#really getting this in at the nick of time

[avrildelrey]

~The Event~

AB meets you at an influencer party, yet you’re not who he expected to connect with.

~ second person, first meeting, subtle flirting ~

It’s a long read (sorry) but enjoy!

🎶Cause I’m not sure if I’ve seen you before, you look familiar when I saw you, we go together like the gum on my shoes🎶

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

You look across to your phone as it buzzes on the counter, nursing the hangover you got from last night. You’re praying it’s not one of you’re friends trying to set you up on a date with one of their uni flatmates again.

No it was much worse. You’re best friend asking you to work on a Saturday.

Turns out one of her colleagues can’t make it to the catering gig and her boss is freaking out over lack of staff. “This is the biggest event the company has ever hosted!! xx” The message read, in hopes to persuade you. How it became your problem you didn’t know. But you’d do anything for your best friends, so you reluctantly agreed.

She informed you the event was black tie so that meant you had to look put together. Basically requiring you to wear a glorified suit. Luckily for you, you enjoyed collecting cute vintage shirts and everybody had a pair of black trousers left over from their school days. Although they fitted a little more snug now, but it never hurt to show off your (slightly more) womanly curves you dreamed about at 15.

You arrived at the ridiculously grand building to be ushered in by a lady in a similar outfit to yours and sent straight to the back to help in anyway you can. You were already feeling overwhelmed by the stress radiating off of everyone. You made a mental reminder to never do something like this again.

You spot your best friend looking equally as flustered as everyone else. You two barely had time to catch up before the guests started to arrive. Someone placed a tray of champagne in your hand and steered you towards the lion den.

You kept a neutral expression on your face despite your internal panic about dropping all the drinks down yourself or even worse, a guest.

You thought you recognised a few people but you weren’t really bothered by them, you were more amazed at how good looking everyone was. You forgot that the most important requirement for being an influencer was to be beautiful - you were glad you’d never be surrounded by people like this again.

You wandered around aimlessly, occasionally nicking a canapé off your best friends tray, hoping no one noticed. Before you found yourself in front of a large group of intimidating men. The one closest to your left was by far the hottest man you’ve seen tonight, maybe even ever. You found yourself getting flustered just by being close to him.

A few of them took drinks off your trays without as much as a second look. However when you went to leave you made direct eye contact with Mr Fit - the nickname you decided to give him and one which was very much deserved.

You wished you were able to neck some of the flutes of champagne you were currently holding. That would probably give you the confidence to talk to Mr Fit. Although that would probably be weird considering you were at work - and not an influencer. You assumed that would be his type.

You shook the thoughts from your head and went back to being rather bored, before realising it was time to make your rounds back over to that group. Only this time they were a lot louder and far more rowdy, definitely thanks to the alcohol. And they were all stood around instead of sitting, now further intimated by their height.

Chip noticed you coming over and nudged AB, knowing his boy was feeling this particular waitress.

You locked eyes with Mr Fit and felt your face heat up as you came to stand in the same place as before. Only this time you felt dwarfed by Mr Fits height.

God was he tall, and omg his arms. Wham was all you could think.

“You enjoying yourself miss?” A man with dark curly hair said to you. He had a look on his face that made you realise he was joking around.

“Living the dream.” You replied. This earned a few chuckles from the three guys who were paying attention to you.

You noticed Mr Fit was without a drink so you held out your tray towards him.

“Thank you M’lady.” He said with a smirk on his face, raising his glass.

“You’re welcome kind sir.” You picked up on his little joke adding a small curtesy, just to go the extra mile.

“Aye she’s been trained well.” The same dark curly haired one joked, nudging Mr Fit.

“Oh fuc-.” You caught yourself before finishing that sentence, remembering you were at work and it’s definitely not advised to swear at the guests, never mind rich and famous guests at that.

“Nah man, where’s your boss? Surely that’s not allowed.” Mr Fit joked, making the other two guys laugh and you to look away in embarrassment.

“Ref!” The tall one said, earning more laughter.

“I’m so sorry.” You went to apologise but were cut off.

“Nah, we’re just joking, swear all you want girl. We’re all friends here.” The dark haired one said, giving you a cheeky grin.

You could tell already that these guys were always down to just have a laugh. That’s probably what gained them an audience.

“Yeah s’just banter.” Mr Fit said, putting on a bit of an accent. American maybe.

The two men laughed at him and he looked away sheepishly.

You heard his two friends lean over and say that he needs to “spit some game.”

Mr Fit held out his hand for you to shake, forgetting you were still holding onto the tray of drinks “I’m AB.��

You awkwardly fumbled with the tray and shook his hand “Y/N.”

“Shit sorry. Forgot you were holding tha’.”

You both looked at each other bashfully - flustered.

You heard the other two jeer in the background “go on son!”

You suddenly remembered that you were working and that you had other guests to attend to.

“You lot enjoy your nights, and watch your drinks. I’m not cleaning nothing.” You joked, walking away.

“Bottled it.” You caught the tail end of AB’s sentence and one of his friends replying, “bro just pop a little two dot and you’ll be sorted, trust.” A chorus of laughter followed.

You shook your head at their ridiculousness. But you didn’t let yourself deep the interaction as you knew you’d never see him again.

*1 hour later*

Your feet were hurting and you couldn’t wait to go home. Not long now.

For the remainder of the night you had been sneaking glances at Mr Fit, or well AB. You could’ve sworn he was looking at you too.

“Y/N.” Someone shouted, you recognised the voice instantly.

“Oh, hi AB.” You scrunched your eyebrows, unsure why he was talking to you.

Chip and Freezy had put him up to it. Egging him on, saying how they wanted to see him successfully pick up a girl. AB didn’t put up much of a fight as he thought you were fit as fuck and knew how to take joke. That’s all he needed in a bird if he was being honest.

“This might be bare weird of me, but could I get your instagram?” He asked, scratching the back of his head.

You again admired how hot he looked, especially as he’d taken off his suit jacket and you could see his biceps straining against his shirt- drool.

But you were taken aback by his question, butterflies swarmed your stomach.

You let out a small chuckle, “oh yeah, course.” He handed over his phone, “you scared me then.”

“Wha’ how?” He exclaimed.

“Didn’t know what you were gonna say.” You smiled, giving his phone back to him after following yourself on his instagram.

“Yeah, I’m a bare unpredictable guy ‘n that.” He joked, with the same accent as before.

You found it endearing. In fact, you found him endearing. The way he speaks, the awkwardness. You’d take it over being cocky and full of yourself any day.

He stumbled a little bit and that’s when you noticed his eyes were slightly glazed over. Okay so he’s a lot drunker than he was before. That explains why he came over to you. Oh god, what if this is some sort of sick joke that his friends put him up to.

You shook those thoughts away, but other anxiety filled ones replaced them.

You had a terrible feeling that he could end up forgetting this whole night and that he wouldn’t remember following you.

*Next day*

You ripped your phone off the charger and started scrolling. The first time you’ve properly been on it since you briefly accepted AB’s follow request last night. You were in disbelief at the amount of followers he had, not realising that he was some hot shot or something.

You clicked on to instagram to see that AB had liked your story- a selfie of you low-key feeling yourself in your waitressing outfit- and a dm from him an hour ago.

You felt giddy at the fact he remembered you, not only that but he had liked your story AND dmed you.

You held so much anticipation for what he could say.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

ahhhh!! this is my first story on tumblr as i’m a wattpad girl so sorry that’s it quite long hope you don’t mind (my stories will probably continue to be long lol) also i’m still learning the nuances of tumblr so apologies if i act like a neek on here or something.

anyway i hope you loved and pls lmk if u want a part 2 or anything else you want to see! there’s a hella AB drought on here.

edit: part 2 is here

love and kisses, avril ⋆˚࿔

[velvet-milk]

• your weird heteroerotic friendship with dick grayson.

❤︎──── ❛❛you'd known dick since you two were preteens and by the time you were twenty-something, the two of you had become inseparable in so many ways that made people around you very, very uncomfortable. your room was his room. your closet had his shirts and boxers. his dresser had your sleep shorts and panties. you'd see him naked constantly. scars and all. you'd stepped into his bathroom once while he was shaving, towel slung low on his hips. his abs were still slick from the hot shower. on the bathroom shelf, you noticed your sanitary pads, some of your favorite painkillers, and even products from the skincare routine you both shared.

you made a noise of disapproval and reached over to fix the way he was holding the razor.

"you're gonna nick yourself, pretty boy."

"then fix it, dove."

so you did. you reached up, cupped his jaw, and carefully guided the blade against his skin, the intimacy of it heavy in the steam-clouded mirror. he kept his eyes on you the entire time, those soft, pretty blues watching you with quiet trust.

"thanks. you always take care of me."

"of course i do," you whispered, brushing your thumb along his cheek. "you're fucking useless without me."

you said it with a teasing smile, like he hadn't been leading teams and saving lives since he was thirteen. he smiled anyway. but your closeness didn't stop at helping him shave. you'd eaten from the same fork, shared water bottles, gum, deodorant—even a toothbrush. you literally farted on him once when he tickled you too hard during a sparring session. you'd seen him throw up more times than you cared to.

and it gets weirder.

one time, during a particularly rough mission, you lost all your clothes. literally everything, including your underwear. so you borrowed his. every last piece. shirt, pants, even his boxers. you walked around the block wearing fabric that had been in direct contact with his dick and sweaty balls, and you didn't even blink. yikes, girl.

and when people asked what you were to each other, you'd both laugh. loud. like the question was fucking ridiculous. you were best friends. duh. but then he'd hand-feed you fries across the table while hanging out with your mutual friends. you'd adjust his waistband before going out and he wouldn't even flinch when your fingers brushed too low. he'd adjust the strap of your bra in public, and people would act like it was some kind of spectacle. for some reason.

one time, after a shower in the batcave locker room, you walked out drying your hair. dick was there too, getting dressed after some random training session. and he looked. really looked. right at your uncovered boobs. then, completely unfazed, he just went back to putting on his pants and belt.

"you know your left titty is bigger and the other, right?"

"it's not like your balls are very symmetrical either."

"touché."

[stellarsturniolos]

━━ ⟢ ‘soft lips’ ╰ 𝐌.𝐒.

・ ˖  ✦ ⋄ . in which.. you love matt's lips, but he loves tasting you even more.

warnings: smut, tit sucking, fingering, matt the munch, light dirty talk, i think that covers it !

