#then I specifically planned to get to work early every day this week to make up for some time off

[cultivating-wildflowers]

I am a morning person, but I am a morning solitude person. Kindly take your chipmunk self elsewhere until I'm fed and my brain has finished booting up.

[catboyieejeno]

seventeen reaction ˚୨୧⋆˚

⋆ hhu ver.

oddly specific details/key points of their relationship with you

cw: sfw, 'girl' is only mentioned once in wonwoo's, mentions a period once, and mentions showering together in mingyu's but it's not sexual, npr!

masterlist

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ seungcheol

⋆ seungcheol, who refuses to wake you up when he leaves early for practice/schedules, no matter how much you insist that he should.

when you bring it up, he always promises you that he will next time, and in that moment, he really isn't lying! he fully intends on fulfilling your wishes and waking you up to let you know he'll be heading out; in fact, there's nothing he wants more than to selfishly wake you and bid you a proper goodbye each and every morning he has to leave for work. except on the day of, when his alarm rings at nearly six in the morning, his plans change completely. he spends the better part of an hour talking himself up to the grueling task ahead of him, reminding himself that you literally want him to wake you up.

after he's showered, gotten ready, and is moments away from heading out, seungcheol's eyes land on you, face poking out under all the blankets that you love hogging, cheeks smushed and drool gathering at the corner of your lip. that's when he realizes he doesn't have it in him to disturb your slumber, and he probably never will. ultimately, he breaks his promise, settling instead for leaving a lingering kiss on your cheek and a note or text where he expresses his apology and explains that you deserved the rest. secretly enjoys the earful he gets later, and makes it up to you so sweetly.

⋆ seungcheol, who doesn't let you lift a finger when it's not necessary: "don't worry, i'll take care of it."

it doesn't matter to seungcheol that everyone sees him as responsible and reliable—what really matters to him, is that you see it, too. has no problem with you being independent, but he definitely feels a healthy surge of pride at the prospect of being able to facilitate things for you. having you depend on him, or at the very least having you know you can depend on him for anything, is so important to him. no task is too grueling, and babying you is a partner privilege i can't see him not indulging in. the members definitely call him out for it if it ever happens in front of them, but he could not care less.

if your car needs an oil change, he'll go get it done while you're taking a nap so you don't have to worry about it later. if he notices any laundry piling up throughout the week, he'll do it while you run an errand so that you have one less thing to do when you get home. if you want to redecorate or renovate something, he's invested in your ideas, learning how build complicated furniture and polish floor tiles—anything it takes he'll do, as long as it means he can make you happy. very much an 'acts of service' kind of guy.

⋆ seungcheol, who calls everyday to check-in.

it might seem like it's the bare minimum, but when he works the job that he does and is as busy as he is, knowing that he puts time aside to call you throughout the day is so, so meaningful. especially when he's in a different time zone, staying up late into the night or getting before the sun so that he can wish you a good morning/night. always asks if you've eaten, what you're planning to do that day, etc. and he'll talk to you until he's confident that you don't feel neglected in any way. you're never a second thought to him, and he wants to make sure you feel like he's dedicating time and attention to you, even when he's not physically there to do so.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ wonwoo

⋆ wonwoo, who replaces all of your favorite things the moment they run out.

the level of attention to detail he has for things involving you is both concerning and extremely endearing. he's so attentive to you and remembers all of the things you like and dislike. at the start of your relationship, it was pretty subtle: keeping your favorite drinks and snacks stocked up at his apartment for when you came over or buying a few pairs of shorts or sweats (since you’re obviously wearing his shirts) for when you’d stay the night. keeps them neatly folded in a drawer for you to wear on days need to cover up a bit more, like if Mingyu is around.

eventually, this evolves into restocking your favorite shampoo and conditioner when he's showered at yours and noticed you're out. same goes for your favorite perfume that's running low, and other house-hold things like your detergent or your favorite candle.

always makes sure you're taken care of during outings—brings hair ties and little battery-powered fans for hot days, and on cold winter days, opens his jacket so you can hug his waist and he can wrap it around you, swaying the two of you side to side. presses his cheek against yours to warm it up or kisses the icy tip of your nose.

⋆ wonwoo, whose love language is ambiguous

not only is he receptive to any love language you may have, he is somehow amazing at giving you all five (regardless of which one is your actual favorite).

gift giving? the most thought-through, special gifts for his special girl, as frequent as he deems necessary, too, because you deserve nothing less. quality time? one of his favorite things is sitting with you in a comfortable silence, making occasional jokes and comments to get you to crack a grin. a smile is his favorite look on you. acts of service? waters your plants, cooks for you, cleans or organizes things just how you like them so that you're at your most comfortable, massages your shoulders and feet after long days, runs warm, scented baths—you name it, he does it. physical touch? scoops you into his lap because he's obsessed with how warm you are, and the way your weight feels on him is so, so infatuating. likes leaving light and airy kisses on your cheek or pressing his lips into the crook of your neck. all of his kisses take your breath away, but the ones on your shoulder where he mumbles soft confessions of love are particularly awe-spiring. words of affirmation? don't be fooled by his quietness—he always has something he's eager to say to you, and if it's to pay you a compliment, there is no restriction to his words. loves telling you just how happy you make him, how pretty you are, how you're his safety-net and his soulmate and all of his favorite things put in one.

⋆ wonwoo, who sets aside time for you

you'd never have to ask him to put a book down or hop off a game. the moment you appear, he's putting everything aside to greet you and hold you and ask how you've been. if you're upset or sad, he'll glue himself to your side until you feel better. he seems like the type of person who feels very deeply for the people he cares about, so it's extremely important to him that you are always feeling your best, for his sake and yours. listens so deeply to your concerns and complaints for any matter—whether it's in an argument and you're sharing your views, or after a bad day at work where you ramble and rant about what went wrong.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ mingyu

⋆ mingyu, who is impatient when it comes to you

he's understanding of the fact that the two of you cannot always be together, considering his career and the fact that you're also busy at times; regardless, he has an inability to be away from you for longer than a few hours. it’s endearing, his neediness showing in the form of longing text messages or voice notes where he whines and mumbles, “what are you doing? i miss youuuu,”

his impatience is also evident in person, like how he runs up to the door when he hears your keys jingling because he's that eager to greet you. most of the time if he's cooking or tasting something, you end up tasting the food on his lips because he's never patient enough to wait until he swallows a bite of food before he kisses you.

⋆ mingyu, who is so gentle and thoughtful with you

loves pampering you, whether its by scrubbing your shampoo into your scalp as he sits behind you in a hot bath, or getting up before you to bring you breakfast in bed. most of the time, showering together isn't even sexual; he'll hold you close and mumble soft compliments or talk about his day, wrap you in a towel when you get out, dry your hair for you, apply lotion, whatever your regular routine is— and he truly enjoys every part of it. if he comes home after you've fallen asleep, he'll make sure your phone is plugged in and any alarms you may need are on. finishes any tasks around the house you may have forgotten to do prior to your slumber, like folding clothes you left in the dryer or washing any dishes in the sink.

treats you as if you were made of glass, covering the corners of tables when you walk by or holding your hand while you cross the street. pouts while he takes care of you if you're sick or injured, cooing and bandaging your cuts and scrapes or insisting you take your medicine around the clock and rest (perhaps even excessively... you could have seasonal allergies, and he'll still scold you for wanting to get out of bed).

⋆ mingyu, who dedicates a section of his phone to you

loves candid pictures and loves your face. simple.

there's a hidden photo album on his phone with all the pictures he has of you and with you and there are various playlists dedicated to you, too. any song that reminds him of you is on a playlist with a cheesy name. another playlist consist of songs he knows you like or even thinks you might like. plays these for you on drives where his hand clutches yours and the windows are down.

if you're an individual who gets their period, he has your period tracker on his phone so he can plan accordingly and make sure he's extra sweet to you around that time. has recipes you like/he wants to make for you set aside in a pinterest board or bookmarked on his search page. also keeps your favorite shopping apps with the cart full of things you mentioned so he can get them for you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ vernon

⋆ vernon, who can't watch shows without you

there's certain tv shows that he completely avoids unless you're there to watch them with him. even if the guys beg him to watch it, he'll refuse and lock himself in his room so there's no chance it might be spoiled. when he's with you though? a few nights of the week, the two of you sit down with snacks and sugary drinks to watch your favorite series together like an old married couple watching their nightly programs.

loves when you you curl up in his lap, both of you wrapped under one blanket with your head resting on his shoulder and his arms circled around you. his gasps and laughs and overall reactions are so loud by your ear but it's adorable and it's such a domestic and comfortable experience. it feels very familiar, and more often than not, both of you prefer this to going out.

⋆ vernon, who rests the best when he's around you

needs his afternoon naps, but specifically, he needs them with you. limbs tangled and light conversation before you drift off that just becomes slurred, pointless babbling. quiet snores and soft breaths take over as the early afternoon hours go by. just the warmth of having you near makes his heart so happy and his rest so fulfilling, especially before practice or after long hours of travelling.

it's a treat to wake up beside him after these catnaps, too. the sleepy features and tousled hair are so very boyfriend, and the way he looks at you when his eyes peek open is so cute.

⋆ vernon, who always tries new things with you

a yes man, any time, all of the time. whether you ask to go on a grocery run at two in the morning or a hike at dawn, he's saying yes. whenever you want to try something new, vernon is your partner in crime and your greatest alliance. he's not only your boyfriend, but your best friend, and it makes everything so fun. always puts a smile on your face, too. he's so goofy and easy going that it's difficult to not feel great around him.

enthusiastic and supportive when you wanna try new hobbies. always asks so many questions so you know he's interested and invested, and will get you any tools or resources you need to excel. trying new foods and restaurants is also high up on the list of things the two of you like to do. he might like keeping a little list of your favorite spots so he can find similar ones to try with you.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

[jeysbvck]

even if it's a false god (we'd still worship this love)

a/n; ive been working on this for over a year, & after four rewrites, its finally here! thank you to @pedroassmanpascal for your help when i was conceiving this & working on it last year! this is my first time working in this genre, & it hasn't been beta read all the way thru, so please let me know what you think!

warnings; pov change, a butt load of angst, age gap (reader is in her thirties), violence, death/murder, near death experience, voyeurism, female masturbation, male masturbation, male!recieving, female!recieving, penetrative sex (if ive missed any feel free to let me know!!)

taglist; @likedovesinthewnd @harmshake @nightmare-viper

word count; 7.3k

summary; Joel's been pretending you don't exist for weeks now, and you have no idea why. But when you get caught up in a life or death situation, confessions are made, lines are crossed, and your relationship is changed.

Every single part of Joel's body hurt, and he was exhausted. Joel was always exhausted, but this day had been particularly hard. Everything that he - and you had gone through had been for nothing. The supplies and weapons you had been looking for had been looted already. Only a few old, rusty tins of food covered in at least a years worth of dust had been left behind. Not to mention the constant hoards of infected you had to fight through. Now, it was a fight to get back to the QZ to make another plan that could end the exact same way. Yeah, he'd had plenty of bad days, but this one would sting for a while. The hope that had been reignited had gone out again. Now he was just tired.

No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't sleep. He was just lying on the hard floor -the fabric floor of the tent and his blanket doing nothing to help with the lumps under his back- with his eyes closed and ears alert. He knew how dangerous it could be, the horrors lurking in the woods, even when it was calm and quiet, and he hoped you had heeded his advice and were asleep with your gun.

But then he heard a whimper, and his eyes shot open as he stayed silent, his hand on his pistol. A barely heard whine, and he sighed with relief as he realised it was you. These past few weeks had been taxing - although the past twenty years hadn't exactly been a cake walk - and it dawned on him that you were probably crying. Joel had been so drained and tired during dinner that he selfishly hadn't noticed you were unusually quiet. He also didn't think about it when you retired to bed early. Joel tried to ignore the sounds, but he couldn't, he was just picturing you curled up in your tent, crying yourself to sleep, and the guilt of not noticing anything was wrong was gnawing at him. He groaned and slipped out of his tent, making his way to yours while putting the gun in the back of his jeans.

He quietly navigated the campsite and stopped outside your tent, unsure how to proceed. Did he knock on the fabric door, or did he call out your name? He wasn't good at this stuff, and he hadn't been for a long time, but he also knew that you needed someone; or, more specifically, you needed a friend. You were just that kind of person, even if the world had forced you to pretend you weren't. For a few seconds, he couldn't hear anything, but just as he was about to give up, he heard another noise, but this one sounded more like a moan. Then another one, louder now, and there was no mistaking it that time. Joel's body stiffened, and he started to get hot as his cock twitched at the thought of you getting yourself off, mere feet away from him. He heard your sleeping bag rustle slightly, and he bolted back to his tent, breathing heavily as he zipped the tent door.

He stared up at the roof of the tent, trying - but ultimately failing - not to think about what he'd just almost interrupted. His jeans were uncomfortably tight, and he had to unbutton them just for some relief. He tried to divert his thoughts, to think about anything else, but his mind took some winding paths just to get him back to thinking of you. Joel groaned. He needed a release, and it had been a long time since he'd done, well, anything. It wasn't going to hurt anyone, and you were doing it just mere feet away from him, so what was stopping him? They were all flimsy arguments. He knew that, but it was the easiest solution to the problem at hand.

Joel slipped a hand into his boxers, his cold touch sending goosebumps down his spine, the sensation making him harder. He began to stroke himself, and when he closed his eyes, he could see you writhing around in your tent, your fingers deep inside yourself. He could hear you from your tent still, your quiet whimpering and moaning sounding out through the stillness of the forest, and Joel caught his own moan in his throat as his movements got quicker. He couldn't bring himself to care about the possible dangers lurking, the grip he had his cock on tightening slightly as pictures of you clouded him. He imagined you being in here with him, imagined that you were both watching each other. It didn't take long for Joel to make himself orgasm, and he cleaned himself up, hoping sleep came to him before the guilt did.

-

Joel spent the next few days convinced he was going crazy. Every time you looked at him, he was sure you could see the guilt he was struggling to hide, like his memories would be projected for you to see. Every time you said his name, he was waiting for you to tell him you knew what he'd done, that you'd seen him outside your tent, and heard him in his. He felt so dirty, creepy, ashamed, and at some point, he shut down completely. He knew you were confused, you weren't as good at hiding your emotions as you thought, and you were confused by what you could've possibly done to warrant the cold shoulder from Joel, who could barely look at you, and it made him feel worse. He just didn't know what else to do, so he went back to what he knew best.

After traipsing through the woods for what felt like forever, Joel just wanted to set up camp and get through the night. He was tired, sore, hungry, and needed a moment away from you, without your sad eyes staring at him, without your attempts to get him to open up. So when you announced that you'd had enough and insisting that you stop for the night, Joel didn't argue. While Joel set up the tents, you gathered some wood from the perimeter of the "campsite", and Joel took a moment to watch on fondly, smiling to himself at the smug look of accomplishment on your face, taking the "win" against Joel.

Dinner was silent that night, as the past few had been, and while Joel refused to look up from his food, you were refusing to take your eyes off Joel. Your gaze was burning a hole in his head. He felt scrutinised as he ate, and it took everything in him not to engage. He didn't know if you were trying to annoy him into talking to you or if you were lost in your own thoughts, but he didn't ask.

Once again, straight after dinner, you headed into your tent, sending a soft "goodnight" Joel's way. He looked up but not before the sound of the zip echoed out, and he sighed, rubbing his temples.

