#spring so i can see my buddies once again

[gothamite-rambler]

"Why does he keep aiming for that spot?!"

Batman lay face down on the ground, groaning in pain. His groin throbbed painfully from two brutal kicks delivered by Lex Luthor's nearly steel-toed boot, nestled within that ridiculous suit of his.

Superman stood nearby, sympathetic to his friend's plight but secretly grateful it wasn’t him on the receiving end.

Superman (comfortingly): So, uh, you doing okay, B?

Batman: He kicked me in the groin twice with that damn suit. You think I'm doing okay?

Superman: It can't be that bad, can it?

Batman growled in response, still writhing in discomfort. He was familiar with the idea of turning pain into strength, but this was an entirely different matter. Lex relished seeing the caped crusader in such distress.

Lex: Ah ha! Look at me, I've got the upper hand on Batman!

Superman (pointing at Batman): All you’re doing is kicking him in the crotch! That’s a low blow, literally!

Batman (deadpan): I hate you right now for saying that. And I hate Lex for putting me through this.

Lex: Well, that's what he gets for thwarting my plan to eliminate you! He’s lucky all I did was kick him where it hurts. With a limp dick like that, I can’t imagine he gets much action anyway.

Batman groaned and struggled to his feet. Fueled by frustration, he lunged at Lex, but the villain seized his fist and swiftly delivered a third kick to his groin. Batman whimpered and fell forward.

Batman (with a heavy sigh, fighting back tears): Oh God, that hurt even more than the first two!

Superman (glaring at Lex): Dude seriously, knock it off! That's the lowest type of fighting. I rephrased it for you, best buddy.

Batman (weakly, eyebrow twitching): Don't call me that while we're in the middle of a fight!

Lex: You’re losing this fight, Batman. You’re so stubborn—just stay down, you weak beta! Unlike me and my super suit!

Batman rose to his feet once more, refusing to give up, which made Superman groan in embarrassment as he shielded his eyes. Lex retaliated with a punch that sent Batman sprawling backward. Undeterred, Batman charged again, only to be knocked down once more. Superman quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a collision with Batman as he crashed to the ground for the second time.

Superman (frustrated): Batman, can we team up to fight him already?!

Batman (on his knees, gasping): Just... give me a minute.

Lex (annoyed): Ugh, he is persistent.

Superman: You have no idea. He’s actually a really decent guy once you take the time to know him.

Lex: Doubtful.

Superman: He’s usually calmer than this, but you did insult some of his family. That’s a sensitive topic for him.

Lex (uninterested): Don’t care, Superpussy.

Superman rolled his eyes. Batman, clearly in agony, mustered the strength to spring to his feet one last time, but it quickly became apparent that Lex was enjoying this brutal exchange as he kicked him in the crotch for a fourth time. Batman was regretting not adding a codpiece to his suit.

Superman: Can we call for a time-out before he makes himself infertile?

Lex laughed and, with a triumphant nod, walked away. Superman approached Batman, who lay on the ground, desperately trying to suppress his screams.

Of course! Here’s the revised version with "dick" included:

Batman (pained confusion): He keeps kicking me in the dick—why? Why does he keep kicking me in the dick?!

Superman: He just doesn’t like you. Welcome to the Lex Club. But I think I have a good idea.

Batman (with fierce indignation): If you suggest you hit him really hard, I swear I’ll kick you in the dick with kryptonite shoes!

Superman: Well, we could... hit him really hard—

Batman growled in pain, doubled over.

Superman (nervous smile): Together?

Batman (with reluctant resignation): Whatever.

--- Three hours later ---

Wonder Woman laughed hysterically as Batman, now out of his suit, iced his groin while lying flat on the floor. Unfortunately, the ice didn’t take away the pain.

Batman (groggy): This is not funny!

Wonder Woman: I’m sorry—no, I’m not! I can’t believe he kept targeting your crotch. Why didn’t you stop charging at him after the second kick?

Batman (weakly): Because the Batman doesn’t go down easily!

Wonder Woman: Or because you’re the type of man to engage in a dick-measuring contest with a villain. And he wasn’t even one of yours!

Her laughter only intensified as Batman scowled, frustrated that she had a point. He certainly didn’t want Lex to get away with his jibes about Nightwing.

Wonder Woman: What happened to your pre-planning?

Superman: He was pretty enraged, to be honest. But at least we finally took him down together. I told you hitting him really hard would work!

Wonder Woman (still chuckling): I love that you risked your normal bathroom habits and the chance of having kids just because you didn’t want to let Superman help you.

Batman remained silent, choosing to lay there, engulfed in both pain and embarrassment.

[bitegore]

sometimes i'll be like "the world is so hostile to my friends :(" and i mean some shit like "my human friends are marginalized in some way and people treat them like shit and systems are designed to push them out and crush them down". And sometimes I mean "spiders are skittish because other things eat them :((((("

[svltzmans]

jealousy, jealousy (part ii) - h.m.

a/n: hi! i got a request for a jealous hope fic and i thought i'd continue the one i posted a while ago that i really had fun writing! i hope you all like it <3

warnings: smut (18+), dominant! hope, edging, rough sex, just some kinky stuff ok, forgive me for i have sinned 😭, also platonic reader and lizzie bc i love her, i didn't edit this so hopefully there are no mistakes?

y/n and lizzie sit across from each other at a table in the library, both engrossed in a biology textbook.

with exam season fast approaching, studying became top priority for almost everyone around them.

through conversation, lizzie and y/n had realized they both could use a study buddy.

y/n never considered herself to be close with lizzie. she always viewed the witch as an acquaintance. a classmate.

but ever since the two had started studying together, they developed a genuine friendship.

a friendship that involved hours in the library after class, laughing and talking despite the subject matter they were supposed to be reviewing.

y/n didn't feel the need to tell her girlfriend, hope, about her budding friendship with lizzie. hope wasn't the type to worry about y/n's friendships, and their relationship was built on trust.

however, when hope walks into the library and sees her girlfriend and lizzie laughing together, her blood suddenly runs cold.

maybe it was because another girl was making y/n laugh so much, or because lizzie was conventionally gorgeous.

either way, she felt the jealousy growing in her lungs.

before she can act on her feelings, she leaves the library, making her way back to her own bedroom.

hope springs up when she hears a knock at the door, and a smile creeps across her face when she realizes it's y/n.

"hey," y/n leans in for a kiss on the cheek, bringing an instantaneous blush to hope.

hope steps to the side, gesturing for y/n to come in.

once y/n is inside and the door is closed behind her, hope takes hold of her wrist in a way that makes y/n's heart drop to her stomach.

"hope, what's up?"

"what's going on with you and lizzie?" hope replies, blankly staring into y/n's eyes.

"lizzie? lizzie saltzman? hope, nothing is going on-"

hope cuts y/n off with a kiss, threading her fingers through strands of her hair.

y/n pulls away momentarily, a puzzled expression on her face.

"what was that for?"

"it just seems like you need a reminder that you're my girl."

"what, i can't study with someone els-"

hope cuts her off again, gently pushing her toward the bed as they kiss.

when hope lays y/n down, she makes sure her hands are wrapped tightly around her wrists to restrict her movement. she hovers above her girlfriend, their lips still attached.

y/n instinctively spreads her legs as her and hope continue to make out, hoping for any kind of touch from the girl above her.

as soon as hope notices, she moves her knee to y/n's still clothed core, putting more and more pressure until she earns a loud moan against her lips.

"mmph, hope, more," y/n mumbles between kisses, trying to grind into hope's leg.

"more, huh baby?" hope taunts, pressing harder with her knee.

y/n can't believe how close she already is, considering that her and hope are still both fully clothed. yet, the pressure in her stomach continues building until she feels like exploding.

"oh my god, hope," y/n practically screams, grabbing onto hope's shoulders.

just as y/n is seconds away from falling over the edge, hope pulls her leg away.

y/n can't help but whine at the loss of contact, and she looks up at hope with a pout.

"you didn't think it was gonna be that easy, did you?" hope teases, pulling y/n into another rough kiss.

hope moves to undo y/n's pants, running her hands up and down her legs slowly.

something in hope wanted to make this as tantalizing as possible for y/n. she wanted to see her writhe and beg, completely at her mercy.

but she also desperately wanted to fuck her.

and that desire only skyrockets when y/n is bare in front of her.

"so wet, y/n. just for me, huh?"

"god, yes hope, just for you."

y/n is growing desperate, and her first denied orgasm wasn't helping. she was flushed, lightly sweating as she continued to sink into the sheets below her.

hope gently rubs y/n's clit with her finger, knowing that she wasn't doing nearly enough for her.

"harder, more, please hope. want more," y/n arches her back, trying to encourage hope to apply more pressure.

it's then that hope effortlessly slides two fingers into y/n, the girl above her letting out a guttural moan.

"fuck hope, just like that baby," y/n praises, her hands both tightly gripping the blanket under her.

"this is what you wanted, huh pretty? you wanted me to fuck you with my fingers?"

y/n can't help but loudly whine at her girlfriend's words, growing dangerously close once again.

"gonna cum on your fingers, hope, so close."

when hope hears those words come from y/n's mouth, she stops moving completely.

"please don't stop hope, please. please make me cum," y/n begs, making eye contact with her girlfriend.

hope's eyes are dark with desire as she looks back at y/n, her finger lazily rubbing circles on y/n's clit.

"please, hope. gonna be a good girl for you."

with that, hope continues fingering y/n at a quickening pace, determined to finally bring her over the edge.

"right there hope. my god, please let me cum."

"cum for me, y/n. you've earned it."

y/n's whole body shakes, her hands desperately trying to find something to grip. the intensity of her orgasm wasn't something she had ever experienced before, the new sensation making her shamelessly scream in pleasure.

when y/n comes down from her high, hope has moved to lay next to her.

"you look so pretty," hope coos, tucking a strand of y/n's hair behind her ear.

"hope, you know there's nothing going on with me and lizzie, right?"

"i trust you, y/n. wholeheartedly. i love you," hope smiles, resting her hand on y/n's cheek.

"i love you more."

before hope knows it, y/n is peacefully asleep next to her.

she wraps her arms around her girlfriend, pulling a blanket over the two of them.

"goodnight, my love."

[wjhik]

More dad!Jude please‼️‼️

Y/N’s POV:

Jude and I, along with our three energetic kids, Arlo, Lily, and Mia, were getting ready for a delightful day out. “Alright, everyone, let's get our shoes on! We’re going to have the best lunch ever,” I announced, fixing my breezy sundress in the mirror. Jude was wrangling little Mia into her shoes while Arlo and Lily giggled, racing around the house. “Don’t run in the house! You’ll break something!” I yell out to my 4 and 5 year old to get their attention. “I want ice cream!” Arlo exclaimed to his father, his excitement apparent as he tugged at Jude’s hand.

“Of course, buddy, but let’s have some real food first, yeah?” Jude chuckled, tousling Arlo's hair affectionately. I smiled at the sight, my heart swelling with warmth as I watched my husband effortlessly connect with our children. I couldn’t ask for a better man to be the father of my children. 

As Jude and I were following behind our children who were leaving the house, he pulled me in by my waist. I was shocked by the sudden action and gasped, “Jude!” He looks into my eyes and then down to my lips. “You look delicious, my love.” He leaned down to peck my lips. I protested into the kiss. “Baby. Not now.” I said sternly, but secretly blushing at my husband's actions. He let go of me and let me walk out of the house, him following close behind. He curved his neck to see if our kids were watching and gave me a quick spank. “Jude!” 

↭

After a satisfying lunch filled with laughter, spilled drinks, and mess, we made our way to the park. Arlo took charge, leading his sisters on a wild adventure through the playground while Jude and I watched closely, trailing behind them. We share knowing glances. “Do you ever remember us being that full of energy?” Jude whispered, his hand finding Y/N’s as they strolled along the path.

I grinned, squeezing his hand gently. “I wouldn’t trade this chaos for anything in the whole wide world” I replied, stealing a quick kiss. The kids, oblivious to their parents’ tender moment, continued their antics, racing around in a game of tag that seemed to have no end.

“Lily, mind your sister please.” Jude chimes in. Just as he said that, the youngest got pushed over in the midst of the chaos caused by the older two. Jude and I jump up to check on Mia. She’s crying loudly, however she is fine. Jude picks her up and bounces her up and down in an attempt to cheer her up. 

“Now, what did I tell you guys?” I asked the kids. “Be careful.” They said simultaneously. “Yes, and did you do that?” I followed up. “No, mama.” They said once again. I crouched down to speak to them at their level. “Right. Now, I want you to go to your sister and apologize and give her the biggest hug.” I told them. They sprung up and jumped up at their dad in an attempt to reach their sister. Jude squatted on the floor and put the baby at eye level. They smothered her with hugs and kisses and she started laughing her little bum off. Mia wriggles in Jude's arms, trying to get out, so he lets her down. She waddles back out to the small grass hill where she and her siblings were playing and the fun began once again.

As the sun began to set, Jude and I scooped up our children and moved to where the spring fireworks would be taking place. We found the perfect spot to settle down and laid our fuzzy picnic blanket out. Jude and I lay down with Mia in his arms. Arlo and Lily snuggled up between us, their eyelids gradually growing heavy with the promise of dreams. Mia, nestled in my arms, gazed wide-eyed at the colorful bursts in the sky as Arlo pointed out the shapes and sizes of them. 

