#that cool down footage was so cute

[garnetaldebaran]

Charles Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton Bahrain GP 2019

[radioconstructed]

⌖ ANYONE REMEMBER when I LARPED as a RAE DUNN COLLECTOR for a WEEK to get GOOD CONTENT of me BRAWLING with all the soccer moms in a V.J. MAXX? THAT WAS FUN!

⌖ ANYWAY! I STILL HAVE ALL THE STUFF! WHO WANTS? Make me a DEAL!

[yolelejiju]

Satoru’s favorite toy

This was influenced by a request I received. It’s not been checked so will probably have grammatical errors here and there.

TW: stepcest, pseudo incest, noncon, somno, choking, non consensual recording

Don’t like, don’t interact,

StepBro! Satoru who leans he’s soon going to be having a new sister after his father remarries the mistress who shattered his family

StepBro! Satoru who seethes at the thought of having to share with some sluts bastard child

StepBro! Satoru who builds up resentment towards you before meeting you just to have it all disappear upon meeting you in person

StepBro! Satoru who no longer resents his father for remarrying but is grateful for him bringing home a new toy

StepBro! Satoru who offers to help set up your new bedroom but instead is hides hidden cameras in multiple areas of your room.

Clueless you who would never think that the smoke detector on your ceiling could be anything insidious nor do you ever question the plugs on your walls, sure they look slightly different from the ones in the common areas but you pay it no mind.

Clueless you who thinks locking your door grants you the privacy to undress or the privacy to slide your hand between your legs and rub circles on your clit while muffling your cute whimpers.

StepBro! Satoru who goes through the footage of you in your room every night, his right hand on the mouse and his left gripping his hard cock

He takes screenshots of your body, sharing them with his friend Suguru, showing off that he got a “hot stepsis” and sleezy Suguru who just loves to get off to naive cute girls like yourself, hoping he gets a turn after Satoru gets his hands on you

It wasn’t much longer before he did get his hands on you. It was during the winter, your parents left for vacation and to Satoru’s convenience, you got sick and had to stay home in bed whilst he was left to care for you.

He made sure you got all the supplements and medicine prescribed and then some. Maybe he did add a sleeping pill into the mix every now and then. Maybe he did take advantage of your unconscious figure each time you passed out.

He would take your limp hand into his and stroke his hard leaking girth with it. Chills crawled up his spine as he felt your soft fingers graze the veins decorating his shaft. He wrapped his hand around yours, and begin stroking himself with a tight grip.

While your breathing remained slow and even paced his started to speed up, the excitement of his hot sister touching his cock turned him in so much but the smug pride he feels for taking advantage of your unconscious form is what’s making his eyes roll back.

As his hips begin to pick up speed he began to pant and worry less about remaining quiet. What does it matter if you wake, you can’t beat him, especially not in your current state. You were so sick you could barely feed yourself. You probably got sick on purpose, desperate for your big brother Satoru’s attention.

Sure he could have any girl he wanted but all he wanted right now is to conquer you.

He grew sick of using your hand and wanted something more, something wet, something tight. He dropped your hand and it limply fell, hanging off the side of the bed, letting the cool night air dry off the precum that dripped down the palm of your hand.

The bed started to sink as he began to crawl on top of you. His legs straddling your weak body as you foolishly slept without a clue of the danger you were in.

He hunched his body forward and pushed his lips against yours, his tongue grazing your bottom lip before sitting back up onto his haunches and scooting further up your body. At this point his legs were on either side of your shoulders, he caressed your face, dragging his hand from your temple to yours chin, gently pulling your mouth open. He slid just the tip of his length between your lips, enjoying the sensation of your tongue instinctively rubbing itself against his mushroom head.

He began to tilt his hips further as more and more of his length slid into your mouth. When he felt his dick hit the back of your throat he heard you gag, and briefly worried about you waking up. But all you did was twist up your face and continue to sleep. So he felt more comfortable to push himself further and deeper. Once he was so deep he could feel your throat grip his cock as it tried to dislodge the obstruction. You started to gag more but he kept slowly rocking his hips back and forth barely giving you time to breathe.

Your lashes began to flutter as your eyes struggled to open, unable to process whats in front of them. You don’t quite know it yet but what you’re staring at is your step brothers lower abdomen, what you feel tickling your nose is his bluntly shaved pubic hair brushing against your upper lip and nose every time he thrust forward.

Your struggle to breathe jolts you awake, and you immediately grip at his thighs to stop him from moving, but your sleepy weak body is no match for him, satoru is too lost chasing his own orgasm to care that you’re awake, to care that he might be hurting you, ignoring your hands squeezing against his thighs he simply interlocks his fingers in the back of your head and holds you in place so he can continue abusing your throat over and over again. Every time you tries to scream your voice would cause vibrations along his length sending him over the edge.

He tightly gripped your hair and pushed your face against his pelvis as he pumped load after load down your throat. With his dick shoved so far down your throat you had no choice but to swallow it all like the good girl you are.

When he climbed from on top of you, your lungs immediately fought to get back the air they lost. You heaved and coughed regurgitating some of his several loads of cum before you were able to breathe normal again.

By the time you came to, Satoru was long gone from your room, you struggled to process all that happened to you before inevitably falling back to sleep.

[andshesaidwhat]

Wake the Dead - Sam Monroe Smut

Summary: You meet Sam during his shift at the local video store on a search for something to make you feel alive and decide to drag him to the old cemetery.

Warnings: sexual acts in an open grave, mentions of murder, talk of the dead, handjob (Sam receiving), public sex, fingering (reader receiving), defiling a gravesite, smoking, reader is kinda “manic-pixie-dreamgirl” coded my bad.

Masterlist

Sam Monroe hated his job.

Well, okay, maybe it wasn’t the worst in the world. He could’ve been made to wear a ridiculous uniform and flip burgers at the local diner down the street. Still, he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be restocking the same ten family movies all day every day.

Nobody ever came into the video store for anything interesting. It was always middle-aged moms with their whiny children, asking him where some shit Disney film was located while giving him disapproving glares.

Sure, maybe he always had vulgar music blaring through the speakers while some gory slasher played on the television, but what did they expect? He’d drive a stake through his own eye before he’d be forced to listen to some nonsensical bullshit about princesses and happily ever after.

The new Deftones record was his current pick, the music filling the silence of the vacant store as he leaned against the counter and sorted through the returns.

The excruciating sound of the bell above the door chimed through the grunge rock, making Sam cringe and curse underneath his breath. He didn’t even bother turning around as he mumbled, “We’re closing in five minutes.”

“Guess I’d better get to looking quickly, then,” you said, shrugging and smiling to yourself at the grumpy store clerk. You could only see the back of him, but he piqued your interest.

The sound of your melodic voice made Sam’s ears perk up and he finally turned around. His eyes widened a bit at the sight of you, not expecting to see someone his age. Especially not someone so pretty.

Your eyes traveled over the length of him as he turned to face you. He was cute — in that “I’m a total punk” kind of way.

Sam’s throat felt scratchy as he swallowed, his tongue fiddling with his labret piercing. He quickly turned down the music, giving you a sheepish half-smile.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably as a flush creeped up his neck and said, “Yeah, I guess so. I can help you search for something. We have a pretty big selection, though, so you might have to narrow it down a bit.”

His eyes scanned the length of you, hoping against hope that you wouldn’t ask him for the romance section or something equally as disgusting. He knew you’d never been in this store before, at least not when he’d been working. He definitely would’ve remembered you.

“I’m looking for a good scare,” you said, hooking your thumbs through your belt loops as you grinned at him. “Something to really get your pulse racing, ya know?”

Sam’s eyes lit up with excitement as he beamed at you. You were hot and into horror? He nearly came in his pants right then and there.

“Well, the horror section is right over there,” he said, pointing over to the corner. “You like found footage? I’d recommend that if you wanna get a decent scare. Unscripted, unedited, pretty terrifying.”

“Ah, so you’re a Blair Witch kinda guy, huh?” you asked, your lips quirking up in amusement. “Good to know.”

Sam’s grin grew as he nodded and said, “The Blair Witch Project was groundbreaking for its genre. It really had the entire population convinced that they were watching these kids die right in front of their eyes.” He leaned forward against the counter, trying to play it cool as he added, “I’m Sam, by the way. Sam Monroe.”

“Nice to meet you, Sam Monroe,” you grinned, repeating his full name.

You couldn’t help but notice the soft blush on his face that brought out the bright blue of his eyes. The color nearly matched the vibrant streak in his black hair. He had the whole look going for him — the eyeshadow, the painted nails, the clunky rings.

Sam felt flustered under your gaze, shifting nervously as he asked, “So, you got a favorite horror flick, or is this your first time diving into the abyss?”

You smirked and said, “Ironically, considering your whole ‘what’s your favorite scary movie’ question, I’m a sucker for a good slasher. Scream, to be exact.”

“Scream, huh? Classic. You’ve got good taste,” he said, raising an impressed brow. He pushed off the counter, walking around to stand next to you. “Let me show you some of my favorites, then.” He walked toward the horror section, gesturing for you to follow. “You’ve got your classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween. Oh, but one of my favorites would have to be Saw. There’s something about the torture and games that just gets me.”

Sam’s hands gestured wildly as he spoke, his excitement evident in his eyes. His heart raced, both from his love of horror and from being so close to you. He searched one of the shelves before deftly flicking one of the cases out and holding it up for you.

“The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” he said, presenting it to you. “This one’s something else. Give it a watch. It’ll make your skin crawl.”

You stuffed your hands in your back pockets, shrugging coyly as you stepped closer to him.

“I saw the 25th Anniversary in theaters,” you smirked, beaming proudly.

Sam’s eyes widened and he whistled, impressed.

“Damn, you’re a true horror fan,” he nodded.

He nervously licked his dry lips, trying to think of something to say next.

“So, what do you think? Are you gonna pick up any of these tonight, or should I recommend something else?” Sam asked, his eyes searching your face as he hoped to find interest in his suggestions.

You leaned closer toward him, glancing down at his lips before grinning and reaching around him to grab a movie from the shelf.

Sam’s breath hitched, his eyes flickering down to your lips before following your gaze to the movie you pulled.

You held up a copy of Creep, waving it back and forth.

“Found footage, right?” you winked, turning around to walk back to the counter.

“Found footage, exactly,” he croaked out, releasing a shaky breath. “Good choice.”

He quickly followed after you, going back around the counter to ring you up. His fingers fumbled clumsily on the keyboard as he said, “Your total comes out to $4.50.” He took the money and handed you the bag with the movie inside. “If, uh, if you ever need more recommendations or anything, just let me know. I’ll be around.” He licked his lips, giving you a small smile as he added, “It was nice meeting you.”

You took the bag from him, letting your fingers brush against his as you did. You nodded with a smile and said, “You, too, Sam Monroe.”

You turned around and began walking toward the door, but you stopped short. You shifted back toward him, gazing at him curiously.

You cocked your head and asked, “You wanna get out of here?”

Sam’s eyes widened as his throat went dry. He nodded, vehemently, and said, “Uh, yeah. Sure.” He glanced up at the clock, grinning sheepishly. “We’re technically closed now, anyways.” His grin grew as he stepped away from the counter. “Just give me a second to lock everything up.”

You nodded and walked outside, leaning against the hood of his car as you lit a cigarette. You took a drag and exhaled the smoke into the air, leaning your head back with a sigh.

Sam quickly locked up, the bell above the door jingling as he stepped outside. He caught the sight of you sitting on the hood of his car, cigarette in hand, and thought he must be dreaming.

He walked over, his gaze drawn to your lips as he asked, “You smoke?”

You opened your eyes, gazing up at him as you blew a puff of smoke in his direction.

“No,” you grinned, bringing the cigarette back to your lips to take another drag.

Sam’s lips curved into a grin and he raised a brow as he said, “Liar.”

He reached out, his fingers brushing your face as he took the cigarette from your lips. He brought it to his mouth, taking a long drag before exhaling and handing it back.

“So, what do you want to do?” Sam asked, moving to lean on the hood next to you. “I know a few bars that are still open.”

“Bars are boring, Sam Monroe,” you groaned, dramatically, throwing your head back. You inhaled the smoke again, releasing it in a sigh as you looked up at the full moon. “Why do you think I showed up here tonight?”

Sam chuckled, shaking his head in confusion as he answered, “Because you wanted to rent a horror movie?”

He took another drag from the cigarette, his curious gaze never leaving your face.

“That’s just the surface of it,” you told him, turning your head to face him. “I wanted something that could make me feel alive. I wanted to feel a spike of adrenaline, to get my pulse racing. A horror movie is a quick, easy fix — but a night of spontaneity with a stranger? That’s the ultimate risk to take.”

Sam’s heart thudded in his chest, his mind racing as he stammered, “Y-you want to take a risk with me?” He swallowed, the cigarette forgotten between his fingers. “Where do you want to go?”

His eyes searched yours, trying to gauge your intentions, but the excitement bubbling within him was undeniable.

You grinned, taking the cigarette back from him and drawing in one final breath before putting it out with your foot against the pavement.

“C’mon, Sam Monroe,” you said, grabbing his keys out of his hand and walking to the driver’s side of his car. “I know just the place.”

Sam blinked in a daze as he watched you get into his car. He walked, dumbfounded, to the passenger seat, climbing in as he gazed at you.

