#they look like they're meeting each other after some time And Finn just wants to cuddle his husband

[odetodilfs]

[russellsppttemplates]

Max getting jealous or protective when other fathers flirt with you as you picking up Finn and Julia

"Didn't papa say he would come with mama to pick us up?", Finn pointed out as he and his sister walked to the school gate, only seeing you and a few other parents waiting for their kids. "MAMA!", they both yelled as the school staff member allowed them to go to you, finding another man who wasn't their father talking to you.

"Hey guys!", you said, bending down to hug then both before standing back straight, "but sure to what you said! We can schedule a play date for them. I would have sooner, I just didn't realise they were such good friends", you smiled politely, holding your children's hands so you could walk with them back to the car, already seeing Max walking halfway the parking lot to meet you, a frown on his face.

"PAPA!", the kids yelled at him, letting him kiss their cheeks once you were next to eachother, "hey guys! I was just on a call, but I have the rest of the day and weekend off just for you guys!", he smiled, "so let's get going, because your mama and I have family plans, all four of us!", Max said usually loudly, catching the attention of some of the people who were also getting into their cars.

Helping them to their car seats before you drove off, Max stopped by your door to get a kiss from your lips, "The call didn't go well?", you wondered after waving to the parents waiting for their children because they had waved at you first, "what? No, it was fine", he replied as his hand rested on your thigh.

"Oh, it's just, you're frowning", you pointed out, looking at his handsome face. "The fathers seem to like you", he mumbled, "is it because of that?", you giggled, "my love, I couldn't care less", you added.

"They were looking at you like you were some prey, that's not okay! First of all, because you're your own person and not for their entertainment, and second, you are married, happily married if they haven't noticed!", he spoke a little louder, still going unnoticed by the kids who showed each other what they had done in school that day.

"Darling", you squeezed his thigh, "as lovely as it is to have you protecting me and making sure no one gets between us, I can assure you I don't want anyone else, okay?

"Besides, he had really bad game. He was trying to arrange a play date with the kids when I know for a fact that Finn has complained about his boys a couple of times because they're always bullying other kids. There's no way that that is ever going to happen", you reassured.

"I know, liefje. Still, no one should be looking at you like that. At least someone who isn't me", he winked as you arrived home, ready for a weekend off work and packed with family time.

(Thank you for your submission ✨️)

[seospicybin]

TOO HOT TO HANDLE.

PART II

Han x reader. (s)

Too Hot To Handle masterlist

Synopsis: You and Han become contestants in a reality dating show, Too Hot To Handle. (12,7k words)

Author's note: I had so much fun writing Han's season idk why so I hope you enjoy this one too! x

The party is in full swing.

Everyone is dancing and getting friction off each other, having the time of our lives by forgetting that everyone here is locked in this sexless retreat.

Han has his hand around your waist and you look over your shoulder at him, your eyes meet in an intense gaze. Your eyes drop to his teeth faintly biting his lower lips, getting curious of what it would be like to kiss those lips.

You drop your head against his shoulder and he leans in...

The music abruptly stops and the chime comes in. Everyone knows where to go whenever they hear it and off to the cabana we go.

All the fun and euphoria of the party seem to have evaporated once you are seated on the sofa and waiting for the boss lady to come.

The chime comes in again with her cone body flickering in purple-hued lights.

"I've gathered you all to remind you that this retreat is for finding deeper connections, not just physical ones. This information is not getting through to some guests."

As always, you can sit this one out because you haven't broken any rules yet but Lana sounds so mad and that puts you on edge.

"There has been a breach of the rules."

There's a dark cloud casting over everyone's head and you prepare yourself for what's coming, it's most certainly going to get ugly.

Asher reclines in his seat and glances at Gwen next to her, it's obvious that he did it.

"I don't want to say I lost you guys more money but..." Asher is stalling only to prolong the pain.

"Did you guys kiss or not?" Finn simplifies it for them.

Asher and Gwen exchange a look, then after a minute, Asher finally answers, "Yes."

"I thought we're here for the experience—" Gwen's words get cut off by Finn's loud scoff.

Gwen is only here for a day so it's not a surprise that she still has that mindset, that it's okay to break rules and have fun. She hasn't felt the consequences of her actions like the rest of the group.

"This kiss has cost the group $6,000."

"Mmh... brilliant," Sawyer lowly mutters.

"The prize fund now stands at $149,000," Lana announces the current amount of money in the pot.

"That is not all," Lana is not letting anyone breathe yet.

"What?" Nya gasps.

"Last night, there was another breach of the rules."

Last night, everyone behaved nicely but maybe that's just what it seemed to you. Again, you can't control everyone in here because the only one with that power here is Lana.

Mikaela is looking uncomfortable that she keeps playing with her earrings even though nothing is wrong with them. You dare to ask them, "Rio, Mikaela, did you guys kiss?"

Rio is quick to shake his head to deny it while Mikaela keeps quiet next to him.

"I'd rather speak up," Han lets his suggestion hang in the air for anyone to get the meaning of it.

"I mean..." Mikaela breaks out of her silence.

"It was an accident. We were showering together and I kind of touched," she pauses to avoid continuing her sentence.

Your jaw drops in surprise because that's just a stupid thing to do. They're struggling to take their hands off each other yet they had a shower together, it would be impossible for something to not happen in there.

"We thought it wouldn't be a rule break," Mikaela adds, in what is supposed to be her words of defense.

"It doesn't matter," Finn remarks with an annoyed look on his face.

You doubt that that's the only infraction they did in there and everyone seems to think so. You remind yourself to keep your tone calm to not upset her, "Mikaela, honey, is that it? Is that the only thing?"

Your question sends the tension soaring high but it's either they tell them the truth or face everyone's wrath. You hope they choose the former.

"We uh... we kissed," Mikaela meekly admits.

Indeed, they were aware of what they were doing and the repercussions of their actions.

"Rio and Mikaela, what you did goes against the rules of the retreat," Lana sternly remarks.

You just can't believe that they choose to act selfishly like this but you refrain yourself from talking, afraid that you'd say things you didn't mean.

"These rule breaks have cost the group $10,000."

Even Avery who's been Mikaela's supportive friend is looking just as disappointed as everyone. She has nothing to say to defend her and can only try to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, you guys," Mikaela apologizes with an exasperated sigh.

"The prize fund now stands at $139,000."

-

YOU: What are they thinking? Really? Lana is not stupid. If she said it's a rule break, it is a rule break.

-

When you think Lana is going to end this agonizing meeting, Lana continues to speak still not letting everyone catch a breath.

"Rio and Mikaela, you have broken the most rules since arriving at the retreat and have repeatedly broken the trust of your fellow guests."

You lean back on the sofa and reluctantly listen to everything, exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions Lana puts you in.

"You must now prove to them that your connection is more than just physical. You will face the ultimate test of chastity."

"Sorry?" Sawyer asks, afraid that she misheard what Lana just said.

"Rio and Mikaela, you must spend the night alone in the private suite."

Finn sarcastically laughs at that, "We're done. We're done for."

Nya looks at Mikaela and asks, "Are you going to do anything?"

That seems to trigger her that Mikaela starts to ramble, "I feel like getting negative energy, right now. We're being pointed and like... I don't understand."

Well, after what they did, it only makes sense that everyone doubts they'll pass this test.

"Please make your way to the suite," Lana orders.

And Rio couldn't take Mikaela faster to the private suite.

-

YOU: [shrugs] I think we're finished.

-

Han can't wait to sleep on it but he senses something as Lana is not letting everyone go even after Rio and Mikaela leave for the private suite.

This is supposed to be a good night for him, he told you about his feelings and it was well-received, then the party was fun.

It was great until he sees Lana's cone-shaped body. He puts his arm around to seek comfort from you and you rest your head on his shoulder right away.

"Forming meaningful relationships with people always starts with trust. My question is how much do you trust Rio and Mikaela?"

That is the hardest yet the easiest question to answer. Hard because Han trusts Rio so much, he's the closest to him amongst everyone else here but it's also easy because of what they did when they're together.

Han trusts Rio but he doesn't trust him when he's with Mikaela.

"Jeez..." Asher hisses.

"All they're doing is losing money," Finn says with a snide smile.

"If you decide to trust them and they pass the test, the $40,000 that has been lost so far will be returned to the prize fund."

Some are gasping and a few others are sighing in pessimism. Sure, $40,000 is a lot but everyone's concern is on whether Rio and Mikaela will pass the test or not.

"But if you decide to trust them and they fail the test, the prize fund will drop by a further $40,000."

"Nah, no way," Asher immediately responds with a head shake.

As much as Han wants to back Rio, he has as little faith as everyone that they'll pass the test. However, it's not just about their friendship, it's about money and the group as a whole.

"They got so much shit tonight, they're not going to do it," Gwen says.

But coming from someone who's only been in the retreat for a day, everyone dismisses her right away.

"They know they'll lose money if they do anything," Finn surprisingly takes Rio's side but Han believes it's because he wants the money back.

"Guys," Avery is taking her turn to speak now, "This is a real test. Watch them actually pass it."

Now that it's coming from Mikaela's close friend, everyone listens to her, and their minds slightly change.

"This is their chance of redemption," Avery concludes.

A moment passes as everyone tries to mull things over, deciding whether to trust that they'll pass the test or not for a chance to get a lot of money back.

In the end, it's being decided by voting.

"If you think that we should trust them, hands up right now!" Finn says.

Hands are rising to the air in favor of trusting Rio and Mikaela to not break any rules in the private suite. Han also raises his hand, going with the majority.

He then turns his head to see that you're not raising your hand along with Sawyer sitting on the other side of him, he respects that.

"Thank you. I have noted your decision. Goodbye," Lana ends the session with a grim closing.

-

HAN: I trust my boy, Rio so I'll ride with the majority

-

They're making a big mistake.

Yes, there's a chance to gain some money but they forget that they also risk losing more money for doing it. Anyway, you voted no and if things didn't go as they wanted, you wouldn't be a part of it.

You groan as Han puts his whole body on top of you, propping his hands on each side of your head with his face hovering only inches away from yours.

He flashes you that gummy smile, then leans in to whisper, "I feel like we're getting closer."

You put your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck, pulling him close against your body.

"And we're getting a lot closer now," you playfully say back.

He buries his head in your neck and you can feel his warm breath fanning the sensitive skin, making you tingling inside.

You still feel the slight shock from the sudden confession he told you earlier in the bathroom and you feel the need to ask him if he was just saying it because he feels like it or...

"'I like you,' huh? Where did that come from?" You ask him with your hand on the back of his hair, ruffling it between your fingers.

Han pulls away to hover above you, he props his elbow against the mattress to support his head, "I like the fact that you're a bit silly like me," he says.

You scrunch your nose at that, "You're a whole lot of silly," you disagree with him.

"You're fun to be with, you're not taking things seriously, I... I'm enjoying getting to know you," he answers.

Han then leans in and presses his nose to your cheek, "How about you? How do you feel?"

You look away and pretend to think, "Uhm... you're alright, I guess," you add a shrug to tease him.

He drops his head into your neck as he breaks into laughter and tries to muffle it as everyone else is trying to sleep in the room.

"Well, that's what I like about you, you're so chill..." he compliments.

He looks at you as he continues talking with his hand playing with the strand of hair on the side of your head, "I've been pushing my feelings away but now, I gave in," he sincerely tells you.

You place your hand on his arm and feel his warm skin as you intently listen to him speaking his heart out.

"I admitted to how I feel and honestly, don't regret it," he finishes and brushes your hair away from covering your face.

It's heartwarming to hear everything he said and know that underneath that goofy layer of his, there's a part of him that is so pure and earnest, proving to you that he's not this cool guy he disguised himself him when it comes to someone he likes.

"I don't know what you want to do with it..." You try to articulate your thoughts into words but also avoid giving him the wrong idea.

"I think it would be cool to get to know each other and see what happens, see if something comes out of it," you tell him.

You're not trying to play his game plan back to him but you want to play it cool.

"Okay," he agrees with a sweet smile.

"You blew my mind, really," you tell him how surprised you are by his sudden confession.

"Well, I kind of want to blow you elsewhere but..."

You gently slap him on the arm and pull him, holding him close to wish him goodnight.

"Goodnight," he wishes back with a soft kiss on your cheek.

-

YOU: I do like Han but also, he did tell me that he liked Avery so... I don't want to get hurt. I can only hope that he's telling the truth.

-

Lana chimes the second the lights are on.

You groan as you force your eyes to open and squint to see the cone blinking in the middle of the room. You pull the duvet to your chest, waiting to hear what Lana has to say early in the morning.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Mmh... morning," You're slurring your words as you yawn at the end of your sentence.

"Are you feeling optimistic?" Lana asks, reminding everyone of the big gamble they did last night.

"I think we'll get the money back," Avery says, standing firm on her ground.

"Given Rio and Mikaela's history, you might be, as humans say, screwed."

Is Lana hinting that they didn't pass the test? You thought by voting no, you would be excluded from feeling guilty about it but you feel it nonetheless.

"I feel broke already," Asher groans as he tries to sit on the bed.

"I think they've got it," Avery says while twirling her hair in her fingers, looking not convinced by her own words.

You don't want to think about it but here we are, talking about it the moment you woke up and now you can't stop thinking about it.

You turn on the bed and put half of your body to overlap Han's, cuddling him as usual before starting the day. You look at his face and see that his eyes are closed, even with his face is slightly swollen and his hair is disheveled, he looks adorable to you.

You poke the tiny mole he has on his cheek, "Morning, goober."

He takes your hand away to kiss your plan then puts it across his chest, "Let's sleep for another five minutes," he mutters with eyes closed.

Feeling playful, you put your mouth close to his ear and whisper, "Okay."

-

YOU: But honestly, if Rio and Mikaela cost us any more money, I'll be fuming.

-

When Lana calls you, you drop everything and go.

You're not done with your makeup yet when she calls everyone to the cabana. You drag yourself to get there with Avery linking her arm with yours.

With the two of you as the last ones to get there, you decide to sit at the end of the sofa.

Everyone is looking nervous as they wait for anyone to come in, either Rio and Mikaela or Lana.

After a while, it turns out to be the former. Rio and Mikaela look happy and you know looking happy doesn't mean they did something but it makes you nervous seeing the smiles on their faces.

Lana chimes not long after, saving them from being drilled with questions by everyone.

"Hello, everyone."

"Hi, Lana," you weakly reply.

"Rio and Mikaela, how was your night at the suite?" Lana asks the most spending couple.

"Oh, yeah? What happened?" Finn asks with faint enthusiasm.

Mikaela looks at Rio before answering, "It was romantic."

"How romantic?" Nya asks.

"Bubble bath, champagne, rose petals... it was beautiful," Mikaela answers with a smile on her face.

You look at the ones who voted to trust them and see if anyone shows regrets.

"Rio and Mikaela's stay in the suite was the ultimate test of restraint to further their connection without surrendering to physical desires."

You half-heartedly listen to Lana as you start to get a bad feeling about everything and prepare yourself for the worst outcome.

"However, this was also a test of trust."

From the looks on their faces, Rio and Mikaela seem to not expect that Lana is brewing something behind them.

"Rio and Mikaela, when you left the suite, I asked the group whether they would put their fate on you as a couple."

Mikaela's jaw drops at the information and her face dims as if someone has turned off the lights.

"If they trusted you not to break the rules, I would reimburse the $40,000 you both lost so far."

Rio rubs his hands together and licks his thick lips, having nothing to say but you can't quite tell if it's a good or a bad quiet.

"However, if you broke any rules in the private suite, an additional $40,000 would be deducted from the prize fund."

"That's how much faith we had in both of you," Avery says and intentionally, makes it sound like a warning to them.

You take another look around and can see that most of everyone regrets their decisions already.

"I can reveal that Rio and Mikaela did break the rules," Lana announces.

-

YOU: Don't say I didn't warn you.

-

To say that he's disappointed would be an understatement.

Han can't believe that someone he thinks that's like a brother to him would do such stupid things. He knows that he should not do it, they should take this test as a way to earn everyone's trust but they wasted it away.

Not to mention, wasted some more money too.

"What did you do?" Nya asks.

"We maybe uhm... kissed," Mikaela answers.

"Again?" Asher gasps in shock.

"Did you think for a second that maybe it's not a good idea? That you knew you had to resist it?" Avery says, gritting her teeth as she speaks to Mikaela.

To everyone's surprise, Mikaela doesn't look like she's feeling guilty or shows even the slightest of remorse on her pretty face.

"And because you kissed twice, you have been fined an additional $12,000."

Han thinks that's already the worst of it but Lana doesn't stop there.

"That means your night at the suite has cost the group a total of $52,000."

"I'm sorry I failed you all," Rio finally speaks up for the first time today.

"We-we don't know you bet all of that money on us," Mikaela defends but that's so out of touch.

"But we— You were put to the ultimate test," Avery pressed the focus on the matter and that she shouldn't blame everyone when they're the ones who shit the bed.

"I know," Mikaela says, defeated but still not looking sorry for what she did.

"The prize fund now stands at $87,000. Goodbye."

-

HAN: $52,000 for two kisses? [Shakes head] It's not even funny anymore.

-

You walk back to the dressing room to finish getting ready for the day even though you don't feel like doing it anymore after losing more than half of the prize money when it's not even halfway of the retreat.

You take a long sip of water from your tumbler then sit on your usual spot on the vanity table.

Nya, Gwen, and Sawyer are there too, probably can't find anywhere else to vent but here. The room is loud with their rant and frustrated groans.

Unfortunately, Mikaela steps into the dressing room and everyone gets quiet as she takes a seat on the chair. She looks at everyone but none of them is looking at her.

"I feel like I need to come here and talk to everyone," she says.

You pick up your eyebrow pencil and carefully fill in your eyebrows with it while looking into the mirror.

"You guys shouldn't put your trust in us," Mikaela says.

