#so I could've done this much easier if you gave it to me right after I finished high school

[bunnys-kisses]

⋆⋅☆max v. with a trans masc partner☆⋅⋆

max verstappen knew what he liked. while he usually put the front as a heterosexual man, he had always been a little more fluid about his sexuality outside of the limelight. he had kissed many men in his life as with women, even those who were neither men nor women. kissing was fun, sex was fun. and he wasn't going to limit himself to one set of tools to get the job down. a cock down the throat could be as delightful as sinking into a sweet pussy.

so it was more of a surprise for you to receive max's advances than it was for him to give them.

you remembered when you grandmother told you that she was concerned about you transitioning because you may "never find love" and you told her that it didn't matter. cars were your love, you didn't need a person to fill that gap. so when you met the three time world champion as the new mechanic for the 2024 season, you honestly didn't think too much about wooing him romantically.

but, max was wooed by you. especially when he saw that your lockscreen of your phone was a picture of your two cats, and when he brought up his cats, you just lit up. max liked that you treated him like he was a person. and you simply said, "mate, i'm pretty certain they don't let robots drive these cars." then slapped him on the back, "but i will make you bleed red if you total my car." then flashed him a smile.

you remembered the first time max kissed you. the dutch grand prix had been a total success and within the quietness of the garage post-race with the trophy max had won near by. he took you by the waist and kissed you. he'd later admit that he wanted to do it right on the track.

"do you kiss all your mechanics like that, verstappen?"

"no, only the ones who allow me to win." you two had spent almost the entire season bitching about red bull. max wondered if or when he eventually jumped teams, if he could take you with him. as he held you in his arms. chest to chest.

you admitted close to his ear, a little insecure, "i hope you know. i've built myself... i was born a girl, but became something more. different." then tried to pull back, fearful of his response. you weren't trying to trick him, you'd rather have it on the table.

but he pulled you back in, his blue eyes on you, "you act like i don't know what transgender people are, mechanic." he said as he leaned you back a little, to get a fuller look at you, "you act like i've never been to bed with one."

"i don't want to be a one night stand." you said, your hands on the front of his polo shirt. his hat long hit the floor in the heat of the kiss. you swallowed, "i won't be a toy, verstappen. i have too much respect for myself."

he chuckled, "that's what i like to hear." he held you around the waist and you kissed once more. he could feel the rise in his blood pressure. while you could've easily done it in the garage, max gave you the address of where he was staying and the lie to tell security.

the mechanics team were in another hotel, but if you wore your red bull branded uniform and had your mechanic's pass then you'd get in easily. they'd never suspect that you'd be intimate with the star of the team. and you did just that. even flashing a smile at security before you headed up to the elevator. they didn't even ask questions, which made your life easier.

you found max's room and he happily brought you in. but once the door was closed behind you. his strong arms were around you. he smiled at you, happy to see you. you carefully touched his face, part of you believed this was a strange dream after too many rum and cokes. but as you felt his facial hair under your hand, this was all painfully real.

"do you want this?" he asked.

you nodded and responded with a question of your own, "do you?"

his smile grew a little more, he leaned in closer to you. you only now realized how blue his eyes were, "since the moment i saw you come to the garage. you were more impressed with the car than with me... i found it endearing." he chuckled.

you held his face with both hands and gazed at him, "yeah, because it's a piece of shit car for a champion. it's like giving the king aluminum instead of gold."

he laughed before he leaned in for a kiss. you held his face close to yourself and you felt something bloom in your gut. eventually you got your worn sneakers kicked off and the jacket of your uniform off. it left you in a white t-shirt and max started to strip as well. you eyed his form and he eyed yours.

you felt his heated gaze linger on your chest for a moment and without thinking you crossed your arms across where your top surgery scars were. it was habit at that point.

max was in just his jeans and socks. he reached for your arms. feeling your warm under his palm as he carefully moved your arms away. he wanted to admire you, all of you.

"must've felt very different after the surgery." he said as he held your wrists, his eyes gazed on the fading scars. he was in no way to judge about scarring. at least yours were for something worthwhile, to change yourself in such a fundamental way, "was it scary?"

you shook your head, "no... i wanted to do everything afterwards. my doctor basically put me on bed rest because i was trying to push myself too hard. what was a four week recovery turned in seven."

he placed his hands on your flat chest and could feel the slight raise of the scars under his palms, "you push yourself too hard."

you swallowed, feeling the heat in your cheeks, "if you want to be the best. you have to do more than your best." your gaze met his. it felt so painfully intimate. this wasn't just sex in a hotel room, this was intimacy. max wanted more than your body, he wanted to know all the nooks of your soul and what inhabited them.

he leaned in once more, "we have that in common." before he kissed you once more. his kiss was sweeter, an assurance that you and your body were nothing to be ashamed of. if anything he admired it, even though he couldn't relate to the feelings you carried. he could at least understand the guts it took to go through it.

to become more than you what was given to you. it endeared you to him as you broke the kiss and continued to get undressed. the more of your bodies exposed to one another, the hotter the room got. even with the air conditioning rattling in the room. you could feel the heat between you two.

max sighed, "i don't have condoms... i can pull out or we can do something else." he explained as he got into the bed with you. both naked. his broad hand grazed across your body.

you responded and placed his hand on your lower abdomen, right before your pussy, "hysterectomy. six months before i started. are you clean though?"

he replied, "yes. been a long time since i've been with someone anyway." he was telling the truth. since you started at the season, everything had become a blur with you and the championship being a central focus.

his pointer finger trailed across the scar for a moment before he took your face in his hands and kissed you once more. you could go on about the shape of your face, but in his hands it felt very small. you hadn't realized that max verstappen had paws instead of hands. the thought made you giggle a little into the kiss.

he pulled away and looked at you before he laid you out on your back. he asked with a small smile, "what are you laughing about?"

you looked up at him and said, "didn't realized that formula one drivers had such big hands. every seen them up close like this before." then yelped a little when max grabbed you by the hips and pushed himself up against you.

he curved his back over you and maintained eye contact, those blue eyes were swimming with lust, "well. it's good you haven't seen others this close up. i might get a little jealous."

you looked away for a moment with a stupid grin on your face, "okay, flirt. why don't we get to it before i melt into this bed." then a soft moan left your lips as he rubbed his cock up against your wet cunt.

he admired you for a moment, hoping the image of your naked body stayed with him for weeks to come. you looked masculine. he wasn't going to say "technically" it's not having sex with a man. you were a man just as much as he was if not more. you had to create your manhood and you made it to perfection.

"i want you." you said softly.

he leaned forward and kissed you gently on the lips before he eased his cock into you. he replied with an equal softness, "i want you too, mechanic." the nickname made your ears hot as he moved against you. he thrusts were gently but gained a steady momentum.

you held onto the covers under your back and let him move against you. once you got a hold of his rhythm, you were able to meet his movements as well. the kisses you two shared grew hot as max planted both hands on either side of you and moved.

you two were moving against one another, locked in a heated kiss. the bed shifted slightly under your movements. max was thankful that were was not a bed on the opposite side of the wall. and that this place had enough insulation to keep your noises muffled.

the last thing he wanted was your integrity to come into question. that you only got to where you were because of your seductive ways. the noises between you two were soft. there was no need to rush, the race was over and tomorrow you'd be on the flight to the next one.

he took your hands and held them by your head, which kept you two close but also allowed him to keep you pinned under him. when you broke the kiss, you rested your forehead against his. the noises were harder to keep under wraps the more you moved. the pleasure felt like fireworks in your brain.

you moaned a little bit before you said, "i was thinking something stupid."

max chuckled his sweaty forehead against yours, "tell me."

"i realized what your eyes remind me of." you admitted softly, "i couldn't quite pin it after we met." you were breathing heavily as you locked your fingers further with his.

"and what do they remind of you?" he asked, curiously. he had heard people refer to them like the ocean, the sky after a store, the definition of blue.

you replied, "home. the lake near where i lived. not scary like the ocean. familiar like the lakes i grew up near."

max had no words, he simply laid another kiss on you. his hands grasped your tightly as you two moved together more. the pace quickened and max knew that he wanted to be in your life for a long period of time. he wanted you to be his home.

you moaned against the kiss, feeling the heat leap in your belly as you felt closer to orgasm. you came first with your lips against his. your back arched but your hands were pinned to the bed. it felt good as pleasure rushed to your brain.

max broke the kiss and continued to move against you. he let go of your hands in favour of your hips where he bounced your further against his cock. it made crackles of pleasure appear in your brain. and he was no better, his heavy breathing and occasional moan fueled his need to finish. and when he did, he did so inside of you. max never thought too much about the surgery you had, but he was thankful for it tonight.

he stayed inside of you for a moment as he cooled down before he left a kiss on the corner of your mouth. full of such tenderness as he pulled out of you and ran his fingers through his short hair.

you laid out next to him and heavily panting, feeling so vulnerable. he stayed closer to you, eventually pulling you to him and resting his chin on top of your head. you got comfortable against him.

"if you have any questions, i can answer them... about the whole trans thing." you swallowed, even now you felt embarrassed bringing it up. you felt it was a mood killer.

he took you by the chin and made you face him. he smiled down at you. he asked one question, "are you happy? did you get the life you wanted?"

you nodded in response, "everything and more." and that was enough for max. anything else you felt the need to tell him would be told with time, after all, max expected to be in your life for many years to come. both as his mechanic and lover.

-

max would only come clean about the relationship two years later. the end of his contract with red bull and a final championship was enough for the driver to retire peacefully. and when he retired, you retired and you made a home in monaco.

the coming out post set the internet ablaze. especially given how long you two had been together. wasn't anything too special, just a small collection of photos that he had taken over your time together. like the time you wore his helmet in 2025 with a big thumbs up. and that time you thoroughly messed up a birthday cake for him, and with the camera in your face, he rubbed the icing off your cheek. the one that really captured eyes was the one that a friend took of you at a house party when max came to visit your home country, with his legs over your strong lap and his lips against your face. you were smiling like the sun. being the center of a media storm was only braved with max by your side. at one point turning your phone off and throwing it onto the couch. his kisses were still loving as always, his words soft, and his affirmations of your gender were often so sweet that you'd cover your face in embarrassment.

you were always comfortable with the idea of not meeting your 'other half', you had been given a second chance at life once you came out. and if no one could accept you then so be it. but as you laid out on the couch laid out against your boyfriend with sassy at your side and your cat between the crook of your knee, you felt loved. <3

a/n: i do write for masc readers as well, both cis and beyond. just not as often because many request femme readers. but if an idea is cooking in your head. hit me with it!

[witchofanguish]

The Golem From Prague

NARRATOR: The era: the sixteenth century. The place: Prague. The Jewish community is in grave danger. Gentiles sow discord and spread blood libel. But worry not- the Maharal of Prague labors in his laboratory for a solution that will save the Jewish people.