As the final firework fizzled out, the kids now fast asleep, Jude leaned in close to me, his voice low and suggestive. “You know, watching fireworks isn’t the only thing that lights up the night.” I laughed softly, feeling a familiar spark ignite between us. “I think we can manage to find some more sparks later,” He teased, his eyes dancing with mischief as we gathered our sleeping children, Lily and Arlo in their father’s arms and me pushing Mia’s stroller and headed home, the memory of our playful day lingering like a sweet summer breeze.

[tinyluvs]

Hii! Heard you crave fluff 🤭 (Please no angst, I'm not in the mood to bear it😭)

Something like Reader isn't feeling well physically (like just some flu) but Hotch and Jack being super caring and sweet, and just comforting her 😭

i gotchu, jack n hotch are my babiesss, enjoy !! ♡

you’re sitting in what can only be described as a blanket fortress when aaron comes back into the living room, bowls in hand. he stops to admire his sons handiwork

“look daddy!,” jack squeals, tiny hands shoving and tucking the edges of what you hope is the last blanket, around your sides, “all tuckered up,”

“tucked,” you correct him softly, hand brushing through his hair as he leans back and plops down next to you, “i didn’t know you had so many blankets,” you say to aaron, both of you fighting a laughing fit

aaron hands you and jack bowls, both piled high with ice cream, “neither did i,” he chuckles as he sits on your other side, his bowl resting on his knee, “how’re you feeling?” he asks

jack had given you his cough and cold, nothing serious though both boys are acting like you’re knocking on deaths door, “i told you, i’m absolutely fine!” unfortunately for you, your voice cracks and causes you to break out into a coughing fit

the child beside you gasps, springing into action by forcing you forward to pound his tiny hands against your back while his father just chuckles at you both

“thanks buddy,” you croak out with a feeble thumbs up when he decides you’re okay again. you simply don’t have the heart to tell him you weren’t choking and neither does aaron

the room falls into a comfortable silence, just spoons clinking against ceramic while you all watch a rerun of spongebob on the tv, jacks pick but you have no complaints

thanks to the blankets you start to sweat, your cold chills banished for the time being, “i’m too hot now,” you whine quietly, shuffling into the space under aaron’s arm

“take some blankets off then,” he mumbles, lips pressing against your warm forehead, his fingers combing through your hair ever so gently

you groan, knowing it’s the only option, “i don’t want to make jack feel bad though,” you rush out before stealing a spoonful of ice cream from your boyfriends bowl

he huffs, “you’ll make me sick,” he points out though there’s no fire behind it and when you look up at him with a soft and slightly cheeky smile he takes the opportunity to sneak a quick kiss

“you’ll make me sick,” you mock, moving away from him so you’re sitting again and not slouched against his side, “jack, honey, i’m really hot now, can i take some of these blankets off now, please?”

jack thinks, deeply, swirling his spoon around in his ice cream so it makes what he calls ice cream soup, “can i have one? i’m cold,” he asks and you nod, “okay then,” he concludes with a shrug

aaron snatches your bowl from your knee as it wobbles, allowing you to stand and shed the blankets off of you, letting them fall to the floor in a pile which you’ll clear up later

“which one do you want?” you ask jack, both of you staring down at the pile. you already know he’s going to choose the avengers one, it’s his favourite and he was quick to let you borrow it in your time of need

silently he points, to the avengers one, with his spoon. you scoop it up from the floor and throw it over the smaller boy before plopping back into your space

“here,” aaron hums, pushing your bowl against your hand causing you to flinch when it’s cold on your skin. your bowl, upon inspection, has less ice cream in it than when you left it

“how could you? stealing from your sick girlfriend.” you huff, staring into your bowl so he doesn’t see your lips pressed tight, refusing to smile

“ah, i thought you were fine,” aaron smirks, you only know because you feel it against your temple. he kisses you once before standing, “ do you want anything from the kitchen?”

the question is aimed at you however jack perks up before you do, "more ice cream!" he shrieks, waving his bowl at his father, the spoon flies out, thudding down onto the carpet with a dull thud, "uh oh"

you snicker, stopping short when aaron shoots you a look, "uh oh indeed," he sighs lightly, bending to grab the spoon, "no more ice cream for you buddy," he says, tapping the sticky spoon off of his sons head

jack takes offence, immediately. he flies off of the couch at speed, taking off after aaron who dashes towards the kitchen. you take a second to cough before following them

when you get to the kitchen jack is stood on the counter while aaron stands in front of him, both of them waving a spoon at each other like swords.

"ha ha!" jack laughs, smacking his dads spoon hard enough to send it spinning out of his hand. aaron gasps and lunges towards jack, swiping off of the counter, one arm around him while the child screams and shrieks

you giggle and smile at your boys as aaron sits jack on the edge of the counter before he's reaching for you, hands grabbing at your hips. he lifts you onto the counter, putting you right next to jack, "now you've cooled down, temperature," he mumbles to himself turning to rummage through a drawer

"i wanna do it, i'm a doctor!" jack announces, snatching the thermometer from aaron's hand. he turns towards you, face fiercely serious, "go ahhh," he demonstrates, mouth open and tongue poked out

"ahhhh," you parrot, letting the child push the thermometer into your mouth while aaron stands arms crossed in front of you, "i bet you i'm fine," you mumble around the object

the thermometer beeps and gets ripped away from you a second later, "daddy?" jack huffs, realising he can't read what it says.

aaron turns it towards the light so he can see the numbers before he smiles, "hey, you're all good," he hums, hand smoothing over your knee, "just the cough we have to get rid of now,"

"yay!" you and jack celebrate, arms in the air

"which means," aaron cuts you both off, voice louder than yours and his sons, "no more ice cream for dinner," he smiles to himself as he turns to dump the previously forgotten about bowls into the sink

jack gasps up at you, genuinely looking sad as you wrap an arm around him, pulling him tight against your side, "don't worry jacko," you whisper, "give it two days and daddy will be sick and then we will be eating all the ice cream we want,"

"awesome"

thanks for reading! remember to like! reblog! and comment! i’ll give you a kiss if you do, mwah ily !! send prompts to my ask box!

[atinyniki]

take your time.

group: ateez !

pairing: idol!song mingi x f!reader

genre: angst with a fluffy ending

warnings + additional info: reader is referred to as y/n, established relationships, pregnancy, lots of blood, childbirth, arguments, hyunwoo (xikers) is y/ns little brother, mentions of a miscarriage, jiyoo is the daughter of mingi and y/n, guilt, kissing, reader almost miscarries, cpr on a newborn, mentions of divorce, mingi almost gets into a car accident, tad bit suggestive at the end, fainting.

authors note: holy fuck this is actually so sad... at least its a happy ending tho <3 i really hope you guys like this ! please dont read if youre not comfortable with themes relating to birth and miscarriage </3 this is also not proofread. english is not my first language, so please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors. happy reading :)

wc: 3107

HUGE TW, PROCEED WITH CAUTION: reader almost has a miscarriage, pregnancy, blood, and the pain that goes along with it.

“don’t fucking touch me.”

he instantly backs away, hands clasped in front of him. “we’re leaving.”

he looks back up at you, a crestfallen look on his face. “what…?”

“it’s not fair, mingi. you can’t just jump back into our lives like this.”

“i’m not jumping back, ive been here!”

“jiyoo doesn’t think you love her anymore.”

“what?!”

you huff in frustration, he’s clearly not getting the message. “don’t you get it? it’s because you’re never there, mingi. you might be in the house, but you’re still always working. you don’t have time for us, not at all, and come to think of it, you don’t deserve our love. so we’re leaving, i’ll come back once i’m ready.”

he lets the words sink in, still sat in shock. his daughter doesn’t even know if he loves him. he’s failed her, and he’s failed you. he’s even failed his son, before he was even born.

“i know you said not to touch… but can i do something?”

“a hug isn’t going to fix anything, mingi”

“i know, but can i still do something?”

“make it quick.”

he walks over to you, tears slipping from his eyes even though he tries to suppress them. he kneels down in front of you, lifting up your shirt to kiss your baby bump.

it’s the same thing he’s been doing every night, yet you’re never up to see him do it, and the sight alone causes tears to spring to your eyes. “i’ll see you soon buddy, i love you.”

he stands back up, mustering the best smile he possibly can with all the pain in his heart. “can i see jiyoo?”

you nod, and he instantly sprints to her room. “jiyoo? can i come in?”

she opens the door immediately, squealing in delight and throwing herself into her dads arms. “i missed you!”

“i know princess… i know.”

she instantly picks up on the tone in his voice, a little confused. “what’s wrong abba?”

“nothing! don’t worry baby… are you excited?”

her face instantly lights up at the mention of her little vacation. “yeah! im so excited to see uncle hyunwoo again, i missed him.”

he giggles along with her, pinching her cheek softly, “yeah, i bet you did munchkin.”

“i just wish you could be there with us…”

“it’ll be fun! tell me how your birthday went, yeah?”

she nods, hugging him tighter. “i will…”

a moment of silence passes, and she stays sat on his lap, hugging him and relaxing in his arms. mingi relishes in the moment, afraid that this might not happen again for a while.

“sugar?”

“mmm”, she replies sleepily.

“i love you…”

she turns back up to look at him, “i know abba.”

he shakes his head, guiding her face to look up at him with his two large hands. “no baby… i love you.”

“what’s going on?”

“please d-don’t forget it… i love you to the ends of the universe”

“i love you too, abba”

his façade is cracking, he can feel it. a singular tear slides down his face after he kisses her cheek, and he quickly wipes it away. this is for the best, and he knows that it’s what you both need right now. 

“alright, i’ll call amma and she can help you pack, okay?”

“we already packed though?”

“oh… yeah i’ll just- i’ll go get her.”

you see him enter the living room again, “you two have fun yeah? call me if you need me.”

you can only nod, grabbing the bags and placing them in the trunk. you finally come back inside, ushering jiyoo out of her room and bringing her over to the car.

but before you get in, he stops you. “y/n.”

“hm?”

“i love you.”

you stop in your tracks, unable to say anything back. normally you’d reply with the same three words in a heartbeat, but it didn’t slip off the tongue naturally anymore. 

it makes sense, considering how long it’s been since you’ve said it to him. “i know, mingi. take care.”

you get into your car, unable to bear the sight of him anymore, and you make your way out of the driveway. “amma, why is abba crying?”

“he’s not crying, baby.”

you turn your head to look at him, he’s sat on the porch, hands clasped over his mouth. he waves one final time, his face contorting into a painful expression.

and now you’re certain. 

he’s crying.

“whatever you decide, we’ll be right here. we’re always here for you, you know that right?”

he nods, tears leaving his eyes. he normally stays strong, only letting the tears out around you. you’re his safe haven, and yet the tears seem unstoppable now.

they pour down relentlessly, unable to keep themselves in for mingis sake. san pours him a glass of water, sitting down next to hongjoong. 

“i don’t think i can do this right now…”

“that’s okay mingi�� you can go on hiatus. you need a break.”, hongjoong suggests.

“i don’t wanna let you guys down.”

“we don’t have much to do the next couple months, you know. we’ve recorded everything for the comeback anyways. please?”

he knows they’re only looking out for him. “okay… fine. i’ll finalize everything soon.”

the boys all comfort him through it. none of them have gone through this type of pain, but it seemed that they all knew how to comfort him. 

he’s grateful, but he doesn’t feel fulfilled. he’s not happy. he’s not happy, because they’re not you.

he walks home that night, scared to drive in the state he’s in. his eyes are blurry, he can hardly see, but he tries his best to find his way back properly.

that is, until he crosses the road next to the dorms. he could’ve sworn the light wasn’t there. all he could process was a flash of white, and he braces himself for the impact.

the next thing he hears is a loud screech of the tires, and the driver instantly gets out to check on him. “mingi are you okay?”

he looks up at him, its hyunwoo, he realizes. “y-yeah im okay…”

he tries to walk back down the crosswalk, but hyunwoo stops him. “mingi…”

“i’m fine.”

more tears leave his eyes, and hyunwoo instantly goes to hug him. “you’ll be okay, i know it. just give her some time.”

mingi hugs him back even tighter, completely unaware that you’re watching from the backseat with jiyoo. “thank you.”

“i’m always here.”

that’s what everyone says. everyone is always there for him. you were always there for him.

but now you’re not. now you’re gone, because of him, and he has to deal with the consequences.

“h-have a good night hyunwoo.”

before he can answer, mingi sprints away, too scared to see him. his eyes are the same as yours, and he can’t bear to stare into them anymore.

he wants it all to end.

he scrolls through his twitter feed again, making sure his eyes aren’t deceiving him. no, they aren’t.

there’s an article about his rumored divorce, all he can do is hope you haven’t seen them yet. before he knows it, it hits twelve. he grabs his phone from the dresser, dialing your number.

no answer.

he tries again.

no answer.

he tries calling hyunwoo, and he finally picks up. “hello?”

“hey woo…”

“mingi?”

“sorry to bother, i was just wondering if jiyoo is still awake? i wanted to wish her a happy birthday.”

he chuckles awkwardly, “she’s awake… but i don’t think- um…”

“oh, yeah… that’s okay. can you just tell her i have a gift waiting for her at home? thanks…”

“yeah, i’ll tell her. how are you doing? i saw the articles.”