The fire had died long ago, but Joel still hadn't found the energy to crawl into his tent. He stared up at the starry night, and just as his mind started to wander into dangerous territory -somewhere he never went if he could help it- he heard the noise that had been playing on a loop in his head for the past two days. His cock stirred and he covered his face with his hands. Not again.

He knew he had to get back to his tent and fast, but he had to do it quietly. He began to slowly move the canisters and empty tins, careful not to make any noise. He didn't want you to think he was a pervert. Although that's exactly how he felt right about now. He was about to stand up when he heard a single word from your mouth that made him stop in his tracks.

Joel.

Fuck. Oh fuck. Did you know he was there? Did you hear him? Could you see his silhouette projected on your tent, like it was a cinema screen? He ran through a hundred excuses in his head as he slowly turned to look over his shoulder, and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw no signs that you'd heard him. He scoffed at himself and shook his head. He really was going crazy.

Mmm, Joel, don't stop!

He definitely wasn't going crazy, there was no mistaking it. Not only were you masturbating, mere feet from Joel, but you were moaning his name, and he had never been so hard in his life. He couldn't stop himself, and once again, he unzipped his jeans and pulled out his cock, and while you moaned and gasped from inside the tent, Joel pleasured himself.

His precum was seeping out and over his fingers, and he bit down harshly on his lip to stop his own sounds from escaping. His motion got quicker, matching the sweet sounds coming from your tent, and when you brought yourself to orgasm and Joel's name slipped from your lips, he came undone. He emptied himself onto the dirt, too entranced by your gasps to notice the streams spilling over his fists. He dropped his head against the log behind him and groaned.

"Shit."

-

It happened three more times, and Joel had never been more conflicted. He was constantly stressed and on edge; the guilt from what he was doing was eating away at him. He'd always been someone that could control himself - he had to be - but when it came to this, to you, it was like something triggered inside him. He'd known you for years and had never had these thoughts or these feelings. Then again, he'd never spent this much time with you, and he'd never heard his name fall from your lips like that.

Joel couldn't deny he thought you were beautiful, and that maybe it inflated his ego a little, that you were thinking about him while you fucked yourself with your fingers, or dreaming about him, but he was under no illusions that it meant anything. You didn't have feelings for him. He was just the only person you'd seen in weeks that wasn't trying to kill you, and feelings get warped. Especially with the way the world was now. Besides, he'd seen the guys that hung around you like moths drawn to a flame. They were much younger and fitter than Joel was. Yet, he found himself as one of those moths, and he couldn't help but imagine how it would feel to be caught in your flame.

Joel was no longer waiting to hear you to get himself off. His mind would conjure up images that made it so he couldn't help himself. Images of your mouth around his cock, your hair tangled in his fingers as he fucked your face. His head buried deep in between your legs as he ravished you, his hand clamped over your mouth to muffle your moans of ecstasy. Of his cock slamming into you, his fingernails leaving little indents in your ass as he gripped firmly. The fact that he would never get the real thing didn't bother him. He was content with his fantasies. But he still felt guilty, and the tension between you and Joel was getting worse.

But things were beginning to simmer inside Joel, and his secret masturbating habits were no longer the sole reason for his behaviour. Joel would look over at you, by the fire feading the book you'd memorised front to back, and he'd let himself imagine running his hands through your hair as you sat lazily against him. When he slept, his dreams were of a life he'd never thought he'd want - or have again, and you were always by his side. He'd dream of dancing with you in the living room, waking up beside you, the sunlight making you glow like an ethereal figure. He'd dream of being happy. He'd put it down to the ridiculous situation he found himself in and told himself that once you were both back in the QZ, things would go back to normal. You would go back to people your own age, and Joel would just be a memory of a small fantasy you had while on a difficult run.

But then, as if the universe was trying to intervere, everything changed. The abandoned building you'd been hiding out in turned out not to be not so abandoned, and the two of you had gotten yourselves into a sticky situation. Hunters had cornered you, and in all the chaos and commotion, the last man standing had grabbed you, now using you as a human shield with his arm almost choking you, a knife pressed just above your collarbone while Joel had his gun aimed right at him.

"I'll take yer girls head off!" The guy yelled. Joel could see you were terrified, and it took everything in him not to let his rage consume him. He knew that one wrong move could get you killed. He needed to be smart about this.

"Look, man, we don't have much, but you can take it all. Just let her go." Joel said, trying to keep his voice even. He was terrified that he wasn't going to be able to save you, and he couldn’t live with that. It wasn't just about someone else that he cared about dying or about him failing. You understood him, and somewhere along the way, you had unknowingly brought him out of the darkness. You were his beacon of light, and if he lost that, if he lost you, he wasn't sure he'd ever find his way out of the darkness again.

"Yeah? What if I want 'er?" The hunter sneered, caressing your cheek with his knife, pressing the tip into your skin ever so slightly.

"Not an option." Joel growled.

"Seems like it is to me. I could drag 'er outta here right now. There ain't nothing you could do about it."

-

You felt sick. You couldn't believe you'd let yourself be distracted by Joel being tackled to the ground, and now this disgusting pig had you in a fucking headlock. You'd seen Joel take down hunters and the infected, sometimes effortlessly, so why the hell did you freeze when Joel had been pinned to the floor momentarily? Your feelings for Joel were getting more and more confusing, and you didn't like it one bit, they were going to get you or Joel killed if you carried on like this. 

It's not like you wanted to be attracted to Joel, not when there wasn't a single thing you could do about it. Why would Joel ever go for you? He was twenty years your senior, old enough to be your father. There was just no chance in hell. Yet, you couldn't stop yourself from fantasising about him. It wasn't hurting anyone, and it was keeping you somewhat sane, and he'd never know.

"You won't make it out of this room." You heard Joel say in his deep, gruff voice, and it sent shivers down your spine. Your eyes squeezed shut when you felt the man breathing on your neck, the hot air making your stomach twist, bile rising up your throat as he inhaled your scent, his own vile one violating your senses. You clenched your fist and felt the cold blade of your dagger against your arm, the one you'd forgot you had up your sleeve, literally. How big of an idiot was this guy? How didn't he see you had a knife? As Joel and the hunter traded words, you quickly formulated a plan. If you could somehow manage to stab - or at least slash the guy - maybe he'd let go of you, and then Joel could get a shot in.

"Let go of me!" You shouted, struggling slightly, while slipping the knife further down your sleeve. It worked, and you smirked proudly. You raised your eyebrows at Joel before glancing down at your hand, subtly flashing the knife. You looked back at him, then darted your eyes to your captor. Joel took a second, and you knew he was weighing up his options before he nodded slightly. His eyes darted down to the guys leg, and you winked to let him know you understood the plan. The man still had a fucking knife to your throat, and you didn't want to give him any warnings or ideas.

"Don't worry." The hunter said, 'I'll look after 'er good."

Joel nodded to you, and you clenched the knife, stabbing right into the hunter's thigh. His yells of pain echoed around the room, and he released you from his grip, the knife in his hand clattering to the floor. You stumbled forward, kicking the weapon across the room, but you thankfully managed to stay on your feet. You grinned at Joel, feeling victorious, but it was a fleeting feeling.

"Fuckin' bitch!" The hunter shouted and you turned around, but not quick enough. The knife was sticking out of his thigh, but it didn't seem like he felt it, he was too overcome with rage, and the back of your head slammed against the wall as the hunter pinned you by the throat. You gasped for air, the guys hands squeezing the life out of you, spit flying as he screamed in your face.

"I'll fuckin' kill you, you goddamned bitch!"

You tried to pry the man's hands from around your neck, but it was no use. He was too strong, and your vision was fading rapidly. You were barely able to gasp Joel's name, and you were quickly losing consciousness. All you could do was stand there and let the darkness consume you as you thought about Joel. The way he'd try to hide his smile when you did something wrong, or when you said something silly. The way he laughed, how it was the rich sound you rarely got to hear. How he protected you, even though he clearly didn't want to be around you. How you were going to die, not knowing what you did to make him ignore you the past couple of weeks. Not knowing why he had this sudden disdain for you.

But then, the pressure around your neck suddenly disappeared, and you fell to the floor, gasping for air as you clutched your throat, your eyes wide and darting around wildly, searching for Joel.

He appeared on his knees in front of you and grabbed your face, his panicked, brown eyes staring deep down into your soul.. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright? Come on baby, just breathe for me."

His large hands were warm on your cheeks, the hunter's blood that stained them smearing across your skin as he caressed your cheek, but still, you leaned into his touch. He had never been this gentle before; in fact, he'd never really touched you unless being dragged by your wrist as you ran from infected counts. "I'm okay," you managed to say, and Joel sighed with relief.

"We need to move. Can you stand?" Joel asked, and you nodded, eyes closed as you took a few extra slow, deep breaths. "Okay. Take my hand."

You opened your eyes to Joel's outstretched hand and you took it, letting him haul you gently to your feet. He hooked his arm under yours to help you walk, and as you concentrated on walking with shaky legs, Joel guided you to the door. "Wait here." He said, disappearing out the front door to check for any danger.

As he did so, you turned to inspect the chaos you were leaving behind. Your stomach lurched as you saw the blood pooling around the dead man with a clean, almost surgical, maroon slice straight across his neck, and you wondered just how many times Joel had had to do it, to get such a clean cut. Your eyes snapped back to the door, where Joel was staring at you, his eyes wide and sad, like a puppy, before they hardened. "Let's go." Joel said. "We'll find a house to hide out in."

*

The universe had decided you could both use a break, and less than two hours after the attack, deep inside the seemingly never-ending woods, the two of you came across an unlocked cabin, the keys just sat on the side table. Joel put his finger up to his lips, and you nodded, following his lead as he crept through the front door. He pointed at you, then at the spot you were standing, and you nodded, doing as you were told while Joel checked it out. Neither of you wanted to take any more chances after today.

"Hey, you might wanna come check this out!" Joel's voice echoed through the cabin, and you closed the front door before heading towards the sound of his voice.

The cabin was rustic and run down, and looked to have been abandoned for a decade at least. It had been a hunter's cabin, judging by the animal heads mounted up on the walls, staring down at you with their black, beady eyes that seemed to follow you everywhere. The fireplace was brick, an axe resting against it with piles of wood stacked in front. You turned around and found Joel in the kitchen, staring down at the sink. As you got closer, you heard the familiar sound of a running tap, and you smiled. You'd take any kind of water right now, anything to get rid of this day.

But then you saw it, dancing through the air, rising from the tap. You were convinced you'd imagined it until you saw Joel's fingers rolling together under the water, a look of shock on his face.

"Is that what I think it is?" You asked as you got closer, and Joel nodded. You gingerly held your fingers out, anticipating cold water, not wanting to get your hopes up. But when your fingers hit the warm water, you let out a bewildered laugh, cupping both hands under the water, letting it spill over as it slowly but surely got hotter. "I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, well, we deserved a win eventually." Joel replied. You made eye contact, and the corner of his mouth curled upwards slightly, his eyes darting down to your neck before he took a sharp breath and turned away. "You should go have a shower."

"What about you?" You asked, and he sighed.

"Just go. I'll wash up here."

-

After stripping off your clothes, you looked at your reflection. Only then did you notice the bruising around your neck, and the blood smeared across your cheeks. You could still feel the way the hunter's hands squeezed so tight that you could feel the life draining from your body. You could still feel the panic and terror you felt and the relief when Joel forced the hunter to let go. The look in Joel's eyes when he held your face, the gentle touch as he caressed your cheeks and brushed your hair out of your face. You thought you'd made your peace with dying long ago, but that was until you almost met death, and it made you realise you didn't want to leave Joel. If Joel was in your life, maybe living was worth it.

You were so lost in thought, staring at your scarred body in the mirror, you didn't hear Joel knock on the door. It was only when the door burst open with Joel shouting your name that you turned around, surprised.

Joel kept his eyes on yours, refusing to let himself cave and look down; although it's all he wanted to do. You knew you should grab the towel, or the shower curtain, anything to cover yourself, but you were frozen, like Joel's gaze was keeping you locked on the spot.

Joel cleared his throat and shoved a bundle of clothes into your arms. “Sorry, I-uh, I thought maybe you were- it doesn't matter. I found those, thought you'd want some clean clothes.”

He left, slamming the door behind him, and you exhaled. You ignored the thoughts creeping in and the heat rising up your body and climbed into the bathtub under the running shower; watching the dirt and blood trickle off your body and down the plughole. Once the water ran clean, you stepped out, patting yourself down with the small towel. You then filled up the bathtub with hot water and then threw your underwear and clothes into it. It wouldn't fully clean them, but it'd be enough for now. You picked up the oversized flannel and pulled it over your shoulders, forgoing the jeans that were way too big for you, even with the help of a belt. You sighed and headed back out to Joel.

The fire was burning, the crackling wood echoing through the cabin. Joel was sitting at the wooden table in front of the window, sipping on a glass of wine. There were two plates of pasta on the table, a glass of wine next to one of them. You padded across the room and dropped into the seat opposite Joel, studying his face as he stared out the window. The sky was pink and orange as it set through the trees, the view almost as beautiful as the one sitting next to you; the light of the sunset cascading over Joel. He turned his head to you, and you glanced down at the food. Joel cleared his throat.

"I found some pasta and wine in the cupboards. It only went out of date a few weeks ago." He explained. "It should be okay for us to eat."

"I'm sure it's fine." You replied, "anything's better than beans again, right?" You leaned forward and took the glass of wine, taking a long sip, basking in the way it burned your throat slightly. It had been so long since you'd had even a sip of alcohol, you could swear your head was already fuzzy.

Like most dinners lately, this one was silent. But this was slightly different, considering you were probably the safest you'd been in a long time, and you were eating actual food off actual plates. If you and Joel were in a better place, it would be almost considered domestic. You might even consider staying here, leaving the QZ far behind. But you weren't, Joel could barely bring himself to talk to you — he couldn't even look at you. You really thought you were turning a corner with him until his behaviour changed one morning without warning.

"We should stay here for a couple of days, then head back to the QZ." Joel said. You sighed and finished your glass of wine, but it wasn't enough.

"Great." You replied, looking around for the bottle of wine. "Then you can go back to pretending I don't exist." You weren't sure where the outburst had come from, but you were pretty sure it had something to do with the alcohol running through your blood.

"Pretending you don't- what? I don't do that!" Joel insisted.

You scoffed. "Oh please, you're not as mysterious as you like to think." You said, although there was little truth to it. "You didn't even know my name in the QZ, yet we were around each other for months! I thought we were getting somewhere, but lately, you've been acting like we're strangers!" You told him.

"What?! Okay, maybe I was a little isolated in the QZ, but it's not like that now!" Joel replied, his fork clattering on the plate when it dropped from his hand. "All I do is worry about your survival!"

"Riiiiight, because you care so much." You said, rolling your eyes.

"It's my job to pro-"

"Your job?" You repeated, offended by his words, although you couldn't place why. "Well, allow me to relieve you of your duty." The chair screeched across the floor as you stood up and grabbed your unfinished plate and glass.

Joel inhaled through his nose and groaned. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Well, I mean it. Leave. I didn't need a babysitter before, and I don't need one now!" You said loudly, heading to the kitchen for a reprieve.

Joel growled and slammed his palms on the table as he stood up, refusing your reprieve, following you to the kitchen. "I'm not leaving you to die out here. Which, you would've already if it wasn't for me. You've proven that multiple times!"

