#so we went to a local coffee shop that just opened and it’s so cute btw and ITS PET FRIENDLY so i saw many doggies there

[kaidabakugou]

coffee dates with your mom have you spilling all your dirty secrets without a second thought 😭

[theressaicon]

✩•.My cute little psycho.•✩

(yb Peter x (f) reader)

☆.。.：*・゜☆.。.：*・゜☆

Another Tuesday of me working at the local coffee shop. Could be better, could be worse, I always say. It keeps me going. My friend T/K keeps me company here. We've been friends for some time now and I can't imagine how my life would look like without him. He was the first one to take the first step. We eventually started to talk more and more, building great friendship between us as coworkers. It's good to have someone by your side when costumers can be quite rude. Somehow we always tries to make fun of it.

This day was pretty busy at the shop. High temperature from the sun shining outside made everyone sweat and me with T/K as well. Of course that almost no one ordered a hot coffee, that would be a suicide in this weather. Instead people wanted milkshakes, lemonades and cold stuff like that.

Mine and T/Ks part of the job was to take orders from costumers and deliver their products to them. The rest of the people working here were hidden at the back, making desserts, drinks and other stuff we sell. Lucky them, there was air conditioning in the back, so they didn't sweat there like we did. Sometimes T/K and I also went to the back to cool off, but today there was almost no time for that.

It gave us both a shock when we saw a guy walking into the store wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a black sleeveless hooded sweatshirt. I was terribly hot for him. I was almost unable to breathe from the heat in my light blouse and work apron. There was no way he could be cold! I exchanged glances with T/K and went to attend to the customers at the register while T/K went to serve the veiled man.

After a while he came back saying that the man had not yet chosen what he wanted. I shrugged it off and both of us went back to work. In two minutes he went again to try to ask what the guy would like. Just like before, no answer from him. So I offered to try to serve him myself.

As soon as I got to his table, he took off his hood and looked up. The fact that he was bald didn't scare me in any way, I calmly and smilingly asked if he knew what to order now. „Strawberry milkshake, please." he spoke quietly, maybe even shyly. „Right away, sir." I wrote his order down and left. T/K watched me with his mouth open as I returned with the order. „Ain't no way." He said with a look of annoyance. It made me chuckle. „Did you see that?! He said what he wanted to you without hesitation-" „Well I guess I am much more trustworthy and certainly nicer." I teased him playfully. „Yeah right, miss trustworthy." he rolled his eyes and kept doing what he was doing.

I made the decision that I would bring him the milkshake myself too. When he finished it, he paid and left me a tip before he left. It was my first tip of the week, which made me truly happy. But by the end of the day, I was still asking myself why he was wearing such warm clothes in this terribly hot weather.

☆.。.：*・゜☆.。.：*・゜☆

Another hot day at work, sweating like crazy and slightly getting pissed off by irritating people. Me and T/K were passing out from the everyday heat... Yet there was this guy in a sleeveless hoodie who seemed unbothered. As he sat down to his table like yesterday, I made a bet with T/K, that he's not gonna be able to serve him again. He accepted the bet, probably out of boredom, and went to the bald customer. Exactly as I expected, T/K returned defeated and without his order. "Watch and learn from the master," I said and confidently left.

„Good afternoon, sir. What will it be today?" I took out a pen with a paper to write on. „Good afternoon miss, I would love to order another strawberry milkshake." a warm smile appeared on his face while he was talking. „Alright sir, anything else?" I returned the warm smile. „Uhh... I.. um.. Well-" He looked stunned and started stuttering. I didn't want to make it worse for him, so I spoke to his embarrassment. „What if I get you your strawberry milkshake and when you finish it, you can decide whether to order anything else? " After a moment of silence and staring at me, he spoke again with a smile. „Ah yes, that would be wonderful."

Once I got back behind the counter to T/K, I set my hand. After a while he handed me five dollars without a single word and went on to work again defeated once again. 'easy money' I thought for myself.

Just like yesterday I gave the guy in the hoodie his milkshake and kept concentrating on my work. That wasn't easy though. There was this old aggressive man who purposely made troubles for his entertainment. I suspected he had dementia, but I think almost everyone around me has lately. He liked to drag his family to our cafe and apparently liked to show off in front of them. He thought that he probably owned the cafe and that he could afford almost anything.

„Hey! you- maid or whatever you are.. Milk!" I slowly turned to him with disbelief in my eyes. „Excuse me? Is there a problem, sir?" I asked diplomatically stepping forward to him. „Someone's deaf, huh? I. said. MILK." How arrogant I thought... But I'm about to keep my cool. „I see, okay sir. Now please tell me what you want me to do with the milk." „The fuck you mean? BRING IT, MORON!" his yelling made me jump and step back. T/K helped me out of the unpleasant situation by bringing a glass of milk. After that he pulled me to the side so I could calm down from the shouting. I hated to deal with him almost daily, but it's what I get paid for.

After a few minutes I felt good enough to work again. At that moment, the man wearing the sleeveless sweatshirt appeared at the register and handed over an empty milkshake glass. „Thank you very much for your services. The milkshakes you make here are lovely!" His words somehow made me happy and put a smile on my face. Blood began to rush to my cheeks, making my cheeks slightly red. „Anything else I can do for you?" I asked politely. „There is actually one thing, yes..." I strained my ears to hear his wish. „Y-your name.. May I know w-what your name is?" He scratched his neck at his question. His handsome smile didn't fade for a second as he was looking at me. I took his glass from his hand and answered. „It is Y/N L/N, mind telling me your name?" It seemed that he shivered a little, it took him about two seconds to answer, but he eventually did. „I'm Peter." „Well, I'm glad I could serve you Peter, again today! Will you visit us tomorrow too?" „Depends if you'll be here as well." „I'm here from Monday to Thursday." „Well, that answers my question. Oh and I almost forgot..." Suddenly he showed me a red rose. I have no idea where he kept the rose the whole time. „Here, Y/N... This is your todays tip." I accepted the flower with open lips. It was beautiful. „I love it, Peter! Thank you very much, this made my day!" If we weren't separated by a counter, I would have hugged him for sure. I had a reason to look forward to the next day.

☆.。：*・゜=time skip=☆.。.：*・゜☆

Thank god that todays Thursday is a bit cooler than the days before. Pleasant wind flew through my hair when I was heading to work. I was there first surprisingly, it doesn't happen very often. I put on my work apron and turned on the ice cream machine. And because I deserve it, I made myself latte that I of course paid for. I quickly wiped down the tables and eventually the rest of the staff arrived. I greeted T/K with an offer to make him coffee, but he refused, saying he was saving money for a new joystick or something like that.

The cafe was quiet today. Suspiciously calm. Then I realized that the old man didn't come today. I was relieved that I didn't have to deal with him today. I didn't even wonder where he was. I didn't care as long as he didn't make trouble around me or insult me.

This afternoon none other than Peter came in, the hooded man in the black sleeveless sweatshirt. As soon as he sat down at his table, I went to serve him. „Good afternoon, Peter, let me guess... Strawberry milkshake?" I smiled, caughing him off guard. Blush appeared on his cheeks as he stutterly spoke. „Ah, hello Y/N! H-how did you know?" „Well.. You had the same twice so I figured out you'd go for it again?" „Well, you are absolutely correct. I would love another strawberry milkshake!" and so I made one.

„Would you mind joining me?" He asked, pointing on the seat opposite to him. „Sorry..." a said „I'm still working, management wouldn't like it." „I can pay for whatever you'd choose." „That's kind of you, really.. Still I gotta say no." He looked so upset I pitted him. „But um.. Tomorrow's my day off. We could maybe..." that was the moment where his eyes almost popped out of his head. He looked like a child on Christmas day. „YES!" he unexpectedly yelled and drew attention on both of us. „UHM I'm mean.. I'm sorry heh.." looking embarrassed he apologized. „So.. tomorrow? Afternoon?" He agreed and started to drink his milkshake happily as soon as I brought it to him.

The only thing that startled me was T/K, piercing  me with his gaze. „What?" I asked confused. „What, you ask?! What was thaaat-" „What was what?" still not getting the point of his. „Are you seriously going out with this creep?" „Who are you calling a creep, huh? He's actually nice." I pouted at him. „Wow, I didn't know you are into guys that look like they are addicted to drugs or alcohol." „Hey, you can't say that when you don't know him!" 

I stood up for Peter. „And you do know him?" T/K argued back. „Well... I'm about to." T/K broke the silence between us. „Be careful, Y/N." „I will T/K, thanks for caring. Just remember, I'm adult too."

Meanwhile Peter drank his shake and went to the counter to pay. „There you go, pretty lady. See you tomorrow." Peter handed me the money and smirked. I took the money with a kind smile. I also noticed that T/K and Peter stared at each other almost deadly. Hmm, I wonder why, or not? „Whatcha staring at, man?" I couldn't believe my eyes that T/K was the one that said it. „You wanna know what I'm staring at? I'm staring on idiotic face, blocking my view." „Oh yeah? At least I have some hair, bald head." They roaster each other for like a whole minute that seemed like an hour. I was just standing there, watching like a female doe looking at two stags fighting with their antlers. I gotta admit it was quite funny to watch them till they involved nudging and physical signs of pushing. A few things fell of the table separating them, which made me act. I pushed them both away from each other, giving them warning glares. „I better go." Peter looked at me with apology in his eyes. „Yeah, sorry for T/Ks behavior." I replied, not meeting T/Ks eyes at any cost. „Then Peter turned and gave me a smile in the entrance door, walking round a corner.

„I'm disappointed, T/K." I said, picking up the fallen things off the ground. „Whatever... You'll thank me later." He scoffed, going to serve someone just to show he doesn't care about what happened. While picking up the things that fell I noticed a black lighter with a picture of a black and white colored heart. I thought for a moment... Wait up, PETER has the same heart on his dark blue T-shirt! He must've dropped it while trying to hurt T/K. I rushed out of the shop, running the way I saw Peter going a moment ago.

Peters pov:

That bastard makes me look stupid and dangerous to Y/N. Funny, he ain't wrong by saying I'm dangerous, but I would never hurt Y/N. And I wouldn't let anyone else hurt her. Or insult her, just like the old man on Wednesday did. Good thing I dealt with him, he's not going to say shit to anyone anymore, including my darling, again.

I went to an alley between some shops a few meters from the cafe. That jerk was getting on my nerves, always hanging around my Y/N... And so I pulled out a cigarette to calm myself down. But- oh shit.. I can't find my lighter. Then, an angel appeared in front of me.

