#slow burn I fear

[andtheywerefootballers]

SLOW BURN WUSIALA 😭

I headcanon Jamal and Flo as relatively close friends or at least good friends but also, imagine them as being casual friends as in acquaintances vibey, but they get closer and closer over the course of the (bundesliga) season. What starts out as an occasional "congratulations" after a game, or a like or shared reel on insta, slowly develops into more and more text messages, which then turns into longer, rabbly audios and gaming together online. Which, ah ahem, then turns into actual seeking each other out, a meet-up if a tight schedule allows.

And they kinda realize how much they look forward to these meet-ups.

And how they fantasize about playing in a club together. And maybe about something...more. And they fall in love in the process: slow and steady. And frankly, too much for my heart

[wildsaltair]

if ever there was a man who was hurt-comfort-writing-inspiration personified, it’s Maximus

[luminique]

Hello, I'm the translator Anon. I know we don't have much information about the outside world, but I would like to know if you have any possible ideas for a Reader who is part of the Sons of Calydon and what role this Reader could play.

We see in the story that each one plays a role within the group, such as Lighter being a bodyguard and Burnice selling drinks. I tried to think of something for a Reader from the Sons of Calydon, but I couldn't think of anything, do you have any ideas?

HI TRANSLATOR ANON !! i remember someone else came up with reader who’s a mechanic and i LOVE that idea.

especially after what happened before the tour de inferno, you made a deal with the Sons of Calydon to not only supply them with top quality parts, but also repair and upgrade their bikes. all this outside of the hollow? that’s too good of a deal to pass up on.

in the beginning, they were a little suspicious. you didn’t seem to have any ties to bad biker gangs and your bike that you showed them used parts that could never be gotten so easily in the hollow. caesar decided to take your bike out for a spin (lighter watching like a hawk to make sure she doesn’t get hurt), and she was laughing and screaming. once she was back, she gave your hand a firm shake and immediately went on about what sort of upgrades she wanted with her bike.

from that day on, you became the official mechanic for the Sons of Calydon. your work was clean and your service was fast. other mechanics and repairmen would take a few days, you only needed 2 days. even if you took a bit of time on their bikes, you would give them the keys to your bike so that they could still ride around the outer ring if they needed to.

if anyone wants a longer post (mechanic reader x lighter perhaps?), i will be more than happy to write it out ! it might take some time because i know NOTHING about motor parts but i will try to write something good.

[mirandaputsherbestbuttforward]

PLEASE I NEED MORE 😭

[miniscule-meow]

Isabell and the Lads CH 2: The Healing Process (2.6)

Masterpost Wordcount: ~1.7k First Part | Last Part | Next Part

---

A rhythmic tapping rouses her from her sleep.

Her eyes peel open to find a familiar darkness surrounding her. She could almost convince herself she is back home and that she isn’t living out her biggest nightmare. Almost.

“Isabell?” Zeke’s voice, though gentle, shatters the dream of her being back in the walls, where she belongs. “Are you up?”

“Yeah, I’m up,” she calls out groggily. She must have been in a pretty deep sleep if his footsteps didn’t wake her up before he got to her, she doesn't like the thought of a human being able to sneak up on her.

Isabell sighs, raising her arms in an attempt to stretch, and she’s met with aching ribs and sharply protesting limbs. So that’s how it’s gonna be. As gently as possible, she maneuvers herself into a sitting position, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She has to pause here, the pain in her body has officially caught up with her. She thought there was a chance she could sleep all of this off, but as it stands right now, everything just feels worse. She takes another breath, deep enough for her ribs to flare their complaints. She’s been awake for maybe thirty seconds and she already wants to cry.

Instead, she grits her teeth and stands out of the bed, testing her leg. She doesn’t need to put much weight on it to know that it is not happy. She’ll need to stay off of it as much as possible if she ever wants a chance to get out of here.

Her shelf is still nice and dim, with only a bit of light slipping in around the edges of the curtain. So, the main lights must be on out there. Turning her attention to the curtain wall, she can see Zeke’s monolithic shadow in front of her.

“I’m coming,” she says, hoping he’ll just wait for her. She doesn’t want to see his massive fingers pull back the barrier separating them.

She’s trying not to think about it, but all of this is truly only the illusion of safety. At any point the human could decide that he’s tired of waiting, that he’s tired of her. Every single moment she’s putting so much trust in him. Trust that he’ll be patient, trust that he’ll be kind, trust that he’ll be gentle. It’s trust that she simply does not have, but she has no choice.

She hobbles her way out to the open part of the shelf, clinging to the wall as much as possible in an attempt to avoid putting too much weight on her leg. She’s really going to have to do something about that.

She blinks, her eyes adjusting to the full light of the room. Her breathing catches, seeing Zeke’s massive form kneeling in front of her, his eyes trained on her. Even though she’s been interacting with these humans, seeing them, especially for the first time again, sparks an intrinsic fear inside of her.

Don’t get caught. You’ve already been caught. They can see you. Run. Hide. Escape.

