#so they start looking around for Anything they can find to point at and say 'this is what I am scared of. This is what is threatening me'

[fastandcarlos]

One Domesticated Man : ̗̀➛ Lando Norris

summary: lando tries his best to prove to you that he can be a domesticated guy

“If I find one more of your dirty pairs of pants lying around I’m going to swing for you Lando Norris!” 

A mischievous grin appeared on Lando’s face as he heard you shout through the house, watching as you walked into the bedroom to where he was. 

He was busying himself, placing the washing that you had done for him back into his wardrobe, sorting through what he needed to pack with him as he prepared to head off again for the next rest on the calendar. 

“I just forget to pick them up sometimes,” he innocently smiled, “there’s so many other things on my mind, my pants are the least of my concerns.” 

Your eyes rolled as you threw the pants into the washing basket before watching him. His brows were knitted together as Lando tried his best to fold one of his shirts. You watched for a while before snatching the shirt out of his hands, showing him how it was done.  

“I’m learning,” Lando defended as you threw the top into the drawer of his wardrobe. “No one’s ever really shown me how to do all of this stuff, I’ve just had to learn how to do it all on my own.” 

“Lando, you barely do anything,” you sighed, sending him a knowing glance. “When was the last time that you hoovered? Or took the rubbish out for bin collection day?” 

There was a brief pause as Lando let what you said sink in, realising for himself how little he did around the house, watching as you usually darted around and got everything sorted out for the both of you. 

“Remember when I washed up the other day?” 

“What? In cold water, of course I remember.” 

Whilst Lando laughed, your eyes rolled, finding yourself often having to go back and fix things once he’d done them. Lando was far from the most domesticated man in the world, relying on others to get him by with how little time he actually spent at home. 

You folded the last of Lando’s bits before leaving him to it, walking downstairs and into the kitchen as you started to get yourself sorted for preparing dinner. 

Soon enough footsteps followed behind you as Lando joined you in the kitchen, sitting up on the worktop. You could tell straight away that he was bored, following you around like a shadow. 

“How can I help you?” Lando asked as he watched you open up the fridge. “You always sort dinner out, so I want to be able to help you out tonight.” 

Your eyes flickered around to look back at Lando, “is this because of what I said upstairs? It’s alright Lando, go and do something if you want, I really don’t mind.” 

“No, I want to help and do something around here.” 

Your head nodded, opening up the cutlery drawer and taking out a knife, placing it down on the chopping board, tapping it for Lando to move across to. 

“You can be trusted with this, can’t you?” You teased, pointing at the knife. “I’m not going to end up having to drive you to hospital, right?” 

“I’m not completely incompetent babe.” 

You took the vegetables and showed Lando how you wanted them cut, making sure that your instructions were clear, making it impossible for Lando to go wrong. He listened intently to what you had to say, determined to prove to you, and himself, that he could help. 

There were a few nerves as Lando got started, his eyes full of concentration as he chopped things up. He didn’t want to put a foot wrong, it was a simple job, but for some reason Lando felt the pressure. 

“Maybe once we’ve eaten tonight, we could look at building your new desk for your office,” Lando suggested as he stopped for a moment, noticing you freeze beside him. 

“Washing, cooking, building, are you sure that you’re going to cope?” 

Lando’s head nodded, an excited smile on his face, full of encouragement. “I promised you weeks ago I’d build it and I haven’t, it’s unfair to leave you waiting around for it any longer.” 

“Do we have the equipment to build it though?” 

Lando gasped, his head nodding back at you, with his toolbox hidden around somewhere. He wasn’t quite sure when he last used it, but he knew with a bit of a search around he’d locate it. It was an old one, one that his dad gave to him for times like this, one that Lando had very rarely used. 

He could still feel your eyes watching him, doubtful as to how things would go, knowing that construction anything more than Lego was a tricky job for Lando. 

“I can do it,” he assured you, his voice a lot more insistent. “And if I get stuck then I know where you are so you can come and help me.” 

There was a confidence in Lando’s voice that had you trusting him, having done most things yourself, you weren’t going to deprive him of his chance to be a little more domesticated. 

“If you want to help out, I’ve got a long list of things that need doing around the house,” you smiled, walking over and snaking your arms around his waist. “I could keep you entertained for weeks with all these jobs.” 

“You’re right though, I should be doing more to help you,” Lando whispered. 

“You’re busy Lando, when you come home it’s important that you rest,” you replied, resting your head against his back. “I’m not expecting anything from you.” 

You didn’t expect, but Lando did of himself. He’d never thought about how much he contributed around the house, but now that you passed a comment, even just a joke, it definitely had Land thinking. 

“You’re busy too, just because you’re not flying around the world to do it. We’re a team, therefore this house needs to be taken care of by two people,” Lando assured you. 

“If you want to do more, then I guess I wouldn’t mind.” 

Lando nodded as he finished up the job that you had given him, with your body still pressed up against his. He wanted to learn and do more, hoping one day to teach his own child how to do all of the jobs that his dad had taught him to do. 

I really do, more than anything.” 

You could see just how sincere Lando’s eyes were, how serious he was. The thought of you continuing to run around after him was one that made him feel so uneasy. 

“Why don’t we have dinner and then we can build the desk together?” You proposed, “that way you can help out, and we can have fun doing it together.” 

“I’d like that, a lot,” Lando whispered, “I want to be more domesticated, like those men you see in all the movies, the ones who can just figure everything out, can take on a job no matter how big or small.” 

“You want to be a hero?” You teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “What am I supposed to do though if you’re doing all of these jobs for me now.” 

“You can just sit and relax,” Lando instructed, “that’s the least that you deserve anyway, I don’t want you to do anything other than that.” 

“I can just sit and tell you when you miss a bit,” you laughed, “or when you’re not doing a good enough job.” 

“That’s the least that I’d deserve, right?” 

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[writingbuckets]

The Hot Take: Part 2

paige bueckers x influencer!reader

wc: 1.7k

a/n: thanks so much for the kind messages on part 1! enjoy <3

**********

You can feel the energy in the arena even from the parking lot. Fans are buzzing, and you catch glimpses of them sporting jerseys and waving signs in support of Paige and her teammates. There’s a spark of excitement mixed with nerves in your stomach as you make your way to the courtside seats Paige promised.

You glance down at the ticket she sent you through DM with a wry smile. It’s a little surreal, actually being here. The back-and-forth messages with Paige left you curious and maybe a little too interested in seeing her play. Overrated, you’d said. Well, tonight she’d get the chance to prove you wrong.

As you settle into your seat, you text Taylor to let her know you’ve arrived. She’s responds in caps “EXCITED FOR YOU”, sending laughing emojis and a “TRY NOT TO FALL IN LOVE, Y/N.”

In the locker room, Paige’s teammates are already in pre-game mode, stretching and reviewing plays, but Azzi catches sight of Paige checking her phone for the third time in five minutes. She grins knowingly, nudging Jana beside her.

“Okay, what’s up with you?” Azzi asks Paige with a teasing tone. “You’ve got that look.”

Paige pretends not to know what she’s talking about, tucking her phone away with a smirk. “What look?”

“Don’t play coy. This is a new level of focus even for you,” Jana chimes in, eyeing her with mock seriousness. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with your biggest critic being courtside tonight, would it?”

Paige rolls her eyes but can’t hide the grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Just trying to make sure she gets her money’s worth,” she says with a shrug. “Not every day you get a ‘critique’ from someone who’s never even seen you play live.”

KK, who’s been stretching nearby, perks up, catching the last part of the conversation. “Wait, is this the podcaster?” She laughs, sitting up and pointing at Paige. “The one who called you overrated? Oh, this is too good.”

“Yeah, we’ve been talking a little,” Paige admits, trying to sound casual but clearly enjoying the reaction from her friends.

Morgan snickers. “Talking, huh? I don’t think she meant that comment as an invitation, Paige.”

Paige gives a mock glare. “Please. She’s practically begging to be impressed.”

Aubrey chuckles, crossing her arms. “Just don’t get too distracted out there, superstar. She might be here to see you crash and burn.”

Paige laughs and waves them off, but there’s an undeniable confidence in her tone. “Oh, trust me. She’s not ready for what she’s about to see.”

**********

You watch the team make their entrance, the crowd roaring as each player is introduced. When Paige is called, the noise is almost deafening, and you find yourself instinctively clapping along, even as you try to stay cool.

Finally, the game starts. Within moments, it’s clear why Paige has all the attention. She commands the court with ease, weaving around defenders with a blend of grace and intensity that makes it hard to look away. Every shot, every pass—it’s like she’s putting on a show, and with each move, she glances your way, her gaze almost daring you to look impressed.

You catch her eye after she lands a particularly smooth three-pointer, and she gives a slight smirk, as if to say, Not bad, huh?

You raise an eyebrow, mouthing back, “Still not impressed.”

In response, she grins and picks up her pace, dominating every play with a flair that seems designed to taunt you. The more you watch, the more you find yourself pulled into the game, barely noticing the time passing. But every so often, her eyes find yours, and it’s like the entire arena fades away for just a moment.

The final buzzer sounds, and Paige’s team wins by a comfortable margin. As the players cool down and talk to the press, she sends a quick look in your direction, clearly reveling in her victory. She approaches the sidelines, her teammates trailing behind and giving her little nudges and knowing looks.

Azzi shoots you a cheeky grin as she passes. “Hey, thanks for coming. Glad Paige had her own personal cheerleader tonight.”

Jana adds with a laugh, “More like underrated, huh?”

Before you can respond, Paige strides up, wiping sweat from her brow and grinning with that signature self-assurance.

“So?” she says, folding her arms and looking at you expectantly. “Any thoughts from my favorite hater?”

You keep your expression neutral, even as your pulse quickens under her direct gaze. “Not bad. You almost looked like you knew what you were doing out there.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Almost? That’s high praise coming from you.”

You shrug, tilting your head thoughtfully. “Guess I’ll have to watch a few more games to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”

Her eyes light up at that. “Oh, so you’re coming back?”

“Only if you keep up that level of play,” you reply, not missing a beat. “I’d hate to waste my time.”

Her teammates are still hovering nearby, soaking up the banter with matching grins.

KK gives Paige a nudge. “Careful, Bueckers. I think she’s starting to like you.”

“Wouldn’t be the first,” Paige quips, giving you a sidelong glance. “Some people just need a little convincing.”

You raise an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. “You think you’ve convinced me?”

“Not yet,” she admits, a teasing challenge in her eyes. “But I think I’m close.”

You can’t help but laugh, enjoying the back-and-forth more than you’d like to admit. She’s good at this—smooth, confident, and annoyingly charming. And the way she keeps looking at you, with that mix of amusement and intrigue, makes it harder to stick to your original opinion.

As the conversation winds down, you start to think about heading out. But before you can make a move, Paige’s voice cuts through your thoughts.

“So, a few of us are grabbing food to celebrate,” she says casually, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “You should come. Unless, of course, you have better things to do?”

Her eyes are challenging, and you can feel her teammates watching you, clearly curious to see what you’ll say. Part of you wants to play it cool, brush it off, but there’s a bigger part that’s intrigued, drawn to the idea of spending more time with her.

“Why not?” you reply, keeping your tone light. “Could be interesting.”

She grins, giving her teammates a triumphant look before gesturing for you to follow.

The group heads to a local spot where they’re regulars, filling up a large booth with laughter and chatter. You find yourself seated next to Paige, who’s now relaxed and fully in her element, her focus entirely on you.

“So, tell me,” she says, leaning in as she sips her drink. “What made you think I wasn’t as good as people say?”

You shrug, pretending to think hard. “I think some players need to be humbled sometimes. Keeps things balanced.”

“Oh, really?” She smirks. “So you’re, like, the self-appointed hype police?”

“If that’s what it takes.” You give her a challenging look. “And, judging by your performance, I think you’re taking my job pretty seriously.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Maybe I just like proving people wrong.”

