#sloane x f!mc

[sloanesallow]

seven minutes in heaven

Sebastian volunteers for a party game. The rules are simple: guess who the other person is. The caveat? You can’t look and you can’t speak but you can touch. Sebastian Sallow x F!MC (Siobhan Sloane) Tags: MDNI, NSFW! Sexual content, anonymous (but not really), Sebastian being the needy, horny boy that he is. Characters are in their 7th year and are 18. 2.8k words [Ao3] | [Wattpad] | [Tumblr Masterlist]

For reasons Sebastian doesn’t understand, a party is being thrown in the Slytherin common room. He knows better than to question it though, because one should never look a gift celebration in the mouth—or something like that. It’s Friday evening, and that is a good enough excuse for music and dancing, for firewhisky and more.

Sebastian leisurely wades through the chaos, choosing to relax and join in on the festivities. Drink in hand, he socializes with acquaintances and strangers alike until a hazy buzz forms at the base of his skull. He forgets how good it feels to be free of inhibition, welcoming whatever experience life wishes to bring his way. Tonight, that comes in the form of a game.

Seven minutes in heaven.

Sebastian blindly volunteers, laughing as he’s blindfolded and told there’s already someone waiting in the nearby storage closet. The rules are simple and thrilling: guess who the other person is. The caveat? You can’t look and you can’t speak but you can touch.

He’s pushed into the closet, quickly realizing how little space there is between him and his companion. It’s a girl, that much he can tell by the subtle scent of her perfume. His pulse quickens, though he isn’t sure if it’s from a sudden burst of nerves or excitement. More likely to be teenage hormones—it isn’t every day he’s trapped in an enclosed space with someone of the opposite sex.

Sebastian tentatively reaches out, biting down on his bottom lip to prevent himself from making a noise that would give away his identity. He barely registers the hushed hitch of her breath as he finds her waist—whoever it is, they are considerably shorter than he is, slender, and just the faintest curve to her hips. That doesn’t narrow it down much, with that description fitting most of the witches at Hogwarts.

Her hands meet his shoulders, one sliding up to briefly tease the hair at the nape of his neck. They slowly move down, smoothing across the front of his button-up, taking a moment to inspect his tie. He puffs out his chest, wondering if she can tell he is a Quidditch player, if she likes the toned muscles beneath her palms.

Emboldened, Sebastian moves his hands a little higher and sweeps his thumbs across her ribs. The blouse she wears is soft, and thin enough that he can feel the heat radiating from her skin, feel the rise and fall of her quickened breaths. He swallows hard, daring to trace the curve of her breasts, causing her to tremble. He brushes his fingers along the column of her neck and up her jawline, envisioning the shape of her face in his mind. She copies his careful actions and he shudders when her thumb ghosts across his lips.

He leans in, close enough to smell the sweet mint on her breath and feel the electric tickle of her mouth so close to his own. There’s something else there too—florals and earth—an aroma so recognizable it seizes his heart.

Sloane?

Sebastian tries to push the thought away, unconvinced that his dear, sweet Siobhan would engage in such a lascivious game. Yet, as her body presses closer, he can’t deny the spark of recognition. She fits against him in an achingly familiar way, stirring up memories of friendly hugs that linger a second too long, of accidental touches and longing stares that have gone unacknowledged for years.

It seems fate is done waiting for action. Sebastian contemplates and damns the repercussions in the time it takes for him to snake his arms around her torso and wedge his thigh between her legs. A shaky whimper slips from her lips and he hopes—no, he knows it’s Sloane.

It has to be.   

He closes the distance, capturing her lips in a kiss he’s craved for longer than he wants to admit. It’s hungry and demanding, his chest aching with every beat of his heart as she yields, mouth molding to his as if this isn’t their first, but thousandth kiss. Her fingers tangle in his hair and she grips his shirt collar, prompting him to hook one of her legs around his waist. He grinds himself against her, and she breaks away with a heady moan.

 “Ohh…”

Sebastian bites back a curse, the sinful sound shattering any facade of anonymity. The voice is more than familiar—it’s ingrained in the deepest parts of his psyche, a sound so often heard in laughter but never like this. It’s Sloane—his Sloane—the one who’s always been off-limits, forbidden. And yet here she is, wanton and responsive, melting under his every touch.

Doubt still dares to cloud his mind. Does she know it’s him? He wants to hear her moan—scream—his name, wants the whole damn castle to know how he makes her feel. But what if…what if she doesn’t want it to be him? What if Sloane wants—

No.

Sebastian refuses to entertain the idea that Sloane could ever want anyone but him. She must know it’s him, or she would’ve never let him kiss or touch her so intimately. It’s the only reality he will accept.

He trails his lips down her neck, coaxing out a dreamy sigh that makes his spine tingle. He slides his hand beneath her already bunched-up skirt, feeling the delicate fabric of her stockings, playfully plucking at the garter clip before stroking his fingers along her inner thigh. She tugs his head back and there’s a second of panic before her mouth clumsily crashes into his again. An amused chuckle morphs into a groan when her leg tightens around him, pushing his clothed arousal against her sex.   

More, he needs more.

Sebastian can hear his own racing heartbeat as he dares to inch his fingers higher, moaning into the kiss when they brush against the front of her underwear. She gasps but doesn’t stop him, her thigh twitching as he slides the fabric aside, just enough to feel her. His composure falters at finding her so wet, slipping two fingers through her slick heat and up to circle the tiny nerve bundling he’s read so much about.  

“Mmm—ah!”

She wobbles and he steadies her, his voice a husky whisper. “Shh, I’ve got you.”

She clings to him, whimpering between ragged breaths as she rocks herself against his hand, adding more to the already burning friction. His hips jerk forward of their own volition and Sebastian doesn’t feel in control of his own body, so lost in the moment and the sensation of her writhing against him and the heat of her that he thinks he must be dreaming, that he must be dead and gone to—

Fuck.

How long is seven minutes, anyway? 

The closet door bursts open and all Sebastian can hear is surprised laughter and drunken cheers as reality comes crashing down. He reluctantly pulls away, choking back a whine at the loss. He’s panting, heart pounding so fiercely against his ribcage it hurts.

“Took them long enough.”

Sebastian is too worried about Sloane to be embarrassed and yanks off the blindfold, blinking hard to adjust his vision. He turns to find her fleeing, pushing herself through the crowd to escape.  

“Sloane, wait!” he shouts, franticly following after her as she rushes down the first quiet corridor she can find. “Sloane!”

She slows just enough that he can catch up, gently grasping her arm to turn her around. When she doesn’t look at him he softly tilts her chin up, the ache in his chest worsening at the sight of her distressed expression. Her stormcloud eyes are glazed over with unshed tears, her bottom lip quivering as she sucks in a breath. They are swollen from kisses, a similar shade of the pink that tints her cheeks.  

“Sloane,” he repeats, caressing her cheek with an affectionate sweep before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Only then does he notice the tremble in his fingers, his gut churning with the fear that she really didn’t want him, that all she feels for him is regret. “That was…” he gulps, unsuccessful in calming his frenzied pulse. “I—I just knew it was you.”

He searches her face for a sign of what she’s thinking or feeling. Sloane is typically quiet and reserved but right now, Sebastian will do anything to hear her say anything. Their friendship has always had this underlying tension, a thin line he’s struggled to navigate and held back from crossing, until now. He steps closer, still cradling her face while his other hand squeezes her wrist.

“Please, Siobhan,” he whispers. It takes every last thread of restraint he has not to kiss her, not when he knows how sweet she’d be on his tongue. “Tell me you felt it too, that it meant something. Because…fuck,” he doesn’t want to imagine a world where they pretend tonight didn’t happen. “I don’t think I can go back to being just friends after that.”

“No, we can’t,” she finally says in a raspy, quiet voice. She lifts her free hand to rest on his arm, and he holds his breath. Sloane’s eyes dart to his lips and then back up. “Tell me, Sebastian. Tell me what you want.”

“I want…” Sebastian remembers to exhale, even as nervous anticipation takes hold. He takes a moment to look at her, this close, in the light. “I want you.”

There’s no use in adding more, sweet words to try and convince her, to take pity on his desperate soul. Sloane leans into his touch, her eyes slowly closing as she sighs against his lips. “Then have me.”

Sebastian moans into her mouth, a mix of relief and reignited passion as he registers the desire in her words. This isn’t a dream or a game, and he’d sooner be trapped in a storage closet, alone for the rest of his life, than allow this to be a one-off. He can’t help but scoop her up into his arms, grinning as she lets out a little surprised yelp. Sloane holds onto him and he has a hard time focusing on getting them someplace private when all he wants is to kiss her breath away.

“Your room?” she asks as he balances her to open the door. He nods, kicking it closed with his foot as soon as they cross the threshold. The dormitory he shares with Ominis and a few other seventh years is empty and likely to stay that way if the party continues as long as the last one did. Sebastian wants to take his time, without interruptions.

 He sets Sloane down on the edge of his bed, stepping back to admire the sight of her sitting amongst his belongings, looking up at him wide-eyed and expectant. “I’ve dreamt of this, you know,” he murmurs, rubbing at his jaw in disbelief. “Of you, in my bed.”

Sebastian loosens the ties around his neck before casting it aside, watching the subtle changes in her expression as he slowly unbuttons his shirt. Sloane drags her teeth across her bottom lip, eyes following his movements as he sheds his clothes one item at a time until he is bare. He isn’t one to be bashful, but his skin heats under her gaze and the way her body shifts, hinting at her arousal.

“Here,” he says, taking her hands as she stands, guiding them to his chest. “Touch as much as you’d like.”

Sloane hums in quiet agreement, her palms sliding tentatively across his skin. She traces the lines of his muscles, fingers dancing across his shoulders and arms as she counts the dustings of freckles she finds. Sebastian’s resolve nearly buckles from the sensation, the ache to tear her clothes away and bury himself inside her heat unbearable.

He forces himself not to rush, keeping his focus on her face as he untucks her blouse, pulling free the buttons until he can push it from her shoulders. Her skirt and chemise are next, fluttering to the ground with the rest of their clothes. Sebastian is fiddling with the clasps of her garter when her hand finds his cock and he bucks against her with a strangled moan.

“Is this alright?” she asks in a sweet voice that threatens to undo him before they’ve properly started. Sebastian nods, resting his head against the crook of her shoulder as she gives a few experimental strokes.

“Fuck, yes,” he hisses, kissing her neck and tracing the line of her collarbone with his tongue. He cups her bare breasts in his hands, rolling them in his palm as she sighs a delightful little sound, her grip tightening a fraction. Sebastian pulls her hand away and guides her back to the edge of the bed, encouraging her to lie down as he peels her stockings and underwear off. “But I need to be inside of you, love.”

“Oh,” Sloane’s naked body is flushed and more beautiful than he could’ve ever imagined. The quick rise and fall of her chest, the way her skin prickles with gooseflesh, and how her eyes darken with lust.

Sebastian eases himself onto the bed, using his knee to carefully spread her legs apart. He lowers his body to hers, weight propped up on one arm as his free hand tickles down her belly to the junction of her thighs. “Is that what you want, Siobhan?” he whispers, craving not just her consent but a confession too. “Do you want me?”

Sloane whimpers, her eyes fluttering closed as his fingers slide through her sex, parting her to tease at the spot he knows will make her sing. Her back arches and she rolls her hips against him, her hands snapping up to clutch his shoulders. Sebastian marvels at her reactions, the shape of her mouth as she moans and the little crease between her brow as pleasure takes hold. He sinks a finger into her, then another, continuing to study the way her expression shifts.

“Tell me,” he rasps against her ear, nibbling softly on the lobe as she clenches around his fingers. “Do you need me?”

