#stock up on cheese sticks okay?

[brightlotusmoon]

My mom takes cheese sticks to work with her because of literally exactly this, it's what she taught me.

Also we both have ADHD, which thrives on L-Tyrosine, precursor to dopamine, which is abundant in cheese.

[simmerandwrite]

Sink Into Me - 09 - mob!Steve Rogers x plus size!reader

Pairing: mob boss! Steve Rogers x plus size! reader

Summary: You were simply doing a good deed, pulling the handsome stranger out of the way when a car jumped the curb. Little did you know that the life you saved belonged to Steve Rogers, the Army veteran turned art dealer with connections to the Brooklyn crime syndicate.

Steve Rogers, who won’t stop calling you his guardian angel.

Steve Rogers, whose new goal in life just might be repaying his debt to you.

Steve Rogers, who isn’t shy until it comes to his feelings and will stop at nothing to keep you safe.

Chapters: 01 02 03 04 05 06  07 08 09

Wordcount: 11k

Warnings: angst, allusions to dog fighting (but no mention of any kind of abuse), smut

Notes: here we go!! I have so much to say but I'll summarize it with a big thank you!! to everyone who read, reblogged and followed along for the journey. y'all made this so much more fun! can't wait to hear your thoughts!! and while this is the end of Sink Into Me, this universe may stick around for a while. a few more notes on this at the end ;) thank you thank you thank you! enjoy!!

--

“Hi,” you said quietly, meeting his eyes in the low light streaming in from his lamp.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, scanning you for any signs of distress.

You shrugged, taking in a deep breath. Then Steve took a step back, waving his arm to invite you in. You released your lungs slowly, nodding and following him inside. Wordlessly, he climbed into the bed and offered the open blanket to you, arms wide.

You just nodded again, crawling under the comforter and finding a spot - your spot - underneath his arms.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, you pulled away from him. A strange empty laugh escaped you.

“I can’t believe… an hour ago… I was being held at gunpoint. That’s crazy. Isn’t that crazy?” The whole thing suddenly hit you like a ton of bricks, all of it. The ambush on your way home, the brute force, the cold rain, the gun.

“Sweetheart..” Steve sat up the same way you did. 

You shook your head and shuffled to the side of the bed and planted your feet on the floor, sitting there as you caught your breath. 

“Hey, hey. Just breathe, okay?” He scrambled off the bed, coming around the kneel in front of you. With one hand, he reached out and placed it on your knee. You dropped yours onto his and squeezed it. “I’m.. baby, I’m so sorry.”

You closed your eyes, taking in a few deep breaths.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered your name, brushing his thumb against your knee. “I’m sorry for everything. Ever since that day.. On the street, outside the restaurant, just by saving me - you had a target on your back and it’s my fault. I hurt you and put you in danger and it’s my fault.”

The silence washed over you both again.

Steve continued, quieter. “Is there anything I can do or say right now to help you? I know you’re probably scared and I can’t fix that but… your well being, that’s all that matters to me.”

You exhaled and opened your eyes. “I.. I’m hungry.”

Steve blinked. “Uh, okay. Sure. I can order a pizza or we could..” His lips twitched into a brief smile. “How about grilled cheese?”

 —

Truthfully, Steve wasn’t always stocked up on the basics but this time he was grateful for what few groceries remained in his fridge. There was a strange silence as you headed to the kitchen. Steve got to work grabbing what he needed for grilled cheese making while you sat at his small dining room table.

Hercules followed you closely, finding a new place to sleep at your feet. 

You fiddled with the tag of the tea bag in your cup of chamomile, quiet. The frying pan sizzled.

“Steve?” 

Your voice drew his attention away from his task at hand. He turned. “Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the fire? At, uh, your mom’s clinic?”

He stilled then turned back towards the stovetop. He flicked off the element and plated the sandwiches, joining you at the table. He slid a plate across to you.

“I would have, eventually. I didn’t want to scare you,” he finally replied, biting on his lip before he continued. “There was a street gang making a big mess in Brooklyn years ago now. In this type of work, uh, gangs usually coexist. Not always peacefully, of course.”

You took a bite of your sandwich and watched Steve carefully.

“This particular group - called themselves the Red Skulls, led by this absolute menace Johann Schmidt.”

“Oh,” you tipped your head to the side, nodding. “I think I remember hearing about him in the news a few years ago.”

“Probably. They were fucking messy. Schmidt was a piece of work especially. There are a lot of things I do not tolerate in my city and he crossed a very serious line.” Steve rolled his neck. God, maybe he shouldn’t be telling you this. But what did he have to lose now? Honesty was all he had left. “Long story short - we took down one of the Red Skulls trafficking operations. They were kidnapping sex workers.” He took in a sharp breath, eyes closing at the resurfacing memories. “Ma looked after everyone we helped escape and Schmidt retaliated by setting fire to the clinic...”

And Steve had been at some fucking club that night. Volleying between shots of liquor and lines of coke, he nearly missed the most important phone call of his goddamn life. 

Steve lost himself in his downward spiral of thoughts as memories of his mother’s recovery flashed through his mind. When he came back to reality, you were looking at him. There was a strange sadness in your eyes.

“That wasn’t your fault, Steve,” you said quietly, tearing off another piece of your sandwich.

He laughed, shaking his head. “The people I care about, the ones I love - you, included now - there is a target on their back, on your back. Forever. I pushed you away and for what? They still..” He dragged both of his hands down his face, head shaking again. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. For.. everything.”

You blinked again, then looked down at your plate. “When you called me and broke up with – that day. What you said to me, it was so careless and..”

“Mean?” Steve finished for you. That’s what you had said. He was mean. No, he had been worse than mean. It was cruel and he had done it on purpose.

“Yeah. Why couldn’t you just be honest? If you care about me so much, how could you say those things?”

He wasn’t sure if he should answer, if he could. But you were looking at him and waiting.

“I don’t know,” he replied quietly, leaning back in his chair and gazing out towards the window. “Because I wasn’t thinking straight. I was emotionally compromised. Natasha barely talked to me for weeks after that night. That was another constant reminder that I really fucked up..”

You sighed. After a few beats, you finally found some words. “What do we do now?”

He looked back at you. “I know I hurt you. I think about it every single fucking day and I can’t undo it, I wish I could undo it.” He took in a hard breath. “I can’t even ask for you to forgive me because it isn’t fair. Not after tonight. Because after all this, how could you ever?” An empty, somber laugh rumbled through him. “I’m just.. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could press reset.”

The silence hung between you both again. You finished your sandwich and looked back at Steve. 

“I’m tired,” you said softly, stifling a yawn. “Can I.. sleep beside you?”

Steve nodded. “Of course.”

–

You woke up the next morning in Steve’s bed, alone. Somewhere far away, probably in the kitchen, you could hear him on the phone. With a deep sigh, you got up and put yourself back together. 

Hercules trotted towards you as you departed from Steve’s room. You followed him back towards the kitchen where Steve had put a modest little breakfast together. He ended his phone call when he saw you, then joined you at the table with a pot of coffee.

Your conversation was minimal. You briefly panicked as you recalled the fake meeting Ward had arranged for you with Hammond, but Steve was quick to tell you he had dealt with it.

Eventually, after your quiet breakfast, you asked to return to your own apartment. Steve insisted on driving you there and walking you to your door. When you got to your building, you noticed an additional security guard posted near the front desk.

You wondered if Steve had something to do with that.

When you got to your door, you opened it and let Hercules in before you turned to Steve.

You didn’t know what to say. You weren’t sure  what was supposed to happen now. Truthfully, nothing felt real. 

You felt numb.

“Are you gonna be okay here?” Steve asked, tipping his head just slightly to search your face. “If you wanted to stay at a hotel or–”

“No,” you cut him off. “I’ll be fine, I’m sure. I’m just tired. I’m going to take the rest of the day to try and clear my mind.”

“Well, if you need anything at all, call me. Please.”

You hesitated. What were you and Steve now? Friends? Exes? Something more? Something less? You couldn’t figure it out and you were too scared to ask. What did you even want with him?

“Did you unblock my number then?” Your lips twitched into a momentary smile.

Steve didn’t smile back. He was serious and for a second, you watched as he hesitated to reply too. “Of course I did. I never should have..” He closed his eyes. “Call me, anytime. For anything. If something ever feels wrong or someone..” Releasing a long breath, he met your eyes once more. Your name left his lips, quiet, like a whisper. “I can’t figure out what else to say other than that I’m sorry. Again. I just.. I wish I could fix everything and erase what happened last night and.. I’ll be sorry for the rest of my life.”

You squeezed his closest hand. You didn’t know what to say. You raised yourself up slightly onto your toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Then you disappeared into your apartment.

You called your mom that afternoon. And while you didn’t give her any details about what had happened in the last 24 hours of your life, you found it necessary to still call her and tell her how much you loved her. She didn’t ask why you were reaching out or question the way your voice cracked, but you knew she was concerned. 

The rest of the day, you slept on and off. Eventually, you ordered in for dinner and forced yourself to sit with the feelings you were wrestling with. What was it? What was going on?

Were you scared? Yes, sure. Even though the incident had been isolated and specific, even though the men responsible were either in custody with law enforcement or being kept directly underneath Steve’s foot, you had reason to feel unsettled. 

How could you deal with it though? Enough rational thought brought your heart rate down enough to strategize if anything ever happened again. Pepper spray on keychain, maybe one of those spikey keyrings that doubled as defense weapons.. A self defense class? Maria told you she had taken one before and she found it empowering. Maybe you needed to feel empowered, too.

It was strange though, as you let your mind fester over your feelings, one constant helped keep you steady and walked you back from your edge of anxiety. Steve. When you felt unsafe, Steve had helped you, protected you, saved you. 

You didn’t even know what you were to him anymore and yet, he carried on as if you were the most important thing in the world. That helping, protecting, saving you was a responsibility he didn’t take lightly. Steve.. He just.. You just..

Steve. Steve was calling. You shook off your layer of feelings analysis and answered your buzzing phone, sitting up on the couch as you brought it to your ear. It was late.

“Hello?”

“Hey.. thanks for.. I wanted to check in, see how you’re doing. If I’m overstepping, feel free to hang up on me, though.”

You let out a quiet laugh. “You’re not overstepping.” You’re being Steve. “I’m okay, yeah. Calm and mostly relaxed. I’m..”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He paused and you swore you could hear him overthinking what to say next. “Would you tell me the truth though? If you weren’t.. Okay?”

You nodded, even though he couldn’t see you. “I would.”

“I appreciate that, really. I know you don’t owe me anything but I’m worried.”

You smiled to yourself. “I’m okay.” You knew repeating it may not reassure him, but it helped you. “Oh, actually. I was thinking about something.. Uhm, when they..” You breathed in slowly. “When they took Hercules, they mentioned some weird threat about him fighting. Is that.. Does that mean they.. That there is a dog fighting, uhm, thing or..” You couldn’t even bear to finish what you were thinking.

“Bucky is already investigating, sweetheart. If that exists, we’re going to stop it. I promise you.”

–––

The next evening, Steve called again. To check in and make sure you were still okay. It was funny - because you had a feeling that his phone calls weren’t the only thing Steve had implemented when it came to ensuring your wellbeing. A new lock system had been installed at the front of your building and that same security guard was patrolling when you left for work that morning too.

The next night he called to see how you were. Then the next and the next and the next.

One night, after you told Steve that you were okay, again, you felt an urge to keep him on the line. For some reason, your conversation started to feel like they used to when you first met - friendly, but a hint of something else, something more. But did you want that? Did he?

“While I have you, though. I was wondering if I had to ask Clint for permission if I wanted to paint my apartment - do you know? Or is it like free reign?”

Steve laughed on his side of the phone. “I can get Clint to find you a painter tomorrow, if you want.”

“Oh, no.” You dismissed that idea quickly. “I want to do it myself. I think it would be fun.”

“Well then, since it’s my building, consider this your permission to paint whatever you want. And if you need some extra hands, I’d be happy to help.”

–––

A week later, you answered another late call from Steve.

“It’s late, I can let you go. I’m sure Hercules is already asleep beside the bed waiting for you..”

You smiled to yourself briefly, then sighed. “I’ve been in bed for a while, actually.”

“Oh.” You heard Steve pause. “You didn’t have to take my call.”

“I can’t sleep tonight.”

He paused again. His voice was slower this time, softer. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I just..” It was probably just the late day coffee you had or the tight stress you were holding in your body. “..can’t sleep, I guess.” 

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Maybe you could.. I don’t know, just talk a bit. Tell me a story? From your childhood or high school or something?” You stifled a yawn. “Anything..”

After another beat, Steve’s voice returned in your ear. “Okay. Let’s see. Technically I’m forbidden to share this story but me and Buck had to take a theater class in high school and..”

–––

Steve called you pretty early one night, just as you were coming home from picking up Hercules.

You dropped onto your couch and quickly pulled on the nearest throw blanket the moment you walked into the apartment. When you noticed Steve on the caller ID, you answered right away.  

“Hi,” you said through a yawn, laying flat on the cushions. It sounded like Steve sighed in relief on the other end of the phone. “Steve? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. Hey sweetheart,” he continued quickly. Damn. When he slipped in the sweetheart pet name, your heart got really confused. “Just nice to hear your voice.” 

“Are you okay?” You repeated the question, sitting up from your lounging position. 

“I am,” he confirmed. “There’s just something I need to tell you, before you hear about it on the news.”

“Okay..”

“Rumlow - Brock Rumlow.. You remember him?” Before you could answer, Steve laughed. “That’s a stupid question. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten Rumlow.”

You couldn’t help but smile at Steve’s commentary. “No, I haven’t forgotten Brock Rumlow.” Your momentary elation soon disappeared when you considered why Steve might be mentioning Rumlow by name. “What about him?”

“He died today.”

A silence fell between you. “In prison?”

“Yes. Considering how high profile his arrest was, it will likely make the evening news. Maybe it’s already published, I don’t know. I just wanted to warn you before you heard.”

“Okay.” You paused again. “Steve - did you–”

“This had nothing to do with me, surprisingly.” He let out some weird exaggerated laugh again. “I wasn’t his only enemy.” That was Steve choosing what to say and you supposed that was fine. The nitty gritty details really weren’t needed. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

Even though he couldn’t see you, you shrugged, laying back down. “I don’t know, I guess I’m just.. it’s weird to say relieved but..I shouldn’t feel relief over someone’s death, right?  Maybe I don’t know how to react.”

“That’s normal, I’d say.” He paused. “I don’t want you to be scared.”

“I do get scared. I think about that night a lot.” You sighed. “But I’ve lived in New York long enough to know that the weird person on the subway probably doesn’t give a shit about me, so I shouldn’t be worried about them.”

“What weird person on the subway?” Steve asked quickly. You could hear him shuffling, maybe going from sitting to standing. “Where did you see–”

“Steve.” You cut him off, with a quiet laugh. “That was hypothetical. I’ve been alright lately, I promise. And remember, I said I would tell you if I wasn’t.”

You heard him let out a long sigh. “Okay.”

“Thank you for calling me and giving me a heads up though,” you continued. “Maybe I’ll mute my news feeds for a few days.”

–––

You [7:01PM]: what do you think? It has taken a few weeks from start to finish but…

You [7:01PM]: (IMG_9116) S Rogers [7:02PM]: that’s a great colour S Rogers [7:03PM]: so. what was the ratio of paint on wall vs paint on you? You [7:03PM]: wow! Rude. You [7:03PM]: 90/10 You [7:04PM]: (IMG_9121) S Rogers [7:06PM]: very cute S Rogers [7:06PM]: even with paint in your hair ;)

–––

Thanksgiving wasn’t your favourite holiday. The food was fine and sure, it was a great excuse for some time off work.

