#they had the perfect grumpy/sunshine dynamic

[fircyca]

[crescenthistory]

I have the cutest idea. How about prompt b 3 with regulus black. Kinda Sunshine x grumpy, where reader is so openly in love with regulus and is just enjoying that even when regulus doesn’t seem to be returning their feelings (or at least not outwardly saying it). Just reader who is absolutely soft and understanding with Regulus.

😬😊 Hope you have a great day!

i genuinely had so much fun writing this, the request and dynamic fits perfectly with little reggie. thanks darling<3 i hope your day was great as well

Prompt: B.3 "You occupy my every thought"

Words: 2.6k

Warnings: not proofread, reggie is mentally unwell and a bit insecure, hinting at the black brothers drama, reader is very emotionally open and secure (good for you), friends-but-kinda-more dynamic going on, reader is bestie with the marauders

Regulus was not sure how or when it started.

Perhaps it was that day in the library when you strolled right up to him, breaking the sacred silence of the space with your bright voice, oblivious to the withering stares of Madam Pince and the other students. You sat down beside him, uninvited, and started chattering as though you had known him for years, as though the wall he meticulously kept around himself simply didn’t exist.

“You’re a good listener, did you know that?” you had said cheerfully after several minutes of mostly unreciprocated conversation. “We should sit together more often.”

Regulus hadn’t known what to say, so he didn’t say anything at all. He had merely given a curt nod, lips pressed into a thin line, and waited for you to get bored.

You never did.

Perhaps it only truly solidified when he was trying to read his book in the Slytherin common room while Barty, Evan and Dorcas did everything in their power to distract him, until you skipped in, plopping down beside him and asking him about his book with genuine interest. His friends were all shocked to see him actually give you an answer, albeit short, and most important of all not pushing you away. He allowed you to sit there and read over his shoulder, smiling dreamily at him, and shot the others a few dirty looks as they snickered. The feeling in his chest that he still can’t quite place, began to bloom in his chest then, and it has yet to let go.

Nevertheless, somehow you became a fixture in his life. You sat beside him in the library, during meals, and even in the quiet corners of the castle where he had once gone to find solitude, and now oddly didn’t mind sharing with you. There was always a smile on your face and a knowing look in your eyes, that remained trained on him, even when in the company of his or your friends. You never demanded conversation; in fact, there were days where you spoke little and just kept him company, respecting his occasional genuine need for silence as much as you successfully challenged it when you knew it was a facade. It baffled him, but he couldn’t say he disliked it. Far from it.

It took a while to get used to, and Regulus was not sure if he ever could entirely. He had grown up with everyone wanting something from him – his parents wanted the perfect heir after Sirius left, his friends wanted chaos, his brother wanted his trust. He dealt with it all by aiming for perfection, for control and precision, but he knew it was crushing him. Then, you – you had never once asked anything of him. You were just there one day, and you never left.

The habit of it all did start to settle and he found himself allowing you further and further in. A friendship formed, perhaps something more as well, and he revelled in it, even as the shame of doing so grew deep within him. The certainty that it was not forever was clear in his heart, but the way you looked at him, the way you spoke without a care in the world, made him think that maybe he could let himself enjoy this one thing while it lasted. 

He began making space for you in his everyday life, part subconsciously, waiting for you outside your classrooms, saving you a seat wherever he was, seeking you out and allowing you to seek him. It was unspoken, yet you picked up on it so easily, so beautifully, making him feel a twinge of safety that he ached to chase. As Barty often teased him, you had become attached at the hip.

Which is one of the main reasons why he ended up on the floor of the Gryffindor common room, leaning against the edge of a sofa with a novel in his hands – because you wanted to spend time with your friends, and where you are, he went.

Unfortunately, though, your friends were primarily Regulus’ brother and his fellow troublemakers.

The common room was loud, filled with the usual banter and shouting, much less controlled than that in Slytherin. While you had long grown accustomed to the buzz of energy in the air, finding comfort in it, you knew the same was not the case for Regulus, so you had a hand playing with the curls at the back of his head as you sat leaning on the sofa’s armrest.

He wasn’t part of the lively conversation about Quidditch plays – though you knew he actually had several strong opinions on this very topic – nor was he trying to laugh along with Sirius’ absurd stories. He was there, present, yet apart from it all, seemingly chewing on a thousand thoughts. You ached to save him from them, but for now you settled on looking happily down with him and enjoying the feeling of his hair between your fingers.

“Oi, sweetheart!” James all but shouted as he threw a tiny piece of crumpled up paper at you, trying to gain your attention. Regulus didn’t look up from his book, but his ears quirked up. “I was talking to you!”

“Oh, sorry Jamie,” you said and Regulus had to fight his smile at the dreamy sound in your voice. “Was distracted.”

“I can see that.” James looked pointedly between you and Regulus. You didn’t dignify his hinting with a response.

“What was it you were saying?”

“Just asking you about your take on the story Siri just told… which I’m now seeing you didn’t even listen to.” Before you could reply, Sirius cut in.

"How do you do it?" Sirius's voice was a mix of bewilderment and amusement. "Regulus barely tolerates people, and yet, there you are, right beside him, like it's the most natural thing in the world."

At that, Regulus had to look up, giving his brother a levelling glare for the unwanted attention. You only smiled in response, glancing at Regulus and his tense posture, hand in his hair never slowing. "There's nothing to it," you had said simply. "He’s not hard to understand once you take the time. It is the most natural thing in the world."

Sirius looked like he wanted to say more, eyes boring into both you and Regulus, whose face was angled back down into his book but whose attention was anywhere but – but before he could, Lily intervened, steering the conversation towards some drama she just learned from Slughorn.

You looked down at Regulus, reading his body language like the book he clearly was not, and in one languid movement slid down from your seat to plop beside him on the floor. He looked over at you, expression unreadable, and you beamed at him. 

The others carried on without much notice, except for Sirius who still had half an eye on you, raising a brow at your changed position from where he was draped over the armchair across the room. He glanced between you and his younger brother, visibly trying to figure out what the dynamic between you really was and what that meant for how he viewed you two. You paid it no mind, instead attentively zeroing in on Regulus and his mood.

You tucked your legs underneath you, leaning slightly closer to him. “You doing okay? You’ve been a bit quiet today,” you said softly, keeping your voice low enough so that the others wouldn’t hear.

Regulus’ eyes flickered toward you briefly, then over to the fire burning not far away from you, book forgotten in his lap. “I’m always quiet.”

“True,” you conceded with a grin, not deterred by his exterior attitude. “But this is the extra-brooding kind of quiet. The kind where your forehead does that little frowny thing.” You gestured to your own forehead, mimicking his usual frown.

He let out a short breath – something that was almost, but not quite, a laugh. 

“There it is!” you teased gently. 

Regulus shot you a look, one that others often labelled annoyance, but you could clearly tell was a form of confused entertainment. It seemed to ask you all the questions he would never say out loud. You had seen that look a lot, more than you could count, but it never stopped you from being your usual sunny self around him. If anything, it only made you want to stay closer.

“You don’t have to sit beside me, I’m fine,” he muttered after a moment, his voice so low it almost got lost in the noise of the room.

You shrugged and remained seated. “I know, but I want to.”

Silence settled between you two for a minute. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though; it never was. Despite how different you were, there was an odd sense of understanding that always seemed to hover between you. You could fill the space with chatter, or sit quietly, and somehow it was always okay. 

Though, as the life bustled around you, you noticed how his left leg was unruly and how he had not flipped a page in his book since you sat down – and you knew Regulus was a fast reader.

After a while, you gave him another soft nudge. “Wanna get some air?”

Regulus hesitated, glancing at you like he wasn’t sure if you were serious, but when you kept his gaze, he eventually nodded, internally grumbling about how he had just thought how some air would be nice. You smiled and stood up, extending a hand to him. He gave in and took it. You led him out of the common room, keeping his hand in yours, winding through the corridors until you found a quiet nook just outside by the Black Lake, far enough from the castle to escape the noise but close enough that you could still hear the faint murmur of the wind over the water.

You plopped down on the soft grass and patted the spot next to you. In your newfound privacy, Regulus didn’t hesitate to sit down beside you, his arms resting on his knees as he stared out at the lake.

You took a deep, loud breath, night air clearing through your lungs, and it inspired him to do the same, much to your liking.

“Better?” you asked, drawing your knees up to your chest, resting your chin on them as you looked at him expectantly.

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze distant. The moonlight reflected off the water, casting a soft glow over both of you, and for a moment, you let the silence linger.

“Why do you do this?” Regulus finally asked, his voice low but tinged with something you had not heard before – something vulnerable.

“Do what?” you asked, genuinely curious.

“Follow me around,” he clarified, his eyes finally meeting yours. “Why do you bother with me? You could be with any of them.” He gestured vaguely back toward the castle where your friends were. “They’re fun, and loud, and… like you.”

The way he said it, like he was utterly convinced that you should be with people more like you, made your heart ache. You knew what he was trying to do – push you away, not with anger but with insecurity. He did this sometimes when his own thoughts became too heavy, you had seen it. 

“Yeah, they’re fun,” you said lightly, keeping your tone easy. “But so are you. I like spending time with you, so I want to be here. With you.”

Regulus’ brow furrowed, and you could see the gears turning in his head. He didn’t get it. You wanted to tell him he didn’t need to, he just had to accept it, but you knew he was not quite ready for that.

“I don’t–” He exhaled sharply, frustration creeping into his voice. “I don’t understand why you chose me.”

You laugh a little at that, and he tries to ignore how it makes his heart race. “You say it like there was some grand plan and thoughtful process. I just spoke to you and found out I really like speaking to you, so I continued. I don’t know Reggie, I just like you. There doesn’t need to be any more to it than that.”

He stared at you silently, clearly trying to digest your words. This was the first time he challenged you about your friendship directly, before he had only hinted that maybe you shouldn’t run around with the likes of me, to which you had simply disagreed.

You smiled at him softly, wanting to guide him through what he was feeling. You leaned back on your hands as you looked up at the stars. “You want to know the truth?”

He didn’t respond, but you knew he was listening.

“You occupy my every thought, Regulus,” you said, your voice quiet but firm. “So it’s only fitting you occupy my personal space as well. Even when I’m laughing with James, teasing Sirius, or debating something with Remus… I’m always thinking about you.”

Regulus’s mouth was slightly agape as he stared at you, and you had to fight a giggle at how flabbergasted he seemed – now was not the time.

He blinked, his confusion deepening. “Why?”

You tilted your head slightly. “Because you’re you, you’re Regulus. You don’t need to see it, because I do. I like the way you’re quiet but notice everything. I like the way you actually listen when I talk. I like the way you’re thoughtful, even if you try to hide it behind that whole grumpy façade.” You reached out, nudging his knee with your foot. “I like you, Regulus. Just as you are.”

He stared at you, utterly perplexed, like he couldn’t comprehend why someone like you, someone oh so lovely and lively, would be drawn to him of all people. But you just told him he didn’t need to get it – you got it for the both of you.

“I don’t get it,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You could have anyone. Someone who’s better at… this.” He gestured vaguely between you two.

You leaned closer to him, keeping your eyes on his. “Maybe. But I don’t want anyone else.”

Regulus let out a quiet, almost involuntary laugh, as if the mere concept was funny to him, and you grinned, feeling like you’d just won some kind of secret victory.

“You’re a bit ridiculous, you know that?” There was no bite in his voice. In fact, the shine in his eyes almost looked… relieved. Like he was starting to believe you.

You scooted a little closer, closing the gap between you two, placing a tentative hand on his elbow “Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any less true.” You felt some of the tension melt off of him as he leaned into the feeling of your shoulder against his. 

For a while, neither of you spoke, just sitting there by the lake, stars twinkling overhead. And though Regulus didn’t say it, you could feel the shift in him – something was softening, letting go.

After a long stretch of silence, he finally spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re… different.”

“Good different?” you asked, smiling softly.

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Good different.”

You beamed, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. “Good. Though you better get used to it, because I’m not going anywhere.”

Regulus had a small, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. When he spoke next, it was so quiet that you almost didn’t hear him, but you did – and flowers bloomed in your chest. 

“I’m glad.”

[certaimromance]

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Cemetery Love.

Dean Winchester x Witch!reader

Summary: Ever since you accidentally discovered that Dean had made a deal and that his days were numbered, you've been trying to make every one of them unforgettable without telling him why. According to him, you're getting crazier and crazier, and according to Sam, you're in love.

Words: 2,9k.

TW: mentions of death, dealings with demons, witches. spoilers for season 2 and 3. angst with happy ending. fluff. the winchester brothers being chaos lol. english isn't my first language (sorry for my mistakes, be kind please).

Note: I love Dean and the Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic, so taking advantage of the sad plot of the deal and mixing it all up with confusion is one of my more chaotic ideas and I hope it turns out well haha.

♡ Enjoy! ♡

You closed the bedroom door behind you, careful not to make any noise that might wake the two brothers who were still sleeping peacefully in their beds. You left the groceries on the table and began to arrange everything to make it a perfect breakfast, the coffees you had bought, the muffin for Sam and the cake for Dean, the wild flowers you had made appear in the new vase you had created with your magic to give the table more vitality, and as a final touch you snapped your fingers and the curtains opened to let in the sunlight.