A/N: reblogs and likes are appreciated! i do NOT give consent for my work to be copied or uploaded to any other platform. divider by @bernardsbendystraws !!

word count: 946.

you've been dating matt for a few months. and you can honestly say you've never been happier.

he's attractive, he's hilarious, he's generous and he's so kind to everyone he meets. he's your dream guy, without a doubt.

every inch of him is totally mesmerizing to you. you could sit and watch him as he goofs off with his brothers for hours on end, or sit and listen to him talk without ever getting bored.

but there's something about his lips that have you under a goddamn spell.

they're always so soft, thanks to nick's lip balm brand. and he always tastes good. you sometimes joke that he tastes like apples, because he's addicted to any apple flavored drink. but really, his mouth is so sweet — just like the juicy watermelon lip balm he never goes anywhere without.

matt is constantly calling you out, lightly teasing you for staring at his mouth so often. you blush and sputter and deny it every time, but he knows how much you like his mouth. hell, everyone knows.

as your relationship has progressed, you have found yourself wanting his mouth on you. all the time.

you love kissing matt more than anything. you love the taste of his lips, the feeling of his tongue against your own, how he dominates each and every kiss the two of you share.

and now, several months in, you like to feel those soft lips on other parts of your body. and matt likes it too.

you're in his bedroom, curled up together on his bed, your shirts discarded on the floor somewhere. the only thing hiding your breasts from his gaze is your bra. he's playing with the straps, and you're so eager for him to take it off.

"please, matt... please..." you beg. his briefs are hiding his hard cock from your view, but you can feel it against your thigh, and you can feel the excessive amounts of precum leaking from his tip and soaking through his boxers.

he swiftly removes your bra, like he's done so many times before, and tosses it carelessly aside. you gasp as you feel him press soft kisses along the underside of your breast, slowly making his way up to your nipple. his lips make loud slurping noises around your left nipple while his fingers pinch and tug at the other teasingly.

"mhmmm.." matt moans as he sucks harder. "you like that, baby? hm? can feel how wet you are. you're drippin', sweetheart, fuuuck."

you feel a shiver roll down your spine. you whimper, trying to grind your hips against him. it feels so fucking good, but you need more.

he nips at your nipple gently before slowly pulling back. "wanna taste you somewhere else now.." he rasps as he kisses down your stomach, sucking and nipping, leaving marks in his wake.

he presses a kiss to your pussy through your underwear, before leaking a teasing stripe along the sticky wet fabric. he pulls your panties to the side and grazes a finger through your slippery folds. he brings the finger to his mouth and sucks it clean. "shiiiit, baby.. tastes so fuckin' sweet.."

you let out a strangled moan, not even caring that you should be quiet because nick and chris are both right outside the door in the living room. matt just chuckles before his fingers are holding your pussy lips open so he can slurp up your juices.

evidently he doesn't care about his brothers hearing either, and something about that kinda turns you on a little bit.

"matt, i..i—oh my fucking god," you cry as his soft lips and warm tongue attack your pussy like it's his favorite meal. which, if you asked him, he'd say it is.

"so, so wet f'me.. so delicious.." he husks. the bed creaks as he grinds his hips down against the mattress, chasing his release as much as you're chasing yours.

his fingers join his mouth on your pussy, circling over your clit at first before moving down to your entrance. you let out a startled gasp as he shoves two of his long, thick fingers inside, along with his tongue. you whine and tangle your fingers in his messy hair.

matt loves the way your face scrunches up with pleasure as he both finger and tongue fucks you, making you feel so good. he could watch you like this all damn day.

"matt—," you shriek. "i.. i'm gonna.." you trail off as another moan slips from your lips.

he licks a slow stripe through your folds, gathering your wetness on his tongue. "mmm.. gonna cum f'me, baby?" he asks as your pussy drips more hot slick down his fingers and all over his hand. "do it, baby.. soak my tongue, let me taste more of you.." he rasps.

an airy whine escapes your lips as a warm feeling snaps in your gut. you clench around his fingers, feeling nice and full. his mouth continues to suck up your juices and his fingers scissor inside you as you come undone. more slick slips out of you, and he licks you clean as soft moans spill from your lips.

"mmmm, fuck. your pretty pussy is squeezin' my fingers so tight. just feels sooo good, huh?" he coos teasingly.

he keeps going, still fingering you and slurping up any juices he left behind. and you know he isn't going to stop any time soon.

"gonna make you cum again, baby.. over an' over.." he says as his fingers pick up the pace. "wanna eat this pussy all day long. my pussy."

you love his mouth so much, but matt loves tasting you even more.

[miracletyphoon]

vampire abby hc (nsfw and sfw)

yes, i know i said it would be a oneshot but i can't think of a plot idea, bite me.

this is an 18+ blog men and minors dni ageless blogs will also be blocked you are responsible for what you consume on the internet

feel free to ask to be added to the taglist

sfw

vampire!abby who loves to watch you sleep. she herself doesn't sleep but she loves to lay next to you and play with your hair while you lay on her chest

vampire!abby who's always scared she'll accidentally hurt you even by patting your back too hard, or nicking you with her sharper nails (she cuts them everyday but they grow back fast)

vampire!abby who refuses to hunt animals and settles for nasty pre-packaged pigs blood because she knows how much you love and care for animals and hate seeing them get hurt

vampire!abby who takes you to historical sites and tells you about them due to her actually being there when the event took place

vampire!abby who very vaguely answers when you ask how old she really is, "couple centuries or somethin' like that" she mumbles "i stopped keeping track after 200"

vampire!abby who is rich and takes you out on cute dates, buys you clothes, and anything you want

vampire!abby who offers to turn you so she can spend the rest of eternity with you

nsfw

vampire!abby who's version of gentle is actually the roughest sex you've ever had due to her strength

vampire!abby who becomes extremely horny whenever you're ovulating or starting your period

vampire!abby who has unlimited stamina and can fuck you for days without stopping if you could last that long

vampire!abby who loves to mark you with her teeth and nails to make sure everyone knows you belong to her

vampire!abby who manhandles you without remorse bending you into awkward positions so she can get a better angle with her strap, or holding your flailing legs apart as she makes you cum for the 5th time of the evening

vampire!abby who becomes aroused when you let her drink from you

vampire!abby who's favorite place to drink from is your thighs she loves to squish and squeeze your thighs as she sinks her fangs into them

vampire!abby who has the biggest predator/prey kink she loves it when you run from her or put up a (playful) fight so when she catches you she can fuck you until you tap out

vampire!abby who has the best aftercare, making sure you're okay and treating you like a porcelain doll after the nasty is over

[httpssturns]

♫ 003. Toronto 2014 . . . n.s

⋆.˚ 𓅆 Never Enough Writing Marathon ⋆.˚࿐

cw: nostalgia, light angst, happy ending, reminiscing, that it 😊 main masterlist for more fanfic reads 💙

“Wow,” Nick mutters under his breath.

Lately, he's been feeling nostalgic more than anything. A color he used to wear when he was a kid or the smell of something he used to make with his mother.

Everything has been triggering the stinging sensation of longing for something that has already passed.

“Look at this photo, baby!” he exclaims, showing the framed photo of himself and Matt to you.

“Wow, you both were really young there, time flies.” You chuckle softly, tugging him into your side even more.

“I remember this, Mary-Lou took us out to the park that day.. Chris scraped his knee after falling off the monkey bars.. Matt and I were swinging on the swings, trying to get higher than each other.” Nick explains, 

“We both thought we looked so cool, like we were flying, but still attached to the world at the same time.. like birds. It felt so free, you know?” he murmurs, his voice growing quieter.

“It feels like a dream sometimes, a memory that doesn't exist but you never want to wake up from.” he says quietly,

“My happiest days are just baking, little eight-year-old me beside my mother making cookies.” Nick sniffles, his eyes filling with tears.

“Aw, Nick. Don't cry,” You murmur, kissing his head. “Old memories are great, but you know, they never leave you. You don't need to go back to them, they just live in you.”

 “I know, but I can't help but want to be transported back to those moments.. young, free.. you know?” He murmurs,

“Every day it feels as if those memories are slipping, getting quieter. One day I might not even remember them!” 

Nick's face is covered in tear tracks by now, the salty liquid escaping his eyes and filling the fabric of his shirt, maybe even dropping onto yours.

With every soft tear, you feel a pang in your heart, like his mourning of the loss of his younger days is seeping through your skin and resonating in your soul.

“I mean, the future is so alluring. I can't wait to get to the future.. but why can't we stay here just a little longer?” His voice cracks, sounding sad and helpless. 

He's pleading, pleading to just hold onto a thread that's slowly slipping away from his grasp.. the frayed string is slowly tearing off, tearing away from him.

“Oh baby.. come here.” You murmur, opening your arms to cradle him in your lap.

He's always been so in touch with his emotions, Nick feels so many things, all the time. Hell—the man almost cries in public seeing a nice person or couple. 

He feels so many things at once and sometimes, he just doesn't know what to do with them.

It's so overwhelming for a person to carry so many thoughts and emotions without someone to lean on, and so he always leans on you.

You're his safe space, his home. No matter what, he’ll always come to you.

“No matter how hard it is to recall some memories, they're always with you Nick!” You reassure.

“They'll always be with you, old memories you love.. new memories you will love.. they don't just leave you.” You whisper, rocking him as you murmur sweet reassurances in his ear.

You softly stroke his hair, the soft tremors of his body coming to a stop. All he does now is cling to you—all he needs is you. And you know that, anytime he needs you, you'll be there.

There to help him climb out of the rabbit hole, get out of the house, anything.

And certainly help him crawl out of the nostalgia swamp.

Even if you both end up crying about old memories together anyways.

dividers by @cursed-carmine!!

☆ Soph's notes: day 3!! this song killed me while writing this (I'm weird I listened to the songs on repeat for hours while creating these—i was very determined to capture the essence) and I was very much so in the nostalgia swamp afterwards lol, hopefully it doesn't pull you in too bad.

proofread by: @sirensdollesque 

[glxssy-the-first]

Coil⚡️x reader headcanons

Requested by Anon

TW: None!

May be OOC

╰┈➤ Love at first sight when he met you. Was completely head over heels. Kinda funny to see how someone so confident can turn into a guy tripping over his words.

╰┈➤ He did eventually confess to you, even if that meant a lot of stammering and trying not to look like a tomato.

╰┈➤ It’s been great since. You have a very healthy relationship.

╰┈➤ His love language is definitely touch. Whether it be an arm around your waist, hand holding, or hugging. Touch is great for him.

╰┈➤ Adding onto that, loves cuddles. Hot or cold, doesn’t matter, cuddles. Always the big spoon, too.

╰┈➤ Gets really excited when you come to one of his matches, and tries extra hard to win. He wants to impress you so you can stroke his ego more.

╰┈➤ Gives you his hoodies. He finds it cute seeing you wearing it.