Y/Ns pov:

„Peter! There you are..." I gasped for air, happy that he didn't go far. „Y-you forgot your lighter, um.. There you go." I handed it to him and watched his shocked face. „Wow- you chased me just to give me my lighter back?" „Yeah, I guess so." a tiny moment of silence appeared, however it wasn't feeling awkward at all. „Thank you Y/N." Peter smiled at me and lighted up his cigarette. „Oh." I said slightly socked, „hm? what?" „N-nothing! I just.. didn't know you smoke, that's all." I didn't want it to sound like I was being disgusted. „Oh- sorry." Surprisingly he put out his cigarette right away. „You didn't have to do that! I mean, we all deal with our problems somehow, one way or another." His eyes widened and I kept on talking. „I don't care what T/K says about you... I will make my own opinion on you and I'm looking forward to it."

Peters pov:

I couldn't believe my eyes... Y/N was so perfect. They are willing to get to know me. They are so kind. They are so precious and pretty and... Oh god. I'm mumbling to myself again. „Ehm- thank you, darling." „Darling? Well, that's new." Crap- I called them 'darling'- I mean, they are, but- Shitshitshitshitshit-!.. „I like that nickname." they said right after. Wow. Did I mention I fucking love them?! CAUSE I DO!-

„I gotta go, I still have stuff to clean and people to serve. See you tomorrow, Peter!" That was the last sentence they said to me today.

Fuck I'm obsessed.

[snoopyearss]

Hi dear ! I am so in love with your Nanami Kento writings that OMG I am crying (it's tears of joy no worries) I just love this man so much ! I was wondering if it's okay for you to write a request where Nanami dates or marries a fem! Shy reader ? How would he flirt ? As she also slowly gains confidence to initiate things with him cause his presence is so comfy for her.

It can be just all fluff or with tinges or spice/nsfw if you are okay with writing it.

Just wanted to thank you again for your stories and can't wait to read more Nanami posts. You're awesome! 🩶

Hi angel! I’m so happy you love my writing! This is such a cute concept and honestly, I see him with a shy partner. I hope I did it justice! 🖤

CW: some smut!

It was a rainy afternoon, you were cooking you and your boyfriend dinner and swaying your hips along to some smooth jazz he played on the stereo. You looked over to him, fully invested in the book he was reading. You smiled as you walked over to him and crawled into his lap.

“Hi honey,” he chuckled. “Hi,” you snuggled up against his chest. “Dinners’ almost ready, I just placed the roast in the oven.”

“It smells wonderful.” He kisses your nose, he knows it makes you weak every time. You both start at each other for a while, something you guys like to do.

“You’ve grown more comfortable around me,” he pointed out. “I have?” You sat up in his lap. “You have. Do you remember when we met?”

You pretend to look clueless since you loved it when he would tell the story. “I’m assuming you would like me to tell the story?” You nod your head in excitement as he chuckles and holds you tight in his arms.

Flashback

When Nanami Kento first met you, it was at a local coffee shop you would frequent. You would see him walk in around the same hour every time you went; 7:30am. The both of you didn’t know each other very well, he would give a “good morning” and you would smile in response. It wasn’t very often you saw a man that attractive so it made you nervous. Even if it was just a simple act of hello.

On this day however, you were running late to your job and didn’t have the time to make yourself a cup of coffee. You grabbed your keys and went straight over to the cafe, refusing to deal with your coworkers on an empty stomach and no caffeine.

“Hello, may I have a-”

“Can you speak up? I can’t hear you.” The cashier interrupted you.

“I’m sorry, um…May I have [your order] please?” You requested as the cashier heavily tapped on the screen. “Will you be paying cash or card today?”

“Card.” You opened your bag to look for your wallet.

It was nowhere to be found.

“Shit.” You mumbled to yourself. You fished around in your purse to find any loose change, but no luck. “No way, I forgot my wallet..”

“Ma’am, you’re holding up the line.”

“I’ll take care of it.” You heard a warm sultry voice speak from behind you. You turned around to find that same handsome man who comes in regularly. Your eyes shift to the left wall and stare at the clock. 7:30am. They then shift back to his big chest, causing your face to heat up.

“O-Oh! Um, you don’t have to! I’ll just come back later, no big deal.” You softly replied. You couldn’t look him in the eyes without stuttering. “I insist, I know what it’s like to not have your daily caffeine intake. I’ll take the green tea with a blueberry muffin as well please. Just combine our orders together, Thank you.”

You softly thanked him and looked down in slight embarrassment. The both of you went to the pick up line and waited for your orders. “Thank you again. I will pay you back every dime.” You promised.

“There’s no need. Any thing for a gorgeous woman like yourself.” His compliment made you eyes widen a bit and cause your face to heat up.

“My name is Kento,” he stuck out his hand to shake yours. “Y/n.” He smiled, he thought your name was beautiful. From that point on it changed the trajectory of your relationship with him.

You found yourself going to the coffee shop instead of making coffee at home, purposely going so you were just in time to see him. And he would be there to see you. He would pay for your coffee and pastry just so you both can talk about the most random things while you wait for your orders. He never made you pay for it, that wasn’t up for discussion.

It got to a point where you both would come in an hour early just to have time to sit and talk with each other. Nanami is a very organized well thought out person. Before making any big decisions, he thinks them through completely. But with you for some reason, you made him not question anything and just go for it. He knew you were a shy girl, based off of what he had seen. So he tried to make his advances as subtle as possible.

“You know Y/n, you’re such great company. I would love to take you on a date,” your eyes widened. “A date?”

“Yes. And as much as I love out coffee talks, I want to take you out. When we can have all the time in the world to get to know each other.” He told your free hand that was rest on the table and caressed it. Your body felt hot.

“I-I would love that.”

So here you are, getting ready for your date with Nanami. You truthfully never thought this would happen, but hell are you grateful it did. You smooth out your dress and apply more lip gloss before grabbing your purse and opening the door to the blonde staring back at you.

“Good evening, gorgeous.” He hands you a bouquet of flowers.

It was a few hours after your date and you invited him back to have a glass of wine. You both sat on the couch while jazz played on your tv.

One thing led to another and you two are getting touchy on your living room couch. The both of you finished two bottles of wine and it was flowing through you. He placed a big hand on your thigh and caressed it like he does with your hand. Your breath hitches at the feeling and you spread your legs lightly to invite him in.

“Dirty girl, do you want me to move my hand further up?” He cooed. You whimpered and nodded your head lazily. “When you’re with me, you use your words. Understand?” He takes he’s other hand to hold your jaw to face him.

“Y-Yes, I understand,” you whimpered. He chuckled. “Look at you baby, you can barely look at me in the eyes. Shy girl. Do I make you feel like this?” His face was so close to yours at this point.

“Yes,” you whimpered out.

He caressed your cheek and brought his face closer. His lips softly grazed yours as you both exchanged a passionate kiss.

Nanami found your shyness cute, especially in the bedroom. He couldn’t get enough of your cries of pleasure and the way you would drag your fingernails down his arms. The first time you both had sex, he noticed you holding back.

“I need to hear you, princess. I need to know how I’m making you feel. Don’t get quiet on me know” he would moan and he drags his dick im and out of you at a pace that has your mind going fuzzy.

“O-Oh my god, Kento! Fuck! Yes yes yes yes yes,” you chanted as your eyes rolled back. “There you go baby, let it out.”

Sex with Nanami could honestly change someone for the better. After that, you genuinely felt unstoppable. Your shy exterior was etched away with each moment you spent with him. You found yourself more talkative with people at your job, even taking bathroom breaks to send your boyfriend some risqué photos.

‘You’re such a tease pretty girl, I’m coming to get you on your lunch break.’

And he would fuck you senseless in the backseat of his car. And you wouldn’t give a fuck about who heard you, or how you looked when you clocked back in. That’s how he made you feel.

After a few more dates of going to various restaurants, museums, jazz bars, and your favorite, at home dates, you both came to an agreement to move in together. It was one of the best decisions both of you could’ve ever made.

End of Flashback

“You love when I tell that story, don’t you?”

“Who wouldn’t?” You grinned and got up to check on the food. Nanami placed his book back on the shelf and shoved is hand in his pocket.

“And I want to keep telling it forever,” He murmured as he pulled out a small black velvet box with a ring inside.

[a-whisper-in-the-forest]

Maybe

Part 1 (coffees and tips)

Part 2 (somebody I care about)

Civilian turns into the next aisle of their local supermarket. They got milk, eggs, something to eat for tonight…snacks. They need snacks. Some candy would be nice. Oh, no, popcorn. Yes, popcorn to eat with a movie. Tonight is going to be a good night. Their shift went well and they got a ton of tips, their toast didn't burn this morning and they haven't lost a single thing. Today was a good day. Only, Villain hadn't passed by the shop today, or yesterday, or the day before that. Maybe the fight with Superhero scared them off a bit? The coffeeshop is supposed to be a safe place for villains and a superhero that just bursts in is kind of contradicting. They really hope they can see them tomorrow, work hasn't been the same.

They turn into the other aisle and see a surprising figure ahead. They are dressed in some sweatpants and a hoodie, hair a little messed up but in a cute way and holding a shopping basket. Civilian’s heart makes a little jump. “Hi, Villain. Didn't expect you here,” Civilian says excitedly. Was that too much? Villain looks up a little surprised but then pulls their lips into a smile. “Hi,” they answer while putting a frozen pizza in their basket. “I normaly don’t come here, but I didn't have anything to eat so… deepfreeze chemical shit it is.” Civilian can't help but chuckle. “Don't you have henchmen that can cook for you?” Villain grabs another pizza. “Technically yes, but after three days of planning and scheming we could all use a break.”

“Oh,” Civilian answers, “that's why you didn't show up.” Villain’s smile turned into a smirk. “What? Missed me?” they ask stepping forward. “Maybe,” Civilian answers, not backing away. Villain hums in agreement and corners Civilian against the freezer door. “I might have missed you too, honestly,” Civilian feels that funny feeling in their stomach flare up again. Was it them or was the room getting hotter? “Really?” they whisper. They are so close together right now, they could practically taste Villain’s lips. Villain leans in even closer and whispers in their ear. “Every minute. I couldn't even focus on my plans, that's why it took so long.” Civilian’s breath hitches and they feel a blush creep up their neck. Villain lets out a soft, but deep chuckle. “Oh, dear, so easily flushed. I wonder…” Before Civilian could do anything, they felt a soft peck on their cheek. They turned as red as the tomato in their cart. Villain was still smirking and let out a satisfied hum. “I should stop there though, before you turn into a puddle.” Civilian didn't want them to stop, they wanted them to keep going. “Please, no, keep going.”