Instead of sincerely apologizing, Mikaela flips it back to everyone and hopes that it'll make everyone feel better. Nya scoffs at that while the others keep on ignoring her.

"I feel guilty. I feel so bad right now," Mikaela says in the hope that's enough to assure everyone that she's sorry.

Sawyer puts down her hairbrush and starts talking, "I don't think you're sorry for doing it."

You look to the side and see that Sawyer is speaking up for everybody here.

"I think you just feel bad at how bad we're reacting," Sawyer points out.

And she's right. Mikaela only feels bad because no one is taking her side and not because she feels bad for what she did.

"I mean, is it like what? Seven times? You're obviously not sorry for what you're doing," Nya also can't help herself from adding to it.

It's clear that everyone is not pleased with Mikaela and her behavior, especially without Avery on her side to help her.

-

YOU: Mikaela, [holds up hand] please!

-

"I'm genuinely sorry from the bottom of my heart," Rio begins with a heartfelt apology as the boys gather in the bedroom.

Han is not sure an apology would ail this sense of betrayal he feels but at the same time, he doesn't know what Rio can do to make it go away.

"If you were smart, you should have slept away from each other," Finn rants.

Meanwhile, Asher is sitting still on his bed, scratching at his head with a blank expression on his face.

"I put everything on you, man..." Peyton says with a low sigh.

Han still doesn't know what to say but he guesses that Rio can see the disappointment on his face as he presses his lips together into a thin line.

"I'm genuinely sorry," Rio apologizes again.

He leans forward with his hands clasped in front of him, "Over time, you'll see that," he finishes.

If only his apology brought back the money they'd lost, Han wouldn't be this mad and so would anyone, but well...

-

HAN: Obviously, they had no idea we risked that much money on them and I do feel sorry but they should have known it's called the ultimate test for a reason.

-

"Looking like a handsome sausage!"

Han breaks into laughter as you watch him getting ready in the bathroom, then continues combing his dark hair while looking into the mirror.

"We got called to the cabana," you inform, leaning your body against the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Bleugh!" Han reacts with a groan and takes a can of hairspray for his hair.

"I know," you agree with him.

Han is indeed looking good in his red shirt and dark slacks but oftentimes, he wonders why he is impeccably dressed up just to get anxious over a talking cone.

"My belly is turning," you whisper to him.

Unluckily, Han can't give you the comfort you need when he feels the same way. He puts a hand on yours and intertwines it, resting it on your thigh.

The cone chimes and everyone gets tensed at the sound of it.

"From the date I've gathered during your stay in retreat so far," Lana skips the usual greeting and that only means she's angry.

"I must inform you that some of you have not demonstrated the capacity to make deeper, emotional connections."

Is it what Han thinks it is?

"Oh, my days..." Nya weakly gasps.

He holds your hand tighter, afraid that his thought manifested into reality.

"There are two guests that have not committed to the retreat or show signs of progress."

It's becoming real now that his heart is pounding out of his chest. At this point, he can't tell who these two people are because Lana is the only one who can objectively see everyone's progress in this retreat.

"And I must bring their time here to an end."

He can't believe what he heard but as you press your head into his shoulder, he knows he heard it right. Lana is sending two people home, right now.

-

HAN: I am freaking out. I want to get to know her and see where that might go so... I don't want to go home.

-

The possibility that this might be his last night in the retreat is there. Han puts his arm around you, pulling you close and putting his head close to you, catching that natural scent of your body as he breathes you in.

"The first person who has to leave the retreat tonight is..."

Everybody is nervous and the tension is rising, everyone is uncomfortable in their seats. Han is stressed, thinking that it would be him.

"Sawyer."

Nya, the one sitting next to her, throws her hands around her while Fabian who sits on the other side, gently squeezes her shoulder.

"Sawyer, you have failed to commit to the process or make any emotional connections. I have calculated that you have the lowest possibility of forming meaningful relationships," Lana lays out the reasons why she's being sent out of the retreat.

Sawyer sadly smiles and looks at everyone, "It's okay, you guys," she says but her eyes are glossy with tears.

Nya rests her head on her shoulder and holds her hand, snuggling up to her as if she's the one who needs the comfort not the other way around.

"The second person leaving the retreat tonight is..."

Han feels like someone is squeezing his heart dry and his throat is closing up, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Peyton."

Han is unconsciously gripping your shoulder and you end up holding him, providing him the comfort he seeks by placing rubs on his back.

"Peyton, you have continued to display behavior from your player past and you have shown no remorse or signs of change."

Peyton puts on a smile and coyly says, "I don't say much but all of you are like family to me."

Avery sniffs with her eyes wet with tears while Nya looks like she knows it's coming for him.

"Sawyer and Peyton, please leave the retreat."

It feels like he's letting them down even though Han is not the one with the decision to cut them off the show. He feels sorry for them as he hugs them and bids them farewell.

"See you again, everyone!" Sawyer says for the last time before leaving the villa.

Everyone is just as gutted as he is, sitting on the sofa waiting for Lana to finish speaking.

"I hope the rest of you take this as a lesson to take this process more seriously."

When bedtime comes, it feels not right to see one bed empty.

He feels bad for them but he's also relieved that it's not him and you, he's not ready to go home yet. Moreover, he is determined to make progress in this retreat.

He dives into your arms and lets you hold him, keeping him in your warm embrace.

As if you know he needs your comfort, you gently rub the back of his neck, "I'm still here," you whisper with a soft laugh.

He smiles hearing that and places a kiss on your cheek, "I know."

-

HAN: We've just started getting to know each other so I'm glad that we're staying.

-

It's another day in the retreat and another day of spending hours to get ready for the day.

You understand that you should look presentable because you're in a TV show but doing it for almost two weeks now, you're getting tired of it now.

"You look cute in that bikini, babe," Avery compliments you as you put on a black pair of bikini.

You take a step back to see the whole look in the mirror, "Mmh, yeah, I look good," you agree with her.

One thing you learn in this retreat other than making emotional connections is that you like hanging out with girls.

Instead of rivalry, the girls are very supportive of each other, you can see that from compliments being thrown around the dressing room every five minutes.

The only girl that isn't vibing with you is Lana.

After a very intense day yesterday, you feel like turning the other way instead of going to the cabana. It's like you can't go on with your day without seeing her cone-shaped body.

"Come, baby cake," Han holds his hand out at you.

You take his hand only to let him pull you hard until you topple onto his lap, making you laugh as he puts his hands around you.

"It's kind of suspicious to me that there are presents for us," Asher says.

You wouldn't notice the small boxes on the table if Asher didn't say anything, not sure if it's a present but it looks like it from how the lid is wrapped with a pretty bow.

"Hello, everyone," Lana greets as soon as she comes online.

You get off Han's lap to sit on the sofa since it's not a good time to get cuddly.

"I have a gift for each of you."

Lana confirms your guess but you get nervous instead of excited for it. It's never just a gift, there must be something else in there.

"What it is, Lana?" Finn asks.

"The gifts will serve as a reward for those couples who show me that they're taking the right steps toward deeper connections. They will be given the chance to take those connections further."

Everyone is intently listening, probably wondering if there's a catch behind this sudden gift-giving.

"Can we open it?" Nya asks with eagerness.

With the cue given by the staff, everyone takes one box from the table and discovers a smartwatch inside.

"For free?" Han innocently asks you.

You're cackling as you put the watch around his wrist and let him do the same with yours.

"When I observe two people forming a genuine connection, they will be given a green light like this..."

Lana demonstrates it by turning the watches green along with a melodic chime of hers and everyone is cheering in reaction.

"... where the rules do not apply for a little amount of time."

Han leans in to whisper into your ear to relay Lana's message, "Green light means we can fuck."

You burst into laughter and gently push his head away, stopping him from saying another silly thing. That doesn't stop him from resting his chin on your shoulder.

"I would like to remind you that those who do not receive a green light are not displaying enough progress."

You see that everyone is excited about these watches, well, the idea of getting a pass to rule break is nice but knowing Lana, earning a green light wouldn't be easy.

"Thank you, Lana!" You thank her nonetheless.

-

YOU: With this [shows watches] I think I'm ready to deepen my connection with Han.

-

Motivated by the promise of a green light, you pull Han aside, walking to the beach together to get some privacy to talk with him.

You both sit on rocks facing the beach with the surface of the water reflecting the afternoon sun at you. You've been meaning to talk to him about your feelings and you don't like talking about your feelings so it's going to be hard to open up.

However, you know he gave you a lot and you've only given him so little.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about us," you begin.

"Okay," Han says with a nod.

"I know I've been holding myself back a little," you admit to him with a thin smile.

"A little?"

You smile at that and corrected it, "I keep my guard up."

"I think the Avery situation plays on the back of your head, huh?" He correctly guesses.

Well, that's one of the reasons so you nod, "Yeah, it does."

Han gazes into your eyes even though he has to squint under the bright sun to do that, "I barely spoke two words with Avery, I didn’t vibe with her. It was purely physical attraction," he says.

He pulls his legs and puts his hands on his knees, "But spending time with you, getting to know you, it all feels natural, you know?"

You nod in agreement because it does feel natural like you've known him for years instead of days.

"I feel like now... if anyone else came in, I'd still stick with you no matter what," he earnestly says to you.

It feels like discovering a new side of him and this talk feels intimate because it feels like you're talking to his heart from how open and sincere he is with his words.

"It's not just that," you confess.

It's been so long that you haven't been this open to anyone that you forgot how and it scares you so much. You keep retreating even though you keep reminding yourself to lower your guard down even just a little.

"The last time I opened up to someone, I got badly hurt and it makes me scared of commitment," your heart aches as the truth escapes your mouth.

"That's my problem," you say with a nervous laugh.

Somehow, letting those hurt out sets you free from the burdening past and you feel so much lighter and better. As you gaze into his eyes, you feel like you can tell him anything now.

"Yesterday made a massive difference."

"What do you mean?" He asks with an eyebrow raised.

"I didn't want to lose you," you sincerely tell him.

Han leans forward, trying to get as close to you until his knees bump with yours. He takes your hands and holds them while keep looking into your eyes.

"I knew that you were the only one I connected with since day one," you confess and you hope it's enough to tell him how you really feel.

He smiles at you, the silly one that makes you can't help but smile back to him.

"I want to kiss you now," he says to you.

"We can't. Unless this turns green," you remind him while showing him the watch on your wrist.

He then looks at the vast sea behind you and comes up with an absurd idea, "Do you think Lana's rules still applies on international water?"

This is why you like him, he's not only tugging at your heartstrings but he also shakes it, teases it, and twirls it around his little finger.

-

YOU: To be honest, I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else but him [smiles]

-

sThe boys are off to do a workshop in the front yard and the girls are hanging out by the beach, talking about, well... boys.

"It's so hard to keep my hands off of him," Gwen shares.

Recently, a few people have been doing bed swaps. Since the night Asher kissed her, Gwen now shares the bed with him while Avery is now sharing the bed with Nya.

"How do you feel about him?" You ask out of curiosity.

Gwen brushes her hair to the side, "I like that he's so fun to be with and not afraid to make a fool out of himself," she answers.

"Do you see any possibility that it could be more than that?" You ask.

The question seems to take her aback that she takes a minute to think, "Yeah, I think so but let's see," she vaguely answers.

"It'd be amazing to have more people in here," Avery says.

Nya turns her head around to look at Avery, "And more of my type," she adds.

"Someone with confidence, masculinity..." Avery lists all of the things she wants from a man.

"And big hands!" Nya continues her sentence which sends everyone into laughter.

"We just need more meat in here!" Nya desperately wishes her heart out and hopes that it's loud enough for Lana to hear.

It's like Lana hears their prayers, someone steps into the villa but unfortunately, it's not one she wishes for.

Avery lets out a shriek and covers her mouth too late to muffle it, "Oh, my God!"

"Is that a new girl?" Mikaela asks, looking suddenly intimidated but doing a great job masking it with excitement.

The new girl waves her hands, looking at everyone with a bright smile on her face, "Hello, hi, babes!"

You hear a British accent and that explains the distinct charms she has. When she introduces herself, she holds strong eye contact with you, "I'm Portia."

You exchange a quick hug and kiss both cheeks, "You're gorgeous," you tell her in admiration.

"No, you're gorgeous," she flips the compliment back at you with a sweet smile that showcases her dimples.

The girls look fine sharing the attention with the new girl but you can see the sheer disappointment drawn on Nya and Avery's faces.

But guess what? Another guest walks into the retreat and finally, it's one they're looking for.

It's a whole lot of meat in one man, Nya will have her desired feast. He's tall, has stunning brown skin, and a charming smile, you spot a few tattoos on his body too.

"I'm Ed," he introduces himself around.

He looks pleased being the only man in the villa at the moment, "You're all so beautiful," he says with a grin.

Avery is smitten already, she can't take her eyes off of Ed. You're afraid that she has to share him with Nya and you notice that his eyes are on you.

"So, what is your type, Ed?" You ask, being the one to start the conversation so the available girls would know which one he's more into.

"I don't really have a type, just someone I vibe with," he coyly answers.

Avery laughs even though there's nothing funny with what he said. On the other hand, Mikaela seems to be worried that the new girl is going to steal Rio away from her when clearly, she hasn't even met him yet.

"What about you? Do you have a type?" Mikaela asks her.

"Tall, gorgeous, nice smile..." Portia answers with a giggle.

You almost choked on air hearing it, "That's Rio," you blurt out.

"Well, Rio and I, we've been together since day one so..." Mikaela indirectly tells the new girl to not touch his man. She may as well piss on Rio to mark her territory.

You exclude yourself from their chat and decide to join the other group of girls talking to the new guy.

"That's some sick tattoos you got there," Ed says as he looks at the tattoos on your arm.

"Thank you. You got some uh... impressive ones," you say, but it's hard looking at them when his toned abs keep distracting you.

He lightly touches your inner arm to show you which one he likes, "This. I like this."

You shudder at the contact like you've been zapped by electricity and at the same time, you see the boys are returning from the workshop.

-

YOU: New guests mean more rule breaks [laughs] I just hope that they catch up on our progress fast [laughs]

-

What is happening? Han comes back from the workshop to find that there are two new guests in the villa.

One is a beautiful brunette and the other one is a tattoed guy with tousled hair that makes him look like he's just rolled out of the bed looking attractive like that.

If Lana's plan is trying to intimidate him, no, it's not working. However, if the plan is to try to make him jealous then yes, she's succeeded at it.

The new guy touching your arm in an excuse to see your tattoo and as a player himself, he knows that it's just one of his tricks.

Everyone is going around introducing each other and he can see that Finn and Fabian have their eyes on the new girl, surprisingly, Rio too. He looks over to Mikaela and she has the right to drill a hole on her head with her laser eyes.

"Portia, what do you think about the boys? Do you like what you see?" Asher asks, representing the curious singles in the villa.

"Yeah," she shortly answers.

"I'm excited to have fun and get to know everyone," she says with her eyes daringly glancing in Rio's direction.

"Are you planning on breaking rules or what?" Finn asks straight to the point, still has his priorities right as the sex police.

Portia giggles at that and then lightly shakes her head, "I can't promise anything."

This new girl looks cute, with freckles dusted her cheeks and a dimpled smile but he senses that she's going to stir things up in this retreat.

With the two new guests, the dressing room is a lot more crowded than usual. Han dresses up in a black shirt and jeans, styling his hair with Asher putting his long hair into a bun next to him.

"What do you think?" Asher asks him for his opinion.

He looks at him, up and down to know if the whole look complements each other, "Great, man," he says.

Seeing the new guy able to land his hand on you merely a few minutes after he stepped into the villa, Han feels like he needs reassurance that you're still doing it with him, getting to know each other and making deeper connections.

It's so easy to play cool and confident but you've seen everything in him, he knows that you'll see right through him.

No one ever told him that liking someone makes him more insecure about himself.

While everyone else is hanging around the new guests at the firepit, he pulls you aside to talk on the small sofa where you both squeeze yourselves into.

Han slouches with his head resting against the sofa, looking up at you while you're propping a hand under your head and one leg draping between his legs.

You look so beautiful in that tight black dress, you smell so good and those lips tantalize him more than usual tonight.

With his arm around you, he aimlessly runs his fingers on the small of your back, "What do you think of the new guy?"

You peer down at his face and ask back, "Ed?"

He's only been here for hours and you already addressed him with his name. Again, no one ever told him that liking someone makes him think irrationally.

"Do you think he's good-looking?"

You think for a second then nod, "Yeah."

"Handsome?"

"Mmh," you nod again.

"And I'm not handsome?" He asks with a grin but genuinely curious what you think of him physically.

You crack a laugh and think again for a while, "Yeah."

"'Yeah I'm not handsome' or 'Yeah I'm handsome'?"

You're laughing instead of answering and his hand stops moving on your back, waiting for you to answer.

"Is that why you don't want to kiss me?" He asks, turning serious all of a sudden, then looks away to not let you see how embarrassed he is asking you this.

You stop propping your head with your hand and put your hand on his chest, "First of all, you're not handsome," you tell him.

"I'm super handsome, I know," he entertains himself.

"You're cute," you say with a gentle pinch on his chin, "And I like cute guys.

That makes him look back at you with a smile that blooms on his face, "How cute?"

You lean in close to tease him, leaving only a few inches of space between your lips and his, "Very cute."

Han is already dizzy with your warm, sweet breath brushing his cheek as you speak. His eyes drop to your lips as they tantalize him more and more.

"Kiss me then, I'm cute," he teases back by putting his hand on the nape of your neck, not letting you back away.

"How about Lana? The money, mmh?" You softly rub the tip of your nose against his cheek.

"I don't think they'd mind us breaking a rule," Han reckons since none of you have broken any rules yet it's more likely that everyone will let it pass.

You cup his jaw and softly swipe his lips with your thumb, "You think so?"

