#still trying to catch up on posting these here

[visualtaehyun]

Long time listener, first time caller :P

Where/how I look up words:

thai-language.com and thai2english, as previously mentioned by OP

Longdo Dictionary (language can be set to English in the top right)

if you can already read Thai, I highly recommend Wiktionary in Thai

Papago - it's a translation app and site but I mostly use the app version and mostly for its speech-to-text feature, sometimes to check my own pronunciation, sometimes to try to catch words I can't quite make out in spoken content. The app also has several other features but do keep in mind that it's still a machine translation service and also built around Korean first and foremost!

I also like to just put the expression or word I'm trying to find out more about into a search engine to find a definition in Thai or get a feel for its usage. I'm often searching for viral slang, colloquial expressions or specific references though so I mostly end up reading forum posts on pantip (here's one where I was searching for ลูกสาวกำนันจอมแก่น originally), following in the footsteps of another lost soul on twitter to read the replies and qrts or suddenly finding myself watching tiktoks referencing specific memes lol

If you're into reading:

mebmarket and the meb app (app/site language can be set to English) - there's tons of different genres and almost always free samples to download if you'd prefer to just dip your toes in first, plus there's a category for free e-books as well! Available on various platforms (I have it on Android and Windows, for example), signup is free. E-books can be downloaded in the app as .pdf or .epub, the latter of which allows you to adjust the font too.

thai-language.com has a lessons section with a lot of reading exercises (completely free ofc) on various topics. It includes a full translation, lets you toggle the transcriptions, you can click through to specific lines to get a word-by-word breakdown, and some of them even include audio recordings.

if you're into T-Pop or Thai music like me, I recommend finding and reading the lyrics to your favorite songs~

re: Stu Jay Raj I've only seen a handful of his videos myself but there's this website he's been working on, Cracking Language Fundamentals, with a bunch of interesting tools to study and peruse fonts, tones, consonants, vowels etc. (not even just in Thai) that I've barely begun to fiddle with myself tbh. As OP said, if you're linguistically inclined or have prior knowledge in phonetics or phonology, you'll likely enjoy this approach.

Free Thai language learning resources

I’ve been learning Thai for the past 20 months. This list is by no means complete or comprehensive, what works for me doesn’t have to work for you, etc etc. That said: I’ve used most of these and found them useful, I thought you might, too. Have fun!

Youtube channels with free video lessons:

There are tons of wonderful teachers on youtube; this is by no means an exhaustive list. The three channels listed here are comprehensive, long-running, and updated regularly; if you have other favourites, please reblog and append!

Comprehensible Thai is a channel that teaches Thai in Thai, from zero, via the comprehensible input method. They have videos from total beginner through upper intermediate/lower advanced levels available.

Learn Thai with Mod – Mod runs a language school that offers good, structured group classes; she and her co-teachers often upload short videos about specific aspects of Thai. The channel has been around for a long time and they cover a lot of topics, including grammar points.

Thai Lessons by New (Learn Thai one Word one Sentence) – lots of good vocabulary and situational phrases

Other channels I like:

Advanced Thai with Kruu Momm – one of my favourites, Momm’s a star. Not included in the upper list only because this is definitely more of an intermediate-advanced resource.

Thai with Grace – I knew of Grace via her polyglot channel and travel vlogs before I realised she also teaches Thai. Fun stuff.

Kat talks Thai – I believe Kat is more active on instagram (@kattalksthai), but these are still really neat.

Perth Nakhun’s Basic Thai playlist

Honourable mentions because they’re interesting and can be nice supplements (yes, the video titles on these channels tend to be clickbaity, the content is useful, though):

Stu Jay Raj: Stu is a polyglot based in Thailand. His channel is a bit of a mixed bag, but he has a very interesting approach to languages and sometimes does foreign accent reduction / accent analysis sessions on his channel (with consent and participation of those whose speech he dissects).

Thai Talk with Paddy: Paddy is an Australian who learned Thai when he was a volunteer in Thailand, he’s kept it up. Fun things about language learning and culture

Listening comprehension

I’m assuming many folks on here who are interested in Thai already watch some Thai shows (yes I’m stereotyping but also this is tumblr), which means you’re spending time listening to Thai.

If you’re not:

Netflix, Youtube, WeTV, and Viki all have several Thai shows with English subtitles available. The Youtube channel of Thai broadcasting giant GMMTV has English subtitles on nearly all of their uploaded series, some series are also subtitled in languages other than English. one31 is another huge channel; they have English subtitles on some series and some series also have subtitles in Thai. There’s tons more – find a rec list and a Thai show that sounds like you’d enjoy it, chances are you’ll be able to watch it for free, legally, on youtube. You can use the youtube controls (or the ones on netflix) to turn the speed down to 75% —this can make it a lot easier to catch what’s being said. 50% gets so draggy that I personally find it almost harder to understand, but ymmv—give it a shot!

https://lingopolo.org/thai/ has real-life recordings for listening practice; sign-up is required but it’s literally just an e-mail-address, user name and password. Using the site is free.

https://www.activethai.com/ has a section dedicated to learning the tones (under “Overview of Thai Tones”) including a self-test for listening that I found very useful.

Learning to read

I will always, always, ALWAYS recommend learning to read the Thai script. All available romanisations for Thai have drawbacks, and besides, you learned to read English with its “though through thorough tough thought”, you can damn well learn to read Thai. I promise it will help you improve your pronunciation (yes, really) and overall understanding of how the language works.

Learn-to-Read-Thai resources that seem comprehensive and like they should do everything in one:

Anki decks “Read Thai PHASE 1 - The Consonants“, “Read Thai PHASE 2 - Thai Vowels“, “Read Thai PHASE 3 - Consonant Classes” and “Read Thai PHASE 4 - Tone Rules” by Khruu Gaan (ครูกานต์). Anki is probably the most powerful spaced repetition software I have ever used. It’s free on all desktops and android. These decks have sound.

Memrise course “Read Thai: A Complete Guide to Reading Thai“

Other resources I used (In hindsight, I feel like I should’ve picked one resource to learn to read from and stuck with it; I think I was rushing and made things more complicated than need be for myself with my hodgepodge mix-and-match approach. But hey, I can read now.)

https://www.activethai.com/ – the site I started with. Teaches the consonants separated by class and with sound. The only reason this is no longer my top recommendation is that I ended up using this alongside a resource that helped me memorise what the words used to represent the letters actually mean because the site itself didn’t tell me, and I wanted that easy way to have 44 vocabulary words ready as soon as you’re done learning your consonants, and it gives you access to neat mnemonics such as ไก่จิกเด็กตาย(เฎ็กฏาย)บนปากโอ่ง.

The chart on Wikipedia’s English article on the Thai Script

the reference section of Thai-Language.com

In order to better learn to read Thai written in different fonts (modern and handwriting fonts can be tough at first), the Thai Script typographical styles overview on Thai-language.com was a huge help, as was throwing simple phrases things into gdocs and messing around to see how different fonts made them look. This chart from sanukmaak.com also helped.

Speaking and pronunciation

The hardest one for any new language for most folks. For me personally, finding someone who speaks the language and is willing to correct me was an absolute necessity, but I know that’s not always an option. If you’re going it on your own, make sure you check out the resources above for learning to hear the tones and those sounds and sound clusters not present in your own language correctly first.

Things to try on your own:

shadowing: Whenever someone on a show utters a sentence you think might be useful, or provide a useful pattern, or something just sounds cool, rewind and try to speak along as they say it, trying to make it sound as close to their pronunciation as you can.

try to record yourself and listen back – yes, it’s cringe af but it will HELP.

memorising short sentences and phrases: tying back to the section above, there’s a ton of youtube videos that is “phrases to use in [situation]” that are great for targeted learning if you’re up for it

self talk (cautiously! don’t want to cement bad pronunciation habits)

if you’re linguistically inclined: looking up descriptions on how to make a sound correctly sometimes helps, as does watching videos of folks who’ve successfully learned the language.

once you’ve learned to read: find sentences to read somewhere (twitter, a textbook, whatever) and read them into your phone’s dictation engine. See if the software understands you correctly. Adjust as needed until it does.

Websites and apps to find language partners or (paid) tutors

Like any other app where you ‘meet people’, please exercise caution on these.

italki (mainly for finding tutors and teachers, but you can find language partners on the forums)

Preply (web/app) (for finding tutors/teachers)

hellotalk (app only, iOS/android) for finding language partners – free to use basic features like messaging, voice rooms, etc; has annoying ads

tandem (app only, iOS/android) for finding language partners – free to use basic features, has ads

any other app or website that’ll let you meet people, like local facebook groups (yes really), instagram, etc

(note: Neither hellotalk nor tandem allow users to sign up without selecting a binary gender. it sucks. I’ve seen people who managed to circumvent this on Hellotalk by signing up via apple ID (? I think), but it’s hearsay and I have not managed to do so myself.)

Books (a book) that are (is) worth spending money on imo

Higbie & Thinsan: Thai Reference Grammar. The Structure of Spoken Thai. Orchid Press: Bangkok, 2002. Yes, it’s ancient in textbook terms. It’s not perfect, but it’s still the best reference grammar for Thai I’ve come across so far, and I use it frequently.

Random bits and bobs

Stu Jay Raj has two videos in particular that I, as a phonetics-and-phonology-loving person, loved and found extremely useful and wished I’d watched before I started to try and learn the script: Thai Vowels for Dummies in 5 Min v2 - A System Impossible to Forget and Thai Bites Extended Edition - Transliterating Thai using IPA. I realise these may be overwhelming and less helpful for people with no prior phonetics or phonology training, but they helped me so much it’d feel amiss not to include them.

Resources I recommend AGAINST using when starting out

drops/hello words – seems like their Thai courses have been created using machine translation that wasn’t sufficiently proofread. They will assign you nouns in places of the corresponding verb or false cognates, and that’s within the first 10 or so lessons. Might be useful once the level where a learner can tell “ah, yeah, that’s … not right” has been reached? idk.

transcription as generated by google translate: BURN IT WITH FIRE. it’s a transliteration, i.e. 1-to-1 representation of 1 Thai letter = 1 Latin letter (extended), it’s not phonemic, it’s not going to help ANYONE (and those who can make sense of it presumably already read Thai and would be better off with just Thai script). Just. Stop.

Google translate as a dictionary: still shitty but not AS bad as the transcription function. Still, for the love of all that you hold dear, please, save yourself the pain and confusion and just use thai2english or thai-language.com instead.

—

And that’s that from me, friends. Yeeting this into the void before I second-guess myself more. Please append additional resources!

Edited to fix a couple of typos and errors on 2023-06-15

[loverofwomenswrongs]

DON'T ACT SO SURPRISED

****** Pairing: Billie Eilish x fem!reader Words: 1.1K

******

The arena buzzed with excitement as fans filled the stands. Y/n, arriving late, knew there was no chance Billie would spot her by mistake—after all, her girlfriend was notoriously observant, especially when it came to her. She had sent a message pretending to be back in LA, knowing that, under normal circumstances, Billie wouldn't call before the show due to the time difference. 

Just before the opening act, a staff member stepped on stage, catching the attention of the fans who looked around, confused. This wasn’t part of the usual show. The staff member spoke into the mic, “Hey, Melbourne! I know you're probably wondering what's going on right now, but I’m here on behalf of Billie’s team.” Whispers rippled through the crowd, some curious, others concerned. What was happening? Had something gone wrong?

“It’s nothing bad, we just need to ask you a favour. There’s a surprise for Billie at the end of the show, and we’d like you to please refrain from screaming or acknowledging it when you see it. We want her to be completely surprised, so just keep enjoying the show until she notices it, alright? We know you can do it,” the staff member continued.

With that, they exited the stage, leaving the fans buzzing with excitement, knowing that tonight’s show would be unlike any other.

Billie’s team had been careful to ensure she wouldn’t overhear anything backstage. Music blasted loudly as she was kept busy, and they had told her to head to the furthest room for her makeup, claiming it had better lighting. Billie, eager to perform, didn’t seem to notice how strange her team was acting.

As soon as Billie hit the stage, Y/n received a text from Finneas: You can come now. Thank goodness she had booked a hotel near the stadium. A tinted van picked her up, and within ten minutes, she arrived at the venue, greeted by warm hugs and smiles from Billie’s team.

She dropped her things in Billie’s room and quickly grabbed one of the singer’s hoodies to throw on. A member of the sound team helped her get her in-ears ready, and to blend in with the staff, she slipped on a security jacket, pulled a scarf over her face, and topped it off with a hat, hoping to avoid being recognized by fans.

She waited backstage, heart pounding as Happier Than Ever started to play. A real security guard came to escort her to the stage. Y/n moved forward, trying to keep her focus away from Billie, so she wouldn't feel her gaze. The nervous thumping of her heart was so loud, she could hear it over the music.

The guard led her under the stage as the song played on. Once safely out of view, Y/n quickly changed into her stage costume, letting out a sigh of relief. No one had noticed her, or if they had, they were good fans who kept the surprise under wraps.

The moment she had been waiting for arrived when she heard Billie’s voice introducing the last song of the night.

“Wow, Melbourne, you’ve been amazing! I’m so sad it’s ending. These past few weeks in Australia have made me so happy,” Billie said, her voice full of emotion.

The crowd erupted, and Y/n couldn’t help but smile. It had been so long since she’d seen Billie this content. Every time they talked about her time in Australia, there was a relaxed glow on her face.

“Thank you so much. Honestly. This last song is one of my favorites because I wrote it thinking about the most beautiful person I know—someone I miss so much. Y/n, bubs, I know you’re watching... I love you so much.”

Y/n felt a tear slide down her cheek as the crowd went wild. While their relationship wasn’t exactly a secret—fans often saw them posting about each other or attending events together—they kept much of their private lives just that: private. Still, their fans adored them, always respecting their boundaries.

“Now, I want to call my brother, Finneas, to the stage to help me with this last song. Here’s Birds of a Feather—I hope you enjoy it.”

The song began, with Finneas playing guitar, expertly distracting Billie as Y/n made her way onto the stage.

I want you to stay  'Til I'm in the grave   'Til I rot away, dead and buried   'Til I'm in the casket, you carry

As the lyrics filled the air, Y/n climbed the stairs, mic in hand. When she stepped onto the stage, gasps rippled through the crowd. Her voice joined Billie’s, and the singer glanced at her brother, confused. Finneas simply nodded toward Y/n, who was still singing.

