#they kinda don't need to look from their face after all

[gallusrostromegalus]

Do you have any plans for what happens with Urahara's shop once Aizen is dealt with? I mostly ask cus the other day I binged the AIEWAM tag, then had a dream about the Shinigami using it as a base of operations in Karakura. I don't know if that is likely, or plausible, but it was fun to picture random shinigami doing customer service.

No that's more or less what happens to it!

After Aizen is dealt with, Urahara is facing some pretty significant personal problems: his rejection by the 12th division, being pregnant with his first child (and Yoruichi's nervous breakdown of impending parenthood) and Nihofornia's National Tax Agency finally catching up to him. As a shinigami, Urahara is aware of the many ways to shimmy around death, but there is no certainty like Taxes.

It's Don Kanonji, the most reasonable and level-headed adult in the whole damn fic, who proposes the solution: between his careers of swimsuit model, UN Translator, exorcist and fashion designer, Don is also a Certified Accountant. After going over she shoebox full of miscellaneous receipts and assorted Papers That Might Be Important, Don negotiates a deal with the tax agency around Kisuke's dubious status as a citizen and even more dubious bookkeeping: kisuke will sell the business to someone with a real social security number and pay up a large percentage of the staggering amount of money he owes in exchange for being allowed to rent the building from the new owners and continue his path to legitimate citizenship and no further financial chicanery.

"Okay, but who's going to pony up the cash? I don't have that kind of money!" Kisuke wails, fully in the grip of second-trimester hormone swings.

"Urahara-san. Kisuke. Sandalhat. Buddy. Pal." Ichigo's classmate Keigo sighs, fondly patting the man on the shoulders as he sat down on the couch beside Urahara. "We're friends, right?"

"We're people who know each other's home addresses." Kisuke sniffles.

"Close enough!" Mizuiro waves, sitting down on Urahara's other side. "-and you're former second division, real cloak-and-dagger stuff. So you know that sometimes it's best to not ask so many questions, right?"

Kisuke frowned with growing suspicion. "I might have been..."

"Great! All you need to do is make Tessai clean out the garage, turn the paperwork over to me and Mizuiro, keep an ear on the line to soul society, and focus on getting this place ready for your little bundle of joy-" Keigo smiled, gesturing around the decidedly bachelor padded living room.

"-and don't worry about where this came from!" Mizuiro chirped happily, hefting a large briefcase onto the table with a loud thud that popped open the lid, revealing a frankly alarming amount of cash inside.

"I'm worrying." Kisuke grimaced.

"We very specifically requested the opposite of that." Keigo pouted.

"That's at least thirty grand in there." Don remarked with a casual glance at the carefully packed but decidedly used bills inside.

"There is Thirty-one thousand, two hundred seventy-eight point oh-six Troyen, which is exactly two and a half times this shop's discretionary income last year, and a very generous price for the business!" Mizuiro beamed.

"Why can't you guys use a normal currency like Kan?" Kisuke pouted, trying to do conversion rates in his head.

"Well for one thing, fiat currency is a hell of a lot better than anything based on the value of rice." Keigo nodded. "Though it is kinda stupid that we didn't update the name after we went off the gold standard during world war three."

"There was a third world war?" Kisuke yelped.

"A cold one, back in the eighties. You didn't notice were busy making sure Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki didn't implode." Tessai called from the kitchen.

"Oh." Urahra mumbled.

"Look, it's really quite simple- you'll go on basically as you have been with the candy shop-" Mizuiro smiled with the soothing demeanor of an unexpected adder. "-only I'll be your landlord and Keigo will be your manager!"

Urahra stared blankly at the boys, then looked up at Don Kanonji, who was reading over the contents of the file folder Mizuiro had handed him when the boys came in. "...That can't possibly be legal, right?"

"Hm?" Don hummed, looking up over his glasses. "Oh, yes. The government would really prefer a check but cash is perfectly legal tender to settle all debts with."

"But they're kids!" Kisuke gestured hysterically between them.

"Okay, Mizuiro might be babyfaced but he turned eighteen last spring and I'll be an adult by the time we turn in all this paperwork in April." Keigo groaned.

"And- and this is clearly Mob Money!" Urahara continued, waving at the briefcase of cash.

"Mister Urahara! I would NEVER-!" Mizuiro gasped with great offense. "I'll have you know all this money came from Perfectly Legitimate Enterprises!" He sniffed, arms crossed and lip pouting.

"That's the name of the Mobile Tech Support business Mizu and I have been running since freshman year!" Keigo beamed. "Makes a good packet, you wouldn't believe the kind of tips the old biddies will give a Nice Young Man in a Smart Uniform who scrapes malware off her online mahjong machine!"

Urahara stared at them blankly, gaze slowly tipping down to the briefcase full of money. "I should learn how to use living world computers."

"NO." Every single person in the building, including the shop kids and Ichigo, who had been passed out under the table after training, but was stirred to consciousness by an impending sense of danger before passing out again.

"Killjoys." Urahra muttered, sulking under his hat.

"Regardless, its a perfectly legal and honestly very generous offer for this heap, and as your financial advisor, I urge you to take it." Don Kanonji glared over his glasses at Urahara.

"So what, you boys get a cut of the candy money and rent? Cause that ain't much of a savvy deal on your end. This place runs at a debt."

"Oh no, you can keep the candy revenue and I'll only ask for enough rent to cover utilities." Mizuiro smiled. "What we want is a cut of your commission as a licensed Gotei-13 outlet contractor!"

"...But I'm not a contractor?" Urahara blinked.

"...Do you just. Not read things before you sign them?" Keigo glared.

"Yeah, you're not just in hock to the NTA, the Soul Revenue Service is after you too for running a fake Gotei-13 service center, and bailing on a century's worth of filings by faking your death." Mizuiro frowned at him with concern. "So e of those papers you signed when you resumed your identity and job as captain- however briefly were the result of Captain Kyoraku cutting you one HELL of a parole deal with the SRS, but the agreement was that Urahara Shoten would be the base of operations for ALL the shinigami operating in Karakura, under the direct supervision and control of the Gotei-13 and he sure wasn't stingy with the budget he gave you! Well. The budget he gave me and Keigo to spend since I'd be the property owner and Keigo would be the business owner."

"Aaaand since you also signed the soul society official secrets agreement, it's not like you can ask someone else to buy you out from the NTA, so not only are we your best offer, we're your ONLY offer!" Keigo grinned.

Urahra stared at them blankly. "You've set me up." He mumbled.

"You sent yourself up for this when you failed to do your due diligence when signing contracts." Don Kanonji corrected him, pulling some documents out of the folder and signing them, before pushing them across the table. "Please actually read these before you si- you've already signed them." Don Kanonji groaned as Urahara slapped the pen back down on the table with spite.

"Fine, fine- I guess I'm back to following orders instead of giving them. What do you want, Boss?" He glared at Keigo.

"Put your feet up and finish putting together that gift list for the baby shower." Keigo nodded. "We weren't kidding that your first priority is getting this place ready for baby... Does it have a name yet?"

"...No." Kisuke wilted despondently. "Yoruichi still isn't answering my texts!"

"Hm." Keigo nodded. "Okay, put your feet up, finish that baby shower list and think of a name for the little rugrat. Just leave the rest to us for now!"

"You guys are good kids." Kisuke smiled weakly.

"Would you be willing to make a sworn statement to that effect, so we can have it on file for any future HR disputes?" Mizuiro smiled.

"Absolutely goddamn not." Kisuke glared.

[alwaysobsessed777]

Anything Juju Watkins, she’s seriously underrated 🙏🏻

FOREVER YOURS - J.W.

First juju fic....kinda scared....but let me know if I should keep writing for her

"Juju...i already told you," I could feel my frustration bubbling up. Catching her in the act of kissing another girl was not on my bingo card of the year. "It's a no. I don't care what you have to say, we're done."

"baby....please...its not what it looked like," following like a lost puppy, Juju begged. I couldn't care less in the moment.

Her hand wraps around my wrist, trying to stop me from walking further away. I stopped, looking down at the contact. The calmness of her tone, it further the irritation that was brewing.

I ripped my arm from her grip, "I said I don't want to hear what you have to say. Leave me the f-"

"Y/n....calm down...okay."

"No! If you weren't sucking someone's else face...i wouldn't be acting like this!" I spun around, our eyes meeting. The hurt in her eyes made me want to calm down, but nothing was stopping the hurt that I felt. "I really thought I could trust you...and you walked all over me. My trust...my ego...my love for you. I just need some space...please."

Tears swelled in my eyes. Juju's seemed to mirror. "Okay. I can give you space," she looked down, wiping her eyes before looking back at me, "I love you."

I nod. I had nothing else to say. My legs turned me around, walking me out of the packed party. The party, that if I stayed would have burned something within me, was for the women's team defeating the undefeated UCLA. Maybe she got too cocky. But that cockiness just ruined our whole relationship.

2 weeks later....

It's been hard. I missed her more than I would like to admit. Her sarcasm used to fill the awkward moments with friends. Her jokes flowing in conversation resulting in fits of laughter. Then, her presence. It was grounding, calming, and I needed all of that in my life. But Juju was that....and she wasn't here.

I struggled to pull myself out of bed, groaning with the motion. Hating myself and the world had become a more common thing for me these days. I hated myself for not listening to the girl cause what if she really hadn't done anything. Maybe I jumped to conclusions, maybe I was a jerk, maybe I was the one who didn't deserve her. Not the other way around.

Throwing on whatever was near, I made my way out of the sloppy dorm room. Opening the door, to my surprise, I was welcomed with many holding flowers.

"uh...excuse me," he looked down at the small paper attached to the bouquet of roses, "Y/n? These are for you."

"I think you might have the wrong y/n. Nobody is gonna send me anything," I closed my door, locking before turning back around to face the guy.

"Y/n l/n....from Juju Watkins? Does that sound right?"

Shock washed over me. Why would Juju send me flowers? "Um...yeah...yeah that sounds right."

"well," he held them out, "here you go. Have a nice day, ma'am."

"than-thank you." I stood there, flowers in hand, dumbfounded. I couldn't piece together why, the woman I yelled at and refused to say 'i love you' back too, would send flowers to me.

Quickly, I read the small note attached to the stem. Hoping that it would tell me why she would.

'I know your probably not happy with me...but I wanted to send you flowers (even tho Valentine's day was a little while ago...) for V' day. I would never not get you something....but I figured it would have been stupid to send something right after everything went down. Just know, I'm sorry that what happened happened. I'm always ready to talk whenever you are. I love you too much to not wait. Love, Juju'

"it's not too much is it?" Her voice rang through my ears, my head snapping up to meet the girl I've been missing tremendously.

Juju.

Sniffling, I pulled her into a tight embrace, "I've missed you so much." The words mumbled into my shoulder. Her arms tighten their hold on around me, pulling me impossibly closer.

"I've missed you too," a broken chuckle fell from my lips, "even if I don't necessarily like you right now."

Juju's body tensed, "can we talk about...what happened, please?"

I nodded, escaping her hold to unlock the door. Opening it, I step in allowing Juju to follow.

"I'm so sorry you saw me kiss another girl....but I didn't kiss her. She kissed me. I was drunk...she was drunk....she thought I was into her....so she took her shot. I pushed her off of me, but she latched back on as you walked in. I wish I could've been able to stop you from seeing it. I would have told you what happened....i just wish everything would have went down another way. I'm sorry baby." Juju was almost begging for forgiveness. Her words sinking in, my brain deciding whether to trust her or not. Something in the way she let everything just crash through whatever dam was holding it in convinced me, convinced me that she was telling the truth.

"okay."

"okay?"

"I accept your apology and now I want kisses to make up for it," I held my arms out, hoping the girl would just go with it. To my liking, she did.

"God I've wanted to kiss you for weeks," a smirk settled on her lips, well, before her lips crashed onto mine.

