#they both live near the beach. not too far away from each other

[beyondourstars]

[urfavleo777]

joost klein x fem!oc smut

warnings: fingering, language.

The club near the beach seemed to be a favorite attraction for tourists.

After midnight, every corner was bustling with life, people were constantly smiling and exchanging long discussions at the tables. There was no room for lack of alcohol; every table was decorated with at least one bottle of wine or, in crazy cases, vodka. The music playing in the background pushed guests towards the dance floor, where they danced to the rhythm of fast songs.

“It's only our third day and we have already made this place our tradition.” My friend Lena exclaimed, accidentally spilling her glass of vodka. “Fuck! I knew everything was going too well!”

Amber and I burst into laughter as we watched our friend make sloppy movements to wash away the stinking liquid. Amber was really beautiful. She had large, almost black eyes. Quite strong makeup emphasized her delicate facial features and full lips.

We met her on the first day of our trip in the Netherlands. We bumped into each other while looking for a hotel in Noordwijk; or rather, we were saved by her. The taxi dropped me and Lena off at a remote location, both of our phones were dead, so we didn't know how to get to the hotel. The fact that it was only a few minutes after midnight didn't help at all. I remember thinking we would be stuck there forever.

Fortunately, we found Amber on a dark street where she was returning from work. She calmed us down and helped us find our way. We thanked her, she wrote her phone number on a piece of paper and the next day she took us here; to a lively beachside pub. We've been coming here every night since then.

“Come on, I'll help you wash it off. It's a waste of such a pretty dress.” She said calmly, standing up and leading Lena towards the door marked with a triangle symbol. Lena's crimson lips curved into a slight smile and she looked at me, her look instantly revealing her shock and nervousness. Oh, I knew exactly how Lena felt about Amber. She told me that the day after we met, they exchanged messages. I often caught her smiling at the phone, but out of respect for them, I chose to act as if I knew nothing.

“We'll be right back, Y/n. Maybe you'll find yourself a nice gentleman who will make your evening even more pleasant!” A smirk appeared on Lena's face. I rolled my eyes, hiding my amusement.

“Have fun and don’t get lost this time!” Amber called after me and giggled.

“Maybe you'd better not come back!” I stuck my tongue out at them in a mocking way.The girls gave me the middle finger before the door finally closed.

I sighed, taking a sip of vodka, washing it down with Pepsi. I felt the vibrations on my body, despite my fatigue I felt the call of the music. There was a smell of alcohol in the air and the smell of smoke released from time to time from under the DJ console. 

After one glass of alcohol in a row, I stopped feeling tired. A dance floor full of dancing people seemed damn tempting. The thumping bass and catchy beats effectively encouraged me to devote myself to the music. 

Seconds and minutes passed and the girls didn't come back. White light flashed from the ceiling from time to time, blinding for a second. I squinted a bit and checked the time on my phone. 01:01 AM.

Suddenly I felt someone's eyes on me. This may sound funny because, hey, I was just in a crowded club, it's normal for people to look at each other. But this was different, I felt frustrated when someone was staring at me and I didn't even know who.

I looked up from my phone and then I saw him.  A few tables in front of me, a man sat alone, sipping a drink. His blond hair was messy and disheveled, and he was wearing thick-rimmed glasses. Something moved strangely inside me when our eyes met. He gave me a brave smirk that it sent shivers down my spine.

When he realized that I had exposed him, he took off his glasses and put them on the table. However, he was too far away for me to get a good look at his facial features. I noticed that he was holding a cigarette in the fingers of his right hand. He took a drag of it, watching me in concentration. Is smoking even allowed in clubs?

Girl, you're in the Netherlands. I reminded myself.

“Y/n!” I heard someone shouting my name as I turned back and saw Amber and Lena running towards me. When they both took their seats, I had a perfect view of their rosy cheeks, uneven breathing and the abashed glances they were sending to each other. I suppressed a smile with a clear throat. “I'm sorry you had to wait so long. Lena got her dress so dirty that we had to take it all off to clean it.”

Why is everybody having sex except me?

“Oh, I can certainly imagine that. Actually, I’m tired of sitting in one place all the time. How about hitting the dance floor?”

“Finally! I thought you'd never ask!” Lena squealed, grabbing both of our hands.

About half a minute later we were in a different state of consciousness. The colorful spotlights seemed brighter and the music seemed louder. We were jumping to the rhythm of some electronic song, shouting its lyrics to each other. The song was in a foreign language and it was the first time I heard it, so Amber was probably the only one in our group who sang the lyrics correctly. My legs were burning with fire. It's been a long time since I spent such a long time on the dance floor dancing non-stop, but I enjoyed it. 

Now I was much closer to the table of the man who was staring at me with incredible passion.

I looked at him again, and when we made eye contact, he winked at me. The stranger, dressed in black jeans and a gray hoodie, stared at me with an unreadable expression, blonde hair falling across his forehead. I didn't even know his name, but everything about him was suddenly stirring something inside me. His blonde hair. High cheek bones. His mustache. The tattoos on his hands. His smile too. It was something I couldn't look away from. As if I'd seen him somewhere before, but couldn’t recall where.

When “Careless whisper” started playing and Amber and Lena started to get closer to each other, I decided to leave them alone.

I gave a thumbs up to give Lena courage. She smiled shyly and placed her hands on Amber's waist. I apologized to the people around me and left the dance floor, heading outside. I needed to get some fresh air, and more specifically, listen to the sound of the sea waves.

The night was cold and the wind bit at my bare arms, chills running through my body. I sat down on the sand and scolded myself for not bringing anything to cover my head and shoulders. 

I inhaled sharply and then listened to my heartbeat because I was alone. I didn't worry about getting my dress dirty. It was worth it for this view. 

I started to feel dizzy. I felt like I was about to fall asleep. I shouldn’t have drank too much.

"Enjoyed dancing to one of my songs, huh?" I suddenly heard a raspy voice from behind me. I turned around to experience the biggest shock of my life. It was the same man who had ogled me in the club. I looked at him with wide eyes. The moonlight fell on him, making his honey skin shine, while the wind blew, making his hair move gently. Even the moon wasn't as beautiful as him.

I scrunched my nose. I tried to recreate all the songs I danced to in my head. I didn't have to wait long until he finally sat down next to me.

“You're a musician?”

He let out a small chuckle and, oh my God, his laugh was so hot. 

“Yeah, something like that. But lately people have gotten used to calling me Europapa. I guess, I don't have a name anymore.” I laughed at his words. After his hint, I was finally able to figure out what song he was the author of.

“Ah, it's you. I knew you reminded me of someone. In my country, people already made you a global superstar.”  He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

“Oh, really? Where are you from?”

I nodded. “Poland, straight from the capital. How about you, Joost?”

I used his name for the first time since I could finally remember it. Judging by the expression on his face, I had to amuse him with my pronunciation because he started laughing. The smile disappeared from my face.

“No, no, no. Mh, I live in Leeuwarden, but currently I’m on tour. Came here in order to relieve my stress a bit. And you can call me whatever you want.”

I almost offered him another way to relieve his stress. It took all my might to hold back my laughter.

“Oh, I feel flattered.”

For a moment I looked at his shapely lips. Of course, he noticed that.

“Is that so?”

“Mhm.” I mumbled in a quiet voice, not knowing what to say.

“Can I get your name?” He asked finally.

“It's Y/n.” I said honestly, looking straight into his blue eyes. “Do you have anything to explain how you were devouring me with your eyes earlier?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, mentally scolding myself. I really should learn to keep my mouth shut.

I looked up, immediately seeing a wide smile on Joost's face.

“Sorry. You're just so fucking pretty, I couldn't help myself.”

I bit my lip, suppressing a loud moan. I hated myself for how much he affected me.

“Can I?” He asked before placing his hand on my bare thigh. I nodded excitedly, waiting for him to move, which made him laugh a little.

“Mh- yes. Please.” I added with a pleading look on my face.

He dragged his hand slowly to my inner thigh, tossing my leg over his thigh, and made a low humming noise that vibrated from his chest.

Before I knew it, Joost's lips were smushed against mine in a passionate kiss. I gasped into his mouth as I melted against his lips, my hands resting comfortably on his muscled arms as his laid against my warm neck. Joost grasped the underside of my thighs and pulled me off the ground, wrapping my legs around his hips. 

“Joost..” I moaned breathily as his puffy lips attacked my neck, “I need you.”

“Of course you do, who wouldn't?” He teased, leading me towards his car. It was so dark that even if someone had been on that beach with us, wouldn’t have noticed us.

“Such a narcissist.”

Joost chuckled, “You know, if you shut that slutty mouth for once, you'd be so pretty.”

He opened the car door and put me in the back seat. After a while, he closed the door and sat down next to me.

“Oh, Y/n. I will give your body exactly what it deserves.” He said, a wide grin on his face as he leaned down to kiss me once more.

I bit my bottom lip and answered with one simple word.

“Yes.”

Joost wasted no time. He placed me on his lap and rolled up my tight dress. He moved his hands all over my body, making me go crazy.

“Your body is art.” He murmured.

His eyes pierced through mine, his gaze so intense that I almost melted on top of him. My hand shyly reached for his, playing around with his fingers and I moved my eyes down to look at what we were doing. “Is that what you want?” His voice was soft as if to not scare me away. “You want my fingers?” I looked in his eyes again and nodded my head quickly, feeling a tingling sensation on my stomach from the excitement. His other hand came up to caress my cheek and a little smirk could be seen on his lips. 

I moved on his lap when I was ready and one of his hands grabbed my hip while the other one ran up and down my thigh.

“Please.” I moaned, grasping his forearm tightly as I scrunched my face up in pleasure.

His fingertips brushed through my folds, coating them in my juices and I whined when I felt him rub slowly at my clit. “You're a soaking mess, baby.” His voice was so calm, a contrast to how shaky my breath was.

I gasped and he started applying more pressure to my clit. He eased one of his fingers inside me and a soft moan left my lips, my hips moving to ride his finger, his eyes intensely staring at me. “More.” I whined quietly.

“More?” He smirked and inserted another finger, feeling how my walls clenched around his digits, his hand moving to match the movements of my hips, thrusting his finger in and out of my pussy and I could ear the wet sounds it did.

“I'm so c-close, Joost. Just like that.” I moaned louder, locking his fingers between my legs. 

“Cum on my fingers, baby.”

“Oh God,” I cried out as wave after wave of pleasure rocked through my body.

When I was done, he slowly removed his fingers from my pussy, moving them to his mouth, sucking my juices from them, grunting at the taste of me which made me sigh heavily at the sight in front of me.

“Take off your pants, Joost.”

“Of course, baby.” He chuckled, politely following my order.

[hezuart]

LN Channel Change AU Sequel: “Seven” {1} {2} {3} {here/final}

And they lived happily ever after. Or did they? We've established our main characters Mono (TV/space-time) and Six (Soul Sucking) have strange supernatural powers. I wanted Seven to have one too. (Hydrokinesis aka water bending)

Notes for how I came up with Seven's powers and the deeper meaning behind his interaction with Mono:

1. Each child has nightmare prophecies (something to do with Mono's time loop?)  at the beginning of their stories. Six's is the Lady, Mono's is the door that leads to the Thin Man, and Seven's is being pulled underwater. Six and Mono's nightmare visions are fulfilled at the end of their stories; revealing that the thing they dreamed about, they essentially become or usurp.  Seven's differs. His dream resolves in act 1 and he kills the Granny, the creature assumed to be the one pulling him underwater in his nightmare. But what if Seven's dream prophecy was still valid... even post-Granny? Being dragged underwater... for a different fate?

2. Seven is the only main cast character shown with the ability to swim. 3. "Seven Seas" anyone? Water is a symbol of purification & life, hence, Seven gains his new powers after he survived and Mono broke the timeline loop to start fresh. "Washing it away" so to say. 4. Water is a liquid; passive in nature, but powerful in circumstance. Seven is kind and sneaky but kills the Granny when continuously attacked and threatened by her. He does the same to the Octopus monster.

5. Water molecules have adhesion and cohesion, meaning water likes to stick to itself, and stick to other things. Seven has an attachment to Nomes. He is always drawn to other people and other creatures, wanting to help them. His belief is that survival chances are higher amidst a group. Water is also known for containing life, no matter how strange or deep, such as ocean fish that often travel in schools/packs often to confuse or fight off predators, thus, another reference to Seven's new life, and his teamwork with Nomes and Mono.

6. Seven is often in fandom depicted by a circle. A water droplet. 7. Seven collects flotsam; typically boat debris, but in this case, bottled messages that come from the sea. Yet another connection to water.

All this indicates heavy implication and well-fitting power to bestow hydrokinesis onto Seven. I was inspired by the INSIDE game's drowning chapter and Stanley and Stanford's secret boat hide-out on the beach from Gravity Falls. Which is why I have selected Mono, Seven, and all their future friends to a lovely and sunny (future) beach house, far away from everything they've suffered. And living near the largest body of water on the planet with a kid with hydrokinesis? ...Certainly has its perks!

