#she brings me such immense happiness 🥰

[mavuikas-beloved]

HIGH QUALITY VERSION OF MY ANGEL 🥰💕💖❤️ she is so very precious and cute.

[thecryptidbard]

Surprise! I’m back.

[moonydustx]

Hello Moonydustx. I hope you're well! I really like your stories, your way of writing is very pleasant to read. I loved what you wrote for Kid and Killer, I love those two men! In fact, I'm totally in love with Kid Pirates. 💖

I was wondering if you could write something with Kid 🧲 . I so need to fluff with him. I know he likes to show off that he's cruel and ruthless, but I'm SURE this bad boy is also a very big fluffy guy capable of a lot of love. He named his boat after his first love - this boy is a great sentimentalist, absolutely!

Here's my idea: reader is the newest recruit to Victoria Punk. Kid is suspicious at first, but discovers that she's a true virtuoso at the piano and that her voice is the most beautiful he's ever heard 🎹🎶. (We all know that Kid loves music.) See where I'm going with this, Moonydustx 😏😉? Kid will slowly fall in love with the new recruit, but won't understand what's happening to her at first, and it'll drive him crazy. Reader is not insensitive to the captain's charm but is very intimidated even though she respects him a lot.

If this inspires you, I'd love a lot of fluff, cute stuff. Slightly spicy, if you like. We like it spicy, let's be honest but right now I need cuddles.I hope this is understandable, English is not my first language. Thanks if you've read this far and I'll be grateful for life if you accept my challenge. 💚🥰

let me start with: I'VE BEEN DYING TO BE DYING TO WRITE THIS.

YES YES AND YES you are absolutely right, I really have this vision of Kid being a sweetheart.

I wish I had more time to write more and more about this story, I think it would have the potential to be something bigger, you know, something with more chapters perhaps? But I wrote more about the cute part than the spicy part in this one, I hope you like it anyway

Old ghosts

Eustass Kid x F! Reader

wanings: mention of Kid's missing arm, phantom pains, very brief mention of smut (nothing explicit). Regarding the medical and musical parts mentioned: I'm not an expert in any of them, I apologize if I make mistakes.

Your light humming was still stuck in Kid's mind. How your dress fell down your body and your legs flailed against the counter as you hummed a song about Roger's old promise. That was the first sight of you he had.

The second was you standing a few meters away from him, waiting for an answer, while Killer acted in your place.

"She could be a good crewmate." Killer pointed out, both of them staring at your shrunken form, even though you were standing. The bloody arms. "She knows how to fight, knows how to defend herself and can still be good company for our ears."

"Hm…" a growl escaped Kid's reddened lips. "What do you know how to do?"

"Whatever you need." Your voice was firm, even if it was low. "I just need a roof over my head."

"And that blood?" He approached, taking one of your hands and bringing it up to eye level with him. "It looks fresh."

"One of the richest men in town tried to have their way with me." you pointed out, still firm in your words. "I had to kill him. Now, I know they will hunt me if I stay here."

"Right." Kid walked away, turning to Killer. "Find her a task and also a place for her to sleep."

With one last look in your direction, Kid walked away and left you in Killer's responsibilities for the day. In the following days, you barely saw Kid and when you did, he didn't have the friendliest of expressions. The man was intimidating, as were all the rumors about him.

You expected that it would take time to adapt to pirate life, that that world would be immensely cruel to your existence. But there were happy days, days when you would get together to chat and drink, days when you would spend hours fishing.

Little by little, the captain seemed to attract your attention more. He was still a thick shell to dig through, but there was a certain lovable side to him. Infamous jokes, an unshakable ego, a affection for his crewmates that wasn't noticeable to outsiders. In your eyes, being in Kid's presence was inviting, even if he would never pay attention to a new girl.

Kid was reluctant to let other members join out of nowhere, he liked to understand who would step on his ship, what their motivations were. But every justification Killer gave about you joining the crew was ignored. Not ignored, but pushed away somewhere in Kid's mind. The only thing he saw was you a little while ago, humming in a bar. Almost hypnotizing him.

In the first few days, he chose to remain watching you. It wasn't possible that the heavens had sent you there just to please his vision on dark days, you must have something to hide. As the days went by, he realized you didn't.

As the days went by, Kid felt even more mesmerized, seeing you happily doing your tasks in the distance, hearing your voice hum throughout his ship. On one of these nights, when everyone was drinking, he chose to leave early. Lying in his bed, your voice from afar guided him into a deep sleep, like he hadn't had in a long time.

You gradually became a comfort to his eyes and ears, however, for him to get closer would be like holding a delicate rose amidst so much metal debris. Something so sweet, so delicate seemed beyond his reach.

The room you shared was dark in the dead of night and your whispers and turbulent awakenings didn't seem to bother the others present. Another night, another nightmare.

With the idea of ​​refreshing your mind with some water, you didn't expect to find the crew captain, leaning on the edge of the table, his amputated arm stuck in a bucket of ice.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Kid screamed as soon as he saw your presence in the kitchen.

"I just came to get some water." you explained, reaching for a glass and filling it. You could feel his gaze burning towards you. "Everything is fine?"

"Sure." he grunted, but soon his expression changed to something more serene. It was just the two of you, there was no reason for him to leave it out. "Since I lost this arm, sometimes I have some strange pains. It's like it's still there you know, but it's not."

"Phantom pains." you pointed out, moving a little closer to him. "They say there are many pirates and soldiers who suffer from this."

"Are they saying something about the cure too?"

"I do not think so." You smiled, even if discouraged. "But there are some methods that can help. I mean, just time really helps you deal with it, but some things can distract your mind."

"And can you help me?" his words came out almost automatically, preventing him from stopping them.

"I believe so. I don't have much experience in this, but I have an idea of ​​something that might help." still hesitant, you approached him and took out the ice bucket, placing it aside.

The touch of your hand on his amputated limb made him almost recoil, but your hand was gentle, delicate and in this way you dried the remaining water on his skin.

"Do you mind if we go to my room?" He asked and saw you nod.

The two of you walked in silence to his quarters and with only the moon illuminating the room, it was difficult for you to get caught up on the details.

"Lie down" your voice came out as a whisper and Kid promptly answered. You took the sheet spread there and covered the end of his amputated arm. "Don't look there."

It worked for you, somehow maybe it would work for him. You could feel his eyes practically burning towards you, but you still hadn't found the courage to look back at him. The feeling inside you was strange, different, and at the same time it felt good.

"Close your eyes." you asked and he just grunted, unwilling to follow your little request. "Captain…"

"Aren't you going to do anything?" seeing you agree with him, Kid closed his eyes.

The first thing he felt was your fingers running along his arm, which hadn't been injured. A light, almost imperceptible touch. Sometimes you allowed your fingers to barely touch him and sometimes you let your nails trace a firmer path. You allowed them to trace their way to the back of his neck and then back to his fingertips, intertwining and releasing them. In order to replace the awkward silence between the two of you, you began to hum a calm song, which made up the atmosphere along with the beats of the sea against the ship.

At first, Kid felt tense and still had traces of pain. But little by little the pain in the member that no longer existed seemed to disappear, being replaced by the small goosebumps that you caused on his skin. What he used to try to open his eyes and analyze you became an arduous task. Feeling your skin against his, Kid fell asleep, leaving that uncomfortable pain in the past.

After that day, you felt different. Seeing him trust you to the point of sleeping in your presence made you feel somehow be seen, even if the thought of him not wanting anything to do with you because you were a newbie still haunted you.

One of the afternoons when the ship was docked, you returned to the Victoria Punk only to find a huge piano there.

"What is that?" you let your finger run across the keys. "Is so beautiful!"

"A thanks." Kid appeared behind you, watching you sit on the bench in front of the instrument. "You helped me the other day and I remembered I saw you playing one of these at the bar, I thought you might like it."

"Serious?" you immediately jumped off the bench and hugged Kid, who was surprised and barely had time to respond to the gesture. "I loved it! Emma, ​​come see this!"

You shouted for other crewmates, who soon gathered and listened to you explain how it worked and even teach how they could play a simple song. Moving away a little, Kid watched until his first mate appeared.

"Do you still regret me convincing you to let her stay?" Killer asked.

"At no point did I say I regretted it." Kid pointed out, feeling judged by his friend.

"I know that look, Kid." Killer commented and only saw Kid staring back at him, trying to understand what he was saying. "I haven't seen that look on you in a while, but I'm glad to see it."

"What's with that look?" he asked cynically, seeing Killer start to walk away.

"Last time I saw you looking at someone like that, we chose the name of this ship."

Kid tried to push away thoughts about you after hearing that. But it was intoxicating, inevitable. It was as if your presence and voice were all he was looking for at that moment.

It didn't take many nights for the same discomfort to torment him again, just as it had done a few days ago. His footsteps almost sank the kitchen that morning as he decided whether to ask for your help or not.

“Hi,” you caught his attention, appearing like a mirage. "If you walk any further, you could sink the ship."

"That's not my intention." he pointed out, mustering up some courage. "The pain is back a-and…"

"Do you need my help?" you asked and giving up, he just nodded.

Again, the two of you walked in silence to his room and the whole process was repeated, he lay down, you hid the amputated limb.

"How did you know this would work?" he asked before your fingers even found his skin.

"A lucky guess." you replied, noticing his attentive gaze in your direction. "How can I explain? Well, I have some past problems too, especially when I'm surrounded by too many people at once. It's like suddenly everything becomes too much at once." His eyes followed your every movement, trying to get to know you even more. "That's how I discovered music. Every time I feel like I'm on the edge of that precipice, I use it to get my mind off it."

"As a distraction?"

"Exactly, as a distraction. Take me to a good place." You explained and saw him nod. "I believe that maybe touching and feeling what is still here will make you forget a little about what is not, make you go to a good place."

"It makes sense." he limited himself to saying.

"Let's start?"

Unlike what happened last time, your eyes met Kid's and this time his eyes seemed intent on you. Your hands traced gentle lines on his arm, trying to remove that pain that bothered him so much. Even looking at you, you could notice that Kid wasn't there, not mentally. He seemed focused on a thought that stunned him.

"A berri for what you're thinking." you only heard a nasal laugh come out of him.

"Are my thoughts worth that little?" he asked and you immediately denied it, a shy glow on your face.

Even though it made butterflies in your stomach just thinking about it, you couldn't deny how much you liked it when his eyes were directed at you.

"I can tell you have something on your mind." your hands moved away from him, resting in your lap. "Did I say too much? Do you want me to get out of here?"

"No… You said that helping me with this pain would be like a distraction, right? Take me to a good place" you agreed and Kid continued. "Can I propose something?"

"Of course, I want to be able to help you with that."

You watched Kid lean on his arm and sit down, just a few inches away. Analyzing your every expression, his hand touched your face and unlike every other time you had imagined, the touch was gentle. Even his calloused and trembling hand was still like a piece of the finest silk sliding across your face.

It was inevitable not to lean on his touch, not wanting to feel Kid's hand against your skin even more and it was just that sign he was waiting for.

His lips touched yours lightly, waiting for you to give in to his desire - he had no idea how much of that desire was yours too. What was just a seal of lips soon became an intimate dispute between the space in your mouth, tongues tangled as you involuntarily felt your body lean even more towards Kid.

His fingers were tangled in your hair, slowly leaving strand by strand behind, sliding down your back and pressing firmly against your waist. You knew that Kid was strong, you had been there long enough to see him fight enemies, but a surprised gasp left your lips when you saw that without any effort and with just one arm he managed to tag you - basically guide you - to get to you on his lap.