"Maybe," you replied, dropping the plate in the sink, staring at Joel, whose eyes darted away. "But I'd rather die alone than with someone who can't even stand to look at me!"

"I can't look at you because you drive me fucking crazy!" Joel exclaimed, his patience finally having worn thin. "Ever since I heard you moaning in that fucking-" He stopped, his eyes wide and on you as he realised what he said; watching his words dawn on you as your face cracked.

Nausea, or quite possibly embarrassment — rose from your stomach up through your oesophagus, and you drank from the glass of wine that was in front of you — which wasn't quite the best course of action as it didn't sit well on your spinning stomach. Joel had heard you masturbating. That's what he was saying, right? There wasn't anything else he could possibly be referencing. But why would it drive him crazy? Joel could be uptight sometimes, but it didn't seem to be in a "women shouldn't pleasure themselves" way.

You blinked a few times, and Joel's face came into focus. He had closed the gap between you both, now only a few feet away. He looked awkward as he shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.

"You heard me mast -" You stopped, unable to say the word out loud, and you sighed, feeling ridiculous. "You haven't been talking to me for weeks because you heard me -"

Something clicked in your head, like a light had just been switched on. You hadn't just gotten yourself off once. And at some point, you began to fantasise it was Joel's fingers, or mouth, even his cock instead of your own hand. You were aware a couple of times his name had slipped from your lips, and you'd clasped your hand around your mouth afterwards, praying he hadn't heard you.

It was beginning to seem very likely he had heard you, and something in you shifted from embarrassment to…something else, and you arched your eyebrow, finishing off the glass of wine for some extra courage.

"You heard me say your name.” You said, arching your eyebrow. Joel stared before he nodded slowly.

“I heard.” He confirmed, refusing to break eye contact. The air in the kitchen had shifted; it was thick with tension, and Joel wondered where this was going.

You hummed and tilted your head. “What did you do?” You asked, smirking when it was clear it caught Joel off guard.

"What?”

“What did you do, Joel?” You asked, leaning back against the counter. Joel's eyes darted to your bare legs before slowly dragging them up your body, stopping at the three open buttons that exposed your cleavage.

“I thought I heard you crying, so I came to check on you.” He explained. “When I got to your tent, I realised you weren't, and I went back to my tent.” His eyes darted to your face before he closed the gap between you until he was practically on top of you. “I tried to ignore you, but I couldn't help myself.” He lifted your chin with his index and middle fingers, so you were staring at him through your lashes. Your lips parted slightly as your chest rose and fell, your heart pounding against your rib cage. “I kept hearing your moans and thinking about you in that tent, and it got me so - I had to -”

His eyes were dark, full of lust, and you instinctively licked your lips slightly. "You- couldn't help yourself, huh?" You asked. Joel arched his eyebrow and tentatively reached his hand up to your cheek. He traced his finger over your cheek gently, and you closed your eyes as you inhaled. "Hearing you moan my name," He said, running a path down your jaw to your neck, "it sounded too good."

You reached up, closing the gap between your lips. Without hesitation, Joel reciprocated the kiss, his hand still around your neck as the other slipped around your hips, resting on the bottom of your back, pulling you closer to him. His bulge pressed into your crotch and you could feel it getting harder as the kiss deepened. You tugged his brown, leather jacket from his shoulders while Joel started an assault on your neck. If this lasted forever, it still wouldn't be long enough.

"Is this a good idea?" You asked through the gasps as he nipped and sucked at your neck.

"Mhmm, giving me some mixed signals here." he mumbled against your skin before pulling away, his mouth inches from yours. "I think it's a fucking great idea. Don't you?"

“I'm not sure.” You confessed. Joel cupped your cheek with his hand and stroked your cheek with his thumb, his eyes soft, even if still full of lust. Was this a good idea? He'd spent weeks ignoring you, and it felt like Hell — but the way he kissed you, the way he touched you; it felt like Heaven.

"I don't care if it's a good idea or not." You replied, and Joel grinned.

"Good," he replied, "Because you have no idea how much I need you right now."

"Then show me." You said, and Joel growled before he pressed his lips against yours and instigated another passionate kiss, illicting a moan from you. He picked you up and dropped you onto the counter, spreading your legs so he could step in between them.

The kiss was messy, teeth and tongues clashing together as both sets of hands roamed each other's bodies. Joel's hands cupped and massaged your breasts as yours unbuttoned his jeans, using your heels to push them down his legs. One hand trailed a path from your breast to your stomach, dancing around the place you needed him the most.

"No panties, huh?" He said into your mouth, his finger tracing a path up your slit so gently, it was like he was using a feather. "I never would've known you were such a slut." His finger grazed your clit, and he grinned as you bucked your hips.

"Maybe if you'd acknowledged my existence, you might have found out earlier." You replied, grabbing his bulge through the fabric and squeezed, tight. Joel gasped into your mouth as he thrusted into your hand, and it was your turn to smirk against his mouth. If he could tease you, you could do the same, you thought as you slipped your hand into his boxers, relishing the feeling of his cock in your grasp.

Joel growled, his hips bucking before he shoved two fingers inside you without warning. A yelp mixed with a moan slipped from your mouth as you threw your head back, and Joel groaned. He kept his pace up, pushing his fingers in and out of you, feeling your walls clench around them as he watched your face contort with pleasure, your moans echoing throughout the kitchen. Not even his fantasies could have prepared him for how incredible this felt. If using just his fingers made him — made you feel this good, he couldn't wait to use his cock.

But he would wait. For weeks, you had — albeit unknowingly, driven him to the brink of insanity. Clouded his mind so he couldn't focus on anything; which is why he didn't notice the threat today, which almost cost you your life. So now, he had to drive you insane in the only way he could.

He dropped to his knees and pulled you by your legs so you were hanging off the counter. He then hoisted your legs over his shoulders, and you watched Joel as he studied your cunt — the look in his eyes resembled one of a wild animal, one that was finally allowed out of its cage, to roam free as its right. Yet, he was biting his lip; almost like he was holding onto that last tiny bit of control he had left. But you wanted — no, you needed the wild animal, and so you tangled your fingers into his hair. He looked up at you, locking eyes as he let you guide his head to where you needed him to be.

Shivers ran down your spine as his beard tickled you as he dragged his tongue over the skin on the inside of your thighs. Once again, he touched every piece of you, but not where you needed.

“Joel,” you whined, the grip on his hair getting tighter as you bucked your hips, "Please." You begged.

“Oh baby, you're already so wet.” he tutted, his finger running through your folds and teasing your entrance before he lifted it to your mouth and pushed it between your lips. “Your pretty pussy is glistening for me.”

You tasted a hint of your juices as you wrapped your tongue around his finger, keeping your gaze on him as you did. He groaned, imagining how good your mouth would feel wrapped around his cock. He pulled his finger out, and you gasped when he pushed it inside you. When he flicked your clit with the tip of his tongue, you gasped and arched your back. “Oh shit, fuck, Joel.”

Every sense was heightened as Joel flattened his tongue and lapped at you. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head when he swirled his tongue around your clit. You pushed yourself against him, practically hanging off the counter, making Joel grab your ass with both hands as he buried his face into you. With his beard grazing against you and his tongue pushing you further to release, your thighs gripped his head. Every single part of you was on fire as his assault on your cunt continued, and you could feel your orgasm brewing.

So could Joel, which was apparent as his pace got quicker, bringing in his fingers to help finish the job. With his thumb circling your clit and his tongue deep inside you, you reached your climax, Joel's name spilling from your mouth. As you threw your head back, grinding yourself against his face; you saw stars, all while Joel kept up the relenting pace.

He finally pulled away and stood up, grinning as he leaned towards you. His beard was glistening, and when he kissed you, you could taste yourself on him, mixing with the wine you had with dinner. Joel hooked his arms under your legs and scooped you off the counter; carrying you fireman style out the kitchen, through the sitting room and into the bedroom, where he dropped you on the bed. He crawled on top of you and dipped his head to kiss you. It was a soft, sweet kiss, one that you didn't want to end, so when it did, you whimpered, and Joel smiled softly.

“You still wanna do this?” He whispered. “We can stop if you want to.”

You leaned up on your elbows and gave him your answer with a kiss. He pressed his palm on your cheek and deepened the kiss, pushing you back down as he did. The two of you made out like two teenagers, and you could feel Joel's cock hardening against you. You slipped your hand in between your bodies and gripped his cock, rubbing the head against your entrance. Joel groaned, his head falling into your shoulder. He bit down as you pushed his cock inside yourself, your moans harmonising, the sensation almost too much.

Joel took over, grabbed your hands, and pinned them above your head. The animalistic look was in his eyes again, grunting with every thrust, his grip against your wrists tightening. You closed your eyes, and Joel growled.

“You thought about this while fucking yourself.” He said, his voice low. “Open your eyes and look at me while I fuck you.”

You opened your eyes and were met by Joel's big, brown ones that were now practically black. He fucked you harder, thrusting in and out as his thumb once again circled your clit. There was a ninety-eight percent chance that someone on the other side of the forest could hear everything, but at this moment neither of you cared. After weeks of awkwardness, of fantasising about each other while you touched yourselves, this felt right, like something had finally clicked into place — and you'd be damned if this was the first and only time it happened. Now you'd had a taste, you couldn't ever go back.

Joel picked up the pace, and you could once again feel your orgasm rising. You pulled Joel closer, your foreheads touching, your vision falling out of focus as you stared into Joel's eyes, but you refused to look away.

“Fuck, Joel, I'm so close” You whimpered, bucking your hips to meet his thrust, his cock hitting deeper each time you moved.

“If you keep doing that, I'm gonna -” Joel grunted, your synced thrusts getting faster. “Fuck, baby.” Joel moaned. “I'm gonna, shit -”

“Let go for me, Joel.” You whispered in his ear. “Come for me, and next time, I'll show you what I can do with my mouth.”

It only took a couple more thrusts before you and Joel finished together, and he slumped on top of you, breathing heavily. You lifted his head up, brushed his hair out his face, and smiled up at him, hearts practically in your eyes.

“So…” you said, and he reciprocated the smile. “Sooo…” He repeated.

“Are you going to be all weird with me again?” You teased, and Joel arched his eyebrow, a smirk dancing on his lips.

“I don't think so,” Joel replied, dipping his head for another kiss. “Especially if I want this to happen again.”

“Oh yeah? What makes you think we're doing this again?” You asked, and Joel grinned.

“Oh we're definitely doing that again.” Joel answered, and you giggled as he rolled off you and reached a blanket that was on a chair next to the bed. He flung it over the two of you before pulling you into his chest and pressing his lips against your temple. “I wanna know what you can do with that mouth.” He mumbled.

You giggled again, your heart fluttering as he linked his fingers around yours and kissed your knuckles. “Keep this up, and you'll find out.” You replied before a yawn slipped out.

“Alright you little tease, I think I can hold out until tomorrow.” Joel chuckled. “Right now, I think you need to sleep.”

You snuggled into Joel's chest, his fingers running through your hair. You never thought you'd be in this position, in bed with Joel Miller. You knew there was a lot more to talk about, but right now, you didn't care. You just focused on Joel's heartbeat under your head, on his fingers in your hair. Focused on how — even though there were still many dangers to staying in this cabin, it was still the safest you'd been in a long time.

The last thing you heard as you drifted into a peaceful sleep was a quiet confession from Joel; one you weren't sure you were actually meant to hear. “I'll always keep you safe. Even if it means giving my life.”

[honeipie]

plsplsplspls make the toast a series 😭

NATURALLY

izuku midoryia x reader

synopsis: going somewhere old to start something new

authors note: your wish is my command! i’ll probably make one more part beacause of one line i specifically wanna use LOLL

one | two | three | four

"izuku" inko's voice was light, but stern as she carried two mugs over to the small coffee table in her apartment. the same apartment that he had grown up in. of course, he had tried to buy her a house as soon as he received his first paycheck, but she refused. insisted that she didn't need much room for just herself. plus, she loved the little bursts of nostalgia she would get every so often from doing simple things. like making izuku's favorite cookies in the kitchen, or even walking by his old room which she kept perfectly intact. if someone walked in there they might've thought that he was still a teenage boy, but he wasn't.

there in her living room sat her son in his early adulthood. he almost took up half of the loveseat due to the growing muscle on his body. though even due to his increase in size, he shrunk down hearing his mother say his name.

she sat down next to him placing the mugs right on the coasters he had set out "you haven't answered my question"

izuku brought his two fingers up to rub the bridge of his nose "no, we're not together anymore" he mumbled in embarrassment and shame. it never felt good to tell anyone a relationship they invested time and money into didn't end up working out.

she frowned placing a hand on his back to rub slow circles "you got divorced after one week? izuku that can't be right.."

"no, no we didn't get divorced. we were actually, um" he was trying to figure out how to word this correctly to where he didn't sound insane "we were never officially married"

she stopped rubbing giving him a skeptical look "izuku what do you mean you were never married?"

he sighed leaning his elbows against his knees "we were supposed to sign the official marriage papers during the reception in front of everyone then send them in the next day. after that fight though? we just decided to not do it anymore"

"how did the press take it? i haven't seen anything"

"the press didn't know about the engagement or the wedding thankfully. we wanted a peaceful time to plan the wedding. they’re posting a breakup message for the both of us later today though. better to nip it in the bud now”

she nodded her head going to resume in rubbing his back "so when did you officially decide to call it off"

"yesterday"

"any specific reason? or a buildup of many?"

he paused for a moment, mulling over the answer "she would say one specific reason. i would say it built up over time" he shook his head in disbelief "couldn't even agree on that"

"what would she say the one reason was"

a lump caught in his throat at the question. such a simple fucking question that he didn't want to answer. but he knew if he didn't she would be a pain about it.

"y/n"

inko hummed at the very familiar name. you had been over mulitple times in the past years with and without her son. the two of you had grown close and she was like a mother to you. honestly, she had wished that izuku had gotten with you in the first place. would've saved a lot of time and trouble.

"well.. was she a strain to your relationship"

izuku scoffed, almost offended she even asked.

"she was never a problem for me-"

"well of course she wasn't a problem for you. that was your best friend"

"exactly! if uraraka couldn't understand that then it couldn't have worked between us. y/n was one of the first people to believe in me. i owe her a lot and i can't just let her go like that"

inko moved her hand from izuku's back and went to hold his hands instead "face me honey" izuku shifted his body so he was now facing his mother. growing older everyday, but still the strong woman he remembers when he was younger "i just wanted to apologize. for not bring able to give you a normal childhood with two parents in the home"

izuku's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at her sudden apology "where is this coming from? mom it's fine. you did the best you could and i appreciate that more than anything else you could've done"

she patted on of his hands with a smile "i know you do sweetheart. but i'm mostly apologizing because you couldn't see what a real marriage consists of. the person you marry is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, but the easiest at the same time. love isn't enough to hold a marriage together, you need to be best friends before that. when you love someone on a surface level all you want to do is make sure they're happy. they won't tell you if something is bothering them. they'll follow you blindly into anything. when you marry your best friend you hold them accountable because you want to see them succeed in all that they do. it might make you fight sometimes, but at the end of the day it's worth it. because you have someone by your side you know that will stick it out with you for the rest of your years to come. that's what a marriage should be like"

".. so you're saying i should marry y/n?"

