#so just a general not looking for advice just whining post

[batwynn]

Shout out to facebook memories reminding me that today is the anniversary of the day I could have secured my rights to my work before someone stole it and made money off of it. 🥲 Always a good time with Facebook Memories.

[toomanystoriessolittletime]

Sweaty

week 2 of the Winter Writing Challenge

prompt: "I totally definitely did not just watch you chop wood outside.“ 

Summary: Things.... escalate after Joel caught you watching him chopping some wood outside in the snow.

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem. reader

Wordcount: 2.1k

Rating: E

Warnings: some domestic fluff, flirting, smut (unprotected sex), f masturbation, cum play, some dirty talk, Joel Miller really being into readers tits, humour I guess?

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Ellie was hovering behind you. 

„Stop it,“ you hummed, your hand steady as you tried yourself on the first decorative frosting of cookies in… twenty years. 

„I’m not doing anything,“ she whined. You could feel her breath on your upper arm. Turning you head to the side you narrowed her eyes at her. 

„I wanna waaaatch. It’s so cool,“ she pouted. 

You sighed. 

„Okay. But you gotta give me some space. I haven’t done this in a long time,“ you said. She grinned, taking a step to the side. 

Ellie had asked you for help.

She wanted to do something nice for Dina and asked you for advice. You ended up offering to teach her to bake some of Dina’s favourite cookies and then help decorating them with whatever you could find in the community kitchen. 

Turned out Ellie was not as creative with cookie decorating.

She got frustrated pretty quickly, leaving you to do most of the decorating, while she cleaned up the kitchen. But now she was finished and while you still hated people watching you when you worked, you couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the girl standing next to you. 

Things did not start out like that with the two of you. 

You had moved into the house they had apparently occupied when they came here the first time, leaving Ellie calling you House thief for the first months after meeting. 

More than once you had offered to move, the house being way to big just for you alone, but Maria and Joel had insisted you stayed. 

Ellie and Joel had moved into the house across from you instead, leaving you with your official first neighbours. 

They both did not talk much in the beginning, nor did you see much of them. 

Sometimes you saw them leave the house together in the early morning when you were just finishing getting dressed. Sometimes you saw Joel sitting alone outside of his porch, a guitar in his lap, his eyes far away. 

You hadn’t really talked to either of them until a month after they joined the community and Ellie had somehow managed to break you kitchen window as she played outside. 

Joel had made her say sorry before he offered to fix the window up for you. 

And it seemed like Joel found reasons to come and see you after that alone. Without Ellie around, just him and you. 

Your sink leaked? Joel would fix it. 

Creaky floorboards? Fixed within a day. 

Your back was tense, because you had spent all day cleaning out the stables? Joel’s big hands could help. 

Thinking back, him offering to massage you had been smooth as hell, but you were just too thankful and exhausted that day to notice just how much he had been flirting with you. Or maybe you were generally not used to people being very interested in you. 

Hell, to this day you went all shy when he told you all the things he wanted to do with you (or to you).

It had now officially been nine months since you and Joel started dating, and three months since both Joel and Ellie moved into your house. 

You were putting the finishing touches to the cookies, when you heard the door open and close, followed from a long released deep sigh, that brought a smile to your lips. 

„Joel’s home!“ Ellie said just before he walked into the kitchen. You looked over your shoulder, smiling at him. 

„Though patrol?“ You asked. 

„Stupid fucking newcomers want to play hero just to get knocked of their horses,“ he grumbled, walking over to you. He kissed your cheek, smiling at you. 

„Ugh, gross,“ Ellie gagged and you rolled your eyes. 

„That’s gross? Remind me who asked me to help her bake cookies for the girl she’s crushing on again?“ You sing sang and Ellie blushed. 

„Shut up. You’re like ancient…. And I do not have a crush,“ she mumbled, grabbing a cookie to hide her smile before she sprinted out of the kitchen and you heard her footsteps walk up the stairs. 

Joel’s arms wrapped around you from behind, his chin resting on your shoulder. You brought one cookie up, feeding it to him. 

He moaned softly, enjoying the taste. 

„How about you leave some of that frosting for later?“ He asked, licking his lips. You set your frosting tools down, turning in his arms with an eyebrow raised. 

„To do what exactly?“ You pursed your lips.

He leaned in, kissing you softly. 

„Guess you’ll have to wait to find out,“ he winked, pecking your lips again before he took a step back. 

„I’ll get some wood from outside and then I’ll take a shower,“ he said.

„Okay,“ you smiled.

Half an hour later you had put all cookies away, Ellie had grabbed and packed the ones for Dina and left for the birthday sleepover party and Joel was still outside. 

With the intention to look for him outside you made your way towards the front door, grabbing his extra winter jacket to stay warm, and then walked towards the back of the house. 

It was a chilly December day, snow shovelled high everywhere, yet there he was. Joel Miller, stripped off of his flannel and only wearing his grey undershirt, swinging an axe down on a log of wood, splitting it in half with what looked like ease, the wood seemingly melting against the force of the blade. 

You stopped in your tracks, your feet seemingly glued to the snowy ground beneath you, watching the man you loved split some firewood. His hand gripping the handle of the axe, the muscles of his arms flexing every time he split another log of wood. His shirt clinging to his sweaty chest.

You swallowed, your eyes tracing the veins of his arms you loved to brush your fingers on whenever you had the chance to. 

You kept watching him, for what felt like hours (or days) but probably only minutes, fascinated (and turned on) by the sheer strength of his body. 

Fuck, your man was hot. 

Joel set the axe down, his hand brushing his hair back as he groaned, brushing the sweat that had started trickling down his temples away. When he looked up he found you standing there, watching him. 

He tilted his head and you flushed, your teeth catching your upper lip between them, nervous. 

And yeah, still turned on. 

It only took seconds for Joel to access just why you were looking at him like you wanted to jump him, his left eyebrow raising in question, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips. 

Not wanting to embarrass yourself by more ogling you turned around, intending to walk back into the house, when you slipped, crying out in surprise, but before you could fall to the ground, hands wrapped around your upper arms, keeping your upright. 

Both of his arms wrapped around you from behind then, one of his hands on your stomach, keeping you close to his body. His nose in your hair. 

He smelled of leather, nature and sweat. 

„Careful there sweetheart,“ he whispered and you shivered. 

„Can’t just run from me after undressing me with your pretty eyes…“ he kissed your neck. You closed your eyes, tilting your head to give him more space. 

„I.. I wasn’t…“ you began to lie but he hushed you. 

„You weren’t watching me? Getting a little turned on?“

„… No?“ You gasped, feeling his fingers play with the waistband of the sweatpants you had on, having left the jacket unzipped as you left the house. 

„So… your little pussy isn’t dripping for me right now?“

You scoffed. 

„My little pussy is always wet for you, baby,“ you smiled softly, closing your eyes. 

„God damn right she is,“ you felt him grin against your neck. 

He had you stripped down within seconds, making you lay with your legs spread for him on your bed while he got out of his clothes, having you whimpering when he pulled his belt of the loops of his jeans with one fluent movement. 

„Touch yourself baby,“ he said, getting his shirt off. 

You brought one of your hands straight between your legs, playing with your clit. 

„Fuck, you’re so fucking sexy,“ he groaned, making quick work of his pants and underwear, shrugging them off. He spit into his hand before he wrapped his hand around his cock, pumping it slowly as he watched you. 

You moaned. 

„Can see how wet you are. Can smell you. Put two fingers inside,“ he said, his voice raspy and deep. Sinful. 

You obeyed, pushing two of your fingers inside, whimpering softly. 

„Fuck yeah,“ he hummed.

The bed dipped and Joel’s hands were on either of your knees, his gaze fixed on how you were fucking yourself with your fingers. 

„Wanna fuck you hard,“ he groaned and you moaned. 

„Do it,“ you sighed, close to your first orgasm. 

His hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling your fingers out of your pussy and into his mouth, his tongue cleaning your cum off, humming as if It was a five course meal. 

„Fucking delicious. Best pussy I ever tasted,“ he winked and you chuckled.

„Ready for me sweetheart?“ He asked, kneeling between your legs. He notched his cock against your pussy, using his hand to slip it over your clit, playing with it. 

„I’m so fucking horny for you. Just fuck me,“ you whimpered. 

„Gonna make your tits jiggle for me,“ he winked, before he lined his cock up and filled you in one hard thrust, both of you moaning.

„Oh fuck,“ you cried out. He did not give you much time to get used to the size of his cock, starting to fuck you in quick, hard movements. You stretched your arms above your body against the mattress, pushing your chest out towards him, your tits moving every time he thrusts into you. 

„So god damn wet,“ Joel groaned, pumping into you, moving your whole body with his forceful thrusts. The headboard was hitting the wall and you were thankful Ellie would be out of the house for the whole night.

„Fucking love your tits,“ he rasped and you playfully wiggled your chest, making him groan.

„Not gonna last long today. Touch that clit for me,“ he said and you did. Your hand back between your legs, parting two fingers to feel where he was filling you before you began to circle your clit, the combination of him fucking you and playing with your clit leaving you reaching your orgasm in record time, crying out his name. 

„Fuck,“ he groaned, pumping into you a handful more times before he pulled out, jerking himself off until he released a long groan, coming all over your stomach and tits.

„Mmmmhhh…“ you hummed, your eyes closed as you panted for breath. 

When your eyes opened Joel still had his hand wrapped around his cock, his eyes burning into you. Letting go of his cock he brought both of his hand down on your body, smearing his cum all over your tits and stomach, massaging it in. 

„You really like tits, huh?“ You asked and he smiled, almost shyly 

„Really like your tits,“ he winked, using both of his hands to squeeze them. He groaned as he softly let himself fall down on top of you, his weight a welcome blanket, his head resting between your tits. 

„We gonna be all sticky,“ you mumbled, pulling one of your arms around him, your other hand brushing through his hair. 

„Don’t care. `s comfortable,“ he kissed your tit and you smiled. 

„All of this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t ogled me like fresh meat outside,“ he said and you laughed. 

"I did not ogle!" you said.

"Uh huh. You totally did watch me watch chop firewood outside," Joel said smug.

"I totally definitely did not just watch you chop wood outside,“ you giggled.

"Sure sure," Joel hummed.

You laid there in each others embrace in comfortable silence for a moment.

„So us being sticky is now my fault?“ You asked after a while. 

„Jep,“ he kissed your tit again.

„I guess I can live with that,“ you said and you felt him moving a little on top of you until his lips wrapped around your nipple, sucking softly on it, making you sigh.  One of his hand was on your other tit, softly squeezing it.

You sucked your bottom lip between your teeth before a teasing grin came to your lips. 

„Imagine if these were full of milk,“ you teased and felt him still. 

„God fucking damn it, woman.“

[fangirl-dot-com]

Head cannons/Quick facts about You! :) 

(most of these are going to be for the future, but a few are generalizations) 

You are 20 years old – making you the youngest on the grid 

Like almost ALL characters, you do not have a good relationship with your parents 

Christian and Gerri will step in :) 

Only child, but it doesn’t show much 

Fairly quiet

Especially in the first few weeks of being on the grid 

Everyone thinks that you might not like them, while you think that they might not like you 

Out of everyone, Logan is the first to get you to crack 

Then comes Oscar, because you know, codependency of Loscar is real 

And then Lando, because if someone can befriend Oscar, he can befriend you (you accidentally ran him over one time trying to get on an elevator before you actually met him for real)

And then Alex because of Logan (also you adored his animals) 

Max has surprisingly always liked you – being teammates and all 

It really started after the Christmas video posted by Red Bull that helped you two become friends 

He felt like he needed to look after you 

Charles always watched you from a distance 

You were his brother’s best friend…he felt a need to make sure you were ok 

Not a surprise, you and Fernando bonded over plants – you accidentally interrupted his quiet time on a roof before media day because you wanted to water the flowers (after that, you started calling him grandpa Nando – you’re the only one allowed to do that) 

Lewis’s and George’s friendship came at a weird time 

You had accidentally gotten locked out of your car one time late after the race had ended 

Coincidentally, you three were staying at the same hotel and they offered you a ride 

Let’s just say, mischief happened and you had a whining Lando the next day (since he missed out on the fun with his fellow Brits) 

The rest of the grid are just all really soft for you 

You claim to be Daniel’s favorite (which you are) 

He promises to take you to his farm the next time he goes 

You’ve always wanted to pet a kangaroo 

Yuki always brings you whatever food he’s recently cooked up 

But, You definitely laugh the most around Lando 

Because of his childlike nature and your more stone faced, shy personality, you took the role of the “older sibling” 

But, Lando puts on the big brother approach whenever someone bothers you (PSA – all of the drivers do) 

They get really jealous when Ollie or Arthur come to visit because suddenly all of your attention is on them and not the grid 

Now, the WAGS absolutely adore you 

They treat you like a little sister 

You need advice? They will help 

Need a dress for whatever reason? They will all pull up 

You really bond with Lily 

Lando likes to drag you to play gold with Carlos and Alex 

And most of the time, Alex will bring Lily 

So you definitely see her more than the rest 

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH LIGHTNING MCQUEEN 

LIKE

YOU HAVE AN LIGHTNING MCQUEEN HELMET 

AND THE CROCS 

AND A BACKPACK 

Life is a Highway is your walkup song – there is none other

You and Lando start to take naps everywhere 

Christian often has to ask Max to go find you – since you seem to disappear when you go take a nap 

In true chaotic gen-z fashion, your first dnf was pretty bad 

Your left back wheel had gotten clipped on a curb and you went sliding, ultimately rolling over a couple of times 

You were fine, but the guys panicked 

All they knew was that a Red Bull had flipped, and Max was standing with them in the pit lane 

So using their amazing deductive skills, they knew it was you 

The next race, you showed up with them around you in a protective circle 

The boys joked in interviews that you’d have shown up in bubble wrap if you had let them

The first inkling they had that your relationship with your parents wasn’t the best was at the newly instituted Parent’s Day Dinner that the teams had set up 

Everyone was surrounded by their parents 

But, there were two empty seats around you 

You wanted to leave, but Max secretly had texted Christian and Geri 

You BEST know they showed up in best dress 

Tears might have been shed 

Tag List : @awekbachira @lightdragonrayne @itsjustkhaos

[skzstoryvault]

All Out of NyQuil

F!Reader x Hyunjin

Hyunjin is in love, obsessively so. He's also gone a week without seeing his gf, who is down with a cold.

This is in no way meant as a commentary on the real person Hyunjin. The persona he projects for us to enjoy is just so enticing and invites naughty fantasies.

Story includes smut, couple communication, Hyunjin being very doting and caring.

This story is a stand-alone.

The "you" used here is not generic, I'm using it to allow myself some immersion on later re-reads. I know that's selfish but isn't all the writing advice telling us to write what we want to read? If you still find something in here to like, all the better - I hope you enjoy it and have a good time.

Please be kind.

Please do not report this post. If it's not your thing, just scroll away.

If you're underage, please scroll on, there is nothing for you here.

“Where is my tiny, sick baby?” Hyunjin’s voice resonates through the hallway at the entrance of your apartment as he steps out of his shoes and leaves them there. “When Channie-hyung told me you sounded like Vader on the phone, I figured why you’ve been gone the last week! It’s not nice to ghost your own boyfriend, you know?”

You want to answer and call to him, but you’re really sick and down, and the only thing coming out of your mouth is a sad croak. 

You’ve isolated yourself because you feel gross and are in pain, which makes you cranky and unpleasant to be around. Also, you knew that Hyunjin would have a very busy couple of weeks and you chose to get out of the way and not be an additional concern to him. 

“Please, baby? Don’t hide from me, I’ve missed you so much.” Hyunjin whines, coming straight to your bedroom and opening the door, letting a lot of light in.

He looks scrumptious, as usual, if a bit tired, which is normal considering he is coming from a ten-hour workday of dance practice. 

Although you’re still miserable, it’s always nice to see him, especially when he smiles at you with so much love.

