#the marshmallow is SUPPOSED to be gooey!!!

[tvnacity]

watching paul hollywood explain what a s’more should be made me want to die

[tteokdoroki]

So did jock!yuji ask weird girl!reader to wear his jersey the first time, or did she just pull up in it as a surprise...

࣪𖤐๋࣭ — JOCK BF!YUUJI ENTRY #3. team jersey.

about. the all star jock asks his freaky girlfriend to start wearing his jersey to games. it shouldn’t be a big deal, right? since she’s always asking to live in his skin and all ! ( 2K )

warnings. minors, blank and ageless blogs do not interact! sfw, fluff, suggestive, college!au, characters aged up to 20s, make outs. brief mentions of self consciousness, reader wants to live in yuuji’s skin n he accepts it, supportive jock bf!itadori, weird gf + fem!reader.

“so, i’ve been thinkin’,” 

from your place at your desk, you spin around in your chair to face yuuji, your boyfriend, with a curious smile. thinking things through isn’t exactly yuuji itadori’s forte — he’s one for jumping into things headfirst and doing whatever feels right in the moment. he’s always been like that, aside from two major occasions.

the first time he’d asked you out and the time he’d asked you to be his girlfriend. 

those were two decisions he’d thought through extensively.

“thinking, huh?” you muse out loud, standing up to stretch your limbs. you’ve been staring at your laptop for what seems like millennia to finish a science paper for your biology class, and yuuji is supposed to be studying for one of his econ exams coming up but you decide that you need a break…and a kiss from your boyfriend at that. “what about?” 

he’s already waiting for you with open arms on your bed by the time you make your way over to him — it’s a silly sight, the view of your big, strong, athletic boyfriend nestled amongst your mountain of plushies from obscure animanga series and marvel marvel movies. but it fills you with joy to have yuuji there, amongst all of the other things you love. accepting them with ease. 

“‘bout you,” yuuji mumbles through a pout, waiting impatiently for a kiss as you snuggle into his muscular arms and rest your head on his plush chest. 

reaching up, you rap your knuckles against his skull — brushing tufts of soft baby pink hair. “you’re corny. you should have been thinking about your exams.” 

“mmyeah, but i got bored, and you’re too pretty to not be on my mind twenty-four-seven.” comes the jock’s sassy reply as he decides he no longer wants to wait, swooping down to steal a kiss from your precious lips. yuuji gently grasps your chin between a thumb and forefinger to coax more of a kiss out of you, his tongue affectionately rolling over yours while you squirm and mewl in his hold. you’re flustered, and embarrassed, and he really couldn’t care less. he likes having you like this underneath him.

when he finally lets you come up for air, itadori’s calloused thumb swipes under the swell of your bottom lip to wipe away the traces of wetness he’s left there and grind, slow and sexy, when you try to hide your face in your sleeves. “so as i was saying,” he mumbles lowly, causing your body to break out in a set of yuuji-induced shivers. “i was thinking about you.” 

“yeah?” you whisper meekly, taking a peek up at his handsome face and honey brown eyes that make you feel all gooey and warm at the centre, where your heart is. like a marshmallow. 

yuuji nods, tugging you into his side again, stopping you from rolling away out of shyness. “mhm,” he purrs. “been thinking about you coming to one of my games in my jersey,” he trails off, this time turning into the shy one as he casts his gaze aside. “if you’d want to.”

you’ve seen yuuji’s jerseys — the ones that come with the territory of being on your university’s soccer team. they look good on him, always, just about stretching over the firm muscle of his arms and chest. you know that if you were to wear the soft, cotton material — you’d surely drown in it. swamped by the cosy, fresh scent of your boyfriend and wrapped up in all of his love for you. 

rolling over so that you’re the one caging yuuji in this time, you bite down on your kiss swollen lips hesitantly. “is that a requirement of all athlete girlfriends then?”

“n-no! i just…” itadori coughs to clear his throat, realising that it’s not so fun being in the receiving end of such teasing. his hand on your waist traverses upwards, splaying out against the curve of your spine. “i want — i would like to see you in my clothes at my games. i dunno, show you off a little? with my name across your back, it’s like, people will know i belong to you and you belong to me? if that makes sense…” 

“belong to each other, huh?” you walk your fingers up his chest, drawing a circle over the place where his big heart is supposed to be. “we’re not objects, yuuji. you’re not an object to me.”

the tone of the conversation shifts as itadori sits up, causing you to shuffle back onto your knees — his hazel brown eyes sweep your face, reminding you of an amber with the way they catch the light.  “i-i know that. of course not,” yuuji whispers delicately, as though not to hurt you. “you’re not an object to me either. you’re everything to me. i just think…it would make me feel good? if you wore something of mine? like, just knowing you have it. i dunno — it’s stupid.”

it’s almost biological, a genetically programmed reaction — the way you reach out instantly to comfort your boyfriend. your hand finds his amongst the cotton peaks and streets formed in your bed sheets, giving it a firm squeeze. yuuji offers you a half hearted smile in response.

“you don’t have to —“ 

“ — i don’t know if i’d look good in it. your jersey,” you breathe out before your boyfriend can finish his sentence. both of you pause, itadori doesn’t push, giving you the space and time to express yourself. “i want to wear it. i just, i know i’m not like the other teammates’ partners. i’m not…peppy and enthusiastic like them a-and i don’t know if your jersey would even suit me…” 

the hand that you’re holding reaches up to cup your chin once more and your gaze leers over to yuuji, who only chuckles fondly in response. “of course you’re not like the other partners. you’re special, and you’re mine. i don’t need you to be anything else but the way that you are, okay? i love you.” yuuji has always been direct and worn his heart on his sleeves with his words already formed on the tip of his tongue. some might think he’s dumb, especially for a jock, but he’s the most emotionally intelligent person you’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

you know now, what he means when he says he’s the luckiest guy in the world, for being with you. 

you feel the exact same way as he does. 

“i love you back,” you blurt, making yuuji beam at you warmly and kiss your nose. “i’ll wear it.” you tug on the fabric, feeling the fleeciness beneath your fingertips along with the warmth of yuuji’s body. “are you sure you won’t miss it?” you explore the material further as it stays wrapped around his bulky frame until you brush over the plasticky vinyl that forms the letters of his name and the number one on the back of the jersey.

i-t-a-d-o-r-i

your itadori.

why wouldn’t you want to show everyone that he’s yours just as much as you are his.

“i’ve got plenty back at my dorm, coach satoru made sure to splurge in that aspect, besides if i give it to you now… when i get it back, it’ll smell like you!” yuuji pulls back from you ever so slightly, and rolls his eyes at your pout when he does so. “then i’ll just keep changing them out,” it only takes you a second to realise that he’s stripping his jersey off, and your eyes greedily shoot to the small, exposed slit of his tummy as he does so. “perv.” comes his teasing voice once his head pops through the other end — salmon pink hair mussed and ruffled out of place. 

your pout deepens. “i am not a perv!” 

“mhm, yeah. sure you aren’t. now c’mere,” itadori manhandles you into straddling his lap — your knees sinking into the comforter on your bed and your hands hovering above his broad shoulders, hesitant to touch the pure muscle that bursts from the sleeves of his plain white t-shirt. “i don’t believe for a second that you don’t get off on this,” he goes on to mock you, smirking up at you despite how you glare at him. “arms up, beautiful.” 

through the haze of your mind (deployed by a very flirty yuuji itadori) you’re able to follow his command — shakily raising both arms above your head and allowing your boyfriend to pull his team jersey over it. “who’s more of a perv now? you’re giving me your dirty clothes to wear.” is your weak argument, a defence mechanism to protect yourself from getting too flustered. 

it doesn’t work, however, yuuji has mastered the art of making you nervous. 

the material of his team jersey swamps you, it’s almost like you’re drowning in an ocean of yuuji’s scent as it wraps around you, keeping you safe and secure. 

“it’s not dirty, i just put it on today!” he says petulantly. “if you’re gonna be like that, then give it back.” 

“n-no!” you squeak, tucking your nose under the collar with hooded eyes. it smells like yuuji, smells like home. “i like it. it’s like i’m wearing you.” 

“the next best thing after my skin, right?” he makes reference to your constant comments about living inside his skin, wanting to be closer to yuuji than humanly possible. others find it weird, but to the jock, it’s endearing. even if it means being swatted in the chest for joking about your unusual displays of affection. “c’mon! i’m jokin’, i’m jokin’!” yuuji laughs between each smack of your palm against his peck. eventually he falls back into the sheets, this time taking you with him so that you’re snuggled on his chest once more. “so…you’re coming to the game this friday? in my jersey?” he asks tentatively after you’ve both calmed down.

nodding, you curl into the pink-haired jock further, as if trying to fuse with him. “where do you want me to sit?”

“not with the others, i know they’re a little rowdier than you’d like. you could try coach, but he likes to pester you.” your boyfriend muses wistfully. everything is warm and comfortable — the steady beat of his heart beneath your head, the hand that he lazily drags up and down your spine, the heat of his jersey and his body under yours. you could sleep right now — even if you do have to study. 

a quiet yawn escapes your lips and you wriggle further into the oversized jersey, lulled into a slumber by the presence and scent of your perfect jock boyfriend. “will professor geto be there?”

yuuji shrugs, squeezing you close to help you drift off. “to oogle satoru, probably.” 

“then i’ll sit with him, and we can oogle our boys together.” 

“awwh, baby, you wanna oogle little old me?” he coos in response, his lips finding the crown of your head. 

something about his sugary tone makes you shudder in yuuji’s hold. you’ll never get over how much he teases you, how much you loves you but it makes you giddy to know that he’s yours. and that he wants you to wear his jersey, so he can already the news to the whole world.  

or what feels like the whole world.

“i do yuuji, i want to see you play,” you mumble through your last moments of consciousness — gripping onto your boyfriend as though he might disappear. “i want to be in the crowd so when you look up, you see me there, dressed in your jersey, cheering you on.” 

for a moment, yuuji is quiet — a thousand ways to tell you how much he loves you rushing to the forefront of his mind…but then he notices the evening out of your breath and the way your pretty lashes flutter against the centre of his chest. the jock decides it’s better to let you rest, he can always smother you with his love when you wake up. 

but for now, yuuji itadori will spend his time marvelling the way you look sleeping with the letters of his name printed in bold letters across your back. 

꒰ end. — all rights reserved © tteokdoroki 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[lovebugism]

how about "are you comfortable?" with stevie and he's just being really needy with reader

✶ ┄ PUPPY !

summary: steve isn't just needy, he's downright insatiable, and he'll take you any way you’ll let him. pairing: sub!steve harrington / f!reader word count: 1.5k warnings: sub steve always needs his own warning, dry humping, r calls steve "puppy" once (spoiler alert: he likes it), smut 18+ a/n: thanks for your request, anon, and for giving me more oppurtunities to write sub!stevie <3

( BLURB SLEEPOVER ) | ( MASTERLIST )

Steve Harrington was a sweetheart — the sweetest of sweethearts.

All boyfriends were supposed to be nice, but he was perfect and then some. He’s made of marshmallow fluff, all gooey and saccharine. He loves you so much that it’s got him dripping honey.

It’s sweet. He’s sweet. But sometimes all of his mushy goodness is suffocating.

He’s always needing you. It’s like if he’s not touching you, he might die. Most of the time, it’s purely innocent — a hand on your back to keep you close, an arm around your shoulder to press you into him, fingers spread on your thigh to keep you tethered to him. 

But there’s always another side of that coin, a far dirtier side, that has him rutting up against you like a damn dog.

Freshly showered and winding down for the night, you lie in the middle of your shared bed on your stomach while you flip through a too big novel.

Steve watches you from the doorway. His step stutters when he catches sight of you. It leaves him frozen where he stands. 

Your underwear isn’t anything special, a cotton number he’s seen about a thousand times before, that leaves more of your ass covered than not. Your tank top is possibly older and decorated with a number of dubious stains you've never been able to get out.

And it's not like you’re in the sexiest of positions either, posed in wait for his arrival. It's quite the opposite really. You’re lazing and in your own world, totally sucked into the book you’re reading.

He might've been offended that you didn’t wait for him to come around so you could read to him like you always do, if he weren’t so incredibly hard at the sight of you.

Steve isn’t quite sure how someone could be doing something so mundane, at their most comfortable and more at peace than he’d ever seen, and still be so goddamn beautiful.

It’s just not fair.

He clamors on top of you without saying a word. He presses his nose to your neck, sprinkling tiny kisses onto your skin, while he grinds his hard cock into your ass.

His sweatpants-covered hips drag into you all slow — the feeling makes him exhale sharply in the place of a low moan. Chill bumps erupt at your skin, at the feeling of his warm breath fanning across your shoulder, and the gratification of your boy finding you so irresistible.

