#really wish i could paint literally any pictures right now

[rhysintherain]

All the 'how to make your home feel like outdoor spaces' articles online are like

'Have more houseplants!'

'Paint things green!'

'Copy this Mediterranean patio room!'

Cool, got anything that won't die if I forget to water 500 plants?

Or something that feels like the woods around here rather than a tropical resort?

I come from a place where you actively have to fight off the nature to keep it from eating your yard, I just want my livingroom to feel like that with minimal upkeep.

[81folklore]

i can do it with a broken heart - f1 grid

parings: gn!driver!reader x platonic!f1!grid x ex!jacob elordi

summary: after yn and their ex break up, they carry on as best they can and no one had any idea how bad they were struggling

type: social media au (smau)

notes: george is in this but he does not drive for mercedes, yn does. i also used a mixture of fem and masc pictures because i couldnt decide and thought you could just imagine whatever you wish!!

notes 2: probably the longest fic ive done so far but im pretty proud of it. the time stamps above each section are semi important so i would keep an eye on them!! also i know ive been gone for so long but i do not promise ill be back. alsoooo i know i only included a bit of the grid but i kept getting distracted and then couldn’t figure out how to include everyone!!

masterlist

march 2024

twitter

charles oh my god i cant believe my cat is finally the pfp

i have been waiting for YEARS

max yes well you better enjoy it because it’ll change soon and you’ll be back to waiting again.

lando jesus max do you have to use punctuation???

alex be glad he doesnt use captials

oscar one thing at a time lando, we dont want to scare him

max ???

lando anyway

yn mate you ok?

yourname im fine? ur scaring me you never ask how i am

lando yeah but usually your not single

lewis oh no! you and jacob split?

yourname yeah, wasnt working anymore

charles ah im sorry, that must suck😣

yourname i mean it does but its been coming for a long time so its not surprising

fernando hello! yn what is wrong? you always use emotes!

yourname theyre emojis nando, and im fine just a bit lost

fernando do not worry, i will come and find you!

yourname no, i dont mean literally just..we were together for so long i dont really know what to do now you know?

lando i get it, you wanna play tarkov with me???

yourname cheers ill get on now

george let us know if you need anything!

may 2024

yourusername

liked by mercedesamgf1, lewishamilton and 814,583 others

p✌️ was just what we needed this weekend!

thank you to everyone who came out and supported myself and the team and huge thank you to the team for working so hard all weekend⭐️

view comments

mercedesamgf1 mega job this weekend yn���� *liked by author*

landonorris nice to share the podium with you mate

yourusername same time next race?

user33 loved seeing you back on the podium

user2 absolutely smashing it this season

user21 more podiums please🤲 *liked by author*

user3 fourth podium of the year first p✌️*liked by author*

twitter

*pretend it says after march i changed dates around last min*

august 2024

yourusername

liked by lukehemmings, charles_leclerc and 1,124,642 others

did some reading, painting and writing

baked some good food and spent time with some good people, also got a cat…not bad for summer break☀️

view comments

user66 AHHHHHH

yourusername ahhhhhhh

user26 cats name plsplspls

yourusername norman🐱

lukehemmings nice music👍

yourusername woah arent you the guy who wrote mum?!

mercedesamgf1 ready to see you back on the podium

yourusername always!!!!

user74 have you had funnnn??

yourusername yesss!! ive been doing lots of things i enjoy, basically treating every day as my birthday😋

twitter

*was supposed to write them instead of her sorry!! was doing two stories at once and kept getting mixed up😅*

october 2024

yourusername

liked by mercedesamgf1, gracieabrams and 1,291,638 others

p☝️ for the 3rd time this season, very very pleased

huuuuuge thank you to the team, every single one of you who worked tirelessly over the summer break and every moment since then, these have been for you⭐️

view comments

user55 what a good season to be a yn fan *liked by author*

user6 these races have been incredible to watch, so proud

yourusername ⭐️⭐️

gracieabrams woop woop!!!!

yourusername 😝😝

user2 gracie??

user41 why have we not had any personal photo dumps yet😕😕

user88 right we miss seeing you yn!!

yourusername sorry guys😣ive been suuuper busy working on something i just honestly forgot

user41 NEW PROJECT?? WHEN?? (also pls dont feel bad we love u)

yourusername soon!! (and i love u guys too)

twitter

november 2024

yourusername

liked by taylorswift, lewishamilton and 3,689,921 others

tagged: taylorswift

i cannot believe i get to say this, but my new friend taylor just released a new album and i was able to write a song on the album

im honestly not sure how this came about but i had so much fun writing this and expressing all my thoughts and feelings in a way ive never done before

i poured my life and soul into this song and im so glad taylor is the one who is singing it and really bought it to life

send some love to my friend and go and stream THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (most importantly i can do it with a broken heart😉)

comments have been limited

taylorswift thank you for trusting me with this song, so much love🤍

yourusername NO THANK YOU!!! i will be forever grateful⭐️⭐️

twitter

yourusername added to their story

seen by taylorswift, lewishamilton and 729,282 others

charles i feel completely betrayed yn

fernando oh no😟! what did yn do?

charles THEY DIDNT TELL ME THEY WERE WRITING A SONG??

AND WITH TAYLOR SWIFT HOW COULD YOU☹️☹️

yourname sorry charles, surprise?!

charles ill forgive you because its a good song

yourname thank you my life just got infinitely better!

yuki very good song yn! has been on repeat☺️

yourname thanks yuki, glad you like it!!

lando I LOVE IT TOO

but seriously are you ok?!

yourname yeahhh im better now

was just a lot to navigate

lewis glad you found an outlet! but remember you can always talk to any of us

yourname i know and i appreciate it, i really do

alex yn was that twitter thread right?

yourname mate youre going to have to elaborate

alex user56tweetlink

yourname oh pretty much yeah

some things were changed with taylor but not much

fernando just listened to the song yn! very nice👍well done!

yourname thank uu

max good song yn!

now

lando can you please tell me what you meant on your twitch stream!

oscar max is kind of scary

max dont make me talk about that interview next oscar!

[purplesurveys]

1926

When did you last drink coffee?  I haven't had any today yet but I am going to my uncle's later for a bit of a coffee-tasting session, so that'll be fun.

When did you last cry? And why, if you feel like sharing.  Two Thursdays ago. It was just one stressful situation after another at work, and while that was happening on its own it was also a day where I seemed to be everywhere doing everything but also nothing seemed to get done / I was only meet with criticisms. At the end of the day when it was just myself and Dev left in the office I finally put my hands to my face and cried.

What was the last beach you visited and when?  The last beach I was in the ~general vicinity of was My Khe in Vietnam but I didn't venture any nearer. The weather was horrible when we went and I knew it was going to 100% ruin my mood if I walked under the sun for anything longer than 5 minutes.

What book do you plan to read next?  I'm reading three books at the same time because all excite me so much I take turns among them hahaha -- they're all books that house a collection of history essays, which explains why I can easily switch from one to another.

For anyone curious, the books are:

Tikim by Doreen Fernandez

One of the Looking Back books by Ambeth Ocampo

Cabinet of Curiosities by Ambeth Ocampo

What fictional character/s remind you of yourself?  Monica Geller except for the fact that I can't cook.

What's in your fridge right now? List as many things as you can think of.  Coffee cake, pizza, eggs, a bunch of condiments I don't feel like enumerating one by one because There Is A Lot, butter, cheese, some veggies, whipped cream, pitchers of iced tea and water, a carton of almond milk for me, a handful of tumblers, the dogs' food. I'm sure I'm missing a few others but this should give a good picture.

If you could have any artist, living or dead, paint your portrait, who would it be?  Monet.

Do you smell anything in particular right now? The ocean scent my reed diffuser is supposed to be, well, diffusing.

Do you make enough money to live comfortably? [can be in combination with a spouse]  Assuming this means living alone comfortably: Live within the threshold of acceptability, yes. Live comfortably, probably not.

What is one thing you like about your appearance? Don’t say nothing!  I like the dimple that shows up when I smile.

What would you like to tell your father?  I'm tired again and I wish I can find the strength to leave. But I'll try to be better soon and hopefully you'll be even more proud of me then.

What would you like to tell your mother? You make good arancini and I wish you could make it again hehe.

Whose was the last wedding you went to? I haven't been to a wedding since '07, for an aunt and uncle lol.

What is your greatest fear?  Losing a loved one. I don't do well with grief.

What is a chronic health issue you deal with, even if it’s minor? Scoliosis.

What was your college major? If applicable.  Journalism.

What new place have you been to recently?  I went to this membership club thingy in Makati for an event.

What are you a geek about?  Wrestling history.

What is something you have no patience for?  Crying babies, screaming toddlers, and disrespectful kids.

What celebrity would you want to go out for a meal/drinks with? Kate Winslet just because I'd know it'd feel normal and not pressuring at all and that she'd be in Cool Mom mode the whole time lol.

Are you happy with your weight?  Yes. My mom called me fat the other night and while it personally stung knowing what Filipinos mean when they use the word fat (i.e. they purposely want to make you feel degraded. Gen X and Boomer Filipinos are really strange in that regard), I realize in the grand scheme of things I really shouldn't care. I'm like a hundred pounds flat and my arms are just no longer bones lmao. Where I am now is so much better than before when I literally looked 16.

When did you last hold a baby, if ever? Whose?  I don't know. I think my cousin Cholo when he was a few weeks old? This was in 2007.

How many cats do you have?  One on earth, Max; two in pet heaven, Arlee and Miki.

How many dogs do you have?  Two on earth, Cooper and Agi; one in pet heaven, Kimi.

How many other pets do you have? We just have the three now.

How old were you when you got your driver’s license?  18.

What year did you graduate high school?  2016.

What is the first number of your zip code?  Nope.

How many of your grandparents are still alive?  Three.

What is your favorite number?  7.

How many kids do you want?  Zero.

How many apartments have you lived in?  Zero.

What age do people say you look?  I don't usually get a number per se but people are just generally surprised and say they didn't expect me to look so young.

Do you feel like your family accepts you for who you are?  I know my sister does. I'm elusive to everyone else because I know they have the potential to get all judgy.

Do you feel like your friends accept you for who you are?  Yes.

Who is the best doctor you’ve ever had?  I've never been to the same doctor more than once, apart from my dentist.

Have you ever been flipped off by a random stranger?  I don't think so.

Do you have a lot of people blocked on Facebook?  Probably, but absolutely nowhere near as many as on Twitter.

Do you consider yourself spiritual?  No.

Do you consider yourself religious?  No.

Are you afraid of spiders?  Little bit, yeah.

Are you afraid of snakes?  If they're venomous.

Does everyone in your family know your sexual orientation?  I don't even know mine.

What is one thing you find offensive?  I'm extremely sensitive about Southeast Asian racism because there's so fucking much of it as it is, even from fellow Asians.

Do you often post about politics on social media?  I do if I have to.

Would you ever want to go back to school?  I'd love to take a course simply for leisure learning, but because they all require theses and all I don't really plan on pursuing further studies haha.

What are three things you are naturally good at?  Writing, table tennis, small talk but only if the person can small talk back. I do not bother if they only give one-word answers lol.

What are three things you are NOT naturally good at?  Cooking, sewing, drawing.

Is your dream to get married and have kids?  No and no.

Where do you hang your towel to dry after showering?  Above the shower door.

If you were the opposite sex, how would you style your hair?  I wish boy-me could pull off Jungkook's bob cut. That man's babygirl era felt like a fever dream and I was so bummed when it ended :')

Last person you hugged?  Maybe Angela?

How is the weather right now?  31C.

Are you missing someone?  My dad, but that's a constant feeling.

What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?  Namjoon's my lockscreen and the whole gang of 7 is my home screen.

What do you have handy at your bedside?  Katinko, a notepad, a few pens.

What is your dad's middle name? Nope.

What is your mom's middle name?  Nopes.

First thing you'll save in a fire?  Phone in pocket then rush to get all the animals.

[astralscrivener]

hello :3

28, 40, 55, 74 for the writing ask pls 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

hiiii darcyyy. you've opened a can of worms with these asks i hope you know

28. what area of writing do you want to improve in?

literally anything that isn't dialogue FTHYRTHJFGHYJFYG i can do dialogue all day every day but i really need to get better with like. settings. weaving the description in instead of painting a long word picture in one paragraph. character actions too. i love writing group scenes. group scenes are agony. where are you all standing. is someone holding a mug. where the fuck did i put the bayards. also just like. writing prettier sentences in general. so many fic writers have absolutely banger passages like shit that gets put on pillows on redbubble and i want that.

40. what is your favorite world that you've created for a fic?

oh boy this is an interesting question. several worlds i have now stolen to repurpose for my own original writing. i had fun with the magic and medieval-ish setting of as long as i'm breathing (i'm not leaving) and its sequel. i also had a lot of fun w the shadow people from klance au month 2019 and your eyes, they shine so bright (i want to save that light)

i also had a lot of fun worldbuilding when i was writing deceit so natural, particularly the politics with tarvin and also the bolza system. i wrote the majority of dsn between seasons 2 and 4 and so there was a Lot we didn't know about so i just went balls to the wall on the worldbuilding

55. have you noticed any patterns in your fics? words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

i was literally just thinking about this today but "[x]'s scream tore raw from their throat" comes up a lot. i love making characters resort to their most primal instincts. love to see agony and achillean rage.

i also have been on a blade keith kick lately. i've posted . 2 or 3??? oneshots recently about keith being with the blades and suffering about it, or even just grappling with his abandonment issues and his anger issues and his galra side and his violent streak, and i have at least two more about it on the backburner. in general i think i have somehow ended up writing a lot about anger and grief and abandonment issues. can you tell keith is the primary character i write

at the same time i am also constantly writing established relaitonships. i love a good established relationship. the pining is fun to play with but there's a much larger part of me that finds more enjoyment of writing characters navigating their relationship and its challenges, or just facing an outside challenge and knowing they have each other to lean on.

74. do you have a fic you wish got a bit more love?

OH BOY DO I. look i loved squad up / the rawring 20s but my modern au fics get the LEAST effort from me, i like them the LEAST out of all my fics, but they're the simplest and easiest for people to read so i get why they get more love

there is a lot about deceit so natural that is cringe and that i would go back and change, by virtue of being 17, a mediocre writer at the time, and also there's stuff we didn't know about yet (gay shiro or allura's age, for example), but i had a fucking BLAST writing it. it took me all the way until season 6 to finish it (i started it between s2 and 3) and so any time canon disappointed me i could just go do what i wanted. established klance, an absolutely baller team dynamic if you asked me, lotor being absolutely fucking bonkers. the twists and turns in stars go down were FUN and i think i need to be that mean in my writing again. someone in the comments commended me for actually letting the characters have a horrible time and i think about it constantly

AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS AT SKYFALL, WHICH IS DSN VIBES BUT WITH BROGANES. please i literally have so much planned for this you don't even know. the chapters are dsn length instead of soopits length. i'm going to explore lance's anger. i am going to put keith and shiro through it. adam is so fucking confused bro. PLEASE

anyway thank u for the asks i'm thinking about beating up keith again

fanfiction writing asks!

[piastrinorris]

first off, congratulations on your milestone. I'm so happy for you, and I'm obsessed with this carnival theme!

I'll take a hall of mirrors please🪞💕 - I am the literal worst at talking about myself, but hopefully I paint a good enough picture of myself for this.

I work in a library where I design book displays, trivia games, and escape rooms, and I run a DnD club where I am the DM but I'm still learning so I'm kinda terrible at it lol

I'm a big musical theater nerd, a reader and writer (duh lol), and a book hoarder. Sometimes, I act in plays and musicals, but I also have horrible stage fright, hate being the center of attention, and can't easily speak in front of large groups of people to save my life. I am aware it makes no sense. I'm also big on all forms of sewing type crafts (cross stitch, embroidery, crochet, plushie making, etc). I just really like keeping my hands busy.