“Lead the way,” he said, shrugging as he shook his head with a small laugh.

You flicked on the radio as you pulled out of the parking lot, a low grungy melody playing through the speakers.

“Tell me, Sam Monroe,” you began, reaching over to play with the rings on his fingers, “why do you like horror movies?”

Sam’s breath hitched and he glanced down at his hand. Your fingers felt soft against his skin and he cleared his throat as he glanced back up at the road.

“Horror movies are about more than just gore and jump scares. They’re about the human condition. They’re about fear itself, a primal state, and there’s something so raw and real about that.” He looked over at you a smile tugging at his lips. “The adrenaline, the suspense, the sense of danger…it’s all just an escape for me. A way to feel something real when everything else around me feels so fake.”

“Spoken like a tried and true broody punk,” you grinned, glancing over at him. “I get it, though. Sometimes you’ll do anything just to feel something.”

“I guess so,” he shrugged. “It’s better than feeling nothing, right?” He leaned back in his seat, watching the passing streetlights. “So, what about you? What gets your heart racing?”

“Picking up random strangers from sketchy video stores, obviously,” you joked, trailing your fingers up and down his arm.

Sam smiled, looking away as a blush tinged his cheeks.

“This place you’re taking me to,” he said, glancing back at you, “is it a secret or can I know where we’re going?”

“See for yourself,” you smirked, pulling off the road and parking the car. You turned the lights off and got out, walking around to where Sam stood by the passenger side. “C’mon, this way.”

You grabbed his hand, lacing your fingers through his as you led him through a small trail in the woods. As you walked through the clearing, a grin pulled at your lips at the sight of an old, dark cemetery.

Sam followed, his heart pounding as his eyes darted around the darkness. He swallowed thickly, squeezing your hand a little tighter as he stared up at the rusted gates, warily.

“A cemetery?” Sam questioned, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a deep breath before steeling himself and nodding. “Alright. I’ve never been one to turn down a dare.”

“That’s the spirit,” you grinned, tugging him further inside. You winked at him, pulling him closer to you as you whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the scary ghosts.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Sam smirked, feeling his heart stutter as he was pulled into you. “So, what do we do in a place like this?”

His eyes took in the graves, the headstones, the darkness encompassing you. He couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine as he leaned closer to you, seeking comfort.

You pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on, shining it on the headstones. You saw one that called to you and you drug him towards it, reading the engravings.

Sam followed, his eyes drawn to the flashlight beam. When you stopped at the grave, he crouched down to get a better look.

Mary Hester

1934-1976

“What do you think her story was?” you asked Sam, nudging his shoulder.

“Who knows?” Sam shrugged. “Maybe she was a victim of murder. Or maybe she was the killer,” he mused, a grin playing at his lips. He glanced up at you and asked, “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Oh, absolutely,” you smirked, leaning forward to dust off the stone. “There’s no way that death is just a done deal, especially if you had unresolved dealings left on earth.”

Sam nodded, listening as he picked at some moss stuck in the writing.

“Besides,” you sighed, staring at the engraving, “if my entire life was reduced to a tiny dash between dates, I’d haunt the shit out of this world, too.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” he said, standing up and brushing off his jeans. “I guess we’ll never know until we reach the other side, huh?”

You laughed and shook your head, pulling him off to venture further through the old graves.

As you walked through the cemetery, occasionally stopping to check out the headstones, you kept spouting off different theories and stories of these lives past lived.

Your eyes widened as you saw a fresh pile of dirt near an open hole, and you pulled Sam toward it.

“Holy shit,” you gaped, looking down at the six-foot rectangular hole in the ground. “It’s a freshly dug grave.”

“That’s…that’s morbid,” Sam shivered, leaning closer as his curiosity got the best of him. “Do you think it’s for a new burial?” His grip tightened on your hand and he glanced around, his eyes flickering between the trees and the graves. “We should probably get out of here.”

“What’s wrong? Scared?” you teased, inching closer toward the grave. You shined your flashlight down into it, seeing nothing but dirt. “Relax, there’s nothing in it.”

“I’m not scared,” he scoffed, though his voice shook as he spoke. “I just don’t wanna get caught trespassing.”

He stepped closer, his eyes following yours as you shined the light into the grave. When he saw it was empty, he let out a sigh of relief and loosened his grip on your hand.

“Let’s go before someone sees us,” Sam said, tugging on your arm.

“Live a little, Sam Monroe,” you laughed, squeezing his hand playfully. “We’re not gonna get caught—”

You stopped mid-sentence, seeing the lights on a police car slowly patrolling the cemetery.

“Shit,” you cursed, smiling amusedly. “Spoke too soon, I guess. Hurry, let’s hide.”

You pulled him toward the vacant grave, crouching down before jumping into the hole.

Sam’s eyes widened, his heart racing wildly as he looked between the grave and the police car. He held his breath, squeezing his eyes shut as he jumped into the grave after you. You turned off the flashlight, bathing the two of you in darkness as you pulled him close to hide.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered. “I can’t believe we just did that. Do you think they’ll search the graves?”

“Not a chance,” you laughed, breathlessly, as you felt your adrenaline pumping. You placed your hand on his chest, grinning as you said, “You feel that? Feel how your heart is racing? It’s crazy. The irony of feeling so alive while standing in an open grave.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of exhilarating,” Sam breathed, his bright eyes never leaving yours. “Now what? Do we wait for the coast to be clear, or do we climb out and hope they don’t see us?”

You gazed up at him, biting your lip as you studied his face in the pale blue moonlight. You tugged on his arm, pulling him closer until his body was pressed against yours.

“Tell me, Sam Monroe,” you said, your voice low and playful. “Have you ever kissed someone in a cemetery?”

“Uh, can’t say I have,” he said, swallowing thickly as he released a shaky breath. His gaze flickered from your eyes to your lips as he added, “I guess there’s a first time for everything, right?”

“Right you are, Sam Monroe,” you grinned, gripping the front of his shirt and pulling him down to you.

You pressed your lips against his in a steady, sure kiss, letting one hand trail up to the back of his head.

Sam’s lips met yours eagerly, his heart pounding in his chest. His hands gripped your waist, pulling you closer to him as the kiss deepened.

He moaned against your lips, the taste of you intoxicating him. He broke the kiss, his breath coming out in heavy pants.

“I think we should climb out of here,” he whispered. “We could get caught down here.”

“That’s half the fun,” you smirked, pushing him back against the wall of dirt and kissing him again.

You moved your hands underneath his shirt, feeling the taught skin of his abdomen as you sucked his bottom lip into your mouth.

Sam groaned, his lips parting as his mind grew hazy with lust. He didn’t protest any further, his body arching into your touch as he kissed you, hungrily.

You moved your hands up to his chest, kissing across his jaw. You nipped at his earlobe before trailing open-mouth kisses down his neck.

“What do you say, Sam Monroe?” you breathed, trailing your tongue along his pulse point. “Wanna defile a grave?”

Sam’s breath hitched and he bit his lip, gripping your hips tighter. He tilted his head back as you kissed his neck, breathing out a soft moan.

“I…I’ll defile a grave for you,” he nodded, swallowing thickly.

His body was trembling with adrenaline and desire. He wanted nothing more than for you to keep touching him, the fear of being caught a distant thought.

“Good,” you grinned, leaning forward to kiss him again.

You let your tongue push past his lips, exploring his mouth as a soft moan sounded from your throat. You pulled him away from the wall of dirt, turning the two of you around so that you were the one pressed against it.

Sam’s moan echoed your own as his hand roamed over your body, his tongue tangling with yours. He stumbled back, allowing you to turn the both of you around, his body following your lead.

“Kinda poetic, isn’t it?” you panted, breaking the kiss to look up at him. “Performing a ritual of fertilization in the place where the dead will be laid to rest?”

“I’m all for some poetic justice tonight,” he breathed, leaning in to claim your lips again.

You could feel your heart pumping as you kissed him, fueling that need for something to make you feel alive.

You bit down on his bottom lip, soothing it with your tongue as you slid your hand down over his jeans to cup his erection.

Sam gasped against your lips, a needy groan sounding from his throat as he pressed his hips into your hand.

You reached down and undid the button of his jeans, lowering the zipper and pushing the material down his thighs. You pulled him out of his boxers, slowly stroking him as you grinned at his impressive size.

Sam whimpered as he felt your soft hand wrap around him, his eyes fluttering shut as he leaned his forehead against yours.

“Oh…” he moaned, dragging his teeth over his piercing as he looked at you with hooded eyes. “I need you.”

“Yeah?” you breathed, squeezing your fist around him as you stroked him faster. You swiped your thumb across his sensitive tip to gather the precum that had beaded there, causing him to hiss.

Sam’s hips bucked into your touch, his body trembling with desire. He gripped your hair, his head spinning with pleasure as he whispered, “Fuck, yes. Please.”

You used your free hand to guide his fingers to the button of your jeans, smirking at him as you continued to touch him. You leaned forward and kissed his neck again, sucking a sensitive spot until it left a deep purple mark against his pale skin.

His fingers fumbled with your jeans as you sucked on his neck, a groan escaping his lips as he tried to undress you.

“Touch me, Sam,” you panted, squeezing him tighter as you let your tongue trail up his neck, stopping to kiss the spot just beneath his ear.

“Anything for you,” he breathed, reaching his hand inside of your underwear to touch you. He moaned as his fingers made contact with your slick folds, brushing his lips against your ear as he whispered, “You’re so wet, fuck.”

You let out a soft moan into his ear, arching into his touch as he teased you. You grabbed his face and turned him back to you, kissing him with fervor as you stroked him.

“I guess cemeteries really do it for me,” you joked, laughing into the kiss.

“Mm, definitely,” he groaned, his hips bucking into your fist.

His fingers slid inside of you as his thumb stroked your clit, his free hand grabbing your leg and hiking it around his waist.

You whimpered, quietly, against his lips — his fingers striking all of the right chords. You used one hand to tug on his hair while the other moved faster over his length.

Sam moaned loudly, his breath hitching as his hips stuttered.

“Shh,” you grinned, looking up at him with a playful glint in your eyes. “You’ll wake the dead.”

“I don’t care about the dead right now,” he breathed, leaning in to kiss your neck as he curled his fingers inside of you.

You tilted your head back, moaning as you rocked your hips against his fingers. You held his head as you stroked him, twisting your fist over his tip each time.

Sam’s eyes rolled back as he moved his fingers faster, repeatedly brushing against that perfect spot inside of you. He buried his face in the crook of your neck as he whispered, “I’m close. I’m so fucking close.”

“Me too,” you whimpered, feeling that knot tightening in the pit of your stomach. The adrenaline was coursing through your veins, your heart racing as you chased the edge together. “Come with me. Let’s make these souls roll in their graves.”

“Fuck, yes, I’m right there,” he panted, moaning against you as he neared the precipice. He flicked his thumb in fast circles against your clit, his voice breaking off into a string of whimpers as his hips bucked. “I’m gonna…fuck.”

You pulled his head back, looking into his eyes as the band finally snapped. You clenched around his fingers just as his release spurted out of him and onto your hand. He voiced a strangled moan as he came, working you through your own high as wave after wave of pleasure washed over you.

You both milked every last drop from each other, your bodies sagging together as you came down.

Sam leaned against you, panting heavily as he rested his forehead against yours. You leaned back against the wall of dirt, grinning lazily as you said, “Well, that was a much better method of getting my heart racing.”

He trailed small kisses up your neck before kissing your lips softly as he whispered, “I’m glad I could make your heart race.”

You smirked up at him, bringing your hand up to your mouth to lick his release off of it. He watched with lust-blown eyes, biting his lip. You grabbed his hand, pulling his fingers out of you and bringing them up to your lips as well. You opened your mouth, sucking around them and moaning at the taste.

You pulled him into another kiss, letting him taste your combined flavor on your tongue. He groaned into your mouth, pulling you close to him.

You broke the kiss, glancing up out of the grave.

“I think the cops are gone now,” you giggled, kissing the tip of his nose.

“Good,” he grinned, laughing softly. “Let’s get out of here.”

He gave you a boost before climbing out as well, the both of you brushing the dirt off and adjusting your clothes. You walked back through the trail in the woods hand in hand, strolling peacefully in the moonlight.

When you got back to his car, you tossed him his keys back with a grin and got into the passenger side. He laced his fingers with yours as he drove back toward the video store, occasionally bringing the back of your hand up to his lips.

“This has got to be the strangest night I’ve ever had,” he laughed, softly.

“You’ll never forget it, though, will you?” you grinned, wiggling your eyebrows at him.

Sam shook his head, smiling as he said, “Never.”

He pulled back into the parking lot of the store, dimly lit by the flickering sign. He parked the car, turning toward you with a tender look.

You leaned forward and softly whispered, “Thanks for making me feel alive, Sam Monroe.”

His eyes fluttered shut as he felt your lips press against his.

“Anytime,” he whispered. “Can I get your name—?”

He opened his eyes, but you were no longer there. He glanced around, frantically, trying to see where you could’ve gone.

It was only then that he realized that his car had been the only one in the parking lot the entire night.