Villain’s smirl grew into a full smile. “That sounded pretty, but that's not for here. How about you go home and I drop off these pizzas to my gremlins that are apparently my henchmen. I'll come to your place later and you can ask me those nice questions again.” Civilian nods but they preferred the Villain coming straight home with them. As if Villain could read their mind they answered: “As I said, my henchmen are like gremlins and it's nearing midnight. Believe me, it’s only chaos that ensues.” Civilian just hoped they won't have to wait too long. “Will you hurry?” Civilian asked. Villain's cocked their head to the side. “Maybe.”

Villain obviously paid Civilian’s groceries.

Hi! This was the obvious poll winner so here it is! It's my first time writing something like this so go easy on me. As always I hope you enjoyed!

My are open if you want to ask me anything! (A snippet, a question, share a thought,... Anything!)

[seenoversundown]

Come Back For Me : Chapter One

Danny Wagner x Melody (Fem OC)

Warnings: Cute wholesome mom & daughter bonding time, the Kiszka Twins, mentions of death/grieving, ASL is used throughout this fic, and a little reminiscing.

Word Count: 3k

Summary: Melody is out with Iris, thinking that they’re just running some errands. Well, that is until some familiar faces from her past abruptly change the course of her day.

Author's Note: AND WERE BACK, BABY!

I’m excited to give you this story and finally get Danny and Mel on the map for everyone. This is a pretty hefty shift from where I last left you— but I think it’ll be a fun change for all of us 😏🤭

*Disclaimer- this story comes before Charlotte exists. There is an order to these stories, but my brain simply couldn’t behave when writing. If you have questions, my DM’s are always open!*

Older - Gracie Abrams "I went quiet, And you went cold, Guess that happened when we got older."

Nothing has changed. 

Walking through this Hannaford, all I see are the same employees; the store hasn’t been renovated and it feels like I’ve been transported back to high school. Running through the aisles with the boys, hoping not to get kicked out. It’s shocking the things we got away with then. 

Flash forward at least four years later; I’m toting my daughter around to grab a few things that we need for dinner. She’s content in the cart with her little stuffed animal, so I can quickly grab what I need. Thank god, honestly. I’m pretty sure she just enjoys hanging out with me at this point; we’re best friends, in my head at least. She doesn’t really have a choice right now. 

Not having a job means that I can come here in the middle of the day when nobody else is here– not that Maine is that busy in general, to be quite honest. After a few years of living on the outskirts of Boston, everywhere feels like a ghost town to me. Not being stuck in ungodly traffic is nice, though, I’ll take the wins where I can get them these days.

Rolling up to the cashier, the lady smiles at Iris and waves. Don’t do it, I think to myself. 

“Hi, sweetheart. Do you want a sticker?” And you did it.. Okay. 

I tap Iris’s arm lightly, her adorable little face glancing up at me. 

‘Do you want a sticker?’ I sign to her. Her smile was enough, but she nodded quickly with a little ‘mmm’ sound. 

“She would love one,” I tell the cashier, smiling softly at her. Iris reached out to take it from her and signed ‘Thank you’ back to her. I hesitate but then spit out, “Oh, um, she says thank you.”

“Well, she’s very welcome.” 

The rest of the interaction was pretty quiet as she rang us up. I don’t mind when people want to talk to her, but we’re both learning ASL together, so it’s not always easy. 

‘Mom wants coffee,’ I tell her as I buckle her into her car seat. She just giggles back at me while I pretend to fall asleep. I don’t know what I did right in order to have a generally happy child, but I thank god every day for it. She loves being out of the house, which bodes well when you’re the only parent. 

‘Ready?’ I ask her, peeking in the rearview mirror to see her nodding. 

Driving through the Old Port is always weird, knowing these places and how to get there, but not having done so in so long. I missed this. All the brick buildings, the small locally owned stores, and the restaurants, are definitely something I longed for while living in a city. 

It only takes a few minutes to get reasonably close to the coffee shop I’ve been craving. Finding parking can be a pain with all the one-way streets but, thankfully, this time of day isn’t terrible. Packing and unpacking my child is one of my many talents at this point— my arms have never been so toned in my life. 

She knows just to stand close to me while I lock the car. Once the little honk sound happens, I pull her up to spare myself the outrageously slow walk. Before I can even finish situating her, my heart jumps into my throat. 

“Melody?”

I haven’t been back here all that long and somehow haven’t really run into anybody that I would talk to. It was all of two seconds before I turned to see him, but I felt frozen in the moment. I haven’t had to introduce anybody to Iris yet, and I was kind of hoping to avoid it a little longer.  My head whips around, not expecting to see him.  Josh? 

“Oh my god, hi!” Not thinking I would be so excited, I moved a little closer to him, shifting Iris up onto my hip. 

His voice sounds the same when he asks, “How are you, dear?” 

“Oh, I’m okay,” I tell him, shaking my head subtly. Before I can return the question, I see his mouth ready to fire off another question. 

“Who is this?” He gestures to Iris, not getting too close to her yet. I can see her eyeing his hair already, though. 

I move some of her curls to make sure her sweet face is visible before telling him, “Her name’s Iris.” She just beams at him. Tapping her belly and then doing a little wave at him, she takes her turn to wave. 

I know that Josh loves kids; he always has– probably because he just a big kid himself. His eyes light up when she looks at him and he just coos at her little smile. 

“How old is she? Hi, beautiful,” He asks but is immediately distracted by her.  

I laugh as I watch him, “She’s three, but she can’t hear you.”

His eyebrows shoot up, “Deaf?” 

“Practically, she’s in the severe hearing loss category. We don’t know what happened, but she’s a happy little thing regardless.” 

‘Nice to meet you,’ Josh signs slowly to her, making her laugh and lean against my shoulder. 

All the thoughts in my head halted as he signed to her. I blankly stared at him for a second before I asked, “You.. know ASL?” 

“I was friends with one of the Deaf students in a college class, just picked up on it,” he tells me, with a shrug. 

Suddenly, it hits me. There is a whole person attached to him. Quickly looking over to them and spitting out, “I’m sorry– I’m Melody, and you are?”

“Quinn! I didn’t want to interrupt,” they respond sweetly; the smile on them could light up a room. I don’t know how to describe the outfit they’re wearing, but it is very clear to me why them and Josh work together. The two of them just look cute together; I can’t imagine that Quinn wouldn’t be a creative person if they were in a relationship with Josh. 

“Ahh, yes! This is my partner! I was caught off guard by the little angel,” Josh chimed back in, looking over to Quinn with a quiet, “Sorry, bug– I haven’t seen Melody since.. Oh goodness, has it actually been four years?” 

“Probably,” I sigh. “God, that’s so long?” 

He nods, letting out quietly,  “It is, it is. When did you move back?” 

“It’s a long story, but,” I breathe out.  “I just moved in with my dad and this one.” 

I had been living in the Boston area for college with my mother. She moved down there when I found out I was pregnant with Iris to help make sure everything went smoothly. It was wonderful getting that time together; nothing prepares you for being a mom, so having mine with me at the beginning was incredibly helpful. 

She unfortunately had been sick for a while, and I lost her a few months back. It’s hard to think about, but I’m glad she’s not miserable anymore. Living in Boston as a single mom just became unreasonable. Plus, staying in the area was just making me depressed. So, I came home and moved in with my dad. 

He took us in happily– I don’t know who needed it more. The three of us have fun together so I’m sure he’s excited to get some time with Iris, especially now that she’s at a fun age. It’s a different dynamic with him, obviously, but I appreciate the fact that he was so willing to help us out. 

“Well, I’m so sorry it’s not the happiest of reasons, but it’s nice to see your face again,” Josh’s hand landing on my arm as he tells me. 

“It’s okay,” I say, with a slight smile, so Iris can’t pick up on what’s being said. Chuckling as I tell him,  “The worst part is trying to find a fucking job at this point.” 

“Oh!” he basically yelps, tapping my arm a few times. “You know what.. Give my boss a call. I think we’re actually hiring.” Winking at me– that’s suspicious. 

“That would be amazing?” Surprised that he was so quick to help. I hand him my phone, “Just text me the number, and I’ll call in a little bit.” Watching him happily add his number to my phone and text himself quickly. 

“There you go, darling,” he says, handing it back to me.  “I’m sure we have something that you could do, but we will let you get going so Miss Iris doesn’t get too antsy!” 

Carefully pulling him into a side hug, I whisper,  “Thank you so much, really.” 

“Anything to help,” he says, his smile beams at Iris as he reaches out to gently give her hand a little squeeze. 

“Nice meeting you,” I say, smiling at Quinn. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around!”

They excitedly let out, “Yes you too!!”

Both of them waving at Iris and giggling as she tucks her face against me– she is the biggest flirt known to man I swear. She gives them a small wave back before we start our trek to find coffee. Breathing out more air than I expected, a small smile creeps onto my face. Maybe things will turn around a little quicker than I thought. 

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We take our time walking to grab some coffee, looking into all the shop windows as she points out things she likes or thinks are funny. It does not take much to make you laugh when you’re three. 

I never thought I would want a child so young, but honestly, she’s probably the best thing that happened to me. Definitely put a lot of things into perspective for me and I feel like I have a better grasp of who I am now.

She makes me laugh all the time, especially because of how friendly she is to everyone. I swear she wants to befriend anyone who holds eye contact for more than a second. Lucky for her, she’s adorable, so people aren’t one to say ‘no’ to that. 

She batted her lashes at the nice barista taking our order but got shy when he waved at her. Grabbing my coffee and her snack from the end of the counter, we found a seat outside. She’s three. I can’t let her eat this cookie inside and watch the nice employees sigh when they see how many crumbs are about to hit the ground. 

‘Good?’ I ask her. 

She just grins up at me, still chewing the bite she took. I’ll take that as a yes. Sipping on my coffee as she picks away at this cookie, just enjoying the sun for a few minutes. 

I pulled my phone out and saw a text sitting there. 

Josh: Hi! Here’s the boss’s number :) I’ll let him know that you’ll be calling so he knows to keep an eye out for you! 

Me: thank you again! 