She shoves the thoughts aside. This is her situation. She can’t fix it right now. The humans are helping her.

The rational thought quells her fear meager amounts at best.

“Good morning,” Zeke says, his eyes scanning over her. “How are you feeling today?”

“I’ve been better,” she says, leaning heavily against the wall. “Um, thank you, by the way. For… setting this up for me.” She gestures over to her ‘room’ behind the curtains.

“Of course. I’m glad we could find something that worked for you,” Zeke responds with a small smile gracing his features. “I was going to make some breakfast. Do you want to come out to the living room?”

Does she want to? Does she want to willingly put herself in the palm of his hand? No. Not really. Does she agree anyway, of course. That’s what the human wants, right? At this point, it’s more dangerous to disappoint him.

She nods numbly, and Zeke’s hand rests on the shelf in front of her. She feels as though she’s watching her own actions from behind her eyes, as if she were instead watching a screen. The only way her mind can rationalize a willing interaction with this human is to just disconnect herself completely.

Sure, the humans have been nice so far. But every single moment she spends with them she has to fight every one of her instincts. Her brain’s wiring just won’t stop telling her that she’s in extreme danger. Don’t get caught, don’t get caught don’t get- she’s already been caught. She needs to play by a different set of rules now. But it’s been a lifetime of fear, well deserved fear. One or two reasonable conversations with a human isn’t going to magically undo all of that.

She takes a hesitant step forward, still pushing against the wall of the shelf for support, when the hand in front of her shifts. You were taking to long. He’s run out of patience. She jolts, expecting the hand to lurch forward and snatch her up in an unforgiving fist. Instead, the massive fingers curl in on themselves, and the hand moves in the opposite direction. She looks up, finally connecting the hand to the human, and meeting Zeke’s gaze curiously.

“Sorry. I just- You know that you can say no to me, right?” His brow furrows, his green eyes taking her in. When she doesn’t respond, he continues, “I don’t want you to say yes just because you feel like you can’t say no. That isn’t… that’s not consent. I mean,” he looks away, searching elsewhere for the right words to say, “yeah, before neither of us had much of a choice about anything. It was an emergency situation, and I’m really sorry about all of that. But now you have your own space here and- I’m rambling,” he shakes his head, looking back to her, “I don’t want you to say yes to me just because that’s what you think I want. And I really don’t want you to say yes to me because you’re afraid to say no. That’s… that makes me,” he hesitates, “that makes me feel really gross,” he admits, shaking his head once more.

She hadn't considered his feelings in all of this.

Her being afraid of him makes him feel... gross? How is that even possible. She'd always been under the impression that humans relished in the fear they caused. It never occurred to her that he might be just as uncomfortable interacting with her as she is with him.

Is it possible that she's been so wrapped up in her own feelings that she's completely missed the nuance of emotions from this impossibly large being? It is just easier for her to write off everything from them as fearmongering and manipulation so she doesn't have to consider that they aren't really all that different after all?

But still, this fear that is so deeply interwoven into her being. She's had horrific run-ins with humans. She's seen their cruelty, the inflated ego of having something smaller than them that they can dominate. She's never seen a human like Zeke. Kneeling down on her level, going out of his way to help her feel comfortable, telling her how he feels? This doesn't fit in the box of humans are scary and irrational beings that she has sequestered in her mind. This simply makes no sense to her.

Even if, and it's a big if, she were to take this human at face value, and she were to let herself trust him, it's not like she can just turn her fear off with the flick of a switch. Maybe she doesn't want to be afraid anymore. But can she really turn her back on the one thing that has kept her alive all this time?

She stays hidden because she's afraid of getting caught.

She goes out borrowing because she's afraid of starving to death.

Everything she's needed to do in life, she's done because of fear. Every choice she's made has been based on what outcome she's more or less afraid of.

Now to just say, 'no, fear, I don't need you anymore.' It feels impossible.

She feels herself slipping into a circle of thought. Be afraid, but don't be afraid, but you should be afraid, but you shouldn't be afraid, but you've always been afraid, but you don't have to be afraid anymore.

She will have to try to unpack this later.

Zeke continues, “you can say no, you can obviously also say yes. It’s- I mean, that’s why I’m asking. I want to know what you want. Okay? Do you want to go out to the living room, or would you rather stay here. It’s up to you.”

She looks up at him cautiously. What does she want? She tries to do the mental gymnastics required to figure out what he wants her to want. This has to be some kind of trick, right? What does she want? A human shouldn’t be concerned about that. She fits in the palm of his hand, and he cares about what she wants? Here she is again, trying to fit Zeke into a box of what she understands humans to be, and failing miserably.

“Um, I want… um, N-no. No, I’d actually like to stay… here,” she feels as wound up as a spring, her shoulders tense rigidly. I just told a human no. She looks up at him wide-eyed, terrified she’s made the wrong choice.