Aubrey, who’s overheard, chimes in with a grin. “Yeah, Paige is kind of a show-off when it comes to impressing people.”

Paige rolls her eyes, but she’s clearly enjoying the attention. “Hey, I like a challenge.”

You lean back, folding your arms as you meet her gaze. “Good to know. Might have to challenge you more often, then.”

The night goes on, filled with jokes, teasing, and the undeniable chemistry simmering between you and Paige. Her teammates keep throwing her looks, nudging her when she gets too obvious with her attention, but she brushes them off with ease.

By the end of the night, you’re more than a little curious about where this dynamic might lead. Paige, it turns out, isn’t just an incredible player—she’s clever, competitive, and, as much as you hate to admit it, a lot of fun to be around.

As you say your goodbyes and head out, she catches your arm, pulling you back for one last exchange.

“So,” she murmurs, her voice low, “can I ask for your opinion on me now?”

You meet her gaze, a slow smile spreading across your face. “ I’ll tell you when you make an appearance on the show.”

She laughs, nodding as she steps back. “You can count on it.”

You linger a moment, savoring the playfulness in her tone and the easy confidence in her smile. Her teammates start calling her over, and you see her hesitate, glancing between you and her friends. It’s almost as if she’s weighing her next move, and the idea that Paige Bueckers might actually be a little reluctant to end the night brings a grin to your face.

“Better go before they start making up embarrassing stories about you,” you say with a nod toward her friends, who are watching the two of you with unabashed interest.

She chuckles, eyes glinting with something mischievous. “Don’t worry, they don’t have any dirt on me… yet.”

“Oh, so you’re planning on giving them some?” you shoot back.

Paige tilts her head thoughtfully. “Only if it’s worth it.” Her voice is low, suggestive, and you can’t ignore the electric undertone beneath her words. She glances toward the exit, then back at you, taking a small step closer. “But, you know… I wouldn’t mind getting to know my ‘biggest hater” a little better.”

Her words hang in the air, and you feel your pulse quicken. There’s a part of you that wants to keep this light, play it cool, but another part—a part you’re not fully ready to admit yet—is undeniably intrigued by her invitation.

With a playful smile, you shrug. “Maybe you’ll earn that chance. If you’re lucky.”

Her laughter rings out, bright and clear. “I think I make my own luck.”

You offer her a mock salute. “We’ll see about that, superstar.”

As you turn to leave, you feel her gaze on you, lingering, as though she’s already planning her next move. And as you step out of the restaurant, the night air feels different—charged with possibility. You’ve seen a side of Paige that few get to see, and it’s clear this game of wit and challenge between you isn’t over yet.

But for now, you head home, wondering what exactly you’ve gotten yourself into.

[tortillamastersblog]

➶The Bet - Part 2 | Kate Bishop➴

Pairing: Kate Bishop x reader

Warnings: angst

Summary: Being known as the quiet and reserved student, you mind your own business and stay out of people’s way.

Kate Bishop is the exact opposite. Outgoing, bubbly, and loud, she’s the definition of a popular girl, so it comes as a surprise when she asks you out on a random Thursday afternoon.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

_______________________________________________

After taking my headphones out, I unlock the front door of my apartment and step inside.

“Hey, are you making dinner?” I call out, taking off my running shoes. “It smells gre—EY!” I pull the damp dish towel that was just chucked at me off my face and glare at my roommate Riley. “What the hell?”

She’s standing in the hallway with her arms crossed. “You’ve been avoiding me for two days now, so, spill! What’s going on with you?”

I sigh and peel off my sweaty shirt, tossing it into the laundry room close by. “I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve just been busy studying.”

Riley raises an eyebrow and uncrosses her arms. “We’re both majoring in Chemistry, Y/N, and there aren’t any exams coming up, so talk.”

I chuckle softly and brush past her to see what she’s been up to in the kitchen. “I hate how well you know me.”

Simmering in a pot on the stove is a delicious smelling chili and I can’t help but grab a spoon to try some. Before I can lower the spoon into the pot though, Riley snatches it out of my hand.

“Nope. You don’t get to eat until you tell me what you’re trying to hide,” she scolds and I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking about how I’m going to handle this.

The reason I haven’t told her about Kate yet is because she’ll lecture me about why I shouldn’t have agreed to go out with her in the first place.

Riley knows me better than anyone and she’ll point out all the reasons why Kate and I won’t work, and I just don’t want to deal with all that when I’m only starting to get to know Kate.

We’ve gotten coffee every day since our first date two days ago and we have a dinner scheduled at her place tomorrow night.

We haven’t held hands, or kissed yet, but I can see us heading in that direction and I don’t want anyone to interfere. Especially not Riley even though she’s only trying to look out for me.

“Well. . .” I place my hand on the counter and trace the pattern of the marble with my finger. “I’ve been kind of going out with Kate Bishop and I didn’t tell you because I was scared you were going to judge me for it.”

Riley doesn’t say anything, so when I look up I’m surprised to find her looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. “Why would you think I’d judge you for that? I’ve been telling you to get yourself out there for a while now.”

She sounds genuinely hurt that I didn’t tell her which makes me feel somewhat guilty. “No, I know you would never judge me for dating, but I’m not just seeing anyone. This is Kate Bishop we’re talking about and—“

“Okay, yes, it is a little unusual that you’re going out with her of all people,” she admits, handing back my spoon so I can finally taste the chili, “but who am I to tell you what to do? Does she make you happy?”

I smile instinctively, thinking about the time I’ve spent with Kate so far. “She does.” I blush a little and smile softly. “She’s funny and kind, and I honestly don’t mind how bubbly she is. It’s actually quite endearing.”

I’m usually not a fan of loud and energetic people, but I don’t mind it when it comes to her.

“Oh my God.” Riley laughs and slaps me with another dish towel. “Look at you, you’re absolutely smitten with her!”

My blush intensifies and I take the towel away from her. “I am not!”

“Sure, you’re not.“ She cackles and I just roll my eyes, turning away to finally try the chili.

“This is great.” I nod in approval and turn back around to find Riley still grinning like a kid in a candy store. “Oh, shut up!“

“What?!” She shrugs. “I didn’t even say anything.”

I narrow my eyes. “Mhmm. But you wanted to, you little shit. . . I’m going to take a shower now.”

She laughs, but doesn’t say anything else, so I turn around and leave with a small smile on my face.

Even though she can be super annoying, she’s like a sister to me and I wouldn’t change her for the world.

I fidget with the tulips in my left hand and the bottle of wine in my right, waiting anxiously for Kate to open the door.

It’s five minutes to seven and I know I’m early because we agreed I’d be here at seven, but it’s better to be a little early than a little too late.

Riley told me to get Kate some real flowers this time rather than just a paper flower after I told her about our coffee date which is why I swung by a florist on the way here.

I didn’t want to get her roses because that’s just a little too on the nose for me, so the choice was between carnations and tulips. In the end, I went with the pink and purple tulips because I noticed purple is her favorite color.

“Y/N, hey!”

My head snaps up at the sound of Kate’s breathless voice and when my eyes land on her I can’t help but smile. She’s dressed casually, wearing jeans and a purple sweater and even though she’s trying to seem calm I can tell she’s a little breathless, probably because she had to rush to the door.

“Hi, you look nice.” I compliment after clearing my throat. Then I raise the bouquet of tulips and the bottle of wine, adding, “I come bearing gifts.”

That makes her laugh as she steps aside to let me into the apartment. “I told you not to bring anything.”

I smile at her and feel butterflies in my stomach when I notice her ears turning red. “I know, but it’s not polite to show up somewhere empty handed, so. . . These are for you.” I hold out the flowers once she’s closed the door behind us.

Kate’s eyes dart back and forth between me and the flowers before hesitantly reaching for them. “You got me flowers?” she whispers and I’m not sure why, but her voice is laced with disbelief and sorrow.

I frown and let her take them from me, trying to momentarily ignore how my hand tingles when her fingers brush against it. “I— Yeah, I thought you might like them, but if you don’t I can just—“

“No, no, no.” She shakes her head and looks at me with a pained smile. “I like them. They’re beautiful, it’s just. . . “

“It’s just. . .?” I raise an eyebrow and wait for her to go on, but she just studies me with a strange look in her eyes.

It’s almost as if she’s sad about something, but then she exhales shakily and puts on a smile. “Forget about it. They are beautiful. Thank you.”

What was that?! Did I do something wrong? I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Riley! She hates the flowers! Shit.

“Uh— Okay. . . You’re welcome, I guess,” I stammer, wishing the ground would just open up beneath me and swallow me whole.

Seemingly unaware of the sudden tension, Kate puts the flowers down on the dresser next to us before taking the wine out of my hands as well so it’s easier for me to take off my jacket.

“So, tell me what’s new. What have you been up to today?“ she asks casually while I take off my jacket.

Okay, I guess we’re moving on from whatever the hell that just was. . .

“Nothing much,” I say honestly. “I went for a run and helped my roommate Riley install some new bookshelves. What about you?”

Kate takes my jacket and puts it in the closet while I toe off my wet boots. It rained earlier today and even though it stopped a while ago, the streets are still wet and I don’t want to ruin her floors by keeping my shoes on.

“I had fencing practice this morning and then I hung out with Greer and Franny,” she says, picking up the tulips and handing me the bottle of wine. “They told me to say hi by the way.”

I smile at that and try not to combust when Kate takes a hold of my hand and pulls me into the living room.

I’ve never actually spoken to Greer and Franny, but I know they’re Kate’s friends and ever since she asked me out they greet me in the hallways with knowing smiles.

“Alright.” Kate stops in the kitchen and drops my hand to put the flowers into a vase. “I’m a horrible cook, so I thought we could order some dinner and then maybe watch a movie?”

“Sounds like a plan.” I smile and watch her grab a bottle opener from a drawer, “but I thought you invited me over so we could cook something together?”

That is exactly what she said when we made tonight’s plans and even though I’m fine with just ordering in, I want to know what’s changed, or why she asked to cook together in the first place.

Kate hands me the bottle opener and smiles sheepishly. “I know. I thought cooking together would be kind of cute and you agreed, but then I remembered I can’t cook after you’d already left and I didn’t want to change our plans again and—“

“Kate,” I say, my voice laced with amusement. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. I just wanted to know.”

Worried blue eyes meet my own and when I smile again, she relaxes and pushes two empty wine glasses toward me. “Right. Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I reassure her and open the wine before filling each of our glasses. “So, what did you have in mind? Pizza?”

She nods and grabs a takeout menu off the fridge. “Yeah, there’s this great place around the corner that makes the best pizza’s in the city. I know the owner and every time I order something he makes sure to put an extra helping of cheese on the pizza.“

I smile at how excited she looks and tell her to just order whatever she wants.

“Are you sure? I usually just get a cheese pizza. If that’s too boring though we can—“

Here she goes again, rambling like there’s no tomorrow.

I put my hand over her fidgeting one on the counter which makes her shut up immediately. I’ve never initiated a touch before and as soon as our eyes connect I can’t remember why.

“I told you, I’m fine with whatever, so if you want cheese pizza, order cheese pizza,” I say quietly without breaking eye contact.

It makes Kate gulp before she nods slowly. “Okay.” Her blue eyes dart between my own and for a split second they even drop to my lips.

Knowing it’s too early in the night for a kiss though, I take my hand back and lift my glass of wine. “Cheers?”

It takes a moment for Kate to recover, but once she’s snapped out of her trance she grabs her own wine and we clink glasses. “Cheers.”

We both take a sip and I watch how Kate’s eyes widen slightly at the taste of the wine as soon as it hits her tongue. She glances at the bottle before looking back at me with raised eyebrows. “How much did you pay for that bottle?” she asks.

I just shrug and take another sip before answering. “Nothing. It was a gift from my dad. It’s been collecting dust on my shelf ever since he died because there was never an occasion to open it until now.“

Kate chokes slightly and sets the glass down. Her eyes fill with the same strange emotion as before when I gave her the flowers and I don’t like it, not one bit.