My arms snaked around her neck as her hands fell to my waist. Her grip tight and dominant, almost like she would never let me go. Our lips moved against each other like they were made to be kissed by the other. A feeling of familiarity settled within me. Thoughts seemed to not form properly, other than one thought. We were meant to be, and nothing was going to get in the way of that again.

Once we were both on the verge of not breathing, we broke apart. Smiles stretched across both of our faces as the realization set in.

"I love you more than anything," I whispered, resting my head on her shoulder. Juju's arms pulling me into a hug, the warmth of her embrace calming me. The grounding feeling I had been missing not even an hour ago.

"I love you too, Y/n. More than my own life," the words seemed to effect me more than they had ever before. I felt like she truly meant it.

Nothing would ever break my trust in her again.

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

A/n : ha...ha....if this is trash, let me know and I won't ever write for juju again.

But if y'all like....let me know and I'll definitely write for her again.

(I'm truly in love with this woman....shes another one of my wives.)

[piercethefic]

Spencer Reid × Plus size fem reader

(I am plus size so plz don't feel offended , I just wanna help people feel seen♡)

Warnings ⚠️ 18+ : smut + fluff - cunnilingus - p in v - reader in skirt - perv Spence - hostage situation and mention of ptsd and body insecurity CREAMPIE...(Don't try this at home)

You and Spencer met on a case . He rescued you from a bank robbery, and from that day on, he became your knight in shining armor. He counseled you when you felt the ptsd from it . He listened to your body insecurities, and he comforted you. After a few months, you fell in love. Maybe this is the time to admit your feelings .. you thought.

You asked him to come over to your apartment so you could talk.

His pov :

What could she be talking to me about? Does she know what I did? Did she figure It out? (Little did you know , he stole your dirty underwear from your laundry basket and used them while thinking about being buried between your thighs..)

He sprayed his most rich cologne and walked over to your apartment, horrified but excited.

"Hey y/n"

"Hi Spence! Come in"

He felt relieved.

You jumped into his arms. Little did you know, when you wore skirts, he couldn't hold back his hard on for you. He knew it was wrong. You were a survivor of a case he solved. But he just couldn't help it, your thighs so soft, and your hair smelled like how he only imagined angels would smell. How could he not fall in love? Your hands felt like a gentle cloud gliding over his skin.

Back to her pov :

He seemed nervous but kinda flustered. Why is that? So you ask, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course"

"I love you.. I may be misreading the situation, but I really feel something for you . Ever since you saved me , I felt a need to love you. Not because you saved me , but because you see me for who I am." You hoped and prayed he didn't reject you.. instead.. he kissed you. He softly kissed you. "I love you too. I need you. Please let me take care of you .. I've wanted to show you how beautiful you are for so long , say no if you want me to stop"

You didn't say no.

He layed you down on the bed with surprising strength and pulled your panties off with one small swoop. He looked up for approval and started kissing your thighs, then without warning, he began to lick your clit at a soothing but orgasmic pace. You moaned and squished his head with your thighs, immediately noticing .. you apologized , but he shook his head and brung your soft thighs close to his head once more. You came around him as he eagerly swallowed your arousal. He kissed your thighs again as he began to kiss up your body , every curve and stretch mark , none left untouched. How gentle.

"Can I make you feel even better?"

"Yes, please."

He pulls his slacks down and positions his leaking and desperate cock on your already throbbing pussy. "Protection?" "Nuhuh, I'm clean, and I'm on bc"

He softly inserts all of his inches and thickness into you at one time. You moan in approval and relief. "I've loved you forever.. I thought the reason you invited me over was to discuss how your panties were missing" (as he moans and thrust)

You giggle "I didn't notice ... that's kind of hot"

He bites his lip and kisses your neck while ramming into you repeatedly. He will not give up until you cum around him. "I..I'm not cumming.. fuck...until you cum ..baby i can hold it" as he rubs your face In awe.

"I'm cumming soon..please keep fucking me. I feel it deep in me. please"

You came around him and your legs shook, he came inside you deep , leaving you shaking and dripping with cum.

"Can you be my girlfriend, please"

"Yes , of course"

*he cleans you up and bathes you and puts you in pj's

I hope you liked it <3 request ALWAYS open!

[patchworkcuddlebug]

Good Dolls Don't Lie

(A stand-alone follow-up to Good Dolls Play Pretend)

The cafe was on the top floor of the library. The trip into the city was nice; all you needed was to be told the directions once, and you could find stillness as you travelled.

Before long at all, you reach the top of the steps, and see him waiting for you. He notices you and waves, before getting up from his seat, leaving his coat and bag behind to come and great you.

"Hey! Hey, I'm… really glad you made it. Was it cold?"

You smile, giving him a little curtsy. You tell him you're glad, and that the weather wasn't a problem.

"Oh, right, that... yeah. Doll. That makes sense."

The line for the counter is just a few people long, all of them going to sit to wait for their drinks. As they wait, the person is nervous; he's bouncing on his feet and rubbing the lining of his pants pockets. The doll is still.

"Hi there, how can I help you?" The barista asks with a deliberate smile.

"Oh, I'll just have a hot chocolate."

"Of course. And for the doll?"

"Um…" he looked at you.

You politely give the barista your order, a chai latte.

The barista is surprised when it hears you speak your own order. "Alright, coming right up! Please have a seat." She says in a cheery tone, turning back away from you to address the person.

He leads you to your seat. It's in the corner, giving you a wonderful view of the people below. There are people waiting for the bus, walking along the sidewalk as they talk into their phone, and there's even someone sitting just outside of the library trying to eat a sandwich without taking off his mittens.

You're lost in thought, for only a moment. You think about people, how rich the lives and inner worlds are of everyone you see. Every direction you look has a million people doing a billion different things. Every stranger having struggles you could never have the chance to help with.

"H-hey, so uh..." You turn to face the stammering person across the table. You can tell he's still fidgeting with his pockets. "Thanks for meeting up with me today. You really didn't have to... sorry, is 'you' okay?"

You give a polite nod, telling him you don't mind and thanking him for asking.

"I didn't wanna just assume." He smiles back. "Anyway, uh... yeah. I wanted to apologize about the party, I never would've invited you if I knew about the whole, uh..." He gestures towards you.

You forgive him, and thank him for inviting you, and then for recognizing your discomfort in the moment.

He forced a nervous chuckle. "You're not just, like, saying that, right? I know that like, dolls are polite and stuff, but..." He trails off, looking to you expectantly.

You softly shake your head, and tell him that good dolls don't lie.

He exhales, leaning back in his chair. He takes his hands out of his pockets, one resting on the table as the other glides through his long hair. "Okay, that's... really great to hear. I'm glad."

A call for a hot chocolate and chai latte from across the seating area. You begin to stand. "Oh, let me!" He slides out of his seat, turning to leave, but quickly turning back. "Unless you want to? I can like, let you, if this is a doll thing."

You tell him it's fine. You worry about tone a little too late, and decide to smile at him after he's turned back around. He looks excited to be so helpful. It's the closest he's been to the supportive rock he acted as at the party, when he got to help you.

You look back out the window. The sandwich man's given up and taken his mittens off. His hands look cold.

The person sets your tea down in front of you and takes his place. He watches you as you take a sip, seeming almost disappointed when your reaction is poised and subdued. You quickly take a second sip. You compliment the drink to him.

"Oh, cool! Makes sense you've got a taste for that kinda thing." He doesn't smile much, but he doesn't seem all that nervous anymore. He goes to take a sip of his drink, but sets it back down once the heat reaches his lips.

"So, I know tea is like, a doll thing. Is it... is it a physical thing?" He shrugs, unsure of himself. "Like when people are vampires, and normal food stops being, like, tasty."

You explain that it is simply something you enjoy, and your body lacks the needs of a human's.

"Oh, wow, that... yeah, that totally makes sense." He nods along knowingly, as if your words were more for confirmation that information. "So, uh, did it... sorry if this is a weird question, but did it hurt? I mean, when you, became." He stammers, gesturing vaguely in your direction.

You answer him, saying it was uncomfortable yet relieving, and comment that he seems interested in dolls.

"Oh! Well, like, a normal amount, I think." He adds, talking quickly and just a little excited. "I mean, it's just... interesting right? Just the idea that a person can just... stop being themselves. I mean, like, I get the idea that a lot of dolls say they were never human to begin with, but, just, y'know, the whole... becoming. And everything. It's neat."

You ask him if he's considered it.

He moves around more than this entire meeting up to this point as he considers his answer, talking as if he's desperate to convince you of something, but isn't sure what it is. "I...! I mean, like, who doesn't think about that sort of thing, right? I dunno, I mean, maybe if I was, like, one of those dolls they make from scratch, then y'know, obviously that'd be really cool, but like, I've just got, y'know..."

He trails off. He tries to take a sip of his drink and burns himself again.

You ask him, again, if he wants to be a doll.

"I... I mean..." He looks away pensively, his gaze landing out the window. You glance quick, and see that the sandwich-eater has moved, and she has much longer hair than you could see before.

"What are people gonna say?" He shrugs, leaning forward. "I... I've got this whole life as a person. And besides, I... it's not something I really want anyway. I mean, like, you always hear about dolls that always knew, kids that pretended to be dolls on the playground, and I... that's not me. I wouldn't wanna, like... I dunno. I can live with being a person, really, it's not... I don't want it that bad."

You tell him good dolls don't lie.

He almost... flinches, like you touched an exposed nerve. Just beneath the surface, he's fighting off a giddy smile. "Uh, s-sorry, I, uh... yeah, I, I mean... it's..."

You give him a nod, and ask him if he'd like to visit Miss's manor some time. His smile finally bursts to the surface.

. . . . .

The new doll opens the door mere seconds after you knock.

"Oh, sorry, was this one late? It got a little distracted..."

You tell that one that it's fine, and it's perfectly on time. You can't help but peek behind it, only for a moment, seeing the full-length mirror. That wasn't there last night.

"Thank you so much for guiding this one..." The new doll sounds so heartfelt, its voice bubbling with gratitude. "It's... very excited to begin!"

The other doll excitedly follows you out, a spring in its step and a shine in its smile. All of its nervous apprehension cracked and discarded like an eggshell.

[captain-huggy-bear]

The New Guy

Pairing: Kiefer Sherwood x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Sexual innuendo

Summary: You have an interesting first interaction with the new Canuck, Kiefer Sherwood.

Notes: Request from @toasttt11: I went with a close friend of Quinn rather than sister because that way more people can relate but I hope this is the kinda vibe you were after for this :)

A short little one, but hopefully funny/silly

Totally happy to take requests/ideas/prompts at the moment in my ask box :)

Writing Masterlist

You've seen more trades than you can possibly comprehend in your time as Quinn's best friend. Witnessed the way everyone grew solemn as a friend and teammate had to leave suddenly to somewhere else, sometimes right before a game, sometimes in the off season. Saw how difficult it was when they were opponents, rivals rather than teammates for the first time in years. But, also the excitement when someone new came in and no one was more excited for this particular acquisition than Quinn.

Your best friend had pushed so hard, so much for the team to get Kiefer Sherwood and it meant that the day of his official signing, official joining, Quinn was abuzz, or at least as abuzz as Quinn can get, which meant slightly less haunted than usual. Some of the usual stress of being captain having been lifted from his shoulders with the prospect of a new teammate to help them win the Stanley Cup.

"He's going to be so good for the team, Y/N. We need a solid enforcer, someone to make big hits." He'd been ranting on and rambling all day about how good Sherwood would be for the team and it was starting to dull the shine, just a little. You couldn't help but roll your eyes as the two of you walked through the corridors of the arena.

"You've only said about a thousand times." You're happy for Quinn and the team, of course you are. The excitement palpable as you stop outside the locker room. You can't even deny that you are a little excited yourself to meet the 6ft tall forward, a new teammate for Quinn usually meant a new friend for you...it helped that he was handsome and that meant another face to ogle at when you were in the stands watching the games. You liked having a little bit of eye candy in your day, not that you'd tell Quinn that. He'd probably complain that you were a HR incident waiting to happen.