[woodland-gremlin]

Lemons? Pt. 2 (Adoption AU)

Here's the first part:

Dick took another deep breath while leaning against the cool metal that made up most of the watchtower. As much as he appreciates puns and how much easier it will be to track down these kids' villain relatives with a last name he still feels a bit weak in the knees with these revelations being thrown out one after another. They talk about it so casually and that makes him sick to his stomach. Potential villain grandparents, their terrifying weapons that disregard ethics, and apparently weapons that make the one they mentioned seem tame in their eyes. All of that speaks of those kids going through something they shouldn’t have had to.

“Is that how Dad got his terrible naming sense?” the first voice asked, dragging Dick out of his depressing thoughts.

“Huh,” Ellie huffed out, “Never thought of that.”

“Tt. It is likely that it is a biological disposition if you consider the naming sense of those that share his species alongside the Fenton genes. Now cease this needless drivel and assist me with returning home.”

The more words that come out of these kids' mouths, the more Dick just wants to disregard any stealth and poke his head through the door’s opening so he can bundle them up in a bunch of blankets. Maybe ask a few questions about their dad and ask them how they would feel about being adopted by a billionaire. He is sure Bruce wouldn’t mind, even if they, or even just their dad, weren’t fully human from what they have said.

“Alright Dami,” said the first voice with the sound of something being shuffled in the background. “Though-” before they could continue the sound of something tearing cut them off.

“Wulf!” one of the kids cried with joy.

Before Dick could begin to panic and do something about a wolf of all things somehow getting into the watchtower the kids began to speak again.

“Wulf, it is a pleasure to see you again,” Dami said softly as if he was looking at a cute puppy.

“Yeah, and you have perfect timing too!” The first voice cheered.

“Just don’t tell Dad, okay?” Ellie asked.

A gruff voice replied in a language Dick has neither understood nor ever heard before.

“Oh come on,” Ellie groused, “It’s no big deal. No one even saw us.”

The new person just replied in the same strange language.

“All right, all right.” Dick could practically hear Elle roll her eyes while she continued to grumble, something about causing a prison riot and breaking out?!?

The sound of feet shuffling and zipping was all he heard before it became silent.

After a minute of silence Dick peeked into the meeting room which he previously heard the kids in only to find it devoid of anyone. A lemon lying on the floor being the only evidence that he didn’t hallucinate the whole thing.

Note: Dick later checks out the security footage of where the kids were only for the footage to be full of static for the whole encounter.

[bbunnyyy]

All The Stars~ PT.2

BAKUGOU X SECRET ADMIRER PT.2

A/N: I didn't expect the prequel to this to get as much attention as it did. I'm so grateful you guys liked it, and I hope you'll enjoy this one too. <333

☁︎ [You and Bakugou were always head to head, fighting for the top spot.

The tension between you and Bakugou was firey, pushing both of you as well as 1A to perform better. Aizawa Sensei secretly appreciated the effect the both of you had on the rest of the class- he would let you both drop detention for disrupting the class for the 7th time in a row.

Your admiration for Bakugou started when you saw him save civilians from a falling building before he had his license. He was chewed out for it endlessly- not that he cared. You observed from the sidelines, noting he wasn't as heartless nor avoidant as you had previously thought.] ☁︎

ALL THE STARS~ PT.1 | ALL THE STARS~ PT.3

Katsuki Bakugou found himself looking forward to Wednesdays.

Wednesdays? That's a weird day to look forward to, apart from art class or PE or something. As the weeks progressed, so did the number of gifts in Bakugou's locker- with Bakugou's increasing frustration, of course. The gifts were obviously from one person. "It ain't even close to Valentine's Day, which blockhead is causing all this trouble?" Bakugou'd answer irritably when questioned. Lucky for you, you convinced Hatsume to help you delete the footage when you'd pick his locker open.

His secret admirer. What if it was a prank? What if it was one of his peers? What if it was some crazy stalker like Toga? He found himself scared again. Scared of being hurt. After being kidnapped by the League, his anxiety and nightmares made him spiral. To wake up in a cold sweat at 4:23 was now a habit. He'd sulk and bury his head into his pillow as if it'd absorb his anger. All he could think about these nights was this secret admirer of his. They were really something, THE great dynamite king killer blah blah Bakugou found himself staying up at night, face flushed as he thought of them.

BAKUGOU woke up drenched in his own sweat again. His bedsheets were damp with sweat as the air around him was stuffy. Relief washed over him as he slumped back against the wall and realised it was a nightmare. Just a stupid nightmare. He placed his feet on the cold tiles on the floor, deciding to go for a run.

☾

His mind was foggy- with thoughts of his secret admirer. He'd hate to admit that those 'high protein chocolates' helped him buff up and increase his stamina as well. The cool air rustled through the trees along the path he jogged. He saw someone sleeping under one of the trees as the sun was rising, the light illuminating the person. The nearer he got, the faster his heart beat.

The soft rays of the sun glazed over your skin like honey. You were fast asleep on the soft grass, mouth slightly open. Katsuki narrowed his eyes at your sight- he was very vocal about how much he hated you. Though obvious to you and the rest of the Bakusquad that he had a soft spot for you. Passing you cold water during breaks, buying you a soda from the nearest vending machine after a long day of patrolling during your internship. "It's only so that they can try to become better than me, it's funny to watch them try." He'd say.

Whatever he felt or said, it was hard to deny you were attractive. Your pretty eyes, your soft hair, your beautiful smile.

He'd tilt his head as he watched you from his desk as you giggled alongside Mina as you laughed at another one of Kaminari's pranks. He loved how your eyes would light up at seeing your favourite side dishes on the menu at the cafeteria and the cute expressions you made while eating, the way your nose danced as you chewed on the food. And right now, he loved how your hair spread out on the grass as you dreamt on.

Noticing a blueish diary next to you, his body moved before he could register. The first few pages were filled with sketches of cats and pros, along with some classmates. He sat down cross-legged next to you, careful not to wake you as he flipped through the diary.

Katsuki Fucking Bakugou knew darn well he was wrong- and that made him feel some type of way. Curiosity blew up the cat?

His warm fingers traced the sketches as his face heated up despite the morning chill. He leaned against the bark of the tree, propping the book on his knees. A slip of neon paper fell out as he admired the sketches- the neon orange paste-it drifted onto the dewy grass. Bakugou picked it up, noting the familiarity. There were only three words on the neon note.

☾

Katsuki ran towards the dorms with your diary in his hand, beet red. He shook his head as those words swam through his mind- such a simple arrangement of three words, really.

High Protein Chocolate.

A/N: PT.3 coming soon, please stay tuned~

[devildomwriter]

They React to an MC Who Relaxes to Scary Videos: Headcanons

Lucifer

• Believes you’ve certainly become well adjusted to the Devildom but watches you carefully to make sure you haven’t become too careless about the danger around you.

• Likes it when you come to show him something and will verify anything for you if he can.

Mammon

• How are you falling asleep/relaxing to this he’s literally screaming? He cannot understand your taste in videos and does not share it.

• “The doll moved! It moved! That’s not fake, MC! MC! Aaaaaa—“

• The ones with little kids and animals getting scared scare him the most because they “know what’s up.”

Leviathan

• He’s only really scared when it involves a weird-looking doll but he’s definitely holding his breath and trying not to look away for most of them.

• He wonders how you can practically fall asleep to ominous noise and the narrator explaining what creepy things are happening

Satan

• He thinks it’s cute and he can’t explain why. Something about you smiling down at the screen and showing him videos that fill most people with dread makes him smile and simultaneously proud of his fearless human.

• Definitely calls in some favors so you’ll have more authentic videos to watch soon.

Asmodeus

• He really doesn’t want to watch but will so he can snuggle up to you. Some freak him out but a few make him laugh, he is a little demented after all, he’s just good at hiding it.

• Will ask you to show him more so he has more excuses to cuddle you and if he’s lucky you’ll be relaxed/distracted enough that he can paint your nails or do your makeup without any fuss.

Beelzebub

• Doesn’t really get why you find it calming and relaxing but watches with you. Not a fan of jump scares because he’ll spill the food he brought with him.

• He makes a habit of true horror snack nights with you so you should be prepared to find long playlists of scary things.

Belphegor

• He thinks it’s kind of funny but is also worried he may have desensitized you because it doesn’t get much scarier than a demon killing you while laughing maniacally

• Whenever you’re relaxed he is too, so he likes finding ones to show you so you can nap together.

Solomon

• Thinks it’s funny that you can relax to these videos. He enjoys watching them with you and takes notes of places he may need to exorcise/investigate

• It’s not hard for him to go out and obtain footage for you of even scarier things. This means he can spend more time with you while also getting work done so it works out perfectly.

Thirteen

• Gets a kick out of the humans getting scared by it and thinks it’s cool how unphased you are

• Decided pulling a few pranks on humans herself would be pretty fun and that way you’d have some more videos to show her.

Simeon

• Thinks it’s kinda of cute if not also mildly concerning that you can fall asleep to people screaming in terror and dolls looking at you ever so creepily

• Not as concerned about you being in the Devildom anymore and looks forward to you showing him more “scary” videos.

Raphael

• Is making a mental note of places in the human world he needs to visit to send the demons away

• Is just as invested in watching with you but doesn’t relax because now he feels like he’s at work

Luke

• He’s scared, he will not watch with you and doesn’t understand how you can relax to this, especially since you now have irrefutable proof that demons and spirits are real.

• “Why’s it the doll!? It’s always the doll!? Aaaaah—“

Mephistopheles

• Isn’t necessarily scared as he is curious as to which demons or spirits are behind the videos. Might research it to get interviews on what it’s like messing with humans.

• Will point out details you missed and find more authentic videos to show you.

Barbatos

• He thinks it’s cute but is worried you’ve become too desensitized, you are still a human after all.

• Is able to use his powers to verify what really did happen and secretly encourages a few spirits to cause some mischief on camera so you’ll have more fun videos to watch

Diavolo

• He finds it amusing and reassuring at the same time. He believes this means you’ve adapted just fine to the Devildom and he doesn’t need to worry about you being too scared in the future

• He likes to watch them with you and as the future demon king is able to verify what is and isn’t real

[m1ssunderstanding]

Let it Be Close-watch

Paul, sweety, it's beautiful, but it's killing the vibe.

Ringo looks like a very old, very tired lab rat whose been put through the maze a few too many times

Somehow the air-brown mostly eaten apple is very appropriate.

She looks far too sweet here to ever let John down. Yoko has very kind eyes.

I love how it makes it seem like Paul and John are calling Maxwell “the corny one” but really we know from Get Back that they're talking about a particular arrangement they were trying out for Don't Let me Down.

I swear he's saying “John” there, not “Joan” and also he said “came down upon His head” so… Oh! And Max died in the end in this version? “Sure that Max was dead” Okay. So Paul kills John and then himself. Murder suicide story. Yeah, Paul, you're doing great mentally, we can all tell.

I love how George getting electrocuted was important enough to make the cut for both films. Poor baby. “If this boy dies you're gonna cop it” from the guy who was just singing about a serial killer.

They're so silly

Yoko does not agree with me

Paul: stealing your man, sweetheart. John: oh no I'm being stolen teehee!

They're so silly

Oh wait, were those bitchy looks at George??? Because there he is. Idk could easily be him or Yoko.

this poor autistic baby trying to use words (not his language) to explain music (his language)

“Good MoOornin! Wooah!” I think I just … You know how Mike said people were booing Paul in the theater watching this? Yeah it's because they were pissed he didn't step out of the screen and onto their necks.

Oh Michael put himself in his own movie too? Huh, cool.

They are always in my heart

The way Paul says “get on the mic” to John??? I would've thrown something, that was so fucking bossy! Just his tone and his face and his angry pointing fingers. So mean. And John just goes “okaaay”. Oof.

Ringo covering his eyes like a little kid watching a scary movie during the orange sweater fight. Same, babe.

Sounds like the original lyric John's going for is something long “All I want is you. Nothing else is gonna do.” But that obviously didn't fit with the tune. I wonder if there was a particular conversation with Paul being controlling that made the “everything has got to be the way you want it to” line click in.

Oh my gosh! So George is showing I Me Mine to Ringo and Paul and he says the “I don't give a fuck it can go in musical” line before he even plays it. Not after John's making fun of him like he does in Get Back. Nagra reels experts: which one is correct??

George: it's a heavy waltz. Ringo:*claps hands angrily and punches the air to a ¾ beat. I love him, he's like the core of “Beatle humor” to me.

Woah there! Okay this is the John/Yoko pda Peter Jackson cut, I see. I wonder if there's a lot more footage of them swapping spit that might make the “oh John was just so in love” theory more reasonable.

It's extremely impressive that George just wrote this whole thing last night. You know? John and Paul have brought in all fragments from what I can tell. He's the only one to come in with a basically finished product.

LMAO and we're just going to Apple now. No reason. Nothing happened. Nothing to see. Moving on.

Ringo is so so cute pretending to hide from the cameras. Really he should've been the cute one.

Is it just me or does Paul drop the sillies and get sad when he sings “always be mine” at John? It's his regular voice, too, for a minute, if I'm not mistaken.

Silly cuties. But John's grin and little sexy tongue action happens the second time Paul sings always be mine, so…

What friendly artistic collaboration looks like when it's not psychosexual

Paul: have you played the dubs? George: yeah. Terrible. Paul: Great! Ringo: terrible. John: laughs Paul: (sarcastic) oh, so dreadful. …. John: where's my guitar? Paul: (still sarcastic) well we're just the greatest band ever. Idk I just like this dialogue. It's very them, you know?

