#so when i go over i eat three delicious home cooked meals + snacks and they're all different and amazingggg

[look-at-the-stars-tonight]

the amount of effort that goes into figuring out what to cook and eat every day is RIDICULOUS. i used to think people were so weird and boring for eating the same thing every single day but it truly does make life so much easier

[nancypullen]

Countertop Eve

 I’m as excited as a kid at Christmas. We get our countertops tomorrow! After nine months in this house the kitchen will be finished! I spend a big chunk of my time in that room and it will finally feel like mine.  I cook a lot, I mean a lot, and I like my work space to be pretty and functional.  I don’t think that’s asking too much. These new countertops will stand the test of time. Since we’re on the topic of kitchens and cooking. I have decided that I am part elephant...or maybe panda. They eat tons of veggies and stay plump, and I am living proof that humans can do that too.  Most of my snacks and meals are made up of fruits and veggies.  This is what my cart typically looks like when I’m shopping -

Top to bottom - a bag of apples, blueberries, bananas, broccoli, green beans, romaine, 2 packages zucchini, carrots, celery, there’s a bag of basmati rice, two pounds of lean ground turkey, chicken breasts, and salmon.  Those two cans are extras to go into a big pot of vegetable soup.  Did I also cruise down the candy aisle and pick up a bar of dark chocolate with sea salt? Guilty.  But that cart usually feeds us for a about a week.  It’s not keeping me thin, but it is keeping me healthy. Knock on wood!  I guess I’ll have to be content with that. Quick snack - just cukes with a tiny sprinkle of Maldon salt. I love baby cukes and a big bag is usually under three bucks.

Those green beans? I’ll roast a bunch and eat ‘em for lunch. I spritz just a little olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and then a few shakes of this black urfa chili.  It creates a deep, almost smoky flavor.

I roast them until they’re blistered then I squirt a half tablespoon of garlic aioli (yes, I know I could make my own, but this is soooo easy) into a dish for dipping. I swirl it around to make it look like more - who do I think I’m fooling? It’s delicious.   So 45 calories for the aioli and whatever is in that spritz of olive oil. I probably burn 45 calories loading the dishwasher. 

  Here’s a more fattening veggie dish, but not by much. Slice some zucchini lengthwise, lightly salt it, and leave it to sweat for about 20 minutes. Dab off the water.

Spray a pan with olive oil and plop them in face down until they’re nice and brown.  

Turn them over and pop them into a 400 degree oven for a few minutes. While that cooks, grab some fatty and flavorful toppings.  I chose reduced-fat feta, red pepper flakes, and my bff, garlic aioli.  No, I don’t eat it every day. Only on days when I want to be happy.

A schmear of aioli on the plate is enough.

An extra  sprinkle of red pepper flakes doesn’t hurt either.  When your zucchini is done (we’re talking just a few minutes, you don’t want it mushy!) plate it and give it a crumble of feta and more flakes.

This was a delicious and filling lunch.  Just because I followed it with a square of dark chocolate for dessert doesn’t negate the fact that my lunch was less than 200 calories; 45-ish for the aioli, about the same for the feta, and then the olive oil.   One medium zucchini is 33 calories. I probably burned that while cooking it.  The feta is a good source of B vitamins, calcium and phosphorus - so it’s almost medicine, right?  Like I said, I’m round but very healthy.

That said, it’s time for more water and something yummy for lunch.  Dinner tonight is salmon and roasted broccoli.  Lunch is probably going to be veggies.  Mostly because it’s good for me, but also because my husband can’t stay out of Craft Bakery!!

I think he’s trying to kill me.  He went out this morning to take photos and came home with a haul from the bakery.  My only real weaknesses there are her quiche and the blackout cookies.   This plate doesn’t tempt me.  The quiche is roasted potato, caramelized onion, and cheddar and it’s sitting in the frig calling my name. Pray for my salvation.

Me too, Mae, me too. With that in mind I’m going outside in the sunny 46 degree weather to try to clean up that scraggly tree line and pull some ivy off trees.  I can’t hear the siren song of the frig out there.  I’m thinking of spring and what I want to see when I look out the windows to that back yard.  My itty bitty Jane Magnolia has buds, it survived the winter!  In a few years I’ll have a pretty pink tree out there.  If I want to live to see it I’ll avoid the quiche.  My good genetics can only carry me so far. I hope that you’re having a lovely Thursday and can get outside and turn your face to the sun. We’re already seeing longer days and I’m a fan.  There are daffodils up all over town and that always puts me in a sunny frame of mind. March up here came in like a lamb, so she may exit like a lion - but her sweeter sister, April, is waiting in the wings.  Here comes the sun, folks!

Sending you love & sunshine! Nancy

[milwyn]

Quick and Easy Recipes for Busy Moms

Introduction

Life as a mom can be hectic, with a never-ending to-do list and a constant juggling act. Between taking care of the kids, managing the household, and possibly even working, finding time to prepare a wholesome meal can feel like an impossible task. But fear not, busy moms, because I'm here to share some quick and easy recipes that will save you time in the kitchen without compromising on taste or nutrition!

Picture this: you arrive home after a long day, exhausted and hungry. The last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning up. That's where these recipes come in. They are designed to be simple and efficient, using minimal ingredients and requiring little prep time. So, let's dive in and discover some delicious recipes that will make your life easier!

Before we start, I want to mention that these recipes are meant to be a starting point. Feel free to adapt them to your taste preferences and dietary needs. Get creative and make them your own!

Section 1: Breakfast on the Go

Mornings can be chaotic, especially when you have little ones to get ready for school. But that doesn't mean you have to skip breakfast or rely on unhealthy options. Here are three quick and easy breakfast ideas that you can grab on the go:

1. Overnight Oats: In a mason jar or container, mix rolled oats, milk (dairy or plant-based), and your choice of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, or agave). Add your favorite toppings such as fresh fruits, nuts, or seeds. Leave it in the fridge overnight, and in the morning, you'll have a delicious and nutritious breakfast ready to enjoy.

2. Smoothie Bowls: Blend frozen fruits, a handful of spinach or kale, a scoop of protein powder, and your choice of liquid (milk, yogurt, or juice) to create a thick and creamy smoothie. Pour it into a bowl and top with granola, sliced fruits, and a drizzle of nut butter. It's a refreshing and filling breakfast that you can eat with a spoon.

3. Egg Muffins: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Add chopped vegetables (bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms) and shredded cheese of your choice. Pour the mixture into a greased muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the eggs are set. These muffins can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a quick grab-and-go breakfast.

Section 2: One-Pan Wonders

When it comes to weeknight dinners, the last thing you want is a sink full of dirty dishes. That's where one-pan wonders come in handy. These recipes require minimal cleanup and are packed with flavor. Here are three delicious options:

1. Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies: Toss chicken breasts, sliced bell peppers, and halved baby potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan. Roast in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. It's a complete meal that's bursting with colors flavors.

2. One-Pot Pasta: In large pot, combine pasta, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, minced garlic, and your choice of vegetables (broccoli, peas, carrots). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has thickened. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. This dish is a lifesaver when you need a quick and satisfying dinner.

3. Veggie Stir-Fry: Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add your favorite vegetables (bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, mushrooms) and stir-fry until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, minced ginger, and garlic. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve over steamed rice or noodles for a flavorful and veggie-packed meal.

Section 3: Quick and Healthy Snacks

Snacks are essential for keeping your energy levels up throughout the day, but it's easy to reach for unhealthy options when you're short on time. These quick and healthy snack ideas will satisfy your cravings without derailing your healthy eating goals:

1. Energy Balls: In a food processor, blend dates, nuts (almonds, cashews), nut butter, and a pinch of salt until a sticky mixture forms. Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. These energy balls are packed with nutrients and make a perfect on-the-go snack.

2. Greek Yogurt Parfait: Layer Greek yogurt, fresh berries, and granola in a glass. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup for added sweetness. It's a refreshing and protein-packed snack that will keep you satisfied between meals.

3. Veggie and Hummus Platter: Cut up an assortment of fresh vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes) and arrange them on a platter. Serve with your favorite hummus for a crunchy and nutritious snack.

Conclusion

Being a busy mom doesn't mean you have to sacrifice delicious and nutritious meals. With these quick and easy recipes, you can whip up a variety of dishes without spending hours in the kitchen. Remember, it's all about finding what works for you and your family. So, give these recipes a try, and enjoy more quality time with your loved ones!

[jsms01]

5 ways to change your mindset

When we’re struggling with our weight, it can feel like some things are out of our control – from the foods we eat to the everyday challenges that steer us away from making slimming-friendly choices. As experts in the psychology of weight loss, Slimming World will empower you to take back control and build new healthy habits that last.  Here, five inspirational slimmers share how being a member has helped them change their mindset around food and drink, and spurred them on to lasting success. Discover our latest special offers here

Yes you can… understand yourself as a slimmer

There are many reasons why we might struggle to lose weight. Some of them are known to us – like the foods we eat. Others might be just outside of our awareness. At Slimming World, we’ll help you uncover the deeper psychological barriers to your success, and then arm you with the tools to overcome them, so that you can develop healthier new grooves. MORE ON THE BLOG: 9 easy ways to make healthy habits stick

The support of her Slimming World Consultant helped Laura Allen understand the link between her emotions and her secret-eating habit… “I’d always been a big emotional eater and I used food as both a comfort and a reward, often eating in private so that my family wouldn’t know. When I joined Slimming World, it was such a relief to open up about my secret eating, and my group helped me to understand and gradually break the habit without ever feeling deprived. I finally have some control over my eating. Before, I’d pick my way through the day, snacking on crisps and chocolates and finishing with a takeaway. Now I cook my meals from scratch, making delicious Slimming World versions of my favourite recipes, like chicken tikka masala.” Read Laura’s full story here

Yes you can… stop negative self-talk

We’re much more likely to make healthy choices when we feel good about ourselves. However, that’s easier said than done, especially if we’ve fallen into the habit of putting ourselves down. Surrounding yourself with positive people who understand and genuinely care about you is vital when it comes to silencing that inner critic. In fact, our research found that 91% of our members feel more positive about themselves since joining Slimming World. MORE ON THE BLOG: The surprising stats that prove kindness is key to weight loss

Years of abuse about her weight had left Harriet Peacock feeling trapped in a cycle of negative self-criticism. But when she joined Slimming World, she found the acceptance she’d been looking for – and went on to lose a staggering 20st. “Over the years, I’d tried pretty much every diet going. They never worked and would usually end in a binge-eating session because I was so hungry, and with me branding myself as a failure who was destined to be overweight and miserable forever.  Group taught me that I was worthy of happiness and it gave me back my confidence. Apart from family and close friends, my fellow members were the first people who made me feel accepted. They just got it, were never judgemental and, as the weight came off, they cheered me on every step of the way.” Read Harriet’s full story here

Yes you can… fit changes around your lifestyle

You’re more likely to stick to healthy habits when they slot into your everyday routine. Our Food Optimising eating plan is fully flexible, so it can easily work with your lifestyle, whether you’ve got a busy family life, a full-on job, a packed social calendar – or all three! MORE ON THE BLOG: How to personalise Food Optimising to you

Before he joined Slimming World, Matt Symons thought he’d have to give up his social life to lose weight. Then a question from his Consultant changed everything… “I used to meet my friends in the pub after work almost every night, catching up over food and drink – I could easily get through 10 pints, then stop for a kebab or pizza on the way home. My weight crept up and up, but it didn’t occur to me to change my lifestyle. Then, just before Christmas 2016, a metal dining chair buckled beneath me at a friend’s house party. I joined Slimming World a week later. In one session, I talked about how I’d been avoiding the pub because I was worried I’d just regain all the weight as soon as I started socialising again. When my Consultant, Steven, asked me if I could change the way my social life was set up, it was a revelation. Everyone chipped in with ideas for nights out, and I started to meet up with my new friends from group for coffee dates and cinema trips. I also discovered that I really enjoyed tenpin bowling, and we started going for regular games. I was having a great time – without feeling hungover and low the following morning!” Read Matt’s full story here

Yes you can… get support on your terms

There’s no telling how or when life will throw up challenges to your weight loss. That’s why you’ll find lots of ways to connect with the Slimming World Community. Many of our Consultants have closed Facebook groups, where members can swap ideas, celebrate successes and help each other stay on track between groups. Plus, members enjoy exclusive 24/7 access to our app, with its 1,900 recipes, behaviour-changing tools, real-life success stories, progress tracking and the Slimming World barcode scanner, for support wherever you are and whenever you need us.  MORE ON THE BLOG: All about our barcode scanner

Member Charlie Morgan found the app an invaluable lifeline… “I downloaded the app immediately after signing up. On my first trip to the supermarket as a member, I used the Slimming World barcode scanner on my phone to check the Syns on anything I wasn’t sure about. I also checked the app if I needed a reminder about the basics of Food Optimising. In my first week, I was surprised by just how much I could eat on the plan – and even more surprised when I lost 5lbs!  That gave me the confidence to be a bit more adventurous the following week, so I looked up some of our favourite dishes and used the app to find slimming versions. My girlfriend is vegetarian, and we found lots of recipes that could work for both of us – we’d cook the vegetarian version and I’d add meat to my portion at the end.’’ Read Charlie’s full story here

Yes you can… let go of guilt and shame

These emotions are two of the most common stoppers to our weight loss success. Learning to shed the burden of them is a change most of us could benefit from making, and that starts with finding an environment where you feel safe and free from judgement – which is exactly what you’ll find in our groups and our online Community. MORE ON THE BLOG: Discover how Slimming World can set you free from guilt

A fear of failure meant Sophie Ratcliffe hid her slimming goals. By sharing her journey with other Slimming World members, she finally found the support she needed to succeed. “Before joining Slimming World, I never told anyone when I was trying to lose weight, as I was sure I wouldn’t succeed. My son was being bullied at school because of my weight, which made me feel so guilty, but I had no idea how to change things. It was September 2021 when I first walked through Slimming World’s doors. At 24st, I felt embarrassed by my size, but no-one made me feel self-conscious. The other members were such a lovely bunch, I instantly knew I was safe and that they wouldn’t be judging me. I left the session feeling hopeful for the first time in ages.” Read Sophie’s full story here If you’re looking for lasting weight loss, you’ll find a world of support waiting at your local Slimming World group or in our vibrant online Community. We’d love to welcome you!

Free 7-day menu

Would you love a taste of the Food Optimising plan? Enter your email address below to receive a full week of delicious Food Optimising recipes, as well as our regular newsletter packed with more Slimming World food, inspiring member transformations and exciting special offers.  Source link Read the full article

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

I also had an idea that if a bot, you can pick any of your choice, had gotten cursed with being an organic for a set time frame and their human ally decides to shelter them in their own home and show them how the human world functions, what would they think? All of the culinary, entertainment, and various activities humans partake in regularly, showing how much more complex and lively being a human actually is.

Soundwave guessed it could have been worse. After all, he wasn’t dead, his mind was intact and as far as he knew what had happened to him could be reversed. Still, finding himself suddenly human wasn’t something he had ever wanted. It was a good thing that the decepticons had a trusted human ally that could look after him and his needs until he returned to his cybertronian self since he doubted that anyone on the Nemesis would have been able to accommodate his new biological form. All respect to his cassettes but Soundwave knew them well enough to know that putting his health and wellbeing in their servos would only lead to catastrophe.

Their human ally had quickly made accommodations for him in their humble abode without needing to be coerced into cooperation. They had even offered him their bed but Soundwave had politely declined, stating that the couch was enough for him. This is also where he was currently situated, sitting on the couch with his hands in his laps as he waited for their human ally to prepare him food. Truthfully, Soundwave felt it was embarrassing that he could do nothing to help prepare his meal but he knew nothing about how to prepare human food and was thus useless in this situation.

From the kitchen he heard the human prepare the meal they were going to share; lasagna, they had called it. They had also told him that he was free to do whatever while they were cooking, making a wide gesture at their home as they had. Problem was Soundwave had no idea what to do. He usually didn’t have much free time, always busy with the various duty being the third in command entails. And even when he was free he usually had to look after his cassettes which took up a lot of time.

Looking around the human’s home, Soundwave frowned. There was a TV but he had never been interested in human media so that was a no. Various magazines, newspapers and books littered the place but he didn’t feel like reading either. His frown deepened. Now that he thought about it, the human’s home was quite messy. There were clothes hanging on a chair, some cups and plates that had just been left there and things were unorganized. They clearly hadn’t expected any company, especially not a sudden roommate.

Soundwave stood up and started gathering the magazines and newspapers and put them in two separate, neat piles on the living room table. He nodded. Yes, that already made things look better. The home was still messy though. Filled with the sudden desire to see this place clean, Soundwave went to work. He folded the laundry and put it in a basket, organized the bookshelves so that everything was in order and piled all the plates on one another and put the cups on the top so that they could all be easily transferred to the dishwasher later. He had even begun to prop up the pillows on the couch when the human suddenly entered the living room.

Their eyes widened when they saw that Soundwave had begun cleaning their home. “Wow, I did not expect you to start cleaning. I’m sorry it was so messy in the first place, I didn’t know I would have guests over.”

“Human; no need to apologize. Soundwave; unexpected visitor.” Soundwave was about to say something more when he suddenly smelled something. The human’s cooking. Now, he had smelled human food before but never had it actually appealed to him. Now however, he found his mouth salivating at the enticing smell. His stomach made a loud, growling noise, and Soundwave was suddenly incredibly aware he hadn’t consumed any sustenance since his unfortunate transformation into a human.

The human smiled at him and beckoned him to join them in the kitchen/dining area. “Come on, food’s ready.” Soundwave followed them without a word.