MAHARAL: Keep praying, Zalman! When Shabbat finally comes, the Creator of the World Himself (CHECK THIS) will raise the Golem from its slumber and bring it to life, and it will protect us from the gentiles!

MAHARAL: The time has arrived! Zalman!

ZALMAN: No, Rebbe!

MAHARAL: Pull the lever!

<Zalman pulls the lever, the Golem rises>

MAHARAL: Hurrah!

ZALMAN: Hurrah!

MAHARAL: Hurrah!

ZALMAN: Movement! (this is a pun on הידד-היזז)

MAHARAL: The Golem lives!

ZALMAN: It lives!

MAHARAL: It lives!

ZALMAN: It lives!

GOLEM: Good morning.

MAHARAL: Good morning! How are you feeling? Slept well?

GOLEM: Fine, I guess... a bit occupied. (not sure about this one at all lol)

MAHARAL: The Holy One, Blessed is He brought you to life so that you could protect us, the chosen people!

GOLEM: Chosen for what?

MAHARAL: For riots, pogroms, (that's two words for pogroms) blood libel, rape, murder... but don't worry. God keeps guard over us.

GOLEM: I'll tell you the truth, it doesn't sound like he loves you that much.

MAHARAL: We're the chosen people.

GOLEM: Chosen for suffering maybe! <laughs>

MAHARAL: Heretic!

ZALMAN: Heretic!

MAHARAL: Heretic!

ZALMAN: Heretic!

MAHARAL: The Golem rises up against its creator!

GOLEM: But I'm not-

MAHARAL: Kill it!

GOLEM: Hold on a sec, daddy- (informal version of dad, not sure if that's the right connotation)

<Zalman smashes Golem over the head with a frying pan>

GOLEM: Ouch.

MAHARAL: Say it strongly! (as one would to a child, I imagine to rebuke?)

<Maharal smashes Golem with a hammer>

GOLEM: Ooh-ah.

<scene change>

MAHARAL: This is it, Zalman! We have a new and improved Golem with fifty percent less intelligence! Pull the lever, Zalman!

ZALMAN: Yes, Rebbe!

<Zalman pulls the lever, Golem rises once more>

ZALMAN: It lives!

MAHARAL: It lives! The Golem lives!

GOLEM: Golem lives.

MAHARAL: Onward, Golem! Go out and protect us from the gentiles!

GOLEM: What are gentiles?

MAHARAL: All those babblers who think God likes them more!

GOLEM: Ah, Golem understands. Only Jews have conclusive evidence that God likes them more, yes?

MAHARAL: Certainly! It's written in the Tanach.

GOLEM: The gentiles don't have the Tanach!

MAHARAL: They... they do have some holy books, but they're very stupid, very very stupid.

GOLEM: Ah. If that's so, Golem thinks that it's impossible to know which book is silly, which book is true, and which book is complete nonsense. (the specific phrase used at the end is 'kishkush balabush.' I'm not sure if that's a childish phrase or not.)

MAHARAL: Ugh! Ugh! Heretic!

ZALMAN: Heretic!

MAHARAL: Heretic!

ZALMAN: Heretic!

MAHARAL: Kill it, Zalman!

<various comedic hitting the Golem over the head etc etc, next scene>

GOLEM: So why is it forbidden to to cook a goat in its mother's milk and permitted to fry schnitzel in its mother's egg?

MAHARAL: OOOOH!

<smashed over the head again>

GOLEM: So when women speak it's not a forbidden sexual act (erva/ערווה) but when they sing it is? (it took me like ten minutes to figure this one out, never got what they were talking about the other hundred times I've watched this because of how obscurely it's phrased and because I forgot this is a specific offense lol)

<smashed>

GOLEM: But if I enjoy it, I didn't let it out in vain.

ZALMAN: ...there's something to that.

<Maharal smashes Zalman over the head, then the Golem a bunch of times. next scene opens with Golem rising without a head>

MAHARAL: No mistake! This is the chosen Golem! One hundred percent muscle, zero percent intelligence. It's only missing one last thing.

ZALMAN: What's missing?

MAHARAL: What's missing?? The kippah, Zalman!

[gguk-n]

Balancing Act (Daniel Riccardo x Jung Hoseok's manager!Reader)

No face claim. Pictures from Pinterest

Wishing Daniel all the best with his future endeavours 😭😭

Series Masterlist

{Reader's POV}

When I had joined BigHit, I has started working as an assistant to BTS's manager. He was a kind and helpful man, who made transitioning to the job so easy. The boys were also very kind and understanding. It was a blast to work with them honestly. Later, as I gained more experience I was assigned to other groups. I did miss hanging out with the boys; I missed Hobi the most.

After I had stopped working with BTS, that was when I realised that I had a crush on Hoseok. I told myself it was due to the close proximity or the fact that he was just kind, but he was kind to everyone. And I decided to bury those feelings since K-Pop agencies didn't take dating lightly. Even though I barely saw Hobi at this point, my heart would always beat really hard and I would find myself looking for him in common spaces.

Whenever Hobi had individual schedules, I was brought back. The first time I had to work with him after I realised that I love him was nerve wrecking to say the least but Hobi's energy made me feel right at ease and I've never felt so relaxed before. I practically became his personal manager after Hobi started having individual schedules. He was a joy to be around and his energy and laughter was infectious. The tiny crush I had denied having had turned into a full blown infatuation. But, what was I supposed to do when Hobi would smile and sweetly greet me, even going as far to get me coffee. I couldn't not love him.

I was travelling with Hobi for his performances and the final promotion shooting before he was supposed to go for his mandatory military enlistment when I realised I had to tell him. The major reason being that I felt like maybe he liked me. It was the way his eyes would look at me or the way he would softly utter my name. I just felt it in my bones, he liked me. Oh, how wrong I was.

"Hope, congratulations on a successful promotion and preparing so much for ARMY" I said patting his back. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you" he laughed his infectious belly laugh. "No no, you are very talented. You could've managed with out me" I insisted. "Nope, my english is so bad, I would've never left my hotel room if not for you" he reasoned. I smiled at him, this was the right moment. "Don't mention it Hobi, just doing my job. I wanted to talk to you about something" I said, it made my tummy rumble and knot up. "Sure" he said turning his full attention on me. I breathed in deeply before saying, "I like you a lot, I've liked you for a while. Will you go out with me?" I asked looking at my feet. I heard Hobi sigh, this wasn't a good thing; "I'm sorry, Manager Y/L/N." he mumbled. The last name hurt. "I've never liked you that way and I'm sorry if I ever gave you the wrong impression. You are a good friend and colleague who I'm grateful to have but I don't feel that way" he apologised. I laughed dryly, "Yeah, it's okay." I sighed trying to hold back tears. "Let's still be friends. I don't want to lose a friend because of my stupid mistake" I croaked out. "You won't. I promise" he said trying to hug me. I walked back. "I have to give the company report on your schedule and stuff. Good luck with the military. I'll see you once you're back" I shouted out backing away. I had tears in my eyes as I turned the corner.

I may have cried myself to sleep for a few days after that but knowing Hoseok was leaving for the military and I wouldn't have to see him for a while made things easier. I knew I needed a change of scenery and pace so I took a few months off and went on a vacation.

I was in Spain when I met Daniel. He was charming, charismatic and easy to get along with. He would make me laugh and had great joy remembering how we met. "Excuse me" I asked tapping the tall man in front of me. He was wearing a hat and sun glasses. "Hi, Nice to meet you. Would you like a photograph or an autograph?" he asked turning around. I was so confused. "No, I just wanted directions. Can you help?" I asked. He tipped his sunglasses down his nose, scanned me up and down, "You are breath taking" he whispered. I felt a blush creep up my face. "Thank you" I mumbled pointing to a name on my phone, "Do you know where this is?" I asked. "Sadly, I don't but my friend does." he said calling his friend 'Carlos', he sounded Spanish when he spoke to me and gave me the directions. I thanked the two men and started walking in the directions when the taller man with an Australian accent ran up to me, "Hey! I'm Daniel and I don't know if this is crazy but you are so pretty and I just can't let you walk away so would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked. "Sorry, I'm trying to get over someone right now" I said apologetically. "Nothing better than a shoulder to lean on as you get over a stupid man" he winked. "Let's have a drink together. You can tell me all about your relationship woes and I will patiently wait for when you are ready to date me" he laughed. "I don't drink with strangers" I pointed out, walking away.

After that, I met him in Austria again. It was as if the stars were aligning and that's when I finally agreed to have coffee with him. He was a great listener and would give good advice. As I spoke to him and got to know him, we did end up on a date, a few weeks after Austria. I was continuing my trip in Europe and he had work in Europe, it seemed. It was only after a few dates, did he tell me that he was a Formula One Driver. I almost didn't believe him until I Googled him. I may have spent way too much of my time watching Daniel Riccardo funny videos and his interviews and his race highlights.

We decided to keep our relationship on the down low for a while since I did have to go back to work after my vacation. The vacation was the best thing I did for myself. Daniel would visit me if he was at a race near by which was many months later since he was in Singapore and Japan but I cherished every moment I got to spend with him. After his season was over, he was in Seoul to spend some of his holidays with me. I loved waking up to Daniel in bed or to a nice cooked meal when I got back from work. He would joke about being my stay at home wife and we would laugh as we enjoyed the meal. We would explore the streets of South Korea and even going on small weekend getaways so I could show Daniel around.

