#that counts as their 4th collab right? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cher-rei · 4 months ago

Text

afterglow pt- 13 [ T.A.A ]

pairings: trent alexander arnold x fem!reader

summary: young and aspiring marketing and business major jamie carter (you) is privileged with working alongside the liverpool marketing and public relations team while also getting entangled with their star player and right back, trent alexander arnold.

genre(s): friends to lovers, fluff, slowish?? burn and just a good time

[wc: 5.3k] afterglow masterlist

notes: rahhhhhh!!!

spamjam._.

liked by liverpoolfc and 3 244 225 others

spamjam._. may 24th anyone? [tagged: taylorhinds]

view all comments below

taylorhinds 👀💜 [liked by spamjam._.]

liverpoolfc collab of the century I fear

→ spamjam._. if you know, you know 🤞🏻

user collab?? are they doing a photoshoot together or something?

→ user probably, you know how jamie is and her random promo photoshoots for brands 😭

→ user take back to the adidas shoot last year omw

→ user life was so much easier back then

virgilvandijk oh, so you were serious? 😂

→ spamjam._. I had a 10 hour board meeting yesterday for this. don't test my commitment 🙄

trentarnold66 she's a baller 🥵 [liked by spamjam._.]

harvelliot LET'S GO!! COUNT YOUR DAYS ON THAT PITCH

fía.messi bro has me flying over for this 😭 [liked by spamjam._.]

→ spamjam._. I couldn't get your dad so I had to settle for the next best thing (and mateo is only 10 so I had to choose you 😔)

"what's the date today?"

"the 23rd," laura answered promptly and went back to typing something on her laptop while the rest of your media team carried on with their personal tasks in the meeting room.

you stood at the whiteboard in front— a black marker in one hand and your ipad in the other as you wrote out and marked certain dates down and finalised a few things.

"okay." you tapped the marker on your chin and took a step back from the board, gaining everyone's attention. "those pictures are up for the efl final, but I'm going to need a date for next week for my meeting with the set designers and stylists because I have a few ideas for the launch."

sienna, another member of your media team was quick to check her calender, her email set up on her desktop. "you're good for march 4th if we're set to release the shoot may 7th."

you bit the inside of your cheek as you thought for a moment. "put it down. I'd also like an update on the news for the boss' special collection and," you wrote down something under the title national duty. "I need the flags ordered asap."

the room fell silent after that, everyone in their own headspace while the sound of keyboards clicking sounded through the room. you wanted to make next season's kit release a big one, the board giving you three words to ride off of and the mock design for the kit a few months ago.

you quite liked the tribute to the design and after consulting a few close professionals (sophia and alexandra) there was an idea of what you were going for. the idea of a more sophisticated look and aesthetic ran through your mind, the question of how would you style the jersey yourself playing a role.

"moped," you blurted which got you a few strange looks. "I want a moped for the shoot."

logan, who was silent for most the of the meeting eyed you for a second. "like the scooter?"

"the bike from that one disney movie?" laura followed and pulled up her pinterest page, moving her laptop to show you and you nodded, writing it down under the kit launch column on the board.

"I want it in red and maroon and see if they can get the jersey design on it," you said while tieing up your hair because this was oh so obviously only the beginning of the meeting.

you had been so busy the past few hours, confined between four walls that the only sunlight you were getting was the light emitting from the passage through the simgular glass wall of your meeting room that overlooked the second floor. your phone was probably buzzing with messages from clara asking you when you were free for your lunch break but that was the last of your worries.

but eventually something caught your attention from the corner of your eye as you stood in front of your team, going over some extra details. "the videographers are working on it currently so all we nee--"

you paused mid-sentence, the glimpse of a figure strolling past the room catching your attention for a moment. "uhm, all we need is to check if..."

they walked past again, only this time at a pace that was definitely noticeable. normally you would've disregarded trent's childish behaviour in the middle of work but everyone was growing agitated and needed a break.

you flicked your attention from your team to trent who was strolling along with his hands in his pockets, only to come back a second time, then a third until your team gradually noticed him. your lips drew into a thin line as he sent them a small wave, pretending to be busy.

"okay, everyone we can take a break." you set the markers down, their thankful sighs of relied making you laugh. "I'll see you in 45, okay?"

the seven of your team members flooded out the door in no time, leaving you alone while trent waited until they were out of sight to finally enter the room. he walked up you the whiteboard beside you, trying to act as if he knew what any of the writing meant while you continued to joy a few things down.

"don't try anything, the walls are literally made of glass," you said unbothered without taking your attention off of the work in front of you.

from beside you trent mocked an expression of hurt, offended that you'd accuse him of coming here just to do something. "I wasn't going to. I came here because I just happened to be walking by after our gym session," he answered, the lie dripping off his tongue effortlessly and you gave him a look.

you didn't respond, instead becoming immersed in your work once again. the marker in your hand moved between the spaces of your fingers, a pout forming on your lips as you concentrated.

don't get him wrong, trent found it extremely attractive that you were in your element— your hair messily tied up, the marker in your hand spinning between your fingers and the look of determination on your face made him crazy. but he was just a man after all and wanted to spend some time with his... free trial user.

with a sigh he sat down at the desk, spinning aimlessly on the chair to try and cure his boredom. he hated this— referring to the lack of privacy in the room because the blinds were open. suddenly, he perked up at the sound of your voice, but to his dismay, you weren't talking to him and were on the phone with someone he didn't care about.

"yes, I'd like to keep them neutral but you can have a selection and we can test them out on the day of the shoot," you said and hurried back to the whiteboard to write something down.

the sound of the marker squeaking on the board made trent cringe, that and he wished that you'd just sit down for one second. when the call ended, you felt the his eyes on you, a look of judgement perhaps? but what did he expect? you were at work and had to get things done.

"someone's cranky," you joked while flipping through a binder.

he threw his head back with a scoff. "well yeah, you're not even looking at me. you probably don't even care that I'm here right now."

really now? you rolled your eyes at his exaggeration, a smile dancing on your lips. "a lot needs to be done before the end of the month unfortunately and I'm kind of in charge of that." you scrunched your nose at the last part, the feeling of admitting that you were in charge sending a weird surge through your body.

tent pursed his lips, his look softening at the way you continued to flip through the binder, mumbling to yourself about not finding something. "I know but--"

"--there aren't any 'buts'." you put your hands on your hips, sending him a stern look to showcase your point. "you're supposed to be focusing on recovering. it's already an issue that you won't be playing sunday, we need you fit for the last few games of the season at least."

the room fell silent again, slight tension building up but you didn't care because it was the truth. it wasn't just him— it was curtis, darwin, mo and dominik as well. a few of their most crucial players were injured and unfortunately that make their chances of winning slimmer. and as excited as everyone was to play on sunday— the kids included even if they only got about five minutes of playtime, but this was still a final.

the coaching staff was agitated, virgil didn't know how if the chelsea squad were going to put up a fight and the injured players were beating themselves up. it wasn't an easy time for anyone right now, but they needed to focus. and right now, it seemed that trent wasn't getting the message.

it was unlike him, and you could see from the way that his leg anxiously bounced up and down that he knew that. so as much as you needed to reprimand him and remind him of what needed to be done, you could also tell that he wasn't okay.

with a sigh, you put down your things and went to lock the office door and close the blinds. the room was encapsulated in slight darkness again, prompting you to switch on the overhead lights that weren't needed earlier on.

trent remained quiet though, even when you came to sit down on the table in front of him. you looked down at him, the footballer leaning back in the chair.

"talk to me, what's bothering you?" your voice was laced with genuine worry and it made him ease into his seat further.

"nothing's wrong. I just wanted to see you but I guess it's a bad time." he plainly shrugged his shoulders, a look of mock dismissal on his face.

you quirked an eyebrow at his answer. "that's the worst lie you could've come up with right now." despite your targeted response you gently took his hand into yours and prompted him to speak. "is it because you're benched for the rest of the month?"

"yes and no," he said, looking up at you. "yes because I let the team down when they need all the help they can get. this is important to all of us and ever since my stupid knee happened I've been acting up."

he didn't need to mention it, but he was referring to the match against burnley where he was subbed off at halftime. you knew that it took a toll on his confidence, both on and off the pitch. there wasn't much you could do unfortunately besides comfort him.

"don't look at me like that," he groaned and leant forward to rest his head on your thigh, the embarrassment sinking in. "I sound so emotional, my ego is buried six feet under right now."

you stifled a laugh at his retort and let your hands run gently up and down his back. "it's okay. I'll ask harvey to pick it up for you, it's not a problem for him."

trent couldn't help but laugh, the feeling of his fingers trialing your thigh sent a shiver through your body. the two of you held that position for a bit longer, the feeling of being near each other enough to ease your respective anxiety.

"you're going to get better okay?" you said softly and he hummed in response. "whatever happens, happens but you need to do what you can. that's all that matters, so for now you're going to be the best bench warmer ever and support your team."

it was the day of the efl final and the team was ready— standing ready with their mascots at their sides in the tunnel that you were running through to make some last minute checks.

maya messaged earlier on in the day to say that they'd be at the match today and you couldn't wait to see them again after such a long time, especially alex who was apparently extremely excited to be here.

today more than ever you wore your liverpool jersey proudly only to be called out for wearing it by a familiar face. you just finished wishing the team goodluck when a chelsea player caught your attention in the line beside you.

you eyes rolled at the sound of the voice but you turned to look at him nonetheless, the smile on your lips slightly forced. "colwill."

levi put out his hand for you to take into a friendly handshake, a cheeky smile on his face as he looked you up and down. "It's always weird to see you in anything other than blue. you switching sides for the day?"

the backhanded comment was obviously a joke, it was natural for the two of you to have banter like this despite the fact that it had been years since you last talked to each other. from the line beside you, harvey was shamelessly watching the back and forth.

it made no sense to him that you always knew someone. in every situation and match of theirs, there was always someone that you knew.

you scrunched your nose at levi, not liking the idea of wearing a chelsea jersey. "we'll leave those blue days of mine at the academy thanks. good luck for today though, you're going to need it."

levi stifled a laugh at your goodbye and watched as you left the tunnel, old memories flooding back but never staying.

"academy?" harvey asked out loud, not meaning for levi to hear but he did and nodded. when he told harvey that you played for the chelsea academy before you left london it raised some intrigue amongst the reds on his side.

judging by their facial expressions he could tell that it wasn't something you liked to talk about. "she got called up a bunch of times for the first team but never took the offer. first time around she was 15."

there was no other reaction from harvey other than an irritated groan, his head shaking to the side as they started to make their way out of the tunnel. "she's lived 100 lives I'm telling you."

from behind him, andy hurriedly shushed him, the laugh barely staying inside because of the strange encounter. but harvey was right— it felt like you've lived 100 lives because there was a piece of you everywhere, a piece of you imprinted within the memory of so many people.

"the carter effect," harvey mumbled to himself with slight distaste as he stood in his position on the pitch waiting for the whistle to blow.

agonising. that's how you'd describe the first of the match. it was like a game of tennis— back and forth but the team was showing resilience against chelsea and their 10 man defence strategy. the man to man marking made you want to scream, because this was not the strategy of a team that knew that they were going to win.

"fucking cowards," you muttered under your breath and jayden danns— one of the kids who were newer to the first team bench, gave you a look.

feeling his judgemental gaze on your side you looked at him with widened eyes, gesturing to the pitch. "it's the truth. you can't play football like this, it's disgraceful."

from the seat beside you, bobby clark, another one of the children (as you liked to call them) spoke up and asked you about how long the chelsea squad could play defence. there wasn't a definite answer on your side as you sat with your hand on your chin in thought.

eventually, it had all the kids in thought, all five of the boys that you were looking after watching with determined eyes to see if there was a break in chelsea's defence.

"the only forward who they're expecting to score is palmer," james said and you scoffed, the rest of the bench chiming in to talk about cole palmer's recent performance and how it's been saving chelsea a ton.

spamjam._. added to their story!

amongst the chatter, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. the name that popped up on your notification center made you smile— trent who was sitting in the stands with the rest of the injured players.

the last few minutes of the first half played out in a way that had your blood boiling. conor who was starting in trent's position today was playing exceptionally well for his first official start for the team, but someone else saw that as a threat apparently.

one shove from ben chilwell on conor had you out of your seat in an instant. the two players managed to fall on top of each other because of conor's honest tackle, and ben chilwell saw it as a challenge for something more.

seconds away from half time and a fight was about to break out and naturally the liverpool players tried to stop it, with a few players feeling provoked (cody and harvey). luckily it was broken up before anyone got seriously hurt, but by then you were already on the touchline alongside jurgen waiting to jump in.

the half-time whistle blew and you watched with distaste as they walked into the tunnel. instead of going up to the press room like you normally would, you decided to take a quick trip into the stands where the injured players were. you were alone today, and for another 4 months because clara was officially on maternity leave.

she was nearly 5 months into her pregnancy, but you still couldn't get behind your stupidity and not noticing any sooner. the signs were blatantly obvious but you thought it was normal— the loose clothing, strange cravings and her mood swings were nothing out of the ordinary.

she was doing well though, and was staying with her parents for the time being or at least until the season was over so that she could go back home with mason. at least she had stability, that's what mattered most.

"nice of you to visit us," curtis sarcastically greeted as you stood on the outside of the barricade. "I see the boys are treating you well."

it was clear that he was mocking you so you flashed him a tight lip smile. what the kids were doing was asking you questions about anything that came to mind— why you decided to work in marketing? was it true that you and trent were dating? (which you denied obviously)? who would win in a fight, a shark or a tiger? and funny enough you recalled jobe asking you the same question a while ago.