The kiss became even more heated and you could feel that in addition to the heat, the red paint on his lips had disappeared, probably mixed with your lips.

"Captain…" your low voice whispered, in a struggle to use your hands to push him away. You didn't want to, but the shred of rationality in you knew it was necessary. "Captain, I'm sorry…"

"No, no. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He moved away just enough to look at your face, your legs were still on either side of his hips, his intimacy was hard against yours, which was certainly soaked. Rationality, too early for that. You tried to hold on to that thought. "I'm sorry."

"It is alright." your cheeks burned at the way he looked at you. "I liked it, I really liked it. I just didn't want to go that far."

"Noted." he looked at you like a cute puppy that had been lost. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." your hesitant voice stated and you saw him lay down again, this time, he pulled you and placed you on top of the source of his pain, hiding the arm that no longer existed. "Captain?"

"Just stay here for a while, will you?" He asked, hesitant to hear you deny it. "I mean, if you don't want to, I won't get mad. It's just… I like your presence. I like how you're always helping someone here, or how your eyes light up when someone's telling you some of the things we've been up to. by the sea. I like the way you touch me and damn, your voice just like an angel." he whispered the last part, like it was too much for him. "Just stay here, a little longer."

"Of course captain." you whispered back and reached up, placing a light kiss on his cheek.

Nestling even more against him, your hand that used to caress his arm, got caught in his hair, in a delicate cafuné, while you whispered a song in his ear. Little by little, Kid fell asleep trapped in your arms and that night, you wouldn't insist on leaving his embrace.

[unabashednightmarepizza]

𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠, 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 2

Tagging: @bloody-mf-bsc

Liked by freddycarter1, kittheyounger, benbarnes and 5,795,598 others

Y/N Y/L/N: Field Day ❤️‍🔥🏜️

View 546,923 comments

freddycarter1: I'm telling you, this woman has problems. A "Field Day" is supposed to be fun, not scorching.

Y/N Y/L/N: Ancient civilisations lived like that and they were fine 😑

freddycarter1: They DIED! And we are in modern times, if it wasn't for Amita and Danielle, we would be one of those skeletons in the corner!

freddycarter1: And yes, there were skeletons! See the TRUE side of your precious, her fans!

User3: She could do no wrong😒

Y/N Y/L/N: Ahh, yes, I had to think of the ladies...🥰 And then you and the others.😒

Y/N Y/L/N: @ user3 my babies, I knew you would back me up 🥰 SUCK THAT FREDDY 🖕

kittheyounger: benbarnes, come and get your woman from here. She is bullying us!

Y/N Y/L/N: What gave you the idea that I don't bully him already?

User2: Y/N's clear love for the women of the cast is... Just so us.

Liked by benbarnes, archierenaux3, pascalispunk, milliebobbiebrown and 6,745,352 others

Y/N Y/L/N: Archie said it wasn't that hard to be the Darkling

1. This is just Ben waiting like a Karen so that this "bullshit" would stop.

2. And this is Ben when he actually realized that Archie looked good doing it.

View 785,545 comments

benbarnes: How dare you call me a "Karen" woman?! I call you "love of my life" and that's what I get?

Y/N Y/L/N: But you love me~ 🤭🤗🥰 Besides you don't need to be told that, you are the most handsome man to me!

benbarnes: You know other men? 🤨

Y/N Y/L/N: Seriously? ರ⁠_⁠ರ

User5: Now, Ben is also being a gremlin lol

User3: Only Y/N could call Ben a "Karen" and I'd be fine with it..

User5: She calls us "her gremlins" but at this point, she is the gremlin of all gremlins 😂

User6: Somewhere down the comments, It's said that Y/N had found her new victim, none other than DADDY PEDRO

User5: Their energy matches so well, both chaotic and energetic

User1: And add Oscar too... OMG THE GREMLIN TRIO *WAR SOUNDS*

User2: Ben Barnes Slander made by Y/N affectionetly had started again. Sorrows... sorrows, prayers.

pascalispunk: Suddenly I'm scared of having her around after all of her chaotic posts, and even more chaotic captions...

Y/N Y/L/N: You should be, I'm coming for you next after we're done with those dorks

Liked by jessie_mei_li, benbarnes, blakelively and 7,677,421 others

Y/N Y/L/N: Uhm, excuse me but what the actual fuck? Can you get your hands off of my wives benbarnes?

User2: It's official: Y/N is a simp for Jessie the most and a big fan of her ladies lol

User4: Today, folks, even Ben Barnes lost to women

User5: But is it trully a loss if It's SaB women?

shadowandbone: Once again, women 🌠

User2: I think SaB account is also run by her...

User8: Where is Amita, Daisy and Sujaya? 🤔

Y/N Y/L/N: Safe in my room.🫦

User8: and Anna?

Y/N Y/L/N: I'm safe in her room.

User4: If Y/N was a Man, she would be the greenest green flag

Hater1: or a red flag... ı don't understand how everyone can love her so much. She is so annoying

User3: you can dislike her but never insult her like that. One, she has millions of fans two, she is almost the backbone of the industry and three, her man is overprotective asf

User2: @user3 don't bother too much, girl. Queen Y/N doesn't care about what the other think of her

User3: Say what you want, but I'm sure she cheated on Ben with one of them, or who knows? Maybe Ben also did it? Look at how he is with Jessie and say it to my face

User3: wtf is wrong with you? Neither Ben nor Y/N would ever do that. They had been together for almost three years and are committed to each other! They trust each other immensely which already means a lot to both of them, and shows us the deep connection they have. They are both succesfull, they already met their families and will probably get married soon and be happy with each other forever! And don't even bring my Jessie into this, she is the sweetest soul ever and she is like that with everyone else! She told many times that she was so nervous to shoot her scenes with Ben because she thought Y/M would be angry but our Queen never did and rrusted Ben, which isn't an easy feat for her! If you aren't a delulu girl, I don't know what you are and stay away from our beautiful and cute Y/N and her amazing boyfriend benbarnes! Liked by Y/N Y/L/N and benbarnes

User4: Sis ate up and left now crumbs user3, amazing human being really...

User3: and I'm calling the dibs on their wedding! This is literally the only thing I want and my mum tells me that I wasn't that passionate and eager to go to college... So, imagine my state right now (⁠ﾉ⁠≧⁠∇⁠≦⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠ ⁠ﾐ⁠ ⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

User9: When did this shit go south like that?? Let our parents live their lives peacefully you jealous shits! Are yall blind to not see the obvious love in both their eyes? I can take you to visit a doctor??

SaB.memes: Just a quick question: What was your first reaction when you saw Danielle in the audition?

Y/N: I fell down from my fucking chair, that is what happened.

SaB.memes: and what about the Blake Lively liking your chaotic posts? 🤔

User3: You shouldn't have pointed that out *looks at Y/N worriedly*

Y/N Y/L/N: She didn't like my- HOLY SHIT, IT'S THE FUCKING BLAKE LIVELY?! *screeches like a dinosaur* JUST ONE CHANCE PLEASE!

User3: yep, the reaction we all expexted

Y/N Y/L/N: People had been asking me to share some Ben appreciation because I had been bullying him... And since he doesn't agree on talking to me unless I make a fluffy post about him, and he is backed up by the fans, here it is... I guess?

1. Said this one was for me before he went and shot the most obsecure and violent scene we ever did... Gee, thanks😑

2. Can you get off of my throne? You lost your chance 600 years ago!

3. This is just Ben turning crispy and flirting with me , using a corny pick-up line like "There she is, my saviour angel!"... Sir, I'm the reason you are burning in that costume😑

View 456,989 comments

User4: Y/N slandering Darkling is forever gonna be carved into my mind.

Y/N Y/L/N: Darkling deserves to be punched, rolled over, stabbed, burnt and every other thing... But my Ben only deserves to be coddled and well-taken care of as I babygirl him

User5: I don't know why... But suddenly, a tear ran down my legs at her possessive usage of "my Ben". Was it just me? (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ )

User5: No bestie... I think I just flushed so bad that I had to take a breather (⁠●⁠_⁠_⁠●⁠)

User4: It's official ladies! Ben Barnes is getting the babygirl treatment! As he should djjddj

User7: Do you guys think Ben stalks her page and giggles like a highschool girl whenever he sees her posts?

User1: would be a shame if he didn't

amita_suman: to add to the comments, he blushes until he is a walking tomato too!

freddycarter1: and we confirm that yes, he does all of that indeed.

jessie_mei_li: And yes, he read her comment with "my Ben" and now we can't find hım... They are either making out right now, or he is hiding. Either way, he was so red 🤣

Liked by benbarnes, freddycarter1, vancityreynolds, amita_suman and 7,896,995 others

Y/N Y/L/N: Be grateful for me and my holy ability to take unexpected yet amazing photos. Eat them up everyone!

View 897,698 comments

User5: our lord and saviour has blessed us once again🤲

User4: Had it been not for her, we wouldn't start our day good

freddycarter1: As usual, I'm looking good.

Y/N Y/L/N: Only thanks to me and your wife Kazzle Dazzle

User7: Y/N knows what she is doing... And she is having her fun

User9: There doesn't go a day without her bullying them at least once 🤣

Y/N.Fanpage: She wakes up, looks at Ben's sleeping face and just decides that It's a good day to bully him as she prepares her coloring pencils 😌

User2: What?! OMG I CAN'T- She didn't right? 🤣

Y/N.Fanpage: she did! And he didn't leave the house for the whole day and trapped her inside with him... iykyk 😉😏

User5: OMG-

benbarnes: RYAN REYNOLDS LIKED YOUR POST?

Y/N Y/L/N: said the man who avoided me because I had the same reaction with Blake 😒😑

freddycarter1: do you both have to simp for everyone?

Y/N Y/L/N: We are appreciating the God's work, Freddy... AND RYAN AND BLAKE ARE NOT EVERYONE!😡

benbarnes: Well-said, my love! Peasants like hım wouldn't understand...

User6: To see both of them having a weak spot for Ryan and Blake is... My two parents showing their love for each other 🥹

User4: Blake and Y/N are good friends for years now, and seeing that they are both happy with their lovers is just so beautiful

User8: yeah, they both went through hard times alone together. Seeing them find their other halves is so nice!

blakelively: It's so nice to see you both so well, love! Missed you so much ❤️

Y/N Y/L/N: Me too, Blake! Gosh, it has been soooo long... How are my precious nieces?

blakelively: missing their auntie as usual! And the newest one is eager to meet you too! On thursday? The usual? 😉

Y/N Y/L/N: You bet! And Ben can finally shut up about me being have to introduce Ryan and him

vancityreynolds: Please don't play monopoly...

benbarnes: Too late... She is already grinning like a cheshire cat and is very eager to use her "Crows tactics"...

vancityreynolds: We are doomed...

User6: both Ben and Ryan being uxorious for their lovers is what we ladies need to look for in a man

User10: Y/N, what's the thing you love about Ben the most?

Y/N Y/L/N: Aww, such a sweet question coming from such a sweet person! The answer is: Everything...😍🥰☺️. Liked by benbarnes

User10: OMG you both are so cute! Thank you for answering and being who you are! Have a good day both of you! Liked by benbarnes and Y/N Y/L/N

[tcwmatchmakingau]

One Call Away - Pt. 1

Summary: Thorn wants Fox to find love, and he’s counting on Daria to make it happen. An unstoppable force is about to meet an immovable object.