It’d be too easy, to roll over and let him take you like he wants. You don’t give in so freely. You rarely ever do. Instead, you take to teasing him, mocking him, because you know he likes that just as much as you simply giving yourself to him. 

“Are you comfortable?” you monotone as he rests the bulk of his weight on you.

“C’mon, baby, please,” he all but begs. “I’ll even take a handjob, I just— fuck, you don’t know how hard I am right now.”

“I think I have an idea,” you scoff out a laugh and flip the page, trying your best to ignore the throbbing cock he presses against your ass. “You’re insatiable, you know that?”

“I just love you,” he mumbles into your neck, punctuating his admission with a kiss.

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm…”

You laugh softly to yourself, several exhales through your nose, at the way he ruts into you all needy.

His cock is still prevalent through the thin layers both of you wear, warm and so incredibly hard. You still feel so much of him despite the fabric that separates you. You can tell he went without underwear for the night. It makes the raging hard-on he has for you, that much more prevalent.

It makes you wonder if it hurts. If the stiffness brings about a throbbing and ravenous ache.

“Flattery goes a long way with me, Harrington,” you purr.

You feel his smile contort against the skin of your neck, all proud of himself because he thinks he’s gotten you to concede. “Yeah?” he mumbles before pressing another wet kiss to your shoulder.

“Yep,” you assure. You turn your neck to look at him over your shoulder and it forces him to leave the refuge of you. He’s lit up with anticipation. You’ve got a playful glint in your eye that excites him. “So you can do whatever you want—”

“I like the sound of that.”

“—But you have to keep your pants on.”

His hips still. The smirk on his face washes away like an ebbing tide. His face contorts into a look of confusion — bushy brows furrowed, nose scrunched, and lips quirked. “…What?”

“I’m gonna let you come,” you shrug.

“But I have to… keep my pants on?”

“Yes, Stevie,” you affirm, almost stern as you arch a brow at him. “Do you understand?”

He swallows thickly, adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, then nods with wide, twinkling eyes. “Yeah,” he mumbles before clearing his throat. “I understand.” 

When he humps his cock into your ass again, it takes little time for him to pick up the pace. He was needy before, heavy with his want for you, but now he’s downright desperate. He grinds his hips into you, holding himself up on his forearm — next to the elbow that props up your chin — while he lets out pitiful little whines into your skin. 

He might not be pleasuring you just now, but a similar feeling swirls in the pit of your stomach. You’ll always feel satisfied when he begs for you.

“Fuck, honey, you feel so good,” he murmurs, breathless. “Love you so fuckin’ much.”

“I’m almost done with this chapter. If you’re not finished by the time I’m done, you’ll have to get yourself off, ‘kay?” you warn with a voice that’s far too sweet. You know he’ll be done by the time you’re finished reading. Besides, it’s not like any of the words are sticking in your head, anyway.

But Steve likes a challenge. Give him a time constraint and an obstacle he has to get over, and he’s golden. Your subtle threat, the way you act like you’re not as into it all as he is — like your panties aren’t soaking wet — just makes him need to come more.

“I’m almost there, baby,” he promises under his breath. “I’m almost there— almost there—”

He mumbles it to himself over and over again as pleasure takes over every fucking lobe of his brain. His free hand tightens its grip on your clothed hip, keeping you nice and still for him while he pathetically ruts his weeping, throbbing cock into you.

His wet, pink lips part to let out every heavy breath and low moan. You wish you could see him right now — the glazed look in his honey-tinted eyes before they squeeze shut tight as his orgasm so quickly approaches.

You know that he’s close by the way his hips stutter against you, like he’s fighting to keep his rhythm as his impending orgasm threatens to take control of his body. His sweats go damp and sticky when several loads of come spit from his cock without much warning.

A whine escapes from the depths of his throat and he leans more of his weight against you, still warm and comforting as heavy as he is. His heaving moans are heaven in your ears and stars against your skin.

Steve stays like that, pressed so fully against you, while pathetic whines spill from his mouth. Even on the comedown of his orgasm, just having you so close makes him feel high.

His head is stuck in the clouds until he hears you laughing. Soft, hearty little giggles spill from your mouths — muffled at first like he’s stuck underwater, until he comes back to reality.

Then he’s laughing right along with you, lazy exhales at how good he feels just now.

You shift under him, silently asking for him to roll off of you, and he abides — still so obedient for you. You sit up on your side as he flops onto his back. Your eyes have a hard time leaving his fucked out face, all flushed and glowing red, to catch that darker gray stain at his crotch. Both sights are equally as beautiful. You don’t know which to gape at.

“Was it worth it?” you ask him with an arched brow.

“Every damn second,” he pants with a sloppy grin.

“Good,” you smile back at him, pressing a too innocent peck to his warmed, freckled cheek. “Now go get cleaned up. You’re a fucking mess, babe.”

Steve eyes flit from your face to the wet spot spreading on his gray sweatpants. He’s embarrassed, almost, feeling like a teenager who’s got the stamina of a goldfish. But he’s more so terrified of leaving this room.

To get to the bathroom, he’ll have to walk by Robin and Eddie’s rooms, and he’d rather die than run into them in a pair of come-stained pants.

“How am I supposed to walk out like this?” he wonders, bewildered.

You shrug in response. “You’re the one who made the mess. You figure it out, puppy,” you tease innocently, though you don’t miss the way Steve briefly perks up at the use of the pet name. The feeling of anticipation swims in your stomach all over again.

[tightjeansjavi]

Burning in a Hopeless Dream

Boston QZ: Part 12

“Hearts Don’t Break Around Here”

Joel Miller x f!o/c

A/N: this actually might have been my favorite chapter to write. It’s so beautiful ♡

Summary: just a group of friends/lovers pretending that the horrors that lay outside a white picket fence, no longer exist for a day. No apocalypse, no death, no carnage, no violence. Just good wine, full bellies, laughter and oh, love. Lots and lots of love.

~word count: 7k~

Warnings: implied age gap, established relationship, brief mentions of angst, swearing, soft! joel, he’s so sweet your teeth will hurt! joel, fluff, consumption of alcohol, nicknames, so much flirting, teasing, feelings, emotion, comforting themes, light smut, consent, consent, consent, cockwarming. (+18) minors dni!

Songs for this chapter:

“Hearts Don’t Break Around Here” by Ed Sheeran

“Second Chances” by Gregory Alan Isakov

“Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran

“From Eden” by Hozier

“Like Real People Do” by Hozier

“The Last Waltz” by Engelbert Humperdinck

“Heaven” by Niall Horan

“Somethin’ Stupid” by Nancy & Frank Sinatra

“A Man Without Love” by Engelbert Humperdinck

June 2021 : Boston QZ

“Oh my god, she has fuckin turned you into a goddamn marshmallow!” Tess was in absolute disbelief when Joel Miller sat across from her, with chipped purple nail polish on his nails.

He let out a scoff while he tried to hide his small grin. Yeah, okay maybe you had turned this grumpy man into a marshmallow. Soft, fluffy, gooey. All the things that no one would ever believe Joel Miller could actually be. “It’s just a bit of nail polish, Tess. It ain’t that big of a deal.”

The two friends sat across from each other in the community square. It was blazing out. The sun was beating down on them unforgivingly. They each had a cup of homemade hooch in front of them. Joel would have been back at the apartment with you but you had kicked him out. Not permanently, of course. Just for a few hours because as much as you loved having him there every waking moment of the day, you needed your space. Of course, your newfound lover fought you on it at first, until he reluctantly gave in. He supposed that a bit of space from each other wouldn’t do any harm.

Tess had grinned at him over the rim of her cup. It was pretty glaringly obvious that Joel had it bad for you. “Where is she anyway? I Expected you two to be tied at the hip, if you weren’t already.”

“She kicked me out.” He took a sip then before adding, “Not permanently. Think i’ve been suffocating her a bit. She wanted some space to herself. Can’t really blame her, but you know how I am.”

“You’re as stubborn as a mule Joel.”

“You’re right. Ain’t nothin gonna change that either.” He looked around for a moment and felt the sweat dripping down the back of his neck from the blazing sun. “So, what’re you doin out here Tess? You got a hot date you’re waitin for or somethin?”

When she didn’t immediately respond, he raised his brow in her direction. He could see her cheeks heating up and it sure as hell wasn’t from the sun. “Oh my god, was I right on the money with that? No fuckin way. Who is it? You gotta tell me now c’mon.” He was intrigued, and unashamedly excited for her. Tess deserved happiness just as much as he did. Although, he was still getting used to it. Feeling for someone again. Opening his heart up, piece by piece. It wasn’t easy by any means, but he’d do it a 1000 times over for you.

“Yeah, okay. I am waitin for a hot date, but before you say anything–” She had paused when she saw Beatrix approaching and Joel had turned his head to see where she was looking. Using his hand to shield his face from the sun and when he spotted Beatrix. He couldn’t help but slowly look over at Tess, a grin tugging on his lips. “Ohhh. I see now. You and Beatrix, huh? When did that happen?”

“Been happening for a while now, Miller.” Beatrix responded to his question as she stood alongside the makeshift table and looked over her girlfriend, shooting her a little wink.

“Beatrix.” He nodded and gestured to the empty seat. “Makes sense. Considerin Tess has been pretty much absent from the apartment. Y’know it’s uh–it’s nice that y’all have each other I mean–” He rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

Beatrix let out a light laugh and nudged her girl then. “Man, you weren’t kiddin when you said he’s gone completely soft. You alright there Joel? Is the sun starting to get to ya?”

He grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest. “I ain’t goin soft. Just think it’s nice y’all are happy.”

“He let her paint his nails, Bea. The man has it down bad.”

“y’know that is actually pretty fuckin sweet. You’re a lucky man, Miller.”

“Oh, you’ve got no idea.” He wanted to say more. It was on the tip of his tongue. All the ways you had made him feel. In a way, it infuriated him because this was never supposed to happen. You had shown up and wrecked all his plans, if he would even call them that. You and your smile, your ferocity, your wit. Hell, he could easily compile a list of all of your attributes. It would end up being a mile long, but he could do it. Yeah, he had it pretty bad.

The three fall into a comfortable chatter. As if they are long-time friends, meeting at the bar for a casual drink. Catching up on one another’s lives. Who’s married, how many kids do you have now? Do you still hate your job? Did you ever find love? Are you happy? Except, there is no bar. There’s the Boston Quarantine Zone, crumbling more and more each day. Crawling with FEDRA, Fireflies, infected, raiders, and cowardly men like Robert.

It’s easy to forget the hardship, violence, and death taking place just outside your window when you’ve found yourself in love. Finding one person who makes it all worth living again. Joel Miller was unashamedly in love. There was no hiding it. It was written across his weathered face, burnished between his two thick brows; melded thoughtfully through the ridges on his forehead. His hardness towards the world was slowly melting away, dripping in a puddle beside his worn boots. You made Joel Miller want to live again.

“Oh, before I forget, Frank radioed in this mornin. Said somethin about a summer solstice get-together? Guess he’s the only one makin an effort to keep track of dates and the seasons. Anyway, figured you wanna go Tess. Oh, and Beatrix. You should come along as well. If you’re lookin for a taste of hospitality.” He had lightly nudged Tess’s boot with his own and shot her a little grin.

“Summer solstice get-together? Yeah, that’s got Frank written all over it.” She looked over at Beatrix and nodded. “Yeah Bea, you should come with us. Only if you want to, that is.”

“Well, I gotta come now cause I'm pretty intrigued to see what exactly a summer solstice get-together really is. I’m all in, babe.”

Joel thought Tess and Beatrix looked good together. Genuinely he was happy for her. For them. They complimented each other nicely and it warmed his heart to see Tess smile again. A real smile, one that finally reached her eyes. He also knew that you would be over the moon that Tess had found someone. You and Tess had learned to put your differences aside. It was a phenomenon to see just how things really changed from the cold, rainy day you met Joel and Tess, 4 years ago.

The last thing you had ever expected to happen was falling for Joel Miller. The slow burn of your feelings intertwined. The intensity, confusion, resentment, forgiveness. It all went by in a blur. The record skipped, screeched, halted. The vinyl of your hearts were torn, and sewn back together. You nurtured one another through it all. You both were rough around the edges, sharp to the touch, walls miles high, impassable. You tore one another’s defenses down till it was just you two, standing in front of a mirror, looking in on yourselves. It was as clear as day that you and Joel were made for eachother, in more ways than one. Whatever soulmates were made up of, whatever the fairytales, and romance novels called falling in love, didn’t compare to how you and Joel felt for eachother. Your connection, devotion, sacrifice for one another was on a completely different plane. Love didn’t even begin to scratch the surface.

