#rated t/pg 13

[skyler10fic]

WonderGirls Ch. 8: Sweet Dreams of Holly and Ribbon

Summary: Carol meets Daisy's ENTIRE family for Christmas and learns why Daisy doesn't carry the insecurities around wealth, power, and status that so many actors and celebrities do.

Notes: Yes, it is January 9, but we could all use a little more Christmas cozy romance and humor, yeah?

Read on Ao3

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With the battle of the queer representation won, and events set in motion to ignore any public outcry, the focus of the film’s production turned to Monica and Kamala’s sisterly storyline, as Photon trained Miss Wonder in the ways of superheroes. With the attention off of them at work, Carol and Daisy could settle into life as a normal couple. 

… At least, as normal as life could be with the whole world watching, with what felt like half of it rooting for their downfall. 

Their teams kept the hatemail away from their eyes, and they each handed over their social media to their PR teams when some Concerned Mom or another posted a sleezeball pastor’s rant against them or a politician made a proclamation for “family values” while skirting over the scandals in his own past. There was no point in engaging, and adding fuel to the fire was strictly forbidden by Wonder Studios in no uncertain terms, so Daisy and Carol were free to escape the online trolls with 13-hour shooting days and bonding offscreen with their costars. 

Invitations to queer-themed events rolled in, from Pride festival appearances to private parties to advocacy organization banquets. They accepted when they could, especially the invites from other queer actors they enjoyed spending time with, but sent donations and/or recorded videos for the fundraisers and festivals. 

It sunk in for Carol that someday shooting would wrap, and they’d be on to their next projects. She arranged a meeting with her agent to go through the scripts that were already pouring in for her next gig, but they found themselves evaluating each for how it might fit in with Daisy’s schedule and location too. Daisy had several offers as well, but nearly all were in LA or short-term elsewhere. 

A December full of a location shoot in the desert, then one in Atlanta, press, brand deals, and more filled their schedules to the brim, taking their minds off the future of their careers as the present took all of their attention and energy. At the end of the month, however, came a Christmas trip up the coast to visit Daisy’s parents at their Napa vineyard. Being jet-setting, busy actresses—both in the sense of working at their art and as celebrities in the public eye—would finally take a back seat to normal relationship milestones like their first Christmas together and meeting the family. Carol just hoped Daisy’s parents could get to know the real her, beyond the image everyone knew from the media. She wasn’t attending a professional event or making an appearance as Carol Danvers the famous actress, but just a nervous lesbian hoping to make a good impression while visiting as their daughter’s girlfriend. And if all went according to Carol’s dreams for the future, it’d be the first of many. 

The pressure and anxiety of this was soothed by Daisy, who reassured Carol that it would be fine and they would love her. That didn’t stop Carol from video chatting with Daisy as she packed for the long weekend, though. 

“I just want it to be perfect,” Carol explained for the tenth time.  

“It will be. You’ll see.” Daisy winked and changed the subject, leaving Carol to imagine what that could mean.

—------------------ 

Christmas with Daisy’s parents was like nothing Carol had ever experienced. Carol hadn’t been raised in the glamour and lights of Hollywood originally. She’d come to it through working herself, from childhood plays and ad spots to teenage auditions. Her parents had been loosely connected through business to industry insiders, but they were just ordinary middle-class folks themselves who happened to work in proximity to la la land. But Daisy had a different route. 

As they arrived on Christmas Eve afternoon at the family vineyard and castle (she knew it was simply an old, large stone house, but castle seemed more appropriate given the size), Carol realized what Daisy hadn’t stated outright—she was from Old Money.  

“Uh, okay!” Carol said pointedly as Daisy handed their bags off to the staff. “So this is why you’re so chill about all the fame and success stuff everyone else is obsessed with. Is this where you grew up?” 

“No…” Daisy blushed as they passed ornate statues among immaculate rose bushes that led to an extensive front garden. “Mostly we were in D.C. while Dad was active. Working. You know, in government. Okay, we lived in Georgetown, but like near minor ambassadors and bureaucrats. It’s not like I went to school with the president’s kids or anything.” 

Daisy’s father, Phil, allegedly worked for the “State Department” and recently retired. When introduced in front of a grand, royalty-worthy staircase, Carol didn’t dare let on that she knew more than Phil shared about his work. Especially upon “meeting the parents,” she didn’t care to revisit that terrifying night in New York when Daisy had reassured her their safety was in good hands. Besides, all Daisy hinted at was that her parents worked for a federal agency. It could have been in private, government-contracted intelligence and/or (clearly high ranking) in one of the federal intelligence agencies directly. Daisy didn’t exactly say either of her parents was a spy, but Carol had a special talent for reading situations between the lines, and Phil had that air of casual confidence world leaders, elite scholars, and decorated heroes carried. He deflected attention skillfully and didn’t think of himself as a big deal, which when combined with all the other more subtle signals of power he still carried in his demeanor, told Carol he very much deserved to be.

They moved through the elegant house in a whirlwind tour, coming first upon Daisy’s mother, Melinda, in the dining room coordinating a team of staff in preparation for an apparently large number of family guests expected for the holiday. Ah, Carol thought to herself, there was the other half of the pair. Whole as independent individuals but meant to be partnered, like a matching set. Phil and Melinda fit together the way long-married couples do: both the same and opposite in their complementary personalities. In their banter, movements around each other, and questions and conversation to get to know Carol, she saw what she aspired to be with Daisy. 

To Carol, Melinda described her career simply as a pilot, but further conversations with the rest of the family revealed that she was also the heiress to the May Aerosystems fortune. 

“As deep as old money goes in the history of the Chinese American Dream,” Melinda’s father explained in one of his storytelling moods later in the cozy living room. He paused his work on the snowy mountain jigsaw puzzle he, Carol, and Daisy were working on, piece still in hand. The real secret to his family’s success, he claimed, was making deep connections of trust and respect in cargo and mail in the 1930s, and then in the defense industry, long before commercial passenger flight made them billions. He was just about to explain to Carol how those personal government connections kept them afloat during the horrific racism of the 1940s and into the Space Age, which tied into how they got into the intelligence business…

“Dad,” Melinda scolded, “don’t bore Carol with all that old history.” 

“It’s fascinating!” Carol assured. 

Melinda’s mother tisked, “Half of it’s made-up and the other half he doesn’t remember correctly anyway.” 

“Oh, bah,” Grandpa May dismissed with a wave of his hand. He turned back to Carol with a twinkle in his eye. “Don’t listen to them. I remember the best parts.” 

—-------------------

Formal Christmas Eve dinner was more reminiscent of Downton Abbey than any of the overpriced hotel restaurants or brand-sponsored parties Carol usually spent it with. Tonight, she could wear her own jewelry and dress, regardless of the designer. She could do her hair and makeup the way she liked, not for the benefit of a camera. Still, Daisy’s family members were strangers, and she watched her words and actions not only to make a good impression, but never knowing what would end up on social media or anonymously sourced in a gossip blog, a rude present for her PR team on Christmas Day. 

She didn’t need to fear, though. The various family members either were fans but knew more famous people than she did or were uninterested in entertainment media as a whole. This wasn’t particularly helpful for their valuation of Daisy’s career choice, but it did extend to empathy as they had experience with unwanted spotlights (albeit, from Forbes and Financial Times, not E! and People, but still, the sentiment was kind).

The evening turned to night, past drinks and dessert, and the novelty of their new guest had long worn off. Conversation turned to each of Melinda’s cousins’ company’s financial success, and old jokes and family stories were passed around that Carol struggled to follow. 

Her long blonde waves and recently reapplied red lipstick received at least three distracted, lustful looks from Daisy across the table. Carol could tell there was nothing Daisy wanted more than an excuse to head off to their wing of (what Carol imagined to be a Napa Valley version of) the fairytale castle.   

Luckily, Carol was an actress with enough talent, skills, and relational distance from the extended family around them that she wouldn’t offend anyone with a little “unexpected” yawn.

“Oh, goodness. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” Carol pretended to be embarrassed and demurely averted her gaze away from the young adult cousins trying to impress her. “Work has just been nonstop before the holidays.” 

Daisy caught on and added, “And travel, of course. We should get you to bed, babe. It’s been a long day. Week, really. See you all in the morning!” She refused another glass of wine and stood, signaling to Carol that it was okay to follow and leave the table.

Sympathetic family members wished them goodnight and continued in their business discussion and success strategy comparison.

Phil, who was also looking for a way out of the in-laws’ and cousins’ scrutiny before it turned on him, offered to show them to their room. 

Carol could hardly imagine what it would have been like to be a spy in a family that prized large group conversations about forward-thinking strategic planning and spirited open discussion of careers and ambitions. Of course, no one had confirmed Phil had been a spy, or that Melinda had been one, or that that was how they met, but Carol’s vague mental puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place here and there, in metaphorical reflection of the painted winter mountains framed with clouds and snowy foothills in the jigsaw puzzle still sitting unfinished on the living room table from that afternoon. 

—---------- 

After a bit of a quieter catch-up and saying goodnight to Phil, the girls were finally alone for the first time since the car. The warm lighting and giant bed reminded Carol how tired she actually was now that she wasn’t performing for anyone. 

“So.” Daisy began taking down her hair and setting her jewelry in a glass bowl on the dresser. “Welcome to the circus. Having regrets yet?”

Carol laughed. “It’s great. I mean it! I haven’t had anything like this.” 

“Yeah, so when I said I’m an only child and my mom’s an only child, I maybe didn’t mention my grandparents both had like a hundred siblings who all had a lot of kids. I’m honestly not even sure who down there is actually related to me and who married in.” 

“Except for the cousins’ adopted kids who were Black, White, and Latino,” Carol finished as if this was a very normal family circumstance. 

“See, but some married in too!” The girls laughed together as they undressed and got ready for bed. 

“While I am a little tired,” Carol began, “I also saw the way you were looking at me downstairs, and just so you know, I’m not TOO tired.” 

Both down to their undergarments, Daisy beckoned her closer and asked, “Looking at you how?” 

“Like you wanted to eat me for dessert,” Carol suggested boldly with a reciprocal, lingering, visual appreciation of Daisy’s body and a light touch tracing her eyes’ path. 

Daisy fake-gasped. “Carol Danvers! Scandalous!” She proceeded to take off her bra and start the bathwater running in the luxuriously large marble tub, sure to give Carol an excellent view of her bum. 

Meanwhile, Carol’s bra joined Daisy’s on the floor. With the water now hot enough and a sea of lavender bubbles forming, Daisy stood up straight, and Carol embraced Daisy from behind.  

“If you weren’t looking at me like that, what was it then?” Carol played along. 

But Daisy grew soft and serious. “I like the way you look when you’re this you. Yeah, you’re always hot, obviously, but tonight was the first time I saw you dressed up just how you wanted to, not for work. It’s different, in a good way.” She turned in Carol’s arms and carded her fingers loosely through Carol’s hair. 

“Mmm, I was hoping you’d do that. That’s why I kept it down.” Carol’s confession was irresistible to Daisy’s lips, and their kissing was only cut short to turn off the water, strip off their underwear, and settle carefully into the oversized bubble-filled tub. Daisy got in first and positioned them so Carol was leaning against her. 

“And maybe I was looking at you like dessert. It’s not my fault. You’re very tempting,” Daisy teased verbally and physically. Carol relaxed back against her beloved and let herself be worshiped by the only admirer who mattered. And of course, the adoration was reciprocated over and over as they moved from the cooling bathwater to the large fluffy towels to “helping” each other put on lotion to back in the luxurious bed. 

After their Christmas Eve lovemaking, now cozy in soft sleep clothes under the covers, Daisy kissed Carol sweetly. 

“Hey,” Carol whispered in response, “what are you doing New Year’s Eve?”  

“This, probably, but somewhere else,” Daisy guessed. “Do you want to sleepover at my house or your house? Or travel?” 

Carol hummed in indecision, cuddling her close. “I’m sure it’s already planned for us on a schedule somewhere, but as long as I’m kissing you at midnight, I don’t care.”

“Me too. Merry Christmas, babe. I love you.” 

Carol kissed Daisy’s temple, nearly missing in her sleepiness. “I love you. And Christmas.” 

Daisy giggled softly, but Carol was too far into dreamland already for her to add a “merry.” And it was true. If this is what Christmas was going to be like from now on, she did love Christmas too.

[thebabycup]

as a reminder you are all more than welcome to submit any propaganda you may have! feel free to tag me in any posts featuring baby pokemon as well!

[distantdarlings]

TEETH TO BONE // t. nott

RATING: PG-13 / 1.3K WORDS

Theodore Nott x Reader Insert (no gender-specific details)

+ SUMMARY - You come to your best friend's dorm room after not being able to sleep. He makes a decision that changes your relationship forever. *Theo's POV* (Romance)

+ WARNINGS - Heavy kissing, a bit of petting, someone kisses w/o that person's permission

+ MUSIC (listened to while writing) -

Touch - Troye Sivan

---

The sheets in the morning always caught Theodore’s attention. In those early hours when the sun's warm shades had not yet overtaken the cool, the birds still refused to sing, and the residents of the castle hadn’t yet awoken. It was a rarity for him to wake up at this time naturally—it didn't always have the same effect. But when he opened his eyes to the milky hue that stained the floor and felt the luster within his sleep-filled eyes, an instant feeling of comfort washed over him. This was always quickly followed by an unnerving question of life itself and the reason for these comforting feelings, but before this came along, there was comfort. 

It was the folds in the sheets that traced over his legs and the imaginary body lying next to him; the soft dancing of eyelashes over cheeks; the supple pink of another’s lips--someone in particular, not just anyone; and coffee with just enough cream to where it matched an old pair of corduroy trousers. These were all things that made him feel equally as comfortable as that morning light. The lips, though, were an image that often flashed in his mind. As were the sheets and the unfairly long eyelashes and the corduroy trousers. Each day, Theo found himself aligning more things in his personal thoughts to that of someone like you. He might hope to consider you his love but would never truly do so for the looming sense of rejection that hung over him like a rain cloud.

The door in the corner creaked with a symphony of old wood and rusty nails. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but the sound was as nostalgic as the crackles within the records that he and you used to play, sitting on the floors of each other's bedrooms. Theo smiled gently at the memory, remembering the feel of the hardwood beneath your ankles and the looks in both of your eyes. If he wasn't crazy, he might have thought that this is where his heart first opened up to you. Where he first realized how badly he craved your touch instead of any of the girls or guys his mates eyed in town.

"Teddy," a whisper like crinkling parchment tickled the shell of his ears. Only you could call him that.

"Are you awake?"

Theo pushed himself up into a sitting position, feeling the sheets tangle around his feet in a new position than they previously had. His eyes met that of a bedroom floor record player in an embrace with a cotton touch. You smiled, showing off the teeth that Theo found so endearing. You shifted a bit in the doorway, rubbing your bare thighs together in an attempt to gain some warmth. You were still wearing the shirt and the shorts that you’d been in the night before—the ones that made his stomach kiss his chest. 

He caught onto your sense of embarrassment and beckoned you over, your nightshirt a bit too big for you. The sleeves reached the tips of your fingers in a rather demeaning manner. You sauntered over before stepping into his bed, crossing your legs and placing your hands comfortably between each thigh. The shirt you wore was ill-fitting just as his but in a different way. The cotton material lay against your chest which didn't dare to touch. Your skin pulled tight over your bones and made a passionate embrace with the fabric as it hung off you in a rather languorous way that caught Theo’s attention rather quickly. The collar delicately caressed your exposed collarbones that cut like knives and burned like fire in the pit of Theo’s stomach.

"Alright, love?" Theo whispered, his voice cracking from the pressure of the morning. You looked down, a few strands of hair falling into your eyes. You didn't seem to notice.

"Couldn’t sleep, I reckon . . . ," you spoke just above a whisper, the tenor undertones in your voice making the hair on Theo’s arms stand up. Without thinking, the brunette swiftly swiped the hair out of your eyes with a single thumb, just barely brushing your skin with his own. His eyes found yours in a breathless escape, attempting to analyze what you were feeling. Theo could hear his heartbeat in his ears and he wondered if you could hear it as well. His hand fell limp at his side in an embarrassed fashion.

Your mouth opened as if to speak but closed once more. You seemed to be debating on whether or not to say what was dancing on the end of your tongue. Theo desperately wanted to hear what you had to say. He wanted to know if it was a negative or a positive that he had touched you in that way. 

"Teddy—" you began but Theo pressed his lips to yours before you could finish. It hadn't been something he’d thought about before doing. He just did it. His hands remained tightly pressed into his lap, not wanting to push himself onto you any further. He felt bad for doing this in the first place, he just needed to feel the person he'd known for so long in the way he desired. He expected you to push him away or run or something but by the time he realized those things could possibly happen, he knew that this kiss had been extended much too long to be a hormone-fueled act of blind passion. 

Your lips no longer remained dormant but moved against his. Yours cradled his bottom lip with a gentle touch—much too gentle for him. He pressed his hands to either side of your face, pulling himself onto his knees. You rested comfortably between his thighs, knees dug into the mattress, as your shoulders were against the headrest. He steadied you, feeling his fingers trace the lower part of your posture. Theo groaned breathlessly into your mouth, politely insinuating that he needed a breath. 