He did return to Australia to spend time with his family but we would constantly be texting each other or on call. After almost a year of dating, Daniel asked me to come to a race of his, specifically Spain since that was the country where we first met. I cleared up my calendar and I was off.

danielricciardo

Liked by y/n.y/l/n and 1,298,032 others

danielriccardo Happy 1 year baby!!🥰🥰I've never been happier than I've been with you!! I love you!!❤️❤️

y/n.y/l/n aww!! You make me the happiest. Love you too babe❤️❤️ landonorris both of you are like the otters that hug each other while floating away.🫢Congratulations btw❤️ maxverstappen1 congratulations to the cute couple❤️Hope you won't forget me Daniel🥲 user7 OMG!! They are literally the same version of each other🥹🥹 user8 I need a boyfriend like Daniel😭😭 user9 The photography skills😘😘 user10 It's so cute!! Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary❤️❤️

y/n.y/l/n

Liked by danielriccardo, uramyhope and 356,930 others

y/n.y/l/n Happy 1 year to the man who never fails to make my heart flutter!!😭😭Thank you for being the best boyfriend ever!!😘😘Love you more than I can explain🥰🥰

danielriccardo you're gonna make me cry.😭Love you most!!❤️❤️ y/bff/user both of you are so cute, I'm feeling very single😭😭 user11 I've known her since she started in BigHit, can't believe I might watch her get married😭 user12 both of them are happy viruses😌😌 user13 cutest couple on and off the grid🥹🥹 user14 Hybe should sign Daniel, he can be their model😏😏 user15 they are making me believe in love🥺🥺

After the Spanish race, I wasn't able to join him any other races due to work until that fateful call; "hi babe" I chirped. "hey" he greeted, his voice heavy. "What happened?" I asked. "Nothing" he hummed. "Don't lie to me" I reprimanded. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" he chuckled. "Nope" I grinned. "Now spill Danny" I prompted. "It's just.... they might be booting me by the next race" he sulked. "What? Are they crazy? How could they do that? Is this allowed? Can I file a complaint?" I rambled. He laughed. "No, and it's okay. It was gonna happen, I had a feeling" he said. "Now I feel bad, I should've taken time off to see my wonderful boyfriend race" I sulked. "It's okay, you can come to Singapore" he pointed out. "yes!! We'll celebrate!! It's your last race in F1 and we're going to go out with a bang" I said already making plans in my head. Daniel smiled at me, "I can't wait"

I flew to Singapore on Thursday; I will always regret not going to more of his races. We had a blast, there was a rumour going around that Daniel was leaving but there was no official announcement so he couldn't say anything. I spent the better half of the weekend consoling Daniel and trying to make the best of the situation. After the race and the interviews, we walked out of the paddock hand in hand, "I'm so proud of you. Being in a sport for 12-13 years and giving it your all. Being smart, talented and wonderful, being one of the best drivers and helping others learn from you all with a smile is hard, in any field let alone something like formula one. Being a friend when you are all competitors is a talent. I love you so much for doing so well" I said, stopping to cup his cheeks and kissing him. "I love you Y/N" he said in tears. "I love you more" I smiled. "No more crying, you are the best driver" I stated. "To you" he corrected. "And that's all that matters Riccardo" I pointed out. "yes it does" he hummed and started walking out hand in hand. "I'm gonna mooch off you now" he laughed. "I will gladly let you mooch off me" I smiled. "Love you Dan" I said taking his hand to my lips and pressing a kiss. "And I love you" he kissed my hand.

We were both saps but we were each others sap. I couldn't have hoped to meet someone better than him and some one who loves me more than him.

[anonymityisfunwriter]

Question...? The End - “It’s just a question.”

Pairing - Steve Rogers x Reader Summary - After years of back and forth, years of unknowns, a lifetime of questions, it's time for answers.

Question...? Mini Series List | Steve Rogers Masterlist

"Looking back on it..." Steve can't quite find the words to finish the sentence. He shakes his head, "Jesus."

You slightly tip your glass, "We've been through a lot together."

He knows that you're too nice to say what the reality of it is. Steve put you through a lot.

And sure, you two have been through a lot together. All the awkward phases, the growing pains, romantic mishaps, miscommunications, circumstances.

Looking back on it, you were his constant.

Most of the time, you were his only constant.

Rather than staring at the glass in his hand, he keeps his eyes locked on you. There was so much history there. You were right, there were so many times that he could've done more, tried harder. He could've fought for you.

He swallows the lump in his throat, “I don’t know what to say.” 

You shrug, swirling the lonely ice cube in your glass, “I think that was always part of the problem. It’s why we never worked.”

“I - I’m sorry.”

And just like all those times before, you fight to tamp down those feelings that never fail to arise when Steve is near. You've come to accept this. You know this. You and Steve don't work. Accepting that is so much easier than pushing him out of your life. “It’s not like I told you how I felt.” 

Steve knew it wasn't the whole truth. Sure, you'd never out right said that you had feelings for him, but you'd given him so much more than he gave you. And every single time he was too scared of ruining everything that he ran like a coward. 

"But you were the one that held us together. You gave me so much." 

You snort, "Like your first kiss?" 

"I would've waited a hell of a lot longer if it weren't for you. I didn't kiss a single girl in high school." 

"Bullshit." 

"It's true," Steve insists, tipping his glass in your direction. "Ask Bucky. Besides, I was too hung up on you to even look at another girl." 

You shake your head, rolling your eyes, "That's not true." 

"It is. I was just - I was so damn scared of ruining our friendship." 

"Then why did you kiss me at our college graduation?" 

Steve wasn't sure. To this day, he couldn't decide it is was his ultimate moment of weakness or moment of strength. "Better question: Why do you think I broke that dickhead guy's nose last year?" 

"Male ego?" 

"I was jealous," Steve deadpans. "I was so fucking jealous. I was upset because some asshole that was nowhere near good enough took the girl I wanted my whole life. And worst part, I still wasn't brave enough to tell you how I felt."

You slowly exhale, "I think that maybe things worked out the way that they were supposed to. Maybe we just - we weren't meant to be." 

His eyebrows pull together, "Do you really believe that?" 

"I don't know."

“I just - I wish I would’ve put up a fight. I wish I would’ve told you how I felt - how I feel.”

Your eyes snap up, you heart stuttering. “Feel?”

His heart pounds in his chest. This was likely his last chance. His chance to not be a coward. A chance to finally get the girl. “Feel. Present tense.”

Your eyebrows pull in, demanding and curious, “And what do you feel?”

“I feel like I should’ve gone after you after we kissed the first time. Like I should’ve told you that the reason I got so angry you kissed Bucky in high school was because I wanted to be the only person that you kissed. Like I never should’ve left your house that night in college. I feel like I’ve been in love with you since I saw you that very first time.”

“Steve…” you whisper, too choked up to say anything but his name.

“I’ve looked for that feeling everywhere. I’ve looked for that meteor strike everywhere and the only place I’ve found it is with you. You lit up my life. Everyone else, everything else, is second best compared to you.”

“It shouldn’t be this hard, Steve.”

“Then let me carry us for a while. Let me hold us together. Let it be my turn.” He reaches out, his hand gripping yours from across that empty bar stool. He sucks in a soft breath, clearly warring with himself. In this moment, he feels like he did all those years ago. The best friend that was never good enough for the girl. The girl he watched and wanted more than anything. This was his chance to be brave for once, to finally speak now. “I think I've always known.” 

You quirk an eyebrow, “Known what?” 

“I think I’ve known it since we were kids," he continues. He stands up from his bar stool, closing the distance between you and him. He reaches out, his fingers ghosting over your cheeks. "You’re my forever. You’re my endgame. And I’m sorry I didn’t treat you like that. I’m sorry I let things come between us. But I’ve always known that. Even if it scared the shit outta me sometimes. I belong with you. You belong with me. It’s us. That’s how this story ends. It’s us.”

"Steve..." you whisper.

"Can I kiss you?" You suck in a sharp breath as he cups your face, lifting your jaw until your lips ghost over his, "It's just a question."  

You know it's not just a question. Not really. Not anymore. You lick your lips in anticipation, "Is it?" 

"No," he finally admits. "It's an answer." 

Question...? Mini Series List Inspired By Taylor Swift Steve Rogers Masterlist

Taglist: @marianita195 @meli18gonzalez @ludicbouquetfromearth @matchat3a @famousbreadcherryblossomsstuff @valoraxx @blue786sworld @buckyandgeraltsupremacy @geminigengar @ansaturn @ecolle @lexhalstead3 @ybflkmj @mediocre-daydreams@shanye1112 @thegirlnextdoorssister @toomanyfanficsbruh @moonlightreader649 @breathtaking-cynthia @mirikusashes @beans-and-toast @niyahcoca @katiechikin @elxvrr @antiheroxsblog @infamouslyclumsy @krissydclayton93 @buckysbarne @deadheadwbedhead @qualitygiantshoepsychic @whitexwolfxx310 @getosprettyboy @matchat3a @weallhaveadestiny @mostlymarvelgirl @honeydew3064 @michealharrypotter @mrs-bucky-barnes-73 @withyoutilltheendoftheline @the-photo-hoe @rae-nna @sarachabeans1@double-shot-of-tequila @spookyparadisesheep @lunaalovesyouu @daisy-loves-bucky@roseproseposts @theoraekenslover@king814318 @maybesomedaytho @carlie-babes99 @sunshinechikin @as-white-as-snow-love @melala1030 @badasswlthafatass @armystay89 @multiversefanfics @cherrysscinema @breathlesspieceofdeath @ravenn-darkholme @bxckybxrnes24 @guiltyasreid @bellabarnes1378 @blithecapricorn @mrsnikstan

[cwritesforfun]

Regina George x Fem!Reader: NYC

I think we’re all obsessed with Renee Rapp as Regina George …

Y/N = Your Name (I will use this sparingly)

I am trying second-person pov for the first time, don't be mad if it sucks.

hehehehehe

Regina's POV

I think the only person I've ever loved is Y/N. I always thought I would know what real love was when it happened to me, but I realized it too late. I lost Y/N because we just experimented with each other, didn't want to commit to dating or coming out, moved to different schools, made new friends, and graduated high school. I texted her one time and it was to tell her congratulations on graduating and she texted me the same. She even moved houses, which I didn't know until I drove there today and there was a new family there and they had no idea where the previous owners lived. I tried calling her, but it gave me her voicemail and I don't even know what to say. Where is she?! And on top of all of this, Mom is taking me to New York City because I've been moping. I don't want to travel.

Your POV ... 1 week later...

You're working at a coffee shop and you smile. You have been so happy in New York. Dad had us move out to Brooklyn to take over his brother's coffee shop and he's been really great. He's grown so much in the role of manager and owner. You work as the assistant manager on weekends and you're in charge of events. You have fun.

It's Saturday and the day has been buzzing with orders. You have never seen so many lattes made or bagels ordered. Truly, this is insane. To promote the business, you had done a 2-hour 50% deal on lattes and your regular customers went CRAZY then they told their friends. Dad would be proud.

You are sitting on your phone eating your bagel during lunch reading your book when you hear a familiar voice order an iced oat milk latte and a bagel with strawberry cream cheese. That's so fetch. You exclaim, "Regina George, is that really you?" She whips her head around to face you and her jaw drops. You say, "You should join me if you're not busy." She nods, grabs her order, and sits in the seat across from me.

You exclaim, "I had no idea you were in New York City." She snaps, "I had no idea you moved. You never told me." You exclaim, "You could've asked one of those times you called me and didn't leave me a voicemail." She asks, "I never knew what to say. If you got those, why didn't you call me back?" You answer, "I didn't know what to say either. I could've told you about the sudden move and made you plan a visit, but I guess I never thought you would agree after we stopped talking... I always felt bad about that. I didn't want to stop being around you. It was just easier at the time than well doing what we were doing." She nods and says, "I missed you." You reply, "I missed you too. My lunch break is over in like 5 minutes, but would you want to hang out while you're in town? My dad made plans for him and me tonight, but maybe tomorrow we can hang out." She replies, "I will have to check with my mom, but I think tomorrow would work. Do you promise to answer if I call?" You nod and answer, "Yes." You both smile at each other and it's like times are like they were in high school. You were happy in high school when you were with Regina, but you never knew if what you did together would lead to something real. You felt like a second choice and it was alienating. Breaking off your fling with her was good for you because it let you be independent at your new school and it let you start to figure out who you were a little. You were bisexual and you were proud.