While you checked that everything was perfect, you stared at them for a few seconds, and the serenity with which they slept made you wonder if all the bad things that followed them were real. So many times you wanted to believe that your mind had played tricks on you, that the first time you saw Sam die was an illusion and that being alive after that was as normal as your magic. You didn't want to believe anything else had happened until you heard Dean talking to him when they thought you couldn't hear and you knew his days were numbered and he didn't want you to know.

That day, you wanted to scream at him that he was an idiot for selling his soul like that, and worse, for not telling you to find a spell to fix it. But the desperation in his voice as he repeated to his brother that you would look at him differently if you knew, and that it scared him more than anything else in the world, silenced you for weeks as you put your secret plan into action. You wanted each day to be better than the last for him as you searched every known coven for ways to avoid his death at all costs.

“Good morning, you lazy pair. It's time to wake up.” You spoke after several minutes of being lost in thought, watching them stir in their beds.

“Shut up, please.” Was all Dean said, pulling the blanket over his head to keep out the sun streaming through the window.

“Good morning to you too. Is that coffee and muffin I smell?” Sam sat up in his bed and looked gratefully at the table. “You're the best, thanks.” He added with a smile.

The best way to start a good day was with a good breakfast, you believed, and you knew the younger Winchester agreed, and that a little cheerfulness, sponsored by a little magic, couldn't hurt in the midst of monsters and supernatural cases. However, the other brother had been in a bad mood lately, and your positivity irritated him, especially when it came in the morning. Of course, he didn't know that the cheerfulness was fake, just an attempt to make him a little happy.

“Let's go! The day is beautiful today, the sun is shining and the birds are singing, all that deserves to be seen.” You said, giving Sam a smile to authorize him to throw a pillow to his brother. “It's so nice.”

You took a sip of your coffee and heard a groan from Dean as he received the pillow his brother had thrown at him. You let out a small mocking laugh.

“You know what's nice? Sleeping and not getting hit in the face by flying pillows.” He replied, finally sitting up grimly in bed, his eyes still closed.

“Be thankful, Winchester. I brought you a nice breakfast.” You said as you sat down in one of the chairs in the small dining room in front of Sam.

Finally, he opened his eyes and scanned you and then the table. He couldn't deny that his stomach rumbled and his mouth watered at the sight of the pie you'd bought. However, nothing took away the feeling of irritability and the headache from not getting the thousand hours of sleep he needed to be well.

“How can you be so happy and look so good in the morning?” He asked after looking at you from head to toe and snorting because you were all dressed up and glowing while he was still in his pajamas.

You raised your shoulders and heard Sam teasing his brother. At that moment, your cell phone vibrated and a message from Bobby asking you to call him caught your attention. You tried not to make the slightest grimace so the brothers wouldn't notice and worry.

“You two take a shower and get something to eat. I'll take a walk and wait for you to join me later.” You got up from your chair and walked briskly to the door.

“What the hell is wrong with her?” Dean asked as soon as the door closed behind you and the creaking sound it made echoed in his head.

“Wrong? She bought us breakfast and she's happy, I don't see anything wrong.” Sam replied, frowning at his brother's attitude. “You're just in a bad mood.”

“I'm not.” Dean replied with a snort, getting out of bed and sitting down in the seat you had used earlier. “She's being weird.”

Until the last few weeks, your behavior had been very different, and the eldest Winchester had noticed it the most. In the past, you barely laughed at his bad jokes or cast spells that weren't meant to save a life on a hunt. Now you smiled so much he was surprised your face didn't hurt, and your spells of pure joy seemed endless. It was as if you had been injected with positivity and vitality.

“She's just happy, it's nice that one of us is.”

At his brother's comment, Dean snorted and began to eat his pie uncomfortably. It wasn't that it bothered him that you were happy, because that was the only thing he could wish for you, it was more a resentment that he couldn't be the same way.

“I think she's in love.” Sam said and took a sip of his coffee.

Automatically, Dean's disinterest in the conversation ended and all his senses kicked in.

“Why? By whom? Since when?”

“Suddenly she is happier, she doesn't stop texting and doesn't let go of her phone, she suddenly disappears and never says where she went, she is much more concerned about her appearance, I have seen her get up earlier to put on makeup and she has asked me a thousand times if she looks good, she rejects every boy who approaches her and she buys us rich food just for the sake of it. The other day I even heard her humming a love song. She is definitely dating someone.”

His brother's full explanation made Dean frown even more and his stomach churn, even the urge to eat was taken away. He didn't like that none of it made any sense, no matter how much it did.

“Or she just went crazy.” He said, putting aside the pie he had been devouring.

“Are you jealous?” Sam asked with some mockery in his tone.

“No. Shut up.”

“Come on, are you still in love with her?” The hunter asked with narrowed eyes, trying to decipher his brother's feelings, even if he only got bad looks from him. “Don't make faces, you told me so.”

And it was true, because months earlier, Dean had gotten drunk in a dive bar after you had almost been seriously injured on a hunt and decided to turn in early. Your absence, combined with the unlimited drinks that a fake card got him, made him finally spill his guts, even his darkest thoughts, to his brother. Most importantly, he confessed that he had been in love with you for years.

“Forget about that night, I was drunk.”

“Everyone says drunks tell the truth and I remember everything you said that night.” Sam remarked, taking a minute to mentally go back to that moment. “Oh Sammy help, I think she cast a love spell on me because I can't get her out of my mind. I don't know what to do anymore.” He put on a high-pitched voice to imitate him and remind him exactly of his words.

“I never said that.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at his denial.

“Well, maybe I did say some things.” He finally admitted with some embarrassment. “But it was stupid.”

“Having feelings for someone isn't stupid, Dean. It's normal, and it was bound to happen to you sooner or later.”

He sighed and could feel the tension in his body rise. “Stop.”

“You can talk to me and...” Sam insisted again, trying to give him some understanding and reassurance, unaware that he was doing just the opposite.

It was definitely too much and made the eldest Winchester feel like a foolish, lovesick teenager chasing an unrequited love thanks to his brother's words. The whole situation infuriated him to no end, it seemed stupid and out of place when he was literally closer to death every day.

“I'm. Not. In. Love. With. Her.” He said slowly, punctuating his voice with every word. He had already lost his patience and only wished that Sam would leave him alone. “How could I fall in love with someone like that? Lately she's been so irritating and stressful. I don't need her songs, or her perfect smile, or her to buy us that damn dream breakfast. We're hunters, and we don't need a witch.”

As soon as he finished speaking and looked at his brother, he heard the door to the room slam shut, throwing an excessive amount of wind at them, almost knocking him out of his seat. It was then that he knew he was completely screwed.

“That was...?” He tried to ask with his voice somewhat shaky.

Dean didn't really need an answer, he knew you had heard him.

“You're an asshole.” That was all Sam said before he got up and walked to the door with the intention of talking to you.

“I'll go.” He said, grabbing his brother's arm and stopping him before he could leave. “I messed up...now pray I don't turn into a frog.”

“It's what you deserve.” Was the last thing Dean heard from his younger brother before he left the room and went to find you.

The sunlight and the sound of birds singing was the first thing he noticed when he left the room, it almost made him smile knowing that you had been right. It didn't take him long to guess that you were in the woods behind the motel, it was the kind of place you always said you found relaxing and probably where you would go when you wanted to get away. He walked quickly and after a few minutes he found you sitting on a rock, staring blankly.

“Get out of here, Winchester.” You said as soon as you felt his presence and heard the distinctive sound of his footsteps, without even turning to look at him. “Or I'll turn you into a rabbit.”

Dean almost smiled, he knew you liked rabbits.

“You have to listen to me, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...that. I didn't mean what I said.” He tried to explain in a confused way, unable to fully express himself. “It was a mistake.”

“What was a mistake, what you said or that I heard you say it?” You replied with irony in your tone, still not turning to look at him because you knew it would hurt.

“It was all a mistake, I shouldn't have said any of that because I don't believe it.” He replied, taking a few slow steps towards you to touch your shoulder. “Maybe I think you're acting weird, but I...”

“You what, Winchester?” You turned and walked away from his touch swiftly. There was something burning inside you from what you had heard and it was releasing everything you had been holding back. “You're going to tell me you don't need a witch because you're a hunter? Well, let me tell you yes because I'm the only one doing anything to save you from the damn deal you made!”

Finally, you stood up from the rock and looked him straight in the eye. You could see him turn pale and frozen at your words.

“How...how do you know?”

“I heard you talking to Sam.”

Once again, a conversation you weren't supposed to overhear had ruined everything for him.

“What have you done?” His tone was serious, there was not a hint of playfulness left, only concern.

Your lips were fully sealed for several seconds before you spoke. “It doesn't matter anymore.”

All the events of the last while began to flash through Dean's mind with speed and began to make a different kind of sense. Every argument his younger brother had given him about you being in love with someone and doing everything for that person made sense, only that someone was him.

“Tell me what you've done.” He repeated coming dangerously close to you. “I'm serious. I know you did something.”

It was so obvious that you couldn't stand by and do nothing to save him. So why didn't he ask for your help in the first place?

“That's why you bought me so much pie, you know I'm going to die. And the calls you make so much...what did you do?” He began to recapitulate all your strange attitudes in his mind and it bothered him that he hadn't noticed it before. “Tell me you haven't done anything stupid, please.”

“Doing so much for you when you don't appreciate it or care is the only stupid thing I've ever done in my life.” You tried to walk past him and leave, but he stopped you.

“You're going to tell me what you did and you're going to forget it.” He said firmly, never letting go of you for fear that you would leave. It was stupid, because he knew you could leave with a single spell if you wanted to. “Speak.”

You looked into his eyes for a few seconds and knew he meant it. He seemed more concerned about your actions than his own situation, and that confused you. You had heard him say how annoying you were and that he didn't need you, but your heart still pounded at his touch. You knew that if you confessed to him that you had been looking for ways to save him for months without caring about the consequences, you would look desperate and vulnerable, you didn't like it, but it was the truth.

“You don't want to talk? Fine, I accept that, but then you're going to stop whatever it is you're doing.” He said after waiting several minutes for you to speak and getting no response.

“But...”

“No buts, I'm serious. I don't want you to do anything, I didn't even want you to know about this before.” Dean sighed tiredly, as if he didn't know what to do. “And again, I'm so sorry for what you heard, it's not the truth and I only said it because Sam was bothering me. I do need you and know it, but not in this.”

“Why? It's my decision.”

“Listen to me for once in your life.” He moved closer until you could almost feel his breath and put a hand on your cheek. “I can lose myself, but I can't lose you, and you have to understand that or I'll go crazy.”

You froze in place, not knowing what to do or say.

“Please forget about it and go back to being yourself.” He finished.

“How am I supposed to do that? What am I supposed to do without you?” You asked, feeling your voice crack as you spoke. “I don't want to say goodbye.”

Dean didn't say anything, he just hugged you tightly, hoping that for once in your life you wouldn't fight. To his surprise, you clung to him and your fear of him disappearing became apparent. You lost count of how many times you heard him whispering to you to let it go, to focus on the present, and that he was with you now, kissing your forehead and repeating that everything was okay.

“Will you turn me into a rabbit if I kiss you now? Be honest.” He asked as soon as he was able to pull away from you a little to look into your eyes.

“Honestly? No. Would I like to? Yes.”

One of his hands rested on your waist and the other tangled in your hair, pulling you closer to him and finally shortening the small distance that separated you. You saw him smile for a few seconds before he placed his lips on yours, letting you know that you had indeed lost your mind. His movements were soft and slow, something you had never imagined from him before, and it surprised you for the better. He seemed to be making an effort to be gentle and that, combined with the sweet taste the pie had left on his lips, had you hypnotized.

Time flew, and almost as if under a spell, you broke the kiss only when your human need for oxygen appeared. You could only guess that it had been a while because his lips were red and he seemed as agitated as you were. All you knew was that you had waited a long time for this and that the possibility of losing him was a thousand times more terrifying now.

“Part of me has been grateful all along to know that I will die before you.” He spoke, and you looked at him as if he were completely insane, because he probably was. “Really, don't look at me like that.”

“Sure, you always want to win and go first.” You rolled your eyes, tried to fake a laugh, and hugged him tighter.

“No, I just can't imagine life without you, my sweet witch.”

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗨𝗡

　　　　　　　　　𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader

SUMMARY: Where the sun inside Matt fell in love with the moon inside Y/N; OR, 4 moments between sunshine Matt and grumpy Y/N.

WARNING: Mentions of blood and pain.

REQUESTED?: Yes, by anon

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism, copy, or "inspiration"! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

　　　༻✦༺ 　༻✧���　༻✦༺

Y/N has always been known for her serious expression and sarcastic humor. She had a cynical view of the world and seemed to find fault with almost everything around her. On the other hand, Matt was the complete opposite. His smile was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, brightening up any room with his contagious positivity. It was as if he was determined to find the good in everything, no matter how dark it was.

The two were in the same class together at Boston high school, part of the same group of friends, which meant they did a lot of group work together, and it was precisely there where their contrasting personalities often collided. Y/N was meticulous and perfectionist in her work, while Matt preferred to approach topics with a more relaxed and laid-back attitude. This often put them at odds, but it also created an interesting dynamic.

One afternoon, during a school work meeting at the triplets' house, Y/N was particularly grumpy. She had faced a series of setbacks in her home and was on the verge of exploding. Matt, as always, tried to cheer her up with his light humor and unwavering optimism.

"You should relax a little." Matt murmured with a smile as his right hand worked quickly with his computer mouse, putting together the perfect slide for the presentation that would take place the next day, using Nick and Alahna's notes and research. "Not everything has to be so serious all the time."

