#so I have a nice halloween shirt that was more expensive than I expected but too cheap to use any of my coupons on

[sardonic-the-writer]

okay, so we went to an annual fall festival yesterday that his hometown throws once a year. we walked around for a bit before eventually deciding to ride a few rides, and got in a long line for one. i didn't want to just sit on my phone the whole time, so i turned to my dad and started asking random questions. at one point, i asked him what he used to dress up for on halloween when he was younger. after cycling through a few generic pas costume choices (dracula, zombie, etc) he told me that once he went as a witch, but blew up balloons and put them under his shirt to look like boobs. i laughed and then asked as a joke if he ever did drag, and nearly choked when he said "no. wait, actually!" before launching into a long winded story

when he was in college in the nineties, my dad used to have parties that usually turned out to be kegers. it was a halloween party this one night, and he and his roommate joked about going in drag a few days before they were going to throw it. it isn't uncommon for my dad to get into weird situations when he gets together with his friends (ex: i could tell an entirely different story about the time he broke into an exotic farm while in high school and attempted to ride an ostrich) but i at this point i had no idea where the story was going and was far more interested in it than the moving line for the ride.

i dont know about his roommate, but my dad ended up going through with it. the night before the halloween party, he asked a girl in one of his classes if she had any spare dresses he could wear. she immediately went yep! and gave him one that night. later, he asked another girl in his class if she had any makeup tips, and ended up going to her house where she gave him a full makeover complete with like. foundation eyeshadow and all— which had been more than my dad was even hoping for. he said he expected some lipstick or something, but got a complete transformation instead. (at this point i stopped him and was like, "you are dropping so much dad lore right now," to which he laughed before continuing) so, he got to the party on halloween night, which was held at his place, dressed entirely in drag. he had fun, drank a lot of beer, and acted a fool basically.

he told me, though, that the one thing i needed to know about his parties was that they always got busted by the cops. he said probably because they never did a good job at being quiet about them, but i digress.

anyways, the cops showed up about halfway through, and started kicking people out to look for the guys that lived there; which was a big problem because it was my dad's plus his roomates place where the party was being held. but really, he wasn't too overly stressed about getting caught. according to my dad, the cops used to always pull this trick where'd they say "anyone who doesn't live here, get out!" and would get real confused when literally everyone left. because duh. nobody wanted to admit they live at the house where a rager is being thrown. sometimes the trick worked, but sometimes it didn't.

here's the thing, though. like i said before, my dad was in drag. and he looked good. when i say that, i dont mean he had a nice costume or something, i mean he actually looked like a girl. standing there in a group of girls he was trying to hit on, wearing an expensive dress loaned to him, with a face full of nice make up. he didn't even have an adams apple at that point yet. he said he was too underdeveloped at the time

i say all this, because when the cops eventually got to the corner of the house where my dad was standing with the group of girls, they officer took one good look at all them, guestured behind him and said "alright ladies. you all get out of here."

the story kind of ended after that because i lost my shit laughing, but my dad told me he stumbled out of his own house alongside a bunch of girls trying his best not to completely fall apart laughing in front of a bunch a cop cars outside

does anyone want to hear about the time my dad did drag.

[crimsonblackrose]

Was lured into a bath and body works by a free item no strings attached coupon, and then proceeded to not leave because their Halloween stuff is out, and now,  the smell of bath and body works is just a part of me now. I will never know peace. The shirt I bought at a different store also smells like it. This is my life now. A cacophony of intense smells.

[albakore]

Away From Home

Characters: Zhongli, Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Thoma/Tohma (fem!reader) (fic)

Synopsis: (office!au) Even your boss Zhongli has moments where self control goes out the window to make way for carnal desires.

Warnings: not sfw (18+) reverse harem, (an orgie?), semi public sex again, creampie, oral (giving), petnames (angel, princess, gem), squirting, umm? did i miss anything?, not proofread because im lazy if you catch any errors feel free to shoot me an ask,

A/N: This is a part two to Office Adventures but t's not necessary that you read it before this. I don't know if people were expecting a direct continuation of the last one but I took some creative liberty because I felt like that would be boring and instead created a whole new scenario, I hope you all enjoy it just the same!

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The sexual tension in the office since that (ahem) eventful meeting had been nothing short of palpable, as Lisa had been ever so kind to point out. Even Jean and Eula were starting to grow frustrated with the way Childe and Kaeya made it painstakingly obvious their lust for you, and as you explained to Jean apologetically, they just wouldn't seem to take your request to tone it down seriously. Though you couldn't deny that even you often found your mind wandering as you sat alone in your office, frequently coming to remember the way you wobbled out of the meeting room that day, cunt quivering and leaking cum.

Luck seemed to be on Jean's side however, because this week you found yourself away from the office on an important regional business conference accompanied by none other than the men themselves, leaving her alone in charge of the office for a few days. The adventure of being in a new place was always exciting; there was light in your eyes as your plane touched down just outside the city, the skyline stood shimmering off in the distance. Though, as Diluc so gracefully reminded you, this was not a vacation but a business trip and most of your time would be consumed by meetings and other work-related affairs.

"(Name)!" You heard someone call from behind you. You were walking back to the hotel after another boring day of drifting in and out of meetings with people you hardly knew and topics you hardly cared about.

"Hm?" Your head turned to see three familiar figures waving at you as they approached.

"Care to join us for dinner? It'll be our treat." Childe asked once they had caught up to you, falling into step beside you.

"Where are you guys going?" You asked. You silently took in the appearance of the boys beside you. You hadn't gotten a chance to see them all day since you greeted them at the complimentary hotel breakfast bar this morning, and you had to admit they cleaned up nicely. You admired the three's formal dress, remembering the way Zhongli had specifically lectured them on the importance of appearance at an event like this. You notes Thoma's expensive looking watch and Kaeya's tailored button-up shirt that was, of course, unbuttoned halfway now that the workday was over. Childe had his suit jacket thrown over his shoulder, one hand holding the jacket the other shoved in his pocket.

"Mr. Zhongli found this fancy looking French restaurant a few blocks away, he wanted us to get there before we missed our reservation time." Thoma answered.

"Where is he?" You asked, taking note of his and Diluc's absence from the group.

"He and Diluc got caught up in some last minute business they had to attend to. It's times like these I don't envy the higher up positions of our company's cofounders." Kaeya answered you this time. "No matter how attractive the pay increase may seem, I can only handle so much overtime."

"You can say that again." Childe chuckled in agreeance, "I can't tell you how many times I've left the office only to come back in the morning and find Zhongli still hunched over some paperwork."

"Hey, guys, I think this is the place." Thoma motioned to the building you were approaching, and you immediately realized that 'fancy looking' was an understatement. "Will you be joining us, Lady (Name)?" Thoma questioned, extending his hand as an invitation to you.

"I don't see why not." You flashed him a smile before placing your hand in his, allowing him to tug you along. Kaeya opened the door for you, gesturing to allow you to step inside first. You were awestruck by the inside -- if you thought ‘fancy looking’ was an understatement for the outside, then the inside could be described as nothing short of grandiose. There were round tables covered in white cloth and fancy silverware, a fountain sat in the middle of the room behind the hostess desk and elegant trimmings lining the staircase off on the far side of the room. You quickly quelled your shocked expression as the hostess approached you.

"We have a reservation for six under the name Zhongli." Childe told her. "We'll have two more joining us later."

She checked her ledger and quickly crossed off the name. "Right this way, sir." She said to Childe with a polite smile. She led your group away from the main room, opening the door to a nicely decorated single-table room with a pleasant and romantic vibe, most likely accredited to the soft lighting.

“Thank you.” Childe told her as you four took your seats. One side of the table had booth-style seating and the other side had individual chairs. She closed the door with a click, and before you knew it you were sat in between Kaeya and Childe on the booth side, with Thoma directly across from you. You picked up a menu and began flipping through it to get a feel for what items might interest you. Before long, Childe’s hand had found its way onto your thigh. You looked down at it before looking back at him, a silent prompt for an explanation. “What?” He inquired mischievously, thumb rubbing your skin gently.

You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could your server opened the door with a brief knock. Childe’s hand stayed firmly in place as the server introduced themselves before asking if they could get you guys anything to drink. Thoma and Childe ordered regular fountain drinks, and requested two extra waters be brought out preemptively for Diluc and Zhongli whenever they should arrive.

“Ah yes may I have a glass of your finest red wine.” Kaeya asked with a smile once it came his time to order, earning a look from you. “What? It’s coming out of Diluc’s pocket not mine, might as well make good use of it.”

"And I'll have a..." You started, feeling Childe's hand inch upwards as the servers gaze remained fixed on you. "Just a r-regular glass of water please." You managed to force out while trying to ignore the growing feeling of need that Childe's attention was causing you. You smiled at the server as they stated that they'd be right back with your drinks.

Moments after the server left, Thoma's phone started buzzing. He answered it and paused for a few moments before he stepped away saying something about needing to meet Diluc and Zhongli in the lobby. That left you alone trapped in a booth with two mischievous gazes focused on you. "I must say, (Name)," Childe started, "you look absolutely stunning tonight. You really took Zhongli's 'Dress to Impress' speech to heart it seems." His flirty demeanor was predictable, earning a chuckle and an eye roll from you. His fingers were tracing patterns into the flesh of your inner thigh, head resting in his other hand as he studied you. You felt Kaeya's arm snake around your torso, hand coming to rest on your hip.

"He's right, you should wear this outfit more often." Kaeya whispered into your ear.

“You know, typically you’re supposed to wine and dine me before you-“ A knock resonated from the door, cutting you off and causing Kaeya to pull away from you but neither him nor Childe made any effort to remove their hands from where they were situated. The server entered with the table’s drinks on a tray, dishing them out to their respective spots on the table before asking if anybody was ready to order. Kaeya told them politely that we would wait for the rest of the group to join us first, and with that they turned and exited the room again.

You watched as Kaeya reached for his no doubt expensive wine, taking a sip and letting out a satisfied hum. "This wine is absolutely divine, it's not often I get the chance to indulge in such luxury. Would you like to try some, angel?" Kaeya asked you while his fingertips traced your hips.

"Sure." You hummed back, reaching out to grab the glass but Kaeya stopped your hand. You looked at him quizzically, watching as he dipped two fingers into the glass and let the crimson liquid pool at his fingertips. He brought his fingers to your lips, waiting for you to part them. You did, but only ever so slightly, letting your tongue drag along his slender fingers with a hum of delight as you maintained eye contact with him. Once upon a time you may have been flustered by his actions, but ever since the incident in the meeting room you have become no stranger to these types of occurrences. You pulled away before pressing a kiss to the pads at the tip of his finger.

"Divine indeed, captain." You added teasingly, the nickname a reference to a costume he wore to a halloween party last year that had caught on and stuck around even months after. You watched his unreadable expression closely as you awaited his response. He grabbed your face, tugging you toward him so he could plant a firm kiss on your lips while he caressed your cheek gently. You felt Childe's hand inch upward yet again further and further before finally reaching your clothed sex. Your breath hitched as Kaeya deepened the kiss, Childe rubbing you through thin material at a teasingly slow pace. You shifted your hips, trying to gain more friction from his fingers.

Kaeya pulled back from the kiss to let you catch your breath. "You know, there is one thing that would make this wine taste better." He kissed along your jaw and down your neck, breath fanning your skin as he continued. "If I could pour it over your chest and lick it off of you, slowly, inch by inch while you squirmed under my touch. That would make this experience undeniably perfect." You felt a shiver run down your spine, hand intertwining with his hair. As if working in tandem with Kaeya, Childe took this opportunity to slip his fingers past the barrier of fabric, your slick making his fingers run smoothly over your folds. Your free hand extended over to Childe's lap so you could palm him through his pants, thumb caressing the imprint of his erection. He let a breathy moan right next to your ear, fingers slipping into your heat.

"This is our reserved room, correct?" Zhongli’s voice resonated from just outside the door before the door swung open. He stepped in, followed by Diluc and Thoma. Your eyes met with Zhongli's as you tried futilely to push the lustful duo off of you. You filled with embarrassment when you thought about how sleazy you must look with Kaeya's lips attached to your neck and Childe's fingers squelching in and out of you. "Thoma, switch with (name), please. Evidently these two are incapable of practicing self control."

"W-what?" You protested, stomach sinking at the thought of disappointing your boss.

"Seriously, you two wouldn't know good timing if it hit you in the face. Your hotel rooms are literally a few yards away from each other." Diluc scoffed, tossing his suit coat over the back of his chair before pulling it out and sitting in it.

Childe pulled away from you, frowning at Diluc's words. "If I'm not mistaken, it was you who was moaning her name last night while you were alone in the shower, no?"

"And if I'm not mistaken, I'm still your boss. Watch how you talk to me." Diluc shot back immediately, crossing his arms over his chest. You scooted out of the booth, over Childe's lap, effectively pulling away from the two.

"Sorry.." You fiddled nervously with the hem of your skirt, still trying to recover from the embarrassment.

"You misunderstand me, gem, I'm not upset at you in the slightest." Zhongli smoothed over some of your hair comfortingly. "I specifically had a talk with these two about keeping things professional on this trip. This has nothing to do with you or your actions." You stared at him for a second before nodding. You took your place in between Zhongli and Diluc, directly across from where you had been previously sitting.

"How did your meetings go?" Zhongli asked you, tone much softer than the one he had just taken with Childe and Kaeya.

"They were boring for the most part, I managed to make a few connections though so that's good. What about you?" You responded, tuning out Diluc and Childe's bickering in the background.

"Stressful, I had many presentations to give, and only few bode over well."

"That's just how it goes." Thoma chimed in. "Tomorrow is a new day filled with new opportunity, I'm sure you'll do better."

"Stressful, eh? Fortunately for you, I know of the perfect way to relieve stress." Kaeya, ever the troublemaker, fixed his gaze on you pointedly for a few seconds to allow his point to get across. He just couldn't help himself when the ball was set up fo perfectly for him to spike it. You studied Zhongli's expression, his face remaining stoic as he processed Kaeya's innuendo.

"Unfortunately, the rules I set for you two apply to me as well. It would be wholly unfair to not hold myself to the same standard I hold my staff." Zhongli answered effortlessly. Seems like all these years of press conferences seemed to have really sharped his ability to form charismatic responses. Wait, 'unfortunately'?

"C'mon, Zhongli, (name)'s had eyes for us just as much as we've had eyes for them. You should see the look they get on their face when they're alone in their office." Childe laughed after ending his bickering session with Diluc. Your eyes went wide at that, having whole-heartedly believed you were being careful about when to indulge in your fantasies. "Besides, doesn't fucking them senseless sound like the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of meetings."

Zhongli seemed like he was still struggling to process his comment, resolve chipping with every second. He couldn't deny the nights he spent replaying the image of you bent over that table while he pleasured himself, and tonight was shaping up to be no different -- well, that would have been the case had he not attended this dinner. His eyes shifted over to you, inner turmoil apparent in them. Evidently, your response would be the deciding factor that pushed Zhongli to either side of the fence.

"He's not wrong." You shrugged, offering Zhongli a small smile. It was a simple sentence, only three words and yet… You watched his expression darken in that moment, his half hard erection already apparent in his pants.

"Thoma," you immediately noted the way his voice seemed to have dropped an octave. His gaze never once left yours.

"Yes boss?" Thoma responded almost instantly.

"Lock the door." Zhongli growled. Your heart skipped a beat, you felt heat rush straight to your core. The way Zhongli was looking at you made you feel bare even though not a single article of clothing had been removed from your form, at least not yet.

"The waitress is going to come back to place our order though." Diluc seemed to be the only voice of reason in this scenario. Thoma returned, scooting back into his spot in the booth, forcing Childe to be the one trapped in the middle this time. "That's gonna look awfully suspicious."

"Frankly, I can't seem to bring myself to care about that right now." Zhongli stood from his seat. He turned toward you, motioning for you to stand as well. "We'll tell them I had an important announcement that I didn't want getting interrupted or something." He lifted you at the hips and set you down on the table, placing himself in between your legs and pulling your core to meet his crotch. His lips caught yours, deep and breathtaking, as his hands roamed over your body. He tugged your shirt to untuck it until his fingers came into contact with the hem. He pulled it up, breaking the kiss to allow him to discard your shirt.

You found yourself rocking against him as his lips worked down your neck and chest. A new pair of hands hooked themselves under your bra clasp. You looked back to see Childe's arm extended. He pushed the straps off your arms, allowing the bra to fall away and expose your breasts. The cool air made your nipple perk instantly. You felt Childe's hands tug you down gently, allowing your back to lay against the cool cloth. You looked over to see Diluc's hands full of your table's drinks as he set them off to the side to avoid any accidents. Thoma eagerly took one of your nipples into his mouth while Kaeya's cold hand cupped the other.

Childe scooted the table away from him to provide him with the room to stand up. Your cheeks burned as you found yourself face to face with his still clothed erection. He chuckled at your expression, fingers caressing your cheek. He let his pointer finger trail delicately down your jaw to your chin, and then from your chin down your exposed neck. You shivered slightly at the way it tickled.

You felt someone tug down your skirt and your underwear, cool air rushing over your core. Zhongli had managed to free his member from his pants and was pumping himself outside of your field of vision. His other hand was pressed to your hip. He admired the way your chest heaved. Thoma and Kaeya littered your skin with bite marks and kisses. You watched intently as Childe followed in Zhongli's lead, freeing himself from his pants. Your lips parted slightly in anticipation, breath fanning the tip of Childe's dick with every exhale. Zhongli lined himself up with your entrance, you clenched your fists when you felt his tip push in. He sunk the rest of the way into you, a sigh of relief falling from his lips. He silently thanked Kaeya and Childe for prepping you so well before he had even arrived. Childe repeated this same process with your lips, slowly sinking into your mouth and relishing the feeling of your warm tongue wrapping around him.

The men both started thrusting at the same time but at very different paces. Childe was eager and less restrained, holding you steady while he fucked your face. He was also louder, not seeming to care if the staff or other patrons heard how good you were making him feel. Zhongli on the other hand was slower, drawing all the way out of you before slamming back into you. Though, after a few moments he seemed to compromise with himself and picked up the pace slightly, only drawing partially out of you, but still enough to let you feel his tip hit deep inside of you with each powerful thrust. You felt Diluc's familiar fingers come into contact with your clit, rubbing you in just the right way to make you clench around Zhongli and moan around Childe. Diluc left kisses all over your lower half, his long hair spilling over his shoulder and tickling your stomach.

The lewd sounds of slapping and kissing and sucking were all that could be heard in the room, along with Childe’s occasional unrestrained noises of pleasure. He moaned your name, head thrown back and mouth agape. His cheeks were flushed bright pink, and they only seemed to glow brighter the closer he got to cumming. Childe's pace became sloppy and erratic as he drew near to his own orgasm, thrusts becoming shallow as he chased euphoria. He pulled out right as he hit his high point so he could paint your chest with his cum. He moaned your name particularly loudly as he did, using his own hand to slowly lower himself down from his peak.

Kaeya pulled back and marveled at the marks he left on your skin, the imprints of his teeth visible in several spots. "My turn already?" He hummed, fingers tracing over the splotches and bruises on your skin. "A shame, I wasn't finished with my work of art yet." He stood up nonetheless as Childe fell back on the seat behind him, still trying to catch his breath. Kaeya quickly took his place, much to Thoma's disappointment. Kaeya's signature smirk hadn't left his face once while he admired the way your breasts glistened with a mixture of sweat and cum. He slowly undid the button to his pants, pushing them partially down his legs before moving to his underwear. You swear his cock bounced when it sprang free, tip flushed and absolutely beautiful. It seems this man truly didn't have an ugly bone in his body.

You felt Zhongli slowly coming undone inside you too, his cock twitching more and more every time he pushed himself into your smooth walls, even more so whenever Diluc's added stimulation made you clench around him. You felt yourself rock against his fingers, your own climax on the horizon. Zhongli gave one final thrust into you before you felt him spill his hot seed into you, his fingers digging into your hips in an attempt to ground himself. You moaned at the feeling of your walls being coated white. Kaeya took this as an opportunity to muffle you with his cock. He stuffed your mouth full of him, watching in a sort of satisfied sadistic fashion as you choked slightly on his length.

Zhongli pulled out of you after he finished cumming, panting heavily. You whined around Kaeya's cock at the loss of contact, hole clenching desperately around nothing. You squirmed your hips and mewled, hoping someone would get your wordless plea for some form of stimulation. Diluc, ever so observant, was the first one to pick up on your discomfort. "Aw, does my little princess want to be filled up again?" He asked tauntingly. "Do you want my cock inside of you?" His fingers continued to push you toward your orgasm. He chuckled at the way you jerked your hips into his touch, whines becoming louder still even with your mouth full of Kaeya's erection. As he felt your body start to tense, he withdrew his hand from your clit before you could cum. You pressed your thighs together while a groan left your lips, feeling frustrated tears well up in your eyes.