"Hey! I mean it. This is our year!" Quinn smiles at you in such a genuinely hopeful way that you really hope he's right. Being captain has meant he takes every error, every loss onto his own shoulders. You really hope Sherwood and the team prove Quinn right, for Quinn's sake more than anything else.

"He better be nice, that's all I'm saying, if he treats me like a coffee girl I'm going to enforce him." You cross your arms over your chest as if you might fight someone, quite hilarious when you consider the sorts of men you're surrounded by on the daily. Still, you're determined not to be undermined or treated like just a pretty face, casual workplace sexism was not something you were going to allow. You hoped this new guy wasn't one of those hockey players. You'd dealt with your fair share in your life and couldn't stand them.

"What does that even mean?" Quinn huffs out a laugh at you, shaking his head at you because he loves you, but fuck, you can be so weird sometimes. You remind him a little of Luke. A little weird, a little strange but in the best sort of way. Endearingly bizarre.

"It means he'll get shoved into the boards." He might be 6ft and 200lbs but you're pretty sure that with the element of surprise you could get Kiefer Sherwood into the boards if he annoyed you enough. Maybe even onto his back on the ice with a well aimed stick to the ankles.

"Y/N." Quinn seems to disagree, it's quite insulting actually, the way he looks at you like you're mad. Like your smaller stature makes it impossible.

"You don't think I can do it? I've shoved Luke into the lake before."

"Lukey is a bean pole and loves you, so he let you." You're actually quite hurt that Quinn is convinced the Luke let you shove him into the lake when you know that you did so on your own merit and skill.

"You think I can't shove Kiefer Sherwood into some boards? You think I'm weak!"

"Y/N." Quinn's gaze shifts behind you, just over your shoulder but you don't take much notice of it. He's probably looking at one of the arena workers.

"This...you're supposed to be my best friend. I could take him! I could definitely take Kiefer Sherwood!" You're actually a little hurt that Quinn doesn't seem to think you're capable of taking Kiefer Sherwood in a fight. Even if he's probably right. Sherwood could probably toss you like you're a doll...an appealing thought depending on the circumstances behind it.

"Y/N!" It's the urgency behind Quinn yelling your name and the way his stare is directed above your head, mixed with the hint of a laugh that tells you you're about to be terribly embarrassed.

There's a beat of silence, your shoulders tensing, mouth pursing in realisation.

"...He's right behind me, isn't he?" Quinn nods in confirmation, holding back a laugh as you briefly close your eyes, trying to swallow the embarrassment that you can feel rising in you like a wave. Not the best first impression you've ever made.

You turn to look behind you once you've composed yourself. Kiefer Sherwood is there, leaning against the wall with one shoulder, arms crossed and smirking at you. He looks frustratingly handsome, perfectly rugged and dishevelled from the dimples around his smirk to the dark curls that seemed to fall perfectly around his face. He looks...big too. The only accurate way to describe him, broad shouldered, solid, like he's immovable and perhaps you'd overestimated your ability to fight the man. Perhaps Quinn was right. But, you're certain you could take him...just maybe not in a fight.

"You can shove me into the boards any time you want, princess." The way he looks at you, all dark half lidded eyes and long lashes, makes warmth flood through your entire body, but mostly ending in your face. You're certain your cheeks are on fire with how warm they are.

"Kief, don't flirt with my best friend." You want to tell Quinn off because Kiefer Sherwood can certainly flirt with you if he wants, especially if he looks at you like that. You did not need the overprotective best friend act right now.

"But, she's cute." His eyes don't leave you even as he responds to Quinn, like he's still talking to you.

"Kief."

"Alright, alright..." He pushes off of the wall, practically sauntering over to you, stopping a few feet short, respectable enough to give you space, but there's nothing respectable about the smirk he's still sporting. "Still think you could take me?"

"Oh, definitely." There's absolutely no mistaking the way you lower your voice, the coy tone to it, the fact that you most certainly don't mean in a fight. It has Kiefer throwing his head back with a loud, rumbling laugh while Quinn all but hisses at you like a scolding parent.

"Y/N!"

Yeah, you think you might like the new guy...maybe more than you should.

[loop-lover-central]

(You're starting to think something is wrong with Loop.)

(It was little things at first. An odd movement, or stilted words. You thought it was just your fried timeloop brain so you chose to ignore it.)

(But it's been getting more and more obvious.)

(First, they stopped talking with their hands. Maybe they're just tired, you thought.)

(Loop doesn't breathe anymore either.)

(You always wondered why a star would even need to breathe. Apparently they don't, considering Loop just... stopped doing it all together.)

(Maybe it was just something they did to make you more comfortable, you assumed.)

(But then they stopped blinking too.)

(It's so unnerving. Their eyes never water or falter. They just stare at you.)

(To be honest, you'd started avoiding the favor tree when you could. Not always, but enough to give yourself some space.)

(Being around the star had started to make you feel like bugs were crawling on your skin.)

(And then you forgot the rock trap again.)

(You wake with a slight start before cursing under your breath and clenching your fists. You wait for the pain to pass.)

(Your muscles slowly stop screaming in agony and you take a deep breath.)

[Stardust.]

(You flinch at the sudden voice in your mind. You didn't think you'd ever get used to them doing that.)

[Teehee, sorry! Just thought I'd pop in. It's been a few loops, you know? Why don't you stop by? Poor Loop gets lonely too!]

(Suddenly your mouth feels dry. Has it really been long enough for Loop to notice? You feel a little bad...)

(After talking with Mira and Isa you make your way to the tree.)

(Ducking under the leaves into the dark. Loop... isn't looking at you. They're staring off into the woodlands behind the tree.)

"Um... Loop?"

"Siffrin."

(You pause. They... don't call you that. You think they may have called you that once or twice at the start. But that was all. Your name sounds so alien from them.)

(They're... still not looking at you.)

"Siffrin, you've been ignoring me."

(You continue to stand there, completely unsure how to proceed. Were they mad? They didn't sound... mad. That wasn't anger. You actually couldn't really place their tone other than something negative.)

"I-I... I haven't meant to? Just... busy with the loops, y'know?"

(You swallow nervously.)

(They don't respond.)

(They still don't look at you.)

(You realize just how quiet it is. None of the nearby birds 'piou'.)

"Loo-"

(Before you can, they cut you off.)

"You're really bad at lying."

(You frown and tuck into your cloak.)

"I'm not-"

"Siffrin."

(You bite your tongue.)

(They still don't look at you.)

"... Sorry."

(They hum in acknowledgement, but they don't accept the apology.)

(Then something on a sudden breeze catches your nose. Your face screws up. It smells... kinda sweet but pungent at the same time. Like- . . .)

(You feeling yourself start to sweat and Loop finally turns to face you.)

[re-termination]

✿ From Myself, To You

Cosmo + Toon handler! Reader

Note: Valentine's day post that ended up being platonic cuz I suck at romance!!! If you don't like cheesecake you can imagine the dessert Cosmo makes as something else that you like!

Tags: platonic dynamics, Sam and Sprout banter

In the main lobby of gardenview, in the late hours of nighttime, a lone toon could be found sitting under the tree seemingly pondering about something.

With Valentine's day being tomorrow, Cosmo really wanted to show his appreciation to his favorite toon handler. You treated him with so much respect and were patient enough when he kept messing up in the kitchen so naturally he would hold you close and dear to his heart. You even held him when things got a bit too hectic for his liking.

As for what to do to show his appreciation? Hmm, maybe a cheesecake would be perfect for you! Cosmo was now determined at the thought of making you smile, so he immediately got up from his spot under the tree and dashed to the dining area.

Making his way to the dining area's kitchen, he was so caught up in his imagination that he didn't realize his best friend was calling out to him. “Cosmo! What are you up to at this time?” Coming to a screeching halt, Cosmo could only slowly turn his head at the voice of his friend.

“Ah- nothing nothing! Just making sure you turned off the oven yk? Ehehe…” The swiss roll could only feel his face growing hotter by the second. Why was he getting so worked up over getting caught baking a cheesecake for his favorite person?

“Cosmo, we haven't used the oven all day today.” Sprout could only scratch his head and chuckle, trying to figure out Cosmo's actual intentions for coming to the kitchen so late at night. Brimming with curiosity, Sprout decided to simply lean against the nearest wall waiting for Cosmo to pull himself together.

“Not leaving till you spill the beans bud” said the strawberry toon amusingly.

Patting his rose colored cheeks, Cosmo only sighed realizing there was no way around hiding anything from his best friend. It wasn't all that much of a secret, it's just Sprout for sure was going to tease him relentlessly for days to come now. With an exasperated sigh, Cosmo finally decided to face his friend properly.

“Wellll, yk how Valentine's day is tomorrow right? I was thinking of bake-”

“You were thinking of baking something for the toon handler that you always cling to, right? That makes sense. Kinda expected you would wanna bake something for them. You always have this certain look in your eyes when you're with them, after all.”

Cosmo's jaw dropped. His friend had him figured out and even pointed out his behavior regarding you. If the swiss rolls cheeks weren't red before, they most definitely were now. “You knew??? Why ask then!?”

Sprout could only try to hold his laughter, failing horribly, as Cosmo's face went through a multitude of emotions. Cosmo's reactions when teased never failed to make him laugh.

Finally calming down and deciding he teased his poor friend enough, Sprout started nudging Cosmo towards the kitchen area. “Well bud times ticking, let's get you started on baking!”

-

“Alright! Now that you have your apron on, what were you thinking of making them?”

“Wait, you're not going to help out, Sprout?”

“Nah, this is something special from you to them. No way am I getting in the way of that!” Sprout said matter of factly as he patted his friends head. “But, if you do need help, I'll be here as an extra set of hands.”

“Oh Ok! Anyway uhm, I was thinking of baking them a cheesecake…” Cosmo trailed off as he wondered if this was really what he should bake for you. Would you like it? Do you hate cheesecake? What if he fails and it doesn't taste good?

Sprout only deadpanned as he recognized that face on his friend. A face full of doubt. “Bud, I'm sure they'll love anything you make them. Stop overthinking it!”

Cosmo snapped out of his small stupor and chuckled in an apologetic way. “Ah you're right! You're right!” The swiss roll with newfound confidence, immediately went to gather the ingredients and utensils needed to get started baking, occasionally asking Sprout for help if he couldn't reach something that was way too high for him.

“Oh by the way! I think I'll use strawberries as decoration for the cheesecake so could you please go fetch those from the fridge?” Sprouts eye twitched as he heard Cosmo say that in a mischievous tone. Knowing he had no say over that decision he went to grab the strawberries… as well as grabbing raspberries in case his friend changed his mind!

-

With a yawn, you made your way to your post and got ready to round up your assigned toons to give them a run down on what the day would look like. Making your way to the lobby, you spotted Sam looking more irritated than usual. You decided to check up on your coworker and see if you could be of any help.

“Morning Sam! Something the matter? You're looking quite rough for this time of day.” While Sam wasn’t mean to coworkers, their resting face and sudden outbursts when Sprout stressed them out did unsettle you a bit.

Fortunately for you, Sam seemed to brighten up a bit at hearing your voice. “Ah hello there, didn’t notice you there. And yes, something is the matter. I couldn’t find Sprout in his room even though he’s SUPPOSED to stay there till I can escort him to where he needs to be.”

Anddd, just like that, Sam is back to looking irritated. It’s rather comical, really the dynamic between Sam and Sprout. You couldn’t help but giggle sometimes when you saw them bicker for the most childish things. Sprout was always dragging Cosmo into some sort of mischief in the kitchen, which only led to Sam getting stressed. You wouldn’t be surprised if Sam started growing grey hairs anytime sooner because of the toon's mischief.

“Well have you looked in the diner area yet? That seems like the most probable place Sprout could be if he isn’t in his room. I could come with you to search more if he’s not there.”

Sam’s eyes sparkled as they grabbed both of your hands. “Yes please! The more help, the better! When I get my hands on that strawberry, I swear I'll strangle him.”

“Ok maybe don't go that far!” You know Sam didn't mean it, but it's still funny to think of.