Y/N rolled her eyes from her spot on the edge of Matt's bed, pushing the notebook that rested on her thighs roughly, feeling frustrated with his persistent attempt to lift her spirits. She knew he was just trying to help, but at that moment, all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

However, something inside her changed when she lifted her gaze to Matt's smiling face, who was still holding the mouse as he watched her from the corner of his eye. In that moment, the girl saw beyond the surface, beyond the facade of constant happiness. She saw the genuine kindness in his eyes, the compassion in his smile. And for the first time, something inside her crumbled, breaking the wall that had held firm for so many years.

A small smile began to form on Y/N's lips, almost imperceptible, but still present. It was a smile that lit up her entire face in a way never seen before and made her eyes shine with an inner light that had long been dormant.

Matt was surprised to see Y/N smiling, abandoning his task instantly and turning his face completely towards her, trying to make sure he was actually seeing that. It was as if he had witnessed something sacred, something few were lucky enough to see - maybe only him. The brunette was speechless, simply admiring the sight before him.

"What?" Y/N asked, noticing the look of shock on Matt's face, her smile fading almost automatically, giving way to her usual frown.

"It's just…" Matt began, struggling to find the right words. "It's the first time I've seen you actually smiling. And it's so pretty."

Y/N felt shy by the compliment but also inexplicably happy. She had never realized how her smile could affect someone so deeply, especially someone like Matt, who radiated joy wherever he went.

"You should smile more-"

"Shut up."

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The night was calm when Matt returned from his hockey practice, but the mood inside the triplets' house was far from peaceful. He walked through his bedroom door with his shoulders hunched and his face pale, showing the anguish that consumed him inside and out.

Y/N, who was sitting on his bed reading a book while she waited for him - a habit created between them, and which his parents and brothers adored - looked up when hearing the door open. Upon seeing Matt, she immediately noticed something was wrong. Her heart sank while witnessing the boy's low stance.

"Matt? Hey, what happened?" She asked, setting the book aside and quickly standing up from her previous seat, walking towards him with a frown decorating her face.

Matt didn't respond right away. Instead, he broke down when his ears finally heard the voice he had waited for so many hours, tears flowing freely down his face. He was shaking, struggling to control his emotions as the weight of his feelings enveloped him like a dense fog.

"Hey pretty boy, breathe." Y/N ordered, pulling him into an awkward but loving hug. "It's okay. Just breathe."

Matt sniffed, trying to regain control of himself. He took a few deep breaths, following her instructions, before finally finding the voice to speak.

"It was at hockey practice." The brunette began, his voice wavering with crying and raw emotions. "One of the guys on the team... he said some horrible things to me about my performance, and I-" A sob interrupted his speech, his blue eyes closing tightly in an attempt to hold in the ugly sounds.

Y/N slowly pulled away, snaking her right hand from his bicep to his head, cupping his cheek gently, looking at his face for the first time that afternoon, her movements stopping suddenly.

The girl felt a wave of anger bubbling up inside her as she saw her boyfriend's face swollen and stained with blood in strategic spots, clearly having been punched by someone else. She clenched her left fist tightly, causing her fingers to take in a pale hue, her eyes flashing with contained fury as her chest tightened with the anguish she felt emanating from Matt's body.

"Who was it?" Y/N's firm and determined voice echoed through the room like thunder as her right hand gently turned his face from side to side, her hard eyes running over his injured skin. "Who said those things to you? No, even better. Who did this to you? I'll finish him off, I swear."

Matt's eyes widened instantly, surprised by her reaction. He knew Y/N could be tough when needed - all the time - but seeing her so determined to protect him left him speechless.

His cheeks took on a reddish hue, disguised by the blood and redness caused by crying, his lips pressed together in an attempt to contain a smile while his heart accelerated involuntarily, a small wince escaping his throat with the movement of his mouth.

"I'm fine, baby-"

"You're not, and after I'm done with whoever did this to you, he won't be fine either." Y/N interrupted him rudely, raising her eyebrows in an act of confrontation, as if she was confronting him to continue the lie.

"It's okay, sunshine. Just let it go. Please?" Matt's warm tongue escaped his lips, wetting them, while his blue eyes seemed to beg her to forget about the guy and focus on himself.

"Alright." The girl let out a loud, angry sigh, rolling her eyes as she stroked his blood-stained cheek gently. "Come on, let's take care of this."

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

The restaurant was busy that night, with lively conversation and laughter echoing off the walls. Y/N was sitting at a table next to Matt and his brothers, trying to enjoy the meal despite the crowd around them. However, her already dark mood was about to deepen even further.

As Y/N cut into her steak with an air of concentration, she noticed a man at the next table out of the corner of her eyes. He looked arrogant, a smug smile playing on his lips as he said horrible things about a girl to his table-mates. But it was when he looked in Y/N's direction that she felt a chill run down her spine.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Y/N felt a wave of discomfort spread through her. She couldn't explain why, but something about that guy made her nervous, his arrogant and sexist comments causing her body to scream, almost begging for her to do something.

Matt noticed the subtle change in Y/N's expression and followed her gaze to the next table, running his blue eyes over the unknown man's figure. He frowned, confused by the sudden intensity of Y/N's gaze, practically feeling her fury emanating from her body.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" Matt asked in an almost imperceptible whisper, leaning towards her and bringing his mouth closer to her ear, keeping his eyes on the table next to them. "Why don't we like him?"

Y/N blinked, surprised by Matt's direct question. She turned her head towards him slowly, frowning and running her eyes over his curious and playful expression, their noses almost touching with their proximity.

"You're so annoying, do you know that?" The girl asked in a cynical tone, raising her right eyebrow as she assessed him with her eyes.

"But you still love me." Matt replied quickly, as if he already had the answer on the tip of his tongue. A smirk grew on his lips as he draped his right arm over the back of the wooden chair his girlfriend sat on, caressing the skin of her exposed shoulder with his fingertips gently.

"Doesn't make you less annoying."

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Y/N was busy in the kitchen of the large room in her house that she shared with the triplets, preparing a special meal to welcome the boys' parents, Jimmy and Mary Lou, who were about to arrive for a visit in Los Angeles. She was determined to impress them with her cooking skills and make the couple's first day in the bustling city worth it.

While stirring a pan of sauce, Y/N heard footsteps approaching and soon Matt's figure left the small hall that led to their room and entered the kitchen with a beaming smile on his face, his feet taking him closer to his girl almost automatically.

"Hi sunshine, need help?" He asked, stepping forward to grab an apron and approach the stove, his blue eyes darting over all the ingredients laid out as his brain tried to process what she was making.

Y/N looked up at him, her face hardened with concentration as her right hand never stopped moving the spoon.

"No, thank you." The girl responded quickly, shaking her head and returning her gaze to the sauce below her. "I can do this on my own."

Matt frowned, ignoring her answer and rescuing a steak knife from the cutlery drawer, extending his free hand towards the still raw meat, ready to cut it into ideal sizes.

"Matt, I said I can do it myself." Y/N repeated slowly, as if she were speaking to a child, casting a furtive glance at him from the corner of her eye.

"I know you can, petal." The boy murmured softly, putting down the knife and raising his now free hand towards his girl, lightly pressing his warm palm against her still arm, caressing her skin. "But I want to be here with you to help in some way. It doesn't have to be everything or nothing."

Y/N sighed, feeling a little guilty about her own reaction. She didn't want to push Matt away, especially when he was just trying to be caring and helpful.

"Okay... I'm sorry." Her apology escaped in a barely there whisper, her teeth catching her bottom lip in a firm grip.

"What are we having for dinner today?" Chris's loud and excited voice echoed through the living room and kitchen as the boy climbed the stairs that led him from his room, interrupting the moment between the couple, eliciting a laugh from Matt and an eye roll from Y/N.

"None of your business."

taglist:

@lustfulslxt @ladybunny44 @worldlxvlys @earth2starkey @remussbitch @freshloveforthefit @sturniolowhore @luvr4miya @alorsxsturn @urfavgirllyyyyy @hearts4chriss @cupidzsq @dracoflaco @rootbeerworshiper @junnniiieee07 @elliesturniolo1 @sstvrnioloo @lightsgore @gidgett11037 @ksskianshd @soimightlikeoldmen69 @ldr-sl0t @breeloveschris @its-jennarose @sainzzsturns @ecliphttlunar @soso-scarlettolivia @sturnolio-luvs @bitchydragonparadise @lvrsturn @freshsturns @h3arts4harry @patscorner @strnilolo @bernardsbendystraws @mattsneezing @poetatorturadaa @meg-sturniolo @orangeypepsi @jnkvivi @chrisactualwife @watermelonreid @fratbrochrisgf @elordilover @iammattswife

(If you want to be added to the taglist, go to this post)

[flippinpancakes64]

Could you do The Cullens x Reader! Who is just a very happy and cheerful person, pretty small, and then they just get sad or teary eyed when someone calls them childish, what would be their reaction?

The Cullens with a very happy but sensitive reader

I can definitely relate to the sensitive part, but I am rather large so we'll see how good I am at portraying that

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy

Edward:

He doesn’t mind that you’re smaller than him

He actually kinda likes it

And he loves your personality

It’s so bright and nice

It’s a good change of pace to hear kind and clear thoughts as opposed to mean and rude ones

Now as far as when he hears people insulting you

He doesn’t let that shit fly

Especially when you come up to him later with tears in your eyes

He is anti-bully and pro-you

He will knock a bitch out

And he does his best to reassure you that he loves you for you and that he never wants you to change ever

Alice:

All things considered, you are like her clone

Small, cheerful, peppy

Only difference is that what other people say still gets to you

Granted, she’s had over 100 years to become desensitized

But she knows the feeling

Those people calling you childish have called her that too

She tells them to back off and watch themselves

As for you, she never wants you to change

You are so vibrant and lively and fun

And if those people ever got to you and you felt that you needed to try to change yourself, she shuts that down instantly

No changing yourself to fit into society for her

One order of being your own person please

Jasper:

He loves your personality so much

It’s canon that he tends to gravitate towards people who have a positive mind because it makes him feel better

And what better person than sunlight embodied

But when you come to the lunch table one day and you look like you’re about to cry, he is ready to fight

He doesn’t actually fight tho

He knows he won’t be able to hold back and he will end up killing someone

He loves you, but not enough to blow their whole cover and to reset all of his progress

He reassures you that he doesn’t think you’re childish

If anything, everybody else is just miserable

Rosalie:

Grumpy and sunshine relationship dynamic?

She likes to give you a hard time sometimes, pretending to be annoyed at how energetic you are

But in reality she loves it

She’s so used to Edward being miserable and everyone at school being miserable that she loves your personality

And she does fight someone

When you come over after school and look like you’re about to cry, she instantly takes her earrings out

She finds whoever said it and beats their ass

She will not let anyone upset you like that ever again

Emmett:

Your personality is a nice change from Rosalie’s

Not that he would admit that

But it’s nice to have someone who actually acts happy all the time

You’re his little ray of sunshine and he loves you

And when you come up to him about to cry, he gets ready to kill someone

And then he actually does

The guy deserved it idk

They can’t trace it back to him so it’s all ok

He reassures you as much as you need that he loves you and that he never wants you to change

Esme:

Another ray of sunshine

She’s so inviting and kind, you two match each other perfectly

Only she’s never really had to deal with anyone calling her childish

She’s of course had the random soccer mom asking her if she’s really qualified to be caring for a bunch of teenagers, but that’s it

So when you come home crying, she’s not too sure of what to do

She does her best to comfort you

Cue your favorite food, movie, and blanket

She spends the whole night cuddling with you and telling you that you are perfect exactly as you are

Carlisle:

He appreciates a nice, positive person

He deals with a lot of rude people at work, so it’s good to unwind

He has never once thought of you as childish in any way

One day you’re visiting him in the clinic and a random man says that you’re far too childish to be dating the doctor

He’s shocked

And you’re upset

He takes you back to his office to calm down and pages the secretary to kick that guy out

Reassures you that you are not childish and that he never wants you to change

Vampire! Bella:

She’s been around sunshine people for a long time

Her mom, Alice, Esme, and Edward when he gets what he wants

So your presence is nothing new

But she appreciates it nonetheless

She loves how you can find the good in everything

It balances out her bleak mindset

So when she sees someone insult you, she’s irate

She goes over to them and like stomps on their foot or something

And then tells them to never even look at you again

Ultimate bodyguard

[coryosmin]

can we get an hc of the thg boys dating sunshine!reader?? <3

yes i can!! no colored names this time simply because of laziness lol

coriolanus - if coryo was dating a sunshine!reader, it would be the perfect dynamic. he’s the grumpy one in the relationship. so someone would talk to both of you and he’s just like feigning annoyance. meanwhile, you’re talking to them, smiling, being all bright. when you guys are alone, he loves how bright you are. especially if he gets home from a particularly rough day at the university or at work, if you just come up and greet him all happily it’ll help his mood tremendously because you’re just so cute.

sejanus - he would adore it a lot. especially if he’s having a rough day. he would see you and instantly, his day would be better. he loves you and you love him. i think his absolute favorite would be when you meet his parents for the first time. you immediately click with his Ma, the one he was most worried about you meeting, and it would make him so happy to see the two women he loves just talking and getting along. it would warm his heart.

finnick - i feel like he’s very sunshine coded as well so the two of you would be feeding off of each other a lot. it’s just pure positive vibes between the two of you constantly. he loves you so much and he loves the energy you radiate. especially if he’s had a particularly hard time in the capitol, coming home to district 4 and you’re just there for him, greeting him all adorably. it makes all of his troubles go away

peeta - okay so like imagine this being after everything with the capitol and winning the war and such. dating you, it would make him feel like he didn’t suffer as much as he truly did. you’d lighten him up in a way that he hadn’t felt in such a long time. his worries about being a mutt? completely gone when he’s with you. you make him so happy. he has a nightmare? all he needs is to look at you and all of his fears go away.