Diluc switched spots with Zhongli and unzipped his pants loud enough to get the anticipation in your stomach building rapidly. You heard fabric bunching and shuffling, and in turn took advantage of the adrenaline rush you were getting to eagerly please Kaeya. You hollowed your cheeks and allowed your tongue to work over him, lewd sucking noises escaping your lips. Kaeya groaned in response, his grip on your head tightening still as he bucked his hips into you frantically. You felt Zhongli's rough hands run over the skin of your breasts, centering on the nipples. You felt him wipe some of Childe's cum off you, and moments later the feeling of his fingers got replaced with his tongue as he sucked slightly on the soft flesh.

You sucked in a sharp breath when you felt Diluc's tip at your entrance, face contorting as you prepared for him to stretch you out just like Zhongli had. You paused as he pushed in -- not all the way, just an inch or so -- to truly revel in the feeling the he was providing you. He sunk in a little bit more to let you get used to the feeling of him in your tight sex, he was a little more girthy than Zhongli. Finally, he pushed into you until he bottomed out, filling your cunt to the brim with his member. A quiet groan escaping his lips; you would give anything to see the blissful look on his face right now.

You squirmed as he started to move. He went slowly at first, letting himself become coated in your slick to make his job easier. He took a few moments to find a good rhythm, one that was much different from Zhongli's. He was steady and consistent, pulling out an inch or two only to push back into you. He lifted one of your legs to give him a better angle, you let out a muffled moan as his tip kissed your sweet spot. Kaeya groaned again at the vibration of your voice. You felt Kaeya’s thumb press slightly against the center of your throat where he could feel himself thrusting in and out of you. You swallowed around him as he gave his last few thrusts before he was sent over the edge, cumming in spurts over your tongue. He let out a long moan that you wanted to keep on repeat forever.

You caught sight of Thoma eagerly awaiting his chance to feel your mouth around him. Kaeya pulled out slowly, stepping to the side (albeit a little bit grudgingly) to let Thoma have his turn. Thoma has already freed himself, precum leaking from the tip. He seemed a little nervous as he found himself finally aligned with your awaiting mouth. “Are you sure this is alright?” He asked, closely watching your face for signs of discomfort. His gentleness was refreshing after the way Kaeya and Childe so unceremoniously face-fucked you.

You giggled, kissing his tip causing his ears to flush red. “Mhm, of course. You’re so good for me~” His eyes went wide at your praise. You let your mouth hang open as an invitation for him to enter you, a high pitched whine escaping him almost immediately after sinking into you. He cupped your head gently, pulling out of you slowly before pushing back into you, truly appreciating the stimulation you were giving him.

Kaeya truly could never sit still with an opportunity so grand in front of him. His fingers found their way to toy with your clit, his cold fingers making you squirm under his touch. Childe, who was still on the couch, had gotten hard again and was pumping himself as he watch you slowly get your holes stuff full of cum. You moaned as Diluc’s dick hit your sweet spot again and again, Kaeya’s cold fingers causing your head to spin. You could feel your orgasm coming fast, and it felt like it was going to be an intense one. You arched your back off the table, whines becoming increasingly more frequent the more pressure built up. Diluc also seemed to be nearing his release, you could always tell by the way he moaned your name. A few more thrusts into you was all it took for you to come undone. You cried out, thighs quivering as you squirted all over Kaeya’s fingers and Diluc’s cock alike. Diluc followed a few seconds after, burying himself inside of you as he came hard, eyes intently watching the sight of you during and after your orgasm.

Thoma’s cock twitched as he watched you make a mess over Diluc’s cock, his breathy moans of your name getting louder and louder. He knew it wouldn’t take long for him to finish, not with the way your tongue traced his veins and your hand assisting him with whatever he couldn’t fit in your mouth. You felt the knot come undone and Thoma’s sweet cum flooded your mouth. He pulled out, gently wiping the spit from your face.

The room was filled with nothing but the sound of heavy breathing as everyone came down from their highs. Zhongli was even nice enough to grab your water from where Diluc had set them off to the side and offer you some as he dabbed away some of your sweat with a napkin. Diluc finally pulled his now softened member out of you, admiring the way your cum-filled hole leaked. He had to fight the urge to fuck every last drop back into you.

A knock resonated from the door, causing everyone in the room to freeze. “Um, sorry to interrupt,” the servers voice sounded meekly from outside the door, “you guys reservation time is up…�� You cringed at the idea of having to walk back to your hotel room in this state, legs still wobbly and cum all over you.

“I supposed to ‘important announcement’ excuse won’t work now..” If you didn’t know any better, you’d say Zhongli sounded amused. “No need to fret, I’ll just pay them a generous tip to overlook this little.. endeavor.”

“You mean I’ll pay the tip.” Diluc cut in flatly. You all were lucky the company had the money to be avoiding scandals like this or else you’d all be done for. Maybe he could convince you to, uh, thank him for it later…

[theladyofdeath]

Scared & Horny {Nessian}

31 Days of Halloween: Day 9.

All installments co-written with @snelbz​

Based on a prompt sent in by anon: “ Halloween prompt idea - “Well, Mark me down as scared and horny”. Doesn’t necessarily have to be smutty... but ya know... thirsty anons and all... X”

Autumn/Halloween 2020 {Collection}

Cassian walked through the front door of the party, looking around for any of his friends. He spied Mor chatting up a sexy bunny, but figured she wouldn’t appreciate his interruptions.

Figuring he could take care of and entertain himself, Cassian kept wandering through the herds of people. When Elain Archeron threw a party, she really threw a party. Cassian didn’t know half the people there, and didn’t bother to introduce himself as he found his way to the kitchen, where appetizers were laid out on the island.

Elain had really outdone herself. All of her treats were Halloween-themed, and Cassian should not have expected anything less, but he was truly amazed. There were pretzels dipped in chocolate that looked like monster-fingers, chocolate-covered cherries that looked like eyeballs, and an alcoholic punch that was bright green and bubbly. 

Considering he was alone, Cassian decided to indulge himself. 

After his third cup, he realized the punch was one of those dangerous kinds that didn’t taste like alcohol, but it was definitely there.

A firm hand clapped on his shoulder. “You finally made it.”

He turned and found Rhys standing there, dressed up in full Batman regalia. “Please tell me Feyre is Catwoman.”

He snorted. “She’s Robin.”

Cassian blinked. “She’s Robin?”

“Is there something wrong with Robin?” Rhysand asked, pouring himself a glass of punch. 

“Catwoman is so sexy, though,” Cassian said, sighing. “She really missed an opportunity there.” 

“Maybe that’s why she chose Robin,” Rhysand muttered. “To keep you from calling her sexy.”

Cassian rolled his eyes as the door was pushed open, yet again, and Azriel strolled in, and took one look at Cassian. 

“What the hell are you supposed to be?” he asked.

Cassian blinked, looking down at his outfit. “I’m a space cowboy.”

“A space cowboy?” Azriel repeated, then looked to Rhysand. “Have you already made fun of him for this?” 

“Didn’t have time. He was too busy wondering why Feyre isn’t Catwoman.” 

Azriel frowned. “That’s actually a good argument. Catwoman is way better than Robin.” 

Rhysand rolled his eyes and drank from his punch without another word. 

When the door opened again, Cassian’s and Azriel’s laughter died down.

A zombie strolled in, her hair a wild mess, her makeup done as well as the world’s best cosmetologist. 

“Fuck,” Azriel muttered.

Rhysand had stopped drinking his punch. “You look….nice.” 

“Well, mark me down as scared and horny,” Cassian grinned, taking in Elain’s sister’s beautifully gorey, wild appearance. 

Nesta rolled her red eyes as she met them all where they stood by the island to get herself a cup of punch. “A space cowboy? Really?” 

“A space cowboy is a badass,” Cassian grinned, downing another glass of punch.

Rhys asked, “You couldn’t decide whether you wanted to be an astronaut or a cowboy, could you?”

“Nope, and both costumes were expensive, so I made it work.”

Nesta rolled her eyes and said, “Where are my sisters?”

“Feyre is playing Cards Against Humanity,” Rhys offered.

Azriel shrugged. “Elain is probably running around making sure everyone is having a good time.”

Nesta shot him a look. “Shouldn’t you be helping her with that?”

Azriel hesitated, but Cassian was the one that said, “Az isn’t really the social type, I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed-.”

“I can be social,” Azriel muttered, knowing full well it was a lie. 

Rhys clapped his hand on Azriel’s shoulder. “Let’s go find our girls.”

The two of them were making their way into the living room, leaving Nesta and Cassian alone in the kitchen. The bass of the music was subtly shaking the floor under their feet and Cassian filled a glass with the green liquid, before handing it to her. She sipped on it, her eyes staying on Cassian. They were bright but hazy, and he could tell she’d been drinking before she made the short walk over from her house.

“You really do look great,” Cassian said, voice low.

She smiled, but took another sip of punch, and tilted her head to the side before she spoke. “So which part is more dominant? The scared or the horny?”

Cassian didn’t try to hide his gaze as he let it trail down her body. Her face wasn’t the only thing that was “zombi-fied”, large holes and tears were ripped and shredded along her clothes. Glimpses of her toned stomach and legs were visible as she moved.

“I don’t think you really want me to answer that,” Cassian muttered.

“No?” Nesta asked. “Why’s that?”

“Because last time I voiced a thought like the one I’m having now we ended up fucking in-.”

“Cass,” she hissed, looking around, desperately hoping no one heard, even though it was obvious they were alone. “Keep your voice down.”

Cassian groaned, running his fingers down her arm. “I’m tired of keeping all this a secret.”

“We don’t even know what this is yet,” Nesta said, finishing her punch and pouring more. 

“You like me, don’t you?” he asked.

Nesta looked around again before giving him a tight-lipped, “Yes.”

“And you think I’m cute?” he crooned, his words starting to slur and stumble together. 

She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”

“Then what is there to figure out?” he whispered, taking her hips and pulling her closer.

“Don’t kiss me,” she muttered, her eyes meeting his.

“Why not?” he asked, coming in closer.

She held up her hand and blocked his lips. “Do you know how long it took for me to do this makeup?”

“I’m going to fuck it up later, what difference does it make now?” He breathed, his lips barely brushing hers.

“Because no one has seen it yet,” she replied, laughing quietly as his fingers brushed over her stomach. She was so easily ticklish. “And I didn’t spend hours working on this makeup for just you to see it.”

“I’m the only one who matters,” he whispered.

Nesta’s fingers clung to his arms, feeling his muscles beneath the ridiculous plaid shirt he wore over the NASA t-shirt beneath. She held onto him, regardless of the fact that she didn’t want her sisters to know yet.

“What’s happening here?”

They jumped apart, looking to the doorway.

Elain stood there, her brows shot up into her hairline. She wore a fairy costume with thigh high socks and incandescent wings. 

Nesta hesitated, but Cassian instantly tapped into his bullshit zone. “She was feeling a little dizzy. Just making sure she was keeping upright.”

Nesta was nodding. “Yeah, too much alcohol, not enough water, I think.”

Elain chuckled, hurrying to the island. “Been there. Anyway, have you seen Az? I want him to help me pass out appetizers.”

“He just went looking for you,” Cassian assured her. “I can help, if you want?” 

Elain’s smile softened as she pushed a tray of goodies to him. “You’re sweet, Cass. Thank you.”

He nodded his head before taking the tray out into the party. Mor, as usual, was the life of the party, dancing in the middle of the living room. Rhysand was with Feyre, drinking on the sofa, but Azriel seemed to have gone MIA.

After making a quick pass of the room, offering the chocolate-and-red vine spiders to everyone, he ended up on the couch with Rhys and Feyre, a beer in his hand. He was chowing down on spiders when Feyre looked at him.

“So what is this fainting spell Nesta was having earlier Elain was telling me about?”

Cassian trained his features into boredom. “She’s fine. Just drank a little too much on her way over. A little water and she was just fine.”

“That’s all she needed?” She asked.

He nodded, biting the head off another spider. “That’s all.”

“Then why is there white makeup on your lips and fake blood on your shoulders?”

Cassian froze, looking down at his shoulder. Sure enough, there was fake blood smudged on the plaid. “I caught her.”

Feyre rose a brow. “With your face?” 

“Nesta seemed fine when we were in the kitchen,” Rhysand said, shrugging. “A little tipsy, maybe, but not drunk, at all.”

Feyre looked back and forth between Rhysand and Cassian before her eyes settled on her friend, her eyes widening, her grin spreading. “You and-.”

“No,” Cassian interrupted. 

“Yes,” she said, excitedly.

“Wait,” Rhysand said, connecting the dots. “You and Nesta?”

“No,” Cassian repeated.

“Yes!” Feyre followed. 

“Seriously?” Rhysand chimed in.

Cassian’s hand ran down his face. “You can’t say a word.”

“Why not?” Feyre asked, gripping his arm. “Cass, this is so exciting.”

“Because,” he said, pulling Feyre’s death grip from his arm and running a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to freak her out. She doesn’t want to label us and I don’t want to push her to.”

Feyre’s face fell just a bit. “But you’re together, right?”

Cassian raised his shoulders in a shrug. “I like to think so, but I have no idea.”

He looked up and caught her gaze for a split second across the room. She was talking to a broad-shouldered fireman and laughing at something he’d said.

“I’m going to talk to her,” Feyre said, standing up.

“What?” Cassian asked, practically shouted, instantly on alert. “Why?”

Rhysand, still on the couch, looked back and forth between them, amused. 

“Because she needs a kick in the ass to know how good she has it,” Feyre went on. “We’ve all been waiting for the two of you to get together for years, and she has, too.”

Cassian blinked. “What?”

“You heard me,” she said, simply, before walking away.

By the time Cassian remembered that she was going to talk to Nesta, she was already halfway across the room. “No! Wait!”

Nesta had hardly come out of Feyre’s lips when Cassian made it to them and yanked Feyre away.  

“Let’s dance, Feyre,” he said, pulling her to the middle of the makeshift dancefloor. 

Nesta simply shrugged and went back to her conversation with the fireman. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Cassian asked.

“Me?” Feyre asked, exasperated. “What the hell is wrong with you? Both of you!”

“I don’t want to push her away!” He said, in a loud whisper, keeping his hands at a very safe spot in the middle of her back. “I don’t want to scare her by showing her how much I want a label.”

“Yeah, well, she wants one, too, but for whatever reason, her head is up her ass,” Feyre replied, looking over her shoulder at Nesta.

Cassian watched as she touched the fireman’s arm and he said, “Maybe she wants to play the field. When we started sleeping together, we didn’t make any promises-.”

“You’re sleeping together?” Cassian swore that Feyre’s squealed question registered on a scale that only dogs could hear.

“Fuck,” he sighed, realizing he was only digging his own grave even deeper.

“When?” She demanded. “When did this start?”

“August-.”

“August?!” Feyre shrieked, and Cassian begged her, yet again, to keep quiet. 

“Yes, August,” he sighed, sneaking a look at Nesta, who had disappeared.

Cassian couldn’t help but wonder if it was with the firefighter. 

“Have you been with anyone else during that time?” Feyre asked, quietly.

Cassian shook his head. 

“Then you’re together,” she said, simply. 

He didn’t bother to tell her that Nesta probably had just gone off with the firefighter. “Just keep it quiet, yeah?”

The song ended and Feyre sighed, but nodded. She stepped back from him and said, “Ask her to be your girlfriend. Don’t just let her dictate it or she’ll keep dancing around it.”

“I’m not-.”

“Robin and a Space Cowboy… This is an interesting combo.”

Cassian and Feyre turned to find Nesta walking towards them. She looked decidedly more drunk than she had been when she’d left the kitchen.

He cleared his throat. “We were just-.”

“Doesn’t matter,” she interrupted, grabbing a handful of his shirt. “Let’s dance, cowboy.”

She tugged him towards her, but ended up stumbling herself. He caught her, and chuckled. “That’s Captain, to you.”

At some point, Feyre had made herself scarce. Cassian went to step back, but Nesta held onto him. “People will see us,” he breathed.

She could barely hear him over the music playing, but she glanced up at him. “Is that such a bad thing?”

He blinked, not understanding her change of heart. Yes, she was pretty drunk, but that would just come back to bite him in the ass when she sobered up. He hesitantly asked. “No?”

“That fireman just asked me to go home with him,” she said, dragging her fingers up his arm.

Cassian’s fingers tighten around her waist. “That was nice of him.”

“It was,” Nesta mused. “But then I realized I didn’t want to go home with him. I don’t want to go home with anyone.”

Cassian was nodding. “Gotcha.”

“Anyone but you,” she added under breath, teasing him. 

Cassian’s lips twitched at the corners. “Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah,” she breathed, then a look of pure offense overtook her facial features. “You didn’t say it back.” 

Cassian paused. “Didn’t say what back?” 

“That I’m the only one you want to go home with,” she said, that frown remaining. 

“Nesta-.”

“Is there someone you want to go home with?” she interrupted, leaning back. “Fuck, who-.”

“No one-.”

“I should’ve known-.”

“Mother’s tits, will you shut up?” Their lips met.  

Just as she was pulling away, ready to dramatically storm off, Cassian had grabbed her by the hips and pulled her back toward him, instantly reconnecting his mouth with hers.

They stopped dancing, and suddenly nothing mattered but them in that moment.

It was a public announcement. 

A declaration.

One that no one was really surprised by at all.

[silverlightqueen]

Moonlight 

silverlightqueen’s SKZ Scarefest

werewolf!Chan x human!reader ft. the rest of skz and itzy lia, ryujin and yeji - comedy, fluff, Chan is a cute shy softie but also a big strong muscly Alpha

Word Count: 3.5k+

Summary - y/n likes the night shifts at the diner. She rarely gets any customers coming in, so it’s peaceful, and she can even sneak in a nap from time to time. But not tonight. No, probably not best to nap when, in the early hours of the morning, a pack of wolves walk in looking like hell.

Warnings: a little bit of blood, talk of violence, raw bloody meat (never thought that’d be a warning but here we are), I think that’s it but pls let me know if you noticed that I missed something!

a/n: and here is the first instalment of my SKZ Scarefest! I really hope you guys enjoy it, and keep an eye out for the following parts in the next few days! this is for you @silverlightprincess​ bc you’re the best proofreader and I love you x

taglist: @kodzu-ken​ @silverlightprincess​

silverlightqueen navigation

‘Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself?’ Lia asks me, and I laugh, nodding for the fiftieth time. ‘I’ll be totally fine. Just go, pick up your stupid boyfriend,’ I say, and she rolls her eyes, doing up the buttons on her coat. ‘If I have to pick him up from A&E one more time, I’ll be the one sending him there,’ she threatens half-heartedly, my laughter following her out of the back door.

The diner falls silent once the door’s shut, and I turn on the radio, putting it on low so I can hear if any customers enter. It’s highly unlikely for anyone to show up at this hour, but just in case. I roll my neck, tired after working such a long shift, and I check the clock. Just an hour and a half until 5am, when Yeji and Ryujin will show up for a shift change. An hour and a half of time to kill. I decide to get some food cooking, ready for the breakfast rush at 6am – truckers love their early morning waffles and pancakes – and then I sit at the stool behind the till, scrolling through my phone aimlessly.

It's a cold night outside, the windows fogged up and the pitch-black night sky just about visible through them. A pretty crescent moon shines down a pale white light, casting an eerie glow over the surroundings, and there are no cars passing by on the road, meaning I’m completely alone. A text comes through from one of the girls in my friendship group friend, Chaeryeong, asking if I’ve decided what I’m wearing to our friend Jackson’s Halloween party next week – it’s 8 nights away to be exact. Jackson’s Halloween party is always the party of the year, and we’re all so excited for it. It’s a full moon and everything, so we’re hoping it’ll be a little spookier than usual.

The bell at the front door rings out into the quiet, cutting across the generic lofi song playing from the radio and making me look up in surprise. A boy – he can’t be much older than 20 – walks in, his clothes dirty and ripped, his clear skin marked with mud and grass stains. His blond hair, long enough to brush his shoulders, is a tousled and tangled mess, woven with twigs and grass, and he looks tired as hell. He trudges in, not even looking at me, and collapses into the chair closest to him.

My heartrate instantly increases. What on earth is going on? Why has this… kid walked in, at half 3 in the morning, all alone, looking an absolute state? Should I ask him if he’s okay, or leave him to it? I should mind my business, right? Probably best not to talk to someone in that state. He might be some psycho. What if he is a psycho? And this is some ploy to get me to go over to him so he can attack me? Maybe I should phone my boss? Who am I kidding? There’s no way his lazy ass will answer.

The bell ringing for a second time interrupts my spiralling train of thought, and my eyes flit to the door to see another boy walking in, around the same age, and just as messy as the first boy. And another boy follows him in. And another, and another, and anoth-

There are eight of them in total, slumped into chairs around the two tables closest to the door. They all look exhausted, and in absolute states. And then realisation washes over me, making me relax a little. They’re werewolves.

We’ve always had werewolves around here. Two different packs live on opposite sides of town, and their rivalry has meant their identity has never exactly been a secret. This is the first time I’m ever seeing any of them in their human form, though (I’ve seen flashes of wolves running past the house in the middle of the night when it’s a full moon, but never close up) and I’m… surprised. They’re all quite… small. I guess I always expected werewolves to be tall and bulky, but only two of them are really… muscly, and they’re all short.