But Seven gaining powers is important to not only their survival but also him. He was still nervous about Mono. He knew Mono was very powerful and mysterious. In more ways than one. Mono is stronger than him and can also use telekinesis on objects on the beach. He's a better food hunter and seems more like a leader. Seven also likes to lead, but he felt outshined by Mono. (I don't portray that well in my comic) Seven is weaker and defenseless. His only shining quality in comparison is his ability to swim, but even that can only get him so far. He risks his life for his Nome friends and loses his life doing so. Or so he thought. By a miracle, his powers over water awaken. He drains the monster of its water, beaching it. He walks to Mono in a new light. It's a new him. He holds up his hands as if to say "See? I'm like you now." He's leveled the playing field. (It also helps that he now has jurisdiction over power Mono cannot interact with) Now they are truly equal. Two kings; one of land, one of sea, both ruling the island in equal standing. Seven will never again feel like a burden left behind. (Seven's powers activating also has something to do with the fact he bit the Octopus creature to save the Nome. Mono and Six both consume their powerful prophesized enemies to gain some of their power, if they didn't already have some before. Seven biting into the Octopus's flesh and unknowingly consuming some of it may have jumpstarted his power deep within him, on top of him encountering Mono; supernatural kid extraordinaire that brought him through a tower wormhole to escape the city)

~~~

A threequel is planned, and maybe the last addition to this series, but the next one is not fully fleshed out yet so it may be another year until I can really touch upon it yet. Otherwise, hope you guys enjoyed!

[wingzie]

Jikook and the Sea

Jimin and Jungkook share some of the same loves: Army, music, singing, performing, animals, and ramen. However, there is another one which isn’t always talked about: The Sea.

Being from the same hometown of Busan, there are certain things from their childhood that only they will understand or appreciate. Having some of the same experiences, the same traditions and the same foods. They both moved to Seoul at such an early age, so having those links and a similar dialect must have been a great comfort to one another.  This is something I can relate to. 

Until I was sixteen,  I lived in the South of England. Due to work, my parents moved around every couple of years. But there was one thing that always remained constant: being near the sea. This changed when my parents divorced and my Mum and I moved to the North of England. Though where we moved to was very pretty, the nearest beach was hours away and I missed it greatly.

Now in my thirties, I very rarely get a chance to visit the beach compared to my younger years. The last time I visited one was actually in Busan last year. (I am aware that I flew around twelve hours to see it…) I remember very vividly standing on the sand and feeling "at home" as I stood looking out to the sea. Jimin and Jungkook expressed this themselves during Winter Package 2021 and during the Butter filming . Though the beach I stood on in South Korea was very far away from the ones of my childhood, it still contained the same beauty and emotions. A connection that each beach has from around the world.

It is with that familiarity that I'm sure gave Jimin and Jungkook so much comfort and strength as they no doubt shared stories from their hometown together. Not only in Seoul, but when they go overseas too. Including the most recent trips. You often see the two of them on the beach together and taking it all in. Jungkook filmed Jimin for GCFS with the bright blue sea behind them. They spent time going to the beach with the members and admired the view together. It reminds them of home, of Busan and of each other. 

[ghostofthemost141]

Serene

Ch.1. Ch.2. Ch.3. Ch.4. Ch.5. Ch.6. Ch.7.

Pairing: Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish x F!Reader

First POV & Third POV

Word Count: 1,707

Themes: Some Fluff

!Warnings!: Near Death Experience

About: You're on vacation to the beach and you think you're about to die when you're caught in a riptide until an unlikely hero comes to your rescue. Precisely a Scottish man that bores a tail.

Notes: Something different for this one! May turn this into a fanfic series who knows 👀 Hope y'all enjoy! Name for you here is Dove and you got two friends named Gem and Pixie with limited descriptions so you can imagine them however you want to imagine them! Italics = Third POV

The waves were crashing against the shore, the seagulls were lively, and the sand was warm. The weather was perfect for the beach and you couldn’t wait to dip your toes in. 

“Dove, them waves look rough.” Gem, one of my  best friends, told me with concern. 

“I know how to swim, girl, you don’t have to worry about me.” I  reassure her, as waves crash onto my legs. 

Gem looked at you with her bright colored eyes full of concern. She knew that you were a great swimmer but the way the waves were going about, it worried her deeply. It also worried your other friend Pixie as well. 

“Just stay in the shallow. Neither of us are great swimmers like you are, Dove.” Pixie mentioned. 

“There’s a lifeguard on duty.” I joke, knowing they won’t have to do their job today with me. 

Both girls looked at each other with concern, but non verbally agreed to keep an eye on you for your sake. Gem and Pixie laid down their blankets and chairs and chilled on the sand while you were knee deep in the water. The water was at perfect temperature to accompany the hot weather that was out today. But the waves were indeed getting rougher, but that didn’t deter you away. No, it only made you want to go further. You felt a sense of not only pride, but a burst of your ego. 

“You can do it.” I mumbled to myself, feeling the waves get stronger. 

Gem and Pixie, though promising themselves to keep an eye on you, were distracted by some attractive people and doing everything that they could to grab their attention. From a distance you noticed a sandbar but it was some distance away. 

“Pfft. Can’t be that far.” 

It was maybe a walk or so away. Granted I won’t be able to touch the farther I get but I’m a good swimmer. I’ve got nothing to worry about. 

You pushed forward, suddenly feeling the drop off of how deep it got. It scared you but only for a second as you began to doggy paddle towards the sand bar. It was when your heart dropped when you realized that the sandbar was indeed farther than it looked. It was too late to back out now. For a second you think you hear Gem and Pixie calling for you, but you were too far out to tell. Your heart started racing, but for some reason your own ego took over and you kept pushing forward. The waves were getting harsher and rougher that you decided that now, maybe, you should turn back around. Yes, that’s a good idea, you thought. You swam around and started making your way back to shore. Your arms burned and you felt a cramp start to form in your lower region. 

“Why, oh why?” I grumbled to myself, immediately regretting my decision. 

This was stupid. Stupid, stupid. 

Your arms burned more and more, to the point that you realized you were going further away from shore. 

“Sh-Shit.” 

The cramp got worse, stinging your insides and taking over. You tried to float, but then you started to panic, feeling the cramp get worse and worse and you were getting further and further from shore. 

“No, no, no, please God-” 

You were cut off by a big wave crashing onto you, sucking you under water. You inhaled way too much water than your lungs could handle, causing you to choke and try to swim up the surface, but you were sucked in too deep. You fought with every bit of strength you had left to get to the surface. You could feel the sweet relief of air the closer you got to the surface. You were nearly there. 

Nearly there. 

Nearly. There. 

Nearly…there. 

Nearly…

… 

You went limp just as you reached the surface, the cramps and intense burning taking over your body and making you succumb to drowning. Pixie and Gem had noticed your disappearance and were already calling for help, even though they wouldn’t be able to locate you. Your body floated further and further down from the surface. You felt as if you were floating, but in a weird way and you were asleep. You were consciously fighting to stay awake, even though your body was limply floating in the deep water. You sunk down more and more and the lifeguards were just now getting on to finding your body, but by the time they get to the deep end, you’ll be long gone. 

Long, long gone. 

A pair of bright blue eyes spotted you from the deep waters. The eyes watched you as you limply started sinking down and down to the deep waters ever so slowly. He knew you were in trouble. He knew he had to rescue you even if he couldn’t be spotted. The creature slowly started making his way towards you. The two of you were in deep enough water that no one would be able to spot you from the surface. You didn’t react or even twitch when he swam up close to you. 

“Poor lass.” He mumbled, holding onto your body. 

The creature wrapped your body around him and started swimming to the very far side of where the people are at. He knew you had just passed out so he still had time to save you. He couldn’t risk being seen by people, but he would do it for you. He couldn’t help but notice your distinct features. The way your hair flowed in the water, your vibrant skin, and your bright colored lips. He shouldn’t have noticed these features of you in this situation but he couldn’t help it. You were that pretty to him. Once he got far enough from everyone else, he brought you onto shore, laying you gently on your back. He looked back and forth to make sure there were no people around. There wasn’t. Good, he thought. The creature leaned down and immediately started giving you mouth to mouth. Opening up your mouth and breathing his air into yours, while pumping your heart with his hands in unison. As quick as he started, you were back. 

Shit, shit what happened? What the hell happened? My head hurts, my chest hurts, everything hurts. 

The creature backed up away from you a little as you came to. He has never wanted a human to see him like this until he saw you. Creatures like him never believed in love at first sight, but that’s very much what he was doing. 

Who saved me? I forced my eyes open, to find a pair of bright blue eyes looking down at me. Oh my god, he was gorgeous. A gorgeous man. 

“Are you my savior?” I asked, feeling slightly delusional after coming back from the dead. 

The creature chuckled, hoping you wouldn’t notice his unique features. 

“Maybe, doll.” 

Oh, he has an accent. A thick accent. 

“Where are you from?” I ask. 

I could tell the man was nervous for whatever reason. 

“Uh..” The man paused. 

I felt an eerie silence beckon over us as I glanced down, feeling my heart race. It wasn’t the gills on his side that I noticed, but the fact that he doesn’t have legs. He has a tail. A fucking tail. 

“W-What? I must be dead.” I slightly joked, not believing what I was seeing. 

I could tell the man, or merman, was a bit unnerved by my comment. His deep, dark blue tail flopped onto the wet sand, making a loud ‘plat’ sound. 

“Sorry, it just feels like a childhood liking of mine is a reality.” I say, to try and uplift the mood.

He smiled at me, his beautiful eyes beaming down at me. I glanced down, seeing how fit he was. How on Earth is he this fit for a mermaid? There ain’t no way. 

“Well can I know the name of my savoir? Considering I was being stupid.” I admit. 

The man smiled at me once again. I couldn’t help but stare at his tail. It was so pretty. The prettiest shade of blue I have ever seen, besides the shade of his eye color. 

“Johnny.” He said. 

“Johnny, I’m Dove, the dumbass you had to save.” I said, joking. 

Johnny chuckled. 

“How long have you had a tail?” 

“For as long as I can ‘member.” Johnny answered. 

You smiled at that, feeling your heart race the longer you stare at Johnny. He was so drop dead handsome, despite being a mermaid, which you could hardly believe he even was one. 

“DOVE!!” A familiar voice screamed out. 

Before you could even react, Johnny was immediately gone. You felt sad, seeing your savior disappear like that but you didn’t know his relationship with humans, despite him getting that close to you and letting you see him. 

“Holy shit! Are you okay?!” Gem frantically asked me, getting into my space. 

“Y-Yeah. I am. I think.” I said, reeling in from who I just met. 

But if he immediately swam away upon hearing Pixie’s voice, that tells me he doesn’t want to be seen or known. 

“How did you get back to shore?” Gem asked. 

“I just..swam.” I lied through my teeth. 

I could tell they didn’t believe me, but they were more concerned about me being alive versus how I got back to shore. 

Gem and Pixie helped you to your feet, commenting about how you keep looking out into the ocean. You lied and told them it was you being proud of yourself for getting yourself back to shore. When really you were searching for Johnny. You felt special, in an odd way. The fact that he let you see him, but fled when Gem and Pixie were coming means you were indeed special. You wanted to see him again. You just didn’t know how to expect to come back to the beach. As Pixie and Gem dragged you away, you could see a familiar pair of bright blue eyes staring at you. This confirmed everything. You wanted to see him again. But until then, he was your secret. And you are thankful you’re still alive to this day. 

TO BE CONTINUED? 

[alotofpockets]

A perfect day | Florence Pugh

Pairing: Florence Pugh x Reader

Summary: Enjoying a romantic holiday with your girlfriend. [Full request]

Masterlist | Marvel masterlist | Words: 600

You look up from the book you were reading, to be met with the loving eyes of your girlfriend staring back at you. Her smile warms your heart, “Hi baby.” She reaches her hand over and places it lovingly on your leg, “How’s your book?” You put your bookmark between the pages and place it down beside you. “I love it so far, but not as much as I love you, my love.” You sit up in your lounge chair to kiss her lips. “Would you like to go for that swim now?” Florence eagerly nods. She takes off her dress revealing her two piece bathing suit, you would never get tired of looking at her. “Hm, you’re so pretty, baby.” You strip down to your swim attire as well, and walk to the water hand in hand. 

It was your third day in Italy, you had two busy days exploring the city, seeing so many incredible things, that today you decided to have a relaxing day by the beach. You were truly enjoying this time away from your busy lives, to fully focus on each other and the beautiful surroundings. Florence came to Italy a few times growing up but you had never been. She wanted to show you some of her favorite places. You went on a boat tour, and explored the city on foot. The city was so colorful, and you don’t think you will ever get enough of the beautiful blue ocean. 

After some time in the water, you head back to your lounge chairs. “I made dinner reservations for tonight, I did some research and this restaurant is supposed to have an amazing view from their terrace.” Florence loved her food, which is why most of the time you let her choose where to eat, she always passed it by you first, but today she wanted to keep the details a surprise. “I can’t wait to see it with you.” Florence sits down next to you and leans into your side. You wrap your arms around her and kiss her head. “I’m so happy here with you.” Florence whispers. “Me too, baby.” 