Zeke just nods indifferently. It doesn’t seem like he’s upset or disappointed at all. If anything it looks like he relaxes a little bit. “Alright,” he says standing. “I’ll bring you some breakfast soon, okay?”

“Pancakes?” She asks, remembering the warm fluffy clouds he made for her yesterday.

“Yeah, I can make that happen,” he responds. She can’t see his face, but he sounds amused. He could even be smiling, a rarity from him.

With that, his footsteps retreat off into the main part of the apartment. She takes this time to drag herself back into her room. Zeke had been kind enough to put a little electric candle in the middle of the room for her. She flips the switch and the warm light flickers gently in the space. Off to the side, he had left her a bundle of craft supplies. By the time he comes back with pancakes for her, she’s crafted herself a crutch. So, even though she’s still hobbling around, she’s at least doing it with some proficiency now.

[clockwork-ashes]

.

[thatstoomanysausages]

OMG ABOUT THE ISLAND THING

1 I LITERALLY. AHVE THE SAME NAME AND BIRTHYEAR AS PEARL AND RENS KID.

2 give us ethubs 🔥🔥

Oh my god that’s hilarious (Just believe that I definitely made it for you‼️‼️) 😭😭😭 and OKAY I WILL TRY‼️‼️‼️

Love is failing these mfs 👍 (Tomodachi Life)

- TO THE REQUEST OF THOUSANDS (one (singular))

- BDUBS IS HERE

- ‼️‼️‼️

- I walk into Scar’s apartment and him and Grian are making googoo eyes at each other🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

- They caught me and shat themselves😭

- Tango is still horribly depressed btw

- A truffle cured his woes👍

- Gave Joe a ballerina dress and he loves it😍😍

- X IS IM LOVE

- WITHHHHHH

- MARTYN AND SKIZZ

- DOUBLE??????

- What’s worse here?

- Cause these are both incredible

- Mmmmmmmmm

- I think Skizz is a good choice personally

- I’m making X give Skizz a glass slipper

- Cinderella headass😭😭😭🏳️‍🌈

- On the beach FOR SURREEEE

- COME ON BABYYYY

- PLEASEEE

- That’s a big ass slipper😭😭😭

- NO

- NO

- “I’m sorry”

- NOOOOOOO

- FUCK LOVE MAN

- NOOOOOOOOO

- Impulse introducing Mumbo to Martyn??? Ahusbands👀👀👀👀

- YEAHHH FRIENDSSS

- They talked about love😍😍

- Lizzie meeting someone on the roof???

- It’s Mumbo😭😭😭😭

- Why???😭😭😭

- “The building needs someone to clean the drains. I already recommended you.” HUHHH😭

- Skizz: “I always lose things and then forget what I lost”

- YEAH YOU LOST LOVE

- Pearl and Joe are fighting

- These bitches have too much drama

- And it’s over😭

- Shallow asses😭😭😭

- “General community atmosphere: reckless” 😭😭 PLEASE

- Grian: “I think Joe needs a special someone, how about setting him up with Skizz?”

- Yeah okay sure let’s go watch Skizz break another fuckinf heart

- WAIT JOE AS WELL

- SKIZZ REJECTED X AND JOE GHOSTED TANGO (I think)

- Toxic bitch x toxic bitch

- This montage is so funny😭😭

- Grian’s fucking disguises😭😭😭

- They were having fun and Grian goes “they didn’t get on well together” HUH ⁉️⁉️

- Damn aroace Skizz and Joe?? Maybe they’re just straight😭😭😭

- Yay BigB and Tango friends‼️‼️ Love island reuniting

- Skizz is having a sailor moon dream…

- He is quickly becoming my least favourite mii 😍 (jk❤️)

- Skizz “Why would Grian… want me to go out with… Joe?”

- I said they’re a match

- HES CURIOUS NOW

- Damn I just realised Skizz might go out with Joe, the person who rejected (ghosted) Tango. And who’s Skizz’s bestie??? TANGO‼️ drama

- If anyone ever says that tomodachi life is boring needs to reevaluate that

- Scar: “me and Martyn might not get along, what do you think of me and Martyn”

- Context: they’re besties atm

- UMMM

- Imma stir things up

- ‘Nothing special’

- “Oh really, then we should try to get closer somehow”

- oh

- I thought they were gonna have a dramatic friendship breakup☹️

- Scar: “I’m not a fast runner”😨😨😨😨😨😨😨

- Life imitates art ig😭😭😭😭

- GEM AND CLEO ARE HEREEEEEE‼️‼️‼️‼️💥💥💥💥

- Bdubs: “look inside me head”

- And there is absolutely fuck all in there😭😭

- “This is the sort of thing I think about”😭😭

[shipperssafehaven]

no bc the way tommy said, "my attention?" like he was shocked because he probably automatically assumed buck had been trying to get eddie's

[boylebingo]

ben x devi, gregory x janine, and tim x lucy are to 2023 as jake x amy, amy x jonah, and nick x jess were to 2015

[anne-chloe]

Underground | III |

Jareth/The Goblin King x F! Reader

Summary: You discover a beautiful green area and the company of a gorgeous unicorn. The beauty of the labyrinth is almost blinding, and you find it even more so when the Goblin King shows up.