I am the kind of person who loves discovering new media, but when I find something that I really enjoy, I will watch the same movie over and over again, listen to the same album on repeat for months at a time, rewatch the same shows again because I like what I like.

My favorite piece of clothing is this very flowy black dress patterned with sunflowers, and it makes me feel beautiful. I have a mood ring that I wear every day that I will admit I only started wearing because it looked like one of Eddie's rings, but now I feel naked if I forget to put it on before I leave the house.

I'm unintentionally loud, a fierce protector of my friends, and a hopeless romantic.

Please take this info dump of probably unhelpful information and put my dumb ass into the narrative lol

not me reading all this intensely as if i don't already know all of this about you lmfao though you missed out the bit where that dress is also eduardo's favourite 😉

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 2k follower celebration event ongoing! ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

okay so, not to just copy and paste one thing about you into it lol, but i do think you'd work at the hawkins library, too. eddie had practically begged you to take it once you both graduate, anyway, since he can't exactly keep running sessions from the school now he's left, and it's not like people use that conference room in the back, you could just let him keep his throne there, right?

you'd always wished you could have been more than just a sub for hellfire stuff, you always had fun playing with the party and they were forever inviting your character to join bonus oneshots, but theater always took up too much of your time to commit to d&d full-time. the only downside to getting the library job is that now that consumes all your time, so you still never really get to join any campaigns. eddie'll still visit between sessions to plan, though, and he's forever bending your ear for inspiration.

once eddie gets a job, he doesn't have time to get to the school in time, pick up the kids AND get to the library quick enough to get a good session in. so he relies on his ol' pal steve to play chauffeur so he can meet his party there. steve doesn't even question that there's another person in his car every week that he's never met, let alone spoken to. he hears the name gareth get thrown around, but he assumes that's part of the game, he doesn't believe that name really exists.

steve doesn't know what to do with himself while they play, and since you're the only one within 30 years of his age range, he pretty much hangs off of you. he's useful to keep around, though; he can carry way more than you, he's happy to fetch you stuff, and he can reach up to put things on higher shelves with ease - in fact, after seeing the makeshift way you pile things up to reach those shelves, he insists. As payment for being your little assistant, you'll make him little thank-you gifts - a woven bracelet here, an ewok plushie there. but, since his love language is acts of service, he always retaliates by trying to do even more while he's at work. meaning you feel more obligated to make him stuff to show your appreciation for all this extra effort. which makes him believe he's gotta do more to earn all those extra gifts. he gets the message eventually, though.

[anatomic-adoration]

6/12/24

The plant didn't make it. I tried, I really did! I did a bunch of research, then when that didn't work I did more, and still nothing! Underwatering made roots start growing from the body(??) so I messaged an old friend from high school who said to add water and to pull out the new roots. That was... it was dead within a day. A day!

Despite that, I still have it in the window sill. A part of me is hoping I'm wrong about it dying. Seasonal plants are a thing, right? I bought it at the turning of the seasons, so maybe it was just bad timing. Tomorrow I'm going to go back to the shop with a picture of it to see if someone who actually works with plants has any insight.

On the bright side (literally) it's been gorgeous out. The warmer it gets the more energy I have! I've been walking to class and it's done wonders for my mental health. I wish lab could be outside too. Speaking of being outside, I've been out so much that I've got a few "regulars" I see like clockwork. There's this woman who's outside at 8pm gardening who I always say hi to, this couple (I'm assuming) who are always wearing matching hats and sunglasses no matter how sunny it is, and there's this person who I see walking in the opposite direction of me every time no matter where I see them. It's funny, I've been living over here for a couple years, but it isn't until now that I'm really feeling like I'm getting to know the area and the people.

We're all creatures of habit. Familiar schedules, familiar routes, and familiar neighbors (though I use the term to loosely describe anyone within around a five mile radius haha). There's something so charming about seeing people be themselves and live their individual lives.

Admittedly I've gotten a bit attached to the people I see. I've gone a bit out of my way- just a bit- out of curiosity about what they're up to. Mostly they're just on a normal walk, same as me, but sometimes they're going somewhere with intention.

By far the person I've seen the most is that guy from the coffee shop. We must have really similar taste and schedules! The poor guy probably thinks I've been following him with how much our paths have crossed. Because of that I've been trying to keep my distance so it doesn't look like I'm deliberately following him. I guess I kinda am, but I don't know; something about him just intrigues me. Maybe it's the juxtaposition of being punk while still clearly having anxiety? I don't just mean his body language (though the tense shoulders and the way his eyes flick about at small noises and movements is a dead giveaway). It's more the fact he looks simultaneously young and old. Not that I've looked that closely, but in the few times I've seen him up close the type of exhaustion that usually only comes from age is painted clear as day all over his face. I know I'm rambling, but there's just something that's making him stand out from the other people I've seen lately. He doesn't quite fit in, but why? Maybe the heat is getting to me. I need to occupy myself with something else before I keep myself up needlessly ruminating.

[taylorbuggtaylortot]

I can’t even tell you how I feel because I don’t know how to say it without a pen or a page

I can’t even say what I’m thinking cause I’m always thinking of things too late

And all I know is I wanna scream out loud

But I can’t so I push it down

I gotta be alright

Yeah I gotta be okay

I can’t let them know so I push them away

Cause what does it mean if I can’t pour my heart out

I don’t want to be dramatic or misunderstood now

But if I keep it to myself

I can’t deal with all this hell

I know I’m mentally unwell

But I just can’t get help

But I stopped filling the void and I’ve been dealing with my emotions

But I still feel alone

And Wanna mix up all the potions

And I’m too broken to be ready for something like love

And I can’t be myself to the one that I really trust

I thought attention was love but love is respect

And now I have neither

Cause no one here is left

To hold a conversation or listen to the pain

And everyday I feel the same but I still fight for a change

Still Im at the end of my line

I need a shoulder sometimes

I need a friend not a guy

Some one who just doesn’t lie

I wish you would look me in the face and tell me that im safe but I gotta do that for me but right now I feel weak and afraid

Don’t choose now to hold your tongue

I trust you more than anyone

And I’ve been feeling so undone

And though you could be the one

Im sick of playing pretend

I got a whole heart to mend

And im not ready for love but yet my heart don’t listen

I look at you and I see strength to pull me through the day

Please don’t give up on me

I’m tryin to give you some faith

Narcissists will literally be a terrible person and have to deal with the consequences of their actions and still try to paint a picture of why you should feel sorry for them and nurse them back to health, and they say they’re sorry (just like they have a million times without enforcing changed behavior) just to trick you into rescuing them like you used to.

What I want to say to a narcissist:

1) if it’s mother fuck me then it’s mother fuck you

2) if you gonna do you, I’m gonna do me, and trust me honey.. I can do me very well

3) well well well, If it isn’t the consequences of your own actions

4) weird how you actually did terrible things to deserve what you’re dealing with, and I got all that and more even though I stayed doing right by you

5) stay strong like I had to. Keep your composure like I had to. Carry on like I had to. Be alone like I had to.

6) I no longer trust you so giving you any information to aid you in continuing your behavior successfully is off limits because helping you is no longer my concern or business

7) weird how now you’re having to eat the consequences of your actions and you can’t even stomach it. Literally. But when I was getting force fed that shit, it didn’t matter. I was supposed to swallow it down with a smile on my face no matter how much I was dying inside.

8)It’s my turn to not give af about you. You threw all trust and safety that I felt with you out the window, and you expect me to just look at you the same? You have no rights to me or my space. You’re a snake who lies to make themselves look like the victim even though there’s a reason why nobody wants to help you anymore. You don’t truly appreciate the people in your life, they’re props to you in order to alleviate your wants and needs, so you chew them up and spit them out but act like you love them with your whole heart and try to ruin their character behind closed doors. Real life coward shit.

9)When you get caught doing the shit you sorry for, have the same amount of remorse you had while you were doing it.

Yeah, being responsible for making a shitty decision sucks. Yes, you got caught. That must completely and utterly suck for you. You poor poor baby.

Sike…

Swallow that the same way I had to. Only sorry you dealing with repercussions, nothing more; nothing less. Be strong now baby. I’m out.

10)🤡Narcissist Alert🤡

You gonna need me and I ain’t gonna be there. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Just remember: you did that.

[carolmunson]

HERE WE GOOOO:

He holds up the Soundgarden CD before using his teeth to rip open the cellophane covering the plastic case.

Shut up that's so him to use his teeth.

His face softens. “You’re a doll.” 

I'm gonna lose my mind.

"Listen to this transition," he insists, his voice filled with the same awe that it always does when he talks about music, "The shift from acoustic to electric guitar is seamless."  “I wish I could hear it the way you do.”

Why did this innocent exchange already inform me that I'm going to be sad about this entry.

“It’s lyrics that hook you. You’ve always got so many words floating around in that big brain of yours.”  

GOD.

“Just stay here with me tonight, okay?” Rolling to your side, you wrap your hand across his chest, offering him the only protection that you can.  “Yeah, okay.”

Don't even LOOK AT ME RIGHT NOW.

Unknown: I admit last night could have gone better. Let me make it up to you. Coffee? After tapping in your passcode, you open the message app to reply. You: Wrong number

This is me coded.

His shoulders slump as he looks across to the cherry built-in shelves holding the rows of tailored suits hung by progression of color. “You always look beautiful.”

God I love my hot sexy brooding hulking husband, also.

“How else am I going to keep spoiling you?” He stands, dropping the towel and picking up the black Tom Ford boxer briefs he set out before his shower. 

The pain I was feeling before? Currently healed. I am team Steve for now.

Unknown: Nice try, doll. Robin gave me your number.

I am wavering.

“What do you have going on today?” The well-defined muscles of his sculpted shoulders, earned from never skipping a day at the gym, flex before disappearing into his shirt sleeves.

Nope, still team Steve.

He possesses zero patience, holds a disdain for people, and dismisses any music created after 1978.

Every man in my family.

"Well, it's time to get reacquainted. I want a series chronicling the opening of CursedSound Recordings, and I want you to write it."

UGH. I audibly groaned.

“Give it to Miles.” “I’m giving it to you. Morales is busy with–”

I see you there, hehehe.

The mention of Steve’s name sets your teeth on edge. He hadn't breathed a word about this assignment earlier, and now he's reaching out to Hopper, painting a picture as if you're disrespecting your editor and exploiting your personal connections to secure a story.

OMG! LITTLE SNEAK!

The crystal blue of the cassette is dulled behind the transparent black window, but you can still make out the handwriting on the yellowed label.  For when you miss me. “Did you ever listen?” Everyday. 

There are tears in my eyes right now. I literally have goosebumps.

“You’re moody,” he accuses, leaning closer to your ear to be heard over music. “No, I’m not.” “It’s true,” he shakes his head. “You’re moody. Moody dick.”

LMAO Argyle is really my MVP here. I love him.

“Now we're here, with my future baby mama killing it on stage, and you’re sucking all the energy out of the room.”

He would be SO down bad for Santi.

His face turns serious as he explains, “It’s like surfing. We all want that wave that’s just out of reach. Especially if someone else is riding it.”  “How did you get so wise?” You ask.  “I don’t know. Must be all the weed,” he says with a hand on your shoulder, turning you toward the bar. “Let’s go get another drink.”

JELLLYYYY YOUR MIND. I'm literally losing it. He's so funny, perfect characterization for his character in a more modern setting. I'm obsessed.

“The content Stax puts out is directly under my approval, just like Metro and the Newsdesk and every other division.” His voice, which has been steady and even until now, begins to rise, “I’m not going to call you and ask for permission every time I make a decision. Eddie and I have kept in touch. How do you think we landed that interview with Radiohead last year when they wouldn’t even sit down with Rolling Stone?"

Big boss Steve is so fine I am chewing on glass.

.“But I'll tell you one more thing—you are going to write this story.” He waves a hand toward the bathroom. “Now, go wash your face.”

Don't yell at me, but also like...keep yelling at me.

He places a final tender kiss on your temple, his eyes closing as his features turn peaceful. But for you, even in this stillness, another song lingers in your mind, its lyrics echoing like a secret.

:(

I know I'm not going to survive this. I already miss my music afficionado boyfriend. I already need him. I already love him. You can literally feel the slight pull reader has whenever she talks to him or is near him -- it's so buzzy. And even though she loves Steve there's such a SLIGHT -- SLIGHT disconnect that doesn't flow as well with him as it does with Eddie.

I am literally SO excited for the next chapter, I want to eat this story like a three course dinner.

Torn | Song 2 | Masterlist

Twelve years after Eddie Munson broke your heart for a life on the road with nothing but a mixtape as a goodbye, you finally feel like you have two feet on the ground. Engaged to Steve Harrington with the career of your dreams it feels like you’re going to have your happily ever after, but what happens when the boy that broke your heart comes back as a man with a revelation that changes everything?

TW: Femreader, Love🔺️, Smut, Mentions of DV, 18+ No minors WC:6558 beta'd by @superblysubpar

Plink.

Plink. Plink. Plink.

The old wooden frame of your window groans against the track, burdened with too many layers of paint to make the slide smooth. The swirls of creamy pinks and oranges have faded hours ago into the star-lit summer sky. The boy is below, standing in your backyard, fist full of pea gravel taken from a neighbor's garden. A smile twisting his lips lifts his cheeks, putting dimples on full display as he looks up at you from the darkness below. You raise a finger, signaling for him to wait before you turn away. Tossing a few things in your empty backpack, you take a pillow from your bed, and your comforter is wrestled free from the mattress. With careful footsteps, you creep down the stairs, stopping in the kitchen. The light from the fridge casts a triangle across the floor as you take a few Capri Suns to add to your bag. Leaving through the slider, the end of your blanket trails behind you through the grass that was trimmed that morning. You slip off your flip-flops, leaving them beside a pair of larger, well-worn sneakers with a chain wallet tucked inside the right shoe. Eddie bounces on the trampoline, his sock-covered feet launching him into the air, arms stretched for balance. You toss everything on before climbing on with him. With a final bounce, he lands on his butt beside you, grinning. 

“I got it,” you tell him, tossing the pillow behind you.

“Nah-uh.”

"My dad took me to Tower this afternoon." Rummaging in your pack, you pull out a Discman and over-the-ear headphones with the cord in a tangled mess. "I could only get two. I had to choose between Rage," you begin, ticking off album titles on your fingers, “Soundgarden, STP, and Pearl Jam.”

“And?”

Taking out the CDs, you press them against his chest, letting go as soon as his fingers go around them. His brown eyes widen as he examines what’s in his hands as you pick apart the knotted cord.

“Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop AND Down on the Upside? You haven’t even opened this one.” He holds up the Soundgarden CD before using his teeth to rip open the cellophane covering the plastic case.

“I waited for you.” You smile.

His face softens. “You’re a doll.” 

He lies back, his head nestling into your pillow, hands clasped behind his head, gazing up at the sky. After putting the CD into the player, you follow him, pulling the comforter over you both and resting your head on his bicep. The headphone speakers are flipped out, tucked between you, as Chris Cornell's melancholic voice begins to seep into your ears, velvety and dark like the night itself.

"Listen to this transition," he insists, his voice filled with the same awe that it always does when he talks about music, "The shift from acoustic to electric guitar is seamless." 

“I wish I could hear it the way you do.”

As you gaze skyward, a slender branch sways in perfect rhythm with the chords, green leaves fluttering with the bass. The stars multiply and shimmer as if they’re caught up in the flow of the song. 

“You do,” he says, his head turning toward you, “You’re the only one I know who loves it as much as I do.” He studies your face, his eyes locking with yours. The music building until it’s too intense, and he looks away. “It’s lyrics that hook you. You’ve always got so many words floating around in that big brain of yours.”  

The disc spins, and you both listen, the scent of lilacs wafting in on the breeze, and fireflies painting the sky with their gentle glow. Time passes in the slow way it only does for kids on a cool summer night.

“Eddie?”

“Hmm?” He answers, eyes closed.

“Are they fighting again?”