She was right, the view from the restaurant was amazing. You were led to a table near the railings of the terrace, you could see the mountains, the water, and overlooked the whole city. It was perfect. You ordered your food, which was so good, and talked the whole evening. The sun started to set and you couldn’t keep your eyes off of it setting over the water. “This is so beautiful, Flo.” - “Yes, it is.” Florence says with her eyes on you. You turn her way and realize what she just did and laugh, “You flirt. I love you.” Florence sends you a wink before saying, “I love you too.”

After dinner you enjoy a walk along the beach, watching as the sun continues to set. Long after the sun sets, you walk back to your hotel room, the roads lit by the moon. Back at the room you both change into your pajamas and lay down in the bed. You lay your head down on her chest and listen to her heartbeat, while she lazily draws shapes on your back with her fingertips. “Thank you for an incredible day.” You say looking up at her. “Every day with you is an incredible day.” Florence was in a flirty mood today and you were loving every bit of it. You sit up and straddle her waist, leaning in to kiss her passionately. The night was looking to be as perfect as the rest of the day.

💗If you enjoyed this fic, please consider buying me a coffee💗 

[sykestarot]

how does your crush feel about you?

1-2-3 (left to right)

I do not own any of these images

Hi everyone! Sorry about last week and not being able to post my internet was out ! :( I hope y'all enjoy this weeks reading there are some tough messages in here so please proceed with caution and remember that these are all made with your highest good in mind! Also don't forget to check the patreon :)! Thanks for stopping by!

Pile 1

"you don't intend to do anything you say at all"

(7 of wands; The Lovers (rx); 2 of swords; King of Cups; The Hierophant (rx); 4 of pentacles (rx)) So pile one your energy is that of someone who is very out of balance. Whether that be because of your ability to disassociate and make up a fantasy or because life has just been hard recently, I see that this out of balance energy affects your perception of the situation with your crush. I feel like you guys have known each other for a while and for you you truly believe that you guys are soulmates and meant to have the kids, the house, the white picket fence, but I see that they don’t see it that way. I feel like this person sees you and goes, ”well maybe it could work, we’ve known each other for a long time.” Which is shitty because I feel like they are aware of how you feel about them. I feel like they string you along on these awful ups and downs of will they, won't theys. I see that the love you carry for this person is so pure that they love bathing in it, you make this person feel so worthy of everything and they make you feel so much less than worthy to have them. I feel like in regards to you just want them to have even an ounce of the love that you hold for them and I think maybe when you were younger they really earnestly tried, but now it's purely taking advantage of you. I think perhaps they keep you as a friend but walk the line of flirting and when you bring things up about being serious they freak out and gaslight you into thinking you just read too much into it. I feel this situation has made you very anxious and it’s taking a toll on your mental health. I also feel like you are acutely aware of the situation and are choosing not to make changes because you’re afraid this person will leave your life. I’m so sorry pile 1, I know this probably isn’t what you wanted to hear, you deserve so much better, and I promise you there is someone out there who will love you for you and appreciate all that you have to offer. I hope you are able to see just how valuable you are.  Signs: mornings; fog; dew; green plants; sunsets; nights at the beach; drives at night; cologne; lonely nights; full moons; Lexus?

Pile 2

"but i can see us lost in the memory"

(Ace of Swords (rx); 6 of wands; Page of Swords (rx); 2 of swords (rx); The High Priestess (rx); The Tower) Hi Pile 2! So for you guys I feel like this might’ve been a summer fling, or someone you met while being home from college in the summer. I see that this person thinks about you all the time. I feel like you rocked their world (spicy!). I also feel like they are upset by how far away you guys are from each other. So this is definitely a long distance, maybe even internet crush? I feel like you guys don’t communicate though, like you guys resumed your lives after one of you left but you both still sit there and think about each other. I see that there’s even a loss of interest in others where they are because of you. They might feel like they don’t want to bother you and communicate that they have feelings for you because they feel like you’re a catch and probably don’t want them the way that they want you. I also feel like they don’t want the burden of a long distance connection, not because they aren’t loyal but because they want to be near you if they’re committed to you. I see them day dreaming about a future with you and wondering how often you think of them. I think they’re under the impression that you weren’t that into them, which is funny because they’re your crush too! I see that this person would rather leave it up to fate to see if you guys end up together rather than going out of their way to confess to you, but I also feel like if you confessed they’d be over the moon. I feel like they’re the romantic type and want to bring you flowers and cook you dinner. I also feel LOTS of sexual energy surrounding this. Like you stay living in their head if ykwim. This piles all giggles and passion I love that for you! I’m under the assumption that them leaving it up to fate means at some point you guys will be in the same general area again, or it is highly likely that you will be in the future. This person is probably in love with you honestly. I feel like this also has a heavy right person wrong time energy as well. Signs: 777; 333; 444; music; beaches; lipstick kisses; brown hair; tanned skin; pool days; stolen glances; teasing; holding hands under the table; dimples; smirks

Pile 3

"i can wish all i want, but it won't bring us together"

(4 of cups; The Chariot (rx); 7 of cups (rx); 8 of wands; 2 of pentacles; The Hermit) Pile 3! I feel like your crush is interested in you but also has interest in others. Not necessarily in a bad way but more like a “we’re young and I want to explore my options” kind of way. I see though that they are having a hard time taking any type of control in their life and need lots of time alone to make decisions. I do feel like there is genuine feelings between you two and likely not between them and another person, however I feel like this might have something to do with societal pressure to be a playboy or maybe friends influencing decisions that this person makes. I see them wanting to communicate feelings for you but then stepping back and questioning if they should or not. I feel like they don’t want to hurt you and telling you that they want to keep things open would fill them with some sense of guilt tbh. They are so out of balance in terms of just energy to get through the day. I feel like they keep pushing through their days by just counting down till they can go to sleep. I see them not wanting to deal with anything other than what they’re going through. Which is absolutely selfish but it almost seems necessary at this point in time. This person might be creative and lacking in energy to create and that’s having an effect on their day to day life as well. I feel like this person would do well with having a diary and maybe seeing their thoughts on paper would make them realize how they feel. I also feel like this pile might be the in a relationship pile. Like you guys have been going out for a while and there are deep feelings that surround this connection. All in all I feel like this could be an identity crisis and you should only stick around for as long as your willing and what makes it worth it to you. Remember your worth Pile 3! Signs: 9; white sports car; ocean; nice house; travel; hikes; gold course; swans; crossroads; indefinite; spilled coffee; resting head on shoulder; white shirts

[lauriegraham01]

you're still around | natasha romanoff

pairings: natasha romanoff x gn!reader (one instance where it can be interpreted as fem!reader)

summary: "i know better but i still feel you all around." you never envisioned a life spent with natasha, so what do you do now that the aftershocks of her death has uprooted your life?

wc: 2.5k

a/n: I cannot speak of my grief over natasha, so enjoy this instead! + this is me cleaning out my drafts so im sorry if quality is trash </3

You never loved the beach. You never loved the beach until you met her.

Having been assigned on a mission together in Los Angeles, you found yourself on the sand far more times than you cared for.

"Oh, you're being ridiculous it's not that bad."

"I'd rather die."

Even behind her tinted aviators, there was no denying that signature playful glint shinning in her eyes. She loved how you had a flair for the dramatics, always teasing how she's the only one who could ever put up with it.

"Look, it's only for a couple of hours until we make sure that Stavros meets his guys here."

"And not a second more."

Hours slipped away as you two soaked up the sun. You could live in this moment forever. The sound of waves crashing against the shore matched the ferocity of your heart beating in your chest. You were full of love, consumed by it. Yet how could you not.

The way her sun-kissed skin seemed to soak up the sun, how her hair danced in the gentle ocean breeze, and how peaceful she looked as she she slept in the sand.

You feared the inevitable- dreaded it even. Yet lying next to her, unable to look away, you knew it was too late.

Your bond only continued to grow, spending more time both on and off the clock. Using any excuse to be near each other in hopes of learning something new, even though that seemed impossible. Natasha was the first person you felt like you could be completely open and honest with. You were surprised yet relieved when she told you she felt the same way.

Things in those days were still fresh, you both were equally fully of worry and reservation. The fear of ruining an already incredible bond preventing either of you from pursuing something greater. There was a silent understanding of this- despite the circumstance, you and Natasha continued on as you knew best. Pushing each other to be greater, being each others cheerleader, and truly wanting the best for each other after seeing the potential you both possessed.

Each moment shared together played on repeat in your mind until you could see her again. Late nights spent sparring in the gym, pool games at dive bars, and endless romcom movie marathons that only were only respected by Wanda.

The endless messages exchanged during meeting whenever Steve would go on forever. The getaways spent upstate thanks to Natasha swiping the keys to one of Tony's many many cars. The late night spent revealing sins to each others, and the darkest memories and fears that haunted us. The comfort that lasted till morning when you awoke to another sunrise wrapped in each other's arms. Each moment spent with her was truly magical.

You felt yourself falling deeper in love with Natasha with each passing day. You had reached a point where you couldn't remember life without her by your side, and the thought of having to go back to that terrified you both.

"I don't want this to be what splits us." Running your hands over your face, a tired sigh escaped your lips. The stress of the Sokovia Accords had everyone on edge and you and Natasha were no exception.

"I don't see why it has to," Natasha exaggerated. Her patience growing thinner after the countless back and forth and still not seeing eye to eye.

"You know why," you objected sharply. "it's not right, Nat. You know that." Your eyes met her with an unwavering look of defiance. There was no swaying you to change your mind. She always knew you were so stubborn.

"I know," she admitted.

"Then why are you signing?!" Throwing your hands in frustration you don't immediately notice the boom in your voice as you spoke.

It wasn't until Natasha swallowed thickly before averting her gaze towards the ground that you realized your mistake. Your shoulders slump as you let out a tired sigh. You felt that you were at a crossroads, and there was no right answer in which way you moved.

"I want us to stay together, it doesn't matter how," she emphasized, the edge in her voice unmistaken as she enunciated each word. Green eyes looked up at me through silky lashes, behind a determined look I saw the sadness in the mist of green eyes.

In that moment you felt all your fears cement into reality. You knew there was no way both of you could win and your heart broke as you both pledged your allegiance to opposing sides of another mans war.

Looking up at her you saw the same exact heartbreak in her eyes. You reached your breaking point, as the room seemed to close in you bolted out of your seat and aimed for the door. As your hand squeezed the handle, you hesitated- for a brief second. You didn't want to walk out on her, it was the last thing you ever though of doing.

Sparing her a final look, you see the stoic expression on her face. You always knew she was stubborn, but the hardened expression on her face only further proved what you already knew. There was no changing her mind, just as much as there wasn't changing any yours.

"It does to me."

You fought on opposing sides of a pointless war. When the dust settled, there was no morning glory to be found in its aftermath. Just bitter resentment and heartache as the family you've fought beside for years was no more.

Now considered an enemy of the state, you fled the country, not knowing if you would ever come back. By the time Steve had told you how Natasha helped him and Bucky flee, it was already too late. You were thousands of miles away and burned too many bridges that could never be crossed over again.

You thought about writing, but what could you say? Too much was said and done last, you didn't think there was ever coming back from that. You spent the next two years trying to erase the memory of her. Proving quite difficult as you saw her in everything, her love still being the fire that kept you warm even miles away.

You dreamt of a time where you would come face to face with her again. You've rehearsed the apologies you would say and the confessions you would lay bare if you ever were to see her face again. Yet all that flew out of the window as she stood in front of you, finding you amidst the crowded market square.

"Natasha?" Despite her hair now blonde and much shorter, you still could recognize her face in any crowd.

"Just shut up." She said, catching you off guard.

Taken aback, you sighed deeply as you gave her your full attention. Taking in her full appearance, you note her lose tank and green skirt that flowed with the summers breeze. You don't think you've ever seen her in something that colorful. Despite all the changes, she's still Natasha. You still saw the girl you fell in love with all those years ago on that beach.

