#still gonna walk into traffic though lol

[joshoconnaissance]

ok but wdym jeonghan is enlisting instead of going on tour 🔪🫠

[pedroscurls]

in every lifetime (pt. 4)

summary: logan goes to your apartment late in the night to make things right. finally. pairing: logan howlett x fem!reader tags / warnings: angst - post deadpool & wolverine ("worst" logan!variant), no use of y/n. word count: 1.2k a/n: so i certainly wasn't going to go this route for this chapter (it was originally gonna consist of a lot of yelling and all of that, but there is a softness to logan and add this song... i just couldn't write it the way i originally wanted). but anyway! thank you to everyone who's read this story - it holds a special place in my heart. i think we have one more chapter left before i consider this complete! our bb logan deserves a happy ending and i don't think i can torture him anymore lol. stay tuned though bc i'm gonna continue writing more for this character (i'm so obsessed). song lyrics will be in italics btw song: you are the reason by calum scott prev. part - next part.

Of course it’s raining. 

Logan shouldn’t have taken his motorcycle, but he wanted to get to you as fast as he could. There aren’t that many cars this late at night, but he still does have to swerve between traffic to get to your apartment. He’s drenched by the time he approaches your street, parking his motorcycle on the first spot he sees along the curb. He strokes his wet hair away from his face as he feels the heaviness weigh on his chest – he doesn’t know if you’d even hear him out, but he has to try. 

It isn’t until he gets near your apartment that he realizes maybe coming to your apartment this late in the night wasn’t a good idea. But he stops in his tracks when he sees you step out, immediately getting drenched in your oversized crewneck and plaid pajama pants. Despite the heavy rain, Logan knows you’ve been crying. Can see the way you cross your arms over your chest as you bite down on your lower lip. He can hear your heart beating, can hear how you’re stifling your sobs, can hear you whisper over and over: I’m so tired. I’m so tired. I’m so tired.

He isn’t sure why you’ve come outside, why you’re standing in the pouring rain, but he knows that he wants to pull you into his arms. Logan slowly begins to walk towards you, careful not to startle you. As he gets closer and closer to you, Logan feels the sudden urge to reach out to you, to wipe your tears away, to tell you that he’s here. 

And that he isn’t going anywhere. 

You don’t hear him and you’re so close to just yelling, screaming at the top of your lungs and asking the universe why? Why did it take your Logan away only to bring some version of him back? A version that wanted nothing to do with you? 

Your hands curl into fists, tears streaming down your face, hair and clothes completely soaked. You’re about to turn back around to go inside because you feel that if you stay out here another minute longer, you’re surely going to lose it. And you can’t. Laura still needs you. 

And you still need to be strong for her. 

Just as you’re about to reach for the handle of your front door, you hear his voice. It’s quiet, but it’s loud enough that you can hear it past the rain. You feel like your heart is beating out of your chest when your eyes meet his. 

Time suddenly seems to stand still as you stare into each other’s eyes. You’re standing on your front steps with Logan on the sidewalk, gazing up at you. You can see the look on his face, the complete vulnerability that he’s displaying as he stares up at you.

All of his guarded walls are down. For you. Only ever for you. 

There goes my heart beating 'Cause you are the reason I'm losing my sleep Please come back now

Slowly, he takes a step closer to you and you do the same. Neither of you say anything, the sound of the rain encompassing the both of you. You feel so overwhelmed with emotion and just like earlier that night, you yearn to reach out for him, to just be pulled into his arms. 

Logan can feel his own tears pool at the corners of his eyes as he keeps his gaze on you. He deserves this. He deserves you. He deserves a second chance to make things right. To be happy. To be loved. By you.

And there goes my mind racing  And you are the reason  That I'm still breathing  I'm hopeless now

As you take a step closer to him, so does Logan. Now standing in front of each other, mere inches separating your bodies, Logan reaches up to cup your cheek. You let out a shaky breath and shut your eyes momentarily, leaning into his touch as you bring a hand up to wrap around his wrist. Logan inhales sharply, your touch electrifying him once more. 

When your eyes flutter open, Logan steps closer, head dipping lower… 

I'd climb every mountain And swim every ocean Just to be with you And fix what I've broken

“In every lifetime and in every universe,” he whispers, his breath fanning over your lips. “I’m yours.” 

Your hand tightens around his wrist as your other hand comes up to rest on his chest. Tears pool around your eyes as the rain continues to come down. “Logan…”

“And with every fiber of my being, I will always love you.” Logan clears his throat, resting his forehead gently against yours as he brushes his nose with yours. 

Your hand on his chest clutches the fabric of his shirt, pulling him flush against you. Logan’s hand drops from your cheek to rest on your hip, lips pressing lightly on your cheek. 

And if I could turn back the clock I'd make sure the light defeated the dark I'd spend every hour, of every day Keeping you safe

It isn’t until your hands move to wrap around his shoulders that Logan snakes his arms around your waist to pull you flush against him. He holds you tightly to his chest, burying his face against the side of your neck. 

This… This is where he belongs. With you. 

He lets out a sigh of relief and tightens his hold on you when he feels your body begin to tremble with quiet sobs. This is as much of a relief for you as it is for him. This is your second chance and while your Logan will forever hold a special place in your heart, you feel lucky enough to be able to get another chance with a version of him. 

The rain continues to pour down on the both of you, not bothersome in the slightest. Slowly, he pulls back enough to look down at you. His eyes move lower until he gazes at your lips and then back up at your eyes. Logan brings a hand up to rest on your cheek, gently brushing the pad of his thumb against you.

I'd climb every mountain And swim every ocean Just to be with you

“I’d love you in every lifetime,” you repeat from the first night you saw him. “And that includes this one.”

“I’m here,” Logan whispers. “I’m with you, bub.”

You nod slowly, bringing your hands to gently push his wet hair away from his face. Logan’s lips turn upwards as his lips brush against yours lightly and it takes everything in him not to just kiss you because he knows that you both have a long way to go. 

But he wants you to know that he’s no longer going to run. 

He’s going to be here, right by your side. 

Just like how it should be in this universe, in his universe, and in every universe out there. 

This was right where he belonged. 

'Cause I need you to see That you are the reason

“Logan?” you whisper, eyes gazing down at his lips.

“Yeah, darlin’?” 

“Kiss me,” you say quietly. “Please…”

Logan smiles, his hand splaying on the side of your neck as his thumb brushes against your jawline. Slowly, he shuts his eyes and leans in to press his lips against yours. 

Finally.

--

taglist: @its-in-the-woods @mynatureworld @wadewnstonwilson @squishyfruitloop @maybedisaster

@kellyxo1 @m1cky-y-y @flowersforbucky @namikyento

[robinvomit]

I want to put in a request but who are your core six? Do you write outside of batfam stuff? How do you characterize ?

My core six that I tend to focus on in my notes and quick ideas are: Jason, Tim, Damian, Dick, Kon, Bart + the occasional tack on of Constantine.

I do write for characters outside of the Batfam, however they are not requested of me. Most of my page is request work. I'm more than happy to write for any character dropped in my inbox if I have the knowledge to do so.

I.. characterize differently for everyone, so, I'm not sure how to answer that? I can show you how I write my core six, though?

Update: these are more of.. explanations lol but, they still count towards how I write them.

V1 Tim / 90s Tim: Dry, sarcastic, blunt, pretty fucking mean without always noticing it. Trust issues. Very sharp edged. Observant. Hyper competent. Somehow better with other people's emotions than his own. Actions > words. Comes off like he's annoyed with the world most of the time. Unhealthily loyal. Shit-stirrer. Morally grey.

V2 Tim / Modern Fanon mix: Tired. Coffee gremlin. Considerably softer around the edges but no less competent. Overthinks every single thing known to man and it borders on obsession. Craves acceptance. Socially inept.

Jason: Uuuhhh.. sometimes self destructive, very protective but does take time to get past the arms length situation. Feels pretty deeply. Does not run on constant anger. Has moments of self doubt. His way of expression is 50/50 — sometimes it's through words, other times it's through food, books, physical affection. He's got a big heart, just a lot of bs that he's dealt with.

Dick: Soft but not naive. Warm, lonely. Always giving, never taking — sometimes to the point of being walked on. Sometimes temperamental, impulsive. Very self aware. Can be passive aggressive. Pretty honest about his judgment when he doesn't agree or someone he loves is being stupid. He has pride. He's also a little conflicted about some things about himself. At the end of the day — he feels everything.

Damian: I feel like I have a lot of examples of Damian on my page atp lol but uh.. Blunt, prideful, not exactly trying to hurt your feelings but also not trying not to. Touch starved but stubborn. 85% of the time would rather walk into traffic than be vulnerable or ask for something. He does not love gently by any means because love is sacred, holy. Very loyal, very intense, very observant. However, I do write a good bit of softer moments for him, because he does have moments where he's soft, jokes, exists outside of his mind.

Bart: Bart's characterization in general is such a tricky thing — and also a very big topic for those who like him. So, I'm just gonna slap this out here and pray I don't get yelling in my inbox. He's not comedy relief, he's not an idiot, and he shouldn't be infantilized. He's pretty literal, tends to be awkward — he spent a good bit of time trying to figure out where he belonged, feeling like an outsider thanks to his.. gestures entire childhood and lack thereof. He feels deeply, but like most other dc characters, he's not super great at expressing them. He is surprisingly an introvert — or, was, I have no idea how he's being written currently. Uh, blunt? Kinda had the same situation as Tim where sometimes that blunt came across as asshole. He reacts to things before he processes them fully. He's incredibly observant, taking in everything around him — he wasn't as.. jokey, hyper loud mouth early on.

Kon / 90s Kon, because I refuse to write whatever tf Conner is: Pretty much everyone knows this Kon to be a smug, cocky little shit — which, is not wrong. However, unlike some, he has character development. While being that little shit, he was also constantly aching and not knowing where he belonged. He craved mattering outside of who he was made to be and what he was made to be. He's pretty soft, actually. Still has a bit of attitude, still pretty smug, but in different ways. Not as observant as most but he doesn't miss anything important. Gets defensive kinda easy when it comes to certain topics. I write post character development 96% of the time which is accepted, comfortable, loverboy Kon who is devoted to reader. Because dc fucking hates him and well, he needs to stop being fucked over for five seconds.

John: Depends on the shit I'm writing, if I'm honest. I mean.. hes a pretty guarded, cynical character but the man's been through every bad thing known to man and otherwise. If you haven't touched certain comics, stay out of my inbox when I say: hes not cold, hes not emotionless, hes not just the bastard put in main media. Hes actually pretty fucking soft hearted, vulnerable and, shockingly, human. He's been abused 79 ways to hell and back. He's traumatized. He's also ??? Very ??? Loving?? And protective. He hates himself but he's not asking for someone to fix that. He's a liar ( let's clarify: hes going to lie, gaslight, manipulate, and do anything he can to get to a good ending. Not just for fun. ) he carries a lot of guilt. He is very loyal and incredibly smart. Hes also not the best at love but who in this awful universe is.

[mintmatcha]

mint im gonna cry my stomach dropped when reader told aizawa he could walk i feel sick I FEEL SICKKKKK it's like every single day i live to suffer at your hands 🥲🥲 im gonna sob

SHE DOESN"T KNOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW

Anyway here's the little drabble I promised yesterday and forgot about lol:

Inevitable bonus (between chapter 6 and 7)

-----

It's not often that Aizawa swallows his pride and calls Hizashi to pick him up, so Hizashi doesn't push. He doesn't even say anything until they're halfway to Aizawa's home, parked in work day traffic. The blonde turns down the radio until it's a whisper.

"Bad day?"

Aizawa grunts. His forehead is pressed into the cool glass of the passenger side window. His chair is slid all the way back, legs fully extended. He digs his thumb into the muscle of his thigh, wincing at the pressure.

"Leg bothering you?"

He knocks his forehead against the glass. "Obviously."

"Sorry, sorry." Hizashi clears his throat. "It is not fitting correctly or something? We can stop and get one of those pads-"

Aizawa interrupts. "It's not the plastic's fault, it's the fucking muscle it's attached to."

Ah. Hizashi gives a sympathetic wince. He waits for a long while, until the energy in the car simmers down a little more.

"You should take some time off and see your doc-- just to check, you know?"

"I can't take a week off right now, we're about to launch and these interns are morons. Only Ururaka can do anything right, and fucking Kaminari is a burden--" Aizawa shifts and sighs, rubbing his face in his palms. "Tensei'll be here for the convention in a couple weeks, so I'll just tough it out until then. It'll be fine."

"Are you-?"

"I said it's fine."

A car honks somewhere in the sea of vehicles.

"Anything else bothering you?" Hizashi asks it as softly as he can. "You're prickly, but you're not usually this prickly."

Aizawa runs his tongue over his teeth in thought, thinking about his answer. His voice is still bitter when he answers: "Bad date."

"Oh! Oh, shit, I didn't realize you were even--" Hizashi has to recover from the shock before continuing. "Good for you for getting out there. I mean it, you're such a catch. This is great for you."

"Doesn't feel great."

"Yeah, I know, but it'll inevitably work out though, when you meet the right person. I promise. Look at me and 'Muri! I'm a freak and I found someone."

Aizawa gives him the side eye. "You find multiple someone's a week."

"Okay, whoa, sex is different than love. I could get you laid tonight if that's what you wanted."

Aizawa sucks air in through his nose, then slowly sighs. His hand is still on his face, dragging it down almost comically.

"It's not."

Hizashi knew that. He just hums in approval, fingers tapping against the leather steering wheel. "Does this mean you're giving up on...?"

"That was never a thing." Aizawa tumbles over himself as he speaks.

Hizashi gives him a half smile, one that's more sad than convinced. "Got it."

[lunapwrites]

Segment: Like the last one, but different lol

(edit: this is a mostly-duplicate of segment 4 that was posted accidentally but I'm keeping it for reasons.)

Looking back, James thinks some days should come with a warning label. Something to say: maybe stay in bed today. Try again tomorrow.

But that morning, he didn’t suspect a thing. Had no way of knowing.

He met with Lily first: their usual rendezvous point at the old bridge, legs dangling over the edge as they shared the last of his cherry PopTarts, the last of her cigarettes, the story of how the big news had gone over with their parents.

“Could have gone worse,” Lily said, sighing. Pursed her lips to wiggle her septum ring. “Mom cried a lot, Dad left the house, Petunia called me a slut… so, you know, normal Friday night.”

He winced. “If it helps, first thing my mom did was ask when you were moving in.”

Lily huffed out a laugh, flicking ash. “I love your mom. What’d your dad say?”

“Not much, really.” James shrugged. “He was happy for us, though.”

What his dad really had been was quietly disappointed, though he’d still offered to help out while they got their feet under them, offering them both jobs at the office because you can’t support a family on a musician’s salary, Jamie.

Which was currently true, yes, but it didn’t mean he didn’t have PLANS, okay?

Lily nudged him. “When’s the gig?”

“Uh, I think Pete said doors are at six? Sooo…”

“Five, got it.” She stood, brushing off her dark leggings. “Remus isn’t driving again is he?”

James suppressed a shudder; Remus was barely able to fit them and their gear in his beat-up Ford as it was, but adding in his habit of speeding and general disregard for traffic rules… "God, no. Pete's got the van back from his dad. No more TARDIS."

"Thank fuck."

They finished their cigarettes in companionable silence, stubbing the butts out in near unison. Lily held her hand out for his, tucking their discards into an old Altoids case she kept for just this reason, slipped back into the pocket of her hoodie. She stared down at her own body like she could memorize the shape, burn it into her brain.

James took her hand. "You gonna be alright playing tonight?"

"Yeah." She managed a brave smile. "I'll be fine."

She probably would be. Lily was tough like that — tougher than him at any rate.

He was about to ask if she wanted him to help her pack when something behind him caught her attention, green eyes widening in alarm.

She smacked his shoulder. "James, look." Pointed towards the other side of the bridge — or past it, rather, down to the riverbed below. "Do you see that?"

And yeah, he did.

Looking back, he's not sure what made him jump down there. A hunch, maybe. Instinct. But what he was sure of was the fact that when he reached the body that had washed up on the riverbed, legs still floating in the freezing water, that body was still somehow alive.

Lily called for an ambulance, put the dispatcher on speaker so he could walk James through CPR — just keep going till they get there — and he kept time by singing Another One Bites the Dust under his breath. Black humor if he'd ever heard it, protocol or not. He studied the boy's face, deathly pale as it was, framed by half-frozen ringlets of black hair, marred by a hellish bruise on his left cheekbone. A trio of tiny moles curved along his right. Familiar.

The paramedics came, got the boy stripped down and wrapped up in one of those little tinfoil blankets, looking more like a burrito than a maybe-corpse. But he was alive — for now at least. James hoped he'd make it.

The cops hung around, poked around the riverbed. Asked James and Lily for their statements, and no, never seen him before in my life.