Into adulthood, you were really appreciative of the friendsgiving tradition instead. Especially because your mother was spending the holiday in Jacksonville with her cousin, leaving you mostly without plans for the big day.

Friendsgiving you took seriously. Claire was hosting this year, the weekend before Thanksgiving since she had to work on the holiday, and you had been tasked with dessert making, which was totally up your alley. Maria had offered assistance, so together you were spending your Friday night making the most out of your oven and counter space. 

It was going well, although you had started a lot later than planned. It made for a late night but you were in good company with Maria. Having a night in with one of your closest friends wasn’t something you took for granted. Between flour measurements and preparing fruit, you and Maria spent the entire night talking. It was exactly what you needed.

Just before midnight, you were taking the pecan pie out of the oven and Maria was finishing off the dishes. Just as you turned to join her at the sink, a loud banging started at your door. You gasped, probably too loudly for a sane person, and met Maria’s wide confused stare.

Hercules awoke from his bed in your room and trotted towards the door, cautious.

You walked over behind him, holding your breath as another knock echoed.

“Jesus, Barnes - you’re going to scare her to death..”

Barnes? Was that.. Clint’s voice?

Maria followed behind you, pausing as you looked through the peephole. 

“Who is knocking on your door at midnight?” Maria asked quietly.

You sighed. Bucky and Clint, apparently. What on earth?

After unlocking the door, you opened it, stopping the bickering men in the middle of their conversation. 

“Hello?” You returned their awkward greetings with a small wave. “Can I help you?”

“What is that smell?” Clint’s eyes widened, looking over your shoulder into the apartment. “Are you baking?”

“Can I help you?” You repeated, turning your attention to Bucky directly. “What are you doing here?”

Bucky let out a breath before dragging a hand down his jaw. “So, here’s the thing, doll. My good friend Steve - you know Steve, right? He’s currently spiraling because you haven’t answered your phone or any of his messages all night..” He stood up a bit straighter, looking between you and Maria. “Given the uh..well, he’s just worried about you. Sent us up to check in.. And, since you are clearly very alive and safe, we should..” He paused. “Do I smell snickerdoodles?”

“Oh my god,” you rolled your eyes, inviting the men inside. Maria grabbed the container of fresh cookies and offered them each one.

“If Steve is concerned, why isn’t he at the door?” Maria wondered out loud. 

“Boundaries,” Clint answered with a mouth full of cookies.

Bucky thwacked him on the shoulder. “Manners, Barton.” Bucky waited to bite his own cookie, then nodded. “He’s politely keeping his distance.”

You sighed, then looked over at Maria. You had filled your friend in on most of the details about you and Steve and what your recent reconnection looked like. Minus the whole warehouse rooftop situation. You weren’t sure how to share that. But the confusing new feelings and conversations.. They had proved difficult to process alone.

Not to mention that after you and Steve had broken up, your friends had loyally become very anti-Steve. Which you very much appreciated and if the roles were reversed, you’d have done the same for them. But people and relationships were complicated. You weren’t sure how your friends would react to the whole thing.

Maria, for example, had been incredibly cautious and resistant when you filled her in. Not that she didn’t believe in giving people second chances - but instead held true to the fact that all men were just big clueless morons who never did the right thing. You couldn’t fault her for that opinion either. But even if you figured out your own feelings and walls, you’d never be able to really date Steve again if your friends hated him.

“Hmm,” Maria leaned against your counter, removing the dish cloth from her shoulder as she organized her things. “Well, you should walk me out.” She turned to you. “Points to Steve for respecting boundaries and still caring about you, but I’d feel better seeing him grovel up close.”

Clint let out a belly laugh. “Me too”

While Maria and Clint headed out, you took the opportunity to put Hercules’ leash on for one last trip outside before bed. When you stepped into the hallway, Bucky was waiting for you. 

“This isn’t my place and I know you’re smart enough,” he started slowly, dropping his hand down to accept a lick from Hercules. “But you know you don’t owe Steve anything right? I told him that the day might come where you don’t answer his phone calls and he has to deal with it on his own. If you close the door, he will keep his distance.”

You scrunched up your face, then shrugged. “Thanks, Bucky. Sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of emotional support for him.”

“You have no idea, doll. It’s part of my role as lifelong best friend, unfortunately. It’s a heavy burden to bear,” Bucky laughed, shrugging too. “He’s got some demons to work through - I guess we all do. Right now with you though? He’s trying real hard not to look like he’s trying.”

You caught up with Clint and Maria at the elevator then headed to the lobby. As you walked out, you spotted Sam leaning against the front desk, chatting with the overnight doorman. And then there was Steve - standing at attention, hands locked behind his back, an equal distance between the front entrance and the elevators. He was dressed in what you considered his normal attire - a crisp navy suit over a plain shirt, no tie. He made effortless look so damn good and you sort of hated it.

When he saw you, he took a few strides forward.

Bucky and Clint joined Sam to the side while Maria lingered behind your shoulder. Hercules tugged on his leash and pulled you towards Steve immediately, clearly overjoyed to see him. 

“Hey,” you started as you approached. “I unintentionally ignored your calls, I’m sorry. Just plugged my phone in and forgot about it for a while.” 

Steve shook his head quickly. You couldn’t help but see his resolve lighten, as if seeing you caused his shoulders to relax. “You don’t have to apologize. I shouldn’t have dragged everyone here, there was just this..” Whatever Steve was going to say, he seemed to change his mind. He blinked twice then scanned you. “Is that.. flour?” He reached and brushed your shoulder clean.

“We’ve been baking,” you filled in quickly, doing your best to try and read him. “Claire is hosting us for Friendsgiving tomorrow and–”

“You should come!” Maria blurted out from behind you. 

With wide eyes, you looked over your shoulder at her. ‘What?’ you mouthed. 

Now it was Maria’s turn to shrug. “Claire said her cousin had to bail so there’s an extra seat and..” She took a step forward, nodding at you in reassurance before looking at Steve. “And Luke will be there. So.. you know, you’ll have a friend..”

“I thought Claire invited Matt?” You couldn’t help but ask as your brain caught up to you. “That doesn’t..” You turned back to Steve. “You are more than welcome to come. I know you’re busy and have a lot of–”

“I’d love to,” Steve answered slowly, as if trying to make sure you were even okay with the concept. You reached out and grabbed his nearest hand, with a squeeze. That seemed to be reassurance enough. “What can I bring?”

Steve and his crew left shortly after, not before Steve gave you a soft kiss on the cheek. You forced Maria to join you outside with Hercules before her Uber showed up. The fresh air was something you really needed to cool down. 

“So,” You turned to Maria, tipping your head to the side dramatically. “What the hell was that?”

Maria whined out your name, shaking her head. “That guy is in love with you. And trust me, he has a long way to go before I will trust him again, but damn. He looks at you like you’re the most important person on the planet. And I think you love him too.”

“Maria..” You sighed, leaning your head onto her shoulder. “I don’t know how things got so complicated.”

“I just want you to be happy and safe,” she carried on, giving you a small pat on the head. “I get that not everyone is into second chances but.. I don’t know, life is short. If you feel comfortable giving the guy another chance, then we could too. Maybe. Wanda for sure can get on board, Claire might have some reservations.”

“And inviting Steve tomorrow is supposed to be some test?”

“Obviously,” Maria smirked, looking like you had said the most ridiculous thing in the world. “I think it’s only fair for us to really get to know him.”

–––

Claire lived in a beautiful rent controlled apartment in the middle of Harlem. She complained about the location every now and then - it wasn’t the smoothest commute for her to get to work - but at the end of the day, it was functional and roomy. 

Which was good, considering you, Claire and Maria had rearranged most of her living room and kitchen area to host a dozen people for Friendsgiving. With a set of borrowed chairs and a folding table from Claire’s downstairs neighbour, you managed to set up the area just in time before everyone started to arrive.

When Maria had spilled in the group chat about inviting Steve to dinner, Claire had been apprehensive but on board, for your sake. And although you had been grateful for your friends’ open mindedness when it came to Steve, you were suddenly nervous about the whole thing.

Mostly because - oh god, what if he had a terrible time? Or what if he got a phone call in the middle of dinner and had to disappear? Was he going to bring a gun with him? Jesus, you hadn’t even thought about that and what if-

Claire dropped a hand on your shoulder. “Girl, you need to chill.” She urged a glass of your preferred wine into your free hand and sent you away from the kitchen area. “He’s just a man, remember.”

You laughed and clinked your glass with hers. Claire was always a good voice of reason, which you appreciated. You turned to her with a smile. “A good reminder, thank you. But speaking of men - why did you invite both your current fling and your ex to this?”

Before Claire could defend her own actions, Maria was answering a knock at the door and guests started to arrive. After a few arrivals, you were the one greeting at the door and you couldn’t hold back your smile when Steve showed up, with Luke at his side.

“Hey,” you said, politely stepping aside to let Luke in while you lingered in the doorway with Steve. “You look nice.” It felt silly to say but you couldn’t help yourself. Steve had traded his typical suit for a pair of dark brown slacks and a knitted red striped polo. His hair was perfectly coiffed and you just wanted to… kiss him. Damnit.

Steve smirked in response, pulling you into a side hug. “You look nice, sweetheart.” Okay, yes, you had picked out one of your favourite dresses. But that was because you wanted to dress up for Friendsgiving, that was the only reason.

After he shed his coat, you noticed Steve was carrying flowers. You didn’t even have a moment to comment on them before he headed towards the kitchen, where he presented the bouquet directly to Claire. She accepted them with a smile, and when he turned away, you caught her eye. She pointed towards the flowers and mouthed ‘Ten points!’

It didn’t surprise you that Steve managed to socialize effectively with everyone he just met, but he truly did such an impressive job holding conversations. Before dinner, he engrossed himself in a chat with Claire’s on-again-off-again ex-boyfriend Matt, the lawyer, and his coworker Foggy. They seemed to have some common interests in certain legal matters that mostly sounded incredibly boring to you. 

Steve stayed within your orbit and even when you were in the kitchen finalizing a few things with Claire, you caught him looking your way. Why did that make your heart beat so fast?

You sat at his side for dinner and when everyone was going around sharing what they were thankful for, Steve’s hand found your knee under the table. When you said you were thankful for all the people in your life (and your dog, of course), Steve gave you a delicate squeeze and rubbed his thumb against your thigh. 

After dinner, he found you in the kitchen.

“You know, Bucky was bragging all night about your cookies,” Steve saddled up beside you as you leaned against the kitchen counter, while you nibbled at the last piece of apple pie. Steve grabbed a spare fork and joined you. “They ain’t got nothing on this pie.”

You smiled. “Glad you liked it.”

“Apple is my favourite,” Steve replied, licking his lip after cleaning off his fork. “Ma makes a good one but I think she has some competition.”

“That seems like really high praise,” you laughed, leaning against the counter. Steve mirrored you, resting his hand behind your back. It was subtle, maybe even barely noticeable, but he very slowly started to trace circles against the soft fabric of your dress. You were melting. “I’m really glad you came. Hopefully it wasn’t too painful for you.”

He tipped his head to look at you. “We will have to thank Maria for inviting me.”

When Steve politely offered you a ride home, you couldn’t say no. Since you were both heading towards the same area of Brooklyn, it made a lot more sense than taking the subway. As you were leaving, Clarie, Maria and Wanda all gave you the same friendly judgemental look. You accepted that as approval for your actions, departing with a small smile and Steve’s hand at your back.

In typical Steve fashion, he walked you inside and to your apartment door. And then he even happily joined as you took Hercules outside for some air.

Then, well, the night was over. Steve had come to dinner, Steve had brought you home. What else was there to do?

“You can share those cookies with Bucky,” you said with a smile as you stood in the hallway, between Steve and your door. You were sending him home with the rest of the snickerdoodles. “Or keep them all to yourself.”

Steve smiled, raising his hand to brush it through his hair. God, that was sexy. Had that always been sexy? What was going on? Why were you feeling this way?

“Thank you again for letting me join you tonight,” he said slowly, then his feet shuffled forward half a step closer to you. “Hopefully your friends don’t hate me.”

You laughed, sliding your tongue across your lips. You watched his eyes dart down, watching carefully. You swallowed the lump in your throat. “Steve..”

Then he leaned in, holding your hips with his hands, and pressed his lips… to your cheek. You tried not to deflate. 

His palms lingered against you for a moment, then he pulled back. You couldn’t read his face. 

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” 

–

You texted him well after midnight.

You [1:12AM]: are you awake? S Rogers [1:12AM]: yes

Steve answered your call after the first ring. “Is everything okay?” 

You couldn’t believe you had actually hit ‘call’  but something deep within you compelled you to. It was dark in your bedroom and you couldn’t stop thinking about Steve. You had been restless in bed for over an hour as his face flashed through your mind. Steve with his broad shoulders. Steve with his lingering hands. The way his chain bounced on his chest, how he growled when he came…

Just moments ago you had reached into your bedside table for your little vibrating toy. It wasn’t the first time you had put it to use thinking about Steve. But this time, you were imagining him tearing off that knit polo, the lingering smell of his aftershave, his weight on you. 

If you couldn’t feel him, maybe you could hear him.

“I’m fine..” You said slowly. “Are you at home?” It occurred to you he might have gone directly to Shield after he dropped you off. 

Your name left his lips, drawing your attention back to the call. “I’m home. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“What’s wrong is..” You tried to steady your breathing. Your voice dropped down. “.. you’re not in bed beside me.”

Silence. Then, you heard his breath hitch. “Baby..”

“I can’t..” You were whining into the phone. “I want to come, Steve. Will you help me? Please?.”

He chuckled, lowering his voice. “I can’t say no to that request, sweetheart. Tell me - what are you doing? You using that toy?”

“Uh huh,” you preened back. You had been sliding it across your skin, teasing yourself for as long as you could. “I’ve been thinking about you, Stevie. You and me.”

“Me too, baby. Fuck.” You could hear more shuffling on his side. Christ. Was he touching himself too? “Listen to me, I’m going to help you. Bet you’re already wet, aren’t you?”

You just whined in response.

“Turn that toy up a notch, baby. Circle your clit real slow. And what about your nipples? God, if I was there–”

“Tell me, please. If you were here..”

Half an hour later, as your laboured breathing settled after two quivering orgasms, Steve wished you goodnight and sweet dreams. 

–––

Given it was the night before Thanksgiving, your boss has been flexible when you had to dash out early. The frantic call from Kate at the dog daycare had been surprising, but thankfully your heart rate steadied out when you learned that Hercules was okay. They hadn’t spared any other details, but politely asked owners to come collect their dogs earlier than usual.

Truthfully, you had barely been functional at work all week anyway. Sure, you went through the motions and got your tasks done but before a long weekend, most people were half-assing their responsibilities anyway. And your mind was still racing after Friendsgiving dinner and the phone call with Steve and… Steve. 

Fuck.

You were one of the last to arrive at the daycare, patiently waiting in line to check Hercules out. Once you had him, leash in hand, you turned to leave. Then you spotted Natasha and Yelena chatting quietly to the side of the room, and, well, you couldn’t help but follow your gut.

You saw Yelena there quite often, but Natasha was a rare sighting. Ever since your conversation with Steve after the whole warehouse incident, something had been pricking at the back of your mind.

“..Natasha barely talked to me for weeks after that night..”