Once she’s about destroyed the cookie, I hold her out and wiggle her around a few times, making her laugh. I do not need more cookie crumbs getting squished into her car seat. Her laugh could brighten anyone’s day; she truly is such a good kid. 

Walking a different way back to the car so she can have fun looking at new store windows. It’s a lot of her pointing, and me trying to decipher what she’s pointing at. 

Something about the Old Port just makes me feel at home. To be fair, we spent a lot of time in this area, between trying to sneak into bars for local shows and going on dates once Daniel had his license. 

He really was such a good boyfriend back in the day. Always giving me rides, even if I told him it wasn’t a big deal. He would take me to different restaurants out here all the time after he started his first job. Parking in the first spot he could find, just as an excuse to have to walk so we could spend more time together.

It’s hard to believe we were so inseparable for so long, and now, I haven’t said a single word to him in at least four years. But it’s okay, really. Times have changed, and I have more important things to worry about now— like how I desperately hope this kid falls asleep on the drive home. 

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 I took the longest way home, and my plan worked. Peeking into my rearview mirror to see her sweet face out cold, thank god. Not that it’s the worst to do things while she’s awake, but when I want to focus on something important, the last thing I need is her trying to get me to play or, even worse, have a meltdown. 

Carefully scooping her up out of the car seat, we manage to make it inside with her still asleep. I slip into her room and tuck her into bed so I can hopefully get this phone call done. As I go to leave, I whisper, “Love you, baby.”

Practically falling into the couch, I stare at the texts from Josh. It would really be so helpful if I could work with him. It is very much Josh to do something like this. He has such a pure heart; too much love in that heart of his. 

“Just call him,” I whisper, in hopes that I can pep talk myself. You need this for Iris. Everything I do at this point is to make sure she gets the life she deserves; becoming a mom has really shifted a lot of my perspective on things.  

Tapping on the number, here goes nothing– I listen to it ring maybe twice before they pick up. 

“Hello?”

I take a shallow breath before saying, “Hi, this is Melody. Josh gave me your number because you may be hiring?” 

“Mel! Yes, he mentioned bumping into you— how are you?” Why does he sound familiar..? Oh– 

“Wait..” I hesitate before asking, “Jake?” 

He just hums back a quiet “Mhmm.”

“Oh god, he must have given me your number by accident,” I say with a sigh, my hand immediately rubbing over my face. 

He sighs along with me, “Did he not tell you?” 

“Tell me what?” 

“Ah, for fucks sake, Josh— he works for me,” he tells me. 

“Oh?” I squeak out, whispering,  “I figured it would end up the other way around, but..doing what?”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” he breathes out.  “I own a bar in the Old Port. He bartends for me.” 

“Oh shit, sorry,” I let out an uncomfortable laugh. “You would own a bar.” Thinking of the handful of parties I’d attended where he was a bit more drunk than I’m sure he’d like to admit. 

“I’m not that wild anymore,” his soft giggle along with me, telling me, “I do absolutely need more help though if you are interested.” 

“I don’t really know what I could do, but I am desperate.” 

Jake has always been the calmer of the two, so it was less shocking when he asked, “Why don’t you swing by tomorrow if you have a chance, and we can figure something out?” 

“Are you sure?” I know I probably sound nervous, but shit, if I can get a job with people I know, that would be amazing. 

He chuckles, “Of course, I’m sure.” 

“Okay,” I breathe out quietly. “I really appreciate it.” 

Jake and I were never particularly close growing up, but I did spend an awful lot of time around him. Well, with all of them, honestly– given that Daniel is best friends with Sam, and Sam always wanted his brothers around, the five of us did a lot together. 

Jake was typically overshadowed by his brothers because he was the quieter one, which makes picturing him owning a bar even harder. But I definitely know the other two very well. I was a little surprised at how pleasant Josh was, even going as far as offering me a potential job. 

I never had issues with Josh, but given the situation with Daniel, I figured he would have been more hesitant. To be fair, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him, and maybe he’s still the same Josh that I knew growing up. God—I hope he is. 

It makes me wonder how Daniel is doing, but not enough to try to reach out to him. We haven’t spoken since the night we broke up, but now that I’m back here, I feel like it’s only a matter of time before I run into him. 

“Just let me know when you’re gonna head over,” Jake’s voice brings me back to the conversation. “I’m always in the bar, so whenever you have time, works for me.” 

It feels like a weight has been taken off my chest. I nod my head, as if he can see it, saying, “Of course. Thank you so much. I will see you tomorrow.” 

The sense of relief, knowing that there’s a chance I’ll have some sort of a job in the next twenty-four hours, is unexplainable. I never thought I would spend time with the Kiszka twins as an adult, but I’ve never been more excited to see them. They were always fun to be around, even if the chaos was a bit overwhelming sometimes.  I just can’t shake the feeling that where there’s a Kiszka, Daniel will probably come around. It’s been years; I think I can handle it, even if he does show up at some point. I’d like to believe it’s been enough time since we spoke that we could be adults about everything. Also, it’s been so long at this point; there’s no chance he could still be upset.. Right? I kind of want to see him eventually, not like that, but we spent so much time together that we could at least be friends now.. maybe. There’s no use in dwelling on it; we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

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Chapter Two

CBFM Masterpost | Masterlist | Playlist

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[joongbin]

— DON'T YOU FEEL IT? - K. SM

you're seungmin’s childhood friend who had been supporting him through thick and thin, seungmin hadn't thought of you as anything besides his bestest, most lovable friend he had, until one day he had felt an unfamiliar attraction toward you.

pairings ; kim seungmin x male reader

warnings ; reader is oblivious, seungmin is head over heels, one sided pining (sm).

genre ; fluff 2 angst.

inspired by im serious by day6 .. u could also listen to you were beautiful by day6 ,, set the mood up!! also idk attempted angst

You and Seungmin were friends for as long as you could remember, right up until now. You supported him through his idol life, and even attending a few concerts just to see him.

He appreciated all of them, seeing you in the crowds just made him wanna perform better to impress you, yes, of course his members notice it, but they don't mind.

You two hung out whenever his schedule wasn't packed to the brim. You had asked him to meet up at a local coffee shop near his agency, just to catch up with the recent events in your life.

Seungmin immediately grabbed his phone, a smile on his face appearing as he looked at the notification; it was you. Changbin chuckled and nudged his shoulder.

“ (name) again? ” Changbin smirked at him, earning a slap on the shoulder from the younger male. Seungmin replied to your text swiftly with an okay and a cute emoji before leaving the agency.

He hadn't seen you in weeks since the new comeback, he was busy with music shows, collabs, interviews, and more. He was unexpectedly excited to meet you again.

Seungmin walked through the doors and saw you sitting at a table. He walked over to you, smiling brightly as he sat opposite to you.

“ Min, it's so good to see you again! How are you? ” you say, a cheerful smile appearing on your face. He'd always see this smile whenever meeting you, but for some reason, today he felt different, like butterflies were flying around in his stomach.

“ It's been good, and busy. What about you? ” Seungmin couldn't hide his feelings at all, but he didn't know what the feeling was, looking at you just made him .. feel weird.

“ I've been good. I watched .. well, most of your recent comeback videos. You were great on stage, Min. ” you complimented him, you always did, but today was different. He chuckled, looking away from your gaze.

“ Thanks. Well, um — did you order anything? ” Seungmin changed the subject, not wanting to feel such feelings anymore. You nodded.

“ Yeah, I did. Order at the counter if you want something. ” you pointed at the counter before he immediately got up to order. His face was burning up and he didn't want you to see him like that.

He ordered a simple black coffee before walking back to your table.

As you both talked for what seemed like hours, sipping drinks here and there, Seungmin's heart was aching. Aching for you.

But you didn't know that, and he didn't want you to know. He doesn't even know if you like him or not, maybe you do, or don't. He didn't wanna risk it.

As the days went by, he was left staring at the ceiling of his dorm. Asking himself, why? Why does he like you so suddenly? His heart ached as he picked up his phone and started scrolling through past messages he had with you.

“ Damn it. ” he muttered. Seungmin closed his phone and tried his best to go back to sleep.

It was the next day, and he got an unexpected message from you, one that would destroy him completely. You told him to meet you at the local coffee shop from the last time you met.

Walking toward the coffee shop, there you were, with your boyfriend of 2 years. He opened the door, waving at you.

“ Hi guys. ” Seungmin put on a smile, while you greeted him back. He wasn't listening, his heart aching as you introduced him to your boyfriend and back.

God, he was foolish. To think that he had a chance with you. As you talked, his feelings for you grew even more.

“ Min, I'm so sorry. We have to go now. ” You briefly checked your watch before smiling sweetly at your friend, patting his shoulder as he waved at you while you and your boyfriend left the shop.

Seungmin sat quietly in the shop, before abruptly leaving and going back to his dorm. He threw himself on the bed, pouring his heart out as tears stained the bedsheets.

The members were out on their own today, so he was left all alone, crying as he longed for you, but couldn't. You were someone else's.

He was happy if you were happy, but his happiness wouldn't last long. His sniffles and hiccups filled the empty room, his eyes puffy.

He loved you, but you didn't.

[asdfghjklmals]

BEFORE YOU CATCH AN ATTITUDE✩༶‧˚

GENRE + T/W: sfw, fluff. WORD COUNT: 0.6k words. TAGS: boyfriend!gojo, satoru gojo x fem!oc. established couple.

SYNOPSIS: satoru gojo may or may not like target depending on the day, but oc gojo girlfriend is a professional target shopper. AUTHOR'S NOTE: this was based on this tweet and i just had to write something and wanted to share. is oc gojo girlfriend actually obsessed with target or am i??? the world may never know. REMINDER: if you want to imagine yourself in oc gojo girlfriend's character descriptions instead, please do!

every other sunday you look forward to one thing and one thing only. spending time with your satoru. your biweekly trip to target with your satoru.

satoru sighed as he unlocked the car door, walking two steps behind you. you stopped at the side of the black passenger door to satoru’s shiny sports car, grinning at him as he peered at you. he could tell you were excited for this as you looked forward to it all week. it’s been years since you've been dating and he still can’t believe you convinced him to take you shopping at target every other week on his day off.

he opened the passenger door for you to climb into. as you buckled your seatbelt, he shut your door, made his way to the driver's side and hopped into his seat. he pushed the button to the ‘push to start’ engine. the engine purred as he backed out of the parking stall of your shared apartment complex.

