#steak salad Sundays

[bullet-prooflove]

Months: Travis Wheatley x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @trublu2u @yousigned-upforthis @queenslandlover-93 

Companion piece to:

The Circuit - You're the first person Travis tells about his condition.

Beachside - Travis's diagnosis gives him a fresh perspective.

Lifetime - You promise to spend a lifetime with Travis, no matter how short it may be.

It’s Sunday afternoon and Travis is asleep on the couch with his head resting on your lap, your fingers combing lightly through his hair. He’s been napping for a couple of hours now, his arms crossed over his chest as you listen to the even sounds of his breathing. It’s been happening a lot recently, ever since the doctor hold him he was in acute liver failure.

It’s not a matter of years anymore, he’d told the two of you. It’s months.

The car ride home had been quiet because Travis, he doesn’t want to face this just yet and you don’t blame him because the truth is, you’re not ready to face it either. You’re not ready to let him go.

“I want to have a part of you.” You say quietly as you’re making dinner that night. He’s cooking steaks on the stove while you chop peppers for the salad. “When you go, I want to keep a part of you with me.”

He turns the stove off then because the who of you talked about having kids once upon a time. The plan had always been after you were married, when the two of you settled down in your own little ranch in Montana.

“Honey…” He begins, his hands coming to rest upon your waist as you set the knife down. “I don’t think that’s a decision we should be making right now.”

“When should we be making it?” You snap as you turn to face him. “In a couple of months when you’re too sick to move, when you’re gone?”

The words hit him like a slap because you aren’t wrong, his time, it is running out and he understands why you would want a piece of his memory after he leaves this world but he also understands it’s an emotional response to the reality you’re facing.

If he does succeed in getting you pregnant and that’s a big if, considering your age and his circumstances, the likelihood is he won’t live to see his baby being born, he won’t get to hold them in his arms, to sing the lullabies is momma used to sing. The thought of that, it tears him up inside because there is nothing in this world he wants more than to marry you, to give you his baby but he knows all of that is a symptom of his condition.

“Gina honey.” He whispers. “I can’t give you that, not like this.”

You break then, he watches the pieces of you crumble as you push away from the counter, slipping away from him. You’re out the back door before he can stop you, slamming it shut so hard that the glass vibrates in the panel. Travis puts his hands on the counter, trying to catch his breath because this hurts, it hurts so fucking much to listen to you breaking down on the porch outside, sobbing your fucking heart out.

His eyes start to sting because this thing, this fucking disease it won’t happy until it’s destroyed every part of him.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[theglassofmiddleearth]

Can I please request Sirius Black being comforted when he's depressed and being looked after by his wife, the reader, during the events of Order of the Phoenix? Can be dot points, a fic, i don't mind! thanks xoxo

Y/N has always been the mother figure of the group, even before she was dating much less married to Sirius. Always coddling the boys, making sure they drank their water and had all three meals. Also their homework. Oh my DAYS Remus was good with due dates but Sirius and James? Y/N needed some anti aging cream for her stress lines early.

Sirius was always getting into trouble and needing Y/N to bail him out be it detention or Azkaban.

Y/N is used to having to cheer him up, taking care of him but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel the same amount of pain whenever she sees him down. He always gives her those sad puppy wet eyes and she coos at him every single time. Kissing away his tears and pressing her forehead to his, reminding him how she would always be there to be the gentle wind that would push away the clouds to bring back the crystal blue skies.

Never feels like a burden, Y/N always reiterates how much she wants to take care of him. How much she doesn't care that he's been whiny and pouty. Y/N always holds his face firmly before kissing his face all over, making him smile before chuckling. She loves his smile, so charming and full of hope. Something she always looks forward to seeing.

Baking him cookies, his horrid mother never did that for him. He loves the ones you make, he says you put something special in them! (It's just a pinch of salt in the chocolate chip cookies.) Also baking WITH him. He's been trying to make pistachio cookies but he just can't make them green enough. (Need to blend the pistachios to make a paste)

Cooking with him. He loves all the domestic things. Feelings he could never get from his old home. Pasta, steaks, soups? Soups are your favourite to make in the Autumn and winter. Especially pumpkin soup during the Halloween season? (We're all just a little basic sometimes) In the spring, toss some salads together and sear some steaks. Maybe even make a nice roast on Sundays.

Washing his hair for him! Y/N running her fingers though his hair, gently massaging his scalp. Very particular about his shampoo and conditioner. He only trusts Y/N with his hair. Well Y/N and his barber. But Y/N has to be there if he's cutting his hair. Just in case!

Silent cuddles or small chatter. He's so comfortable with Y/N to the point where silence can be just as comforting as words of affirmation.

Allowing him to hold her. He's always afraid she'll be taken away from him. Just like James and Lily. He can't lose Y/N too. it would break him completely. Being away from Y/N was already torture enough. Sure enough, he also wants to be held sometimes, his head in Y/N's chest or tummy. Something soft for him to lay his head on while she plays with his hair? A sure fire way to get him to calm down and lull him into a happy state.

Get him to write letters to Harry! Harry always has some silly story to tell. especially with the DA being established. Loves hearing about his nephew's terrible love life.

Remus will always be down for a cup of tea and a chat, after all.. he did get fired ☠️ (Just not during the full moon, he can get quite grumpy)

Allowing Sirius to shift into his Animagus form, giving his dog form a wash and he can lay in the bed with Y/N. MAKE IT CLEAR HE NEEDS A BATH FIRST. Fleas are unacceptable in bed. Or in the house anywhere really.

Allowing him to be clingy and Y/N being clingy back, they may be codependent but hey, he's rich, she doesn't care, they don't need to work. They can spend all day together or helping The Order. But knowing The Order, he probably gets let off easy if he needs time.

Taking long naps, and I mean LONG. Three of four hours MINIMUM. Waking up at Merlin knows when and watching some TV with each other and falling asleep all over again.

Sorry this took so long?!! I won't lie, I forgot I HAD an inbox since I use Tumblr on my phone. I HOPE THIS WAS OKAY. SORRY FOE THE MASSIVE DELAY ❤️❤️

[theunstuffedpepper]

Date night alert!

Back in February I bought tickets to see Nate Bargatze at a resort/casino venue a few hours from us, planning for an overnight date night for B and I. The show was last night and though we were a bit nervous about an overnight trip, we trusted my MIL to watch the boys and did it. And best of all, everything went great. She did really well with the kids and B and I were able to relax and have a great time. It’s crazy how much we need this time just to reconnect.

While the standup show was hilarious and a lot of fun, the highlight of the trip was the food. We ate a late dinner (a la 9:30!! which is our typical bedtime 😅) at Hell's Kitchen. I love me some Gordon Ramsey and while some of the decor was cheesy, the food was even better than we anticipated. Salads, fab. Steaks, perfect. Dessert, great. Service, excellent. SO GOOD!

This morning we got to sleep in a bit and then stopped at an unassuming greasy spoon for breakfast.. where the food was somehow also amazing?!

Holden and Derrick missed us and of course we missed them, but all in all it was a wonderful getaway. Must do this (slightly) more often!

Happy Sunday babes 😘

[ladylooch]

The Captain's Girl - [Lucie x Connor]

A/N: Happy Sunday! Look at who wrote a full fic this morning! Could not resist bringing Lucie and Connor to their smutty and soft past time. Connor may be the captain of an OG NHL team, but nothing compares to being Lucie's man.

From this request.

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: 18+ Content below

Lucie Wood watches from the front of the restaurant as her husband takes a long sip of his cold beer. The warmth of the southern California sunshine washes over her back and shoulders, peaking out from her sundress. Leaving winter behind on the East Coast means soaking in as much vitamin D as she can get for her short stay. The Rangers will be here for three more days with the timing of both off and game days. It was the perfect time for her and the girls to surprise her husband.

Across the patio table from him is David, who purposefully has his back to the door so Connor can watch his wife’s approach in a few moments. But right now, Lucie is content studying him from afar. She’s worried about him. He’s been so stressed out at the rink and at home. The Rangers need to turn things around quickly if they are going to make the playoffs. Despite there being 19 other guys on the team, Connor Wood thinks if he puts the team on his shoulders alone, he will get them to the finish line. Lucie’s gentle redirects have been met with eye rolls and ‘you don’t understand’ from her husband. 

She is going to show him exactly how much she understands these next few days by forcing him to relax. 

Mack and David are helping too. David worked with Lucie to grab the flights that made the most sense to optimize their time. Mack is here to take care of the girls for her when Lucie is otherwise pre-disposed with her husband, like right now and later when she’s riding him like the cowboy he wants to be. 