You entered the greenery with extreme pride, pleased that you had made it so far with only a scratch for an injury. Albeit, bleeding and trickling down your arm, but still a much preferred option compared to the alternative.

You weaved around the tall hedges, craning your neck back to spot the tops. They were all meticulously cut and trimmed, not a single piece of leaf or twig sticking out. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the labyrinth, which seemed jagged and deliberately dangerous. This, however, felt calm and serene, like you had just stepped into a dream.

You admired the flowers that poked out from underneath the hedges. You blinked in awe at the bees and ladybirds that danced around the delicious nectar. You watched, feeling happy, as a butterfly soared past your face, its wing brushing delicately against your nose. You hummed in excitement, sensing the life that this very section of the labyrinth contained.

For a moment, you had almost forgotten as to why you were within the labyrinth. The calm of this section made you feel extremely at ease. You caught yourself smiling. You let the sun shine down on you. You soaked up the moment.

And then, you spotted a horse moving behind the hedge. You listened to his hooves clicking against the stone floor. You stepped beyond the hedge, careful with your placement as you searched for the creature that would surely add to the serenity.

To your amazement, you came face to face with a mythical creature, even more dazzling than fairies and goblins. You concealed a gasp, your eyes twinkling under its cautious stare.

You remained rooted to the spot, watching as the unicorn huffed and wheezed, shaking his head. Glitter sparkled from its mane; its tail swished, sending a wave of wind in your direction. You stared in awe, your childhood self urging you to approach it and fulfil your childish dreams and wants.

"How beautiful," you mutter softly. You step closer, amazed that the stark white unicorn didn't even flinch or flee at your approach. It watched, curious, as if it knew you meant no harm at all, no malice. You lifted up your hand, your fingers gently brushing again the unicorns nose. "I never thought I'd meet a creature as stunning as yourself."

As if it understood you, the unicorn stood proudly. You smiled and continued to run your fingers through its soft coat. You were filled with glee at this very moment. The entire situation felt unreal, so serene that it must be a dream of sorts. But the pain in your arm kept you grounded to reality—it wasn't a dream, and you were truly here, standing in the middle of a labyrinth and fussing over a unicorn.

"I wonder, are there more of you?" You asked calmly, the unicorns eyes catching your curious gaze. It snorted, pulling its head away and looking into another direction. You followed its gaze, eyes trailing to a fountain that depicted a unicorn and a fae rider. You blinked in awe, approaching the detailed fountain, watching as water spurted from the fae's hand and pooled into the bottom.

At the base of the fountain were words carved in stone.

The Last Of Us

You frowned.

The last of us? You repeated in your mind, trying to pick apart its meaning. You turned back to the unicorn, who lingered nearby, a sadness present in its gorgeous eyes. You timidly approached, this time you hand stroking its nose with a particular type of love.

"The last of your kind," you repeated quietly. "You must be so incredibly lonely."

The unicorn seemed to sense this. It huffed again, now pushing its nose into your side. It nudged you firmly, as if to now guide you away from the fountain. You furrowed your brows at this, trying to understand what the unicorn was doing. It continued to guide you forcefully to a gap in the hedges—if you hadn't have been looking, you wouldn't have even noticed it. Then, the unicorn stopped pushing you, but it planted itself firmly behind to stop you from moving backwards.

"Does this lead to the castle?" You asked, glancing over your shoulder at the creature. It snorted, nodding its head in a motion that signaled 'yes'. You turned to fully face it, hands cupping both sides of its nose, thumbs massaging in circles. "Why don't you come with me? I'd love the company."

The unicorn seemed to digest this suggestion. It paused, contemplating. Then, as if decided, it lowered itself to the floor. You laughed in excitement and gently climbed onto its back, fingers entangling into its mane. You scratched between its ears as it carefully stood up, now mindful of its passenger.

You immediately felt taller. "Okay, let's just keep moving forwards. You seem to know your way around the labyrinth, is it okay for you to take me straight to the castle?"

Again, the unicorn nodded. You gave another appreciated scratch, pleased that something was going right for you. You thought you'd be stuck navigating the labyrinth on your own, facing the traps and tricks with only your own wit about you. So this came as a relief, to have secured a partner to help overcome such hurdles.

The unicorn began moving forwards, taking you deeper into the hedged labyrinth. This way, you were able to admire the beauty behind the Goblin Kings domain. It truly was a sight to behold. He didn't seem scarce on the glitter; everything had a glimmer to it, and that made you feel as though you had truly stepped into a fairy tale, especially with the added company of a unicorn.

It made you wonder about the Goblin Kings main goal. When granting wishes made to his goblins, it was clear he took the words very seriously. Is that how he remained to firm in power? Or was there something else that kept him at the throne? If the Goblin King continued to make humans part of his kingdom forever once the timer ran out, what would he do with them? The labyrinth was huge, and from what you could see, the city was too, which meant it housed a lot of his subjects. The Goblin King couldn't have just secured his power by snatching away humans; there must be something more that kept him in charge.