"a shark or a tiger?" he asked with a challenging smile.

your eyebrows furrowed and you looked at jude next to you, who shared the same expression of confusion. "well where's the fight happening?" you asked jobe who made it clear that he didn't like the follow up question.

he pulled a face at you, "what do you mean where's the fight?"

his question left you and jude speechless, his older brother trying to prompt his understanding of the situation further but jobe was stubborn and didn't care about the logistics of the scenario.

"it depends on where the fight is," jude said and you nodded. "they live in different environments entirely so it matters."

jobe rolled his eyes at the question, almost as of it were ridiculous. his shoulders tensed up and he leant forward on the chair he was sitting on. "yeah, but who would win the fight, this isn't about the environment."

you stifled a laugh, in further disbelief. "jobe where is the fight? where is it happening?"

"that's not the point!"

you couldn't stay to chat long to trent's dismay. he couldn't even hold your hand and the look of despair on his face said it all. but you agreed on keeping it on the low, no physical contact in public because there were always cameras around.

you flashed him a smile and waved before heading back to the bench just in time. a sigh of exhaustion leaving your lips at the thought of another 45 minutes of back and forth.

it was around the 60' minute when something built up, having you on the edge of your seat and holding your hands together in prayer and desperation until the ball finally hit the back of the net. however your rejoice didn't last long because once again, the referee was checking for offside.

you stood with your hands in the air in shock, utter hatred for the decision alone. "that wasn't offside at all! what the fuck kind of decision is this?"

the rage and irritation in your tone only grew when the referee called it, your scream drowning out in the sea of groans from the supporters. if it wasn't for james then you probably would have gone up to the stewards yourself to complain.

this was nothing new for the team though, and it was evident in their unimpressed expressions as they got back into position again. you carried on complaining for quite a bit after that— if there was one thing that you hated, then it was cheaters and liars. there was no reason to call the goal offside.

not too far away in the stands trent had his attention on you, an amused smile dancing on his lips as you complained to the other players on the bench— exaggerating your movements and explaining further, your blood boiling.

curris noticed him watching and teasingly nudged his arm. "talk about passionate."

he was right, your passion for the sport was never something you tried to minimise or hold back and that was something that trent found extremely attractive. you were always standing along the touchline with your hands on your head in distraught or leaping from your seat when they scored.

this was a first for trent— his past girlfriends who attended his games usually sat in the family booth and watched from afar, possibility not knowing what was actually happening on the pitch. but the idea of having you so close to him on the once place that he felt the most at home made his heart race.

close, both literally and figuratively— you'd be on the touchline, at most of his games because it was your job but also because you shared the passion for the sport and that meant more than anything to him. the fact that he could share what made him whole, with his partner.

"saffie's at home watching peacefully," curtis then shook his head as he watched you talk to conor who was subbed off, probably complaining again. "and this beast is picking a fight with the stewards."

trent stifled a laugh at his retort, stopping himself to try and listen in on what you were telling conor who was nodding along.

"exactly! I would have thrown him to the floor, conor. you're weak my boy." you pat him on the shoulder reassuringly, causing curtis to throw his head back in laughter.

20 minutes and two yellow cards later, the score was still tied at 0-0. the thought of the match falling into added time made you nauseous, because at the rate anything could happen. with a hand on your forehead you sunk further into your seat, all hope lost as the kids put on their jerseys.

"save us. please." your voice was meek and desperate causing the three of them to laugh, watching as the sub board went up. "I believe in you!"

when the final whistle blew for a short break before the added extra time you got up from your seat and paced up and down to loosen the tension in your legs. jurgen was huddled with the team, strategizing but you weren't too sure what he could possible be telling them.

personally you would have told them to break the chelsea players' legs. or at least try and play a bit rougher but there was nothing you could do except sit and watch. the kids were doing well luckily, and you did a headcount oh how many of them were on the pitch.

4. there were 4 first team players on that pitch and the rest were the club's academy kids going up against a full cheslea squad in a cup final. it was jaw dropping to witness this in person.

when jurgen came over for some water you asked him what the strategy was, to which he just shrugged with a smile. "I told them to have fun. just kick the ball until it hits the back of the net."

you blinked up at him for a moment, the answer a surprise to you but it made sense. there was nothing better that could have been done, so instead you started to pray and manifest, begging the universe for a goal or at least an opportunity.

with your lips pursed you looked up to the timer above the pitch, the big 116 mocking the players on the pitch. there was 4 minutes left and chelsea's management decided that it was a good time to make a substitution. obviously it was to waste time, but even then it was a stupid idea.

the players on the pitch were out of breath, virgil had swear dripping down his forehead and a look of complete exhaustion hiding behind his blank stare. what a way to make people suffer.

it wad the last corner of the match probably and tsimikas was up to take it. naturally you got up again seeing as this was probably going to penalties which you were confident enough in.

with hopeless eyes your eyes followed the ball as it crossed into the penalty area where the players were showing each other, trying to make way for a header. the stadium held it's breath, everyone's hope deep in the dirt until virgil managed to get a touch on the ball just enough that it successfully hit the back of the net.

it happened so quickly but the adrenaline eventually kicked in and you were being pulled into a hug from jurgen. on the other end of the pitch, virgil was sprawled on the floor, the boys surrounding him and laying beside him. it was all over once the final whistle blew seconds later and you heard the bustling noise from behind you.

darwin came running down the steps, pushing curtis to the side as he leapt over the barricade and onto the pitch in excitement with the staff. it was all too much, the overwhelming feelings of anxiety and excitement whirling inside of you.

you were left speechless, nothing more to say than. "how the fuck?"

the celebration was nothing short of heartwarming, but the feeling of watching the chelsea players leaving the stadium without saying a word was a better feeling.

"maybe you should actually try and score next time," you said with a teasing smile directed at levi who was heading towards you up the stairs with the rest of his team. "instead of standing as if you were the great wall of china."

all he did was shake his head and gave you a friendly pat on the shoulder as be walked past, before quickly turning back. "I still think you look better in blue though."

you stifled a laugh, not bothering to answer and instead made your way to the pitch where the banner was set up to take a few pictures before they came down to sing the anthem with their proudly adorned medals and trophy.

while they did all that you made a quick run up to stands, eagerly minding your way until maya, noah and alex were in the clear. the excitement on alex's face was enough for you, a proud feeling of warmth spreading through your chest.

"how was it buddy? did you have fun?" you asked and pulled him into a tight hug.

the younger boy nodded happily, going on about how scared he was and how he really wanted ice cream during the match because it was "super intense". when the time came you bid them goodbye and headed back down to take some pictures.

a fond smile formed on your face at the sight of the academy players, the group immediately making their way over to you with their medals and bombarding you with excited comments.

"I can't believe I nearly scored twice," jayden said with widened eyes, still in disbelief as he held up two fingers. "that's more than once and I just got here."

"which means that you better score soon, the season is nearly over." you lightly punched his arm, the group of academy players following you through the crowd of staff on the pitch.

once again james forced a sarcastic laugh, looking to jayden with his eyes narrowed. "well I just got here too and got booked 3 minutes in. I literally breathed."

not long after that, the photographers called all the academy players together for a group photograph and you took a step back and watched. but your attention was promptly caught by trent leisurely strolling beside dominik and mo.

with a smile you waved him over and suggested that he joined the picture since he was an academy graduate as well. he wasn't too sure at first but he eventually cut in.

after a few pictures your eyes squinted. "what's he doing here?" your question was directed at harvey who was seated on the floor, his face melted in irration as you spoke to him.

"I could ask you the same thing," he shot back and you nearly responded but the group dispersed, everyone going their own way as the celebration wrapped up.

naturally, you joined trent in his little stroll but made sure there was enough space between the two of you so no suspicion would be raised.

even though you were talking normally for the most part, it physically pained him that he couldn't even hold your hand. he gap between your bodies made him cringe, and what made it worse was that this was the first time that he's ever felt this needy or desperate to be close to someone.

but as you were talking to him now, the stadium still full of supporters while you stood in the middle of it all, he felt the desperation panging at his chest.

"bro are you seriously zoning out again?" you asked with a sigh. "this is the fourth time today-- and yes I'm counting."

"well sorry." he lifted his hands into the air in defence. "It's not my fault that my heart is in actual pain because I have to treat you like a normal friend in public."

your eyes rolled at his exaggeration, his dramatics being nothing new especially about this topic. "we aren't officially together yet so we can't do anything about it. calm down, loverboy."

normally this would be the part where he'd kiss you so that you'd shut up but trent had to bite his tongue today, and instead just nodded. it was the harsh truth unfortunately and as much as he loved private relationships, he wanted to show you off. he wanted the world to know that you were his.

but for the first time in a while he'd have to be patient.

spamjam._.

liked by judebellingham and 3 223 122 others

spamjam._. my kids dawg!! 🏆❤️ (and those other grandpa's too)

view all comments below

liverpoolfc red suites you so much more 🫶 [liked by spamjam._.]

→ spamjam._. say it louder for the people in the back 👏 @levicolwill

user ??? oh the dramaaaa

user 120 minutes of torture that I refuse to relive

bobbyclark can't believe that I made it onto the profile 😫

→ spamjam._. watch me crop you out.

→ jayden.danns @bobbyclark I'm the one who got the photocreds on her story 🥱 lower your tone in my presence

→ jamesmconnel and I got booked for breathing 😒

→ spamjam._. james that was a clear tackle?? you got booked for a reason 😭

→ jamesmcconnell yeah for breathing!!

virgilvandijk you should've gotten a medal for being the best cheerleader today 🥇[liked by spamjam._.]

→ spamjam._. aahhh!! I'm so glad my efforts were noticed

→ curtisjr you were screaming at the refs and nearly barged into the stewards room 🤨

→ spamjam._. which is more than you did today benchboy

mosalah grandpas? 😔

→ spamjam._. your leg is broken, so yes. grandpa's 😔

[next!!] [previous!!]

#cherrei writes #afterglow trent alexander arnold #trent alexander arnold fluff #trent alexander arnold fanfic #trent alexander arnold x reader #trent alexander arnold imagine #trent alexander arnold #footballer imagine #liverpool fc #footballer x reader #football imagine #fanfic #liverpoolfc x reader #liverpo

52 notes · View notes

ourpickwickclub · 1 year ago

Note

B, Explain more about how every year it's sinking in to ML about her screw ups. I agree with the anon that stated ML is spiraling like she did in 2018. It is obvious with the stalking and selfie gate last July. Now she acknowledge the pink pistol in TX. It only took 7 years. Weird. Any insider information from Nashville regarding ML or her fake marriage recently

My feeling is that Blake kept trying even after he found out about ML’s long term affair at the Grammys (same night Gwen found out about GR and his long term affair with the nanny). Blake didn’t end the marriage then (and neither did Gwen). But then ML stopped wearing her wedding ring, stopped thanking Blake at shows, was not trying at all. And she most likely started the affair with Anderson during the time the Southern Family album was being recorded in March or April of 2015. She was pretty openly having a relationship with another man while married to Blake. There are lots of theories and stories from OK people about July 4th 2015. It seems he found something then. Maybe that she really was in another relationship. They both played at the Greenbrier golf thing on July 4. ML and then Blake was the headliner. By all accounts they did not interact or come onto the stage with one another at all. He flew in and out without her. Timing seems to show that he filed for divorce right around then.

I think ML realizes on some level that Blake tried and tried. At the time I believe she thought that they could become a country legendary love story where they divorced, stayed friends, and eventually reunited after she had had her fun. I don’t know if that would have happened because that would require Blake sacrificing a lot more pride the. He did (which was a lot). But I’m sure ML believes it would have worked that way.

And I think Rat was barely trying also, because he was sure that they had three kids and she was Catholic and would not leave. But then Blake announced his divorce to the other coaches and two people that had chemistry they would not have acted on because they are loyal, were free to act. It’s no coincidence in my mind that Gwen announced right after Blake. They had from taping in June to early August to talked and flirt and see if there was something real there. There was. GR feels like he was the one betrayed (ridiculous asshat) because he was “trying” to work things out and it wasn’t enough for Gwen. And I think ML’s world began its slow descent into stalker crazy regret because she never considered that Blake would fall madly in love with a worldwide icon and that icon would become his whole world. And she would feel the same about him. Giddy, in love.

If someone had told ML that she would lose Blake to Gwen if she continued her affairs, I think she would have acted differently, at least for a while. She never meant to lose him forever. I think he was her best friend in a lot of ways. She commented once on thinking they were going to share custody of dogs, but that didn’t happen. She tried following Gwen to get a wedge in there. Gwen brilliantly only liked a post of hers about family, but never followed her back. It was war from then on. Pistol Annie’s retooled their account and came back only following two people… Gwen and Blake. She was so mad she was barely even hiding her crazy. But her team had effectively spun Blake and Gwen as the cheaters so they overlooked her copying Gwen’s videos and the weird follows and how she tracked down people close to them both and used them for her projects, or how she mimicked their posts, copied Gwen’s fashion. Etc etc.

ML thought Anderson would be the next big thing. Bigger than Blake (laughable) but he wasn’t. She used him as a cover but when she got him to insult Garth publicly and all that got her was her and Anderson dragged and Blake got a coveted GB collab, she dumped him and tried for the next person she thought would be a big thing. Evan. She didn’t count on Staci not folding easily. She married the cop to save face and he clearly is not into her. He is with her because she is famous and that’s it. So, now, she may be seeing how badly she messed it all up.

