#thank you again for letting me borrow this concept <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[an-inky-fingered-lass]

Jemma and May, and a story for a home and its memories; for lives lost and the still living, and for a different sort of joy than you ever imagined.

A story inspired by this snippet by @meanderings0ul.

They’d finally shared details of their plans once the team was all together, lights strung up all over the Lighthouse for New Year’s and the old base so much warmer than it had once been.

May had flown them out here two days later with nothing much more than a I know a place. She’d borrowed a jeep from a hangar whose elder occupants greeted her with startled recognition, tugged the keys from her pocket upon arrival and opened the door for them in silence.

The house had been dusty inside, in almost perfect condition otherwise. It had that quietly melancholy air of a house long since empty, the faint scuffs on the wood polish and memories of warmth that meant it had once been lived in, loved. It wasn’t until Jemma saw the absent way May leaned her hip against a cabinet that wouldn’t shut properly unless you shoved it just right, the way she watched them walk around more than she looked at the house, that it finally clicked.

Read the rest on Ao3.

[edenesth]

TWTHH Spinoff: Love to Hate You [Teaser]

Pairing: royal secretary!San x female scholar!reader

AU: historical au (Joseon era)

Summary: San prided himself on his knack for building easy connections with women, viewing himself as a trusted ally for the opposite gender. Thanks to his deep bonds with his mother and sister, he possessed keen insights into the female mindset. Never did he imagine facing the ire of a woman, until he encountered a resolute female scholar with a strong dislike towards men.

A/N: Once again, special thanks to my one and only, my pookie, @itstheghostofmypast, for coming up with the main concept of San's spinoff.

Main Story | Spinoff Masterlist | Part 1

"I'm just trying to help, Scholar Moon," the royal secretary insisted, his arms emptying as the stack of books he was previously carrying was abruptly snatched away by the newly acquainted female scholar.

You scoffed in response, "I don't remember asking for your help, sir. I understand it must be quite intriguing to meet a female scholar for the first time. However, there's a reason I'm the first. I'm not your typical damsel in distress. I don't need saving. While you may be used to women swooning at your feet, rest assured, I won't be one of them."

San stood in stunned silence as he watched you storming off in a fit of anger, completely taken aback by your hostile response to his well-intentioned gesture.

He had stumbled upon you as you exited the royal library burdened with a stack of borrowed books, his innate helpfulness and gentlemanly nature immediately prompted him to offer assistance without hesitation. But rather than the customary grateful smile and expression of thanks he anticipated, he couldn't believe he was met with such an unexpected and vehement reaction.

Did I... do something wrong?

A court lady standing nearby widened her eyes in disbelief. "Did you seriously just say that? Do you even know who he is?"

You rolled your eyes dismissively. "Probably just a eunuch, why?" you retorted, waving off her concern. "I doubt any high-ranking officials would pay me any mind."

"Well, you're correct about that. He's not a high-ranking official, but he is someone close to the King. He's the royal secretary," she disclosed, causing your heart to nearly stop as you gaped at her.

He's the what?!

I'll do my best to get the first part out as soon as I can! Hope you're excited about Sannie's spinoff hehe as always, let me know your thoughts on the concept! <3

Tag list (1/9): Tumblr is a bitch and won't let me mention more than 5 users in a single sentence, so now my tag list looks like a complete joke🤡

@itstheghostofmypast @huachengsbestie01 @minghaoslatina @weedforthoughtz @minkiflwr |

@cheolliehugs @the-kpop-simp @writingwieny @stayatinykatsy @skzline |

@green-agent @stayinhellevator @vampzity @tinyteezer @evidive |

@vantediary @superbbananananana @kimyeolchan @chocolate-scoups @decadentstrangernacho |

@vic0921 @marievllr-abg @sunnyhokyu @seungmin-in-thebuilding @heyitsmetonid |

@sansaurora9904 @darkestacademiamindsx12-blog @myblovedjyh @professormingisglasses @newworldwritings |

@chicken-fifi @thunderous-wolf @shythinggiver @madnpan @yandere-stories |

@anxiousskylar @frobin4ever @starssongs98 @dollce-exe @jan-l |

@lovelyred2 @haven-cove @watermelon2319 @dreamingofyeo @akimkim |

@scuzmunkie @satsuri3su @mismatchfluffysocks @borntoshineateez @st4rhwa |

@ddaeing @tropicalsstuff @bts-army380 @skteezcursed @beauty143 |

@naps-over-degree @idfkeddieishot @sis-101 @lemon-sage17 @jcalicocatj

All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

[codename-adler]

Can't blame Danielle when it's wymack we talk about.

Au vise do you think David ever was in situation where he had to explain someone why relationship with him is not in realm of possibility ? Do you think he would see a need for such conversation as his failure of setting boundaries in the first place ? Would he ask bee or Abby for advice if he needed one ?

Would Dan be happy when those feelings are addressed in therapy and she can apreciate platonic relationship with coach for what it is

I like digging into concepts

now that it seems the heat has died on that subject matter... i'll gladly and gratefully answer u my friend <3 thank you for getting it.

AU wise, i DEFINITELY 100% think Wymack has had to establish boundaries in his career as PSU Coach. oh how i would looooove to write the first time it happened. add it to the pile of wips.

i think... the overall sentiment of surprise he's slapped with when he has to face such a situation for the first time, is divided into many levels.

a) at some point, when you're collecting kids with parental issues coming out of their noses and asses, you gotta be ready for when some misplaced attachments occur. Wymack is def not ready, which is very very dumb of him. Abby saw it coming. Bee saw it coming. how did he not? big big oversight of him. now he's gotta deal with things wayyyy above his paygrade for that mistake. surprise mf! the care and tough love you provided your team has been misinterpreted by an unadjusted athlete! what did you expect david. really.

b) not to borrow too much from dbh's Hank Anderson, but i like to believe Wymack is partly surprised that one of his athletes is infatuated with him, because it's him we're talking about. he is not the same man who won over Kayleigh Day, is not as in shape and confident in his body, and despite the scarce hook-ups here and there over the years since her, Kayleigh herself was not much more than a fwb situationship herself. Wymack can't see past his family history and all his scars (mental and physical) when it comes to romantic relationships. so for a young thing to confess to him? good ol' Coach? gotta be a joke. he's not flattered at all, he's baffled. he is also very much concerned about his athlete beyond this unprofessional and inappropriate infatuation. like, wtf are your standards? let's address that. if it'd been, like, Abby, of course he'd get it. but him? yikes, man. (Bee screams into her pillow about this self-deprecating bs Wymack refuses to consult about. somebody worship this man, please! not you Greenberg tho. you get therapy for your daddy issues. it's never gonna happen.)

c) it worries Wymack very much that he did not see this developing, and it plants doubt in his ability to manage his team, his players, and provide them with what they need. it's not about setting boundaries and closing that door, because he didn't even know there was a door to close to begin with. it's about knowing that door exists and noticing it open. it really destabilizes him, to the point he's not sure he even knows his players anymore, if he's even capable of seeing through their bs, to the point where he doubts if he even should be Coach of such a complex and precarious team. surely someone out there is more qualified. surely someone out there is more well-adjusted and observant. i don't know which OG Foxes gets through to him, but i know it takes one of them, or more, to tell him that it's not about being qualified and parrying every issue before they even arise, but about wanting to be there, for them, wanting the best for them, and wanting to give them chances. surely you can give yourself that chance too, Coach? talks w/ Bee and Abby are def had, but ultimately it's the Palmetto Nines that get him though it.

about Dan now. bc i based myself on my own issues for her misplaced infatuation with Wymack, i'll once again base myself on lil 'ole me for how she copes with it: she is taking that one to the grave. she's able to fly under the radar of Bee's built-in bs detector. she's just glad she's not the only one to get those yucky feelings, that yes she does have issues but it's also normal, and well, by the time a newer Fox infatuates themself with Wymack, she is well over it and the case is closed. she even teases Wymack about the number of recruits who thirst over him over the years (once Wymack is able to treat as a joke too, like, years down the line and he hears other coaches having the same problem and the Foxes having a betting pool on who the next poor fool is. once Nicky overtly makes his objective appreciation known, and there are polls online. etc.)

[meraki24601]

Burned Meatloaf

This one is for @hillscapecity! Burn wounds was a good idea, though this didn’t go where I thought it would. I may do another later with this topic. Try it a different way. 

Let me know if you like it! :)

Caretaker knew Whumpee was fine. They had promised Caretaker they would be fine by themselves while Caretaker went to work. It was only 8 hours. Nothing was going to happen to them in that short of time. Surely not. 

Not again. 

Boss sighed deeply bringing Caretaker’s thoughts back to the meeting. They had been out for 2 months taking care of Whumpee. Caretaker had a lot to catch up on. They couldn’t afford not to pay attention. “Sorry, Boss.” They whispered, sitting up in their chair and preparing to take notes.

“That’s alright, Caretaker.  As I was saying, I think this project will be perfect for you. You have proven time and time again to have a strong grasp on this concept. It will be a great opportunity for the company to make strong connections with ‘Important Company’.”

Wait. ‘Important Company?’ Their headquarters is two states away. There’s no way this project will take fewer than 3 months. Whumpee can’t be alone that long! Caretaker isn’t even sure they’re going to make it to the end of the day without seeing Whumpee is safe. They can’t leave them for a business trip for 3 whole months!

Boss’ voice broke through Caretaker’s panicked train of thought, “If you need to borrow a company laptop for the days you’re working from home you are more than welcome to do so. Obviously, we will be providing ‘Important Company’ your work cell phone number so they can easily contact you at your house.”

“Wait.” Caretaker said, “My house? I’m not going to travel to them?”

“No, Caretaker. You will be staying here for this project. You will be dividing your time between working here and working from home so you can stay up to date with the other projects happening simultaneously. Do you understand?” 

“Yes! Thank you so much, Boss. I’ll be sure to make sure this project goes over without a hitch. I promise I’ll work harder than I ever have before!”

Boss laughed softly, “How about you promise that if I let you go home early, you’ll get some rest. I need you to focus fully on this project. Tell Whumpee I said hello and get out of here.”

Caretaker barely contained their relief as they thanked Boss and gathered their stuff. They made it home in record time. The new project was going to make working so much easier. Hopefully, Whumpee would be as excited about it as they were.

With barely contained excitement, Caretaker burst into their and Whumpee’s house. Complete silence greeted them. 

“Whumpee?” They called. “I’m home.” 

No answer.

“Whumpee!” Caretaker dashed through the house. Nothing in the living room. Nothing in the bathroom, the bedroom, or even in the greenhouse. Their breath caught in their chest and pressed heavily on their stomach in a way that threatened to force Caretaker’s lunch back up. 

The kitchen door slammed against the wall as Caretaker burst into the room. Whumpee, who had fallen asleep at the kitchen table nearly fell out of their chair at the noise. Caretaker fell to their knees at the sight of Whumpee blinking up at them confused and panicking. 

Recovering their voice faster than Caretaker, Whumpee jumped up and skittered around the kitchen, “I’m so sorry! I fell asleep. I meant to have dinner done before you got home. I set an alarm for the stuff in the oven. I hope it didn’t burn since it didn’t wake me up. How was your first day back? Did everything go well?” 

Caretaker pulls themselves up into the chair Whumpee had been sitting in and watches them as they scramble around the room. Pulling dishes out of the cabinet and food items out of the fridge. “I hope everything tastes alright. It didn’t take me near as long to put it together as I thought it would. Making the meatloaf was actually really fun and relaxing. I tried that old recipe I found in that book. I might have messed it up a bit at first but that was on a mini-test run and it still tasted okay. I’ll start the sides heating and we should be able to eat soon. I’m sorry I fell asleep. I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t sleep well last night and I was tired from suddenly being on my feet since I’m still not used to that and I really wanted to make this meal good so I’m sorry it’s kinda a mess.”

Whumpee’s ramble cut off when the kitchen timer went off. Their eyes widened as they looked at Caretaker and then at the clock. “Oh. You’re home early.” Whumpee’s face fell as they looked down at their shoes. “You didn’t leave early because of me, did you? I had hoped that this dinner would prove I could take care of myself so you wouldn’t worry so much. Here I am proving I can’t even stay awake or stop long enough to look at the time. Isn’t that just silly? I’m sorry. This is just ridiculous. Look at me! The timer just went off and here I am apologizing as your dinner burns!” 

Caretaker dropped their face into their hands to hide the small smile on their face as Whumpee continued to talk. Whumpee had been so quiet after they had been rescued. It was nice to hear their voice again, even if it was self-deprecating. They carefully schooled their expression and looked up to see Whumpee reaching into the oven to pull out the meatloaf. 

Their hand gripped the pan tightly while their oven mitt sat forgotten on the counter. 

Whumpee went deadly silent as they quickly set the pan down on the stove. Caretaker knew they would beat themselves up later for the moment they stared at Whumpee in disbelief before they jumped into action. The moment Caretaker’s hand touched Whumpee’s shoulder, Whumpee curled in on themselves. A harsh whine that almost cut off before it began echoed through the room. 

Softly humming a random tune, Caretaker pulled Whumpee into their chest. One hand pressed Whumpee’s head to the side of their neck and the other turned off the stove. With clear, careful steps, Caretaker pulled Whumpee toward the sink. 

Making sure to keep Whumpee steady, Caretaker grabbed a large bowl from the drying rack and filled it with cool water. Ideally, they would hold Whumpee’s hand under the flowing water, but that might send them over the edge, so the bowl would have to do. Water ready and clean towels nearby, Caretaker took a deep breath and reached between them to take Whumpee’s wrist. 

They didn’t resist. Though Caretaker was watching carefully for any signs they needed to stop. A true testament to Whumpee’s steady recovery. Miraculously, the burns were only minor with light blistering here and there. Their arm was stiff but relaxed slightly as Caretaker swirled their hand slowly in the bowl of water. 

The slow tick of the clock, Caretaker’s soft humming, and the gentle swirling of the water as Caretaker moved Whumpee’s hand were the only things that mattered. Whumpee stayed quiet, only occasionally sniffling through the pain. They were lucky this time. They’d had much worse burns only 2 months ago. 

When the water turned warm, Caretaker pulled Whumpee’s hand out and started to change the water. Whumpee hesitated, but cautiously stopped Caretaker and put their hand under the running water instead of the bowl. “I’m sorry.” They whispered.

Caretaker didn’t respond. Telling them it wasn’t their fault wouldn’t mean anything to Whumpee right now. Instead, they pulled Whumpee’s back against their chest and slid their hand under Whumpee’s shaking hand. They didn’t grab Whumpee’s hand or try to move it so the water covered the burn better. Only provided support. 

A few minutes later, Caretaker took a deep breath. “I’m going to get the first aid kit. Do you want to go with me or are you comfortable staying here?”

“Stay here,” Whumpee whispered.

“I’ll be right back.” Caretaker was true to their word. They ran as fast as they could to the bathroom without scaring Whumpee and returned with bandages and burn cream. Caretaker was slow and methodical, explaining every action as they applied the burn cream to Whumpee’s damaged palm and wrapped it in gauze.

As they secured the gauze, Caretaker couldn’t help but smile. “I’m so proud of you, Whumpee.”

Their words broke the dam and Whumpee collapsed against them in tears. Stuttering apologies fell from Whumpee’s lips between sobs. Caretaker knew they would be alright though. They were getting better. Before, Caretaker wouldn’t have been able to treat the injury for hours if not days. Whumpee might not have seen it yet, but that was okay. Caretaker would show them as many times as it took. 

[xanthippe74]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for tagging me, @maesterchill! I'm not sure who has done this already, but I'll tag @phdmama, @phoebe-delia, and @nv-md, if they haven't already and want to play.

I'll put a cut here, since some of my answers got a bit long.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

29 works!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

358,795 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter and 9-1-1

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

(1) Vortex (soulmate AU, down & out Draco, Knockturn Alley social commentary and politics) (2) Riptide (sequel to Vortex with 2x as many words 😅) (3) A Hiss To Build a Dream On (Harry faking Parseltongue and being a pining idiot) (4) The Last of What the World Left You (sad, lonely boys on the Yorkshire moors, Animagus Draco/Master of Death Harry) (5) This Heart Shut Wide (8th year, secret relationship)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love to say thank you, at the very least, and sometimes I want to reply to something specific that the commenter mentioned. I'm a little ashamed to say I got behind on my comments for a couple of years, and it got to the point where I was too overwhelmed to wade through the backlog. But I truly appreciate every single one, and now I'm back to replying to new comments promptly!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The very first fic I posted, "Last Goodbye" has an unhappy ending, with Harry's feelings for Draco being unrequited.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think all of my Drarry fics besides that first one have happy endings. As for the "happiest," I'd say it's either The Last of What the World Left You (because of how far Harry and Draco both came from their isolation and misery at the beginning of the story) or Follow the Water (because that ending is unequivocally happy for everyone, with nothing bittersweet or lost).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've had a couple weird comments, but no hate until very recently. And that was just a troll getting off on being a jerk, so I deleted their comments and didn't let it bother me in the least.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope. M-rated, blink-and-you'll-miss-it lovin' is all I can manage. I tip my hat to the smut writers out there, because I find kissing hard enough to write. (and I definitely appreciate the smutty stuff, as a reader! 😉)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've never written one. I'm working on a Drarry version of Howl's Moving Castle right now, but I think of it as more of a retelling than a crossover. Aside from the borrowed plot, it's pretty much the canon HP universe, except with fire demons and the moving house.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

"A Hiss To Build a Dream On" was translated into Chinese, including all the terrible reptile puns!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet! I did a round robin thing on Tumblr a few years ago, though, if memory serves.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Drarry, forever and always.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My very first attempt at a Drarry fic, back in 2019, was supposed to be just a few scenes about Harry and Draco running into each other in the summer of 1998, the day before Draco moves to America. In 2020, I started reworking it into a non-linear, everyone's-fucked-up, hurt/comfort fic that ended with them going to America together. Still love the concept, but I'd probably have to start all over again, since it's been such long time and my writing has (hopefully) improved since then.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been praised for my descriptions of scenery and the pacing of my stories. I think I'm pretty good at dialogue, too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Probably spending too much time in my pov character's head, with all their emotions sloshing around. And I'm still trying to strike the right balance between efficiency and beautiful, evocative writing (something that doesn't feel either too spare or too purple prose-y, in other words).