The smell was even more intense in the kitchen and once again Soundwave’s stomach growled, louder this time. There was a slight pain there too, one that he assumed was meant to inform him that he was hungry. Crude but efficient, considering the fact that humans had no internal hud that showed them their own fuel levels.

On the table there was two plates already prepared with this “lasagna” on them.  Soundwave waited for the human to sit down first so he could take the seat that they obviously meant for him. The human smiled at him and grabbed their eating utensils; a fork and a knife, Soundwave reminded himself, and he copied them. He stared down at the food and immediately felt at complete loss at what to do. Cybertronians didn’t “eat” like humans did, they consumed their fuel in fluid form, drinking it. Treats like rust sticks were an exception but those things didn’t need utensils to be eaten.

“Do you need help, Soundwave?” the human asked him upon seeing the clueless look in his eyes. Soundwave, too embarrassed to vocalize that he needed help eating, simply nodded. The human smiled kindly at him and carefully started showing him how to properly hold the knife and fork. Soundwave thanked Primus that he was a quick learner and soon he found himself capable of wielding the utensils. Now it was just actually eating the meal.

He brought the fork up to his mouth and took a hesitant first bite, despite his hunger. Immediately his eyes widened as he was overwhelmed by the flavor. It tasted nothing like energon or anything else he had ever consumed yet he found it delicious. The foreign texture felt natural in his mouth though he had to remind himself that he actually needed to chew the food to eat it. His excitement must have been visible on his face as the human laughed.

“I assume you like it?” Once again Soundwave just nodded before shoveling another bite into his mouth. The human started eating as well and together they ate in comfortable silence. When he finally finished eating, his plate completely empty except for some sauce, Soundwave finally found it in himself to speak again.

“It was... good. Soundwave; thankful for the meal.” He bowed his head lightly in respect for the human.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was worried that since you are actually a cybertronian you would hate the taste. It’s good to know that you can eat regular human food since otherwise I wouldn’t have known what to make for dinner.”

Soundwave blinked. “... Dinner?”

The human laughed. “Yeah! Humans need at least three meals a day after all. Though we can have a snack before then. Oh! I wonder if you’ll like ice cream! I have some in the freezer if you want to try some.”

Glancing at the now empty plate and remembering just how good the food had been, Soundwave couldn’t help but lick his lips. “Soundwave... Would love to try some ice cream.”

Perhaps spending some time as a human wasn’t so bad after all?

[empressofdiamonds]

Queen of Nutrition

This ain't gonna be a guide how to be skinny or lose 20 pounds. Y'all see that everywhere and ya know what to do. Calories in, calories out. Nah. Instead, I'll show you HOW to GLOW UP from eating FOOD.

I generally follow three principles:

1. Never eat foods that make you feel...

Queasy, heavy stomach, stomach reflux, lethargic, sleepy, any negative reaction/feeling. I strongly recommend to note down every meal (takes about 1 min per day, can be done on cellphone in your notepad app!), It will prove itself to be very useful to see if you have sickness triggers. Like sugar obviously triggers my own acne, potatoes make me nauseous (no matter how fresh they are). Meat in the morning makes me lethargic the whole day. Etc. And I only found that way by journaling my meals, and now applying my restrictions makes me feel insanely BETTER. Else I'd have blamed that on the woes of Destiny.

Once you've found your trigger foods, keep them away from your home. If your trigger is sugar, don't buy at the grocery store cookies or anything sugary. No see? No crave! That way you won't be tempted to eat it!

Also, very important, EAT A NUTRITIOUS MEAL BEFORE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE! You won't concede to cravings that way. I'm really serious, I noticed a difference.

2. Prioritize colorful and light foods over heavy brown food, and low-processed over high-processed

Have you eaten an Big Mac & fries, then feel like crap and groggy, then feel hungry just 2-3 hours later? Those meals aren't filling, pumped with Only God Knows, and drenched in suffocating amounts of fat. It's brown, it's sad, it's not good for our bodies and We Know That. Then why are you going back again to McDo? Are you some weird type of maso?

Brown food is related to comfort food, and that's totally understandable. It's strongly associated to cozy feelings, the meals you get if you're sick, it's comfortable... But they lack nutrition 99% of the time.

I'm not asking you to cut off completely "brown foods", but instead, give a higher percentage of your plate to vegetables and fruits and low-processed stuff. If you aren't used to that new lifestyle, introduce slowly easy to use options. Fresh spinach are amazing in sauteed stuff or in pasta sauces. Carrot sticks are one of the easiest snacks to have. Have a counter basket with apples, oranges and bananas, so easy to catch something and fill a tiny hunger!

Buy that artisan small loaf (that you will eat one slice at a time, how it is filling and delicious) instead of that square cake-like magic bread (bland as hell, you don't even feel full after one slice of sadness), buy the whole chicken breasts and prepare them yourself with delicious spices and flavors instead of buying that pack of frozen chicken tendies.

Take some time to enjoy your time cooking, instead of considering it like a chore.

Instead of eating to fill your stomach, eat to enjoy high quality food that'll nourish every cell of your being and honor your Goddess body you have.

Life's too short for sad, brown, color-bland food, unrecognizable food.

3. Eat to fill your stomach to 80% capacity

This wonderful Japanese principle is called Hara hachi bun me ("belly 80% full"). You eat until you feel like there's still 20% space left in the stomach.

It means that you eat to enjoy life and good food. You're not afraid that you won't have food in the future. That means you store away the excess food in a plate. That means you DON'T have to empty the plate. That means you shouldn't feel nauseous from eating too much, or wanting to sleep because of food comatose. Seriously, when we think about the massive holiday/party binges, it's not hedonism, but gluttony. You often feel like crap which is not a good feeling to have.

You turn off the TV, the cellphone, everything that distracts you, you prepare yourself a nice meal. Matiscating slowly to enjoy the goddamn amazing food you did prepare also helps making you feel fuller, and liberate the good stuff in your food too. You take your time to eat it, enjoy the sensations you feel. It smells good, it tastes good, it makes your mind happy, it's like a buccal orgasm. It's just perfect. A meal fit for a queen.

In summary, I recommend to romanticize your life, down to every last minute detail.

Romanticize how you cut your tomatoes, taking your time to enjoy the popping splash of color under your eyes, and to enjoy the juicy goodness in them.

Romanticize how you drink your water, adding some cute refreshing mint and sliced strawberries to add some tinge of flavor to your water.

Have fun cooking, babes!

[lihikainanea]

I read in the interview that Bill had a strict training schedule for Boy Kills World (before he left Sweden for Cape Town) that resulted in an injured leg and that for the photoshoot he was limping. Can you do a little story where Bill comes home limping from the injury and maybe he tries to hide it from Tiger because he knew she’d worry and say he’s working himself too hard? Or something similar?

I'm glad I'm not the only one that had this delicious thought. I wonder what part of his leg it was? The most common injury is to the thigh. Which is, ahem, really a beautiful thought isn't it?

But wait, let's back up a second here. When I read the summary of Boy Kills World I knew Bill would be undergoing some serious training if he had a hope of making this character look realistic. And I've waxed poetic before about my sheer desire to like...FIGHT Bill. Or at least, teach him how to fight. Because he has the potential to be a beautiful fighter, and he has so much to his advantage--not his height, actually, that's a disadvantage--but his long, long limbs. His litheness. With a little flexibility, he could be deadly.

And I am saddened that I don't know more Hollywood martial artists because I would love to be a fly on the wall.

But anyway, Bill has a lot of training to do. And I love this concept that like...tiger gets into it. That's so cute, isn't it? Tiger is all in for her Big Dude. Not on the training aspect, but on what he needs to bulk and sustain for the role. Once he gets his training plan, tiger asks if she can tag along to his meeting with his nutritionist--and Bill smiles a little bit when tiger sits down, all business, and actually takes out a notepad.

And the nutritionist is going over grams and proteins and when he needs to eat what and tiger is taking notes and Bill's heart could just explode--and when she starts actually asking questions, he's done for. She's asking about oils and fats and how she can cook his food and what he's not allowed, she's asking about caloric intake and how to calculate it, she's asking about protein sources and carbohydrate sources and flavours that he can have without adding too much bad calories.

Once they're back in the car Bill reaches over and grabs her chin softly, pulling her in for a kiss.

"You don't have to do this kid," he murmurs, "You don't have to do anything for me."

"I want to," she smiles, "This is going to be intense for you, bud. If there's something I can do to help lessen it, to make it a bit easier--I want to do it."

A shipment comes in the next day--two huge boxes--and it's full of protein powders and muscle builders and Bill eyes it wearily as tiger unpacks it all.

"You won't even realize you're eating it," she says as she organizes them, "I promise."

Bill gives her a dubious look.

"If anything, I'm gonna be the one noticing pal," she retorts.

"What?"

"Common knowledge," she says as she nonchalantly places another huge jar of aggressively-labeled product on the counter, "Muscle building diets make your spunk taste gross."

"What?!" Bill nearly chokes, but tiger is unfazed.

"It's true," she shrugs.

"Then I'll have to counterbalance it by eating like....an entire field of pineapples everyday."

"No pineapple allowed," she continues about her business, "Too high in sugar."

And listen, the next day when Bill is away training for like, 10 fucking hours--tiger gets shit done. She has an astronomically large grocery list. She has a meal plan for the next three weeks. She hauls everything home and starts washing, chopping, cooking, labelling. Her kitchen scale is working on overtime, everything is perfectly weighed out, cooked according to the strict guidelines she has to follow.

And then everything is put into containers, Tupperware, and labelled. Not only what it is, but when he needs to eat it. His intake at 6AM within 15 minutes of him waking up. 7:30AM breakfast. 10AM snack. Lunch. 2PM snack. 4PM snack. 6PM dinner.

The exact food he needs to eat, at the exact time he needs to eat it. By the time she's done, just one week's worth of his meals and snacks takes up nearly the entire refrigerator, and the rest is stocked in a deep freeze.

She's nursing a glass of wine by the time he gets home, sore and stiff, and she's waiting with a protein shake and a hug.

"How was what?" she asks, and Bill just groans.

"Come on big guy, I'll run you a bubble bath."

But then like, inevitably--when you train that hard, whether you're used to it or not--you're gonna get injured. It's to be expected. And maybe Bill is just in such a permanent state of soreness that he doesn't realize at first that he really is genuinely injured, but when he realizes it--shit, he's in pain. He walks with a noticeable limp. Now he has to start going in for physiotherapy sessions in addition to his workout sessions--and tiger is already doing so much for him, she's already fussing and fretting over him so much, that he doesn't want to add this on top of it. He doesn't want her to worry. So everyday he goes in and he gets the injury taped up, worked on, he gets his workouts in and then he takes the tape off and tries to walk normally. And it hurts--it hurts like hell--but he manages well enough that she doesn't notice.

That is, until he crawls into bed one night and shrugs off his sweats. Tiger kisses his chin, then the hollow of his neck, then his chest. He groans as she makes her way down further, leaving suckling kisses, but then her hands run across his thighs and she stops. His eyes widen.

“What the fuck is this?” she asks.

He forgot to take off the tape.

“Uh....” he stammers. She pinches his belly and he shrieks.

“I got hurt,” he mumbles.

“You got hurt?” she repeats, “When?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Ugh, Bill!” she pinches his belly again and he jerks.

“Ow tiger,” he whines, dragging it out, “Stop pinching me.”

She pushes the covers down and sits up. He bites his lip as he looks up at her sheepishly. 

“What happened?” she runs her hand gently over the tape, and he sighs.

“It’s a pulled muscle. I twisted wrong in one of the fight choreographies and messed it up,” he tells her.

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“Does it hurt?” she asks again.

“...yes,” he admits.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she leans down, closer to his face and runs her fingers over his brow.

“Because I didn’t want you to worry,” he admits, “You’re doing so much for me already, kid. I didn’t want this added on top of it.”

“I could have helped,” she says softly.

“The only thing that helps is brutal physiotherapy,” he readjusts his head on the pillow, and then smirks devilishly. “And blow jobs.”

“And blow jobs eh?” she chuckles.

“Yeah, it’s science,” he says, “Doctor’s orders.”

[georgiapeach30513]

Hi my angel❤️ I was wondering if we can get an overdramatic Drysdale family gathering lead by the drama queen himself papa drysdale?

I don't know if this is going to be a weekly thing, but I thought it would be adorable to do like a Drysdale Family dinner on Sunday's for a bit of a recap of one of the drabbles, and this one popped into my head so quickly and easily, I couldn't resist but to respond with this!

🖤🖤🖤🖤

Boston Cream Pie

Summary:  Dinner at the estate

Pairings: The Drysdale's

Rating: mild

Warnings: language, mentions of jumping on the bed, mentions of cream pie, mentions of loss of virginity, 18+ ONLY

Word Count:  1.7K

Desperate Lives AU Masterlist

The Drysdale's Masterlist

You set down the last of the dinner onto the table, a hot cast iron skillet of steak with cherry sauce.  Most of the dinner was requested by Lucy, even emailed you the recipes, and you, Iris, and Story were all for cooking everything up while everyone else sat in the living room talking and watching kids.

People would come in and out of the kitchen to grab a snack or one of the grandchildren to run in and tell you something.  Beck contently sitting in a chair holding a very new Brooks, so Story can continue to walk over and give him little smooches in between helping cook.

Just like every other Sunday, your home was filled with the people you loved the most.  Even Linda had ventured her way over to the estate.  Ransom was doing his best to occupy her, because every time she had a free moment, she wanted to come and tell the three of you what you could do to improve the meal.  Not that it was bad, but just minor adjustments would make it better.

Iris would roll her eyes, and walk in the living room to see James and her children just to have a moment, you completely ignore it, while Story tries to smooth everything over.  Beck just sits there dumbfounded, until Ellie comes to sit beside him to look at Brooks.  Story pauses to hear the sweet conversation between Beck and Ellie, and then stares at her newest love.

“You you think that if I have a brother he’ll be this small?”

“Brooks was born early.”

“But you said that there was...”

“Ellie, shh, we haven’t made that announcement,” Beck gives her a little wink letting her know that he’s not mad.

“Can I hold him?”

“No,” Story moves closer quickly, and starts to turn, shaking her head rapidly.  “Sorry baby, even Otto hasn’t held him,” no one can fault her, you especially.  You were the same way when she was a baby.  And she’s done better than you did, letting someone other than Carter hold him, was a big challenge.

You guys finish up the dinner and set the table, calling everyone into the dinning room before sitting down for the loud big family dinner.  Almost everyone in their own thoughts.  Lucy had even made bourbon cherry old fashions for the ones that drank, and Shirley Temples for the ones underage, Story, and a pregnant Aster.  

Everyone eats and drinks, and it’s all delicious, but there is something off and funny about the meal, but it’s your husband who leans over to your ear, “What’s the deal with all the cherries?”

“Lucy must be on some kick right now,” he raises an eyebrow needing you to elaborate.  “She requested all of this.”

“Is there cherries in the dessert?” you shake your head no.  “Lucy are you pregnant?”

Lucy gives you a devilish grin but shakes her head no.  Everyone finishes, and the kids excuse themselves to go play while the adults continue to talk.  “Mom, you wanna get the dessert?” Lucy coos over at you.  Linda’s hand rubs along her shoulder asking what it was we’re having, “It’s a surprise.  It’s Blade’s favorite.”

You set the plate down in front of Blade and you hand him the knife and plates, and he glares over at Lucy.  Lucy’s fingers give him a tiny wave, and you and Ransom look back and forth between the two.  Story takes one look at the dessert and snorts.  Holding tightly to Brooks while she begins laughing uncontrollably, shortly joined by Lucy.  “What is going on you three?” one look at Blade looking between the two of them before he starts sinking in his seat.  His girlfriend, Lo, tapping on his thigh asking what is wrong.

“Is that,” Story laughs trying to catch her breath and get out what she’s saying.  “Please tell me that’s not...”

“Honey, it’s a Boston Cream Pie,” she laughs so hard at her husband’s words, along with Lucy that Otto and Ellie come back in.

“You okay Mommy?”

“I’m fine...b-buddy.  Blade just...go play you two,”  Aster looks at Blade and Lo their head hung down low, and then back at the dessert.  Her own hand covers her mouth as she starts to laugh.

“Is there something wrong with a Boston cream pie?” you ask nearly stomping your foot.  “You requested it Lucy saying it was Blade’s favorite and he had a full week,” Lucy’s cackles vibrate off the walls and you still don’t get it.  Ransom’s light bulb goes off and he slowly starts clapping his hands standing up out of his seat.

“I believe we have a winner.  Welcome to the family Lo.”

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” your eyes narrow at Lucy. 

“Boston cream pie is Blade’s favorite dessert,” she gives you a wink, and you look quickly to your ‘dessert’ loving son.  Lucy raises her eyebrows and nods her head yes, while you walk back to your seat, unable to look at them.  Ransom still clapping you try to pull him back down. 

“Baby, would you please stop it.  My baby is about to have a panic attack.”

“I don’t think he’s your baby anymore, Kitten.  He’s got him a new woman that he claimed.  How did it feel son?”

“Oh my god, I hate all of you.”

James and Iris had been in a world of their own, when they finally look around.  James taps on Carter’s shoulder to ask what was up.  “Boston,” he points over to Blade, “cream pie,” this time he points at Lo.

James puts his fist in his mouth to stifle his laugh, “Holy shit!  You finally popped her cherry, and you gave her the cream...I’m sorry Mrs. Drysdale, but...” his head looks down at Lucy, “We just ate Blade and Lo’s cherry popping meal.”