“i don’t know why you like target so much, babe. the stuff is so much more expensive there, there’s kids always screaming and crying, and moms are always fighting over the hearth & hand shit.”

you looked at him as if he kicked your cat, catoru (yes, your furbaby was named after him). “baby, those hearth & hand items are so hard to get! i waited months to get our salt and pepper containers.”

as your boyfriend steered with his left hand, his right hand rested on your left thigh, his eyes on the road in front of him. he chuckled at the memory of you setting notifications on both his and your phones to make sure that you would be notified once those damn salt and pepper containers came back in stock.

“don’t forget the coffee table we waited a whole year for is from there too,” you chimed.

satoru groaned at the memory because he was the victim of your salty attitude when you didn’t click ‘confirm purchase’ in time before the table went out of stock for the tenth time. you refused to buy any other coffee table until that one was back in stock again.

“you waited for that coffee table, baby. i told you we could just buy a different one until the one you wanted came back in stock.” satoru grumbled. you ignored the fact that he did say that, but you were too stubborn to admit it.

before you met satoru, you were a weekly target fiend. you shopped at target so often even the starbucks baristas inside of your local target remembered your name and order. you knew what days each department had their markdowns, and yes, you were a red card holder and used target app religiously. once you started dating the white haired sorcerer, you had to compromise on the frequency of your target runs. he wanted to only do a monthly target run to stock up on necessities, but after a few kisses he agreed to a biweekly schedule (you knew he couldn’t resist your sweet kisses, so you used it against him).

your boyfriend turned his flashy little sports car into the parking lot of your local target, putting the car in park and turning off the engine. he looked at you with blazing azure eyes, his sunglasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. he was stern, at least he tried to be.

“okay, you have a $200 spending limit.”

“can i go over a little bit? i saw this really cute—”

he ignored you and interrupted you, “—and i promise i won’t rush you.”

you smirked at him as you waited. he kissed the side of your cheek before finishing his last sentence.

“and yes, we’re getting coffee at starbucks before you catch an attitude.”

© 2023 ASDFGHJKLMALS — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLEASE DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE, OR REPOST MY WORK.

DIVIDERS PROVIDED BY @/ANLIAN-AISHANG

[metallicaislife]

My Girl

A/N: Just a sweet fluff I thought of, enjoy!! 🥰

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 984

Warnings: None

The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was going to be my girl. 

James, Lars and Dave moved up to the San Francisco area a few weeks ago so that I could join Metallica. I went to their place to hang out and she was there. 

I didn’t see any of the guys around, but she was playing her Fleetwood Mac ‘Rumors’ album on the turntable. She danced freely and sang loudly along to ‘You Make Loving Fun’. I couldn’t hide the smile that graced my lips. As she spun around, she opened her eyes and screamed falling over. 

“Oh my god, are you okay?” I asked moving to help her up. 

“I’m fine. I didn’t think anyone was supposed to be here.” She said and put her hand in mine letting me pull her up. There was a cute dusting of pink over her cheeks. She hurried over to the turntable turning the volume down. 

“Sorry, I didn’t call ahead to let the others know I was coming over, I just assumed they’d be here.” I said rubbing the back of my neck. 

“They are out grocery shopping. You must be Cliff,” She started and I nodded, “I’ve heard so many good things about you. I mean you must be an absolute asset if those knuckleheads decided moving up here was the best choice for the band.” 

“I sure hope so.” I grinned, “And you are?” I asked. 

“Oh, shit sorry! I am Y/N, James is my cousin. I am just here for a visit to see if I like it up here.” She said, folding her arms. 

“And if you like it here?” I asked as my eyebrow hiked up. 

“Then I will find a place up here, and a job.” She answered. 

“Do you want to do that?” I questioned leaning against the couch. 

“Yeah, I mean I want to be close to James, we were raised together so we are more like brother and sister, but on the other hand I grew up in the LA area so moving out of my comfort zone is a little hard for me. Plus I’d have to make friends, I can’t rely on James and his friends to be my only friends.” She opened up with ease. For some reason that made my heart warm. 

“All valid points, growing up is hard sometimes, and pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone can definitely be uncomfortable. Besides, I would like it if you moved up here.” I smiled. Her eyes met mine in a small look of surprise. 

“You hardly know me.” She said softly. 

“Yeah, but I’d like to get to know you better.” I said. The light dusting of pink she had on her cheeks earlier turned a darker shade of pink. 

“I suppose I’d like to get to know you better too.” She answered coyly, making me chuckle. 

“How long is your visit?” I asked. 

“I will be here for a week, I got in yesterday.” she answered. 

“Alright, then if you have some time this week, as a San Fran native I will show you around. Give you the local tour.” I offered. 

“That sounds nice, I would like that a lot.” She smiled so sweetly at me, my heart melted. 

“WE’RE BACK!” Lars' voice echoed through the house, ending the moment we were having.

“Oh you’re here.” Dave said as he walked past me to take some of the groceries to the kitchen. 

“Nice, I wanted to introduce you two soon. Cliff, this is Y/N. Y/N, this is our new bassist who replaced Ron.” James said, sitting the beer down on the coffee table. 

“We definitely met like 10 minutes ago when this beanpole scared the ever living shit out of me.” Y/N said, folding her arms letting out the most adorable huff looking away. I let out a chortle. 

“Beanpole?” I questioned, but she wouldn’t budge. James raised his eyebrow, turning to look at me and I couldn’t hide my smirk. “I thought you guys would be here, and she thought she was alone-” I started. 

“Oh my god did you see her naked?” James’ eyes widened and his nostrils flared. I put my hands up and Y/N whipped around. 

“No!” She exclaimed, “I was singing and dancing.” She said more softly. 

James cracked up holding his gut as he laughed. 

“Sorry, man, nobody should be subjected to that train wreck.” James wheezed. Y/N wound her fist back landing an impressive punch on James’ arm. 

“Ow, I was just joking!” He whined, she glared at him. If she could shoot fire from her eyes, James’ would be nothing but ashes. 

“I don’t know, I kinda liked it, she looked like she was really enjoying herself, like she was free.” I grinned. Y/N hid her face but I caught a glimpse of the small smile on her lips as James looked up at me and then to her. 

“I’m not saying anything because it isn’t my place-” He started. 

“Then don’t say anything.” She shoved him softly and left for the kitchen. I heard her asking Dave if she could help put things away. 

“You were saying?” I was curious to hear what he had to say. 

“Break her heart and I’ll bust your face. She’s a big girl and can make her own decisions. However I’ll gladly put anyone who disrespects her in their place.” James finished. 

“I respect that.” I nodded. 

“Good. There is more beer in the car. Will you help bring it in?” James asked. 

“Sure man.” I answered and went to grab the beer. 

I was mentally planning out all the spots to take Y/N on her tour. She doesn’t know it yet, but I do, she is going to move up here and in no time at all, she will be my girl.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to request or chat :)

-Isa

[tgirlhawkins]

Not From Around Here (Hawkins x gn reader)

hi im not going to make a habit of writing x reader fanfics i just responded to a suggestion by @pinejayy and wanted to spread hawkins positivity. because he's my silly little guy. hope you like it jay!

rated g (for goth) (its just fluff in here)

The Hawkins Pirates docked at a fashionable port town with periwinkle cobblestones and a vertical architecture style that made good use of the island's steep hills. Hawkins filed it away as a possible retirement home—it was pleasant, quiet, easy on the eyes.

But the people weren’t quite the type he meshed with. Women wore floor-length gowns and covered their shoulders; men looked disparagingly at his exposed chest. Pirates came and went here, but they were treated coldly, not so much because of their records but because of their appearances.

Fascinating.

So when he saw a person dressed quite differently sitting outside of a cafe, he gave pause. He consulted his cards, and they suggested a fortunate meeting, so he crossed the street and sat down at their table.

Reader POV

You had just punched out from work and treated yourself to a drink at the local coffee shop, expecting to go home and tidy up before making dinner, but a tall blonde outsider sat himself at your table. He started into your eyes, as if trying to figure out if his presence was welcome, before his eyes flicked down to the star harness on your chest, the rips in your skinny jeans with fishnets underneath, the oil marker doodles on your boots. When he looked back up at your black-painted eyes, his expression was less stoic, softer.

“What are you thinking, stranger?” You asked, a playful lilt in your voice.

“You’re quite different.”

“Sure am. You are too.” No man around here wore purple trousers, or knee-high boots outside of horse riding, fur around their waist or a blouse far too long to tuck in.

“Are you a traveler?”

You shake your head. “Not at this point. I’d love to set sail someday though.”

“To be a pirate?” He asked.

“No, just to see the world.”

“I hope you get to. There is much more variety than this.” He gazed up at the flags flying between the three-story buildings.

“Maybe we could take a walk and you could tell me about it?”

His brows raised a bit—it occurred to you that he may not be used to this kind of attention. He was cute, in a gothic sort of way. Just your type.

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

You sipped down the last of your drink and threw it away. “Let’s go then.”

He stood—god damn was he tall. You craned your neck to look at him, he gazed down at you. He wasn’t doing too much talking—maybe he was shy. (It’s because he wasn’t used to this much attention from someone so gorgeous, but you wouldn’t learn that until later.) So you took his hand and tucked his finger into the belt loop low on your hip. The punched-out noise he made had you giggling. “So you won’t get lost. What’s your name, big guy?” “Hawkins. And you?” You introduced yourself. Hawkins nodded, and looked as if he was calculating something in his head. “Are you ready to go?” “Lead the way.”

The two of you meandered through the narrow streets. You coaxed him into talking about the things he’d seen and done, and he did, but in a strange way—he talked in numbers and in terms of luck and chance, to the point where it was a bit difficult to tell what really happened and what might have happened, but it was still entertaining. Enticing, even.

Everywhere you went, people stared at you, or pointedly avoided looking. It was fine, because Hawkins was absorbed in a story of combatting a strange tribe of long-armed people and you were used to it, but then someone muttered to his friend “here comes the trash panda.”

You were prepared to ignore it, but Hawkins stopped dead and fixed the man with a glare. He took his finger out of your belt loop, slid it across your back, and into the loop on the other side, allowing him to tuck you under his arm like a bird with its fledgeling.

The man raised his arms, opened his mouth probably to begin a joke, but Hawkins spoke first. “A calamity will befall you in seventy-two hours.”

