I’d be disappointed if you did.” 

Then, Fred stepped back. He gave you a disgustingly charming wink before he turned on his heels – and he was gone. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

When you came back into your house, your parents immediately rushed over to you. 

“Are you all right? Is he really a friend?”

“I’m fine. Yes, he was a friend.”

“Who was he, anyways? To come to our house like that!”

You thought about how to answer. Then, you answered, “He’s a scientist.”

Because he was. Fred was a prankster, yes, but he was also an inventor. In that moment, you wished that your parents were more open-minded about magic – not for your sake, but because you were suddenly sure that they would love Fred.