That night, as you finish getting ready for dinner, you finally ask your dad, "Who are we meeting for dinner? You've been very secretive about this whole night. You just said to dress nice. You have me scared." He hugs me and says, "You'll enjoy tonight. I have a 50/50 chance of being right about that. You look gorgeous tonight, let's head out. We don't want to be late." We leave our house and we make our way to this pizza place that we love that has this fancy upper floor overlooking the piano and more seating. Honestly, it just looks fancy. The food is not bad prices at all, haha. Dad just likes to romanticize our pizza dinners.

We take our normal seats and you watch the pianist play Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik. You know this song on flute and you love it.

Dad exclaims, "Sweetie, our guests are here. Say hi." You turn around and you see Regina with her mom. You gasped and said, "Hi, I'm so confused. Why are you here? Dad, I saw her in our coffee shop today. Did you plan this?" Regina says, "I thought it was weird that we were meeting people in the city because we know no one. Well, except you two and even I just found that out today." Dad says, "Sit down and relax, ladies. Mrs. George and I talked a few weeks back about how it was weird you two hadn't seen each other in a while. We planned this trip when Mrs. George said that Regina had been moping around the house for months and her last happy memory was with dear Y/N." WTF?!? She hasn't been happy since I was hanging out with her?! Regina asks, "How long have you two been talking? Does dad know, mom?" Mrs. George says, "Honey, this is different than that time with John from down the street. This was just a friendly parent-to-parent talk about our kid's well-being. I don't romantically see Y/N's dad. We talk like once a month about finances because I don't get it and your dad hates talking to me about them." lol ... family drama ... Regina slouches and crosses her arms angrily. Shit, she is not happy about something. You used to be so good at reading her. You're out of practice.

Pizza arrives at the table and we all eat while making small talk. Regina refuses to look anyone in the eyes, she just keeps her head down and keeps quiet. You hate this. You want to talk to her, not our parents right now. You nudge her and ask, "Do you want to hang out with just me after this? I could try cheering you up if you'd let me." She answers, "Sure," before turning back to her pizza.

Once pizza winds down, you exclaim, "Hey Dad and Mrs. George, Regina and I are going to go out for a bit alone after this. We will be safe and we will let you know where we go and when we plan to go home." Mrs. George says, "Oh before you leave, I should say, Regina's suitcase is in your dad's car in case she wants to spend the night at your place." Regina snaps, "I'm right here, mom. You're talking about me like I'm not in the room." Mrs. George snaps, "I'm sorry Miss Didn't Say Anything During Dinner and Is Rude To People and Stares At Pizza." OH FUDGE ... You grab Regina's hand pulling her away from our parents and outside the restaurant.

Outside, we start walking and you realize you are still holding Regina's hand. She probably doesn't even want to be holding your hand. It's not like this is a date. You drop it and ask, "Are you in the mood for gelato?" She answers, "Sure." You reply, "Great, let's go. It's like 2 blocks from here."

We walk in comfortable silence until we get there. I open the door for Regina and she thanks me as she walks inside. My friend, Sam, is behind the counter and Sam exclaims "Y/N!!! It's good to see you again!!! Guess what?" You ask, "What's up, Sam?" Sam answers, "Josh asked me out!!" You smile and say, "OMG!!!! You'll have to tell me all about it. I'm so happy for you. This is Regina, by the way. And Regina, this is Sam." Sam waves and says, "Wow Regina, you're really pretty." Regina replies, "Thanks. Could I get a small raspberry gelato?" Sam nods and I say, "And could you get me a small dulce de leche gelato?" Sam nods and asks, "So Regina, are you in town visiting Y/N? She has been rather lonely without you. It's always about you, you know." Regina half-smiles and says "What kind of things did she say exactly?" Sam answers, "She said you were pretty and you are. She said you were her best friend for a long time and you both really liked spending time together. She was scared to commit and she wasn't ready to come out. She said you were her crush for a bit in high school. She said..." You quickly interrupt and say, "I think that is quite enough, Sam. How much is the gelato?" Sam answers, "$8.72." You pay for the gelato then sit in a booth away from Sam. You hear the door open and see two families walk in with little kids. At least Sam will be busy and won't pay attention to us for a bit.

You exclaim, "I know tonight's dinner was terrible, but I'm hoping I can still turn around your night and make it better." Regina asks, "Is it true?" You ask, "Is what true? You'll have to be more specific." Regina mumbles, "The crush on me." You say, "Yes, it is true. I liked you a lot when we were experimenting together and then we broke it all off. It was tough and I had to heal from that heartbreak, but I didn't realize it was heartbreak until I came to the realization that I romantically liked you. And then you were gone and then we graduated and I had to move and the timing was never right. But, I do know three things: I am bisexual and I like you a lot and the feelings never went away." She smiles widely and says, "God, if we weren't by your nosy friend and in a gelato shop, I'd kiss you." You ask, "So. the feeling is mutual then?" She answers, "Yes... I am lesbian though." You reply, "That's pretty cool." She laughs.

After gelato, we hold hands and walk to the Brooklyn Bridge. We were close to it anyway, so why not walk there?!? Haha! Besides, during the day there are tons of vendors, and at night, there are just lots of cars and busy people. You love living in the city. The city also looks beautiful all lit up at night.

As we stand at this pier looking out at the water, Regina asks, "Can we have that kiss now?" You turn to her and answer, "Yes." You kiss and it's like you're the city being lit up at night. You feel bright and you see your future.

[lilahisntsadanymore]

When everything goes wrong and life doesn't make sense anymore, there's one person to save Y/n.

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x fem!reader

Words count: 1.8k

Warnings: sewerslide attempt, Peaky Blinders spoilers

It's my first fic after 8 months and I wrote it at 11pm. I decided if not now, I'll never be back to writing and the break was too long anyway.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

I don't want to lose you

Maybe in another universe this life would've been worth living. Maybe if Y/n was somebody else, life would be easier. Why did everything feel so pointless? Y/n felt as if nothing made sense anymore and she had no explanation for that feeling.

Every breath cost her so much effort, like some huge and heavy creature was sitting on her shoulders. All the time, there were no breaks. Every breath she took was tiring, every step was torture. Every night she went to sleep hoping to never have to open her eyes again.

Y/n was stuck in a loop, but she wanted to put an end to this. It had to stop. And with this step she was about to take, it was supposed to happen.

Her heart was beating fast, finally feeling some adrenaline in her veins. Standing at the edge with dirty water of the canal at her feet, Y/n spread her arms like a bird spreads its wings. The difference was, unlike a bird, she wouldn't go up.

The sound of the girl's body hitting the water. The coldness. The silky, supposedly peaceful feeling. It never came. Y/n was now in somebody's tight embrace, a few feet away from the edge.

"Don't even think about it, you hear me?" A man's deep voice said. "Don't even think about it." His arms wrapped around Y/n protectively.

Tommy Shelby. The man with no emotions or feelings. Ever since his wife died, romantic relationships weren't his strength. The day Y/n appeared in his life, a small flame of hope lit up in his dark, empty heart.

"Tommy..."

A small whisper was all that left the girl's mouth. She squeezed her eyes close tight, but it didn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. She buried her face into Thomas and started sobbing softly.

With his right hand, Thomas stroked Y/n's head, gently sliding his fingers on her hair. "I'm not letting you go home like this."

As usual, his voice didn't show any emotions. There was no difference when he was doing business or now, when he almost lost the girl that gave him a little hope for a happy ending.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere like this." His voice was harsh, like he was giving an order, but he cared. He cared for Y/n, but there was no way he could confess this. Romantic relationships weren't his strength. "You're coming home with me, Y/n."

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Y/n was at the Arrow House many times before. But she never slept there and even though she was staying for the night now, it was going to be a sleepless one.

She sighed, turning on her right side for possibly the 50th time. The time was irrelevant, she most likely wasn't going to fall asleep. She felt too cold - she hid most of her body under the duvet, only her head sticking out. Then in a minute she felt too hot, so she pushed the duvet off in an annoyed movement.

Tommy could've been asleep for a few hours now. He deserved a good sleep after what he's done. Y/n felt grateful that he saved her. That moment she whispered his name was when she realized how bad of a decision she was about to make. There were so many other ways to deal with whatever has been going on inside her head. Now she was sure she could figure it out somehow.

Y/n's decided to sit and slowly put her feet on the cold floor. It gave her a little shiver, but she wanted to take a walk. Taking quiet steps to the door, Y/n yawned. She was tired, but she didn't feel like she would fall asleep anytime soon.

The halls were dark, but walking through them was possible still, because of the moonlight creeping inside through windows. It was a full moon. The girl took a quick glance at it as she carefully made steps down the stairs. Eventually, she ended up in the drawing room. It was big and full off bookshelves, even though Tommy didn't seem like a man who reads books, but even if he didn't, why wouldn't he keep them in his house just for the sophisticated look? Y/n never really paid attention to any of the titles and neither would she do it tonight. Her fingers traced the books, she squinted her eyes, but it was too dark to read the letters.

"Well, good morning. Didn't expect to meet you here so early."

Y/n jumped up lightly and turned around to face the source of the voice. Thomas was standing in the doorframe, leaning on it with his arms crossed. He was dressed in his usual elegant clothes, like he was about to go out. Did this man ever sleep?

"Morning? What time is it?" She asked, automatically taking a quick look at a big clock that stood in the room.

"It's 3am." Tommy answered. "Can't sleep? I might have something to help you."

Still standing in her place, Y/n watched the man walk up to a cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, pouring a little bit of the brown liquid into each one.

"Come here, sit down." He said calmly, trying hard to not make it sound like an order.

Thomas himself took a seat on a sofa, one glass in his hand and the other he set down on the coffe table in front of him.

Y/n hesitated. Where was she supposed to sit? Next to him on the same sofa? Or on the one on the other side of the coffe table? They were friends, but he witnessed her in a very low point of her life, so she felt awkward.

Friends...

Thomas Shelby didn't have friends, Y/n had to remind herself. The closest to friends he had were business partners. If there was no profit for him, there was no reason to keep the partnership. And Y/n didn't have much, if anything, to offer.

Instead of sitting next to Thomas, Y/n decided to take a across from him. That was a safe, respectful distance. Y/n took the glass in her hand and drank a bit of the whiskey.

Whiskey wasn't for everyone like vodka or beer. Whiskey was for the people who could handle its taste. It was strong and could get you knocked out quickly if you were a beginner. Whiskey was like Thomas Shelby.

Y/n smiled internally at the comparison.

"Thank you, Tom," she said in a serious tone, "for saving me, you know."

Thomas sensed that she was embarrassed. He wanted to make his voice sound comforting. "I would be a fool if I hadn't done it." I don't want to lose you, Tommy said in his thoughts. "What you were about to do is not a solution to anything, Y/n."