"i'm saying give it time. you don't need to jump back into another relationship immediately after this. what you should be doing is taking time to reflect on what you want, and when you're ready, how y/n makes you feel. and if you do feel something? let it flow. what happens will happen naturally”

---

the smell of hot glue filled your senses as you picked up a seashell from your pile. currently, you were at inko's house doing your monthly crafting sessions. who cares if you hadn't talked to izuku in four months? at least you had his mom.

last month the two of you had went to the beach to crochet, and ended up walking along the beach picking up seashells as you talked. that's when she let you know about the unspoken details of the breakup. you tried to hide your feelings with a stoic face and a simple 'wow'. though inko wasn't buying any of it.

she was currently letting you in on all the work drama she was currently having "i don't know why they want to get in my face like i'm the problem. ma'am, you have an STD, i'm a pediatric nurse. please let me do my job"

you threw your head back in laughter which drowned out the sound of keys jingling in the door.

"hey mom? i got those vegetables you were talking about. don't these tomatoes look fake?" he stopped mid-sentence seeing you sitting there on the floor with the same expression.

"oh no, i must've double booked you two" inko got up taking the bag from izuku's hands "you see every month y/n and i do crafty stuff together and it happened to land on the same day i told you i would make the stir fry"

you gave izuku a quick smile before turning from his lingering gaze "it's okay okaasan. i'll come back another day so we can finish it" you started to gather your things, but inko shook her head "you are staying for dinner. this recipe cooks for four and i am not eating all these leftovers"

you wanted to argue, but knew it would fall onto deaf ears "okay then"

“izuku honey. finish mines while i start on dinner”

“alright” he went to sit on the couch, knee almost brushing onto your shoulder. izuku watched as you placed one of the shells onto your frame carefully. getting the idea he started to do the same exact thing.

you could cut the tension with a knife. silence wasn’t something you were particularly used to with izuku.

“heard you and ochako broke up”

and at this moment he could start listing the things he loved about you.

1. you weren’t afraid to be blunt with him

both of his eyebrows raised and he blew out a puff of air “you don’t hold anything back”

“never did, never will”

he chuckled at your words glancing over at you. there was a slight smile on your face he could tell you were trying to hide. there was a slight slump to your shoulders though as time went on.

he continued with the project figuring he would wait until you spoke again.

like clockwork you turned looking directly into his eyes “can we talk?”

2. you made room for open and honest communication

he nodded placing the picture frame down carefully “yeah, unplug the hot glue and we can go in my room” you nodded unplugging the glue guns and heading over to his old room. he followed after you but not before turning back to his mom “we’re gonna talk”

she gave him a nod, but then quickly turned around when it finally registered “talk? like the talk? the talk so that you two can get together so i can finally have grandbabies talk?-“

“if i say yes will you stop it with that?”

“yes”

“then yes that talk”

she shooed him off into the room as if it was him holding them up. he rubbed the back of his neck while walking inside. with the other hand he closed the door with a soft click.

“how much of that did you hear?”

you shrugged going to sit on the bed “i didn’t hear any of it if it makes you feel better”

“it does actually” he sat himself down next to you with a huff. kirishima would probably kick him right now for how unmanly he’s being. forcing you to step up and take charge of the situation. he just wanted to test the waters out and see how you felt first.

“i guess i just wanted to catch up. really see how you’re feeling. cause i know you posted on the media you ended everything on good terms, but is everything really okay? i mean you broke up with the woman you thought you’d be spending the rest of your life with. it’s okay to be upset”

3. you genuinely cared for him no matter what

“i-“ he cleared his throat from the unexpected voice crack that had arose “sorry, i’m pretty fine now actually. i just feel guilty for making ochako feel embarrassed about the whole situation. other than that.. i really don’t think we were meant to be anyways”

“what do you mean you didn’t think you were meant to be anyways? why’d you propose in the first place then?”

he shrugged taking off a loose strand on the all might themed duvet “i don’t think i knew what marriage was about. but i was informed very recently on what it is about and my vision changed” he watched as you turned to look at him with eyebrows raised.

“oh yeah? changed to what?”

“you”

your playful demeanor dropped immediately. his words truly sinking into the both of you. he attempted to scoot closer to you, but you backed away hesitantly.

“izuku we can’t do this. where you break up with ochako and come running to me? i’m not a second choice you know that right?” this is what you had always wanted, but at this moment it didn’t feel that way. with the current circumstances how else were you supposed to feel?

izuku’s eyes widened when he heard that and redness quickly creeped up his neck. he held both hands up shaking his head “that’s not it i swear! you were never my second choice. in fact, you were always my first. i could just never admit it to myself that maybe, maybe we could make it work romantically. i- i am attracted to you and everything like that! maybe i was with uraraka for so long that i didn’t notice what was right in front of me”

your throat had gone dry. was this really happening? the boy you’d been crushing on for eternity is finally asking you out after leaving his longtime girlfriend. totally normal, and totally not a chance you were willing to give up.

you wasted no time grabbing both of his cheeks and pulling him down for a kiss. startled was an understatement as he felt his lips connecting to yours. though as he realized what was truly happening, he wasn’t complaining. he shut his eyes moving one hand to your cheek and the other on your waist.

despite the quick start, the kiss was soft and slow. tongues gently brushing together in steady movements. when you pulled away, there was a goofy smile on your face. izuku trailed more kisses from your cheek, to your jaw, right down your neck.

4. you were a damned good kisser

“you’ve got a lot of work to do. i hope you know that”

izuku hummed nodding his head “i’m willing to work for it”

“hm.. izu?”

“yeah” he mumbled clearly not wanting to your time be interrupted.

“i’m not saying this doesn’t feel nice, because it does, but can we save it? for one your mom is on the other room. and two? all might is staring dead into my soul”

he pulled away face bright red turning to the poster you were talking about. there he was in all his glory. all might standing there in his signature hero suit, beady blue eyes staring directly at the viewer. izuku turned back to you not being able to contain his laughter. you were right behind him leaning your head on his shoulder in a fit of giggles.

5. you were his best friend

taglist! @sagejin @crybabyl0l @yoihoshi-maki @reads-stuff-quietly @aejabba @valenspuppy @v3n7s 🫶🏾

let me know if you want to be added!

[being-addie]

Sunday Resets

Setting aside time for yourself is so important. I don't think people understand how vital it is to pay attention to your body and just take a day to let your body r-e-l-a-x. We're all so busy fighting to reach the top, that while climbing the corporate ladder, we lose ourselves somewhere along the way. Burnout, depression, and monotony come into play when we don't listen to our bodies telling us they need a break.

Once every two weeks or so, on a Sunday, I turn off all my notifications and have a day dedicated to me. Giving my body some TLC, resting and preparing for the next week. If I have plans on a Sunday, such as brunch or a meeting, I shift that day to Saturday, or at the very least, a day where I have at least 4-5 hours to spend leisurely.

Things I like to do on my Sunday resets:

Wake up early/sleep in: Depending on my mood, and how much sleep I've had during the week, I'll either be up at the crack of dawn or still in bed till it's nearly noon. There's no shame in staying in bed till 11:30 if you're particularly exhausted, but I recommend waking up at least before 11 AM because then you'll feel tired and groggy (of course, this doesn't apply to everyone)

Clean my room: I always make my bed without fail, and if my room is messy, then I'll clean it. Clean the vanity table, my desk, closet, art cupboard and bookshelf, and then the bathroom. If my mom needs help around the house, I do that too.

Food: I make myself a good breakfast, taking time to move around the kitchen and just breathe. I'm getting to eat good food, the sun is shining and I'm alive. It's great. Sometimes my dad cooks for the whole family and we just sit and eat together.

The Everything Shower: I take my Everything Shower on Sundays, where I wash my hair, deep condition, use a hair and face mask, exfoliate and do a face massage. I don't shave because I get my waxing done in a salon. I then slather myself in cocoa butter lotion and apply lip balm. Then do my hair routine (curly hair). It takes a few hours, but it's worth it.

The Next Week: I prep for the next week by cooking something I can take to my classes, like granola bars or homemade pita chips. I also sit down and plan my schedule (any dinners, meetings, parties, etc) and make a rough plan of my goals for the week, like assignments and deadlines.

Errands: I usually make a list of things I need to do during the week, like any specific separate groceries that I use, art supplies I'm low on, or needing to top up the air in my tyres. Then I go complete all of those in the afternoon.

Walks: In the evening, I take a walk around the block with a friend. I usually am too busy to do this during the week, so getting some fresh air is always a treat.

Relax: The rest of the evening is spent relaxing. I watch Netflix with my family, chat with my younger sister, read a novel/play the piano/write poetry. We have dinner together and then either watch a movie or just spend the time talking about our week, or the news. It's fun.

Double-check: Before I go to sleep, I make sure to double-check that my work is done, my bag is packed, clothes are folded and all my devices are charged. I'm in bed by 10:30 PM.

Remember that not all Sundays will be like this. Sometimes I'm extremely drained, so I'll sleep in, order food and just lay in bed recuperating. It's okay to take a rest day. This guide is if you want to be more productive, and it helps the week go smoother. Be the person who has their life in charge. You've got this.

<3

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

What's something bad all the character's do when in a relationship? (I think you might have done this before???? But I can't find it)

Oh lmao, a lot of these are minor issues but here's what I think!

Mikey- wants to always sleep with his old towel that he never let's you wash, tries to share it with you too even though it's too small and then gets pouty when it doesn't cover you both.

Draken- sometimes he gets a bit too invested motorbike, will ignore you for it.

Takemichi- says he'll handle dinner but then just gets takeout instead of cooking.

Baji- will leave bed in the middle of the night to go feed cats without you waking up "damn it Keisuke, I wanted to see the cats too!"

Chifuyu- uses manga for all his date ideas (ok this actually sounds kinda cute but be prepared for him to have the manga with him on the date and peak at it like an instruction manual throughout)

Mitsuya- works too hard

Hakkai- occasionally when he wakes up he forgets he's ok to talk to you and gets nervous all over again in his sleepy state

Pah- talks too loudly on the phone (he says it's because he's excited to talk to you but still shhhhh)

Peh- wants to invite Pah with you guys on all your dates

Smiley- threatens to kill you when you sneak up on him and kiss him (he's just a bit flustered and panicking)

Angry- takes your injuries too seriously, a tiny paper cut? Be prepared to have a bunch of plasters put on it (a kiss too)

Mucho- sir we cannot fix every argument with cheese cake

Sanzu- will follow you around to make sure you're safe at times

Kisaki- just assumes you're as good at maths as he is, will ask you random maths questions while you grocery shop to figure out prices and deals. You keep having to explain the need for a calculator to him.

Hanma- will try to irritate you just because he finds your angry reaction "cute and fun"

Kazutora- is a bit too clingy at times, be prepared to be late for work because of hugs.

Hina- will tidy up your stuff and make you lose it

Emma- insists on you having a special cute ringtone specifically for her and your phone can't be on silent.

Naoto- is very secretive about his police work,  will not tell you how his day has been.

Akkun- begs to do practice hair cuts on you, will chase you around with a pair of scissors begging you.

Takuya- tries to act too strong when he's sick, he doesn't want to seem weak to you so he takes on too much and ends up getting worse. 

Makoto- won't stop stealing your underwear 

Yamagishi- will tell you delinquent facts at the most random times, be prepared to hear about old fights while brushing your teeth.

Koko- panics over what to buy you for birthdays because he just spoils you all throughout the year, pouts close to your birthday.

Inui- can walk better in heels then you

Taiju- laughs too loud, if you're not expecting it then it can cause you to jump.

Yuzuha- Too many other people wanting her attention, easy to feel forgotten about sometimes.

Izana- talks to his fish about you but you never know what he's saying because he always stops when he sees you (he's actually just saying how in love he is but you don't know that)

Kakucho- is so nervous about you meeting izana and wanting the two of you to get along that he sweats the whole time during that first meeting (you and izana bond over teasing him about it)

Mochi- finds it easy to carry you so will sometimes just randomly pick you up if he feels you're walking too slow.

Ran- keeps low key insulting your hair when talking about his own (takes you to the salon often too)

Rindou- gets overly competitive with you at the gym, he may love you but he's not going easy on you (though I feel like a lot of you won't complain about the limb locking)

Shion- accidentally let slip he was planning to propose like a week early.

Senju- will randomly grab your hand and start quickly running if she wants to show you something (good luck with keeping up with her)

Takeomi- will steal the blankets as you're sleeping 

Wakasa- if he thinks you're talking too much or grinding your teeth or something then he'll just place his dango stick in your mouth.

Shinichiro- be prepared for cheesy pick up lines 24/7 (he wants you to say them back too)

Benkei- sometimes just throws his clothes at your head randomly (he actually wants you to wear them but instead of just asking you'll suddenly be plunged into darkness by a jacket landing on your head.

South- will sometimes randomly serenade you, even in public causing everyone to stare.

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Valentine's Day...Gifts They Give You?? I Think. IDK.

HAH SCHOOL CAN KICK MY BUTT BUT BY GOD AND THE DEVIL WILL I SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE!! (I'm suffering Jesus fucking CHRIST this course is gonna eat my fried up brain for breakfast lunch and dinner) This is done assuming they're pining for Yuu, save for Ortho he's Idia's little wingman. GN reader as always bbssssssssss if anything seems canon divergent, check out my HCs lmao

Heartslaybul Ace: He thought about making it super romantic, like he spent the week leading up to Valentine's day brainstorming ideas on napkins and doodling on scrap paper, trying to come up with a way to ask to hang out that would make it feel different than normal, but not so obvious that he...you know, likes you. He ends up showing up at Ramshackle before class with a box of chocolates he bought the day before and a bit of a blushing mess. "I just got these because who knows how much Sam will have by the end of today, you owe me half, ok?"

Deuce: He absolutely called his mom to ask for some advice, and asked his dorm mom (Trey), to proofread the hand written note he had meticulously written and supervise while he tries to make a heartshaped quiche. Why quiche? Well he knows you guys have...Memories about eggs, and he remembers it fondly, and he knows that quiche freezes well, so if he makes a big batch, you can eat what you want and have a readily available breakfast to just pop back in the oven whenever you want it - hopefully you'll remember him each time you do, and you'll ask for more when you finish it! He ends up at Ramshackle a little disheveled and out of breath, trying to make the quiche early enough in the day that he could make it there before breakfast so maybe you could share a meal before class. "It's still warm??" "Yeah, I ran here as fast as I could once it was cool enough to handle." "You didn't have to..." "I wanted to! You're more than worth the effort it took to be here on time." Trey: Mans has a major advantage in that he is great in the kitchen, but he can't just make your favourite dessert. He can do that any day. No, for weeks ahead of time, he plans, makes, tests, and revises a new recipe, something that is unique and meant to be for you. It's more effort than he normally puts into his work, but it's so worth it when he shows up at Ramshackle in the evening to deliver his gift and a small note, though he gets shy. He leaves it on the front door step, knocks once, and moves to hide by the side of the house, relying on Grim's nose to bring you to the door if you didn't hear him knock. Seeing the way your face go from confusion to joy and excitement as you read the note is worth every moment he spent crouching. He knows tomorrow you'll want to talk to him in person, but for now, that's more than enough for him.