╰┈➤ Someone made you upset? He comforts you, then finds that person and beats the shit out of them. Who cares if it’s assault, he’s wanted anyways.

╰┈➤ Play-fighting is common, but he won’t actually hurt you, if he does by accident, he’s crying in your arms while you reassure him it’s okay.

"Babe, it's just a small nick, I'm fine.." "But I put it there..."

╰┈➤ Scary dog privileges. He makes sure you're safe anythine you're out. Warding away any creeps that try to approach.

╰┈➤ He likes carrying you. A lot. You can insist on walking but he won't listen and carry you. Sometimes you accept it because you're tired, it's nice being carried to a soft bed.

╰┈➤ If you’re hung over after a party, he’s there to make sure you’ll be okay. Even if he’s hung over himself- but he always insists he’s okay.

╰┈➤ Mornings are (most of the time) tough. Either Coil doesn’t wanna get up and you’re up already, or he doesn’t wanna get up and doesn’t want you to get up either.

"The worlds not gonna end if I get up, just let me go." "Nooo...it's too comfy..."

╰┈➤ Congratulate yourself once you get out, but that just means he’s gonna hold you more later. Maybe just let him get up when he’s ready instead of risking a more clingy Coil.

╰┈➤ He finishes any food you can't finish. He'll tease you a bit for it, but eats nonetheless. At least you're not overeating.

[chrattvibe]

៹New experience. nerd!matt.

situationship, suggestive content, smoking, dealer!chris cameo.

I never really overthought things when it came to her.

But today, I found myself folding the same blanket over and over again, and making sure the cushions on the couch were fluffy enough.

I wasn’t nervous. Not that. But yeah… excited.

She’d never been here before. I’d never brought her. Not because I didn’t want to, but because Nick and Chris were always around, and I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. Besides, what we had wasn’t really something to show off yet. Not quite.

I left the blanket neatly draped over the back of the couch just as I heard Chris’s footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Matt? You’re still taking Nick and me to—wow.” He stopped dead when he walked into the living room “Are we... expecting guests?”

I nodded, plopping down on the couch, taking in the spotless living room.

It’s not like I’d gone crazy cleaning —we’re not that messy— but I wanted everything to be just right for her.

Chris raised an eyebrow and gave me a sly smile.

“Is she coming over?”

“Yeah. I invited her for dinner. You guys might have to take an Uber back.”

Chris grabbed a can from the fridge and sat back down on the couch. He slipped his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a simple ziplock baggie. A well-rolled joint inside.

“I was gonna leave this for you. If you’re still thinking about it, that is.”

I took it carefully. It was the same strain he’d told me about, the mellow one. No paranoia, no getting stuck on the couch. Perfect for a first try.

I’d been curious for a while. Not because of pressure or something like that, just... because.

“Is this the same stuff you mentioned the other day?”

“Yeah. Mellow. Smooth. Good first trip.” He leaned on the edge of the couch, looking at me “You don’t have to do it today, obviously. But I’m giving it to you before I forget. I’ve had it in my pocket for like— days.”

I nodded slowly. “Thanks man. Maybe I’ll try it tonight, with her.”

“No problem. Just… be careful. It’s not strong, but don’t jump right in.”

I laughed, looking down. “Thanks for the trust.”

Chris laughed too but lowered his voice a bit. “Anyway, you’re taking Nick and me to Sam’s, right? Nick’s almost ready.”

“Yeah, I’ll drop you guys off there and then come pick her up.”

Chris nodded and went back to his room.

I stood there a second, looking at the baggie in my hand. Then I headed to my room and slipped it into the top drawer of my nightstand. Checked the time.

Almost six.

I changed quickly. Something nicer than the old shirt I was wearing.

Simple. Comfortable. But with style-ish.

A few minutes later, the three of us were already at the door. We headed to the car. I dropped them off at our friend Sam’s place and then drove to her house.

The ride over was short. When I saw her step out of the building—with a tote bag slung over her shoulder and her hair a little messy—she gave me one of those quiet smiles that don’t say much but still leave me feeling soft. She always carried that kind of energy. The kind that makes you feel lighter just by being around her.

We chatted a bit while I drove. Talked about not much, what we’d done during the day, or just hummed the song playing in the background. That playlist we made with a mix of her favorite songs and mine. The city was already fading away with that slow Saturday evening rhythm. The car lights, the buildings. Everything had that kind of golden hue that made her look even more beautiful.

When we arrived, I opened the door for her and she went in first, shyly. No need to say anything. She already knew Chris and Nick wouldn’t be there, but she still raised an eyebrow at the quiet in the apartment. A quiet so delicate, so fragile.

“So, you said your brothers went out?”

“I dropped them off before coming to get you. Come on in. The place is all yours. Well… ours.”

Her shyness disappeared as we went upstairs and she felt the familiar atmosphere. It made me smile how she looked around like a curious little kid.

She took off her jacket and tote bag on the sofa like she’d done it a thousand times before. And I liked that. That she didn’t need permission.

“Nice place... smells pretty good.”

“Not gonna lie, I sprayed some air freshener.” —I laughed, tossing my jacket next to hers.— “Thanks for noticing.”

She walked around the living room with silent curiosity.

“So... living room, kitchen. The bathroom is over there, and my room next to it.” I explained, pointing out the parts of the house. “Nick’s room is upstairs and Chris’s downstairs.”

She stopped in the kitchen, looked at some drawings stuck on the fridge, then at some family photos.

“Is this you?” she asked, pointing at a picture of me and my brothers when we were kids.

I came up behind her and rested my chin on her shoulder.

“Close. That’s Nick, that’s Chris, and that’s me.” She laughed trying to find the differences in our faces. She failed.

She slowly turned around and our faces were close, but we said nothing. She just stayed there, looking at me for a second. Then, with that quiet ease she always had, she kissed me on the cheek. Walked past me like nothing, heading for the couch.

“Now what?”

“We can do whatever you want. I can put on some music, or we can watch a movie...” I sat next to her. Well, I lay down, resting my head on her lap. She stroked my hair.

We ended up eating something simple but tasty. She sat on the counter while I handled the pan. Together, we made mac and cheese.

We laughed a lot. Ate on the couch, for once we actually pay attention to the movie playing in the background. It was sweet when we got scared and she clung a little tighter to my shirt.

Then we put on some YouTube videos to shake off the scares from the movie, and those just became background noise. We talked over the audio the whole time. About anything. Our stuff, silly things. Some homework, a weird dream she’d had the night before, how she’d totally steal one of my hoodies next time and never give it back. I kind of liked the idea, honestly.

Afterwards, the dishes stayed on the coffee table. She lay down with her legs over mine, and I made room to get comfortable. It felt like her scent was settling into my clothes. I hoped I’d still catch traces of it tomorrow.

We stayed quiet for a long while. It wasn’t uncomfortable. It was one of those heavy silences that don’t ask for anything. She fiddled with one of my hands, and I absentmindedly stroked her knee with my thumb. Her eyes were half-closed, head resting against the backrest, body loose like she weighed nothing. I liked seeing her like that—calm, comfortable in my home. In our night.

“Hey,” I said quietly, eyes still on her legs. “So, uh… Chris gave me something the other day. Like, a… little joint? Or whatever you call it.” I scratched the back of my neck, already kind of smiling at how dumb I probably sounded.

She barely turned her head towards me without leaving the couch. She looked at me with a mix of tenderness and surprise. She smiled. “I didn't know you smoked.”

“I don’t, but we were talking and I told him that I was curious. He said it was super chill. One of his lightest ones, really.” —I finally glanced at her.— “I don’t know. Thought maybe... if you felt like it... we could try it together?”

She didn’t answer right away. She sat up a bit straighter but kept her legs over mine. Her gaze was soft, one of those that don’t rush you.

“If you don’t want to, it’s no big deal, no pressure—”

“You wanna do it with me?” —she interrupted.

“Yeah,” I answered immediately “I think it’d be fun. Doing it with you. Chris said it’s not too strong anyway... but if you don’t want to, forget I said anything.”

She smiled like that really made her happy. She placed her hand on my chest as if to calm me before I could say more.

“I love that you want to share that with me. Really. If you want, we’ll take it easy. I’ve smoked once or twice, so I kinda know how it goes. But if at any point you don’t feel like it, we stop.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly “I think that’s what I needed. I feel calmer.” I laughed and looked into her eyes, now more awake than before. “Will you take care of me?” I joked.

She laughed softly and kissed me on the lips. Short, tender. “Of course. Always. Shall we go to the window, or the balcony?”

I got up and headed to my room. Took the baggie out of the nightstand, grabbed a lighter, and came back. We went out to the balcony. The night was nice—slightly cloudy, but the moon still peeked through, almost full. We sat on the floor, legs crossed on the cold tiles, wrapped in the blanket, shoulder to shoulder. She lit the joint with calm, practiced ease—which made me smile. She knew how to do it. Took a soft first drag, then passed it to me with a quiet grin.

“Your turn. Just take a slow drag, hold it in for a couple of seconds, then let it out gently. Don’t inhale too fast or too deep, it might make you cough.”

“Your are not gonna laugh if I cough, right?”

“I won’t, I swear.” she was already smiling.

I took a short drag. Felt the smoke in my throat and forced myself not to rush. Didn’t cough. We looked at each other. She gave me a small applause with her hands. “Amazing!”

We laughed together. Stayed silent a few more seconds. She looked at me, knees to chest, joint still in hand. Passed it back with a calm gesture.

“All good, right?” she asked, adjusting the blanket around us.

“Yeah, all the same. I guess I should feel something soon, right?”

“You’re supposed to feel like... lighter after a bit,” she whispered softly, like she didn’t want to break the warm air between us. “Maybe everything will seem funnier, or you’ll start thinking deep thoughts. Sometimes it just makes you hungry. Every body is different. But it’s chill. If you feel weird at any point, tell me and we’ll fix it.”

I nodded, half distracted. Minutes later, I was already feeling something.

I didn’t know if it was the effect or the moment, but the world seemed to have gotten softer. Like the air had become denser and slower, but without weight. Like time stretched between phrase and phrase.

I took another puff, a bit longer this time. And then I felt it. Like a small wave from my chest to my shoulders. No dizziness. No vertigo. Just a quiet warmth, like the body remembering what it means to be comfortable. I leaned back a little and closed my eyes.

“You okay?” I heard her soft voice.

“Yeah,” I smiled “It’s nice. I feel like... more inside myself.” I laughed at how silly that sounded. “Pause. Does that make sense?”

She chuckled softly. “It does. That’s a good way to put it. I feel the same.”

I opened my eyes and looked at her. She looked beautiful with the moonlight on her face. And not just beautiful. Her face and eyes seemed to shine brighter than usual. Her perfume smelled a bit stronger and her voice sounded softer. I wanted to tell her all that and more, but I didn’t. I just kept looking.