“I got a present,” Ransom’s mouth goes wide looking at Story, her hand playing around with the necklace when she kisses Carter.

“Lo’s getting a car,” she shakes her head so quickly at Blade, refusing to let him buy her a damn car, even though he’s begging.

“Well, I for one am glad that my son finally found him a dessert he wants to eat more than once.”

“Oh, it’s definitely been more than once,” Lucy sneers, this time getting a smack on her shoulder from both Chris and Linda.

“Why are you guys so casually talking about se...” Linda stops, she hates this phrase, but knows that it is the preferred way of saying it, “Jumping on the bed.  Lucy you should be ashamed of yourself.  And Blade just how many partners have you had?”

“He’ll have to go into the house and get his files out,” Ransom snickers, covering his face with his hands when he starts snorting.

“So Lo, how was it?” the littlest Drysdale is a glutton for punishment, and she can’t help it.

“Lucy, please,” the girl hides her face, doubting she’ll ever get used to these conversations.

“At least she didn’t get someone to suck on something before it’s good and swollen before it gets pierced,” the war is on between Lucy and Blade, and you need it to stop.

“Blade!” “Lucy!” “Christopher!” you, Ransom, and Linda all shout at the same time.

“It honestly was the easiest hood piercing I’ve ever done,” Chris shrugs his shoulders looking at Lucy.  “But, I’d never do that to anyone else, Honey Bee.”

“Wait...what is a hood piercing?” Story asks looking at Lucy, she points down at her crotch with a grimace.  “Does it...I mean, make it feel good?”

“Hurt like hell, feels great...no.”

“Oh, no, you’re not getting one honey.  I’ve got other things I can decorate you with,” Ransom glares over at Carter who throws his hands up, “Diamonds.  She looks good in diamonds and heels.”

“I can pierce other things, Princess.  Or if you prefer a permanent mark, we can figure something...ow...out,” Chris glares over at Lucy after she hit him.

“Judging by the picture in the vault you like the way she looks in only diamonds.”

“LUCIFER!” Story shouts at her, causing Brooks to whimper.

“What vault?  What pictures?  You take nude pictures for Carter?” Ransom’s questions don’t stop, and you slap at his body wanting all of it to quit.

“A big huge room that’s full of safes a big bed, nude pictures of Story, and custom lingerie.”

Story looks at her dad, almost ready to cuss at Lucy, “Only Carter’s and my thumbprint along with a pin number can open it.  He is my husband.”

“Why is there a bed?”

“I don’t like jumping on the bed that my boys sleep on.”

“Tell him about the ledge in the closet,” Carter smacks James’ arm.  “Ow, you two are married now.”

“I’ll still kill him.  Welp, this conversation needs to be over.  Kitten, let your disgusting kids continue this conversation, while they eat their Boston cream pie.  Although, I’m not sure if Blade or Lo need any.  Seems they’ve had enough since the last time we saw them.”

“Ransom,” Linda looks over her glasses at her son, “Your disgusting children are like this because you two can’t keep your hands off of each other.”

“Look at my Kitten, she’s beautiful,” Story slaps Blade’s arm, holding her hand on there, gasping when she looks at him.  “What is it now.”

“You did what you said you never would do,” she pauses long enough to look into her brother’s eyes.  “Did you tell her?” he nods his head, and she pulls him close to her rest her forehead against his, a thing they had done since they were little children.  “It feels amazing doesn’t it.”

“What is going on now?” Beck asks, taking a bite of the cake.

“Well, um, I uh...I...I, I, I,” Lo doesn’t speak, she only grabs his hand to rest on her chest.  Letting Blade’s fingers feel the steady beat of her heart.  You and Iris give your son the sweetest smiles knowing what he’s about to say.  “I love her.”

“About damn time.  Give me some cake,” James shouts but gives Blade a wink.  “Always knew once you found the right one.”

“And who knew all it would take was a ripe cherry and some cream pie.”

“LUCY!”

“I hate it here.”

“Love you, too, Bladey.”

Masterlist

[fayeimara]

Miya Osamu || Little Delights | First Meeting

SUMMARY. Osamu can't help but be intrigued when his daughter starts bringing home delicious desserts prepared by her best friend's mother.

PAIRING. You x Miya Osamu

GENRE. Fluff <3

WARNINGS. Suggestive content

Haikyuu! Anthology Series | It's Fate When Your Kids Are Friends

OSAMU | First Meeting > Second Date > Third Time's The Charm > Four Is Our Family

Osamu's made it just in time, right as the bell tolls to signal the end of his daughter's second day in her new school year. Standing back as a swarm of kids rush out of the brick building and into the arms of their waiting parents, he takes a moment to breathe and relax. Juggling his burgeoning restaurant with being a single parent isn't an easy job, but he wouldn't trade it for anything.

He stands taller than many of the other adults around him and it's evident his little girl has no problem seeking him out as a black, red, and grey blur races towards him, a thrilled, "Papa!" reaching his ears and splitting his mouth into a wide, happy grin.

His arms are already open in a silent but enthusiastic response as he crouches down and then the bite-sized impact of his daughter is rocking him back on his heels, his reaction overly exaggerated as he pretends to almost fall over from the small force of nature that's all Miya Izumi.

Standing back up, Samu catches sight of another little girl who was trailing behind, wide eyes studying him before shifting to Zumi, his daughter turning back around to wave at her, proclaiming the girl as her 'bestest friend in the whole wide world'. The girl returns Zumi's enthusiastic wave with a quick raise of her small hand before her attention is caught by a pretty young woman, her own wide smile replacing her previously hesitant expression as she's warmly enveloped into welcoming arms with kisses peppered on her cheeks and forehead.

Her delighted giggles reach Osamu and his daughter as they turn around, hand in hand, to walk back to his car, small interaction soon forgotten as his little munchkin lists off the snacks she's looking forward to having on their return to his shop. She won't be able to finish half that list, he bets to himself with a quiet chuckle at his daughter's inherited exuberance for food as he securely buckles her into car.

It's not until they reach his second pride and joy, Onigiri Miya, that he finds the first little surprise tucked away in Izumi's not so empty lunchbox. When he inquires about the remarkably delicious looking set of biscuits he certainly didn't pack for her that morning, his daughter's response is that it's a thank you gift from her bestest friend, Reina, for the lunch she'd shared with the girl on her first day.

Well, a six year old certainly didn't bake these from the looks of it. It's only confirmed by his first taste, the texture and flavour beyond even most consistent home bakers, let alone a young child. Right? But a more pressing thought flags his attention, first.

"Did your friend not have her own lunch?"

"She did! We split because hers wasn't so good, even though her mama put so much love into it. But the treats were so much better so we decided to go halfsies and have best of both!" His daughter giggles with the oblivious sweet innocence of a child.

"And what about today?"

"Mhm. Same. But I liked the chocolate brownies yesterday much much better!"

Samu chuckles at her excitement and can't help but tease his precocious daughter, "Oh, and was it better than papa's food?"

Zumi's eyes widen as she contemplates the question with all the adorable seriousness she can muster, but loyalty must break free and run because her reply is, "Almost! So close, but I love papa's cooking more than anything in the whole wide world."

It seems the whole wide world is the current standard of measurement for first graders, but he appreciates the heartfelt sentiment behind her loving words.

After another moment of consideration, Osamu settles on the thought chewing at him and decides that tomorrow his daughter won't be giving up a portion of his food which she loves so much. No, she'll have double the amount to do with whatever she may please.

So briefly, that he doesn't even ponder on the sudden image, he's reminded of the warm reunion he witnessed between the little girl and the woman who he'd assumed was her nanny, but concludes is probably the girl's young mother. Based on the number of treats Zumi brought back, Samu's certain the woman had to have thoughtfully made extras of these baked goods for her daughter to have more than enough to share with friends and then some.

Well, it's definitely no skin off his back to make his daughter even the slightest bit happier by being able to help her share her savoury little delights with her new bestest friend.

It's on the third day of your daughter's return from her new school year that you're able to confirm that something is indeed amiss. The previous two days, the small portions of her lunch left uneaten were questionable, given her voracious appetite, however, when she returns with the lunch you made for her today still sitting wholly untouched in her cute little lunchbox, you finally sit her down to ask about it.

Her response is far from what you expected, "My friend's papa made extra lunch so we could both have something yummy to eat!"

You press your lips together to hide your amusement as you teasingly inquire, "Oh? Is that so? And I guess that means mama's food isn't so yummy after all."

Her eyes widen in dismay and mouth opens in an immediate denial that you know would be a lie to soothe your feelings. Even at such a young age, your beautiful baby girl is truly a kind and compassionate soul, she would dutifully eat anything you prepared no matter how lacking the meal might be and never utter a word to tell you the obvious truth.

Before she can manage to find the right words to faithfully express how much she loves your cooking, you lean in to kiss her on the forehead and pull back with a laugh, gathering her in your arms for a warm hug. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry I can't make you the food you deserve. But please don't ever feel the need to say otherwise to spare my feeling, okay? You should always be honest about what you like or don't like."

Her little arms find their way around you as she snuggles in, voice soft and words like a wise, old soul when she denies, "But your food is made with so much love mama. Zumi says some people are just better at other things. We both think you make the best yummies."

"The best yummies, hm?" You think about the various baked goods you add in to balance out for the healthy but tasteless lunches you're able to prepare.

They are indeed good, but baking has always been something that comes more naturally to you than cooking. An interesting distinction not many people might accept, but for you the former has always been an effortless science whereas the latter is more of a difficult art.

"Well I'm really glad you like those, but we do need to figure out what to do so you're not picking at your friends' food or going hungry."

She pulls back to send a serious look your way, exclaiming, "But I'm not picking at it, I promise. Zumi said her papa made extra just for me!"

You take a moment to consider her words. She made a similar implication in her earlier statement, that her friend's dad had made extra for them both. What does that mean? Did his daughter ask him to because she was sharing her food with Reina? Or did he somehow grasp the situation and is simply being generous?

A warm burn threatens your cheeks as you consider the awkwardness of accepting such a gesture from a complete stranger. While you appreciate the kindness of Reina's friend and her dad, it still somehow feels like a terrible imposition, as if you've burdened them somehow with your lack of skills to keep your child happily fed.

It's not like you can't cook good, healthy food. You're just painfully aware how bland the food you make can be, unless you spend three times the amount of time as anyone else would need to in order to prepare similar meals. But... studying the smile that's on your daughter's face, you can't help the twinge in your heart that reminds you how much more her happiness is worth than your pride.

You won't assume this will be a daily occurrence and you'll continue to make your daughters lunches so she never goes without, however, it'll be no extra trouble for you to make double the batch of baked goods than usual. After all, you usually account for the fact that she'll be sharing with friends and classmates anyways.

However, you're now determined there will be enough delicious snacks for Reina to share not only around at school, but also some treats for her sweet friend Izumi to take home for her generous parents. Perhaps, you think, it might be prudent to include a short message, thanking the man for his thoughtful effort.

Silent gratitude isn't very much to anyone ~ (So I hope you and your family will accept these.) Thank you for your kindness, Miya-san.

Osamu blinks, unaware of the small smile that curves his lips as he reads the delicate, handwritten note carefully wrapped around one of the cupcakes Izumi brought back home today. There are only three of the original twelve left, apparently, but the one he's just bitten into is as incredible as expected.

If he's correct in his assumption from the note addressed directly to him and included with today's delightful treats, then the little girl's mother has picked up on his small action and is returning the gesture to convey her thanks. The thought is confirmed by his daughter explaining that one of each of the three cupcakes is for their family.

Three for their family? Hm. Well, it's just him and Zumi, but he's sure his brother will be all over the remaining offering when he visits tonight. If there's any left for him that is. Probably won't be, it's really just that good and anyways, he doesn't need Atsumu nosing his way into this simple exchange as it is.

The following day, Friday morning, Samu pens back his own note, assuring the woman that no thanks is necessary. There's no reason for her to express her gratitude over what's really such a simple action for him.

That evening, he and Zumi enjoy some quality mochi delivered in a white, rectangular box with a pretty decently hand-drawn background scene at a spring festival on the cover. Two little girls, one that looks remarkably like his daughter and the other like her best friend, hold hands in the centre of the street dressed in traditional yukata and sharing a box of what he assumes is mochi.

As they much into the chewy treats, he watches and listens as his daughter points out the bright colours she and her friend chose to fill into what was apparently initially a blank canvas for them to colour on. Her delight at having a pink and grey yukata, even if only in a drawing, prompting him to make a mental note about looking into the clothing and any upcoming festivals.

Osamu makes a point of saving the box, childlike scribbles over the simple sketch leaving a warm feeling in his chest and a slightly wider smile gracing his mouth.

The response he receives the Monday evening (from his penned message the Friday before) is enough to prompt a full smirk that, this time, doesn't go unnoticed by him. The woman showed an interesting sense of humour and gracious acceptance with the first cupcake note. Then, a sweet and thoughtful disposition with the drawing included as part of the soft treat for the girls Friday.

But now, Samu sees a challenging firmness in her reply to his easy brush off of her thanks, delicate lines yet again adorning the small card carefully tucked into a pretty red ribbon that's tied around and decorating another white, rectangular box.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it ~ So please accept this gift without concern.

Sitting inside are four differently coloured, rounded treats that look familiar but he can't place off the top of his head. A quick search identifies the delicate confections as macarons, the colorful delights an absolute wonder as the airy crunch of the top and bottom shells simultaneously give way to a firm filling with the first bite, the sweet flavour almost dissolving on his tongue.

He and Zumi finish the box off in minutes, three of each flavour included to a total of four different flavours, so both he and his daughter each get seconds of their respective favourites.

The next morning, filled with anticipation at what new surprises you might include with the goods you send today, he's fully aware of the grin that stretches his face as he writes out a note of his own for you to receive later this evening.

The macarons were inspiring. Izumi and I definitely won't turn away any gifts you'd like to send our way. I wonder... what other surprises do you have up your sleeve? I sent a little something your way to inspire you too. - M. Osamu

The neatly written note returned, once again, on the back of the small rectangular card you'd last sent, brings a warm smile to your face. The various onigiri that came along with it, apparently with specific instructions communicated from Izumi to Reina that today's additional quantity is set aside for you specifically, stretches the amused curl of your lips into a delighted grin.

You split each of the four different types of rice balls with your daughter, listening to her input on the delicious food as she points out her order of most to least favourite. Although there's not a single one you wouldn't eat on any given day if given the choice, the food is simply divine.

Your note the following day is a compliment to the chef, with a cheeky inquiry as to what deities one must pray to in order to make food like that. His response is a swift rebuttal asking what cruel gods bless some with the skills to cook but others with the skills to bake, ironically echoing your own thoughts from the previous week.

So goes the back and forth for weeks, notes getting cuter, sassier, and more personal as jokes, challenges, and encouragements alike are enclosed among the lunches of two excited little girls, their own bond strengthening with this unique camaraderie between their parents, until you feel the peculiar sense that you know the man on the other end, without ever even having actually met him.

Then, one day, three weeks into the first exchange, you receive a note that makes your heart beat in your throat at the unspoken challenge which raises the stakes of the now familiar routine. It's a simple response to your unassuming request for the onigiri recipes you initially received as the first returned delight, a meal you and Reina have been craving since the first taste.

I can do one better and teach you. xxx-xxx-xxxx. - Osamu

There's no reason to be shy or hesitant, is there? After all, it's a kind offer that will only serve you and Reina well with your future attempts at her lunches. You can't count on Miya Osamu's kindness forever.

Fingers still shaking, you dial the number enclosed within and find the call picked up before the first ring even finishes.

"I wasn't sure ya'd actually call."

Oh, wow, that's a voice to melt hearts alright. You're still smiling as you immediately reply in beat, with the easy familiarity of your shared repartee over the last few weeks, "With an offer like that, how could I not?"

He's quiet for a second and you start to lose your smile, suddenly worrying that perhaps you've acted too familiarly with a man that's all but a stranger and offended him. But his next words, slowly expelled in a lazy but thoughtful drawl, have your heart beating fast for an entirely different reason, "I had a feeling ya'd sound as pretty as ya write."

Now you're the one that's silent but it's entirely because you're at a loss for words, this quietly charming man having stolen them right from the tip of your tongue.

A low chuckle breaks what you realized was actually somehow still a remarkably comfortable silence and then his delicious voice reaches you again, "I hope I didn't scare ya voice away. It'd be a shame now that I've only just heard it."

Okay so he's maybe much more of a flirt than the subtle hints you'd noticed over the notes, but then again, they were delivered through your daughters as messengers so it would be reasonable he would have toned it down. Then again, what kind of man flirts with a woman he's never met previously? He doesn't even know what you look like. Have you captured his interest solely through your mutual correspondence?

You almost snort, catching your thoughts and feeling like you're the main character to some historical romance. Maybe during a world war era. Mutual correspondence. Right. What are you even thinking? He's got you flustered already.

"Funny. I would never have imagined you would sound so pretty from the way you write." You're tempted to arch an eyebrow with your audible smirk but then you remember that it's not like he can see it.

"Ya think my voice is pretty, do ya?" His tone is full with soft satisfaction, "Maybe ya can tell me if it's better in person."

"And here I thought the offer on the table was for learning a delicious recipe."

You swear you hear the smile in his response, "Sounds like yer in either way."

"Sounds like I am." You concede in mock resignation but you're painfully aware that your words and following sigh sound more like a promise.

You and Reina find the charming storefront quite easily from Samu's instructions. It's finally the weekend, several days since your first call with him, and your handwritten notes have now upgraded into convenient, daily text messages.