Cater: Consumerism Capital lmao. He has a really sweet, genuine gift to give to you, but the time he's spent with his sisters makes him second guess whether or not something is "good enough". So, yes, he will have spent 72 hours painting a fucking masterpiece on a phone case for you, or a pair of shoes you said you wanted, or a skateboard so you guys can skateboard together, or something you mentioned you wanted offhandedly months ago, but he's not sure if it's enough, so to "make up" for his "shitty handmade gift", he buys a shit ton of Valentine's day merchandise! He shows up with the giant teddy bear, the bouquet of flowers, the chocolates, the sappy movies, a trending perfume and some sort of specialty drink he picked up at a cafe. Depending on your reaction to all that stuff, he might actually give you the gift he worked on, otherwise you'll see it by accident or something and he gets embarrassed and a little flustered because What If You Don't Like It, Isn't Everything Else Better Than That Thing I Worked On Specifically For You. Treat him gently please. That's a personal request slkdjfhlskdjf

Riddle: He's new to this. So of course he researched long and hard on how to best express his interest in you without trying to push anything on you. Cater tried to show him cute stuff on social media, but it all seemed so scripted, disingenuous, or so over the top he couldn't see himself doing it that way. Or on the other end - they were couples, well into their relationships and living together- that wasn't where he was with you, at least....not yet. He ends up watching, reading and listening to tutorials on how to put together the perfect bouquet - his beloved rose garden would have more than an aesthetic use now, and with a little magic, a beautiful gradient came easily to the bunch of roses he arranged beautifully. Before you, this holiday just seemed ridiculous. Maybe it still was, but he would indulge if it meant it brought a smile to your face.

Savannaclaw

Jack: He can't be direct for the life of him, not in terms like this. The night before Valentine's day, he's still stumped on what to do for you that won't be...inherently romantic and obvious, but show that he cares about you!! His eyes end up settling on his little cactus and he ends up finally getting an idea. Somehow after class, but before you got home, he managed to gift you your own tiny cactus. He left it sitting in a box, a small knitted coaster of sorts sitting underneath the flower pot - he put it in the box just so that the yarn wouldn't snag on the uneven wood outside of Ramshackle- and a tiny cowboy hat sitting on top of your cactus. It had been from one of his little siblings dolls that ended up in his bag from the last time he'd gone home, but either they didn't even notice it was gone, or he could get them a replacement later.

Ruggie: "Do you have plans for Valentine's day?" "Yep. Wait for it to be over." He doesn't really care for Valentine's day, but the sale that starts on the 15th? Goddamn, yeah, he's gonna capitalize on that....and he might even like you enough to share a little bit of it...maybe while watching a movie....and snuggling up under the same blanket at Ramshackle...that he may or may not have snagged from Leona's pile of Really Nice blankets....all it takes is for you to say you want some chocolate or treats too.

Leona: He really doesn't care for Valentine's day and all the shit that comes with it, but his sister in law asked him to at least try to make the best of the day. Initially, he was going to...at least try to contest it, but ultimately decided there was a simple way to do it. He ends up firing you a quick text to meet him in the greenhouse. While the way he pulls you into his little nest for napping is rather unceremonious, once you've settled he tucks a pink camellia behind your ear before abruptly telling you he's going to sleep and you're welcome to join him or you can get out of there if you want. He hopes, that just maybe, you'll be able to identify the flower he gave you and find out what it means.

Octavinelle

Floyd: Azul is making him work overtime for Valentine's day, he doesn't get up early enough to do anything Before classes, and by the end of his shift he's EXHAUSTED and MAD. He likely has the wherewithall to bring you a serving from the special menu in a takeout container before flopping down on the couch next to you, then onto you, just looking for a little bit of physical affection. The next day he does feel a little bad for not making you feel as special as he could have, so he'll wake you up with breakfast in bed. Jade: Again, he's been working overtime but he was more ready for Valentine's day than Floyd. While he can't take you anywhere on the day of, he has an easy hike and picnic planned for the weekend if you'll join him. Despite being in the wild outdoors, he's determined to make you a dish that would be worthy of serving at the lounge. He will not handle being asked to stay home very well, but ultimately will if you want that more....but it's going to be in your backyard.

Azul: He had so much on his plate leading up to Valentine's day with marketing, organizing shifts and maximizing profit. But, some of that profit was already planned to be set aside specifically for you. It was about time that you got a bit of a leg up, right? I mean working for Crowley can only pay so much, and he's the head of the dorm that represents generosity anyways. So on the day after Valentine's day, he shows up in the evening with a laptop, and envelope with cash, and a grin, ready to show you the wonders of ✨investing✨. He may have forgotten you still...want to go home. He'll backtrack a bit and offer to help you find contractors that will renovate a part of Ramshackle for you.

Scarabia

Jamil: He didn't even bother trying to plan something for himself with you. How could he? It was a holiday, as ridiculous as it was, it meant that Kalim would inevitably want to celebrate it on the dorm level, and Jamil, of course, would have to plan and organize and arrange everything in order to make it work out. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't make sure to invite you. It didn't mean that he wouldn't make the time to ensure your favourite dish was served. Or that your favourite song would come on during the dance party portion of the celebration. Or that he wouldn't check on you just as, if not more frequently than he did on Kalim to make sure you're enjoying yourself. And if you're not, if it's all too much, he accounted for that already and will show you where you can stay until you feel okay again. Of course, if you show up an hour or two early and demand (you can't ask, he'll say no) to be given a task to lighten his burden, he might just admire you a little bit more (even if he still says no).

Kalim: Valentine's Day means partayyyyy time!! There's gonna be food, and dancing, and games, and lots of people, and live music because he, Cater, and Lilia are gonna perform, won't you come see him?? He needs you there so he can perform the best he ever has!! Come on Yuu, please??? They did actually practice, because they had to change a few lyrics so that it could be a better cover for Valentine's day and he was thinking of you when they modified it, so can you pleeeeeeeease come?

Pomefiore

Epel: He isn't sure whether he wants to continue a tradition he had from home or not, where he would show up at school with handmade lollipops and give them out to people....but his class at primary school was soooo much smaller, it wouldn't make sense to do it here for everyone. Not to mention, he usually had his grandma help him make them, he's never done it on his own. He likely does it for all the first years in his little friend group because he doesn't want to be obvious to anyone person that maybe...he likes them a little more...however your lollipop is the only one that seems to have no imperfections. Funny how that worked out.

Rook: Screw your alarm clock, he knows when you wake up anyways and will be outside your window, serenading you until you wake up. Even if you end up rolling out of bed lookin like a sewer rat and peaking out the window, once he knows you're awake he'll start reading poetry to you. He kinda just lingers until you're done getting ready enough to come great him outside, where he gives you a single rose and a few sheets of paper that he's written his poems about you on. He'll kiss the back of your hand and offer to escort you to class. ** I just want to say, for as much as I gripe about Rook in other posts, I genuinely believe that if he knew or found out you had no Valentine, no plans, and nobody treated you, he would, by the end of the day, at least have left a rose and handwritten note on in front of your door apologizing for not having asked to be your Valentine earlier and going through and complimenting you, though the note is completely anonymous. Rook is a bleeding heart (hehe Snow White ref) and regardless of his feelings for you/your feelings for him, he wants to make sure Valentine's day is positive for you.

Vil: Ugh, Valentine's day. It's a tacky, meaningless holiday that corporations push for the sake of profit. He agrees to model stuff still, sure, he has to in order to try and keep up with Neige, but he hates it. He gets his nails done so that they are jet black. Part of him wants to go goth for the day, but really that would be an overreaction to something so minor. He rejects any Valentine's day gifts, and likely won't want to do anything special, so if anything, you get to see a slightly out of character Vil as he either facetimes you to make sure you've been drinking water today and rant about the industry and how it's ruined Valentine's day, or. You send him a really cheesy gif wishing him a happy Valentines day and he very reluctantly replies, but tells you to never do that again (and it segues into Above).

Ignihyde

Idia (+ wingman/little shit Ortho): Ortho didn't really intend to snoop, but his big brother just left his phone out in the open...well he threw it onto his bed and mumbled something about being a loser. According to Ortho's analysis of Idia's phone, he hadn't been on a mobile game, so what got him so worked up? He sifted through until he found the culprit- the draft of a really sweet...and yeah, kinda cringey message he had written out addressed to the prefect of Ramshackle. Eugh he didn't need to read that...but...but Yuu should. He sends the message for Idia right before his brother comes back into the room, mumbling about how he needs to delete something. His eyes go wide as saucers as he sees not only has the message been sent, but the prefect has read it and is replying in that very moment. Idia reprimands Ortho immediately, but gently until the Prefects response comes through and Ortho confirms the tone is positive. Diasomnia lord help me it's one in the morning

Sebek: Wasn't going to do anything until Lilia mentioned...."exaggerated"...just how important Valentine's Day can be to humans. His decision to try and come up with a last minute gift only amplifies if he sees someone else give Yuu a gift, and ultimately decides with a certain degree of defeat just to buy something from Sam's shop. He decides something practical is best, but gets a little distracted around the candles. Surely in Ramshackle you would appreciate something small, aromatic and it even offers a small bit of heat! He decides to go through with it, but it's only noon, surely he can customize it a bit more before the end of the day. Lilia ends up walking into Sebek's room at around 10:30, only to see him struggling to stay awake as he wipes off paint from the lid. Based on the discarded tissues around, he hasn't been satisfied with any customizations he's tried to make. Lilia gently encourages him just to write a quick note, and he'll deliver it to the prefects doorstep for him so he can get to sleep. Sebek insists it's not perfect, but is forced to accept defeat as Lilia ushers him to bed, reassuring him that the prefect will still appreciate it.

Silver: He knows that he struggles to stay awake, so he starts on his project long before Valentine's day so that he can work on it whenever he has the wherewithall to do so. Come Valentine's day, he has the gift with him during class, and ends up sitting outside of Ramshackle, passed out next to the door waiting for you to show up so he can hand you his gift, which turns out to be a dagger. No, he didn't make it, but he wanted to research the best option for someone of your size and stature, the quality, where to purchase it reliably, to make a small write up on how to care for it properly, what it can and should be used for, and activities it's not suggested to use it for, but you technically "can". It also gives him an excuse to come see you more often to teach you how to use it- often teaching someone is a great way to learn and will add another layer to his training. Lilia: He's been around for so many Valentine's Days, he probably knew the fucking saint it was named after. That being said, he loves to make the most of life, and that doesn't stop here! Get ready for a home cooked meal, you don't have to worry about dinner tonight sweetheart, Lilia's got it covered. Or he'll pay for take out. Or both, to make up for the mess in your kitchen.

Malleus: He's been aware of the holiday for years, but has never really had a reason to celebrate it. But now there's someone who isn't scared of him. Someone who, perhaps if he asked, you would allow him to spend time with you. He ends up daydreaming about the activities the two of you could do together, from making gargoyles to learning to make ice cream together, he ends up spending the entire day like that. Though he's a bit frustrated at his loss of time, he writes out a heartfelt letter to invite you to join him in those activities at a later date. He'll either wait for you outside, or if its too late in the night, simply slide the letter under your door.

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

I was gonna do Che'nya and Neige and even Rollo but its. its way too late, I'm hungry and I have a STATS class tomorrow RIP me.

[alienaiver]

Hello Love, I would love to request a reader with IBS with Bakugo crushing on them

hi my love !!! i hope you'll enjoy this, thank you for sending in a request! <3

warnings: none, fluff + sfw wordcount: 1.3k notes: kept the specific IBS triggers as vague as possible. we all know bakugous a big fan of organizing and planning. impressing you is no less meticulous than his entire career plan. timeskip, semi-early prohero bakugou under best jeanist's agency!

Bakugou prides himself in his cooking, always has. So when Best Jeanist gave him his own department in the agency with various heroes, sidekicks and support under him, he decided he’d build up trust in various ways.

One of them was to cook for his colleagues weekly, gathering them for lunch in the open office at the center of his department floor, only asking them all to provide their own drinks.

It’s popular immediately, everyone gushing over the homemade food by a rising hero like Dynamight. He takes the praise in stride and it motivates him to surpass his own dishes every week. There’s only one issue.

You don’t eat any of it.

It’s not like you choose to be anti-social when this particular lunch break rolls around. You just always bring your own bento box, even if he keeps insisting it’s all free and that he always makes more than needed so that no one needs to hold back.

He makes a variety of dishes; Asian, European, even American styled foods, and whenever he goes directly to your seat to personally present the dishes, you just give him this wide smile that turns his knees into jelly before you say, “that’s so kind of you, Bakugou! Thank you.” before you stab your chopsticks into your own lunch.

It ticks him off, but mostly, it makes him deflate. Of course Bakugou’s not cooking for eight people once a week only to impress you, but it had been part of his 12-step plan to make you fall in love with him. Though he won’t ever admit that he has specific steps set in motion.

First was to get noticed by you in the agency as a whole. Then, to be promoted by Best Jeanist from newly hired sidekick to established hero, and third's to get his own secretary – which you became, because you got along so well by the water cooler. After that was to get this department. A minor step in the right direction was also to get you a new desk that had more space for your trinkets.

His current step, the food, seems to be his Achilles heel. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that you’d have the audacity to be uninterested. You’ve gotten along so well for years now, it’s strange that you don’t even want to taste. He can’t find it in himself to see it as rude, because as earlier established, you dutifully show up and socialize.

He’s in his office, boots on the desk as he contemplates his next move. His food was supposed to have given him an in into your life outside of work, inviting you home to teach you a few cooking tricks, have a nice wine and fluid conversations that’d make you laugh and weak in the knees.

And yet, here he is, dateless.

For a few weeks now he’s been taken peeks at your lunches whenever he passes your desk, but it’s not like anything specific glares at him, like a heavy gluten allergy or lactose intolerance. There’s dairy some days, he’s seen peanuts in your bento, too – and meat. Your diet really doesn’t exude vegetarianism or like you have any other food restrictions. Before weekends, he’s seen you taste the cakes that Himiko, the support secretary, brings with her. But you declined the baked goods he was given once from a rescue mission on a Tuesday. They were both the same type of cake.

Are you just incredibly picky?

He shakes his head and hides his pout in the collar of his suit; he needs to go on patrol soon. He doesn’t have time to think about this all day.

//

A few more grueling weeks of grumbling and groaning over how to make you eat his food, he notices a pattern in your lunches that’s taken him a while to put together. Certain items are never in the bento, like eggs or pineapples.

The other night he ate out with his parents, and his mother loudly talked about her colleague’s stomach issues, not caring that everyone in the restaurant was turning their heads to the conversation; Masaru kept trying to douse her noise level. Not only was the topic sort of awkward when everyone around you is eating (though husband and son were no strangers to such subjects during dinner at the Bakugou household), it’d be a bother if a patron recognized Bakugou.

Of course, Mitsuki paid no heed to anyone else but her family at their table, and explained about the condition she’d just learned about. About certain food triggering reactions even if no official allergy was involved; luckily, the healthcare provided by Mitsuki and Masaru’s company covered some very expensive allergy tests, and she’d then told Mitsuki that she had been diagnosed with IBS.

After being dropped off at his own apartment, he’d sat by his computer and googled IBS, which he learned stands for irritable bowel syndrome. He sucked up all knowledge available on the internet, scientific papers and healthcare provider’s talk about certain diets, testimonials from affected people and watched tons of videos from influencers creating awareness on TikTok. If the bags under his eyes were visible at work the day after, no one commented on it.

//

Now his heartbeat’s through the roof as he puts out the food like usual on the center table, everyone gathering and complimenting him on the smell. His hands are sweaty; more so than normal. He keeps wiping them off on his pants, swallowing excess saliva. In the thermal bag, at the bottom, is a dish specifically made with you in mind. He wonders if you’ll hate it.