From the way you're looking at his lips, he knows that this is also what you want.

"Yeah..." he breathlessly says, his throat getting dry the more he craves your lips.

"Mmh..." you answer with a sultry hum.

Han can't take it anymore. He slowly pulls your head close until your lips collide in an explosive kiss, a kiss that obliterates his senses and stirs chaos inside his head.

His tongue pries open your mouth and you eventually cave in, letting him invade you, tasting more of you. He's so deep in it, drowning himself in it that breathing doesn't feel necessary anymore to him.

Oh, he loves your low moans that slip out against his lips and the hand that lingers on his neck. He also feels your leg slowly rubbing his inner thigh, inviting the other part of him to come and join.

He almost pouts when you pull away from the kiss, and you console him with a quick peck on the lips, "That's enough for tonight," you say.

He doesn't want to stop but he looks at the bright side of things, there's always another night.

"We should wipe that lipstick mark..." you sigh as you clean his lips with your thumb.

His hand flies to your lips, helping you to fix your smudged lipstick so as to not leave any evidence for everyone to see. However, touching your lips only makes him want to kiss you again.

As if you're reading his mind, you immediately retract yourself from him to get a space, you take the chance to fix your hair and then your dress.

He helps by pulling down the hem of your dress to cover your exposed thighs. He leans to your side and whispers, "That was a good kiss."

That doesn't enough for him, he then throws himself at you, putting his arms around you as he pinned you down on the sofa, "Fuck, that was so good," he sighs again into the crook of your neck.

Wrapping your arms around him, you bring your mouth close to his ear and murmur, "Don't get used to it."

-

HAN: It feels like I kissed a girl for the first time all over again [smiles]

-

Lana seems to let him go for the night and Han can't tell if he should feel lucky or what.

Eventually, Lana will tell everyone and everyone will know that they kissed, he is very well aware of that.

But God! That kiss was so good and it was worth every penny of that $6,000 he spent on it. He didn't even think of the money because he was kissing you and you're such a good kisser.

It wouldn't be like every other night, it would be hard for him to sleep next to you tonight and not try to kiss you. He licks his lips to get any taste of you that lingers in his and his head is spinning, a little lightheaded thinking of the kiss.

Most of everyone is already on their beds and he's been waiting for you long enough he starts to get antsy. Truthfully, he just can't wait to see you so he walks to the dressing room, he finds you sitting and applying something to your face.

"Baby," he calls you from the doorway.

"Yeah?" You answer without looking away from the mirror.

"When are you coming to bed?" he asks, half whining.

"In a few minutes," you reply, carefully dabbing the skin around your eyes with your finger.

"Come to bed..." he grumbles as he walks up to you only to realize that someone else is there.

The new girl, Portia, is brushing her hair on the other side of the vanity table. Han immediately gets embarrassed for acting like a toddler to you, not knowing there's someone else there.

"You guys are very cute," She shortly comments with a smile.

Han can only wait until Portia leaves the room to start talking with you, even though he's not sure if it's a good idea to be alone with you.

He watches as you dab your lips with lip balm and smack them together, inviting him to touch and feel the softness of your lips.

"Put some on me too," he says.

You hand him the lip balm to put it on himself but he refuses, shaking his head at you. You reluctantly put it on for him, and slowly glides the lip balm on his lips.

"Okay, now we're ready to kiss," he says after smacking his lips together.

You gently push him away and swivel your chair to the other way, "Told you not to get used to it," you say, getting up from the chair.

He puts his arms around you, hugging you from the back while you're putting your things back into your make-up bag. You smell so good that he can't help but plant his nose in your neck, getting himself drunk in your scent.

You start walking in the direction of the door, dragging him to you with your hands on his, "Let's go to bed."

"One more kiss," he whispers with a soft kiss on the sensitive skin behind your ear.

You look at him through the reflection in the mirror with his head buried in your neck, "We can't rule break again," you tell him.

He starts whining like a baby, humming against your skin with his arms tightening around you.

"You're just a baby, mmh?" You gently nudge his chin with your shoulder.

"It's better to get scolded for two kisses than one," he offers his idea to you.

You softly laugh at him and you seem to be more worried about anyone finding the two of you here alone from the way you keep looking at the doorway.

"I know you want it too," he teases you, then playfully bites at your ear shell.

You take his hands away from you but instead of walking away, you push him until he's pinned against the Asher's close on the other side of the dressing room to prevent anyone from walking in on you unnoticed.

"You won't stop until we do it, mmh?" You murmur, putting your body against him and dropping your hands on his shoulders.

He looks into your eyes as they sparkle and he can see that you want it too. But you get ahead of him, crashing your lips against him and knocking the air out of him.

Somehow this kiss is better than the first one and he gets even hungrier for you, opening his mouth to take more of you.

He twirls your tongue with yours and mischievously, you gently tug it between your teeth as he tries to pull away, giggling when you finally let go.

The temperature in the room seems to have raised a few degrees, making him feel hot all over yet he pulls you incredibly closer, leaving not even an inch between your bodies. He has one hand on the arch of your back and the other on the nape of your neck so he can angle your head as he pleases

With your body pressed against him, he can feel it starts to mold to his body and he wants to feel every curve of your body with his hand.

You immediately drag his hand back as he attempts to touch your rear, clicking your tongue at him as you pull away from the kiss.

"That's enough rule breaks!"

You leave him with his mouth hanging open and his lips wet from the kisses, it's cruel that you leave him wanting more.

"We can't enter the bedroom together so..."

You take steps back from him and walk in the direction of the door, "Wait for a few minutes then you can come to the bedroom," you instruct him.

He manages to catch your hand before you walk away, "One more kiss."

"No!" You refuse but with a sly smirk on your face, hinting that you're not completely opposed to the idea.

"I know you like it," he says, standing in the middle of the room, defeated.

You stop by the doorway and look over your shoulder, "I meant it, wait for a few minutes!" You remind him.

You know what? They'll eventually know so he doesn't why you bother to avoid everyone's suspicion.

-

HAN: I started paying attention to the little things she does. How she purrs in her sleep like a kitten or scrunches her nose before smiling [shyly laughs] everything about her is adorable except the kisses... her kisses are out of this world!

-

Is this how everyone feels when they know they're about to get exposed by Lana?

Surely, you can't calm down like usual since you blatantly broke the rules twice last night. You didn't even think about the money at that time and the guilt only hit you right now, fast and hard.

Well, it's not like you commit a murder or something, it's just a kiss, well... two kisses and they cost $12,000. You gulp air thinking of the money you spent on those two kisses but in your defense, it was worth every cent of it.

You glance at Han and he flashes a knowing smile at you, there's no way out of this but through.

When the chime comes, your heart drops to your stomach and you inhale air to calm yourself.

"Hello, everyone," Lana starts the session as usual with a lukewarm greeting.

"Hey, Lana," you reply with a weak smile.

Han takes your hand so you can stop playing with the frayed hem of his sleeveless top and takes your other hand, pinning your hands by the wrists on his lap to make you stop fiddling altogether.

"I must now inform you that yesterday, further rulebreaks occurred."

You turn your head at him and he's looking calm, he even winks his eyes at you which you respond with a scoff.

Avery points her finger at Mikaela and Rio, the biggest spender in the villa.

"Not us," Mikaela immediately denies.

You look at Han, giving him the signals to start talking before the tension rises. He gets the cue right away, letting go of your hands to hold it instead.

"It's us," he coyly says.

Rio says something in Portuguese while Asher claps his hands, both impressed at him. You see that the response is not as horrifying as you thought it would be.

"Did you kiss or did anything else?" Finn asks, wanting to know how much you did so he can calculate the damage.

"We kissed. Twice," Han answers.

You get so embarrassed at how proud he is at admitting the rule breaks that you start laughing next to him. You suppress another wave of laughter to apologize.

"We're sorry, guys, everyone," you sincerely tell them.

-

YOU: Everyone is taking it well and I think it's because they know we have a genuine connection here.

-

"These rule breaks have cost the group $12,000," Lana informs.

However, you know it's not going to stay this calm when the bills turn up.

"The prize fund now stands at $75,000."

Now everyone's faces dim at the amount of money left in the prize fun and it's not much. You are sorry for breaking the rules but it's not right to put the whole blame on you.

Avery crosses her hands together and warns everyone, "No more rule breaks!"

It's so easy to say for her to say now. It was easy for you to refrain from anything sexual but now that you have a partner and you try to build a connection with him, it's so hard because physical affection helps you to achieve this connection you're having with him now.

"Is that all, Lana?" Finn asks.

"As you know, I encourage genuine romantic connections so I have planned dates for our latest guests," Lana comes with an announcement instead.

That gets the new guests, Portia and Ed excited hearing it. Only Mikaela looks like she's plotting a murder plan in her head.

"Ed, please select someone from the group to take on a date," Lana orders.

Feeling like he needs to show ownership over you, Han puts his arm around you as Ed is looking at the girls to take on a date.

Ed's eyes land at you for a second before it shift to Nya, "Are you up for anything later, Nya?"

Nya smiles so brightly and pretends to not care, "I don't know. I'll have to go check my schedule," she jokingly says.

You look at Avery and she looks a bit disappointed with it. She is pretty and all but maybe Nya fits his vibe more.

"Portia, please select someone from the group to take on a date."

Han leans into your ear and whispers, "I'd be worried if I were you."

You snort at that and you're not saying that there's zero possibility for it, it's just that you know Portia has her eyes on Rio. Not sure if she's gutsy enough to take someone's man on a date.

"Uhm... I would like to try and get to know someone," Portia says and she happens to sit next to Rio.

"I'd like to take..." she stalls with her eyes secretly glancing at Rio.

"Rio on a date," she finally says.

There's no one here that is not surprised by her daring move. Portia may look adorable with her freckles and blonde hair tied into pigtails but damn, she is ballsy.

"Sorry, Mikaela," she says to her but you don't hear any guilt in that apology.

Mikaela only nods and forces herself to smile, "Here we go," she sighs.

This only reminds you that you're indeed in a TV show and you believe the viewers would enjoy this drama so much because you're secretly enjoying it too.

"Thank you very much for the date," Rio says which only takes the drama further and sets Mikaela on fire.

Gosh, you feel incredibly good for not being a part of that drama. You put your hand across Han's chest and are just grateful that what you have with him is genuine.

-

YOU: If Rio kisses Portia on their date [shakes head] all hell will break loose on this retreat.

-

Mikaela is pacing around in the dressing room while the girls are getting ready for the night, except the ones that are on their dates.

"You have every right to feel like this. It's so shitty, I know," Avery says, validating her emotion while doing her make-up.

You see that Mikaela is on the verge of crying as she holds the back of her chair and grips at it, "it's been hard for me to build a genuine connection with Rio," she says.

Avery pauses doing her make-up to give her a gentle squeeze on her arm, "I know, I know," she comforts her.

Putting the drama aside, you feel bad for her because as wild as you can be you refrain from stealing someone's man. It's girls code and you're not a fan of anyone that has no respect for that.

"Mikaela, sit down, honey," you tell her because she's looking like she's about to faint.

She obeys you, taking a seat next to Avery and rubbing her temple in distress, "If he goes in and his head turns, just know that he's making poor decisions," she stutters her words trying to hold in her tears.

You're bad at comforting people so the least you can do is listen to her and make sure she feels heard.

"He's entertaining this, he-he's..." Mikaela can't keep it anymore so she bursts into tears.

In a second, Avery comes to her aid, holding her as she's crying. You reach for her shoulder to place tender rubs on it to comfort her.

"It's just that... I haven't been vulnerable to one person in so long," she says with a quivering voice.

You can relate to that more than ever and you'd feel the same way if it happened to you.

-

YOU: That's just what happens when you get too close to someone, they'll gain the power to control your emotions.

-

Consider him lucky that Mikaela-Rio-Portia drama diverted everyone's attention away from his $12,000 worth of rule break.

But here's a new problem: Han craves it more than before.

He blames you for having such addictive kisses that he can't wait to have more of it. However, he craves for something more than just kisses now.

Yes, he's aware of how dangerous it sounds but how can he can stop thinking about sexual things when you're always looking so damn sexy.

Just like tonight, you look so gorgeous in that black silk dress with thin straps and it showcases your beautiful neck that he wants to tear it off of you.

You drain your wine before sitting on his lap, "Hi, crawdaddy," you greet him with a giggle.

He sees you licking the drop of wine trying to escape the corner of your mouth and he wishes he could do it for you.

"You look so hot," he praises you with his hands on each side of your waist.

"Mmh?" You squint at him.

"What do the kids say now?" He thinks for a moment before continuing, "Fire!"

You laugh at his choice of compliments and put your hands on his muscular chest.

"You're fire!" He says again with a sly grin.

The night is lovely with the full moon hanging in the sky and the winds blowing so softly, brushing his skin with salty, warm air.

But all he can feel is the touch of your fingertips on his neck as you look into his eyes, "What are you thinking?"

Should he tell you what is inside his head right now? Not sure if it's a good idea though.

Han tucks the strands of hair escaping your ponytail behind your ear and keeps his hand there, holding one side of your head with such love.

"We have so much sexual chemistry going on, don't you think?"

"Mm-mmh," you nod in agreement.

"And I think we can have sex," he says.

Before you get it wrong, he quickly adds, "Only if you want to have sex."

You nod again and scratch the tip of your nose with your knuckle.

He puts your hand away and leans in close, "What do you think?"

You seem to hesitate to answer him, "Hmm..."

He leans in closer and places a soft kiss on your neck, you keep a safe distance with your hand firmly resting against his chest.

"I think we should stick to the rules," you tell him.

Then you put your hand on his neck and look at him as you continue talking, "I just don't want us to have sex and suddenly things change, I don't want things to change between us."

He pulls you close and locks his arms around you, "Things are not going to change between us," he assures you.

"I know," you say, "I'm just scared that it would happen."

He completely understands what you're saying that you're afraid that sex would change things between you and him.

"I know what you mean," he tells you.

To console himself, Han places another soft kiss on your cheek and looks at you as you endearingly brush his hair to the back.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd like to have sex with you," you bluntly say with a sly smirk.

"But..." You don't even get to finish your words as you pull him into a hug but that proves you're just as sexually frustrated as he is.

You pull away to look down at his crotch, patting his thigh as you say, "Down, boy!"

Han laughs, embarrassed that you know he's having a boner when you're only sitting on his lap. He wants you so much but at the same time, he wants to prove that it's just more than physical attraction.

With or without sex, he's a happy man to be with you.

-

HAN: I've been horny as it is... [sucks air through teeth] Hopefully I can hold out.

-

Another drama unfolds during bedtime.

You're joining Avery in chatting on Asher's bed, the three of you are chatting when Mikaela suddenly comes. She looks unhappy, duh, you'll be too when your man is on a date with another girl.

"Portia has disrespected me, she said some things on the date so I will be having some conversations with her," she says.

The three of you automatically look at each other and notice that Mikaela is having a meltdown. There's a concerning thing going on in the room so you walk back to your bed and so is Avery.

Mikaela is impatiently waiting for Portia to come into the bedroom while Rio is comfortably snuggling close to her on the bed.

You don't wait to share it with Han once he gets onto the bed, telling him everything he missed while he's away in the dressing room.

"Things can get ugly and I'm worried," you tell him.

Mikaela is an intelligent person, but when it comes to her emotions, she can be intense and almost volatile. You're right to never try to mess with her.

Han offers his arm as your pillow so he can cuddle you as it gets intense in the bedroom, you can see that from how everyone is looking tense on their beds.

The wind sends the door shut and Han gets startled, thinking that it's Portia as his head snaps in the direction of the door.

"What a fucking stress!" He sighs as he snuggles to you while you're lowly chuckling at his reaction.

The drama has to end in an unsatisfying way because Portia doesn't get on the bed yet even after the lights are out.

-

YOU: Mikaela has this fiery attitude so I... [laughs] I was really afraid that there'd be a fight but thank God for Portia's long bedtime routine.

-

There's already tension between Mikaela and Portia this morning and you can only hope that the workshop will help to sort things out.

There's an instructor already waiting in the front yard and a small bonfire in the middle, you wonder why they set a fire during the day.

"Hello, I'm Amy, a relationship expert," she introduces herself.

Everyone is sitting in a circle around the small bonfire and intently listening to Amy talking.

"Today's workshop is about letting go of the past so that we can be present. Let's talk about any issues in trust that we have with men."

She looks around as she asks, "Who wants to share first?"

No one seems to want to talk about their feelings, including you. You feel uncomfortable letting yourself bare and be vulnerable, especially in front of everyone.

After a few minutes passed in silence, Gwen decides to be the first to share her emotional baggage, a shocking one about how her friend cheated with her boyfriend.

Everyone starts to share their story and when it comes to your turn, you're shriveling a little but you remind yourself that you're in a safe space.

"My thing is when I fall in love, I tend to throw it all out there and end up getting hurt for it so... I kind of become numb because I don't want to get hurt," you honestly share.

"And do you find someone here you want to open to?" Amy asks.

"Yeah," you shyly answer.

You suddenly feel like a schoolgirl falling in love for the first time all over again but isn't it what love does to people? Making you a bit loopy.

"I found someone here that I like and I'm slowly opening up to him, and I'll continue to share more of me with him," you make a promise to yourself.

"That's good. That's great!" Amy praises you.

When you look back, you feel good knowing that you're slowly changing as a person, you came in as someone who's against relationships and now, you're sharing an emotional journey with someone, together.

The workshop started as a heartfelt talk between the girls until Mikaela's turn. You get the feeling that she'll use this as a chance to confront Portia.

"I met Rio here and he's just a really special guy, I've never met anyone like him."

Mikaela is looking at Amy then as she continues talking, she looks at Portia, "Last night, I had to sit through and watch Portia take Rio on a date, and obviously, I feel uncomfortable with it," she tells her right to her face.