[kitkatscabinet]

Sunshine & Grumpy

Osferth x reader

Summary: black cat partner and golden retriever bf

Word count: 500

A/N: apart from agent of chaos x flustered/shy I think this might be my new fave osferth ship dynamic

Being brought under Lord Uhtred's service and surrounded by such talented warriors was intimidating to say the least. Though of all the people he had been introduced to in such short time he had to say that you were one of the scariest

Your face was constantly impassive and often you looked either incredibly unimpressed or were downright glaring. You had some incredibly anti-social tendencies and when you did join Uhtred's inner circle you were often a quiet presence.

You seemed an incredibly odd fit amongst the loud and rowdy crew and Osferth had even said so much whilst drinking with Finan and Sihtric, only to be surprised when they exclaimed you were a perfect fit.

He doesn't see it himself until after a rough training session with Finan. He'd been beaten into the ground repeatedly, never once managing to land a single hit. Though where the boys had lightly berated or even laughed at him, you had done no such thing. It wasn't until he had been left alone that you finally approached and Osferth squared his shoulders, prepared for more scorn. Only you did no such thing, simply correcting his stance here and there and to his great shock, you smiled. At him.

"Don't worry baby monk. You'll get there in time. Finan and Sihtric seem to be forgetting they weren't perfect either." With those words you turned and left, leaving Osferth to wonder if he had hallucinated the whole thing.

The following months go by in a whirl of confusion. With the group you remain a pessimistic presence, though somewhere along the way you have become his stalwart defender.

You indulge his questions and have even on occasion let him drunkenly clamber and hang off you when Finan had gotten him outrageously drunk. He is always mortified the day after but you assure him with a small smile that it was no trouble.

You listen, you never tease him maliciously and even encourage him whenever he is unsatisfied with his progress.

The first time you fall asleep on him he freezes, completely unsure what to do and even Lord Uhtred was surprised. He can hardly stop himself from vibrating in excitement. You trusted him! he wants to cry in happiness.

It gets to a point where whenever anyone wanted you to do something they get Osferth to ask because they've learned if the baby monk asked you'd harness the fucking moon. Sihtric in comparison asks you to do something once and you tell him to go fuck himself.

Osferth is very physically affectionate and he is the only one that can touch you so casually without major consequences.

You think Osferth is the cutest thing ever, and find it incredibly hard not to smile like an idiot anytime you're in his presence. Sihtric, who hadn't learned his lesson makes fun of you and you punch him in the dick.

Osferth in turn loves to wax lyrical about how perfect you are to anyone who will listen, even if it causes you great embarrassment. He won't stop, he just wants everyone to see how great you are darling!

Taglist: @thelittleswanao3 @eudximoniakr

[sadko101]

unpopular opinion: all bg3 origin ships are great (and as platonic too)

gale x astarion: "enemies" to lovers they have great chemistry and has plenty of room for fluff and angst, plenty has been said about them i dont think i have much else to say.

wyll x gale: theirs plenty of danger in being the blade of fronteirs/avernus and we all know what gale is into. also they are two of the more good leaning characters. + gale is very "being a warlock sounds rough" and wyll is "that man is wayyy to faithful i dont want him to blow himself up". dancer x man with poor knees. (i could yap for ever i love them)

karlach x wyll: PERFECT, their stories intertwine while they have this unyielding care for each other. both platonically and romantically this ship is amazing! i just have no words for how good it is

karlach x shadowheart: karlach calling her shads is adorable and shadowheart is just straight up smitting for karlach the moment they meet. also when you play as origin shadowheart karlach is super sweet about the hairchange i love them.

gale x laezel: good leaning frail human wizard x GITHYANKI WARRIOR. theyre conversations are amazing with a mutual sense of curiosity for each others past and possible future. laezel falling for somone as soft as gale as well. ugh its soo good.

laezel x shadowheart: NOW THIS! its the true enemies to lovers of bg3. kinda "toxic yuri" in the begining but as the story goes on and laezel rebels against vlakith and shart against shar theres a real parrelel to there stories and a sort of understanding that they can find in each other.

gale x shadowheart: an intresting dynamic given them both being incredibly faithful to two gods who arent super fond of each other... as shadowheart strays from shar she encorages gale to relise the power mystra had over him, just a lot of support and love for each other is what im imagining. (definitly a ship thats develoupment focused)

karlach x laezel: now i havent had both of them in my team much, but the dynamic feels close to "grumpy x sunshine" laezel really opening up and being nice over time while karlach is open and happy from the begining.

karlach x gale: wizard x barbarion, (also "idoit" x genuis) is just great, gale and his magic could probably help to cool karlach down temporarly! i hc them both as autistc and i like nd x nd ships. also if you let gale ascend to godhood (loser) and play as karlach he can actually fix her engine heart which adds a sweet motivation to his godhood.

karlach x astarion: now i love these two platonically but i also love them romantically. astarion is enthusastic about recruiting karlach and comments about supporting her. he jokes abouthow strong she is which is cute. if youve ever played karlach origin and romance astarion they have a sweet scene together.

wyll x astarion: monster hunter x monster, wyll loves to tease astarion but he cares about him. he has faith in astarion to be a better person and its just MWAH. astarion is a bit of a simp for wyll (me too) he is very nice about the horns in wylls origin too (i love them)

wyll x shadowheart: they tease each other in a super endearing way. they kinda immideitly clicked and i know that wyll would support shadowheart through her whole crisis and shadowheart will help wyll in his self sacrafising tenancies (these little shits reciting porn together at the docks)

shadowheart x astarion: these two could be evil together, but they also could help each other heal and become better people

laezel x astarion: theyre very differnt views of love and affection. i think laezel would help astarion in his journy of reclaiming his own sexuality. (i need to think about these two more)

durge x anyone is great

i speedran typing this sorry for plethera of spelling erros

[deakyjoe]

Somebody’s Watching Me Part 8

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader (“Sarge”, she/her, British, backstory)

Category: slowburn coworkers to friends to lovers with grumpy x sunshine dynamic/idiots in love

Summary: A slice of heaven is created as you get a glimpse at what could be.

Warnings: smut (18+), PinV, unprotected sex (please wrap it before you tap it), creampie, riding, praise kink, cum eating, f receiving oral, fingering, swearing/cursing, British terminology/slang, insecurities (light angst but not really), overthinking, children, mask is off, domestic Ghost, Ghost receiving compliments, sexually suggestive talking, Ghost reassures you for once, *** to indicate where smut starts and ends

Word count: 5.6k

A/N: Thank you so much for all the support and praise I got on the last part! This idea has been rattling around in my head for ages and I was going to leave it out but then decided to write it anyway just to see how it came out and here it is. Sorry it took me so long, hope you enjoy! Part 9 here.

Consider buying me a coffee :)

The sudden burning happiness the two of you created was glorious. It almost didn't feel real. It was sudden and unexpected. But there wasn't a single thing in the world that you'd trade for it and you hoped that Simon felt the same. You assumed he did.

And your assumption would be correct. Although, the man would never voice it to you openly. Instead, he showed it through his actions, the way he looked at you and other small things he said. But it was perfect that way. The two of you were happy, and that was all that mattered.

"Y'know... you have the nicest eyes, like, ever!" The two of you were on your sofa. Well, Simon was sat on your sofa and you were on his lap, leg either side of his thighs and facing him. You had your hands on his face, palm on each cheek, to keep him looking at you. You often did this, just sat together content with nothing but the other’s company.

His grip on your hips tightened in warning. He still couldn't take a compliment. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Sarge."

"Oh, please. It's gotten me everywhere. Especially with you." You grinned at him, staring more intensely at his eyes. "They're so dark and warm and... deep. Could just drown in 'em. And your eyelashes. So fair and beautiful."

He huffed, moving his gaze away from you.

"No, no. Eyes on me." You whined, gleeful when he reluctantly looked back at you. "You need to learn how to take a compliment. Because I can't stop."

"And what are you going to do if I don't? Hm?"

You considered it, pondering on what you could possibly say to him that would entice him to learn how to take a compliment. Your fingers tapped mindlessly against the skin of his face as you thought about it.

He pulled your hips further against him to gain your attention. It worked. "I can hear the cogs in your brain turning. You don't need to think that hard to come up with some way to torture me into submission."

With a smirk, you leant towards him. So close that your noses almost touched. "Interesting choice of words there, Simon."

"You know what I mean." He rolled his pretty eyes.

"Yes, I do. Too bad. I'd torture you into submission if you wanted me to." You said in a fake nonchalant voice, focusing your attention behind him on nothing in particular.

He paused, mouth hanging open for a second. "I will keep that in mind."

You smiled at him, going in for a kiss when your phone started ringing. "Oh, for fuck's sake."

"Don't answer it." Simon pleaded with you, trying to guide his lips to yours.

"I have to. It's about tomorrow." You groaned, reaching for it on the other end of the sofa and answering it with an over enthusiastic tone in your voice. "Hey! What's up?"

The day out that you'd promised your friends' kids had finally been organised. You were due to pick them up at nine in the morning the next day, and take them wherever they desired to go. As you usually did. The only difference this time being that you were taking Simon along with you.

"Yes, it's all good. We'll do what we usually do. I'll drive to yours and leave the car. Then I'll use the minivan. It'll be fine. I've done this how many times now? And I'll have Simon with me this time. Extra support. Don't worry so much. I'll keep them safe. It'll be fun. Okay? Yeah? Alright. I'll see you in the morning. Yeah, he's here. She says hi."

Simon just nodded at you as he continued to watch the phone conversation play out, only having access to one end of it.

"Yes, okay. I know. Yep. Alright. Okay. Bye. No, yeah. Fine. Bye. Bye..." You finally got to hang up with an exaggerated sigh, slumping against Simon's chest. "I hope you're prepared for tomorrow."

"Six kids and only two of us? Sounds like a blast." He'd agreed because he didn't want to spend a second away from you anymore, let alone a whole day. Also, the children were nice. He could handle helping look after them for a day.

"It'll be easy peasy. I've been doing it alone for ages. Extra man power now with you means it'll be a breeze. Teamwork, y'know?"

Teamwork.

He smiled. "I know."

"I love it when you smile." Your index finger traced along his lips, outlining the expression of happiness he was showing you.

"Just for you, Sarge." He kissed the pad of your finger, resisting the urge to bite it playfully.

You chuckled quietly, pressing your mouth to his. "I'm so lucky."

"Think I'm the lucky one." He mumbled against your lips.

You pulled away reluctantly. “I suggest we go to bed now if we want to be awake and prepared for tomorrow.”

It wasn’t necessarily early to be going to bed or anything, just that the two of you usually spent your nights talking into the early hours of the morning. Or doing other things…

“Christ, you look as if I just offered to castrate you or something.” You giggled, pushing yourself off of Simon’s lap to stand up. “Come on, I’ll read you a bedtime story.”

“Ha ha.” He laughed sarcastically but took your hand and followed you to the bedroom anyway. He’d been spending every night there since New Year’s Day, only returning home briefly every few days to pick up a fresh set of clothes. Basically, the two of you had barely spent any time apart since he’d kissed you for the first time. And neither of you were complaining.

The two of you got ready for bed silently, standing at the sink together to brush your teeth and removing your dirty clothes from the day to put in the laundry. You crawled into bed together without a word said and assumed the position you took every night - chest to chest with you slightly lower in the bed so you could look up at him and rest your head in the crook of his neck if you needed to. Simon’s arms were wrapped around you, hands tracing patterns against your skin, and your fingers carded through his hair. It was a way for you to seek comfort in the other without having to say anything.

And you often started the day in the same way as you had on New Year’s Day - him spooning you and using the cuddling as the best position to fuck you. It was perfect every time.

Tonight though, the blond man could tell you weren’t as relaxed as usual.

“What’s wrong, Sarge?” He asked, tilting your chin up to look at him. “Hm?”

“Nothing.” You grumbled, hooking your leg over one of his to get as close as possible to him. “Don’t want tomorrow to be too much for you, is all.”

“Ah, so you’re overthinking.” He offered, pressing a kiss to your forehead when you admitted it with a single nod. “Don’t. It’ll be fine.”

“Mhm.” You hummed, still not looking sure.

“You said earlier that it will be a breeze. What changed your mind?” One of his hands curled around the back of your thigh, pulling you impossibly closer to him.

“The kids will be a breeze to look after, they’ll be on their best behaviour.”

“Then what?”

“I’m concerned for you.” You said, averting your eyes from his. “They’ll be energetic and you’re… not. Spending a whole day with them will be exhausting. And I know you get over socialised.”

His heart tugged in his chest at how you were worried about him. He was so absolutely, completely fucked. “It’ll be okay, Sarge. As long as you’re by my side, it’ll be okay.”

You brightened at that. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He confirmed with a lingering kiss, tongue meeting yours to solidify his point further. “Now go to sleep. Long day ahead tomorrow, remember?”

You shook your head, teasing smile on your lips as you wound your arms around the back of his neck. “Nuh-uh. One more.”