I just laid down pretty much my whole theory. Not saying I’m 100% correct but I think it’s a pretty good base idea at what happened. And yeah, I think she is coming with something big. Whether it works or flops, we will see. She and Marion will not let her go down professionally as easy as she does under the ugly lights (I had to get one in there). 😂

But once she is out of options, she will start writing a tell all and that tell all will paint Blake as the bad guy (and Gwen too) in very unspecific ways and with no evidence. Just enough to get headlines. When I say she was the worst thing that ever happened to Blake, I am not kidding. She will never stop.

- B

25 notes · View notes

a-forger-and-a-point-man · 1 year ago

Text

Dr Finger's 007 Fest 2023 Masterpost - @teamofvillains

First things first, who is Dr Finger?

Watch parties / events attended:

Casino Royale

Skyfall

Spectre

No Time To Die

Knives Out

Glass Onion

Mythbusters: James Bond special part 1

Sound of James Bond concert

Behind the scenes of Bond

London Spy (5 episodes)

00QAD Chat Night

Works Beta'd:

James Bond TinyFics Meme for @light-of-luinil

Together for @00furby from the @mi6-cafe prompt exchange

Headcanons:

Paloma is Felix's Daughter

Felix takes 00QAD to the July 4th cookout

James Bond's cleaning lady Fran

The MI6 Squad loves rice

Tanner Tuesday: this punk is a rat

Bond Villain Fashion (no-point event)

00QAD go visit Kincade (collab with @kitten-kin)

Bond characters as La Croix flavors: part 1 and part 2 (collab with @00furby)

Rec Lists:

Inception/James Bond crossover fics

Memes:

"Fingering" the Bond films

Scavenger Hunt:

Team of Villains linked haiku (team points accrued not individual)

Other:

RIP - My memories of @tentacletenshi: a special event hosted by @teamcivilian for our departed friend.

Per the official team points spreadsheet, Dr Finger has amassed a total of 1031 points (my highest ever, because for the first time in six years I counted the right way! and maybe this was one of my more laid back summers, which helps)

Massive thank you to our captain @3nigm4art, and our cheerleaders @light-of-luinil and @emiliasilverova. Honored to have you as my friends!

To my fellow plotters of evil and @teamdoubleoh, @teamqbranch, and @teamcivilian: please don't forget to schedule all your works to get reblogged throughout the year. We will have more time to give more love. Tumblr mobile in particular can schedule posts several years out! So utilize that feature!

#007 fest #teamofvillains #007fest #forgersfest2023 #masterpost

21 notes · View notes

helloliriels · 2 years ago

Note

ayyyy for the ✨writers wrapped✨ ( i am SO in love with this idea!)

2, 3, 13, 30! (do any, all or none whatever vibes with you *~*)

i hope you are well and also know that you are so loved and appreciated *throws badly cut out paper hearts at you*

🤗🍪🎄💝

Isn't this fun?! Thank you for the asks!

#2 -🤗 How many works did you publish this year?

Not as much as I thought I would get to: 30 written works (mostly ficlets) but started some I'm really invested in, like 'What If I'm Not?' and some that aren't even posted yet; 💕and then there were the 125+ I did for the Fake Fic Titles ask game, which kinda count? So 156 or so written works; 25 photoshop edits (between crack fic campaign posters and rock out album covers); with only 5 or 6 art works this year. *whew* (had to update the spreadsheet)

I guess when I say it out loud ... it's a lot??

Still want the rest? haha

#3 -🍪Work I'm most proud of this year?

Hmmm ... I would have to say 'What If I'm Not?' which I am currently co-writing with @fluffbyday-smutbynight. It's been a lot of firsts for me. Stepping out of my comfort zone to share a few headcanons that may not be popular. Writing what isn't easy to say ... and getting to collab with someone I am so lucky to have met! The fic wouldn't have gone past chapter one without her.

#13 -🎄(stop me anytime) What is your longest work this year?

Bahaha! I think '(Not So) Fake Fic Titles' has to take the crown here. It's longer than anything I've written, combined: 35,551 words. Jeez!

But for srs, the longest work that I self-wrote this year, would be Spin the Bottle at 8,120 words, which is not yet done (imo). There will be a mature chapter as soon as I get the wording right! 💕

#30 - 💝Biggest surprise while writing this year?

I'm tempted to take this as 'the twist or idea I did not see coming' ... But I think what it's asking is: did I have a revelation about my writing this year? and yes ...

I realised that I like to write EMOTIONS. Not actions.

I'm horribly bad with having to describe what anyone is actually DOING. Hence, it is difficult to bring myself to write the 4th-5th act of any fic. (Ending? Wut are those?)

😂😅 So yeah ... maybe I haven't found the right vehicle yet? or perspective. But this is what I will be working on for 2023.

Thanks for the asks!!! xoxo - Liri

AO3 WRAPPED (Writer Asks)

#writer asks #writers wrapped #2022 #liri answers #inbox OPEN

10 notes · View notes

bakubabes-tatakae · 3 years ago

Text

Another event with the Konoha Simps has begun! The two-year anniversary of the server is coming up and we're doing another week-long event! And this year we're opening it up to all of you. Each day will have a different theme and will be released starting on 4/10/2022 @ 12am EST. Once the masterlist for each day is dropped feel free to claim characters!

Dates: June 30th-July 6th

Overall Rules:

The anniversary collab will be open for any fandom. We will be allowing you to choose whomever you would like, and we will sort everything by fandom on the masterlist for each separate day!

Each day of the week will have a different theme/AU for everyone to follow in their art/writing and you’re welcome to have creative control as long as you follow the theme/AU.

Feel free to share the post for the collab around wherever you’d like! All requests to join can be sent right to this blog! Just be sure to let me know what character you'd like and for which day.

We can have up to three repeats of the same character per fandom in this year's anniversary collab that way we can have more of a variety! We’re hoping this will help make choices for people a little easier.

OC characters are accepted for each day and theme, but keep in mind that there's an entire day dedicated to that as well!

Each day can have a different character and since this won’t be beginning until the 30th of June we’ll be spacing out the character choices so that everyone can have a chance at getting the character that they want. Below the cut will be the schedule for when we release the masterlist for the day so that people can begin making choices.

There is no word count for any of the writing pieces. They can be headcanons, drabbles, full-length pieces, whatever your heart desires!

This is open to both writing pieces and art pieces so if you know a friend that might be interested give them a shout!

If you'd like to be tagged in a reblog once the posts for each day have been added please send an ask or a DM to @/bakubabes-tatakae or comment on this post so that we can make sure that you can be notified to pick your characters.

Day 1: June 30th "Domesticity": Give us all the domestic stuff that you can think of with the character of your choice! (Released 4/10/2022)

Day 2: July 1st "Hurt/Comfort": The typical character gets hurt by something and is comforted by another character. (Released 4/11/2022)

Day 3: July 2nd "Friends/Enemies to Lovers": You can pick either option and do with it as you please! (Released 4/12/2022)

Day 4: July 3rd "Betrayal": The only thing that we ask for with these writing pieces is that we don’t have a happy ending with them. The betrayal needs to be lasting. (Released 4/13/2022)

Day 5: July 4th "OC Day/Free Day": If you don’t have an OC to write or draw a piece for then this is a free day! Feel free to do as you please with it! (Released 4/14/2022)

Day 6: July 5th "Kinks": You can write for one kink, multiple kinks, and DC is allowed here, just make sure it is tagged properly or those pieces will not be added to the taglist. (Released 4/15/2022)

Day 7: July 6th "Alternate Universe Day": Pick any alternate universe that you would like! The world is your oyster. (Released 4/16/2022)

64 notes · View notes

hyunsuks-beanie · 3 years ago

Text

Lucky

Doyoung x gn! reader; angst; fluff

Tw: Mentions of insecurities and an unhealthy mindset

Word Count: ~1.7k

Mellow speaks: Been a while since I wrote angst hehe, it was really fun!! A huge thank you to @slowlyweepingnacho for this lovely request, and I hope you enjoy reading!!

There he was, looking amazing as ever as he took center stage during Treasure's performance, and it took everything in you not to pass out on the spot as you watched him, his eyes scanning the crowd looking for you. He couldn't find you, of course, the tiny pout that took over his face making you giggle. Wrapping up their piece, the boys got off the stage, wiping off their sweat as you decided to sneak backstage, wanting to praise your boyfriend's dance skills in person. You were in a great mood today, and nothing could ruin it for you, or so you thought.

Rounding the corner towards their waiting room, you had stopped dead in your tracks all of a sudden, taking in the sight in front of you. Doyoung was happily hugging a female idol, one you knew to be his friend from back when Treasure had had a collab stage with a couple other 4th Gen groups. You could see the smile on their faces as they pulled away, happily talking away about anything and everything, blissfully unaware of your presence. From your spot, you could see how beautiful she was. Her voice was velvety smooth, her body was perfect beyond words, her features were everything you could only hope for.

She was everything you weren't, and it made you question why Doyoung was dating you in the first place. He was a world-class idol, had millions of fans loving everything about him. Even if the hadn't been the case, he still would have been the popular one, his insane looks and amazing talents making it easy enough to fall for him. He could have any person he wanted, yet he had chosen to stick with plain old you who had nothing good to offer.

Little did you know though, that to Doyoung, you were his entire world, the only person who loved him for the shy, sweet boy that he was, instead of the cool, confident guy that he appeared appeared to be. You were the only person who has been able to see him for what he truly was, and had stuck by him even through all the canceled dates and the moments together rather were barely there. Over the years, he had grown used to having you in his life, so much so that now, he really couldn't imagine surviving without you. If only he could tell you how much you meant to him. If only.

Feeling your eyes water as the nasty thoughts threatened to bring you down, you had decided to leave, needing to get as far away from your boyfriend as you could. "You don't deserve him," was all you could think of, turning the ignition of your car on and driving away into the distance. There was only one place that you could go to right now, and that was exactly where you were headed, despite being well-aware of the fact that he'd find without any trouble if you went there. That's exactly what you wanted anyway, you thought to yourself as you drove on, feeling your heart break little by little at the mere prospect of what you were about to do.

Back at the music festival, your boyfriend was frantically searching for you, having seen you run off earlier. He had tried calling you, but to no avail, and once he was sure you weren't to be found in the arena, he had taken off, getting himself a cab after informing the members. He was growing more worried about you by the minute, fearing that you had gotten jealous seeing him with the female idol. At the same time, he just couldn't believe that it was the case, well aware of how supportive you were of all his friendships and his friend circle in general.

These thoughts were still whizzing by through his head when the cab passed by your apartment building without stopping. He knew you were upset about something, even if he was unaware of what that "something" was. But one thing was for certain, if he was going to find you, it definitely wouldn't be in your bedroom. He knew where you were, and that's where he was going to go too.

It didn't take him long to reach his destination, and getting out of the cab, he felt his breath come back to him as he saw you in the distance, looking out over the view from your favorite spot in the entire city. But any relief he had felt went away just as quickly when he noticed your form shuddering ever so slightly, soft sniffs being heard as he neared you. "Babe?," he called out, wanting to reach out and hold you close but unsure of whether he should do that. You hadn't replied, and, mustering up his courage, he had gently placed his hands on your shoulders, turning you around to face him, only to have his heart broken.

He could still see you in the dim light, could make out the way your eyes were all swollen from crying, your bottom lip quivering as you looked up at him. Bringing you close to his chest, he had asked, "Why did you leave like that?," voice dropping to a whisper as his hand automatically moved up to stroke your back, an action he knew soothed you. He was met with silence once again as you continued to cry into his chest, the weight of you were about to do seeming unbearable now.

"Shhh, baby. I'm here, nothing's gonna hurt you. I'm here," he had said, and it had been his words that had hardened your resolve, your heart not wanting to make things more difficult than they already were. Pulling away, you had looked him straight in the eyes, gulping as you fought back the tears. "What is it ba-," Doyoung had started, only to be cut off by you uttering the four words he had prayed he would never have to hear. "Break up with me," you had said, tears breaking free once again as you had attempted to turn away from him.

Your efforts had been in vain, of course, Doyoung's hands still gripping your arms as he refused to let you go, simply continuing to stare at you as tears welled up in his own eyes. Catching you struggling to escape his grasp, he had slowly let his hold go lax, sniffing as he had said, "O-only one question," causing you to meet his eyes once more, bracing yourself for the question you feared but knew you needed to answer anyway. Taking a deep breath, you had opened your mouth to reply, hearing which, your boyfriend felt his heart break even more. "You deserve better," had been your words, a fresh set of tears flowing down your cheeks.

'T-that female idol back at the f-festival?," you had said, continuing your monologue as Doyoung just stared at you, tears freely flowing down his cheeks too. "She is everything I could never be, she is pretty, she is confident, she would fit you better. You would look better with her, yet you're still dating me. You could have any person you wanted, and yet, you're settling for plain old me who isn't even worth-" You words were cut off by your boyfriend cupping your tear-stained cheeks, smashing his lips onto yours in a kiss that was full to the brim with love and sorrow.

The action had caused you to freeze up, your mind not allowing you to return the kiss. But it was like your lips had a will of their own, kissing Doyoung back amid the outpouring tears, a soft smile playing on his lips at your sudden change of heart. You had remained like that for what felt like eternity, kissing and crying in each other's arms before finally pulling away. Still cupping your cheeks, he had lifted your face up to look at him as he jumped into his own monologue.