He's definitely confident and teasing but not quite the overt flirt you briefly considered he might be from a few days ago. In fact, he's more calm and grounded, even if he can be a smooth talker, but you've quickly found that what came across as flirtatious was actually just him being honestly direct. Which is both exciting and flattering enough to make you nervous for this first real meeting today.

A soft chime sounds as you open the door to usher Reina through before following her in yourself. The first thing your eyes land on is a small girl running to your daughter like a heat seeking missile and the two collide in an adorably sweet hug, somehow understanding each other while seemingly talking simultaneously.

With a small smile on your face, you take a moment to survey your surroundings and find your bearings in this unfamiliar space. It's not an overly large area, focusing more on a cozy, comfortable atmosphere emphasized by the deliciously welcoming smell of various foods that make you feel right at home.

Your eyes run over the bar with stools lined against it before you do a double take, finally noticing the dark haired man that's leaning with his arms crossed against a door frame beyond it, watching as you examined his space.

He must be able to tell he's slightly startled you as an amused smile stretches his lips and he dips his head ever so slightly in greeting. "Welcome to Onigiri Miya."

"Thank you for inviting us, Miya-san." You bite your lip at your automatic formality, already certain what he's going to say next.

And he doesn't disappoint, eyebrow arching as he uncrosses his arms and, finally, steadily makes his way towards you, "I already told ya to call me Osamu. Or Samu."

Now you're smiling again because the situation is definitely out of the ordinary, the level of familiarity you feel with a man you're seeing for the first time can only be considered unusual. You take a moment to study him as he stops just before you, tall build with broad shoulders and a handsome face that looks like it belongs on a heartbreaker not a homemaker.

Your fingers itch to push back the locks of his hair peeking out from under his dark cap and falling over on side of his forehead, if only to have an excuse to run your hands through it. But that's definitely not appropriate no matter how comfortable you might already feel with this easygoing man.

"Right... Osamu, then. And of course, you can call me Y/n."

"Yer name and looks suit ya, just like yer voice and handwriting." He's got a small smile on his own face now and you're not sure if he's aware he basically just called you pretty. He doesn't really seem to do this on purpose, from what you've gathered.

You beam at him regardless and volley back, "Well, I can say the same for you too."

And for a brief second, that small smile splits into a quick grin that stutters the already erratic beat of your heart. Oh yes, this man is certifiably lethal in all the best ways.

"I'm happy to hear it. Now, let's sit ya down with the girls while I grab some things."

Izumi has already led Reina to a table by the window and Osamu gestures their way as he moves to lock the door behind where you came in and then moves off to the kitchen behind the bar again.

You notice with a little apprehension that the girls are sitting next to each other on one side of the booth still giddily talking together (although not over each other anymore) about friends and weekend plans and such, but you're not going to be the anxious oddball that separates them for seemingly no reason. Even if you're already sure of the overthinking you'll be doing at the thought of Samu sitting next to you in the booth.

He doesn't seem to think about it at all as he easily slides in, smoothly setting a plate and a tray with cups, glasses and a couple pitchers on the table just as you feel the left side of his body line up against your right. Okay, yeah, because this is totally normal for you. Not.

You hope neither he and especially not either of the kids can tell you're flustered, even as you feel the heat creep up your neck and flirt with your cheeks. Yup, normal day, normal day. Just a regular day with a new friend.

"Here ya go." You just hold yourself back from jumping when he hands you a cup from the tray and then leans over to pour what looks and smells like tea from one of the pitchers. If you're not going crazy, he's pressed even more against you for those long seconds, completely in your space even if it's not unwelcome.

He either knows exactly what he's doing or he's just one of those people that's never paid mind to polite social norms and rules of conduct that many prefer. While you're calming yourself down, he's already poured the girls juice from the second pitcher into their glasses and set out quarter plates in front of everyone.

You finally focus enough to take in the still steaming gyoza on the plate he'd placed down in the middle with confusion and ask, "I thought we would be making onigiri and eating it for lunch?"

"Of course, but I couldn't put ya to work on an empty stomach."

"Mhm." You give him a dubious look, you might have mentioned your early breakfast in one of your texts to him this morning, but you have a feeling that this is also an effort to make you and Reina feel comfortable in this space together instead of getting right into the cooking lessons planned for the day.

It's an incredibly thoughtful effort and that warm flush is threatening you again so you choose to tease him and deflect instead, "Somehow, I feel it's more about your empty stomach but okay, let's go with your version instead."

You lose the fight with the flush and flutters when he chuckles at your sassy retort, especially since you literally feel the vibrations melt from his body and into yours with the way he's still somewhat pressed into you. Does the man not have enough space in his own booth? Actually... you notice you can move closer to the window yourself since there's quite a bit of space on your side too but, then again, it would be a little obvious to shift now.

The girls pick up the fried dumplings by hand with happy exclamations as they bite right into theirs, you and Osamu following suit but not before placing another two on the plates in front of each of them and then splitting the remaining ones between you.

With a dip into the soy and vinegar sauce (chili excluded for the girls), you quickly bite into the first one and savour the sudden burst of flavour in your mouth. Oh wow, yes, this is exactly what your cooking is missing. This addictive, tasteful quality that makes you want multiple helpings of whatever's being served.

With a glance from the corner of your eye to the right, you meet Osamu's eyes studying your reaction and decide to ask the question on your mind, "You made these yourself right?"

"I did."

"Okay, they're hands down the best gyoza I've ever had." You compliment him genuinely before giving in to the urge to  tease him yet again because the flutters are back, if they ever even left, and you can't have him knowing just how much he affects you, "But who ever heard of serving gyoza in an onigiri shop?"

He must catch the light, teasing tone because he just smirks and throws right back, "Well if they're as good as ya say, maybe I should expand the menu."

"Oh no, don't do that!" You laugh with wide eyes, "Then Reina and I will never find space when we try to come back here during regular hours! Actually, I'm sure you're already always packed, hm?"

"Some days and times less than others, but there will always be space for the two of ya whenever ya want to visit again."

Oh yeah, it's a losing battle, the flutters are a full on tsunami of feelings now. Just push it away and chill. But then he adds, "And I can teach ya this recipe too. Anytime there's something ya like or want to try, just let me know. I'm sure we can make an amazing cook outta ya yet."

Your mouth drops open followed by your blurted question, "Why are you helping me so much? I'm sure this is a lot of time and effort for you too."

You hear the girls' conversation pause as they pick up on some subtle change in either your body language or demeanour, but Osamu's calm eyes just meet your wide ones, his lips sliding into a soft smile, as he simply answers, "Because I like ya."

You feel like you're back in grade school because you want to ask if he means that he 'like' likes you or just... likes you. But there's no way you're going to ask that question, not only because it feels a bit asinine but because that's not a conversation to start in front of both of your daughters.

You look over to the girls who are watching with beaming smiles, maybe happy their parents are good friends just like the two of them, and you return their wide grins with a reassuring one of your own before looking back into steady grey eyes. "Well, I really appreciate your help. Thank you, Osamu."

"I'd say no thanks needed, but I've been down that road before." Another quick, heart-stopping grin graces his face, this one almost as roguish as his tone is playful. He's definitely referring to your initial correspondence when you made a firm point against his initial brush off, as if his actions in making extra lunch for your daughter to enjoy wasn't incredibly thoughtful and certainly out of his way.

"Well you certainly catch on quick. Let's just hope I can say the same." Your playful smile turns into a grimace at the thought of how difficult it might be to actually improve your skills. Maybe it's just a question of talent? Maybe you're just never going to be able to reproduce food like him.

But he glances over to catch your frown just in time and reassures, "I know what I'm doing. Soon enough, you will too. Just say you'll keep supplying me and Zumi with yer baking every once in a while when ya don't need us anymore."

You know he's probably joking with the last part but you hadn't planned on stopping. You love to share the goodies you bake with the people in your and Reina's life, it makes the two of you pretty happy so you're sure Izumi and Osamu will be able continue enjoying your baked goods to their heart's content.

"Izumi will definitely get her share of sweets and snacks every day." You send a smile her way when she hears you and bounces excitedly in her seat but then you force yourself to drop it and face Osamu with a challenging look instead, "But you... well, I guess we'll have to wait and if you're as good as you say and maybe then you can get some too."

He places a closed hand to his chest as if he's been struck, the girls laughing at his overdramatic reaction, but his widening smile gives him away. You look at each other for a suspended moment, with shared amusement but also the teasing heat of something else reflected in his achromatic eyes, which makes you certain he picked up on the unintended double entendre in your words.

"Sounds like a promise." Then with an arched eyebrow at the empty plates and cups in front of everyone, Samu asks, "So shall we get started?"

You agree, helping him clean up the table and he takes the opportunity to help you and Reina familiarize yourselves with the kitchen. The rest of the afternoon is spent in an equally easy cadence as he does indeed walk you through the steps of making his recipes, flavours included.

He starts with the simplest option, yaki onigiri, which is just fried rice shaped in a triangle or oval, and then demonstrates how to make and add a few of your and Reina's favourite fillings in to change and enhance the flavour. The girls enjoy making their own mini rice balls alongside the two of you and the time flies until you're all back at the table and having the onigiri you've just made for lunch.

You can't deny there's an improvement already but your little rice balls are still nowhere near the level of skill and flavour of Osamu's, even though he and the girls all assure you that you've done a great job. You accept their compliments with a smile and the determination to keep at it on your own time until you improve even further because Reina deserves better than even this.

By the time you finish eating, the girls are unsurprisingly tired out and choose to stay at the table to watch a Disney movie with Izumi's iPad. You can't help but smile in amusement while watching Osamu grab the thing from behind the bar, tapping away on the clunky looking device which is perfect for Izumi with a thick, pink rubber cover protecting it from grade-schooler level damage.

After the movie's been set up for the two worn out little munchkins, you and Osamu head back into the kitchen for him to show you how to make the gyoza and the next hour slips away with more teasing jokes, increasingly heated looks, and slightly bolder touches.

You can close your eyes and now know the feel of Osamu's hands on yours, demonstrating how to properly fold and pleat the wrappers. You can still feel the heat of his chest brush your back from when he leaned around you to pick up an empty bowl to place in the sink, and you're pondering on what feels like a heated brand on your hip where he lightly curved one hand to shift you over.

You can't deny your attraction to the man, a slow fall that you should have seen coming from the excitement of receiving his words every day until you were eagerly expecting the notes, to this first meeting where he's everything you expected from reading between his lines and even more.

Since the girls are pretty much full, you and Osamu clean off the new batch of gyoza between the both of you - him more than you, which you tease him about again. All the while, you're panicking about this new realization of your feelings, given that you're seriously crushing on a man who might only mean to help as a newfound friend and maybe you're the one reading too much into his interactions.

It's not until you've helped him clean up, collected the girls, and are watching him lock up the shop that you get some semblance of an answer.

"Thank you again Osamu. This was not only very instructive but Reina and I had a great time today."

He's holding Izumi's small hand in his, similar to Reina's in yours, and his other hand stretches up to rub at the back of his head, his arm bent at the elbow. When he speaks, it's not a direct response to your gratitude but a question instead, sounding somewhat unsure himself for the first time today, "How about next time we have a date that's more fun than instructive?"

Your jaw almost drops in surprise but you quickly collect yourself because he's still looking a little worried, maybe because he thinks he's overstepping by calling this a date or maybe because he's not sure you'll want another one even if you do accept that.

Your smile is quick to light up your face and, with a light squeeze from Reina's hand to yours accompanied by her and Izumi's giggles, you happily reply, "Just let me know when and where, and it's a date."

He grins again, the third time today your heart stops at what you're sure is usually a rarer sight since bodies aren't always dropping to the ground around him (that you've heard of). "I think I might already have something in mind."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, but let me look into it and get back to ya."

"Sounds like a promise."

With your final reply, a borrowed echo of his words to serve as a temporary goodbye, you and Reina split away from Izumi and Osamu. Heading for your car with once last look behind you, you're pleasantly unsurprised to find a flash of gunmetal grey also glancing back your way. Later that night, finished with your and Reina's joint skincare routine and having tucked her into bed, you find the expected message waiting for you.

A/N: Okay wow I had SO much fun with this one! I hope you all do too <3 It's not triple edited per usual so please do let me know if you catch any errors or issues. No promises but probably dropping Atsumu’s First Meeting next ;)

Taglist: @yatoatyourservice, @crayonwriting

© 2021 fayeimara. All rights reserved. Please do not repost, modify, or claim as yours.

[kyuuppi]

vegetable stew

Pairing: Kenma x Reader (f)

Contents: hurt/comfort; angst and fluff; body dysmorphia; eating disorder (negative thoughts, fat shaming, insecurity, mentions of starvation)

Word Count: 2.1k

Kenma has always been observant.

It was a large part of his success as a setter and even now his keen observational skills contribute to his career as a professional gamer. He tends to notice things others don’t and lately that means noticing how you’ve changed.

The more he thinks about it the more difficult it is to pinpoint the exact starting point of your behavior. Haven’t you always preferred baggy clothing?

He remembers the pretty blue sweater you used to treasure back in high school, wearing it every chance you got as soon as the weather report hinted at anything lower than 10°C. He loved that sweater too—not just because of the cute sweater paws it gave you or how it almost completely covered the shorts you wore beneath, offering an unobstructed view of your shapely thighs—but instead he relished in the way it seemed to make you feel. The confidence and joy in your expression was clear as day when you wore your favorite outfits and early on in your relationship he had quickly learned that somehow your happiness was synonymous to his own.

Hence Kenma’s current frustrations in seeing that spark of joy and self-confidence gradually diminishing in the past several weeks.

Although that particular sweater had long since left your wardrobe within the first few years of university, as well-loved and worn out as it was, the more recent favorites of yours have also seemed to have gone lately. It had been a while since you had worn the short yellow polka dot dress you had been so eager to show Kenma the first day you got back from the mall with your roommates. Every pair of shorts and colorful tennis skirts had also left your weekly rotation, leaving behind only dull sweatshirts with childhood cartoon characters and baggy joggers.

Objectively, Kenma hardly cared about what you wore. If fastening a potato sack around your form made you happy, Kenma wouldn’t bat an eye—the problem stemmed from the fact these clothes didn’t make you happy. Moreover, the bland clothing brought with them their own slew of behavioral changes.

You no longer wished to go out and you avoided taking pictures of yourself, your social media suffering from an obvious lack of cheeky selfies or “outfit of the day” posts as of late. However, the most concerning change of all was your refusal to eat.

Kenma had a habit of forgetting to eat himself. He rarely felt the mild twinges of hunger, his attention generally hyper-focused on something else whether it was a game, a video needing editing, or a class project he had pushed off for far too long. It was only when his own stomach growling would startle him or the hunger pains got unbearable that he would acknowledge the human requirement of sustenance (not that the instant ramen in his cabinets provided much nutrients anyhow).

You were much more in tune with your body and, unlike him, you looked forward to eating; scheduled your days around it, even.

Your mornings began with a balanced breakfast—a meal Kenma was rarely even awake in time for—followed by a generous lunch break in which you would intentionally put everything on pause. Regardless of how much work you had to do you always made time to put everything down and have a decent lunch. It was good for your soul, you would say. A time to live in the moment and relieve yourself of stress.

For dinner you often made it a point to eat with others, whether it was going to a rowdy Korean BBQ with some friends or a dinner date at home with just him, you enjoyed sharing a meal surrounded by the people you love. On top of it all, you frequently had snacks: small bags of crackers, slices of fruit, or a few cookies you made yourself.

You loved cooking almost as much as you loved eating; most of the times he invited you over you brought a large bag with you filled to the brim with ingredients he wouldn’t have a clue what to do with. You would chastise him about his awful eating habits, grimacing at the ramen and chip wrappers overflowing in the kitchen trash can before you diligently prepare a meal for you both, healthy and flavorful, full of the vegetables he hadn’t had since the last time he went home to visit his mom.

You made him look forward to meal times too, if only to see the way you light up when he compliments your cooking or the pure bliss when you take the first bite of your favorite side dish. Eating with you became one of his favorite parts of the day.

And so that last time you made him dinner—a steaming plate of curry with shrimp tempura—the normally delicious food suddenly turned sour on his tongue when he realized you had only made him dinner.

“I’m just not very hungry today,” you had assured him with a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

Foolishly, he hadn’t said anything at the time.

Maybe you had a large lunch, maybe you had a stomach ache, maybe you just didn’t want curry today—at that point in time he had no reason to think there was something seriously wrong. He had no reason to think you were starving yourself.

It wasn’t until weeks later when all the evidence stacked up, the many different signs piecing themselves together like a puzzle until it was impossible not to see the picture, even if a few were still missing.

Your baggy clothing, your refusal to eat anything, your off-handed comments about how the female characters in whatever fighting game he was playing had such nice figures—it became crystal clear what you were doing and it made him feel sick.

Kenma doesn’t generally care about others’ looks; he tends to worry more on how he is perceived than how he perceives others but he is confident that he rather likes your body as it is. He would rather die than admit how often he finds his gaze wandering when your legs are bare or how his eyes naturally trace the curve of your waist down to the width of your hips his fingers twitch to touch—he has had many thoughts about your body, none of which have ever been negative.

Even so, he doesn’t mind if you want to change yourself. He isn’t foolish enough to think he has the right to dictate how you decide to present yourself to this world, but he refuses to allow the reason for your change to be one that stems from low self-esteem or insecurity.

When you step into Kenma’s apartment, weary from a long day of classes and the extra hours spent at the gym, the last thing you expect is to be greeted by the scent of some type of stew, warm and hearty. Your stomach clenches longingly but you quickly reprimand yourself—you already reached your tiny caloric limit for the day.