This is adorable.

But I also love how they're already communicating with eyebrows, you know? They just bonded so fast and I find that beautiful.

And then Heather ups their game from taking turns going “chchchchch” into the mic to meowing into the mic. She looks at Paul like “okay your turn” and he sets her down lol he's thinking ‘if I meow into the mic right now after John already had a sex dream last night about me, he might actually cream his pants and we can't have that on camera’

Lol Billy just magically appeared!

Paul you're literally so annoying. You started the goofing off and now you're like “alright lads, that's enough.” Mkay.

He is unbelievably sexy and talented though so you know he does have those little things going for him. Someone write me a Paul/Billy fic please!!

Kinda crazy how they all four just slide straight from “Kansas City” to “Miss Ann” to “Lawdy Miss Claudy”. Makes me think of something they might've done in Hamburg.

I'm sorry but Paul finishes “please don't excite me baby. I'm down in misery.” And John's immediate answer is, “well you can get it if you want it, and if you want it you can get it!” And Paul ends up singing “I want it I want it I want it I want it”. Nice. Very subtle, boys. And that's before John gets kinky.

I love how Heather just forces a hug from George and then immediately runs away. What a cutie.

But really. How did anyone watching this get the idea that John hated Paul? Just confirmation bias I guess?

All the cut off conversations kill me but especially the one where John's working though Paul's anxieties. They're just in the middle of it and then cut. “two of us Sunday driving…”

Someone should do a study of whistling in their songs. I feel like it's another one of their tip offs that “hey this one is about us” Anyway I love John's whistling here. He's so good at it. I can just imagine him as some farm boy picking apples, you know?

Imagine booing this poor stay puppy though, like. What? I mean, what if Johann Weiner was wrong and John wasn't crying at the sight of him and Paul playing triumphant together on the rooftop, but at Paul playing his little heart out about their doomed love. Idk it's probably both. Let's be real, John was bawling through the whole thing.

What is George laughing at? Picture quality is garbage because evil corporations don't let you take screenshots of their content, but he looks like that one kid in your elementary school class that just dumped Cheetos all over his crushes desk and thinks he's a criminal mastermind.

Also I do appreciate all the attention given in the chosen shots to the musicianship. I bet they liked that at least if they had the heart to like anything about the movie at the time.

I'm sorry but I love how in sync Mo and Paul are. With this ducking and later the shimmying. I know it's wrong to ship Ringo’s wife with one of the Beatles she didn't sleep with, but… idk I really want her to have bedded all four at one point, you know? She deserves it, being an og.

Okay but yeah I'd be having a public meltdown if I fumbled that too holy fucking shit

Ringo feeling himself as he should

George just looks like he smells nice. Unlike the others. You know?

John has such a beautiful smile. If somebody looked at me like that I'd put him up on a giant screen behind me on my world tour after he'd been dead for forty years too.

That pleeeaaaheeeaaase though. Looking at Paul. How did he survive I'll never know.

The cut from screaming Paul to grouchy nap lady is extremely painful.

John was so cool in this concert. Like the epitome of cool.

Kevin, my love, thank you for your service

I love Yoko leaning so far and craning her neck. She's like a mom at a school talent show. Like “I only came to see my baby.” Type vibe. Which is exactly what she's doing, unlike Mo, and honestly I find both of them extremely valid

You know in movies where the romantic leads are never looking at each other at the same time?

I think I watched George and John switching back on their amps like fifty times because I just love it so much. And from this angle, you can see John's saying something to Paul about it. He looks serious and he's shaking his head. I wonder what he's saying.

Mal Evans I love you forever for this. Look at his hand on the rail, just blocking them off completely, so protective.

Them turning to each other at the end always gets me. It's automatic, like second nature, and it's the last time ever. They deserved better.

Oh Darling duet in the credits are you fucking kidding me??? Was that in the original? “Believe me, when I tell you.” “Oh I do.” That's the second time that they gave away in this footage that they know they're talking to each other in their music.

Alright, that's it, I guess. And then MLH is haunted by this experience for forty years until he makes Two of Us to purge the demons.

[fruitgummies01]

Vibes for Episode 5 - JUST FOOD!!

Lets Get Into It… Episode 5 of Are You Sure

Gonna try and write down my thoughts as I watch the episode this time and things that stick out to me, since I have time haha.

The episode is only 56 minutes, boooooo!!!

2. Tae saying "It's not just the meat, but the chef that's amazing" and JK giving a sorta half way thumbs up and going back to what he was doing lowkey took me out.

3. Jimin always looks great, but he looks particularly great in these Jeju episodes. His hair is really hair-ing lol.

4. I like that Jimin and Jungkook take care of their staff and make sure that they are also eating. No matter where they are, that always stays the same.

5. Jimin and Jungkook talking about enlisting together. Soooo happy to see their joy in that moment and what it must've meant for both of them, and how they were already imagining what it would be like waking up together and sleeping arrangements and all. Didn't realize it at the moment, but waiting for that finally decision must've weighed heavily on them, which kind of recontextualizes the first two episodes in the US/NY/Connecticut. Also the amount of empty bottles on the table, they both must've been feeling pretty loose at this point lmaoooo. [ Sidenote -- I was slightly annoyed that we finally got to see them having this conversation, and Tae was nose deep in his phone during most of it at the table. Appreciated the editors trying to frame him out of the scene, but still. ]

6. Speaking of, Tae coming in and out of scenes was soooo noticeable, especially in this episode for some reason. Sometimes felt like he was either not there, or when he was, he was on his phone off to the side.

7. Interesting that both Jimin and Tae thought the dish was ham, instead of pink sausage (even though Jimin knew it wasn't he was just supporting Tae), but even though Tae was way more insistent on it being ham, Jungkook only pretended like he was going to "punch" Jimin lol. Kinda felt like he took it personally that Jimin didn't side with him.😂

8. So they took footage from while Jungkook was in New York on a separate schedule, thinking about what to make in Jeju. Cute that he was thinking about what Jimin would love. Head full of Jimin, SAME!

9. I know that Jungkook gets a lot of pushback about how he sometimes treats Jimin (I personally don't get that), but he seemed really focused on him this episode. Like it's super obvious to me that he cares A LOT about him, and not just on a surface level because cameras are there. It's really in the little things that leave an impact on me.

10. Jungkook really loves to cook and watching him figure out recipes is so endearing, and Jimin sitting near him/falling asleep while he works to make the stew he thought Jimin would love days earlier was actually really wholesome and touching.

11. Jimin taking off his shirt mid way through eating the stew JK prepared, while everyone else standing around the table is fully clothed made me laugh so much. And not one explanation in sight. Ok cool Jimin is just here nips out and everything, love that for him lol.😅

12. The wrap up at the end was cute. It was nice that they made Tae feel welcomed, and told him how grateful they were that he was there. It really was such a positive note to end on.

All in all it was an enjoyable episode, that focused mainly on food and driving from spot to spot. Very happy for a change in scenery though.

BRING ON SAPPORO!!!!

My personal rank of episodes so far… 2 -> 1 -> 4 -> 5 -> 3

[thegoldencontracts]

UH UH UH UH UHHHHHHHHHHHHH

first of all, congratulations for reaching 300 followers (honestly were we really surprised??) SO PROUD OF U POOKINAAA

the club idea sounds SO cool so for mine, may i request the board games club with the lovely azul ashengrotto? no pressure ofc^^

AND ONCE AGAIN, congratulations on your milestone! hope u have an AMAZING night!

- 🐙

Of course, and tyyyyy! For this event! By the way, I can do multiple fics for the same character!

Just Luck~

Summary: You, the newest member of Board Game Club, use the power of Uno and insane luck to beat Azul Ashengrotto.

You'd joined the Board Game club recently, and so far, it was pretty awesome. You'd gotten a taste of the satisfaction of crushing your competition, and boy, did it taste good.

But there was one person you still hadn't been able to beat. Well, technically Idia, but he never even let you get near him, so you discounted him from the equation. No.

The one you'd set your sights on was Azul.

"That would be checkmate," he said to another student with a smirk, completely unaware of what was doing to befall him.

You grabbed the pair of cards from the cabinet, approaching Azul with a grin.

"Hey, Azul!" You said, putting on your best innocent voice. "Wanna play Uno?"

It was for a split second, but his eyes narrowed in displeasure before he hastily composed himself.

Gotcha.

Uno was a largely luck-based game, and Azul? Well, he hated luck-based games!

"Are you certain?" He said. You nodded.

"Yep!" You said. "Why? Chickening out?"

To others, it may have seemed like you were just being playful. That wasn't the case.

This was a challenge. A jab at Azul's pride. And if there was one thing Azul hated more than relying on luck, it was jabs at his pride.

"Fine, then," he said, motioning to a seat right next to him. "Take a seat."

That you did, taking out the deck of cards with a grin.

One to Azul, one to you. Azul, you, Azul, you, and so on and so forth, until you both had seven.

"Shall we play, then?" You said, barely able to keep your composure as you gaped at your hand.

Plus fours, a skip, and wild cards galore! How did you even get this lucky?

"I'll go first," you said with a grin, throwing down your plus-four. Azul grit his teeth.

"Your turn once more, then."

You nodded, throwing down a skip turn. Finally, Azul's eye started to twitch. His composure was breaking, you could just feel it.

"A-Are you certain there's nothing illicit involved with your hand, Prefect?"

"I'm hurt!" You said. "I would never cheat."

No, you would. You weren't now, though. You put down yet another plus four. Azul snapped.

"You're most certainly cheating!" He said. "There is absolutely no way in the name of the Sea Witch you managed-"

"Just checked security cam footage," Idia said. "No one fucked with the deck, you just have god-awful luck, lmao."

Azul was practically foaming at the mouth with rage at this point. Weirdly cute.

And so, you just kept going. And with each card, Azul's face got progressively more red, right until the very last Wild Card.

"I win," You said. Azul scoffed.

"Fine then," he said, turning away with a huff like some petulant child. "You've gotten luckier than me on one single instance. Congratulations, I'm overjoyed at this milestone of yours."

You just scoffed.

"I bet you're gonna spend the next week looking up Uno tactics after this," you said, and Azul's reaction told you you were right.

"I-I-er-" He stood up. "I'm leaving! Delude yourself however you please."

You just laughed as he left the area. Afterwards, thoug, you couldn't help but feel rather- fond, in a way.

Azul could be really cute sometimes.

[siconetribal]

Put it on My Tab (15)

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!reader

Warning:

Terrible drivers, Picking on someone not your size, Jason being cute while trying to look cool, Stupid cupid strikes again

A/N:

Please comment/like/reblog. If you’d like to be tagged moving forward, please let me know!

As always, a huge thank you and shout out to @harlequin-hangout for the amazing banners you made for me. @vbecker10 , thanks for always listening and helping with all my idea rambles! This story sold have been stuck off not for you.

If you’re new to the story, please check out the master post for the rest of the chapters.

The evening traffic was not horrible, Jason had anticipated that it would be worse. The only terrible thing was the expensive brightly colored car that had cut him off when he tried to turn into the parking lot. Had it not been for his quick reflexes, he would have been forcefully acquainted with the pavement. He glared at the car as it took up two spots from poor parking. 

There’s no shortage of dumbasses here. He purposely parked a few spots away from the crazy driver when a well dressed woman came stomping over. Her mouth was moving and her eyebrows were furrowed, but he could not hear a thing thanks to the music that was currently playing through his helmet speakers. I’m guessing she’s pissed and trying to blame me for her shitty driving. He watched her arms flail about, motioning to the car that nearly hit him and his motorcycle. When she gave it a rough nudge in an attempt to knock it over, he frowned. Standing up at his full height, he looked down at the woman who stumbled a few steps back when she saw just how much bigger he was than her.  He scoffed at her attempt to try and paint him as the villain, but the lack of an audience only made her look even more ridiculous.

Huffing and puffing, she turned on her pointy heel and stormed into the cafe. Jason could only shake his head in response to the crazy person, grabbing something from one of his saddlebags. He carefully placed it in his jacket pocket, making his way inside and into the line. Normally he would’ve taken his helmet off by now, but he wanted to surprise a certain barista. What was not planned for was the rude customer causing a scene, the same person who nearly hit him with a care. Seeing as no one wanted to step up, Jason took matters into his own hands.

“Why don’t you call him? Since you say you know him so well, call him. Let him know that you’re harassing his employee for doing her job and following his rules implemented in his establishment.” He cut into the conversation, stepping forward as others made room for him. The look of shock on Y/N’s face when he removed the helmet was plenty of reward for his noble act, but he was selfish and wanted to do more. He wanted to see more of her reactions, but first he needed to get rid of the eyesore. 

The woman flinched at first, but when he removed the helmet her attitude completely changed for a third time. He noticed the flushed color on her face from all her shouting was quickly softening as she stood taller and fixed her clothing. It was painfully obvious that she found him attractive now that she saw his face and it took a good level of control to not roll his eyes and curse her out for making a mess wherever she went.

“I know how this might look just walking in, but she has been quite insolent this entire time. I am merely trying to teach her her place.” She was calmer, but her tone was cloyingly sweet. It made him feel suffocated and uncomfortable.