The three friends finished what was left of their drinks as the sun sky began to shift. Curfew was approaching. The different pink and orange hues were stunning against the sullen backdrop of the QZ. Joel couldn’t help but embrace Tess then. Giving her a firm hug. Much to his own surprise, he had hugged Beatrix as well. Looking over her shoulder when he caught two QZ residents giving an obvious dirty look to Tess holding Bea’s hand loosely. Joel didn’t even hesitate to stare them down. If anyone were to ever dare fuck with his friends? Well, you could imagine just what he would do.

“We’re leavin first thing in the mornin. Before the sun is up. Hope you’re not as cranky about it as I know Gwen will be.” He gave them both a slight nod before he turned on his heel, leaving the small community center and headed home, to you.

____________

The early morning hours ascended far too soon in your opinion. Despite your grumbled protests of, “five more minutes, please baby just five more.” Joel had ignored them and coaxed you awake with peppered kisses on your face and soft touches. When you didn’t immediately budge, he started tickling your sides and nearly avoided a kick to the balls when you sat up in annoyance. “Mother fucker, you really couldn’t give me 5 more damn minutes?”

“I’m sorry honey, but we gotta get dressed and go. You know I’d love to give ya 5 more minutes but I can’t. Besides, don’t you wanna see Frank? C’mon, sugar. I got coffee waitin for ya too.”

You let out a huff as he grabbed your face in his calloused palms gently. He greeted you with a soft, warm kiss and you playfully swatted at him. “Yeah yeah okay fine I’m up. What was that about coffee?”

He let out a deep chuckle when you had swatted him away and in return, he threw you one of his flannels to throw on. “That’s my pretty girl.”

“Shuddup. It’s too early for flirting.”

“Never too early. I’ll be in the kitchen waitin for ya.”

He left your shared room quietly, waiting for you in the kitchen, loading his and your gun. Once your bags were packed, and you had the steaming thermos of coffee in your grasp, you and Joel headed out.

His natural protective nature washed over him as you made your way through the alleys, and dark corners before reaching the exit point of the QZ where Bea and Tess were waiting. The hike to Bill and Franks was just as you remembered. Surrounded by lush forest while the four of you walked. Joel was leading the way of course, with you tagging by his side. Your fingers brushed against one another a few strides before he grasped your hand in his, intertwining his fingers with yours. You were fucking holding hands and it absolutely warmed your soul. He only let go a few times to readjust his rifle over his shoulder, or if he heard something. Other than that, his palm was constantly on yours.

You arrived just outside Bill and Franks compound by late afternoon. This time, your company was expected, and before Joel even had the chance to punch the code into the metal gate, it was opening.

When you saw Frank up ahead, racing out of the house, you let go of Joel’s hand before running towards your friend that you hadn’t seen in so long. You yelled his name with pure joy radiating from your soul and when you finally met, Frank had scooped you up into his arms and spun you around.

Joel couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. You and Frank truly adored each other.

“Little Bird!” Frank exclaimed as he spun you around, hugging you tightly before he gently set you down on the ground.

“Frank! I’ve missed you!” You giggled softly when he had spun you around.

“Pssh? Me? You missed me? I was absolutely devastated when Joel told me you got sick!” He gently released you from his grasp, only to bring his arm around your shoulders as you started heading towards the house.

“I know, Joel told me, and I’m forever grateful for the medicine and tea.” You wrapped your arm around his middle then as you walked, the smile etched on your features was surely going to be permanent by the end of the day.

Joel, Tess, and Bea followed closely behind as the metal gate clinked shut behind them.

Bill was at the top of the stairs on the porch. Apron on as he was already cooking. He wasn’t a huge fan of you, not that you took it personally because he wasn’t a huge fan of anyone, except for his lover of course.

“Glad to see that you aren’t dead.” He spoke gruffly, arms across his chest.

In mock shock, you brought your hand against your chest and laughed. “No way man, you’re glad to see that I’m not dead? I can’t believe this. I’m going to have to document this exact moment!” You jokingly said.

Bill couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I sure as hell am happy you ain’t dead cause otherwise that one? He pointed to Joel. Would be 10x more insufferable than he already is.”

You leaned in with a small grin on your face and whispered, “yeah he’s pretty awful. No idea how I actually put up with him.”

You could feel Joel’s hand wrapping around your waist then pulling you back slightly. “I’m pretty awful? Hmmm…we’ll see about that honey.” He whispered.

You and Joel were the first to enter the familiar home. Making your way to one of the guests rooms for the night and as you set your bag down, pulling out your pistol and knife, setting them down on the nightstand.

Joel was grabbing you then, grasping your hips as he pulled you flush against his chest. His hand that wasn’t holding you firmly came up to your face, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “What was that about me bein pretty awful? I heard that correctly, didn’t I?” His tone was low, teasing.

You immediately brought your arms around his neck and threaded your fingers through his soft curls. “That was nothing, honey. I was just joking. You’re far from awful.”

Before he could steal a kiss, you were slipping out of his grasp like the little tease you were. You had a smirk spread across your lips as you leaned against the doorway. “C’mon, we’re not gonna spend all day up here okay? We’ll have all night for that Joel.” You shot him a wink before slipping past the door and headed back downstairs.

“Minx.” He muttered under his breath before he set down his rifle against his bag and pulled his own pistol out of his pocket and set it down next to yours. “Damn little tease.”

You had planned to take full advantage of the lasting sunlight. Bill and Franks home was surrounded by wildflowers and tall grasses. So that’s where Joel knew he could find you. Boy, were you a sight for sore eyes when he found you. Your back was splayed in the tall grass with your arms crossed behind your head and your eyes shut, blissfully. The sun was warm and inviting up until a shadow was casted over it. Now who the hell—Joel, of course.

You brought your hand up against your face as your eyes opened, shielding them from the sun as you looked up at your lover's tall frame.

“Comfortable?” He mused.

“Yeah, but can you maybe move like..I don’t know, a good inch to the left? You’re blocking my sun, cowboy.”

He chuckled and brought his arms across his chest. “Oh, I’m so sorry sugar. Did you want me to move?”

“You’re such an asshole.” You said with a light laugh as you reached your hand up to him and as soon as he grasped it, you were using all your strength to pull him down next to you.

He let out a grumble out of protest before he let you pull him down into the thick grass with a soft thud. “Was that really necessary?” He let out a grunt as he propped himself up on his elbow, looking over at you.

“It was because you were in the way of MY sun so I had to take matters into my own hands, lover.”

He fought the urge to roll his eyes as he plucked a strand of the tall grass and twirled it between his fingers. You couldn’t help but lean over, grasping his jaw in your hand, and kiss him sweetly. He wasted no time grab ahold of your hips while he maneuvered himself onto his back, coaxing you into his lap so you were straddling him.

“Joel..” you warned. Kissing him deeper because you simply couldn’t help it. His kisses were addictive.

He hummed in response bringing his hand up to the back of your head and threaded his fingers through your hair gently. “What is it honey? Just tryin to get myself comfortable.” he mumbled into your lips.

“Slick mother fucker.” You pulled back from the kiss and looked down at his smug expression while he brought his arms behind his head then. His eyebrow tilted up towards you in a suggestive manner.

“enjoyin the view?” He rasped. You looked so pretty in the sunlight.

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” You reached out and lightly booped his nose before climbing off of his hips.

“You really gonna tease me all day like this? What, you tryin to drive me mad? Up a wall? Cause, it’s workin.”

You looked back at him with a small grin, shaking your head. “No, of course not. That would just be pretty awfully mean of me.”

He narrowed his eyes at you before he slowly sat up scooting over so he was close to you once more. “Can I sit out here and hold ya at least? Promise I won’t try anything funny.”

“Joel, of course you can honey, you don’t have to ask for that. It’s yours.” You watched as a grin tugged on his lips as he reached for your waist and gently pulled you back against his chest. Letting you get comfortable between his thighs.

Once you were settled, he pressed a kiss to the side of your head while his elbows rested back against the soft earth beneath his palms. He watched you curiously as you began to pluck some of the surrounding wildflowers. All different kinds. He watched as your delicate fingers weaved together the stems and he swore, he caught you humming.

While you were crafting together your flower crown, Joel couldn’t help but lean his head back slightly, his eyes closed, a relaxed expression on his face as the sun warmed his skin. He was at peace, being here with you. He must have dozed off for a few minutes because he didn’t feel your soft grasp on his bicep right away.

“Joel, honey?..” you spoke softly through the warm breeze.

“Hmm?” He mumbled softly, blinking a few times as he tilted his head forward once more and looked at the wildflower crown between your fingers. “Oh, that’s beautiful sugar. You want me to put it on you?”

You turned your head slightly so you could look at him. “I was gonna ask if I could put it on you.”

“Oh? No baby, it’ll look beautiful on you. It’ll look silly on me.”

“No it won’t, Joel. You’ll look handsome, I promise.”

How could he really say no to you? Especially when you looked so carefree, so happy. It was just a little flower crown after all. Maybe he wouldn’t end up looking silly.

“Oh, alright. Go ahead. Lay it on me” he watched as you gently lowered the flower crown on top of his soft curls. Your smile was so soft, so beautiful.

“So, how do I look? Still ruggedly handsome?”

You shook your head, brushing your fingers against his jaw gently. “No, you look beautiful Joel.”

__________

Unbeknownst to either of you, Frank had seen the moment between you two from the open kitchen window. He, of course, already had his vintage Polaroid camera at the ready as he snapped a picture. He knew you would want to always have this memory for safe keeping.

He looked over at Tess and Bea who were helping Bill prep the vegetables. “So, when did this all happen? I always had this feeling that they liked each other. I just never thought it would actually happen.”

Tess set down her knife and wiped her hands on one of the nearby towels. “She almost died this Spring. The three of us were gonna leave the QZ permanently with some other smugglers. We were set up. Robert caught wind of us and sent some of his men. Gwen shot first. I watched her go down. Saw the knife sticking out of her gut and Joel? I’ll never forget the screams he let out.”

Frank's face fell as Tess told him what had happened to you. He was in disbelief.

“She nearly bled out on our kitchen table. I had to keep him calm. There was this moment where I knew he thought he was going to lose her. She was fading and then he just grabbed her face, Frank. He’s got tears streaming down his face and he kisses her. He kissed her because he thought he’d never get the chance to do it again.”

Tess nearly had tears in her eyes from that traumatic night and when she felt Bea grasp her hand gently and give it a squeeze, she took a deep breath.

“He stitched her up, and laid with her on the couch. He literally wouldn’t leave her side. He slept on the floor next to her till she woke up. He was just so—I don’t even know how to explain it. I’ve never seen him get so distraught. I let him go that night, and it probably was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. They’re meant for eachother. I’ve never seen him so fuckin happy. I’m happy for him. I’m happy that someone broke through to him. I’ll always care about him, nothing will ever change that. She’s his person, and he’s hers.”

Frank was already grabbing a bottle of wine. He had his own tears brewing because how fucking beautiful was it to hear that two people, who despised eachother from the beginning, had found eachother. Fallen for one another, and held on tight.

“Jesus fucking Christ. I’m going to need a large glass of wine after that.” He was already unscrewing the bottle and poured himself and Tess and Bea a glass. “You found someone too. You moved on, right?” He gestured to Bea by her side.

Tess took the glass with zero hesitation and took a big sip. “Bea is quite literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. I feel like I’ve gotten a new chance. A fresh start.” She looked over at her lover, who was in disbelief and when Tess saw her tears welling, she reached over and gently wiped them away with her thumb.

“You really..you really feel about me that way?”

“Course I do.”

Frank was already raising his glass in a toast and had to gently kick Bill to grab his own glass, with a disapproving grumble.

“Here’s to good wine, full bellies, laughter with friends and of course, love. Lots and lots of love.”

Tess, Bea, Frank and Bill all clinked their glasses together.

What a sight they all were to the outside world beyond the white picket fence.

________

You and Joel were in your own little world as held you against his chest, he was still wearing the flower crown you crafted him and you were both looking up at the passing clouds, in a comfortable silence. You could hear the birds chirp, the soft breeze through the grass and the humming of buzzards.

A purple butterfly, with delicate papery wings flew above you and landed right on Joel’s nose but before he could shoo it away, you had gently grabbed his wrist then and whispered, “No, don’t. You’ll scare it baby.”

He looked afraid to move then. Staying absolutely still as you gently released your grip on his wrist. The butterfly slowly flapped its wings, revealing the different purple hues, some dark, some light. It flew from its perch on his nose, fluttering for a moment before it landed on the outside of his hand.

“Think it likes you, honey.”