He obliged and kissed you again, ignoring the previous statement of “one more” as it turned into many more and eventually led to him on top of you, dog tags dangling in your face.

When you both awoke the next morning to your blaring alarm, you didn’t have time to go about your usual routine of him taking you from behind. And you both hated it as you dragged yourselves out of bed and got ready for the day ahead. Despite the two of you being used to early starts when on duty, you’d grown used to sleeping in wrapped in each other’s arms and only getting up when you really needed to.

As he rummaged through his bag, Simon realised he only had one set of clothes left. He’d need to go home later in the day to pick up some more, he noted to himself.

With bleary eyes and two to-go cups of coffee clutched in your hands, you met Simon at the front door and gratefully accepted his offer to drive as you left to pick the kids up. You loved the children, you really did, and you’d promised them a day out but you were regretting that decision now. All you wanted was lazy days with Simon before reality set in again. Yet, here you were - about to spend the next eight or so hours constantly counting the amount of kids you had at your side in an effort not to lose any of them.

When you arrived at your friend’s house, you barely had any time to get out of the car before she was rushing out of her front door frantically with six pairs of feet scuttling behind her.

“Ah! You’re here!” She cheered, a manic smile on her face. She looked tired. The children that weren’t hers had stayed overnight for a sleepover in order to make pickup easier for you. You were guessing she didn’t handle it all that well. “Here are the keys to the minivan.”

A set of keys was shoved into your hands as she whirled around on the children, chimed a quick goodbye and disappeared back into the house without another word.

The kids all looked up at you expectantly, bags on their backs and wide smiles.

“Hello, gremlins. Did you all behave yourselves last night?” You asked, hands on your hips to tell them you wanted a truthful answer.

“Yes.” They giggled in unison.

“Good.” You grinned and reached out to grip Simon’s arm. “You all remember my friend, yes?”

They nodded and waved at him. He, adorably, waved back.

“He’ll be coming with us today. Which reminds me… where are we going today? Have you all decided?” You asked as you began to herd them towards the minivan.

“Aquarium!” One of them shouted.

“Hmmm, and you all agreed?” You questioned and they nodded, climbing into their seats in the back of the minivan. “Great! Come on then, let’s get going.”

The last one was buckled in and you slammed the door on them, turning to Simon with a nervous smile.

“Ready for this?”

His large hands cupped your cheeks. “So ready.”

“You’re very confident.” You teased, leaning into his touch as he bent down to kiss you.

“With you by my side, Sarge, I’m ready for anything.” It was mumbled against your lips, noses nudging together.

“Romantic piece of shit.” You bit back but accepted his kiss, fists curling into the material of his shirt. You pulled away suddenly. “This is not family friendly.”

He suddenly straightened up, gaze glancing towards the windows of the minivan which were, unfortunately, tinted so he couldn’t tell whether the children had been watching. “Fuck, sorry. Got carried away.”

You laughed and rounded to the driver’s side of the minivan. “I’m flattered, Riley. Come on.”

Simon climbed into the passenger side and he thought that the two of you had gotten away with it until one of the kids shot forward in their seat. "Errr, you two can't kiss!"

You rounded on them with a gasp. "Nosy! And who said?"

"You're not married!"

"Unmarried people can kiss." You told them, sticking the keys into the ignition and turning the radio down low.

"What?!" The children gaped at you. “But why would you want to?”

You laughed. “Because kissing people you like can be nice.”

“So you like Simon?”

“Yes.” You replied, looking at them in the rear view mirror.

“Like like him?”

“Yes, like like him.” You smiled at the man in question, enjoying the way he avoided your eyes for once.

“Oh. Okay!”

“Alright.” You sighed and checked directions to the nearest aquarium on your phone.

"Mr Simon?" One of the kids dragged out his name in a whine.

"Yes?" He mocked their tone, eyes meeting yours as he stopped himself.

"Why did you put your tongue in her mouth?"

He froze, desperately looking at you for an answer. But you just cackled for a moment.

"Uhh..."

"Ask your parents when you're older." You offered out, patting Simon's thigh reassuringly. "Alright, let's get going!"

The subject was dropped after that, the children too excited for their day out to care any more about you and Simon kissing. He was relieved.

He stayed silent for the whole drive, just listening to the stories that the kids had to tell you and your enthusiastic responses to them. No wonder you were so good at keeping the team upbeat and managed to match Soap’s energy. You had training.

When you reached the aquarium and got out of the vehicle, you set out some ground rules.

“Okay, so… no running off, make sure you can see either me or Simon at all times, no talking to strangers unless you’re asking a question to someone who works in the aquarium. And how can you tell if someone works in the aquarium?”

“Blue uniform!” They called out to you.

“Yes, great! If you need the toilet then let me know straight away so we can find one, no tapping on the glass or putting your hands into tanks, keep your bags on your backs and most importantly… have fun and learn lots! Now, everybody find a partner.”

This was a standard rule you had every time you went out with them. If they each had a partner then it was easier to keep them all in check. Besides, it gave them someone to talk to for the whole day instead of fighting for your attention.

There was a light tapping on the side of Simon’s thigh. He looked down to find one of the kids staring up at him hopefully. It was the same one that had come to collect him at the Christmas party when you needed help in the kitchen.

"Will you be my partner, Mr Simon?" He squeaked, clearly nervous for some reason.

Simon looked to you for reassurance and found you nodding encouragingly. So he looked back to the small child. "Sure, kid."

What he didn't expect was to have to hold hands with him, but he didn't protest. Especially when he saw the look on your face, like you were proud of him.

"Okay, everybody?" Your hand was linked with one of the other children's. "Ready to go?"

They all chimed in with a "yes" so you started walking, leading the way with Simon at the back to keep the group together.

You paid entry for the group of you, getting a map for you and activity books for the kids, and made your way into the building.

“There’s a piranha feeding soon, do you want to go?” You asked everyone and they all nodded.

You led the way towards where it was supposedly happening and joined the side of a large group of people who had already gathered to watch. It didn’t take long before a man walked out with a bucket of something that smelt bad and grinned at the group, tapping at the side of the microphone attached to his face.

“Hello, ladies and gents! How are you today?”

The children in the crowd sent him variations of hellos and other greetings, wide eyes set on the tank of fish behind him.

He started off by ladling scoops of something into the tank, pointing out the reaction of the fish as he did so. Then he turned to the crowd with a mischievous smile. “Anyone like to volunteer to help?”

Several small hands shot up as children begged to be involved but then lowered back down sadly when the man had to explain that this was an adults-only opportunity.

“Come on, parents. Show your kids you can be cool for a day.” His eyes locked on Simon suddenly. “Maybe a big, strong man to help, hm?”

You pushed him forwards, urging him to do it. “Come on, Simon Swayze. Feed the piranhas.”

He stepped forward hesitantly, hissing over his shoulder at you. “I hate you.”

“Ooh, very big, strong man.” The man’s eyes trailed up and down Simon’s towering figure, gaze flicking to you behind him and scanning over all of the children. "Well, you two have been busy."

You laughed. "Not ours actually. We're babysitting."

The man looked to Simon disbelievingly, dropping the ladle back in the bucket with a comedic plop. "What's wrong with you, man? Get on with it!"

Simon said nothing in return, his own eyes widening slightly at basically being told to impregnate you as he stepped forward further to help with the feeding. When he was handed a set of tongs, he didn’t look thrilled.

“So, just pick up a piece and drop it in gently. Yeah?” The worker explained.

“Yeah.” Your lieutenant replied, doing as he was told.

“Yay, Simon!” The kids chimed and you noticed the way he relaxed at their encouragement. He rushed through the rest of it and was thankful when the feeding was over and he was set free, coming back to you and suggesting that you move on to look at another enclosure. You didn’t comment on the fact that he appeared to be scared of the tiny fish he’d just been feeding.

The day went quickly, stopping briefly in the middle for lunch, and soon enough you were driving back to take the kids home with all of them asleep in the back of the car.

“What was your favourite thing we saw today?” You asked, head tilted back as far as possible without hindering your view on the road.

“Jellyfish. Yours?” Simon replied, hand on your thigh sliding up and down your leg.

“Seahorses. Why the jellyfish?”

“They float around happily doing nothing. Seems like a peaceful existence.” He explained, thumb circling against your skin. “Why seahorses?”

“They’re cute.” You said meekly, not as confident in your response as his.

“That’s a good enough reason.” He told you, squeezing your thigh gently.

You hated to wake the children up when you got back but it had to be done. They were ushered back inside the house, ready for their parents to pick them up or have dinner, after hushed goodbyes and tired hugs. The last child, the one who seemed to have taken a particular interest in Simon, refused to get out of the car awake. So Simon offered to carry him inside the house and meet you back in your car. You just nodded, surprised at the suggestion.

Once he’d placed the mostly unconscious kid on the sofa and turned to leave, he finally got a coherent sentence out of him. “If you like like her and like to kiss her then maybe you should marry her, Mr Simon.”

Kids really did say whatever came into their heads.

He said nothing and left quietly, saying a quick goodbye to your friend and nodding quickly when she asked if it was going well between the two of you. He didn’t want to talk about it with anyone other than you.

You stuck your head out of the car window just as their front door shut and your tall lieutenant trotted towards you. "Come the fuck on, Simon.”

"Did you just make a Bridget Jones reference?"

You raised your eyebrows at him. "Did you just understand the Bridget Jones reference?"

"Secret sappy rom-com lover, remember?" He said as he climbed into the passenger seat of the car, pointing at himself wearily.

“Ah, how could I forget? One of the many reasons I like like you.” You sighed and started the car, the two of you speeding away back to your place.

When you got back, Simon headed towards the bathroom for a shower, mumbling something about needing more clothes. You just went to your room and collapsed onto your bed, eyes closed and listened to the sounds of the water hitting the bathtub in the next room over.

You don’t know how long he was in there, drifting in and out of sleep, only taking notice when the water stopped and the bathroom door opened.

Simon walked into your bedroom slowly, hair dark and damp from the shower and t-shirt hanging loosely on him. That sight certainly woke you up. You could just devour him.

"Good shower?" You asked and he hummed with a small nod as you pushed yourself up on your elbows. "Are you hungry?"

"A little. You?" He sat on the bed next to you, sidling up close. Now that he had plenty of access to it, the man loved physical contact.

"I could wait." You trailed your fingertips lightly up the side of his arm, the implication clear.

"Well, what do you want to do? To build up your appetite, I mean?" He knew. He always knew.

"You look good with wet hair." You whispered, not looking in his eyes.

"Yeah?"

You nodded, teeth sinking into your bottom lip to contain your smile. "You look good always. You also look good caring for six kids."

"Sarge?" He tapped the bottom of your chin with his finger to encourage you to look up at him. "If you want to have sex then just say so."

You rolled your eyes. "I was trying to seduce you by showering you in flattering compliments."

He rolled his right back at you. "You don't need to seduce me."

Your eyes widened in embarrassment. "Oh, god... am I not seductive?"

"What?" He frowned, not understanding where you got that conclusion from.

"I mean, like, am I not... y'know?" You gestured at yourself with wiggling hands.

"I do not know." He really didn’t.

You huffed. "Am I not seductive? Or sexy? Or... foxy? Whatever the youth are saying these days."

"The youth?" He deadpanned.

"I never thought about it really. Am I just embarrassing myself when I try to be flirty?” Your hands clutched at your head. “Oh, fuck me."

"I was trying."

Your thoughts were becoming erratic, uncontainable. It wasn’t good. "Well, this is a devastating revelation. All those times I've flirted, I've initiated. All gone to waste, all times I've embarrassed myself."

Simon’s confusion just grew. "I really don't know what you're talking about now."

"Maybe I should retreat into a life of celibacy."

"That would be unfortunate."

"Spare the world of myself." You sighed dramatically.

"Unfortunate for me, especially."

You raised your knees to your chest, arms curling around your legs. "I hate myself."

"Ssshhh, stop talking." He shut you up with a kiss. "You need to calm down."

"But-" You protested, ready to voice every irrational idea that had rocketed through your mind in the last couple of minutes.

He kissed you again. "No, no."

"I ramble, I'm sorry." You pouted at him, clearly upset with yourself.

The corners of his lips upturned. "You're sexy when you ramble."

"Ugh, fuck off." You pushed his face away from you.

His hands were raised in surrender. "Thought you wanted to be seductive."

"Not through my annoying habits." You snapped.

"But your annoying habits are what I like about you.”

"Mhm, how appealing. Jesus, why do you like me?"

"Sarge..." He chimed, tapping at your chin with his fingers.

"No seriously? My annoying habits?" You despised that idea.

"I beg of you to stop."

"Thought you liked my rambling."

"I do. But not your spiralling." His fingers traced up the side of your face to your temple, like he was pointing out the source of the spiralling.

"If you think this is spiralling then you should see the inside of my head."

He leant in to kiss your forehead. "Wish there was a way for me to see inside that gorgeous brain of yours.”

"Weirdo."

"Charming." He scoffed.

"Told you, not seductive." You pointed at yourself harshly.

"Wouldn't say that. I was turned on from your strange little compliments." He shrugged.

"Condescending bastard."

"I'm being genuine." As much as he couldn’t take a compliment himself, Simon couldn’t stand to see you being so self deprecating. The idea of you seeing yourself as anything less than perfect was impossible for him to comprehend.

You frowned at him. "Odd man."

"Would it help if I said that I find you seductive, sexy, foxy or any other words the youth might be using?"

You tried to contain your smile but failed. "Might help a little."