Billie turned, almost dropping her microphone in shock as she saw her girlfriend. Her mouth fell open, eyes impossibly wide. Y/n laughed at the reaction, pausing to lean into the mic with a quiet, “Hi.”

The crowd went wild as Billie shook her head, still stunned. Without hesitation, the two girls embraced in a tight hug, the audience cheering them on. Billie spun Y/n around, holding her close as they shared the moment.

When they finally pulled apart, Billie’s hand cupped Y/n’s face, her expression one of disbelief. Y/n read her lips as Billie whispered, “How?”

Y/n smiled and whispered back, “Later,” pointing to Finneas, who wore a soft, proud smile. Billie turned and embraced her brother, silently thanking him.

Y/n took the opportunity to speak to the crowd. “Hey, Melbourne! How’s everyone doing? I just want to thank you all for keeping this secret with me. You were incredible!”

Billie, still laughing, added over the loudspeakers, “Wait… you all knew and didn’t tell me? I feel betrayed by my own fans!”

The crowd erupted in laughter.

“Don’t be mad at them, it was my doing,” Y/n replied, reaching for Billie’s hand.

Billie smirked. “Alright… So, shall we give them our song?”

Y/n nodded, placing a kiss on top of Billie’s head and exchanging a glance with Finneas, signaling they were ready to go.

As the song played on, the girls made an effort to interact with the crowd, sharing looks and smiles throughout. Billie often found herself admiring how easily Y/n moved across the stage, despite not being a singer herself. Meanwhile, Y/n couldn’t stop gazing at Billie, sending her playful winks whenever she could.

By the time the final notes of the song played, the two girls met center stage, singing the last lyrics to each other. For a brief moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

I knew you in another life   You had that same look in your eyes   I love you, don’t act so surprised

When the final chord struck, they melted into a tight hug. Billie pressed against Y/n’s chest, inhaling the scent she’d missed so much. The two pulled apart, their foreheads resting together, beaming with happiness. Y/n locked eyes with Billie as she mouthed, “I love you.”

******

Part 2

[cyberqueenpatrol]

VIEWER!GHOST X YOUTUBER!READER

cw!: fem!reader, a bit of objectification, bit of perverse and creep behaviour

As the day winds up in the military barracks, Simon opens up his laptop, sitting with a Marlboro twirling between his index and ring finger. After all, even he needed some rest but his insomnia-drenched sleep won't let him doze off. So he just let his time be spent in this way.

But what is he watching? Million dollar question for a guy like him, right?

A petite, pretty girl's vlogs and gaming videos?!? (that's how he describes the girl)

YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS?!?

Man, he just loved the way you moved in front of the camera. He was entranced by the movement of your tits and swaying hips. His dick throbbed He was head over heels for you whenever you smiled. He had head in a mess of ecstasy, his ears sucking in every syllable of your voice. Whether it was your travel vlogs or GRWM videos, Simon had watched it all.

Simon was not very much bothered if any of the boys entered his room while he was watching your videos. Once, Price caught him jerking off vigorously, to you in the livestream (coz the thought of him directly being able to see you right at the moment drove him crazy).

"She still ain't ya birdie, L.T.", Price poked teasingly.

"But ain't far from 'hat", Simon replied, all while having a smirk on his scarred lips.

Once in a while, you would keep a quiz for anyone who wanted to gift you something. It was an easy one, the viewers just had to answer a question about your likes correctly and at the earliest.

"Okaaaaaay, so the the question is........" you say joyfully, your plush lips hypnotising Simon.

"What is my favourite colour? Very easy this time, isn't it?", you winked while reading the answers.

"Awww, many of you are commenting 'red'. You are so close to the answer! Just find the correct one in the shelves of your brain!", you say as you fake a pouty frown. You were never excessively trying to be cute in a cringe way, you were always fun to listen to.

Simon chuckled at your words, and typed out the answer with ease, hitting the send button.

"Wine"

Your excited eyes quickly catch the word in the ocean of comments under the livestream. You make a happy sound and clasp your hands together with a sparkle in your eyes.

"Aha! There it is! Wait, wait, where is username of winner, huh???", you exclaimed, scrolling through vast sea of comments under your livestream.

Simon wasn't a man of many words, in fact Johnny was the one who told him about you. He just typed out,

"Here"

"Oh yes! I found it guys, I found it. So it's #ghostriley. Pretty unique name, isn't it? Hello Riley! Well, first congrats on winning the quiz! Looks you paid a lot of attention to hidden clues in my previous videos. Hehehe! So, I m now...........sending.......", you win his heart with his words with these simple sentences as you type your post address to his account.

Simon almost cums at the way you said 'Oh yes'. He cannot look away, with you just biting your lower, plush lip as you write out your post address. God, he was so out of his mind. All that Simon could of was the numerous ways to make you satisfied and happy. He would anything for you. A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

"Sent! Did you receive the message, Riley? Maybe it'll take some time. Don't worry, if you don't get it. You can ask me anytime, happy to help, ya know", your bubbly smile threw Simon in a mess and your soothing words cured his deepest wounds for the time being, if not entirely.

"Received. Thank you. Will recieve your gift in your gift in a few days,hm?", Simon typed out, as his other window was already in the process of shipping out the gift to your address.

"That's great, Riley! I will definitely look forward to your gift. I ma sure to must be having something good!", you radiantly smiled, earning lust-filled groan from Simon. Not to mention he also smirked as fucked the life out in his fist.

"Ok people, now it's........very late. So we need go to sleep, don't we? We don't want any eye bags,hmmmm? Ok so, I am turning it off now. Bye everyone! Good night! Sweet dreams! Stay tuned for what's Riley gonna gift me!", you beamed as you wrapped up the livestream. Soon you went to bed, waiting for the surprise in the few days.

A few days later

The Sunday morning went very cozy and satisfyingly slow, with you completing the household chores, feeding your cat Ron and listening to some music. Later, the sharp sound of the doorbell pierced through the tranquility of your flat. It must be the gift, you thought to yourself.

You open the door, just to see a young lad struggling with a cardboard box large enough to make a cathouse for Ron. You smoothly took the box from him, assuring him that it was fine for you to carry the box. He gave you a sheet to sign, but something struck you as odd. Usually there would a name of the sender with the city name. Here it was only Manchester written in the block on the sheet.

You just shrug it off, as you close the door with your pyjama-clad leg, thinking that there might be an error from the courier services. As soon as you put down the box, you realise it was REALLY heavy. But a chuckle came from your mouth, seeing Ron already establishing the cardboard box as his territory.

You decide to begin the livestream in the evening, but you needed to first inform your followers. You click on the app icon, not expecting much notifications. It's a Sunday morning, who would even bother to wake up and miss on their beautiful sleep.

"1 unread message"

Wow, maybe someone has really woken up. Anyways, it's gonna be just a reel from your friends just having free-

"Got the gift, sweetheart?"

You almost choke on your homemade strawberry milkshake, as your brain reels into a mess. Your finger nearly physically stammer as your message was being typed out.

"Yes,Riley! The parcel's here, all safe and sound. I just opened this thing to inform yall that livestream's gonna be in the evening"

"Good to hear that. Thank you :)"

"That's my pleasure! I m really happy to get the gift, and I hope that you'll like the livestream. Stay tuned at 19:00!!!

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, love"

You nearly feel the temperature and blush rising up in your cheeks. Boy, they were such simple words, yet they had so much influence on you. Just imagine if someone said that to you in real life.......................

The evening rolls around, with you setting up the necessary preparations for the livestream. You hit the start button with much anticipation, excited to see your followers again.

"Heyyyyyyyyyy luvvies!! I am back here to bring something delicious for you sweeties to chew on! As you know from earlier livestream, we had picked out a winner- #ghostriley! And today's the day to check their gifts. Anddddddd.......is everyone excited??", your bubbly voice boomed through Simon's headphones, who had already kept a box of tissues beside him.

"So, Riley, can we start the unboxing with your command?", you leaned towards the camera, your eyes sparkly and the curve of your pretty tits conspicuous to Simon's eyes. Your honey-laden voice was enough to open his zipper.

"Sure,love", Simon typed out, the fist of his calloused hands already wrapped around his cock. He knew that it was very immoral to do something like that behind the screen, but he couldn't help but thik your pussy would feel instead of his rough hands.

You were a little flushed, being all new to someone calling you pretty nicknames. And that face of yours was not escaping Simon's eyes by any chance. He was already turned on, and this face just aggravated it.

"OK then, let's open the big boy up! I really didn't expect it to be this big", you exclaim as you dig the cardboard knife through the its thickness. But to Simon, all dark and primal thoughts lurked in his mind no matter how much he tried to banish them. He was enticed by the way your tongue stuck out while you focused on opening the box, wanting to strike those pretty lips with his own.

"Ha! Here it is!", you say as the box was being opened by your curious hands. The first that you got hold of was a big glass box, carefully wrapped to avoid damage. No way, you thought.

IT WAS A LIFETIME SUPPLY OF YOUR FAVOURITE SHADES OF LIP GLOSSES??!??

Boy, that must hella expensive now. Your jaw was visible open, your lips parted onto an O as you looked down at the lip glosses. You glanced at the camera and back to box.

"OK,OK, now lemme get this straight. This. Must. Be. Very. Expensive. Like man, you people DON'T need to gift such costly things and empty your bank account, please, like really", your voice was reflected shock clearly.

But to Simon, it was nothing. You were the only pretty thing in his life. So why not spend money on it? He loved the way your eyes widened, it would a lie to say that Simon didn't enjoy the view.

"But I've to say it, Riley, like- damn, thank you. So much and so bad. Never felt so damn special in my life.", you giggled at the end and held them lip glosses close to your chest, as the box made its outline in your plush tits something that Simon wanted to grab so bad

"Anything for the lady", Simon typed out with generous amount of love in his heart, causing you to evidently blush at this comment.

"Hehe, thank you very much, Riley. That's very much of a gentleman whom I would like to meet one day. Yes, definitely!", your words perked up Simon's ears, at which he satisfyingly smirked under his balaclava. His thick, girthy cock had no less chubbed up

"OK,there's like more gifts in here!", your voice chirped up, as you dug through the bubble wrap that secured it. There was long, red box at the bottom, but the bubble wrap was your favourite thing to pop since childhood. It was kind of a therapy for you.

"Hey people, look at this. I bet there's no one in this world who has never popped this thing. This is my therapy, you know, because I am too broke to afford the real one. Anyways, there's this red box here though.........", you say as your hands dig towards the bottom of box.

Simon chuckled deeply at your humour, enamoured by your ability to keep people hooked with your thoughts. But right now, his gift might keep your mind hooked for days and nights especially.

"Can pay for anything you want, sweetheart.", Simon hit the send button, just to see how it would claw at your heartstrings.

Mentally, your jaw was on the floor. Physically, your mouth was actually gaping. You fingers subconsciously traveled to your lips, and Simon was nothing new to body language. He knew that it was something that you did when your mind was thoroughly engrossed and curious.

"Oh-oh no, Riley, I am definitely not a pick me, hehe. Don't spoil me like that.", your words did sound nervous, and definitely Simon loved that he could make you flustered even though he was just behind a screen.

"Anyways, Riley, let's see what's your last gift of the day! I think it's a bottle of wine, maybe.", Simon grinned darkly at your completely wrong guess, only waiting for you to open the box.

"And here we go!", you say with much excitement and anticipation, as your hand slowly lifts off the lid, with Simon's eyes as curious as yours, but he desired your reaction more than ever. Your hopeful eyes sparkled as your brain analysed the image captured by your eyes.

No way. No fucking goddammit way, you thought.

A dark purple vibrator. Sitting in all its glory in the red silky set of thin,red lingerie underneath it. BUT A GODDAMN VIBRATOR LIKE FOR REAL-

A piece of paper fell out from the underside of the lid, with your face providing a perfectly pathetic look for the dark, grimy mind of Simon. Definitely something was scrawled on it-

"A mould of mine, lovie"

[sailornymph]

dnd; sae itoshi

synopsis — the status of your relationship has been unclear for some time now, but showing up to the same event as him removed any confusion or doubt

content warning — agedup!sae, profootballer!sae, public bathroom sex

a/n — i’ve been working like crazy, but finally having a few days off soon, i’ll be able to post a little more

checking your phone for what felt like the millionth time, you could only sigh at the results. nothing. you hadn't talked to sae in nearly two weeks and you were beginning to think things were over. swallowing the dismay, you put on the best fake smile you could, as your friend talked.

"you okay? still nothing from sae?" yuki asked. there wasn't much you could hide from her, she always seemed to catch the slightest change in your mood.

"i’ll be okay," you shrugged, straightening your posture, as sana, your makeup artist came back into the room. you were an editorial fashion model, and while you technically were on a hiatus, you were modeling a close friend's new clothing brand.

yuki and sana began talking, laughing at whatever they had seen earlier on social media, while you sat quietly. sae consumed your thoughts, you wanted to be the bigger person and text him, but you couldn't - it was you who caused the rift to begin with.

"what are you doing?" you flinched, hearing his voice, you thought he was asleep.

"i need to get back to my room, my team will be over in a-

"you didn't want to get ready here?" he asked, sitting up, and stretching.

"no, i...i don't want them to talk," you mumbled. the choice of words seemed to wake him up a bit more, scoffing, before climbing out of the bed.

you bit your lip, shifting your eyes, as he stood tall, reaching for the boxer briefs. slipping into them, he approached you, as you wiggled back into the dress. wrapping his long arms around you, he groaned, taking in your scent.

"talk about what?"

"us? i don't-we don't need a scandal, you're here for your photoshoot, and i'm here for work-

"work? what work do you have in tokyo? you said last night you were here to spend time with me," he said, raising an eyebrow at you.

"i am, but as far as the media knows, i am here for work," you said, briefly poking his toned abdomen.

"you want to stay a secret?" he frowned lightly, shaking his head, as he moved past you to go to the bathroom.

"sae, try to understand, as far as your fans know, you are single and not looking for a relationship, i don't want to have to deal with crazy fans," you expressed.

"i couldn’t give a damn what anyone had to say about my decisions, so i don't see the issue unless you just wanted to remain a secret," he said, as he began to brush his teeth.

"you're making it like i am just purposely hiding you away, i'm not ashamed of our relationship, if that's what you're insinuating. i'm trying to prevent backlash, your fans will drag me through the mud if i don't fit their standard," you said, reaching to touch him, but he struggled your hand off.