“Jinnie, I’m gross! And full of germs. Don’t come any closer.”

“These germs know me already and didn’t want to hop on me. I remember us making out all evening the day before you decided to vanish on me.” He says. “You have no choice but to let me take care of you.”

“You don’t have to… and I don’t want to have you on my conscience, if you do catch this. You can’t miss any of your public appearances right now.” 

“I’ll be fine, and besides, I can absolutely call in sick if I need to. I’m not a slave.” Hyunjin says. “Now let me air? I brought you my mother’s hot healing soup and once I get some of that in you, we’re taking a shower so I can destinkify myself and then we can snuggle in bed. I wanted to bring you some NyQuil but they were all out at every pharmacy I checked so you’ll have to use my tried and tested remedy for a healing night’s sleep.” 

You sit up in bed, feeling all the more terrible in your long t-shirt that you sweated in, especially since Hyunjin is wearing a really flashy outfit, a Versace coat that looks like a boxer’s robe, complete with a hood and embroidered sleeves, a black tank top and high end jeans.

He’s also wearing makeup, lots of it, and of course he looks otherworldly beautiful and alluring like only Hyunjin can be. You feel like a goblin, especially when he comes and sits right next to you, wrapping his arms around you and kissing you, first your forehead, then your lips.

“You still have a fever, I can tell.” He says after his lips have touched your burning skin. “The soup will help.”

***

Eating something warm and nutritious did help, and so did showering and freshening up with him. You couldn’t help but cop a few feels while helping him wash allegedly hard to reach places.

When you return to the bedroom, you see he’s aired, tidied up and changed the sheets, and it brings tears to your eyes. Hyunjin is a brat and the ultimate pillow princess in all things. He was not born to do manual labour or chores. He is not domestic, yet he does all these things for you like he even takes pleasure in them - doing your laundry, cooking for you, even ironing some clothes when he notices you need the help with those tasks and others. This is how you know he loves you and he’s genuine - no one does shit they despise the deepest amount for someone they don’t care about. Sometimes you wonder what you did right in another life to deserve Hyunjin’s softest side and his whole heart in this one. 

He soon joins you, wearing one of your old, distressed t-shirts that does a very poor job at covering him. Normally, men in long shirts that don’t cover their dicks are the biggest turn-off, looks-wise, but of course he rocks the look. And you know he likes having his dick out when it’s comfortable and safe to do so, which makes you happy that he feels so at home with you at your place.

His strong dancer thighs look droolworthy, even covered in the many bruises he gets while practising. The thin white fabric of the shirt and the many holes in it somehow make him look even more naked than if he were actually not wearing it.

“Are you all set, baby?” he asks. “Need to pee?”

You shake your head. You’re too dehydrated to pee again any time soon, and you just wish you could get some much needed healing rest first, and then maybe try and replenish the water you’ve lost. 

“Then I’ll help you fall asleep and we can take care of rehydrating you after.” He says, yanking his one piece of clothing off and joining you under the covers.

It’s not the first time you see him naked, but the sight still has you gasping and heating up instantly. Most of the time, you can’t process how you got yourself Hwang Hyunjin as your loving, loyal boyfriend. Everyone warned you he was trouble and bad news, but… here he is, having been nothing but the gentlest and most loving housecat of a man, unlike anyone else you’ve dated before. 

You have no time to further ponder your extreme fortune in all things relationship because he pulls you close and slings a leg over yours, starting to kiss your neck and run the tip of his nose up the skin at the side of it, until his lips can wrap around the tip of your ear and nibble. He moves to your jaw and cheek, peppering kisses there until he reaches your lips. 

“Hyune… are you sure you can afford to get sick?” 

“Fuck all that… I missed you, let me kiss my girl.”

You can never deny him, and you’ve missed him too, he got you so used to his touches and to the way he fills every nook and cranny of you, and of your soul too, making you feel protected and shielded to the world. 

You can only make a sound of crushed resolve replaced with surrender, your hands going to his arms and chest, tracing his biceps and pecs with splayed out fingers, feeling his warm, butter soft skin. 

“Fuck me, I’ve missed you so bad.” You confess. “A week never felt this long.” 

“It was like a lifetime in hell! I missed you, I missed your laughter and your jokes and you calling me princess and baby in front of everyone. I missed cuddling you and pulling you close and dancing only with you in the club.” Hyunjin says. “I thought I fucked up and you were mad, but then I figured you would tell me directly if that was it. And then I tried hard to think if you might think I was upset with you! But nothing came to mind…”

“I’m sorry for running away and hiding, I just felt ashamed and gross.” 

He kisses you long and deep, erasing your mind and stealing your breath for a long moment. His lips on yours feel so soft, so plush, so pillowy, the sensation of them moving against yours taking you directly to your private heaven. 

“I am a boy and I love gross things. And just because you’re sniffly is not enough to keep me away from you. I want to take care of you. Shower and bathe you, cook you yummy food, clean the house for when you feel better, freshen up the sheets, feed you fresh fruit from the market… Please don’t hide from me, I want as much of you as there is, please don’t keep me out. I want to know you. All of you.” 

His little speech brought tears to your eyes and you sob loudly. 

“Jinnie… I’m sorry. I love you too, I was just scared. You’re always so put together and flawless and high end, I figured you don’t want to snuggle up to a coughing, sneezing, snotting girlfriend who hasn’t even had the strength to brush her hair.”

“I’m not always put together, I wake up with creases on my face from the pillow too, and with my hair sticking out. And I get smelly and gross too, but you never seem to mind it. I am the worst drama queen ever when I have even a mild cold. And you still love me. Why won’t you give yourself the same grace?” Hyunjin pouts, resuming his quest of covering every square centimetre of your skin he can get to.

“I’ll do better, Jinnie… Now I know…” You say, feeling yourself soften and become malleable to his every intention. After all, this is what you wanted this entire past week, what you were missing and thought was off limits. His touch and his attention, all on you.

“I need you. Can I? Please? It’s what got me through this week.” He begs, his lips sucking persistently at a spot on your throat that he knows wipes your mind clear instantly. 

You let out a pitiful mewl, too ashamed to admit how much you’ve needed him too. He’ll discover soon enough. 

“Yes… Please. It’s all I thought of too.” You say and sigh. “If you’re not turned off by me now and you don’t mind catching what I have.” 

“I’ll go gently. Not shake you up too much so you can fall asleep right after.” He purrs, shifting so he’s making room for himself between your legs. “You’re so soft, and your skin burns so much…”

You only now realise, as he moves to rearrange your lower bodies so they slot together the way they need to, just how hard he’s been for a good while. Precome smears on your inner thigh as he positions himself to rub against your soft folds, parting them so he can nestle himself properly. 

“So hot and wet, my baby… You missed me for real.” He hums, closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling for a bit, before opening them and focusing on you again. 

“Jinnie, please?” You beg again. All you need, the only thing that will feel good and right now is him finally filling you. 

“Alright, alright baby. I have you.” He says, raising one of your legs up so he can hook the knee over his arm and minimally guiding himself in with the other hand.

Your sigh of relief at finally having him enter you swiftly turns to a moan. He feels so huge and hot, stretching you out to fit around him and it feels so overwhelmingly good, you dissolve into the feeling, letting your here and now become just this, Hyunjin moving inside you with long, deep strokes, igniting pleasure in every corner of your body.

The way he angles himself every time his hips meet yours sends sparks up your spine and makes your toes curl. He’s grasping at you, grabbing with insatiable hands before trailing his fingers down in considerate caresses. At some point he brings his hands up, lacing his fingers with yours, letting the only moving parts of you two be your lower halves.

He’s sweating, as he usually does when he exerts himself, and the heat of it envelops you, his scent permeates all your senses and adds a further, stronger layer of arousal to your joining. His kisses turn hungry and devouring, he steals the breath right from your chest and bites it from your lips, angling himself around like an eel to reach places he needs right now. He coaxes the first orgasm from you with no extra effort, licking over your nipples and sucking on one, then the other as you arch your back into the maddening pleasure from his lips, pushing your head back into the pillow.

“Fuck, that’s my good girl.” He whispers, enthralled with the sight of you falling apart beneath him. “Another.” He proclaims, pulling out and earning himself a displeased sound from you.

You instantly feel bereft and cold without him, but he turns you onto your belly and spreads your legs, kneeling up briefly to watch. Because, of course, it’s him, and he loves seeing what his good work looks like from the outside. Like the mirror in the dance practice room always being there to show mistakes and victories, Hyunjin needs to experience fucking you from two perspectives, once while it’s happening, then a second time, through the results.

He runs gentle fingers over your pussy, squeaking in delight at how hot and sticky you are, right before sinking two long fingers inside you and coating them, taking them out and bringing them to his lips, sucking your essence off of them and closing his eyes.

You stay on your belly, knowing what follows and feeling yourself throb at the thought of more. For now, you look over your shoulder at him.

He’s so immersed in experiencing your closeness with all his senses, it’s still surreal to you. Hyunjin often re-asserts how much he cannot stand most people and how icky he finds closeness. He carries disinfecting gel to use after he shakes hands with strangers or after unwanted touches, but he cannot get enough of you in any way he can get you. 

He holds your buttcheeks open with his big hands, fingers digging into the muscles, as he slides right back into you with a pleased groan. His weight on your back pushes you into the mattress and being crushed like this, while his cock presses on every nerve ending reachable via your walls, is another layer to the pleasure he knows to give you. It brings you close to the next orgasm so quickly and he knows it, varying the force and the depth of his motions. The sensation shifts from that of sensory whipping to lazy waves lapping at a sleepy shore, but even then, you can’t relax too much into it, because he cants your hips forward, kneeling up between your legs and slipping a hand under you. He finds your clit and starts to swipe his thumb over it in that persistent, heavy way that reminds you of trying to spread colour on paper while fingerpainting. How he knew to try this with you, and how quickly he learned to get it just right are further mysteries adding to Hyunjin’s aura. Despite not being that experienced before meeting you, he’s been all ears and taking notes apparently, learning all he could about you, what gets you off and in what ways. 

It’s not long before he has you where he wanted you all along and your entire core clenches, pushing him out as a reflex right before the shuddering release takes over you and you feel yourself squirt all over his front, his dick, the backs of your thighs, the bed.

The stray thought that now you're as dehydrated as you can be crosses your mind, leaving as quickly as it appeared. Hyunjin doesn't seem to take issue with it, watching as your body wrings itself dry.

You look behind you, unable to stop by sheer intention, and see him look at your pussy, cross-eyed and biting his lower lip mercilessly. You also feel his hot release on your ass and pussy, joining your own stickiness.

He allows himself only a few seconds of recovery, lying down near you and panting hard.

“You’re so beautiful, baby. And all mine.” He murmurs, sounding dreamy and completely enamoured. 

He also guides you to lie on your back next to him, away from the wet patch, before reaching for the towel he brought earlier with the intent to use as a sex rag. By the time he starts drying your front, you’re all conked out.  

In the morning, you notice you’re feeling a lot better, the room is flooded with sunlight, it smells fresh and cozy, Hyunjin’s arms are around you and one of his hands is cupping one of your boobs even in his sleep. You did not sweat a river in your sleep like in the previous nights, although both you and your boyfriend are naked under the blankets and he is running warm as usually.

The sheets are crisp and clean, too.

[vminizzle]

Kindergarten teacher

pairing : husband!taehyung x wife kindergarten teacher!f.reader

genre : SMUT, fluff, angst

warnings : love making, penetration, unprotected sex, creampie, breeding kink, marking, pet names, praising, !!possessive behaviour!!, jealousy, swearing , !!violence!! ( not toward reader!! )

word count : 2.9k+

A/N : hello, first of all, welcome to my new blog. Here’s the first fic I’ll post here, since I’ve already posted it on my other blog. But from now on I’ll use this blog for bts contents only. Well, I hope you guys will appreciate my works and yea. I want to tell you guys that English is not my first language, so there are prob many mistakes. I hope you’ll like this one :) have a good day/night!

FEEDBACKS ARE VERY WELCOMED ♡

M RATED

“Do you have something planned after school?” Taehyung asked as you bit into the sandwich he bought you for lunch. You hummed gobbling the food in hurry to answer him “yea” you grumbled “I’ve got this parent meeting” you sighed.

Taehyung sighed too “and you?” you asked before grabbing your drink. Taehyung thought for awhile before nodding. “yea. I have something planned” he swallowed his grilled meat. Before you could ask him about his project, he cut you off reminding the time “baby, it’s time. go on, don’t wanna be late, do you?” you shook your head whining “argh! see you later then” you pouted. Taehyung got up, pecking your lips “see you later my love” he took you into his arms, hugging you tightly.

You were at the door of your classroom greeting the parents arriving for the meeting, telling them to take a sit and wait until everyone was present to start. You looked down at the cute little boy next to you staring toward the door waiting. “hey, where’s papa Jimin?” you asked softly bending down a little to caress his head gently.

Jimin was actually one of your best friend and also your husband’s. “oh I forgot to tell you.. but daddy told me he can’t come today..sorry auntie” you looked down at him confused. Why didn’t Jimin say anything? you wondered. “oh i-” before you could continue he added “but daddy told me that unc-”

“hello! Sorry for being late. I got stuck in traffic” a familiar deep voice interrupted your conversation with the little kid. Too familiar. “Taehyung?”

“Hi Mrs. Kim” he smirked making you scoffed. “Jimin couldn’t make it, so I kindly offered to come instead at the parent’s meeting. It’s kind of important, isn’t it?” he said patting Jimin’ son’s head. You sighed deeply “hey cutie, you can go play with your little friends, hm?”. He nodded happily before running out of your sight.

You glanced at Taehyung crossing your arms over your chest. “Was that what you planned?”. Taehyung chuckled “Jimin was a little tired so I just wanted to help him out” he shrugged. “Is that so?” you arched an eyebrow “and maybe I wanted to come check out how pretty my nephew’s teacher is” he said, a smirk decorating his lips. You slapped his arm making him whine playfully “idiot”. You muttered before walking away to stand in the center of the classroom.

.

.

.

After talking about general topics and replying to each of the questions you were asked, you brought out the issue you’re meeting every day with your pupils : the homework. Some of your pupils often came back at school with their homework not being done. You explained to the parents that helping them at home was really important. They’re still very young and they need support . Giving them advices on how to help them, suggesting them some good books and websites they can use if they’re facing difficulties. Many of the parents understood and cooperated saying that they will try their best to help more.

But one of the mother interrupted you impolitely “why don’t you do extra-hours? You’re the teacher here, you’re the one paid to educate our children” she said with an unpleasant tone. You were taken aback, speechless, like the other parents. You didn’t know what to say or what to do.

“extra-hours?” Taehyung scoffed. “excuse-me sir?” the woman turned to face your annoyed-husband. You internally prayed for Taehyung to shut up and not make a scene at your workplace, but-

“Well, M'aam Cruella de vil, I think Mrs. Kim is not only a teacher. She has her own life after school like every one of us here. She probably has someone waiting for her at home. Or she just wants to do other things than to deal with your child!” Taehyung said annoyed making a few parents laughed quietly.

“who are you to talk like that?” the haughty woman said offended by the meany nickname. “she has a mouth, she can speak for herself. who do you think you are to talk for her?” she said standind up angrily, Taehyung stood up aswell “well, let me tell you that I’m-”.

You cleared your throat catching both their attention, the present spectators immersed into the little altercation.

“please Mrs. Wang, and Sir” you glared at him before continuing “please calm down. I- I’ll find a solution to this problem” you gulped gesturing them to sit back. Taehyung threw a nasty look at the villian female as he sat down again. “good” you sighed relieved.

.

.

Your meeting continued, you found a way to deal with the problematic woman, doing your best to stay polite and professional…

It went well. You announced the end of the reunion. You felt Taehyung’s eyes on you the whole time. He didn’t joke when he said he came to check you out.

