#stay close fanfic

[broken-lycan]

Category: M/M Fandoms: Broadchurch, Stay Close (TV) Relationship: Alec Hardy/Ray Levine Additional Tags: Drabble, Hugs, Light Angst, Crossover Pairings

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[shiinata-library]

Photography lessons [2/3]

&lt; Chapter 1

Relationships: Ray Levine x fem!Reader

Summary: You ask Ray to teach you how to develop an old camera film because you have a crush on you.

Chapter 2

Second lesson: how to turn a film to a negative? 

A few weeks pass before you plan a new lesson with Ray. Taking good photos takes time and it was something you haven't had for a while, but you released you enjoyed it very much. Maybe it could be your new hobby! So, once you took the 24 shots, you called Ray and he agreed to a new lesson on the Friday following your call. 

Like the last time, you come to his home after work. It’s night and humid since it’s the end of autumn. The coat you choose is just enough to keep you warm, and you almost slipped on wet leaves on the way. What an idea to want to be pretty and wear heels! 

When Ray opens his front door, his smile has nothing to do with the one that does when you come to pick up your nephew. He lets you enter, taking your coat like the last time. After offering you a warm drink, you sit on the same chair from the last time with the old camera in your hands.

 “How did it go?” he asks as he starts making your warm drink. “I was beginning to worry since I hadn't heard from you.”

 “Oh sorry. It’s just, taking good photos was hard. I didn’t want to waste the film,” you say, embarrassed.

 “I already told you not to worry about it. Out of 24, it's impossible not to have one or two good ones,” he jokes. “Ready to turn the film into negatives?”

When he joins you, you both chat about what you took in the photo while you drink. Ray looks interested in what your subjects are. City? Nature? Family? Friends? Boyfriend?

No boyfriend, it seems. Then, Ray explains to you how to recover the film correctly. 

To take the film out of the camera, it has to be in the dark, but it's not like in the films where the character is in a room with a red-light. Ray takes out some equipment and spreads it out on his desk, explaining that you will have to take the film out of the camera without seeing it. You will have to use several tools in a kind of big bag that is totally opaque to light.

After a long but clear explanation, and a test on a non-usable film, you try. It works the second time, and your film is now in a round box as he asked for.

After that, you have to change the film to a negative. Ray explains to you the process, which requires patience and chemistry. You have to use the right volume of chemical products to change the film to negative, and for that, you have to remove your pullover and put gloves on. As Ray removes his red and black shirt to be in a t-shirt, you notice all his tattoos. Obviously, you can’t help but observe them. 

 “Cassie?” you read on his arm in a playful tone. “Lucky girl!”

As you see him avoiding your eyes and focusing on the material, you understand you made a blunder.

 “Not anymore. Hm, put 350mL on that in the beaker,” he says as he gives you a small can of chemical liquid. 

After that, you only talk to say something intelligent or useful. No more personal questions. 

It takes you more than half-hour to finish it, and when you can get out the now called negative, you are so proud of you! You can see all the photos you took on it, one after the other in a long succession of negatives. Ray hooks it on the top of a shelf so that it falls straight down.

 “It’s great! So great! I was worried I didn’t do it correctly! It’s so small but I can see my photos even so. Look, it’s my nephew and my sister!”

Beaming at him, you point him some negatives without touching it. He walks closer to you, laughing at your exaggerated reaction. 

 “Yes, I can see them. I hope they won't be blurry,” he laughed.

 “It’s almost impossible for him to be motionless, so it’s very possible it’s blurry. It won’t be my fault, I paid attention not to move like you told me,” you say, shrugging as you are still looking at the negatives.

Ray looks at it as well, interested in what you photographed. His eyes watch seriously every negative, one by one.

 “Are you looking for something in particular?” you ask with a worried smile. “Or did I do something wrong?”

 “No. It’s perfect,” Ray says with a smile. “It looks interesting. I’m only eager to develop them.”

 “And so am I!” you exclaim. “What is the next step?”

 “The next step is not for tonight. Sadly,” he laughed at your disappointed face. “It’s already after eight, so we will continue next time.”

 “Oh you’re right,” you say, embarrassed as you look at his clock and take your pullover. “I didn't realise how late it was. Do you have something planned? I’m sorry if I made you late?”

Your embarrassed behaviour troubles Ray as well. He didn’t want you to think he wanted you to leave. It’s the opposite, in truth, but he won’t tell you. He hurries to walk to you with his hand raised before him. 

 “No, I have nothing planned. Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to say the next step will be long too, so we should do it another time.”

If you can see him privately once again, you won’t refuse, right?

You try to hide your excessive happiness inside of you, and confirm him with a nod.

After you fix the day for the next lesson, Ray walks with you to the exit door, putting his shirt on. Can you tell him you want to stay a little longer because you enjoy being with him? Of course not, who could say such a thing to a handsome man like him? Maybe his girlfriend – not wife since he doesn’t have a ring – is waiting to join him.

When you see Ray is looking at you attentively, you understand he talked to you but you didn’t listen to him.

 “I’m sorry, what did you say?” you ask him given that you were lost in your thoughts.

 “I was asking if you were hungry. I know a small pub where we can eat something. It’s very simple but the burgers are good and the boss is my friend.”

 “Oh, I’m starving!” you smile, impossible to hide your joy to stay with him longer than you expected.

The way to his friend’s pub is short and you are glad it doesn’t rain. Ray barely steps inside the pub that a voice calls him. A man behind the counter smiles at him as you both walk towards him. His smile grows as he notices you.

 “Who knew that Ray knew such a lovely lady?” he kindly asks.

 “Good evening to you too, Fester,” he laughs. “This is Y/n. She’s my student. Y/n, this is my friend, Fester.”

 “Nice to meet you,” you start, laughing at Ray's introduction. “‘Student’ makes me young again. Ray only teaches me how to use old cameras, and he told me you make good burgers.”

 “The best of the town! Well, nice to meet you Y/n. Sit wherever you want, I will come to you later,” he winks at you while Ray sighs with a smile.