Pairing: Commander Fox x Daria Trace (OC)

Rating: G (later chapters will get spicy 👀)

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 2886

Written to: The Archer by Taylor Swift

Massive shoutout to @deejadabbles not only for taking the first/last look but also encouraging me so much. Wouldn’t have made it without her 🥰

Matchmaking for the clones was nothing like matchmaking for the smarmy elites of Coruscant. The most noticeable difference was the way they showed their gratitude after a successful match. Daria had received expensive bottles of whiskey, opera tickets and even furs from clients. The gifts were accompanied by generic messages clearly written by their aides, and while Daria wouldn’t say no to good whiskey or a fun night at the theatre, the gifts were perfunctory in nature.

The clones, however, showed their appreciation with their hearts. Daria had received flowers clearly stolen from someone’s greenhouse that perfectly matched her lavender hair, gift cards for iced coffee, all manner of fidgets to keep her occupied, and her favorite, new photos of them with their new partners.

Commander Thorn in particular was immensely grateful for his new girlfriend, but when he’d come by bearing a gift he’d also had a request.

“I’m always happy to see you Thorn, but I’m curious as to why you have a knife in my office,” Daria said, eyeing the blade Thorn was twirling around.

“You like to keep your hands busy, right? So you can learn to spin this, and eventually how to throw it,” he replied with a mischievous grin. “Your hands will never be bored again.”

“A bold claim,” she said, following the knife’s movements. There was something alluring about such a dangerous plaything in motion, and she found her fingers twitching in anticipation. “Ok, I’ll try it.”

“That’s my girl!” He brought the knife to an abrupt stop offering it to her handle first.

Daria took the knife and began slowly moving it through her fingers. Thorn watched her work out the best way, as her hand was much smaller than his, and bare. After one minute, the knife was flipping through her fingers quickly and smoothly.

“Kriff, this is really fun,” she confessed quietly. She couldn’t play with it around other people, unless she was hoping to intimidate them, but when she was alone it would definitely be in heavy rotation amongst her other toys. “Thank you, Thorn.”

“You’re welcome, and now for the part where I beg for assistance.”

Daria stopped the knife, placing it on her desk with a decisive click.

“She does not wish to receive heart-shaped jewelry, so go back to the drawing board on that one,” Daria said after a moment of scrutiny.

“Wha-, how did you-?” Thorn stammered. Daria’s uncanny ability to snatch up threads of thought still left him speechless every time. But he was a man on a mission, and recovered quickly. “Consider the jewelry scrapped. I need to bring someone to you. He needs your help.”

Daria’s dark brown eyes lit up instantly. A smile played around her full lips, as she grabbed her datapad.

“You’ve got my attention,” she said with a raised brow.

“Excellent. It’s my ori’vod, Fox,” Thorn said, his face growing serious.

“Marshal Commander ‘Fall in line or fuck off’ Fox?” Daria asked.

Thorn nodded, “That’s the one. He practically lives in his office still, and he needs someone to get him out. Someone that makes him want to take his days off. Someone who he can’t intimidate. Who won’t take his shit.”

“You want me to find someone who’s not intimidated by the most intimidating authority figure on the planet? Possibly in the quadrant?”

“You’re Daria Trace. You found someone that made Wolffe smile. Not a ‘last thing you see before you die’ smile, but an ‘I’m so in love’ smile,” Thorn said, his bright eyes soft and hopeful.

“While everything you just said is true,” Daria conceded. “Commander Wolffe wanted my help. I feel like Commander Fox will toss me in a holding cell, if I so much as suggest he needs my assistance finding a date.”

“But he does,” Thorn insisted. “Just meet him. If he’s hopeless, he’s hopeless. If he’s not, promise me you’ll find someone for him.”

Daria adored the clones, but the way they wielded those big brown eyes was brutal. It was nearly impossible to deny them anything in one’s power.

“Bring him in,” she said finally, caving to Thorn’s masterful tooka eyes.

“Wizard! I knew you’d be up for it,” He cheered. “This means the world to me, Daria. He deserves to live his life.”

“You all do,” she assured him. “I promise I’ll do all I can. Now put on your helmet and get out of my office.”

Thorn shot her a winning smile, and left with a pep in his step. The door had barely closed behind him before Daria was researching Fox on the holonet while she twirled her new vibroblade.

***

Fox never thought he would miss the rules that led all of his vode to keep their relationships under wraps, but then Right to Love set up shop. He now had a battalion of love struck shock troopers, who couldn’t stop going on and on about their new partners, and their matchmakers.

Everywhere he went it was:

“Tarsi changed my life.”

“I owe Yen everything.”

“Daria is a miracle worker.”

Daria Fucking Trace. She was Thorn’s favorite, and he’d been bugging Fox to come and meet her ever since his first date with his now girlfriend. Every three to five business days, he’d be back at it again. Fox loved seeing his brothers happy, and thriving. Especially Thorn, even though he was testing Fox’s patience.

Fox had made the mistake of saying Thorn’s lunch looked tasty, and he’d eagerly explained his girlfriend made it for him, and Fox could have homemade lunches with love notes too, if he would just meet Daria.

“Look, Fox, I know you’re very attached to your nocturnal, work is my life persona, but we’re free men now,” Thorn said before biting into his lunch, humming with joy at the taste. “We deserve to be happy. Especially you, vod.”

“Free or not, we still have a job to do. One of us has to stay focused, so the rest can go off with pretty nat borns,” Fox countered, sipping on an iced caf.

“You should be out with pretty nat borns too. Why are you punishing yourself?”

“I’m not punishing myself. I’m just too busy for a relationship. Someone has to keep this place in order. As Marshal Commander,” Fox began.

“As Marshal Commander,” Thorn mocked with an exaggerated voice. “Just go with me to meet her. If it doesn’t work, I’ll kriff off. But if she can find you a nice young woman or man to get the stick out of your ass…”

“Will you leave me the kriff alone if I say yes?” Fox demanded.

“Yes! For a time.”

“And I won’t have to hear about Daria Trace for the next 30 rotations minimum?”

“Sure thing…but you’ll go?” Thorn looked so excited, even Fox felt himself melting a little. His soft spot for Thorn would never harden it seemed.

“Fine. Set it up.”

“YES!” Thorn cheered before taking a victorious bite of his lunch, grinning as he chewed.

***

Daria waltzed to the lobby promptly at 1259 hours, and found Blizzard obsessively straightening his desk.

“What are you doing, Blizz?” She asked with barely concealed amusement.

“The Commander Fox is coming here. I just want everything to be perfect.” He leaned closer and offered in a conspiratorial whisper, “He’s so kriffing cool. Total badass. I’m equally terrified and in awe.”

“Is that so?” Daria asked with a grin.

Blizzard nodded, and opened his mouth to say more, but at 1300 hours on the dot the door was opening to admit Commander Thorn with Commander Fox in tow.

Thorn always brought wonderful energy into any space, and Daria found his presence comforting if a bit wild.

Fox’s energy was an entirely different story. Contained, but utterly commanding with the fiercest protective intent. She couldn’t focus on anything else no matter how she tried, but the part that surprised her was the blissful feeling of being utterly secure. Safe. Relaxed.

Her constant desire to fidget was quelled. Her fingers rested in her pockets. Her weight held in place rather than shifting. Her heart was steady, calm.

Is this what other people feel like all of the time? Daria thought, offering a dazzling smile to the pair of commanders.

Thorn, never being one for ceremony, scooped Daria up into a bear hug, squishing her against his armored chest until she wheezed in protest.

“I’m happy to see you too,” she coughed out, as he placed her back on her feet.

“I forget how tiny and soft you are,” Thorn said as though he was amused.

“Scientists and therapists under 5’7” aren’t known for breeding kids of the blaster-toting, knife-gifting variety,” Daria said, lifting one expertly arched brow.

“It’s ok, Daria, we can’t all be perfect,” Thorn said, pulling his helmet off, and shaking his curls free. “This is Commander Fox. Fox, this is Daria Trace. The miracle matchmaker.”

“Is that what you’ve been telling people about me?” Daria asked, her face warming up instantly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’m sure my exploits were greatly exaggerated. Especially coming from my dear little brother,” Fox said, his tone bored, and drier than Tatooine.

Oh this will be fun. Daria thought.

“Well, I’ll let you do your thing, and find Fox a wife or a husband. He’s not picky,” Thorn said with a smirk. “He can’t be with that face.”

The modulator did nothing to hide the sigh of sheer exhaustion from Fox.

“You have the same…clone humor. I should have expected nothing less from you,” Daria said with a soft laugh.

“Don’t indulge him,” Fox said tilting his head at her disapprovingly.

“Sorry. Follow me,” Daria said, with a laugh.

Fox followed the matchmaker down the hall. Everything about her said she’d never followed a rule in her life. From her mismatched earrings to the way she walked like there was music playing only she could hear. The mischievous sparkle in her eyes, the way her rich voice wrapped around the word Commander like the concept of authority amused her. It was completely unsurprising that Thorn was fond of her.

Reaching her office, Fox scanned the room quickly. A wall devoted to her successful matches no doubt, as he saw several of his brothers’ faces, including Thorn and Wolffe. There were a number of small toys scattered across Daria’s desk. Fox counted 10. Some brightly colored, some durasteel, and before she could stash it in a drawer…

“Is that a vibroblade?” he asked, folding his arms, as he took a seat at her desk.

“Gift from Thorn,” she said, closing the drawer where she kept the weapon turned fidget toy.

“Don’t cut yourself with it,” Fox said. “It’ll be a mountain of paperwork when you have to explain to a doctor how a matchmaker got stabbed with a vibroblade.”

“Don’t lose sleep over it, Commander,” Daria said, whipping the knife out of the drawer and spinning it quickly through her fingers while keeping her eyes on his visor.

“How long have you been practicing that?”

“Every free moment for 3 rotations,” she confessed.

Fox shook his head. That tracked.

“You didn’t come all the way here to discuss my knife skills. You need a date.”

“I’m only doing this to get Thorn off of my ass,” Fox said, folding his arms, and sitting back in the chair across from Daria.

“Ah so you’d like to hang out in my office, kill an hour, and then go back and pretend I’m a fake?” Daria asked, with a raised brow.

“Something like that.”

Daria laughed, and Fox noted the sound was pleasant, infectious. “Nope. My professional reputation is as sparkling as your service record, Commander.”

“Please. This is guess work at best,” He argued.

“Oh yeah? Try me.”

“How?” He asked.

“Talk to me.”

“That’s what I’m doing now.”

Daria released a sigh, and fixed him with a look. “I mean about something real like why Thorn is so invested in your love life.”

“Because he’s a nosy little brother. As an only child, you wouldn’t know about that,” He said, relaxing his arms, as he made himself comfortable. He was disappointed when his revelation was met with a satisfied little grin instead of surprise.

“I hope you found something more interesting than that in my background check,” She said, placing her elbows on the desk, and resting her chin on her crossed fingers.

“Perhaps. I’d never show all of my cards right away, Trace,” He said with a light shrug. “And neither would you.”

You wanna play hardball, let’s play. She thought.

“Ok, you think I'm a fraud; I think you’re afraid.”

The lightest shift in energy in the room told Daria she’d struck a nerve.

“What makes you think that?” He asked, keeping his voice professional and even.