Don’t do it. She’ll tack on to Y/N and that’ll only cause more problems. “Not from what I’ve seen since you walked up here. Did you forget you nearly hit a biker with your car and cursed them out? Hi, that biker was me. Now, get your drink and sit quietly or leave, or you can call the owner and he can check the CC footage to see what happened. You pick,” he kept his tone leveled and firm. Any attempt of her flirting with him was clearly useless and he was not going to even entertain being anything except cold and disinterested. Her face paled and she ran off to the pick-up counter,

“Thanks for the help. I’m sorry you had to step in like that.” The genuine smile of relief she gave him was a direct shot to his heart. It injected warmth into his veins and filled his chest with immeasurable pride. There was also an ache underneath it all, but he pushed all of it aside to focus on the conversation.

“Don’t mention it, I told you, I save damsels in distress. You just happen to be in distress more often than most.” He smirked and winked at her, earning an eye roll in response. “I’ll have to insist you clock out for the rest of the day though. You look exhausted and after all of that, you deserve a free night at the least.” The two other employees were quick to jump in and assist him in trying to get Y/N out. Seeing as they had it under control he simply stepped aside and waited for her to come around after clocking out when his ears perked up at a particular word used to describe him. She’ll correct it, there’s no point in expecting anything else. Though he was smiling, that odd sting from earlier was back. Yup, any moment now. He sighed, waiting…and waiting. Only to hear the door open and close with no argument from Y/N. The next thing he knew, he was being dragged out into the chilly autumn night.

Wait, she didn’t correct them?! Does she not mind it? Well now, I guess I’m just meant to play the role.  Her coworkers waved and wished them a good night. Y/N refused to look back while Jason was grinning to himself. The first time he played the role of her boyfriend was way back when she was being harassed by some older guy who slipped something into her drink. Now he was being mistaken for it and it made him chuckle.

“What are you laughing at, oh great capeless crusader?” She scoffed, turning to face him as soon they were outside the doors. “Well, whatever drink you wanted to get is cancelled now. Sorry about that, you can head to some other coffee shop if you want. You don’t have to spend time with me or anything, I’ll just cross the street and play at the gaming lounge.” She pointed to the strip mall which he went to on that fateful day thanks to the IP address.

“And what kind of boyfriend would I be if I just bailed on you like that?” The grin on his face only grew into a smug smirk as she scowled back at him.

“The kind I actually have, nonexistent.” She managed to retort.

“So you’re single.” He mumbled to himself. Good to know. He logged the bit of information away as he looked across the street at the dying strip mall. Slipping his hands into his jacket pockets, he felt the smooth wrapping and paused for a moment. “I came all the way here to give you this.” He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sandwich bag with a zipper lock that held three dark squares in it. It was the brownies she had joked about earlier. “I’ve gotta make up for my lack of texting somehow.” He handed the baggie over to her and watched her carefully hold it in both her hands, wide eyed and smiling. Another direct hit to his heart at the purity and innocence of her happiness.

Y/N carefully cradled the confections in her hand, afraid to smush them even just a little bit. It was a simple gesture that made all the stress and frustration from the day quickly melt away. She really did want a brownie after talking to him about it, but the last thing she would have thought was him bringing her some. “Did you make these?”

“Yeah, I dabble in baking from time to time. I live on my own and living off of fast food has lost its appeal.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “They aren’t anything super fancy, I didn’t wanna risk putting in something you can’t have or you just won’t like.” Y/N ducked her head in hopes to hide the blush that was warming her cheeks as she gently placed the treats into her bag. She knew her initial judgment of him was not the kindest due to the coffee fiasco, but he proved himself to be someone more respectable and straightforward.

“Thank you, you really didn’t have to though. But if it helps, you did earn some points.”

“I’ll take whatever I can get. So, did you really want to go to the lounge or is there a chance I can sway your decision?” 

“Oh, what do you have in mind?” Y/N felt her facial temperature was more regulated at this point so she looked up at his face once more. He’s really too handsome for his own good. The price to pay for seeing it so often is pretty steep though.

“Maybe dinner, my treat? There’s a really great diner not too far from here. I always hit it up when I’m in the area.” She carefully considered his offer, looking over at the lounge. It had been a while since she last logged on and her usual buddy was nowhere to be found. She was hoping to possibly catch him tonight, but she knew there was no promise that he would be online. Biting at her lower lip, she tilted her head side-to-side as she debated on what to do. 

There’s a slim chance that Arkham_Knight might be online, but he could just message me and I can check on it later. Hottie Toddie over here actually brought me brownies and helped me with a horrible customer. She took a deep breath and turned her attention fully to Jason.  “Sure, let’s go to the diner. But uhm, how are we going to get there? You came here on a motorcycle, right?” I'll log in tomorrow, we usually meet during the week anyway. 

“Yeah, we’d just ride my bike. Why?”

“I’ve never been on one. All I know is you sit on it like you do any bike.” She rubbed the back of her neck, her gaze falling to the ground once more.

“I promise I’m a skilled rider, you just need to climb on behind and hold on tight.”

“Hold on tight? To what?”

“To me.” He offered her his hand. Seconds ticked by like minutes as he watched her look between him and his hands. Though he was very cool and confident in what he was saying, he was a mess inside. She could easily reject him and this would be an embarrassing mess. The thought of her declining felt wrong. He wanted her to say yes, he was wishing for her to say yes. The waiting was making him nervous and he was grateful that his gloves hid the cold sweat on his palms. “So, what’ll it be?” There's no reason for me to get nervous. 

“Mmm, ok.” He swallowed the sigh of relief that threatened to come out as she placed her hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around and instantly noticed how much larger his hand was compared to hers. 

“I’ll keep it slow, I don’t wanna scare you on your first ride. You’ll be wearing the helmet, too. It’s not far, so you don’t need to worry about me.” He rambled a little as he led her to his prized vehicle. “You can keep your bag in one of the side bags here.” He popped one open for her and she quickly deposited her items in it. As soon as she was done, he slipped the helmet over her head. It was a bit loose, but he fastened it as tightly as he could under her chin.

When the world suddenly grew muffled, Y/N nearly panicked. Thankfully the weight of the safety accessory helped her realize she was not fainting from exhaustion.

“Woah, this is a lot heavier than I expected. Are you sure it’s safe for you to not wear one? We could just call a taxi or take the bus?” She offered, fiddling the way it fit on her head. It's this hour a fish feels in a fish bowl? I kinda feel like I'm swimming in it. “It’s moving around a lot.”

“I’ll be fine, just don't move your head too much. Now, just follow my lead. You’ll need to sit real close and hold on to me.” She watched as he effortlessly straddled the bike, her gaze dropping to his muscular thighs that became more prominent now that he was on it. 

Quit staring , she scolded herself and looked further down at her own two feet. It's a good thing I’m wearing pants. She nervously inched closer to the vehicle and hesitated before swinging a leg over. She teetered a little from the added weight to her head but managed to keep her balance and sat safely behind him. Her heart jumped into a bit of overdrive when she realized she was unable to touch the pavement when he straightened the bike. Reflexively she wrapped her arms around him and gripped as tight as she could without trying to hurt him. Though that fear was hard to believe now that she was reminded of just how solid he was. Now her heart was racing for an entirely different reason. She only hoped he was unable to feel or hear it.

Tag: @vbecker10 @wordsfromshona @harlequin-hangout @harpy-space @tild3ath @gone-batty-fics @princessbl0ss0m @dakotali  @antiquecultist

[nocandnc]

On Valentine’s Day, Okonogi Konomi gives Vice Captain Hoshina a Mont Blanc.

On White Day, Vice Captain Hoshina leaves a plush bear on Okonogi Konomi's desk.

-

Ummm I wrote some kinda ficlette under the cut if you’re into that kind of thing 🫣

-

On Valentine’s Day, Okonogi Konomi gives Vice Captain Hoshina a Mont Blanc.

She distributes an assortment of cakes, chocolate and Japanese sweets to the whole team in fact - it’s great for morale after all - but the Mont Blanc in particular was from a ridiculously popular bakery where she had to wait in line for over two hours. She does not mention this.

He accepts the offering with cheer in any case, taking several precious work minutes to joke and brag about receiving something from a cute girl - as if he hadn’t received a mountain of gifts from adoring civilian fans already.

Konomi rolls her eyes and ventures to ask - if it's not too much trouble - could he please not make fun of her?

-

On White Day, Vice Captain Hoshina leaves a plush bear on Okonogi Konomi's desk.

There’s no time to hand it over in person as he’s called to battle before she can arrive. He forgot to include a note to boot, so when Hoshina returns he finds Okonogi being teased by a few staff members over an assumed secret admirer.

It's a simple misunderstanding, and one he should clear up. All he needs to do is walk over and ask how she likes the return present he got her. Easy as pie... or Mont Blanc, as it were.

But Soshiro has never seen a person blush so hard. Certainly not Operations Leader Okonogi. The mood is suddenly askew and he finds himself standing dangerously still, watching from afar while Konomi fiddles with the purple ribbon tied 'round the bear's neck. Amidst the glare of their many computer systems, the lenses of her glasses seem to fog up a little as she mumbles words of refute to her peers.

Days later, Hoshina is drinking his morning coffee. Okonogi arrives a few sips in and her first order of business is thanking him for the teddy bear.

The Vice Captain chokes down a mouthful of coffee in a cool, definitely not startled way. "What?"

"The stuffed bear," she reiterates. "You left it on my desk for White Day, remember? I just wanted to say thank you - it’s very cute."

Her smile is tempered to an unknown degree.

Hoshina is quiet for a split second, jaw working to pull on his usual grin. "Well now," he forces a chuckle. "What makes you think it was from me? I heard you got it from some mystery man."

To Hoshina Soshiro's shock and horror, the young woman laughs. Laughs in his face. As if he wasn't her superior officer or anything.

"Oh, come on, sir! The security footage is right there!"

...!

The security footage.

The Security Footage.

THE.

SECURITY.

FOOTAGE.

Hoshina sets his coffee down very carefully, unsure if the tremors working their way through him are from stifled laughter or internal screaming.

“…Right…” The man nearly slaps a hand to his face before switching to a rough salute at the last millisecond. “As expected of the brains of this operation - Well done solving it, Okonogi-chan!”

Okonogi mirrors him. “Thank you, sir!”

Hoshina grins naturally this time, feeling the ease of familiar territory.

“But, still…” the Vice Captain’s eyes catch her gaze, a bit of suspicion flickering in them. “If you knew already, why’d you go an’ let that misunderstanding drag on?”

The clock ticks by and Okonogi adjusts her glasses with another smile, one that’s a little more wry than his own. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“…Well, I know how you love a good mystery.”

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I mentioned not too long ago, that this is what happens when people buy a church or school to convert and don't have the means or expertise to do it professionally. It didn't turn out as they envisioned, so they give up and put it up for sale. This is a 1916 church in Beaverdam, Ohio. The description says it has 2bds, and 2ba, but that can definitely change with a new buyer. Priced at $235K.

Entrance lobby with a wide opening and accordion doors.

In the main space they've arranged a living room set in front of the altar pews and placed a board with an old altar cloth on it to make a TV stand.

That's all there is in the vast main body of the church. The altar is still standing and judging by the original carpet, faded where the pews once were, it would be very costly to do new flooring of any kind. A couple of the original pews are along the side walls.

There's low book shelving on the altar, which can be expanded on, to either make a kitchen or family room. Can you imagine having to heat this vast empty space? No wonder they're selling. That may be something they didn't consider- the utilities on a place this big.

I'm sure that the mezzanine and stairs were here. I don't know if the owners built the "rooms," or if they were here as offices, etc.

Taking advantage of the cubicles, they made the 2 bedrooms that are in the description.

The middle one is set up as an office.

And, they turned the last one into a bath.

I can't tell- they may have put up the walls to make the cubicles. Anyway, there are another 3 on the 2nd level.

These are the other bedrooms and they've hung rods for curtains in the large openings, both upstairs and down.

Stairs to the basement.

Down in the huge, open basement. What is in that cage? Looks like a very large bird.

They have a kitchen table and a bedroom set up in the corner.

There are some cabinets, but not a kitchen.

It looks like they're using the former church kitchen as their kitchen.

There's a serving window and maybe heat lamps? Notice how worn the floor is.

Half bath down here.

Plus storage.

The front is cute with lattices on both sides of the door and it looks like they planted a garden and put up a chicken wire fence surrounding the property. Also, looking at the front, there has to be a cool bell tower inside.

The carpet on the those stairs has to go.

For the price it's a very large brick building. I wonder if there are fireplaces attached to the 2 big chimneys.

The listing doesn't give the square footage of the lot, but it's gigantic.

Cute brick BBQ needs redoing. Seriously, it's a large property with a lot of potential, for $235K, but the buyer will have to have some money set aside to fix it up.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/211-S-Mill-St-Beaverdam-OH-45808/248078257_zpid/

[dronebiscuitbat]

Give me a Reason: Chapter 14 - "Expedition (Part 2)"

Uzi finished setting up the camera, pointing it towards the mineshaft entrance and rest of the parking lot and pressing a button that made the camera blink with a red light. She took a nervous breath, before she grabbed his shoulder and made him stand next to her.

“Hey everyone! Welcome to the first uh… night? Field study?” She started off strong, sounding decently confident before her voice began to falter, N blinked, before speaking up himself.

“Investigation! We're ghost hunting!” He beamed into the camera, gripping Uzi's shoulder as he threw a hand up in the air in excitement. Uzi froze for a moment in his grip, before gently pushing him away.