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Personally, I've never put more than one sentence in another language. As a reader, I think I'd expect a translation for anything longer. Otherwise, I'd feel like I was missing out.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oof, I have no idea. Don't make me choose amongst my babies! Maybe Follow the Water, because I love that world and that gang of characters. And it's probably the fic of mine that I revisit the most, as a comfort read. It's so soft and nature-focused.

[napkinscrawls]

.Love letters. .Serenading.

Swiss/Rain/OC | 416 words | the polycule try romanticism | Rain & his simps

Three ghouls find a use for all the paper they 'find' in the Church. AO3

Small scraps of paper are commonly found all over the Church, for all its technological advances many believers still craved the use of it. To ghouls it was all frivolous fun anyway. Three in particular found the concept of love letters romantic.

A folded sheet of paper creased so many times it resembles cloth, & a scented paper that is folded into a crisp love knot. Both carefully threaded between Swiss' guitar strings.

You know what you did. I will thank you for it everyday. Keep safe & don't break anymore strings. It worries Rain. P.S stop peering over my shoulder when I write these, it defeats the point.

Always so sweet, you never fail to make me feel like I'm phosphorus. Swiss, you will always have me & Nimo, as I will always have the two of you. Now fold this back how it was.

An aged slip of paper with torn edges & the faint remainders of pencilled lines is folded concertina, & an intricately illuminated origami puzzle letter. Kept together inside a folded handkerchief in Nimo's breast pocket.

One day you'll realise what a difference you make, to the Church, to Rain, & to me. I can't do justice with words, so until then, I will continue to bang your brains out. -included is a winking devil stamp, it's arse is out-

Nimo, you have slipped the closest to my heart in the briefest of time that we've known one another. If I'm to continue having my way you will never know isolation again. The day Swiss pulled you into my small shore is the day I knew I'd found the last piece of my heart.

A 3-folded wax paper with silvered edges with what looks like hand-grafted diagrams inside, & a square of patterned paper with one bent edge trapped folded over in its lamination. Safely secured in a waterproof case at the end of the lanyard around Rain's neck.

I will give you every form of proof to my feelings you ask for. Unless you ask if I'd kill Swiss for you, again: he would win by every metric. But I would let him kill me. If you asked. I love you.

You guessed it! This is what I used that paper I borrowed from you for. We're already as close as our physical vessels allow but Treasure, I will keep trying to get closer. You've got my hook, line, & sinker. P.S Nimo was sweating writing theirs, they are so cute when they try for you.

[kabaltakahashi99]

Another day in LPs afterlife: A Crazy Spookventure Quest part 1

Nova is now a 16 yr old teen who is a passionate technician of elements of culinary arts. She was just quite almost done with her school project who can have the best tech of future generations of food industry.

Nova: Siiigghh now I’m out of the bananas for my lunch collection, time to go to the store again! But first I neeed to find my trusty relative and I know who.

Suddenly she calls her aunt Gail

Gail: Hi sweetie! How’s my niece doing today??

Nova: Yeah it’s great, look I’m kinda in a-

Gail: Honey, I already told you we don’t have access to the information of the ancestors-

Nova: Umm not even into that remember?..

Gail: Oh sorry, it’s been kinda stressful to ya know.

Nova: I was wondering if you can help me build any tech that can detect any fruits and vegetables? I’m trying to win a school project fair. And it’s kinda hard to keep them fresh till it starts but no luck that I find that last so long it ripes too fast.

Gail: Honestly nova, I’m just a model. Sorry…

Nova: well it’s worth a shot. Idk who else to know about tech.

Gail: why don’t you ask your parents if they know anyone who is a technician. Any friends you know who’s a tech?

Nova: wellll.. I’ll try. Thanks for telling me.

Gail: no problem nova btw tell your mom that I need to borrow some make up from her if you can I need to attend some special errands.

Nova: I’ll see if so, bye. *hangs up* welp now what? *gets a incoming call from Her best friend* oh! It’s you! *picks up the call*

Emily: Hey Nova!

Nova: Emily!! Forgot we had each others #’s, hey listen your dads a tech besides a plumber right?

Emily: why id say so if im not mistaken about tech. But I just wanted to see if you and your family wants to come to our house well, I mean to come with us at a Halloween store tomorrow cuz I want to plan a Halloween party this year and u need ur help to make it perfect for us.

Nova: I’ll ask if they want to, but I need tech for my school project win.

Emily: I’ll ask my dad for the parts if y’all can come help us it’s only 3 days left till Halloween promise.

Nova: I hope so..

Pepper suddenly comes in novas room with her wife Zoe to see if she’s ready for the project fair.

Pepper: Nova, is your project ready to go before tomorrow’s fair?

Nova: I was about to go find a technician for some bananas little more to finish it off but Emily is now on call with me if she can have us help her plan a Halloween party at her place, we were just about to make a deal..

Zoe: Well I need to visit their place anyway to see if Tari has some fabrics for me to use for my costume. Since vinnie, Sunil both are at a trip for that holiday, Minka, Russell, and penny are with Blythe and her friends to do some thing for a weeks trip to another country for business? But we’d be more than happy to help you guys plan a Halloween party and together Emily.

Pepper: not to mention you and meggy are new rivals of fashion contest -_- first madam Poe now Mario’s wife.. and idk how that man is so ok with the chaos everytime they see each other.

Zoe: it’s an obvious reason I’m a beauty queen! How is meggy more beautiful or should I say wins every costume contest?!

Nova: Mom, can we please focus now on my project?

Zoe: sorry sweetheart, I was talking about that too.

Emily: so how do we do this? If you can bring the project at our place my dad can finish it for you while we both get the rest of the decorations and we’d be back to start till it’s ready you’d win the fair for sure by his power ups. What do you say? Sounds like a deal?

Nova: your right, sounds good. let’s do this.

TO BE CONTINUED…..

Plz I’m just doing concept of LPs future x smg4 universe x mortal kombat

I’m just busy with work everyday whew I couldn’t have time but I’m working on it.

[lesfeldickbiblestudy]

  Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 4 * BOOK 69 REDEEM, REDEEMED, REDEMPTION – PART 4 Various Scripture References Okay, program number 4 and again I just want to thank all of you folks from near and far for coming in this afternoon.  It’s just been a pleasure on my part.  I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have.  For those of you joining us on television, we’re an informal Bible study.  We’ve got nobody that underwrites us. We just depend on the gifts of God’s people, and amazingly, He supplies all our needs.  We never have to beg or borrow. We just give Him all the praise.  Thank you, folks, for everything that you do for us.  We appreciate the prayers.  They’re just as important as the financial. Okay, we’re in a Bible study. We’re looking today at the whole concept of redemption from Genesis through Revelation.  I didn’t feel like I quite wound up in the last half-hour the whole idea of the redemption work of Christ and the cross. So, I’m going to come back to where we left off in the closing seconds of the program, Galatians chapter 3 verse 13 once again.  Remember now that the three facets of redemption are:  it takes a person; it takes blood; and it takes power. Of course the Lord Himself fulfilled all that when He went to the work of the cross, not just to redeem Israel, not just to redeem the Gentile, but to redeem the whole human race.  This is a concept, I think, that probably shakes people up every time I say it. You want to remember that the work of the cross passed forgiveness to the whole human race.  From Adam to the end of time every sin has been forgiven.  It was laid on Christ at the cross.  Every alienated person has been reconciled to God, so far as God is concerned.  Every human being now has access to this salvation, but it has to be appropriated by their personal faith. It isn’t just a blanket statement that oh well, God’s going to bring everyone into glory sooner or later.  No, the Scripture doesn’t teach that.  The Scripture makes it so plain that even though God has accomplished the work for all the human race, it has to be appropriated by faith.  He redeemed the whole human race.  He paid the price of redemption for everybody, but it doesn’t do them any good until they appropriate it with their own personal faith. All right, back to Galatians chapter 3 where we left off in verse 13. Galatians 3:13 “Christ has (past tense) redeemed us from the curse of the law,…”  Now, do you get the impact of that?   What does the Law do to the human race?  It puts a curse on them.  It doesn’t lead them to Heaven. My, I can’t imagine how Satan has been so successful in twisting this whole approach to the Law by giving people the idea that if they do the best they can, if they keep the Commandments, God will let them into His Heaven.  That’s not what the Law was given for.  The Law was given to convict every individual of his law-breaking, his failure, his sinfulness, and that only the work of the cross can compensate for it.  All right, so again, “Christ hath redeemed us.”  He has bought us back.  He’s paid the price. Galatians 3:13a “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:…”  Now see, there again, you’ve heard me say it over and over, especially those of you here in Oklahoma.  There is no way any human being can comprehend what Christ suffered at that cross. The “Passion of the Christ” didn’t even scratch the surface, because that was merely from the physical point of view.  What they could not show is how He suffered from the spiritual side.  Whereupon being God Himself, being the Creator, He alone was capable of it.  He suffered the sin debt of the whole human race. We can’t comprehend that.  But that’s what the Scripture teaches.  That He suffered being sin for us, He who knew no sin. Galatians 3:13b “…for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” Well, what’s it directing at?  Where was Christ hung?  On a tree.  That’s why it had to be a cross.

  He had to be hung on a tree to fulfill the cursedness of having been hung on a tree.  Now look at verse 14. Galatians 3:14 “That the blessing of Abraham (Who also was under that redemption that happened to Israel.) might come on the Gentiles (not through the law) through Jesus Christ; that we (as Gentiles) might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Not law-keeping.  Not Temple worship.  Not sacrifices. All right, now skip across, still in this same little letter to the Galatians, to chapter 4 verses 4 and 5.  This is the only time that the Apostle Paul makes reference to Christ’s birth at Bethlehem.  The only time.  Why?  Because Christ’s earthly ministry was not for the Gentiles.  That was for Israel.  We are concerned with His finished work of the cross.  So for us, it’s from the cross on. Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made (Where?) under the law,”  My, how many times have you heard me say it?  Everything that Jesus said and did was according to the Law.  He lived, He preached, and He practiced under the Law.  He was in the Synagogue on the seventh day (Sabbath day).  He went to the Temple. When he preformed the miracle of healing the lepers, ten of them, what did He tell them?  “Go show yourself to the priest according to the law.” Everything He preached was according to the Law.  That’s why Paul now teaches--I didn’t intend to do this, but these things come up and I have to hit them.  II Corinthians chapter 5 and a lot of preachers hate this.  I know they do.  I hear it.  II Corinthians chapter 5, but as Peter says, everything that Paul wrote is Scripture.  And if it’s Scripture, it’s what?  The Word of God.  And if it’s the Word of God, we’d better pay attention, or else you’re going to be misleading people. All right, II Corinthians chapter 5, I almost have to start at verse 14 to pick up the flow.  Paul is writing to the Gentile church at Corinth.  He’s writing to us. II Corinthians 5:14-15 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, (or conclude) that if one died for all, then were all dead: (That is spiritually.) 15. And that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth (That is from their salvation on.) live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again.” There’s Paul’s gospel.  Now look at verse 16, and, oh, so many preachers and teachers don’t like it.  It makes them mad.  But I can’t help it. II Corinthians 5:16a “Wherefore henceforth (from this point of the resurrection forward) know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh,…” His three years of earthly ministry.   Old Saul of Tarsus knew what Jesus of Nazareth was doing.  I’ll bet he was on the fringes just infuriated over what he was seeing Jesus do.  He was a good Pharisee.  So, when he writes something like this, even though it’s inspired of the Spirit, it was still apropos from his own experience.  Paul knew all about it.  But now look at the rest of the verse. II Corinthians 5:16b “…yet now henceforth (From this time forward.  Not from John the Baptist.  Not from Peter, James, and John’s call up there at Galilee, but from this time of this revelation of this Gospel of Grace.) know we him no more.” That’s why Paul never refers to Bethlehem.  He doesn’t refer to His earthy ministry.  He doesn’t refer to His miracles, because that’s moot.  That was all for Israel.  What counts for us are the work of the cross and the power of His resurrection. All right, back to Galatians chapter 4 a minute, chapter 4 verse 5.  Then we’re going to move on to our next point on the board – the Redemption of the planet.  That’s coming next.  But now we’re dealing with the redemption of the human race, our need, spiritually, as lost people.  All right, verse 5. Galatians 4:5 “To redeem (to buy back, to pay the price of redemption) them who were under the law, that we might (experience redemption and) receive the adoption (or the placement) of sons.

” As a child of God, and that’s all part of redemption, He bought us back from the slave market. That again was what Paul pictured back there in Romans. It was the slave market that was such an apropos illustration for his day, because they were operating all over the Roman Empire. Slavery was a mundane thing. These people would be captured, probably in war, and they’d be brought back to Rome or other places and were immediately placed into a slave market.  They were treated like animals, the same kind of slavery that carried all through human history. All right, now once they were in the slave market, they only had two alternatives.  One was death by one way or another, whether it was the lions in the Coliseum or whatever.   The other alternative was that some rich Roman would buy them out and pay the price of redemption.  Hopefully, taking them to a beautiful villa and giving them light work.  That was the hope of a slave in a slave market.  Well, Paul draws the analogy - that’s the lost person.  We’re in Satan’s slave market. Satan is only going to give us one alternative.  Death!  Eternal doom!  That’s where Satan wants us.  But God by His grace instituted redemption.  By faith He bought us out of Satan’s slave market. That’s why I’m always emphasizing, what all was involved in the power of His resurrection?  Defeating all these forces of Satan that have such a hold on the human being.  The resurrection power had to break that.  Well, let’s just use the slave market as another step.  Here we are in Satan’s slave market.  Satan is jealous of his subjects.  He doesn’t want anyone to take one of them away from him.  But, you see, the power of resurrection was able to do it.  The power of resurrection breaks the chains of Satan. It sets us free.  Then this is the glory of the life of a believer: when we become a believer and we’re set free, are we confined with a whole bunch of rules and regulations?  No, we’re free!  We now have the Holy Spirit to guide us, to direct us.  But we don’t have walls of limitation.  You can’t do this. You can’t do that.  It’s the liberty that we experience when we’ve been bought out of the slave market. Okay, so much for that.  We’ve got thirteen minutes.  I don’t know if I can do justice.  I doubt it.  We’ll have to go to the text taping session next month, but let’s go back quickly to Revelation.  No, I’m going to stop at Peter.  I’ve got to do justice to Peter.  Peter uses the term just as well as Paul does and just as well as Isaiah, so we’re going to use it.  I Peter chapter 1 verse 18.  Remember that Peter is writing to scattered Jews.  They were driven out of Jerusalem because of Saul’s persecution.  Now he writes these little letters, that we’ve been addressing in our daily programs, to the Nation of Israel who are believers that Jesus was the Christ.  They’re in little synagogues scattered throughout the Roman Empire. This is where this letter is directed.   All right, verse 18, we have the same concept.  It doesn’t matter if you’re Jew or Gentile. I Peter 1:18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (manner of living) received by tradition from your fathers;” See how Jewish this is?  This wouldn’t apply to us Gentiles.  We’re not resting on the tradition of the Old Testament Gentile people.  Heaven forbid!  But for the Jew, they were resting on the tradition of the fathers, ever since Abraham.  But Peter says, that’s not what redeemed you.  These believing Jews were redeemed with--now verse 19. I Peter 1:19 “But (you were redeemed, you were bought back) with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” Aren’t you glad we went back to Exodus a little while ago?   That’s just exactly what they had to look for.  They had to find a lamb that was perfect, with no injuries, no visible signs of anything being wrong with it.  They watched it for four days to make sure it was perfect.  All right, that’s what Christ did in His three years of earthly ministry.