He doesn’t talk about it, but everyone knows—an ugly secret festering on an otherwise picture-perfect street. No one wants to get their hands dirty by getting involved. 

“Why won’t she leave him?” A simple question in a world of black and white.

“I want her to,” his adams apple bobs as he swallows, “She says she loves him.”

“Just stay here with me tonight, okay?” Rolling to your side, you wrap your hand across his chest, offering him the only protection that you can. 

“Yeah, okay.”

When you wake the following morning, the songs and memories you were reacquainted with last night have faded to a dull throb–much like the martinis. But remnants of their lyrics persist,  crawling under your skin, irritating like an itch, a tune hummed without the words to accompany it. Your phone’s screen lights up with an incoming text, the short burst of vibration sending it skittering across the surface of your nightstand. It takes a moment for your bleary eyes to focus on the notification on your lock screen.

Unknown: I admit last night could have gone better. Let me make it up to you. Coffee?

After tapping in your passcode, you open the message app to reply.

You: Wrong number

Darkening your screen, you let your phone slip from your hand onto the bed beside you. With a sigh, you lean back, staring at the ceiling, seeking answers that remain elusive. The scent of brewing dark roast and toasting bagels rises up the stairs with the sounds of Steve moving around the kitchen. A cup of coffee (or five) and a shower is what you need to wash away the past and leave it firmly where it belongs– in your rearview. 

It's the bottom of your second cup when Steve into your massive walk-in closet with a towel wrapped around his waist, fresh from the shower, his hair still damp, the freckled skin of his chest looking golden in the soft glow of the elegant pendant lights. 

“Is that what you're wearing to work?” He asks.

“Um, yeah.” You finish buckling the strap of your chunky mary-janes. “Something wrong with it?” you ask, catching sight of yourself in the mirror, dark distressed jeans and a band tee recut into a fitted v-neck. 

“Of course not,” he sighs, running his hand through his hair before sitting down heavily on the leather bench. His shoulders slump as he looks across to the cherry built-in shelves holding the rows of tailored suits hung by progression of color. “You always look beautiful.”

Taking your watch from the marble top of the large center island, you wander over to where he’s seated. He hooks a finger into one of the large holes in your jeans, tugging you over to stand between his legs, his big hands wrapping around the backs of your thighs.

“Guess I’m just missing the days of wearing jeans and a jersey to work,” he says, his smile not smoothing the faint crease in his brows.

“You traded that in for a car service and a big fat paycheck,” you point out, kissing the top of his head and moving back to your side of the closet to select a blazer.

“How else am I going to keep spoiling you?” He stands, dropping the towel and picking up the black Tom Ford boxer briefs he set out before his shower. 

“Steve, I don’t need all of this,” your hand sweeps in the air, gesturing to the lit shelves holding more clothes and shoes than you could ever need. “Just take me to a concert every once in a while.” Your voice trails off as notification chimes on your phone.

Unknown: Nice try, doll. Robin gave me your number.

“Can you imagine if we were still in that cramped apartment in Lincoln Park?” He scoffs, pulling on a light gray pair of suit pants. “We were tripping over all our stuff.”

Steve found the three-bedroom, three-bath brownstone on a tree-lined street in the ritzy Gold Coast neighborhood just after he got promoted from Metro, marking the beginning of his rise up the ranks in Second City Media. He spent a year and a chunk of his trust fund on a meticulous renovation before the two of you moved in. It is beautiful—large air rooms with lofty ceilings adorned with pristine white crown molding and wainscotting throughout, giving a modern but classic feel. Living with so much space is lavish in a city of this size. But you would be just as happy back on that ratty couch in Lincoln Park, drinking beer straight from the bottle and eating pizza without the fuss of plates, working on your laptop while he watched a Cubs game. Steve is driven–determined to be a success, and he is, but with the money came the stress. And it’s taking a toll.

Your finger hovers over the block button, but you press add to contacts instead. “Hey,” you change the subject, slipping your phone into your jacket pocket, “Did you ever look into that sailing charter you wanted to book out at the lake? We could do that this weekend?”

“I wish I could, Ace. I’ve got those weekend meetings about the streaming radio we're trying to launch. Pick out a tie for me?” He asks, pulling off a starched black button-up from its hanger.

“Sure.” You walk over and spin the rack holding up dozens of ties on shiny brass hooks.

“What do you have going on today?” The well-defined muscles of his sculpted shoulders, earned from never skipping a day at the gym, flex before disappearing into his shirt sleeves.

“Not a lot.” You pull the silky slip of deep maroon fabric off its hanger. “Lola is put to bed for this year. I just have an album review to finish up and a meeting with my editor today. Maybe a series on the Fall tours?” You propose, mostly to yourself, as you bring him his tie.

“Maroon, huh?” One brow raises with the question, “I would have picked black.”

“I know.” The corner of your lips turn up in a sly smile before you rise to your toes and place a kiss on his mouth, “I’m gonna go.”

“You want my driver to drop you off?” He asks, looking in the mirror and adjusting his tie.

“Nah, I’ll drive myself. Argyle and I are going to the Subterranean for drinks. Santigold is performing. Do you want to come?” You throw out, picking up your ancient army green messenger bag you can’t bear to part with, straining with the fullness of your laptop and notes.

“I’ll pass. Not really my scene.” As he fastens his gold cufflinks, they catch the gleaming light.

“You never come to shows with me,” you sigh. 

“I know, I know. I’ll try and catch the next one,” he says, sliding his feet into shiny Italian leather shoes. “I’m meeting Robin for lunch. You want to join us?” 

“No. I’ll let you have your girl time.” You blow him a kiss before heading out the door. 

 “See you tonight, okay?” 

“Love you. See you tonight,” he calls after you.

Passing through rooms decorated with rich creams and calming moss greens, you yell over your shoulder, “Tell Robin I said we don’t have any more room for paintings of flowers that look like vaginas.” 

“They’re a good investment,” his voice fades as you jog down your stairs, grabbing your keys from the stained-glass bowl on the table beside the door, ignoring the buzz coming from your pocket. 

The world is full of cliches. Many become so ingrained that we accept them as unwavering truths.  Every cloud has a silver lining. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Actions speak louder than words. A rotten apple will spoil the bunch. Don’t spit into the wind. Well, that last one is just good advice, but there is one that has stuck with you. Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life. Music is your deity, and working at Stax is where you worship at its altar, spreading the Gospel of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. It’s a place where your lifelong obsession is not only validated, it’s celebrated. Your journey leading up to this point feels like destiny, like the universe conspired to harmonize your two greatest loves—the lyrical power of words and the soul-stirring magic of music. Each day within these walls is a new chord, a different tempo, and you revel in the ever-changing rhythm of your life. One spent intertwined with the music and the people that create it. The magazine's pages are your stage, your canvas, and with every keystroke, you paint the stories of the music, offering them to those who care to listen.

Without taking your eyes off your laptop screen, you reach for your coffee mug only to knock over the tittering tower of CDs that you had stacked on the corner of your cluttered desk. The plastic jewel cases meet the cement floor with a shattering crash, the noise echoing off the walls of the open industrial space that houses the offices for Stax Magazine in the heart of Fulton Market District. Clapping comes from other desks as you chase the discs rolling on their sides in all directions. Pausing, you bend into a dramatic curtsey, earning chuckles as the applause dies out. The perpetual chaos of your desk has become an ongoing punchline in the office banter. Your phone begins to ring at the same time an IM pops on your screen - both from your editor, the enigmatic J. Hopper. 

“Art Garfunkel’s house of pizza,” you say by way of greeting, trying to get the CDs back in their cases and toppling a pile of mail in the process.

“Where are you? Why aren’t you here? We had a meeting at 2,” comes the gruff voice of a man who's clearly not amused.

“It’s only one forty,” you reply.

“Get your ass in here now,” he yells, disconnecting. 

Hopper's bark has always been more bluster than bite. The towering, older man has been a fixture in this building since its days as a "hard-hitting" newspaper. While the city has evolved and transformed, Hopper and this old brick building have remained resolute, like an immovable rock in the ever-shifting stream of time. He possesses zero patience, holds a disdain for people, and dismisses any music created after 1978. You love him as much as your own father. He offered you a position fresh out of college when other magazines wouldn’t take a chance. He's pulled out your best work, often sending you back to your desk like a pouting child, making you the writer you are today. The wisdom he’s imparted is beyond the reach of any professor or workshop, and for that, you’ll always be grateful.

With a gentle rap of your knuckles against the frosted glass, you step into Hopper's office. He's seated behind a substantial oak desk, buried beneath a mountain of paperwork. A hint of cigar lingers in the air, though you've never been able to catch him smoking. He remains engrossed, squinting at his desktop screen with a furrowed brow. Settling into one of the vintage leather club chairs, you wait for his acknowledgment, your gaze drifting across the framed magazine covers and photographs lining the walls. One of a much younger Hopper clad in a tattered flak jacket catches your eyes. His face smeared with dirt and grit, standing amidst the ruins of a war-torn Kosovo street, a city reduced to chaos.

"Where’s my album write-up?" He asks without looking up. 

"I emailed it to you before lunch," you reply, confirming on your phone. 

He pushes back from his desk, propping up his feet on the edge, and offers you a soft smile from under the bushy mustache covering his lip, "How are you, kid? Everything okay? Harrington treating you, right?"

"Of course, Hop. He knows he'd have to answer to you otherwise. What about you?" You ask, leaning forward, "Is Joyce looking after you? Making sure you're watching that cholesterol?"

"Yup, she's got me eating all these organic vegetables, no booze, no smokes. Kinda takes all the fun outta life." He laces his hands behind his head, stretching out his back. 

"Oh yeah, does that include that bottle hootch you got stowed in your bottom drawer?"

He sits up with a quick move, pointing his finger in your direction. "You don't know anything about that. Are we clear?"

The only one who can scare Hopper is Hopper's wife. 

"I don't know. What are you going to do if I give Joyce a call? Seems to me that's something she'd want to know," you tease, crossing your arms over your chest. 

"You'd be out on that sidewalk before you hung up the call. Don't test me." He shakes a finger at you, "Now, what are you pitching me?"

"Well, I'm going to a club tonight, so I'll have a live performance review. And I was thinking of a piece on the bands touring this Fall. Kind of like a road map that the readership could follow and hit all the good shows."

"Those sound good, kid, but I got a feature for you to cover." He leans forward, narrowing his eyes, "You know this Eddie Munson character?"

The blood drains from your face. "No. Not-not really," you stammer, "we're from the same town, but I haven't seen him in years."

"Well, it's time to get reacquainted. I want a series chronicling the opening of CursedSound Recordings, and I want you to write it."

A featured series is something that other journalists fight over, and usually, you'd jump at the chance, but not this time. Not this series. Not Eddie Muson. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you say, looking down at your lap.

“You don’t think–”

“Give it to Miles.”

“I’m giving it to you. Morales is busy with–”

“I don’t want it,” the words burst out of your mouth before you think better of it. Less than twenty-four hours after seeing Eddie, your world is spinning out of control.

Hopper's face turns to steel as he plucks the pen from behind his ear and throws it down on the desk. “I think that you’ve forgotten how this works. I give you an assignment. You write it.”

Your lips part before the protest in your brain is fully formed. 

“If you’re about to tell me no again, it better be followed by a damn good reason.”

His eyes are locked on yours while he waits for a response, one brow raised in challenge. 

“Listen, kid,” he picks up a stack of papers, shuffling through them as he talks, “I’ve looked into this Munson character. He has a good reputation in L.A. His name is in the credits for over half the multi-platinum releases in the last five years. And word is, his studio is booked out with big names for a year in advance.” He pauses for a moment to be sure his words sink in. “Establishing a good relationship with him is in the magazine's best interests. And what's good for the magazine is good for you. Are you hearing me?”

“Yes, Hop,” he answers for you when you remain quiet. 

“Yes, Hop,” you repeat.

“Good,” he says, lacing his fingers together. "The printed word isn’t worth what it used to be. Everything's gone digital, the never-ending twenty-four-hour news cycle. The competition's cut-throat out there. Trust me, our friends over at Spectrum would eat this up for Chicago Lifestyles. Frankly, I’m surprised at you. I thought you’d be all over this. Especially since it was proposed by corporate. I figured you went around me and pitched it to Harrington directly.”

The mention of Steve’s name sets your teeth on edge. He hadn't breathed a word about this assignment earlier, and now he's reaching out to Hopper, painting a picture as if you're disrespecting your editor and exploiting your personal connections to secure a story.

“I would never do that,” you shake your head. 

"Alright then. Call Byers at Metro," Hopper instructs, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "Bring him with you. His assignment is just wrapping up."

You nod, your blood boiling and your mind racing. Taking a deep breath to compose yourself, you finally reply with an outward calm, "Okay."

Hopper's eyes remained fixed on you, his brow furrowing slightly. "Now, why are you still here wasting my time? Get out."

You don’t need any more prompting. Swiftly, you rise from your seat and make your way out of Hopper's office, formulating plans to murder your fiancé.

With a heavy sigh, you sit back down at your desk. The Stax logo bounces off the edges of your laptop screen. Your phone lights up with a photo of Steve. You let it ring a few times before sending it to voicemail. A few colleagues linger nearby, mugs in hand, their idle chatter blending with the hum of printers and the rhythmic clacking of keyboards. Your to-do list sits on your desk with strike-throughs on only half the tasks, but the priority of the ones remaining isn’t enough to capture your attention. 

Reaching down, you tug at the handle of your tightly packed bottom desk drawer. It sticks, protesting the overload.  The bright yellow color of the Sony Sports Walkman stands out from among the other clutter. You hesitate when reaching for it, the beginnings of the ache already tightening your chest. But you can’t resist, your hand closes around it, pulling it and the headphones coiled around out from under a pile of old concert passes attached to lanyards. 

Swiveling your chair away from the desk, you face the windows and slip the headphones onto your ears. A gentle press of your thumb produces a satisfying click, and a soft crackling sound fills your ears as the capstans start to whir.

The crystal blue of the cassette is dulled behind the transparent black window, but you can still make out the handwriting on the yellowed label. 

For when you miss me.

“Did you ever listen?”

Everyday. 

A bird's eye view of the stage is perfectly spaced in your viewfinder, with Santi downstage dominating the mic, her other arm outstretched to the fervent crowd. Your finger clicks the shutter as a text pops on the screen.

Eddie: Seems this city isn’t so big after all.

With a huff, you close the screen, pocketing your phone.

“What’s going on with you?” Argyle shouts over the crowd, handing you back your drink as you both lean over the black-painted railing on the balcony at The Subterranean.

"Nothing," you reply, your gaze returning to the stage where Santigold is Chasing Shadows. 

“You’re moody,” he accuses, leaning closer to your ear to be heard over music.

“No, I’m not.”

“It’s true,” he shakes his head. “You’re moody. Moody dick.”

The corners of your lips lift as you roll your eyes.

“This wouldn't have anything to do with mister dark and handsome sound engineer guy from last night, would it?” He probes as someone bumps into you from behind, throwing you off balance.

Your eyes narrow as he steadies you with a hand on your elbow. 

“Hey, I know things,” he says, sipping his drink and looking back out over the crowd.

“Oh, yeah?” You ask, turning and leaning on the banister to face him, “What do you know?”

He turns his head toward you, his thoughtful brown eyes connecting with yours. “I know you looked freaked the fuck out when he showed up for drinks and even more so when he said he was staying. And I’ve seen you tell off enough people to know that’s what was going on at the bar when you walked away from him last night,” he says, looking back toward the stage, gesturing with his hands, “Now we're here, with my future baby mama killing it on stage, and you’re sucking all the energy out of the room.”

The song ends with the crowd erupting in applause. “I love you!” Argyle shouts toward the stage with his hands cupped around his mouth as the bass starts back up with the opening of High Priestess. Santi looks up, throwing him a wink, her voice low and fast as the reverb vibrates under your feet. 

“Future baby mama?” You laugh.

“Yeah. Do you think you could use your press pass to get us backstage?”