You watched the man’s face screw up, unsure of whether to laugh or argue. Hawkins began walking again, and you followed out of necessity, but you spun around again when the man who’d insulted you crashed backwards onto the ground. Something slithered through the dust behind you—what was that? “You’re a Devil Fruit user, aren’t you?” You whispered. He fingered the hilt of his sword, and you caught the last bit of its transformation from a bundle of wriggling straw back to its bandaged scabbard.

“Was that guy really bothering you?”

“You mustn’t let them call you ridiculous things.”

You slid your arm around him, leaning into his bare chest, grinning like the cheshire cat. It was nice to have someone stick up for you.

“You’re the captain, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you take me with you?”

He stopped walking again. “You would pick up and leave, just like that?”

You shrugged. “I don’t fit in here. I think I would do better on your ship.”

This time Hawkins pulled out a deck of cards and used his straw ability to draw a few at once. He processed the images you couldn’t begin to parse, before putting them away. “It does seem like your presence going forward would be favorable.” His thumb brushed against your hip—was he blushing? “We will talk more once we have taken care of ship repairs and restock. Take the next few days to make your own decision.”

Your mind was made up already, but a man so careful didn’t need to know that. “Let’s go to the docks. Will you show me your ship?”

“If-if you want to see it.” He turned you two westward anyway.

“If I might be living there, then yeah, I’d like to.”

“Very sensible.” But his arm tightened around you, as if he very much enjoyed that idea.

[hotteoki]

the ex factor (c.b.g.)

pairing: choi beomgyu x fem!reader

genre: angst?, fluff, exes-to-lovers

wc: 1.2k

cw: /

notes: i had this idea a while ago and i thought i was so clever for the title i still think i am ngl 🤭

part one (can be read as a stand alone)

for @rgyui and @iwaplant here's a part 2! probably not what you expected tho...

🗣️welcome to your weekly dose of the ‘ex factor’! tonight, we’ve invited a freshly broken up couple, only an astonishing two months ago! as per usual, we will offer a series of questions and you, our dear viewers, will vote whether they should get back together… or stay apart for good?

(a pause as the intro rolls in)

🗣️the two will be placed into different rooms, unable to hear each other. however, they’ll be asked the same series of questions. will they have similar answers? or completely different? stay tuned to find out!

(the screen cuts to beomgyu)

🗣️how long did your relationship last?

beomgyu: two years, or, well, almost two years. one year and eleven months to be exact.

(the screen cuts to you, and it flickers continuously between the two of you)

you: one year and eleven months, so, two years, basically.

🗣️and what was the reason for your untimely ending?

beomgyu: it wasn't, like, one argument or one thing that broke us apart. it was more of a build-up, i guess you could say? it was a kind of silent, mutual agreement or something. yeah, something like that.

you: there was a kind of tension, or something, in between us a month before we broke up. i'm not sure why there was, i don't think he does either, to be honest. it just, kind of happened. i think we're both still confused about the whole thing, i mean, we just stopped being as clingy towards each other out of nowhere, we just kind of... drifted.

🗣️how did you meet?

beomgyu: it was at this local coffee shop i used to work at. she ordered a caramel macchiato, and i stuck a post-it note with the lyrics to bts' song 'coffee' onto it, it was kind of stupid, now that i look back, but hey, she came back to the cafe the next day. i was surprised she liked my post-it note idea, to be honest.

you: we met at a cafe where he used to work at, and i ordered the first drink that came to mind, and when i went to receive it, the other barista told me i should visit the cafe again the next day. i thought he was joking until i saw a post-it note stuck onto the cup with lyrics from the bts song and a pick up line underneath it.

🗣️what were your first impressions of each other?

beomgyu: the first thing i noticed about her was that she was extremely cute. then i realised that it was her first time ordering coffee, so i started flirting with her, which is very unlike me, but i guess past me agreed that we would do anything for her. (he laughs)

you: he was very flirty. now looking back, it was very out of character for him. then again, we were younger then, so i guess he was a bit different. but i was also thinking about how cute he was. he was probably my first ever crush, to be honest.

🗣️what do you think lacked in your relationship to cause its ending?

beomgyu: i think there was a lack of communication. it was obvious to anyone and everyone that we loved each other so, so much, but at the end of the day, it was hard for both of us to be vocal about our problems, so we just started ignoring each other, and eventually we agreed to break up.

you: the fact that we weren't used to talking about our problems. we were both comfortable with each other, but not in the way where we'd talk about what was bothering us or making us upset. we'd just let it simmer out on its own, and that ruined the perfect image of our relationship, i think.

🗣️what was your favourite memory in your relationship?

beomgyu: when she tried to make me coffee. she walked me to the cafe when i still worked there before it opened, and opening hours wasn’t until, like, an hour later, so i asked her if she wanted to try making coffee. (he pauses) yeah, it was absolute shit. but her smile was so gorgeous it made the food poisoning worth it.

you: probably that time we went to this carnival nearby and he got me a teddy bear just so i could name it after him. (you laugh) he ended up getting all jealous over the attention the bear was getting, and the poor thing got put in 'time out', which meant giving it to our friend's hedgehog.

🗣️is there anything you regret about your relationship? whether it be something you did to each other, or something you didn't do?

beomgyu: i didn't give her enough of my time. like yeah, i was dedicated to the relationship and i loved her even more than myself, but i knew, even back then, that i wasn't spending enough time on her, but i never bothered to do anything about it, so i guess that's something i regret and didn't do. that's probably why i haven't texted her anymore after our breakup. i know my work has crazy schedules and that's not going to go away anytime soon. i can't.. (he sighs) i can't give her what she deserves.

you: i think i was a bit too demanding at times. i hate this thing about me, but sometimes i get a bit too bossy without meaning to. like, i have this perfect image of a relationship, and when the person i'm with doesn't meet that standard, i kind of push that belief on them, if you get me. i don't know if it's because of him, or me, or anything, but it happened with all my past relationships as well. i'm not even sure if i know what love is, i just keep picturing a perfect relationship and every time, they're all the same scenarios, just with a different face. i don't know if it's love i'm looking for, or just comfort. it's too much for me to bear, let alone him.

🗣️what did you love most about each other?

beomgyu: the way she has this ability to always bring out the best in me. i know it sounds really typical but it's true. she's one of the biggest reasons why i'm still going. she got me through such a difficult part of my life and i'm so, so grateful for that. every day is a reminder that she was the one who encouraged me to keep going. everything i do is for her.

you: his presence. i can't seem to put it to words, but he's my walking definition of 'home'. he's my home. even though we've broken up, even though we haven't seen each other in months, i still consider him my comfort zone, because that's what he is to me. he reminds me of the warmth of your cozy bedroom after spending a day out in freezing cold. yeah, that's how i'd describe him.

(the screen cuts back to the host momentarily)

🗣️and now, for the question our audience has been dying for us to ask!

(screen cuts to beomgyu again)

🗣️if given the chance, would you start your relationship again?

(the audio is muted)

🗣️(there is a pause, and a disappointed expression) i see...

🗣️well! dear audience, be sure to put in your votes on whether they should try again or not! and tune in next week again to see the guests' answers! this has been 'the ex factor', and we'll see you soon!

[invisibleraven]

Keeping Spirits Bright

Day 13: Stranger + Willex <=AO3

Willie had always loved helping-helping meant he stayed on the good side of his various foster parents and the people who ran the group homes. Being helpful meant he was hurt less, and often given even a smidge better treatment. Sure that was messed up, but it was how he learned to survive. 

Even into adulthood, Willie loved helping. Since Caleb gave him a healthy stipend to live off, he didn’t really need a job-though he did do the odd shift at the club and freelance work at the board shop whenever he wanted to. But mostly he volunteered-helping out local shelters, organizations, and charities whenever possible. 

It meant he got to do good in the world, while meeting new and interesting people-one of his favourite things-all while feeling great about being helpful. Of course, he also grew up in the system so he knew when he was being taken advantage of, and was quick to call people out on it. He was generous, but he wasn’t about to let his charity and efforts get taken advantage of. That’s why Caleb insisted on vetting any place he wanted to help beforehand-he was weirdly connected that way, though the less Willie questioned it, the better. 

Willie also loved to help those in need-look, he had that healthy allowance, most of which he never touched, and downtown LA was full of people who had hit hard times, so why not spread the wealth a little? It was never much-enough for a good meal or a stay in a hostel for the night, but it made all the difference to the people he gave to. 

He always got the thankful looks, and some people tried to insist it was too much, he was a stranger, blah blah blah. But Willie just shot them a smile, some finger guns, and went on his way. He liked being the weird helpful stranger-it suited him. Sure, some people he got to know and kept in touch with, but no real friends. 

That all changed when he met Sunset Curve. 

He found them busking one day down by the pier-playing covers and originals both, flashing charming smiles and great showmanship. Plus they were all pretty darn cute. But Willie was immediately drawn to the drummer-blonde, with a shy smile and dazzling blue eyes. This was Alex who chatted Willie up after he left a generous tip in the guitar case as they wrapped. 

Alex who was very gay, very interested, and very very cute up close. 

But Willie could also see that he and his friends were being wasted on the tourists around Santa Monica. They should be headlining shows, not collecting spare change. So Willie decided to help them. 

First it was just hanging out with Alex as they put up flyers all over down for the gig they managed to score at Eats ‘N Beats. It was a decent coffee spot that ran Open MiKe every month, but they had to start somewhere right? 

“I could give my dad your demo,” Willie offered. “I don't think the Hollywood Ghost Club is your guys’ scene but you never know.” 

“I’ll ask Luke about it,” Alex said. “We aren’t really picky about our gigs. We once played a book club.” 

“A book club?” Willie giggled. 

“Yeah, we got cookies and discussed Nicholas Sparks, plus a whole lot of ladies who claimed us as nephews,” Alex replied. “But unfortunately none of them could get us into the Troubadour or the Orpheum.” 

“You ever gone back?” 

“I do,” Alex admitted. “Mainly for the cookies, and to see the ladies, but sometimes I get a new book I love. Plus it’s a low anxiety thing, which for me, is a plus.” 

“Well maybe next time you could bring me,” Willie offered. “I’ll even bring cookies.” 

“No way, they’ll like you better than me,” Alex laughed. 

After that Willie couldn’t stay away-finding every excuse to hang out with Alex, be it helping him promote the band, watching him practice, going to their gigs. Finally asking him out so when they weren’t doing band stuff, they were going out on dates. Willie showed Alex all his regular haunts, all the places he helped out. 

