#summers event rentals

[harvardhouse1]

Host Memorable Events at Harvard House: Your Ideal Event House Rental Looking for the ideal Event House Rental? Harvard House provides a stunning venue with spacious rooms and premium amenities, perfect for hosting memorable events. Reserve your spot today!

[ranchevents]

Party Planning San Diego - 7 Ways to Make the Most of The Last Few Days of Summer in Scenic San Diego

Hard to believe that September has arrived… which means this is  the last few days of summer! With entertaining, traveling, adventures and fun abounding in San Diego, it will be hard to see it go. Luckily, we still have a few days of ‘official’ summer. But it’s not too late to make the most of these couple of weeks. Here are a few ideas to pay homage to what’s left of the precious days:

7.  Go to a Padre Game

6. Go to the beach 5. Go to the Annual Julian Star Fest 4. See a Summer Blockbuster 3. Take a Mini-Vacation 2. Spend a day outside in the sun ( with sunscreen of course) 1. Plan a “Last Days of Summer” party with Ranch Events

[chrollogy]

SUNSET DREAMS ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

kageyama tobio x afab!reader

╰┈➤ part of house of solis occasum’s summer fic exchange for @mcdonaldsnumberone !

synopsis: The tall, raven-haired surf instructor catches your attention during a private surfing lesson with your friends but due to circumstances, there was no space for small talk. Later that afternoon, you cross paths once again at a beach club—a sign from the universe to grab the opportunity, and get to know him better. This quickly leads to a turn of events where you both end up naked in bed, and eager to explore each other’s bodies but there’s just one thing though, he’s a virgin.

content warning: beach au, surf instructor!/surfer!kageyama, poor depiction of surfing, bartender!hinata cameo, alcohol use, awkward flirting, i am making kags PATHETIC, summer fling/beach romance, nsfw, smut (mdni), virgin!kageyama, bottom!kageyama, top!reader, virginity loss (m), porn without plot, handjob, cum eating, unprotected s*x, creampie, multiple orgasms (m), not beta read.

word count: 6.3k

notes: eeeeep it’s my first time writing for mr tobio but i absolutely had fun !! i hope you enjoy mac :3 divider: cafekitsune.

The scorching sun amongst the cerulean skies kissed your warm skin, the scent of salt, and sea lingered in the air as a summer breeze blew by; sounds of heavy waves from the crystalline water, and distant chatters from avid beach goers filled your senses. It was hot, and humid with no ivory clouds in sight—the perfect formula for a quick summer getaway. The beach buzzed with liveliness; colourful hues of towels, and essentials laid upon the white sand, kids with plastic buckets, and shovels eagerly building sand castles, surfers chasing the endless azure waves beneath the blazing sun.

Just the sight of swells had your heart thumping with adrenaline rush, a vivid imagery of yourself attempting to ride the waves formulated in your mind. You’ve never tried surfing before but today was the perfect time to do so—a completely out of the blue suggestion by one of your friends, not that you were complaining. It was always nice to try new things, anyway.

“How do I look? Did I put on too much sunscreen?”

A saccharine voice to your left reeled you back to reality; looking over at the owner of the voice, an emerald gaze stared right back, her eyes sparkling beneath the searing rays of the sun. Scanning your friend’s face for any white cast from the sunscreen, you shook your head, and smiled, “You look fine, Alisa.��� Taking your word for it, she mirrored your smile before placing her sunnies over her eyes. You, and three friends were clad in a rental jet black skin tight wetsuit provided by the surf school, preparing for today’s private beginner lesson.

You weren’t going to lie, the thought of braving the waves made your heart pound from nervousness, and excitement but seeing as you were going to experience this foreign activity with your friends—who also haven’t tried it before—it put you at ease; you just hoped the instructor was could somewhat save you if you happen to fall off the surfboard, and onto the warm waters beneath.

Speaking of the instructor, Hitoka spoke up, a subtle devious smile on her face as she worked her hands on her flaxen strands, deftly tying it up in a low ponytail, “I bet our instructor is hot.” This earned silent chuckles from the rest of you, shaking your heads at the blonde who just shrugged in response. “Laugh at me all you want now but if I’m right, you owe me a free drink at the beach club later.”

Playfully rolling your eyes at her newfound determination, you waved a dismissive hand at your friend, mirroring her smile,

“Sure, whatever helps you—”

“I’m so sorry for the wait, everyone! I’ll be your surfing instructor for today.” A dulcet voice cut your sentence short, it belonged to a tall man clad in a wetsuit—he looked to be around your age. Blinking twice up at him, your eyes raked his physique up, and down before taking in his handsome beauty—cropped raven hair that framed his face, and the sharp gaze of his dark blue eyes were the cherry on top; a blend of an innocent yet sultry appeal. He emanated a subtle intimidating aura, especially paired with his looming height but his voice was as soft as the first rays of the early morning, something you could get used to hearing everyday.

You were already considering buying Hitoka that free drink because god was he fucking hot—the skin tight surf suit did not leave much to one’s imagination with the way it hugged his lean build; dips, and curves of his muscles accentuated by the waterproof fabric. It was beyond shameless to ogle your instructor because you’ve completely missed his name, instead, your eyes were focused on the way his muscular legs shifted as he leaned his weight from one bare foot to another.

Next thing you knew, his sharp gaze was on you, an expectant look on his handsome face. Snapping out of your trance, you hesitantly looked to the side—at your friends—clearly unaware of what was going on, ‘Your name. He’s asking for your name.’ Kiyoko mouthed. Letting out a sound of realisation, you smiled up at the instructor, and introduced yourself, ignoring the sudden warmth that crept up the column of your neck, and to your cheeks.

After brief introductions were out of the way, the five of you headed down to the beach—surfboards securely tucked beneath an arm—to start off today’s lesson. Hitoka fell into a step next to you, hissing at the white scorching sand beneath her bare feet, angling your face over to her, you spoke up, “Hey, what was our instructor’s name again? I didn’t catch it earlier.” She looked at you, that devious smile back in its place, brows furrowed, free hand shielding her sweaty face from the blinding sun, “Why? Too busy ogling his hotness?”

Yes. But you weren’t going to tell her that—god, no, she’d never live it down because she was right.

You mustered your best uninterested expression, however, the corners of your lips were itching to curl upwards at her blatant teasing, clearly hitting the nail on the head. Hitoka briefly returned the same deadpan expression, narrowing her chestnut eyes at you before letting out a sigh of defeat, “Kageyama Tobio. Full name, even.” She snickered before going on to complain about the hot sand, and the equally hot summer weather.

“Kageyama Tobio.” You muttered underneath your breath, satisfied at how it easily rolled off your tongue—little did you know, you were going to be moaning it out like a shameless common whore hours later, as though it was made for your tongue only.

As the group neared the deserted azure waters, the scent of salt grew stronger; the sound of small waves crashing on the shoreline filled your ears as you came to a halt just a few ways from the water. Kageyama started the lesson by skilfully explaining the safety guidelines, surfing etiquette, and basic techniques; you tried your best to listen in on the briefing since this was a crucial part of the lesson but his dulcet voice slowly faded along with distant noises from the background as you stared up at his face.

Your eyes gently traced over every dip, and curve of Kageyama’s features, lips parted in slight awe, completely lost in his serene beauty as the late morning sun casted a warm glow upon his skin. This has never happened before—sure, you’ve stumbled upon other jaw-dropping faces in the past that had your heart skipping a beat or two but this was different, you were shamelessly drawn to him; as though you were a moon affected by gravitational attraction, falling into an orbit around a planet named Kageyama Tobio. Though, you mostly chalked up your absentmindedness to nerves taking root deep beneath your skin, as each minute grew closer to hitting the swells of the vast ocean.

After getting thoroughly briefed through safety measures, and basic techniques—such as paddling, popping up, and maintaining balance—the next part of the lesson was getting into the water. Despite your heart pounding with nervousness, paddling wasn’t too bad, the coolness of the wavy waters calmed your nerves a tad bit—a daring contrast from the scorching sun directly above your head.

Fortunately for you, Kageyama was amazing at his job—even though the group practised on shallow waters with small waves, getting the hang of popping up, and maintaining balance on the board was tricky, and he was there to ensure an easy experience for you. The feeling of Kageyama’s firm grip around the back of your thigh had your heart hammering as he supported your weight, gently guiding you to stand up on the board,

“Good! You’re a natural. Remember to keep your knees bent—that’s it.” His praise went straight to your legs, knees slightly buckling; it absolutely caught you off guard, almost losing balance but luckily, you didn’t let up, and tried your best to navigate through the small wave.

The lesson carried on for another hour—it went smoothly despite unceremoniously falling into the water a couple of times with your friends but this earned you several words of encouragement from your instructor which definitely did not have you pressing your legs together; god, you just hoped Kageyama didn’t notice with the amount of times you’ve done it throughout the span of the lesson—you’d rather willingly drink the salty sea water instead.

It was already late afternoon, and the summer sun was beginning to set; blue skies turned into hues of cotton candy pink, and pastel orange which casted a vibrant warm glow over the beach, as though it was a scene from a movie. The group leisurely walked along the stretch of the beach, heading for the beach club mentioned earlier. The three indulged themselves in a mellow conversation, raving about their newfound surfing skills, your mind, on the other hand, wandered elsewhere.

Gaze locked on the warm sand beneath as moments from the lesson vividly replayed in your head; you could still feel the warmth of Kageyama’s palm against your clothed skin, the way his fingers ever so slightly dug into your body whenever you wobbled a little.

As if the universe somewhat knew the truth of your mind, Hitoka exclaimed, “Hey! Isn’t that our instructor from earlier?” At the mention of him, your head shot up, eyes following the direction of her pointed finger; as your gaze shifted all the way to the sparkling waters, you recognized Kageyama’s familiar physique.

There he was in his own world, propped up on his surfboard, deftly riding the afternoon waves. As expected from a pro surfer, Kageyama’s body moved with such accuracy, and intricateness as though he was the one controlling the water—clad only in black board shorts, he looked absolutely divine beneath the sunset skies, the golden glow of the sun bouncing off his bare torso.

“He was a little too intense for me, if I’m being honest.” Alisa momentarily stared at him before shifting her gaze. “Really? He seemed fine to me. Just a little stiff.” Kiyoko responded, brows subtly furrowed as though she was in deep thought; this earned a hum of agreement from Hitoka before rambling on about how intense Kageyama’s gaze was.

Hm, you must be the odd one out because in your eyes, his personality was warm, albeit, a little awkward, and blunt but despite that, it was manageable—hell, you even enjoyed his praises no matter how flat or awkward his tone was.

The conversation carried over to the beach club located along a tranquil coastline; greeted with a mix of elegance, and topical accents, you scanned the place in awe—wooden cabanas draped with ivory curtains, and outdoor sunbeds lined the white sands which overlooked the still, azure waters. Apart from the ocean itself, the pool was also an option to swim in, offering a mini bar that you had your eyes set on.

Kiyoko, and Alisa decided to explore other amenities of the club whereas Hitoka opted to lounge at a sunbed, wanting to catch a glimpse of the sun setting behind the horizon, and as for you, your feet were already taking you to the mini bar situated by the pool. After that lengthy, exhausting lesson, all you needed right now was a little alcohol to wash down thoughts about a certain surfer that plagued your mind.

Tropical beats spilled from the speakers, creating a lively atmosphere for its patrons to enjoy; luckily, the poolside wasn’t too congested, and you were able to secure a vacant stool. Opting for the farthest corner in the outdoor bar, your eyes thoroughly scanned the miniature, azure pamphlet on the counter which contained a curated list of cocktails, and other beverages to indulge oneself in.

“If you’re having trouble choosing a drink, I highly suggest our signature cocktail ‘Sunset Dreams’! I can turn it into a mocktail if you’re not interested in alcohol.”

Looking up from the menu, and at the owner of the buoyant voice from behind the counter, you were greeted with a radiant smile that reached his eyes as though he was the epitome of sunshine; his spiky, orange hair that mirrored hues of the sky were not easy to miss, standing out against the neutral colours of his clothes—a beige linen button up shirt that had a few buttons loose, paired with ivory shorts.

The man held a metallic cocktail shaker, vigorously shaking it above his shoulder with both hands a few times before pouring its contents into a chilled highball glass, and sliding it over to a customer just a few seats down.

“So! What would it be for you?” He tapped the counter, returning in front of you before slightly leaning forward; he had an expectant look in his doe, chestnut brown eyes—a look which one, including yourself, couldn’t help but adore. You caught a glimpse of a small, golden nametag glimmering against the beige of his shirt—bold, ivory letters read ‘SHOYO’.

You contemplated his suggestion for a moment, “Okay. I think I’ll try the signature cocktail.” This earned a gleeful expression from the bartender, eagerly nodding at your choice of drink, “Good, good! You’re gonna love it! I’m Shoyo, your bartender for the night. If you need anything, just call out my name, and I’ll be there!” He pointed a finger at his name tag before working on the signature cocktail.

Smiling to yourself, you felt at ease being serviced by such a lively individual; Shoyo cheerfully greeted, and bid customers goodbye every now, and then—you subtly watched him do his job though he was part of a live entertainment.

A few minutes later, Shoyo sets a pretty, gradient cocktail before you, “One Sunset Dreams for you. Enjoy! Call me over if there’s anything you need!” Giving the bartender a warm thanks, you admired the beverage, it imitated colours of the sunset—a vibrant hue of red sitting on the base which gradually faded into a light cotton candy pink topped with two cherries on a swizzle stick, and a straw.

You didn’t hesitate to pull your phone out, and quickly snap a few photos to send to the group chat, instantly earning a thread of replies from Hitoka gushing about how amazing it looked. Before you could properly take a sip of your cocktail, Shoyo’s radiant voice filled your ears as he greeted an oncoming customer,

“Heeey, Kageyama! I haven’t seen you all week!”

At the mention of the surfer’s name, your ears unabashedly perk up. Sure, there were probably thousands—if not hundreds—of other Kageyamas out there but you only knew one person with that name, and he happened to be standing just two seats away from where you sat. His raven strands were damp, glistening beneath the golden sunset rays; he donned a plain white tee, and blue boardshorts which had no business making your heart pound like crazy.

The chances of meeting Kageyama here weren’t exactly slim given his job but you didn’t entirely expect to meet him here, let alone make friends with the beach club’s lively bartender—you didn’t make him out to be a person to regularly attend places like this.