“i don’t know.”

“what do you mean?”

“i don’t know how im doing, not right now. goodnight hyunwoo”

“oh- i- goodnight?”

he quickly hangs up the phone, unable to say anymore. he’s scared for his life. is jiyoo having fun? are you doing okay with your pregnancy? are you still upset?

he hopes you’re feeling better, he truly doesn’t want you to waste your tears on him. 

it’s been two months since you’ve last seen him, and you think you’re doing a lot better. you know you miss him, and you know you will return, but you don’t know if you’re ready yet.

you know it’s very unfair to him, not being able to see jiyoo, but there’s a lot going on in your life right now. you don’t think you’re ready to face him, even though you truly do miss him.

“amma?”

“yes baby?”

“this vacation is getting boring…”

you give her a soft smile, picking her up and placing her on your lap. “i know baby, we’ll go home soon.”

you play a little more with jiyoo, until you see her start to cry. it breaks your heart even more. you have to talk to him.

and so you do. you grab a couple things, bringing jiyoo in the car with you. you both arrive at your home not too long after, it’s been too long since you’ve even seen the place.

you knock on the door, and you hear shuffling from the end. your heart rate quickens, still scared of what’s to come, but you’ve come too far to let it go now.

he opens the door, a look of surprise on his face. and then his eyes meet yours. it’s almost as if it’s been flipped. last he saw you, your eyes were red, and his were happy, bright. and now his are red, and you look much better than you did before.

his eyes then fly to the little girl next to you, running over to give him a hug. he falls to his knees before he can even think, sobs racking his body once again. “abba! i missed you.”

his body shakes with his cries, smoothing down her hair and kissing her cheeks. “i missed you more, my princess…”

you enter the house, closing and locking the door behind you. you set your things down by the door, and you just sit there and watch. your heart melts at the sight.

you feel guilty for keeping them apart so long, but you needed time. maybe you still do, but there’s nothing you can do now.

he stands back up, bringing jiyoo to her room to get her into bed. “i don’t wanna sleep yet…”

“i know sweet girl… i’ll tell you what, if you sleep now, i’ll show you your dollhouse first thing tomorrow.”

“okay! goodnight abba!”

“i love you pumpkin.”

he leaves the room not too long after, watching you pace the room. you’re crying, he can see the streaks over your face. he slowly walks over you, careful not to startle you.

“are you not ready…?”

“i don’t know…”

“we don’t have to talk right now… but i’m here for you.”

you turn your head towards him, utterly touched by his words. you would have never guessed that he’d be so patient with you, and it finally slips naturally.

“i love you, mingi.”

“i love you too.”, he replies without missing a beat.

“i’m sorry i didn’t tell you when we left. it’s been eating me alive.”

“that’s okay, i put you in a lot of pain. i understand, i promise.”

a moment of silence passes between the two of you, only your shared sniffles heard from time to time.

“im sorry i came here unannounced. jiyoo just missed you a lot…”

silence.

“i missed you”

he looks back up at you, almost sobbing now. he tries to wipe his tears away, but they just keep coming back.

that’s how it is with mingi. you’re his safe place, and he will let every emotion out with you. 

“i missed you so much more… you’d truly never believe it”, he whispers.

you give him a soft smile, opening your arms to him. “c’mere”

“what? really?”

“yes! come here, i missed you.”

he’s hesitant at first, but the second he feels you around him again, he melts. his heart feels too much at once, and he starts crying again. no. wailing.

he gasps for air again, rather harshly, and tangles his hands in your hair. he inhales again, all of his senses completely overridden. by you.

“oh baby…”

he hugs you tighter once he hears the pet name, and you smooth down his hair with your hand. “i promise i’ll be b-better… i know i’ve been terrible to you, but ill try my best. i’ll take breaks, ill spend time with you, and ill take care of myself too… just don’t go.”

“i’m not leaving you, sweetpea… im here. calm down.”

he looks up at you, stars in his eyes, “can i… kiss you?”

normally he’d never ask for permission, but you remember what you said during your argument. it breaks your heart thinking about how much that must have affected him.

you lean down, meeting his lips in a soft kiss. he cradles your head in his hands, his touches feather-soft. you finally pull away, just to stare at him. 

“you’re so beautiful…”

“hm?”

he giggles, “you’re just beautiful. i don’t think i tell you that enough.”

you hug him tight once more, missing his touch. he gets up not too long after, helping you up too and pushing your hair out of your face lovingly. 

“mingi…”

“hm?”

“how are you?”

“oh… i don’t know yet…”

suddenly, there’s a sharp pain in your abdomen. you look down, but there’s nothing there. “baby? what’s wrong?”

you can’t get any words out, scared for your life. you feel something trickling down your leg, so you look. the blood drips onto the floor, the pain becoming unbearable.

“mingi…”

mingi doesn’t say anything, quickly grabbing his phone from his pocket to call an ambulance. “stay with me baby, come on…”

you can’t do it, it hurts too much. you sink down to the floor, trying your best to stay awake, but it’s so hard. you want to scream, but you can’t, not with jiyoo here…

you push and push, but your body finally gives out, losing so much blood that you fall unconscious in the puddle. 

“yes- yes i’m here…”

“are they crying?”

“n-no, he’s not breathing.”

“alright, stay calm, the ambulances are on the way. i want you to perform cpr on him, make sure you press only about an inch deep.”

he’s done this before, he knows how, but his hands are shaking so much and he’s just so scared. he finishes the compressions, giving him two breaths and returning back to pressing down on his chest.

“nothing… nothings happening…”

he continues pressing, tears streaming down his face. he’s blocked out every other voice, only thinking about you and his baby. 

and then he hears it. a shrill cry rings out through the room, and his eyes widen. he picks him up, carefully cradling him. he’s obviously premature, and mingi is deathly scared of what’s to come. 

just then, the ambulances arrive. mingi quickly informs the dispatcher and hangs up. he watches as they take you and the baby away to the ambulances and he rushes to jiyoos room.

“baby. you need to wake up.”

“mmm?”

he picks her up before she can question, “close your eyes. please.”

she complies, almost falling back asleep amidst all the chaos. he runs out the house, hopping in the passenger seat while they operate in the back.

his heart is beating a thousand times a second, tears streaming down his face. “abba…? why is there blood on you…?”

“just close your eyes princess…”

his hands are smeared with blood. his clothes, along with jiyoos, are ruined. his mind will never be the same after going through such a thing.

but all he can do is cry.

you’re finally all together, all four of you, yet it’s been almost four weeks since the birth. jihoon has spent a lot of time in the NICU, but he’s finally getting to see his new home for the first time.

mingi unlocks the door, opening it for you as you make your way in with jihoon. jiyoo has been giving him her love in every single way possible.

small hugs, sweet kisses, and cute little smiles whenever he blubbers in her direction. your heart swells at the sight. you don’t know how to explain it, but it just feels… right.

you set jihoon down in the crib, allowing him to get some rest. you decide to lay down too, calling it an early night. you’re still recovering, and it’s been hell so far, but mingi has been with you every step of the way this time.

the two of you lay together in bed in peace after so long, smiling and just simply staring at eachother. he grabs your hand, holding it up to his chest. “i’m proud of you, you know. you’re so strong…”

“mingi, you’ve said this like… nine times.”

“the amount of times i’ve said it doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. you are so incredibly amazing and just… the perfect mother. a fucking superhero, if you will.”

you giggle, “okay now you’re just overreacting.”

he pulls you closer towards him, kissing over the palm of your hand and gently closing his hands around it. “i’m so glad you both are okay…”

“mingi…”

“im sorry i keep bringing it up… it’s just- i could have lost you both.”

“you’re okay baby… im here.”

he scoots closer to you so that you’re chest to chest, nuzzling his face into your neck. he plants soft kisses onto your jawline, the sweet gesture just seeming so much like him.

“i love you… thank you for coming back to me.”

you kiss his forehead once, then twice, “i could never be away from you forever, you know.”

he smiles, kissing over your neck again. his kisses start to trail down lower and lower, suddenly stopping at your chest. “agh! mingi, not now!”

“not doing anything… just kissing.”

he places wet kisses all over your chest and collarbone, smiling when the marks change tint. “missed you, y/n…”

you grab onto his hair for some control, squirming underneath him. that is, until you hear a loud cry from the baby monitor. the two of you giggle again, this was going to be a lot of work.

he pulls away from you, quickly getting out of bed. “i’ll put him back to sleep, don’t worry.”

he walks over to you, leaning closer to whisper into your ear. 

“i’ll be back soon baby, just sit here and look pretty for me…”

<3

[earthtoharlow]

Teach Me: First Comes Love…

Series Masterlist

Urban took photos as he watched Jack work and nodded his head to whatever beat he was playing in his head but he couldn’t help but notice the bulge in his pocket.

With a knowing grin, he nudged Jack and raised an eyebrow. “So, buddy, when are you gonna pop the question?”

Jack sighed, his shoulders slumping as he leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been trying, Urb. But every time I muster up the courage, something goes wrong, and the moment is ruined.”

Urban chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “You? Mr. Cool and Collected? I find that hard to believe!”

Jack rolled his eyes playfully, and thought about all the times he tried to propose to Ariel.

Jack had a meeting in New York and since it was spring break they decided to turn it into a weekend trip. Jayla was a couple feet in front of them as they strolled through Central Park. His heart was pounding in his chest as he reached in his pocket to make sure the velvet box that seemed to be glued to his pocket was still there.

“Ariel, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

But just as he was about to pop the question, a small brown puppy ran towards Jayla, startling Ariel. “Did you see that?!” she exclaimed, completely oblivious to Jack’s intentions. She skipped over to Jayla who was now playing with the dog in the grass.

Not being a big fan of dogs, Jack signed and he tucked the ring back into his pocket, saving it for another time.

Ariel gasped in delight, bending down to pet the adorable pup. “Oh my goodness, look at this little baby!”

“She’s so cute! I wonder where she came from.” Jayla laughed as the puppy licked her face. “Can we keep her, Mom? Please?”

Ariel knew how Jack felt about dogs or pets in general but the way the puppy cuddled closer to them, eyes wide and hopeful she couldn’t leave them there sad and alone at the park.

When she looked up at Jack, all he could do was sigh and give a slight nod. He would never hear the end of it if he said no.

“I think we just found our newest family member,” Ariel said with a smile.

“Oh so that’s how you guys found Princess Lou Lou!” Urban remarked as Jack finished the story and right on que, Lou Lou scratched at Jack’s legs wanting to be picked up.

Jack reached down and grabbed her, giving her a kiss in the head. “Yes, she’s been a cock blocker since day one!”

He reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring once more. “Just last week I tried to ask her during date night and the waitress interrupted us.”

Urban laughed a little. “Only you, man. But hey, third time’s the charm, right?”!

Despite his frustration, Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at the craziness of it all. “Let’s hope so, Urb. Let’s hope so.”

***

Later that night as Jack laid beside Ariel in bed, the bedside lamp casted a warm light over her face. Jack couldn’t help but marvel over her beauty. She looked so beautiful, just as she did the day they met. Ariel laid there with no makeup on, her dorky reading glasses perched on her nose as she skimmed through the pages of the book.

Jack reached out to gently brush a stray strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering on her cheek. “You look beautiful, Ariel,” he whispered, his voice filled with awe.

Ariel looked up from her book, a smile spreading across her face at her words. “Really?” She asked, Jack’s words never failed to make her face warm.

He nodded, his heart swelling with love. “Absolutely. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, especially with those dorky reading glasses.”

Ariel laughed and grabbed the extra pillow of the bed and swatted him with it, Jack dodged out the way just in time.

“Well, thank you, I think,” she teased, playfully nudging him with her elbow, and picked up her book again to finish reading.

Jack continued to stare as she read and he realized just how lucky he was that she came into his and Jayla’s life. Despite the ring being hidden in the sock drawer, he could still feel its presence in his thoughts.

Ariel was his soulmate, his partner in life, his one true love and he couldn’t wait any longer to ask her to be his wife.

Without a formal plan or the ring in hand, Jack blurted out the words that had been weighing on his heart for months. “Ariel, I love you. Will you marry me?”

Ariel froze in place, eyes widened as she looked up from her book and towards Jack. “Jack, are you being serious?”

He nodded nervously, unable to tear his gaze away from her. “Completely serious. I’ve been carrying this ring around for months, waiting for the perfect moment. But tonight, right now, with you looking at me like that… This is the perfect moment.”

Tears welled up in Ariel’s eyes before she tossed her book aside and threw her arms around Jack nodding vigorously. “Yes yes yes! I’ll marry you!!”

Jack couldn’t contain his happiness, and held her as if he never wanted to let go. He pulled back slightly cupping Ariel’s face in his hands, and gazed into her eyes, his heart bursting with love.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity and passion. “I love you more than words can express, Ariel. You mean everything to me. You’ve changed my life.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, savoring the moment.

***

Ariel stirred awake, and felt a weight on her hand. When she opened her eyes she gasped at the beautiful ring, Jack must’ve slipped it on in the middle of the night.

Unable to contain her excitement, she gently shook Jack awake. “Jack.” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, “I still can’t believe it. This ring is gorgeous!”