Taking a deep breath, you headed toward the sisters. Luckily, it seemed like their conversation had come to an end anyway as Yelena rushed past you with a hurried hello, then joined Kate somewhere behind the scenes. Nataha remained planted where she stood, scanning over her phone. She tipped her head up as you approached.

“Hey,” you started out slowly, offering a reluctant smile. 

Nat crouched briefly, greeting Hercules with a few head scratches before she met your gaze again. “How are you?”

“I was wondering if.. you had like two minutes to chat?” You asked, eyes closed tight as you anticipated her answer. You weren’t sure what it was about Natasha, but she intimated you immensely. You weren’t scared of her but something made you want to impress her. 

Natasha looked at her phone again, eyes narrowed, then back to you. “I can give you five.” With a nod of her head, you followed her behind the front desk and into the small staff kitchen area opposite the main daycare space.

While Natasha dropped onto one of the well worn couches, quickly joined by Hercules as you let go of his leash, you couldn’t steady yourself. All at once, your burning questions and thoughts swirled around in your mind. Then, you took a deep breath and opened your mouth.

“Steve told me a few weeks ago, that when we broke up..  he said you stopped talking to him for a while. I wanted to ask you why..” You raised a shoulder up to shrug, then watched Natasha from across the room.

After a few beats, she let out a quiet laugh. Then, she leaned forward on the couch, elbow resting on her knees, and she stared at you. “Can I be frank with you?”

You swallowed, then found a chair to sit on near a small table. “I’d rather you be Natasha..” When that clearly shielded attempt at humour landed no response, you cleared your throat and nodded. “Yes, please.”

Natasha sighed. “Steve trusts me and when he asks me for advice, I don’t sugar coat it. Dating Steve is not an easy task and your wellbeing is his top priority. So I get why he made his decision. But I did firmly advise him not to be an asshole about it. It was going to hurt you either way, but it was up to him to control the delivery.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, well, he did a terrible job.” It didn’t sting as much anymore – really. Given how much your friendship or whatever had evolved with him now, the words didn’t echo through your mind like they used to. You understood why he had made his choices and you could see his remorse in every interaction you’ve had since. Of course, it wasn’t possible to erase what had happened but you and Steve both looked back at it differently now.

Natasha relaxed again, pressing her back into the couch. “I have known Steve for a long time and I have rarely seen him act as selfishly as he did. You deserved better than a breakup over a phone call. Jesus, when he told me what he said – I should have gut punched him. In an attempt to protect you, he fucked up something good for you both. It’s bullshit and embarrassing.” Another sigh escaped her. “And, you didn’t hear this from me, but Steve has never let himself be happy. Because this world and this work can really leave you numb. He was so different once you came into his life, it was something else. So, I was rooting for you two.”

You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warm up with her last sentence. This seemed like something rare, a secret revealed from someone prone to privacy. 

“I see why he made his self sacrifice with you. It is classic Steve, if he cares about something, he cares deeply and shows it.” She pinned you with a stare, giving you another once over. “Here’s the thing. You get to decide if you want to forgive him but if you look back over everything – every single moment with Steve – was there a pattern that makes forgiveness worth it?” Her phone, which had been resting on the couch beside her leg, started to vibrate. “Shit. I’ve gotta take this.”  

Natasha stepped away briefly, keeping her tone hushed.

Christ, you probably need a therapist to start unpacking everything that Natasha had just presented. Was there a pattern?

Yes.

Every single action from Steve since the beginning had been, well, selfless. He was constantly putting your needs above everything else. The day you saved him outside the restaurant, he took you to the one person he trusted the most for care. When you called him in distress during your apartment break in, he didn’t hesitate to come help you.

He picked up on your subtleties, your fears and concerns. He moved you to a safer apartment, he protected you from unsavoury people, he pleaded for your understanding, he always left you feeling satisfied. More importantly, he let himself be himself around you. You loved seeing the personal, soft side of Steve. You.. you loved Steve. And maybe it was time to take the leap of faith again - because you missed him when he wasn’t around. 

Fuck. 

Before your logical brain could catch up and decide what to do with this revelation, Natasha was standing in front of you again. Her eyes were hiding something.

You held your breath when she finally spoke.

“So, speaking of Steve…”

–––

Ever since that night, at the abandoned warehouse, on that rooftop.. Steve had been on edge. More than before. You were constantly on his mind, and despite his efforts to ensure you were safe, he couldn’t settle. 

Well, until he got to hear your voice every night. That… that started to mean more to him than he could explain. It was different this time around - the slow build to flirting, wrapped underneath a foundation of familiarity. 

But it felt like that spark from before had returned, though he couldn’t act on it. 

He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

Bucky had been his voice of reason through all of the confusing feelings. He kept Steve grounded in reality - that the ball was in your court only, forever. If you were ever going to humour Steve again, it was your choice, at your pace. And maybe it would never happen. Bucky had reminded Steve more than once. 

Every agonizing decision Steve was making lately had you at the forefront. Maybe it wouldn’t end up how he wanted it, but if you were safe and secure and happy, nothing else mattered.

Though it had been completely irrational for Steve to make the crew rush to your apartment on a Friday night, the precautionary gamble ended up paying off. Not only were you perfectly safe, but Steve had somehow managed to end up with an invitation to dinner with your friends.

And dinner had gone surprisingly well too. The moments with you and in your world, away from his own, had been so calming. A reminder that life existed outside of the seedy underbelly, where friendly conversation and good food were the only reason why people got together. God, he had enjoyed every minute of it. But more than anything, he was happy to be at your side.

Leaving your doorway that night with just a simple kiss on the cheek had been hard for him to do. But everything needed to go at your pace. If that meant an inappropriate late night phone call, he’d help you out, too. 

He was fucked.

Admittedly, the past few days had been a welcome distraction following Saturday night. Some events in his business life ended up escalating way quicker than Steve had anticipated - which largely meant ignoring other priorities (and thoughts of you) to assist Bucky with his latest project - the dog fighting ring investigation.

Steve had kept Rhodes in the loop about their plan, much to the former DA’s dismay. Steve had made it his own personal mission to take down this underground operation and he promised Rhodes the public credit. But Steve needed the NYPD to turn a blind eye to their plan.

The ambush took place that Wednesday afternoon, with Bucky, Steve, Sam and a few additional men breaking into an abandoned facility in north Queens and going in with plenty of ammunition. They recovered nearly a dozen dogs, most of which immediately went to a veterinary hospital to be checked out. The pups who didn’t need overnight care were to be transferred to Kate’s facility for the weekend, with the costs covered by Steve.

But, after all was said and done, not everyone had left unscathed. Four of the people organizing the dog fighting were sent to a hospital with some severe wounds thanks to Bucky. And Steve, out of all people, had ended up with a pretty dramatic gash in his left arm from one of the dogs. He didn’t blame the poor animal for the situation, of course. But medical attention was necessary.

That was how he ended up at his mom’s clinic - once again. Sarah Rogers had, of course, greeted him warmly then delivered a firm lecture to him about his personal safety.

Just as Sarah was finishing up cleaning his arm and applying a few temporary sutures to the area, there was a small commotion happening somewhere beyond their room at the entrance.

Steve didn’t hesitate to rush towards the lobby area, finding the intake nurse addressing someone at the door. That’s when he saw who that someone was - you.

Maybe he had lost more blood than he thought, but damn. With the late afternoon sunset streaming in, backlighting you perfectly, it looked like a halo of light. A perfect ring of light framing you, like an angel - as you desperately asked the front desk nurse about Steve, where he was, if he was okay.

The nurse was caught in a repetitive loop, explaining that she couldn’t say who was at the clinic and insisting that dogs weren’t allowed in the building and you needed to leave and –

Steve took a few steps forward, calling out your name. 

Sarah hurried behind the desk and calmed down the girl who sat there, quietly pulling her to the side to leave Steve alone. With you.

“Steve!” You blinked twice and rushed towards him, stopping yourself before you crashed into his chest. “Natasha told me you were here and.. What happened?” You reached out and carefully grabbed his arm, where fresh gauze covered the bite.

Steve answered quickly, removing your hand from his arm and raising it up to kiss the back. “It looks worse than it is, I promise.”

You smiled at him and nodded. “Okay. Good.” Then you took a deep breath. “And all the dogs - they’re safe?”

“Yes, sweetheart. All receiving the care and rest they deserve.” Before Steve realized what was happening, you were throwing your arms around him. He whispered your name softly, rubbing a hand down your back. 

You pulled back and met his soft gaze. “Steve..” You scanned over him again, as if double checking what he said was true. Aside from the bandaging on his arm, Steve truthfully was unharmed. His emotions had been a rollercoaster but for some reason, seeing you had helped settle most of that.

His hand moved and cradled your jaw for just a moment, before brushing against your cheek. “Did you rush all the way here because you were worried about me?”

Your eyes widened before you shook your head. “What? No. I’m not.. It was Hercules, actually, who wanted to make sure all the dogs were okay.” 

Steve couldn’t hold back his grin. “Right.”

“We-” You motioned your head towards Hercules, who was sitting patiently nearby - “weren’t sure what Natasha meant when she said you were injured and..” A long slow breath escaped you. “I just needed to see you.”

Steve could understand your panic, given how he had dramatically rushed to your apartment building over the weekend. Those parallels weren’t lost on him. It had to mean something, right? It all had to mean something.

Your reunion was interrupted by Steve’s ringing phone, where he cursed under his breath before moving his hands from you. “I’ve gotta take this, I’m sorry.”

While Steve took his call from Bucky, you were quickly greeted by an excited Sarah, who grabbed your hand and pulled you away to catch up.

–––

Following your reunion at the clinic, Steve had one of his hands on you. Behind your back, holding your hand, his own hand on your knee on the drive back. He only let go briefly to let you hug Sarah goodbye, after you accepted her invitation to Thanksgiving dinner the next day.

Now, back at your apartment, all you could think about was what was Steve, Steve, Steve. His phone had buzzed with another call from Bucky the moment you stepped inside. He apologized before answering, and you could have sworn you heard him cursing his friend out.

You refreshed Hercules water and food bowls then went into your bedroom, trying to tidy the place up. When you went to pull your blinds down, you couldn’t help but find yourself distracted by the city. Although your view wasn’t as impressive as Steve’s penthouse, you could see into the Brooklyn streets below. At the right angle, you could even see the final orange glow of the sunset through some of the buildings.

It had proved to be a big enough distraction because you didn’t even hear Steve end his call or walk into the room behind you. Instead, you felt his hands on your shoulders, slowly wrapping around and pulling you against his chest. His lips brushed the top of your head.

“Everything good?” You murmured as his hands started to trail their way down your body.

“Mmhmm,” Steve replied quietly, dipping his head down, breathing hot against the side of your neck. “Is this okay?”

You closed your eyes. “Yes but..” It took everything in you to pause, but you turned around in his arms and did just that. “Wait.”

He immediately stopped what he was doing, removing his hands from you as he searched your face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you answered too quickly. 

He said your name knowingly then repeated himself. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Okay, okay. I’m just going to say it. Steve, I want this again - with you. I want us to press reset but I’m really fucking scared.”

You watched Steve absorb your words. Telling the truth was something you knew you had to do, but you hoped Steve understood. He was still, but you could see his brain computing.

“And it’s not about the… rooftop thing. Although.. I definitely don’t think back to that night fondly.” You shook your head as you continued. “I’m scared you’re going to change your mind again. Because I don’t know if I can feel like that again. I’ve convinced myself that the good feelings outweigh that risk but..” Your voice cracked. “I’m scared.”

Steve grabbed your hands and turned you enough to help you sit on the bed. He crouched down in front of you, tracing his thumbs across your knees. “Sweetheart. Hurting you was the biggest regret of my life. I know my words can only mean so much but I want you to hear me.” You met his gaze and nodded. “I’m an idiot. An idiot who will do everything in his power to prove to you how much you mean to me. I can’t undo what I said and resetting doesn’t make it go away. But I love you and want to make this work for us if you’ll give me this chance.”

You raised your hands and cradled his face. “That was quite the speech.”

He smirked. “I mean it, baby. Every word.”

“Okay.” You took in another breath then let it out slowly.

“Okay?” Steve asked.

“Okay, let’s reset.” Your hands left his cheeks, carding through his hair as your lips crashed into his. Kissing Steve didn’t feel like going back to the beginning though - it felt like picking up where you left off. 

Steve didn’t waste a moment responding, hands traveling to the back of your neck to steady you as he pushed you down on the bed. Everything happening now, in that moment, was all that mattered to you both. Steve wanted you, you wanted him. Nothing else needed to make sense.

Your hands roamed down Steve’s torso as he hovered over you, pulling at his shirt and trying to make quick work of the buttons. Steve shed his shirt without his lips leaving you, pressing hot wet kisses against your cheek, down towards your neck. Your eyes fluttered shut at the sensation, gasping when his teeth grazed your shoulder.

“Less clothes,” he whined out, removing himself from you long enough for your top to come off. He stood off the bed briefly to slip out of his pants, while you shimmied out of your jeans. You were left in just your underwear, some very unsexy unmatched set. 

But lord, the way Steve looked at you. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he said firmly, crawling back over you on the bed. He braced himself above you again, tracing a finger up your jaw to tip your chin up. 

You felt your cheeks grow warm. “Steve..”

‘“I’m sorry if what I said… on that phone call - if it ever made you doubt how fucking beautiful you are.” He dipped his head down and met your lips again, softer this time. “I love you, the shape of your body..” He trailed his kisses down you again, towards your chest. “Your heart..” His hands moved down the same way, tracing gently across your chest, along your soft stomach, on top of every single piece of you that you didn’t always love. “I love all of you.”

“Steve,” you whimpered under his touch, squeezing your eyes shut. “Please don’t make me cry.” You choked out a laugh, tipping your head back to mind your happy tears. When you looked back, he was staring at you with a lovestruck smile again. “Thank you. I love you too.”

He grinned, once again leaning down to press his lips to your skin. This time, it was just above your belly button. “It’s okay to cry, sweetheart. But how about I make you come instead?”

How could you argue with that?

Steve surveyed your form intently as he got back to work, hands and lips peppering against your skin. He slid his fingers under the waistband of your underwear and slid them down your legs. You helped to kick them away, just as Steve was licking his lips. 

His eyes flicked to you. “Lay back, baby. Get comfortable.” 

You were quick to shift on the bed, into your pillows. Just as you rested your head back, you felt the bed sink slightly just between your legs. Then the soft kisses that had been decorating your skin were inside your thighs. And then–

You let out a whimper when his mouth met your center. You knew you were already wet, but when Steve growled against your clit and slid a finger into you, it felt like a flood. 

“Oh my g-god, Steve.” With one hand, you grasped at his hair. The other dragged across your chest, pulling your own bra down to grab your nipples. “Yes, yes, please.”

Your eyes squeezed shut, breathless as Steve continued stroking, suctioning against your clit as your moans grew louder. When another finger entered you, crooked inside in search of just the right spot, you nearly combusted. And when you did careen over the edge just moments later, Steve didn’t slow down. 

In a daze you sat up slightly to watch him work. He was drowning in you, his own hips grinding against the bed as he consumed you. Jesus fucking Christ - that was hot. Steve was hot. This - this was hot.

“Steve,” you called for him as his mouth finally slowed down, returning to slow kisses against the inside of your thighs again. He looked up and met your eyes, drunk with love and contentment. “I need to feel you - please.”

“Okay, baby,” he replied with a soft smile. “Let me take care of you.” He shucked off his boxers and crawled up the bed again, hovering above you once more. 