You and Sam started making your way to the dining area in hopes of finding Sprout, but you wondered where Cosmo could be. Cosmo was always up and early waiting on your arrival to gardenview, so it was surprising not to see him waiting. Quite the adorable toon and not to mention your favorite outta the whole bunch.

Sam seems to be thinking about Cosmos whereabouts too with how they call out to you. “By the way, it's odd that Cosmo isn't with you. Every time I see you, he's not that far behind, it seems. Wish Sprout was as still and quiet as Cosmo. Maybe then I wouldn't be as stressed hoping this place doesn't burn down from his antics.”

At that, you smiled. The dynamic between you and Cosmo was wayyy different than what Sam and Sprout have going on. While you and Cosmo could be napping somewhere peacefully, Sam could be trying to prevent Sprout from causing the building to go up in flames from an accidental baking failure.

Arriving at the dining area, it seemed pretty quiet, but you smelled something good in the air. Glancing at Sam, you two nodded and headed to the kitchen area. Lo and behold, the search for the strawberry toon was over, oh and Cosmo is with him! The two toons were sleeping soundly… with the kitchen being a mess.

“Sprout Seedly!”

“What!”

Oh boy, Sam decided yelling Sprouts full name to wake him up was a good idea. While those two started their daily banter, you spotted Cosmo slowly stirring awake and felt bad. The commotion obviously waking him up.

“Care to explain yourself, Seedly? What is the meaning of this mess!?” Sam demanded answers.

Cosmo, on the other hand, now on high alert realizing the situation, got up from his spot and ran to approach Sam.

“Sprout didn't do anything! It was my idea! I just wanted to bake a dessert for uhm- well- I'm sorry for the mess!!!”

The swiss roll wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and crawl into it. Well, at least he was able to clear his friend's name from any trouble, hopefully. What he didn't like was that you were here, in the kitchen. You weren't supposed to be here and see the mess. Better yet, you weren't supposed to know why there was even a mess in the first place. His plan was to wait for you at the lobby to surprise you with the cheesecake, but he overslept.

Stepping up from behind Cosmo, Sprout approached his handler with newfound vigor and a smug smile. “Cats out the bag. As you can see, dear handler of mine, I played no major role in this mess. Therefore, I think I deserve to be spared from being punished.” Sprout boasted proudly.

Sam's eyebrow twitched while you only stood there dumbfounded. Wasting no time, Sam glared at Sprout, and the strawberry knew that was his sign to walk out with them. Sprout held his hands up and flashed Cosmo a smile before following Sam out the kitchen, leaving you and the poor toon alone.

“Sooo wanna properly explain yourself? No pressure!” You didn't want to stress the toon out more than he already is, so you decided to take an easy approach. You also decided that crouching down to his level would probably be a good move, which proved to be right as Cosmo approached you slowly to hug you.

The toon clung onto you and buried his face into your chest for comfort. Out of habit, you started to pat his head so he could relax more.

“There there, I'm not mad about the mess- well, maybe Sam is, but I'm just curious! Promise!”

Face still buried against your chest, you could hardly make out what Cosmo was saying. “It's for you. I baked a cheesecake to surprise you today since it's Valentine's Day. I made it to show you my appreciation for you…”

This tugged at your heartstrings. Your favorite toon? Made you a cheesecake? For Valentine's day! How cute! With this, you squeezed Cosmo in a tight embrace.

The toon in question, now patting on your arms to let him go. As much as he loves the affection that he's receiving he can hardly breathe with how hard you're squeezing him.

“Aww aren't you just the sweetest! Y'know, if you wanted to ask me to be your valentine you could've asked earlier” You were semi-joking about the second part but the whole action was so sweet of him you just had to tease him. Cosmo, not aware you were joking, blushed intensely. You? His favorite toon handler? Be his valentine!? The thought has his mind spinning.

Getting up to observe the mess the kitchen was, you smiled. “Hey Cosmo, why don't we enjoy the cheesecake you made and clean later? I'd love to share what you made for me!”

Cosmo, now beaming with joy at the aspect of sharing a dessert with you, immediately agreed. He quickly ran to the fridge to grab the now ready to eat dessert and followed you to a table in the dining room. While he could always spend time with you any day he wanted, today was special. Any day with you was special but he felt like he got closer to you more than before just with this day.

---

“Get to cleaning Seedly, the job isn't going to get done itself y’know.”

“...I should get you fired.”

[t4tlottie]

she's not there — HELENA EAGAN

— summary: helena hates how her innie gets to experience love and she doesn't. she decides to pay you a little visit.

spoilers if you're not caught up with season 2!

Helena replays the video for the 10th time.

She feels something rise in her throat at how gently you grab onto Helly's hips. Not hers. Helly's. Her innie, who isn't even human, gets to be happy while she suffers loss on the outside. She doesn't have anyone. She doesn't have you. You, who she doesn't even know. You, who she wants—needs.

She learned about Helly's little workplace romance a week ago and knew she had to do something about it. This could get in the way of everything. But as she sits here, watching you kiss her innie with so much love, she knows she can't ruin it despite how much she wants to sabotage everything good Helly has. But she can rip it away from her.

Helly was never going to wake up, both she and Lumon knew it. They'd never allow her to go down there again as Helly. So going there as Helena and speaking to you was the easiest decision she's made.

Only she doesn't know the specific way Helly acts or talks or walks, just that she's extremely stubborn and likes you. The latter part is easy to do, but when you see her the next work day, you can tell something is off. Even the way her hair is styled isn't like it usually is, but you have no time to get a word in before she pushes you against the counter in the kitchenette.

"Woah, Helly!" you gasp with a chuckle, surprised at the sudden affection and the way her usually soft hands feel rough around your waist. "What are you doing? I thought we agreed on no touching in the kitchenette. Remember what happened when Mark almost caught us that one time?"

She doesn't, but she nods along. "He'll live. It's just a kiss." And with that, she leans in to kiss you sloppily. It's aggressive and desperate and unlike Helly at all, but you kind of like it.

You let her manhandle you as she kisses and gropes you, mind too busy melting to even think about how there's no door here and that anyone could walk in. It's only when she starts nibbling on your neck and hooks her fingers under your pants that your brain starts working, and you push her off by her shoulders.

"Not here," you tell her, trying to slow your breathing. She frowns a bit and shakes your hands off, leaning back in to kiss you, tugging at your bottom lip as she pulls away with some reluctance. "What's gotten into you today? You're being kinda...rough. Not that I don't like it but are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just missed you." Helena smiles firmly. She scoots closer to you, eyes almost drooping as you caress her back.

"Is it about what your outie saw? Did the night gardener really shake you up?" you joke, and although you fully believe her story, you can also tell there's more she's not opening up about. "You can talk to me you know."

She gives you another firm smile and nods, pushing off of you with a sort of coldness that makes you frown. "Meet me in the bathroom in a little bit." She turns around and exits the breakroom, shoulders hunched and guarded.

Again, you know Helly and the way she walks, but you can't focus on anything except the way her hips sway as she leaves. You have to wipe the dreamy smile off your face as you walk back to your desk, eyeing Helly with desire and curiosity.

When Helly peers over the desk to give you that look, you feel something inside your belly swirl furiously. You watch her get up and head to the bathroom, and a part of you wants to run in after her and just take her, but you have to be careful. No workplace romance. Not that you think the others would snitch and that your feelings for Helly are unnoticed, but you can't make it too obvious.

You give it at least two and a half minutes before you mumble something about your stomach hurting and swiftly head toward the bathroom door, faltering with locking it behind you when you spot that Helly's already half-nude. You waste no time following her lead by taking off your pants and tossing your shirt off, already out of breath from excitement when you leap toward Helly and bring her in for a needy kiss. She moans and clutches onto your back, nails digging into your skin harshly. You hiss and arch your back, and she pushes you against one of the sinks.

"I thought you liked how rough I was being?" she asks, tilting her head teasingly and hooking her fingers in your underwear to pull them down. You try to shove your legs together to hide how wet you are because it's embarrassing how wet you already are, and she clicks her tongue while forcing them open. "No. Show me."

Weakly, you open them back up, feeling your clit throb at exposing yourself to her so obediently. Helly gasps at the sight of your dripping cunt and bites her lip, eyes widening with fascination. Her hand travels down and gently traces your lips, watching your every expression as closely as she can while she feels you up. Then, her hand comes down to smack your clit, the light in her eyes as bright as the sun when you struggle to keep your moan in.

She smacks it again, chuckling to herself as you cover your mouth with your hand. God, she's never been this rough. Before, sex with her was soft and gentle, only getting a bit much when you and her would think about how much you love each other. And even then the roughest she'd get was clawing your back as you fingered her.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head when she shoves her fingers inside you, and she leans in to nip at your ear. You're already so close, and you hold onto her shoulders as you look into her eyes and whine.

You start to think about how this could potentially be Helly's outie with how weird she's been acting, but is that even possible? How could she come down here without switching? And why aren't you uncomfortable at the fact that it could be her? Helly's outie being so jealous at her innie and you being in a relationship that she decides to come down and pretend to be her? You groan and clench around Helly's fingers at the thought, mumbling obscenities over and over again as her fingers hit that sweet spot.

"Fuck, Helly. You're gonna make me cum." You lean your forehead against hers, lips ghosting over her own, and pant heavily.

"No." she growls, canines showing as she sneers. "Mrs Eagan. Say it. Say it while I make you cum."

Her fingers feel too good for you to even comprehend what this all means, but you blurt it out anyway. You mumble the words "Mrs Eagan" into her lips as she keeps fingering you, and Helly, finally being gentle for once, pecks your lips as you come down from your high. Your body slumps against the sink and she holds onto you carefully. You wish you could stay with her forever.

"Helly?" you whisper after a few moments of silence.

She looks into your eyes and you search deep inside of them, but whatever you were searching for is gone, replaced by some sort of realization that she, Helena, could love you just as Helly would. And that you could love her.

"I love you, you know. No matter what." you say, and when her face crumbles just slightly, your suspicions are confirmed.

[rei-ismyname]

Cyclops earns Logan's respect through violence

The X-Men have just tangled with Proteus (and Moira, kinda) for the first time. It didn't go well, with Kurt and Logan feeling it the most after going through the looking glass. Logan is shutting down but Scott has an idea - insulting the fuck out of him. Really going to town emasculating, embarrassing, and provoking him into a fight. Are they lovers? Worse.

Scott knows what buttons to push. Chuck would be proud.

He figures he needs to speak Logan's language - toxic masculinity and ultraviolence. Kurt is like wtf are you doing? so Scott starts on him but it's in service of comparing him to Logan, accusing him of faking trauma.

Cyclops throws a drink in Wolverine's face and basically calls him a bitch, challenging him on their long rivalry. Logan takes the bait and stands up to fight. It's what Scott wanted but now he has to fight an angry and emasculated Wolverine. He keeps pushing him verbally during their fight, with his thought bubbles taking a very different tone. A judo flip and Logan is on his back, but he's up quickly and swinging to kill, bub.

Scott's shit talking intensifies, even as he's thinking about how difficult and dangerous this is. After framing the situation as 'man-to-man roughhousing' (so homoerotic) he moves to draw the other X-Men into the fight. There's a lot of drill sergeant vibes going on here, antagonising the team by giving them something to unite against. Scott flings Logan at Kurt, who is really not loving this at all.

'What's the matter shorty?' hits different

Banshee is wigging out, thinking they're going to kill each other - so he asks Colossus to break it up before someone dies. Jean knows what's going on, however, and tells them to stay out of it. Cyke is running rings around Logan, even reflecting an optic blast off Colossus to hit him from behind.

Woo, violence!

Kurt even speculates that Scott might be possessed, lol, so he tries to teleport in for a strike. Cyke has clearly played Space Invaders though, and he has his number, blasting him out of the sky.

With the others temporarily down, Ororo has finally had enough of this shit and she summons a lightning bolt as a warning. Cyclops plays possum a little then rolls into an optic blast right at her feet.