“No. I don’t think you need to add to the population tonight.”

"See, you're no fun,” he complains, sticking out his lower lip, “So you really used to crush on that guy?

Chewing on your lip, you throw him a sideways glance.

“Yeah, you did. You crushed hard,” he laughs, “So, tell me, what happened?”

“I don’t like talking about it,” you say, scrubbing your face.

“Keeping everything all bottled up ain’t good for you, little mama,” he pokes your arm, letting you know he’s not going to drop this, “I’m your boy. If you can’t tell me, who can you tell?”

“Circle of trust,” he says, stirring the air between you with two fingers when you don’t respond. 

You lean against the rail, considering. “Alright, but this stays between us,” you threaten him with a pointed finger. His head nods as his fingers slide across his mouth like a zipper.

“There’s not much to tell,” you say, looking down at the sticky floor. “I had a crush, and he didn’t feel the same way.”

“I get it. The fury of a woman scorned. What did you do, go full bunny boiler?”

“No,” you chuckle, “Nothing like that. That part didn’t even really bother me. He was my best friend, my only friend for a long time. I thought there was something between us, that he cared about me. Maybe not the same way I cared about him, but you know, I thought we were close. I must have built it all up in my head because one day, he just takes off.” You swallow the sharp pain pressing into your chest, “He never even said goodbye.”

“Nooo,” Argyle’s eyes widen.

“It broke me,” you admit.

“Harsh,” he agrees, “And he never called you? Or gave you an explanation?”

“Not until yesterday.  He asked me to lunch. You know, he actually had the nerve to say that Steve has me on a tight leash.” 

“Typical.” He shakes his head, swallowing the last of his drink.

“What do you mean?” You ask, swirling the last of your ice into your watered-down drink. 

His face turns serious as he explains, “It’s like surfing. We all want that wave that’s just out of reach. Especially if someone else is riding it.” 

“How did you get so wise?” You ask. 

“I don’t know. Must be all the weed,” he says with a hand on your shoulder, turning you toward the bar. “Let’s go get another drink.”

“You never told Steve any of this?” He asks as you join the crowd of people that constitutes the line.

“No,” you sigh.

“No?” He repeats in surprise, “This is bad news, man. Why wouldn’t you tell him? What are you going to do, just going to keep it a secret forever?”

“I guess. It doesn’t really have anything to do with him.”

“This is going to get messy.” He shakes his head as you move up in line.

“Well, I’m not real happy with him either right now. He went behind my back to Hopper, deciding that I’m going to cover Eddie’s recording studio's opening. He completely humiliated me in front of my boss. I look totally unprofessional.”

“Well, that's not cool,” Argyle sympathizes as he takes the plastic cup from your hand and tosses it into a trashcan tucked beside the bar.

“No, it was very not cool,” you agree, crossing your arms over your chest. 

"Wait," he looks at you with sudden revelation, “Technically, isn't Steve your boss?"

“That’s not the point–”

“And isn’t your job to write about major happenings in the city, like when fancy L.A. sound guys open up studios?”

“You're not helping, Argyle.”

His hand lands on your head, offering a comforting pat like you're a child before the line begins moving again. "Cheer up, Bernstein," he quips with a grin, "I'll buy the next round."

Your anger hasn’t abated when you walk through the front door of the brownstone. Steve is already in bed, shirtless with the taupe velvet coverlet pulled up to his waist, glasses perched on his nose, not looking up from his laptop as you enter the room.

“Hey, Ace, how was your day? Did you write me–”

“Anything you want to tell me about, Steve?” You ask, your voice already coming out more heated than you intended.

He looks up at you, brows pulling together. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” you say, dropping your bag onto the blue slipper chair in the corner of the room, “Maybe about how you went behind my back?”

"What?” He questions, slamming his laptop shut.

“The story, Steve,” you huff, leaving the room through your closet. You’ve just put your shoes away when he appears in the doorway, padding across the carpet in his bare feet, wearing just his boxers.

“Munson’s opening, that’s what you’re mad about?” He demands.

“You totally blindsided me,” you complain, pulling a hanger off the rod and hanging up your blazer with enough force to have the other clothes swinging. “Why didn’t you say anything this morning?”

“Because I hadn’t thought of it this morning.” His hands run through his hair, tugging in frustration.

“So what, it just came to you in a flash of brilliance?” Popping the button on your jeans, you tug them down your hips, kicking them into the corner instead of putting them in the basket.

“No, it didn’t, and I hate it when you’re sarcastic. Robin wanted to stop by and see his studio. We had lunch nearby,” he informs you, crossing his arms over his broad chest, the gold chain he wears glinting in the low light.

“So the two of you just decided what I was going to be writing? Maybe that’s something you should be discussing with me.” You lay a hand on your chest before pulling your shirt over your head and giving it the same treatment as your jeans. “You know, your fiancée, not some old buddy that sold you weed a few times back in Hawkins.” 

“The content Stax puts out is directly under my approval, just like Metro and the Newsdesk and every other division.” His voice, which has been steady and even until now, begins to rise, “I’m not going to call you and ask for permission every time I make a decision. Eddie and I have kept in touch. How do you think we landed that interview with Radiohead last year when they wouldn’t even sit down with Rolling Stone?”

“That’s another thing you kept from me. I had no idea Eddie was your best friend.” Your eyes narrow as your fingers yank at the delicate clasps of your jewelry and watch.

Steve's eyes roll in frustration as he shakes his head. "He's not my best friend. He’s a business contact. I know him through Robin. They were is band together, you know this."

"That feels like a lifetime ago, Steve," you remark, the clinking of your jewelry against the marble island adding a discordant scrape.

"Well, some people aren't embarrassed about where they came from," he accuses.

"I'm not embarrassed," you scoff and begin to pace as if you can outrun his words.

"Oh, please," he says, taking a seat on the bench, his knuckles turning white as he grips the edge, his gaze tracking your restless movements. "You cut off anybody we still know living there. You won't even go to visit your parents. They always come here."

“You never listen to what I’m saying. This has nothing to do with Hawkins or my parents.” You halt your steps, your hand slices through the air, punctuating your statements. “It's about you making me look like a fool in front of Hopper. Like I’m trying to go around him to corporate to get assigned the big stories. Like I’m sleeping with the boss. I’m not ruining my reputation so you can give free advertising to your friends.”

“You're being crazy right now,” he yells, wincing with regret as soon as the words leave his mouth. He stands, moving closer, making an effort to control the tone of his voice, “I gave you this assignment because you know Eddie, and it will make for a better story, not because I’m fucking you. We’ve been together since the day you started at Stax. We’ve been engaged for two years. If anyone was going to think that, they already would’ve.”

Your head shakes, rejecting his rationale. He throws up his hands in frustration. “I can't have a conversation with you when you’re like this.” He starts to walk back toward the bedroom but stops abruptly, spinning on his heel and pointing his finger in your direction. “But I'll tell you one more thing—you are going to write this story.” He waves a hand toward the bathroom. “Now, go wash your face.”

Your teeth cut into your bottom lip as you walk into the bathroom, slamming the door behind you.

A sliver of gold from the streetlights outside pierces the tiny gap in the curtains. You’ve been lying on your side staring so long that you can see its warm hue behind closed lids whenever you start to drift. You burrow your arm deeper beneath your pillows while your feet shuffle, searching for a cool spot on the sheets. Steve’s breathing hasn’t changed behind you. He’s having the same trouble falling asleep. He turns over, his weight rocking the mattress. He’s much closer now. You can feel the comforting warmth from his chest, filling the space between him and your back. 

“Baby.” His breath caresses the spot just behind your ear before the wet press of his lips traces a path along your neck, latching on to the apex when it meets your shoulder. A gentle bite follows the swirl of his tongue as he moves even closer. The rough pads of his fingers glide over your shoulder and down your arm, coaxing the thin strap of your tank with them.

“Please,” he whispers between kisses, his fingers finding their way under the bottom edge of your tank top, the light scrape of his blunt nails against your ribs sending shivers across your skin. Your breathing is picking up, the fire from your argument morphing into a new kind of heat. His hips flex against your ass, his cock hard and ready. When you turn your head, his lips are there, a wet slide over your mouth until they pull back, floating just above you, lingering with a question. And when his hand cups your shoulder, urging your body to turn towards him-–you answer. 

The sultry feminine voice drifts from the speakers in your bedroom, her smoky timber weaving through the air like dark tendrils intertwining with the high piano notes. Your hips rise with the flow, a slow, unchanging cadence, the stretch of his cock creating delicious friction against your velvet walls. You move higher until he almost leaves you before you start your descent, the angle finding all the hidden places that light you up beneath your skin. 

"M' sorry," he murmurs.

Your eyes flutter open at his words as they carry you away from the depths. 

"Hate telling you no." He gazes up at you with heavy-lidded eyes, his hair pushed back from his face, and a flush across his skin.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Your hands cover the ones wrapped around your thighs, guiding them up your body. His warm, rough fingers are eager to map out every contour. Your head falls back when they find their destination, cupping your breasts with a possessive grip.

The song shifts, the new baseline a drawn-out pulse lining up with your movements. The lyrics are raw and a little filthy, fueling the urgency of your rolling hips, your clit grazing the short hairs at his base.

"Don't like telling you what to do," he mumbles even as his hands drop to your hips, attempting to hold you still as he bucks up from underneath. "Just wanna take care of you."

"Steve," his name passes your lips in a low moan as you lean forward, taking his hand from your hips and pressing them into the pillow, "Stop talking."

Sitting up, you shift your position, leaning back, bracing your hands behind yourself on his hairy thighs. You set a new pace, bouncing harder, driving him deeper, taking what you want. 

“Jesus, fuck, baby,” he groans, eyes hitting the back of his head while his hands slide across the sheets seeking any purchase as you ride him. The music surges, its tempo rising in perfect sync with the wet intimate sounds of your bodies coming together, the rhythm repeating over and over.

"So close…please," his fingers slip between you, adding pressure to the sensitive bundle of nerves that he finds there, "Need you to cum."

"No," you rasp out breathless, pushing his hand aside, your eyes locked on his as you bring your own fingers to your mouth. With a swirl of your tongue, you coat them with wetness before sliding them down to touch yourself, controlling your own pleasure. 

The muscles in his neck strain with effort, his gaze darkening, fixated on you. “Goddam, so sexy like this,” he murmurs.

Your body tightens, taut like a bow-string, the tension building until the crescendo crashes over you. The music washes over your senses as you reach your peak, your legs trembling with the intensity. You push your body further over the edge, succumbing to the euphoria lost in the wave of sensations.

Floating back down, your eyes open to the sight of your ceiling, your body still arched, catching your breath. His fingers tighten on your ribs, reminding you he's there. Sticky wetness dripping between you is evidence that he reached his own climax. His hands gently urge your forward to collapse into his chest. 

"Wow, that was…" He strokes the sweat-slicked skin of your back. "I’ve never seen you like that before. What got into you?"

"I think you did," you say, placing a kiss over his heart as your fingers smooth through the hair covering his chest. He chuckles, holding you closer. 

The gentle croon of the music fills the quiet space between you as you lie entwined, drawing closer to sleep's embrace. With a fumbling hand, Steve reaches for the remote on his nightstand, silencing the stereo, returning the room to a restful hush. He places a final tender kiss on your temple, his eyes closing as his features turn peaceful. But for you, even in this stillness, another song lingers in your mind, its lyrics echoing like a secret.

For updates follow @tornupdates & turn on the notifications

AN: Thank you for reading and rebloging. Your comments are what keep me at my keyboard plugging away at this story. Please keep sending me your songs and asks! They have inspired so much of what's to come. xoxo- Jelly

[harrypotter-imaginess]

A/N: I loved doing this one guys, and I hope you love it too. Might do a part 2 not sure yet, as always commissions are still open until 3/10 message if your interested- price list is here

- Okay this is the ship guys this is it-

- This is like Hades and Persephone type of love

- Everyone thinks that Regulus is someone to be feared because of his family, and everyone knows they dabble in the dark arts

- And everyone is so caught up in his family-

- In the estate, and those dark rumors, and their dark magic-

- That no one see’s Regulus is just a boy-

- A lonely boy with no real friends, not really

- It’s worse now that Sirius has been disowned

- He’s got people around him, boys who’s parents are aquatinted with his

- But they don’t really like him

- They just hang around because they want a flicker of his power

- Of that ancient dark magic everyone’s convinced he’s got

- Everyone except you that is

- You’re this beautiful, cheerful, precious thing

- He meets you when you’re lost, looking for the bathroom

- “Sorry to bother, but do you know if it’s down the hall?” You ask, he’s seen you a few times; in class, or around the corridors

- Playing gobstones with your ever growing group of friends

- He would be jealous if he wasn’t so surprised that you’re speaking to him at all, aren’t you a muggle born?

- Shouldn’t you be afraid of him?

- Just like everyone else?

- “It’s in the next hallway, that one is moaning Myrtle’s bathroom” he says quietly

- He watches you nod enthusiastically

- Looks like you’ll be on your way now, probably for the best, he wouldn’t want his parents to know -

- “Would you mind showing me?” You ask

- And it’s awfully pushy, but somehow Regulus can’t turn down that bright smile of yours

- You talk to him so easily, like you’re not afraid of him at all

- And it irritates him a little.

- Honestly, even the professors are a little afraid of him

- Everyone is

- So why aren’t you

- “Do you-“ he stops in the middle of the corridor, and you walk a few steps forward before realizing he’s not beside you anymore

- “Do you know who I am?”

- You must not, that’s the only explanation

- When you find out you’ll go as pale as the moon, and afterward you will regale the tale for your many friends, how you barley escaped the fearsome Regulus Black, right before he was about to curse you with his dark magic.

- But you only offer a quizzical expression and a smile

- “You’re Regulus Black”

- You say it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world

- It only makes him upset, but he doesn’t know why

- In fact since the moment he met you there’s been this burning irritation lingering in the back of his mind, and he just can’t seem to pin point why

- But regardless of the reason, it seems to be boiling over right now, in an empty corridor in the middle of the night

- “Shouldn’t you be afraid? I could curse you right here if I wanted”

- But the smile on your face remains

- “Maybe, but you won’t” you muse

- He laughs

- “Why because you think I’m afraid getting expelled?”

- Honestly his parents would welcome him with a feast if he came home for attacking a muggle born

- It would be a sign he wasn’t going to become like Sirius after all

- Because that’s the worst thing a person could be according to his parents-

- A blood traitor

- But instead of quaking in your shoes you flash him a quizzical smile

- “Nah, I just don’t think you’re that kind of person” you shrug

- The words echo in his mind long after you’ve said them

- And though he’s looked at you before

- He’s only really looking at you now, the easy way your lips curl into a smile, the sparkle in your eye, the glow around you-

- Like you’re made of sunlight

- Like you breathe life into all things wherever you go

- Like an ancient witch he heard of , heralded as the goddess of spring

- Like Persephone

- Ah, so that’s it

- It’s not that he hates you

- It’s that he envies you

- Because seeing how natural it is to see you do good, makes him hope -  it makes him yearn to be like that too

- To be more than an heir to his family’s dark legacy

- “I could be wrong though” you shrug, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve been right about something

- But still, you just don’t buy that the shy kid in front of you is some evil prodigy bent on destroying the world

- “No” Regulus’s voice cracks, and it’s soft, so soft you almost don’t hear it.

- But your turn to him, eyes jumping from one of the many paintings in the corridor to his pale face

- His eyes seem glossy as they look into yours, and it’s not just because of the light from the torches

- “No, I’m not that kind of person” he says with a bit more strength this time, and you grin

- And while you feel that there’s something important about the moment, you don’t realize the monumental significance this chance meeting holds for Regulus

- “Oh, we passed the washroom” he realizes after a moment, he was so caught up in talking to you he hadn’t realized

- “Ah, that’s okay I didn’t have to use the bathroom anyway” you say with a wave of your hand

- Huh?