It was Lily who voiced the thought nagging at the back of his brain, as he walked her home. "God, he looked just like Sirius, didn't he?"

-

They agreed not to talk about it for now — not because the cops had asked, but because it was bad enough half the band was involved to begin with. No need to freak everyone out over nothing. Because it was nothing. Probably.

Lily packed a few bags and passed them out the window to him, trying to get as much out as they could before her dad came home from work, and he squirreled them away in the spare bedroom across from his. Not because his parents had any puritan ideas about them sleeping in the same bed — no point now, anyway — but rather because he thought she'd like her own space, separate from his.

Pete picked them up at four, Sirius with his feet up on the dash, Remus half hanging out the window behind them like a lanky sheepdog with his stupid shaggy mullet and even stupider mustache that no one — literally no one — could pull off but him. He drummed his hands against the side of the door, grinning.

"Hurry the fuck up, Potter! Things to be, people to do—"

"I'll fucking bite you," James growled, staggering slightly under the weight of half his drum kit. Sirius jumped out of the front seat, coming round to take the cases out of his hands and shouting at Remus to get off his ass and help (which he did, swatting Sirius firmly on the ass as he passed.)

The gig was at some little dive bar in the city — one of those ones that actually had a stage in the back, not like the last time, Pete swore. They’d been stuck in a corner awkwardly for that one, like what the fuck is up Dennys kind of awkward, playing asses to elbows. They couldn’t play like that — Sirius, especially, needed room to breathe.

If you asked any one of them what they played, you’d get a different answer. Sirius would say what if jazz had teeth? Remus would give you about fifteen different subgenres no one’d ever heard of where one would suffice — like, seriously dude, what the fuck is Djent?. Lily would leave it at shit, I dunno, metal I guess. Peter called it progressive if people didn’t know genres, math rock if they did.

James just called it music.

They’d all been band nerds, and later jazz ensemble nerds, and most of them played five or six different instruments except for Remus, who played guitar. And anyone could be forgiven for thinking that made him the weak link of the band somehow — I mean the rest of them could all switch instruments at the drop of a hat, and did sometimes just for shits and giggles. But the truth of it was that they were all just dressing on the sides: Remus was the meat and potatoes. He worshipped at the altar of Tosin Abasi, studied John Petrucci til his fingers fucking bled. Sirius and Lily played guitar; Remus was a guitarist.

This wasn’t to say that they couldn’t keep up, of course. But no one was under any illusions. The crowds they’d been attracting came to watch Sirius and Lily because they played well and they were both insanely hot. But they came to watch Remus to see the face of God.

And sure, Remus could get a bit pretentious about music in general, but he never hogged the stage. Never tried to run away with songs, just kinda grooved in place and let Sirius live out his virtuosic wet dreams in the spotlight, let Lily prove that yes, bass does deserve to be heard, #justiceforjason. They were loud and brash and percussive and strangely symphonic. And James got to accompany them, got to sit there behind his kit and somewhere between the double bass and the high hats would find himself slipping into a rhythm with them as they just fucking jammed. For two hours.

The ride home was quiet, Lily dozing in the front seat with her head against the window. Sirius lay across the backseat, Remus standing in for his pillow, James his footrest. Neither of them minded.

"You've been quiet today," Sirius observed, eyes closed. James still knew it was directed at him.

"Yeah. Long day."

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

James caught Lily's gaze in the mirror. She sighed, leaning back against the headrest.

"I moved in with James today."

"I thought you wanted to get your own place first," Remus asked, frowning.

"I did," she allowed, "but I didn't really feel like growing a whole ass person by myself, so…"

The whole van went dead silent as three sets of eyes snapped to her face, Pete whipping around in his seat to gawk.

"Wait, what—?"

"Dude, eyes on the fucking road!" Remus shouted, kicking the back of the driver seat just in time for the rumble strip to prompt Peter back into the correct lane.

Sirius had taken the opportunity to sit up, pulling himself forward by the backs of both seats. "Hang on, are you really?" he asked her, wide-eyed, gasping as she nodded. He turned to look at James, beaming. "No shit?"

"Yeah," James said, suddenly feeling a bit shy.

Remus shot him a wicked grin. "Swim team captain, huh?"

James kicked him in the leg, earning a sharp jab himself, the two of them continuing to trade blows around a cackling Sirius until Pete let out a sharp whistle.

"Yo!" he snapped. "Keep that shit up and I'll turn this car around."

"We're on a bridge," Lily pointed out, laughing.

"Off the bridge then, I'm not fucking picky."

"Oooh, maybe we'll end up like that kid they fished out of the river earlier," Sirius said, stretching out on his back.

"Nah, he wouldn't kill us," drawled Remus, "right Petey?"

"Debatable."

"He wasn't dead," James muttered, shooting a dark look at his friends.

Sirius scoffed. "Yeah, okay. It was freezing this morning, no fucking way he survived."

No, he did," Lily agreed.

"How do you know?"

"Because James and I found him."

The questions came rapid-fire after that: when and why and what happened and yeah I guess you did have a long day, holy shit — you okay?

He didn't know, truth be told.

But he and Lily took turns telling the story, and James described the boy’s face, the way that, for a moment, he’d thought he’d dragged Sirius out of the river. And Sirius sat up straight at that, something fierce and hungry in his face that James didn’t recognize.

“Three moles along his cheekbone, like this,” he clarified, tracing a small triangle in the exact spot. “You’re sure?”

[the-chessboard-is-personal]

season 2 time wahoo another damn liveblog am I right??

(liveblogging ii season 2, for if it's not obvious. same style as last ii liveblog)

1 - woahh! okay I love the style tbh. wait. Super Mario 3D World/Initial release date: November 21, 2013. this episode: Apr 2, 2013. INANIMATE INSANITY PREDICTED THE DOUBLE CHERRY???? ...huh. weird. why does MePhone have an app for that? y'know, RESURRECTION?

2 - MePad ? can teleport? ?? yeah that egg is gonna be relevant again isn't it

3 - BOW INATOR?? holy shit holy shit ohhg waow,,there is something in this episode that I want so much. lmao. "umm huh, lmhuehyahahuh.." (<- me attempting to spell what test tube said at the end of the ep)

4 - I didn't think the elimination song sucked.. hey wait why does it sound like they get killed or something when they go through the portal. also where does the portal lead

5 - SEVEN?? MeOS SEVEN??? oh huh. is that why someone who dies in space can't come back? OH THE NO SERVICE COMMENT WAS FORESHADOWING!!? wait why is that how it works. why does MePhone specifically get notifications about people dying. wh- okay?? that was ominous ?MePhone what does that rnean. ..chESS MENTIONED

6 - aaand there's another one. ANOTHER TWO??? .oh :| ...what the entire fuck. and yep this episode makes me uncomfortable. who would've FUCKING GUESSED

7 - oh so THAT'S where the portal lead. ..as down as the WHAT- ouhjghhu nooo... not a song

8 - ah yes, MePhone got The Common Code- oh. also idc what the objects say, ftrEwy7u9iop8oaTE7gI is a wonderful name for a challenge. or a password. each new MePhone gets less understandable because of the "techy" voice effec- oh he's dead. [sees Steve Cobs's reaction to the egg] ohh okay. one moment [walks away from the computer]please don't be like dsmp please don't be like dsmp please don't be like dsmp please don't be like dsmp plehokay. oh I don't like him

9 - ...I'm not crying you're crying.,, uohg this is the second time a show like this has had something that felt like it was directed at me. and the other time was Gothi talking to Xanu in Fool's Gold,.,. which was also about moving on.. is.. is that wh- oh hey a gravity falls reference. haha lol :) ...oh this is the depression eppisode. BITCH -> 🌮 <- BITCH

10 - aha! I've figured it out! the secret is MPABZCEAS!! holy fucking shit my joke was immediately kind of relevant. wha..suitcase?? y'know that voice kinda sounded like MePhone

11 - wHUH SMG4 SOUND?! oh wait that sound probably isn't from SMG4, that's just the first time I heard it. still though, neat. ...wild theory. I'm gonna sound like Fan here, but. "Is anything on this show real?" seems.hmm idk. sus. I call foreshadowing. hokay something's definitely going on with Suitcase. oH FOR FUCK'S SAKE yep don't like this episode either

12 - oh fuck they're in episode 1. oh fuck they're in HWUH ?? ..ohh MePhone hates Cobs too. hey if anyone's read this far, I want to know who's your favorite character from the alternate timeline, because why not! mine is Traffic Light

13 - woahhh MePhone backstory! oh. oh I do Not trust that "screen protector". HEY HEY WHAT WAS THAT WHISPER [turns on captions] oh. oh REALLY. HMM. ...wh. what. what what what what what ROBOT ADAM?? MEPHONE 3???? WHAT WHAT WHAT AAAAAAAA UH OH! UH OH OH NO UH OH!! ohkay this is the panic time, the time in every show tumblr freaks out about where things go CRAZY. OKAY OKAY I'M READY AAAAAA

14 - so the person who told me I should watch ii said I need to watch all of season 3 after this episode. I have no idea why! oh fuck! but anyway. that rneans I'll be splitting this section into actual paragraphs since this is the last episode of this liveblog. (<- said that before starting the episode). anyway.

okay. okay Fan just got abducted. ..hhhow did he know that. how did he know that MePad let Marshmallow leave. .hey hey what's with the shot of that panel with the hole in it. maybe I'm just tired but that doesn't seem..right. and not in the bad writing way.

uhm. hey 17:36 isn't supposed to be hitting me too whY IS IT HITTING ME TOO WAUGH.

"is that what you said to Pickle" OHH DAMN MY HEART DROPPED LIKE THE SCENE HOLY SHIT. wait IS FAN DEAD FOREVER??

wait didn't test Tube get eliminated? why did Microphone go through the portal??

looking at the comments for. tbh I forgot what reason when i saw this one

uh knew what KNEW WHAT OH FU-

anyway. so Fan glitching is. gonna be foreshadowing? oh boy let me guess... uhh.. wait why would Fan glitch. other things that glitch are..the tree MePhone made for Cobs? MePhone himself when Tissue Box sneezed on him?? that MePhone 3?? but none of that has anything to do with Fan..

unless.. AHA!

FAN IS A PROJECTION MADE BY ONE OF THE NEWER MEPHONES

COBS IS GOING TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AS LONG AS FAN IS THERE!!

although with Fan eliminated, th- oh there's an after credits scene?

UH. UM. WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT

AND THE OMINOUS OUTRO THEME. UH OH

okokokokokokayokayokayokay. that's obviously some kind of MePhone. the Meeple logo is there and it's phone shaped, so. that's pretty obvious. but not one that's been seen before, right? like not even a model that's been seen before, because none of them have the grabby hands.

because of the red X imagery I'm gonna guess this one is called MePhone X. and if not, well I'm gonna refer to it as that until I find out otherwise

with how scary that moment was clearly intended to be, we can all agree that Toilet just got permakilled, right? like. despite not being in space? that was definitely. not anything good that happened to Toilet there. I'm just gonna assume Toilet's dead, yep that just happened. aaand now there's a seemingly murderous (although maybe it had a grudge against Toilet for some reason, but I find that unlikely) MePhone roaming around. n e a t .

thiiiiinking that thing is the exception to the "each MePhone we see is dumber than the last" rule that seems to be present. hm. wonder who the Big Villain is going to be

welp it's too late to binge s3 rn so uh. yeap. okay. sure. that's a thing

[ahgasegotarmy116]

Still With You | A Jeon Jungkook Series | Chapter Four

Summary: You go out with Jimin to a cute cafe called Bora before you meet up with Jungkook Pairing: Luna (reader) x Jungkook and Jimin, f2l love triangle Word Count: 4.4k~ a/n: I haven't updated this story in a while and idk why lol I've had it finished for a while but I guess here you go lmao. Hope you enjoy! Start from the beginning

Today has been nothing short of exhausting, both mentally and physically. Grey is coming in later today and Sunghoon had to leave early so I've been on my own for most of the day.

Unfortunately my uncle has left me with the task of deep cleaning the store tonight so that alone has been keeping me busy as well as the heavier than usual traffic that's been coming through today. 

Grey should be here in an hour though so I just need to pull through until then. I haven't been able to take a break yet today so I'm definitely gonna take a longer one when she finally shows up. The customers today haven't been too bad but just their existence is putting me in a bad mood, worse than most days and I'm not exactly sure why.

"I really need to get a new job" I say under my breath. "What kind of job are you looking for Noona?" I hear right behind me. I jump at the unexpected response and turn around to figure out who the voice belongs to. "Jimin you scared me!" I say while punching him in the shoulder not realizing I had done so until I see his reaction. 

"Oh my gosh I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" I say with a slightly panicked expression. "It's okay Noona I deserved it" he responds while rubbing his shoulder at the point of contact. "Are you sure you're okay? It was kind of an automatic response" I say giving him a once over. "I'm fine don't worry about it" he responds while getting ahold of my hand. 

I jolt slightly at the unexpected contact and look up at him with a questioning gaze. "Just make it up to me when we hang out later tonight okay?" he says with a slightly flirtatious tone. "Oh um okay? How should I do that?" I ask, curious as to what he might be implying. "I'm sure you'll figure something out" he says while letting go of my hand.

"So um" I pause clearing my throat, getting rid of the slightly flustered tone to my whole demeanor. "What are you doing here?" I question while walking back behind the counter.

"I just wanted to check in again and make sure that we are still on for tonight" he says following me to the opposite side. "Oh tonight, yeah I should be fine to hang out tonight" I respond trying to get the words out before I get a chance to trip over them. 

"Okay great! So is eight thirty still okay?" he questions. "Yes eight thirty should be fine" I confirm. "So I'll see you then!" he says excitement clearly written all over his face. "Yeah but, did you need anything else?" I question trying to figure out the reason behind his extra visit today. "Nope I just wanted to confirm our plans for tonight" he says leaning his body up against the counter. 

"You could've just texted me" I say shaking my head at his eagerness. "I know but I just wanted to see you before then" he says with a slight pout. "Okay well you've seen me, but I really have to get back to work now. I'll see you tonight okay?" I say hoping he'll take a hint and start to head out. "Okay Noona see you tonight" he says and makes his way out with a slight smile.

Just as he's leaving Grey finally makes her way into the store as well. "Wasn't that Jimin?" she questions immediately after walking up to the counter. "Nice to see you too Grey" I say rolling my eyes at her. "Yeah yeah whatever now can you please tell me what he was doing here? I thought he wasn't supposed to come until later on tonight" she says slightly confused. 

"I guess he just wanted to come by and confirm our plans in person" I say while waving it off hoping to change the subject. "He could've just texted you" she responds. "That's exactly what I said but he just said that he wanted to see me before then" I say still trying to make sense of it all. 

"He just seems oddly clingy already and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it" I respond honestly. "Well I'm glad we're on the same page. I just hope tonight you can set some boundaries with him. Even Jungkook doesn't show up everyday and he's your best friend" she says making sense of the steps I should take.

"Okay but what am I supposed to say? 'Hey it's nice of you to come by to see me but I don't really want you to do it all the time.' Isn't that a bit harsh?" I question trying to figure out what I should say. "I mean not really, you've gotta protect yourself you know. You don't want this to turn into something unhealthy" she warns. 

"You mean like a stalker? I don't think he's like that" I say hoping to throw away her doubts about him along with mine. "Yeah maybe you're right, but just be careful alright? I don't want to have to call the police and have them looking for you because you never came back tonight" she warns. 

"Okay I got it. I'll make sure to bring my pepper spray with me and stay somewhere well lit. Will that make you happy?" I say hoping to switch topics.

"Yeah I guess, just don't get murdered. Lord knows your uncle would have my head if something were to happen to you" she says while heading back into the break room to put her stuff away and grab her vest and name tag.

Once she comes back I get up to switch places with her so I can take my well earned breaks. "Where are you going?" she asks as she watches me take off my vest.

"Sunghoon had to leave early so I haven't had a chance to take a break yet. I'm gonna take my first and second break together okay? I'll stay back there in case you need me, but try not to need me" I say waving as I head off. 

"Yeah whatever" is all I hear in response as the back door cuts off anything else she might've said. Laying down on the sofa we have back there I stretch out my whole body already feeling the soreness in my back from going between helping customers and cleaning the shelves.

I check my phone for the first time in a few hours and see that I have a few messages from Jungkook.

Hey Luna Noona I can't wait for tonight!

I still have no idea what you're planning but I'm expecting something epic!

Your shift ends at ten right? Or was it ten thirty? I don't remember.

Either way I'll be there at ten!  he finishes.

My shift ends at ten thirty so you can just come then. No need to come early I respond smiling at his excitement. Why are people suddenly so excited to spend time with me?

And don't call me that! I add in protest.

See you at ten Luna Noona ;)  he ends, responding right away.

I roll my eyes in response and lock my phone. I still haven't totally processed everything that happed between Jungkook and I the other night. Well more like avoided the topic all together, filling my days and nights since then with nonsensical topics. 