A waitress approaches the table with two large bowls. She sets them each in front of the men. Connor smiles politely, then turns down to his food, completely missing the eye fucking she does to him before walking away. Lucie smiles. After all this time, Connor still only has eyes for her. 

She pushes off from the brick wall she had been leaning against and begins her saunter across the restaurant. She maneuvers around staff and other patrons, then takes a direct angle to her husband. He looks up when she is three tables away, then pauses his chewing. His eyebrows furrow before he glances between David and Lucie.

“Oh my god, are you Connor Wood?” She drawls exaggeratedly. “I’m your biggest fan.”

“You should be after the two babies I gave you.” He jokes, standing up to hug her. He engulfs her completely, pressing his nose into her hair immediately. It’s a minute before he attempts to pull away from her. The restaurant bobs and weaves around them as Lucie rubs his strong back over his shirt. “Love you.” He whispers. He pulls away to kiss her tenderly. “You look stunning.” He compliments, taking in her soft green dress. It makes her brown eyes pop, complimented by the blue ocean behind her. 

“I love you too.” She sighs, hugging him one more time. Then she turns to David. “Hi!”

“Crazy seeing you here, Luc.” They all laugh at that.

“Sorry Mack isn’t here. Winnie finally crashed for a nap and we had to take advantage of that.”

“No worries. She told me.” David shrugs. “You want some food?” He grabs the menu he kept back for her.

“You can share with me, baby.” Connor offers, moving the chair to his right out for her to sit in. He scoots her back in, dropping one more kiss on her hair. She looks over at his plate seeing a hearty steak salad. It looks good, but he needs to eat all of that to keep his calorie count up.

“I’ll grab something for myself. Thank you though.” She assures him.

“Are you sure? Here just have a little bit.” He shoves his plate to her.

“Babe, I’m fine. I bet you’re starving.” He gives her a look. He doesn’t like eating before her or when she isn’t eating. “Eat, Connor.” She says firmly, sliding her hand to his thigh. His eyes dance down her face and over her cleavage. He smirks, then picks his fork up with a promise they both know: he’ll eat her later.

Lucie orders fish tacos and a mango margarita that has her buzzing after one sip. After Connor finishes eating, he wraps an arm around her shoulders. His fingers coyly play with the spaghetti strap of her dress, eventually his fingers glide it off her shoulder. Lucie moves to put it back into place, but Connor bats her hand away, collecting her fingers in his off her shoulder. Lucie glances at David who looks out at the Pacific Ocean, watching the waves roll into the beach. 

“I think I’m gonna walk down to the beach.” David says, sucking down the rest of his water. “Wait for Mack down there.”

“Okay. I’ll go grab the girls from her when we get back to the hotel.”

“No worries. I think she is gonna bring the girls down when they wake up. Sounds like Stella fell asleep too. We will take care of them. You two have fun.” The slight smirk on his face tells Lucie he knows exactly where her and Connor are heading after lunch. “Send me a request for this.” He circles the table alluding to his meal.

“All good.” Connor waves him off. 

“We can afford it.” Lucie assures David.

“I bet with that captain salary.” He chuckles, then heads off the patio to the stairs leading down to the beach.

The second he is gone, Connor’s face is nuzzling Lucie’s neck. She sighs heavenly, fingers threading through his hair. She turns her face to his head, kissing along his dark curls. 

“You ‘bout done?”

“Mhm.” She confirms. Connor lifts one hip off the chair, pulling his wallet out. He tosses his card down, then goes back to focusing on his wife. Her hair is blowing in the sea breeze, scattering brown strands about her beautiful face. Her brown eyes are dewey and lustful, lips pink and begging to be plumped by his. He leans down, doing just that, not even recognizing when the waitress leaves and comes back with the completed bill. If she spoke to them, neither of them notice. 

Connor signs the slip, then threads his fingers with Lucie’s, pulling her out of her chair. They walk hand in hand to the hotel, neither of them needing to communicate where they are going. The whole walk back, wetness pools and settles into Lucie’s panties from imagining what her husband is going to do with her in private. While waiting for the elevator, she presses her lips to his big bicep, running her nose along the lines of his tattoo sleeve that peak out from the soft cotton fabric. Connor brings their laced hands forward to her stomach, stroking his thumb down from her belly button to the V of her thighs. Lucie shakes against him as Connor smirks, a light chuckle shaking his arm against her face.

“30 seconds?” He asks, referring to how fast she is going to come undone in his hands. They step into the elevator, Connor pressing the floor to his room.

“Maybe.” She grins, dimples piercing her cheeks. Connor leans down, kissing each one of the slits then her lips. His tongue darts along her bottom lip, savoring the hint of tequila there. His hand glides from her lower back to the back of her neck, cradling her head as he makes out with her. The ding of the elevator stopping barely makes an impression with the couple.

“Y’all maybe wanna get out?” Mack asks from the door. 

“Daddy!” Stella screams. 

“Baby!” Connor grins, leaning down to capture his little girl in a hug. Winnie squeaks from Mack’s arms, almost tumbling from her aunt with how fast she reaches for her dad. 

“We are going to the beach! Are you comin’?”

“We will come in a little bit. Mommy and I have to do some adult things first.” Connor says pointedly. He loves Stella, but she is not cockblocking him right now.

“Oh, that’s not fun.” Stella frowns.

“Ah… yeah.” Connor chuckles, then stands to his full height. “Be good for auntie.” He encourages her after giving a kiss to Winnie’s head. Mack steps in. “I’d hug ya but…” His clear hard-on cannot be hidden by anything except his wife’s body as she moves to shield him.

“How about later?” Mack laughs, then gives a wave to them before the doors close and they head down to the lobby. 

Ravenously, Connor grips the back of Lucie’s thighs, hauling her over his shoulder.

“Gotta get you into this room before anything else comes up.”

“Connor, my dress is too short for this.” He reaches up, palming her bare ass with a greedy paw.

“Nah, it’s perfect, baby.” He murmurs. His fingers slide easily under her white panties, stroking her soaked folds. “Fuck, you’re so wet.” He groans. They get to the door of his room. He drops her onto her feet in front of him, then fishes in his pocket for his key fob. He barely gets the door open before he is shoving Lucie inside.

Lucie runs across the room, then turns just in time to catch her husband in her arms before falling onto her back on the bed. She brings her legs up, shoes and all, wrapping them around his waist. Connor ruts into her heat, chasing her hips to grown the burning need between them. Connor’s lips press into hers hurriedly, tongue lapping up every drop of her he can get. When he needs air, he pulls away, looking down at her beneath him.

“Lucie.” He gasps torturously. “You are so fucking beautiful, baby. Takes my damn breath away every time I see you.” Lucie giggles, biting her bottom lip as her fingers drift down to his waistband. 

“Wanna taste you today.” She insists. Connor pulls his shirt over his head by grabbing a fist full of the fabric between his shoulder blades. Lucie whimpers when she sees him fully. “Mine. All mine.” She moans. 

Lucie works her way up to sitting, but Connor halts her, slipping each of her thin dress straps down her arms. The fabric of her dress falls away, revealing perky breasts with hard peaks in the middle. He rubs his calloused palms over them, illicitly a loud moan from her. She wiggles on the bed, needing some friction against her throbbing clit. Connor smirks, then backs away so she can get on her knees in front of him. He gathers her hair in his hand, watching her use his cock as lipstick. Her motion smears his pre-cum across her lips. Then her tongue comes out to taste it. 

Connor’s mouth drops open in pleasure as she finally glides her tongue over his red head. Lucie sighs passionately, then takes him into her mouth in one swoop.

“Fuck.” Connor hisses when he hits the back of her throat. “Luc.” He moans her name as she strokes his shaft in her hand then glides him further in.  His balls tighten immediately at the feeling of her wet mouth expanding to accommodate him. “Jesus.” He sighs, relaxing his grip on her hair. His other hand drifts down to her left breast, rolling the nipple in his fingers. Lucie floats a hand down between her legs, circling her clit while letting his hips press insistently into her mouth until he is setting the tempo.

“Gotta stop.” Connor says, puling out of her mouth. He holds his hands out to her. He grabs the hand that she had been using to play with herself, sliding those fingers in his mouth as she watches. 

“I need you to fuck me right now. I can’t wait. Please.” 

“Asking so nicely.” He coos to her, wrapping a large hand around her neck to bring her close. He crashes their lips together, tongue stroking along hers as he maneuvers her back towards the bed. Lucie feels for the mattress with one hand, not letting her mouth leave his. Connor gets her sitting in front of him, then kicks off his pants and underwear. He leans down, kisses along her collar bone until his fingers can work the zipper of her dress down. He helps her wiggle out of it, being careful not to rip it even though he fucking wants to. The pretty dress falls to the floor with his discarded clothes. Then he collects her panties, exposing her dripping core to him completely. 