I reached out and caressed her cheek. The touch felt different too. I can’t really explain how, but it felt light. I slid my hand down her neck, shoulder, and arm. Then tucked some hair behind her ear. She rested her head on my shoulder and we let time stretch a little longer.

“Shall we go back inside?” she whispered.

I nodded. —it's getting cold.— Got up slowly, and she did too. She carefully put out the joint and we went in.

The house was silent. The only sounds were the leftover noises from the videos playing automatically on YouTube and a distant horn from the street. I closed the balcony door and when I turned around, she was there, in front of me, fixing her hair. She slowly came closer. Ran her hands over my shoulders. Looked at me like she already knew.

“I really like you, y'know?”

I smiled. “Me too. A lot.” —I placed my hands on her waist.— “Everything good?”

“Better than good.”

I rested my forehead on hers. I liked feeling her close. No rush. Just that: being close. The fabric felt strange, but her skin felt better so I slid my hands under the hoodie I’d lent her, finding the warm skin of her waist. I squeezed a little.

She came closer. Her lips brushed mine lightly, and I responded slowly. We kissed calmly. Like no one was expecting anything, but everything was there.

Everything felt more intense. More present. The fabric of my own clothes. The way she breathed between kisses. The warmth. It was just her and me in the middle of the living room.

I laughed quietly without meaning to.

“What?”

“Nothing. You feel good.”

We kept walking without letting go until the couch caught us without asking, softening our fall. We fell clumsily, giggling, still half-hugged. She ended up lying on top of me, one leg between mine and her hands resting on my chest.

I felt every part of her body like mine was recognizing it for the first time. The warmth on her thighs. The touch of her hands on my neck. The way her laughter-breath grazed my jaw.

My hands settled on her waist again. Her skin was warm, soft. I ran my fingers slowly down her back, not thinking much about it. Everything made me want to keep going. It was like there was no such thing as rush. Just her, with me, so close.

We kissed again, deeper. Slow but heavier. I could feel how she clung tighter to my shirt with every kiss, how she tilted her head to find me better. I loved that: the way she searched for more.

I’m not used to this. To letting myself go. I usually think everything three times before doing something. But with her, it just doesn’t happen. And I like not having to think so much.

Without realizing it, we adjusted better. She straddled me, lying on my body.

I slid my hands down her back to her ribs. I felt her skin goosebump when I brushed the edge of her bra with my thumbs. She said nothing. Just pressed closer to me.

My head was kind of delayed. Not for lack of desire, but because my body spoke clearer than my thoughts. Every movement felt big. Like the touch of her mouth was the only thing that mattered.

She lowered one hand down my chest slowly to the edge of my pants. I shuddered. Not from surprise, but from how good it all felt. From the feeling and desire.

Clothes started to bother us. In an unspoken agreement, she raised her arms and I took off the hoodie and shirt together. It was the first time I saw her with so little on. I felt almost overwhelmed, but in a good way, like hypnotized. Took a split second to help her get out of my shirt too.

We stayed there, looking at each other for a few seconds, like analyzing one another. I rested my forehead on her collarbone. Kissed there, eyes closed. Then on her neck. Then on the edge of her jaw.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I said, more out of need than choice. “I’m crazy 'bout you.”

She smiled but said nothing. She leaned down a bit more to kiss me, and our hips met with more intention.

My hands went down her thighs, squeezing her skin over the fabric. We moved slowly, like time had become slower and more ours. I thought about saying something. About slowing it down. But there was nothing to slow yet. We both stretched the moment, the feeling. Just that rich intensity growing between us, like we knew exactly how far we wanted to go.

My hands instinctively went for the back of her bra—hers found my waistband again. A soft moan escaped me, overwhelmed by the feeling of having her like this: exposed, all over me, all mine.

But a part of my mind flicked a warning light. A small but firm voice. Not yet. Not like this.

“We— we shouldn’t...” I whispered, breath heavy, forehead still resting on her collarbone. I didn’t move. I couldn’t pull away. Didn’t want to.

She stayed still for a second. Then lowered her head to look into my eyes.

“Why?” she asked softly. No reproach in her tone. Just calm curiosity. Care.

I swallowed. It was hard to form the words, not because I didn’t know what I felt, but because I didn’t want to break that moment.

“Because we’re both kinda... well, high,” I said, with a small, almost shy smile. Got a giggle from her “It feels incredible, but I don’t want it to be like that. Not the first time…”

I let my hands slide slowly down her back, landing on her hips. “I want to be fully present. I want to remember everything. No doubt about anything.”

She didn’t say anything right away. She looked at me like she was saving that forever. Then she smiled. Slow. Beautiful.

“Okay.” she whispered. Clasped her hands behind my neck. “Thank you, I like that you think that.”

She kissed my forehead, and I buried myself a little deeper into her neck. I felt embarrassed to stop everything. Like I’d ruined something. But she gently pulled me out of it before the feeling could settle.

Her hands stroked my back, moving up and down calmly. Kissed the top of my head and stayed with me, silent. We didn’t need to do anything else. Just feel close.

The heat from before was still there, between us hugged but now calmer. Kinder. The lingering effect of the joint starting to show. The head lighter. The body loose. She had goosebumps, and I realized just as I ran my fingers along her arm.

“Are you cold?” She nodded slowly. I sat up and grabbed the clothes I’d taken off her earlier. Put it on her gently, like her body was a doll’s. She let me, with a silly smile.

We went back to the couch, this time more dressed, less fired up. But still close. I put on some calm music on the TV. She curled up against me. We talked about how we felt after smoking that, I told her I was glad I did it with her. She enjoyed it too.

We both started feeling a little hungry, and I mentally thanked my brothers for not finishing the ice cream left in the freezer. We sat on the couch, legs crossed, facing each other, sharing a tub of ice cream from the same spoon.

We laughed out loud more than once, talking nonsense here and there. We stole a couple of kisses with the excuse that the other had a bit of ice cream on the corner of their lips.

The ice cream slowly ran out. We both already felt more like ourselves. Like everything before had happened in slow motion and now the world had returned to its normal speed.

She was lying on her side, head resting on the arm of the couch. She rubbed her eyes slowly, like admitting sleep was starting to win was hard.

“Are you sleepy?” I asked with a giggle.

“A little bit,” she admitted, sitting up straighter. “But good. Still feel everything… kinda soft.”

I nodded. Me too. But without the tingling anymore. Just that nice tiredness that comes after a good night.

I checked the time. Almost one in the morning.

“I’d invite you to stay,” I said, half-joking, half-serious, “but I know you don’t like leaving your cat alone for too long.”

She laughed and rested her face on my chest. “That’s true. He’s probably already in bed. He’ll hate me tomorrow.”

“Should I take you home, then?”

“I don’t want you to drive. You must be tired too… I’ll take an Uber.”

“No, you won’t.” I said, laughing but firm. I reached over to rub her back. “If you want, we can walk. It’s not that far. Let’s get some air, what do you think?”

She looked at me with tenderness. “Okay. Let’s walk.”

I put on my hoodie, grabbed the keys, and we went down together. It was a bit chilly outside, but that nice kind of cold that doesn’t bother you. It didn’t feel too much. My hand rested on her waist as we walked silently half the way. No need to say much.

“Thanks for tonight,” she smiled. “You made me feel really good... comfortable."

“I had a really good time too,” I answered. “Thanks for… just being there. Beyond what we smoked, the whole night was amazing.”

She smiled. Didn’t say anything else, just came closer and gave me a slow, soft kiss that left my chest full of that quiet warmth that can’t be explained.

“Let me know when you get home,” she said before going in.

“I will.” I promised.

I watched her get in the elevator and stayed for a second longer, hands in pockets, biting back a smile.

Then I started walking again. Slow, calm. I felt like we’d taken a little step forward, a small but steady one.

I remembered we had class together on Monday, and that we’d probably cross paths half-asleep in the hallway. I liked imagining that. Maybe I could bring her the hoodie I lent her today, so she doesn’t complain about the air conditioning being too cold.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the next time I’d see her as I walked home, with the city lights slowly going out. I knew that night she was going to stay with me for a good while.

—Chrattvibe.

Notes: congratufuckinglations if you made it this far. This was supposed to be shorter but it ended up long as fuck. Hope it was worth it and that you liked it💌

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[gigiii1sblog]

I LOVE YOU, IM SORRY 001

Chapter One: Chasing After Our Ends.

YN:

I met Nick at a party in L.A.

One of those nights where I didn’t plan on staying long, someone’s rooftop, music vibrating through the concrete, girls taking flash photos in the hallway, guys handing out drinks like they were trying to impress the sky.

I had just moved to the city.

Barely knew anyone.

I was still using GPS to find my way home.

Nick was one of the first people who made L.A. feel smaller.

He found me standing alone on the edge of the party, drink in hand, phone in the other, the universal signal for “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“You look like you need saving,” he’d said with a grin, half-drunk and fully charming.

And that was it.

We clicked instantly. He talked like we’d known each other for years. Like I wasn’t a stranger in his world. He introduced me to everyone, pulled me into his circle without hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

That’s how I met them, the brothers.

Triplets, apparently.

Nick.

Matt.

Chris.

Chris was easy to get along with. Loud, funny, kind of chaotic in the best way. He made me laugh so hard I choked on my drink and ended up with tequila in my nose. He had this magnetic pull, the kind of person you always knew was in the room.

Matt was… different.

He was quieter. Not in a shy way, in a way that made you want to know what he was thinking. He stood back while Nick did the talking, hands in the pocket of his jeans, observing. Eyes like he’d seen the party a hundred times before and wasn’t impressed anymore.

He didn’t say much when we were introduced. Just a small nod and a quiet, “Hey.”

But something about him stuck.

We didn’t talk much that night. Just shared a few comments here and there while Nick pulled me around. But when Matt laughed, I mean, really laughed, it hit different. It was rare. Soft. Like he didn’t give that part of himself away easily.

I caught him looking at me once, across the room.

Not in a flirty way.

In a curious way.

Like he was trying to figure out if I was going to stay in his life or just pass through it.

I smiled at him.

He didn’t smile back.

But he didn’t look away, either.

That was the beginning.

Nothing dramatic.

Just a glance.

A quiet boy.

And the feeling, deep in my stomach, that this was someone I’d wanna see again.

It wasn’t planned.

I just saw him standing alone near the balcony, hoodie pulled over his curls, staring out at the city like it was talking back to him.

Everyone else was inside, laughing, drinking, posing for stories, but he was out there in the quiet. A solo orbit.