You raked your hands over his chest when he was close enough, gripping his hips as you pulled him down and kissed him. Your own taste lingered on his lips and tongue as he breathed into you.

“You ready?” He asked softly, reaching between your waists to position himself.

“Mmhmm,” you whispered, pressing another kiss against him. “Please.”

“Fuck,” Steve cursed out, eyes closing as he pushed himself in. God, you fit together so well. Once he felt comfortable, watching you for the right signs of pleasure, he moved out slowly before finding a rhythm.

“Steve, I missed you so much..”  You wrapped your hands around his neck, in an attempt to keep him as close to you as possible. With one hand, he held one of your legs up, just enough to elicit better friction. And with the other, he cradled the back of your neck. “Missed this - this stretch..”

You could feel him smiling as he kissed you again. His hips sped up, adding just enough extra pressure that you could really feel him. You’d feel him tomorrow, too.

“My girl,” he said breathlessly against your neck. “Always. Mine..” His mouth ravaged your neck and shoulders. “Want this forever.. Want you forever..” He slowed down momentarily. “Wanna fill you up, baby.”

“Yes, yes please..” you said in return, scratching across his back with your hands as you braced yourself. A low growl escaped him as he came. He tensed up as he finished, weight heavy on top of you as you both caught your breaths.

As his head rested near yours, his lips pressed against your earlobe. “You’re so beautiful, sweetheart. I love you.”

You were still laying in a daze when Steve returned to you in the bed after cleaning up, placing a cup of tea on the bedside table closest to you. His own matching cup rested in his hands. You sat up, pulling up the sheet with you as you rested against the headboard.

Shifting slightly, you pivoted to look at him. “I really missed you.”

He grinned. “So you said.”

“No, not just that.” You gave his shoulder a small nudge, careful not to jostle his tea. “I just like being around you.”

His smile softened. “Me too.” He drew in a long breath and moved his cup to the side table before continuing. He said your name, drawing your gaze to his. “Resetting doesn’t make who I am go away.”

You gulped. “I know.” He seemed to be searching for what to say next, so you continued instead. “I can’t pretend to understand why you do what you do. And I don’t decide what is right and wrong. Neither of us do.” You took a deep breath. “But I want to be with you. That makes me feel a little bit crazy but maybe that’s part of being in love.”

Steve laughed. “You’re in love, huh.”

Rolling your eyes, you fell into his side. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

“And I love you, baby.” He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you against his chest, against his heart. He kissed your forehead. “I’m going to keep my professional life at bay. I won’t be able to stop it from bleeding into this but I promise you I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I take that privilege seriously.” You felt him squeeze you a bit tighter. “Though I do think there are some precautions we can take, too.”

“We?” You pulled back slightly and watched him.

“I’m going to get you something for your keys and pepper spray for your bag. How would you feel about taking a self-defense class?”

You scrunched up your face as you considered. “It has been on my to-do list for a long time.” Even without a high profile partner like Steve, knowing you feel prepared in times of danger was something you knew was important. You probably should have prioritized it sooner, really.

“Natasha teaches a class, actually. At her gym.”

“Natasha has a gym?” You nodded. “Yeah, okay. I could do that. Will you take the class with me?”

Steve laughed again. “I don’t need self-defense training, sweetheart.”

“But then we can practice together. C’mon, pleeease.”

Steve groaned, but it was evident very quickly he’d do anything you asked. So, he nodded. “Fine.”

You paused. “You’re not going to make me carry a gun, are you?”

“First of all, I’d never make you do anything.” He sat up a bit straighter, face stern. “And no, absolutely not. I hope you are never in a position where that kind of defense is required.”

You settled against him again. Big conversations like this were expected and you knew it made sense to feel a bit scared still. But, that wasn’t the feeling lingering in your stomach anymore. No, it was more like… safety, contentment, familiarity.

It was something akin to being home.

–––

Shield closed down on Christmas Eve and reopened on New Years Eve, so you weren’t sure why Steve needed to check in there in the middle of the holiday week. Sure, his office was upstairs but he had vowed to do as little work as possible over your days off together. And yet, after a lovely dinner together, he apologetically announced there was something there he needed to check in on.

You had shared a few delicious plates at May’s, a small Italian place in Queens. Steve had given you a history of the restaurant on your way - it was one of the first properties he invested in years ago so it was clearly a special place. When you arrived, the server had immediately showed you to a more intimate table tucked away in the back corner. 

Wine and food arrived at the table without a menu or many words exchanged between the server and Steve. After you had finished eating - polishing off one of the best tiramisus you had ever tasted - the restaurant owner, May, came out to say hello.

When you left without mentioning a bill, you had a feeling that the business Steve did with May extended beyond just being a landlord. You didn’t ask any questions though.

Over the last month with Steve, the questionable moments were quite rare. He really did maintain the boundary between his personal life and everything else, with only a bit of a crossover. You had joined him at the club a few times - because you realized dating the club owner eliminated all the awful things you hated about going out. You never had to wait for entrance or for a drink ever again. Your friends especially liked the free drinks and safe rides home, too.

That was only a fringe benefit of being with Steve though. What really stood out to you was just Steve. Getting to know each other all over again had been exciting and fulfilling, in many ways. 

You kept up your nightly phone calls. Well, when you weren’t crashing at his or him dropping into your bed, you kept up the calls. You had spent Thanksgiving with him at Sarah’s and were greeted with boxes of childhood photos to fawn over. For Christmas, you, Steve and Sarah had all travelled up to Albany to spend the day cooking and celebrating with your mom. 

Slowly, it seemed your worlds would be blending together. And you weren’t really sure what the future was going to hold and how that might transpire, but you decided it was worth seeing what could happen. Because being with Steve seemed worth it.

“I promise this won’t take too long,” Steve’s voice broke you from your thoughts, as he parked his car near the back exit of the club. It was a small lot reserved for Steve and Shield staff members only, currently only occupied by one other black car. You weren’t sure who that belonged to. Maybe Natasha was there doing inventory of the bar before New Years.

You gave him a smile from the passenger seat, leaning over to meet his lips for a kiss. “Remember that we have a big day of sleeping in without an alarm tomorrow so..” He smirked. “Take all the time you need.”

Steve bounded out of the car and raced around to help you out, extending his hand to ensure you stepped safely onto the asphalt. You had dressed up for dinner, picking out your favourite black dress paired with some heels that didn’t cause you too much pain to walk in. Steve had grinned like a schoolboy when he picked you up, which made you feel, well, beautiful. You had paired the dress with your Christmas gift from him - a stunning gold and diamond pendant, shaped like a wing. A matching wing now sat with the chain on his neck, too.

You clutched Steve’s hand as you headed through the backdoor of the club. From the dark back hallway, you could have sworn you could hear music playing somewhere. Maybe it was just the memory of whatever song was just playing in Steve’s car.

As you twisted down the hallway, past the back office, storage rooms, and the back stairs up towards the second floor, the music grew a bit louder. You definitely heard music. You tried to ask Steve what was going on but he just squeezed your hand, threw a mischievous grin over his shoulder and carried on.

When you finally made it to the main club area, it was still pitch black. The music kept playing. You grasped both of Steve’s hands in a panic and by the time you had formed a sentence to ask a worried question, the lights powered on.

But it wasn’t the regular industrial overhead lights. Nor was it the multicoloured pot lights that danced around to match the beat of the club music. No, this was something else. 

Above you, the multicoloured lights were steady and emitting just a soft blue tone. Across the open railings above, partitioning off the downstairs area from the VIPs upstairs, various strands of string lights were hung and illuminated. It made the club area feel almost intimate. 

You dropped Steve’s hands and turned around, speechless as you took it all in. On the end of the bar, you spotted a bottle of champagne sitting on ice with two matching glasses waiting. The music playing above you switched to something softer. An old song crackled through the speakers.

You turned back to Steve, who was gazing at you.

He stepped towards you, hand extended. “Dance with me, sweetheart?”

How could you say no to that request?

Steve helped you take off your coat and  discarded his own. Then he pulled you towards the very center of the room, under a now spinning disco ball that splashed flickers of light around the space. 

“Steve,” you started, resting your head against his chest. One of his palms cradled the small of your back while the other grasped your hand, hovering in the air as he led you in slow circles.. “Did you do this all just for me?”

He chuckled. You could feel it rumble through him. “Bucky helped me out.”

You smiled, squeezing his hand in response. You didn’t know what to say. 

And maybe that was okay, because at that moment, it was just you and Steve. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “I promise I’ll always dance with you.”

FIN

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Author's Note: Thank you again so much for reading! I have a few ideas for additional one shots in this AU, including a smutty little threesome fic and a small story with Bucky and a girl from the club. if you have any questions or want to know more about this universe or Steve and Reader, please please drop into my inbox or the comments!! love you all!!

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Wrapped In Red prompt:

Peeta buys Katniss another set of sexy red stockings for Christmas, along with a matching red jeweled butt plug 🔌

An entire stocking full of coal for you, Anon. Absolutely stuffed with naughtiness. Disclaimer: I adjust prompts as I think fits the characters in the story. Hope you enjoy your raunchiness anyways, Anon. RATED E below the cut.

**

“I’ve been behind all day,” I mutter to Peeta as I practically storm into the house. I’m late getting home from work because Plutarch insisted on us exchanging our Secret Santa gifts before we left, but I ran out of there before I could open mine.

“It’s okay,” Peeta says gently. “We still have time.”

“I really wanted to get a shower before Karina’s concert,” I tell him and snag one of the fresh rolls Peeta must have made for dinner and scamper out of his reach. “But now I have to decide: food or shower.”

“Guess I’ll be dealing with your body odor during the concert then,” he teases and I stick my tongue out at him. I take a bite and try not to moan like a porn star as I clamber up the stairs. I swear I’ve put on ten pounds of carb weight being married to Peeta. But who freaking cares when I get to eat cheese buns like these all the time now.

“Tell Karina she needs to get down here to eat!” Peeta calls after me and I give him a garbled answer then step aside to let Karina pass me.

“Heard you, Dad. I’m coming.”

I start the shower water and finish the roll while it warms up. A quick shower and then I get dressed. My red stockings, a long sweater dress in a soft, warm, charcoal gray knit. I tug on a pair of my nicer knee high boots and quickly dry my hair enough so I won’t freeze and then braid it. By the time I make it downstairs, it’s almost time to go. Peeta hands me a bowl of stew and kisses me on my temple.

“You look lovely,” he tells me and I smile up at him. While Peeta and Karina quickly clean up dinner, I shovel as much of the stew down my throat as possible. Grab a roll for the road, and follow them out the door.

As it was last year, Karina’s concert is lovely. And just as we did last year, Peeta and I hold hands the entire time. His thumb swipes gently back and forth over my skin. I rest my head on his shoulder while the other performers are on stage. When he lets go of my hand to record Karina, I rest it on his thigh.

When we finally make it home, Karina yawns loudly and tells us that she’s going to bed early. Between piano practices and homework, she’s had to stay up late a few nights leading up to the concert. Alone in our room, I peel off my boots then gasp when Peeta’s arms wrap around me from behind and he kisses up the side of my neck.

“You were wearing those stockings the whole night?” he asks and I laugh slightly, leaning to the side to glance at him over my shoulder.

“And?”

“Nothing,” he says. Then he leans in close and whispers hotly in my ear. “I’m just glad you didn’t tell me beforehand. Otherwise, I would’ve been hard the whole time. Would’ve dragged you out to the parking lot and fogged up the car windows instead of watching the whole concert.”

“You wouldn’t have done that. Not during a concert with Karina performing. And not in the car she rode there and home with us.”

“Probably wouldn’t have done it,” he agrees and then gives me a wicked grin. “But I would’ve been thinking about it.”

I scoff and push him away. He then notices the small gift bag I tossed on our bed earlier and picks it up. “What’s this? Is this for me?”

“Secret Santa gift exchange from work,” I explain as I step away and peel off my dress. “I’m slightly afraid to open it since Johanna was my Secret Santa.”

Peeta snorts and finishes changing into his sleep pants and a t-shirt. We brush our teeth standing next to each other and then climb in bed. He hands me the bag as I’m getting settled under the covers.

“Here. Open it now. I’ll protect you from whatever gag gift she gave you.”

I shrug and toss aside the green tissue paper before pulling a small black box out of the bag. Scrunching up my face, I open the box and slide out the inner, clear plastic packaging. I examine the object inside and feel my brow relaxing.

“Oh. That’s not so bad,” I say. Peeta coughs and I glance over at him. His face is all red and his expression is weird.

“It’s not?”

“It’s actually rather pretty.”

“Katniss, honey. Do you know what that is?”

“Of course. I’ve thought about getting a festive wine stopper for us but just didn’t feel the need.”

“Wine stop-- oh god,” Peeta groans and laughs.

“What?” I ask as he falls back on the pillows, covering his face. “Why are you making fun of me?”

“Because it’s not a wine stopper,” he chokes out and sits back up, taking the clear box from me and turning it to show me the miniscule label on the back. “It’s a butt plug. An anal sex toy.”

It takes me a few seconds to register what he’s saying and as soon as I do, I start sputtering. Ranting about how unprofessional it is of Johanna to give me something like this. But Peeta pulls the thing from its packaging, examines the sleek silver stem and the shimmering red jewel that crowns it. Then he tugs aside the sheets and gazes hungrily at my legs, still clad in the red stockings.

“You cannot be thinking of using it,” I snap and he grins at me.

“I mean, it matches your stockings,” he says, and I squeal as he moves into me so fast that I find myself caged beneath his body, his broad palms sliding underneath me and cupping my ass, lifting me up into him as he sucks at sensitive points along the side of my neck. “Fuck, now I kinda wanna see this winking at me from your ass while I fuck you from behind. Or play with it when it’s inside you while you ride me.”

“Peeta,” I gasp.

“Aren’t you even a little bit curious how it would feel?”

“Let’s shove it up your ass and see how you like it,” I grumble, but I sound breathless because of the way he’s kissing me, touching me. He chuckles darkly and slips his hand around my hip enough to tease along my backside. Just gentle touches and swipes of his fingers before he pushes a little harder and I make a sound I can only describe as pained, reluctant pleasure.

“Wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve had shoved up my ass during sex,” he whispers and I shiver, trying not to think too much about his sexual past before me. “And if you wanted to try it, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve used one with a woman.” Now I’m trying not to imagine him using one with Glimmer. Thankfully, his kisses are insanely distracting and he knows exactly how to touch me so that all I can think about is him. Just him and me.

“I can be gentle with you, Katniss. And it can feel incredible,” he practically growls and lifts his weight off of me, only enough to flip me over onto my stomach. I grip the pillow beneath me and watch as he sets the butt plug on the nightstand.

“But we won’t try anything you don’t want to try,” he says and puts his hands back on me, touching me until I’m a shivering, begging mess. And when he tugs my hips up so that I’m on all fours for him, and I feel his cock parting my pussy lips, I can’t help the quick twinge of curiosity I feel. His left hand is played on my lower back and ass as he slides into me. And the curiosity only grows as I watch the light play off the red gemstone and his thumb once again slips between my cheeks and presses against me. Teasing me without crossing any thresholds. I squirm beneath his touch and bite down on the pillow to stifle the sounds I make, the power of suggestion and the reality of his touch causing a cascade of sensation inside me.

Maybe next time.