He doesn’t waste any time, mouth on her pussy without even dropping her panties from his hand. His other fingers come up, swirling her entrance before stuffing into her. She is more than ready, already arching off the bed, begging him for more from her swollen lips.

“Baby, please, I want your cock. Right now.”

“Yeah? That why you flew 3,000 miles to me?”

“Yes!” She exhales as he curls his fingers up, putting harder pressure on her spongey insides. “Fuck.” She wails, quivering already. As much as his dick begs to be inside of her, he wants her  to come this way first. His mouth settles over her enlarged bud, rolling it with his tongue and sucking it into his mouth. Lucie shouts. Connor does this again, then feels her release drip-down his fingers, collecting in his palm. He doesn’t stop, sucking every wave of her orgasm into his mouth. When she hits the point of almost too much, he backs off.

“Good girl, Luc.” He praises her, looking at the mess they made of her folds. He bites his lip, then hooks his arms under her hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed. Lucie wildly grapples for his shoulders, collecting them in her palms as he stroke his cock through her wet slit. He pushes in, both of them finding intense pleasure in the stretch of her around him. Connor rests his hands on either side of her waist, then begins to build his pumps into her. Their wet connection fills the room, creating an erotic ambiance in the unknown space. Lucie’s finger tips start pressing deeper into his skin.

“Use your words.” He reminds her.

“More. I need so much more.” 

Connor collapses onto his forearms, dropping his head to the bed beside hers and fucking deep into her. His consistent snaps into her hips have Lucie rolling away from the intensity. One of his arms slides under her back, pinning her to his chest to hold her in place.

“Don’t ask for more then run from it. Give in, baby. Let it take you.” He growls into her ear.

“Ohmygod. Oh. My….” Lucie trails off. Everything stills in her body except for the slight flutter of her walls. Connor turns, sucking at the sweet spot on her neck. Her inner walls collapse around him like a clam, causing him to collapse deeper into his fucks.

“Oh damn, Luc. Yes, baby. Feel so fuckin good. So wet and tight, baby. Love your pretty pussy.” Connor’s hips keep pistoning, closing his eyes and savoring how incredible his wife feels right now. She’s soaked through, dripping down his cock to his balls. She never wants him to stop. “You got one more for me, beautiful?”

“Yes.” She moans into his ear. “But look at me.” She begs him. “I want you to know it’s me making you feel this good.”

“Holy fuck.” He groans. “I know it’s you, baby. Nothing ever felt this good until you.” Lucie grins, tugging his face to hers by the back of his neck. 

“Yeah? Never had pussy this tight?” 

“Oh my god. No. Or a mouth this filthy.” He groans, then licks across her open mouth. He adjusts her legs, wrapping one around his waist and bringing one heel up to rest on his shoulder.

“Right there.” Lucie begs, “Please, baby don’t stop. Love your cock, Con.” Connor’s hands grip her hips tighter, making Lucie pulse under his skin. “More.” She demands. Connor almost crumbles at the sound of her begging for all that he can give to her. 

His balls slapping her ass fills the room. Lucie’s hands drift off Connor’s shoulders. One goes to her breast and the other to her clit, rolling both in tempo with his pumps into her pussy. 

“Mmm, you’re so gorgeous. I’m so close.” He tells her. “Wanna fill you up, baby.” 

“Please. Need to wear you on my thighs to the beach. So everyone knows who I belong to.”

“Fuck.” That will do it. He groans then unloads into her, jerky pumps as she climaxes for a third time immediately after him, pulsing her walls to pull him in deeper. His sensitive tip hisses as she milks every drop from him. “Damn.” He sighs to the ceiling, locking his knees to keep from swaying backwards. He looks back down at his wife, seeing her with pretty pink cheeks and swollen lips. Her eyes are dark chocolate pools when her hands reach for him again. He gently eases out of her, then presses his palms on both sides of her head. He smooches her softly, letting her tongue into his mouth for a full taste of each other. 

“Mmm, be right back.” He assures her, kissing down her chin and throat, ending between her breasts. 

Lucie releases his arms from her hands, dropping her heels from the bed so her feet dangle off the side. Water runs in the bathroom from her husband. He comes back clean, then works Lucie’s thighs apart, stroking her used core clean too. He looks up at her face.

“You serious about having me at the beach?”

“Mhm.” She nods. “Want you to see me in my new bikini knowing that.”

“Mack is taking those kids tonight again.” He murmurs, then collects the white cum slipping out of her onto his fingers. He slides the mess back inside of her, slowly drags his finger back out. “So sexy, Luc.” He smiles, practically drooling at the sight of her walls collapsing in to pull it all deeper again. “Luckiest guy in the world.” He mumbles against her public bone, kissing her a final time. He lays down next to her, letting the used towel hit the floor. He turns his wife onto her side, then cups her cheek with his hand. “Can’t really tell you how much this means to me that you’re here.”

“I already know.” She responds. “We miss you too, babe.”

“I’m so stressed.” He admits. “I can barely breathe some nights. It’s worse when I’m away from you.” Lucie knows this. It’s why she is here.

“I’m worried about you.” She sighs, running her fingers along the tattoo on his left pectoral with hers and the girls first initials in her loopy handwriting. “You are putting way too much pressure on yourself.”

“I want to succeed.” Connor says.

“I get that. But hockey is a team sport, Con.” She reminds him softly. “It’s not only up to you.” 

“I know. But, they picked me to lead this team for a reason. I don’t want to let them down.” Lucie smiles.

“You’re the heartbeat of this team, babe. On and off the ice. But you’re going to lose that if you don’t learn a balance. Maybe leading by example is the first start. Hold yourself accountable for your play. When things don’t go your way, commit to doing better the next opportunity. Others will do the same.” Connor watches her lips as she talks.

“You make it sound so simple… and so sexy.” He kisses her bottom lip.

“Well, I was raised by a captain. Who I bet would be willing to listen if you need another perspective.” Connor sighs, nodding.

“I should call your dad.”

“Probably.” Lucie murmurs into this lips. “And we should probably get to the beach soon. Take care of our kids for a bit before we give them back to Mack for the night.”

Connor and Lucie peel themselves apart. Connor puts his board shorts on, then they head to Lucie and the girls’ room for her to put her beach things on. Connor is tying her bikini strings together in silence. Lucie watches him in the mirror across the room. 

“What’s up?” She asks, gripping his wrist.

“I’m not failing you and the girls, right?”

“No.” Lucie shakes her head. “Not even close. You’re perfect, babe. Always have been.” Connor drops his mouth to her shoulder, kissing across it to the back of her neck. 

“Okay. I never wanna let you down, Luc.”

“I know. You’re so good to us, babe. Don’t worry about us. We are great, okay?” He nods, then wraps his arms around her stomach, holding her close. They sway slightly together. 

“None of this means anything to me without you by my side.” He whispers. “I love you.” Lucie turns to capture his lips.

“I love you too.” He kisses her again. “Let’s go smooch our babies.”

Connor grins back at her, then laces their fingers together for a lazy, content walk to the beach.

Read more of Lucie and Connor here.

[lightningboltreader]

It’s lunchtime before Carlos says anything. He’s wolfed down half of his chicken fajita in two bites and is wiping sauce off his face when he notices Lexi watching him. Her seared steak salad is barely touched, a forkful of lettuce and peppers suspended in the air as she eyes him suspiciously across the picnic table.

“Sorry,” he mumbles sheepishly, “I spilled my coffee this morning and had to skip breakfast to change. I’m a little hungry.”

She doesn’t react, seemingly happy to sacrifice her meal and time for a better explanation. It’s maddening the way she can make him feel like a much younger version of himself, about to be interrogated by one of his tias with just one look; and yet he can’t help but feel a surge of warmth at the reminder that Lexi cares about him enough to dig below the surface.

Carlos shakes his head, lowering it with a small, cautious smile. “I met someone,” he admits. 