You slowly pulled away, your lips joined in a messy trail of spit that disconnected as you rested your forehead against his. Blue eyes met yours in a frenzied heat of repressed desire as dry throats held the hunger of fasting lovers. Your thumb gently stroked his cheek, eyes flickering down from his bewitching eyes to his swollen lips, painted with your love. 

"More."

It was a single whisper. Nothing too dramatic or emotional, just the hoarse beg of a starved man. You took Theo’s lips back onto your own, much more fervently than before, feeling his desperate breath against your cheeks. Theo’s hands fell to your hips, his fingers brushing the bare skin there. You winced into his mouth at the cold touch of his rings, your fingers tightening into his hair.

Theo pushed off from the headboard and gently laid you back on the bed. He hovered over you in a protective guard, shielding you from all other eyes in the outside world. His lips touched against your neck like a feather, only barely ghosting against your soft flesh. You knew that the man above was like a god and you worshiped him as such. Lips to skin, teeth to bone. The young god's hands held onto you like a lifeline, exhaling syllables packed with amour and white-hot lust in your ear. 

Theo’s hand slid delicately beneath your shirt, caressing the warm skin stretched over your ribs. You could feel his heart drumming through the rest of his body like a bomb ticking away. It teased you, daring you to take control. He wouldn't let you, though, you knew this well enough. The man in question slid down your body and pulled you by the back of your knees until your head was resting against the pillow. His knees lock you in place. You couldn't go anywhere even if you wanted to.

"Are you sure, love—" Theo whispered breathlessly.

"Merlin, Theo, yes," you spoke. You were surprised you even got the words out with the way your pulse was pounding in your ears. It knocked against your brain, imprinting a tattoo of lust within your skull.

If Theo died right now and the last thing he saw was you beneath him, pressing your lips against his undeserving flesh and tracing your fingers down every individual scar, freckle, and anomaly on his body, then he'd take it.

[soo0hee]

Just One Chance

This is part of the Lonely Hearts Cafe Collab by @camandemstudios

Pairing — Boo SeungkwanxReader

Summary — while for some valentines day was a day spend filled with love, compassion and roses, for you it was a total disaster. Alone and dissapointed you return home after what was suppossed to be the saving grace for your relationship where you were met with your best friend and roommate Boo Seungkwan. Maybe your night wouldn't end with total catastrophe...

Genre — fluff, maybe a lil hurt/comfort if you will

AU/Trope Info — Non!IdolAU

Wordcount — 3.1k

Warnings — ex-boyfriends being idiots, Kwannie being a jealous and rambling cutie

Rating — PG-13

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©soo0hee on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

“And you are sure you want to give him another chance?” Seungkwan asked with his eyebrow raised almost into his hairline and his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was leaning against the wooden frame of your door, eyes not straying away for even a second and more than a little displeased about the fact that you had yet again, chosen to give that asshat you called your boyfriend a chance to make up for all the dates he had missed over the last few months.

Yes, months. How you were still able to simply look past all this dicks faults when he had already told you he would change for the, what felt like millionth time, and every single time it left you more disappointed than the last time. And every single time it was Seungkwan, who had picked up the pieces after he was met with teary eyes, hunched over shoulder and the expression of a kicked puppy that had his heart skip a beat upon you entering your shared apartment after another failed night with Nick.

Oh, how Seungkwan learned to hate that name. Just the mention of it made him feel livid enough to want to punch a hole into his rooms wall and yet he would wait for you to come home time and time again with your favorite fuzzy blanket, your favorite cup; a bag of your favorite tea already waiting to be poured over with boiling water, a tub of ice cream equipped with two gigantic spoons and open arms for you to fall into when you needed him to just listen to your angry huffs that, in his humble opinion made you look more like an angry teddy bear then a real threat to society.

Not once had he send you away when you were faced with yet another disappointing night in which your boyfriend had either failed to give you more attention than his phone, flirted with anything that wasn´t sitting in a tree at the count of three while you were sitting right beside him and not bother showing up at all. And even when he hated how the result always seemed to be the same, Seungkwan would rather burn in hell then stop being the person you came to after your failed nights with Nick.

Even if it ripped his heart to shreds to witness you running back to a man that was so clearly not interested in what you had to offer. A man that didn´t see the love, the care, the kindness and so many more things you were willing to give in a relationship. A man, who was evidently not him.

Even then he would wait for you.

“Just this last time Boo. It´s Valentine ’s Day after all and I want to see if at least tonight, Nick can follow through with his promises. If he does, then fine I’m willing to give him another chance but if not, he can finally go to hell.” You sighed and applied one last layer of lip-gloss before smacking your lips together with a pop.

Seungkwan pursed his lips, already having a feeling that this night was not going to be different to all the other times.

“How do I look?” Turning around to face your friend and roommate you tilted your head to the side with a questioning look on your face.

Many words were burning on the tip of his tongue to be said.

Beautiful, ravishing, gorgeous, stunning, angelic and so many more clouded his mind and yet he only settled for a simple, “Good.”

You rolled your eyes at his blunt answer but you also knew that Seungkwan meant it when he said so. He was no liar, at least he had never lied to you about anything and you trusted your judgment and gut maybe a little more then you should. After all, your gut had also once told you what a great guy Nick was.

Seungkwan watched you get up and grab your purse from your desk.

“Do you know when you´ll be home again?”

His question was met with a shrug. “Depends on how the night will go really. I could be back in an hour, late at night or tomorrow morning. Honestly at this point can´t say I expect much.”

‘Then don´t go!’ was what he wanted to say but stayed silent. It was no use. He knew how stubborn you could be and that if you put your mind to something the chance of him getting you to change your mind was slim to nonexistent. And so he sends you out the door with a wave.

His own plans were rather simple. Without a date and no real desire to leave the coziness of your shared home, Seungkwan preferred the quietness of a night in. His companion for the night? Left over Jajangmyeon that was still in the fridge, Netflix and maybe, if he was lucky enough he would find the Soju you had hidden somewhere in the apartment.

The plans were quite sad if you remembered that today was Valentine’s Day but that was nothing that really bothered him. Sure, his friends had teased him mercilessly for not asking out the girl that served him his coffee every morning before he went to work with an extra sweet bat of her eyes but Seungkwan could not remember a day on which he had even once indulged her flirtations. So yes, his plans were boring and Seungkwan was absolutely fine with that.

One movie turned into two and just when he thought his night would be spent alone, he could hear the beeping sound of the entrance code be punched into the lock system before the door opened and you entered the apartment on soft soles. How you managed to do that in the heels you were wearing Seungkwan had no clue.

The man turned his head to catch your eyes and the slightly amused smile was immediately whipped from his face; the “I told you so.” That had been waiting to be said suddenly stuck in his throat.

Fresh tear tracks were glistening on the apple of your cheeks, make up smudged and your eyes still watery like you had stopped crying just a few moments ago.

You dropped your purse carelessly on the floor, kicked the heels away and trudged over to where your roommate was waiting with his arm held out so you could take his hand; pulling you down and into his side where you buried your face into the soft material of his shirt.

Seungkwan didn´t mind the mascara which would no doubt stain the fabric. He´d just wash the shirt the next day when he did his laundry either way.

“Don´t you want to tell me that you told me so and that I’m dumb for thinking tonight could be any different?” your words were muffled by the fabric but could be heard well enough and while the words had undoubtedly something he was going to say, he also felt quite bad that he even had the chance to say them. He had hoped that for once you didn´t come home downtrodden and that for once Nick had gotten his shit together.

“No, I’m just sorry that it happened again. What was it this time? You were out for quite some time?” Seungkwan comforted gently, fingers tracing over the back of your neck where your hair exposed the skin.

“It was fine. Nick was punctual, nice and paid attention and I thought, wow! He really surprised me there. And then when we were about the order dessert suddenly this girl stood at our table. Causing a scene and yelling about what an ass he was and if I’m the bitch he replaced her with as if, and I quote, “He hadn´t spend the last 6 months fucking her every weekend!” Kwan he didn´t cheat on me. I was the he cheated with! It was so humiliating.”

Two things were on his mind hearing this. One, the urge to drive over to Nicks place and punch the lights out of him. And two, tell him what an utter fool he was for treating you like a toy that could be put on the shelf until he wanted to play again.

“I feel so dumb. How did I not see this? How did I honestly thing he was worth giving him so many chance when all Nick did was treat me like dirt?” you twisted your head a bit to glance up at Seungkwan`s face through your lashes.

Pushing back the urge to bend down and press his mouth to the slight pout of your lips, Seungkwan shook his head.

“Don´t say that, you´re not dumb! You were just… in love…” he choked out his last words like they were poison in his mouth.

Somehow his words shook something inside you.

Were you really in love with Nick? Was that really what it was? Or was it you holding onto someone because you didn´t want to be alone anymore?

“Maybe…” you sighed just to turn your head back into your roommate, arms thrown around his mid section.

The TV filled the silence between you with mindless banter which went in over your head.

“You know what? We won´t let tonight end like this! Go to your room, wipe those tears away and wear something comfortable.” He nudged you a bit, words met with a grumble on your side.

“What why?” you questioned and refused to move.

Seungkwan nudged you again, this time harder and you let go to sit up and stare at him as he freed himself from the blanket thrown over his legs and lap to get up. Your arms fell a bit, hands reaching for your own to pull you up from the couch.

“You´ll see. Meet you here in 10.”

Confused but following his instruction you stumbled to your room. You got rid of the slightly too tight dress and opted for sweat pants and a hoodie you had stolen from Seungkwan some time ago. Well, stolen might not be the right word for this. Seungkwan knew very well where it was, he had seen you wearing it often enough and even put it on your bed again after having done his washing multiple times. Ignoring that half of your closet at this point consisted of his clothes.

“Are you ready?” Seungkwan called from the hallway and stuck his head through the door.

You nodded and slipped into your sneakers; Seungkwan handing you your jacket he had picked up from the living room floor.

“Then come on.”

The cold of a February night hit you in the face and you hooked your arm into the man`s by your side.

“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” you asked, still not sure what he was up to.

“Just walk with me. You´ll see.” He hummed and pulled you along with him. You realized that Seungkwan was not planning on telling you where you were going and so you decided to simply enjoy his company.

The night was cold and you were glad you had your jacket on because you were sure you wouldn´t have survived this walk if not.

You took in the neighborhood, walking past stores and restaurants you usually hurried past without paying them much mind when you either went to work or returned from it and only wanted to bury yourself in your bed. They looked cozy, like something you would love to check out sometime soon. Maybe Seungkwan could join you for that and only as you walked further did you realize where you went.

The sight of the water of the Han River rippling as wind brushed over it, on some place close to the shore even frozen from the drop in temperature opened itself and the lights of the city reflecting beautifully on the surface as you made your way to the park close to where you were.

Visiting this place was definitely something you should do more often. The sight was amazing and in midst of the buzzing city, it was a welcoming place of quietness that had something magically to offer. The light of the street posts lighting up the way, bathing it in a soft glow and giving Seungkwan a little halo over his dark brown hair with his muffs on his ears.

You watched his side profile as you walked together, and something inside your stomach stirred.

It wasn´t that you didn´t know Seungkwan was handsome, no you weren´t blind after all, you could see why he was constantly fawned over by your girlfriends or why when he was out men and women were turning their heads to look after him when passing by them. But never had it made you feel like you were a fool for not realizing just how beautiful he was when you looked closer like you did now.

His soft, slightly ruffled hair fell in gentle waves, strands framing his face like the frame of a portray, enhanced its impact. The puffy coat he was wearing almost swallowed him, making him appear much smaller then he actually was and like a giant teddy bear you wanted to hug as much as he would let you.

“You should just take a picture if you plan staring at me all night. It holds longer and you can take it anywhere you go, that way I’d always be with you.” He teased and winked at you.

You felt heat flush your cheeks at being caught in your staring.

“Sorry!” you squealed higher then you had intended and looked to the ground in shame. Seungkwan chuckled in amusement.

“It´s fine. I know I look amazing.”

You scoffed in mock offence and punched his shoulder with the hand not hooked around his arm. He dramatically pulled a face.

“You´re so mean! Punching me when all I’m trying to do is being a good friend!”

“You´re a little shit, is what you are!”

Seungkwan grabbed his heart, acting like he had just been shot in the chest. His theatrics made you laugh freely. It was the first time since you had left the restaurant a few hours ago in which you felt like you were where you were supposed to be.

“This? That smile you have right now? This suits you so much better than the tears from earlier.”

You let out a soft sigh, smile still painted onto your face. Seungkwan lifted his arm, brushing a lose lash away from your cheek as it clung to it. The warmth of his skin seeping into your bones, even if only for one tiny moment. Your heart sunk at the missing feeling just the smallest bit.

“I´m glad, I-” you began yet stopped when your eyes caught his. The lumps in your throat making it almost impossible to speak without sounding like you were going to cry again. Not because of Nick, no. All you were able to think about was Seungkwan.

Seungkwan who made you laugh every moment spend together. Seungkwan who cared more for his friends then for himself oftentimes. Seungkwan who had a soft spot for his baby bookkeu. Seungkwan who breathed smiles and energy and Seungkwan who managed to make your knees weak with the simplest of actions.

Waiting for you to continue Seungkwan looked at you with his hand tilted to the side.

“Thank you, for being here. For having my back…”

His eyes softened at this.

“You never need to thank me for that, y/n. You can always trust me to have your back when you need me. I´ll be there.”

His breath fanned over your cold skin, eyes flickering down to your mouth as nibbled on your lower lip.

“Boo I-“you whispered into the night when you felt his lips on your own. Gently moving against them like he was afraid you´d run away any second before pulling away. The touch was only fleeting. Barely a few seconds and yet you weren´t able to shake it from your mind!

Abrupt Seungkwan pulled back, taking two steps back and away from you. His wide panicked eyes looking anywhere but you and your heart dropped at his violent reaction.

“I´m sorry, I´m so sorry! I shouldn’t have- this shouldn´t have happened and I wasn´t supposed to-“

Quickly you reached out to hold his flailing hands still in yours.

“Seungkwan stop!” you called out hoping to break through his panic but it was unsuccessful. Avoiding looking at you and trying to get his hands out of your soft grip, he tucked them back with little to no force.

“Stop!” you yelled once more and the man froze.

“Stop.”

“But you-“

“I´m not mad.”

“Why not? You should be. I shouldn´t have kissed you, it was a mistake! A mistake that shouldn´t have happened because I CAN`T lose you!” he rambled more to himself than he was talking to you.

Giving him your best –Don´t bullshit me- face you stared at him. “Who, in the ever loving fuck told you that you could ever lose me?”

Seungkwan shook his head, devastation written all over his face.

“You don´t know that. Because if you knew you would run.”

“Try me.”

Staring at you like you had grown a second head Seungkwan stood there not knowing what to do with himself.

“Try me and see what will happen Boo. I bet you´d be surprised.”

He sighed loudly and looked to the ground. Not brave enough to see how your face would inevitably change to one of disgust and rejection.

“I love you y/n. I´ve done so for ages and those last few months have slowly been killing me inside! I- i hate Nick for treating you like you weren´t something to be cherished every second of the day and I hate that you went back to him so many times even if you knew, you knew that he wouldn´t change. Nick was an asshole who is blind to how amazing you truly are. Who never knew how to treat you…”

It was amazing to witness the usually smooth talking Seungkwan fumbling for words. Stuttering like he didn´t know what to say and a scared in a way you rarely ever got see.

“…and if you could give me just one chance to proof that I can treat like you deserve, I would…”

Rushing to cut him off you roughly took a hold of his face to press another short yet sweet kiss to his lips before raising an eyebrow with a teasing smile dancing on your lips.

“One chance.”

[insanitysilver]

OK....sooo about the swearing in Ao3. What's considered Mature vs Explicit.

I’ve been chewing on this ask because coarse language is just so subjective. What counts as objectionable will vary between cultures, country-to-country (see US vs UK cursing), region-to-region, and even amongst family and friend groups. The internet leans towards liberal cursing as the norm, but even fandom norms will vary (South Park vs Pokemon).

►What does AO3’s TOS say?

In general… the creator should use their best judgement. “We encourage creators to consider community norms, whether fandom-specific or more general (such as how you'd expect a video game or movie with similar content to be rated), when selecting a rating.”

With that in mind, I can really only give you...

►My Personal Playbook:

» General Audiences -- The content is unlikely to be disturbing to anyone and is suitable for all ages.

G. Something I could read aloud to a 5yo and not get in trouble for. No cursing.

» Teen And Up Audiences --  The content may be inappropriate for audiences under 13.

PG-13. Light cursing. Couple scattered “shits”, “damns”, maybe a “fuck” or two, but sparingly.

» Mature -- The content contains adult themes (sex, violence, etc) that aren't as graphic as explicit-rated content.

R. Heavier cursing. “Fucks” abound + possible light usage of racially/gender-charged terms.

» Explicit -- The content contains explicit adult themes, such as detailed sex scenes, graphic violence, etc.

NC-17. Obscene cursing happening frequently. “Fucks” are swarming. Slurs are coming out of the vents and dripping down the walls.

►Helpful Additional Tags:

T for Language, Rated for [Character]’s Mouth, Canon-Typical Language, Slurs, Canon-Typical Slur Usage,  Homophobic Language, Racist Language, Sexist Language, Derogatory Language, etc.