“Y—yes,” Sloane’s reply is a broken moan as she eagerly nods. “I need you, Sebastian.”

Their lips crash together again, deep and desperate as he positions himself, replacing his fingers with his cock. Sebastian breaks the kiss to look into her eyes, his hand squeezing her hip as he eases into her, savoring the moment so he can etch it into his mind and never forget. It’s almost overwhelming, the heat and tight grip surrounding him, even more so when he’s fully sheathed inside. After a moment, he moves, rocking his hips against hers in a steady, tender rhythm.

Sloane’s hands slide along his back as he thrusts, her nails occasionally biting into his skin when he fills her completely. He drops his head to her shoulder, nuzzling against her neck as he listens to her sounds of pleasure, his ego flaring with the knowledge he is the cause. She hooks her legs around his waist and Sebastian follows the silent cue, pressing himself closer, cradling her body as he quickens his pace.

“Just like that,” he groans, feeling the way she flutters around him with each stroke. His lips slide across her throat, ragged breaths swirling around her ear. “Say you’ll come for me, sweetheart, say you’ll come for me.”

“Yes!” Sloane arches beneath him, her inner walls squeezing around his cock, ensuring he won’t last much longer. He thinks for a moment that she might be the death of him. “Please…”

He hikes her legs higher around his waist, changing the angle of his thrusts as he chases their mutual release. She moves with him, clinging to him until her entire body trembles, her head tossed back in a silent cry. Sebastian can only admire the spectacle of her release for a few seconds before he too finds himself falling over the edge, a strangled growl muffled against her skin as he ruts into her before collapsing, breathless.

It takes all the strength Sebastian has to keep his weight from crushing her, his limbs shaking and heavy as he carefully rolls to her side, one arm still tucked tightly around her waist. His eyes droop with exhaustion and he slowly blinks at Sloane’s profile, her expression a similar state of bliss. Sensing him she turns her face to him, lips turned up in a lazy smile, eyes shining with what he hopes is love.

“How do you feel?” he asks, hesitant to have too serious a conversation so soon. It can wait at least until the morning, until after he’s had her a few more times.

Sloane softly giggles, the blush on her cheeks endearing. “Heavenly.”

Sebastian laughs, tugging her into a tighter embrace so he can kiss her cheeks and her nose, their continued laughter muffled between lazy kisses. He feels the same.

[choices-february2023]

Masterlist Week 2

Immortal Desires

Indigo Night | Cassius Harlow x NB!MC; NB!OC - @aallotarenunelma

Open Heart

Abundance | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jerzwriter

After Dark Part Two: Satisfaction Guaranteed | Bryce Lahela x F!OC - @storyofmychoices

Death Stare | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @headoverheelsforramsey

No One Else... Part 1 of 2 | Tobias Carrick x F!MC; Ethan Ramsey; Sienna Trinh - @jerzwriter

Not the Right Person | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC; Sienna Trinh; Aurora Emery - @lucy-268

Sadie's Self Care Sunday #22 | F!MC; Sienna Trinh; Jackie Varma; Aurora Emery; Kyra Santana; Esme Ortega - @peonyblossom

Simple Pleasures | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

The Unexpected Valentine | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC; Sienna Trinh; Bryce Lahela; Jackie Varma; Elijah Greene - @liaromancewriter

Unhealthy Snack | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @potionsprefect

Valentine Memories | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC; Alan Ramsey - @liaromancewriter

Perfect Match

Noot Noot | Sloane Washington; F!Hayden Young; F!MC - @lizzybeth1986

Crossover: The Royal Romance x Open Heart

The Galentine’s Day Queens | TRR F!MC; OH F!MC; TRR F!OC; TRR M!OC - @bebepac

[sloanesallow]

Thank you so much for bringing this vision to life!!!! I'm going to stare at it forever. Sloane and Sebastian forever!!!! 💛 (this is from my fanfic: Magic, Madness, Heaven, Sin, which you can read [here] or [here]) ✨

Lovely commission for @sloanesallow

[holdmymallowsweet]

A Wisp of Affection

Richard Jackdaw x f!MC

Word count: 1,635

A chance meeting in the depth of a summer night leads to some playful banter, and an intriguing question.

Also on AO3, properly tagged

a/n: I’ve been feeling a certain way about this ghost boy lately, and then I came across Sasha Alex Sloan’s “Dancing with your Ghost” by chance and it put me in a wonderfully melancholic mood. And now that you know what to blame for this, enjoy.

There was something enticing about the Forbidden Forest at night. Laced with a prickling sense of danger, it promised adventure and glory- or perhaps notoriety, for those bold enough to venture into it. He might not have met an untimely death, if it hadn’t been for his odd fascination with the place.

Soft footsteps and rustling in the grass told him someone was approaching, and he felt her presence before he even saw her.

She found him again.

He turned his head to look at her, which always startled her a bit-

But then, where was the fun in getting his head cut off, if he couldn’t use it for comedic effect? And it always made her laugh in the end.

This time was no different, eyebrows raised in a slightly disturbed frown, corners of her lips twitching upwards, she gave him a quick huff of laughter before closing the distance between them. 

“Hello, Jackdaw.”

She strode over to him, disturbing a swarm of fireflies as she went, before she sat down.

“Hello, you. Out for a midnight stroll?”

“Always, you know me.” She flashed him another one of her playful smiles.

He returned it fondly. They both liked to pretend that she came across him by accident when they met like this, usually in the depth of night, when everything was quiet, save for the ambient sounds of the forest. He always found it romantic, although not many agreed, at least not the girls he tried to court when he was alive.

She took a deep breath of air. The fireflies illuminating her skin when they flew close and the serene look on her face made her feel like something out of a dream. More of an apparition than himself. The sight would have made his heart flutter, if he’d had one. She brushed a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear, only getting it at the second try, and he wished he could have done it for her.

He’d known they were kindred spirits when he sent her off into the cave where he met his demise. When he noticed she still had her head, the next time he saw her, he was both relieved and disappointed. He wasn’t entirely sure how tangible relationships between ghosts could be, but Merlin, he’d have liked to discover it with her, if it had come to that.

Curious, fearless, playful and teasing in a way that felt warm and endearing rather than malicious. Traits that Anne had once shared with her, before Azkaban cruelly burnt them away. Perhaps that’s why he’d briefly entertained the notion of picking up where he left off with this one.

It was quite pointless to think about, really. He wasn’t of her world, and she wasn’t from his time, not even born yet when he was alive. It was no matter, he’d never mature- mentally or physically- beyond his 17 year old self. Whatever it was that they shared on these summer nights, it was a fleeting sensation. Soon enough, she’d outgrow him, worry about employment and other adult responsibilities, perhaps remember him as a schoolgirl crush as she aged while he would be no different than he was now. Waiting around for the next lass or lad who’d indulge him, but she’d likely always be one of his favourites.

He looked up at her- which reminded him that he was still holding his head, which he promptly replaced on his neck- waiting for her to speak. In the beginning, he’d tried to woo her with tales of his adventures, but she wasn’t easily impressed. Understandable, as she had plenty of adventures of her own under her belt. Over time, he realised that it was more rewarding to enjoy the silence with her, until she’d suddenly have a thought, or a question that led to something- a jaunt through the forest or sometimes just a bit of teasing back and forth between them, but he loved it all the same. 

“How’s Anne?”

All right, not what he’d hoped for. 

“Much the same, really, but I don’t want to talk about Anne right now.” He only ever visited her in St. Mungos out of a sense of moral obligation, she only vaguely remembered him and they no longer had anything to talk about anyway. Being ultimately responsible for her fate, the guilt would forever stay with him, but he didn’t want to let it spoil the moment.

She said nothing, only measured him with those piercing eyes of hers that seemed to see right through him, in more ways than the obvious one. She’d always been the perceptive sort, had a knack for figuring out what went on in the heads of others. It could be quite unnerving, but thrilling at the same time.

“How come I never see you around the castle?” she asked, evidently content to drop her previous question.

“Why, did you miss me?”  

He’d avoided her on purpose. She had her own life in the light of day, and he didn’t want to constantly fight the temptation to invade her privacy. This was at most a dalliance, not the romance of the century, and it was better that way, considering their circumstances.

“Do you remember the deathday ballroom? I thought I’d see you there sometimes, but I never do.” 

He made a face. “Not really my preferred choice of location. Or company.”

She chuckled. “Not one for dancing, are you?”

“Did you happen to take a look at the other ghosts? Hardly anyone there who’s not old enough to be my mother. Or my grandmother.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m fairly certain at least some of them died after you.”

“That’s not really how this works.”

She laughed. If only he could dance with her- 

Actually, perhaps he could. One of those stiff, boring dances that didn’t involve touching. He watched her as she pushed back that strand of hair again. It was hard to imagine her curtsying in a pretty dress anyway, she looked much better running and scrambling through the forest, with the hems of her robes frayed beyond the capabilities of even the most potent repairing charms.

“You know, speaking of dance partners…” 

“Yes?” He was perfectly willing to change his mind though, if that’s where she was going with this.

“Have you ever kissed someone?” she asked, giving him a curious look.

“I’ve done more than kissing, little fledgeling. I was quite popular with the girls in my time.”

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a derisive snort. “Oh? How’d that work out for you?”

He grimaced. Poorly almost seemed to be an understatement, but then neither of them had ever been as good a match for him as her. More willing and able to follow his clues and solve his riddles than Anne, more intrigued by the treasures in his thief’s den than Apollonia- she was a bit of a magpie herself, much like him. They would have been so good together.

“Why, looking to take advantage of my expertise, are you?” She had no shortage of male acquaintances she might possibly want to kiss. Personally, his galleons were on the freckled brunet- that one reminded him a bit of himself. He wasn’t sure what she would have wanted with the sarcastic, blind one, but then there was no accounting for taste, and she always was a bit unpredictable. He wouldn’t blame her either way, there could never be anything real between the two of them, and she had needs like any other person.

“Do you miss it?”

“Obviously.”

She didn’t respond immediately, staring at her outstretched legs, tapping the tips of her boots together.

“If someone kissed you… uhm, had their lips close enough to yours that you would be kissing, I suppose, do you think you could feel it?”

He took a moment to stare at her. “Of course not.” 

She turned to meet his eyes. Was he imagining the slight blush on her cheeks? It was hard to tell in the darkness. Was this going where he thought it was?

“I mean emotionally. You can clearly feel joy, and sadness-”

“Only one way to find out.” He swiftly grabbed his head again, holding it so that he was at eye level with her- if she wanted to, she could laugh, play it off as a joke.

Merlin, that startled expression was even more adorable up close, and her theory was already proven right. He couldn’t remember ever being so excited and nervous about a kiss, not even when he was alive. But there was no way he’d tell her, not while there was still a chance that she’d close the distance, and he could perhaps feel the tiniest sliver of her warmth, or get an idea of what she tasted like.

He almost couldn’t believe his luck when she leaned forward, close enough that he could count her eyelashes, only to stop a finger’s width away from his lips. 

Then she smirked. “Did you think I was going to give you my first kiss? Just like that?”

“Well, it wouldn’t have to count-” he pouted.

She laughed. “If you want my kiss, you’ll have to earn it.”

“How?”

She stood up, brushing dirt off her robes. “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” she said, flashing him a last, teasing smile before she turned around and started walking back the way she’d come.

“You’re leaving?” 

“For today.”

His mind feverishly tried to come up with something, anything, to get her to stay.

“Wait.”

She turned around, looking at him expectantly.

“How about a riddle? Just for you. In exchange for the kiss.”

Her eyes sparkled.