[soupfic]

And in darkness please tread lightly (see what you discover)

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/F

Fandoms: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)

Relationship: Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge

Characters: Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge

Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Past Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Past Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, First Kiss, Vaginal Fingering, Dildos, Pegging, Vaginal Sex, College, Future Fic, 1950s, Alternate Universe - 1950s

Summary: They emerged from the neighborhood and back onto campus. The Chi Omega sorority house was not much farther away then. Veronica looked both ways and began to cross the road when it was clear. It was nearly 11:30pm. “Girls sneak their boyfriends in all the time,” Veronica said, waving it away with her right hand. “Everyone just politely ignores any panting or moaning late at night.” Why did Betty’s stomach roll at that? “Okay.” Her voice was so small, it barely floated on the wind to Veronica’s back.

Read on Ao3

Betty’s eyes were starting to blur over the textbook she was reading in the library. The air conditioning was blasting cold, and the only sounds in the whole hall were the occasional rustling of paper and pencils scribbling notes. She tried shaking her head to wake herself up, but it just wasn’t working.

Time to call it a night , she thought, abruptly shutting the book and shoving it into her bag.

Before she took off, she paused a moment to smooth out her blue cardigan and tweed skirt. Now that she was standing up, her stomach rumbled, and she figured she could stop by the dining hall; tipping her watch carefully in the lowlight of the library, she noted that she had 23 minutes until it closed if she hurried.

Her brogues made soft sounds on the pavement as she half walked half skipped toward the dining hall closest to her dormitory.  The food options were slim pickings at this time of night, most dishes already cleared away and the staff trying to sweep up the hall. She felt bad about showing up so close to closing, but she realized she hadn’t eaten since lunch at noon and now it was nearly 10 pm.

Quickly, she grabbed a ham and cheese sandwich, paid, and scampered to her dorm.

The RA working the front desk stopped her.

“Betty!” The brunette girl said brightly, looking up from the book she was reading.

Betty was a little out of breath from her heavy bag and how much of a rush she was in to get home. Her face was ruddy and blonde flyaways were sticking to her cheeks.

“Hey, Rachel,” Betty smiled the smile living in Smalltown America had taught her to.

“Ronnie called and left a message for you.”

Betty nodded and sauntered over to the reception desk to retrieve the message.

“What’s it say?” Betty asked, holding a hand out for the scrap of paper Rachel was holding out for her.

“She wants you to meet her at the fountain, whatever that means, at 10.”

Obviously, there were many fountains around campus. But there was one fountain that was their fountain.

Betty glanced at her watch. It was ten til. She muttered a curse under her breath before thanking Rachel and sprinting up the linoleum front steps two at a time to get to her third floor room. The light was off inside so her roommate must have been asleep. She slowly turned her key in the lock to make the smallest amount of noise she possibly could so as not to wake Nicole.

Her roommate shifted and sighed as the door clicked softly behind her. All she really needed to do was drop her heavy school bag before turning right back around to meet Veronica. Well , she thought, I can afford to ditch my stockings for now .

After cautiously setting her bag down by the end of her bed, she took one last glance at her roommate to make sure the girl was asleep before turning her back to the other girl’s bed and peeling herself out of the stockings, ones she’d worn to church many times. She deposited the damp nylons on the ground next to her bed for later, and then spun around the room slowly to see if there was anything she was forgetting before meeting Ronnie. They’d known each other forever, but she still didn’t want to be late—she hated disappointing her.

Standing barefoot in the dark, her mind was blank, so she decided to just grab a coat so she could slip her room key inside while she was out, and put on more comfortable moccasins instead of the stiff brogues.

It didn’t matter how fast Betty ran; she was going to be a bit late. She imagined Veronica leaving after a few minutes of Betty running late and some unnamed feeling clawed at her gut.

The fountain was one of the centerpieces of campus—it had lights inside that were on constantly, making it visible at any hour of day, and there was a tradition of students making their friends jump in the fountain on their 21st birthday. It was mid-September so the semester had just started, but the chill was already starting to set in. While there were some students traveling to and fro’, no one was drunkenly bathing in the fountain that night.

Veronica, blessedly, still sat on the concrete ledge, haloed in the blue light from the water, and cloaked in a smart black peacoat. She looks beautiful, Betty thought involuntarily when she caught sight of the dark haired girl.

At the sight of Betty, Veronica perked up and waved.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Veronica admitted.

“I lost track of time studying in the library and didn’t get back to the dorm until ten til,” Betty said by way of explanation. “I rushed over as fast as I could.”

Betty saw Veronica’s eyes take in Betty’s visage, her sweat-sticky face and loose blonde hair, her cream colored overcoat. It was a tad too heavy for the weather, but there were occasional cold breezes that cut through the night and made Betty glad she was wearing it.

Veronica pouted just a little, but didn’t say anything to indicate displeasure. “I’m just glad you made it.” She held her arms out for a hug.

Betty gladly leaned down into her friend's arms, the scent of Veronica’s lingeringly sweet perfume when her face nestled into the crook of the other girl’s neck. She didn’t know what the scent was called, but it was Veronica’s go-to so Betty’s stomach started to curl every time she smelled it on her now.

The hug lingered, perhaps just a few beats too long. Betty pulled away, hoping the dark of the night around them would obscure her pink cheeks.

They’d been doing this song and dance for a few weeks now, since the semester started. They couldn’t see each other every day because Ronnie was trying to pledge a sorority and their classes didn’t line up. Betty felt her best friend’s absence keenly, like a missing limb. She missed her other friends, sure, but there was something so tantalizing about being in the same city, on the same campus, just a few blocks away and being barred from each other’s presence through sheer circumstance. And the more nights she lay awake in her dorm room with her roommates soft snores filtering through the air and Archie Andrews not in the house directly across from her, it started to occur to her that some of those friendships might have had more to do with proximity than genuine affection.

“Shall we go for a walk, then?” Veronica said, her bright red lips smacking together.

Betty nodded and Veronica stood from the fountain, looping an arm through Betty’s and tugging her in the direction of her dorm. Betty’s stomach clenched.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere interesting I found the other day,” Veronica said with an appealingly mischievous quirk to her mouth. “It should be a short walk.”

Betty was grateful she’d taken off her nylons and picked different shoes. A chill wind picked up as they descended the steep hill. She shivered and huddled in closer to Veronica, expecting the other girl to take a right onto sorority row, but instead she made a left, head swiveling in both directions, dark hair hitting her face, before crossing the street without the walk signal. Betty scurried after her, making sure to check both ways too.

They quickly descended into the neighboring residential area with great, towering homes with pointy roofs and too many windows scattered across the front in even rows. Their facades were all whites and yellows with horizontal wood slats and brick with tight rectangular chimneys. She was put in the mind of the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel she had to read in high school and the cursed Pyncheon family shut up inside. Any one of these dark houses could contain their own family curse. She thought of Hepzibah and superimposed her mother’s face on the character. Shaking her head to drop the thought, she nearly lost Veronica when the other girl darted in between two houses.

“Veronica!” Betty called lowly, conscious of the families likely sleeping in the houses around them.

In the half dark, she saw Veronica ahead of her.

“Are we in someone’s yard?”

“No!” Veronica called back before stopping.

When Betty caught up, she saw a small clearing with bright white stones sticking up like jagged teeth from the dark earth below.

“Cemetery?” Betty questioned.

“A colonial cemetery. There’s a sign by the street. I saw it when I was out here walking after dinner a few evenings ago while you were in class.”

“That’s so cool,” Betty marveled, moving deeper among the stones.

There was enough ambient light from the nearby street lamps that she could make out some names and symbols. Most of the names seemed to be from the same family.

“I did some research.”

“You did?”

“Oh, don’t act so surprised, Cooper!”

Betty chuckled sheepishly.

“Anyway, turns out New England is littered with these small, colonial family plots. I love the little symbols on the stones. Like this one,” she gestured to one of the nearby markers.

There was a skull with wings on either side carved into the top of the stone above the name, Elizabeth Marsh who died in 1802 at age 31. So young , Betty thought with a melancholy gripping her heart.

She bent down next to another stone with a lamb carved into it, angling so the streetlight would catch it enough to read the name on it, Charlotte Marsh, age 3 hours. The picture painted was clear.

As she went to stand up, she felt something against her back. She spun and jumped away, putting as much distance as possible between her and the ghost besieging her.

Veronica started laughing at how much she had scared Betty. Betty’s hand came up to her chest, feeling her heart fluttering beneath her rib cage.

“Ronnie!”

“I’m sorry!” Veronica snickered, a hand coming up to sheepishly hide her mouth. “I was just trying to be funny.”

“I guess the graveyard spooked me a little,” Betty admitted.

“Clearly.” Veronica’s laughter finally died down. “You want to head back toward campus?”

“Yes, please.”

Veronica looped her arm through Betty’s again, pulling them toward the street.

After a few minutes of silence, Veronica spoke, her voice soft and tender.

“Will you skip class tomorrow?”

Betty’s stomach clenched. “All day?”

“It’s just a couple classes, Bett. I just really want to spend some time with you.”

Their first semester of college had just started—and Betty never even considered skipping a class. In high school, she had near-perfect attendance, only missing a few days the one time she had mono.

“But my journalism class…” Betty started to protest, but she trailed off when Veronica stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk.

The other girl’s face took on a wounded, little lamb quality. Were those tears brimming in her eyes?

“Okay! Fine, fine,” Betty conceded, laughing.

“Yay!” Veronica started them walking again. “Well, then you don’t need to go to bed early. Come to the house?”

Betty hadn’t been inside the sorority house yet.

“Am I allowed?”

“Not technically, but I don’t think anyone will say anything even if they see you.”

“Are you sure?”

They emerged from the neighborhood and back onto campus. The Chi Omega sorority house was not much farther away then. Veronica looked both ways and began to cross the road when it was clear. It was nearly 11:30pm.

“Girls sneak their boyfriends in all the time,” Veronica said, waving it away with her right hand. “Everyone just politely ignores any panting or moaning late at night.”

Why did Betty’s stomach roll at that? “Okay.” Her voice was so small, it barely floated on the wind to Veronica’s back.

“Let’s go around back,” Veronica said when they approached the front of the house. 

The yellow street light illuminated the painted sigil of their group on the sidewalk in front; there was distinctly a skull and owl at the top. How odd , Betty thought. The back was not well lit and Betty huddled in closer to Veronica in the chill night.

“My room’s just upstairs.”

“What about your roommate?”

Before swinging the door open, Veronica turned with a smirk. “I pulled some strings. I’m rooming alone. And I’m pretty much guaranteed a spot.”

Betty didn’t have to be told that money talks. She nodded and followed Veronica into the dark, warmth of the house. It was silent inside. The girls had mostly gone to bed, it seemed. Veronica held up her index finger to her red lips in a shushing motion and moved up the back wooden stairs. They creaked lowly under their feet, but it wasn’t loud enough to rouse suspicion.

Upon entering Veronica’s room, she flicked on a bedside lamp that bathed the furniture in a warm, orange glow. There was a table and chair by the window, which Betty started moving toward.

“Don’t even think about it,” Veronica said, stripping off her coat and dumping it on the floor next to the bed. “Come lay down next to me.”

Betty stood there, frozen, watching in abject delight and horror as Veronica unselfconsciously began to unbuckle the belt around her waist and unbutton the buttons on the front of her blue gingham dress.

“I’m going to slip into my nightgown. You can take off whatever you want and come lay down.”

Betty couldn’t move, her body feeling hot and itchy all over. She wanted to take off her coat, her slightly scratchy skirt, her skin.

Veronica was in a yellow silk nightgown before Betty even realized.

“What are you doing, silly? Come on .”

What is happening here? Betty thought, finally, stiffly moving to take her coat off and drop it on the chair.

Veronica flopped unceremoniously onto her plush duvet and stretched out, her body contorted suggestively, one leg over the other. The word “whore” started to blare in Betty’s mind like an air raid siren before she could shut down the religious shame. She shook the thought away as her best friend’s eyes traveled over her.

“Get over here!” Veronica called. She hadn’t taken her makeup off or her hair down.

“Your lipstick…” Betty trailed off, her voice barely audible.

“Oh! I completely forgot! I’ll be right back.” Veronica hopped up from the bed. “You better be getting comfy by the time I get back.” And then she disappeared out the door, her bare feet making no sound in the hall.

In the comfort of the empty room, Betty felt bold enough to shimmy out of her skirt, leaving her knickers in place, but unclasping her brassiere underneath her blouse and sliding it off. Quickly, she moved to get under the duvet, hiding her body from view, and laying on her back. She was put to mind of the scenarios she used to run in her head of going steady with Archie and her first time…shyly disrobing in front of him, joining him in the bed under the covers, soft and warm skin touching soft and warm skin.

But this was Veronica, not Archie, not a boy. It wasn’t like that. It couldn’t be. Regardless, Betty knew there was something like a small lick of flame, vulnerable at her center at the mere thought of Veronica. She could choose to feed it and nurture it, or smother it in its infancy before it could take root. Veronica couldn’t accept it, of course, and that’s why Betty had to quash that tiny fire burning at her core.

When Veronica returned, she didn’t say anything, just slipped under the covers next to Betty, snuggling in close but staying on her back too. The smooth skin of her arm was warm against Betty’s arm, and Betty started to sweat beneath the heavy duvet, but she didn’t dare complain or move away for fear of shattering the delicate crystal of the moment. Veronica’s hand was against hers, and she could feel the other girl’s pulse with their proximity—it felt like it was jumping. No, that’s not right . Veronica’s breath wasn’t heavy, was it? No, no .

“Betty,” Veronica whispered, syrup in Betty’s ears. “Elizabeth.”

At the use of her full name and not her usual nickname, Betty’s head snapped over to look at Veronica, who’s dark eyes were hooded and searching in the low light. Betty didn’t dare utter a sound; her stomach was rolling and she was sweating, her face was dewy red even in the dark.

“Betty, I have something I want to tell you.”

“Okay,” Betty croaked out, mortified by her own breaking voice.

There was a weighty pause and Veronica rolled over onto her side, facing Betty directly, and placed her hot hand directly over Betty’s lower belly. Betty couldn’t meet her eyes anymore when her muscles jumped at the delicious contact. Veronica didn’t remove her hand.

“Betty Cooper, I think I’m in love with you.”

Breathe , Betty had to tell herself. Say something, idiot!

“It’s…it’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” Veronica began to pull her hand away, disappointment shuttering her face.

Before Betty could think, she snatched Veronica’s hand at the wrist, preventing her from moving. The shock was evident by the delicate o-shape of her mouth.

“Ronnie,” Betty said, voice hitching, “I…can’t stop thinking about you. You live inside my chest.”

Veronica let out the smallest laugh at that. “Does that mean…?”

“It means I think I love you, too.” Betty rolled over so they were face to face, their breaths mingling in the small cavern between their bodies, Veronica’s hand on her hip bone now.

“What about Archie?” Veronica asked, face scrunched in concern.

“It’s complicated,” Betty admitted, “but I think, more than anything, it had to do with proximity…”

“Didn’t help that he’s pretty,” Veronica trailed off wistfully, as the only one of the two of them who had actually dated him for any period of time.

“That did help,” Betty admitted.

“What about Jughead? I know you two broke up, but…”

“It was over for good. And there really are no hard feelings. Jughead said he loved me…but not like that? And he wasn’t sure he could love anyone like that.”

“You two never…?” The implication was clear— had sex .

“Never,” Betty shook her head vigorously, “Jug never wanted to. I don’t think he wants to at all, ever, with anyone.”

“Oh.” Veronica seemed shocked. “Jughead’s a teenage boy and he doesn’t want to have sex at all?”

Betty felt a distinct embarrassment from the word being said so cavalierly. She tried her best to shrug it off. “I don’t know.”