As if he sensed your curious gaze, Kageyama looked to the side, navy blue eyes meeting your own. You waved—you fucking waved at him like he was an old friend who was here to meet with you; embarrassment gnawed at your skin, warmth creeping up from the sides neck of your neck, and onto your cheeks, resembling small, sharp kisses.

To your surprise, Kageyama dipped his chin in return before sauntering over to the vacant seat beside yours. “You two know each other?” Shoyo mused, brown eyes shifting between you, and Kageyama. The latter bluntly shook his head before pointing a thumb at you, “Had them for a beginner’s class earlier today.” You nodded at Kageyama’s reply.

“Also, just the usual mocktail for me.” The taller male added, taking a seat next to you, completely catching you off guard—you didn’t expect him to actually sit next to you but hey, maybe this was the universe’s sign to get to know the man better; how? You were about to find out for yourself. Shoyo returned a bright response, saluting at his friend before getting to work.

Despite the lively atmosphere of the poolside with distant chatters, and soft beats playing on the speakers, the air between you, and Kageyama turned awkward pretty quickly. Talk to him. Talk to him. Talk to him, your mind screamed but all you could do at the moment was take a long sip of your cocktail—maybe getting a bit of liquid courage would help you in this dire situation, after all, as they said, a little goes a long way.

Awkwardly clearing your throat, you spoke up, “So . . What made you interested in surfing?” Good. This was a good conversation starter; you mentally gave yourself a pat on the back for quickly coming up with a question before the atmosphere got too silent, and uncomfortable to talk in. Kageyama met your eyes, cool gaze bringing an icy shiver down your spine; his dulcet voice engulfed your ears as he explained about his love for the sport.

Surprisingly, he had a whole lot to say about surfing—not that you were complaining, you listened to every word that slipped past his lips. You keenly watched how his relaxed expression gradually turned into something more passionate the more he talked about his job—eyes gleaming with pure enthusiasm, and the corners of his lips subtly curling upwards, it was adorable.

“Sorry. Did I bore you? I kind of went on a tangent there.” Kageyama sheepishly scratched his nape. “No, not at all! It was interesting to hear about it, really . . I think you’re really cute.”

Oh god.

Oh my fucking god. That wasn’t supposed to slip out.

Now would be a really good time for the ground to swallow you whole. Though, the only thing swallowing you whole was embarrassment, and to make matters worse, Kageyama wordlessly blinked at you with the most blank expression known to man—you were unsure whether it didn’t phase him at all or he just decided to ignore your blatant flirting altogether. Whatever the reason was, you were better off not knowing.

You could practically see the gears turning in his head as soon as the sentence slipped out. Though, in Kageyama’s defence, he didn’t know whether you were flirting with him or plainly just complimenting him—sure, he also found you cute but would it be weird if he said it back, and you just meant yours as a compliment, nothing more?

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Kageyama was overthinking this whole conversation a little too much, he needed to give a response before it becomes unbearably awkward—

“Oh—um, thanks . . I think you’re cute too.” He practically mumbled the last part of his sentence but whatever, he wasn’t going to repeat it again, not when his cheeks turned awfully warm, and his heart skipped a beat or two. Kageyama tried his best to break eye contact but god he just couldn’t; he found your eyes beautiful, the way they shone beneath the warm glow of the sunset.

Maybe you were just being extremely delusional but did you hear Kageyama’s words correctly? He thinks you’re cute as well? Nonetheless, it gave you a boost of confidence, an invitation to shoot your shot, and see wherever it takes you. The raven-haired man subtly squirmed in his seat, deep blue eyes boring into your own; a small blanket of pink coating his cheeks

Was it just him or it felt really, really hot today? Even though the sun had dipped into the horizon, Kageyama felt like he was right beneath its scorching rays—all of a sudden his body felt uncomfortably hot, he felt sharp prickles kissing down his neck, and onto his chest. Kageyama had never felt this hot, and bothered under someone’s presence before—not to mention the growing sensation deep in his core. He felt pathetic, really, being all turned on from just a little flirting; if your words affected him this much, Kageyama wondered how he’d act underneath your touch.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Not the appropriate thought to think about right now.

He mentally cursed his mind for wandering to such impure thoughts rather too quickly because clearly it did nothing but further fuel the shameful feeling growing inside him—carnal desire. Oh, this was absolutely embarrassing on his end, it hasn’t even been at least ten minutes in your presence, and yet he’s getting needier by the minute.

Earlier, Kageyama was lucky enough that he was engrossed in the lesson, and therefore wasn’t too distracted by your presence—all he got was a pounding heart whenever he held your clothed body but that was just about it. Plus, Kageyama wasn’t one to muck around during his job since the safety of the class depended on him, he couldn’t afford some petty distraction, even if it meant pushing down his innocent feelings.

Though, Kageyama wondered if the feelings he had right now could be even called innocent.

As the raven-haired male squirmed in his seat once again, you caught a glimpse of the growing hardness between his thighs, the thin fabric of his shorts did so little to hide the tent at the apex of his legs—you’d be lying to yourself if you didn’t admit to squeezing your legs at the sight.

It was barely above a whisper but Kageyama heard it just fine, a faint ‘I can help you with that.’

Maybe it was the alcohol talking but truthfully, you haven’t even finished your glass of cocktail, and it wasn’t even enough to get you tipsy—the next thing you knew, your thoughts swiftly flew out of your mouth before being able to stop yourself.

He gulped, nails digging into his palms at the erotic sight he just envisioned in his mind. Oh, god. Was this really happening right now? Did you just offer to help him with his growing erection? Kageyama’s throat felt dry. Where the fuck was Hinata with the drink he ordered? Why was he taking so long to make it? The whole situation felt surreal—a wet dream—too good to be true; he felt dizzy, and it didn’t stop there when he responded equally quietly.

If Kageyama was being honest, he didn’t hear his own words over the buzzing of his ear, and the thumping of his heart—all he knew was that it must’ve been a damn good response with your eyes widening, and lips curling up into a seductive smile, one that had his cock throbbing beneath his shorts.

It was all a daze from there, the rush of pure desire coursing through his veins, the spinning of his head; Kageyama vaguely remembered Hinata calling out to the both of you, assuming his mocktail was ready for him but he didn’t bat an eye, a mere beverage would simply do nothing to satiate the thirst he harboured—Kageyama needed you, only you could quench this growing ache between his legs.

Kageyama’s feet felt light against the pavement beneath, his flip flops scraping against it with every uncomfortable step taken. Hues of the fading sunset engulfed his mind, pretty pinks, and oranges slowly turned deep blue as you walked back to your accommodation—it was only a five-minute walk but god it felt like an eternity.

Your lips were on his as soon as the door to your room slammed shut, you swore the walls shook from impact but whatever, it was none of your concern. Kageyama’s lean arms caged you as your back hit the soft mattress beneath, fingers digging into the sheets at the dizzying kiss; no one has kissed him with this much drive, and passion before, the way your soft lips eagerly moved against his own, guiding him with each searing kiss.

Soft moans, and grunts slipped from Kageyama’s throat in between kisses, the sheer intensity from it was enough to make him cum untouched right then, and there; he could practically feel his body vibrating with lust—fuck, he couldn’t even think properly with the way your hands caressed his body up, and down, up, and down before sliding them under his ivory shirt, and gently clawing at his bare skin.

Heaven. Absolute heaven.

Kageyama moaned into your mouth at the feeling of your nails scraping his sensitive skin, trails of goosebumps forming beneath your sinful touch. And as he opened his eyes to meet your gaze, tears quickly pooled around them—from what? Kageyama didn’t know. Maybe it was from sexual frustration, maybe it was from the heavenly feeling of your nails, or maybe it was how each blissful emotion hit him like a truck, and took the air out of his lungs.

Momentarily pulling away from the kiss, Kageyama breathed out a string of incoherent words, a look of uncertainty crossing his crimson-painted face. “What—what was that?” You let out soft pants, dropping your head on the pillow beneath as you cupped his warm cheeks,

“I’m—I haven’t done this before . . I’m a virgin.”

You blinked up at him.

There was a slight pause—a heartbeat—as Kageyama’s confession lingered in the thick, warm air of the room; sweat already lined his forehead, raven strands sticking to his skin. “I’m sorry—Are you turned off?” He quickly peeled himself from your body, a rush of faint coolness momentarily engulfing you from his lack of presence. Kageyama sat on his knees, a bashful look painted on his face.

Quickly sitting up to cup his face, you shook your head, “No, no! Not at all . . Did you want us to stop? I don’t mind at all.” Now, it was Kageyama’s turn to vigorously shake his head, “No. I—I want to do it with you.” He breathed out, eyes glazed with pure lust.

You clenched your cunt at his words—just the thought of taking someone’s virginity, let alone Kageyama’s it felt like a whole lot of expectation had been placed on your shoulders but you weren’t backing down now, not at all, you were going to give him the most earth-shattering first time with how much trust he gave you.

“Take off your clothes, and lie on the bed.” As though time was of the essence, Kageyama hastily stripped his top off, shamelessly flinging it somewhere in the room. Your eyes keenly watched as his thumbs dipped beneath the waistband of his raven shorts, slowly dragging it down the length of his long legs ‘til it pooled around his ankles.

Kageyama wordlessly looked up at you, the fabric of his underwear still on him, cock painfully straining against it with a noticeable wet spot. “All of your clothes.” You added. The male’s cheeks warmed before shyly slipping it off, hard cock bouncing against the tufts of raven hair on his stomach, it shamelessly leaked of pre-cum, beads of pearlescent liquid sat prettily on his red tip.

“Good. Now, on the bed.” An icy shiver ran up his spine at the purr of your voice, velvety, and low as you pat the empty space next to you. As Kageyama situated himself on the bed, his bare back flush against the wooden headboard, he watched as you stood at the foot of the bed, hands slowly coming up to strip yourself.

What a tease.

Kageyama watched with eager eyes as each article of clothing slipped off your skin, Adam’s apple bobbing with each noticeable gulp—fuck, you looked divine; his hands ached to pleasure himself, fuck his cock on his fist as he watched you deftly unclasp your bra. Cursing beneath his breath, his gaze traced over your naked chest, eyes circling over your pert nipples, and down the valley of it. He was practically drooling at this point, rosy lips parted in complete awe at your raw beauty.

Oh, how he wanted to touch you so bad, roam his large hands all over your body, and squeeze, and rub at parts he’s never held before. Kageyama’s mind went absolutely wild, he wondered what your moans would sound like under his touch; would you enjoy his fingers on your sensitive clit? Moan his name out into oblivion? Cum on his hand?

You crawled up the mattress, situating yourself between his parted legs, just before his hard cock. Kageyama waited for your next move with a bated breath, toned chest heaving up, and down with anticipation, his hands gripping the ivory sheets beneath.

Deep, blue eyes widened as you curled over yourself, coming face to face with his dick; oh, you just knew that length would absolutely do wonders inside you. Kageyama bit his lip, stiffening underneath your touch as you circled a hand around his cock, languidly dragging it up to his tip to spread pre-cum down his shaft. Kageyama melted like putty at the first stroke, his head unceremoniously resting on the wall behind as pleasure consumed his body at the speed of lightning— he could already feel the building pressure in the pit of his stomach.

“Ah!—Fuck. T-that feels so, so good.” Kageyama moaned to the ceiling, his voice was airy, and light, a clear sign of pure bliss completely taking over his sanity. He’s never been touched by anyone before so this was a foreign experience for him; it felt different from when he pleasured himself with his own hands—your touch drove Kageyama to madness, and he was absolutely addicted to it.

Satisfied with his reaction, you picked up the pace, and brought another hand down to gently massage his balls which earned a loud whine of your name. Oh, fuck. Kageyama was floating on cloud nine, and this was only pleasure from your hands, what more if it was your wet cunt? Would he even last sheathed deep in your velvety walls? He doubted it. 

As the pace picked up, Kageyama’s moans also grew in volume, his stomach clenched, and unclenched at the sheer pleasure that consumed his whole body, all because of your hands. “Fuck! Fuck! Fu—I’m cumming!” The raven-haired male let out a wanton moan, eyes closed shut, knuckles white, and muscles taut as the knot inside his stomach finally snapped. Pure bliss rocked through Kageyama’s body like never before, as though he was engulfed in a million pleasurable kisses.

White, hot ribbons of cum shamelessly spurted from his cock which coated your fingers, and wrist. Kageyama slumped against the headboard, all fucked out, and covered by a light sheen of sweat; his lips were parted as he desperately chased oxygen, 

“Want you—I need you. Please . .” Kageyama panted, his lustful gaze locked onto your own; even though he just orgasmed, his cock was still rock hard. How needy. His breath hitched at the lewd sight before him as you languidly licked a long stripe up your wrist, gathering his cum on the tip of your tongue, and eagerly swallowing his essence down. It was like Kageyama’s brain short circuited—he’s only ever seen this sight on his laptop screen during sleepless nights, never did he think he’d see his own cum licked, and swallowed from one’s hand.

Was it possible to faint from such a sinful sight? 

Sitting up, you inched closer to Kageyama’s lap, thighs on either side of his slim waist, and clothed cunt hovering his cockhead. With keen eyes, the raven-haired watched as you deftly pushed your panties aside, catching a glimpse of your glistening cunt. He licked his lips as though he was a predator silently stalking his prey, waiting to pounce. Kageyama wondered what you’d taste like on his tongue, your sweet slick smeared all over his mouth, and chin—he could only fantasise. 

The violent thrumming of his heart filled his ears as he watched you shift your weight over his lap; this was really happening—Kageyama was about to lose his virginity. He felt a rush of every single emotion from A to Z, all things good but mixed with a bit of nervousness; what if he couldn’t satisfy you enough? What if he accidentally cummed way too soon? What if—

“Ohhhhh—fuck! Ngh—ah!” Kageyama violently threw his head back against the wall, fists gripping the sheets below as you slowly inched down his red tip. Oh god. Oh god. You hugged him so, so tightly, your cunt felt hot, and wet around him but in a good kind of way; he let out short breaths, his chest quickly heaving up, and down as he tried his best to ground himself. It was like his sanity snapped in a split second as soon as you made raw contact with his dick—this feeling was beyond cloud nine, as though he was one with the cosmos. 

You bit your lip at his pornographic sounds, letting out low whimpers as Kageyama’s cock desperately twitched inside you. With your hands gripping his bare shoulders, you slowly inched down his cock, grounding yourself as the head kissed intimate parts of you that no one has ever reached. A unison of heavy pants filled the thick air after bottoming out; you momentarily stilled, giving yourself ample time to get used to Kageyama’s length because fuck it drove you absolutely insane.