"fine, i won't force you to understand," you said, grabbing your handbag, and leaving his hotel room, making sure to slam the door.

your behavior was immature and unnecessary, but you wanted him to see things from your perspective. his fans were a bit obsessive, and while you had thick skin, you didn't want to deal with harassment in the country he was born in.

he had been single for some time when you met him on a girl's trip in spain. you were familiar with him, seeing a few clips of him playing on social media, while his friends teased that you were his crush. you felt like a young schoolgirl, exchanging numbers due to his lack of social media and texting constantly. his responses were always short, but he stayed consistent. it wasn't long before he flew to london, meeting you in between your photoshoots.

your first kiss, your first time making love, visiting his homeland, meeting his family. he was a breath of fresh air, the perfect concoction of consideration and coldness - you had never experienced anyone like him. despite knowing these things, you were afraid, you hadn't been in any public relationship before and you weren't sure how you'd be treated.

while the football season was over, his team still found a way to continue to have him in the media, he had been in japan for last-minute photo shoots, being that he had recently become an ambassador for a sports brand. you planned to stay with him the entire time, but your schedule overlapping his, as well as paparazzi trying to inquire about your business in the city, forced you to be more secretive.

naturally, you pushed away from him and ended up pushing him too far. now well over two weeks later, you were sure you had ruined your chance at love over your anxious thoughts.

posing for the photographer, your eyes were clouded, as your form moved guilelessly. yuki stared at you, frowning, as your assistant and best friend, she had to do something about this. you seemed to be the only person stressing about what fans would think when you didn't have to. she had seen the way sae stared at you, how he'd bite inside his jaw, his gaze on you, watching you, eagerly, despite his dull expression, sharing his culture with you to guarantee you felt comfortable.

"once you finish, meet me back in the dressing room, we have things needing to be done," yuki smiled, going into the room, as she ordered your black dress.

"where are we going again?" you asked, climbing into the suv. you didn't know where you needed to be with the strapless form-fitting dress, and the dark hair and makeup look.

"a small event," yuki said, as you glanced at her. another week had gone by since the photoshoot and she had been working hard to make sure you would arrive on time.

"what event-

"a gala, it's mostly athletes who are going, but i figured you should go, there will be plenty of paparazzi," she interrupted, making you snap your head over at her.

"yuki," you shook your head, you knew what she was doing instantly.

"y/n, you need to see him, neither of you has texted each other, and face-to-face clarity is what you need, to know if things are over or not. plus, respectfully, he looked really good in his pictures, so when i saw that you had been invited, i accepted immediately," she cheered.

"and you look amazing, he won't be able to keep his eyes off of you," she told you, reassuringly. gulping, you nodded at her words, looking out the window.

feeling an uneasy knot in your stomach, as the black carpet came into view, yuki squeezed your hand.

"just focus on the camera and he'll come to you," she whispered before the car slowed down and the door was opened.

your heart sped up, seeing him a good distance away, taking pictures next to aiku oliver. they made casual conversation while posing for their pictures, well, he mumbled a few words, as aiku talked his ear off, smiling brightly.

"oh my gosh, y/n!" one of the many paparazzi members screamed, snapping a photo. instantly, it felt like all of the different cameras were flashing. they shouted praise at you, asking which team is your favorite? who was your favorite player? did you intend on wearing the brand? as security went to lead you away from the carpet, your eyes discreetly widened, seeing that he stood watching you.

"thank you," you told security, going to approach a few blue lock members.

"hi," you and bachira said, giggling, as you hugged each other. while you hadn't followed each other until recently, the two of you had been mutual on social media for some time now.

"i can't wait for this to be over, i need food," bachira whined to you, as you nodded in agreement. you could still feel his eyes on you, but you couldn't face him.

"y/n, do you want to sit with us?" meguru asked, already pulling you to his table.

"i-sure," you nodded as he giggled.

intertwining his arm with your own, you both began to make your way into the building, to your seats. talking with bachira eased the nervousness that once filled your stomach, and soon you found yourself enjoying the event, as the two of you shared commentary.

just as the event began to end, you excused yourself to the restroom. once you were finished, you stood washing your hands, before touching up your makeup. suddenly, the door opened, and sae waltzed into the women's restroom, locking the door.

"sae-

"were you going to speak to me, or just flaunt yourself around like eye candy?" he asked, approaching you. even with the high heels, he managed to tower over you.

"i didn't know we were on speaking terms, i haven't heard from you in almost a month," you said, wrapping your arms around your body.

"i have been busy, i hardly have any time with my phone, how have you been?" he asked.

"i’m okay," you shrugged.

"i've missed you," he confessed.

"i've missed you...too," you agreed.

"i don't want to be a secret, i'm not asking you to wear it on a shirt, but i don't want to hide you" he said, as his fingers went to your waist, pulling you closer. nodding at his words, your breathing was shallow as he kissed your lips.

"you look beautiful," he complimented, kissing you again, moving down to your jaw. humming as he kissed your neck, you looked up into his eyes, biting your lip.

"i want you," you whispered, and in an instant, he had you in his arms, leading you back into the large stall, as you kissed his soft pink lips.

lifting the dress, he passionately kissed your lips, as you lowered the black thong. immediately, he took them, shoving them into his pants pocket. his large hands explored your figure, missing every curve from your perfect body. unbuttoning his pants, you hungrily accepted his kisses, as he stroked his cock.

picking you up from the ground, your legs went around his waist, your hands around his neck, while he aligned with your entrance.

"y/n...i love you," he said, as his cock slid smoothly into your creaming cunt.

gasping in pleasure, you were silenced by his tongue going into your mouth. bouncing you in the air, your low moans were drowned out by his grunting.

"you're fucking me so good," you whimpered to him, feeling yourself unraveling.

"i want you to release all over me," he encouraged you, as you began clenching around him repeatedly.

breathing ruggedly, you nodded earnestly, trying to concentrate, as the knot tugged in your abdomen yearning to be released.

"i’m close," you cried out, the sound of your skin slapping filled the restroom before your face was buried in his shoulder, as you moaned. your body visibly vibrated a few times before you pulled away, looking at him.

his cheeks were flushed, as the corners of his mouth turned upward, kissing your lips as he pulled out, slowly letting your heels touch the floor. holding your waist, he leaned down, kissing you a few more times, before he pulled away, allowing you both to fix yourselves. lowering your dress, you went to reach for his pocket, when he grabbed your hand - kissing your knuckles.

"you can get them back later," he smirked, as you adjusted the dress and your hair. turning to leaving the stall, he held your waist once more.

"don't go that long without reaching out again, i thought we were done," he continued, his eyes widening, as you pecked his lips.

"come on, bachira invited me out for food with him and yoichi," you grinned, leading him out of the stall and out of the bathroom.

the two of you got a few questioning glances, but no one said anything as they headed out to their cars, some going home, to after parties, or food. holding his hand, you began heading out of the building, when he stopped you.

"what are you doing?"

"you said private, but not a secret right? i can do that," you told him, puckering your lips as he leaned down to kiss you. wrapping an arm around your waist, he bit his lip as the two of you exited the building.

"y/n, when did you and bachira meguru become friends?"

"sae itoshi, the two of you seem close, are you together?" they threw question after question at the two of you, but this one seemed to catch his attention.

"yes," he nodded, pecking your forehead.

"and how long have you been together?"

"a while," he replied stoically, walking away, and helping you into the suv.

"you're going to have an article out about us by morning," you laughed, as he sat next to you, shutting the door. instantly, he was kissing your lips once again.

"when we get to my suite, this dress is coming off," he groaned, feeling your hand pressed against his print.

"i need to text yuki and meguru-

"they’ll understand when they see the blogs, silence your phone silent, tonight is just us, no distractions," he told you. nodding in agreement, you put your phone on dnd, tossing it to the side, before laying back in his arms. oh, how much you’ve missed this.

[cheralith]

feat. karasu, otoya, yukimiya cw: fem!reader, she/her pronouns, is implied to have smaller hands, smoking, roommates au, implied aged-up characters (20s)

hi here are some more a345!tabieitaken roommates au headcanons, this time they involve more of reader :] part one here

karasu

during the warmer weather, when you and him make a habit of going to the farmer's market, there's an elderly shopkeeper that sells some peaches who had once complimented on how lovely of a couple you and him are, that you remind her of her and her late husband. feeling awkward and guilt-ridden, not having the heart to break it to her that you guys weren't actually a couple, you both laugh nervously and thank her. from then on, she gives you and karasu free peaches whenever she sees you both together and you have to pretend that you are for that fleeting moment you and him are a young couple in love within her presence.

even when he's just at home, he often still waxes his hair. he eventually lets it down and breathe properly for the weekends when you had one time smiled and complimented how nice he looks with his natural hair.

a smoker but only when he gets stressed. he tried to hide it from you when you first moved in, ashamed of his coping method, but you had told him you indulged in one or two as well from time to time since your work often put you in stressful scenarios as well. does the cigarette kiss with you when you and him smoke on the balcony together.

speaking of which, you indirectly kiss him the most. you use the same spoon he'll use when he offers you a bite of his food, drink from the same shotglass, and use the same chopsticks that he'll use to gently place food in your mouth.

when you and him open up to each other more, he enjoys hearing you talk; your voice is soothing to him (as it's canon that he has a voice fetish). sometimes may ask you to read to him if you're just lounging around and catching up on a book.

(per last hc post) he tries to teach you bass one time, but you make him nervous just by standing so close to him that he barely survives the first lesson when he has to stay behind you and help move your hands accordingly. he tries so hard not to notice how smaller your fingers are in comparison to his.

you always buy a jar of kimchi for him when you're out grocery shopping, something that he appreciates very much so as he often eats rice and whatever meal he has with kimchi.

yukimiya

loves to cook with you. he always sends you some recipe he saw online and asking if you'd like to try it out. all you'd have to do is respond yes and wow magically the ingredients have appeared before you in the loft... he'd love an extra hand to help him with all of this perhaps 👀

you are the only person that he'll ever let borrow his clothes when he found you struggling to piece together an outfit one time. had said to you that you can pick out whatever you like from his closet if you so wanted to and when you do, he feels this weird sense of ... pride? seeing you in his clothes just makes him feel giddy, knowing that your fashion senses often correlate with each other.

however, he is also not afraid to be honest and tell you upfront that your outfit may just not be right for the day if he thinks so. but you appreciate this—his honesty is refreshing.

sometimes visits you in the office if he has an upcoming shoot that he has to go to his agency's headquarters for, where you work. maybe will drop off a lunch or a coffee/tea pick-me-up he got on the way. your co-workers often tease you for it, asking you if you're secretly dating one of the models to your embarrassment. ("that can land you an hr case, y'know," an intern had joked.)

the most modest out of the three, but there will be times when some of his skin shows and it's like seeing a victorian's ankle for the first time. especially in regards to his legs, when he wears shorts, there's just this hug that surrounds his thighs so securely that the muscles can sometimes be visible through the fabric.

often gets you a small, yet artfully arrayed bouquet of flowers from the local flower shop just because "he felt like it." always feels like such a delight for him when he finds them the morning after in a vase with flowers sitting somewhere in the apartment.

otoya

mentioned this in an earlier post, but he'll often curate some monthly-ish playlists for you with songs he think you'll take a liking to. helps you introduce yourself to more genres and more artists, though he's already quite impressed with how knowledgeable you are with music.

lets you borrow his good headphones—the one where the bass booms perfectly and the melodies sound more crisp to let you fully enjoy the music.

when you first came to the loft, wow did he try his hardest to impress you. walked around shirtless even in cold weather and would try to subtly flex his muscles. often would help you grab things that were above you even if you could easily reach it ("let me help you with that, babe." "go put five bucks in the douchebag jar.")

second-best dressed next to yukki. often will post a fit check on his insta and if you're ever around, he'll insist on capturing his photo with you in it. it both serves as him flexing he has a cute girl by his side and may just boil the jealousies of his side chicks. he won't tag you though, aware of the other people that may ask who you are if they slide up (also because he likes the attention to be on him)

touchy. likes to put his head in your lap during movie nights so you can play with his hair (he uses men's 5-in-1 shampoo, how the hell is it so soft and healthy?!) or will "accidentally" lean against you on the couch if he's really zoning in on some video games.

gets a bit upset when you befriend his hook-ups. he'll sometimes wake up to you and whatever girl he had the night prior chatting and laughing about at the table as if you've been best friends for forever and can't help but feel disappointment for whatever reason.

a/n: @okkotsuus for u my dearest 💐!

[raileurta]

A continuation of this post

Looking back on it Miko should have just told the truth. Sure yeah it's extremely embarrassing calling your resident overlord addict "dad" by accident but it would not have snowballed into this hot gaslighting mess.

Oh who Miko kidding she is reveling in the complete chaos she's caused.

Scrolling back to a few weeks ago Miko had just finished school. The girl had just previously pulled an all nighter to catch up on all her work and studying. (Got to stay in her exchange program somehow) So Miko was completely exhausted. She didn't even have a chance to sleep during school as for some Primus forsaken reason there was an important test in every class! Miko had planned on sleeping at the base but nooooo the universe had other plans. That day the decepticons decided to try to tail them without them noticing and try to find out their secret base. Of course her best bestie in the whole universe noticed them and quickly diverted his course. They drove for a few minutes before Bulkhead quickly went behind some rock transformed and did a surprise attack on them. It probably was an interesting fight but Miko was too tired to care or pay attention to.

Iterable now and still unwillingly awake they were ground bridge back to base. Jack being the good mom friend he is asked if she was okay. Miko doesn't really understand what happened in her brain that day that made her give that response but sleep deprivation is a scary thing. She had responded,

"Yeah yeah I'm good just some of Dad's goons being annoying again."

Silence greeted her. She looked around weirded out by everyone's shocked faces. They were staring at her like she had just grown another head.

"What's wron-" and apparently that's when her mind registered what she had just said. Miko's face twisted into the definition of abject terror and her brain in all it's horrible glory decided it would best to follow that up with,

"Scrap you weren't supposed to know that."

What the hell brain?!?? Could you have worded that any less suspiciously? Could have said something like "I didn't mean to say that." Jesus Christ.

Miko obviously knowing on some instinctual level she fucked up big time immediately tried to book it. She didn't get too far of course, getting caught by Arcee real quickly. (She's slippery but not that slippery.)

The girl was half questioned half interrogated about what she had meant by that. Deciding it was a good idea to dig herself into a deeper hole Miko "revealed" that Megatron was her father. For obvious reasons they didn't believe her bs. Miko then decided to back up her claim with "evidence" if you can even call it that. She said she can understand Bee for instance. Bumblebee then chipped at her which had translated into, "What?? No way! If that's true what's my favorite dinosaur?"