There was no version of forever that they could share, but on these summer nights, for a brief, fleeting moment in time, she was his.

a/n 2 : So there you go, I wrote this over the course of two glorious moody summer nights and it was so much fun. They always say ‘write what you want to read’, and this really is just something I really, really wanted at that moment, but if you liked it as well (let me know if you did) I’m happy. ❤️ This little encounter takes place after the whole Ranrok issue is resolved and Mc is just another (adventurous) student, Anne has been released from Azkaban and is living at St. Mungo’s permanent care ward, while Jackdaw is trying to settle in as one of Hogwarts’ ghosts. Also, I always imagined Jackdaw as a Slytherin (but I’m coming around to Ravenclaw!Jackdaw) and both MC and Anne as muggleborn Hufflepuffs (I just like the idea of those two being awfully similar, but with the crucial difference that Mc really is as adventurous and clever as Jackdaw expected Anne to be), but in the end none of their houses came up 😅 And finally, english isn’t my first language, so if you liked the story but you had a “she keeps using that word, I don’t think it means what she thinks it means” moment, feel free to let me know (just be nice about it) Cheers!

[peonyblossom]

Ships I'll Write For

for reference :)

Pixelberry

Alpha

m!Channing Lowe x m!MC (Kalani Mochizuki)

America's Most Eligible

Carson Stewart x f!MC (Juliet James)

Blades of Light and Shadow

Nia Ellarious x f!human!MC (Iris of Riverbend)

Valax x f!human!MC (Iris of Riverbend)

Mal Volari x Tyril Starfury

Mal Volari x Tyril Starfury x m!elf!MC (Hades Nightbloom)

Bloodbound

Adrian Raines x Gaius Augustine

Dirty Little Secrets

m!Carpenter (Emmett King) x m!MC (Brooklyn Peters)

High School Story

Wes Porter x Ezra Mitchell

Payton Saunders x f!MC (Lola Williams)

Michael Harrison x nb!MC (Jamie Baxter)

Mia Warren x Katherine

Ajay Bhandari x m!MC (Matty Wright)

Hollywood U

Thomas Hunt x f/nb!MC (Jackie Winters)

Hot Couture

Marco Di Vincenzo x f!MC (Analise Moore)

Immortal Desires

m!Cas x m!Gabe x nb!MC (Reese O'Malley)

Lewyn Junius x m!OC (Jude Junius)

It Lives Anthology

Noah Marshall x m!MC (Harry Spear)

Noah Marshall x Connor Green

Connor Green x m!MC (Jesse Harrison)

Ava Cunningham x f!MC (Raven Adams)

Stacy Green x f!MC (Ivy Lovelace)

Imogen Wescott x f!MC (Fiona Vance)

Tom Sato x m!MC (River Vance)

Danni Asturias x f!MC (Merliah Vance)

Abel Flint x nb!MC (Ollie Bridgers)

Lincoln Aquino x nb!MC (Keagan Burke)

Amalia de León x nb!MC (Lottie Hamilton)

Jocelyn Wu x f!MC (Eleanor Wilkins) (slowburn)

Matthias McQuoid x m!OC (Ezra Wilkins)

Laws of Attraction

Gabe Ricci x Aislinn Tanaka x nb!MC (Sav Zarza)

Open Heart

Ethan Ramsey x m!MC (Sydney Valentine)

Ethan Ramsey x Tobias Carrick

Aurora Emery x Sienna Trinh

Queen B

Zoey Wade x f!MC (Quinn Hughes)

Ian Kingsley x f!MC (Quinn Hughes)

Untameable Anthology

m!Kit Jackson x m!MC (Jules Rojas)

Mandy Martinez x Ryder Wilson x m!MC (Barrett Kemp)

Gravity Falls

Stan Pines x Reader

Stan Pines x nb!OC (JD Willows)

Ford Pines x Fiddleford McGucket

Grey's Anatomy/Station 19

Mark Sloan x Jackson Avery x Lexi Grey

Mark Sloan x Jackson Avery

Meredith Grey x Derek Shepherd

Meredith Grey x Andy Herrera

Victoria Hughes x Lucas Ripley

Izzie Stevens x Denny Duquette

Ben Warren x Miranda Bailey

Cristina Yang x Teddy Altman

Maya Bishop x Carina DeLuca

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC F/AotW - Feb 11 - 17, 2024

✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA | 💘 Valentine's Day 🔹Submitted by creator

AMERICAS MOST ELIGIBLE

Derek Taylor x F!MC Fanart ��by @lilyoffandoms for @tveitertotwrites

BLADES OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Aerin Valleros x F!MC Fanart 🎨by @erixadraws

Happy Valentine's Day 🎨💘 | Aerin Valleros x f!human!mc - @artbyalz

Maiele Nightbloom Fanart 🎨🔹| BOLAS elf!MC by @storyofmychoices for @lilyoffandoms

Mal Volari x F!MC Fanart 🎨💘🔹by @cammarada (C: @storyofmychoices)

A Whitetower Festival of Friendship & Love ✒️🔹| Mal Volari x MC - @dutifullynuttywitch

Woven Threads and Winding Roads ✒️🔹| Tyril Starfury x f!human!mc - @aria-ashryver for @thosehallowedhalls

BLOODBOUND

By Any Other Name ✒️💘🏳️‍🌈🔹| Kamilah Sayeed x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls for @vampirkit

First Birthday ✒️| Adrian Raines x f!MC - @mynotsohealthyobsession

CRIMES OF PASSION

CoP Full F/AotW List Week Ending Feb. 17, 2024

THE CURSED HEART

Kieran x MC Fanart 🎨🔹by @gaiuskamilah for @lilyoffandoms

DESIRE AND DECORUM

Whimsical Walks and Poetic Talks ✒️🎨🔹| Ernest Sinclaire x F!MC - @storyofmychoices for @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

DISTANT SHORES

Distant Shores: An Alternate Path ✒️🔹| f!Charlie Smith x M!MC - @korgbelmont

THE FRESHMAN SERIES

Happy Valentine's, Hater ✒️💘| TFS MC - @choicesmc

Zig Ortega x F!MC Fanart 🎨🔹by @/artsbymena (C: @choiceswithmika)

HIGH SCHOOL STORY

Aiden Zhou Fanart 🎨 by @lilyoffandoms for @cadybear420

Rolling on Forward ✒️🏳️‍🌈 🔹| Aiden Zhou x NB!MC - @cadybear420

HOLLYWOOD U

Cafe Whispers & Scone Kisses ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Addison Sinclair x F!MC - @storyofmychoices

IT LIVES IN THE WOODS

A New Chapter: A Valentine's Day Special ✒️💘 🔹| Stacy Green x M!MC - @korgbelmont

LAWS OF ATTRACTION

Dancing Queen ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Original Characters - @aces-and-angels

Date Night🎨🏳️‍🌈💘 🔹| Gabe Ricci x M!MC - @choicesmc

Guess Where Magnus is From 🎨| Original Characters - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

LOA OCs Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

That Place ✒️🏳️‍🌈Beau McGraw, Wind (NB!MC) - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

The Tarmin Awdernviel Gala 🎨🏳️‍🌈| Multiple Characters by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Wind Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈🔹| LOA NB!MC - @storyofmychoices for @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

MURDER AT HOMECOMING

Let Me Be Your Valentine, St. Valentine ✒️🎨🏳️‍🌈 💘 🔹| Donovan Navarro x/& NB!MC - @aallotarenunelma

OPEN HEART

Open Heart F/AotW Full Listing Week Ending Feb. 17, 2024

PERFECT MATCH

Sloane Washington Fanart 🎨by @sazanes

Sloane Washington Pajamas 🎨 by @sazanes

Sloane Washington Valentine's Day 🎨 by @sazanes

Sloane Washington x F!Hayden Young Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈by @sazanes

Women in STEM/Girl Power! 🎨| Sloane Washington - @cassiopeaicorvus

Written in the Stars 🎨| Sloane Washington - @cassiopeaicorvus

Written in the Stars: Queen Star 🎨| Slaone Washington - @sazanes

THE ROYAL ROMANCE

Cordonian Karaoke: Hana Take 3✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Hana Lee x MC, Drake Walker x MC - @angelasscribbles

Goodbyes Are the Hardest ✒️| Liam Rys x MC - @silvermillenniumqueenneptune

Marabelle: The Game of Kings ✒️💘🔹| Liam Rys x F!MC - @tessa-liam

My Lonely Valentine: The Agreement ✒️💘Ⓜ️ 🔥🔹| Liam Rys x MC - @angelasscribbles

Round Robin Chapter 1: Welcome ✒️🔹- @angelasscribbles

WISHFUL THINKING

Anna Koishi x F!MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈 by @lilyoffandoms for @noesapphic

[rosepetals1]

🎄 Christmas Tree Dilemma 🎄

Book: Perfect Match

Pairing: M!Hayden Young x Arielle Park (F!MC)

Other Characters: Sloane Washington

Word Count: ~598

Rating: General

Tagging: @choicesholidays; @choicesflashfics Holiday Prompt: "Are you even tall enough to put the star on the tree?" @choicesficwriterscreations Holiday Event: "I told you the tree was too big!"

Summary: Hayden and Arielle try to place the star on top of their huge tree, but after failing multiple times to do so, they decide to call on a third party for assistance.

"I told you the tree was too big!"

Arielle watched as Hayden stood with his heels raised, desperately trying to place the star on top of the tree for the umpteenth time, but to no avail.

"It's not too big! It's just slightly taller than your average tree." He replied, still trying to reach the top.

"Are you even tall enough to put the star on the tree?”

"Of course I am!" Hayden huffed.

But as he continued to struggle, it was clear that he wasn't.

She shook her head at his feeble attempt. "Look, we clearly need help at this point. This 'slightly taller than your average tree' is almost touching the ceiling. I've called Sloane, she said she'll be right over soon."

"Oh great!" He said, nearly losing his balance. "We could certainly use it."

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Arielle walked over to the door and opened it, and there stood a slightly panting Sloane in her winter clothes.

"What happened? I was told that this was a matter of life and death, so I dropped everything and came as fast as I could."

She added sheepishly, "I also may or may not have nearly gotten into a car crash while I was on my way. But that's okay, the most important thing is that I'm here now!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sloane! I didn't mean to make you rush like that. I was just over exaggerating when I said it was a matter of life and death." Arielle admitted.

Hayden laughed. "Tell me about it."

"...Oh. So what was it that you needed my help with, then?" Sloane asked as she entered their apartment.

Arielle pointed to the freakishly large tree in the center of their living room. "With that."

Sloane pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the Christmas tree.

"Oh my..."

"Oh my, indeed. It was Hayden's idea, by the way."

Hayden rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Guilty as charged. At first glance, I didn't think it was tall enough to the point that it would touch the ceiling but it seems I was wrong."

"You see, we want to get the star on top, but we have no idea how." Arielle explained.

"Have you guys tried using a chair?"

The couple slowly glanced at each other. Then suddenly, Hayden rushed to grab a nearby chair and placed it in front of the Christmas tree.

"I'm guessing that's a no." Sloane laughed.

Arielle shook her head in amazement. "Oh my god, I can't believe it. The solution was so obvious and we were over here having a crisis about it."

"Seems like we got a little drunk off the eggnog from earlier, hm?" Hayden quipped as he carefully attached the star to the very top of the tree.

Once Hayden stepped down from the chair, they all gathered around to admire the final result.

"Finally! We did it." Arielle grinned up at the tree as Hayden wrapped an arm around her.

"It's gorgeous. You guys did such an amazing job!" Sloane marveled.

Dipper walked over to the tree and sniffed it curiously, her tail wagging as she inspected it.