"How could you even think such a thing Y/N? Don't you dare ever tell me you're not worth my love, okay?" You had tried to protest, but he had cut you off by raising his finger. "Because you deserve all the love in the world and more, and I can't even begin to describe how lucky I find myself to be able to see your face everyday, to be able to find comfort in your embrace, to be able to hear you say that you love me, to just be able to call you mine. I don't know what I did right in my past life to deserve a partner as amazing and as supportive as you, who has never once let me feel guilty for not showing up on dates or for not spending time together. You have been nothing but supportive of me from day one, and you are the only person in the world with whom I can truly be myself, and not the confident, flirty Doyoung that I'm supposed to be. You've been the only person who's loved me for me, no filters. I'm not lying when I say that I lucked out having you as my partner, and yet you think I'm going to let you go that easily? Really? You think that's the extent of my love for you?"

By the time he was done, you were both in hysterics, hugging tightly, afraid to let the other go. He kissed you once again, and this time, you didn't hold back. Pulling away, he had whispered, barely loud enough for you to hear, "Don't you ever try to break up with again," his lips curling up into a smile next to your mouth. "I won't," you had replied, all doubts and insecurities out of your mind for now. You knew they would come back some day, but you promised yourself that when that happened, you would get through it together, with Doyoung. "I love you," you had whispered, ducking your head into his chest once more. Chuckling, all he had said was an "I love you too, my idiot."

65 notes · View notes

bffsoobin · 4 years ago

Text

princeps caeli

➤ air prince!hueningkai x orphan!reader, royalty!au, historical!au, fluff, mild angst

↳ For as long as you could remember, you had been enamored with the sky and all the things it contained. When you find yourself leaving the home you grew up in, you rely more than ever on the comfort of the glimmering sky. Finding a home among the clouds you’d always admired seemed far from reality until you met Hueningkai.

Word Count: 7.9k

Warnings: reader is an orphan, so mentions of loss of parents/family, some self-doubt, brief mentions of homelessness and feeling alone

A/N: this is my contribution to the Five Princes collab with @soobmint @gyuluster @honeyju and @juunnies please be sure to keep an eye out for their contributions for the other members to be posted in the coming weeks! This was a super fun project and I’m so happy I got to be part of it! As always I have not proofread or edited this piece.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•

“It’s almost noon, miss Y/N,” a small, timid voice chimed from somewhere behind you. The grass underneath your body was beginning to poke at the back of your neck, sticking between the thick strands of your hair and making your scalp itch. You were sure that the back of your pale pink day dress was being stained with a subtle green, but you couldn’t quite find it in your soul to care. After all, this was an undeniably big day.

Just this morning, you had woken up to a special loaf of your favorite bread cooling on the counter in the kitchen along with a handwritten note from the head lady of the house, Beatrice. The note was simple, with scrawling letters congratulating you on your eighteenth birthday.

Since you were an infant, you’d lived in the 4th Street Orphanage, cared for by Beatrice and the few staff members she was able to sustain employment for. It was the only life you’d ever known, as you never knew your parents apart from a single photograph salvaged from the house you were born in. There had never been a time in your life where you longed for family, as the other children living alongside you had been more than enough company, and the staff were never harsh like you heard they were at other orphanages.

But today, the life you had come to know and love within the walls of the homey orphanage was coming to an end. Now that you were eighteen, it was time for you to leave the home and made space for younger children to enter the home. The thought of leaving made your stomach lurch, but you knew that it was for the best. Beatrice had helped you secure a new living arrangement in the next town over, and your train was set to leave just after noon- hence the warning of time from the little boy.

You allowed yourself an extra moment to study the swirling skies above you. Large, puffy clouds were covering almost every inch of the blue sky; dancing and forming into new shapes with every pass of warm wind. It was one of the simplest pleasures in your life, to watch the sky shift and shake above you. The garden you laid in now had been your haven for as long as you could remember. Often you would drag a pillow and blanket out to the field and spend an entire day reveling in the breeze and the chirps of passing creatures. On several occasions throughout your youth, a uniquely beautiful butterfly who boasted silvery-blue wings with strong black markings had visited you in. It was unlike any butterfly you’d seen in the region before, but you admired it wholly every time it came around to your home. You couldn’t help but hope that it would flutter into your path again today before you had to go.

“Is she out in the garden again?” You heard a familiar, bellowing voice call from the open windows of the orphanage. It was surely Beatrice, growing anxious as the clock ticked closer to noon. All of your things had been packed before you went outside, but there was still a lingering desire for closure before you departed. Reluctantly, you hauled yourself off of the plush grass and brushed at your knees before wandering back toward the house.

Inside, all of the other children you lived with were gathered in the living room, engaged in various activities, and you were grateful that only a few of their gazes shifted to you. You were grateful for that, as the few stares you did catch made you feel an odd sense of guilt for leaving. A blush crept out from the collar of your dress, thankfully disguised by the sweltering heat of the day as the few members of the staff gave you tearful smiles.

The grandfather clock on the wall played its tinny, high pitched song to announce the arrival of noon. Upon hearing the sound, a group of children rose from their spots and came to hug you in turn. The ones old enough to understand your departure breathed messages of thanks and farewell, while the younger children toddled over and hugged at your legs simply because they’d seen others do it. Sometime during the shuffle, Beatrice had gone up to your room to collect your single suitcase of belongings and was now standing solemnly next to the front door.

“Dear, it’s time to get going...” she spoke softly, extending an age-worn hand toward you. She offered you the worn leather suitcase and you accepted it quickly; hugging the case to your chest protectively as you gave one last goodbye to the rest of the home.

Your short walk to the train station was mostly silent. Beatrice had never been one for small talk, and you were experiencing so many warring emotions that you wouldn’t have even known what to say if you could manage to open your mouth.

“Listen to me,” she said just as the bustle of people around the train station came into view. “When you arrive in town, you go straight to the Pharmacy as I told you. The woman who owns it is very old but very kind. I’ve known her for many years, and she’s looking for a new young soul to work at the shop, and she has a spare bedroom in the apartment above the place that she’s willing to give to you. I got a letter from her just last week that she was anticipating your arrival.”

Suddenly overwhelmed with the new direction of your life, a few tears began to gather around your lashes but you blinked them away. Your head felt hazy, stuffed full of cotton as you took mindless steps toward the train station. Of course, Beatrice noticed your state right away and cooed comfortingly in the way only a mother could.

“We’ll be just a train ride away, dear. And I do so wish you could simply stay in the home, but you must go on and live your own life...” her words dissipated as she dug through the deep pockets sewn into her dress, obviously searching for something. Finally she produced a simple burlap pouch that clinked with the telltale sound of coins. Your eyes widened at the idea of her carrying so much money with her for such a short trip, and then you realized that it was for you.

“Oh no, I can’t-” the old woman pushed the bag into your hands anyway, leaving no room for your protests. The bag was heavy in your hand, and a feeling of anxiety at having so many coins sprouted in your chest.

“I save for every child to give them something on the day they leave. That money is all yours. I don’t expect a single coin back, so don’t even try.” Beatrice’s words were firm as she led you onto the train platform. More and more people were gathering around, making it clear that the scheduled time for the train must have been drawing closer.

“Thank you,” you finally mustered just before the incoming train sounded its horn and began to slow on the tracks. You held both the suitcase and the pouch of coins tight to your body as Beatrice pulled you into one more bone-crushing hug, her thin frame melding into you without care for the objects between you. She smoothed down the back of your hair with a gentle pat, and before you knew it you were being pushed into the train by waves of travelers.

----

The train ride to the next town over was rather quick, as you spent most of it worrying over locating the pharmacy and the old woman. As you left the train, still holding your suitcase and pouch of coins so close to your body that your arms had begun to ache, a warm breeze met you. Wind ghosted over your face, brushing at the curves of your face and pushing your hair away from the back of your neck. The push of the air against your skin calmed you enough to lead you away from the bodies pouring out of the train and toward your new home.

You faltered in your path once departing the train station, unsure which way to walk to come across the pharmacy. The thought of asking a passing citizen for help entered your mind and then quickly dissipated. If you were going to live here, you may as well begin to familiarize yourself with the layout now.

It was a sunny afternoon, bringing families out of their homes and shop owners onto their front sidewalks to tout their products and converse with passing customers. With the sun right above your head, the rays beating onto your scalp made you feel a bit dizzy, the air thick with humidity as it clung to your skin. A knot built in your stomach the more you wandered, eyeing up the town’s bank, biggest restaurant, a few small clothing shops, and a doctor’s office. The layout of the town was similar to your own, but the streets were bustling with well dressed families, and you suddenly felt insecure in your grass-stained hand me down dress. A particularly wealthy looking family brushed past you as you meandered closer to what you figured was the center of town. The older child sent you a snide look, eyes widening at the state of your tattered suitcase and dirty shoes.

A currently empty schoolhouse stood a few feet taller than the one in your hometown, a pair of children sitting on the concrete steps and tossing stones between their hands in some kind of game you didn’t recognize. They smiled as you passed, stopping their game just long enough to regard the stranger strolling through their town. Kiddy corner to the schoolhouse, you spotted the brick walled general store. Beams of sunlight broke over the ceiling of the building, blinding you momentarily as you approached it. With a hand over your eyes, you finally regained your vision at the same time you rounded the corner sidewalk of the store. Just to the left of you was a similarity built brick building, boasting painted block letters spelling “Pharmacy”. A surge of excitement sped through your body upon finding your destination. Hands shaking, you approached the ornate door and pulled, hearing the bell tinkle from above you.

The shop you entered was just as you had expected; tonic bottles and boxes of medication stacked onto oak shelves with handwritten price tags hanging below them. The red and white tiled floor below your feet was squeaky clean and shined underneath the bright lights hanging off the ceiling. As you approached the counter, you noticed that the building was seemingly empty.

“Hello?” You called, voice loud as a firework in the vacant building. There was a shuffling noise from somewhere behind the counter, then a groan, then the abrupt scrape of metal against tile. A small, quite frail looking woman bellied up to the counter. She wore tiny round spectacles that rested delicately on her dotted nose, and a flowery apron that tied loosely around her waist.

“What can I do for you?” She asked, hazarding you an odd glance as if she were trying to decipher if you were someone she knew and had simply forgotten. “Forgive me dear, but I don’t know your last name to retrieve your things...”

“Oh, that’s because I’m uh, from the 4th Street Orphanage. Beatrice told me that she had spoken to you about me?” Your fingers were slippery with sweat as you awaited her response. Her eyes lit up with recognition and then suddenly fell with a sigh.

“Oh yes, yes, I know of you, dear...it’s just, there’s an issue with the arrangement I had made with Beatrice. You see, my dear nephew has fallen into similar straights as you...no where to go, in need of a room...” A hot iron of anxiety drove straight through your chest at her words. You knew exactly where they were going.

“You see, family must come first, dear. And he’s already moved in.” One of her aged hands came up to adjust her glasses, the other laying across her chest apologetically as she gazed up at you.

“I see,” you nodded politely, holding back the anxious tears sprouting along your eyelashes. Where were you supposed to go now? You had no backup plan, and Beatrice surely hadn’t anticipated anything this horrible to go wrong. “Do you happen to know if there’s a hotel around?” You asked, voice wavering and clipped. The old woman nodded calmly, giving you simple directions that would lead you back the way you’d came and to the only lodging the town had to offer.

----

Checking into the hotel was easy enough thanks to your newly acquired bag of coins. The owner of the place had shown you around, and now you were sat idly in your rented room. An old four posted oak bed with simple white sheets and two duck-feather stuffed pillows was about all the luxury you were afforded. A simple wardrobe, whose wood was chipped and scratched on the legs, held what little you had brought along in your suitcase. The only saving grace of the room was the two large windows and the thin white curtains that attempted to cover them. Strong beams of sunlight were criss-crossing the room, giving it an ethereal glow that almost made up for the lack of comfort. Right now, you had both windows wide open, allowing the heat and sounds of people conversing to flow in and out as it pleased. Your face was dry now, all of your tears having been shed on your short walk from the Pharmacy to the hotel. As you gazed out the window, you tipped your head up to the clear blue sky.

If only I could live up there; you thought. No money, no worries, no stress about what to eat in a day or when to wash your clothes. All you’d have to worry about up there was which cloud to lay on and what days it was going to rain. It was a silly, childish thought; but it helped calm you nonetheless. You hoped that if anyone was really living in the sky-perhaps like something in a fairytale book that had been donated to the orphanage when you were young- that they were happy, and felt as light and airy as they could.

The longer you stared out of the window, the more you became saddened at the thought that you were never going to be able to magically disappear into the clouds. It was beyond all logic.

After a while, your stomach growled in protest, inspiring you to make a cautious trip down to the kitchen of the hotel to inquire about when dinner would be served. Much to your joy, you had arrived only five minutes before the beginning of serving. The few other people living in the hotel greeted you kindly but made no attempt at further conversation. Perhaps they had noticed the status of your dress and decided that they didn’t have time to speak with someone in your state. The thought pulled at your heart strings, causing you to question if you’d ever be able to forge a life on your own.

Once the food was available, you ate quickly and quietly, barely registering the taste of the soup and buttered bread that had been on the menu. Your earlier interactions made you self conscious, and you wished for nothing more than to sink into the seat of the oak chair you sat upon. The night was still quite young by the time you’d washed up and gotten ready for bed, but as you had nowhere to be you allowed yourself an early bedtime. You lit a small candle next to your bedside; not for the light it provided, but simply for the comfort of the flickering flame.