She simply responded "Triceratops."

Everyone freaked out especially Bee. Miko couldn't really blame them. As she's been "acting" like she didn't know Bee's language and been lying to them since day one. The truth though was that Miko had in secret actually been practicing to understand him for a couple months now. It was going to be a gift of sorts and she was just fed up with not understanding him.

They still needed more evidence from her through. Yeah it was extremely suspicious that Miko hasn't said anything about this but Raf could understand Bee and he's a regular human. She then brought out the big guns and told them,

"Well I also know Megatron and Optimus are exes." Miko had bluffed. She didn't know 100% for sure that was true. She mostly just got this vibe from those two and nobody acknowledged it. It honestly was kinda annoying if she was being honest with here. The team instantly threw up protests and looked to their leader to disprove her claims. But they were met with a slightly blushing Optimus who was turned away. Ratchet making a comment under his breath about how did she know?

If Miko thought they weren't fully freaked out about the language thing they were totally freaked out now. It was really chaotic. Bulkhead was frantically asking why she didn't say anything and was Miko just using him for some evil plan?! At the same time Arcee and Bee were trying to get Raf and Jack away from her at the same time. While Optimus was kinda breaking down about not knowing anything about this and Ratchet was consoling him. She thankfully managed to convince Bulk that yes they were in fact best friends and no she wasn't going to hurt anybody. Being the saints they are autobots tried to look past her "heritage" and still be a family. Optimus even giving her a grand speech about how your blood doesn't define you and what you choose to be.

God was that awkward.

After a bit of more talking Miko finally was permitted to rest and once the best sleep of her life was over reality hit hard for her. If she wasn't freaking out about the whole situation at the time Miko would have laughed herself dizzy at how easily the bots were fooled. They didn't even ask about her quote unquote "creation." Calming down a few minutes later Miko started to really think about what to do now.

And well in for a penny in for a pound, she decided to double down and commit to this weird bit. So for the next few days Miko started dropping "lore" about herself and in general messing with everyone. Ratchet even made a comment about how it was kinda obvious looking back as Miko apparently was a mini Megatronous with her personality.

Okay wow. She was kinda offended by the comment but really couldn't say anything.

She did however get some cool information about Megatron. Like apparently how he was a very lively prankster. This info would come in handy about two weeks later.

Miko had ran through the ground bridge as usual, got caught up in some dangerous battle, then to shake things up was caught in another cave in. (Those are never as traumatic as the second time around) As fate would have it she was sorta saved by buckethead himself. Holding up a huge rock preventing them both from being squished making him unable to harm her. Not one to waste this opportunity she tried to recruit him into her scheme.

It went something like this:

"Okay look I need for you to hear me out."

"No."

"I didn't say anything yet!"

"I don't care to listen to the ramblings of a filthy organic."

"Ugh why couldn't it have been a different pretend dad decepticon?!"

"what...?"

"Long story short I have been gaslighting the autobots into believing your my dad- well sire for the past few weeks."

Megatron was rendered speechless.

Well briefly anyways.

"I'll be damned Starscream was right. All you insects are completely insane."

"Probably. But that's besides the point; I need your help to keep this lie going."

"Absolutely not."

"Come on....."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO."

"YES."

"NO."

"YES."

"IT'S NOT EVEN BIOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE!"

"Does it look like I care????? The autobots believed me and that's all that matters!"

"Wait a minute- you got the autobots to believe you?"

"Surprisingly yes. In all honesty it was too easy."

"....."

"Don't you want to fuck with them?"

"Imagine how much psychological damage Ratchet and Optimus would take."

"Aren't you tired of being nice?"

"I'm never nice."

"Don't you want to go ape shit?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why go through all this effort to keep up this lie?"

Miko should have said that it was because she didn't want to be caught lying and was scared about revealing the truth; but that would be a lie.

"I'm doing this because I can. I do it for the love of the game."

"Your psychotic........"

"It's nice to meet you daughter."

Cew evil canned laughter.

[Part 1] - [Part 2?]

[xxiiam]

ＫＩＳＭＥＴ༄

Rockstarbf! Choso x reader , fakedating, slow burn , eventual smut , plot with porn

Synopsis - your roommate!Nobara comes into your job with free tickets to an up and coming band that is making headlines , who would know that it would lead to such twists and turns such as opportunities of a lifetime to fake date the bassist of the band choso. Where will this take you?

Authors note : hi so I’ll be posting it in parts here too , it is also on my ao3 or even wattpad - username is the same as my tumblr , xxiiam for ao3 and xxiiamm for wattpad , for it to be posted here I’ll be grouping the chapters into 2’s or 3’s so I’m not as posting as much !! I hope you enjoy this as much as you guys enjoyed all mine !! As always my inbox is always open so feel free to send requests, asks or just talk to me !!

Wk : 3.1k

Chapter 1&2

moving to a big city from your small hometown was a big change for you , working in a coffee shop all the mundane things never really seemed to bother you .

Sure your dreams were bigger than your body but you’re only twenty three . You still have time , or at least that’s what you kept telling yourself . Your roommate and long time best friend already had her dream of working for a fashion magazine in the big city , which is why you moved . You are happy for her but this barista gig can’t keep you happy forever . Or afloat , stability wise. But it was a cute five minute walk from your apartment so it was good realistically , co-workers were a breeze for the most part and the customers were so-so.

The mundane things kept you happy or distracted . Your love life was in the dumps , by dumps it was dry like the Sahara. A stand still . But this did not mean you weren’t looking! You are..kinda. At least Nobara was happy trying to indulge in your lackluster love life. Which lead to her barging into your work.

You worked opening shifts most days so it was pretty empty you weren’t too upset about it. Usually it helped you catch up on sleep since you had learned to drift off into a rem state whilst standing up behind the counter. “Y/N Y/N Y/N” you heard the familiar sing song shrill voice coming through the swing door. Your eyes widened and you greeted your friend, “you know you can’t just waltz in here like it’s our apartment nobara. This is my place of work and I’d like to keep it that way” you half joked , half joking because you were also still half asleep . She slammed a poster down onto the counter then swiftly picked it up with her index and thumb dancing with the poster , “look you like , like you know…alt guys LOOK AT THIS BAND! In the magazines they’re like the next up and coming band - headed for stardom or whatever. Not really up and coming they’ve up and came. Like they have a pretty strong following like well over 200k followers on the lead vocalists socials. All the girls in my work are fan girling over them. Have you heard about them? Are you listening to me?”

You rocked forwards then stood upright , “yeah yeah hot guys band upcoming already came, what’s your point?” . She rolled her eyes and held the poster closer to your face , “well guess who won twoooooo freeee tickets for guess..TONIGHT” . You winced , “but it’s gossip girl and cheap steaks from Costco night” you said in a sad tone. You loved Friday nights it was reserved for you both to cook your cheap steaks , crack open a bottle of wine that made you both grimace at and to watch gossip girl. It was fun you loved it , in fact you looked forward to it every week!

Nobara laughed and sighed , “but like maybe there will be other hot guys here you know hot guys usually hang around other hot guys!!” She smiled , “yeah how many guys are you friends with? And how many of them are hot?” You responded with a deadpan expression. She pretended to consider how many friends she had that were male and were straight and how many were hot. “Ugh whatever a diamond in the rough as people say..maybe you’ll even catch the attention of like a security worker so you can like get tickets to more concerts and shit”

Security guys usually are sexy and buff mmmm your opinions were starting to be swayed , “y/n stop socializing and serve the customer” your co-worker said strolling past you and going into the back , “oh come on Joe don’t be a sourpuss you know I’m always here” Nobara said but then looked at the selection of sandwiches and baked goods , “actually can I have that ham and cheese croissant that’s my fave” you nodded and got her order ready. Now you can work the rest of your day planning out your outfit for the outfit , Nobara left the poster with you . They were pretty eye catching. Well they’re up and coming band sensations or whatever. So they’re obviously gonna be good looking but damn they’re hot okay maybe this concert was a good idea after-all. Nobara working with all these magazine companies might actually be a god send.

You finally clocked out and got home to your apartment , you finally had couch time with your adorable cat , sparkles. He is the cutest. Yes he’s a boy called sparkles he was a stray who you found out was a boy after he adjusted to the name sparkles. You scrolled through your timeline to see a performance of that band. Phones really are listening to everything. The post had over one million views so they’re successful and the music was actually pretty decent they weren’t industry plants after all. Nobara came in not too long after you did , “why are you still on your ass? Up up I say! You need to look like sex on legs..not that you don’t already , especially with that coffee stained uniform…go change go go go”

With Nobara’s kind words of affirmation you decided it was time to get ready , so outfit consisted of boots mini skirt and little tiny top , is this a concert or a whore house!!! But it is for the greater good of finally getting laid for the first time since moving to the city. You both said goodbye to sparkles and started your walk to the train station . You should’ve worn a jacket it felt like your nipples could cut through diamonds you were so cold. You and Nobara stood and huddled together shivering under the dim flickering station lights .

Then finally you had got to the venue , Nobara rushed you both so you made it to the front for the best view . The opening act was good nothing of note you were excited to hear this newfound band that you had grown a bit fonder of now that you had listened to one or two songs…watched one or two edits on TikTok. Picked out a couple of favorites out of the five guys. Okay well they’re all a favorite but still some more than others.

Lights began to dim and the sign flashed the name of the band in a bright white. Kismet . You assumed it meant the word kismet as in fate or destiny . What a funny word to pick for a band name. roars of cheers emitted from the crowd even Nobara joined in, she caught your surprised look , “I just love live music I don’t care about these random ass guys- wait is that guitarist a girl holy fuck” . On stage the layout was satoru gojo the lead vocalist in front center; guitarist and secondary vocalist suguru geto; bass player choso kamo who was on the other side of satoru; drummer Sukuna who was back center and lead guitarist shoko ieri who was next to suguru .

Okay you can admit you were really starting to see the appeal.

kismet preformed all the songs you were beginning for favor. A part of you was feeling giddy like a teenage girl seeing her celebrity crush on her instagram feed except this was real life and you were mere feet away from these men and one woman. Your eyes were drawn to the bassist Choso the black eyeliner strip across his nose and cheeks made him facially stand out as well as the drummer sukuna with his face and body tattoos that were tattooed intricately . Most of the band had tattoos but his stood out because they were all symmetrical and thick with no other patchwork or large pieces to be seen on his body.

Sukuna seemed to be the least media trained out of the band when he spoke it was always something crass and vulgar, the best spoken was the lead guitarist shoko who was a woman so no wonder she was the most well spoken amongst these men. You could’ve sworn you and sukuna kept sharing glances but your attention kept going back to choso there was something so magnetizing about him, you just couldn’t put your finger on it but it was something. Might just be his good looks and how talented he was but still it felt deeper.

Okay.

Y/N snap out of it.

You’re sounding very parasocial this is just a band that you just happened to have free tickets to. A one time thing , a new perhaps casual listen after this. You’re sounding very deluded.

And just like that the show was over and people started to bleed out of the venue like an army of ants there was more people than you anticipated you never looked back since your eyes were glued to the stage and the band members. Walking out, Nobara hugged your arm, “wow did you see the girl she was soooooo sexy I wanted to climb on the stage , rip my shirt open like a gorilla , pound my chest and go apeshit” you laughed in response to her claim. “Okay I admit I see the appeal they are a band of very attractive people they seem like a total industry plant though they just came out of nowhere right?”

She shrugged , “apparently they’ve been a band since high school they’re a couple years older than us mid-late twenties I believe. Pretty old for them to blow up now but what would I know I’m a fashion analyzer not a music analyst” . Then that was that. Was it worth the skip of gossip girl and steak night? Maybe not. But it was definitely a night to remember you definitely enjoyed yourself and wouldn’t say no to another concert. You both got home , Nobara went straight to bed whilst you picked up sparkles and went to your room, looking over the videos from the concert. You posted snippets of it onto your Instagram story tagging the band and fell asleep.

The next morning it was another opening shift at the coffee shop, you stood behind the counter shifting in and out of sleep . Mornings were always slow , a few regulars sat at their usual seating areas until someone new came in. A tall figure walked in as you made small chatter to your coworker. The man in a black hoodie with the hood up , black cap low and sun glasses. You chuckled to yourself, “are you about to rob the store? because I promise there’s not much in the cash register for you to take so it’s not worth it.” . Normally it is not in the workplace policy to make comments like this but you couldn’t find a reason to care in this moment. The man scoffed, “think of me so low to think I’d rob from a run down corner coffee shop?” .

You thought the coffee shop was cute it wasn’t ran down at all, “someone’s in a bad mood and if it’s so run down why are you here big guy?” . He took his sunglasses off and revealed his face , “I just want a fucking coffee I have to leave for another city tomorrow night I am a busy guy” . His harsh tone was drowned out because you recognized his face. It was choso from kismet! You almost laughed in his face. “First world problems having to lavishly travel to a new city tomorrow night oh no..anyways before I get in trouble for conversing with customers what’s your order?” .

He bit his tongue , his patience was wearing thin. Never meet your idols before they have a morning coffee right? “A coffee. Black. Thanks” . You nodded , “any sweeteners or sugar or anything?” . His eye began to twitch , “if I wanted a sugar I would’ve included it in my order” . You rolled your eyes , “name for the order?” He licked his lips he was obviously considering using an alias but he caved and just said “choso do you need me to spell that too or are you able to do that by yourself?”

“I’m very competent choso, I’m not gonna lick the ground you walk on because you think you’re some big shot because you’re the bassist in some one hit wonder band and just for reference no one cares for the bassist no matter how attractive you are” you said gripping the counter, who was this guy? Some unknown random trying to talk down to you just because you’re a working woman? And he thinks he’s alll higghhh and mighty just because he’s getting some clout that’s gonna die down this time next year. He stuck his tongue in his cheek , “you talk a lot of smack considering you were there at the concert last night” he squinted his eyes and looked at your name tag , “y/n”

His coffee was ready you set it down on the counter , “your total is $2.70” he put his hand in his pocket and put the money on the counter before his eyes darted to the window and a group of what you assumed paparazzi were starting to pool towards the coffee shop, “can’t get a fuckin break” he cursed under his breath and pulled cap down lower and walked out, “hey! Your coffee!!” He just kept walking toward the door. Are you seriously gonna have to chase this fuckin guy?