Nevertheless, I ask her if she’s okay, but she just waves me off.

“I’m fine. I’m okay.” She doesn’t look at me though and picks up her phone and the takeout menu. “Why don’t you pick out a movie while I order dinner? I’m fine with whatever as long as it’s not a horror movie.“

I frown and watch her, but she refuses to meet my eyes, so I agree. “O-Okay.”

“My laptop is on the bed upstairs. The password is 1234,” she says, dialing the number of the restaurant.

Trying to lighten the mood again I joke and say, “That’s not a very secure password for someone whose family owns a security company,” but Kate doesn’t react the way she normally would.

She barely even smiles and I take that as my cue to just leave her alone for the time being.

What is going on? It seems like I keep saying the wrong thing. . .

I brush it off as best as I can and just climb the stairs up to the loft where I find Kate’s laptop on her bed. Not sure where she wants to watch the movie, I take a seat on the edge of the unmade bed and open her laptop.

I put in the password and open Netflix, scrolling through some movies while she orders the pizza downstairs.

“Pizza’s gonna be here in twenty minutes,” she says, coming up the stairs after hanging up. She’s acting like nothing happened again which is a little irritating, but I don’t want it to spoil our time together, so I let it slide. Again. “Have you picked a movie yet?”

I turn the computer and show her what I chose. “Is this okay?”

Kate beams and jumps on the bed. “Yes! I love Grown Ups! C’mere.” She pats the space beside her and I join her on the bed properly, leaning back against the headboard.

I’m about to start the movie, when Kate jumps to her feet again with an apologetic smile. “Hold on.”

She darts down the stairs and comes back up a couple of seconds later with our wine glasses and the bottle of wine in hand. She puts everything on the nightstand before climbing over me to her side of the bed.

It makes me hold my breath until she’s settled in next to me. “Ready?” I ask, my voice a little gruff.

Kate doesn’t notice the effect she has on me and nods before resting her head on my shoulder. “Yup.”

I press play and try to focus on the opening credits of the movie, but her head on my shoulder is making me nervous.

It’s a good kind of nervous, one I haven’t felt in a long time, but I’m nervous nonetheless and it doesn’t help when Kate, after ten minuets, brushes her fingers over the inside of my wrist.

I glance at her and see she’s focused on the movie, so I try to do the same, but then her touch drifts lower, across the palm of my hand until she slips her fingers between my own.

It makes my breath hitch, and Kate goes to pull her hand back, but I hold onto it and run my thumb over the back of her own.

Satisfied, she sighs quietly and leans against me and continues watching the movie.

I try to focus on the movie as well but all I can concentrate on is her hand in my own, her head on my shoulder, and the sound of her soft laugh every time something funny happens on screen.

I take note of how she smells, an intoxicating mix of expensive perfume and vanilla body wash, and admire the way some strands of her black hair have escaped her ponytail and are now framing her face.

She’s absolutely breathtaking and even though I’ve known she’s beautiful ever since I met her, I’ve never actually looked at her, like, really looked at her like this.

It’s only when Kate squeezes my hand that I realize I’ve been caught staring and I quickly look away, pretending to focus on the movie.

Seemingly not wanting to let it go though, Kate moves even closer and whispers, “Are you okay?”

“Mhmm.” I don’t dare to speak because I’m sure my voice would fail me right now if I tried. I can feel my neck heating up and force myself to keep staring at the laptop screen.

“You sure?” she whispers again and when I only nod in reply, she shifts closer and turns her head so I’m forced to look at her.

The intensity of her blue eyes in the low light makes my mouth go dry and I swallow harshly to get rid of the nervousness bubbling up in my throat.

“I’m sure,” I croak, but I’m anything but okay when her gaze, for the second time tonight, drops to my lips.

This is it. . .

I swallow again and let my own eyes dart down to her lips. “Can I—“ kiss you?

I don’t get to finish my question because the sound of the doorbell ringing cuts me off.

Kate and I jump apart and I blink rapidly to gather my thoughts while Kate scrambles over me to go downstairs and open the door.

Holy shit, we almost kissed! Kate Bishop almost kissed me?!

I run my fingers through my hair and close my eyes for a moment before grabbing my phone to distract myself.

Rye (7:17 PM)

How’s it going? Did she like the flowers?

Rye (7:23 PM)

Are you like making out? Is that why you haven’t answered me yet?

Rye (7:25 PM)

You guys are totally making out right now. I’m so jealous. I should ask Chad to come over. . .

I roll my eyes and smile at her messages before typing a quick response.

You (7:27 PM)

You’re such an idiot.

No, we’re not making out, we’re just watching a movie. Get your mind out of the gutter, pervert.

DON’T text Chad, Riley! That guy is a fuckboy who left you in tears the last time you saw him.

Riley reads my messages and immediately starts typing a response and because Kate’s still talking to the delivery guy downstairs, I don’t put my phone down just yet.

Rye (7:27 PM)

You’re so lame but I know you’re right. I’m not going to text him

Not because I don’t want to but because I don’t want you to hit him again

I roll my eyes, remembering how she couldn’t stop me from punching Chad in the face when he showed up at our apartment to get Riley back after cheating on her.

I’m usually not the confrontational type, I mean, I barely even speak to anyone except Riley, but after they broke up, Riley was devastated and I just had to do something when he showed up drunk and tried to push past me to get to her.

Rye (7:28 PM)

As for you and Kate though. . . Just kiss already!

I know you want to I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her ;)

You (7:28 PM)

Oookay, that’s enough. I’m putting my phone down now.

I’ll be home around ten.

DON’T TEXT CHAD!

I see Riley typing something else, but I turn off my phone before she hits send because I hear Kate making her way back up the stairs.

The tension from before is gone, but she still smiles shyly when our eyes connect.

“How much do I owe you?” I ask when she gets back on the bed with the pizza box in hand.

I guess we’re eating in bed. . .

I couldn’t deal with any crumbs in my own bed, but if Kate doesn’t mind, I won’t object.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s on me,” she says, opening the box and offering me a slice.

I raise an eyebrow and take it, making sure to eat over the box as much as possible to prevent too many crumbs from landing on the bed. “Kate—“

She shakes her head and takes a big bite of her own slice. “Nope, you brought flowers and expensive wine and you payed for all my coffees so far. The least I can do is pay for a pizza.” I go to object again, but she just shakes her head again and presses a finger to my lips. “Hush now. Let’s continue watching the movie.”

I nod dumbly, and absentmindedly touch my tingling lips when she takes her finger away to start the movie again.

We eat in silence, actually watching the movie until the pizza is gone and we’re both full. I take the box off her lap and put it on the ground next to the bed before grabbing my glass of wine and taking a sip.

“You want some, too?” I ask and when she nods I hand her her own glass after topping it off.

She smiles in thanks and takes a big sip, her eyes lingering on me a moment longer than necessary before she goes back to watching the movie.

All of a sudden, the tension is back and I once again struggle to focus on the movie. She is just too damn distracting and when her hand brushes against mine I jump slightly and down the rest of my wine.

Kate chuckles softly at my reaction and empties her own glass before placing it on the nightstand on her side of the bed.

Then, she does something that almost makes my heart flatline. She takes the laptop off my thighs and sets it on the bed next to her before throwing her leg over my hips and straddling my lap.

My eyes widen and I stare at her slack-jawed. The movie is now completely forgotten and all I can focus on is the weight of her on me and the way she sets her hands on my shoulders.

“Kate. . .” I say, my voice low and scratchy.

“Yes?” she smirks, obviously knowing exactly what kind of effect she has on me as she moves her hands to touch the side of my neck and the underside of my jaw.

Just kiss already!

Riley’s text flashes through my mind and I hesitantly place my hands on Kate’s thighs.

My breath is coming out in uneven bursts and it takes everything in me not to just lean up and brush my lips against hers.

“Can I—“ I clear my throat, transfixed by the blue eyes darting all over my face. “Can I kiss you?”

No turning back now.

Kate’s smirk turns into a shy smile and she nods, cupping my cheeks. “I thought you’d never ask,” she mumbles and I lean up, brushing my lips against hers.

For a second neither of us moves, but then Kate tentatively moves her lips against mine and my stomach fills with butterflies. I close my eyes and kiss her back, tasting the wine she had just a moment ago on her lips.

It’s thrilling and intoxicating and I can’t help but groan when she shifts on my lap and deepens the kiss by running her tongue over my bottom lip.

My grip on her thighs tightens and when she allows me to slip my tongue into her mouth, I wrap my arms around her lower back and pull her closer.

“Fuck, you’re good,” Kate pants against my mouth and moves one of her hands to the back of my neck to pull me even closer.

I just continue kissing her, not knowing what to respond to that, and delight in the way her breath hits my lips every now and then.

Kissing her is even better than I imagined and I feel a shiver run up my spine when she moans softly against my lips when my fingers dig into her lower back.

“Shit.” She curses softly when I trail my lips down her neck, biting softly every now and then before running my tongue over the affected skin.

I’m not planning on going any further than this because I’m not ready to take that step yet, but Kate seems to think otherwise because when I move up to kiss her lips again, her hands slide down my chest and she grabs a hold of the bottom of my shirt, pulling it up.

I break the kiss with furrowed eyebrows and grab her hands. “Wait, I-I can’t do this.”

Realizing her mistake, Kate pulls her hands back with a guilty look on her face. “Right. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I-I got caught up in the moment. I’m sorry.”

I sigh and grab her hands again, lacing our fingers together. I’m not mad at her, not at all. It’s actually quite flattering that she wants to do more, but I’m just not ready yet. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to apologize, but. . . Let’s just take it slow, okay?”

She nods, embarrassed, and looks away, so I let go of one of her hands and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Kate, look at me.” I dip my head to catch her eye and smile when she finally looks at me. “It’s okay. We’re okay. I’m not mad, I swear. I like you, a lot—“ her lips twitch shyly and I don’t miss the way her ears turn red—“ and I want to go there with you eventually just. . . not now, okay?”

I squeeze her hand reassuringly and run my thumb over her cheek until she nods.

“Good, now. . . Where were we?” I smile cheekily and tilt my head up until I feel her breath on my lips, giving her the chance to initiate another kiss if she wants to.

Letting go of my hand so she can wrap her arms around my neck, Kate pecks my lips before resting her forehead against mine. “I like you too and. . . I know you told me not to apologize, but I am sorry. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable and I don’t mind waiting for you.”

I swallow thickly and press a kiss to the corner of her lips before hiding my face in the crook of her neck. My ex always used sex against me, guilting me into it to make herself feel better, so this kind of understanding makes me emotional. “Thank you.”

Kate holds me closer for a couple of minutes until her phone rings.

She pulls it put of her back pocket and glances at the screen. “That’s my mom,” she says with a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, but I should answer. I told her not to call unless it was important.”

I nod and let her get off my lap, watching her go downstairs to answer the call after giving me another quick kiss.

Once she’s gone, I chuckle in disbelief and close my eyes.

She likes me. She kissed me. . .

I feel myself smiling at the memory of her lips on mine and open my eyes again to grab the laptop and pause the movie we completely forgot about.

As I go to pause it though, a message pops up in the upper right corner of the screen and I can’t help but read it.

Greer @FKG (8:01 PM)

So?! What’s happening, Kate? How’s the date going?

I blush at the message, realizing her phone is connected to her computer. It’s a little embarrassing that Kate’s friends know about us spending the evening together, but it’s not like we’re a secret, so I should have expected she’d tell them.

Franny @FKG (8:01 PM)

I bet it’s going well. Have you guys kissed yet?

My cheeks heat up even more, but then another message pops up and it makes my heart sink.

Greer @FKG (8:02 PM)

I sure hope so! I have a lot of money riding on this. Remember @Kate, if you hook up Franny owes both of us fifty bucks ;)

Franny @FKG (8:02 PM)

Fifty?! I thought we said twenty!