I hesitated for a second, drink in hand, nerves buzzing. But something in me, stupid, brave, maybe both, pushed me forward.

“Not your kind of party?” I asked, stepping next to him.

He looked over, slow and unreadable, like he wasn’t sure if I was talking to him or to the skyline.

“No,” he said after a pause. “Too loud. Too much… pretending.”

I smiled, leaning against the railing beside him. “Same.”

He glanced at me again, this time a little longer. A little softer.

“You’re Nick’s friend?” he asked.

“Not exactly. I met him tonight.”

He nodded, then looked back out over the city. The lights blurred a little from where we stood, endless, golden, pulsing.

“You just move here?” he asked.

“Yeah. Two weeks ago. Still getting lost every time I leave the apartment.”

He gave the smallest smirk. “Welcome to hell.”

That made me laugh.

It was easy after that.

The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable, it felt intentional. Like neither of us wanted to say too much too fast. But what we did say? It stuck.

He asked what I moved here for. I told him I was still figuring that out.

I asked if he liked living in L.A. He said, “Some days.”

When I shivered, he casually offered me the hoodie he was wearing.

I said no.

He gave it to me anyway.

And then, before I could overthink it, I said:

“Can I get your number?”

He blinked, just once. Then reached into his pocket and handed me his phone like he was surprised but not opposed.

I typed it in, handed it back.

“Cool,” I said, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt.

“Cool,” he echoed.

And that was it.

No fireworks.

No cheesy line.

Just a number, a soft smile, and something in the air that felt like the beginning of something small but real.

I went back inside with his hoodie still clinging to my shoulders.

And even with the music thumping and people shouting and lights flashing,

I only heard his voice.

⸻

It started with a “did you get home okay?”

Simple.

Sweet.

Safe.

Matt texted me later that night, and I smiled when I saw it. Something about the way his name lit up my phone felt… easy. Like I didn’t have to overthink it.

I replied:

“Home. Hoodie still smells like you, btw.”

He sent a laughing emoji and then:

“Return policy: you give it back when you stop thinking about me.”

After that, it didn’t stop.

We texted every day. Every night. About nothing. About everything.

He’d send me a song with no context, and I’d listen to it three times in a row trying to figure out what he was feeling.

I’d send him screenshots of random poems and blurry photos of sunsets from my fire escape.

I made dumb playlists with titled “songs that make me feel like I know you already”

I started waking up to his texts.

Started falling asleep mid-conversation and waking up to “you alive?” or “dream about me?” followed by a single emoji.

It was slow and quiet and addicting.

One night, he texted:

“You ever had In-N-Out?”

I told him once, forever ago, in passing. Didn’t even remember saying it.

He replied:

“Come with me. I’m not letting you live in LA without doing it the right way.”

We met in the parking lot just past 9 p.m.

He was already waiting in his car, music low, hoodie on, windows cracked. The moment I slid into the passenger seat, he looked over at me and said:

“You’re really gonna fall in love with this.”

I grinned. “With the burger or with you?”

He blinked, then smirked, eyes flickering to the road.

“Both.”

We ordered and sat in the parking lot, windows down, drinks sweating in the cupholders, fries between us, something by The Neighborhood playing. The air smelled like summer and salt and something sweet I couldn’t name.

But then—

I caught him pushing something off his burger with a napkin.

“Wait. What are you doing?”

“Ketchup,” he said, face dead serious. “Can’t do it.”

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.”

“You’re scared of ketchup?”

“I’m not scared. I just don’t trust it.”

I stared at him, absolutely losing it.

“You trust me but not ketchup?”

He wiped his hands like the burger betrayed him.

“You don’t know what it is. It’s red, it’s weird, it ruins everything.”

I was laughing so hard I nearly choked on my milkshake. He didn’t even smile, which made it funnier.

“I can’t believe I like you,” I said through the laughter.

He looked over at me, soft.

“You do?”

The question came out quiet.

And I felt myself freeze, just for a second, because I hadn’t meant to say it like that. But now it was out there, floating between us with the steam from our food and the night air pressing in close.

I looked at him and nodded, slowly.

“Yeah,” I said. “I think I do.”

Matt didn’t say anything right away.

He just reached over and stole a fry, smirking like it was enough of an answer.

And somehow, it was.

MATT:

I’m not the type to talk to people.

Not really.

Nick does the whole social thing, the constant energy, the introductions, the noise. Chris is worse. Life of the party. Talks to strangers like he’s known them forever. I’ve always kind of… hovered on the edge of that. Kept to myself. Watched more than I joined in.

But her?

I couldn’t stop watching her.

The first night I saw her, she was standing near the balcony with Nick. Laughing at something he said. She had this look like she didn’t quite belong at the party but wasn’t trying to leave either. Calm. Different. Not trying too hard. Just there.

And when she came up to me outside, asked if it was my kind of party, I didn’t know what to say at first. I don’t usually get approached. Definitely not by girls like her.

Girls like her are supposed to talk to guys like Chris not me.

But she stayed.

And talked.

And smiled when I made one dumb comment about L.A. being hell.

And asked for my number like she’d already decided she wanted it.

I should’ve played it cool.

But the second she walked away with my hoodie on?

Yeah. I was gone.

Now we text every day. Every night.

And it’s not just casual.

It’s… easy. Addicting.

She sends me voice notes when she’s walking home from work, tells me about the customers who annoyed her, the way the sky looked at sunset, what song was playing in the car. I listen to every word. Twice.

I wait for her texts now.

Pretend I don’t.

I’ll be sitting with Nick and Chris, phone face down, pretending not to check it every five minutes. And then it’ll light up with her name, and I swear my stomach flips like I’m in high school again.

Last week she sent me a playlist titled “songs that make me feel like I know you already” and I had to walk out of the room for a second.

No one’s ever made me feel like this, not in a long time, maybe not ever.

It scares the hell out of me.

But I don’t want to stop.

Tonight I took her to In-N-Out.

Dumb idea, maybe, but she hadn’t had it in forever and I wanted an excuse to see her again without making it obvious I couldn’t go a day without her voice.

She sat in my passenger seat like she belonged there.

She caught me wiping ketchup off my burger and acted like I’d just confessed to murder.

“You’re scared of ketchup?” she laughed.

I tried to explain it. She wasn’t buying it. I didn’t care.

She was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe and God,

I’d say the dumbest things in the world just to hear her laugh like that again.

Then she said it.

“I can’t believe I like you.”

Just like that. Like it didn’t matter. Like it wasn’t the thing I’ve been dying to hear but was too scared to hope for.

“You do?” I asked. Quiet. Careful.

She nodded.

“Yeah. I think I do.”

And I didn’t know what to say.

I never do with stuff like that.

So I stole a fry.

Smirked.

I wanted to say: me too.

I wanted to say: I think about you more than I should.

I wanted to say: please don’t go anywhere.

But instead I just let the moment live.

Because somehow, I think she already knew.

I hope you guys enjoy this mini series.

𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁ੈ❀

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@my-world-is-poetry @sturniszn

@slutforchrissturniolo2

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[mattspumpkinstuffedanimal]

Title: moving in with him and his brothers

It started with a toothbrush.

Or maybe it started with your hoodie hanging in Matt’s closet.

Or the hair tie on his nightstand.

Or your iced coffee order already saved in his DoorDash app.

Either way, moving in wasn’t some huge, dramatic conversation. It was Nick, half-asleep on the couch, mumbling:

“Why don’t you just move in already? You’re here more than you’re not.”

And Chris, from the kitchen, shouting, “Yeah, you might as well start paying rent.”

Matt looked at you from his spot beside you on the couch, your legs tangled lazily with his, his hand resting over your thigh like it belonged there.

He smiled. Soft. Easy. Familiar.

Like this was already home.

“Do you want to?” he asked, so simple.

You blinked. “Move in?”

“Yeah. Officially. Like… you and me. Here. Together. All the time. If you want.”

You grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Nick, from the couch cushion beside you: “God, finally. Can we get a celebratory pizza or something?”

Chris: “I’m already ordering it.”

⸻

Packing wasn’t glamorous.

Mostly because you didn’t actually have that much to pack.

You’d been living halfway at Matt’s already — your clothes spilling into his drawers, your skin care on his bathroom counter, your books stacked beside his on the nightstand.

Still, Matt showed up with moving boxes like it was an event.

“Label them,” he said seriously, handing you a Sharpie.

You wrote, in huge letters on the first box:

Y/N’S STUFF (MOSTLY SWEATERS)

Matt laughed. “At least you’re honest.”

Packing took forever because you kept getting distracted.

First, Matt found an old hoodie he thought he’d lost and immediately demanded you put it on “for science.”

Then you found your old photo albums, which somehow turned into an hour of you sitting on the floor with Matt’s head in your lap as you flipped through childhood memories.

“Your bangs were… intense,” Matt teased, smiling up at you.

“Okay, Mr. 2014 Flannel Phase.”

———

It was time to move all your stuff in

Nick showed up with coffee and zero helpful energy.

Chris showed up with snacks and even less helpful energy.

“We’re here for moral support,” Chris said, stealing a muffin from the box meant for movers you didn’t even hire.

“I’m literally driving the U-Haul,” Matt pointed out.

“You volunteered,” Nick reminded him, sipping his latte.

Still, between the three of them — and your mildly competent direction — things got moved. Boxes stacked. Furniture awkwardly wedged through door frames.

Nick nearly dropped your dresser.

Chris definitely did drop a box labeled “fragile” (it was just throw pillows, thankfully).

Matt, sweaty and smiling and very much in boyfriend mode, kissed your temple when it was finally done.

“You’re home,” he said. Simple. Sincere. “Officially.”

You looked around the apartment — at the chaos of half-unpacked boxes, your stuff blending into his, your life blending into his.

It felt good.

It felt right.

It felt like forever could start here.

⸻

The first week felt like playing house.

Sharing a bathroom.

Fighting over blanket space on the couch.

Realizing Matt was a little too serious about folding laundry “correctly.”

Nick and Chris came over constantly under the guise of “welcoming you properly,” which really meant stealing snacks and crashing on your couch.

“You’re stuck with all of us now,” Chris said, mouth full of chips.

“You’re lucky I like you,” you teased.

Nick grinned. “You love us.”

Matt, wrapping an arm around your waist, kissed your cheek. “Especially me.”

Later, when the apartment was finally quiet, Matt pulled you onto his lap on the couch, your legs draped over his, his hand tracing slow patterns along your thigh.

“You happy?” he asked, soft.

You smiled, resting your forehead against his. “Yeah. Really happy.”

His grin matched yours. “Good. ‘Cause I’m never letting you leave.”

You kissed him, slow and certain. “Didn’t plan on it.”