You grabbed the coffee and chased after him , he quickly halted and turned around to face you which made you spill the coffee not only on you but him too. You grit your teeth in pain , “ah fuck…you spilled the fuckin coffee you made me chase after you for nothing” you scowled at him , he took a deep breath before taking his hood down and wiping at the coffee on your uniform. He gave you a fake smile , “there are you happy y/n? Is that what you wanted me to do? You wanted me to wipe you down? What next you want me to kiss tour ass instead of saying thank you for a coffee that’s spilled over both of us you could’ve just kept the money and went about your day as apparently there’s not much in that shitty register in the first place” . You scoffed at him , “it is in store policy to chase down customers who forget to pay or to get their coffee! Blame the coffee shop not me. Why are you even in a rush you said you had until tomorrow night, if you haven’t noticed choso it’s 7:46 am” .

he pointed at the men with cameras, “those! I can’t get a fuckin break I thought the fame would allow me to get a coffee in the middle of nowhere no issue but apparently not, you know what..go down the backstreet it’ll bring you back around to the coffee shop’s street. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, I am I swear” . Huh an apology finally, bare minimum . How did he know the streets so well? Too many questions to ask. “Maybe come again for a cofee and be able to drink it another time? In a better disguise I hope” . He almost cracked a real smile for once before stopping himself , “maybe.” His face went back to its annoyed expression , “go now they see we’ve been loitering too long they’ll come for questions” , you shook your head . “Do you not want your money back” . He actually laughed , “it’s $2.70” .

You rolled your eyes once more and started to walk off down the backstreet , he yelled out , “if you roll your eyes anymore they’ll get stuck up there” you just flipped him off in response before making your way back up to the street.

When you got back you just went onto your break as soon as you could , your phone began to buzz it was Nobara , “GIRL I know nda’s are a big deal but you didn’t have to act like you didn’t know Kismet!” She said practically yelling down the phone, what the hell was she talking about? You shook your head , “Nobara I know just little about kismet as you, what’re you even talking about?” . She began to stutter , “girl look online everywhere people are saying you’re choso , the bassist from kismet, you’re his girlfriend since he visited you at work!!! Is it true are you guys together??” You just scoffed in response , “Nobara I am not dating anyone from kismet. Never mind choso , he’s a real piece of work , he was rude and plus he got the coffee spilled on not just him but me too!! Ugh but he is very attractive up close in the natural light if you’re wondering that “

“But he was like smiling and stuff and you guys looked like you were having a good conversation in the videos I saw” she insisted , “yeah well it’s all fabricated by the press” . you heard the door open to the back of the coffee shop , your coworker stood at the door , “hey y/n this guy is in here asking for you , looks important” . You sighed before standing up , “Nobara I gotta go I’ll see you later tonight mkay”

You walked back in to the coffee shop after hanging up the phone to Nobara , a tall blonde man. His face chiseled and eyes tired , “hi y/n? Do you have a couple minutes to chat?” You stood around and looked at your coworker , “it’s okay it’s a couple minutes I can do this for a couple minutes” you smiled and nodded . You walked around to the front to stand with the man , he led you to a table in the back and sat down , “do you not want to order anything whilst you’re here?” You asked before joining him sitting down , he shook his head , “don’t overwork yourself , you see where it’ll get you” he half smiled , you just stayed silence in response , he bowed his head , “sorry it was a joke , nevertheless why I’m here . My name is Kento Nanami , I am the band manager for Kismet . It’s a band I’m not sure if you’re familiar but you had a run in with one of the members , choso. Uhh..I’m not sure how to put this I’ve never had to do this before. I would like you to consider , for the image of the band for the bands benefit- your benefit too don’t get me wrong. I’d like you to go home tonight call me back up and consider perhaps making an arrangement with”

“Are you asking me to fake date choso?”

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @stobinmonth and @corrodedcoffinfest.

We've Been Over This

Stobin Month Prompt: Prom & CCF Spring Break Prompt: "I've got two words for you. Spring. Break." | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: M | POV: Steve | Pairing: Platonic Stobin, Pre-Steddie, Robin Pining for Vickie | CW: Mention of Temporary Character Death, Brief Vamp Biting/Feeding, Mild Sexual Content, Language | Tags: Post S4, Hawkins Sticking Its Head In The Sand, Vampire Eddie, Dinguses x 3

"Vickie's taking her boyfriend to Enzo's for the alternative prom thing," Robin says. "I can't believe we're even having prom."

"What? Why?" Steve asks.

"I've got two words for you: Spring. Break," then she rolls her eyes, "The town's still falling into itself, or haven't they noticed?"

"Yeah, but they don't know what really happened. They want to get dressed up and fuck in motel rooms. You know. High school."

"That's not everybody's high school experience, believe me," Robin says, then thunks her forehead to the table, mumbling, "I can't believe I actually want to go."

Steve's ears perk up at that, "You, Robin Buckley, want to go to the prom?"

"Shut up," she says, "Like, I'm not. Obviously. But I could, like, see her in a pretty dress."

"And you'd be wearing a dress? Borrowed from Nancy?"

"Absolutely not, you saw what she made me wear last time."

Steve smiles, "You should go. Eat. Look at Vickie."

"I'm not going to the prom alone, dingus. I'm a loser, but I'm not that big of one."

"I'll take you," Steve says, easily. Like, he can do that. He's not scared of prom. 

"We're not going to prom. We have other things to worry about," she says. "Dustin is adamant Eddie's a vampire."

"Eddie's not a vampire. Eddie's dead."

"Tell Dustin that."

"Henderson's trying to cope, leave him alone."

"Well, Gareth thinks so, too," Robin says. 

"Who's Gareth?" Steve asks. 

Robin rolls her eyes, "Curly hair, bit of a yapper."

"That's Henderson."

"That's also Gareth," Robin says. "He's in Eddie's band. Corroded Coffin. The drummer."

"Oh. Him," Steve says dryly. He doesn't care for that kid. Every time he's approached Steve, he's been all arrogant, and Steve wants nothing to do with it.

Eddie died, and Steve feels like that's his fault. He doesn't need some kid he doesn't know disappointed in him.

He feels that enough with Henderson, thanks.

"I'll take you to prom. Get a dress. Or slacks. Whatever," he declares, and as far as he's concerned, that's that.

Prom over, Steve's taking off his rented tux while Robin changes in the bathroom, when he catches movement outside his window. He whips towards it, expecting nothing. He's used to jumping at his own shadow. 

Instead, there are feet. Floating feet, near the top of his window. Black boots, untied laces.

He's imagining things. Boots don't float. 

Still, he reaches for his nailbat. He was hoping he wouldn't need this so soon, or ever, again.

He looks upwards, seeing the ripped jeans, the bullet belt. He taps on the glass.

Eddie floats down.

"Uh, hi, I thought I was hidden," he says, bobbing there.

"Like a baby playing peek-a-boo? I could see your feet."

"Shut up. I'm just saying hi."

"You're floating," Steve says, as if that's not obvious, following his every move. It seems rhythmic.

"Yeah, I can do that now," Eddie says, muffled through the glass.

Steve pulls up the window, even if it's a bad idea. Eddie doesn't move.

"You'll have to invite me in," Eddie says, "if you aren't scared."

"I'm not scared," Steve says. He's terrified, but it also seems like Eddie. He's never claimed to make good decisions.

"Henderson said you were a vampire."

"Yeah, Gareth told me," Eddie says. "Not sure how he figured it out. I've been laying low."

"Yeah, hovering outside my window is really laying low. Get in here, asshole."

And just like that, Eddie grabs a hold of the frame, and pulls himself inside. 

"Are you gonna kill me?" Steve asks.

"Wasn't planning on it," Eddie answers, flopping on Steve's bed, crossing his feet at the ankles. He's filthy. "Why so fancy?"

Steve pulls the necktie loose, "Robin's prom."

"You're dating Buckley? What happened to Wheeler?"

"I'm not dating either of them," Steve answers. He's not explaining their fake date to a fake prom.

He starts unbuttoning his shirt.

Eddie makes a noise, a guttural growl, and Steve slowly turns around, "I thought you said you weren't gonna kill me."

"I'm not," Eddie answers, but his eyes are blown wide, and have slipped from deep brown to yellow, his face changing.

"Eddie," Steve stresses, "your face says otherwise."

Eddie holds up his hands, and swallows, "I can hear your blood pumping. Can see your big, sexy neck veins pulsing."

Steve laughs, tossing back his head, and that makes Eddie groan louder.

"Harrington, you're killing me. This's like a second puberty. And I'm starving, while you're just laying out a buffet."

Oh.

Steve stops laughing.

"Do you…do you want to bite me?"

Eddie covers his eyes with his hands.

"I can still see you. We've been over this."

"I'm not gonna bite you," Eddie says, and now he has a lisp because of the fangs. It's not scary, it's funny, and Steve isn't sure why. He's something that crawled out of the depths of hell, just like a demodog, changed, mutated, but…it's Eddie.

He's pretty sure it's still Eddie.

"That's not what I asked. I asked if you wanted to bite me."

"Are you offering?" 

"Maybe."

Steve sits next to him, baring his throat, "Don't kill me." 

Eddie sinks his fangs in at the same time Robin opens the door, and screams bloody murder. 

Steve yanks away. He'd forgotten she was here. Now his neck's bleeding, and Eddie's scrambling.

"Sorry!" he lisps.

"Eddie IS a vampire!" Robin yells, and reaches for something, anything, coming up with Steve's lamp. It's still plugged in, but Steve is more worried about his bleeding neck. "You enthralled him!"

"I didn't mean to!" Eddie says, hands up.

"My neck," Steve says, and Robin and Eddie both move at once. Robin's yanked back by the cord, so Eddie gets there first. Peeling back Steve's hand. 

Tongue pressing to the wounds, fangs sliding back in, and Steve tilts his head back, dick going hard in his slacks.

Oh.

That's new.

He closes his eyes, ignoring Robin's unasked for two cents:

"Oh, that's just gross."

Steve definitely disagrees.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries, check out @corrodedcoffinfest to read takes on Spring Break prompts, or to offer up your own!

For more Stobin, pop on over to @stobinmonth to follow along with the fun!

Notes: The floating outside the window is definitely inspired by the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. I loved it as a kid. Campy fun. "Oooh, aahhhh. Owww. Oooh." I feel like Eddie the Vamp would also be that kind of drama llama, for sure, lol.

[prlssprfctn]

BACK AGAIN-

This post popped up and my god im enamored-

https://www.tumblr.com/the--firevenus/778288180830027776/an-au-concept-where-bruce-wayne-die-but-the-batman?source=share

Thoughts???

(@batfambrainrotbeloved)

hi, darling! glad to see you in my inbox again! first of all (@the--firevenus) cooked with his concept, second of all, THANKS for showing it to me!!!

as a firm believer that Batman's cowl shall end on Bruce, i actually like this so-so much! and the amount of the angst potential coming along with it for his kids? muah-muah. imagine, trying to overcome your parent's death, while there is his shadowy, eerie and non-existing as a person *something* lurking on the background. it is quite literally an empty thing, a vessel, not even a person - and it somehow hurts more. and this vessel, this something, lurches to protect batkids sometimes (because Bruce would, and this eerie something copies his actions and movements) and it hurts even more.

because that is not their dad. but it is so tempting, to pretend for a minute that it is.

i imagine this eerie something cannot speak and generally doesn't have any real mind, thoughts etc, etc. but batkids still try to talk with it sometimes. they murmur things to it, hoping to receive some reactions, they yell, they cry, they ask advices - the only answer is silence.

just imagine, Cass sitting on the same roof with It, staring, knowing that it is nothing and no one, but still feeling an urge to be around. Dick, who tries to strike a conversation with It, and ends up screaming on it for hours until there is nothing but tears in his eyes, and It just leaves. Tim, feeling as a kid again, stalking Batman's shadow from the roof, but never coming closer - just watching, imagining things that cannot be real; this time for sure. Damian, who pointedly ignores It until once the shadow shields him, and Damian feverishly tries to catch the tip of the cloak of the shadow with his fingers like he would if Bruce would be here, and failing. Jason, who monologues with It unwillingly, intentionally saying things that would make Bruce mad, but getting nothing from his shadow.

urghhh, the angst potential is just *so-so*!

[dannydoesthisthing27]

☆♡That Night♡☆

A oneshot of Darlin' remembering the night Sam asked them to marry him.

Word Count - 691

Cw: references to prior acts of aggression

Short preview - "I can't believe it's been 20 years since then. The only thing crazier is that we're still here, on the same couch. Even if it's a new house, in a different part of the city, we're holding each other close in front of a warm fire, watching a movie we've seen a thousand times."

I hope yall enjoy! I have had this as a work in progress for a few weeks and just recently finished it to the point I feel comfortable posting :]

It was cold that night. The kind of cold you don't notice until a warm hand caresses your face and guides you back inside. The cold that nips at your nose and the tips of your ears, dying them a soft red. We were driving home from a solstice party with the pack. We were going slow, it was icy out after all, there was no reason to rush. We had our music and each other, that was all we really needed. It was moments like that, moments of peace; a peace we each had to fight so hard to get. A peace that was coveted from bloodshed and tears, sewn together by hands better suited for tearing the fabric apart. Moments that made me grateful he stayed...that he saw past the wolf snapping its teeth and growling...the aggression...he didn't see that part, or maybe he just ignored it. He saw the wounded dog trying to protect itself. He saw someone worth waiting for. He waited for me, even when I snapped and snarled and spit things at him. Things that should never be said to a soul like his...things he didn't do anything to hear...I wish sometimes I was able to take it back. Then again if I had I wouldn't be sitting here now, with his head in my lap, and a smile on my lips. That night though, good lord above that night. I had no clue he had anything planned, thinking back on it though...that nervous tension across his shoulders...the way that smile flickered when he thought I wasn't looking...that...quiet caution the whole week leading up to it. I really was oblivious, too focused on what we were doing to realize what he was doing. When we pulled out to the old docks I really thought he just wanted some fresh air, or to stretch his legs for a minute. We went to the docks out on the lake a lot, it was a place we both knew well, a spot we'd been coming for years at that point. I was walking a few feet behind like I usually do, just watching him do his thing. He was so nervous I could practically see the gears in his head. I nearly made him come back to the car with me to try and help him relax. The last thing I was expecting was to catch up to him and have him kneel down with a box in his hands. I mean the look on my face must have shaken him out of his nerves for a second because he was smiling again. I remember every word he said in that moment, but those are for me. Suffice to say we were both bleary-eyed at the end. I've never been that speechless in my life, I nearly passed out if I'm being honest...I don't think I've ever told him that...hm...Anyways, once I recovered, I think I probably said yes a dozen times. He had to shut me up at one point to reassure me he was listening, and we were both ok. I can't believe it's actually been 20 years since then. The only thing crazier is that we're still here, on the same couch. Even if it's a new house, in a different part of the city, we're holding each other close in front of a warm fire, watching a movie we've seen a thousand times. I never thought I could be happy like this. I never believed someone could love me the way he does. Like I'm something to be cherished in the same way I cherish him. Someone who had every reason to walk away from me, a person who had to crack open my walls with his bare hands and open heart. Someone I hold in the highest regards, a person unapologetically himself at every turn. A person I not only love, but a person I enjoy knowing and being known by. How lucky do I have to be to have found my other half before I even knew I was looking.