Jack blinked sleepily, a smile spreading across his face as he realized what she was talking about. “Believe it, Ariel. You’re going to be my wife.”

A surge of happiness washed over Ariel as she leaned in to kiss him. “I don’t want a huge wedding, Jack. I just want to be married to you already.”

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he sat up, his mind racing with possibilities. “Well, why wait? Should we get dressed and wake Jayla up and head to the courthouse today?”

Ariel’s heart skipped a beat at the suggestion, eyes lighting up immediately. “Yes, let’s do it!”

They both leaped out of bed, the room buzzing with excitement. Just as Ariel was about to step into the bathroom, Jack stopped her from the bedroom door.

He turned to her, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Should we call Urban?” he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Ariel’s heart swelled with love for him, knowing how much his best friend meant to him. Despite their decision to just go to the courthouse, she understood that Jack would regret not having Urban by his side on such an important day.

With a gentle smile, she nodded. “Of course, we should. It wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Jack’s face lit up with gratitude as he reached for his phone, dialing his number with eager anticipation. After a few rings, Urban answered, his voice filled with excitement.

“Urban, I need you to meet me at the courthouse in 2 hours!” Jack exclaimed.

“What huh?”

“Ariel and I just got engaged, and we’re planning to tie the knot soon. We’d love for you to be there with us.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Urban's voice broke through, filled with emotion. “Are you serious? I wouldn’t miss it for the world, man. I’ll be there.”

As Jack hung up the phone, a sense of relief washed over him knowing that his best friend would be there. He hurries to Jayla’s room to wake her up.

“Daddy, why are you waking me up before 10am on the weekend!” Jayla whined.

All he could do was laugh at his daughter. “If you don’t want to get up, I’ll guess you’ll have to miss mommy and I getting married.” Jack teased playfully.

Jayla stirred from her sleep, blinking her eyes groggily before realizing what her dad had just said. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she shot up in bed, excitement and disbelief washing over her.

“What? Really?” she exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment.

Jack nodded with a grin, his heart swelling with love for his daughter. “Yep, really. We’re getting married, Jay. And of course we need you there.”

Her face lit up with pure joy as she threw her arms around her dad, a smile stretching from ear to ear. “That’s amazing, Daddy! Of course, I want to be there!”

As Jack left Jayla’s room to start getting ready himself in the guest bedroom he tried his hardest to not get super emotional but he couldn’t help it.

When Alyssa died it had left him feeling broken and empty inside. Jack had never imagined that he would find love again. He had resigned himself to a life of loneliness, believing that his heart could never fully heal from the pain of losing someone he had loved so deeply.

Then Ariel had come into his life, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds. She had shown him kindness, understanding, and unwavering support during his darkest days, slowly but surely helping to mend the broken pieces of his heart.

She had brought light back into his life, filling his days with laughter, love, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow and now in a couple hours she was going to be his wife. This was going to be the best day of his life.

***

With hearts racing and hands tightly clasped together, Jack, Ariel, Jayla with Urban right behind them rushed into the courthouse, their excitement filled the air. Their steps echoed in the grand hallway as they made their way to the front desk, determined to make their impromptu wedding a reality.

Breathless with anticipation, Jack approached the desk clerk, a wide grin on his face. “We’re here to get married,” he announced proudly, his voice filled with excitement.

The desk clerk looked up from her paperwork, surprised by the sudden burst of enthusiasm. But as she took in the sight of the happy family standing before her, her eyes softened with warmth and understanding.

“Of course,” she said with a smile, her fingers flying across the keyboard to pull up the necessary paperwork. “Do you have your IDs with you?”

Jack nodded eagerly, pulling out his wallet to retrieve his ID, while Ariel did the same. With their IDs in hand, they watched as the clerk processed their information, the anticipation building with each passing second.

Finally, with a flourish of her pen, the clerk handed them the marriage license, “Congratulations,” she said warmly, her eyes shining with genuine happiness for the couple before her.

With their marriage license in hand, Jack and Ariel exchanged excited glances, their hearts overflowing with joy. Hand in hand, they made their way to the courthouse chapel, where they would exchange vows and become husband and wife.

Ariel stood there with her hands shaking nervously as the officiant spoke. She was about to become a Harlow. Her heart overflowing with love and emotion, Ariel took a deep breath, her eyes shining with tears of joy. With trembling hands, she reached out to take Jack’s, her fingers intertwining with his as she began to speak.

“Jack,” she began, her voice soft and filled with sincerity, “from the moment you came into my life, you’ve brought nothing but love, laughter, and endless joy. You’ve shown me what it means to love and be loved unconditionally, and for that, I am eternally grateful.”

Tears welled up in Ariel’s eyes as she continued, her voice filled with emotion. “You’ve been my rock, my partner, and my best friend. You’ve stood by my side through the good times and the bad, supporting me, encouraging me, and believing in me when I needed it most.”

A smile touched Ariel's lips as she looked into Jack’s eyes, her heart overflowing with love. “Today, as I stand before you, I vow to love you with all that I am, to cherish you, to support you, and to be by your side through every twist and turn that life may bring. I promise to laugh with you, to cry with you, and to build a future filled with love, laughter, and endless adventures. You are my everything, Jack, and I am so grateful to be able to call you my husband.”

Ariel turned towards Jayla who was standing next to Urban, her heart swelling with love for the girl who had stolen her heart from the very beginning.

“Jayla” she began, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity, “from the moment I met you, you captured my heart in a way I never thought possible.”

Tears welled up in Ariel’s eyes as she continued. “You’ve been my daughter since day one, Jayla. You’ve brought so much light and happiness into my life, and I am grateful for every moment we’ve shared together.”

“I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. I promise to always be there for you, to support you, to encourage you, and to love you unconditionally, just as you have loved me.”

With tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, Ariel pulled Jayla into a tight embrace, holding her close as she whispered, “You are my daughter, Jayla, and I am so grateful to have you in my life. I love you more than words can express, and I promise to be the best mother I can be to you, now and always.”

Jack couldn’t help but join in on the hug, forever grateful for his tiny family. He gave them both kisses on the forehead before pulling away so he could say his vows.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he cleared his throat before beginning his vows.

“Ariel,” he started, his voice warm and filled with affection, “from the moment I met you, I knew my life would never be the same. You’ve brought so much love, light, and laughter into my life, and I am eternally grateful for every moment we’ve shared together.”

A grin spread across Jack’s face as he continued, unable to contain his playful spirit. “Now, I have to admit, I don’t know how I’m going to top your vows, Ariel. They were so heartfelt, I’m not sure I can compete!”

Ariel, along with Jayla and Urban’s laughter filled the room as Jack paused for a moment, enjoying the light-hearted moment with his bride-to-be.

“But seriously, Ariel, today I stand before you with all the love in my heart. I promise to cherish you, to support you, and to stand by your side through every moment, big or small. I vow to be your partner, your confidant, and your biggest cheerleader, cheering you on in all your dreams.”

Jack reached up to wipe the tears that had fallen from Ariel’s eyes and gave her a smile. “I am honored to become your husband, I want to spend the rest of my days making you as happy as you have made me. I love you more than words can express, and I am grateful every day for the love and joy you bring into my life.”

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss—“

Jack, not being able to wait, grabbed Ariel pulling her closer and leaned in, pressing his lips eagerly against her own.

Jayla and Urban cheered as Jack and Ariel had their first kiss as husband and wife.

***

After the whirlwind of emotions and celebrations, Jack, Ariel, Jayla and Urban found themselves at home, gathered around the kitchen table. They placed a store-bought cake in the center of the table, without any formalities or fuss, they grabbed forks and began to dig in, savoring each bite of the cake.

Jack leaned in close to Ariel, his voice soft as he whispered, “I can’t believe today happened. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife.”

Ariel’s eyes sparkled with happiness as she whispered back, “And I’m the luckiest woman to have you as my husband. Today was perfect, Jack. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Jack glanced at Ariel, a playful twinkle in his eye as he whispered, “When should we tell our families?”

Ariel chuckled softly, her heart warmed by the thought of sharing their joy with their loved ones. “I think we should tell them soon,” she replied, her voice filled with excitement. “Maggie has been pretty much begging you to marry me since we’ve met.”

He nodded in agreement, a smile spreading across his face. “I can’t wait to see the looks on her face when we tell her,” he said, his anticipation growing with each passing moment.

As Ariel rested her head on Jack’s shoulder, a contented sigh escaped her lips. “I’m just so happy,” she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

Jack wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close as he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “I am too,” he murmured, his voice soft with love. “Today has been everything I ever dreamed of and more.”

***

THEN COMES MARRIAGE!!!!! 🤭🤭 hope you all enjoyed this let me know yours thoughts

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[findafight]

Kinda want to write a one-sided ronance post S4 au (within a fix it obvs) where the older teens start actually hanging out and Stobin (eventually + Vickie)confuse literally everyone. They greet each other with cheek kisses, call each other babe (or "Stevie Baby". Listen. Robin calls him bud or buddy or bub or bubba or babe and it's like why so many B's?? Argyle is vibing with it though and joins the bud train) and one time at two in the morning had a coordinated ramble about the names of the cats they will eventually get. (Sassafras, moonshine, and Garborator)

Nancy and Steve haven't really talked about anything, other than Steve saying "hey. I'm sorry if whatever I said weirded you out. I was definitely a bit delirious and Robin and Eddie AND Dustin were all making comments about winning you back or whatever which is stupid, you made it clear where you stood with me. Which wasn't with me. That's fine. and like. Okay yeah when we were together I'd daydream about you being beside me in the motorhome but thats-- it was a daydream. I was sort of thinking I was gonna die and. I wanted to share a little dream that made me happy. And then got everything confused in my head and made it weird and I'm sorry. what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry for being weird and making things uncomfortable. I'm over you. I loved you then, and you were my first real love, and maybe if things were different I could love you like that again but. But neither of us want that or the same things out of life. And we'd crash and burn again. Plus you and Jonathan are together which is a non-starter. Cannot believe I forgot that when it was happening. Jesus. So. Yeah. Sorry for being not a great friend and hitting on you in the Upside Down." And Nancy had nodded and told him not to worry about it. He had been sort of bleeding out and planning on going back into the upside down. They could both be normal about it.

Sometimes Nancy and Robin try to have "girl time" at Nancy's suggestion because they're the only girls in the older group (sometimes. But Robin is not going to let that slip out) but it's awkward without a buffer. Robin is too nervous and rambles and Nancy is too annoyed by it. But they do get on well in group settings, and Steve and Argyle are actually the keenest to smooth over any awkwardness.

Robin laughs more with the group, and grins at Steve and smirks at Eddie and has a sharp tongue Nancy can admire. She's more comfortable with Steve around, insisting he sit beside her or on the ground in front of her so she can play with his hair. (And Nancy is shocked the first time she sees it, because Steve was notoriously protective of his "best feature", but she'd asked and he'd hummed quietly as she takes her fingers through his hair and put tiny, lopsided braids in it.) It's nice to see Robin less jumpy, and wonders what it would take to see more of the side of her Nancy only sees when Steve's around. She just wants to get closer to Robin. Wants a friend.

And somehow, beyond Nancy's notice, Steve and Robin's friend Vickie slowly joins the group. She wasn't involved at all in the spring, but has been hanging around Family Video and a movie night or two often enough that when she settles more permanently in the group it isn't a very big surprise. Eddie and Argyle welcome her in with open arms, Jonathan is only his normal amount of weary of new people, and obviously Robin and Steve are excited for their friends to be friends.

But it just doesn't sit right with Nancy. She can't pinpoint why, it just doesn't. When she sees Robin and Vickie giggling together, or having some back and forth banter that seems to feed into both of them smiling, or Steve throwing his arm over her shoulder, or Vickie leaning into Robin's space as they talk. She always sits beside Robin, Steve on the other, with Eddie beside him. It's usually a tight fit for whatever couch they're on, but the four seem happy as clams to not have any personal space. Once Argyle decided to lay across all their laps, and they just...let him. Finangled themselves so everyone was mostly comfortable.

Nancy figures she is uncomfortable with it because she hasn't ever had a close friend since Barb, and was possibly hoping she could be close to Robin along those lines. So seeing her so close with the others and mildly uncomfortable around her hurt, and seeing her and Steve incorporate someone unversed in the Upside Down into their little trauma club also hurt. Because what did Vickie have that Nancy didn't? That made Steve and Robin and now Eddie stick to her like glue? That made them want her there when she didn't know anything about what they'd been through and could probably never understand?

What made Vickie Summers so special that she's taken what should have been Nancy's place beside her friends? Because that's what really bothered her. It wasn't that Vickie didn't know, it's that Nancy felt she took her place. That Nancy wanted to be where Vickie was, and she didn't know how to ask for it. Asking, trying to talk about how Steve and Robin had bonded so well after Starcourt while she ignored them and then how they bonded with and absorbed Eddie halfway into their bizarre dynamic after vecna, would feel too much like begging or admitting that she isn't quite sure how to make friends.