Thank you @alrightbuckaroo @lemonlyman-dotcom @strandnreyes @carlos-in-glasses @heartstringsduet for the tags 🎉

Keeping it going with np asks of -

@birdclowns @rmd-writes @goodways @tailoredshirt @kiloskywalker @paperstorm @theghostofashton @thebumblecee @sanjuwrites @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @catanisspicy @noxsoulmate @orchidscript @sugdenlovesdingle @welcometololaland

I know I haven’t caught them all yet (the Sunday paper analogy is so apt) and am drawing a blank on account names, ugh. Please accept this wide open tag to jump in!!! Happy Sunday, y’all ❤️💙

[draco-dormiens]

THE STRANGEST OF PLACES - Chapter Ten

draco x fem!ravenclaw reader / postwar au series

warnings: strong language

wc: 3105

masterlist

pls let me know if you want to be tagged!! tags below:

@slyth3rin-princess @lovesanimals0000 @cappgyuccino @lightning1ce @onlygetaway @honeyyypeach @namelesslosers @ghostyv @mikadorbs @redactedhimbo @morganadpl @scarecrowscaresthomas @camille-1019 @valkyrie418 @animeloverfreak310 @budugu @marplest @torresbarnes @bunny24sstuff @champagneesupernova @serafilms @siriusly-parker-main @lovely-maryj @i-bitch-you-bitch @astablacksword @sun-fiower-seed

Chapter Ten: A Misunderstanding

The letter with Narcissa's instructions arrived on Sunday morning. It said to meet Astoria at a small restaurant in Diagon Alley at 12pm sharp. That morning Draco had woken in a better mood due to your evening together, but as soon as that letter appeared on top of his breakfast, that solemn, sinking feeling started to bubble in his stomach again. He did as his mother asked and dressed nicely, just a button up and trousers with a black suit jacket to finish it all off. Above all else, Draco was a gentleman, so he arrived ten minutes prior to Astoria's arrival and got the table. When she did arrive, he pulled out the chair for her, said that she looked nice and ordered a pot of tea. She complimented his appearance, thanked him for the tea and then the conversation started. He'd perhaps been in Astoria's presence for half an hour when he decided that it would be much better if it was you sitting across from him.

"How are your studies coming along?" Astoria asks, collecting salad on her fork, "I know potions were something you had an interest in."

"Well," he says, prodding at his steak, "I often wish I hadn't taken Divination, but you can't have everything."

"Oh, I love Divination," she boasts, and all Draco can think is you would, "I find Professor Trelawney utterly fascinating. Don't you?"

"I find her rather," Draco searches for the correct wording, "extravagant."

Astoria giggles. All he hears is the sound of yours.

"She is," Astoria agrees, "but nevertheless, I like her classes."

Draco says no more on the subject, looking down at his steak as if it was about to do something interesting. He'd taken two bites of his food, which Astoria had noticed. They bask in the quietness for a moment, Draco's mind heavy with thoughts of how you were spending your Sunday. She could tell something else was on his mind, or more so, someone else. She placed her cutlery down and took a sip of water, all the while watching him.

"I've noticed you spend less time in your dorm lately," she says, "have you found something to do outside of class?"

Of course, his mind only flickers to you and your nights in the Astronomy tower. He wasn't going to tell Astoria that, obviously. He knew it would get back to his mother.

"Not really," he lies, "I sometimes read elsewhere in the castle."

It wasn't exactly a lie, he does wander out of the dormitories when it's late and other houses aren't around. Draco enjoys his own company and the silence that comes along with it, although lately, his own company doesn't seem to have the same effect it used to.

"What about your Ravenclaw friend?" she says rather blatantly, "do you see her often?"

Draco's head shoots up to meet Astoria's stare. He couldn't tell if she was looking at him in displeasure or curiosity.

"Are you watching me or something?" he raises an eyebrow, "a tad creepy, Greengrass."

"Who is she?" Astoria asks, ignoring the jab and sipping more water, "are you dating?"

Draco chokes on nothing.

"What? No, of course not-"

"Are you saying you wouldn't date her? Is it because she's half-blood?"

"That has nothing do with it," Draco scoffs, losing his train of thought with the need to defend you, "she's wonderful, half blood or not." He becomes even more agitated when he notices the smile curling at her lips, "why are you smiling like that?"

"Because," she shrugs, looking triumphant, "you clearly like her. That's why you've been distant this entire time. It had to be something; you look like a wet weekend."

He huffs irritably, looking out the window to calm himself.

"That's not it at all," he mumbles. She knows he's lying through his teeth.

"I'm not stupid, Draco. I know you're only here to appease your parents," she says, "I was surprised when your mother said you had agreed."

Draco looks back at her from the corner of his eye.

"How do you know that?" he asks curiously, and she just smiles.

"First of all, you've barely eaten a thing or started a single conversation," she tells him, and he begins to feel a little guilty, "but mostly because I've seen the way you look at her across the hall."

He moves to fully face her again, his food now stone cold, and pours himself another glass of water. After a long gulp, he places the glass down with force.

"You're right, I didn't come here voluntarily," he says, "you're a nice girl, Astoria, and I'm sorry. I can't make myself think a certain way just because my mother tells me to. I'm afraid you've wasted your Sunday."

"I wouldn't say so," she says cheerily, "if anything, we've both pleased our parents by showing up. Plus, the food here is good. So, not entirely wasted."

"One way to look at it I suppose," he smiles lightly, swirling the water in his glass, "I am sorry, though."

"Don't be," she shakes her head, "I hardly expected anything from this. Don't think you're being discreet when you can't stop looking in her direction."

"I don't do that," he protests, turning back to the water because his secrets were being exposed. Astoria just laughs, and then reaches into her purse to pull out a small makeup tray.

"I'm just heading to the bathroom," she announces, "try and eat some of that, it's a shame."

He nods, and she begins to walk away, but Draco suddenly has a spike of panic.

"Wait, Astoria, about what you said-"

"I won't breathe a word to your mother," she turns to say, "don't worry."

His shoulders visibly slump from the tension leaving his body. She leaves, and Draco takes one last look at the cold food on his plate before pushing it further away.

Sometimes you like to start your day off in the library, just looking for a new story to pass the time with. Monday mornings were always quiet because no one enjoyed getting up early after the weekend, especially with a sore head. This particular morning you found yourself in the fantasy isle, which had piqued your interest after your last read, and now you were reading blurbs and flicking through pages. The only sound was that of paper turning and quills scribbling on parchment. It was peaceful, and you were at ease, until a group of giggling, gossiping girls interrupted your search.

"Tell us about it, Astoria," one of them uttered excitedly, and you knew exactly who was standing on the other side of the shelf, "we want to know everything."

You decided to block it out, picking up another book and reading the blurb. They chatted, but the words weren't going in, because Astoria Greengrass was just another pretty airhead that gained far too much attention, and you had very little interest in her escapades. Just as you were getting into the first page of a book that looked promising, you heard something that caught your attention.

"My lunch with Draco yesterday is none of your business," Astoria's voice spoke up, "we just chatted and ordered dinner, that's all you need to know."

"What did he dress like?" a girl said, and you couldn't help yourself, cringing at the fact you were listening in, "did he look good?"

"Of course, he did, it's Draco," Astoria answered, and you could hear the smile in her voice.

"Are you seeing him again?" another voice whispered, and there was a long pause. By this point you were staring at the shelf before you, as if you might get a glimpse at the happenings on the other side. Your stomach had dropped, and the anticipation was killing you.

"I would like to," Astoria said, and you feel a lump in your throat and a knot in your chest, "but he's a bit harder to read."

The other girls make excited little noises, as you fall back against the shelf behind you. He'd told you he was studying, but that was turning out to be a lie, because he was in fact wining and dining Astoria Greengrass. For some reason he felt the need to lie about it, and you couldn't figure out why, because right now your heart felt like someone had jabbed their wand right through it. But then you remind yourself that to him, you're just a friend.

He has free reign to see who he likes. He has no commitment to you in that sense, so if he wants to date Astoria Greengrass, or any girl for that matter, who are you to stop him? He has no obligation to tell you anything. Then the bell rings, and you hear the girls scurry off. You rub your eyes to stop the welling tears from falling, because if hearing that conversation had taught you anything, it was like you really, really like Draco. You compose yourself with a deep breath, and then hurry out of the library to find a pillow to scream into.

Due to sulking in your dorm, you showed up a little late to History of Magic. The entire class turned as you walked in, professor Binns continuing his lecture and not noticing your arrival. Your eyes clocked Draco right away, and a small smile broke out across his face. For the first time, you didn't return it. You didn't look long enough to see his confused expression. Hermione gave a look of concern as you sat down beside her.

"Where have you been?" she asked, "you missed the first twenty minutes."

"Was it important?"

"It's Binns," she laughed quietly, "he went on a tangent about his favourite book ends for half of it."

"Good," you sigh in relief, "I can't say I do well in this subject."

"Who does?" she says, "you basically have to teach yourself."

You take out some parchment and write the date along the top. Hermione passes you her notes and you copy what she's managed to decipher from Binns' speech. All the while you can feel eyes on you, and it doesn't take two guesses to know who it was.