[ceceswithnopizza]

Two weeks after seeing Joshua with another woman, Lorena decides to move on

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of sex, flashbacks are bold and italicized, and I changed Jordan’s name so if you read Mr.Holloway and Mr.Calloway it’s the same person!!!

Words 2.02k

Joshua “Josh/Jey” Fatu x Lorena “ReRe/Rena”

Catch up here

2 weeks later

Normally I would’ve been addressed Joshua and his mystery lover, but I’ve come to the conclusion that me and Josh will never work out. We don’t align anymore three years ago I just wanted the sex and occasional fun outing. I’m almost thirty-five I’ve been wrestling since I was fourteen years old and eighteen years old professionally.

Jeys been married he’s had children who are now all in their preteens or older. There’s a strong chance he won’t want to get married or have more children.

Thirty- thirty one was the year I decided that I wanted to have kids, get married and have that dream. Joshua and I just need to go back to being cordial co-workers and he clearly already has someone else to play with.

“What about Joshua?” Trin said as she sat on my bed not helping me get ready at all.

“What about him?” I shrugged holding my still hot curl in my hand as I sprayed it as it cooled down.

“I just think you should talk to him.” She said softly looking at me through my vanity mirror.

“About what? We’re not exclusive and he’s been having his fun. I’m over fun trin I want a family.” I tried to explain but she was starting to get on my last nerve.

Was she here as my best friend or as Joshua’s sister?

“You don’t know that! Were you sure that was him I mean you were kinda tipsy.” She tried to ‘reason’ again.

“Look trinity I love you I do, but lately you haven’t been a very good friend. It seems like you’re here for Joshua and not me.” I calmly explained trying to hide the fact that my heart was beating like crazy.

Having trinity meant the world to me, I didn’t have much other family out here and if I did they didn’t support me. Trin is really all I have. But if she’s not here to be my friend then I don’t know what I’ll do.

“Is that how you really feel?” Trin said hopping off of the bed standing close with me.

“I do lately since yall found out about us. It seems like everything’s about him.” I eased down.

“I’m so sorry you feel like that it’s just, I know you don’t have much blood family I just want you to be happy. And the way I’ve seen you smile with him you don’t even smile like that in the ring. I just want the best for you and I’m sorry if I’ve been pushing.” She said her eyes started to water and mine followed.

“It’s alright!” I said as we hugged tightly slightly rocking from side to side.

Ding dong

“Wait let me answer the door so I can scare him a little.” She upped and let go and ran out to the door. Staying behind hitting post on my instagram pictures as I checked for everything I may need and I walked to the door.

Standing there in all his handsome glory was my Mr.Holloway he stood just under six feet. He has a gray tight plaid suit with a pristine white button up and sleek molten chocolate brown dress shoes. And my favorite flowers pink and white tulips.

“Mr.Holloway” I gazed reaching up at my five’ four stature as we hesitantly broke our hug as he raised my hand with his intertwined and spun me in a slow circle.

“ReRe you are truly sculpted by the gods.” He said as I made a full circle now facing face to face he was already looking down on me with that charming smile that made me flutter ever since high school.

My dress suddenly clung to me too tight, too restricting. I wanted to feel his hands against my bare skin as they rested on my waist. All of a sudden I was that same girl that sat behind the hot football player in high school.

“Yeah yeah you make sure you have her back at what time?” Trin quizzed with a pointing look.

“8:30” he laughed out sending my heart a different rhythm.

“Girl 8:30 the reservations are for 9?” I said finally breaking away from his beautiful face.

“Well it seems to me yall should’ve been hopping on!” She said sounding like somebody’s grandmother.

- At the restaurant

“You’ve been staring at me since we’ve sat down, should I be flattered or concerned?” I teased tilting my head a little with a small smile.

“I can’t help it, you’re a work of art.” He blushed out looking at something that wasn’t me.

“Are you nervous? Do I have the Mr.Holloway nervous?” I gazed in dramatic disbelief leaning back into my chair as he tried to find the words. And he did quickly.

“You always had that effect on me, come on now! Yeah yeah but how’s life treating you?” He asked taking a moment to bask in the scenery of this beautifully lit restaurant. It was like a lit cave in a way. I had always wanted to eat here but they were always booked up.

“It’s amazing I am a champion right now. I’m traveling more than ever, I love what I do.” I beamed.

“And your husband?” He asked

“I don’t have one, or a boyfriend!” I shrugged and for the first time during the night I thought of him again.

“How come? You’ve always wanted to be married and I know now you to go after what you want!” He said taking my hands in his giving me his undivided attention. I guess sensing the change.

“To be honest I was seeing this guy, he’s already been married and had kids. He can never tell me the real but I don’t want to talk about him anymore.” I expressed since when was my life so Joshua focused?

“Well we don’t have to but let me say, it sounds like you’ve got your answer.” He was absolute right shaking off the last thoughts of Jey.

“Come on I want you to see something.” Calling for and paying the check Mr.calloway lead me to the car.

Cause I love you by Lenny Williams began to play.

“Can I sing for you baby?” He said taking my surly nervous hands into his much larger ones. Kissing the back of my hands with his plump, warm, soft lips. A cooling shiver trailed up my arm all the way down leaving goosebumps in their wake.

A eighteen year old Lorena sat in the grass, alone under a nice fragrant magnolia tree on the LSU campus. Her thick glasses heavy in her nose as she poured over her books.

Not paying attention to anything but the pages as she had her headphones in to her brand new iPod an early gift for her upcoming nineteen birthday gift. She didn’t notice when a tall figure stalked over quickly snatching her IPod.

“Whatcha listening to?” Jordan Calloway said before squinting down under the blistering sun.

“You listen to old people music?” He laughed handing it back to the shorter girl who didn’t put up a fight once she saw who it was.

“I don’t listen to old people music I listen to real music something somebody can’t relate too.” She teased back. Smoothing her skirt out under her legs.

“Don’t hate on Nelly”

“How you know I was talking about him?” She pointed with a smirk watching him as he sat down beside her.

“Yeah yeah get with the times” he fired back.

“I can’t I need music that feeds my heart. Sometimes I need to shake a lil something most of the times I need my soul to be feed. My heart to best different.” She went on missing the set stare on his face as he watched her face.

The way his heart swell just like the music she spoke of. She was his music. He felt her with every step he took in every game he played he searched for her even though, he knew she’d would always come even if she said otherwise.

The real ache latched when he realized they wouldn’t work. He was going to the nba he wouldn’t have time. He would’ve given it all up for her if she just said the word.

Which she always knew and as they listened and sang her favorite song she wanted to selfishly let him. But she wouldn’t.

“You know maybe you’ve never been in love like I’ve been in love.” He sang as if he was actually preforming. Laughing as he cracked at the high notes. Laughing through time we ended up at a quaint creek. The water having a crest glow from the moon.

“So first you take me to a nice restaurant, queue my favorite song and then you take me to this beautiful pond-ish thing.” I stared into his hazel eyes that I wanted to fall deep into.

“Nah, ReRe everything besides this and dinner wasn’t planned. But this is.” He said snaking his hands around my waist as I raised my arms fitting them around his neck as we shared a tender kiss that quickly intensified.

“Can I take you home.” He said breaking away laughing at what must have been my face.

The kiss truly felt like we were the only two people. In an Adam and Eve way.

“Please” I basically moaned out.

-

Meanwhile

Joshua paced and paced in his hotel room it was been almost three weeks since he had seen Lorena.

“Uce you gonna give yourself a nose bleed all that pacing damn?” John said irritated at his twin this had been happening for almost an hour. Joshua seemed zoned out throughout their entire day.

“Man shut up, why hasn’t she talked to me?” He asked pausing for the moment making John smack his teeth.

“Why haven’t you talking to her- probably since you been busy fucking that giant.” He tried to whisper that last part but not really.

“Huh?” He said for the first time today giving his full attention to John.

“She’s far from dumb she probably saw yall leave the club. I mean Trin tried to distract her at the bar but I don’t think it really worked.” He shrugged.

Lorena had been around for a while and he had gotten used to her so when Joshua and GiGi started messing around he got weird having to choose between someone he considered a best friend/sister-in-law and his twin but he had already chosen. He felt awful for Lorena but stood where he always had. Beside Joshua.

“Shit, I need to talk to her.” he said rushing out before John could say anything about the Mr.Calloway character.

Lorena and Trinity’s talk?

Jey and GIGi?

Trinity distracting Lorena at the bar?

Mr.Calloway?

Tags 🏷️

@christinabae

[beforetimes]

Okay listen.

Listen.

Hear me out.

Your Shizun!Luo Binghe AU where he and Shen Yuan "switched roles". But acctualy it's an AU of your AU where it was still SY who died for LBH. With basically the whole plant-body thing still happening tho.

Imagine the angst.

ouhhh i do see the vision... logistically there would be a lot going on! like!!!

one ) the issue of the plant body. i don't think it would work in this au, unfortunately. i think i recall the plant body deteriorating when in contact with demonic cultivation/energy. so unfortunately it wouldn't work out long-term for shen yuan D: maybe instead of that, it would be more of a situation where? shen yuan's half-demon body was torn apart to such a degree that it seemed as though things were hopeless and he was dead. but piece by piece, bit by bit, his body dragged itself back and stitched itself together again. if you are catching my drift.

i think that this sort of scenario would give the story enough time between his death in jinlan and his eventual return!

two ) in canon, it's luo binghe having an awful time because of xin mo before shen yuan stepped in and died. here, though? i don't see a reason for luo binghe to be having one of those fits. at least not to the intensity where it'd tear someone apart and self-sacrifice was the only option. maybe we can still go with the idea of shen yuan being the one freaking out, losing it under the influence of xin mo, before luo binghe tries to step in to help.

and it's his shizun stepping in to help that really snaps him out of it! and doesn't necessarily stop the disaster in its tracks, but makes shen yuan realize that there's no way that he can let luo binghe be hurt because of him — not after the mess with the water prison (which i haven't said much about yet in any of my posts but! i have ideas!) and decides to take xin mo and turn it on himself, taking himself out of the equation before the sword could even think of touching luo binghe.

which would still lead to the aforementioned scenario of shen yuan's body being torn apart and needing to find its way back to itself. but also leave luo binghe behind.

three ) luo binghe's reaction! first: devastated. deeply irreparably devastated. the first time shen yuan died, luo binghe threw himself into his work and refused to acknowledge it. this time: watching it happen again, so close yet unable to stop it the same exact way it happened the first time—? luo binghe would have to be verbally wrangled down from leaving the sect entirely. i think it'd only be the combined efforts of liu qingge, yue qingyuan, and ming fan that would convince luo binghe to stay on the mountain. but he would absolutely regress back to the depressive state he was in before shen yuan entered the narrative. doubly so, even, when you think about how he didn't even really know things could turn up for him before. now he knows what it feels like to be coaxed out of that dark spot in his mind. and realizes the one person who could do that is gone forever.

liu qingge wouldn't know what to do. he'd try breaking into the bamboo house but all his bravado would quickly dissipate when he went into the dark house. small and silent, somehow feeling claustrophobic when he could recall the open windows and lights flooding the space before. he sees luo binghe, curled under the covers with a blank look in his eyes and his heart aches. tries to coax him out for food, only to get a barely-there, croaked and apathetic reassurance that he was practicing inedia and would like to go into seclusion so could no one bother him please?

and liu qingge would just be. so out of his depth. everyone would be, really. they leave luo binghe alone for the first year, and when he finally comes out around the third, people are careful with him. luo binghe, in the meantime, has decided he needs to find shen yuan a second time. he invites liu qingge to come with him; yue qingyuan tells liu qingge, when he informs him of this, that he can't feed luo binghe's delusions and that he's unwell. but liu qingge just purses his lips and tells him firmly that he's not asking for permission but rather informing him. because he will be going. nothing anyone says will convince luo binghe that shen yuan isn't out there and liu qingge knows deep down that if he doesn't go with him, he will never see luo binghe again.

so they leave cang qiong mountain, chasing ghosts for two years before hearing miraculous news in a tavern somewhere close to home, almost too good to be true, about the ghost of a demon lord wreaking havoc near cang qiong mountain, demanding to see proof that peak lord luo binghe wasn't dead.

edit: or maybe not exactlyyy this ending. i think i underestimate shen yuan's obliviousness. maybe he'd still be trying to get away from luo binghe — either because he thinks his shizun would kill him or because he thinks luo binghe will somehow get hurt because of him. either way he might also just choose to! stay as far away as possible. only to eventually get caught out by luo binghe and liu qingge endlessly chasing him down to find him again. shrug. i like the idea of shen yuan terrorizing cang qiong mountain a-la-hua cheng for a while to get his shizun back though lmfao

masterpost

[throttleheart]

⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ Lucky Charm 

Pairing: Lando Norris x fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Slow Burn, Light Angst

Word Count: ~3.1k

Summary: You’ve just started your dream job as a performance analyst at McLaren, determined to stay professional. But when Lando starts treating you like his personal good luck charm, lines blur, and feelings get complicated.

⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻

Your first month at McLaren is a whirlwind of data reports, race simulations, and trying not to trip over your own feet in the garage. You’ve worked too hard to get here—countless nights spent studying telemetry, endless practice interviews, a degree that felt like it stretched a lifetime. And now? Now you’re standing in the middle of the paddock, heart pounding as the team rushes around you before qualifying.

You’re supposed to be focused, analyzing Lando’s sector times, but then—

“Hey.”

You look up just in time to see Lando grinning down at you, still in his race suit, hair damp from the heat. His blue eyes flick over your tablet screen before settling on your face. “Anything good in there?”