You walk in next to Himiko, laughing about a joke she made. You part when you go directly for a seat and Himiko comes up to the make-shift buffet, patting his back in praise.

While everyone is busy filling their plates, Bakugou grabs the last bento box and goes straight to you. He puts it on top of the bento you’re just about to open, “here.”

You freeze for a second, eyes locked on the box. Then you smile up at Bakugou, “that’s so sweet Bakugou, but I brought my own food.”

He almost rolls his eyes before he squats down to lean his arms and head on the table and look up at your eyes. Gently, he says, “it should be safe.”

He hopes his voice doesn't sound as raw as it feels.

The comment takes you back as your eyes are locked onto his. He searches them, drowning in the richness of the color. It’s like he’s at the deep-end of the pool, entranced by a spell, only able to keep himself floating. You raise your brow, “safe?”

He turns away from you with a pout, “I often put pineapple in my curry. And eggs in my bibimbap. This is curry without all the things I’ve noticed you avoid.”

Your eyes travel between the lunch and him, comically back and forth like a cartoon character. “That you’ve noticed I avoid?”

Bakugou blushes; shit. He’d really hoped you wouldn’t catch on to that part. He hides his face in the arms that’s resting on the table edge. “Yeah,” he mutters out, muffled by his hidden face. The silence stretches out, and he’s holding his breath.

After what feels like entirely too long, you let out a small laugh and he hears the lid clicking open. You inhale deeply, and let out a satisfied sigh, “this looks delicious, Bakugou. Did you make it all for me?”

He lifts his head, his eyes still locked to the side. His ears are burning, “mhm,” he nods. You almost coo at him, as you pick up your chopsticks, “this is very kind of you.”

Neither of you notices your colleagues standing around you, various expressions of awe and admiration. You’ve both been the office gossip for some months now.

Bakugou looks at you as soon as you’ve taken the first bite, determined to see your reaction through his embarrassment. Through your chewing you can’t help but smile, stars emerging glittering and shimmering in your eyes as you reach a hand to your cheek, “Bakugou, this is amazing!” you say, taking another mouthful as fast as possible. He loves the way his name sounds when it comes out from your lips; you use it so often it makes him dizzy.

“Can you teach me how to make this? Please?”

Step six completed.

He smirks, “sure. It’s a date.”

check out if my requests are open here ✨

[nanowrimo]

How to Set Realistic NaNoWriMo Goals

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Dabble, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a tool specifically designed for fiction novelists. Today, Dabbler Robert Smith shares a few tips to help you set daily writing goals that will work for you:

November looms, and with it the thrilling, harrowing, and sometimes carb-loaded journey of National Novel Writing Month. As we tie our writer's capes and ready ourselves for a month of intense creation, there's a small matter we need to address: our writing goals.

The Weight of 50,000 Words

Setting goals for NaNoWriMo is like setting a pace for a marathon. You wouldn't expect to sprint a marathon. The same goes for writing. If you try to sprint through, chances are you'll burn out faster than a candle in a windstorm.

However, only doing the minimum can leave you in a precarious position. Because if something comes up—and something always comes up—you’re suddenly behind on your goal, and that can really hurt morale.

So here are some goal setting tips to crush NaNoWriMo this year:

1. Start off strong, so you can end strong.

There is a simple fact about motivation. It starts strong and wanes with time. 

Now to be honest, you won’t be able to write a book with motivation alone. It requires a lot of discipline, and you’ll have to write even when you don’t feel like it.

But a great way to get the most out of that early motivation is to channel it into higher early output.

We all know that 50,000 words split over 30 days is 1667 words a day. But authors who win NaNoWriMo often don’t start there. They shoot for 2,500-3,000 words a day in the first week. That way they build up a buffer for the later weeks where motivation isn’t as high.

Plus, it gives them great forward momentum on their project. So consider setting higher goals early and taking advantage of your early NaNo fervor.

2. Account for daily life.

Even if you've cleared your calendar for November, life has a knack for throwing curveballs. 

Kids get sick. Work projects pop up. You know what I mean. If your word count goal is teetering on the edge of feasibility, any small disturbance can throw it off. 

To combat this, make plans and backup plans. Schedule your writing time around family gatherings. Plan what happens if you miss a day. Set yourself up for success before those situations arise.

3. Use the buddy system.

Find a writing buddy to be accountable to. It could be a friend participating in NaNoWriMo, or even someone you connect with in the NaNo community. 

Check in with each other daily. Celebrate your wins, commiserate over the tricky bits, and hold each other accountable. 

Sometimes, knowing someone else is in the trenches with you can be incredibly motivating.

4. Have weekly check-ins.

Instead of focusing solely on daily targets, also have a weekly goal. This gives you a broader view and allows for some flexibility. If you have a slower day, you can make up for it later in the week without feeling like you've thrown the entire month off course.

5. Actually track your goals.

Obviously, you need to track your goals, but there are multiple ways to do it.

Dabble integrates with NaNoWriMo, so you don’t have to manually submit your word count. And if you fall behind a bit, Dabble will automatically adjust your daily goal accordingly to keep you on track.

But even if you’re just marking off your goals on a napkin at your desk, tracking your progress will help you stay the course to victory.

Now go forth, share your stories, and remember: it's not all about the word count; it's about the words that count.

All NaNoWriMo participants can use the discount code  NANOWRI2023 for 20% off 1 year of Dabble! Offer expires January 31, 2024.

Robert Smith is a Dabbling Writer, and a Writing Dabbler. He likes playing board games with his wife, and deconstructing plots from movies in his spare time.

Top Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash.

[slytherinshua]

(IM)PERFECT WEDDINGS

genre. fluff. a little hurt/comfort. warnings. a lot of crying and distress. yul is there to comfort <3. a little talk about having children. pairing. fiance!yul x fem!reader. wc. 2k. request. no. a/n. i wrote this specifically for @candewlsy <3 mizu ik you've been having a bit of a hard time recently but i hope this cheers you up a bit!! yn may or may not be inspired by you 👁️

Yul knew something was wrong with you the second you refused his request to meet up 5 days ago. It was times like these that he wished he could speed up the preparations for your marriage and just be able to see you at any time he wished as your husband. But for another 4 months, he would still be confined to the frustrating but precious title of fiancé.

Due to his studying and teaching at Jeongjingak, he hadn’t seen you in longer than he would have liked. It was bordering on almost 2 weeks and Yul was rarely the clingy of you two. If he was feeling the effects of missing you so greatly that it was hard to even focus on his work, he wondered how much worse it was for you.

You had as busy a schedule as him, mostly because of your decision to take on all the preparations for your weddings single-handedly. He knew you wanted it to be as perfect as possible. You had been dreaming of this day since you were little. Now that you had found the perfect man, you needed to plan the perfect ceremony as well. From the flowers, location, food, ceremony, afterparty, and even attire, you were responsible for planning it all. 

Yul had always admired how big a dreamer you were. You had fantasies and aspirations and always worked incredibly hard to complete them. And while he was hard-working and book smart, logistical and artistic planning had never been his strong suit. He was lacking in many ways, and watching you work reminded him of it every day.

Or he would have been able to watch you, if you hadn’t been seemingly avoiding his presence for over twelve days now. It was a perfectly sunny afternoon and Yul had finished all his work early. There was absolutely no excuse for him to not come to see you— even the weather was encouraging him to pay you a visit. He knew you were probably cooped up in your room, writing a million letters to all the vendors and designers you had hired for the wedding. It would benefit you greatly to get outside.

The sounds of shouting and subsequent rushing of footsteps was definitely not what Yul had anticipated hearing as he walked up to your home. One of the maids seemed to rush out of the house in a panic, her eyes widening and her face growing hot out of embarrassment once her eyes landed on Seo Yul.

“Master Seo! Oh, goodness, you should not be here right now— If Miss. L/n finds out she’ll only panic more—”

“Why is she panicking?” Yul interrupted the maid’s hurried jumble of words, concern growing every second he didn’t know what was going on. He had only been gone from you for twelve days; what possibly could have happened in that time? Before he even got an answer from the maid, he was already making his way towards the front door, unable to wait a second longer to figure out what was wrong.

“M-master Seo, please!” The poor maid scurried along after him, warning him to not go into the house. Yul seemed to be conveniently deaf to her pleading. As soon as he stepped in, he realized why he might not have been wanted at this particular moment.

Dozens of fabrics were… well, everywhere. On every surface, scattered on the floor, and even some stuck hanging from the walls. Yul’s concern grew, as well as his utter confusion and astonishment at how the house could have gotten this messy.

He followed the sounds of distress until he reached the doorway to your room— exactly what he expected. A harsh shout for everyone to get out sounded, and the silence that followed was almost deafening. Yul waited just outside in almost frozen shock, registering that the shout must have come from your mouth. Never in his life had he heard you shout. You barely ever got angry. A row of servants quickly filed out of the room, each bowing their head in shame.

Yul breathed out heavily, considering whether it would be wise for him to just leave now and not bother you. The last thing he wanted was for him to make you more upset, especially if you felt like you needed to be alone. But he couldn’t bear to leave when he could just make out your broken sobs and sniffles from the closed door. It was the most heartbreaking sound he had ever heard.

He slowly slid the door open a little to peek inside the room, being as quiet as possible in order to not startle you. The room was as messy as the rest of the house— extravagant fabrics strewn all over the floor and tables. You were sitting in the middle of the room, hunched over yourself. Yul noticed that you were dressed in a particularly elegant white hanbok dress that draped over your figure perfectly.

“Y/n? What’s wrong?” He spoke as softly as he possibly could, making sure he didn’t make the situation worse. He wanted to help lessen your tears, not create more. His soft approach seemed to have the opposite effect that he wanted, though. As soon as you heard him, you startled and turned around quickly. Upon laying eyes on him, your sobs only got worse and you immediately hid your face. Yul’s heart sank.

“Love? Tell me what happened.” He coaxed, kneeling down next to you, placing a hesitant hand on your shoulder. He could feel how tense you were, but also how you softened ever so slightly once you felt his touch. He felt relieved that he didn’t seem entirely unwelcome. “Can I help at all?” 

“No! It’s— it’s all ruined, Yul! W-we should have never tried in the first place!” You cried, heartbroken, and Yul frowned again. He pulled you closer to him, wrapping his strong arms around you in a safe embrace. It was clear that he wouldn’t get an answer to what started this mess until you had calmed down a bit. He stroked your back and softly shushed your sobs, waiting patiently for your crying to subside a little. When it finally did and your face was dryer, he pulled away from the hug slightly and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Can you tell me what’s wrong now, love?”

You nodded, eyes focusing on a certain spot on the floor as you started explaining in a mumble, “It’s stupid, but… Since I can’t make my own dress, I wanted to get it from this particular dressmaker. But with our wedding in 4 months, they won’t have it ready in time.” You looked up at him again to gauge his reaction, your eyes watering again as you tried to go on. 

“I tried the other dresses, but they’re just not the same. I just wanted to look pretty for you, and now— now it’s impossible.” Your face crumbled again as you gripped the current dress you were wearing, looking like you wanted to shred it to pieces.

“What do you mean it’s impossible? You always look pretty to me.” Yul said simply, cupping your face in his hands and brushing away some of the new tears that had escaped. He offered you a soft smile, something that would help reassure you that everything was okay.

“I get that this… dress is important to you. You want to wear it more than anything, right?” He asked quietly. Knowing you and how long you had looked forward to getting married, he knew you had probably planned your dream wedding since you were little. It seemed as if you had had your eyes on this particular dress for years now.

You nodded, “If I had more time, I could order the fabrics myself and sew it… But I can’t. This dressmaker has the best fabrics. You know I know everything about fabric— it’s really important for the design. It just won’t work with anything else.” You sighed, seemingly more relaxed about the situation now, but still disheartened.

“Did you design the dress yourself?” Yul questioned. You had always been interested in textiles, and picked it up as your main hobby for most of your life. Most of your wardrobe was made up of your own designs, and you had even designed some pieces for him. Each design was so detailed and stunning; Yul thought you were better than any other designer he had seen.

“Yes. Songrim doesn’t have good seamstresses, Yul. They’ll mess it up, I know they will. This was supposed to be a mockup, but it’s completely different from my original design.” You gestured to the dress you were wearing right now. Yul looked at it again, trying to figure out what you thought was so wrong with it. It looked beautiful to his eyes, but he knew next to nothing about garments.

“We could always… postpone the wedding?” He offered, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. He had already waited so long for this that waiting even longer seemed like torture. But he knew you cared more about the wedding than he did, and he would do anything if it made you happy. 

“But… You wanted to get married before Spring.” You reminded him, heart sinking at the thought of postponing the wedding. It was even worse than not being able to wear your dress. It was clear that you would have to sacrifice one or the other.

“I’ll just pick a different design.” You whispered. “Mine was too complicated to complete in 3 months anyway…” 

“Are you sure?” Yul’s worry reached his voice, and though you didn’t feel quite sure about the decision now, you knew it would all turn out good enough. It didn’t need to be absolutely perfect, sometimes good enough was something you had to accept.

“I’ll save the design. Our daughter can wear it at her own wedding. I’ll make it for her myself.” You spoke, your smile growing as you thought of the idea.

Yul raised an eyebrow, “Our daughter?”

You glanced back at him, “I know you want one.”

He nodded, his face growing a little flushed, “I-I do, but we’ve… never… talked about it before.”

You laughed, “Well, we just did.” You kissed his lips before any more flustered words could come out of them. Despite the disaster that Yul had found you in, and the fact that the situation was still partially unresolved, the kiss made everything feel okay again. You sighed in content at being able to feel his soft lips against yours. Twelve days had really been far too long.

Your hands found their way into his soft brown hair, threading it through your fingers as the kiss went on. His hand cupped your jaw and his thumb stroked your cheek gently as you finally let all the stress of the afternoon panic leave your body. You giggled when you broke apart, your eyes shining with pure love as you looked at your betrothed. His hair had gotten messy from your fingers and his face was flushed as it always was after a long kiss. But he looked so content and at peace, and you savoured knowing that you brought Yul some rare serenity that he had seldom had the luxury of experiencing in the past few years.

“I can’t wait to call you mine.” You confessed, basking in the silent eye contact that Yul gave you. His eyes seemed to hold a million different emotions, all of them professing his undying love for you.

“You know that I already am, love.” He whispered back, pressing his lips to your temple forehead one more time to complete the statement.

↳ k-drama taglist: @eternalgyu,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @cha3w0n-hearts,, @tempobaekh,, @candewlsy,, @cosmicwint,, @cyberpunksunwoo

[jurassic-girlie]

Benji Week 2024

tw for eating issues (Search 'Luckyisshe' on Ao3 for more notes)

"Smaller Than This"

Day 2 Prompt: Growth Spurt

“It’s funny,” Ben started as he set his plate down, “a few years ago I would have refused everything on this plate. Wouldn’t have touched a single thing… but now, barely even a second thought goes into it!” he continued, taking a forkful into his mouth.

“Yeah?” Kenji looked up at him, “That's really good, Ben, great actually. I’m really proud of you,”. 

The boys exchanged smiles and continued eating.

“Absolutely unrelated, but did you want to watch a movie once we’re done? No rush, of course, but that ‘Fall’ movie just came out and I wanted to watch it with you. I don’t know, maybe I could get scared and hug you to make it better?”. Kenji looked towards Ben with a hopeful expression. 

“Sorry, can’t. I’ve got to work out after this, you’re welcome to join me though,”.