“A very long list of things that I couldn’t get through with 2 full rotations devoted to you, so let’s split my lunch, Thorn’ll think we did the whole thing, and you can go back to pretending you’re happy.” Reaching into her bottom desk drawer, Daria pulled out her lunch, and set about portioning out half for Fox.

“Here,” She said, passing him half of her pasta, and half of a large pastry.

He’d been on the verge of declining and walking out, but he was absolutely starving, and it looked so delicious. Especially the pastry. His sweet tooth wouldn’t let him say no. He accepted the food, and watched as Daria got comfortable in her chair, one leg tucked beneath her, as she started eating.

There was a light hiss, as Fox unsealed and removed his helmet. He was acutely aware of the matchmaker’s gaze, as she took in his features. He could hear her mentally noting the differences between him and his brothers. The scar on his nose, his curls held back by a red headband, the dark circles under his eyes.

He shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth, and resisted humming in pleasure. Of course it’s delicious. Perfect. He thought, annoyed.

“Good?” She asked, swallowing her current bite, and looking hopeful.

“Yeah,” He confessed. “I don’t really make time to cook.”

“I’d be more surprised if you did.”

They continued to eat in a surprisingly companionable silence until Fox bit into the pastry. Fuck, ok. He thought.

“I’m not pretending I’m happy,” he blurted out before taking another bite of the fluffy treat.

“I didn’t peg you for a liar, Commander.”

“I’m not lying,” He shot back, brow furrowed.

“You were bred for war, told you’d see the stars, and got stuck in this corrupt skughole,” Daria said, twirling noodles onto her fork. “Your life is your own now, but you insist on clinging to what you know because it’s safe, simple, comforting.”

“You don’t have a sense of duty, clearly,” Fox said with a roll of his eyes.

“No, I do. I just also believe that my life is mine, and feeling fulfilled is important. That can look different for different people,” she replied. “Do you feel fulfilled?”

He stared down at his food for a moment. “You’re irritating, did you know that?”

“I’ve heard it a few times.”

After another long moment, Fox confessed, “Maybe coming home to someone wouldn’t be terrible, but they’d have to understand the job comes first. My hours aren’t normal, and I don’t dance.”

“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” Daria said, scooping up her datapad and making some notes while she munched on half of the pastry. “Do you like animals?”

“No.”

“This is going to take forever, if you keep lying to me,” she said without missing a beat as she marked yes.

“How do you do that? It’s exhausting,” Fox snapped, shoving the last bite of pastry into his mouth.

“It’s always been like that,” Daria looked up then, and fixed him in her gaze. “You have a sweet tooth. It’s bad.”

“So find me a baker.”

“It’s not that easy.”

After another hour of getting raked over the coals by the matchmaker, Daria escorted Fox back to the lobby.

“I’ll call you,” she said with a mysterious little smile. “Bye, Thorn.”

“Bye, Daria. Thank you,” Thorn called as she made her way back down the hallway.

Fox watched her go before slipping out of the front door and taking a deep breath once it had closed behind him.

“She’s amazing, right?” Thorn asked, joining him.

Fox pulled on his helmet. “She’s as obnoxious as you without the shared DNA to make it tolerable.”

“Whatever, you love me,” Thorn said, as he donned his own helmet. “Let’s go get food. I’m starving.”

“I already ate. Go take your girlfriend to a food stand, and I’ll see you in a little while,” Fox ordered.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Thorn replied, taking off towards the train.

Alone with his thoughts, Fox wandered back towards the barracks.

Daria Fucking Trace was an absolute menace. There was no doubt about it.

***

No less than 15 minutes after Fox’s departure, Daria was twirling her blade, and flipping through profiles. No one currently in the system would suit the salty Commander, but she was determined to find someone who could make that man smile. He might have been hard on the outside, but those soft insides deserved someone who would cherish him.

[dragonmom-art]

One thing that has been helping me to go through the rough times lately is raffles. Raffling some of my Amigurumi pieces made me understand the importance of keep creating and most of all, made me see who's actually by my side supporting my work and my dream.

So today I'll show you the raffles I did until now and I'mma be updating you guys about my future raffles as well in this blog. Let's go!👍

This pretty dollie was the first raffle I've ever made. She has a bittersweet story behind her.

A client came to me commissioning this big doll and I made her as she requested. But in the end the client refused to pay the price the doll was worth. It was supposed to be my biggest commission back then and I got very disappointed. The dollie lived in my Amigurumi cupboard for about 2 years since then.

That's when my mom came with the idea to raffle the dollie for Children's Day (a popular holiday here in Brazil) and I saw the opportunity to not only make some money out of the doll but also make a kid happy on their day. So me and my mom prepared everything and mom started selling the raffle numbers at her workplace. To my surprise it was a BLAST and all the numbers were sold in basically 2 days! I must confess that I'm lucky that mom has a lot of good friends that knows me and my work and support me there, but still I was impressed on how quickly the raffle numbers sold out.

I got very satisfied with the results. I earned more than double of the money the doll was worth and now she belongs to a very special little girl.🥰

I got so overwhelmed by how quickly and easy everything went and mostly how kind people were to me with their support that I decided to gift all the raffle buyers a little thank you favor, these cute heart keychains. And that was a jackpot idea, 'cause I got lots of commissions for these keychains after I distributed them.

The second item I raffled was this Schnauzer doggie. I posted it's story here earlier so go check it out if you missed. Long story short, it was another frustrated sale that I decided to raffle on Christmas, since I couldn't prepare anything specifically for that date and, again to my immense luck, people were asking for a raffle. Again another stuck piece that I raffled for twice it's price.

The winner was a dog lover that was thrilled with the prize, which made me very happy.

Unfortunately I didn't had time to make thank you favors this time, but I made sure to let everyone who's have joined the raffle know how grateful I was and still am for their support. ❤️

And last, but not least, here's my latest raffle. I don't know why, but I wanted to make some handbags sooo bad! My first idea was to raffle 2 bags separately to make more money and offer to my friends outside mom's workplace. But my plans were frustrated by a case of yarn incompatibility, so I had to stick with one handbag only. Then mum suggested me to make a Snoopy doll to complement and bring more attention to the raffle since many or her fellow coworkers are fans of the little puppy. So I made it and it was again a huge success, the numbers sold out in a few days as well.

My favorite part was acknowledging that the winner was actually super confident of winning and it was a pleasant surprise when I sorted her number out of many others. I'll never underestimate confidence again. 😂

As favors this time I sorted these lovely owl key holders amongst all the raffle buyers. They all loved the idea and I am very happy with another successfull raffle round. 🥰

One thing that caught my attention is that, in a way, every raffle prize went to the right person and that inspires me to keep doing what I do. I hope this streak never ends.🙏🍀

The patterns I used for the raffles are:

"Boneca Bianca" by Amanita Crochet (PT-BR)

"Chaveiro de coração em crochê fácil e rápido!!" by Geovana Amigurumi SZ (PT-BR)

"Amigurumi Dog With Fur" by Projectarian

"Bolsa de crochê Arco-iris" by Cristina Luriko (PT-BR)

"Snoopy amigurumi" by Queiroz Ateliê (PT-BR)

The owls were inspired by "tutorial crochet keychain owl | owl crochet for beginner" by knitted with azi

[neallo]

Please write more halle x matt fics if you can 🥺🥺

gfgghgfbvccdgg this is very sweet, i do intend to write more for them whenever i can tbh. i enjoy them immensely 🥰 going to insert another little fic fragment below the readmore here for you ❣️

Halle stares at the number. It's not one she recognizes, which means it's either spam, someone from work, or—

God. She's not even going to think it. It's too pathetic. She flips open the phone and brings it to her ear, clutching it to her face with her shoulder after a moment so she can pour herself another glass of wine. “Hello?”

“Happy birthday!” It's a man's voice, one that seems similar to Matt's, but that could be the wine and the idiotic sentimentality skewing her perception, too.

“Thank you,” she says, swirling the wine in her glass a little and adjusting to hold the phone with her hand again. “May I ask who this is?”

“Ouch, Halle,” the man says, and now she's pretty damn sure it is Matt. “Guess you haven't been thinking of me as much as I've been thinking about you, huh?”

She laughs, face warming at the overt flirtation. “Matt,” Halle says. “Forgive me. I wasn't expecting to hear from you.”

She hears him sharply suck air in through his teeth. “Fuck, did I wait too long to call? Sorry. I'm— sort of shit at this kinda thing.”

Halle resists the urge to ask him what kind of thing he thinks is going on between them; she's not even sure what she wants the answer to be. “You're fine,” she assures. “I appreciate the kind wishes.”

“Yeah, of course,” Matt says. “What're you doing for it? Throwing a rager?”

Laughing again, Halle crouches to peek at the chicken she has in the oven. It's still got a ways to go; there are another twenty minutes on the timer, but she thinks it might take closer to thirty. “I'm afraid not,” she tells Matt. “I don't actually have many friends in the city anymore. Most of them have gotten married, moved to the suburbs.”

“How frightfully dull,” he replies in a posh British accent. “Uh, of them, I mean. You're not dull.”

She hums. “I don't know. I'm thirty now, might have to take up knitting or something.”

“Hey, knitting is kinda cool," Matt says. "You'd make it hot somehow.”

“Careful,” Halle says. “Or I might think you're trying to invite yourself over.”

She winces the moment the words are out of her mouth, belatedly realizing how desperate she sounds.

“Here I thought I was being so smooth about it,” Matt says. There's a tense pause as Halle tries to determine if he's serious. “For real, though,” he adds, “I'd really love to see you.”

She forces herself to relax, taking a sip of her wine before replying. “I wouldn't mind the company,” she says. “If you happen to be free.”

“I'm so free,” Matt blurts. “Where do you live?”

“I'm in Manhattan,” she says, then rattles off her block and the name of her building.

“Sick, I'm actually not that far from there,” Matt says. “I'll be there in like— fifteen minutes?”

“Sounds good,” she says, though fifteen minutes gives her virtually no time to freshen up. “Ring apartment 202 when you get here, I'll buzz you up.”

“Will do. See you soon, Halle.”

[allylikethecat]

I just read (Sometimes) for the first time. I don’t know how it took me so long, I’ve been keeping up with make way for ducklings since the first chapter. But wow, (Sometimes) made me feel things. The way you were able to write that and literally break me to pieces— gosh that’s talent. You’re truly so talented.

No pressure here from me for a sequel, but have you ever considered what ends happening to matty? If he’s able to heal and be okay with George and the boys? I would love to hear your thoughts

!!!!!

First off, thank you so much for reading Make Way for Ducklings! That fic is one of my precious babies and I was so nervous about posting it since I hadn't seen any other mpreg in the fandom and I was worried people were going to hate it, or me or worse totally ignore it. Instead, it seems to have found an audience and I could not be happier about it! What started out as a very self indulgent project turned into something that other people enjoy! Which is so absolutely amazing and makes me so thankful to all the nice people on the internet 🥰

(Sometimes) is probably one of my favorite fic that I've ever written, like top 3 for sure, and was another one I was nervous about posting (is this a trend? Me being nervous? it might be a trend) because of the delicate subject matter. I'm so immensely proud of it and am so happy that other people have enjoyed it and that it has made them ~feel things~ I feel bad about it, but making Fictional!Matty suffer brings me a lot of joy and I love that other people enjoy his fictional hardship as well.