You and the rest are watching Mikaela calmly handle her emotions and talk it out in a mature way with Portia.

"I don't want to feel like it has to be a competition or territorial. I want us girls to be on good terms but I think you break a boundary here," Mikaela concludes, throwing the ball at her court.

Portia gets quiet and she takes it all in really well, she smiles at her before speaking, "I respect you for speaking out and I'm sorry," she sincerely says.

A smile finally rises on Mikaela's face, "Thank you so much, Portia, that means a lot," she responds.

Like a parent, you feel proud watching them solving their issues in such a grown-up way and you hope it continues to stay good like this.

Amy then hands out a piece of paper and pens to everyone and comes with a new instruction, "You're going to write the things that have happened with your life that you're ready to let go of and forgive."

It feels good to be able to share things with everyone but it takes everything in you to write things down without getting emotional.

On your paper, you write, 'Good enough, perfect, comparison.'

Amy wants you to share the reason why you wrote those things down. You take a deep breath before explaining it.

"I never feel good about myself but the girls are..." You pause to look at everyone as they smile at you.

"They're all beautiful and kind, they help me learn my differences and things I love about me."

They're all cooing at you and you know how cringe it is but you don't feel embarrassed about it at all. It feels nice to let them know that.

After everyone shares what they wrote on their papers, Amy instructs everyone to take that paper and ball it up before throwing it into the bonfire.

"Just feel like you're putting it all behind you, right?" Amy says.

She gathers everyone into a circle before ending the workshop with a group hug to let go of all the bad and take the good with you.

These girls may seem superficial but you can feel that you and them are in this together and it's a really nice feeling. Despite that you're all different, you feel this sense of belonging toward each other, a sisterhood.

-

YOU: I still have some way to go but I know that I'm learning and Lana is starting to knock down my wall [smiles]

-

Going back to the villa, you go straight to the dressing room to dress up for a party Lana suspiciously throwing tonight.

You put your bad thoughts aside and focus on dressing up for the party as it has a Black and White theme.

Han comes up behind you and playfully bites you on the shoulder.

"Ouch!" You yelp in pain.

You continue fixing your make-up in front of the sink since everyone else is crowding the dressing room, "Why did you do that?"

He puts an arm around your waist, "Because you're edible," he answers with a foolish grin.

You glance back at him and sense that he's chipper than usual. You get it that it's getting hard to stay away from each other with sexual attraction getting more unbearable every day.

Gosh! There's not a day when you don't think of ripping his clothes off and having hot, filthy sex with him.

"That's not how I want you to eat me," you joke back.

He plants a long kiss on your neck, "How do you want me to eat you then?"

You chuckle and look at him, "Want you to eat me well, that is."

He puts his other arm around you and draws you closer, "I can do that."

"Yeah?"

He breathes you in and looks at you through the reflection in the mirror, "I can show you," he says.

Before it gets dangerous, you put an end to this conversation and playfully elbow his stomach.

"Ouch!" He yelps in pain this time.

You pull him into a hug for an apology and kiss his cheek, "Let's go, hubba hubba!"

A party is necessary so everyone can blow some steam off for being locked up in this sexless retreat but it also means that Lana plans to throw everyone off.

That doesn't stop you from enjoying the night and the company you're with. You're dancing to the music with your hands draping around Han's shoulders as he slowly sways your body together to the fast-paced music.

After the workshop, you feel much lighter and better, more importantly, you feel confident about how you feel. You look at Han and you feel like you can share anything with him, you can see a relationship with him.

So you hold on to him, tighter and closer but Lana, being the ultimate cockblock she is, chimes in and stops the party.

-

YOU: I have no idea what's about to come next but I know it's not going to be good.

-

It's like the fun has evaporated and been replaced by anxiety once everyone is seated in the cabana waiting for Lana to come online.

"I am very disappointed to report there were several breaches of the rules."

When Lana skips the formality and goes straight to the rule breaks, it means that she's pissed off. You feel good for not breaking the rules with Han after the last time so you don't have anything to worry about. You can freely guess who did it this time.

"We kissed on the date," Ed is kind enough to own up to it fast.

"I think it was okay, yeah," Nya adds to it.

Everyone seems to let them get away with it, maybe because it's one kiss and Ed and Nya are a potential couple. You don't know but you sense that they wouldn't like what they hear next.

"Ed and Nya, your rule break has cost the group $6,000."

Avery is rubbing her temple while Finn seems to have had enough of people selfishly spending the prize money.

"There was another breach of the rules," Lana informs.

Everyone is tense once again, looking around to catch any guilty faces and you bet the biggest spender has anything to do with it.

Han looks over his shoulder at you, covering his eyes he says, "I may have broken the rules in the shower," he meekly says.

Surprised, you spit out, "You did what?"

Han can't be doing another rule break with anyone else, you know that for sure and that leaves with one possibility. You cover your eyes this time as he admits it to everyone.

"I did a little... uh self-gratification," he blurts out at once, aware of how embarrassing it is.

Everyone bursts into laughter at his confession as he hides his head in your neck. You can't do much about it since he didn't tell you about it

"Han, your act of self-gratification has cost the group $4,000."

-

YOU: I'm actually quite offended. Did he not want my help?

-

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[call-me-a-simp]

Heal My Wounds

Not Your Fault (part 19)

Rhea Ripley x Reader / Damian Priest x Reader

Tw: physical and sexual abuse, toxic relationship, selfharm, eating disorder

Summary: You are in a toxic relationship with an abusive man but manage to run away. A tall, black haired woman picks you up from the streets just in time so your ex doesn't get you. But who is she and why does she seem so familiar to you? As you get to know each other you start to notice weird feelings you never had before whenever she's around.

You're sitting in the back of the car between Damian and Rhea. Finn is driving and Dom is scrolling through his phone looking for music.

The two next to you both have a hand on either of your thighs, you kind of enjoy that they're all so protective of you but something is off.

Why is Damian acting so strange lately? We've seen each other quite often due to matches or just hanging out with the gang... Is there a chance he might have feeling for me? Nah, he can't, he knows I'm with Demi.

You're in your thoughts again as Finn decides to break the silence. "Hey y/n, Rhea, the night is still pretty young we could watch some movies or so at your's"

"Ye sounds good.." Rhea looks out of the window and doesn't seem like she even listened.

"Rhea?" you carefully ask. She hums but doesn't look at you. "What is it?" you whisper and lean a little forward in hopes to catch a look at her.

She shakes her head and huffs, "nothing" she breathes out. You decide to not bother her anymore are she clearly didn't want to talk about it now.

"Guys I think we should meet another time. I could really use some alone time after what happened" you say and Finn nods. Damian's grip on your thigh tightens just a little, but enough for you to notice.

Why does he do that? What's his problem with leaving me alone? I'm safe with Rhea, he should know that.

You put your hand over his and look him in the eyes. "It's okay Damian, I'm safe now" you calm him down with a reassuring smile. He slightly smiles back and nods.

"I know, It's just that, if anything happens I'm gonna blame myself for not protecting you good enough"

He really does have feelings. Or am i just confused and that' s how good friends act?

You decide not to ask him about it, at least not now. Finn stops in front of your shared apartment and you and Rhea get out.

Damian grabs your wrist and holds you back for a moment. "Call me if you need anything" he says with a serious expression.

You smile and nod and follow Rhea to the door. The boys wait until the door shuts close behind you before continuing do drive to their homes.

Rhea doesn't look back, she just let's her bag and jacket fall onto the floor and makes her way to the bedroom. You sigh, pick up her stuff and hang it up.

As you enter your bedroom you see her lying on the bed, facing away from you, her legs are drawn to her chest. You walk up to her and lay down behind her.

"Hey baby" you whisper and put an arm around her waist spooning her. "It wasn't your fault, you know that" you add and kiss her neck.

"But I could have avoided it if I would have just kept my promise and protected you" she mutters. "But you decided to have fun and that's okay, I could have looked after myself and stayed closer to the boys" you try to soothe her.

"So it's your fault now or what?" she snaps at you. You back off, slightly shocked at her sudden anger at you. "I- sorry babe I didn't mean it" she sighs and turns to lay on her back.

She holds her arms open for you to snuggle up to her and holds you close. You hear her heart beating in her chest, it's always calming you down no matter what.

"There are many ifs you know. Whatever you do, there will always be an if. You couldn't have changed the situation, he would've done it anyway, simply because he knows me and already liked me back in the days with my ex" you explain to her and she hums.

You straighten up a bit and rest on your elbow. You look in her eyes and can't help but smile. She cups your cheek and pulls you down into a kiss. "I love you" she whispers against your lips.

"I love you too, but you really gotta stop blaming yourself all the time" you chuckle, making her pout a little.

"What about I grab us something to eat and you pick a movie hm?" "Okay" she smiles and kisses you again. "But I can't promise we're going to have time to watch the movie" she smirks.

"God you needy little whore" you lovingly tease her. "What?!" she acts shocked. "You know how long I've waited" she pouts. "Yeah, soooo long" you mock her and get up to get the food. You hear her chuckle a little as you make your way to the kitchen.

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

Part 19 :)

I might not be able to post on Tuesday so don't be mad. I will try to pre-write a part until then though

Taglist:@babybatlover @legit9thlunaticwarrior @thatonepansexual2000

[brainlessbaguette]

Okay I'm doing a Fionna and Cake ep 2 ramble, because there is so much Finn slander rn and after binging all of Adventure Time I'm losing my marbles over this.

So heavy spoilers below

This is probs gonna be a mess and idc if nobody reads this, I just want to chuck my feelings into the void of the internet.

First and foremost I genuinely DO NOT believe Finn is using Jake's kids to replace Jake. Finn has always been very extroverted and has been shown to have separation and abandonment issues (remember how fast he freaked when fern ditched him or how weird finn sword started acting after grass sword shattered it, and just Martin). It makes sense for his character that'd he'd continue adventuring with other friends and family after Jake. We also have to remember PB and Marcie are out being together, so while I'm sure they still hang out its not as much as it used to be. I genuinely see him turning to his remaining family to see if they want to tag along. Like I could 100% be wrong, but I feel if he was using Jake's kids he would've pushed more to get TV to follow them, but instead he just asked once and then just accepted/respected TV's decision to dip.

Okay now Simon and Finn are both grieving, and neither of them are dealing with it well. Finn has clearly emotionally regressed a bit and is struggling with the loss of Jake. There were numerous times where Jake showed to be really cool with death and Finn not at all be cool with Jake dying. I wouldn't be surpirised if they never really made any progress with that problem, again pretty sure Finn has abandonment issues, so its very easy to see Jake's passing setting him back years in emotional growth. But people have been saying things like "Finn's being ignorant to Simons feelings" "He's in complete denial" "He needs to learn to be a better friend" "He's lost all of the character growth he had in the show" and I cannot deal with this. These comments are the reason I'm making this because shenanigans.

A quick play by play of the very important interaction that people seem to gloss over.

Finn meets up with Simon starting to lose his shit in the bar over Fionna and Cake. He immediately tries to calm him down and Simon freaks out a little more. Finn acknowledges this isn't about the stories and gently asks him whats wrong. Simon proceeds to tell him while clearly having a breakdown, Finn tries to calm him down and even tells him he's sorry. Presumably a "I'm sorry your feeling this way." Simon then admits some really heavy stuff and at this point Finn realizes hes way out of his comfort zone and asks if he's talked to Marcie, i.e. the person that would be able to provide more/better support. Simon brushes that off, Finn basically hits him with a "there's so much more to live for" and Simon says some even darker things, Finn looks around for help, and at this point decides to play the distraction card.

Thats still our boy! Hes damaged but not completely emotionally unaware. He also knew his limits, he looked for help when things got dark and then began to try some stuff that helped him. Like honestly if a friend was saying some of the things Simon was to me and I had no backup I'd also play the distraction card. Were they good distractions? No, not for Simon. But he was genuinely trying. He's not happy but he's staying cheery to try and get Simon in a better place. He also isn't intentionally forcing Simon to go with him, and takes him home as soon as he expresses that he's done.

Its a mess, they're a mess and are absolutley not the ones to help each other. The blindfolds in the forest or "the blind leading the blind" is the perfect expression for what this trainwreck is. They both need outside help and I think thats what we're going to see in this show. This was the first two episodes that set the stage. I imagine there will be a "Finn Mertens" episode, so like lets chill out and cut our boy some slack, at least until we see the whole story, he genuinely tried. Honestly, having just rewatched the whole show, I have a fair bit of faith in the writing team, I highly doubt they'd butcher Finn's character like that.

Anyway I'm loving this show so far, just bugged by some of the hot takes to come out of it. This is all my opinions, so I guess my hot takes? But I just wanted to stand up for the boy.

Also also, people better not be blaming Marcie for being neglectful. Shes barely been seen yet, and currently has no idea whats happening. Give it a bit.

I'm also under the impression Finn's got a separate arm for adventuring, soley because getting another major injury off camera is just kinda out of charcter for the show. But Idk maybe they're just trying something new.

[sometimesrosy]

The 100 Rewatch 2023 1.09

Unity Day

I gotta catch up. I'm gonna watch this one, no editing, we post like men. And then make some lasagne, and while my food is in the oven, I will watch 1.10

My typing is a MESS. And I think i lost some of my trains of thought. Like I feared, season 7 affects all the others, because we know have a context for what the struggle all means. It's hard to forget that. sigh.

Delinquents watching Jaha go on nd on about Unity Day and telling everyone they're on the groundf. Miller: after we did all the work. Raven is a bit snotty. And Finn is saying Unity Day is a lie. The ark only came together after the thirteenth station was blown out of the sky. We know why that happened now. That's kind of cool

Monty makes Moonshine. Jasper calls it UnityJuice

On the Ark. Diana Sydney is being catty and evil to Abby about the council seat and now is annoyed because he cut his words short. Because she's blowing up the unity celebration. I always hate Diana SydneyAnd Vera Kane is being blown off by Kane a mere few minutes before she is blown up.

Okay. I apologize. That was tasteless.

Oh that's a lot of blood. Gruesome. Maybe they think it's doable because of the dark gray tone to the ark scenes. You can't see the vivd red. Now Kane gives his mom the travelers blessing. He's had a rough few days.

And it's about to get worse. Poor Kane. He really is about to have an extremely bad time.

They just figured out that Sydney did it. Diana Sydney is willing to let people die and steal the Exodus ship because she thinks it's ok to

BEST UNITY DAY EVER. Bellamy and Clarke having a celebration he tells her to have a drink. have more than one. He's happy because he's been pardoned. All that guilt and anxiety goes away.

Their little light flirting. I wouldn't call it hardcore or even implying anything. Sorry is that bellarke sacriledge? They like each other thought.

Raven is again hardcore and kinda violent. She doesn't think the grounders are human. Finn is very empathetic to them. I supposed that's not a terrible Finn trait, but he's still really disapproving of everyone around him which is annoying.

O following a trail of lillies to find Lincoln. I guess this is more the butterfly girl. Lincoln is teaching her to stalk. And to kiss.

I am not finidng their story all that romantic anymore. Despite what the music is telling me. I can't get over his age and her trauma. She doesn't need a boyfriend she needs a therapist.

Finn finds them and gives Lincoln back the knife he stabbed him with. I stabbed you we tortured you. Truce right? I mean i suppose. He's also telling Lincoln about the soldiers coming. That is not wise... knowing what we now know about grounders. They are unrepentantly violent. (this is not a natural state of 'the other' but actually a characteristic the writers designed to cause unending conflict without any hope of peace and which always annoyed the hell out of me)

Diana turns in her mechanic as the bomber. Abby and Kane don't trust her. Wise.

Drunk delinquents. Clarke playing drinking games. Oh look Fox. She dies next season. Finn comes over and ruins Clarke's fun.

Finn has set up a meeting with the grounders.Finn thinks they have a chance to live in peace with the grounders. It's not true. Like I said before they were manufactured to be enemies. you CAN'T make peace with them. Unfortunately. And That is a huge flaw in this show. You keep hoping for them to be rational and human and it ALWAYS returns to them being violent barbarians. Terrible.

Clarke tells Bellamy that Finn set up a meeting, and she's taking Finn's position, she wants to attempt peace, but she wants him to follow and be their backup. Bring guns. Fair.

Aww. Jasper comes in to help Raven with her gunpowder because he was great in chemistry.He talks about his family and asks her about hers. "Nope, just Finn." Ugh. "We all got each other now, right?" Another great story line that went away by the end.

Bellamy wants Jasper to be back up because he's steady and brave in the cave with Lincoln. Raven comes along.

Finn with Clarke always icks me out. "You're sounding more and more like Bellamy," he says to her. His rival. She leaves a trail of nuts for Bell to follow.

The whole class war storyline is a big thing in season 1. Your people and our people. And they break out and lock Kane in the cell.

Aw Sinclair. I love him. People are going to freeze to death in the sections Jaha tells him to evacuate them. They figure out Diana is taking the exodus ship. Abby is hiding and watching. Jiana calls herself Chancellor. Onlly 50% of her people are on the ship. "This exodus ship belongs to all of you, you're the future of the human race and today i'm going to lead you home." She's just like Jaha sacrificing people for her own needs.

Finn and Clarke meetup with O on the bridge. Lincoln hugs her.

Finn grabs Clarkes hand when she backs away.

OMG horses. Clarkie. aww. They are armed. "Hey we said no weapons." Big surprise.

Clarke meets Anya. Hey if she didn't bring backup, Anya would have killed Clarke and The Ark would all have died when they ran out of air and Mount Weather would have gotten out of the mountains.

Anya thinks Clarke started a war. THeir flares blew a village to the ground. She calls them invaders. She says they sent an armed raiding party to capture one of theirs and torture him.

But like. Anya. You impaled Jasper first. Oh yeah. And then you hunted the kids. Oh yeah. And Lincoln kidnapped and chained Octavia. FIRST before Bellamy captured Lincoln.