Nancy is jealous. Jealous that she isn't friends like Vickie and Eddie and Steve and Robin are. That she isn't the one making Robin smile and giggle so cutely. So. She tries harder. Tries to be the friend that Robin and Eddie and even Steve deserve. She tries not to be annoyed by Robin rambling (it really isn't that bad, just. Not relevant. She likes heading Robin's voice, but thinks she could really work on having a filter.), or the way Steve always asks clarifying questions when he should really have known better, or Eddie talking half in different character voices. She thinks it's getting better, her relationship with them. But, still, Vickie is always there, glued to Robin's side almost as much as Steve is, and that always annoys Nancy. Niggles at her brain, that she doesn't deserve to be there because she didn't know what Robin had lived through and fought. Nancy did.

Eventually, Nancy figures out that she wants more from Robin. Doesn't want to be a friend she smiles at occasionally, wants to be the reason she smiles all the time. And that's terrifying. Because Nancy had never considered liking girls, never thought liking girls was a thing she could do. It was something other women did, not Nancy. She liked boys and always had, but. But maybe she always liked girls...too. maybe it wasn't something she that was one or the other. Being different in a town like Hawkins puts a target on your back, being queer in a town like Hawkins even moreso.

She's leaving Hawkins in the fall. But she thinks she wants someone to come home to. She wants Robin to come home to. Robin and Steve seem to be okay with it, from what she can glean of some veiled comments they've made that she's only caught now she's looking for them. They've made some remarks around the kids that make it seem like they'd be safe to come to, no matter what. And sometimes, some of the comments Robin makes about actresses seem a little...well. admiring.

They probably, hopefully, wouldn't hate her for this. And now Nancy and Robin have a friendship, she thinks she can. It's early July, and Nancy is going to ask Robin out.

She gets her alone, bites her lip, and asks Robin in no uncertain terms to go out on a date with her. Robin stares, mouth agape.

"oh," she says.

Nancy smiles, a little. "Yeah. So. What do you say?"

Robin blinks, and takes a shuddering breath. "Oh my god. I. Nancy I'm really flattered but I'm no-i dont- uhg. I'm dating someone." she groans, rubbing her hands over her face.

And oh. Nancy read the situation wrong "oh. Steve. It's fine! You don't like girls, thats--thats totally fine! Id just, um. That is,-"

Robin waves her hands. "No, no! I'm not dating Steve! You clocked me correctly. Definitely gay! Don't worry about that! Hah."

Something in Nancy twists. "Oh?"

"yeah. Yep. Not only am I a lesbian in a small town, I'm a lesbian in a small town that somehow also has a girlfriend." Robin says the word dreamily. Like she still can't believe it. Nancy's brain fills with static. She was too late. Too caught up with how she missed so many chances in the past, that she missed her chance now.

But Robin keeps talking. "And, like. Even if I didn't, I don't think it would have worked between us anyways. Too different, y'know?"

"what?"

Robin gestures with her hands between them. "Well, like. I like being your friend. But, I mean, I wouldn't date you?"

"why not?"

Blinking, Robin tilts her head. "Because of Steve?"

Something bubbles hot in Nancy. "What the fuck does Steve have to do with wether or not we would date?"

"Nancy. Steve's my best friend." As though that explains anything.

"yes? And?"

Robin looks uncomfortable, shifting sideways. "listen, Nancy. You're a good friend. And I've just rejected you. Maybe we should just. Ah. Leave this? I'm really sorry. I'll give you some space, just find me when you're ready?"

"no. What do you mean that we couldn't date because Steve is your best friend? Why would that have any effect on how you date?"

"it doesn't! Not really! Just. Nancy, you broke his heart. His soft, squishy heart! You kinda sorta cheated on him-details very unclear-and then just. Moved on. Pretended like nothing happened. I couldn't do that to Steve. Dating a friend's ex is a bad move. Dating an ex that broke a friend's heart is just cruel." She sighs. Looks sad. As though she isn't the one rejecting Nancy and tearing her apart for how a relationship ended almost two years ago. What did that matter, now? "You're my friend, Nancy. I like you! But even if Steve has moved on, forgiven and forgotten, and if things were a bit different given his full support for us dating if that's what I wanted, I think I'll always remember how he-- how much it hurt him."

"oh"

"I'm. Nancy I'm really sorry. I know how scary it is to put yourself out there, especially like this. It's not fair. I'm just sorry. But. It was true. Steve's the most important person to me. I couldn't ever hurt him. Not like that. Not even if he said he was fine with it."

Nancy stands and walks away. She doesn't cry until she locks her bedroom door.

[miodiodavinci]

anyway as for the long and short of how i'm doing currently (mostly the long)

so two weeks ago i sprained my wrist at work lifting boxes, and it's been a slow recovery even with the help of a brace, stretches, rice buddies, and ice packs. i've had to basically put a lot of my hobbies on hold because i've been saving what little i can do with my wrist for all the job prep i need to do on the weekends (i.e. making flyers, updating spreadsheets, creating presentations, moving more boxes, etc...)

hobbies are even further on hold at this point because this last week i injured my shoulder as well, and i can feel that my ankle is getting ready to go with it. i'm doing what i can to minimize the damage (i.e. got a work cart, have had coworkers come with me to storage, actually sitting down and resting when i'm on break, etc...) but there's not a lot that can be done considering these are Core Aspects of my job and my contract goes until spring (and also like. whole complex situation where i can't leave without screwing over myself and a lot of people i care about)

it's a shit situation all around, but at the very least i'm getting paid a reasonable amount and it's covering my expenses jfgjksdhkfg

(though for all the work i do, god oh god i wish it was doing more than just covering my expenses)

having to take a break from my hobbies has put me in a weird headspace, though. or like it's less of a weird headspace and more that there's finally this pause that has me reevaluating what i want to do in my spare time

i've been consumed by work for the past like four years of my life, this last year was kind of the culmination of that. between completing my internship, finishing my degree, surviving The Horror (read: had a really, truly horrifying cancer scare last year), doing the yamaha collab, and taking care of the flurry of job-hunting stuff that needed to be done post-graduation, i don't know if i actually got a chance to so much as breathe until august

. . . . except in august i immediately collapsed and rotted the entire month away skjdfhgkhsdf

i'm burnt out, i think. like. genuinely, really severely burnt out. the more i think about it, the more i feel like i just need a year of doing nothing.

just. absolutely nothing.

which i've told myself in the past. several times. always in a big showy way. so much so that i feel silly saying it now because i've been saying it for years in the descriptions of my videos and in posts on my blog.

"i'm tired of being beholden to past me!! this year, i'm letting go of my expectations for myself and just doing what i want!!" (<< this user has said this at least 7 separate times and has failed to make good on it every single time)

but i think why i've never been able to follow through is because in spite of all the dropping projects that no longer interested me and not feeling obligated to see everything through, i still held on to the expectation that at the end of it, i'd still post something. but like.

i think posting doesn't really matter to me as much anymore??? if at all???

which isn't to say "i'm putting my foot down and never creating any new vocaloid work ever again," but it's also like. i can't let myself sit with the expectation of "yeah i'll just make things for fun!! and when they're done, i'll post them!!' because that changes the focus from making something for me into making something for others to see, which is. a different beast to care for skdjfgklhsdlfg

i keep seeing a lot of things where i have the opportunity to keep building on what rice and i were able to make as part of the yamaha collab: alternate box arts, matching galaco design, cool new english covers featuring bespoke cover art of the new designs but when i think of starting those, i feel utterly drained, and when i think of how i'll feel once they're finished, i imagine it'll be akin to "alright, i've checked that off the list. what's the next thing i should do not disappear and be a failure?"

. . . . . which is really, really separate from doing things as a hobby because they make me happy OTL

this past year i've really reconnected with my close friends (in part because i stopped having time to scroll online and didn't want anyone to know when i was online because i legitimately did not have the energy to respond) and i've noticed i really truly enjoy just batting around our ocs with each other so more than i've enjoyed any of the vocaloid work that i've put out in the past five years skjfghldkfg

i've been doing vocaloid things for over ten years now, and the collaboration with yamaha was quite literally something i couldn't have even dreamed of, much less imagined it would have just fallen into my lap the way it did. coming off the end of it and my internship though, there's this feeling that's been building for years now where it feels like the effort i put in is just not proportional to the satisfaction i get out of it. it feels more like something i'm supposed to do otherwise i'd just be squandering all the work i've put in and all the attention i've gotten.

. . . . . . i just want to live man 😂 i'm caught in a mental tangle that feels difficult to unravel. spring mio was at the end of his fucking rope, but fall mio is finally has the time to sit down with the slack and is wondering if it's worth it to keep pulling for all i'm worth when i can always just go over to my friend's house and have a funny little sleep over (metaphorical or literal both apply)

i'm not decided by any means but i'm definitely thinking about it.

it's the fact that it's been 2 years since i've released salvador, and i went into it thinking i'd be cool and professional about it, with lots of covers and frequent updates because i used to make lots of UTAU covers in high school, but then i got paralyzed by all the "shoulds" wrapped up in the process and i just. stopped working.

when i say i want to make X cover of Y song, am i really saying that i want to go out of my way to do all these things?? or am i just imagining what momentary satisfaction i'll feel to see another thumbnail on my channel??

...

(face in hands) this ended up being. a lot fucking longer than i meant for it to be jksdfhlkghsdkfg

hopefully most people have clicked away by this point w

it's the tear between the things i genuinely want (making things with friends that stay between us friends) the things i kind of want out of necessity (opening up commissions so i can supplement my income), the things i said i'd do and can't back out now on, and the things i told myself i would do but can't really must up plenty of positive emotions about (but can feel plenty of frightful, guilty emotions when i think of not doing them)

i'll figure it out eventually. even in the worst case scenario, i plan to keep my accounts up as archives, so it's not like my work will go anywhere w i'd still want it to be there once i decide i'm ready to come back to it w

[outrunningthedark]

regarding ryan clearly stating multiple times that eddie is heterosexual, do you know if that has ever happened before? was he ever this unambiguous? and what about oliver? has he ever talked about buck's sexuality in definite terms? i know he agreed with the view that buck is bisexual but i wonder if he ever said in an interview or somewhere that buck is heterosexual.

This question got me going on a deep dive (and having fun). SO. With the caveat that I ofc have not uncovered every EARLY interview in print, the short answer is: No. But I brought context! Oliver, interestingly, (from what I can find) did not have to deal with much Buddie speculation from journalists in season two and even early season three during the tsunami arc. Here's a TVInsider article about Buck, Actually that calls Buddie a bromance. Oliver says something we heard when he was doing promo in March - supporting Buddie means people care about the characters and the show, so was happy know the fans are so invested in the story. Here are three articles about the tsunami arc that focus on the Buck and Christopher dynamic instead of Buddie. Here's an article previewing the the second half of season 3 in which Buck and Christoper are once again mentioned, and Oliver gave this response that I have NEVER seen mentioned (👀): "I'm just waiting for Buck to be called [Christopher's] godfather." I did find ONE TVInsider interview for the 3B premiere where Oliver said Buddie was a "friendship, bromance, whatever you want to call it" BUT also allowed for the possibility of it being romantic in the future after discussing the Buddie edits he and Ryan find on social media. (He was definitely not looking at his character as fully hetero just from edits/clips because that RS article we've all decided to ignore said season four was when Tim first brought it to Oliver as a possibility.) As for Ryan. Like I said, I can't find anything atm where he *explicitly* refers to his character as straight or heterosexual, but his answers have never offered room for SERIOUS speculation. Interview with Anthem Magazine from spring 2019 in which Ryan first (? I think) brought up two men having emotional ties to each other being a "taboo quality". (And we can see his mind hasn't changed, understandably.) Here's another with TheWrap on Eddie Begins where he says Buck's reaction to thinking he lost Eddie would be the same for anyone who thought they lost a brother. Bonus: This is also the interview where he mentions having assumed Lena was going to be set up as LI and was surprised it didn't happen. Ryan was asked about the Buck/Abby reunion to close season 3, calls Buck Eddie's "wingman". Just for comparison. I'm also gonna include a link to a Hello Mag interview (with the well-known Buddie shipper) where she REALLY took advantage of the Buckley-Diaz story line after the shooting. (And where I *personally* think Buddie started getting out of hand with the media because of the online reaction. If people on instagram and twitter and tumblr didn't know what Buddie was before, they definitely did after 4x14.) I'm still keeping my eyes peeled, so if I spot anything else to add that I think would be of interest, I will be sure to do that. :)

[joelmillersdumbslut]

I took your matches before fire could catch me (part three) (joel miller x f!reader) 18+

summary: After making a "friends with benefits" deal with Joel Miller, you find yourself getting closer to him. Maybe too close. (no outbreak. no use of y/n)

rating: 18+ explicit (minors do NOT interact)

warnings (for this chapter): age gap (reader is in late 20's, joel is mid 50's), dirty talk, pet names, masturbation, sexting, fingering, unprotected p in v sex, oral sex (f! and m! receiving), daddy kink, hand kink, creampie, mentions of alcohol (no consumption), sarah makes a guest appearance, some fluff

word count: 3.6k

a/n: thank you so much for all the love on my first fic series, it truly means the world to me. i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as i do! ♡

a03 link

You delete Lily as soon as you get home that morning. You figure you don’t have much of a use for it anymore. Plus, Joel was the only guy you had swiped on anyway.

The app asks if you found love as a reason for deleting your account. You decline to answer.