“P-please move. Need more, please . .” He whined, desperately moving his hips beneath your weight, causing his tip to momentarily brush against your g-spot ever so slightly. Moaning at the contact, a string of colourful curses slipped past your lips, toes curling at the sudden wave of pleasure.

Without wasting any more time, you lifted your hips all the way up to his tip before slamming back down, earning muttered curses of your name from Kageyama. His hands immediately flew to your hips as a way to ground himself, as though holding onto anything else would immediately deprive him of this heavenly bliss.

Soft, wet squelches bounced off the walls with every languid roll of your hips, Kageyama couldn’t peel his eyes away from where to two of you connected—it was wet, and slippery, glistening from all your arousal; everything felt so sinful that it made his head spin, not the mention the bounce of your breasts with each movement of your hips. Every moan that slipped past your lips went straight to Kageyama’s cock, he was the one making you moan this loud, not to mention the look on your face—hooded eyes, and lips parted to chant his name every now, and then; pride blossomed in his chest.

Shared pleasure ate away at your bodies like a rabid animal, gnawing at your skin with nothing to stop it ‘til it reached your bones—it was immense, a toe-curling sensation with every relentless bounce of your hips; the way Kageyama’s cock repeatedly kissed your g-spot, the way your velvety walls sinfully wrapped around him like it was meant to be. Your thighs burned with exhaustion, a mix of pain, and pleasure completely taking over your body but you didn’t stop—you didn’t want to, not when Kageyama felt this amazing inside you.

You could tell the raven-haired was getting more, and more greedy for pleasure from how his nails painfully dug into your sweaty skin, the subtle upward thrust of his hips to meet your own, taking him even deeper into your wet heat. Heavy balls slapping onto your ass fuelled your desire further, the slight burn of it had you clenching around him.

“Ah!—Kageyama! Ohhhh fuck! You’re so deep . .” He closed his eyes at the sound of his name rolling off your tongue, voice as sweet as honey. Kageyama wondered if he could be a little more greedy, “Tobio—ngh! Call me Tobio.” He panted. It took all of his sanity to string the short sentence together, Kageyama couldn’t even hear himself over the loud skin slapping mixed with your endless whines.

Vigorously nodding, you moaned his name, “Tobio! Mhm—You gonna cum for me? Yeah?” It was Kageyama’s turn to nod at your gasped words, eyes momentarily screwing shut at its effect on him.

He wasn’t going to last any longer after just cumming his brains out from your hands a few minutes ago. “Oh, god!—Can I cum inside you? Please? Fuck, I want to stuff you full of my cum—ngh!” Words spilled from Kageyama’s mouth, blabbering out any coherent thought that came to mind. Truthfully, he’s always fantasised cumming inside someone, the feeling of emptying his balls, and shooting his thick load while sheathed deep inside was probably his biggest dirty secret—and he just shamelessly bared it to you.

“Yes—ah! Stuff me full of your cum, Tobio! Want your cum deep inside me, please.”

The desperation in your voice was all it took for Kageyama to snap, his fingers clawed at your hips as he painted your walls white, body stiffening under the immense pressure of pleasure. It didn’t help how your cunt gripped him like a vice, pulling him further, and further down the rabbit hole called bliss. You came with a loud moan of his name, curling over yourself, sweaty forehead resting on Kageyama’s bare chest as you desperately rode out your orgasms.

Both of you stayed still for a moment to catch your breaths, the sticky, uncomfortable feeling of warmth slowly engulfed your bodies as the high wore off. Kageyama didn’t even do much but he was absolutely spent, and drenched in sweat, he could only imagine your state, especially your thighs from all that bouncing.

“A-are you okay? That was—that was amazing . .” Dulcet voice sliced through the thick air, it earned a chuckle from you, you could only return a weak nod at his concern, your body too heavy to even move an inch. Kageyama’s soft breathing slowly pulled your to the borders of sleep but the summer heat against your skin was unbearable,

You mustered every strength to peel yourself off of him, “Shower with me?” Your lips wickedly curled upwards, hands gently caressing Kageyama’s bare chest. What a temptress.

Suddenly, he didn’t feel tired anymore. —

affiliated with @houseofsolisoccasum !

[lafrexniere]

It was and is You - CL16 - part 1.

Note: First of an idea I had after Monza today, and didn't realize how long this would end up so it's going to be in three parts!

You had just gotten back from a run, feeling messages vibrating on your watch the whole time. When you arrived to the front of your apartment building you took a breath before stepping inside and looking through your phone. It was your three best friends in your group chat together discussing some vacation plan for you four to go on. 

Mila: We have to do this pleaseeeee

Allie: Italy sounds fun

Liv: Okay I’m in, where’s Y/N

There was some discussion about seeing some sporting event in Italy, and if Mila was organizing it was definitely racing. It was offseason for the four of you, and training was getting a little exhausting, the four of you needed a nice break from running, cycling and swimming in Switzerland, and it wasn’t skiing season. You had exhausted all of your summer activities. 

You: I’m going, definitely!

The four of you got on a call and booked your hotel rooms, and figured out splitting up the cost of the rental car and tickets for the weekend. It was Wednesday and you had to be there by Friday. You planned to leave tomorrow afternoon and arrive at the Hotel thursday night, you would split up the driving between you and Liv as you two were the ones not as into this F1 thing.

Thursday morning came and the four of you met at the rental car center. 

“Ahh there you are!” Mila exclaimed, pulling you all into one big group hug.

“To Monza!” Allie shouted throwing her fist in the air. You and Liv laughed at their excitement.

“I brought you two something,” she grinned at you and Liv. She pulled two red hats out of her purse and handed one to both of you.

“You both packed red right?” Allie said sternly.

“Yes of course,” you nodded.

“Yeah we got your thousand messages,” Liv rolled her eyes. The four of you explored the parking lot finding your car and loading it up with your bags.

“Do you want first shift?” Liv asked you.

“They are gonna be screaming the whole way either way, but sure” you smiled. You hopped in the car plugging the address of the hotel you had booked into the GPS system and were on your way. After a long way of driving hearing blah blah blah with the occasional giggle and squeal it was finally your turn to take a break and not get distracted by the stuff going on in the backseat. 

“So this whole race thing, why is it three days?” you asked. You shouldn’t have asked because it became a whole big long talk, you heard this and that about this person and a lot of mentions of Ferrari.

“Oh Y/N you are going to love it!” Allie said. 

“Sounds fun,” you said putting the hat you were given on. 

“And that’s where it stays,” said Mila cheering. You four continued the rest of your ride and finally after many karaoke songs later you had finally arrived at the Hotel. You four had gone up to your respective rooms and spent the night hanging out in Mila and Allie’s room. They were trying their best to educate you on the race and what was going to be happening during the weekend. You would be seeing a practice, qualifying, and the actual race itself. It was pretty easy to follow along with the more they explained, you even thought you would be able to talk about someone with it if they asked you, however you still knew nothing about the specific race or Ferrari. It was getting late and you and Liv went to your room.

Friday

You woke up early the next morning, before Liv, before Mila or Allie. You went to the elevator and went down to the lobby to get some coffee to clear your early morning headache. You were alone, somewhat sleepy in the elevator when it dinged and stopped. A man joined you in the elevator, there was something familiar about him. You exchanged a smile noticing that he was your type. You two stood awkwardly in the elevator until he broke the silence. 

“Nice hat,” he said.

“Oh thank you, it’s Ferrari,” you smiled before realizing the same logo was on his shirt, “sorry you know that already,” you laughed.

“You going to the race?” he asked.

“Yeah, it’s my first one, can you tell?”

“Maybe,” he laughed. 

“My friends pulled me into it for this weekend,”

“Well I’m sure you’ll have fun.” The elevator dinged and you were in the lobby. 

“Are you going too?” you said walking out beside him. He nodded.

“I’m getting coffee do you want one,” he asked.

“Sure,” the two of you sat down, he pulled the shirt he was holding on over his other shirt, and putting the hat he was carrying on as well. 

“What’s that for?” you asked.

“Oh nothing, maybe you’ll see?” he smiled. He began asking you some questions about yourself, but when you asked about him he gave vague answers.You knew one thing, his name, Charles. He realized the time and had to go after your conversation.

“Will I see you at practice today?” you smiled.

“Definitely,” he said rushing out of the hotel. You waved with a half smile at his abrupt leaving. You had felt that there was at least a little chemistry, but were also attracted to the mystery of him. You finished your cup of coffee and headed back up to your room, finding Liv, Mila, and Allie all waiting. 

“There you are Y/N, I was worried you had wandered off,” Liv said as you got back.

“Aww your wearing your hat, good,” Mila said.

“We would have been able to find you,” Allie said. 

“Relax I was just getting some coffee with this guy I met in the elevator,” you shrugged trying to pass it off as nothing.

“Guy, what guy?” Liv asked, as you began getting bombarded with a million questions that you couldn’t answer, you could only give his name. 

“No way, like Charles Leclerc,” Mila squealed.

“Who?” You asked.

“Oh my god you’ll see today, he’s so dreamy, Y/N if it was him you have to tell us, we have to meet him,” Allie chimed in.

“Omg stop, there gonna be delusional now,” Liv laughed. The four of you continued getting ready sporting your red hats. You had chosen a black skirt with a white tube top, and a sweatshirt just incase there was a breeze. The four of you were all somewhat matching and were off on your way to the track. You found your seats and there was cheering surrounding you as different drivers came on and off the track. There were screens lighting up showing you the parts of the track you couldn’t see from their seats.

“Wow they are fast, they didn’t look this fast in the videos,” Liv yelled over all the noise.

“Isn’t it cool,” Mila yelled back. You all nodded and tried your best to communicate with eachother. Practice had finished and you and your friends rushed down to some spot where you could possibly see the drivers. Mila and Allie wanted their hats signed. As drivers started rolling out you saw him, the same brooding eyes and dark hair from the morning, he noticed you in the crowd smiling at your screaming friends through the fence, Liv even took her hat off and started waiving it at him when she saw him. He came over and signed the three hats, asking Mila,

“Come on your friend doesn’t want her hat signed,” he smiled at you. You thought she was going to faint after he talked to her.

“Come on Y/N, hand it over,” she yelled at you. You took your hat off and handed it to Charles through the fence. Within a second he was done signing there’s but yours he took a bit longer on. He handed the hat back to you and winked.

“See you tomorrow - CL16” was written on the hat followed by a phone number. Your friends swarmed you trying to get a glimpse of what was on your hat, but you hid it quickly until you got back to the hotel. 

“Y/N Please,” they all begged and pleaded.

“Fine, but none of you can take the number,” you gave a strong look.

“Number?” Mila screamed. You turned the hat to show them what was written filling all of them with shock. You quickly turned it back after it had been almost enough time for them to memorize the number. 

“So are you getting coffee again,” Allie asked.

“I don’t know, honestly, but now I know why he was being so secretive,” you shrugged.

“Well you have to text him now,” Liv nudged you.

“I know I know,” you said hitting the air, to brush it off. The two of you talked about this the rest of your night, but made sure to kept your voices down in public. As the day was coming to a close you sent him a message

You: Coffee again?

Charles: Same time?

You: Perfect

Charles: It’s a date 😊

You drifted off to sleep smiling about what was waiting ahead of you the next day.

[gravestrain]

walked in and dream came trued it for ya (nh13)

happy summer fic exchange @nol-pat! I hope you love this, my goal was to write a fun, lighthearted, Euro summer fic and I hope that translates into my writing. thank you as always, Demi for hosting this event for our community. @wyattjohnston. title from espresso by Sabrina carpenter :)

This is 1.8k words of pure fluff, strangers to lovers, I tried my best to make this a gender neutral reader so that it's safe for all to read.

You weren't sure that you ever imagined a trip like this.

One of your best friends was getting married to the love of her life, and when she asked you to be one of her bridesmaids, of course, you said yes. When you met Lucy in middle school, you couldn't say you thought that the two of you would be in each other's weddings. The "friendship" started off rocky, with Lucy holding hands with your boyfriend during science lab right in front of you. Lucy however, had no idea he was your boyfriend, and when she found out, she pushed him over and immediately coined you two as best friends. You were apprehensive at first of her outward nature, but soon found out the two of you made a perfect pair.

When Lucy decided to go to NYU for college, you staying closer to your home, neither of you could've imagined that she would've met the love of her life weeks in to her freshman year. Or that the love of her life would just so happen to be New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino.

John was in his first season with the Devils when Lucy met him at a bar downtown, and the two of them clicked immediately. The two had been dating for a few years when John proposed. A few months later, John was traded to Utah, taking your best friend with him.

Since John's first full season in Utah, you had only seen Lucy once. When Lucy let it slip to John one night that her dream was to get married in Italy, a long lost dream that had gotten lost amongst the piles of student loans and outlandish New York rent fees, John jumped through every hoop to make it happen, and managed to get it all pulled together in a year. This all led you to here, in beautiful Lake Como, clutching your bags at the arrival gate feeling like a fish out of water.

To her credit, Lucy met you at the gate, the two of you embracing in a hug that was so needed after the long months you spent apart. "I missed you so much! I can't believe you're here!" She exclaimed, squeezing you tightly. "I can't believe it either! And I can't believe John paid for my flight," you grumbled in an attempt to hide how guilty you felt. When Lucy told you her and John were to be married in Italy, it took only seconds of her observing the horrified and disappointed look on your face until her and John decided to fund the trip. Lucy paid her share, working as a nurse practitioner now based in Utah, and the two of them didn't flinch before booking your trip. Lucy said it would be "absolutely foolish" to get married without you by her side as one of her bridesmaids. The title of maid of honor was always reserved for her sister, you coming in as a close second.

"Oh! And I have to tell you, I paired you up with Johnny's gorgeous teammate. He's foreign, single, and not to mention, he's the captain." Lucy squealed as you walked out to the rental car, your eyes bugging out. "Oh I'm googling him immediately," you giggled.

----------

The group of wedding party members arrived a few days early to spend some time in Italy exploring the beautiful country before the wedding duties begun. All Lucy informed you of was that you were going to be boating around the water and having lunch at a waterfront restaurant. As you got ready in what you thought was most appropriate for the occasion, your mind drifted to the man you saw on your phone screen yesterday.

When you found Nico on social media, you couldn't believe that Lucy had paired you two together for the wedding festivities. Nico was absolutely stunning. You never felt like a particularly shy person, but you found yourself rehearsing potential conversations, feeling like nothing could prepare you for any sort of interaction you had with the Swiss center man.