[genevievefangirl]

How to AO3 - A Tagging Guide Masterpost

Maybe it is the autism, but I've always found AO3's tagging system to be extremely fascinating and fun. However, I know that many people do not share my love and find it frustrating and difficult.

Now after over a decade of reading fics on there I can say that I have *opinions* on how works should be tagged. I have seen many people lament over not knowing how to tag, and if that's you, here's a guide!

Blanket Disclaimer – Tagging is inherently subjective.  There are very few cases where a fic is truly tagged ‘incorrectly’ since an argument can be made for or against the inclusion of most tags.  Besides the 4 major warnings (and selecting a fandom & language), everything else is optional (and you can even not do those 4 if you choose “Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings”).  So take a breath and relax, you will be fine.

Additionally, since tagging is subjective, this advice is how I think works should be tagged.  You are free to disagree, but these are the guidelines I use and the interpretation that I think makes the most sense.

Alright with that out of the way... here we go!

1. What are tags even for anyway?

Tags are advertisements for your work. Each tag should be considered with care, don’t just throw on a tag for no reason.

There is one main question I want you to take away from this entire post. If you remember nothing else, remember this. When considering to add a tag, ask yourself:

Would a reader looking for this specific tag be happy with this story?

The answer to that for every tag on your work should be an enthusiastic YES. If the answer is no, cut the tag (with a few exceptions – mostly kink/warning related)

2. Ratings

The lines between some of the ratings can get fuzzy, but I generally think about them like I would think about movie ratings.

Not Rated This is the one to use if you either don’t want to rate your fic or are unsure.  When people search, this will be treated like M and E fics (meaning a warning will be shown about possible adult content when people click on it). G - General Audiences Suitable for everyone. You could show this to someone under 13 and it would be totally fine. T - Teen Think PG-13 or the equivalent rating in your country. I would categorize total fade to black sex scenes in here and violence on the level of the original Hunger Games books. M - Mature Adult themes such as sex, violence, etc, but not exceedingly graphic. This is where partial fade to black sex scenes go as well as scenes in which the sex is described but not in detail. For violence, I would put anything in here that doesn't spend a ton of time describing the gore. E - Explicit Porn and graphic violence. This is where smut goes. I do also think that when AO3 readers see an E rating they expect sex so if you are rating something E for violence and there is no sex present, you might want to put that in an additional tag so as not to confuse people.

For ratings - use your judgement. Some topics are inherently dark (suicide, non-con (even off screen), death, etc). It is up to you to pick what you think that appropriate rating is for your story based on what you think.

3. Archive Warnings

When you get to this section you will be confronted with 6 checkboxes: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, and Underage Sex.

The last 4 of those (Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, and Underage Sex) I will now call the 4 Major Archive Warnings for the rest of this post.

Now let's walk through each of the 6:

Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings - You pick this one if you do not want to select any of the others. If any of the 4 Major Archive Warnings exist in your story and you don't want to tag them, then you MUST select this option to be in compliance with AO3 Terms of Service.

No Archive Warnings Apply - You select this if none of the 4 Major Archive Warnings exist in your fic.

Graphic Depictions of Violence - Often people get tripped up with what counts as 'graphic' for this warning. I usually think about this one in relation to the source material the fic is from. For example, what might qualify as 'graphic' in one fandom might differ from another. But I tend to use the movie rating scale again (anything that would be too much for PG-13 gets the warning), but again it is up to your judgement.

Rape/Non-Con - Pretty self-explanatory. If your fic has this at all, you should tag it. When I see this tagged the implication to me is that the assault occurs on-screen. However, if you want to tag if for off-screen non-con no one will stop you.

Underage Sex - Again, self-explanatory. If your characters are underage and have sex, tag it. Technically, for AO3, underage is considered under 18 no matter where the fic takes place or where you are writing it, so take that under consideration. (This tag can get complicated with immortal beings, aliens, ghosts, or other supernatural elements, just use your best judgement).

Major Character Death - I have the most to say about this one because I find it the most confusing of the 4. I will attempt to not go on a rant here about how I really dislike this one (but man do I hate it). Here are some questions I often see about this warning and how I would answer them: 1. So... who counts as a major character? AO3's official answer to this is to use your judgement. Which isn't super helpful. I think the warning should apply to major characters in your fic not the source material. For example, if your fic's main character is Leon and Arthur dies at some point, but he wasn't a focus of your fic, then I don't think MCD should be tagged. (This might be my most controversial tagging opinion) 2. How do I determine who the main characters are in my fic? Here is my approach - if your story has main ship X with characters A and B driving most of the plot and character C is also there, but is not the main focus of the story, then killing C does not count as Major Character Death. However, if the story is about a trio of characters A, B, and C and A and B also happen to also be in a relationship, then killing C would be Major Character Death. In the end it is up to your discretion as the author, but I would think about how much the character contributes to make a determination. 3. What about temporary death? Do I have to tag MCD for that? I don't think so. The Temporary Death tag exists for a reason and that should be sufficient. 4. Okay so I don't think the character I killed is a major character, but some people might disagree and I don't want people to be mad that I didn't tag MCD. What should I do? Tag Character Death and leave it at that. In my opinion, that is sufficient warning that someone might die. 5. What if the characters are already dead at the start? Like they are ghosts or something? If your characters are essentially immortal creatures whose natural state is dead then I don't think you need to tag MCD. The spirit of the MCD tag is that a character is going away. If the characters are dead but still around then I don't think that is MCD.

Yeah I have a lot of MCD opinions... but moving on!

3. Categories

These are for the type of romantic relationship is in the fic.

Gen - No romantic or sexual relationships, or relationships are not the main focus of the work. F/F - Female to Female F/M - Female to Male M/M - Male to Male Multi - more than one kind of relationship or relationship with multiple partners (so both Poly relationships and fics with multiple relationships as the focus go here). Other - Relationships not covered by the other categories.

4. Fandom

This one is usually easy. You just tag the fandom for the fic you are writing for. Done! But there is an instance where this can get confusing...

When do you tag multiple fandoms? You tag multiple fandoms when you are using elements from another fandom in a CROSSOVER instance! Do NOT tag it if it is used in an AU instance! The difference is subtle, but for example, I am writing my Dead Boy Detectives Hunger Games AU, but since I am NOT crossing over with Hunger Games characters and am only using the Hunger Games setting, I do NOT tag Hunger Games.  However, if my fic were to use characters from Hunger Games (like if Katniss showed up for a chat), then I would tag it. This is important because: 1. Some people filter out crossovers and you don't want your fic to be considered a crossover when you are just using it as an AU. 2. Tagging other fandoms where you really aren't using the characters floods the other fandom tag with works that aren't really related to that fandom and that isn't a nice thing to do.

5. Relationship Tags

/ vs & - they mean two different things! The / is for romantic relationships. The & is for platonic relationships. There are times when tagging both is acceptable. For example, if your fic is ambiguous about if two characters are together then you can tag both. Also, if the 2 characters haven’t gotten together yet, but they will at some nebulous point in the future beyond the end of the fic, I think it is fine to tag the / tag since it is pre-slash, but that depends on personal preference.

Poly Ships - “But what if I have a poly ship?  Do I tag the poly ship and all the sides of the triangle (or square, or pentagon, you get it)?” It depends on personal preference, but here is how I would do it- Remember , the key for adding any tag is “Would a reader looking for this specific tag be happy with this story?” So, for example, if you are writing a poly fic with characters X/Y/Z and X/Y have scenes together alone and Z/X have scenes alone, then you tag the poly ship and those sides of the triangle. But say Y/Z don’t have much development outside the poly ship, then you don’t tag them. Poly ships can make your relationship tags quite long, but it is better to cover your bases adequately. This way, if people don’t want the poly ship, they can filter that tag out, but if people don’t mind, they will still be able to find your fic while searching for the non-poly tag.

Side Ships - “X couple are the main focus of my fic, but Y couple is there too, should I tag both?” It depends on a couple of factors. If someone clicked on your story just for the secondary Y ship, would they be satisfied? Is there enough content to justify it being a Y ship story or are they just there to support the main X ship? - If they are just in the background and mentioned but get zero onscreen development or scenes DO NOT tag it in the Relationships section! - If they get screen time and development, then DO tag them in the Relationships section. If Y ship does not get enough development to be tagged in the Relationship section, you can tag them in the Additional Tags section. This allows you to highlight couple Y's presence in the fic without clogging up their relationship tag.

6. Characters

Now you might think that if a character is in a relationship tag, then they should be automatically assumed to be in the fic. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Perhaps a fic includes allusions to X being with Y, but Y isn’t actually present. In that case, only X should be in the Character tags.

On the flip side, if both members of the relationship tag are present in the fic, always tag characters in the Character section too! If someone is just filtering on X and doesn’t put anything into the Relationships section, then they will not find your fic if you don’t tag them individually!

How many characters should I tag? Do I tag everyone? In shorter one shots, you can probably get away with tagging all the characters even if they only have a small role. But in long fics, choices must be made. Tag everyone that you feel gets adequate attention and contributes significantly to the plot. Again, would a reader looking for this specific character be happy with this story?

7. Kinks

I’m not gonna get into the specifics of this because I don't really want to and it isn't my area of expertise, but you know what these are 😂

If you are writing smut, then you should tag the tropes you are using so people can properly filter on what they want and don't want to see.

8. Warnings (outside the Major 4)

There are a lot of warnings you can tag for outside of the Major 4. Here is a list of some of the common ones I have seen:

Suicide

Self-Harm

Incest

Manipulation

Alcoholism

PTSD

Minor Character Death

Gun Violence

Non-consensual touching

Body Horror

Dub-Con

Torture

Psychological Horror

Abuse (Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Animal Abuse)

Homophobic Language

Grief/Mourning

That is in no way intended to be a comprehensive list, but you get the idea. If there is something in your fic that you feel might upset someone, consider tagging it.

9. Time/Universe

Tell people when/where your story takes place!

Alternate Universe - in which something is changed from the canon universe. I usually sort them into 2 major subcategories: 1. Canon Divergence - The fic changes an aspect from canon, but still is in the same general universe. 2. Other AUs - These fics go wild! It can be anything from the classic Coffee Shop AU to an AU based on another fandom property (Harry Potter AUs, Hunger Games AUs, etc) Get creative with your AU tags! If the tag for your specific AU doesn't exist, make it yourself! Also, you can tag multiple AUs for one story if they all apply (such as tagging both Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse and Alternate Universe - The Last of Us Setting)

Canon Universe - The fic takes place in the fandom universe with no changes. There are also subcategories here! 1. Pre-Canon - takes place before the timeline of the source material. 2. Post-Canon - takes place after the timeline of the source material. 3. Canon Compliant - takes place during the timeline of the source material and doesn't change that timeline (think missing scenes)

Almost every fic should have either an AU tag or one of the canon tags!

10. Gender Swap/Trans Characters

Remember that tags are advertisements! If you are writing about trans characters or gender swapped characters, people want to find that! Let them know and tag it!

11. Genre/Big Tropes

These are the big ones. Every fic you post should have at least one of these tags:

Angst

Hurt/Comfort

Fluff

Smut

Romance

Humor

Crack

Every fic has a feeling you want to evoke or emotion you want to convey and that is what these tags are for. Let the reader know what they are in for!

12. More Specific Tags

This is for everything else. This is where you can have a lot of fun. If there is something in your story you want to highlight, put it in the tags! Here are some examples!

Amnesia

Friends to Lovers

Enemies to Lovers

Slow Burn

Mutual Pining

Fake Dating

Miscommunication

Pregnancy

Mpreg

Jealousy

Abandonment Issues

Codependency

Cuddling

Fake/Pretend Relationship

First Kiss

Love Confessions

Hurt (insert character here)

Protective (insert character here)

Time Travel

Apocalypse

Established Relationship

Or literally anything else your mind can think of! The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!

13. Joke Tags

AO3 is not tumblr, so do not treat the tags like you do on there. The goal of the tags is for readers to find your fic if they want to read it and filter it out if they don’t, so don’t take up a ton of space with joke tags.

However, some joke tags can be fun, and I don’t mind seeing some of them, but keep it limited to a couple at most. They are most useful to clarify something about a tag you used. For example, I tagged “Slow Burn” but right after that tag I put “but also they literally share a bed all the time so… take that as you will”. It is a joke, but it also provides useful information to the reader.

14. How many tags is too many?

AO3 limits you to 75 tags, but you should probably never be approaching that number. I’d say ask yourself that main question (“Would a reader looking for this specific tag be happy with this story?”) for each one of the tags. That should help you narrow it down to the main ones your story represents.

A reasonable goal is that your tag list and summary should just about fit onto a phone screen so a reader can see all of it at once.

I have about 30 tags (including everything) on my current long fic with over 90k words; you don’t need a million tags.

AND THAT'S A WRAP!

My God this too me way too long to make, but I hope this is helpful! Now go tag like an expert!

[mirchloe]

#psychonautssecretsanta2024

ho ho ho! it's the middle of november! that means, once again, it's time for the secret santa! last year went off without a hitch (if you just ignore how my main was shadowbanned for sending out the giftee assignments, which caused me to finally make a side blog lol), so i'm back once again with this event i've happily hosted since 2016.

hate to beat a dead horse because this is the same shtick as last year and the year prior, but i'll be tremendously busy in december. i will be more hands off and ask that all participants follow the timeline. without further ado, here's the timeline along with the rules!

TIMELINE

the application will be open from 11/15/24 starting at 4:00 P.M. PST and close on 11/25/24 at 11:59 P.M. PST. if you miss the sign up period, please message me immediately because i will begin pairing people up promptly.

between 11/27/24 through 11/29/24, i will send out giftee information to the account/username (twitter or tumblr only) that was provided, so please keep your eye on your dms. if i can’t reach you on tumblr, i’ll send an ask asking you to open your messages to everyone. that way, i can pass along your giftee to you.

as always, 12/15/24 is the check-in day. i will be going around messaging people asking for progress updates. this doesn’t have any specification as people work differently, so if you haven’t started, that’s also fine. it just helps me know where people are in their progress, or if they might need an extension. if you want to reach out first, that helps me mark you down faster!

speaking of extensions, please let me know before 12/22/24 if you will need an extension. life happens, and i know that from experience, so don’t hesitate to reach out. also, if you believe you’ll need to drop out, please let me know before 12/22/24 as well, so that i can find another santa for your giftee. you will still receive your gift!

gifts are due between 12/24/24 through 12/28/24. please tag your giftee, and use the hashtag psychonautssecretsanta2024, so that i can keep track of who posted. (of course, in addition, you can always use the relevant game, character, and pairing tags!) i’m very excited to see what everyone will create!

for those who asked for extensions, and for the santas who took on an extra gift if someone dropped, those gifts are due between 1/4/25 through 1/8/25.

RULES

adult/minor pairings and incestuous pairings are not allowed. requesting them in your application will result in you being removed from the event entirely.

keep your content PG-13/keep the t rating of psychonauts in mind. nsfw material is not allowed in order to be inclusive to everyone. to clarify, please do not request nsfw material that is graphically sexual or violent in nature.

be respectful of your giftee’s wish list, and do not share them. over the years, i have mostly partnered people based on similar interests in characters, pairings, etc., but there will always be different interpretations of aforementioned characters, pairings, etc.

i mentioned it in the above form, but please don’t give me any usernames that are for ao3 or discord to prevent any confusion. this event is also NOT associated with any personal secret santa events on any discord. this is strictly for tumblr (and maybe twitter).

not really a rule, but any received questions about the event will be answered and added to the reply section.

[jaehunnyy]

sneak my way into your heart | ljy

Pairing: bf!juyeon x gn!reader

Genre: fluff, established relationship

Word count: 1k

Rating: pg-13

Type: oneshot

Warnings: kissing, pet names, sneaking? grammar mistakes

a/n: well... i gave in ! thankies and smoochies to @shakalakaboomboo and @from-izzy for beta reading ! 🤍

network: @blankjournal

The crisp mountain air filled your room as soon as you opened the window, light rays of sunshine knocking on the hard glass. The woody scent from outside made you smile, reminding you of your childhood, yet it was all gone when you realised you might run out of time. You threw a quick look at the little watch on your nightstand, its screen signaling that it was almost 6 am. Why were you awake at such an ungodly hour? Well, the reason behind the hassle was sleeping peacefully in your bed, soft breaths audible as his body was engulfed by the warmth of your pink duvet, protecting him by the wind’s touch. 

“Sweetheart, c’mon, it’s time to go back to your room,” you whispered, shaking the boy’s arm softly. 

Juyeon stirred, visibly bothered by the fact that he already had to wake up. You were in a three-week summer camp with your other friends from college, away from the responsibilities that were to come with you growing up. Amidst that, Juyeon has made a habit out of sneaking into your room at night—hence, you two had to wake up before anyone noticed his absence to the morning call. 

“Five more minutes?” 

“Nope, you’re waking up now," you said, grabbing the blanket harshly and pushing it aside, making him shiver as soon as the morning coldness hit his bare arms. 