"I know, I just... I don't know what I was thinking. I feel like something is eating me up from the inside."

"How long have you felt like this for? When did it start?"

"I'm not sure, some time ago. At first it was easy to brush off, but now... It gets hard to ignore sometimes." She realized she was talking to much and that it might put too much burden on Thomas. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Come to me whenever you're ready to share your thoughts." He spoke so calmly, as if with his voice he was holding a fragile piece of glass.

"I actually thought about leaving. Not right now, at 3am, but leaving Birmingham in general." She lied. She didn't think about leaving. "Maybe even leaving England." The idea appeared in her head just now. She had no explanation for this.

Tommy's bubble broke. He protected Y/n, he made sure nothing bad will happen to her and now he's supposed to lose her like that?

"Why?" Why would you do that to me, Y/n?

"Maybe it's a curse, Tommy, don't you think? If it's a curse, I don't want the people I care about to suffer as well." I don't want to be a burden to you, I don't care about the others.

If it was a curse, Tommy knew people who could remove it. He could pay them any amount of money to free Y/n from this curse. But it was way worse and Y/n didn't seem to know that.

"I think you should stay here." I want you to stay. "The company needs you." I need you.

Tommy cursed at himself in his mind. What was he talking about? What the hell was he thinking? The woman in front of him clearly had mental problems and he spoke of how important she is to his company.

"I'm sure you'll quickly find someone else who will be equally good. Maybe better."

"How would I know they're trustworthy?" You're irreplaceable. In all meanings.

"Tommy, I bring bad luck," Y/n stood up, "it'll be better if I leave."

"No."

"What?"

"It won't be better if you leave."

"Why not?"

Tommy stood up as well. His blue eyes met Y/n's y/e/c ones for a prolonged amount of time. The girl didn't understand anything.

Waiting for his response and not getting any, Y/n began walking towards the door. Then, Thomas walked behind her and made her stop by lightly grabbing her arm.

The man noticeably gulped. It's been a long time since he hesitated before saying something this much. He was a man of logic, calculated each one of his actions. Then why wasn't he prepared for this?

Actually, he thought of this situation many times. Maybe in a different scenery, surely in different circumstances. But he waited too long already. This conversation was a sign to not postpone this any longer.

"Because..." I love you... "I care for you. Deeply."

Y/n's mouth opened slightly, she didn't even notice. She looked so gorgeous in Tommy's eyes. Whatever was her reply going to be, he was happy to finally have made the confession.

"You do?"

Don't make me say the words... "I cannot bear the idea of my life without you in it, Y/n."

"Well, then..." the girl hesitated, "I won't go anywhere, Tommy."

"I will take good care of you. I'll make sure that your problem will be taken care of. I want you to feel safe with me and with yourself. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

"Tommy..."

"Yes?"

"Kiss me."

Thomas felt something in his chest. Something he hasn't felt since Grace died. His heart turned to stone with her death but Y/n brought it back to life.

With the kiss they shared, they stamped their promises - Y/n's to stay with Tommy and Tommy's to do anything he can to help her.

Maybe it was the hour, but something made the kiss feel so... Magical. It wasn't usual, it wasn't normal. Y/n felt a warm feeling filling her body from the inside, spreading through every inch of her. It finally brought her peace, she knew life will only get easier from now on.

The night wasn't sleepless, after all. And Y/n could fall asleep in a comforting embrace of a person she had feelings for...

[ominous-auburn-orbs]

@just-observing-here Here's the fic you suggested! Hope I followed the prompt right

Jax had pushed it too far. Gangle couldn't take it any longer. The performers saw how a glitching mass of black and brightly coloured eyes had tried to consume her. They were just barely able to calm her down enough to return her to normal. Even Jax had left her alone after that.

Throughout the whole process, Caine had just stood by. He could've helped. He knew he should've. But he had felt paralysed. Fear, he reminded himself. It was called fear. It was a sudden wake-up call for him that any of the performers could abstract at any time, and he would never be able to get them back. Was it his fault they were abstracting? He never wanted them to. He'd gotten attached to this group. He always did. How could he save them? Could he save them at all?

His hand glitched, causing his cane to fall through it. That had started happening since these thoughts had begun. He picked up the cane, but it just fell again. A bit frustrated now, he clicked his fingers to make it disappear, but instead it just shrank. Guess he'll have to deal with that later.

Before long, Caine's thoughts were spiralling again. His chest was getting tighter. He couldn't save them. He couldn't save them. He couldn't-

His body filled with a sharp and painful tingling, causing him to lose control of his floating. The collision with the ground brought him back once more. The loud thud it created also alerted a nearby Kinger, whose responding scream caused both worry and relief. Kinger could help him. But what if Kinger was scared of his glitching? What if it spread like abstraction?

Just as Caine was picking himself up from the floor, Kinger rounded the corner.

"I heard something, are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine, my dear! There's nothing you need to stress over! Nothing at all!" His arm disconnected for a moment, floating beside him before moving back. Kinger definitely saw it.

"W-what was that? Is that meant to be happening?" Now Kinger was concerned. No way out of it now, Caine had had to learn that the hard way before. Odd how he seemed so forgetful and unaware, yet unable to drop something he truly cared about or noticed.

"Well, no, but I'm sure it'll just fix itself!" Kinger ignored him, reaching for his arms and inspecting him, but struggling to keep hold as Caine kept clipping through.

"Did you catch this from Gangle?" The chess piece continued to run his hands along where the glitch showed, pulling a nervous and flustered chuckle from Caine. "Hmm, probably not, or I'd have caught it by now, too. You were pretty far from Gangle anyway..."

Kinger continued to mutter to himself, trying to find a pattern in the glitches. Caine just stared at him. What would he do when he lost him? Caine wasn't ready for that. Kinger could never abstract. He'd lasted this long, but it's not like he could last forever.

Kinger jumped back when Caine went through a strong full-body glitch, bringing him to his knees.

"Caine!" Kinger's hands supported the ringmaster, keeping him from falling any further, but his now ever changing shape made that easier said than done. "Just- just try taking some deep breaths! That usually helps me."

"Kinger- I don't have lungs," he laughed. How could he laugh? Kinger shouldn't be protecting him, it should be the other way around. The chess piece had no idea how much danger he was in.

"O-oh, uh- then what's causing these glitches? Was it Gangle? We fixed her and her comedy mask up, if you were worrying about that. Even gave her a nose, too! I thought an extra feature might make her feel better." Caine was laughing again, the glitches calming. So it was based on his feelings. "I know I'd feel pretty good if I was given a mouth, let alone a nose, even if it was just drawn on! Bet you'd like it if I had a mouth, huh?"

The ringmaster burst out laughing, startled by the comment. Well, he supposed Kinger wasn't wrong.

"Hey, the glitches stopped!" Kinger pressed his face to Caine's teeth in a makeshift kiss. "Who knew I was such a comedic genius?"

Caine just kept giggling, pulling Kinger closer. "I could've guessed."

Kinger joined in on the laughter as well, until he was sure Caine was fine again. "So, any idea as to what that was about?"

A melancholy feeling started creeping across the back of Caine's mind, but it went away when he looked into Kinger's eyes again. "Is it okay if I tell you later?"

"Of course, honey. Whatever helps." Caine's face reddened at the pet name.

"H-honey??" The whirring sound of computer fans emitted from him. Kinger kissed him again, the smile clear on his face despite his lack of a mouth. Maybe everything would be fine after all.

[according2thelore]

would kill to see es and ls sam and dean sit around and talk about john winchester lmao

OOF

i mentioned this super briefly in one of the posts but i think this would be such a point of contention for all of them, lol.

if this were S1 sam&dean, sam would see this as such a betrayal from his older self, because LS!Sam&Dean have settled into a lightly critical, fond idea of john. yeah, he was kind of intense, but he protected us. he did the best he could, even if we grew up without certain things. they don't do anything to deconstruct their relationship/the ideals he instilled/his low points. he existed, and he was our father, so he was good.

it's easier to love john from afar.

and ES!Sam, who still carries so much fire and anger towards john for stanford and the childhood that was stolen from him, would see LS!Sam's passive--if not effusively loving, then content--remembrance of john to be a betrayal of the highest order. it's not that ES!Sam never thought they'd forgive john, but the fact that sam seems so beaten down in other aspects too makes him furious. who is this coward that rolls over for dean and dad and the hunt?

if this were S2-3 sam&dean, i think dean would have more to say to his older self. because in S2-3, we see a lot more resentment for john coming out. in the "i was there for sam, he never was, dad was a bastard." scene, the impala-destroying scene, and john telling dean to kill sam, we see ES!Dean has a lot of unresolved fury towards him. to my recall, LS!Dean is still a little more bitter (trying to let adam out of the life/"what did dad do for your birthday?", "he was a great dad" from mary and dean's face after, "i never was [a child]") but he's still very clearly pro-john. we even see ES!Sam soften towards dad in the wake of his death, where ES!Dean is all shards.

a LS!Dean that is complimentary of their father and so far removed from the betrayal of being asked to kill sam would terrify ES!Dean. this almost loving complacency to what--to ES!Dean--is the worst thing he's ever been asked to do, and in the lead-up to his deal coming due (bc dad, in some part, failed them), would be a betrayal of what dean stands for. he understand the kneejerk reaction to defend and love dad, but it still irks him.

they would view the phrase "he did his best" VERY DIFFERENTLY.

ES!Sam/Dean would maybe even see it as a lie. dad could have done more. he could've talked to sam and dean about anything. he could've prepared them better, he could've been more transparent, less punitive, less angry, less goddamn drunk. "dad did his best," is wrong. he forced dean into a boy's home because he stole food. he died before he could apologize for any of it, and gave dean the biggest burden of his life.

LS!Sam&Dean would see it as the truth. dad wasn't perfect, and sometimes he wasn't good, but he really did his best. he wasn't capable of more. he was punitive, and occasionally cruel, and didn't do anything for their birthdays or christmas. but it was literally the best he was capable of. was john "a perfect father?" no. but they've grown the perspective to see that he was really trying. i mean, he kept sam's soccer trophies, and he loved them. but he was a man obsessed, and there's only so much he's capable of.

i think that conversation between LS!Sam&Dean and ES!Sam&Dean could go a lot of different ways. i think it would be tense and VERY defensive. and LS!Sam&Dean might've gotten protective over john's memory as the years have gone by, so this open hostility from their younger selves chafes. it's easier to love a dead man, after all.