WHY DO THE GROUNDERS ALWAYS BLAME THEIR VICTIMS FOR STARTING THE WAR WHEN THEY FINALLY STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK. UGh I hate that.

Now I know how it ended, I can't hope for them to change because they never ever do.

Clake is conceding the point. Because she TAKES the blame. Girl. Do you remember what they did to Jasper?

Jaha looks emotionally compromised when he sees Abby on the exodus ship. They haven't dropped that crush on her yet. Abby opens the door from inside. "ABBY!!" Jaha cries in despair as they knock her out. But they have opened the doors and they cant' take off.

Anya is mad they're sending down warriors. Clarke can't promise they will honor the terms she sets with her because she's not in charge.

"Grounder princess looks pissed."

"Our princess has that effect." Great line

Jasper sees someone in the distance with weapons pointed at Clarke.

Is it a hallucination??

No it's not. They're falling from the trees. Bellamy stops Anya from stabbing Clarke. Lincoln steps in front of an arrow to save O.

The deinquents flee.

The dropship hasn't been uncoupled and it will kill everyone on the Ark. "You don't want to be remembered like this."

And she says "I won't be." Rude.

He doesn't take blame like Clarke, blames her for having him shot. But then Sydney tells them that there aren't enough drop ships for everyone.

The drop ship breaks off and things start exploding. Then going dark.

Back to the kids. And they all yell at each other. "You didn't have to trust the grounders. You just had to trust me." Dumb finn.

B. LLike I said. Best unity day ever. C laughs.

Oh look the exodus ship is coming. "Your mom's early."

Wait. Too fast? No parachute? Something's wrong.

KABOOM.

Clarke crumples.

[skelezomperman]

Revising A Tale of Star-Crossed Knights: Chapter 1

Link to Chapter 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39015690/chapters/97592907/

This is going to be a series of posts which is part Author's Notes, part retrospective. I've been wanting to revise my novel-length story for a while now, both to make it read better and to eventually reformat it into a good eBook format (AO3's ebook downloads unfortunately are not what I want). The first part of that was actually commissioning a lovely cover art by @racecarart; the second part is going through each chapter, revising it, and uploading the new parts to AO3.

Chapter 1 was the very first part of the story that I wrote. The first scene with the armory meeting was actually written in May 2021, over a year before the actual work on this fic began. I think my motivation for it came back in April 2022 which meant that it took about a month to produce 3000 words. This was back in a time when I had no idea what the finalized product was going to look like; I thought that I would only have eight chapters and it would be 15k-20k words (not too much longer than Divine Wind, Earth Lance). I did not have a handle on pacing and it shows.

I would estimate that the new Chapter 1 is about 35% original writing. The original plotline where Finn and Erinys go from 0 to 100 in the span of a chapter is meant to be contrived, firstly because the pairing is contrived in of itself (it's very hard to get in-game) and secondly because the plot relies on a sort of Kent/Fiora moment. But the original piece was contrived in a bad way. I especially didn't feel that there was much chemistry between the two prior to the dance. The solution to that was simple: expand on the first two scenes so they would actually show chemistry! They meet for the first time, they get to know each other and realize they're similar, and then they start becoming attracted to each other. On the other hand, I cut a short scene where Finn saves Erinys from an arrow because it didn't add much other than clichés.

The dance scene was my favorite part of the chapter so it was unchanged. I do like writing ballroom dances, perhaps to the point of leaning on it as a crutch, so I kept that. The very last scene at the end, however, did go some revision. The idea that Erinys tripped over a pebble and accidentally kissed Finn comes across as too contrived to the point of being immature. I changed it so that it's just that passion gets the better of them. I think this version of the scene also makes it more obvious that they did The Funny with each other outdoors - of course, I don't want to write anything explicit or even something that would make it rated M.

One last thing is that I'm cutting out a worldbuilding thing where real-world European languages like French filtered into the fic. That got dropped after around Chapter 9 and I don't want to leave a vestige of something that gets dropped out. A couple OCs will probably face a similar fate...Ah well, editing does mean you have to cut things you like.

---

For posterity's sake, here are the original author's notes:

Welcome to my Finn/Erinys longform fic. I'm finally getting around to doing this journey, charting the relationship from when they first meet to the end of the game when Finn is with his kids. I don't intend to novelize the entire thing but I want to try to get as much as I can think of on paper, from start to finish. I'm going to incorporate the four previous fics I've made so far as well. At the moment my outline has eight chapters, but I might add more if I feel a need to split up chapters or add more content. Targeting for one chapter a week but I'm not completely sure, depends on my motivation ebbing and flowing.

This chapter is basically an introduction; a fluff if you will. There's not really that much development because it's just Finn and Erinys falling in love. Probably rushed but that's okay because the idea is that they let their emotions take over eventually - they have a Kent/Fiora moment, if you will. At first they deny they're in love even though Lewyn and to a lesser extent Quan are egging them on, but later on they go from 0 to 100 because they're young. I refuse to write them doing the actual act but yes, they do the thing at the end of the chapter. We'll see that it has consequences in the next couple chapters, and it's not going to be completely clean. But I can promise that there will be a bit more fluff in the next chapter with a proper date or two.

Also if you're curious, the currencies are real life references. *Denier* is French for denarius and it was the currency used by the Franks in the early Middle Ages. *Marka* was an obscure currency used by Poland during the first years of the II Rzeczpospolita before it was replaced by the złoty. I didn't want to be too on the nose with those.

[shai-manahan]

aight im finally back on track with the theories ! (p.s. warning some of them might sound downright crazy or bullshit)

1. so i assume with all available information (or maybe I'm just too oblivious) vincent is currently still working for the marshal, which makes me wonder just how much a bad bitch they for literally every one of MC's companions to warn them against them 🤔🤔🤔🤔 aside from the countless arrests they have done illegally, which doesn't seem too bad considering they were all bad guys i guess, SO IT BRINGS ME TO MY FIRST THEORY that maybe everything from the super secret mission MC got in the very beginning of the story to Bale's death might have just been an extremely elaborate plan go bring them right under the marshals thumb to make them just another of their pawns like vincent, maybe they're doing it for MCs skills or maybe for the hospital that Alex is running which just gives off super sus vibes to me again, OR MAYBE ... JUST MAYBE it has something to do with the hallucinations? maybe they want something or some info that only our MC knows but forgot about after some of their memories were suppressed they couldn't remember it so they want them under their command to have access to it

2. after taking a closer look at the previous and current demo it seems both alex and Vincent are aware of the MC's 'whatever that black out was' plus that bad PTSD attack i believe after alex sent them upstairs, so maybe they know something or are hidding something from the MC doesn't know and are trying to them shield them from the truth in case it breaks them, mentally i mean. maybe Vincent is the only one who is aware of MC's occasional disassociation therefore the understanding look they gave them

3. and now here im wondering what the hell did MC do with the little bottle of that sus liquid they found on Landry after ignoring Callie/Lucas's warning and rushing in to save them. makes me wonder maybe it's some kind of new potent drug that are planning to distributing. and maybe MC's father had something to do with and maybe he had a bad fallout with Bale for which he tried running away with his research but was unfortunately gunned down by his wife for

NOW AN ASK (or is it ask's?)

1. i wonder why everyone seems to hate Vincent? or is it just alex? he seems like a cool dude to be around plus a nice step-father/guardian

2. will we get the choice to maybe bitch slap or atleast thrash Wesley a little(maybe bernard too i don't mind they just get on my nerves) after our little reunion somewhere in the future? i want my MC to bitch slap them maybe once for Finn to go "huh maybe i do deserve it" only to get slapped HARDER next time "ok ok i do deserve it" before finally listening to their side of the story? sorry finn i love you but i hate you for that little expose stunt of yours

3. i wonder if we will have a poly route ... ARGH IM TORN BETWEEN ALONZO (who obviously hates my guts but whatever its not gonna deter me for my enemies to lovers journey) AND FINN (IMAGINE THE ANGST AHHHHHHHHHHH)

4. *puts on a dark and brooding look on* ARNEL AND VINCENT MEET WHEN... *tries fo hide the fact that i suck at picking up clues*

5. will we ever be able to truly express ourselves to Alex? 😭😭😭 I KNOW THEY'RE SUS BUT THEY'RE SUCH A SWEET BROTHER I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL BAD EVERYTIME I HIDE SOMETHING OR SAY SOMETHING SLIGHTLY MEAN TO THEM 😭😭😭

ANYWAYS SORRY FOR THE LONG ASK ONCE AGAIN I KNOW I DON'T MAKE SENSE HALF OF THE TIME BUT WHATEVER

Look, I love receiving long asks, especially those with theories 👀👀no need to apologize!

What I can say here is that a lot of the things occurring at the present are vastly connected to each other :) Also, you might get an insight next update as to why the marshal and her agents are hated by MC's companions.

Getting closer 👀

Whatever clue the MC got in Chapter 1 was actually mentioned in Chapter 2, and the MC brought it along with them (if that small bit of text didn't appear, that may have been a bug lmao). You'll slowly get to learn more about them, and sometime in the future, there might be a whole chapter dedicated to it :))) Those who have remained in the car will still get a separate unique route, of course. I can't say anything else about the rest of that paragraph because of the massive spoilers but, interesting :)

For your questions:

Not everyone hates Vincent. Some folks mostly avoid him because of his connection to the marshal, but that's it. People don't hate him the way they hate the MC. For Alex's reason... well, let's just say Vincent would agree that he's got a very valid one.

You'll get to do a lot; they'll also get to do a lot, though. Oh, and Bertrand... that man will just keep getting on your nerves, I think.

Ah, apologies, that will never happen for Alonzo and Wesley. Alonzo might tolerate Wesley but... they'd never be close friends even. Perhaps there will be respect, but never friendship. It's just, too complicated. We'll see if I can handle a poly route for another pairing. I actually have something in mind, but tbh I don't think I could handle the coding side of it.

Arnel is one of my favorite characters, personally. I'm not sure if y'all will love him, but you'll definitely get plenty of chances to meet him. He's got a very significant role in the story, after all. Their banters are also quite amusing lmao.

You will! There will be a huge conversation between Alex and the MC in a future chapter, and your choices there might have an influence on which Book 1 ending you'll be getting 👀

[im-in-love-with-pizza-bites]

To Raise Children: Chapter 5

Chris Evans X Daughter!Reader, Grandpa!Chris Evans X Flynn and Felix Evans (OCs) Tom Holland X Single-Mom!Reader (Slow Burn)

Series Masterlist

Series Summary: It's been 4 years, your sons are starting kindergarten, you're starting junior year of college, a lot has changed.

Chapter Summary: Tom Holland Comes to dinner. Felix is pretty excited.

Series Warnings: Age gap (Reader is 20, Tom is 29), absent father, mentions teen pregnancy, mentions abortion, if you see anymore please let me know politely.

Chapter Warnings: FLUFF

Sequel to "It Takes A village"

"Doesn't y/n have kids now?" Harry randomly asked as they wanted for the Uber to get there. It was time for dinner with you, your dad, and the twins.

"Yeah I think so. Finn and Fred or something." Tom shrugged .

"Why do I feel like you got their names so wrong?" Harry laughed leaning on the wall.

"Because I probably did. I don't talk to Chris much but I overheard Sebastian and Anthony talking about the boys. I'm pretty sure I heard finn, or Lynn. And I just know the other boy's name starts with an F and Fred is the only F name I can think of."

"Okay whatever."

"Just get in the car." Tom rolled his eyes.

———

Felix was practically bouncing off the walls excited to meet the "real" spider-man. Flynn was also excited but not nearly as excited as his twin.

"Do you think he'll show me his web shooters?" Felix asked Chris who was busy cleaning the grill. He knew he should've done that after grilling last time but he didn't feel up to it.

"I don't know. But you can't tell your friends if he does you have to protect his identity." Chris told him smiling.

"Like how we protect uncle Mackie and uncle Seb by not telling people our uncles are captain America and The white wolf?" Flynn asked.

"Exactly." Chris smiled.

"Okay!" They said happily.

"Okay boys why don't you two go play until they get here?" Chris suggested.

"Our ball is stuck in pool area." Flynn said. Chris got his pool fenced after Flynn and Felix started walking. It was a just-in-case measure they both started learning to swim not long after their first birthday. They're both strong swimmers but it's better to be safe than sorry.

"I'll get it." Chris grabbed the ball and threw it to his grandsons to play with.

"Yo dad! Did you pull my laundry out of the dryer?" You asked poking your head out of the sliding glass door.

"Yeah it's in your room sweet pea."

"Thank you." You got dressed just in time for the doorbell to ring. Normally you'd be dressed at this point in the day, but you had been dying hair and got some of the dye on yourself so you had to take a shower before dinner. You opened the door and smiled at the pair standing on the porch. "Hey!"

"Hey y/n." Tom smiled. He hadn't seen you since way before you became a mom.

"Hey." Harry smiled.

"Come in my dad is outback with the twins... Oh they're a little excited to meet you tom because Felix is a giant spider-man fan."

"Okay." Tom nodded as you led them to the back yard. "How do you tell them apart?" He asked noticing the photos on the walls of identical twins.

"Mostly how they act but, Flynn's hair is slightly longer than Felix's and he's a little taller than Felix."

"Oh okay."

"Dad they're here." You said leading them out to the back patio.

"Hey Tom!" Chris welcomed the young man with a hug before shaking his brother's hand. Obviously not gonna give the boy he doesn't know well a hug.

"Hey Chris."

"Boys!" You shouted for the two kids busy kicking a ball at each other. It looked like they were trying to hit each out with it instead of just kicking it back and forth but you were to tired to bother. Felix looked over and his smile grew seeing his idol there.

"Your warned him right?" Chris whispered to you.

"Yep." You sat on a lawn chair. Felix and Flynn came running up.

"Hi Mr. Spider-man!" Felix said with a huge smiled. Chris had his phone out filming this. He wanted to show Anthony and Sebastian how excited Felix got seeing Tom over them. The two men obviously only jokingly hate Tom but this is just fuel for it. Besides it's not like filming the interaction would hurt.

"Hi there buddy." Tom knelt down, in the pose he does for spiderman, he also did the queens accent. Ready to play along. "What's your name?"

"I'm Felix."

"And I'm Flynn. I'm the older one, can't you tell? I'm taller than him." Flynn put his hand up motioning the inch difference in height.

"Only by a few minutes!" Felix argued. "Spiderman? Why aren't you in suit I thought you couldn't reveal your identity? So why do Poppy and Mommy know it?"

"Well me and your Poppy used to be captain America so we know each other from that and your mom is a good secret keeper." Tom said with smile.

"Cool!"

"Can I see your web-shooters?" Felix asked smiling.

"I didn't bring them sorry bud."

"Oh."

"Whos he?" Flynn pointed to Harry confused.

"I'm his much cooler brother."

"Spider-man doesn't have a brother." Felix said like it was obvious.

"He has 3, but they're a secret so the green goblin doesn't get them." You told them.

"Cool! We won't tell anybody! Not even our friends." Felix assured.

"Thanks buddy." Tom stood up now noticing Chris went inside to get the burgers.

"Do you want to come to our party?" Flynn asked. "Your brothers can come too!" You shook your head chuckling.

"Sure when is it."

"Mommy when is our party?" Flynn asked you.

"It's on October 19th

"It's on October 19th!" Flynn relayed the info to the men.

"I'll be there I like birthday cake." Harry said sitting down.

"Please spiderman?" Felix gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Sure but you can't call me spiderman at your party."

"Then what do we call you?" Felix asked.

"Call me Tom."

"Okay!"

Taglist: @fic-for-readers @denisemarieangelina @shadow-dixon @thevelvetseries @kaitieskidmore1 @ellerosie2332 @tahniemarie @runawayolives @marajillana @buckybarnez @positivelyholland @coldmuffinpartycloud @beautifulrose0809 @believinghurts @laura-naruto-fan1998 @shadow-dixon @claaaaaaire-blog @mrs-brekker15 @h-j-s-03 @moniffazictress11 @buxkybarnesy @ducks118 @kalopsia-flaneur @silverrmist @some-lovely-day @peterparkerbae @Olivia197810 @gengen64 @firehoseevan @buxkybarnez @snigdha-14

[murderousginger]

Starlet

Angel on Fire Chapter 3

John Shelby x reader

Word count: 2,308

Warnings: They're criminals guys, they do bad things.

(gif by @bonniebirddoesgifs)

John woke you up Saturday morning knocking at your door. You cracked open the door confused, looking a mess with your hair in every direction.

"I thought you said afternoon," you yawned as you leaned your temple on the doorframe. "It's ten in the morning."

"Late night out?" John laughed. "I've got biscuits if you've got tea."

"Come 'round then," you said as you opened the door to let him in before you closed the door and pointed him to the kitchen. "I need to change if you're sticking around. I'll get the kettle going in a moment."

"I'll start it," John said as his eyes flickered across your night slip. "Although I wouldn't mind you staying as is."

You rolled your eyes and turned your back to him as you walked toward your bedroom. A few steps down the hallway, you stretched your arms high, feeling the soft fabric raise up your thighs. You heard a soft groan behind you and looked over your shoulder to see John's eyes glued to your legs and ass while he bit his lip.

"John," you smiled. "Stop staring at my ass, John boy."

"Then stop teasing me, woman," he answered without looking up. "Are you sure you have to change? Maybe we could just stay here for the day instead. My plans aren't near as interesting as what's under that slip."

You reached your bedroom door and smiled at him at the end of the hallway before closing the door without an answer. You changed quickly into a simple but nice cotton dress, unsure of where John was wanting to take you, especially after he arrived so early. You tried to tame your hair as much as possible and look presentable.

When you went back into the kitchen, John had already found the cups and poured you both tea as well as had biscuits out waiting. He sat at your table and read the paper that he brought in from your step.