You have hardly made it into the living room when Kenma comes out from the kitchen, dyed hair tied in a low bun but messy, several strands poking out and sticking across his sweaty forehead. A dark blue apron is tied around his waist and his right hand holds a ladle, the perfect image of a frazzled housewife. If you weren’t so shocked by the scene you would have laughed.

“Welcome back,” he greets softly.

“Are you...cooking something?”

Kenma looks slightly embarrassed by your incredulous tone but not offended. In all the years you have known Kenma you have never seen him in the kitchen for longer than the three minutes required to heat up a bowl of noodles. Him slaving away in front of the stove for a bowl of homemade soup is nearly unfathomable to you.

“Vegetable stew...it’s my mom’s recipe,” your boyfriend explains sheepishly.

The mental image of Kenma shyly FaceTiming his mother as she patiently walks him through chopping up carrots and mixing spices makes your lips twitch upwards and you make your way past him to curiously survey his work.

“You didn’t have to go through the effort, I could have cooked you something, y’know,” you comment as you lean over the large pot on the stove.

The contents are a rich brown color with hints of potatoes, carrots, and onions peaking out. You’re gifted another pang of hunger and you quickly step back as if it would prevent you from falling into temptation.

Kenma quietly slips into the kitchen directly behind you, his chest nearly brushing your arm as he speaks.

“It's okay, I wanted to cook for us this time.”

You freeze.

Immediately, you break into a cold sweat, the prospect of eating sending you into a state of anxiety. You can’t eat—you don’t deserve to eat. Not when your arms are so flabby, your waist so undefined, your inner thighs so close to each other—

“I appreciate it,” you start.

Your voice sounds unnaturally high even to your own ears.

“But I’m not hungry—I had a really big lunch.”

Turning, you try to offer him an apologetic smile but his face looks off. His lips are pulled into a slight frown and his eyes seem to be looking through you, as if he knows you’re lying.

“Y/n...I don’t like what you’re doing.”

You attempt to laugh but it comes out hollow.

“I’m not doing anything bad, just dieting a bit.”

“I think you’re being a little extreme.”

You huff, starting to feel defensive. You don’t want to have this conversation, not now, not ever.

“Kenma, I’m totally fine, I promise.”

“I’m worried about you,” he insists.

“I’m telling you there’s nothing to worry about, I’m being safe.”

“Skipping meals isn’t healthy.”

“Kenma, being this fat isn’t healthy!”

The words escape before you can think to stop them and you can already feel the shame pricking at your eyes as you turn away. You don’t want to see your boyfriend’s look of disgust once he realizes you’re right, once he realizes how fat and unattractive his girlfriend is. Kenma is skinny, he deserves a petite girlfriend who is just as tiny, a girl with slender legs that look cute in shorts and a stomach that lays flat regardless of the time of day. He deserves the sexy girls in his video games, in shape from years of training and perfected suited for tight leather bikini tops.

You don’t realize you’re shaking until Kenma wraps his arms around your shoulders, burying his face into the side of your neck. He lets out a shuttered sigh and if you didn’t know any better you’d think he’s crying as well.

“I love you,” he murmurs against your skin, “and I don’t like seeing you hurting yourself. If you want to lose weight, I’ll help you. We can make healthy foods together and eat them together and exercise together—just please stop skipping meals.”

Your throat feels like it's stuffed with cotton so you can only nod in agreement, raising one hand to weakly wipe at the hot tears staining your cheeks.

The two of you stand like that, huddled in the middle of the kitchen, for several long minutes until the last of your tears have gone before Kenma gently pushes you to sit down at the coffee table. He prepares two steaming bowls full of vegetable stew for you both and you silently eat as Kenma tells you how low calorie the broth is and how many nutrients his mom said were in the vegetables he used. He tells you about a new fitness game on the Nintendo Switch that you two can play together. By the time you finish your meals, Kenma has already promised to wake up early to go jogging around the neighborhood together even though you know he absolutely hates waking up early and exercising when he doesn’t have to.

Your chest aches with how much he loves you, how far he’s willing to go just if he thinks it will help you and make you happy.

A small part of your mind begs you not to listen. It insists you’ll be fat forever if you don’t starve yourself; no pain, no gain. But the more rational part of you gazes into those soft golden eyes, filled with concern and love as he rambles on about the best sources of protein—all stuff he had learned from his professional volleyball player friend Hinata—and you know your answer.

Kenma loves you, he would do anything to see you happy and healthy and you would do anything to please him.

You love him more than you hate yourself.

[cosmiclatte28]

Casual Intimacy (Mark Lee x you)

a/n : it’s my soft hours I guess? I made this sweet Mark Lee imagine (well for me this is sweet. I want a boy like this... if you’re that kind of man dm me 😜)

fluff, no warning, no suggestive content but kisses, and just Mark being a wonderful man for you. 

Happy Imagining Mark Lee as your s/o! 

People often ask you how you can hold on to your “plain” relationship with your current boyfriend. You seriously do not like them bothering you about your relationship life, but you need to deal with it considering the fact that the man you are dating is the famous Mark Lee of NCT.

He is dorky in camera, and in real life too. You pray day and night to the angels to make sure Mark is not tripping on some random stone or bump a pole. Guess your prayer works, when you see Mark always smiling in front of the camera coping up and working so hard with his endless job.

You yourself work in a famous two Michelin restaurant in Seoul. You’re not going to lie, you met Mark lee on your duty. NCT was holding their debut birthday and you were appointed as the chef to cook for their meal that night. Apparently, Mark Lee was super fascinated by your dish and he requested you to come greet the team when your job in the kitchen is done. Your head cook lets you leave your station once desert is prepared and the plates coming into the washing room is clean.

That was five years ago, Mark Lee got love struck by your simple but attractive persona. His eyes couldn’t leave you as you answer their questions on the dishes and you congratulating them. They’re glad when they learn that you listened to their songs and followed their schedules, just that you don’t have much time to be like the other wonderful fans.

Mark Lee looked so intrigued on you and as you bow to them bidding goodbye, he just returned from the restroom. With his long legs trying to catch his other brothers, Mark happened to slip his number on a piece of tissue paper to your pocket and gave you a genuine smile plus a “thank you”.

You earned a good pay that night and even better, Mark Lee’s number.

Well, he isn’t your bias but come on who doesn’t have Mark Lee in their bias list? Want it or not, conscious or not, Mark Lee is always in the list. So, that night when you finish showering and eating a light midnight snack, you gave the number a shot.

You thought your message will never be replied, maybe Mark will have his phone in silent and only opened up messages from his contact list. You’re lucky when your notification bleeped and from that night both of you learn more about each other.

He kept your number under your name, plain business people say, you also thought maybe he wanted to call you for another dinner party. But the chats he had been sending was far from platonic business. It involves jokes, puns, memories of living in Canada (well you graduated from University of Toronto, but cooking is your passion), and even deeper like late night talks.

The relationship got deeper when Mark Lee called you one night, asking if he can meet you in the restaurant. He said he needed a good meal to write a song he was assigned for. You found no correlation between a good meal and writing a song, but believe it or not, Mark Lee came with one  of the hottest selling song that month. Earning him a title of “King of Lyrics”

Since then, he called you again and again when he didn’t have the idea to write. You finally invited him over to your house when you got closer. Mark got to eat in your small dining table with a simple dish that was made with love and care that Mark said tasted better than any other dishes he ever had.

You laughed saying he is exaggerating, but Mark never exaggerates when he is with you.

“Be my girlfriend will you?” he one night asked after you teach him how to cook a proper egg. Despite him succeeding the challenge back in 2020, he still needs practice. He succeeded cooking eggs after knowing you for more than a year.

“Suddenly Mark? After you can make a perfect runny egg?” you giggle but nevertheless nodded your head.

His smile that night was even brighter than when he received any awards and praises. His eyes spark joys and emotions uncaptured by cameras. The world never knows how Mark’s true happy face looks like, but if his world is you, then the world knows!

For the first two year of dating, both of you are keeping it low. Dates happen in your house (your wage is enough to buy you a house). You always cook him foods, tried new dishes to him, earned a lot of complains on how the food is not “suitable for Korean tongue” which you always shrug off because he himself is a mix.

But thanks to his constant brave inputs, your dishes are perfectly blended and well known. News media and TV shows started to cast you in their weekend shows. You were offered a contract of a cooking show in a known broadcasting company.

Mark told you to go for it. He knew how happy you are about cooking, and his faith told him “if that is what was given for you, go for it.”

He was right. The internet loves you, they love your simple but tasty dishes. Your show was ranked the hottest that month, famous for helping college student eat a more delicious food.

NCT even did a special relay cam for it, each group were doing a challenge on following your recipes.

Mark was caught off guard on that live shooting day. His team consisted of him, Ten and Johnny.

And you may guess, things went wrong but in a chaotic fun way. When the three of them are together, they just speak in English and forgot all of the filters they should have.

Mark spilled his relationship when he accidentally said out loud “Of course I know how to do that, my girl has been teaching me that.” Mark boasted when Ten asked if Mark could make the egg benedict for their dish.

Johnny and Ten froze on screen, well the NCT members knew your relationship with Mark but they kept quiet. Mark realized what he has said was recorded and forever lives in the web. The comment section went wild and the fans are thrilled about the “mysterious girlfriend Mark has”.

He eventually spilled the truth on a press conference. You were there beside him when he faced the board director and when he sit in front of different mics and cameras flashes. No one knows but throughout the time, when your heart is beating faster than when you took your SAT and final tests, Mark Lee held on to your hand whenever you are answering a question directed to you.

The magazines are taking the favor of the rising topic, inviting you and Mark to take a photoshoot. When you were insecure about taking a picture with him (who has did countless shoots), he squeezed your arm when walking past you and gave a small proud smile as he went to change clothes while you start your personal shoot. No one saw that, but his quick reassuring squeeze boosted your confidence that day and the couple shoot was very nice! You could print that as your wedding pictures!

When the internet goes wild when they connect the theories and Instagram posts Mark and you both made (fans are the best in deciphering codes!), you now walk through the streets crowded by fans. All asking how is it like to date Mark, but not few also told you to screw off. One day when you both are going back to Canada for a winter break, the fans are crowding the way. You gulped when you have to walk pass them, but Mark looked so used to it. He just chuckled and landed a small hand on the back of your waist. With the manager hyung and bodyguard pushing to make way, you made it through the crowd with confident steps.

On the Christmas dinner, Mark was invited to your family dinner and vice versa. You had to attend their family lunch and to say you were nervous was an understatement.

“Mark, what if they don’t like me?” you asked on your bus ride to his house from the airport.

Mark laughed, he always laughed as his first respond, “Baby, it’s going to be okay. Trust me.”

You snorted, “You calling me baby is already suspicious, for three years we dated you “dude” me 70% of the time, “baby” was only like 10%”

He did the math, “Then what’s the remaining 20?%”

“You just call me “Bro” for the res of them.” You squeezed his cheek and planted a kiss there.

“I like it though, not too cheesy.”

He grew red. “Gosh I am having the Jaehyun syndrome. Why are my ears burning?!”

He was not 100% wrong, his parents were nice they grew fond of you especially when you helped his mother prepared lunch. Well you both arrived earlier and you decided to give a hand for the busy mom.

Mark sat next to you on dinner and when you were diving into a yummy Christmas pudding, his parents began asking you the “platonic questions asked to your partner”.

You almost chocked on your pudding when they asked “Are you seeing a future with Mark? Can you make our son happy and us too?”

You were not ready, you expected questions like where you work or where you live. They said “We can find all that answers in the internet, but not the answer to our question.”

Mark’s gentle kick from under the table by your side made you looked at him and he gave you that sincere smile only you have the privilege to see. He nodded slightly and shot his eyebrow to his parents side “Answer them… I am also curious of the answer.”

You grew red, it wasn’t the drink or anything, but his parent’s happy and relieved face when you nod your head and said “I am seeing a future with him, if I get both of your blessing.”

They love you and Mark was right. That night, you invited his family to join your dinner instead. The same question was asked from your parents to Mark and Mark was more than ready to marry you.

But your wedding bells did not chime that fast. He has his career and so do you, both of you just keep the stable relationship going on. Together facing the problems and obstacles in your relationship. Fights occur, bickering occur, threads of breaking up also happened once or twice… but both of you used that to build a stronger bond.

You always melt when Mark came home from a long day. After he showered and savored his dinner, he always ended up leaning on your shoulder in the big snuggle sofa both of you never regret buying. His head on your shoulder, his hand scribbling words to a paper and you whispering ideas to him which brought a big smile to his face.

Writing lyrics has been even easier for Mark, he blended your frustration with his, splattered some love words, and voila a masterpiece! People said his lyrics were relatable and both of you always keep it to yourself that “those happened in our life, no wonder it looked real.”

He always kissed you gently on your lips, tasting the faint cherry flavour of your lip balm. Mark’s lips tasted of medical lip balm, but you love it nonetheless.

You blinked and realized the flashing cameras in front of you. Oh right, someone from the hot magazine company is asking you a question.

‘Can you please repeat your question?” you asked politely to the lady holding out a mic.

She quickly nodded, “A lot of fans are wondering If you are still in a relationship with Mark. Mark was busy for the last months with projects and comebacks. And the interaction update from both of you are little to none. Fans suspected you were over with him, considering that Mark looked like he is the “plain” type in a relationship.”

You pressed a smile, hiding your urge to laugh out loud. Weren’t the fans always picturing Mark as their dream boyfriend? Why did they judge him as the plain boring type then?

You clear your throat and while looking through the crowds, you spot Mark Lee seated in the crowd with a mask and a hat, giving you a nod, and you turned your mic on.

“We’re still going strong; well I think love is not the type of grand gestures or explosive displays.” You started off and caught everyone’s attention.

“It’s made up of little things,” you felt your heart clench upon remembering all the small affections Mark always did to you. “It’s the little things Mark Lee did that say he is here, and he cared for me and that my life has intertwined so deeply into his that there was no need to think.” You take a pause to look at the audience.

Everyone looked impressed, but amongst them you catch one pair of gleaming proud eyes, the pair of eyes you’ve been waking up to for the last years, and the one you want to wake up to in the future years.

“It’s Mark’s casual intimacy that made us both stay strong and stronger.”

Applaud was heard through the room, you were holding your press conference because you were retreating from all the cooking shows and rumor has it you are going to marry Mark.

“Please pray for both of us, as we will be tying our bonds soon.” You leave the room after a bow and the man with mask and hat is already waiting for you outside the big crowded function hall.

His hand naturally makes its way to your waist and you never felt more sure to step into life with this man you love, Mark Lee.

“That was wonderful (y/n)~”

You smile, he did not dude you nor bro you nor baby you. “I love you Mark Lee,”

He leaned in for a peck behind the tinted black van window, “I love you most (y/n) Lee,” he winked and you rubbed your cheeks “Guess I have the Jaehyun syndrome now! Also I like it when you call me with that name.”

He quirked his eyebrow and smirked, “Don’t worry, you’ll be hearing that soon for the rest of your life.” He reached for your hand and kissed the knuckles.

“I met you thanks to your amazing handy work in cooking unforgettable dish.”

You rolled your eyes, “You were so amazed on my egg benedict Mark! How is that an unforgettable dish?”

He shrugged his shoulder, “I don’t know, something about you, cooking, and love made me this love struck and awfully amazed by simple things you did.”

the end

thanks for reading, put in comments for I’d love to interact with you on the story plot .. rant to me what you hate or like idc :D i want to talk with my readers! to thank you all for reading and spending some time here

omg i didn’t know if I made the right choice of making Mark Lee as this character, but I want it to be him.. I’ve been writing a lot of Jaehyun and Yuta fic and I guess Mark can be a refresher. Please let me know if someone else suits this better!

[stiltonbasket]

The babies. Anything about the babies. The babies getting lost in the rabbit field, the babies trying (and failing) to make breakfast for their parents, The babies and LQR. ANYTHING. as long as it involves the wangxian babies being cute and good babies

Lan Xiaohui's First Errand

by stiltonbasket

Summary:

“Do you have your hat, A-Yu?”

“Mm!”

“And your basket?”

Lan Yu holds up the meal basket dangling from his arm, full of delicious home-made snacks from his A-Niang’s kitchen. “Xiao-Yu has the basket!”

A week after his fourth birthday, Xiao-Yu sets off on his very first errand.

It goes (mostly) as expected.

魂兮歸来！何遠為些 室家遂宗，食多方些 稻粢穱麥，挐黄梁些 大苦醎酸，辛甘行些 粔籹蜜餌，有餦餭些 瑶漿蜜勺，實羽觴些 挫糟凍飲，酎清凉些 華酌既陳，有琼漿些

O soul, come back! Why should you go so far away? All your household have come to do you honor; all kinds of good food are ready: Rice, broom-corn, early wheat, mixed all with yellow millet; Bitter, salty, sour, hot and sweet: there are dishes of all flavors. Fried honey-cakes of rice flour and malt-sugar sweetmeats; Jade-like wine, honey-flavored, fills the winged cups Ice-cooled liquor, strained of impurities, clear wine, cool and refreshing; Here are laid out the patterned ladles, and here is sparkling wine.

—from Zhao hun (招魂), The Songs of the South

____

“Do you have your hat, A-Yu?”

“Mm!”

“And your basket?”

Lan Yu holds up the meal basket dangling from his arm, full of delicious home-made snacks from his A-Niang’s kitchen. “Xiao-Yu has the basket!”

“Shoes?”

Xiao-Yu kicks up the hem of his short white gown, showing the toes of two tiny cloth boots as his A-Die secures his hat strings. “I have my shoes, too!”