Joel furrowed his brows slightly as he looked down at the delicate insect resting along his hand. Suddenly, the realization hit him. The color purple. Purple nail polish, a purple butterfly.

“Sarah.” He spoke above a whisper.

“Hi baby girl.”

You both watched as the butterfly flapped its wings once more before it flew off his hand, fluttering away.

You saw the tears well in his eyes before he even could feel them and you immediately pulled him into your arms, bringing his head against your chest while his arms draped around your middle, holding you close to him.

Neither of you spoke in those moments. You simply just held each other.

You were both torn away from your thoughts when the back door leading out to the porch opened and Frank stuck his head out and yelled. “Dinner is ready love birds! Hurry up before it gets cold!”

“I’m okay, sugar. C’mon. Let’s go and..what’s that word you like usin? Immerse ourselves with our friends.” He gave your waist a light squeeze, reassuring you that he was okay.

You answered him by gently grabbing his face in your hands, stroking his cheekbones with your thumbs, giving him a sweet, loving kiss.

His eyes fluttered shut when your lips met his and he kissed you back, holding you there for a moment before he slowly pulled away and stood to his feet, offering you his hand as he helped you up.

The six of you were comfortably sitting together. Frank spared no expense to the details of the table spread. He had brought out the finest china just for this occasion. It was, after all, the longest day of the year. What better way to celebrate, than with friends? Before you dug into your meals, Frank poured everyone a tall glass of wine and everyone toasted to love, longevity, and good times. Joel was looking right at you, a small grin on his face as he raised his glass in your direction. The only sounds that could be heard was silver lightly clinking on china. The occasional song-bird, or two. You all were enjoying the delicious food that Bill had prepared and by the end of the meal, your bellies were full.

The air was warm, peaceful and for a moment, it was all too easy for you to forget about the cordyceps, the end of the world, the loss you had endured. It was so easy when you were surrounded by friends, and your lover, who couldn’t take his eyes off of you. As more wine was poured, the laughter ensued as old stories of the past flowed past your soft lips with ease. Tess agreed that the Chicago Bean, was pretty fucking cool.

You felt so fucking loved. You could barely contain it.

When the plates were cleared, you all headed inside to help with the dishes and of course, crack open another bottle of wine. By the time that Bill had started a fire in the living room, you could already feel your cheeks getting flushed. A warm, fuzzy feeling washing over you.

Joel was at your side then, his arm lazily draped around your hip as you rested your head against his shoulder. He brought the rim of his own wine glass up to his lips and took a sip, a smile creeping over the delicate china.

Frank was already flipping through his many record albums while everyone else was getting comfortable on the two couches. He had decided on ‘A Man Without Love’ by Engelbert Humperdinck. You learned very quickly that Joel Miller was not a singer. Even a few glasses in, drunk on your love, he would not sing. Frank had pulled you up from the couch and twirled you around playfully while you both belted out the lyrics, “Every day I wake up, then I start to break up, lonely is a man without love. Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out, lonely is man without looooove!” You didn’t particularly have a grammy winning voice either but hell, you were having fun! Joel was enamored while he watched you over the rim of his glass. He loved to see you in these moments. When you let your hair down, you belly laughed, giggled and god, did you smile.

More wine was poured, more songs were played and as the sun began to set, the fire lowly crackled in the background, it was just you and Joel now. Frank had taken Tess and Bea out to the greenhouse to show the wonderful progress his plants had made. You were knackered from the singing and dancing as you plopped down next to your lover with a light giggle.

“You’re drunk, honey.” he looked over at you with a small grin.

“No, I'm happy Joel. I’m so fuckin happy. Okay, and a little drunk too. Just like a tad though.”

He leaned in, his face close to yours. “M’happy that you’re happy ‘darlin. You look beautiful. I love it when you smile. Warms me right up.” He whispered, reaching out and gently cupping your face in his warm palm.

“You’re happy too..right?”

“ m’so happy baby. You have no idea.” He admitted. This was only for you to hear. He was secretly thankful that your friends weren’t in the room. He wanted this moment to only be shared between you two.

“Good. I’m glad honey, you deserve it.”

Before he could answer, the record crackled, transitioning slowly to ‘The Last Waltz’

He surprised you then, reaching for your hand before he helped you up from the couch gently.

“Dance with me?”

“I never thought you’d ask, cowboy.” You took his hand then as he helped you up. You were a little unsteady on your feet, while his free hand was gently splayed across your lower back as he pulled you into chest, holding you as close as he physically could. Your hearts were practically intertwined as he slowly started to sway with you. Your fingers were interlocked between his other hand while you brought your freehand to his shoulder, playing with the worn fabric of his flannel gently. He dipped his head down slightly, his forehead resting against yours. His warm brown eyes, locked on yours. You continued to slowly sway, taking in this private moment as he whispered the lyrics lowly between you. His voice was warm, inviting, deep, and it settled within your bones. “I had the last waltz with you. Two lonely people together. I fell in love with you..the last waltz should last forever..”

He kissed you then. Closing the small gap between you finally. Neither of you pulled away as the record crackled, the song coming to an impending end. You continued to kiss him, tasting the sweet wine on his tongue. His breath hitching, his fingers tightening along the exposed sliver of skin of your lower back. You breathed him in, letting his kiss settle deep within your soul.

The moment had ended when you both heard someone clearing their throat. Joel had let out an annoyed grumble as he tore his lips from yours, looking over your shoulder at a smirking Frank, who was holding the game ‘Monopoly’

“Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds. Are you up for a friendly game of monopoly?”

Joel had opened his mouth to speak but before he could, you brought your finger against his lips and looked back at Frank with a sweet smile. “We would absolutely love to play.”

“Who is we–” you shot your lover a playful warning look and he returned it with a slight roll of his eyes.

“Yeah, sure we’d love to play.” He grumbled.

“Excellent!”

You slipped out of your lover's grasp, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before you grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the living room and into the kitchen.

You found out shortly after the game began, that Bill was an absolute sore loser. He was the first to be out of the game. He cursed out, throwing what was left of his money before he grabbed his gun, heading for the kitchen as he mumbled about how stupid this game really was. “Who the hell thought of inventing this stupid game? I hope they’re rolling in their grave right fuckin now!”

Everyone was trying to hide their laughter then. It was hard with the amount of wine that had been consumed already. As the game continued, Bill had returned shortly after his loss, with a fresh bottle of wine as he topped off his glass and plopped back down into his seat next to Frank. He had a grumpy look on his face, with his arms crossed against his chest. When Frank leaned over and gave him a little kiss on the cheek, his face softened for a moment.

The game continued on for hours. Frank was the next to lose. Joel had secretly slipped you a few of his extra bills under the table, shooting you a little wink as he leaned over and whispered “you’ll find a way to pay me back, sugar.” Which had you lightly swatting his arm for being the flirt that he was, but you loved it. You loved seeing Joel with his guard down, and enjoying the small joys that life had to offer. He looked so beautiful.

Bea and then Tess were the next to lose and soon it was just you and Joel, head to head. Battling to the death. Well, until one of you decides to give in. Your friends had all gone to bed a while ago. The candles on the dining room table were almost melted down completely. You weren’t even sure how much wine you had actually consumed, but by the looks of the empty bottles, you knew you had quite a lot to drink.

“Joel, baby. C’mon can you please surrender. It’s okay, you can admit that you lost like a big man.” You giggled. Your palm was resting along your chin as you looked at him, a drunk sleepy look gracing your features.

“C’mon, honey. We can finish this out. Don’t you wanna win fair and square?” He still had a half glass of wine in front of him and he couldn’t help but reach over and gently brush his thumb against your plush lower lip.

“Joel, I’m tired. Please? Let me win this my way.”

“The dirty way?”

“Nooo. The you’re gonna let me win because otherwise this game will never end, way. I think I will actually lose my mind more than I ever have if we have to keep playing.”

He leaned back against his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. “So, then go on and admit your defeat. Sooner you do, sooner we get to go to bed.”

“Who said anythin about me admitting MY defeat?”

He chuckled and reached for his wine glass, downing the rest of its contents before he set it back down. “You heard me.”

“You’re such an asshole man. Fine, I admit my defeat. If I weren’t so many glasses, excuse me, bottles in, then I would have won. I’m sure of it.”

“Mhm. You keep tellin yourself that ‘darlin.” He blew out what was left of the candles then before he pushed his chair back and slowly stood up.

“I’ll get you back for this Miller. Just you wait and see.” Your chair scraped quietly against the hardwood as you rose from your seat.

“Oh, I have no doubt in my mind that you will honey.”

You let Joel deal with the empty glasses and bottles on the table while you packed up the game, placing the board and all the pieces back into the box.

He let you go in front of him up the stairs. His hand was at your lower back, making sure you wouldn’t fall back when you nearly tripped up one of the steps with a quiet giggle.

Yeah, you were pretty drunk.

Once you were in your shared room for the night and the door softly closed, your arms were around his neck, your fingers playing with the soft strands of hair at the nape of his neck. “Baby..I’m really really drunk right now. Damn Frank and his wine but..I want you. Do you think we can?..” you whispered with a hiccup closely following.

“Honey..” he drawled, bringing his arms around you gently as he pulled you in close.

“We can’t. You’re drunk and I’ve had a bit as well. Plus, we don’t wanna wake anyone up..”

“We can be quiet.”

He gave you a look then. You and Joel did not know the definition of having a quiet fuck. It was pretty much impossible.

“Sugar, you know we can’t be quiet. Even though I wanna fuck you so bad right now honey, so fuckin bad. I gotta put my foot down, m’sorry.”

“Okay, fine. So we can’t fuck. How about..” you trailed off while your fingers slipped from his hair to his face, brushing your fingers against his strong jaw. “what if you were wrapped up in me, all night?..”

He raised his brow at your suggestion and his mouth went a little dry when he realized just exactly what your suggestion entailed.

“You want me to fall asleep, inside of you?”

“Please.” you begged. You were itching to feel him again. All of him.

“Fuck.” He whispered out. The wine was making his mind hazy and your words had him spinning.

“Please, Joel. I understand if you don’t wanna—”

“Shh. Of course I do. Fuck, of course I wanna bury myself inside of ya all goddamn night honey. You’re absolutely sure that’s what you want?”

“Yes. That’s what I really want right now Joel.”

He scooped you up into his arms in response. He carried you to the side of the bed and gently set you down before he reached for the hem of your shirt and gently started to lift it up.

“You wanna wear one of mine?” He already knew the answer.

“Always.”

He slowly lifted your shirt above your head before he reached down into his backpack that was alongside the bed and pulled out one of his spare shirts, slipping it down over your arms. Next, he gently shimmied your pants down your legs, leaning down and pressing a light kiss to your exposed hip bone.

“Can I take these off, sweetness? Or do you wanna keep ‘em on for now?” he rasped out.

“You can take them off baby, it’s fine.”

He slipped his thumb on either side of your panties before he slowly dragged the fabric over your hips, thighs and down your legs and ankles. He pressed another light kiss to your skin. This time it was your thigh.

You had reached for his flannel then and gently pushed it down his arms, tossing it to the side with your discarded clothes. He used his one hand to pull his shirt over his head, shaking his hair out a bit. Soon after, his jeans and boxers were discarded. You could feel the bed slowly dip from his weight as his arms reached around, settling comfortably around your waist as he pulled you flush against his chest.

His lips were at the shell of your ear, pressing a soft kiss just below as he whispered, “you let me know if you want me to slip out, okay? I don’t want ya to hesitate.”

You grabbed one of his hands then and brought it up to your lips, pressing a kiss to his palm before interlocking your fingers with his. “I know honey, I got you, you got me. It’s okay. Please, don’t make me beg you.”

“You got me, I got you.” He let out a puff of air against the back of your neck as he slipped his legs between yours. He let his free hand, that wasn’t grasped between your fingers, grab ahold of himself before he gently, and slowly slipped himself between your slick, warm folds.

It took every sheer ounce of willpower inside of him to not jut his hips into yours. He let out a low hiss, giving your hand a firm squeeze as he sank deeper, till he was at the hilt.

“This okay ‘darlin? Not uncomfortable or nothin?”

You felt so full at that moment. With him buried inside you like this. Holding you so close to his chest. It was perfect.

“This is perfect honey. Thank you. Are you good?” You had turned your head slightly to look over your shoulder at him.

“ m’good. This is nice. You feel amazin. So fuckin warm and tight—”

“Joel, baby. Please don’t start something that you know you can’t finish.”

He chuckled and let his head drop to the back of your neck, pressing another kiss there.

“Sorry, don’t wanna get carried away.”

“I know honey, this is torture, and at the same time, I’ve never been more content.”