Thank you so, so, so much for your kind words about my writing! I honestly teared up reading this ask, I love writing SO MUCH, both fanfiction and original fiction and to get positive feedback from people? (Or honestly any kind of feedback) is just so incredible and I am so incredibly thankful. I had an English Teacher in 9th grade that told me I was an awful writer, and that I had no talent for it and had no business pursuing it, so I should just stop trying to force it (The best is that I still have it ALL in the email she wrote it in printed out as motivation) and so every comment, every hit, every kudos is an extremely validating F You to her.

In terms of a sequel/companion to (Sometimes) it is something that I have considered and have played around with. I'm not sure if it's something that will ever get fully fleshed out or posted, it currently lives in the very rough bullet point stage of outlining in the Notes app on my phone, but from what I do have, Fictional!Matty is very much (obviously and rightfully) not okay, and it takes a lot and a long time for him to feel okay or like things might be okay again. One of the big notes I have is him navigating how physical and affectionate the guys all are with each other, and also the blatant size difference between the rest of the guys and Matty and how he feels about that after being physically violated and overpowered. Maybe if I ever finish one of my twenty thousand others WIPs I'll flesh it out and post it! Either in completed form or my bullets on Tumblr.

Sorry for the worlds longest response to your ask! I got a little over excited and had to geek out over my own fic. If you made it this far, thank you so much again for your kind words and for reading! They really mean so much to me!

❤️Ally

[runnning-outof-time]

Hi! Congratulations!!!! I love the way you write. I’m always on Tumblr because of you 🥹

You inspire me to write as well 🥰

Here is my Tommy gif. I know you will make something amazing with it

Oh my goodness, you’re too sweet!! I’m so happy that you enjoy my stories! ☺️💕 I hope that you enjoy this as well.

It’ll Be You

Warnings: language, cheating...sorry to the Grace lovers

This takes place at a charity dinner, where the Shelby family is making connections with potential business partners and investors.

(Y/N) had been moving around the room all night. She made attempts to look for him as she spoke with other people in attendance of the event that was being hosted by the Shelby family. She had gotten an invitation to the event not from the head of the family, but rather from its matriarch, Polly Gray. But she’d do anything to talk to the head of the family at that moment.

She was speaking to some older man and his wife about something irrelevant when her eyes finally found the person she’d been looking for. He was standing directly across the room from her, and his eyes were burning into her body. Her eyes focused on him for a few moments before she looked at the bigger picture in front of him. There was a man and a woman on either side of him. The man (Y/N) didn’t recognize, but she could spot the woman from a mile away. Grace Burgess. She and Tommy shared a child, and now she was here, on his arm, looking like a million dollars in a silk dress with a fur draped over her elbows.

But Tommy was looking at (Y/N). He only had eyes for (Y/N). And after he holds her gaze for a few more moments, he opens his mouth slightly and just barely nods his head to the side, a signal that he hopes that she picks up.

And she does. (Y/N) knows full well what his nod means. She excuses herself from the couple she’d been ignoring for the past few seconds so that she could leave the main event area in search of a secluded hallway. When she finds one and stops in it, she’s not surprised that Tommy’s a few steps away from her.

He looks her up and down like she’s some sort of prey before he’s backing her up against the wall with his arms on either side of her. When she’s trapped with nowhere to go, his lips drop onto hers in a searing kiss that makes her head spin. Her hands come up to the sides of his face so that she’s able to hold his lips to hers for a few more moments before pulling away.

“You brought her,” she breathes against his lips once they break apart.

“I had to,” Tommy responds as he tries to lean in to kiss her again. (Y/N) stops him before he’s able to.

“You could be out there with her on your arm, but yet you’re back here, kissing me.”

“That’s because I fucking need you, (Y/N),” he tells her, pulling back so that his eyes could meet hers. “I fucking need you, and she doesn’t matter right now.” He once again tries to make a move on her, but she holds him in his place.

“You have a child with her, Thomas,” she reminds him.

“There’s speculation that it might not be mine,” he tells her, hoping that his words will do the trick to get her back on his side.

But they serve to do the complete opposite. In fact, all they do is bring anger (Y/N). “You still fucked her, Tommy! The second she came back to London, you found her and you fucked her!” (Y/N) exclaims, now feeling an immense fire inside of her. She stares at him with wide eyes for a few moments before more realization dawns: “and I’ve just kissed you. Oh god...I’ve just fallen right were you wanted me to.”

“It’ll be you though, (Y/N). The moment I find the opening, I leave Grace and be with you,” Tommy declares, his words only making her head spin more.

“No. Please don’t say that, Tommy,” she says while shaking her head. In doing so, she hopes that the words he’d just uttered will disappear. But they don’t. “Please don’t say that you’ll be with me...that it’ll be me. Because I’m just a whore. Just a whore that filled your bed when she went to America. Just a whore that managed to meet your family and somehow won them over. Just a fucking whore.”

“(Y/N)...” Tommy trails off with a sigh, “you’re not a whore,” he shakes his head slightly.

“Then what am I?” she asks him incredulously, her eyebrows raised, “because how I see it is I’m just one of the women that you sweet talked into your bed in order to fill the void that you felt because your true love was off on another continent.”

These words are meant to hurt Tommy, but they hurt her as well. Because she wasn’t just someone who he got into his bed...she and Tommy would stay up to odd hours of the night talking about his business, and she would have chats with Polly at the Garrison over some top shelf whiskey. It was different with (Y/N). But (Y/N) wasn’t the woman on Tommy’s arm, Grace was. And for that reason, she couldn’t be around him anymore...no matter how much both she or he wanted her(self) to be.

(Y/N) holds Tommy’s eyes after she finished speaking. She watches as the gears turned in his mind. After a few moments of silence pass, she speaks again: “you don’t even know to say,” her voice comes out just above a whisper, “you don’t even know what to say because you know that it’s true. You can’t leave her, and I’m nothing. This won’t ever work, Tommy. I need to go,” she gives him one last look as she finishes her statement, and at this point, he’s stepped away from her so that she’s be able to walk back down the hall and out of the event hall completely.

[starbuckie]

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

words: 4k words (goddamn i'm a slut for fluffy goodness)

warnings: angst at the beginning, fluffy goodness, bucky barnes in an apron (sexy sexy man), civil war era bucky, yn’s family lives on the west coast go norcal go), gingerbread making this is very christmas indulgent

summary: y/n l/n is very much a family girl. she enjoys spending time with her parents and her nieces, to get to taste her traditional family cookies in the suburbs of california, but living in new york has its consequences, snowstorms being just one of them. she doesn’t know how she’ll make it through the holiday season without getting to go home, but it’s a good thing that there’s always a pretty, blue-eyed, metal-armed super soldier always willing to help her out.

a/n: i’m tired. i’m very very tired. but as long as i have me bucko i think i’ll be okay🥰 please do enjoy, and happy holidays my babies <33 reblog and comment if you really wanna make me happy !!

main masterlist || sebastian stan characters masterlist

December 20. A stupid, no-good, absolutely goddamn awful day. Sure, it was beautiful. Winter looked good on New York, especially upstate where the plentiful trees let snow rest on their branches and children sloshed across the ground for a small bit of warmth. Opalescent lakes froze over, catching a certain serenity in its gaze, animals hibernating by its pretty sight to create the most Hallmark image in the world. Despite everything wonderful the New York holiday season had to offer Y/N, she loved to spend her holidays in the slightly warmer air of California. The salty breeze of San Francisco and the misty fog that rolled over her head on Christmas walks with her two little nieces were just too good to pass up. After all, this was the year Mona and Cici were five and she had bets that they finally remembered her name. Auntie Y/N did have a nice ring to it.

But this year, the New York weather had proved to be a little stubborn when it came to getting home. The Avenger should’ve expected it, with the immense amounts of snow clouding up the sky and the streets of the East coast, but she had held out all hope. Until now.

“Your flight is cancelled, my ass!” The woman yelled. The words echoed around her room, making them just that more real that she wouldn’t be home, her real home, for the holidays this year. “This is goddamn bullshit.”

“Shut the fuck up, Y/N.” Sam groaned from the room next to hers. Her wallmate was normally up at the same time as her, an early-riser superstar, Sam Wilson was. He also shared her love for the holidays and for his own family, but the difference between the two of them was that his sister and nephews were already in state for their visit.

Turning to the wall the noise came from, she knocked it a few times just to piss her friend off. “Fuck off, bird-brain, my plane home got cancelled. Stupid fucking snowstorm.” Y/N turned her phone off and flopped backwards into the bed, her body bouncing a few times before coming to a rest, ending in a position that was not safe nor comfortable. She readjusted her arms that had gotten caught under the weight of the rest of her body and faced her door with a pout, only to catch sight of the two bubblegum pink suitcases filled with her clothes and souvenirs to bring back to her family. It only angered her even further.

Two knocks sounded at the door of her room and Sam walked in, baring sympathetic eyes and an apologetic smile. His pajamas were still on, his Yoda ones with the stupid, matching house slippers, eyes bloodshot from the crazy night before.

It was no secret that Y/N enjoyed the holidays, having filled the Avengers compound with garlands of popcorn, blue and white baubles, even going as far as to ask the staff who came in what they celebrated so all would feel welcome during their stay, no matter how long of short it may be. Her excitement for her family and the holiday cheer radiated through the walls of the darkened facility, and while normally the other Avengers enjoyed her spirit, they really just wanted to damn sleep after their drunken movie night that had ended at three in the morning.

Said drunken movie night may have included a very tipsy Wanda giving a very blushful Vision a lap dance and Sam had also been victim to a terrible, just terrible, lap dance from one Tony Stark.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I didn’t know you were having a shitty day. It sucks you can’t go home this year.” The kind man came to sit next to his close friend on the bed, rubbing her shin with his left hand. “There’s just no easy solution for these kinds of things.”

Her heart ached for home. For the first time in nearly two decades, she wouldn’t be sitting with her parents at the dinner table, setting a roasted turkey on the table to share with family. But she moved on. There was no use in crying over something she couldn’t change. She sighed, shoving her face into the comforter below her. “Yeah, it kinda blows, but it’s kinda freeing too, I guess.”

The man next to her cocked a brow at her statement, facing her as he asked, “What do mean by that?”

“Well,” she began to get up, shuffling her legging-clad legs up to her chest, “I’ve never not been home for the holidays. I’ll miss my family and Mona and Cici aren’t gonna get their presents in time because Postal Service is down too, but I get to spend the holidays in the compound this year. With you guys. My second family. Which should be more fun because now I can be naughty,” she exaggerated her last word, jokingly winking at her friend with a smirk.

“I’m glad you’re able to find the light in this, Y/N, I'm really proud of you,” Sam grinned genuinely before adding, “Also never knew you were capable of handling anything maturely.”

Y/N huffed out a laugh and grabbed a pillow to launch at his face as he squealed in fear. “Shut the hell up, I’m more adult than the rest of the group combined.” Her friend just took her assault and flung the pillow harder at her, making her catastrophically hit the mattress below her and bang her head on the headboard, but before she could say anything, someone interrupted her complaint.

“That is horseshit, dolly, don’t be makin’ up lies,” a voice sounded from the door of her room. Sam was shit at remembering to close it, she should’ve guessed. Recognizable footsteps padded across the floor, letting her know that someone else had entered her bedroom. It was the beat up black boots, the grey sweatpants, and the cologne scent of cedarwood that always hung off them to let her know that it was-

“Tin Man!” Sam beamed, “you made it just in time for the pity party.” As soon as he said Bucky’s (nick)name, she flew up from where she had fallen on her back, straightening out her hair and trying to look less out of place than she was with her previous lazy airplane-lounging attire. Her attraction to the man was… less than subtle. It had only gotten worse over the year she’d known him so his unexpected arrival made her absolutely rigid. Bucky’s large presence seemed to make everything that much more awkward, his blue-grey eyes wide with surprise at Sam’s outburst. “Can you stay here with Y/N? She’s whinier than usual and I need coffee before I can handle both that and a hangover.”