Greer @FKG (8:02 PM)

Nu-uh! We said twenty if they kiss on the first date and fifty if they hook up within a week.

I slam the laptop shut, not wanting to read any more and try to blink back the tears pricking my eyes.

Of course all of this was too good to be true. . . I mean, what could Kate Bishop possibly want from someone like me? I should have seen this coming when she asked me out.

I feel like a fool for not realizing that all of this was just a game to her and get off the bed just as she comes back up the stairs.

My hands are shaking and I feel sick, realizing that I have to get out of here as quickly as possible.

Maybe Riley should have judged me and told me it was a bad idea because I would have listened to her, but no, she just had to be supportive. . .

I don’t blame Riley, not really, because she thought I finally found someone who actually makes me happy. Hell, I thought I found someone who makes me happy, but as it turns out we both thought wrong.

“Can you believe it? My mom called because she wanted to ask me to join her for lunch tomorrow. I swear, I told her not to call unless. . .” Kate trails off when she notices the tears in my eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She lifts a hand to touch my cheek but I step back, wiping at a tear that managed to escape my eye.“Don’t touch me.” I hiss through gritted teeth, grabbing my phone off the nightstand.

Her eyes widen in surprise and she drops her hand again, her eyebrows furrowing. “Okay. . . Uh— What happened?”

I scoff and clench my jaw.

I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.

Sniffling slightly, I go to brush past her and leave, but she grabs my wrist even though I explicitly told her not to touch me.

“Hey, what’s going on? Where are you going?” she asks, her blue eyes full of worry.

“Let go.” My voice is dangerously low and when I couple it with a glare, Kate immediately lets go.

I watch as her worry gets replaced by confusion before finally stepping past her.

“Wait, where are you going?” she asks, daring to follow me down the stairs.

I make my way to the front door without answering and bend down to slip my shoes on.

I’m never going on a date again. I’ll just lock myself in my room for the rest of my life and die alone.

I get back up and open the closet to grab my jacket, only to freeze mid reach when Kate snaps at me.

“Hey!”

I turn around slowly and ball my hands into fists, seeing the immediate regret on Kate’s face when our eyes meet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap it’s just— One moment we were fine, kissing and cuddling and drinking wine, and the next you’re storming out without even telling me why. . .” She sounds and looks desperate, her voice low and pleading.

I blink away a new wave of tears and stop glaring at her to show her how I actually feel, how hurt I am by what she did. “Why? Because you and your friends made a fucking bet, that’s why!” I shout, my voice breaking. “Twenty dollars for kissing me on the first date and fifty for fucking me within the span of a week, right?”

Kate eyes widen and she steps back as though I just slapped her. “H-How—?“

Hot tears stream down my cheeks and I don’t even bother to wipe them away anymore.

She’s not even trying to deny it.

“It doesn’t matter how I know,” I cry, interrupting her. “You used me, Kate! Do you know how that makes me feel?! I thought you were sweet and that you genuinely liked me, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and said yes when you asked me out, but it turns out you’re just like everyone else. You’re selfish and cruel, and I regret not walking out on you when you approached me in the library four days ago.”

I take a shaky breath and force myself not to feel guilty when I see the regret and devastation on her face. She’s crying as well now, but even though I hate seeing her like this, I don’t apologize and I don’t move to comfort her.

She should be the one apologizing!

“Y/N. . .” Shee steps closer and lifts her hands as if to touch me, but I take a step back and shake my head.

“No, just. . .don’t.” I take my jacket out of the closet and put it on. “I don’t ever want to speak to you again, Kate. Good night.”

I open the front door with shaking hands and step outside, ignoring the sobs that echo down the hall as I make my way to the elevator.

So much for getting myself out there again. . .

_______________________________________________

Phew, that was a long one. Hope you guys enjoyed it! It was definitely fun to write.

I still don’t know how I’m going to end this little fic, but the third and last part will hopefully be out this same time next week.

I’m super busy studying at the moment, so it’s difficult to find the time and energy to write, but I’m trying my best.

Love,

Soph <3

[taojjang]

𐙚 riize's favorite thing to do with you

pairing: bf!riize x reader, genre: fluff, warnings: they down bad fr

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　⋆ ˚ ۪ ⋆ ୨୧

♡⸝⸝ times he feels happiest by your side

shotaro . . . shopping with you!

taro truly loves spoiling you— whether with new jewelry or a bunch of kisses, he always has something to give you. he often finds excuses to go spend money with you. for instance, you could mention that you really like chocolate and he'll respond, "let's go for some ice cream!" he just loves giving you everything you want :( and that's why he loves your late-night convenience store runs!

the second you tell shotaro you want a snack, he's already grabbing his car keys and telling you to put on your jacket. when you arrive at the convenience store, taro runs straight towards your favorite snack and tosses two of them into the basket. "is there anything else you're craving, honey?" whatever you look at, he puts it in the basket without even looking at the price. in his mind, the smile that you give him when you're eating snacks together is priceless <3

eunseok . . . lounging with you!

eunseok is a simple man, it really doesn't take much to satisfy him. something about the lazy days he spends with you always makes him feel so comfortable. he loves those saturday nights when he comes home from work and you're welcoming him with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. but he loves sunday mornings even more.

he loves waking up with you resting on his chest, not having to turn off his alarm or push you off to get ready for work. if you hadn't woken up and forced him to freshen up, he'd lie there for hours, falling in and out of sleep with you cuddled against him. after brushing your teeth and eating a quick snack, eunseok would drag you right back to bed so he could lie beside you while you finished your overdue tasks on your laptop. he'd occasionally get up to grab a snack for the both of you, but for the most part, he'd play his silly mobile games while you pat his head with your free hand. simple days like this make him feel so happy to be yours.

sungchan . . . eating with you!

sungchan is always so worried about you. the days when he's too busy at work to come and see you, he's texting you every hour to ask if you've eaten yet. he just wants to know you're taking care of yourself when he isn't there to do it himself :( which is why he's always ordering so much food when he comes to your house.

"thank you, baby... but i don't think i can eat all of this." you mutter looking down at the 6 containers of takeout. "it's fine princess, you can eat the leftovers tomorrow." sungchan melts into a giggly mess once you start eating. he loves how adorable you look when you eat <3 so much to the point where he'd buy you every single one of your cravings just to see those cute chubby cheeks :(

"you're so adorable, princess~ how is it? should i order more?"

wonbin . . . dressing up with you!

whether he's going to a fashion show or the grocery store, wonbin has to look good wherever he goes. it's almost sickening having to wait 40 minutes for him to get all dolled up just to grab toothpaste from the pharmacy. but you've got to admit, it's quite fun helping him pick out his outfits. one thing you should expect from helping him out is having to join him in his fashion frenzy.

wonbin loves matching outfits with you! before you leave the house, he'll go into his closet and find a comfy sweater that matches his outfit. but instead of wearing it, he hands it to you. "baby, try this on." you always love wearing his clothes since they're so stylish and cozy (not to mention they smell like him too). he finds it so adorable when you twirl around in front of the mirror, asking him "is this one okay?"

"you already know what i'm gonna say, baby. you're so beautiful!"

seunghan . . . singing with you!

seunghan is truly a passionate man. even on his days off, you catch him dancing in front of the mirror, working tirelessly to ensure he has the choreo down before he goes to work the next day. but when you catch him singing, it's almost mesmerizing. when you walk by the bathroom and hear him singing in the shower, you can't help but press your ear against the door in hopes of hearing him clearly. his voice is incomparable to anything you've ever heard.

he could say the same about yours. the first time he heard you singing a song he'd been practicing, he stopped dead in his tracks and let nothing take his attention away from you. you never believe him when he tells you you're good at singing (i mean, he's literally THEE hong seunghan), but he won't stop telling you how lovely your voice is. he loves your voice so much that his ideal date is singing his heart out with you in the karaoke room! he loves how adorable you look jumping around and singing your favorite song while he's cheering you on. you could never forget how he looks up at you with so much adoration sparkling in his eyes. he adores you more than anything else in the world.

sohee . . . playing with you!

sometimes you get a bit annoyed by how often sohee plays video games. it's so exhausting watching him spend all of his time at his computer when you just want cuddles :( he typically takes a break after a few rounds to grab a snack, but you're always lying on his bed with those sad eyes and a pout, waiting for any bit of attention from him. "hi pretty girl, you okay?" you shake your head. he stands up to stretch and walks to lie beside you. "let's play together." he can't help but laugh at your sudden mood change when he suggests spending time together.

sohee sits against the headboard and you immediately find a spot to sit between his legs, the back of your head resting on his chest. he hands you a controller and lets you pick a game to play. even if it's a game he doesn't like, he always engages in the gameplay and makes sure you have enough fun to forget how upset you were just a few minutes ago. you always giggle knowing your pout always gets you what you want. you truly are his soft spot <3 the two of you play for hours; screaming and laughing at each other until you grow sleepy. once you tell him you're tired, he'll take the controller from your hand and turn off the tv. he'll pull the blanket over you and hold you closer to his chest.

"let's play again tomorrow, hm?"

anton . . . cuddling with you!

to anton, there's no place that's more comforting than your arms. with every hug, he feels like he's falling deeper and deeper in love with you by the second. he never knew someone could feel so much like home. his hugs are always so passionate; wrapping his arms around your shoulders and hiding his face in your neck, savoring every moment of you. every hug drowns you in such addicting warmth that you can't get enough of him. nothing could ever top this feeling. well, except for cuddles, of course.

after a long day, all you truly need is to be held by your big teddy bear. lying down beside anton, he immediately turns to you and rests his head on your chest. beginning to run your hands through his hair, you tell him how exhausting today was and how badly you missed him. he leaves a soft kiss on your lips before wrapping his arms around you, closing the gap between the two of you.

"you're with me now, love. just focus on me."

[thatonefandomweirdo]

Pony Express and the nightmares of capitalism in Mouthwashing

To start of, let's talk about Anya.

Anya is raped in the middle of space. She cannot go anywhere to abort safely, and Pony Express has no medication for anything life-threatening. So unless she wants to risk her own health to get rid of the baby, she will be eight months pregnant by the time they land. They will not let her abort the baby at this point. She will be forced to birth the baby, whether she wants to or not

And Pony Express will not care under which circumstances that happened. They most likely have a rule against employee relations and will treat Anya like she was just as "guilty" as Jimmy. And it's not like there is any evidence.

Pony Express will want to avoid any bad press it might get. They will not let Anya be a victim of Jimmy because it would hurt their brand. They will try to spin the story of a woman trying to get money from them to "cover for her own mistake of unsafe sex in space" and due to her being laid off.

Now, even in a universe where Jimmy died right after the crash. Nobody would come find them.

1) Every other company besides Pony Express is no longer manned by humans, but robots. So any other ship that does not belong to Pony Express will not react to coming across the Tulpar. Their primary objective is bringing stuff from point A to point B..

2) Another Pony Express ship, on the other hand, has a chance of finding them around that time. But the crew would get its pay docked for just slightly diverting its course to check on them. Pony Express has not created an environment where heroism is encouraged. It has safety measures in place so it can say it has them. But once they are used, it will be docked from the crew's pay. And Pony Express is not a high paying job at all.

3) It would take ages for a rescue team to arrive. Not only that, but how would anyone find out about the crashed ship until it's too late? The only one who might be aware are Pony Express. And they would probably rather wait it out than have to deal with the repercussions of what might have lead to the crash. It would be easier to just blame it on the crew. A human error. Because letting an unsafe individual who crashed the ship on purpose onto the ship would also make them look bad.

And big companies care about image. Not individuals

[gotham-adrenaline]

Hot take but Roy is just as much of a self sacrificial idiot as Jason and always burns himself out, tears himself to pieces, gives more than he has left to give, and he does it time and time again to make up for his past mistakes.