You clear your throat, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he is. “Uh—yeah. Your Turn 3 exit is a bit sketchy, but overall, you’re—”

“Fast?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

You roll your eyes, shoving the tablet against his chest. “Decent.”

He laughs, bright and carefree, before giving you a casual tap on the shoulder. “I’ll prove you wrong.”

And he does.

Lando qualifies P2.

After the session, he finds you again, a little breathless, still in his suit, curls sticking to his forehead. “Told you.”

“Alright, alright.” You shake your head, unable to stop the small smile tugging at your lips. “Maybe you’re not completely hopeless.”

The next time he talks to you before a session, he places P3.

The time after that? He wins a race.

It becomes a thing. A ritual.

Before every session, Lando seeks you out. A quick chat, a joke, sometimes just a simple fist bump. And every time, he performs well. The team jokes about it, calling you his good luck charm. At first, you play along, chalking it up to coincidence. But then—

“You know,” Lando says one evening after a particularly chaotic race, “I think it’s actually working.”

You glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “What is?”

“This.” He gestures between the two of you. “Talking to you before a race. Feels… right.”

Your heart stutters in your chest, but you force a chuckle. “So what, you’re just using me for luck?”

His smile falters for half a second—so quick you almost miss it. Then he shakes his head. “Nah,” he says, softer this time. “I think I just like talking to you.”

And suddenly, it doesn’t feel like a superstition anymore.

It feels like something else entirely.

Something real.

⸻

Lando’s words linger in your mind long after he’s left.

“I think I just like talking to you.”

It shouldn’t mean anything. He’s a driver, you’re an analyst, and the garage is always buzzing with adrenaline and post-race emotions. But something about the way he said it, the way his voice softened, makes your heart beat just a little too fast.

You try to shake it off. Professional. You need to be professional.

But Lando doesn’t make that easy.

⸻

The next race weekend in Monza is a blur of heat, strategy meetings, and endless streams of data. You tell yourself to keep your distance, but Lando doesn’t get the memo.

“Where’s my lucky charm?” he calls out before FP3, scanning the garage until his eyes land on you.

The team laughs. You roll your eyes. “You realize this isn’t real, right? Your performance is based on skill, not—”

“Blah, blah, blah.” He waves you off with a smirk before leaning in slightly, just enough to make your breath catch. “But just in case, got anything for me today?”

You huff but play along, pretending to inspect him. “Mmm… helmet’s a bit crooked.”

His hand flies up instantly, adjusting it. “Better?”

“Perfect.”

“Good.” He grins before jogging off to his car.

The worst part? He takes P2 in qualifying. Again.

⸻

By Sunday, the entire paddock seems to be in on the joke. Every time Lando does well, someone—whether it’s a McLaren engineer, a journalist, or even another driver—mentions you.

“Guess we know who to thank if Lando gets another podium!”

“You traveling to every race now, or just the ones where he wants to win?”

You laugh it off, pretend it doesn’t affect you, but Lando? He leans into it.

After a chaotic race, he finishes P3. Instead of celebrating with the team first, he finds you. Sweat-soaked, grinning, energy still buzzing from the adrenaline rush.

He stops right in front of you, eyes bright. “Told you it works.”

Before you can respond, he pulls you into a hug—quick, warm, and entirely unexpected. Your breath catches as his arms tighten for just a second before he pulls away, still grinning.

“Thanks, lucky charm.”

Your face is burning, but before you can say anything, he’s pulled away by his engineers.

You tell yourself it’s nothing. Just Lando being Lando.

But then, later that night, your phone buzzes.

Lando: Dinner? Just us? No luck involved.

Your stomach flips.

Maybe… maybe this is more than just a superstition after all.

⸻

Your fingers hover over the screen, heart hammering.

Dinner? Just us? No luck involved.

Lando’s text stares back at you, casual yet completely not casual at the same time. You should say no. You should remind him that you work together, that you’re supposed to keep things professional.

But your thumbs betray you.

You asking as a friend or as a driver trying to secure another podium?

The response is almost instant.

Lando: What if I’m asking as a guy who just really wants to take you out?

Oh.

You swallow, staring at the message for longer than necessary before typing back:

Fine. But if you lose the next race, I’m blaming your bad dinner choices.

Lando: Deal. Pick you up at 8?

Pick me up? We’re literally in the same hotel, Norris.

Lando: Details, details. See you soon, lucky charm.

⸻

You spend way too much time trying to figure out what to wear. It’s not a date. It shouldn’t be a date. But when you open the door at 8 p.m. sharp and see Lando standing there—hoodie, jeans, hands stuffed into his pockets, but with that ever-present grin—you start to think maybe it is one.

“Ready?” he asks.

“As I’ll ever be.”

He takes you to a small, tucked-away Italian restaurant, far from the usual tourist spots. It’s dimly lit, cozy, the kind of place where the staff greets him like they’ve known him forever.

“You’ve been here before,” you note as you slide into the booth.

He shrugs, smirking. “I like to keep my secrets. Besides, had to impress you somehow.”

You roll your eyes, but your stomach flutters anyway.

Dinner is… easy. Surprisingly so. Lando makes you laugh more times than you can count, telling ridiculous stories from his karting days, his voice animated, hands gesturing wildly. You talk about work, sure, but also about everything but work—movies, music, the worst travel mishaps you’ve ever had.

Somewhere between the second glass of wine and Lando dramatically recounting the time he almost missed a race because he lost his passport (“Listen, I had one job, and I still screwed it up”), you realize something.

This is dangerous.

Not because of the job, not because of the jokes about being his good luck charm. But because this feels natural. Too natural.

And natural things have a way of turning into something real.

⸻

As you leave the restaurant, the cool night air hits your skin, a welcome contrast to the warmth still lingering in your chest. You walk side by side, and for once, Lando isn’t filling the silence with jokes.

He nudges you lightly with his elbow. “So… does this mean I get extra luck next race?”

You shake your head, laughing. “I don’t think it works like that.”

“Hmm.” He pauses, then looks at you, more serious this time. “What if I just wanted an excuse to take you out?”

Your breath catches.

“You wouldn’t need an excuse,” you admit softly.

Lando’s eyes search yours for a moment before a slow smile tugs at his lips. “Good to know.”

And then, without thinking—without overanalyzing like you usually do—you reach for his hand.

Maybe this is more than superstition after all.

⸻

Lando doesn’t let go of your hand.

Not when you weave through the quiet streets back to the hotel. Not when you step into the elevator, the air between you thick with something unspoken. And definitely not when you reach your floor, lingering in the hallway like neither of you really wants the night to end.

His thumb brushes over your knuckles absentmindedly, and you wonder if he even realizes he’s doing it.

“So,” he says, voice softer now, “are you gonna admit it?”

You blink up at him. “Admit what?”

His grin is lazy, teasing—but there’s something else beneath it. Something real. “That maybe, just maybe, I was right about you being my good luck charm.”

You roll your eyes, but your heart isn’t in it. “I think you just like having an excuse to talk to me.”

Lando steps in just a fraction closer, the space between you vanishing. “Maybe,” he murmurs. “And maybe I don’t need an excuse anymore.”

Your breath catches.

This is it.

That tipping point between something playful and something real, between superstition and whatever this is.

And then—

The sound of distant voices echoes down the hall, a group of engineers heading toward their rooms. Lando takes a small step back, exhaling like he’s resetting himself.

“Guess I should let you sleep,” he says, but he still doesn’t let go of your hand.

You squeeze it lightly before finally pulling away. “Night, Norris.”

“Night, lucky charm.”

You don’t miss the way he watches you as you walk away.

⸻

The next morning, the paddock feels different.

Maybe it’s just you. Maybe it’s the way your skin still tingles where Lando’s fingers brushed against yours, or the way your mind replays the moment in the hallway over and over again.

Or maybe it’s the way Lando keeps looking at you.

It starts early. During the strategy briefing, he sits directly across from you, chin resting on his hand, watching you with an infuriating little smirk. When you finally glare at him, he just winks.

Then, during practice, he makes a beeline for you the second he hops out of the car, barely even acknowledging the engineers first.

“Alright, how’d I do?”

You glance at your tablet. “You lost three-tenths in Sector 2.”

Lando groans dramatically. “Maybe I should’ve held your hand before the session.”

Your breath stutters, but before you can respond, one of the mechanics chimes in. “Careful, mate. If you start relying on her too much, you’ll have to bring her on the podium with you.”

Lando’s grin is immediate. “Not a bad idea, actually.”

The team laughs, but you can’t shake the way he’s still looking at you. Like he’s already decided something.

Like this is more than just a joke to him.

⸻

Race day comes faster than you expect.

You tell yourself to focus, to push aside whatever’s happening with Lando and just do your job. But then—

“Lucky charm!”

You barely have time to turn before Lando jogs over, race suit half-zipped, curls slightly damp from the heat.

“You’re really sticking with that nickname, huh?” you tease.

“Obviously. It’s science at this point.” He leans in slightly, voice lowering just for you. “Besides, it’s the best excuse I have to talk to you before every race.”

Your chest tightens.

“Lando—”

“Just—wait here a sec.”

Before you can ask why, he jogs off. You watch, confused, until he returns seconds later—this time holding his spare driver’s cap.

“What are you—”

He lifts it, placing it carefully on your head. His fingers linger at the brim as he tilts it slightly, like he’s adjusting it just right.

“There,” he says, stepping back to admire his work. “Now it’s official.”

You blink up at him. “Now what’s official?”

His smile is softer now. “You’re part of the pre-race ritual.”

Your heart is definitely beating too fast now.

“You better win, Norris,” you manage to say.

Lando just grins. “For you? Always.”

And then he’s gone, jogging toward his car, leaving you standing there in his cap, completely and utterly screwed.

Because if it wasn’t obvious before…

It sure as hell is now.

This isn’t just a ritual anymore.

This is real.

⸻

Lando wins the race.

Not just a podium—a win.

You barely register what’s happening when he crosses the finish line first, the team around you erupting into cheers, engineers shouting, mechanics throwing their arms in the air. The McLaren garage is a blur of orange, people hugging, champagne already being popped somewhere.

And yet, in the middle of the chaos, all you can think about is him.

The moment Lando climbs out of the car, he’s swarmed—by the crew, by cameras, by the world. But then his eyes find you, and it’s like everything else disappears.

You barely have a second to react before he’s running toward you, still breathless, still high on adrenaline.

“Lando—”

But you don’t get to finish, because suddenly, his hands are on your waist, lifting you off the ground, spinning you in a dizzying circle.

“You’re actually insane,” you laugh, gripping onto his race suit.

“Insanely fast,” he shoots back, grinning.

When he finally sets you down, his hands linger—one resting against your back, the other still holding onto your arm, like he’s making sure you’re real.

His voice lowers, just for you. “Told you it works.”

Your heart stutters. “Lando—”

“Let me have this moment first, yeah?” he murmurs, eyes flicking between yours. “Then we’ll talk.”

There’s something unspoken in his gaze, something that makes your stomach flip. But before you can respond, the team is pulling him away, dragging him toward the podium.

You stand there, dazed, as you watch him climb to the top step, the anthem playing, the trophy lifted high. The whole world is watching him—but he keeps looking at you.

And you realize, in that moment, that this was never just a superstition for him.

Not even close.

⸻

The celebration lasts all night.

The McLaren team floods the paddock club, drinks flowing, music blasting. Lando is in the center of it all—laughing, dancing, letting everyone pour champagne on him. But every so often, his gaze flickers to you across the room, like he’s making sure you’re still there.

You try to keep your distance. Not because you want to, but because you don’t trust yourself. Not after what happened in the garage. Not after the way he held you like that.

But Lando doesn’t let you avoid him for long.

“You’re hiding,” he accuses, sliding into the seat next to you.

“I’m sitting,” you correct. “There’s a difference.”

He tilts his head, studying you. “Why are you sitting alone?”

“Just needed a breather.”

His lips twitch. “From me?”

“From everything,” you say, but you both know that’s a lie.

Lando leans in slightly, his voice quieter now. “You remember what I said earlier? About talking after the race?”

You swallow. “Yeah.”

“Still want to avoid that?”

You hesitate. “I just… don’t know what you want me to say.”

Lando exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. For the first time all night, he looks nervous. “I don’t need you to say anything,” he admits. “I just need to know if I’m the only one feeling this.”

Your stomach twists.

“Lando…”

“You don’t have to give me an answer right now,” he continues quickly. “I just—I need you to know that this isn’t just some joke to me. Or a lucky charm thing. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

Your breath catches.

He watches you carefully, as if bracing himself for rejection. But there’s no hesitation when you finally reach for his hand, intertwining your fingers.

“You’re not the only one,” you say softly.

Lando’s grin is immediate, relief flooding his face. He squeezes your hand, pulling you just a little closer.

“Good,” he murmurs, eyes shining. “Because I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to fake another superstition just to keep talking to you.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “But you like me anyway.”

And for once, you don’t argue.

⸻

Lando doesn’t let go of your hand for the rest of the night.

Not when the team drags him back onto the dance floor. Not when champagne is spilled (multiple times). Not even when he’s pulled into photos, making sure you’re right there beside him, his arm slung around your waist like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And the thing is? It is.

By the time you both escape the party—slipping out onto the quiet hotel balcony overlooking the city—it’s well past 2 a.m. The celebration is still raging downstairs, but up here, everything feels still. Peaceful.

Lando leans against the railing, exhaling deeply. “Think I still have champagne in my hair.”

You grin, reaching up instinctively, fingers brushing through his damp curls. “Yeah, you do.”

He watches you carefully, eyes flickering between yours. “You gonna fix it for me, lucky charm?”

You roll your eyes, but your heart stutters all the same. “You have to stop calling me that.”

Lando hums. “Mmm… nope.”

Before you can protest, he turns slightly, facing you fully. The teasing fades just a little, replaced by something quieter. More serious.

“I meant what I said earlier,” he murmurs.

You know exactly what he’s talking about.

“I know.”

Lando shifts, his hand finding yours again, playing with your fingers absentmindedly. “You still sure I’m not imagining this?”

Instead of answering, you take a small step closer. You don’t know if it’s the leftover adrenaline, the buzz of the night, or just the fact that you’ve wanted this for far longer than you ever let yourself admit.

But when you finally tilt your chin up and press your lips to his, none of that matters anymore.

Lando freezes for half a second—like he can’t believe it’s actually happening—before he melts into you completely, his free hand sliding to your waist, pulling you closer. The kiss is slow, unhurried, like neither of you are in any rush to let go.

When you finally break apart, his forehead rests against yours, breath uneven.