YIKES this got away from me lol!

but you're so right, anon!!!! this ask makes me wild! this is just my perspective on how the boys see john as the seasons go on, you're totally valid in your own! but YES!!!! i think this is a topic they'd have to navigate very carefully, which is not ES!Sam's, LS!Sam's, ES!Dean's, or LS!Dean's speciality, lmao.

thank you for this lovely ask anon! i am kissin u on both cheeks!!!!!! <3

-lizzy

[crossdressingdeath]

Orin: Husk. Maggot. A Bhaalspawn, slip-sliding in filth with these pigs. You don't deserve the Murder Lord's blessing. Kyvir: That's rich, coming from you. You're the child of a father and his daughter. Your mother was Sarevok's daughter. Orin: No no NO NO NO! He didn't... Filthy, pig-mouthed little LIAR! Orin: Grandfather loves me. He worships me. How dare you smear his name. It will not save you. Kyvir: [PERSUASION] He's your father, Orin. He abused your mother. He abused you. Orin: No. Not him. Not him... I did all this for him. Everything... everything... Bhaal Avatar: No, Orin. You did this for me. Orin: Bhaal... Father, they lie to me. They lie! Bhaal Avatar: You hesitate. If you will not fight for my blessing, I will make you something crueller. A deserving sacrifice for my child's ascension. [...] Sceleritas Fel: The changeling stands no chance, fiendish one. Eviscerate her! Orin: *ROAR!*

That transformation sequence is brutal. I actually feel really bad for Orin here. She hesitates for just a moment and Bhaal swoops in and warps her into the Slayer before she can even consider the idea that maybe she no longer wants to fight her "sibling" with the reveal that she's not Bhaal's child and in fact is the offspring of Sarevok and his own daughter. All Bhaal would've had to do was say "Yes, they're lying to you" and Orin would likely have gone right back to fighting for his favour. After all, who's she going to trust? Her much-hated sibling/a total stranger, or the god she's been groomed her whole life to be loyal to? But instead she hesitates for just a second and looks to her god for reassurance, and he forcibly transforms her into a monster on the off chance she might decide for the first time in her life that she doesn't want to fight. I find myself wondering if making her hesitate enough that Bhaal steps in makes the fight easier, too, because honestly she was not a hard fight. I could've done it without the Slayer if it hadn't been for The Vibes.

Also, playing Durge gives the Persuasion option there a fun feel; the initial "That's rich, coming from you" feels mocking (understandable, given she just took their form to mock them for the way she sliced open their skull and destroyed their mind while they screamed), but the Persuasion option feels surprisingly genuine. Especially in the context of a Durge who ultimately rejects Bhaal, there's a sense that they might really be trying to convince Orin that Sarevok and by extension Bhaal have been using and abusing her and don't deserve her loyalty. I won't lie, the idea of Durge making a genuine attempt to convince their "sister"/niece/great-niece to stop fighting for the people who hurt her so badly the same way they did for some of the party and the party did for them is very very good and sweet and the way they never get the opportunity to find out if they had even the slightest chance of succeeding in getting through to her because the moment she pauses, even to insist they're lying and beg Bhaal to confirm that, her humanity (for lack of a better word when she's not actually human) is torn from her in order to serve her up as an offering to Durge because as far as Bhaal's concerned she's proved herself unreliable just like that is deeply sad. I'm getting the increasing sense that there's a bit of a theme with the Chosen where even if they wanted to change they're in so deep with the Dead Three now that they'd never be allowed to; Durge only managed to get away because Orin's attack gave them so much amnesia they forgot they were Bhaal's favourite kid.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Guys, I think we’re being a bit harsh on Hajime here. He’s already accepted that Shirogane has to die and he’s going to let the others take care of it. That doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it. And we’re not happy with him always doubting himself or being cross, but we also have to accept that he’s always gonna be Hajime Hinata, which means he’s always going to be upset about SOMETHING. Just let him do his thing. He’ll be fine after all this is over.

Of course it'll be over.

...

...Do you wish we'd done things differently? Please, just be honest with me. Would things have been better if we'd just...y'know...

...

No. No, I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.

It's okay...I still think about that too.

Things probably would've been easier for us if we had just killed Kanade or agreed to let someone else do it. But...I dunno if either of us could've recovered from that so easily...

And all I did was agree to someone else's offer. I...can barely imagine how tough all this must be for you, Haji.

...You wanna know something? It's not just that I want to believe that killing is wrong, no matter what, because of what I went through...or that I'm scared of what I'd do if I did think it was okay...

But every time I imagine Enoshima, Ikusaba, or the Steering Committee- the ones who caused all of this- I fantasize about all the things I'd do as payback...not just for me, but for everyone.

And that...scares me. It honestly terrifies me.

I know I'd never become Kamukura again. That's not gonna happen, and it's not what I'm worried about.

But...every time, I could tell myself that what happened in the Tragedy Timeline was him, not me. He did all that. I had no control over anything, not even my sense of self until the Neo World Program put me back together.

And killing or ordering someone to kill would actually be you this time?

Exactly. And up until now, everything we did, we did it without having to resort to that. It was probably harder, and we made a lot of mistakes, but we still did it. Every time.

This is different from Mizuta. He never wanted to be a part of all this, and he gave up his own life to save his daughter. But Shirogane...she loves all this.

And seeing what she does to everyone, including Kaede and Erika...yeah. I want this bitch to pay.

...But that's something you can't ever take back. I don't care who it is, and I don't want to hear about how someone "deserves" it. That's a really dangerous word to use when you're talking about this sorta thing.

Do you really believe you'd take things too far?

...I don't know. I don't want to resort to killing...but I want fucking Shirogane gone just as much as anyone! I really do, and I'm pissed at myself for ever letting things get THAT bad!

...Kaede and Erika are our grandkids. Wouldn't it...be right for us to be there too? What would you think if your grandfather did something that ruined everything, and then he sat on the sidelines and didn't help fix any of it?

But that's not what happened. Shirogane is the one who did all this, Haji. You are allowed to be mad at the people who've hurt you and exploited your kindness, and you know it.

But you know what you could do instead of deciding the only way anyone will forgive you is if you take revenge?

You work on helping yourself be better, and you rely on the people around you to help with things you can't solve on your own. I talked with Sayuri, and all she asked was that we try to learn from our mistakes. That's all she needed to know.

I promise you, Haji, nobody in the future wants you to do something you know you'll regret.

...

[mshroom1e]

Hi~i hope you are great!I wanted to request a story between fem reader and zhongli (or I don't know any character that you want or feel comfortable) the reader feels overworked and used by the coworker because she is a really kind soul,helping everyone but nobody help her when she needs.Most of the time the reader is alone without anyone by her side.

Till one day she had enough starring felling stressed,overthink and doesn't want to talk to anybody and they're lover too.

How would they comfort the reader?

Thank you so much for reading all this and I hope I didn't disturb you at all♡have a good day!

You're welcome! And you didn't disturb me at all!!

To be honest, I really liked the idea and was thinking of maybe doing this with other characters in the future.

type: fanfic

Summary: You come home after a long, stressful day at work because of your coworkers, and Zhongli does his best to help how you're feeling.

1.4k words

Warning(s): none

Your trip home was nothing short of a bummer. Rain plummeted from the clouds, matching your mood as tempest gusts of wind almost blew you away. Your work clothes were completely soaked from the untimely rain. The hair on your head dripped constantly, dropping blobs of water on your face and shoulders, hitting them with a disatisfying plop.

What a great day to forget your umbrella, right?

You trudged through the streets, feeling as if the elements, work, and life itself were against you. Work was difficult. You were constantly under pressure, being treated as a pushover, and most importantly, no one took you seriously. Ever since you started at your workplace, your kindness was taken advantage of, and your coworkers saw your willingness to help them as a way to greedily make work easier for themselves.

Once, you offered to help a person who was in the same department as you. All you did was help them finish the last few parts of their reports, and suddenly, you were bombarded with requests, most of them from people who could've easily done their tasks themselves. Your ideas and contributions were always overlooked, however, when a colleague with a higher position in the workplace repeated your idea with different phrasing, they were hailed as if they saved the entire company as a whole.

And to be honest, you were sick of it. Constantly being ignored, not taken seriously and seen as a pushover, made you livid. You were good at hiding it, usually greeting your fellow workers with a kind, understanding smile when you spoke to them. They took your smiles and kind words as invitations to mess with you and dump even more of their work on you.

Your friends were all assigned to a different department from you, which let them all get closer to each other.

Without you.

At work, there was no one to turn to for help. You were always the one who was supposed to assist others as kindness had been integrated into you as a person for as long as you could remember.

"Be kind, always greet others with a smile, no request ever asked of you is too much."

But now, it was definitely too much.

Large droplets of water continued to pelt your head and shoulders, dripping down your arms and fingertips. You held your work bag under your arm, trying to shield the documents inside from the ruthless rain. Though, you had already half given up since you were sure water already seeped through the bag.

Soon enough, your home came into view. It was a fairly large house with two floors and a lovely garden. Sure, your workplace sucked, but it had really good pay.

By the time you reached the outside gate, you hadn't even noticed you were crying. Your salty tears tracked down your cold cheeks, blending into the rain until you couldn't tell the tears from your eyes and the ones from the sky apart. Your key clicked in the keyhole, unlocking the door.

Already standing in the doorway was Zhongli. The comforting, savoury aroma of what he made for dinner floated around the house.

"Welcome home, darling," he gave you a warm, sweet smile. The type of smile that could melt away all the negative emotions that swirled inside of you. The type of smile that was contagious enough to brighten the day of anyone who was graced with it. The smile that belonged to your beloved.

"I'm back..." You tried your best to return his warm greeting.

His face faltered, immediately noticing the way your smile felt forced and the tears that ran down your face, mixing with the rain. He quickly picked up a towel, placing it on your head to dry your hair and cupping your face in his hands.

You were unsure of what caused the warm feeling in your chest. You couldn't decide between the warm, soft towel or the way he held your face in his hands and stared tenderly at you. Your breath hitched, and you felt like crying again. Zhongli pulled you into a hug, resting one hand at the back of your head and another comfortingly rubbing your back. The soothing way his hand traced circles along your back and the way he gently patted your your eyes flood with tears even faster.

Zhongli's heart beated gently against you, the soft thumping slowly soothing you and calming you down.

"Difficult day at work?" He asked once he knew you were calmed down enough to speak.

You meekly nodded your head, eyes downcast and not saying a word. Seeing you like this seriously made his heart hurt in the worst way possible. But, since you didn't want to talk about it just yet, he'd just have to be patient and wait until you were ready.

"First, let's get you out of these wet clothes," He carefully pulled you out of the hug, readjusting the towel on your head and helping you tug off your soaked outer jacket.

-

Zhongli led you upstairs to the bathroom, allowing you to undress and enter the warm, flowery scented bath he had prepared for beforehand.

Qingxin petals moved around in the faintly coloured water as it rippled due to your movements. You lightly sighed as your muscles relaxed. Steam rolled up in the hair, curling, bending, and twisting in the light. Zhongli really did know how to make the perfect bath.

"May I come in, dear?" Zhongli's deep, soothing voice calmly emitted from beyond the door.