With three X-Men after him and more likely to join the fray (or just Storm getting serious) Scott quits while he's ahead, calling for peace. Logan especially doesn't think much of that notion until Scott and Jean explain. This was Scott leading and making sure the team was okay, Logan most of all.

Logan even opens up a little, admitting he was spooked. He says the obvious, that he hasn't thought much of Scott but is happy to concede he was wrong. I think Scott appreciates that more than he admits, and this is not the last time he'll have to fight all the X-Men. All that danger room training paid off. I could write a dozen essays on this issue but for now I'll just say it's an important one for the X-Men as a team as well as the Scott/Logan relationship.

I've never been in a paramilitary group, though I have had people try the tough love approach to my trauma. I don't speak to them anymore, because it's a messed up way to act. It's pretty satisfying here, and might even be the right decision. It's hard to argue with the results, but FR the X-Men all need therapy. Logan needs super therapy, or you know, to fight his friends every few months. This ISN'T Logan Behavior, not yet. It's messed up, but he's still a reasonable person at this point trying to be better. Havok and Polaris just watch without comment, which is kinda funny too.

[nameless-jamie]

Hiii, if you're not to busy would you write PA'S first day or so working for Jamie? I loved reading the interview and I'd love to see them getting to know each other, PA meeting the team and their first impression of her etc.

Thankssss ☺️

First Day

Masterlist

Jamie Tartt x fem! PA reader

A/N: Hi! Very good idea, here's a little view into Y/n's first day working with Jamie, time-wise it happens directly after The Interview.

TW: cursing

Y/N had worked for lots of difficult people before���divas, athletes, celebrities who thought the world revolved around them. But nothing quite prepared her for Jamie Tartt.

Not that he was difficult, necessarily. Just… a lot.

From the moment she stepped into Nelson Road for her first official day, Jamie was already waiting for her outside the locker room, arms crossed, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Oi, there she is. Thought you might change your mind, maybe chicken out,” he teased, falling into step beside her.

Y/N shot him a look. “Why? Because you’re so impossible to work with?”

“Nah.” Jamie grinned. “’Cause you’d be too busy thinkin’ about me, to get any work done, love.”

She let out a sharp laugh. “Right. Because that’s exactly what I was doing last night—thinking about my job.”

Jamie smirked, nudging her shoulder. “Don’t worry, love. You’ll get used to it.”

The locker room was loud—boots thudding against the benches, voices overlapping in easy banter. The second Y/N stepped inside, the energy shifted. It was her first day as Jamie's assistant and she knew nobody.

Dani Rojas was the first to react, practically bounding over. “New friend!”

Before she could respond, she was wrapped in a very enthusiastic hug.

“Dani, mate, let the girl breathe,” Isaac chuckled, pulling him off. He turned to Y/N with a grin. “Welcome to Richmond. You Jamie’s new babysitter?”

“Assistant, actually.” Y/N corrected.

“Same thing,” Colin muttered under his breath.

Jamie scoffed, draping an arm over her shoulder like they’d known each other forever. “She ain’t just anyone's assistant. She’s my personal assistant.”

“Poor thing,” Sam said with a sympathetic smile. “Do you need help escaping? Blink twice.”

Y/N smirked. “Don't worry, I signed up for this.”

Jamie turned to her, looking mock-offended. “You sayin’ workin’ for me’s a punishment?”

“I’m saying I’ll probably have my hands full,” she replied, arching a brow. “Which reminds me—you have a physio session in twenty minutes, followed by a media meeting.”

Jamie made a face. “Borin', let's not do that, huh?”

Y/N patted his chest with a saccharine smile. “Too bad, Jamie. You'll definitely do it.”

The locker room erupted with laughter.

“I like her,” Isaac said.

“She’s gonna put him in his place,” Colin added.

Jamie rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smirk. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Just jealous that you don't have an assistant. You bought a shite car you can't even drive, instead!"

If Jamie was testing her patience, he was doing a great job.

By noon, she’d already dealt with his half-mumbled excuses for skipping meetings, misplaced gym bag “I swear I left it right there, Y/N”, and at least three attempts to distract her with compliments.

“You know,” he mused as she checked his schedule on her tablet, “it’s kinda nice, havin’ someone look after me.”

She didn’t look up. “So nice that you’re actually listening to me now?”

Jamie grinned. “Don’t push it, babe.”

She glanced at him, unimpressed. “Jamie.”

“Y/N.”

“Physio. Now.”

He huffed but stood up, stretching exaggeratedly. “Alright, alright. But only ‘cause you asked so nicely.”

Y/N shook her head as he strolled off, smirking like he’d won something.

Yeah. This job was gonna be interesting.

By the time Y/N managed to physically usher Jamie into the physio room—because apparently, telling him wasn’t enough—she was already reconsidering all her life choices.

“I don’t get why I gotta do this every day,” Jamie whined, plopping down onto the treatment table like a sulking child.

Y/N crossed her arms. “Because you’re a professional athlete, and keeping your body in top condition is kind of your job.”

Jamie smirked, stretching out in an unnecessarily dramatic way. “You checkin’ out my body, love?”

Y/N exhaled slowly. “You exhaust me.”

“I grow on people,” he replied, grinning. “Like mold.”

Before she could fire back, a gruff voice interrupted.

“The fuck is goin’ on in here? Tartt, you're not allowed to bring girls in here remember?”

Roy Kent stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking deeply unimpressed. His sharp gaze flickered from Jamie to Y/N.

Jamie perked up. “Oi, Coach, this is Y/N—me new personal assistant.”

Roy grunted. “Christ. Higgins really got you a fuckin’ babysitter?”

“Assistant,” Y/N corrected, offering her hand. “Nice to meet you, Coach Kent.”

Roy eyed her, then her outstretched hand, before finally shaking it. “Yeah, you’ll quit in about a week.”

“Come on, Give me at least two,” she deadpanned.

Jamie cackled. “See? She’s funny.”

Roy muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like fuckin’ hell before jerking a thumb toward Jamie. “Make sure this prick doesn’t fuck up his knee again.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Y/N said, sending Jamie a pointed look. “I’ve got him under control.”

Jamie just wiggled his eyebrows at her.

After dealing with Jamie’s endless complaints about stretching and Roy’s ever-present scowl, Y/N finally managed to get a moment to herself—only for approximately three seconds before she heard:

“Oi, love!”

Y/N turned to see Jamie jogging toward her, still sweaty from training, grinning like he had nothing better to do than annoy her.

“You do know I have a name, right?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, Y/N,” Jamie said, testing out the sound of it like he was deciding whether he liked it. Apparently, he did, because he nodded approvingly. “Just makin’ sure you weren’t bored without me.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said dryly. “Your to-do list is very entertaining.”

Jamie groaned. “You’re obsessed with that thing.”

“I have to be,” Y/N shot back. “Otherwise, you’d be wandering around like a lost puppy.”

Jamie grinned. “Ah, so you care about me.”

Before Y/N could argue, a voice interrupted.

“Well, well, well, if it ain’t the person tasked with keepin’ Jamie Tartt in line.”

Y/N turned to find Ted Lasso and Coach Beard standing nearby, both watching the interaction with interest.

Ted stuck out a hand, his usual sunny grin in place. “Ted Lasso. Pleasure to meet ya.”

“Y/N,” she said, shaking his hand. “And trust me, keeping Jamie in line is a full-time job.”

Ted chuckled. “Oh, I believe it.” He glanced at Jamie. “She givin’ you a hard time already, buddy?”

Jamie scoffed. “Nah, she loves bossin’ me around.”

Beard, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. “Think she’s got her work cut out for her.”

Ted nodded. “Yep. You ever try to wrangle a raccoon on Red Bull? ‘Cause that’s about what you’re dealin’ with here.”

Y/N smirked. “Sounds about right.”

Jamie gasped, placing a hand over his chest. “I’m sittin’ right here, you lot.”

Ted patted his shoulder. “We know, buddy.”

After the team finished training, Y/N spent the afternoon reorganizing Jamie’s schedule, answering emails he had blatantly ignored for months, and figuring out how the hell she was supposed to manage someone who thrived on chaos.

She was typing up notes on her tablet when Jamie dropped into the seat next to her, stretching his legs out.

“Busy?” he asked, peeking over at her screen.

“Very.”

Jamie hummed, tilting his head. “You’re good at this, y’know.”

Y/N glanced at him, surprised. “At what?”

He gestured vaguely. “Bossin’ me around. Keepin’ up. Most people just get annoyed and then they quit.”

She smirked. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m very annoyed.”

Jamie grinned, nudging her knee with his. “Still here, though.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “For now.”

Jamie winked. “You sure you'll last longer than a week?”

Y/N leaned in slightly. “I bet I’ll last longer than you think.”

Jamie’s smirk widened. “We’ll see, love.”

And with that, she realized something very important—

This job?

Yeah. It was gonna be interesting. Life-changing even.

[mushysquashythingamajig]

Bucktommy Fluffebruary

DAY 14: VALENTINE'S DAY

@bucktommyfluffebruary

Ah, Valentine's day. The day St. Valentine, the patron of love was murdered. Yes, Evan may have gone a small Wikipedia binge the night before reading all about the day and fell asleep in the middle of it. He was thankful he had the day off because he did sleep in.

Sleepily, he hand reached for his boyfriend only to reach empty air. Oh, so he was awake. One of Tommy's habits that had persisted from the military was waking up at the ass crack of dawn. So, Evan appreciated every single time he convinced his boyfriend to sleep in. Today was not one of those days.

He was about to get up when the door opening caught his attention. Tommy walked in, tray full of breakfast in his hands.

"Good morning, baby. Sleep good last night?" He asked as he set the tray on the bed next to Evan.

"Well, kinda fell asleep without even realising." Evan answered sheepishly.

"You have to stop doing that."

Evan looked at the tray full of delicious food. Pancakes that looked like they were choco-chip filled, Tommy really measured from the heart, with maple syrup drizzled on to, some juice and beautiful rose neatly arranged next to each other.

"Tommy. You didn't have to cut a rose for me." Evan picked up the delicate flower, smelling its magnificent fragrance. Evan didn't know where Tommy got these roses, but they smelled absolutely heavenly.

"Of course I had to. It's a special day isn't it?" Tommy teased.

Of course. How come he didn't expect Tommy Kinard, romcom buff, cries watching queer proposals, to be a massive Valentine's day guy.

"Yeah, it is. Thank you for the breakfast, babe." He tried to peck Tommy with a kiss.

Keyword: Tried, because Tommy dragged him in for a deep one, morning breath be dammed.

They ate the breakfast together before Tommy declared that they were going hiking. Somewhere with a nice view. Evan wanted to spend time with Tommy so it was a win win in his book.

Evan freshened up and put on something light. A t-shirt and shorts with a sweater around his waist just in case. Tommy was looking fabulous with compression pants covered by shorts. He wore cut off t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms along with a bandana.

"Looking good, babe." Evan wolf-whistled.

"Not too bad yourself, handsome." They giggled before locking up the house.

The place Tommy had chosen was ridiculous. Yeah, it was a long arduous hike, and Evan's shirt was drenched with sweat but the view was worth it. Well, after he caught his breath. How was Tommy fine, the man was forty for god's sakes.

"Didn't mind my stamina when I f-"

"Don't even wanna hear it." Buck interrupted him.

They sat on the giant rock overlooking a cliff and just looked at the setting sun. The sky had erupted into so many different colours it was like if Tommy threw his palate onto the canvas. Buck had prepared Tommy's favourite dessert in secret without him knowing, which was an accomplishment. Then man was a greyhound regard his brownies. Pulling out the box, he passed them to his boyfriend.

"This is not much, but still." Evan rubbed the back of his neck.

"Evan, thanks. You know I love these. Oh, I got you something too."

He pushed a journal into his hands. Confused, Evan opened it to find himself? It was him, drawn on every single page of the notebook, different colours adorning each piece. Evan felt as if he was watching the sunset all over again, this time on his face.