⸻

Your routines settled easily:

Coffee in the mornings — Matt always adding too much creamer.

Workdays interrupted by texts like “miss you” and “dinner’s on me tonight.”

Nights wrapped in blankets and soft laughter, old sitcoms playing on loop.

Matt’s hoodies became yours without question.

Your playlists bled into his without complaint.

Your side of the bed became the right side — not because you claimed it, but because Matt always settled naturally on the left.

One night, curled together after a movie, Matt said, almost sleepily:

“This… this is what I’ve always wanted. Not the big stuff. Just… this.”

You kissed his hair, smiled against his skin. “Me too.”

And when he whispered, “I love you,” you said it back like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Because it was.

⸻

A month later, Nick came over and found you and Matt arguing over which throw pillows looked better on the couch.

Nick watched for a second, then smirked.

“You guys are disgustingly domestic now.”

Chris, walking in behind him: “Bet they’re fighting about colors again.”

Matt pointed dramatically at the mustard-yellow pillow. “This one is objectively ugly.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re just wrong.”

Nick laughed, flopping onto the couch. “Married energy. I love it.”

Chris grabbed chips. “Told you they’d end up here.”

Matt ignored them, pulling you onto the couch beside him, arm sliding naturally around your shoulders.

“Fine. You win. Keep the ugly pillow.”

You smiled. “See? Compromise. We’re thriving.”

Nick threw popcorn at both of you.

Chris changed the TV to something stupid.

And Matt?

Matt kissed your temple, settled in with you pressed to his side, and thought — yeah.

This was exactly where he was meant to be.

[softshuji]

'Do you really have to go?' you say above the drum and din of noise in the busy airport.

A woman brushes your shoulder as Hanma hoists his own holdalls and your handbag higher on his own, the other hand firmly around your waist and pressed into your hip. The fine lines of his suit crease from where the bag straps dig into the fabric but he only adjusts his hand and rolls his shoulder up and down, loosening his collar with a lithe finger.

'I know, I'm sorry Doll, but duty calls.' He pulls you both to a stop and slides the bags onto the benches, rolling his muscles with a faint groan. 'It won't be long though. 2 weeks maybe but it could be longer. You can handle yourself for that long can't you?'

You hum and tut at the same time, rolling your eyes playfully despite your protest. 'Would you stay if I said I can't?'

He chuckles in mirth, a hand coming up to ruffle your hair, before he strokes your cheek with a calloused thumb and you lean in Instinctively, your body finding his, looking for him, eyes flicking to his lips before they meet the golden swirl of his own levelled at you. 'I might, but I know you wouldn't put me in a position like that would you, hm?'

He only asks because he knows it's true. That although you have your reservation's, and although you hate it - all of it that is- be that the long nights away, the blood caked under his nails when he washes them at 3am, the nicks and scars and skin turned silver that spread across his back, you never stop him. You only hold his hand as he wades out into the dark underbelly of the criminal world with you by his side.

You sigh audibly but nod all the same, a hand snaking around his neck, brushing the prickly hair shorn short at the nape, behind his ears where your fingertips now lead in a line to his jaw.

'I'll really really miss you though,' you say, your voice wavering on the end, a thin and weak tremble.

His eyes soften. 'I know sweetheart.'

'Come back safe. I know we'll be in different timezones but keep me updated when you can okay baby?'

He nods, solemnly, love and tenderness, a preliminary ache teasing his ribs. 'I will Darling.'

An automated female voice rings out, and your brows tighten with all the knowledge it brings because you hate it. Time running away from the two of you, every single second slipping between your fingers because its never enough. All the time in the world, lifetimes upon lifetimes and it could never be enough.

Then, sternly, hands coming up to cradle your cheeks, sin and punishment so gentle on your skin, rough fingers skimming over your cheekbones and so soft, so nice, you could close your eyes and imagine they are clean of all the blood and death, and all the violence staked Into his skin. As if you haven't licked another man's blood from him.

'You remember what I told you?'

'I do.'

'Mhm, tell me again, repeat it back to me Princess.'

You chew your lip in concentration, your reflection swirling in his gaze, framed by his dark long lashes.

'Eat all my meals, take my vitamins, don't go anywhere without the protection detail, make sure the doors are locked,' you say. 'And if I get into anything, shoot first and ask questions later because you and 'Saki will sort it out.'

'And....?'

'The .9mm is in my handbag and the Glock is in the bedside cabinet.'

He hums. 'Good girl, that's my girl,' he murmurs, his curls kissing at your forehead as he presses it to yours, breath warm on your nose. He kisses you then, softly, warm and tender, eager lips pressed to yours and you part them to shyly slide your tongue into his warm and waiting mouth, a hum of need and desire bubbling in his chest.

'Remember.' Mumbled and whispered against your lips, menthol and nicotine and mint on his breath. 'You call me if anything happens, anything at all. And if you can't get to me, you have 'Saki too, alright Pretty Girl?'

'I know, I do.' And you're counting the seconds, dreading the end, when the warmth is ripped away. When the bed is cold and the shape of him is under your hand, the memory foam that remembers the shape of him like you do.

'Attagirl.'

You pull away, a hairsbreadth, his curls falling over his forehead and kissing at his nose, his lips wet with your saliva, soft and pink and inviting and pliant.

'I love you,' you whisper, choked in your throat, a multitude of love thread through it as you twist his jacket in your hands. Said because it needs to be, because you love to remind him, because he likes the hear it, because it's never not true.

He strokes your hair, big and beautiful and all encompassing with an almost shy smile, bashful and cocky and cheeks tinged Pink that he's fighting to hide. 'I know My Beautiful girl, I know.'

He kisses you again, desperation and restraint, hands firm on your hips before he pulls away to hoist his bags over his shoulder. 'Take care Sweetheart, Be a good girl and behave for me, okay?'

It means everything he can't say, means everything he finds hard wording, means all the love he wishes he was better at giving you. When you part and he walks towards the terminals, and he looks back once, at you behind the throng of people, the image of you disappearing and moving before he turns, leaving his heart in your safe and warm hands, cradled there where it belongs.

[cryscabbage]

I can't stop thinking about butch4butch IceMav.

A shitpost that became a WIP below ⬇️

They both have their trusted people, Goose only found out accidentally. It just so happened to be when he first met Mav. He heard the sounds of someone getting their ass handed to them from down the hallway and sighed, knowing damn well he couldn't leave them to it. Carole had warned him to stop getting in fights, but he couldn't just ignore the underdog.

Everyone knows the story of him finding this skinny little kid in his boxers and t shirt like he was just about to go for a shower, cornered in the locker room by two massive men. He's never claimed to have saved Mav because the kid was surprisingly holding his own, he did however, back him up and get them to fuck off.

It wasn't until several minutes later, both of them sitting on the floor trying to catch their breath, that Goose registered an abandoned object out of the corner of his eye. He might not have even assumed it was Mav's if it weren't for the total fear all over his face when he saw what Goose was looking at, the way his breath quickened.

He only had a brief idea of what it could possibly be and he wasn't a judgemental person, that being said, growing up in the south meant he had very little knowledge about... Queers?

"Hey man, chill." Goose quickly shuffled over, removed his jacket and covered the offending object. "I won't say I understand, but I don't care. I'm not gonna say shit."

It took a while to convince Mav that his navy career wasn't over, but when he finally relaxed, he thanked Goose, took his packer back, and went for a shower.

He certainly wasn't expecting to find the man waiting for him in the locker room, and definitely didn't expect to be invited around for dinner. "Just cause I'm... Doesn't mean I like men, dude." He gruffly said.

Goose kind of guffawed a shocked, honking laugh. "I think my wife would have something to say if that was what I was implying."

It wasn't for several months that Mav explained it to them.

"I'm not a guy..." He shamefully admitted, sitting between Nick and Carole on the couch after Bradley had gone to bed, some old country Western film was playing in the background but he wasn't paying attention.

"Sure you are, Mav." Nick slung his arm around his pilot's shoulders.

"No, I'm really not. I'm uh.." Growing up he'd never had a term for what he felt like, he only saw how other little girls behaved and didn't get it at all, he preferred hanging out with his foster brothers over sisters. He kissed a girl when he was 14 and felt like he was halfway there. In a foster home in New York he learnt the term 'tranny' for someone who believed they were a different gender to what they were born, a lot of cases ended up in mental hospitals.

He felt the word around in his mouth but something didn't feel quite right.

Then he stumbled his way into a bar like no other at 16 and almost got in a fight with the most handsome woman he'd ever met because he flirted with her girlfriend. He learnt two terms that night, butch and femme.

He'd always wanted to get into the navy, be a pilot like his dad before him, but it was impossible as a girl. It was after a few nights in that bar that he finally saw his future before him in the form of Butch Al, a towering figure of a woman, with a deep voice and a moustache. He, as he introduced himself, was 'stealth.' Living life as a man to get better work and stop getting targeted by the police for being a pervert.

Testosterone was the solution to all his problems.

Well, most.

"I thought Duke Mitchell had a daughter."

"That's scuttlebutt for you, can't trust shit."

-

"So, you're actually a woman, like not even a dude in a woman's body, an actual woman?"

"It's called a butch lesbian, Goose."

"Well hey that's cool by me, what do I call you?" Nick's been trying, doing research since he figured Mav was different. But the 80s were a hard time for this kinda shit.

"Same as always, Nick. I know what I am deep down, people thinking I'm a dude makes no difference. Makes it easier, even."

-~-

Slider finding out was a lot simpler in some ways, worse in others. Ice's family was semi-accepting growing up, he had all sisters and that disappointed his navy father. He loved his girls, but he always wanted a boy to carry on the legacy, join the navy and serve the country.

A Russian man in the navy during the Cold War had a lot to prove and he wanted his son to try just as hard. Not try, do.

He never pretended to understand Tomara- Tom. But she wanted to join the navy, so he minded his own business, even if it did mean butting heads with his son? Daughter?

Admiral Antoly Kazansky was not a tolerant man, when he adopted Christianity to fit in better in America, he adopted the view that homosexuality is a sin. But Tomara promised she wasn't a homosexual, and didn't believe she was a boy either, she was just happy to impersonate one.

Slider knew more than his dad did.

He caught Ice making out with a girl in the bathroom of a bar when they weren't on deployment and laughed about it, he didn't understand why his pilot was so damn terrified about it all.

"If this gets back to my father... О черт." He continued to pace back and forth in their lodgings, muttering in Russian and English to the point that Ron wasn't even sure what was going on anymore.

"Tom, chill, you just kissed a girl. You're an adult, I don't see why this is such a big deal? You're an adult man for that matter, we all have urges."

"Because I'm not a man, Ron!" Ice shouted, then froze, mouth falling open.