When you walked into the lobby of the resort, meeting the rest of the bridesmaids, they all squealed when they saw you, ready for the day on the boat. "Oh my god! You look incredible!" Daphne, Lucy's college roommate squealed, pulling you into a hug, which you had learned was her signature greeting. "Nico isn't gonna know what hit him!" Another bridesmaid had yelled. You shook your head laughing. You knew that Lucy had made it out to seem like you were forlorn, but the truth was that Lucy hated your ex so much that she was determined to set you up right after the breakup. What you felt was enough time to cope with the breakup had added an extra year onto that time, and it was safe to say you were ready to get back in to dating.

When you met the happy couple and the groomsmen at the boat, you weren't sure what to expect. But you can safely say you definitely were not expecting a party yacht, with blaring music, and men who already looked like they had downed a few bottles of champagne. After the boys moaned and groaned about your "late arrival" of 10 minutes, the boat set off.

You snuck away from the hustle and bustle momentarily to watch the views, seated towards the water with your drink of choice, when the man you had been thinking about for the last 24 hours came to greet you. "Y/N?" he asked hesitantly, almost like he wasn't completely convinced it was you. "That's me!" you smiled at him, and when you turned and made eye contact with his smiling face, little did you know the two of you melted like butter in the hot summer sun.

"Wow," he muttered out loud, much to his dismay. Sensing his nerves, you stood up to shake his hand. "Hi! Nice to finally meet you, Nico. I understand we're going to be walking down the aisle together?" you asked with a smile. He took your hand with a shake, albeit a bit clammy, and put his other hand on your forearm, causing goosebumps to arise. You were suddenly grateful for your decision to wear your favorite swimming suit, the one you felt most confident in. You considered leaving it until after the wedding, but no better time than the present.

"Yeah, we are. Have you been in a wedding before?" You asked him with a smile, causing Nico's cheeks to turn pink. "I've been in two weddings before. Best man in one and a groomsman in the other. What about you?" He asked you, trying not to show his nerves. "I've never been in one. I haven't been to many weddings, this is all very new to me." You smiled at him, grateful that you would have his smiling face next to you throughout this journey. You didn't know hardly anyone here, and before you met the other bridesmaids, you were starting to realize how nervous you really were. But as you met the other bridesmaids, the wives and girlfriends of John's teammates past and present, and of course, Nico, you felt much more comfortable with the fact that you had never traveled outside of the country, had never been in a wedding before, and knew virtually no one outside of the bride and groom.

"Hopefully I can keep you good company, make your first wedding very memorable for you." Nico mentioned cheekily, the same blush dusting the apples of his cheeks. "I hope so."

-------

You never doubted that Nico would make the wedding and your trip memorable, but you were surprised at the amount of chivalry he was pulling out. You were so nervous to impress him, but little did you know, Nico had been thinking about you constantly since you met on the boat. Not to mention he spent the rest of the time on the yacht keeping you company, getting you refills of your favorite drink, and bringing you water when the July Italian sun proved to be as bright and as scorching as you had imagined.

You were getting ready with the other bridesmaids, putting on another coat of mascara when you heard a knock on the door. You were the only one doing your makeup at the time, and after a quick scope around the room to make sure none of the girls who were changing were gonna flash the visitor at the door, you opened the door.

A pleasant surprise greeted you: Nico with a bouquet of flowers, looking breathtaking in his soft grey groomsman suit. "These are for you," he mumbled nervously, pushing them towards you with that blush on his cheeks that was becoming very familiar to you. "Thank you, these are gorgeous!" You smiled, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek as a sign of gratitude. Nico had no idea how he was standing on his own two feet at that point. In just a few short days, you had turned him into putty in your hands. He found himself wondering how far the travel would be from where you lived to Newark when the season started.

He bid you a goodbye, the both of you going to finish off getting ready for the wedding and helping the bride and groom respectively to get ready for the walk down the aisle.

When you met Nico at the end of the aisle, the two of you felt your heart stop. And when Nico continued to make eye contact with you during the ceremony, keeping a soft hand on your back throughout the reception, and when the two of you finally joined each other at the end of the night for a dance, you melted into his arms, Nico feeling so lucky to have been paired with you. He felt himself falling hard for you, and you felt the same way.

"Can I convince you to make a trip to Jersey this season? I know Lucy and Johnny aren't there anymore, but I'd like to think you have another reason to come back." Nico asked with his head resting against the top of your head. "Do I?" you teased, causing Nico to laugh. "I'm kidding, I'd love to." When you looked up at him after confirming his plans, seeing the sparkling look in his eye, you only had one more thing to do. The two of you felt the magnetic pull towards each other, your lips finally touching, and you both knew that the two of you were smitten. As Nico rested his hand on your waist and pulled away, seeing John and Lucy smiling at you, everyone had a feeling the four of you would soon find yourself in a similar situation a few years down the road.

[exhaslo]

Hey, if you're still taking requests, then can I request Farmer!reader x business man! Miguel? It can be nsft or fluff.

Ohhhhh, a different turn of events. I got just the idea for this!!!

Warning: None, just fluff

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun blazed brightly against the hot, humid sky. A large empty field that offered no sign of building to cool down in. The summer humidity making it hotter than it should be. Not a single breeze to give any sort of comfort either. It was truly a day from hell.

This was not how Miguel wanted his day to go. Currently, the business man was leaning against the hood of his car, cussing loudly. The motor broke down in the rental he got for an out of town trip. Now, not only was he late, but there was no sign of a town nearby.

Miguel was fucked.

Laughing to himself, Miguel claimed that this was why he never left the city. It was a damn good thing Lyla told him to bring a case of water and some food for the trip. Miguel had been broken down for hours now and not a single car had passed by.

"And there's no signal," Miguel hissed, tossing his phone into his car, "Fuck!"

It was a bad idea to walk too. Miguel forgot how far the last town was and who knows when the next one would be. Miguel could be walking for hours before spotting a sign. This was true bullshit.

--------

It had been another two hours and Miguel felt like he was going insane. Sitting on top of the roof of his car, Miguel sighed as he wiped his sweat with his tie. It was scorching. Miguel was afraid that the heat would take him at this rate.

Miguel groaned before immediately going silent. He furrowed his brows and stood. It sounded like there was a car coming. Finally. After hours of waiting! Hearing the sound of a car getting louder, Miguel stood on the roof of his car and looked around.

There, off in the distance, was you in your pick up truck. Miguel was relieved to finally see a human. Waving his arms around, Miguel sighed in relief as you came to a stop.

"Oof, how long you've been stuck there, pal?" You asked. Miguel shrugged,

"I've lost track. The sun was to my left when my car broke down," He told you. You sucked against your teeth,

""Yikes. Hop in, next town ain't for a while, but I got enough room for you to crash the night. I'll call my neighbor to pick up your car and get it fixed."

"Thank you. Just tell me the cost and I'll pay it," Miguel entered your truck, buckling up, "Money is no issue."

"From the city, huh?"

"Yes?"

"Got that city smell. I don't need money, my neighbor might. I just like to lend a helping hand,"

Miguel was hesitant, but appreciated the save anyway. It was a quiet ride as you sang to your music. Miguel focused on the area around him. The large farm land that stretched for miles. Honestly, he should have asked if you could take him to the next town, but the heat wasn't make him think straight.

"Do you work in these fields?"

"Yep. All of this land is mine and my family. I tend to the crop that we just passed, but had to watch the animals on my cousin's land for the day. Poor child is sick," You said with a chirp, "Ain't used to this?"

"No," Miguel said honestly, spotting a house in the distance, "Are you sure you're alright with taking a stranger into your home?"

"My dogs bite," You said almost too innocently before laughing, "I ain't no fool. I offer you shelter, but I do expect some help with a few things. Aside from that, you'll be in a guest house behind my main house. If you try to sneak into my house at night, not only will the dogs attack you but also my pigs."

"Pigs can attack?" Miguel asked, confused.

"Mine are very protective of their owner."

Miguel couldn't help but chuckle lowly. You were an interesting character. Honest, king and quite charming. As you pulled into the house, Miguel was surprised to see the mansion you owned. Who would have thought at a farmer would have such a nice home.

"Don't look too surprised. I make good money with my farms. Ain't as fancy looking as you city folk, but I make an honest living."

"I didn't say you don't." Miguel hummed and followed you to the guest house, "I won't lie, I am a little surprised. Now, what did you need help with. I would like to pay you back for giving me a place to stay the night."

You opened the door to the guest house and smiled towards Miguel. Giving him a small tour, you decided to let Miguel into your main home. Leading him into the kitchen, you took off your hat and boots, sighing in relief.

"All I ask in return is assistance with dinner," You smiled and handed Miguel a knife, "Do people in the city cook for themselves?"

"Wow, do all of you farmers look down on us?"

"No, just me." You teased, "You're not the first one from the city to break down on that road, but you are one of the only few to listen."

Miguel didn't have the heart to tell you that he was just exhausted after hours in the sun. To be honest, this was the most he spoke to strangers at all. Well, it was the least he could do since you did get him out of that situation.

----------

It was getting late. After Miguel helped you in the kitchen, you offered him a drink for a job well done. Miguel happily took your offer, but decided to shower in the guest house first. You did the same and cooed in relief once you got comfortable.

Planting yourself on your couch, you started to relax after a long, hard day of work. Your cats, dogs, piglets and ducklings all started to swarm into the living room, demanding your attention. You chuckled towards the crowd,

"You're all so needy today! What, don't like your momma's new friend? Is he that big and scary to you all?!"

"Animals do tend to fear me," Miguel said, knocking before entering your home, "Thank you again for your help."

"Happy to be of it. My neighbor called a bit ago, your car should be good by noon tomorrow."

Miguel thanked you again and took a seat across from you. Damn, he looked fine. There weren't many men your age in town, so you had slim pickings, but the city? Phew, Miguel was a fine catch, but how were you to charm him?

Pulling out the drinks, you offered Miguel first. You knew better than to let a stranger into your home, let alone a man, but there was something different about Miguel. Also, you weren't lying about your pets...they were all ready to pounce on him.

As the night continued, both you and Miguel started to have a few too many drinks. You shared some stories with him and visa versa. It started to feel more like a date if anything. One you were actually enjoying.

"C'mon city boy, tell me more about your fancy little woman. Ain't no way she can be real." You chuckled, nudging his side as a movie played. Miguel scoffed,

"I would introduce you to Lyla, but the signal out here isn't receiving well."

"Oh, sorry about that, let me connect you to my WIFI." You gasped, leaning over him to get your phone.

Miguel closed his eyes as your breasts pressed against his face for a moment. His face heating up slightly upon contact.

"Where's your phone?"

"Here," Miguel muttered, avoiding eye contact with you, "Just don't touch anything but the WIFI. I have important folders in there."

"I won't," You replied, "There."

"Lyla?" Miguel sighed.

You gasped in awe as Lyla appeared in front of Miguel. Your eyes sparkled at the sight of the tiny AI. Lyla just smiled as she started to observe you.

"Migueeeeeel, you should have just said you were finally spending time with a girl than going offline~" She cooed. Miguel flinched,

"I was offline!" He hissed and tried shooing Lyla away.

"Fiiiine, I'll leave you two alone."

Miguel groaned lowly as he covered his face before taking another shot of vodka. You glanced at Miguel, resisting a chuckle since you were in the same boat. Taking another shot yourself, you nudged Miguel's side once more.

"So even in the big city there aren't that many fish, huh?" Miguel chuckled as he leaned back,

"Guess not. Had to leave to find a nice catch,"

"Oh?" You smiled brightly, feeling your heart skip a beat, "Well, if I recall I was the one with the fishing rod."

Miguel's lips cracked into a smile as he listened to you. You were truly something else. Feeling something crawl onto his lap, Miguel noticed your pets starting to cozy up to him.

"I suppose you were."

--------

Miguel stared at his rental car with contempt. While he was ready to return to his work and apologize to his partners for being late, Miguel also wanted to stay. He quite enjoyed the peace and quite you had offered him.

"Have I made that much of an impact?" You teased, leaning against his car, "I could always use an extra worker,"

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't believe my company could afford me leaving," Miguel hummed and approached you, "But, I may have to take this road again...soon."

"Oh? Then I better keep a look out for a poor soul in need of saving."

"You just might have too."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope you enjoyed!!

[madaqueue]

sugar and sea glass

pairing: satoru gojo x gn!reader

themes/content: non-curse modern au. fluff (and a very brief whisper of angst). language, pet names (sugar, baby). 18+, MDNI.

word count: 2.2k

a/n: this is my contribution for @storiesoflilies summer event ! inspired by the song "sweet / i thought you wanted to dance" x tyler, the creator

Hot wind rushes through your hair, each breath filling your lungs with sticky air. The sun glares overhead, music blaring through the crackling speakers of your car. Even the flowers along the side of the road wilt under the heat of summer, starved and sweltering.

Zipping through the empty streets, the trees cast a welcome shade as you make your way home, before a sudden obstacle appears along your path: a man walking along the side of the road, thumb held out. As you move to swerve around him, white hair catches your attention, the screeching of car brakes splintering the thick silence as you pull off to meet him.

“Gojo?!”

Turning to you, bright blue eyes catch yours through the dark shade of his sunglasses, a smile spreading across his face in recognition. “No way,” he smirks.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Walking towards your car, he leans his arms through the open window, elbows spilling into the interior. “Would you believe me if I told you my rental car ran out of gas?”

Rolling your eyes, you can’t help but laugh. “Well, did you fill it?”

His smile widens, perfectly white teeth catching the light. “No, but in my defense I thought the ‘empty’ light was more of a suggestion.”

“Oh my god, you are insufferable.” A dramatic pout forms across his lips as he stares at you, tilting his head. “Get in,” you scoff.

He practically beams back the summer sun as he tugs open the car door, slamming it shut as he settles into the warm leather seat. “Thank youuuu,” he hums, batting his eyelashes appreciatively.

Even after all these years, it feels like no time has passed, easily falling back into the same banter, the same butterflies in your stomach when he smiles at you. He looks shockingly similar to when you last saw him, the same boyish charm, the same cocky arrogance. Yet, it always worked for him, his dimples making you weak in the knees, unable to deny the way he made your cheeks flush and body run hot. There was always this silent back and forth, one neither of you dared to address, simmering just under the surface. When you parted ways after graduation you thought that was it, maybe he just wasn’t that interested in you after all, maybe your feelings were simply a result of your shared proximity.

Now, with the heat radiating off his bare arms, a faint floral scent lingering on his skin, it seems he’s pulled you back under his spell once again.