Joel had given you his number and you end up sexting each other for the next week. Your hands and vibrator work overtime as you fantasize over the texts he sends you.

Gonna bend you over the kitchen counter.

Gonna slide my cock into that tight pussy.

You like it when daddy fills you up, don’t you?

The anticipation of your next meetup is killing you. You wait for Joel to make the next move. And he does on Saturday morning.

Sarah’s at a friend’s house.

Well, it was more of a statement than an invitation. But, you ran with it anyway. You talk your way out of a speeding ticket on the way there. Surprisingly, the excuse that your grandmother is in the hospital works better than “My fuck buddy is waiting on me.” You park across the street again, Joel had said he didn’t want the neighbors to notice an unusual car stationed in front of the house. You think it’s overkill, but you obey like the good girl you are.

Today, you don’t have to knock to announce your arrival. Joel is already waiting on the porch, guitar in hand. He’s strumming chords to a song you don’t know. As you approach the steps, you watch his long fingers move between strings, slide between frets. You hate to admit it, but it’s turning you on already.

“What are you doing?” you greet him, leaning against the railing.

“What’s it look like?” he gruffs back at you.

“Are you planning to serenade me? I think that’s the sexiest kind of foreplay.”

“Did you come over just to be a smart-ass?”

“I was hoping maybe you’d fuck it out of me.”

He’s trying not to smile.

—

“We should be able to communicate with each other, right?” you ask Joel, flinging your bra across the room.

He makes a face as your dress and underwear are soon scattered around his already disorganized bedroom floor, but his annoyance disappears once he sees you naked.

“Sure,” he grunts, pulling off his own boxers, motioning for you to get on the bed.

You plop down on the mattress, the box spring squeaking against your movement.

“Good. Because I need to ask you something,” you say, sheepishly fiddling with a strand of your hair.

Joel raises his eyebrows. You take that as encouragement to continue.

“Can you like… Make me cum more than once?” you try to draw out your request as humorous and lighthearted, but your inflection is desperate. Horny. Unsatisfied. 

Joel frowns, crawling onto the bed. He says nothing at first as he lays between your legs. His finger traces circles on the inside of your thigh.

“I just—I need more of you. One isn’t enough,” you mumble. Your stomach churns, wondering if maybe you shouldn’t have said anything at all.

“You gotta be a good girl.” 

You’re not happy with his answer.

“I am a good girl. We talked about this, Joel. I’m tired of this ‘good girl’ shit.”

Silence.

Just as you are about to tell him to forget it, that you take it all back and you’ll accept whatever number of orgasms he gives you, even if it’s nothing at all, he begins to eat your pussy. You notice again that it’s different from your first encounter at the bar. He starts out slow, his tongue rolling across your clit. He creates delicate stripes up and down your slit, but not before nudging his tongue inside your entrance. You can feel an inferno burning inside your stomach already and you restrain yourself from moaning, but Joel peers up from between your legs. His gaze is soft. And sweet. You can’t stop staring into his eyes.

“Wanna hear you,” he murmurs, his tongue rippling against your body even faster.

You let yourself go, shaking and flailing against his touch. You expect to switch positions, for Joel to be the one being pleased now, but he keeps going down on you. A rather unexpected welcome to your current dynamic. You close your eyes, focusing on the pleasure radiating throughout your body.

After your fourth orgasm, you fall asleep in Joel’s bed. You’re too sleepy to notice that he wrapped you up in a blanket and brushed the hair out of your face.

—

You’re disoriented when you wake up. Your eyes grow accustomed again to Joel’s bedroom, mid-afternoon light pouring in through the window. There’s noises downstairs and you wonder if he’s cooking for you again. The desire to keep sleeping fills you, but then you remember.

Joel didn’t cum at all.

You leap out of bed, gathering up your clothes and putting them on as you head downstairs. Once you get to the kitchen, you spot Joel setting pizza boxes down on the kitchen island. No one else is around. His daughter must not be home yet.

“I’m sorry,” you exclaim, hurriedly approaching him. You begin to undo his belt buckle. To your surprise, he’s already hard.

“Sorry for what?” he asks, amusement radiating across his face. He wants you to say it. He wants you to acknowledge what he did.

“You made me cum four times and you didn’t get to cum at all,” you whisper, turning around to bend yourself over the counter. “Come on, it’s your turn.”

Joel chuckles as he lifts up the hem of your sundress, pulling your panties to the side.

“You really are a good girl,” he purrs. The tip of his cock teases your entrance. “Already wet for me and you just woke up?”

You breathe deeply as he slides in. It hurts a little, but you quickly get used to the feeling of him stretching you. He starts pumping slowly and you rub your clit with one hand while keeping yourself upright against the counter with the other. Your body quivers as you feel the pressure building within your lower abdomen. You’re insatiable and Joel’s dick has you begging for more.

“Babygirl, why are you so tight?” he murmurs, thrusting faster now. “You gonna cum again? Four times ain’t enough?”

“If you keep hitting that spot right there, you’re gonna make it five times,” you whine, trying to maintain your balance against the kitchen counter.

“What, this spot right here?” you can hear Joel smile as he repositions himself, hitting that spongy area deep inside you. Your fingers move faster against your clit.

“Fuck, Joel, I’m gonna—”

“What’s my name, babygirl?” he grunts back at you, “Call me by my name.”

Your heart skips a beat when you realize what he’s asking for. Your pussy throbs with each thrust and you find yourself whimpering, “I’m cumming, daddy.”

Joel fucks you through your orgasm, his hand rubbing your shoulder blade as you shake and shiver from his touch.

“I’m close,” he whispers, his cock drilling into you, “Where you want it?”

“My back,” you sputter between breaths as he hoists your dress higher, exposing your lower back to him. You instantly feel the liquid hit your skin, hot and viscous. The two of you breathe laboriously, and you hear Joel buckle his pants again.

“Babygirl, I—” he begins, but the two of you freeze as the sound of the front door opening rings through your ears.

“Shit,” he exclaims, yanking your dress back down to cover your ass. “Fuck, it got on your dress again.”

“Again? Joel, you’re gonna owe me a brand-new wardrobe after this,” you hiss, looking around fearfully for a place to hide. You start to wonder if there’s enough room for you behind the refrigerator when the sound of footsteps becomes louder.

“Take this,” Joel says, ripping off his button-down shirt and tossing it to you. You finish slipping it on over your newly stained dress and Joel smooths out the wrinkles of his t-shirt right as his daughter strolls into the kitchen.

“Dad, you’ll never guess who’s comin’ to Austin on tour!” Sarah pauses, registering your presence next to his. She glances between the two of you, then expectantly looks at her father for an explanation.

“Sarah, this is…” he looks to you, his eyes screaming for help.

“I’m his friend!” you push Joel out of the way, holding out your hand to shake Sarah’s. “I’ve heard so much about you, so nice to meet you. Who’s gonna be in Austin?”

Sarah notices your determined ambition to change the subject and she accepts it, still eyeing you a little suspiciously. “Taylor Swift,” she answers.

“No way! I’m a Swiftie too. Her ‘Reputation’ album is—” you hold your fingers up to your lips and kiss them. “Chef’s kiss. Just amazing.”

You glance at Joel, who’s now pulling plates out of the cabinet. You wonder how he could possibly be acting so calm at a time like this, when your cover has practically been blown, when rule number one has been torn to shreds.

A slow grin appears on Sarah’s face, “Hey, Dad, maybe you can take us?”

“Yeah, you and your friends will have a great time, Taylor puts on a great show,” you ramble, making small steps toward the hallway. You need to escape. Like now.

“No, I mean, the three of us,” Sarah smirks. “She can come with us, right, Dad?”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose–” you start, but Joel cuts you off.

“‘Course she can. I’ll look at tickets tomorrow.”

“Cool,” Sarah beams, turning back to you. “You’re stayin’ for dinner, right? Dad, can she stay?”

Joel’s composure doesn’t crack a bit. “You’re stayin’, right?”

You smile nervously, eyes darting back and forth between the father and daughter. “Sure, I love pizza.”

Joel places his hand on the small of your back and you squirm as the drying cum sticks to your skin. He lets out a low laugh, clearly knowing what he’s doing to you.

“I thought we were ‘friends,’” you mumble.

“Sarah ain’t stupid. Just play along, will ya?” he whispers back.

You nod slowly, picking up a plate off the counter and plopping a slice of pizza onto it. All you can think about is how you want to run to your car and never come back. How Sarah doesn’t recognize you is beyond you. You think it must be impossible that Sarah didn’t hear about the girl Uncle Tommy slept with. Your anxiety is conjuring up images of Tommy describing you in detail to the whole family, demanding they stay away from a harlot such as yourself.

But, by some miracle, Sarah doesn’t say a single word to you about that. Instead, she interrogates you about Joel.

“So, how’d you two meet?”

You stare at Joel. His mouth is conveniently full, so he gestures for you to answer.

“Um. A dating app,” you respond, picking pepperoni off the slice on your plate. You gingerly take a bite and chew thoroughly before swallowing. You wonder if you could fake an illness or injury, find a way to get out the door faster.

Sarah smiles insidiously, “So, you’re not just friends then… What did y’all do on your first date?”

“We, uh. We met at the bar,” you squawk, feeling feverish as you recall the events that transpired in that dirty bar bathroom.

“Played pool. Sang some karaoke. Didn’t we, sweetheart?” Joel’s lie is masked by a dark smile. He squeezes your arm, his gigantic fingers wrapping around your wrist. All you can think about is his touch, and you wonder if you’re going to pass out on the kitchen floor.

“You got my dad to sing karaoke?” Sarah narrows her eyes as if she’s caught you again in your elaborate lie, “What song was it?”

“Pearl Jam,” Joel answers for you. “She really likes ‘em.”

“Yeah,” you stutter, totally not knowing what the hell a Pearl Jam is, “Great songs for karaoke. Especially… Ah, you know, that one Joel really likes. He, uh, even played it for me on his guitar.”

You feel sweat clinging to your hairline. You’re not a good liar. You can feel the lightning in the clouds preparing to strike you down right here in Joel’s kitchen.

“Dad played you a song on his guitar?” she scoffs, nibbling on the crust of her pizza. “He doesn’t even do that for me. He must really like you.” She punctuates her sentence with an eyebrow waggle.

Your face burns red and you stare down at your plate. Remembering those words Joel had said to you only a week ago.

I don’t like you.

You’re about to excuse yourself, ready to grab your purse and run out the door, when Joel places his arm around your waist.

“Sure do,” he murmurs.

—

After dinner, Joel offers to walk you to your car. You wrap yourself in his shirt even tighter as you stand outside the door of your vehicle, Joel’s hands in his pockets.

“Do you actually like me?” you blurt out, then cover your mouth with your hand. Why the fuck did you say that?

Joel pulls your hand away. He holds it in his, staring at your fingers before he looks at you and speaks.

“Look. I realized I was wrong. What happened with you and my brother…” he shrugs. “Not entirely your fault. You were a kid. Guess you still kinda are.”

Relief washes over you. But, you realize he still hasn’t answered your question yet. And you realize you may never know. And for some reason, that fills you with dread. You wobble back and forth on the balls of your feet, your hand reaching for your car’s door handle.

“You know,” Joel says suddenly, “Sarah’s watchin’ us from the window.”

“She is?” you ask, trying to peer past him.

“Gotta make this look real,” he chuckles.

Then he’s leaning in to kiss you. You can’t help but hold onto him for dear life as his lips crash into yours. A moan bubbles up from within your chest, Joel wrapping you up in his arms. The space between you diminishing by the second. Your fingers dig into the fabric of his t-shirt as he pulls away and you quietly pray for more. Then he kisses your forehead in finality.

“You’re cute, babygirl.”

The line between truth and fiction is quickly becoming a blur for you.

—

It’s not until you’re blowing Joel in your living room that you realize you’re developing feelings for him.

It crops up suddenly when you’re on your knees, with him sitting on the couch. His eyes are closed while you take him in your mouth, your head bobbing up and down along his length. He’s absentmindedly playing with your hair as your tongue flicks against his skin. You’re content in this moment. You think about how you’re going to order takeout after you’re done fucking, probably Chinese food again. You think about how you’re going to curl up in bed together before round two, talk about your respective days at work, how Sarah’s doing in school. You think about how you’re secretly hoping that he kisses you on your lips. A real kiss, like he gave you when you were lying together in his bed. Or like the one he gave you when Sarah was watching you in the driveway. And maybe he’ll kiss you for real again. And again. And again.

Actually. Maybe you had these feelings all along.

And when Joel cums in your mouth as he groans, “Babygirl,” you realize you’ve broken his no attachments rule.

What are you gonna do about it?

—

I need you.

Erase. You sound pathetic and pitiful. It worked one time, but would it work again? You sound and feel desperate. But, you are.

Can you come over? Bad day at work.

The truth. You missed some deadlines, got yelled at by your boss, spilled coffee all over your paperwork. But, does Joel need to know you want him to come running to you every time something goes wrong? Isn’t that a little too domestic for your situationship?

You groan and fling your phone onto your bed. You hold your head in your hands. You wish it could be simpler. You wish the past could stay in the past, but you know it’s going to come back to rear its ugly head.

And it’s all your fault.

Your phone vibrates and you retrieve it from the mountain of pillows on your bed. It’s Joel.

Hey, babygirl.