Before the metal-armed man could speak, Sam zipped out of the room. Y/N also swore that at that moment that she could kill Sam Wilson. The damn idiot knew of her infatuation with the supersoldier (the whole compound did), and it was no coincidence that he had left the two alone in her room. “He’s-”

“Annoying, that's what the bastard is,” Y/N grinned. She ruffled her hair into something slightly better than before, pulling herself up to cross her legs. She only took a glance up to the tall man, before adding, “You don’t have to stay, Buck, really, I’m just being butthurt about nothin’ serious.”

“Hey, darlin’, I don’t mind it. I like spendin’ time with you,” Bucky grimaced as he sat himself on the edge of the bed precariously, being mindful of his large frame interrupting her bubble of personal space. Way to be corny, asshat. He was always a little too worried about being too forward with her. Just her. It was no coincidence that the bird man had left the two of them together because he took every moment he could to taunt the frustrated, lovesick man ever since he’d confessed his love for her a few months back. He gently moved his eyes up to hers, only to find her staring at him already. “I, uh, I heard that you couldn’t go to California this year. I’m real sorry.”

If you keep worrying about me in that damn Brooklyn accent, I’m going to have to kill you. Y/N sighed, letting a small upturn of her lips take over. “Am I really that loud that you can hear me from down the hall?”

“Darlin’” Bucky chuckled, “you know you are.” Both of them shared a short, sweet laugh about it. Something about the way he teased her, it wasn’t mean, it wasn’t rude, it just made her feel fuzzy and tipsy, like his words were the sweetest, most potent wine she’d drunk.

“That’s very true, Buck,” she sighed. “I think I’ll be okay, I’m just gonna miss my family a lot, but I have you guys here with me too. I can celebrate in some Avengers family traditions this holiday.”

Bucky grinned, testing the waters by scooching closer to the top of her bed where she sat up against the frame, laying a friendly hand on her knee. Thousands of goosebumps spread across her skin at the light of his touch, and she had to stop her heart from beating so furiously loud because she just knew he could hear it. “‘M afraid we don’t do anything except eat dinner and drink together over the holidays. Or what I’ve experienced, anyways. It's not as bright when we don’t have our resident sunshine,” Y/N’s face burned at his slight flirt, and she knew that there was no use in hiding her swelling heart anymore. “Maybe you could bring some of your sunny California traditions over to New York this year. We need more fun things to do, doll.”

A little smile curled at Y/N’s lips, her eyes suddenly glazing over as if she were entranced in a memory. Her fingers started to play with the ones laid on her knee, fidgeting around as she remembered her baby nieces and fond times with her family. “Well, each year I decorate cookies with the younger kids in the family and we go bring them to the senior center near my sister’s house. Her kids were born about five years back, Cici and-”

“Mona, I remember.” Chubby-cheeks, toothless grins, and wide, innocent eyes staring into the camera, wearing matching tutus and shirts for their second birthday three years prior. When he had first seen the picture, he noticed that it was something he had wanted before the war. Something he still longed for, but definitely couldn’t have. If he could though, it would only be with the woman playing with his fingers and sitting right in front of him. “Real cute kids,” he noted.

Y/N nodded and glanced out of the window in her room, watching the snow come down hard on those poor people who had to walk during the harsh weather.

“Well, dolly, I know for a fact that I saw that Tony stocked up on some ingredients from the recent grocery store run.” Bucky saw her ears perk up at his words and he had to hold back a chuckle. “We could go bake some cookies and hand them out at the women’s shelter in Hell’s Kitchen that you always sneak off to right before training. You always have a shitty excuse for being late.”

Her face heated up at being caught, but nonetheless the idea was appealing to her. But an entire day spent doing her family traditions with the sweetest man alive? Yeah, she could definitely get with that idea. “Thought I was bein’ subtle,” she murmured.

“You up for the challenge, darlin’? You’re the only person I know who makes good cookies here, and this is not an easy mission,” he bounced off the bed with a small crack of his old, prehistoric bones, and offered out his metal arm like a true gentleman of his time.

“Challenge accepted.” She took Bucky’s offered arm, which he then used to scoop her up and tossed her frame over his right shoulder as she erupted into a fit of giggles. “Christ, Buck, you could give a girl a warning.”

As they made their way down the long, never-ending route to the familial kitchen, Bucky noted her festive decorations she had set up around their living quarters. He really couldn’t imagine a world without the sparkle she brought to their everyday lives. “You made this place look like a damn hotel, Y/N, you ever thought about becoming an interior designer?”

“Few times,” Y/N quipped back, watching the sight of the cranberry garlands behind his back. “But my parents thought I should pursue a STEM-related major in college so I have to live with the everyday burden of never knowing my true potential.”

“Shut up,” Bucky chuckled, slapping the back of her thigh.

The two laughing Avengers laughed through the hallways of the compound, passing Sam and Steve with mission briefings in hand. “You two look like you’re having fun,” Steve commented with a smirk. He knew very well of Bucky’s thing for Y/N, but he was surprised to see that the brunette had gathered up the courage to have a full on conversation with, much less be holding her on his shoulder.

“Bucky’s taking me to bake some holiday cookies since I can’t visit my family this year.” Y/N yelled, looking up at the two men walking past them. “It’s gonna be loads of fun.”

“I’m sure it will be, kid.” Steve ruffled her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him, watching him laugh at the inability she had to mess up his hair as well.

The kitchen was still empty as when Bucky saw it, the bags of groceries from Safeway stacked neatly in the center of the counter. Bucky let Y/N down, after of course letting her kiss him on his scruffy cheek and watching a pretty blush rise to his face, and scrummage through the bags. There were more eggs, because Sam seemed to go through a carton of them in just two sittings, oat milk, two percent milk, non-fat milk (after taking out the third different type of milk she realized that they really were picky eaters), a bag of brown sugar, and her favorite instant coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.

“Oh, thank God Tony got more coffee, whoever’s been drinking mine has been driving me insane.” She stashed the box away in her snack cabinet, hoping that whoever the sneaky coffee stealer was wouldn’t take it again. Bucky yelped and Y/N turned quickly, meeting the sight of a metal-armed supersoldier’s chest and shirt covered in some sort of dark syrup. “Buck, what did you do?”

His lips turned into an adorable frown, metal arm squeaking as he tried to remove the substance from the intricate, golden plates. “I tried to take it out and open it but it just spilled all over me.” Y/N laughed, grabbing towels as his frown turned even deeper. “It’s not funny, I’m all gross now.”

“You were already gross before, Barnes,” he feigned an offended gasp at her little jab as she scrubbed at his arms and tried hard not to gape at his biceps.

“And here I was thinking that we were friends,” he admonished with a wide smile. “What is this crap anyway, it says here… uh, molasses.” Bucky read the word slowly, sounding out each syllable like a kindergartener.

“Ooh, that’s the stuff that makes gingerbread chewy. You should know, grandpa,” Y/N did the best she could to clean him up and patted his arm when her attempts remained fruitless.

“No use, Y/N, ‘m just gonna take my shirt off.”

Well, she certainly wasn't one to object.

With one swift motion, he pulled his tee off, revealing the hours upon hours he put into the ropes of muscle vining up and down his torso. She had to avert her eyes quickly, careful to not ogle him for too long. She had plenty of time to do that during the trainings she was always so late to.

“Let’s get baking,” she distracted herself from his half-naked state, calling out to the A.I. living in their, well, everywhere. “Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y, how many women and children are currently at the Hell’s Kitchen Women’s Shelter?”

“There are currently fifty-four residents in the Hell’s Kitchen Women’s Shelter, sixteen of whom are children. Would you like me to send an email that you and Sergeant Barnes will be dropping by later?”

“That would be lovely, F.R.I.D.A.Y, thank you.” Bucky started pulling out the bins of baking materials from around the kitchen. The two sorted through the groceries pointing out which could be used for making cookies. “Oh, Buck, we could make gingerbread! We have all the ingredients for it anyway.”

Y/N looked so excited, her eyes wide with excitement and lips turned up in the cutest of all smiles. He didn’t stand a chance against the adorable woman. “Whatever you say, chef.” He presented her with an apron matching the one he now wore, a canvas cut one with pretty burnt orange trim. She ducked her head so he could drop the neck of it around her neck, then turned her in a quick motion so he could tie her back.

With the set up instructions from F.R.I.D.A.Y and Bing Crosby’s Christmas album playing softly in the room, they began their gingerbread cookie journey together. Bucky took the baking as no joke, compliant to each and every one of Y/N’s instructions as he marched around the kitchen in his far-too-small apron. If she asked him to grab some milk from the fridge, he was grabbing two cartons. If she asked him to fold in spices to the early stage of dough, he was asking her what the hell folding was. They worked nearly harmoniously, but despite the few bumps in the road due to his inexperience in the kitchen, his heart was jumping with emotions and pure happiness. Peace had never felt so good.

Or maybe it was what Sam liked to call being pussy-whipped.

“What the hell is a clove? Y/N, do we have cloves?” Bucky asked confusedly. Y/N, standing on a tall step stool to access the cabinets, turned around to see him staring at the recipe with furrowed brows, a little crinkle between his eyebrows and a small frown curling his lips. It was a cute sight, watching the old man try to understand the more modern recipe and she’d be lying if she said the heartwarming image didn’t make her a little… possessive of him.

“We have the cloves, Bucky, don’t worry. They’re the mini flower buds that smell really good and we’ve already added clove powder to the dough, shit-”

Y/N, though she was graceful and poised in the battlefield, was nowhere near as poised anywhere else. The stool she stood on to search for ingredients fell off balance, completely toppling to the side and taking her down with it.

Before she could even have time to process what was happening, a pair of muscled arms wrapped underneath her legs and back, holding her up right above the ground. Bucky peered down at her, his blue eyes wide with concern and the most panicked looking expression on his face.

“Are you okay, darlin’?” He asked quietly. Only then did Y/N realize how close they were, his hot breath mixing with hers, lips so close that if she were to tilt her head up just a centimeter, she’d be exactly where she wanted to be. Y/N seemed to search his eyes for some sort of signal, just a sign that he wanted the same thing as her, but his eyes remained blank, yet nonetheless beautiful, and she dejectedly dropped from his hold.

Her legs swung around his arms, setting herself on the floor shaily. “Yeah, um, I’m fine, thank you, Buck.” She sent him a melancholy smile, one that covered up her heart as well as she could. The task of baking cookies felt a lot less lively now, but Y/N just had to push past the waves of rejection that the small moment had created. “We-we’ve already preheated the oven so-”

“Hey, Y/N?” She hummed quietly, turning to him absentmindedly before Bucky’s lips were on hers, his large hands cradling her waist gently as if she were the most delicate thing he’d ever known to his touch. Quickly she pulled away, pressing softly against his chest, and saw that he was just as flushed as she felt, her cheeks burning without a single coherent thought in her mind. Bucky seemed to sense her alarm though, only tightening his firm hold on her, letting her know that he was there. And he was hers. “You’re really fuckin’ pretty.”