"Why were you late, then?" She asks after a while of silent scribbling. Hermione notices how you stop writing, quill floating above the parchment, "is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," you lie, giving her your best smile, "I was just napping."

"Napping?" she raises an eyebrow, "you don't nap through class, Y/N. Even if it's Binns."

"Well, I did today," you whisper with more urgency, "so just forget it."

Hermione sighs and looks over her shoulder to see several students asleep at their desk. When her eyes land on Draco at the back, his gaze shifts towards the front. She then looks back at you, and the pieces fall together.

"Has something happened with Malfoy?" she asks, sounding a little angrier than before, "if he's upset you, I'll hex him into next week."

"Hermione, it's nothing," you press, but she isn't having it.

"You're never late to class," she points out, "something's wrong."

You knew she only cared, and you were grateful for that. When you look across at her, the kind smile on her face doesn't match the frustration in her tone. With a defeated sigh, you lay down your quill.

"I overhead that he went on a date yesterday," you tell her, "he told me he was studying, and that's why he couldn't see me. I guess I'm just a bit narked."

"Who was the date?" she asks, and your face contorts into one of displeasure.

"Astoria Greengrass," you lean in to whisper very quietly. Hermione scrunches her nose up at that.

"How lovely for him," she says sarcastically, and then her face softens, "perhaps he was trying to save your feelings?"

"If that's the case, then I must be embarrassingly obvious."

"About liking him?"

Your cheeks burn red, and the words get stuck on their way up your throat. Hermione offers you one of her comforting smiles.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way," she says softly, "he should have just told you. He's done you no favours by lying."

"I just feel so stupid," you utter frustratedly, "as if I spent so long moping, I ended up being late."

"Maybe you should tell him," Hermione suggests, and you shoot her a look of pure horror, "then at least he knows how you feel."

"'Mione, I could never admit that to him," you shake your head vigorously, "it could ruin our entire friendship."

"Are you listening, ladies?" Binns' voice interrupts, and you both snap your heads in his direction.

"Yes, sir," Hermione lies, "we were just discussing our notes."

As Binns floats back to the centre of the room, the two of you go back to scribbling nonsense.

"I think you should at least talk to him," Hermione mutters to you, "he looks like a kicked puppy over there."

You chance a look back, and she was right. He looked downright miserable.

Draco made a beeline for you at the end of that lesson, but you grabbed Hermione's arm and headed straight out the door. You didn't have it in you to talk to him just yet, plus you still hadn't decided if you were angry at him or yourself. He gave up after your second to last lesson, once you immediately exited the potion storage room the second that he entered. You would approach him when your head was less of an emotional mess. It might have been selfish, but you were trying to save your friendship from your brewing feelings. You bid Hermione a farewell that evening, heading for your dorm to stay there until dinner. He couldn't try to talk to you in there, and it would give you time to think about what to say to him. Along the way you replayed several different conversations in your head, and many ended with you giving away how you felt about him, which was not the desired ending. Almost there, several steps from the door when someone clears their throat.

"Evening," Draco drawled, an unimpressed look on his face. He'd beat you to it, leaning against the wall by the door, waiting for you. You stared at him like a deer in the headlights, no plan to get out of this conversation coming to mind.

"Evening," you repeated, and he pushed himself off the wall to stand right before you. His gaze never left you, his hard eyes peering down at your stunned expression.

"Are you going to explain why you've been giving me the cold shoulder all day?"

"Sorry?"

"Don't play dumb, Y/N," he rolled his eyes, "I know you've been avoiding me."

You shuffled awkwardly, fixing your bag on your shoulder, and trying not to look directly at him.

"I've just not been feeling well, so-"

He took your jaw between his fingers and forced your attention back to him. Draco's eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes laced with both concern and frustration. Your skin felt like fire where he touched you, his face so close that your mind loses track of what you were even talking about.

"If I've done something, then I want you to tell me," he says seriously, "I want to make it right."

You swallow thickly. You should tell him, Hermione is right about that, but there were so many reasons why you couldn't, or so you thought, anyway. His grip on your jaw loosens, then he's running his knuckles down your cheek and you heart is pounding against your ribcage.

"Talk to me," he mutters to you, "I fucking hated today."

"Sorry," you mumble, his gentle movements not stopping, "it was selfish of me."

"Have I upset you?" he asks, now cupping your face with one hand, his eyes darting between yours. You shake your head.

"No," you breathe, forcing a smile, "I just heard about your date with Astoria, and I guess I got a little annoyed that you had lied to me about what you were doing. I don't want you to do that, Draco. You're allowed to have a life without me, you know."

"How did you find out?" his expression turned serious again, "did she tell you?"

"No," you say quickly, "I just overhead something. It doesn't matter, what matters is that you can use your time how you please. Don't think I'll be offended."

He lowers his hand, and the absence makes you feel a little empty, shoving it in his pocket.

"So, you're not bothered if I date, then?"

Now his eyes were on the floor, and his entire demeanour had changed. You weren't sure if he was upset, annoyed or just anxious about your response. He was all three, actually.

"You are your own person," you say, trying not to have a meltdown in front of him, and place your hand on his forearm, "you're free to make your own choices, despite anyone else."

"But I care about your opinion," he said a little sternly, head snapping up to look at you, "If you tell me to never see her again, then I won't. So, answer my question."

"I did," you said stubbornly, "what else do you want me to say?"

He sighs agitatedly, pulling his arm from your grip and running his hand through his hair.

"I didn't ask her out," he then says, "my mother arranged it. I went purely out of politeness, and I didn't tell you because I was worried you would say exactly what you just did."

"I'm confused," you raise your hands, "you were worried I wouldn't mind you going?"

"Yes, God," he yells, echoing slightly in the empty corridor, "I wanted you to tell me not to go, to say you didn't want me to see her. I want," he starts to say but stops himself, "I don't even know anymore."

"Draco," you say softly, hopeful that he's trying to say what you think, even if you feel like your hearts about to burst out of your chest, "what are you trying to say?"

"It doesn't matter," he shakes his head, "I won't keep it from you next time. Sorry for lying about it."

"Wait," you grab his sleeve as he turns, "please, don't leave. Say what you wanted to."

"I already said, it doesn't matter," he spits, and its sour, spiteful, and it makes your chest hurt, "just drop it. I apologised, that's what you wanted, isn't it?"

He snatches his arm from you forcefully and begins to walk away. You call him back to no avail and watch as he disappears around the corner. Tears begin to tickle the corners of your eyes, one escaping down your cheek. This boy had your entire heart and soul in his hands with no idea of how easily he could crush it. The mystery of what he was going to say would haunt you for the next few days, leaving you with the hope that maybe, in some strange turn of events, he felt the same way. You stand, staring at the end of the corridor, praying he'd turn back around.

He never did.

[saleintothe90s]

Daily press, September 28, 1989

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 35 years ago people in South Carolina were still reeling from Hurricane Hugo. Very strange how people could just go to someone's house to donate (see left column) back then.

Imagine getting ready to get on a plane to London when you collapse at the airport.

I'd never heard of the comic Outland, it was a spinoff of Bloom County that ran only on Sundays. Here is Mortimer Mouse:

(eBay seller Erickson Comics and Paper)

I found this Sunday night, and then Monday night, I find out that Pete Rose died! VHS Tapes Old newspapers are magic.

Even in 1989, the clothes in these A&N ads already looked outdated. It was always like this with them. I could pull up a newspaper from 1994, and the clothes would look like the clothes people wore in ... 1989.

ooh, we have a Phar-Mor alert. We were not a Phar-Mor family, we did not visit the mythical store known as Phar-Mor. My mom said that area was too crowded. It was like a giant variety store with a pharmacy, right?

I was nosy, and looks like they broke up in 2001. So the Yorks were trying to gain "custody" of their embryo from a lab in Norfolk (they lived in California). I'm not sure if the couple were successful at having children though.

Oh no! It's our boy David Merritt! We remember him from the August 1, 1993 newspaper entry. Remember, his restaurant didn't open until 1992, and was hyping that it was going to open on April 7, 1990.

These ads are magnificent.

Old Mill? I gotta say it:

For you dead mall fans out there, both Outlets Ltd and Great American Outlet Mall are long gone.

I never thought that My Two Dads needed one censor, let alone two. I gotta watch My Two Dads, it has Paul Reiser and Dana from Step by Step! I love that podcast she has with Christine Lakin about Step by Step.

Speaking of censorship, STOPLESS GIRLS. I looked up the address, and looks like it was torn down.

No Cathy in this strip, but there are Fax jokes. Remember faxing in your lunch order? Onion rolls seem so old skool, I feel like I remember seeing them at the bakery at the grocery store when I was a real little kid, and then never again. Is it a regional thing? Do people not eat onion rolls in Hampton Roads anymore?