“That’s one way to put it.” He chuckled.

He moved his hips just slightly as he got comfortable, sinking further into the soft mattress.

“I love you.” you whispered quietly. You were unsure if your confession was due to all the wine you consumed. Or if it was your sober thoughts, coming out in drunk words, or a mix of both.

“I love you, always.” He whispered back, tightening his hold around your waist, smiling against your soft skin when he felt your lips brush against his knuckles.

You and Joel slipped off into the dream world with ease. He stayed buried deep in your warmth, all night long. You never wanted him to leave. The closeness, intimacy, warmth you provided each-other so naturally. You wanted to keep him there forever.

How long could forever really last, when the dawn of a new day was always inevitable.

Chapter 13:

[belit0]

I think I’m in the need for some funsie hcs. What do the Uchihas (including Sasuke) put on their pancakes as a topping?

I might be translating a lot of these toppings wrong, but hey🤠🤠🤠!

Indra

- He likes to pretend to always eat healthy, but Indra has a sweet tooth he hides to maintain his tough guy reputation. What would people think if they found out that he eats candy like a child? No way. His choice is mini M&Ms or dark chocolate shavings.

Madara

- He does stay healthy (but because of his childhood trauma), as he doesn't enjoy sweets in general. Madara is firm with his diet (mom never let him eat candy). He leans towards macadamia nuts, thinly sliced almonds, granola.

Izuna

- Sweet to the ears (as all the trauma mom was supposed to impart on him was imparted on his Aniki, Madara's way of protecting his siblings). Izuna never denied himself anything, and goes for the gooey, liquid candy, ice cream, whipped cream, Nutella.

Obito

- In the morning he enjoys salty things, something potent to fill his stomach and lift his spirits, to start the day strong and not arrive at lunch starving or feeling faint. Crumbled bacon with crumbled crackers and cheese.

Shisui

-The funny fruit kid. Shisui always enjoyed any fruit, but his favorites are the rare ones, those that are not eaten in all seasons and are usually harder to find. Blueberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, strawberries.

Itachi

- Sweet to the ears. Itachi may be the most serious and composed man in the world, but he inherited Indra's sweet tooth and nothing can change that. Fruit compote, marshmallow cream, chocolate sauce.

Sasuke

- The child of green foods, not on purpose, but because he likes those particular flavors. Life found him unintentionally eating healthy, a great virtue. Avocado, hard-boiled eggs, chopped spinach.

[ryeriy]

can I request #8 on the prompts with the reader dating jack or quinn and are at the lake house and they are having a campfire?

#8- "you burnt the marshmallow" "that's the best way to do it!"

Requested: yes

Late Night Fires - Jack Hughes

warnings: none

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"There we go." Jack says while putting the pgram cracker on top to make what you call a smore.

"Why thank you kind sir." Taking the smore I had made. One bite of it and I folded. It tastes do good.

"Mmmm this is so good." With a whole mouthful of delicious goodness melting inside my mouth. Barely hearing what I said.

"Let me have a bite." Jack said while taking the smore out of my hand. Taking a bite of it.

"Hey that's mine!" Playfully hitting him making him chuckle a bit.

"You burnt the marshmallow!" He handed me back the half eaten smore now.

"Thats the best way to do it!"

"No its not!"

"Umm yeah it is because then it's all gooey and you still get that burnt feeling!" We were arguing like children. Were supposed to be adults.

"Oh will you two stop arguing!" Quinn hallored at us.

Me and Jack both looked at each other with a straight face. Then started to burst out laughing. Hearing Quinn sigh made us laugh harder. I love Jack so much.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #167 (Part 3)

Okay!!! So!!! I will talk about the s'mores part now!!!

Like I said in part 2, after we got back and got situated, I started gathering up tinder and kindling to make a fire! Here's what I gathered up:

...I also found a wild strawberry!! I seem to recall telling you that wild strawberries taste better than the strawberries you get at the grocery store, but they're also much, much smaller. I'll show you how small:

This one is ripe and ready to eat, but I left it there; these seeds need an opportunity to spread from the droppings of a small creature.

Anyway, here's the s'mores supplies that I got from Shaw's:

...Sephiroth, have you ever had a s'more? Basically, you put a square of chocolate on half of a graham cracker, and then you squish a hot toasted marshmallow onto the chocolate with the other half of the graham cracker. The hot marshmallow is supposed to melt the chocolate. The result is a gooey, delicious, crunchy, sweet treat! But this time I added BACON!!!!

We used matches to light up the tinder and kindling I gathered. It was very dry, so getting the wood to catch was very easy this time:

...And then we cooked the bacon until it was nice and crunchy!!!!

Hey, Sephiroth? Do you like bacon? It gets used in pasta carbonara, and I know you like pasta, so maybe you like bacon, too? Hmm...

Well. After this, it was time to toast marshmallows. Normally, you stick them over the fire until they turn a golden brown. J does it the normal way - behold:

...I... have a... sliiiightly different approach....

...Yes, that marshmallow is on fire. I like a charred, crunchy outside and a melted inside. I normally let the flame go until it stops on its own.

And then you put it all together!!!

...The chocolate didn't melt very much for some reason, but I don't care!!! They were VERY GOOD!!!

...If you've not had any opportunity to try a bacon s'more, or even a regular s'more, I highly recommend it. It's one of the best culinary creations known to my culture. It's very simple, yet VERY effective, especially if you spent all day outside in the hot sun on a bike - yowza!!!!

I managed to snag a picture of the sunset that evening, too:

...My body is not used to the exertion of a bike anymore because the rib injury makes exercising very difficult. So by this point, the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness was already starting to set in. I was very much looking forward to going to bed... or so I thought.

Someone was rummaging around our campsite. I know it because as J and I were trying to fall asleep in the dead of night, something, presumably with opposable thumbs, opened up the cargo door of the plane. The cargo door has a latch on it, so it's not as though it can come undone by itself, and it's not as though it can come undone by something bumping into it.

But we heard it come undone, because it is an old plane and opening things on it is noisy. J was scared, and I was a combination of alarmed and angry, so I quietly got dressed, grabbed up a flashlight and my boot with the brace in it, and ventured outside of the tent.

For reference, my left boot has a brace in it because my left leg is injured; I damaged the nerve running down the front of my shin because I struck it on the sharp edge of a concrete wall, and now both plantarflexion and dorsiflexion of my foot on that leg is... not impossible, but rather difficult. The brace stops my toes from dragging on the ground when I walk. My hiking boots have steel toes:

I was prepared to clock someone over the head if I had to. Dunno how successful I would have been, but I was prepared.

When I ventured out of the tent and looked around, I saw the opened cargo door, but no one was around, and nothing seemed to have been taken out of it. Perhaps whoever opened it didn't expect it to make such a loud noise, and so they ran off. I don't know. But either way, if they're willing to rummage around in stuff that doesn't belong to them, we can only guess as to why; my upbringing and life experiences have left me with a plethora of very unpleasant possibilities to select from.

Not willing to wait around and see whether they'd come back and make demands at knifepoint or gunpoint, and having a little bit of experience in dealing with intruder-esque situations before, I very calmly told J to get dressed and gather up a few of his things along with the other flashlight. We can replace things; we can't replace people if some unhinged person is very angry about the fact that we do not have valuables. So we walked back to the airport office; it has a door with a keypad. J faced forward and I faced behind the whole way there. Nothing happened.

J slept on the couch in the airport office. I stayed up to keep watch. Given that we had to go back in the morning, and given that one needs to be well-rested in order to fly a plane, it wasn't logical to sleep in shifts. J is the one who can fly the plane, so J is the one who must sleep. I tinkered around on my phone and kept an eye on the windows and doors. I know the odds were very low that anything would happen, but "low" is not zero, and I remember the man that my mother had to chase away from our trailer with an axe a while back, when I was still a girl. I wasn't willing to risk being caught unawares.

But the night came and went and nothing happened, thank goodness. J got to sleep after his nerves calmed down, and he was properly alert by morning. I managed to snag a picture of the sunrise for you:

By the time morning came, I was exhausted and in a lot of pain from the bike ride. But nonetheless, we went back to the campsite, inspected everything, and found nothing unusual or stolen, which figures since we brought only very simple items. We packed everything away and then went home. I took maybe a couple more pictures on the way, but then I pretty much passed out without even realizing:

I remember getting in the car this morning, but I don't remember much of the ride home. I remember getting out of the car, and then passing out in M's bed for a few hours.

My body is still very sore, but ibuprofen has done well to take the edge off of that, and so I can move around, if a bit stiffly. It feels amazing to ride a bike, but I have to remember to reacclimate myself to that kind of activity again first. Suppose I'll have to make it a point to take a walk tomorrow so that the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness doesn't get any worse. But for now... I think I'm going to play Elden Ring. Maybe I'll even stream it here:

...And that's all I've got for today. All in all, it was a great camping trip, but between the weird flags and the campsite intruder, I think I don't ever want to go back there. I think I'm going to sleep very well tonight.

I love you. And I'll write again tomorrow, okay? So please stay safe in the meantime.

Your friend, Lumine

[heaven-s-black-box]

Camping- Benny's Adventure Team

Return to File

Recovery date: April 2nd, 2024

Description: Benny's adventure team goes camping!

Notes: Trying to write for both Razor and Fischl, who both have extremely unique speech patterns, at once was incredibly difficult.

Word count: 667

Back to directory

In Bennett’s opinion Wolvendom was scary, especially at night. The moon cast weird shadows on the rocky terrain, and you could hear camps of hilichurls along the edge of the forest. It was definitely his least favorite place to take commissions.

But he hadn’t hesitated to agree to camp there with Razor.

“Razor is happy that Bennett came.”

The two were setting up their tent just outside of Andrius’ trial area.

Well, Razor was setting up the tent with Bennett’s verbal instructions; they'd nearly lost it when Bennett tried to set it up himself. The wind had suddenly picked up and it'd nearly blown out of the forest.

“I’m glad you invited me! Most people don’t want to spend any more time with me then they have too,” Bennett sighed, swinging his legs against the log he sat on.

Razor stopped pushing a stake into the ground and turned to his friend.

“Why… not? Razor thinks Bennett is great friend.”

“Ya but I have horrible luck, and people tend to get hurt.”

With a solemn nod, Razor said, “Bennett won’t hurt Razor. Bennett is Razor’s friend.”

“That’s not-” Razor had already finished setting up the tent and wandered into the forest ignoring Bennett. “Hey! Where are you going?”

“Razor smells friend!”

“Huh?”

Bennett jumped up off the log, nearly tripping over his feet in the process, and ran after Razor.

“Young knight of endless energy thou attract peril far beyond that which we are prepared for! Cease this incessant-”

“Razor!”

The two boys looked down over the small ledge to find Klee and Fischl standing in the middle of a small hilichurl camp. Fischl seemed slightly out of breath, and Klee was as energetic as ever.

“Burny girl.”

Klee scrambled up the ledge and wrapped her arms around Razor in a tight hug.

“Adventurer who bears the world’s curse, thou hast forced the Prinzessin der Verurteilung to search for a servant such as thyself?” As Fischl began to rant about how much of an inconvenience looking for Bennett had been, Klee leaned into Razor.

“She talks funny,” Klee giggled, “I like her.”

“Sorry!” Bennett cried, bowing slightly with his hands clasped in front of him while Fischl struggled to climb up. “Razor asked if I wanted to camp with him, and I completely forgot we were supposed to hang out.”

The adventurer extended a hand to Fischl who nearly took it before deciding it would be better to haul herself up without his help. Bennett seemed to arrive at the same conclusion as he awkwardly laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck, stepping back so she could gracelessly roll up onto the ledge.

“Burny girl and friend, join us?”

Fischl paused in brushing herself off and examining her dressing for tears to look up.

“I should hope so after all we went through to get here!” Fischl snapped. “Oops. I-I mean, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung would be honored to join thou in…” she trailed off, looking to Bennett for help.

“We’re camping!”

“Camping?” Klee cheered, still holding on to Razor. “Oo! Can we have s’mores?”

“What are s’mores?”

“You’ve never had a s’more?” Klee gasped, almost sounding offended as she grabbed Razor’s hand and began to swing it back and forth. “They're really yummy, they’re all gooey and sweet and-”

As Klee rambled on, Fischl turned to Bennett.

“Adventurer who bears the world’s curse, am I correct to assume you have the required ingredients?”

“Yup! Wouldn’t be a camping trip without them. I’ll start the fire!”

“A-Ta-Ta! Please allow my most trusted retainer, Oz,” Oz swooped down from his perch in the trees, “to handle the flames. I do not seek an inferno on this fine night.”

“Very good, Meine Fraulein,” Oz nodded before gliding away.