"What?"

Ice didn't waste any time grabbing his keys and running from the house, jumping into his car and speeding away.

-

Slider was awake, barely, with a cup of tea on the couch when Ice finally came back.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked, taking a casual sip.

Ice was silent as he crept around the couch and sat on the furthest cushion from his RIO.

"Look, Tom. I'm not gonna make you explain anything. You're my friend, my brother, that's not going to change regardless. If you want to talk about it, you can." Slider stood up, bones cracking and revealing how long he'd sat there, and shuffled to the kitchen to put the kettle on again.

"You know I've made out with my fair share of men, right?" Slider admitted once Ice finished his story.

"What?" Ice grinned, shocked.

"Can't say I prefer it over women, but it was interesting." He paused, considering. "Now you have one of my secrets."

It was the 80s and no one quite understood, but at least there were the select few who didn't care.

---

Somehow this headcanon has turned into a full on WIP, should I write IceMav getting together?

I also know a lot of this is super unrealistic, I'm sure the navy would know if someone was impersonating a man, but idc.

@towering-book-piles @gaybirdnerd

[blowjob-horseguy]

Steve opened his eyes and above him was a pale man with long curly hair. It fell like buoyant curtains of ringlets from either side of his head, obscuring their surroundings. The man frowned down at him with a fierceness that made Steve think for a second they had met in a tavern one night and Steve had done something to slight him.

Steve opened his mouth to speak and felt a sharp edge be pushed harder onto his throat. Steve's vocal cords froze. Whatever he did, it was really bad. Steve runs through a quick memory catalogue of all the men he's slighted recently and how, so he could know what to start apologizing profusely for.

Did he sleep with his woman? Did he sleep with his man? Did he win too much money from him? Did he lose too much money to him? None of those seemed right.

He considered briefly that he perhaps slept with the man himself but quickly dismissed the idea. If he had bedded anyone with hair like that and this passionate a disposition, he would not need to search for the memory.

He looked closer at his features. Hair so long it could easily be a maidens, and so dark it was almost blue. Thick, furrowed brows and lips thin and white, pressed tight together, sandwiched by dimpled cheeks. His skin was pale enough to look sickly and almost green in hue. Steve definitely would have remembered this face had he seen it before.

"You are awake" said the man.

His voice dragged like wood over coarse sand: like he wasn't used to speaking outloud. Steve got a glimpse of his teeth, Sharp and thin, unlike any other human teeth he had ever seen.

A chill ran down Steve's spine as he realized why.

This is no man; this is a Merrow!

Steve's mother had told him tales of these creatures.

When Steve answered the call to the sea, his mother warned him; beware of the sea maidens they may seem beautiful on the shore, but when they lure you to their home you see their true colors. Green skin and scaley behinds. Teeth sharp enough to tear through flesh, and claws the same.

The men are said to be even uglier, with the faces of hogs and catfish, and they drag sailors down to their dens to enslave them for eternity.

Steve has always been cautious about these monsters; avoiding the bright red cap that was the telltale sign of a merrow. The others on the ship have always ridiculed him for it, and now here he is in one of theirs's clutches.

and it's not... unattractive. Strangely.

"Speak" The merrow demanded

"Please let me go" Steve spoke, his voice breaking embarrassingly.

"Go where" the merrows eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Back to my ship."

"You will attack me."

"No, I won't I promise. I'm a peaceful man, very peaceful. Couldn't hurt a fly, me. Wouldn't even know where to start."

The jagged thing at Steve's neck pressed into his skin a little harder, Steve tried to lift his chin as far as it could go to get away, but he felt a small sting as the device broke his skin.

"All men lie."

"I'm not lying, I would never lie" Steve lied.

While far from the swashbuckling type, he has never shied away from a fight, especially when it comes to protecting his fellow crewmates. He's only been on the ship a few years, but he has improved his fighting form considerably from the naive nobleman's son he once was.

While he's not going to say it out loud, he probably would attack the thing, if given the opportunity.

The merrow didn't respond, just bored dark pools of black into Steve's soul. Steve silently pleaded back with his own eyes, just wanting to get out of this situation alive.

"Release me, I beg of you. I will cause you no trouble."

"I do not believe you, you will leave this place and call fleets of your men here to hunt me down." The merrow said panic evident in his voice now.

Steve's own panic subsided for a moment and he realized this creature did not seek to kill him for pleasure, but to avoid being killed itself.

Steve took a chance and lifted his hand to touch the pale arm that held the merrow aloft above him in a gesture he hoped conveyed comfort. He did so slowly, as not to startle, and gently so the merrow knew he had no intention to harm. The merrow eyed him wildly and with fear, but it allowed itself to be touched.

It's skin was cool to the touch and droplets fell from its skin as Steve wrapped his hand around its wiry forearm.

Steve tried to reach for his signature charm, the one his father swears he learned from him.

"I promise, I mean you no harm. I have no fleets of men. Half my fellows are so foolish they could not hunt down their own behinds" Steve said.

The merrow stared at him, eyes shifting about, looking him up and down for any hint of deception.

"I will not hurt or attack you, please just remove this device from my neck."

The Merrow seemed to steal it's resolve for a moment. then slowly the pressure was removed from Steve's neck. and the merrow slunk into water.

Steve sat up on the rocky shore. Without the creature's hair blocking out their surroundings, Steve saw he was in some sort of watery cave. Dark grey walls surrounded him as far as he could see, and a vast black lake stretched out in front of him. If only Steve could remember how he got here.

He looked back at the creature and saw the object that had been held to his neck was a jagged, broken shell that hadn't yet been worn smooth by the ocean. The merrow still held it nervously as it bobbed in the water at Steve's feet.

Even with half of it's body submerged, the merrow was nearly eye level with Steve. So either the water is shallow here, or the creature is of substantial size.

"Does this mean I'm free to leave?" Steve asked.

The merrow shook it's head. Black curls shaking out droplets of water with the motion.

"I cannot be sure that you won't return with weapons or more men" it said, "I searched your person while you were asleep, I took the dagger that hung around your middle, and the one on your leg."

How long had Steve been unconscious?

"Did you steal me away from my ship?" he had to ask.

The merrow looked offended at the suggestion.

"Steal you away? You intruded onto my home!" it said as it started rising out of the water. A jet black tail emerging slightly from the grey ocean.

Steve shrunk down and put his hands up in surrender.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I have no memory of arriving here."

The merrow was taken aback at that and shrunk down into the water again.

"You don't remember?" it asked

Steve shook his head.

"You washed up onto my shore. No man has ever seen my shore before. Your treasures wash up here when your ships crash in the sea outside, but no man has ever washed up with them before." it said, clearly at unease with the idea.

Steves heart fell. Does this mean his ship crashed? Is he the lone survivor? he doesn't think he can take the thought of being left without the friends he's made on that vessel.

"Did- did anything else wash up with me?" Steve asked.

The merrow shook its head.

"There hasn't been a wreck near here in months."

Steve felt his spirit lift. That could mean his crew mates are alive and well!

But then how did he end up here? Steve tries to remember. His head aches something fierce.

"Why does your face look like that?" The merrow asked.

Rude.

"My head hurts"

The creature cocked its head to one side.

"You creatures are strange and delicate. Have you hurt yourself?"

"Hurt myself? I only just woke up! It's more likely you hurt me, than I hurt myself!"

Steve clutched his head in one hand and gestured at the creature with the other. He feels rather helpless in this situation.

"I did not hurt you! I removed you from the water. You creatures are not supposed to be in there!" The thing pointed towards Steve with its shell, as if illustrating what 'creatures' it was talking about.

"Well then, however I got to be there is how I hurt my head" Steve explained, aggravated by this easily excitable monster he's found himself with.

The creature frowned at him for a moment and then faster than anything it dove under the water. It's tail following behind it in a lithe arc like a sea serpent.

Perhaps it is a sea serpent. A strange shrill sea serpent with very soft skin.

Almost as fast as it left, the thing burst back out of the water.

Steve flinched away from the splash.

"Hold out your hand" the merrow demanded.

Steve held both his hands closer to his body.

"Why?"

The merrow lunged forward and grabbed one of Steve's hands.

Steve yelled, startled, his feet scrambled at the stones beneath him trying to get away from the shockingly strong and clamy hand that held his arm tight, but his leather soles slipped on the wet rock and Steve stayed put.

And then something slimy and oddly coarse fell into his palm.

The merrow shoved Steve's own hand towards his face.

It was seaweed.

"Wh-"

"Eat it."

Steve's eyes shot up to meet the merrow's.

"Raw?!"

"It helps me when my head hurts. It will help you."

Steve grimaced at the yellowish-brown pile in his hand.

"Is it medicinal in some way?"

"It is food."

"Ah."

The merrow starred at him expectingly.

Steve starred right back.

"I'm not going to eat this."

"Then your head will continue to ache."

"I don't think the lack of edible gunk is the cause of my headache, I believe it to be the same thing that's causing my amnesia" Steve said shaking the offending object out of his hand, "I must have hit my head when I was washing up on your shore."

"Like I said; you are strange delicate creatures," the merrow reached out his unoccupied hand towards Steve, "come into the water."

Steve leaned as far away as he could manage.

"So you can drown me?"

The Merrow rolled his eyes. It looked remarkably human in that instance.

"So I can heal you"

He doesn't know if it's delirium or blood loss, but Steve grabbed the pale hand in front of him and slid gently into the water.

The creature wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled him closer to it. Steve felt the scales of it's tale press against his thighs through his trousers as he was held aloft in the freezing water. His feet dangled and he couldn't feel a bottom to the lake, nor to the creatures tail.

The merrow threw the shell that was in it's other hand away somewhere and grabbed a handful of the black water. It brought it's hands up, dripping the water onto Steves head. The cold shock seemed to ease his pain. Steve closed his eyes at the relief.

He felt an even pressure on the top of his head. A tingling sensation washed over him, trickling from the point of pressure down his neck and over his shoulders. It sent Steve's body shivering.

He opened his eyes and was met by two dark eyes staring back at him. The merrow was less than an inch from his face. one of it's hands was firmly planted between his shoulder blades, and the other was atop his head emitting the magical sensation.

"You had a bump on your head."

"Had?"

"I rid you of it."

Steve felt the hand trail down from the top of his head through his hair- still wet from whatever circumstances lead him here- and down his shoulder.

He does not understand why a monster would heal him of a headache, but as he is held steady in its strong arms and feels it's breath against his lips he doesn't think it wise to ask too many questions.

"Thank you." He said.

The merrow let go of him, and Steve pulled himself back up onto the shore.