Dusk had begun to creep into the summer sky as you got under the comforter of the bed. A faint purple haze colored the sky, the warm breeze still as strong as it had been the entire day. A part of you had forgotten that today was your 18th birthday. None of your birthdays had ever been extravagant, but today had come and gone so hecticly that you didn’t even have a chance to enjoy being an adult. A sting of upset rocketed through your veins and you allowed yourself to wallow in it for a moment; to feel bad for yourself and your situation and the fact that the only thing you got for your birthday was a goodbye to the only life you’d ever known.

You clamped your eyes tight against the world, trying to curb your anger at the world as best as you could. With your arm over your eyes you could almost convince yourself that everything was okay, that nothing had gone wrong when you arrived at town this afternoon and you weren’t dreadfully lonely.

Just as you were about to stand and look down upon the chattering streets, a loud creak resonated through the room. It was unlike the cream that came from the bed you laid on or the door to the room. It sounded much more akin to the sound that the panes of the windows had made when you first pushed them open a few hours ago. Suddenly sweating, you laid totally still, hoping that what or who ever was trying to enter your room would walk away peacefully.

Moments passed, and you heard no new noises. Surprising even yourself, you sat up quickly and fearlessly, opening your eyes in a flash to scan the room.

“Who are you?” You yelled and then immediately regretted. What awful last words, you thought. The creak had apparently been borne from the arrival of a man, who looked just about your age, propped casually on your windowsill. Even in the odd lighting you could tell he was handsome, the sharp cut of his jaw and delicate drop of his nose leading into the curve of his Cupid’s bow were illuminated by the candle you’d lit before. The sight of a man so perfect made your heartbeat kick into overdrive.

His dark brown hair was fluffy, curled and sticking up at points in a charmingly messy way. He was dressed in simple white clothing unlike anything you were used to seeing around your city. The shirt he wore was long-sleeved but thin, form fitting enough to allow you a hint of the smooth movement of his muscles. A few small white buttons were open at the neck, giving off a glimpse of glowing, warm skin. You were almost disappointed that you couldn’t see more of him from this angle, but you were also far too nervous to change the way you were sitting.

Oddly, there was no feeling of anxiety running through your veins anymore. Although this young man had blatantly broken into your room and was sitting unnervingly still at the window, you felt no traces of anxiety. Something about him seemed oddly familiar although you couldn’t place why. Obviously you would have remembered a presence such as his but you came up empty.

He stood from the windowsill now, making steps that somehow managed not to create a single sound as he approached the bed.

“I’m Hueningkai,” his voice was even and soothing, gentle to your ears. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here... and how I found you.” You swallowed the anxious lump in your throat and finally made eye contact with him. His eyes were shimmering, a hint of amusement winking from behind his dark irises.

“What do you mean? Do I know you?”

“Ah, not quite,” he gave a small shy smile. “I do know you, though, Y/N.” Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion but he continued speaking anyway. “I come from a place that exists just beyond the world you know. We simply call it the Five Kingdoms- one for every element known to humans. My family has ruled the Kingdom of Caeli for many eons. In fact I-“ he stopped to scratch at the back of his neck, cheeks going uncharacteristically rosy. “I am the prince of Caeli, and my father is in his final days. He sent me to find you.”

Your head spun. This had to be some kind of trick, a clever rouse to lure you into some kind of danger. But you couldn’t shake the fact that Hueningkai seemed familiar; warm and believable in his words. It was really no shock to you that another world behind your own existed. In fact, the idea of escaping the world as you know it was exhilarating.

“What is Caeli- if you don’t mind my asking. It’s not an element that I find familiar.” A blush crept along the apples of your cheeks at asking such a daft question. Hueningkai allowed an easy smile that scrunched up the fat of his cheeks charmingly.

“It means air.” He answered simply before waiting as if to see if you had any further questions.

“What did you mean that your father sent you to find me? Surely there’s no way he knows who I am. I’ve never heard of you, after all. And I don’t live a very extraordinary life,” you chucked a little as you glanced around the hotel room that seemed even more drab with Hueningkai inside of it.

“You see, as a kingdom we have many prophesies, all of which are sacred guiding principles to the actions of our people. In fact all five kingdoms have these, but right now the ones of my people are most important. For many generations the men of my family have been carrying the information of a certain prophecy that tells the story of a young girl from earth visiting Caeli. She is supposed to be kind, quaint...” he trailed off for a moment, ghosting his eyes over your figure. “And her parents are to have been from Caeli as well. She is meant to return to the Kingdom and help us fulfill her prophecy.”

You nodded despite the knot forming between your eyebrows. He was certainly insinuating that the girl from the prophecy was supposed to be you, hence why you had found him here. And you wished nothing more than to believe him, but there was one massive problem.

“Well, my parents are-”

“Passed away, yes. I never knew them but my mother and father did. You and I were born in the same year but your parents left shortly before your birth to experience life on Earth. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but ever since I first heard the prophecy I wanted to meet you. Not only am I fascinated by Earth but the idea that my-” he stopped himself short, reddening again before clearing his throat. “Essentially, I’m here to collect you as the prophecy indicates. Of course, if you truly do wish to stay here...” he skimmed the surroundings with a skeptical eye. You figured that whatever royal quarters he came from was much grander than this. “I will not force you to come along.”

“I-hold on,” you finally moved from the spot on the bed you’d been somewhat rooted to to rummage through your suitcase. In the single pocket sewn into the lining you had stashed the only photo you’d ever seen of your parents.

“Here,” you offered the photo to Hueningkai with shaky hands. He picked up the weathered film and carefully scrutinized it. “Do you...recognize them? I know you said you never knew them but I just-”

“No, no. This is them. Your parents. In the castle we keep a detailed record of everyone who has lived in Caeli, and I’ve certainly seen their faces.” A surge of excitement bolted through you at the confirmation and it was enough to make up your mind about leaving. If this place was truly where your parents had been from, there was no way you couldn’t explore it given the chance. Decisively you began to fold your clothing back into your suitcase, blushing slightly at the thought of Hueningkai watching you.

“So I take it you’re coming back with me?” He giggled a bit as you zipped the suitcase with fervor. When you whirled around again, clutching the cracking leather case, you saw that his eyes were sparkling, lips upturned in a gentle smirk.

“Oh yes, yes I’m coming with you. Uh, lead the way?”

——

The walk from your hotel room to the inconspicuous patch of tall grass that Hueningkai led you to was brisk. He kept an amazingly quick gait, breezing by all of the curious looks the two of you received as you breezed through town.

Now, the moon shone high above your bodies in the field, clearly illuminating the grass brushing against your knees. Hueningkai waved you forward through the grass patch and into the gradually thickening trees. The scent of dirt and leaves invaded your nose as you walked to an unknown location. At a seemingly random tree Hueningkai stopped and looked back at you.

“Take a step back, just in case,” he warned kindly the corners of his eyes scrunching. You did as you were told as he began to mutter something that you didn’t quite catch in time to comprehend. Right before your eyes the simple tree shifted, doubling in width and opening forward like a swinging door. Inside of it laid a beautiful wooden staircase that gleamed in the setting light of the sun. It seemed to go on forever, stretching upwards in an infinite fashion to a nondescript white light. Hueningkai took the first step easily before turning to look at you over his shoulder, encouraging you with a nod of his head.

You suddenly felt hyper aware of your body, the beating of your heart loud in your ears and the tingling of your fingers feeling like sparks of lightning. Goosebumps rose all across your skin as the two of you ascended the stairs, approaching closer and closer to the white light at the top. It had become so blinding that you had to squint your eyes closed and hope that your feet didn’t miss a step on the way up.

A few moments after shutting your eyes you felt a shift in the ground below you. It felt much softer than the solid wood of the stairs, and you could even sense that the scent lingering in the air had changed into something you could only describe as pure. Hueningkai laid a gentle, steady hand on your shoulder.

“We’re here,” you could hear the smile on his face before you even opened your eyes. You instantly became grateful for that, as the sight presented in front of you captured all of your attention. The soft ground that you’d felt before was evidently a literal cloud; fluffy and white and cushioning the soles of your feet with the most luxurious feeling you’d ever experienced. A few feet ahead, you could see the beginnings of a town like the one you knew on Earth, except the buildings were all made of a beautiful white-gray material that appeared almost like marble. What you could see from there was built grandly, tall and wide and intricate in their structure. Everything was blanketed in the same hazy glow of the sunset that you were admiring just minutes before.

Hueningkai let you marvel for a moment before he gently urged you along with a hand on your lower back. The pair of you walked past many citizens of Caeli, whom nodded or bowed politely at the sight of their prince. The thought made your face flush. Here you were- a simple, orphaned girl who until just minutes ago was helpless- flanked by the handsome and dignified prince of Caeli. You caught the eyes of a few people before shying away, noting the confusion poorly hidden behind their polite smiles. Hueningkai was immune to it all; waving kindly as he led you through the soft terrain.

Finally his footsteps slowed at the presence of large gates and grey brick walls. Clouds gathered around the fence the same way that grass bunched around walls, reminding you for a moment of being back at the orphanage and laying in the garden for hours. The gates opened instantly, revealing the castle behind them in all its glory. It was sparkling in a way that was surely magical, every single brick and window glimmering down at you bathed in the warm orangey-pink glow of sunset. Clouds gathered tightly around the base of this building too, creeping slightly up the side of the turrets the same way ivy would.

Guards dressed in shiny silver armor accompanied by similarly dressed horses. Upon seeing Hueningkai approaching they stood at salute, one frantically pulling at the chain which pulled open the gate to the main entrance. Your face grew ever hotter as you stepped inside of the castle, instantly greeted by ornate marble on every single wall. The floor beneath you was made of the same material but swirling in alternate colors of blue, black and white. In the middle of the room was a large staircase that wound upwards in two separate directions. It was obvious that the room extended back underneath the staircase too, and that was the direction in which Hueningkai lead you toward. His shoes clicked off of the marble pleasantly while yours seemed to do nothing but slide noiselessly against it.

You’d never felt more unconscious of your clothing, as you knew for a fact that the dress you were wearing right now had a clearly stitched together tear somewhere around the left shoulder. In the brighter lighting of the castle you could tell that Hueningkai’s clothing was expensive and carefully crafted. When he finally stopped walking it was at the door of what was obviously a throne room, as two large thrones covered in velvet blue coverings were sitting at the front of the room, slightly elevated above the smooth flooring. A large portrait framed in silver hung on the wall to the left of the thrones, depicting Hueningkai’s family but several years younger, as evidenced by the boyish shape of his face within the frame.

It seemed to you that there was no one within the room, but a voice suddenly sounded from a corner you couldn’t see. It was light and airy, obviously belonging to a woman. You heard the clink of heels against marble before a short, thin woman with graying hairs and a face scrunched in worry appeared right in front of the two of you. Instinctively you tried to hide behind Hueningkai’s taller frame before she could spot you but you could tell that your attempt was unsuccessful as soon as she let out a surprised squeal.

“Oh, you’ve found her! And convinced her to come! Oh, honey, your father will be so happy to see you both,” she grabbed his hands jovially and you quickly gathered that she was his mother. Reluctantly you stepped away from the cover of his body, brushing your arm against his own in your haste. Her face melted instantly upon seeing you fully.

“Oh, hello Y/N! We are so happy to have you back after all this time. Come on, you two,” she grasped your hand in her pleasantly warm one and lead you back the way you’d come. Hueningkai kept up behind the two of you, snickering under his breath when you turned your head back to give him a pleading stare. He simply shrugged at his mothers actions as you made it to the top of the marble steps. Down one more winding hallway you traveled, nodding politely at everything Hueningkai’s mother told you until you reached another grand wooden door that was guarded by another armored guard. He moved away immediately and bent into a bow.

The inside of this room was considerably darker although still covered in the same blue and silver that seemed to have been the running theme of the castle. In the middle laid a large four poster bed with a man laid in the middle. He was obviously sick-large purple bags were under his eyes and a cloth laid across his forehead. His eyes were closed as you entered the room, and they didn’t open until Hueningkai’s mother gently shook him. You had noticed that Hueningkai was standing extremely rigid next to you. His eyes were glossed in a layer of unshed tears at the sight of his father in his sickbed.

“Hello, son,” the man said weakly. Hueningkai stepped forward then to sit gingerly at the foot of the bed. In the short time you’d known him he had seemed nothing short of royal and composed, but in this very moment he looked like a child who’d just woken from a nightmare. He conversed quietly with his father before turning his angular face toward you. An awed look crossed his face for a second before he schooled it back to normal and beckoned you forward with a smile. Unable to resist it, you carefully treaded closer to the bed and stood beside Hueningkai. His father smiled to the best of his ability.

“Welcome back to Caeli, dear. I’m sure you’ve been filled in fairly well-” he paused to take a deep, shaky breath. “ We have waited many years after the news about your parents for the day you could come back. I couldn’t be happier to finally have you here and to see you alongside my son. The two of you are going to be such a lovely couple, don’t you think, dear?” Your eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and suddenly your mouth had gone dry. Surely the old man was going crazy from his sickness, surely he hadn’t just said that...

“Oh, I couldn’t agree more. She looks so much like her mother, doesn’t she? I should look for those pictures of us together, don’t you think?” Hueningkai’s mother enthused as she moved about the room, opening the drawers of a dresser with fervor.

You were still reeling at the idea of you and Hueningkai becoming a couple, as it was the first you’d heard of it. Meekly you turned your head to the boy in question to see that his cheeks were as rosy as you assumed they could get, head slightly bowed as he tried to avoid your gaze. Part of you wanted to question him immediately, put him on the spot in front of his parents and figure out why he had decided to neglect that fairly large piece of information.

But one glance at the content smile on his fathers face and the way his mother was chattering excitedly stopped the words in your throat.