You let out a soft hum of approval, not moving from your comfortable position in the tub.

He wore his usual homewear, a golden brown button-up shirt, and a pair of black straight leg trousers. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his toned forearms with elegant, golden markings on them. His face was in his usual gentle smile that always showed to you.

Wordlessly, he sat behind you outside the tub and picked up a bottle of your favourite shampoo. His fingers worked meticulously, rubbing the soapy liquid into your hair.

Zhongli's fingertips gently massaged your scalp, combing through your wet strands of hair. You signed unconsciously, enjoying the soft touches and caresses on your scalp. Noticing your relaxed expression and the tension finally leaving your body, Zhongli felt his lips tug into a fond smile.

-

Once you finished in the bath and rinsed the shampoo out of your hair, you changed into a comfy pair of pjs that Zhongli already prepared and laid on the bed for you. The clinking of plates and cutlery coming from downstairs made your eyes sparkle with excitement. He must've been making preparations for dinner.

As you descended down the stairs, Zhongli greeted you, again, with a smile. He was wearing a frilly apron on top of his usual homewear as he placed the dishes of food on the dinner table.

Eagerly, you rushed to his side, reaching for the cutlery and placing down two sets next to the dishes. The dishes were in what looked like a mini ceramic pot, and covered over the lid with a matching ceramic lid. Zhongli gestured for you to sit down, and followed after you once you did.

"I made Bamboo Shoot Soup," he mused, "Since it's perfect for weather like this."

You smiled unknowingly, removing the lid from the ceramic pot and admiring the soup inside. You could tell the soup dish had been stewed for a good long while, making you wonder how Zhongli had the time to make it in the span of a few hours. One whiff was enough to grow your appetite greatly.

Zhongli's cooking was enough to melt away any negative feelings, and the concentrated flavours filled your body with every spoonful of soup. It was almost like spreading a pair of wings and walking on clouds.

He watched you savour the soup fondly, his eyes squinted as the corners of his lips tugged upwards.

"Thank you," you whispered as genuinely as you could. You knew the words alone weren't close to enough to portraying your gratitude towards Zhongli for everything he always did for you, but you figured this was a good start.

Zhongli's smile grew. He reached his hand across the table to hold yours.

"Anytime, my love."

[dj-grooves-simp]

Galaxy

Chapter five (part 2) - Son of the Stars AU

"Terry?"

His brother looked at him for a moment.

"Yes?"

Without thinking much of it, the words came out of his mouth alone.

"Why do you keep taking care of me?"

Terry took some time to respond. He wasn't just thinking of an answer, he was also thinking why Joseph asked that and why he thought the right moment was now.

"Well, you know you're like a brother to me. You have helped me a lot, you're just not conscious of how much"

He looked back at Terry.

"How have I ever helped you? You're always the one to care for me"

His brother smiled a bit, he remembered how they met.

"You don't know what happened that day at the metro Jo, I was going to go to a different city with my friend. I thought it would be easier to run away than try to fix the relationship with my parents but thanks to meeting you, knowing where you came from... It made me think, you know? My family is not perfect and I'm aware but we love each other a lot. You never had that and it helped me appreciate what I had."

Joseph looked sadly at Terry. That brought him some memories too, but they weren't good like his brother's. He was happy to know he changed Terry's life for the better though, it meant a lot to him.

"Thank you for telling me..."

Terry parked the car in front of the apartment, both him and Joseph going inside.

"Come here Jo"

His brother gave him a tight hug, messing up his hair.

"I love you bro, don't forget"

Joseph smiled at the comment and hugged Terry back.

"You're the best brother I could've ever asked for" After getting changed, they both prepared dinner and ate together. They really enjoyed each other's company.

"Well, I have to make sure everything is alright at the observatory. I'll be back soon"

Terry smiled at him while he left. Up at the observatory, he sat down listening at the stars and their invasive questions about "human life". After answering most of them they got to asking about what he had done through his day.

"Well, I had to do an assignment so I went to the library and I spent the rest of my day with Terry"

The stars were clearly judgemental of how Joseph decided to spend his time.

"Good. We do think it would be better if you were more productive, dear, you only finished one assignment today!"

Joseph nodded.

"I'm sorry, I will try harder."

The stars were pleased with this, they knew they weren't going to be able to get more information from him today, so they let him go.

"We hope you do, Joseph. Now you should go back home."

He got up.

"Goodbye"

Talking with them always left him with an empty feeling, but he thought that one day, he'd be able to get to their expectations.

[justatalkingface]

One particular thing I've noticed about Hori's writing style is that most of the time, he takes the lazy way out.

Like take Kotaro for example. Hori just made him into an abusive pos that could've been entirely different.

Like say he was actually a good father, but Nana leaving him made him depressed. This can still lead to Tomura hating heroes because his grandmother was a hero but abandoned his dad, and the abandonment made him sad.

And then there's Endeavor's "atonement", instead of building up his downfall and have everyone who knows him leave since they don't want to associate with an abuser, everyone just instantly forgives him while painting an image of if the abuser is sorry, the victim trying to expose the past should just keep his mouth shut.

This again goes with the fact that Hori's just making a beeline to the next major plot point that we're not allowed to take in this new info and let it all sink in that the forgiveness or seeing how abandonment can effect someone feels rushed, out of place, or just lazily taped on.

You... aren't wrong, actually. I've said before that MHA has a bunch of complicated, complicated themes, themes that were introduced at that start of the story, and Hori gave those themes proper focus for a little while...

And then he stopped. Makes me wonder if he just got burned on complicated ideas after that, and just turned to simple concepts to make his life easier rather than putting something deeper that he'd have to put more work into. Like, one of the big things I rag on about is corruption, right? And what do I want about corruption? More.

Unironically, I want at least a volume's worth of content, if not more, just about corruption, to give this fundamental part of the story the focus it deserves. Apply that to all the other things that feel undeveloped, and the size of MHA just... soars. Mangaka culture for Jump, from everything I know, is hellish, soul crushing, body wrecking, toxic bullshit, and I'm curious if Hori actually knew what he was getting into when he ended up with this super popular product.

The consensus is that, Post War, Hori basiclly gave up on a proper story just so he could be done and free, and the stuff your mentioning? That stuff happens around the War Arc, either just before it or even in it proper. How much of that is him just feeling the strain, backing away from what he had planned for simpler, shorter story lines?

One the other hand, he seemed to have lost his taste for more complicated messages well before the War Arc even happened, in favor of simpler, more cliche options (looks at Overhaul Arc meaningfully, and the way Izuku got a super power up seemingly designed to happen and never be mentioned again, all through the power of heroism, friendship, and the OOC power of the arc specific character, just in time to beat the villain who at the last minute transformed into a giant monster, with all the energy of a dubiously canon anime movie), so there is that.

It's hard to tell, though, and this is the kind of thing we'll never really be able to know for sure, because so much of it happens with the writers and the editors and all the pressures and influences we, the readers, don't know about.

[deadlifeseries]

Just smooch already!

Another, slightly less short Prowlbulk story BC this ship gives me brainrot

Under the cut again cuz I said so

Why did he keep painting dandelions?

For the past few days, whenever Bulkhead decided to pick up a paintbrush he ended up painting dandelions. It didn't matter what he intended to paint that day it was just. More. Dandelions.

Of course the others asked about it, he didn't blame them. "I just want to try different styles and it's easier to paint something simple" is what he had told them, and it wasn't entirely wrong per se, it just wasn't the entire truth.

As much as he wanted to deny it, his prossecor had latched onto dandelions, because his spark had latched onto a bot particularly fond of them.

In the wake of this new theme, Prowl had taken more of an interest in Bulkhead's hobby. Passing by from time to time to see what new ways he'd find to paint the humble flowers.

"This one is rather interesting" stood in front of one of the newer paintings. It was of a gray scale street, with the only color being the bright green and yellow of a dandelion patch in a crack in the sidewalk.

Bulkhead looked away from the canvas he was sitting with, "thanks! I wanten to try making a painting where the dandelions take priority in an environment where they'd get overlooked".

And that they did. The background had buildings, and people, and all these other things that would take your attention. Yet the only thing you could really focus on was the little bit of color the dandelions provided.

"Well I'd say you've done an excellent job at that, is there a particular place you used as the background?"

"No, it's just a mix of random buildings and things you see outside. Most streets look kind kinda the same" Bulkhead chuckled a bit at the last part, it was true, the big city looked way too similar most places.

"Yes, that is why I look for little things like this, it makes things seem more lively", Prowl was still looking at the painting, enamoured by the attention to detail.

He must've stood there for a while because Bulkhead eventually sked if he wanted to take it. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah! It's not like I'm gonna run out of dandelion painting anytime soon. And... you seem to really like that one"

Prowl could've sworn he was Bulkhead blush a little, but decided not to bother him anymore so he took the painting and went to his room.

Sitting in his room with the painting propped up against the tree, he couldn't help but feel something tugging at his spark. He had expressed how he didn't like the distain people had towards dandelions. That he really liked them. And now it was the only thing Bulkhead would paint.

Did this mean something?

"No. We are just. Friends. He must've simply started to notice them more after what I said", as much as the thought stung, it's what he kept telling himself. Still, he could appreciate the paintings.

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

"There's totally something going on between them" Bumblebee whispered to Sari as they played games together.

"I don't know, I mean it's pretty common to paint flowers and nature stuff" she wasn't sure what he meant, but had a feeling she knew.

"Sure, but didn't Prowl have a rant about dandelions right before this whole ordeal started?" he, paused the game and leaned back "it can't be a coincidence, right?"

"OK? I don't know, maybe it just gave him the idea" that's the only reason she could think of. At least as far as plausible reasons go. She could of course come up with other reasons, but none of them made sense. "They're good friends, and sometimes friends give each other ideas" she wanted to leave it there and return to the game, she was so close to finally beating Bumblebee. He shrugged and the two went right back to their game.

Unbeknownst to them their little discussion had been heard by someone who they'd rather keep it away from. Prowl sat up on the cranes near the scieling, contemplating what they had said. Once again, the word 'friends' made his spark clench for some reason. It's not that he didn't like Bulkhead, quite the opposite actually. He really liked Bulkhead.

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

A few more days passed, and while Bulkhead had started getting over his weird dandelion phase, he didn't seem to keen on painting anything else. Frankly, he seemed distracted.

And it wasn't just him

Prowl was acting more reclusive, everyone found that odd since he had just been getting more open with his teammates a while ago.

Most of all, the two seemed to avoid each other. To the point where Optimus was starting to get worried.

It wasn't like him to try and get involved in someone else's personal matters, but he also had to make sure his team was doing alright. He figured Bulkhead would be easier to talk to, he walked towards Bulkhead's room and as he was about to knock the door opened, surprising them both.

"Uh, hey bossbot. Did something happen?" Bulkhead had a sneaking suspicion about what it was.