- Noticing his expression you get a sheepish look on your face

- “Well I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while, but you’re always with people-“

- Yeah he’s sure his “friends” would give off an especially murderous aura if you ever tried to approach them

- “So when I saw an opportunity, I just took it” you admit with a slight laugh

- “I wanted to see what everyone was talking about when they mentioned the ‘Dark Prince’ “ there’s a teasing flint in your eye, and the nickname alone is enough to make him flush red

- “And what’s your assessment?” he manages to ask, a smile stretching across his face

- “Very underwhelming, I came expecting several hexes and a duel, and all I got was a cute boy with pretty eyes”

- This time he really does flush bright red, eyes trained on his shoes

- You laugh, you were mostly teasing

- But he is quite cute isn’t he?

- What’s everyone so scared of anyway? He’s like a shy kitten

- He watches you walk to a particular portrait, whispering a word before it swings open

- “Well see ya around Mr. Dark Prince” you say, sending a teasing wink his way

- Regulus is glowing red, even when he’s tucked in bed, in his common room hours after the meeting. the mere memory of the words you said send his heart racing again

- “They said I’m cute” he’ll recall with a goofy smile spreading across his face

- After that, things are brighter for Regulus

- You pull him into your group of friends, quite literally

- “I-I don’t think this is a good idea” he manages, catching the terrified glances of passerby’s as you tug him forward by his arm 

- What a sight you must be, the literal personification of spring pulling the Dark Prince  himself by the arm through the castle

- The aforementioned Dark Prince having a rosy tinge on his cheeks, which most of the other students misplace for Fury instead of what it actually is:

- Embarrassment with a healthy dash of attraction to aforementioned personification of spring

- “Nonsense, everyone’s dying to meet you Reg”

- When you use his nickname his flush darkens

- No ones ever called him that-

- No one except Sirius and Andromeda

- He likes the way it sounds coming from you

- And you’re right, your friends accept him into their fold immediately

- “You know any curses?” One of your friends asks, it’s in a jovial manner that anyone could tell they’re just teasing but Regulus flinches

- “No, not really” he admits, not any he’s good at anyway

- He did see his parents do something akin to a sacrifice when he was younger with an alter in the full moon, but he really wouldn’t know where to start with that

- “What about gobstones, you know the rules to that?”

- Regulus nods

- “Well lets play then!”

- Before he knows it, it’s like this was always his life

- Laughing with you in class, games of gobstones with your friends and trips to Hogsmeade on the weekend

- Regulus didn’t know that he was yearning for this

- How often had he wished for something like this,

- A place that feels like it’s full of sunshine, where everyone feels accepted, and no one has to feel sad

- This is the happiest Regulus has ever been

- But all dreams must come to an end

- The end of the semester comes around, and he has to go home for Christmas vacation

- You’re standing side by side on the train platform waiting for the train, your trunk lying next to you

- “You’re not taking anything back with you?” You ask

- Regulus shrugs

- “There’s no point, everything I need is at the manse”

- You’ve always been a bit curious about what the Black manor is like

- Probably something grand, large library’s, they probably have one of those record players with the gold horn thing

- And a ballroom

- It probably makes Hogwarts look like a pile of dirt

- But the way Regulus’ face darkens when you ask him about it tells you that- yes they probably do have a ballroom, but there’s other things too, things that are far less pleasant 

- And when he starts talking about his home life, how it’s worse - lonelier- Now that Sirius is at the Potter’s all the time, and there’s no one around to stand between him and his parents

- He notices your heartbroken expression and rushes to comfort you

- “It’s not so bad, Mum’s got her tender moments every so often and-“

- “Regulus” you cut in, and the sound of his whole name leaving your mouth makes him stutter to a stop

- “You’re supposed to feel safe and loved all the time not just sometimes”

- It’s such a basic thing, but when Regulus hears this, he feels like he’s being allowed something

- He feels, for the first time, he’s allowed to be safe and happy

- He’s allowed to be good

- “Why don’t you come home with me for Christmas? It’s probably not as grand as you’re used to-“

- You fidget awkwardly, maybe it’s silly, the prince, Regulus Black, himself sitting on your worn sofa, holding yarn while one of your family member’s knits

- You can picture it though

- You can picture a big smile across his face, indulging the younger children in your extended family in their requests for piggyback rides and for him to participate in their games

- “I want to,” he says, really the fact that you’re offering is enough, more than he could ask for

- “But I can’t”

- And it’s the truth, after Sirius, he can’t make any mistakes, his family won’t stand for it

- He especially doesn’t want to think what would happen to you if they found out he had been spending all of his time with you, a muggle born

- He doesn’t want to think what curses they might inflict you with

- He doesn’t want you to ever be hurt because of him

- “You’ll write to me?” You say it with the fervor of a demand, and it makes a smile curl onto his mouth

- “Everyday” he promises

- And things are exactly as they always were at 12 Grimmauld Place, his mother is distant, only livening up when one of the other ladies shows up for tea

- His father is squirreled away in council meetings

- His cousins are no fun, not really, and Andromeda’s not around anymore since she ran off with Ted

- He likes Ted, though he would never admit it to his family

- Ted is a lot like you, someone with an infinite amount of kindness

- He wonders how they’re doing

- He wonders how Sirius is doing

- He’s probably happy, he always looked happy when he was with his friends

- And so- with a picture of you discreetly kept on his desk, he writes three sets of letters

- The first is for you, to assure you he’s fine, and live vicariously through your spring, through your lovely Christmas moments and imagine himself there too. 

- The second for Andromeda, to ask if she’s doing alright, and to tell her he misses her

- And the last, is for Sirius

- Asking how he is, and hoping he’s well.

- And to say that he understands what Sirius was saying all those years, in their childhood and then into adolescence, Regulus understands now- 

- And he wants to be good too

[nilolol30]

Endangered: 3

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

"Thanks again Kosma" I say hopping over the spilled paint on the floor I don't want to make more of a mess.

"Oh anytime soft one but if you can tell those two up their to quit with the paint tossing" Kosma shook their head and started getting to work with cleaning.

"I will see ya" looking around I'm definitely going to need a way up and luckily I found a good way next to the shop was a bin next to a small platform I could easily climb up!

Climbing the bin and the platform was easy but now I have to jump onto the air-conditioning and jump onto the other one on the other side.

After doing so I climbed on top the small balcony using more of the air-conditioning I climbed to the roof when I made it I saw another companion laying on some mattresses.

I swear if I find out I took the hard way up I'm gonna cry.

"Oh hello I was wondering what those noises were" the companion says looking at me.

"Ah sorry if I startled you"

"No worries I was looking at the circles of light I wish I could see the real sky one day" oh poor guy I remember the stars the lights here look nothing like them.

"I hope you do the normal dark sky is way beautiful than this one" the companion made this cute whirring noise and a heart popped onto it's screen.

"Really? I can't wait!" I couldn't help but laugh a little I gave to companion a goodbye wave and looked around just on the other roof was a couch and Tv.

Not questioning it I jumped down on the other side was a air-conditioning with some beautiful yellow flowers I'm surprised that they can grow without sunlight maybe evolution?

Climbing up I finally sat down the couch was a bit worn out but still comfortable and the remote was on the couch too curious on what future tv is like I turned it on seems like a news channel but there was no sound and I couldn't read the text but a small picture of a robot with a top hat was on the corner.

I sigh honestly I kinda thought by now I'd at least remember my own name but I can't even do that and I doubt any of the companions here can really help me I doubt they know much about humans if they're shocked when seeing one.

Because everyone is dead...my parents, my friends everyone I'm literally the last person alive...I can feel myself hyperventilating trying to stop myself from crying its obviously failing since I can feel the tears.

I can never talk to them again there gone and I can't do anything about it I don't even have a fucking photo of them why was I in the cryopod in the first place why was mine the only one to have survived that's not fair.

I could have at least died with my family or friends that would have been more peaceful than this.

I'm not sure how long I was sitting here crying long enough for me to get thirsty again or maybe it was hunger I can't tell anymore the sound of faint pots breaking distracted me from my own pity party.

A few roofs over I could see Stray push some empty pots over for them to break ha classic cat stuff I quickly whipped my eyes and snot I should keep moving I really don't want to end up falling asleep outside.

Turning around there was a balcony with a blue neon sign with a frown since it looks easy to get in I hopped over and moved the wooden board away and pushed the white boxes to the side then opened the door.

It looks a its a library books everywhere ahead was a bunch of computers walking forward on the right I saw another room the entrance was full of piles of books I tried to carefully move over them but they still fell over.

"Ah shit hopefully there isn't an angry librarian in here" of course there wasn't but on the mattress there was a note and keys but again it was in a different language but maybe I can look around to see what the key opens.

So I did that walking out I took a left turn and saw a bigger room in the middle of all the book shelves there seems to what I can only guess is a dead companion and a piano the poor guy though must have been there for a long time from what the spider webs tell me.

On the piano was a music sheet I can't read the title but maybe B-12 can I'm a bit curious so I folded the sheet and put it in my pocket oh wait I walked past a hall and on the other side was a box I should check that.

There is so many book piles here it's a pain I didn't even take four steps and I already tripped over knocking more down with me.

"Okay curse whoever did this!" I couldn't help but try to hit the shelf next to me out of anger but when it did it wasn't books it was a frikin safe!?

"This library is making a mockery out of me" the key is definitely opening this and guess what it did! There was a small book with the same symbol as the sign at the door on the back of the book was a drawing of a dragon maybe B-12 can translate this it must be important I definitely need to find the cat.

Getting out and climbing down was way easier than getting up the Guardian probably seen Stray by now so that's who I headed to.

"Ah yes I've seen the cat go down there" Guardian pointed left down some other stairs.

"Thank you!" Not wanting to miss them I ran downstairs but I could already see Stray laying next to a companion with a guitar.

"Oh human we were listening to Morusque play music we've been giving him music sheets" B-12 popped out the little bag again.

"Music sheets huh funny I just found one!" Morusque seems happy hearing that.

"Really may I see?" Nodding I handed the sheet over.

"Mildly important information. This one was composed by a renowned algorithm" Morusque starting playing the song was really nice almost calming Stray even started purring sadly the song wasn't long.

"Where did you find that human?" B-12 asked.

"Oh! in the library with this" I held out the notebook and B-12 immediately started translating.

"This notebook seems to belong to someone named Doc "After weeks of research I've combined a spectrometer with a powerful UV lamp. With this, we should be capable of warding off the Zurks on our way out. The initial attempt was explosive I might have to test it under real conditions" we actually found two other notebooks good job human!" B-12 softly dropped itself on my head as it's own way of a headpat.

"Hah thanks we should probably go to Momo's now" looks like Stray agreed because they started walking off and meowed at me to follow.

Stray took me to the side of Kosma's place and climbed up this was definitely a bit more difficult but on my way up I only slipped a little but other than that I finally got up unfortunately my clothes get a little dirty sorry Kosma...

Ahead of me was one of the little bots that was tossing the paint.

"Soft one! Sorry about the paint it was an accident!" The bot immediately panicked spotting me.

"Hey it's okay but Kosma really doesn't like cleaning the mess you made why don't you guys find another way to move the paint?"

"But me and my friend love tossing buckets at each other..." Well that's a weird hobby.

"Well why don't you toss empty buckets?" The companion thought for a moment and nodded.

"Ok yeah that's a good idea thanks soft one!" Laughing I bid them goodbye and followed Stray as they jumped over the balcony and yet again we had to climb air-conditioners to get into Momo's balcony.

"The window seems to be open stay here human and we will open the door for you" nodding B-12 and Stray climbed in I could hear something smash and some beeps and all sorts of robotic sounds.

Soon the door opened there was a companion with a rainbow screen and flamingo coat they visibly stumbled back.

"H-Human!?" Without saying anything I just gave him a small wave.

"This is our friend they don't remember their name so we've been calling them human for now they actually have one of your last notebooks!" B-12 says spinning around.

I handed Momo the notebook poor guy must be so confused.

"Oh this belongs to Doc he was really a huge nerd for electronics and stuff he was always on the verge of a great discovery! Wait you actually found all my friends notebooks? Oh a note? The transceiver can be repaired? This is incredible! That means we should be able to communicate outside the slums! Clementine, Zbaltazer, Doc I'm sorry I doubted our cause I'll promise you I'll find a way to the surface. Thank you we might be able to find a way up now let's fix this junk transceiver" Momo was really quick to start fixing the transceiver.

While was doing that B-12 quickly filled me in on what happened poor Momo he was too scared to follow his friends I guess Momo was so happy he got super speed because the transceiver was now fixed.

"ET VOILÀ! it works! Come with me" Momo walked to the window and opened it.

"Up there! See that building, high above the others? If you install the transceiver at the very top of that tower, we should be able to communicate with the whole city. My friends might still be out there if there is a way out, they'll know it" Stray meowed hopping onto the window I walked over ready to follow.

"I think the cat is the only one small and quick enough to evade the Zurks human you should stay" Momo says lightly holding my shoulder.

"Huh no way I'm not gonna let Stray and B-12 go out by themselves!"

"I agree Human you already struggle with climbing up here and you should keep Momo company plus we aren't by ourselves we have each other" with that Stray jumped outside the window.

"Good luck little outsider" Momo waves and closed the window leaving it unlocked.

Not gonna lie being left behind hurts.

"So wait how are you alive soft one? Are there more of you?" Momo asked fiddling with his knuckles.

"Ah sorry I'm most likely the last one my cryopod somehow survived everything and Stray somehow opened it"

"Stray? Is that the cats name?" I nodded it is a funny name for a cat.

[sprite-and-the-bunnydragons]

I am 1000% cool with that I could literally yap for hours about my birds

um, I’m going to put this under a cut bc it’s kinda long

Bug and Big T are one of our most successful breeding pairs, we have 2 of their kids with us right now:

Roxie: Big sister. Had a twin named Bobber who was raised by different parents to give both chicks the best chance at survival, and it worked! Bobber’s since gone on to another facility. We wish we’d kept B and let Rox move on to greener (whiter, I guess since they’re penguins) pastures 🤣 Roxie is … a pill, honestly. Female penguins tend to be more aggressive, especially around breeding season, but Rox takes it to a whole new level. She and her mate, Beaker, always decide to nest right. in front. of the spout where we connect the hose. They Do Not Like It when we have to clean every day and disturb their precious personal space. She hates taking her vitamins with a burning passion—she’s even figured out how to bite out the pill from inside the fish and fling it on the ground. She’s also a very bad influence on her penguin husband, who’s picked up a lot of her traits. And she prefers male keepers, which is a problem since like 90% of us are women🤣 Her hobbies include turning her breakfast into fish smoothie without eating it, seeking revenge, and chasing the other birds away from food without eating any herself. But she is a good mom, though. She’s the reason Bug and Big T are grandparents 😊

Bigfoot: Little brother. Loves humans, hates other penguins. How he found a mate is beyond anyone’s guess (but it wasn’t like Carla had other options when she was old enough to breed). Convicted face-biter. Weird obsession with rubber boots. Literally has gigantic feet. Has a blood feud against 2 penguin brothers who aren’t even from the same species as him (no one’s sure how it started, but there’s definitely some Montague-Capulet stuff going on there). Tries to “help” the humans clean the exhibit, tends to make us trip over him and nearly fall onto the concrete or into the 40 degree F water. Will sit on your lap if given half a chance. Will fight other penguins for lap privileges if given a quarter of a chance. Also a narcissist—we have a little mirror for enrichment in the backup room and he ALWAYS goes for it and starts doing the penguin equivalent of “ooh, look at that handsome fella in there. Is that me? Oh, I am gorgeous.” He’s my fluffernutter I love him sm he’s such a goof

I don’t seem to have many pictures of Rox, but this is my Captain Fluffernutter:

Bigfoot and Roxie are both big. Like, really. big. They’re not chunky or anything, there’s just some BUILT genetics in that family. And Bug and Big T’s chicks tend to have prominent white stripes down their toenails, which is really pretty. So, yeah. The B&BT crew tends to be fairly aggressive but very fun to play with. Well. Not Roxie. She is above such things as play.😂 They do both enjoy painting, though

anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble about one of my favorite subjects lol! It’s actually really fascinating to see similarities in penguin families, even if they weren’t born the same year

also, in case you were curious, penguins feel a lot like gigantic footballs. Unless it’s a baby. Baby penguins are about the softest things on earth, you wind up questioning if you’re touching anything at all they’re like a cloud

Happy Penguin Awareness Day! Got any penguins to share?

it’s. it’s WHAT? How did I not know this??? I even had a murder bird penguin shift today!

have a Big T playing in a sprinkler

and a couple fun facts in honor of the occasion! Penguins have backward-pointing spikes on their tongues to help fish go down easier! They also have insane jaw strength, but it’s almost all in the top of their beak—I have a scar on the back of my hand from a bite I got. Through 2 layers of gloves. That’s how hard they bite.

also it was Big T’s wife who gave me that scar. Her name is Bug. They have weird children

[pies-writes-and-more]

things they do when they love you

Characters: Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei, Tanaka Ryūnosuke, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Kozume Kenma, Tendō Satori, & Ushijima Wakatoshi, all with a Fem!Reader

Warnings: literally nothing - pure fluff <3

A/N: sorry for the lack of content lately! I’ve been super busy with work and school and I feel myself starting to get selfconscious of my work again so I’m hoping I can break through the writers block it comes with! Hope you enjoy! Also thank you to @thisnoodlewritesao3​ and @satan-ruler-of-hells​ for listening to me talk about this fic probably a million times lol

haikyuu masterlist

Kageyama is awkward with telling you how he feels so he just tries to give you things to show you. like you mentioned once you liked the protein bar that Coach gave you guys and now he bought every single one of them from the store and is bringing it to your house. Oh did you say you liked milk too? Well I guess he’ll just have to bring you the whole fucking vending machine. Just wants to show he will provide you with all the things you love, pls love him back. I feel like he’d also be bugging his older sister all the time - asking her all sorts of questions about girls. She’s the reason your first date wasn’t at a volleyball game (and also the reason why he no longer thinks your first date was the first time you attended his games. “Tobio, a date is supposed to be where the two of you are hanging out together.” ���But.... we are together. She’s watching me play.” “.... somewhere where your whole team and the whole of the Miyagi prefecture isn’t!”)