Avoidance is my first line of defense and although it's not the best way to deal with things, it really is the only way I can keep myself together these days.

I hope things go well tonight with both Jungkook and Jimin, I've just gotta remember to not overthink it. Just take a deep breath and be my normal chill carefree self and things will be fine. 

I scroll through my social media and see that I have a follow request from none other than Jimin. I guess I'll accept it before I meet up with him. I don't want to give him something to pout over.

After accepting the request and following him back I see that he immediately accepts my request as well as goes to like some of my recent posts, clearly showing me that he's going through my account.

'You look so cute Noona' he comments on my most recent one of a picture of Grey and I.

I like his comment and lock my phone ignoring the rest of his efforts to contact me. I need to show him that I've got stuff to take care of and I can't talk to him all day. Hopefully if I ignore him until my next break he'll back off a bit. Then again I still don't know him so who knows. 

I close my eyes for what I think is a few minutes and am suddenly woken up by my alarm signaling the end of my breaks. I sigh and straighten myself out and make moves to head back into the store and to my delight it is completely empty. 

"How is it when I'm by myself there are a shit ton of customers but once you get there they magically disappear?" I complain after casing the joint. "Don't know don't care" she says, continuing to scroll through her phone. 

"Lover boy requested to follow me" she says nonchalantly still engrossed in whatever she's looking at. "Really?" I say in confusion. "But he hasn't ever spoken to you before right?" I question. "Well yes and no" she says putting down her phone. 