This is where they met Gregg who was organizing a holiday concert to fundraise for a bunch of child orientated charities. Willie was already raring to help out, but it was Alex who asked if they needed another band-free of charge. Luke would love getting their music out there, and even though Reggie and Bobby would grumble about performing for free, but it was for a good cause, and they would love that. 

“As long as we don’t have to play Jingle Bells that is,” Alex laughed. 

Willie got to beam with pride as they played-making all the kids in the audience smile and cheer as they rocked the heck out of Deck the Halls and Frosty. They totally didn’t need to know that Willie-or more so Caleb, had called in a few favours to get some managers in there too-maybe just maybe, he could give them their big chance. 

But even if they didn’t-Willie still felt great that he met them, that they helped them. Not only because it meant these kids got a great show, but that he had Alex. A stranger that may just turn out to be the love of his life-and that was worth more than anything.

[thomas-life]

I wrote and @drksanctuary drew the chapter image for my Fluffy Coffee Shop AU Oneshot. its just short and cute. i hope you enjoy!

 A Nicobaster Coffee Shop AU with notes of ReyRae.

Hazel opens up a coffee shop and Nico is helping her out by working at it while she is still hiring staff. He meets the local union rep Alabaster Torrington...

Hidden Gem Cafe

“Well don’t you look chipper.”

Nico huffs and glares in the direction of one Rachel Elizabeth Dare.  She looks entirely too well put together with her red curls in a pony tail and black apron around her waist. The coffee shop door clinks closed behind him and he locks it. They don’t open for another 30 minutes.

“Some of us,” Nico replies, “aren’t born to be Baristas.”

Rachel snorts at his attempt at insulting her. “You’re just grumpy because you’re used to waking up at noon, and we both know it.” She pats his shoulder sympathetically as he passes. “You really will do anything for your sisters.”

Nico grunts. The clock on the break room wall reads 4:30 a.m.

Who in their right mind would ever willingly be up this early in the morning for coffee?  He emerges with his apron tied around his hips and eyeliner applied in hopes that the bags under his eyes don’t show too starkly. Rachel is preparing the drip coffee canisters and Nico starts on the pastry display case.  He’s a little surprised that Hazel hasn’t show up, but according to his text string she had barely managed to get to bed around 2 am, anxious as she was for the Hidden Gem Café’s Grand Opening. 

Nico opens the doors right on time, Rachel humming behind the counter. He can’t help but yawn. “Why are you like this.” He deadpans. He has no energy in his entire body and she laughs at him.

“The trick,” she side whispers like it’s some big secret, “ –is that I never went to sleep in the first place!” She sing songs the rest, and Nico can’t help but realize…Rachel is delusional.

He groans and makes a cup of coffee with creamer and four sugars. He might as well take advantage, and coffee really is mostly a way he uses to get sugar into his system. He takes a large swig as the door chimes and Hazel’s first ever customer enters.

The man that enters is tall and looks a little frantic. Nico tries to smile but it doesn’t come naturally, so he settles on a bemused expression as the man approaches the counter, his dress shoes clicking along the vinyl flooring. “Hey,” Nico wonders if that was too casual of a greeting but proceeds, as it’s too early to be self-conscious. “What can I get you?” The man’s squinting at the menu on the wall behind the counter, freckles scrunching on his nose; He seems almost startled to be addressed at all.

“Oh- ah,” He clears his throat looking vaguely apologetic and he ruffles his light brown hair. “Do you sell large travel containers of coffee?”

Nico nods, “We’re not busy, so we can make you one, but it will take some time. It’s $30 plus tax.”

The man brightens, “Perfect. I’ll also get a small coffee and…” he looks at the pastry display case, “One of those lemon poppy seed muffins.” A smile flashes across his face and Nico can’t help but think the man is handsome.

“You got it.” Nico winks at him, and blames it on how sleep deprived he is; he can feel the sugar and caffeine starting to work through his blood stream,  “Name for the order?”

“Alabaster.”

Alabaster sounds a little strained…Maybe I shouldn’t have winked at him. Nico thinks as he writes the name on a small cup. He looks up to see Alabaster blushing and holding his hand against the bottom half of his face. Or maybe I should do it again… Nico reconsiders, his mood sufficiently boosted. He fills the small cup himself since Rachel is working on the traveler and grabs the muffin as Alabaster inserts his credit card to pay. He looks at the other pastries in the case and grabs a cookie.

He hands both over to Alabaster. “Here’s something sweet... For being our first customer at our Grand Opening.”

Alabaster flushes again and takes them. “Thank you. I do appreciate you accommodating me.”

“Anytime.” Nico responds; This time the smile comes easily. “Enjoy your coffee. You’re traveler will be ready in a couple minutes.”

Alabaster nods and settles down at a table, taking his traveler when it’s finished, waving at Nico as he leaves.

Nico hopes he comes again.

-------

“You’re telling me you fell in love at first sight with a barista, and now you go two cities over every Monday morning just to see him?” Reyna sounds incredulous and when she says it like that, Alabaster can’t help but agree. It does sound ridiculous.

“-And the Coffee!” he rushes to justify. “Not just the Barista, Reyna. The coffee too. There’s a reason it’s called Hidden Gem- And it wasn’t at first sight!” he defends himself.

Reyna scoffs at him as they get out of the car. It’s a rare Friday off and he had insisted they come to this location for coffee. Reyna won’t deny she’s intrigued, and she’s not actually all that bothered. It’s not every day she gets to tease Alabaster C. Torrington about having a crush.

It didn't hurt that and he’d brought her some of their coffee a couple weeks ago. It really was much better than any of the popular chains they had around the office. She can’t help but tease a little more. “So when are you going to actually ask him on a date?”

Alabaster looks at her, a scandalized expression on his face. “Ask him out? While he’s at work??” His tone drips with derision, “ oh yes, that what everyone wants. For some random customer to ask them out on a date while their just working their shift.”

Reyna laughs and elbows him. “I thought you said he was flirting with you .”

Alabaster puffs out one cheek, “I believe I said I wasn’t sure if he was flirting with me. And I don’t want to be a creep. Or make him feel uncomfortable. Or ruin everything. What if I can never come back to his place because I fucked it all up?! That would be the absolute worst…” He looks regretful, “I’d have to go back to regular coffee and we both know that would be awful. I’m too pampered now.”

Reyna opens the door to Hidden Gem Café. The place is nice; plenty of space seating with personal touches that make the space welcoming and homey. There’s a mural on the wall next to the seating area she can’t help but admire. It really would be a terrible loss if Alabaster could never come here again.

A man’s voice greets them as they approach the counter, and Reyna can see why Alabaster, their number one union organizer, who has nerves of steel when negotiating with greedy executives, has been acting like a teenager: Dark hair and eyes, muscled forearms, eyeliner and earrings…just Alabaster’s type.  He keeps glancing at her with a subtly perturbed expression, and it takes her a moment to realize- she smirks. That is crestfallen expression someone that thinks we are dating.

She nudges Alabaster, hoping he will take her hint, but he’s too engrossed in chatting with Nico to notice to subtle signs of distress. She’s almost worried Nico will get the wrong idea.

Nico gestures to her, looking at Alabaster with intensity. “Is she you’re girlfriend?”

Alabaster almost chokes on his own saliva as he’s in such a rush to say ‘No’.  “Absolutely. Not.” Alabaster confirms.

Reyna likes straightforward people, and she likes Nico even more for his blunt attitude. That will save them a lot of drama down the road.  “We’re just friends.” She seconds, “And besides, you’re co-worker is more my type anyway.” She smiles winningly at the red-head behind the counter who grins back at her and gestures to Nico and Alabaster with a shrug that communicated “what can you do?”

Reyna moves to the side, waiting at the pickup counter for their coffee order. Rachel approaches with two drinks and hands them to her. “Were you serious about me being your type?” she asks, looking honestly curious, “-because I’m available.”

Alabaster chuckles nervously as Reyna walks away and looks back at Nico who appears relieved. He hopes he isn’t reading too much into that. “Honestly. She’s just a good friend.”

Nico nods, and rings up their order, debating if he should ask… more. It’s been a while since they first met, and Nico always gets butterflies on the days when Alabaster comes in. “You know,” he starts, and decides to barrel on with it, “I get off shift today in an hour … are you free after that? I know a good Italian place that serves a really good lunch menu.” He hears Alabaster audibly take a breath. “Yes!” Alabaster’s voice can be heard very clearly over the background noise of people and music. “ah- I mean. Yes.” He returns to a normal volume, “I would love…that.” He can’t stop grinning from ear to ear. “I would really really like that.”

The End

@them-awesome-rarepairs

[dausy]

Back when the Barbie movie came out a couple of extremely girly hot-pink cafes opened. I didn't want to go by myself (when husband was deployed) because they seemed awfully crowded during Barbie and they're downtown and I hate trying to park in downtown areas. Anyway, my husband took me to brunch at one yesterday and it was fabulous. We had actually already heard the food was pretty blah but our iced coffes were all actually very good and glittery and cute. Everything was covered in pink and glitter. I'm glad I accidentally dressed appropriately. My one complaint about this city is nobody seems to believe in french pastries. Truly I want just want a good coffee and croissant. You can find a croissant but you can't get it at a coffee shop. If you do then the coffee isn't good.

We then visited the local Comic-con. I like to look but the second hand embarrassment always kills me. Its just not really the land of my peoples. I really wanted to catch glimpses of Patrick Warburton and Zachary Levi on camera but there were so many people, I felt anxious trying to pull out my phone. I was really hoping to find some sort of sailor moon figurine. I know I can purchase them online but I kind of wanted the real life shopping experience. One of my biggest con regrets was years ago, I went to a convention and somebody had a table of unique sailor moon merch. Everything from make-up to jewelry to action figures and just small collectors items. I really wished I had purchased some of the decorative pens and compacts. I've never been to another con like it. This convention, while we are in a large city, is not the biggest convention I've been to. I think the coolest booth I found was for Teeturtle. I did find this little simba figuring which Id never seen in real life before. There was another disney 100 one but panicked at the price of both figures together and didn't buy both.

after that my husband wanted to go to a Gun show ('merica!) and I think he was a little disappointed with it. I was just kind of fascinated because it was inside a freemason hall and I'd never been in one before and it was really weird. They didn't have that many guns. They actually had a lot of scentsy and those adhd bubble fidget toy booths haha. I also saw just as many porn books there as I did at the anime convention.

but in any case the weather was actually gorgeous for once. I just enjoyed being out of the house. We also had a post wide yard sale and we drove around a bit looking at items we dont really need. We also stopped at an alterations place to get my ball gown fitted. I procrastinate too much and the dress I was eyeing was out of stock so I just chose..one of the bajillion others I saved on pinterest and it came in the mail within 24hours but alas..I have short legs and its too long.