“Oh, ya, that’s probably a good idea.”

---

“Fire!”

“Bennett, your marshmallow is on fire!”

“As is yours young knight!”

“It’s okay, we just have to blow them ou-ah, not my hair!”

“Stop, drop, and roll! Stop, drop, and roll!”

[sleepyowlwrites]

friends incorrect quotes

again, back in another eon, @annarts05 tagged me for this. I've been keeping a log of many of the insane conversations I have with people at work, so here are some of our choice dialogues put into the mouths of the City Story gang.

Yarrow: I'm making decisions 'cause no one can stop me!

Hawk: I'm off tomorrow

Copper: are you actually off tomorrow or are you secretly coming in to work?

Hawk: I'm actually off

Copper: I'll believe it when I see it

Jet: I'm not even drinking yet

Moss: I am. have a snickers

Jet: are we having an attitude problem?

Hawk: are you Shadow?

Shadow: yeah

Hawk: okay! so you do exist

Rune: Moss, did you hear? Jet and I are dating

Moss: *skeptical*

Rune: according to Hawk

Moss: oh, I thought you were gonna say Yarrow

Rune: no, he only ships me with the least likely options, apparently

Shadow: you can eat me

Yarrow: I'm supposed to be the weirdest one in the room, stop one-upping me!

Moss: is your brother here? 'Cause I thought I saw him earlier

Copper: maybe it was a figment of your imagination

Moss: wait, he's not here

Copper: no, he is

Jet: don't hurt me physically, hurt me emotionally

Rune: *disgusted face*

Jet: that's the reaction I was looking for

Jet: I'm gonna ram this into you 'cause I hate you

Copper: you love me, don't even try that

Hawk: I'm leaving now in case you were wondering

Moss: I wasn't

Rune: I appreciate you guys beyond

Yarrow: beyond what? if it's only beyond an inch that's not very much

Jet: you guys do have weird conversations

Yarrow: ugh, you guys are losers! I say that with affection, towards you specifically

Moss: thank you

Rune: hey, small child, I need your soul

Yarrow: my soul?

Rune: or your phone number

Yarrow: okay

Jet: that's it, you just came here to use me?

Rune: yeah, pretty much

Rune: you're like the brownie at the middle of the pan, cookies fresh from the oven, marshmallows melting on hot chocolate! you're so gooey and soft!

Shadow: you just wanna eat me

Rune: yeah

Shadow: that can hurt, tho

A sensible pause:

Rune: I think you're taking over from Yarrow as the person I have the weirdest conversations with

that's probably enough chaos for now, but there are more where these came from, so if somebody tags me again we can have fun again.

@gwens-fiction @quilloftheclouds @diphthongsfordays @ashen-crest @zmwrites OR ANYBODY

[painted-piggy-ships-archive]

Jack Torrance x clownlord/piggy

~689 words 

ok to rb

@canongf​

Jack and Keaton set the logs beside the grand fireplace in the Overlook's Colorado Lounge with equal amounts of huffing and puffing.

"Should be the last of 'em, thank fuck," Jack swore under his breath, pulling off his gloves and slapping them on the fireplace mantle while Keaton unzipped his heavy winter coat.

"I'll go make us some cocoa."

"Sounds good," Jack smushed his nose and mouth against Keaton’s cheek, "don't burn yourself."

"I'll sure try," Keaton responded in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"You want me to come supervise you?"

"I won't burn myself!" Keaton laughed, playfully smacking Jack's arm with an added scoff, "such little faith in me, mon amour!"

Jack grinned along. "I'm just saying, I'm not the one who nearly falls down a staircase once a week."

"The steps move, I'm telling you!"

Jack burst into a delighted laugh. "Sure they do."

Keaton shook his head at his boyfriend and disappeared off to the kitchens while Jack took off his own coat and began adding more tinder to the low burning fire. He sighed to himself as the warm glow touched his world-worn face… it didn't compare to how Keaton touched him. Nothing did. He sat on the floor with a bit of effort and took off his boots, setting them close to the fire to melt the gray slush still stuck to them. Every once in a while he looked around the shadowy lounge, impatient for his lover to return. He didn't like how quiet it was without him, particularly after dark.

Finally, he released a relieved breath when Keaton carried in a tray with two steaming mugs and the supplies to make s'mores.

"I know it's more of a summer thing, but I thought it could be fun," he explained as he set the tray down beside Jack and turned to a log they hadn't split yet that had two perfectly good branches for roasting the marshmallows. He snapped them off and sat down beside Jack and the tray.

"Hon… you don't even like s'mores," Jack teased.

"But you do." Keaton grabbed one of Jack's hands, "you're freezing; drink!! I could swear you haven't even been wearing gloves!"

Jack chuckled slightly at Keaton’s insistence and concern, unlacing his fingers and picking up the mug closest to him. He tossed a handful of mini marshmallows into it, blew gently to cool it, then pressed the mug to his lips. Keaton watched eagerly, awaiting approval.

"Mmm. It's good, real good Keats." Jack praised after swallowing, enjoying the tingling warmth spreading from his cheeks to his toes. Keaton beamed and put mini marshmallows in his own mug, but set it aside, having a much lower heat tolerance than Jack. The two sat shoulder to shoulder, comfortably quiet for a moment as Jack attempted very seriously to make s'mores in the fireplace without setting the branch on fire. Keaton sipped his cocoa and kept fidgeting with his sweater.

"What is it, baby?" Jack prompted without even looking at him. Keaton swallowed and shifted, taking something out of his pocket.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?" He sandwiched a gooey marshmallow and a piece of Hershey's chocolate between two golden-brown graham crackers, then looked at Keaton with his usual heavy-lidded eyes as he raised it to his lips.

"Would you marry me?" His proposal featured no dramatics, just four simple words and an intricately engraved silver ring. Jack's hand froze and his striking eyebrows shot up in surprise. His lips quivered, trying to form a response as the s'more slipped onto the tray.

"That's supposed to be my line," he finally blurted out, looking quite warm in the face. Keaton could see anxiety- memories of Wendy -creeping behind his eyes. He shifted and practically laid on top of Keaton, holding his face. "Are you sure… you want to do that?"

Keaton nodded. "You can say-"

"Then yes, I would marry you," Jack cut him off. "Don’t tell me ‘you can say no.’ I'd marry ya a thousand times if you keep looking at me like that."

Keaton began to cry as a smile split his features. Jack wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a passionate, loving kiss.

[wromwood]

It's another America-themed week at Lidl, which means I get to look at and judge even more products! This is, of course, a sequel to when I did this a few months ago. This time, though, I won't list things in order of whether or not I want them. (Little too lazy for that today)

We've got...

Cranberry Drink to join its pal Blueberry Drink! Didn't try this one out because the blueberry drink, while pleasant, is a little weak on its own. I didn't want to experience a cranberry equivalent of that. Give me that full power cranberry juice, baby. (Also I was interested to see that cranberry Drink was an "American" product. I guess it makes sense, since cranberries are native to North America)

Instant Frappé, both white chocolate and double chocolate flavor. An interesting concept, but not enough for me to get it. Also, I don't like white chocolate, so one of those was right out. (I'm curious about why this is in America week. Are frappes an American drink?)

Pulled pork flavor snacks! I actually bought this one. They're decent, but addictive. Like human dog treats.

Marshmallow hoops, or as I immediately called them, "off-brand Lucky Charms/Froot Loop fusion". Didn't pick it up, but may do so if they don't run out before my next grocery run.

Ah yes. Nothing screams America more like bottled wet sausages.

Now we're talking! BBQ sauce! I picked up the smoky one and it ain't bad at all.

Cookie dough! I got the triple chocolate, and it's VERY tasty.

Processed cheddar cheese spread. UGH. Did not get and will never try. (I know it's supposed to be American, but I can't believe "processed" is supposed to be a selling point. Bad.)

These weird little milk shake containers. They sound decent enough, but the sound/form of them just feels a little distant from my ideal concept of a milkshake.

Apple flavor filled caramels! Got these and they're pretty nice! The flavor is ok and I like the gooey appley filling.

[shaineinin]

The End of the Beginning

a self-obituary

A tombstone of a person scares me the most. Because it is an indication that a life that once on earth has ended again. A mark that one has fallen in the midst of the fog of life. However, what will I do myself if my tombstone will be the one welcoming me at my door? What will be my reaction? How will I endure that kind of scene for the longest time I shall ever know?

Shaine G. Capua, born on ****, died on ****, you will always be remembered. And we shall never forget the words rest in peace. Those are the things I will be reading if ever I am in front of my tombstone today. I never visualized how it looks because I know that its physicality will reflect on my economic status once again. If it is too pompous, maybe I died with lots of money. If it looks ordinary, then maybe I am just a normal person with nothing but loans. 

Disregarding that matter, I know that no matter what economic or social status I have in the future before I die, I assure that I have lived my purpose in life. Because as I believed so, I would’ve changed the world to a better place if I could whenever an opportunity knocks on my door. I would everyday, try to touch someone’s life with kindness and generosity that the world is lacking today. I would channel the heavy weight of cracks in my heart to help people, heal their body and mind, and let them stand for themselves. 

I want people to remember me as a person who put other people’s state first before mine. I want my loved ones to recollect my memories as someone who peels oranges for people so they could enjoy and eat it without minding any trouble. An athlete who has the highest honor for sportsmanship to other athletes who share the same dreams with her. A student-journalist who unravels merely the truth and nothing but the truth. A student and a classmate who engraved a legacy of being good, smart, and cheerful. A loving and caring daughter, big sister, and a girl who gave everything she can for the sake of her family. 

Yet, if I were to be asked, “Who am I?”, with no masks, costumes, or fakes, not my titles, achievements, or praises; just me. I will gratefully answer that I am just a plain black and white person who only wanted to live a good and comfortable life ever since the beginning. I have always dreamt of ending the cycle of poverty in our bloodline. The leech that keeps on sucking us down. Every bit of our blood, sweat, and tears that it keeps on slurping on us to make us suffer more. One thing I kept on praying for is for my siblings to never experience what I had gone through to survive. 

So yes, by constantly saying yes was what cost me to survive. Yes, I have been soft like a gooey marshmallow exposed with fire to be smores, to be able to satisfy other people. To give them credit for what they helped me. To deal with the pressure that keeps on bugging my head. However, that was also my mistake. I became too complacent to things. Too dependent on the word yes that all of the responsibilities piled up and gave me a slap of reality that was so hard to avoid. 

Maybe, in my next life, I would learn how to negate. To refuse people. To disapprove of ideas that will not give me peace and will never help me have growth. To deny responsibilities that I can’t handle. Because saying yes has been too easy for me, when my no’s could’ve been more understandable. 

The people who have held my back ever since. The support, trust, and love they have given me and boosted me was not wasted. I will be missed, I suppose. But these people will also be treasured deep within the corners of my heart. This lifetime was not so good to me, but it lightened a path and made me walk past through wisdom, eminent, and goodwill that I will carry on to the next life I will hold if given a chance.

Without a doubt, I’ve led my life with a league of one’s own. I know that the loves of my life will be reading my epitaph with heavy hearts, flood of tears, and broken souls– “Wind, gentle evergreen, to form a shade. Around the tomb where Shaine is laid. Sweet ivy wind thy boughs and intertwine. With blushing roses and the clustering vine. Then shall thy lasting leaves, with beauties hung. Prove grateful emblems of the lays she sung.” But they shall remember that my goneness is not the end of the world and the pause of their own lives.

It may be an end to some, but it is also a beginning for a few.

[theajaheira]

"i'm just not used to dating a woman like you. so put-together, so steady, so age-appropriate..."

"let's not get it twisted. i'm still way too young for you."

(forever blowing kisses to douglas and poppy and their short-lived tenure on our screens!!)

this fanvideo is dedicated to the three other people who follow me and have actually watched single parents. i like to think of us as an exclusive club of, um, sadness? anyway here’s to these idiots and also to stopping a rewatch of this show at the episode where douglas and poppy are talking about moving in together. <3

[halloweensuittruffles]

First spin outcome of my fic wheel spin I did!! This’ll be a fun challenge I’ll be trying And who knows one of these fics might be one someone has always wanted lmao

Zebruh♠️?♦️?❤️?Reader: Sleepover AYEE

You were making your way to the indigo troll’s hive. He insisted on picking you up and carrying you there himself or riding his hover board again but you protested. You were fine walking- you had a small backpack with you that had all the fun sleepover supplies! Blankets, pillows, s’mores materials, flashlights, nail polish, and the only thing you could find of sour gummy honeybeasts (or sour gummy bears)

Finally arriving you rung the doorbell waiting for an answer. To your surprise Zebruh’s large hotheaded Lusus answered the door. You awkwardly waved at it, sense your interactions weren’t entirely pleasant.