"Meaning?" I question, intrigued as to what sort of interaction they've had. "Well he came around the other day when you had the day off asking for you" she says resting her arm on the counter and propping her head on top of her hand. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask. "Well he told me he would text you or something, but guessing by your reaction he didn't" she says starting to get tired of the conversation. "Yeah well I guess he forgot. Next time tell me if he shows up okay?" I implore starting to get a weird feeling about all of this.

~~~~

As the day slowly turns to night I get a text from Jimin letting me know he's on his way. "Do I look okay?" I ask starting to get a bit anxious. "Yeah you look fine" she says not even bothering to look up from her phone. 

"Grey you didn't even look at me" I say rolling my eyes at her. "Dude I've been with you for hours, I know what you look like" she says looking up at me for a second. "Although you might wanna go look in the mirror and brush your hair or something" she says going back to what she was doing before. 

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" I question, running into the back to freshen up my appearance a bit more. "You didn't ask until now" she yells after me.

I quickly brush my hair like she said and put on a fresh layer of lip gloss and a light sprits of perfume before I head back out and in the process I hear the door open signaling a new customer coming in. 

"Welcome" she greets, uninterested in the newcomer. "Hi um is Luna here?" I hear Jimin ask, sounding a bit shy. "Yeah she's in the back but she should be coming out soon if you wanna wait" she informs him. "Okay thanks, just let her know I'll be waiting outside" he says and I hear his voice fade and hear the bell again signaling his departure.

I peek out from behind the door and motion to Grey nonverbally asking about my appearance yet again. She nods her head and I stand up straight and head out only to hear her say "See you at nine alright, I've still gotta take my last break too". I simply make an okay sign with my hands and walk out. 

I'm greeted with the sight of Jimin taking in the surrounding stores and people that are passing through the area, clearly lost in thought still not aware of my presence. "Sorry I kept you waiting" is all I say to catch his attention. "Noona! Ready to go?" he says while holding his hand out to me, which I in turn take it and let him lead the way.

"So where are we going?" I ask curious as to what he has in mind. "It's this new café called 'Bora' the interior is purple and they have a lot of cute purple themed drinks! I thought it might be a cool place to hang out together. Plus the vibes there are really chill and you seem to radiate chill energy" he says looking over to me and slightly swinging our interlocked hands. 

"Purple is actually my favorite color" I say surprised that I haven't heard about it yet. "I was hoping you would say that! I remember the first day that I met you you were wearing a cute purple shirt with two different purple earrings" he says laughing to himself while recalling the memory. 

"Wait really? Why didn't you tell me?" I say slightly embarrassed at my slip up. "Well I wan't sure if you had done it on purpose, plus it looked really good on you!" he says smiling at me while starting to take smaller strides. Realizing that he might be dragging me along since our height difference is very apparent and in turn makes my legs a lot shorter than his. Once we fall into step we walk in comfortable silence until we reach Bora.

Opening the door we're met by a dark purple interior that is accompanied by a brilliant neon sign spelling out the location's namesake in an equally stunning shade of purple. 

"This place is amazing! How did you find it?" I say scanning the room and taking everything in. "I saw that it just opened a few weeks ago on SNS and I forgot about it until I started to wrack my brain for places you might like to go" he says while shyly rubbing the back of his neck. He's actually quite adorable now that I think about it, with those lips that seem to be in a constant pout supporting my observation. 

"Did you wanna go up and order or should I pick something out for you while you find us a seat?" he questions making eye contact with me for the first time since we set foot inside. Seeing his face in this lighting I can't help but notice his more chiseled features and I again am reminded of our height difference since I'm having to look up at him. 

Breathe Luna it's okay it's just Jimin, just be yourself. "Surprise me" I say while settling on giving him a slight smile. "Okay I'll be right back why don't you go look over in that section and I'll meet you there" he says while pointing me towards the seating area and gently ghosting his hand on the small of my back and quickly makes his way further into the building to what I assume is the counter to order.

Shaking off the slight chill I got from the unexpected contact I make my way over to a booth near a window so we can enjoy the city lights. Even though this might not be the best part of town the lights at night are still beautiful. I get lost in thought and start humming along to the music that's playing in the background. 

"Boo" I hear right next to my ear making my whole body tense up. "Don't DO that!" I scold turning towards him seeing a huge smile on his face. "I'm sorry Noona I couldn't help it" he admits trying to hold back his laughter. 

"Well please refrain from doing that, my heart can only take so much" I say clutching my chest in a teasing manner. "Okay okay I promise I won't do that again...tonight" he says, teasing me right back. "I swear I can never catch a break these days. Now are you gonna tell me what kind of drinks you got or are you just gonna let them melt" I say nodding towards the tray he just placed down. 

"Oh yeah my bad. This one is called 'Bora' after the café itself and its a purple slush with passion fruit, dragon fruit, and blue raspberry flavoring. While this one is called 'Nabi' which is iced butterfly pea flower tea with raspberry and pomegranate. I wasn't sure if you were the coffee or tea type of person but I figured you might not want to drink something with caffeine this late at night" he explains cutely hoping he picked out at least one item I might enjoy. 

"They both look amazing! Do you think I could take the slush? It looks so good!" I implore. "Sure go right ahead, I also got us a slice of Purple Ube cake to share. I hope you don't mind" he says nervously again.

He's really trying to not mess this up, it's so endearing seeing how much effort he's putting into this. "That's perfect, thank you!" I say while grabbing a fork and taking the first bite.

"Mmm this is amazing!" I say savoring the mild but sweet flavors. I look up at him and see that he's just looking at me with puppy eyes clearly enjoying my reactions. "What?" I laugh nervously while grabbing a napkin and wiping off the corners of my mouth hoping I don't have anything on my face. 

"Nothing, you're just really cute Noona" he says and picks up his fork and takes a bite of the cake right after I do. I clear my throat moving past the compliment trying not to acknowledge it. 

"So back in the store earlier you said you needed to get a new job. Do you have something in mind?" he says clearly understanding the need to change the subject. "Oh um not really I've just been pretty sick of my job honestly since I first started but I can seem to find anything better to do and I hate being the new girl" I say feeling defeated. 

"That's understandable, it can be nerve racking breaking into a new industry especially when you've become almost comfortable in your current job" he responds. "Well it's not so much that. It's more like the irritating feeling being a helpless idiot until I finally get used to everything. I hate asking for help" I admit honestly. 

"Yeah I can tell, you seem very independent so I can see why that could make you uncomfortable. I assure you though that if you find a company that values their employees then I'm sure that you coworkers would be more than happy to help you learn the ropes. Everyone is new at some point in their lives" he responds with a warm smile.

I feel almost lighter after talking about some of the things that have been weighing on my mind that I almost forget that I have to go back to work. 

We're startled out of our conversation by my alarm and I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that we have to wrap this up so soon. "Well that's my alarm reminding me to start walking back. Thank you so much! I had a really good time" I say with a genuine smile on my face. 

"I did too! Thanks for giving me a chance to get to know you better. Here let me walk you back to the store" he says getting up and stretching his hand out towards me. "Thank you, I would really appreciate it" I respond while hesitantly accepting his outstretched hand. 

"Of course, what kind of man would I be if I didn't make sure you got back alright. Plus this gives us a chance to spend a little more time together" he says while leading us though the café to the exit. Once we're outside we're hit with a sudden breeze and I bring my hands up and hug myself as a pitiful excuse for generating warmth.

I suddenly feel myself being wrapped in a blanket of warmth and realize that he's draped his jacket over my shoulders. 

"You don't have to do that, it's my fault for not bringing a coat. Here take it back you're gonna get cold too" I say while trying to take the jacket off my shoulders but am soon stopped by him placing both hands on my shoulders trapping the jacket underneath his hands to make sure I can't remove it. 

"It's alright Noona I really don't mind, plus I'm wearing a hoodie as well so I don't really feel cold at the moment. It's not too long of a walk anyways so go ahead and use it for now" he says and goes back to stand next to me and entwines our fingers together and leads me back to the store. 

Once we get closer he stops just short of it which in turn stops me as well. "What is it?" I ask giving him a questioning look. "I just wanted to let you know that I had a really nice time tonight and I would love to do it again. Maybe we could spend some time together on one of your days off?" he asks hopeful for my acceptance of his proposition.

"Sure I'd love that!" I say looking up at him. I see him glance down at my lips and back to my eyes before slowly leaning in. I stop him tentatively with a gentle hand placed on his chest.

"Jimin" I say, feeling breathless at the change in atmosphere. "Yes Noona?" he questions resting his forehead against mine. "I don't think this is a good idea" I say wracking my brain for the best way to go about shutting this down. 

"Oh, okay" he says while leaning back and resuming his previous up right posture. "It's just that, I really think we should get to know each other better" I say hoping he won't take it in the wrong way. "It's okay I understand, I agree let's take things slow" he says with an understanding smile. "I'll text you tomorrow?" he suggests. I nod my head in approval and give him a quick hug goodbye. 

I turn around and cross the street and head back inside seeing Grey in the same position I had left her in, uninterested with the world around her and scrolling through her phone. "I'm back!" I say alerting her to my presence so she doesn't think I'm just another customer. 

"Oh hey" she says looking up from her phone briefly, "How did it go?". I go to respond but she stops me before I can even continue, "The short version Luna" she says aware of my tendency to ramble. "Alright the short version, let me just put my stuff away" I say making my way to the back room.

"Whose jacket is that?" she asks but clearly knows the answer. "Oh shit! It's Jimin's, he let me borrow it on our way back since it's pretty cold out there. Do you think he's still out there?" I question rushing towards the front door before I can hear her answer. 

I look around up and down the street trying to see if I can spot him but unfortunately it looks like he's left already. I walk back into the store defeated but knowing that he'll probably just use this as another excuse to come see me again, which I can't help but smile at. 

"I guess I'll just text him in the morning" I say shrugging my shoulders putting it back in my locker and putting on some perfume. "Why did you take it off?" she questions raising an eyebrow at me. "Well I'm hanging out with Jungkook tonight and you know how he gets when other guys are around me" is say feeling a bit conflicted. 

"That's true. He would probably give you his hoodie and hug you until the other guy's sent is gone" she says laughing at Jungkook's clingy side. "Exactly so I don't want to give him something to pout about. Plus the possibility of another guy in my life is not something I would like to discuss tonight" I finish. "Sounds like a good idea" she says and asks me again to tell her what happened between Yeonjun and I.

I give her the short version like she had asked for and I am a bit confused at her reaction or lack there of. "Hey! Why are you acting like that? I thought you would be teasing me and telling me how stupid I was or something like that" I pout clearly not satisfied while her stoic attitude. 

"Oh sorry I was just expecting it to go horribly so I'm just surprised that's all. I'm happy for you, it sounds like you had fun" she says and goes back to her phone. "Why did you think it was gonna be bad?" I question even more confused. 

"Well he was just giving off kinda weird vibes from the beginning but I'm glad we just misjudged him. He sounds like a nice guy. Now can we change the subject? Or better yet why don't you go restock the fridge" she says and then turns around to refill the items behind the counter even though they're fully stocked for the most part. 

Confused by her sudden change I decide to just go and do as she had suggested and head back into the big fridge and after restocking everything in there I start to go up and down the aisles cleaning up the shelves and making sure everything looks perfect. I check my phone and start counting down the minutes until Jungkook gets here, eager to escape from this sudden weirdness that has settled between Grey and I.

prev / next Series Masterlist

Taglist: @jkslipppiercing @trina864 @kaitieskidmore97 @goddesofimortality @coolbluedude @00frenchfries00 @bangtans-momma @coralmusicblaze @pastelpinkjoon @joonwater @marvelbun @j3nni-rs @evidive @beomieboi @forevrglow @jesssssmaybankk @teugiie @chaconnelatte @whoa-jo @snehal @xumyboo @mindurbuzznezz @diorh0seokie

Join my Taglist!

Feel free to fill out the form or just comment on any of my fics to be added :)

[dogtiber]

day 2: we have had more puppy energy and playfulness! he seems to definitely be more comfortable and himself in quiet outdoor places, but he’s starting to ease into home life. and he did teach himself how to use the stairs at 1am yesterday night lol. (though only going up—he'll go down the short flights ok but is a little scared of the longer ones still.)

had some troubles potty training in the morning, and had a few small accidents. we moved the grass patch indoors onto the floor he’s staying on, and that helped a lot—he got it almost immediately once it was moved inside. think maybe he’s just really uncomfortable and nervous using the bathroom outside by the street. he had some diarrhea in the evening tho when we went to the dog park, so gonna bring that up to the vet.

think he had a small crate accident last night—my fault for thinking he just wanted comfort last night when whining, and not needing to go out—unless he just spilled his water, couldn’t really tell.

he’s been playing and actually using his chews! still having trouble getting him to eat and take treats consistently, but it seems to get better as he gets more comfy. he's very chill about the washing machine/dryer noises, which my partner was worried about. he is not thrilled about cars though—both ones passing and riding in one.

he "solved" a snuffle mat by picking it up and turning it upside down lol.

day 3 (morning): he's napping next to me right now. 😭

partner took him out early this morning on a walk to the public park across the street while it was quiet out. apparently he's still pretty freaked out by traffic, and also by runners going by him, but he was good on the bridge and in the park around birds.

the moment he got home though, he immediately jumped on the couch where i've been sleeping and cuddled up right on top of me. <3

he seems to love curling up on the grass patch to work on his chews, which is not the most ideal. don't love the idea of him lying and rolling in his potty spot. trying to gently discourage it by moving his chews off and to his bed or crate, and giving him praise and treats when he brings them to those locations himself/interacts with them there.

[siodium]

FIRST EVER TRIP TO JB YEY (ﾉ ˃ˋᗜˊ˂ )ﾉ ｡*ﾟ+

the logistics of this trip were kinda sus, but i was just so excited to be invited on this trip to a place i've never been before so i didn't rly think much of anything else HAHAH. everything went smoothly though~

day one

took the bus in from kranji mrt station. we managed to clear the customs and enter jb just before 10 am (!! a pleasant surprise bc i always hear about scary traffic jams and custom queues).

started the trip with brunch at palates & bagels by T.A.M. i got the shiro (tempura fish with wasabi mayo) bagel with sesame bun, and the yuzu sour plum drink. the wasabi mayo wasn't spicy at all, and that's coming from someone who has zero spice tolerance.

the cafe also sold baked pastries and cakes?? i really wanted to try but i didn't want to overload my stomach that early in the day.

after filling our stomachs, we headed over to nine% hair studio for some hair pampering!! while looking up recommendations, i came across someone's review of this salon, and even though they rated the experience as 'mediocre', i was sOLD when i saw how nice their haircut turned out?? it was such a pretty and fluffy hush cut (the hairstyle i was aiming for)!! the aunties at my neighbourhood salon could never!!!

i got a haircut, a dye (just for covering greys bc i didn't want to bleach), and a moisturing treatment for around $300~ the haircut didn't turn out exactly as i'd wanted, but maybe it was bc my hair wasn't long enough?? the layers were layering though, and i became kind of like a jellyfish HAHA. it's still cute so all's good. my hair was also super soft after the treatment ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! i wasn't expecting it to go from crispy hay to boiled vermicelli noodles that quickly. the service was not bad too. we were the only two customers there, so we pretty much got the vip treatment.

also!!! i've never gotten anything other than a cut at a salon before, so this was a brand new ✨experience✨ for me.

unfortunately, it started to drizzle almost immediately after we left the salon. the humidity killed the styling in my hair, so i became a soggy jellyfish. ( •᷄‎ࡇ•᷅ )

next stop was to get a massage somewhere in the KSL city mall~ we walked around for quite a bit and eventually settled on thong thai. the reviews (i looked them up hastily) seemed ok?? it was on the pricier side but that meant it was less likely to be sketchy?? idk. i opted for the aromatherapy full body massage, which was basically the usual full-body thai massage, except i gotta strip down and get oiled up LMAO. luwi and alfur tried that in bangkok, and their reviews got me curious so i had to give it a go myself.

it was fine actually??? very professional. i forgot that i couldn't rly clean off the oil afterwards, so the feeling of oil on my clothes was........ not the most pleasant.

when the rain subsided, it was time for dinner!!! we explored the KSL night market that opened only on mondays!! grabbed a bunch of street food to try~ it was difficult deciding what to get bc our stomachs had limited capacity, and everything looked so tasty??

we brought whatever we couldn't finish on the spot back to the hotel for our street food dinner feast~

after dinner, we went to check out the cafe (space cafe) on the first floor of the hotel we stayed at. i couldn't eat anymore at that point, so we could only try the drinks.

didn't check if it was a halal establishment, but i tasted zero alcohol in that mojito LOL. looked pretty though.

we relaxed for a bit back in the hotel, and then i decided........ it was time to check out the hotel's infinity pool. i insisted on taking a swim even though i was hit by a sudden chill in the room??? not sure what happened there but it felt like my homeostatic mechanisms just glitched or something. didn't help that it had just rained, which meant that the nighttime air was gonna be colder than usual.

anyway, i refused to budge on the idea despite the fact that i was shivering uncontrollably all the way to the pool. luckily for me, the pool was hEATED!! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) when i went in, i didn't want to get out. koko didn't swim with me though. he was just chilling on the poolside chairs. no fun!! (ㅎ.ㅎ)

had da cheng lok lok 大成渌渌 takeaway for supper!!! it was something i rly wanted to try!! and it did not disappoint. the spice levels were beyond my capabilities (not me coughing like an ipad kid with every bite), but the seafoods were so good omg. aND THEY WERE HUGE??? i'm now a loklok fan. i wanna try the non-spicy version next time though.

day two

breakfast buffet at the hotel~ tried not to overeat so my stomach would survive the rest of the day.

went to the midvalley mall for the relatively new impulse gaming flagship store!! we were greeted by shelves of blind boxes upon entering the store. the temptation to gamble was too great, and i walked out with two boxes of blind shinwoo plush keychains........... at least one of the boxes (the heavier one that koko picked) gave me the one i wanted (hot sauce!!).

found a gengar model kit with swappable face parts and articulated joints at the same store!! i wanted it so bad but koko said i could get it cheaper elsewhere so i didn't buy it. :/

we spent a bit too much time exploring the mall, so our lunch was quite late. we originally planned to have lunch at keijometo, a cafe that was trending for its industrial aesthetics. however, the long queue and possibly 3 hour ++ wait time put us off. so, we hopped onto a cab to find lunch near the bagel place that we went to on the first day.

there was a cafe there called the replacement, and idk who hurt it, but it was hilariously appropriate given the situation.

got the irreplaceable pasta, which was a tomato-based pasta with tiger prawns. i wasn't expecting this unassuming sauce to be so spicy?? i did my best to finish everything aaa.

we also got a sour cream and onion cromboloni to share~ yums.

before heading back to sg, we did some last-minute snacks and clothes shopping at city square mall~ then we took the train back and it was so speedy!! like a 5-mins bullet train ride.

[paldean-ranger-brandy]

Im gonna be real, my knee jerk reaction here is to make some bitchy little comment and then drop it. But I'm gonna do my best to explain our position here. Because I know you're a good person, and I know you aren't gonna take what I say in bad faith and twist it against me. Putting it under a readmore bc this post is already long.

Imagine you have a house. You've built this house yourself, you love it, it's HUGE and every single nook and cranny is special to you. And then a neighbor comes along and cuts down 80% of it to use the raw materials for fuckin whatever. What an asshole, we are not inviting him to the holiday party. But you start to rebuild. You don't get more than one room up though before another neighbor comes by, says he's friends with the first guy, and then tells you he's gonna be telling a bunch of children to walk through your house. You say "hey, wtf. I actually don't like kids all that much, and don't really want anyone walking through my house after that last guy destroyed most of it." And they say "that's too fucking bad". You ask your other neighbors to help, and get radio silence from everyone except for one random dude way out in the ocean who went through something similar. It's not enough though, and the kids start stomping through your house.