“Baby, you’re exaggerating.” He whined, lower lip hanging into a pout while he pulled you into his arms, hoping to get some source of comfort after the blanket was ripped off of him. “A normal partner would wake the love of their life with a kiss or something, y’know…” 

You sighed and started to brush his hair with your fingers, a smile escaping your lips as you looked at him through heavy, sleepy eyes. You and Juyeon have been dating for quite a while now, and everyone knew you were college sweethearts—well, everyone except the organiser who hosted the camp and provided this beautiful place for you. Juyeon insisted that you two beg the organiser to give you the room with the bunk bed, even preparing his best puppy eyes for the request—yet, as soon as you met her sharp eyes, the idea was quickly forgotten (to Hyunjae’s relief—yours and your boyfriend’s best friend, who was just hoping that you two would stay out of trouble for these three weeks). You almost gave the boy a panic attack when Juyeon told him to keep the door unlocked so he could get inside in the morning without bothering him, just so he could spend the night with you. Back in the city, you were living together, so you were really used to having each other close and sharing personal space, especially at night—the reason why, your oh-so-smart boyfriend thought sneaking was a great idea! 

“We’re still meeting for the picnic we planned in the evening, aren’t we?” he asked, lips stretching into a lovely smile. 

“Yes, sweetheart. Now go. I can already feel the host open her eyes and get ready to wake everyone up.” 

You nuzzled for just a minute more into his neck, pressing a feather-like kiss on his shoulder and letting him go. 

The evening was the time you were allowed to do whatever you desired, being given two hours to spend however you wished. Some of the guys went fishing, some of the others dived for a sweet, peaceful, beauty sleep, while the rest settled for a quick game of cards on the patio. You and Juyeon planned a little picnic to make up for the time spent separately (and also because saturday was your “all day together” day), so you excused yourselves after two games (which your boyfriend was so upset he lost—well, truth is he didn’t even concentrate on the game, too focused thinking about your date), taking the little basket with stolen snacks and a blanket for you to sit on. You found a place near a river, nice and shaded from the sun’s golden glow, surrounded by all sorts of alpine flowers that you and your boyfriend admired attentively. 

“I missed you,” Juyeon said, pulling you closer to him so he could hug you. 

You nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his musky cologne as a content sigh escaped your lips. “You were sitting next to me when we played cards with the others, and you also woke up next to me in the morning,” you teased, raising your head to meet his eyes, lips puckered into a soft pout. “Joking, sweetheart. I missed you too.”

He smiled and pressed a soft kiss on your temple, his head finding your lap not long after so you could play with his hair—a habit he got used to since you moved in together. Your fingers got lost in his black locks as he relaxed into your lap, your background music being a mix of his satisfied hums and the melodious chirping of the birds. 

“Don’t you dare fall asleep! I will eat all the muffins and drink all the juice if you do,” you threatened jokingly, yet your smile dropped when you heard your lover’s steady breaths, his eyes closed. “Lee Juyeon!” 

He kept his face still, adding to the dramatic effect. You made an annoyed sound, trying to push him off of your lap, when the boy broke into a whole-hearted laughter, dropping his acting immediately. His hands found your cheeks, cupping them as he brought his face closer to yours, lips finding each other like puzzle pieces, molding together into a sweet, longing kiss. 

“I was just teasing you because you pulled the blanket off of me in the morning.” 

You whined, hitting his arm softly, before wrapping your hands around his waist, dragging him into an embrace full of love. 

“I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to spend time with you for nothing, my love.” 

You still blushed like the first time, holding his nape to bring your faces together and pressing your nose onto his, rubbing softly, lively chuckles escaping your lips. The rest of your evening was filled with laughter and giggles, red hearts floating above the two of you as the love you shared spread into the air. 

[mind-empty-just-fictional-people]

Plums

main masterlist | marvel masterlist

summary: you plan a surprise birthday gift for bucky

pairing: bucky barnes x female reader

square filled: Plums for @avengers-assemble-bingo ’s Bucky Barnes Birthday Bingo

rating: PG-13

word count: 0.7k

warnings: language, that’s it really

author’s note: happy birthday bucky!!

Everything had to be perfect. The tables all had to be set in the same beautiful way, the banners had to be as straight as a ruler, and the balloons had to be the exact right size. Everything had to be perfect because it was Bucky’s birthday, and he was perfect. You were throwing him a surprise party for his 108th; nothing too fancy, something you knew he’d like.

Sam sprinted into the room you were in. Out of breath, he said, “Bucky’s back early.”

“Shit,” you mumbled. “Alright everyone, we’re going with Plan B. Everyone knows what they need to do to make this party happen?” In return, you received nothing but nods from the other Avengers and people you hired to help decorate one of the compound’s large living rooms. “Sam, can you distract him?”

“I tried, he’s looking for you.”

“Shit, shit, shit,” you repeated. “Okay…” You thought for a moment.

Before you could think too much, the elevator dinged, signaling someone was about to enter the hall adjacent to the room you were now in.

“Shit,” you cursed once again. It was your favorite thing to do at this point. You passed the clipboard in your hand to Sam. “Make sure it’s perfect, Sam. You hear me? Per-fect.”

He nodded vigorously; “Understood.”

“I’ll keep him busy, we’ll be back by six. That gives you just under three hours, you got that?”

“I’ve got it, go,” Sam assured you. 

You hurried to meet Bucky in the hallway so he didn’t see the decorations. 

“Hey,” you greeted him.

“You are a sight for sore eyes, doll,” he sighed, a smile forming on his lips.

“Happy Birthday, Buck,” you said as you walked to him. When you reached him, he scooped you up in his arms and kissed you deeply, your hands going into his hair. “I love you.”

“Love you more,” he said.

“Not fuckin’ possible,” you mumbled against his mouth.

“C’mon, help me drop off this stuff so we can head upstairs.” He said after putting you down. He started walking toward the door, he was merely three yards away from completely ruining the surprise.

“NO!” you exclaimed. “I mean… no. Let’s go out and do something.”

“Now? Hun, I’m tired as fuck I just wanna go to bed.”

“But it’s your birthday!”

“Yes, and we live in a beautiful fortress that we never need to leave cause we have everything we could ever want inside these walls.”

“Plums!” you blurted, wanting to stop him from taking another step.

“Huh?”

“We have no plums in the compound!”

“...So?”

“We need plums! Let’s go to the farmer’s market for plums!”

“You know you’re lucky you’re so goddamn pretty.” Bucky shook his head. “Fine, let’s go to the farmer’s market for some plums.”

**

“Be honest with me,” Bucky started, “you just needed to get me off the property ‘cause you’re throwing a huge party funded by none other than Tony Stark?”

“Bucky, does that really sound like something I would do?”

“Short answer? Yes.”

You playfully slapped his upper arm. “I know you hate parties and attention, why would I subject you to that?”

“Because you love parties and are hoping I’ll forgive you for throwing one for me.”

“Bucky, I promise you, anything I am allegedly planning will be nothing but a good experience for you.”

“Uh huh.” He shook his head.

**

Bucky expected to walk through the door and two dozen people were going to scream “surprise”. Instead, the lights were dim and the living room had several small dining tables set up like an expensive restaurant. Everyone was already seated, not wearing anything fancy. 

You led Bucky to the table with a golden tablecloth as opposed to white like the others. 

Bucky should’ve known to expect something perfectly catered to him — the perfect mix between a party and a date with just the two of you. He should’ve known you knew him so well that the birthday you gave him would be nothing short of perfect.

[atelierlili]

💚Fandoms United For Helene Relief💚

Recently, Hurricane Helene has devastated areas of Appalachia and in particular Asheville, North Carolina. It is the deadliest mainland hurricane in the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many have lost their homes, possessions, and are struggling for food and other basic necessities. 

The hurricane hit many areas that are historically impoverished, and the North Carolina State Climate office state that "the full extent of this event will take years to document – not to mention, to recover from."

Katniss Everdeen’s home, District 12, is set in Appalachia, and The Hunger Games movie was filmed in Asheville, NC, and so the Hunger Games fandom wanted to put together a charity event and invite our friends from other fandoms to join. You might have seen us before as Hunger Games and Friends for Helene Relief, but as tumblr has been cracking down on these lately, we were shadowbanned and terminated twice. Nevertheless, this is an effort that we find extremely important to address and have come back as Fandoms United for Helene Relief. Due to this, there have been a few changes such as an updated email and dates that have been pushed back. It’s also the reason that we’re posting this on one of our team member’s personal blogs.

Fandoms United for Helene Relief is a fanworks collection to raise money for local charities addressing the needs in Asheville, NC and other areas affected by Hurricane Helene. Fanfiction authors and fanartists from any fandom can volunteer to submit a new work to the collection. Fans who give to one of the approved charities can then email the event proof of the contribution and receive ALL of the fanwork submitted to the collection. 

Approved charities: Our focus is on local charities who have ties to the community, know their needs, and will stay for the long haul in these communities over the years as they rebuild. Our list of approved charities include organizations that help foster children, unhoused, seniors, animals, general relief, and more, for whatever cause is close to your heart. Information and links to their donation pages can be found on this google doc. 

Fanwork criteria: As mentioned before, the work needs to be new and not published on any other platform. We ask for a three-month period from the release of the collection until authors and artists post the work to another platform. Fanwork can be from any fandom, for any character or ship. All fanwork must be rated PG-13/T or lower. As organizers, we won’t be able to verify the ages of those donating for the collection and cannot risk sending explicit material to minors.

Timeline: We want all interested contributors to commit to the collection by November 2 by submitting this google form. Final works must be submitted to fuhrgames74[at]gmail.com by November 16. The organizers will then compile the collection and it will be released November 30. Those fans who would like access to the collection can email proof of contribution to fuhrgames74[at]gmail.com at any time up through December 30. Those who email prior to November 30 will have access on the day and those who email after release day will receive it as soon as possible once the proof of contribution is received. Fanfiction authors can then publish their work on other platforms February 23, 2025.

FOR MORE UPDATES AND INFORMATION PLEASE FOLLOW US AT @fandomsunited4hr !! I will be posting more info, which includes our featured artists and writers, there in the future.

Questions or comments can be sent here on our tumblr or emailed to fuhrgames74[at]gmail.com

Whether you write, donate, and/or reblog, we appreciate your support!

[hungermakesmonsters]

(Once Bitten) Twice Shy

Chapter Twelve

Plot summary : Desperate to get away from your controlling family, you take a job in New York as a wealthy vampire's blood source. A million dollars awaits if you can make it through a year, but life with Billy Russo is not going to be as simple as you think.

Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader

Story Rating : R  Chapter Rating : PG-13

Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] Some vague injury details/broken bone mention. All chapters will contain mentions of blood. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 

Word Count : 5.2k

A/N : The aftermath of the last chapter.

CHAPTER ONE | CHAPTER TWO | CHAPTER THREE | CHAPTER FOUR | CHAPTER FIVE | CHAPTER SIX | CHAPTER SEVEN | CHAPTER EIGHT | CHAPTER NINE | CHAPTER TEN | CHAPTER ELEVEN

MASTER LIST

Chapter Twelve

You were woken by the door rattling at your back.

Someone was trying to get into your room.

If it hadn’t been for the pain in your arm and the fact that you’d slept on the floor, you might have been able to convince yourself that everything that had happened last night was just some fucked up nightmare.

But hadn’t been, it had happened. Billy had hurt you.

The door jostled again, this time accompanied by a voice desperately calling your name.

Karen.

You managed to move yourself away from the door but you didn’t have the strength to stand. You felt broken and devastated, and all you wanted to do was lay down on the cold floor and go back to sleep.

The door swung open and before you could even look up, she was on her knees beside you, assessing your injuries. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at her so, instead, you stared at your dresser, steeling yourself for the I told you so that you were certain was coming. It was your fault and you both knew it; she’d tried to protect you, tried to keep you safe but you had to act like you knew better. 

And this was the result.

You were hurt and Billy - god, you couldn’t even begin to imagine how he felt, knowing that he’d done this to you. Fortunately you were too upset to think about it.

It took a few seconds for you to realise she was talking, until she gripped your face and turned you to look at her.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” she said firmly.

When she got to her feet and offered you her hand, you tried to lift your injured arm without thinking. The pain had your eyes watering and, again, you found yourself wanting to just curl up and sleep until it all went away.

“Hey... hey, it’s okay, we’re going to get you taken care of, okay?” She said softly, moving to your other side so she could help you up with your uninjured arm. “You don’t have to be afraid, everything’s going to be alright.”

Once you were finally up, she helped you pull some loose sweatpants over your pyjama bottoms and a baggy t-shirt over your camisole. You stepped into your Uggs and Karen cautiously draped a jacket around your shoulders.

You were in a daze - you were in shock - as she slowly led you from your rooms and out into the penthouse. You breath caught and you faltered, taking in the destruction; there was broken furniture and shattered glass everywhere and Karen tried to usher you through it as quickly as possible.

“Where is he?” You dared to ask as you stepped into the elevator.

“He’s not here, you don’t have to worry.”

“Is he... okay? Is he safe?” As upset as you were, you were still worried about him. “I don’t - I don’t understand what happened. He was covered in blood...”

“Yours? Did he bite you?” The calm demeanour she’d been forcing threatened to break.

“No, I think it was someone else’s… or maybe his. He looked like he’d been attacked, I don’t -” you stopped as the elevator doors slid open, realising that you didn’t have permission to go out. Karen noticed your hesitation. “I’m not supposed to go out without permission.”

Some part of you knew that it was a ridiculous thing to care about given the state of your arm and after everything that had happened, but you followed rules, it was how you were raised. And, after the confusion of last night, you desperately wanted something stable and well-defined to cling to.

“You have permission,” Karen told you, “I’m here because Billy asked me to take you to a hospital.”

“You - you spoke to him?”

“About an hour ago. He wouldn’t tell me what happened or where he was, he just said you needed help,” she explained, ushering you out of the elevator and towards her car. “Curtis is out looking for him and Frank is going to help as soon as the sun sets.”

You fell silent as you got into the car, losing yourself in memories of the last couple of days, thinking about how he asked you to stay, and how he told you that he wanted to be yours. As much as you tried, you couldn’t understand how you’d gone from that to him hurting you.

At the hospital, Karen took care of everything and, when asked what had happened, you’d surprised her by telling the doctor that you’d fallen. He didn’t look entirely convinced but he didn’t push for the truth, instead focusing on dealing with your injuries. Your wrist was fractured as a result of a dislocation, the swelling all the worst for being left overnight. It was set before your forearm was put in a plaster cast, and you were given a prescription for some painkillers.

It took hours before you were finally able to leave.

When you returned to Karen’s car, there was a familiar face waiting for you.

“I told you he was dangerous,” Madani stated.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Karen asked, putting herself between you and the Homeland agent.

“Agent Madani, I’m with Homeland, Ms Page. I’ve been trying to keep your friend here safe.”

“Safe from what?”

“Her employer.”

“Billy didn’t do this,” you said, almost managing to sound like you believed it. “I told you to leave me alone.”

“I left you alone and this is what happened,” Madani answered back. “Look, just say the word and I can bring him in for this, press charges and we can get a dangerous -”

“No,” you snapped, “I’m not doing that.”

“I get that you’re scared but I can get you out of New York, I can get you back to your parents and your fiance. They just want you home safe.”

“No. I’m not going back to them,” you told her, quickly stepping around Karen and heading for the passenger door. “Just leave me alone.”

You got into the car and pulled the door shut, watching as Karen and Madani spoke for a minute more. You didn’t try to listen in to what they were saying, you didn’t want to, but judging by the look on Karen’s face, she didn’t want to listen to Madani either, but she took the card that was handed to her and put it in her pocket.

She got in the car and pulled away, leaving Madani on the sidewalk.

Neither of you said anything for a few minutes, but you could tell there were things that needed to be said, questions that needed to be asked.

“You have a fiance?” Karen asked, keeping her eyes on the road and missing the way you bristled. “Does Billy know?”

“No. And he’s not my fiance, he’s just someone that my parents want me to marry.”

“Is that why you took this job? To get away from them?”

“They owe him money - more than they could ever pay back - and he decided that he’d take me as partial payment,” your voice threatened to break under the weight of finally saying it all out loud.

“And your parents agreed to that?” She asked in disbelief and anger.

“Yeah...”

“So you can’t go back home.” A statement, not a question. “Is that why you’re protecting Billy?” 

“No,” you answered without hesitation. “I’m not protecting him, I’m just... I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You care about him.”

“And he cares about me. At least... I thought he did,” you said, blinking back the tears that were desperate to fall now that the shock had well and truly worn off. “He asked me to stay here in New York with him after my contract ends. I think I...”

Karen didn’t press you to finish the thought, you were pretty sure she already knew. You loved him. You’d fallen in love with Billy Russo, with the man who’d hurt you and left you feeling devastated and betrayed. You remained silent for the rest of the drive.

You arrived back at the penthouse to find Lissa waiting for you, a file in her hands. She gave Karen a curt nod before turning her attention to you. There was a noticeable hesitation before she said anything, taking in the state of you, her gaze lingering on your broken arm.

“Mr Russo informed me that you would like to terminate your contract,” she finally spoke, offering you the paperwork in her hand. “He wanted me to extend his... regrets and he has generously decided to offer a severance package of fifty-thousand dollars.”

“What?” You stared at the file in her hand, refusing to take it.

It felt like someone had just pulled the floor out from under your feet, like you were falling with no idea of when you might hit the ground. Lissa started to speak again, explaining again that she believed you had decided to quit.

“No, I -”

“Maybe you should consider it,” Karen offered.

You shook your head. “No. I’m not quitting. If Mr Russo wants me gone, he needs to come back here and fire me himself.”