The zebra snorted at you and simply trotted away from the door allowing you inside. Hey that’s better then getting stomped on..

And you stepped a single foot inside the door frame you were immediately grabbed into a hug by Zebruh

“♦️❤️♦️There you are!!! I worried a giant purrbeast ate you up or something!!!♦️❤️♦️”

Was he crying? Or just sounding emotional? It was hard to tell but you sighed some gently papping him on the head

“I’m fine Zeb I’m fine! Nothing tried to eat me-“

Good lord he was smothering…..and not in a nice way….the indigo did not let you go out of his hug despite your reassurance.

“Zeb- you’re gonna crush my bag!” You blabbed which seemed to get him off of you

“Bag? What’s in there?” He questioned poking at the top zipper

“Stuff for our sleep over dummy-“

“…sleep….over?” Zebruh’s face seemed to pause in thought

“Yea! You ever had one before?”

“♠️Well, can’t say I have, never had a partner to share that experience with♠️”

“You don’t need a quadrant to have a sleepover dumbass”

You rolled your eyes playfully taking your bag upstairs. You stared in a lil disbelief that your feelings jam pile hadn’t been cleaned or changed the last time you visited- it’s a lil concerning.

But past that you laid out all you brought on the floor then went to go back down stairs again. Zebruh was confusingly following you back and forth down and up the stairs. When it seemed you staying in the kitchen for a while he finally asked

“♦️What are you even doing dear..??♦️”

“Well right now I’m making s’mores! Wanna try it?”

“S’mores-??”

“Just lemme show you”

You sighed gently opening the bag of marshmallows you brought

You gently took Zebruh’s hands in yours to show him to which a grin formed on his face

“❤️❤️My my how forward~❤️❤️”

“Look so you take the marshmallow, and put it on the skewer,” you say doing the action

“Then you put it over the oven fire!”

“♦️Why am I doing this??♦️”

“To make a s’more!” You encouraged “gotta get the marshmallow all toasty brown!”

Zebruh still looked confused but held his end of the skewer over the flame anyway. He spun it some with your help and soon enough you both had two nice toasted mellows!

“Ok then you take this gram cracker, and a bit of chocolate, and put it together like a sandwich!”

“♠️♠️ew…is it supposed to be this texture-♠️♠️”

“Uh- yea- it’s a toasted marshmallow it’s supposed to be gooey!”

After a few attempts Zebruh was able to put all three items together and looked rather proud of himself

“♠️❤️Ha! There, I did it all myself❤️♠️”

“Sure you did-“ You snorted some “Just eat it already-“

As you said that you took a bite of your own s’more. So fucking good!! You missed these.

While you were eating though the indigo next to you was staring at you. His cheeks had an indigo tint to them and that made your thinkpan- brain- whatever go so many different places, he had been hinting like- 30 different emotions already tonight what is it now-

“❤️♦️♠️You got a lil something♠️♦️❤️”Zebruh gingerly reached his thumb over to your face and wiped some chocolate off your chin

“Oh” you muffled between chewing some

“Thank you”

And then he just went back to grinning like a dumbass at you as you continued to eat. Damn he’s not the best at sleepovers huh.

[thebigqueer]

"Sea-Green Flames" - Percabeth - One-Shot

Summary: Annabeth & Percy share a moment at the campfire.

Word Count: 3384

Read on AO3

A fire crackles at the center of the amphitheater, spreading its limbs into the night. Demigods litter themselves around the orange and golden glow of the flames, their laughter flickering along with the sparks, turning the night brighter.

Percy and Annabeth stay hidden in the background, leaning against each other in one of the shadowed areas of the amphitheater, surrounding themselves with their own flammable laughter. Annabeth throws a mini marshmallow at Percy’s face, aiming for his lips, but it bounces off his cheek and tumbles to the ground, losing itself among the other rejected marshmallows. Percy pouts.

“Come on, Wise Girl,” he teases, eyes flickering in the orange firelight, “didn’t you take me out in basketball today? Why can’t you get a marshmallow in me?”

Annabeth rolls her eyes. “I don’t know, maybe because your mouth is small and your face keeps moving? It’s not as easy.”

“Hmm.” Percy leans in, a taunting smile pulling on his lips, and his eyes blaze with competition. “Is it that it’s hard for you, the Annabeth Chase, who can calculate physics problems fast enough to save both of us as twelve-year-olds, or is it that you’re purposefully not throwing them in correctly?”

Annabeth hides her face behind her shoulder and offers him a pointed look through half-lidded eyes. “Even perfect people make mistakes. Why wouldn’t I want to aim correctly?”

“Not sure. Knowing you, though, you have some elaborate plan.”

“Trust me, no elaborate plans.” Annabeth twists and pulls out the plastic bag of marshmallows next to her. She shows it to Percy. “I’m kind of tired of throwing them at your face. My turn to have marshmallows thrown at me.”

The bag rustles as Percy slides it towards himself. Annabeth smiles when his nimble fingers pull out a blob of white. “Now you get to see how hard it is to aim something correctly.”

Percy offers a competitive grin. “Alright, let’s see. Maybe there’s something I can finally beat you at.”

“Yeah, right.” Annabeth twists her whole body towards his and offers him a pointed look. “You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Percy circles the marshmallow between his fingers, staring at it with eyes like emerald blades. A look of determination flashes across his face, the very same one he pulls when facing battle. Caution flickers in his eyes. Then he tilts his head back up, and in an instant his demeanor melts away, an expression of gooey excitement dripping over his features and replacing his battle-ready figure. Annabeth admires the way his eyes crinkle in the corners as he smiles at her.

He raises his arm, and for a second Annabeth thinks he’s about to throw the marshmallow in her mouth. Her lips part and she anticipates the fragile push of air wind as it soars through the air - but instead she just feels soft fingers against her lips, and then the tingling sweetness of the marshmallow simmering on her tongue.

Percy grins. “See? That was easy.”

Annabeth smacks his hand softly. “Cheater!” she exclaims. “You’re supposed to throw it, not put it in my mouth.”

“Mmm, I don’t know,” he says, feigning careful consideration. “I’m still throwing it into your mouth, just super closely and super lightly.”

“Do you need me to get a dictionary definition of what a throw is?”

“I think the definition of a throw is interpretive and we should have established what it means to throw before we agreed to this challenge.”

“You are such a cheater.” She grabs a handful of marshmallows and throws them at Percy, who throws up his arms to shield himself from the onslaught of sugar.

His rich laughter rises into the air and saturates Annabeth’s chest. “Stop, stop!” he cries. “We can’t just waste these marshmallows like this. They belong in better places than the ground. Like my stomach.”

Annabeth quickly rolls the top of the bag to close it, and then shoves it behind her back, guarding it from his grabby hands. “Not until you play fairly.”

Percy opens his mouth to reply, teeth gleaming as he grins, but then the bag behind Annabeth’s back disappears, leaving just a rush of wind between her fingers. Her heart escapes her chest in surprise. She whips around, her gray eyes sharpening into blades as she searches for her Marshmallow Thief.

A familiar blond figure looms over her, and it takes a moment for Annabeth to realize it’s Kayla Knowles, who narrows her eyes right back at her. Annabeth’s heartbeat slows down, but her glare stays in place.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Kayla demands. “Stop throwing marshmallows around. You’re just wasting them. I’m taking these for people who are more deserving.”

“What, like yourself?” Annabeth asks.

“Yes. At least I’m not making a mess over here.” Kayla extends an arm out and gestures to the pile of pillowy sweetness around Annabeth and Percy. “Clean it up or else I’m telling Chiron and Mr. D. You guys are just wasting them. Who’s gonna eat floor marshmallows?”

Percy shrugs and his mouth curves to show his neutrality. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Okay, well, you’re an exception. You eat anything.”

Percy grins pridefully. “That’s very true.”

Kayla’s eyes harden into icy blades again, but she picks at a marshmallow and tosses it into her mouth. She turns around and throws one last glare over her shoulder. “Clean it up.”

As soon as Kayla’s back is turned, Annabeth rolls her eyes and twists to meet Percy once again. “Who knew a fourteen-year-old could be so bossy.”

A dark, scrutinous eyebrow rises atop Percy’s forehead. “I have known you since we were twelve. Trust me, I know fourteen-year-olds who could be bossier.”

A laugh bubbles out of Annabeth’s chest and she leans forward a little, bringing her gaze closer to his. “Yeah, okay, I get your point.”

Silence begins to slip into the minimal space between them. Annabeth and Percy find themselves gazing at each other, prying and stretching their way into one another’s souls. Annabeth admires the way Percy’s irises consume the fire around them; they seem to flicker and absorb the glow of the flames, turning into raging oceans of green and blue. Her heart pulses at his smile - something about it is so exhilarating, and thrilling. He is the physical embodiment of the euphoria; being around him feels like Annabeth is constantly flying too close to the sun, constantly risking her life just for a taste of freedom and life.

Slowly, Annabeth reaches out and touches Percy’s fingertips to hers. He watches her curiously, tilting his head to admire her movements. After a few seconds, he admits to her offering - his fingers tighten their hold on hers.

The fire in the pit rages on, burning brightly against the dark sky. Its warmth slithers around the campers, whispers against the grass and climbs up the steps of the amphitheater. It seeps into Annabeth’s skin, rises to her chest, flames her heart. Her skin screams where Percy’s fingertips connect with hers, and she aches to be closer. She wants to completely dissolve into Percy’s being.

Percy takes her fingertips and holds them up, staring at her fingernails curiously as if they’re some kind of ancient artifact, something to be held with the utmost care. Annabeth’s breathing hitches as he does so, and her entire body stands rigid. She has no thoughts in her mind, only a deafening buzz as she watches Percy. The world stills for a moment, allowing only Percy and Annabeth to live and breathe and be.

Annabeth slips her hand away from his grasp, and for a mere second his eyes betray his heartbreak, turning liquidy as if she’s just taken his most precious possession. But when she pulls herself closer, when she wraps her arms around his shoulders, when she presses her body against his, he instantly relaxes. Percy’s arms melt around her waist and he holds her close, trying to mold the two of their bodies together, trying to become one. He holds onto her like that for a few moments, savoring every atom of her being, every inch of her skin. He holds her like she’s a fragile object, like she should only be treated with the utmost care.

And maybe Annabeth likes that.

She’s had to keep up her guard for years, always having to anticipate for the worst. She formed thick, impermeable skin to keep herself warm when the storms came. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t even be here now. But being in Percy’s arms reminds her that she’s not superhuman; she is just as fragile and breakable as everyone else. She’s reminded that there’s validity in being held instead of learning to push away when people get too close.

Percy’s touch begins to loosen around Annabeth’s waist, and she almost cries out in anguish - but then his fingers trickle into her hair and pull back her curls, holding them out to the flames, and Annabeth’s breath catches in her throat.

Percy looks at her through hazy sea-green eyes. His face tilts towards hers, eyes bearing into her soul, scraping out every bit of her identity piece by piece. Under his gaze, she melts away, dissolving into the abyss of his mesmerizing eyes. She’s no longer in her own body; instead, she’s diving into his molecules, reacting with his chemistry.

Annabeth’s curls fall from Percy’s fingers as he traces his touch down to her jaw. He tilts her head to his and smiles wholeheartedly, watching her as if he’s just discovered the world. His lips are so close, just barely crossing the fragile thread of air between them.

“You are so lovely,” he whispers. Percy’s words drip into Annabeth’s ears, infiltrate her skin, sizzle in her stomach. She feels just as bright as the flames nearby. “Sometimes I look at you and I just need you to know that I’m actually so in love with you.”

Annabeth blinks, allowing the weight of the words to settle over her. It’s certainly not the first time Percy’s told her he loves her; they know they’re in love, and they know where they stand. But his voice carries a confident sincerity, a hint of desperate honesty, and Annabeth knows this isn’t just one of his nonchalant “I love you”s. His voice turns Annabeth’s mind to gold, forcing all thoughts and words and reactions to simply stop, turning her vision yellow and bright.

He doesn’t stop at the confession of love, though. He traces his fingers down her neck and pulls her closer. Percy’s head tilts in excitement.

“You’re so easy to fall in love with,” Percy says. “Every time I look at you it feels like I’m drowning in admiration for you. And you know drowning isn’t something that comes easy to me.”

Annabeth’s cheeks flair. Her blood feels like it’s on fire, broiling her from within. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Percy promises. “I just wanted to let you know that.”

“Where is this coming from?”

“Do you think I’ve got ulterior motives by telling you that I love you?”

“No!” Annabeth rushes to explain. “No, it’s just… you don’t usually act so… raw with me. Did something happen?”