   He showed His sinlessness.  He showed that He was the perfect, spotless Lamb of God. All right, now Peter makes reference to it as he writes to fellow Jews, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb (like the Passover lamb) without blemish and without spot.”  Well, hopefully that will settle the whole act of redemption, first of Adam, and then of the Nation of Israel out of Egypt, and then the human race as the work of the cross paid the price. Now, we’re going to look at the redemption of the planet.  Because as soon as Adam fell, who took over the dominion that Adam enjoyed?  Well, Satan did.  Satan became the god of this world.  Immediately!  We made reference to it in our last taping. Maybe I should go back and show it.  Keep your hand in Revelation, if you’ve already found it. Come back with me to Matthew a minute, because when I make a statement like this, I know people will say, “Well, now wait a minute, Les, where do you get this?”  Come all the way back to Matthew chapter 4.  Satan is tempting Christ.  For sake of time, again, let’s bring it all the way down to verse 8.  Now remember, this is in His earthly ministry. This is Christ in the flesh, the God-Man, totally man, totally God.  Now verse 8. Matthew 4:8 “Again, the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;” The Roman Empire as it was then existing.  In the realm of the spirit, he could probably rehearse the Greek Empire, the Medes, and the Babylonians.  Maybe he even had the wherewithal to look ahead a few hundred years.  But the whole concept was that Satan is now showing Jesus in His earthly ministry, in the realm, I think, of the spiritual, all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.  Not the hideous part.  Not the slum sections, not the ghettos.  The glory of them.  The good part.   Now verse 9, the audacity that Satan approached the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 4:9 “And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”  Isn’t that amazing?  Now you know, I always stop right here and ask the question. You’ve heard me say it a hundred times.  Were they his to give?  Yes!  He’s the god of this world! Now, another verse comes to mind. Then we’ll go back to Revelation in the few minutes we’ve got left.  We’re not going to have much time are we?  II Corinthians chapter 4, a lot of church people don’t want to recognize that Satan is the god of this world.  But he is.  This planet is under his thumb.  It’s under his power.  It’s under his control. II Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:” A saved person doesn’t have any trouble understanding the Gospel.  He knows that he is what he is because of it.  But for lost people, hey, they haven’t got a clue.  Even church people, I’m finding, are getting a little more ignorant all the time.  My goodness, back when I was a teenager, everybody knew what you were talking about when you talked about a Damascus Road experience.  Talk to your average teenager today.  Do they know what it is?  They don’t know what you’re talking about. I think I passed on what one of the poll takers had found out not too many month’s ago. It was a poll taken only among Sunday School kids of supposedly evangelical churches.  He asked the question whether they believed in the Biblical God, the God of Creation.  And I was aghast.  I stand to be corrected, but if I’m not mistaken, it was something like 80% of our teenagers in Sunday School knew nothing of the God of this Book.  They were what we call deists   What’s a deist?  They recognize that there’s a power, that there’s a providence, but a personal God?  They know nothing of that.  All right, so Satan is the god of this world, back to your text, verse 4. II Corinthians 4:4a “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not,…”  Who blinds them?  Satan does.  Hey, listen, he’s a smooth operator.

  He’s brilliant.  Don’t ever picture him as a little monkey in a red suit with a pitchfork.  That’s the worst.  He is a brilliant shining angel.  And he has power, limited only, of course, by God’s Sovereign power. I’ve taught it for forty years, ten years before I ever started anything else, that this Satan will use all the beautiful things of this world to confuse the issue.  Drive through a beautiful city park paid for by the taxes of the people.  Is it a work of God or a work of Satan?  I’m not tricking you.  That’s a work of Satan.  Oh, he loves that.  He loves to put out beautiful things - beautiful libraries, beautiful this, beautiful campuses. In his so doing, who does he get people to forget?  God.  He puts all the emphasis on himself.   Hey, I’m not kidding you.  He is the god of this world.  He is sharp. He knows exactly how to confuse the issues. That’s why the Lord himself and I mentioned this in the last taping, the Lord Himself used the example “broad is the way, wide is the gate that leadeth to (What?)  destruction, and many go in thereat.”  What’s the next verse?  “But narrow is the way, straight is the gate, and few there be that find it.”  Beloved, it’s enough to scare you down to your socks that the vast majority of the human race is missing it because the god of this world is so subtle.  My, look at our kids today.  Sunday morning is the best time in the world to have a baseball tournament. Do you know that?  Yeah!  Why Sunday morning?  Because Satan doesn’t want them in a Sunday School someplace.  Why, when we were kids they never dreamed of doing things like that on Sunday morning.  But now it’s the norm.  Hey, the god of this world, he’s in control.  The only thing we can hope for is that we’ll have the wherewithal to have the Holy Spirit enlighten us, convict us, and bring us out of the slave market of sin and be one of the fortunate few that are finding the narrow way which leads to life eternal. Well, I haven’t really got time to go back to Revelation. Just to whet your appetite, we’ll go back to Revelation chapter 5.  I’m going to give you just enough so that you can do like I’ve been doing for the last few months.  Now, take Revelation chapter 5 and then go back to the Book of Ruth, and then you’ll have my next taping!  Because this is where we’re going to pick it up.  Revelation chapter 5 and we’re going to start at verse 1.  Now, this is at the very beginning of the Tribulation.  It hasn’t really started yet.  This is the beginning of the seven years. Revelation 5:1 “And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a book (or a scroll) written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” Now, it’s unfortunate that it’s called a book, because a scroll gives you a better picture. What are we talking about?  A mortgage!  We’re talking about a mortgage.  The mortgage is written on the inside that is not visible, and it’s written on the outside and then sealed with seven seals, so it won’t unroll.  All right, read on. Revelation 5:2-5 “And I saw strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll, and to loose the seals thereof? 3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the scroll, neither to look thereupon. 4.  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, (or to pay off this mortgage) neither to look thereon.  Revelation 5:5 “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, (the scroll) and to loose the seven seals thereof.”  Now again, where are our references taking us?  Old Testament.   We’re not going back to the writings of Paul for this.  We’re going back to the Old Testament to pick up the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of King David, and then verse 6. Revelation 5:6-7 “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as

it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7. And he (this Lamb of God) came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”  Now come down to verse 10, and it says: Revelation 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”  Why?  Because the One who took the scroll had died and shed His blood and was raised from the dead.  Now, we’ll pick that up in the Book of Ruth in our next taping.

[m-jelly]

Sweet inspiration - Chapter 7

@kenkopanda-art <3

AO3 link

Pairing: CEO!Levi x Fem!Reader

Genre and tags: romance, fluff, modern AU, fluff, falling in love, cute, tattooed reader, self-doubt, sweet, relationship development, angst, making up.

Concept: You and Levi have a chat and due to rumours being spread, Levi panics. You both have a serious talk about your relationship that ends in tears. You make up and push forwards in your relationship. You both make plans for the future.

Part1 Part 2 Part3 Part4 Part5 Part6 Part8 Part9 Part10 The end

You noted down Dean’s coffee and snack order. “Got it, anything else?”

Dean shook his head. “That’s all for me. Thank you.” He shifted in his seat a little. “Are you sure I can’t buy this?”

You nodded. “I’ve got this, don’t worry. Levi pays me well and I wanna spend some money.”

“Sure.”

You pulled on your coat and waved. “See you in a bit.”

Dean grabbed his scarf and hat. “Wait!”

You stopped in the doorway of his office meaning everyone could see. “What’s up?”

He wrapped his scarf around your neck and put the hat on your head. “Keep warm. It’s cold out there.”

You nodded. “Got it, thank you.”

He pulled back with a slight blush when he recognised the stares and people whispering. “I uh…be careful it’s icy out there.”

“I will.”

He smiled a little. “Great, see you soon.” He watched you walk to the lift. “Hm.”

Layla walked over to Dean and smiled. “You two are cute together.”

“Wh-what?”

“You just click.”

He hummed. “Thanks, but she’s taken.”

Layla folded her arms. “Taken sums it up perfectly. Do you think she wants to be with our boss? Why do you think I was moved? It was so I would keep my mouth shut. He keeps her close for a reason. He gives her money and gifts so she turns a blind eye to his harsh ways. You’ve seen how he treats some people here.” She leaned closer. “All I’m going to say is, take a closer look at the bruises on her body when you see her again.”

Dean’s head flashed images of your bruised body, the bites and the exhaustion in your eyes. He frowned a little and felt a sinking feeling. “You think he’s really abusing her?”

“I was with him for years and he suddenly moves me away once he gets a girl that’s glued to his hip.”

Dean stared at Layla. “You…you have a point. Wait, don’t you have a crush on him?”

She laughed. “When did you ever see me flirt with him?” She knew she had him because she never showed her infatuation for Levi to others, people assumed she was very loyal to the job. In the long run, it worked well to avoid being obsessed with Levi in front of others. “I did my job, that’s it.”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “Why’s no one said anything?”

“Fear. You could lose your job if you do and Levi is a tough guy.” She walked past slowly. “He’s very strong.” She paused. “You’re best option is to keep her close and know she can escape him through you.”

Dean nodded. “I will try.”

You sang in the lift as you went up not knowing what Layla was plotting. You just wanted to go grab your boyfriend and drag him to the coffee shop. You skipped out of the lift towards Levi’s office. You shoved his door open and hung in a little. “Leviiiii.”

He flinched and looked up from his desk. His anger at someone interrupting him melted away when he saw you. He smiled and stood up. “Hello, my darling goddess. What can I do for you?”

You twirled inside. “Bear?”

He walked up to you and gripped your waist. “Bunny.” He kissed you. “Hello.”

You smiled. “I’m doing a coffee and lunch run for me and Dean.”

His eye twitched a little. “Right.”

You bit his bottom lip and pulled playfully. You giggled. “Wanna come with me? It’ll be a little date!”

Levi lifted you up and kissed you. “Of course, I’ll come with you.” He frowned a little as he looked at your hat and scarf. “What are these?”

“Oh, Dean let me borrow them as it’s cold outside.”

Levi pulled the hat off and scarf. “I have something better.” He put it on the side, grabbed a thick coat of his, and rested it over the arm of the chair. He helped you out of your coat and put you in his. “I will design you a coat.” He grabbed a scarf and hat and put them on you. “I want to keep you warm.”

You smiled. “Thanks! Oh, but what about Dean’s things.”

“We’ll hand them over to him when we get back.”

You stared at Levi as you slowly understood he was being jealous. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

His cheeks burned bright red. “I’m not…I…fine I was.” He let out a long sigh. “Look, I love you a lot, and I get a bit silly.” He pouted and turned his head to the side. “I’m sorry.”

You hugged Levi. “It’s okay.” You flopped your arms in the big coat. “Let’s get some yummy coffee!”

Levi yanked on another coat and held your hand. “Come on then. I’ll buy.”

You shook your head. “I’ve already said I’m buying.”

He walked with you towards the lift and saw people whispering and staring, there was a coldness in the air towards him and people looked sad at you. He frowned and pulled you closer and stood in the lift. “You ever get the feeling people are staring at you?”

You frowned. “Well, yeah. I mean, I model for you and I am dating you.”

He hummed in thought. “I suppose. I just have a bad feeling.”

You kissed his cheek. “Not everything is bad as you think, my love.”

“Mm.”

You walked out of the lift and walked down the road to the coffee place. You grabbed the snacks and ordered the drinks as Levi stood there with a dark look. You handed the money over to the cashier. “Thank you.” You turned to Levi and smiled at him. Your smile slowly faded as you stared at him. “What’s wrong?”

Levi clenched his jaw. “I think we should break up.”

You stared at Levi for a while. You hummed and looked at the people making your order. “So, about the fashion show, we’re going to in Italy. Do you know Italian?”

Levi was a little confused. “Uh, yes I do.”

“Really? That’s awesome, though I’m not surprised because you knew Greek.”

He said your name. “Did you hear what I said?”

You walked over to the counter and picked up your order. “Thank you.” You walked up to Levi. “Be a peach and help?”

He grabbed the drinks as you handled the food. He called your name again. “Did you hear me?”

You looked back at him. “Yeah, I heard you. You said you can speak Italian.”

He let out a long sigh and stood in the lift with you. “No, I meant about us breaking up.”

You hummed. “Oh, that part! Yeah, I heard you.”

“Well?”

You frowned. “You want me to respond?”

He nodded. “Of course. I’m thinking about breaking up.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“What do you mean I don’t mean it?”

You looked into his eyes. “I can see it in your eyes. You didn’t mean it.”

“Bunny.”

You let out a long sigh as you thought about what to say. “Look, bear, if you meant it then you wouldn’t be calling me bunny. If you meant it, you wouldn’t be so upset. You are panicking about people hating me, or that people think you’re a monster, or that you are mean to me, or that you’re possessive, or this and that.” You sighed. “Who gives a shit what others think. I love you and you love me, right?” You walked out of the lift and into Levi’s office. You put everything down on his coffee table. “Do you honestly, with all your heart, think we should break up?” You looked Levi in his eyes. “Do you really mean it? If you do, I will walk away right now. I will not come home and ask people to help me move out. I will only come to work to try on the underwear and I’ll give my reviews to someone else.”

He frowned. “We, won’t have any contact?”

You hugged yourself. “That’s right. I will cut ties as best as possible. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anymore before. If we were to break up, I wouldn’t be able to face you or be around you, I would have to keep away.” You let out a long sigh. “So, I ask again. Do you really care about what others are stupidly saying? Is it so important to you what others think of us as a couple? A man who flew to another fucking country to see a woman whom he claimed to be so beautiful. A man who fell for a woman who’d known for a week.” You walked closer. “A man who made a whole clothing line based on his girlfriend. Do you honestly want to give that away because people are whispering and staring?”

Levi welled up a little as he said your name. “I…”

You pulled off his coat and swapped it for your own. You put Dean’s scarf and hat back on and grabbed Dean’s food and drink. “I’ll come back later to see what you decide.” You walked up to him and kissed his cheek. “Bye Levi.” You walked out of his office and over to Jean. You placed the coffee and food down, along with Dean’s hat and scarf. “Jean? Could you take these to Dean for me? I’m heading home for a bit.”

Jean took it all. “Sure. I’ll head out now.”

You waited for him to leave before you started sobbing. You shook as your tears streamed down your cheeks. You felt your heart breaking and you couldn’t fix it. You felt your happiness was just slipping through your fingers. You loved Levi to death and there was a chance you were losing him. You said everything you needed to say, but it still hurt you badly.

You jumped at the door slamming open behind you. You turned to the door to see Levi with tears in his eyes. “Levi?”

Levi tackled you into a hug and clutched you tightly in his arms. “Don’t leave me. Don’t ever leave me!” He cried into the crook of your neck. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just want to protect you. I’m confused and I’ve never been in love before. I just want to protect you so much. I love you.”

You hugged Levi back and started crying against his chest. “I don’t want to leave either. I love you so much. You’re my everything.”

Levi lifted you up and pulled you into his office. He slammed the door shut and locked it with one hand as he held you close with the other. He pulled you to the sofa as you both cried a little longer. Levi cradled you in the end and wiped the last of your tears away. He kissed you and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

You rubbed your tears and sniffed. “Don’t be sorry. You are trying to do what’s best for us both.” You laughed a little. “It was a stupid idea you had, but I don’t blame you for trying.”

He blushed bright red. “I just…I had an idea and it sucked, I know. God, it really fucking sucked. What the fuck was I thinking? I love you so much and you’re my everything. Hell, a week ago I got so jealous about Dean that we rough fucked.” He pressed his face against your boobs. “I was so possessive and rough. I’m sorry.”

“I wanted it and I liked it.”

He whined. “I know, but I still feel terrible.”

You played with Levi’s hair. “It’s okay.”

“I just love you so much. I’m confused and don’t know what to do.” He sniffed back tears. “There’s so much I want to give you and do for you, but I just fuck it all up.”

You hummed in thought. “How about we just focus on each other? We’ll not care about anyone else about ourselves and our love.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh, and our nice parents.”

“Yes.”

You hummed a little laugh. “Maybe we should go home. We can have our lunch stuff first and then go.”

He lifted his head. “I don’t want to let you go.”

“I know, but I’m hungry and our drinks are getting cold.”

“Okay.”

You leaned over and grabbed the drinks. “Here you go.”

Levi took his drink and sipped. “It’s only a bit warm.”

“Well, we were being very dramatic together, so it’s our fault.” You laughed and rubbed your eyes and sniffed a little. “I’m tired.”

“Can I ask you something?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

He sipped his tea. “How come you were so calm?”

You blushed. “Huh?”

He sighed. “Well, you seemed so at ease and relaxed when I suggested breaking up. You didn’t cry until you left me.”

You nibbled your lip. “Well, I’m so used to things not going my way and losing everything, so I don’t want to fight and lose over and over all the time. I get mentally tired of it. I also didn’t want you to make your mind up because you saw me crying. If you saw me crying, you probably would be nicer to me and just say we’ll stay together just because I’m crying.”

“So, you wanted to cry?”

You laughed and let tears fall. “Yes. I love you so much and you are the only man who has ever made me feel lovable, sexy, fun, smart and just wonderful. You make me feel so good about myself and you don’t ever ask me to change. You love me for me. I was terrified of losing that and I am scared of losing you, but at the same time I want you to be happy.” You looked Levi in the eyes. “Your happiness means more to me than anything in this world. If your happiness is not with me, then I’ll help you get away from me.”

He placed his hand on the inside of your thigh. “My happiness is you.”

You smiled. “Why did you think breaking up was a good idea? Was it because you thought it’d save me?”

He pulled a face in thought. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m famous in a sense and being with me means people will see you more and judge a lot. I hate people thinking horrible things about you.” He frowned a little. “It’s also a possibility that people are saying terrible things about me that I’m cruel and abusive. I don’t want people to bother you and try and play the hero. I just have this terrible feeling.”

You picked up the food bag and gave Levi his treat. “Well, we’ll ignore everyone. I am almost done with Dean. I’m finalising the outfit with him soon and then it’ll be made.”