“Well thank you so much for coming today. If any of you want to talk individually about their child or have any other questions, feel free to stay” you smiled shaking hands with the parents leaving.

There is one thing you didn’t notice. Even tho Taehyung spent his time admiring you during the meeting and even had time for a"little" fight, he didn’t miss the way one of your pupil’s father was staring at you in a “weird” way. He glared at the mid-aged man, this one staying so he could talk to you.

You accompagned the last mother to the door waving at her, coming back to your desk gesturing the man to come.

Taehyung's eyes didn’t leave him, watching every of his moves. He didn’t feel this man..an untrustworthy man. Who the fuck he thought he was?

Taehyung groaned sitting at the back of the class, leg bouncing as he tried to calm down, jealousy rising up. He closed his eyes taking deep breaths.

First, this arrogant bitch, and now this unscrupulous pervert old man.

“Mrs. Kim” he started with a flirtatious voice “I just wanted to say that Mark likes you a lot. He’s always talking about you at home and about how of a good teacher you are” he said complimenting you. “oh ahah. I really like Mark too, he’s such a smart and polite boy” you answered smilling. But you couldn’t help but feel awkward at the way he was looking you up and down nonchalantly. Making Taehyung's jealousy and anger grew more and more.

“And.. I was wondering if you were single.. you’re really pretty and..sexy at the same time” he bit his lip. You just wanted to throw up in his face. Was he really thinking he was attractive or something? because the view was just sickening.

He approached you slowly making you back away “excuse me sir, but this is really inappropriate and disrespectful!"you exclaimed enraged and shocked. The man laughed, his hand getting closer to your waist, you were ready to punch him hard and kick him in the groin if he dared touch you but you didn’t have to when you heard the mid-aged man groaned in pain as his back hit the wall violently ”how the fuck do you dare touching her?!“ Taehyung yelled grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, his fist raised in front of the father ’s face.

”who the fuck are you?!! let me go bastard! get your fucking hands off me!“ Taehyung laughed sarcastically loud ”who am I? Who the fuck am I?!“ he grabbed the man face tightly with one hand, fingersnails digging into his cheeks ”I’m Taehyung.. Kim Taehyung! I’m her husband and she’s my fucking wife!! My wife! Mine!“ he pointed toward you, his voice laced with possessiveness.

The man stayed silent for a moment before pushing Taehyung away to get out of his grip. Taehyung let go of his face and went to grab his neck squeezing it tightly. Perhaps too tightly as the man’s face started turning a deep red.

”try to touch her again and I’ll break your arms and legs“ he practically growled, throwing the pervert man onto the floor, this one groaning again. He got up straightening his shirt ”keep the slut for yourself". Taehyung’s hands balled into fists ready to beat the living shit out of him, but you were fast to grab his forearm “Taehyung! please!” you shook your head as you both watched the man leaving the room “he’s not worthy-”

Taehyung turned to you shock written all over his face “this asshole called you a slut and tried to put his nasty hands on you! He tried to touch my wife!” he looked disgusted. “ I swear if i see him again, i think i will go to jail for murder!”

“Taehyung..” you grabbed his hand, thumb caressing the back of it. He pulled you in his strong arms, the force of his pull making you collide hard on his chest. “Just imagine what this pervert would have done to you if I wasn’t here” he said the last words coming out quietly. You shushed him looking up at him “but you were here”. He sighed shaking his head pulling you closer to kiss you softly.

You detached from the kiss “ and you know , i can d-” he let a breathy laugh as he put a finger on your mouth “I know what you’re going to say. You can defend yourself and you’re an independent woman and all” you nodded chuckling “yup”.

You smiled cupping his cheek “let’s go home huh?”. He nodded “well, let’s drop Jimin jr. at his house first” he chuckled.

.

.

.

You sighed pleasantly as you exit the bathroom from a good warm shower. A towel wrapped around you comfortably. Taehyung coming out of it too some minutes later, his towel loose and low around his hips.

You were searching for some underwear in your closet when you felt Taehyung’s hands on your hips. You smiled when he pulled you on his bare chest, stealing a back hug “i love you” he whispered leaving a lovingly kiss on your cheek. “ i love you Taehyung” your heart melting as you let your body relax in his embrace.

After a pleasant long silent, Taehyung shifted a bit behind you making you turn around his arms still around you. His eyes went to your lips, one thing in his mind. He lowered his face a little envelopping your lips in a sweet kiss. Your hands travelled up to his neck, fingers playing with the little curls at the back of his head.

Taehyung backed you slowly toward the bed until the back of your knees touched the edge of it. You let your bodies fell on the mattress, the soft sheets welcoming you. You both giggled when you bumped your heads together. “sorry” Taehyung said rubbing your forehead still giggling. You laughed rubbing his.

He smiled looking into your eyes “you did great by the way”. You closed your eyes thinking about Mrs. Wang “ such a pain in the ass” you groaned. “you’re strong to deal with such ..specimens” you laughed closing your eyes.

“don’t want to ruin the mood but..I hate this dude. I just want to..argh” he dropped his head on your chest defeatedly. “I hate the way he looked at you. It was just disgusting. And the way he talked to you..” you noticed the way he gripped the sheet hard trying to calm down. You stroked his back slowly, hands going up and down his spine making him shiver and relax on top of you. You felt his heart beating slower “it’s ok babe” you whispered kissing his temple.

“but this asshole was right on something.. you’re pretty and sexy” he smiled onto your skin. You laughed slapping him on the back of his head. “and you’re also the best teacher ever” he left a light kiss on your collarbone. The compliment heating up your cheeks “I understand why your pupils love you a lot. You’re an amazing teacher. So kind, patient and loving.” You smiled “thank you babe”.

“Y’know ,recently I’m having some difficulties with mathematics ..perhaps, could you teach me?” he said smirking. “oh my god Taehyung shut up” you said ears burning making him laugh.

“hmm you’re mine” he mumbled, lips caressing your skin, leaving little kisses. His hands ready to take your towel off of your body but looked at you for permission first. You nodded helping him to get rid of it. “And i’m yours” he started nibbling on the soft flesh of your breasts, painting little red and purple flowers on the area. A little souvenir , to remind you where his lips were.

His mouth travelled up to your neck, your pulse accelerating “Taehyung” his name leaving your throat as sweet as honey. The concerned one just hummed against your -just found- sweet spot making you moan softly. The noises coming out of you turning him on.

Taehyung bit lightly on the skin of you neck making you gripped his bicep, head turning to the side to give him more access. “you smell so good” he said nose deep into the crook of your neck.

His boner was pressed uncomfortably under the towel still covering him, he was so turn on that he didn’t notice he was unconsciously grinding down on you. He let out a soft groan when he felt your warm hands sliding down his smooth chest to the towel. He helped you, throwing it away on the carpeted floor.

He spread your legs making room for him to lay between them. He lowered himself to connect his lips with yours for the umpteenth time. His hands went to your sides, one of them cascading down to your thigh to lift and place it over his waist.

Taehyung ruted foward against your womanhood with a low moan “shit” he swore. Your essence on the tip of his erection already driving him insane. He teased your entrance, rubbing his manhood on your glistening lips making you whined “stop teasing!”

He slapped the head of his cock on your throbbing clit teasingly, making you hiss,, the sudden action making you jolt.“you ready darling?” he asked hand placed on your cheek. “yes”.

Taehyung positioned himself at your entrance before entering you slowly making sure he wasn’t hurting you. “you good my love?” he asked when he completely bottomed out.

“don’t worry I- i am” you reassured him. Taehyung started moving making you whimper. Thrusting in and out slowly but firmly, he took his time making love to you. It felt so good , too good.

He was so gentle and caring. Often asking you if you were good. He enjoyed his time painting your upper body with hickeys. “everyone will know you’re mine now” . He whispered backing up a bit to admire his masterpiece “perfect..”.

His grip on your waist was so tight that you were sure it’ll let bruises.

Your body was adorned with marks he created. Some bigger than the others. Some darker. It was just .. pretty. All marked up by him, the thought made him twitched inside you.

Taehyung couldn’t get enough of the way your warm velvelty walls clench around him time to time, squeezing his cock perfectly. He bit your earlobe lightly before whispering sweet nothings in your ear. Telling you how good you’re doing, how much you’re beautiful.. and how much he loves you.

Your hands found his hair, fingers running through it and pulling on it harshly when he brushed against your sweet spot. You threw your head back, the combination of his hands wandering all over your body gently and his lips pressed on your neck made you feel lightheaded.

The way his hard-on kept hitting the spot that made you scratch his back “fuck Taehyung! r-right there!”

“you know seeing you with all those kids around makes me feel some type of way. You’d be such a good mother” he bit his lips “ you’d look so fucking adorable and hot pregnant.. walking around carrying my children in your tummy f-fuck-”

Taehyung moaned loudly at a particular tightening of your wall around him.

“You’d like that my love? huh.. want me to put my babies inside you? Make you the mother of my children? You want that my love?” He kept asking, lust fogging his mind.

He could only picture you pregnant. Big baby bump.. fuck- he was probably drooling by now.

Your walls started convulsing around him, announcing your climax.

“I’m gonna-” he took your hands placing them on each side of your head , intertwined his fingers with yours “ I love you princess f-” he whispered.

Holding hands while making love was a gest of pure love , it meant a lot for the both of you . “Taehyung!! I’m c-coming!” You nearly screamed as you came around him. Eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed, mouth slightly ajar, his name the only thing leaving your mouth.. you looked so good to him.

You looked up at your breathtaking husband, eyes half-opened ”cum for me Taehyung. Cum inside me.. give me your children“ you breathed out.

A sudden wave of adrenaline rushed through his veins as he hold your hip still, going a little bit faster. The vein of his neck prominent, little beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Your words reasoning in his head, threw him over the edge of his orgasm. Taehyung cummed, after some firm thrusts, with a loud moan following by your name, his hot cum warming you inside, filling you up to the brim.

You hummed softly hugging him as he buried his head into the crook of your neck, a tiny kiss placed on the marked skin.

"I love you so much” he smiled heart melting. “I love you too”.

[nubisaureus]

when they get jealous and needy

how the genshin men show their jealousy over you

character(s): Cyno, Xiao, Kaeya

pairings(s): fem!reader x Cyno, Xiao, Kaeya (separately)

contents: uncertainty of feelings, smut, found family, angst, comfort

not proofread! im swamped with uni work so i might post less till next week, sorry <3

─────────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────────────────

Cyno

he's absolutely chill most of the time, but there are some times he just gets jealous and insecure

you bet he's going to mark his territory: whether it is by putting his hand around your waist, pulling you close, whispering something in your ear while looking the other person dead in the eyes, his golden irises sending a silent warning

«And who's this, angel?» he asks, as he gets to your side

you better believe he's gonna get extra needy/rough when you two get in bed later

as he's balls deep in your pussy, he groans «you're mine, aren't you, angel?»

you struggle to answer. not because you don't know what to answer, but because you can't think properly, as he's relentlessly pounding into you, making you lose any semblance of rational thought

he stops, still inside of you.

«answer.» he commands now, making you squirm and whine for more.

«C-cyno..» you plead, incapable of uttering any other word than his name.

«yes?» his pupils dark and wide, much like the ones of a predator

«i am Cyno. that guy was just flirting with me because he can't stand you. he wants to make you angry because the matra once apprehended him due to his illegal schemes, and so he wants to take it out on you..» you utter those words, remembering the case that had shaken your Darshan from the inside out, before Cyno was even the general Mahamatra

as you finish speaking, he starts to pound into you again, making you scream his name, finally getting the release you were aching for

──────────────────────────────

Xiao

poor thing is still new to this having feelings for someone, so when he gets angry when another guy talks with you in a more friendly way, he doesn't know what to do with his feelings

so he goes to Zhongli, asking for advice (a/n yes, i believe in Zhongli as Xiao's found family, idc)

«Rex L-» «Just Zhongli.»

he looks down, biting his lip at the correction. it doesn't feel fair to him to call Rex Lapis as simply Zhongli, but he carries on, explaining his problem

«What you are experiencing is what mortals call "jealousy". While it is normal to have such a feeling when someone you don't like might be talking to her in a little too friendly manner, you must learn not to get overwhelmed by this feeling, as it only brings people apart and destroys relationships.»

he thinks long and hard about what Zhongli told him, and as you return to Wangshu Inn, you find him on the rooftop, deep in thought.

«I'm back, Xiao.» you say, catching his attention.

you are met by a dry reply, that makes you wonder what might be up with him

after a bit, he decides to confess, and you look at him, endearment in your eyes

«aw, love. you have no need to be jealous. i'm sorry you felt this way. whether adeptus or human, jealousy is a terrible feeling that no one wants to experience. but i can assure you that the only one i love is you, and no one else.»

he's got tears in his eyes

«are you sure?» you nod. «but..my karmic debt..» he averts his eyes, turning his back to you

you hug him from behind, resting your head on his shoulder

«my Vision protects me.»

he makes you promise to run away if he ever loses control over himself, and you reluctantly agree, even though you know that if that ever happened, you would fight for him until the bitter end.

──────────────────────────────

Kaeya

oh boi, you're in for a ride

he's literally the smoothest talker ever, he doesn't even need to get jealous

he's more of a showoff really, basically showing off his wonderful girlfriend

so it's more him making other people jealous, whether men or women, because, let's be honest, it's not like women are not jealous of you

«all alone here, kitten?» he comes up at you at Angel's Share, while Diluc rolls his eyes at his cheesiness

you flirt right back, twirling a strand of loose hair in your fingers, catching his attention

your hair and neck are his weak points, so you know exactly what you're doing

his eyes are fixated on you, as you let go of your hair, and go back to your drink, ignoring him

he comes up to you, whispering something in your ear

«let's put on a show» are the words that come to your ears, and you smile wickedly

you turn your head towards him, staring at his lips intensively

he's too close for comfort, and you can feel his cold breath on your skin, shivers appearing in response

as you're about to kiss, your lips inches from each other, a suave melody starts playing

you see one of the most renowned bard of Mondstadt, Venti, playing his lyre for the tavern

you get all excited, and stand up, your dress flitting around your figure

Kaeya gives you a puzzled look, but it soon transforms into an amused smile, as he joins you in dancing

you two dance together, the entire tavern mesmerized at the sight of you two

might also be because Kaeya was using his vision to create small snowflakes around both of you, those same snowflakes catching the light of the tavern, creating a reflective spectacle

you decide to tease him, grabbing him by the ring that holds his collar in place

he smiles smugly, as if to ask "what now?"

your faces get too close for comfort, both of you lost in the each other's eyes

suddenly a whiff of wind swirls around you, diffusing an irresistible aroma around you

who's gonna give in first? it's a battle of wits at this point

Kaeya does.

you don't even have the time to process it, that his lips are on yours, and his hands are on your waist, pulling you closer

that was one memorable night

what you didn't know is that your ex was standing in a corner of the tavern, a bewildered look in his eyes as he witnessed the whole scene

Kaeya is a fucking menace

[teardrop-scales]

Heyo saw your LMK sun wukong post and I love your writing!

Can you make general dating headcanons?

I love him sm he’s so silly :3.

Sun Wukong dating/relationship headcannons 🍑

A.N: Thank you for your kind words! And same, he's so goofy and I love him for it <3

Also, these turned out quite long (and I probably could've made them even longer, given how much I love this character), but I think/hope that you won't mind lol.

Also, not proofread, so sorry about any mistakes! Headcannons are below the cut.

First of all, he definitely calls you 'Peaches' or 'Peach' like, all the time. He will only call you by your name if he wants to show you that he's serious. Also he will occasionally use other nicknames, such as 'babe', 'honey', 'sweetheart'. But that's rare, 'Peaches' is still his favorite.

You are probably the only person he's willing to share his peach flavored chips with.

Also, he's kinda clingy and touch starved as hell. Can you really blame him though? This monkey was pretty much all alone for a few centuries.

So Wukong is almost always touching you in some kind of way when you are near him, even when you're somewhere public or not hugging or cuddling. Either hand holding, or he will curl his tail around your ankle or some more subtle things like that.