"Do you like the tree, Dipper?" Arielle asked.

Dipper barked excitedly in reply.

"That's a yes. This tree officially has the Dipper Stamp of Approval!" Hayden chuckled.

Together, they all stood side by side, admiring the Christmas tree in all its glory, and basking in the spirit of the holidays with each other.

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

[moonlightteaxoxo]

Hiii!!! I saw your requests were open!! I would love a prompt for the obey me bros (it can just be Satan if you do not want to right all the brothers) but a GN!MC who gives really big cheek kisses to show affection and they do it casually?? Like the bros (or Satan😙) could be working and MC just comes up and 😘MUAH and goes about their day?? Thank you so much!!!

Xoxo ♡

All the om bros x gn!Mc

(This req is so cute omfg)

Playing: kinda hate you kinda love you -Alex Sloane

Lucifer

Well at first it would really catch him off guard how you would do it so casually. He would also be a bit flustered but wouldn't show it at all. Eventually Lucifer would really grow to like it and find it cute whenever you walked up to him and gave him a smooch on his cheek when he was doing paperwork :D

Mammon

Despite what others might believe he wouldn't just get super super flustered and stay like that. He would prolly be dumbfounded for a few secs and then go on bragging about it and demanding more.. In reality he loves it sm and eventually would give small cheek kisses too.

Leviathan

It would prolly occur in his room while he was ranting about one of his new interests. This boy would just freeze in silence and look confused af on the entire situation. After that he would start to question you if he really was worth giving those smooches and you give him another one to shut him up. He may seem reluctant blushing and all but he just really wants it and it sort of makes his day better.

Satan

It would probably be while you two were alone sitting next to eachother talking about a place to go out for fun (date perhaps?) and you got really happy about it and casually leaned close amd gave him a big smooch on the cheek. He almost instantly smiled at the action and was very straightforward about liking it a lot. In my opinion bro is a hugger so whenever youd do that he would give you a small hug. <3

Asmodeus

O. M. F. G he would be really happy about it and definitely do it back! He's very affectionate and he would like returining the favour to you followed by many other kisses throughout the day. He would also like how casual you were about it

Beelzebub

Well you saw him in the hallway and decided to give him a big ol' kiss on the cheek then walk away. Nothing wrong with that right? Wrong. He was thinking about it all day and decided to ask you about it. You told him it was your way of showing affection and he gave you the sweetest smile ever aaaa... No matter how many times you did it, it would always be very special to him

Belphegor

Well in this scenario you two had fallen asleep and woke up about 15 mins before dinner. He was cuddled up to you and you woke up before him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek and tried to get up. Well... His grip on you tightened and he pouted about wanting you to do it again. Well you did but it seemed like that was enough to lull him back to sleep with a death grip on you <3

[lizzybeth1986]

Harvest Moon

Book: Perfect Match

Rating: PG

Pairings: Basil Park (m!MC) x Sage Young (f!Hayden), Basil Park x Sloane Washington, Kim Washington

Summary: It's Sage's first ever birthday! And what better way to celebrate it than a fun road trip to a place where they can see the last supermoon of the year - just her, Basil, Sloane and Kim. But this time might be a little different - because this time around, Kim knows Sage is a Match...

Word Count: 4, 099 words

Note: While looking up this year's celestial sightings would be, I discovered that 29th Sept is when we will see the last supermoon of the year. PM is set in the future but for sure I felt like it would be just extra special for me to do a similar setting for a birthday fic 😁 The events of this fic are referenced in "Saffron Sugar, Turmeric Spice"

--

Sage is pretty sure no one-year-old has ever had a birthday surprise quite like this one.

Though technically, there was no way it could have been a surprise. This road trip was planned and booked two months in advance, Sloane and Kim have been wanting to check out Cherry Springs State Park's dark sky view for a while, and Basil and Sage have checked the Yearly Astronomical Reference Guide on seasky.org often enough to know that the very last supermoon you'll see this year, will make an appearance on Sage's birthday.

Sure, there are people who'll wonder at the wisdom of driving five hours for a view they could enjoy anywhere in New York. But combining road trips and amateur astronomy is a family tradition. Their family tradition. A tradition the Washington women created and enjoyed themselves; a tradition both Sage and Basil both love. Because the Washingtons are their family.

Sage lets out a low, trembling sigh, and clutches her jacket closer to her body.

Were, she reminds herself, maybe "were my family" is the better phrase to use here. Would still be, if she hadn't opened her big mouth on a visit to DC last week. While Kim stood outside her door, frozen in stunned silence.

The memory is humiliating enough now to make Sage train her eyes with unusual focus outside the car window. She doesn't want to see the worry in Basil's eyes, or the pleas to talk to her in Sloane's.

She isn't sure what she'll see in Kim's, because it's been hard maintaining eye contact with her ever since that moment in the doorway - but she knows for sure whatever warmth she'd seen there before must be long gone.

On the face of it, everything seems the same. After that awkward first day, Kim seemed eager to steer things back to normal. So normal, in fact, that it began to freak Sage out.

It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to talk like everything was okay, while their stares and body language said something else altogether. Damien's wariness. Khaan's clinical interest. Winona's transparent-as-glass attempts to look away from her shoulder. The brief flash of pain in President Thompson's eyes every time she saw Sage. And while there's been enough press releases and outreach designed to change public opinion on sentient andriods....the path to real transformation is slow. And hard. And sometimes downright exhausting.

Sage is tired. She doesn't want to have to go through conversations like that again. And to have Kim - the woman she considered mom even before they met - be the person she had that talk with...would practically break her.

Better to keep off that eventuality for as long as she possibly can.

"Sage, baby," Kim says, distractedly, eyes on the road. "Which song next? Come Fly With Me, Fly Me to The Moon or The Girl from Ipenama?"

Nervous, Sage bites her lip. Kim has never had this much trouble choosing Sinatra songs on a road trip before. Still, maybe guessing why Kim would want these tunes in particular would distract her. The first one probably for the travel vibes. The second fits the theme of their trip and Sage suspects Kim would put the third one on just to get her to translate the Spanish verses again.

"Come Fly With Me for now," she says, "I don't care if it's about going on a plane and reminds me how sick and tired we all got of airplane peanuts last year - it's still a travel song."

Kim's laughter is light like a summer breeze, as she fiddles with the radio. Sloane joins her, her voice so like her mother's that they sound like double echoes. Sage can see the swing of her new earrings as Sloane turns to look at them. Bright yellow hoops that contrast so perfectly with her purple blazer, the spiral-like curls at the edges intricate and made entirely of paper.

Sage feels a glow of pride, looking at the immaculate detailing. Kim had taken up quilling as a hobby only early this year, and already her craftwork could rival any seasoned professional.

"Wonder how Dipper's doing," Sloane murmurs, suddenly rummaging inside her bag for her phone, "maybe I should give Nadia and Steve a call?"

"In the lap of luxury, for sure," Basil says, smiling.

"That dog is so spoiled," Sage lets out an unladylike snort.

Kim looks too preoccupied with the road to say anything, but no more than two minutes later the song on the car radio changes. To a song that Sage is pretty damn sure isn't a regular one on their playlist. Mama Will Bark. With its humourous whimsy, terrible dog puns and periodic howling. Sage almost chokes on her own laugh.

Her eyes meet Kim's in the front view mirror for less than a second; so belief that she's convinced she has to have imagined that Kim winked at her.

--

Basil and Sloane give Sage her birthday gift at the Campgrounds, just before sunset. She gasps at the beauty she's just unwrapped - A GoPro Hero 35 Black camera kit; the Creator Edition Bundle, the kind that comes with a chest mount, a head mount, a tripod - the works. It's the kind of camera that would work like magic any time, any terrain, any weather. An adventure lover's dream.

"Wow..." she breathes, her chest tight, "Fucking wow."

Behind them, Kim clears her throat. Very audibly.

Spying from beneath her lashes, Sage spots a slight smile. "Oops," she says, not feeling very sorry at all. Secret jokester that she is, Kim likes to front like she cares about the group's collective tendency to cuss at the drop of a hat, but does such a poor job of it that it's become an inside joke among them all now.

Kim chuckles. "What say we all take a small walk after half an hour?"

The three of them nod, and stuff the wrapping paper and used tapes into a bag they've reserved just for garbage, to be thrown at the sanitary dump area before they leave the premises. Basil looks around the near-empty expanse of greenery, "We could go now if you want, Kim."

A small huff of laughter. "Not yet. The moon will be out any minute now. Go put that camera to good use and...moongaze, I guess...I'll just take care of a few things in the tent."

Soon enough, the harvest moon does come out - more swollen, more rounded, more golden than the full moon they're all used to. Its colouring takes on an almost ombre tone - a light gold at the top, melting into an almost red-orange hue towards the bottom. It feels so close you could be tempted to reach out and touch it.

It wasn't like they didn't know what to expect. Sloane told them. Showed them videos, pictures, all peppered with jargon they could barely understand. Explained the science so that by the time they came here they knew that, technically, this was an optical illusion caused by the moon's elliptical orbit. They knew what a perigee was. Enough documentary nights have passed between the three of them to make the moon sound like less of an object of magic and whimsy, and more a funny little rock that orbits the earth every 28 days.

But...but seeing it up there like this, up in a sky unmarred by smog and bright lights, where on any other night the Milky Way would be laid out across the sky like a carpet of stars. And so close, that you could make out - ever so faintly - the lattice work of the craters and the fine lines that connect them. Sage wonders at the sheer intimacy of this experience; of being here, watching this, with the two people who mean the world to her.

"Yknow what," she murmurs, rummaging through boxes and protective cases and quickly setting up the GoPro, "now would be a good time to try this baby out. Like, it is my birthday."

Basil grins. "I'm game," he says looking at Sloane, "have any ideas, babe?"

Sloane looks up, nose scrunched in deep thought. "Would silhouettes take too much time? The moon could shift position too soon if we don't time it right."

"Leave that to me," Sage says, smirking. "I'm the photographer here, remember?"

Sloane rolls her eyes in a way that reminds them eerily of Alana. "I built you from scratch a year ago, remember?"

"Touché," Sage chuckles as she gets to work. The setup isn't easy, and the fact that the moon could shift position anytime makes Sage's movements almost frenetic, but just as she is about to signal to Basil and Sloane to move together for a silhouette shot perfectly set up on the backdrop of a Harvest Moon, she sees Sloane approach her.

"You're the birthday girl," she says, panting, "You should get first dibs on a shot."

Sage giggles. "Trust you to spoil me as much as you do Dipper." She makes a few final adjustments, then turns to Sloane. "You know how to work this?"

"Sure I do. I looked up at least 8 - no, 9 - tutorials!"

She lets out a belly laugh, playfully punching Sloane in the shoulder. "Show off."

Sloane has only one instruction to Basil and Sage when they finally position themselves to her satisfaction. They're already in each other's arms; Sage winding hers behind his neck and fiddling idly with the mess of curls there, Basil flattening his palms against her waist, nuzzling her nose with his.

"Kiss already!" Sloane yells.

Basil grins. "As the lady wishes," Sage barely hears the words over the rush of sensation flooding her, as his mouth descends on her top lip. She smiles into the kiss, her hands already moving to fist themselves in his shirt.

Almost a year since they first met, since that first life-altering kiss outside his apartment door. So much has happened to them since then...but still. Her pulses still race like it's the first time all over again.

Sage takes a deep, shaky breath when their lips part, her forehead touching his, not fully ready to break contact yet. She caresses his back slowly as she lets go, and she knows that the biggest, goofiest, sappiest grin must be showing on her face right now.