“You never answered my question, you know,” you pause coyly. “What are you doing here, in this city?”

“Oh!” He tosses his hands up - always a visual talker, always captivating in the way he moves. “I was here for a shoot - we finished up yesterday, but I really wanted to see the beach, so I extended my trip by a day. But obviously the fates decided I didn’t deserve it, maybe someone out there really hates me or something,” he laughs.

“A shoot?” you ask, confusing brimming.

Mischief twinkles behind his gaze. “I’m sure you can tell by looking at me, but I’m kind of a big deal now. I’m actually the main model for this new fragrance coming out, so we had to get some videos of me for advertising.”

A groan vibrates against your throat as you involuntarily roll your eyes. “There is absolutely no way you’re a model.”

“What?! You don’t think I’m pretty enough?” Leaning towards you, the cool scent of his cologne hits your nose as he sticks out his bottom lip.

Smacking his chest, you put the car back into drive, averting your gaze before you can react to his sudden closeness. “You’re plenty pretty, Gojo, but I just didn’t think you’d be pretentious enough to make a career out of it.”

Before he can respond to the backhanded compliment, your foot presses against the gas, accelerating your car down the barren roads.

Placing his elbow against the door, he rests his head in his open palm. “Am I pretty enough to kidnap?” he teases. “I’m not complaining, but where are you taking me, exactly?”

“To the beach, idiot. That’s what you came all this way for, isn’t it?”

A wide grin spreads across his features. “Even after all this time, you’re still too good to me, sugar.”

Briefly turning your head, you shoot him a glare. The nickname brings up too many memories, too many late nights spent with your limbs intertwined, too many lingering touches, too many brushes of your lips against his, too many please’s and I need you’s. Too many almost’s.

“Why do you always call me that?”

Turning to you, he placed a quick peck to your cheek. “Obviously because you’re so sweet, sugar. C’mon, I thought you were smarter than that,” he smirked.

“And here I thought it was just because you have the diet of a toddler and wanted an excuse to think about when you’re getting your next piece of candy,” you chuckled, rolling your eyes.

A toothy grin spread across his lips. “You know I’m not thinking of anything but you when we’re together, sugar.”

“Don’t call me that.” Your voice comes out icier than you intended, cutting through the warm air.

“Aww, don’t be like that, baby,” he whines, tossing his head towards you, his pale hair threatening to cloud your vision before you shove him off.

“Okay, ‘baby’ is definitely worse,” you complain, unable to hide the slight chuckle coming out concurrently. “You look ridiculous, by the way,” you tease, glancing at him from the corner of your eyes.

An annoyingly thin linen shirt clings to his body, the top few buttons undone revealing his perfectly sculpted chest. Light blue shorts adorn his lower half, his muscled thighs peeking out from the tauntingly short cloth.

Crossing his arms, he obscures your view, forcing your gaze back to the road. “Well, my personal stylist thinks I look quite handsome in this outfit,” he huffs.

A giggle erupts from your throat at his theatrics, the absurdity of seeing him like this - he’s still the same Satoru you knew. Maybe some things really don’t change.

Leaning back, he stretches his arms behind his head, biceps flexing through the nearly transparent material of his top. Even though his personality may be the same, his body certainly isn’t, having filled out beautifully since you last saw him. “Is it always this hot in here?” he sighs, fanning his hand against his face.

“Are you always this whiney?” you taunt, rolling the windows down further. “The air conditioning is broken, so unless you’re throwing the cash at me to get it fixed, you’ll take what you can get.”

Wind blows through his fluffy locks as he melts further into the seat, running his fingers through his hair to reveal the slightly sweat-slicked skin of his forehead. “Beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.”

“And need I remind you, you were literally begging by the side of the road a few minutes ago until I picked you up.”

Smirking, he catches your lingering gaze from his periphery. “You’re my savior, sugar.”

Another groan echoes through the car as you navigate through backroads, cranking up the music and letting the warm summer air fill the space between you.

༝ ˚ ｡⋆ ༝ ˚ ｡⋆

Aqua waves lap at the sand, small pebbles shifting beneath your feet as you make your way along the beach. Satoru immediately finds himself preoccupied, head turned downward as he scans the ocean floor. Reaching into the water, he pulls out a small blue orb, its edges cloudy and dull, proudly holding it out to you.

“Look! It matches my eyes!”

Stepping closer to him, your fingers gingerly wrap around his wrist, bringing his hand with the object in it closer to his face. “Hmm…it’s close, but not quite,” you observe softly. Turning your attention to the sand beneath you, you pull out another piece of sea glass, a slightly more vibrant hue. “See, now this matches your eyes.”

Gently setting it into his palm, you swear you see his cheeks blush, quickly brushing it off as a consequence of the summer sun. When his hand lingers on yours, slightly damp from the cool sea, your heart flutters in your chest.

The same damn Satoru.

Continuing your path down the shore, he makes a point to stop occasionally, collecting wedges of sea glass before shoving them into his pocket.

“Wait!” he suddenly exclaims, splashing slightly deeper into the water, now up to his bare calves. Rummaging in the sand, he finally tugs out another piece, holding it up to the sky and inspecting it. A proud grunt leaves his lips as he marches towards you, his fingers softly prying your hand open to place it in your palm. “For you,” he grins.

Glancing down, your mind processes the gift: the opaque shard perfectly matches your irises, nearly glowing against the skin of your hand. “Satoru…” you trail off, warmth flooding your face and up to your ears, burning hot.

His own heart flutters hearing you use his first name, a familiarity he had not often been afforded since you parted, one he didn’t fully appreciate how much he missed. Not only simply hearing his name, but hearing you say it - even in your bashful annoyance, the lilt of the vowels along the air makes him feel light, carried away in the soundwaves.

When his fingers hold yours a moment too long, you find yourself frozen, unable to move despite the gentleness of his grasp. Waves gently brush against your ankles, cool against the humid, stale air, a static crackling in the space between you. As his eyes meet yours, lightning shoots through your body, grounded only in the muddy sand beneath you.

“I missed you a lot, you know,” he murmurs, his voice soft, bare. Gone is the teasing sarcasm, the honeyed compliments, leaving only the raw truth behind.

Unable to hold his gaze, you turn your focus to the bubbling water beneath you. “I, um, I missed you too.”

Fingers grace your chin, tilting your head up. Finally forced to look at him, a new determination lies behind his movements, his jaw tensed and eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “I’m sorry for leaving things how I did.”

Memories come flooding back - the empty bed, the handwritten note, the unread messages. Sighing, you desperately attempt to hide the tremor in your voice. “It’s fine, Gojo.”

Something flashes across his face, a momentary sorrow? guilt? before he continues. “It’s not fine. I should have called, I should have given you some form of closure.”

“I got closure in the years since then, after you didn’t even bother to text me. I don’t need anything else now.” Your tone is firm, steady.

Yet, the softness of his skin as his thumb lazily traces along your palm threatens to collapse the walls you’ve painstakingly built during his absence. “I know you don’t need anything else, but…” he trails off, stepping closer until you can feel the warmth radiating off his body, “what about what you want?”

You don’t miss the way your heart picks up, beating like the wings of a butterfly as it carries itself to the newest, brightest flower. When he tucks a piece of hair behind your ear, your body reacts on its own, melting into him, the firmness of his chest pressing against yours. “And what do you know about what I want, hm?”

“Maybe less about what you want, and more what I do,” he smiles, attempting to cover his nervousness with smugness. Kneeling down, he holds the piece of sea glass in his hand, the ocean waves dampening the cloth of his shorts. Shock spreads across your face as you watch him take a proposal stance. “Sugar, will you please, please, forgive me?”

After the initial stun passes, a bright laugh erupts from your throat, tears welling in your eyes at the surplus of emotions surging through you, some mix of reluctance and relief. “You are insane, Satoru,” you giggle.

He just grins below you, allowing the waves to ripple against his skin. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Reaching out your arms you shove against his shoulders, sending him toppling into the shallow waters. His hands shoot up and grab you, tugging you down with him as you scream in surprise. Cold water covers your body as you both drag yourselves from the sea, sufficiently damp with your clothes hanging loosely off your bodies.

Walking back along the shore, sand crunching beneath you, he hesitantly intertwines his fingers in yours; when you fail to push him off, he squeezes your hand, a bright smile plastered on his face. Upon returning to the warmth of your car, he rests his head against your shoulder, his hair leaking small droplets of water onto your neck. With the windows rolled down, the summer breeze tickles your skin as he contentedly sighs.

“I think I’ll extend my trip a few more days, if that’s alright with you,” he muses.

Leaning your head against his, you chuckle, the sound light against the heavy humidity. Squeezing his hand, a smirk tugs at the corners of your lips. “I think I'd like that, sugar.”

[mediumgayitalian]

fic rec friday 10

hi!! welcome to fic rec friday. every week, i pick five fics i have bookmarked and rec them with a little review. check them out!

something borrowed by @rosyredlipstick

In the Solace Wedding Planning agenda, on the fifth page into their summer schedule, there are carefully scrawled out notes reading this: Bride and Groom - Hazel Levesque & Frank Zhang Best Man & Maid of Honor - Percy Jackson & Piper McLean Wedding Court - Annabeth Chase & Jason Grace Mellie & Gleeson Hedge Reyna Ramírez-Arellano & Leo Valdez Ring-bearer - Chuck Hedge Flower-boy - Nico di Angelo - Will plans wedding and now, apparently, Nico stars in one. Except...sometimes there's a bit more confusion on that last part. AKA the AU where Will plans weddings and thinks Hazel and Frank are going to have to cutest, gap-toothed ten year throwing flowers down the aisle, all while wondering why this 'Neeks' guy is always hanging around, and what business he has looking that good.

yes i am back on my rosyredlipstick (dude she's GOOD okay). however this one is my favourite i think. this is the kinda story you could use to explain to people what dramatic irony is bc LORD i wanted to SHAKE THEM 😭😭 will falling like deeply in love with nico and being intensely stressed about everything the whole time is so real and on brand. i love him and i love the fond exasperation that just bleeds from this fic its GREAT

2. Rental Love by @rosyredlipstick

*Read Terms & Conditions - Male/22/Long Island N.Y.C. Tired of showing up stag at holiday events? Want your family to stop thinking there’s something wrong with you? Just want some arm candy for a work event? Look no further. Your solution is here! I will attend holiday events with you as your paid date. Accepting all genders as applicants. Email solace.w@fastmail.com if interested. Interview & application will be set up there. - Nico di Angelo has been telling Hazel Levesque about his boyfriend for weeks. The bad part? Nico doesn’t have a boyfriend, the holidays are coming up, and not all of Jason’s ideas are horrible. They’re all a bit surprised about the last one.

THE LEVEL OF STUPID THAT THEY ARE...😭😭 kills me fr. like this whole fic is just a manifestation of truly one of the best tropes of all time…..like what if we took a hallmark movie and made it gay as all hell. iconique indeed

3. A Match in the Making by @coconutcranberries-blog

“You’re a morning person,” Nico muttered, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms. He ran a hand through his black hair, which stuck up in disarray, the same way it did every morning. He was a mess, and Will Solace looked annoyingly put together, and Nico didn’t even care, really, he didn’t.

friendship is the core of romance!! it is!! every time!!! and it's such a core in this fic....which is fucking??? ten years old??? im just realising?? jesus christ??? anyways. "Nico had the sudden, warm feeling that Will Solace had never bought his act." i YELLED

4. Perception by scorchedtrees

In which everyone thinks Nico and Will are together.

i love this trope i love it SO BAD. both ways. when your love is so obvious that no one misses it.....love to see it truly. and will can have one second of beingn smooth and not a dweeby loser. as a treat

5. the world is brighter than the sun now that you're here by @finalizer

It was hard, Nico eventually concluded, to maintain one’s air of spooky otherworldly detachment with a blinding ray of sunshine trailing one step behind him every minute of every day.

grouchy nico my beloved truly. honestly hes such a bitch i love him like "Seriously, give the guy a perm and a few cats and he’d be that weird aunt that everybody avoided around the holiday season." why does he ALWAYS have something vile to say 😭😭 hes a mood fr

thank you for joining me this saturday friday!! happy reading!!

[visit-new-york]

What recreational activities are available for visitors in Brooklyn Bridge Park?

Brooklyn Bridge Park stands as a testament to urban revitalization, transforming an industrial waterfront into a vibrant green space that attracts locals and tourists alike. Nestled along the East River, this 85-acre park offers breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. Beyond its scenic beauty, Brooklyn Bridge Park provides a plethora of recreational activities for visitors seeking an immersive and enjoyable experience.

Cycling and Rollerblading:

A network of dedicated bike paths and scenic routes makes Brooklyn Bridge Park a haven for cyclists and rollerbladers. With the gentle breeze from the river and stunning vistas, exploring the park on wheels is a favorite among locals. Visitors can bring their own bikes or rent from the park's various rental stations.

Picnicking and Relaxing:

For those seeking a more leisurely experience, the park offers ample green spaces perfect for picnicking and relaxation. Visitors can bask in the sun, enjoy a meal with friends and family, or simply unwind amidst the lush lawns and gardens. Several designated picnic areas equipped with tables and grills enhance the overall experience.

Kayaking and Paddleboarding:

The park's waterfront location makes it an ideal spot for water-based activities. Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse provides free kayaking and paddleboarding sessions during the summer months, allowing visitors to paddle along the East River while taking in iconic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan.

Basketball and Volleyball Courts:

Sports enthusiasts can engage in friendly matches at the park's basketball and volleyball courts. Whether it's a pickup game with friends or a more organized match, these facilities provide an energetic outlet with the stunning backdrop of the city skyline.

Fishing at Pier 5:

Pier 5 features a dedicated fishing area, attracting anglers of all skill levels. Fishing is a popular pastime, and the park's location along the river makes it a prime spot to cast a line and enjoy the peacefulness of the waterfront.

Children's Playground:

Families with children can take advantage of the well-designed playgrounds within the park. Featuring modern play structures, water features, and sandboxes, these areas provide a safe and entertaining environment for kids to expend their energy.

Fitness Classes and Events:

Brooklyn Bridge Park frequently hosts fitness classes and events, ranging from yoga sessions with a view to outdoor boot camps. These activities cater to fitness enthusiasts of all levels and offer a unique way to stay active while enjoying the park's scenic surroundings.