He will often groom your hair in search for bugs the way monkeys do if you sit next to each other. He knows you take good care of your hair and there's absolutely no way any bugs or insects could be in it. But it's an instinct, he can't help it. You don't mind however, he's so gentle when he does that that it's actually very relaxing.

He's touch starved to the point when if you have to get up while cuddling, he will whine quietly. But if you ask/tease him about it, Wukong will huff and deny it while claiming that you're just hearing things.

I have a headcannon that while he is very strong and all, his body isn't actually that muscular. In fact, he is a bit chubby. He's quite soft and squishy in a good way- I mean just look at him in the beach scene in season 4, he totally has a 'dad bod'- and you love it. Wukong's body is perfect for hugging.

I imagine his hugs being just the right amount of tight 👌 He's always warm and soft and actually smells really good- he smells of peaches and leaves.

Wukong loves hugging and being hugged, so you can hug him almost whenever you feel like it and he absolutely won't mind.

Call him Sunshine or Sunny or anything Sun related. Please do, he will literally melt.

Overall, Wukong's main love languages are: words of affirmation, quality time and touch.

We already know from the show that Wukong has no problem with words of affirmation, seeing how he constantly encourages MK and it is visible that he means every word. So this monkey will always and often tell you that he loves you and that you mean so much to him. You can count on him if you want some kind words to make you feel better. He may not be the best in terms of logical advice, but somehow you believe him every time he says it's going to be okay. Wukong also makes sure to tell you each day how good you look and say "I love you" at least once a day.

As for quality time, Sun really loves to spend time with you, it doesn't matter what activity. Although he prefers activities either at home or away from big crowds. He doesn't like to show himself in public spaces, the most he'll do is go with you to the cinema or maybe some not very well known restaurant or something. But he really loves to watch movies on his TV or laptop with you snuggled up to him on the couch. Wukong also loves taking you on walks around Flower Fruit Mountain or taking you for flights on his cloud. Honestly, as I said, to him it doesn't really matter what you do as long as he gets to spend time with you.

I already said some things about touch, but I can add that for some reason Wukong loves when you scratch him behind the ears, boop/gently pet his nose with your finger or pet his tail. These parts of him are quite sensitive, and he loves how gentle you are. He will literally turn into a puddle in your hands lol.

This monkey loves kissing you on the cheeks. Or poking you on them.

Generally when he's in the right mood he likes to teasingly poke you in various places on your body. And if you do it right back at him, it turns into either a poking or tickling battle, ending up with both of you laughing your butts off and snuggling with each other.

Sun sometimes likes to rub his cheek against yours.

Okay enough touch for now, I could go on and on about Wukong and physical affection lmao

You sometimes watch your boyfriend train MK when you have the time. You roll your eyes often at Wukong's smugness but at the same time you can't help but think how cool and badass he can be.

The Monkey King loves it when you watch them train, MK not so much, due to the fact that Wukong shows off a lot more when you are around and thus he is a bit harsher in training and more distracted, making it difficult for poor MK (that doesn't change the fact that MK really likes you and appreciates how happy you make his mentor).

This man is such a tease and a flirt sometimes honestly. He uses the most basic and overrated pick up lines just to annoy you. Be careful not to get flustered by any, because he won't ever let you forget it and will be proud as a peacock. Although it is slightly adorable that he's so proud that he got you flustered.

But sometimes you engage in his pick up lines shenanigans and tease him back or make fun of those lines.

"Did it hurt when you fell from the Celestial Realm Peaches?"

"Yeah, it hurt like hell, I landed on my butt."

Causing you both to laugh your butts off for a few solid minutes lmao.

Peaches or peach chips are the main things he eats, so prepare for always having a peach taste in your mouth after kissing him. Not that you complain, you actually like that fruit (although not as much as Wukong does).

By the way, he will absolutely swoon if you kiss him in front of other people out of nowhere (especially if you pull him by his shirt in order to do that); lovesick smile, dreamy eyes and tail shaped like a heart, the whole package lol.

Sometimes Sun likes to visit you at work or randomly pop in while you're somewhere public in the form of a bird or other small animal and just hang out with you, whispering comments about everyone and everything into your ear in this funny high pitched voice (I actually have a headcannon that while transforming his voice is higher the smaller the animal and the other way around)

If you're up for it, Wukong would love to teach you a few fighting or defense techniques. It would also make him much more relaxed and calm knowing that you have at least some basic knowledge on how to protect yourself, just in case. He'll always try to be there to protect you, but he can't promise that he will always make it on time or at all. He may be retired but still has some duties and other things to do.

A bit of a sad thing is, you both often think to yourselves; am I good enough for him/her? How in the world did I deserve such an amazing person as him/her in my life?

Wukong always tries to be happy, and hides his problems, fears or negative emotions behind his jokes and goofy attitude. I'm not saying that his personality is fake, he is a happy and goofy person most of the time, but there are some random days when he has trouble keeping it all in and fails to put on the facade that everything is okay.

If you want to help him in these times, basically all you have to do is sit there with him and be by his side. Give him a tight hug and sit with him in silence or maybe hum/sing something quietly if you want. Honestly your presence alone brings him a huge comfort; knowing that there is someone who loves him even with all his flaws, accepts him with everything he hides inside and with his past mistakes.

Overall, Sun Wukong has his problems and flaws, but he really tries to be the kind of boyfriend he thinks you deserve. And honestly you think he's doing a very good job; he is a very good boyfriend, maybe even the best in all the realms as you like to say <3

[littlethingwithfeathers]

What to do if you get caught by the Adderall shortage:

So, it’s not getting picked up by the news much (at least not that I’ve seen... NPR, BBC, AP), but there’s a pretty serious Adderall shortage happening right now. It’s been building for awhile helped along by the usual suspects (labor shortages, limited manufacturing facilities, shutdowns due to illness... blah blah) and some not so usual ones (More people getting diagnosed with ADHD... when you take away someone’s coping mechanism, which for some people it’s their in-person work environment and social activities, people start to have more issues!). And it looks like this could last until the beginning of 2023... so... what to do?

Please note, I’m not a doctor or medical professional of any kind. I just had to deal with this, and it’s worrying and a little troublesome to manage, so I thought I’d pass on some advice from my experience. It might not be one size fits all but it might help someone to know who to talk to and what to ask.

Also, if you’re going to use this as a moment to spout some drivel about “Maybe we don’t neeeeed all these meds, you guysssss!” please kindly fuck entirely, completely, and all the way off into the void. Same goes for people who are looking at this as an excuse to whine about “addicts” or drug related crime. Read the room. This post is not your soapbox. 

SO! You’ve gotten a call from your pharmacy that they can’t fill your Adderall prescription because your scrip is on backorder. Wat do??? Step one: Don’t panic. It is one pharmacy out of one version of a drug. You’ve got options, though it might take some legwork. If your prescription is at a chain like CVS, Target, Walmart, etc see if the pharmacy tech will call around to other stores in the area and ask about their stocks. Step two: 

Call your prescribing doctor, inform them of the situation, and ask for a paper prescription. Go pick up the prescription. Ask them for their advice and for information on which pharmacy to call (they might know of a pharmacy with the med in stock).

Step three: 

Start phoning pharmacies. Begin with the big chains. Places like CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, and major grocery stores... places with multiple locations in town. Start here because they might be able to check with other stores in their chain to find out who has your prescription in stock, which will save you a phone call or three potentially. They also have more integrated supply networks and will have a better handle on their inventory. Fan out from your location with the help of Google. If you live in a big city, don’t be afraid to start checking in the ‘burbs or outlying towns. Also, if the pharmacy tech doesn’t seem like they’re in a rush, ask them if they’ve got other options... the generic form, other measurements, other types (long acting, short acting, etc). That will potentially save you this rigmarole a second time if you come up dry.

Step four:

If you call every pharmacy and have no luck, call your prescribing doctor back. Tell them you’ve phoned literally everyone and no one can fill your prescription and ask if there is a way you can change it by a few milligrams or switch to generic for this month? Could you get a shorter prescription (fewer pills, thus easier to fill)? Could you do short acting instead of long acting or vice versa for a few weeks until backorders get filled? In short, see if you can get an alternative to tide you over. Go get that paper prescription, and then start over (this is why asking some of those questions to the pharmacy techs could pay off).

Concluding advice:

-You do not have to do this by yourself. You don’t even actually have to do this yourself. Someone can do 90% of this for you. Other than the call to your physician for the script, a parent, spouse, friend, sibling or otherwise can help with this. They will just need the paper prescription, your insurance card, your name and date of birth, and your prescribing physician’s name and place of business. Get someone to help you if you can.

-If you’re not getting bit by the shortage, take this as a sign to stockpile your meds a bit. And this kinda goes for everyone, not just the ADHD/Adderall people. Shortages and supply issues are not going to go away any time soon. Next it might be blood pressure meds, or a particular steroid... who knows. Talk to your doctor about how to effectively plan for this with the meds you’re taking. Future you will thank you.

[jerzwriter]

Are We Dating the Same Guy? Ethan Edition

There are Facebook groups called "Are We Dating the Same Guy?". They exist to "expose" cheaters and guys who are just creeps in general. Women will post a photo/profile and ask if anyone has any tea or red flag alerts. The other day I was scrolling through a local one and saw a friend of mine. Talk about a WHOA moment. A few days later, the "AWDSG? Boston" group was recommended to me, and my mind automatically went to... what if Tobias and/or Ethan were on this? I ran the idea past @lucy-268 and @genevievemd and asked if I should do it for Ethan or Tobias. Their answer was, "Both is good." So, in honor of them, I'm doing both. I posted the Tobias version here, and now, I present Ethan's.

Book:               Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing:           Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee MacClennan)

Rating:            Teen

Words: 1,723 plus edit

Summary: Sienna's dating luck hasn't been as good as she had hoped, so on the advice of her best friend, Kaycee, she is looking to see if her matches appear in the "Are we dating the same guy? Boston/Cambridge", group on Facebook. But instead of finding her most recent match, she finds... Ethan. Here are Kaycee's (and Ethan's) reactions... as well as the post itself.

A/N: The story precedes the FB post of Ethan on the "AWDSG?" page. *** Participating in @choicesjunechallenge Cocktails (they needed one or two... lol)

“Oh my, God,” Kaycee cringed, her forehead falling into the hand that wasn’t gripping her phone.  

“I hope you’re not upset. I…”

“No! No, Sienna… I appreciate you letting me know. Can you forward the link to me? I’d like to see it before I break the news to him.”  

“Damage control?” Sienna giggled.

“Yeah, well, I’d like to see how much damage there is.”

“Sure. I’m heading back to the hospital, but text me if you need me, OK?”  

“Of course. And Si, thanks again; I appreciate the heads up.”

“Hey, what are best friends for if not for letting each other know when their fiance is on some weird stalker page on Facebook.”

Kaycee was relieved Ethan was still out for his daily run. It would allow her some time to research. The irony was delicious. She was the one that recommended Sienna start checking out the “Are we dating the same guy?” group to weed out potential creeps. After Wayne and a couple of terrible online dates, it sure wouldn’t hurt. The last thing she expected to happen was for her best friend to find her fiancé.

“May as well bite the bullet,” she sighed, about to click the link. But then she thought it would be best to have some support on hand… in this case, a mimosa and Jackie. Once the drink was made, she dialed her friend.

“OK, I just sent you the link,” Kaycee stated. “We’ll open it together on the count of three.”

“I don’t understand,” Jackie whined. “If Sienna found this, why isn’t she stuck dealing with it now? Why drag me in?”

“Because she’s working, and if you think I have the self-control to wait ten hours before she’s off shift to open this, you’re high. Now… open!”  

“Damn, you’re bossy. I don’t know why Ethan puts up with you. But then again… once we check this out, maybe you won’t want to put up with him….”

“Jackie, please…,” Kaycee interrupted. “I’m sure he’s not doing anything wrong. I’m just curious to see what people had to say about him. Now ready… one… two… three!”

“Hmm… decent enough picture…” Jackie started.

“Yeah, it’s not his best, but… oh my God!” Kaycee exclaimed. “This sociopath took his picture without him knowing! Carmen is right! That is creepy! What kind of a woman does that?”

“Who is Carmen?”

“I don’t know… but she commented. The point is, she is right. Ethan was clearly dating a crazy woman.”

“Hmm. That checks,” Jackie deadpanned. “Crazy women are apparently his type because I remember someone taking many pictures without his knowledge… across a crowded nurse’s station, in Donahue’s, when she saw him strolling down the street…. What kind of serial killer does shit like that?”

“That was different!” Kaycee defended. “ I knew him. He was my attending.”

“Yeah! That makes it so much better.”

“You’re not focusing!” Kaycee admonished. “Holy shit, Erin sure had a lot to say!”

“Erin? The nurse on four? Is that the one he used to date?”

“One and the same… you know, maybe I shouldn’t read this. Maybe I should just tell him about….”

“Oh, hell no!” Jackie interrupted, her interest suddenly piqued. “Now I want the juice!”

“Don’t you mean the tea?”

“Juice, tea? I don’t care; it’s all served at brunch. Now what do we have here…. Erin seems cool … girlfriend clearly had some feelings about being dumped, but she still gave him the thumbs up. Wait, who is Marissa?”

“Marissa?”

“Yeah, apparently she banged your man when they were both residents….”

“RAMOS!” Kaycee screeched. “He banged Marissa Ramos?”

“Did you not know this? Shouldn’t you have known this?”

“It’s not like I asked him for a dossier of everyone he ever slept with… or vice versa! But he could have told me about her,” Kaycee sighed. “Then again, maybe it would have been better not to know. Fortunately, we rarely hang around with her and her husband. It will be awkward looking at her over the dinner table now.”

“Will it? Is it difficult for you to look at Harper?” Jackie asked. “Does he have trouble looking at Bryce? Face it, a slight tweak here or there, and your story would have been a hit on any Mexican telenovela.”

“Jackie!”

“OK. Maybe it would be better geared toward an Indian soap opera. Hey, wait! That’s it. I’m taking your story, embellishing a little… I think it can sell! This may be how I pay off my student debt!”

“Jackie!”

“What? Do you or Ethan watch Indian teledramas?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the harm? I’ll give you a cut of the profits.”

“You’re not really helping,” Kaycee groaned, rubbing her temples.

“I know. That’s the plan. This way, you'll wait for Sienna when something like this happens again. She’s the supportive friend; you should know better than to involve me. Although… now that you’re part of my new get-rich-quick scheme, I suppose I’ll have to put up with you.”  She cleared her throat. “So, Kaycee… what do you need from me? How can I support you?”

“By hanging up,” Kaycee spat.

“That’s not the answer I was hoping for… how can I get more material if….”

“Jackie! Ethan just got home. I want to go fill him in.”

“Of course! Any chance you could record his reaction to this? I’d love to use it when I….”

The line went dead as Kaycee ended the call and threw her phone in her pocket as Ethan approached.

“Oh, hey, baby,” she smiled nervously. “How was your run?”

Ethan came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaving a soft kiss on the side of her neck.

“Exhilarating,” he half smiled. “Or as exhilarating as a run can be on an eighty-nine-degree Boston day. What about you?” he asked, thumbing through some mail on the corner of the kitchen table. “Did you have fun while I was gone?”

“I don’t know if fun is the word I’d use to describe it,” Kaycee winced. “It was… interesting? Maybe informative?”

Ethan looked over quizzically, both brows raised. “What, were you watching a documentary?”

Kaycee spat out her tea, wiping her mouth with a laugh. “Not… exactly.”  She extended her hand. “Come… join me in the living room.”

“All right… what did I do?” he asked with a grave tone as they sat on the leather sofa. “You know, I’m already a decade older than you, Kaycee, and when you do things like this, I swear, you take years off my life.”

“Me?” she bleated.  “I didn’t do anything! But… I can’t guarantee this won’t take years off of your life.”

She reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone and handed it to Ethan.

“There’s a page on Facebook,” she started. “Where women post photos of men they’re talking to, or just started dating, and….”

“IS THIS ME?” Ethan yelled.

“It is,” Kaycee said, rubbing his knee. “It’s not recent… it’s from 2019, so….”

“So this has been viewable for the past four years!!”

“Uh.. apparently, it has.  But it’s not as bad as it seems….”

Ethan began to read through the comments rapidly, his face becoming paler by the second until it turned crimson red.

“This… this is … this is an atrocity! Is this even legal?”

“I assure you it’s perfectly legal. I mean, I assume someone could have a defamation suit depending on what is said.  But your former chicks seemed to speak pretty highly of you, so….”

Ethan jumped from the sofa and began to frantically pace the floor. His attempts to speak were thwarted when words failed to come… Kaycee wasn’t sure she had ever seen him this flustered.

“Ethan, you’re going to hyperventilate.  Breathe….”

“How… how did you even find this?”

Her explanation failed to offer any relief. “Great! So Trinh knows. Do you know how many others could have seen this in the four years it was up?”

“Well, it was liked by seventeen thousand people, so….”

“SEVENTEEN THOUSAND!!!”

“What do you expect, babe… you’re hot.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” he whimpered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m feeling lightheaded.”

Kaycee jumped up and ushered him back to the couch.

“Here, baby,” she comforted, trying to conceal her amusement at his overreaction. “Do you need me to get you a glass of water?”

“No. I need a Scotch.  This occasion requires Scotch.”

“Very well…” she said, pouring his drink. “Ethan, I think you’re making too much of this.”  

“I’m not making too much of it.  I like my private life to be, well, private.  And this is not….”

“Private,” she finished.

“This is the opposite of private!” Ethan downed his drink, then held Kaycee closely in his arms. “I hate the modern world,” he groaned.  

“It’s not all bad,” she smiled. “Why don’t you must message the group’s admin and ask her to take it down. NICELY!”

He shot Kaycee a look that made it clear that her statement changed his message's tone.

“Fine! Hey, out of curiosity, is anyone else we know on this thing?”

“Tobias is,” she smirked.

“Jesus, I can only imagine what people had to say about him.  How many likes did he have?”

“19,500,” Kaycee winced.

“Wait! He has 2,500 more likes than me?”

“That’s unimportant, baby,” she redirected. “What’s important is we get your post taken down.”

“Well, maybe not,” he concluded. “Maybe I should leave it up a little longer. Maybe things will even out – considering our engagement may have this trending.”

“Trending?” she laughed. “Do you seriously want to leave your private life viewable for anyone to see… just so you can attempt to get more likes than Tobias?”

“Well, when you put it that way,” he smiled.  “By the way, what would you have said about me… you know… if you had chimed in on this.”

“Me?” She grinned. “There is none better, but he’s taken… and you don’t want to mess with a girl from South Philly.”

“You know,” he chuckled. “That’s kind of a turn-on.”

“Is it,” she cooed. “Why don’t you head into the shower, Dr. Ramsey… I’ll meet you there in a few?”

“That sounds like a plan, Dr. MacClennan… you know… maybe this wasn’t such a big deal after all.”

“Yeah,” Kaycee laughed. “Funny how that worked out.”

Perma: @a-crepusculo @animesuck3r @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @differenttyphoonwerewolf @fayeswiftie @gryffindordaughterofathena @genevievemd @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @sophxwithers @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

More tags in reblog.

[sweetfirebird]

Worth Every Scratch

For Splashicicle who asked for some fluffy post-story moments from either How to (Not) Train a Firecat or Tit for Tat. I was kind of on a Gavin/River kick though. So. Some boys cuddling and conspiring.

Content tags: spoilers for FIrecats. Some making out. Discussion of the queen’s pursuit of Faddal.

Worth Every Scratch

River used his key to get into Gavin’s room then dragged himself forward to plop himself into the chair at Gavin’s desk. His ass was in the seat for only a second before Gavin looked up from his reading, saw him, and then River was gently pulled into Gavin’s lap.

They were on Gavin’s bed. River noted it as he straddled Gavin, but honestly was too happy to put all his weight on Gavin to think about fucking. Not yet, anyway. For the moment, he was all aches and pains and the wonderful feel of Gav’s hands sweeping up and down his back.

“The state of you,” Gavin murmured, pausing when his roving hands made River stiffen and whine a little before trying to shift his position. “I’m trying to heal you,” Gavin informed him, as though River hadn’t known that. As though Gavin didn’t just do that now whenever River came to see him in his tower, or anywhere really; run his hands over River to find every scrape and bump and soothe it away.

River stirred, trying not to press into Gavin’s gentle hands. “Faddal says I should leave the soreness for a day or two to remind me to be careful.”

She was a brutal instructor. But she let River hit the dummies as hard as he could. And she was the best of the royal guards River wanted to be the best too. He needed to be, for Gav.

Gavin stopped his hands and hummed thoughtfully. Then he resumed magicking away River’s pains. “I’m not taking advice from someone who runs from the person she’s in love with,” he said decidedly.

River sighed deeply as his aches disappeared, leaving only his general exhaustion behind. He inched forward to rest his chin on Gavin’s shoulder, leaving Gavin to hold him up. Gavin’s studies could wait a moment. River wasn’t moving. “Wait. Is your moth—is the queen in love with Faddal? I thought she was just chasing her. You know. To scratch an itch.”

“An itch?” Gavin demanded in a scratchy voice. He stopped his hands again although they’d just been petting River now and not healing anything. “She approached her with respect… at least at first. Before whatever happened that made Faddal… Are you saying that happened to you before? Someone chased you while you ran away?”

River debated pulling back to look at Gavin and judge his reaction to that, but in the end chose to wrap his arms tighter around Gav and stay put. “Yeah,” he admitted cautiously, “but they weren’t in love with me. They just wanted into my pants.”

Gavin’s wonderful hands, resting on River’s hips now, just above his hands, moved quickly up to River’s ribs.

River, sighing again, an embarrassing, fond sound this time, moved Gav’s hands back to his hips and his pants and left them there.

“So the queen really loves her too? Does Faddal love her?” River didn’t wait for an answer. “It’s a fucked business, all of it.”

“All of it?” Gavin echoed, possibly hurt.

River inched back to look at him and caught the glint in Gavin’s eye. “You think you’re so clever, wizard,” he growled, although it was a weak growl. Cari could do better and she was not close to full grown.

Gavin just kissed him, cupping River’s face to keep him still and drive him wild with how gentle it was. Gavin could do whatever he wanted to River and he chose that. River nearly couldn’t stand it sometimes, but then somehow he always did.

Gavin kissed River senseless for a good, long while. Deep, slow kisses to make River tremble; River had done his work too well. Then, with River stunned and soft and quieted, Gavin let River slump against him again and resumed rubbing his back. He was probably still reading, using his magic to turn pages while he calmed River. River really ought to protest or leave him be. Anything but bury his face in Gav’s neck and let the tension fall out of him.

“The queen came by to talk to her today actually,” he informed Gavin after a while, burrowing in like a wild animal that had just discovered warmth and comfort in one of the beds in the mews. “But she just kept talking to me.” It wasn’t terrifying, exactly, but River could have done without royal attention—from Gavin’s mother, no less. No matter how much she said she wanted Gavin to be happy, she couldn’t like seeing Gavin with a runi beastminder, even if River was a royal guard now, or soon to be.

Gavin, of course, believed his mother was happy about it, and so didn’t have those concerns. He kissed River’s neck, and asked an idle question as if he wasn’t trying to melt River into a puddle. “What did she talk about?”

“Cats.” River moved to get another kiss on his neck and only barely held in his moan when this was granted. “She asked how the firecats go about it.”

The neck kissing stopped. Gavin raised his head. “My mother asked how the cats fuck?”

He was incredulous. River supposed that made sense. It wasn’t his fault Gavin had scrambled his brains with that mouth of his.

“No.” He kissed Gavin’s neck, awkwardly trying to soothe him in return. “The rest of it. The cats do try to court each other, you know.” With violent results a lot of the time. “There’s lots of fighting, which I told her. And she asked how I got a cat,” River paused, remembering now that the queen had asked this while looking Faddal right in the eye. “I admitted I wasn’t trying to at the time, but I’d slept near them, and cared for them, and when Cari played, I played with her.”

Gavin was still unmoving. “What did my mother say to that?”

River gave his neck another quick kiss. “She sighed heavily and said, ‘I see.’ Then she looked away from Faddal and left shortly afterward.” River frowned at the memory. “She’s in love with Faddal, and Faddal loves her back, but Faddal won’t do anything about it? Why not? They’re duad not runi.” The Dua were fine with such relationships as the Horun were not, at least, without questions of rank and royal blood popping up. “How long as this been going on?” he asked finally.  

“Years.” Gav was probably making the same face he did when he couldn’t translate some old dead wizard’s code to read their work. “Although my mother escalated it fairly recently, after Faddal left the palace and came here. She’s needed here, but privately, I think she was running. Now that you tell me this… my mother sent me a message today saying she was returning to the Durii palace soon, so she wanted to see me before she left. So… that must be that, then. She’s chosen to end her attempt at courting Faddal. She’ll be upset. I should talk to her tomorrow.”

River wondered if he ought to rub Gavin’s back. “If it’s what Faddal wants then there’s nothing to be done. But… if a runi beastminder…”

“Royal guard trainee with a firecat,” Gav corrected as he always did, which River ignored, as he always did.

“…Can openly love a Durii prince…” River was not blushing. He wasn’t. “Then I don’t understand why she won’t allow herself that.”

“Because you were so easy to convince?” Gavin asked in return, light, but also not really light at all. “You still aren’t convinced. That’s why you say ‘beastminder’ and not what you are now.” Gavin firmed his grip to hold River still when River tried to shift away. “You’re expecting to be told you can’t have this.” Gavin’s hands came up to River’s neck and shoulder, while the pressure stayed at River’s waist to keep River right where they both wanted him to be. Gavin urged River’s head up so he could look River in the eye. He leaned in and spoke softly. “But I will have you, River. If I have to leave here, and run away with you and Cari, I will have you. Do you think I’m lying?”

River had no way to dodge but tried anyway. “Nobles doing whatever they—"

“River.”

River gave in with a shudder, although he did close his eyes. “Yes. I believe you. I believe that you mean that. But not that they will let us stay together. I want to. But…” he lowered his voice even more, barely whispering, “you haven’t been to Horun, Gav.”

A gentle kiss was his answer and his undoing. “We can wait years for you to trust us. The Durii are a patient family.”

As Faddal should have known, River thought. But River hadn’t thought it either. Of course, River hadn’t known any Durii until Gav. “Faddal val Ian is noble,” he said aloud. “That’s a noble name to the Dua. And she doesn’t think she’s acceptable for the queen but I’m supposed to—"

Gavin kissed him again, and again, and again. Slow and controlled and intending to leave River helpless in his lap. He was too good at that, he really was. And in easing River down to the bed onto his back and settling over him to lightly crush River while he resumed kissing River’s neck.

River was holding handfuls of Gavin’s hair. He had no idea how that had happened. “Ah, I love you, Gav.” He was a wretched runi who never learned. Then Gav rose onto his elbows to smile at him and River could feel himself about to say it again.

“What?” he asked quickly so Gavin wouldn’t look too smug.

“You win a cat with care and attention… and pets,” Gavin revealed, smiling as if if he didn’t smile just then, he’d burst into flame or something equally magic and strange.  

“Hmph.” River should silence him by reaching for Gavin’s pants. “Fine,” he agreed without doing that, running his fingers over his mouth to make Gavin go wide-eyed. “I’ll just tell Faddal to let the queen pet her, shall I?”

Gavin wrinkled his nose. “I don’t need to imagine that.”

“You brought it up.” River got to be a little smug. But only for a moment. “You know,” he began, finding himself captivated by Gavin’s shoulder instead of his handsome face. “The Durii, at least, the two I have met…”

“So far,” Gavin interjected, likely just to make River momentarily panic.

“…Have been,” River wasn’t clever enough to know the word, “dangerous,” he decided on, ignoring Gav’s surprise. “Everyone talks about the cats, and the guards with the cats, and how intimidating Faddal is.” Or how attractive she was, to certain people. “But the Durii are… you could destroy me, Gav. You could take everything. All I’d have left is Cari and… maybe the Durii could take her too.”

“We—”

River shushed him with a hand over his mouth. “Faddal has more to lose, doesn’t she? That’s all I mean. You got me to trust you because… because you held me down and made me.” Gavin frowned, probably at this description of events. River moved his hand so he could trace Gavin’s mouth instead. “And I still worry. And all right… maybe you didn’t make me trust you. Maybe you just kept being willing to be seen with me. Shit.”

“My mother has done that with Faddal,” Gavin argued thoughtfully.

“How did I gain your…?” River stopped short, unsure of the right word again.

“Interest?” Gavin supplied. “Or heart?”

“I sucked your cock.” River might have tried to sound annoyed, but Gavin responded by accepting River’s fingers into his mouth for a moment, so he was too breathless to be convincing. “And taught you how to kiss and other such things.”

“And tried to protect me, over and over again though I didn’t realize it at first.” Gavin sighed. “And then demonstrated to everyone in Aminah that you would die for me. Which I am still angry about, if you were wondering.”

River glared at him and said not a word for several moments. “That wasn’t to court you.” But then he looked away. “I see your point, I think. If you had one, other than to upset me. And… when you speak to your mother tomorrow, tell her that… if she hasn’t already… to make it clear that she will wait for Faddal to move first.”

“It’s been years.”

“Of your mother pursuing her. If she wants Faddal to….” River looked up to Gavin’s eyes. “I would never have said or shown it more than I had without prompting. Even though that was an accident. To save you I did it though it was the last thing left to protect myself. And I would say it again if I thought it would ease any pain you had. But you couldn’t have forced it out of me otherwise. And you think Faddal is like me. It’s not enough that the queen wants her. The queen, I mean, your mother, will have to bare her heart too, so she has… not as much to lose as Faddal, but more than she does now.”

Gavn studied River for several moments, then leaned in to kiss him, sweet and too short. “If we got Faddal to pursue my mother, my mother would grant us anything we wanted.”

River was surprised into a laugh, then scowled, then pulled Gavin down on top of him. “Royals, always scheming when you could be fucking me.”

“Demanding cats,” Gavin returned, but sucked a kiss on River’s neck that made River writhe and pant into the air above Gav’s head. “I’m the only royal, right? The only one fucking you?”

River hissed without even meaning to.

But Gavin kissed him for that too. “Worth every scratch,” he added in a whisper, then set about giving River what he’d demanded.   

[spockandawe]

Hello,I absolutely adore your work! I have been binding books for a few years now (mostly scanlated manga that hasn't been licensed,and some pdf books that are too expensive for me to afford or too rare to buy). I came across your work a few months ago,and absolutely relish your posts. I was wondering if I could ask for some advice?

Do you print your books at home,or use a printing service? Because they're such massive amounts of pages if I want to do a full series...once I printed a 24 volume series and my printer reached its page limit,and I had to get it serviced to reset it😭(I know a code can be bought and used,if it happens again I intend to do that but I'd like to avoid if possible). If you use a service can you recommend any,or any general advice for finding one?

And if you print them at home, could you give some advice on how to print Quattro or snaller books? I just use Acrobat (older versions) to print in booklet setting to get a half page sized book,I would really appreciate some knowledge on how to go smaller (and save some paper)

It's okay if you would rather not answer though,or if you want to take a while,I completely understand if that's the case!

Oh my gosh, you can absolutely ask anything you want, this is my favorite hobby to enable people for! (I LOVE that you're doing this for scanlations, also! My manga hyperfixation is mostly dormant right now, but once my brain locked on to archival work for fan translations of cnovels, I immediately started anxiously circling this idea like a dog whining because it can't fit all the toys in its mouth at once, so I'm delighted to hear someone has this interest!)