The crease between her eyebrow reveals how Natasha seemed deep in thought. Hesitant to speak what's on her mind as she darted between your eyes, weighing her options.

"I never wanted to rely on anyone for anything," she began. "I thought that if I could be independent and alone then I could avoid the pain that comes from losing people."

Fidgeting with her fingers and from the bite marks on her lip, you sensed the urgency behind her words.

"I don't wanna live like that anymore," she confessed urgently. As if she could no longer bear having such a brilliant truth hidden for a second longer. "I love you y/n. I think I have for a long time now but I was just too scared to admit it- and I know things are complicated but i'm ready for this. I want this. I want us-" Stopping suddenly, feeling breathless the longer she looked in your eyes. "You. I want you."

"I love you."

Time seemed to slow down in that moment. The sound of thousands of people packed in the Brazilian market faded to nothing as you looked at her, her words echoing in your head. If Nat had felt even an ounce of relief from getting the truth of her chest, her face didn't show it. She had this look on her face, you studied for it moment before you realized what it was- fear.

She thought you would walk away. That you would scoff at her confession, see through her for what she thought she was, flawed.

She couldn't have been farther from truth. Her eyebrows furrowed in mix of shock and confusion when she felt a finger tilting her chin upward. Swallowing thickly, she awaited cruel rejection. However, seeing the adoration behind your eyes, she let herself believe that maybe there was some room for redemption. The corner of her lip curled upwards before the both of broke into breathless laughs, the twinkle in her eyes making your heart soar as it sang Natasha's name.

"I love you too."

After that, you never knew a life without Natasha. Having fought in Wakanda and losing so much during The Blip, you two became each other's anchor.

Never wanting to be away from her again, you moved back to New York. You helped direct the remaining Avengers as missions were still executed and help was needed everywhere. Despite the darkness that the world was wrapped up in, you and Natasha were each other's lighthouse, guiding each other back to shore.

It wasn't until Scott came barging on the compounds door and the the rest of the team got together for the time heist that hope would shine for the first time in a long time.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come instead," you lowly ask as you and the rest of the team prepare for the time heist.

"I'm gonna pretend to not be offended by that." Clint chimed in as he made his way past us.

"Shut up Barty, please!" He throws his hands up in surrender as he's met by your annoyed gaze. You don't miss hearing Bruce chuckle as he typed away on the control panels.

Facing Natasha again, you're met with her amused smile as she looked up at you.

"I promise I'll be fine," she insisted. "Clint's got my back-right Barty?!"

Clint just grunts in acknowledgment.

"Trust me?" Raising her eyebrows as she lifted her open palm toward you.

Taking her hand and turning it over, you placed a chaste kiss onto it.

"Damn right I do," you say, never breaking eye contact.

Not missing the way her cheeks flushed at the sudden gesture you bring her in and capture her lips in a soft kiss. Earning a wolf-whistle from Tony in the process.

As you all stood in a circle on the platform, ready to go back in time in hopes of bringing everyone back, your eyes meet Natasha's again. Heart fluttering as it did everytime you looked at her.

"See you in a minute." Her eyes glimmering as she smiled at you.

Those words replayed in your head in a constant loop for months. You never got to say goodbye, and that's what killed you the most.

You never were good with grief, and having lost so many people because of Thanos, you spiraled into a depression that lasted the better half of a year.

Yet when you were ready to face that grief, it was Yelena who was there for you. She was one of the few people around who understood what it meant to lose Natasha. To have known and loved her so intimately, and have that taken away.

Staring out into the same sea at the same beach where you first fell for your blue-jeaned baby, as comforting hand on your shoulder shakes you from your thoughts. Startled by the sudden presence your eyes look up frantically to meet with Yelena's concerning gaze.

"Hey," her voice soft, "you okay?"

"Hey-um, yeah, i'm fine really." You shake your head furiously as you blink away your tears. Meeting her eyes again, the love and sincerity that poured behind Yelena's eyes was enough to make the damn burst.

"No," you croak as a sob wracks itself out of your body. Engulfing you in her arms, you burrow your head in Yelena's shoulder as grief's uncharted weight washes over you.

"I know what she meant to you. She told me about a month after taking down the Red Room. I never would've taken her for a U-hual lesbian."

A laugh escapes your lips. Looking back on it, things did happen rather quickly. After taking down Dreykov, she felt a new found purpose in life, a need to reconnect with family and loved ones.

"Yeah, well it was a long time coming," you let out softly. You pull out of her arms, wiping away at your dried tears.

"Thank you, Yelena. I know what she meant to you too."

You don't miss the sadness that flickers in Yelena's eyes.

"She meant to look for you earlier. She told me about you while staying at one of Tony's safe house", you sigh reflecting on the confessions said that night. The fire and a shared bottle of whiskey having kept you both warm that night. "She never stopped thinking about you."

"I know," she affirms, voice shaky. "Thank you."

You offer her a soft smile, eyes crinkling as you giver her arm a reassuring squeeze. Yelena then locks arms with you, a sudden peace washing over you like the waves ashore you were watching.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Looking over at her, you note the blonde wisps of hair that moved with the wind.

"Are any of us?" She doubled back with a smirk, earning a chuckle from you.

A brief silence falls over you two. One full of reluctant acceptance as it is with sadness.

"I promised I wouldn't say goodbye." You barely heard her. You almost thought you hadn't from how low she spoke.

Looking back towards the water, if you didn't know any better you'd think she was still around. If you thought about it long enough, you could still make out Natasha's footprints scattered across the sand. Or how graceful she looked dancing in the sand.

You could hear the sweetness of her laughter as not even the call of the seagulls could sing a finer melody.

You can still feel the warmth of her pirate smile, shinning bright as she looked at you from over her shoulder.

As the wind picked up you closed your eyes and let the memories of your sweet summers spent with Natasha flash before you. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was talking to you now. Through the way the wind echoed her whispers of "I love you."

Opening your eyes, the warmth and love of those memories still sprout inside you, even as your met with the sight of the beach's barren winter. She's still here, always with me.

"Maybe you don't have to."

You know better, but you still feel her all around.

[foundtherightwords]

As the Sun Will Rise - Chapter 16

Pairing: Grunauer (Overlord) x OFC, Beauty & the Beast retelling

Summary: After losing most of his unit in a disastrous D-Day mission, Derwin Grunauer returns to his hometown near Miami, body riddled with scars and heart heavy with guilt, only to find his neighbors shunning him due to his German name. He retreats into his family mansion and remains there, unwilling to rejoin the living, until the day Alba Reyes turns up at his door with a basket full of warm bread. As the daughter of a Cuban immigrant, Alba knows something of being an outsider, and when she offers to work for Derwin as his housekeeper, it is not only to pay off her father's debt to the Grunauers, but also because she feels some connection to the reclusive young man. When that connection develops into something more, they must overcome both the town's prejudice and their own doubts to find happiness.

Chapter warnings: non-explicit (almost) smut

Chapter word count: 4.2k

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15

Chapter 16

They settled into a new routine. It wasn't that different from their routine before, only with a lot more intimacy now. When Alba arrived in the morning, Derwin would greet her with a kiss; they often held hands across the table during lunch; and if they happened to brush against each other in a doorframe or along the corridor, they no longer shied away but would laugh and throw their arms around each other. When they went into town, Alba no longer waited in the car. In diners, they would share their milkshakes and fries without asking each other, and in movie theaters, she would put her head on Derwin's shoulder again, not to nap but just to enjoy being close to him. Sometimes they would drive round and round until they found a quiet beach and just sat on the sand, shoulder to shoulder, watching the waves, saying nothing at all.

Alba's favorite time, though, was the rare afternoon when there was no work left in the house and no errands to run. They would spread a blanket in the backyard under her beloved frangipani tree, and there, they would sit with his head on her lap or his arms wrapped around her and read their books, while Otto slept nearby on the sun-warmed grass. During those afternoons, she thought she'd be content just sitting like that, for the rest of her life.

The only thing that marred Alba's happiness was Derwin's apparent belief that their romance had an expiration date. He didn't mention it, but sometimes, he would hold on to her with a fierce passion that scared her a little, as if he were afraid she would slip through his fingers like water.

For her part, Alba never thought much about what the future might hold for them. She had learned not to look too far ahead, ever since that overcast December day in 1933, when her father announced that they were moving to America. They had been planning for Christmas, and Mami had asked him to give them a little more time to prepare, to say their goodbyes. No, Papi had said. They couldn't afford to wait any longer. And so they had spent their first Christmas in America with no friends, no families, and no presents either, because they had left in such a hurry. Who could have foreseen that? And who could have foreseen the war and the losses it would bring? Papi had always looked too far ahead, and look how it'd turned out for him. Look too far ahead, and there would only be questions and uncertainty, like looking into a curtain of mist. Look in front of you, find the problem, and try to solve it. That had always been her motto. But now, with Derwin, Alba found herself thinking of the future more and more often.

One day, when they were washing up after lunch—for Derwin insisted on helping her with cooking and cleaning now—he suddenly enveloped her from behind in a tight hug and buried his face in her neck, breathing her in.

"What are you doing?" Alba whispered, even as she was putting her arms on top of his and leaning back so she could feel more of him with more of her.

"Memorizing you," he said. He nuzzled the space between her shoulder blades and trailed his lips from her shoulder to behind her ear and back again.

"I'm still here," she reminded him. "And I'll be here tomorrow too. I'm not going anywhere."

"What about after the debt is paid?"

She suppressed a sigh. She wished he would stop talking about the stupid debt. "I told you, that has nothing to do with us," she said, turning around to face him. "Just because I don't have to work here anymore doesn't mean that I will stop seeing you."

A smile spread across his face, quivering a little, like a candle flame in a breeze. "Really?" he said.

"Of course." She wrapped her arms around his neck, the dishes forgotten. He turned and kissed the underside of her arm, heedless of the soap running down her wrist.

"We'll go on a proper date then?" he said.

"What are you talking about?" she said, laughing. "We've been on proper dates. We've been to the movies, to restaurants and soda fountains, and the beach. Those aren't proper dates?"

"I'd still like to take you somewhere special though," he said.

"I'm looking forward to it."

And because he was still looking unsure, she leaned over and kissed him, as both a reassurance and a promise, just a slow and gentle brushing of her lips over his in the way she knew he liked. Then his lips parted, as she knew they would, with a little sigh, and the kiss deepened. His arms went around her, a hand in her hair, the other on the small of her back, pressing her close. Her back hit the kitchen counter. She jumped on it and drew him toward her until he was standing between her legs, his face tilted up at her. The look in his eyes sent blood coursing through her, warming her cheeks and setting her pulse pounding in her throat, her breast, everywhere.

Leaning down, she kissed him again, not so slowly or gently this time, but with a hunger that only grew the more they kissed. Derwin trailed his lips down her throat, his breath blowing hot against her skin. Her skirt hiked up. She could feel a hard knot against her bare leg, through the fabric of his pants, and she edged forward a little, wrapping her legs around him, to feel it more firmly, to push herself closer to it. Derwin moaned softly into her mouth. He clung to her, his hands roaming over her blouse, trying to find an opening to touch more, to kiss more of her. She reached up to help him. Their fingers twisted around a button. It snatched on something. They both yanked, impatiently, and the collar of her blouse tore open with a ripping sound.

The noise reverberated in the quiet kitchen like the cracking of a whip, breaking them from the spell. Derwin pulled back with a gasp.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying in vain to put the torn collar back. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine. I can fix it." Alba held on to him, trying to keep the fire burning between them, but he was already stepping away from her.

"I didn't mean just your blouse." Derwin gave up trying to fix her collar and dropped his arms in defeat. "I meant—this—whatever I was trying to do to you—"

"You weren't doing anything to me," she said. "I was kissing you too." She jumped off the counter and started washing the dishes again. Derwin came to stand next to her.

"Look, Alba," he said, wringing the dish towel helplessly. "It's not that—not that I don't want you. But... it's not right." He paused, then corrected himself, "No, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry. I didn't mean what we have is not right. It's just—"

"You don't have to apologize," Alba snapped, taking the dish towel from him a little more brusquely than she intended. Her nerves were still fizzing as if electricity was running through her, and the unquenched heat on her skin and inside her body made her irritated. "I said it's fine. I understand."

"It's just that—I don't want to get you into trouble," Derwin said.