She calls out to Sloane as she makes her way to where she's standing. "Your turn, space princess!"

Sage lines up her shot and stands back, noting with satisfaction that the moon looks suitably large - overwhelmingly so - and still very close to the horizon. Basil and Sloane's silhouettes stand out perfectly against the backdrop; Sloane cups his face with both hands as she usually does, her shoulders folding in on themselves as she allows herself to settle into their kiss. Sage knows it's always been this way between them; sharing physical space isn't easy for Sloane, and she needs a partner who will ease her in rather than rush her.

Sage doesn't know what that feels like - she needs an element of surprise, the thrill of brief, needy kisses in hidden hallways. She's always been the more tactile one - for her, touch is comfort. And somehow, inexplicably, Basil seems to understand both their ways of loving, and enjoy it. Love it, even.

Stop being sappy, Sage shakes her head, laughing, you're gonna take the best damn pictures of them they've ever seen, just wait.

The camera captures everything - Sloane standing on tiptoe to kiss Basil, one of his hands tenderly cradling the back of her neck and the other wrapped around her, the shape of their parted lips so heart-stoppingly close as they move away. Sage has taken so many that it will probably be harder to pick the best one from the lot.

They take more pictures by the moon (Kim pops by shortly after Sage's last shots of Basil and Sloane, telling them she'll take fifteen more minutes before joining them for their walk). Sloane and Sage forming the cheesiest-ever heart shapes with their arms, making Basil laugh so much they're sure his photos will come out a blurry, incoherent mess. Spotting a nightjar on a low branch, lining the shot up so its silhouette is caught in sharp contrast to the supermoon too.

Sage wants to take other, simpler pictures: just them sitting and talking, the moonlight casting a golden glow over their faces...but she can't. She won't. Without Kim, pictures like that would feel incomplete. No matter what problems they may have among themselves, no matter what Kim would think of her...Kim matters too much to be excluded from her most personal, most vulnerable photos of this night.

Almost as though summoned by Sage's thoughts, Kim appears. Her smile seems a little tired, and her right hand seems to curl loosely into itself. A fist, but not quite. She carries a flashlight with a red filter on her right hand, the ones they all bought two weeks ago to preserve their night vision. For the first time Sage looks back at her, and when she looks at Basil and Sloane a few seconds later there is something strange about their smiles that she can't exactly place.

They're ten minutes into their walk when Sage realizes that Basil and Sloane are far behind her and Kim, seeming to take their own sweet time to catch up.

Panicking, she turns to Kim, searching her face for a mirror of the confusion she feels. She finds none. Kim is instead taking deep breaths, putting her hands in her pockets and soaking in the fragrance of the dark cherry trees nearby. Like she isn't in any real hurry either.

An invisible fist seems to close around the center of her chest. Sage can hardly breathe.

"Sit with me for a bit, Sage." Kim's voice is warm, gentle, like the handmade quilt she'd made Sloane one Christmas, that now covers the three of them in their own bed. For the first time she doesn't trust the emotion she reads into it.

Sage doesn't give much thought these days to the inner workings of her own body. Whether she has heartbeats, what causes the fizzing sensation beneath her skin whenever she gets too nervous, how her blushing (which not many notice) isn't a result of too much blood rushing to a singular place but a mechanism set in motion by commands and code. But it's times like these - when her body feels too much, all at once - that she wishes she understood better how it all worked. That she wonders why the magnitude of what she's experiencing alone doesn't cause her body to shut down.

Right now, it's just one emotion - fear - and there's too much of it firing every synapse in this manmade (womanmade? Sloane created her, after all) body.

She feels Kim's eyes boring into her as they settle on the grass.

"Sage, honey. Did I do something wrong?"

For the first time in a week, Sage looks up at Kim and actually holds her gaze this time. Those weren't the words she was expecting to hear, nor is this soft, worrying look in her eyes the one she was expecting to see. She lets out a deep, shuddering breath.

"Thought you hated me," she presses her lips together, hating the way tears form a film over her eyes and blur her vision, hating her inability nowadays to pretend she was strong when she most needed it, "For lying. For not being human enough."

The force of Kim's sudden embrace feels as powerful as a gut punch. Sage gasps at how strong Kim's arms feel, wrapped around her shoulders, engulfing her so that Sage's face is buried in the space between neck and shoulder. She breathes in Kim's distinctive fragrance - fresh herbs and warm tea - and is hit by the sudden sharp memory of the phantom figure she rarely thinks about now. The mother who hugged her just like this when her first crush rejected her in front of the whole school. The mother Sloane programmed her to remember.

"Oh, honey," Kim whispers, hands rubbing down her back in a rhythm that Sage always associated with soft blankets and lullabies. "No. No. No. Never." Her voice is soft and hoarse, almost like she's trying to hold back tears. "I could never hate you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever allowed you to think that."

Sage turns her head in the opposite direction towards the moonlit horizon, cheek still pressed against Kim's shoulder. It isn't Kim's fault, not really. She was trying to tell her nothing had changed. It was...it was just hard for her to believe.

She takes a few deep breaths, tries hard not to let her tears fall. They fall anyway.

When Kim speaks again, her voice is still soft, barely louder than a whisper. "I...I think I know where I got it wrong. That first day, wasn't it? Because I barely said anything."

Sage doesn't answer. There's too much she wants to say; none of it feels right for this conversation. Kim pauses for a beat, then speaks again.

"I think I wanted to take time to process. All those times I saw you crying about your mother, all those times the three of you would look at me...like there was something you needed to hide from me."

"Sorry," Sage says, giving Kim's arm an apologetic squeeze. "We were going to tell you at some point, I swear. I guess we just keep putting it off."

Kim places her hands on either side of Sage's face, raising it as if she wants to take a good look at her. Her eyes are moist too, and the pain she feels at making Kim sad twists inside her stomach like a knife. "Sloane told me you had no clue who you were until you saved Basil from a taser."

Sage nods. "I had all these memories. Huddling under a table with my mom during a storm. Getting jealous when my friends were hogging her attention," Kim chuckles a little at that one. Sage looks down before she whispers, "road trips with Sinatra on the radio..."

Kim's hands come to her shoulders now, as she shakes her head. "Sloane told me about that. All I could think of was what my poor Sage had been through. I felt like I needed to fully reevaluate everything I thought I knew about you with all that in mind. And when the time came to talk...I guess I didn't know how to actually talk about it."

Sage nods and looks away, finally understanding. Her brain is too much on overdrive to immediately respond, the words she doesn't hate me, she doesn't hate me, forming a tattoo in her head.

Kim speaks again. "I wanted to show you that it didn't matter to me...that's why I started speaking to you like before. Except...that backfired, didn't it?"

Sage sighs. Kim doesn't know about all the people who tried to pretend and then screwed up anyway, and Sage doesn't want her to know. "Maybe. But I don't know if I was ready to talk either," she says slowly, "And I can't blame you for taking a day to think."

Kim seems to search Sage's face for... something - Sage can't figure out what - before she moves away, raising her knees in front of her and winding her arms around them. There is a small, tight smile on her lips. "I guess you could say I was...processing."

For a few moments, Sage can do nothing but blink. Several times.

"Oh my God, Kim," once Sage gets it, she can't stop laughing, "that joke was terrible!"

The smile widens. "Sorry my load time took most of the day."

"No! Worse!"

Kim stares at her, all placid innocence. "Kim.exe has stopped working."

"Stop! Stop!" Sage almost punches her arm in her attempts to stop laughing, just like she did at Kim's jokes several weeks ago, and every golden, sunlit, wonderful week before that. "You're killing me here!"

Kim and Sage fall over each other, finding themselves in loop after loop of giggle fits. So much so that they forget what they were actually laughing about - they only have to look at each other before they start again.

When they're done clutching their stomachs and wiping tears from their eyes, Sage keeps her head on Kim's shoulder. Kim keeps her arm around Sage's. All the laughter is gone from Kim's voice now; it is low and measured, as if she's been practicing the words.

"It isn't fair."

Sage tenses. "What isn't?"

"That anyone would make you believe...that how you were built, should make you any less of a person."

Sage smiles wanly. It's as if all the stress and all the pain, all the fear of having to face hostility again, has leaked out of her - leaving her in a weird mix of exhaustion and bliss. She winds her arms around Kim's midsection, closing her eyes against the faint memory of doing this as a child, to a figure who feels more phantom than mother.

"I have my people," she says, "and before you ask - yes, you're one of them. I was just afraid I'd lose you."

Their arms tighten around each other. "Never," Kim says it like a vow, then tilts her head to where Basil and Sloane stand, holding hands and gazing at the harvest moon.

Sage grins, briefly dislodging herself from Momma Kim's embrace and calling out to them.

"Get here, you two! Stop pretending to moongaze or whatever. Kim and I patched up!"

"About time you did!" Basil calls back as they both make their way towards Kim and Sage.

Sage pretends to look annoyed. "We spent, like, a whopping ten minutes yapping here. The least you could've done was sneak in a good makeout sesh."

"Sage!" Sloane says, grinning and hiding her face in Basil's arm. "Not in front of mom!"

Kim laughs. "You two expect me to believe that? I've seen more than my fair share, Trudy!"

Seeing the four of them laugh together in a way they haven't all week, Sage's chest feels so full she can hardly bear it. They all stand together, switching between giggly banter about the rest of the group and gazing up at the golden moon again. They know it's the last time they'll see a supermoon this year.

Kim stops Sage just as they're all about to return to their tents, ready to settle for the night. Basil and Sage look at each other, smile, and go inside.

"C'mere," she says, taking something out of her pocket. Whatever it is, it's small enough to nestle in the palm of her hand. "In the middle of all that yapping I forgot to give you your birthday present, darling."

Sage lets out a soft gasp. In the brief but intense rollercoaster that was today she almost forgot she had a birthday to celebrate.

Kim opens her palm to reveal two large, gorgeous, teardrop shaped earrings - the quilling pattern on them so intricate it reminds Sage of arabesque designs. Even in the dark the colours dazzle: electric blue on the outside, sunset orange on the inside. The double-toned hues remind Sage so much of a fiery sunset, sinking into a deep blue sea.

"Happy birthday, honey," Kim whispers.

This work of art. One that must have taken blood, sweat, tears, paper strips, glue, tools. One that must have taken Momma Kim hours to get right.

Sage tries to swallow a lump in her throat, cursing herself for the fresh onset of tears. "For me?"

Kim lets out a laugh that borders on watery. "Anything for my girls." She steals a glance at their tent, "and boy, of course. Basil's getting a pendant. Don't tell."

She giggles; another implanted memory emerges as she holds out her little finger. This time it doesn't appear with the wave of bitterness that usually follows...this time, she holds that memory to her chest, with joy. And love.

She links her pinky with Kim's, laughing again as the older woman's eyes brighten. "Pinky promise."

--

They'd asked for a two-night stay when they'd made the bookings. Cherry Springs is an internationally-acclaimed Dark Sky Park, Sloane had explained back then, before slipping into what they all dub her personal "Guide to Understanding Astronomy Jargon for My Very Confused Boyfriend and Best Friend", That means a place that restricts artificial light so you can experience true darkness. The stars can never be clearer in the night sky than in a place like that! You just won't see as much of it when you have a big bright supermoon on the horizon.

Which is how they end up staying another night at Cherry Springs, soaking in the brilliance of the stars against a slowly waning moon, shrunk to its usual size. The three of them are huddled together beneath a quilt that Kim had knitted for Sloane, long before she had ever met Basil and Sage.

Kim herself has turned in for the night, early sleeper that she is. She'd kissed them all goodnight before leaving, and Sage couldn't resist tightening her arms around her so she could hold on to her warmth a minute more.