“Yeah,” Lando whispers, a grin tugging at his lips. “Definitely not imagining this.”

You laugh softly, fingers still curled into the fabric of his hoodie. “Good.”

He presses another quick kiss to your forehead before pulling back slightly, eyes twinkling. “So, does this mean I get extra good luck now?”

You groan, shoving him lightly. “You cannot make this a racing superstition.”

Lando just grins, catching your hand again. “Too late. You kissed me before the next race weekend. Pretty sure that means I’m winning again.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“And yet,” he says, voice dropping, “you kissed me anyway.”

You huff, but you don’t deny it.

Because, well… he’s not wrong.

⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻ ⸻

[rangersoup]

WIP Wednesday

Here's a little sneak peek of what's to come in Chapter 4 of The Lone Ranger which will be posted this coming Sunday!

Catch up on previous chapters here: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Sam’s climb into his truck is slow, his back is screaming now, cussing him out for not staying in the hospital and getting prescribed pain medication. He tosses the trail cam into the passenger seat, and throws his hat down on top of it before settling into the drivers seat. He takes a second to breathe, closing his eyes and letting his head rest against the back of the seat. He takes a couple deep breaths that really don’t help things. Why does it have to hurt so fucking bad? His moment of peace and quiet doesn’t last long and gets interrupted by his phone ringing. He lets out a groan and digs in his pocket for it. Chief Jones’ name is lighting up his screen.  “Go for Campbell,” Sam says, answering the phone, his voice a little more hoarse than it should be. The four wheeler ride was definitely better than walking, but it was still rough. “Where are you?” she demands. She sounds stressed and even a little angry. “I’ve been trying to reach you for over an hour.” “Doin some good ol’ fashioned detective work,” Sam replies, glancing over at his passenger seat. That camera better have something useable on it. “Well you need to be at the hospital. Like yesterday.” “Did something happen? Is Reyes okay?” Sam asks, straightening up in his seat, a new wave of concern coming over him. “Yes and no.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “There was a shooting.” “What?!” “Someone took a shot at him through his room’s window. They missed him, but got a nurse. Your presence here would be greatly appreciated, Ranger.” “But he’s not hit?” “No,” Jones replies. “He’s fine– or as fine as he has been.” “On my way,” Sam promises, and hangs up. They’re taking shots at him through hospital windows now? He puts his truck in drive and switches on the lights. If it happened an hour ago, he probably doesn’t need to be running with his lights and sirens on, but he doesn’t care.

tags below the cut...

Thank you for the tags @my-beloved-lakes @emsprovisions @lemonlyman-dotcom @thisbuildinghasfeelings @heartstringsduet @annoyingcloudearthquake @tellmegoodbye

And because its so late in the evening and im sure mostly everyone has already posted, OPEN TAG!

[div6down]

ꗃ ˖ ࣪ 𓂃 ✦ FWB!CHRIS X BAMBI!READER AND THEY MEET AGAIN BLURB

your laid out on the cool sand, arms holding you up as you watch the calm waves crash onto shore. it was a nice night out. warm enough to appreciate the ocean breeze against your skin.

you take some deep breaths and stretch out your body, fully at ease after slipping away from the overbearing crowd of drunk twenty-something year olds.

that breath suddenly gets caught in your throat as he appears into your line of sight.

chris.

he’s there, leaning against an old beach post, arms crossed, beer dangling from his fingertips as if he’s too cool to be here.

he flashes his boyish grin when he catches you staring and pushes off the post, walking towards you like he’s got all the time in the world. his hair is all messy from the wind and his trunks hung low on his waist, the sunset giving a nice contour of his v-line.

“look who it is” he lets out a breathy chuckle and stops close enough to nudge his knee with yours. “why you all by yourself, huh?”

you glance up at him, sat right on your towel, giving no personal space and oddly enough you didn’t mind. maybe it was his inviting nature or just the fact that he was fine as hell but none the less you liked his presence. “just needed a breather i guess”

he hums and nods his head, eyes still dancing across your face, “you look over this shit.”

you exhale a short laugh and shake your head, “i’m just tired of entertaining random ass guys trying to impress me.”

chris smirks before taking another swig from his bottle. “good thing im not a random then.”

“debatable”

his grin widens, “debatable, damn, that’s how it is?”

you shrug, teasingly, “i barley know you”

chris exhales and sits his beer down in the sand before scooting closer to you. he allows a hand to fall on your thigh, not too high for comfort before he leans in, “i’ll tell you whatever you wanna’ know sweetheart.”

his crystal blue eyes were locked on your brown ones. sharp and steady like they were the only ones on the beach.

you could feel it.

the weight of his gaze, the way it made the air feel too thick and the heat rushing to your face. eventually you cracked, giggling and turning the other way like a little girl.

the wind blew through your curls, pushing your hair back and spiking chris’ attention even more. “oh shit, you tatted up?” he’s bring his fingers to the back of your ear, barley skimming over the dainty little lotus, sending tingles down your spine.

“this the only one?”

you pressed your lips together finally finding the courage to face him again, “mm, i got a few”

“you tryna’ give me a tour?” his eyes flickered with something interested, intent.

“you’re a little nosy aren’t you”

he kisses his teeth while rubbing the back of his neck, “see this is me tryna’ get to know you” you playfully rolled your eyes while holding a smile on your lips melting at every word he says, not that it would take too much convincing, you loved talking about your tattoos.

“this one’s my favorites, there’s no meaning behind it though” you bunched your hair together revealing the angle wings in the back of your neck. chris studies it in awe like he’s genuinely appreciating the sight in front of him.

“suites y’well.”

chris licks his lips, noticing another flower on your hip bone. he absentmindedly fiddles with the string of your bikini bottom, still mesmerized by this new side of you he’s discovering. “what’s up wit’ this right here?”

“its uh— a lily” your breathed out, “i— i got this with my mom.. before i moved to la,” you tried to concentrate on your thought as chris’ hands remained on you. your stumbling over your words, giggling like crazy feeling like your a part of some goddamn humiliation ritual.

chris smirks, “damn, you good?”

you open your mouth then close it when his thumb drags a little lower, tracing the edge of your tattoo. his touch being too much too soon, suddenly making your brain short-circuit.

“stop..” you dragged out in a whining tone, tilting your head back in attempt to hide the blush on your cheeks.

he laughs, finally pulling his hand away but not moving back completely. “alright, relax ma, jus’…appreciating you”

“appreciate me from distance.”

tags 𓂅 @sturns-mermaid @riasturns @mattsleftball @luckysouls @chrissweetheart @sheluvsthesturniolos @courta13 @stvrniolotrxpl3ts @mattslolita @sweetheartsangel

જ⁀➴

‧₊ ᵎᵎ blog🪽 ⋅ ˚✮

[riecoeur]

after the show.

pairing — husband!wonbin x fem!reader

summary — you slip backstage at riize’s concert with a thermos of tea for wonbin’s tired voice, ready to surprise your husband after his final performance of the night. well, he comes offstage sweaty and buzzing, and despite the chaos, he’s all smiles and sweet confessions just for you, making you feel like the only person in his world.

warnings — none, just tooth-rotting fluff and a little teasing from the members.

📌 any feedback are appreciated, i’d love to know what you think of my first mini-series, request open or send ask → 💌🦕🩵 !

🏷️ taglist ; @strawbrryvyy

the air backstage is thick with energy, fans still screaming beyond the walls, staff darting around like they’ve got a million places to be. you’re tucked in a corner near riize’s dressing room, a thermos of honey-lemon tea warm in your hands, waiting for the perfect moment. wonbin’s been texting you all day about this show, his voice was already scratchy this morning, and you could tell he was pushing through.

so here you are, ready to surprise him after his last stage of the night, feeling a little giddy at the thought of seeing his face light up.

you’ve done this before.

snuck in with the staff’s blessing, badge clipped to your jacket, blending into the chaos. they know you by now, the quiet wife who shows up with something homemade and a smile just for their vocalist. the dressing room door swings open, and you peek inside. shotaro’s sprawled out, fanning himself with a magazine, sungchan’s chugging water like he’s run a marathon, eunseok’s stretching his arms with that cool-guy smirk. seunghan’s scrolling his phone, sohee’s peeling off his stage jacket, and anton’s sitting cross-legged, texting furiously, well probably texting his mom.

wonbin’s not there yet, he’s still out on stage, wrapping up the encore. you can hear the faint pulse of the music, the crowd losing it as riize gives their all one last time.

you set the thermos on a table and linger near the door, fiddling with the hem of your sweater, trying not to look too obvious. the boys haven’t noticed you yet, too caught up in their post-show haze, and you’re fine with that.

keeps the surprise intact.

then the door bangs open,

and there he is, park wonbin, stumbling in with that wild, post-stage energy, hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, jacket half-unzipped, chest heaving. his eyes are bright, cheeks flushed, and he’s got the biggest smile you’ve ever seen, smile like he’s just conquered the world and can’t wait to tell you about it. the others cheer as he flops against the wall, catching his breath, but then he spots you, and that smile? it doubles, lighting up the whole damn room.

“jagi-ah?”

he says, voice rough and a little broken from singing his heart out. he’s across the floor before you can blink, all sweaty and warm and not caring one bit.

“you’re here?”

“surprise,” you say, holding up the thermos with a grin.

“brought tea for that voice of yours. you sound like you’ve been yelling at me all night.”

he laughs and god, that raspy, happy sound and grabs the thermos, but his eyes don’t leave yours.

“you didn’t have to do this,”

he says, soft, like it’s just you two in the middle of all this noise. his free hand finds yours, fingers lacing through like it’s second nature, and he’s so close you can feel the heat rolling off him.

“had to,” you say, brushing a damp strand of hair from his eyes.

“couldn’t let my husband lose his voice on me. and i wanted to see you up there, you were incredible.”

“gross, they’re doing it again,”

seunghan calls from the couch, smirking through a mouthful of chips he’s scavenged from somewhere. sungchan snorts, tossing a towel at him, and anton groans,

“can you not?”

wonbin rolls his eyes but doesn’t budge, just pulls you closer until his forehead’s almost touching yours.

“ignore them,”

he mutters, voice low, and then he leans in, all sweaty and grinning, trying to plant a kiss right on your lips.

“wonbin!”

you laugh, dodging just enough so he catches your cheek instead, his lips warm and a little salty.

“you’re a mess, go shower first!”

“don’t care,” he says, that smile still plastered on his face, eyes crinkling at the edges.

“been thinking about you all night. you were out there, right? saw you in the crowd, kept me going.”

your heart does a little somersault, he’s still got that shy edge, even after years together, and it kills you every time.

“front row,”

you admit, wiping a bead of sweat off his jaw with your sleeve.

“couldn’t miss it. you killed that last note…raspy and all.”

he ducks his head, blushing under the praise, and takes a sip of the tea, humming like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted.

“this is perfect,” he says, looking at you over the rim.

“you’re perfect. how do you always know what i need?”

“wife instincts,”

you tease, and he laughs again, setting the thermos down so he can wrap both arms around you. he’s sticky and warm, but you don’t mind, not when he’s looking at you like you hung the moon.

“hey, hyung-nim and hyung-su-nim!”

shotaro calls, clapping his hands like he’s directing traffic.

“encore’s done, save the mushy stuff for home!”

the others snicker, sohee fake-gagging into his water bottle, but wonbin just groans, burying his face in your shoulder for a second.

“they’re the worst,”

he mumbles against your neck, breath tickling your skin. “sorry you have to deal with them too.”

“worth it for you,”

you say, running a hand through his damp hair, and he pulls back just enough to look at you really look at you like he’s memorizing every inch of your face.

“was so nervous out there,”

he admits, quieter now, like it’s a secret just for you.

“kept messing up in soundcheck, thinking I’d screw it up. then i saw you, and it was like… i don’t know. everything clicked.”

you tilt your head, surprised.

“you? nervous? you’ve done this a hundred times.”

“yeah, but it’s different with you,” he says, chewing his lip a little, that shy side peeking through.

“feels like i’ve gotta get it right, maybe show off a little, you know? you’re my good luck, y/n.”

your chest tightens, warmth spreading through you, and you can’t help but smile.

“bin-ah,” you say, soft, “you don’t need luck, you’re already amazing. i’m just here to cheer you on.”

he opens his mouth to argue, but eunseok cuts in,

“binnie, drink the tea and stop staring, y/n not going anywhere!”

the room erupts again, anton hiding his face like he’s mortified, and wonbin huffs, but he grabs the thermos anyway, taking another long sip.

“thanks for this,”

he says after a beat, setting it down and tugging you into a proper hug with arms tight, chin resting on your head.

“and for being here. means more than you know.”

“anytime,”

you murmur into his chest, feeling his heartbeat through the damp fabric of his shirt. then he’s pulling back, that grin back in full force, and before you can stop him, he leans in again, this time landing a quick, sweaty kiss right on your lips.

“bin-ah!”

you laugh, swatting at him as he pulls away, still beaming like he’s won something bigger than the show.

“you’re disgusting, hurry go clean up!”

“love you too,” he says, winking, and the boys groan in unison, seunghan yelling,

“we get it, you’re married!” but wonbin doesn’t care because he’s too busy looking at you, all sweaty and gross and perfect.

“shower,”

you insist, pushing him toward the bathroom door, but he grabs your hand one more time, squeezing it.

“wait for me?” he asks, voice softer now, eyes searching yours.

“always,”

you say, and he nods, finally letting go but not before stealing one more glance over his shoulder as he heads off, that huge, goofy smile still lighting up his face.

you sink into a chair, thermos cradled in your lap, watching the boys bicker and wind down around you. sungchan’s teasing sohee about missing a dance step, shotaro’s raiding the snack table, and anton’s finally put his phone down to join the chaos. it’s loud and messy and familiar, but all you can think about is wonbin of how he’ll be back soon, all cleaned up and still buzzing, probably pulling you into his arms the second he’s out.

and when he does, his hair wet, fresh shirt clinging to his shoulders, that smile still there he flops down beside you, arm slinging over your shoulders like it’s where it belongs.

“next time,” he whispers, lips brushing your ear, “i’m singing just for you. pick a song, okay?”

“deal,” you whisper back, leaning into him, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world, his y/n, always and forever be his y/n.

🪿 rie’s note — hey loves! this one’s for the wonbin stans who want that real, heart-fluttering connection, i’ve poured so much sweetness into this to make you feel like ‘his’ y/n. if you’d like more riize oneshot like this, just let me know wherever you’d like. i’d love to keep it going!