He stands still while Papa inspects the rest of his outfit, making sure that his hair is brushed smooth and that his mo’e is straight, and then he smiles from ear to ear when his parents swoop down to kiss his chubby cheeks.

“Xiao-Yu will be careful,” Lan Yu declares, peering into the precious basket and wriggling with delight at the sight of the wrapped-up snacks tucked neatly inside. “I’ll be good all the way, and bring Shugong his lunch.”

Today is the day of Xiao-Yu’s first errand: now that his fourth birthday has come and gone, he’s finally old enough to begin helping his A-Die and Papa with their duties around the Cloud Recesses, and the first important duty that A-Die decided to delegate to him was the task of delivering a lunch basket to the meishi where his Lan-shugong lives.

“Shufu has been tired lately, so he would rather not go to the senior refectory to dine with the rest of the elders,” Papa explained at breakfast. “He could have his lunch delivered out, but the food from the sect kitchens does not help to build strength. Wei Ying will cook luncheon for all of us and set aside a portion for your Shugong, and you must climb up the stairs to the meishi and deliver it to him.”

A-Yu has never even been allowed up the stone staircase to the meishi without Yuan-gege or his father holding his hands, so he spent the morning of his fateful adventure in the kitchen, almost quivering with excitement as he watched A-Niang prepare their lunch. Today’s lunch is sure to be delicious, since A-Niang made sanxian doupi filled with green onions and sweet succulent shrimp, and fried mustard greens cooked with a sprinkle of sesame seeds—and there is even a pot of hearty vegetable soup, which Xiao-Yu was permitted to stir with an enormous wooden spoon almost longer than he is. Papa packed up the doupi in a clean waxed cloth, and wrapped Shugong’s serving of mustard greens with hot rice and lotus leaves, and A-Niang put the soup in a covered dish and bundled everything into Xiao-Yu’s little reed basket with three steaming honeycakes for Great-uncle’s dessert.

“Maybe I should take it,” Yuan-gege frets now, as Xiao-Yu hefts the basket and trots past the scrubbed wooden table where he, Jingyi-ge, and Qing-jiejie were doing their homework. “Isn’t that too heavy for you, A-Bao?”

“I’m not a baby anymore,” Lan Yu declares. “I can pull A-Die’s vegetable wagon all by myself, and now I’m going to climb up the big stair to Shugong!”

Yuan-gege whips around towards Papa, probably to ask whether someone so small should be climbing up that long, winding staircase all alone, but Xiao-Yu hums his favorite lullaby and continues on his way unperturbed. When he looks back on the threshold, Yuan-gege, Jingyi-ge, and A-Qing-jie have all gone away to study somewhere else; but Papa and A-Die are still there, and A-Yu blows them a kiss before jumping down the porch steps and setting off up the path that leads away from the jingshi.

“I’m a great adventurer, climbing a mountain,” he giggles to himself, as he trundles along the grassy track and passes the smaller, straighter footpath that goes to Uncle Xichen’s hanshi. The main Lan family lives along the slope of a hill, with Shugong’s house at the very top and the jingshi close to the bottom, and Uncle’s house is right in the middle; but the hill only gets steep past the hanshi, which is why Xiao-Yu is never allowed to climb above it alone. Or at least he never was until today, because now Xiao-Yu is big enough to help Papa and A-Die with all the important things they have to do as Excellency and Xinhua-jun, so he’ll get to the top of the hill in no time at all.

During most of his walks through the Cloud Recesses, Xiao-Yu stops to look at wildflowers and peer into fish ponds along the way; but Shugong is counting on him, so he turns away from all the tempting zhuge cai blossoms and plants his chubby little foot on the bottom-most stair, staring dizzily at the steep steps as they climb up, up, up before vanishing from view. He doesn’t have A-Niang’s hand to hang on to, to keep his balance, and it wouldn’t do him any good if he did—because A-Yu has to carry the lunch basket and take care not to spill the hot soup inside, and it takes both of his dimpled hands to keep the basket steady.

“Don’t worry, Shugong! I can do it!” Lan Yu exclaims, climbing up a few more steps before squeaking in alarm as the basket lurches to the side. Xiao-Yu stops and takes off the lid right away, dreading the sight of A-Die’s delicious soup splashed all over the honey cakes—but the tiny soup pot is still tightly closed and shows no signs of leaking, so he marches up the stairs as calmly as he can before coming to a halt again when he hears quiet footsteps behind him.

The hill is completely empty aside from shrubs, a few trees, and Xiao-Yu himself, so he frowns and walks for another minute or two before he spots a pair of footprints in the grass right beside the staircase. A-Yu keeps going this time, blinking curiously when the footprints keep pace with him all the way up the mountain: one set on his left, one on his right, and one on the stairs just six or seven steps below him. They must be friendly ghosts, who saw him by himself and decided to keep him company, but they would have made their presence known if they wanted Lan Yu to see that they were there—so he pretends not to notice them while he climbs the last several chi, putting one foot in front of the other until he struggles up to the top.

“I did it!” he cries, clutching the precious basket to his chest as the meishi comes into view. “Shugong, shugong, Xiao-Yu is here!”

The doors to the meishi slide open as if by magic, and then Great-uncle is there, and Xiao-Yu toddles towards him as fast as he can before offering up the lunch basket.

“A-Yu,” Great-uncle smiles, lifting Xiao-Yu into his arms. “How did you come up all this way alone, ah? You’re too small to walk so far alone.”

“Xiao-Yu was too small,” Lan Yu announces, bubbling like an overexcited teapot when his Shugong peers into the lunchbox and makes appreciative noises at the tasty meal inside. “But now I’m big, so I can bring you food from A-Niang and Papa when you’re not feeling well! Shugong, do you like it?”

Shugong hums low in his throat. “I can see...hm, is that doupi? And Wangji’s favorite honey cakes?”

“It’s A-Niang’s best doupi!” Xiao-Yu nearly glows with joy as Shugong carries him into the house and brings out the food, transferring it to a set of serving dishes with plum blossoms painted on them. He tastes one of the doupi squares first, closing his eyes as the flavor of shrimp and scallions hits his tongue, and Xiao-Yu grabs a stray chopstick and pokes the lid off the soup pot so that Shugong can smell how wonderful it is: light and rich and savory-sweet, with pieces of soft eggplant and red tomatoes floating on top.

“It tastes divine,” Great-uncle praises, unwrapping the lotus-leaf package that holds the rice and mustard greens. “If I eat another meal like this tomorrow, I might be able to run all the way from Gusu to Lanling without even stopping for breath.”

Xiao-Yu dances back down the mountain after that, so quickly that the friendly ghosts who accompanied him on the way up keep falling behind, and collapses into Papa’s arms in the jingshi with all the satisfaction of a job well done.

“Shugong will get all better now,” he sighs, snuggling into his father’s sandalwood-scented robes. “A-Niang’s food is magic.”

“Aiyah, Xiao-Yu,” A-Die teases, as Papa chuckles under his breath and hugs A-Yu a little tighter. “It’s not magic, sweetheart. But Uncle will eat well if he likes his food, and eggplant soup and honey cakes and greens are some of his favorite dishes.”

“Honey cakes are Xiao-Yu’s favorite, too!”

A-Die throws his head back and laughs, and Papa reaches for a honey cake and feeds it to Xiao-Yu piece by piece while he regales them with the story of his perilous trip up the mountain.

“It was so high up, and I got tired,” A-Yu says importantly, licking honey off his fingers. “And there were three nice ghosts with me, but I couldn’t give them a taste of the doupi because it was for Shugong.”

“Such well-mannered ghosts! Did they ask you for some of Shufu’s food?”

“Well…”

____

“There were ghosts on the hill when Xiao-Yu was on his way to the meishi?” Lan Jingyi squawks, peering around the jingshi’s kitchen door. “Where?”

A-Qing reaches up and deactivates her invisibility talisman before pinching Jingyi’s ear.

“Silly melon!” she hisses. “He must have seen our footprints in the grass. We were the ghosts, remember?”

“...Oh. Right.”

“Hush, both of you,” Lan Sizhui whispers, his heart swelling to nearly twice its size as A-Yu yawns and falls asleep right in Xian-ge’s lap. “We can’t let Yu’er know we were there, so hush and go along with him when he asks you to help him look for his ghosts, all right?”

(And with that, the three of them tiptoe away, leaving little Xiao-Yu to his dreams in the warmth of his parents’ arms.)

[amysteriousmessenger]

‘When The Clock Strikes Twelve’ RFA (+ Saeran and V) x Reader, New Years Headcanons

Just a little something extra to celebrate the end of 2020, it’s been rough and I truly hope that 2021 is better for all of us. The RFA believes in you and hopes for a better year too!

(Mix of SFW and NSFW implied)

Zen/Hyun Ryu x Reader New Years Headcanons

Zen usually enjoyed going to parties on new years, but this year was different. He was spending it curled up on the sofa with you, and he was thankful for it. It was just you, him, some delicious food and plenty of beers.

The two of you would be watching a film together, and because he’s a gentleman, he let you pick. You settle on a musical, surprisingly not one he stars in, but that doesn’t stop him from knowing all of the lyrics to every song and serenading you with them.

By the time it’s 11.45pm, you’re both almost entirely out of alcohol and he’s somehow wiggled you into straddling his lap, not that you minded in the slightest.

The film continued playing but was long forgotten as you peppered lipstick filled kisses down his jar and neck. For a moment, you had both honestly forgotten that you were waiting for midnight, and only realised when you heard the sudden boom of fireworks that it was the new year.

Zen and you both scramble to lift your drinks up to toast the new year and resume kissing, almost aggressively.

‘Jagiya~ How about we continue this in the bedroom so we can Christen the new year properly?’ He’d whisper as he kissed up to your ear, before promptly lifting you bridal style off of his lap and carrying you into the next room.

Jaehee Kang x Reader New Years Headcanons

Jaehee was very tired by the nighttime, but it wasn’t often she got a paid holiday off so she wanted to take the full advantage of being able to spend it with you. The two of you spent the day baking, having fun, watching various musicals of Zen’s, relaxing and just enjoying one another’s company.

When it came to five to midnight, you would both be standing outside on her balcony ready to watch the fireworks and call the count down. The live News countdown would playing on the TV. Jaehee didn’t particularly care for New Years usually as she typically spent it alone, but she was enjoying making a memory of it with you.

You heard the countdown begin on the TV and felt Jaehee hold you a little closer against the chill air, a glimmer of excitement flashing in her honey eyes. ‘Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!’ you chant in unison as she turns with a smile, bringing your lips together. She had never had a new years kiss before, and it felt so magical with the fireworks illuminating the sky in colourful flowers behind you.

‘Happy New Year, ____. I hope we get another year of happiness together.’

Yoosung Kim x Reader New Years Headcanons

It was too far to travel to either of your homes, so you decided to just have a nice New Years together in his dorm. The two of you spent some time with his flatmates, made food together, played some LOLOL and settled onto his bed for a movie and a cuddle.

Yoosung was a little worried that maybe you weren’t having enough fun and that he wished you could have done something more exciting, but you assured him that you were more than happy to just spend the time with him.

You suddenly woke up when you heard his flatmates start yelling the countdown outside your room and shook Yoosung awake too. You hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but Yoosung was just so warm and cosy! Everything was happening so fast that by the time Yoosung was conscious, the countdown was already on four.

There was a slight confusion and panic evident across both of your faces as you suddenly, and probably with a bit too much eagerness, smashed your lips together at ‘one!’ so you both still got your new years kiss. 

After the moment of urgency had passed, you both looked at eachother, and down towards eachothers lips in a flustered embarrassment. Yoosung’s face had gone a little red, so you pressed another less time-sensitive kiss to his warm cheek.  - ‘Happy New Year, Yoosung.’ ‘Happy New Year, ____.’

Jumin Han x Reader New Years Headcanons

Jumin had the chef prepare a special evening meal for the two of you and had an extra special bottle of wine brought up from the wine cellar to accompany it. He usually spent New Years alone doing work since he didn’t feel like he cared enough about the holiday to prioritise it over getting ahead of his work schedule, but this year was different because you were with him.

He would have let you take the lead on how you wanted the two of you to spend the evening after the meal, and was delighted to find out that you just wanted to spend the time enjoying each others company and sharing some wine by his fire.

The countdown would have also been playing on Jumin’s huge television. He didn’t usually put it on because he never had time for such leisure, but you had wanted to watch the countdown and he would do anything to indulge you for it.

When it was two minutes to midnight, you both went out into his rooftop gardens to enjoy the view from his skyline. You heard the chants as the last ten seconds loomed and Jumin wrapped his arm around your waist, staring lovingly at you. 

When the clock struck twelve, Jumin dipped you into a long, sweet kiss before pulling you back up and wishing you a happy new year.

As a surprise, he had prepared a special fireworks show for you, featuring all your favourite colours in extravagant displays. It was like nothing you had ever seen before and you dare not think how much it cost him. It was such a sweet gesture that you couldn’t help but pull him towards you and kiss him again. He barely even watched the fireworks, he just watched you watching them.

After the fireworks had ended, like Zen, he also would have suggested ‘christening’ the new year and led you away to the bedroom for some extra celebrations. 

Saeyoung Choi x Reader New Years Headcanons

Seven had never celebrated a New Years, and he felt somewhat guilty being able to now, but he was at least thankful that he now had you and Saeran to share it with. He would have been determined to make it as special as possible.

You two would have watched a film together, eating the snacks that Saeran had baked and then prank called Yoosung and Zen. Seven watched to try prank calling Jumin but you reminded him that he didn’t want to go to federal prison.

He’d set off some very small fireworks in his garden for you all to enjoy, and would have chased you with a sparkler in hand. You saw Seven briefly consider chasing Saeran too, but one threatening look from this brother told him otherwise.

Saeran would have gotten too cold and went inside to watch the fireworks from his bedroom window, leaving you and Seven alone on the blanket on the garden floor.

Seven had set an alarm on his phone to warn him when there was a minute beforehand, and when it went off he pulled you extra close to him - so that your head was resting on his chest. 

You whispered the countdown together and you propped yourself up onto your arms to place a long kiss onto your boyfriends lips before returning to watch the firework display with him.

‘Happy New Year, ____. It’s been rough but I hope you put up with me for another one.’

Bonus: He tried to chase Saeran to give him a New Years kiss on the head and only stopped when he was threatened with getting tased.

Saeran Choi x Reader New Years Headcanons

Saeran didn’t... know what New Years was. He had always been the one to see it at a distance, or hear about it vaguely from other people. To him, it was just the day the calendar changed. He didn’t really know how to celebrate it, but he was open to learning if you were the one showing him.

You’d spend the day doing things that made him happy, namely starting with lots of baking and cooking because you knew how much joy it brought him to see you eating the snacks he made.

He wanted to watch films with ice-cream, and you were more than ready to oblige him in that. 

Seven had bought some sparklers for you to share because he didn’t know if Saeran would like the loud bangs of the fireworks at such close contact. But when it was night time, Saeran was absolutely captivated by the sparklers. He thought they were so pretty and adored the way they sparkled in your eyes, like tiny fireworks just for the two of you.

Speaking of fireworks, Seven stayed for a bit in the garden with the two of you before he decided he should probably go back to work and leave the two of you to enjoy some privacy. 

Saeran had never seen fireworks before, he already thought the sky was breathtaking regardless, but he had no idea that all these colours could be added to it. He felt like a child witnessing ti for the first time, and could barely take his eyes off it. His brother was right, he wasn’t a fan of the loud noises but he was willing to look over it in order to get to enjoy the fireworks. 

At midnight, you explained the concept of a new years kiss and asked if Saeran would like one, which of course he did. He was more than happy for one, actually. The both of you sat up for a moment and kissed by the light of the rainbow fireworks as you heard the final countdown indicating that the new year had begun. 

That, and the fact that Seven had come running outside banging pots and pans together and shouting Happy New Year! 

Jihyun Kim/V x reader New Years Headcanons

V had done both versions of New years, both at art exhibition parties and relaxing at home. He very much preferred the latter. He savoured the quiet time he had with you, the warm fire and a glass of wine- talking about everything, nothing, and whatever else you wanted to. 

It wasn’t a particularly special occasion for him, so like Jumin, he would let you choose how you wanted to spend the evening. 

He would, however, chosen the wine for you especially and wanted to cook for you - to show you his appreciation for all the love, time and patience you had given him over the last year. He would state that he could never encapsulate how he feels about you, but this is just a fraction of  start. 

When it was midnight, he would have taken his camera out with him to take pictures of you watching the fireworks, he wanted to capture a sense of innocence at the wonder but was slightly concerned that the fireworks would have been too far away. Even if that was the case, he still wanted picture of you to commemorate the new year.

The two of you would be standing on his back porch as the radio in the background called the countdown. When there were ten seconds left, V would turn to you and cup your face with once hand and pull you at the waist with the other; he wanted to remember how you looked in this moment. He could never capture such a thing with his camera, so he had to burn it to memory. 

The kiss was chaste, but with emotion behind it. You wanted to collapse into him under the kiss, but to do that you would have had to have broken it first, which you absolutely didn’t want to do either. 