Sage marvels at how comfortably the three of them fit against each other right now: her head on Basil's shoulder, Sloane's lying sideways against his chest, her fingers idly playing with the smaller curls above Sage's neck, taking full advantage of the fact that she feels ticklish there. Sage squirms and buries her hushed laughter in Basil's arm.

Dangly, beautiful, handmade earrings - yellow and blue-orange - swing joyously against Sloane's and Sage's necks. Hugging the quilt tighter to herself, Sage begins to play with Sloane's lovely yellow hoops. Sloane returns the gesture, grinning cheekily, and Basil lets out a small huff of laughter.

They'll head home tomorrow - wind in their hair, the sun on their skin, singing New York, New York. Just as they did before they came here...but not at all the same. They will probably return louder. Happier. More one with each other than ever before.

She looks around at the two people with her, and the woman already sleeping in a tent inside. When she releases a breath, it comes out in a happy sigh.

My people, Sage thinks dreamily, as her eyes follow the long, winding, heaven-bound path of the Milky Way. My family.

--

Harvest moons refer to the final supermoon of the year, which usually shows up towards the end of September. It's called so because it coincides with the harvest season. This year it actually did happen on 29th Sept. Learn more about harvest moons here, and different kinds of supermoons here.

References for the quilled earrings Kim made for the girls:

I HC that Sloane likes hoops, and this is the first design Kim masters. So the one on the left is Sloane's, and the blue-orange one on the right is Hayden's birthday present.

Currently the latest GoPro in the market is the Hero 12, but since this is set in the future I've given it a different number.

Faceclaims:

Sage Young - Lupita Nyong'o

Basil Park - Eric Mun

Sloane Washington - Nelly Muse

Kim Washington - Aunjanue Ellis

-

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW and (possibly) Bisexual Awareness Week

Tagging @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 for Day 4 - Moonlight, Moon (pls ignore if the entry is too late)

Tagging @choicesprompts for Flufftober, "Birthday Surprise".

Tagging @haydenyoungappreciationweek and @sazanes for Day 5: Happy Birthday Hayden!

[choicespride]

Valentine's Day 2024 Masterlist

Blades of Light and Shadow

Hades Nightbloom Valentine's Day Edits - m!elf!MC (Hades Nightbloom) - @peonyblossom

Iris of Riverbend Valentine's Day Edits - f!human!MC (Iris of Riverbend) - @peonyblossom

Bloodbound

By Any Other Name - Kamilah Sayeed x f!MC (Lucy West) - @thosehallowedhalls

High School Story

Jamie Baxter Valentine's Day Edits - nb!MC (Jamie Baxter) - @peonyblossom

Hollywood U

Cafe Whispers and Scone Kisses - Addison Sinclair x f!MC (Alex Spencer), Thomas Hunt x f!MC (Alex Spencer) (mentioned) - @theartoflovingthomashunt

Jackie Winters Valentine's Day Edits - nb!MC (Jackie Winters) - @peonyblossom

Thomas x Jackie Date Night - Thomas Hunt x nb!MC (Jackie Winters) - art by @lilyoffandoms, requested by @peonyblossom

It Lives Anthology

Harry Spear Valentine's Day Edits - ILITW m!MC (Harry Spear) - @peonyblossom

Ollie Bridgers Valentine's Day Edits - ILW nb!MC (Ollie Bridgers) - @peonyblossom

Laws of Attraction

Date Night - Gabe Ricci x m!MC (Fiona Lightwood) - @choicesmc

Murder At Homecoming

Let Me Be Your Valentine, Saint Valentine - Donovan Navarro x/& nb!MC (Edelmina Stone) - @aallotarenunelma

Open Heart

Dr. Sydney Valentine Valentine's Day Edits - m!MC (Sydney Valentine) - @peonyblossom

Two Types of People - Bryce Lahela x m!MC (Jensen Valentine) - art by @lilyoffandoms, requested by @mydemonsdrivealimo

when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love - Bryce Lahela x m!MC (Jensen Valentine) - @mydemonsdrivealimo

Perfect Match

Beach Love: "Glasses and Missy" at Komodo Island - Sloane Washington x Alana Kusuma - @lizzybeth1986

Wishful Thinking

Art Request - Anna Koishi x f!MC (Nyx) - art by @lilyoffandoms, requested by @noesapphic

[sloanesallow]

(don't) touch

The last thing Sebastian expects is a jealous wife. Tags: MDNI, NSFW! Sexual content, mild bondage (wrists), feat. a needy and submissive Sebastian.

Sebastian Sallow x F!MC | 2k words [Ao3] | [Wattpad] | [Masterlist]

It's rare for Sebastian to be in London, but that is exactly where he finds himself that evening, celebrating the retirement of some ancient, well-respected, and powerful Ministry official. Considering he's only been contracted with the Auror's office as their curse breaker for a year, he's flattered by the invitation, but feels woefully out of place amidst the opulence of his older, more dignified associates.

Still, he manages to blend in—he always does—mingling and socializing with the other guests, many of whom have traveled from all over the world to be there tonight. Somewhere in the shuffle he loses sight of his wife, Sloane, and instead stands flanked by a group of giggling young women he recognizes as some of the Ministry's newest apprentices. Freshly graduated from Hogwarts, they flock to Sebastian, overjoyed to see another young face in a sea of 'old, wrinkly, men'.

"And what department do you work for, Mr. Sallow?"

"Do you live in London?"

"Is it true you were Hogwarts' best duelist?"

"You're still as handsome as your class portrait!"

"Might you be available for a dance, Mr. Sallow?"

Sebastian forces a chuckle, flustered as he realizes they are flirting with him. He's so used to the affection and attention of one person that hearing it from any other's lips makes his gut churn uncomfortably. He is about to respond when he feels a hand slip around the crook of his elbow and the familiar, flowery scent of his wife's perfume surrounds him.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Sloane says.

The young women simultaneously pout. "Why not?"

"Because he will be dancing with his wife."

Their faces blanch. "His...wife?"

"Yes." Sloane's fingers curl a little tighter around Sebastian's arm so that the golden band of her wedding ring is more obvious. When he glances down, her smile is polite, but her eyes are steel. It takes him an embarrassingly long moment to realize she is jealous. "His wife."

Multiple pairs of eyes dart between her hand and his before settling on the floor as they quickly shuffle away. As soon as they are alone, Sebastian clears his throat and arches a curious brow.

"You wish to dance?"

"No," she replies, prompting both his brows to rise. While she doesn't like to be the center of attention, she loves to dance if it's with him. She drops her hand from his arm and tilts her chin up to meet his gaze. "Meet me upstairs in ten minutes."

Sebastian's eyebrows can't raise any higher. "Only ten?"

"Five."

"Three."

He smirks when he sees the corner of her mouth twitch before she turns swiftly on her heel and departs. Sebastian pretends to be interested in the decorations, rocking back and forth on his heels as he counts to one-hundred-and-eighty. As soon as the clock-hand in his mind ticks over he slinks away, pretending to be on his way to the privy before diverting to the staircase instead.

On the landing, he follows his instinct and turns right, grinning when he spots a discarded evening glove on the floor. A heeled slipper is a few paces ahead, a shed stocking a few paces more. The trail leads to a door at the end of a long hallway and Sebastian wastes no time advancing to the treasure waiting on the other side.

As soon as he slips inside the room he leans back against the closed door, stunned to see Sloane already bare and spread out across an elegant bed, her pale skin an alluring contrast to the dark, satin sheets. For a split second he wonders whose bedroom it is before shaking the thought away because he simply does not care.

"Well now, Mrs. Sallow, what do we have here?" Sebastian secures the lock before crossing over to where she is, eager to join her for some unexpected fun.

"Not so fast," Sloane stops his advance with a slight shake of her head and he pauses at the foot of the bed, both hands and one knee already braced on the mattress. He looks at her curiously, surprised by the unfamiliar, assertive tone. "Strip for me."

Her words send a hot spike of pleasure straight to his groin and he flashes a lopsided grin. "Is that an order?"

"Yes."

Sebastian obliges, too aroused to question his wife's mood. He usually leads their intimacy, the dominant force to her softer nature. This side of Sloane is so rarely seen—especially in the bedroom—that he's thrilled to indulge for at least one evening. He slowly starts to remove his clothing, peeling away the layers of his evening attire until the pieces are scattered on the floor along side her dress and undergarments.

Naked, he continues to stand at the foot of the bed, trying not to look too proud as Sloane's eyes dance along his body in admiration, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. "Come here," she beckons.

His movements remain slow as he crawls over her, never once removing his gaze from her face. He stares down into her shimmering grey eyes and is about to press himself against her body when she reaches up, grasping his shoulders and using one leg swung over his hip to swap their positions. Sebastian is momentarily caught off guard, especially when her hands pin his wrists on either side of his head. Even though it would be oh so easy to break free and flip her back beneath him, he settles back with a grin.

"No touching," she explains. "Not unless I say so."

"Minx," he taunts, earning him a sharp but teasing glare. Sloane only moves when she's sure he won't, though he does crane his head back to watch as she carefully ties each one of his wrists to the headboard with some conjured silk. As she leans over him to secure the knots, her breasts sway above his face and Sebastian cannot resist—he flicks his tongue out against one already-pebbled nipple.

Sloane inhales a startled gasp, and in turn tightens the binds. "Be good," she warns.

Sebastian knows his expression is incorrigible. "I'm always good."

"I beg to differ."

"Oh?" he snickers. "I love when you beg, sweetheart."

She says nothing, and it nearly drives him prematurely off the edge with how confident his wife appears in this role. Still, he can't help but challenge her.

"Do you really think these binds will keep me from touching you?"

Except, when he attempts and fails to break free from them with brute strength alone, he resigns himself to the moment. Sloane flashes a tiny, self-satisfied grin as she leans back on her knees. She's straddling his waist, but besides her legs against his sides, she does not touch him.

"If you're a good boy, maybe you'll get what you want."

Sebastian's cock twitches and he wonders when did she learn to be so wicked.

Sloane slides her hands across his chest, nails softly scratching through the soft dusting of hair along his pectorals. She repeats the motion, causing goosebumps to ripple across his skin. She shifts her body as she lowers herself down again, this time to trail an agonizingly slow path of kisses from his jaw, down his neck and chest to his hips and back again.

Sebastian is not one to beg, or maybe he is, at least when it comes to Sloane and the sweet ecstasy she's denying. She straightens up again, and he shudders as her hands drift down to where he needs her most.

"Do you want me to touch you?" she sounds like desire incarnate.

"Yes," he croaks.

"Yes?"

Sebastian groans, "yes please."

His wife finally shows mercy and grasps his arousal, pumping a few times before swiping her thumb through the pre-come gathered on the tip.

"Fuck, Sloane," he hushes the curse, eyes fluttering closed as she strokes him just the way he likes. He can feel the heat between her thighs as she hovers close, and he rocks his hips back and forth, desperate to be inside of her. For as long as they've been together, his yearning for her has never waned. "Sloane, please."

"Please?" she repeats in a husky whisper.

"Let me..." his voice breaks on a deep moan and he tugs at the silk bindings. "Let me touch you."

"Three minutes," is her reply.

Sloane slows her strokes and Sebastian opens his eyes to see her amused expression. "Huh?"

"You barely lasted three minutes before begging," she declares but Sebastian can't be bothered with embarrassment right now.

"Maybe in this instance," he struggles to speak through his labored breath. "But if you untie me, sweetheart, you'll get the best ten minutes of your life."

Sloane hums in thought. "Five."

He opens his mouth to argue but all that comes out is a strangled sound of pleasure as she angles the head of his arousal to sweep through her slick folds to her entrance.