He looked over to Tommy, who was just munching on the brownies and avoiding eye contact. After giving Buck one of the most meaningful gifts of his entire life. No. He pulled the Tupperware from Tommy's lap, throwing it to the side, ignoring Tommy's protests and straight up pounced on his boyfriend, peppering face with kissed.

"You. Are. So. Fucking. Cute." He punctuated each word with a kiss.

Eventually, he got tired and both he and Tommy got up. It was getting late anyway, and they needed to get home. They packed up and descended the mountain.

"Most meaningful gift in my life and you were embarrassed by it." Evan nudged Tommy.

"Come on. They're not even that good."

"Tommy, I dare you to say one bad word about my present."

When Tommy remained silent, clearly sensing the seriousness in Evan's voice, he smiled in satisfaction.

"Good boy." He lightly patted Tommy's cheek, leaving his boyfriend a sputtering mess.

[unintentionaloracle]

Let's Try This Again [Fic]

(The Bloodline Doesn't Know Part Four/Finale)

(Part One, Two, and Three)

Happy Valentine's Day! Here it is! The end of the fic I did not intend to make a four parter (with part four being the hardest and with the most killed darlings) yet here we are!

Summary: In the wake of The Bloodline's explosion and Sami's secrets being revealed, Kevin calls on some advice. Sami reflects. And Roman, well... Can Sami get back what he lost? And will these men just...you know...talk to each other?

(Also I have mentions of Ambreigns (or would it be Moxreigns in this case?) but I kinda don't wanna tag it because...well, spoilers...(Trust me it hurt me too especially because I wanted to go more into it but pacing))

 They'd ran away to some no-name motel after the post-Hell In A Cell SmackDown, like an outlaw couple on the run. Kevin knew that was how everyone probably saw them. Bonnie and Clyde. (Or maybe Bobby and Clyde?) He'd carried Sami over the threshold and slammed the door behind him, locking it before dropping him on the bed before crawling atop his partner in crime. 

 (He wished he could've done this the night he saved him, but that damn medical team whisked him away too fast.)

 They kissed, Kevin knocking Sami’s damn hat away and gripping his lover's hair as best he could (he almost wished it was longer). Sami clung to him. As he moved on to kissing his neck, Sami went rigid, his nails digging into Kevin's back. He'd almost enjoy the sensation, if Sami hadn't let out an uncomfortable whimper. Kevin stopped immediately.

 “You don't want this?” Kevin asked.

 Sami shook his head. “I do want it. I want it so bad, baby. It's just...I still can't believe I did all that. Did you hear the crowd? No one's gonna forgive me...” He said.

 “Hey,” Kevin said, cupping his face. “I'm alive because of you. We're together again because of you. They may not love you, but I do. That's worth it, right? That's enough?” He asked, not sure where that last question came from.

 Sami looked into his eyes, his expression going soft. “Yeah. I've...I've missed you. I've missed us...” He stroked Kevin's face.

 Kevin smirked, grabbing his hand and kissing his wrist. “I’ve missed you, too. Besides, what has anyone else gotten you? Nothing. Stick with me, Sami. I'll give you everything: titles, the world,” he leaned into his ear and practically purred, “me. Do you want that?”

 Sami practically melted in his arms. “Yes~”

 Kevin fumbled with Sami's jacket and shirt, buzzing with excitement. Yeah, he'd manipulated him to get to this point, but he really did miss this. Him. After years apart, he finally had Sami in his bed again, looking at Kevin like the world began and ended with him. Damn, he couldn't wait another minute. Especially when Sami was putty in his hands like this.

 “Good,” he said as he rolled them both over, putting Sami on top, as he kissed him deeply. “Go ahead, you've earned this...”

---

 Kevin sat in the park a block from the arena, all cried out, watching dogs run around. He picked up his phone and redialed the last number he called. He'd been trying for half an hour, but no luck so far.

 “C’mon, pick up this time...” He huffed. The Prizefighter held his breath as the dial tone stopped.

 “Hello? Kevin?” Becky asked.

 A sigh of relief escaped his lips. “Hey, Becky. Glad to hear you...” He took a deep breath. “I need to talk to someone. And you might be the only friend I have left.”

 “What'd Sami do this time?” She asked, somewhat weary.

 “...Why do you assume it's Sami?”

 “You always get a certain tone when it's a Sami problem...” She said simply. “So...what'd he do?”

 Kevin huffed. He explained the whole situation to Becky. How Sami lied and said he was his inside man in The Bloodline. How they'd been hooking up behind closed doors whenever Sami would pass “information” along. How, apparently, Sami had been lying about the nature of their relationship to Roman: that they were merely secretly dating. How Sami possibly broke The Bloodline up (with Jey's help). And finally, how once Sami told him, Kevin stormed out of his own car.

 “He freaking lied to me, Becky! To my face! For weeks! I can't trust anything he said to me! That jerk was probably just using me for my hot body!” Kevin shouted over the phone. The passersby and their dogs all turned their attention to Kevin. He glared at them for being so nosy. They resumed their business.

 “I mean, it's true you're the hot one of the three of us...” Becky said, consolingly. “But what if Sami really did mean well? You know Sami. Guy's got a big heart...”

 “...But he's not as smart as he thinks he is.” Becky and Kevin said, in-sync. They shared a quick laugh.

 Kevin then sighed. “He still shouldn't have lied! Why would he need to lie!?”

 “I mean, lately you've been pretty...aggressive,” Becky stated.

 “What do you mean?”

 “Kevin, how many men's careers have you tried to end with a piledriver in the last few months?” Becky asked, sounding more like his exasperated mother than his possibly only friend.

 He didn't answer. For some reason, he felt a lot less righteous pride about it when Becky put it that way.

 “Uh huh.” She said.

 Kevin rubbed his face. “But still, he usually forgives me for that stuff! Even when I do it to him!” He said.

 “Yeah, because he loves you and you know it. How many times has he thrown away everything he had for you?”

 He looked down at his lap, feeling something he hadn't felt in forever: guilt. “...I love him, too. But he hurt me, Becky. At the end of the day, all I wanted was for him to pick me. To be by my side...”

 “Did you tell him that?”

 “No...”

 Becky took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m not saying you should forgive him, but you should at least tell him that. Maybe hear him out instead of storming out of your car...”

 Kevin groaned. “Ugh, and he has my title, too! He might be a goody two shoes and return it...”

 “Or not. I mean, you've been banging for weeks. If he was gonna steal it back for everyone...”

 “Good point...” Kevin relented. He especially remembered an instance where he had Sami wear the thing (in his underwear, he wasn't a certain influencer) while he took some spicy photos “for the road”. Sami looked so good in gold. Especially with the yellow strands of hair among his copper locks complementing it. He hated the length, but it made a beautiful halo around him on the pillow whenever he–

 Not the time! You're still mad at him! He thought.

 “So, what's your next move?” Becky asked.

 Kevin took a minute to think.

---

 Sami lost track of time as he still sat in Kevin's rental. He'd stopped crying, but he couldn't move. He just felt...numb. Everything had come crashing down on him all at once, and now everything he had was gone. His found family, his best friend/love of his life... All because he just couldn't stop.

 “I just wanted to keep you both...” He said to himself. “I didn't want to lose you, Kev. To hurt you again...but I wasn't ready to let them go...”

 There was a knock at the window. Sami nearly jumped out of his skin. “Kev, I'm sorry,” He said as he went to turn to the window. “I know you want me to–”

 “Hey, Sami,” Roman said, his expression intense but unreadable. “Got a minute?”

 Sami opened the door, practically spilling out the car. He got back to his feet. “Sure.”

 Roman glanced at the discarded Bloodline shirt on the ground. “Kevin took the news well?”

 “Of course he didn't...” Sami said, picking up the shirt. “You came back quick...”

 “I was gone for over an hour,” Roman said, raising an eyebrow as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

 “For you, that's quick...” Sami awkwardly joked. He noticed a mark near the base of Roman's neck. Almost like...a bite? Roman seemed to notice he noticed and shifted his hair to that side to cover it. Sami tried to remember if Roman had had his hair up or down this morning...

 “You wanna know where I've been, don't you, Sami?” Roman asked with a sigh.

 “A little. You kinda stormed out on everyone...I'm sorry about what I said at the meeting, I just–”

 Roman held his hand up. “Don’t. I needed to hear it,” he said. “And I was with an old flame, actually. To talk.”

 Looks like you did way more than “talk”... Sami thought as Roman carefully sat on the hood of the car. He sat beside him. “Did you get back together?”

 “No. The man I wanted him to still be is dead. After we...caught up, we had a talk, and he made that very clear.” Roman said. “I should've known we wouldn't...”

 “Oh,” Sami said. “Roman, I'm so sorry...”

 “It's alright. I think seeing him was good for me. Like, closure, I guess? And he gave me a lot to think about,” he said, glancing at the sky. “Sami, I’ve got three questions for you.”

 “Go ahead,” Sami said, leaning back.

 “You love Kevin, right? Enough to say it?”

  He titled his head at the last sentence. “Of course I do!”

 “And he loves you?”

 “Roman, it’s why I decided to leave in the first place.” Sami said. “And I don't think he'd be this pissed if he didn't love me.”

 Sami could've sworn he saw Roman smile wistfully. “And you love the family?”

 “Yes! If I didn't, I wouldn't have come back! Why are you asking me all this?”

 Roman didn't answer. He just nodded. “Because, unfortunately, you can't quit The Bloodline...”

 Sami sat up, a mixture of grief and fury starting to stir in his heart. “Roman, what the h–”

 “... because as of today, The Bloodline is dissolved.”

 It took a minute for Sami to process. He then smacked Roman's chest, his hand stinging from the impact. “Stop doing that, you jerk!” He chastised as he shook out his poor hand.

 Roman laughed. “Sorry! But you should've seen your face! It was adorable!”

 Sami sulked for a moment. Then he looked over at Roman. “But why?”

 “I realized I’ve been living in the past too much, and I might be dragging you all down because of it. I don't want you guys to feel like you'll rot and grow to resent staying in The Bloodline because of me...”

 Sami caught what Roman said under his breath: “Like Mox said he would've if he'd stayed...”

 Oh... Sami thought, a little bewildered he’d go to Mox, given the prodigal Shield member's current mental state. No wonder you said he was dead...

 There was a pregnant pause. Then Roman took a deep breath.

 “Look, I know I don't really say it, or that I'm very good at showing it, but I love you guys. You, Jey, Jimmy, The Wiseman...hell, even Solo...”

 “And The Tongans and Jacob?” Sami asked.

 “Jury's still out,” Roman joked. “I'm sorry, for how I've treated all of you over the years. I want to try and make it right. Be better. And if that means I have to let you all go and do your thing...then I'll do it.” Roman put his hand on his shoulder.

 Sami felt a rush of joy. Without a second thought, he knocked the hand away and went in for a hug.

  To his pleasant surprise, Roman hugged back. And it was different from the hugs he'd come to expect from The Tribal Chief. There was no sense of a wall between them. No distance. No subtle hint of manipulation. No underlying fear he'd suddenly attack, like petting a lion. This was warm. Firm. Affectionate.

 “Seriously. I love you, Sami...”

 “Love you, too. But careful throwing that around. Kevin might get jealous...” Sami joked.

 Roman broke the hug. “If he hurts you after all this, I'll kick his ass.”

 “Appreciate it, but I need work things out with Kevin on my own.” Sami said.

 Roman shrugged. “Alright. Guess I gotta track down Jey and Jimmy to let ‘em know about The Bloodline, too.”

 Sami checked his phone. “Rhea texted me that she's at Waffle House with Jey...”

 She says he's in a better headspace, too...

 “...And last I heard from Jimmy, he was looking for Heyman at the arena.”

 “Damn. I need to talk to The Wiseman, too...” Roman said. “Well, I'm gonna go find him and Jimmy then, first. Good luck with Kevin, Sami. And everything.”

 “Thanks, Roman. Oh, and one more thing?”

 “Yeah?”

 “Just because we're not a team anymore, doesn't mean we're not family. If you ever need anything...”