Ray leads you in a quiet corner and you sit on a quite comfortable chair. The place is, as he told you, simple but you are glad to be here with him. It's better than a restaurant where you would have been uncomfortable, right? 

Now sitting in front of you, Ray holds you the menu, a double-sided laminated page. His smile is too big for a place like this, so you can’t help but laugh as you take the menu and look at it.

 “Is it the idea of a burger that makes you smile so much?” you laugh, hidden behind the menu.

With no response from him, you pull your head out of the menu to look at him. He continues to smile and doesn't seem to have heard you. Not wanting to stop him from smiling, you finally stay quiet and look back at the menu.

At some point, Fester joins you with two drinks: a beer and a cocktail. Only with your eyes, he understands your surprise.

 “I don’t know your taste, but I’m sure you will like this one,” Fester says as he puts the drinks on the table. “And the same beer as usual for you, Ray.”

You didn’t want to drink alcohol tonight to enjoy the evening, but now it’s on the table, you can’t refuse it. You smile and thank Fester before he takes your order.

.

It's easier than you might have thought to talk to Ray. Of course, you started talking about photography, and then the topics changed quickly.

Like they said to you, the burger is very good, and you don't feel the dinner pass. Another thing you didn’t pay attention to was Fester serving you the same cocktail several times; you don’t even know how many times he gave you. You think everything is fine until you have to stand up to leave the place. A little wobble and a laugh are enough for Ray to understand that you have drunk too much. He too has had several beers but he seems to be holding his liquor rather well, at least better than you. It’s always too late when you realise you drank too much, and you can’t help but be embarrassed even though Ray helps you with a hand on your back. Oh, and your heels don’t help either.

As you both walk to the counter, you search for your credit card in your bag. Once you find it after a quite long rummage, you hear Fester thanking Ray for his payment. Then, Ray put his hand on your back like earlier, leading you to the exit.

 “Wait, I didn’t pay,” you laugh at Ray’s hurried behaviour. “Even if Fester is your friend, I’m sure he wants to be paid.”

 “He already paid for you both,” Fester says with a smile. “Thank you for coming here, I hope you’ll have a good night!”

 “W-what? You didn’t have to pay for me!” you turn to Ray as he is shyly smiling.

Ray remains silent until you both leave the place. The weather is much colder than earlier and it’s even raining. Outside, you are protected by a small roof but without it, you would be soaked in two seconds.

 “I wanted to invite you to thank you for the lessons,” you sigh. 

 “No need to pay me dinner for that. You already pay me again for that,” he laughs. “You’ll pay next time if you really want to pay.”

Next time? Will there be a next time? Oh, that’s good. Very good!

Lost in your thought, you take a step and if Ray didn’t catch your arm, you would end up on the wet, dirty floor. Tsk. You really drank too much. And those damn heels!

 “I didn’t think that I had drunk so much,” you sigh. “I must look ridiculous.”

Even if you’re embarrassed, you raise your eyes to Ray while he still holds your arm. Oh, he is close! Enough close to notice his eyes are still beautiful. And his lips. Oh, they’re looking so delicious. Are you looking at them for too long? Maybe…

 “I’m sorry. Fester shouldn’t give you as many cocktails. Are you ok?” he asks, honestly worried about you as your eyes come back from his lips to his eyes.

 “Yeah, maybe not tomorrow, but now I’m fine,” you joke, shrugging. “I just have to find a way to go home. And that will be a challenge!”

As you take your arm back, you look at your phone and notice it’s too late for public transport. It almost made you sober. So the only solution is an Uber, and it will cost you an arm and a leg.

You really shouldn't have been drinking…

As you open Uber’s app, Ray clears his throat and looks away, in his flat’s direction.

 “You can stay at my place if you want. I’m used to sleeping on my couch anyway,” he says in an uncertain voice as he looks back at you. “If we walk fast, we shouldn’t be too wet. Or I can pay for your Uber, I feel like it's my fault that you can't go home.”

 “No, it’s me. I'm a grown woman, I should have stopped drinking on my own.”

Frustrated by your own state, you ran your hand in your hair. Of course you can’t accept his offer. You can’t sleep in his home drunk as you were. 

Ray lets you have a moment to decide what you will choose. You don’t see it but he feels very bad about all the cocktails. Of course he hopes you will stay at his place, despite all the mess upstairs because he didn't expect the evening to end like this.

 “Thank you for your offer, but I should go home,” you say as you are ordering an Uber. “Oh, it's more expensive than I thought but it’s ok, I guess! “

Your laugh isn’t enough to stop Ray from blaming himself. He would have paid for the Uber too if you didn’t order it so fast. 

As you finish your order, you notice Ray’s hand on your back. He surely understands that you hardly stand up alone. It’s pathetic…

 ”Do you want to wait for the car at my place?” he tries with a smile. 

 ”Thank you, but the car should be here in 5 minutes. And while I'm thinking about it, thank you again for the lesson and the dinner.”

The quantity of “thank you” you told him makes you laugh. You still feel silly about the end of the night, and you try to hide it by tucking a lock behind your ear. Ray’s hand that you had forgotten again tenses on your back. Afraid you said something wrong, you look up at him.

Oh the darkness of the night looks so good on him…

Ray silently looks at you, his hair falling forward. He knows he shouldn't take advantage of you when you have drunk too much. He knows he should let you go, but you look so cute with your pink cheeks, your pretty outfit, and above all your lovely smile. How could he resist?

Is he leaning towards you or have you had too much to drink? Of course it’s the second option. Oh, wait. Maybe it’s both because he is really close. Close enough to smell his perfume and his hair touch your face!

The vibration of your phone startles you and you look at the screen immediately. Your Uber is here. What is that damn timing?

 ”You should go,” Ray says as he releases you gently.

Still troubled by what could have happened and his now distant behaviour, you only nod and wish him a good night before walking to the Uber under the rain. 

Ray looks at you and leaves only when he is sure you are in the car. Now you aren’t with him, he can’t help but feel empty. Your presence always makes him warmer no matter what the weather is. Then, he remembers the state you were in and he can’t help but feel guilty about it. Everything could be different if… Could anything really have been different? It's not as if you would have agreed to stay with him when you hardly know him anyway.