"You mean get me pregnant?" He nodded, his face turning scarlet. Alba paused, her irritation fading slightly. "I guess you're right," she said. "It's not that I don't want kids. Just... not yet. There's so much I want to do first, so much I can't do if I have a kid." And at the thought of them having a child together, she blushed as well.

"I wish you didn't have to choose," he said.

"Me too. But that's how it is." She sighed. "Claudia was on track to be the assistant manager at the citrus farm where she worked during the war, but she gave it all up the moment Marty came back. She was happy to do it, but I know she still misses working sometimes."

"I don't want you to give up anything," said Derwin. "Not for me or anybody else."

How could she stay annoyed with him, when he said such sweet things? She smiled at him and handed him the dishtowel, and they went on with the dishes, the tension between them simmering down for now.

After they finished washing up, Alba retreated to the sewing room upstairs to fix her blouse as best she could. A part of her—a tiny, silly part—wondered what would happen if Derwin walked in now and found her sitting here in her bra, but another part of her—the rational one—knew nothing would happen. That was why she felt so safe around him. And that was also the source of her frustration.

Alba spent even less time thinking about sex than she did about romance. In her Catholic household, it was a taboo subject. She knew the basics of it, of course—mostly from gossiping with Claudia and Beatriz—but had never been particularly curious about it. Oh, there had been boys and kisses, fumbling ones under the bleachers at school, surreptitious ones in the dark of a movie theater, but it had never gotten further than that. Her parents had always made sure she knew not to go further than that, and she'd never wanted to anyway. Not until now, until she found herself in the arms of this sweet, gentle, damaged boy with his soft lips and sad eyes. But he wouldn't—or couldn't?—take the next step. He'd even said it wasn't right. How could it not be right, this fire between them, when every instinct in her convinced her otherwise?

She remembered how she'd felt him pressed against her inner thigh, and her entire body felt scorched again, from the roots of her hair all the way to her knees. The needle slipped through the fabric and went into her finger. "¡Mierda!" she muttered, putting the injured finger into her mouth. Perhaps she should just stop thinking about it.

Over the next few days, they tiptoed around each other, not talking much. Derwin seemed to have something up his sleeves though, and was more preoccupied than usual. One evening, as Alba was about to go home, he asked her to come as early as she could the next day. When she asked him what for, he only grinned and said it was a secret, and no amount of cajoling and wheedling and pretended sulks from her could get an answer out of him.

The next morning, Alba made up some lame excuse about having to drive Derwin to the hospital for an early check-up and left as the bakery was opening. Papi didn't question her, only grumbled about how "that boy was working you too hard". As she rode away on her bike, Alba chuckled to herself. If only Papi knew. She hardly saw her time at the Grunauer place as working now.

As early as she was, Derwin was already waiting with the car when she arrived. She tried to peer into the car to see if it contained any clue as to where they were going, but there was none. The only hint was a forlorn Otto watching them from inside the house.

"We're not taking him with us?" Alba asked.

"No," said Derwin. "He's going to upset—" Realizing he'd said too much, he stopped and rubbed Otto's head before locking the front door. "Sorry, boy. Be good, OK?" He then limped down the front steps and motioned for her to get into the passenger's seat. Alba's eyebrow went up. Although Derwin had been taking the wheel on short trips into town, he always preferred to let her drive. She climbed in anyway.

"You're really taking a leaf out of Marty's book, aren't you?" she said.

"Trust me, you're going to love this," he replied with a grin, sliding into the driver's seat.

He took the car down the lane, not heading east into town as usual, but west, until the lane merged with the Tamiami Trail. Alba knew not to ask any further questions, so she simply sat back and enjoyed the ride. It was a lovely day for a drive, cold but clear, without a cloud on the pale blue sky. As the sun rose higher, the blue of the sky deepened, the air inside the car warmed up, and they rolled down the windows to let in some of the cool December wind. The Everglades stretched out endlessly on either side of the Trail, saw-grass as far as the eyes could see, dotted here and there with hammocks of cypress and palm trees. There was not a soul about, and the only living beings other than the trees and the bushes were the occasional raccoon scurrying away from the road, or a bird flapping its tired wings overhead, searching for its nesting ground.

They must have driven for nearly half an hour when Derwin turned down a dirt trail lined with palmettos and pond cypresses. It led to a clearing, where a dilapidated hut stood under a cypress overlooking a canal. Derwin parked in front of the hut. An old Seminole man lounged on a chair outside the hut, his face as wrinkled as the bark of the cypress behind him. If it hadn't been for the puffs of smoke coming from his pipe, Alba would have thought he was a statue.

The old man opened an eye when he heard the two of them approach. "You kids want to rent a boat?" he asked in a voice as dry and cracked as the creaking of the tree branches.

Alba threw Derwin a curious look, which he ignored. "Yes," he told the old man.

The old man jumped up with an agility that belied his decrepit looks, and beckoned them to follow him behind the hut. The back porch of the hut extended into a rickety dock leading into the canal, and tied to the dock were a couple of motorboats. Given the ramshackle appearances of the hut, the dock, and the old man himself, Alba didn't expect much, but to her surprise, the boats looked well-maintained, their hulls gleaming in the sunlight.

"You know how to work it?" the old man asked. "Just start the engine and use that lever there to steer the rudder. Easy peasy."

Derwin counted out some money and handed it to the old man. "We'll pay the rest when we bring the boat back."

The old man tucked the money into the band of his battered hat and squinted up at the sun. "You kids better get a move on. I reckon you'll have an hour or two before the sun gets too high and they're all gone."

"What will be gone?" asked Alba, but Derwin was already leading her toward the boat.

"You know where to go, right?" the old man said, following them. "Straight down the canal, then turn right at the river junction until you hit the slough. Can't miss it."

"Thank you," Derwin said as he handed Alba into the boat. She took his cane and helped him sit down by the engine, and they were off.

By now Alba had a pretty good guess of where they were going, even if she didn't quite know what they were going to do yet, so she asked nothing, just sat and watched Derwin work the boat. Sitting by the engine with his back straight and his eyes fixed on the horizon, he seemed so at ease with himself and with his surroundings, so different from the irritable, withdrawn man she'd met six months ago. Her heart swelled with pride at his growth, yet at the same time, a little selfish voice piped up in her mind, wondering if one day he might decide that he no longer needed her to guide him through life. Then he caught her eyes and smiled at her, and it was Derwin's smile, sweet and a little self-conscious, and Alba chided herself for her unkind thought. He wasn't with her simply because he needed her, just as she wasn't with him because she owed him. He was with her because he wanted to. And so was she.

The ride along the canal was as quiet as the drive on the Tamiami Trail, with only the putt-putting of the boat to break up the silence. Once or twice they came across some alligators sunning themselves on the bank, but they were far away and didn't seem bothered by the boat at all. They saw more birds, snowy egrets and silver-gray herons perching on the mangrove that lined the canal, watching the boat go past with their beady black eyes. Eventually, the canal widened into a river just as the old man had said, and Derwin took the right turn, down a narrow creek. The water level went down, the mangrove thickened, sometimes blocking their way altogether, and a brackish smell came up from the mud below.

"It should be around here somewhere..." Derwin mumbled to himself, frowning at the mangrove.

"We're not lost, are we?" Alba asked. They hadn't gone that far from the hut and the dock, but amongst these mangroves, they could've taken a wrong turn without knowing it.

"Oh no," said Derwin, though he didn't sound very confident. "I think we're getting close."  

Then the mangrove thinned, and the creek opened up in front of them, and Alba's breath caught in her throat.

They were looking at a pond, where the canal curved around an islet before rejoining the river, creating a little aquatic cul-de-sac. And, at the far end of the pond, where the mangrove formed a line separating the water from the sky, were birds, hundreds of them, their pink plumage shining bright against the dark green of the trees.

"Flamingos?" Alba whispered. Impossible. Flamingos had been hunted to extinction in Florida since the beginning of the century; nobody had seen them in the wild for years.

"No, sorry," Derwin said sheepishly. "I was hoping this would be the next best thing."

Alba looked again and realized that these birds were smaller and shorter, and their plumage was a softer pink, like cherry blossoms, not the bright coral pink of flamingos. But they were no less graceful as they waded through the shallows, dipping their strange-looking flat beaks into the water to feed, occasionally spreading their wings to show off the splashes of darker pink, almost red, on their shoulders and near their tails.

"Spoonbills!" she exclaimed, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't scare them away. "Roseate spoonbills!" These birds were more common in Florida; still, she had never seen so many of them in one place. "How did you know they're here?" she asked Derwin.

"I asked one of my dad's old friends from the university," he replied. "The biology department used to come here for their field trips, bird-watching."

They stayed at the pond for nearly an hour, hidden behind a thick mangrove bush, watching the spoonbills while the sun warmed their backs and a cool wind drifted across the pond, bringing with it a faint scent of the sea. Other birds landed on the pond from time to time, but they were overshadowed by the spoonbills' brilliant color and sheer number. When the sun cleared the top of the trees, the spoonbills, as if alerted by some unknown, magical cue, took flight. They wheeled overhead, looking for all the world like a shower of cherry blossom petals in reverse. It was exactly as Alba remembered the flamingos of Guanaroca Lake. After two circuits of the pond, they took off toward the sun and settled further down the river. It would be impossible to chase after them on open water, so Derwin turned the boat around and got ready to go back.

"Did you ask about this place specifically for me?" Alba asked, sitting close so he could hear her over the boat's engine.

"I told you I'd take you somewhere special, didn't I?" he said with a grin. "Now that the national park is opened, tourists are going to flock there, so I figure you'd want somewhere a bit more quiet." Then he turned anxious again. "You did like it, right?" he asked, peering at her. "I know they're not flamingos like in your hometown, but..."

"No, no," she said quickly, putting her hand over his. "I love it. Thank you." Then, with a mischievous smile, she asked, "The real question is, is this enough of a proper date for you?"

He smiled back. "I don't know. Maybe?"

The teasing in his voice was unmistakable. She leaned over and kissed him. She'd wanted to kiss him since she watched him steering the boat, something about his confidence and focus was intoxicating to her, and now she kissed him with none of her usual gentleness, but with urgency, taking his bottom lip into her mouth, tasting him deeply and thoroughly. Derwin seemed taken aback by her passion for a second, then his hands slid up her arms, then her shoulders and her neck, to cradle and caress her jaw. Her own hands clung to him, gripping at the back of his stubborn neck, running through his curls.

Somehow she found herself on her back, stretched out along the length of the boat, with Derwin on top of her, their mouths and tongues and limbs all tangled up. The motor had been turned off, and the boat was drifting along the current, buffeted by the light breeze. The bottom of the boat dug into her back, and as she lifted her hips a little to ease the pressure, she felt his hardness on her again. Her pulse seemed to have escaped her throat and was now throbbing low in her belly, where their bodies were pressed against each other, separated only by thin layers of fabric. Derwin's hand was trembling beside her leg, and she took it and pushed it up her skirt, guiding him to where her pulse was pounding the hardest. This was it. There was no more hesitation, no more shyness or fear. There was nothing around them but the sun and the wind and the water. Even the birds' calls had quieted. She'd never felt such freedom or such want.

"God, Alba..." whispered Derwin, but she silenced him with another kiss. This was no time for talking. She reached out for him as well, and touched him just as he was touching her, in matching movements and quickening breaths, faster, harder, there, there, right there, almost— 

Derwin shuddered and wrenched away from her, so abruptly that the boat tipped to the side. He tried to sit up, but he leaned on his bad leg by mistake and lost his balance. Before Alba could reach out to help him, he toppled into the water with a splash.

"Derwin!" Alba screamed.

Down the river, some birds flew up, startled. There was a movement on the bank of the canal, and she prayed to La Cachita that it wasn't an alligator. Luckily the canal wasn't deep. Derwin was already pulling himself out by clinging to the side of the boat, water streaming down his face. Scrambling, Alba gave him her hand and hauled him into the boat.

If there was anything that could cool off amorous desires more quickly than a tumble into alligator-infested water, then Alba didn't know it. For a long while, Derwin slumped over in the boat, with his head between his knees.

"Are you OK?" Alba asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He was breathing hard, but his labored breaths were quite different from the way he'd been breathing just a moment ago, when they were lying together on the bottom of the boat. It took her a moment to realize he was laughing. And then she was laughing too, collapsing into his arms in helpless giggles, not caring that she was getting muddy water all over her dress. First the porch swing, then her blouse, and now this. They did seem to have a knack for getting into all sorts of scrapes whenever they tried to get intimate with each other.