Garfield was upsetting that day.

OH I almost forgot. Speaking of upsetting:

A man on his bike was hit by a car down the street from the newspaper offices. So just you know, walk down the street and take a photo of it and put it on the front page of the local section. I hope Allen was ok. The McDonalds where it happened is long gone, but the building remains.

/edit/

So the day I went to publish this, I had to take the long way home from Suffolk, and I drove by this intersection on my way to the James River Bridge. Old newspapers ARE magic.

I know we make jokes about certain people putting raisins in potato salad, but what about raisins in your chicken.

I love the names of these raisin recipes! Silk Stockings?! Model T?! I would try a lil bite of each of these.

I can't remember where I mentioned this place, but it amuses me SO MUCH that back in the day you could go to Coliseum Mall and buy steaks.

wait. Bryers made jelly? I wonder if that's the same fruit that was in that yogurt they used to make that was so good. Breyers ice cream is soo bad now.

!! This was my friend Paul's mom! I about flipped when I saw this. This is exactly how five year old me remembers her. She would give me rides to school sometimes in her old jeep and would pick my mom up for room mothers.

Finally, this Eastern Airlines ad is beautiful. They had about a year and a half left, closed in 1991.

I completely forgot to post for September, I got 🦠 at the end of August that went into the first week of September, then I had to get ready for the Norfolk Zine fest, then then this weekend? Is Richmond Zine fest. Don't forget, my zines are available on my Etsy shop.

And there's a new design over at my TeePublic.

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[lurinatftbn]

If you’re down to answer another question like the music one, what are the characters’ favorite in-universe cuisines/culinary preferences? Or, are there any fun reasons why some characters like/dislike certain things as we see in the glossary?

Off the top of my head:

Utsu dislikes fish because it's ubiquitous in Itan cuisine and had a lot of it served to her poorly-prepared as a kid. I think it comes up in the text at some point, but her favorite food is layered pasta dishes like lasagna. (I know what you're thinking, and no, I didn't do it on purpose.)

Kam is a vegan, but obviously only for health reasons since they don't slaughter animals for meat in the setting. She likes very spicy food like chilis and curry - her favorite is stuffed jalapenos. She also likes crepes.

Ran also kinda likes spicy food, but isn't super passionate about cuisine and mostly just goes for low-effort stuff. She eats a lot of stir fry and dumplings.

Theo also worries about his longer-term health which is why he's on a low-carb diet, but renders this pointless by eating tons of chocolate and sweets all the time. He likes hot fudge cakes the best.

Ptolema just really likes meat. Her favorite is just a really well-seasoned blue steak, probably with blue cheese, and she also probably really enjoys whatever the equivalent of brazilian barbecue is.

I don't think I ever decided what foods Seth likes best except that he eats a lot of junk food. I do remember deciding at some point that he really likes almonds despite being allergic to them.

Ophelia is a pescetarian for cultural reasons. Beyond that, she loves trying all sorts of foods, though shellfish and mushrooms are her favorite ingredients.

Lilith is a hyper-picky eater and doesn't like most vegetables or anything too complicated or mixed together. She probably most enjoys very simple things like chicken nuggets, and only takes small bites so she isn't overwhelmed.

As comes up in the story, Bardiya is a recovering alcoholic, which is the reason for his preference note. I think I put somewhere that kebabs are his favorite food.

Ezekiel dislikes onions because of their slimy and crunchy texture. He likes really straightforward food like Sunday roasts, which in-setting would mean he prefers Rhunbardic cuisine, though he'd never admit it.

Fang will eat anything under the sun, but also doesn't care that much about food in the grand scheme of things. Left to their own devices, they will cook everything into some kind of omelette and think it's great.

Linos doesn't like shellfish because, like Su, he ate a lot of it prepared badly when he was young. He enjoys participating in prestige/fine dining, especially for Ysaran and Viraaki food, more for the sense of being part of a cultural moment than the actual flavor.

Neferuaten likes foods like beyaynetu (or, like, pizza) designed specifically to be eaten communally. On her own she mostly just eats salad, though she has extremely specific opinions about wine and whiskey.

Durvasa likes to grow and preserve his own food, and his favorite is dal soup. He also has extremely specific opinions, though only about whiskey. He doesn't like red meat because he dislikes the idea that he's eating the flesh of a one-living being, even if it's replicated.

Zeno technically does not have a diet, and is sustained nutritionally by other means. He enjoys the taste of very indulgent foods like foie gras and controversial food like cultured human meat. He thinks Viraaki food is 'stinky' and 'greasy'.

Hamilcar does not eat except with company, which is why his entry says N/A. He can't taste food in the way he could when he was young, and he finds it upsetting.

Anna enjoys sushi, but is too old to eat much at all.

Mehit theoretically likes the kind of high-concept Saoic cuisine described by Ran early in the story, but is not a very good cook, so mostly eats things like baked potatoes and fried rice. This is partly why Lilith is the way she is, but only like, 20%.

Balthazar skips breakfast because otherwise he ends up overeating, since he's the type who can just keep going long beyond what's healthy. He's the sort of person who enjoys bizarre high-calorie flavors like fried squid dipped in ice cream.

[itsaash]

Hamptons Cubs: Midnight

Prompt credit to @noots-fic-fests and character credit to @lumosinlove!

Today we're back to the Hamptons featuring some boys just trying to figure it out

Rated M, 1900 words, Read on ao3, if you prefer

Finn didn’t know what to do with his heart. It was 8 sizes too big and yet felt like it was in a vice. He wanted to pull it out and put it on ice and turn it fucking down .

Logan was in his house. With Leo. Going into Leo’s bedroom with him after an awkward evening of talking about careers and apartments and absolutely not college.

Leo must have made himself dizzy from all the darting around his eyes were doing, between the other two men, who were dancing on conversational thin ice. Finn didn’t blame Leo for yawning and pulling Logan into his bedroom with a kind goodnight. Finn had retreated to his own room and tried to force himself to sleep, hoping it would all make more sense in the morning.

But all Friday Logan had been with Leo in the kitchen like an adorable snarky shadow, and god, they were so cute together. Between frittatas and pasta salad and paninis Finn saw Logan cleaning up behind Leo like he was made for it. He saw Leo laughingly take a steak knife out of Logan’s hand (that he was trying to cut peppers with) and guide him to the sink full of dishes instead, with a kiss to the curve of his neck that forced himself to walk away from watching.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday passed with Finn trying to work, trying to not see the extra love that was cooked into their meals with the presence of Logan being around Leo. His parents loved having someone new there and at any meal they ate all together it was easy enough to stay polite but quiet. To only see the love shimmering between Leo and Logan out of the corner of his eyes because to look at it full on felt like it would burn his retinas like the sun.

Logan and Leo .

On Sunday after a dinner of grilled local sausages, a green salad from the garden, and smashed potatoes, Finn grew the courage to offer to help with dishes. Missing the time he usually had with Leo felt like a gaping opening in his heart and so he shuffled into the kitchen and settled in at the sink, aiming for casual.

“Oh hey Finn, thanks sugar. You might want to leave that pan soaking for a bit yet, the meat got nice and stuck on there.”

“Sounds good Leo, happy to help,” Finn said, holding his hands under the running water for just a breath.

“Busy weekend? Seems like you had a lot of work to do,” Leo asked.

“Hmm? Oh, oh, yeah. I didn’t get done what I wanted to this week, so I was trying to catch up. I got put on a new book recently. It’s a really great project, but I’ve just kind of … stuck on it lately, for some reason.”

Reasons including: it’s hard to focus on editing when his mind wasn’t sure what year it was, was time travelling every time he looked up and saw Logan.

Leo nodded in understanding as he finished bringing the dirty dishes to the sink. He put away the leftovers in silence as they worked together for a while. Finn took a deep breath as he scrubbed the extra dirty pan.

“I’m guessing Logan told you all about how he saved me in that history class, huh?”

Leo propped a hip against the counter near Finn, relaxed with his arms crossed. “Well he was actually pretty sure you saved him, so I guess it sounds like you helped each other.”

Finn dropped the sponge and turned to Leo, his breath heaving.

“I’m sorry,” Finn blurted out.

Leo cocked his head to the side, eyes soft. “For what?”

“That I kissed your boyfriend,” Finn said in a rush, making it sound like all one word.

“Oh sugar, Finn, don’t apologise. It’s ok. It was ages ago, I didn’t even know him then.” He picked up a towel and started drying the cookware Finn had washed before continuing. “I’m actually really glad you had each other. It makes me happy to think about the two of you studying, helping each other out.”