Due to all his thoughts, Ray enters home soaked. Maybe a shower will do him good, or a drink. Or both.

Chapter 3 >

[shiinata-library]

This story is fantastic!!! ❤️😍❤️

I love how you write Ray's puppy behaviour 💖 I wanted to hug him too despite his stupid obsession for Cassie.

Oh and the angst is so good! 😙👌The smut is deliciously hot! 😈

I Will Carry You

One shot! Ray Levine from Stay Close x Reader

You are Ray’s best friend and have been in love with him for years. When Cassie comes back into his life you realize you can’t watch him destroy himself any longer.

I may have gotten a tad carried away.

*NSFW

Afficher davantage

[pixlokita]

I feel like ? I gotta remind people it’s ok to unfollow a blog when it upsets you in any way >> like if I ever do that sure, you can let me know if it was anything I did personally I’d appreciate it but if you just don’t enjoy something it’s ok to unfollow ;w; can’t stress enough how important it is to put your mental health first 👌

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

Am I writing a frankly ridiculous number of Merlin and Arthur “almost” hugs into my fic?

Yes. Yes I am.

What about it?

[middleearthpixie]

This is just so sweet and fluffy and it is EXACTLY what I needed this week. Thank you so much for writing and sharing it, @fizzyxcustard! 💜💜💜

No One But You.

Fandom: Stay Close

Pairing: Ray Levine x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Insecurity, anxiety, fluff

Summary: Requested by @sweetestgbye and a sweet anon. From the imagine 'Imagine asking Ray Levine to share Christmas with you as he has no one but you.'

Comments: As always, if you like this fic, please consider a reblog. And if you want to be added to my tag list, let me know.

By the way, Boxing Day is the 26th December and a bank holiday for us in the UK. Asda is a UK-based supermarket.

Ray stood in front of you, gobsmacked and slightly terrified, as you asked him if he wished to share Christmas with you. He had no family and barely any friends since moving into town to make a fresh start. The only friend he had beside you was Fester, who was over a hundred miles away and spending time with his own family: a new wife and baby.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Ray asked, swallowing hard. His eyes were full of tears as he looked at you.

You smiled at him and felt a stab of pain hit you at the sight of his sudden flurry of emotion. "Of course, I am. What kind of friend would I be to see you spend Christmas on your own?"

"But you've probably got plans of your own," Ray replied. He sat down on the edge of your desk and crossed his arms, his leather jacket creaking with the movement.

"I hadn't actually planned anything." That was a lie. You'd already agreed to stay over at your parents' house from Christmas Eve until Boxing Day. But there was no way you could see Ray out on his own; not only was he a close friend, but you were secretly in love with him.

Ray gave in eventually and agreed to be at your flat on Christmas Eve after work. Today was only the eighteenth, so you had a few days yet to make sure your flat was in order and mentally prepare yourself for spending Christmas with Ray.

He told you thank you one final time and placed his hand on your shoulder. The two of you locked gazes for a couple of seconds and smiled, temporarily blocking out the chatter that was going on around you in the office.

***

Of course it didn't take long before your Christmas plans became public in the newspaper office. Lyndsey, who sat next to you, and had been on break while you spoke with Ray about him joining you for Christmas, had found out from Natalie, who was sat nearer the back of the office.

"I hear you're having Ray Levine around your flat for Christmas?" Lyndsey smirked. "Didn't think you had it in you, girl."

You merely blushed and turned away, putting your attention back to your work. Many of the women had attempted to flirt with Ray, but nothing really seemed to work on him. Could this be your chance?

***

Each day from then on, until Christmas Eve, and Ray text you good morning. You lay in your bed, staring at your phone, grinning stupidly.

Little did you know, across town, and Ray lay on his own bed, his arm behind his head and smiled at your responses. You had started wishing him good night, a natural reciprocation to his good morning wishes, and on the 23rd told him that you were excited for the next day.

As dawn broke on the morning of Christmas Eve, you took a deep breath and got out of bed. Today was annual leave for you, but you knew that Ray had still agreed to work.

The day began with you heading to the supermarket very early to grab roast potatoes and gravy. You had already got a turkey and fresh vegetables and stuffing the night before, but didn't realise until getting into bed that you'd forgotten the gravy and potatoes. In the frustrating stampede at the local Asda, paired with your daydreams of Ray, you had forgotten two of your favourite parts of any roast dinner.

The rest of the day was quite slow, painful in fact, and you kept looking at the clock. Ray had, of course, text you that morning. Then suddenly at around two, another text came through.

I'll come round shortly as I'm finishing early. That's if you'll have me a few hours earlier than planned.

Of course you'd have him! That went without saying.

Then finally, he arrived. You brushed your hand through your hair quickly and pulled your long tunic style jumper down, smoothing it out down your torso.

Ray greeted you with that gorgeous smile of his. Immediately you felt that familiar flutter in your stomach and your heartbeat race a little quicker.

First off, he removed his jacket and you showed him the spare bedroom where he would be sleeping. He noticed you'd put out a vase of fresh flowers, and the air smelled faintly of vanilla. "There's also plenty of bubble baths if you fancy a bath while you're here."

Ray couldn't help but smirk to himself as he imagined the two of you in the bath, one on top of the other, enjoying rather pleasurable pursuits. Immediately he felt a stir down lower in his body, and had to push that imagination away for now. Maybe later tonight he could re-visit that thought before bed. But not now.

The two of you sat side by side on the sofa, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, watching Elf.

Ray wasn't interested in the film, and instead kept glancing at you, not able to keep his eyes away for too long. Your face was alight with happiness, a happiness that he hoped he was the cause of. The only physical connection between you both was a checked blanket that you had thrown over the two of you.

By the time the adverts swelled on the screen, you disappeared into the kitchen for more hot chocolate. Ray fell backwards, sighing and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, willing for something to happen. He prayed that the two of you would act on the feelings he felt, but always doubted were requited.