They’re all completely silent, save for their heavy breathing, and I wonder why they’ve stumbled into the diner to just sit at their tables. ‘Are you gonna just stand there, breathing obnoxiously loudly, or are you gonna take our order?’ one of them calls out tiredly, his back to me meaning the only part of him that I can see is his black hair, and I feel my face twist with annoyance. I don’t care if he’s a carnivore that could kill me in an instant if he wanted to. He does not get to come into my workplace and disrespect me. ‘Actually, you’re supposed to come up here and order,’ I reply indignantly, low laughter rippling through the group of boys as the boy who spoke lifts his head, turning to look at me angrily, his eyes flashing red. He has a long cut across his cheek, blood dried around it.

‘What did you just say to m-’ ‘Shut it, Jisung,’ the blond-haired boy says with a small grin, the black-haired boy – Jisung – turning to him aggressively. ‘Don’t tell me to shut it, Hyunjin. I won’t have a little human girl disrespect m-’ ‘Be quiet, Jisung. You were disrespectful to her first,’ another of the boys says calmly, and my eyes flit to him, my stomach turning when I realise he’s already looking at me. He’s one of the muscular boys, his hair sandy brown and fluffy, and his face soft and kind. His lips quirk up in a smile, a deep dimple denting one cheek, and I give him a small smile back, my heart fluttering. He might be a werewolf, but he’s a cute one.

I expect Jisung to give him some annoying retort, but he bites his lip, slumping down in his seat angrily, and the brown-haired boy rolls his eyes, rising from his seat. He makes his way over to me, and I try not to ogle him, but it’s difficult with his shirt ripped diagonally across the front, exposing one strong shoulder and a flash of hard abs, my heart skipping a beat at how gorgeous he is. Thank god I decided to wear a cute outfit today, even if it is hidden behind my white apron.

He slides onto one of the stools on the other side of the counter, leaning on one hand with a sigh, and I don’t know what to say other than, ‘Would you like to order something?’ ‘Um, yeah, actually. We’re quite… hungry. Have you got any… chicken, or beef, or any meat, for that matter?’ he asks, and I blink at him in surprise. I’ve never had someone ordering meat before lunch, let alone at half 3 in the morning. Though, I’ve never served werewolves either, so I guess I’m having a few firsts today.

‘Meat?’ I ask, and he lets out a little chuckle, his soft brown eyes locked with mine and making my heart flutter. ‘Yeah. Meat,’ he says with a small smile. His voice is nice, smooth and melodious with a hint of an accent. ‘Um, I don’t have any ready now, but I’ll start cooking some, and it should be ready in… half an hour?’ I say, and his smile slips into a small frown. ‘Um… no, that won’t be any good. You’ve got raw meat, right?’ he asks, and I feel myself malfunctioning for a moment, before I nod. ‘Can we just have a portion of raw meat each, please? I’ll pay whatever for it,’ he says, and I just stare at him.

‘You want… raw meat?’ I ask, and he lets out another soft chuckle. ‘Yes, please. I’m sure you’ve worked out what we are by now, so you probably know we can eat meat whilst it’s still alive. Raw meat’s just fine for us,’ he says with a grin, and I just nod, still in shock. ‘Okay. I’ll… get you raw meat. Is beef okay? One raw steak each?’ I ask, and he nods, smiling widely. ‘Beef’s perfect. But make it two steaks each please.’ ‘Um, okay. 16 steaks,’ I say, unable to believe I’m about to prepare raw steaks for 8 werewolves, and he just nods, still smiling his handsome smile.

He pays for the steaks, and orders a stack of pancakes and a milkshake for each of them too. The total is one of the most expensive orders we’ve ever had, but he doesn’t bat an eyelid, putting it on his credit card wordlessly. I go into the back to get their steaks ready, trying not to retch at having to put raw bloody beef onto plates for them, and I’m still holding back a retch when I take their plates over, the eight of them staring at the food hungrily. But I can’t help but let out a gag when one of them lifts his plate to his mouth and takes a massive chunk out of the steak, blood rolling down his chin.

The rest of them all laugh at my reaction, the brown-haired boy wincing as he says, ‘half of that bite was gristle, Changbin.’ So they’re happy to eat raw bloody steak, but they’re above eating the gristle? Weird but whatever. The boy who ate the steak – Changbin – just nods, before opening his mouth and pulling out the gristle with his dirty fingers, grinning at my look of disbelief. ‘Never seen a werewolf eat before?’ he asks, eyes sparkling, and I shake my head, still blinking in shock.

‘Take a seat, sweetheart. Tell us about yourself,’ one of the boys says with a smile, hand running through his chocolate brown locks, and I feel my heartrate increase. ‘Don’t worry. We’re not gonna hurt you,’ another of the boys says softly before I can even reply, his hair grey and long at the back, his eyes sparkly and wide. ‘I’m not worried,’ I lie, and they all laugh. ‘We can hear your heartbeat, and it’s pretty fast,’ one of the boys says, this one kind looking with blue locks and a soft baby face, and I feel ridiculously stupid.

‘Well… I can’t sit. I’ve got a job to do.’ ‘There’s no one here other than us. If you don’t want to sit with us, just come out and say it. Don’t beat around the bush,’ Jisung says bluntly, steak in his mouth as he speaks, his cheeks puffing out adorably. ‘We’re a group of werewolves; why would she want to sit with us?’ the brown-haired boy says amusedly, and I hope he doesn’t hear my heart stopping momentarily when he turns his half-smile to me. ‘Usually human girls find us attractive,’ the blond-haired boy – Hyunjin – says matter-of-factly, too focused on his raw steak to look up at me. ‘I probably would find you attractive if you didn’t all look like you’ve lost a fight with an angry bush,’ I say dryly, all of them laughing with their mouths full, making me feel slightly… disgusted.

‘Are the pancakes ready?’ the boy with black hair asks, and I check my watch. ‘Four minutes. How come you guys are so… hungry? Haven’t you been hunting?’ I ask, and they all exchange an amused glance before looking to the boy with brown hair. He doesn’t say anything, just looking at me unreadably, and it’s clear that there’s some sort of secret here. He lets out a little sigh, obviously deciding to tell me, and then he speaks; ‘We only hunt on full moons.’ ‘Oh, of course. The full moon isn’t until next week,’ I say, feeling stupid again, and they all nod. ‘On Halloween. Let’s hope there aren’t any trick-or-treaters in the woods,’ the chocolate brown-haired boy says with a small smirk, and I feel a shiver go down my spine.

‘Do you guys really attack humans?’ I ask, and they let out gentle laughs, obviously amused at how little I know of them. ‘We don’t have much control over our wolf selves, so if a human crosses our path, yes. Well, Alphas can control their wolf selves, so our Alpha will usually stop us from attacking a human. But if our Alpha isn’t there… we’d kill them without a moment of hesitation,’ the grey-haired boy explains, and I listen intently, interested. ‘Who’s your Alpha?’ I ask out of curiosity, and they all look to the brown-haired boy, answering my question. My stomach turns with butterflies when he looks at me, a small smile playing at his lips as he says, ‘that’d be me.’ I don’t know why, but something about him being the Alpha wolf makes him ten times sexier than he already is.

‘Oh. Okay. So, wait, if you guys weren’t hunting, why are you all so… dirty?’ I ask, and Changbin raises an eyebrow. ‘I thought you were supposed to be telling us about you.’ ‘I’m nowhere near as interesting as you guys.’ ‘No, sweetheart, we’re very interested in you,’ Hyunjin smirks, my heart fluttering. And then, as though they can hear something I can’t, they all suddenly turn their heads to the brown-haired boy, almost… nervous expressions on their faces. ‘I didn’t realise, Chan, sor-’ ‘It’s alright, Jin, don’t apologise,’ the brown-haired boy – Chan (definitely suits him) – says gently, his eyes not leaving mine, and I can’t help but wonder what on earth just happened. It’s like they had some sort of conversation and I missed the entire thing.

‘We got into a fight with some of the boys from the other pack,’ Chan murmurs, the atmosphere returning back to normal, and I feel my eyes widen. ‘Really? Who won?’ I ask, a light laugh running around the group at that question. ‘Us.’ ‘Really?’ I ask, even sounding sceptical to my own ears, and they all laugh again. ‘Might not look like we won, but we’re all still alive. Can’t say the same for the other pack,’ Chan says softly, and I blink in surprise. ‘Oh. Why’d you fight them?’ I ask, and they all look to Jisung, the boy rolling his eyes. ‘Because they provoked me.’ ‘No. One of them looked at you, and you started on him,’ the black-haired boy says bluntly, Jisung pouting. ‘Whatever, Seungmin. You didn’t see how he looked at me,’ he says sulkily, the others rolling their eyes at him.

‘However he looked at you, it wasn’t enough to warrant me killing him, but I did anyway, because of you. So learn to keep a lid on your temper, Sung, because I’ll make you fight them yourself next time instead of us involving ourselves. Understood?’ Chan says, tone gentle with a slight edge, and Jisung just nods, obviously opting not to pipe up to the Alpha. Everyone’s silent after that, and the air becomes a little awkward. ‘I’ll just go get your pancakes,’ I say, not waiting for a response before I turn and head towards the back.

I plate their pancakes up, all pretty with syrup and whipped cream and strawberries, and I take them out to them only a few minutes later. They’ve stacked up their empty plates for me at the edge of one of the tables, the gristle all piled up on the top plate, and my heart warms a little; it’s quite sweet of them to make my job a bit easier for me. I put their pancakes down in front of them, each of them murmuring their thanks, and Chan grins at me when I put his down. ‘It looks pretty,’ he says, and I preen at the praise – I always plate up the waffles whenever I’m on shift, because my boss, Jinyoung, liked the way I do them. ‘Pretty like her, huh, Chan?’ Changbin says with a grin, my cheeks heating up, and Chan just death-stares him, the others all silent. ‘Sorry,’ Changbin says sheepishly, dropping his head to look at the plate in front of him.

‘Did you guys fight the other pack as humans then?’ I ask, trying to change the subject, Chan chuckling at the question. ‘You’re a curious girl, huh?’ he asks, and I feel a little embarrassed. ‘Sorry.’ ‘No, don’t… be sorry. It’s cute,’ he says hesitantly, and I can’t hold back the shy smile that spreads across my lips, the other boys all looking amused at their Alpha’s shy flirting. He clears his throat, embarrassed, before answering my question; ‘those of us that are older wolves – myself, Minho and Changbin – can turn into wolves at will, but the younger ones aren’t at that stage yet. Hyunjin, Jisung, Felix and Seungmin can do a half-turn, and Jeongin can’t complete any kind of turn yet. He’s getting there, though,’ Chan adds kindly, patting the blue-haired boy’s arm.

I can’t help but quiz them, so fascinated at how different they are to me, despite looking so normal. By the time Ryujin and Yeji arrive for their shift, I’m perched on a table, chatting comfortably to them about their pack hierarchy whilst we all sip on milkshakes. ‘You look busy, y/n,’ Ryujin calls out amusedly from behind the counter, her and Yeji both grinning at me, and I feel my cheeks heating up. ‘I made some new friends,’ I say mildly, the boys all grinning at the girls, and I realise with a little jolt that all of them have perfectly white teeth, their canines sharp and lethal.

‘We better get going. The pack elders won’t be impressed with you, Jisung, and they’ll be even less impressed at us disappearing all night,’ Chan says sombrely, Jisung looking ashamed of himself as he nods. They all start to rise from their seats, ready to leave, and I feel a little sad as I watch Chan trying to fix his shirt, his muscles rippling with each movement. ‘We’ll drop in again, for some more steak. Maybe cooked next time,’ Chan jokes as the others head towards the door, and I let out a little laugh, nodding shyly. ‘That’d be nice.’ ‘Here. A tip, for your great service,’ Chan says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of notes. He takes my hand into his gently, a thrill running up my arm at the contact, and puts the notes into my palm, closing my fingers over them. ‘Chan, that’s too gener-’ ‘It’s fine. Just take the tip… y/n,’ he murmurs softly, my name sounding heavenly on his lips, my eyes locking with his sparkly brown ones, his smile mesmerising me. ‘Thank you,’ I reply, and he grins, his dimple reappearing and making my heart flutter.

He heads towards the door where the other boys are waiting, waving goodbye once more before they leave into the dawn, the door shutting behind them with a thud. ‘Oh, my God! y/n has a cute werewolf boyfriend!’ Ryujin exclaims, and I hold a hand over my face embarrassedly. ‘He’s not my boyfriend!’ ‘He wants to be! Look at the tip he gave you. He’s into you.’ ‘And he’s hot, y/n! If he comes in again, you better get his number!’

I leave after promising them I’ll make a move next time I see him, and I’m still laughing to myself at their enthusiasm as I step out of the back door, wrapped up in my big winter coat. The sun has just begun to rise, streaking the sky with beautiful pastel colours, but it’s still freezing, my breath fogging in the air as the cold sets into my bones.

I head over to my car, opening the door, and then, out of the corner of my eye, I see something move in the trees on the other side of the car park, and I look over, alarmed. There’s a big dark… shape, and I squint into the darkness, trying to make it out. I realise it’s a wolf, with thick, glossy sandy brown fur and big shiny brown eyes. The wolf stands proud, exuding power, and I just know that it’s Chan. I smile, knowing I’m probably crazy for smiling into the eyes of a lethal and wild creature, even crazier for lifting up a hand in a coy wave, but I’m rewarded when he bows his head in a nod, and maybe I’m imagining it, but I’m almost certain I can see an amused glint in his eyes.

I climb into my car, smiling to myself, Chan still stood there watching, and I wait until he’s disappeared into the trees before I start the car. A loud howl echoes out into the air, ringing in my ears, followed by a chorus of howls, melding into one another like a symphony, and the sound makes me smile.

When I get home and collapse into my bed, I decide to count through the notes that Chan gave me as a tip, and my heart melts when a little slip of paper flutters out of the notes – his phone number with a smiley face written beside it. My parents always told me to stay away from the wolves, but maybe they aren’t all bad.

[apossessionadaybreak]

Halloween Special

Gary looked up from the TV just in time to see his son come out from his room for what was probably the fifth time that day to stare intently at him. He supposed this was some sort of new-age method of showing disapproval. He had to admit, it was a little unnerving, but someone had to be the disciplinarian.

“Ryan, I know you’re bored but you’re grounded for good reason and you know it. Just because it’s Halloween tonight doesn’t mean you can go around egging and TPing people’s houses, especially not poor old Mr. Quille. You know that he can’t get around so easily anymore.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever you say dad.” 

Gary heard the sounds of shuffling feet and the slamming of a door. He sighed again.

Shaking his head to himself, he was about to turn his attention back to his programme only to be distracted by a stab of light coming from the table.

He turned, annoyed, to the source, only to find himself staring at a book. He looked quizzically at it for a moment, before abruptly recalling it was a gift from Mr. Quille from when he had gone over to talk about Ryan’s atrocious behaviour. ‘No hard feelings,’ as the man himself had put it. It was a sleek, leather-bound volume that seemed to be coated in some sort of reflective black material. He had never seen a book so… shiny before. Hell, it was probably brighter than his car parked alongside the sidewalk. Curious, he picked it up and was taken aback by how heavy it was. It felt nice though, as he weighed it in his palms, smooth and luxurious. He searched the cover for the title but could only make out the embossed shape of a ghost, the kind of shapeless blob malls usually sold during this time of year as a decoration. It looked amateurish compared to the rest of the item but somehow he couldn’t help but feel drawn by it.

He caught himself staring into the circles which represented the eyes for a bit too long before he realised he was sitting ramrod straight and the hairs on his arms were standing on end. He chuckled nervously to himself as he looked around the room but he was alone, naturally. A book of ghost stories it seemed, he used to devour these as a kid. Maybe Mr. Quille had thought Ryan would enjoy reading through them, though why he would think that, Gary couldn’t say. He cracked it open to reveal brand new, bone-white pages. He paused, up till now he had assumed that it had been an old possession of Mr. Quille’s, maybe some relic from his childhood. Yet, everything seemed to be pointing to the contrary. With his curiosity mounting, he settled down for a good read. He turned and plumped up the cushions, figuring he’d flip through a story or two. He flicked the pages at random, as images, clearer and more vibrant than he had ever envisioned began to form in his mind…

Blood Ties

The package on the doorstep was soft and shapeless but Saul still couldn’t help but feel threatened by it. It didn’t make any sense, the amount of anxiety he felt towards this inanimate object. No label, no card.  Just plain, waxy, brown paper. He didn’t know why he felt so worried, it was probably a gift from a friend, or perhaps some long-lost family member?

He pondered still, for a few minutes more, wondering why he was wondering so much about it, before finally gritting his teeth and ripping open the wrapping. He stared at the contents for a moment before bursting out in laughter at his own foolishness. The package he had been so worried about simply contained some pieces of what looked to be a formal suit. A… very expensive one at that. The strange, unsettling feeling crept in again. He shook his head, he wondered what his forefathers would have thought of him, losing his mind over clothing of all things. Saul did his best to maintain his composure as he unfolded it, holding it up against his own body. Whoever sent this package definitely seemed to know him. If he didn’t know any better he’d have said it was tailor-made for him but that was a ridiculous idea, wasn’t it?

He tried the shirt on first, marvelling at the smooth, buttery feel of the fabric. He relished the effortless way his knuckles slid along the length of the sleeve, so flawless was the craftsmanship. If it didn’t feel so good to wear it, he might have been more creeped out by how well it wrapped around him, how nicely it sat on his chest and shoulders. He struck a pose in front of the mirror, smiling in spite of himself. Did he look paler than usual? Maybe he hadn’t been getting enough sun lately. He shuddered at the thought.

The rest of the suit was just as exquisite, if not more. With each new article of clothing, Saul could feel his incredulity and enjoyment growing in equal parts. Whatever suspicions he had had evaporated as he savoured the act of dressing himself. He felt, no, he knew he was irresistible in all this finery. Dressed like this, he’d be able to charm the pants off of anyone, everyone. He stopped to take a look at himself in the mirror again, taking a moment to fish his heavy pocket watch out of the vest. He smiled to himself as he checked his timing, he still had it… though what exactly he still had he couldn’t remember for the life of him. He didn’t know why such a thought had popped into his head, unbidden. He looked good no doubt but for the barest moment, he thought he had seen his face turn mean, the shadow of a split-second sneer. What was scarier was how he could feel some part of him was wishing for it to come back. He stared intently at his reflection in a mix of fear and reverence, almost daring it to act before him. It was only when he felt his gaze begin to blur until he could barely see anything anymore that he blinked himself back to reality.

At last, came the tie. He picked it up and let it flow across his open palm, admiring the red and gold fabric. It felt so small in his beefy hands. He hadn’t realised before today how built up he was but now he relished it, rolling his haunches as he appreciated his own width. Apparently sometimes a perfectly tailored suit helped you to appreciate yourself better, who could have guessed? He certainly knew he’d never be able to wear anything else after today, the material fit him as snugly as a second skin, made him feel powerful, in control. He wrapped it around his neck, letting it hang loosely over his frame. Bringing his hands up, he knotted it in one swift, practiced motion. So mesmerised was he with his own appearance, he barely even registered that his hands seemed to be moving of their own accord, tightening the knot until it felt like it was biting into his soft exposed neck. His eyelids drooped down, and then, darkness.

Saul laid on the floor for a few moments, blinking. He sat up and gave himself a once over, then did so a second time but he knew he’d be alright, he was himself now. He stood and looked at the mirror, smirking as he did so. No reflection, but he’d expected as much. He rolled his shoulders, and once again, ran his hands along the fabric, feeling his clothes, feeling himself. He ran his newly claimed tongue over his teeth, noting that they still retained the familial sharpness. 