They were still smiling by the time they returned to the dock. If the old man at the hut was surprised by their bedraggled state, then he made no remark on it. He simply took the rest of the payment, tucked it into his hat as before, and waved them on their way with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

So much for a proper date. As the car rolled down the Tamiami Trail back home, Alba realized that she didn't mind. She knew now that she wanted Derwin, and he wanted her, and they would take that next step together, when they were ready.

Preferably on dry land next time though.

Chapter 17

Taglist: @kitkat80, @hahahafucku

[triplemystery]

loved the ocean - s.geto

summary; you try to figure out why suguru loves the ocean as much as he does

triggers; suicidal ideations

tags/warnings; slightly ooc, gender-neutral reader, suguru geto x reader

inspired by; Loved the ocean by Emilia Ali

word count; 1031

Suguru loved the ocean in the 'I only like to look at it way' you assumed, because, for someone who said he loved it so much, he never acted like it when you two would visit the beach.

"I'll just stay here on the shore" are the exact words he'd send you off into the water with every time you would drag him to the beach whenever the two of you had any free time.  He would watch you swim in the waves whilst he collected shells and rocks to show you on your way back to the dorms, from an outsider's perspective it would seem like he had no interest in being there at all.

It wasn't until you were far away, miles away, that he would start on his rants about how much he loved the ocean. He would talk about the ocean like the water was a real person. Like he needed his love for the ocean to sustain his love for himself. 

"The ocean is life" he had told you once just as you were about to doze off on his chest, his confession vibrated through your head and ended up nowhere. He stroked your head like it would push the words to make sense but you couldn’t understand. How can you love something you aren't even willing to touch?

Maybe he loved all the life that the ocean held, you sat on a harbor while watching Suguru and Gojo harassing some poor bird. It could be that he thought something as simple as dipping his toes in would disrupt its beauty. Like his mere presence would haunt the life it held. You really didn’t think he could haunt anyone though, your Suguru, he was too beautiful to. All the creatures in the ocean would probably turn in envy if they got a glimpse of his beauty.

You now lay on the warm sand whilst Suguru and Gojo went off to look for some shells to add to their collections, seemed they had gotten tired of chasing around animals they could never catch. It could be that he loved the power the ocean held. All the life that lay inside was protected by it, for what’s a protector without power? Maybe he never went inside because he knew he wasn't as strong as it, maybe he just never wanted to feel weak.

You smiled to them as they ran up to you, showing off the shells and rocks you picked up. Both of them competed with each other to see who could spout out a fact that would impress you the most. Gojo conked out after a while of walking, but you and Suguru stayed on the beach walking hand in hand along the shore.

Suguru had started drinking water a lot more you had noticed. It could be the summer heat getting to him, wearing him down, and making him seek out the liquid to keep himself going. Everyone needs water to live, even seemingly untouchable sorcerers like Gojo and Suguru. Maybe Suguru likes the ocean because he doesn't know what to do without it. Why would you not love something you need to live?

Except Suguru hadn't really been doing much living these days. He had lost weight you had noticed, like he was forgetting to eat and simply drank his weight in water thinking it was enough. You were brushed off every time you brought it up with him though, you were unsure if he could even register the fact that he was changing. It had been a Thursday evening when he knocked on your door and practically dragged you down to the beach with him, this time you didn't swim. You sat curled up on the sand watching the near black waves crash on the sand and end up nowhere. There is so much empty space in the ocean, maybe he feels like it's the only thing that can understand him these days.

Not a word was exchanged between the two of you on the walk back. No rants about how much he loved the ocean, no mundane facts spouted out about something you probably had no idea existed. Maybe his love for the ocean had faded away, or maybe it was his love for you that was waning.

"Why do you love the ocean Suguru?" you mumbled into his hair that night, but he didn't answer so you could only assume that it was because the ocean had too many possibilities not to be loved. The ocean is far too large for anyone to truly wrap their head around, maybe Suguru was in love with things he couldn't fully understand.

So why the fuck did he love you?

You weren't much to love, you weren’t anything like the ocean. You weren’t the most powerful, you didn’t understand him, he didn’t need you. You watched him and Gojo sparring in the gym wondering why he didn’t just spend all his time loving him. What was the point of pretending that he loved you when he could turn his energy to Gojo? He was strong, he could understand him, he had his back on all their missions. What was one without the other? What was the ocean without the earth?

Maybe if you become like the one thing Suguru loves more than Gojo, you would finally be the strongest in something.

You stepped out onto the beach, alone this time. The tide was particularly high tonight, waves crashing too powerfully along the shore to reflect the light glowing from the moon. You supposed it would help conceal you, maybe there was no point in doing this if you wouldn’t even be seen. You were already too far gone to think rationally though.

You thought he loved you, but maybe it was only ever because you were swimming in the one thing he loved the most. You fell in love with a boy who was destined to break your heart, but it would always be the taste of saltwater on your tongue that would cling to the memories you would carry after death.

If it weren't for Suguru, you might've loved the ocean as well.

a/n: i'm kinda dissapointed in this because i had such big hopes and so many more ideas for it but i slumped so so hard midway writing it and just could not imagine myself finishing it :(( I hope it's still nice to read, maybe one day i'll be able to revisit it any do everything i wanted with it

[weeeeeekly]

seeking shelter – lee anton x gn!reader

blurb Living in Florida, you knew a thing or two about hurricanes, your Chem lab partner on the other hand does not.

info lab partner!anton x lab partner!reader, reader is experienced, strangers to lab partners to to lovers i guess, no body shape mention, no mention of gender, reader is able to put hair in a hair it, dom!reader maybe, swearing, sucking dick

WARNINGS!!! NSFW, MDNI, 18+, not edited/just pure free flowing thought

this is FICTION!!! The stuff written out is not meant to be a representation of the people, places, or ideas mentioned & definitely not accurate to real life counterparts

wc 1.4k

You hated living in Florida especially during hurricane season. It sucks that the season is June to November. Usually, rolling your eyes whenever someone from out of the state would say “you were so lucky to live near theme parks and beaches!”

Florida had its charms sometimes, but this was not one of them.

Classes were cancelled and the university was going to be closed for the rest of the week. Maybe even into next week.

“Fuck.”

You turn over to see your Chem lab partner, Lee Chanyoung, with his head in his hands.

“Oh shit,” You pause from putting away your pens. “don’t you live on campus?”

He nods as your grimace. You didn’t know Chanyoung well as you two were just lab partners – friendly with each other but not friends.

“Can you go back to your parent’s house?”

He shakes his head. “They live out of the country.”

“What about your friends?”

Another head shake, “They’re throwing a hurricane party so it’s not safe.”

“Ah.”

You continue packing up as you think over everything you wanted to get perishable hurricane snacks. You had a bunch of bottled water, batteries, candles, fans, and flashlights to hold you over. Since you’ve lived here all your life you knew what to expect.

roomie i’m going to head back to my parent’s! leaving now. prob won’t make it until later tonight w traffic.

roomie i’ll keep you updated! stay safe love you!

you drive safe!!! i’m staying home <3

You’re getting up when Chanyoung’s hand grabs your wrist, looking up at you.

“Don’t you live off campus?”

“Uh yeah?”

“Can I stay with you?”

You’re taken aback as he looks at you with sad puppy eyes. You’re conflicted you feel terrible as you don’t think he has a car, and the university wasn’t going to turn into a storm shelter. He would have to travel to the nearest storm shelter, but then again you didn’t know him well.

“I can pay you!”

It would be nice to not have to buy your snacks as you need to get gas too.

Letting out a sigh, “Let me ask my roommate.”

He throws himself out of his chair, hugging you and repeating “thank you”.

“I haven’t even asked them yet.”

“Thank you for even considering.”

you hey can my lab partner stay over for the hurricane???

roomie yeah totally! stay safe!

“They said it’s okay. Let’s go now to beat traffic.”

Chanyoung hugs you tighter as you smile at him. It was nice to embraced by the soft spoken tall, pretty boy smelling like warm vanilla. You lean back when Chanyoung begins moving his head a little too close for almost strangers. You didn’t want to scare Chanyoung off by kissing him like the touch starved person you are.

You drive the both of you to your favorite grocery store to grab snacks that Chanyoung graciously paid for. Then filled the last quarter of your tank and some extra in a gasoline container. The two of you got to spend quite a bit of time together due to the business of the street, store, and gas station. Learning the basics of each other like favorite movie, tv show, music, chips, and candy.

Hours later, you were finally outside the door to your apartment.

“So yeah, I luckily live far away from any evacuation zone. The worst that can happen is a power outage or flooding both seem likely to happen.”

 Chanyoung hangs onto your every word as you give a quick tour of your place, skipping your missing roommate’s room.

“It’s best to stay away from windows so the living room is the safest. Let me just quickly fill up some buckets with water.

When you’re done, you find that Chanyoung has turned the couch into a pillow fort. Your extra blankets are used as a makeshift ceiling and pillows as makeshift walls. Crouching down to enter the fort, Chanyoung is sat to the right with a bag of your favorite chips opened and his laptop set up with his favorite movie.

He smiles as he pats the seat next to him, “Since you said you haven’t seen it yet.”

Sitting next to him, he starts the movie. It’s actually pretty nice to have this opportunity to spend time with him despite the unfortunate circumstances. You’ve always thought Chanyoung was attractive and thought the universe was playing some kind of sick joke on you when your lab’s TA made you partners for the semester. You wouldn’t get any work done if he was in the Chem lecture as you.

“Have you texted your parents?”

“Mhmm.” He says in between chewing. “They’re asleep. Right now, because of the time zone.”

 “This must be scary for you. This being your first hurricane and all.”

He shrugs before turning to look at you. “I’m glad that I’m with you.”

Chanyoung shifts in his spot as he gets closer to you forgetting about the chips.

“It’s a little embarrassing how it took a natural disaster for me to gain the courage to talk to you.”

“You were nervous to talk to me? Why?”

“Because I like you.”

If you were in a movie, the camera would zoom directly into your face as a little animation of your heart would jump out of your chest. Chanyoung likes you. He. Likes. You.

And you like him back.

“I like you too. I have since the first day I saw you in lab.”

Chanyoung giggles at this as he closes the laptop on the forgotten movie, grabbing your legs to put them on his lap.

“I knew we had chemistry.”

Normally, you would cringe at the pickup line, but you let it slide because it was Chanyoung. You take the opportunity to drape your arms over his shoulders as he leans closer.

“You know, there’s not that much to do during hurricane. It’s just us, in the dark, in the couch pillow fort.”

He raises an eyebrow at your innuendo and closes the gap between your lips. The kiss started off sweet with a simple pressing of lips upon another, bit it became heated when you tangled your fingers in his hair and began pulling. Chanyoung’s sweet moans filled your ears as you sneak a hand down to grasp his bulge, teasing him with your fingernails.

He pulls away with a pout, “Don’t tease.”

“Don’t be easily teased.”

Leaning forward, you bite his bottom lip and use this as an opportunity to keep kissing him. The kiss is hot, making you internally thank your TA and universe for this moment.

Pulling back, you put your hand down the waistband of his sweatpants and boxers.

“Wanna see what you’re packing.”

“Please.” He moans.

You move your legs to maneuver his bottoms off to free his dick. Like a sexually perverse Christmas gift. Hs dick is actually pretty which is crazy because dicks shouldn’t be. It’s bigger than average, but not insanely big that it will be impossible for you to take down your throat. You wipe his leaking tip with your thumb as you feel the veins.

“Wow, you’re gonna make me work for this.”

Before Chanyoung an ask what you mean, you wrap your mouth around the tip of his dick, swirling your tongue. Chanyoung shudders at the feeling of your warm mouth letting a groan of your name out.

Quickly, you tie your hair with the hair tie on your wrist and get to work. You wanted this to be the best head of Lee Chanyoung’s life.

Slowly, you worked your way down his shaft as you wrapped the rest with your hand. You look up at him to see his eyes closed shut and the furrow of pleasure of his eyebrows. You switch between bobbing and sucking his cock as your hand assists you. It’s when you hollow out you checks at the base of his cock do you hear him begin babbling incoherently. A mix of what sounds like your name and “I’m cumming”.

You don’t let up when you feel his dick twitch and release down your throat. Swallowing the salty cum, you sit back up and smile at Chanyoung heaving.

“Liked it?”

He nods his head, “Like is an understatement.”

Checking your phone, you see a few emergency texts telling people to seek shelter or stay inside due to the hurricane nearing your area. You’re about to text your roomie when the power shifts off in your apartment.

“Dammit.”

You look unfazed as Chanyoung stands up to check the A/C. “Yeah, power’s out. What now?”

“I could think of a few things.”

masterlist | kinktober masterlist

author’s note heyyyy i wrote this in a notebook while my power was out during the hurricane, everything‘s okay with me – luckily & thankfully

got the power back on earlier today & saw that riize is 7 again & seunghan is back 🙂‍↕️

[callsign-phoenix]

I wrote this for my 1.5k follower celebration, I hope you like it!

It is a Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x gn!reader blurb, requested by @shanimallina87.

Thank you @footprintsinthesxnd for proofreading!