“Did you want to?”

“Kind of. I think I wanted to because I knew I was supposed to want to?”

“I understand that.”

“Did you and Archie?” Betty asked, incredulous that the words have been allowed to escape past her lips.

Is it something she’d thought about before? Absolutely. Did it burn her up inside at night when she thought about it with too much clarity? She would never admit it.

“Do you want an honest answer to that?” Veronica’s confidence was coming out as she earnestly searched Betty’s face.

Betty nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Yes, we did.”

Betty couldn’t help it—she imagined the red headed boy’s strong arms holding himself up over Veronica’s body, Veronica’s breasts exposed to the air with her nipples stiff in the coolness and bouncing softly as Archie thrust down into her, Archie’s glutes straining with the effort, Veronica’s mouth open and head thrown back in flushed pleasure. There was a wet heat growing between her legs as she thought about it.

“Where did you just go?” Veronica asked, bringing her face close to Betty’s now.

“I, um,” Betty stammered, squirming under the scrutiny.

“Oh, you sick puppy! You were thinking about it, weren’t you? Your little active writer’s imagination.”

Betty flopped over onto her back, arm coming up to cover her face in utter mortification.

“It’s okay, Betts. I’ve thought about you, too.”

“You have?” Betty threw her arm away from her face sharply to peek over at the other girl who had propped her head up on one bent arm.

“Definitely,” she nodded with the slyest little grin on her face. “And do you want to know something else?”

Betty swallowed but nodded.

“I touched myself while doing it, too.”

Betty’s eyes widened. “You did?”

Veronica nodded and bit her lip, her face rouging in the dim light of the bedroom. “Yeah.” Her voice was thick. With desire? Embarrassment? Want?

“Do you…want to, now?” What is she saying? Betty couldn’t believe her audacity. It was easier when she was staring up at the spackled white ceiling above the plush bed instead of at Veronica’s face.

“I very much want to.” Veronica admitted. “Is that okay?”

Betty’s throat felt taut as she swallowed thickly, voicebox sliding under her skin. “I want you to, too.”

“Can we start with a kiss?” Veronica asked, leaning down into Betty’s space.

Betty nodded, unable to speak now.

Veronica closed the space between them, leaning down and gently placing her lips to Betty’s. It was so tentative, Betty was sure that Veronica was giving her time to back out. But she wasn’t going to. She was getting the thing she’d been thinking about for so long, she wasn’t about to back out. And just to prove it to herself, she leaned her head up just a little to press her mouth just a little bit harder into Veronica’s.

This broke the floodgates. Veronica rolled her body all the way on top of Betty’s, their breasts pressed together and mouths hungry. Veronica was the one who started to open her mouth against Betty’s, introducing her tongue into Betty’s. Betty knew about French kissing, but she’d never actually done it—it had sounded a little gross to her, but when it was Veronica’s tongue down her throat it all made sense. She wanted to share spit with this girl, to merge their bodies, to fuse their souls.

The kissing riled Betty up so much she found herself subconsciously grinding herself against Veronica’s leg that had wormed between hers.

“Ronnie,” she gasped out.

“Desperate for it?” Veronica asked, pulling back with her lips puffy and slick with spit, a self-satisfied smile stretching them across her face.

“Yes,” Betty gasped out, feeling like a feral animal, bucking her hips up desperately.

“Can I touch you?”

“Please,” she panted, “please, please .”

Veronica moved away from the position she was in on top of Betty, lowering herself in the covers and hovering on her knees over Betty’s midsection. The other girl didn’t bother to shimmy off Betty’s panties, just moved them over to the side enough to grant access to the downy, strawberry hair between Betty’s legs.

“Pretty,��� Veronica said, hunger in her eyes.

Betty would be embarrassed if she wasn’t so achingly desperate at that exact moment. “Please,” was all she could manage.

Veronica was a merciful god. She crouched down and placed her first two fingers of her right hand directly on the pleasure spot, temporarily blinding Betty with desire.

“Oh my god!” Betty shouted.

Veronica slapped a hand over Betty’s mouth, looking smug, and getting to a vigorous pace, rubbing at that spot. Betty had never really allowed herself to explore this part of herself and hadn’t known how good it could actually feel.

“You’ll have to keep it down, my dear. If I have to do it for you, then feel free to keep making noises.”

Betty whimpered, the pressure building in her lower belly in a way she had never experienced before. Is this why people like sex so much? Is this what it can feel like? No wonder people do stupid things to achieve it.

Just as Betty felt like she was about to reach some kind of fever pitch, Veronica pulled her hands away. Betty’s body suddenly deflated, squishing down into the mattress. She hadn’t realized how much tension she was carrying in all her muscles now that she was relaxed, sweat pooling under her knees and her clavicle. 

“Why?” Betty’s voice croaked.

“I…have something I want to try, if that’s okay with you.”

“If it feels as good as that, you can do whatever you want to me.”

“Whatever I want?” Veronica confirmed, quirking an eyebrow.

“Yes, just…don’t stop, please.”

“As you command, your highness.”

She threw off the duvet from both of them, exposing Betty’s damp skin to the cool air around them. Her nipples instantly went achingly stiff as she watched Veronica’s back muscles contract prettily while she rummaged through one of the drawers in her armoir. When she finally turned back toward the bed, she was holding a very complicated pile of beautiful, dark leather straps and a…well, a phallus.

“Wh-what is that?” Betty felt a bit alarmed.

Veronica blushed as she perched herself on the edge of the bed. “It’s what’s called a dildo. I just attach it to these straps and I can use it on you…”

“Like a man?”

Veronica nodded, swallowing.

“Where did you even get that thing?” Betty couldn’t even believe it existed.

Veronica fixed her with a look that clearly meant “You know I have my methods.”

Betty nodded in understanding. “Right.”

“Would that be okay?”

Betty thought about it for a minute. “Is it going to hurt? I’ve never…”

Veronica bit her lip, looking thoughtful. She shook her head. “I’ve tried it on myself. It doesn’t hurt. It’s not too big.”

The mere thought of Veronica with that thing hanging heavily between her legs, the smooth leather straps digging into the soft skin of her thighs and belly, was setting Betty on fire.

“I want it,” Betty admitted.

Veronica nodded and made quick work of placing the dildo into the harness. Betty watched, rapt, as Veronica’s deft hands removed her silk nightgown, revealing her soft breasts and panties, and pulled the straps up onto her body.

The sight was better than anything she could have imagined, like in the dreams she had about Archie and his erect cock before her. Veronica’s body was as elegant as Betty thought it would be—soft in all the right places and firm in others—based on the places she’d casually touched the other girl.

“Veronica, you’re perfect,” Betty breathed out, the ache between her legs reaching to a fever pitch. “I need you.”

And just like that, Veronica’s body was pressing hers back into the mattress, sliding down her to pull her panties off, and line the rubber phallus up with Betty’s center.

“Just relax, pet,” Veronica murmured into her ear, sending a shiver down her body and pooling down in her stomach. “I promise I will be gentle with you.”

“I trust you,” Betty confirmed, spreading her legs even wider.

Veronica’s control was commendable, pushing into Betty’s body ever-so slowly. Every few seconds, she stopped to check if Betty was okay. Betty was so wet that it slipped in easily, easier than she would have expected. It was an odd sensation, feeling something in a space that had never been filled before, but it felt right, like the dildo that Veronica had acquired was made to be the perfect fit for her.

“Ronnie,” she whined, “it’s too slow. I need you all the way in.”

Veronica didn’t need to be told twice. She slammed her hips down into Betty’s, and Betty saw stars.

Betty didn’t usually swear, but she couldn’t help the cry of “fuck!” that came out of her mouth involuntarily.

“We’ve got to be quiet,” Veronica was so smug as she slapped a hand over Betty’s mouth and kept pumping her hips.

Betty felt her eyes roll back into her head, the dildo continuously grinding at some perfect spot deep inside her that was overwhelming all of her senses. She shifted her hips to meet Veronica’s strokes at just the right angle so that they hit every time, building up this bubble in her hips that felt like it was fit to burst. It was even better than Veronica’s earlier ministrations against her.

The bubble burst and Betty was left a thrumming, shaking, blissful, sweaty mess. She watched as Veronica reached a carefully manicured hand down into her panties, behind the leather straps, and vigorously start to rub circles, her mouth open in a silent ‘o’ that was so pretty Betty wanted to kiss it, but she couldn’t move. There was a strange energy buzzing through her but her limbs were too heavy and her muscles were spasming.

Veronica’s bubble must have burst too, because she removed her hand and collapsed down onto the soft bed next to Betty in a sweaty heap. The rubber phallus was still standing upright, covered in a shiny, milky slickness that Betty didn’t recognize but distantly knew was from her. It corresponded with the extra wetness pooling in between her legs.

“Did you orgasm?” Betty asked Veronica through pants.

Veronica, who’s dark eyes were closed as her chest heaved, just nodded.

“So did I.”

Veronica snickered. “I know, darling.”

Betty’s stomach clenched at the pet name.

“What time is it?” Betty asked, glancing around the room for any visible clock, finding none.

Veronica rolled over to pull a dainty faced silver watch from the bedside table drawer, tipping it to see the hands in the low light. “Just after 1:30 am.”

“It’s so late!” Betty started to panic and get out of the bed.

Veronica laughed again, grabbing Betty’s arm.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not going to class tomorrow.” She pulled Betty onto her chest. “Let’s get some rest and we’ll go get some breakfast in the morning.”

[reitziluz]

orange soup

there are only two soups, Red Soup and Orange Soup. both are a loose collection of Soup Thoughts that materialize into a giant pot of soup when i zone out and listen to a podcast for an hour or a few. this time i remembered to jot some notes down only a day after making the soup.

if you like the idea of being able to eat pumpkin pie filling for dinner, but want it still to be a savory meal, you'll like this soup.

ingredience

equal amounts of butternut squash and sweet potatoes, roasted

about a quarter of that in onions and carrots

more oil than you think. more.

just a bit of starchy potato for texture

fresh ginger and garlic, measured by heart

chili of your choice, to your tolerance

orange spices, e.g. coriander, cumin, turmeric

stock

miso paste

soy sauce, mirin, and rice vinegar (the delicious triad)

coconut cream

method

main notes: i did most of the chopping while i was waiting for other stuff to cook. i chopped everything way tinier than was strictly necessary because i wanted to keep the cooking times as short as possible. you want everything done and the flavors to mingle and mellow, but longer cooking times eventually obliterate garlic and ginger.

get your squash and sweet potato cut up to chunks, oiled, and roasted in the oven for about half an hour at around 225°C. they should be on a single layer on the tray, do multiple batches if necessary. it's okay if they burn a little at the edges. you want them properly roasted and sweet.

if you have an electric kettle, fill it up and get yourself some boiling water for later.

put a pot on medium heat. coat the bottom of your pot with oil. be generous about it.

finely chopped onion goes in. you could caramelize it, but it's enough to get it very translucent and with some color.

finely chopped carrots go in. cook until softened.

garlic, ginger, and chili go in. push the onions and carrots to the sides to give them a clearing in the middle of the pot. add some more oil for them to cook in. do not let them burn or even brown.

orange spices go in. let them toast in the oil for a bit.

once things smell good OR you notice you're risking burning something, add your hot water. remember to leave space for the rest of the ingredients. vigorously stir and scrape the bottom so that nothing is left stuck.

slap in your stock cube or powder or what have you.

add your potatoes (this assumes you have chopped them down to the size of half a matchstick. this is feasible, as i only used three smallish medium potatoes for a combined 3kg of squash and sweet potato.)

either finish roasting your squash and sweet potatoes, or clean up a little while you let the potatoes cook for a sec.

then add the squash and sweet potatoes. if they're not straight from the oven, crank up the heat a little to keep things simmering.

add miso paste, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and coconut cream basically to taste.*

lower the heat and let everything cook for a bit so everything is at gently simmering temp and the flavors mingle. taste it and add seasonings if you feel like it's missing something. i added more of all of my orange spices and some dried ginger and garlic too.

i recommend adding more grated fresh ginger at the end for a really zingy soup.

take the pot off the heat and attack the soup with a stick blender. if it ends up too thick, add more liquid to it. but you do want it thick.

cover with a lid and let it rest** while you tidy up and finish preparing any sides.

serve garnished with e.g. chili flakes, scallions, herbs, crushed nuts, drizzle of oil or sour cream or something, along a protein (i fried tofu slices) and some dunking bread.

bone apple tea!

*i think cooking wine and apple cider or other vinegar could work well too, i just have mirin and rice vinegar because i cook a lot of vaguely japanese food. nut creams or plain ol' dairy cream would work too, cream cheese even. **DO NOT let a Soup Volcano happen. the soup volcano happens if you put the soup back on the hob you used for cooking. even if you turned it off before taking the soup off for blending, it will not have had enough time to cool. the soup will be hot and thick enough so a pot-sized bubble will burst through and then you'll have to wipe soup globs from your walls and ceiling. you can put the soup on a new hob and turn that on very low heat to keep it warm while you finish up. this might not be an issue on a gas stove, but be careful anyway.

[murielcook]

onion cheese cream sauce au gratin potatoes

Are you ready? okay

items for sauce:

1 vidalia onion (between softball and baseball sized)

1 stick of butter

1/2 large carton heavy/whipping cream (variable) about 2 cups

powdered cheese

garlic powder

onion powder

white pepper

3-4 chicken ramen packets, or 2 cups chicken stock

salt (very little if using ramen packets, more if using stock, potatoes soak up salt like crazy)

thyme

marjoram

mushroom powder if you're cute like that

reserve ham liquid if you have any (cut back salt if you do)

Items for finished dish:

2lbs sliced ham (thick deli slice style, round is easier, split into 3 stacks, cut into quarters)

about 4lbs potatoes

shredded cheese, dealer's choice

Steps:

thin slice potatoes. should be floppy. a mandolin is your friend. If using thin-skinned potatoes, skip peeling. otherwise peel first.

partly unwrap your butter and use it to rub the inside of your casserole dish

get your saute pan preheating

put basket or steamer in instant pot (important!), add 2c water and 2 ramen packets (or 2c stock), dump in potatoes, set on highest setting for 0 minutes (I was skeptical too but if they're thin enough it'll be fine) [source]

While that's going, peel outer layer off onion, cut in half, cut thin slices; lightly oil the pan then get them in there to start softening up, medium heat we're just sweating them

cut up your ham while you wait for onion

once onions have hit translucent stage, pretty soft, give things a stir, throw the stick of butter on top of the pile and let it hang out

mix spice powders with cheese powder in a dish; garlic, onion, white pepper, and cheese powder happen here. you want to end up with about 2/3 of a cup of mix here, possibly more if you're using stock and add salt. dealer's choice on what's most dominant, you know what you like!

once that butter is mostly melted, start looking for some browning. give things a stir; you're looking for SOME caramelization, not fully browned, we're going for a mix of onion flavors

potato timer go off? let it hang out for as much as 3 minutes before releasing the valve, then remove the potatoes to a bowl.

sprinkle your spice mix over the onion and butter and keep stirring until it's a paste and there's not a lot of liquid butter left

if it starts to stick or you're happy with the mix, start adding the potato liquid from the pot, this adds broth, liquid, and starch, whisk (preferably with a fork or spatula so your onions don't get tangled) quickly to turn the paste into sauce

begin adding cream, nice and slow while stirring

keep going, we're using about 2/3 cup of cream

stop when it starts to get thin, keep stirring for just a little while longer

turn up the heat a little to let that bubble and incorporate, prepare more of the powder mix, because you're going to want more sauce

put down a layer of potato just enough to cover the bottom, then take a ham stack and layer that over top, keep it light and sloppy for sauce flow

take a ladle and start spooning over sauce, make sure to get some onion in the mix, but don't get too greedy or you'll put all your onion in one layer!

turn down the heat on the sauce if you haven't - you might be starting to get browning on bottom - stir that up, add a dash more cream if it seems extra gunky (more like a glue than a sauce)

sprinkle about 2 cups of just-shredded cheese (loose) or 1 cup commercial shredded cheese (packed), you're going for a light distribution

next layer of potato, ham, sauce and cheese

at this point if you're like me, your sauce is running low! have no fear. get your oven preheating to 400F (convection, 425F regular)

take that round 2 powder mix, pour cream directly in it so you can make a paste

scrape that paste into your sauce mix then slowly add the remainder of your cream and stir while bringing the heat back up

This won't get as thick but as it's getting saucier, sprinkle on thyme and marjoram. maybe a tsp of each? evenly sprinkled across the top and stirred in

DUMP IT IN that potato pile, and top with 2c of cheese. go heavier on this, we want it to melt and brown, give the pan a gentle shake to help sauce distribution and stick it in the oven

you might have time to clean up some of the prep dishes while it's browning. check in 10 minutes on that cheese. keep checking every 5 or so after that until it's as brown as you please

DONE

oo you better let that sit because it's bubbling

Notes:

Feeds at least 6.