It had been a long time since he had last fed. People generally didn’t respond well to his kind. He couldn’t blame them for driving him out of town and threatening to burn his estate. But that didn’t matter now. He had done what was necessary to survive. Anyone who might have known him was long dead by now and people in general had long forgotten that creatures like him even existed. The paperwork would arrive soon enough, for the great-grandson who shared his name. In time, he would return to his rightful home and resume his old life there. Until then, Saul Senior had a terrible thirst to quench… 

~~~~

Gary looked up from the book, a little stunned. He thought Mr. Quille had said that it was for Ryan as much as him, that ‘your son could learn a lot from it’. This certainly wasn’t a book he could describe as being educational to anyone, not with the contents thus far. He couldn’t deny he had enjoyed himself though. As creepy as the tale was, it had fired his imagination, filled his mind with vivid scenes in a way that he hadn’t experienced before. He looked at the words on the page, secretly replaying the pictures in his head, again, and again, and again. He turned the page and kept reading…

Halloween Spirit

“I told you already Cole, I’ll take you trick or treating later-”

“But Dad, it’s 5pm already! The streetlights are coming on and all the pumpkins have been lit…”

“Cole Alphonsus Daniels, for the last time, we’ll go out, when I say we go out. Is that clear?”

“...yes sir.”

“Good. Now find some way to entertain yourself while I finish work. After that we’ll hit the streets.” 

Cole scowled as his father ruffled his hair. He ducked to avoid any further displays of affection and found his way to the front yard to sit on the porch. Holding his head in his hands, he stared glumly as people had begun to fill the streets. He longed to join but here he was, confined to waiting for his dad. 

His gaze wandered, looking for something, anything, interesting to look at and found himself staring dead ahead at the pumpkin sitting on the fence. There was something weird about it, other than the way it seemed to be evenly matching his gaze. Then it hit him, the pumpkin was unlit. Cole frowned, he thought he had made sure to get all of them earlier. He got up to light it, grabbing the candle from the lantern nearest to him. 

“Guess you’re missing out too huh, little guy?” He said as he waited for the wick to catch flame. He smiled as the pumpkin flickered to life.

“Well that’s you taken care of. Now if only my dad could hurry up and get out here.” The pumpkin flickered again. If Cole didn’t know better, he would have said it was winking at him. 

---

Gil Daniels tapped away at his keyboard, muttering to himself. He moved to open another document, glancing at the clock as he did so. Another hour before he planned to leave the house, plenty of time. He rubbed at his temples to try to alleviate some of his headache. Damn, he was getting old, if not in body, then in spirit. He picked up his mug and took a sip of coffee, leaning back in his chair as he did so. He licked his lips. The coffee sure tasted good today. Did Lauren do something special to it? He took another sip. Kind of like a pumpkin spice latte. Usually he hated those but this one tasted fresher somehow, more authentic. He closed his eyes and drank deeply, downing it in one go. He felt a warm glow permeate through his body, washing through every fibre of his being. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and smiled.

---

“Ready to go sport?” 

Cole jumped, nearly dropping the candle he was still holding. His father was standing in the doorway, beaming away, arms akimbo.

“Ye-yeah! Let me put this candle back.” He turned to the pumpkin he had just been talking to. “Did you do this?” The pumpkin stared merrily back at him but the flame held steady. “Well, if you did, thanks.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking to but I’m over here kiddo!” His father laughed as he spoke, a loud, hearty, chuckle. He took the candle from Cole as he approached and set it back in the original pumpkin. He turned to Cole, with mischief in his eyes.

“Race you to the next house.” Cole watched with wonder as his dad set off on a brisk jog. He giggled and dashed ahead of him, heading straight for the neighbour’s door, and rang the doorbell thrice for good measure.

“Beat you dad!” Cole laughed as his father saluted his victory. 

“What’s all this then?” Cole turned to the source of the harsh new voice and his smile wilted. He had forgotten about the cranky old man who lived here. He opened his mouth to say something but words failed him. He felt a reassuring hand clapped onto his shoulder and turned to see his dad.

“Pardon my son’s enthusiasm, we’re trick or treating for Halloween. Surely you understand?” He said, reaching his hand out. Cole watched as the old man initially jerked backwards, ready to slam the door shut but the instant his dad grabbed onto him, he stopped. The old man closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them with a wide smile. 

“Of course, of course, wait here, I’ll be only a moment.” The old man winked at Cole and walked back into the house, ostensibly to fetch some candy. Cole smiled warily back at him. Once he was out of earshot, Cole turned to his father.

“That was… kind of weird.”

His father shrugged good-naturedly.

“Seems the holiday spirit is particularly infectious today.” He said with a grin.

~~~~

Gary felt his head snap up as he finished the last word. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been reading for but it suddenly felt like it must have been hours. He looked at the TV to check the clock but was greeted by a black screen. When had he switched it off? He turned to his watch, still early in the afternoon, as evidenced by the sunlight streaming in through the windows. He wasn’t sure why he was so concerned about the time, it wasn’t as if he was going to go anywhere, he needed to take care of Ryan at home. Mr. Quille had told him as much. ‘A boy needs his father.’ He found himself nodding along in agreement, before realising how silly he must have looked to anyone watching. Thankfully Ryan was still in his room. Besides, he was really getting into a reading groove now, he looked back down as he turned the page, eager for the next story…

Bared Souls

Bernard was running. He wished that he knew where he was moving to but he knew that didn’t matter as much as staying on the move. He’d gone too deep into the forest this time and now there was a bear chasing after him. He knew his chances weren’t good but what choice did he have? He threw cautionary glances behind him every now and then, hoping the beast would get bored and wander off but he couldn’t be sure, so he kept running.

As his lungs began to scream for oxygen and his legs threatened to give out, he slowed down and thrust his hand against a thick tree trunk for support. He tried to steady his breathing, not quite willing to look around just yet. Either he had lost the bear, or he’d be overtaken in seconds due to exhaustion. He closed his eyes, hoping against hope it was the former. After a few minutes of not being mauled to death, he allowed himself a cautious look around. No bear, thank goodness. But… no signs of civilisation either. He frowned.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire eh old boy?” He whispered to himself, trying to calm his nerves. He sat down and pulled his compass and map out, trying to get a sense of where he could go from here. Unfortunately he couldn’t see any landmarks near his position. He tried to stand up but sat back down almost immediately, his head spinning. He knew he’d probably find his way out with enough time but it suddenly occurred to him that he was very, very, very tired. He leaned against the tree trunk, figuring he’d rest his eyes for just a few minutes. Just a few minutes, that’s all… 

---

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was how much darker it was. Cursing his own foolishness, he stood up, alert, and angry with himself. Grumbling, he pulled out his compass and map again, squinting as best as he could in the fading light. Then he heard a growl. No, no, no, this couldn’t be happening. The growl came again, louder this time. He swung around, cursing under his breath, trying to locate the source of the noise. With the third and loudest growl yet, he bolted off in the opposite direction, fleeing for his life. 

He ran until he once again could not run anymore. He looked around even as he panted for breath. More trees, still no sign of where he could be. With the sunlight rapidly fading, it was looking like he’d have to spend the night in the woods. How could he have been so ill-prepared? He’d be lucky not to freeze to death. That was, if the bears didn’t find him first. He walked with one hand outstretched, as the woods grew darker still. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was trying to find, if anything. He just kept putting one foot in front of the other. 

Then the growling started again. Bernard grit his teeth, trying not to scream out in frustration and despair. This time he didn’t even have the slightest idea where it had come from. It was as if it had sounded all around, or maybe even from inside him. Insanity had come for him it seemed. He tilted his head, straining his ears, begging them to help him pick out which direction the bear was. He could scarcely trust his own senses as the growling began to fade away. Bernard breathed easily for a few moments. He turned his head to the front, only to find himself face to face with the bear.

He yelped out in fright, before he even realised he should not have been able to see anything in the darkness, let alone the bear. The bear did not blend in against the dark woods. Instead it glowed, brightly at that. Tendrils of light radiated off of its body and dissipated lazily into the air. The bear licked its nose, apparently entirely unbothered by Bernard or his palpable fear. It stepped closer and Bernard realised it made no noise as it moved. Even though he knew it made no sense, he could see through the bear. He could see the leaves it stepped on remain as scattered and unflattened as they were before. 

The bear tilted its head and yawned at him, before pawing the ground and walking past him. Bernard didn’t realise he was holding his breath until the bear turned to look at him. Incredulous, he watched as the bear gestured with its head, twice. Follow me, it seemed to be saying. He stepped forward cautiously, shivering as he did so. Whether it was from the cold or fear, he couldn’t say. He stepped forward again, closer and closer, until he was directly alongside the bear.

And then the bear stepped into him.

Bernard stood stock still, certain he was going mad and seeing things. Yet, he could feel the bear as it continued to align itself against his flesh. Against all logic, he felt obliged to get on all fours so the bear could do so more comfortably. As the bear filled him, he felt a sense of extraordinary calm. His face twitched as he felt his senses heighten. New smells, new sounds, a completely different way of experiencing the world. He crawled forward, expecting to feel foolish, only to realise how natural his movements felt.

He broke into a running gait, as if he had known how to do so his entire life. His heart beat a steady thrum in his chest as he navigated the woods. It was all so simple, so obvious. How had he not realised it before? He headed easily through the winding roads, following the smells and clues towards where he knew humans would be. He ran for what must have been hours but not once did he grow tired. He felt alive, more than he had ever known throughout his years of existence. No need for fear, no sense of urgency, just purity of movement towards the goal that was emblazoned in his mind. 

He came to the edge of the woods as the solid darkness began to give way to a pale blue. Not that he had needed the light to make his way through the night. He arched his back and felt himself stand up straight. At the same time he felt as if something was slipping out of him. His senses dulled rapidly back to normalcy but now it was jarring and unfamiliar. He turned back to see the same radiant bear again. He looked towards the road, the one that would take him back to civilisation. After the night he had had, it would be nice to return back home to a warm shower and bed. Even as he thought of his modern comforts, he couldn’t help feeling that something was missing, that he’d remain forever incomplete if he walked out of these woods as he was now.