 “Of course,” Roman said, genuinely smiling. “Same to you, Sami.”

 Sami smiled as Roman walked away, leaning back on the hood of Kevin's car, the cold air against his bare chest not even registering with him.

 “You're still here?”

 Sami sat up, dropping the shirt as he glanced over to see Kevin. He didn't seem pissed, but he didn't seem happy, either.

 “Sorry! I lost track of time! Plus, you took the keys, so I didn't want to just leave your car unlocked and unattended... I-I can leave now, if–”

 Kevin chuckled. “You know you could probably just lock the door before you close it, right?”

 “...Oh yeah...”

 Kevin shook his head, a small smirk on his face. “You’re ridiculous...”

 “So, do you still want me to go, or...?”

 “No,” Kevin said, glancing down at the discarded Bloodline shirt. He looked at Sami again, in a way Sami could've sworn was soft. “Stay. I want to talk to you...”

 That...gave Sami hope. Sami patted the hood of the car beside him. Kevin shook his head. “Too cold. We can talk in the car.”

 “You sure?”

 “Sami, you're either freezing or happy to see me right now,” Kevin said, nodding to Sami’s chest. He removed his gaudy hoodie and threw it over Sami's shoulders. “Let's talk in the car.”

 Sami blushed, covering his chest before putting on the (surprisingly warm) hoodie. Can't it be both? he thought as they returned to the car. Kevin turned the car on to warm it up to a toasty 68. Sami took a deep breath. “Do you wanna go first?”

 Kevin nodded. “Sami, I hate that you lied to me,” he said bluntly. “I didn't give a damn about the information. I just liked that I thought you picked me first. That you were on my side. I just wanted you, Sami!”

 Sami hung his head. “I just wanted you, too, Kev. I wanted to make you feel good. I know back when I thought the world was against me, all I wanted was someone by my side. You by my side. So I thought if I could give that to you, maybe I could fix everything. That this time I wouldn't have to choose...or break your heart. But I screwed up.”

 “You did.” Kevin said. Then he was quiet for a moment. “I wasn't there for you back then, huh?”

 “I know you tried to help, in your own way...”

 “Kinda like you did, now?”

 Sami chuckled bitterly. “I guess. And hey, apparently Roman's finally trying to be a better person. He ended The Bloodline. So maybe it was somewhat worth it. Now there's nothing to pull me away from you.”

 “Really? Do you think I'm gonna take you back that easily? You broke my heart again, Sami. The Bloodline being gone and Roman finally giving not being a dick a shot is nice, but doesn't fix everything. You know that!”

 “That’s true. And that's why I'm gonna do whatever it takes for you to love me again, or at least make things right by you. I don't care what anyone thinks. I don't care if Cody might drop me as a friend. Hell, I don't care if the only way to make it up to you is to eat a Package Piledriver as many times as it takes!”

 Kevin winced. “I wouldn't go that far...”

 “I just want to see you look at me fondly again. To talk about what stupid nonsense our coworkers are putting us through. To commiserate when we lose and celebrate when we win. To kiss you anywhere and anytime. To wake up knowing my husband is the first thing I'll see and I'll be–”

 “Wait. ‘Husband’, Sami?” Kevin said, awed.

 Sami's face burned. He didn't know how that slipped out. “One day, yeah...”

 Kevin turned a lovely shade of pink. “I mean, it might be a bit soon. We just had a fight, Sami...”

 “Oh.” He said.

 “But I think we can start again,” he said, stroking a strand of hair from Sami's face. “In the hotel room I booked for the weekend. For me and my boyfriend. You can start “making it up to me” there...” He said with a wink and a tongue click.

 Sami felt a weight shift from his shoulders. “Kev!”

 Kevin kissed him. Sami kissed back. As they continued, neither knew how or when Sami managed to climb across the center console and end up in Kevin's lap in the process. Not that they really cared that much.

 “Kevin?” Sami asked with a happy sigh.

 “You want to start making it up to me here in the car first, instead? Then the hotel?” Kevin asked.

 “I know I'm in no place to make demands, but...please~”

 Kevin smirked, reaching down and reclining the front seat as far as it could go, either to go for it there or make the backseat easier to reach. He gripped Sami's hips. “God, you make it hard to stay mad at you.”

 Sami smirked as he peeled off Kevin's shirt. The jacket Kevin had lent him hung off one of his shoulders. “Why do you think we keep getting back together?”

 Kevin gently slid the other side off, letting it collapse off of Sami. “Because I'm good at seducing you to get what I want...” He teased.

 Sami chuckled. “Yeah, well, it helps that you're cute,” he teased back before sending his lips crashing back into him, eager to properly kick off this fresh start.

 And for the first time in weeks, Sami felt no guilt.

[rustyparker]

Russ felt a moment of relief when finally, after all this shit, it seemed like he'd finally gotten something right. She thought the password thing was a good idea. He wondered now, whether he ought to go through his phone first and delete all the crap that was on there because it didn't exactly make him look good. But that was the point, right? To show her everything and be honest and shit. "Okay, but...if you're gonna look at my phone, I just want you to know, I'm gonna delete whatever is on there. I mean, I guess you already saw the texts but I'll block her and everything. But I'm just showing you so you can see...well, so you know everything, y' know? Full transparency." That seemed to be his final option. Of course there were still things she didn't know. Like the extent of his drug use, and how much it influenced his decisions. A lot of times when he'd cheated on her, he didn't even particularly like the girl he was with, he was just high. And he liked everyone when he was high. Nothing mattered when he was high.

"I can make a real effort, Selene", he insisted, and for the first time in a long time he tried to think about what that might actually look like. He knew he wasn't gonna be able to just throw away his bad habits all at once, but...maybe he could at least tell her about them. "Hey...y'know, if I'm gonna do this...I know you said it ain't all about words and I get that, but there is some stuff I need to tell you." He hesitated, even after saying it, how much he should actually tell her. But she was looking at him so insistently...

"I've been kinda going off the deep end lately with the coke. I mean, not like I overdosed or nothing, but I dunno...last week...shit, I'm missin' like two days from last week. Just gone. I don't remember shit. I think I was at a party...you remember, I was gone for a while? And you sent me those texts...I shoulda told you this before, I know, but I just felt like shit about it. But I don't think I was with anybody those nights. And I'm gonna get help for this, I promise-" He paused when he realized that he was once again making another promise to her. "I mean...well, you prolly don't believe me but...you're gonna see."

He stepped closer to her, cautious this time, his hand slowly reaching up and touching her face. At the same time, he took his phone out of his pocket and handed it over to her. "My password is weedlover69", he smiled faintly, it was stupid. This whole thing was stupid. But she said she wanted the truth.

Selene's eyes softened, just the slightest bit, as she heard him speak, but her heart still ached from the weight of everything that had been said. She took a slow breath, keeping her composure as she stared at him, trying to make sense of the things he was offering, trying to figure out if this was just another fleeting promise or if it actually meant something. His words about going to Coney Island, about taking her somewhere, made her pause. It sounded nice, but was it enough? Could it be enough to make up for all the broken promises? She wasn’t sure, but something in her wanted to believe it could be.

"Taking me to Coney Island, huh?" she asked, her voice quieter now, less harsh but still filled with uncertainty. "That’s... a nice thought, Russ. But it’s not just about the trip, is it? It’s about what happens after. I don’t want another quick fix. I don’t want another 'we’ll be fine for a week' only for things to fall apart after. I need you to show me, not just tell me. I need to see that you can be consistent, that you can actually be there when it counts. It’s not about a vacation, it’s about... us. Real, steady, lasting change."

Her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment as she gathered her thoughts, then she looked back up at him. "And giving me your password... that’s a step. It’s a start. But it’s not going to erase everything. It’s not going to make me forget how many times you’ve pulled away when I needed you."

She shook her head slowly, her expression conflicted. "I’m tired of asking, Russ. I shouldn’t have to ask for you to show me that you care. I want to believe you can do this... I really do. But I can’t keep giving you chance after chance without seeing any real change. Words are just words. I need actions. I need to feel like I’m not just someone you’re holding on to when it’s convenient." She exhaled deeply, as if she’d just said everything that had been eating away at her, and there was a finality to her voice that she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

"I’m not asking for perfection, Russ. I’m asking for real effort. Can you do that?"

[loafy-loaf]

(face sliding noises)

[thephantomsdream]

"If you keep staring at me like that, I'll have to ask you what are we?" Imagine being the witness of a serious crime, but the team thought you were involved somehow and needed to rule you out. Cue to big, scary, mysterious, masked Ghost trying to intimidate you by existing near you.

Soap snorts and pats Ghost on the back, which earns a glare from him, all after the man blinked confused. He had pretty eyes. Gaz moves to a corner to smile way too much, and Price sighs loudly.

After a few more minutes of explaining that you were just on your way to your shitty job and that they needed to wrap this up before you are to inevitably getting fired, Ghost still looks straight into your soul, now with more intensity somehow.

At this point, you grit your teeth. You might legit not have a job after this, since you're already half an hour late, and this (weirdly cute) fucker is trying to read your thoughts.

"Oh, you're really into me, aren't you?" He blinks seemingly uninterested and you raise a brow at him, starting a staring contest until Price (as he previously introduced himself) got in between you two.

"I don't think you understand the situation that you're in." It took all of your will to not groan like a child and roll your eyes at him.

Cue to another round of you doubling down and explaining that you're extremely lame but a good person, all while Gaz still looks you up.

"She might be telling the truth, boss." He whispered to Price in the corner of the abandoned shop they broke onto to have some privacy. The man has been trying to confirm your identity all this time, meanwhile you looked up at your number one fan to say "I told you so" and gave him an exasperated sigh when you already caught him intensely staring into your eyes.

"Seriously..." You mutter and you almost believe seeing a crinkle of amusement in his eyes. Your eyes almost twitched. "I pronounce us husband and wife." You say, rolling your eyes at him. Yeah, take that, fuck-face. You childishly thought, absolutely thriving at his slow, surprised blink. Soap cackled and tried to hide it with a cough.

Long story (not) short, you were indeed let go after Gaz confirmed you're broke, lame and basic. No secret villain or anything. After they kinda apologized, Price basically tried to gaslight you into thinking everything is fine then tried to dip his toes into mansplaining the importance of greater things beyond you, he nodded to himself and patted you on the back before barking an order to his soldiers to move. Pretty brown eyes stayed glued onto your soul until you were pretty much skipping away out of sight, rushing to your job incredibly annoyed.

You couldn't really explain your absence to your boss and he didn't care much either, he told you to get to work.

Surprise, surprise, though, because at the end of your shift, he sugarly informed you that you're fired. He gave you the pay he owed you and there you were. Jobless. And probably homeless in a month's time.

A week later and some intense job hunting done, you're at your wit's end, truly. Job market is shit and nobody is looking to hire. As you enter your ratty apartment, you sigh and almost want to cry in frustration. You've been cursing the terrorists, soldiers and any motherfucker involved in last week's incident, entering your kitchen to grab a drink and eat some air since you needed to save money, when you froze in place.

In the middle of your tiny living room stood a massive dark frame, the outside lights shining through the balcony door behind him made the man unrecognizable. You were getting robbed. You just caught a dude right in the middle of robbing you. As if it was the cherry on top, every frustration you felt erupted out of you, and while you were still terrified by the massive frame, you growled a "Get the fuck out of my house."

A deep chuckle was your only response and you felt dread.

"You got spunk. And a shit survival instinct." He stepped closer. You stepped back immediately, calculating your route to the door, hoping he wouldn't be able to catch you. Denial. You knew. But you froze again in surprise. You knew that mask.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" It came more of a whisper, thinking you'd never meet those people again. Even standing up in front of him, he's massive. Maybe he came back for those dumbass comments you made. Oh, this is revenge, isn't it? He's built, he can legit destroy you with a punch. Oh, God, you're fucking dead. They still think you're a terrorist or some shit and he's here to destroy you out of existence.