"Then I find you seductive, sexy, foxy and every other word the youth are using."

"Hmm."

He decided to move on, you weren’t going to accept the truth for now. "Hungry yet?"

"No." Your head shook from side to side roughly.

"Good, my appetite has passed."

Your head ducked. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry.” He paused, considering his next words carefully. “Be naked instead."

You burst into laughter. "Okay, I feel better. You're less seductive than me."

"I'm insulted. No one can be as bad as you."

"Simon!" You gasped, the smile still on your face.

"I'm joking, Sarge." He cupped your chin and kissed you quickly.

“I’m still offended.”

“Oh, shut up.” He scoffed and kissed you again, arms wrapping around your waist to tug you into his lap. He loved having you on top of him, feeling your weight pressed against him. It was a reminder than this was his reality, a grounding effect almost.

***

It didn’t take long before you were both naked, you still on top of him and his fingers buried inside of you to prepare you for him.

“Come on, Sarge. One more and I promise to fuck you. Need you nice and wet first. Come on, good girl.” He said breathily, enjoying the reactions on your face as he curled his fingers inside of you to hit the right spot. “Fuck… that’s it, good girl.”

He knew what he was doing by calling you that.

And that point was proven when you came, crying out his name and digging your fingernails into the skin of his shoulders. He pressed a soothing kiss against your lips, tongue lapping against yours to show you his appreciation and praise.

He was hard underneath you and wasted no time in allowing you to sink down onto him, gasping into his mouth when you sat against him fully, buried to the base.

“Jesus- fuck, Sarge.” He garbled, jaw tensed and eyes on you as your own rolled into the back of your head from the pleasure. He filled you so well and no amount of words, from either of you, would ever express that.

You clenched around him as you got used to the feeling of him inside you. No matter how many times you’d been in this situation, it never got any less surprising at how good it felt.

“God, fuck, please start moving. I can feel you- can feel you- fuck!” He cut himself off when your hips rolled against his.

Your head fell to his shoulder, you were completely over sensitive from what he’d been doing to you before this that every minute movement was magnified by a thousand. Your legs were already shaking and you could feel the burn pulsing through you from how tired you were. But, god, you wanted to please him. So you pushed forward.

Your hips rolled against his again, the drag of him in and out of you creating a friction that had the two of you gasping for air. And again, and again, and again.

“That’s it, Sarge. Keep going.” His hand found the back of your neck where he dragged you back to look into your eyes, finding your face screwed up in pleasure. His hips bucked up against yours of their own accord and the way it made parts of you bounce from the impact had his gaze lowering to the dog tags dangling from your neck. He didn’t need to ask permission, he could see it in your eyes as soon as they locked again. The chain was wrenched from your neck and replaced with his in a split second, yours being placed around his neck at the same time.

The action set the two of you off into a lust fuelled frenzy.

You rocked against him desperately, chasing every bit of pleasure you could get for both him and yourself. Your hands threaded into his hair, pulling him impossibly closer so your chests rubbed against each other and your dog tags tangled together. It was poetic really. Sharing the piece of you that represented your identity by giving it to the other as a symbol of dedication. Only to have them intertwine anyway.

“Simon.” You whined into his mouth as a warning that you wouldn’t last much longer.

“I know, Sarge, I know.” He returned, kissing you and practically tasting the moans that were pouring out of your mouth.

The sweat coating the both of your bodies in a shiny sheen meant that your skin glided against one another easily. And neither of you would have been surprised if the windows had steamed up. Moreover, Simon’s hair was wet. Whether it was from the shower he took or from this, neither of you knew. All he knew is that he’d probably need to shower again after this. The room was hot and humid, an atmosphere created by the two of you.

Suddenly you tensed against him, arms locking around his shoulders and walls fluttering around him. The noise you let out against his neck as you came was heavenly and Simon almost lost himself to that sound alone.

He knew you were spent so he wrapped his arms around you and shifted so you laid underneath him on the bed, careful not to move out of you at any point. With the new position, and a quick check in with you to make sure you were okay, he rocked his hips against yours a few more times in uneven thrusts before finishing inside of you with a groan let out against the skin of your chest.

You giggled sleepily as he pressed soft kisses to your sweat-soaked skin but mumbled a short protest when he pulled out of you. He shushed you with a few mumbled apologies.

Simon looked down at the mess the two of you had created as it slowly seeped out of you, satisfied. He gently pushed it back in and gathered some of it on his fingers at the same time, raising them to your lips and tapping gently.

“Have a taste of us, Sarge.” He whispered huskily, appreciating the glimmer in your eyes as you nodded and took him inside your mouth.

And when you hummed happily around his fingers, he wanted a taste for himself.

He lowered himself between your thighs, pressing open mouthed kisses to the flesh there, and started licking at you, groaning at the taste of what the two of you had created. He lost track of the amount of time he spent there, especially after he managed to get you to come again - your thighs trembling on either side of his head. All he knew was that in the time spent between your legs, it had grown very dark outside and he still had no clothes for tomorrow.

***

So he pulled away from you reluctantly. "I need to go." He said, attempting to stand up.

"Nooo..." You whined, dragging him back down. "Just five more minutes."

He looked down at you with a sigh, the pleading and the mischief in your eyes being too tempting. "Fine. Five more minutes. That's it."

He stayed another two hours.

And when he did finally manage to depart, he made you promise to stay naked and waiting for him in bed. But, as much as you did want to do as you were told and abide by his request as he left, it was cold and you were thirsty.

So you put some clothes on and trotted to the kitchen for a drink, deciding on the farmers' market apple juice you regularly stocked up on now. With the glass in your hand, you sat on the sofa to see what was on television.

Before you could, the surface of the coffee table shook slightly as your phone started ringing, unknown number flashing on the screen.

Fuck.

You picked it up cautiously and pressed it close to your ear, taking in a deep breath. "Hello?”

There was a gruff mumble of your name from the voice you'd been dreading to hear the past few months.

You shut your eyes tight, bracing yourself for the inevitable. "Yeah?"

"It's Price."

A/N: and so it begins… or ends. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

[theflyindutchwoman]

Wait, is she touching you? She's touching you, isn't she? Hey, you know what? If she offers you money for sex, I'm gonna win this bet. Look, I am down to do whatever you want. Yeah, you are.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.07 - Fire Fight

What I love about this scene is how unassuming it appears to be : for all intents and purposes, this moment is meant to offset the more serious and dramatic part of the episode. Nothing else. And yet, it hides so many layers… One of them is how it actually gives us an aperçu of Tim and Lucy going undercover together at the end of the season. With the way they flirt here, it makes their practice kiss and all their display even more inevitable. And this is the perfect continuation of Lucy's last UC op, where she flirted with him to pass him the informations she had (and save his life). That their default mode while undercover is to flirt says everything… Those mission really gives them the cover and freedom they need to explore their feelings without revealing their hand. Having Tim go undercover, with Lucy as his handler, is also a perfect role reversal, where the student has become the master. He doesn't once question her expertise : he might protest but it's more out of habit than anything else. It's certainly never out of malice. Now add Tim's baggage when it comes to that line of work… And it brings out another layer. Interestingly though, this side is not explored. The aim here is to ease him into this, without triggering any bad memories the way Lucy's very first op did. This is a short stint, with no high stakes. And this explains why he doesn't protest much when Lucy suggests he goes undercover as Jake in the first place : the fun they have here might have played a part.

Lucy is definitely enjoying this way too much, instantly ragging on Tim's choice of clothes when he shows up at the rendezvous. They haven't even started yet and he looks done already. This is such a good reminder of their first dynamic : grumpy/sunshine. He just can't hide his smile, even in front of her, anymore - like when she recites the UC rules. The walls are down. Also, the fact that she had a jacket ready for him, clearly having expected this to happen, just shows how well she knows him.

But aside from all this fun, there's this undercurrent of tension that rises to the surface when Tim puts the jacket on… or when he lifts his shirt off, showing off his abs… The atmosphere here is so different than when she caught him wearing only a towel at Rachel's place. There is an awareness now that wasn't there yet. And it's even more intense with their close proximity. Or with Lucy having to touch him. It's just so intimate. The looks they exchange… It's electric. It's close to how it felt for a moment at Tim's place… Until he realises that she's placing the mic too high on his chest… Is it distraction? Is it on purpose? Either way, the way she rips off the tape, looking so smug, and his high-pitched scream are hilarious. Her sorry doesn't even sound sorry at all. #sorrynotsorry

And from there, it goes completely unhinged. Only these two would openly flirt and riling the other up while one of them is undercover. Now, to be fair, it started normally, with Lucy coaching Tim. But the second Aston began flirting with him, professionalism went out of the window. Then again, these are the same idiots who were making out 'for work', so maybe it is their definition of professionalism. Tim is trying to remain in-character but Lucy is having the time of her life, listening to their conversation. His smirk when Aston caresses his hand and Lucy comments on it, reminding him of their bet and how he might unwittingly help her win it if their mark keeps this up… They are so flirty here, openly, taking advantage of the situation… And that really lays the groundwork for Vegas. The fact that Lucy is basically whispering in his ear, that he can't see her, brings a certain level of intimacy… And while he is talking to Aston, his reactions are for Lucy. Like his big smile : sure, he is amused by their suspect's behavior, but I have a hard time believing that this isn't Lucy's comments that provoked it. There's such a double meaning to their dialogue… Like when he tells their suspect he is 'down to do whatever [she wants]', with Lucy instantly answering him with her iconic 'yeah you are'… She couldn't have said it in a more lusty tone.

This is all ambiguous, giving them plausible deniability. It allows them to act in a less than professional way, but without any repercussion. Almost as if they're testing the water. And it makes sense that Tim tries to take a step back after this mission, to reclaim some boundaries… Well, for a short while. All of this just comes back in full force when they have to go undercover as a couple… with no going back.

[absolutebl]

In Strongberry We Trust

I had a private ask about Strongberry recently so here’s some thoughts.

Strongberry is probably the most established KBL studio, they started in high production shorts/microfilms (as, indeed, did all of KBL) and still specialize in them. They also do some GL. They tend to have very good chemistry, work with professional actors (not idols), and will go high heat. They are now a division of Matchbox, and have been around and steadily producing content since 2017. The CEO is adorable. 

For YEARS Strongberry was the only studio reliably producing BL content out of Korea. And, sometimes the kisses were even good! For real... there was a time, not so long ago, when all we really got was KBL shorts and most of those from Strongberry. Dark days. Except for Strongberry shining one bright light of BL content. They are reliable, HEA, and high quality. 

Hence the fandom slogan...

#In Strongberry We Trust

They often pick odd (or underserved) premises but always execute beautifully. Their stuff is either on YouTube, Gaga, or pay to play on Vimeo, and they do move it around so my links might not always still be working. Vimeo earns them the most money. They are a small, struggling, queer-friendly studio, please support them and their content by not pirating or watching illegally. 

Here's my ranking of Strongberry's offerings.

1. A First Love Story

2021 YouTube short in 2 microfilms 

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, home setting, soft tone, grumpy/sunshine pairing

Strongberry are true masters of their craft and yet A First Love Story is still one of the best things they have ever produced. It’s the only microfilm every to make one of my year end top ten list. It’s two episodes of about 8 minutes each that manage to perfectly portray the sweetest friends-to-lovers confession ever. It’s joyful, and gentle with its characters, and a little hot. How on earth do they manage to leave us yearning for more yet completely satisfied at the same time? It’s like the perfect amuse-bouche, that one finger food at that one cocktail party that you will never forget. You are a ridiculous human if you haven’t spent 16 minutes with these two boys. Go watch it now. Or go watch it again. It’s time VERY well spent.

2. Long Time No See

2017 Gaga KBL length series (total 1.5 hr, some places packaged as a movie)

Tropes: secret love, enemies to lovers, secret identity, assassins, catfishing, mafia, higher heat, grumpy/sunshine pairing 

One of Strongberry’s few longer pieces and I often wonder whether this is strictly BL. It’s about assassins on either side of a terf war who fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Good fight sequences, mature characters, high heat, very suspenseful, AND an HEA. If you like KinnPorsche you will LOVE this one.

3. Some More

2018 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, hyung romance, self acceptance, countryside setting, soft tone, age gap, country boy/city boy

One of my most favorite of Strongberry’s shorts, about a city boy on a bike tour who gets injured and rescued by a taciturn, but (as it turns out) very gay, farmer. Mentions of pride, adorable supportive cousin. SO CUTE with excellent chemistry and featuring tropes I can never get enough of. 

3. Private Lessons

2019 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: student/teacher, jock/nerd, hyung romance, obsession, crush, university setting, May/December, age gap  

Given it is age gap and teacher/student (AKA P’ABL’s catnip) it should rate higher on my list, but the chemistry is slightly off. Stil I do love this one for the dynamic. Certainly worth watching especially if this is one of your fav yaoi tropes.

4. Step For You

2018 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, sports, university setting, crush, jock/nerd, soft tone

About a reporter from the student newspaper who has to interview an older dancer and falls in love with him. This may not have been my first Strongberry, but it’s the first one I remember watching. 

5. Please Tell Me So

2021 YouTube microfilm (AKA That's My Mr.Right!) 

Tropes: crush, obsession, cafe setting, sunshine/sunshine pairing 

Cute barista (played by Han Hyun Jun star of Love Class) has a crush on his customer, musters up the courage to ask him out. 