A bunch of them keep accidentally knocking shit over and breaking it. Not their fault that this place isn't kid friendly, but that's exactly why you don't want them there. At least half of them tell you to knock down MORE walls so that your house is easier to walk through, it's kinda inaccessible for them. A lot of them don't do much more than just. Walk through. But your house isn't built for that much foot traffic, and now your floors are dirty and breaking.

Your neighbors start talking, saying how inaccessible your house is for the kids, how WEIRD your house looks to them, how anti social you are. They even start spreading rumours, calling you uncivilized because your home is so weird and dirty and broken even though it WASN'T always like that and you were never given the chance to fix anything or even make the place more child friendly before the absolute hoard of rude/inconsiderate/well-meaning but still part of the problem kids started stomping through.

Your house is in shambles, there are kids that you don't want everywhere, and your neighbors all hate you and love to spread rumours about how mean and brutish you are. At that point, even though it isn't the kids' fault you are going to find yourself being not exactly the best host. It's not that you can't be, you're actually really good at helping your friends and their kids feel good and safe in your home. But this is too much, you are one person and these kids are not in a listening and learning mindset. Rudeness isn't the goal, but when you're that tired and bogged down it's inevitable.

First guy is the Industrial revolution, second guy is the league (obviously), and the neighbors are the rest of Hoenn (again, I think obviously). I'm not using this analogy because I think you're stupid, it's just the best way I could think of to make the emotional reality actually hit home. Also because explaining the history in detail would take even longer lol.

We aren't rude by nature. We dont even necessarily hate having guests over. But it's just been too much for too long, and we are tired of being judged. And anytime we try and explain that people try to defend the League, or say that we're overreacting. One time I told someone the cliffs notes version and they said "so it's true? Your town is super poor and shitty?"

People don't like to hear their precious League has done terrible things. People also don't really approach us much from a place of actually wanting to listen and learn. That said, I do trust u n ur little girlfriend to be chill. If either of you actually want to learn about our culture n traditions I'm happy to talk about em.

Is it morally wrong to visit Fortree solely to see how long it takes for someone to pick a fight with me?

[munsster]

that everything feeling

A/N: i love s3 and i love s3 steve in his s3 scoops ahoy shorts. so i like basically did a mini s3e7-8 rewrite??? but it’s not serious. and now there's this

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Henderson!GN!Reader

Summary: You (Henderson!Reader) despise Steve Harrington, but the end of the world (and your little brother's gang) has other plans for you. 2.6k words

Warnings: season 3 major spoilers (lol), canon-level gore, blood & vomit & drugs, kissing (ew right), fluff, cursing, drugged steve, more kissing & cursing

Steve is basically limp against you, and you have to laugh at how quickly the Russian amphetamines went right to his head and turned him into a walking slinky. Well, more stumbling than walking. You also have to laugh at the awful situation Dustin and his little shit friends left you with: dragging their half-concussed babysitter through the mall rapidly away from a troop of bodybuilder-types foaming at the mouth and hungry for blood.

Speak of the devil, two of the brick shithouses in question—each larger than both you and Steve combined—come barreling against foot traffic in your direction, though not quite at you, which is somewhat of a relief because there’s a chance to escape. Still, your heart is pounding deep in your ears—something that always sends you in a stupid direction. So with your fingers wrapped around Steve’s bright red neckerchief, chanting ‘please be unlocked, please be unlocked’, you yank the door to one of the mall’s storage closets wide open and tug him in after you.

“Woah,” he sighs, putting a hand on his sinking chest, and when you look at him, he’s marveling up at the ceiling, and you’re about to slap him across the face if he utters one more drug-induced adage. “Did I just die? Is this what the afterlife is like?” His eyes go wide as saucers when he turns to stare at you, suddenly bursting with giddy, schoolboy laughter.

You clap your hand over his mouth and guide him deeper into the pitch-black room at the sound of muffled shouting beyond the reinforced plywood door. He trips over a fallen broom, knocking himself off balance enough to instinctively anchor to your waist and slump back against a wall of stocked shelves. And he has the audacity to ‘ouch’ when an empty spray bottle bounces against his skull to the floor.

As much as you’re against Steve Harrington, you do have to give the bastard credit; he has a very natural charm about him that you can’t stay mad at for very long. Which is why you’re going easy on him today: not ribbing him for his reckless abandon and motherly love for the kids. He clearly cares, or else he would’ve let someone else take the hit. I mean, he’s got those gorgeous, brown eyes, all honey in the sun and starry. He hums against your hand and shuts them. But in a frog way, one after the other. And you’re almost relieved. A moment of silence, at last.

“Did you just lick me?”

You flick your hand away and wipe it down his shoulder with a killer glare, and he’s back to laughing his stoned ass off. But your fed up meter is boiling over, and those pairs of boots thudded along a while ago, so you slip your fingers between his and pull him along into the now unlit foodcourt, checking behind you every couple of steps to make sure he’s not facedown on the linoleum. That would be seriously inconsiderate seeing as he’s caked in blood, and it would suck to have to wipe that up on minimum wage.

“Um…” he huffs, tightening his iron grip on your hand and halting to a wavering stop next to the centerpiece fountain. He looks seasick and pale and moist, and you don’t need to hear him to know that when he says, “I’m gonna yak,” he’s being dead serious.

“Oh my God, Steve, you’ve gotta be kidding me”—you’re suddenly panicked when he tugs at the collar of his uniform with his brows drawn taut together—“okay, okay, where are the bathrooms, they’re—holy shit, across the mall. Nevermind—”

“Sink,” he grumbles, finding his shaky footing a few steps ahead of you, hand in clammy hand.

“What?”

“How ‘bout a sink?” He presses on, and you’re compelled to let him drag you around tables and chairs because he feels so sure and set, and you’re not one to deny a bleeding, more-than-slightly intoxicated man. You bare your teeth in a fake, almost worried grin.

“Steve, you’re drugged, where the fuck are we supposed to find a sink”—and in that second, you look up at the flickering LED sign—“Scoops.” From which epiphany, you take the lead, pushing him at the hips around the counter, through the swinging door, straight towards the deep, aluminum sink that he dunks his head into and proceeds to violently spew into.

You take to fiddling around the room, including but not limited to: dragging your finger across the dusty, steel table, opening and closing the service window, and reaching for the top of one of the shelves only for two ice cream scoops to clatter to the floor and scare you shitless.

“Nice,” Steve chuckles, running the faucet and wiping his cupped palm down his chin. He reaches forward and flicks three light switches, illuminating the baby blue room and the storefront with a warm and buzzing fluorescence. You gasp when he spins on his heel.

“You’ve got blood all over you,” you say. Because you knew he got jostled around pretty bad back there, but you didn’t think it would stain his shirt or earn him an insane shiner.

He looks down and shrugs. “Hey, handsome’s gotta do what handsome’s gotta do, okay?”

You roll your eyes and back up through the door to the front and nod him along before ducking down to locate the first aid kit and set it next to the register. “Come here,” you coo, “in the light.”

“Woah, bossy… okay,” he says, following you and bumping his hip against the counter and watching you flip the case open, digging around with both hands. He smiles sweetly when you stick the tip of your tongue out while taking out stacks of paper-sealed supplies, frantically scanning labels and directions.

“Okay,” you huff. You tear a small, white square open between your teeth and unfold the antiseptic wipe seated inside it. In one hand, you hold Steve’s jaw, tugging him closer while the other carefully cleans the blood spattered around his bruised eye. He hisses and latches one hand into the side of your shirt.

In tandem, you both “Sorry!”, and chuckle a little, and he’s still holding your waist, but you’re still holding him and tilting his face toward the light. You open a new parcel and dab the wipe at the cut below his lip. He squints his eyes shut, grunting and shifting his weight slowly.

“D’you want a bandaid for that?”

He shakes his head.

“Just gonna tough it out?”

A blossoming yet stubborn smirk gives him that signature shithead appeal, and you guess it’s conditional when he says, “They don’t call me ‘the king’ for nothing.”

“Nobody calls you that anymore.” You let go of him and shove the leftover wipes and bandaids into your pockets.

“Yes, they do.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“They so do.”

“Okay, name one person who calls you that.”

He scoffs. “Your brother.”

“Half brother.”

“Whatever,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest, “he thinks I’m cool.”

“For your sake, I really hope Dustin respects himself a little more than that.” You crouch down to slide the kit back onto its shelf before popping up and smiling in Steve’s face. And he clenches his jaw, trying not to glance at your lips for too long.

“Wait,” he thinks out loud, “half? Same dad?” And c’mon, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“No, same mom. And it means you suck, Harrington, and my brother is definitely cooler than you,” you say, eyes suddenly wide and pleading, “don’t tell him I said that.”

“Oh, I’m gonna tell him.”

“Steve, don’t.” You poke his shoulder, and he tosses his head back to laugh. You look so serious, it makes his stomach hurt a little, but he’s glad he can still make you laugh when you look down for a second to hide a smile.

“Fine, fine, I won’t.” He shrugs, and you groan.

“Liar.” You turn to walk away, but before you can even move, your foot slips on the wipe, which would’ve sent you flying backward with a split skull if Steve hadn’t caught you and pulled you hard against his chest.

“Woah, don’t go falling for me now,” he teases. And despite how lighthearted he tries to sound, you can hear the deepset worry in his throat making his voice thick and breathy. “At least let me get changed, yunno, all that blood—”

“Shut up.”

He’s a little confused when he looks at you and you’re clearly not poking for fun. You’re straight-faced, and his stomach churns so delightfully when you curl your fingers into his shoulder. You don’t know if whatever this is is mutual when his eyes go a little glossy and his cheeks blush pink and warm. Your heart is wild and deafening and you think this feeling is nice. Like it could stay this way, and you wouldn’t even question it.

Because in reality, it’s already like this most of the time. Tip-toeing around and teasing each other like you’re some kind of forbidden fruit. Like it wouldn’t be fair to have each other. To care about each other even though you might as well. You might as well when you keep glancing down at his mouth shamelessly. When he brings his hands closer together around your back, there’s nothing louder than your blood like water in your ears.

You don’t even hear yourself whisper, “please,” but Steve sure as hell does.

He nods, feeling the curve of your spine, mapping you out because even though he can’t work a compass, he’s pretty sure you’re his true north. It’s not a hallucination when he leans closer or when you move your fingers so gently up the back of his head.

“Holy shit, there you are!” Dustin hollers, and you let out a heavy breath and draw yourself quickly away from Steve who shuts his eyes and pushes a hand through his hair. You hop over and scoop your brother into your arms. He groans, still patting your back reluctantly and saying, “We gotta go.”

…

Why you’re standing at the top of a hill watching these actual children babble into walkie-talkies is beyond your comprehension. You’re pretty sure even Steve gets it at this point. Though, he does call you over after spending a couple minutes listening to your brother and his staticky lady friend. Which is exactly why you agree and follow him blindly.

“I just need a little help pushing it out of the mud,” he sighs, gesturing over to the Cadillac slowly sinking into the grassy sloped meadow.

“‘Kay.”

He slumps into the driver’s side and pats the seat next to him, urging you to open the door with a sigh and slip into passenger. Turning the key, the car chokes a little before starting up, and Steve reaches across for the back of your seat, putting the car in reverse, and hiding a smile in his shoulder when it easily glides backward a few feet down the hill.

“Well… that was easy,” he mumbles. Your jaw ticks, and you look at him with a stupidly cheeky and incredibly feigned smile. Getting out of the car, you groan up the hill, and Steve fumbles for the door handle after shutting the car off.

“Wait,” he calls, and when you try to ignore him, “Wait!”

“What do you want, Harrington?”

His confidence falters a little with a dent in the soft earth, and you keep walking as if he’s not crazy about you. As if you don’t know and feel the exact same. But you’re sure nobody’s ever been crazy about you before, and this is Steve Harrington you’re dealing with. And then he’s shouting after you.

“Kiss me.”

Even your lungs go silent at that. You pause only for a step, recovering when you hear him get close and shuffle in the grass. What you don’t expect is him jogging far enough to wrap his hand around your wrist and stop you short of the shining horizon of Hawkins.

You turn, and Steve looks insane. Hair mussed, chin split, and eye swelled, but you bite the inside of your cheek because under it all, he’s handsome. More than a young adult boy should be, and when he says, “kiss me,” again, you believe it. He’s charismatic and thoughtful and he loves your brother almost as much as you do, and you wonder what stopped you all these years. Maybe it was impending doom, and now that it’s closer than before, maybe you’re feeling manic.

But maybe that’s okay.

“You’re high,” you whisper, “you don’t know what you want.”

“Come on, don’t do that. You were there when I puked up just about everything, right?” He wants to admit that right now, there’s nothing in his system but you and your smile. You’re in him like a sugar high; he can’t pinpoint the cause, and he knows he’d do it again. No matter how much you’d tease him for being cheesy, he’s serious. And with him looking into you like this, you feel insane. His brown eyes give you the stars and the everything above.

“I know what I want,” he says, squeezing your hand and guiding you closer. This is definitely not spur of the moment, unless this moment has lasted three years. He wants you close. Closer, even, than this, with you hovering like body heat though the night is cold and makes him rethink. But every time he does, he feels the same. “And I think you do, too.”

You reach up to cup the side of his neck, rubbing your thumb along his throat and trying to ignore the way your eyes water and cloud your vision.

“Hey,” he whispers, tucking his knuckles under your chin and pecking your temple, finally gathering you in his arms and rubbing your back, leaving another kiss against the crown of your skull. You lift your head, and he chuckles at the smear of blood down the bridge of your nose.

“Oh,” you huff, smiling and wiping your sleeve across your face. But looking up at him makes you feel embarrassed. Batshit and bothered and shy. He looks at you like it’s you. Everything, always.

And you hook your arms around his shoulders and catch his mouth with yours, grinning and going back for another when he holds you tighter than before. Your teeth click a little, but you figure it out, and you feel light at the noises he makes. No more ache and hurt and strain, just his soft lips pressed to yours. Just his palms sliding up your back. Just his smile and yours.

“Jesus Christ!” Dustin shouts from the top of the hill, “I called it—Woo-hoo!” Steve snorts when Erica slaps a five into Dustin’s waiting palm. You look at Steve and even past that to the sky, the open air and its stars. He smiles and kisses the corner of your mouth. You blink and grin before your eyes drift down to Hawkins. And Starcourt.

But your eyes go wide, and its not amazement when you mutter, “Holy shit.”

masterlist

[that-one-anxious-mango]

I’d love to see how Austin and his best girl met

        That Gooey Feeling

Summary: You walked into a café for a book and left with more than you came for..love.

Contents: How Austin and his best girl met! Loads of fluff. That’s it! 

A/N: Hi! Let me start by saying sorry about the absence...school’s kicking my ass. The end. And also sorry about the updates you guys will be getting in the next few days being late..again..school lol

But anywho, prompt courtesy of the lovely @quietemptydiariess. I didn’t forget about you babes! It’s overdue and I hope you all like it. Thanks for reading and sticking it out with me! Appreciate the love!

P.S Everyone feel free to comment and send ideas. Love hearing from you all always! Much Love! *hugs*

                     ______________________

                 It was hot in central LA today.

And not like ' oh man let's pack a bag and hit the beach, hot ' or ' today would be a nice day to sit around in the shade of my balcony, hot'

No, today was most definitely ' Step out into the sun for more than ten seconds and smell your own flesh burn, kinda hot.'

But here you were walking along the scorching sidewalk basking in the smell of your torching flesh and the amber musk perfume you'd put on today.                                                                      

Drudging forward with your full tote bag in tow, you made your way toward the cool, sweet, and serene sanctuary down the road.

Otherwise known as, your favorite café, The Totem.

Wiping a weary hand across your forehead you'd practically been ready to break down and cry once you'd finally made it to the door of the treasured establishment.

Peace.

And with a huff of breath you grabbed the handle, wrenching the door open, only to let out the deepest euphoric sigh at the feeling of the cold AC ridden air hitting your body.

It felt like a kiss from the sweetest coldest polar bear.

Walking inside you didn't need to look around at the place that you practically knew every nook and cranny of now due to how much you actually frequented the place these days.                                                                                             

The Totem Café , which uniquely doubles as a fully operating café and second hand book store, was one of the first places you'd visited when you moved to California almost two years ago.

You had seen it out the U-Haul window you'd been in when you and your sister had just entered town after a grueling and comedically funny thirty-two-hour drive together from your previous home-state. Vowing then you'd try out the place at least once, from the first time you had walked in you were hooked! You'd now stop by at least a few times a week (if not more) to get your daily fix of tea, baked goods, and literature.

Even though today the amount of people that littered the café seating was scarce, a few people were still seen wandering through the rows of bookshelves. You knew that they'd still probably been jam packed earlier today when it was cooler and were slowing down due to people heading home cause of the heat.

Walking up to the counter you were greeted by Cameron, one of the baristas. She usually was so cheery and wide grinned whenever you came in.  But today, she offered you a troubled smile that made you inwardly groan, because you'd could already bet your bottom dollar that you knew what she was gonna say.

You quickly beat her to the punch closing your eyes to descend into your monologue of despair, "Cam I literally just caught an entire cab and then had to walk almost a full entire block due to the wonderful still blooming LA traffic in damn near hundred- and two-degree weather. So it can't be possible that your about to look me in my slightly sun burned eyes and tell it’s not here." You concluded.

It couldn't be true.

It shouldn't true.

It PLEASE! Wouldn't be true.

Not today.

Cameron couldn't do anything but offer her best sympathetic smile and say, " I looked over there and seen it. Went to do something for Greg! Came back and the book was gone! I swear." She sadly explained. “ Also not to rain more on your parade even more...but we’re also out of cheese danishes so....sorry.” 

Your eyes popped out in a mix of disbelief and annoyance.

“ But we still have everything else for your usual. I promise! Plus Greg just bought a new case of ripe mangos in the back today, so I can guarantee it's gonna taste absolutely fresh and soooo good." She tried her best to ignore the off-putting scowl that overtaken your face. Sorry?

You looked like you were two seconds from turning big and green so you could use the place as a personal smash room.

You were hot!

Literally and figuratively.

 Placing an upset hand on your cheek you still hadn't opened your eyes out of the case of disbelief and determent of the tantrum you wanted to make, " Cam I'm not understanding how this happened when I literally called the store twice before I got here. Once before I left the apartment and then again in the taxi just to truly make sure you guys had everything." You squeaked.

" HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? " You whisper yelled making Cameron giggle at your almost state of delirium.

" I know I know, " She started, " And when you called the first time, I had Nick to take the very last one and wrap it up to the side for safekeeping until you got here. And as far as the book goes I don't know anything beyond that since I was in the back."

" But tell you what! " She bargained, " We do have those oatmeal chocolate cookies you like. Marty is putting them in the oven as we speak." Cameron finished wiggling at brow at you.

Breathing in defeat you decided to just let it go and proceed with order, " Know what. It's fine. All that means is it probably wasn't meant for me to have it today. Trying to slim down anyway. SO I'll just take the usual minus the cheese danish. Plus I'll pass on the cookies. Thank you anyway for trying."

You reached down into your wallet while listening to Cameron playfully scold you on how great your body looked along with a threat about how she was going to put banana syrup in your mango passion tea the next time she heard you say something like that. And that as added punishment she was making you take home a cookie anyway.

You hated Bananas.

So you quickly paid adding a generous tip, and gave her nod of understanding before you walked off to wander around the place until you heard your name be called.

The plan was to actually come for much more than just your fix of fruity tea and sweets. It was look to find a certain new novel to indulge your senses for the next week. And hopefully it maybe had just wandered to a different section of the store by accident....

It was called, what we talk about, when we talk about love.

One of your writer buddies had suggested it to you for a read to help out with your impending writer's block on a romance story you were finishing...sorta.