I print my books at home. I've considered using a printing service for some special cases, like large paper my machine can't handle, but it was ultimately expensive enough, and my personal needs were off enough (I do high-volume, fast-turnaround work) that I've never actually followed through. I'm fortunate that a few years before I picked up this hobby, I got a color laser duplex printer (canon mf cdw644, iirc) as a gift, and it's filled all my needs beautifully, so I never had to look for another way to tackle the issue.

It is still very expensive to make as many books as I do, I've spent unconscionable amounts of money just on toner, but the math shakes out pretty clearly in my favor. Now, an issue that has occurred to me for more graphic prints would be that if a comic page has a lot of hard blacks, I'm not sure how much it would take before it was cost-effective to go elsewhere. I'm not sure if a point like that does exist, but it's a question I'd be interested in knowing an answer to!

(Laser printers tend to be more expensive up front, but cheaper to use in the long term. I do know one person who owns an ink TANK printer and sings its praises, but those can be harder to find for home usage)

One thing that I'm not sure would apply to your printer is that for big jobs, I *think* my computer and printer run out of memory and it messes up not just the current print job, but future ones I queue up after it, and switching the printer off only makes it worse. My pages start looping back to the beginning of the print job and starting over and the only fix is to reset my print spooler in my system services directory and ruthlessly cancel jobs until my print queue stays empty. I can get around that by printing smaller sets of pages at a time (1-50, then 51-100, etc), so something like that might also help coax your printer into cooperating!

And ahhhh, yes, small books! I'm a HUGE fan, I rarely print anything larger than quarto these days. I use a free tool developed by other fan binders, which I'll link right here

https://momijizukamori.github.io/bookbinder-js/

It has a lot of settings that I haven't explored in too much depth, but I use it to impose almost everything I make. There are layouts for the straightforward divide-in-half imposition (half-letter, quarto, octavo, etc), but towards the bottom there are wacky layouts, like six sheets per side of paper. There might be resources somewhere in renegadepublishing that go into more depth, but like I said, my experimentation has been relatively bland XD In general, I recommend double checking the files you get from it for whether you want to flip on the long or the short edge, but other than that, I've found the tool very intuitive and easy to use!

I hope that helps!!! I'm always delighted to help people out with any of this stuff :D

[eusuntgratie]

I only just saw your post (successfully avoided any and all spoilers for the iwtv finale so win for me!). Ugh sorry you’re not feeling the best.

What are some generally good sound pieces of advice that are applicable to nearly anyone? (If that’s distracting) AND/OR You seem like someone who enjoys exercise (especially? including?) lifting. Explain to me like a child how that came about? I would rather do pretty much anything than exercise. I do it because it’s good for me and I’m always happy after but the motivation isn’t motivating, if you will.

thanks aj!

i'm doing better today <3

hmm some generally good pieces of advice... if something is making you angry/upset and you have the ability to, walk away. don't get stuck in the spiral of things making you mad. that break will let you settle down and figure out what you need to do. if its something actionable (politics?) then you need a clear head to identify a small actionable step you can take. if its not something you need to take action on (fandom bullshit?) you can redirect to something that makes you happy (or unfollow/block/etc. to improve your experience).

another one that's big for me is to pay attention to the way you speak to and about yourself, and make it kinder. this isn't something you can fix overnight, but if your inner monologue and the things you say about yourself to others are always unkind, you get stuck in that kind of thinking. it also likely hurts the people that love you to hear you say those things about yourself. start small. when i catch myself saying/thinking everything is my fault or im a terrible parent or im so stupid or whatever it is, i try to take a breath and reframe that statement to something thats more fair. you can think about it like, what would i say to a friend that said that to me? if one of my friends says 'im a terrible parent' to me, i help them reframe by reminding them of all theyre doing right. maybe 'im a terrible parent' becomes 'i made a mistake but i love my kid and i will own up to my mistake, apologize, and make it better.' its hard to be in a place of action or actually making anything better when we're stuck in a place of guilt and self-hatred.

okay changing gears i FUCKING LOVE lifting. i didn't like working out/sports/etc when i was young. i started paying attention to how i move my body and what it could do for me when i started doing martial arts. thats where i learned how to stretch, warm up, do calisthenics, and some weights. i stayed active and tried various types of exercise in college and after, but i didn't learn to lift heavy until grad school. i got engaged in grad school, and a good friend who is a huge gym rat offered to get me in good shape for my wedding. me and him and my now-husband signed up for a tough mudder together as additional motivation and we got to work. this man put me through HELL but got me in the best shape of my life. he taught me to how to do big lifts RIGHT (benchpress, deadlifts, squats) how to use the big machines at the gym, had me doing sprints and working with kettlebells and just generally putting me through it. i fucking LOVED it. i suffered and i whined and cried but i felt amazing, loved what it did to my body and seeing what my body could do. i was fueled by everyone who told me that women couldnt/shouldn't lift heavy and everyone who looked surprised as fuck when they saw how much itty bitty me could lift by the end.

i didnt have access to a gym for awhile after we got married, but when we moved here we set up a home gym with a bench and a squat rack and i lift as much as i can. i don't do it as much as i'd like, but i'm trying to stick to a routine of working out about 4 times a week and walking as much as possible.

i lift heavy so i can hold my daughter who is nearly as big as me but still sometimes wants to be held or needs to be carried. so i can pick up my 100# dog if he gets hurt. so i can move furniture in my house. i love feeling strong and capable. and i love how i look when im lifting. plus, osteoporosis runs in my family and lifting is one of the best ways to protect your bones <3

i could ramble for days about working out i love it! thank you for the ask <3

[lpmurphy]

Spring in Tchakova Park

Read on AO3

Master List

Chapter Playlist

Summary: Green was the color of the grass where he used to walk in Tchakova Park.

In which John meets a stranger in the park, Violet learns of the care and keeping of Spartans, and Cortana offers dating advice. (Complete 5/7/24)

Chapter Nine: Family Dynamics

Morning came far too early and was entirely unwelcome. Sadie came barreling back into the bedroom once the front door clicked shut behind John to leap onto the bed with a wine. Paws seemed to find every soft spot on Violet’s body as the dog licked her face and yipped at her in encouragement to get out of bed for their morning run. Violet rolled onto her back and gave the dog a push back with a groan as she looked over at the chrono; 4:05am. Lovely.

Violet flopped onto her back and pulled the sheets up as she pinched her eyes shut, hoping for sleep to overtake her again. Her bedding smelled like sweat and the generic soap issued in the barracks that she had come to associate with him. Violet breathed in the scent. It was comforting, like he was still there beside her as she turned over to wrap her arms around the pillow he’d used. Before the smell would have taken her straight back to communal showers in the women’s locker room at NAU after soccer matches, but she wasn’t ready to remove herself from where the bed was still warm from where his body had been. Sleeping beside him had been like sleeping beside a furnace. Violet had slept tucked to him all night in his warm embrace, drinking in the lovely heat in the cool bedroom as she slept with his arms wrapped around her like every night before had been spent the very same way.

A wet nose snuffed against her ear, followed by Sadie’s tongue. Violet gasped out in surprise and swatted the dog away as she rolled back over on her side. Her eyes fell to the chrono again to calculate just how long she could stay in bed without being too late for work. The chunk of her headboard sat beside the chrono, half blocking the numbers on the display. Violet’s lips twitched up into a smile at the sight of it. She reached out to take the softball-sized handful of wood in her hand and gave it a long look. She rolled back onto her back with it still in her hands and reached up to feel the splintered edges of where his hand had been. A giggle escaped her lips. That was certainly a new one, she thought. That was for sure.

She needed a stronger bedframe, she concluded. However, she doubted ‘horny Spartan proof’ would be a viable search criteria when she started her shopping on the train.

Violet peeled herself from the bed with Sadie in tow as she leapt from it to trot back to the front door with a whine, leaving Violet to wonder just when the dog she’d adopted from the streets of the village near her last assignment when she found her eating from a trash can became so entitled. She stood with a stretch and stepped over the pooled fabric of her dress where it had been left discarded on the floor before giving it a weak kick towards her hamper. She dressed unenthusiastically, each motion still heavy and tired as she pulled her leggings on and wished she could crawl back into bed into the warmth of his arms instead. Her hair felt sticky as she pulled it up and twisted it into a tight knot atop her head, her fingers dragging through the sweaty strands as she crossed the living room to the door with daydreams of her post-run shower.

Sadie sat in front of the door when she left the bedroom with her lead gripped in her mouth as she watched Violet slip on her sneakers. Violet clipped the lead to Sadie’s harness before she straightened up and gave her tired eyes a hard rub with her fingers as she continued to will herself awake at the too early hour. Who in the fuck even woke up this early? It was simply criminal.

She blinked hard and yearned before she reached to open the door, but her fingers stopped as they curled around the knob. Her heavy eyes felt a tan more focused at the sight of pale green on the door, the cartoon smile of the houseplant printed onto her sticky note pad staring back at her. She peeled it off the door, her heart fluttering as she read over his neat all capital writing scrawled across it. A smiley face was scribbled under his short message;

See you tonight.

J

***

Violet yawned hard and pressed a gloved hand to her open mouth. She was careful not to close her eyes as she yawned for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon. The near endless stream of coffee she’d consumed since arriving did little to battle the exhaustion that had lingered since the night before. Audrey took the opportunity to strike with the botanist was distracted. The carnifloria vorax lunged at her, snapping its needle like teeth in hopes of trapping a snack within its maw. Violet raised a hand and caught the snappy bloom by its furry stem and gave it a hard shove back. She thumped the bloom with her fingernail. Audrey twisted away from her unhappily and hissed.

“Be nice,” Violet snapped. She pointed a stern finger at the bloom that had begun to snap its teeth at her nastily like she was scolding a naughty puppy rather than an alien plant.

The plant lunged at her again with a snarl, but Violet kept her finger raised in disapproval as she followed its motions. She seized a stag beetle from the tank of the work table and gave it a toss to the plant who snapped it up happily. Violet sighed and flipped the plant off as she reached for an extraction kit. Dickhead. If it hadn’t held the power to help so many, she would have given up on it months ago. She held Audrey’s stem steady with one hand as she ate, stabbing the needle of her syringe into the plant’s venom sac with the other, and pulled the plunger. Deep purple venom oozed into the syringe as Audrey snapped her jaws in protest.

“Almost done,” Violet reassured her. “You’re okay, dumbass.”

She removed the syringe and yawned again as she tagged and labeled the venom sample before passing it off to the biology lab technician tasked with collecting it who had watched the whole extraction in horror. He took the vial with a shaking hand, his eyes still fixed on the carnivorous flower. The pale faced man let out a startled gasp and jumped back as the plant snapped her teeth at him again. Violet stepped between him and Audrey and flicked the bloom on the teeth like she was scolding an aggressive dog that bared its teeth.

“No!” she hissed. The tech turned and practically ran from the greenhouse and away from the plant that seemed to take glee out of his terror. Violet gave the plant another stern look, “That wasn’t very nice.”

She yawned again as she pulled off her heavy gloves and tossed them down onto the worktable. Good lord, she needed to pull herself together. Wake up, Harris, she thought. Look alive, kid.

The leather pulled against her damaged fingers and Violet hissed out in discomfort as she flexed her hand. She had changed her bandages after her shower that morning, embarrassment pooling in her belly as she stared at the identical cuts that wouldn’t have occurred if she had been paying attention to the kitchen knife instead of stealing glances at the gorgeous man snoring on her sofa. She picked up the sweaty plastic cup of iced coffee she had been nursing since that morning from the work table and swallowed down the watered down drink, willing the caffeine to revitalize her long enough to get through the rest of her collections.

Her disrupted sleep didn’t bother her in the way it so usually would. She had spent the entire workday with the memory of his lips on hers crashing back into her mind, the way he had growled her name into the dark echoing through her head. She found her thoughts strayed to the prior night during all of her tasks. Some poor lab tech or horticulturist would repeat her name and bring her snapping back into the present. She didn’t care if she needed to get a direct IV of caffeine to stay awake, as long as every night ended that same way with him.

Her pad chimed on the workstation. An incoming call flashed on her screen and Violet turned her back to the agitated plant to read over the name of the caller. Harris Home, it read; her parent’s comm number displayed underneath the all caps writing and red heart emoticon beside it, with it the picture of her parents that she used for their contact. It made her giggle to herself as she looked down at the image of her parents in the aviary at the zoo before her dad retired; Bill laughed as his wife’s terrified state as a rather curious macaw tried to land on Jane’s head.

She flicked it up to dismiss the call and made a mental note to call them back tomorrow. She set down her cup before she turned towards the wriggling plant behind her again and tore the seal open on a new collection kit. If plants could sneer, she assumed that would be the only way to describe the way Audrey twisted at her in annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah,” Violet sighed, “One more and then we can get you back to your spot. Okay, girl?”

Violet dodged the twisting mass of teeth and pissy groans as she took the final sample. She turned to look for the rolling cart she had used to transport Audrey from her spot in The Jungle to the workrooms, but the cart was absent from where she had left it.

“Can I get a cart to the workroom?” She called out to her staff, but her request echoed through the empty greenhouse. The chrono on the wall above her signaled that the day staff had left for the day. The next shift started in ten minutes, which left her alone to move the plant that stood as tall as she did back to its spot in the afternoon sunlight.

She turned to Audrey and the plant bared its teeth at her again as if the botanist’s displeasure brought her the utmost joy.

“You need to get really cool really fucking fast,” she warned it as she crouched down to feel around the sturdy pot it sat in for a place to grip. Audrey snapped at her hair and caught her bun in its teeth, giving it a hard tug. Violet let out a pained gasp and straightened up to bop the plant on the bloom with a nasty look.

“You know, I used to tell people that I didn’t have a least favorite plant, but you’re very quickly making that list,” she snapped.

“Need some help?”

She turned her head at the familiar gravelly voice to find John standing over the other side of the worktable. Violet smiled up at him as she straightened up, wiping potting soil on her pant legs as she wondered just how much of her little outburst he’d overheard. He returned her smile and jerked his head at the plant that now watched him curiously.

“So,” he looked over Audrey, who now bared her teeth at him, thrilled to finally find a worthy opponent and sizable meal within her new home, “This is the dickhead plant?”

“In all of her glory,” she replied, “I’m surprised you remembered. You were already snoring by the time I started that part of my story.”

“I don’t snore, goose.”

She rolled her eyes, “Sure you don’t. I only had to listen to it all night.”

She popped up onto her toes to kiss his cheek, but found that even with her extended reach, his cheek was well beyond her reach. She settled with pressing her lips to his jaw instead, “Hi. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I was in the area,” he shrugged. Violet smiled, unsure of what duties would bring him to the opposite side of the base than the one he usually worked on, “Figured I would come see if you were headed out for the day.”

John’s eyes fell on the plant again with an assessing look, like he was sizing up an opponent. Audrey thrashed about in an attempt to establish herself as the dominant predator. He watched her blankly, his head tilted as he examined her. Violet glanced at the chrono again and noticed her workday creeping to an end with a smirk. She knew that Spartans had no reason to be around the greenhouses at any given time of the day, much less twenty minutes before her workday ended.

That assessing state remained on the plant as Violet gestured to Audrey, “I just have to get her back to her spot in the greenery and I should be set to leave. It seems that my day crew took shut down procedures a bit too seriously, though. I can’t find the cart I brought her over on, so I’ll have to track that down before I can head out.”

John took a curious step towards the plant. Audrey snapped her jaw at him, baring multiple rows of dagger-like teeth. He leaned back, unfazed by the carniflora vorax’s agitated state as she attempted to bite him again. Violet jumped when the plant’s teeth snapped mere inches from his head, but John reached out a hand to grab Audrey by the stem, holding her trashing bloom steady as he picked up the pot in one hand.

“Where do you want it?” he asked.

“Be careful! She bites.” Violet warned, “Like, really hard.”