There must’ve been a clear change in her demeanor as Bucky smirked, maybe even chuckled, at the awestruck expression on Y/N’s face as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. It was hot and messy this time, her legs nearly damn giving out as she pushed her tongue through his parted lips, eliciting a low groan from the man in front of her, but if this was heaven then she would take hot and messy everyday. Cold fingers found their way around Bucky’s neck, the drag of her nails across his skin making him just that much more crazy about her.

When he finally forced himself to pull away, of course only due to the lack of breath they both had, his left hand came to cradle her face, enjoying the clearer view of her swollen lips and hazy eyes. Her lips lifted upwards for a millisecond before a look of shock came over her features. “You ate some of the cookie dough, you goddamn thief! I knew the batch looked smaller than before, I can taste the damn stuff on you,” she fought a grin off her swollen lips, jabbing a pointer finger into his hard, muscly chest and tried to look upset.

Bucky’s head tilted back with his nose scrunched adorably, his laughter echoing in the small kitchen. “That was the best goddamn kiss of my life and that’s all you have to say? I gave you some of my best work and you’re now accusing me of cookie dough thievery.”

“You can get salmonella from that, you hear me? Salmonella. The chicken egg disease. Then I’d never kiss you again.” Bucky smacked another one on her, the lingering hints of ginger and brown sugar turning her lips upwards as she giggled against him. “But you do taste very, very good. We’re damn expert bakers, handsome.”

He spoke against her intoxicating smile, pressing her chest against his as he lifted her up and onto a very small patch of clean counter. “What about the fact that I like you? A hell of a lot too. That’s gotta count for something.”

She pulled away from him as he nearly whimpered from the loss of her lips on his and hopped down from the counter, beckoning him to the side of the counter that held the dough he’d stolen a bite from earlier. “I could never forget about that, Buck.”

He watched with admiration as she placed her hands on top of his from where he stood behind her, using both of their force to flatten the gingerbread dough with a roller. Bucky’s chin came to rest on her shoulder and he kissed the peak of her cheekbone gently. It was so domestic, two of the most hardcore Avengers baking cookies, something that was a part a real life outside fighting, something that neither of them thought they would ever have in the superhero life. But they found each other, and together, who knew what would be next? “And, Bucky, honey, I think you’re really fuckin’ pretty too.”

[mjolnir-steve]

I Want Your Midnights

Jake Jensen x fem!reader

Word count: 1926

Summary: Jake has been your best friend since first grade, and as is tradition, you're spending New Year’s Eve together. This time, Jake’s throwing a party at his new apartment. You share feelings, but not timing.

Warnings: straight-up angst, hints of fluff to ease the pain, mentions of legal alcohol consumption

Author’s note: This is a little bit of backstory for Hack the Halls, what I thought would be a one-shot. I received some amazing feedback on it, though, and I want to try my hand at a series if folks are interested and I feel inspired. I think this can be read as a standalone, but if you’re reading it alongside HTH, this takes place one year before. Thank you (again) to Iva (@beefybuckrrito) for beta-reading this for me, helping me make decisions when I stalled myself, and getting me through the blocks I had along the way. 🥰

The title and some story elements are from “New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift (lyrics | song), one of my all-time favorite songs. This time of year is always difficult for me for a number of reasons, so channeling some of those emotions into this story was extremely cathartic and served to help me begin building a world for these two cuties.

As always, likes, comments, and reblogs are so appreciated. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and to know if you’d like to see more of them!

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, safe, and UNEVENTFUL (lol) 2022! Happy New Year, friends. 💙

This is dedicated to @syntheticavenger, the shining star whose amazing work and 5K Challenge played such a major role in getting me to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard lol) again. Taking the leap and writing/sharing stories again changed my life immensely, and I look forward to what this year will bring. I hope you’ll check out Synth’s work immediately.

Around 5 AM, you thought you’d scraped the last of the candle wax off of the floor, ready to take a nap before heading to Jake’s sister Franny’s house for New Year’s brunch. Why Jake thought trusting a bunch of inebriated adults with lit candles and sparklers inside his new apartment was a good idea, you could never be sure. But he did, and now here you were, cleaning up the mess from his first-ever “Petun-Year’s Eve” party while he took a quick shower to rinse off the glitter and champagne.

-

Yes, your grown-ass best friend of over 20 years threw a holiday soirée with a theme honoring his niece Rebecca’s pee-wee soccer team, even though she wasn’t invited herself. Guests were required to wear something pink, or else they would be “denied access”... That didn’t stop Pooch, Clay, and Cougar from walking right past Jake at the door. Aisha conceded to Jake’s rule in her own way, opting to wear a deep shade of pink lipstick with her all-black clothing. Even though you had a perfectly nice outfit picked out, Jake pleasepleasepleased until you agreed to wear a Petunias home jersey, matching with him in dark jeans and the new sneakers he bought you for Christmas.

The new year’s celebration looked more like a little girl’s birthday party, the living and dining rooms decked out in sparkly pink and purple decorations and dinnerware. Your best friend was silly and a little too carefree sometimes, but those were some things you loved most about him. He didn’t care about conventional ideas of fun, unashamedly and wholeheartedly liking what he liked and not letting anyone tell him he couldn’t.

Unfortunately for you, these qualities (and his biceps) also caught the eye of his neighbor, Ally. He invited her at the last minute while making small talk in the elevator, and though you would never admit it, it made you see green. She didn’t show up when the party started at 7, so you enjoyed yourself with Jake and his coworkers, making use of the Polaroid camera you’d gifted him and playing amateur bartender.

You’d spent New Year’s Eve with Jake and his family since you were kids, and it became tradition that you kissed each other on the cheek at midnight, even though you eventually found yourself wishing one of you would “accidentally” not turn your head. The thought of telling him briefly crossed your mind, but was interrupted by the tiny blonde from the sixth floor arriving at 11 PM.

She seemed nice enough, but after introducing herself to the other guests, she immediately clung to Jake, flipping her hair and laughing a little too much when he spoke. He didn’t seem any more or less interested in her than anyone else, ever the crowd-pleaser as he explained the theme of the party and gushed about his niece. You couldn’t blame her, could you? He wasn’t yours and you weren’t his, and this was another ill-timed reminder.

You maintained conversation, laughing when appropriate and asking about her life. If your stomach weren’t turning at the innocent smile Jake gave her, you might have even liked her. Might.

At 11:59 PM, your friends lit sparklers (idiots) and began counting down. You walked across the room towards Jake, having wiped off your lip gloss because he disliked the feel of it on his skin.

3… 2… 1…

You froze in place when Ally lifted the Polaroid camera, snapping what would’ve been a cute selfie of her kissing Jake if seeing it didn’t make your bottom lip quiver. You shook your head and rolled your shoulders, backing away so you could get a grip and grab one of the mini bottles of champagne from the ice bucket. Noisemakers went off entirely too close to your ears as you walked down the hallway, ducking into Jake’s bedroom and climbing out onto the fire escape for fresh air, half-empty bottle in hand.

When Ally pulled away from him, you were the first person Jake searched for, his eyes landing on the back of your jersey as you tried to slink away unnoticed. Shit, he thought, knowing he had to fix this somehow and fast.

“Thank you so much for coming, Ally! It’s actually past my bedtime, so I’m gonna go and put pajamas on… Yeah, um… I’ll see you around.” Jake pointed finger guns at her before vaulting over the back of the couch to chase after you, leaving Ally confused as all hell until Aisha pulled her up to dance.

Jake found you on the fire escape, legs dangling over the edge and sipping your champagne while you watched the fireworks display over the Harbor.

“Bub, did you forget something?” He smiled, sitting down next to you.

“I remembered just fine, Jensen. You were preoccupied.” You took another swig from the bottle.

Jake frowned when you called him by his last name, something you only did when you were fed up with his shit. “It’s only 12:03. Can we institute a five-minute rule?”

You exhaled, knowing you couldn’t argue with him without making your jealousy and possessiveness painfully clear. He was looking at you like a kicked puppy, and you knew your therapist was not going to love hearing about how quickly you caved… if you decided to tell her.

“How about instead of a rule, we just make up for it now and try not to miss it again?” You held out your hand to shake on it, but he grabbed your shoulders turning you to face him, promptly kissing each cheek twice.

“One for the original, plus one for each minute I was late. Happy New Year, Y/N.” He smiled at you and your heart clenched, but you knew you had to play it cool, as if he weren’t the most adorable being you’d ever come into contact with. You brushed your lips softly against his cheek before standing up, downing the rest of your champagne, and climbing back into the bedroom.

“I’m gonna start putting the leftovers away, okay? I’ll see ya out there.”

Jake stared after you, wondering if he was imagining the tinge of envy to your tone, unsure if there was anything he could do to make things right when he wasn’t quite sure where he went wrong.

-

You heard the shower turn off and pinched your cheeks, trying and failing to snap yourself out of the funk you’d let yourself sink into. You didn’t know it, but Jake was doing the same in front of his fogged-up bathroom mirror, working a small amount of gel into his hair as he reviewed the events of the night.

Franny asked you to take a picture of the two of them together, giggling and nearly spilling her vodka soda as she played with your hair and said she only trusted you to get the best angle. He smiled to himself, watching you fix his sister’s hair for her before allowing them to pose. He picked her up, squeezing her tight as she laughed and begged to be put down.

After the three of you took a group picture, Clay called Jake over to make a call for the seemingly never-ending game of Uno. As his guests argued the rules about the +4 card, he zoned out, making heart eyes at you across the room while you laughed with Franny as you contemplated your poses.

“Dude, are you listening?” Clay plucked Jake’s glasses off of his face when he still didn’t respond.

“Come on, I’m busy,” Jake whined, snatching his glasses back and putting them on in time to see you smile wide, eyes closed and fingers held up in a peace sign.

Clay threw his arm around Jake’s shoulder, walking him over to the far corner of the room. “Will you just tell her, Jensen? This is becoming painful to watch. Kiss her at midnight. If she reciprocates, great. If she doesn’t, say you’re drunk and I dared you.”

Jake’s eyes widened, weighing his options. “Do you think that’ll work? God, yeah, okay. I think it’ll be fine.”

But when the countdown started, he couldn’t find you in the packed apartment, and he only caught sight of you right before Ally crashed her lips to his, ruining his plan.

Maybe next year.

-

The only thing left to do was sort the Polaroids since Jake decided the glitter was now simply a part of the hardwood, always popping up again “like a cold sore,” never fully gone. You flipped through the photos, making piles so you could give everyone copies. You smiled at all the group shots of Jake and “The Losers,” as they called themselves, choosing to let them each pick the ones they wanted. There were several pictures of Jake and his sister, you and his sister, and the three of you together. You outright laughed at some photos of your work friends, evidently out of their minds during a game of Uno with the other guests.

As if confirming your life was just a sitcom for whatever being was watching the big TV in the sky, the last two photos were of you and Jake… and then Ally and Jake. They do look cute together, you thought to yourself, tossing both photos on the table and calling it quits.

You were in the middle of making a pot of coffee when Jake emerged from the bedroom in yet another Petunias shirt (the away jersey now) and a pair of joggers. He took over, pouring two small cups and fixing yours exactly how you liked it before handing it to you and taking a seat at the table where the snapshots lay.

“That’s a cute picture of you, and um, Ally. Good idea.” You took a sip from your mug, internally smacking yourself. Idiot.