Levi smiled. “You’re so sweet.”

You kissed the end of Levi’s nose. “Are you okay with me going to see Dean? I just want to approve the work.”

“Of course. I’ll be right here.”

You kissed him and jumped off his lap. “I’ll be back, I promise.”

He smiled sadly. “Okay.”

“I promise. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

You slipped out of his office and went to the lift. You road it to Dean’s floor and leaned into his office as he worked. “Dean?”

Dean looked over at you with wide eyes. He shot to his feet and said your name. “Are you okay!? What happened?”

You walked in and sat down. “Levi and I had an emotional moment.”

He walked up to you. “Did he hurt you!?”

You shook your head. “No.”

“You can talk to me.”

You laughed. “Dean, he would never lay a harmful finger on me. He loves me and I love him.”

“Are you sure?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

He pointed at your neck. “But those bruises.”

You blushed. “Love bites. I really like getting them and I like playful bites, it’s a kink of mine.” You leaned back in your chair. “Why, has someone said something?”

He nodded. “I won’t lie to you. Someone suggested that Levi is too possessive and is a little abusive.”

You laughed a bit. “I mean, he is possessive but he’s not abusive. He protects me a lot. I would say he’s like a worshipper of me.”

“Really?”

You nodded and hummed in agreement. “He adores me so much. It’s very sweet.” You shrugged. “I guess people could interpret his actions as possessive, but I don’t feel in any danger. I don’t need saving. He is my world and I love being with him.”

Dean stared at you and weighed your words. He dropped into his chair and sat back. “Okay.” He smiled. “Okay. If you say you are safe and happy, then I will support you.”

“Thank you.”

He smiled at you. “I’m glad you’re okay. So, did you and Levi fight?”

You shook your head as your heart stung. “No, it wasn’t a fight. He suggested we break up.”

Dean rolled his chair closer and held your hands. “I’m so sorry.”

You held Dean’s hands. “We’re not, but it was close. He cares so much about me that he thought breaking up would mean I would be left alone by others. He wants nothing for the best for me, but being apart from him would upset and break me.” You welled up. “Sorry.” You rubbed your tears away and laughed. “I’m getting so emotional again. Uh, we talked and agreed we want to be together. It was one of those situations where two people want to be together, but they want to protect the other because they love each other so much.”

Dean chuckled. “I understand. You’re two people who love strongly. You both go all in.”

You nodded. “Exactly.”

“Selfless too.” He chuckled. “You’re both a right sweet pair.”

You blushed a little. “I guess so.” You gasped. “Oh! I came here to review the outfit and approve.”

He showed you the outfit. “What do you think?”

You clapped your hands. “I love it! I just need to make it.”

He raised a brow. “Do you know how to sew?”

“I do, but not whole outfits but basic things.”

He smiled. “You really want to make this for him?”

“Please.”

Dean hummed. “Alright. I will make some instructions and send you the materials. I’m guessing you’ll be borrowing Levi’s office at home.”

“Yup.”

“Well, I wish you all the best with it. If you need any help at all, give me a call.”

“I will.” You stood up and opened your arms. “Hug?”

He shot up and hugged you, your body was engulfed by his own. “Good luck.”

You walked out his door and waved. “See you soon!”

You hurried into the lift and pulled your phone out to see a text from Dean about the outfit and confirming things slowly. You smiled and thanked him. You couldn’t wait to make Levi’s outfit. You were going to work your ass off and didn’t care how long it was going to take you. You wanted his outfit to look nice.

You put your phone away and smiled as the lift doors opened and Levi stood there. “Levi.”

Levi blushed hard. “I ah…I…I wasn’t waiting for you in front of the lift…”

You jumped into his arms. “You are adorable!”

He squeezed you. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too.”

He carried you to his office. “Did you do what you needed to do?”

You nodded as you looked down at Levi. “I did.”

“Good.”

You covered his face in kisses. “Can we go home?”

He nodded and put you down. “Yes, let me just finish up and we’ll go.”

You bounced around his office as he worked. Levi finished up and you both travelled home. You both got into your more comfy clothes and did your own things to settle down. You wrapped up in a blanket after a while. You shuffled around the penthouse and eventually moved into Levi’s office as he worked a bit.

Levi smiled softly as he felt your stare. He looked over at you. “Hello, my cuddly bunny.”

You shuffled over to him. “You still working?”

He nodded. “I’m just finishing some emails.” He reached over and grabbed your bum. “What about you?”

You hummed. “I got cold, so I wrapped up in a blanket.”

He turned his chair, parted his legs and pulled you close. “You look adorable.”

You smiled at him. “So, I’m making your clothes.”

Levi massaged your hips. “Really?” He lit up in delight. “You’re really making it for me?”

You nodded and blushed. “But.”

“But?”

You pulled the blanket around and hid your face. “I might not be the best, so umm…”

Levi hummed a laugh. “You know, we could work together.” Levi laughed as you whined and dropped to your knees before flopping onto your side. “Look at you, you little cutie.”

You curled up. “I am a blushing burrito.”

Levi got off his chair and crawled over. He lay on his side and propped up his head. “May I see this blushing burrito?”

“No.”

He reached over and pulled the blanket open a little to see your face. “Look at how cute you are.”

You pouted at him. “I’m not cute. I’m deadly. You touch me, I bite.”

He shuffled closer to you. “That so.”

“No touch. Hands stay away.”

He smiled. “No hands?”

“No hands.”

He purred and kissed you. “You didn’t say no to lips.”

You blushed. “You’re sly.”

“I am.” He moved right up to you. “Would this burrito let this meat in?”

You hummed in thought. “I dunno if sausages are allowed. Is it tamed?”

He blushed a little and nodded. “Yes.”

You opened your blanket up. “Come.”

Levi moved and hugged you tightly. He sighed in contentment at being warm and against your body. He inhaled deeply. “You smell good.”

You nuzzled the crook of his neck. “So do you.”

“Thank you.” He played with your hair as he lay with you. “I’m sorry about how emotional today has been.”

“It’s okay. I think it all needed to be said.”

He sighed. “I guess you’re right. It’s better to get everything out in the open sooner rather than later.”

You shuffled back a little so you could look him in the eyes. “I’m glad we had the talk.”

“I guess I am too.” He smiled a little. “Everything has been aired out and I think it’s all good between us.”

You nibbled your lip. “Well, there is one thing.”

“What is it?”

You blushed. “Kids.”

Levi blushed as well. “Kids?”

You nodded and avoided Levi’s gaze. “Do you want children?”

He gripped your waist. “I’ll be honest. I am worried about having kids because I didn’t have a father figure in my life, so I don’t know how to be a dad, but then again no one knows how to be a parent.” He let out a long sigh. “Everyone is always learning and my mother was so alone with me and she had to learn and change all the time.”

You smiled a little. “She sounds amazing.”

“She is.” He smiled. “This isn’t about her, it’s about us and kids. Look, I am worried and a little scared. However, I know that if I’m with you, anything is possible.” He chuckled as he felt love in his heart. “I know we’ll make great babies together. Our children will be so beautiful and cute. Our little babies will be so well behaved, loving and kind.” He laughed with you. “They’ll be wonderful. So, do you want kids?”

You blushed hard and nodded. “I would like them, yes.”

He leaned close to your lips. “Do you want them with me?”

You kissed him softly. “Yes. Oh, but not yet. Le-let’s be a couple for a while.”

Levi chuckled. “Of course, but if we get a surprise baby?”

“I’d love them.”

“Me too.” He kissed you. “Just putting it out there because you know what we’re like.”

You laughed. “Yes, you’re right.” You sat up and hummed. “So, you’re helping me with your outfit then?”

“Yes.”

You pouted at him in thought. “Italy soon.”

Levi lay on his back and sighed. “Three days.”

You crawled over and straddled him. “Thank you for making me a dress.”

Levi smiled. “You’re welcome.”

You leaned over him and hid you both with a blanket. You played with his hair and kissed him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I really love you.”

Levi grabbed you and rolled over onto you. He pressed his pelvis against yours and moaned. “I love you deeply.” He covered your face in soft and slow kisses. He moved his hips against yours. “How are you feeling, my love?”

You blushed a little as you thought about Levi making love to you. “I’m feeling good.”

“Not too tired?”

You held his shirt and pulled him close. “Not at all. So, make love to me.”

He smiled against your lips. “Happily. It’ll be slow, sensual and long. So, be prepared to be in here for a while.”

“I’m ready.”

[works-of-fanfiction]

“He’s the Best.” - 90s!Graham Coxon x Reader

Summary: Graham struggles with his self-esteem within the band and the reader tries to cheer him up.

Requested by: Anon. I hope you like this <3

Warnings: Swearing (literally once).

Word Count: 3.3k - a bit of a longer oneshot from me! I didn’t mean for it to be this long.

A/N: I’ve been writing this and putting it off for days because I just don’t know if I like it, but I don’t want to restart it. Argh… I hope someone enjoys this cheese fest.

* Gif credits to the linked creator

_______________

No one in this life is born ‘better’ than anybody else. It’s not a competition or a game of comparison. Every single human on this planet has their own unique qualities that make them interesting and most importantly, worthy. However, humans sadly aren’t wired to see those qualities in themselves. They spend the majority of their lives obsessing over others; wondering if they’re as talented as the next man, or if they’ll ever look as good as whatshername. Sometimes, it gets to a point where even the deepest of friendships can become strained due to one or more parties comparing themselves to another’s achievements.

And seeing Graham go through exactly that, has been killing me. There was a time when everything Graham and Damon did together, was truly that - together. Every single melody, riff, lyric - it was theirs. Neither one did more work than the other, neither was more musically talented. They were both kids crammed inside a Portakabin with their very first instruments, strumming and plucking and making probably rather bothersome noise. They had no idea what was to become of their lunchtime jam sessions and after school practices. Both were just excited to have a friend that liked the same things as them, and enjoyed the noise the other was making.

But Graham has since become a shadow of who he once was around Damon - he’s become Damon’s shadow. Or so he thinks.

Being in a band with a boisterous frontman like Damon was bound to become hard work for the other members at one point or another, but I never thought it would affect Graham like this. It’s getting harder to communicate with him, and I know it’s not his fault but I’m running out of things to say to fill the silences. There’s only so many times I can ask if he wants a cup of tea, or tell him about the encounter I had at the bus stop earlier that day. I’m sick of hearing my own voice, so I can’t imagine how he must feel. The silence seems to be the only thing he wants; he doesn’t write anymore, he hardly plays guitar outside of work commitments, and he hasn’t picked up his sketchbook in weeks. He just seems to stare at the TV or sit on the sofa with his head buried in a book that’s stuck on the first chapter. I watched him the other day and in forty-five minutes, he turned the page once. I bet if I asked him about the story he wouldn’t be able to recall a single character’s name, never mind the plot.

Watching him struggle with his self-esteem is crushing, and I don’t want him to live another second feeling the way he does. I know it may take a while for him to find himself again, but if I can do anything to help move things along, it’s worth a try. I’d drop everything for Graham in a heartbeat.

“I dropped those music stands off today. Did you get them?” Dave asks, his voice a little crackly on the other end of the phone.

“I did, thank you!” I chime, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear as I assemble the very same stands.

“Oh, good. I was a little worried about leaving them outside. I thought somebody would take them… What do you need them for anyway?”

“That’s something for me to know and you to find out, Dave.” I laugh, tightening one last knob on the second stand and straightening it out. I stand back and admire my handy work, smiling at the prospect of what they are to become.

“Alright, alright. Well, I hope they come in handy! I’ll see you later.”

“Thanks again. See you next week!”

We both hang up and I grab the stands, climbing up the stairs and into the spare room, placing them in their desired places. Grabbing two pieces of sheet music, I slot them onto the stands neatly and adjust them until they’re perfect. With one last thing to check, I turn on the projector I borrowed from an old university friend and let the film play out on the blank wall opposite. I mess with the sound a little, making sure it’s loud enough before rewinding the footage to the beginning and turning it off until later.

Standing in the middle of the room, I turn around and admire everything on the walls. Everything from lyrics to old album art concepts, to still life paintings from Graham’s time at Goldsmith’s. Beside the music stands, there’s crates filled with records, decorated with lyrics scribbled onto scraps of paper, some in Graham’s handwriting and others in mine. I of course, couldn’t resist writing them out in various colours and covering them in star-shaped stickers. The finishing touch is a large beanbag against the wall for us to sit and watch the projector from. I fluff up the beanbag for the thousandth time before heading downstairs to wait for Graham to get back.

It takes around two hours for Graham to arrive home. As soon as I hear his taxi pull up outside, I jump up from the sofa and head into the kitchen to flick the kettle on. Nerves bubble through me as I anticipate his entry. It’s impossible to predict how Graham’s going to be feeling on any given day. He could come through the door and speak to me as normal, or he could disappear into his studio until he’s tired enough to head to bed. Through the rumbling of the kettle I listen out for the door, fingers impatiently tapping on the counter as my gaze fixates on a magpie outside, shakily balancing on the washing line. A second joins it and I smile, muscle memory taking over as I pour the boiled water into two cups, not taking my eyes off of the birds.

“Hi.” Graham’s voice peeps behind me. Putting the kettle down, I turn around with a warm smile on my face. Despite everything Graham has been going through, seeing him come through that door every day is still my favourite sight. Having him come home to me will simply never get old. I don’t know what I’ll do when he has to go out on tour again in a few months.

“Hey.” I breathe, the sides of my face already beginning to feel sore from the ridiculous grin stuck on it. He smiles back, the expression not quite reaching his eyes but I know he means well. He’s trying. “You go and sit down. I’ll bring these in.” I gesture to the brewing teas on the counter and he nods, hanging his bag on the nearest kitchen chair and leaving the room without another word. I finish the drinks as quickly as possible, grabbing the stack of takeaway menus from the junk drawer and bringing them with me, the pieces of paper clamped between my teeth as I concentrate on carrying the two steaming hot cups in my hands.

Setting the cups down on the coffee table, I toss the menus onto the sofa next to where Graham is very aggressively, trying to pull his Docs off. “Need a little help?” I ask, laughing as I kneel down and bat his hands out of the way. “It would help if you untied them.”

“It’s easier to leave them tied.”

“Oh, really?” I scoff, gesturing to his feet still stuck in the cherry red boots. The laces are a complete mess with three bulky knots in them. I sit down cross-legged on the carpet, carefully plucking and unravelling each knot whilst Graham buries his head in the takeaway menus. “How do you even - “ I struggle, pulling at the frayed shoelace whilst trying not to damage it further, “- get these things on?” With one last tug, the first lace loosens and I’m able to slide the boot off with ease. Graham’s face pops out from behind the menu, a side-smile plastered onto his lips and a cheeky glint in his eyes. I know he wants to laugh.

“Shall we get Indian tonight?” He changes the subject, flipping over the tatty piece of bright orange paper as he squints at the options. He always orders the same thing, yet still insists on reading the whole menu front to back. He does it for every restaurant.

“Indian sounds good.” I nod, pulling the second boot off and shoving them to the side. “I’ll call them now.” Jumping up to grab the phone, I type the number in from memory and hold it up to my ear.

“What’s the rush?” Graham mouths and I hush him when somebody answers. I order the usual along with some extras and give them our address, despite them not even really needing it anymore. The phone call is no longer than a minute and Graham sits staring at me, nose scrunched in confusion. “Are you going to tell me what’s going - “

“Follow me.” I blurt out, stretching my arm towards him and rising onto my tiptoes out of excitement. He stands slowly, shrugging off his jacket and leaving it on the sofa. “I was going to wait until we’d had our food, but I have to show you now.”

“Show me what?” He asks as I grab his wrist and drag him up the stairs. We squeeze up the narrow staircase, almost tripping each other over a couple times until we stop on the landing, feet overlapping one another’s on the small square of carpet.

“I know you haven’t really been yourself lately.” I start, my fingers slipping from Graham’s wrist to entwine with his. He looks down, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. His eyes watch our hands as I lightly stroke the back of his thumb in an attempt to relax him. He has a habit of tensing up whenever I broach the subject. “So I wanted to remind you just how great you are.”

I watch his face intently, the corners of his mouth twitching and trying to smile. With my free hand, I open the door and flick the light on, pulling Graham into the room with me. His hand slips from my grasp and I back up to stand against the wall, watching as he takes in the room around him and everything in it.

He walks to the music stands first, fingers tracing the notes on the pages, flipping them over then back again. He walks towards the canvas on the back wall - a woodland painting he’d won a prize for back in college - running his hand over the textured patch of paint that forms the trees. I nervously bite the back of my thumb as he kneels down to sift through the records in the large black case below, flicking through every Blur album and single released to this day. My favourite lyrics are scattered on sheets of paper all over the ground, and he picks up the second verse from Coffee & TV. “You’ve always loved this one.” He says, turning to me and smiling.

“I happen to really like the guy who sings it.”

“He must be pretty good then.���

“Oh, he’s the best.” Resting my foot against the wall, I kick my body forward and stand straight, joining Graham beside the projector.

“What’s this for?” He asks, hands hovering near the buttons but not daring to touch anything. I take his hands in mine and give them a loving squeeze.