Ray opened his eyes again and looked around the living room. There was a huge tree in the corner opposite. Gold and red tinsel had been wrapped around the synthetic green branches. White fairly lights twinkled from beneath all the tinsel and round baubles. A snowman and Santa, both two foot in height, stood either side of the television stand.

The rest of the evening was torture. Ray could feel himself growing physically frustrated, and you could feel your heart rate remaining at a slightly faster pace. The two of you could feel immense tensions in your bodies, but were so caught up in your own insecurity, that you had become blind to each other.

You made a quick dinner which consisted of toasted cheese sandwiches, and between you both on the sofa was a big box of chocolates that you had been given at work from your Secret Santa.

The Santa Clause with Tim Allen was playing on the TV. Having the films playing somehow made the situation that little more bearable.

"You're the kindest person I've ever met, you know that?" Ray said softly.

The comment caught you off guard, so much so that you almost choked on a piece of melted cheese. A flush hit your cheeks and you brushed a tendril of hair behind your ear.

"I want you to have your present now," he said, grinning. Ray threw the blanket aside and rose up from the sofa and grabbed his gift from beneath your tree. Whatever it was was inside a gold bag. "Merry Christmas."

You looked up at his towering form and took the bag from him.

"I hope you like it."

You ventured into the back, finding a box, wrapped in sparkling gold paper. Slowly and curiously, you unwrapped the box to find the image of one of the figurines you had been hunting everywhere for, one which you had become adamant was discontinued. The image of the figurine, printed on the box, made a tear drip down your cheek. "You remembered...." you whispered. It had been one of the first conversations you'd ever had with Ray, about a year ago. The two of you had been sat in the staff room, chit chatting about your hobbies and interests. Eventually the conversation turned to this figurine, which you had never seen again after you had gone back to your local jeweller's to pick it up. You had finally had the money to afford it, and the last piece had been sold.

Ray then noticed something in the bottom of the gold gift bag. It was small and green, with white berries. He thought back to when he had purchased the gift, two months earlier while away in a neighbouring town, taking photos for a side project.

The middle aged lady who had been serving behind the counter, looked over her spectacles with sparkling eyes. "Is this for someone special?" she asked.

Ray couldn't help but flush at the thought of you. He glanced down at the glass covered counter and smiled to himself, then looked back up at the lady, with his open wallet in hand. "Yes."

She must have put the mistletoe in the bag when she gift wrapped everything, immediately recognising that look on Ray's face upon asking her question.

Ray picked out the mistletoe as you still grinned in delight at the figurine, beginning to get it out of the box.

You caught sight of Ray holding something between his fingers, and then your gazes met. For the first time in many months, your gazes remained locked for longer than a few seconds.

This was his sign.

With a deep intake of breath, Ray shifted across the sofa toward you.

You immediately felt your heart race. It was happening. Finally!

Ray was right upon you and he reached up, his hand ready to cup your cheek. But he stopped, feeling that insecurity overtake him suddenly, pulling his confidence from beneath his feet.

Instead, you grasped his hand and placed it against your cheek and then leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was slow at first, becoming a series of pecks. Until Ray wound his arms around you and drew you in, deepening the kiss. Your tongues met, and it was here that all the tension and frustration became electricity.

The two of you knew that this was a Christmas neither of you would forget in a hurry.

***

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[strawberriesinmoominvalley]

George balled his hands into fists, taking a slightly shaky breath to try and disperse the adrenaline. “I think we can take them.” It was a lie; Lando knew it. The other omega still agreed with him, stepping up beside him properly. “You said they liked- liked not thinking enough of omegas, didn’t you?” “Underestimating,” George filled in. He fought down the urge to burst into hysterical laughter at his own comment - correcting grammar seemed so pointless in the current situation. “I did, didn’t I?”

After Max saves Arthur from their abusive pack and never returns, Charles and Lando escape with the goal of finding them. But when they are only reunited with Arthur, it becomes clear that Max has been caught within the abusive pack once more. There is an obvious solution to this: destroy the pack once and for all.

Charles can’t afford to lose anyone else he loves. Lando doesn’t know how to trust alphas. Alex wants his and George’s second chance to work. George wants everyone to be safe. Oscar doesn’t know how to cope with the responsibility he’s been forced into. No one knows how to deal with the loss of Max; everyone wants Max back.

Long story short, this is easier said than done.

[00fairylights00]

Hypersomnolence

Haha funny story, I was diagnosed with a sleep disorder in November after struggling with it unknowingly for give or take 18 months. Turns out I’m not crazy and falling asleep against your will multiple times a day is actually not a good or normal thing.

So permit me to write the puppet like a sap as I need this right now lol. Yes these are in fact all things I experienced but I am medicated for them now hooray!

One task, that was all you’d managed to get through today. You felt sick and heavy, opting to sit on the cold ground before your body made you, it was a battle to stay awake as sleep attacked you again.

It was only early afternoon and you’d struggled through your one task of sweeping, you were certain everyone at the hotel thought you to be lazy, even if they’d all told you otherwise.

You’d been sick like this for a long time, long before the petrification disease or the puppet frenzy, both events having a negative effect on the way you’d usually manage your symptoms. 

And while you appreciated the sanctity you’d been spared at Hotel Krat, the nagging feeling of needing to repay Lady Antonia for her kindness was not helping your case.

You sat with your head in your hands, slipping in and out of consciousness, losing the battle again. Usually, Polendina would find you, send you to your room to rest and that would be it for the day, once you were in bed you found it hard to do much of anything else. Which you supposed was good for your body but it made your emotional well-being an absolute wreck.

Lady Antonia had asked you time and time again to be kinder to yourself, to feel accomplished of the things you could do and that you were welcome here no matter how sick you were, and she would know a thing or two about being sick.

But, you had a bad habit of being nasty to yourself, and with your sleep-related illness only seeming to get worse you couldn’t remember the last time you’d spoken kindly to yourself.

You felt like shit.