Romance.

It very predictably of you to be drawn to this section given your background as a hopeless romantic.

All through your life you'd read countless romance novels and even watched movies that had helped formulate your slightly unrealistic view on how love should be.            

                                                      At one point during teenage hood, you'd honestly thought that men showing up outside women's windows in an all-white limousine with flowers to express how they didn't care that the woman they loved was a prostitute, and pledge their most undying love, was normal.        

That it'd had to be the standard.

You wanted you movie style gooey feeling moment, dammit!

But alas in your twenty-three years of living you would soon realize that it just didn't happen like the movies. And your once eager hopeful view on love would begin to dwindle a bit. But hey you hadn't completely lost hope.... yet.

Continuing to look and look....and look! With no luck you decided to go ahead and leave it for another time.

Going  to go fetch your beloved beverage you made it to the counter nodding at another barista Marty who handed you your drink and informed that the cookies would be out in a couple minutes.

Happily accepting you looked around to grab a straw and a couple of napkins when you felt the presence of another body appear on the side of you.

Looking next to you were met with a man.

Emphasis on the man part.

He was tall and slender, but you could see that he had some sort of muscular build through the slight strain on his shirt around the bicep areas. He wore a couple of rings on his fingers and a chain around his neck that has cutely placed moles.  He had dirty blonde hair with streaks of honey in them and if it was actually him and not the smell of baked goods wafting in the air.

HE SMELLED HEAVENLY.

But even with his stellar appearance, that wasn't what had gotten you. It was his even more sexier voice that you could hear on the side of you.

It had you damn near ready to melt where you stood. Screw the sun outside, this man was hotter.

" Hey man. Can I please order another iced oak milk based latte with a shot of espresso and dark chocolate syrup. And if you could make sure it's super cold again I'd appreciate it." The man ordered peering down to look through the glass case at the remaining pastries available. " And I'll take a' one of them cherry turnovers to go. That's all. Thank you."

Upon hearing his dialect you would make the assumption that he had to be of some southern origin. He had that little bit of twang to him.

" Okay Man. I'll have that ready for you in a moment." Greg printed a recipe handing it to the stranger.

" C'mon dude you didn't even let me pay before you printed me out the recipe. Please let me pay this time. Seriously." The guy haggled to a unwavering Greg.

Greg shook his head, " NO can do, Bro. It's on the house. Same as last time. I just love what you do man. Zoey 101 used to be my jam in middle school. Good memories and you were apart of that. So good looks on this one." Greg said moving away from the smiling man.

Ouu was he a actor of some sort?! Probably extra work...

" Alright man. But next time. I'm gonna pay and you won't be able to stop me."  The guy proclaimed. You then watched as he pulled out his wallet and dropped a fifty dollar bill in the tip jar once Greg had fully turned.

Okay Mr. Moneybags.

And then he just stood by you waiting for his food, just like you.

Then your thoughts began...

Should you say something?  What would you even say?

Nah what for?! He was SUPER outta your league. Why waste his and your time.

You'd settled on letting the comfortable silence swell and just to continue to look him over out the corner of your eyes. And you did just that up until your side vision landed on the book he was looking in his hand.

what we talk about, when we talk about love.

 That was it! That was the book! The book you wanted!

And he had it.

And for some odd reason you couldn't help but wanna ask him how he liked the book? What he liked about? Was it worth the read?

So doing something unusual for you, you went out on a limb fully turning your body toward him and speaking, " Um ex-cuse me, sir? " You spoke waving your hand a bit.

It took him a second to look over and notice you but when he did turn his attention to you, your mouth went dry as the Sahara desert!

" Yes. " He answered.

MY GOD.

He was even more handsome up close!!!

Now having a full view of him the only way you could describe it was as if you were looking at a reincarnation of Apollo himself. The man was stunning.

" Is there something I can help you with? " He asked half pulling you out of the accidental trance he'd put you in.

But right now you were trying to form the words that sat just at the tip of your tongue. You were too distracted by looking directly into his eyes.

They were a absolutely beautiful shade of cobalt.  

And the more you stared into them the more you saw different things.

Mostly you thought they looked like the color of the ocean. A pure clean ocean.

Let me take a swim in your water, SIR!

You might as well have had a legal search warrant the way you were looking at this man's retinas.

But what really surprised was the way he was matching your energy by staring. RIGHT. THE. FUCK. BACK.

oh damn this is some prolonged eye contact. shit.

Thinking quickly about where this was going, you shyly looked away rapidly blinking your eyes before going to actually ask your question, " um..the book you're holding. I was just wondering if you'd read it, yet? " You stumbled.

A little smile spreading across his face he replied, " Uh..yeah I have. It's actually one of my favorite books." He informed running his thumb across the creased cover.

Goodness. His smile was so cute.

" Really. That's great! I was asking because one of my friends actually recommended it to me. And I was hoping it was good." You explained nervously fiddling with the fabric of your shirt.

" Oh yeah? Good friend you got! I highly recommend. It’s good and gives the best realistic views of love I’ve ever read. Makes the mind think." He said.

You nodded, " Awesome! That's actually one of the reasons why I came here today to see if they had it, but I think that you may have beaten me to the punch." You stupidly laughed trying your best to mask the nervousness you felt.

                     That's what you get for saying something.

Looking at the book and then back at you he sighed rubbing his spare hand on the back of his neck, " Awe man I'm sorry. The copy I usually have I left someplace where I can't get it back. And I knew coming here that there was a good chance they had a copy." He lightly chuckled.

" But here." He stuck the book toward you making your pupils enlarge a bit, " I'd much rather you have it. It'll make me happy knowing someone will get to experience this book for the first time. Wish I could again." He said offering you a somber smile.

Immediately you began shaking your head pushing the book back toward him, " No. No way. I can tell that it really means something to you. And I think you should have it." You countered.

This made him frown up his face making cute little wrinkles on his forehead, " Nah! Really you should have it. I've read it front to back about a hundred times." He rebottled.

But instead you stood your ground giggling a bit, " No way Jose. I'm not taking it from you. That's that. It's final." You affirmed playfully folding your arms over your chest and returning to you original position looking away from him.

From beside you, you could hear him light heartedly sigh before kissing his teeth, " You're a bit of a stubborn one aren't you." He teased.

Grinning you turned your head, " I'm not being stubborn. It just wouldn't be fair to you by me just taking the book to read when you found it first...even if you have already read it a hundred times front to back." You added the last part hoping he'd laugh.

He did.

Looking at you in a way that you couldn't make out he spoke, " So how about I offer you a deal for both of us to be able to read the book and walk away happy." He started his proposal letting his eyes look deep into yours.

At this point this man had five more seconds left of searching your soul with those damned blue-eyes before you'd say screw it and ask him if he wanted to indulge in a deal of your own and  go half on a mortgage, plus become a dog dad to your one year old auxie doxie puppy, Magnus.

" I'm listening." You stated definitely tuned in.

" How about if you aren't busy right now. We can find somewhere to sit for a couple of minutes and you let me read my favorite story out of here to you. After that you can have the book and go on your little merry way." He suggested.

You couldn't lie you were a little taken aback by his idea..why would he wanna sit down with you...let alone read to you. What's the catch?

" That sounds nice and fair..." You began..." But no, what's the catch? " You cautioned raising a inspecting eye-brow.

Looking at the now serious face you tried to muster he couldn't help the little laugh and smirk that escaped him.

You looked adorable to him.

" No catch I promise. Afterward you won't ever have to see me or hear from me again... if you don't want to."

If you don't want to...

The words linger in your mind as you looked at his hopeful face.

If this fine ass random man truly wanted to read to you. What could it hurt?

OKAY!

" Alright why not ." You agreed.

Austin had to do his best to contain the gigantic smile that wanted to take over his face! Instead he gave you small one and nodded, " Well alright then."

From there you'd both gotten your food and found a nice window spot in the open seating area.

And true to his word Austin had pulled the book open and read his favorite story to you....and then his other favorite....and the other one too. Before you knew it he'd read the whole thing to you, before you both had descended into a deep conversation about things pertaining to the book and some things not pertaining to the book.

The sun was going and the store was closing by the time you two pulled away from being wrapped up in each other.

Both collectively grabbing your things, a certain someone insisted on taking the other one home. To which the latter individual refused at first because she, one could get herself home perfectly on her own, and two as a woman...and black woman no less. You had to be careful about your safety. And letting some stranger, although handsome and seemingly sweet, take you home and know where you lived was still a big no.

So the certain someone fully understanding and respecting your cautiousness offered a deal...to be fair, and hailed a cab for you.

Opening the door for you before you had a chance to reach for the handle and handing the driver in the front a hundred dollar bill ensuring that he needed to take you wherever you wanted to go. Once you were inside a certain someone sheepishly asked if he could get your number...so you could text him that you got home... for safety purposes.

You again stupidly nodded shakily handing him your phone and him doing the same.

Once everything was done you sweetly exchanged goodbyes and parted.

The whole ride home you couldn't shake this feeling you had...it felt gooey.

In the best possible way.

When you did get home you did in-fact text that certain person that you got home.

They immediately texted back.

And you two proceeded to text all night long promising to meet again at the café soon.

Soon was the very next day. And little did you know that certain someone would one day become your husband.

[theteasetwrites]

Under Pressure

❧ Pairing: Murphy MacManus x Female Reader ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: SMUT—voyeurism (?), missionary, publish-ish sex, swearing ❧ Word Count: 3.2k

❧ Requested by @hereditarydeath (this request)

❧ Summary: Sex with Murphy becomes interesting when his brother gets involved, watching from the sidelines and being a bit… annoying. You don't really mind, though, as long as Murphy pleases you (and he does).

❧ A/N: So um… Connor has a voyeur kink? This is about as close as I’ll get to doing a Murphy x Reader x Connor threesome so yeah lol. Also, my first full-on Murphy smut! I’ve only done like suggestive Murphy so this is fun. I feel like I’m getting a feel for him and how he’d be in bed. Very rough but also very sweet and caring because he’s a sensitive bby.

He was all over you from the start of the evening, squeezing your ass as you walked through the park, looking at your prominent cleavage with dark, hungry eyes, pulling you in for several open-mouthed kiss at rather inopportune times, and licking his lips with all the inconspicuousness of a bright orange traffic cone.

But he simply couldn’t help it. Perhaps it was the messy bun you tied your hair in, and the wispy strands of hair that so delicately cascaded around your face and onto your neck.

Maybe it was the almost sinfully short mini-dress, soft to the touch of its velvet, baby pink fabric, and cinched waist that perfectly highlighted your luscious curves. Could it have been how the dress was backless, with criss-cross straps hovering over your exposed back? Surely that had something to do with it, since he’d never seen you in such a garment.

Oh, but then there was the perfume… That sweet blend of honeysuckle and gardenia, with just a hint of orange. Of course, Murphy had no idea what sweet aromas had been blended together to create such a harmony of exquisite scents radiating from your soft skin, but he knew he liked it, whatever it was.

He couldn’t even bring himself to think about the heels, the strappy black kitten heels that made you almost as tall as him, and made your legs look somehow longer and more delicious than he thought before.

How he wouldn’t mind taking off those heels and licking up your leg until he reached that soft, warm sweetness which had given him the most pleasure he’d ever felt in his life. No matter how many times he’d fucked you before, he’d only felt his desire for you getting stronger and stronger by the hour, and the incessant burning in his cock was enough to light his loose-fitting jeans on fire.

“Stay with me tonight, huh?” he panted between kisses, holding you tight against the brick wall in the alley between his building and whatever other housing development was next door. Though you still had on your panties, your entire core was exposed now, as he’d somehow lifted up your dress until he could fondle you without any unwanted distractions from the fabric. “Save on the cab… Let me fuck ya real good again, just how you like.”

You swallowed his spit and moaned into his mouth, deliriously searching for the words to bring you out of his embrace. “We can’t,” you said, brushing his dark hair back to straighten it from your rustling. “Connor’s there.”

He tilted his head in amusement. “So?”

You laughed and hit his shoulder in faux offense, then proceeded to lower your dress until it covered you again. “So… I’m not having sex with you while your brother’s three feet away, not even if you had a partition. We should go to my place, Murph… At least there’s a wall between me and my roommate.”

“Nah,” he said, raising his arm to the wall above you to lean over your lips. “This stiffy’s not gonna last all the way to the other side of town… I need you now, lass.”

Murphy tore you away from the wall and pulled you against him until there was certainly no room for the Holy Spirit.

“Mmm,” you hummed against his lips as he led you towards the door of the building. “But what about Connor?” you asked.

He smirked and threw open the door with his free hand as the other one continued lifting up your dress.

“He’s probably asleep,” he said. “Once he’s out he’s out like a light. He won’t be a bother.”

By the time you got to the elevator, your dress was almost completely pulled up again, and Murphy’s hair was going in every possible direction, its short, dark strands adorably messy from your hands running through it in excitement and passion.

When you reached the fifth floor, he hoisted you up in his arms, causing you to wrap your legs around his waist in a slight panic that he would drop you.

“Murphy!” you giggled, though there was a worry to your voice. “Don’t you drop me, you klutz.”

“I’m not a klutz!” he protested as he peered over your shoulder to make sure he was going the right way towards his apartment.

Ever since he accidentally tripped while walking down the street in downtown Boston with you, getting a bloody nose and a big bruise on his forehead, you would never let him live it down.

“Sure,” you teased as you trailed your hands up and down his back. “You’re adorable.”

“Shut it.”

He grunted in frustration as he fumbled with the keys, still trying to hold you up. Finally, with a triumphant “aha!”, he bolted in through the door, bouncing you up and down with his skipping body.

“Shhh!” you said as he laid you down on his bed, which was more or less just a mattress thrown lazily onto the ground, with a few pillows and no sheets to speak of.

You immediately looked over at Connor’s bed, and noticed the soft sound of his snoring.

“Oh, thank God,” you huffed, and looked back up to see Murphy already stripping himself of his pants, having already removed his shirt while you weren’t looking.

“Told ya he’d be asleep, love,” he whispered as he hopped out of his jeans. “Just you and me.”

Suddenly even more aroused, now with the sight of Murphy’s beautiful naked body before you, you reached down to the hem of your dress to pull it up and off of you, then pulled your hair out of your bun to rapidly shake out the frizzy strands.

“Come here, sexy.”

He smirked at the phrase, then kneeled down on the bed to grab your panties and remove them from your body. Immediately, he spread you out and suctioned his lips to your pussy, causing you to jolt in surprise and yelp at the sudden feeling of his wiggling tongue moving up and down your slit.

“Murphy!” you shouted wildly. “Oh, yes!”

You threw your hands forward to lace through his hair, and jolted up and down almost uncontrollably as he licked your clit in rapid circles.

He kept tonguing at you, moving his head side to side and dragging his tongue every which way, gathering up your taste when his tongue lapped at your dripping wet entrance.

“Mmm, baby… That feels so good.”

You pawed your own breasts as you leaned forward to look at Murphy’s enthusiastic tongue, lapping up every inch of your throbbing, tingling pussy.

You grabbed his hair tighter now, clenching your teeth and trying not to moan too loudly again, as you’d noticed Connor stirring a little out of the corner of your eye.

“F-fuck,” you huffed through your teeth. “God… Yes.”

His face was buried into you now as you kept thrusting upwards to feel more pressure on your clit, and the tightening became stronger with each movement of his loving tongue.

His hands grasped at your hips, holding them tight as he sucked and licked sloppily, while you felt the familiar pulsing of your approaching orgasm.

“Oh, Murphy!” you sighed, clutching onto his shoulders and using the leverage to buck into his mouth even more. “You’re gonna make me come!”

It was so close, that high you’d been climbing towards the past several minutes, and the closer you got, the more your senses became dull and your moans raised in volume, becoming nonstop with every hard thrust against his face.

“Yes! Yes! Oh—”

Just then, Murphy pulled his tongue away, and turned his head to yell something you couldn’t even register as you writhed in frustration and pleasure on the bed, still so close to your orgasm, but unable to reach it without Murphy giving it to you.

“What the fuck?!” he yelled at his brother, who’d just flicked on the tiny TV sitting across the room on the floor. “Turn that shit off, ye eejit! Can’t ya see I’m in the middle of somethin’?!”

You flinched and pulled your legs up and under the covers, then wrapped your arms over your breasts.

“Murphy!” you yelled to him, unsure of what else to do in all your confusion, and frustration at the feeling of your pussy still throbbing and begging for attention.

Connor, now awake and munching on some chips, didn’t even move his eyes from the television.

“How are ya, lass?” he asked from the corner of his mouth, quirked in amusement at the late-night cartoons on the television. “Don’t mind me. Go on.”

Murphy tossed a stray pillow towards Connor, and you just looked at him in awe, wondering how he could stand buck-naked, and fully erect, in front of his brother.

“Yeah, right!” he yelled. “Get the hell out of here! She doesn’t want ya in here, you pervert!”

Connor leaned up and threw the pillow back at Murphy, knocking him down onto the bed beside you.

“I was here first!” replied Connor.

Feeling Murphy’s body by yours, and looking down at his bare, taut ass, you didn’t care if he was still engaged in a fight with his brother, who would no doubt be watching, you needed him to finish the job.

You maneuvered yourself underneath him as he carried on exchanging curse words with his twin, then pulled his face down and away from Connor, kissing him roughly as you pawed at his cock and led it to your slit.

“Fuck me,” you mumbled against his lips, which quickly adjusted to you. “I don’t even care anymore. Just fuck me… Right now.”

He nodded and dragged his hand down to his cock, then moved the tip up and down your slit until you writhed and moaned in frustration, bucking up into him with desperation as your orgasm began to rise again from the pressure.

“Oh, Murphy!” you gasped at the feeling of his cock on your clit. “Fuck me! Now!”

You heard Connor laugh in the distance, and the slam of the mini-fridge door. “You better fuck ‘er, Murph,” he mumbled with cold pizza in his mouth. “I’ll do it if you don’t.”

“Shut the fuck up!” cried Murphy, with a slight whimper at the end of his voice, as he himself was much too turned on to speak in a very straightforward tone.

In frustration and impatience, you tugged on Murphy’s ass, forcing his pelvis deeper against yours.

“I need your cock,” you huffed, rubbing his back and his ass with demanding fervor.

Murphy finally obliged, no longer able to keep himself from you. He plunged his cock into you, sinking against you and letting out a deep groan of pleasure into the crook of your neck.

You moaned, too, throwing your head back and arching your back in pleasure all the while.

“Mmm, yes, Murphy!”

His cock filled you so perfectly, snaking through you and beginning to hit your g-spot at the perfect angle.

As he started pumping himself inside of you, thrusting back and forth, he lowered his head to suck on your nipples, causing you to twitch a little in surprise when his teeth grazed the sensitive tissue.

Connor craned his head, watching in combined amusement and curiosity at the event.

“Aw, you can do better than that!” he said, judging Murphy’s hip movements. “Put your back into it, man!”

Murphy groaned against your breast and let go of it with a “pop,” raising his head to yell at Connor, all while still thrusting into you, now with much more aggression and speed.

“I know what I’m doin’!” he yelled, and you just threw your head back again, gripping his shoulders for dear life as you felt yourself getting closer and closer to bliss. “She’s my girlfriend!”

“Murphy!” you cried out in annoyance and pleasure. “Fuck me!”

“He is fuckin’ ye, lass. Well, he’s trying.”

“Shut up!” you yelled at him.

In your frustrated state, you began moving wildly underneath him, trying to grind yourself at the exact right angle to stimulate your throbbing clit.

As he pumped into you, he noticed your frantic movements, and tried to steady you a little, wrapping your legs tighter around his torso and kissing you to keep you a little more stable, but you couldn’t help it. You were desperate for an orgasm, begging his body to allow you one.

“Calm down, mo mhuirnín,” he said softly into your ear, holding you by your hips as he penetrated you, deeper and deeper. “I got ya. Nice and deep.”

“Mmm,” you groaned as he kissed your cheek, and you wriggled even more uncontrollably. “Ooo, Murphy…”