“Sit down and I’ll show you.” I chirp and he sinks down onto the beanbag. I mess with the projector until the sound starts to creep in, stretching over to switch off the light. Graham shuffles to the side to make some room for me on the beanbag and I flop down beside him, nestling into his side.

The image from the projector is surprisingly clear against the wall, although could’ve been improved had I borrowed a screen from somewhere. A variety of different clips play out in front of us, ranging from Graham performing onstage to snippets of his band members talking and praising their guitarist. I try my hardest to focus on the film in front of me, but I can’t help glancing over at Graham to see his reactions. His brows are furrowed, but not necessarily in a bad way - he’s focused, fully concentrating on everything he’s seeing and hearing.

I fidget with my hands, twiddling my thumbs and quietly cracking my knuckles. Graham notices this and grabs my left hand, squeezing it tightly and bringing it over to rest in his lap. Laying my head on his shoulder, I press a kiss onto his sleeve, rubbing my head against him and breathing in his familiar scent. He lays his head on top of mine, but never looks away from the video playing on the wall. Absentmindedly, his fingertips dance on the back of my hand, the drumming following the beat of Song 2 as it plays from the projector. I too can’t help bopping along to the beat, my foot tapping softly on the carpet.

The video closes with one final clip, a message I recorded for Graham. Too embarrassed to watch myself, my focus stays on him as I squeeze his hand a little tighter and snuggle up as close as possible. The picture begins to fade and the sound plays out until there’s no footage left, and the whirring of the projector becomes background noise in the room. Graham doesn’t say anything at first, but as I try to stand to turn the projector off, he pulls me back down onto the beanbag and rotates his body to face mine.

“Hey.” I whisper, my right hand supporting his cheek as he leans into me, his eyes closed and lips pressed into a line. Our bodies slot into one another’s on the beanbag, the very little space between us growing warmer by the second.

Graham releases a deep breath, his eyes slowly opening again with a small smile spreading across his face. It’s hard to see him properly in the dimly lit room, but I could never mistake those big brown eyes staring at me. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.” He says, his voice low as he leans in close to speak like we’re the only two people who matter inside a crowded room.

“I wanted to show you how incredible you are. You’ve been so hard on yourself and I just - “ As I speak, tears start to well up in my eyes and I look up to the ceiling to try and stop them from falling. I’d already told myself earlier that I wouldn’t cry, because I don’t want Graham to think he’s upset me. I press at my eyes lightly with my fingertips in an attempt to push the tears away. “I can’t stand seeing you this way because you don’t deserve to feel like this. If it wasn’t for you, Blur wouldn’t exist! Everything you’ve all achieved wouldn’t have happened.” My voice begins to shake and I feel Graham’s hand on my arm, rubbing it gently to try and calm me down.

“Y/N.” He starts, before reaching up to turn on the light. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust, before my gaze falls to the ground to avoid his. If I look at him properly, I know I’ll start bawling. “Look at me. Please.”

“I can’t. I can’t because I’ll cry, and then you’ll get upset and I don’t want to make you feel any worse than wha - “

“You won’t upset me. Y/N, I’m sorry I’ve - “

“No, Graham. Don’t apologise.” I grip onto his shirt tightly, my fingers tangling in the fabric. Graham bows his head and nudges it against mine, edging closer until he pushes my head up with his and our noses are almost touching. We both open our eyes, our faces too close that my vision is distorted and I’m seeing double. I pull back, sniffling once and dabbing at my eyes again, still not allowing any tears to actually emerge.

“I’m sorry,“ he starts and I sigh at his words, but he hushes me by holding his finger up to my face, “for putting you through this. I was so caught up in my own head that I didn’t realise how it was making you feel.”

“Graham, this isn’t about me.”

“But it affects you. Bloody hell, if I had to live with this miserable twat - “ he points to himself and I scoff, slapping the back of his hand playfully. “ - I’d have given up by now.”

“I would never give up on you.” My voice is barely above a whisper, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. Graham goes silent again, staring down at our joined hands and moving his thumbs around. I nudge his head with mine in the same way he did previously and he sniffles, his chest rising and immediately falling again. “Graham?” I bring my hand to his chin and push his face up to find his eyes watery, and cheeks significantly more red compared to a moment ago.

“God, look at me. What the hell are you still doing with me, ay? I’m a bleeding mess.” He sniffs, roughly wiping tears off of his cheeks with the backs of his hands.

“Because I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else.”

“Not even - “

“Ah! Stop right there. There’ll be no more of that.” I take his hands away from his face, holding onto them loosely. “Graham Coxon, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. And I’ll give you a free pass to slap me silly for being so cheesy.” I laugh, his grip on my hands tightening as he awkwardly slides closer on the beanbag, his body sinking into it at a strange angle and pulling me with him. “I love you.”

Within a second, Graham’s hands are on both sides of my face, pulling me in for a kiss; the kind of kiss that feels like the person is pouring their entire heart out to you. Like the kiss between the main characters of a movie, when they’ve just ran across a field or a busy road to collide with another at the centre. His lips messily press against mine and I can feel the stray tears running down his face as they dampen my cheeks. My hands rest on his legs, holding on firmly as his thumbs dig into my face a little. It doesn’t hurt, but he soon pulls away and swipes at my face softly as if to apologise for it. He uses his sleeve to dry my face and I do the same for him, small gasps of laughter exchanging between us.

“Thank you for doing this. If you can’t tell, I really love it.” He says sincerely with a genuine smile, the biggest smile I’ve seen from him in weeks. The expression is infectious and I can’t help mimicking him as I grin back like the Cheshire Cat. The faint sound of knocking from downstairs pulls us out of our romance film-esque daydream and we both clamber to our feet.

As we approach the stairs, Graham stops and spins me around, pulling me into him. I land against his chest with a huff, before adjusting my hair and looking up at him. “After we eat, can you show me the film again?” He asks, his hand meeting mine to help me fix the loose hairs falling in my eyes.

“We can watch it as many times as you like.”

[awkwardpaulie]

Hi again! (I'm the person who requested the thigh high concept!) Today I offer you, Brahms with a witchy genderless s/o?

Keep up the great work as always! <3 - 🗝️

tytyty!!! I really appreciate your requests! 😍😍

Brahms w/ a Witchy S/O

• Brahms finds your religion and practices fascinating.

• He studies you while you do any daily rituals.

• When you've left your alter area, he'll take a look at your alter. He doesn't touch anything bc he's unsure if he'll accidentally get cursed or hexed...

• bc the only reason he knows your a Witch is bc some stuff you work with was mentioned in a few books he's read.

• well, they were bad or sus witches and he doesn't believe your a Witch. You aren't anything like the ones in the books.

• After making sure you aren't Evil, he begins to mess with your stuff...

• If you communicate with your Deity(ies), spiritual guide(s), or non-human entities, then they WILL tell you about Brahms.

• Like, "Hey, Bestie, you have a boy in the walls"

• At first, you think they mean a boy spirit

• But, you try to get them to help the boy spirit but they're like "oh, hun..."

• This scares Brahms a bit because you can communicate with spirits???

• You try to use some methods to communicate with Brahms' "spirit" but only find tricksters or older spirits that don't wanna be bothered.

• But, Brahms does leave clues that he is there.

• He'll steal some ingredients to inspect them and leave them in other rooms.

• He "borrowed" an item off your alter and suffered some consequences... he returns the item over night & adds a couple of things as an apology.

• You see "Ghost Brahms" as a little menace that has no boundaries... that being said, you still love and adore him nonetheless.

• Your Deity(ies)/Spiritual Guide(s)/etc are just watching all this like a good Drama show

• there are 2 ways Brahms' façade is revealed...

#1: Brahms gathers the courage one morning as you have your back turned making breakfast.

• you turn around once the food is plated, nearly dropping one when you see Brahms.

• you panic briefly, but ease up when you see his mask... it looks like the doll's face

"Wha-who... OH! Oh... oh, that's what they meant," you say, referring to a pendulum reading you did a while back, "Brahms? Do you drink coffee? No, okay, I’ll pour you a cup of orange juice."

• Brahms just sits there... watching you eat... you sit there... watching him watch you...

"Thank you for trusting me enough to come meet me in person," you smile softly at him, "If you need anything then, please, let me know."

• He's shocked at how kind and patient you are... You're not like the witches in the books... You’re not some bitter and ugly crone... You’re very pretty and kind and patient...

• You still triple check with your Deity(ies)/Spiritual Guide(s)/etc. They confirm your theories and help you process this situation.

• A you two grow closer, you find that he loves to help you clean and prep any ingredients you forage from the estate.

• If you do any baneful magic, then he'll happily collect rusty nails, rotted wood, etc. for you.

• Your privacy is non-existent at this point. Brahms is with you when you meditate, do spell work, shadow work, etc. which is good at times, because you like the company, but some things are meant to be done in private, requires intense concentration, or want to do it alone.

• No worries, though, you distract him by letting him read some books from your collection, forage in the house for ingredients, go through your phone, etc. 

#2: You are lured to find Brahms by some nosey spirits

• You decide to seek out the spirit of Brahms with the assistance of other spirits.

• Your best bet is using the dowsing rods.

• You're led throughout the whole house as Brahms freaks out over the spirits leading you to follow him. He was SHOOK when you kept following him, no matter how fast he went or how erratic his path went. 

• Then you find the hidden doorway to the maze in the walls.

• Brahms basically HIDES bc the spirits are exposing him and he doesn't feel ready.

• You find his secret room, slowly piecing together the story.

• When you see the crude doll version of you, you nearly freak out bc "please don't let that be voodoo."

• You don't touch or move anything bc it feels illegal also this is a person's personal space. You do inspect just about everything in the room. You want to see what type of person was living in the walls... he’s a very creative person - the hanging metal animal traps look like an eerie art piece.

• You ask the spirits for clarification of any theories you have about what you discovered. They’re basically like, “yeah, sure, whatever, let’s focus on the literal man hiding from you, okay?”

• They have you look for Brahms, again.

•  He’s in the basement and willing to wait hours for you to return to the main house.

• He's hiding behind pipes, in the dark. (remember the area Greta escaped the house from? that there area)*

• When you come to his area, calling his name, he decides to take his chance now. He doesn’t want you to leave, when your so close to him while knowing he exists. He’s hoping that you will stay, but he won’t let you go so easily, just in case.

• He makes you promise to not run or scream or hurt him... You promise.

• But when you see him... the REAL him

you. are. smitten.

• You ask him to join you in the study room so you two can talk properly. You just want some things clarified and set ground rules as housemates.

• He grabs your wrist as he leads you through the walls. He doesn't want you to change your mind and run away. Holding your hand eases his anxiety... meanwhile, you're just a blushing Hot Mess the whole way.

• He notices, of course, but is silent as he internally freaks out over holding your hand.

• When you squeeze his hand, and basically hang off his arm bc even though the spirits and entities don't scare you - the empty spider webs do**, he almost pops a Boner.

• After a long night of talking with Brahms about everything, you two have come to terms that he's going to be more social with you. You will, obviously, stick to the usual routine and rules, but you had a list of reasonable rules too.

Don’t touch anything on the Alters.

Don’t blow out candles, ask first.

No more spying on you from within the walls

Brahms has to help with chores.

Open communication.

[falsegoodnight]

these are the fics I read or reread and enjoyed this month! like last time, i’m separating it into different sections: main list, podfics, wips, and non-1d. rereads will be included in the main list and marked with *.

*note: this list encompasses the fics i’ve read from the 1st to the 25th and any fics read after will be included in next month’s fic rec list because otherwise this is going to be obnoxiously long. 

—

main list ~

✰ black cherries and chocolate by @harryanthus​ | NR | 666 (intense and jarring in the best way. this leaves you with that heart-racing feeling and panic crawling up your throat)

There is something or well, someone in the walls.

✰ keep secrets just to keep you by @hadestyles​ | T | 1k (loved this so much!! and need 1000000 more royalty abos from rori immediately)

“With the elements as my witness, I take you to be my husband. My heartbeat begins with you and ends with you, Louis Tomlinson.” Louis sinks to his knees as well, salty tears mixing with the pure rainwater. “And I take you as mine. My heart beats for you and with you.”

✰ bitter coffee and sweet love by @dontfuckwithmyotp​ | G | 1k (so cute and sweet!! proud of you ari for getting your first fic out and excited to see what you do next!)

“Hello! Welcome to The Busy Bean! Are you new?” Louis blinked in surprise at the voice and looked around to find the source. “Behind you,” The person tapped his shoulder once and he whirled around at the unexpected touch.

“Hey! Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to interrupt a person—” His rant stopped when he finally faced them. It was a guy—Harry Styles, according to his small black name tag. His eyes widened in embarrassment.

✰ turn your mic off, baby by @vogueharrystan​ | E | 2k (i love when lilli writes harry’s pov. this was so hot!)

Louis walks around the house naked all day and ignores Harry to play video games instead. Harry gets tired of it.

✰ This Could Be Love by mulletharry | G | 2k (such a cute and perfect little valentine’s day fic! put the biggest smile on my face <3)

Harry and Louis have been together for four months. They spend their first Valentine’s Day together.

✰ you appear as my soul by @hadestyles​​ | T | 2k (so gorgeous and raw)

He aches — not as much as Louis, he could never imagine all that he bears quietly — and as cruel as it sounds, it keeps reminding him of how fragile they are.

✰ the energy from your body by sweetielouis | E | 3k (hilarious, hot, and cute!)

Harry and his friends have a popular podcast, for the Valentines Day special they get a bit drunk and talk a bit too comfortably about their friends arses.

It's a good thing Louis doesn't mind it all that much. 

✰ look how i remember by @harryanthus​ | M | 4k (this left me speechless and aching)

He hates it, he wants to scream and tell Harry as much. Kiss me like you mean it. Kiss me as if we are in love. Kiss me like you will never do it again. Kiss me with so much hatred that it turns back to love.

✰ Things Unsaid by @londonfoginacup​ | G | 5k (so so cute and funny!!)

"That chunky oversized sweater is like a clown outfit made for winter."

It feels like time slows down.

Those words echo in his mind, familiar. Why are they familiar? The— the sweater he saw last week. The one with all the knit squares.

The train slows to a stop and Louis just— he doesn’t move. He feels frozen in place as people surge around him. Suddenly everyone is moving too fast and then just as suddenly the car is near empty, taking off again.

The man is gone.

His soulmate is gone.

✰ reckless serenade by @thepolourryexpress​ | E | 4k (adorable and funny and amazing!)

Harry's Google search history may or may not look like 'my girlfriend doesn't know we're dating.'

✰ dancing in the moonlight by @outropeace​ | E | 5k (need 100k more of this immediately, thanks. so wonderful)

Louis’ fuck buddy gets a date for Valentine’s day and he discovers that denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.

✰ The truth is, the stars are falling by larrysbeanies | E | 5k (hot!!! walking-in trope that i love so much)

Harry knows Louis is gay. Hell, he came out to Harry exactly two months ago (when the dreadful dry spell started) because it was becoming increasingly hard to hide the fact that his one night stands were men. And, you know, they’re best friends so there aren’t supposed to be secrets and all that.

Thing is, Louis told Harry he’s gay ergo, Harry is aware that Louis likes men. Why the fuck did he act so normal while fingering him three days ago, then? Is this something straight guys do to their gay best friends in Harry’s world?

Louis would really like to know.

✰ to be used and to be in love by @thelesserneptune​ | E | 5k (blessed that this is a series. really hot and cute!)

Louis doesn't know why his filthy best friend turned into a vanilla boyfriend and thinks of the perfect birthday present to solve that problem.

✰ on the borderline by @princelouisau​ | E | 8k (the way danielle writes... poetry. this broke me down and then stitched me back up <3)

Louis makes his choice.

✰ One Step Closer by agrinwithouthiscat | G | 12k (reading asexual hl fics is instant comfort and this was lovely)

The one fake relationship AU where they don't end up together.

✰ i glow pink in the night by @raspberryoatss​ | E | 12k (hybrid louis perfection, beautiful writing, characters, and story as always!)

Harry reads a lot of articles about hybrids and Louis is determined to prove them wrong.

✰ The Thinker of Tender Thoughts by @speakingwithink | G | 13k (asexual hl again! this one made me cry) 

Louis sits on his hands to stop them from shaking as he adds, ‘and I’m ace.’ If only he had glitter, he thinks. Coming out deserves a bit of sparkle.

✰ Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice by @harriblou​ | M | 13k (enemies with benefits to lovers goodness! so hot and entertaining)

“You’re a fucking brat, you know that,” Harry muttered through clenched teeth, bones already burning with the pure desire and hatred mixing in his body. It was an intoxicating rush of adrenaline and something else that probably came with fucking Louis Tomlinson. He squeezed his neck just a little tighter. “I can’t stand it.”

Their lips were brushing against each other, just moving with the ragged movements of their mouths and harsh breathing.

“You’re a lying piece of shit dickhead,” Louis muttered right back. That was all he did, challenge and nag. He loved to have the last word and Harry let him because he used all his energy to fuck him mindless.

✰ hold onto your stars by vashtaneradas | NR | 16k (this writer’s atmosphere/prose draws me in every time. such a lovely story)

Harry's in the army, Louis' back home, and ninety days is a lifetime.

✰ The Future is Now by @jacaranda-bloom​ | E | 16k (love fics in this five times format and this one was so unique and cool!! and the friends to lovers aspect = chef’s kiss)

Five times Louis follows the fortunes to seek out his true love, and the one time he realises that what he's been searching for might've been right in front of him the whole time.