He turned to look at the bear again. This time, it was he who gestured with his head. Twice. The bear looked as impassive as ever and he worried for a moment that it would turn back into the woods. Then it stepped forward, until it was alongside him. This time, it was Bernard who stepped willingly into the waiting spirit, for now he knew what it was. Their bodies aligned once more, the two took a few tentative steps, before throwing their head back and roaring as one.

~~~~

Gary sat with the book open in his lap. He stared blankly at the ceiling as his lips parted ever so slightly. The book rose into the air but Gary made no sign that he was aware of it, or anything at all for that matter. The pages began to flip rapidly but even as they flapped in his face, they remained neat, uncreased, orderly. As they approached the ends of the book, the pages picked up speed until it snapped shut. Whatever enchantment it was under seemed to come to an end as the book began to fall to the ground, only to be caught by a thick, deft hand. Gary blinked, and smiled as he looked over the book once again. Gone was any design that might have been tattooed on it. The front and back were now identical smooth dark faces. He smiled to see his own name now written in bold gold lettering down the length of the spine. He popped the book open, to the page he knew the dedications would be written on. 

“To my neighbour, Gary, whose door is always open to me.”

Chuckling, he closed the book just as Ryan came out of the room.

“Hey Ryan.”

“Wha-uh, yeah dad?”

“Want to go trick or treating?”

“Uhhhhh, I thought I was grounded.”

“You still are mister but I can make an exception as long as you’re with me.”

Ryan looked as if he wanted to roll his eyes but the chance to get out of the house was too golden to pass up.

“...Ok, let me get changed.” Ryan said, before bounding back into his room, clearly eager to leave.

Gary smiled. He got up and stretched out his arms, flexing his fingers as he looked at them admiringly. He called out to Ryan.

“Let’s visit Mr. Quille next door first. I-uh, I mean he will be more than happy to see us, I should think.”

[mrsbhandari]

Artsy as Fuck - Graphite

A/N: Hello!! its been a whole ass brick since I updated this but ive been writing a lot of anime shit and just couldn’t think of anything for this but then I got an idea!! so yeah I hope you like it!!

Word Count: 

Warnings: language, NSFW for the first few paragraphs but after that its kind of angsty?? a lil bit. idk how to write angst so idk if it even counts lmao

Summary: Colt and Roze refuse to confront feelings that arose after their...eventful morning. 

Tag list: 1530

@omgjasminesimone, @edgiestwinter, @bucketofsoup, @donutsgirl36, @desireepow-1986, @lovehugsandcandy, @troublemakerinspace, @client-327

Masterlist

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

The steam of the shower was only adding to the clouding of his mind as his hands ran down Roze’s sides, making her shiver despite the heat of the water. 

“To be clear--oh--This means nothing,” she said, moaning as his lips attached to her neck and added to the hickeys there. Colt felt a twinge of sadness, but he didn’t know about what. She moved her hands up to his shoulders and he forgot completely.

“Mhmm.”

“Seriously, Colt, this is just to...relieve tension.”

“Mhmm.”

“Colt, pay atten--oh, yes.” Colt cut her off with a swift bite to the junction of her shoulder and her neck as well as a finger brushing her entrance, sufficiently lubricated from a combination of her own slick and the water. He easily slid two fingers into her, letting a gasp reverberate in the shower as he pressed against her sweet spot. Instantly, her grip tightened on his biceps, tough beneath her touch. Nails embedded themselves into his skin, sure to leave crescent bruises visible when he posed for her class in 20 minutes. 

Remembering his job, Colt quickened his fingers, relishing Roze’s loud gasps against his shoulder as they pressed their chests together. This may just be for ‘tension relieving,’ but damn was it good. Her orgasm hit her and his arm snaked around her waist, holding her up and against him while she moaned in his ear. She rode out her orgasm for a few more seconds before weakly grabbing his wrist and pulling his fingers out, catching her breath as the water cascaded down her back. Pulling away, she rested her hands on Colt’s shoulders, partially to hold herself up and partially to watch him as he raised his fingers to his lips, cleaning them with a long tongue while keeping eye contact with her.

“Delicious.”

“You’re so annoying,” she breathed out, cool facade broken by hitched breaths.

“At least I’m good at fucking, though, right?”

Her mouth barely quirked to a smile before falling back into her neutral pout. She stepped out of the shower without a word. 

“Right?!”

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

It was not the right time to wear a tank top, yet it was all she had. She had thought about asking Colt to borrow one of his shirts, but that seemed too...intimate. For their situation. That’s what she told herself. Secretly, Roze cursed the hot LA weather as well as her expectation that she wasn’t going to do anything with Colt when she met up with him at the garage. 

In all honesty, she knew that sex with Colt was a game-changer--especially sex that good. With sex, there were so many emotions swirling around, ripe for the taking, that it seemed impossible not to fall for him. That stupid smile when he caught her staring, the way his eyes roll back when he came, the dark look in his eye when she got too lippy with him; they all added up to extend the emotions of that heavenly hour into a full-blown relationship, which is not what she needed. Especially with Colt. He agreed. It had been ten minutes since they left the garage, yet she was already thinking about the possibility of next time with him. Internally, she cursed herself again for saying that it meant nothing. But he agreed. 

She ignored the pang of disappointment that found its way into her heart despite her best efforts to separate her feelings from this little...predicament she found herself in. How am I supposed to fake date a person I keep feeling things for? Especially when he’s only using me to avoid a girl.

Said girl walked into the studio, giving Roze and her mosaic of bruises a major side-eye and eye roll. Ingrid’s eyes traveled to Colt, knowing that he should have marks as well, and scoffed at the deep red of the scratches along his shoulders, revealed by his wife beater and clean overalls that were folded over at the waist, much like how it was at the garage. Ingrid couldn’t deny that he looked like he should be June’s picture in a calendar, but she wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of knowing she thought that. 

“Did you have to wear that here?” Roze playfully tugged on one of the sleeves tied around his waist. He was leaning over her easel, looking down at her from where his chin was resting on the wood. 

“Professor told me to wear something and layer it. I’m a mechanic, not a designer.” In reality, the comment about his clothes did hurt him a little, even if it wasn’t meant seriously. He didn’t look as stylish as most of the people in the class, and he definitely didn’t look cool or rich enough to be Roze’s boyfriend. She always looked fresh from an expensive magazine to him; he thought he looked like the search results for ‘mechanic’ at the Spirit Halloween website. He smiled a little at the thought and decided it was a problem to confront another day.

“Well, Kaneko, right now you’re a model.” Roze calling him by his last name only made the memories from an hour ago, already fresh, rush back into his mind. She sent him a smirk that let him know she knew what she made him think about. Their conversation was cut short by more students arriving for the class, prompting Colt to step up on the podium and strike a pose for the class, making sure to drape his clothing in a way they could draw to show the clothing. He felt a little bit more confident in himself with his girlfriend calling him a model, but he tried to keep his face neutral. 

He stood for hours on the podium, but he certainly couldn’t complain as he was standing directly in front of Roze who, in between actually drawing him, spent more of the time making silly faces to get him to laugh and break his resolve. His girlfriend was so cute. 

Except she’s not. The thought hit him like a bag of bricks. This is temporary. You fucked and she said it didn’t mean anything. And why should it? She’s a cool art student, going places. You’re stuck here with no direction. Better to get that through your head now rather than later. This is all fake. His face turned pensive as he stood there, ignoring her cross-eyes in her most recent attempt to make him break. She’s probably just acting to make this whole thing more believable, he reasoned, pushing all thoughts of a real relationship out of his head. Suddenly, all he wanted was for the class to be over. 

His wish was soon granted by the professor clapping his hands together and announcing the class’ end. Before he could leave, Roze gathered her stuff and approached him, wary of the watchful eye Ingrid was casting over them to catch any slip-ups that would indicate any reason to believe that something was amiss.

“Wanna go to lunch? My pick today.” She sent him a sweet smile that he couldn’t help but melt at the sight of. Fuck. Don’t think it means anything. He gave a curt nod and a tight smile in response, ignoring the concern that clouded her eyes. This means nothing.

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

“I’ll pay.” Colt’s eyes flitted to hers across the fancy table as she handed a stack of bills to the waiter, telling him to keep the change as a tip. Colt didn’t want to say that he felt emasculated by Roze paying, because he was perfectly fine with that aspect of it. He did, however, feel poor. Here he was in this nice restaurant (cloth napkins and a mini chandelier for every table? Bougie.) in overalls, trying to brush off the pitying looks that kept getting sent Roze’s way as she sat with him and paid for him with cash. 

They must think it’s a gender-bent Pretty Woman situation. The demons in his head laughed at him, boiling his blood and stirring the pot of deprecating thoughts swirling around his mind. I’m not a charity case. Roze seemed to notice his sudden change in attitude but decided to say nothing about it. 

“How was your risotto?”

“Good.”

“And your chicken?”

“Fine. Little dry.”

“Oh, mine tasted great.”

“Congrats.”

“Ok, fuckwad.” She slammed her cutlery down on her plate and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table to carry her head on her interlocked fingers. “What’s with you?”

He feigned disinterest. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You were fine this morning and through class, but then you just...shut down.”

“I don’t know why you would care. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.” Colt didn’t know what the fuck he was saying. 

“Are you always this angsty?” The comment surprised him and he looked over to find Roze with her head cocked and an amused shine in her eyes. The sight made one part of him sweat and the other scoff. 

“Why did you bring me here, Roze?”

“I like it here,” she answered without missing a beat. 

“Why?”

“Why are you asking?”

“I want to know.”

[writerwrites]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Protégé to Bruce Banner, Rosemarie finds herself working closely with and befriending the Avengers. Friendship, lust, heartbreak, and so much more find her along this heartbreaking journey into new adulthood. Rosemarie discovers her self-worth and that home is where the heart is… she’ll just have to figure out what her heart is saying first.

Word Count: 7k

Warnings: Smut 18+, language, angst, fluff, language, ye ole slow burn, and eventually death, pregnancy, love triangle… or love adjacent to a triangle? It’s complicated.

playlist . masterlist

A/N: This WIP is intentionally made to ruin all of our lives with feels. You were warned. It’s just my writing style, but I use a name for the reader, in this case Rosemarie, so adjust your imaginations as you read, fam. Also, I do what I want, so don’t come at me for MCU canon timelines. The most notable YOLO in this series is that Bucky/Winter Soldier is an Avenger pre-Blip, Banner isn’t in space, and though there’s tension between the Tony and Cap ‘sides’ of the Sokovia Accords they’re all trying to work together. Avenging is not a main point to this story, but that’s the clarification I will give you. I hope you enjoy my first posted fic, leave a comment, review, message, etc.

Chapter 1: Let’s fall in love for the night...

--- STARK INDUSTRIES: THE TOWER; MIDTOWN MANHATTAN ---

“To the wolves,” Natasha whispered to Bruce as she pressed her fingers to his chest, stopping him from coming to his employee’s rescue. It wasn’t a malicious act, Nat had sized her up as ‘new to this’ and she wasn’t wrong. Rosemarie’s rapid ladder climbing in academia and internships had kept her barred from most parties. At first it was because she was underage, but even in her last year, most people found her intimidating or shy. Natasha glowed like a friend full of faith in a new puppy- or maybe it was the expensive brand name highlight on her cheekbones. “She’ll be fine. If you go to your little lab rat now then she’ll stick to you all night because you’re familiar. Let her have her moment. I’m sure she’s the last one of the three you invited that you’ll need to worry about.”

Bruce pursed his lips and looked down at Natasha’s mouth and her angled features that were made more accentuated through meticulous contouring. “Well, how can I say no to you when you show up in this dress, Jessica Rabbit?”

She leaned into his shoulder, her silky gloved hand sliding up his arm, and whispered in her sultry deep voice that sent shivers up down his spine, “Exactly, now dance with me, big guy.”

Though Rosemarie couldn’t hear what they were saying she watched her boss in his bright red pants and suspenders over a white button up being led to the dance floor. It took enough of her focus to keep her mouth off the floor. She never expected to see Dr. Banner smiling and maybe no one else did either because she’d made it deeper into the room seemingly unnoticed as everyone’s attention diverted to Nat and Bruce or back to their own conversations. The laughter and atmosphere was enough to make Rosemarie find her own small smile. Everyone donned costumes of varying extravagance, the music was at a low enough volume to welcome conversation, and as the songs changed she noticed it slipped between Halloween and pop music. Before she knew it, she’d breezed through the crowd toward the bar, invisible.

There wasn’t a single seat free at the bar and Rosemarie used her equivalent of a super power to keep slipping through the line along the bartop to it’s far corner where a couple was too busy flirting to notice her standing next to them, waiting to order a drink. The minutes ticked on and burning holes into the bartenders’ backs didn’t make them notice her. When her eyes moved up the bar, guessing who everyone was dressed as, Rosemarie felt the shock of the scene as people she had seen on television or read about during her research stood chatting just a few feet away. Swallowing at the dryness that settled in the back of her throat as she tried to pick apart their costumes and tell herself this wasn’t a big deal, that she’d even ‘met’ them during her Stark internship- albeit through a lab window. All of the chatting Avengers donned black suits with white shirts and black ties, some had sunglasses on and she smirked at her hands when she caught sight of Captain America and the notorious Winter Soldier’s suits added the accessory of fedoras.

Maybe she hadn’t realized she laughed out loud a little, but Rosemarie was caught in the act. Their blue eyes moved down the bar to the young doctor leaning against the wall still waiting to be noticed by the bartenders. The innocent chuckle caught in her mouth as her face warmed and her eyes fell to the surprisingly comfortable heels. Rosemarie’s brain raced, the sensation of eyes on her, of being seen, had her mind flitting from panic, to embarrassment, and even fleetingly to Natasha’s hands brushing along her leg. Despite no physical scarring, the heat in her cheeks felt like there were tallies adding up on her forehead marking this as three times more than she had been seen in years. Casually trying to look up under her lashes brought a new surprise, the group of suited men had dispersed just as quickly as she had noticed them. But then she heard it, a Brooklyn drawl that sounded like home. Then she felt it, the gentle brush of cold metal just above her elbow. Timidly, she looked up from those heels, polished boots standing toe-to-toe, and her eyes kept moving north up the stocky, six foot frame of the Winter Soldier. The white shirt was tight to his chest and just as she surveyed his neck, a shot was offered to her.

He broke the silence, pulling Rosemarie from her reverie “You looked like you were waiting a while.”

Looking graciously at the drink, now more than ever, she took it and looked into his bright blue gaze with a nod, “You’d be right in guessing that, Brooklyn.”

“Brooklyn?” He watched Rosemarie with curiosity as she took the shot, wondering why she’d called him that, but she offered no explanation. “What am I supposed to call you?”

With the burn in her throat from the smooth tequila, she found a new fleeting liquid-confidence. “Natasha won’t be happy if her Snow White ensemble isn’t instantly pin-pointable, sir.”

“Well, Snow, what can we do to get you out of this corner and have a little fun with us tonight?” His blue gaze looks innocent enough, Rosemarie decides, but his thoughts are anything but- a game already in play amongst the suited men.

“You’ve already done it.” Before she can banter any more, his vibranium fingers took hers and he brushed her past strangers toward the Avengers, maneuvering her curvy frame through the room with ease.

“Snow, the boys,” Smiling and quite literally looking up at everyone, the doctor realized the soldier hadn’t yet dropped her hand, but just as quickly as she had that thought, he’d left her hand cold and empty. Rosemarie reached out to shake everyone's hands in a whirlwind of greetings as she tried to remember the few first names she wasn’t familiar with. “You’ll have a hard time remembering some of our names if you’re going to stick with your current system. Steve Rogers, also Brooklyn.”

Steve’s grip was surprisingly gentle, giving you one firm shake before his fingertips brushed your palm and let you go. A stark contrast to Thors’ which had been strong, and Rhodey and Clint’s which were fleeting and polite. Rosemarie choked on the air leaving her lungs as she tried to keep her cool, feeling the Brooklyn boys’ blue eyes still watching her as a charming man you knew as ‘Falcon’ leaned in front of them, “Sam or, if we’re being technical- the one and only Agent J.”

Rosemarie listened to the cadence in Sam’s voice and guessed Harlem, but bit her tongue, smiled and nodded. “Men in Black, classic choice, but these two…” she pointed between the two super soldiers, “Are the Brooklynites the Blues Brothers this evening?” The smirks that lit up the two men’s faces gave her an indication that she’d gotten it right and, as much as she wanted to keep looking, there was something fun in this game of being in a circle of lethal and exceptionally attractive people, though she was positive she wouldn’t hold their attention long. “Now you three,” her gaze panned over the remaining suits and then between them at the minglers nearby. With a sigh she shook her head, “You’ll have to tell me.”

“Reservoir Dogs.” It was Clint who shrugged it off with a confident smirk. “Tony’s idea, but I think he just wanted to see who looked best in a suit.” His hazel eyes moved over Rosemarie’s shoulder, “It was nice to meet you, kiddo, I’ve got to get back to-” With a clap on her shoulder Hawkeye walked past you and through the barrier of soldiers at your back.

Rhodey was quick to follow, mentioning his night was all about business and politely excuses himself as Rosemarie looked at her heels and tried not to take offense to having so quickly cleared out the room. She put her smile back on, trying to brush it off and to brush off the ‘kiddo’ comment, too. “So, Brooklyn mentioned something about you all being where the fun is tonight?” Pivoting, she closed the gap that Clint and Rhodey’s absence had made in their little group. 

“I mean, we are, I don’t know about the two fossils.” Sam laughed as he drank his beer, a clear buzz already going.

“Just because we can’t get wasted doesn’t mean we are any less fun than you idiots. Besides, someone has to babysit the Asgardian and the college rambler.” The Winter Soldier’s words were honest with a twinge of annoyance but Steve clutched his shoulder and smiled. “We’re wondering who you think we all should be dancing with.”

Her thoughts were on who could be the ‘college rambler’ and the request. An actual laugh passing her lips that bordered a scoff, but she looked around and gave it her best shot. “Thor maybe with the brunette over there talking to the lady agent with Mr. Fury.” Tilting her chin up she saw the corner of his mouth turn up into a smirk as he took his hand out of his pockets and smacked a handshake into Sam’s hand.

“I bet he’d be more upset if it wasn’t Sif. I swear those two have been harboring feelings for each other since…” Sam laughed and shrugged. “All right, matchmaker, not a bad start. Who’s next?”

Swallowing, she looked around the room. There were plenty of women standing around chatting to other women, but one beautiful woman looked around the room with an expression all too relatable to Rosemarie’s. “Sam, what about the petite cutie with the marg by Nat?”

Taking his hands out of his pockets, Sam clapped Steve on the shoulder and shook his hand. An odd gesture, Rosemarie fleetingly thought, but before her eyebrows could even draw together in confusion the soldiers looked at each other and Cap, shaking his head, told him, “That’s Thor’s ex, Jane.” His head tilted at the young doctor in front of him. “Isn’t she working with you and Banner?”

With a shrug, you looked over again, Sam leaning on the table and Nat rolling her eyes, Jane clearly trying not to make direct eye contact. “Well, I’m clearly no matchmaker, so I hope that if she’s working with me that Sam doesn’t actually tell her what I did.”

“Don’t take it too hard, most of the regulars have at least gone on a date with Tony and everyone else has done God knows what with at least one other person in the room.” Steve shrugged, offering a gentle smile before bringing his beer to his lips and pulling his eyes from her.

“Okay, we won’t force you into playing our little game anymore, so it’s our turn then.” Rosemarie looked up at the two remaining Avengers, but their eyes were on each other and then out through the crowd.

“What about Pete?” Steve suggested, nodding toward a somewhat familiar face.

It took a moment before she could place him. “He’s a college student interning for Stark, isn’t he?” Her eyebrows drew together with uncertainty. If she remembered his story from the one conversation they’d had, he was a savant like herself. “He’s a bit young, isn’t he?”

“Aren’t you?”

“I’m old enough to drink.” She nipped back at the boys, her own Brooklyn accent thick.

“All right, what do we have here? The beginnings of a joke, surely. Two cavemen and the apprentice of Yoda walk into a bar…” The clap of hands and quippy attitude were quick to place.

Steve greeted him tight lipped with a single nod. “Tony.”

“Cap. Barnes. I see you’ve met my former intern and young doctor of neuroscience that is leading one of Banner’s teams at BST. Doctor...,” He trailed off, either to let her introduce herself or to remind him of her name.

Regardless of whatever game Stark was trying to play, her non-confrontational nature made her quick to smile, nod, and shrug off the introductions, “I’m just Snow tonight.”

Tony’s head tilted to the side and both super soldiers failed to hide their amusement. “Y’know, I see why Pepper likes you.” As if hearing her name made her ears tingle, Pepper slipped in at his side, offered up a wave to the group, whispering into his ear and pulled him along as her black dress ghosted the pristine floor, a perfect replica of Hepburn’s Givenchy gown from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But as he passed her he whispered in her ear, “Don’t get too caught up with these troublemakers, kiddo.”

Needless to say, Rosemarie knew they’d heard it when she caught their jaws clenching and she groaned. “I make decisions for myself, thanks.” Brazenly, she grabbed both their hands, “Back to the bar, Brooklynites. I think we all could use a drink.” It amazed her how, with a look, three people gave up seats for them. “So, back to this horrible job you gentlemen were doing at a setup, care to try again while I enjoy this?” She lifted the shot, throwing it back after they did the same, and then made an order for an actual drink. Her attention wasn’t on them, unaware of the looks they gave each other, their gaze panning the room. “Giving up on the impossible mission, boys?”

“Impossible?” Steve laughed.

“Giving up?” Bucky scoffed.

“It’s all right. I did what Nat and Bruce needed, a quick show of my face and day one of the new job is done.” She shrugged, sipping on her drink.

“Day one?” They’d asked in unison.

“Yup.” She nodded, polishing off the drink, a sudden urge to make the most of the night now settling into her bones and she slipped off the chair, the Winter Soldier’s vibranium hand reaching over to quickly help Rosemarie steady.

“... and you’re at a Halloween party instead of celebrating with friends?” Steve pressed his lips together, trying to hide a look of pity.

“Don’t.” She grimaced in a whisper, a slight sadness in her eyes as they met Steve’s. “It’s a party. Dancing, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing right?”

The pulse of the song felt familiar, even if she didn’t know the words. Rosemarie’s hips swayed side to side, arms up like the music was pumping and she was home alone dancing Bachata. Forgetting about the peak of skin that the crop top exposed in doing so, she felt the heat rise in her body when both of them swallowed. Her eyes fluttered closed and she kept dancing. Eyes closed, ignoring the initial eyes on her or that Nat had pulled Bruce to the floor and Pepper, Tony before the majority of chattering conversations ceased and the floor filled with laughter as a new tune thumped on.

The gentle sensation of a hand on her hips made her eyes open and Rosemarie gasped to see Natasha swaying with one hand behind her on Bruce’s neck and the other on her hip. “How much have you had to drink? I definitely didn’t think you’d be the one to start the fun tonight.”

“Surprise?” She tried to laugh, “Not much, promise.” The comment was directed at Bruce who didn’t seem bothered either way. “We’ve got work in the morning. I wanted to have a little fun and appreciate the invitation before heading back home.”

“Already?” Nat pouted.

“Brooklyn, baby! It’s about forty minutes home.”

Rosemarie watched Nat’s hand pull away from her as she slowly stopped dancing. “Then I guess we’ll just have to drag you out sometime. You seem like you’re getting along with everyone, right?” Her green eyes looked over the doctor’s shoulder back to the bar. “Get this one home safe. She’s headed that way.” Just as Rosemarie was about to protest, Nat wiggled a finger.

It seemed like a fruitless thing to argue, but in her mildly buzzed state she lacked the energy to fight or to realize that in a tidy little pile in a limestone on the Upper East Side bathroom were her keys, clothes, and badge. With a nod and a quick goodnight, she headed toward the elevator, weaving effortlessly through the crowd with a smile on her face. As the doors dinged open she could feel the presence of the two men on either side of her. “You don’t have to, guys. It’s Brooklyn, been there my whole life. I can handle myself. Hell, you see how easily I walk through this room. I’m Harry Potter in the restricted section twenty-four, seven.”

Neither of them seemed to catch the reference, following her into the elevator. Steve broke the uncomfortable silence, “I’m not much for partying and he’s not much for groups without me.”

“Now, you’ll have to pick your poison because we both rode motorcycles here.” Rosemarie crossed her arms stubbornly at his comment. Crossing her arms after hitting the main floor’s button, he realized she wasn’t going to cave. “All right, looks like we’ll have to do this the old school way. Three out of five?”