"You look comfortable," you said playfully as you sat down and took a biscuit.

John looked up from the paper and set it down, smiling as he looked you over.

"You clean up fast," he said. "Almost no time and you're a starlet again."

"I'm no Clara Bow," you laughed. "I did get the Blinders a good bit of money last night, though. I'm sure the boys were excited to report their earnings."

"I'm sure they were," John said as he leaned forward. "But how was your night? Did you enjoy it or were you just going through the motions?"

You sipped your tea, unsure how to answer. You hadn't been asked what you felt in a long time. Have you ever?

"I honestly don't know what I enjoy anymore," you shrugged. "I've been doing this so long."

"We should fix that," John said with a sad smile.

The rest of breakfast was smiles and small talk. It felt right to have John in your home sharing breakfast. Easy.

After you both had your fill, you got into his car and were on your way to your destination, wherever that was. You noticed quickly that John was heading out of town into the countryside. The sky was clear and promised a nice day. The ride was quiet, but comfortable. You couldn't help but gasp as John turned into a drive for a giant countryside house.

"Welcome to Arrow House," he chuckled as your mouth gaped. "Tommy said we had run off the land this morning. I thought it could be fun to wander the woods. Maybe teach you to shoot. Have a picnic midday?"

Your eyes couldn't leave the expanse of house in front of you, but you heard his door open and moments later he opened your door and took your hand.

"I know," he said as he lifted your hand and kissed it before he intertwined his fingers with yours. "I'll get you a tour. But let's go wander the woods first, love."

---

Tommy's estate was massive. Soon you couldn't even see the house from where you walked hand in hand with John.

You talked and laughed, making fun of each other when you slipped and soon chasing each other through the woods like children.

"I'll catch you," John rumbled behind you.

You were both in a dead run dodging trees and rocks. You looked behind you and laughed as you reached a clearing and John scooped you up, spinning you both before he slipped and fell to the ground with you on his lap.

You both laughed, your face hiding in the crook of his neck as you tried to catch your breath. You grew embarrassed as his arms wrapped around you tighter and you felt a surge go through you.

"As much as I'm enjoying you this close," John said in your ear, making you shudder. "You'll have to look up some time."

You slowly pulled away from his neck to meet his eyes. They sparkled with amusement as he nodded his head to look behind you, helping you shuffle yourself around so you could see the blanket and basket that was ahead in the clearing another 30 feet.

"Bite to eat?" He asked as his nose grazed your ear. "I could always just…"

His voice trailed as he made a soft growling noise in your ear before he softly nipped it, earning a squeal as you jerked to hide your neck. You twisted in his lap again to glare at him half-heartedly. He chuckled.

"Alright then," he chuckled. "Let's go eat."

You got up, helping John up as well, and walked to the blanket and basket. John sat down and started to unload the food, letting you pick what you wanted first. You picked up a strawberry, taking a bite before deciding to tell him.

"You got the office hens clucking," you chastised playfully, pulling at the grass under your fingers at the edge of the blanket.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are on about," John chuckled, trying to look innocent as a smile creeped upon his face.

"I'm quite sure you do," you said, watching him closely. "Walking in wearing a man's coat was the highlight of their gossip week. And the fact it was so much bigger than say Finn or Isaiah," you drawled as he broke into a triumphant smile. "They nearly lost their minds trying to figure out who I was a trollop for the night before."

"Hmm," John said, failing to suppress his satisfaction. "So what will you tell them?"

"I think," you said as you leaned closer to him conspiratorially until your strawberry stained lips barely ghosted his. "I'll tell them that a nice gangster gave me his coat and took me home when I was stranded."

You looked up from his lips to his now cloudy blue eyes that were losing focus rapidly. You noticed him twitch in his skin, but he stayed still.

"I think you're playing the long game and trying to seduce me, John Shelby," you sigh, licking your lips and grazing your tongue against his in the process. "My only thought is, why do you want to seduce your little brother's bait girl?"

"I think at the moment, the bait girl is seducing me," John whispered, his voice gravelly with lust. "If I didn't know better I would say you were testing me."

"I'm not the only one with a reputation," you whispered as you trailed a hand up the buttons of his shirt. "And this isn't your normal dealings with women. Being a gentleman? Making a picnic? Unheard of for the great Shelby loverboy."

"It's not," John gulped as he cocked his eyebrow. "Would you rather I fuck you senseless and move on to the next?"

Your breath caught in your throat, and John's eyes brightened at the reaction.

"Or would you rather let me take my time, slow like?" He asked as he leaned his body into you. You nodded as his hand moved teasingly from your leg to your hip. "You have so many curves I could explore, memorize, please."

John gripped your hip, invoking a gasp from you that he mirrored as his eyes sparkled. His lips brushed yours as his tongue teased you to open your mouth. You lost yourself and closed your eyes as your mouth slacked to allow him entry.

"I could put the mask on and be that," John said as your eyes snapped open and you realized he had pulled away. "I could be the Shelby lover of that reputation and leave after one calling. But you're not the only one tired of wearing the mask."

"So what is your game, then?" You ask, biting your lip. "What do you see in me?"

John's eyes softened but he never broke eye contact.

"A kindred spirit," he said softly.

----

After the picnic, John took your hand and led you over a hill to a stone wall with a rifle leaned against it.

"First a picnic miraculously placed in a clearing," you joke as you nudge him. "And now a gun leaned against a wall without an owner. My, aren't we lucky today."

John's ears turned pink.

"I might have asked Tommy's head maid, Mary, to enlist a stable boy for help."

He picked up the rifle, looking through the sights into the distance before handing it to you. He pulled a few bottles from behind the wall and set them up on the top.

"Now go about," he said as he led you farther away from the bottles, "here. And hold it like" he said as he moved behind you and guided you to hold the gun a specific way, "this. Now, close one eye and look through the little cross to aim. Take a deep breath and exhale when you are ready to shoot. Squeeze the trigger as you exhale, and be ready for the kick. Shotguns can bruise if you don't keep it in the crook of your arm."

You listened and felt John take a step back as you aimed at the first bottle and did what he had told you. When you exhaled, you squeezed the trigger until the rifle exploded in your hands and hit your shoulder hard. The air felt knocked out of you as the bottle exploded in front of you and John yipped excitedly.

"You got it!" He exclaimed. "Now do it again."

You quickly reloaded and took out the other bottles, looking back to see John's mouth agape.

"Dad taught me how to shoot when I was 8," you smiled.

"Then why did you let me take you out here to teach you?" John said incredulously.

"You seemed so excited," you shrugged. "It was cute."

John wiped his mouth.

"Cigars and shooting," he muttered. "Polly aughta love you."

---

"Let's get you that tour," John said, spinning you in circles in front of him.

It was almost evening now and you both had wandered, shot, and talked to your heart's content. John was easy to be around.

He took you into the house and wandered it's halls, giving you fake histories of all of the rooms. In one of the spare rooms, the queen of england had begged Tommy for help with her unruly child. In another, the Blinders had made a truce with a warring family then cut off their heads. In yet another, Arthur had lost his virginity just last month.

You turned to John and kissed him, making him freeze mid-story as you hugged him.

"Thank you for today," you said as you kissed him again and tucked your head into his shoulder. "It's been such a good day."

"It doesn't have to end," he smiled his lazy smile. "I want to make every day a good day."

After that, you both snuck kisses in conversations, in rooms, in John's fake history lessons. You had kissed in nearly every nook and cranny by the time he had led you downstairs.

As you reached the entryway, a car full of boys pulled into the drive and John scowled.

"Stay right here," John said as he let go of your hand. "I'll see what they want."

You waited in the entrance, awkward and looking around at the decor. The sun was beginning to fade on the horizon.

"Decided you were done with the boys and wanted to try a general, eh?"

The voice appeared from a hall you hadn't noticed tucked away. Tommy's eyes flashed between amused and annoyed at your presence.

"Excuse me?"

"Girls aren't made for war," Tommy said suddenly, as if just realizing it. He looked out toward John talking to the car outside. "You're brilliant at mind games and tolerant of blood, but in the end it's the mess that bothers your sensibilities."

Tommy squinted at you, his cold eyes watching every twitch, every breath. He breathed in sharply.

"Just don't distract him from the war, yeah?" He sniffed as he patted your arm. "Women have an uncanny ability of changing a man's goals. Of causing blinding epiphanies that lead to ruin. So don't, yeah?"

"Yeah," you whispered.

Tommy left you, going outside to deal with his visitors.

---

When John returned, he wrapped his arm around your waist.

"Tommy stopped to talk to you," John said with a frown. "What did he say?"

"He called you a general."

"S'pose I am," John said as he wrapped you closer to him and kissed the top of your head. "What else?"

"Nothing important," you said as you placed your hand on his chest and summed up a smile before you kissed him. John accepted your kiss with a frown.

"Doesn't sound like Tommy," he said. "He never talks unless he thinks it's important."

"He was just being polite, is all."

"That doesn't sound like Tommy, either," John chuffed, looking worriedly outside.

[pinkposies]

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐜 3

"Mariposa! Is that seriously you!" A voice yelled from across the hallway, seemingly becoming louder with each word. Mariposa closed her locker, seeing a beaming Caroline speed walking her way to Mariposa.

Mariposa was close friends with Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline from a young age. Every time she visited, she always made time for the trio. Throughout the years she kept in contact with them. Speaking over a group call at least twice a week.

Even though they knew everything about each other, Mariposa was the first person Bonnie told about her powers. They filled her in with all the supernatural business over time, trusting her enough.

"Caroline!" Mariposa cheered, walking in the blonde's open arms, "God. I can't explain to you how much I've missed you!" She cried out squeezing Caroline tightly.

Caroline nuzzled her head in the crook of Mariposa's neck, "Why the hell didn't you tell me you're coming back!?" Caroline told off, but Mariposa knew she wasn't serious.

"I'm sorry, I forgot so much was happening at once, and I thought Bonnie would have told you," Mariposa explained, pulling away from the hug.

Caroline narrows her eyes, "I guess I can forgive you," she joked, "But you have to let me give you a tour of the school."

Caroline took her arm and dragged her along the halls, pointing out the numerous pamphlets posted to the bulletin boards as they passed. "Cheerleading! You have to give it a shot! I'd be delighted to have you onboard."

"Yeah, no thanks." Mariposa laughed, "We both know I'm not cut out for that."

"Come on, give it a shot!"

"I'll try out."

"Perfect! We have practice later this week, why don't you come and just watch for now and I'll get you a uniform for next time." Mariposa nodded. The rest of the morning went by fairly quickly.

Students aside from Tyler had grown bold enough to try to talk to her, introducing themselves. They didn't linger for long, most likely put off by her strong voice and short responses rather than the boisterous version of her they had expected.

Luckily Bonnie and Elena were in one of her classes, so she had someone to talk to. As Mariposa made her way to the lunch line in the cafeteria, she was joined by Caroline who sat next to her in Geometry. She prattled on about teachers and classes, speaking more than enough to fill in the spaces caused by Mariposa's silent nods and tight-lipped smiles.

She sat with Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline at an outside table, "All you have to avoid are the Mikaelsons." Bonnie told her, as they were catching Mariposa up on the newest drama.

"I was planning on it after everything they've done to you guys. Hell, they might as well be the ones avoiding me." She joked.

Caroline giggles at the comment, "You'll be bond to meet them at some point, they are everywhere." She paused to take a sip from her juice box, "And there's been two more added to the equation." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah and Kol's probably the worse out of them besides Klaus." Elena scoffed, looking back on the memories of the vampire.

"So, what exactly are these Mikaelsons like besides being sadistic and impulsive?" Mariposa questioned the trio, knowing so little about the Mikaelsons personalities.

"They're vampires, the first of its kind," Bonnie explains, "Finn the eldest is quiet and reserved, so we don't know much about him. Elijah's the smart and noble, he the one you go to if you want to make a deal."

Caroline spoke up, "Then there's Klaus he's a hybrid, mixed with vampire and werewolf. Which makes him freakishly strong."

"Kol fits the stereotypical vampire. He's menacing, unpredictable, and cocky. Rebekah, the only girl, she's stubborn and erratic." Elena said, moving around her food.

Mariposa dusted her hands on her pants, "At least they don't go to school with us." Mariposa spoke with a mouthful.

Elena sighed, "Sadly, Kol and Rebekah go here, but surprisingly they aren't here today." The brunette explained, groaning at the thought of the two popping up. Soon lunch ended and the four girls split ways.

There had been nothing but canned soup and cereal in the pantry so she'd written down everything she needed to make a meal and took some money from a jar labeled Food Money. Mariposa gunned the engine and pulled up into the line of cars waiting to exit, fiddling with the radio and ignoring the looks being sent in her direction.

The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. The inside of the supermarket was warmer than it was outside, well lit, and she couldn't hear the pitter-patter of rain hitting the roof.

The trip was fairly short since she knew what she was coming for and wasted no time in getting home to unload the groceries and start dinner. Mariposa carefully wrapped two potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake before seasoning a pair of steaks and letting them marinate.

Mariposa took her math homework downstairs to do while the steak was cooked on the stove. She turned on a timer on her phone.

Brandy came in just as she was flipping the steaks after finishing up with her homework, the meat sizzling enticingly on the skillet. She set down her briefcase and stepped out of her boots before sniffing the air appreciatively. Mariposa bit back a grin, "Welcome home, Ma."

"Thanks." Her dark brown eyes strayed to the cooking meat, "What's for dinner?" Brandy asked almost eagerly.

"Steak and potatoes. They're just about done, but I was going to eat at the Mystic Grill." Mariposa enquired after checking the steaks' temperature and turning off the timer for the potatoes.

"Can't you just eat here then have something small there?" Brandy replied, she tossed some chopped lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl, adding a sprinkle of shredded cheddar.

"I could because I worked so hard on this dish."

They sat together at the table and ate in comfortable silence for a while. "So, how did you like school? " Brandy finally spoke up as he served himself more salad.

"Well," Mariposa began after swallowing a piece of warm steak, "I have seen Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie today and Caroline showed me around the school." She added as an afterthought, scooping up a forkful of buttery potatoes.

Brandy bobbed her head in a nod. "I'm glad that your first they went okay." She pointed out.

"And Caroline offered me a spot on the cheer team." She told her mother.

"I'm sure that'll be a good idea," She said with a mouthful, "We need to focus on finding out more information about getting rid of the spirit, but if that's what you want."

She went upstairs to take a quick shower. Mariposa changed into a blue stitching ribbed crop top and low-waisted blue washed pants.

"Okay, ma I'm leaving!" She yelled from the door, struggled to put on her white shoes.

Brandy walked around the corner, "I'm going to go visit Shelia so I might be home late." She explains to her daughter, while passing Mariposa a jacket."

"Tell grandma I said hey."

[hughiecampbelle]

The First Year Of Marriage With Finn Would Include:

Series: Arthur | Tommy | John | Ada | Finn | Michael

Everyone thinks you're too young

They don't even hold back their distaste for this,

It doesn't matter what they think though

They don't know you and Finn, they have no idea what you've been through or what you feel for one another

If they did, they wouldn't dare question you or your decisions

The wedding is small, many of your relatives opting not to go, not to encourage this, but that didn't matter. The Shelbys were there and as far as you were concerned, they were the family that mattered

You and Finn find your own place, not wanting to rely on anyone

It's a teeny tiny apartment that's dingy, that leaks when it rains and is freezing in the winter, but it your own and you love it

There's very little furniture besides a bed and a couch, a table in the kitchen but no chairs. You assure him you'll make it your own

Finn tries to carry you over the threshold, but ends up smack your head into the door frame

The you hold a bag of ice to your head, already feeling a welt, as Finn apologizes profusely

His first official act as your husband is running out and getting a first aid kit for future accidents and mishaps

His siblings and aunt are over all the time

You never mind though, since they often bring things like extra groceries or home warming gifts

You like Adas the best because she always knows how to decorate

Arthur usually brings booze and John will bring flowers

Tommy sends whatever furniture he no longer uses or needs, so your home quickly fills up, it feels like a home

Tripping over water buckets across the floor when it rains

Snuggling close because the heat never gets fixed

Finn doesn't mind, though

Every single day he can't believe he's married to you

He wears his ring with pride, never taking it off

Every morning before he leaves he gives you a kiss, tells you he loves you, and wishes you a good day

He does the same at night before you go to bed, wishing you sweet dreams

You fall asleep in his arms every night

Finn kisses each of your cheeks three times, every time

It's a ritual he will keep forever

He'll tease you and only kiss you three or four times, waiting for your response

Sometimes he'll surprise you by sneaking away for lunch or getting out eatly, showing up with whatever you needed but didn't have time to get, like butter and flour at the store or a letter sent to the shop

Friday through the weekend you spend your nights at the Garrison or in London, exploring the city, always hand in hand

Carrying one another home and tucking each other in when you drink too much, leaving water on your nightstand for the next morning

Everyone acts disgusted when you're affectionate with one another, but he's family is definitely grateful you were able ground him

Attending your first family meeting

You were invited when you were dating, and they realized things were serious, but you still kinda felt like an outsider

Now you were in on the gossip, the news, everything, even the things you weren't sure you wanted to know. . . .