✰ Visceral Heat & Carnal Highs by @theisolatedlily​ | E | 18k (the prose in this... gorgeous. so fucking good and addicting. delighted that there’s going to be a sequel and excited for whatever lily does next!)

Louis is a demon at a house party prowling for a meal, indulging in horrendous sins to satisfy his hunger. Harry is the talk of the night, beckoning all eyes on him and the reason why Louis’s plan goes awry.

✰ deFENCEless by @solvetheminourdreams​ | T | 27k (this was so cute and so funny and i had the biggest smile on my face the entire time. not surprised since stef always evokes that in me with her writing)

When Louis butts heads with his new neighbor who loves to garden a little too much, all he can do to protect his yard (and heart), is keep on building up his fence(s).

✰ darling, you give love a bad name by snowcaplou | M | 29k (been waiting for this one since summer and i wasn’t disappointed! so wonderful and real!)

Louis’ has been best friends with Gemma all his life in this stupid little town he’s grown to hate. What happens when, after one night together with his best friend’s brother, he falls pregnant? Surrounded by small minds and conservative cultures, Louis has to deal with parents that demand they do the “right” thing. Get married before anybody finds out.

✰ The Haunting of Louis Tomlinson* by @helloamhere​ | T | 31k (will never not be an all-time favorite. louis’ character is my absolute favorite - gothic heroine indeed - and harry is the best dramatic gay ghost ever <3)

Louis is a plucky Gothic Heroine, Harry is a Mournful Spirit, and Big Country Houses are full of mystery and suspense, as Big Country Houses ever are!

✰ begged and borrowed time by @bottomlwt​ | M | 40k (this concept was so unique and so cool!! loved the medieval setting and the time travel and how everything fit together in the end!!)

“It wasn’t until 1568 that it became time for Prince Harry to find a queen and prepare to rule. However, the day he was set to choose his bride-to-be, he mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen again despite the multiple search parties that went on through the years. To this day, historians still do not know what happened with the infamous Prince Styles case..."

✰ Lidocaine and Palm Trees.* by @daddyharrie​ | E | 45k (definition of ris comfort read - on nth reread and still love it wholly. makes me miss la which is an astonishing feat in itself) 

Heat, fake tans and lots of traffic.

Harry never expected to earn his living this way when he moved to LA.

Louis didn't think he could ever be the same after his divorce.

A lighthearted story about two guys trying to find themselves in the vibrant, sprawling city of Los Angeles, with a side of technical porn industry stuff.

✰ haunted by the ghost of you* by @missandrogyny​ | E | 49k (perhaps my favorite fic of all time? the humor, the characters, the angst?!?! all the britney spears!! and pink ouija boards and wikihow!!)

He’s tall—that’s the first thing that registers in Louis’ head when he spots him, standing with his hands behind his back. Tall, with curly hair, staring at them with the widest, greenest eyes Louis has ever seen. And wait, are those dimples? Louis didn’t know ghosts could have dimples.

Because he’s definitely a ghost, this boy. At first glance he looks normal, standing there pigeon-toed in a band shirt (The Ramones, Louis can’t help but note incredulously), dark jeans, and some boots, with rings on both hands, and tattoos littering his left arm—a sleeve made of anchors and names and roses and other completely unrelated things. But he’s also a little bit translucent; if Louis focuses, he can see the outline of the furniture, the design of the wallpaper through him.

“Hi,” the boy—the ghost—says to Louis. His face shifts; somehow his dimples dig deeper into his cheeks. His eyes flit from Louis, to Niall, to Liam, and finally to Zayn, and his face goes from shocked to elated. “I’m Harry.”

At in that exact moment, standing between three of his best friends and staring at a (quite handsome) ghost, Louis can only think one thing.

Nick Grimshaw was right.

✰ like real people do by @eeveelou​ | E | 64k (this was... so amazing. the characters were so wonderfully written and so was the journey of healing and growth that louis undertakes over the story :’) loved the contrast between l and h’s lives and how they fit into each other still so perfectly)

Jessica Jones AU in which the dead stay where they belong, featuring Zayn as the high-powered lawyer with a hopeless crush on his assistant Liam, Niall as the constantly stoned but strangely insightful neighbor, Harry as Manhattan’s media darling, and Louis as the never-was hero who’s just trying to pick up the pieces.

✰ Black With Autumn Rain by whimsicule | T | 93k (i actually can’t remember if i’ve read this before??? either way - it was wonderful! loved the setting and atmosphere and the supernatural elements! i was so intrigued from the first sentence onwards)

Harry is a journalist, Louis has lots of secrets and the moors aren’t exactly the ideal place to rekindle a lost romance.

podfics ~

✰ tall stories on the page by @soldouthaz​ & read by @softlouislove​ | T (hannah’s voice is so lovely and perfect for reading aloud - and ofc the fic itself is amazing)

Harry's tired of being interviewed by people that only care about the same pointless gossip. Louis is a nice change of pace. 

wips ~

✰ Truth Behind Golden Eyes by @lwtisloved​ | E | 60k | 6/16 (just caught up fully today but i’m really enjoying everything! this is everything i’ve ever wanted in a fantasy fic)

Louis is a royal servant born with magic in a kingdom where his sole existence is outlawed with a war he has no idea he has a part in upon him. Harry is the prince on whom the burden of mending a broken kingdom falls upon and he might be willing to risk it all for a simple servant if only he admitted it to himself.

✰ ‘cause all our tomorrows lead the way by @loubellies​ | E | 39k | 3/10 (having a blast reading this one!! i’ve never seen the bachelor in my life but in fic-format, it’s so fun!)

So maybe Louis’ in over his head.

He had signed up for the Bachelor on a whim after his second bottle of wine and well, here he is. He’s just been announced as the twenty-sixth Bachelor and his ass is sweating. Like, literally sweating. He’s positive that if he was to turn around, the entirety of Bachelor Nation would get a nice peek of his ass sweat.

✰ The Night Still Whispers Sins of Old by @toomanydreamers​ | E | 6k | 2/? (loving this so much, as expected. can’t wait to see how everything unfolds)

Two and a half years have passed since the fateful day when Louis and Harry were crowned Triwizard champions. Confronted with misunderstandings, wounded pride and heartache, Louis stumbled away from the possibility of a future relationship with Harry. Instead, he buried himself into relentless work as a junior Auror and refused to let himself be vulnerable with another person. Circumstances change that force Louis to confront his feelings - and Harry. Stolen glances, picnics at sunrise, thrilling adventures, original spellwork, midnight feasts, soft lips and cautious second chances culminate in an unforgettable mission - but will it be enough to mend their relationship?

non-1d ~

✰ like a bullet needs a gun by @millsxwriting​ | T | 21k | wilds au (despite me having no context, mills still got me to fall in love with toni and shelby. this was so cute and lovely!!)

Toni doesn’t expect to fall for anyone in her senior year. Least of all for Shelby Goodkind, the new girl that arrived in town just before the end of summer. In fact, Toni can’t even look at her for longer than two seconds, or listen to more than three sentences coming out of her mouth without wanting to accidentally push her off a cliff. 

Cue a group project and endless bickering, and suddenly Toni finds herself with an unbearable crush.

If you read any of these beautiful works of art, remember to leave kudos and comment to show your appreciation!

*if i made any errors, please let me know :)

enjoy!

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey Steph, got any good old (maybe new?) bedsharing fics for a fanfic obsessed lurker?

Thanks 😘

Hey Nonny!!

Hahha! I actually just did a list recently of my old ones, but I just double-checked my offline lists and I actually DO have some fics on my next Bed Sharing list, so GUESS WHAT? Your ask is the one to start the next Bed Sharing one, LOL.

As usual, if anyone has any they’d like to add, especially if they’re brand new fics, let us know! <3

BEDSHARING Pt. 5

See also:

The Speckled Blonde / BedSharing

BedSharing Pt. 2 and Insecure Sherlock

Bed Sharing Pt. 3

Bed Sharing Pt. 4

Bed Sharing “Just Happens”

Soft. Happy. Content. by inevitably_johnlocked (G, 223 w., 1 Ch. || Sleepy Cuddles, Bed Sharing, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Spooning, Morning After, Sherlock POV) – Sherlock reflects on his state of mind.

And When The Night Is Over by Simply Isnt On (K, 329 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Platonic Bed Sharing / Not Slash) – Sherlock and John sleep together.

I Knew You Loved Me by inevitably_johnlocked (T, 743 w., 1 Ch. || Morning Cuddles, Fluff, Clingy Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slice of Life, Morning After, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Declarations of Love, Pet Name, Bed Sharing, Snuggles) – John and Sherlock share a lie-in the morning after their first time. So fluffy and gross your teeth will fall out. Part 4 of I-J's Tumblr Ficlet Collection

Sleep Tonight by Jenn1984 (T, 1,220 w, 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Bed Sharing, Worried Sherlock, Sick John, Hugs/Cuddles, Touch Neediness) – Fingers begin prying open his jacket looking for a wound and John would really like to swat at them. No, he's not hit anywhere, he's just damn sick.- John Watson has a fever.

Loved. by inevitably_johnlocked (G, 1,231 w., 1 Ch. || First Sherlock POV, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Nose Kisses, Morning After, Love Confessions, Morning Cuddles, Emotional Sherlock, Sentiment, Bed Sharing) – Sherlock reflects on his relationship with John. Part 5 of I-J's Tumblr Ficlet Collection

Here to Stay by MockJayPhoenix12 (K, 1,574 w., 1 Ch. || Post Reunion, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Headache, Bed Sharing, Care Taker Sherlock, Hand Holding, Fluff) – On Sherlock's first day home, John wakes with a migraine.

The Perfect Place by SilverSmile (K+, 1,955 w., 1 Ch. || Humour, Romance, 5 and Ones, Fluff, Experiments, Bed Sharing) – Sherlock attempts to find the perfect place to sleep, but his little experiment proves to be far more difficult than expected.

Insomnia by TheSingingGirl (K+, 2,635 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Humour, Bed Sharing, Sleepy Sherlock) – Sleep is merely the next frontier in what has become the battle to keep Sherlock alive. It's because of this that John ends up in bed with a sociopath.

Human Body Pillow by Lunavere (K, 4,122 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Five and Ones, Sleepy Johnlock, Bed Sharing) – A story about the five times John fell asleep on Sherlock, and the one time Sherlock fell asleep on him.

The Myth by AGirloftheSouth (M, 4,329 w., 1 Ch || Sex Toys / Anal Beads, PWP, Romance, Bottom John, Prostate Stimulation) – Sherlock believes something to be a myth. John proves him wrong.

When We Sleep by PrincessNala (K+, 6,660 w., 1 Ch || Post-TGG,  Alternating POV, Bed Sharing, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Hurt/Comfort, Hugs) – Sherlock needed to feel every beat of his heart, every rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was the only way to completely assure himself that John was alive and right there next to him, and not dead, no, never dead…

To be loved by Strange_johnlock (E, 12,436 w., 8 Ch. || Post S3, Established Relationship, First Person POV Sherlock, Pet Names, Soft Sherlock, Mild ADHD, Protective John, Captain Watson, Body Appreciation, Bottomlock, Rough Sex, Travelling for Holidays, Introspection, Sherlock Loves John So Much It Hurts) – John is so deeply integrated into the work, both as my conductor of light, and as a great shot with a vicious right hook who tackles men -and women- no matter their size all in my defense. He protects me with all he can without question, and this loyalty is surely more than I deserve. Or: Sherlock is counting his blessings.

There's So Much Labour Just in Breathing Lately by Susan (E, 12,708 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF / Mentions of S3 Events, Romance, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Grieving John, Mutual Pining, Meddling Mycroft, Therapy, Ambiguous Hopeful Ending, Infidelity) – The dreams he hated most – the ones that left him a sweating, shaking mess when he woke – were the ones in which Sherlock was just Sherlock. Laughing or drinking tea. Sitting across the table from him at Angelo’s eating pasta. Trailing his open hand behind him on the way to the bedroom. “C’mon, John. I’m about to have my way with you.”

Kintsugi by distantstarlight (E, 14,772 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Regret / Remorse, Loneliness, Separation, Drug Use, Healing, Protective John, Sad Sherlock, Dev. Rel., Complicated Relationships, Love, Angst With Happy Ending, Sherlock is Called Freak, John’s Penance, Voyeurism, Doctor/Caretaker John, Guilty John, Detox, Fingering, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Slight Non-Con Turns Enthusiastic Consent, Virgin Sherlock) – Sherlock Holmes becomes estranged from the man he had once considered his best friend after John lets him down horribly in public. It seems that the world's only consulting detective will be on his own once again...or will he?

The Burning of the Leaves by blueink3 (M, 15,915 w., 3 Ch. || Post S4, Angst, Reichenbach, Parentlock, Past Jolto, Idiot John, Sherlock’s a Mess, Puppies, Fluff, Possessive / Jealous Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, Matchmaker Sholto, Melancholic Feelings, Emotional Sherlock, Domesticity, Love Confessions in the Rain, Kissing in the Rain, Pet Names, Panic Attack) – After the events of series 4, Major Sholto invites John and Sherlock to lunch one day. It nearly proves to be too much for their tenuous relationship as the past haunts the present, putting the future that Sherlock so desperately wants at risk.

A Silver Sixpence by _doodle (NC-17, 16,400 w., 2 Ch. || LJ Fic || For a Case / Case Fic, Fake Relationship, Humour, Romance, Marriage Proposal, Awkward Idiots, Cuddling, Touching, Kissing, Love Confessions, Bed Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fake Until It’s Not, Schmoop and Fluff, Bottomlock) – “John, we need to get married. It’s for a case, not any romantic notions on my part pertaining to our partnership,” Sherlock said, with brutal honesty, and without even looking up.

Division by MrsNoggin (E, 19,542 w., 11 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || First Kiss/Time, Fluff, Barista Sherlock, Clingy Sherlock, POV John, John’s Limp, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sensuality, Touching, Virgin Sherlock, Insecure John) – John likes mysteries. And every morning he dips into the local independent coffee bar with his newspaper and ponders another... one Sherlock Holmes.

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Pining Sherlock, Frustrated Wanking, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Kiss/Time, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Bum Appreciation, Hanging out with the Yard) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can't be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade's team and something happens that will change everything about their lives...

Insanity in the Middle by DotyTakeThisDown (E, 28,010 w., 8 Ch. || Equestrian Sports AU || Alternate First Meeting, POV John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Clueless Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Passionate Kisses, Hand Holding, Caught Making Out, Bed Sharing, Spooning, Blow Job) – John is a world-class eventing rider with a gold medal and several four-star wins to his credit, but he's never won at Rolex. Sherlock is an up-and-coming rider taking the sport by storm.

A Home for Us by sussexbound (M, 30,581 w., 12 Ch. || Scars, Bedsharing, Grief, Doctor John, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Implied/Referenced Torture, Sherlock POV, Pining Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation, Heavy Emotions, Clingy Sherlock, Hallucinations, Disassociation, Emotional Turmoil) – He has been on the road for two years, and he is exhausted. He’s almost accepted that he will never see London (John) again—almost. But then there are nights like tonight, where he is weak, and all he can think of is the warmth of the flat they once shared, the crackle of the fire in the hearth, the teasing smile playing at the corner of John’s lips, the boxes of half-eaten Chinese takeaway balanced precariously in their laps. He aches at the memory of it, at the realisation that it is something he may never experience again.

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

A Goose Quill Dipped in Venom by Polyphony (M, 52,748 w., 16 Ch. || Celebrity John AU || Alternate First Meeting, TV Host John, Supermodel Mary, Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Case Fic, First Kiss/Time, Meddling Mycroft, Drug Abuse, Doctor John, PDA, Deductions, POV Sherlock, Toplock, Sexual Tension, Angry/Rough Sex, Hopeful Ending, Asperger’s Sherlock) – Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, is called in to a very ordinary although brutal murder. Something is badly out of tune with the whole scenario and Sherlock finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the crime - and also with the victim.

Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...

Lunar Landscapes by J_Baillier (M, 57,046 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || S3/TAB Fix-It, Slow Burn Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Drugs, Pain, Medical, Injury, Sherlock Whump, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Romance, Secrets, Tragedy, Trauma, BAMF John, Doctor!John, Drug Addict Sherlock, Injured Sherlock, Grieving John, Idiots In Love,  Protective John, POV John Watson, PTSD Sherlock, Sherlock is a Mess, Medical Realism) – An accident forces John to face the fact that Sherlock's downward spiral had started long before his flight to exile even left the tarmac.

Repairing the Broken Things by BakerTumblings (M, 75,252 w., 15 Ch. || S4 Compliant, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Trauma, Hospitals, Big Brother Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Realizations, Severe Accident, John Whump, Pneumonia, Medical Procedures, Bed Sharing, First Time, Healing, Happy Ending) – "I'm calling today to notify you that there's been an accident."