Finn managed a half smile at the thought of his and Logan’s study session.

“Is it ok that we’re here, Finn? If it’s weird, it’s totally fine. We can head home for the week. You’ve been … quiet …. this weekend and we really aren’t trying to mess up your week.” Leo hesitated. “Not to get in the middle of it, but Logan did mention you might feel like he ghosted you. Or that maybe you feel some anger towards him?”

“No, no! Did he say that?” Finn ran both hands through his hair, getting it wet, and took a deep breath, shaking his head. “I don’t remember it that way. Please, stay. I was surprised, like shock and awe , like get me a fainting couch type surprised. And I think it made me seize up a bit. But I see the two of you are really happy, it’s so sweet. Please, stay. Have a fun week out of the city.” Finn turned and finished cleaning the last dish and dried his hands.

Leo smiled, towel moving slowly over the dish in his hand. “Thanks Finn. That means a lot to me.”

Finn nodded and turned, meaning to head upstairs. That was about as much of confronting this weirdness that he could handle for today. Logan might be back in from his conversation with his parents at any time.

“And Finn?” Leo called. He turned back, leaning against the wall, hip popped out, listening. “Don’t avoid us, okay? If you don’t want to? I promise there’s no hard feelings on our end.” Finn just gave a small smile and nod, but the worried look lifted, just a bit, before he turned to go upstairs.

~~~~~

Logan had been helping Leo and between frittatas and his pasta salad and peach pie they had been busy all weekend. Logan was so impressed by his boyfriend, was soaking up every moment of watching Leo in his element, and with a backdrop worthy of a postcard too. Leo had even let Logan peel the peaches and mix the salad, although mostly Logan cleaned and organised and prepared while Leo cooked.

But, Finn. Logan didn’t know what to think. The shock had faded somewhat in the past two days of helping Leo with meals. It was a busy gig, an easy distraction. But then he’d glance out the window and catch a glimpse of Finn’s red hair out the window, amidst the beautiful garden and sprawling lawn. And his heart would stutter and he’d forget where he was for a moment. He’d think of books and candles and highlighters until he looked at Leo. Then reality would spin itself around him again and he’d kiss his boyfriend on the cheek as he walked to the fridge to put something away and tried to live in the present.

Sunday night they sat outside to watch the sunset, it wasn’t fully dark until nearly 10, and they sipped their drinks and watched the colour fade from the garden and flowers and trees as colours bloomed across the sky instead. And then those faded too, and the stars started sparkling out of nothingness. They sat in loungers beside each other, gaze shifting from the horizon to the sky. Leo’s hand was still warm in his with blankets over both of them.

Logan turned his head from the stars to Leo, just as awed by the sight of his love, even in the dim light.

“So are we staying the week still?”

Leo hummed. “Yeah, Finn said he wants us to. You ok with it? It’s ok if you’re not.”

Logan took a moment to trace his eyes over Leo’s cupid bow as he collected his thoughts. “I still want to. It’s beautiful here, and I have some guilt about how I treated Finn, but really I have nothing but good memories of him.”

“Yeah? You ready to talk more about it?”

Logan took in the stars. Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, the sparkling dots that could tell any story, told them all. When he had gathered his thoughts from the spaces between the stars, he went on.

“It was just a few months. But it’s burned into my mind like when you close your eyes after looking at something too bright. Finn is … bright.”

Leo chuckled and nodded at that, Logan squeezed his hand three times.

“Really, we pretty much just studied. We were in the zone, essay writing and memorising,” Logan continued. “Then we went to a party, and we kissed.” He set his head back against the lounge chair. “And Le, it was such a good kiss. It was a long, beautiful, hot kiss.” Logan sighed. “And I think I said something like I’m not gay ? And then the semester was pretty much over, and I was scared, and I didn’t call for months. And when I did, his number had changed.”

Leo reached over and took Logan’s hand in both of his, running his thumb in circles. 

“And I kissed boys after that, and slept with girls, and never felt a hint of the spark I had with him.” He turned his head towards Leo. “Until I met you, of course.” Logan turned onto his side and ran his fingertips down Leo’s cheek. “Remember? We talked, and ate, and when you kissed me, there were the sparks of sunshine filling every part of me.”

Leo smiled, and gripped his hand tighter. “I’m glad you had each other, love. That sounds lovely, and kind of really sad.”

Logan smiled a half smile. “I love you so much. Leo, you are the light of my life. I kissed Finn, one evening, years ago. Today, I’m with you and I want you .”

Leo smiled and they leaned across the small space between chairs to press their lips together.

“You want to stay?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, I do. Let’s have our little vacation, let’s relax, and eat, enjoy the scenery,” he said, waving a hand vaguely around at the dark.

Leo’s watch beeped, midnight.

They sat in the deep quiet for a minute, hands connected between the chairs.

“You told me once your first kiss with a guy had been in college. Was that Finn then?” Leo asked softly into the darkness.

“Oui, soleil, it was.” He made the move to forgo his chair in favour of joining Leo in his. He climbed on top of Leo, pressing them chest to chest. “You were my first everything else, though.”

He leaned down and pressed their lips together and Leo tilted his head up into the kiss.

“I tried with other people in college, but it was never right, never felt good, until it was you,” Logan peppered Leo’s face with kisses. The darkness hugged them as they kissed, making them feel like the only people in the world.

Logan pressed a deep kiss down to Leo's lips, leaving him breathless. Then he stood, one leg on either side of the chair, and pulled Leo’s body down the lounge chair until his hips were near the edge. His long legs sprawled off the end onto the soft grass. Logan backed up and dropped to his knees under the midnight bright stars. The grass was only darkness, but was soft under his knees, cool in contrast to the hard heat that was soon filling his mouth.

“I love this, I never get to make you come on Sundays,” Logan murmured against his skin.

Leo huffed a laugh, arching his back involuntarily. “I think it is Monday by now, baby, ahhh.”

Logan just hummed and swallowed in response.

Leo could hardly see Logan through the darkness, but the stars twinkling in the sky kept him company when stars sparked and exploded behind his eyes.

[angelmush]

meals of the week:

tonight i am making an easy peasy pasta dish w sweet corn and italian sausage and parm and butter ! summery and simple

for tuesday, i ended up w some tins of octopus so making little tostadas w some pickly veggies and chili soy octopus

crispy tofu pad thai on wednesday after work

thursday is my birthday and i don't wanna cook lol so idk what's going on there but i don't want to think about it or plan for it

friday im going to make fried filets of code w a snap pea salad and french fries

saturday i'm going to make a big t bone steak w a gochujang glaze to eat wrapped in butter lettuce cups or maybe w rice too ? i'm not sure yet

and on sunday i'll make spicy glazed bites of salmon w rice and cucumber and avocadoooo

[stoked2surf]

Okay so things have changed up some this week!

we were in town (Santa Teresa) and talking to one another about the current living situation and the work we were doing (or lack there of). we both jokingly mentioned just leaving and getting an airbnb in town if it was cheap!

the work we were doing was not work at all and it was not rewarding in any fashion. When we signed up for the work stay it was described to us that we would be doing a lot of farm work, brewery work, and building projects. but when the owner of the organization told us a week into our stay he would be leaving for 3 weeks to go to Israel we were pushed into doing mundane brainless work like sewing a big shade net, or by his request 6. now it seemed really weird as his wife/partner was gone too and we were left with the workers who stayed with us to be the lead of these tasks, but with none of them speaking english it was hard to direct us to do more complex tasks and that’s why the volunteers were pushed into seeing instead of what we were told originally. so we ended up not learning anything it really building anything until our last few days. but at that point we were so done with that place!

I’m not gonna trash on the place publicly but there were some things we were not happy about that we both felt didn’t meet the living standards adequately for human health.