“She’s goin’ crazy!” laughed Connor. “I know his cock isn’t that good, lass. Mine’s bigger. Know for a fact.”

Murphy groaned and tossed another pillow towards Connor. “Is not!” he yelled, panting and still humping you the best he could while arguing. “She loves my cock, don’t ya, sweetheart?”

“Murphy!” you yelled in frustration, and thrusted yourself up wildly now, causing him to nearly fall off the bed.

“Whoa!” he yelped.

“You all right, love?” asked Connor. “You need a real man to please you? I’ll take seconds, if you don’t mind, sweetheart.”

“Fuck you!” bellowed Murphy.

It must’ve looked like you were having a seizure, but really you’d just missed your orgasm, and now you were desperately trying to get it back.

Murphy leaned up and looked at you curiously, then panicked a little when you arched your back and bucked up into him with such force he almost lost his balance on top of you.

“(Y/N)!” he yelled, with a hint of a laugh in his voice.

In an attempt to stabilize you, and to get himself situated again, he held you down by your stomach, pressing down his hand and returning to thrusting when you became still for a brief moment, the pressure of his hand bringing you a kind of pleasure you hadn’t felt before.

The pinnacle of your orgasm shattered, spilling all around you and causing you to moan and groan in pleasure from the myriad of jolts going through you. Your pussy clenched around Murphy’s cock, resulting in him becoming a moaning mess, too, until Connor’s nagging voice became drowned out.

“Ohhh, Murph,” you laughed, twirling your arms above your head and biting your lip in satisfaction.

He smiled down at you deliriously, that adorable, crooked smile he always had when he looked at you, like he was both bashful and confident at once.

Beginning to move faster again, he positioned himself to reach his own high, shoving his knees under your thighs and sinking onto you, tonguing at your mouth and soaking you with his saliva.

“I love you,” you whispered against his lips, making an effort for Connor not to hear, though he did.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” he groaned. “Get on with it, Murph!”

Murphy peeled his lips from you for a moment, ready to scold his brother, but you pulled him back by his cheek, forcing him to look you in the eye as he penetrated you.

“Ignore him,” you said. “Focus on me… Feel. Feel this soaking wet pussy. Come on, baby. Come for me.”

He nodded, closing his eyes and straining himself to ignore Connor, all while pumping himself harder and harder into you, his cock passing through those warm, soft walls, which you purposefully clenched around his length.

“Aw, fuck,” he groaned through clenched teeth. “I’m close.”

“Thank God,” said Connor.

His hips made one last hard thrust into your hilt, and that was enough. You sighed and giggled at the feeling of his hot cum coating your pussy, spraying in streams as he kept bucking his hips, getting every last drop out of him.

“Ahhh,” he moaned in satisfaction against your neck, which he kissed and tongued at all the while. “That’s good… You like that cock comin’ inside you?”

You nuzzled your nose into his short, messy crop of hair, and kissed his head in appreciation as the last twitches of his cock subsided, leaving behind the warmth of his flaccid length snuggled up inside of you.

“I love it,” you sighed. “And when you did that thing with your hand on my belly…”

He furrowed his brow and smiled at you in blissful confusion. “What thing?”

“You pressed on my belly!” you laughed as you traced his adorable facial structure with your finger, paying extra attention to his prominent cheekbones. “I don’t know why, but it felt so good, baby.”

He smiled sweetly as he mimicked your actions, tracing the delicate curves of your face with his finger while his hazy bedroom eyes were transfixed on your still quivering lips.

“So, I make ya feel good?”

“Of course you do.”

“And you love my cock?”

You rolled your eyes, realizing this was some kind of competition.

You couldn’t say anything before, out of the corner of your eye, Connor jumped up, completely naked and pulling Murphy off you.

“Look here, lass,” he said, fighting with Murphy as he tried to stand beside him at the end of the bed.

You covered yourself again, bringing Murphy’s sheets up and over your body to retain some shred of dignity.

“Who’s got the bigger cock?” he asked, looking between his and Murphy’s now flaccid penises. “And don’t be afraid to tell the truth. He’ll still love ya.”

You looked between them with wide eyes, questioning Murphy, who seemed to be curious of your answer as he no longer fought back.

“Oh, don’t ask me that,” you said, trying to look at Connor’s face rather than his genitalia. “It’s bad enough we had sex in front of you. Can’t we just forget the whole thing?”

“What?” asked Murphy. “You think his is bigger?”

“N-no,” you stuttered. “I mean, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Connor. “Mine’s bigger! I told you.”

“I didn’t say that!”

Murphy frowned at you, genuinely a little saddened.

“Oh, Murphy,” you cooed, smiling a little at his adorably pouty face. “They’re the same size!”

“No!” both twins exclaimed.

You shook your head. “All right, get me some measuring tape, then. Make it accurate.”

The twins looked at each other, both biting their lips and seemingly hesitant about the idea.

“Nah,” they both said.

“Let’s call it even,” said Connor.

You sighed, and held your hand out to censor Connor’s privates from your view. “Now could you please go to bed? This situation is already weird enough.”

“Nonsense,” said Connor, grinning as he rested his elbow on Murphy’s shoulder, who quickly pushed him off and launched himself back into bed next to you. “Nothin’ weird about it, and ya know, if you ever want another MacManus in your pus—I mean, uh… life, or both of us at the same time, I’d be willing to negotiate—”

Murphy protectively wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you against his chest, then pointed sternly at Connor.

“Don’t even think about it, perv,” he said. “I’m not sharin’ her.”

Your eyes widened and you shook your head, trying to forget about the whole thing. “L-let’s go to sleep.”

Connor fell asleep almost immediately, giving you much relief when you realized you could be alone with Murphy again, who was only dozing off.

“Murphy, baby?”

You felt his arm snake tighter around you, and his lips kissed your shoulder briefly.

“Hm?”

“Next time, we’re having sex at my place.”

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments of any kind are always appreciated!

Masterlist

[vanderlustwords]

What if Steve leaves and she finds out she’s pregnant? I really love your alternate ending where he leaves for Peggy and wondering if you could write more about it. Doesn’t have to be him leaving a child behind that was just a question that popped into my head

Pairing: (past) Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader

Please do not repost/translate anywhere. Reblogs/Comments are much welcomed ♥

Continuation of: This Dress is Karma || Alternate Ending

Warnings: unbeta'd. Angst ending for Steeb.

Note: I don't know how you roped me into writing a 2.3k continuation but here I am LOL

Count: ~2.3k

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

You shut the door with a soft click, waiting until you hear the quiet footsteps fade away. The lump in your throat gets harder to swallow as you turn around, leaning back against the door and let out a shaky sigh.

You can't help but think those were some brave words you said to Steve. You desperately wanted them to be true. You did want to be so happy that it would physically pain Steve if he were to ever witness it.

You wanted it to be true that you were never going to see him again because he had hurt you so much, and he needed to stay away from you.

But when you lift your trembling hand to your stomach, you wonder if everything you said had been nothing more than a brave front.

"You alright?"

You immediately look up and see Bucky stepping out of the guest room, fully dressed with towel-dried hair.

You swallow and force a smile as you drop your hand.

"Yeah, you ready to head out?" You ask him as you stand up straight.

Bucky nods with a grumble before he grabs a strand of his hair. "I need a haircut first, though. Do you think we could find a barber first?"

"Sure," you say, turning around and opening the door with Bucky following you behind.

"You sure everything is okay?" Bucky asks you again.

The way your throat feels raw, the hysterical words that want to escape your mouth make you feel dizzy. You want to put your hand against your stomach again as if to see if you could suddenly feel a bump.

But you refrain because Bucky would get suspicious. Well, he'd probably think you had a stomachache first, but if you didn't stop acting strange, he would pry.

"Everything's fine," you mumble.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

As the weeks pass, more and more things begin to slip from you.

There is a layer of never-ending panic that sits right beneath your skin, crawling and setting your nerves on fire.

When you began to get morning sickness and threw up into the toilet, you began to shake.

The reality of your situation began to hit you.

You were pregnant.

With Steve's child.

Steve, who had abandoned you and was grey and old and probably would pass away soon.

The notion of it all had you throwing up in the toilet again.

You were alone, and you were scared.

What were you going to do? You couldn't rely on Steve anymore.

You looked down at your relatively flat stomach still, placing your hand against it.

There was a life growing inside you. What were you going to do?

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

It was harder to hide when Bucky came over almost every other day, even though he didn't live with you. He had stayed for a week after the confrontation with Steve but quickly found his own place.

Initially, that had made you feel more alone, like everyone couldn't wait to escape from you. But it had worked out when you needed alone time.

Bucky was currently in your kitchen, cooking up steaks for lunch for the two of you.

The smell of it made you deathly pale.

"What's going on with you?" Bucky asked with a frown as he set the steaks aside to rest.

You had to swallow hard before you could answer. "Nothing," you said weakly. "I'm—I'm sorry. I know you came all the way here to cook but I'm not really hungry."

"You've been saying that for days now, doll," Bucky pursed his lip. "I feel like I haven't seen you eat a proper meal lately. What's going on? I know things have been...hard. Especially since you last saw Steve, but this isn't okay. I need you to eat something in front of me that isn't pretzels, bananas, or bread."

The idea of sliding a piece of steak basted in butter had your stomach knot itself painfully.

You shook your head, but when Bucky insisted, slicing the steak and you watched the juices run, you couldn't hold it in anymore.

You took off to the bathroom in haste.

"Hey—" Bucky called out and took off after you, but you were quick to shut the door before you fell to your knees over the toilet and hurled.

"What's wrong?" Bucky yelled through the door, trying to jiggle it open but found you had locked it. "Open the door, doll. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," you said shakily as you grabbed some toilet paper and wiped your mouth, eyes hot with tears. "I just—I just haven't been feeling well."

The silence on the other side of the door only lingered for a moment before Bucky used his metal arm to turn the doorknob so hard, it broke open.

He found you sitting on the floor, over the toilets, eyes rimmed red and your face pale.

Bucky carefully walks in and kneels slowly before you.

He thinks back the couple of weeks and how you've been going to the bathroom a lot more, and how you don't like going to restaurants to eat. You've been eating at home and the strangest things and wearing more flowy shirts.

He looks at your face, and the way you're trying to hold back your tears makes Bucky feel dread.

"Doll..." he calls you softly. "Are you—Are you pregnant?"

You let out a choked sob in response, face dropping as you close your eyes.

Bucky's quick to hold you in his arms as he strokes your back, his heart dropping.

There was only one person who could've gotten you pregnant.

There had been some dumb shit Steve's done the entire time Bucky's known him. Always getting into scraps he couldn't finish, always prideful when Bucky wanted to help him.

But it had been the first time Bucky's ever been so fucking pissed at Steve. It was the first time Bucky couldn't defend or make an excuse for his friend.

"Bucky, what am I going to do?" You trembled in his arms. "I can't—Steve isn't—I want to keep it but I'm alone."

Bucky swallowed so hard it was painful.

There was no fucking way he was ready to be a dad or step up in any kind of way—that is, if you even let him.

Fuck, you two didn't even have feelings for each other or anything. There was something, maybe, Bucky thought for the future. But now?

"You're not alone," Bucky reassured, keeping his voice still for your sake. "I'm here. I'm here all the way and I'm not gonna leave you, doll. Ever."

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

You manage to keep the fact that you're pregnant under the wraps easily. It helps that since saving the world, no one really meets up anymore. A part of you worries because you can't find Wanda anywhere, but you know she can find you if she wanted to.

Sam might be the only other person who knows, and Bucky was begrudging when accepting his help.

Months pass, and you're surprised how dedicated Bucky is. You're pretty sure you're on the verge of a mental breakdown constantly. A part of you worries Steve will show up, but Bucky reassures you that there's nothing Steve could do even if he did show up.

"Fuck..." you swore as Bucky was in the middle of figuring out how to build the crib the two of you got from Ikea. He looks up at you alarmingly. "I think my water just broke."

"Oh, shit, okay, okay!" Bucky jumps up right away and starts running around to grab the prepared bag as he helps you out into the car. "Don't panic!"

"Bucky, I'm literally about to push a baby out of my body. I'm going to fucking panic if I want to," you snap, and Bucky bites his lip to refrain from speaking as he zips through traffic.

"Oh, god," you say under your breath. You were having a baby. You were actually going to have a baby.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

"Bucky, you can't just carry her everywhere," you grumbled as you pushed the stroller through the park. "You're spoiling her."

"Yes, I can. She wants me to carry her and whatever my princess wants, she gets." Bucky declared indignantly at you while sticking his tongue out.

You sighed with a smile.

You couldn't believe a year has passed. Despite the time passing, you never really felt fully prepared as a mother. You were scared you were fucking it up all the time if you're honest.

Bucky holds your hand, and you give him a shy smile. That was new too. Slow and steady, as Bucky has always been, and you think you were falling for him because of that.

When you look up, your heart stops.

"Oh," Steve blinked.

Another year has passed, but you find Steve doesn't look too different. A little more tired perhaps, but still...Steve.

You feel panic creep up in your chest that threatens to become a panic attack before Bucky squeezes your hand.

"Breathe, doll," he whispers encouragingly to you, but it's loud enough for Steve to catch.

You do as he says, taking a few calming breaths. You want to keep walking, but it seems Steve can't stop staring at the child in Bucky's arms.

"Why don't you take Hazel to the pond? She really likes looking at the ducks," you tell Bucky, and he nods, warily looking at you and Steve. He sends Steve a curt nod before he takes the stroller with him and walks off.

Steve's eyes trail after Bucky.

You know then that he knows. It's not hard after all. Hazel looks like a spitting image of Steve, something that had been hard for you to deal with at first. Her blonde hair and blue eyes—the blue eyes were easier since Bucky's eyes were blue too, even if a darker shade.

But Hazel was so lovely; you loved her so easily.

"When did you know?" Steve asked.

You shrugged. "The day before we all saved the world."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Steve's voice was pained and betrayed, and you cocked your brow at him.

"Why? So you would stay?"

"Yes, I would have!" Steve insisted.

The sheer stupidity of the situation had you give a humourless laugh.

"The last thing I want is for you to stay because of a baby, Steve. You wanted to leave, despite everything, you chose to leave. We would only hate each other in the long run."

"That's not true," Steve denied. "When I made that choice, it wasn't because I didn't love you anymore."

"No, you just didn't love me enough."

The words rang clear, almost throwing Steve off-kilter.

The silence fell, and the two of you could hear Hazel laughing with Bucky in the distance as she shrieked.

"Don't you think I deserved to know about her?" Steve asked with his lips pursed.

"No," you answered honestly. "What do you, a 90 something-year-old man, have to offer her? You certainly can't step up and be her father. Your time keeps running out and the last thing I need is for Hazel to have instability. Did you want to be her grandfather? She's already met mine, so do you want to pretend to be Bucky's?"

"So, you're just gonna lie to her and let her think Bucky is her dad?"

Your eyes flash angrily.

"Bucky is her dad. He's the only dad that counts in every way. Do you know how hard it was for me? I was scared shitless, Steve. You can delude yourself into thinking otherwise, but you're unreliable. I couldn't come to you for help," you snap at him. "Do you know who was there every time I was puking my guts out, crying or screaming, or wanted pickles with peanut butter at 2AM? Who do you think was there for every appointment. Who bought fifty parenting and baby books to study religiously? It was Bucky. Even though I knew he was scared too, he was there. So, don't fucking try to make me and Bucky look like the bad guy. You have NOTHING to offer to Hazel."

Steve stood there wide-eyed, guilt crowding over his eyes. Steve doesn't want to say he regrets going back because that would mean a lifetime of regrets he can't get back.

"You're right," Steve said slowly, trying to appease your anger. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. It's not my place to say anything."

Even though Steve says it, he looks over to the little girl squealing in Bucky's arms. He looks at her blonde hair that she clearly got from him and your nose.

He and Peggy had children—children he loved more than anything.

But...the idea of his child with you...that was another reality he missed.

It seems to be that way always for him, Steve thought somberly. He was always missing something. Maybe you had been right about him.

Steve listens as you take a deep breath in and exhale.

"Do you want to meet her?" You offer, and Steve can tell it's difficult for you to say those words.

"If you're okay with it," Steve said slowly.

You nod stiffly. "It's fine as long as you respect my wishes and refrain from telling her you're her bio dad. I want to save that conversation for when she's older and able to understand it more."

You don't say it, but Steve is already thinking how he'll most likely be gone by then.

The two of you begin to walk towards Bucky and Hazel.

"What will you tell her?" Steve asked.

"The truth," you shrug. "That you were the world's greatest hero and you loved her and would've loved to get to know her if you stayed, but you didn't and it wasn't her fault."

"Right, it was mine," Steve felt a sting in the back of his throat.

"I don't think it was anyone's fault," you tell him. "It's just karma, Steve. I wasn't enough for you and now you're not enough for Hazel."

Right, Steve thought somberly as he looked at you in your summer dress. It was different from the sexy red one that used to drive him insane.

It was a calm peace, a show of your motherhood and graceful maturity.

This dress is karma, too.

[skepticalarrie]

hey Allie, hope youre well.

i have just recently re joined the fandom, i left in 2016 after freddie was born (didnt un larrie or anything but the hatred you would get for beliving louis isnt a dad was so getting too much) and ive recently come back and im still seeing people doubt bbg? like if they were there to see everything in real fucking time it wouldnt be as doubted, even some larries think L is a dad!

if they were there in real time they would of seen louis throwing a fucking doll-that very clearly looked like a doll- off stage saying "its not real, its a fake baby" x3 times just a few months before the first article drop.

in real time they would of seen harry put of balloon under his shirt, always, during "Little white lies"

in real time they would of seen the fucking tension between Larry, right after he signed his fucking life to Sony. even though they were still serenading each other and fonding.

in real time they of seen anas fucking tweets about where louis was gonna be, then coincidently him being linked too many girls, but strangely only Brianna's fucking name was mentioned.

in real time they would of seen louis' family and friends being dead fucking silent.

again, in real time the first fucking person to acc confirm these rumors was of fucking course SC.

in real time would of seen how EVERYONE in that band, including louis who was a "buzzing dad to be" looked like they wanted to literally shoot them self's. Again, harry who loves fucking kids looked like he would of rather jumped in front of a fucking on going traffic then hear that kid being brought up on on GMA.

in real time would of seen how during all of this the rbbs were happening and signaling to being in the closet, and shading bbg.

in real time would of seen the fucking memes from the gp,fans and even some celebrities taking the absolute piss out of the whole thing, but the "buzzing dad to be" said fuck all about people taking the piss out of his unborn son.

in real time the would of seen her belly disappearing and fucking changing shape on the daily, stealing pictures of Amber.

(this doesn't fit into the tl correctly but oh well) in real time would of seen how they announced this preg WAY too ealry, even jay (bless her soul rip) didn't announce her pregnancy untill 5 months in, bearing in mind that info was leaked w out permission, cuz they know it puts the women in a vulnerable situation.

in real time would of seen how louis just didn't know the birth of his own son and using the wrong date.

OH also how after his kid was born all he did was walk around with him in a pushchair for the pap then piss off for a cig, also selling his house and moving across the world to hope his ex girlfriend would take him back.

and yeah you can read all the masterposts, watch all the interviews ect, but its not the same as actually experiencing it all and being there in real fucking time.

sorry this was so long lol it just pisses me offf,

x

YES, it pisses me off as well, anon…. It’s unbelievable the ability some people have to just brush off so many things like these that you mentioned just because they feel uncomfortable about it. Yes babygate is fucked up. No, no one likes to talk about it, no one wants to see the truth… but it’s right there. Not looking at it won’t make Freddie his son.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Desperate Measures 1

Warnings: nonconsent and rape (miniseries); stalking, fear, intimidation.

This is dark!Steve Rogers and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: At first, you think it’s a joke when you get the strange messages, but when they don’t stop, you realise too late how real it all is.

Note: This was going to be a one shot but it kept going and going and going, so it’s gonna be split in 2.

Thank you. Love you guys!

Please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

Have a piece of American dream Open up, and swallow, on your knees And say Thank you I'd like some desperate measures, please