“That should get us to the main floor.” Laughing like schoolboys, they played rock-paper-scissors, the doors opening, and Rosemarie ducking under their hands to get out.

“So who won the honor of a very long chaperoning adventure?” She asked as they reached two motorcycles in the parking garage.

“Go on, Buck. I’ll see you back home later.” Steve’s face was warmer, a genuine look of happiness on his face as he clapped a hand to his friend’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “C’mere Snow, let’s get a helmet on you.”

“It’s Rosemarie, actually.”

“She speaks!” Bucky got on his bike, his own helmet secure and the engine purring. “Pretty name, doll. Bit of a mouthful, but maybe it suits you.”

“I used to be called Rorie when I was little.” She rubbed her hands nervously in front of her as she also listened to Steve telling her how to get on the bike. He even took her hand to help her as she swung her leg over. “Good night, Steve. I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

Tilting his head to meet her eye, he smiled, the kind of warm smile where it met his eyes and made creases in the corner. “I hope so.”

And with that farewell, the engine was revved and Rosemarie lurched forward in fear. Her arms wrapping to the best of her ability around the suited soldier, taking in fist fulls of his shirt when she couldn’t fully hold on to him. His vibranium hand covered her, his hand patting hers as she hid her face into his back. It took her a minute, but he let her get used to the chill of the wind on her arms and legs, the stop and go of the city’s red lights, and the proximity to a man she hardly knew. When she finally plucked up the courage to look up they were halfway to Brooklyn. Her right arm stretched out and she flipped up the visor to the helmet, letting out a laugh and cheer as they zipped through Queens Midtown Tunnel. His vibranium hand patted hers and though she couldn’t see it, she thought he was smiling too.

It wasn’t until they reached Brooklyn’s limits and her racing heart settled into a calmer cadence that he pulled over at a red light and flipped up his own visor. Exasperated, she pouted and gently tapped her helmet to his, “Don’t stop driving!”

Then he laughed, just like he had with Steve, and explained himself, “You’ve got to tell me where you live eventually.” It took a moment, a fleeting thought that it would be easier to show him the address on her ID than to try and shout over the sound of the bike through a helmet, that she realized she’d been to caught up tonight to remember her clothes, lab coat and badge, keys, and even her phone were in Bruce and Natasha’s house. He could tell something wasn’t right, pivoting on the bike to get a better look at her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“My keys are on the damn Upper East Side.”

Laughing again, the man simply shook her head. “That’s fine, we can get it later. What’s the address?”

--- ROSEMARIE’S UNIT ON E 22ND ST; BROOKLYN ---

She didn’t get it at first, but with their feet in front of the triple locked tiny fourth floor apartment, he squatted, took something out of his coat pocket, and within twenty seconds the door was opened, no sign of invasion. “Wow. You’re good with your hands.” Her cheeks were bright red as she slipped past him into the pitch black apartment. “Thank you so much, Mr. Barnes.”

He cringed and shook his head, “Bucky, please- or even Brooklyn or Barnes. Never James, never Mister Barnes or Mister anything-else, and preferably no Winter Soldier, either. Just Bucky.”

“Have it your way, Bucky.” She gave him a nod to come in while she leaned against the door, a warm smile on her face as the liquor was quickly leaving her system and the little flirtations had no gray area. “Let me make up this coerced escort nonsense for you.”

“Are you sure, Rosemarie? I thought you had work in the morning.” His blue eyes looked down at her, trying to read her expression as he tried to decide if he was being propositioned and if going in was a good idea.

“I’m sure.” With a laugh she tugged on his hands, his entire frame completely immobile in the hall. “Come keep me company and we'll have snackies!”

Bucky nodded, stepping into her home with clear eyes and a sense of expectation that she’d drawn a line about where the night would lead. She flicked on light after light, the room filling with a warm honey-white glow that illuminated the books, art, pictures, scattered around the room and hanging on the walls. “This is nice.”

Her head popped up from behind the refrigerator door, her eyes falling on the man that looked obscenely too broad for the space. “Do you mean the apartment or the picture?” Rosemarie saw his blue gaze studying a painting on the wall, “It’s a painting of Roraima in...”

“The borders of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana.”

“Yeah… I want to go someday. It was my brother’s last painting.” She swallowed and looked down at the peanut butter and nutella sandwiches she was making, reminding herself to catch her breath. It’s not like he hasn’t travelled all over the world. It’s not like he really cares about where you want to travel to. He definitely doesn’t care about your crazy family.

“You should go, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.” He smiled at the painting and came to the kitchen counter, noticing the crease in her forehead as she made their late night snack. “Do you want to talk about him?”

She shrugged, both surprised by the question and uncertain of her needs colliding with her personal baggage. Instead, Rosemarie slid the plate of four half-sandwich triangles toward him and then added two spoons to the plate before tucking a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns ice cream and two bottles of hard cider under her arms. “He’s the one that used to call me Rorie. He couldn’t really get Rosemarie out and my parents hated it when people mispronounced it as rosemary.” It felt like a simple enough gateway to let her try to gauge his interest. After flopping onto the couch and nodding to the spot next to her he joined her, setting the food on the coffee table and taking one of the ciders. “I think they’re twist off caps?” She struggled, cheeks red with embarrassment, but Bucky used his vibranium hand to flick the cap off before doing the same with his. “Oh, so that’s what the hand is for.”

“Among other things.” They shared a soft laugh and he watched her kick off the heels and pick up the gaming controller, talking to the television as it popped up with the Netflix logo at her commands. “What are we watching?”

Tossing him the remote she grabbed a slice of the sandwiches and pulled her knees to her chest. Taking a big bite, the hazelnut and peanut butter coated her mouth and she let out a satisfied hum. “Brooklyn's choice.” A second big bite and another hum and Bucky’s curiosity got the better of him, clicking the first film on her recommended list to snag a slice for himself. A deeper, similar hum passing his lips made Rosemarie squirm in her seat. She washed it down with the cider. “Right? Comfort snackies are the best late night food.” Rosemarie turned to look at the super soldier taking up two thirds of the love seat to find the hazelnut spread in the scruff of his overgrown stubble. With liquid courage pulsing in her veins she leaned in slightly and brushed it away with her thumb, but not courageous enough to meet his piercing blue eyes. Heart thumping in her ears, she whispered, “I forgot to grab a napkin.”

Bucky’s full lips wrapped around her thumb, his eyes unblinking as hers went wide. The soldier didn’t give her a chance to act on flight, his arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her onto his lap as she whimpered at the sensation of his tongue sliding up her finger. “Aren’t you just starved for attention.”

He wasn’t wrong. It had been six months since she’d been with anyone and that was a one night stand with a stranger from a bar and longer still since someone had been inside her. She’d taken herself out to celebrate finishing school and someone told her she had the perfect body. Rosemarie squirmed in his lap thinking about the way their hands had worshiped her curves and their mouth had set her off. It was one of just a couple of encounters. All of them paled in comparison to having the broad shouldered and bright eyed man holding her close. “I..It’s…”

The man smirked at how flustered she was, His fingers moving from a firm grip holding her waist to brushing up her back as he finished the snack in one final big bite. He almost looked childish if it hadn’t been for the look in his eyes, pupils blown and the corner of his mouth turned up. “Complicated? Doesn’t have to be, Sugar.”

Sugar, the word was sweeter in the subtle hints of his accent, a dated term of endearment that wasn’t typical in any non-condescending modern usage, she thought. This wasn’t how intentional. He wasn’t even on her radar and as he drank his cider and watched her, she climbed off his lap and slowly unbuttoned the yellow shorts, stopping before she pushed them down because her little panicked mental monologue found her again. He doesn’t really want you. He just wants to get laid. Maybe I just want that, too? This is never going to happen again, so calm down, focus, enjoy the moment. But the ice cream on the table is going to melt and leave a water ring from condensation... Then his hands were on her hips, pulling her legs closer by tugging on the loose fabric of the shorts before he wiggled them down her legs.

His now empty bottle set to the side, Bucky looked up at her as he leaned forward and pressed his full lips to her hips. The warmth of his mouth and the sting of cool from the wet mark he’d left after it met the air felt as starkly contrasted as the warmth and the cold of his two hands. Nibbling on her bottom lip, he kissed the other side and questioned her demeanor. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Letting his fingers rake up her back and under the crop top, Bucky used his superior senses to interpret what she wasn’t saying. Rosemarie now realized just how small she was next to him, her pulse thumping with a far more vibrant cadence than when he’d taken her finger into his mouth. Now his own fingers rubbed her back and moved south, pushing her panties to the floor before coming back up to take off the crop top too. But he didn’t gawk or let his eyes wander, he just drank in the smell of hazelnut and peanut butter on her breath, the faint smell of honey and apricots from her morning shower, and the heat rising in her cheeks. “Where have you been the last ninety-nine years, Rorie?”

Swallowing down the nickname, she brought her hands to his tie, “Should I be flattered or creeped out about this age gap?” Nervously giggling she loosened the silky bit of black fabric, watching it ruffle into the mess of her own clothes half on the floor and half on the couch. She felt his muscles through the pressed fabric of his shirt until they ghosted along the top of his slacks and as she looked at his neck, still too anxious to meet his gaze, Rosemarie chewed on the inside of her cheek. Nerves, she was nothing but nerves on fire. When she undid his belt with shaking hands, his hands left hers to quickly undo the buttons of the dress shirt. It was a frantic and rapid dance to get him just as naked as she was and her nervous laughter abated into a whimper. The zipper went down exposing black boxer briefs and with her thumbs in the elastic and she pushed it down, just as he’d done to her, just enough to make his clothes fall to the floor. “This seems entirely unfair.”

He let her eyes move down his body, his chest rising and falling at steady pace, though obvious that he was taking deeper breaths. Rosemarie rested her forehead on his sternum, drinking in the toned muscles that met the cut of his hips, the hulking lines of his thighs, and then at last the bulk of his cock. She didn’t hide her fear from him well at all, completely certain she’d never be able to handle the size of the solid man. His hands went to her neck, hot and human, cold and robotic, and that tender tilt up of her chin, forcing her eyes to look into his, she knew that he knew. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you feel like I…”

“Bucky.” She interrupted, breathing sharply. Before her mind in all its anxious sadness could torment her back into silence she managed to whisper, “Of course I want you. I’m scared, not an idiot.” Leaning up, her lips brushed his, so close to kissing him, she made her request. “Please, gently.”

Of all the stories she had heard, she didn’t know if he was capable of it until he kissed her. Her soft lips were met with his, hungry and forceful and then, just before she could flinch, his tongue parted her lips and the kiss became subdued. Bucky knew what he was doing, teasing her with the passion she was missing out on while enticing her with the promise of giving her what she’d asked for. Her demure little touches of her fingers avoiding all his most sensitive areas made him moan against her lips. The man couldn’t help but wonder if she was intentionally teasing him in return. His lips left hers, trailing wet kisses down her neck and across her breasts. Bucky flicked his tongue across her nipples, hiding his smirk in her ribs at the squirm of her hips under his hands when he gave them no more attention and sat back on the couch. She was so close to pouting, protesting, and pleading, but his hands moved down her curves and tugged at the soft flesh at the back of her thighs, pulling her onto the couch to straddle him. 

Rosemarie rocked her hips forward, pressing his length against his stomach and her clit. The groan that came from the back of Bucky’s throat had her dripping and as she continued grinding against him while they kissed, she could feel herself dripping down her thighs and onto him. His kisses were patient but the longer she kept teasing him, feeling her skin heat beneath his touch, Bucky began to rut his hips compulsively. Her finger tips dug into his shoulder and neck as the tight coil of her climax built in her belly before any part of him had even been inside her. Slowly she lifted herself and he looked into her eyes knowing what she was finally ready and asking for, confirmed by her lip biting and head nodding as she lowered herself onto him.

Bucky let her take him in, slow but keening. He could tell how badly she needed to do this on her own, quiet gasps between tongue tangled kisses as every inch of him stretched her. He savored those little sounds, they only made it harder for him not to thrust completely inside her. His mind was in a fog, intoxicated by the smell of her, the shake in her legs, even the way her body reacted to the cool metal of his weapon brushing her hair from her face. She’d turned into it, briefly pulling her lips from Bucky’s to put her burning cheeks to his palm and she knew he could kill her just as much as she felt it in her gut, he wouldn’t. She’d been in love just once before and never been looked at like this and just as she’d thought that his kisses stopped and his hands held her still and he asked her, “What’s that look?”

Rosemarie pressed her lips to Bucky’s metal wrist and his expression was just as unreadable as hers had been seconds earlier, “What’s that look?” Her playful feedback of the same question was far less focused, each word a breathy whimper as the sudden lack of affection made her all the more eager to be full of him. The doctor swayed her hips in small circles, calling out in her native tongue as their thighs met and he hit every spot, stretching her out.

“Fuck. Fuck you’re so tight.” The timbre in Bucky’s voice made her squeeze around him and he clutched her hips to stop her from moving for fear that the evening would be short lived. He pressed his forehead to her shoulder and she caressed his back and did the same, the salt on his skin coating her lips. They listened to each other breathing and Rosemarie began a slow ride, relishing the sounds of his pleasure. “Good girl,” the words were whispered in her ear - a stark contrast from his grunting just seconds earlier, his teeth brushed her earlobe, and then his hands squeezed her ass as he met her pace with repeat eye watering thrusts.

The English language failed her, pleading for more and pleasantly surprised when he understood. Bucky’s pace stayed the same, but each thrust was deep and then deeper. Her fingers tangled in his dark hair and pulled until his mouth was back on hers. The small apartment echoed with the bawdy sounds of moaning pleasure and skin on skin, all of her muscles began to tighten as he brought her to the edge. Leaning back slightly with a hand on his knee and the other on the couch Bucky accepted the invitation to access more of her body. His tongue drew circles around her hard nipples and his thumb massaged her clit. The slow build to the first orgasm had been worthwhile and obscenely wet, they could feel her pouring down their legs and soaking the couch. Immediately, her entire body shook and her face was bright right, her eyes apologetic. “I’m sorry, that… that’s never happened before and…”

A soft hush passed his lips and he pushed back inside of her, finding a new rhythm as her muscles reacted, milking every thick inch of him. “You’re sexy, beautiful, smart, and…” he swallowed, his thrusts became erratic, and maybe it was the compliments or an instinct he was close but Rosemarie couldn’t help herself, bouncing up and down on him, and every time he bottomed out she practically danced for him, grinding on him for friction to her clit. “Don’t stop.” He was the one panting and begging now. “Good girl, beautiful. Just like that.”

All the positive praise as his eyes stayed on her wide hips and full breasts made the woman question if this was how sex was supposed to be. The curves she only liked in certain outfits, now being drunk in like a missing Van Gogh. She got off on it, her body still reeling from her first orgasm and Bucky rutted into her as she gave him his. Lost in the moment, they held each other tightly, his cock filling her until he dripped his own mess onto the furniture. But despite the new exhaustion and how her tired body draped over him, he was still hard and she was still hungry. “More.”

The whimpered plea was met with his strong arms holding her as he walked down the short hall opening the first door to find it was the bathroom and then the second, her bedroom. Her legs were too tired to wrap around him and the tips of her toes tickled their way across the floor until he pulled her on top of him on her bed that was obscenely small for a man of his size, let alone two people. “Rorie, you should get some sleep.”

She bit the muscle of his flesh arm. “You’re still inside me, Barnes.” Her lips moved across his skin, nipping at his ribs before trailing her tongue along the toned muscles to his other arm, where she placed a kiss and settled her head. Her dark hair was unruly as it draped across him, his own no better on her bedsheets. Though breathless, she managed a feeble argument. “You can’t just bring me to bed, be inside me, look like this, and not keep going until I’m unconscious.”

He laughed, not maliciously but rather out of shock at how sleep impacted her candor more than alcohol had and all Rosemarie could think was there’s nothing more beautiful than you. It was written all over her face, but he missed it, his eyes closed as he laughed, and maybe he’d never believe it if he had. She couldn’t help herself, kissing every inch of his skin that she could without moving a muscle, savoring her legs tangled in his. “If you want me to put you to bed, there’s more than one way to do that.”

“But only one way I really want you tonight.”

“Tonight? There are other ways you want me on other nights…”

“Mmmhm, Friday night? You free?”

“It’s a date, sweetheart.” The banter was sleepy, but Bucky’s hips were already lifting off the mattress and his arm around her waist pinned her there to take each eager thrust.

What had started slow and sweet, evolved into deep and needy, now found an impassioned second wind. He worshiped her mouth, the tip of his tongue brushing across the roof and before he could have the audacity to take it from her, she nipped, and caressed his tongue with hers. Then Rosemarie worshiped his chest, arms, and stomach; pushing against him as she rocked her hips with every movement across his skin. He gave it to her again, deep thrusts, fervent even, and he pulled her mouth to his. “Good girl! So eager for another orgasm. Been a while since someone gave this pretty pussy the attention it deserves?” Her tired frame dropped slowly over him and he held her close on top of him, one hand brushing her hair as he still pinned her down at the waist as he claimed her. “I hear those tired moans, Sugar. I’m gonna put you to bed real soon. I want to hear it one more time. Say my name, roll those soft hips against me and say it.”

Her bedsheets were held in her fists, anything for further friction. They both got it and as she tightened around him she begged, sticky with sweat, sore and breathless, and still wanting. “Come with me, Bucky. I want to feel you throbbing inside me again. Bucky. Buck,” she was so close, panting, “Buck, don’t stop.”

Bucky tangled himself in her and gave her what she begged for, finishing deep inside of Rosemarie as her legs shook around him and her arms gave out, every muscle in her body vibrating. “Good girl. Now close those pretty eyes and get some sleep, okay?”

Though she nodded sleepily, her head almost incapable of being picked up from his chest, she mustered final exhausted chatter, “One last kiss and a promise you’ll stay?”

Again, he granted her request and she hummed at the sensation of his scruff on his chin. He smiled, satisfied, and finding her quiet verbalization of pleasure a sweet surprise he changed his mind about slipping out as soon as she fell asleep. “I’ll stay a bit, sweetheart. I gotta get your stuff from Nat’s before you have to head to work, but I’ll be here when you get up.”

She yawned, the word stay a soft echoing plea in her head that never passed her lips. Bucky reached over and pulled the blankets across them as Rosemarie already started to shiver. Typically he found the serum’s endurance enhancement’s side effect of insomnia infuriating, but tonight he was grateful for it. Watching her sleep in his arms like she needed him, clinging to his body every time he sighed or moved an inch. Then, despite usually only needing a few hours of shut eye a week, he drifted off into an unheard of peaceful, dreamless sleep. The last thing on his lips was a kiss to her temple and on his mind, no idea how he’d make it to Friday.

INTRO . CHAPTER 2 (Coming Soon!)

Taglist: @caplanbuckybarnes​

[captain-magikarp]

Burnt Stuffing || Gabby, Vic, Quinn, Micah, Ryder, Gio, Charlie, & Daniel

It had been a minute since Vic and Gabby hung out. Sure, they texted and talked whenever Gabby came by the place. Heck, Vic even pretended to rent out books for the boys just so he could say hi to his librarian boyfriend… But was he Vic’s boyfriend? They never said anything about that. All they did was kiss on Halloween. That could have just been a one time thing, though. Maybe after that, they’d never kiss again. Maybe Vic was just getting ahead of himself too. They had kissed… They were talking… Taking it slow?  He wasn’t used to the whole love thing so it was hard to control his jitters. How did him and Gabby date in high school without Vic feeling as nervous as he did now? Maybe he took what they had for granted back then.

It was definitely a good sign that Gabby invited Vic and the boys to Thanksgiving at his sister-in-law’s place. It was so nerve-wrecking, but Vic was determined to not mess things up. He usually kept the restaurant open on Thanksgiving. Lonely guests would rely on his place on the day… But he closed it on the holiday for the first time ever. What would happen to old man Harry who loved his conversations with Micah on holidays? Micah and Daniel were always super welcoming to lonely guests that came to the place. The old folks would always gravitate toward Micah or Daniel to talk about their stories, especially because they listened and were super engaged in their conversations. Poor Harry...

Usually Vic would make a big deal about closing the restaurant, mostly because he cared for his guests, but this was one of the first times he actually thought about himself instead. He always worked to help others, but after reuniting with Gabby he began to realize that he never did anything for himself. It was finally time to do something that he wanted to do without having to worry about anyone else. When Gabby asked Vic to join, he instantly dropped everything.

As their rickety car pulled up to the house with Vic and the boys, Vic’s innards instantly collapsed. The house was one of those normal houses, but it was nice. If it was any other house, he wouldn’t give two shits, but because it was connected to Gabby somehow...Gabby’s sister-in-law’s house… an attorney’s house.. he was frightened. Did everyone look presentable? Did anyone have BO? Vic frowned, taking a look at all three boys individually. His eyes darted toward Micah. “You showered, right?” Vic asked like it was an interrogation. 

“Yes, I showered, jeez,” Micah let out, throwing his hands up in frustration. Because Vic was super jittery the entire day, Micah was pretty annoyed. “You really need a chill pill.” 

Micah couldn’t understand why he was being accused of smelling. Micah looked presentable too. Or so he thought. He was forced by Vic to wear a button up shirt lent to him by Gio. In his humble opinion, he looked worse than he would have if he wore a regular shirt. Gio’s shirt was kind of big on Micah. Gio had big arms! Kind of... It was like the shirt was insulting him every second saying that Micah had like zero muscle. Which wasn’t true… but also kind of true. It’s not like he played football like Gio. To make things look better, he rolled up the sleeves like some 1950s greaser… which probably looked a little silly, but whatever. They were just visiting Gabby’s family, right? They wouldn’t care.

Mich sighed as he unbuckled his seatbelt and attempted to get out of the car with a pumpkin pie in hand. As he waited outside of the car he subtly sniffed his armpits to see if he actually smelled. He didn’t… But thanks to Vic, that’s all he was going to think about. 

After everyone was out of the car, Vic walked up to Micah, spritzing him with some cologne before they started walking toward the house.

Micah rolled his eyes. “I find it funny how much you think I smell, when really you’re the big stinker.”

“Aye, watch your mouth..,” Vic said as he tossed the cologne back into the car.

Micah shook his head as they all began to approach the house in business casual fashion.

So many thoughts began to race through Vic’s head as they got closer to the house. Did they all look ridiculous? Were they overdressed? Micah’s shirt looked a little weird on him. Vic felt bad that they all had to share clothes sometimes. It wouldn’t have been that expensive to get all of them decent button ups… He thought Micah had one though? He could have sworn he got him one for his high school graduation.. Did he lose it? Vic was starting to think about everyone else again… It was those kinds of thoughts that made him more nervous. But was he wrong to worry? He didn’t want anyone thinking he was a bad parent. 

The butterflies in his stomach began to go crazy as he rang the doorbell and waited for the door to open up. In his mind, Gabby was going to be the one to open the door. He was prepared for it and even practiced how he would say hi to him in the mirror at home. He was more than prepared for this moment. 

As the door cracked open, Vic’s smile grew. He took a deep breath and was about to let out his greeting, until he was faced with some loud curly haired kid. A look of disappointment swept over Vic’s face as this kid began to talk. He seemed to know the boys though… but he also just really wished the kid would shut up so he could see Gabby. God, how could he be so selfish though? Daniel really lit up when he saw the kid. Was this the guy he was going on about? The one he was always hanging out with? Daniel’s happiness meant a lot to Vic… to the whole family, really. Vic let out a grin as he watched them chat up a storm together. 

“Okay, guys. This intro’s too long… I’m gonna go inside now,” Micah let out as he gently slid his way past Charlie and Daniel. Gio then followed behind. 