Conclusion:

Brooklyn Bridge Park stands as a shining example of urban green spaces that cater to the diverse recreational interests of its visitors. Whether you're an avid cyclist, water sports enthusiast, or someone who simply wants to relax in a picturesque setting, the park has something for everyone. As you explore the various offerings at Brooklyn Bridge Park, you'll discover that it's not just a park; it's a dynamic and engaging destination that invites you to experience the best of outdoor recreation in the heart of Brooklyn.

[0what-a-guy0]

I wrote harvey's ten heart event like a fic lol

Harvey x Farmer (gender neutral)

It is a little different than how the event goes, I am sorry I got creative but I think it's good

You held the note in your hands. Reading the paper over and over you tilt your head. With how frequently you had wandered into the clinic, whether you needed to be there or not) Harvey had never really written you a letter. He could usually just say whatever he needed to when you arrived at the clinic. You weren’t entirely sure what this would entail. 

You hadn’t exactly been subtle with your affection for the doctor. It wasn’t like you brought Sam a joja cola every single day. You didn’t look for Elliot amongst the rows and rows of shelves in the library. Harvey may have been a bit of an introvert but he was by no means clueless. He was a doctor for crying out loud! A very smart man!

…

Ok so maybe Harvey hadn’t picked up on how you felt. That didn’t mean someone else hadn’t told him. You went back into your small house, a sigh was pulled from between your lips. 

Your cat sprawled out, perched on your kitchen window sill, soaking the sunlight from the summer sun. His tail swung back and forth slowly. You smiled walking over to scratch behind his ears. His body rumbled as the low sound of his pur filled the small space of your home. 

The little guy was blissfully unaware of fear, anxiety, his only thought about his next meal. He moved his head to rub against your palm. You turn away checking your appearance in the mirror. Hair a mess, overalls stained with Yoba knows what all. You huff shoulders slumping over. You were supposed to meet the Doctor in twenty minutes…

Hair tamed with a little water and most of the stains rubbed out with a wet rag you start towards the railroad tracks. You can see him sitting on the steps of the train station, hands folded together, his heels digging into the dirt stretching his long legs. His expression was…intense. At the sound of your foot fall he looks up. 

Harvey already had somewhat fuller cheeks, it was hard not to kiss them as it was,but, as challenging as it was on a normal day it was harder when he smiled at you like that.  It was a full genuine grin, the kind that made your cheeks glow and ache. They even pushed up the frames of his glasses the slightest bit, it made your heart flutter. 

He stands, dusting his slacks off before making his way towards you.

 “There you are!” He exclaims long strides meeting yours. 

“Yeah! I got your note… what was it for?” You try so, so hard to keep your nerves steeled no matter what. He seemed happy. That was a good sign. He chuckles tugging at his tie, “Well I saw this ad in the paper..” His eyes move over your shoulder, as he speaks, “There it is!” He says watching the skies. 

You swallow following his eye line, there approaching was a patchy (somewhat sketchy) baby blue air balloon. Your stomach flips as you watch the balloon’s basket touch the ground. The owner ties it down, turning to Harvey to discuss its mechanics.  You don’t hear them. You are, frankly, still confused. 

“Harvey what's going on?” You ask as the original pilot of the balloon walks away. 

The doctor turns to you face flushed as he speaks, “I saw an ad for balloon rentals in the paper, I thought we could try it.” 

Alarm bells are ringing in your head as he speaks. You can see the signs of it even now. The slight tremble in his hands as he looks at the balloon and the skies. He tugs at his tie once more. You want to ask him about his fear, you want to be reasonable about how this will go. 

But,

There underneath his fear, is his passion, that glimmer of hope and excitement in his eyes. The way he smiles as he runs a hand over the basket. He turns to you still waiting for your response. 

You know that reasonably this won’t go how he hopes. 

But how could you deny him this?

“Sounds like fun!”

The basket is awkwardly tall, which you guess you’ll be grateful for when you are actually up in the air. You place your hands on the rim pushing up to try and get yourself, struggling as you do. Harvey chuckles as your face begins to turn red. 

“Here let me..” His voice trails off as he lifts you, turning so your feet are in the basket and your hips hover over the rim. He lowers you so you can slide into the basket the rest of the way, before hopping into the ride himself. 

You look around the insides of the balloon as Harvey begins to mess with the wires and ropes. Your breath hitches, you feel weightless and the ground starts to shrink away. You’ve taken off. 

You are breathless as you float into the sky. Blue’s blending into purples and pinks. The summer air warming your skin as you look out over your small home of Pelican Town, “Harvey look theres the..” You look to your left the doctor no longer by your side. You feel panic bubbling in your chest. “Harvey?” You call looking left and right. You look down to the city again. You aren’t sure what to do, when you feel a tug at your overalls, “Down here.” 

His voice was so small, you look down seeing the man curled in on himself pressed against the wall of the basket, his eyes are squeeze tightly and his knees fit under his chin. Your heart breaks and you sink to your knees, “Oh, Harvey..” You whisper, extending a hand towards the trembling ball.  

“I’m so sorry..” His voice breaks and your hand freezes in the air, “I wanted to impress you…now look I’m.. I-” his voice wobbles as he tucks his head to his knees, his voice is muffled but you can still hear him, “I’m a coward.” 

Your heart is in your throat as you place your hand to his knee, thumb stroking back and forth as you shuffle towards him. 

“Don’t say that about yourself-”

“But i-”

“Don’t.” You warn. He looks at you over his glasses, hair falling to cover his eyes. Your other hand brushes his bangs away and you gaze into warm brown eyes. “Harvey, it took courage to even get up here. It took courage to try.” You smile at him as he looks at you, pitifully. “I’m proud of you for even trying Harv.” You whisper, cheeks flushing as you tuck his hair back and taking one of his hands. He sits up a little taller looking back at you. 

He laughs just a little, “You’ve got enough courage for us both, that's…” he pauses, eyes turning to his lap, “It’s one of the things I like about you.” 

You freeze, swallowing, trying to understand what he means. If he means it to the extent you would. “I’m gonna look..” he says voice more steady, more determined. There is a glint in his eyes as he stares at his knees. 

He looks back to you, gaze softening, “Please don’t let go.” He squeezes your hand to emphasize his point, you lace your fingers together, “I’m not going anywhere.”

He takes a shuddering breath as he rises to his feet. His grip, tight. You squeeze his hand in return. He glances down, shoulders rising as he becomes infinitely more intense. You look at him for a moment, certain that you were about to witness the first human implosion. You gingerly lay a hand on his bicep and he turns to you with his eyes wide. You make eye contact and he exhales, shaking as he does. He looks back over the skies, breathing in, breathing out. 

His grip becomes loose and he chuckles. It very quickly becomes a laugh as he looked over the skies, he laughs hard before turning back to you..

“I’m doing it!” He exclaims taking both your hands. You smile wide, flushing. He pivots looking around the skies with an enthusiasm you hadn’t seen since he’d made contact with a pilot. “There's the clinic! The mayor's house! Your farm!” He cries watching your small town in the light of sunset. 

Your heart could burst, watching the doctor. His face has gone red as the air of the skies nips at his nose and cheeks. His hair blows in the wind and he clutches at his glasses. You look at the town beneath you. 

“It’s so pretty.” You whisper and he hums in response, “It’s incredible.”

His hand squeezes yours and you turn to face him. “I’m glad that I finally got to experience this.”  You smile, “it was about time.” 

He searches your face, swallowing as he looks at you. “I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for you.” You sigh rolling your eyes, “Harvey you need to give yourself more credi-” 

“No,” His voice is firm, hand cupping your cheek, “I wouldn’t have done this if it weren’t for you.” Your heart stops, your cheeks warm from more than just his palm.

 “Harvey-” He leans forward pressing his lips to yours. 

Slow and intentional, meticulous in everything he does. Harvey kisses you. It’s just a press. Your pulse quickening in your chest. His mustache tickles as you smile wrapping your arms around his neck pulling him back down to you when he tries to pull away. You stand on your toes, brushing your nose against his. 

“I like you,” He whispers, his voice a low rumble in his chest as he wraps his arms around your waist. 

His phone vibrates and he pulls away, despondent. Marcello screeches on the other end and Harvey grimaces, holding the phone away from his ear. He looks at you bashfully. “Whoops?”

[ranchevents]

Celebrate The “Dog Days OF Summer”

In the Northern Hemisphere, the hottest days of the year are usually between mid-July to mid-September.   During this time of year, there is a feeling it will never cool off when the thermometer rises and sticky days are never ending.  This time of year is coined “Dog Days of Summer” and is the perfect time for a party. What do you serve to celebrate the Dog Days of Summer? Grilled hot dogs of course on a toasted bun!  Hot dogs are coming back in style, popping up on gourmet menus and many trendy food trucks.   Feature them at your next party with a toppings bar and let your guests go wild creating their unique concoctions.

Let your imagination run wild when creating the toppings bar selections:

…Ketchup, mustard, spicy mustard, relish, diced onions, chili, cheese, pickles, sriracha hot sauce, sour cream, fried onion straws, caramelized onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, salsa, guacamole, avocado slices, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, honey mustard dressing, ranch dressing, Thai peanut sauce, sprouts, picked onions, crushed potato chips, sweet and sour sauce, crushed pineapple, crunchy Asian noodles, buffalo sauce, crumbled blue cheese, crumbled bacon, barbecue sauce, jalapeño peppers, diced green chilies and shredded lettuce.

Side dishes can include potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, chips, and dips.

For dessert, use homemade or packaged dog shaped cookies and with a dog bone cookie cutter, cut homemade fudge brownies into this shape. The adorable dog cookies and dog bone fudge brownie can be displayed or passed on a tray labeled “Dog Treats”. The dessert tray will be the hit of the party.

If you plan to have music don’t forget to incorporate these classic songs:

… Hound Dog – Elvis Presley

… Bird Dog – The Everly Brothers

… Disney’s Celebrating 101 Dalmatians – this soundtrack is loaded with all the upbeat dog music you’ll need. From- “Me and You and a Dog named Boo” to “How Much is That Doggie in the Window.

End On a Sweet Note:

If your party site is dog friendly and you and your guests love dogs, you might want to add pets to your guest list. The Dog Days of summer is a great time to celebrate everything dogs, from our best furry friends to hot dogs! Enjoy your party, because summer will be gone before we know it!

If you don’t have time to do any of the preparation and you want to kick-back and enjoy yourself during your party, call Ranch Events to help you plan this fun event. We have a variety of menus from which you can choose and that will be perfect for your Dog Days of Summer party. Call us today.

[dee-writes-angst]

PROBLEMS AFTER BREAKFAST

FEATURING secret!boyfriend!Steve Harrington x reader

CONTENT WARNING fluff, Eddie staring, slight mentions of spicy times, awful writing, nudity(?)

SUMMARY your secret gets out in the most inconvenient of ways

AUTHORS NOTE this started out so cute and then I got bored and it turned into whatever monstrosity it is now, so enjoy :)

Steve held you tight to his chest, his warmth melting you from the inside out as his calloused hands unintentionally rubbed circles into your back. It was comforting, domestic. You never wanted to leave the safe bubble that was this space. The way his soft snores tickled the hair at the back of your neck, his face crushed into your neck as he slept, created a scene of serene intimacy. The room was bathed in the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains, casting gentle shadows on the walls and adding to the cozy atmosphere. The faint sound of birds chirping outside provided a soothing backdrop to the tranquility of the moment.

You were scared to move, afraid he would wake up and the perfect moment would be ruined. When he shifted slightly, your heart dropped, his face removing itself from your neck and lulling onto his pillow, arm still protectively wrapped securely around your waist, keeping you close. You allowed a warm smile to grace your face, staring at your gorgeous boyfriend as he dreamed away. Counting every single freckle and blemish that smattered his face, running your hands gently down his face and through his bedhead. Caressing his face, feeling the rough stubble along his jaw attempting to tame his helpless eyebrows, you couldn’t get enough of him.

You were beyond worried you might wake him from a restful slumber he so desperately needed after staying up nights on end at the beck and call of his group. The pair of you wanted to keep your relationship to yourselves, too worried that something so.. different would rattle the kids who were still recovering from their years' worth of unaddressed trauma.

Sighing, you freed yourself from the warm cocoon you and your boyfriend had made in sleep. Crawling from bed, you grab the shirt that Steve was wearing last night, it now lays haphazardly on the floor due to events that transpired last night after Steve returned home from coddling the kids. The thought of last night makes you blush and spin on your heels to take one last look at the gorgeous man still engulfed in the warm arms of slumber before starting your day. Due to your maneuvering, a strand of his perfect hair rests on his face, lightly tickling his nose every time a huff of air escapes his plump, strawberry colored lips. A large smile overtakes your face as you lean over the bed once more to tuck the annoying strand back in its rightful place.

Quietly closing the door behind you, you make your way down the short hall of Steve’s rental home. His parents kicked him out last summer due to his disinterest in taking over his father’s real estate company. Steve never wanted to be like his father or mother, and after years of convincing, Steve finally told them how he felt, and that ended in the boot. Your heart hurt, squeezed so painfully in your chest when he came through your bedroom window with tear stained cheeks and a bright red nose. Eventually he got back onto his feet and was able to afford a two-bedroom, one-bath home in Hawkins. It was shitty, but it worked and it had quickly begun growing on you as your relationship with Steve blossomed.

Humming the tune to a song that’s been stuck in your head for weeks, you make your way to the kitchen/living room. The living room space was small, a single couch and two old recliners sat at one end of the room surrounding a coffee table that had a missing leg supported by books you had lent Steve; a small TV was sat in front of the coffee table on an oak colored entertainment center. The kitchen had a breakfast bar that separated the two spaces, with neon yellow-colored countertops and ugly wooden cupboards with a toaster, a single sink, and a kitchenette filling the rest of the space.

Walking over to the record player adjacent to the breakfast bar, you grab one of your favorite records that Steve owns and drop the needle. You dance and quietly hum to the beginning notes of Hotel California by the Eagles as you dig through the cupboards and fridge for pancake ingredients and bacon. Finding everything you need, you start on your meal, completely lost in the song and your breakfast that you don’t notice the loud knocking or ringing of Steve’s front door. You only notice when it's too late, and now Dustin, Max, Robin, Eddie, and Lucas are staring at your awestruck opinion.

“Oh, hey (Y/N),” Dustin shrugs as he heads towards the couch, plopping down on the cushions casually. He seems to have missed the fact that the only thing you are currently wearing is one of Steve’s shirts and a pair of underwear. You could only wish the rest of them were that dense, but they aren’t, and they gape at you as you stand there frozen in shock. It’s only then when Steve finally decides to make his appearance.