"Five?" she prompts again.

He shakes his head. "Three."

Sebastian watches through hooded eyes as Sloane slowly sinks down, and he's unable to stop himself from bucking his hips up at the sensation. Her hands press against his lower abdomen and she scolds him between own shaky breaths.

"Be good."

"Yes, wife."

Sebastian knows he's affected her by the shimmer in her eyes and the way her core clenches around him. As soon as he is fully seated within her, she circles her hips, fingers splaying out across his chest as she steadily increases her pace. She rocks back and forth, the quiet creak of the bed mixing with their heavy panting and moans. His eyes flick down from her face to where they are joined, his mouth watering at the sight of her impaling herself on his cock over and over again. Sloane lifts herself up a little more with each stroke until she is bouncing in his lap, and he hisses at the overwhelming tightness and heat of her around him.

"Sloane," he practically wheezed her name, straining his wrists as he tugged at the ties again. "Please."

She relents, frantic as she tugs at the knots until they are loose enough for him to slip out from. Sebastian grasps her immediately, one arm tucked around her waist and the other tangling in her hair as he tugs her down and smashes their lips together in a sloppy, hungry kiss. His grip tightens and he lifts his hips to meet her frenzied movements as they quickly skyrocket over the edge of ecstasy.

Her entire body trembles, thighs flexing around his hips as her silken walls flutter around him. He meets her release with what sounds like a roar, clutching her against him as they both slump. Sloane remains folded over his chest with her face tucked against his shoulder as they float down from the blissful high. Sebastian caresses her back, tracing every knot of her spine before sliding his hands over the curve of her bottom.

It's only then that he rolls them over, lazily grinning at the little whimper that escapes her lips as he presses her into the bed beneath him, still connected. Sebastian props himself up on his elbows to avoid crushing her completely, and spots her blooming blush.

"You aren't allowed to be so bashful after that, love," he teases and she sighs, raising her hands to sweep through his sweat-matted hair. He gazes down at her, smitten as the day he realized his love for her. Sloane—his beautiful and mesmerizing wife—who still manages to surprise him after all this time. "Who knew you had a jealous streak."

"I—I don't know what came over me," she whispers, still flushed from the passion she initiated.

"If this is what happens, well then I will need to encourage more young ladies to flirt with me, don't you think?"

Sloane furrows her brows and tugs his hair.

"Ow," he squeaks before laughing, easily snatching up her hands and pinning them where his had previously been. Her eyes widen in alarm but quickly melt into desire. Sebastian looms over her, brushing his lips against hers. "Can you be a good girl?"

"Yes, sir."

[dcbbw]

Trudy Sloane

This story is my submission for #Sloane Washington Appreciation Week. Yes, it’s late. (SORRY!) For those who are unfamiliar, Sloane Washington is a potential LI for the Perfect Match MC, and possibly one of the better characters PB has created. She’s beautiful, highly intelligent, and has a myriad of interests and hobbies including astronomy, science-fiction (reading, writing, watching), coding, Greek mythology; additionally, she has a fondness for penguins. What’s not to love?

There were so many amazing themes for Sloane Appreciation this year, but I chose to go with exploring Sloane Washington, the woman. There are threads of canon here, but mostly it’s head canons. And yes, William Sloane from Rules of Engagement made his way in here.

This has been hastily edited, and not read over by others, beta’d, or any of the things that reassure me the story makes sense and I haven’t crossed any boundaries, so anything that falls flat or sits wrong is solely on me. Call me out in the DMs on it.

Please excuse any and all typos, missing/extraneous words, and/or grammatical errors. MS Editor rates this fic as 100% error-free.

All characters belong to Pixelberry

Song Inspo: Cinnamon Girl, Lana Del Rey

Word Count: 2,225

Pairings: Sloane Washington x F!Kai Park (former), Sloane Washington x Khaan Mousavi

Rating M for Mature due to adult themes

Sloane Washington sits on the side of her bed, her palms running down her face as she scrubs sleep away from her eyes and cheeks. She rolls her neck to alleviate the pain caused by a crick as she exhales a quiet sigh while her eyes adjust to shadowy darkness.

The quiet in her domicile sounds … different somehow. She had been sharing her spaces with not one, but two people in the months following the downfall of Eros, but it was no longer a temporary arrangement subject to arbitrary whims and the trajectory of drunken arguments.

Gertrude Sloane Washington was engaged. To be married. The weight of the question asked, coupled with the permanence of her answer, changed everything. Or perhaps nothing. Time would tell.

Sloane extends her left hand, feeling the heaviness of the engagement ring on her third finger permeate her entire body. The modest gemstone twinkles weakly against the slivers of muted moonlight.

Naked, she rises and pads silently across the bedroom floor to a rocking chair that sits in a corner of the room. There’s just enough illumination eking through the closed blinds for her to make out her robe laying atop the pile of unfolded laundry sitting on the chair’s seat.

Her hair, normally plaited in an elaborate coronet braid, is twisted into two thick ponytails, one hanging over each shoulder blade. She lifts the tresses while black polyester fabric whispers against soft, almond-colored skin as she shrugs into the covering.

Sloane briefly glances over at the still-sleeping body in the bed; it heaves slightly and rhythmically, in sync with slumber-filled breath.

Khaan Mousavi. The man who would be her husband.

Sloane walks over to her bedside table, feeling the stickiness from their earlier coupling between her honeyed thighs before scooping her cellphone and exiting the room. She shuts the door quietly as the soles of her bare feet drag across the top of the carpeting; she takes a few steps before reaching the closed door of the apartment’s second bedroom.

It had been Hayden’s room once upon a time. Now, it was Hamza’s room. Hamza was Khaan’s son from a previous relationship, and soon to be Sloane’s stepson. Parenting was a frightening concept to Sloane, but hadn’t she essentially parented Hayden? The basics should be the same, right?

Brush your teeth.

Look both ways before crossing the street.

Be kind.

Don’t kill people.

She opens the door slightly, peering through the crack. A head full of brown hair lays on the pillow; the child lies on his back, small arms clutching a plush Sonic the Hedgehog. Soft snores emit from slightly parted lips. Blankets and sheets have been pulled away from his body, causing Sloane to hesitate in the doorway.

Should she go in and cover Hamza? She didn’t want the child to be chilled and potentially get sick. But Hamza was such a light sleeper …

Sloane shuts the door as quietly as she opened it, deciding to let the boy rest. She makes her way to the kitchen, her eyes taking in the furnishings that blended the girl she had been and the woman she had become.

Home.

The wall across from the bedrooms is covered with an enlarged photo of the aurora borealis; a corner curio next to the front door is filled with various diplomas, certificates, and awards bestowed upon the young scientist.

The entertainment center is filled with photographs of Sloane: a newborn baby, held in her mother’s arms; with her mother at both her high school and college graduations, both smiling broadly; college Sloane with the STEM club; with her current social circle, her arms wrapped around the waists of Kai Park and Hayden Young.

A bookcase is filled with books and DVDs, mostly science-fiction, dystopia, and documentaries.

The walls are covered with prints and vintage photographs of vaudevillian comedians. Sloane’s a fan of slapstick comedy because of its straightforwardness; there are no nuances to decipher or innuendo to wade through. The comedians share wall space with photographs and posters of historical women of color.

She makes it into the kitchen, walking across tiled flooring that had once rubbed her back salaciously when a former lover covered her face with sloppy kisses before taking Sloane drunkenly upon its freshly mopped surface just before a dinner party.

The same flooring that had taken the beating Sloane’s fists had pummeled against it when the lover left.

She glances quickly at the counter, seeing the stack of mail Khaan had tossed there before dinner. Sloane tightens the belt of her robe as she quickly sorts through the letters. Bill, bill, junk mail; she frowns at the last envelope, addressed to Gertrude Washington.

She knows immediately it’s junk or a solicitation of some sort. Sloane hadn’t been Gertrude in over a decade.

Sloane never bothered to ask her mother why she named her only child Gertrude; she had always assumed it to be a family name, belonging to a favorite aunt or an almost-forgotten great-great-great grandmother.

What she told herself is that she was named after a great woman in history.

Perhaps Gertrude Bacon, an aeronautical pioneer and writer with contributions in astronomy and botany; or Gertrude Barrows Bennett, an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. Sloane’s personal favorite was Gertrude Blanch, the mathematician.

Gertrude grew up in Washington, DC in an era where the options for black residents were limited. Children from lower-income families were encouraged to enter the military; mid-income parents steered their offspring towards the federal government for the job security, or vocational school to learn a high-earning trade such as cosmetology, barbering, or plumbing.

Even as a child, Trudy, as her mother affectionately called her, was different. She was a voracious reader and loved spending rainy Saturday afternoons curled up in bed with a good book. She didn’t watch the other television shows her friends watched; Trudy was a fan of the Star Trek franchise, religiously watched the PBS science series NOVA, and instead of playing with dolls and makeup, she took anything mechanical apart to find out what made it work, in the hopes of improving it.

But her formative years weren’t comprised of only reading, libraries, and mechanics; her mother insisted that her daughter go outside to play and socialize. Summer days were spent outdoors with her friends and other neighborhood children riding bikes, roller skating, walking to nearby parks, and jumping rope on sidewalks.

It was a decent balance.

Sloane opens the refrigerator door, reaching for leftovers from dinner: Chinese food. She’s of a firm mindset that Chinese food and pasta are the foods of lovers. It was a no-brainer when Khaan asked what she wanted to eat after he proposed.

She methodically sets containers of wonton soup, spicy vegetable dumplings, ginger garlic tofu, and onion fried rice on the counter before reaching for a plate from the overhead cupboards. Khaan and Hamza preferred a cleaner diet; Sloane was not opposed, but expected no flack when she chowed down on cheeseburgers and pepperoni pizza.

University was an eye-opener on many levels for Trudy. The college’s population was a sea of diversity Trudy had never been exposed to before; her uptown DC neighborhood was completely black. Her inner-city schools had been filled with black faces of varying hues. Here, on campus, there were complexions of every color, accents and languages that were foreign to her nation’s capital-domesticated ears.

Academically, she soon discovered that high school wasn’t even a blueprint for navigating higher education. Her achievements, her being named valedictorian, her extracurricular activities meant nothing. Trudy was starting from square one, with only a thirst to learn and know more.

Socially, she found the best way to make friends was to network. While her social anxiety made being around strangers and large crowds difficult, Trudy signed up for the newly formed STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) club, the campus chapter of Hogwarts International (she was House Ravenclaw), and volunteered on the Student Government Association’s board. She began listening to AM radio, home of underground music and arguably, the birthplace of the podcast so that she could contribute to pieces of conversations swirling about her in the food hall.

Slowly, Trudy went from geeky loner to having a small circle of friends which was all she had wanted. She was there for a purpose, not popularity.

On a personal level, Trudy found herself eyeing both male and female classmates; her cheeks would bloom with blush when seeing someone especially attractive, and she would avert her glances when eye contact was made. She had never truly thought about nor questioned her sexuality. She admired physical beauty equally, and if someone caused certain urges to arise, so be it. To Sloane, it was simple: she liked them. In that way. But she never thought to act on anything until William Sloane, her first boyfriend.

William was a business major, with his life planned out for the next 10 years. He was tall, handsome, broad-shouldered, and a known Lothario. It was no wonder he caught Trudy’s eye; for her, the mystery was how she caught his. For a year, they shared study nights, attended concerts headlined by local talent, and found themselves late at night sweaty and tangled in wrinkled sheets before eating bowls of ramen while consuming cheap wine.