When Vic was about to move past them, Daniel threw his hand onto Vic’s shoulder to introduce him to the loud kid.

“This is my dad, Vic,” Daniel revealed with a big smile on his face.

As much as Vic wanted to get past them, he couldn’t help but take in the moment in front of him. He couldn’t remember a time where any of the boys introduced him as their dad to their friends. It was always awkward when they had to introduce him cause they never knew what to call him. Was he an uncle? A guardian person? A dad? Vic’s smile grew ten times bigger after being introduced as a dad. “Hey,” Vic said as he nodded toward the curly haired kid. 

Micah and Gio walked into the home together, only to run into Ryder who had just turned the corner and almost ran into them. Wasn’t this the guy that Gio had a thing for? A very rare occasion. What was he doing here though? What was Charlie doing here? Wasn’t this Gabby’s sister-in-law’s place? Embarrassing enough… everyone was dressed casually compared to them. Micah knew that they should have dressed in normal clothes. 

“Uh…” Micah let out, patting Gio on the back for support as he tightly held onto the pumpkin pie.

Gio’s stomach dropped to the floor as his crush stood right in front of him. Last thing Gio knew was that he kind of messed things up. What was he gonna say? Sorry? That would feel weird because it wasn’t something to really say sorry for, but at the same time it was. 

“Hi,” Gio swallowed his greeting as his eyes shifted to the floor.

Silence.

“I’m Micah,” Micah let out, trying to ease the awkwardness lingering in the situation.

Gio cleared his throat, walking away from the two. Gio wasn’t always the best at social interactions, especially with his crush… Especially when he kind of messed things up. 

Micah, not knowing what to do, started to panic and began talking about random stuff. He even started sharing random facts that Daniel told him, which he was sure was probably making things a lot worse. “... And well, legend has it, the pretzel was invented by some monk in Italy a billion years ago… At least, that’s what my brother says… NOT Gio. Gio’s the best socializer out of all of us…” LIES.

“My brother, Daniel.. He likes to share those kinds of things.” As Micah spoke, he rubbed the back of his neck and blinked excessively, making it obvious how nervous he was talking to his brother’s crush. Swimming in a sea of awkwardness, Micah strengthened his grip on the pumpkin pie. “Uh… do you know where I put this?”

As Micah and Ryder spoke, Gio introduced himself to new people. After, he went to sit alone on a couch, just watching whatever was already playing on the tv. Trying his best to distract himself with the show he was watching, he didn’t realize his brunette crush approaching. The moment Ryder was close enough to him, Gio jumped, not expecting anyone--especially Ryder--to be there.

“You scared me,” Gio smiled, but forcefully made his grin disappear. “Hi…”

[everysongineverykey]

Glam, Glitter, and Goblins

So! My kotlc secret santa was @ladystinaheks, who mentioned liking awesome dresses and the color blue, so here's a little fanfic about the kotlc girls being introduced to human dresses that i hope you'll enjoy! (I wanted the title to be a pun on the name of some fashion show but couldn't think of anything lol)

"Well?" pressed Sophie excitedly. "What do you guys think?"

The looks on the girls' faces were those of a group of people who had just been introduced to a wildly new style and did not know what to think. Sophie knew that much without having to read their minds. Her desire to belong was still strong enough that if even one of her friends decided they didn't like their dress, she'd cry.

Ro watched it all with an amused smile on her face. Sophie hadn't told her about her gift yet.

"It's..."

All eyes turned to Linh, who was holding up her simple blue sleeveless robe. It didn't go past her knees, useful for moving around in, but probably unlike anything Linh or any of the other girls had seen before, let alone worn. She stared into the mirror, holding it against her chest, passing her eyes over it again and again, evidently trying to find the right word.

"It's definitely... shorter than what I normally wear," she said tentatively, quickly smiling over at Sophie. "But I can get used to it."

"So you like it?" Sophie asked eagerly.

"Well, I- I'll know when I put it on. But it's making a good first impression, yeah, definitely."

Sophie beamed as Linh sidled into the bathroom to try it on.

"You know," said Stina thoughtfully, pulling her human dress over her tunic and watching the way it swished when she turned, "I never expected something so weirdly..."

She paused, staring at her reflection and scrunching up her nose.

"Simple?" tried Sophie.

"....Eeeyeah," agreed Stina slowly. "That. But also elaborate."

Sophie looked at Stina in her floor-length sky-blue prom-ish dress and decided she agreed. It was plain by elvin standards, but the embroidery around the collarbone and shoulder area definitely added a spark of elfin pizzazz.

"It's... yeah. Plain, but it tries. It's not bad, actually. This is what human women wear every day?"

"That?" Sophie had to laugh. The thought of Amy and her human mother drifting around the house in prom dresses all the time was honestly hilarious. Amy didn't even like dresses that long anymore- she'd grown out of that phase by the age of eleven, apparently. "No, definitely not."

This response elicited looks of confusion from all of the girls.

"So then, what do they wear?" Biana chimed in.

Sophie opened her mouth to tell her the truth, but then closed it as a clever lie occurred to her.

"You won't believe this," Sophie began mischievously, "But they actually wear weird Halloween costumes most days. Mostly ducks, clowns, dinosaurs, that kind of stuff."

"Really?" asked Ro eagerly from across the room. "Oh, man. I mean, that's probably not true. But oh man, I wish it was."

"It is true," Sophie insisted. "It started out as a jokey fad in the eighties, but it took off, and now it's commonplace to walk down a street in any country and see women all around dressed up as princesses."

"Ha!" snorted Maruca. "You're lying. Halloween? Isn't that that weird holiday you have where you disguise yourselves and ask strangers for candy? I'm calling your bluff. What are these even for if they're not everyday wear?"

Sophie tried to keep a straight face, but gave up once she saw Biana smirking at her. "Yeah. Okay. You're right. I'm lying. Yeah, no, the dresses I gave you guys are mostly just formal wear. Except for Linh's- speak of the angel-" (Linh had just appeared from the bathroom clad in her new dress) "- Linh's, Marella's, and Grizel's. Those are technically sundresses. They're common on hot days, but-"

"Wait," Biana cut in, "You mean this is what humans wear to important occasions?"

She held up her dress, which wasn't really a dress so much as it was a shoulderless mini dark blue top covered in sequins accompanied by a floor-length ruffled skirt, also navy blue. It classified as a prom dress, though.

"Eh, that one's technically supposed to be worn to prom- which is this big fancy high school dance that basically all human schools have- but yeah, it could definitely work for a fashion show or something. Don't you like it?"

"Like it?" repeated Biana incredulously. "I mean... yeah, of course I like it, but it's way too... plain for stuff like formal dances or whatever."

Sophie was unable to control her laughter. Of course they would find these tame. Why hadn't she predicted this? She debated telling them about what humans wore for relaxed occasions. "Oh, my god. You know that's one of the most expensive on the market, right? That's supposed to be the most extravagant prom dress out there, and you're calling it... plain."

She couldn't see Biana's face, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

"If that's formal," Marella demanded, "If mine's formal, then what's casual??"

"Oh, god..." Sophie wiped away a tear. "Most human women usually just wear shirts and pants."

Silence.

"Shirts and pants," said Linh weakly, reminding everyone she was still there. "That's what you wear every day."

"That's why you were complaining about having to wear dresses when you first got here," Biana whispered. "Oh, wow. What a life to live. And that's not considered... weird or anything?"

"Believe it or not," Sophie giggled, "Human women spent the better part of history fighting for the right to wear pants. There's no concept of d-" her voice degraded into laughter again as she tried to enunciate "dress nobility".

"Huh," said Maruca plainly. "That's hard to imagine. Then what I'm wearing is fancy to you?"

She did a little twirl in her incredible outfit. It was navy blue, floor-length, covered head to toe in sparkles, fully sleeved with the fabric at the bottom spiraling out in a circle. Sophie nodded, still smiling. Maruca looked like a literal goddess- then again, all the girls did.

"Well," said Grizel, speaking up for the first time that afternoon, "I quite like mine- even if it isn't exactly what we wear at home."

Grizel's dress had been difficult to find, but it was very elegant- a dark blue maxi dress covered in blue and white flowers. Sophie was rather proud of her choice.

"I like mine, too," added Marella, "Though I think red and orange would go better with my aesthetic. But yeah. I like it. Blue at the chest, white everywhere else? It's nice. A little plain, but they all are."

"I'm so glad," Sophie smiled.

"And I'm glad I didn't get one," Ro said. "You elves might be all for frills and sparkles, but I'm content to sit out. But it was fun watching the girls adjust to a lack of glitter. Thanks for this, Blondie." She clapped Sophie on the shoulder.

"Actually," Sophie said confidently, "I've got something for you, too."

Ro stopped in her tracks, looking at Sophie like she had just sprayed her with glitter.

"Ex-cuse me?" she said as politely as possible.

"Oh, you're in for it now," chuckled Grizel.

"What?" Ro looked like she could kill Sophie right there. "Blondie. No. You didn't."

"Don't worry," laughed Sophie. "It's not what you think. Here. At least take a look." She handed Ro a plain white box, the same one that the others had come in.

Ro took one look at the box, took it warily, then looked down at Sophie menacingly.

"Listen here, kid, if this has even one sequin on it, you'll know exactly how much flesh-eating bacteria I've been growing."

"Oh, I'd like to help with that if there is," offered Grizel excitedly before being shushed by Marella. Everyone was crowded around the poor ogre by now, craning their necks to see the box's contents.

Ro shot Sophie a warning look, then lifted the lid and pulled out, to everyone's surprise, a leather jacket.

"See, I'm not that stupid," said Sophie as Ro pulled it over her shoulders and took a look in the mirror.

"Huh. Well. It's a lot more lowkey than everything else I've seen today. But..." she paused, as if lost in thought. "But it's not bad. Tasteful. Like everything else, a little plain. But cool. Cool. Alright, you've escaped punishment this time, Blondie, but I'll be on the lookout."

"I'm sure you will," said Sophie teasingly. "And you look good. By any standards. You all do."

It was true. They were all stunning- well, more than usual, anyway.

"Funny," said Marella. "If this is female fashion, then men's couture must be, I mean, just like this. Right?"

Sophie didn't have the heart to tell them about the intensely boring suits men wore for formal occasions. It would, she supposed, have to wait another day.

[peaches-of-1]

Peachtober | Day 19: Childhood

Summary: As one of the members of a very popular performing arts middle school in Seoul, you have long decided not to try to be anything above average. The middle of the back was your home and you had never felt like moving until now. In your 12th year of life, your very popular

Reader Gender: N/A

Now you were a shy human. Not just an introvert, but you did your best to stay under the radar at all costs. Maybe you were the smartest in a certain subject, but you didn’t want to get that academic recognition. You just wanted to get through middle school as quickly as possible, then get through high school, and then go to a college in a different country. Some people wanted to make an impact in the world. Become a legend. Leave their mark.

All you wanted to do was survive.

And maybe get asked to the Costume Dance by Park Kangdae. His name really made sense as not only was he the cutest and most smart and kind boy in school, but his father was Park Jimin, a former idol. You stared as you changed your shoes to the school issued ones since he passed by. However he himself was nothing like his father, not super bubbly and cute but the complete opposite. A Bad Boy of sorts.

Infamous. Often got in trouble for not wearing a belt or not tucking in his shirt, but you adored him still. His hair was longer than most too. He was different. He stood out. He was beautiful and smart, a hard worker, but also way out of your league. Kangdae swore like a sailor no matter if teachers were around or not, but never ever in front of his father. All respect was to be earned with him.

“You know he’s not that big of a deal.” Said Chwe Sanghee, the daughter of Yoo Jeongyeon and Chwe Vernon.

It was no surprise that famous children were going to this school as it was a middle school designed to create future idols and actors. Generation after generation of idol families went here in the hope to recreate the success their parents had or even surpass them. There were a few exceptions, like you. However, you were glad that you didn’t come from a famous family because it made it easier to blend in to be average.

Heh, to be average in a school of born celebrities. This was reflected in every aspect of the school as nothing was broken for too long and the technology inside was nothing but top of the line, state of the art. All the programs on it also very expensive and paid for by the school. The building itself was also very nice. Always clean and spotless because it had janitors unlike most schools where the students were in charge of keeping it clean.

Not to mention the uniforms. Royal purple and the blazers were made out of silk. They were very genderfluid and the rules didn’t dictate who could and could not wear a skirt or pants which meant you wore pants all the time unless they started to chafe or annoy you. Also, the freedom of a skirt was fun. Of course, the shorts underneath were up to the students but had to be black. The socks that went into your school loafers had to be white, mostly white, or black.

Sanghee bent this rule to her will by wearing white socks with ribbons built into the design while you opted for regular white ankle high socks. Average. Kangdae always wore black socks.

“I heard he sticks gum underneath his desk.”

“He would never!” You said. “He’s way too nice for that.” you said as you threw your backpack over your shoulder.

“Well, it’s what I heard.” She replied.

You rolled your eyes, “Sanghee, you should be more careful about saying stuff like that. It could ruin his career before it’s even started. He could start being known for not caring about the property of others and then people will label him a delinquent and no one wants to work with a delinquent.”

Your long time friend pinched your cheek, “Cute little worry wort.”

At lunch, you sat with the brown haired beauty and couldn’t help but stare at the boy who had recently dyed his hair blue to play “Flounder” in the My Little Mermaid Jr. musical we were doing soon. He wanted to be an actor like his uncles Taehyung and Jin even though they weren’t his uncles by blood. A foreign girl with curly hair had gotten red braids put into her hair in order to play Ariel. She sat next to him, blocking your view of him.

You leaned over and nearly fell out of your chair, but Sanghee held you up, “I swear, Y/N. You should just ask him to the Halloween Dance since your crush on him is so big!”

“What? No? I...I couldn’t dare ask him to go with a nobody like me.” You said. “Anyways, he’s too popular. I can’t hang out with too many popular people or I might actually get noticed by people.”

“Do you honestly want to play a background character for the rest of your life?” The asked.

You nodded as if the answer obvious, “Yeah. I don’t have any too high expectations, and I make everything feel complete. That’s good enough for me.”

She sighed, “I don’t understand you, Bean Paste.” your friend called you the affectionate nickname because you had chosen it as a group name in elementary school for a sports competition. “But I respect ya.”

Then she ate the pizza crust you didn’t like because it was always too burnt. You asked how she did on the recent test and of course she landed in the top ten. As predicted, you had gotten 50th spot but were so close in getting 48 because of Lee Yun not doing as well as usual. Middle of the pack was the perfect place for you. However, you couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to spend one day with Kangdae.

Because of a bet you lost with your friend Sunghee, you would be going to the Costume Dance with her. Couple costumes but you got to choose what the two of you would be dressing up as. Because you had been into indie games as of late, you chose to be Sans from Undertale with Sunghee being Frisk. There was one thing that would make your outfit different than what you were hoping because of the theme this year was ‘Formal’

So, you simply wore your school dress shirt since it was white and a blue blazer with black shorts. White shoes and socks and then you painted a skeleton upon your face with your father’s help. Sunghee showed up in a blue and purple striped long sleeve dress with a layered skirt, blue tights and brown heels on. Her already brown hair was made short with the use of bobby pins and hair gel. You have her the locket from the game you had gotten after months of searching.

Because the person you were dressing up as had no hair, you simply slicked and pulled your hair back to make it smooth and flat. It’d be quite a bit of trouble to get it out later, but that was later. Your other father took your pictures and then sent you off with Sunghee’s butler. She was a nice 30 year old that had worked for her family for some time now because her parents were so busy.

When they were home, they did their best to spend time with their little girl. They would build collections to make sure they never felt too far away. Every once in a while, she’d get a seashell or a leaf from whatever country her parents were in at the time. Paris, New York, Vietnam, Egypt. They were all labelled in her bedroom too, type and year.

Soon enough, you were at the dance and sitting on the bleachers. Sunghee was talking with her other friends somewhere. This was the only downfall of not being known by many people and only having one friend, you felt rather lonely. Part of you wanted to go out and dance with someone, grab them by the hand and have a bit of fun. However, you were afraid.

“Hey, Sans?” Someone called.

You looked up and it was a young man dressed in a formal white suit with a red cape and matching boots. There was a blue and yellow cummerbund around his waist. Red gloves. Whoever it was, they were dressed as Papyrus!

“Can we take a picture together? Sunghee said this was your idea.” You knew that voice anywhere. Even in the dark room with blinding lights that rotated and the music being way too loud, you knew that it was Park Kangdae.

You just nodded and he sat next to you, taking his phone out. The both of you smiled and he took a few pics in succession. Then he asked if you wanted to dance. You nodded and he brought you to the middle of the dancefloor. Your heart couldn’t believe it. Actually getting to dance with your crush to mediocre pop music.

“Hey, by the way, what’s your name. Sunghee just said you were her friend.” He said brashly but that was just his way of talking.

“It’s Y/N.” You replied.

He moved his face closer to your’s, “WHAT?”

“Y/N!” You said louder. “Y/F/N, we have acting together.”

“Right, you play singing coral in the musical, don’t you?”

“Y-yeah, that’s me.”

Kangdae smiled and chuckled, “You’re really good at dancing in that dumb costume they have you in. I thought you were really cute during dress rehearsal on Wednesday when you rolled your eyes when Kim Heechul’s grandson messed up his line.”

He thought you were cute when you rolled your eyes!

“Oh, um. Th-thank you.” You replied, blushing. “I think you should have gotten the part of Prince Eric.”

You felt like you were standing out too much, but you wanted to talk to him since he was here dancing with you.

“Me too, but my cousin is more popular than I am. It’s no surprise that he got that part.” He replied.

His cousin was of course the child of Kim Namjoon’s first wife. She was like me, not a fan of the spotlight but in love with someone who lived in it. What was I thinking? I was only 12. Twelve year olds couldn’t be in love, could we? I just really really REALLY like Kangdae. He seemed to not hate me since we talked and danced for a few more songs together.

He even talked to me the days after the Dance. Although he knew I didn’t like being known, I told him the truth. It wasn’t so bad if he was the one who got to know me. He was really kind despite what everyone seemed to think Kangdae didn’t make me interact with others if I didn’t want to. His friends were nice too.

Maybe, just maybe if it was just a few people who knew me, it would be ok. I used to be scared to be known by anyone. Then Sunghee happened. Now Kangdae happened. Two other friends happened too. Right before Kangdae’s dad came to pick him up in person after the last play rehearsal before tomorrow’s show, he handed me a folded up note.

I opened it in the back of my dad’s car.

He liked me?

[lovemesomesurveys]

Do you and your parents like any of the same bands/singers? Yeah. My mom and I like a lot of the same music. Is there any food in your bedroom? What? No. Do you know anyone who has road rage? Who? My dad. How expensive is too expensive for a pair of shoes? I can’t believe people pay $100 and more on shoes. $50 something is about my limit, and that’s expensive, too. To be honest, my more expensive shoes, like my Adidas, were gifts. How far away do your grandparents live from you? It’s about a 12 hour or so drive. We’ve made that trip a few times and it’s torture. 

What kinds of cereal are in the cupboard? I’m actually not sure. I haven’t had cereal in so long so I don’t pay much attention. Is there anything related to cats in your bedroom? Nope. What’s the last thing you spent over 10$ on? Starbucks. Over 30$? A present for my mom. Do you know who lives three houses down from you? Nope. I don’t know any of my neighbors. Do you think Canadians all really love maple syrup? Can you answer this, Lane? Haha. Is there a bulletin board in your room? Yes. Is your mom a big health freak or your dad? Or neither? My dad is a big snacker and he loves his sweets, so definitely not him haha. My mom avoids sugary things as a diabetic and tries to eat healthy. She and my brother are really into cauliflower mashed “potatoes” and “rice.” Her weakness is tacos. Easter or Halloween? I like both. Do you know anyone who wants to be the president one day? Nope. What kinds of chips are in the cupboards? I think we have some Pringles. Do you have your moms or dads hair? I have my mom’s natural hair color, but not style. Her hair is actually really curly, while mine is wavy.  What’s the first thing you see when you walk into your bedroom? My TV. Do you prefer the truth, even if it’s harsh? I guess. :X ha. It’s definitely hard to hear and I’m a sensitive soul. If you were going out with your celebrity crush, what would you wear? Omg. I couldn’t let him see me like this, I am an absolute mess. I’d have to get all fixed up first and then pick something nice. I would DIE if he saw me now. Have you ever skipped history class? In college sometimes. Do you own any yellow clothes? Yeah. Do you have any friends who have naturally red hair? No, but I have a cousin who does. Have you ever cried when a teacher retired? Not for that reason, but I cried at the end of the school year in 4th grade because my teacher wasn’t going to be my teacher anymore. He was everyone’s favorite. It was really cool; though, because he ended up teaching 8th grade and so I got to have him again when I got there.  Does your kitchen look like it was designed in a completely different decade? No. When’s the last time you wore heels? Never. Do you have your mom’s or dad’s eyes? My mom’s. Is there anything shiny in the room you’re in? Yeah. What’s the best date movie? Hmm. I don’t know. I am a sucker for the romantic comedies, though. How long has your current best friend been your best friend? All my life. Have your parents ever been out of the country? Yes. My mom has been to Italy, which I’m quite envious of. Are you older than the last person you laughed with? No. How many pairs of jeans, all together, are in your house? Pfft I don’t know. There’s 4 adults living here and we all wear jeans. We each have several pairs. Do you swear and yell while playing video games? No. Would you rather name your daughter Andrea or Eva? Andrea. Is there any alcohol in the fridge? I don’t think so. If you had to get up at 6am tomorrow morning, would it be painful? It absolutely would be. I don’t even go to bed until like 2 or 3 as it is. Have you ever seen the last person you watched TV with drunk? Yes. If you were adopted, would you want to know? At this point... no. Has a best friend ever ditched you for a girlfriend/boyfriend? Yes.

Would you rather get a new brother or sister? I’m almost 30 now, I’m pretty much good on siblings. My mom couldn’t have any more kids anyway. Unless she adopted, of course. It would be weird to have a baby in the house. My younger brother is almost 21, so it’s been a long time. Do you know anyone who has grossly skinny eyebrows? No. Do you have anything in your room you’ve had for ten years or more? Yeah, a lot of things. Do your pets chase after bugs? No. Would you ever kiss the last person who messaged you on facebook/MSN/etc? No. Do eat at home or in restaurants more? We get takeout to eat at home a lot. 

When’s the last time you were so excited you couldn’t sleep? Why? It’s been a long time since I haven’t been able to sleep for that reason. Audrey Hepburn or Audrey Kicthing? Hepburn.  Do you e-mail more often then you talk on MSN/AIM? I often check my email, but I don’t send any. I haven’t used AIM since like 2009. If your best friend’s birthday was next week, what would you get them? A couple Game of Thrones shirts. What is your mom’s favorite movie? She has a lot. How much older is your dad then you? He’s 28 years older than me.

What TV family reminds you of your own family? I don’t know.

Do you own any flip-flops? Nope. I don’t wear flip flops or sandals.

Did you ever really believe that the stork brought babies? I don’t think I ever thought that.

Are there any drawers in your house that are just filled with junk? Yeah. We have that designated kitchen junk drawer that a lot of people seem to have, but I personally have a few junk drawers in my room. My parents have theirs, too.

Is the last person you spoke to in love? Not that I know of.

How far away is Chicago from where you live? It would be a 31 hour drive. I would definitely be flying should I ever go to Chicago. 

Do you know anyone who always looks perfect? Who? I think my mom does. She’s always had really nice skin and looks great with or without makeup. I didn’t inherit that at all. Do you know anyone who has security cameras in their house? Yeah.

Do you think Zac Efron is really that good looking? Not really, honestly.

What was the last movie to make you cry? Endgame. D:

Has anyone you know ever pulled the fire alarm in school, joking around? No.

What time do you usually go to sleep at sleepovers, if ever? I was always the last one to fall asleep and the first to wake up. I hardly slept at all.

Who was the main character in the last book you read? This girl named Althea. 