“Ben…”

“What?”

“That’s every day this week so far, it’s okay to take a break,”.

“Hey, you’re the one who’s always talking about keeping the gains! Gotta stay active in case any dinos attack, y’know?” Ben attempted to keep a playful demeanor, but Kenji remained serious.

“Listen, Ben, I know you aren’t on your treatment plan anymore, but I remember it like the back of my hand. It specifically mentioned to keep you from exercising after meals… along with the bathroom and the shower, so you can’t, you know…” Kenji trailed off.

“Exactly. I don’t have to follow the plan anymore, therefore I can do what I want Kenj. I promise I’m being careful, you don’t have to worry that pretty little head of yours so much,”.

“But Ben I am worried. I’ve been reading some articles to try and understand this better. Sometimes while in recovery people can swap one eating disorder for another, and I’m worried that’s happening to you. Be honest with me, please. Are you relapsing?”.

“Of course not! You remember how bad things got when I was actually relapsing, back in like, 2018. I’m nowhere near there, I’m just enjoying some light exercise,”.

Kenji thought about it for a moment, after all Ben’s relapse was infamous and terrifying within the CampFam. That summer, Ben had gone to work with Mae on Mantah Corp Island. Mae, to no fault of her own, was under the perception that Ben had fully recovered. In her mind he was treated after being rescued from the island and that was that. She, like everyone else, had assumed that he was fine, and he was free to do what he pleased. When Ben stopped showing up for meals she didn’t question it, she just figured that he was finding time to eat on his own. After all, they were busy managing a dinosaur island by themselves, there wasn’t time to check in every hour. 

Ben started dropping weight, slowly at first, but it progressed as time went on. Mae kicked herself for not realizing what was happening sooner, but by the time she had noticed, it was too late. By early autumn Ben was hospitalized for his eating disorder for the second time in his life. It was this event that led to the Nublar Six researching much more about eating disorders than the average person.

Remembering this, Kenji shook his head. “No. No, I love you but I know what you’re doing. You don’t have to be underweight to be relapsing, Ben, you know that. You don’t have to skip every meal to be relapsing. You don't have to skip any meals to be relapsing. Over-exercising, however, is a form of purging. Purging means a relapse. So tell me Ben, what’s going on?” Kenji tried to make eye contact, though he didn’t want Ben to see the tears welling in his eyes.

Ben sighed. “I don’t know. I just– I feel enormous. I know that’s a good thing, gaining weight and getting taller and everything, but it just feels wrong. I’ve been skinny all of my life up until now. I just feel like it’s not as bad if I can at least gain muscle instead of fat. Then it feels more like I deserve to eat…” he revealed before he thought about what he was admitting.

“Ben…” Kenji sat in heartbroken disbelief. 

“Just forget I said anythi–”

“No,” Kenji cut him off, “help me understand,”.

“Well… obviously recovery has led to a lot of growth spurts, and I love that everyone is trying to be nice, and they’re only talking about how tall I am, but the others keep making comments about how big I’ve gotten, or how much harder I am to hug. I just can’t help myself from thinking they’re talking about my weight. Every time they call me huge, I imagine them judging me for being fat, it makes me feel disgusting,”.

Kenji took a moment to collect his thoughts. He pulled Ben into a hug before speaking. “I am so, so sorry. I’ll let everyone know immediately, okay? It’s unfair to you that we didn’t even consider that. Just, please, promise me you’ll tell me if you feel this way again? If anything is even borderline triggering to you, promise me you’d let me know?” His voice wavered and tears rolled down his cheeks, but Ben didn’t mention it.

“I promise, Kenj. I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner,”.

“Shush, don’t apologize,”. Kenji pulled him tighter into the hug. “I’ll let them know right now, okay?”

“Okay,”. Ben pulled out of the hug. “Hey, um… I’m gonna get seconds, do you, uh, want any?”

“Yeah, for sure,”. Kenji smiled.

As Ben refilled their plates, Kenji pulled out his phone and started typing out a message. Ben noticed he didn’t receive the notification once Kenji put his phone down, though he didn’t say anything.

—-

Benjamin Pincus’ Secret Support Group 

Hey guys, Ben just shared some pretty vital info with me. Basically he said when we make comments about him being “big” or “huge” it triggers him really bad. I think it’s best that from now on we avoid making any comments about his appearance (height, weight, muscle etc. ). And just keep an eye out, he might be on the verge of a relapse /:

[ro-presents-penelopegarciashorts]

NOT REQUESTED

penelope garcia x stud!reader

jus reader and penelope. brief encounter with unnamed florist. brief mention of kevin.

After not having been able to spend quality time with your girlfriend for two weeks, you plan something special to remind her of what she means to you.

Pure Fluff

Established relationship. Mentions of lust and arousal, hints of future smut. Vague mentions of insecurity. No use of Y/N.

2.1k WORDS

You haven't seen your girlfriend, Penelope, for two weeks. Not really. Sure, the two of you shared a bed, but you guys never got home around the same time. Especially not with both of your jobs being kind of hectic right now. When you got home sometimes, Penelope was already soundly asleep. When you woke, she was already gone. Then, there were times where that pattern was reversed, but it all just depended on what was going on at you guys' respective jobs. That said, you two had been in this share a bed only space for a little over a month now, and it was really starting to drive you both crazy.

Things had calmed down at your job a bit. You guys had wrapped up a big project a few days ago, and the post-project chaotic buzz was finally starting to wear off. Penelope had texted you today, informing you that her team had just wrapped their latest case, and that there was a chance she could be home by seven tonight. That was when the gears in your head begin to turn.

Able to leave work early, you had headed straight to the grocery store, bought all the ingredients for her favorite dinner. Now, you were at a flower shop. There was this surprise arrangement that she liked that you did for her. It always consisted of her favorite flower being dominating with other pretty, unfamiliar flowers sprinkled in. She liked to look up the meaning of the flowers later.

"Excuse me, I need flowers," you says and the woman gives you a smile that politely says obviously, and you continue for clarification, "My bad. What I mean is, I need a bouquet that tells a specific emotional story, conveys a message, really."

"Mkay," the woman nods, "And, what would you like your flowers to say?"

"I love you, I've missed you. It's an honor to be with you. I'm so proud of you and the work you do," you say with ease. Never is it hard to pinpoint of verbalize your feelings for your girlfriend. Maybe in the beginning, but after four years, you've gotten more attached to your own emotions and thus, more expressive. "Um, just a giant thank you for being who she is, and for choosing me, choosing us every day, and throw in a good chunk of daffodils because those are her favorites. I also want it to be as colorful as she is, really bright and beautiful."

"Love, longing, pride and admiration and gratitude," she murmurs to herself as she writes in a little notepad. She looks back up at you, "And, as bright, beautiful and colorful as she is, and who is the she in question, for reference?"

Your eyes light up as you pull out your phone. It's easy enough to find a photo of her. Penelope is both your lockscreen and your phone screen, and she happens to take up about 75% percent of your camera roll. You show her a slew of photos, finding yourself sharing the memories behind each. God, did you miss actually spending time with her.

"Beautiful smile," the worker compliments your girlfriend as you pull your phone away.

"I know, huh?" And, your smile is gleaming with pride. She finds it cute, how in love you are. She takes you around the store then. Showing you various flowers that fit all of your requirments. It's hard to choose, to narrow it down. Before you've realized it, your bouquet has turned into an arrangement. But, it's fine. More money than you had anticipated spending, but you want to make her melt when she gets home tonight, and money is but a small sacrifice.

You head straight home afterward. It's difficult, sometimes, to pinpoint when Penelope will be home. The romantic dinner set up has to be done before then, so there's no room in your time schedule to make any other stops. When you get home, you jump straight into the set up, wanting everything to be absolutely perfect for when Penelope comes home.

Which doesn't happen. You're only about a quarter of the way finished with your meal by the time she gets home, but you did set up. So, when she walks through the door of you guys' home, you hear a delighted squeal of awe at how beautiful everything looked. Turning the stove down, you dash out of the kitchen, shouting in a frantic dismay, pleading for her to close her eyes and cover them. When you reach her, her eyes are still open and she's got the most adorable confused expression on her face.

"My surprise," you say, covering her eyes for her as you begin to guide her to you guys' bedroom, "for you is incomplete, and I don't want you to see anything else until I am completely ready so you can't be up here," you inform her, nudging the bedroom door open with your foot. When you've guided her to the bed, you gently push her down. You grab a pin. "Look into the pen."

She giggles, "I'm looking." You click the pen, and playing along, she blinks, mimicking confusion rather well minus the smile in her eyes. "Where am I? How did I get here?" She asks, unable to stop her giggles from escaping her yet again. You smile, loving her a little bit more now for having played along with your mind wiping pen, Men in Black reference without so much as a second thought. You really didn't think it was possible for you to have a better girlfriend.

You lean down and kiss her before dashing out of the room. "I'll come back for you when everything is ready!"

She swoons, watching you sprint back to the front. You were quite possible the sweetest person she's ever known. If not that, you were definitely the sweetest, most kind person she had ever dated. If you were going to go out of your way to surprise her, she would do a little something to surprise you as well. While you work on your preparations, she pulls out your favorite dress of hers. She showers her day away before slipping into it and redoing her hair and make up, wearing your favorite piece of lingrie underneath. She didn't know what you had in store, but she wanted you to fall to your knees the next time you saw her.

After some time, you finished up cooking the meal. Taking your time, you were so careful how you set the table, about making sure you set out the forks and such the correct way. It was never something you personally remembered; you'd had to google. Penelope wouldn't be able to tell, either. If the placements were correct or not. but every time you guys had ever gone to one of those fancy restaraunts that care about placements like that, she always got excited about how nice everything was. She always commented on the silverware, and it was always so precious to you. So, yeah, you made sure to get it right. You were also extremely careful about the presentation of the food as you fix you guys' plates. She liked to take pictures so you wanted it to be picture perfect. When you were satisfied with your efforts, you make good on your promise to go back and get her.

Upon opening your bedroom door, you see Penelope, examining herself in the mirror, wearing that dress that makes your knees go weak. The one that's in your favorite color, the one that hugs her curves and highlights the beauty of her shape in the most heavenly of ways. The one that does absolute wonders for her cleavage. The one that makes you damn near drool, makes you want to drop to your knees and have a different kind of meal. As your eyes trail back upward to meet her eyes, you find her smirking at the unabashed lust in your eyes. You pull yourself together. You want tonight to be so much more than just about sexual intimacy, and you had put so much energy into preparing everything to give her a full experience. You've waited weeks. You could a bit longer. You clench your jaw and clear your throat.

Extending your arm for her to take, "M'lady, your dinner awaits."

Coming forward to you, she takes your hand and kisses your cheek. Continuing to hold her hand, you wrap free arm around her waist and start to guide her down the hall. Eyes uncovered this time, she gasps in wonderment at the bright, white Christmas lights you've hung in arches in the hall way. She loves the face that she's walking on rose petals, even if they are fake ones. She swoons at how you've turned the entire apartment into a romantic wonderland on a random weekday, for no reason at all. The more she takes it all in, the more anxious she finds herself to repay you later on tonight. Reaching the kitchen, the first thing she sees is the arrangement you had made acting as a centerpiece.

She squeezes your hand, "Oh my God," she gushes, "They're so lucious and so so beautiful!"

You feel your heart flutter in your chest at the sound of her joy. Buying her flowers and plants was a big thing for you. You always stressed over it so much because you knew how much she valued plant life and pretty things. You'd yet to gift her a plant, bouquet or flower arrangement that she didn't like, but a part of you still held your breath until she saw it every time.

"I have a card of the names of all the flowers in the arrangement on it." You tell her and she looks at you with the softest eyes. "I know how you like to look up the meanings for yourself later." You add, as the two of you get closer to the table. When you guys are close enough, you let her go so you can pull out her chair. as your doing this, she leans in to smell the arrangement. With her chair pulled out, you help her sit before pushing her chair back in, pouring her a glass of wine before doing the same for yourself at taking your seat.

"Ooh!" she exclaims, "How fancy!" And you smile, not even having to look at her to know she's referencing the silverware placements. "And, dinner smells amazing, baby, thank you."

You shrug, downplaying your efforts, "I just wanted to do a little somethin' for you."

"A little something?" She asks, eyebrows raised, giggling, "Baby, you've turned our home into a five star dining experience." She notes, squinting just a little, "What is all this?"

"Nothing really," you answer, "I've just missed you a lot, and I wanted to do something for you."

Penelope all but melts in her chair. She doesn't think she'll ever say it outloud, because she's ashamed of the thought, but for a while, she thought Kevin was as good as she was ever going to get. Even after they broke up. But, then, she met you, and sometimes, she still feels like you aren't really.

"Where did you come from?"

"I materialized from your sweetest dreams," is your answer with a grin.

She snorts, playfully, "I couldn't have imagined you if I tried. You, my love, are more magical than unicorns."

Your smile widens, "I think that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

The two of you start in on your meal after that, and she moans at the first bite. You guys talk, really talk for the first time in two weeks, catching up on all things new. You talk about work, but not about any of the dark or boring parts, no. You two keep it light, tell each other about the new gossip updates in your respective offices. You've missed this more than you had realized. For a brief moment, your heartbreaks a little for people who don't get to experience what you two share.

"You know," she says with a light air of casualness, "I have a surprise for you of my own tonight." And, the implication is clear. It hangs heavy in the air as you resort to speechlessness in favor of sputtering your words. Penelope knew exactly what to do to make your brain melt out of your head, to take every bit of intellect in you and wash it away. That statement, in that dress, it takes all your effort to get through dinner. It's hard to focus on anything with your boxers becoming more increasingly soaked in anticipation of what she had in store for you later.

[awenvs3000f24]

Blog post 09

I do not have a plethora of deep interesting knowledge about one aspect of nature that most would not already know about, though I wish I did and someday hope I will. I was racking my brain to think of what the most amazing thing about nature is in my opinion, thinking of all the places I have traveled to and learned about, thinking about unique and interesting species I have learned about in other environmental science classes. I realized the part of nature that I connect to most and think about almost daily is something that is not very impressive as it is not niche but something that is very impressive when  you take a moment to think about its effect on the way we live our lives, the changing of the seasons. 

This week's textbook reading of chapter 10 “The Bright Future of Interpretation” talks a lot about authenticity and awe within interpretation. These are the factors that put the meaning and interpretation into a person's experience with nature that will make an impact on them. If you are authentic in your interpretation and provide the feeling of awe, the audience will leave with a positive lasting impression, no matter what the context of interpretation was, and “in addition, experiences of awe stimulate wonder, curiosity, perspective, purpose, and creativity (Beck et al., 2018).” The simplicity of how our world drastically changes 4 distinct times of the year is the most amazing part of nature to me, and each one provokes a unique feeling of “awe” due to the beautiful setting it presents, and the feelings that come with it due to the weather, the activities that become available, and the significant life events they bring. 