He simply lifted the pot to his shoulder as if the massive organism was weightless and watched her expectantly. He shrugged, “I’ve dealt with worse.”

He had her there. She waved him on with a nod of her head towards the plant’s usual home, John following her through the paths of The Jungle into the greenery. Violet pointed to the empty spot the pot belonged to and John deposited the pot into the space, dodging Audrey’s last attempt to snap at his ear as he gave the plant an annoyed look. He straightened back up before he looked at Violet with that smirk that she felt low in her belly, “Will that be all, Doctor Harris?”

“I still have fifteen minutes,” she said with a soft chuckle, “So technically, I can put you to work until then, or as long as you keep me hidden away from my staff, I can leave now.”

He chuckled in return and nodded, “I think I can manage that.”

She gestured back towards the work tables, “Let me get my stuff.”

John waited as she gathered her things. She quickly tucked her pad under an arm and grabbed the thin fleece jacket she had worn on the walk from the train that morning off the back of her chair. Like drawn by a magnetic force, John’s hand pressed against her lower back as she stepped beside him and remained there as they walked the winding paths to the exit. Audrey bared her teeth as they passed with another low growl, Violet rolling her eyes as they passed by.

John glanced at the plant again and asked, “Why did they name it?”

“Oh, it’s from a super old movie,” she explained, “Well, a super old musical, really. It’s about this florist and a man-eating plant. I’ll spare you the details.”

He nodded and removed his hand from her back as they approached the doors to step behind her as they stepped out onto the concrete. Violet turned to face him and glanced down at the undersuit he still wore.

“Should I plan to meet you back at my place?” she asked.

He pointed in the opposite direction of the greenhouses to a portion of the base she had never set foot before. The Spartan barracks were located on the other side of the base. A section of her workplace she had never considered to be a place she would have any business in before she followed his finger to where he casually pointed.

“I just need to change,” he said, “Come with me? I can walk you home.”

Violet followed his finger and looked up at him nervously. “Am I allowed to?” she asked quickly. She highly doubted her clearance gave her access to that portion of the base with the very minimal clearance they allowed a civilian contractor responsible for the care and keeping of plants.

He chuckled and his hand found her back again, “I’m allowing it.”

***

Violet had never felt more out of place in her entire thirty years of existence than she did standing in the living quarters of Silver Team.

John led her into the barracks and she had to take a moment to collect herself upon entering. She remembered years of shared rooms; her freshman dorm and her room in the sorority her sophomore year that she had shared with three other girls. All had been bright messes of mingled personalities. But, the room felt almost sterile; beds made to perfection and not a single piece out of order, as if it had been sitting unoccupied rather than housing four individuals. There was not a single clue of those individuals in the room; not a single item that gave a bystander an inkling of who resided there save the supersized bunks made to support their size. Just gray walls, artificial lighting, and white bedding. It made her sad. She wondered if it had always been this way.

The door swished shut behind them as Violet followed John in. She felt a small tinge of relief that they appeared to be alone within the room. One Spartan had been imposing enough when she had met him, but four felt like more than she could handle. Yet, if they all were like him under those hard exteriors…

John rummaged through the small wardrobe beside his bunk, pulling out a change of clothes. With a sharp tug, he yanked down the zipper of his techsuit and peeled the tight fabric down off of his arms. Violet averted her eyes for a moment, unsure if she was meant to watch, suddenly shy after the previous night’s events. However, her eyes lifted from the concrete floors to the hard muscles of his chest as he continued to undress in front of her, remembering how they had felt under her hands, the sounds of his whispered sighs in the dark of her room filling her head as she watched.

His mouth lifted into a smirk as he caught her gaze and tossed the techsuit on his bunk, “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” she asked, pulling her eyes from his body to his face to find the same heated look in his eyes from the night before.

“That,” was his growled response. Heat pooled in her belly at the sound. The warmth only continued to build as he stepped to her, his eyes on her lips as he hooked a finger under her chin to raise her face to his own and she forgot how to breathe.

“Yeah? Or what?” she challenged. John lowered his lips to hers, but Violet leaned back, glancing between him and the door nervously, “What about your team?”

“At dinner,” he replied. Hazel eyes studied her lips, taking with them the worries of being interrupted that faded with each inch that lessened between his face and her own.

Lips brushed against her own as she nodded and relented to him, her hands coming to rest on his chest as she leaned into his kiss. A contented sigh escaped from her lips when his fingers raised to knot in her hair. She’d waited for this moment all day.

Yet, the moment she’d daydreamed of since waking alone in her bed was cut short by the sound of the doors swishing open as his team returned. A gasped “Oh!” made Violet jump back from his bare chest at the sound of three people stepping out of the doorway, clearing their throats. Heat burned across her cheeks as she looked up to John, whose own neck had turned a similar shade of scarlet as he looked beyond her. His expression hardened as he looked to the open door.

“Permission to enter, Chief? Or should we come back later?” a female voice called out. Violet looked nervously between him and the door, hoping that the floor would somehow open up and swallow her whole.

John’s jaw set into a hard line as he looked beyond her and cleared his throat before he called for his team to enter. Violet watched as the three Spartans entered, all watching her with the same curiosity they had the day prior when she stepped onto the lift as if they were assessing if she was a threat. The blonde, Kai, she remembered, looked to John with a smug smirk as she entered which he did not return. Violet gave them a small uncomfortable wave, feeling herself tense as they all continued to study her and looked beyond her to John.

“I’m going to shower off,” he stated. Violet felt the three pairs of eyes behind her on her back as she turned to him, “I’ll be out in five.”

Unable to find the words to protest, Violet watched helplessly as he slipped off to the showers and left her alone in the room with his team. Much to her relief she found that they had all gone off to their bunks as she turned, but eyes continued to glance up at her curiously from their respective tasks. Violet gave them a tight lipped smile before lowering herself onto the edge of his bunk, feeling like a fish in a bowl as she tucked her pad to her lap and busied herself with picking dog hair off of her jacket. Kai watched her from the bunk beside John’s and offered her a smile in return. Violet realized just how close of proximity they slept to one another as Kai lowered herself onto her mattress on the bunk beside his own.

“So,” she started. She swung her legs over the side of the bunk to face Violet before she folded them under herself, “You’re the girl from the lift.”

“That’s me,” she managed weakly. “I’m Violet. I’m John’s…” she paused, finding herself unaware of how to define her relationship to him in the presence of the Spartan. It felt like a foolish thing to be concerned by, especially in regards to him. She searched for the right word and settled with, “friend.”

From over Kai’s shoulder, she could see Riz and Vannak still watching her from their bunks, exchanging sidelong glances at one another. Kai looked behind her at the shared glance before she turned back to Violet with an apologetic smile. “Don’t mind them. We’re not used to having guests is all. I’m Kai.”

She held out a massive hand to Violet. Violet took it in a handshake that shook her entire arm. Kai still studied her, her expression kind as she looked over the woman on her leader’s bed. “I’m sorry if we interrupted-.”

“No,” Violet said quickly, sure she was still painted red and she smiled weakly, “No. You didn’t.”

A moment of quiet passed between the two women before Kai spoke again. She gestured to the patches stitched into Violet’s jacket, “Doctor, huh? Medical?”

Violet’s fingers went to the patch that displayed her name, “Oh no, botany. I’m a botanist. I work with plants. I’m sure my mom would be much more impressed by my doctorate if it had been medical though,” she laughed. Kai smiled and Violet felt her shoulders relax slightly at the sight of it. Kai lowered herself onto her side, her head propped on her fist.

“How exactly did Chief come across a botanist?”

“We met at the park,” she said, the scenario feeling far too ordinary spoken from where she sat. “I almost hit him with my dog’s ball.”

Kai smirked and leaned back slightly in a casual posture, as if they were two bunk mates gossiping about boys at summer camp rather than two perfect strangers. Violet found that she had an easy way about her, her own nerves relaxing the longer they spoke.

“I have to say it makes sense. He spends a lot of his down time there,” Kai shrugged.

“It’s quiet there,” Violet said, offering the same explanation John had given her that first afternoon.

“He seems to really care about you,” Kai said plainly. Her eyes flicked to the doorway that led to the showers. “He doesn’t have to say it, but we could tell when we saw you on the lift.”

The blunt statement caught her off guard. Violet hoped that the surprise hadn’t riddled her face as she felt her lips quirk up into a smile. She watched as John turned the corner into the room again, dressed in civilian clothing. His eyes softened when he saw her despite his stoic expression and Violet offered him a soft smile in return before she turned back to Kai.

“I really care about him, too.”

John looked between Violet and Kai as he walked towards them, a quizzical look crossing his face, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Kai said defensively. She pushed herself up off of the bunk and clapped a hand against his shoulder as she stood, “Just getting to know your girlfriend.”

Kai turned to Violet with a smile, “It was nice meeting you, Violet. I’ll see you around.”

Violet returned her smile and stood from his bunk as he approached. That word caught in her chest as she looked to John as he neared his bunk. “You too, Kai.”

Kai nodded and turned to walk to the showers he had just come from. She bumped her shoulder against his with a knowing look, smirking up at him with a waggle of her brows. “Should we expect you back tonight, Chief?”

He rolled his eyes, but Violet noticed the twitch of his lips he tried to hide. Violet fell into step beside him and gave another little wave to the remaining two Spartans as she followed John out the door. The redhead returned it as they watched the two step out into the hallway.

“She seems fun,” Violet commented, John’s pace slowing to match her own as they walked the empty hallway to the exit. John nodded and scoffed before glancing around the hallway, and his fingers curled into hers.

---

Violet enjoyed having him in her apartment. Sadie seemed to enjoy it more, however. The pup followed John like a shadow from the moment they arrived, leaping into his arms as he walked through the door without as much as a sidelong glance towards Violet. Violet rolled her eyes at the dog despite the glow in her chest at the sight of him holding her dog, patiently allowing Sadie to lick his face as he toed off his boots at the door and kicked them off next to hers.

She slipped into the bedroom to quickly change out of her uniform, leaving John in the living room under the careful supervision of Sadie. She took a moment in front of the bathroom mirror as she untwisted her bun, frowning at the kinks and twists left by the tight style and the humidity of the Jungle as she ran her hands under the faucet and combed wet fingers through her hair in an attempt to loosen the bumps her bun had left behind with little success. She sighed, quickly adjusted her breasts in the bodice of her dress, and stepped back into the living room.

She found John standing before her bookshelves with Sadie at his feet, an amused look on his face as his eyes turned to her. He held up the chunk of headboard from the night prior that fit perfectly in his palm, “Why is this on your shelves?”

Violet couldn’t help that laugh that bubbled from her chest, her hands coming to her mouth to hold back the snort she knew would follow. The events of her morning as she cleaned up the remnants of their forgotten meal after Sadie’s walk flooded her memory. She’d retrieved the piece of wood from the bedroom to toss it in the trash, but it seemed her efforts were for not.

“I must have left it there this morning. I had it in my hand to throw away and I must have set it down there and forgotten about it. I might just leave it there,” she teased, breezing past him into the kitchen with a wink, “I told you; it was going to go straight to my head.”

With a chuckle and shake of his head, he set it back down on the shelf among the viney trails of pothos. Violet smiled as she moved through the kitchen, pulling out the utensils and ingredients she needed to replicate the previous night’s dinner. John followed to lean against the island and watch as she set a pan on the stove, tapping on her pad to start her evening playlist, the plucky sounds of acoustic guitar oozing from the speaker on her counter and filling the room.

She pulled the cutting board and knife she had maimed herself with from the dishwasher and set them out on the counter. No sooner did she reach for the knife was John’s hand on it, pressed firmly under his palm against the counter with a disapproving look. John cocked an eyebrow at her and gestured for her to pass it to him. Her own brows raised in return at the sweetly overprotective gesture.

“Do you think I’m so incapable?” She teased.

John slid the utensils to himself, “No. I’m just in no mood to administer first aid again tonight.”

“Hey,” she scoffed, “I believe I returned the favor quite handsomely last night, thank you very much.”

He chuckled as Violet turned to attend to the pan on the stove and that low, lovely sound filled the room. She liked his laugh. She liked making him laugh. The song changed to one of her favorites, the raspy voice of the singer echoing through the kitchen as Rian Johnson sang about a love that transcended death. She swayed as she stirred, singing along softly as she looked over her spice rack, the sound of John chopping behind her falling in rhythm with the melody. It had been years since anyone had shared her space, let alone her kitchen. It seemed easy with him. She turned towards the island again to rummage through a drawer for a spatula, still singing along. She felt his eyes on her. When she looked up, he was watching her across the counter with that soft look that made her knees weak.

“What?” She asked, smiling at him.

“I like this,” he said softly as he looked down at her.

“Cutting onions? Good, because I hate it. That can be your date night job, then.” She joked, setting the spatula down on the counter and leaning against the counter on her elbows.

He reached across the counter and took her hand. His thumb brushing over her bandaged knuckles gently, the shockwaves that ran through her having little to do with pain, “Being here with you.”

“Then stay.”

The night, the week, forever. It made no difference to her as long as he continued to look at her like that.

With a cautious lean across the counter, like he was unsure if it was allowed, he lowered his lips to hers. Violet melted into his kiss, thankful for the lack of interruption in the quiet apartment. His lips moved against hers, soft and warm, and Violet pressed her hand to his cheek. From the opposite side of the counter, her pad chimed as her comm line rang. An automated voice calling out; “Incoming call from: Harris Home.”

Violet groaned, blindly reaching across the counter to hit dismiss. John stepped around the island to where she stood, his lips finding her neck as she looked over to locate the device. She declined the call with a tap before turning back to his lips. John’s hands traced the curve of her spine, his fingers fumbling with the delicate zipper of her dress. Maybe she’d get used to sharing her kitchen sooner than she thought.

The unwanted sound of her comm line rang through the kitchen. Violet groaned at the rhythmic tone that lifted his lips from hers.

“Do you need to get that?’

“My parents,” she groaned against his lips in explanation, blindly tapping at the counter for her pad, “I’ll call them back tomorrow.”

The chime of an accepted video call rang from her pad when her fingers tapped at it. Violet let her forehead thud against his chest when she realized she had hit accept in error, “Fuck.”

“Hello? Vi? Can you hear us? We can’t see you!”

The unwelcome noise of Jane Harris’s voice filling her daughter’s kitchen was the most offensive sound to Violet’s ears as it blared from her pad. Violet closed her eyes, hoping that she could disappear from the moment as her mother continued to call her name. She held a finger up to John, who nodded in understanding, and turned to make his way to the sofa with Sadie following behind him. Violet bit back the string of curses that bubbled in her throat as she slid off the island and uprighted her pad. She straightened her clothes and gritted out a smile, “Hi, Mom.”

Her father’s voice joined the mix of the video call, which lacked the faces of her parents and rather displayed the soft cream colored paint of her parent’s living room ceiling. Their pad rocked jerkily, her parents bickering as it exchanged hands.

“Hold on, kiddo,” Bill Harris called out. Violet caught a glimpse of her father’s bespectacled face before it disappeared again, “We got a new pad and I’m still learning it. I liked our other one better. I don’t know why your mother insisted we get a new one.”

“We were up for an upgrade! It’s an upgrade! We’re upgraded!”

“CAN YOU HEAR US?”

“Dad, you’re screaming,” Violet groaned.

“Well, can you hear me? I can’t hear you all that well…”

“Did you turn up the volume on our end, Bill?”

“It’s on, I turned it on. Wait- oh, there we go.”

Violet rested her elbows on the counter and sighed as she rubbed her temples. “My whole floor can hear you two,” she muttered out, “I’m sure of it.”

“I can’t hear her, Janie. Can you hear her? Can you hear us, Vi?”

“I can hear you, Dad.”

“Here, Bill.”

The image on her pad uprighted and her parents came into view. Her parents sat beside one another on their couch in the living room of her childhood home. Bill and Jane looked as they always did; her father dressed on one of his old city zoo pullovers, her mother perfectly done up in the same way she had been since Violet was a child, not a single hair out of place. Her dad adjusted his glasses and smiled brightly when he saw her.