“Whatcha cookin’, good lookin’?” Steve asks as he walks from his room in only a pair of sweats that hang deliciously low on his hips. He walks right to the kitchen, seemingly unknowing of the staring company, and he only notices after he wraps his arms around your middle.

“Oh my god,” Robin whispers, staring dumbfounded at the two of you. Eddie is just staring at your legs, a little bit of drool falling from the corner of his lips, and Max is scowling at Lucas while he takes a quick glance at both you and Steve before blushing profusely and looking away. “Oh my god! Eddie, you owe me twenty bucks!”

“Goddamn you, Harrington!” Eddie grumbles as he pulls his wallet from his pants pocket and hands Robin a twenty.

"What the hell is happening

right now?" Steve suddenly bursts out in outrage, moving you behind him in an effort to hide your indecency.

“I bet Robin I could get (Y/N) to like me before you, I lost apparently,” Eddie explains as he continues to sulk in his loss. You suddenly let out a loud, hysterical laugh, unbelieving that this is actually happening right now.

“That’s a point on the ‘you rule’ side, way to go,” Robin laughs as she slaps Steve on the shoulder before walking to join Dustin, the rest of the crowd follows in tow, all in different stages of shock. You and Steve stand still for a moment, unmoving, unbelieving. “Hey! The rest of the gang is on their way soon so I’d put some real clothes on!” Robin shouts back, laughing hysterically on the couch with Eddie who lands a high five. Tears of complete and utter mortification drip down your face as you continue to stand stock still. Steve eventually regains enough composure to turn and face you, his eyes softening when he sees the state you're in.

“Why don’t you go get dressed while I finish up here, k’ baby?” He asks, gently wiping the tears from your cheeks and planting a soft kiss on your forehead, nose, and finally your lips. The extra motivation gets you moving, but you’re still in shock, unable to process whatever the hell just happened. You had expected such worse reactions, hadn’t you and Steve been discreet? Did they already know? How? Why? When?! Your head began to pound with all the stress you had experienced so early in the morning, but you pushed through. Throwing on your favorite of Steve’s shirts and a pair of jeans that you left over last time you stayed the night, you walk back out to the kitchen to find breakfast finished and waiting for you beside your not-so-secret-anymore boyfriend. You mentally shake yourself, deciding to tackle the situation head-on… after you finished your mouth-watering plate of pancakes and bacon with a small side of fried eggs.

As you sat at the breakfast bar, savoring every bite of the delicious meal Steve had prepared, you couldn't help but steal glances at him. He moved around the kitchen with ease, a sense of contentment evident in the way he hummed along to the song playing in the background. The morning light filtering through the window bathed him in a soft glow, accentuating his features and making him look even more irresistible.

With each passing moment, the tension from earlier began to dissipate, replaced by a feeling of warmth and affection. You stole a moment to appreciate the simple joys of domesticity, the comfort of being with someone who knows you inside out, even in the midst of chaos. And as you watched Steve, a sense of gratitude washed over you, grateful for his presence in your life, even if it meant enduring the occasional embarrassing moment with friends.

Once you finished your meal, you cleared the dishes together, exchanging playful banter and stolen kisses along the way. Despite the awkward start to the day, you found solace in each other's company, knowing that no matter what challenges came your way, you would face them together, as a team.

As the morning unfolded into a new day, you couldn't help but feel a sense of optimism for what the future held, knowing that as long as you had Steve by your side, you could handle anything that came your way. And with that thought in mind, you leaned in for another kiss, relishing in the warmth and love that enveloped you both, grateful for the simple pleasures of life and the bonds that held you together.

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Catfish and Dog Cemeteries

Chapter Nine of Sweet Home Alabama

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x OC (Linley Mitchell/Floyd), Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x OC (Linley Mitchell/Floyd)

Description: The Annual Pigeon Creek Catfish Festival is always your favorite event of the summer. Being back here after seven years feels different. It should be a consolation that you're only going to be in Pigeon Creek for a few days more. But instead, another encounter with an old friend makes you question everything you thought you knew about your soon-to-be ex-husband. A chance encounter with the man himself makes you question everything else in your life, too.

Themes: love, attraction, angst, sex, cheating, lying

Warnings: discussions of grief, discussions of miscarriage, discussions of animal death

Word Count: 2665

A/N: This chapter is one of the saddest in this entire fic. I know, I know. It's awfully hypocritical of me to say that when most of Sweet Home Alabama (the movie) is really really sad. This is the chapter I sobbed while writing. It's also the first time Jake and Linley address the pain they have put each other through. I hope you love it!

Thanks to the gorgeous @desert-fern for reading over this chapter and smacking my imposter syndrome demon when it refused to give up.

AO3: Cross-posted here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

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Pigeon Creek's Catfish Festival is busier than you've ever seen it when you pull up and park your rental car on Main Street the next day. The festival used to be your favorite day of the summer, the one day during summer vacation when you could run free and eat as much candy and fried things as you wanted. You walk through the crowd on autopilot, walking down the line at the buffet until your plate is filled with all of the things you never actually let yourself eat anymore, and slip a twenty into the donation jar at the end of the table. The fried fish and steaming french fries had looked so good that you couldn’t stop yourself. 

But as you stand in the grass with your plate in your hand, it reminds you of something else. Nobody in Pigeon Creek likes you very much. Everyone you know is chatting and laughing and enjoying the good food. Yet you’re still the outsider. Like you were before Jake became your best friend like you have been every minute of every day since you left town. Not a single person wants to meet your eyes. A part of you understands why. Jake was the golden boy of the town. Jake is still the town hero. You’re just the girl who threw him away.

Of course, what you don’t expect to see is Dorothy sitting at one of the tables with a baby in her lap. She’s the only person who doesn’t glare at you as you walk up.

“D’you mind if I sit here?” Gone is the confident Linley who took New York by storm. In her place is the four-year-old with a lisp who used to get pushed off of picnic tables because she was too different.

“Sure.” You sit silently, gratefully, smiling at the chubby-cheeked baby in Dorothy’s lap.

“I, um..” You’re captivated by the shocks of tiny dark hair and big eyes and the way the little sweetheart is waving their fists around. “I didn’t know you and Mickey had a baby.”

“Aww, yeah. When you came around the bank the other day, there wasn’t much time for us to catch up now, was there?” She hums to the baby for several long moments before turning all of her attention to you.

It occurs to you at that moment that maybe you were more than a little prejudiced yourself as a kid. You have more fun with Dorothy than you’ve had in years. Getting to eat good food and just be yourself probably helps, too. Every time you see her snuggle her daughter, it feels like your heart breaks a little more. You can’t turn back time or change history. Seeing the baby squeal as a calf licks her hand makes you smile.

“Y’know he went up there?” There’s a secretive smile on Dot’s face as she rescues the baby from having her frock eaten by a goat.

“Who?” You drag your eyes away from the kids playing in front of you and focus back on Dorothy. “Dot, who went up where?” When she just looks at you, the lightbulb goes off in your head. “Jake? When?”

“About a year after you left.” That little tidbit of knowledge hits like a dart hitting a bullseye on a dart board. “He doesn’t know that I know, but Mickey let it slip once.”

“Jake was in New York?” You sound like a stuck record, but you can’t believe that Jake ever went to New York. Jake has always hated the idea of the big city, much preferring the country to the city. 

“He told Mickey he'd never seen anything like it.” Your heart is six feet under the earth.

“He realized straight off…” You’re leaning in despite yourself, some sick sense of curiosity expecting you to know, “That he'd need more than an apology to win you back. He needed to conquer the world first. He's been tryin' ever since.”

You didn’t think that you were so cruel a few days ago, standing in the middle of that fashion show back in New York. But now? Now, you feel like the worst person on the planet. 

“That's why he kept sending the papers back.” Is the world spinning off of its axis, or is that just you? How is it that you can know someone for most of your life and that they still surprise you every time?

“Yeah, it's funny how things don't work out.” The baby starts fussing in Dot’s arms, and the sweet burble of sound puts a smile on your face.

“It’s funny how they do.” 

You spend the rest of the day hanging out with Dorothy, smiling and laughing like a fool while playing with the baby. But it’s as night falls and the kids all go home to bed that excitement starts to course through your veins. The first twang of the guitar sets your feet tapping. For the first time since you came back to Pigeon Creek, you feel like you’re at home. With good music and even better alcohol in your hands, you finally feel free. 

Of course, what you’re not expecting, even though you totally should be, is Jake and Bob walking up to the small gathering you’ve found yourself in. It’s almost like once Dot approved of you, everyone else did, too. He looks like sin, his worn jeans clinging to his thighs and a soft red flannel clinging to his broad shoulders. His eyes and hair glisten in the soft light, and if you were a younger, less encumbered woman, you would have climbed him like a tree. But as it is, your soul feels heavy, and your left-hand feels even heavier. The worst part isn’t just how you lost the love of your life. It’s in how you’ve lost your best friend, too.

You can’t look at his smiling face, not when it hurts to see him happy when you’ve never been sadder. So, instead, you fixate on the glass your beer is in. It’s crystal clear and gorgeous, and well, it’s glass like you’ve never seen in New York. Is it any wonder that you lift the glass to see if you can see the manufacturer? Of course, just as you lift up the glass, it’s Dot who notices what you’re doing.

“Oh, honey, you…” She giggles, looking at you, “You drink that from the top.”

“I know that, Dot. I’m just lookin’ to see who makes this Deep South Glass. I wonder if you can get it in New York?" You take a sip of your beer and sigh. "It's beautiful."

"D'you hear that, Jake?" There is mischief in Dot's voice. "Lin wants to know where she can find that snooty-faluty glass." Why's she asking Jake, of all people?

"Why ask me?" See that? That's why Jake Seresin was your best friend. He always knew exactly what you were thinking and had the courage to express the thought, too.

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe it's because…" You've only had a few sips of your beer, so you don't miss the glare Jake shoots at Dot. You don't know why he's keeping secrets, but you have a feeling it isn't for a good reason. "You're all spiffed up and all."

"Wait, y'all." You probably look as confused as you feel. "Am I missing something?"

But all of a sudden, the familiar tones of Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd echo across the dance floor. You can count on one hand the number of times you've passed on dancing to this song - and all of them have been when you were in New York. It's a right of passage, a way of life. A part of you is sure every 'Bama baby has been put to bed at night with a crooned-out rendition of this song since it came out. Already, you can feel the beat tapping your toes, but a part of you isn't sure if anyone will ask you to dance. You smile vaguely as Dot marches off to the dance floor, Jake in tow, leaving you standing at the edge of the dance floor yearning.

"Y'know, she says that I've got two left feet, but the truth is she's got no rhythm." You startle just a bit at Mickey's voice, though you smile when you hear the pure love in it for Dot.

"Why don't we show her just how well I can dance, then, Miss Linley?" 

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Garcia." 

You're smiling from ear to ear as Mickey twirls you around on the dance floor. Your eyes flutter closed as you feel the beat in every hummingbird thud of your heart. But when you open them again, it feels like the world's standing still. The music is gone. There isn't another person on the dance floor other than Jake and you. He's got his hand on your waist, and your heart's not beating in time anymore. Your palms grow clammy, and your tongue feels like it's swollen in your mouth.

There is something unreadable in Jake's gaze as he twirls you once, twice, and then one final time before applauding for the band and walking away. You spend the rest of the night as far away from Jake as you possibly can. You know where he is; you always have. But it's different going out of your way to avoid him. Everyone's cleared out for the night when you finally see the sign for the dog cemetery.

Bear used to love clear nights like this, and something about it makes you remember him. His little plot is the newest, and it hurts to think of the puppy you bottle-fed lying six feet under the ground when you never even got the chance to tell him you loved him one final time.

"Hi there, boy." Your hands shake as you clear away a couple of twigs ensnared in his grave marker. "Sorry, it took me so long. I would have come sooner if I'd known you were sick."

Sitting here tonight, you don't think you can lie. Not to Bear. "Actually, that's probably not true. I've been pretty selfish lately."

Tears track hot down your cheeks as you remember the dog you loved with all of your heart. "Dogs don't know anything about that, do they, though? You were always like a big old pillow. Like when everything went pear-shaped…" Your voice cracks on the words because pear-shaped is an understatement for how your life splintered. "You never left my side. And then I just left you. I bet you sat there wondering what you'd done wrong."

"I told him it was my fault." You stand up so quickly that you nearly fall over. It's Jake because who else would it be when he's so close that you can smell his cologne and feel the heat radiating off of his skin?

"Quit bein' so nice." 

"It's the truth." It's not. Not in the slightest. It was your fault. Your body, your mouth. Your fault. But you can't verbalize your words or how sorry you were for everything that you did.

"How come it has to be so complicated?" You sigh the words even as you wipe your tears away.

"What?" Despite his hatred for you, his voice is gentle, a melodic hum over the buzz of a summer night out in the country.

"The truth, life…" Finally, you trace your fingers over Bear's name. "This."

"He was one hell of a good dog, wasn't he?" You can only nod, moving to sit on a stone bench nearby. It's quiet for several moments, just you and Jake staring at the graves.

"You looked like you were having fun out there tonight." It's true, you did have fun. But it wasn't quite as easy as he thought it was to let loose.

"I'm happy in New York, Jake. But then I come down here and…” You gesture around you to all of Pigeon Creek. “This fits, too." Who are you trying to convince? Him? Or yourself?

"Since when does it have to be one or the other? You can have roots and wings, Lin." Not possible, not with your all-or-nothing life.

"Maybe I could just fly south for the winter." As if the Honorable Carole Bradshaw would ever let you do that.

He sits down next to you suddenly, warming the left side of your body as he gets close.

"Look." It takes you a bit to figure out what you're looking for, but when you see it, it makes you feel like a kid again. "There. Do you see 'em?"

"Only you. Lightnin' bugs." There's a childlike wonder on his face. This close, you can feel each exhale and can see the specks of amber floating in the green of his eyes

"You know, I still go out there sometimes. I see those big thunderheads rollin' in. It's like a religion." Of course, he still goes out on the beach in the middle of lightning storms.

But his confession has you spilling one of your own. "I had a dream about it the other night." You watch the lightning bugs track pinpricks of light through the dark night.

"It had me thinking, Lin. You ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't have gotten pregnant?"

Your heart falls to your feet at his words. Please let him regret you, but not that sweet baby. Please, not your sweet baby. Your throat barely pushes out the sound as you whisper, "Jake."

"Just," His eyes are pleading, and the sight of the pain in his eyes blanks all the thoughts out of your mind. "Let me get this out before I can't. I thought that baby would be an adventure."