“Right, Supernatural Investigation. I wanted to start off strong by going to the most haunted place in Copper I know of… the old mine.” She tried to match his energy, but found the feat to be impossible, any excitement came out sounding like sarcasm.

“Uh does the mine have a name?” N asked dumbly, rubbing the back of his head and turning his full attention to Uzi.

She blinked for a moment. “Not sure… it's been abandoned so long the names rubbed off.” She pointed to a very old wooden sign, the only word left legible was ‘Mine’.

“But it doesn't matter, there's a ton of rumors about this place. Hehehe.” Uzi wiggled her fingers, a small smirk gracing her face.

“Like?” N urged her to continue, unlike her, he had zero problems with the camera of their invisible audience, smiling into it like a pro.

“It's said that JCJenson experimented on the miners here in the 70's and that those tortured souls still haunt the forest around the mine, looking for vengeance.” Voice taking a creepy cadence, she look a glance at N, who looked a little spooked.

“Wait, you didn't tell me that part!” He whined, making her laugh like a gremlin.

“I had to leave some secrets! That's what makes it fun.”

After that, they continued to flim, Uzi taking a long establishing shot of the surrounding area before picking up the camera in her hands, ready to start exploring.

“Ready N?” She asked, sticking her thumb up in front of the camera before turning to him, he looked nervous, sweat visible on his cheek. Fumbling with his hands.

“Ah… yeah! I guess!” He gave a wary thumbs up before Uzi took the lead, getting close up shots of the rusted out vehicles and N cutely waving on the other side of car through the window at her.

It was the mouth of the mine next, N next to her as she took an approaching shot up to the darkened maw, looking inside where darkness took over within a few feet in, almost oppressive.

“Wanna go in?” She teased, watching N look reprochfully at the mouth of the mine, at her question he took several steps back, shaking his head.

“No! Nope I'm good!.” He quickly replied, his hands out in front of him as he backed up, and she couldn't help but laugh.

This… this was fun, which was something she hadn't felt while out with another person in a long time. N was the perfect partner for something like this, he was easily freaked out, reacting with fear at the slightest noise or movement. Which meant of course, it was endlessly fun messing with him by intentionally snapping sticks or pointing out a nonexistent shadow.

There wasn't any real evidence of ghostly activity, and most of the footage was nothing but them talking while trudging through the underbrush, or small landmarks, like discarded mining equipment or trees that looked exceptionally creepy.

“Oooh, what's that?” N spoke up after a small lull in conversation. At this point, the sun was going down, making the shadows on the forest floor look longer and more intimidating, and the air had begun to cool.

N was pointing off into the distance, where there was a strange shape through the trees, it almost looked like…

“A cabin! Sweet! Let's check it out!” Uzi immediately started sprinting towards it, only vaguely hearing N's yelling of her name as she hyperfocused on it, and only stopped until she was directly in front of it.

The cabin was old, extremely old, the wooden siding sloughing off with rot, the windows had been cracked, some shattered, and every one of them boarded up in some capacity, a stone chimney breached to top of it, and a rusty pickaxe sat on the outside of the door.

Thumping footsteps came up behind her, along with exhausted panting and a grumble. “Man you are fast Uzi…” She turned the camera to face him, catching him resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

All she responded with was another maniacal giggle. “Oh come on, your legs are like double the length of mine, don't be a baby.”

When N did catch his breath, he looked up at the cabin in awe, taking note of every detail. He pulled the radio out of his pocket, and turned it on.

Static.

“Might get something if we go inside.” Uzi suggested, clambering onto the rotten porch and gesturing to the door, N in response, looked horrified.

“That's breaking and entering!” He seethed.

“Nobody lives here! It'll be fine!” Uzi replied, adjusting the camera in one hand as she reached our for the rusted handle, the metal trying to fall apart in her hand as she gave it a turn.

The doorknob crunched as corroded metal attempted to move, groaning and grinding before stopping suddenly.

“Locked.” Uzi grumbled, and N couldn't help but inwardly jump for joy. No more illegal activities today, thank you.

“Hey, maybe we can head back and try this out at the entrance to the mine?” He suggested, before noticing Uzi lifting up the moth-eaten welcome mat and making an ‘Ah-Hah!’ noise.

And lifting up an ancient looking key with a shit eating grin.

N gulped, climbing up into the rotten porch, holding onto his little radio like he could use it as weapon, his eyes darting in every direction as Uzi unlocked the door and pushed it open.

The door creaked heavily, as if it was surprised it was being used after so long, the air inside was musty and damp, with the smell of mildew permeating into their nostrils and almost making N recoil in disgust.

“Cool” Uzi noted, taking a few steps inside, using her phone as a flashlight. The light bouncing around the inside of the one room cabin.

There was a ratted out double bed stuffed into the corner, still made and ready for someone to tuck into, a nightstand next to it, covered in stacked, now ruined books. There was a small kitchen surrounding the stone hearth, and a dining table that had fallen apart into a heap.

N looked at his radio.

Static.

“Looks like this place hasn't been touched since the mine shut down.” Uzi hummed as she picked up one of the books on the nightstand;

The Anatomy of The Soul.

N was directly behind her, not quite touching her, but it was clear he wanted to, hovering just above her shoulder as he scrunched in on himself, trying to make himself look small.

“Chicken.” She teased, causing him to pout into the camera.

“Am not!’ He protested, before yelping like a little girl at a spider that decided that the moment was perfect to drop in front of his face.

“Mmhm, sure buddy.” Uzi chuckled, before heading over into the remains of the kitchen, picking up an old fire-stoker and whipping it around like it was a sword.

He-ll-ooo

Both teens froze in shock as N's radio suddenly blasted out a noise that wasn't static, N himself holding it far away from him as if it would attack him. And Uzi dropping the stoker with a loud clatter.

“Holy- Oh my god we actually got something!” Uzi exclaimed, looking excited as she closed the distance between N and herself.

“Hello. Can you hear me?” She spoke into the room as clearly and loudly as she could, ignoring the fact N was trembling and scanning every corner of the room for any sort of movement.

Static

More Static

“Maybe it was a flu-”

Y-es. Came distorted out of the radio, shutting N up instantly, the voice sounded distinctly female, if not slightly monotone. N whimpered softly.

“What is your name? What happened to you?” Uzi asked again, smile getting wider as she lifted the camera to scan the entire room.

There was another small beat of silence.

H-hurt. Coool-d. Tru- Bettt-raye-d

Uzi looked at N again, who honestly looked like he was about to pass out. But she couldn't contain her excitement, proof! Actual proof of something supernatural!

H-help. Wire. S-shockkk. Tr-rappp-ed.

“Who hurt you?” Uzi asked, before feeling a light chill go up her back, making every hair stand on end suddenly, for a moment- just a moment, she could see her own breath.

But no reply ever came.

“Nope! We're leaving!” N suddenly said, grabbing her by the wrist and all but dragging her own of the cabin, she jumped at his touch, being several degrees warmer then her own normal temperature. Her cheeks warmed too.

“H-Hey! I wasn't finished!” She protested, though she didn't make any true effort to fight him, letting herself be lead back through the forest, until they were back in the overgrown parking lot.

“I am! I've seen horror movies!” N replied, sounding truly freaked. Uzi only pouted slightly, adjusting the camera again.

“I wanted to communicate with the dead…”She whined when he finally released her a safe distance from the accursed cabin, making N turn to her with a half-amused smile, lined by incredulity.

“What the heck is wrong with you?” At first, that comment hit her directly in the heart, thinking that he was judging her in some way, thinking that she was weird or creepy for being totally into the paranormal.

But the soft smile on his face and genuine look in his eye made her realize he meant it positively, he wasn't judging, he was fascinated. And possibly also slightly intimidated at how fearless she seemed to be.

So she just shrugged. “I dunno. I just think it's more cool then scary.”

N gave her a breathless laugh in return.

“You're way braver then me then, I don't- er didn't even believe in ghosts until now!” He tangled his hands in his hair, looking incredibly perturbed at this revelation.

“Oh Biscuits! Ghosts are real! I'm never going to ever sleep again…” He admitted, causing a very soft giggle to escape Uzi's mouth.

“Easy, Scoob. As much as I was excited… it easily could have been the radio picking up bits of broadcasts… it's nothing concrete.” She replied, feeling that little bit of disappointment rise within her, knowing she was entirely correct, even if she didn't want to be.

“Sooo… no ghost?” He blinked.

“Sooo, maybe ghost.” She replied, sighing and looking at her phone for the time. 8:55 “We only have about an hour left, we should crawl out of here before it's too dark to see.”

He glanced back at the direction of the cabin like he was looking for something to appear before sighing.

“We're… not ever going back in there… are we?” He looked at her, a spot on impression of puppy dog eyes that made her heart skip and immediately turn away, an angry blush on her face, before it was replaced with a teasing smirk.

“No promises~”

“Uzi!”

She laughed as she lead them back out of the woods, making sure to pick up their supplies.

Yeah… this was fun. Maybe she didn't have to be so distant with this one.

Next->

[hockeylovee12]

Crossing Enemy Lines

Chapter Five

Luke Hughes x Original Character

November 14th, 2023

In the middle of a vast lecture hall at NYU, Jordan sits in her 9 AM economics class, struggling to stay focused as her professors' monotone voice drones on about opportunity cost. 

Suddenly she feels her phone buzzing in the back pocket of her blue jeans, a welcomed distraction. 

She quickly glances around the room, making sure her professor or his TA’s aren't watching and carefully grabs her phone, sliding it underneath her notebook. 

She unlocks the screen, and sees a text from Luke: Hey what are you up to?

A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she types out her response.

Trying not to fall asleep in econ. It’s so boring

She hits send and tries to refocus on the lecture, but her phone buzzes again almost immediately.

Luke: Those classes are the worst. Last year at Michigan I had a 9am for stats. It sucked and my professor kinda sounded like one of those drowning goats from YouTube. 

Jordan stifles a laugh, her shoulders shaking. Her friend, Taylor, sitting next to her, nudges her shoulder and leans in, whispering, "What's so funny?"

Jordan shrugs, trying to play it cool. "Oh, nothing. Just a meme I saw earlier."

Taylor raises an eyebrow, not entirely convinced, but turns back to face the front of the class. Jordan looks down at her phone and types out another message: OMG stop you’re making me laugh. 

Luke's response comes quickly.

Luke: Mission accomplished then. 😎 I'm just picturing you in class, trying to hold it together. It's a pretty cute mental image.

Jordan feels a blush creeping up her neck as she reads his words. She bites her lip, trying to suppress the giddy smile threatening to spread across her face.

Jordan: You're going to get me in trouble! But I have to admit, it's a lot more fun texting you than listening to this lecture.

She hits send and looks up, only to find her professor staring directly at her, a stern expression on his face.

"Class, I know it's early," he says, his voice carrying across the lecture hall, "but please put your phones away. This information is important and will be on your upcoming test."

Jordan feels her cheeks heat up as a few of her classmates glance in her direction. She smirks sheepishly and puts her phone back in her pocket, mouthing a silent "sorry" to the professor.

As she tries to refocus on the lecture, her thoughts keep drifting back to Luke. She can’t help but feel a slight thrill, at the thought of him picturing her, even when they’re apart. 

The rest of the class seems to drag on forever, but Jordan finds herself feeling lighter and happier, despite the boring subject matter. She knows it's because of Luke, because of the way he can make her laugh and smile even from a distance.

As the professor finally dismisses them, Jordan gathers her things and heads out of the lecture hall, already pulling her phone out to see if Luke has texted her again. 

*****

The New Jersey Devils players gather in the video room, going over video footage, from their match from last night against the Red Wings. 

Coach Ruff stands at the front of the room, laser pointer in hand, breaking down the team's performance.

"Okay, guys," Ruff says, pausing the video on a particular play. "Let's take a look at this shift. Nico, great job on the backcheck here. You managed to break up their odd-man rush and turn the play around."

Nico nods, a small smile on his face, as he receives a few head pats and shoulder claps from his teammates.

Ruff continues his analysis, and in the midst of him discussing the power play, something Luke should really pay attention to considering he’s on the first unit, Luke feels his phone buzz in his pocket.

His hand twitches, itching to reach for it, but he knows better than to check his messages during a team meeting. He tries to focus on the video, on Ruff's words, but his mind keeps drifting to thoughts of Jordan and what she might be texting him about.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Ruff wraps up the meeting. "Alright, boys, that's it for today. Remember, we've got a big game coming up against Columbus. Let's make sure we're sharp and ready to go."

The team murmurs in agreement and starts to file out of the room. 

Luke is one of the first ones out, making a beeline for the locker room. 

He walks to his stall, taking a seat and pulling out his phone to check his messages. 

Sure enough, there's a text from Jordan. He opens it eagerly.

Jordan: Just saw a dog on campus that looked exactly like you. 

Luke laughs out loud, shaking his head as he types out his response.

Luke: Oh yeah? Was it incredibly handsome and charming? 

Jordan's reply comes quickly.

Jordan: Nah, it was just really goofy-looking. 

Luke: Wow, rude. See if I ever compare you to a cute animal again. 

Jordan: Aww, I'm sorry. You're much cuter than any dog. Forgive me? 🥺

Luke grins, feeling a warmth spreading through his chest.