so we found out the car guy would give us a full refund for the days we didn’t need the car for and instead we would use that money to get an airbnb in santa teresa for the remainder of our trip. we found a sweet little surf shack for only 35 dollars a night, what a score! we went into town saturday for a night at a different place because we had no other plans as the original plan was a bioluminescence tour but since it rains so much it wasn’t worth it. we grabbed a cheap airbnb with hot water and short walk to the beach and hung out for the night cooked dinner and watched a movie in a clean home for the first time in three weeks. now i’m all for cold showers in the heat but not having hot water to clean off sunscreen and mud or get soap out of hair is a real drag! i get that in some cultures it is the norm but since we are fair skinned gringos on the equator we need to cake on some zinc and that stuff needs warm water to get fully off the skin. now feeling clean for first time in almost a month we realized how deprived we were of comforts.

sunday we informed our friends are mangrove that we were leaving and heading out monday morning. we packed up and moved into our new home at noon.

it’s a surf shack at the northern end of santa teresa up a steep hillside. and i mean very steep! it’s about a 600 meter walk to the beach but 300 meters are a 45° incline. but we were warned by the host prior and honestly it’s not the worst it really makes that cold beer feel earned. the walk down is beautiful, in one of the photos you can see on the decent through the trees is a wonderful view of the oceans aqua green water meeting the horizon. yes i really get to see this every morning on my way to surf it’s so rad.

we spend our mornings making coffee and hitting the beach as soon as possible and i surf for a couple hours or more while Annagrace does yoga, reads, and sunbathes. Then we go home refuel and hydrate and hit town for an adventure to so shops or grocery stores.

In costa rica they have sodas which are outdoor covered places to eat for cheap. the food is locally sourced, fresh, and “typical” which is what they call the dishes locals eat. we stopped at one right down the hill and it was the most magnificent food i’ve had in a long time. and it was only ~$12 usd!!! It’s a large portion of rice beans and salad with whatever protein you choose along with plantains. I got mahi and it canes with 4 mahi steaks, fresh and locally sourced. thats insane.

we spend our afternoons reading over espresso at a local shop or walking the beach looking for seaglass. today we grabbed food walked some and heading home to chill out since we stayed on the beach extra long and got too much sun. the weather most of our time here had been sun and monsoons on and off but since we left and moved down to the beach its been full sun all day and rain at night, which is lovely on the tin roof for sleep!

we are living life and i am realizing that there is so much stoke in the world to find and such little time. where am i going next and how? is a question ive started asking myself pretty often… well just have to see because American “life” seems so mundane now.

[orbitofneptune]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ wieiaw ‧₊˚ ⋅

week started on 2/12/24 - 8/12/24

monday

breakfast: 0 cal

lunch: 203 cal ~ 2 rows of rice crackers, 375ml pepsi max

dinner: 620cal ~ red rock deli sweet chili sour cream chips, beef lasagna

snack: 37 cal ~ caramel coffee with almond milk, T2 carrot cake tea with almond milk

burned: 0 cal

total: 860 cal

net: 860 cal

tuesday

breakfast: 21 cal ~ caramel coffee with almond milk

lunch: 202 cal ~ original rice crackers

dinner: ≈ 870 cal ~ crying tiger thai steak salad, roti

snack: 14 cal ~ redbull sugar free 330ml, 375ml pepsi max

burned: 73 cal

total: 1107 cal

net: 1034 cal

wednesday

breakfast: 21 cal ~ caramel coffee with almond milk

lunch: 331 cal ~ ham and cheese wrap, 375ml pepsi max

dinner: 605 cal ~ shin ramyun, poached egg, 375ml pepsi max

snack: 34 cal ~ redbull sugar free 473ml, sugar free grape fanta 600ml

burned: 270 cal

total: 991 cal

net: 721 cal

thursday

breakfast: 59 cal ~ caramel coffee with almond milk, 1 biscoff biscuit

lunch: 137 cal ~ salt and vinegar red rock deli chips

dinner: ≈ 921 cal ~ chicken burger with homemade potato wedges

snack: 221 cal ~ sugar free grape fanta 600ml, 375ml pepsi max, redbull sugar free 473ml, 2 pieces of haigh's turkish delight

burned: 113 cal

total: 1338 cal

net: 1225 cal

friday

breakfast: 0 cal

lunch: 76 cal ~ 2 biscoff biscuits

dinner: 374 cal ~ indomie hot and spicy noodles

snack: 363 cal ~ redbull sugar free 473ml, 375ml pepsi max, caramel coffee with almond milk, 2 pieces haigh's turkish delight, cadbury santa, cadbury elf

burned: 0 cal

total: 813 cal

net: 813 cal

saturday

breakfast: 0 cal

lunch: 497 cal ~ oven roasted southern style wing nibbles

dinner: 515 cal ~ pork loin roast, roast potatoes

snack: 178 cal ~ caramel coffee with almond milk, 375ml pepsi max, cadbury elf, 1 piece haigh’s turkish delight

burned: 0 burned

total: 1190 cal

net: 1190 cal

sunday

breakfast: 0 cal

lunch: 101 cal ~ rice crackers

dinner: 1103 cal ~ bbq pork ribs, pan fried potatoes

snack: 22 cal ~ caramel coffee with almond milk, 375ml pepsi max

burned: 0 cal

total: 1226 cal

net: 1226 cal

[ladylooch]

Just thinking while I'm excited to see Lucie and Connor's reaction to Lio and Sav having a baby...

Did we see Nico/Lexi and Emma/Timos reactions to eachother announcing their pregnancies?

So, we saw Emma tell Nico about Lio in part 4 of Loving & Leaving. Probably not as exciting as she had anticipated with her first. But let's look at how Nico and Lexi tell Timo and Emma about Lucie...

It's Sunday night family dinner at Timo and Emma's new house in the suburbs. They moved in almost a year ago now, but it still feels new for Nico and Lexi having to drive to see them.

Timo greets them at the door with a sleepy Lio, a pacifier stuffed into his mouth. His head is on Timo's shoulder but he grins widely when he sees his auntie and uncle.

"Hi buddy!" Nico exclaims, wiggling his finger into Lio's fist. Lio grins around his pacifier, then reached for Uncle Nee to snuggle. Knowing he is going to have one of these soon, Nico holds Lio extra tight.

Dinner is ribeye steaks, perfectly grilled by Timo, salad and roasted rosemary potatoes. Nico and Lexi were in charge of dessert, which is homemade and will help them reveal their biggest, most precious secret: Lexi is pregnant with their first baby. Lio is going to have a baby cousin soon and although it is still early- Lexi is only 8 weeks pregnant- they don't want to wait anymore.

"Are we ready for dessert?" Lexi asks, anxious to reveal the cake to her sister and brother in law.

"Yeah!" Nico nods along, giving Lexi a kiss on the cheek that feels giddy against her skin. She chuckles, turning to capture his lips for a moment.

They all grab their dishes and pile them up by the sink to be taken care of later. Emma grabs the cake from the back counter, then finds the small, dessert plates in the cupboard.

"Do you want to cut it up?" Emma asks, handing over the knife to Lexi.

"Yeah! Also, actually, I worked really hard on this cake. I was wondering if you could take a picture of Nico and I with it?"

"Sure." Emma says brightly, grabbing her phone out of her pocket. She watches them get together. "Nico, get in closer. Act like you like her." His sister rolls her eyes. Nico is trying to create separation so that when Emma inevitable flings herself at Lexi, he can move away from the chaos. For now, he scoots in closer. Lexi takes the foil off the cake, then grins as she tilts the cake towards them.

"Whoa!" Timo exclaims when he sees it. Emma is too busy taking pictures.

"Yeah, work those Hischier dimples." Emma giggles at her brother, then pulls her phone down, looking back at the picture. Her eyes drift over the cake, then she slaps her hand over her mouth as she shouts.

Written in red atop white frosting are the words: We are going to be parents!

"Oh my god!!!!!" Emma starts screaming. She shoves her brother out of the way, grabbing Lexi hard into her chest as she bounces up and down. "You're pregnant!!!!"

"I am!!!"

"When are you due!?"

"December 4th!"

"Oh my god!" Emma starts to cry, gripping Lexi's shoulders. "Oh, you are going to be the best mama." Emma assures her. Lexi's eyes begin to well with tears.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Emma insists. Gratitude of not having to do any of this alone blossoms in Lexi's chest. Emma is here for her. "How are you? Tell me everything. Oh! Do you need ginger ale? I felt so icky after I ate with Lio."

"Actually, yeah, I have really needed that after eating."

"I was the same. Those mini cans are life savers." Emma says before she dashes off to the pantry. Nico wraps his arms around his wife, holding her close to his chest. Across the counter, Timo holds Lio, swaying from side to side as the little boy’s eyelashes get heavy from sleep.

"You two are going to love being parents. It's amazing." Timo sigh happily. "All of your love wrapped up in a perfect blend of the two of you... it's indescribable." He smoothes Lio’s hair back, all of the adults watching as he finally surrenders to sleep.

[peoplefromheaven]

Weekly menu week 22:

Monday: salmon with kale, mushrooms, tomato, cauliflower, pepper and onion, served over rice

Tuesday: chicken thighs with broccoli and rice

Wednesday: chicken breast with potato wedges, broccoli and peas

Thursday: chili con carne with garlic bread

Friday: salmon with bearnaise, mashed potato and green beans

Saturday: roasted vegetables with garlic and herbs

Sunday: steak with salad, fries and onion rings

For bread I’m making rosemary bread and for dessert there will be cinnamon crunch knots