A hand at your shoulder, delicate and tender shook you but it didn’t do much to rouse you. Your vision swam uncomfortably through the gaps in your fingers, your head being too heavy to lift up. Hands grasped your wrists, pulling gently to reveal your face that was then taken into those same hands, one soft and warm, the other firm and cold.

With the weight of your head now being supported by P’s hands you could somewhat force yourself to look at him. His expression was unreadable, as always, but his presence was a balm to your spiralling thoughts.

The friendship of Geppetto’s Puppet had been good for you, P didn’t care how tired you were he was just happy to see you, he didn’t expect anything but your presence and that was something you could give freely, tired or not.

He tilted his head in question to what you assumed to be your position on the floor, slumped over rather uncomfortably.

“It just came on, I had to sit down,” you mumbled, he seemed to frown, getting down on one knee and shifting you against him to pick you up.

With you cradled to his chest, he ascended the stairs. You burrowed down against his chest, relishing in how nice it was to be looked after. 

It was almost like the trip up to your room didn’t happen, one moment you were snug to P’s chest, the next you were under your sheets and propped up against the headboard. P took it upon himself to remove his shoes and coat and sit on the opposite side of the bed to keep you company.

“Sleepy?” P asked innocently, you nodded trying desperately to suppress another yawn. 

“I-“ he started, a thoughtful look crossing his face, “-want to help. How do I help?”

He gently took your hand in his own, his thumb rubbing over your knuckles. The astounding amount of care he treated you with was sure to tear you apart in the best ways, making your exhausted mind spin.

“Just stay here with me for a bit,” You laid your head on his shoulder, “I think that’ll help.”

“Okay.”

He mimicked you, resting his head on top of yours, pulling the sheets further up your lap. Doing what he could to keep you comfortable, a concept he was still trying to grasp.

“Thank you P,” you mumbled, snuggling closer, “love you.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to your head, nose buried in your hair, “I love you too.”

[erdarielthewhumper]

Caretaker and whumpee pair where there's no love lost between them, but the caretaker still does what they can to help the whumpee is actually a really Good Trope. Like, maybe the characters are rivals, maybe there's something in their past, maybe they just generally dislike each other as people, but one way or another, they're kind of on bad terms.

But whether out of pragmatic necessity (like it's clear they'll have to work together to escape or else neither will, or because as long as the villains are hurting whumpee they're leaving the caretaker alone, or because the whumpee's continued survival just is in some way vital to the organization they work for, or whatever) or simply out of basic human decency, when the two are stuck together in a bad situation and whumpee's badly hurt, the caretaker does what they can to help

[shiinata-library]

Photography lessons [3/3]

< Chapter 1

Relationships: Ray Levine x fem!Reader

Summary: You ask Ray to teach you how to develop an old camera film because you have a crush on you.

Note: I’m going to torture him a little before the fluff and comfort 😈

Chapter 3

After that night, the first time you see Ray again it’s when you’re taking your nephew. You try, you really try, to remain the same as usual but it’s hard. Your cheeks can’t help but turn red, and your eyes to avoid his. You hate your teenager’s behaviour but you can’t help it. 

Ray’s behaviour doesn’t seem to have changed towards you. But that's only because you can't feel his hands getting sweaty or his heart speeding up every time you look at him.

Your next lesson is planned in two weeks after the last, so you only see him twice before going to his flat again. For this new lesson, he told you it will take a long time so you planned a whole afternoon. Who would complain?

Last lesson: how to develop a negative? 

It's almost winter when you go to his place. Streets are already full of Christmas’ decorations but they are not yet lit since it's early afternoon. The weather is cold but dry, you don't risk falling on a leaf as there are hardly any on the pavements.

From the end of the street, you see a woman in front of Ray's flat, then when you're almost there, you see him standing in his doorway in his usual red and black shirt. You don't know how long he's been like this, but he must be seriously cold. 

At first, you hesitate to join them since they seem to talk seriously, but when Ray sees you, he smiles at you and waves you to approach. It’s at that moment you notice he didn’t smile at all with the woman in front of him. He also looks troubled. Weird. There are still many things you don’t know about him but you never expected to see him like that so you join them after all.

 ”Hi!” you start with a polite smile and nod as you join them. “If you have a guest, we can report our lesson.”

 ”No, you can stay. She was about to leave anyway,” he says, smiling at you before turning toward the woman with a serious face.

 ”But Ray, I–”

 ”Cassie, just leave. I already told you I don’t want to see you anymore and I meant it,” he says in a tired, hard voice you never hear; even when the children were boisterous at the end of their lesson.

Cassie sighs and looks at you. You remain silent, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. Finally, she says goodbye politely to both of you and leaves. It’s only when you don’t see her anymore that the tense atmosphere calms down and you can finally breathe normally again. 

Ray eventually enters his entrance, letting you do the same.

 ”I’m sorry about that. I’m–”

 ”It’s ok! Don’t worry about it! Was Cassie from your arm?” you stupidly ask as you remove your coat and Ray silently takes it. “Oh I’m sorry! I’m so silly! I shouldn’t ask. I’m–”

 ”Yes, it was her,” he sighs, avoiding your gaze before smiling lightly. “But let’s forget about her and let’s develop your photos!”

After Ray explains to you the long progress to develop just one photo, you understand you will be busy for a long time. No time for a hot drink, let's go!

First, you prepare some trails with chemical products like the last time. Then Ray helps you to develop some negatives to make what is called a contact sheet with all your photos in miniature in one only paper. 

 ”It’s like in movies! The red-light and everything!” you exclaim in an enthusiastic tone as you turn off all the light bulbs of the rooms, leaving the room in a red atmosphere from the red-light bulb. “My photos already look great on the contact sheet! Do you see my sister’s dog? He is so cute!”

You're overexcited about developing your own photos and you're a little too enthusiastic. Your cheeks start to burn when you hear Ray chuckling. You sound like a silly teenage girl but if it makes Ray laugh, it's worth it. Oh, and luckily for you, the red light covers your cheeks very well!