“I- we should go, uh, look at the prophecy, I’m sure she’s curious,” Hueningkai stuttered, suddenly springing up from the bed and bumping into you in the process. Both of his parents stopped their actions and regarded the two of you before nodding their approval. He grabbed blindly for your hand for a moment before lacing his fingers between yours. His palm was just as clammy as your own and the thought calmed you a bit as you sped out of the room. Neither of you spoke as he led you back the way you’d came, passing by the wide staircase and leading you down another lengthy hallway.

The room you found yourself in this time was not guarded but was obviously important. Dim lighting illuminated what looked a bit like a library with shelves filled with thickly bound leather books. Hueningkai dropped your hand finally and you saw his shoulders heave as he took a deep breath before turning to face you. His cheeks were still slightly rosy, having only toned down a bit during travel.

“I’m so sorry they brought that up,” he rushed out. “I didn’t tell you about that part of the prophecy because-well, I figured it would scare you away. I told them before I left not to force it on you, that you’d already be in enough shock about the whole thing- and I wasn’t sure if you’d have someone on earth or even like me so I just-”

“Hueningkai,” you finally tried to get a word in edgewise and he looked stunned that you already had something to say. “I’m not upset with you. Or your parents, really. I-I don’t mind the idea of-” you stopped, frustration bubbling in your gut as you tried to string the right words together. “I think you’re quite handsome.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed wildly in his throat for a second before a wide grin began to split his face. The rosiness in his cheeks seemed to have dissipated at your words and instead a satisfied glow shone on his face. Coolly, he brushed a hand through his hair and exposed even more of his exceptionally smooth skin. You hadn’t been lying. He was easily the most attractive person you’d ever met, and there was no denying the allure of his handsome features especially here in the cozy, dimly lit room. The stare he had leveled on you was steady, unwavering as he roamed a path from your eyes, down to your lips, even further down to your body, and then back up to your eyes. Suddenly shy, you drew in on yourself, tucking your hands underneath your armpits and looking away.

“Well, it just so happens that I find you quite beautiful as well,” he spoke cheekily as his gentle fingertips traced their way across your left shoulder before resting at the apex of your neck. The warmth radiating from his hand made you smile, loosening your hold on yourself until your arms fell at your sides. Shamelessly, you stared right back at him; examining the pink petals of his lips and the honey rich tone of his skin. All time seemed to have stopped as the two of you stood and watched one another, breathing in sync. For a fleeting moment you wondered if he was feeling the same rush of nervous adrenaline to kiss you as you were feeling for him.

Despite your experience with anything romantic, your body was screaming out to feel him closer to you, to feel the soft glide of his lips against yours or the way he would hold you tightly against his chest-

“Come on,” he giggled, and you suddenly realized that he must have been speaking to you while you daydreamed. Your eyes widened apologetically as you finally got your feet to move after his own. Off of a shelf so high that even he had to rise onto his tippytoes to reach it, Hueningkai produced a thick book bound in gray leather. He dusted off the cover and propped the book open in his hands. It was unlike anything you’d ever seen before. The words were written in a glimmering silver ink that almost jumped off the page as you read it, and almost every paragraph was accompanied by a large, extremely detailed illustration. Hueningkai seemed to know exactly where to find what he was looking for, as he whipped through several pages before finally settling on what appeared to be the start of a new story.

The title page boasted mostly words that you didn’t understand due to the fact that you hadn’t been given much practice in reading beyond basic words. Luckily Hueningkai was too busy to catch the embarrassed flush growing from the collar of your dress to the top of your forehead.

“This is your prophecy, look!” He shoved the book toward you and you caught it with unsure hands, looking down at the first illustrations which depicted the birth of a baby and then an image of the same child having grown into a young girl. You flipped to the next page and recognized something immediately.

“That butterfly,” you jabbed a fingernail toward the page excitedly. “I’ve seen it before- its come into the garden at the orphanage so many times-” Hueningkai laughed shyly, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

“That’s because I sent it down to you. For a while I didn’t have the ability to visit earth, and I was always jealous of not being able to check on you when your prophecy seemed so important-” he stopped to scratch the back of his neck and you realized he must be alluding to the prophesied relationship. “So my father suggested I send a butterfly down to report back.”

The thought made your heart swell. For a moment you imagined a younger Hueningkai bargaining with the beautiful and unique butterfly to keep an eye on you and report back to him.

“Must have been some boring reports,” you joked as you turned to the next page to see an image which depicted you entering Caeli.

“Oh, no, never! I loved learning about you. The butterfly was quite secretive at first, but before long it easily spilled everything to me. That was how I knew where to find you tonight.”

It had to have been true, as you recalled seeing the butterfly resting on the windowsill of your bedroom as you packed up your belongings to move.

The next page you flipped to had to be one of the last, as it showed the image of a girl being embraced by a royal family, wedding gown and veil firmly in place. You swallowed the lump in your throat and gingerly took in the next image which depicted the man and woman sitting in the same thrones you’d seen before, wearing elegant crowns and smiling down at a room full of citizens. Surely the words afforded more information but you didn’t bother with trying to understand them.

Hueningkai took back the book and returned it to its shelf.

“Now that you’ve seen the...ending,” he cringed at his own words, “I hope you understand why my parents brought it up. They’ve been waiting for this moment since I was born. I had been told this story so many times, but when I realized the prince destined to be married to the girl from earth-you- was actually me? I-I couldn’t wait to meet you. It surely is a shame that your parents passed away so young and you ended up in the orphanage.”

Your face must have turned sour because he instantly recoiled, doubling back on his words.

“Oh! No, I don’t mean that you’re lesser- I just mean that we could have met sooner had your parents lived. I couldn’t care less where you’ve lived the last eighteen years,” he whispered, sensing the fallen edges of your face. “Truly, you are just as wonderful to me in hand me down clothes as you would be in the finest silks. The most important thing is that you’re finally here, and I can learn about you without the help of an insect. I hope you stay for a while.”

You let out a laugh and his shoulders sagged with relief. With a surge of unfounded confidence you wrapped your arms tightly around his midsection, pressing your face flat against his broad chest and muttering;

“I’m glad we finally met, too, Hueningkai. And I won’t be going anywhere.”

----

“Y/N? Are you in here?” Hueningkai called as he walked into what had become your bedroom when you arrived. He was dressed in his finest suit, a light blue jacket with matching trousers layered over a white button up with ruffles around the collar. His hair was styled away from his face, boasting all of his strong features for anyone to see. For once your clothing matched his own; a flowing light blue dress with layers of fluff at the skirt that made it hard to sit down. Thankfully you had been allowed to forgo the corset, but the top of your dress was still comfortably snug around your stomach and chest. For the first time in your life you were wearing a small bit of makeup and an updo as well as a pair of small heels.

Today was the day you were to finally be introduced to the people of Caeli. Ever since your arrival you had been squirreled away in the castle- not that you were complaining- and had become a distant memory to the few citizens who had seen you arrive weeks ago. In that time, Hueningkai’s father had recovered from whatever sickness had ailed him when you came, and most citizens were too overjoyed with that news to bother worrying about you.

But now you had to worry about them. Hueningkai’s mother had been kind enough to tell you stories about your parents and teach you the basic customs of Caeli without ever pushing you to change who you were. She laughed at your jokes and the way you scarfed down whatever food was put in front of you and never once suggested that you fix your etiquette.

“What if they don’t like me?” You asked as soon as Hueningkai was within your line of sight. A feeling of dread had been bubbling in your stomach since yesterday morning and was the cause of your sleepless night. “I mean I’m just...a random stranger that waltzed in and is now living in the castle...what if someone has a crush on you and they hate me for being real?” You gasped at the thought of some scorned teenage girl hurling a shoe toward your head as you were presented.

Hueningkai sighed. “They will love you, Y/N. The entire kingdom has been awaiting your arrival, for the prophecy to be fulfilled. You are kind, and smart and understanding and beautiful. And if they don’t like you then too bad. I like you, and that’s all that matters. None of them would dare to go against the word of the Prince.”

Your heart hammered wildly against your ribs at his words. There was no denying that you’d grown closer and closer to him as you spent so much time around the castle. The small kindling of a crush you’d had on him when you first met had turned into a raging fire of infatuation.

He brought a hand up to your face and gently cupped your flushed cheek. Instinctively you nuzzled in closer, relishing in the feeling of his touch. “You are still the most wonderful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. And if my kingdom fails to notice that, then they’re at fault.” His voice had barely come above a whisper but it sent a noticeable chill down your spine. Hueningkai drifted his thumb over your bottom lip gently, rubbing at the bitten flesh there. Your eyelids fluttered quickly, trying to keep focus on his face as he inched closer.

“Can I kiss you?” He finally murmured. You nodded and mumbled a rushed yes before you could even comprehend the movement. Your body was buzzing as if it were filled with bees, but you kept your lidded eyes focused on him as he descended. Before you knew it he had attached his lips to your own and they were just as soft and supple as you always imagined. He was clearly testing the waters with a small peck, but it left you yearning for more as you captured him in a passionate kiss that had your fingers curling into the nape of his neck.

“That was,” he finally spoke again, wiping at his now swollen lips with the back of his hand. Your chests were both heaving with the unbridled adrenaline you had just experienced. A feeling of warmth, one that had become so common around Hueningkai that you barely registered it, rippled through your body and calmed your frayed nerves. Hueningkai grabbed your hand firmly, fingers curling between yours in a perfect fit of palms, and lead you out of your room toward the front gate of the castle. A new, unknown chapter of your young life was just beginning in the one place you never thought possible, but the one thing you were sure of was that Hueningkai would always be by your side.

373 notes · View notes

klave-fucktober · 3 years ago

Text

Klave Fucktober Fest - Info Post

Hello Party People, the Hargreeves’ birthday is nigh and what’s a better present for our lovely Number Four (and us) than getting him and his main squeeze thoroughly wrecked? Without further ado...

Welcome to Fucktober! A prompt fest dedicated to creating mature fanworks for The Umbrella Academy pairing of Klaus Hargreeves/Dave Katz.

Details under the cut…

Cool! So, who is it that’s hiding behind the curtain?

Your fest runners for this event are CriseCardiac (@thistlemoth) and Teddy (@yeah-klave), just a couple of friendly neighborhood smut enthusiasts dying for some content in these dark, dark interseasonal times. Any questions, you can find us on tumblr or, more often than not, hanging out in Elliott’s House.

Okay, how does this work?

You can submit a prompt here from now until September 17th. The submitted prompts will be posted on September 19th, on which day claiming will open and participants can begin working on their submission(s). Multiple claims are allowed on prompts, and you can claim as many as you want. Collabs are great! We don’t want to be restrictive – the idea of this fest is to encourage as much smutty Klave creation as possible: we want ALL THE SMUT.

Once you have completed your work, you can either: (1) add it to the AO3 Klave-Fucktober Collection - “Klave Fucktober 2021″; and/or (2) submit it to the Klave-Fucktober tumblr page. The AO3 Collection will go live on 30 October and any works submitted to the tumblr page will also be posted at intermittent times throughout the day on the 30th October, and, depending on the number of entries, the following days.

Alternatively, you can post your work to your own tumblr, however, if you’re doing this, we ask that you don’t post your work until 30 October, please. If you’re posting to your own tumblr, please remember to tag your work #fucktober. Also, if you tag either @klave-fucktober, @thistlemoth or @yeah-klave, one of us will reblog on the official fucktober tumblr page.

Please note, if you are creating nsfw art, you must adhere to the rules of the site you are posting your work to.

What can I prompt?

It’s a free-for-all baby! Want to see Klaus and Dave having sweet, sticky Saigon sex? Prompt it! Want to see them getting down and dirty in the jungle? Prompt it! Modern AU lazy Sunday morning lovemaking? Angsty, post-argument make-up fuck? Gender-swapped klave (i.e. our lovely Klesbians) princess/stable girl illicit love affair? Office co-workers enemies to lovers? Sex dungeon? Semi-public? Trans? Threesome? Moresome? Full on orgy? First time? Prompt it, prompt it, prompt it!!

So, in summary, as long as Klave is the main pairing and it involves some form of sex, you can prompt anything and everything. This could be as simple as a particular kink or you could submit a detailed scenario. Whatever you’ve been craving, this is your opportunity to get it out to potential nsfw Klave content creators.

Are there any exclusions?

No rape and no underage, please. And absolutely no kink-shaming.

Can I submit a prompt if I don’t plan to contribute?

Of course. As a prompt fest, there’s no commitment. Often the prompts are a gift in themselves. Your prompt may inspire something wonderful – so please, prompt away!

What can I create?

Anything you want, as long as your creation is in some way fucktastic! Write something, draw something, use those graphic-design-is-my-passion skills. Know some songs you think the boys would get down and dirty to? Make a playlist! All fannish talents are welcome and encouraged. We’re here for a fun, adult time together. Go wild.

As a note for fics: there are no word count restrictions. You can write a sexy bite-sized drabble or a slow burn epic where all that antici-- pation and build-up doesn’t come to a tingly, pulsating climax until chapter 10. Multichapter fics do not need to be completed within the fest window.

I’ve made a claim but I’m afraid I won’t finish my submission on time. What happens now?

No worries, it happens! Neither of us will run screaming after you in the night. Claiming is mostly to give us an idea of what to expect and allow your potential audience to get excited about what might be to come. Allowing multiple claims means you can be as ambitious as you want without preventing other submissions.

If you change your mind about a claim, decide to fill a different prompt instead, create something that hasn’t even been prompted, post only the first chapter, post later than the fest window – that’s all fine!