[jsms01]

5 ways to change your mindset

When we’re struggling with our weight, it can feel like some things are out of our control – from the foods we eat to the everyday challenges that steer us away from making slimming-friendly choices. As experts in the psychology of weight loss, Slimming World will empower you to take back control and build new healthy habits that last.  Here, five inspirational slimmers share how being a member has helped them change their mindset around food and drink, and spurred them on to lasting success. Discover our latest special offers here

Yes you can… understand yourself as a slimmer

There are many reasons why we might struggle to lose weight. Some of them are known to us – like the foods we eat. Others might be just outside of our awareness. At Slimming World, we’ll help you uncover the deeper psychological barriers to your success, and then arm you with the tools to overcome them, so that you can develop healthier new grooves. MORE ON THE BLOG: 9 easy ways to make healthy habits stick

The support of her Slimming World Consultant helped Laura Allen understand the link between her emotions and her secret-eating habit… “I’d always been a big emotional eater and I used food as both a comfort and a reward, often eating in private so that my family wouldn’t know. When I joined Slimming World, it was such a relief to open up about my secret eating, and my group helped me to understand and gradually break the habit without ever feeling deprived. I finally have some control over my eating. Before, I’d pick my way through the day, snacking on crisps and chocolates and finishing with a takeaway. Now I cook my meals from scratch, making delicious Slimming World versions of my favourite recipes, like chicken tikka masala.” Read Laura’s full story here

Yes you can… stop negative self-talk

We’re much more likely to make healthy choices when we feel good about ourselves. However, that’s easier said than done, especially if we’ve fallen into the habit of putting ourselves down. Surrounding yourself with positive people who understand and genuinely care about you is vital when it comes to silencing that inner critic. In fact, our research found that 91% of our members feel more positive about themselves since joining Slimming World. MORE ON THE BLOG: The surprising stats that prove kindness is key to weight loss

Years of abuse about her weight had left Harriet Peacock feeling trapped in a cycle of negative self-criticism. But when she joined Slimming World, she found the acceptance she’d been looking for – and went on to lose a staggering 20st. “Over the years, I’d tried pretty much every diet going. They never worked and would usually end in a binge-eating session because I was so hungry, and with me branding myself as a failure who was destined to be overweight and miserable forever.  Group taught me that I was worthy of happiness and it gave me back my confidence. Apart from family and close friends, my fellow members were the first people who made me feel accepted. They just got it, were never judgemental and, as the weight came off, they cheered me on every step of the way.” Read Harriet’s full story here

Yes you can… fit changes around your lifestyle

You’re more likely to stick to healthy habits when they slot into your everyday routine. Our Food Optimising eating plan is fully flexible, so it can easily work with your lifestyle, whether you’ve got a busy family life, a full-on job, a packed social calendar – or all three! MORE ON THE BLOG: How to personalise Food Optimising to you

Before he joined Slimming World, Matt Symons thought he’d have to give up his social life to lose weight. Then a question from his Consultant changed everything… “I used to meet my friends in the pub after work almost every night, catching up over food and drink – I could easily get through 10 pints, then stop for a kebab or pizza on the way home. My weight crept up and up, but it didn’t occur to me to change my lifestyle. Then, just before Christmas 2016, a metal dining chair buckled beneath me at a friend’s house party. I joined Slimming World a week later. In one session, I talked about how I’d been avoiding the pub because I was worried I’d just regain all the weight as soon as I started socialising again. When my Consultant, Steven, asked me if I could change the way my social life was set up, it was a revelation. Everyone chipped in with ideas for nights out, and I started to meet up with my new friends from group for coffee dates and cinema trips. I also discovered that I really enjoyed tenpin bowling, and we started going for regular games. I was having a great time – without feeling hungover and low the following morning!” Read Matt’s full story here

Yes you can… get support on your terms

There’s no telling how or when life will throw up challenges to your weight loss. That’s why you’ll find lots of ways to connect with the Slimming World Community. Many of our Consultants have closed Facebook groups, where members can swap ideas, celebrate successes and help each other stay on track between groups. Plus, members enjoy exclusive 24/7 access to our app, with its 1,900 recipes, behaviour-changing tools, real-life success stories, progress tracking and the Slimming World barcode scanner, for support wherever you are and whenever you need us.  MORE ON THE BLOG: All about our barcode scanner

Member Charlie Morgan found the app an invaluable lifeline… “I downloaded the app immediately after signing up. On my first trip to the supermarket as a member, I used the Slimming World barcode scanner on my phone to check the Syns on anything I wasn’t sure about. I also checked the app if I needed a reminder about the basics of Food Optimising. In my first week, I was surprised by just how much I could eat on the plan – and even more surprised when I lost 5lbs!  That gave me the confidence to be a bit more adventurous the following week, so I looked up some of our favourite dishes and used the app to find slimming versions. My girlfriend is vegetarian, and we found lots of recipes that could work for both of us – we’d cook the vegetarian version and I’d add meat to my portion at the end.’’ Read Charlie’s full story here

Yes you can… let go of guilt and shame

These emotions are two of the most common stoppers to our weight loss success. Learning to shed the burden of them is a change most of us could benefit from making, and that starts with finding an environment where you feel safe and free from judgement – which is exactly what you’ll find in our groups and our online Community. MORE ON THE BLOG: Discover how Slimming World can set you free from guilt

A fear of failure meant Sophie Ratcliffe hid her slimming goals. By sharing her journey with other Slimming World members, she finally found the support she needed to succeed. “Before joining Slimming World, I never told anyone when I was trying to lose weight, as I was sure I wouldn’t succeed. My son was being bullied at school because of my weight, which made me feel so guilty, but I had no idea how to change things. It was September 2021 when I first walked through Slimming World’s doors. At 24st, I felt embarrassed by my size, but no-one made me feel self-conscious. The other members were such a lovely bunch, I instantly knew I was safe and that they wouldn’t be judging me. I left the session feeling hopeful for the first time in ages.” Read Sophie’s full story here If you’re looking for lasting weight loss, you’ll find a world of support waiting at your local Slimming World group or in our vibrant online Community. We’d love to welcome you!

Free 7-day menu

Would you love a taste of the Food Optimising plan? Enter your email address below to receive a full week of delicious Food Optimising recipes, as well as our regular newsletter packed with more Slimming World food, inspiring member transformations and exciting special offers.  Source link Read the full article

[toomanyrobins]

a little bird told me pt. 5

Summary: Y/N “Birdie” Parker left New York and her family three years ago in the middle of the night. Now, a call for help to her best friend brings her back into the fold of the Three Families and their “business”

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Parker!Reader

Content warning: physical abuse, miscarriage, allusions to fertility issues, cursing, mentions of forced marriage

Word Count: 2k

Notes: Surprise! It’s a boy!

Series masterlist // next part

The first day Y/N felt like herself and the injuries had mostly healed, Pepper insisted on them going into the city and shopping. With the holidays coming up, they had a lot of events they would be required to attend and Y/n didn’t think that her old style suited her very well. Before going to meet her mom, she stopped by the Ivory to drop off a coffee to Tony and Peter. The former had tried to convince her to bring some guards with her, but she rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness. She was outside the office texting Pepper, when she heard squeaking. When she looked up there was nothing there. She heard the noises again and followed it into the hallway. Y/N knelt down and stared into the blue eyes of a diapered baby. “Well, hello. Who do you belong to?” she lifted him out and settled him on her hip. As she shook the toy, he babbled at her.

“Jamie? Jamie!” Frantic male voices were heard calling through halls.

“If Jamie is a baby, you’ll find him in here with me!” Steve came flying around the corner, a wild look in his eyes. He lifted Jamie from her arms and hugged him to his chest, kissing his forehead. 

Y/n was surprised to see so much open affection from the blond. She tilted her head and stared, “So… who’s is he?”

“Mine,” his eyes never left the baby.

“You have a kid?” Y/N felt a twinge in her heart. Another thing she had missed because of her selfishness.

“You’d know about all of this if you had stuck around.” she winced at the harsh comment and before Steve could apologize, Bucky and Sam came running around the corner, “JAMIE!” They both ran over and quickly checked on the baby as well. The diapered infant just babbled at the three men and shook his toy, basking in the attention.

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did he end up in the hallway in just a diaper?”

Steve glared at his two friends, “I made the mistake of leaving him in the care of these idiots. I have meetings for George all day.”

“He just got away from us while we were having a discussion about what outfit to put him in,” Bucky at least had the decency to look ashamed about losing his nephew.

Sam turned to him and pointed a finger, “You know the whales are much more stylish, Barnes.”

Y/N looked at the men and shook her head, “I can help watch him. We could call it part of my amends.”

“Birdie, you don’t---” She gave him a don’t mess with me look and Steve sighed, “Would you, really? That would be a huge help. He just started crawling and it’s been an adjustment. Obviously.”

“I was going to go shopping with Pepper. I’ll just bring him along.”

“You’re bringing some men with you, right?”

Y/N rolled her eyes, “No, I hadn’t planned on it. Tony tried the same thing.” A mischievous grin spread across her face, “But, since they already had their day cleared to watch Jamie, I’m sure Bucky and Sam will be up to the task.”

“I thought if you would take the kid, I could get some other stuff done.”

“You thought wrong, Buckaroo. Boys, pack your bags. We leave in an hour.” Steve and Y/N walked away, talking about Jamie’s routine. The other two men were left glaring at each other, still bitter about their argument earlier. The duo walked into Steve’s office and were greeted with a baby explosion. 

The blond cursed under his breath, “I swear this room was organized when I left an hour ago.”

“I believe you, big guy.” She patted his arm, before turning to Jamie and picking him up, “Okay, little man, let’s get you dressed.” Y/N made quick work and blew a raspberry on his stomach when she was done. A huge smile grew across her face when she heard the baby giggles. She looked up and saw a strange look on Steve’s face, “What? Is there something on my face?”

“It’s just so strange to see you again.”

“Stevie…”

“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad. I’m glad you’re back. I’d forgotten what life was like with you around.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean let’s face it, Birdie, you have the nickname for a reason. You never stayed in one place long enough and it was exhausting the amount of energy you had.”

“Am I still that same person in your eyes?”

“Some of it is the same. It was always hard to imagine you settling down. But, the minute you are around kids, it’s an entirely different story. If you ever decide to settle down, you will be an amazing parent.”

Y/N’s heart clenched at the thought of her secret. She felt herself starting to get emotional and busied herself by going through the diaper bag. Once she had herself back under control, she smiled up at him, “Well, you made a damn cute kid, Stevie.”

“Don’t I know it,” he smiled down at his son. Y/N couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the imagery of the large man holding such a small child. “Okay, Jamie, be good for Birdie. I’ll see you later. Oh, and here’s a key to my truck and the apartment in case you’re done before I am.” 

“I’ll text you plenty of photos.”

“Thank you for this,” Steve leaned down to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear, “I missed you more than you know.” He had left her breathless with that last comment and she moved robotically as she put Jamie into the car and headed to meet Pepper. Her mother had raised her eyebrow at her showing up with the baby, Sam, and Bucky, but laughed when she heard the whole story. 

While her mother enjoyed shopping, the activity was the bane of Y/N’s existence. They moved quickly through the stores, grabbing what she needed and trying things on. Jamie was on his best behavior, even clapping a few times when Y/N had come out of the dressing room. Despite the fact that they all knew it didn’t mean anything, anything the baby reacted to was purchased. By the time they had finished, everyone was dead on their feet and the baby was knocked out in his stroller. 

Y/N decided to let Pepper take all of the clothes back to the house and she went back to Steve’s apartment to put Jamie down for a proper nap. Walking through the door was like entering a time capsule. The only difference was the addition of baby things. She walked through the hallway and looked at the pictures and framed sketches on the wall. Y/N stopped in front of a picture of them from Tony’s infamous Christmas party four years ago. Steve had been her guard for over a year at that point and the two of them had spent practically every day together. It was hard to believe how much the two people in that photo had changed. As she moved further down, the sketches she had stolen and framed for him still had pride of place. Her musings were interrupted by her phone chirping:

Steve: I’m sorry, but meetings are running longer than planned. Are you okay with Jamie? You can bring him to Becca if you have plans.

Y/N: No plans. I’m happy to stay. You focus on work. Little man and I got this.

She walked into the kitchen and found a drawer of takeaway menus and the cabinets only filled with food for Jamie. When he woke up from his nap, she pulled her shoes on, “This won’t do, little man. We are going to the grocery store." Y/N strapped Jamie to her chest and walked to the nearest store. They made quick work at the shop, filling the cart with essentials. Once she got back to the apartment, she put the baby in his high chair with a snack. Music filled the kitchen as she danced around. 

Steve came home and followed the delicious smells and music playing. He found Y/N in the kitchen, dancing with Jamie in her arms. He leaned on the door frame, watching her hips sway as she switched her focus between what was on the pan in front of her and his son. Birdie Stark was definitely not a teenager anymore. He walked into the kitchen and put his hand on her waist, making her jump. “Jesus!”

He chuckled and took Jamie from her, “Nope, just me, sweetheart.”

“You scared the crap out of me.”

He apologized, but didn’t sound that sorry. He stared down at her, thinking how the flush on her cheeks from the heat suited her. “Are you making dinner?”

Y/N suddenly looked nervous. “I’m not overstepping, am I? You said you’d be working late and I thought I’d help out,” she looked up at him and smirked, "Plus, I saw the takeaway drawer.”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell when I’m mad at a home cooked meal. But from what I remember, you once set fire to a pot of water.”

She threw her head back and laughed, “That was almost five years ago, I will have you know. My skills have vastly improved. Y/N realized how close she and Steve were standing. She pulled away and felt his hand slip away from where it had been resting comfortably on her waist. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Jamie who was babbling at him. 

Y/N dished up two plates and got Jamie’s bottle ready. “Birdie, you don’t have to do that. I can feed him and eat after.”

“You’ve been at work all day, Steve, and I know for a fact you forget to eat. I don’t mind, really.” She settled herself on the couch with Jamie in her arms and her plate on the arm. . He held his own bottle and she ate a few bites while staring at the baby in her arms. She was entirely unaware of Steve watching her, 

He rubbed his eyes and took a pull from his beer, “I can’t believe it’s only 7. I feel like today will never end.”

“Did you say 7? Shit!” Y/N looked worried, “I need to go.” She had forgotten that she had made an appointment with a doctor to make sure that she wasn’t pregnant. Her paranoia had taken over and she had to be sure. 

“Why? Where are you going?”

“Birdie, you’ve been going all day. Just reschedule.”

“I can’t, Steve.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t tell you.” They sat in awkward silence, the only noise coming from Jamie and he hungrily sucked at the bottle. She kept her eyes on the baby and whispered, “Are you mad at me?”

Steve sighed and came to kneel down in front of her, “Why would I be mad at you, sweetheart?”

She ran a finger over Jamie’s cheek, biding her time, “Because I’m keeping secrets. That tends to make others angry.”

“God, Birdie, no. I’m not angry. I’m disappointed that you think you aren’t safe to share, but i never want you to be scared of me.” Y/N nodded sadly. Steve wanted herto tell him everything, “Want to help me put Jamie to bed? 

She shook her head and passed the baby to him, “I should go. It’s late.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll just call for a driver. You haven’t seen Jamie all day, you should spend some time together.” Y/N grabbed her bag and jacket, and leaned over to kiss the wiggling child.

“I have tomorrow afternoon off, want to go for lunch?” Steve tilted her head up to meet her eyes, “We can go to Galletti’s.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Y/N got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, “Night, Stevie.”

He grinned, “What have I told you about calling me that?”

“Follow through on your threat and I might actually take you seriously.” 

[justthehiddleswrites]

Follow My Lead | Tom Hiddleston x OFC | Chapter 6 | You are not afraid to take up space in a room, so why be afraid to take up space in my life?”

A/N: This will update every Thursday.  There are 13 chapters.  There are all sorts of kinds of D/s relationships.  This is the one I choose to write this time.  

MASTERLIST HERE

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Vivian Swann)

Summary: Tom and Vivian have both been unlucky in love, searching for something outside of the bounds of a typical relationship.  When the two of them connect via a dating app, Tom is introduced to the idea of being submissive to Vivian.  Which is the one thing he never knew he needed.  Under the firm hand of Vivian, Tom learns what it means to submit and Vivian learns what it means to be in a loving dominant relationship.  But not everyone seems to understand what they have and the best intentions can destroy the strongest relationship.

This Chapter: Tom and Vivian define their relationship and a sassy Tom gets “punished.”

Warnings for story: Dominant/submissive relationship (sub!Tom), lots of smut including but not limited to: vaginal sex, oral sex (male and female receiving), edging, denial, teasing, use of restraints, spanking, multiple orgasm, anal play, use of toys.

Tag Lists Are Open!  Let me know if you want to be added.  Thank you for reading!

-

Tom lovingly washed Vivian’s body, taking extra “care” with her breasts and thighs per her request, crouching down to get her legs. She rewarded him with his own sensual cleaning, taking care to stroke his cock, earning several groans. A sweet kiss and they rinsed off. Vivian had Tom towel her off and then himself. She grabbed the robes, the blue one for Tom and a slightly longer one in dark green for herself. He tugged at the hem which barely skimmed his thighs.

“Let’s order takeaway.”

Tom nodded as he followed her out into the kitchen. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m ordering Indian. Pick out what you want.” Vivian slid a menu across the counter. Tom looked at the options.

“Butter chicken.” Vivian raised an eyebrow. Tom stuttered. “… and vegetable jalfrezi.”

“Wonderful choice. What did you eat today?” Vivian tapped on her phone, placing the order while glancing over at Tom.

“Um… I had coffee… and some cookies…. and maybe half a sandwich… and then some chocolate… and for lunch… um…” Tom rambled.

Vivian dropped her phone on the counter. “Unacceptable, Thomas.”

Tom’s eyes became very interested in the granite’s pattern of Vivian’s counter. “Yes, ma’am.”

“New rule. Until I tell you otherwise, you will text me after you eat your meals and tell me what you ate. You can’t continue to eat like you are twenty, sunshine.”