Tsukishima will let you pamper him lol. He likes the attention so when you’re doing face masks, he’ll like look through them and ask you questions about them. Sometimes it comes off as he’s judging you for spending money on this stuff but he’s really just waiting for you to ask if he wants to try one. You bought a dino face mask specifically for him but you thought he’d laugh at you if you asked. So you just kept it with the rest of your sheet masks. You’re putting one on one day and he’s like …. is that a dinosaur. And you’re like…. no? And immediately he’s like well now I have to have it please show me how to put this one. Lol cut to: it does nOT look like a dinosaur (have yall seen those ones that’s supposed to like look like a penguin or lion or something and just looks psychotic??? yeah that). He still likes it and even lets you take a picture of his first face mask cause you just look so happy that you’re doing it with him. It becomes a ritual and any time you’re doing face masks, he’ll do it with you and you just spill all the tea to him about shit you’ve heard at work or school and he just listens and aggressively calls everyone stupid  lol

Tanaka aggressively praises you non stop but like in a good way haha. Did you just post a photo on instagram? He’s liked it first, commented a thousand different things about how he loves your outfit and your expression and how you’re the light of his life, and then he sHARES the photo to his story and is like look at how pretty my girlfriend is yall wish this was you. Oh did you just get a good grade at school??? Non stop bragging to his teammates about how he’s dating a genius (“I mean anyone’s a genius compared to you” “Tsukishima that is NO WAY TO TALK TO YOUR UPPERCLASSMAN YOU ASSHOLE”). If you’re feeling upset about something, he’ll comfort you and all but also tell you that you’re such a badass you could handle anything. And it’s not like empty compliments either - he genuinely believes that you are the most amazing human being to ever walk the planet

Yamaguchi (okay I got this idea partially from @/paige.ipairs on tiktok but it’s so cute that i had to put it here) likes doing anything with you so he likes it when you’re out shopping and you help him pick a new outfit or you style something for him. But his favourite thing is when you’re painting your nails and he’s like … that’s a nice colour… and you’re like Yamaguchi would you like… your nails painted? And at first it’s just the one finger and it’s a matching colour with you. Like on his ring finger to symbolize he’s with you but then soon he’s with you at the mall looking at different colours and picks out one’s he would like for you to paint for him and he just carries them over to you like .. o.o pls

Kenma will actively look for 2 player games that he can play with you. He’ll pretend like it’s nothing and that he just wants to try the game for the 1 player story but he’ll leave a controller out and just kind waits for you to ask to play or pick up the controller. He really likes it when you play, even if you wander around a lot and aren’t super focused on the story line. Minecraft with the two of you is always fun. He thinks it’s really funny how aggressive you get trying to save your animals from the zombies even though they won’t get hurt. You teared up once cause the pen you made for your chickens got blown up by a Creeper and he actually felt so bad even though you told him it was definitely not his fault. Cut to: you screaming aggressively when it comes to any Creeper as revenge for the chickens who were lost in the battle.

Tendō starts reading your favourite mangas and watches all of your favourite series/movies before you two really started dating because he wanted to know what to talk to you about. But now that you guys are together, he’ll plan dates where you can binge-watch all of your favourite movies/shows or just lie around and trade mangas (you had this man actually crying at some of them, he wasn’t ready for the hURT). If you’re not the biggest fan of horror films, he’ll insist that you guys don’t need to watch them but he loves when you stick it out with him cause it means extra cuddles and more snacks as comfort! If you do love horror films, he’ll always buy tickets to the new movies so the two of you can watch it together right away.

Ushijima will hold you no matter where you guys are. Big beefy boy doesn’t really understand why he wouldn’t hold you, even if you guys were in public. When you guys first started dating, you’d avoid reaching out for his hand because you figured big stoic guy like Ushijima, he wouldn’t really be a PDA kind of guy would he? Wrong. Well right, but also wrong. Boy probably doesn’t even realize what PDA is but he’ll reach for your hand and hold it anytime. And if you guys are waiting in line somewhere, he’ll just hold you in his arms in front of him. He has no sense of when not to do this. It’s like you’re his comfort person (which you are). In front of his Coach? Suddenly has you in front of him, hugging you to him. Being interviewed by some reporters? Oh look, you’re here too. Reminding Oikawa that he should’ve come to Shiratorizawa? You’re right in front sticking your tongue out at the Aoba Josai boi like the child you are lol. Honestly, he doesn’t think it’s weird but he knows deep down that he’s just really scared you’ll leave. He likes knowing you’re around because it reminds him you’re always there. 

Haikyuu taglist (let me know if you’d like to join!)

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[yakumtsaki]

It’s the night before the wedding, and Gunther, whom I have never seen talk about politics in his entire life, starts a political argument. Wtf could you possible be arguing about, you dumbass himbo?

-I want to wear my sunglasses at the wedding as a political statement! -It’s not fucking happening, Gunther, it will look ridiculous! -Oh, so showing that society has blinders on is ridiculous now? -Just admit you have a sunglasses addiction and stop trying to infuse it with some stupid political meaning! -HEY, the only addictions I have is to bubble blowing, alcohol, gambling, and sex! Don’t paint me as an unreliable fuckboy!   

Well who would dare suggest that when this is what you’re rolling 10 minutes before your wedding.

-Ugh, why is Brit puking everywhere?!

Remember that thing yesterday where she told you she’s pregnant?

-Fuck, that’s STILL not over???

Do you see a goddamn baby anywhere, Gunther?? Just go get dressed, the guests are arriving..

..and here’s the first one now, MELODY IN A WEDDING DRESS. Bro I had to pause the game so I could lol, I forgot to change her formalwear since her and Daniel’s wedding but man, the implication.

-Wow, love the sunglasses, Gun, are they commentary on society’s blinders?

-______-

The ceremony is a massive success, by which I mean that most of the guests managed to find their seats for once, but Melody ~averts her eyes~ during the kiss, looking @ Benny instead-

-and then rushes to pet him immediately, boy is she tired of Daniel’s cat colony. Now a section called ‘things happily married men do right after their wedding’:

A) Shittalk their wife to their ex!

B) Congratulate their ex on the time she fucked them in public! Ladies, if your man isn’t doing that, you deserve better!

The next day, Gunther rolled the want to invite Jojo over and apparently Jojo also had a want to see him?? Cute, ngl!

-Well, it’s been a big week for you, Gunther! -Oh bro I know, topping my career was AH-MAZING. Total dream come true, I just wish dad was alive to see me so I could rub it in his stupid, cat-hair-covered face! -I was referring to your wedding and impending birth of your child. -Right, of course you were, and I totally haven’t been forgetting about those things multiple times a day!

-You know, Brittany, not to color your opinions as a soon to be mother, but of all the creatures I’ve raised, the four-legged where the only ones where I’ve seen any sort of return of my investment. So you know, if the baby and Benny are ever both hanging from a cliff.. I’m just saying, I know what I’d do.

Brit is now about to pop any second, and look who’s here again uninvited, our bestie Mel! 

-Gunther, let me just get on one knee while pregnant as fuck and declare my eternal love for you, so EVERYONE PRESENT can hear it, even if they have their back turned to me and are pretending to dance in their short little orange dress! 

-It’s time! -OH GOD OH GOD -Stay calm, Gunther! -I don’t know if I can do this, babe! -Of course you can, also forgot to mention, we’re turning your art room into a nursery! -OH GOD OH GODDDDD

It’s a boy! He has black hair and grey eyes like Brit, and I name him Reginald since I cast Brit as Regina George and that’s the male version, hehe. Man is Gunther the picture of fatherly delight or what, will you cheer up?

-One life begins.. another ends.

Ffs.

Brit goes to rest post-birth and Gunther is..

..otherwise occupied (yes, Melody IS STILL HERE).

Wow, this brought back some memories, what a throwback. I think I’m starting to understand what’s going on here which is that both Mel and Gunther, on top of whatever lingering feelings clearly still exist, really did NOT wanna have children.

-Just imagine, Gunnie, one day we’ll be watching our son get married! -Doubt we’re gonna be sitting on the same side of the aisle, though. -WHAT?! -What? I didn’t say anything.

Guys fr I cannot, it literally only took 4 days of married life for Gunther to go full Victoria, WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

-It’s in my blood.

[weelittleweasley]

technicolor (f.w.)

prompt request by anon: it is said that when you meet your soulmate, you will know because the world that you knew in black and white would turn technicolor. during a harmless game of spin the bottle, you didn’t expect your soulmate to be revealed to you.

warnings: drinking, mentions of eating, mild language

pairing: fred weasley x fem! gryffindor reader

word count: 5.3k

The power of true love was life altering in your world. Literally. The world was painted in shades of blacks, whites, and grays. It always was for those who hadn’t met their true love, their soulmate, their one and only. It was said on the occasion that you had kissed your soulmate, the world before you would erupt into vibrant color. People spent their whole lives, searching for the person who brought color to them. 

Living in a dull, colorless world was mundane to say the least, but it was all you knew. The idea of living in a world of color was an exciting thought to say the least, but in a way it scared you. Suddenly the world as you knew it changing abruptly before your eyes because you had met someone that destiny created for you? It was a scary thought. But in your head, you had nothing to worry about. You didn’t plan on meeting your soulmate any time soon. 

Or so you thought.

Laying upside down on the common room couch, you flipped through the pages of a Quibbler, not really paying attention to the words on the page. You looked on either side of you, Katie painting her nails on your left and Alicia on the right making light chatter with Angelina. Needless to say, the four of you were bored out of your skull. It was a quiet Friday night, nothing happening in the common room. No parties, no quidditch match, no nothing. 

With a groan, you pull yourself up from your inverted position and speak, “So are we all just going to sit around here like a bunch of bums and wait for something exciting to happen?”

Katie sighs, “That’s even if something exciting happens.” She blows on her nails, shaking her hands back and forth to expedite the drying process. “Does anyone have any ideas?”

The two of you look to Alicia and Angelina who just shrug as you throw your head back in annoyance. “Well, someone think of something because I refuse to let a perfectly good Friday night go to waste,” you flop the Quibbler on the table in front of you and hold your arms across your chest. “What can we do to entertain ourselves?”

Alicia stands up and starts pacing, trying to think of something. “We could...sneak some food out from the kitchens? Convince a house elf to sneak us some sweets from dinner two nights ago. Those biscuits were so good,” she thinks out loud.

Katie groans, “The thought of food makes me sick. I ate so much at dinner tonight after Ron challenged me to see how many dinner rolls I could fit into my mouth.”

The thought of Katie with bread rolls in her mouth makes the group chuckle. “Okay, so food is out of the picture,” Alicia speaks with a soft smile. “What about a movie? I can see if Hermione would let me borrow her projector and we could watch one of those movies I have tucked away in my trunk,” she suggests, surveying the group’s reaction.

Angelina makes a sour face. “We had a movie marathon last week, I’d like to do something different,” she tells Alicia who rolls her eyes.

Alicia huffs, plopping herself back onto the couch. “Well, then I’m out of ideas, so you come up with something, Johnson.”

The group sits in a bored silence for a few moments before Angie breaks the silence. “Should I go bother Fred and George? Surely they’ll find something to do. They always make things interesting,” she speaks, raising her brows, gaging her audience’s reaction.

Katie rolls her eyes, “Merlin, Angie, if you want an excuse to see your darling Georgie, you can just say so.” You laugh at her comment and give Katie a teasing high five as Alicia giggles along. Angelina rolls her eyes and leans back on the couch. Angelina and George had been dating ever since sixth year when they kissed after their first date and they had seen the world in color, confirming their soulmate status. Katie mockingly starts teasing Angie now, “Meh, meh, I’m Angie, I love George, I see the world in color. Meh, meh, my sweater is green and not black like you guys see it, blah, blah,” making you cackle, throwing your head back in laughter, clutching your stomach.

You lean into Katie as you laugh, making her laugh harder as Angelina stands up, “Oh, piss off you two! I can’t help it that he’s my soulmate and I found him so early!”

“We’re just teasing you, Angie,” you wipe the tears of laughter from your eyes. “Go on, go fetch the twins. I’m sure they’ll think of something to do. Tell ‘em to bring Jordan with them if he’s around. Lee is always a good time.” Alicia nods in agreement.

With a small smile, Angelina darts off up the stairs to the boys’ dormitory. Alicia shakes her head, “That girl is whipped for the Weasley. I can’t believe she found her soulmate already. We’re not even eighteen yet.”

It was true. It wasn’t unheard of people finding their soulmates at a young age, but it surely wasn’t common. Most people were friends or knew their soulmates for a while before they were aware that they were in fact soulmates. For example, your parents both went to Hogwarts and we friends for years. It wasn’t until after four years after graduation that they realized they were soulmates. You smiled to yourself at the thought of your parents. You wished that you could have a soulmate story like theirs.

Katie folds her arms across her chest, “Quite frankly I hope I don’t meet my soulmate anytime soon. I feel like after you meet your soulmate, you’re expected to drop everything and be with them. But you have your whole lives ahead of you to spend time with each other. I’d rather be single and have fun and live my life in black and white for a while before seeing color with a soulmate.”

In a way you did agree with Katie. Most people who met their soulmate at a young age tended to drop everything in order to be there for their soulmate. Coordinating their lives and schedules to their soulmates, moving cities for them, planning their days around the other. It just seemed so intense. You were seventeen, you couldn’t drop everything right now for another person. 

Moments later, Angelina happily came down the stairs with a large smile on her face as George, Fred, and Lee all trailed behind her. “The entertainment has arrived, ladies,” George speaks with a big beaming smile on his face as you teasingly rolled your eyes.

You sit up and speak, “What entertainment did you bring, Georgie?”