He heard a wet thunk beside him and turned to see the merrow had joined him on the rock. Its body was facing Steve and it's tail was splayed out in front of it bent at the midpoint as if the thing had knees.

It's tail alone was twice the length of Steve's entire body and it tapered along its length until exploding out into 2 wide tail fins that had the jagged edges of burned parchment.

Suddenly the creature unbent it's tail, laying it across Steve's body and curling the end slightly around his waist. it was surprisingly heavy and the large scales had the texture of smooth river stones against his abdomen.

Steve looked bewildered at the creatures face, who had the same fierce and angry look as when Steve first woke up.

"So you will not run away." it explained.

"how many times do I have to tell you, I will bring no harm to you, even if I escape."

"I cannot take that chance."

"How long will you keep me here then?"

The tail wrapped halfway around Steve's waist constricted slightly, almost causing him lose his balance. The creature beside him leaned in menacingly.

"You will stay here until I can be sure you can be trusted." it said.

"And when will that be, hmm? What could possibly convince you?" Steve asked.

The creature looked down at itself for a moment, seemingly thinking of a solution.

"I- I don't know. I will. I will know it when I know it."

"Oh! You will know it when you know it. Thats fantastic." Steve spat.

"Well you have done nothing to prove your trustworthiness to me thus far" The creature spat back.

"Exactly! I have done nothing! I have not attacked you, I have not tried to escape, I have made no attempts on your life. I have been a model captive! Whereas you, foul creature that you are, have threatened my life, stolen my belongings, and tried to feed me muck from the bottom of the ocean!" Steve had snapped, pushed to far by this infernal creature and it's damp dank lair "And now I find you have no plan for my release. You know, my mother used to tell me tales about you creatures, but she neglected to mention just how stupid you are!"

The creature just looked at him, dumbstruck by his outburst.

It uncurled it's tale from around Steve's waist and moved it back into the water. It slid it's body so it was sitting beside Steve, instead of facing him.

"What is your name?" the merrow asked.

"What?" Steve replied

"What is your name?"

"Is this some kind of trick?"

"No. You say you have been a model captive; I wish to be a model captor. What is your name?" it looked at him with pleading eyes.

Steve sighed and ran a hand over his face. What has his life come to?

"Steve, my name is Steve." He said.

"And you do not eat seaweed, Steve."

"I-" Steve groaned, "I eat seaweed, of course I do, I live on a ship. I just don't eat it raw and fresh from the bottom of a pit is all."

"So how do you eat it." The creature asked.

"You let it dry and cure, you boil it over a flame. Do you know what flame is?" Steve asked.

The creature rolled its eyes again.

"Yes, I know what flame is. If I build you one will you eat?"

Steve was taken aback. The monster is worried about him eating?

"I- yes, I suppose" Steve stammered, "do you also have a pot to boil water in?"

"A bucket washed up last month, will that do?"

"Why yes that will do greatly" Steve said.

The creature quickly disappeared into the water.

Steve sat back on his hands; confused and... oddly touched by the gesture.

Despite the creature's constant suspicion, Steve hadn't even considered just swimming out of here. Mainly due to the fact that he has no idea where he is, if there is land near here, where his ship is, or even how to find the opening to this cave in such dark conditions.

He is tired and befuddled, his wet clothing is sticking to his skin uncomfortably, he is chilled by the air and sore from the hard rock, and now that he thinks about it, he is near starving. So, he truly does appreciate the Merrow's offer to build him a fire.

The merrow reappeared holding a rusty bucket aloft the water's surface. It handed the bucket to Steve, who found dry wood, flint, and a knife at the bottom of it.

Steve smiled.

"Where did you find all this stuff?" he asked

"Treasures wash up here after shipwrecks, I told you that before," The merrow said pulling itself back onto the rock, "now would you like to build the fire yourself, or shall I?"

.....

Steve started the fire, closer to the cave wall than to the edge of the water, and set the bucket, now full of water, carefully in the middle of the flames. It will take awhile before the water boils, but that just gives Steve time to lay his clothes out to dry.

He rid himself of his trousers first, the wet denim was the greatest offender to his skin, and his white linen shirt came after it. He laid them both flat in front of the fire.

He looked around, the creature was still gathering food. He's grateful, he feels oddly modest about being in the nude in front of the merrow.

Steve was crouched down warming his hands in front of the flames when he heard a telltale splash from behind him. He covered himself with his hands and whipped around to see the merrow had returned with 2 handfuls of seaweed and a small fish caught in its mouth.

It looked Steve up and down from its place in the water and then released the fish from its jaws onto the rock.

"Your clothes are gone," it pointed out.

Steve gestured with his chin to where they lay in front of the fire.

"I'm drying them."

"Ah," it said lifting itself by the elbows up onto the shore, "come take this stuff from me, I can't get over to you, it's difficult to move across land in this form."

Steve walked over to the merrow and grabbed the fish and seaweed from it.

"You say in this form; do you have another?" he asked

The merrow eyed him oddly.

"I thought your mother told you of us?" it asked.

"Well, yes, but she also told me the men of your species have the faces of hogs. As you clearly do not look like a hog, I figured she may have gotten some things wrong."

The edges of the merrows mouth twitched upward. It- it's smiling!

"I have a legged form as well. I could get my cap and join you for dinner?" It said.

So, she was right about the caps too. At least Steve hasn't been paranoid about nothing.

"Thats not necessary." Steve said, though he must admit he was curious.

Steve walked back to the fire and dumped the fish and seaweed into the water that had started to form small bubbles. They still had a while to go.

Steve turned back to the merrow, who was sitting on the rock, splayed out, scales and all, like some kind of ancient stone carving. It looked up at Steve, waiting for him to say something. Steve felt the need to cover himself again, the gaze of this creature is just so insistent, but he thought the act would just draw more attention to the area. Instead, he decided to ask something that had been nagging at him.

"Do you have a name?"

The merrow was taken aback for a moment before it answered.

"I was called Edward once."

"Once?"

"I was banished by my people to this cave, I haven't been called anything since then." it said, eyes going sad for a moment before snapping out of it.

"Edward the Banished" Steve mumbled.

"I suppose," Edward said squirming uncomfortably.

Steve hadn't expected him to hear that.

"I left my home to follow a friend onto a pirate ship that I quickly found was made up of novices who had never seen the inside of a ship before."

Edward raised his eyebrows at that.

"I see. 'can't hunt down their own behinds' indeed."

Steve breathed out a small laugh.

"I wasn't lying."

"Hmm..." the creature's mouth flattened into a thin line once more.

It doesn't believe him, not entirely.

No matter! Steve is just glad that it calmed down enough to allow him food and freedom of movement.

When the food was finished cooking Steve brought the bucket over to where Edward was sitting, or laying... where Edward was beached.

It frowned at him.

"You are sharing with me?"

"You caught it for me," Steve said taking a bit of meat from the fish.

It was saltier than he prefers it, but at least it was food. Which reminds him.

"Did I still have my water when I arrived here?" he asks.

"The bladder you had around your belt?"

Steve nodded.

"Yes, I took it along with your knives, I thought it had potential as a weapon," The merrow said, gnawing on seaweed.

"How long was I unconscious?"

The merrow frowned at his food.

"I'm not sure. The sun was just starting to set when I found you by the mouth of the cave, and it was fully dark when you awoke."

That means it could be as little as 5- 10 minutes.

"Do you need me to bring you your water?" Edward asked still gnawing.

"I would like that yes, but where is it that you go to fetch these things."

Edward looked him in the eye, squinting to see any hint of devious intentions on his face. Steve is getting tired of the scrutiny.

"I'm not going to tell you where your knives are, but I will bring you your water." the creature said slithering away into the depths once again.

Steve sat there, bare as the day he was born, and wondered what it would take to get this thing to trust him enough to let him go.

When the merrow came back with his bladder of water Steve tried not to drink it all in one gulp. It was so refreshing, and he was so thirsty, but he doesn't know how long he will have to be here, so he needs to ration.

"I have decided how you will earn my trust." Edward said out of the blue.

Steve nearly spilt his drink in his excitement. He put his water down and wiped his chin.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You will tell me more about your ship, and I will go out in search of it to see if the stories you tell are true." it said tapping its tale against the stone it sat on in no particular rhythm. it looked nervous about this plan.

"You'll find my ship?" Steve asked, amazed at his own luck.

"You will come with me so I know where you are, and I'm not giving you back your weapons, and I will keep tight hold of you, and if I find your ship and it is not the novices you said it was, I will leave you stranded on a sand bar," it said sternly.

"Okay! what do you want to know first?" Steve asked leaning forward, excited to get the process started.

"Tomorrow, you will tell me about your ship tomorrow. Now it is time to sleep" it said and then swam away.

It is a strange and confusing creature.

Still, Steve curled up on his clothes in front of the fire and eagerly laid down his head to rest. He at last sees hope of escape, and he can't wait until tomorrow.

[hona-hona]

that's love, darling

[shummthechumm]

NICKELODEON/BACKYARDIGANS OFFICIAL HIRE ME I CAN HELP YOU!!!!

[ismyteadoneyet]

~ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀ sᴏʟᴅɪᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀʀʀɪᴇs ᴀ ᴍɪɢʜᴛʏ sᴡᴏʀᴅ,

ʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛᴇᴀʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴅᴏᴡɴ, ᴏʜ-ʟᴇɪ ᴏʜ-ʟᴀɪ ᴏʜ ʟᴏʀᴅ ~

FELLOW LEGENDBORNIANS !! I'M BACK !! I may not be very active in the Legendborn spaces, but that's because I STILL HAVEN'T READ OATHBOUND 😭😭 I miss my lil goofs so much 🥺

Life has really taken its toll on both me and my reading-buddy, and we're still slowly but surely making our way through Bloodmarked. I HAVE seen some fanarts already from the new book and I am SALIVATIINNNGGGG 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌 I just know that once I actually crack that book open I will absolutely devour it djsbdbhsbdj 🤭🤭

And THEN the fanarts shall follow not so very close behind, trust 🫡🫡

I have SO MANY three-people pose pictures saved on pinterest for referencing-reasons, and this is the first one of the bunch! 🤭🥳

Hope y'all have a great day ! 🩷🩷🩷

[primal-leaders-au]

holds up a bunch of doodles i've done recently

1-4: various maxies (oras era / younger maxie as a ranger / post-game / post-game alt hairstyles)

5-6: initial design concepts for team magma's admins, leaning a little into the old school RSE aesthetic (tabitha gets to keep his nice coat <3 sorry courtney i had to completely redo your outfit tho)

7-9: blaaaaise <3 and my first attempt at drawing amber fFKDGDFKFKGD he's very Angular <3

10-12: maxie's glasses keep getting stolen :3c