The unicorn came to a stop and lowered itself down. You slid off of its back and eyed the area cautiously. It seemed serene, even more calm and relaxed than the hedge maze you had willingly walked into. You turned around, taking in all the glistening trees, the crystal clear water that ran through the wooded area, the luscious green grass under your feet, the golden flowers that dotted the landscape.

You moved to the flowing water. It wouldn't be difficult to jump across, or even walk through. It wasn't very deep at all. You peered down at your reflection, grimacing at what you saw.

You looked like a total mess.

Your hair had been thrown into a haphazard, messy bun during your intense session of dance at rehearsals. Your makeup, though still intact, the mascara was slightly smudged under your eyes, a few thin streaks of black stained into your cheeks from where you had been crying at Harry's infidelity. You frowned, fingers gingerly touching the stained streaks. Your lip gloss had since faded, not that it would make much of a difference to your appearance.

Is this what you looked like when the Goblin King had arrived? So torn apart and broken? You felt embarrassed. You always tried to look your best no matter the situation, and this was definitely not it.

You lowered to your knees and scooped some water into your palms. Then, you splashed the water into your face. You continued this motion a few times, washing away the makeup that made you look so distraught. Perhaps it was why the creatures of the labyrinth had taken pity on you, insisting on helping you when you asked for it.

Finally, you looked down into your reflection once the water settled again. Much better. Without a trace of makeup behind, your bare face remained. You sighed, now looking back over at the unicorn, who had taken to sipping some water from the river. It seemed so content and at ease, it made you wonder if there truly was anything dangerous in the labyrinth like the Goblin King had warned.

"I see you found my gardens."

You flinched and tended at the silk voice of the Goblin King. You snapped your head to the side, immediately identifying that the Goblin King was standing behind you, leaning casually against a tree with his arms folded. He eyed you with a certain fondness that you couldn't place, and his eyes flickered between you and the unicorn.

"Are your gardens not part of your labyrinth?" You asked, raising a brow at his choice of wording.

He nodded with a smirk. "They are. You can only find these gardens if you're deliberately searching for them. I suppose recruiting my steed opened its access to you."

His steed. You glanced sparingly at the unicorn, who hadn't taken any notice of the Goblin Kings arrival. It seemed indifferent to him, uncaring and unbothered. Unlike the way it had greeted you back in the hedge maze, with an air of friendliness, it simply acted as though the Goblin King was not there at all.

The Goblin King sauntered closer to you. He reached out his hand, offering for you to take it. You accepted, slipping your fingers between his gloved fingers. He gently helped you to your feet, and now you stood in front of him, closer than ever before. You tried not to shiver as his gaze scrutinised you from above, knowing he was analysing every aspect of your person.

Then, he leaned down, his nose dangerously close to brushing against yours. "How are you enjoying my labyrinth?"

What an odd question. You had been expecting a riddle of sorts, a phrase of trickery that would send you fleeing into the main section of the labyrinth. Perhaps even a taunt that your ex fiancé was experiencing a horrid time in his castle, a word of warning that would set you back on track. Instead, he desired to know of your experience in his domain.

You mulled it over. It hadn't been... completely terrible. Aside from the fact that you had almost plunged to your death, with no thanks to the Goblin Kings cruel intervention, you had found that the labyrinth was rather pleasant. Sure, it was tricky with its twists and turns that left you spinning in circles, feeling dizzy and lost at times, but the dangers he had promised seemed utterly absent.

"Your labyrinth is beautiful," you settled with, a compliment that would surely flatter the King. You watched with ease as his lips quirked into a genuine smile, and you knew then that you had made the right choice of words. "It's very thought out," you continued smoothly, "and the creatures I have encountered are simply wonderful. Being here is almost like a dream."

The Goblin King's smile faltered, now turning into a rather strange smirk. "Almost?" He echoed.

You nodded. "Almost," you repeated, "because as a dream it would be disappointing, but as reality it's truly something to admire."

The Goblin King reached his hand out, his fingers encircling your injured arm with great care. He lifted the limb into view, his eyes trailing over the cut that ran from your wrist to your elbow. He pursed his lips at the sight, and you wondered if he didn't like the view of blood stained to your skin. You tried to pull your arm back, but he kept it firmly in place.

"The water has healing properties," he interjected, successfully changing the subject. You directed your stare between your arm and the water, which continued to trickle serenely to your side. "It's good for more than just drinking and washing your face."

You felt your cheeks flush in slight embarrassment, to which his eyes twinkled in amusement.

The Goblin King released your arm and stepped back. You turned to the water and crouched down again, willingly sinking your arm into the water. You used your other hand to splash water at the sections of your arm still visible. You hadn't even noticed that your arm was still hurting, but as the pain practically washed away with the water, you released a sigh of relief.