The amused glimmer in Percy’s eyes dissipates as a more calculating one replaces it. He turns his gaze away as he considers what to say. A few beats of silence pass, and Annabeth holds her breath through it, heart thrumming anxiously in her chest.

Finally, Percy speaks again. His fingers twitch nervously in his lap. “I think it’s just that I know we don’t live long lives as demigods,” he murmurs. “Our existences are mere blips in the expanse of time. We are more mortal than most humans, despite the fact we have the blood of gods in our veins. And I guess that’s making me realize that essentially all this time we’ve spent together might end up evaporating once we no longer exist. Maybe we won’t even be remembered in about a hundred or two hundred years.” Percy entwines his fingers with Annabeth’s and squeezes them gently, trying to push his love and earnestness into her bloodstream. “But I want you to know that no matter how long we live, no matter how long we’re remembered, I’m glad that I’m getting to spend this lifetime with you. Maybe we won’t be remembered hundreds of years down the line. But I’m glad to be a part of your story and your blip of time, Annabeth. I’m glad we get to experience an aspect of this lifetime together. You make me feel like I’m living forever.”

Annabeth hums with energy. Percy’s words glow in her mind, pour into her chest, illuminate her heart. The world slips from right underneath her, and she only has Percy’s hands keeping her upright, keeping her from falling into the endless abyss of whatever lies below. The other demigods in the amphitheater dissolve into the darkness, leaving Percy and Annabeth in their wake, and for a moment only they exist together. No one else but themselves to rule this world they’ve created.

“Percy,” Annabeth whispers, but any other words she was hoping to pour out die in her throat. Instead she simply gazes at Percy, absorbing his illuminated essence. She touches her hand to his cheek and brushes the bronze skin. He feels warm and feverish underneath her, as if his very blood is ignited from within, and a hot fire blazes in his emerald eyes. He looks alive.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispers.

But that’s the biggest lie she’s ever told. She wants to spill every secret of hers out. She wants to tell him everything she’s never told anyone else. She wants to unravel herself so thin to the point that she becomes nothing but empty air.

Annabeth spent so much time on her own. She spent years hoping and hoping that one day she’d get her big break, that she’d finally find people who could love her unconditionally. And for a while, she really did find that - or at least she thought she did. She met Thalia and Luke and finally thought she’d have a permanent family. She let herself get lost in that love for them, only to find out that it was temporary and breakable - at least with Luke. Not to mention, her father didn’t care enough to put her first, at least not in the beginning.

But Percy… he did. He kept putting her first, kept choosing her, kept sticking around, even when she knew he didn’t need to. He stuck with her even when they thought they were at the brink of the true end. He chose danger for her.

Annabeth doesn’t know how many people would be willing to walk across to the end of the world and possibly die with her. Only Percy would do that. Only Percy has done that.

And she loves him for that.

He leans in. His hands grip onto her waist gently and pull her in closer, trying to meld herself with his body, to protect her from the chills of the evening. Annabeth gives into his familiar warmth and loving embrace, and her body instantly sighs, melting into his very essence. She strokes her fingers through the back of his head, running her fingers through the feathery layers of his hair, and with each second passing, with each run of her skin against his, she hopes that she can get everything she’s ever wanted to say to him out into the open. She’s spilling her deepest secrets to him, and it’s up to him to decode them.

She touches her forehead to his, admiring his heat and comfort, giving into his truth. Her eyelids droop, and now it really is just her and Percy in the blackness.

And, finally, after moments of silence, her words finally crawl out of their hiding spaces, edging onto the tip of her tongue and peeking through her teeth. “Percy,” she whispers, “I need you to know that I’m just… incredibly glad I met you. You changed my life in more ways than I really expected you to.”

Percy laughs. “Is that a compliment or a complaint?”

“It’s… a statement.” But Annabeth doesn’t mean it as a manner of avoiding his question; she means it genuinely. His existence has brought her so much chaos… but she doesn’t mind the insanity. As long as he’s with her to get through it.

And perhaps Percy understands she’s being serious, because his gaze softens on her. He opens his mouth to say something, but his voice is cut off by Mr. D, who spits, “Curfew time, you brats. Go to sleep.”

Within seconds, the emptiness around them breaks apart, allowing for the chaos of the real world to crash in. Percy and Annabeth are hurtled back into the present. The irritated chatter of annoyed demigods spills in, and the fire begins to whittle away, submitting to the dark evening. A chill has fully settled in, urging goosebumps to rise on any bare skin that’s left out to the cold air, and Annabeth wishes she brought a sweater with her.

Percy blinks. His gaze looks unfocused, untethered to reality, and Annabeth feels the same. They spent so long in their own world they forgot there was something going on around them, too.

He clears his throat. “I guess that’s goodnight for now,” he laments. The emerald fire in his eyes dims along with the flames in the center of the amphitheater.

It’s only one night. It’s only eight hours. It’s only twenty feet. Yet a familiar ache thrums in Annabeth’s heart at the knowledge that she’s going to have to let go of Percy. She wants to stay here in this fire forever, to have him keep touching her gently and keep telling her he loves her over and over. She wants to get lost in the moment, because she doesn’t often find enough moments to get lost in.

“I don’t want to go,” she whispers. “Not yet.”

Percy’s eyes overflow with regret. “Me neither.”

“So let’s not go!”

“The harpies will have our asses.”

“We’ve fought a Titan, Percy. We’ve fought giants. What are we afraid of?”

An amused glimmer sparks in Percy’s eyes. “What I’m afraid of is having done all that saving-the-world shit only to die because a harpy ate me while trying to go out with my girlfriend. Can you imagine the huge blow to our reputations?”

“Who cares about everyone else? At least we’ll be eaten by a harpy together.”

Percy laughs. “These are the times I wish I’d actually kept my car around camp so I could just go out with you.”

A mischievous smile overcomes Annabeth’s lips. She rises from her seat, steeling herself against the slight chill still brushing against her arms, and takes one of Percy’s hands. “Who said we need a car? Last I checked, you were the son of Poseidon, renowned Horse-Whisperer.”

Percy’s dark eyebrows jump miles over his forehead. He laughs. “You want to sneak a pegasus out of here?”

“You make it sound like I just asked you to kill someone. We’ve done it before!”

“I don’t know, Annabeth…”

“Oh, come on! When has the Percy Jackson, national sixth grade criminal, ever stepped down from a little rebellious fun?” Annabeth crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. “And since you’re so concerned with reputation, think about how lame it’ll look that you’ve fought so many monsters and yet can’t even have the guts to sneak out of some summer camp.”

“Oh, you play a mean game,” Percy retorts. Nevertheless, Annabeth sees the flicker in his eyes, trying hard to break out of its cage. She knows he wants this as much as she does.

Several seconds pass. Most demigods have filtered out. The fire has fizzled away. But Percy and Annabeth are still flaming, still here, still approaching a decision.

“Fine,” Percy whispers. His voice projects itself with confidence. He starts to turn around, stepping into the anxious night time, but before he disappears, he twists his head around and throws Annabeth a grin. “Stables. Five minutes. Last one there has to buy the other a large bag of marshmallows.”

Annabeth laughs. “Oh, it’s on.”

[vs-redemption]

This piece was written for my Birthday/Halloween Jeopardy event!

First Kiss (Tooru Oikawa x GN!Reader)

Requested by: @love-oikawa Word Count: 1.1k Warnings: fluff and cuteness

For such a peaceful fall evening, the nearly vacant beach seemed to be alive with sounds. The lazy ocean waves lapped rhythmically against the shore, a few crickets chirped their song somewhere off in the grass, the wood on the fire popped and crackled soothingly, and the hushed conversation and laughter from you and Tooru all blended together as the sun made its descent. The slight chill in the air had deterred most beach goers from venturing out, but you and your boyfriend had decided it was a perfect night to stargaze and make smores. It had not been long since your friendship with Tooru had blossomed into something more and the thought of doing something so nice together had filled you with a giddy excitement.

“It’s gonna burn,” you warn him while opening up the box of graham crackers and pulling the large chocolate bar from its wrapper so everything would be ready to go when the marshmallows were done. You roll your eyes when Tooru ignores you completely. He was crouched down next to the fire pit, tongue poking out in concentration with his marshmallow skewer stuck into the dancing flames.

“Tooru, it’s going to catch on…” A well timed yelp interrupts your comment as your boyfriend’s marshmallow ignites. He jerks his skewer out from the fire and blows out the flames but the damage was already done. His whole body slouches in disappointment at the sight of the marshmallow that now resembled a lump of charcoal.

“At least we know it’ll melt the chocolate,” he reasons.

“Actually it won’t,” you come over and take the skewer from his hand to pull off the ruined marshmallow with a paper towel. “The top layer is scorched but the middle is completely cool, see?” You offer to let him poke at his failed attempt and he frowns when there isn’t even a trace of heat on the gooey inside of his marshmallow. You chuckle and lean into his side.

“No pouting,” you tell him encouragingly, “that’s why I brought the whole bag with us. Here, I’ll show you.” You reach into the bag and pull out a fresh marshmallow, sticking it on the end of the skewer and going back over to the fire. You plop your bottom down on one of the log benches and hover the marshmallow to the side of the fire where a few pieces of wood had broken off and started to smolder. Slowly but surely, the outside of the marshmallow began to turn a nice shade of golden brown.

“Well, look at you,” Tooru teases, his pout from before pulling into an impressed smile. “I didn’t know I was dating a smarty pants.” He stands up to go grab another marshmallow and skewer so that he can try again. Your eyes follow him instinctively and your heart gives a little skip at the reminder that you are dating now. Sometimes it still felt like a daydream.

“Aren’t you supposed to be turning that?” His question pulls you from your musings and you realize you’d started to neglect your own marshmallow. He chuckles at the way you startle and quickly pull the skewer back to inspect the damage. “Sorry,” his big brown eyes sparkle with mischief now, “I didn’t mean to distract you.”

“You wish,” you click your tongue. “Besides, it’s fine. I just need to roast the other side now.”

“Right,” Tooru sits himself next to you on the bench, close enough so that your whole side is smooshed against his. He sticks his skewer over the embers and starts rotating his marshmallow like you’d shown him. After a few close calls where his marshmallow nearly fell off into the fire, it was time to move on to the next step.

“All right, so just put the marshmallow right on top of the chocolate,” you tell him while sandwiching it all down with the top graham cracker. With the both of you working together, you’d thought it would keep the mess down to a minimum but you were mistaken. By the end, you both end up dissolving into giggles with your fingers covered in sticky marshmallow goop.

“Believe it or not, the mess is part of the charm,” you explain once you both finally have your smores in hand. “Go ahead and try it.” Tooru brings the treat to his mouth and takes a big bite, face lighting up instantly at the taste.

“Oh wow, that’s really sweet. I like it.” He hums and then lets out a laugh when you take a bite of yours. “Uh oh, you got a little chocolate there.” He points to your cheek. “Want me to get it?” The question seemed innocent enough and you found yourself nodding your head even though it was a little embarrassing to have him wipe your face. You gasp in surprise though when he simply leans in and kisses the chocolate off you.

“Tooru!”

“Sorry!” He says in a sing-song voice that didn’t sound sorry at all. “You have some on the other side too, may I?” His eyes search yours for permission playfully.

“Yeah… sure.” He leans in and kisses the other side, leaving both your cheeks tingly from the new feeling of his mouth on your skin. Your boyfriend surprises you one last time when his thumb comes up to brush your bottom lip.

“Might be a little here too?” he grins eagerly, “it’s hard to tell in this lighting.”

“Better safe than sorry I suppose,” the words slip out before you can stop them and Tooru wastes no time in pressing his lips softly to yours for the first time. Your eyes flutter closed but it only lasts a brief moment and then he’s pulling away.

“Think I got it all,” he says softly, a pretty blush spreading over his face.

“Thanks,” you let out a little laugh while reaching out to take his hand into yours. The reassurance seems to give him a bit of confidence back.

“We should finish our smores while they’re still warm and gooey, yeah?” He asks, glad that his affection had been received so well. You nod in agreement, hesitating for just a second before replying.

“Just let me know if you need to get any more chocolate off my face, okay?” Your boyfriend’s delighted look gives you butterflies and he readily agrees, ecstatic at having an excuse to kiss you again soon.

“Of course,” he tells you resolutely. “I’ll make sure not a single spot gets past my attention.” After leaning in to give you a quick nuzzle, you both go back to munching on your smores. Even as the fading daylight allows the stars to shine through more prominently, the familiar sounds of the beach persist, including the soft laughter between you and Tooru who just use the crisp night air as a chance to snuggle up closer in the light of the fire.