After the contact sheet, you calibrate the enlarger again and do some tests of exposure time like Ray explains to you. It takes longer than you think and two hours later, you still don’t have one correct photo developed. Yet, with Ray’s motivative words and his serious behaviour, you don’t dare speak about giving up. 

So when everything is starting to work correctly, you find your enthusiasm back. With Ray’s help, you hang the last picture on a wire and wait for his approval before turning on the light of the room. 

Your eyes have become accustomed to the red-light but you find it difficult to see things clearly, for example Ray's face. His behaviour is more distant and quiet than the other lessons and you’re afraid of having done something wrong. He asked you to wait a little longer before turning on the light but if you understood his lesson correctly, you could turn it on now. Did you really do something wrong or is he hiding something from you? 

Alright, his silent behaviour worries you too much so you join him after you hanged the last photo and slowly take his hand. He first tenses but then he squeezes your hand. Oh, he is quite strong…

 ”Did I do something wrong?” you almost murmur as you stroke his hand with your thumb. 

 ”No, it’s perfect,” he says, looking at the hanged photos.

In truth, it’s not perfect. Ray knows it. He couldn't focus correctly and made a lot of mistakes. He hates it but Cassie’s visit distressed him more than he would like. What does she not understand when he tells her that he doesn’t want to see her? 

If only she hadn't come today. He was so looking forward to a long, nice afternoon with you, and a dinner together if you would accept it.

He surely looks pathetic, ordering a woman to leave so coldly in front of his home. He doesn't even know if you’re aware of the whole story with Cassie and him by the media or by some rumours.

What a boring and useless teacher he is right now…

 ”Are you ok?” you try once again , hoping he would speak to you like he used to. “You’re very quiet, and I’m worried. And, hm–”

 ”I'm fine and don’t worry, we’re almost finished,” he says in a tone that is anything but convincing.

 ”Are you sure? I mean, about you’re fine,” you say, truly worried even if you look insistent. “If I ruined your afternoon and you wanted to stay with Cassie–”

 ”No,” he only says, squeezing your hand again when you shyly said his ex-over name.

Ray wanted so much to have a good afternoon with you and is about to ruin everything himself. He wants you to stay with him but he doesn't know how to say it, or rather, he doesn't dare. He selfishly needs you. Your smile, your kindness, your laugh, your smell, your warmth.

Still in his thoughts, he doesn’t see you hugging him. You don’t understand what is wrong but you clearly notice he isn’t fine. And a hug is the minimum you can give him. Well, if it were up to you, you would do more than just hug him to make him feel better, but you don't want to rush him.

As you hug him, his body tenses and he stays quiet. Oh, he still smells so good! 

You’re afraid to overdo but you’re sure he needs a hug. He confirms it when his arms close around you. His head falls in your neck and it’s your turn to stay still.

Oh it's hot, isn't it? Is his body too warm or is yours just overheated? 

As you try to think of something else, you stroke his back in a comforting way. Is he hugging you even tighter? Oh this man really needs a hug!

When your hand goes from his back to his hair, his head buries even more in your neck. Oh, you’re going to melt. You didn’t expect he would hold you like this!

 ”Ray?” you eventually call at some point. “Do you need coffee or tea? Or a beer?”

With a little joke, you try to calm him but he doesn’t move or react. When you lower your hand to his back again, you feel his arms loosen a little, just enough for you to breathe correctly again.

 ”I only need you.”

Oh. Even though his answer is clear, you’re not sure you heard it right. He needs you. Need? You? Not coffee or tea. Or beer. You.

As your hands grip his shirt, your head falls in his neck as you end up accepting what he said. It's too good to be true, but well, you hope you truly hear right.

 ”I’m just here,” you finally say while all this time he was afraid you would run away. “I can hug you as much as you want.”

At the end of your sentence, he releases you but he keeps your hands in his. At the beginning of the lesson, you loved the red-light, but right now you want nothing more than to change it to normal light. As you turn to the switch, his hands squeeze yours.

 ”Can I turn on the light?” you ask, your voice full of hope.

 ”Yes, but–”

You don’t give him the time to finish his ‘but’. After letting his hands go, you turn on the light. When you turn back to him with a smile, glad to see him again, you didn’t expect what you see.

Ray was thinking you couldn’t notice his unlashed tears but when he sees you lose your smile, he only wants to disappear. Everything is ruined because of him. You’re certainly embarrassed because of him. Who wants a weak man who is about to cry?

With a step away, he hopes you don’t see his tears anymore. With a second step, he hoped you would forget what you saw. But at the third step, you join him and cup his cheeks with your two warm hands. His beard is prickly but you don't care. If this man needs you, you will help him.

 ”What do you need me to do?” you ask, getting close to him.

Your behaviour and your question catch his off-guard. A smile appears on his lips as his hands cover yours. With a few blinks, he makes the tears disappear.

 ”I just need you,” he barely says.

Ray doesn’t understand why you’re still here so close to him, your body almost touching and your eyes so troubled looking into his. He is afraid that the slightest move he’d make you run away. However, with your eyes and your comforting smile, he has only one thing on his mind and he can hardly hide it. 

Now he is so close to you, you realise how handsome he is. Well, it’s not new, but he is really close now and you can see every detail. How can this man still be single? Well, it’s a good thing for you. Oh, his eyes are beautiful now the light is not red and without tears. They are… Where are they looking? 

You lower your head by reflex, thinking you have something on your collarbone before you understand where he was looking. No one has ever looked at your lips in this way.

Oh, no. The red-light isn’t here to cover your cheeks anymore. Oh, Ray’s smile widens! 

 ”Do you still need me?” you say now you see he is better, hoping you would hide your embarrassment.

 ”Yes.”

His voice is not shaking anymore. One of his hand slips on your neck, his thumb strokes your cheek. Is it possible to blush even more? The answer is yes. Double yes.

Gathering all his courage, Ray takes a step forward and joins his forehead to yours, not taking your eyes off of you for a second. Hoping he understood you well, Ray wants to lean towards you but you act faster than him. Your lips find him, firstly timidly but he quickly slips his hand behind your head to deepen the kiss. Another hand comes in your back to press you against him. So happy that is happening, he won’t let you go easily, but you won’t complain about it!