Your mind rambled until he moved, and when he did, you tensed, mind blank. The man, the Ghost took a couple of steps towards you and placed his large hand on the back of your neck, pulling you close. Oh, you're gonna fucking die for sure. He leaned down to your eye level, making you stare into his dark eyes as he studied you.

"Came back to take care of my wife." He said. It was your turn to slowly blink at him. What?

[singmyaubade]

Good Luck Babe

poly!marauders x nerd!female!reader

summary: after being a wallflower throughout your first five years at hogwarts, you always thought that you could be invisible. but when you hear the marauders talking cruelly about you and proceeding to ask for your forgiveness after, well good luck babe.

warnings: eventual smut! 18+ heavy angst, cursing, reader wants to kill the marauders , swearing, unprotected sex, praise, oral (male receiving), jealousy

a/n: oh hey... this is kinda based on those cliche 2000's movies where the girl is ugly but not really and she has that glow up or whatever. this was written so quick and not proofread, don't kill me. i hope you enjoy and as always, i apologize if you hate this!

STARTING off your sixth year at Hogwarts being an entirely new person wasn't something that you had planned or expected.

On the inside, you felt exactly the same, the same girl who was bold and could ferociously win a fight when it came to her character.

The same girl who was witty and sarcastic, surprising half of the people around you when you made a joke once in a lifetime.

But on the outside, you didn't have an awkward mis-shaped bob and you no longer wore baggy jackets that didn't do a thing for your figure.

And you didn't hide your face anymore, trying your best to be invisible.

It wasn't that you were shy or that you felt like a loser but you thought social hierarchy was bullshit and the only thing you wanted to focus on was your studies.

You may have been a brave Gryffindor on the inside but on the outside, you had to play the part of a shy mouse as corny as that sounds.

Unfortunately for you, invisibility only tends to last for so long until one moment, you are a nobody and then all eyes are upon you.

And maybe, just maybe, if you hadn't heard the Marauders discussing you the previous year, you would have stayed the same.

You had passed by the boys dormitory to give Remus his textbooks back as you always did when you let you borrow when you heard them speaking of the very person behind the door,

"I still have yet to understand why Lily and the rest of them act like she's some charity case," James huffed, "I mean, she's not some sick patient, they only feel the need to pity her because of how she looks."

You always knew that James had a foul mouth but to be speaking about someone like this, it was cruel.

Remus hissed, "That's not nice Prongs,"

"I'm not even saying it to be a dick!" James groaned, "I just mean, I pity her more for the fact that they don't even invite her to anything outside of breakfast and dinner," He explained, causing Remus to go silent.

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head. "That's absolutely horrid."

James reclined on his bed, a smirk playing on his lips. "I’m just saying, if I were Y/N, I’d be mortified."

Your eyes widened as they began to water, they were speaking about you.

Remus leaned against the wall, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Maybe she just doesn’t want to hang out with Lily and the others."

"Moony, seriously," James shot back, sitting up. "Where is Y/N right now, and where are the other girls?" His eyebrow cocked, trying to make his point as Remus silenced.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Why don’t we investigate for ourselves?" He unfolded the Marauder's Map with a flourish. "Alright, we’ve got Lily, Dorcas, Mary, and Marlene all at Hogsmeade, but Y/N is..." His voice trailed off, eyes narrowing.

James leaned closer, annoyance creeping into his tone as he grabbed the map, "She's-" He stopped, the color fading from his face.

"Fucking spit it out!" Remus said next as he snatched the map finally and saw that the map had shown that you were right outside their door.

"Shit!" You heard Remus say as he started making his way to the door.

Hearing his footsteps approaching, you quickly moved away from the door, bolting for your room.

Once you made it back to your dorm, you had sinked the floor. You put your hand on your mouth, muffling yourself as you cried silently.

You honestly hated to even say it but you did consider Lily and the rest of them your friends. You had never really thought about how they didn't invite you to places.

And if you were being truthful, they had never asked you to have breakfast or dinner with them.

You had always just assumed that you could join but they never told you to leave or swooshed you off. Another part of you hated how stupid you were, trying to intrude on their private time.

You didn't want to let it get to you what a bunch of seventeen year old boys were saying but it did sting horribly.

But in a way, it also motivated you to be who you were on the inside. You already had the top marks in your entire year and your plan to work in the Ministry after Hogwarts had already been set.

And now your chance to be something at Hogwarts was right in front of you, an opportunity that you couldn't miss.

You had to do it for yourself.

The Marauders had no idea who you truly were or even cared to know. And although Remus was kind to you, you could always see that he never made any effort to be your friend.

Not that you expected him to but it only taught you that they truly thought you were some hopeless case.

And an assignment to make the Marauders bite their tongues was one that you couldn't bare to fail.

After hearing that, you decided to avoid the Marauders for the next month, especially with summer break approaching. To your surprise, you barely saw them outside of classes, never giving them a chance to reach out—even Remus.

And then that summer, everything changed. You let your hair grow past your shoulders, embracing your natural curls instead of straightening them. You started wearing clothes that were trendy and form-fitting, a huge contrast to your old style.

You discovered a newfound love for self-care, enjoying the process far more than you expected. Each day felt like a transformation, and by the end of summer, your mother couldn’t help but notice. “Finally listening to me about your style, huh?” she teased.

You only laughed as you embraced her,

If only she knew what had caused it in the first place.

As you said goodbye to your family, anticipation mingled with dread. You knew the train ride would be the least of your worries, but the welcome dinner and the ceremony ahead felt like they might just be hell reincarnate.

As you entered Hogwarts, you admired it as much as you did when you were a first year. The castle was something you considered a second home and everything about it was magical, there was no doubting that.

A crowd of students, including yourself, moved toward the Great Hall, and you settled into your usual seat at the Gryffindor table.

You spotted the Marauders and the usual group of girls approaching, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. They took their usual spots in front of you, with the girls on one side and the boys on the other. James sat beside you, and Lily was directly in front of him.

You never quite understood why they arranged themselves like that, but it hardly mattered in the moment.

They were busy in conversation before James had noticed someone next to him, his eyes widening. You couldn't quite read his face but it seemed like a mix of confusion and flustered.

You stared at him back but he still had yet to mutter a word. You cleared your throat, "Uh hello," You practically whispered.

He snapped back into reality, "Oh sorry, hi," He muttered back.

Silence took over you both as James couldn't find the words of what to say to you.

On one hand, he wanted to call you beautiful, to tell you that you were one of the prettiest girls he’d ever seen. On the other, he just wanted to stare at you for a few more minutes like a creep.

Lily noticed his gaze and leaned in, smirking. "Excuse my friend; we’re still trying to figure out if he has a brain."

"I thought we solved that decades ago," Marlene chimed in, stifling a laugh.

Lily turned to you with a curious smile. "I don’t believe I’ve seen you before. What’s your name?"

Are you actually fucking kidding me?

You scoffed, "I'm Y/N,"

The entire group looked at you in awe, even the ones who weren't chimed in on the conversation.

"Y/N L/N?" Sirius asked, mouth gaping.

"Yep, that one," You snorted.

They all looked like they had seen a ghost, "You look different," Marlene said as Mary shoved her.

"She means in a good way!" Mary added.

"Uh thanks," You said, awkwardly.

They all continued to stare at you like you were an exhibit in a museum, their eyes scanning you up and down.

"Do you all mind not staring at me?" you asked, trying to break the tension. They all looked away, feigning innocence as they muttered apologies.

"How have you been?" Lily asked, clearly trying to ease the awkwardness.

"Fine," you replied, your tone clipped.

You caught the pained expressions on the Marauders' faces, realizing they were the reason for your dismissive attitude.

"That's great," Lily said, forcing a smile.

You felt a wave of frustration at the awkwardness surrouding you and decided it was time to escape. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom," you announced, heading toward the exit before they could respond.

As you walked away, you could already here the mutters and whispers emerging from the table, the fascinating topic being you.

You paced as you heard footsteps trailing behind you, but you ignored them, letting your gaze wander around the castle.

"Y/N!" someone called out, startling you.

You turned to see Sirius, James, and Remus hurrying after you. You only let out a snort before continuing your same way.

A hand suddenly reached around your forearm as you turned to see Remus. You quickly snatched your hand away, finally stopping to look at the group of boys who you despised.

Crossing your arms, you shot them a hostile look. "What?"

"We just wanna—"

"We're so—"

"Listen, we just—"

They all spoke at once, but you scoffed and turned back toward the bathroom, starting to walk away.

You were hoping that they would realize you wanted nothing to do with them but instead, it only made them want to chase you more.

They quickened their pace, and you spun around sharply. "For fuck's sake, what do you want?" you snapped.

James took a breath, his expression earnest. "I'm sorry for what I said. I've been thinking about it since you left. I was an awful twat, and you didn't deserve a thing of what I said."

You let out a sarcastic laugh, "Are you serious?" You asked as your expression changed to furious, "You basically called me a loser and said that Lily and the rest of them were only hanging out with me out of pity,"

James hissed as your statement, feeling the razor in your voice.

"-And now you all want to act as if I should just forgive you since I don't look the same anymore," You got closer to James's face, "Fuck off."

You turned your heel again and this time, the boys didn't follow you.

You finally entered the bathroom and shut the door behind you. Staring at your reflection in the mirror, you struggled to read the expression on your face. You were furious at the Marauders, and the idea of forgiving them felt impossible.

Yet, there was a flicker of gratitude that you felt for the change you’d undergone. You’d gained a new confidence that felt good, but the sting of their cruel words still lingered in your mind.

And you knew that you couldn't let it get to you but knowing they thought that of you, even Remus. It still did things to you that you would never admit out loud.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you realized it was almost time to head to the dormitory.

The rest of the night had flown by, with first years being introduced to their new home for the next six years while everyone else relaxed in the common room. Despite curfews, fifth years and above knew they could hang out longer—the curfew was mostly for the first years anyway.

"Caput Draconis," you muttered, and the Fat Lady nodded, granting you entrance.

Stepping into the common room, your heart sank as you spotted the last group you wanted to see. They noticed you just as quickly, encouraging you to pick up your pace toward the dorm.

"Hey, Y/N!" Dorcas called out, making you wince as you turned to see her waving.

The Marauders looked down, shame etched on their faces, avoiding your gaze as if you were Medusa.

You approached them slowly, dread settling in your stomach as they eyed you like a science project.

"We were just about to play a fun little game," Dorcas said enticingly, while Marlene snorted beside her.

"I don’t know if Spin the Bottle is a great idea for the first night back," Marlene added, taking a sip of her beer.

"A little peck never hurt anyone," Lily chimed in, clapping her hands together.

Of all people, you’d never expect Lily Evans to approve such a thing. This was the same girl who nearly fainted when she heard about Marlene and Dorcas kissing the previous year.

"I don’t know if this is the game for me," you replied, eyeing the group warily.

"Of course it is!" Lily insisted, but you raised an eyebrow. "Oh my gosh! Not like that, I just mean it's a fun game for us all to play," she quickly added, looking flustered.

Part of you wanted to say no and retreat to your bed, but that was the old you, and you knew it wouldn’t help. This was a new year, and you were determined to embrace new experiences.

Besides, you’d never participated in any scandalous games for all of the years you've been at Hogwarts—it felt like a crime in itself.

So, after a moment’s hesitation, you said, "Okay, sure." The girls erupted in cheers, while the Marauders exchanged worried glances.

What if you had to kiss one of them? Would you refuse and create a scene? Would you want to strangle them for even suggesting it?

The possibilities raced through their mind, but there was no turning back as everyone began to form a circle.

As you sat in the circle, a shiver of nervousness enveloped you. You had never kissed anyone before and the whole thought made you nervous within itself.

Don't get it wrong, you've had chances but they never seemed right and you certainly weren't kissing Matthew Trunchbull underneath the bleachers of the Quidditch field.

So when you got offered a shot of firewhiskey to cool your nerves by Marlene, you took it happily as it burned down your throat.

You brushed off all the negative thoughts entering your mind,

What really is the worst thing that could happen?