💌

The first picture was sent on Monday. You remembered it clearly unlike most Monday mornings. It was the same boring ritual; a coffee that had long turned cold, a pen that wouldn’t write, and a computer that ran as if on dial-up. 

The only bright side was that your small desk was near a window and you could look out onto the city streets, though they were hardly less miserable than your own existence. You were so high up the people were merely moving specks. You often found yourself distracted by the crowded traffic below.

You were drawn from such a distant reverie by the buzz of your phone. You kept it face down by your monitor. Despite the temptation, you limited yourself to succumbing only once an hour. You sat back and your chair creaked as it tilted beneath you. You checked the time in the corner of your screen and reached for your cell, the rubber case scuffed and scratched at the edges.

Notifications for the same emails that sat open in front of you and a few personal ones in the next bubble. Another for the game you played on the subway or when you were overly listless, several updates for your hoarded apps, and a single text. 

There was no number attached to the message, only the foreboding thick font that read ‘unknown number’. You chewed on your thumb as you leaned forward on your elbow and swiped your screen up and punched in your password. The screen flashed and you hit the last notification. No words, just a file. You hit download.

You blinked as it ate your data and the image of your apartment door appeared. You glanced around and laughed to yourself. You shook your head and keyed in your response; ‘very funny, Eva.’ You hit send and set your phone back down. 

Your old friend liked her jokes and you hadn’t missed her little ploy the last time she showed up at your place angry over her latest fling. You had thought she was getting a picture of the stain on the hallway carpet that looked suspiciously like blood… or feces… or a mixture of the two.

You went back to your work and switched the document you’d been picking at for most of the morning. Your job was as entertaining as watching paint dry then peel from age. When you applied for an editing position, you’d expected thrillers and melodramas. Instead, you got dry textbooks and educational guides.

You yawned and pushed through to your scheduled break. You dumped your cold coffee and headed down to the café to grab another. The coffee they kept in the office was cheap and bland. You ate your salad in the lunchroom as you watched the clock tick away. You checked your phone. No reply to that unusual text. Eva must’ve chickened out.

You scoffed and switched chats to send her usual number an ‘lol’. You tucked your phone in your pocket and punched back in before you headed back to your desk. A couple more hours and you’d be home to stew in the early week daze.

The last half of the day went quicker and your subway ride was uneventful; well, for New York. You walked home from your stop and pulled out your phone as you climbed the stairs. You slowed down and moved your feet blindly. You’d finally gotten an answer. ‘Eva?’

You opened the chat again and hit the image. It filled the screen and you squinted as you came to a stop. The stain wasn’t there. Your landlord had finally relented and had the entire hallway torn up and replaced with an even duller shade of grey. The picture had been taken since then; within the last month. The last time you’d seen Eva, you’d gone to hers.

Your chest clenched and you gulped. You hit the little icon in the corner of the conversation and hit ‘block’. You continued to your floor and neared your door. You looked down the hallway and back to your door. You tried the handle. Locked. You took a breath.

It could still be a joke. The stoner next door, Perry, had your number from when you agreed to feed his cat that one time. Maybe he was high or just trying to be funny. Still, it hadn’t come up under his name. Well, he might have changed his number since then.

You unlocked your door and scurried inside. You made sure to turn the latch and slide the chain into place. You tossed your bag beside the mat of shoes and added your flats to the pile. You dropped your phone on the coffee table and untucked your work shirt as you walked around the small living room. 

Nothing was out of place, not that you truly believed whoever it was had gotten past your door. You rubbed your forehead and went to the small kitchen that looked out into the living room. You grabbed a can of sparkling lime whatever and plopped it next to your phone.

You went to your bedroom and stripped yourself of your stiff work clothes and pulled on the night shirt crumpled atop your blanket. You looked down at the thin grey cotton and reached under to unhook your bra. You flung it in the corner knowing you’d be cursing yourself when you couldn’t find it the next morning.

You flopped onto the couch and grabbed your remote. You turned on some mindless Youtube video and opened the mobile game which had taken too much of your life from you. You connected three and four and five and somewhere in between your existentialism kicked in and had you wondering at the point of it.

You closed the app before it ate all of your battery and your phone shook in your hand. 

‘You didn’t tell me who Eva is.’ The message flashed over the top of the screen then disappeared. You pulled down the notification and hit it. You were certain you’d blocked the number. The other messages were gone though and ‘unknown number’ was still emblazoned across the top. You blocked the convo again and dimmed the screen. 

You plugged in your phone and sprawled out across the sofa. You stared at the television, a blur and a buzz to your frantic mind. 

It was dark already when you dragged yourself off the couch and heated up a microwave dinner. You ate it without tasting and your phone chimed to signal a full charge. You left it as it was on the arm of the couch and resumed your repose on the sofa. You fell asleep to the angered commentary of a gamer trying to fight a clam.

You awoke with a start. You blinked through your daze as your television showed stills of mountain and grassy fields. You sat up and grabbed your phone. You checked the time; midnight. Another message.

‘She’s the one you had coffee with last week.’ It said.

You gaped and dropped your phone. You looked around as if whoever it was would be hiding in the corner. You shook as you reached down and took the phone. You swallowed and began to type.

‘Whoever this is, this isn’t funny anymore. Cut it out.’

‘Funny?’ The response came quickly.

‘I mean it. Stop.’

‘Good night, sweetheart.’

You recoiled at the message and bit your lip to keep it from trembling. You checked your door again, the chain still in place, checked every inch of your apartment in your paranoia. Nothing. You let out a breath and took a blanket from your bed and huddled up on the couch. You turned on a playlist, not sure you’d be sleeping much that night.

💌

You weren’t sure when you fell asleep again but you rose before your alarm. You drank your coffee as the sky turned a duller shade of grey. You went through your usual morning dance and headed out the door with a bagel hanging from your mouth. You chowed down on your way to the subway. You felt your bag buzz as you stepped on the train.

You ignored it and clung to the bar as you counted the stops. You got off and stopped by the coffee shop. You ordered a black tea and headed down to your building. Your desk was as it was when you left it. The chair was tucked in and your mouse was hidden behind the keyboard. You sat and booted the laggy machine.

As you waited for it to start, you stirred around in your bag for your phone. You had another message. You dreaded opening it but the circle just kept spinning in the middle of the monitor. You hit the bubble and your phone unlocked.

You took a sharp breath as the image glared back at you. It was you, on the subway, that morning judging by the jacket, staring at the door as the photo was taken unknowingly. Your phone slipped from your grasp and you spun in your chair.

Everything was as it should be. Your co-workers looked just as dead inside as you. Your boss was boxed up in his office on a ‘conference call’. You shuddered and turned back to your desk. You burned your tongue on your tea and signed into your computer. Your phone vibrated beside your shoe and you bent to retrieve it.

‘You looked tired this morning’. The next message blipped on the screen.

You were quick to sweep the clock upward and type. ‘Who the fuck is this?’

‘Sweetheart. I don’t like that kind of language.’ The response was quick and sharp, even in text.

‘Tell me who you are? Why are you doing this?’

‘One thing at a time.’ The letters burned into your vision.

‘Who are you?’ You keyed in again. No answer. 

You set the phone down and watched it. Five minutes, no buzz. You hovered your hand over your mouse and tried to focus on your monitor. Your heart was so loud in your ears, your head began to pound.

💌

When you got on the subway at the end of the day, you looked around frantically as you settled into a seat, your bag hugged to your chest. You glanced up and down the car a dozen times over as you awaited your cue. Your toe tapped anxiously and you stood so fast you were dizzy when your stop came up.

You rushed down the sidewalk, peeking over your shoulder every other step. You didn’t say anything unusual; no one following you, no one watching. You ran up to your building and unlocked the door clumsily. 

You hurried up the stairs and down the hall to your apartment. The key slid in roughly and you turned it so quick, you were certain it would bend. You skirted inside and put the chain in place.

You looked down as your thin-soled boot brushed over something. A pile of flyers slipped through the slot in your absence. You picked them up and sorted through them, an envelope amidst the mess. On its face, it read ‘for my sweetheart’.

You hovered by the door, staring at the envelope. After a moment, you slung your bag down on the floor and placed the flyers on the end table by the lamp. You clicked on the light and ran your thumb along the lip. You carefully opened it and pulled out the paper inside. You unfolded it and your breath caught in your chest.

It was a sketch, quite well done, of you. You’d worn that sweater last week. You went to the park and walked around, sat by the fountain, tossed rocks into the babbling basin. They had been there, whoever it was. How long had they been watching?

And they had been at your door, close enough to slip this through the slot. You folded the drawing and shoved it back in the envelope. You stomped into the kitchen and tossed it into the bin beneath the counter. You backed up and gripped the other counter behind you. You felt a lump in your throat. 

What the fuck was going on?

💌

You started going in early to work; catching the train half an hour before your usual one. You left late and changed your route between the station and your building. You entered through the back, hopping the low concrete barrier between the apartments and the backlot.

Still, it only gave you a single day of peace. No messages, no pictures; and you thought the game was over. You hoped it was. That it was just a sick joke that had finally grown tiring. 

But Thursday saw another image of you just outside your work building. Friday, another of you on the subway.

The weekend was listless. You did your shopping quickly and on Sunday, you wore a loose hoodie to the laundromat. You could find nothing peculiar around you. The city was full of sketchy people but none seemed to be watching you. The hordes were still about their own lives; ignorant of those around them. You felt entirely alone, as if you were being hunted.

Monday was much the same as the last but how could it ever be dull again. You shut your phone off so you could focus on your work. When you were finally done, you dialed the toll-free number for your provider. You took a taxi home and spent two hours on the line but you got your new number and a sense of relief.

You kept your phone on, ringer on max, and nothing. You watched the screen rather than the television but it only lit up with emails and a random text from your mother. You slept in your bed that night,almost soundly.

You still kept your eye over your shoulder. Still searched out any sign of unusual interest. Perhaps you were clueless or maybe your lack of response had finally gotten through to them. Once their messages bounced back as out of service, they might have given up. They got their laughs, now you wanted peace.

It lasted until Friday. 

A full week and you were certain it was over. You finished work and stopped by the liquor store for a bottle of wine on your way home. You could finally let loose. Life had gone back to its usual tedium. You browsed the reds lazily but pondered a pack of coolers instead. Your phone buzzed. You slid it from your pocket out of habit.

‘That cabernet on the top shelf is on sale. Just to your left.’ You stared at the message and backed away from the shelf. You looked around but all the other customers seemed intent on their own purchases. You gulped and blocked the unknown sender.

You left emptied-handed and ran for the train. You got home an hour later than usual. You raced up the stairs and stopped dead in front of your door. The tall gift bag looked familiar; it had been hanging in the store by the till. You neared and peered inside. The golden cap of the wine that had stood in front of you; top shelf.

You bent and flipped the little card attached to the string.

‘For you, sweetheart. Enjoy your weekend.’

You stood and grabbed the bag. You glanced up and down the halls and stormed back down the grey carpet. Your feet hammered down the stairs and you burst through the back doors. You threw the bag into the dumpster and heard the shatter. Your lip trembled as you spun and sprinted back inside.

When you reached your apartment, you called Eva. You struggled to open your dresser with one hand and started pulling out clothes and stuffing them into your neon duffle. She finally picked up.

“E-eva,” you stuttered, “can I-- Can I stay with you, please? J-just a night or two--”

“Wohoa, whoa, slow down,” she said. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t… I can’t tell you now. I’m just-- I’m freaking out and I can’t stay here.” Your voice cracked and you sniffed back tears, “I-- Please. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I… I have plans but I can cancel,” she offered.

“No, no, I… don’t--”

“You’ll have the apartment to yourself,” she said, “I’ll just let Ray know I’ll be late.”

“What time are you supposed to--”

“Seven but it’s fine,” she assured you. “You okay?”

“I… Wait, you’re fucking around with Ray again?”

“Do you want the couch or not?” She half-kidded, “you want me to meet you there or--”

“No, no,” you whisked into your washroom and grabbed your toothbrush, “I’m coming right now.” You returned to the bedroom and shoved an armful in the bag. “Eva… thank you.”

“Stay on the phone,” she said softly. “Please… you’re scaring me.”

“Okay,” you zipped up the duffle, “yeah, I’ll stay on.”

💌

You hung up as you came up to Eva’s building. She met you at the door, a thick silence between you as you sensed what she wanted to ask you. You weren’t sure how to tell you. You weren’t sure if you could.

You pushed the door closed behind you as you entered her apartment. It was cuter than yours, a spiral staircase led to a loft above and the curtains were lace and matched the dainty pillows on the couch. You placed your bag on the floor and she turned to you.

“Just give me a moment,” you said. She didn’t need to ask.

She went to the desk in the corner of the spacious room and turned on the ring light of the round mirror. She fished through her make-up box and pulled out her eyeliner. She was already done her base and highlight. You neared and hovered just beside her desk.

“I don’t even know…” you stopped yourself and went to your bag. You pulled out the paper you’d shoved in the side pocket on your way out. “Look.”

You crossed to her again and unfolded the sketch on her desk. She glanced down from drawing a wing along her eye and lowered the pencil. She blinked and shrugged.

“Look, someone dropped this through my mail slot. No address on the envelope, just this.” You felt crazy. “And I thought it was all some joke. They were sending me pictures, of me, of my building… I blocked them but they just kept on. I even changed my number.”

She scrunched her lips and looked back to her mirror. She finished her other eye and set the pencil down.

“You call the police?” She asked calmly.

“I… the drawing is all I have. I just deleted the messages when they came because… well, I didn’t think much of it at first. Not until… There was a bottle of wine waiting for me when I came home. The very same I was looking at right before I booked it for my train,” you rubbed your cheek, “Eva, I’m not crazy. I swear.”

“I believe you,” she said, “why wouldn’t I but… there’s nothing you can do but keep a log of what happens from here on out. Screencap everything.”

“You think… you think the police would help if I did?” You asked.

“Not much. Stalking isn’t really something they take seriously. I knew this girl in college-- Well, the evidence can at least get you a restraining order… if you ever figure out who’s sending you all this,” she paused and glanced down at the drawing. “Whoever it is, they got talent.”

“I’m sure they’d be happy to hear that,” you scoffed and crossed your arms.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay here with you?”

You pondered her offer but shook your head.

“As much as I think you should send Ray along, no. I can’t ask any more of you.” You sighed and grabbed the sketch. You dragged your feet to the couch and flopped down on the cushions, “I really do appreciate it.”

“I always told you to get out of that neighbourhood,” she said as she searched her assortment of make-up, “but you know I never mind you hanging out.”

💌

You spent the night on Eva’s couch, alone. She didn’t get home until three in the morning and you waited until noon for her to wake up. When she did, her face was smeared with eyeliner and her hair a mess. 

You hadn’t touched your phone since the night before. You chewed your thumb as you waited for her to emerge from the shower, restless and unsure what to do with yourself. She slammed the lid down on her coffee machine and growled as she turned and crossed her arms.

“Are you okay?” she asked sharply.

“I’m sorry,” you said as you stopped pacing. You barely remembered getting up to walk circles around the coffee table, “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Well, how about a latte?” she yawned behind her hand, “my coffee machine is fucked… again.”

“Um, maybe that’s best, get out and… distract myself,” you twiddled your fingers as your stomach ached. You hadn’t eaten anything since the day before and that was just after noon.

“We’ll get lunch,” she rubbed her forehead, “soak up the wine.”

You shook your head and said nothing. She always drank too much around Ray but you didn’t have the energy for that argument again. So you stayed quiet and watched her disappear into her bedroom.

She emerged as you zipped up your purse. You didn’t bother with your phone as you waited by the door but felt listless without the device. It was like a shield you used when you went out in the world. It kept you from eye contact or awkward conversation.

You set off and headed down the street to the pub that seamlessly shifted from brunch to ladies’ night every Saturday. You ordered breakfast tacos as you sat just inside the large floor length windows that looked out onto the shady patio. The other guest lent a sense of normalcy as they carried on their own conversations and reminded you that you were just another ant on the hill.

As you got your latte in the stemmed glass, Eva pulled out her phone and scowled at the shaking. She was so wrapped up in her texts with Ray she hadn’t even mentioned the reason for your overnighter. You were happy for it and yet, you couldn’t think of anything else.

“Jesus, I told him we were having breakfast and he’s blowing up my phone,” she huffed, “just a second.”

“Eve,” you said as she stood and slid her thumb across the screen, “our foods gonna be here--”

“I won’t be long,” she promised and lifted the speaker to her ear and turned away, “Ray, I’ll be over later, promise. I barely slept--”

Her voice trailed away as she wove between tables and pushed out onto the patio and went to the short fence to chat beyond the ears of diners. You sipped from your drink and stared down at the splintered curve of the table. You couldn’t stay with Eva forever and she was hardly any comfort in her distraction with her on-again, off-again dirt bag. Maybe, if you moved--

“There you are, sweetheart,” the low voice startled you and you sat stalk straight as a figure smoothly slid into Eva’s empty chair, “you gave me quite a scare, up and leaving without a word…”

You stared wide-eyed at the stranger across from you. Well, you knew who he was. Everyone in the city, in the country, even the world, knew Steve Rogers. He smiled at you as his blue eyes glimmered. His posture was cool and confident and it was you who felt out of place.

And you knew, it was him. The shock was not enough to fuel your denial as that feeling deep down assured you of it. That little voice that told you this was your tormentor and that you were fucked.

“I…” you breathed and blinked. You couldn’t find the words, you hardly understood the storm of emotions flowing through you. You glanced through the window as Eva threw her hand up and continued berating her phone, “it’s you?”

“I hate that it has to be this way,” he said, “you know, my work keeps me out of town so much and I just wish we had more time.”

“Wha…” you gulped and gripped the edge of the table, “why--?”

“You haven’t been answering me,” his smile fell, “I don’t like being ignored.”

Your hand shook and you kept it in your lap to hide the rising terror along your spine. You sat paralysed as he sighed and glanced around the restaurant. He tilted his head and pushed his shoulders back.

“You threw out my gift,” he said evenly, “that wasn’t very nice.”

“Go…” you uttered, “go, please--”

“Sweetheart, we’re just talking,” he took a gulp of Eva’s Americano casually, “I missed you… I miss you every day and it hurts that we have to be apart.”

Your shoulders slumped and you clutched your hands in fists on your lap. You could scream but what good would that do. He was Captain America, the first avenger, a hero. 

As if your thoughts sent a banner waving, a young kid approached the table and smiled nervously as he held one of the colouring pages supplied by the restaurant in his hands.

“Um, Captain, uh, America,” the kid stuttered, “will you sign-- Will you sign my--?”

The kid smiled through tight lips and held up the colouring page. Instead, Steve chuckled and took his cap from his head and fished around in his pocket. He pulled out a sharpie and signed the brim and placed it back on the kid’s head.

“There you go,” he said.

“Thank you, Cap!” the kid almost squealed, “oh my gosh!”

“No problem,” Steve laughed and watched the kid run back to the table where his mother sat, she waved at the man across from you and mouthed a thanks. He cleared his throat and stood as he tucked away the marker, “sorry, this is why I didn’t wanna do this in public,” he gripped his hip with one hand, “but… we’ll have our time.” He slowly backed away, “I’ll text you. You’ll answer.”

He grinned one last time and strode away. He stopped before the door as he held it open for Eva and she batted her lashes at him as she gushed. You could guess at her star struck words but couldn’t make them out. He left as she finally stopped her babbling and she almost skipped over to you.

“Oh my god, did you see him?” she trilled, “I didn’t think he’d be even better looking in-person.”

“See who?” you asked dumbly as you tried to disguise your discomfort in your latte.

“Steve Rogers,” she announced, “ugh, even without your phone, you got your head in the ground.”