"And it took me a while to realize that it would have been your only adventure." Yup. The sound you hear despite the blood pounding in your temples is your heart shattering into infinitesimal pieces. "I just guess Mother Nature knew better, huh?"

Your hands make abortive movements in your lap. But you can't reach for him, not with the ring weighing your left hand down. "I was so ashamed, Jake. 'Cause I felt relieved. How selfish am I, huh? I lost our baby, and I felt relieved. I felt relieved. And I couldn't handle that. All of a sudden, I just needed a different life. So I left."   

Your voice is so quiet you're not sure Jake can actually hear you.

"You’ve done really well for yourself. I'm proud of you, Lin." He's so close all you want to do is fall into him. But you can't. You can't.

"I'm just sorry I never danced with you at our weddin'." How does he make your heart feel so full that you're sure it's going to overflow?

"I'm sure this next one's gonna go better for ya." His hands are strong and warm and perfect as they cradle yours. But every press of his hands rubs the ring, Bradley's ring, into your hands. It feels like a brand, the guilt turning into a five-ton weight sitting there. And it's that itchy, heavy feeling that has you yanking your hands from his own. 

"Jake, I can't do this." Who are you trying to convince as you walk away? Like so much of this conversation tonight, you're not really sure.

"I know."

Something about those words has you turning around. It's not a feeling or an expressed desire, but you still stand on your tiptoes and kiss Jake. Just once, you promise your traitorous heart. Just once. But he feels like home and tastes like it and smells like it. The electricity ricocheting through your veins makes you feel so good that you don't break the kiss until Jake does. Your lips are swollen, and you can barely breathe. But Jake? Jake just looks angry.

"Go home." Is it any wonder that you do so with your tail between your legs?

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@atarmychick007 @the-romanian-is-bae @lt-spork @buckysdollforlife @blackwidownat2814 @praline357 @seitmai @cheyrenee @trickphotography2 @abaker74 @marrianena-library @angelbabyange @temptest13 @kmc1989 @im-an-adult-ish @chaoticassidy @inkandarsenic @lynnevanss @shanimallina87 @khaylin27 @mizzzpink @emma8895eb @hookslove1592 @leahnicole1219 @djs8891 @sarahsmi13s @desert-fern @horseshoegirl @dakotakazansky @teacupsandtopgun @footprintsinthesxnd @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @roosterforme @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 11/03/2024

ULTRA S+G

Season 2 Featured on: The SiIvaGunner YTPMV Collab (Eek!).veg

Ripped by Kirbio, SAF

God, man. Season 2 of SiIvaGunner was so cool.

And like, I know that that's what I *always* say when I'm writing about a Season 2 rip, in everything from Patched Plains Fusion Collab to Rippin'! Mashin'! High Quality Grand Prix and the SilvaGunner: Rebooted 1st Anniversary event...but I can't help it! There was just such an energy of excitement, of pure joy permeating throughout the entire season - excitement not just for the Christmas Comeback Crisis, but for how SiIvaGunner was *actually* back, firing on all cylinders. The rips were referencing events we were already nostalgic over, althewhile introducing new jokes in clever, memorable ways - the Inspector Gadget takeover and Become as Gadget will forever stick with me as one of the most engrossing events the channel has ever done.

To put it one way...in my (nostalgia-blinded) eyes, Season 2 was the most "unified" the channel ever felt. We were all invested in every little corner of the channel's ongoings, we were all aware of the origins of and meaning of all the active jokes...that kind of investment and attachment to all the featured jokes felt sort of like if Season 4 Episode 2's Summer Fes had lasted for an entire Season! And while we've certainly got a far wider, far more ambitious output of rips in Season 5 onward in particular, it was that feeling of unification that made rips like ULTRA S+G hit like fucking crazy.

The thing you'll immediately notice when clicking on ULTRA S+G is, of course, the visuals, a full-length parody of the visuals featured in the original ULTRA B+K music video, completely reimagined to feature several of SiIva's own memes from Season 2. The visuals are, of course, in sync with the main joke of the rip, in being a huge meme medley of various sources, most replacing the original song's "bass" and "kick" vocal samples. The resulting sound hits you like several trains throughout the rip, be it the opening of "DEE-DEE-DEE-DEE-DEE ; KAY-KAY-KAY-KAY-KAY!!", the beat-dropping "Miney Crafta"s and "GRAND DAD"s, the midsection covered by the good ol' PSY samples a la One Winged PSYcho - V​.​S. Sepsyrop...and while all that is happening, you're met with visuals that go absolutely above and beyond just parodying the original. It has little references to the events of Season 1, such as the infamous Bean or the Mr. Rental storyline of Mr. Rental [B Side] ~ Out of Options...and, hey - an animation of The Voice Inside Your Head!! What ULTRA S+G conveys above all else is the extent of the journey we had all been on over the course of almost two years, a hype-beyond-belief shot directly into the arm of everything SiIvaGunner embodies.

Kirbio's output on the channel is impressive in its sheer scope, and recently of note arranged one of Season 1's greatest in the form of Return to Collision Clouds. Its likely coincidental, but I enjoy how both that arrangement as late in as Season 7, as well as ULTRA S+G, manage to convey that feeling of the long journey the channel's been on in entirely different ways: Return to Collision Clouds has a sentimental feel to it, wheras ULTRA S+G may as well be hype incarnate. An explosive beginning to the end of Season 2, its the kind of rip that I cannot stop returning to for the memories alone - helped, of course, by the rip itself being an incredible watch and listen.

[suburbansuperhero]

I’ve been in the same apartment complex since Jan 2021, but they changed management this past march. The small and little differences are adding up and pissing me off. In 7 months the new management has:

*not missed a chance to bash previous management (which was ok not perfect sure)

*not repaired two elevators of the three elevators in my building for two months (building is 5 stories tall); the one working one struggles to meet demand.

*taken back one of my key fobs (because they are one per individual living in the unit now). I still have two keys but now my pet sitter can’t fob into the building/garage.

*increased the rent by 15% on renewals for my neighbors (not looking forward to that)

*not repaired our fob into the garage (which was hit by a car and is tilted at an odd angle)

*invested our deposit (we were notified and will not get any gains our deposit earns)

*added pet rent to new rentals (but not my rental despite the fact I do mention I have a cat. Won’t ask specifically especially after the key fob thing)

*”renovating” public areas with small seasonal decorations. I.e we have hay bails in the halls in fall and surfboards in summer.

*began towing “visiting cars” in the garage (which is never half full as most residents don’t have cars)

*more “events” that are two hour weird social food gatherings I’ve never been to. They are within office hours of the office on weekdays and therefore most often when I am at work.

[I’m most mad about the key fob]

[luxnebula]

Oh, darn, I said that I'd write a post about volunteering at an academic conference and then I just Didn't Do That. So here's my experience volunteering for the World Congress of Environmental History. The WCEH is a congress that is arranged every four or five years and it focuses on environmental history. This year, the conference's theme was transitions, transformations and transdisciplinarity, so there were panels from all sorts of fields and from so many points of views.

Before the congress itself, I joined WCEH's social media team. The social media team's first task was to make videos introducing the Linnanmaa campus, which were then posted on Instagram and Twitter, for which I wrote the script. Here is the first video on Twitter. Here is the second video on Twitter.

Our training for the conference consisted of five meetings before the conference.

As I packed my backpack for the first meeting, I decided that I wouldn’t take along the novel that I was reading at the time (Frankenstein terapiassa by Jenny Jägerfeld and Mats Standberg) because I thought I wouldn’t have time to read it, even if I got there early, as I tend to do. I ended up regretting this decision as the lesson started behind schedule. However, I absolutely do not hold this against the lecturer because I also know how it is with the trains, as someone who also regularly travels by train. VR, venaa rauhassa, as we say here. This is just an anecdote that I thought was funny.

During the first meeting, we had a lecture held by a representative from the Oulu tourism board giving us pointers on what tourists can do in Oulu during summer. This was extremely valuable because it had not even crossed my mind that the conference participants and guests might ask what to do after the conference presentations.

To write a short summary of the tourism talk, we talked about transport (bus, bike rental), the islands near Oulu and how to get to them and what to do on them, saunas, the waterpark, the beaches and nature trails. It was emphasised that when someone asks for a restaurant recommendation, we should not just give our favourite restaurant, we should ask what kind of cuisine the asker wants and then recommend something. We were given a tip of having a map app or the Summer Tips brochure open on our phones at all times so we can quickly show something on our phones. To the question “what should I do in Oulu?” we should ask some specifying questions: how much time does the person have? What do they like to do? Do they have a car? And work from there. As a last resort, it could be good to recommend the market hall because it has tourist information. This was very valuable for me because social skills are one of my biggest weaknesses. Having scripts like this memorised will make it much easier for me to be more effective in answering questions.

During this meeting it started to dawn on me just how unique this event would be. WCEH is organised only every fifth year, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to get some work experience before graduation.

Our second meeting concerned the AV technology in the classrooms that would be used during the conference. This was also useful work experience because being fluent with AV technology could be a good skill to have in this modern era. WCEH was a hybrid conference, which meant that there were in-person panels, but they were also possible to attend via Zoom and they were recorded to watch later.

The first day of the congress started a little roughly for me. I woke up with mild stomach pain, which continued to 10 AM, which is when the reception for the congress opened. I had to be there to tweet about the reception opening. Thankfully, I ended up making it on time to the reception desk. Then at 11, I found out that the congress staff wouldn't have a complimentary lunch, so I had to run back to my apartment for lunch, which I had to do in the rain. I hadn't checked the weather before leaving home, so I didn't have an umbrella with me either. My shoes and socks ended up getting soaked.

On Monday, I also had a panel that I was supposed to supervise and I feel like I didn't do a good job. The first problem that I quickly found was that the laptop did not have any free USB ports left. The speakers and I ended up having to unplug the microphone to plug a flashdrive in, copy the slide shows onto the laptop and plugging the microphone in. This turned out to be a bad idea, because it messed with the microphone’s settings. The microphone kept showing error messages in Zoom for the first session. I hope that it did not affect the recording. The second problem was that the projector would not turn on. I had to call NomadIT (our IT support for the conference) for help, which made the panels start ten minutes late. Other than that, the first session went fine.

Before the second session, I asked NomadIT which USB I should unplug for the flashdrive and I was told to unplug the camera. Keeping that in mind, I started the second session much more easily, now that most of the problems were taken care of during the first session. However, the speakers forgot to unplug the flashdrive and replug the camera and I did not want to interrupt the speaker, so most of the Zoom meeting was recorded without a camera. I can only hope that the slide shows and panel’s audio at least saved fine. I don't think I will be an AV-tech expert anytime soon…

I went home without going to the opening ceremony, which I ended up regretting because it turned out that the male choir Huutajat performed there. It would've been cool to see them, even if I'm not a fan... 🥲

On Tuesday, I only had one shift, but I still had work to do from morning onwards, when I posted on X on behalf of other people in the social media group. I also helped look up people’s X and Instagram handles so we could @ mention them in our posts. Good thing I stayed at my apartment for that, so I could access my laptop and do it quicker than on my phone. I found it a little amusing that I was essentially doing some social media stalking, but in a professional and academic sense.

At the campus, I was asked to tweet about a panel named Arctic Spotlight before it started and do short interviews with the panel speakers. This turned out to be very chaotic. Adding on to the tasks I already had, the lecture hall's computer keyboard wasn't working, so I had to send out a SOS to the IT support, which I then didn't even have time to follow up on and check that the keyboard issue would be fixed. Another social team member and I then immediately had to do the short interviews, which thankfully were done quickly. Arctic Spotlight ended up starting in time, so I think the keyboard issue was sorted without me having to follow it. This short, hectic period taught me how to manage overlapping tasks on a short notice, how to delegate tasks and how to trust other people to do those delegated tasks.

Wednesday was very uneventful, but that was welcome after the chaos on Tuesday. Someone had forgotten their bag in the restrooms, so I wrote and posted a tweet about where to look for lost items.

Thursday was easily the longest day for me. I went to the reception desk, where someone asked for directions to the Botanical gardens. This made me very happy because one of the pre-assignments for the class included taking photos and talking about a favourite place in Oulu. My response to that assignment was the Botanical gardens, so I'm very pleased that at least two people took my advice and went to see it.

Later on the same day, I ended up volunteering in decorating a restaurant in Nallikari for the party on Thursday evening. It was fun, although it ended up getting late and getting back home from Nallikari was stressful because I had never been in Nallikari before. Not to mention that I had an 8 AM AV shift the next day, so I was in a hurry to get home so I could get enough rest.

Either way, on Friday morning,

I got to my assigned hall well before the assigned time, but I was still somehow not the first in it. Even the laptop had been set up for me! I did not need to do anything, but I tested the mic and sound anyway. I started the recording and the panel went great. The panel was very interesting! I especially liked the talk about how the horse chestnut tree has been talked about in Finnish newspapers and how attitudes towards it have shifted with time. Especially during the Winter War, when it was questioned how useful the tree even is, when times are tight and you cannot use horse chestnut wood for furniture, food or even firewood. It highlighted to me how everything affects everything and gave me a moment of deep affection towards the humanities and history.

After the panel, I went to the reception desk, where I ended up calling a cab for someone who didn't speak Finnish. I also went to listen to a panel about the sustainability of tourism (which was very interesting too!) before I went home.

As I walked home from the panel, I started to feel a little melancholic. I realised how much fun I had had during the week doing the various tasks and talking to people. Normally, I would have been downright exhausted after a whole week of socialising, but for some reason, I didn't feel any of that on that Friday. I had to tell myself "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" several times LOL

So in summary, what I got out of volunteering at the conference was experience and practice. Experience in customer service, spontaneity, stress resistance and changing my plans on the fly. Practice in speaking English (which I get surprisingly rarely!), social skills and team working skills. So I got exactly what I hoped to get, although I wish I could have networked a little more. My studies have been very solitary and stressful ever since 2020, so it was immensely fun and gratifying to do something in real life with other people, especially when it is something as tangible as this. This was an extremely positive experience for me, and I am very glad I decided to join the volunteer team. I would not have missed this for the world. Even if I did not have the time to listen to many of the panels (I will have to keep an eye out on the recordings of the few panels that sounded interesting, but missed), I'm extremely satisfied with my experience in volunteering. Volunteering at the conference is one of the last things I do at the university before I (hopefully) graduate later this month, so I'm glad that I am ending my university studies with such a grand note and a good experience.