After an amicable breakup, Trudy found herself still drawn to the local music scene; she especially liked a group known as Angular Melodies. Trudy found herself traveling to see their shows: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Va., and Charleston, SC. It was in the southern coastal town, surrounded by mossy trees, crepe myrtle, and enveloped in the most oppressive humidity known to man that Trudy met members of the band.

She was interested in the female lead singer, who was dating the female bassist. Who happened to have an interest in Trudy.

And that night after the show, in a cheap motel with faulty air conditioning and a bed too small for three bodies, Sloane Washington was born.

Sloane sits on her couch, legs tucked beneath her as she holds her plate of re-heated food. Her eyes are fixed on the television; Something the Lord Made plays on the screen. It’s one of her favorite movies. Her head lifts at the soft slap of bedroom slippers, and she smiles when she sees Khaan. His hair is free of its usual man-bun; he wears striped pajama bottoms and Sloane’s bedroom shoes. His eyes blink owlishly behind his glasses.

“Smells good,” he greets his fiancée as he plops in the sofa beside her.

“Have some,” Sloane offers as she pushes the plate towards him. “I’m getting full.”

“Thank you,” he replies as he takes the food. His eyes look over and meets hers. “For everything.”

Sloane nods before focusing her attention on the screen again.

He acts as if either of us had a choice in the matter.

They both knew their union was built on mutual admiration and respect.

And love. For another person.

Kai Park.

Kai was unlike any person Sloane had ever met before. Free-spirited and slightly irresponsible, but with a wit and knowledge that surprised even Kai herself at times, she breezed easily into Sloane’s life by way of Hayden, whom she had been matched with.

Sloane fought her feelings against Kai; the woman had Damien chasing her like a rabid dog and Hayden wrapped around all her fingers. Fearing rejection, or worse … hurting Hayden’s feelings, Sloane instead forged a friendship with Kai.

It was stepping into the deep end of the ocean without a life jacket.

The more the two women interacted, the deeper Sloane fell. But Kai was falling for Hayden, even after discovering he was not human. She was also torn about her feelings towards Damien.

Sloane revealed that she was bisexual and had been in a polyamorous relationship. It made no difference, and Sloane distanced herself from the friend group until one Richard Cummings was revealed to be a crucial link to bringing down Rowan West and Eros.

Sloane was shocked to discover that Richard Cummings was none other than Khaan Mousavi, the architect of the Matches’ framework. They had worked together previously until Khaan’s mysterious and abrupt departure from Eros. She had always admired Khaan, or rather, Khaan’s keen intelligence and attention to detail.

She respected him.

Kai, however, had different ideas. She had made her choices regarding her love life, and neither Sloane nor Khaan had made the cut. Her thought process was to push the two who hadn’t won her heart together; she teased Sloane constantly about having a crush on Khaan, while foisting the idea of a relationship with Sloane onto Khaan.

The couple knew what Kai was doing, and they were both still so desperately in love with her that they allowed themselves to be “matched” to make her happy. It hadn’t been a bad decision; they had enough in common and had built a professional relationship along with cultivating a deep friendship.

And now they were going to marry.

Kai will be so proud.

Khaan puts the food away while Sloane dozes on the couch. Unknown to them, life is gestating within her body and has been for the past four weeks.

Down on the street, a sleek, black Town Car idles in front of the building. The two backseat passengers clasp hands as they stare up at darkened windows, unsure which ones belong to Sloane.

“They’ve stolen my child,” Soo-jin, Hamza’s mother seethes in a harsh whisper as she brushes dark bangs away from her forehead.

“They’ve taken children from both of us, my dear. They’ll pay. Soon,” Rowan West promises before tapping on the glass partition, signaling the driver to pull off.

 Tagging:  @jared2612 @ao719 @marietrinmimi @queenjilian @indiacater @kingliam2019 @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie @liamrhysstalker2020 @neotericthemis @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet @busywoman @gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam @beezm @gardeningourmet @lovingchoices14 @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles @lady-calypso @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234 @queenrileyrose @alj4890 @yourfavaquarius111 @motorcitymademadame @queenmiarys @choicesficwriterscreations @lizzybeth1986​ @sazanes​ @sloanewashingtonappreciationweek​

[haydenyoungappreciationweek]

HYAW 2020

Because Tumblr has made some links a bit less accessible and difficult to reach, we've needed to redo some of the masterlists. We also needed to ensure that content that had come from blogs that have since deactivated or that have changed names should be reflected accurately. Unfortunately with HYAW 2020, the post soon became impossible to edit once our mentions hit the 50-mark. Which means we need to make a whole new masterlist.

Still - it's been a joy revisiting every single piece from the first ever character week 💕💕 So much love and so much creativity - it took our breaths away. We can't wait for more of this awesomeness in September!!

In the meantime, we also have the masterlist for HYAD 2022 here! Enjoy!

- @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes

--

Day 1: Personality Type

Art

Artist Hayden by @sazanes

Joker Hayden by @/mazeeque (deactivated)

Black f!Hayden by @/pixieferry (deactivated)

White m!Hayden by @hashiedraws

Rebel Hayden by @cassiopeiacorvus

Scholar Hayden by @thefirstcourtesan

Edits

Asian f!Hayden by @robintora

One | Two | Three | Four

Dreamer Hayden by @brycesgirl

Icons by @thequeenofpixels

Animation Edit by @hayesblaine (deactivated)

Adventurer Hayden by @lightsilenced

Headcanons

Ask Meme by @dragonknightofsummerset

One | Two

Ask Meme by @sazanes

One | Two

Ask Meme by @/lizzybeth1986

Ask Meme by @thequeenofpixels

Character Appreciation

Survey on Hayden by @casharlow

Survey | Results

Flower Meanings by @dragonknightofsummerset

Jayden by @khoicesbyk

Day 2: Character Appreciation

Art

Dolores Park by @sazanes

Hayden by @theo-oface (deactivated)

Edits

Costumes by @casharlow

"How Do You Open Your Mouth and Tell Someone You Don't Feel Real?" By @robintora

Female | Male

Identity by @lightsilenced

Fanfic

Kismet by @takingcourage

Metamorphosis by @lizzybeth1986

Headcanons

Iris Young | Sage Young by @/lizzybeth1986

Hayden Young by @/sazanes

Jayden Young by @khoicesbyk

Character Appreciation

Search for Identity | Best Dialogues | Favourite Scenes and Special Moments by @dragonknightofsummerset

Favourite Dialogue by @justanotherdumpingground

Positivity Post by @storyofmychoices

Dolores Park by @thequeenofpixels

Day 3: Hayden and Sloane

Art

Sloane and Hayden Singing "You Are the Sunshine of my Life" Together by @/sazanes

Edits

Sloane and Haydens Picture Album by @my-name-is-lumien

Floral Sloane, Hayden and Dipper by @robintora

Sloane and Hayden at their flat by @brycesgirl

Sloane and Hayden by @lightsilenced

Fanfic

Family by @lorirwritesfanfic

The Morning After by @dcbbw

Moodboards

Sloane and Iris by @/lizzybeth1986

Day 4: Found Family/Friendships

Art

Hayden as Best Man for Nadia and Steve's Wedding by @sazanes

Edits

Found Family by @brycesgirl

Nadia Paints on Hayden by @robintora

Moodboards

Friendship Moodboards by @/lizzybeth1986

Zinnia Paints with Nadia | Heathcliff Bakes with Steve

Day 5: Romance

Art

Hayden in a Flower Crown by @sazanes

Edits

Edit Icon by @casharlow

Surprise Birthday Dinner by @brycesgirl

Hayden's Journal for the MC by @robintora

Hayden Young x Reagan Park by @lightsilenced

Fanfic

The Beginning in the End by @thequeenofpixels

Sunday Morning (NSFW) by @khoicesbyk

Fate/Coincidences by @lorirwritesfanfic

Sea of Love by @/lizzybeth1986

Headcanons

Hayden x Amara (Ask Meme) by @dragonknightofsummerset

Hayden x Selina (Ask Meme) by @/sazanes

Ask Memes by @/lizzybeth1986

Iris Young x Hazel Park: Family and Affection | Sage Young x Basil Park: Home | Iris x Hazel, Sage x Basil, Heathcliff x Rosemary

Day 6: Hayden and Eros

Art

The Matches by @sazanes

Edits

Hayden and All the Matches by @brycesgirl

Hayden and Harley by @robintora

Fanfic

Change by @lorirwritesfanfic

Character Appreciation

Renaming Oneself by @dragonknightofsummerset

--

* Some of the blogs have not been tagged. This is for two reasons:

1. The blog has been deactivated

2. When we reach the 50 mentions limit on a post, edits become impossible to make on it. To ensure this doesn't happen on the post, I've untagged some of the mentions of the hosts (Lizzy and Sazanes) so that the number of mentions is less than 50 and we can save our posts safely.

- Lizzy.

Do take a look at these beautiful pieces and we hope to see you all in September!!

[moodmusicmonday]

Here's this week's playlist! Thank you to our writers for submitting! All the details are below the cut.

And of course thank you to everyone who follows, likes, and shares our posts week in and week out. We wouldn't be here without all of your love and support. 🥰

Stay tuned for a special announcement later this week!

(Here's a hint: 🍀)

@lizzybeth1986

"Brown Eyes" - Destiny's Child; Coffee Brown Eyes (PM; Sloane Washington x M!MC, Sloane Washington x Alana Kusuma)

@tessa-liam

"Feels Like Home" - Chantal Kreviazuk; Marabelle Chapter 1 (TRR; Liam x F!OC)

@socalwriterbee

"Unholy" - Vitamin String Quartet; Bad Habits (TNA; M!Sam Dalton x F!MC)

@txemrn

"Shapeshifting" - Taylor Acorn; Ricochet, Part IV: "... This Isn't What I Wanted (or Is It Everything?)..." (OH; Ethan Ramsey x F!OC)

@ao719

"Always Remember Us This Way" - Noelle Johnson; Best Kept Secrets Chapter 10: Remember Us This Way (TRR; Liam x F!OC)

🎵🎵🎵🎵

@21-wishes @alj4890 @ao719 @aussiegurl1234 @axwalker @bebepac @burnsoslow @charlotteg234 @chemist-ana @choicesmonthlychallenge @foreverethereal123 @issabees @karahalloway @kat-tia801 @lovingchoices14 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @peonierose @phoenixrising0308 @queenrileyrose @quixoticdreamer16 @sfb123 @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @txemrn @walkerdrakewalker @zaffrenotes

[choicesfrog]

Hello! I decided to make a blog to follow my favorite Choices blogs and maybe participate in the fandom more. I'm more a fan of the older books, but some of the newer ones have been fun as well. I have a ton of MCs I plan on sharing here and posting a bit about. I'm really shy, but feel free to say hi!

Books, MCs & OCs, and LIs (This is a WIP)

Character Profiles

Perfect Match: Dez x Indigo (F!Hayden Dreamer), Milo x Everyone, and Carolina x Sloane

The Royal Romance: Elaine x Liam and Eloise x Hana

It Lives In the Woods: Valentine x Ava and Marella x Andy

It Lives Beneath: Cassie x Imogen

It Lives Within: Erica x Amalia

Bloodbound: Olive x Lily

Veil of Secrets: Lennox x Kate and Jade x Naomi

High School Story: Charlotte x Emma

Crimes of Passion: Theo x F!Trystan

Blades of Light and Shadow: Ruelle x Nia

[sloanesallow]

Thank you so much for giving my story the perfect send off with this amazingly breathtaking work of art 💛✨

MMHS is also available on Wattpad 💛

A commission for @sloanesallow and her Sebastian x MC fanfiction, linked above!! Thank you so much for commissioning me, doll!💚