You turned your head back to the Goblin King, to thank him for his advice, but found your words falling on deaf ears as both the King and unicorn were no longer in sight.

You were alone again.

[arataka-reigen]

Like, we know TwiYor is gonna be endgame, but Do We Know TwiYor is Gonna be Endgame?

[bellamysgriffin]

in the mood to confess a sin so im gonna admit that I cannot find it in me to gaf about gregory and janine getting together anymore with the weird contrived way they’ve been dragging out this “slow burn”

[beatrizamante]

_Shooting Star

Lara is still frozen in front of her ajar apartment door, mouth slightly agape. The passing night breeze slits through her nightwear since she didn’t bother to change into something presentable. No one was expected tonight and the gang isn't used to seeing her in short tank tops and hot pants, so as long as it isn't the gang, it’s alright. The cold winds seem to caress her naked skin, but for some reason, none of that chill seeps in. 

No, her eyes are locked in certain burnt umber ones. She was too concentrated when the bell rang, still calculating equations when she climbed down her just inherited new apartment, trying to find a path through the mess. Many things were bought, hanged and taken care of, but the place was still chaotic, especially because she was also transforming her old Pa’s apartment into a study for astronomy and physics. Well, as much as she could without having government funding and just enough that was still cozy to live in. 

The scientist, though, was not expecting a visitor. A Mal visitor. And he does not look happy. 

He still wears his diner apron, the red fabric billowing with the wind, but he’s sporting his biker pants and sleeveless gray shirt. It is a weird combination and the fact that he’s holding a delivery bag while looking at her like that makes all those times she felt weird so much more meaningful. His brunette hair is disheveled, probably from taking off his helmet in a hurry. And he had this look… Jaw set in a way that Lara could bet that, in the correct lightning, that prominent scar would show. There was no customer veneer to him today, nor the charisma he would usually sport when talking to her. 

There was only an… intensity. His brows were furrowed and mouth set in a dangerous grin. She couldn’t read exactly anger, but maybe frustration? Oh, frustration! The taunt lines of his body exuded that. It wasn’t dangerous, just… very intense. 

Did she do something? 

Think, Lara, think! 

Oh… Well, she did… avoid?... The diner… for two days.

Hey! Lara needed to think, ok? A lot of things were happening and Fernweh was loading a whole set of problems onto her. Especially these… feelings. HOW DOES ONE DEAL WITH IT? The doctor has to think. Sit with these thoughts and really think about them. 

But that couldn’t make Mal this mad, could it? It was only two days.

I have no intention of letting you go. 

Hm, maybe it could. 

Welp, at least they could talk!... She hopes?   

“Mal…”, her voice is very soft with wonder, unintentionally cutting him when he’s about to speak. The bag crinkles at his closed first, blood seeping from his fingers as the skin turns pale. Lara can almost hear his teeth grinding against his skull. Ops. “... Sorry. I didn’t ask for any deliv- I mean! I’m happy to see you, I’m just confused? Can we talk… privately? I think I left my card upstairs. ”, her face flushes, her pulse spikes so much that she worries if a heart attack is on the way. He must find something in her expression that makes him soften. She’s trying to give him an excuse to get upstairs to a private conversation. There’s no hesitation when the waiter steps forward. He’s done waiting. No excuses tonight.

“The delivery was already paid on your behalf, Charmer. Looks like your sweetest friend was worried that you vanished from the world of the living.”, he shadows her steps and, as Lara looks over her shoulder, shivers welcome her. “But I can take these up for you. After all, you’re not very good at holding onto things.”

Lara cocks her head his way, raising her brows. He’s repeating what he told her at the lake, that fateful night. Her waiter loves to recall his own sentences, doesn’t he? She chuckles slightly at that. It was a good one, after all. Lara can feel her marked left hand warm up even without his touch. She wonders what kind of magic he suffused in it, connecting them. 

The door behind them is closed with a click of finality, but her mind couldn’t be giving less fucks about that.

“Don’t mind the mess, I’m still decorating and making it usable for work.”, she exhales. It has been a tiring process, especially with her mind being the mess it has been these last few days. Her heart was beating so fast. The butterflies in her stomach were enraged. MalinmyapartmentMalinmyapartment. 

It takes her back to these last days. Is it what it means to care for someone romantically? Lara can say she likes likes him, but can she believe she loves him? That’s not something she can answer, but it’s undeniable how the doctor craves time with the waiter, how she loves hearing his voice or seeing him working on his bike. True, she still knows very little about him, but it makes her happy that Mal can smile, really meaning it, when they talk. When they hang out together… WHY DOES THAT MAKES HER HEART BEAT SO FAST? She’s already aware of it, alright? No need for this! 

And the shivers? How does his voice seem to caress her neck whenever he speaks with her? It’s not something she can keep giving excuses for. No, it’s not the cold weather. It’s not the electromagnetic fields.

She can’t keep staring at his hands or lips anymore, it’s humiliating. 