And Jason, who looks at himself in the mirror and sees absolutely nothing that’s worth redemption, can’t help but notice that Roy won’t look at his own reflection too long either.

And he just decides that’s absolute bullshit.

Because Roy has been one of the only people who thought Jason was worth anything at all, that he was still even worth the oxygen he breathes. He looked at Jason, who used to be so good, who used to be magic, and decided that he was more than his past as Robin and that Jason could still be good despite everything that he’s done.

And if someone like Roy believes that Jason is worth something then Roy is surely worth a damn lot more.

(Later, Roy will hit him upside the back of his head for trying to suggest that Roy is somehow more than Jason, like that’s something that can be measured. Jason will ask him what the hell he’s been doing this whole time if not measuring his worth against others. Roy will remain purposefully silent about that.)

So Jason starts small.

A “you did good today” after a fairly standard mission that leaves Roy joking about how he “always does good”, and yet he stares after Jason when hurries away with red cheeks.

The next time Jason has a panic attack, the world spinning and green smearing across his vision, and Roy sits with him until he can breath again, Jason leans against his side and whispers “thank you”. Even if they both usually pretend Jason’s moments of weakness never happen in order to save his pride, Roy still deserves to be thanked

And when Dick asks Roy for help in Bludhaven and Roy tries to say yes even though he’s been running himself ragged helping around Star and was struggling to the point he gagged when he smelt cigarette smoke yesterday afternoon, Jason says no for him instead. Roy asks him if he’s getting jealous with that stupid cocky grin and Jason is so frustrated that he spits out “I’m not letting you kill yourself trying to make up for shit that’s in the past”.

And when Roy just stares at him and doesn’t crack some stupid joke to deflect, Jason finds himself taking a gentler tone, even if he still can’t meet Roy’s eyes.

“You’ve done enough, is all I’m saying.”

Sometime between one blink and the next, Roy is clinging to Jason in a tight hug, and if anyone else had done this Jason would feel suffocated, would probably lash out to get away-

But Roy is warm, and safe, and shaking ever so slightly in Jason’s arms, so he supposes he can make an exception, just this once.

(But the “exceptions” he makes for Roy never stay as one time occurrences, and Jason has enough self awareness to recognize that he’s weak with Roy in ways he definitely shouldn’t be).

And when Roy calls him a softy later that evening, curled up under a blanket on their coach as Jason puts on one of those stupid baking competition shows that they’ll never admit they like, Jason shoves him the same way he always has. But Roy giving him the sweetest little smile and shifting a tiny bit closer to Jason’s side? That’s new. And definitely not unwelcome.

[roseofhybrids]

there's something I've been thinking about recently, and tonight seems like a good enough occasion to talk about it

back when I was in therapy, every session my therapist would ask the same question

"What is something you're looking forward to this week"

The first time she asked that, I just figured it was a part of getting to know me as a new patient. Building rapport and trust and such. But when she repeated it every time I spoke to her, it made me wonder why she'd ask that specific question every time

Well, after thinking it over for a while, I think the reason she asked that is because it's really important to have something to look forward to regularly in life. Even if it's something small, as long as it's something you can find a little joy in See, nearly every time she asked me that, my answer would be that I was looking forward to my weekly DND game. It wasn't something too grand, just me and a few others messing around for 2 hours on roll20. But I felt happy when DMing for them, it wasn't much, but it still something that brought a little bit of fun every week

I feel like that's a critical part about staying alive on the day to day. Your life doesn't have to be filled with every day excitement like you're living a wealthy influencer lifestyle in order for you to carve out a bit of happiness for yourself

Like I said, it can be something small. Maybe it's DND games, maybe it's seeing the new episode of a show you like air, maybe once a week you let yourself order a pizza or eat out, maybe you and some friends get together to a watch a movie. Could even be that you just set aside a few hours where you can do something you like, literally anything as long as it brings you some enjoyment. Just a bit of time when you don't have to be productive and working and worrying about everything

I know the idea of doing something just for yourself can feel selfish, like you're wasting precious time. Especially with everything that's going on in the world, it can make you feel guilty for letting yourself find joy when some many others are suffering and in danger

Take it from someone who spent the latter half of their schooling dealing with dysthymia, self harm, and constant panic and anxiety attacks. Feeling nothing but misery 24/7/365 will help nothing. Depriving yourself of any positive emotion day in and out will fix nothing. All it will do is land you in either the grave or a mental hospital, and you certainly won't be able to help anyone from either of those places

If you want to help others, you'll have to be able to support yourself first. And that means not letting the stress of being alive build up to the point of crushing you under its weight. Take an hour or two every few days to let yourself truly breathe and relax. Think of it as fortifying your self for what's to come. You'll need some way to maintain your strength through the storm if you ever want to see the other side of it I'm not saying to ignore the bad parts of life, just don't ignore the good parts either. Even if you have to make those good parts with your own hands Eventually, the world will get better. But that will take time, so you will need to work to ensure you are around long enough to see it

This week, I'm looking forward to the new Dandadan episode, and going to get my new dog his name tag This month, I'm looking forward to making Thanksgiving dinner and getting to have some turkey and pumpkin pie Next year, I'm looking forward to starting a project that I've been thinking about for months

What is something you are looking forward to?

you don't gotta tell me it if you don't want to, just make sure you have one

[grave-queen-jakrabitt]

An in depth guide for how to get into professional wrestling (as a fan)

As a long time fan of wrestling I’ve tried to get a few people into wrestling and have found a few problems people usually have with getting into it. I’ll be breaking those down along with terms newbies might need for interacting with the fandom, it can be really intimidating to ask questions if you feel like you should know things by default so I made this

The WWE and AEW aren’t everything: there are so many companies 324 smaller North American and even some Asian companies formed independent wrestling television. You can watch more wrestling than you know what to do with. If you can’t pay the 10$ a month (absolutely no judgement like be hard) the internet is a treasure trove of free wrestling even without the ole yo ho ho. But this leads to another problem

“How will I know what I like?”: You won’t unless you’re gateway was catching wrestling while channel surfing and thinking it looked cool. Try everything once but don’t expect to like everything. Find a few indie matches before looking for anything specific so you can find a little bit of everything, you might like the showmanship, the technical details, weapon based violence, it may change with your mood but if you’re making an effort to get into it you’ll find something just take your time

“Some companies have so much history it’s overwhelming”: unless you are a devoted little lunatic don’t try to watch everything from the start, I did that with progress wrestling and I would watch 10 or so hours of wrestling, I’m still 32 shows behind and they run monthly. Almost any show from any company is a good start but I’d say allow yourself to go back like 3 shows max unless you’re already aware of where you want to start

“Things in wrestling don’t make sense”: that is true but an important thing to understand is wrestling has its own internal logic like any show really, these can vary from company to company but it’s like inertia. You start at “okay so this is happening because it’s wrestling” and you get to a point where you’re choice to suspend disbelief carries itself to “fuck it this might as well happen this is wrestling” that being said

It’s entirely valid to not enjoy something a company does and please don’t just accept something or feel like you have to wait it out. Take a break, keep an eye on it try something new but don’t feel like you have to stay glued to a bed of sand paper. You will not enjoy everything done by a company

Bring a friend and be a friend: having a friend to watch with and help you learn is always good but don’t feel like you have to share their opinion about a person or decision, any good friend will be respectful of that.

rules

A normal wrestling match is usually won by one of 4 ways. pinning your opponent to the mat with their shoulders down for 3 seconds, submission, disqualification or knockout

Other small rules: being outside the ring means any potential victory (often aside from a ko for safety) are invalid, if a limb makes contact with the ring rope during a pinfall submission or hold it’s considered out of bounds and must be broken, if you are outside the ring there is usually a 10 count sometimes 20 if you don’t come back to the ring you get disqualified, ignoring a rope break or using an illegal move like small joint manipulation has a 5 count, don’t hit the ref, fishhook anything, bite, or hit balls. No disqualification matches exist

A tag team match: in its most basic has 2 or more teams of an equal amount, only one member of each team is allowed in the ring at once and the others have to wait on the apron, the other partner can come in when they make contact with their partner in the referees vision. A 5 count is issued for double teaming moves. Sometimes it’s everyone at once in the ring, this is a tornado tag match

Steel cage: they put a cage around the ring and you win by either normal means or depending on the match escaping the cage

lucha de apuestas: if you make any friends with any interest in lucha libre you’ll often hear this term it just means a wager match basically the competitors each put something on the line, their right to mask, their hair, a title, or their career.

Terms

Face/technico: the term used for a good guy, technico is usually reserved for Mexican lucha libre

Heel/rudo: bad guy

Over: if someone is over or getting over they’re ve a fan favorite or in the process of getting there

Heat: negative crowd response

Booking: how the show is being written and how people are being used in that process

Cultural differences in wrestling

You’d be able to find any kind of wrestling in most places if you look hard enough but it’s really interesting how different wrestling styles evolved

America: we have historically had a lot of carnival wrestling. How do you con a bunch of small towns out of money with wrestling? Fix them to be more interesting while still having enough skill to put the everyday challenges away without any suspicion. This became the rough and tumble 70s southern brawl style but until the 90s it really just boiled down to “be able to fuck people up so you don’t have to”

Japan: this is a tricky situation because there are really 3 main styles of Japanese pro wrestling. Strong style focuses on a lot of striking a resilience along with strong fundamental holds, kings road style was also very resilience based but had a more defined match structure and had a focus on throws like suplex’s and head drops. Most modern Japanese wrestling is a kind of blend of those, then you’ve got the younger brother and hardest for me to talk about bati bati. I’m admittedly not that well versed in its history but from my understanding it’s like if MMA and pro wrestling had a baby that didn’t suck. There are better resources than me to learn from.

Mexico: the origin of the highly acrobatic lucha libre actually has to do with a lot of old Mexican rings being modified boxing ring, the gymnastics of lucha are in service of minimizing bad landings. But there are 2 other important aspects to lucha, Your mask/pride and your family. In lucha your mask is your identity and your legacy, it’s essentially sacred. Losing it is often how careers end, if you’re not a mask wearing wrestler pride is the substitute. But the pride of your family is just as important as often times it’s a multi generational commitment.

Europe/the UK: I’m not slapping these together out of disrespect they’re just extremely similar historically. For a while British wrestling greatly resembled its American counterpart but too many bad actors ruined it for everyone and pro wrestling was briefly banned until being revived with a unified and more strict ruleset with world of sport in the 70s that 80s, taking more after catch as catch can. Where as it’s European brother found it’s stride in long grueling tournaments as a test of skill, a tradition still carried on mostly in Germany with WXWs 16 karat tournament, progress’s super strong style 16, and even the wwe uk title tournament

[miss-oranje-disco-dancer]

sweet dreams

pairing: james sunderland x reader? (written in third person pov, v ambiguous description of nameless woman)

cws/tags: smut, p in v, cheating? or is it?, not proofread, weird vibes and a little dark ig, but it's just the mood of the game

summary: james re-enters heaven's night and finds a woman who seems to remember him. he does not remember her. basically if maria successfully seduced him except it's not maria?

a/n: what is going on in this fic? idk

wc: 1.4k

Mary’s body lies cold in the backseat despite the blanket covering her. He will not find her in the gardens, the old apartment, or any hotel room. Only in a videotape in which she turns to static before it ends. 

The only warmth he has is the jacket he wears. Until he returns to Heaven’s Night. A certain familiarity struck him when he entered the building for the first time. Maybe it’s the stench of liquor, drawing him toward another reality, one void of grief. Maybe it’s the neon lights, the metal pole, a discarded bra. Maybe he’s been here before. The woman sitting at the bar looks at him as if he has. 

“James,” she says with an inviting smile. 

“How do you know my name?” he asks, taking cautious, yet steady steps in her direction. 

“How does anyone know anyone else’s name?” 

“Is that a riddle?”