I’ve never created anything nsfw before – I’d like to participate but I’m nervous about the theme.

This is not an exclusive environment. We know there are many smut veterans out there who will be eager to participate in this event, but we also want to use this as an opportunity to encourage as many new participants to get involved as well! Whether you’re new to creating nsfw content for this pairing, or just new to creating nsfw content at all – we would LOVE for you to get involved!

There’s no getting around it, posting smut can be very daunting. Maybe you’ve always wanted to create something nsfw but have always felt too exposed or nervous to post it? Maybe you’ve created something in the past but have always thought it was not good enough or not sexy enough to share? To all you lovely people, we beckon you over, throw our arms wide and invite you to join the smut club.

Smut comes in all shapes and sizes and styles. Just like kinks. Just like people. Everyone has different tastes and preferences – there is no right or wrong way to create smut. What works for one person might not work for another, but that’s part of the fun of it!

So whatever your previous smut experience level, we would love for you to take part. And remember, if you’ve got any questions, concerns or you just need a little positive encouragement, you can always reach out to one of the event runners – we’re very friendly and we’re both smut-writers, so we’d be happy to chat with you. Feel free to drop us an ask or a DM.

Any warnings?

This is an open prompt fest, where just about anything goes, so please be aware of this when reading prompts and fills.

We ask our creators to tag all works accordingly, so nobody gets any nasty surprises, i.e. any potential triggers, unusual kinks or non-klave pairings (particularly any sibling ships). However, we caution everyone to read/view/participate at their own risk.

I am underage, can I participate?

Sorry, but no. This is a smut fest, 18+ only please.

The Timeline

Sept 4th - Prompting begins

Sept 17th (noon PST/ 7pm UTC) - Prompting ends

Sept 19th (midnight PST/ 7am UTC) - Claiming opens

Oct 30th (Devil’s Night) - The revelry, I mean posting, starts!

#klave #klaus hargreeves #dave katz #klaus/dave #robert sheehan #cody ray thompson #condensed info post

22 notes · View notes

monkey-network · 4 years ago

Text

Good Stuff: Best of 2020

I don’t need to say much about how this year sucked. What matters is that if you’re reading this, congrats because you made it through and you’ll know that animation in 2020 has certainly made its marks as much this year as it did the last. Effort was still made to provide some of the best entertainment imaginable, and I’m here to provide the TOP TEN BEST entertainment I’ve experienced and loved this year. With that said, let’s get to it…

10. Sonic Rebuilt

I’ll admit, I don’t like the Sonic Movie. It was not a good film to me & while I’m holding out for the sequel, I genuinely never want to see it again. But like Biden to Trump, the people behind Shrek Retold gave us a reanimated telling of the Sonic 1996 OVA. Like Shrek Retold, it offers a compelling new light to the OVA and while the original is much cleaner, and it’s not the most hype thing to come from Sonic overall, the imaginative cauldron of artists that put into this makes it far more rewatchable.

9. Central Park

I knew after watching Bob’s Burgers that creator Loren Bouchard would eventually make a musical cartoon and I’m glad I was right. Central Park is a first for me where it’s an animated musical that isn’t a film or only occasional like Steven Universe or Adventure Time and while it isn’t the best plotwise, the numbers themselves were heartfelt and sometimes catchy. There’s a struggle in being episodic and serialized, and it’s a slow burn to connect with the characters, but this was admirable in its experimentation and I’m interested in the direction season two will go.

8. Interspecies Reviewers

The first horny anime I can safely say was never an off-putting or one-note gag fest; that’s gotta count for something. The momentum of this series never truly dies and even when there were a couple times where I just wasn’t feeling it, they pull me back with something ten-fold entertaining. Fresh variety is what I can describe this series at its best, it knew how to keep things going and growing even when it’s otherwise formulaic. All the while, this series never felt tasteless; it really felt structured and gallantly clear-minded in what it wants to show. Plus, it has Crimveal who next to Steven Universe is the best boy of 2020. Of course this show ain’t for everyone but my god, it does so much right for me upon most ecchi stuff.

7. Primal

I wanna believe this was what Genndy Tartakovsky always wanted to make after Samurai Jack ended (well, the 2nd time). This show really exhibits his many techniques in direction, like you can tell this is his work if you’ve seen his other shows. Primal always feels like the culmination of all that’s he towards as a man of animation. Even with the roars and the harsh sounds of violence, this is the only cartoon that never says anything but conveys everything so vibrantly. This admittedly isn’t my favorite piece from Genndy, but it definitely made it’s way to the top three.

6. Team Fabulous 2 Reanimated/Suponjibobu Anime

We got a tie here because these I especially felt brought people together. Suponjibobu brought people together to celebrate Spongebob Squarepants like never before, making it as legendary this year as Mr. Krabs Overdoses on Ketamine. A beginning to a series long in the making and can hopefully go for more as animation on Youtube has certainly delivered.

The Team Fabulous 2 Collab was where a community came together to honor the creator to one of the most recognized fanworks for a game that has stood the test of time. Like Sonic Rebuilt, it’ll never replace the original but god damn it’s like the stars aligned, especially after we were dealt with another loss this year, where we could appreciate TF2 for the culturally powerful game that it is.

5. Crash Bandicoot, It’s About Time

I’ll say again but this game feels like a dream. A good, fresh looking, fun to play Crash Bandicoot game that feels like the gamiest game this year after all the discourse surrounding Last of Us 2 and plenty other shit surrounding the game industry, Nintendo included. Like, I just gotta appreciate this. It’s by no means the greatest Crash game, the completion journey is horrifying, but my god it was a great game to jump into again and again. It feels like a testament to what Crash can be in the modern era and I certainly want more of it. Bugsnax is objectively game of the year if not Hades, but Crash 4 is my personal GOTY.

4. Glitch Techs

It’s the gamer equivalent to Men in Black, that’s enough of a seller. From the people behind Fanboy & Chum Chum, it’s genius well-animated, realized, and not immediately dated. It’s a mind-boggling crime Nickelodeon isn’t treating this show better because it deserves recognition as an innovative idea. It does a lot right and it’s a worthwhile action series up there with Rise of the TMNT that’s worth the risk to give it more of an audience as opposed to just thinking it’ll be the next Spongebob. If it’s future is anything, I enjoyed this series and there’s nothing like it.

3. Wolfwalkers

This was an animated film with the most personality to me in a long while, with the most memorable look to it, compelling leads, and animation that really made its mark in the moments that mattered. I’ll agree with other reviewers that, outside Mebh who is the greatest and besterest girl of 2020, it's a simple story but it’s effectively simple. Beside the 3rd act which was noticeably long, the moments flow one after another fluently and you really get the struggle between two immediate friends that are shackled with responsibilities their parents didn’t want to put on them. Like Netflix’s Klaus, it all comes together like a beautifully seasonal tapestry. Worth watching and supporting is the best I can tell you for this film.

2. Elinor Wonders Why

This is my most personal of personal choice for the list; like True and the Rainbow Kingdom, it’s the one that helped pick me up after being in a slump for most of this year. I’ve always had an interest in understanding the fundamentals of nature, and this show encourages thinking about the wonders of science, where something as simple as a feather can make you wonder of its many shapes, abilities, and functionality. It appealed to me in the best way that it does more than represents your existence but deep down represents why you are the way you are with your interests and the flexibility of your outlook. I wish it was number one but it did enough to make the top of this list.

1. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken

I mean what else could be number one? This is the most ‘anime’ anime I have ever seen. The story, characters, and world building are at their most realized. I can’t imagine anyone other than Science Saru, with the based Yuasa, animating this with the style it has. Every episode is an engaging puzzle to every 4th episode where it all culminates with the in-universe final product of our Eizouken trio. It’s so compellingly meta it hurts as I could gush about every single detail that went into this series both in universe and the real behind the scenes. But what makes this the greatest is how nothing feels contrived, everything in this anime exists for something and the obstacles our characters face are things you’d definitely face in you were in there shoes. It’s energy is what really carried me through this year and I can safely say this is one of my all time favorites. And it really says don’t give up believing and working for better things to come, because if art like this can be made nearly flawlessly, it’s always worth carrying on to see something just as great if not greater. That’s why this is a masterpiece to me...

Then again...

91 notes · View notes

kindahoping4forever · 4 years ago

Text

Sparks Fly // Ashton Irwin

I had a self-indulgent idea burst a few days ago and wrote the first half of this in one go. As always, @cal-puddies was a goddamn champ: giving me notes when I needed them (including on the graphic, we stan an aesthetic queen) and literally telling me to finish it because I almost gave up on this today. 😂

Prompt: I somehow even found a way to work a prompt sentence in! We love multi-tasking. "Are you trying to turn me on right now or are you really just that oblivious?”

Warnings: Boyfriend!Ash (I know), moderate angst and extreme neediness, semi-public manual stimulation of both a male and a female, unprotected sex in an established relationship, a brief playful use of degrading language (because you know, Daddy but Baby). An AU where we can celebrate the 4th of July safely and with a clear conscience.

Word Count: 4k (on the nose. The 🤡 nose of course)

Cass & Crystal’s Collab Masterlist

Let me know what you think!

————-

Be there in 20

Your heart skips a beat as you read the text notification on your screen. That morning you’d woken up to a voicemail of a giggly Ashton surprising you with the news that he was getting on a plane to see you and would meet you at your family’s Independence Day barbecue that afternoon. You were always delighted to see him but this was especially welcome news as you hadn’t seen each other in over two months; work had been relentless for you and his tour had been so tightly scheduled, there just hadn’t been time.

You knew your family would be excited to see Ash as well, he’d been a hit at the handful of family gatherings he’d been to since you’d been together; the birthday parties and dinners he’d been to were nice but he knows the 4th of July invite is the big show for you and your brood. It’s a huge get together every year - not because your family is particularly patriotic (the less said about politics the better) but it’s the only time the entire extended family gets together to catch up. You grew up close with everyone and these days it was a rarity for you all to end up in the same place at the same time.

Your parents are hosting this year and you’ve arrived early to help set up chairs and games in the backyard. You’ve just finished helping your brother pull the ping pong table out of the storage shed when you hear a car door slam and you hear him laughing in the distance as you race out of the patio gate to greet your boyfriend.

You fly through the yard and out onto the sidewalk; a little ways down the street, you see Ashton emerge from an airport rental car and you bound over, launching yourself into his arms. He chuckles into your hair and hugs you tightly, while you murmur indistinctly about how much you’ve missed him.

“Can anyone see us from here?” He asks with a smirk, pulling back to glance over at the open kitchen window.

You gesture towards the tall privacy shrubs decorating your parents’ front yard. “Hidden in plain sight,” you boast, batting your eyelashes dramatically.

He grins and pulls you closer to him, spinning the two of you so he can pin you against the car; he kisses you slowly and thoroughly, as if he has all the time in the world and he wants to spend it re-familiarizing himself with every aspect of how you taste. His hands start out cradling your face and steadily make their way into your hair, then down the exposed skin of your neck and back, fingers dancing along the trim at the top of your tank.

One of his large hands has just made its way to cup an ass cheek when you hear a series of loud wolf whistles and sarcastic applause. Your head whips in the direction of the sound and you see one of your cousins and her husband getting out of their car across the street and starting to walk towards the party.

Ash giggles while you bury your face in his chest, blushing. “Don’t mind us,” your cousin teases as they walk by. Her husband stops to jokingly shake Ashton’s hand and you flip them both off until they’re out of sight.

“To be fair, I guess out on the street in broad daylight is not the most private place to catch up,” Ash jokes, kissing your lips softly one more time.

You smile and wrap yourself around his arm as you walk to the house. “I know, I just missed you so much, babe.”

Once you make it inside, it’s a while before you get Ashton to yourself again. He’s helping your parents in the kitchen, setting up a canopy with your brother and as more family members arrive, of course he has to greet everyone and engage them all in lively conversation. You always love watching how warm and sociable he is and it’s especially endearing seeing him interact with your loved ones but you also are feeling extremely impatient for him to pay attention to you.

You’re sitting at a picnic table playing Uno with another cousin when Ash sits a plate of food in front of you. “People were going hard for your aunt’s seven-layer dip so I thought I needed to get you some before it was too late,” he explains, straddling the bench to sit close to you. You turn and kiss his cheek in thanks.

You all sit and chat and snack and his hands never leave your body, massaging your muscles or mindlessly drawing fingertip patterns over your skin; it’s all very innocent and sweet but at the same time, it’s reminding you how long it’s been since he’s touched you in more intimate ways.

Your cousin gets up to get more food, leaving you and Ash tucked away in your own little corner of the patio. He's holding you from the side, his head resting in the crook of your neck, speaking quietly to you. You turn and kiss him softly and he murmurs at the gesture; you start to deepen the kiss but he pulls away at your attempt. “Baby,” he chastises, his eyes darting to the group of people at the end of the patio.

“Ugh, I know,” you squeeze his thigh in frustration. “I just wish we had someplace to, you know, reunite properly.” You wink jokingly, hoping to deflect from how truly desperate you’re starting to feel.

He chuckles. “Me too, baby, but we’ll have some time tonight. I don’t have to be on a plane until tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s too far away, I need you now,” you whine, running your hand up his thigh until it gets high enough that he playfully swats you away.

Mischief flashes across his face as Ashton leans in and lowly growls, “You’ve gone two months without my cock, I’m sure that needy pussy of yours will survive a few more hours of being empty.”

Your body feels warm all over despite the fact that you're now covered in goosebumps and you once again joke to disguise your arousal. “You sir, are a guest in my parents’ home, how dare you speak to me like that,” you say with a sparkle in your eye.