The climbing is silent, broken only by their steps and Lara’s own uncontrollable heartbeat. She feels like a rabbit, but doesn't dwell on it. Talking with him about the thoughts of these last few days is way more important now, and Lara knows it. There’s one doubt in her mind, though, that she has to voice. “Is this place safe to talk?”

 Her voice sounds delicate as Mal crosses the threshold of her apartment, absorbing every detail as if he needed to burn it in his memory. The walls further from the windows sport midnight blue wallpapers filled with charting in silver and gold. The kitchen aisle was reformed and thousands of extra-small tiles that seemed to form a blue and green nebula were lightened by soft orange lamps.

  The old windows were removed and now wall-sized ones showed the verdant horizon of Fernweh. Heavy gray curtains could be used if Lara needed more privacy. Her trusty telescope was set in one of the windows overlooking the more wild side of the town. 

Adjacent to it, there was a whole set of modern lab equipment that Lara was still unpacking, a seemingly futuristic laboratory of calculators, monitors and sensors. Fairy lights that looked like twinkling stars were hung in perfect cuts and sizes. 

The whole place seemed like either a sci-fi lab or an old astronomer’s tower.

“I took care of it, you don’t need to worry tonight, Charmer.”, his voice resonates against the walls in a way that makes her tremble. Why? Was it the husky tone? Was the fact that Lara might feel a feathering touch at her arm?  

For some reason, the pressure of tonight seems way out of scale from their normal encounters. It was charged, almost short circuiting. Not insulated as it would usually be. Lara turns to her visitor. Her waiter. Her… Well.

Mal threw his unfastened apron over his shoulder. Their eyes meet and all words leave her. His eyes were almost crimson against the light. Cocking his head, Mal still has that coiled bearing, but his face transmits a very different message as she feels his electrifying focus pressed against her from head to toe. Deliberate. Slow. 

Oh gods, did she have any medicine for blood pressure? 

“Not tonight, huh? Did you tape the supernatural bugs in here? Well, no matter. This is good, I want to talk…”, she ever so softly takes his diner bag from his hands, trying to break eye contact. Key word trying. Focus, Lara!, “Sit, please? I’ll brew something for us. Hopefully I won’t mess up, I have no idea what’s inside these.”, Lara shut up. She brings the bag to the aisle, smelling the perfectly made parfait. She can’t wait to dig in the ripe strawberries, but this is more important. 

“There’s a certain type of drink that I want to taste, Lara. I’m sure that one, you have in here.”, his flirting catches Lara a bit off guard, but she breathes in, heart skipping once more. Her vision is almost blurry from her nerves and she knows she must be a glowing red alert, but she chuckles.

“I wouldn’t put so much trust in it if I were you.”, at that, Lara brings her visitor a cup of hot chamomile tea with milk and honey. As the waiter reaches for his cup, his left hand snakes and grabs the scientist’s left one, warmth suffusing against her palm. She jolts, balancing her tea without spilling it. 

“Looks like you’re learning to hold things better, Lara.”, he pulls her closer, eyes dead set on hers. Their knees bump into each other softly. “Why don’t you sit, Charmer? You’re home.”, Mal says, in a very honeyed and hushed voice. 

She can’t focus like that, but she sits beside him, focusing on the half finished planetarium close to her telescope. Lara sips her tea, tilting her head towards him once he starts to test the give of her fingers. It’s weird to have this… Intimate moments with someone, but not a bad weird. She softly smiles at that. Something that always makes him stop staring so intently. 

“I’m trying to make it homey, although I miss the lab… But this is not why I wanted to talk.” 

“I… hm, first, I’m sorry for not showing up at the diner. Before you said something enigmatic about it, I go there mostly for you, and we both know that.”, she says, looking inside her teacup. Mal will wait for her to speak, she knows that, but still, it is hard to maintain eye contact. And those words need to be said. Lara can’t afford to be hypnotized now. “So, sorry, I needed to think. I never had to deal with this before… And second, well…”, the astrophysicist trails off, eyes automatically burrowing into Mal’s crimson ones. She shudders a breath, but holds eye contact. It is most important. “What I was thinking about was… you.”

That soft expression she spotted other times was back. A fragile hope. Eye contact is broken, but not by her, this time. He seems to tense even more, if that’s possible. With deceptive strength, he pulls her even closer. The scientist reeds the unanswered question, their sides merging with proximity as if Mal couldn’t fathom not being this close with her. 

Then, his head snaps into attention until he’s hovering over her, hands still locked in that firm grip and teacup forgotten in the coffee table. Somehow, even her cup is not in her hands anymore.  

Her eyes scrutinize him, stopping at his lips, and she swallows. He’s biting the bottom one, on the brink of losing control over his calm. His face exudes something consuming, devouring.  

Lara takes a deep breath and searches the monitors on the walls for some reading that can distract her, so the rest can be said. 