Luke: I suppose I can let it slide this time. But only because you admitted I'm cute. 

As he hits send, he hears someone clear their throat. He looks up to see John standing there, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Texting your girlfriend again, Hughesy?" John teases, leaning against the stall.

Luke rolls his eyes. "She's not my girlfriend. And mind your own business, Johnny."

"Oooh, defensive," Tyler chimes in across the room. "Must be serious."

"Who are you texting, Lukey?" Jesper asks, looking up from his stall.

Luke sighs, pocketing his phone. "No one. Just a friend." he claims, causing his teammates to exchange some looks.

Luke stands up, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "I gotta go find Jack. See you guys tomorrow."

“See ya later, Romeo!” Nate shouts as Luke walks out of the locker room, he rolls his eyes before walking towards the trainer’s room, knowing Jack is probably there. 

He can feel his phone buzzing in his pocket again and he smiles, having a pretty good idea who it's from. 

*****

Jordan settles into her bed, propping her phone up against a pillow as she waits for Luke to answer her Facetime call. After a few rings, his face appears on the screen, a warm smile spreading across his features.

"Hey, you," he greets her, his voice soft and intimate in the quiet of his room.

"Hey yourself," Jordan replies, feeling a flutter in her stomach at the sight of him. "How was your day?"

Luke sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Busy. We had a long practice today, and Coach really worked us hard. I'm pretty wiped."

Jordan nods sympathetically. "I know the feeling. I've been studying all day, got like five tests coming up. I feel like my brain is going to melt out of my ears."

Luke chuckles, “I’m sure you’ll do great” 

Jordan feels a blush creeping up her neck. "I don't know about that. But thanks for the vote of confidence."

They fall into easy conversation, trading stories about their days. Jordan complains about her homework and Luke tells her about the prank war that's been brewing in the Devils locker room.

"I swear, if I find one more rubber snake in my skates, I'm going to lose it," he laughs, shaking his head.

Jordan giggles. "Maybe you should retaliate. Put some itching powder in their gear"

Luke's eyes widen. "You’re an evil genius, you know” 

Jordan laughs. 

“Hey Jordan?” Jacob’s voice cuts through the screen as the door to her room bursts open. Luke freezes for a moment on the other line, before, quickly clicking the buttons to hide his camera and mute his microphone. 

Jordan turns her phone face down on her lap, “What’s up?” Jordan says trying to come off as casual as possible

“Kelly is going out tonight, so it’s just us for dinner. Any preferences?” Jacob asks 

Jordan lets a small smile cross her face as she shakes her head. 

“Whatcha up to?” Jacob questions a smirk dancing on his lips 

“Nothing just chatting with a friend about homework” Jordan lies

“Mhmm, ok well I’m gonna make salmon then, sounds good?” 

“Ya sounds good” Jordan says, Jacob smiles again, before leaving the room, shutting her door completely-which is a very rare thing for a sibling to do. 

“He’s gone” Jordan says her voice hushed as she flips her phone back over. 

Luke unmutes himself and turns the camera back on “That was kinda close” Luke exhales

“Ya, but don’t worry, he just thinks it’s some guy from school” Jordan whispers 

"Does he know about date?" Luke asks 

"He just knows I'm going on one on Saturday" Jordan explains

“Ok good, I should probably get going though, Jack’s gonna be back any minute with our dinner” Luke says

“Ya me too, but I’ll talk to later ya?” Jordan asks 

“Definitely, bye Jordan” 

“Bye, Luke” She responds, letting his name fall off her tongue in a hushed tone. 

*****

November 15th, 2023

Jordan’s 10 AM psychology class is in full swing, as her professor goes on and on about the different types of validity, for probably like the millionth time. 

Her notebook is open in front of her but her pencil hasn't touched the page in minutes, as her professor's voice fades into the background and her mind drifts to thoughts of Luke and their upcoming date.

She pictures the restaurant he mentioned, which she had done a quick google search of prior, it’s a rather nice italian/seafood place, located away from the city.

She imagines the way he’ll look, with his tall frame, his curly hair, which kinda reminds her of a poodle, but in a cute, charming way. 

Jordan's thoughts turn to her outfit, and she mentally rifles through her closet, trying to decide what to wear, even though this date is still three days away. 

She wants something that screams come and get me, but not desperate, or easy, definitely not easy. Something that will make her feel confident and beautiful. 

Maybe that navy blue dress she bought last summer, the one with the straight neckline and the tight skirt. Or maybe her favorite pair of dark-wash jeans, paired with a fun strapless corset and her leather jacket.

As she loses herself in thought, she has that faint feeling that her name is being called, then a small nudge to the shoulder, by the classmate to her left, forces her to regain focus. 

“-rdan, are you with us?” 

Jordan blinks realizing her professor is staring directly at her, an expectant expression on his face.

“I’m sorry what?” she asks, feeling a blush creep up her neck.

Her professor sighs, a hint of exasperation in his voice. “I asked you to explain the difference between content and criterion related validity.” 

Jordan's mind goes blank, and she feels a surge of panic rising in her chest. She knows she should know this, they've gone over it in class before, and she’s seen it in her notes but right now all she can think about is Luke and their date.

Her classmate nudges her gently with her elbow, again, a concerned look on her face. Jordan takes a deep breath, trying to focus.

“Uh, I’m sorry I don’t know the answer” she admits, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Her professor lets out a heavy sigh “This is a key concept, we’ve been talking about for weeks. You need to learn if you would like to pass this class, please stop daydreaming and pay attention” He scolds towards Jordan. 

Jordan sinks lower in her seat, feeling a mix of shame and frustration wash over her. 

*****

Jack and Luke sit comfortably inside Jack’s range rover, heading towards the Prudential Center, to meet with their team, before their flight to Columbus. 

Luke is in the passenger seat, his phone in his hand as he texts back and forth with Jordan. 

Jordan: Are you excited to go to Ohio? 

Luke Nope, I hate Ohio

Jordan: How do you hate a state? 

Luke: I’m from Michigan, Michigan doesn’t like Ohio. 

Jordan: Just a general overall hatred?

Luke: Nah, it's a whole thing. Pretty sure it's in our state constitution that we have to hate Ohio. I think it's right after the part about cherishing our Great Lakes and wearing socks with sandals. Jordan: Note to self: Never wear Ohio colors around Luke 

Luke chuckles softly at Jordan's last message, a goofy grin spreading across his face. Jack glances over at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Who you texting?" he asks, a note of curiosity in his voice.

Luke quickly locks his phone, slipping it into his pocket. "No one," he says, trying to sound casual.

Jack gives him a look, clearly not buying it. "Seriously, man, Tell me."

Luke sighs, shifting in his seat. "It's just a girl, okay? No big deal."

"A girl, huh?" Jack presses, a hint of a smirk on his face. "The same girl from the bar the other night? You guys make up?"

Luke feels his cheeks heat up, and he looks out the window, trying to hide his smile. "Maybe," he admits.

Jack laughs, shaking his head. "I knew it! So, when are you gonna see her again?"

Luke hesitates, he can tell Jack about the date, just to get him off his back, just don’t give away details, 

"We have a date on Saturday," he says, trying to sound nonchalant. 

Jack's eyes widen, and he lets out a low whistle. "Damn, Lukey, moving fast!"

Luke rolls his eyes, feeling his face flush even more. "Shut it, Jack. It's not a big deal."

But he knows that’s a lie. 

“ Come on, kid, you've been grinning at your phone like an idiot for days. It's obviously a big deal.” 

“Shut it” Luke scoffs

“Oh come on, give me the details, what are y’all up to?” Jack presses,  with  a wide grin plastered across his face. 

“Don’t worry about it” Luke says

Jack's eyes leave the road, and shift towards Luke “Why all the secrecy?” Jack asks, curiouss

“No secrecy I just don’t wanna tell you” Luke shrugs

“You tell me everything” Jack retorts, with a chuckle of disbelief.

“Ok well I wanna keep this to myself” Luke explains, avoiding eye contact

Jack pauses for a moment, “Alright, Lukey” Jack says, shifting his vision back to the road, “Well I’m here if you want any advice.” 

A smile crosses Luke’s laugh as he speaks, his voice laced with a teasing tone, “I think I’m alright, I’d like this relationship to last longer than two weeks” 

Jack glances at him, before throwing a light punch to Luke’s shoulder.

 “Jerk” Luke mutters, and Jack smirks. 

They pull into the parking lot of the Prudential Center, and he grabs his bag and heads inside to meet up with his teammates, he can't wipe the smile off his face, can't shake the giddy anticipation building in his chest, for Saturday. 

*****

Hours later, Jordan sits cross-legged on her bed, a canvas propped up on her lap and a palette of colorful paints carefully balanced beside her.

 She's working on a piece for her art class, a vibrant abstract that's slowly taking shape under her careful brushstrokes and that was supposed to be due yesterday, but thankfully she received an extension on it, because she was a little distracted. 

In her ear, she listens as Luke’s laughter mingles with the soft sounds of a running shower. Alex is in the room seeing as how room checks have already been done, and that last thing Luke wanted was to give his teammates another reason to tease him.  

"So, who's your favorite artist?" Luke asks, his voice echoing slightly off the bathroom tiles.

Jordan hums thoughtfully, dabbing a bit of blue paint onto the canvas. "That's a tough one. I love so many different styles and periods. But if I had to pick just one, I'd probably say Van Gogh. There's just something about the way he captures emotion and movement in his brushstrokes, you know?"

"Yeah, I can see that," Luke agrees.

They talk about their favorite paintings, the museums they'd love to visit someday. Jordan tells Luke about her dream of studying abroad in Paris, of spending her days wandering the halls of the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.

"What about you?" she asks, switching to a smaller brush for some detailing work. "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

Luke is quiet for a moment.

"Iceland," he says finally, his voice a little muffled as he dries his face. "I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights, to hike through those crazy landscapes with the glaciers and the hot springs. Plus, I hear the people there are really friendly and laid-back."

Jordan smiles, picturing Luke bundled up in a puffy coat and hiking boots, his breath fogging in the crisp Icelandic air. "That sounds amazing," she says softly. "Maybe, someday we should go together” 

There's a beat of silence on the other end of the line, and Jordan feels her cheeks heat up, worried that she's overstepped. But then Luke chuckles, and she can hear the smile in his voice.

"I'd like that," he says warmly. "We could rent one of those little cabins, spend our days exploring and our nights curled up by the fire."

Jordan's heart flutters at the thought, at the easy way Luke includes her in his future plans. She knows it's still early, that they're just getting to know each other, but somehow it feels right, like pieces of a puzzle clicking into place.

"So, did you have any pets growing up?" Luke asks, changing the subject.

Jordan laughs, setting her paintbrush down and leaning back against her pillows. "Oh, yeah. We always had dogs in my family. Golden retrievers, mostly. They were like our unofficial mascots."

She tells him about Bubba, the rambunctious puppy who chewed up all her favorite stuffed animals, and Ginger, the gentle old soul who used to sleep at the foot of her bed every night.

"What about you?" she asks, curious. "Any childhood pets?"

Luke groans, and Jordan can practically hear him shaking his head. "No, no pets for me. Although one time, my brother found a lizard in our backyard and decided to adopt it."

"A lizard?" Jordan giggles, trying to picture a young Luke with a scaly companion.

"Yeah, he named it Godzilla and everything. But then one day, he thought it would be hilarious to put it on my head while I was sleeping. I woke up with this thing crawling all over my face, and I've hated lizards ever since."

Jordan bursts out laughing, imagining the look of terror on Luke's face as he wakes up to a lizard on his head. "Oh my god, that's terrible," she gasps out between giggles. "Your poor brother, though. He was probably devastated when you didn't want to be Godzilla's co-parent."

"Hey, he's the one who ruined it by using the lizard for evil," Luke protests, but Jordan can hear the laughter in his voice. "Besides, I think he was better off an orphan, than having my brother be his parent" 

They dissolve into laughter again, the kind that makes Jordan's cheeks ache and her eyes water. It's the kind of laughter that comes from a place of pure joy, of feeling completely at ease with another person.

As their giggles subside, Jordan realizes that she's been talking to Luke for over half an hour, and that her painting is long forgotten on the bed beside her.

“I should let you go, don't you have a game tomorrow?” She asks 

“Ya, you gonna watch me play?” Luke asks, a smile crossing his lips

Jordan know’s she’s got class tomorrow, from 9-3, but Luke plays at 2, she hesitates before responding “yes” 

“Sounds good, goodnight Jordan” 

“Goodnight Luke” 

*****

November 16th, 2023

Jordan wakes up to the sound of Jacob knocking on her door. She glances at her phone and sees that it's 8 AM. 

“Come in,” Jordan calls out, sitting up in bed.

Jacob opens the door and peeks his head in. "Hey, Jordy. Kelly already left for work and I’m heading to skate, so I wanted to see if you want a ride to campus?” 

Jordan hesitates for a moment, then shakes her head. "No, thanks. I think I'm just going to walk today.”

Jacob nods, a smile on his face. "Alright, Have a good day, I'll see you tonight after the game."

Thanks, Jake. Good luck today!" Jordan calls out as Jacob closes the door behind him.

Once she hears the front door close, Jordan flops back onto her bed, a grin spreading across her face. She has no intention of going to class today - not when Luke and the Devils are playing at 2 PM.