“I was under the impression that you and Mr Russo had already had this conversation, he was very explicit in his wishes that I help you with whatever you need in order to leave his service.” You could tell from her tone that Lissa didn’t like being caught in the middle and that her patience was running thin.

“Then Mr Russo must have misunderstood. You tell him that I’ll be here until he has the guts to come and face me.”

Lissa let slip an audible huff of annoyance, finally pulling back the file she’d been offering you.

“Fine, but I cannot promise that Mr Russo’s offer of severance will still be available to you at a later date.”

When you didn’t respond, Lissa brushed past you and got into the elevator.

The second she was gone, a sob clawed its way from your throat. Your whole life was falling apart around you and you felt helpless to stop it. Karen wrapped her arm around you, taking you back to your room and sitting on your sofa while you sobbed. You didn’t understand why any of this was happening, things had been so good, things had been amazing, and it had all fallen apart without rhyme or reason.

She told you that she’d be staying with you for a few days and, eventually, convinced you to go have a relaxing bath while she ordered some food for you both. You did as she asked, feeling too overwhelmed and emotionally drained to even think about objecting. The whole day had seemed like a blur, like some horrible nightmare that you just wanted to wake up from. 

Then, over Chinese food, she tried to distract you with small talk, and got very little in return. You blamed the painkillers the doctor had prescribed and told her you were just tired. After eating, all you wanted to do was go to bed but Karen wouldn’t let you, and it wasn’t until you heard someone out in the penthouse that you knew why.

She led Frank into your kitchen and your heart threatened to stop. You found that you could barely even look at him, remembering the last time that you’d seen him and all you’d learned about him since the night of the party.

“Look, I uh - well, I know last time we saw each other things got a little awkward,” he started, folding his arms as he leaned back against the counter, “but I gotta ask you some questions, try to figure out where Bill is.”

“You haven’t found him yet?” Frank shook his head and your stomach started to knot with worry. “I don’t know what to tell you, he left for work and then -”

“Work?” Frank repeated. “He told you he was goin’ to Anvil?”

“Yeah, I convinced him to try and fix things with you. Didn’t - didn’t you see him?” 

Frank shook his head again. “Did he say anythin’ else? Can you think of anywhere else he might’ve gone before...?”

He didn’t finish. He didn’t want to say it any more than you wanted to hear it. 

Before he attacked you. Before he lost control.

“No... I don’t know...” you answered, trying to think but you were so tired. “He was talking to someone the other night about finding Krista.

“And you told Karen he was hurt?”

“I don’t know.” Exhaustion and frustration filled your tone as you raised a hand to cover your face.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I know you’ve been through a lot and I wouldn’t be askin’ but I need your help and I think Bill means somethin’ to you, so maybe you know more than you think,” he said, his voice softening a little. “He’s like a brother to me, I just want to find him and make sure he’s okay.”

You lowered your hand and managed to nod, taking a breath and trying to organise your thoughts. 

“He was covered in blood. His shirt was ripped and he had scratches on his neck, like nails or claws...” you forced yourself to keep talking despite the lump forming in your throat. “I tried to talk to him and get him to calm down but - but it was like he wasn’t even in there...”

Your voice caught and, for a moment, you thought you might start crying again. But that was the last thing you wanted. You’d cried enough. Now you just wanted the pain and misery to be over and done with.

“What about the Homeland agent?” He asked, and you glanced at Karen. Of course she’d told him.

“She keeps turning up, asking me for information about Billy, about the women that worked here before me. She thinks that he killed them.” You looked at Frank, gaze unwavering. “He didn’t, did he?”

“I ain’t gonna lie to you and say Bill’s harmless, but he didn’t kill any of those girls,” he told you flatly, meeting your gaze and holding it, leaving you with no choice but to believe him. “And if I’d thought he’d do anythin’ like that to you, I never would’ve let him hire a new one.”

“Because you turned him,” you muttered, “because you feel responsible.”

“He tell you that?” He sounded surprised that you knew. “It ain’t ‘cause I feel responsible, it’s ‘cause I know what this’ll do to him. Bill ain’t as tough as he makes out. This is gonna break him. Once he realises what he’s done to you it’s gonna kill him.”

You fell silent, knowing that Frank was right, that all of this was going to hurt Billy just as much as it had hurt you. And, in a lot of ways, it was your fault. If you hadn’t kept pushing him, if you hadn’t kept telling him that he could control without understanding it, maybe this would never have happened.

“Promise you’ll find him?” You asked quietly, sniffling and fighting back tears. “I just wanted to help, I thought I could help -”

“I know, I know you did,” Frank tried to settle you. “I’m gonna find him, okay? And ‘til I do, Karen’s gonna stay here with you.”

Finally, Frank decided to leave and Karen relented, letting you return to your room and climb into bed. She found a quilt and set herself up on your sofa and, as much as you hated her seeing you so broken and defeated, you were glad that you weren’t alone. Hiding under the covers, you pulled Bill the Beagle and William the Bear towards you and fell into a restless sleep.

The next day Karen insisted that you went out for breakfast with her. And breakfast turned into walking around New York and a trip to Times Square. At any other time you would have been amazed by the sight but you couldn’t manage to muster much excitement, even though Karen was doing everything she could to try and cheer you up.

She kept you out all day and, when you arrived back at the penthouse, it was like nothing had happened. Someone had been in and cleaned everything and had replaced all of the furniture that had been broken.

But there was still no sign of Billy.

Karen ordered pizza and, not long after you’d finished, Frank turned up. He had no news about Billy and no more questions to ask you, so you excused yourself and went to your room to read.

The next few days were more of the same. Your heart stopped every time Karen got a call or a message, hoping that it would be news about Billy. You were still hurting, you still felt betrayed and angry, but you were worried too, and all you could think about was what Frank had told you, about how devastated Billy was going to be when he realised how much he’d hurt you.

And, every night, despite Karen’s discouragement, you drew blood and left it in the fridge, on the off-chance that he came home.

On the fourth day, Karen decided to change tact, taking you out to dinner and then taking you to a bar to hang out with Foggy and Matt.

Foggy welcomed you with a friendly hug before pulling back and taking a good look at your arm.

“What happened?” He asked.

You shook your head and offered a shrug, “I fell. It’s alright though, it doesn’t really hurt anymore.” The lie came easier this time and Karen seemed to notice

“Well, I was going to say we could play some pool, but -” Foggy started.

“You and Karen can play,” Matt interrupted, “we’ll watch.”

You didn’t want to argue and, by that point, you were tired of Karen watching over you like a hawk, expecting you to break down at the slightest thing. Matt took your arm and you led him to a table near enough to the pool table that you could keep talking to Karen and Foggy while they played. 

Your eyes drifted around the bar - it wasn’t the sort of place you would have pictured Karen in, it was dirty, sort of a dive. Not that you had much experience of bars, in fact, you could count on one hand how many times you’d been into a bar. You wrapped your good hand around your beer and lifted it to your lips, grimacing at the hoppy taste.

“How’d you fall?” Matt asked casually, like he was talking about the weather and not a broken bone.

“I just tripped. I’m kind of clumsy,” you lied.

“Huh,” he hummed, “yeah, I’m always falling over my own feet too.”

“So, injuries aside, how have you been?” He asked, smiling. You were about to answer when you heard Foggy loudly complain about Karen sinking a ball. Matt laughed. “He’s always been a sore loser.”

“I’m not a sore loser, Karen’s cheating,” Foggy called from the pool table.

For a moment you managed to laugh but the feeling of levity was short-lived and you were soon sinking back in your chair, taking another slow sip of beer.

“Y’know,” Matt started again, “Karen’s a good friend to have if you’re ever in trouble, but I like to think me and Foggy are too.”

“Where are you going with this?” You asked cautiously.

“It’s just - and I hope you don’t think I’m overstepping - in my line of work, I meet a lot of people who’ve been hurt falling and I know that sometimes they need some help to make sure they don’t have any more falls.”

You put your beer down and were about to head to the bathroom to escape the awkwardness of the conversation when Matt gently grabbed your arm.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean anything by it,” he told you, “I just want you to know that I’m here if you ever need anything.”

“It’s not what you think,” you tried to explain.

“Karen called us for a night out to cheer you up, people have been looking for Russo all week, and you show up with a broken arm... it all paints a pretty clear picture.” He pulled his hand back from your arm. “But if you’re sure you don’t need help...”

“You know that people are looking for Billy?” You asked and Matt nodded. “It’s not - he’s not what you think.”

“I think that maybe he’s not what you think,” Matt offered in response, “and I think someone like him could be bad for a nice girl like you, could talk you into doing things you wouldn’t normally do...”

Your cheeks started to warm, trying to figure out just what he was implying. Did he know that you and Billy had been fooling around or -

No.

No. 

You didn’t even want to think of the possibility that Matt had somehow figured out you’d been wearing the toy at the party.

“Thank you,” you decided to say, trying to change the subject, “for being nice and trying to look out for me. I appreciate it but, really, I’m fine.”

Matt gave a nod and, for the time being at least, it seemed like that was that. You stayed quiet, watching Karen and Foggy play, occasionally explaining what had happened to Matt so he didn’t feel left out. And, as you sat, a thought started to worm its way into your mind.

“Hypothetically,” you said suddenly, “as a lawyer, do you know if it would be possible to get a restraining order against a federal agent?”

He seemed reluctant to answer, taking a moment to think about the question, obviously confused. 

“Well, I guess it depends,” he offered in response. “If they’re harassing you, then maybe. But if they’re working on a case, then no.”

“Oh.”

“... should I ask why?” 

For a few seconds you thought about everything, trying to decide what you could and couldn’t tell him - or if you could tell him anything at all. Then you let out a sigh.

“There’s this Homeland agent who keeps turning up and asking me questions about Billy,” you finally admitted. “She thinks he might have killed some people, but I know he didn’t.”

“How...” he paused for a moment, obviously trying to find a delicate way of wording it, “how can you be so sure?”

“Because one of them tried to bite me at his party.”

“What?” There was a spike in his voice and you couldn’t tell if it was shock or anger, but it was enough to put you on edge. “Is that why you vanished? Karen said you’d had too much to drink and went to bed.”

“A vampire tried to bite you?” Foggy chimed in, obviously overhearing the conversation.

You felt your cheeks start to heat as everyone’s attention turned to you.

“Start from the start,” Matt said, “tell us what happened.”

Letting out a sigh, you started to recount meeting Krista, and how Madani had approached you about Billy’s ‘missing’ former employees. Foggy and Karen grabbed chairs and sat down while you went over it all, explaining how out of control you’d felt when she’d spoken to you, how you’d almost willingly let her bite you.

“So she somehow got past Russo’s security to try to kill you?” Foggy asked, trying to put it all together.

“No, I don’t think she wanted to kill me. I think she wanted to turn me,” you tried to explain

“Wait, what?” Karen finally spoke up. “No one told me that part.”

“I - I didn’t mention it to Billy,” you admitted, and when Karen gave you a questioning look, you continued; “I think she knew that turning me would hurt Billy more than killing me. He hates being a vampire and he knows I don’t want to be turned...”

“I think the first thing we need to do is get you out of there,” Foggy stated, trying to be the voice of reason.

“No, I - I don’t want to leave. I can’t leave...”

“Foggy’s right, I know Russo pays a lot but it’s not worth risking your life over,” Matt joined in, “if it’s just the money -”

“It’s not just the money,” you told them, wanting to put an end to it. “I can’t leave him. I don’t want to.”

“Ah,” Foggy muttered, finally putting it together.

“I appreciate the help but, I just need this Homeland agent off my back while I figure out what’s going on,” you said with a shrug, as if it was really going to be that easy.

“Me and Foggy know a few people in the DA’s office, we could have an ask around and see if we can find anything out.” Matt offered before taking a slow drink. “But you’re sure Russo didn’t -”

“He didn’t hurt anyone.”

Karen gave you a look, not entirely happy that you were lying to her friends. But you weren’t thinking about yourself, about your arm, just Billy. Any hurt that you felt was between you and him.

Not long after, you told Karen you were feeling tired and wanted to go home, so you finished up your drinks and said goodbye to Matt and Foggy. On the slow walk back to Billy’s building, Karen got a call and, despite her deliberately hushed tone, you managed to catch the gist of what was being said.

Frank had found Billy.

When she finished the call, she didn’t say anything for a few seconds, obviously choosing her words very carefully before opening her mouth.

“Frank’s found him and he’s okay,” she started slowly, “he’s going to try to bring him back to the penthouse tomorrow night -”

“Tomorrow?” You interrupted, not even bothering to conceal your dismay. It had already been so long, now she was telling you that you had to wait another day before you could see him and try to figure things out.

“He needs a day to make sure Billy is alright, that he’s... safe to be around,” Karen explained before hesitating. “And he’s asked if you’ll stay out of the way...”

“What? No. Why?” Quickly becoming frustrated by the situation. “He needs to see me, he needs to see that I’m okay. You can’t just expect me to -”

“But you’re not okay,” Karen said, and you stopped in your tracks. “You’re not okay. Nothing about what happened to you was okay, and if Billy sees you like this...”

“It’s fine, I -” but you knew it wasn’t fine. Worse, you knew she was right. “I just - I want to see him. I need to know he’s alright,” your voice threatened to break. “It was my fault, I shouldn’t’ve -”

“No,” Karen said firmly. “None of this was your fault. Don’t you dare blame yourself. I know that you care about him but that is not the way to protect him.”

She started walking again and you fell into step beside her. Soon enough you were back in the penthouse, crawling into bed, and trying not to think about Billy coming home. You played the conversation with Karen over and over in your mind, wondering if there was anything you could do to protect Billy, wondering if maybe you should have taken his offer to leave after all.

(What if you were just making everything worse?)

The next day passed so slowly, and Karen made obvious attempts to distract you; first taking you for breakfast, then taking you out to a little gallery in Brooklyn to look at some art. When you got home, you drew some blood and left it in the fridge with the rest of the blood that had been piling up over the last week.

As much as you wanted to stay out in the penthouse as evening gave way to night, you let Karen convince you to go to bed, reminding you what you’d agreed to.

But, ultimately, you found that you couldn’t do it.

The moment you heard the elevator, you were out of bed and rushing out to the penthouse, despite Karen calling after you, telling you to wait. You came to an abrupt stop when you saw them; Frank practically holding Billy up as he dragged him out of the elevator. The second Billy’s eyes found you, taking in the sight of you and your broken arm, you saw nothing but pain and shame. He tried to pull back, and tried to slink back into the elevator, trying to get away.

“Don’t even think about it,” Frank growled, pulling him, making sure he couldn’t run.

Billy let out a pained sound that had you taking a step forward, wanting to do nothing more than help, but you quickly faltered when you realised that there was nothing you could do. You were useless and, if anything, your presence had made everything worse, just like Karen had warned.

Blinking, you realised that there were tears in the corners of your eyes, ready to fall at the slightest provocation.

You wanted to go to him, to tell him that everything would be okay, that you’d forgiven him. But had you? Could you forgive him when you still didn’t even know what had happened?

Karen’s arm wrapped around you, both of you watching as Frank dragged Billy into his rooms and closed the door.

As if realising that there was no way you were going to go back to bed, Karen led you over to the sofa and you both sat in silence as the minutes ticked by. You struggled and strained, trying to hear what was going on and if Billy was okay, but no sound escaped his rooms.

Your heart leapt into your throat when the door finally opened and Frank stepped out.

“What the hell, Karen?” He asked, annoyed that you hadn’t done as you were asked.

“It wasn’t her fault. I - I needed to see him,” you told him, feeling your cheeks start to heat. “What’s wrong with him? Is he okay?”

The question seemed stupid - worse still, it made you feel stupid. Of course he wasn’t okay, you’d seen the way he’d looked at you, the way Frank was almost carrying him. Part of you almost hoped that Frank would lie, that he’d tell you everything was fine and that Billy was alright. 

“He’s had a rough few days,” Frank answered, sitting on the edge of the sofa. “I’m gonna stay here tonight, make sure he doesn’t decide to wander off again. You can talk to him tomorrow, if he’s feelin’ up to it.”

Your mouth opened, wanting to ask what you were supposed to do if he wasn’t feeling up to it, what you were supposed to do if he never wanted to speak to you again, but you didn’t. All you could do was nod and agree to Frank’s terms, knowing that arguing wouldn’t get you anywhere. 

“Why don’t you head back to bed?” Karen suggested. “I’ll get Frank some blankets and keep him company out here.”

As much as you didn’t want to go, in case Billy came out of his room, you felt awkward and in the way. So, again, you nodded before slowly getting up and heading back to bed, where you’d spend the night staring at the ceiling and worrying about Billy.

Chapter Thirteen

End Note : 😅😅😅😅 Sorry that there's no Billy in this one. I needed to give them time apart so they could both really suffer. Don't worry, next chapter I promise you'll all get the answers to some of the questions you've had about what's going on.

As always, thank you so much for reading/commenting/liking/reblogging. Your support and kind words mean the world to me! I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in future chapters! If tagging doesn't work for some reason (aka Tumblr being dumb) I post most Fridays around 7:30 gmt.

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@ashy-kit

[dancingtotuyo]

Summer of '03

Joel Miller x Female Reader | A Woman Story

Rating: Pg- 13

Summary: The first time Joel sees you as the woman you've become.