Just To Hold You Close by sussexbound (E, 70,841 w., 18 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Sherlock POV, ASD Sherlock, PTSD John, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Cuddling/Snuggling, Platonic Cuddling, Enthusiastic Consent, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Sexual Tension, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddle Negotiations, For a Case Until It Isn’t, Hair Petting, Sexual Negotiation, Anxiety, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Hand/Blow Jobs, Referenced Self Harm / Abuse / Suicidal Ideation, First Kiss/Time, Anal) – When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

Gold Rush by ShirleyCarlton (E, 71,783 w., 17 Ch. || Post S3 / No Mary, Friends to Lovers, Mentions of Past Sexual Abuse, First Kiss, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Alternating POV, Switchlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abduction, Anxious/Insecure Sherlock, Miscommunication, Emotional Lovemaking) – John has divorced Mary and pops round to 221B one evening to find Sherlock in the middle of a case. As Sherlock tries to find the identity of a young woman’s stalker, John realises he can no longer deny his feelings for Sherlock – which then, to their befuddlement, turn out to be mutual. Shy kisses and tentative embraces ensue. But will Sherlock be able to cast off a shadow from his past that he thinks might prevent John from wanting to stay?

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater /  Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

The Summer Boy by khorazir (T, 94,706 w., 6 Ch. || Post S3/Post TAB/Alternate S4, Friends to Lovers, Flashbacks, Sussex, Bullying, 1980′s Kid Sherlock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Inexperienced Sherlock, Grief/Mourning, Pining Sherlock, Background Case Fic) – About half a year after the fateful events at Appledore, Sherlock and John embark on a private case in Sussex. For Sherlock, it’s a journey into his past, bringing up memories both happy and sad that he has locked away for almost thirty years. For John, it means coming to terms with the present – and a potential future with Sherlock. Part 1 of the The Summer Boy series

Northwest Passage by Kryptaria (E, 95,157 w., 27 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canadian AU ||  BAMF!John, Canadian John, PTSD, Anal / Oral Sex, Rimming, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Drug Rehab, Falling in Love, Pining Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Violin, Panic Attacks, Switching, Anxious / Protective Sherlock, Hugs for Comfort, Suicide Mentions, Healing Each Other) – Seven years ago, Captain John Watson of the Canadian Forces Medical Service withdrew from society, seeking a simple, isolated life in the distant northern wilderness of Canada. Though he survives from one day to the next, he doesn't truly live until someone from his dark past calls in a favor and turns his world upside-down with the introduction of Sherlock Holmes." Part 1 of Tales from the Northwest

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w., 37 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel., Possessive/Obsessive Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Body Appreciation, Depression, Closeted Sexuality, Family, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Ogling Each Other, Anxious Sherlock, Panic Attack, Drunkenness, Talk of Forever, Big Feelings™) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it's a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

Against the Rest of the World by SilentAuror (E, 151,714 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Hiatus Fic, POV First Person Sherlock, Present Tense, First Kiss/Time, Big Brother Mycroft, Escaping from Capture, Soft Sherlock, Toplock, Insecurity, Infidelity, Travelling, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Depression, Fantasies, Yearning for the Past, PTSD Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation) – Sherlock has been away from London for nine hundred and twelve days and counting, and has no idea what sort of reception to expect when he finally returns.

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

[ggukcangetit]

If The Bra Fits - JJK Fic

Final part of The Unbearable Lightness of Being... Something More series

Part 1 | Part 2 | 

Pairing: Jungkook x reader

Genre: ex-roommate au, f2l, fluff, smut, low-key crack

Rating: 18+

Summary: Jungkook knows you hate it when he pops into your apartment to borrow something, but in the 2 years that you’ve known each other, that hasn’t deterred him much. But one day when he manages to (accidentally) ruin your favorite bra while raiding through your emergency snack supply, he knows that he’s fucked. With only a brand name to help him on his search, Jungkook spends the next 48 hours buying all the bras that look even remotely like the one he ruined. The only problem is - how would he figure out which was the correct size without asking you?

Warnings: a lot of talk of breasts and the trials and tribulations of finding a good bra, oral sex (f receiving), masturbation, kissing, grinding, nipple play

Word count: 3.8k

a/n: thanks a ton to @hesperantha​ for beta-ing this! i was super nervous about writing proper smut >.< anywho, hope y’all enjoy this!

Jungkook knew he was fucked. Worse than when Jimin had walked in on Yoongi doing the do with his girlfriend. Worse than when Taehyung had lost his pet frog in Seokjin’s spice drawer. Worse than-

“Fuck.”

He would probably have to leave the country. Maybe he could move to Canada? Or New Zealand? Anywhere that wasn’t here. Or he could change his name! That might work…

“H-hello?” 

“What the hell, Jungkook? You were supposed to meet me for lunch 40 minutes ago! This is rude and, frankly, inexcusable behavior on your part.” Seokjin’s annoyed voice, talking at 300 words a minute, rang through the phone’s speaker. “And why the hell do you sound like that? Did you walk in on Yoongi and Soya this time? I swear, that guy needs to learn to lock his door. Or maybe just change his locks. I mean this is probably-”

“Seokjin!” Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose as his friend slowed his word flow. “I’ll be there in 10 and explain everything.”

Hanging up the phone, he surveyed the site of the massacre once more before stuffing the offending object into his backpack and rushing out. True to his word, he was at the hole-in-the-wall dumpling place in 10 minutes, attempting to explain to an irate Seokjin, the reason behind his tardiness. 

“No! You did not do that!” Seokjin yelled, nearly choking on the hot soup dumpling that was hanging - half eaten - from his chopsticks.

Jungkook had, in fact, done that. That being the most cardinal offense his frazzled brain could think of at this point. That being sneaking into your apartment when you were at work, hoping to swipe some of your favorite shrimp puffs, placing his cup of steaming hot mocha on your study table, rummaging through your emergency snack supply but somehow inadvertently knocking over the coffee on the table, and cleaning it up with the nearest article available, which tragically, happened to be your mint green bra. 

“She’s going to kill you. No” - Seokjin picked up a egg cream bun and popped the whole thing into his mouth - “she’s going to whip your ass and then hang you upside down from that metal pole on Hobi’s balcony.”

Jungkook stared at the way the cream bun smoothly travelled down Seokjin’s throat after a couple of chews, and shivered. “What do I do??”

“Why do you have to do anything? She won’t know it was you who spilled coffee on her table and then wiped it with her bra. Unless...” 

Jungkook stared at his fingers guiltily. 

“You took the bra with you, didn’t you?” Seokjin sighed, lightly smacking his friend on the back of the head for good measure. “Well, you could always blame it on Namjoon. That’s what I would do. Heck, that’s what I did when I accidentally broke Hobi’s favorite figurine.”

“I don’t know…”

“You have to commit to something, Jaykay.” Every time Seokjin used his nickname for Jungkook, it meant there was some kind of terrible scheme being cooked up. “Either be a complete little shit and blame it on Namjoon, or just go and own up to y/n. You can’t teeter on the edge like this.”

“I could always just sneak back in and leave her bra where I found it.” Jungkook felt better already. This was it. This was the middle ground he was aspiring towards - the sacred path between Seokjin and Hobi, the Yoongi of all decisions. 

“You might not have to sneak in” - Seokjin held up his smartphone where the group chat was open to a bunch of notifications - “Tae said we’re meeting at y/n’s place for tacos and UNO.”

“Why is Tae so invested in our UNO games? He gets confused every time we play it.” 

“Because” - Seokjin swiped his credit card at the counter and thanked the cashier with a quick wink - “like every good strategist, he plans to improve by observing everyone else’s style of play. He definitely knows how to play by now. He’s just giving us the confused puppy look so that we underestimate him and he can learn all our little tricks. Just you wait - a few more games and that sneaky shit will be handing our asses back to us.”

Jungkook, while mildly interested in Taehyung’s card game antics, was more concerned about returning your bra without arousing any suspicion. The perfect moment presented itself when Seokjin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Taehyung and Hobi were immersed in a game of UNO, while you and Soya were munching on tacos - because let’s face it, food trumps just about everything else. Coming up with a half-convincing bathroom excuse, he snuck off towards your room, hoping to finally rid himself of the mint green burden.

Seconds before he pushed your door open, a snippet of conversation floated towards him and made his heart stop beating.

“I can’t find it anywhere.” You were complaining to Soya about something, loud enough for him to hear. “I must’ve turned my room upside down looking for it.”

Soya didn’t seem too perturbed. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a bra. Yoongi regularly loses my underwear after we have sex in new locations.”

Jungkook chuckled because he could almost see the look of horror on your face at receiving this piece of information. 

“Ignoring that TMI,” you continued. “That’s my favorite bra, Soya! You know how our sizes keep fluctuating - well, this was the first bra I bought after getting measured at a proper place. It literally changed my life. Do you know how fabulous it feels to have your boobs at normal chest level - neither squished up towards your collarbones nor jiggling like that everlasting jello Seokjin keeps buying? I’m tellin-”

Jungkook stopped listening at this point. If he didn’t, there was little chance that he’d be able to think of anything other than that. As it was, the mere sight of you these days, was enough to get blood flowing to certain parts of his body. 

There was clearly only one thing to do.

“You want me to help you do WHAT?” Once again, it was Seokjin who barely managed to stop himself from choking on yet another scrumptious food item on yet another lunch date with Jungkook. 

“I’m going to replace her bra.” The resolute expression on Jungkook’s face crumbled ever so slowly under the scrutiny of Seokjin’s pure, unadulterated skepticism. “It’ll be easy. I-I already know what it looks like, and all the information I need is on the itchy tag she always complains about.”

Seokjin’s thick brow remained masterfully arched. 

“Are you going to help me or not?” Jungkook whined in frustration.

“What do I get in return?”

“Why would you want anything in return? Why can’t you just help me out this time??”

The masterfully arched eyebrow did it’s trick once again.

“Fine. You can borrow all my gaming equipment for a week.”

“A month.”

“No way!”

“Good luck shopping for y/n’s favorite bra.”

“Fine! A month! Now can we get a move on please?”

Thankfully, it wasn’t too difficult to find the particular store that you had bought your favorite bra from. It was a niche boutique on the third floor of the mall, full of politely judgmental staff members and pointedly supercilious patrons, all of whom were highly skeptical of Jungkook’s grey and black hoodie-sweatpants combo. 

“Guess they didn’t really get on board with the whole athleisure concept,” Seokjin whispered, earning a hard elbowing from Jungkook.

The looks of skepticism were further enhanced when Jungkook produced the ruined bra, asking one of the assistants where he could find the same one. Jungkook hadn’t received such a disapproving look since his junior year of college when he had eaten 8 cups of instant ramen on a dare, done a celebratory jig, thrown up all over Yoongi and Hobi’s sofa, and promptly passed out. 

“Er… I, uhm, need something!” The exclamation from Jungkook was received by a few expertly raised eyebrows. One assistant, in particular, narrowed their eyes at him and walked over.

“This is a lingerie store” - they scanned him up and down a couple of times - “sir. If you’re here to buy any lingerie, I’d be happy to assist you.”

Jungkook gulped at the expensive clothes and flawless complexion of the shop assistant. So far, things were not really going according to plan. 

“Ow!” He felt a bony elbow dig into his ribs and glared at Seokjin, who was glancing between him and the assistant so rapidly, Jungkook was surprised he hadn’t gotten dizzy and passed out already.

“Right. Umm, I’m actually looking for this particular one” - he produced the once-pristine, but now covered in ugly brown splotches, bra from his backpack - “in this exact same size. Do you have it?”

If the shop assistant didn’t look particularly eager to be breathing the same air as him before, they now looked like they’d rather choke on month old guacamole than be near him.

“Our products are made for exclusivity. We do not carry the same sizes as the general marketplace. There are 4 basic sizes with 4 variations to each size. And this particular product” - they held the ruined bra delicately between two fingers and examined the tag - “is now only available in 3 particular size variations. You are free to choose whichever one you think is the closest fit.”

Jungkook’s doe eyes widened as he realized the itchy tag that you always complained about, truly had no other purpose but to inconvenience you. His panicked stare fell on Seokjin who had busied himself examining a very interesting leaf on the potted plant near the entrance.

It was up to him now, Jungkook realized. His fate was in his own hands. Walking over to the shelf carrying the mint green bras identical to the one he was holding, he inspected the 3 options carefully. 

“I think I’ll take this one.” Was what he said out loud. Inwardly, however, he was screaming a very different tune.

“HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DECIDE?? I’VE NEVER BOUGHT A BRA BEFORE! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SIZE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE! IT’S NOT LIKE I SPEND ALL MY TIME SCRUTINIZING Y/N’S BREASTS!”

Thankfully, no one was privy to his internal screams except for himself.

“Thank you, sir. That will be $89.99.” Jungkook took out his debit card as the song playing over the system changed to No Tears Left To Cry.

Once out of the store, Seokjin let out a low whistle. “Wow… that was, undoubtedly, one of the most awkward situations I’ve ever been in. And I wasn’t even really in it.”

“At least the toughest part is over.” Jungkook felt like he had been running a 50 mile marathon while simultaneously figuring out the square roots of 5 digit numbers. In short, he was exhausted.

“Depends on what you think of that…” Seokjin pointed at a familiar figure, slowly walking towards them - someone Jungkook hadn’t expected to bump into in any of his worst case scenarios. You.

Confronted with an exceedingly dire situation with a bleak set of options, Jungkook vaulted into the nearest store, his entire being on high alert as it entered survival mode. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been paying attention to where he rushed into because-

“Congratulations! You’re our 100th customer this week! You get a complimentary hair spa and perm!” Five extremely eager faces stared back at him as he realized he had walked into some sort of hair salon. 

Whoever was writing the script for this day was definitely high on something because Jungkook walked out of the salon 3 hours later, slightly traumatized, with a head full of small curls, clutching onto the cursed purchase with every fibre of his being.

Seokjin had left hours ago, dropping a text to Jungkook which read something along the lines of catch ya later sucker - but that was the least of his problems right now.

It was nearly midnight when he finally entered his apartment after managing to sneak in the new bra into your apartment. Thankfully, you lived two floors above him, so the trek back to his place wasn’t too long. The stress from the past couple of days was finally catching up to him and Jungkook would give anything for a nice long massage and a bowl of steaming hot ramen. 

Unfortunately, all that he had at home was a few leftover containers Taehyung had left behind on his last visit a couple of days ago. There was also bread, eggs, and milk, but he didn’t feel up to making anything at this point. So dinner ended up being heated, two-day old dumplings. 

Just as he was about to head to sleep, a loud pounding started on his front door. It was well past midnight at this point and Jungkook wondered if he should be carrying some sort of weapon with him while answering the door.

There really wasn’t any need for worry because on the other side of the door stood a very angry, very disgruntled, very flimsily dressed-

“Y/n?! What’re you doing here?” 

“You!” Jungkook stepped back as you poked him in the chest. “What the heck is your problem?” Many more pokes followed, which Jungkook barely registered but which left your index finger increasingly bruised. 

“I- uh, I guess you found the parcel I left for you.” He scratched the back of his head, looking everywhere but at you.

“I CANNOT believe you!” You were fuming and Jungkook was contemplating calling someone for backup. Maybe Namjoon? Or Yoongi? Mayb- “First, you ruin my favorite bra! What were you doing in my apartment anyway? Trying to steal more stuff from my emergency snack supply?! Why can’t you just buy your own s-”

You definitely had a point about the snack stealing. But Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from going over and taking something that would undoubtedly attract your attention, because the last time that had happened, you both had ended up making out aggressively against the wall. 

“-and not just that!” You were clearly not done with being mad at him. “You go ahead and try to replace my favorite bra? With this???” You held up Jungkook’s purchase from earlier during the day.

“What’s wrong with this? It’s the same one, isn’t it? I went to the shop to make sure it was the same.” He didn’t really understand why this particular fact was making you so upset.

“You think this is the same?” You were standing very close to him and Jungkook gulped as he caught a whiff of your lavender body lotion.

“Yes?”

“You think my boobs are this small?? After the way you basically kneaded them with your hands last time??” 

Jungkook’s eyes widened, his face growing hotter with every word you were speaking.

“Why the fuck do you look like that?” you muttered, crossing your arms over your chest. 

“L-like what?” His voice came out sort of strangled as he tried to make sense of the situation.

“Like you’ve been caught eating the last cookie.”

Jungkook didn’t know how to respond to this. He was very aware of the fact that you were wearing a flimsy grey t-shirt and very old, very small, sleeping shorts. He gulped and wondered if this was some kind of dream that he’d suddenly wake up from.

“I’ve been waiting for you to make a move since you stuck your tongue down my throat last time. But nope! Nothing.” Now he knew that there was something wrong. This didn’t seem like the rational next line in a dialogue between real people who had just been in a, slightly one-sided, fight. “So, are you gonna kiss me or not?”

“W-what?” His voice was barely louder than a whisper at this point and you scoffed loudly before fisting your hands in his t-shirt and crashing your lips to his.

It took him a few seconds to get his bearings, but Jungkook was soon responding with impressive enthusiasm. His lips glided over yours with a desperation borne out of nearly two years of attraction and chemistry. He groaned in pleasure as your hands travelled into his hair, your fingers running through his freshly done curls. His hands travelled down your back before cupping your butt-cheeks and squeezing them until you moaned into his mouth. The feel of your body against his was enough to make him slowly lose his mind - but your tongue swiping into his mouth brought out a strangled noise from deep inside him. This was so much better than the first time you had both made out - there was more experience and knowledge of each other, and you seemed much more determined than the last time.