She grabs her phone and sends a quick text to Luke.

Jordan: Good luck today, superstar! I'll be cheering you on from my bed.

Luke: Haha, thanks, Jordan, I’ll try to score for you ;)

Jordan smiles, before setting her phone. 

She spends the next few hours working on some homework assignments, trying to stay focused despite the anticipation building in her chest.

Finally, 2 PM rolls around, and Jordan settles onto her bed with her laptop, ready to watch the game. She puts in her headphones and pulls up the streaming site, her eyes immediately scanning the ice for Luke's familiar figure.

The game is intense from the start, both teams fighting hard for every inch of ice. Jordan finds herself on the edge of her seat, her heart racing with every shot on goal.

And then, halfway through the second period, it happens. Luke gets the puck on his stick, weaves through the defenders like they're standing still, and snaps a shot past the goalie's glove.

"Yes!" Jordan cheers.

She's so caught up in the moment, so focused on Luke, that she almost doesn't hear her bedroom door opening behind her.

"Jordan?"

Jordan jumps, her heart leaping into her throat as she quickly slams her laptop shut and yanks out her headphones. She looks up to see Kelly standing in the doorway, a confused look on her face.

"Kelly! Hi! I didn't hear you come in," Jordan stammers, trying to catch her breath.

Kelly frowns, glancing at the laptop on the bed. "I thought you had class today? What are you doing home?"

Jordan's mind races, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "Oh, my 2pm was canceled so I decided to come back and get some studying done.”

Kelly nods slowly, there's a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "I see. And the cheering?” 

“Just uh finally understood my econ homework” Jordan says, forcing a laugh, hoping it doesn't sound as fake as it feels. Kelly studies her for a long moment, and Jordan holds her breath, praying that her sister-in-law will buy the lie.

Kelly nods, and her smile widens “Ok, well don’t let me keep you from studying, I’ll be in the living room if you need anything” 

Jordan nods, relief washing over her. "Will do, Thanks, Kel."

As Kelly leaves the room, closing the door behind her, Jordan lets out a shaky breath. She knows she won't be able to watch the rest of the game now, not with Kelly home and the risk of getting caught.

With a sigh, she grabs her phone and sends a quick text to Luke.

Jordan: Ugh, had to stop watching. Kelly came home early and almost caught me. But I saw your goal! You were amazing out there. Can't wait to hear all about it later.

She sets her phone aside and tries to focus on her homework, for real this time. 

*****

After a thrilling 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets, the Devils' locker room is buzzing with energy and excitement. Luke, still riding the high of his first multi point night, with a  goal and two assists, and is grinning from ear to ear as he towels off his sweaty hair.

"Luke!" a member of the Devils' PR team calls out, poking his head into the locker room. "Media wants to talk to you. You're up for post-game."

Luke nods, taking a deep breath and trying to compose himself. 

He follows the PR rep out to the media scrum, where a cluster of reporters and cameras are waiting for him. He takes his place in front of the backdrop, the Devils' logo prominently displayed behind him.

"Luke, congrats on the big win tonight," one of the reporters says, holding out a microphone. “You’ve scored a goal your last two games now, what has contributed to your improved performance?” 

Luke grins, shrugging modestly. "Just feeling good, I guess. When the team's playing well, it's easy to feed off that energy. We've been working hard in practice, and it's starting to translate onto the ice."

The questions continue for a few more minutes, ranging from his thoughts on the team's defensive performance to his personal goals for the rest of the season. Luke answers them all with poise and professionalism, even as his mind keeps drifting back to Jordan, to the way her voice sounds when she's cheering him on.

Finally, the PR rep signals that the interview is over, and Luke makes his way back to the locker room, a spring in his step and a glint in his eye.

As he enters the room, he's greeted by a chorus of cheers and wolf whistles from his teammates.

"Rusty!" Dawson calls out, grinning broadly.

"Two apples and a goal, Hughesy? You're making the rest of us look bad," Jesper teases, tossing a ball of tape at Luke's head.

Luke laughs, ducking out of the way and flipping Jesper off good-naturedly. "Hey, someone's gotta carry you slugs to victory."

"Oh, is that right?" Nico chimes in, raising an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were just trying to impress a certain someone."

Luke feels his cheeks heat up, and he shoots a glare at Jack, who's sitting in his stall with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"You told them?" he hisses, his voice low.

Jack shrugs, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "I might have mentioned that you have a big date coming up."

Luke groans, burying his face in his hands as his teammates start to hoot and holler around him.

"Lukey's got a girlfriend, Lukey's got a girlfriend!" Nate singsongs, doing a little dance in his skates.

"She's not my girlfriend," Luke mumbles, but he can't quite keep the smile off his face. "We haven't even gone out yet."

"But you want her to be your girlfriend," Dawson says, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Come on, Hughesy, spill the beans. What's she like? Is she hot?"

Luke scoffs, and rolls his eyes, hoping his silence is enough of an answer, which it is, but only because coach comes in the room, and tells them to hurry up because they gotta get to the plane. 

*****

November 17th, 2023

Jordan emerges from her bedroom, dressed and ready for her English Lit class. She's wearing a comfortable but cute outfit - her favorite pair of jeans, a cozy sweater, and a pair of ankle boots. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun, and she's got a backpack slung over one shoulder.

As she walks into the living room, she sees Jacob and Kelly sitting at the breakfast table, sipping coffee and chatting quietly. They both look up as she enters, smiling warmly.

"Morning, Jords," Jacob greets her, setting down his mug. "You're up early."

Jordan shrugs, adjusting the strap of her backpack. "Yeah, I've got class at 9. Figured I should probably be on time for once."

Kelly chuckles, shaking her head. "I still don't know how you manage to function at that hour. When I was in college, I avoided 9 AMs like the plague."

Jordan grins, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. "It's not so bad once you get used to it. Plus, my teacher is pretty cool. He makes the lectures interesting."

Jacob nods, taking another sip of his coffee. "Speaking of class, what happened yesterday? I thought you had a full day, but Kelly said you were home when she got back."

Jordan feels a flicker of panic in her chest, but she tries to keep her expression neutral. "Oh, yeah, my last class got canceled. The teacher sent an email the night before, but I didn't see it until I was already on campus for my second class. So i just came back” 

She takes a bite of her apple, chewing slowly to give herself a moment to compose her thoughts.

Jacob studies her for a minute, as if he’s looking for something. 

She glances at the clock on the wall, realizing that she needs to get going if she wants to make it to class on time. "Alright, I should probably head out” 

Jacob stands up, stretching his arms above his head. "You want a ride? I'm heading to the rink for practice, but I can drop you off on the way."

Jordan hesitates for a moment, tempted by the offer, before deciding to decline, “That’s okay, I think I’ll walk” 

Jacob shrugs, grabbing his keys from the counter. "Suit yourself. Have a good day, Jords. Learn something new."

Jordan laughs, rolling her eyes. "I'll do my best.."

*****

Luke sits in his stall, methodically taping his stick as he goes through his pre-game routine. Around him, the locker room is a buzz of activity - teammates stretching, chatting, getting into the right headspace for the game ahead.

But Luke barely notices the noise, his mind a million miles away. He can't stop thinking about Jordan, wondering what she's doing right now.

He takes a deep breath, trying to center himself. He knows he needs to focus, needs to be fully present for the game ahead. The Flyers are a tough opponent. 

But even as he tries to push thoughts of Jordan aside, he can't quite shake the butterflies in his stomach, the giddy anticipation that comes with the promise of seeing her again soon.

Suddenly, his coach's voice cuts through the chatter, calling the team to attention. It's time to hit the ice, to put everything else aside and focus on the task at hand.

Luke stands up, grabbing his helmet and gloves and falling into line behind his teammates. As they make their way down the tunnel and onto the ice, he feels a familiar rush of adrenaline, the roar of the crowd washing over him like a wave.

The first period is a blur of motion and speed, the puck bouncing from stick to stick like a rubber bullet. Luke is in the zone, his skates carving through the ice like blades, his mind completely focused on the game.

But the Flyers are relentless, their forecheck suffocating and their defense stifling. The Devils struggle to gain any momentum, their passes just a little off, their shots just a little wide.

As the buzzer sounds for the end of the period, Luke skates off the ice feeling frustrated and drained. They're down 1-0, and he knows they need to find a way to turn things around if they want to have any chance of winning.

In the locker room, the coach tries to rally the troops, his voice stern but encouraging. "We're not out of this yet, boys," he says, looking each player in the eye. "We need to simplify our game, get pucks deep and work harder on the forecheck. We can still win this."

Luke nods, wiping the sweat from his brow and taking a long swig of water. He knows the coach is right, knows that they have the skill and the determination to come back from this deficit.

But as the second period starts, it becomes clear that the Flyers have other ideas. They come out flying, their skates a blur as they swarm the Devils' zone like angry bees.

Luke does his best to keep up, defend rushes and create chances for his team. But the Flyers are relentless, and before he knows it, they're down 3-0, the game slipping away from them like sand through an hourglass.

As the second intermission rolls around, the mood in the locker room is grim. Guys are hanging their heads, muttering curses under their breath. The coach tries to keep things positive, but even he seems to be running out of words.

Luke sits in his stall, his head in his hands. He can't help but feel like he's letting his team down, like he should be doing more to turn the tide.

But even as he tries to rally himself, to find that extra gear that will help him push through the fatigue and the frustration, his mind keeps drifting back to Jordan.

He wonders if she's watching the game, if she's cheering him on from her couch or her bedroom. He pictures her face, the way her eyes light up when she smiles, the way her laugh makes his heart skip a beat.

And somehow, for the first time in his life, he feels like there’s more to life than hockey, and he doesn’t know if he should be ecstatic or terrified. 

As the final buzzer sounds and the Devils skate off the ice with their heads held low, Luke feels a sense of disappointment wash over him. It's never easy to lose, especially at home in front of your own fans.

But as he makes his way back to the locker room, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulls it out to see a text from Jordan, a simple message that makes his heart swell with warmth.

You played your heart out tonight. I'm so proud of you. Can't wait to see you tomorrow.

[me-sploh-rada-imas]

joker out in oslo 17/03 gig report time! this is long so under a read more. have some footage from my terrible phone and not very good angle :)

while waiting in the queue we were right next to the door and they all came past us to get in. vita, damon, and a woman i assume is sadie sink (with a big suitcase) got locked out and waited for ages and were joined by nace, bojan, and jure. jan came on his own a few minutes later and was also locked out.

regnvær and hearts were really good! at one point, the lead singer of regnvær started playing a song in the wrong key on his guitar and took three tries to get it right. the lead singer of hearts kept saying "yoker out" in a strong swedish accent. they both knocked over mic stands as well it was very chaotic

the security guard was VIBING to the dj between acts it was so funny! he sang along to barbie girl what an icon

now the actual show:

my first thoughts as they came on stage: holy fuck jan is beautiful. NACE GLASSES! bojan's outfit?!?!?!

the stage was too small for the cool props and i couldn't see jure most of the time sadly

bojan did a whole speech about how he'd learnt how to say hello/good day in norwegian (god dag) and joked about it sounding like good dog, and he patted nace while saying it

at one point, nace was at the front of stage and jan came up behind him and pretended to try to push him off and they had a little mock fight while playing it was adorable!! yeah they janced a lot... every time they looked at each other they couldn't stop grinning or making faces at each other

lots of really good krisjan and krisnace moments tonight as well! kris sidled up to nace in ona and jan got in the way again but this time to play with kris. other than this i didn't really see much of kris though

someone get bojan some glasses because every time he tried to read a sign in the crowd he squinted so hard

before vkv someone had a sign that said they'd ask out their crush if they played padam and bojan said he would as kiki gave him his guitar. then they were like 'oh i've asked them out now' and bojan joked about not needing to play padam anymore. and he played the chorus but doesn't actually know it so got some of the chords wrong and it was awesome and very funny! then he dedicated vkv to them and said 'i hope your date goes better than that'.

in behind those eyes, jan and nace did a super slow version of their mating dance circling each other. i had wanted bluza but you can tell they really love playing behind those eyes so i still really enjoyed it

bojan dedicated omamljeno telo to a friend from primary school who'd flown from slovenia and had been a fan before joker out actually formed!

nace's glasses flew off in the middle of omamljeno telo right before jan's solo and bojan put them back on for him agdjafhkl

bojan couldn't keep his hands off nace in plastika as usual

bojan did the kakaka in carpe diem like he used to! but jure didn't come out at the end of it and they didn't do the hearts! it was very sad

it was someone's birthday and bojan sang a cute improvised happy birthday to them during umazane misli

literally the whole first half of umazane misli was jan and nace messing around - jan put a tiny fake hand on one of his guitar's tuning pegs and nace high fived it twice. he was turning in to nace to show him the hand and nace turned his bass upright and started playing it like that?

nace and jan just. lay down. in the um karaoke??? and started playing from the floor? NACE FLOWER CROWN! when he sat up and i could see him again i nearly had a heart attack istg.

the tiny fake hands made another appearance while bojan was introducing novi val and jure, nace, and jan all took turns stroking each other's faces with them it was so funny! nace stroked kris with one at one point. jan and nace did a high five with them too!

no pijano tonight sadly. but holy shit jan looks ethereal playing guitar i totally get why nace looks at him all the time lmao

anyway it was awesome and i had an amazing time!!