Making him promise he'll come back from work

Stitching him up on multiple occasions

You joke you're like his own personal nurse

Finn thinks it's heroic to be shot, to be like his brothers, to get blood all over the carpet, but it hurts you to no end

When he sees just how much it affects you, he promises he'll be more careful after that, that he'll pay more attention

A few times he's come home to find you in tears because he's late and your mind went to the worst of places

Your finances are tight, so things like birthdays and holidays usually involve hand made cards or baked goods from scrap

Neither of you mind though, because those are better than anything you could find and buy at a store

At least one date night a week

Sometimes it's going to the cinema, other times that means having a picnic on the floor because it's raining

No matter what, you get at least one date

Going to every party

You always feel insecure because some wear these exoensive, extravagant clothes, but Finn assures you you're the only one they're looking at regardless of how much your wardrobe costs

He can get a little jealous if you're getting some unwanted attention

Immediately you feel his arm around you

You simply smile and make an extra effort to kiss him in front of them, showing your ring, trying to get your point across

You and Finn rarely fight, but when you do its mostly about his safety

When you do fight, you go to Polly or Ada about what to do

You know this is the life you married into, but at the same time you wished he cared more about the danger he was getting himself into

They never last more than a few days, and you both end up talking it over, apologizing for the things you saw, hating fighting with one another

You'll take in a stray before your first anniversary

Either a cat or dog

It started hanging around your place and you left them a snack outside, wondering if they were hungry or thirsty

Finn knew nothing about this, but you started waiting for them, leaving them things, playing with them, until he came back one day to find you, animal in your arms, the both of you looking at him with big, sad eyes

Initially, he was going to say no

You were still learning to take care of yourselves, how could you take care of an animal?

But he gave in, because you're you and he wants you to be happy

You give them a silly name like Socks or Blue and now you're bed has gone from two to three

Holding them up and talking for them to Finn

"What's up, Freckles?"

"Y/n stop it."

"It's not me, it's Socks."

"Socks, don't call me Freckles."

John makes jokes that you have him wrapped around your finger, but he doesn't care. He loves you, that's that

Putting him in his place when he gets cocky

You have a little parry to celebrate your first year

Even your pet wears a little hat in celebration

You know things aren't perfect, but you love him, and he loves you, and you want this to be the rest of your life. You need it to be.

[itsadamcole]

live a little

fem!reader x finn balor

reader and Finn go for a late night swim in a pool ...

word count: 2.4k+

warnings: a lil fluffy, skinny dipping, smut, slight hair pulling

— enjoy loves, even tho i really have no idea how this came to be a thing but yeah —

masterlist || request an imagine here

~ 18+ content below - read at your own risk ~

You're sitting on the couch when your fiancé walks into your shared house. You're watching the new season of Cobra Kai on Netflix when he walks into the living room. He puts his title on a little table by the doorway and you pause the TV.

"Hi," you say, watching him walk over to you on the couch. He hugs you from behind, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. "How was work?"

Finn says, "Exhausting, as per usual. I got my arse beat by Kyle O'Reilly, Adam Cole, and Roderick Strong in the ring for a promo."

He kisses your temple and you ask, "Is there something I can do to make it better?"

You turn your head and look up at Finn. He says, "I was thinking about going for a little swim to make sure my muscles don't tighten up. It's a warm night so maybe ya could come with me?" The last part was more of a question.

"This isn't a plot to get me into a bathing suit, is it?" you tease.

Your fiancé laughs and says, "As much as I love the sight of that, no. I do want to keep my muscles loose. Will ya join me?"

Nodding, you say, "Of course I will. I won't pass up the opportunity to see you in swim trunks, but I have ten minutes left in this episode so I'll join you after it's over."

Finn smiles and kisses your cheek. "See ya in the water," he says before letting you go. You hear his footsteps go up the stairs and you resume your episode of Cobra Kai.

You're curled up on the couch as you finish up the episode. When there are five minutes left, you hear Finn walk back downstairs and the back door opens. You glance back into the foyer to see Finn closes the sliding glass door. He's in a pair of black swim trunks and no shirt. Your thoughts immediately start to go to the dirtier side as you turn your attention back to the TV show that's on your screen.

Once your episode is done, you turn off the TV and you walk up the stairs to your and Finn's shared bedroom. You grab a black bikini. The top has thin ties that tie behind your neck and behind your back. You fix the top so you're not falling out of the top. You pull on the bottoms, which tie at your waist. You tie your hair up into a messy bun on your head.

You peddle out of the room when you've changed into the bathing suit. You grab a beach towel out of a closet in the hallway on the second floor. You walk down the stairs, and you can faintly hear music coming from the backyard. You open the sliding door and step into the warm and humid air.

Finn's swimming laps in the pool and you smile at the sight. His workout music playlist is playing via a Bluetooth speaker that sits on a chair by the pool. You throw your towel on another chair before sitting on the side of the pool by the five-foot area. You kick your feet in the water, trying to get used to the cool water on your skin.

Your fiancé takes a break in the eight-foot area of the pool. He wipes the water out of his eyes and you get his attention. "Hey, stranger," you say, leaning back on your hands. Finn looks over at you and smiles.

"Look at ya," he says, slowly swimming over to you. "I like that suit."

Giggling, you say, "That's because it barely covers me, Finn."

He stands between your legs in the water, his hands on your thighs. They're cold from being in the cold water. You shiver slightly as Finn says, "Ya should just take it off since it barely covers ya."

You run your fingers through Finn's short wet hair and say, "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

Finn nods and smiles. "It's not a bad night for a nice skinny dip, Y/N," he says, starting to negotiate with you. "Live a little, baby."

His hands run up your thighs to the ties on your bottoms. "Finn," you giggle. "We have neighbors."

Your fiancé leaves light kisses on your thighs and gives you puppy eyes. "I'll take my pants off if ya take that off," he negotiates with you.

You gently nibble on your lip before you slide off the wall and into the water. You're up to your collarbone in the cool water as you stand between the wall and Finn. You stare up at your fiancé and say, "Baby, we have neighbors and they can look out their windows to see us."

"It's almost midnight, and the only light we have is the lights in the pool. All they'll see is two people in the pool," Finn says, making a good case. You blink at Finn.

After making a decision, you reach behind your neck. You pull the tie until it's untied. The top falls and Finn's eyes are on your exposed chest. You pull the fabric away and put it on the wall behind you. Finn pulls at the ties on your bottoms and pulls them off of you. The bottoms join your top on the wall behind you. Now you're naked in the pool in front of Finn.

Finn's eyes are on your body as you hook your fingers into the waistband of his swim trunks. "Time to get these off since you told me you'd take your pants off if I took off my bikini," you say, pulling the swim trunks off Finn.

He laughs and helps you get them off. He throws the trunks with your bathing suit. Now you're both naked in the pool. Finn takes your hands and says, "Come swim with me, love."

You giggle as he pulls you off the wall. You kick your feet so you can keep up with him. He brings you into the deeper end of the pool where you can't stand. You kick to stay above water and Finn has to do the same.

"This is nice," you say, trying to keep your eyes on Finn's face instead of glancing down into the water to see what you've been wanting to see since his trunks came off.

Finn smiles and says, "I told ya that it was a nice night for a skinny dip."

A smile forms on your lips and you say, "You just wanted to get me naked."

Your fiancé says, "No way." You give him the look. "Okay, fine. Maybe I wanted to just a teeny tiny bit. I have wanted to see ya like this for a while. I've been so busy with defending that title and keeping up with my training. It's been a little bit since I've seen ya naked."

You laugh and swim a little closer to Finn. "This is the longest we've ever gone with being naked and not touching each other, you know. I'm surprised we haven't yet considering we haven't done anything for a while," you say to him.

"Ya trying to tell me something, love?" Finn questions.

Smiling, you say, "Possibly. You come home from work and just go to sleep. Plus, we're already naked."

Finn smiles at you and says, "Now who's the one negotiating something."

You tease, "Fine, don't have sex with me. It's not like I actually wanted you to fuck me anyway." You stick your tongue out at him and begin to swim backward, away from Finn. His eyes are on you as a smile forms on your lips.

"Who said that I didn't want to have sex with ya?" Finn asks, swimming after you.

You climb out and say, "I just assumed." You wrap your towel around your nude body and Finn gets out of the pool.

He walks over to you, but just before he gets to you, he says, "Ya assumed wrong, love. Ya know how much I love to fuck ya." Then he cups your face and pulls your lips to his. The kiss is quick and intense from the start. Your hands are on his waist and you pull him closer to you. Finn's tongue finds its way into your mouth, a moan leaving your lips.

Finn walks over to one of the pool lounge chairs under the awning that's connected to the house. He lays back on it, breaking the kiss. You crawl onto his lap, straddling his thighs. Your lips attach to Finn's neck and soft sighs escape his lips as he pulls at the towel around your body.

As you leave marks on his neck and chest, Finn pulls off the towel you're wearing. It falls to the ground and you pull back from Finn. You look at your work and say, "I hope makeup can cover those up."

"Oh well if they can't," Finn says before he kisses you harshly.

All the pent up sexual energy between the two of you is coming out now. It's been months since any kind of intimacy between you and Finn. Since he won the title, it's been the only thing he's been focused on. Of course, he's always made sure you were taken care of and that you were okay, but he'd been training harder, working more hours, and traveling a little more so he's exhausted when he's home so he usually sleeps.

You don't know why he actually wanted to go for a swim on a random January day and have sex with you on a chair next to the pool. Honestly, you don't care why. You're just happy you have something other than your fingers to pleasure you.

Finn's hands are roaming your body and you sigh softly, having missed his touch. You grind slowly against his member. The tip runs through your folds and you bite back a moan in your throat. Your hands are on Finn's six thousand abs to keep yourself balanced.

"Love, ya keep doing that and we're gonna have a problem," Finn warns you.

Instead of stopping, you move faster. Moans pass your lips and Finn cups your face with his hands. You sigh, "I've missed you like this, Finn."

Your fiancé brings your face close to his and you meet his pretty blue eyes. You sigh softly as you roll your hips. Finn's lips brush against yours as he says, "Baby, please do something because ya are driving me crazy."

You lean in and kiss Finn as you take his hardened length in your hand. You pump him a few times as you position him outside your entrance. The kiss deepens as you sink onto his member. A moan leaves your lips as Finn begins to will you. Finn's hands slide into your hair, holding your face to his. Your hands are on his chest as you adjust to Finn inside you.

Finn's fingers curl in your Y/H/C locks as you begin to slowly move your hips. You drag your fingers down Finn's chest as you pull back from the passionate kiss to get some air. Your breathing is becoming more and more labored with every roll of your hips. Finn's eyes are on yours as you move.

He not-so-gently pulls your hair back and tilts your head up, exposing your neck to him. A soft moan leaves your lips when he does this. Finn smirks and begins to kiss your neck. "Did ya like that, baby?" Finn mumbles against the sensitive skin on your neck.

You gasp, "Kinda."

"I'll have to remember that," he says.

One of Finn's hands leaves your hair and you wonder where it went until you feel his thumb start to rub your clit. You gasp softly, moving your hips faster. Finn groans, "Just like that, mo ghrá. Ya feel so good around me."

Your body shakes with overstimulation as you move faster. The tip of Finn's member hits your g-spot as he finds the sweet spot on your neck. You cry out in pleasure, moaning Finn's name. A knot forms in your stomach as you're pulled closer and closer to an orgasm. Finn says, "Ya look so good on top of me, baby."

You look down at Finn and pant, "You should let me do this more often then."

Finn pulls you down to him and you kiss him as you move rougher. Your moans and the sound of slapping skin fills the warm night air.

"I'm about to cum, Finn," you moan against Finn's lips.

Your fiance says, "No one's stopping ya, love."

After a few more movements, your body jerks as you cum around Finn. You moan his name mixed with profanities as you ride out your high. Finn quickly pulls out of you and he cums on his stomach. You're panting a bit as you look down at Finn. He looks up at you.

You say, "Please start letting me top occasionally. It's fun."

Finn laughs and kisses you slowly, full of tongue. He says, "We'll see."

You giggle against his lips. A small makeout session is ignited from this kiss. Your hands roam his body and yours roam his.

After about ten minutes of this, Finn grabs a towel and cleans you both up before saying, "Let's head inside, yeah? It's getting kinda cold."

You don't object to going inside. You get up and quickly run inside. Finn's right behind you. The two of you retire to your bedroom, where you cuddle naked beneath the sheets.

Both of you lay intertwined with each other when you say, "I don't wanna go weeks without doing this again, Finn. I need to be close to you like this."

Finn looks down at you and says, "Regal is going to cut back my hours that I spend at the Performance Center so I can spend some extra time with ya before our wedding. We have two weeks before the wedding, and I'll be spending half the time at the Performance Center."

You smile and say, "Really?"

Your fiancé nods and says, "Really. It was also his idea, and I wasn't gonna object to spending more time with my beautiful fiancée."

Overwhelmed with excitement, you say, "I'm so happy." You happily kiss Finn and he smiles into the kiss. "I love you."

"I love ya too, my ghra," Finn tells you.

[100hearteyes]

I often think about Clexa meeting in their old age. Lexa lost Costia some ten years ago, Clarke divorced Finn in her fifties and never married again. They meet at a supermarket one day and it's attraction at first sight.

"The red peppers are very good here. You should try them. Or," Clarke adds, biting her lip, "you could go for the paprika. Much sweeter... And spicier."

She may be in her late seventies, but she hasn't lost her appeal. And she knows she's right when Lexa swallows and asks, voice wavering slightly, "Really?"

They start dating very quickly (no time to lose when you're that age) and get married a year later. Lexa's kids are hesitant at first, because they feel like she's replacing Costia, but they soon give in to the sheer joy their mom radiates. After all, all they want is for her to be happy. Besides, Clarke respects Costia's place in Lexa and her children's life very much. She knows Costia was the love of Lexa's life, the woman she grew up and built a life with. However, Clarke also knows there's a space in Lexa's heart that was always meant for her - she knows, because her own heart has also found its missing part.

It's the happiest fifteen years of their lives, getting to grow older together. One night, when they're in bed and ready to fall asleep, Lexa turns in Clarke's arms to look at her and tuck a strand of gray hair behind her ear, green eyes shining softly and that lopsided smile reserved only for her wife.

"How lucky am I that I got to find both the love of my life and my soulmate in the same lifetime."

Clarke kisses her; loving and tender and all-consuming. They make love until they fall asleep, tangled in each other's arms and their peaceful, sated breathing in sync.

They go that night. Clarke just a few hours after Lexa, her heart having felt the absence of its twin beat. And despite having spent most of their lives in different cities, despite having married different people and followed different paths - this moment was never meant to happen any other way.

They meet a lot sooner the next time.

[i-just-love-spop]

8, 40, 48 and 78 for Scorfuma kids, please? :D sorry if it's too much tho :( (I love your oc's they're so cute 😔💖)

@leiazh Awww, thank you for loving my characters so much, that you do makes me so happy 😢💖

And it’s fine, always feel free to ask as many questions about them as you want, I had a lot of fun answering this one, so thank you! Just... be warned that the answer might take a while and also possibly be... really long 😅🤣

This whole thing is about 4.2k words long... whoops.

I answered the questions in order, the kids are sorted from oldest to youngest for each question (except for the twins who are the same age, nobody really knows who‘s older since they were born via c-section and their parents either didn’t ask or at least didn’t tell them [the kids don’t know which one of these is true], although Kohana does insist she’s the older twin).

I also didn’t include Frosta as a character in the ask for this one despite her being the oldest Scorfuma-kid, since she’s not my character and most of these questions wouldn’t have made much sense to answer for her anyway, since they get answered in the show, so it’s just the five kids that are actually my own characters.

Frosta does show up in some of the answers, though, obviously, along with Scorpia and Perfuma.

Also, please don’t take the way I sorted the “good” and “bad” traits too seriously – some of these would definitely be considered good or bad by most people, but other things like shyness aren’t really good or bad, they just can make your life more difficult in certain situations (which I say as a shy person) and I had to sort them into one of the categories somehow so I could include them at all.

I hope you have fun reading!

8. What are their good and bad traits?

Clover

Good traits

He tries to help his moms any way he can, both around the house and in the garden, and will do so without being asked to do it. He’s a very caring older brother that will gladly get up in the middle of the night if one of his younger siblings is upset and needs him, and he’ll also stay up late and read them to sleep when their moms are preoccupied. He’s really good at cooking and often does it for the whole family, and he’s also very creative and makes really beautiful flower arrangements. He rarely has any trouble focusing on what’s important, and he’s very enthusiastic about the things he loves, so much that it’s infectious.

Bad traits

He has trouble dealing with some of his insecurities and will lash out at others when he doesn’t know how else to handle them. He also worried about being a bother to other people when he’s upset and will often keep quiet about what’s making him sad or angry or scared rather than opening up about his emotions. He often comes off as cold to people that don’t know him very well because of this.

He also has a bit of an attitude around people he doesn’t like.

Thorn

Good traits

She always tries to take care of her friends and family and, if possible, keep them out of trouble, and she’d never say no if someone needs her help. For most people, it’s really hard to dislike her because she’s always friendly and polite and cares a lot about others, always tries to give the best advice she can and brings fresh food from the family garden everywhere. She’s really outgoing and has a relatively large friend group because of that.

Bad traits

She’s kind of naive, to a point where her desire to help others lands her in trouble every now and again because she ends up being exploited in one way or another – she doesn’t have a very good judge of character, and because of this, she has “friends” that just befriend her because she’s the crown princess, and she’s so excited to be making new friends that she doesn’t question their intentions very often, especially when she’s still a child.

It’s especially bad with a person she meets when she’s about ten, who she likes a lot, but who her parents are always kind of wary around – whenever that particular kid shows up around their house, things start disappearing, especially Thorn’s favorite toys.They eventually ask her about it, and she just says that her friend liked them so much that she gave them to the other kid, but the way she says it makes it pretty clear that she’s actually really unhappy about it and really misses her toys.

She’s actually kind of like Adora to a certain degree – she doesn’t take her own happiness into account that much and rather makes sure everyone else is happy first... but her family and her real friends always have her back and make sure she’s also having fun and feeling happy. Messing with her is not a very good idea, and if only for the relatively large Thorn-protect-squad.

Willow

Good traits

They’re really smart and pretty patient when it comes to learning new things, and they like trying out stuff they’ve never done before.