“No, that was just a question. I’m not trying to trick you, James. I learned your name when you introduced yourself to me.”

“I don’t remember doing that. I don’t remember meeting you at all.”

“You’ve forgotten me already?” Her expression drops, every part of her face is disappointed. 

“I’m sorry. I’m just going through a lot right now. Don’t take it personally.” He finds himself reaching out his hand and placing it on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. 

“Let’s start over,” he suggests. 

She nods and pulls herself together. 

He holds out his hand, and she takes it into her own. Her hands are soft minus the sharp tips of her acrylic nails that tickle his skin. 

“You’re cold,” she remarks, and he cannot decide if her pout pities or mocks him. 

“No, I’m James,” he says, forcing the creases of his lips to turn upwards into something resembling a smile. “Remember?”

“Of course,” she says with a breathy giggle. 

“Now, how about you tell me your name?”

“You know people like me don’t give out our real names, don’t you?”

People like you… it takes him a moment to realize what she means: sex workers. 

“Oh. That’s right. But I’m guessing you have an alias or something.”

“I’ve been called many names. ‘Angel’ when I’m here at Heaven’s Night, ‘Kitty’ at The Catwalk, ‘Jade’ at Jewels, ‘Baby’ by some former lovers. Call me whatever you like.”

Choosing someone else’s name was not something he’d prepared for and it leaves him stumped for a moment. 

“Don’t overthink it,” she says cupping his cheek with her hand. “As long as it’s not Mary…” 

“Why not Mary?” He flinches at the sound of her name. 

She pretends like she didn’t hear him, and pays no mind to his nerves, shrugging them off as she leads him to a seat in front of the stage. 

He follows her, eyes stuck on her curves. He startles when she pushes him onto the loveseat. 

“James, baby,” she says, her voice softer, but just as sultry. “Why are you so nervous? You want this, don’t you?”

“I just feel like I shouldn’t, that’s all.”

“Your mind is playing tricks on you, then. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see what a woman has to offer. It’s like window shopping, there’s no harm in looking.”

Before he can say anything else she finds a boombox in the corner and sets it up - in doing so, she leans over and reveals a tiny strip of lace underneath her skirt. 

James tries to quickly adjust his pants as she’s turned away from him, but she must know he’s hard. What’s the point in pretending?

When she steps onto the stage, she needs no introduction, only the opening synth of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) to lead her up the short set of stairs before she walks around the pole, prepared to do tricks that James’ imagination couldn’t conjure up even if he begged it to. But despite his amazement at the way her body bends, even more so when her clothes begin to disappear, it’s the moment she sits at the front of the stage and spreads her legs, giving him a better view of the red lace thong he got a peek at earlier, that really gets him going. 

He didn’t know he was hungry until he was starving. 

The music doesn’t stop, the cassette runs its course. The scantily-clad woman straddles James’ lap, just hovering but close enough to feel the warmth emanate from her body. 

“I know I said it’s just looking, but there wouldn’t really be any harm in touching me, would there?” 

She takes his hands in hers and places them on her chest. 

He can feel her tits, her skin, her heartbeat. She’s so warm, and real, and alive. There is the childlike urge to squeeze them, to hold and let go, make them bounce in front of his eyes, but instead, he slides his hands down her waist to her hips, sitting her firmly in his lap. 

“You’re so warm,” he says without thinking. 

“I’ll be cold soon if you leave me like this,” she says. Then, leans down to whisper in his ear, “Take off your clothes.”

When he asks, “are you sure?” it stumbles out of his mouth and lands with a groan as she peppers kisses down his neck.  

She only hums in response. He removes his jacket and unbuttons his shirt so her mouth can reach further – to his collarbone, while her hands travel to his poorly-hidden erection. 

She looks up at him and bats her eyelashes before going any further. It’s her way of asking permission. 

“I guess… as long as we don’t go too far…”

“We’ll just get naked, maybe even kiss, nothing more,” she says. 

So, he helps her get his pants off and she slips off her barely-there panties. 

He feels alive for the first time in years when her warm body touches his, skin-to-skin. 

He doesn’t protest when she kisses him, he closes his eyes and lets himself feel something other than dread for once. 

She surely feels his need prodding at her core, but she must feel his guilt as well because she assures him, “If it slips in by accident, then, it’s nobody’s fault, right?”

“Right,” he says, completely under her spell, nodding along. 

Of course there are no accidents. This is a mistake, not an accident. James knows this, but when she repositions her hips, he lets her wet heat envelope his cock. 

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…” she says, a tiny grin peeking through her faux-apology. 

“It’s okay, I’ll just pull out,” he says. And slowly, with a grunt, he does. 

He keeps a tight grip on her hips so he can guide her back to him. “You can sit back down now,” he says, with his cock ready to enter her again. 

“We’ll do better this time,” she says, rubbing her folds teasingly along his shaft before gripping it and sliding it inside her. 

“Sorry, it just, you know, slipped in,” he says, almost believing his own lies. 

“But it’s only the tip. It barely even counts, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” The music covers up his heavy breathing and her soft moans. But James makes sure she can hear him when he says, “You’re so wet, it’s only natural for it to slide right in.” He fills her in one thrust and it finally drags a long-held back groan from him. 

They can’t make more silly excuses when they’re both breathless as she bounces up and down on his cock at a steadily increasing pace. He holds her like he fears he’ll lose her and buries his face in her neck as if muffling any moans would take away any of the guilt. 

But he’s shameless when he asks if he can cum inside her, and she’s quick to say, ‘yes’. 

Though he’s as warm as ever, he shudders through his climax. After being pent-up for so long, he has a dizzyingly intense orgasm. What keeps him grounded is each squeeze of her walls around him and the sting of her nails digging into his skin as she cums at the same time he does. 

The guilt returns along with confusion when she stands back up to get dressed. He follows her lead, but once his shirt is halfway-buttoned, he freezes, looking over at her for some sort of explanation, some sort of direction. 

“What?” she asks, brushing off her skirt as she sits down at the bar. 

“Nothing. I just- I don’t think we should’ve done that.”

“Don’t feel guilty, James. You said you were looking for someone, and you found someone.”

“No, I meant I was looking for-”

“Love? Comfort? Absolution?” She laughs differently now. “You won’t get those here.”

“No, for my wife…”

“Mary?”

“Yeah, do you know her?”

“Not anymore.”

Like everything else, she is swallowed up by the fog. 

[a-loose-collection-of-ants]

Ok. Shit.

I get the feeling I'm not gonna sleep tonight, and who knows, I might regret this tomorrow but I need to get some thoughts out.

I've tried to retain this idea that most people are inherently good. Some of this is the remnants of whatever religious faith I was brought up in, and some of it is just what I tell myself to stay sane. It's getting harder to think that way, but I am trying to hold on to it.

There's this image I keep replaying in my head. My dad and I were visiting family down south shortly after he had wrapped up his cancer treatment. We stopped by my aunt's house in South Carolina, and she told me with tears in her eyes about how she had started gardening again after my dad's diagnosis. There was a Trump flag flying from her roof.

On another visit to the same family members, we were visiting a college and walked by a gender neutral bathroom. My uncle made some off-color joke about it and then quickly moved on when nobody laughed. My sister (a sort of closeted trans woman) looked at me with an expression of both deep sadness, and whatever face you make when you watch a bird fly head-first into a window.

My point is, I know these people aren't filled with hatred and malice. It's not constructive to waste your energy hating them when their greatest sin is ignorance.

I barely remember the Obergerfell decision, but I remember being in middle school around the time it happened. Attitudes towards queer people weren't great, but they changed so rapidly that I barely noticed. Maybe the fact that this was when I realized I was queer gave me a false sense of security when it came to the "moral arc of the universe", or maybe it's the example I have to hold onto about how fast things can change.

It's easy for people to fall into patterns of hate when they lack exposure, and the media landscape right now is making easier to avoid that sort of exposure. The basis of the fight against extremism is education, and I think it has to also be compassion.

Don't get me wrong, I also have family that are more than likely not worth the effort ("they" control the weather and all that), but those aren't most people. Most people are exhausted by politics. They see the price of groceries and vote for the other guy regardless of who's name is on the ballot. Or they're like a classmate of mine, who didn't really like either candidate and was having trouble just voting for the "better" one.

If anything, I guess this is a reminder to myself to hold on to empathy despite everything. It's fine to feel angry. Hell, it's probably good if it gets you moving. But we cannot respond to dehumanization with more dehumanization.

I'm not really all that religious anymore, but I hold on to some things. One of them is this: All things, by virtue of being crafted by God's hands, have value. Or, as my dad said it "God don't make no shit". This goes for yourself, as well as everyone else. I can't let myself lose that right now.

I don't want to belabor my point too much, but I do want to say that I saw people saying things like "it's all over if trump wins". I'm not going to lie, it's bad and people are going to get hurt and die because of this. America was waiting for the results of it's biopsy and we found out it's cancer... but we're not dead yet. I don't have a specific action I can advocate for, but please, don't give up. Authoritarianism is a longstanding wound on this country and it festers in apathy.

Take a deep breath. Regardless of what happens, time moves forward and the sun will rise in the morning. I am going to go to work, make some dinner, and hopefully find some way to work volunteering into my schedule.

Recommended listening if you want to cry right now

[juyeoz]

GOOD GRACES — YANG JUNGWON

005 ┆ go on without me (0.7k words)

“You both can start with the downstairs classrooms.” Mr. G said, handing them their cleaning supplies.

“Tables should be sprayed with the yellow spray, wiped down, then spray the red on top as a sanitizer. Sweeping is the same as usual as well as mopping. Please don’t make a mess, I’ll be back every five to ten minutes.”

Both of you nodded at his instructions, leaving Mr. G with a smile as he took off.

To be honest, you weren’t the biggest fan of cleaning. At least, not in a public school. It would be best to start off with the easiest task, right?

You reached out for the broomstick, but a hand beat you to it. In anger, you looked up at Jungwon and grabbed the broomstick from him.

“What are you doing?” He asked, his grip never faltering.

“Taking the broomstick from you, I want to sweep.”

“Too bad, I grabbed it first. Go find something else, weirdo.”

You were taken aback by his insulting word as he yanked the broomstick out of your hold.

Your brows furrowed at the sight while you grabbed the nearest spray bottle you could find and sprayed it on his back.

Jungwon paused in his tracks at the sudden wetness, turning around slowly.

“What was that?” He asked but you looked at him dumbfounded.

“What was what?” You questioned back and went on with your way.

You began wiping down the desks with whatever spray bottle you grabbed from earlier while Jungwon glared at you.

God, he hated you so much.

A few minutes of an intense silence went by as you two minded your business with each other and cleaned away.

If anything, you wanted to leave and go home faster. The amount of times you accidentally touched chewed up gum underneath the tables was slowly becoming your last straw.

“You’re terrible at wiping down desks.” Jungwon said, his voice coming out of nowhere.

You looked over at him with a scowl.

“As if you could do any better. Your sweeping skills are horrendous. Look at that!” You exclaimed while pointing at the dust pile he left behind.

“Seriously, do you even clean at home?”

“I sure do. Obviously you don’t, if you can’t even tell that I’m not done sweeping.” He gestured at the broom in his hand and the dust pile he was creating to sweep everything up at once.

“You’re seriously so stupid.”

“Hey. I can hear you guys arguing from down the hall.” Mr. G said from the doorframe.

The two of you turned around like deers caught in headlights, not wanting to hear his next words.

“He started it! I wasn’t even doing anything to him.”

“You literally sprayed my back with something? What do you mean I started it?” Jungwon looked at you in disbelief. There was no way you forgot about all of that.

“Yes, because you called me a weirdo and stole the broomstick from me. You’re so annoying.”

“Oh yeah? I can say the same thing about you too.”

Mr. G walked up to the both of you, his footsteps silencing your bickering.

“Well, you know what will be more annoying?” He questioned as you two stared back at him blankly.