I have an induction cooktop so I can turn down my heat very quickly, if you don't, consider moving the pan off the heat briefly if you're feeling like it's browning at the bottom faster than you can stir/scrape it off or you're in danger of sticking/burning.

Stainless steel or another forgiving surface is your friend here so you can scrape without fear. non-stick users should keep a wooden spoon or spatula handy for being very firm with brown material in the sauce.

You don't have to use ramen packets, obviously! we always have extra because people make the noodles other ways around here so i ask them to save the packets to use as quick and dirty bouillon substitute.

More onions would be best if you have a 12" skillet or something else that can heat up more without too much layering; this would change the sauce situation quite a bit; it'd definitely take longer

heavy cream recommended for texture and thickening ability, you'll likely have to cut back and add more thickening agent (powdered cheese, flour, etc) if going a different route there

Shred carrots into little matchstick pieces to add in if you want to mix it up. parsnips or sweet potato could be interesting if you're into that.

mushrooms would make a good addition, maybe steamed on top of the potatoes then diced and added to the sauce as it's being built. or just quite a bit of mushroom powder, give it more earthy umami flavor.

The mandoline slicer I use is the "ONCE FOR ALL upgrade safe mandoline slicer": Affiliate link - I don't use it often, tbh, but it's perfect for mass batches of thin, even slices, especially if you have neck or back problems like yours truly. wishlist it and wait for a sale, imo. or check one of the many basically identical ones. but i can confirm i like this one.

[strvingangell]

okay so I made a list of like, rules and things I wanna stick to when I'm back at college. idk if it's helpful for others but I'll post it either way

AT HOME:

- clean whenever something needs doing

- go on walks everyday (if you can)

- paint and keep nails done

- don't eat certain foods unless literally forced to at home.

- keep distracted with script writing, film reviews, college work, genshin

- Say you'd rather have something else to eat, or have a migrane or feel sick if parents try and make you eat

AT COLLEGE:

- chew gum during classes and focus to keep yourself distracted

- smoke during lunches and drink monster ultra's

- if eating that day, bring cup soup minestrone and ask to use the college kettles (soup is 65 - 85 calories per packet). or bring a bouillon cube and use the kettle

- wear a crop top under your normal shirt so you can body check in the mirror and remind yourself why you're doing this

- bring toothbrush + toothpaste to brush teeth during lunch

- wear lip gloss so I eat less

- always eat w my left hand

DAILY ROUTINE:

- On morning, drink diet coke, brush teeth, take tablets (birth controll, metabolism tablets, vitamins, iron tablets) and walk to college if the weather's okay. tumblr is your morning newspaper 🙏🙏

- First lessons, drink coke during break and change gum. drink water throughout the day

- smoke and drink monster ultra/diet coke during lunch, only really eat if I've brought soup w me

- body check in the mirror after lunch and do afternoon lessons

- walk home if it's light enough, or go to gym

- do homework and catch up on course work

- watch supersize vrs superskinny or something like that while eating dinner, if eating that day

- focus on skin care and other things like that to stay distracted, pick out an outfit for the next day, face care and shower, things like that

- drink a glass of water before bed

FOODS TO AVOID: Dont eat these unless legit forced to by family

- bread

- pasta

- crisps

- cereals

- bananas

- sandwiches

- cakes or pastries like that

- honey baked meats

- cows milk (it's usually harder to get almond milk in my house so I'll try my best)

- cheese

- chocolates

- chips

SAFE FOODS: Make sure you always have some of these stocked

- rice cakes

- apples

- soup - mostly minestrone cup soup

- ryvita

- cucumber

- stir fry

- tuna

- instant coffee

- green tea / wl tea

- ice

EXTRAS

- drink 2l of water every day

- 10k steps every day

- fast at least twice a week

- metabolism day once a month for now

- eat for other people, not yourself

- take photos of everything you eat / start filming for an ed vlog

by wl tea I mean this tea I picked up from an Asian Market that is marketed as tea that makes you skinny. idk if it works but it works like a laxative so it's still useful

[thegoombadrafts]

okay, get this, hear me out: playable snotty.

you move at a snail’s crawl, but can jump and stick to walls like the sticky cheese transformation. instead of grabbing, snotty pulls out a bat and lunges forward, defeating enemies and destroying blocks on contact. you can charge the move to go further and break metal blocks. this is the fastest way to move as snotty.

snotty can use every transformation peppino does, such as turning into a green forknight when grabbing a sword. instead of collecting pizza toppings, snotty collects breakfast items (ie: bananas, bacon, fish, eggs, shrimp). snotty’s voice lines are made of that same stock scream when you collect snotty in TCTOP.

snotty has a limited amount of health, and getting hit to much results in the level restarting. the health cannot be restored in any way.

instead of pizzaface showing up when the timer runs out, your points start rapidly draining, only ending when you reach the exit door or have a single point left.

is this character idea stupid and frustrating? yes.

that’s it. i don’t have a counterargument to that.

[theforumcat]

You said you had home made macaroni! Did you make it yourself? If so, can you share the recipe? Thank you!

oooooooooh. Uhhh.

No? Yes, but no?

A lot of things I know how to make I just Know How To Make. I have a lot of extremely varied cooking heritage (from a dad who loved to cook, to a couple of chef apprenticeships, to devoted study of my family’s sort of folk-hero matriarch) that has resulted in a great deal of foods that I can just… make.

So I know how to make macaroni and cheese, which is actually very easy, but unfortunately the closest thing to a recipe for the macaroni I made the other day would be:

Pasta (it was a kale and spinach spiral, because that’s the pasta I use for everything) - about 3/4 box

Milk (I used goat milk because I tend to use goat milk, but any milk is fine. Thicker is better, so ideally cream or super creamy non dairy. Buttermilk is also yummy) - how much? Idk. The right amount. I think a cup?

Buttermilk powder - a tablespoon. Ish. I just use a regular spoon and eyeball it. It goes in a lidded cup with the milk (I use a jam jar)

Flour - like two tablespoons. Also goes into the milk

Flour - like two tablespoons. Does NOT go in the milk

Butter - probably half a stick but I really wasn’t paying that much attention

Pasta water - one cup, set off the the side. This is like the only thing I used a measuring cup for, and of course it’s just as a reservoir container for something used as needed

Lemon juice - a whole lemon’s worth. I left the pulp in; it wasn’t hurting anyone.

Garlic - a whole head, crushed

White onion - somewhere between a quarter and half cup, minced. Probably closer to half. Big handful.

Cayenne pepper - a little sprinkle

Chicken bouillon concentrate - a bit

Cheese - two cups ish of extra sharp white cheddar, grated

1. Butter in pan. Hot. Melting.

2. Garlic, onion, stock concentrate. Let the onion kinda disappear and the onion and garlic start to smell good. Splash in some lemon juice but not all

3. Put flour over it and whisk in. Let this brown up and brown up and brown up, and do not let it stop moving at any point ever (okay, it’s not actually that fussy, but until you get the hang of making roux start with those instructions)

4. once you have decided that letting it brown up any more is going to scorch, add the rest of the lemon juice and turn the heat down

5. Shake the milk and company container vigorously for a while. If you think you have finished, shake it that much again. Do not accidentally churn the milk into butter, but do get it really good and mixed and frothy

6. Add some cheese to the pan and let it start getting melty, whisking into the butter and lemon

7. Add the milk jar

8. Get it hot enough to maybe simmer but not boil and keep adding cheese a bit at a time until you’re out of cheese. If the sauce gets too thick (flour-gloopy or cheese-stringy) add splashes of pasta water to smooth it back out

9. Cayenne pepper to taste

10. Mix in pasta

I tried to make this as helpful as possible, but I do a lot of cooking wherein “cup” means literally just whatever cup was at the front of the cupboard, or sometimes a really full handful, or just however much I decided to put in and call a cup. A lot of my steps are just “cook it” or “make sauce” or whatever, and while this is a little more specific, because it’s in particular the white cheddar and lemon macaroni variant I made the other day and quite a simple thing, anything with a bigger list of ingredients will vary wildly on what’s actually in there (what’s in Cheeseburger soup? Cheese, beef, tomato paste, vegetables. what vegetables? Vegetables!) or anything that isn’t a specific variant (like if I just gave you a “Mac n cheese recipe”) will often include illuminating entries such as “spices.” Somewhere I have a recipe card that just lists “the spices,” and you just have to know/intuit/decide/guess what that means. There are also a lot of things measured in “assloads,” “some,” and “splooshes” and “splashes” (and the precise amount that qualifies as some or an assload, of course, varies by ingredient). Sometimes I’ll also work in helpful measurements like “bowl full” and it will be several different bowls.

Anyway, I am a disaster cook but the things I make are very good. I’ve got that sweet, sweet ancestral guidance and blessing~

[addierose444]

Meal Planning: Benefits and Challenges

I love meal planning and genuinely find it to be so useful. I first tried it nearly two years ago back when I was a software engineering intern. I documented my overwhelmingly positive experience in a post titled why I meal plan. Upon returning to college, I was back on a different, and worse, kind of meal plan. While I miss other aspects of living at Smith, one of my favorite parts about moving into my first apartment has been having my very own kitchen and getting to cook for myself. You can read more about my kitchen essentials in the linked post. While I do enjoy cooking, meal planning, meal prep, and simple meals are the foundation of why I can sustain and enjoy preparing the vast majority of meals for myself. This still isn’t the post I’ve alluded to in the past about my actual meal prep process. The goal is instead to highlight the benefits and address some of the challenges I’ve run into more recently. 

The main reason meal planning is invaluable to me is that it allows me to front-load and consolidate the decision-making. While I wouldn't literally starve without it, I'm significantly more likely to skip a meal when I've not planned one out. I know it sounds strange, but even if I'm somewhat hungry, I don't always have the mental energy to figure out what to eat. 

The most practical benefit is that it streamlines my grocery shopping which in turn saves me time at the grocery store and money. The cost savings come in a few forms. First of all, when done strategically meal planning can eliminate food waste. More significantly, meal planning cuts down on impulse spending at both restaurants and grocery stores. A good meal plan still allows you to eat out if that’s something you value. The difference is that it’s with more intentionality rather than desperation and hunger. 

A side benefit is that it makes me more aware of what I'm eating which presumably helps me to be a bit more health conscious. While I don’t have scientific proof of causation, there’s absolutely a correlation at least for me. 

Now on to the challenges. The problem is that you can’t always perfectly stick to your meal plan. That in of itself is okay. For instance, say there is some free food opportunity or you get invited to go out to dinner with a friend. In that case, a good meal plan simply adapts. A meal plan isn’t meant to constrain you and should simply be updated as circumstances change or if you simply change your mind about what you want to eat.

The actual challenge is when external factors impact your meal plan. Here are a few examples from this month. First of all, a few weekends ago I got a cold. This directly impacted my meal plan because I didn’t have the energy to cook. Besides, it made me want something like chicken noodle soup. Fortunately, I do keep an emergency can of chicken noodle soup as well as some instant ramen! And while I did recover in time, it did almost impact my ability to go grocery shopping and do meal prep for the next week. 

The following Friday, I prepared two servings of my polenta with sausage and peppers but managed to drop and break one of the bowls. I was thus forced to come up with a replacement meal for Saturday night. A similar but less extreme mishap was accidentally leaving my blue cheese in my grocery backpack. After being unrefrigerated for two days, throwing it out seemed like the prudent decision. In this case, I just had less yummy tofu spinach salads for the rest of the week. 

The challenge today and inspiration for writing this post was needing to replan on the fly due to there being no ripe bell peppers at the grocery store. This is a problem because peppers are a core ingredient for both of the meals I just mentioned. Fortunately, the frozen peppers were finally back in stock. While this unblocks the polenta meal, frozen veggies don't exactly work in a fresh salad. Thus instead of my normal baby spinach, I opted for frozen so that I could still make my spinach omelets. The good and bad thing is that I’d already done my usual meal prep of tofu for the salads and rice/tempeh for my rice bowls. Because the tempeh freezes well, the new plan is to use my salad tofu for tofu rice bowls. It should be okay, but I would have cut and cooked the tofu differently if I’d known it was going to be used for rice bowls. As for the tempeh, the plan isn’t fully set. I'm hoping to develop an alternate meal, but may end up simply making more rice next weekend.

I want the main takeaway to be that meal planning is incredible and can be as flexible as you need it to be. I’ll also leave you with a few learnings from the recent challenges I’ve encountered. First, always keep a few emergency meals on hand. Freezer meals can work here but ideally, you also have some shelf-stable options. Canned chicken noodle soup is perfect to have around in case you come down with a cold. I’ve also learned that grocery shopping is best done before meal prepping just in case items are out of stock or otherwise not to your liking. That being said, I probably won’t fully take this learning to heart as changing up my Sunday routine seems worse than the occasional forced adaptation.

[ruby--chaos]

feeling petty rn so ima rant abt my experience at my old summer camp i went to from around ages 8-11 (maybe 7? idk)

overall i do consider that summer camp to have been a good experience, for the record. there were just a few things that they probably should've done better. I hold far more positive memories of it than I do negative ones, but dang the negatives ones there were do stick pretty heavily.

// talk of eating issues

okay so to start i've always been a picky eater, and when i say that i don't just mean like the normal level of picky that a lot of children tend to have. I mean picky eating in the sense that it messes with my daily life, makes several activities impossible/extremely stressful for me. i eat pretty much the same 6 foods and that's about it. In 2020, I was given doctor-reccomended therapy for it that didn't really even work in the end. This summer camp was an overnight camp that spanned over a week. We wouldn't leave the camp grounds once we got there until the end of the week. This meant they had to provide food for us. Which is fine for most of the campers, but little ruby over here couldn't eat like- any of the meals they gave us because like i said earlier, i'm a picky eater to the point of extremes. When asked, the staff refused to provide any of the alternative meals they offered (which they did have, they just didn't give them out for "picky eating") which at first seems normal enough, i can get that. this is my first year here, they don't know how bad it actually is. plenty of kids have light picky eating tendencies, they probably assume it's not that bad. So then I start eating cheese in a bowl as meals, because they won't offer me actual food but they did have a salad bar that had unlimited cheese. I did this for the entire week. Just cheese. That was it. They didn't budge. Because the child who's been eating nothing but cheese for a week is definitely gonna be a-okay right?

the next year I go there, I'm nine now. Still the same I was last year. They don't budge. This time though, they have a breakfast bar with food that i'll actually eat that comes in packets. So I just stock up on a bunch of breakfast items everyday and that gets me through the week. Still do the cheese thing once or twice, but mostly breakfast items or what I can buy from the snack counter (mostly push-pops and skittles). I don't remember what I do for years 10 and 11 (my memory kinda dies there), but I imagine I ended up with this same system. And just- god, you'd think after you see a child surviving off cheese and honeybuns you'd let them have the alt meal plans you keep on hand but I GUESS NOT RIGHT- it just really ruffles my feathers thinking about it, I don't know. I don't go there anymore though so whatever.