“Oh, there she is. Hey there, pumpkin.”

“Why didn’t you answer our calls?” Jane asked, always straight to the point.

“I was at work, Mom,” Violet replied.

“You’re not at work right now and you declined our call,” her mother said pointedly, “Is that dress new? It’s very booby.”

“Mother,” Violet hissed, her cheeks burning as she straightened up to tug up the neckline of the dress she had chosen specifically because it was booby.

“What? It’s cute! I’m just saying- it’s a lot of boob! It’s a lot of boob for the afternoon.”

“Jane, can you not talk about my daughter’s breasts while I’m in the room?”

“Please don’t say breasts,” Violet said through clenched teeth, “I would love to talk to you guys later, but I’m busy right now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Your mother and I joined a birdwatching group this week,” her father announced happily, obviously not picking up on her attempt to usher them off the phone.

“Wow, I thought beekeeping was the most stereotypical hobby you picked up during retirement, but that takes the cake, Pops. That’s the new winner.”

“Bill, she’s making fun of us.”

“I’m not making fun of you,” she groaned, “That’s great, Dad. Can you tell me more about it tomorrow?”

“Hey pumpkin, do you know what Katie is up to?”

“I don’t know, Dad,” she said, hoping she was doing a better job of hiding her exasperation than she felt she was. She glanced over her shoulder to where John sat, rolling her eyes. Sadie sat in his lap, her eyes half closed as he scratched her ears. “If you want to talk to Katie, call Katie.”

“Is there someone there with you, sweetheart? You keep looking behind you.” Her mother called out, leaning towards the screen like she could peer through the camera into her daughter’s apartment.

“I have a friend over, mom,” she said hurriedly, “I’ll call you tomorrow!”

“Oh a friend, huh? A friend or a friend?”

“A friend, Mom. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you…”

“Well turn it around, I want to meet your friend. Is he handsome?”

“Mom, he doesn’t want to talk to-.”

“HELLO!”

Violet buried her face in her hands with an exasperated groan as her mother kept calling out. She gave John a helpless look over her shoulder to where he observed her, considering the woman who continued to shout through the pad and the defeated expression on Violet’s face. He stood, crossing the living room to her, and gave her hip a gentle squeeze before he stepped behind her and leaned down into the camera frame. Jane’s eyes popped as her daughter’s companion came into view.

“Good lord, he’s a giant,” she muttered to her husband, “Bill, look at how tall her friend is.”

“He’s very tall.”

“And very muscular. He looks very muscular.”

Violet’s teeth gnashed at the inside of her cheek, “We can still hear you, Mom.”

“What? He’s tall! I can’t point out that he’s tall?”

“Mom,” Violet sighed, John’s hand pressing against her back reassuringly.

“Shush. Hi Violet’s friend, we’re Violet’s parents who apparently forgot to teach her manners,” Jane quipped, watching her daughter with the same severe, stern stare of a retired middle school administrator that Violet had grown up learning to avoid.

Violet sighed, “This is John. This is my mom, Jane, and my dad, Bill. We have to go, guys. I’ll call you-.”

“Hi, John. It’s nice to meet you.” Violet bit back the frustrated scream that bubbled in her chest as her mom continued to yammer on, John far more gracious than she as he nodded to her mother.

“You as well, ma’am.”

“Oh he’s polite. Listen to how polite he is, Bill.”

“Very polite.”

“Hey guys? Guys!” Violet called, interrupting the whispered conversation her parents were having in front of an audience. Bill and Jane stopped to look at her, “I’d love to talk more later, but our dinner is getting cold. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Alright, alright,” her dad acquiesced, finally picking up on his daughter’s attempts to usher them off of the phone. “We’ll let you get back to it. Loved talking with you, Vi. And it was a pleasure to meet you, John! Sorry again for interrupting.”

“You as well, sir.”

“Alright, love you pumpkin.” Her dad called, Violet returning the statement as her parents’ ceiling came back into view with a fumbling of the pad.

“What a nice young man,” Jane said to Bill, the top of her head still in view.

“Very nice. Very tall.”

“Hang up the call, Dad,” Violet called, letting her head fall into her hands.

“I’m trying.”

“Just swipe up, Dad.”

“Oh, ah!”

The call ended with a ding. Violet slid the pad away from her and slid onto the counter with a groan, resting her head against the cool counter in an attempt to mitigate the hot flush that crawled across her face and the dull headache that now pounded in her forehead. John stood behind her, his hand still pressed to her back as he stared down at the pad.

“Are they always…” he paused, choosing his words, “like that?”

Violet stood and turned into his arms, burying her face in his chest. “That was pretty tame for them, actually.”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest under her cheek. He brought a hand to her head to run his fingers through her hair. She relaxed against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her.

“I am so sorry,” she began, “That was a lot. They are a lot-.”

“I like your family,” he said softly. She stopped her impending rambling and pressed into his embrace with a sigh.

“I like yours, too.”

[bohemian-rhapsody-in-blue]

tarot questions: the magician, the moon, the lovers, the empress.

Ah, a romantic Anon! Let me do my best to answer these questions with my absolute dearth of romantic feelings or experience…

The Magician: Have you ever written a poem or song about somebody else?

Yes, but never ones I’d show to anyone else (subject of the poem or otherwise).

Unless you count this poem I wrote about Chris Pine when I was 12:

I pine for Chris Pine!

I want him to be mine!

I think he’s rather fine,

And really quite divine!

And when the stars align,

Chris Pine will be mine!

And when I learn he’s taken…

I WHINE ABOUT CHRIS PINE!!!

That’s so far in the past at this point that it’s circled back from being cringey and embarrassing to being…well, still cringey and embarrassing, but I can laugh about it and share it with others. (And even then I wasn’t writing it completely in earnest—it was meant to be funny and badly-written.)

The Moon: Have you ever written a love letter?

Nope. Never really had occasion or reason to. (Not even fan mail to Chris Pine!)

The Lovers: Do you have a crush?

Yes! He’s tall, and dark-haired, and has a lovely low voice, and he’s 27 years old (a little old for me, I know), and he works as a bounty hunter in space and his name’s Spike Spiegel and…

Okay, fine. In all seriousness, no. I’ve had lots of fictional and celebrity crushes (Chris Pine among them!), but never a crush on a real, attainable person. And anyway, looking back, I feel like a lot of those fictional and celebrity crushes were actually just obsessive/hyperfixation feelings I wasn’t sure how to label. Like, I don’t think I actually had a crush on Harry Potter at age 10, I think I was just obsessed with the Harry Potter series in general.

The Empress: Do you think you will ever get married?

Oh, God. Uh. Maybe????

I would love to get married and start a family someday. I read romance novels or watch rom-coms and it just makes me want a partner, if only to feel all the happy romantic feelings I’ve been missing out on. I watch the happy little kids on Bluey or read parenting magazines/advice columns (a weird hobby of mine) and it reiterates to me how much I’d like to raise children someday, even though I’m terrified of the possibility of messing them up. I do want that in my future. (I don’t necessarily want to have sex or be pregnant, though; if I do have kids, I plan to adopt them.)

BUT, right now, marriage isn’t really something I can envision. Getting married to someone typically necessitates falling in love first, right? And I’ve never even had a crush, much less fallen in love, much less had someone I could call a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner or initiated a kiss. And sometimes this worries me—like I’m losing track of the trajectory to Adulthood™️ and at this rate I won’t find a life partner at the Normal, Expected Adult Age™️. I mean, obviously, as I said in the tags of this post, I’m not expecting to have found the one when I’m only 20, but haven’t most people my age had at least one relationship or crush? Felt something? Haven’t they at least had some practice?

But the thing is…as I currently understand it, romance, or those “happy romantic feelings I’ve been missing out on,” isn’t something you can control. You can’t turn it on and off at will like a faucet; you can’t just decide to have romantic feelings for someone. Trust me, if I could, I would have! This is why my current conception of my sexual identity is “asexual???????”, complete with all those question marks—maybe the clichés are right and I am just a late bloomer, or I haven’t found the right person yet.

And I hate the idea of spending the rest of my life waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that ever-elusive and possibly nonexistent “right person” to come along; trying to get those romantic feelings (that sound so wonderful in books!) to stir up in me when I’m not sure they even can. But at the same time, I don’t want to completely cut off the possibility of romance in my future, or just have a marriage of convenience/for tax benefits. And I never, ever, ever want someone to pressure me into doing romantic or sexual things with them after I have made it very clear that I don’t feel that way. Never.

So I guess all I can do for now is keep reading those romance novels, and wonder, and wait.

[Tarot Questions]

[happyk44]

ShinBaku have been dating in private for a while. The nature of Shinsou's job means the less coverage he gets, the better so no public photos, no confirmed status, no PDA. Which is fine by Bakugou, who lives life privately anyway.

But unfortunately it doesn't last. About 3 months in, some obsessive fan posts photos of Bakugou with some purple-haired guy at the grocery store. Bakugou is wearing a mask, a fucking Red Riot hat and Shinsou's stupid cat sweater.

Not his typical look but apparently some fans are Deku levels of obsessed.

It wouldn't be so bad, but they're holding hands quite openly. It's only a small series of photos but the amount of excitement it generates puts Shinsou on a temporary leave while his agency and Bakugou's agency try to figure out how to tamp down the wild speculations that Bakugou is dating someone.

Already the gossip rags are wondering if Shinsou's a hero. If he was a fellow classmate. They're scrawling through everything. Shinsou's existence as a public person has been pretty wiped clean. He stopped competing in sports festivals. On paper he was still a general studies student. His agency doesn't technically "exist" and all paperwork says it's a subset of Bakugou's agency. An administrative wing.

It's hard to find any official info on who he is, but in the meantime his picture is out there with the assumption he's dating a Pro. If anyone he'll ever interact with undercover sees it, his underground career is over.

Sure he could probably still work as a Hero, maybe more on the rescue side of things. Helping coax scared kids from burning buildings and whatever.

But he likes underground work. It's comfortable and he's worked hard to become top ten in his agency within the last three years. His Quirk is valuable to them.

It would suck if he had to transfer out.

He's bitching about this to Aizawa. Drunk off his ass and missing Bakugou who he has seen or spoken to for two weeks. On the advice of both their agencies. It's still shit.

Bakugou's his boyfriend.

If he wants to drag him to his apartment and rail his ass into next Sunday, he should be allowed. Aizawa just nods vaguely and tries to trick him into drinking water instead of pure vodka.

It doesn't work. Shinsou downs four more shots, whines some more then crashes on his bed.

So when he wakes up the next day at 3pm to the news wildly freaking out about Bakugou's new boyfriend, he is so confused.

The press conference was 9am. Aizawa is standing next to Bakugou. They're holding hands. Bakugou's is saying stuff but none of it is processing.

Was he just dumped on national television?

For his fucking Sensei? What the hell?

There's a series of texts. Some from his friends, just as confused as he is, one from Aizawa that he childly ignores, and a few from Bakugou.

Firecracker Booty: Yo, wake the fuck up. Firecracker Booty: This is why you shouldn't drink. You have the stupidest ideas. Firecracker Booty: My fucking PR agent heard him talking about it with me and is rolling with it. Firecracker Booty: Fucking answer your goddamn phone.

There's a bunch of missed calls from Bakugou and his agency. A voicemail from his agency's Head of Privacy saying if he doesn't answer they're gonna go with it. The idea he presented while drunk off his ass bitching to his former mentor.

An idea he didn't even remember.

Aizawa will come forward as Bakugou's actual boyfriend. Firmly putting a stop to all the speculation and changing the subject away from Shinsou.

It's something they considered at the beginning but Bakugou was pretty heavily against it. He wasn't going to fake committing to a friend who would want a real relationship of their own otherwise. And he wasn't going to fake commit to someone he didn't fucking know.

Aizawa was someone he knew. Someone who hadn't been in a relationship since he was 20.

It was a good idea. Shinsou's idea apparently.

He hates it anyway. The rest of the voicemail dives into how they'd wait to hear back from him but there's a mission he's needed on and they feel it best to get all the gossip stubbed out now.

Wonderful.

Naturally, there are still someone people who don't believe it so Aizawa and Bakugou get photographed on "secret" dates. Holding hands. Laughing together. Aizawa feeds Bakugou a coffee cake. Bakugou is photographed bringing him a bento box. A little kiss on the cheek.

Eri even makes a statement on her Instagram about how much she likes having Bakugou in her life. That's not a lie. He is her favourite person. More so than Shinsou. Probably more than Aizawa.

But the picture she posts curls Shinsou's stomach.

Aizawa is pressed into Bakugou's back while he cooks something. Smiling into the crook of his neck like Shinsou does.

He can already imagine what Bakugou would do next. Smack Aizawa with his spoon. Aizawa would tease him. Then clothes come off and they're rutting on the kitchen floor just like how Shinsou and Bakugou sometimes end up.

Bakugou briefs him about everything he does with Aizawa beforehand. Just to make sure he's okay with it. He is.

It's just different seeing it in front of his face. With their friends cooing in the comments and fans going rabid over every post and article.

He spends too much time searching for the complaints. People angry because Aizawa was his teacher, isn't that creepy? How Bakugou could do better than some old man.

He might post a couple comments here and there from a burner account. Just to soothe his own insecurities.

Bakugou always comes back to him. Kisses him. Fucks him. Falls asleep in his bed. With his bruises.

It's fine.

It is.

It's for the safety of both their careers.

He hates it anyway. Jealousy is mean in his chest. He ignores Aizawa's attempts to reach other and covers every moment he has with Bakugou, leaving him more marked up that usual.

Even if people go nuts over "Aizawa's" marks and speculate where on his covered body Bakugou's fingerprints have been bruised and burned into, Shinsou knows who made them.

Knows he has Bakugou's handprint pressed into his hip. Knows that the bites on Bakugou's throat are his. Bakugou is his. But the marks he leaves are not statements to the world.

They're statements to one very specific person. And the bastard better get a fucking clue or Shinsou's gonna get worse.

[jplosier]

I'm getting a lot of Trans people in my feed since I reblogged a post about my trans son. THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT! It's great, and they're great, and open about what they're going through, and most are incredibly well-spoken and intelligent and thought-provoking. As a middle-aged cis het white man, I fall into the demographic that tends to perfect them, but I don't feel attacked or anything. But....

It's a lot to unpack. When I grew up, being taught there are two genders, two sexes, and a small group of people that were "gay" or wanted to become the other gender, life was simpler. Yes, I used the terms I grew up with, and I'm sorry if it offended anyone. I really was doing it to illustrate the thinking then.

Now, I read some of these phenomenally well-written and educational posts about subtle, nuanced, IMPORTANT differences, feelings, phobias (mostly of my demographic against these subtly nuanced "different" people), and feel like a 5th-grader in a medical college lecture being over with new terms to look up and internalize. I may never use some of these terms, and some of them I shouldn't or can't because to do so would be akin to me using the n word to a person of color. And some small 1980's_caveman part of me resists not being allowed to use these words for illustrative purposes, but enough of me understands, viscerally, being triggered by small innocuous words or imagery to know that someone out there could get hurt by it. I want to follow that Hippocratic advice and "First, do no harm."

I accept that there are things I don't understand. And there are things I will only be able to relate with on the most tenuous of threads, like having long hair and someone coming from behind and calling me "ma'am." I also understand that there are things that will be so out of my experience that I may never understand them. Just cannot. Logically, I accept that.

And the petulant child in my whines that I should be allowed to understand, because I'm doing it to try to be empathetic, or at least sympathetic to those people and situations.

But if I'm doing that solely for my own benefit, is it just to appease my conscience and make me feel absolved of the crimes of my generation and demographic? Am I trying to prove my "wokeness," to myself, my family, or the one random (no offense; I appreciate you) follower I have on this platform?

So this is basically introspection and a journal, public enough to be called out of my assumptions and biased are leading me astray.