The prompt requested is: jumping unexpectedly on their back when they’re walking ahead of you.

Warnings: none

There was nothing like spending a day off with your boyfriend Bradley.

While he was extremely serious about his work, Bradley could be very fun away from it, and that showed whenever the two of you planned something nice for an afternoon or weekend.

Bradley loved quiet days spent at home, snuggling while watching tv, reading to each other or attempting to cook, but he loved going out just as much, so you chose between those options whenever you had the chance.

You were absolutely in love with each other and Bradley was happy whenever you were happy, so there was a lot of smiling and laughing in your everyday lives.

It was nice that as a part of the Navy he was often stationed near the sea, where you could go to the beach, surfing, or just to a carnival.

You loved those trips the most because the smile on both your faces were constant.

You definitely liked slow, calm moments of love and comfort, but your favorite thing to do was go to the carnival with your boyfriend.

He was so tall and broad, you could find him in any public place, which was an added bonus for you.

He also bought you any sweet he saw, until you were stuffed to the brim with cotton candy, caramel apples and churros.

You really liked the rides too, no matter how bad they were, and the ferris wheel always involved lots of kissing.

You loved staying at the carnival until the sun went down, enjoying the scenery with the silhouettes of the rides in front of the orange sky.

It was always very romantic and you usually went to the pier if there was one, it was the perfect place to find time to calm down, in the arms of a lover no less.

Bradley was walking ahead of you, with a giant teddy bear in his muscular arms, which he had won for you at a shooting booth, of course.

It wasn’t the first one, far from it, ever since you found your shared love for carnivals he had won something for you in every one of them.

The bear currently nestled in Bradley’s arms was to join the others when you got back home, which already made you smile.

You took a few seconds to slow down and take in your happy moment, watching Bradley and looking around to see the carnival, all the happy people and the setting sun.

When you looked back ahead you saw Bradley slowing down, glancing at you with a cheeky smile on his face.

His Hawaiian shirt was straining against his biceps and his shorts fit snugly in the perfect places, which gave you a thought that you took literally.

Before you could do anything else the words ‘jump his bones’ jokingly flashed through your mind and a mischievous grin appeared on your face as you started running towards him, taking him by surprise as he was looking ahead towards the sunset.

You let out a giggle to prepare him and your heels thumped on the pier before you jumped on his back, squealing slightly as you landed where you had intended to.

Your legs wrapped around Bradley’s waist immediately and your arms wound themselves around his shoulders, and Bradley didn’t even jump.

Instead he too let out a chuckle and wrapped his arms around your thighs to support you, gently holding both you and the giant bear up.

You leaned forward slightly, the smile never leaving your face as you peppered a trace of kisses over his shoulders and neck.

Bradley caressed one of your thighs with his thumb as a reaction and held you closer.

You spent another few seconds in silence before he turned his face to look at you, his side profile as gorgeous as the rest of him.

There was a grin tugging at his lips when he squeezed your thighs in his grip, to show his appreciation for your affection.

“I love you too,” he chuckled, and you kissed his cheeks in gratitude.

tagging: @starkleila @mayhem24-7forever @green-socks @letsfvckingdance @shadeds-library @jewels98 @yespolkadotkitty @whateverbagman @neptunes-curse @sweetheartlizzie07 @top-gun-rooster @iloveprettyboysblog @ateliefloresdaprimavera @imjess-themess @littlebadariell @angstyjellybean @marchingicenotes7 @midget713 @supernaturaldawning @gspenc @adorephina @gigisimsonmars @bespinnn @malindacath @aerangi @kassieesworld @kwanimations @18crazybutcutealsopsycho @marvelandotherfandomimagines @kmsryles343 @mavericksicybabe @kendra-rose @desert-fern @mavrellover91 @allivingstone01 @rhettabbotts @withakindheartx @trikigirl271 @cherrycola27 @bonitanightmxres @ratcatcher2world @glowingtree @wingmanvenus @roosterforme @oliviah-25 @natasharomanoffisbaebby @tipsykeen @teti-menchon0604

(please tell me if you want to be added to the taglist, or use this link)

[ellena-asg]

For the tumblr game: Danno

Thank you, Meri! ♥️

So, Danny...

Sexuality Headcanon:

The same as Steve's. Ever since I watched the show I see them both as "not hetero, not gay, not bi but the secret X thing" 😉

At the begining I felt they're aromantic (and forced so much by the show writers to woo/date/marry ladies) and I still feel they're definitely platonic when they interact with other people. But to each other - they're super romantic.

They're best friends and they're the special ones to each other. They feel (real) attraction/love only to each other. So I headcanon both Danny and Steve as definitely uniromantic and The Pilot is a very special episode to me cause the scene in the garage is like kind of "Geez, I'm interested. In THAT way. For the first time in my life I really fucking feel... Geez!" (also: "Gosh, I'm in love. With this irritating handsome guy? Gooood, Jeeeeesus, Maaaary, Anyone?" 😂).

So, uniromantic. And they're the first and only characters in my fandom life whom I see in this way 🙂

Gender Headcanon:

Man. Cis.

A ship I have with said character:

Only Steve, only McDanno ♥️

A BROTP I have with said character:

In some way it's still Steve. Best friends forever - being married doesn't change it 😉

But speaking about completely platonic brotp: Chin. Chin is like an older brother. But Lou and Jerry and Kame, all boys in Ohana are true brothers ♥️ And ladies! ♥️ Kono is his sister so much! Mary too. Abby. I also love his brotp with Amy (Meka's wife). And of course Gracie! His daughter is his brotp. His Big Friend!

What I see on screen is also brotp-to-be: Danny & Sang Min. Seriously, both are Daddies, they love their kids so much, they'll do everything for them. They understand each other as fathers (scene in the prison and in Danny's car/on the beach ♥️). They both are loyal to Ohana. They ARE Ohana. And both are sassy and silver tongued 😂 (just imagine poor Stevie with these two 😂😂😂). Both are Masters of Dorkness. In Sarcasm they trust.

And sometimes they both are BAMF! Sang once was on the dark side and Danny... when he fights for victims or his Ohana, for Grace and Steve especially, when he's furious or in vigilante mood, yeah sometimes he's close to darkness, he knows the Fire (like in that episode with Marco Reyes).

And they both would give Steve their livers (Danny gave his part and Sang: "I woulda offered you my liver, McGurrett, but we both know it’s no god" 😄).

Oh, and Danny is from Jersey, Sang is from China but they both love Hawaii and it's their home forever.

A NOTP I have with said character:

Any person who is not Steve 😉 Speaking about show's canon ones: Melissa (I like her but she and Danny are veeery NOTP), Gabby (l love her much but again: NOTP with Danny). Other ladies he dated. But especially: Rachel (sorry, I'm allergic to abusers). She and her family were highly toxic to Danny and Grace. She's like Doris, even worse sometimes. I feel anxious (and mad at show writers) every damn time she's somewhere near Danny or Ohana generally.

A random headcanon:

I once had a dream about Danny so here is my a bit angsty fluffy AU with happy end:

Kono (like in the canon) feels tired and sad and thinks about leaving Five-0 and going (with Adam) to the mainland & fighting with human traffic criminals. Chin and Abby think about living in San Francisco. Max and Sabrina think about Africa. Meanwhile Rachel comes (with her mother Amanda) to Hawaii (Rachel was somewhere far away with Stan) and claims she is sorry and wants Danny back. Williamses from Jersey also come to Hawaii. They more and more ask Danny about Rachel. Bridget mentions that they all miss Danny in Jersey.

Stevie is devastated, he is sure that Danny will go to Jersey with his family and with Rachel. For sure "for Gracie". He also can't imagine living in Hawaii without almost whole Five-0, his Ohana. So Steve decides that he will go back to the Navy (*drama*). Danny is devastated. Governor Sam is devastated too, no Kono, no Chin, no Max, no Steve and no Danny... He thinks that Five-0 has no future and promises Lou and Jerry that he'll find them a new job.

Clara, hearing about Five-0 news, says that her cousin from Italy has mentioned recently there's a job offer in Italian police with higher rank and higher salary and so on. Rachel's mother is like "oh, Italy, finally some civilized place and a job for ambitious people". Danny's family is like "Well, your friends want to leave Hawaii, we're so sorry honey, but... maybe you'll think about Italian offer? Your grandma spoke Italian, you are so brilliant, you can learn it too and...". Rachel smiles and smiles and is soo sure that she will go to Italy with Danny and Grace (sorry, I've got issues with Charlie's plot so he isn't there 😂).

So all other Ohana members talk now about The Four and Max and so on leaving them. Kono, Max, Chin and Steve decide they will leave Hawaii next year. Governor then says to Danny "Better take that job in Italy, Danny. It's a really good offer".

Danny is like "What the hell they all are talking about?!". He only listens to them and says nothing. He's too much anxious, surprised, devastated and veeeery pissed off. What? No Kono, Adam, Chin, Abby, Sara, Max, Sabrina... No Steve the hell???!!! No Hawaii?! No Ohana?! No Five-0? He and who? Rachel? Buahahahahha. No funny. No fair. Nightmare! She will never change, he knows. And he can't love her. And he loves... Steve. And why the hell they all are so sure he is okay with this? He's NOT okay. They can't decide what is better for him - Italy, Jersey, no Hawaii. Seriously? All he wants is his home, his Honolulu. His beloved job and beloved police unit. His beloved Hawaiian people. And beaches. Pineapples. His Ohana. His whole Ohana. And Steve the hell. And Grace. No Rachel, no Italy, just NO.

Danny is so devastated. He's sure that he'll never see his guys again. He'll never see... Steve. He's in his darkest mood. Anxiety attacks, panic attacks, ANGER attacks, they come back to his head.

One day at some party he drinks too much. Gracie sees it. Some other day when he and Grace are crossing the street Danny is almost hit by a car cause he suddenly stood still like frozen and Grace had to scream his name to make him safe. He generally is more and more quiet, each day he looks like "something bad happened" and even though he pretends all is okay, he's good, Gracie sees it all.

One day she just asks. He says all is okay. She then says she feels him cause she doesn't want to leave either. She wants Ohana. Uncle Steve. And Danno, her beloved daddy. He asks her about Jersey, Italy, Rachel. She says NO, NO and... NO. She says that she knew he's sad and she knows how much he loves this place and these people. And her. She says he can't always think only about her. And that he CAN always have both: her and uncle Steve. "What you mean, Monkey?" he asks.

She says she noticed his reaction on Rachel and Amanda (and also Williamses' words about leaving Hawaii) and wanted to know finally what's going on. So one day, when Danny was sleeping hard in the living room (when he drank a bit too much beer for a second time) she checked his room to find "anything". And she finally found. His old letters/messages to Rachel and to the court. She also found something like his diary or letters-never-sent. There was all in them, Danny's pain, truth about his marriage, about her grandmother and mother's cruel plan aka You Will Never See Grace Again, his fear that he would lose Gracie, his love for Grace and Ohana. His pain after losing Matthew. His memories of wanting to kill himself when Rachel took Grace. His bad days and good days. His soul healing in Hawaii with Ohana. With Grace. With Steve. And photos. There were many photos of Ohana being together. And happy.

So, Grace tells Danny that everything will be all right. That NOW they're Super Team. They have to fight for the happiness. They're staying in Hawaii. They need to change Ohana's minds by showing them how wonderful this land is. How many people still need Five-0. How much they all love each other. Danny is amazed. Grace talks and talks. She has so many ideas. One of them is: Gracie will go to court with Danny and say she wanna be under Danny's sole custody (cause the situation and Gracie's feelings have changed so much). She says that the judge will listen to her and she doesn't need as much money as Rachel to win. Danny is speechless. Then Grace says: "We're staying here. Forever. We need to be more Hawaiian, daddy". She has a plan. Danny is very intrigued.

Danny and Grace, when they're with Ohana, pretend they are excited about Italy. Danny says he and Grace learn a lot about their "promised land" (nature, culture, whole history etc) and they also learn "language of love", "language of their Ohana" (Clara is happy and thinks about her mother 😂) with Captain Tanaka's help (his wife knows Italian and some other languages). Lou jokes that Tanaka helps Danny cause he never liked Danny much and that Tanaka is happy that Danny will leave this land. Danny laughs and only says "Maybe, maybe not". When they are like "So, maybe you'll show us your language skills?", Danny says "No, not now". And when they try to ask Mrs Tanaka about Danny's progress, she only joyfully says "He learns so fast, he's truly a brilliant mind, what a memory, what a voice, when he talks I can see all: the sun, the sea, sand, the wind... he melts my heart, he sounds... like his people. His level? He'll be native one day, I'm sure!". Rachel is happy. Steve is devastated.

One year later. Steve, Kono and so on organize the Farewell Party. With looooong tables, with a big stage and microphones (to say Aloha to all their people), with flowers and all that jazz. There are so many people there on the beach. All of them. Whole Ohana and their little Ohanas. All people who know Five-0: survivors (rescued - forever grateful - victims), Hawaiian people, Ruth, Dekker, Victoria models, guy from the gun store, aunt Deb and her Leonard, HPD, SWAT, Williamses, absolutely everyone. So, they all celebrate and then Amanda says "So, Daniel. Your language teacher claims you're a master now. It's time to prove it, right?". Rachel's face is like "Aww, Italy, we're coming. I only need Danny to like me hmmm how to change his mind...". Steve fights with his pain. Deb asks "Maybe some song for your Ohana?". Danny smiles. "For my Ohana, you say? Well, I did it all to save my Ohana so...". When he said "to save my Ohana" all eyes were on Rachel and Grace. Danny continues: "So yeah, I can sing for Ohana too. Come on, Monkey. We'll do it together".

So they all wait there to hear some Italian words but then, on stage, Gracie grabs something and... she starts playing on ukulele. Then Danny starts singing... in the absolutely Perfect and Beautiful Hawaiian. He's singing Hawai'i 78. Soon Gracie is singing with him. All people around are in damn shock 😂😂😂 Kawika, Mamo, Kono's mama, all native guys are like *we're sorry, our brains are now loading, please wait a while*. Chin, Kono, Danny's parents... Lou, Mary, Gerard, Odell, Kame, Sang Min 😂 They all CAN'T BELIEVE 😂 And Stevie... Gosh, he can't breathe. Somebody ventilate him, quickly! 😆 Rachel? She realizes that she lost.