6. My Pistachio

2018 Gaga microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, crush, hero worship, hyung romance, university setting, play within a play, grumpy/sunshine 

7. As if You Whisper

2019 Gaga movie

Tropes: friends to lovers, self acceptance, music industry setting, grumpy/sunshine pairing

8. Confidential Coffee Break

2021 Vimeo microfilm

Tropes: mature romance, long term relationship, self acceptance, university setting, one act

It’s a monologue piece about two closeted older gay professors discussing changing times and the nature of acceptance (self and others) in modern day South Korean academic environment. 

9. Hold Me

2021 YouTube microfilm

Tropes: friends to lovers, self acceptance, high school setting

10. Sweet Curse 

2021 Gaga short

Tropes: horror, paranormal elements, ghost story, possession, obsession, gay friendship group, everyone wants that one boy, bad/good

This is a low-gore atmospheric horror, with some very high heat. I’m not saying it’s in the top 10 just because of that, but I am saying when Strongberry does high heat it v good and v gay. 

OTHERS

My Personal Trainer - 2019 short Gaga. It v silly and v gay. Influencer has crush on his personal trainer. 

Secret Roommate - 2020 short Gaga, Cohabit, self acceptance, home setting, family, coming out 

Fingers After - 2021 microfilm Vimeo. Cohabit, morning after, home setting, pining, sunshine/tsundere pairing. 

Secret Spectacles - 2017 microfilm Gaga. Very silly again, friends to lovers, paranormal elements, university crush.

Table Manner - 2018 microfilm Gaga. Cohabit, self acceptance, home setting, long term relationship 

The Summer Pasta Recipe - 2021 short YouTube, reunion, self acceptance, grumpy/sunshine.

There my be a few more I don’t know about, MDL doesn't seem to have a sort function for production company. 

NEW! 

Choco Milk Shake 

2022 YouTube KBL length series (total 1.5 hr) 

Tropes: cohabit, F2L, paranormal elements, home setting, soft tones, sunshine/tsundere. 

Two pets, a cat and a dog, reincarnate as humans to visit their old owner. Stongberry gave us a full length BL on YouTube! It’s a BL miracle and an endless delight. It was wonderfully cute, unexpectedly hilarious but expectedly silly, a little too poignant, occasionally gut wrenching and with a somewhat expected weird (but happy-ish) ending. The actors playing the two pets must have had the best time. As, indeed, did I watching it. Jealous Milk made me cackle so hard it scared the actual cat on my lap. Choco was perfectly cast, and the chemistry was ultimately decent. In Strongberry I still trust. Thank you thank you, may we have another, sirs?

Two Other KBL shorts worth checking out:

Just Friends? 

2009 Gaga short 

I consider this one of Korea’s first actual BLs. Boyfriends, one of whom is on military leave, trying to decide on coming out and their future together. Bonus for out gay director and queer activist. 

Being Me 

2018 short Gaga 

A summer of love for two long term besties who have basically always been boyfriends, but when a girl tries to date one of them, they finally realize it. Beautifully filmed and a STELLAR ending kiss. 

(source) 

[riceballmari]

ranking my favorite marinette pairings

okay, so, i am a HUGE multishipper. like, i greatly enjoy shipping characters with different people. since marinette has chemistry with pretty much most of the cast in some way, shape, or form, i figured i'd rank my personal favorite ships with her that i'm fond of.

5. feinette

coming at #5 we have fei and marinette! i think this is a very unique rarepair and their relationship and dynamic in the shanghai special is adorable! the only reason they're so low is because i just prefer the others with marinette. i think we really need more of them together, as they were the highlight of the entire special for me. overall, very cute, just not my favorite!

4. marigami

if you asked me to make this ranking a year or two ago, i probably would've put these two lovely gal pals higher up. but my opinion of them has changed drastically since last time so.

i think their relationship is so amazing. the "sunshine x grumpy" dynamic is always something i enjoy (hence why i love tohrin for the same reason). aside from surface level stuff, marinette really shows just how much she cares for kagami. she's her first friend, so naturally, marinette wouldn't want kagami to be left lonely with no one. and knowing marinette, she'd do everything in her power to make kagami feel comfortable and happy when they're together (see mr. pigeon 72).

at first, kagami needed time to warm up to marinette, but she really made a strong impact on her life (gee, i wonder who that reminds me of). i especially like how marinette wanted to get adrigami back together, when that probably wouldn't have even crossed s3 marinette's mind. her willingness to be there for kagami is why i love these girls so much. and kagami actually appreciating marinette's friendship is so wholesome. don't ask me about s5 i like to pretend that season doesn't exist, especially with regard to kagami and how her character was handled.

3. zoenette

first off, i just want to say, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH?? zoe's crush on marinette is so so cute and i REALLY like how they handled it in adoration. zoe's confession was so heartwarming and marinette's reaction and reassurance was wonderful.

zoe, who had practically NO ONE when she moved to paris, is automatically befriended by marinette, who didn't even know who she was and was so welcoming to her. marinette cares so much about zoe and worries for her because she doesn't want her to be a doormat to chloe and wants her to stand up for herself.

eventually, once zoe does, marinette is so proud of her and it really reminds me of the time when tohru congratulated yuki for standing up to akito, but i digress. she can see just how far zoe has come since she first arrived and her growth is everything. their relationship is built on support and trust and that's what makes their dynamic so compelling and sweet.

2. alyanette

MY BABIES. i am a sucker for the “best friends to lovers” trope and this is basically that, just without the ‘lovers’ part. they support each other so much. their level of trust is put to the test in s4 when maribug tells alya her identity. alya, in return, helps marinette out even more than she already has. marinette needed to tell someone of the burden and heavy weight that's been put on her shoulders, and i think alya is the perfect candidate.

contrary to popular belief, alya is an AMAZING friend. she's the one who gets marinette out of sticky situations and doesn't get upset easily if she slips up (see the mime). despite not knowing what marinette is up to at times, alya still puts her full trust in her because she knows that, at the end of the day, marinette will make the right decisions.

i could ramble on and on about these two, but you get my point. also, i can't be the only one who could just FEEL the tension in the air rising during their oh so very intimate scene towards the end of the reverse special. no, just me?

1. adrienette

to no one's surprise, adrienette comes crashing down in first place. i love these two SO MUCH. they care about and love one another in different ways. marinette shows her love through gift-giving and grand gestures. adrien shows his love through words of affirmation and by spending time with someone. they would go above and beyond for the other. adrien confronted AND blackmailed lila about marinette's expulsion and her treatment of her in order for marinette to come back to school. (honestly kinda reminds me of haru when he went and confronted akito about what she did to rin). marinette went to adrien's house numerous times to save him from a possible dangerous situation, i.e. oni-chan, gabriel agreste.

in oni-chan, lila sneakily made her way inside the agreste mansion and lied to nathalie about adrien needing to get some extra homework done to bring his grade up. obviously, she has an ulterior motive: to get close to adrien. marinette, hoping to prevent this, follows them. unfortunately, with no luck, she wasn't able to get inside. this does, however, showcase the lengths she's willing to go to for his safety.

another instance of this is in gabriel agreste, after chloe maliciously recorded a video of marinette and her friends talking about gabriel being a bad parent. knowing what this would do to adrien, chloe was planning on showing the video to his father to get him out of school, DESPITE the fact that chloe would never see him again (it's very telling that chloe does not care about adrien or what he wants in the slightest, and would rather fulfill her satisfaction of revenge for shits and giggles).

in contrast, marinette, despite sneaking into the mansion uninvited, comes up a plan with her friends to ensure chloe does not show the video. note that her goal was not to hurt adrien but to save him from chloe's clutches. this was not out of jealousy in the slightest. the video ends up not getting shown, much to chloe's determination, and adrien is safe, which was marinette's goal from the start.

i could list so many different instances where marinette and adrien show their tenderness for each other but we'd be here for hours. their relationship means everything to me. and as much as i love the other dynamics, adrienette work the best in canon, (again, not going to mention s5) and, unsurprisingly, complement each other really well.

[crescenthistory]

Hey darling, how are you? Hope your having an amazing day ❤️

So I saw your prompt list and I was thinking about b6 and b15 with Regulus Black and kinda Sunshine x Grumpy, like he really tries to keep the facade of being cold and unbothered but reader is just so kind and understanding with him that he just melts whenever it comes to her, the tipical "I hate everybody but you"

hi my love, have been a bit sick and stressed lately, but finding relief in writing, so thank you for your enrichment hihi<3 wishing u the best!

Prompts: B.6 "Are you falling asleep on me?" "..." "Alright then" & B.15 "How are you so cute right now?"

Words: 3k

Warnings: not proofread, use of y/n, regulus black is traumatised and mentally unwell, reader is surprisingly stable and supportive (congrats), trying to make reggie have a dynamic and complex personality, not yet established relationship but Clearly Something, falling in love and fluff, implied fear of (unrequited) love on reggie's part

Note: y'all realllllly love the sunshine x grumpy dynamic with reggie, huh? me too dw

The library was silent except for the soft rustle of pages turning and the occasional scratch of quill on parchment. A low fire burned in the corner, its light barely enough to keep the chill at bay, but the two of you had stayed long past the warmth’s welcome. The vast shelves of books loomed around you like silent sentinels, their presence familiar and comforting in the way only a quiet, deserted library could be.

Regulus sat across from you, perfectly composed, as usual. His quill hovered over a parchment filled with notes – meticulously neat, with that sense of perfection you had come to associate with him, exactly as he intended. His dark hair fell slightly into his eyes as he read, but he didn’t brush it away, too focused on whatever passage had captured his attention.

You admired him, hoping your tired gaze was not too obvious – though maybe it would be good for him to see it. The late hour was getting to you, but you didn’t want to leave, not yet. Nights like this, studying alongside Regulus, had become a routine your body craved. Though he rarely gave any indication that they meant something to him, you had come to peak far enough behind the cracks of his exterior to know he did. Should he wish to not be near you, he would have left, he never had any reservations for doing so when Barty got too many of his nerves or Sirius was too loud.

Yet here you were, both of you drowning in books, the silence broken only by the sound of your quills and the faint crackling of the fire. He seemed... content.

You shifted slightly in your seat, hoping to stifle a yawn as you stretched your stiff legs under the table. The movement caught Regulus’ attention, and he glanced up from his book, dark eyes scanning your face. 

“You’re tired,” he stated, his voice low and matter-of-fact. It wasn’t a question.

“Not really,” you lied, offering him a small smile as you looked back down at your notes, dried quill hovering over the page. You could feel his eyes on you for a moment longer before he returned to his book, but his silence spoke louder than any rebuttal. You weren’t fooling him, not for a second.

Regulus knew you as well by now, and he could easily see through your casual deflections. He was also sweet enough on you to not call you out on it yet.

Charms had never been so dreadful as it was tonight, all theory as you copied information from the textbook over onto your parchment. You felt yourself beginning to drift again, blinking only made you sleepier, and the words on the page blurring together in front of your eyes. You pressed your lips together, determined to stay focused, but the exhaustion clung to you like a heavy cloak.

You rearranged yourself to be more comfortable, bringing your legs up underneath you and leaning your head on your arm, taking up perhaps a bit more desk space than what is considered gracious.

Regulus’ quill still scratched against his parchment and you looked up at him through your lashes. He hadn’t glanced at you in a while, his brow furrowed as he scribbled something in the margin of the book he was reading. Upon your movements, though, you saw a small, soft smile tug on his lips, the kind that you weren't sure anyone but you would recognise.

It had become a familiar sight, both the smile and the way he hunched slightly over his work, his focus intense. It was like he was shutting out the world around him – around us, he had once absentmindedly corrected when you told him as much. His face blank then, not paying any mind to the giant grin growing on your own face.

“How do you do it?” you asked suddenly, surprising yourself with the question. Your voice was soft, but in the quiet library, it felt like a disruption. Regulus looked up, his quill pausing mid-scratch, abandoning his sentence.

“Do what?” he asked, his voice even, though there was a hint of wariness in his eyes.

“Stay so… focused,” you clarified, gesturing vaguely to the piles of books around you. “I feel like I’m drowning in information, but you’re always so… collected.”

There was a brief pause. Regulus stared at you for a moment, his gaze unreadable. Then he lowered his quill, folding his hands in front of him on the table.

“It’s easier that way,” he said quietly, his voice almost too soft for the stillness of the room. His eyes flicked to the side, avoiding yours as he added, “When you don’t let anything else in, it’s easier to focus.”

You studied him for a moment, noting the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders seemed to carry more weight than they should. There was always something simmering beneath the surface with Regulus – something unspoken, something guarded. He never let it out, never gave anyone the chance to see what was really going on inside his mind.

And yet, here you were, sitting across from him in a quiet library, long after everyone else had left, simply because you wanted to. So far, he had been brave enough to let you.

“And is that what you want?” you asked, keeping your tone light, non-confrontational. “To keep everything locked out?”

Regulus didn’t respond immediately. His eyes stayed fixed on the table for a long moment before he finally met your gaze again, his expression carefully controlled. “It’s necessary,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

You leaned back in your chair, letting his words settle between you. Necessary. The way he said it felt heavy, like there was so much more beneath that single word. You didn’t push. You never did. Regulus wasn’t someone who opened up easily, and the last thing you wanted was to make him feel like he had to.

You wished more than anything that he could see himself the way you did. That he could let go, just a little, and realise that he didn’t have to carry everything alone.

“It doesn’t have to be,” you said softly, almost to yourself, as you turned your gaze back to your parchment.

Regulus heard you, though. He always did.