“Wait, don’t speak. Sorry, it’s just that… I need to put these into words, and I’m terrible at that. But I think I might… Well…”, he seems to approach their faces, a ground out intent in his eyes. Their noses are almost touching, which makes it impossible for Lara to try to distract herself. Not when he’s this close, warm breath touching her lips. “I don’t ‘think’, I know that I do like you. I don’t know about love, but whatever we have now? It’s nice…”, the admission leaves a little too fast, as if she was desperate to breathe. “Fernweh hasn’t been the best place to be since I came back, but I am glad to have come and met you.”, the doctor manages to push out her remaining words, unable to look anywhere else but him.

He smells like cinnamon, sweet and warm. So warm… Her eyes trail down, locking on his indulgent smile.

“And what do we have, Lara? What is this?”, he says, amused, right hand starts a tentative trail on the right side of her rib cage. Lara doesn’t remember how her hand ended up on his chest, feeling the expanse of muscle beneath his shirt, softly tracing his rib cage, counting bones unintentionally.

Such a thin layer separating them. Such a thin layer of air doing the same.

Her voice is breathless, but she manages to squeeze out some words. “I don’t know… But I want to find out.”

The final distance is cut mostly by Mal, but also by a soft pull from her right hand and the eagerness of her eyes when she looks at him like that. 

As if he was one of the stars she’s so passionate about. 

There’s almost no control over the ferocity of his kiss, sending shivers all over her skin, but that is barely registered as Lara is drunk on the moment. He is still holding her left hand in an unrelenting grip, while his other hand tries to settle her in place so she doesn’t climb on his lap as she wished to do subconsciously. That kiss will leave a mark. She swallows the sweetness of his mouth with abandon, mind feeble. All thoughts are drowned in a fog. A haze of heat she doesn’t understand, but doesn’t shy away either. 

When Lara separates to breathe in, she can feel his smile at her soft gasps for air. A husky chuckle leaves him. 

She was never kissed like that. Her face is flush, but her eyes are still set on the prize. Mal’s eyes are a deep crimson and there’s nothing in this world that could make Lara move from that place right now. 

Is this the feeling of being hit by a supernova?

The woman lets the intrusive thoughts win and oh-ever-so-softly nips at his lower lip. That small action changes something in his fragile veneer of control. An almost death grip on the nape of her neck makes their lips join again with violence, pulling out a decadent moan from her throat. How can two bodies be even closer than they are now? He maneuvers her, setting a trail of kisses, sucks and nips down said throat, drinking her sensitiveness as more soft moans leave his scientist’s lips. Lara feels a bite at the junction of her neck and shoulder and that wakes her from her haze. The sensation that climbs down her lower belly makes her set her thighs together. Wide eyed and heavily flushed, the doctor stares at Mal’s almost too smug smile. “It looks like you learned your lesson well, Charmer.”

She can’t speak. Her heart is beating too fast. There’s too much blood rushing through her head. The doctor stands up suddenly, breathing in with desperation. Mal watches her, amused, even if he’s still holding her left hand in that dead-lock grip. 

Ever so slightly, she eases their hold until he lets go. The smugness is exchanged by a dark expression as Lara grabs the teacups and takes them to the kitchen aisle. I can't think. I can't think! Lara you can't just attack a guy like that!     

The scientist almost flees, but the waiter doesn’t wait for her to return. He gets up and remains just some steps behind her, merging their personal spaces. He doesn’t want any more distance between them. There was already enough of that for a lifetime. She's still trying to recover her breathing when he locks her between him and the aisle, intentionally so close that she doesn't have room to move. Tea cups again already out of her hands.  

“Lara, look at me.”, he commands, impatient for the first time since they started this. Her eyes are unerringly drawn to his, locking in again. As it was always meant to be. 

“Mal, I’m… I’m sorry! I should’ve asked first, not just…”

He has to bite down his bottom lip to avoid laughing. Of course that’s what she’s actually worried about. He’s unable to hide his smile when again, she’s hypnotized by his lips. “We can repeat that as many times as you want…”, he murmurs ever so softly. Approaching his lips to her ear, he gives her a hushed breath. “... Even more. I want all of you, Lara.” 

At that, Lara bites down her bottom lip and, in a practiced movement, she sits on the aisle, but it’s Mal that grabs her face and takes her breath away, making her hold onto him as if he was the only thing in this world that could set her free.  oc from @lacunafiction

[scenetocause]

not you going thru the best friend to ??? lovers ??? arc

tbf if we were going to go there it probably would have happened at some point in the last 10 years (three of which we've lived together for) but i guess we really are that stupid!

[mariocki]

Shadows of Fear: White Walls and Olive-Green Carpets (1.8, Thames, 1971)

"Often, a man wants a girl as long as he can't have her. Then, when he's free to marry her, he has second thoughts. He thinks he could do better for himself: no hurry, shop around. It happens."

"Just like that, huh?"

"People do what's best for themselves. I've been let down before now."

"Often?"

"No one ever did it more than once."

[anto-pops]

10k words into this Lucanis fic and I’m getting to the angsty ‘Rook can’t swim’ bit ahaHAHAHAHAHAH