The lack of air makes you both stop. Ray smiles at you in a way you have never seen before.

 ”Do you still need me or should we go back to the lesson?” you ask as you beam as much as him, putting one of its strands back in place correctly.

 ”I still need you,” he says as he leans toward you to kiss you again, forgetting everything except the taste of your lips,the softness of your hands and the warmth of your body.

I’m so glad I wrote that fic. There aren't enough of them about him and Ray needs all the comforting fics of the world! 🙌

I hope you liked it! 😘📸

[eatmy-customjorts]

hey!!! i wrote a mitsukou (w/ minor sakoo) fic that i hope you all will love <3

[atlantis-just-drowned]

hi!! hope youre having a good day :) would you write a short like,, makeout fic with pluto if you dont mind? thank you!! i love your writing sm

A/N: HI ANON YOU'RE SO KIND OMG!! Thank you for being so patient with me aghgfhgehfg- I just started college and moved in on my own, which is like, a huge change. So yeah life has been hectic those last few months. But hey! Here it finally is!

On a calm afternoon

Please reblog to show support! Likes don't boost posts on Tumblr :(

Masterlist

You could hear the oxygen getting engulfed in his lungs as he breathed in. From where you were resting on Pluto's chest, eyes half-lidded, you could hear every calm breath he took. Your head rising up, then down. Up, then down. Over and over again, to the same rhythm.

It was peaceful, you thought.

The way the sunlight sipped through the window of his room, and the comfortable silence between the two of you as he focused on the book he was reading, sitting on his bed with his legs on each side of your figure.

In your drowsy state, you heard the harmonious sound of air filling his lung, and felt your head raise a little higher as he took a deep breath, grounding you back on earth and taking you away from the sweet slumber you were about to fall into.

You tried to reposition your head with a groan. Somehow, gaining consciousness has made your position less comfortable than it was before, and you let out a small huff.

Just as you stopped moving, you felt the touch of five fingertips grazing at the skin of your skull; the sensation made your eyes flutter open, and you looked up at your boyfriend.

He has that calm, relaxed position. Expression neutral, his eye moving slightly from left to right has he keeps reading his book line after line. In the same time, you could still hear the air in his lungs, and his fingers threading through your hair.

This was everything you had ever wanted.

The circumstances around the two of you were so strange, you had to admit. You still struggled to understand how death could be such a lively experience – having you running around, discovering and learning when you should be laying still, somewhere under the dirt.

But this, this relationship that Pluto and you shared, it was enough to make you forget about it all.

It felt way too much like life to be anything you could possibly find in death. It was so real that it made anything else seem pale and meaningless in comparison.

It was love, your heart told you. And you knew it was true.

The sensation of his hand leaving your hair brought you back to earth, and you pouted at the loss of his delicate touch.

The faintest ghost of a smile painted his lips for a moment as he used his now free hand to turn another page, his eye still fixed on the words.

You couldn’t help but to crave more of him.

The absence of his left hand on your scalp didn’t seem right. It was suddenly making you feel so cold and empty – you wanted his warmth again.

Still against him, you moved further up on his figure, passing your arms underneath him to capture his torso.

His reaction was almost immediate.

You heard a small surprised cry leave him, and felt the muscles in his back and shoulders tense immediately against the palms of your hands.

“Wh… What are you doing?!”

A few weeks ago, Pluto’s anxiousness and bewildered tone would have made you back off instantly, but you were starting to know better. Instead, you melted further against him, nuzzling your face in his neck, earning a shudder from him when your breath hit the base of his jawline, just below his left ear.

“Just cuddling you.” You breathed out with a relaxed tone.

You didn’t move a muscle. After a while of you simply laying on top of him, you felt his breathing slow down little by little, falling back into a calm and even rhythm. His left hand falling onto the back of your head once again, with his fingers threading through your hair.

Another silent moment passed, where you took a deep breath, and sighed. You knew you couldn’t go back to sleep. The yearning for his touch was so addictive – you only wanted to bask in his affection now. To have him as close to you as possible.

Tightening your grip around him, you pressed a firm kiss on his shoulder through the fabric of his clothes.

This time, despite tensing up for a split second, he let out a chuckle in reaction. His chest jumping up and down against yours.

“Now I’m starting to think you might…” he started with a grin, before your teeth grazed slightly against the crook of his neck, the sensation attenuated by his turtle-neck, but still present. He sucked in a breath, and you felt him arch into your touch, his knees bending on each side of you. You were unable to say if the movement was voluntary or not as the rest of his sentence came out in a repressed moan, struggling to form coherent words. “b-be ge-etting a l-little clingy!”

You stopped your attack and grinned pridefully, loving every reaction you could get from him. His left hand was still in your hair, a lot more tense than it was a few seconds ago. Meanwhile, the book he was previously reading was still in his right hand, now closed and held so firmly you were starting to get concerned he might puncture the cover with his fingers.

It didn’t stop you, though.

Pressing another gentle kiss on the dark-haired man’s left shoulder, you dived down to kiss his collarbone through his turtle-neck, your hands tracing the outline of his waist and earning you another shiver, before you slipped them underneath the fabric and against his warm skin.

Pluto let out a groan, his back instantly arching against you like your fingers were burning him in the gentlest way. The book he held fell from his hand as he abandoned it to encircle your shoulders with his arms, hands clawing and gripping at the back of your shirt for support.

He gasped in, stuttering your name before trying to articulate. “W-Wait… T-That’s… That’s n-not cuddling…!”

Your head shot up to look at him. His breath was uneven, his face so warm you wouldn’t be surprised if he started seething. He looked at you with wide opened eyes, his eyebrows pinching up in an anxious expression.

Oh.

Maybe the teasing has gone a bit far, you realized.

Giving him an apologetic smile, you muttered “Sorry. Got a little carried away.” before pressing a gentle, chaste kiss on his lips. “Do you want me to stop?”

There was a silence, and you could feel his hands on each sides of you face, where he has placed them when you had kissed.