A small silence fell between you again, this one thicker with unspoken thoughts. You turned a book on its side to read it from your position lying on your arm, trying to ignore the heaviness of the atmosphere. Regulus hadn’t moved, his hands still folded in front of him, his brow slightly furrowed as though deep in thought.

“I don’t–” Regulus’ voice cuts through the quiet suddenly, making you look up. His jaw tensed slightly before he continued, “I don’t let people in because it is… easier. Safer.”

There was something vulnerable in the way he said it, as though he wasn’t used to sharing even that much. It wasn’t a full confession, not by any means, but it was more than he usually offered, and you understood how much it cost him to say even that.

“You've let me in, though, have you not?” you tried softly, offering him a small, understanding smile. “And so far it's been safe.”

Regulus blinked at that, surprise flickering in his dark eyes. He was not sure what he had expected you to say, but clearly not that.

It looked like he was at a slight loss of words, so you continued, smile still plastered on your face. "I understand what you mean, though. It's not easy to trust in general, and you have had it harder than most. Take everything in your own time, Reggie."

Regulus remained quiet, his gaze dropping back to his notes. You could feel him retreating, slipping back behind his mask, and you let him. You weren’t here to break down his defences, only to be there when he was ready to let someone in. His hand skirted closer to where yours was fidgeting with your quill – not quite touching, but close enough. Close enough.

You turned back to your book, allowing him his silence, trying to make sense of the words that felt increasingly foreign. The night was catching up with you, pulling you deeper into the edges of sleep.

“Y/N.”

Regulus’ voice brought you back to the present. You blinked, realising you had almost drifted off again, your head tilted dangerously close to the open pages of your book. There was a certain mirth in his gaze when it met yours, quickly subdued by what looked like a weary worry.

“I’m fine,” you said assuredly, straightening up in your chair with a slight wince. You could feel the stiffness settling into your back and elbow from sitting too long.

Regulus didn’t say anything at first, just watched you with that same quiet intensity he always had, his lips pressed into a thin line. “You should go,” he said after a moment, his voice softer than you expected. “It’s late.”

You gave him a sleepy smile, placing your head in your hand as you leaned on the desk. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself.”

Regulus exhaled through his nose, odd mixture of a sigh and a laugh. “I don’t mind being alone,” he said, though there was a hesitation in his voice that made you think he didn’t believe it as much as he wanted to.

“I know," you said, tone gentle, "but I do.”

"You mind being alone?"

"I mind you being alone."

That seemed to catch him off guard. He stared at you for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he looked down at his lap, his quill tapping against the edge of the table in an absent rhythm. 

"I don't really know what to say to that." His face was still partially shielded from you, but you could see there was no menace in his words – just confusion, maybe even... amusement?

"Admitting you don't know something is a good start."

He gave you the first genuine laugh of the night, albeit small. "Okay then." He looked up at you finally, slight smile still playing over his features.

You watched him for a moment longer, noting the contrast of his tense shoulders with his humoured face. He was trying so hard to hold it together, even now.

"I'll stay here for as long as you do, Reg, and I know you still have a few pages left in you."

You leaned back in your chair again, stretching and letting out a small yawn. Regulus eyed you carefully, as if considering something.

"I do," he started. "But if you're staying any longer, you should get more comfortable."

He nodded his head towards the place beside him. While you were sitting in a wooden chair, he sat in a comfy, cushioned love-seat with just enough space for you to join him in. Had you not been intent on studying, you might have sat there from the start, but the harsher chair usually helps you study.

Now, though, you did not hesitate to slip around the table and sink into Regulus's seat with a sigh.

He looked at you over his shoulder, body still angled towards his notes, smiling fondly at you. "Better?"

"Much better, though I hope you know you're playing a risky game right now."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I might fall asleep here and you will have to stay overnight. It would be rude to leave me."

Regulus just laughed, not dignifying you with further banter, as he turned back to his books. You had one in your lap as well, but the words were mostly jumbled by now.

The next hour trickled by with sparse conversation between the two of you, mostly just the comfortable silence you had grown between you over the months. You asked Regulus a question every now and again, about coursework or life, and he gave you his usual, short answers, though with a much kinder tone than he reserved for others who pestered him with interrogations.

He was halfway through an explanation of why the professor thought it necessary to make you write an essay that is essentially just restating the textbook when he felt something soft thud against him. He looked down and saw the top of your head, hair slightly messy from the hours in the library, lodged between his uniformed arm and back.

"Amour? Are you falling asleep on me?"

"..."

"Alright, then." Regulus couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips, filled with more emotion than he would have let slide with anyone around. "You did warn me."

Careful not to startle you, he manoeuvred himself around so you were resting against his chest instead, and then slowly lowered you backwards to lean against the back of the chair. One hand cradled your head as he moved you, so you wouldn't get whiplash – there was no other reason, of course.

You were surprisingly soundly asleep for someone who asked him a question mere minutes ago, but then again, he suspected you had been fighting sleep for around two hours. To stay here with him. Regulus's heart clenched at that, and it did not go unnoticed by him that before he would have felt immense guilt for this moment occurring, and now he just felt... oddly soft. Warm.

He tried to place you in a comfortable enough position, still keeping some of your weight up with the left side of his body. With a tentative, slightly shaking thumb, he brushed away some hair that had fallen in your face

Part of Regulus ached to stay like this. To have an excuse to be this close to you, to feel so vulnerable without the overwhelming panic that often threatened to take over his body and mind. He basked in the sense of safety you were somehow able to provide him, but it would take hard work to be able to accept and embrace it. In the creeping darkness of the library, secluded just the two of you, it felt much easier.

Yet, despite your jokes about rudely waking you up, he did not want to risk detention for the both of you by being caught staying out past curfew.

"Y/N?" With a hand on your cheek, he tried to gently move your face to get your attention and draw you out from sleep. "Hey, amour, you need to wake up."

You let out an impudent groan, eyes squeezing as you turned your head a little – into Regulus's hand, he noted with hitched breath. "W'is it?" You slurred your words and he had to stifle his laughter.

"You need to wake up, darling. You fell asleep in the library, but we're done now. Time to get back to your dorm."

You just huffed at that, clearly trying to stay asleep by burying your face – still clutching Regulus's hand to the other cheek – into the cushion behind you. He tried to use his hand on your face again to lightly shake you, but you just grabbed his elbow and held it still in response. Eyes still decidedly shut.

This time, Regulus couldn't hold back his laugh, which in turn made you squint open an eye.

"What are you on about, Reggie?" Your voice was not only rough from sleep, but a bit annoyed, which in turn made Regulus all the more humoured. He never would have taken you, with all your painfully kind words and looks and understanding, to be grumpy in the morning.

"I don't even know," he said through a rather large grin. "How are you so cute right now?"

"Don't know, just am. Come sleep."

"No, no, darling. Time to get up so you can go sleep."

It seemed as if his words somehow seeped through your mind and you finally processed the situation. You opened your eyes and all-but-jerked into an up-right position – face now rather close to Regulus's, enough to see the whiteness of his teeth as he laughed at you. He was laughing at you. The bastard.

"Good morning," he teased, forgetting himself.

"Did you call me cute?"

The humour was almost washed from his face as he seemed to wake up himself, but an endearing smile still clung to his lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mhm, sure you don't." Your smile now matched his. "How much do you have left?" You gestured to his books with your free hand – only now noticing that your other was still clutching his elbow. His hand dropped from your face the second your properly woke up, but you never let go of him. Maybe the sleep made you delirious or his comment made you brave, because you kept your hand on him.

"Oh, I'm finished." He gave you a look that you couldn't tell if was teasing because you clearly didn't or if he was lying about being done so you could go sleep. Either way, you accepted it.

"Great, let's get us to bed then, shall we?"

When Regulus got out of his seat, he held out a hand to you, to help you up. When you accepted it and ended up standing almost impossibly close to him, he didn't step back, and he didn't look away. He just smiled.

"Yeah, let's."

[bookishfreedom]

"I don't want to be considered beautiful without being seen as capable, too."

YA romcom Shakespeare retelling? grumpy x sunshine? mistaken identity? endless nerd content? I was so excited to read this book and I was NOT disappointed.

It did take me a little bit to get into the story. On the surface, both of our main characters can come off straight-up... unlikeable. Viola is abrasive and Jack is a little too 'Mr. Popular! But that only made their growth and getting to know them that much more impactful. This book is full of characters who leap off the page with distinct voices and depth, side characters included. (Bash and Olivia, my beloveds<333) This is one of those YA books that I think will appeal to readers of all ages. The characters authentically feel like teenagers - they are flawed and messy and just trying to figure things out - but also deal with issues that are universal and relatable.

I also loved just how much was packed into this book. Twelfth Knight is so much more than just a romcom, it's also a coming-of-age, with social commentary and a love of nerd culture smoothly weaved in. This novel explores everything, from video game and fandom culture, social and parental pressures, misogyny, sexuality, family dynamics, and so much more, all without losing its humor and heart. The romance isn't the sole focus, which may not be for everyone, but l thought worked well for this story.

As for the romance itself, the slow burn was, in my humble opinion, perfection. It felt so real and unrushed and believable, which isn't always easy in a contemporary 'enemies to lovers' setting. I loved every second of Vi & Jack's interactions.

I fully expect this book to take the internet by storm because it's just so darn QUOTABLE! There were so many lines that just hit perfectly that I wrote a LOT of them down, and the banter was laugh-out-loud-worthy. I hadn't read any Olivia Blake/Alexene Farol Follmuth before, but the writing was so excellent that I will absolutely be picking up everything else she's written.

My actual rating is 4.5 stars, but rounding up because I had so much fun reading this. Literally read this book in one sitting and could not put it down.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and tor teen for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for myself!

[phantomdialogue]

˗ˏˋ. ݁₊ ✶ ˖ 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 ☆ . ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

chestnut springs book two

premise: willa grant needs a job for the summer. cade eaton needs a nanny for his son for the summer. he’s just going to have to try not to fall for her when she fills the position almost too perfectly.

couple: cade eaton and willa grant

tropes: single dad x nanny, age gap (not crazy big but referenced a lot), forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, small town boy/big city girl

available on kindle unlimited

review below!

review:

i have never been one for kids in real life or in my books but i fell in love with this book and the kid in it so fast. i don’t even know where to begin. cade eaton may just be the dilf of all dilfs at this point…. i can’t believe i just wrote that. i loved cade and all of his complexities. i think that’s something that i’m noticing about elsie silver’s writing is that she really doesn’t write one dimensional characters. even the more “side characters” or characters who aren’t the current focus have so many layers to peel back and explore. for example, jasper, the mmc for the next book, got teased a lot toward the end of this book and all of the little snippets she gave about him just made me want to learn more because he’s not just a cardboard cut out of a character when it’s not “his book”.

the way she wrote cade’s insecurities and trauma really made it resonate with me as a reader because she didn’t just state them and walk away. she dove into them and explaining how it affected everything and how it continues to affect him throughout the book. she did the same with willa. even with luke, he may be five years old but she treated him like a living human kid who has emotions about his single dad and their situation rather than just slapping a funny kid character on the page and calling it a day.

something about this book and its characters really endeared me so much more than flawless did and i couldn’t put this book down. cade and willa will live happily in my mind for years and i hope they live happily ever after on that ranch with luke causing them trouble for years to come.

q & a:

are they endgame? - if cade and willa aren’t endgame, i’d be incredibly confused. i feel like even with their age gap, they have a strong enough sense of who they are as individuals and what they need from each other that their communication is strong enough to last.

did i cringe? - i feel like this one had way fewer “cringey” dialogue moments than flawless and had only a few lines that used more slang terms (like slay and such) that felt out of place. but the dialogue specifically in this one felt a lot smoother and mature

favorite part? - the dynamic between cade, willa, and luke. hands down. i think she nailed it on the head with that. the three of them just make this perfect pact and at the same time, they all have their faults. every pairing within the three of them felt so natural and real to read about that it makes you fall in love with them so quickly and i truly could read a few more books just about them.

least favorite part? - hmmmm. this is hard actually (which is nice in a way haha). i think if i had to choose a least favorite part, it would be the fact that we didn’t get to see willa bond with the family as much as we saw summer bond with them in flawless. with this being such a family oriented series, i was expecting willa to get more of a relationship with harvey and rhett but it felt like a lot of the focus was strictly on willa and cade (and luke). i still loved what it was but i think a little extra about her connecting with the family a little more.

favorite quotes (some spoilers here, of course, but minimal):

I’m here counting all the ways in which she’s a problem for me, and she’s just excited to be here and take care of my child.

It seems like the universe could have granted some sort of reprieve. But it granted me Willa fucking Grant.

How hard would it be to smile more, to laugh more, if it made her look this happy?

“The way I see it, I like you a little more every day.”

She’s a spark in the dark. Dancing flames against a midnight sky.

I want to turn that spark into a whole damn fire so this girl goes out and does what she wants with her life.

“It’s two people who were both a little lost until they ended up on the same path and walked together for a while.”

Eyes shut, I wish for Willa. A life with her. A family with her. Gray hair and more laughter with her.

[enobariasdistrict2]

michael and jane's first date at the amusement park literally gave so much grumpy/introverted x sunshine extroverted energy because she was literally all excited about everything and had a rose colored lens and he was more chill and reserved than she was... but then once they got to know each other and established a dynamic where they were each other's best friend and in love for years then he loosened up and became more of the funny guy golden retriever husband we all know and love!! oh its so perfect