He proudly grins at you and pecks your cheek before he gets up to clear your plates. He gets caught up talking to one of your uncles by the trash and then some of your cousins recruit him for their ping pong tournament so you know you won’t be seeing him again for a while.

You spend an hour or so catching up with a few of your aunts and then you decide you should help play host and refill the snack table. You’re just about at the backdoor when you glance over at the ping pong game and your breath catches; you assume due to either the unforgiving summer sun or the intensity of the game - possibly both - Ash has abandoned the button-down shirt he arrived in, leaving him in a thin white tank top, which is clinging to his sweat-covered body.

You stare for a minute, watching his arms flex as he works the paddle, the way his back muscles flex as he moves; you’re in a daze by the time you make it into the kitchen, silently cursing your parents for buying a small house with no obvious quickie-safe zones. Even the bathroom wasn’t an option - there’s only one and with such a large gathering, there was almost always someone waiting to get in.

You lose yourself in lustful daydreams of your boyfriend while you refill chip bowls and veggie trays, to the point that when he walks through the backdoor you’re not even sure if he’s really there. “You ok, baby?” He asks, grabbing a water from the fridge.

“Are you trying to turn me on right now or are you really just that oblivious?” You accuse, unsure what percentage of you is kidding.

Ashton almost does a spit take, quickly swallowing his water before laughing gleefully. “Your family takes table tennis very seriously, I was woefully unprepared.” He wraps his arms around you from behind, pecking at your neck. “I forgot how much you like me sweaty.”

“Well I didn’t, you animal,” you pout, shaking out of his hold and going back to your task.

He sucks his cheek mischievously and settles behind you. His fingers dance along the elastic waistband of your shorts and in a voice that’s somehow both syrupy and smug, he says, “Oh, I’ll bet you didn’t, sweetheart. Would you like to show me exactly how much you like it?”

You bite your lip to keep from reacting as he dips his hand down your shorts and slides his fingers under your panties to explore your folds. “Mmm,” he groans. “Just like I thought, shamelessly dripping for me. You’ve really got to learn more self-control, this is embarrassing, even for you.”

You sigh and grind against him as he rubs gently over your clit; you feel him hardening in his jeans and you ache at the thought of having him inside you. You’re about to tell him as much when you hear the front door slam and you both hurriedly move a respectable distance apart, waiting to see if whoever it was will be stopping by the kitchen.

You exhale in relief when you hear the interloper shut the bathroom door. Ash smirks, grabbing your hand and pressing it to the bulging outline of his cock. “See, baby, I missed you too,” he teases. You shake your head at his audacity but still give him a light squeeze before moving on.

A few minutes later, your aunt pops her head into the kitchen and announces she’s about to go pick up some fireworks for later, wanting to know if you want a pack of your own. A grin spreads across your face and you sweetly suggest that you could make the trip for her so that she can keep catching up with everyone. She’s grateful for your offer and leaves the kitchen smiling.

You beam at Ashton and bring him in for another nasty kiss; when you pull back, he has a puzzled expression on his face, he doesn’t get it. “I’ll meet you at your car in 10 minutes,” you wink at him, lightly brushing over his dwindling hard on.

After practically skipping outside, you fling yourself at him once you’re in the car. He giggles partly at your behavior, partly because your tongue is teasing along that one spot under his jaw that drives him crazy. “Baby, you’re gonna have to fill me in here,” he implores you playfully.

“Well, hopefully we’ll find some place where you can fill me in,” you tease, tapping an address into the car’s GPS as he starts down the road.

He laughs and squeezes your thigh. You slip your fingers in his and take a few moments to enjoy finally being alone in each other’s company. As the GPS directs him to pass by a parking lot that clearly has a large fireworks stand, Ash glances over at you and suspiciously asks, “And why are we going all the way across town when we could buy what we need right there?”

You bat your lashes mischievously. “Because then I wouldn’t have time to do this,” you reply simply, casually reaching over to rub his crotch.

He shakes his head fondly. “You’re somethin’ else, you know that?”

You smile at him as you lean closer, kissing along his jaw while you continue to work him through his pants. “God, I’ve missed the feeling of making you hard,” you breathe in his ear. He groans and traces patterns on your thigh, as far up as he can go with the angle you’re at.

The airport gave Ash an SUV to rent so you’re pretty confident you’re high up enough that you can afford to be a bit bold. He visibly tenses as you pop the button on his pants and teasingly work the zipper down; he shifts to help you pull him out of his boxers, hissing when he can finally feel your hands directly on his cock. “It’s been too long, baby, fuck,” he exhales.

Your mouth waters at the sight of him, hard and leaking for you, but the streets seem too busy for you to attempt giving him road head. You settle for slowly stroking him, teasing your thumb around the head; you take a brief detour to gently roll your fingertips over his balls and you have to shift in your seat to try and find friction for yourself when he chokes out a gravelly moan.

“This has gotta be making you so wet, baby, I wish I could taste you,” he laments. Without hesitation, you spread your legs and run your free hand up the leg of your shorts; you’re not surprised to find your panties soaked through. You slip your hand inside them; you can’t help but rub over your clit a few times and you whimper in relief.

You hear Ashton curse under his breath when he figures out what you’re doing and you know it must be killing him to keep his eyes on the road. You slick two fingers up and down your folds and then run them over his mouth, painting his lips with your arousal. You watch as his tongue darts out to lick, eyes briefly closing in pleasure as your taste fills his mouth after all this time. “Just as sweet as I remember,” he sighs, grabbing your wrist and sucking your fingers into his mouth.

You keep jerking him off while you’re now actively scanning the streets for a place you can pull over and get him in the backseat. You need him inside you and you need him now. You’re annoyed as you realize there’s nowhere to park that’s secluded enough: every parking lot is densely populated and every residential street has at least one party lining the street with cars.

“Baby,” he rasps out hurriedly. It’s been a while but you’d know that tone anywhere and you quickly drop your hand and watch as he breathes evenly, squeezing the head of his cock to keep himself from cumming.

The GPS announces you’re arriving at your destination and your heart drops when moments later, he turns in and you see people everywhere; you intentionally chose this stand to go to because it's never crowded. You watch defeatedly as Ash hastily tucks himself in his pants as best he can; you’re so disappointed and frustrated you feel like you might cry but you know you’d feel ridiculous if you did.

Ash knows how to read your energy and as soon as he puts the car in park, he’s looking at you, the lust-filled eyes you saw just a short time ago now flooded with concern and empathy. “We’ll get our time together, baby, don’t worry,” he starts softly.

You breathe in deeply, trying not to let your emotions overtake you. “It doesn’t always feel that way, Ash. I miss you so much… just… all the time. It never stops,” you confess, voice shaky. He rubs your back, listening. “And then you’re here and then you’re not and… the time just keeps passing. There’s just never enough time.” By the end of your explanation, your voice is barely above a whisper.

He sighs sadly and leans over to wrap you in his arms; it’s the only solution he has for you and you both know and accept it. You bury your face in his warm chest, breathing in his scent while he strokes your hair and quietly reassures you that things will be alright; after a few moments, you lift your head up and offer him a sweet kiss of thanks.

You start giggling as you pull away and he smiles at you in bemusement. “I didn’t realize we were having this tender moment while your dick was still half out,” you laugh, gesturing towards his disheveled lower half.

“I don’t know, I feel like it’s pretty on brand for us, honestly,” he grins, moving to properly adjust his clothes. He pauses and grips your thigh gently. “I miss you too. Probably more than I could ever tell you. I hope you know that but I wanted to tell you in case you didn’t.” You lift his hand off your leg and kiss his knuckles softly.

Ashton offers to get out and buy the fireworks for you and by the time he gets back to the car, you’ve gotten a text letting you know dinner’s almost ready and you should hurry back. The ride home is a completely different tone from earlier; you sing to the radio, you talk shit about the party, you look at him and almost forget that he’ll be gone by this time tomorrow.

The evening passes quickly once you get back. Dinner is delicious and Ash regails your family with his latest touring adventures but still manages to be attentive to you. You can tell your conversation in the car struck a nerve with him because he’s going out of his way to be sensitive to your needs and it means a lot to you.

Not long after dinner, dusk falls and it’s time for fireworks preparations; your family lives in a cul de sac, which serves as the perfect arena for your modest pyro show. Everyone files into the street, bringing along patio chairs, picnic benches and blankets to sit on.

You’re walking through the patio with a blanket for you and Ash to share when he suddenly appears at the back door and smoothly grabs you by the waist and ushers you inside. You stand in the kitchen, looking at him curiously and he holds a finger to his lips, indicating for you to be quiet. He waits a beat and you hear the sound of first the bathroom door opening and then the front door opening and being slammed shut.

“We’re alone,” he whispers, wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing you hungrily. You instinctively melt into him while you process his words. His hands press you closer to him and travel down your back before gripping your ass, wanting.

You pull away, breathless, and wordlessly lead him through the house to your old bedroom; your parents had redecorated some since you’d moved out but it was still distinctly yours. You shut the door and smirk at him, “I’ve never had a boy in here before.”

“Oh, but baby, you’re about to see that I’m all man,” he quips, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he reaches for you.

You jokingly swat his hands away. “Never mind, I can’t take you seriously enough now to let you fuck me,” you respond.

He snorts and attaches himself to your lips again, pinning you to the door.

You frantically kiss each other’s lips, neck, shoulders - anything exposed you can claim with your tongue. With your mouths preoccupied, you busy your hands with pulling his shirt off and unfastening his pants while he takes your shorts and panties down. He wastes no time and promptly runs his fingers through your wetness, teasing your entrance before sinking two fingers inside you. You moan quietly at the victory of finally having some part of him filling you.

It only takes a few seconds for you to grow impatient and you grab his wrist, halting his movements. “Not enough,” is the most coherent thing you can think to say.

But Ash gets it - of course he does - and gives you one last kiss before spinning you around and pressing your chest against the door. You hear him shuffling behind you and you bite your lip in anticipation. Seconds later you feel the unmistakable sensation of his hard cock gently running along your folds; he slowly starts to push inside you and you both groan in relief.

He tries to take his time with it, can tell your body needs to adjust because it’s been so long since you’ve been together but it’s been so long since you’ve been together and he’s struggling to control himself. You feel his breath heavy on your neck and you whine, starting to grind your hips, encouraging him to sink in further. Your desire for him overpowers your desire for comfort and if you’re honest, the stretch of him inside you is one of the things you miss most when he’s gone.

The sounds of holiday revelry and fireworks exploding can be heard even through the closed window and feels appropriately celebratory for how you’re feeling now that he’s finally fucking you. He presses you harder against the door, hand braced against your back and he starts thrusting; once you let out a desperate groan, he can’t help himself and picks up the pace considerably.

“Fuck, baby, I missed this,” Ash pants, already sounding a bit wrecked. You can tell that it’s not going to take much for either of you to get off, which is fine. You can have your tender reunion lovemaking when you get home later, right now is about curing that endless need that has overwhelmed the both of you all day.

You move along with him, eager to find release. You’re both so caught up in the feeling of each other that the teasing banter that often accompanies your sex has fallen by the wayside and all either of you are letting out are grunts, whimpers and curses whispered under your breath.

He’s got one of his arms pinning yours above your head and the other snakes around your stomach in search of your clit. As soon as he finds it, you start that familiar whine that he loves. You cry out, “Ash… oh fuck, Ash… fuck…” After a day spent aching with desire, you finally find yourself chanting his name and starting to pulse around him.

“Yes, fucking get it, you deserve it,” he encourages gruffly. Your moans as you cum are louder than you realize and he quickly brings his hand down from above your head to cover your mouth. “Sssshhh, quiet, baby. We’ve come this far without letting everyone know what a slut you are for me, don’t spoil it now,” he spits through gritted teeth. This of course, only causes you to moan harder.

Hearing your sounds in person instead of over the phone for the first time in months sends Ashton over the edge. He leans in, grunting quietly as he buries his face in your hair and you feel his cock throbbing as he cums. “Oh, baby, feels so good,” you purr approvingly. Your only regret is that you didn’t get to see him lose control and you make a silent promise to yourself that you’ll watch him at least once before he gets on that plane.

His movements eventually slow and the combined sounds of your heavy breathing have started to sync up. He nips at your neck a couple times before pulling out and you turn around immediately to kiss him.

He can sense you’re still feeling needy and he lets you get all you want from him. You pull back and nibble along his jaw. He smiles softly and murmurs, “You’re dripping, baby, we gotta clean you up.”

“Worth it, wanted you,” you hum, finally satisfied.

You tidy each other up and tentatively move through the house, unsure if anyone’s wandered back in. The coast is clear and you slip out the backdoor and over to where your family is putting on their show. You stand in the back of everyone, unnoticed; they never suspected you were missing.

You snuggle into him and he kisses the top of your head. After a beat, he comments, “Pretty fireworks.”

You nudge him, grinning, “Maybe... but I like ours better.”

—----

Thanks for reading!

#5sos smut #ashton irwin smut #5 seconds of summer smut #ashton smut #ashton irwin fic #kindahoping4forever #kh4f fic #smut #Sparks Fly #oh my god formatting this took forever and the fireworks outside are driving me nuts you guys wtffff #be prepared to see my reblog the shit out of this because formatting it took so long that it's hella late now #Still the 4th on the West Coast where I am tho so :p #Anyways #Feedback is appreciated #This is self indulgent #Perhaps I was missing having a family bbq today lmao #thank you to Cass as always she a real one #we have written so much this week it's actually crazy #hoes gonna hoe tho

287 notes · View notes