#2 - was it normal to not be allowed to clap for people or give them praise when they do something?? Because that was a rule we had. I only ever saw someone get clapped for and it was in the end of week talent show with the approval or the guy running the whole camp. Outside of that, we weren't allowed to clap for/praise anyone out of fear it would make someone else feel lesser- is that normal? i don't know, it does kinda seems strange to me in hindsight. whatever though.

i don't know why i felt a need to go off about this, but i've been thinking about it for a bit here now and progressively getting more upset about it so here we are.

[rainbowjay20]

TRIGGER WARNING

**Minor Medical Issues **

***Bathroom Humour***

So I got tired of getting the same old answer for the age-old question: what do you eat when you have Diarrhea? BART Bananas, Applesauce, Rice, and Toast.

I decided, as I was looking for something else, there must be SOMETHING I could eat beside the BART stuff. Normally, I like those four foods but hate to eat anything when forced. I thought that I should change it up. So, I came up with a new acronym.

While writing, the poem just came out. I forgot that yesterday was National Poetry Day. This counts towards that, I guess. I generally don't do humor poems. Maybe I should try? Bonuses at Bottom!

And if you are using this... FEEL BETTER!

C.H.A.L.U.P.A.S.

When the food fights back,

When you feel that first attack,

Tummies rumbling, ain't no way back

Don't worry 'bout it, It won't be long

But hold your nose, cause that $h*+ is strong,

When its done,

After the finale spell

You're feeling good

You're feeling well

Thinking 'bout trying,

Not sure what to eat

Half-way dying,

Stomach sighing,

About to admit defeat

Tried and true, couldn't hate it anymore,

Need me something,

Delivered to my Door,

Not gonna do it the old Bart way

So now it's here to save the day,

CHALUPAS, pepto and pray!

Crackers

Hydrate

Aubergine

Liquids(Yeah it's twice because it's important)

Ulluco

Pumpkin

Arborio Rice

Soup

*DON'T EVER EAT ACTUAL CHALUPAS WHEN YOU HAVE DIARRHEA! HOT FOOD MAKES IT WORST!!!

Crackers-

In the "original" acronym they had T for Toast. What is a cracker but Toast? A cracker is a flat, dry baked biscuit typically made with flour. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking.[1] Crackers are often branded as a nutritious and convenient way to consume a staple food or cereal grain.

Hydrate/Liquids-

Try to avoid sodas and caffeine drinks like coffee and tea because they make it worse. Fruit juice, sports drinks, water. Flat clear soda is okay, ginger ale, or ronic water.

Aubergine-

Eggplant, aubergine, brinjal, or baigan is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Solanum melongena is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Most commonly purple, the spongy, absorbent fruit is used in several cuisines. Typically used as a vegetable in cooking, it is a berry by botanical definition.

Ube -

purple Yam (Some say it tastes like Irish Potatoes, soft and sweet)

The distinct ube flavor is slightly nutty with a hint of vanilla. It has a coconut-like aroma that lends itself well to dessert items. Ube is most often boiled, mashed, and mixed with condensed milk to bring out its sweetness.

Ulluco-

Like a sweet potato(From South America)Ulluco tubers can be used raw or cooked and have an earthy, subtly nutty, and musky flavor often likened to the taste of beetroot combined with potatoes. The leaves are also edible and have a mild, vegetal, and green flavoring.

Pumpkin-

large round vegetable with thick orange skin. The seeds can be dried and eaten and the soft part inside can be cooked as a vegetable or in sweet pies.

Arborio Rice-

Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice. It is named after the town of Arborio, in the Po Valley, which is situated in the region of Piedmont in Italy.When cooked, the rounded grains are firm, creamy and chewy compared to other varieties of rice, due to their higher amylopectin starch content. Other rice works too.

Soup-

liquid dish, typically made by boiling meat, fish, or vegetables, etc., in stock or water.

Stick to plainers soups, chicken or vegetable, maybe some rice.

TL:DR Upset Stomach led to poem and new meal plan for reoccurance.

Some bonus recipes: (Skip any garlic and onions and hot spices)

https://cookingwithmammac.com/basic-risotto/

https://pipingpotcurry.com/air-fryer-pumpkin/

https://under500calories.com/recipe/c23fe-mashed-purple-sweet-potatoes

https://mysweetprecision.com/homemade-ritz-crackers/

https://www.marthastewart.com/274288/pumpkin-recipes

[parvej121]

Late-Night Snacking — A Guide to Healthy Choices

Late-night snacking is a common temptation that many of us face, especially after a long day or a late gym session. While indulging occasionally is okay, making unhealthy choices during late-night snacking can derail your fitness goals. However, snacking doesn’t have to be your enemy! In this blog, we’ll provide you with a guide to making healthy choices for late-night snacks that won’t compromise your workout gains.

Mindful Munching:

Late-night snacking often occurs when we’re tired, bored, or stressed. Before you reach for that bag of chips or a sugary treat, pause and ask yourself if you’re genuinely hungry. Sometimes, a glass of water or a hot cup of herbal tea can help curb unnecessary cravings.

Plan Your Snacks:

Making healthy selections is facilitated by prioritising your snacks. Stock your pantry with nutritious options like whole-grain crackers, nuts, yoghurt and fresh fruits. This way, you won’t be tempted by less healthy alternatives.

Opt for Protein-Rich Snacks:

Protein is your friend when it comes to late-night snacking. It helps keep you full and aids in muscle recovery after a workout. Consider snacks like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a small serving of lean meat.

Healthy Hydration:

Sometimes, your body can confuse thirst with hunger. Try sipping on a glass of water or herbal tea before reaching for a snack. Staying hydrated can help control late-night cravings.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies:

Fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent late-night snack choices. They have a high fiber, vitamin, and mineral content and little calories. Slice up some cucumber and carrot sticks, or grab a piece of fruit like an apple or a banana.

For more information visit → https://true-elevate.com/

[albinanmuro]

How to Start a Ketogenic Diet: 5 Tips for Success

A little help changing the way you eat. First, be sure to talk to your doctor and get the go-ahead to go on the ketogenic diet. Once you get the green light from your health care provider, you can use these five keto diet tips to get started.

 1. Study the Ketogenic Diet

People differ in their psychological outlook on relaxing or jumping into a lifestyle change, but the more you know about the keto diet ahead of time, the better. Successfully following a ketogenic diet requires understanding how your body normally breaks down carbohydrates and fats and uses them for fuel, and how that process changes when carbohydrates are not available.

To learn more about your metabolism on a low-carb diet and on a ketogenic diet, start slowly by significantly reducing carbs for a week, noting your body's cues before cutting further. People differ, but depending on initial carb intake, daily reductions of about 40-50g (about one serving of pasta or four slices of bread) are comfortable for many, cutting another 50g and sticking it out for another week. . You probably won't be in ketosis until your carb intake drops to around 50g total each day and keeps it there for a few weeks, but you may find that this progression pattern induces weight loss even before you hit ketosis. Yes, after a while,

 2. Stock Up on Keto Foods

It's hard to maintain a keto diet without having the right foods on hand. You'll need plenty of protein and heart-healthy fats to maintain your calorie intake without resorting to carbohydrates.

To prepare, stock your pantry with these keto foods:

 Beef, pork, poultry and seafood

Nuts and seeds

Cheese in moderation

Avocado

Olive, canola and peanut oils

Non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower (including rice cauliflower), asparagus, and cucumbers

As with any eating plan, following it requires a lot of discipline. Stocking your shelves with these healthy options can help you avoid giving in to temptation (although it's generally okay to indulge in a special treat in moderation).

 3. Get rid of high-carb temptations

If you want to participate without making moderate incremental changes as described above, and you love bread, pasta, rice, and other high-carb foods, but plan to commit to a keto diet, it's best to eliminate those options before you even start your new diet. Take some time to go through your pantry and consider getting rid of foods that won't work with the meal plan.

Although people differ in their ability to achieve and maintain ketosis, a ketogenic diet generally requires that you limit carbohydrate intake to about 5 percent of your calories. That means the few carbs you eat will be found in the non-starchy vegetables you eat.

These foods contain carbohydrates (read the labels to be more aware) and are therefore generally off limits on a ketogenic diet:

 milk and yogurt

Bread, cereal and pasta

Rice, quinoa and couscous

Starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas, and corn

Legumes such as lentils, navy beans, black beans, and kidney beans

Cakes, tarts, cookies and other desserts

Fruit drinks and regular soft drinks

Sugar, honey and molasses.

 4. Stay ahead of the keto flu

While you're not guaranteed to experience any discomfort after starting the keto diet, some people who rush to join have reported experiencing what's been dubbed the "keto flu." Switching from a regular diet can sometimes cause nausea, lethargy, headaches, and muscle cramps.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, this is your body reacting to the lack of available carbohydrates. It can last several weeks. During this time, be sure to drink plenty of fluids to combat the "keto flu." You know your body better than anyone, so call your doctor and discuss your symptoms when in doubt.

 5. Plan for other household members

Although you may be excited to start a keto diet, not everyone in your household may share your enthusiasm. Will you cook and eat separate meals from other household members? Will you have trouble staying away from high-carb foods when your family enjoys them? These are things that can make or break the success of your keto diet, so it's important to consider them ahead of time.

If your family wants to join you in switching to the keto plan, please know that it may not be appropriate for everyone. The ketogenic diet is not recommended for children, pregnant women, runners or other serious athletes, or people managing type 1 diabetes. Therefore, it's a good idea for everyone in your household to talk with their health care provider before deciding on a ketogenic diet. keto.

We are also going to clarify that the ketogenic diet is a very particular diet in which it does not require as great an effort as perhaps another diet requires for the same result, it is simply the fact of committing to obtain the goal that one wants is more, I would say more than A diet is a lifestyle since it does not require starvation to reach your goals like most conventional diets just try to omit certain foods and replace them with others.

Another of the things that it has is that it is a very short time to note the difference on average between 2 and 3 days the body has already entered a state of ketosis and the loss of hunger is automatic It is very normal that in 5 days you lose your appetite.

Another benefit is that the keto diet helps you sleep better

What do we mean by sleeping better when we are doing the ketogenic diet the body does not require as much energy to process food this helps digestion to be much shorter and healthier during the night therefore during the night we are not going to go to bed feeling swollen or feeling very inflamed, but on the contrary, we will feel it in a normal way and that helps to have much better sleep.

Everything you need to know about the ketogenic diet or crazy keto diet can be found on this web page, we upload new content almost every week with new studies and giving advice to all members of this community, it is always worth clarifying, and we recommend that before starting any type of diet has to visit a doctor.

[the-epic-hiram-lows]

okay, after careful consideration, i return.

my go-to rule with questions like this is: jughead is the sloppiest and most hedonistic, archie is the most simple and american, betty is very basic with a twist, veronica is a display of wealth, and cheryl is something veronica would have chosen if she were more about serving cunt

with that in mind...

jughead

one of these, topped with cheese sauce

OR a chili cheese dog with mustard, ketchup, mayo, diced raw onions, shredded cheese and maybe some sauerkraut. he prefers footlongs (not an innuendo, but feel free to interpret that way)

archie

literally just a stock photo, pure americana. he might experiment with a secondary topping (relish, sauerkraut, or onion) but he sticks to the classics

betty

is it really a hot dog? is it simple? is it complex? up for debate. but it is sweet, spicy, accessible, and a bit of a curveball. betty incarnate.

veronica

this $250 hot dog, topped with caviar, avocado, and other hot ticket items

cheryl

if she's eating a hot dog (debatable,) it will have a laundry list of culinary buzz words on it.

what do riverdale teens put on their hot dogs

I am too European for this ask I am sorry 😔

[avenging-fandoms]

b what do you think you and rafe’s first date would be like?

OUTER BANKS MASTERLIST

--

rafe would take you somewhere nice, try to impress you. you've known of rafe since school but didn't want to hang out with him because every interaction, he was a douche.

after graduation you two started working at the country club together. you two would do carts together, you driving and him doing the refreshments, snacks, etc. it was nice because you got to know rafe. he wasn't such a douche when he wasn't around his friends.

rafe finally got the courage to ask you out, and it was funny to see a guy like rafe get nervous. it'd be when you two were stocking up the cart before the courses opened and he just blurted it out.

"go on a date with me? tonight?" he asked and you could tell he was nervous. without looking at him, still stocking up the cart, you replied.

"no, i'm busy" you kept going and smiled to yourself, looking at rafe with a smile, and he was looking around nervously and spinning his ring around his finger. "i'm kidding, rafe" he let out a sigh and you laugh, side hugging him. "what time tonight?"

"i'll meet you here at 8?"

so you did. it was like high school musical where troy and gabriella were having a picnic on the green, except your date was at night. rafe was on a budget, and he knew the manager and owner so thankfully he had a spot. he decorated it with fairy lights and brought a table from inside out onto the green, and serving a gourmet meal- cheese pizza.

you were surprised at the effort rafe made, and it made you feel a little more for rafe. he was a total gentleman, pulling out your chair and pouring you a glass of soda.

you enjoyed rafe when he wasn't around his dad or his friends. rafe was bubbly, smiling, telling embarrassing childhood stories and actually listening to you. he'd watch you intently, and when he asked a question about something you didn't want to talk about, he'd apologize over and over again even after you assured him it was okay.

rafe drove you home, and walked you to the door where he toyed with his ring again. "i had a really great time with you, rafe" you smile and touch the tip of your shoes to rafe's as you stepped forward.

"i'm really glad you said yes" rafe smiled, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear, dragging the tip of his fingers down your jaw.

"are you going to kiss me or are you going to make me wait like you have been for 3 months?" you ask softly and he smiles, leaning down and pressing his lips over your lips. he waited until you were okay, letting you lean into the kiss.

you had to stand up on the balls of your feet a bit as he was a little taller than you, but you liked it. his height was intimidating and so was he as a whole, but as you got to know him he was so sweet.

your left arm wrapped around the back of his neck, the other hand holding his jaw. rafe pulled back slowly and you shook your head, pulling him back down. rafe smiled into you, holding your face as he kissed you again.

you pulled away and wiped your mouth, rafe chuckling to himself. "see you at 8 tomorrow morning?" he whispered softly and you smile, nodding.

"see you then, rafe cameron" you smile and he kisses you again, waiting for you to get inside before he left your front door step. he honked once as he drove away, and you grinned like an idiot.

you never saw that side of rafe, and you wanted that rafe to stick around forever. he was kind, considerate, sweet, and he listened. the other rafe is the complete opposite. you got to know sweet rafe, you saw him nearly every day.

thankfully, no one at the country club ever found out you two were dating. not that it would've mattered anyway if they did, rafe knew everyone. and if his bribery didn't work, his father's sure as hell did.