"Well I was just wondering if you and Prowl have gotten into a fight. I don't mean to pry, but you've been avoiding each other."

"Well... about that. I just got a call from him asking to meet up. I was about to head out now."

"Oh, well in that case I wish you luck", he stepped aside and Bilkhead set off towards the spot Prowl asked him to come to.

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

Prowl was incredibly nervous as he waited, and no amount of trying to meditate remedied it. He knew that he could potentially ruin his newly blooming friendship, but he felt like his spark would eat itself up is he kept his feelings to himself any longer.

After what felt like an eternity of pacing around and contemplating he finally heard Bulkhead approach in the distance. Prowl quickly composed himself, and hoped the other wouldn't hear his spark pounding in his chestplate.

And so they were facing each other for the first time in a while. The place Prowl had chosen was a somewhat remote clearing. Just close enough to the city to not take too long to drive back home, but far enough away for privacy. The evening breeze rustled in the trees ever so slightly.

"So, uh. What did you want to talk about?" Bulkhead asked awkwardly, he couldn't help but notice how good the ninja bot looked with the soft moonlight reflecting off his plating.

"For starters, I'd like to say just how much our friendship means to me. I could trust you to keep the dinobots a secret, even though Prime would be mad at you for it. And even if I couldn't help you the way I wanted you still gave it your all and tried". Prowl's voice was unwavering but as much as he tried he was getting more and more flustered. "I would hate to ruin anything between us, but I...", he swallowed even though his mouth was dry, "Recently when you only painted dandelions, you did so after i spoke about them... and I feel quite similarly about you". He was just about burning up at this point, face completely taken over by a deep blish and hus engine cearly audible. He looked up to see that the other wasn't fairing much better, now standing a lot closer and looking bewildered.

"Uhm, h-how so?" Bulkhead was almost afraid to ask, but in his spark there was only excitement. If this meant what he thought it meant he could just about pass out on the spot.

The angle of Prowl's visor softened, he took a deep breath. "People tend to misunderstand you, and disregard your good qualities. After spending more time together I've realised just how... amazing you are. Your endless knowledge on spacebridges, how gentle you can bes despite your strength, and even if the others don't understand your art I've come to apreciate it". He was so caught up that he didn't notice how the other was starting to tear up. "Bulkhead? I- I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" his spark froze, the last thing he wanted was to hurt the bot he loved. Withouth thinking, he cupped Bulkhead's face in his hands.

Bulkhead took hold of Prowl's wast, lifting him up into a kiss. "Noone has ever said anything like that to me", he smiled. Prowl smiled too, more than Bulkhead had ever seen him do. "I thought you were avoiding me because I upset you. But to hear you say all that, it's more than I could ever ask for. I admire you a lot and... I love you too".

They stayed there for a minute looking into each other's optics, then they leaned in and kissed again. And again. They both lost track of how long they had been sitting there exchanging kisses and words of adoration. "Does this mean we're more than friends now?" Bulkhead asked sheepishly, Prowl looked at him for a moment, then chuckled "if it doesn't mean that then I don't know what it means". They looked around in the darknes, realising how late it was "we should head home", "yeah... do we tell the other's about this?". Prowl took a moment to think "no, not yet. I do not want o deal with all the questions we will get right now".

"Yeah, especially Bumblebee... I'm sure it'll be fine, let's get going".

That night they both went to sleep excited about what their newly formed relationship would bring. But one thing was certain: neither of them had any regrets about it.

[opalimagines]

Request: Pls can you do 27 and 28 with dialogue 49 and 60 for Ted Grant. You two start hooking up and he just gives the vibe that it’s only sex so you’re very surprised when he says “I love you” during sex and confesses afterwards. End it how you want. Ilysm

Character: Ted Grant (Wildcat)

Requested by anonymous

Reader: Neutral

Warning: Smut (MINORS DNI), unprotected sex

27. Friends with benefits (with feelings?)

28. Secretly hooking up/dating

D49. "We've never been just friends."

D60. "I love you."

The whole idea of your hookup with Ted being a one time thing ended up a lost cause almost immediately. Soon the two of you were meeting up once or twice a week, then almost daily. Over the past few months, you'd done and learned things you never could've imagined before, and had sex in some places you never expected.

Unfortunately for you, your feelings grew deeper every night you spent with him, but they were easier to push aside while having sex. After all, it was hard to think about much when his cock was stuffing you full and splitting you open with ease.

The only thing you could do was moan into the pillow and keep your ass high up in the air as Ted thrust into you, his hips smacking against your skin. You could take him well by then, and you loved to do it knowing he gave you his all every time.

"Y'like that, sweetheart?" He asked with a smirk as his rough hand kneaded the flesh of your ass, always proud of getting those noises out of you. They answered his question already, but he loved to hear you say it.

"Fuck yes," you choked out, muffled a bit by the pillow, though not enough to keep Ted from hearing you. You had moved to resting on your elbows a few minutes earlier, but your arms were shaking again. Your legs too. He really did have a way of turning you into a weakened, sensitive mess.

Ted hooked an arm around your middle and pulled you up into him, your back pressing up against his solid chest. He didn't lose his rhythm, his cock still hitting right where you wanted him. One hand held you firm around your chest and the other at your hip. Before you knew it he had you coming hard again, crying his name loudly enough that the neighbors were surely cursing you both. You probably would've felt bad for dusturbing them all night if you weren't so busy having your brains fucked out.

Ted cursed under his breath as you tightened around his cock, finally bringing him right along with you. "Fuckin' love you," he grunted against your neck, his hips jerking a bit as he gave you his cum.

You were boneless and nearly gasping for air as Ted finally pulled out and carefully lowered you back to the mattress. He rubbed your thigh before standing up from the bed. "Be right back."

Smiling, you closed your eyes and tried to calm yourself after. But as your breathing and heart rate slowed, you could hear Ted's words in your head, and your smile disappeared. Instead of the usual satisfaction you got after coming so many times that you lost count, your stomach flipped, and you didn't say a thing as he came back and used a warm cloth to clean up the mess he'd made between your legs.

Ted laid down next to you again and put an arm around you, but before you could get too comfortable and drift off, you quickly sat up and swung your legs over the side of the bed.

"You okay?" He asked, sitting up on his forearms.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." In spite of the soreness, you barely managed to get to your feet and begin searching around his bedroom for your discarded clothes. "I've gotta go."

Ted frowned as he took the spot where you'd been sitting and watched you put your clothes back on. You never left that soon. Any other time, you'd already be half asleep next to him and would stay there until morning. "That's a first."

You paused for a moment before pulling your underwear the rest of the way up. Without turning to face him, you let out a breath. "Ted, you can't just say shit you don't mean and expect me to stick around." You shook your head and hastily put your pants on as well, trying to focus on not falling if your weak knees buckled. "You know what? Just forget it. I'll see you at the meeting on Monday."

It didn't take him long to realize what you were talking about. The words he'd let slip as he got lost in fucking you. Words he'd never said to you before, and that he knew hadn't come out of the blue.

"What makes ya think I didn't mean it?"

The question stopped you in your tracks, but not for long. "You don't have to try and make me feel better about something you said in the heat of the moment. We're just friends who fuck sometimes. I get it."

"We've never been just friends, kitty cat." Ted reached out and pulled you over to him, landing you right in his lap so he could look you in the eye. "Y'know me. I've never been shy about speakin' my mind, but things like this don't come easy." He rubbed your thigh through the layer of fabric. "I love you, and I shoulda told ya that a while ago."

Your mouth opened and closed a few times, at a loss for words, and Ted couldn't help the low chuckle at your shock. Finally, you reached a hand up and laid it on his cheek just to look at him for a moment. You could see it in his eyes. Even though you had dismissed the notion from the very beginning, he loved you in return.

You leaned in and pressed your lips to his, not rough like usual, but sweet and loving. Ted wrapped his arms around you and pulled you as close as he could, and you smiled at that feeling of security. As you broke away, your expression unchanging, you said, "I love you, too." You looked down at the shirt you'd dropped back onto the floor when he pulled you in. "And I guess that means I can stay, if you want me to."

Ted's scruff scratched against your skin as he gave you another kiss, and you knew the night wasn't over yet.

[boogie-woogie-boogie]

We had to let my dog if 13 years go yesterday, her name was Sheila and she was a perpetual old lady her whole life

She didn't like any of us besides my mom when we first got her, but for some reason we didn't want any other dog. We were on a wait-list to adopt her and were lucky enough for her to work out, but she hated kids and men. Her original name was Shayla, but we changed it to Sheila which wasn't much better. Id get in trouble as a kid for telling older women named Sheila that my dog has that name too.

Once me and my siblings got older, she started to tolerate us a lot more. She was never affectionate but she would always sit with my brother on the couch, or wait for me to go outside with her, especially after our other dog passed away. She wasn't really the same towards other dogs after mochi passed, I think Sheila liked her a lot more than she let on.

Both of my dogs deaths were drawn out and tragic, and I still wish there was something we could've done for either of them. For Sheila, it was cancer, and her being at 15 year old we realized it would be better for her to hope the lump would go away on its own than to expose her to all of the hardships of treatment. I still don't know if that was the right choice.

It's hard to watch a dog suffer. You can't explain to them what's happening, you can't tell them they don't deserve this. She stopped being able to eat or run or even really bark, she stopped being standoffish at all. I wish she had let us give her affection before all of this started, she deserved more.

It's hard to have the power to kill an animal. I couldn't bring myself to go to the vet with my parents. She didn't understand what was happening. It's not like with people where you can tell them and where they can have input. But the vets gave her a chocolate doughnut just for her. She didn't have the stomach for a second one.

It's hard seeing where she's missing now. It's very similar to when a family member dies, except with a lot more hair everywhere as a constant reminder. All of her things and her favorite spots are still here, like she isn't actually gone.

It's like a very physical grief. I just feel exhausted.

I guess I wanted to put all this out there where no one I know irl will see. There's been so much hardship for my family lately, just when things seem like they're getting better something else happens. It's hard not to feel constant anxiety about someone I know randomly dying because I can't even say it's not a realistic fear. It's like clockwork, I just need shit to slow down for one or two years. My family is so small I can't keep doing this. My mom doesn't deserve this, it's her birthday. I'm not strong enough to help alleviate any of these burdens for her, and even if I was she wouldn't let me. All I can do is make sure my siblings are okay.

When you can see death coming, it's easier to manage. It's worse at least for me when it's sudden. Makes me scared of phone calls from family members, I always expect the worst. So I'm very grateful for being able to intentionally spend her final few hours with her, even if everything that lead up to this point got harder to watch every day. I just wish she could've had a peaceful death.

Anyways I know no one will read this and I guess I kind of hope it stays that way. She was just a dog and I don't want anyone to think I'm being overdramatic.

I still keep thinking of holding her to my chest and carrying her up the stairs to see my mom when she couldn't climb them anymore. I wish I'd told her I loved her more.