I have poor sense of time and didn't realize our ball is in like 2 weeks..and now I have to figure out what to do about my hair. Im going to make last minute hair and pedicure appointments..or do what I did the last time and just do everything myself and wonder what I would look like if I was professionally prettied.

also, we went to a baseball game last weekend and my horrible sunburn is starting to peel off. My entire forehead and ears are flaking in small chunks going up into my scalp. Its a lot of fun.

I did film for youtube and I feel like I have enough extra stuff for a life vlog which is everything I listed here so its probably ruined.

also our facility owner apparently hates me again for something he did that I didn't do so I'm yet again counting days of which its appropriate to have a gap in my resume before we move from here.

[irismfrost]

July 19 - Gold

We started our journey at the Gold Museum. This area is absolutely beautiful. There is a very concentrated and high quality depository here that made the area very rich during Japanese rule. As with most things in Taiwan, it changed hands many times and went bankrupt after a new focus on copper mining turned sour with the dramatic decrease in copper value in the 80s. The town was practically dead, but with the release of the famous documentary, "Spirited Away", the town's tourist influx brought new life. The museum was fun and had a cool mining game and a huge gold brick- apparently, if you can lift it, you can keep it.

We also visited the nearby market and accompanying tea houses. I had some deliciously strong, earthy, and roasty Taiwanese coffee. It's basically an ice-cold drip coffee. I also had some fried fish at a local shop for lunch. I went in and they told me to go to the second floor. I just chose a spot and each open table had a piece of paper with the menu. You're supposed to go downstairs to give them the paper and pay- then they deliver you the food. They also gave me this random bowl which you're supposed to put the food in, but I think it's more for sharing than anything else. I didn't use it, but I did embarrass myself by asking the server what it was used for. I've never ordered food like that before.

I was trying to find a tea house for a while, but didn't have enough cash for the one at the very end of the street. However, I did find one little hole in the wall. It was so peaceful. I had the whole bottom floor to myself, got some amazing tea, and an even better view- you could see the whole sea and Keelung Yu island in the distance was just so cute! Even the light, peaceful music was vibey. I could've stayed there for hours.

We also set off some lanterns in a far away town. We painted/ wrote things we wanted on them and set them off. It was fun. I also got a scallion pancake which is apparently a traditional Taiwanese food. I got mine with egg. It was a little oily but still good.

Reflection

How do towns form? What makes a group of people want to settle in a particular area? One factor is the value the area brings - in this case, the literal value of gold. A culture is created around one thing and only grows from there. From gold, you somehow get tea. It's like a watering hole in the middle of the savannah- animals gather around a common resource because it brings them value. They learn to live together and create a community with each other. It's crazy how one little coincidence (gold existing and the larger society placing value in it) can create an entire ecosystem with thousands of people and years of culture.

I am glad I ate the scallion pancake. It's refreshing to find a food that is exclusively Taiwanese. I think much of the other food here is drawn from other cultures - I've seen a lot of Chinese foods, Japanese foods like sushi, pastas, fried foods. But this is the first food (i think?) that they don't have anywhere else (except for Trader Joe's lol). Not saying that it was not influenced by other cultures, but it is a traditional Taiwanese dish. And it's pretty cool to see Taiwan's uniqueness come out in a small little town in the middle of nowhere.

[emeryvell]

Bubbles & Sweets

gif by brielarsonist

Carol Danvers x gn character

tags: fluff

Summary: A drabble in which once lived a couple and I don't really know

word count: 804

the beginning looked cute in my head, then it went everywhere and then straight downhill

note: this is my first time writing a gn character so if you find any errors please let me know

In the tiny suburban house in the city of New Orleans lived a couple. It was not your usual couple, you see, one of them was a mighty superhero, one of the greatest and the so-called 'Prodigal Child of the Milky Way', quite a lengthy nickname if you ask me. That's why she is only known as Bubbles to her loving Sweets. 

‘’You’re more like Blossom to be fair, but the hair is giving Bubbles, babe,’’ Sweets looked up from their phone at Carol with a smile, ‘’or would you go ginger for me?’’

‘’I would do anything for you, I would fly with you to the edge of the universe and then further but baby, there are limits I will not cross even for you, and dying my hair is one of them,’’ Carol looked down at her lap where the head of her lover rested, her eyes went instantly to the phone screen. ‘’You can call me however you see fit, now please, watch the movie.’’ With Carol’s hand caressing their head, Sweets locked their phone and turned their gaze to the TV to continue watching Pride & Prejudice for the fourth time that week.

Sweets' profession was a bit different, still difficult and nerve-wracking though, they were a baker. Up from dawn until dusk, Sweets got sick of working under a pushy boss, they resigned and opened a small corner shop with baked goods of all kinds. Bubbly Bloom, named in the honor of Sweets' girl, was a center of attention not only for local people. People from all different places came to shop, not only for the mouthwatering display filled with various baked goods one would die for, people also came because of one interesting addition to the team, who came to help in the bakery a few times a week, as long as her duties allowed.

‘’It’s only for today Bubbles, I swear! You know I would never ask you to do this if I could find another substitute in such a short notice.’’ Sweets had been persuading Carol for a good 15 minutes to help them in the bakery for a couple of hours. The morning rush of customers is always the worst, and without one employee, everything can turn into a nightmare. ‘’In the morning, everyone only orders coffee or tea and a croissant, it will be a breeze for you. I can even get you a wig so you don't attract too much attention, I have this short black one for when I-’’ Sweets was out of breath by the time they were interrupted.

‘’But only this time, okay? And I will not take the wig, thank you, just give me a beanie or something,’’ Sweets was on her in an instant kissing her face all over and hugging her frame muttering thank you’s. Carol smiled and rushed them both to the bakery, Sweets still has to teach her how to pack orders and make coffee in their bakery-owned coffee machine.

Together, they led a happy and peaceful life. Scratch that. They were busy.

Carol was gone saving the universe most of the time. She would come home for a few weeks only to be gone for months. Sweets was stressed. Between Bubbles’ long missions and the bakery, their nerves were stretched thin, and stress levels were nearing all-time highs. But they managed, both did. Isn’t that what life’s about. The persevering love between two people will conquer anything.

‘’Let’s make a promise,’’ Sweets and Bubbles were sitting behind the kitchen table after eating a filling dinner, bellies and wine glasses full, they were content.

‘’What promise?’’ Bubbles asked with curiosity. She sat leaning on the back of a chair, her legs crossed, in her hand holding a glass of wine as red as rubies.

‘’When we miss each other, we come to each other,’’ Sweets took a sip of their red wine and continued, ‘’I miss you constantly, so either you take a looong break or I come with you whenever I feel like the distance between us is increasing.’’

‘’What about your shop?’’ Carol’s eyes were scanning each feature on Sweets’ face and while looking into their determined eyes, she couldn’t feel more in love.

‘’It can wait.’’

‘’What about your loyal customers?’’

‘’They can wait.’’

‘’So it’s either I take a break or you take a break, basically, it’s a win for you.’’

‘’Bingo, bub.’’ Sweets’ finger guns brought smiles to both their faces and they fell into a giggling mess after their third glass of wine.

‘’The universe can be dangerous,’’ Carol’s lips brushed inches away from Sweets’ face. They were both lying on the couch, huddled together so tightly as if they were one.

‘’You’d protect me,’’ they whispered back and broke the distance between them, uniting their lips in a sweet kiss.

[slowroadtosantiago]

Day 15 - Villafranca to Atapuerco

It was a strange old night and neither of us slept well. My bed was at a bit of an angle that sloped down the side I got out. There was a chap on the top bunk who left his rucksack by the side of his steps, the opposite side, which would also be the side I faced when sleeping. On the face of it everything would be OK, except that the clothes in his rucksack desperately needed washing! So I either got a face full of BO or slid off the side of the bed!

Anyway, on to today…11.2 miles covered. We were up with everyone about 6:45 but decided to stop behind to have a coffee before setting off about 7:45. We knew the first part of the day would be a climb and that it would be about 7 miles before the first village. Everyone was going on about the steepness of it so we had our bags taken ahead. In the end it turned out no worse than going up the Caerphilly ridgeway.

The path passed through deciduous forest which turned into a pine forest. The morning bird chatter assaulted us again and we could hear cuckoos too.

At one point we passed a memorial to people killed in the Spanish civil war, and admired the heather in full flower.

After about 4 miles we came across a very bizarre sight that made us smile. There was this lovely friendly chap wearing an Irish rugby shirt selling snacks and drinks. He was playing bossa nova versions of well known songs from his car and had painted tree stumps, benches, and had made painted totem poles. I inadvertently sat on a newly painted bench and now have blue paint on my backside!

We carried on to the end of the forest, and Jane was very happy to be approaching San Juan de Ortega and the promise of coffee which we drank overlooking the church and monastery.

The next part of the walk was through deciduous woods but it looked like the trees had died.

When we emerged from the wood the whole landscape had changed. The mountains and hills have receded into the background and we were accompanied by the sound of cicadas in the verges.

We passed through Ages, a really cute place, and after a contemplative rest arrived at Atapuerca just after 12:30.

I think we were the first into the hostel. I know I keep using the term, but it really is quirky! We had our choice of beds which in our part are all big wooden structures with little curtains across like a cabin. Inside we’ve individual lights and USB charging ports.

After claiming our spots we went in search of food. The bar we came across didn’t really do what we wanted but found a typically local restaurant which did a ‘menu del día’ for 14 euros. We didn’t quite translate the first course correctly but the next two courses plus glasses of wine went down very well.

The hostel had started to fill up so I had a shower and Jane a nap. We then planned our walking days after Burgos and have nearly booked accommodation for the first 4 nights. May 1st is a public holiday in Spain and we’d heard stories about places being shut.

Once the local shop opened at 5, we got some bits to make a roll for tea then went up to see if the church was open. It wasn’t but the views behind it were lovely so just sat for a while.

Tuna and tomato baguettes now eaten, we’re now sat outside chilling and chatting to Scott and his daughter Shannon from Colorado. The sun has gone behind the hostel now so it’ll soon be time to retire to our pods.