Is the last person you said goodbye to single? No. Who are the last people you saw kiss? My parents. Have you ever posted a fan fiction on a website? Nope.  Do you ever fantasize about your future wedding? Who’s the bride/groom? No. I can’t see myself ever getting married, honestly.  Chapstick or lipgloss? Nowadays just chapstick. What was the last unpleasant thing to wake you up? My nightmare last night. Do you have any friends who are ALWAYS kissing their bf/gf? No. Does that get annoying? Uhh it would get uncomfortable and awkward. Would you rather look at clouds or stars? Stars. If you could trade appearances with the last person you hugged, would you? Yes. Do you have any relatives who are expecting a baby really soon? No. Do you ever wonder what the opposite sex do at sleepovers? Nope. When you get married, who will be the maid of honor/best man? Like I said, I probably won’t ever get married. Does your best friend get along with their parents? She did, yes. Unfortunately, they both have passed away. If you were to walk to Florida from where you live, would it take long? Uh, yeah. I live in California. Not happening. I’d never even attempt to walk to next closest city to me. Omg, according to Google it would take 885 hours to walk to Florida. :O  Do you understand why ‘To kill a mockingbird’ is called what it is? I don’t remember why, so I Googled it cause now I’m curious and apparently “Mockingbirds” symbolize innocence, so it’s “to kill innocence.” When’s the last time you broke plans? Why? I haven’t made any plans in such a long time. My friends kept trying for so long, but eventually they gave up cause I’m a mess. Have you ever been in a wedding? What were you? No. Would you feel safer with an alarm system or security cameras? We have both. Does the last person you touched smoke? No. Do you know someone who is CONSTANTLY texting? Does that annoy you? My brother is always texting, but no it doesn’t annoy me. Does it matter to you what kind of shampoo you use? I use a salon style shampoo for red colored hair.

[seashanties-and-tales-blog]

Mirio proposing to his gf on Christmas with a puppy. He seems like the type to do some super cute shit like that.

The lights have been hanged up. The Christmas tree: thoroughly decorated. Holiday cookies? Made. You and your boyfriend, high school sweetheart, and personal hero Mirio have been spending all month preparing for Christmas.

No, you aren’t throwing any sort of big party - that was for Christmas Eve yesterday. Now it’s just the two of you on a warm, cozy Christmas morning.

It started with you waking up enveloped in Mirio’s strong, muscular arms, which were splayed loosely over your body. His body warmth was so nice and inviting but unfortunately, Christmas takes precedent over cuddling.

When you tried to get out of bed, he groaned in his sleep and pulled you closer into his chest. Well, maybe just a little longer.

After a minute or so or continued cuddling, Mirio begins to wake up. 

You notice this, and when you do you wrap your arms around his neck and roll him over, sitting on his lap. Mirio lets you do this, tiredly rubbing his sleepy eyes. 

“Get up, lazy man, It’s Christmas.” You say as you place your palms flat against his chest. His chest vibrates beneath your hands as he chuckles, lifting his hands to rest on your waist.

“What, it’s Christmas already? But it was Halloween like, yesterday…” He feigns tiredness as he slurs his speech with a yawn. 

Scoffing, you say, “If you don’t get up, you don’t get the presents I got you.” 

Mirio bursts up from his spot, sitting up with you still in his lap. “I’m up! I’m up.” He laughs as you giggle, holding you up with impressive strength as he stands up from the bed. He holds you by your waist, making you wrap your legs around him for steadiness, as he carries you out.

As you’re carried down the hallway of your shared apartment, you latch onto Mirio’s broad shoulders and bounce along with his steps. Once you reach the living room, there’s the little pile of wrapped presents that you both set down for each other the night before. Unfortunately, the legend of Santa Claus is not alive in this household.

Still, you put on an act as though it is. “Oh wow! I must have been good this year,” you gasp as Mirio sets you down to your feet.

“I would tend to agree,” Mirio grabs you by your hip and pulls you back against him before you can walk away. “Though maybe Santa has a special gift for the times you’ve been naughty.”

You hum and look up at Mirio, who looks so damn happy and cute that his seductive words just make you giggle. Not that you aren’t looking forward to said gift. “Yeah, maybe Santa’s been naughty too.” 

He chuckles and lets you go after you kiss his cheek, walking over to the presents beneath the sparkly tree.

Both you and Mirio are now surrounded by festive Christmas wrapping, torn from the boxes and now laid out on the floor around you. You’re too busy squealing in excitement over the sweater, necklace, book, and other small things that Mirio got you to care. As for Mirio, he greatly appreciates the things that you got him, too - even the Vault Boy t-shirt. Actually, especially the Vault Boy T-shirt. 

However, when Mirio stands and announces that there’s something else, you watch him curiously. “Something else?” You ask, but he simply nods and walks away briskly. 

You’re waiting in anticipation, anxious simply because you’re so excited. When he comes back, he’s holding a box that is suspiciously loud. And large. And it’s barking…

“Oh my god you didn’t…!” You cover your open mouth with your hands, torn between being shocked, ecstatic, and tearful. 

“Ahaha, it’s hard to hide a present that makes noise, you know? And is also alive…” Mirio sets the box carefully down, and when he opens the top, he leans in and pulls out…

“You really got me a puppy! Oh my god, Mirio! It’s so cute! Oh my God!” You immediately run over, carefully taking the small creature into your arms - there’s a bow placed carefully onto the top of the pup’s head and everything.

Mirio can’t help but laugh, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. He acts as though it’s not a big deal, but in actuality seeing you this happy means the world to him. Even better is knowing that he’s the reason - indirectly, that is. 

One could probably argue that the puppy is the reason you’re so happy. Hopefully that won’t be the only reason by the end of the day. 

He watches as you cuddle and fawn over the puppy, who has come to trust and accept your touch with a wagging tail. Mirio didn’t think anything could ever make you cuter, but pair you with a tiny animal and yep, there it is.

So he takes a seat on the carpeted floor beside you, resting his elbows on his knees. Granted, he’s a little nervous. You don’t notice this since you’re so preoccupied, but he is. Once he gathers up the courage, he clears his throat and speaks up. 

“Take a… look at the collar, too. There’s something else.” He says this so timidly that it concerns you for only a moment before you do as he says. 

You steady the wiggling puppy, looking down at the collar. Wrapped around the front of it with a string is a ring. A gorgeous, expensive diamond ring. A ring that looks suspiciously like an engagement ring. “M-Mirio… Is this?” You can’t quite get the words out - in fact your voice was ten times softer than normal too.

Your boyfriend laughs nervously, as you’re so good at making him do, and nods his head. “It is… um, (Y/N),” he scoots in front of you, kneeling down on one knee. He carefully takes the puppy from you and undoes the ring, loosening it from the collar.

Meanwhile, you’re stuck there in shock, watching. You know that he still has to go through the whole formal thing and whatnot, but right now you want to kiss him so badly and just scream ‘yes, yes, a million times yes I love you more than everything in the world’. But you wait.

“So, (Y/N)… You probably could  have guessed by now, but uh… well I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. You’re probably the reason I’m able to get up every morning and smile and just think, you know… ‘I can do it!’.” He pauses for a moment when the puppy jumps in his lap, licking his face. “I wanted to make this Christmas the most memorable one that we get to share together. So it’s more than just Christmas, but it’s the day that I proposed to you and the day that we got this little guy here,” he grins, scratching the puppy behind its ear. “But I hope this memory starts with you saying ‘yes’ because (Y/N), will you marry me?” He holds the ring toward you, and although the heart-felt, genuine speech wasn’t necessary, it sure did mean a lot to hear.

It isn’t that Mirio is expecting you to say no either, that’s not why he’s so nervous. He just can’t help but still feel that small tinge of anxiety. What if you say no? What if you tell  him some big, terrible secret? What if-

“Yes! Of course I’ll marry you!” You leap forward, wrapping your arms around Mirio and effectively knocking the large, muscular man to the floor. You press your lips against his, kissing him deeply over and over again as he laughs. So he had nothing to worry about after all. 

His arms go around your waist, hugging you tightly. All the sudden excitement has caused the puppy to jump around you, wagging its tail and barking happily. By the time you finally stop showering Mirio in kisses, he’s able to slip the ring onto your finger. 

“I was kinda worried, you know,” he says, grinning up at you. 

“I could tell. It was very cute.” Your joy is audible through your voice - and by the look in your eyes, since you can’t stop staring down at your ringed finger. “This is so beautiful… I love you so much. Guess I’m Mrs. Togata now, huh?”

Mirio hums happily, taking your hand in his and lacing your fingers together. “Hmm I like the sound of that. Say it again?”

“Mrs. Togata.”

“Again…” He rolls you over onto your back, laying half way on top of you. 

“Mrs. Togata.” 

He laughs, kissing your lips sweetly. “I love you too, Mrs. Togata.”

[purplesurveys]

1101

survey by -lastcall

has anyone ever told you they would never leave, and did? Yeah, I’ve definitely heard that before.

do you worry too often? Yup, about every small and big thing possible.

do you still speak with the person you fell hardest for? Not anymore. I don’t know if we still will; it’s very hard to picture her entirely out of my life considering how valuable I continue to find the friendship we shared and everything we went through. But she made a big decision, and the whole fallout is her choice; if she wishes to reconnect, she’s going to have to do it all by herself this time. I’m not expecting anything any time soon, but she is open to do so if she wants to.

when you get old, will you live in a nursing home? I’m personally open to it. Where I live, children traditionally take in their elderly parents into their homes when they’re no longer able to take care of themselves, but idk when it comes to my own future, I think I’ll be fine in one as long as the facilities are top-notch and the staff are caring.

do you wear any rings on a normal basis? I have not worn a ring in years.

do you like getting pictures taken, or are you the photographer? I like looking at photos and seeing people’s memories, lol. I’m a terrible photographer, and I’m awkward in front of the camera. That’s why I don’t have a lot of photos of myself in general.

who has seen you at your worst? Gabie.

what/who makes you laugh more than anything? These days it’s Cooper and watching 2 Days 1 Night. As for a person...can’t really think of anyone. Hans, maybe. Or Angela.

do you remember who you liked this time last year? Of course. One year isn’t too long a time.

what color is your alarm clock? I don’t have one; the alarm I use is built into my phone.

do you look older than your age? I look considerably younger and get ID’d all the time.

what color is your hair? have you ever colored it? It’s black, and no I’ve never had it dyed.

does your family put up christmas trees during the season? As in, during the holiday season? Yes we do, but only one tree lol.

what did you ask for, for christmas? I was a little modest in the gifts I asked for last year because 1) I was already earning my own money and didn’t see the point in asking for expensive gifts I could afford anyway, and 2) the pandemic. I just asked for Fruittella, a bag of my favorite bubblegum, a corkboard, and Post-Its.

what car do you drive/plan on driving? I currently have a Mitsubishi Mirage, but I would love to own a Mini.

when was the last time you were honestly surprised? Monday when I watched Edge win the Royal Rumble match. I’m totally not complaining; he got his career taken away from him a decade ago so I’m more than happy he’s been allowed to be in the ring again and pick up where he left off.

when it is your birthday, do you have parties? No. My last party was on my 7th birthday...I prefer having intimate celebrations with close friends.

do you remember what you were for halloween when you were 8? I probably went as a pirate or something similarly generic. Didn’t care too much for Halloween as a kid.

what should you be doing right now? I shouldn’t have this tab open because I should be at work, lmao.

do you consider yourself social, or total hermit crab? I can be both. Things like this aren’t black and white. I’m definitely craving social interactions these days, though.

where did you get the shirt you are wearing? I have no idea. I think my mom got it for me just cos she thought it looked nice.

is there a promise you would risk your life to keep? I don’t think so.

doesssssssss ittttt botherrrr youuuuuu whenn peopleee wriite likeee thisss? If done excessively, maybe. Every now and then, not really.

when was the last time you sneezed? Earlier when I brought Cooper to my room.

how long does it take for you to get ready in the morning? ‘Getting ready’ doesn’t really happen in the Covid era anymore...if anything, I usually wake up at around 6:30, and then I either fall back asleep or try to properly wake up until 8, which is when I have to get up to start work.

look to your right, what do you see? I can see Kimi on the floor, and my window.

will you save this survey to your profile? :) I always save my surveys on this blog; that is why I have this blog.

have you ever been in a hurricane? We call them typhoons over here, but yes; a lot of them too.

when was the last time you gave advice? Idk, it’s probably been a few weeks. These days I’m the one who’s been needing advice, but luckily my friends have been nothing but supportive.

do you tell other people what you honestly think about them? If it comes up, yeah. It rarely does though. Occasionally, my friends and I will also get to talking about our first impressions of one another, or reminisce about past disagreements within the group and what we actually thought of one another when the misunderstanding was taking place.

are you wearing socks? Nopes.

have you ever played dirty santa? No. I’m not sure what this is.

what do you do on christmas eve? do you visit family? We usually visit family, but who we visit differs per year. For 2020, we spent Christmas at my mom’s cousin and her family’s place.

do you catch yourself thinking about the past/present/future the most? These days, the present.

do you have annoying neighbors? I wouldn’t say so. The kids are very loud when they play outside and it can be distracting while I work, but they’re kids so it’s fine and it’s actually great they still play outside in the afternoon.

what was your high school mascot? We didn’t have one.

do you remember who you last slapped? Haven’t slapped anyone other than my brother, when he did the same to me first two years ago.

have you ever back talked your parents? Yeah, I mean I’m an adult with my own thoughts and opinions, so.

do you stand up for what you believe in? Yes.

does you dad still live with you? I live with him, not the other way around.

when is the last time you were actually frightened? Last December when I was walking Cooper and his leash suddenly snapped. 10-12 years ago, back when he was a baby, Kimi was impossible to chase around the neighborhood because he liked to run and he liked to run fast; so I got legit terrified that Cooper would be a pain in the ass to catch as well. To my relief, Cooper only pranced around the street and kept looking back at me as if he wanted me to notice how well-behaved he was, hahaha.

why was the reason you last bled? I had just scratched the skin on my knee too aggressively.

how many times do you blink a day? bahah, kidding. Good. Because I have no idea lmao.

do you wear makeup, everyday? Nope.

whats your name, anyways? Robyn.

[sapphicscholar]

Can hou write something (even a few words) about Sanvers or Director Sanvers not wanting to be touched? Not in a sexual way, I'm talking about a hand on a knee or something like that. You can choose between Alex, Lucy or Maggie. It's just... I'm feeling this way right now. I flinch. I definitely hate this year's holidays.

Hey, of course! I’m sending the best thoughts your way! 

I just posted it on AO3 - http://archiveofourown.org/works/11602002/chapters/30095982

TW for moments of internalized homophobia

Chapter Text:

“I still can’t believe you never saw the original Jumanji,” Maggie gasped, looking over at Alex as though she had been the alien child who crash landed on earth all those years ago.

Alex looked to Lucy for support, but she just shrugged. “I’m just as shocked. My baby bi heart pined after a young Kristen Dunst in that flannel shirt/overall combo for a very long time.”

“Loser,” Maggie teased.

“Please, you had it just as bad.”

“Maybe.” Fixed with the weight of Alex and Lucy’s combined looks of disbeliefs, Maggie finally gave in. “Alright, alright, yes! But she wasn’t particularly high on my list of formative childhood crushes, so…”

“And who might have landed on that list?” Alex asked, a teasing glint in her eye.

“Well obviously there’s Miss Honey. Duh.” Lucy and Alex both nodded in agreement. “Um…oh! Harriet the spy.”

“That why you became a detective, Sawyer?”

“Hush. You two are the ones that demanded answers. Um…I had some confusing crushes on one or two of the Sandlot boys, though looking back on it…I had a wonderful partner while I was in the academy who looked and dressed an awful lot like Yeah-Yeah in their childhood pictures.”

“Oh yes!” Lucy squealed. “Some of those boys were adorable. I think all of my friends and I crushed on the older one…”

Eventually they lapsed into a contented silence, passing around the nearly empty bowl of popcorn until Maggie began the process of cleaning up the pile of blankets and pillows they’d accumulated while watching the movie.

The next day, they piled out of Maggie’s car at the National City mall, willing to brave the crowds to go see the new Jumanji film, though Maggie maintained it would “never be as good as the original.” As they traipsed through the parking lot, Alex shivered and grabbed for Lucy’s hands for warmth, only to find them rebuffed.

“Too cold out,” Lucy muttered, stuffing her hands in her pockets and ducking her head in the wind. She saw the hurt expression in Alex’s eyes, but tried her best to ignore it, unable to deal with whatever conversation it would lead to at the moment.

Once they made it into the mall, they were immediately besieged by crowds—families with crying children, teenagers out of school and hanging out with their friends, young couples still in the thrall of new love and oblivious to the world around them—and jostled closer together. Lucy nearly jumped a foot in the air when Maggie’s arm snaked around her waist, giving her what she supposed was likely meant to be a comforting squeeze. But immediately it felt suffocating, felt ticklish, felt itchy, like her body was rejecting the touch itself.

“Stop,” Lucy hissed, arching her back to get further away from Maggie’s arm, the loose hug feeling like a vice grip around her.

“Okay…” Maggie trailed off. “Sorry.” Shaking her head, she tangled her other hand with Alex’s, figuring it probably had to do with the crowds more than anything else. After all, there were plenty of days Lucy’s heart still raced when they were out and couldn’t see a clear path to an exit, when people brushed up against her with no warning or reason, and Maggie had come to expect it. She and Alex had learned to stand on either side of her when they were out, helping to form a kind of buffer when crowds were bad and her anxiety was acting up. They’d learned that sometimes it helped to walk closer to the perimeter of buildings, rather than cutting straight through the heart of it where the crowds were denser.

Lucy walked a few feet ahead of her girlfriends, taking a moment to breathe deeply, trying to slow her heart rate a little before going into the theater. She was grateful to see that the cinema was crowded, but in an orderly way, the families and couples culled into neat-ish lines and cordoned off with stanchions.

Eying the length of the lines, Maggie volunteered to go get their snacks, while Alex got in line for their tickets and Lucy ran to the bathroom to let cool water run over her wrists—an old trick she had learned for cooling herself down. She wasn’t sure that it actually did anything physically, but the important part was that she believed it worked, so it helped.

By the time she got out of the bathroom, Alex had their tickets, and Maggie was at the counter, picking out an assortment of treats to complement the drinks they’d already shoved into their bags, figuring they would save on half the expenses.

“Hey!” Alex waved, making sure Lucy saw her. “I’m so excited,” Alex gushed. “We haven’t all been together at the movies since our date back around Halloween.” But when her hand settled on Lucy’s hip, Lucy shoved it away.

“Seriously, knock it off,” Lucy snapped. “We’re in public.”

“And?”

“Just—there are kids around,” Lucy huffed.

“It’s not like I’m trying to fuck.” Alex crossed her arms across her chest.

“I just—just stop it, okay?” Lucy felt like the eyes of everyone in the theater were trained on them, could feel her skin still prickling uncomfortably from the heat of Alex’s touch, felt like she needed to wash and scratch at her skin until the feeling disappeared.

“How are my girls doing?” Maggie asked, popping in with a huge tub of popcorn in her arms and a wide grin on her face.

“Not now,” Alex mouthed, sensing that Maggie was in one of her giddy moods, which often led to excessive touching—something she normally enjoyed but knew wouldn’t be welcomed today, at least not by Lucy. She might not get what exactly was happening, but she knew better than to force Lucy into anything.

“Let’s just go see the movie, okay?”

Maggie watched the way Lucy seemed to fold in on herself, glancing between Maggie and Alex’s tangled fingers and the families—heterosexual families, Maggie corrected herself—that surrounded them. She thought back to how she had felt visiting one of her first girlfriends’ families in a conservative town in upstate New York, remembered the way they’d let everyone call them sisters, knowing it was the safer bet, remembered how they hadn’t corrected family members who knew and still introduced them as friends, assuming the introductions were keeping them safe. And she remembered still being struck with that same feeling years later even in liberal towns—places as generally open-minded as National City. And it didn’t matter that she was out and older and far removed from the homophobia of Blue Springs, that she went to Pride and nearly bathed in glitter and painted rainbows on her face, that she proudly asked women out on dates and held them and knew deep in her heart that their love was just as good as anyone else’s. None of it seemed to matter when her heart raced with remembered panic that was no less real for its being past. With a little nod at Alex, she dropped their hands, knowing that their relationship was still secure and sound, even if they weren’t public about it for an afternoon.

“So, Luce, Alex and I were thinking, maybe it’d be nice to do dinner at home today, instead of going out to eat.”

“Yeah, I’m a little tired,” Alex offered. “Plus, it’s so crowded, I don’t know if we’d be able to get a table.”

“Or we’d get stuck surrounded by crying kids,” Maggie added, wrinkling her nose, remembering the last time she’d ended up with a bawling toddler’s fistful of spaghetti on her leather jacket.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Alex and Maggie quickly agreed.

And even though they had offered perfectly legitimate reasons for their choice, Lucy suspected it had a lot more to do with her than they were letting on, and she was beyond grateful, even if she wished it wasn’t the case, wished she knew exactly why there were stretches of time when something as simple as a brush of a hand against her would send her reeling.

And in the dark of the theater, seated in the aisle seat with Alex to her left, Lucy dropped her hand to Alex’s, finding that she was okay when she controlled it, grateful when Alex dropped her hand back when Lucy froze as fingers tried to actively tangle back into her own. But she still smiled at Lucy just the same, still grinned when Lucy’s hand dropped back on top of hers, when Lucy’s fingers traced distracted patterns across her palm.

And on the way back through the mall, her girls flanked her, keeping the crowds at bay without once trying to force their way into her space, their animated chatting helping to keep away the conviction that she had messed up somehow, that she was pushing them back into the closet and keeping them from being happy. Because they were still smiling and laughing, still including her in their conversation and making plans for dinner that night and dates later that week. They were still hers, and they were still happy.

[nuthingoodat4]

Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con 2018

So this past weekend was LA Comic Con or Stan Lee’s LA Comic con. I went into this show a little unprepared as I had hoped to be a vendor at Halloween Con or the Famous Monsters of Halloween Show in San Jose. Unfortunately that show was cancelled due to the Santa Rosa fires. I was able to secure a spot late at LA Comic Con but Comic Con conventions aren’t really my thing so even though I make a comic I wasn’t sure of what to expect or how well my work would be received. I also wasn’t spending so much money upfront as a booth at LA Comic con is way more expensive than a table in artist alley at Halloween Con. The folks at Famous Monsters were so nice and super communicative. I didn’t get the same vibe from LA Comic Con staff. Never the less I booked the show and drove down. LA weather was glorious and it always puts me in a good mood as it seems like a mini vacation. I won’t spend too much time on negative stuff but my name was spelled wrong on the vendor list and when I asked about it I was told that the list wasn’t public. I also didn’t get much info about loading in on the first day or much about where my booth was located other than to look at the map online. The staff was super nice but I’ve never been to this location and never used union workers to load my stuff in before. Anyway I was nervous so I showed up early and load in went smoothly. Unfortunately my name was still spelled wrong on my booth sign. Sigh. I was near the main stage though which seemed like a good location. Day One I met my booth neighbors and they were very welcoming and cool folks. Always a plus to have cool neighbors. They asked if I needed water,even got a bottle for my niece who came down from Pasadena to hang with me. Sweet guys at the Comikaze tee shirt booth. Also awesome were the dudes Braxton and Lawrence at the 3D printer booth next door as well as Karen and her brothers across from me signing up people for extra-life, a fund raising campaign. Really amazing folks all around. With all the love buzzing in our area you would think we would attract all the customers. Well not so much. Alot of lookers but not the best show in terms of sales. Everyone just seemed to show up to cosplay or get autographs from celebrities. I initially thought it was because I was selling comics outside of artist alley. Or maybe I should have been in the small press area but everyone I talked to said their sales were sadly very slow. There were a few exceptions of course. Some booths had lines every day. I had an amazing time and met some wonderful folks. Day Two was better but I Didn’t become a millionaire but at least I had more sales. If I didn’t have hotel costs to cover it would have been a good show for me. I honestly don’t think attendees were there to buy comics. I saw alot of trinkets and poster prints in folks hands.Day Three in the last hour I sold the most. Alot of prints,buttons,stickers and tee shirts. I love LA but I don’t think I’ll do this show again. Even though I have mixed feelings, I had an awesome time with the folks I met. Thank you to Stan Lee who is incredible and Thank you to the staff,organizers and volunteers...and ummm..The Rock for coming by. Love him. Ah so, Here’s to Halloween Con not being cancelled in 2018. I’m looking forward to spending Halloween weekend with you. Here are a few pics. and as always there are more on my flickr page. https://www.flickr.com/photos/storm1sky/albums/72157662119001638