Tags/Warnings: age gap (13ish years), baby sitter, consumption of alcohol, summer.

Notes: I'm calling this a bridge. A scene that happens in all the timelines and universes of my dear Woman Reader and Joel. Consider this the point of divergence. I wonder what happened with these two if the outbreak never happened? I suppose only time will tell... 😉

shoutout to @murder-wife and @guiltyasdave for beta reading! I love you both!

Words: 1412

Series Masterlist | Author Masterlist

Joel isn’t sure why he came. The Randolf’s summer pool party is a block tradition, but Sarah is at camp this year. Meaning, he had every excuse in the book to get out of it but here he is, standing against the fence, beer in his hand, watching as the kids jump in and out endlessly as burgers and hot dogs sizzle on the grill and folks lay out in the sun. 

It’s not that he dislikes these events. Maybe he finds them to draw on a little too long until people get just a little too sloppy drunk, but Joel has mastered the art of excusing himself early. He’s only a two minute walk down the street anyway. It’s just that there are usually other ways he would rather spend his Saturdays. He has a couple neglected projects calling his name in the garage, yet he still finds himself here. For tradition's sake, maybe? It doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things he supposes.

Joel shoves his free hand in the pockets of his jeans, taking another sip of his beer. It’s hot outside as condensation drips from the bottle. He finishes it off, the label peeling off the bottle. His eyes scan back over the crowd. Most of the neighborhood is here and if they’re not, Joel expects to find them filing in soon. 

He’s doing a second scan over the crowd when he makes eye contact with you across the pool. You’re sitting with a group of friends perched on a couple of lounge chairs with wine coolers in hand. Joel tries to think back to the last time he saw you. It must’ve been last summer before you headed out for your Senior year of college, the last time Tommy got himself into a bind and needed bailing out. 

You wave to him, offering up a smile and he returns the gesture with a tip of his bottle before you’re pulled back into conversation with your friends. Joel can’t help but notice a slight change in you over the past couple of years. He supposes it’s the growth from teen to adult. You graduated this past spring. He remembers Sarah talking about it, how excited she was for you when you landed the ER job. 

Someone calls Joel’s name, pulling his attention away from you. 

You’re only pretending to listen as your friend Mandy rattles on about her recent hook up. Usually, you’d be interested in the details she’s providing, but Joel Miller has you distracted. You had hoped you would be past the silly crush at this point in your life, but your eyes track him relentlessly. Watching as he makes idle conversation with some of the dad’s on the block. You wonder how he’s wearing jeans in this heat. You don’t mind. They make his ass look good. 

You’re an adult with a job now continuing to harbor feelings from highschool seems silly, but there’s that little voice in your head now, the one that says you’re old enough now.. You’re an adult now. You’ve entered the workforce. You try to block out that voice. Joel Miller is not what you need, but you still want him. 

“Hey!” Mandy snaps her fingers in front of your face, pulling you back to the group. 

“Sorry, what did I miss?” You adjust your sunglasses, taking a sip of your drink as you make a concentrated effort to stay present with your friends. 

“Are you still hung up on the DILF?” Maryanne teases. 

“DILF? Where?” Whitney pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head, looking over the flock of people. 

Embarrassment heats your cheeks as Mandy points him out. Whitney is less and subtle. “You grew up with THAT across the street?” 

“Will you be quiet? Someone is gonna hear you.” You swat at your friends. 

“I’m just saying, I understand the crush now.”

“I don’t have a crush on him anymore.” You lie through your teeth and you’re bad at it. 

Mandy rolls her eyes. “Yeah right.”

“He is very handsome,” Maryanne adds.

You finish off your drink. “Can we stop ogling him now? He’s gonna catch y’all.”

“Really? You’ve been doing it for years, we can’t for five minutes?” Mandy winks. 

“From the woman who told me she didn’t see it.”

“Hey! I’m older and wiser now,” Mandy says. 

You roll your eyes, trying to keep your eyes from wandering to the man of the hour. You really need to get over this crush. “I’m going to cool off.” You finish off your wine cooler, dropping your cover up before jumping into the pool before your friends can reply. 

Joel lost count of his drinks around number three or four. He’s pacing himself, but between the heat and the ease in which his drinks are going down, he’s feeling the easy buzz of the beer. He’s stayed longer than he ever intended to, but he’s okay with that. 

Joel wanders inside to use the bathroom. The AC feels nice on his sweat sheened skin. People gather in the kitchen, a couple walk through the house. There’s more people than he knows here. He’ll hand it to the Randolfs. They know how to throw a party.

He’s grateful to find the bathroom unoccupied, locking it behind him. He’s quick about his business, splashing cool water against his face and neck. It clears his mind some. He should head home soon. He’ll be grumpy if he doesn’t take some time to himself. 

He’s barely flipped the lock when the door flies open, you falling in with it. He’s almost hit by the door yet somehow manages to catch you as well. You’re a fit of loose giggles as his arms wrap around your torso, meeting the sun warmed skin exposed by your bikini. 

“Careful there, Sweetheart. You nearly took me out.” Joel can’t help the chuckle in his voice. He’s used to seeing you on the clock when you’re responsible for his child. This is a very different version of you, but he can’t help but find it endearing. 

“Sorry.” You manage to straighten up, but even through the boozy haze, Joel’s touch sears against your skin. Your cheeks warm over and it’s from much more than the sun. 

He smiles at you, helping you right yourself, but his hands stay against your back. Yours settle flat on his solid chest. “You get a little carried away?”

“Don’t tell my parents.” You barely manage to wink, making him laugh even harder. 

“My lips are sealed.” 

“Oh good,” You sigh in relief as if Joel just did you the biggest favor of your life and you’re not of legal drinking age. “You’re a good man, Joel.” You pat his chest. 

“Thank you.”

“Can you leave now?”

“Sure thing.” He smiles at you, ensuring you’re stable on your feet before he slips by you, his searing touch gone. 

The loss of his touch sobers your intoxicated body. You can’t help but watch him go, cotton t shirt stretching temptingly across his shoulders. Chills form on your sides, phantoms of his touch still teasing you. You watch the empty hall in front of you, replaying the moment in your head for longer than you’ll ever admit to anyone. 

Joel lets out a long shaky breath as he walks right out the front door, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. It’s a quick walk home, even with the buzz of the alcohol in his veins. On the walk home, he attempts to clear his mind of what happened, but he can still feel your soft skin under his hands. He can smell the sweet mixture of sunscreen and you like you’re still in his arms. 

When he makes it home, he still hasn’t flushed the sensations of you from his mind. The way you looked in that swimsuit, hugging you perfectly. He knows it’s wrong. It makes him a dirty old man. The more he tries, the more he thinks about it. The more he replays it in his mind. He has no right to think about you like this, to view you as desirable. 

Joel takes another deep breath, resting his head against the front door. You called him a good man, but a good man doesn’t fall into this trap: the babysitter, the girl next door. He repeats that to himself. Girl. You’re a girl, but his brain keeps reminding him that you are a woman now.  

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[distantdarlings]

HABITUAL // t. nott

RATING: PG-13 / 4.3K WORDS

Theodore Nott x Fem Reader Insert (Requested)

+ SUMMARY - *Requested - based on this (changed slightly)* Annoyed that Theo won't seem to make a move, despite your growing feelings for each other, you ask a friend of the both of you to help make him jealous.

+ WARNINGS - Language, brief sensuality, kissing, two time skips, making Theo jealous, brief fake-dating

+ MUSIC (listened to while writing) -

Ribs - Lorde

---

Professor Trelawney’s voice droned on as your quill lazily scratched across your notebook. You were between listening to what she was saying and sleeping, and your brain slowly tilted toward the second. She was rambling on about the properties of a crystal ball above all other vectors for sight-seeing. Something about its curvature made the answers come to you clearer…

Your quill tip ran dry and made a slightly louder scratch against the parchment, sending a nasty shudder down your spine. Your eyes darted over to your inkwell and noticed that it was practically empty. A deep sigh ran through your body, depressing your shoulders. Why was it you always ran out of something when you needed it most? Maybe grabbing a replacement would wake you up a bit. You raised your hand and waited for the long-winded professor to catch sight of it.

“Oh, yes, what is it?” she stared at you through her hugely magnified glasses, tilting her head back slightly to catch that sweet spot in them. 

“I’ve run out of ink. I was just wondering if I could—” A tap on your shoulder interrupted your question. You turned towards the owner of the hand and spotted Theodore. A small smile spread across your lips as a small backup inkwell was displayed in his hand. You nodded your thanks and grabbed it from him, intending to let the professor continue her lecture.  

“Never mind that, Professor Trelawney!” you said, flashing a brief smile at the eccentric woman. She nodded and continued as if she’d never stopped. You wondered when she’d take her next breath.

“You’re welcome, gorgeous,” a small whisper said next to your ear. You smiled at Theo’s flirtatious nature, knowing he’d use this little favor to ask for something in return later. He pressed a quick kiss to your cheek before backing up. You rolled your eyes, promising to get him back for that.

By the end of class, your stomach was growling, and your mind was exhausted. It was a good thing you didn’t have divinity again until Wednesday because you didn’t think you’d make it if you didn’t get a small break from her each week. And thank Merlin, your next class wasn’t until after lunch. 

You gathered your things and let them slide into your bag. The boys behind you had begun to do the same as you headed towards the door. They were always behind you for whatever reason. You weren’t sure. Maybe it was just a boy thing. 

“Hey!” Theo’s voice came from behind you. You turned to catch him jogging toward you with his hands tightened around his bag straps. You stopped and flashed a smile, watching as his eyes briefly flashed down to your lips. You withheld any physical reaction so as not to embarrass him. “Are you still eating with us?”

“Of course, I am,” you say, “I always do. It wouldn’t be a good day without having lunch with my favorite boy.” You gently touched your thumb and forefinger to his chin, teasing him just a bit. You saw his lips part as soon as your skin came into contact with his—just as it always did. 

“I’m your favorite boy?” he chuckled, letting a smirk fall over his lips. He readjusted his bag over his shoulders. Your fingers came up to separate your collar from your neck, allowing just a breath of skin to flash over his eyes. You watched as he glanced down at every inch of you that was revealed to him, and his throat slid up nervously. You could play him like a piano, and it was addicting. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Mattheo asked, coming up behind the two of you. His voice sliced the tension between the two of you in half. 

“Nope, we were just getting ready to head down to the Great Hall,” you replied. “Are you eating with us?”

“Duh, who else am I going to eat with?” Mattheo asked. You rolled your eyes at him and looped your arm through Theo’s, allowing him to lead the way to the dining hall. Enzo quickly jogged up beside the group, falling in step with the rest of them. Your big brother had a habit of always being the latest to the party. It was one of his many endearing qualities. 

Your group appeared before the vast doors of the Great Hall, allowing them to quickly swallow you all up as you realized that everyone else was just as starving as you were. You selected your usual seats at the far end of the long Slytherin table and dug in. Soon enough, yours and everyone else’s plates were piled high with the many options laid out before you.

“Merlin, help us all….if that wasn’t the most boring class yet,” Mattheo sighed into his food. The rest of you laughed at his confession, all nodding in agreement. Trelawney’s class was rarely exciting, but when it was boring, it was really boring. 

“The only bit of excitement was you asking for some new ink,” Theo nodded toward you, a bit of a roll pressed between his teeth. You smiled and shook your head.

“And, of course, you were there, right to the rescue,” you laughed. “I was hoping I could leave the class and grab a replacement from my dorm to wake myself up a little.”

“My bad, I thought I was helping.”

“You were…unfortunately,” you replied. The four of you laughed in response, knowing well enough that they all had done something to try and get out of the squirrely professor’s class. A comfortable silence ensued soon after as the group finished up their meals and let the large meal settle sweetly on their stomachs.

“I’m really tired now,” you groaned, laying your head down against the table. You felt a hand reach over and gently brush its fingers along your hair. You assumed it was Theo, as he habitually absentmindedly touched you somehow. You figured you were a sort of stress ball to him. A small laugh touched your chest at the thought. 

“Teddy, can I sit on your lap?” you asked, already knowing his answer.

“Of course, love, come here,” he responded. The three boys had begun to discuss some kind of new broom headed towards the Quidditch market, and, to be entirely honest, you couldn’t care less about it. All the more reason for you to doze off just a bit in Theo’s lap. You pulled yourself up and stepped over your side of the bench. You walked around the edge of the table, sleepily approaching Theo. Though his attention remained on his friends, his legs slid open and his arm pushed out, allowing you to be able to slip onto his lap. 

You gently grabbed his shoulder and stepped between his legs, settling yourself on his lap. Once you were seated, his arm slid firmly around your waist, sliding his fingers comfortably beneath the waistband of your skirt. You set your head on his shoulder, pressing your face close to his neck, letting your lips brush his skin every once in a while. If he could avoid any romantic feelings from this, he either genuinely disliked you or was utterly numb to all physical affection. 

Your goal for the last few weeks was to muster up every bit of courage the universe had blessed you with and completely take it out on Theo. The feelings and the tension sustained between the two of you were too obvious for it to mean nothing. He had feelings for you, you’d bet your final grade on it.

Just as your lips brushed his skin a third time, you noticed a trail of chills travel down the back of his neck. He shuddered slightly. You suppressed a smile. Just a little bit more…

“Teddy,” you whispered in his ear. He all but jumped and turned to look at you.

“What is it, darling?” he asked, sucking his bottom lip roughly between his teeth. Your eyes watched the motion for a few seconds before popping back up to his eyes.

“I was just wondering if you wanted me to rub your back a bit?” you asked, smiling innocently. “I know how sore it gets after Quidditch practice.” 

His eyes glanced between your lips and your eyes, savoring every detail of your face. The front of his pants tightened a bit, pushing a small adjustment out of him. He grabbed your waist, lifted you gently, slid his legs forward and farther apart, then set you back down. Heat pooled in your lower stomach at his ability to pick you up like it was nothing. Damn it, you had a raging crush on him.

“Uh, no, darling,” he breathed, eyes fully pulling away from you now. “I’m alright, maybe another time…and, actually, I think I’ll just…” he trails off, gently sliding you off his leg and onto the seat next to him. Disappointment and rejection swirl in your chest with every aching breath. He’d never done anything but be affectionate with you, but for some reason, he was acting off today. 

He got to his feet, completely avoiding all eye contact, and headed off from the table with another word. Your lips parted in surprise as you watched him walk off towards the exit. The boys behind you had stopped talking, and you turned to catch their attention.

“What is his problem?” Mattheo asked.

“I have no idea,” you respond slowly, glancing back toward the double doors as if he might walk in again. 

xxx

Later that evening, after all of your classes for the day had ended and dinner was revving up in the Great Hall, you sat on your bed, torn between a couple of things. For one, you were starved and wanted to grab some dinner; two, you were too scared you’d bump into Theo while you were down there and add a second painfully awkward interaction to the day; and three, your stomach was churning so violently with nerves and nausea, you were sure you’d puke if you ate anything or had one more thought about Theodore Nott. 

Every time lunch popped into your head again, you nearly hurled. That was easily one of the most embarrassing things that had ever happened to you, and you’d fallen off your broom during Quidditch while the whole school was watching. 

Maybe he’d lost feelings for you. That would explain the strange distance between the two of you today. But it didn’t make sense why it was so sudden. Had you upset him or made him uncomfortable today? You weren’t sure. Your brain ached from all of the contemplating and speed runs of scenarios you’d been doing the past hour. 

You could ask Enzo or Mattheo to see if they had any insight into their friend’s brain, but you figured that might be a little rude. You didn’t want Theo to think you were a coward or were trying to talk about him behind his back. Fuck.

Then, as if he was summoned by the force of your mind, Mattheo Riddle gave a brief knock and presented himself in the doorway. A smile pulled its way across your face at the appearance of the dark boy. You waved him over and gave a small pat to the space beside you.

“Hey,” he said, sliding himself beside you.  

“What’s up?” He kicks his shoes off and props his feet onto the bed, one resting comfortably over the other.

“Nothing much. I was just coming to see if you knew what was up with Theo today?” he asked, crossing his hands over his stomach.

“Actually, I was just thinking of coming to ask you or Enzo that,” you admit. “I have no idea what happened today. We didn’t talk the rest of the day.”

“Weird…” Mattheo trailed off. There were a few moments of empty silence as the two of you rested against your headboard, basking in each other’s company. After a while, his arm came up to slide around your shoulders. You slid closer to him and rested a head on his shoulder, the collar of his shirt gently tickling your nose. 

If you could remain like this for the rest of forever, you would. Mattheo had always been like another brother to you. Another overprotective Enzo to watch over you in everything you did, and, as annoying as that sounded (and sometimes was), you really did appreciate having them around you. You enjoyed Theo in that way, as well, though you admit that you wish something more would bloom between the two of you. A thought pops into your head.

“Matty,” you breathe, your eyes widening significantly. His eyes follow yours to see if he could catch what had shocked you so much.

“What?” He quirked an eyebrow.

“If I ask you for the hugest favor on earth, would you do it?”

“Well, that is kind of vague,” he points out, “what is the favor?” He watches you for a few moments as you struggle with what to say. A million details are running through your head, with possibilities and worst-case scenarios flashing around, making everything seem like one big, jumbled mess in your brain. But, despite the cacophony of opportunities flying around in your head, one thesis stood clear.