“Tell me what you want,” Jungkook’s voice came out huskier than you had ever heard, sending a surge of electricity to your core. “Tell me what makes you feel good, y/n.”

His voice was sultry and his body rock-hard at the perfect places - his breath falling in harsh pants as he recovered from the intensity of the kisses. But his eyes held the soft sincerity you had grown to lov-

“Against the wall,” you breathed, your face flushing as you verbalised your request. “And then on your bed.” You took one of his hands and placed it on your breast, firm with arousal, and guided his other hand to the waistband of your shorts. 

A beautiful pink blush dusted his cheeks as he captured your lips once again. He had you against the wall in seconds, his lips leaving a trail of devastation from your lips to your throat to your breasts. You moaned loudly as you felt his fingers rub against your clothed core while his tongue flicked over your nipples at a deliciously slow pace. 

“Gguk…” God he loved to hear that name coming from your lips. He loved it even more now that it was in the midst of him pleasuring you to the best of his ability. 

“Bed. I can’t… stand...” You managed to say. He obliged, placing his hands below your knees and scooping you up with ease, all while his lips kept pressing soft kisses to yours. 

Once on the bed, you removed your t-shirt and shorts, instructing him to do the same. Jungkook stared at your bare body for a moment, his eyes glazed with lust before he stripped himself of his clothes and continued kissing every part of your body he could find. 

Your insides were coiling, the heat growing at your core as you watched Jungkook’s magnificent, completely naked, body move over yours. Your hands itched to run over his abs but your eyes were fixed on his throbbing dick, your core growing wetter by the moment. 

“Can I?” Jungkook’s hoarse voice broke you out of your dilemma, his face hovering over your thighs. “Only if you want it, y/n.” You were pretty sure his soft, caring words would be enough for your undoing, but you nodded your head anyway.

The first swipe of his tongue against your core had you arching yourself off the mattress, your legs kicking up involuntarily. This was definitely where his gym prowess came in handy, as he held your thighs down with enough force for the feeling to be unbelievably pleasurable. Your hands found themselves in his curls once more, as his mouth alternated between dropping feather light kisses on your core and swiping along the wetness with a swipe of his tongue. 

“I-I’m not…” You didn’t have to complete the sentence as stars exploded in your vision, the high hitting you with more force than you had ever experienced. 

Something inside you tightened as you watched Jungkook emerge from between your thighs, his curls sweaty, and his mouth slick with your arousal. He smiled at you, dropping a light kiss on your lips, even as his dick stood red hot and angry with arousal.

“Can I help?” You asked, although your voice was hardly above a whisper, the tiredness seeping in, as you came down from the orgasm.

“Next time?” His voice was soft as he gave himself a few strong pumps before spilling onto his stomach. 

He grinned at you sheepishly. “I’m also kind of exhausted today.” Getting up quickly, he went into the bathroom and cleaned himself off, before coming back with a wet towel for you as well. 

You smiled shyly as you took the towel from him, wiping between your thighs quickly. 

Jungkook was beside you in a few moments, cuddling you from behind as sleep slowly overtook you both.

“Jungkook!” 

You cracked your eyes open slowly, wondering why someone was yelling at the crack of dawn. You were still pretty much wrapped up in Jungkook, both your legs entangled as your head rested on his chest while he snored softly.

“JUNGKOOK!”

A second, much louder, yell, woke Jungkook up as well. His eyes widening in alarm as he realised what was going on.

“It’s Tae! What’s he doing here?!” He whispered, his voice still thick with sleep.

“Umm what?” You were panicking now. As much as you had been wanting things with Jungkook to pick up, you did not want Taehyung to find you both wonderfully naked after a night of wonderfulness. “He cannot see us like this! Not yet! I refuse to let this be how everyone finds out about us!”

“Jungkook, I’m coming in!”

Jungkook quickly pushed you below the covers, fluffing it up sufficiently to hide the fact that you were under it. He barely managed to close his eyes before Taehyung walked in, much too sprightly for this early in the morning.

“Aww!” His deep voice sounded through the room. “Jungkookie, are you still sleeping?”

Much to his horror, Taehyung made his way over to the bed, his long fingers smooshing Jungkook’s cheeks together as the poor boy tried to feign sleep.

“Did you sleep late last night?”

“Mph.”

“Jungkookie’s still sleepy? Aww!” The cheek smooshing continued, and Jungkook wondered how much longer you could stay hidden without Taehyung’s perceptiveness deducing that you were there.

“Hmmmm.” Jungkook managed to grunt out, tossing over to trap you underneath him.

“Okay, go back to sleep.” With one last cheek smoosh, Taehyung got up and left the room.

“Thank god!” Jungkook whispered in relief, pulling the covers off your face.

“I’m so glad he didn’t figure out I was here,” you sighed in relief. 

Jungkook grinned at you, his bunny teeth poking out adorably as he pulled you closer to him. You giggled, reaching up to place small kisses on each of his moles - there were 5 according to your last examination. 

“The curls are cute,” you said between kisses, running your fingers through his hair. He sighed contentedly, resting his forehead on yours. If it were up to him, he’d stay here forever.

“Oh and y/n-” You both stiffened as you heard Taehyung’s voice from the living room. Apparently, he hadn’t left yet. “-thanks a lot! Seokjin now owes me 50 bucks!”

please reblog this post if you enjoyed reading the story! thank you 😊 

[livvywrites]

Hi Livvy, I saw you were open to ask/tag games, so here's a couple: "25. How do you create an original character?" & "29. How do you plot your stories?" <3 Looking forward to reading your answer(s)!

thank you so much for sending this <3

25. How do you create an original character?

A variety of ways!

The most common way starts with like… a setting? Or a vague plot concept? & I just picture someone who would be at home / fit that particular concept or setting.

But sometimes I get character ideas from songs, or quotes, or art pieces. I’ve also borrowed characters from media I love & twisted them into my own thing :P

From there comes adding more depth / personality / history. And an appearance, eventually. Usually I can imagine them fairly clearly from the start, but in some cases that’s not quite true.

29. How do you plot your stories?

That varies as well! I am not the most organized or put together person, lol.

Most of the time I come up with a concept / setting / character (but usually one of the first two first) & sort of. Let it percolate? See what comes of it? If I get anymore characters, concepts, etc. out of it. Sometimes I’ll get scene ideas & such.

I don’t. Generally write these down until it’s ran through my mind a few hundred times & taken proper shape. & then I kinda throw all that down on a page, or a mind-map, or something like that, & try to figure out how it all fits sequentially.

& then I like to use a slightly modified version of the 7-Point plot structure. Things don’t always fit in there super neatly, so I don’t always use that, but I like seeing how my ideas fit into standard story beats :P

thank you again for asking!! <3

[ ask me some author asks, if you like! ]

[writingwithcolor]

Mixing North America with Old World Cultures in Fantasy: What Are The Issues?

So I sent in an ask several years ago that, due in no small part to your response, I have grown from and eventually led to a complete restructuring of my story. I included a measure of context in this, so if you need to skip it, my main three questions are at the bottom. I think this mostly applies to Mod Lesya.

The new setting is both inspired by and based on North America in the late 1400s where the indigenous cultures thrive and are major powers on the continent. Since there is no “Europe” in this setting the colonization and plague events never happened. Within the continent itself (since it is a fantasy setting) there are also analogous cultures that resemble Norse, Central European, Persian, Arabic, Indian, and Bengali. Although not native to the fantasy continent, there is also a high population of ‘African’ and ‘Oceanic’ peoples of many cultures, the latter usually limited to coastal cities as traders and sailors. Elves are entirely not-human, or at least evolved parallel to humans ala Neanderthals/Denisovans; they have green blood, black sclera, and skin tones that run from pale to dark. 

The main national setting of the story takes great inspiration from a Byzantine/Turkish/Mississippian background, and the neighboring nations are based on the Haudenosee (Iriquois Confederacy), Numunuu (Comancheria), and the Hopi and Zuni (as the descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans) (I also know that 2 of these 3 occur much later than the 1400s, but I love the government systems and they provide excellent narrative foils for the more ‘traditional’ fantasy government that takes place in the story). The Maya inhabit the role analogous to Ancient Greece in that most writing systems on the continent descend from Maya script and all the Great Philosophers were Maya (and nobility from across the continent spend lots of money to send their children to schools in the Maya City-States or in the Triple Alliance (Aztec Empire)). There is magic with varying traditions, practices, and methods spread across the continent, some of which are kept secret from outsiders, so I would hope that this avoids the “Magical Native” trope. 

Beyond the setting, I have three main questions:

When it comes to foodstuffs, I was originally planning to limit myself to Pre-Columbian cuisine from the Americas (eg the Three Sisters and potatoes) but in doing my research, Navajo fry-bread seems to be a fairly integral part of the food culture and that does require flour, which originated in the Old World. Would it be better to incorporate some of the Old World stuff that has since become traditional to indigenous groups?

For place names used in the setting and writing systems would it be better to use existing languages or writing systems or ones inspired by them? EG should I make a language that is very similar to Cherokee, complete with its own syllabary, or should I use IRL Cherokee and its extant syllabary? I ask because I feel like using the real language might step on some toes, but using the conlang might seem like erasure.

One of the main themes of this story is the harm that even a ‘benevolent’ Empire can wreak on people. The Byzantine/Turkish/Mississippian culture is the main Empire on the continent, taking cues from both western and American monarchical systems (eg the Triple Alliance (Aztec) and The Four Regions (the Inca Empire)), but when I think about it having any kind of even vaguely western ‘Empire’ spring up from the soil of a North American inspired setting might be troubling.

Thank you for your time and consideration! Do you guys have a kofi or something so I can compensate you for time spent?

I actually do remember you, and I am going to 99% disregard your questions here because you went from glaringly obvious racism to covert racism, and none of your questions ask if your basic strings of logic for assumptions you built into the setting are okay. 

Since there is some extremely flawed basic logic in here, I’m going to tackle that first.

Question 1: Why did you originally title this “Pre Colombian North American Fantasy World” when you have more old world cultures than new world cultures?

A very simple, straightforward question. The actual content of the setting is what made me retitle it.

If you want to write a North American fantasy setting… why are there so many old world cultures represented here? 

Old world: - Greece (as a societal myth; see next point) - Byzantine - Turkey - Norse - Central European - Persian - Arabic - Indian - Bengali - African (which, let’s be honest, should be heavily broken up into multiple peoples) - Oceana (which, again, should be heavily broken up into multiple peoples)

New world: - Mississippian - Iroquois  - Numunuu - Hopi - Zuni - Maya - Aztec - Inca (maybe? not mentioned as having their own place on the continent, but one of your questions mentions them) - Navajo (maybe? See above)

To account for respecting Africa and Oceana, I’m going to make African cultures count as 3 and Oceanic cultures count as 5, and this is a purposeful lowball.

Old World: 17 New World: 9

It’s a giant discrepancy, especially if your attempt is writing an exclusively New World fantasy. And this is bare minimum old world, considering the fact I tried to limit myself to peoples who would be more likely to interact with the heavy Mediterranean/Alexander the Great’s Empire centricity. 

Question 2: Why does there have to be a Greece analogue?

I haven’t spoken about this topic at length on this blog, but Greek worship in the Western world is a very carefully crafted white supremacy based mythos that was created to prop up European “Excellence” and actually erases the reality of Greece as a peoples.

Cultural evolutionism is a theory that states the (assumed-white-European) Greeks were superior because of their philosophy, their abstract art, and their mathematics. When many of these concepts were refined in Egypt (African, aka Black), or the Arab world (aka brown), but white Europeans did not want to admit any of this so they instead painted everything as coming out of their ideas of Greece lock stock and barrel. 

The theory also ignored Iroquois science, Plains and Southwestern abstract art, and generally everything about North America, because the theory was designed to move the goalposts and paint North America as something it wasn’t, just to make Europeans feel okay taking it over and “bringing it to civilization.”

This theory was still taught in force up until the 1970s, and is still a major school of anthropological thought to this day (and still taught in some universities), so it is still very much influencing the Western world.

While the theory itself is only from the 1800s, it had long-growing roots in white/ noble Europe’s attempt to prop up European “Excellence” during its multiple periods of colonization, from the Crusades, onwards. You can see it in the copious amount of art produced during the Renaissance.

Europeans ignored the sheer amount of settling and travel that happened within Greece and Rome, and you’ll notice how many Renaissance paintings depict Greek philosophers as white, teaching other white people. In reality, we have no idea what their skin tone was, and they could have taught a huge variety of different skin tones. But it was appealing to European nobility to have people like them be the founders of all things great and “advanced”, so they invested huge amounts of time and money in creating this myth.

(Note: I said their nobility, not their population. People of colour existed en masse in Europe, but the nobility has been downplaying that for an exceptionally long time)

Greece took over most of the old world. It borrowed and stole from hundreds of cultures, brought it all back, and was assigned credit for it. White Europeans didn’t want to admit that the concept of 0 came from the Arabs, the pythagorean theorem came from Egypt, etc, and since Greece won, detailed records of how they were perceived and what they stole are long lost. It’s only glaring when they took from other global powers.

Question 3: Why would you pick totally different biomes to mix in here?

Turkey and the Mississippi are very, very different places when it comes to what can grow and what sort of housing is required, which makes them on the difficult side to merge together. They relied on different methods of trade, as well (boats vs roads), and generally just don’t line up.

The fact you pick such a specific European powerhouse—the Byzantine Empire—to mix into your “not European” fantasy world is… coming back to my above point about Greek (and Roman) worship in the West. Why can’t a fantasy world set in North America be enough on its own? Why does it need Europe copycats?

Question 4: Why are you missing a variety of nomads and Plains peoples?

Nomadic plains peoples were a thing across the globe, from the Cree to the Blackfoot to the Mongols. You have hyperfocused on settled peoples (with only one nomadic group named in both new and old world), which… comes across as very odd to me, because it is, again, very European sounding. That continent was about the only one without major populations that were nomadic, and if you look at European history, nomadic peoples were very highly demonized because of the aforementioned Mongols. 

Cultural evolutionism also absolutely hated nomadic peoples, which is where we get the term “savage” (hunter-gatherers, nomads) and “barbarian” (horticulturalists and pastoralists, the latter nomadic); these were “lesser cultures” that needed to settle down and be brought to “civilization” (European agriculture), and nothing good could ever come out of them.

Meanwhile, in North America, nomadic peoples took up a very large portion of landmass, produced a huge amount of culture and cultural diffusion, and mostly ignoring them while trying to create a “fantasy North America” is, well, like I said: odd. 

General Discussion Points

My suggestion for you is to write a fantasy Mediterranean region. Completely serious, here.

With the kinds of dynamics you are attracted to—the empires, the continental powers, the fact you keep trying to make Europe analogues in North America—you will do a much, much more respectful job by going into a really richly researched Mediterranean fantasy world than attempting to mix Europe and North America together in ways that show European traits (settled peoples, agriculture, a single empire dominating the whole culture and being viewed as superior) as the default.

I legitimately cannot see anything in here that feels like it comes from North America, or at the very least, treats non-sensationalized peoples (aka, those outside the Maya and Mississippian region) with respect. 

It falls into Maya worship, which is a very sensationalized topic and is fuelled by racist fascination, assuming no Indigenous peoples could be that smart. 

It falls into settled peoples worship, which is something that has cultural evolutionism roots because under such a model only settled peoples with agriculture are “civilized.”

It falls into placing Western concepts (public schools, large cities, the ilk) as the ideal, better solution, compared to methods better suited to horticulturalists, pastoralists, and hunter-gatherers and letting those teaching methods be respected.

There is no shame in writing inside Europe

The Mediterranean region contains Indigenous peoples, contains a huge diversity of skin tones, contains empires, contains democracy/a variety of governments, and in general contains every aspect of what you’re trying to create without playing god with a continent that did not evolve the way you’re trying to make it. 

A Mediterranean fantasy world would still be a departure from “fantasy world 35″ as I like to call it, because it would be different from the vaguely Germanic/ French/ Norse fantasy worlds that are Tolkien ripoffs. You can dig beyond the whitewashed historical revisions and write something that actually reflects the region, and get all the fun conflicts you want.

You don’t need to go creating a European/North American blend to “be diverse.” You can perfectly respectfully write inside Europe and have as much variety in peoples as you can write in a non-European setting. Europe is not the antithesis to diversity.

North America developed a certain way for a reason. It had the required fauna, space, resources, and climate to produce what it created. The old world developed a certain way for its own reasons, based off its own factors in the same categories.

You’re not really going to get them to blend very easily, and if you did, the fact there is such a strong European way-of-life preference (by picking places that mirror European society on the surface) makes me raise an eyebrow. It’s subtle, but very much there, and the fact you are ignorant to it shows me you still need to do more work before you go writing North American Indigenous Peoples.

Writing in Europe isn’t the problem, here. Writing a whitewashed, mythologized, everyone-not-white-is-a-caricature, ahistorical “Europe” is the problem. And you cannot fix this problem by simply painting European ways of life a different skin tone when the setting isn’t European. In fact, you’re perpetuating harm by doing that, because you are recreating the cultural evolutionism that calls anything you can find in Europe “better.” Indigenous cultures were vastly different from Europe, even if they shared similar trappings. 

Let North America exist without trying to shoehorn its most famous peoples into European analogues.

~ Mod Lesya