He looked at you for a moment, seemingly calming down a little. You could still feel his pulse racing, but the way he detailed your face – your lips – seemed less panicked now. He seemed almost… stunned. Like he was amazed to see you here. Like he struggled to realise this was real.

It was this peculiar look he gave you, that made you want to shout from all rooftops how much you loved him.

His hands held you a little firmer, and he shook his head timidly, your faces so close his nose almost brushed yours.

“No.” He answered in a whisper. So low, yet you could hear the conviction in his tone. “Please don’t.”

The grip Pluto has on you was still gentle as he brought you closer, until you went in and kissed him with a smile.

He wasn’t tense or scared anymore – it was far from being your first kiss by this point. He knew he could trust you to be kind on him.

When your hands roamed higher in his back, pushing his shirt up in the process, he shivered and let out a small moan in response. His arms laid around your neck again, one of his hand messing with your hair.

You couldn’t feel more like a teenager than in that moment. It was insane, you knew it. The way every touch, every second was like you were both seventeen again, smiling and kissing and touching each other for the first time.

You wished this could go on forever.

The way his chest arched into yours when you deepened the kiss, the feeling of his tongue lapping at yours tentatively and the sounds he made at every caress of your fingers. You could never get enough of it.

Your heart was stammering against your ribcage, fuelled by how perfectly your hand could fit on his waist, and how his own hands held you ever-so firmly despite the way they trembled, in an attempt to keep you as close to him as possible, knees locked around you and pushing your body against his.

You were both panting by the time you parted, and Pluto’s face was just as red as your mind was hazy.

Dipping your head down in his neck, you brought your left hand up to hook a finger in the collar of his top, pealing it away from his skin to suck a hickey there.

The dark-haired man tried to hold back a whine through his teeth, tightening his hold on you in an attempt to bring you even closer. He was so precious, you thought. Breathing in and out so fast you doubted the oxygen got through his whole body, as he arched and kept holding on to you like you were a life line. Feeling his skin on your fingertips was a pleasure you couldn’t deny yourself.

And suddenly you heard a knock at the door.

Your arms immediately straightened up to push yourself off of your boyfriend and look at the door. Pluto almost fell from his bed with how far he jumped, gripping your shoulders so tightly it was almost painful. You assumed it would probably hurt a lot more, if being his partner didn’t mean being on the receiving hand of those death grips anytime he got scared.

“Pluto?” You heard his best-friend’s – and roommate’s – voice call from the other side. “Can I come in or is there anything… tricky, going on?”

Your brain was empty. Not a single thought going on. You couldn’t find anything to say.

Given the silence from Pluto, he was probably in the same state of mind. Maybe just more panicked.

Well, one of you had to say something – anything, really. You searched for appropriate words to piece out together into a coherent sentence. It was harder than it should have been. “Uuuuuh…”

“Okay!” Duke’s voice cut you out with a nervous tone before you could even have figured out what to tell him. “That’s enough of an answer, I’ll come back later!”

And then he just… left.

Wow. Okay. What just happened.

You blinked a few times in disbelief. This whole interaction seemed surreal.

When you turned toward your boyfriend again, he gave you the same dumbfounded look you were probably giving him, confirming this whole thing was just as unexpected to him as it was to you.

You stared at each other in complete silence for a moment, until he finally processed the whole chain of events. You saw his face progressively turn a dark shade of red, while his expression slowly went from one of pure shock, to a profound embarrassment.

“Bloody heck…”

He buried his face in your shoulder like you’d be able to hide him from his own discomfort, and you couldn’t help but giggle as you realized what has happened too.

“Stop laughing!” He called out without looking up, trying to scold you but you could hear the smile in his voice. “How am I going to explain this to him, now?!”

If that was supposed to stop you, it sure failed. You only kept laughing as you answered “I don’t think he wants you to explain anything.”

This time, you felt him nuzzling further into the crook of your neck, letting out an embarrassed sound as he swore again. “Oh dammit…”

Sympathizing with his unease, you let your laugher die down and ran a hand through his hair until he calmed down.

[valstarsandgalaxies]

Last line tag

I don't think anyone has tagged me recently, cause i did this the other day, when Elizabeth tagged me. But you know what? I don't care.

I'm not entirely sure what this is, but thought i could share a bit with you. It's angsty little thing, with John trying to kill himself and Buck going just in time to take him back to him. Not sure if i should or could turn this into a fic, so yeah. Let me know what you think!

When Gale thought that John finally fell asleep and that he could try and join him in the dream realm too, John murmurs, almost unnoticeable, but since Gale was listening he could hear it too clearly for his liking.

"I got so close. I saw the waves of peace almost taking me away."

"Johnny."

"It felt too good to be a bad thing, Buck."

Yep, angst is my jam guys. Btw this is your sign to do this even when no one tagged you, because i want to see your beautiful writing!! And I'm sure I'm not the only one :) So this is me tagging*you*

[tiddiesoutwhenthetisout]

can you tell i'm really enjoying writing this fic

it's for the next update (unreleaded). i'm writing this week's chapter, yes, bc i couldn't resist, was bored, needed an excuse not to sleep, after i said i'd let it sit for 1 more week considering i wrote enough for 3 last time lol. i've written 4 chapters so far. here's a link to the first one : )

[gwuncan-exhibit]

…and so it ends! After seven months of a lot of on and off productivity, I can finally say that I finished this Gwuncan tale! 💫💚💙

I’m so happy it’s done, I don’t really finish a lot of things I start tbh, but I’m glad that this was one thing I was able to complete (-: GwenxDuncan were always my favorite couple from the show and I just really wanted to give them a cute little love story. I hope I did these characters justice! 🫶🏼

Alsoo…I UPDATED THE COVER!!! @purplemys drew me a really beautiful piece a few months ago and I’m still shook to this day by what they created! 🥹💟 Go follow them pls, they’re really cool and have some amazing art!

[risewriter]

So, uhm. Tomorrow will also be a reblog? Hope you guys don’t mind.

More info in tags.