“Would you help me make Theo jealous?” you ask. Mattheo choked on his spit. The face he gives you makes you laugh out loud.

“I’m sorry?” he asks.

“I want you to help me make Theo jealous, like, you know, pretend to date me for a few days.” 

“Are you joking? Theo would kill me. I’m not risking that!” he exclaims, removing his arm from behind you to cross them. 

“Please, Matty, I’d never ask you for another favor again!”

“No! He already likes you. Why don’t you just ask him out?” he asks. You knew that Theo had feelings for you, just as he knew you had feelings for him, but hearing Mattheo confirm that aloud had you blushing. You supposed there was always the possibility you were wrong about Theo liking you and the two of you were just friends, but friends didn’t look at each other like the two of you did with eyes full of longing and hot lust. 

“Because I’m too nervous. I want him to make the first move,” you explain. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. A deep sigh pushed through his nose as he appeared to be contemplating. You waited in silence for a few moments, allowing him to weigh his options, though you knew what his answer would be. He never told you no.

“Alright—” 

“Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you! I promise I’ll make it up to you!” You threw yourself onto him, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck. He groaned at the sudden weight flung over him and reluctantly held you back. You could practically hear him rolling his eyes but, no matter how close he got to Theo, he’d always had a soft spot for you. You smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Okay, okay, back up,” he sighed. “How do we do it?” 

“So, this was my plan…” 

You went over every detail of the well-thought-out plan you’d devised over the last few hours, making sure to leave nothing out. Every few moments, Mattheo’s eyebrows would raise, or he would start to protest, but he never backed out. And if he tried to, you’d just beg him some more.

So once you’d gone over everything successfully, you had Mattheo lead you downstairs with your fingers intertwined together. This had to work. 

The two of you stalked into the Great Hall, your stomach churning with anxiety and Mattheo’s preparing himself to run if needed. Your fingers squeezed his every so often, trying to wring the nerves out but failing miserably. Your eyes landed on the group sitting at your table and you made your way over.

“Hey, guys…” Enzo started and trailed off as his eyes traced the two of you, falling to where the two of you met in the middle. At Enzo’s sudden silence, Theo turned to look at the two of you. Your intertwined fingers clenched tightly, Mattheo’s thumb lightly tracing yours. 

“Hey,” you said, smiling sweetly. You avoided all eye contact as the two of you sat down beside Enzo, with you directly across from Theo. Mattheo’s arm wrapped around your shoulders and you leaned into him. Still, you refused to look at Theo, but out of the corner of your eye, you could see his eyes widened and lips slightly parted. 

“Friendly tonight, are we?” Enzo asked, stabbing a bit of potato with his fork. He seemed to be hiding a smile. You shot him a knowing glance.

“Shut up,” you joke. “We’ve just…”

“Gotten a bit closer?” Mattheo pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead, and you giggled in response. Damn, this acting deserved an award. You glanced at Theo's fist tightening, joints cracking slightly.

“Since when?” he asked, his voice baring through gritted teeth. Your eyes found him finally and your smile dropped a bit.

“Since he asked me out earlier today,” you retorted, the attitude laid on just a bit. His lips snapped shut and his eyes glanced away. He seemed less confident now, because—you hoped—he’d figured out your irritation with his refusal to move forward with your relationship.

“So, are you guys a thing now?” Enzo asked, not bothered in the slightest.

“You could call us that,” you giggled, fake-teasing Mattheo. Nerves broiled in your stomach as you discreetly pinched his hip. That had been the code the two of you had come up with to signal when you were going to do your kiss. This was going to be the big sale and it had to be realistic.

He leaned down and gently cupped your bottom lip with his, sending a wave of butterflies to your stomach. Damn, he was a good kisser. You pressed your lips back into him, admiring the feel of him. In all reality, the kiss only lasted about five seconds, but under the heat of the eyes before you, it felt like hours. When he pulled away, you flashed him a small smile.

Theo rose quickly and headed to the door, never once looking back. This has been the second time in one day he’d stormed off and you felt a bit embarrassed, to be honest. Maybe this wasn’t going to have the desired effect. You groaned and set your head against the table.

“Not working out for you?” Enzo chuckled.

“Shut up!” you shouted into your arms, the sound muffled. 

“You know…” Mattheo was right at your ear. You glanced up at him, tilting your head to the side. “You’re a pretty good kisser.” A smirk spread across his lips. You blushed

“Ugh, stop, Matty…you’re a good kisser too.” The three of you burst out laughing, reveling in the appreciation of each other’s company, before remembering why you were here. You really didn’t want to continue with this, it made you feel guilty, and there was always the chance this wouldn’t work. You sighed. You would have to go big or go home, and you weren’t a quitter.

xxx 

The next morning was a Saturday and Mattheo and you had planned a fake picnic date by the Whomping Willow. The plan was to enjoy a meal right within sight of where Theo was going to toss a Quaffle around with a couple of his friends. This had to work or you risked ruining your relationship with Theo. You prayed that this would give him the confidence to approach you. 

The two of you set the blanket and snacks out, settling in and beginning to eat. Enzo said that he had overheard that Theo was going to head out around eleven. It was currently fifteen ‘till, so you figured it wouldn’t be too long. Or you hoped that, anyway.

“So, what if this doesn’t work?” Mattheo breaks the silence, nursing a small bottle of pumpkin juice. 

“I was just thinking about that,” you laughed nervously, “I don’t actually know. I’m hoping he won’t hate me, but I’m more concerned he will hate you too.”

“I’m not too concerned about that. It’s alright. I’m just happy to help.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want anything in return?” you ask, peeling the crust off your sandwich. 

“I’ll just hang onto the favor for a rainy day,” he smirks. You roll your eyes and laugh gently. 

Above the two of you, a group of four players on brooms soar over you. You gasp and scoot closer to Mattheo, getting into position. He wrapped his arm around you and started to pretend to joke about something with you. You glanced Theo watching the two of you every so often. He would look for only a few seconds before turning his head away when his friends called his name. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to get hit in the head with the Quaffle (in which case, you’d laugh, but now wasn’t the time for that). 

“You know,” Mattheo started, “this is nice. We should do this more often.”

“What, have picnics?” you laugh, popping a grape into your mouth. 

“Sure, if you want,” he chuckled. “I just meant the hanging out part. I feel like I only see you whenever your brother’s around.”

“Yeah, it’s almost like he’s my brother and I love him,” you laughed. He shook his head in an attempt to hide his smile, but soon enough, the both of you were laughing. His head was thrown back as it racked his body, and your hand gripped his shirt sleeve to steady yourself.

“Hey, I need to talk to you—” The two of you snapped out of your moment of comedy at the sound of a voice. Your eyes squinted against the sun slightly before making contact with Theo. Mattheo glanced over at you and shrugged his shoulders, urging you on with his hand. Theo reached down and offered you his hand, which you took and allowed him to pull you to your feet. He marched the two of you over to the nearest courtyard, never letting go of your hand. Your stomach flushed.

“Theo, what is—?” He pulled you to a stop behind one of the courtyard’s stone pillars. Your eyes found his; the only sound was the slight breeze and the gurgle of the fountain behind him. He glanced down to your lips, his breaths exiting in heavy pants. Merlin, you wanted to kiss him.

“I have to ask you one question,” he said. You started to speak, but his thumb pressed gently against your bottom lip. “No, just wait one minute.”

His eyes fell to the ground between the two of you. It appeared that he was trying to figure out precisely what he wanted to say. His lips parted several times, the words of confession dancing along the edges of them. The frustration in his eyes set off an ache in your chest that you couldn’t suppress. You wanted to kiss him so bad, so bad, so bad. 

“One question…and then I’ll leave you alone,” he said. You nodded slowly. “Do you really like Mattheo? Is that why the two of you are together?”

Your eyes widened in surprise. That was definitely different from what you thought he was going to ask. You stuttered a few times before shutting your mouth. You didn’t know what to say. His eyes refused to leave yours, beckoning every inch of the truth out of you. He wanted to know if your feelings toward him were the same as his towards you. He fought the urge to reach out and press his lips against yours. Just one word, and he would. You sighed.

“No,” you confessed, “I don’t.” His stomach flipped. Yours did, too. You wanted to explain yourself, run through every detail of the plan devised between Mattheo and you but you were too ashamed. Luckily, he didn’t care why you were with Mattheo, other than you didn’t care for the boy as he previously thought you’d done. His hands slid easily along your cheeks, carefully tracing the soft skin there. He was testing the waters, wanting so badly to touch you and anticipating the possibility of a slap. 

“Can I ask one more question?” he whispered against your lips, the salty taste of his sweat dabbing against the tip of your tongue. You nodded breathlessly.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his eyes never leaving your parted lips. You didn’t answer. You pressed your lips roughly to his, hearing the sharp intake of breath he took as his hands tightened around your head. He held you in place, pressing you against the stone pillar behind you. Your hands came up to wrap around his waist, clenching the material of his shirt beneath your fingers. His hands dropped to the front of you, pushing you tightly against the pillar, fingers curving against your hipbones. Fuck. You were such a coward; you should have done this ages ago. 

When the two of you finally parted, reluctantly choosing air over each other, you did nothing but stare at the other. Heavy pants left the two of you; your hands clutched the other’s bodies, leaving little space between the two of you. Neither of you had words. All he could think to do was fold you into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around you with a hold like a vice. Your head turned and tucked itself into his shoulder where it had rested so many times before. And through your contentedly parted eyes, you could distantly see Mattheo, on the picnic blanket, smugly raising his pumpkin juice bottle to the two of you.

[bycmykae]

🐟 Fishy, an underwater detective agency

Content Restrictions and Requirements

Rating: SFW, PG-13/T

An Original Fish Zine

Prompt: Something fishy happened here... It's time to solve the murder, detective.

Schedule

Interest Check: Mar 22 - April 12, 9:00 PM CT

Contributor Sign Ups: Apr 15 - April 30, 9:00 PM CT

Last day to Join Server: May 7, 9:00 PM, CT

Check in 1: May 25

Check In 2: June 25

Finals Due: July 25, 2025 9:00 PM, CT

What is a zine?

New to zines? Check out https://zinebaby.carrd.co/ for some general information. For this project, a zine is a digital PDF that consist of art and fics.

Who can participate?

Anyone who applies during the application period. No previous experience. No portfolio necessary. Unless you want to be the cover artist.

What types of mediums are allowed?

Anything that can be put into a PDF, which means no music or animation. (Although contributors are encouraged to turn their pieces into animations if they choose to outside of this project). Comics are okay.

Contributor Expectations:

English speaking: mandatory.

Discord attendance: mandatory.

Check-ins: optional.

Let a mod know you need to drop: required.

Final deadline: non-negotiable.

Portfolio Requirements

Only cover artists need a portfolio. For our cover we're looking for an artist who has experience drawing fish or aquatic animals.

Content Restrictions and Guidelines:

Contributors must use at least 3 of the projects "clues". (These clues will be revealed at a later time)

The characters in the story should all be aquatic animals

Fictional, folklore, or fairytale aquatics are okay (i.e. Nessie)

For this project we ask people to stay away from creatures with human-like depictions like for characters (i.e merfolk and mermaids).

Mentions of human things like ships, scuba helmets, etc are fine.

Detective Noir is optional

Additional Questions?

Feel free to reach out through tumblr ask or email (cmykae+by@gmail.com) Bycmykae's extensive FAQ: https://bit.ly/bycmykaefaq

[fandomgirlz01]

Holding Onto You Pt.1

Timothée Chalamet x Reader

Imagine on my fandom Instagram?: No

Prompt or Request or Requested Prompt?: No

Style of Writing: Mini Series 

Rating: PG-13 ~ For fluff and cuteness, but more adult commentary or even some triggering content. 

Edited: Yes

Word count: 4,885 

Post Date & Time: November 27th 2024 at 9:34PM

Ko-fi

Masterlist

Warnings Here

Listen to the story be read out loud here {coming soon}.  

Summary:  When the Reader goes through something very hard she tells Pauline about it, but begs her not to tell Timothée. However Timothée learns about it and is determined to go and be there for his best friend. 

PSA from Faith: I {Faith} have not learned any French so if it any of the French is off please let me know. I {Faith} have however learned a little bit (by a little bit I mean a very little bit…) of Italian and am still learning and am not well versed in it yet, but I hope I can be one day. For now just please let us know if any of it is off and we will fix it as soon as we can. For now I’ve {Faith} used what very little I do know as well as a LOT of google translate as well as a LOT of research too.

Why must love suck so much? You think as you walk down the aisles, only seemingly able to find romance books while playing with the small T necklace around your neck. You don’t want a romance book right now, not after just being cheated on. All you really want is your best friend, but you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him what happened. He’s been so focused on his newest movies, having to film for Wonka and Dune 2 back to back and you know for a fact that if you’d told him he would jump on the first flight home just to be with you. 

You just couldn’t bring yourself to tell him and make him leave what he’s been so focused on and so passionate about lately. So you’d told his sister Pauline, who has always been just as close to you as Timothée has been. You sigh at the memories of the FaceTime call from the previous last few nights. 

You sit on the couch after just having a big blow out fight with your now ex boyfriend, Malcom. You’d come home for the night all happy and giddy to have a nice dinner with your boyfriend, but that’s not what happened. You walked into the strangely, eerily quiet apartment and thought about it for a moment before shaking your head. You dismissed the weird atmosphere and walked up to your room where you’d found your boyfriend on top of another woman. You then yelled and screamed back and forth for a good two hours before you’d kicked him out. So now you sit on your couch with a box of tissues and you're on a FaceTime call with your best -girl- friend Pauline. 

“You should tell Timmy. He’d wanna be there for you and you know it,” she tells you and you just sniffle before blowing your nose again. 

“No. He’s so focused right now. I don’t wanna ruin it for him. His career is just getting to the point he wants it to. I’m not gonna be the one that pulls him away from that,” you reply and she just sighs, clicking her tongue at you while shaking her head. 

“Well, I still think he’d wanna know…” she gives you the side eye, trying to change your mind. 

“He won’t know, not till he’s done filming,” you stubbornly tell her, making her sigh again. 

“But-” she started to go on and you shook your head. 

“I’m not telling him and you have to promise you won’t either,” you cut her off before sternly telling her not to utter a word. 

“Fine. I won’t tell him, but just take care of yourself, okay?” she asks and you don’t hesitate to agree, giving a false promise. 

“Do you pinky promise…” you ask, giving her a side eye and she groans. 

“Not this again…” She rolls her eyes. 

“It’s the most solemn of vows. Now pinky promise,” you push and she sighs, shaking her head. 

“Fine. I pinky promise,” she relents as she lifts her pinky to the camera before kissing her thumb. 

“There, happy now?” she asks and you shrug halfheartedly. 

“Yeah. I guess I am,” you tell her and she shakes her head. 

You snap out of the memory and sigh. It’s safe to say you didn’t do as you’d promised her, you definitely aren’t doing well. You haven’t fully eaten anything except a little bit of snacking since it happened, but you’ve done your absolute best to make yourself seem as normal as possible so people wouldn’t catch on that something was wrong. That means going to Barnes and Noble like you had planned about a week before everything fell apart. So here you are, trying to seem normal to all of the people around you as you silently curse at romance books you would have once picked up with a giddy smile while you fall apart on the inside. 

You scan a few more before reaching out for a book that actually catches your eye. You carefully slip it off the shelf, looking over the front cover before flipping it to read the synopsis on the back. You read over it only to roll your eyes before putting it back with an annoyed scowl when you realize it’s another romance book. After a few minutes you pick out another book with an interesting spine and turn it to look at the cover. 

You roll your eyes again and let out an annoyed, almost angry huff. It’s only another love story with a couple kissing passionately under the sunset on the front cover. You shove it back into place where it once resided. Romance and love is all just bullshit, it doesn’t really exist, you think to yourself before shaking your head. You were here to forget about all that stuff, seeing as it was the absolute last thing you wanted to think about. You walk down another aisle with the new intention of leaving the store and heading home to read the few books you did find interesting in hopes of it getting your mind off of your discovery from a few days ago. 

You can’t help but continue to think about it though. You thought you’d known him well, but you were proven wrong when you found him in bed with the other woman. How naïve could I have really been? All the signs were there, how did I not see them? You think to yourself with a permanent frown on your face as you continue walking towards the stairs to the bottom floor of the store, but soon one last row jumps out at you and you make a last second decision to stop and look down the shelf.

You set down the books you hold on the edge of the shelf to look for a moment before you see someone out of the corner of your eye on the opposite side of the shelf, but you pay them no mind as you continue looking through the books. You assume they’re just looking at the books on the other side of the shelf, but after you finish looking at one of the books it’s clear their eyes are on you and not the other books on the other side. Oh, what the hell does this person want?! You think to yourself when after a moment they still don’t move and your eyebrows pull together in frustration. 

“Can I help-” you start in a ticked off tone as you move the books out of the way to look at the person, but all the words on your tongue die off when you actually see who it is. 

Timothée, your lifelong best friend (and love of your life, but that’s for a little later) stands there with a small, shy yet hesitant smile. You gape at him though the books that have been pushed aside for a moment, trying to get words to form, but your brain doesn’t want to seem to work. 

“Hi…” he breathes out softly as he smiles sheepishly at you, but all you can see is happiness in his eyes at just seeing you. 