When Danny and Grace sing "Cry for the gods, cry for the people, cry for the land that was taken away and then yet you'll find... Hawai'i" - Steve and their Ohana, they all have tears in their eyes.

Soon Danny and Grace sing (with sassy smiles on their faces) some other Hawaiian songs for Ohana and in the end they and Steve and all Ohana talk about their feelings, Gracie explains her and Danny's plan to save Ohana, Danny finally fights with his anxiety, insecurity and all other demons and asks all his sunshines to stay with him in Hawaii. He whispers Hawaiian "I love you" in Steve's ear. Ohana laughs, they ask if Danny is bewitched or what. He answers "By you guys, yeah".

Of course all will stay in their beloved land, Five-0 is safe, Ohana is safe, all are happy together. They cry and laugh. Rachel comes and starts ranting and shouting at Danny but then Gracie gives her a card and only says: "What? You'll take me away from Danno? Not this time. By the way, it's MY lawyer's number. Call him. Goodbye!". Steve needs some air again 😂 Clara and Eddie are soooo happy that Danny finally fights for himself SO MUCH. They understand all and Clara is like "Hmm, Eddie, maybe WE TOO will have a home here?" 😆 And Eddie is like "But they don't have Papa's Tomato Pies here, honey. And you know, I love our place in Jersey and... We can visit. They can visit. You know".

Okay, I just wanted to say that my random headcanon is that Danny loves Hawaii more and more and one day he wants to be "one of these people totally" so he learns Hawaiian. Because he CAN. And because he is like One Big Surprise. He's booooorn to be wiiiiiild 😂 (and here he's free thanks to Gracie, he's determined and motivated and "I'll show you all!" 💪💪💪).

General Opinion over said character:

Danny? Danny is The Sunshine. The Warrior. The Protector. Care Bear Number One. He's anxious and strong. He's sassy and kind. He's sensitive and BAMF! He's wise. He's a lovely dork. He's the best parent, son and friend ever. He's Steve's everything. He is a great cop/detective. He CARES about people so much (and much more than about himself). His heart is golden. He's precious. Soo precious. Ohana loves him. Fandom loves him. He deserves absolutely the best! ♥️♥️♥️ We all can write looooong essays about him and his kindest heart, right? 😍

[toothpaste-dragon]

🔫 chrysie. thursday. syllk.

(In reference to this post)

It's interesting you picked these three because they're some of my most underdeveloped characters XD And for good reason, in each individual case. But you asked, so you shall receive.

Chrysie There's not too much to say about her, unfortunately. She's a blatant self-insert (which I still get embarrassed about occasionally) and sometimes I draw her in place of myself when applicable. I purposefully didn't create her with much lore because I'd rather focus my efforts on developing my actual characters. So the only real lore I can provide is that she lives in a fairy colony in the mountains and helps gather resources for her village, while also exploring the area and interacting with various animals - and sometimes humans. Mountains are my happy place, so it's obvious why I went with that location :>

Thursday Hoo boy, how to explain this seagull child's history...I don't even know how you found him to begin with, since he's so far back on my art blog XD While Thursday's story has been on the back burner for a long time, he was actually my main focus when I created him back in high school. I was obsessed with birds at that age, especially birds that most people disliked or found annoying, so it all started when I thought to myself "What happens if bird + boy?" I eventually ended up piecing together this shred of a story about a journalist named Melissa who lives in a small coastal town and stumbles upon a so-called seagull boy (AKA a boy who both resembles and has the mannerisms of a seagull). It's revealed that the seagull boy has an injured wing, so Melissa helps nurse him back to health over the course of 2 weeks, while simultaneously nursing some of her own wounds and forming a sweet bond with the quirky son she never had. I was very intentional about making Thursday annoying and loud and messy, which explained why most beach-goers didn't enjoy his presence. Thursday purposefully remained underdeveloped because I wanted the story to be simple and focus on the main character's emotions/reactions more than any sort of backstory they arrived with. I also always imagined the story would best be told as a visual short story or comic, and one of my friends had planned to illustrate the script at some point, but plans changed and it didn't happen (which is totally understandable). Thursday's story still means a lot to me, especially since it was the first time I 'finished' planning out an entire story. I hope one day I might be able to see it come to life...but until then, I'll simply hold onto it.

Syllk Syllk (tiefling sorcerer) was my most recent dungeons and dragons character, before I ultimately left the campaign to prioritize mental health and other important stuff. She was a ton of fun to play! But much like Chrysie, she doesn't have too much lore. Syllk's whole gimmick was that she completely lost her memory and washed up on the shores of Candlekeep, where she met the rest of her companions. The only item on her person was a sealed book, which she believed would help restore her memories and locate her parents. My very first legit D&D character had been easy to play because he acted a lot like me - so this time I wanted to challenge myself to play a character on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Which is exactly why I made Syllk to be sassy, morally gray, quick to anger, and overall just a little gremlin. Near the end of the campaign, Syllk unlocked her book and it led her to a strange laboratory...and there she faced off against a powerful mage, who claimed to have stolen her away from her parents and experimented on her. Syllk was so angry that she aided in killing the mage, but the anger faded once she realized she'd probably never be reunited with her parents. Thankfully, one of her party companions Karliah (tabaxi monk) had been inching closer to Syllk as a surrogate mother, so Syllk decided to stick with her for the time that followed.

I hope these answers are sufficient...I honestly don't know if I described 'lore' rather than just threw random info at you X'D Regardless, enjoy :>

[minervahouse]

why “mariners apartment complex” is so david coded

spoiler warning, etc. etc.

You took my sadness out of context, at the Mariners Apartment Complex, I ain't no candle in the wind

she reached for his arm, but he roughly shrugged it away. “this is where we leave each other,” he said. (tvs, 314)

I'm the bolt, the lightning, the thunder

going back… to see edward king’s son. and he was a complicated person to go back to. (tvs, 39)

Kind of girl who's gonna make you wonder, who you are and who you've been

before david, stevie had never had a boyfriend.(nine liars, 389)

And who I've been is with you on these beaches

david got out of the kayak, half falling, and got her up under his arm and moved her to the shore. (bitw, 312)

Your Venice bitch, your die-hard, your weakness

but once stevie was around david, something in her became wobbly. the lines and edges blurred. (hotw, 111)

Maybe I could save you from your sins

“both of us have real problems, but maybe we should make our weird personalities work for us.” (truly devious, 318)

So, kiss the sky and whisper to Jesus

whatever had happened between david and stevie didn’t exist at this moment. everything was dew and larry’s instant coffee and the gentle, buttery morning sun. (truly devious, 407)

My, my, my, you found this, you need this

she wanted… david. she wanted him. (truly devious, 315)

Take a deep breath, baby, let me in

was this really going to happen? the last foot of space between them was rapidly closed up, and david pressed his lips to hers. (truly devious, 242)

You lose your way, just take my hand

stevie could only concentrate on the feeling in her hand, the warmth of his palm against her skin, the message it conveyed. it was a need. a need for her strength. (tvs, 247)

You're lost at sea, then I'll command your boat to me again

“whoa… whoa…” david swung his legs over the side of the kayak and slipped into the water, catching her in a clumsy hold. (bitw, 311)

Don't look too far, right where you are, that's where I am

david had come a long way to be with her. her. that was the only reason he was here. (bitw, 227)

I'm your man

“he got to you once,” he said. “i didn’t want him to be able to get near you ever again.” (hotw, 288)

I'm your man

“these nice people will give me a minute to speak to my girlfriend, won’t they?” (hotw, 342)

They mistook my kindness for weakness

“and in the end, all I'd be doing is taking money from another person who wanted to buy me. this guy isn't asking for anything- he's nice- but he's also sticking it to his enemy.” (bitw, 382)

I fucked up, I know that, but, Jesus, can't a girl just do the best she can?

“do you think i can’t control myself or something? like i’m not serious about you? what have i done to make you feel like that? because i’ve kind of worked hard to stop being fuckup david and he this new one?” (nine liars, 171)

Catch a wave and take in the sweetness

he turned to her and grabbed her in a huge, enthusiastic embrace and started jumping up and down. she started jumping too, because it was hard not to jump, and because this was something worth jumping for. (hotw, 292)

Think about it, the darkness, the deepness, all the things that make me who I am

“because… my dad has messed up everything in my life. now he’s making a career of messing up everyone’s lives. but he can’t have this. he can’t have you. it sounds cheesy, but it’s all i’ve got.” (tvs, 221)

And who I am is a big-time believer, that people can change, but you don't have to leave her

“i thought you just left,” she said. “i wasn’t got i leave,” he replied. (bitw, 317)

When everyone's talking, you can make a stand

“because believe it or not, this is the right thing to do. it’s not easy. but it’s right. so what’s the bigger deal? what’s worth it?” (hotw, 141)

'Cause even in the dark, I feel your resistance

she wished she could see his expression now, but they were blind to each other. he held her face in his hands for a long moment, saying nothing- not kissing, not moving, not seeing. (tvs, 222)

You can see my heart burning in the distance

just the sound of david’s voice was all stevie needed to conjure david in his entirety (hotw, 85)

Baby, baby, baby, I'm your man (yeah)

it was david. her david. stevie and david. (nine liars, 389)

[theresawritesstuff]

Maisel prompt - Midges postcards to Imogene

(This turned into a little bit of an alternate on Miami...)

When she was first married, being friends with Imogene was simple. Second nature. 

Expected.

Joel and Archie were best friends. Naturally their wives should be too.

Thankfully, she actually did like Imogene. 

Underneath that tiny, bubbly blonde exterior was the heart of one of the strongest, most steadfast friends she would ever know. 

People always underestimated Imogene, much like people often underestimated her. 

But when you were a woman trying to make it through the day under the crushing expectations of being the perfect housewife, there was no one better to have in your corner.

Imogene had been there for setting up those must impress dinner parties. 

She was there with a casserole and a firm, take charge attitude when Midge was postpartum and just needed a break. With both kids. On multiple occasions.

And unlike other friends who dropped in to "help", Imogene would send her to bed to take a nap, clean her apartment, feed Ethan lunch, and rock Esther to sleep for her.

And when she left, on her way out she'd tell Joel "Your wife is amazing."

There was no truer friend than Imogene.

Midge realized that after her divorce and her dive into comedy.

Most of her other friends just faded away. Didn't know how to talk to her anymore now that Mrs. was only part of a stage name.

But Imogene stuck by her. Embraced her for taking a brave new path, even if it was into a world she herself didn't fully understand. 

Keeping that friendship alive when their lives were no longer mirror images took effort. But it was worth it.

So when her career took her on the road, Midge made sure to always send a post card from every stop.

A wish you were here. 

Thinking of you.

This place was so weird. You would have loved it.

Thank you for being my friend.

She always tried to look for the more interesting postcards when she could. 

Ones featuring spots like the world's biggest ball of twine or a statue of Paul Bunyan. Something a little hokey and just a bit odd.

Because while Imogene could put on the normal facade with the best of them, she delighted in the quirky unknowns beyond her own experiences.

It's one of the reasons they got along so well.

But in this particular Miami hotel lobby, she couldn't find anything that looked interesting enough for the life of her.

It was all beaches and sunset views. Pretty. But boring.

She finally found one with an alligator wearing sunglasses tucked way down near the bottom when the faint scent of a familiar aftershave drafted to her nose.

"They never make anything that encompasses sorry you got gout with these, do they?" Lenny quirked a brow at her as he casually picked up a card from the rack.

They always seemed to run into each other like this. She'd heard he was in the area, and if she said she hadn't been looking for him in the crowd the past few nights, it would have been a lie.

"Someone actually got gout?" Midge laughed.

"No." He shook his head. "Any of yours?"

"Not as far as I'm aware," she replied.

"Good."

He regarded her quietly for a moment with a fond smirk.

"Hello."

"Hi."

Midge peeked around at the card he was considering. "Didn't really picture you as a postcard kind of guy."

Lenny's smirk broaded. "Well, you know. Officer Peluso misses me when I'm on tour."

"Is that so?" she wondered teasingly.

Lenny looked her over again instead of continuing the bit. "What are you doing later?"

"My set is at seven. After that I'm free."

"Good." He nodded. "Let me buy you a drink. I know a good spot."

"Okay. I'll catch you after at the bar."

"It's a date."

He tapped his postcard on the rack before wandering off to pay.

She watched him go for a moment before giving the rack a final once over before making her selection.

Later, as she reset her hair back in her room (the Florida humidity was giving her hairspray a real fight) she sat down and put pen to postcard.

Dear Imogene,

It is so hot down here. I can't get my hair to cooperate. You step outside and it is like walking through soup. Or like walking into a waterfall. The rain is intense, but so far short lived. I'm getting drinks with a friend tonight. Everywhere you go, the cocktails come with an umbrella! Even the beverages know about the sudden downpours! Here's hoping I don't ruin any shoes on my way out the door.

Give my love to the kids and Archie.

Your friend, 

Midge