“Sorry. I was excited.”

Her face softened. “I know.” She moved over and rubbed his back. “But I can’t have you passing out because you forget to eat. Okay, sunshine?”

Tom nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Grab a snack and kneel by the couch and I will join you.”

Tom grabbed a granola bar and ambled to the living room. Sad that he had disappointed Vivian. He kneeled down and waited for her.

Vivian noticed Tom’s chin tucked to his chest, his lips pulled into a thin line. He had already eaten his granola bar. Tom sighed as she sat and placed his head on her lap. He let loose a small sniffle.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t need to make you upset.” his voice cracked.

She petted his head. “I’m not mad, sunshine. Disappointed a bit, but this is an easy fix. You are going to make mistakes and mess up. It’s important that we fix them. Okay?”

Tom nodded, leaning into her head, the repetitive motion of her hand smoothing his hair, slowing his mind. He sighed.

“I will do my best, ma’am.”

“That’s all I ask.” She smiled and continued to pet him until his shoulders relaxed and he leaned against her legs. Tom’s eyes closed as he focused on how nice it felt. “Better, sunshine?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m going to change to answer the door. Set the table please, and pour a glass of wine for me and one for yourself if you want.”

Tom rose and Vivian hugged him tight and kissed his cheek before they went to different parts of the flat. He found the plates and utensils and set out two settings. Tom grabbed two cloth napkins. He poured two glasses of water. The delivery person knocked on the door as Tom opened the fridge to find a bottle of white wine. His head darted around the door.

“I’ve got it, sunshine. Keep going.” Vivian breezed by in a shirt and shorts. Tom grabbed the bottle of wine and poured two glasses. The smell of spices filled the air and Tom’s stomach growled.

Vivian placed the bag on the table and they both sat. Tom grabbed his food and ladled a large helping onto his plate. He hesitated to eat while Vivian continued to fuss over her meal.

“Eat, sunshine. Don’t wait for me.”

Tom tucked into the food and groaned. “Thank you, ma’am. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“You worked up an appetite.”

They ate in contented silence. Tom devoured all his chicken and most of his vegetables, plus three pieces of naan. Vivian leaned back in her chair to watch Tom eat in delight, a smile on his face. He glanced over to see her staring.

“Sorry, ma’am.” he commented after swallowing his bite, placing his fork on the plate.

“For what? For enjoying yourself? For feeding that delicious body of yours? I have seen how you sit, sunshine. You are not afraid to take up space in a room, so why be afraid to take up space in my life?”

She stared at him. Tom chewed on his lip. “I don’t want to be a burden or get in the way, ma’am.”

Vivian stroked his hand. “You will never be a burden. It is my privilege to take care of you. For you to be mine.”

Tom’s eyes widened. “I am yours, ma’am.”

She smiled back. “and I am yours. Now let’s clean up and go to bed.”

Tom grabbed all the plates and utensils and washed them while Vivian packed up the leftover food and then hovered over Tom as he washed the dishes, her hands scratching up and down his back, even down his to his ass, delighting in how he jumped.

They headed off to bed. Vivian made Tom sleep in the nude while she pulled on a tank with matching shorts.

“I think I like you naked best.” she smirked.

“Yes, ma’am.” With a full belly, Tom grew tired.

“Goodnight, sunshine. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Yes, m…” Tom was already drifting off, pulling Vivian tight against his body. He felt warm as she snuggled into the curve of his body. He felt like home.

-

Vivian woke to a cold bed the next morning. She frowned, wondering where Tom had gone. She headed out to the living room and smelled bacon cooking.

Tom stood over her stove, wearing his robe, cooking breakfast.

“Who said you could get out of bed?” Vivian called out in a stern voice.

Tom jumped and turned, the spatula clattering to the floor.

“But… I…” he sputtered, scurrying to pick up the spatula.

“And who said you could wear clothes?” She stomped over to him.

“I…” He searched for the words. “I… wanted to feed you, ma’am.”

Her eyes twinkled with mischief, Tom recognized the look. It was one he often saw in his eyes reflecting from a screen. While dressed in green and gold. He was in trouble. But no real trouble.

Vivian clicked her tongue. “Twice in 24 hours.” Her fingers dragging along his shoulders. “I thought you knew better.” She leaned over and winked at him, Tom’s cheeks blushed and he smiled that lopsided smile making her stern face slip for a moment.

“Sorry, ma’am. What will you do with me?” He turned off the stove, leaving the bacon and eggs in the pan.

She pushed his shoulder, spinning him in place. “Are you sassing me, sunshine?

“No, ma’am.” The smile grew.

Vivian returned the smile. “I think you are. I think…” She yanked him down by the chin “… you need to be punished.” She pushed the robe off of his shoulders and it fell to the floor. “Turn around.”

Tom smirked as he slowly turned in place. Vivian tapped her foot.

“Bend over. Hands on the counter.”

Tom glanced over his shoulder. “I beg your par—”

CRACK! Vivian’s hand came down hard on Tom’s ass cheek.

“You don’t get to question. You obey me!” she called out as Tom lurched forward, propping himself on his elbows. The pain radiated from his ass through his body and to his surprise his cock grew hard.

CRACK! “I thought you wanted to please me.”

“I do, ma’am.” Tom responded. “I thought…”

CRACK! The three swat hit his ass, now turning a delightful shade dark pink. “… that you would defy me?”

Tom bit his lip. The pain was delicious. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

Vivian moved to his side to see his face. She glanced down to find a raging hard-on. Vivian mock gasped.

“Are you enjoying this, sunshine?”

Tom squirmed in place. “No ma’am.”

She reached out to grab his cock. He hissed. “Your cock says otherwise.” She released him and he whimpered. “Oh, did you want to come?” Another swat.

“Yes please, ma’am.”

“Only good boys get to come, sunshine.” CRACK! The final swat landed hard, his ass bounced deliciously. “Are you a good boy?”

Vivian stepped back and hopped onto the counter. Her fingers found her clit and rubbed. Tom’s ass, pink by her hand, turned her on.

“No, ma’am.” Tom didn’t dare to turn around.

“What are you?” His body heaved as he panted.

“A bad boy, ma’am.” His head dropped.

“Turn around.”

Tom slowly turned and his mouth fell open, watching Vivian pleasuring herself. “Ma’am, may I?” He stepped forward.

“No!” He stopped his tracks. “You are going to watch me and you are going hold your cock in your hand until I come.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He grabbed his cock and stroked it. He moaned.

“I will tell you when you can stroke yourself.” Vivian hissed. He stopped. “Watch me.”

Vivian spread her legs wider to give Tom a better view. Her fingers rubbed against her. Tom licked his lips. “Yes, ma’am.” His cock throbbed in his hand.

Vivian moaned as she closed her eyes. She was already close. “I can feel your mouth on me. Licking deep inside of me. You have such a talented mouth, sunshine.”

Tom groaned and fidgeted. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“I love coming on your lips, your tongue.” She hissed. “For you to lick up every drop of me.”

Tom huffed, his cock aching. His groans and moans tipped her over the edge.

“Yes!” she yelled as she came. “Here!” She beckoned Tom over. He lunged at her and she crushed her lips against his, wrapping her legs around him, holding him in place. Her hand snaked between their bodies and grabbed Tom’s cock, jerking at it.

“Please let me come.” Tom begged between gasps. His face contorted. “Please… please.”

Vivian sucked hard on the crook of his neck, leaving a mark. “Come for me.” she growled into his ear.

Tom’s breath became shallower, and he groaned as he came. Vivian aimed his cock so his cum spurted onto his stomach.

Tom shuddered as it hit his skin and he slumped back against the counter. Vivian slid down and readjusted her robe. She sidled up to Tom and kissed him tender. Her hand rubbed along the red skin of his ass, soothing some of the pain.

“Clean yourself up, sunshine, and let’s eat.” She slid the towel in his direction.

-

Once they finished the breakfast Tom cooked, which was delicious, Vivian fetched some papers.

“Here.”

“What’s this?” He flipped through the pages.

“A contract.” Vivian sipped her coffee.

Tom smirked. “Do I need a lawyer?”

“I am a lawyer. It defines the nature of our relationship and it includes an exit clause.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “I can assure it is not legally enforceable but if it makes you feel better… here.” Vivian produced a second set of documents.

Tom recognized that second set. “A non-disclosure agreement.”

“Security. For you. In case you are worried, this is an elaborate ruse to destroy you in the press.”

Tom read through everything. “What’s in it for you?”

“You. Your smile. Your delicious ass. Your service. I hope eventually your love and devotion.”

“And all it costs is my submission.”

“And your consent. If you are not wholeheartedly into it, that is fine. We part ways here and no hard feelings. But if you are committed, because I am, we sign this and establish the rules.”

“And I walk away?”

“Yes, and so can I, like any relationship.”

Tom chewed his lip before clicking the pen and signing the contract. He shoved the NDA back at Vivian. “A relationship, any relationship, needs to be based on mutual trust. I’ve never needed a NDA before, I certainly don’t want to start now.”

Vivian smiled and signed as well. “I will get you a copy before you leave. Now the rules and protocols.”

“Haven’t we established those?” Tom rose and cleared the plates, placing them in the sink to wash later.

“This is a bit more formal. To avoid some of those awkward moments. I imagine at some point we will appear together in public where there are photographers. I doubt you want anyone overhearing people calling you ‘sunshine’ or you calling me ‘ma’am’.”

“So what are you thinking?”

“When we are in private, just the two of us in our homes or a hotel room or rental home, you address me as ma’am and I will address you as sunshine. When we are out and about, we both use the word ‘darling’. You defer to me and I take the lead, except at your work. I will never interfere with any part of your acting.”

“Thank you… ma’am. What else?”

“When you are here, you are either wearing your robe or are naked, unless I have said otherwise. You send me a picture first thing in the morning when you wake, yes you can be clothed. And you text me at night before you go to sleep. I expect you to tell me your schedule for the week or better yet, we give each access to our calendars. For events, you send me options for your outfits and I make the final decisions. And finally, your orgasms are mine.”

Tom’s eyes snapped to stare at her. “My…”

“You can masturbate if you want, unless you are told otherwise. But no cumming without permission. If you do, I expect you to tell the truth. What do you want from me?”

Tom blinked. “What do I want?”

“This isn’t a one-sided relationship. What do you want from me?”

“I guess I want security. I want to know you will do what you say you will. I want consistency and dependability. And I want flexibility. My job doesn’t always allow for me to do things as I would want or when I want to, but I will do my best to comply. And I really, really want to continue having sex.”

They both laughed. “I really want to continue having sex with you too. And the rest of it I think I can handle. But if something isn’t working, you need to tell me.”

“Okay…” he nodded as though committing to this. “… I can do that. I’m going to do the dishes. Do you have any plans for today, ma’am?”

“You are going to my hair appointment with me and then we are going shopping for a bit and then some lunch. Did you have plans?”

“Wide open, ma’am. I didn’t know what you expected of me.” Tom turned on the water and made quick work of the dishes. Vivian took a quick shower while Tom finished cleaning up, and then Tom took his turn.

Vivian fished out a small jewelry box out of her top dresser drawer and spun it in her hands. Everything was moving fast. Very fast. But her heart ached for Tom. For his gorgeous smile and generous spirit.

“What’s that, ma’am?” Tom appeared at the door, towel hung low around his hips, the mark on his neck darkening.

“Nothing, sunshine. I don’t want to pressure you.” She scrambled to put away the box. Tom slowed her hands.

“It’s for me, isn’t ma’am?” His eyes wide.

Vivian sighed. “Yes, but it’s too soon…”

Tom squeezed her hand. “May I please see it?”

She didn’t know what to do. Tom held her hand, not moving one way or another. “Please don’t be scared off.” She shoved the box in his direction.

Tom opened the box to find a gold signet ring, a swan imprinted on it. “A ring?”

“It will be a day collar. A sign of ownership.”

Tom pulled the ring out and tried it on his pinky. “It feels nice.” He replaced it into the box and closed the lid, sliding it back to Vivian. “Hold on it until you are ready to give it to me, ma’am.”

He kissed her and moved to grab his bag and dress for the day, tugged on his boxer briefs and jeans. Vivian replaced the box into her drawer and then walked over and hugged Tom tight, cupping his face and kissing him hard.

“Thank you, sunshine. You are a wonderful boy.”

Tom smiled. “Yes, ma’am. Now I believe we have a hair appointment to make.”

-

Tom was the talk of Vivian’s salon. At least one of the patrons asked for a photo, which Tom obliged but declined to sign an autograph.

“I’m afraid this is my private time, I’m so sorry.” He apologized with a dazzling smile.

Vivian beamed with pride, at the grace and ease in which Tom moved through the world.

“I wonder who he came with?” Andy, your stylist asked. He hadn’t seen the two of you come in.

“I wonder indeed.” Vivian answered with closed lips.

Once she was done, Tom met up with her as she paid at the counter.

“And I thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful, darling.” He kissed her cheek. Andy’s mouth dropped open.

“Tom, meet my stylist, Andy. Andy, meet Tom, my…” she hesitated.

“… boyfriend.” Tom saved the moment, shook Andy’s hand. “And it is my pleasure. Thank you for making my darling Vivian,” He squeezed her tight and Vivian rubbed his neck. “as beautiful as I see her.”

Andy sputtered. “You’re welcome.”

Vivian paid and then they walked out of the salon. She grabbed and kissed him in the street. “Thank you, darling.”

“You are welcome.”

“I believe you have earned a reward, darling. Remind me when we return home.”

Tom gulped. “Of course.” She squeezed his hand.

“And now I believe some shopping is in order.”

-

Tom soon found himself laden with bags. Some with clothes for Vivian, some for him. Right now, Vivian was trying on some dresses while Tom sat outside the dressing room to give his opinion.

“What do you think of this one?” Vivian spun out in a gorgeous patterned white dress. It nipped in at her waist and showed off her sculpted shoulders.

Tom rubbed his chin. “I think I like this one the best.” He got up and twirled her about.

“But where would I wear it? It’s not exactly courtroom attire.” She pondered.

“Who cares, darling? We can find an occasion.”

“Thanks.” She headed back into the dressing room.

When Vivian emerged, she handed all the dresses to the attendant and headed into the store. Tom’s stomach growled.

Vivian wrapped her arms around his waist. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving. Where are we going?”

Tom’s phone beeped; he ignored it.

“I think I saw a pub down the street advertising burgers. How does a burger and a pint sound?”

“Delicious. Lead the way.”

When they arrived at the pub, Vivian ordered them each a pint and cheeseburger before excusing herself to the bathroom.

Tom checked his phone. A missed call from Benedict. He punched in the number.

“Hello?”

“Where are you, Tom?” Ben asked.

“Out with Vivian. We’re at lunch and before that, shopping.”

Benedict let loose a low whistle. “What has been a month? And she already has you holding her purse. She must be some kind of girl.”

“Woman. And she is the best kind. It’s not like that, Ben. I enjoy spending time with her. She is extraordinary. Now was there a purpose for your call?”

“Just checking in, that’s all. I don’t know what kind of power she has over you, but be careful with your heart, mate. I would hate to see you get hurt again?”

Tom glanced up to see Vivian coming his way with a big smile on her face.

“I’m fine, Ben. I promise. She has the power she needs. Got to go, bye.” Tom hung up the phone before Benedict could protest.

Vivian rubbed his neck before sitting. “Benedict?”

“Checking in on me. He seems to fancy you some sort of temptress hell bent on leading me astray.”

“Only if you beg, darling.”

-

Vivian and Tom returned to her house and spent the rest of the weekend reading, laughing, and making love, sometimes with Tom tied up and even once in Vivian’s oversized tub.

Vivian didn’t want the weekend to end. She didn’t want to go back to office and leave Tom behind. There was a sadness in the air when he left on Monday morning when she woke.

“Don’t forget to text me what you eat for lunch and dinner.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And we are meeting for lunch on Tuesday.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Vivian grabbed his chin and jerked him into a soft kiss.

“I’m going to miss you, sunshine.”

Tom sighed into the kiss. “I’m going to miss you too.”

He squeezed her tight, and she scratched the back of his neck, earning a satisfied hum before Tom stepped out to go home.

-

It was a hellish Monday for Vivian. There was an emergency pleading that needed to be drafted. She spilled coffee on her shirt, having to wear a spare one in her office, and she broke a nail. As lunch came around, Vivian leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. There was a knock on her door.

“Miss Swann,” Mary, her secretary popped her head in. “There’s a delivery for you.”

“Put it on the desk.” she grumbled.

“Here you go. Someone has an admirer.”

She popped open an eye to spy a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers with a card and a large box.

“What the—?” She opened the card.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.

Hope your day is a bit brighter, your sunshine T.H.

Vivian smiled. “What a romantic.”

Her eyes turned to the box and lifted the lid. It was the dress she put back yesterday. The one Tom said was the best. He had gone back and bought it for you.

Mary stood off to the side and cleared her throat. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Um… no one.”

“He has to be someone. I’ve never seen you smile quite like that before.”

“Shush. And don’t you have some letters to write for me?”

“Right away, Miss Swann.” Mary scurried out of the office.

Vivian called Tom.

“You hopeless romantic.” she called him out.

Tom laughed into the phone. “I see my surprise arrived. I told you I had the penchant for Shakespeare. I apologize for the cheesiness of it all, darling.”

“And the dress, you shouldn’t have, sunshine.”

“But did it make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Then it was worth it, ma’am. I only wish I were there to see your smiling face.”

“I’ll send you a picture. But where am I going to wear this dress?”

Tom took a deep breath. “How do you feel about tennis?”