He comes around the bookshelf, making you turn to him and stare displeased at him. The look in his eyes changes, holding a look of pain and guilt as you refuse to let up on your displeased look. He shouldn’t be here and he knows that you know he knows what had happened as you cross your arms. You stand there with an eyebrow raised and arms still crossed, waiting on him to give you anything as to why he’s here. 

Finally after a moment of silence, you throw your hands up with a sigh and turn away from him. You want to smile, throw yourself into his arms and hug the life out of him, telling him how happy you are to see him, but you couldn't because he isn’t supposed to be here. He’s supposed to be filming for Dune 2. Most importantly, he wasn’t supposed to know about you being cheated on, he wasn’t supposed to see you as this person you were right now. 

“What are you doing here?” You finally hiss out at him, staring him down with wide eyes that make him a little nervous, but he also notices that even when mad you slightly move closer to him, almost as if you were a compass needle and he your cardinal direction. 

He shrugs as he keeps his hands in his pocket so you won’t see how balled up he keeps them when he sees just how broken you are. He tries to keep himself from right out telling you right here right now how he feels and he sure as hell fights himself on wanting to go hunt the jerk down. No, he won’t do that. He keeps reminding himself he needs to be there for you more than anything else right now, not professing his undying love for you or rather beating your now ex, who had made the biggest mistake he could: he hurt you. 

“I heard about what that dick did. I couldn’t just not come check up on you, Il mio angelo {my angel},” he informs you with a soft look as he tries to read your emotions. He knows how good you’ve gotten at hiding them, but has always been able to read you like an open book; his favorite book. 

He watches as your jaw ticks ever so slightly and anger rolls over you as you clench your fist. He watches as the anger flows, but he can tell you’re not really angry at him, you’re just misplacing your anger. 

“I’m going to kill your sister,” you growl as you cross your arms once more, shaking your head in disappointment that your best (girl) friend would go behind your back and tell him when you specifically made her promise not to. 

“Now, don’t do that. I forced her to tell me,” Timothée admits with a small shrug of his shoulders as he kicks lightly at the ground. 

“It’s just… When we were on the phone the other night…” he trails off as he feels himself get choked up at his own memory and you give him expectant eyes, telling him to go on. 

“You weren’t yourself, okay?!” he grumbles with a frown, but he has to take a breath to steady his own rising emotions as he pulls his hands from his pockets to press his palms into his eyes for a moment. 

“I got worried and asked her if she knew if anything was up. To her credit she said no for a good while, but I know when my sister is lying to me and I know when something is up with you…” he continues to explain as he finally pulls his hands away from his face to look at you once more and his stare feels like he’s looking into your soul. 

“So I knew if you wouldn’t tell me, you’d tell her. So I pushed and pushed,” he explains some more with another small shrug and you don’t even seem to understand how you affect him as he stands there, almost pleading with you to understand. 

“Finally she saw just how worried I was and broke. After she told me, I was on my first flight back,” he finishes explaining and watches you contemplate it for a moment. 

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not important. I’m not that important. You should have stayed and focused on the movie,” You try to sound as assuring as you can so he’ll stop worrying, you hate worrying anyone, but especially him. 

It never felt good to have him worried, you always would have a terrible gut wrenching feeling when he was worried about you. In your mind he always deserved and deserves to be the happiest he can be, but he can’t exactly be happy if you’re worrying him all the time. He holds back a groan as he reaches up and frustratedly rubs at his eyes again. He pulls his hands back down as he lets out a huff and frowns at you, hating that you even remotely feel that way. Have I not always made it known that she’s my number one priority? He wonders sadly to himself as he tries to figure out why you feel like you can’t tell him everything anymore. 

“It is a big deal and you definitely matter, dolce ragazza {Sweet girl}. Please don’t say that. You’ll always, always matter to me,” he protests as he reaches up, grabbing you by the elbows and tries to get you to look at him. 

“But… but you have a lot going on with work. You need to focus on the movie…” you mutter out as you try to keep up with the façade that you’ve built up, but it slowly starts to crumble along with your resolve and he softly shushes you while shaking his head. 

“We’re not talking about me. It’s you, I'm worried about la mia goccia di sole {My sundrop}. All of that can wait. You come first,” Timothée parrots his words from earlier. 

“I came because I wanted to make sure you were okay. Pauline would have too, but she has a lot more going on then I do,” he explains as he rubs your arms softly as he continues to try to look in your eyes. 

You finally sigh as all the emotions start to show on your face and he moves his hands down your arm until he’s holding yours. He slips his fingers through yours until the palm of his hand is flat against your very own palm. Finally you look up at him and he smiles a sad yet soft smile at you as he searches your eyes for the answer you still won’t give him. 

“There you are, ma chérie {My Love},” he whispers sweetly to you and the nickname is the one that finally breaks you. 

Your lower lip begins to tremble and you curse yourself for letting him break you. You trap it between your teeth in hopes he didn’t see it, but he definitely did. With a shaky inhale, you nod at him as he asks you if you’re okay with his eyes, but he gives you a knowing look as you slowly spiral. You always cave for him, always crumbling with just one stern look from him. It’s always been hard to lie to him, no matter how hard you try you just never can.

“I’m not okay…” you mutter out as you finally admit it out loud and tears start to fill your eyes. 

“And I’m breaking down in a Barnes and Noble, I’m such a wimp,” your voice cracks as you put yourself down and Timothée is quickly shaking his head with a frown as he shushes you. 

“You've just been cheated on. You’re not a wimp for crying about that. Come with me…” he tells you as he reaches up and pulls you into a hug before he’s turning and walking with you tucked under his arm. 

He quickly walks you out of the store and looks around. It only takes him a moment before he spots your car and guides you over to it. You unlock and he opens the back door, dramatically bowing and you giggle which makes him smile proudly at the fact he’s made you giggle through your tears. You step in, dropping your bag to the floor below you before making yourself comfortable and he soon follows. 

Soon there’s a serenity that falls over the car as the two of you cuddle in close. You sit comfortably pressed up against his side, his arm slung around you as your head rests on his shoulder and his head rests softly against your own. His hand grabs yours and you hold his, resting both on your shoulder as you keep a light death grip on his. His thumb draws circles on your hand, only giving you more serenity the more you relax against him. It almost feels like no time has passed the longer you two sit there, saying everything and nothing all at once. 

He’s always been so good at getting you calm and relaxed, you missed him and this so, so much. Your anger slowly flows away as you sit cuddled up to your best friend and you start to feel a little upset with how you’d treated him inside. You want to open your mouth and tell him how sorry you are for being angry and how much you’ve missed him, how much you’ve missed this, but you can’t bring yourself to do so, making your eyes well up more and more with tears you refuse to shed. 

“Why didn’t you tell me, mon fleur {my flower}? I could have been here sooner,” Timothée whispers, being the first to speak up and you stay quiet, making him frown. 

“I’ll admit it, miele {honey}, it did hurt when I found out that you told Paulie first and broke down to her when the two of us have always been closer out of the three of us. I promise I'm not jealous, I just want to know why you didn't want me to know. Would me knowing about it have been so bad?” he continues and you can hear the shakiness to his tone as he asks you about it, making the tears you’ve been holding back finally fall like a river before you could stop them. 

You hiccup as the tears slowly start to turn into sobs, making you turn and bury your face into his neck. He lets out a soft “oh tesoro {sweetheart},” his lips pressing a firm kiss to your forehead as he starts to whisper comforting words. His other hand comes up and cradles your head, his fingers carding though your hair as he massages your head softly. The thought of you not knowing what to do without him makes you cry even harder and again he’s shushing you softly. 

“Shh, dolce ragazza {sweet girl}. It’s okay. I’m right here,�� he softly promises you as he continues to massage your scalp. 

You really don’t know what you’d do without him, with his hands and his wonderful touch. Not to mention the soft voice he always without fail used around you. To you he was the most beautiful man on the planet. You always wonder what you did to deserve him, because honestly you feel like you don’t sometimes. To you he’s a literal angel and what are you? You’re just a fool who fell for love only to be crushed by it. 

“Please don’t cry, sweetheart. I hate it when you cry. Means I haven’t been taking good care of you,” he mutters out as his own emotions take over. 

“Plus. He’s not worth it,” he adds on as he continues to hold back his own tears back. 

You sniffle as you come to the realization that you’ve just been hurting him too. You lift your head with a frown, looking into his mossy green eyes that you’ve always loved, seeing that you’re right, you’ve been causing him pain and you hate that you have. Why couldn’t I have just been with him? It’d be so much easier with him. You wonder to yourself as you reach up and wipe at your own red and puffy eyes before shaking your head in denial. 

“You’ve always taken care of me. Timmy. This isn’t on you. I’m so sorry for being angry at you for showing up. I was just angry that this happened. I really thought he was a good guy,” you immediately apologize.

“And for the record, I hate seeing you cry too. It’s rather sad to see your baby face contort when you do,” you joke, calling back to his SNL skit with a small smirk when he gasps, looking shocked at you. 

He looks at you shocked for a moment before his lips stretch into a smile and soon you're smirking proudly as he laughs a good long laugh at your joke. Soon you start to laugh too and for a moment, you completely forget why you’re even sad. After the moment ends, though, your face falls again and so does his. 

“I really am sorry I didn’t tell you, but I knew that if you’d known about it you'd be worried and concerned for me. I knew you wouldn’t sleep at all while filming Dune until you knew for sure I’d be okay…” you explain as you look away from him again, not able to look him in the eyes as you admit it all. 

“I also knew you’d get aggressive once you did know. You would have gone and tried to do something reckless for me and I didn’t want you doing that,” you admit as you think back on the last time you were in a bad relationship. 

“So I told Paulie before I told you and I begged her not to say anything so you could focus. I can handle anything, but I didn’t want you to look at me differently. Paulie looked at me with sisterly sadness, and that I can handle, but when you look at me in any different way…” you try to explain and trail off, not fully able to explain where your head's at.

“Anyway, that’s why I asked her not to tell you. You needed to focus on the movie and I didn’t want to be seen as this broken sad girl to you again. I’m sorry I tried to hide it from you and I’m sorry I was more angry about you being here then happy about it,” you finish explaining and giving your apology, but it only makes you start crying again. 

“Oh, mon amour…” he whispers out the nickname, giving you butterflies as he shakes his head and his hand reaches up and he gently grabs your chin, pulling you to look at him. 

“Don’t apologize. I get it now and you're right. Paulie will always give you more of a sisterly look. You definitely can handle anything, I'll give you that, but we all need extra help sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with that,” he tells you as he squeezes your hand while looking into your eyes. 

You feel a magnetic pull to kiss his lips, but you resist and force yourself to look away again. After a moment, though, you look back at him with a big grin taking over your face and a look of fondness rolling off of you. 

“Thank you, Timmy. I needed that. You know me. Sometimes I just forget to accept any help. I actually really missed you,” you tell him, pulling him into a hug and he lets out an oof sound before chuckling as he wraps his arms around you. 

“I missed you too. More than you know, Il mio piccolo girasole {my little sunflower}. With my baby face contorted up every night without you. Ask Zay, it’s true,” he jokes with you and you can’t help but blush as he holds you a little closer in the hug. 

You take a deep breath in and subtly take in a whiff of his cologne, smelling only what you could describe as your best friend and it soothes you. He only soothes you more as he rubs your arm up and down with the tips of his fingers. Damn him for knowing exactly how to calm me. You think to yourself as you fall farther into a serenity that only he brings you. 

“Have you by any chance eaten at all since it happened, angelo {Angel}?” he suddenly asks and you pause for a moment. 

“A snack here or there…” you answer with a small shrug as if it’s nothing and he sighs. 

“Coccinella {Ladybug}, you need to eat,” he chides you and you shake your head. 

“I’m fine. I swear,” you whine out like a petulant child and he gives you a scornful look. 

“Give me your keys,” he lightly commands, holding his hand out and you give him a defiant look with crossed arms. 

“Timmy. I’m not a kid…” you mutter out and he shakes his head. 

“Says the girl acting like a kid. Now give me the keys, y/n,” he demands and you hold your defiance for a moment as he gives you a persistent scornful look. 

Eventually you break and sigh before leaning forward to dig around in your bag. Once your hand finds them you pull them out and plop them into his hand. He smiles proudly at you and squeezes your shoulder as you lean back into his side. 

“Must we-” you start to ask in an annoyed tone, but your own stomach cuts you off with a growl and Timothée chuckles. 

“By that sound your stomach just made… yes, tesoro mio {my darling}, we must,” he jokes before groaning when you smack him in the stomach. 

“Don’t patronize me,” you tell him with a pout that makes him smile. 

“Ahh, come on. You're my favorite person to patronize, though,” he playfully whines out as he grabs your chin, moving your face back and forth. 

“Timmy…” you groan, carrying out the m sound of his name as you move your face away from his hand before hiding in his shoulder so he won’t see you blush as madly as you do. 

“Okay. Okay. Let’s go get that stomach of yours some food,” he lets up with a chuckle before laying a sweet kiss to your forehead. 

“Okay. What does that stomach of yours want?” Timothée asks once you both are settled into the front seat of your car. 

“I really don’t know… anything is fine,” you halfheartedly say with a shrug, refusing to look at him again. 

“Miele (honey), you know I can read you like an open book,” he softly but firmly reminds you as he looks over at you with a raised eyebrow. 

“Now you know I know you don’t mean that. There’s gotta be something you want after almost a week of not eating,” he continues, giving you a stern look that he hopes will show that he’s not taking no for an answer and soon he’s smiling ever so slightly as he watches you squirm in your seat for a moment. 

“Fine… I could really go for a good burger from In-N-Out…” you finally relent and he grins, proud that he broke though your stubbornness.

“See, was that so hard? Now let’s go get you that burger,” he declares as he starts your car up before backing it out of the parking space. 

He drives and the two of you talk the whole way to the restaurant until he finally pulls up to the man standing at the end of the drive through. He recites your order so easily and you smile softly at him as you nod when he turns to you for confirmation that it’s right. After the food is ordered it feels like it takes absolutely no time for you to receive said food and then he’s driving to your apartment. Again, the ride seems like no time passes and soon you are unlocking your front door for both of you to step into your humble abode. You toe off your shoes next to the door, as does Timothée. 

Together you walk to the kitchen and you pull out two plates, handing one to him. Both of you plate up your food, before walking over to the couch. 

“What do you wanna watch?” You ask Timothée and he shrugs. 

“I’m good with whatever,” he tells you and you sigh dramatically. 

“That doesn’t help, because I don’t know what to watch either!” You groan out and he chuckles, shaking his head. 

“How about we don’t watch anything and just enjoy each other’s company, mia cara {my dear}?” he playfully questions and you sigh. 

“I guess we can do that,” you agree with a playful roll of your eyes. 

You guys then proceed to eat and talk, just catching up after not seeing each other in person for a good few months. After you’ve finished eating you set your plate aside and pull your legs up onto the couch as you turn to look at him. He too sets his plate aside and turns to look at you. The two of you talk for hours and hours with you changing positions again. You lay your head in his lap and he smiles as the two of you continue to talk, but slowly you get more and more tired. He seems to notice as he starts to massage your head, carding his fingers through your hair. Soon you fall asleep and he’s gently carrying you to your bed and kissing your forehead goodnight. 

“Goodnight, amore mio {my love},” he whispers out to you softly before going to stand, but he lets out a quiet yelp when you pull him back down, breathing out a soft “stay,” and he blinks at you for a moment before silently agreeing. He pulls you close and you cuddle into him with a sleepy sigh. He can’t help but smile softly, soon falling asleep by your side.

To Be Continued…

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[klapollo-minibang]

It's almost time...signups for the 2025 Klapollo Minibang open today, April 26th, at noon EDT, and will be open until Saturday, May 17th!

In preparation for signups, please make sure you've read through the Rules/FAQ doc--there's important info on there that you'll need for the signup form. However, here's the answer to a few commonly-asked questions:

What IS a minibang, anyway?

A minibang is a smaller version of a fandom event known as a “Big Bang.” It’s an opportunity for artists and writers to collaborate to produce a 5k-10k fic and an illustration that goes with it. Writers and artists will be paired up, and will all post their work during the event’s specified posting window.

Can I write more than 10k?

Technically, yes--we won't stop you! But we typically advise trying to keep to the shorter word count and coming up with an idea that will be smaller in scope than you think you'll need it to be. It's always easier to expand a shorter fic than it is to cut down on a longer idea, and you never know what's going to happen in your life over the course of the minibang. If you need help trimming your ideas down, we're more than happy to help during the brainstorming period before your prompts are due in!

Who can participate?

Anyone who’s interested! We don’t have an age limit for participation—you just need to be able to commit to finishing either one art piece or one 5k-10k fic before the deadline.

What genres are permitted?

Any genre of fic/art is permitted as long as the final piece would not be rated higher than a T on AO3’s scale. For reference, we’re defining this rating tier as similar to a PG-13 movie, with Ace Attorney canon-typical levels of violence.

What are your social media links?

Tumblr: klapollo-minibang.tumblr.com (this blog!) Twitter: @klapollominbang Bluesky: @klapollominibang.bsky.social Email: klapollo.minibang@gmail.com

Who did that cool Klavier and Apollo art in your header image?

That would be @acerunaway / @queenychu ! Go check out their art/writing/various other projects if you get a chance :)