Ever since I was little I have loved the seasons. My love and admiration for them has continued but the reasoning for that love has changed as I’ve grown up and my experience and connection to them has grown with me. In chapter 10, there is a quote that goes “Involvement with nature doesn’t begin in adulthood, but rather during early to middle-childhood (Beck et al., 2018),” and I think this is extremely true. Our experiences with nature as children, builds the foundation for our connection to it in adulthood. As a child I loved spring and I loved summer the most. My reasoning for this aligned with what my life looked like in the specific months that these seasons occurred, and thus when I thought about these seasons, what it looked like outside at this time of year, I could feel how I felt in the memories I associated with nature at that time. My birthday is in April, and I absolutely loved my birthday as a child. I loved to plan it, I loved to be celebrated and surrounded by all my friends and family. I have such great memories surrounding my birthday each year, and it is what I most looked forward to every year as a child. I knew the snow would be hopefully melting and I could have my parties outside and run around with all my friends and cousins. I also had dance competitions in the spring every year growing up which was the most exciting time for my friends and I. It meant we got to travel to different places together, stay in hotels and do what we love. Every weekend at competition we would be running around outside in the new warm weather after being indoors all winter playing capture the flag between our performances. These memories are very specific to me and my life experiences which is what makes the association each person has to the seasons so special. People who were born in the winter might have the complete opposite connection to spring than I do. 

When summer hits, especially while still being in school I feel a sense of ease and excitement, it's easier to get up in the morning when the sun rises earlier and the air is warmer, and there is a free feeling associated with the excitement of school being out. Now, even while still in school and working in the summer, when the air starts to get warmer and the days start to get longer, I feel a weight lifted off of me because of the connection to summer that began as a child. I feel lighter and more free even when I am still busy. 

In my present life, I look forward to the season of fall, and my connection has shifted more to the natural aspects of this time of year, while still including the experiences I indulge in within these months. After a long summer, and especially since our summers have become increasingly hot, I look forward to the first feelings of fall weather every year. The little bit of breeze when you first walk outside, how the air feels just a little crispy and you can almost smell the difference. I go on so many walks and hikes in the fall because it is the most beautiful time of the year in nature. The colorful trees are like someone came along and painted them so perfectly just for us to enjoy. It is getting cooler, but still not cold enough for the animals and insects to disappear so they are still around for admiration. Students do their work outside because it is the perfect temperature of not too cold and not too hot. People collectively start wearing a whole new wardrobe (cozy sweaters and boots)  and watching the tv shows we view as comfortable and cozy (for me that's Gilmore Girls). There are no rules on how we change along with the seasons, yet we do. There is a totally new feeling in life when nature starts to change around us, and it has much more effect than we even realize. As chapter 10 of the textbook says, “Interpretation enriches experiences, advances physical and mental health, benefits the environment [..](Beck et al., 2018)." If we acknowledge natures beauty more often, we will appreciate it more and care for it more. 

[maknaeswrld]

They Don’t Know About Us | k.sm

glimpses of moments between lovers who can’t share their relationship with the world

wc: 1.4k

genre: secret relationship

cw: fem!idol reader; fluff; ‘angst’; secret relationship (but friends know); rooftops; the mildest mentions of making out; ‘mom’ is Readers group leader; originally a songfic which is why the flow may be weird; kind of all over the place honestly lol; lemme know if I missed anything :)

song inspo: They Don’t Know About Us - One Direction

“Is this going to end terribly? Dating isn’t exactly encouraged in our industry.” Y/n whispered. Seungmin smirked and pressed his forehead against yours.

“What people don’t know, won’t kill them, right?”

You giggled. “We’re gonna be in deep shit if they find out.”

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” He pulled you into him and nudged his face into your neck.

You wrapped your arms around him and played with his hair.

“I love you.” You whispered, he stiffened in your arms and the breath knocked out of you as you waited for his response.

Seungmin propped his chin up on your chest, his eyes searching yours.

“Really?” He asked, seeming more shocked than upset.

You bit your lip but nodded. He grinned and kissed you. “I love you too, Y/l/n Y/n.”

“Promise?” You giggled in between kisses.

“Forever and always.” Seungmin whispered back.

“Didn’t know you were the cheesy romantic type, Kim Seungmin.” You grin and pull him down for another kiss. As things start getting more heated, an intruder clears their throat, making their presence known.

“First of all, you two are disgustingly cute, secondly, y’all are way too young to be talking forever, and last but not least, mom says breakfast is ready.” Noel, one of your members of your group, voices from the doorway, Eve right behind her, pretending to gag before rushing off to the kitchen.

You threw a pillow at her and told her you’d come down in a second.

“We’re gonna prove them all wrong one day.” Seungmin states as he gets up and places a kiss on your head before putting his shirt on and making his way out of your room to let you get dressed.

~•~

You, Seungmin, and both of your groups had been planning this specific evening for weeks. It was the Summer Solstice, which meant it was the longest day of the year and with that comes the most daylight of the entire summer.

It was a bit of a tradition to spend the solstice out enjoying the day, attending the festivals, but this was the first year your groups were being allowed to celebrate without a bunch of managers and bodyguards watching your every move. You still had a few, but not nearly as many as typical.

Yours and Seungmin’s groups were both signed under JYP Entertainment, so you were often seen all together, having been trainees around the same time and working on a lot of the same projects. The groups had merged and all become one friend group fairly early on, so it didn’t surprise anyone when your leaders had asked to spend the solstice all together.

You and Seungmin were in charge of packing up food and drinks to survive a whole day, which left sleepy Seungmin wrapping his arms around your waist and his face nuzzling into your neck as you made everyone’s lunches.

“We should tell them.” He mumbled against your skin.

“Tell who what?” You knew exactly who he was referring to and what about, but you also knew it was too early for this conversation and avoiding it sounded like a good option.

“Everyone. About us. The company, the public, I want the whole fucking world to know you’re my girl. Our friends know, and I’m thankful for that, but I don’t want anyone else thinking they have a chance with my girl.”

One thing you learned early on in your relationship is that a tired Seungmin is a truthful one. You smiled sadly, remembering how you’ve brought this same topic up but he’s always been too scared of the company’s reaction.

“We’ll talk about this when I’m not the only thing keeping you from taking a nap on the kitchen floor.”

~•~

You giggled as Seungmin grabbed your hand and pulled you into him after spinning you out. He grabbed your waist and grinned as his eyes met yours and your chests pressed together.

“Hi.” You whisper.

“Hi.” He whispers back.

The two of you had been taking a stroll on a mostly empty street when a sudden downpour of summer rain drenched you both. You ran down the street, laughing as you went, your clothes completely soaked through and your hair in wet strands.

Coming to a stop, you look around and notice the storm drove the few people littering the area away.

“It’s just you and me out here now.” Seungmin smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Then that means there’s no witnesses and I can do this.” you lift yourself onto your tippy toes and kiss him hard.

His lips press against yours as he deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you in closer to him. You loosely drape your arms over his shoulders and tangle your hands into his wet hair.

Finally pulling away for air, he presses his forehead against yours. “I love you so much, Y/n/n.”

“I love you more, Minnie.”

“Impossible.” He gives you a shiteating grin as he kisses your nose. “Last one to the dorms is a rotten egg.”

And with that, he took off at a full sprint down the street.

“You totally cheated!” You shout as you immediately follow suit, laughing as you chase after him.

~•~

A long day of non-stop practice, feeling like you just couldn’t get any of your parts or dances right, as well as anything else that could go wrong going wrong, lead to you wrapped up in a blanket laying down on the roof of the dorms, blankly staring at the neverending sky above you.

You distantly acknowledge the sound of traffic below you, and you could hear voices coming from the cracked door of the rooftop entry, but the door was so far you couldn’t hear the conversation and thought absolutely nothing of it until someone made their way up the wobbly stairs to your safe space.

“I already told you I just wanna be left alone for a while, I need some time to think.” You mumbled, not even looking up. You didn’t have to, you’d already told everyone that tried to come talk to you to shove off at least twice.

“Well that’s no way to welcome a guest of this household. What would thy mother say?” The comforting voice of your boyfriend sounded in the quiet air.

You sat up quickly to take in his appearance, he looked like shit.

Gasping, you shot up off the ground and made your way to him, gently pulling him into a hug trying not to let your tears flow.

“What happened to you, Min?” You asked softly against his chest.

He gingerly wrapped his arms around you and held you tighter, kissing the top of your head.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

You had established early on in the relationship, when you were practically still friends with benefits, that you didn’t want to keep things from each other, and that the phrase could effectively end pretty much any argument or feud as it forces the two of you to just sit down and communicate.

You both spent the rest of the night curled up on the rooftop in a shared blanket, telling each other about your shitty days and promising to be there for each other next time, and that tomorrow would be better.

You both ended up falling asleep up there and got to wake up to a gorgeous sunrise over the cityscape.

As the sky painted from dark blue to a light orange, the two of you made your way inside and decided to make breakfast for your members before heading over to the boys dorms for the day.

Your girls were glad to see you both in better spirits than the previous evening.

“You two behave, you hear me. I don’t wanna be bailing anyone out today.” Your leader warned as she munched on some bacon.

“Yes ma’am.” Seungmin bowed before he put an arm around you and the two of you make your great escape.

The walk to the boys dorms from yours isn’t a long one, and you and Seungmin were in high spirits by the time they finally came into view.

Wandering in, Seungmin finally dropped his arm to grab drinks from the fridge.

“Aren’t you two chipper this morning,” Minho groans from his spot on the couch.

“Oh yeah. Full on balls of sunshine.” Seungmin winked at you as he passes you a drink, you grin as you clink yours against his, ready for a great day with some of your friends and the love of your life.

[intimidating-fettuccine]

We've barely talked about Jason's chaotic and prankster side, so...could I request headcanons of some mischief or silliness jason has done?

Take carro of you :3

Jason has red hair, everyone knows this. However! One day he got the silly urge to dye his hair a few shades darker. It was noticeable, but whenever someone would question him, he'd say it was the same shade it's always been. If someone tried to use photo evidence, he'd convince them it was just that specific lighting that day that made it look brighter. This went on for weeks, and whenever his roots would show, he'd touch them up with more dye. Eventually, he let his hair grow back out to its natural color, and despite how pissed some people got at him for it he thinks it was worth it.

Jason is also known to not be a good chef. While he can bake and make sweets tastier than you've ever had before, the man cannot cook regular food that isn't meant to be sweet. He's trying to change this, but it's taking some time and he knows his food still isn't good yet. The creeps take turns setting the table and getting all the food lined up and ready though, and sometimes when it's Jason's turn to set the table and get the food lined up, he'll tell everyone it was his turn to cook that day. This is amusing to him, because he loves watching them try to figure out if the food is actually edible or not, and they never know if they should actually fill their plates up. Eventually, he will tell them he was joking (or the actual cook that night will say something) but Jason just loves teasing them.

It's pretty well known in the Underworld what Jason's basic toys that he uses for work look like, however, Jason is also capable of making other ones. When he goes to all of those balls and galas and high-class functions he's generally on his best behavior, but he tends to get internally pretty bored at a lot of them. Because of this, sometimes he'll sneak in a new prototype of a toy and have it wreak some havoc for his own entertainment. Nobody ever knows it's him because he's so gentlemanly and well-behaved and he's an excellent actor and acts just as surprised as everyone else, and he never uses the same design twice. The only person that's aware it's him is Slender and that's purely because Slender has seen him sneaking them into his pockets before they leave for the event.

Jason prefers his beauty sleep, however, sometimes he'll have to wake up early due to an emergency or a change of plans, and he understands that, but what he refuses to understand and accept is when someone just wakes him up early without a good reason. Slender, at one point, woke Jason up early a few times as he wanted to try and encourage Jason to be more social. That could not have backfired more. Slender is pretty damn obsessed and reliant on coffee, and Jason ended up, for several weeks, waking up before Slender every morning, and switching all of his coffee beans between different bags, so Slender was always using a different coffee bean than he meant to. After a lengthy apology and a promise to never wake him up early again, Jason finally stopped switching around his coffee and relished in the joy of sleeping as much as he wanted to.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Hey hey, I'd it OK if u come up with Toman hcs...

But you slander them

Whoops ok maybe I didn't slander them exactly, these kinda ended up being more annoying things they do in a relationship but here we are, one for everyone

Mikey- wants to always sleep with his old towel that he never let's you wash, tries to share it with you too even though it's too small and then gets pouty when it doesn't cover you both.

Draken- sometimes he gets a bit too invested in his motorbike, will ignore you for it.

Takemichi- says he'll handle dinner but then just gets takeout instead of cooking.

Baji- will leave bed in the middle of the night to go feed cats without waking you up "damn it Keisuke, I wanted to see the cats too!"

Chifuyu- uses manga for all his date ideas (ok this actually sounds kinda cute but be prepared for him to have the manga with him on the date and peak at it like an instruction manual throughout)

Mitsuya- works too hard, will fall asleep at his desk instead of coming to bed sometimes.

Hakkai- occasionally when he wakes up he forgets he's ok to talk to you and gets nervous all over again in his sleepy state

Pah- talks too loudly on the phone (he says it's because he's excited to talk to you but still shhhhh)

Peh- wants to invite Pah with you guys on all your dates

Smiley- threatens to kill you when you sneak up on him and kiss him (he's just a bit flustered and panicking)

Angry- takes your injuries too seriously, a tiny paper cut? Be prepared to have a bunch of plasters put on it (a kiss too)

Mucho- sir we cannot fix every argument with cheese cake

Sanzu- will follow you around to make sure you're safe at times

Kisaki- just assumes you're as good at maths as he is, will ask you random maths questions while you grocery shop to figure out prices and deals. You keep having to explain the need for a calculator to him.

Hanma- will try to irritate you just because he finds your angry reaction "cute and fun"

Kazutora- is a bit too clingy at times, be prepared to be late for work because of hugs.

Hina- will tidy up your stuff and make you lose it

Emma- insists on you having a special cute ringtone specifically for her and your phone can't be on silent.

Naoto- is very secretive about his police work,  will not tell you how his day has been.

Akkun- begs to do practice hair cuts on you, will chase you around with a pair of scissors begging you.

Takuya- tries to act too strong when he's sick, he doesn't want to seem weak to you so he takes on too much and ends up getting worse. 

Makoto- mutters when he's sleeping, keeps you up sometimes, it's always such random things too.

Yamagishi- will tell you delinquent facts at the most random times, be prepared to hear about old fights while brushing your teeth.

Koko- panics over what to buy you for birthdays because he just spoils you all throughout the year, pouts close to your birthday.

Inui- can walk better in heels then you

Taiju- laughs too loud, if you're not expecting it then it can cause you to jump.

Yuzuha- Too many other people wanting her attention, easy to feel forgotten about sometimes.

Izana- calls you his queen in public (no matter your gender) and wants you to call him your king.

Kakucho- is so nervous about you meeting izana and wanting the two of you to get along that he sweats the whole time during that first meeting (you and izana bond over teasing him about it)

Mochi- finds it easy to carry you so will sometimes just randomly pick you up if he feels you're walking too slow.

Ran- keeps low key insulting your hair when talking about his own (takes you to the salon often too)

Rindou- gets overly competitive with you at the gym, he may love you but he's not going easy on you (though I feel like a lot of you won't complain about the limb locking)

Shion- accidentally let slip he was planning to propose like a week early.

Senju- will randomly grab your hand and start quickly running if she wants to show you something (good luck with keeping up with her)

Takeomi- will steal the blankets as you're sleeping 

Wakasa- if he thinks you're talking too much or grinding your teeth or something then he'll just place his dango stick in your mouth.

Shinichiro- be prepared for cheesy pick up lines 24/7 (he wants you to say them back too)

Benkei- sometimes just throws his clothes at your head randomly (he actually wants you to wear them but instead of just asking you'll suddenly be plunged into darkness by a jacket landing on your head.

South- will sometimes randomly serenade you, even in public causing everyone to stare.