Haven’t heard from you.

You okay?

It’s only been a day since you last texted him. And he’s worried? Maybe you’re projecting. He probably just wants to fuck.

No.

You don’t know what else to say. You wonder if he’ll leave you be to wallow. You wonder if he’s sitting there, contemplating a response. You wonder if you’re even worthy of receiving one. But, he texts back immediately.

On my way.

How can you not be in love with Joel?

—

Joel arrives with a paper bag in his hands. He sets it down on the counter. It’s late at night and you’re already wearing your pajamas. He doesn’t seem to mind, especially since he can tell you’re not wearing a bra.

The two of you stand in the kitchen, looking around aimlessly.

Finally, you break the awkward silence. 

“What’d ya bring me?” you ask, taking a peek inside the bag.

“Just a little somethin’,” Joel responds, and you swear you could see his smile underneath the glow of the kitchen light.

You pull out a blue bottle, marveling at the label. It’s your favorite wine. He remembered. How did he remember? Why did he remember?

“You didn’t have to do that,” you blush, and he takes your hand in his.

“Come on, babygirl. Let daddy make you feel better.”

—

Joel is looming over you. He just peeled off your shirt and he’s now playing with the drawstring of your shorts. Taking his sweet time. Making you ravenous and wet beneath him. He leaves kisses on your collarbones, his saliva sticking to your skin. In your apartment, you can be as loud and unabashed as you want. And you are.

“Whaddya say we get these off you?” Joel smirks, helping you shimmy out of your pajama shorts. He toys with the waistband of your underwear, you squirm underneath him. You want him. So badly.

“What’s wrong, babygirl?” He lowers himself down to the bed, kissing your thighs.

“Nothing’s wrong,” you sigh, maybe a little too contentedly, “I just… I just want you.”

“Where do you want me?” he asks, his lips brushing up against your clothed pussy. 

You inhale. Sharply. “Right. There,” you whine.

“How many times you think I can make you cum tonight?” his words reverberate against you, his fingers rubbing you from the outside of the fabric.

Your breath hitches, it takes everything in you not to tear off your underwear yourself. But, you've learned with Joel that you have to be patient. That you have to be a good girl. And you will be rewarded.

“At least three,” you mumble.

“Then, we’ll make it three,” he agrees.

—

Joel pushes into you with ease. He breathes deeply, cracking a grin.

“Don’t think I could ever get tired of this pussy,” he pumps in and out of you. Slowly at first. But, your moans inspire him to speed up.

Your arms drape around his frame, you dig your fingernails into his back, sure to leave marks in the morning. He doesn’t care. He’ll wear them with pride.

You move one of your hands down to your clit, massaging the bundle of nerves as fast as you can. The stimulation is almost overpowering. Your eyes are closed, your body clenching down on his.

“This number three, sweetheart?” Joel’s lips graze your earlobe. You can tell he’s getting close too, his voice shaky, his movements sloppy. “Let it all out, cum all over me.”

And you do as you’re told, your cum soaking his cock even more.

“Where you want me, babygirl?” He pounds into you harder, faster.

“Inside,” you whimper underneath him.

And he cums without hesitation. His cock pulses and twitches inside you. His seed overflowing between your legs.

You lay there. Joel on top of you. He stares into your eyes, his hand caressing your cheek.

You have to do it.

You have to say what’s been on your mind for the past week.

“Joel, I love you.”

The words hang in the air. Swaying back and forth between you two like a pendulum. The world stops turning, if just for a moment. You wait for him to say something. Anything. Your bottom lip quivers. His eye twitches. He opens his mouth.

And just as quickly as it had stopped, the world is back to spinning. And it’s spinning so fucking fast. Everything’s out of control. Joel sits up. He’s out of bed. He’s snatching up his clothes from the floor. He’s bolting out of your room. The apartment door slams.

You’re all alone.

—

[rottenpumpkin13]

Well, now it’s time for the boys to cheer YOU up bud :)

-

Angeal: Hang in there, Pumpkin. You’re tough and steady. You have all the makings of an honorable warrior and deserve to see victory and dreams full-filled. You are weathering a brutal winter now, but spring is around the corner. You’ll see the sunlight and warm rain on the beautiful green earth once again. Stay strong ✊

Sephiroth: I have found that pushing Hojo down flights of stairs can be very good for improving one’s mental state.

Genesis: Remember, we are all apart of a grander tale that is wont to weave complex paths and dark trials for us along the way, but if you keep the inner flame and passion of your soul alight and remember that there is even glory and poetry in suffering for a greater cause, then you will triumph, darling. *blows kiss*

Sephiroth: Arson isn’t necessarily illegal if nobody sees you doing it…

Zack: HEY LISTEN UP! You are gonna KICK ASS and be an even MORE BADASS person for facing these tough times like you are, ok buddy? I BELIEVE IN YOU! Hell you could probably knock out a whole entire bahamut with how tough you are! Just hold on a bit longer and you’ll see!! Life will get awesome again 😎

Sephiroth: If you have a mother, you might benefit from receiving a hug from her.

Cloud: Hey uhhh…I’m not…very good at this but just wanted to say uhh…it’s rough out here but I think we’re gonna make it out alive…you know? Ah jeez. That probably sounded too dramatic sorry. Anyway uhh good luck with your journey, bud.

Sephiroth: Angeal is telling me I need to say something genuinely helpful and not murderous. I suggested McDonald’s but he does not appear to approve.

Sephiroth: Hmm.

Sephiroth: One time Genesis bought a jar of something called “The Goddess’s Bathwater” off of Ebay.

Genesis: IT WAS A FUCKING COLOGNE FUCK YOU

If this were not the internet I would show you the TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE RIGHT NOW 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️💞💞💞

How are you this sweet??? Thank you so so Soo much 🥹💖 This is genuinely the first time I've laughed in a few days ❤️

[bagopucks]

M. Marner - Depths Of Love

✄————————————

Mitch Marner x Reader

Word Count: 1.8k

Warning(s): death of a loved one, angst, coping, moving on.

“We grew together, and now are grown. In her eyes, I see my heart. In her breath, I hear my soul. She is my land. She is my skin. My love.”

“All wounds heal. Even these."

“I'll never be healed of Eo. That pain will last forever.”

"Some things do not fade. Some things can never be made right.”

“There’s pain when I hold her, but it comes from the past…. She is something new, something hopeful. Like spring to my deep winter.”

Bonus points if you know the books these quotes are from!

I didn’t know what I wanted to write at first, I just knew I wanted to write for Mitch.

—————————————

“Mitch?” Auston stepped up beside his friend, resting a hand on the chilly damp fabric of Mitch’s suit jacket.

“I know.. I know.. I’m gonna get there.”

“There’s no rush, bud. Take your time.”

They stood together for what felt like hours. Mitch held the red rose in his hands, as delicately as he held her hand when she passed. Auston’s hand remained on his back, occasionally rubbing in an effort to console his lost friend. Mitch’s eyes had been red since he woke up that morning. His body had been on autopilot, gathering the belongings and items that had to go home with her family. Putting on a black suit he stuffed in the back of the closet forever ago. A black suit he said he never wanted to wear because it was too mundane. He had cooler things to wear. Now he understood why black fit funerals so well.

“What’s going through your mind?”

Mitch let out a shaky sigh.

“She’s gone. I’m gonna drop this flower and that’s just that.. she’s gone. They’re gonna-“ he choked on a breath of air, tears spilling down his cheeks once again.

“Buddy, you have to drop it eventually.”

“I didn’t want her to go.”

It was untimely. They’d just gotten engaged. They just began a binder full of wedding plans. She just began her journalist career. She had an extensive article on Mitch’s career she wanted to publish.

Then she got sick. Mitch’s world slipped from his fingertips more and more every day. He didn’t know how to grip onto anything when it was all just sand, blowing away. He lost it all so quickly. He felt like his whole world lost its meaning. The sun set, and the moon was dull. The stars in the sky didn’t even entice him. Nothing sounded interesting when she wasn’t there next to him.

Mitch released the flower only as a means to free his hands to grab ahold of Auston. Matthews’ arms enveloped Mitch in a grasp that was desperate and understanding. Auston held onto Mitch while he sobbed, the simple sound of agony causing the others gathered to allow the tears of their own to fall.

Mitch clung to Auston through the transition. Cleaning his house, attending therapy, deciding how to move forward, returning to hockey. He kept in touch with her family for the first week or so, then at some point, they all stopped texting and calling. It took months before Mitch’s life returned to a routine normalcy that was much like the one before her. Zeus slept in the bed again, his late nights were spent watching tv in bed, his dishes were only cleaned when the sink was full.

Sometimes Mitch slipped up to his attic to visit her. The items of hers that he kept. The wedding plans, the ring, the few articles of clothing. Sometimes he’d spend so many hours up there, that he’d fall asleep. Then eventually, he stopped visiting. His life became hectic. Enveloped it hockey. A firm distraction. A good one.

Then we met. Mitch’s smiles reached his eyes again. His giggles sounded genuine. The center of his world shifted again, to hold myself and hockey. He was guarded at first, but I was patient. I met her before I met his family. Mitch told me of her. She seemed wonderful. Like somebody I would have been friends with. Which was why I made a silent promise to myself, that I would not turn him into somebody she would have hated. I made a silent promise to her, that I would protect him. Hold him, and care for him. And that’s what I did.

Some days were better than others. We’d stay in and cook, or go out for dinner and dessert. Sometimes Mitch wanted me to join him for a quick skate. Other days, he wanted to join me in bed while I read. It wasn’t always perfect. Sometimes he’d randomly cry. I learned, sometimes I simply had to stop whatever I was doing to be there for him. If he wanted it. He was good at hiding away when he didn’t want any consolation. Other times, he’d be gone so long that I’d go looking for him, only to find him struggling to breathe in the corner of his room, on the floor with his dog curled up by his feet.

“Mitchy?” I cooed as my feet padded down the hall, stepping into the bedroom I woke up in. He was laid out on his stomach, in bed. His muscles looked tense, easily noticeable due to the lack of a shirt. I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell by his heaving breaths that something wasn’t right. Then I heard his soft cries.

I slowly wandered over to the bed and climbed in next to him, laying on my stomach and tossing an arm over his back to gently rub his skin.

“Deep breaths, sweetie.” I’d press occasional kisses to the side of his arm.

“I know,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and broken.

“Don’t rush, hun.”

At some point, the tears stopped and the kisses began. Mitch would never forget her. She would never leave his heart, but he let go of the guilt. He told her of me. He told her how much he loved me. He showed her the ring he bought before he ever showed Auston.

“I think she’s really gonna love it.” Mitch smiled down at the ring box in his hands, seated in the grass by her headstone. “She loves square diamonds.“ He shook his head in disbelief. “I really hope she says yes.”

I did. It was a no brainer when he got down on one knee. When he asked me to spend his forever with him, I didn’t have any doubts. I worked far too hard, and loved him too much, to give him up.

There were moments after the engagement where he was tense. Nervous and stressed over recalling the moments when he lost his late fiancé. I had to remind Mitch that the uncertainty couldn’t stop him from living. I couldn’t assure him that he wouldn’t lose me. There would always be that possibility. What I did tell him, was that it was important to live in the moments while they last. To forget about the ‘what ifs.’

Mitch asked if his dog could be the ring bearer. I made him promise that Zeus wouldn’t jump on everybody. We comprised that Auston could walk the dog down the aisle.

“We are gathered here today…”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” He whispered through clenched teeth. Mitch’s smile was contagiously wide. We stood so close that the priest was almost unable to be seen between us.

“I love you,” I spoke in a hushed tone. Mitch’s cheeks flushed.

“Don’t say it yet.” He squeezed my hands.

“Are we done yet?” Our heads snapped in the priest’s direction, our faces flushing.

“Sorry.” Mitch muttered.

The ceremony went by in a twinkle of wonder. Mitch pulled his vows from his pocket in the form of notes on his phone. I had done the same on my own, but my dress didn’t have pockets, so my maid of honor had to hold my phone for me until I was ready for it.

“Okay..” Mitch blew out a tense puff of air. He held his phone up, big blue eyes flickering between myself and his phone.

“Mitchy.” I caught his attention. “There’s no rush. Take your time.” The tension eased from his shoulders, then he nodded.

“Your patience gave me time to grow. I didn’t know what to do with my life for a period of time. I was walking in circles, until you paved a new path, and held my hand every step of the way. I get lost easily. Incredibly easily. And I couldn’t have fallen more in love with you than I did. I know it wasn’t easy.” I wanted to wipe the tears from his cheeks, but for the sake of not distracting him, I kept my hands to myself. “I know I made it hard on you, but I’m so happy you stuck it out. I can’t wait to spend every tomorrow with you.”

Only when he put his phone away, did I reach out to cup his cheeks in my hands. Mitch sniffled quietly. I would have kissed him then and there, if not for tradition.

“Miss?”

“I’m getting there.” I answered the priest with a quiet laugh. I pulled away from Mitch and turned to my bridesmaid to grab my phone. When I looked back at him, I reached for his hand with my free one.

“Mitchell,” the use of his full name made him smile. “You hold my soul. My entire being. You fulfill a part of me that nobody else could. We’ve grown together, and we’ll continue to do so. The timing with which we met each other, was perfect. One second later would have been too late. Please never forget my vow to love you for eternity. Even as the days pass by, and we grow old.”