“Working together on the yearbook. Goodluck.” He smiled at you both and left the classroom.

You and Jungwon were quiet. You forgot all about the punishment if you two argued.

Shit.

“I hope you know this is all your fault. You and your loud mouth can never keep quiet.” You insulted before moving onto the next desk.

“We’re both in trouble. Of course, the only thing you know how to do well is put the blame on others.” He said while sweeping the dust pile onto the dustpan.

“Can’t you just shut—”

“Hey! I can still hear you guys! Arguing won’t get you nowhere in life, you’re still going to help the yearbook club anyways!” Mr. G yelled from the next classroom, leaving you both stunned

He wasn’t wrong though, even with how much more Jungwon ticked you off, arguing wouldn’t help the fact you both had to work together in the end.

Seriously, what did you do in your past life to deserve any of this?

PREVIOUS MASTERLIST NEXT

ENHYPEN PERM TAGLIST — @miumura @macapunoz @kxppachu @ancnymcnzjy

GOOD GRACES TAGLIST — @anuisamazing @garrdenwon @dreamiestay @starfallia @mrchweeee @mymelodyfanatic @getoxo @jiamini @imnotyizhuo @heartheejake @wonlluvie @theothernads @yvjw @riribelle @winuvs @shotaddicted @hollxe1 @pinknjm @en-dream @elegancefr @wensurr @enhaz1 @r1kification @sunghxxnie @unhakki @hoonieluv @veilico @ddolleri @ahnneyong @samyria @stvrriki

© JUYEOZ

[misaerabl]

In Between the Lines

Artist!Ellie X F!Reader

MEN DNI around 4k (?) words

summary : Ellie, a street artist, began working near your place. She quickly caught your attention. After a few days of observing her, you decided to buy one of her paintings. Now, you find yourself returning every day, not entirely sure if it's her art or the artist herself that draws you back.

warnings : none i guess (THIS ONE IS SFW)

authors notes : i haven't written in a long time and this is my first ellie x reader fic! this is part one! i hope you enjoy :) (masterlist coming soon)

Start ﹒✿﹒

Returning from your morning jog, you grab a cold glass of water from the fridge. As you sip, your gaze drifts to the painting you bought from a street artist two days ago. Something about it captivates you, though you can’t quite say why. Drawn closer, you let your fingers hover over the small, cursive signature: Ellie W.

"Ellie..." you say underneath your breath.

After a few more minutes of contemplation, you step outside and take another lap around the block. About eight blocks from your building, you spot her—Ellie—setting up her easel. Her hair is in a loose half-up, half-down style, and you can’t help but smile at the sight.

You settle on a bench behind her and watch as she begins to paint, completely absorbed in her work. Then, she glances over her shoulder, catching you in the act.

“Hey, stalker,” she says with a playful smirk.

"Uhm... Me?" you ask, looking around to ensure there’s no one else before pointing to yourself as you pull out your headphones—though they weren’t actually playing anything.

Ellie chuckles, turning fully in her chair to face you. "Yes, you." She rests her elbows on her knees, giving you a playful look. "You're always here, but you never buy anything."

You pause, a bit flustered. "I just… I like watching you work." Realizing how that sounded, you quickly add, "I mean, I don’t have much talent for this kind of thing, so it's kind of fascinating."

"Oh, so you do like watching me work?" she teases, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

You scoff, taken aback by her boldness. You’re not even sure why you’re there, but her audacity is outrageous. "Whatever makes you feel good about yourself," you reply.

"Well, I can’t help being confident," she retorts with a playful tilt of her head. "How could I not be when a pretty girl watches me every day?" Heat rushes to your cheeks, and you look down to hide your reaction.

"No more comebacks?" she teases, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Did I make you blush, pretty girl?"

You take a moment to compose yourself before replying, "That’s not confidence. That’s arrogance. Do you flirt like this with all the girls who buy from you?"

"Only if they're pretty," she chuckles, a playful smile spreading across her face.

You pause, uncertain, and say, "Just let me know if you need me to leave. I don’t want to disrupt your creative flow or anything."

"No, it’s fine. You can stay and watch," she responds, turning back to her easel. A wave of relief washes over you, but Ellie hears your exhale and glances back, choosing not to comment. Instead, she immerses herself in her work, the air thick with an unspoken connection.

"Can I ask you a question?" you break the silence.

"Yeah, sure," she replies, her eyes fixed intently on her canvas. She’s deeply focused, capturing the essence of the streets around her.

"Why do you paint around here? I haven't seen you at all until a few days ago," you ask, curiosity getting the better of you.

She takes a moment to gather her thoughts, reaching into the bag beside her for her paints. "I just moved nearby. I’m only doing this as a sideline," she explains as she begins to add color to the canvas. "I run a business close by, but they don’t really need me much."

You didn’t expect that answer, so you quickly pile on another question. "Is your name Ellie?"

She turns to face you, a playful smirk on her lips. "Yeah, how’d you know? I was only kidding, but are you really my stalker?"

She already knows the answer is no, likely because you saw her signature on the artwork, but she enjoys teasing you and watching your reaction.

"No!” you jolt up, heat rising to your cheeks. “I—I just saw your sign on the painting I bought a few days ago…” You scratch the back of your neck, feeling embarrassed.

“Chill, princess, I was kidding,” she replies with a playful grin, clearly enjoying your reaction.

You let out a nervous laugh, relief washing over you. “Right, of course. Just trying to keep up with you, I guess.”

Ellie chuckles and returns her focus to her canvas, adding delicate strokes of color. “Well, if you’re going to keep watching me, you might as well learn something. What do you think of my technique?”

You hesitate, taking a moment to observe the way she blends the colors. “It’s really impressive. I never thought I’d be so fascinated by someone painting.”

She glances back at you, a playful spark in her eyes. “Fascinated by my talent or my charm?”

You smirk, feeling a rush of confidence. “A bit of both, I suppose. But don’t let it get to your head.”

She laughs, her smile infectious. “Too late for that! I thrive on flattery. But seriously, if you want to learn more, I can show you some techniques. You might just surprise yourself.”

You blink in surprise, caught off guard by her offer. “You’d teach me?”

“Of course! But only if you promise to stop lurking like a lost puppy,” she teases, winking at you.

“Deal,” you say, a grin spreading across your face as you settle in to watch her work, your excitement growing at the thought of learning from her.

“Wait, you don’t need me to pay you or anything, right?” you ask, suddenly concerned.

She rubs her chin in mock contemplation, a playful smile creeping across her face. “How about… I take you out? How’s that for your payment?”

You blink in surprise, your heart racing at the suggestion. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” she replies, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Consider it a thank-you for keeping me company and for being my first unofficial art student.”

You can’t help but grin. “I’d definitely take you up on that. Where are we going?”

Ellie shrugs, feigning nonchalance. “I don’t know yet. We could hit up that new café down the street, or I could show you the best taco stand in the area. What are you in the mood for?”

You think for a moment, your mind racing with possibilities. “I’m always up for tacos. But I’m also down for anything that involves food and good conversation.”

“Perfect! Tacos it is then,” she declares, clearly pleased with the choice.

She stands up and dusts herself off, and you quickly step in to help her clean up her supplies. You gather her paint tubes and brushes, making sure everything is neatly packed away.

﹒✿﹒

When you reach the taco stand, the scent of spices fills the air, and you both dive into the experience, trying different flavors and swapping bites of each other’s orders. “Okay, this is definitely the best taco I’ve ever had,” you admit, savoring the blend of flavors.

“I told you! This place is a hidden gem,” Ellie beams, clearly proud of her choice.

As you enjoy the food and the warmth of her company, you realize this spontaneous outing feels less like a casual dinner and more like the start of something special. The laughter, the teasing, and the easy flow of conversation make you feel at ease. You can’t shake the feeling that this is just the beginning of a deeper connection—both as friends and something more.

You stare into her eyes, your gaze briefly darting to her lips. She notices and smirks, a playful challenge flickering in her expression.

You feel a rush of heat flood your cheeks, a silent acknowledgment of the moment hanging between you. For a heartbeat, the world around you fades, and it feels as if time has slowed down.

“Are you just going to stare, or are you going to say something?” she teases, tilting her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

You clear your throat, scrambling to regain your composure. “I, uh… I was just thinking how focused you are when you paint,” you stammer, trying to redirect the conversation. “It’s really impressive.”

She laughs softly, the sound warm and inviting. “You’re smooth, I’ll give you that. But I’d prefer honesty over flattery any day.”

“Alright, then,” you say, gathering your courage. “I was also thinking about how… captivating you are.”

The playful glint in her eyes shifts to something softer, and the air between you feels charged with potential. “Well, I appreciate that. It’s nice to be seen beyond just the art, you know?”

“Absolutely,” you reply, your heart racing.

She steps a little closer, the distance between you narrowing. “Maybe you’ll get to know me better if you keep coming back,” she says, her voice low and inviting

The challenge lingers in the air, and you can’t help but smile, knowing that this connection is only just beginning.

End ﹒✿﹒

a/n : okayyy that's it for now y'all. I wrote this at like 11:30pm and i just couldn't sleep. I will be posting the 2nd part soon!

[stopsuckingdik]

𝑺𝑨𝑭𝑬 𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬

This is like my first fan fiction, I'm slightly scared because I don't know what to write or how to do this or anything but give me much love y'all because my english and writing are slightly off 😜..

"𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆. " - Quoted by me.

⊹ ֶָ ⭐️ ◞

Your crib was called — 'The safe place.' Your friends basically lived with you. Whenever their parents had a fight or they just wanted to eat , whatever it was , your house was there. It was always busy , but you wouldn’t want it any other way. tonight was no different ; laughter , chatter and three of your friends arguing about who's gonna get in what basketball team. It wasn’t rare that these three would argue over bullshit like that. Brian was in the kitchen with a few other people. He was probably the most mature yet immature in the house , funny am I right?. He's been your best friend for around..4 years if you round it up.

He was rummaging through the cabinets, making himself some hot cocoa in the middle of the goddamn summer. "Y/N, where in the hell is the chocolate power.." He huffed from the kitchen, nearly messing up your kitchen as he kept moving stuff and not putting it back. You huffed, putting down your strawberries since you were nearly tearing up some whipped cream and strawberries. "Hold on boy, I'm comin'.."

You got up from the couch, stretching a little bit as you made your way to the kitchen. You pitter pattered your way to the kitchen, fixing your spaghetti strapped T-shirt as you pulled up your joggers that were nearly falling off your ass as you walked. You made your way in the kitchen, scratching the back of your neck as you looked at the dark skinned boy. "What you look for, Brian?"

He looked back at you, having a glass in his hands while trying to find the stuff for his hot cocoa. "I'm trying to find your chocolate power but at this point it's a loss cause." He muttered, closing the cabinet he was in front of as he fully faced you, leaning his whole body on the counter.

He was attractive but....he was..how can I say this. He isn't a hoe but he's leaning that way, you know what I'm saying? But, there's no doubt he ain't fine. He was wearing a regular black shirt with someone long ass jean shorts with a belt. He was sagging enough for the hem of his Levi's to be showing (along with his v-line and happy trail 😜). He had a belt, but there really isn't a reason to be wearing it if this nigga not using it for the purpose to hold his pants up. He had dreads because of course dreadheads do it the best.(tf?) They were colored pink, purple, and orange, which actually looks way better than described. He had a couple of tattoos, like one on both his arms and one on his back but you haven't fully seen them, only a glance.

"It above the stove, in the cabinet. Did you not check there?" You asked him, giving him the most annoyed facial expression at the moment. He scratched his nose, giving you an awkward smile as he turned to the stove that was behind him and opened the cabinet, seeing a container that said 'Chocolate Power'. He looked back at you before grabbing it, smiling a little bit wider. "Thanks, I didn't know-" "Because you didn't look." You interrupted before letting out a deep puff of air.