He places a hand over his heart, pretending to be offended at your comment. “Are we not enough for you, (Y/N)? Is our presence not enough?” George mockingly stumbles back. “Freddie, I feel faint! Catch me!”

Dramatically, Fred scoops up his twin brother as George pretends to faint. “Merlin’s beard, (Y/N), look at what you’ve done!” he mockingly screeches as you roll your eyes and giggle. Katie huffs a here we go as she leans back into the couch. The twins always put on a show when they were around you guys. You never minded it; they were quite funny when they wanted to be. “Quick, Lee, we need to revive him!”

Lee, now in on the joke, runs over to the coffee table and clear it quickly. “Bring him here!” he exclaims as Fred lays a fake limp George on the table as you laugh and Alicia scoffs.

“Good Godric, you three are a bunch of idiots,” she huffs with a smile on her face. No matter how much she hated to admit it, this was much better than sitting around and doing nothing.

Fred speaks, “Alright, Lee, give me the reviving potion,” sticking out his hand.

Even more dramatic than before, Lee pulls out a large bottle of fire whiskey from his satchel as he improvises an operatic song as he places it in Fred’s hands. Lee opens George mouth as Fred uncorks the bottle and pours a glug into George’s mouth. George swallows it and dramatically inhales. “I’ve been revived!” he exclaims as the boys cheer.

Katie perks up at the sight of fire whiskey. “Where in the hell did you get a bottle of that?” she sits up and grabs the bottle from Fred’s hands. Lee pulls out a few cups from his satchel and places them on the table, Katie immediately pouring everyone a glass of fire whiskey. 

Fred smiles, “It’s our emergency bottle. In case situations like this happen.”

Folding her arms across her chest, Alicia speaks up, “And exactly how many emergency bottles do you boys have?”

The trio looks at each other before sighing and speaking as a chorus, “Four.”

“Uh huh, that’s what I thought,” she laughs before taking a cup of fire whiskey from Katie, Katie then handing you one. “Well, it’s better than nothing I guess.”

You look at the whiskey in your cup before sighing and taking a sip, the liquid burning your throat, but warming your chest up in all the right ways. A familiar sensation. You hum in contentment. “Better than nothing is damn right,” you smile as the twins chuckle. “What were you lot doing upstairs?”

Lee takes a seat in the chair across from the couch, “Same thing as you gals. Bored out of our skulls. However, these two numbskulls were trying to conjure up a plan to go pull a prank on Filch.” George snickers as Lee flicks the back of his head, earning a small ow. “Good thing you all were bored too otherwise I would have been dragged into that mess.”

Fred scoffs, “Oh please, you wish you could pull off a prank at the caliber that Georgie and I do. Isn’t that right, brother?” He turns to George who is already cuddled up next to Angelina on the love seat, arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close next to him. Fred rolls his eyes and makes a gagging sound. “You two make me sick.”

George just pulls Angie closer to his side as Angie blushes a deep crimson. “You’re just jealous, Freddie. I’ve got a hot girlfriend and I can see the world in color, making it quite obvious that you, dear brother, are green with envy.” Angie rolls her eyes, but still places a soft kiss to George’s cheek.

Fred shakes his head, “He’s gone soft, Lee. We’ve lost one of our bravest soldiers.” 

“Piss off,” Angie speaks up, defending her boyfriend as Freddie chuckles, lips turning into a gorgeous smile. “Now that we’ve all got our drinks, let’s really get the party started...” she wiggles her eyebrows. “Katie Bell, truth or dare.”

Katie groans and sips her fire whiskey before deciding what she wants to do. As she ponders, you see Fred scoot over to you as you giggle, him dragging his bum on the floor, making his way to you. Fred smiles up at you, “This seat taken?” he refers to the spot on the floor right in front of your legs.

You shake your head with a smile, “It’s got your name written all over it, Weasley.”

Fred gives you a cheeky grin, “Brilliant.”

He turns around and leans his back up against your legs and rests one of his arms on your knees. You and Fred were close friends. In fifth year when Angelina confessed to you that she had a crush on George, you started spending more time with the twins and developed a close relationship with them and Lee. You, in particular, got along with Fred like a house on fire. The two of you loved to crack jokes on the sidelines, teasing George and Angie, giggling and stealing little glances here and there.

Angelina always told you that you and Fred would make a cute couple. She insisted she saw the way that Fred looked at you, but you always brushed it off as if it were nothing. You and Fred were friends, nothing more, nothing less. A partnership would just totally ruin the vibe between the two of you. There was no point to it. Even though you may have always admired Fred’s looks from a far and his charming personality, you had finally convinced yourself that you and Fred Weasley were platonic.

As Fred leaned up against your legs, sipping on his whiskey, your eyes found Angie’s as she lifted her brows, looking at you knowingly, sending you a look that said Oh? You rolled your eyes and shook your head, responding with your eyes, No way. She just shrugged and sipped her fire whiskey nonchalantly as if to say Whatever you say...You just brushed it off and leaned back as Katie challenged Lee to a dare.

----------

The night progressed and the drinking continued and the bottle got less and less full. Soon enough, the common room was full of your tipsy giggles as the lot of you cracked jokes with each other. You hugged your sides as you cackled as Fred did a spot on impression of Draco Malfoy as he mimicked him walking through the halls, yelling “Potter!” every now and then. Of course, the humor was amplified by the liquor in your hands, but it still was hilarious. The whole group was in a fit of giggles as Lee quite literally fell to the floor from laughter too hard.

Alicia laid her head in your lap as she laughed, wiping tears from her eyes as you all recovered from laughter. “Fred, that was brilliant. You’ll have to show Harry tomorrow morning,” she tells him as Fred plops down next to you on the couch, stealing Katie’s spot as she was now sat on the floor next to Lee. 

Fred chuckles and rests his arm around the back of the couch, gently hovering behind you as you suddenly become very aware of his presence. You spot Angelina out of your periphery vision as she smirks to herself before leaning over and whispering something in George’s ear, making George look at you with a devilish smirk on his lips. Your gaze towards them hardens as you mouth, Knock it off. George just smiles and sips his drink quietly, pretending to mind his own business. 

You turn to Fred and give him a soft smile as he drops his left eye in a wink, making your heart skip a beat. “Easy, Weasley,” you say in a cautious tone as he lifts his arms in defense. You shake your head and lean back into the couch, bumping into his arm that is draped across the back of the couch. Neither of you bother moving. 

Alicia rises from your lap and reaches for the fire whiskey bottle, but groans in defeat when she realizes it’s empty. “Bloody hell,” she groans. She looks to Lee and begs, “Is it appropriate to call this an emergency and you can grab another one of your emergency fire whiskeys?”

Lee laughs, “I regret to inform you we have a one emergency bottle a night policy.” Alicia groans and flops back onto the couch. Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in Lee’s mind, making his eyes grow wide and a little smile dance on his lips. “However,” he wiggles his brows and surveys the group. “Now that we’ve got an empty bottle, I think we all know where we can take this party...”

Looking up from her cup, Katie says, “Where are we taking the party? Are we going to bed?” she asks with sadness in her voice. “But the night is so young!”

Shaking his head, Lee looks at Katie. “Are you daft, Bell?” he asks as she rolls her eyes, sipping her whiskey. “I meant we could play a cheeky game of spin the bottle,” Lee suggests.

Alicia huffs, “Really, Jordan? What are we? Fourth years?”

“Oh, come on, Spinnet, it’s just to add a little spice to the mix,” Lee shimmies his shoulders making you laugh. “Besides, it gives you an excuse to have the privilege of planting a sloppy one on me.”

Alicia fake gags. “I’d rather spend a whole day with Professor Snape,” she spits as Lee laughs.

George speaks up now, “Angie and I will sit this one out, but we will watch the show.” He pulls Angie impossibly closer to him as she cuddles into his chest.��“For obvious reasons,” he smirks. Fred boos his brother and throws his now empty cup of fire whiskey at him. “What? I am not kissing someone other than my literal soulmate,” he rationalizes. “Besides, you’ve got five players. That’s enough. That is, if everyone is comfortable playing.”

The group all looks at each other, gaging everyone’s feelings of playing a cheeky game. You had to admit you’d rather not play a game as childish as spin the bottle, but for a weird reason, you were keen on playing at least one round. As you looked around, it seemed like everyone was on board to play. 

Your eyes meet Fred’s for a moment as he looks at you, his eyes darting from your eyes to your lips for a split second, hoping you wouldn’t catch him. You quickly turn away, trying to hide the heat on your cheeks. “I don’t see the harm in one game,” you shrug as you see Fred smile from the corner of your eye. Lee claps his hands cheering as Alicia and Katie agree.

Fred speaks up, “Well, I can’t let Lee be the only bloke having all the fun, now can I?” 

Everyone is on board with the game as Lee cheers, “Alright! Five for five!” He places the empty bottle of fire whiskey on its side in order to spin it. “Everyone knows the rules. You spin and kiss whomever it lands on, no matter who it is. I’m looking at you, Weasley. If you land on me, I expect the best snog of my life,” he teases as you all laugh wildly. “Whomever the bottle lands on gets the next spin. All good?” Everyone nods. Lee smiles, “Groovy. Welp, youngest goes first. Bell, you’re up.”

Katie giggles, “Put on your chapstick, you lucky sons of bitches.” Alicia laughs as Katie reaches and spins the bottle. The bottle does a series of spins, turning clockwise as she anticipates who she’ll be planting a kiss on. She nervously dances back and forth as you watch her with a small smile on your face.

Slowly the bottle stops spinning to land gently on Fred. Your heart stops for a second and your mouth runs dry. You blink a few times and swallow hard. The group all claps their hands and laughs as Katie rolls her eyes. You on the other couldn’t help but have a tight feeling in your chest. You force a smile on your face before you look at Angelina quickly. She raises her brows, monitoring your reaction as you just shake your head, letting her know you were fine.

Katie scoots over to Fred as Fred leans down. “Get ready for your mind to be blown,” Fred jokes as Katie slaps his arm.

You watch very intently as Fred ducks his head down to connect his lips with Katie. You stop breathing for a moment as you watch Fred kiss one of your closest friends. Your palms start sweating and you pull yourself away from looking at them kiss. Lee and Alicia oooh and giggle as you look at Angie, eyes screaming at her, Okay maybe I’m not fine. 

She gives you a nervous smile and mouths, “It’s just a silly game.”

You nod your head and shake it off. It was a silly game. That’s all. A stupid, silly, childish game. It meant nothing. You knew Katie didn’t like Fred like that. She had fancied Adrian Pucey for a few months now. This kiss meant literally nothing.

It felt like the kiss had lasted for hours when it was a brief five seconds. Katie pulls away from the kiss and returns to her position on the floor. Fred just smirks and leans back in his seat, dragging his thumb across his bottom lip. You watch as he does so, the small gesture being surprisingly attractive to you as you gulp. But you quickly turn around so Fred doesn’t catch you watching.

Katie laughs, “Eh, you’re nothing to ride home about, Freddie. Hate to break it to you.”

Fred shrugs, “It’s alright, Bell. The first stage of grieving is denial. You’ll eventually accept that that kiss was the best one of your life.”

Lee cackles as Fred joins him in his laugher before leaning over and spinning the bottle for himself. The bottle spins round and round and round as you watch it, the bottle hypnotizing you. You secretly wished that the bottle would land on you, wanting to be able to kiss Fred Weasley and getting the confirmation that you didn’t like Fred in that way. But honestly, you just hoped it was anyone but Katie or Alicia. 

The bottle slowly stopped spinning as it gently landed on Lee, making the group erupt in laughter. Lee’s lips drew up in a devilish smile as he rubbed his hands together, “Here I come, big boy!” he exclaims, making you laugh even harder.

Fred laughs and sits up in his seat. “Give it to me, Jordan,” he challenges.

Lee springs to his feet and grabs Fred’s face with both hands, squeezing his cheeks together before smashing his lips on Fred’s. Fred is laughing as Lee kisses him roughly, rocking him back and forth. George is absolutely dying of laughter, falling into his chair as the rest of the group squeals. 

Alicia grabs onto your arms, squeezing you as she laughs, you doing the same. The kiss happens for a while as you cackle, “Good Godric, come up for some air why don’t you?”

With a smack, Lee pulls off of Fred as Fred falls back in his seat. Fred’s eyes are wide as Lee wipes his lips. “And that,” Lee points to Fred, “is how you kiss someone. Not that pathetic thing you gave Katie.”

The group comes down from laughing at Lee spins the bottle for himself. The cycle repeats for a while. Lee kisses Alicia, Alicia kisses you, you kiss Katie, Katie kisses Lee, and then the bottle spins again. Lee spins and the bottle gently lands on you as you giggle. “I’m expecting excellence, Lee Jordan,” you eye him as he laughs. “Not going to lie, Alicia might give you a run for your money.”

Lee rolls his eyes, “In her dreams.”

You giggle before the two of you close the gap between you two, kissing each other. The kiss is honestly not bad. Lee’s lips tasted of the fire whiskey along with vanilla and sugar. The kiss was gentle, but not bad at all. Your friends around you all cheer and oooh at you two in typical fashion as you both smile into the kiss. You pull away and Lee sends you a wink. “The reviews are in,” you speak. “Not bad, Jordan. Not bad at all. Actually, pretty damned good!”

Lee pumps his arm. “Hah! Take that, Spinnet!”

“Alright, my turn to spin,” you giggle and excitedly spin the bottle.

The bottle spins and spins and spins as everyone waits in anxious anticipation. Who could it be? Slowly, the bottle stops spinning and lands on the person right next to you, Mr. Fred Weasley.

Your heart stops as your mouth goes dry. Everyone immediately erupts into cheers, specifically George who springs onto his feet. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this one!” he cheers as you gulp.

Kissing Fred Weasley? Maybe this game was a mistake. 

You stare at the bottle, and then to Angie who wears the biggest grin on her face, and then back at the bottle and finally to Fred. His eyes stare back at you as you gulp. A smirk dances on Fred’s lips as you suck in a breath. The whole group stares at the pair of you, silent, waiting for something to happen. 

The tension between you and Fred was so thick you could cut it with a knife. “Cat got your tongue, (Y/L/N)?” Fred teases you as he scoots a little closer to you. You suck in a shaky breath as he chuckles lowly.

You snap yourself out of this anxious gaze and speak, confidence now coursing through your veins. You were going to kiss your best friend and it was happening now. “Make your move, Weasley,” you challenge with flirtation laced in your voice.

Fred smiles, “No need to tell me twice,” he lowly whispers.

Immediately, Fred cups your cheek and brings your lips to his. Your lips connect and the whole group loudly cheers and screams. You hear Lee scream, “Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!” 

But you couldn’t care what was happening. You were kissing Fred. Your heart was beating a mile a minute. Fred’s lips were soft, but demanding as they pressed firmly onto yours. His lips tasted of sweet cinnamon and spice; his lips were like a personal drug that you couldn’t get enough of. You pressed your lips harder against his as you both sucked in a breath, your hand resting on his forearm. His lips moved gently against yours as you both enjoyed this kiss too much for a friendly game of spin the bottle. 

You opened up your mouth enough for Fred to slide his tongue in, massaging his with yours as you moan just loudly enough for Fred to hear, making him smile into your kiss. As the group watched you two softly snog, they only cheer louder. You were too involved in relishing in the way Fred’s lips felt pressed against yours to care about how your friends were reacting.

The kiss was everything you wanted a first kiss with someone to be. It was gentle, but didn’t lack in passionate or desire. His lips moved in sync with yours as you followed his lead, his tongue dancing with yours. It was exactly how you imagined kissing Fred Weasley.

You are pulled from your thoughts when George cries out, “For Merlin’s sake Freddie, don’t eat the poor girl!”

Gently, you break the kiss as Fred’s lips follow yours for a moment, not wanting the kiss to end just yet. The two of you keep your eyes closed, relishing in the moment that you two shared.

Lee laughs, “Is it just me or is it hot in here?”

You giggle and gently pry your eyes open. But that’s when you gasp.