When we kissed, I could feel the tears on Mitch’s cheeks. The cheering and excitement in the background was just that. Background noise. Our first kiss was as intimate as our first dance. We felt like the only two in the room, sharing moments we never thought we would have the privilege of sharing with anybody.

Mitch spun me around, content smiles on our lips. His hands found my hips when I faced him again.

At some point the song ended, but we never stopped swaying. Mitch’s arms wrapped around my midsection, and his chin came to rest on top of my head. There was the occasional flash from a camera, quiet whispers, but nobody said a word to us for a while. Until I heard Mitch’s mother from behind him.

“Mitchell?”

“I’m not done yet.” He fussed, his grip tightening around my body.

“There’s no rush, baby. I just wanted a photo.” He slowly turned us in her direction. I lifted my head from where it had been resting against his chest.

“Smile for me, sweethearts.” The woman held her phone up. When the flash of her camera lit up the dim room, we both laughed.

“Okay, okay. I’ll leave you guys alone now.” She squeezed her son’s arm before slipping off to find her husband.

Mitch and I slowly looked back at one another.

“I can’t wait to get you home,” he confessed softly as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“No rush, baby.”

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

[quailxcrossing]

thinking about some of my babies

these three are invading my thoughts so heavily recently and i am figuring out their childhood secrets, slowly but surely.....

Valkyries can be born from any home, and since there's a limited amount that can exist at any time, they're only born in some period after a previous one passes! Esperanza was born in a small home out in the desert boondocks outside of Turquoise Springs, to a family who had a stain on their name since her father was known for pulling terrible business buying and reselling property. no one liked him bc he was basically a fantasy airbnb flipper and sucked ass

and once Esperanza's Valkyrie tells appeared when she was a few years old (mostly the random wings tbh) her parents thought she would be their big break and finally earn their family some respect, since the reputation of the Valkyries was very well-known!! they hoped their baby would at least bring some good luck! she hadn't gotten her card pulled yet so they didn't know she was The Lovers yet, butttt they could've probably guessed seeing that position had recently been opened.....

Esperanza liked the bigger village a lot, but to her family's disappointment, she HATED people knowing she was a Valkyrie. they always treated her weird.....Valkyries (to keep things brief) are basicallyyyyy just. very densely magical creatures. their connection to the cards and fate is very strong, very closely tied to the world's religion, so people treated Esperanza with almost too much respect that this little baby wanted. she really wanted to make friends with other kids, and she was excited a big village meant she could go to school normally! she took to going outside with her wings covered, lying to people she was just a normal human (with some impish features), which her parents HATED .. but Esperanza remained whimsical

she met Lwaukee the season before she was set to start Tuesday's equivalent of elementary. the little kitty was creeping around and scampering around the washes where Esperanza had taken to enjoy playing (kicking up dirt and running around collecting sticks. baby games) and they played silently a couple times chasing each other back and forth before Lwaukee would randomly get scared and dart off. Esperanza kept returning there hoping Lwaukee would show up.

their relationship changed drastically the time Esperanza ended up bringing a snackie- a little pouch of sun-dried chub that her family had saved up to buy from one of the market stalls (seafood is quite rare out in the desert, these chub were local tho because they lived in Turquoise Springs!!) Esperanza thought she could share them with her new buddy!! maybe they'd be actually buddies!!! her parents always said that material goods were the fastest way to a person's heart! ^D^

Lwaukee stole all of them. immedically. he ate them so fucking fast and Esperanza just went 😲🥲

then Lwaukee scampered off again

so she brought a little bit more the next time, which Lwaukee wolfed down again. Esperanza was really concerned, thinking maybe Lwaukee was homeless, or his parents didn't feed him, so she asked- and Lwaukee finally spoke to her, explaining the food at home "made him sick". Neither of them knew what it meant, but basically Lwaukee is the only cat/human in his house, and he had a combo of a strange diet + ARFID. his parents didn't know how to make him eat, since he could only stomach very certain foods without getting sick. seafood, mostly, meats, and very small portions of fruits and veggies. so basically Lwaukee's parents were going "my kid wont eat his brocolli!! tsk silly kid" while Lwaukee was dry-retching in the background, if he can manage to get it into his mouth

so Esperanza really did win his heart over with food; the two quickly become more comfortable with each other and shared their snacks and continued to play In The Ditch. you know when you just play in the ditch....real desertheads understand

they met their dear friend Georgiana when Lwaukee and Esperanza were trotting town on their way to their favorite dirt patch, and Lwaukee thought it would be a good idea to duck through the nearby marketplace (just wanted to steal some fish) (stole some fish)

Georgiana was a small single child from a fisherman's family, very sheltered just like Esperanza, but with an intense fear of outsiders. their family was all made of hunters, and living off the land was everything Georgiana knew. they lived a few villages over closer to the rivers and they only visited for markets to sell their catches. so when Lwaukee tried to grab a bass cut (Esperanza made the surprised Pikachu face) Georgiana immediately took after him- Georgi's parents told them it wasn't worth it, but Georgiana is really protective of their fishes, very proud to be working the stall...Lwaukee took off cackling but Georgiana caught him very easily. Esperanza explained the situation and apologized 500 times and...hey do you wanna play In The Ditch with us?? you look really strong! you could pick up a lot of sticks when we build forts in the ditch!

Georgiana was terrified of this approach, but they let Lwaukee keep the fish. and guess who quietly showed up next time their family was in town and Esperanza and Lwaukee were rolling in the dirt

[dangerpronebuddie]

Hi Maggie!!!!! 💜🤍💛❣️🩷💘🩷💓💗🩶❤️‍🔥❤️❤️‍🩹💖💚🤍❤️💘🩷❣️💛💘💝💙❣️🖤💙💙❤️‍🩹💘💚🤍❤️💘🩷☪️💛💖🖤🤎❤️💖🩷💞🩷💙💙💛💘❤️🤍💛💛💞🩷🤎

If you’re willing can I get some smut prompt #200 with sub eddie? MUAH thank you my love

Hi Bazza!!!!!! 💓💝💗💖💜💝🩶💘❤️♥️💗💘💓🩷🩶🧡💛💚💜🩵💞❤️💙🖤💝💗♥️🩷❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹🩵🩷🤍🩷

I am absolutely willing my love (including making it extra mushy) 😘 MUAH!

(side note: you know you write too much whump when the first thing you think about when you see the prompt is desperate CPR 😅)

200. "Breathe, please."

Eddie does as he's told, taking slow, measured breaths. Buck runs his hand up and down Eddie's bicep in time with his breaths, smiling in encouragement. “You did so good for me, baby,” Buck says softly. “Just keep breathing.” Eddie relaxes against the mattress, sated and sleepy, but still floating in the headspace he'd been in for god knows how long. He doesn't get like this after many of their scenes. Buck always insists on the aftercare, despite Eddie's frequent protests. This time, however, even Eddie has to admit it's a welcome gesture. It had been a punishment (though Eddie really didn't see any downside to it), and things had gotten pretty intense. Eddie would do it again in a heartbeat. “Can you count to thirty for me?” Buck asks, keeping his voice low and soft. “I'll be back by then, if not sooner,” he says as he slowly stands. Eddie nods mutely, lucid enough to know Buck will be back before he's even reached fifteen. Sure enough, by the time Eddie starts to whisper fifteen, Buck is back by his side, warm washcloth in hand. “You did so good, baby,” Buck says as he sits beside him. He gently runs the cloth over Eddie's heated skin, his free hand carding through his hair. Once he's finished, he coaxes Eddie into his favorite sweats (which happen to be Buck's), and settles him onto the couch. Eddie closes his eyes, sighing in content. He doesn't even notice he's dozing off until the couch springs creak beside him. He opens his eyes to see Buck place a glass of water on the coffee table, along with a sandwich Eddie absolutely knows is peanut butter and apricot jelly. “Back with me?” Buck asks, smiling softly. Eddie nods. “Yeah. Thanks.” “You okay?” “More than,” Eddie says. He shifts until he can rest his head on Buck's shoulder. “That was incredible.” Buck chuckles, something Eddie feels more than hears. “Yeah, it was.” He combs his fingers through Eddie's hair, gently massaging where he'd tugged it earlier. “I'm debating letting you do it to me.” That has Eddie perking up like a puppy offered a treat. He sits up and beams at Buck, who laughs and cups his cheek, pulling him into a kiss. “Rest first, baby,” Buck says. “Maybe later we can turn the tables.” Eddie kisses him again and settles back beside him, both happy to recuperate and excited for later.

Send me a (buddie) smut prompt 🔥

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: The Shadow of the Past

"The blame was mostly laid on Gandalf." Whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a Disturber of the Peace...

Something about "but the growth of hobbit-sense was not very noticeable" cracks me up

I love the fact that Frodo kept throwing birthday parties for Bilbo after he left. It's so sweet.

I would much rather go to Frodo’s Hundred-weight Feast than Bilbo’s Party of Special Magnificence, actually; twenty guests and several meals “at which it snowed food and rained drink” sounds much more my speed X-D

“Bilbo isn’t dead.” “Where is he then?” “🤷‍♂️”

F in the chat for Folco Boffin, who was mentioned like once in this chapter and never comes into the story again

"Merry and Pippin suspected that [Frodo] visited the Elves at times, as Bilbo had done." TEA???

Frodo's wandering in the autumn has such an evocative and melancholy feeling to it. So much so that I wrote a poem about it last year...

Part Two of me wishing the movies could have shown the Dwarves passing through the Shire on their way to the Blue Mountains

Sam be like "Dragons and Ents are real, I tell you!" and Ted Sandyman like "press X to doubt"

Our first glimpse of Sam's unassailable trust in Frodo and his wisdom 💚

And now! Exposition dumping, with Gandalf.

I hate the fact that I can't see or hear the word Eregion without getting war flashbacks to Amazon's Rings of Poopy

Ooh, remind me to write an essay about the invisibility power of the Ring(s)...

"[Bilbo] would certainly never have passed on to you anything that he thought would be a danger." Oh boy, would you look at the time, it's Crying About Adoptive Relationships O'clock

"'There wasn't any permanent harm done, was there?' asked Frodo anxiously. 'He would get all right in time, wouldn't he? Be able to rest in peace, I mean.'" OH BOY, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME—

Literally Gandalf: "Hobbits are my special interest"

"It is quite cool." It sure is, Gandalf. Wicked. Radical, even.

Low-hanging fruit, I know, but I had to 🤣

Speaking of low-hanging fruit, here's a joke I made two years ago about the "until Spring had passed into Winter" line:

He threw a luau barbecue one breezy summer night/Invited all his turtle pals to come and have a wiki bite/The turtles started walkin' there as Lance began to swing/The one that lived across the street arrived there in the spring...!

"I wish it need not have happened in my time." "So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." Still a line that goes so, so hard, right in the middle of this exposition dump.

I like how in Gandalf's story, he makes Deagol talk normally, but Smeagol still has all those verbal idiosyncrasies that are iconic to Gollum.

I'm still trying to remember who it was that pointed out that the last syllable of Smeagol is the first syllable of Gollum. Blew my mind when I saw that, I tell ya.

"I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought." "It is not." 🤣🤣🤣

The thought of Gollum creeping through a window to snatch a baby from a cradle and eat it is at least seventeen different kinds of Not Fun. Thanks, Tolkien.

I have very little to say about Gandalf's retelling of the Ring's story—and Frodo's frightened and naive questions—except that it's almost as hard to tear your eyes away from the book as it is for Frodo to throw the Ring into the fire.

"I do really wish to destroy it! Or, well, to have it destroyed. I am not made for perilous quests." Oh, Frodo, bby...

I love how Sam's spying is so artfully foreshadowed here X-D You just go whistling away down that path, buddy! Nobody suspects a thing!

All Frodo has to say is "I suppose I'll have to go running into danger alone to keep everything and everyone I love safe, even if it means never coming home again; it's a pity, but I'll do it" and Gandalf is like "Frodo have I mentioned lately how much I love you and hobbits in general". Which. Mood! Big mood!

SUDDENLY, SAMWISE GAMGEE!

Good gracious did I need Sam and his comic relief after this heavy chapter X-D Bless you, Sam, you loveable dummy

I wonder what hobbit idiom Tolkien "translated" into "Lor bless you, sir". I'm not sure the hobbits have a concept of Eru Illuvatar as a benevolent God who hands out blessings; and if they do, I somehow doubt they'd have quaint little figures of speech like this. But I'm just nitpicking at this point because it's fun.

"There ain't no eaves at Bag End, and that's a fact." SAM 🤣🤣

"Mr. Frodo, sir! Don't let him hurt me, sir! Don't let him turn me into anything unnatural! My old dad would take on so." Have I mentioned that I love the heck out of Sam?

Frodo is "hardly able to keep from laughing", which, MOOD!

Sam heard that Mr. Frodo was going away and audibly choked. GAH I love him so much

Frodo sure knows how to threaten Sam LOL

"If you even breathe a word of what you've heard here, then I hope Gandalf will turn you into a spotted toad and fill the garden full of grass-snakes." 🤣🤣

"'Me, sir!' cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. 'Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!' he shouted, and then burst into tears." Oh, Sam. I love you.