He choked a little, wiping his mouth with a purple paper napkin. “Eh. I guess it’d be cute if I liked her like that. I was just trying to make a new friend.” He shrugged, picking the picture up and folding it into a grossly disproportionate plane before aiming for the trash can in the corner, narrowly missing. “This is why I stick to computers.”

He stood and walked over to pick up the little plane and place it in the trash can, leaning over to kiss you on the cheek on the way back to his seat. “Did you change your face wipes?:

Your face warmed at his questions. “Uh, yeah. You said the other ones made my face ‘taste funny,’ so…” You hid your grimace behind your mug.

He hummed, sounding pleased. “Well, thank you for helping me with the party, I always wanted to do something like that, and I couldn’t have done it without you.” He grinned when the Polaroid of the two of you caught his eye, your arms wrapped around him from behind, kissing his cheek as he laughed, his glasses slightly crooked. “This might be my favorite picture of us we’ve ever taken, bubba.”

You gave him a soft smile in return. “You’ll have to make a copy for me. I like that one, too.”

“I know exactly where this is going.” He ran to his bedroom, placing a small piece of double-sided tape on the back and leaning it against the lamp on his nightstand, facing his preferred side.

I wish I knew where this was going, you thought to yourself, deciding your New Year’s resolution might just have to be finally letting go of your feelings for your best friend.

[unbridgeabledistances]

hiiiiiiiii i'm here to scream about love is blind! ( paging @smokey-mickey and @grumpymickmilk <33 )

okay okay so:

we hate how much we love shayne x natalie now. like !!! wtf they're so cute it's ridic

THE WHOLE THING W NATALIE'S MOM AT FIRST. 'do you want to see the ring?' 'no.' *slaps hand* SLAPS HAND. twisha rewinded that a few times bc it was sending us 😩😭

shayne's rant on the baseball field!!! coming after sal and his tight pants!! then the transition from 'that was embarrassing as shit! 😠' to 'but i'm in love with natalie🥰 i'm gonna say yes 😌 i'm so happy 😁' pure of heart, dumb of ass <3

SHAKE. shake-y shake where do i begin. the whole 'i wanna fuck you EMOTIONALLY. before i see if you're good in bed, i gotta see if you're good in the head.' L I K E LMFAO. twisha (and i) got The Ick a lot sksdfjdsh

danielle???!! g i r l -- driving me up the wall a bit

also i want the best for iyanna <3

SHAINA!!! i was laughing in shock the way she was coming after natalie??? bonkers!

also we love sal's grand gestures bc he really seems to care and be making an effort <3

AND THE CLIFFHANGER BEFORE THE LAST EP COMES OUT. CRUEL.

BRI!!!!💖💖 the way that i received this message and then immediately opened my LAPTOP to tumblr dot com so i could type out an essay-length response

1) SHAYNE AND NATALIE ARE KILLING ME. one minute i am gagging over shayne's gross bro-y laugh and him constantly askign shayna ~what are u wearing~ and the next moment i am SWOONING over him communicating his feelings to natalie like a big boy. i feel like next episode where they get in a fight before the wedding is gonna be BIG drama and make me hate him again- AND HIS BASEBALL RANT PLS LOL

2) danielle is the worst!!! as put by rhys on the phone last night, nick could be like "wow that dinner was rly good" and danielle would be like "hmmmmm so you think it wasn't GREAT?🤨 so u hate my cooking?🤨🤨"

3) WE LOVE IYANNA and shaina is truly BONKERS! also she could literally hit kyle with a car and he'd be like "she's warming up to me😌"

4) okay..... rhys's HOTTEST take is that sal is sus and not as wholesome as he seems and i kind of see it?? he is a wholesome marshmallow of a man but i am nervous he will say no now that mal is committed

rhys's other thoughts:

FINAL PREDICTIONS: nick/danielle BETTER be a no, i have no idea about shayne/natalie, deepti's gonna say yes but i bet shakey boi is gonna chicken out, and iyanna and jared are gonna say yes but after iyanna cries a little bit, sal/mal are ???? NO IDEA

it brings me so much joy that y'all are watching i cannot wait to scream together next friday😭❤️‍🔥

(p.s.: bri i am sorry i did not respond to ur ask the other day, i was sleepy and i clicked "delete" instead of "answer" and then angrily went to sleep telling myself i would inbox u in the morning and then promptly forgot🤪 but jeep emmett brought me immense joy u know i love him and u xoxo)

[kayedium-writes]

5 Things You Never Get Tired of Writing

Thank you for the tag, @writingpotato07!

Rules: list five things you never get tired of writing. It can be tropes, themes, characters, phrases, whatever brings you joy. Then tag five people!

Gonna leave this tag open to whoever follows me and writes fic!

This got kind of long, so... gonna pop a 'keep reading' in there.

Fluff

I'm not sorry. This world quite often feels like a sinking ship and all I want to do is curl up with my favorites, living their best lives, and enjoying one another. Domestic, platonic, romantic, family... I will write it until my keyboard breaks. Canon stole my happy ending away from me, I will be giving it back to my pair (and their friends and family) as long as I can. Some of it's tooth-rotting, but I try to make most of it realistic.

It's not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, it's simple contentment. Little moments. Gentle touches. I just want to cultivate the lovey dovey feels. 🥰

Bantering

Look, I'm very snarky and sarcastic in real life. So are my friends. We love each other dearly, and tease without restraint. My characters do as well, and always will when the setting and situation is appropriate. Though I have yet to talk about my original work, my MC is full of sass, every minute of every day. His relationship with his best friend is built on it.

It's so much fun to write, to say out loud to make sure it flows, and it's a great way to build chemistry and show deep trust between characters, imho.

Actual Communication

I'm bothered immensely at deliberate and repeated miscommunication when a simple, "Will you please talk to me?" would truly suffice. I like including emotional vulnerability and radical honesty in my fics whenever it's possible for my characters to talk it out. Maybe the big fight won't be solved. Deeply-rooted issues, trauma, and hurt rarely are that easily. But harboring and suppressing is unhealthy and unsustainable, and definitely does not solve anything.

I try to write healthy relationships, and I like it when adults talk to each other as adults, even through their insecurities and emotions.

Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker

Anyone that reads my fics can probably tell this already, but I love this trope. In my worlds, with no dark side, or lava planets, I just need my slightly awkward Anakin and his antics, getting himself into trouble, and just generally causing an innocent scene. The man tries, so hard sometimes, and things still go awry. Yet, Padmé is right there, welcoming him back with open arms because she loves him. Disasters and all.

okay maybe this is subtle wish fulfillment from being a disaster myself...

Padmé Amidala/Naberrie

This should absolutely go without saying. I adore her. Canon makes me sad with the lack of her, the literal mother of the rebellion. She's the reason I'm writing fic. I love her for everything she is, and everything she's not. For every unhinged idea she conjures up, for every time she does or does not throw caution to the wind, and for how much there is to explore with her as a person and in her psyche. I could write an essay, so I have to stop myself here. She's versatile, nuanced, and unapologetic. I will never get tired of writing her.

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

there's a bookstore in los angeles called The Last Bookstore and its super amazing and magical looking and i can totally see your OC Dorothea spending all her time there! 😊

HI River!!

Welcome in my inbox!!

Ok, I checked the bookstore you suggested, AND DEAR GODS, YES. YES. YES.

I absolutely agree that Dorothea would spend all her time there, and considering her immense interest in collecting rare books, she would spend a good chunk of her time in the Rare Book Annex, browsing and looking for some amazing finds to add to her collection!🥰🥰

And I have to be honest, when I saw the picture of the Books Tunnel, my first thought was that, if Dorothea went with Jacob to the store, he would most definitely be tempted to try to take out a book to see if the whole Tunnel would stand. (or alternatively, he would take her there and just smooch her under a whole arch of books -A BOOKWORMS DREAM COME TRUE-).

I mean.

I can SO SEE this being Jacob's idea to bring Dorothea there as a surprise, because HE KNOWS she would just love to spend her whole day there, and seeing her face lit up with excitement at the prospect of being among books just makes his whole heart melt!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVELY ASK, RIVER! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY IT MADE ME.

IT MADE MY WHOLE MORNING!! <3

TRULY THANK YOU!!

--Nemo

[fandomtransmandom]

TW/CW: Personal. Extreme sappiness. Trauma. Mental illness.

A little over a year ago, when @martymcdie88mph and I began exploring our feelings for one another, these gifs were the only way I could express myself.

Because I don't tend to say those words aloud. At least not without extreme reticence or until a considerable amount of time has passed. I never heard them growing up, and my concept of love has always been skewed.

But thanks to my amazing and patient partner, I discovered things in myself I never thought possible. Capabilities I didn't know I possessed. When we first embarked on our relationship, I was sure I couldn't measure up. I figured I would fail at this like most other pursuits in my life.

A year later though and here we are. Perhaps not the most conventional of paths, but we forged it together, hand in hand, being cautious and communicating openly about our wants and needs.

And now I can say I love her, I'm in love, with my whole heart. Mae and my writing have helped me access emotions in a more genuine way. I recommend creativity as a form of therapeutic processing to anyone.

I never thought I'd be romantically involved with someone again, much less make it a whole year, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit proud. This last year came with challenges, but we stood by one another and I'm beyond grateful to have this wonderful, unique, beautiful, and sweet person in my life.

For last month's anniversary I got us these matching pins, but truthfully I can never repay the debt I owe to Mae. In her bravery she reached out to me and loved me, and she's shown endless respect in navigating our complex journey together.

I'm incredibly fortunate to have a partner who's not only immensely talented, intelligent, and gorgeous; but probably the kindest and most empathic human I've ever met. My gratitude for her existence knows no bounds.

And I want to thank Bill. For bringing me the woman of my dreams through one of my silly stories. For being the catalyst to conversations that kept us talking until our words were riddled with typos and everything we said seemed hilarious. And for showing me that someone real can love me back.

Happy anniversary, darling. Here's to many more💜🥰

[hyunjinspark]

Hi hi ! ❣️ How are you doing ?!

Happy belated New Year 🥳 (Is that something people say? 🤡)

Only Fools coming to a close is so unreal… It has become a part of my soul 😖 I always come to your blog and check for new updates, to read through asks you’ve answered for your masterpiece, and just bask in your wonderful light… Without Only Fools I feel there will be a hole in my heart😩 I am not prepared to say goodbye to this story.

I will still be coming over to your blog nonetheless, it has part of my routine on tumblr now, to be honest I love visiting you here and talking with you when I get the chance❣️I am so thankful to have found your story and you of course 🥰 You are immensely talented in your writing, storytelling and depictions of all the little details that made Only Fools feel so real and so capable of pulling our heartstrings!

I am also VERY intrigued about this old character that is coming back… With so few chapters left I’m starting to wonder if said character will be used to “stir the pot” or simply to bring some sort of reconnection or wholesomeness to the story for its close 🤔 Yunho initially came to mind, and I’ve seen a lot of your anons mentioning she who shall not be named 👀 (I’m not hating but she can stay in whatever hole she disappeared into after high school 🤗) I’m trying to deduce which character could possibly have a use in coming back…

Perhaps I’ll read the story over again and then send an ask about my guess ❣️

hii happy new year 🥺 im doing good!

awww you're gonna make me cry 😭😭 only fools has to come to an end and i wish it didn't have to, but i hope you'll love the last few chapters and i hope you'll love my new story just as much.

i love talking to you too ❣️ thank you for showering me with all of these compliments and for always putting a smile on my face 🥺🥺💓💓

let's see what character it is indeed 👀