You look at Fred who sits in front of you in full color. His bright red hair contrasting against the light blue thermal shirt he wears. His brown eyes stare at you just as much in shock. 

It happened.

“Merlin’s beard...” you whisper.

The room fall silent as your friends stare at the two of you in confusion, wondering what could have possibly happened that made the two of you stare at each other in shock.

“Is it...” you start.

“Yeah,” Fred answers. He lets out a light laugh. “Yeah, it is.”

You let out a light laugh with him and slowly, look around the room taking in your surroundings, the whole common room in beautiful colors of maroon and gold. Color dances everywhere as you let out an amazed chuckle. 

Looking at Angie with amazement, she suddenly realizes exactly what’s going on. A smile erupts on her face as she lets out a sigh. “Good Godric,” she breathes. She looks at George. “It happened.”

The entire group registers what is happening as they stare at the two of you in awe as you two take in your surroundings gentle. “Oh shit,” Lee breathes out with a smile. “That’s bloody brilliant...”

You look back at Fred who just wears a gentle smile on his face as you look deeply into his chocolate brown eyes that swim with amazement and adoration. You could look into those eyes forever. And lucky for you, that’s what you were going to do. 

Breaking the silence, Angelina says, “We’ll leave you two to it then. Guys...”

Your friends all start to leave the common room, running up the stairs to the dormitories, definitely to chat about what just happened.

You are now left with Fred in the common room, sitting on the couch together, staring at each other in technicolor. “Hi, Freddie,” you breathe out with a smile.

Fred smiles, “Hi, (Y/N),” he reciprocates. The two of you just take the other one in for a few moments as you gulp. What were you supposed to say? What were you supposed to do? Merlin’s sake, this was supposed to be a cheeky game of spin the bottle and all of a sudden. “We’re soulmates,” Fred speaks plainly.

“I guess so,” you laugh. You gently bite your lip. “I never thought it would be you, Fred.”

He inhales a long breath. “I had a feeling,” Fred admits as you teasingly smack his arm. “I’m glad I was right,” he confesses as you blush. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. With and without color,” he tells you. “I didn’t think that you could get more gorgeous, but color has proved me wrong.”

You shake your head, “Freddie...” you trail off, blushing wildly, crimson appearing on your cheeks for the first time. Fred takes your hand in his and gently rubs his thumb over your knuckles. You give into his touch, nothing feeling more right. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

Fred lifts your hand up to his lips and presses a kiss to your knuckles. “We’re soulmates,” he repeats himself as you nod. “Wow...so, we get to spend forever with each other, huh? You’re going to get really tired of me, aren’t you?” he jokes as you laugh.

“I could never grow tired of you,” you confess, squeezing his hand. You run your hand through his red hair. The signature of the Weasleys that you could finally see now. “I do have to say though,” you start. “I was not expecting your hair to be this red.”

Fred laughs, “Get used to it, darling. You’ll be staring at it for the rest of your life. Not to mention, the Weasley genetics are strong. Sorry to say that if we decide to have kids, they’ll end up like this.”

You roll your eyes, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Freddie.” He smiles and sends you a wink. “So,” you breathe out. “What do we do now?”

He inhales deeply and sighs. “Well,” he starts. “I think we ought to tell people, specifically our parents,” he says as you nod. “But other than that, we do what we want.” You gaze into Fred’s eyes and smile. “(Y/N), we have the rest of our lives together. There’s no rush. We can go at our own pace. We don’t have to pay attention to what people say we should be doing. I’m just happy that we’ve found each other that way we can start forever now.”

Your heart fills with joy and adoration at his words. You had always worried that you wouldn’t love soulmate, nevertheless like them, but loving Fred Weasley was going to be the easiest task of your life. Living your forever in color together.

“Sounds good to me, Weasley,” you smile.

Fred leans in and closes the gap between you two, kissing you again sweetly like he had done minutes ago for the first time. His lips are even gentler than before on yours as you smile into the kiss. Fred pull away and smiles, “Reckon we go upstairs and get the teasing out of the way from the lot?”

You take a moment. “Let’s wait a little while. We have forever for them to tease us. We’ll only have this moment for a short time.”

He shakes his head. “Merlin, you’re perfect.”

And there the two of you laid in each other’s arms, taking in the new colorful world before you, souls now connected forever. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[colemonroe]

With his face still tucked between her hands and his eyes locked on hers, Cole felt like Taliah was quite literally looking right through him, but it didn’t unnerve him. No, if anything, this was the most steady he’d felt since the night he confronted Jeff. There was a quiet stillness encasing them that made him feel safe. She made him feel safe, and maybe that was why he’d never really tried to hide much from her, even now. She’d just see through it anyway. Frowning gently, he nodded, eyes temporarily shifting down to the scant space between them because he knew she was right– he was hard on himself. He felt like he had to be in order to remain upright in the face of all the awful things he did. If he wasn’t, he feared he’d become something far worse than he already was. Meeting Taliah’s gaze again, he swallowed hard and found himself nodding again as she spoke. It was true– Cole rarely did anything he couldn’t justify. No matter how heinous the action, he always had a reason, and she was right– that reason was love. “It’s always love,” he mused aloud, having never really thought about it in that regard before. Smiling, he couldn’t help but allow some warmth to seep through the cracks in his tired, pained expression the moment her words reached him. To be her angel, it was probably the highest honor he could imagine holding. “I think ya might be mine too,” he murmured, unsurprised by just how much he meant it. How was she not his angel– truly? “Oh yeah?” He started, laughter rumbling in his chest at the mental picture she was painting for him, “Don’t beat me too hard, I might like it,” he warned, the grin on his lips almost warm enough to drive the sadness from his eyes.

“Since when did ya become a gangster, darlin’?” He chuckled, head giving a light shake. By now, he should have known better than to be surprised by anything that came out of Taliah’s mouth. Easing out a shaky sigh, he drew comfort from the gentle pecks she pressed to his cheeks. Physical touch had always settled him in ways spoken word never could. Swallowing thickly, he nodded, knowing he couldn’t argue the point she was trying to make. While it felt so cliche to say that everything happened for a reason, it was true. In order for him to be who he was in that moment, everything at his back had needed to play out exactly as it had, no matter how badly it hurt. “I know,” he murmured, blowing out a heavy breath, “Just wish it hadn’t hurt so much,” he admitted softly, head shaking. With the way his emotions had roared to the surface with a vengeance tonight, Cole began to wonder if he’d ever really confronted any of this before, or if he’d only thought that he had. Growing up, he’d never really had a chance to and by the time it had finally occurred to him that he should, he’d become well accustomed to the idea that vulnerability was too great a risk in the life he led. And so he just…hadn’t. As a result, Cole couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so open and vulnerable, but more importantly, he couldn’t remember the last time anyone had made him feel safe enough to be.

But Taliah did. It was incredible, how she could see every single flaw that he had and still found a way to see the good in them– the good in him. And now that he’d finally voiced so much of what he’d always held back, he had to decide how he wanted to deal with it– how he wanted to move forward, just as Taliah had said. It felt good knowing he’d never have to do it alone, even if hated dragging anyone else down with him. Still, it was high time Cole accepted that there were people in his life who didn’t care how stubborn he was, they’d still push and push until he didn’t have to carry the weight of everything he felt on his own. “Obviously,” he parroted back at her, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. Suddenly and all at once, he felt the tension bleed from his shoulders, almost like the ebb and flow of an outgoing tide. Relaxing then, he offered up a small smile. This…it was the support he’d needed a week ago. “Thank you, T,” he breathed quietly, shaking his head, “Really– I dunno how I’d do any of this shit without ya.” Taliah steadied him– far more than a drag on a cigarette or a shot of whiskey could. No, he felt truly grounded because of her and he ventured to guess that he always had. She was his best friend. “I needed this– a lot,” he continued, reaching out to give her hip a gentle squeeze. Swiping at the remnants of his tears, he sighed, his exhaustion showing both in his eyes and his smile. “Feel a bit lighter now,” he announced, sliding off his barstool, “Though that might just be the whiskey,” he laughed, injecting a bit of his own humor into the somber moment. He knew the truth though– it had nothing to do with the alcohol running through his bloodstream and everything to do with the way the woman in front of him had always had his back– and he hoped always would.

When she originally walked on into the clubhouse after noticing a light on, there wasn’t any chance she could have anticipated this. It wasn’t about seeing Cole here, of course, that wasn’t surprising; it was about the weight of the things he shared. Things she let him know he could share, so maybe, just maybe, she could help him carry it in order to keep him afloat. But that was always the hope, the goal, for any of his struggles, confession & worries. Taliah only ever wanted to try and make it better for him and just be there in times when that wasn’t possible. He deserved that, hell, he deserved more than that, if she could give him a magic key to solve every wrong done to him, she fucking would. “I know,” pulling in an unsteady breath when he closes his eyes, she takes a moment just to look over his features with his face still cupped in her hands. The way his eyes scrunched, the crease in the middle of his forehead, the way his cheeks wet with tears glimmered under the lights - the anguish was written all over his face even without the visual aid of his troubled hues. To her, it was nothing short of devastating to witness. It was a problem she couldn’t resolve, a painful thought, a wish that Cole was always going to have because there was no way to change it.

“I know so.” Replying without missing a beat, she scarcely returns the faint smile on his own lips. “You’re so hard on yourself, Cole. You think too much about being or acting immoral that you forget how decent you are. Or even just the reasons behind any immoral action you’ve taken… Because there’s always a reason, isn’t there? And is that reason not usually love?” Not expecting or even wanting an answer, her words were only spoken to try and remind him of the very thing that fuels his heart – love. And maybe he would argue it was fire, or rage, but she would firmly disagree, tell him that those are just counterparts of what love is. “You’re a good man, kind… So yes, your mother would be proud of you.” Nodding, she reiterates just to drive her point home, hoping it would resonate even just a little. She doesn’t take her eyes off his, not even when the more anxious side of her wanted to hide once her tears became obvious enough for him to be wiping them away. “You’re my angel,” she shrugs gently, words she truly believed, too. Her heart couldn’t possibly bleed this much for anything less than a human so holy he blessed the ground he walked on. “Oh please, there’s no way I could have taken you then. Now? Bet. The day Nate showed me how to throw a knock out was a day he now rightfully regrets,” setting a slightly brighter grin on her face in spite of the quiet sniffle – the red nose, the glassy eyes that were forcefully holding back a tidal wave of emotion.

“Of course,” smiling as she rested her chin on his shoulder, “What is it gangsters say, real recognize real?” Giggling, she squeezes him tightly and takes a deep breath, sighing it out softly. “I know that it hurts, every what if scenario usually does…” Leaning back, she kisses his left cheek, then his right, and rests her hands on his shoulders. “Everyone in this world has something they wish they could have done differently, we’re only human, it’s ok to have those thoughts. But you need to remember that if even just one thing in your past was changed, it would change your future, it would change you.” Taliah smiles sadly. “I’m not saying that I don’t wish you had less pain and heartbreak because of course I do, I’m saying that those things had a part to play in who you are now… And you, my kind, beautiful, angel boy, this exact version of you… he’s incomparable & irreplaceable. So, you go forward from here,” she adds, addressing his earlier comment. “One step, one breath, at your own speed and with the help of your family. We have your back. I have your back, I’d fight a pack of wild animals for you… And I would win, obviously.“

[sugarybitterness]

dates with natty - natasha romanoff x reader

word count; 1,017

warnings; none, this is just pure fluff!

a/n; this is me just writing the dates i wish i could go on.. alas i do not have my own natasha to bring out on cute dates.. finally had the motivation to finish this, especially since i’m watching black widow in about 18 hours and i’m more than ready for my heart to both broken and mended all at once😫 anyways!hope y’all enjoy your date with natty!:] feedback is always appreciated and requests are open<3

you typed in the coordinates of your chosen destination for today’s date into the gps, giving natasha a wide smile once you were done. your gaze stays fixed on her face as she read the location you had picked, your heart skipping a beat when you saw the way her eyes widened and turned to you with a hint of shock in them.

“we’re going to the aquarium?” natasha asked, her hand reaching out for yours. a couple nights ago, the redhead had mentioned how she never visited many places of interest for fun, most of the time she was there for some kind of undercover spy mission. the two of you had been going out for a couple months now, but because of your busy schedules and way too many alien attacks on new york, most of your dates were confined to the compound or a nearby restaurant. this was the first time both of you had some time off - courtesy of natasha angrily bargaining with nick fury after you had almost hurt yourself when you quite literally collapsed from exhaustion after a particularly gruelling mission. if natasha hadn’t been waiting for you at the elevator that day, she dreaded to think about what could’ve happened if she didn’t catch you just in time.

“yes natty we’re going to the aquarium,” you giggle softly at the way natasha’s eyes seem to sparkle, your heart absolutely melting when the red head leans over to press a soft kiss to your lips with a soft “thank you baby.” with one hand safely tucked in yours, natasha starts to drive the car out of the compound following the gps to the aquarium. it was a little bit further out but it was one of the biggest and best ones - natasha only deserved the best.

once you were inside the aquarium, you allowed yourself to pulled along by natasha as she wandered around, stopping by whichever tank that caught her eye. as she stood in front of the shark tank, you quietly slipped your phone out of your back pocket and opened your camera app. making sure the flash was off you snapped a few pictures of natasha, smiling to yourself as you swiped through them.

“baby?” you jumped slightly, realising natasha was standing right in front of you, her gaze flickering between your phone screen and your face.

“just wanted some more pictures of my natty,” you smile cheekily at her as you pocket your phone, kissing your girlfriend softly. you felt the grip on your hand tighten as her other hand found a place on your waist. you could never get tired of kissing natasha, it felt so overwhelming soft and warm. when you pulled away, the soft look natasha had in her eyes made you swoon, knowing that you were quite literally the only person she looked at like that.. yeah you were definitely in love with natasha though that didn’t surprise you in the slightest. as you followed her again, allowing her to quite literally drag you around, you knew that there was nowhere you rather be.

after natasha had visited every exhibit in the aquarium at least twice and the two of you bought some souvenirs from the gift shop, natasha drove the two of you to your favourite diner for a late lunch. settling down quickly in your usual booth, you ordered your usuals and as the waiter went off to send your orders to the kitchen as well as prepare your drinks you took the opportunity to snuggle into natasha’s side. you much preferred sitting next to the redhead as opposed to sitting opposite her for this very reason- being able to wrap your arms around her waist and sit as close to her as possible, she felt like a safe haven. natasha simply put her arm around you as she pulled out her phone, looking through the few pictures she took at the aquarium, before settling on a picture she liked the most to set as her new wallpaper. you heart instantly swelled at the sight of the two of you on her phone screen and you looked up at your favourite avenger to see her already staring at you. you smiled softly at the redhead before moving in to plant a soft kiss on her lips, marveling at how that simple act caused a huge smile to grow on natasha’s face.

by the time you two were done eating, it was almost sunset. when natasha deviated from the route back to the compound, you knew exactly where she was taking you. it was a small park, rarely visited by others but it had a beautiful little hill with the perfect spot to watch the sunset. natasha had found the place by complete accident one day, it became one of her favourite places it visit when she needed some alone time and when you became her favourite person- it only felt right to bring you there. your first date ended at the hill, the date where natasha asked you to be officially hers also ended at the hill (she did it there too, which made the place and the memory all the more special to the redhead.)

as the two of you settled down next to each other, fingers intertwined and natasha’s head on your shoulder, you sat in a peaceful silence watching the sun make its descent, beautiful colors painting the sky. eventually your attention shifted from the view in front of you to the one beside you. natasha seemed to glow in the light of the sunset and when her green eyes met yours, it was as if the world around you ceased to exist.

“i love you natty, so so much.” you whispered, as if speaking any louder would break the tranquility surrounding the two of you.

“i love you too y/n, with all of me.” came the whispered reply, before natasha connected your lips in a sweet kiss.

dates with your natty was always the best, there really was no one else you’d rather be with.