He opened the box of power before putting a couple of scoops in the cup. "So, how's your new job?" He asked, looking up at you as he out the box back up. You fully walked in the kitchen, sitting on the tile counters and slumped your shoulders a bit. "It's good, just hate I'm working a night shift now." You worked at 7/11. I know, ain't the best job ever but the job actually pays good than any other that was near where you lived. He walked to the refrigerator, grabbing some milk and pouring it in the cup. "That's good, I might start working with you. I need another job since mine is just hoppin' on my dick for real." He put the milk back and closed the fridge, grabbing a spoon the was on the counter and started mixing the power and milk up.

You laughed a bit, kinda stoned from smoking all evening. "I mean, do what you gotta do. He might put you in they same shift since nobody is really on the same hour as me." You told him as you settled your hands in your lap. You saw Brian check you out, looking you up and down..well, more like your chest. You knew that he sometimes stared at you, even when wasn't looking, you could feel that boy burn eyes in the back of your head.

It was silent, the only thing that could be heard was the people in your living room just yelling and cussing their hearts out. "You got whipped cream on your chest." He pointed out, stopping his stirring as he removed his spoon and put the cup in the microwave.

You looked down, realizing you did actually have some on your chest. You sighed, realizing you didn't notice it at first when you first got up from the couch. You looked around the kitchen, seeing if you had any napkins or something to wipe it off. "Shit, I ain't got nothing to wipe off."

You swore his eyes lit up a little when you said that. He licked his lips a little bit. "I can wipe it off, I probably got something for it." he said, walking a little closer to you. You got slightly confused, wondering why he was walking so 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦. You know he was walking closer to give you whatever to wipe yourself off or something but he was 𝘵𝘰𝘰 close. You gulped softly, you guys just staring at each other as he out both his hands on the side of you. "You just..gonna look at me or..? "

You were slightly hesitant, he chuckled as he scratched his small beard on his chin. You didn't understand what was funny and why he was close, you started to be a little skeptical. "Nah, but I got you for real. " You were about to say something..until you were interrupted by a wet tongue licking your cleavage, licking all the whipped cream that was on your chest. You didn't know how to feel at the moment, but you were stunt. He stared up at you, sucking softly on your soft skin. You softly moaned, realizing how sensitive your chest was at the moment.

"Cute sound, didn't know a girl like you could make such noise." he commented, laughing a bit as he continued licking and sucking. Now, he was just doing this for fun. He slowly wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you more to the edge of the counter. More soft moans and whimpers escaped your chapped lips as you ran you hands through his dreads. "Wait, Brian. There's people in the living room, they could hear us." You warned him while tugging at his air to pull him away.

He smirked, looking up at you at he stopped for the moment. "Well, I guess you should keep quiet so they don't hear you. Right, ma?" He told you as he softly pulled the hem of your T-shirt down, exposing your breasts as they bounced a little bit. Your nipples started to harden from the cold air as you felt submissive at the moment. He started sucking on your nipples, swirling his pierced tongue around them.

You moaned, gripping his hair but not tugging at it. You arched your back softly, biting your bottom lip so you won't moan too loud to let the other know what you're doing with your '𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥'. "Shit, you're making me so hard, girl." He told him as he let you waist go and started fumbling with your breasts, sucking one and rubbing the other.

He stopped, pulling his mouth away as a soft 'pop' left his mouth as he did so. "Shit, who knew you could taste so sweet." You cleared your throat softly, breathing heavily as you started feeling your cunt slick up. He started fumbling with his jeans, not pulling then all the way down but down enough to see his boxers and see how hard and bricked up he was. He pulled his cock from his boxers, fapping it a little bit. Small squelching sounds being heard as he stroked himself with his precum. It was long, probably around..8 1/2 inches? Probably longer..

"How about we see how much of my dick can fit in your little cunt, yea?"

Y'all did I eat this up? I might make a part two since I enjoyed writing this 🤷🏾‍♀️, we'll see !

[ellieandvilover]

Preparing for a concert

You are getting ready for a concert but Ellie wants everyone to know you are hers.

includes: smut, dom!ellie x sub!reader, fingering (r receiving), slight praise, slight spanking, marking k!nk

word count: 987 words

this is my first time writing smut and english isn’t my first language so I‘m sorry if there are a few mistakes.

——————————————————————————

“Ellie… I have to go”, you whine devastated because Ellie won’t let go of you. She has you tight in her grip around your waist no chance for you to back away.

“Mhm j-just wait”, she mumbles against the crook of your neck while peppering kisses over your soft skin. A soft sigh escapes your lips even though you need to go.

“Ellie.” Your voice has a warning undertone Ellie can’t ignore. She lifts her head and looks at you with the cutest and most adorable eyes you’ve ever seen. The look on her face makes you want to full fill all her desires and wishes.

“What..?”, she pouts like a little puppy and the corners of her mouth are pointing downwards. You can’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“I need to go”, you grip her shoulders and push her away slightly which makes her pout even more. “The concert is starting in 3 hours.”

Her lips crack into a sly grin and she pulls you closer again. “More than enough time..” The hand she had placed on your waist before, travels down to your lower back and stops right at your ass. She gives it a gentle squeeze which makes you squeak a bit. You hear her chuckle softly and suddenly she guides you backwards to the bed. As soon as your legs hit the edge of the mattress she pushes you down and crawls over you to straddle your waist.

“Baby, what are you doing?” Your brows furrow to a frown. That cocky grin she has on her face doesn’t mean anything good.

“Just preparing you for the concert..”, she answers whispering before she leans down to gently nip at your jaw. Within seconds your breath gets heavier and your heartbeat faster. This girl has you wrapped around her finger and she knows it as much as you do. Her hungry mouth travels to your neck finding another spot to mark with a bite.

„W-what do you mean..?“, you ask with flushed cheeks, already a bit breathless. At your brabbled words she smirks and sucks your sweet spot which makes you moan out. „You know..“, her teeth graze your skin, „gotta mark my territory..“ With those words she pushes her knee between your legs and bites down on your skin. As soon as you feel the friction and hear her absolutely possessive and toxic words you whimper and grip her shoulders desperately. But as much as you might deny it you love her toxic side and her filthy little words.

„Els..“

„Yeah baby?“ oh how she loved that nickname. Especially when you say it.

Eventually you start to move your hips against her thigh which draws a whimper out of you. Every sound you make sends an electric wave straight to Ellie‘s core.

„mm need you to fuck me…“, you brabble whining. It’s almost pathetic how needy you are. Ellie hums against your collarbone, noticing the desperation in your voice. „Yeah..?“

„mhm… please…“

„patience love….gotta finish marking this pretty neck of yours“, she teases and she places another dark purple hickey on your flesh.

A moan escapes your lips and you tilt your head back to give Ellie more access, who hums in approval. Unintentionally your hips pick up the pace to get more friction. But you’re way to needy and impatient so you just whine: „els please…“.

Eventually Ellie pulls back, chewing on her bottom lip and smirking cheekily. Her hand travels down you body pushing up your skirt, to reveal you soaked underwear. Her eyes light up in lust and hunger while she hooks her fingers under the fabric and pulls you panties down. „Fuck baby.. you’re so wet.“

You can only respond with a nod, mouth parted, releasing soft sighs. The sight of you, desperate and needy, is almost to much for Ellie. She drags her fingers through your slick folds, making you moan out in pleasure.

Soon her fingers slip into your pussy, thrusting in fast and deep. Today she exceptionally doesn’t make you beg for it. No today she has to be quick but she surely has some plans with you when you come back home from the concert…

„Oh god els… yes.. oh my-“, you moan and whimper out, back arching off the mattress. The feeling of her fingers curling inside of you, hitting all the right spots is too overwhelming, bringing you to the edge faster than anyone ever could.

Drowning in pleasure you grip Ellie‘s shoulders for support as her palm meets your clit with each thrust. You’re a mess. A pathetic mess who is on the edge of tears. „Els need t-to come..“, you whine.

She just tsks and says as she keeps thrusting into you: „That’s not like you should ask me for permission baby and you know it.“

Now tears already stream down your reddened cheeks and you try your best to bring out a coherent thought. „Shit ‘s-sorry… ellie c-can I p-please come… need it s-so bad.. please..“

Ellie smiles and nods. „Good girl“

Your orgasm hits you like an earthquake, your walls clenching around her fingers, making Ellie moan and you scream. „Oh my god els… fuck… love you so much… hnghh so good…“

The pleasure is so overwhelming it’s making your head spin and see white lights.

It takes a while for you to come back to earth as you lay spent and spread out on the bed, taking deep breaths. Ellie‘s hand smacks your pussy lightly, making you yelp and whine cause you’re way to sensitive. She just chuckles and whispers: „Get up you have to go to the concert baby…“ Then she dresses you again before you can complain about her nonexistent aftercare.

Sighing you stand up and look into the mirror, the view making you gasp. You’re completely marked up. From head to toe. Ellie just chuckles and wraps her arms around you, whispering. „My pretty girl.“

[citrine-elephant]

heavily inspired by @/silvercap and this

revisiting (boba) parasite papa leon.

the infection can be similar to the facehugger method, or it can be like lepotitsa.

for the lepotitsa method, it's quick. leon gets ambushed, doesn't have time to scream before that thing's french kissing him, and he blacks out after it's done and over with. he's found unconscious and it looks like he simply fell (or was pushed over) and hit his head.

the duration of incubation is about a week. he's hungry, then he's irritable, then he's starving, and then he's isolating. very quickly bitchy and moody and a lil angry brooding chicken.

it presents first with the stomach ache. leon's no good at hiding his pain and he brushes it off with a joke. "christopher redfield, did you get me pregnant?" after enough prodding, this joke shuts down the conversation entirely. especially when claire scoffs in disgust because now she knows her brother is fucking leon.

the way he isolates is easy to pick up on. when the insisting to see a doctor, or professor rebecca chambers, turns into leon snapping at them to leave him the fuck alone, they back down. suspiciously, of course. like damn leon, OUCH, but... it's unusual for him. they think.... maybe he's relapsing.... he's a prick when he's drunk, but...

chris probably wants to start arguing, but claire talks him down from pissing off leon more. she points out how odd this is. jill's probs scribbling notes with squinted eyes in the background. she's watching him, doesn't trust this whatsoever. she definitely gives rebecca a shout...

but even if his symptoms are obvious to the people around him, he still manages to evade capture and examination before he's got the nest built. he's gone MIA. no one can find him.

and while leon's incubating his parasite spawn... he knows something is wrong. he doesn't remember his infection. but he knows something is happening and this isn't good. but he doesn't say anything. he knows he should, but he wants to stay quiet. he needs to stay quiet.

and when he starts instinctively sealing the nest with some substance clearly not supposed to come out of his stomach... he knows.... but he doesn't care. he does, but he can't. he has to protect the nest.

it's when chris manages to break in that leon is immediately hissing and snarling at him. chris sees the fucking thing cradled in his arms. chris sees the sickly change in leon's eyes. the round, subtly red glow of the eggs glued to the walls.

eventually, after fighting the angry chicken and pinning him down. after killing all of leon's poor parasite spawns. it's found out that they don't have to put him down, too. thank god.

after a few days, the paternal rage is gone. whatever was making him so enraged and defensive made it out of his system. the idea for this parasite being -> multiple infections, preservation of the host. it really only works if the host is viable. and leon proves he's definitely robust enough for it. something something, the manufacture wants breeding machines or something. something horrifying like that. why waste a good host if he can continue making monsters?

there would also be downtime. while leon would no longer feel the need to protect these things, there's still pheromones that dissuade the infector bioweapon from trying it again. perfecting this weapon means not killing the host, and the poor guy's already exhausted.

there's this image haunting my brain of leon feeding this ugly little thing like a baby bird and-

[redysetdare]

All this aroace character shipcourse has proven to me that a majority of people that interact in fandom cannot actually interact with characters and media outside of shipping and genuinely I believe you need to learn how to interact with media outside of shipping.