When it comes to their friends and loved ones, they show affection openly and often and even get pretty bubbly despite usually being so shy.

They’re also a really good listener and don’t back down when it comes to speaking up against someone who’s being mean to other people – they’re also extremely loyal. Their friend group isn’t huge, but if they befriend someone and that person makes them happy, they’ll go to the ends of the world for them, are extremely supportive of their goals and help them achieve them if they can.

Bad traits

They’re a... bit forgetful when it comes to certain stuff – especially things like watering plants, but also where they last put their things – including the tracker pad that’s literally in their hands when they start looking for it. They probably have the tidiest room in the entire house, and they still never freaking find anything.

They’re also really shy, so they don’t make friends very easily, and they also take criticism very personal despite not openly showing it a lot of times because they’re too embarrassed to – when someone tells them they think Willow is annoying or weird, they’re just going to keep quiet about it and then crawl into bed to cry when they get back home. They’re confident when it comes to protecting others, but they’re also really insecure when it comes to being criticized themselves.

If they’re genuinely hurt by someone, they can’t just laugh it off two days later... they take a long time to forgive others, especially if it’s people that know what they’re insecure about and still push their buttons anyway.

Aster

Good traits

He cares a lot about his family, and always knows how to cheer his siblings and especially his twin up when they’re upset. He’s also not afraid to make mistakes and doesn’t get very nervous about giving a wrong answer when he’s asked things because for him, wrong answers only mean that you learn new things you didn’t know before. If he’s good at something that his friends can’t do, he often offers to teach them and would never brag about it. He’s also really good at playing the drums.

Bad traits

He’s extremely chaotic and can also get pretty loud. He also likes fighting – sometimes it’s just friendly wrestling with his sister, and that’s fine, but they might end up breaking some stuff when they wrestle, and after he connects to the Heart Blossom, he often underestimates his powers or uses them accidentally, which results in both huge chaos and often at least smaller injuries. After he learns to control his powers better, the number of injuries decreases, but the chaos remains, especially when he and Kohana start deliberate making their powers a part of their friendly but heated competitions. They once tore half of Catradora’s living room apart on semi-accident – Finn was very excited. He’s also not good at listening when people tell him what to do – his parents sometimes get through to him, and Frosta often does, but most people out of his family don’t.

Kohana

Good traits

She’s open-minded, more likely to listen to others than her brother is, and she has a pretty healthy sense of humor. She’s also the best fighter out of all the kids – she’s been taking lessons from Frosta, Lonnie and Catra respectively since she was about ten. She’s courageous and creative and if she’s certain someone’s apology is sincere, she’s pretty forgiving, even to people who have hurt her in the past and maybe don’t deserve it. She’s also trustworthy – if you tell her a secret, she’s going to take it to her grave. She also always takes her time to pick out heartfelt birthday gifts for the people she loves because while she’s not that good with words, she still likes finding ways to make their day.

Bad traits

She’s really, really impatient and gets bored and frustrated easily – if she doesn’t manage to succeed at something during the first or at least second attempt, she just gives up frustratedly and goes on to punch something to let out her frustration. She also gets jealous really easily, especially if people learn the things she can’t do really quickly.

Like her twin brother, she’s really into fighting for fun, and she also doesn’t really learn how to pick her fights for a while. Since she’s connected to the Black Garnet rather than the Heart Blossom, she also causes destruction way more easily than Aster does. She’s also more scary than her brother if she wants to be – think chipped-Scorpia level scary.

40. If I wanted to draw them, what would be distinct physical features that I would have to know to draw them correctly?

Clover

He has yellow skin, short teal hair that’s a bit curly, pink eyes, cyan wings – the left one is torn slightly at about 3/4 of the wing which is why that one is harder to move for him – and regular elven ears that are his skin color yellow outside and a darker yellow inside.

He’s the shortest Scorfuma-child except for Frosta, about one head shorter than Willow.

Also technically not a physical feature, but he rarely ever wears formfitting clothes.

Thorn

I posted a princess maker pic of her a while back (along with pics of some of my other next gen kids), but most distinctive physical features would be: Short curly white hair (about chin-length) with flowers in it, a red scorpion tail – which is actually her only Scorpioni-trait –, dark brown eyes and Perfuma’s skin-tone.

As an adult, she’s actually the second tallest of the kids, about as tall as Scorpia.

She’s the one that’s based off of Rae’s Scorfuma-child.

Willow

I also posted a princess maker pic of them when I made their bullet point list, but most distinctive physical features would be:

They have dark skin and dark brown eyes, freckles, curly black hair that almost reaches their shoulders, and their Scorpioni parts are black rather than red like Scorpia’s. They’re kind of short as a kid, but pretty tall as an adult – not quite as tall as Scorpia, but almost that tall, and also at least somewhat buff.

Also, I know this isn’t a physical feature, but they always walk around with that little flower trinket in their chest – Sagi has a similar one. He found it in a box when he was little and when Willow saw him with it, they promptly decided they wanted the same one, so their parents got them the same one. Neither Willow nor Sagi take them off very often, they actually still wear them well into adulthood.

Aster

He has freckles, dark brown eyes and extremely short white hair which you can see would probably be a lot more curly should he choose to grow it out. His skin-tone is somewhere in between Scorpia’s and Perfuma’s. He also has some red Scorpioni-features – the shoulders, the tail and the waist-parts.

He’s shorter than his twin sister Kohana for most of their childhood, but eventually outgrows her by about five inches when they‘re in their teens.

He’s also the only one of the kids that actually ends up being taller than Scorpia when he’s fully grown.

Kohana

She has dark brown eyes, Scorpia’s skin-tone and freckles, also long straight blond hair that she usually grows out to about waist-length and then wears in really any kind of plait, but most often a ponytail, but she cuts it off almost completely on a couple of different occasions throughout her life, mostly because it sometimes if it gets in her way or on her nerves all of a sudden.

She has pincers, as well as the knee and waist-Scorpioni-features.

She also has her ears pierced and likes wearing different kinds of colorful earrings from a pretty early age on, often even mismatching ones.

She’s relatively tall, give or take about as tall as Willow, maybe slightly taller, which makes her almost as tall as Scorpia.

And, again not a physical feature, but she also has either flowers or grass or both either on her clothes or in her hair at all possible times, varying from stuff like flower crowns and actual jewelry to just a grassy reminder on her shirt that she had another wrestling match with Aster in the garden.

48. What does their room look like?

Clover

His room is pretty tidy for the most part.

He has shelves filled with astronomy, gardening and cooking books that his siblings often lend and that are then never returned to him again – except for the cooking books because he’s made it very clear that he can’t cook as well as he usually does without them when too many of them disappeared that one time.

He also has a bunch of different CDs because he’s really into music – he can’t play any, but he really likes listening to it –, and he also has a couple really terrible old movies that he likes to make fun of with his parents and siblings, especially if one of them is having a bad day, as well as some children’s books that he often read to Willow and the twins when they were little and then kept because of the good memories.

He has a photo album where he keeps pictures of all his loved ones that he always keeps somewhere close to his bed, and an old baby blanket that he brought from the orphanage, which was the only memento he actually wanted to keep when it became clear that Scorpia and Perfuma would stay his moms for the rest of his life.

Thorn

Her room is very flowery, different potted plants standing on most of her wooden furniture as well as embroidered flowers on her white curtains.

The room is kind of tidy, but there’s a lot of notebooks and pens scattered all over it – she started keeping a diary pretty much since she first learned how to write, and she keeps all of them so she can look at her memories whenever she wants. When she’s a teen, she also picks up a habit of writing – sometimes stories, but more often, poems, which she keeps locked up in a treasure chest because she’s too shy to show them to anyone.

There’s a bunch of different genre novels on her shelf – she’s mostly into RomComs, stories about friendship and horror –, she also has a bright pink meditation mat that’s always lying on the floor in front of her bed for when she needs to relax, along with a tea set that her parents gifted her.

She also has a secret stash of sweets to make herself feel better whenever she’s upset that she keeps in a jewelry case with a false bottom in a drawer in her bedside table.

Willow

They have a bunch of cacti in their room, because they’re the only plant that Willow can actually have that they don’t accidentally end up killing after, like, a week of constantly forgetting to water them. Most of them are on their window sill. Their room is probably the tidiest in the entire house, including their parents’ bedroom. They have a calendar over their bed, a bunch of fluffy pillows and a mint-green blanket on their relatively large bed. They’re also the one that got to keep Scorpia’s little scorpion plushie – Frosta had it for a while after she was adopted, then Thorn until Scorpia and Perfuma adopted Clover, and then Willow got it. The twins each got their own separate plushie, so Willow ended up keeping this one, and it’s been sitting on top of their science book shelf since they turned twelve.

There’s a fluffy colorful carpet on the floor, and some equally colorful curtains to fit the picture, and a really bright nightlight on their bedside table that they‘re allowed to leave on day an night if they want to.

Willow also always has their swim gear somewhere in reach, which is probably the only thing in the room that they never end up searching for.

There’s also a bunch of different photos all around their room – family photos, and of their friends, mostly photos of Willow and Sagi and also some of them with Angie.

Aster and Kohana

They share a room for most of their childhood, so I’m going to do them together.

The fact that they share a room is mostly because it was just easier that way when they were little – they were offered to get separate rooms when they grew older, but they didn’t want to, and only actually end up getting separate rooms when they’re around fifteen years old.

These two are chaos incarnate, and so is their room. There’s books and toys all over the place, but despite that, both of them always know where everything is, surprisingly – and if one of them asks the other to hand them something, the other does it immediately without ever searching before. Their parents sometimes joke about how that’s their real magic skill rather than their connection to the Runestones.

There’s also a sword somewhere amidst the chaos that’s hopefully but probably not a toy that Frosta got them for one of their birthdays, as well as Aster’s ice skates and aways at least one canvas that Kohana starts painting on and then gives up on at least three times a week until she’s eventually satisfied and it gets hung up on the wall in the hallway or the dining room. Because of this, there’s also tons of art supplies scattered everywhere, and a huge red stain on the otherwise light brown carpet where she accidentally knocked over a cup of paint, tried to clean it up and just made everything worse. They sometimes joke about how someone that got on their nerves was murdered there.

There’s also a bunch of pictures on their wall.

They’re often just standing in the middle of their mess, painting and drumming, respectively.

78. If they had a nightmare, who would they run to?

Honestly, that really depends on who’s around in the scenario with most of them, but I’m just going to go with “if they could pick literally anyone”.

Clover

Perfuma, that’s not even a question. He’s thirteen when he’s adopted, so it’s not the kind of “mommy there’s a monster under my bed”-nightmares, but he does have some bad dreams about more serious topics – he doesn’t remember much about his biological parents, but sometimes he hears shouting at the back of his mind when he closes his eyes and wonders if it’s them, and sometimes he has dreams about being back at the orphanage with that one kid that bullied him.

He then knocks at his mothers’ bedroom door softly, enters and wakes Perfuma – she told him very early on that she doesn’t care how late it is, he’s always allowed to wake her or Scorpia if he needs them –, and when he wakes her up, the first time she does is leave the room with him to talk to him alone for a moment. She always asks if he wants her to wake up her other mom as well, and sometimes he does because sometimes the only thing he needs is to cuddle with his moms on the couch in peace until he calms down...

But especially shortly after the adoption, he don’t want to feel like a burden to his new adoptive parents, and it’s worse enough that he’s annoying one of them – he’s pretty afraid they’re just going to decide they don’t want him after all if he turns out to be too difficult of a child, because he has friends and acquaintances that were adopted and eventually cane back to the orphanage because the adoption didn’t work out –, and despite Scorpia being the softest, friendliest person he has ever met, he’s also kind of intimidated by her at first because she’s so tall and buff and he is a really short forest elf, which is why it’s a little easier for him to talk to just Perfuma about his nightmares at first. ...and he also gets a little overwhelmed with multiple people questioning why he’s feeling bad sometimes, even if they mean well, so sometimes one person works better for him.

Scorpia sometimes feels insecure about this, but really, she just wants her kid to be happy, and if her wife can help him more than she can, that’s fine, and she’s obviously not going to blame him for it or make him feel bad about it.

Perfuma always makes him tea if he wants one, and then they’ll just cuddle under a blanket on the couch, and if he wants to talk, she’s going to let him talk, but she’s also not going to force him to speak to her about things he’s not ready to talk about. Sometimes, she tells him stories from her childhood to show him he isn’t alone with at least some of his fears, but of course only if he wants her to. Sometimes she’ll just take him outside into the garden so he can get some fresh air and lay down in the grass to look up into the sky and at the stars – he’s really into astronomy, and if he can’t talk about what’s bothering him, telling her stories about different constellations always calms him down and makes him feel better, so she will gladly listen to that for several hours if that’s what he needs.

...that, and also sometimes he just needs to hear that mom will kick someone’s ass with flowers if they bother him again.

Clover and Perfuma grow really close pretty quickly if you couldn’t tell.

Thorn

When Thorn has a nightmares, she usually just wakes both of her moms when she’s little – this changes a bit as she grows older and realizes there’s different kinds of help she needs depending on how upset she is and what kind of nightmare she had. Sometimes meditating with Perfuma helps her calm down and feel better, sometimes she just need Scorpia’s hugs and some hot cocoa – but honestly, this can be applied to most situations when she’s upset, not necessarily just nightmares.

Sometimes, also just she really needs someone to talk to, and, depending on the topic, it’s easier to just talk to one of them instead of both because she knows which one of her moms will understand her fears better, but sometimes she also just needs both of them.

She rarely ever goes back to her own bed after a nightmare and instead just climbs into bed with her parents.

Sometimes, when they stay over at Bright Moon, she also goes to cuddle with Arrow when she’s scared because Arrow glows and that calms her down – and also, Arrow will absolutely stage a kitchen robbery for some sweets in the middle of the night just to cheer her up.

Willow

They connect with Scorpia very well very quickly, so usually it’s Scorpia that they run to after a nightmare for some late-night cuddling and the best, most beautiful singing in the world to put them back to sleep.

Willow rarely ever has any nightmares that they can put into words – they wake up terrified and shaking, but without an actual memory of what they’re so afraid of, so there’s usually not a lot of talking involved. Scorpia usually makes them some tea, then sings to them and leaves the lights on when her child falls back asleep so that they’re not as scared anymore when they wake up again. After particularly bad nightmares when Willow doesn’t want to sleep again at all, Scorpia usually just puts on a movie or two until eventually, their tiredness catches up to them and then Scorpia sleeps on the couch with her kid sleeping on her chest.

They also often wake up Thorn who allows them to sleep in her bed and then reads to Willow until they fall asleep. When it’s especially bad, she hands out some of her precious emergency candy to make them feel better.

Aster and Kohana

Since Aster and Kohana share a room, the first person they usually wake is each other – sometimes deliberately, and sometimes accidentally, either by waking up screaming or by turning on the light.

After that, who they run to depends which one of them had the nightmare – if possible, they both like to wake Frosta who will definitely beat up any possible monster under their beds.

Other than that, Aster usually wakes Clover who takes their minds off things by either going downstate with them for a midnight snack that they prepare together, or by reading funny stories to them where the hero always wins and defeats the bad guys – he then convinces them that the stories about the good guys winning are way too scary for any possible monsters in their room and that they’ve long fled by the time the story ends, but also offers to read another one, then another and another of they’re not completely convinced. This goes on until they fall asleep, and sometimes Clover doesn’t even make it back to bed and just falls asleep in a chair in between their beds while he’s reading.

Kohana on the other hand usually wakes Scorpia, especially after she’s learned to control her magic more, so her mom can help her practice her magic outside to take her mind off things and help her feel stronger. Aster often joins in on the training as well, and then they end up being so exhausted that not only do they fall back asleep when Scorpia puts them back to bed afterwards and sings them to sleep, but they also sleep in in the morning – which rarely ever happens to any of the kids, but especially not to those two with their seemingly endless amount of energy.

—

Here are the questions again if anyone wants to ask anything else.

[avatarsarny]

Ben and Rey are 2 sides of the same protagonist!! Same coin!!! They're married in the Force!! They can't be separated!! I have spoken!!!!!!!!!

Nonnie, I couldn’t have said it better myself :)

So idk what happened, I was going to respond to this like a normal person with some gifs but uhh this nonsense came forth instead. Oh well ;)

It wasn’t long after his return to the physical realm on that fateful journey from Exogol back to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss when Finn and Poe cornered him.

The last week had been a blur, with constant meetings among former leaders of the New Republic, the remaining leaders of the Resistance, the last Jedi, and Ben Solo, heroes of the war against the Final Order. A new dawn was here. A new way of life. For the first time in his life, there were no voices in Ben’s head. No dark shadows lurking in the depths of his tortured mind. It was just him, his own thoughts, and all was blissfully clear. There was just light, and there was Rey.

He’ll never forget the way she’d launched herself at him when he materialized on the Falcon, which had come to rescue Rey from Exogol, after he’d given his life to save hers.

She had been everywhere, all at once. Her lips had pressed frantic kisses all over his face, her arms wrapped around his neck, her sweet, earthy scent had been in his nose, her end of the bond once again present in his mind, in his very soul. He had felt her anguish turn into absolute joy, and her tears mingled with his own as he feverishly kissed her back with all the strength he had.

It felt like years had passed before they broke apart, breathless and far from sated. But it would have to do for now, as Chewie, Finn, Poe, Rose, and Lando had all looked on, their jaws long dropped to the floor.

Finn spoke first. “So.”

Ben raised a brow but didn’t comment, looking between him and Poe, their Force signatures radiating concern.

“You’ve requested shared quarters. With Rey.” Finn continued, in an accusatory tone.

Ah. He’d been wondering when this would be brought up.

Poe cleared his throat, trying to look every bit the stern General that Leia had been. It almost worked. But Ben still had to resist the urge to laugh. “What are your intentions towards Rey?” the Pilot demanded.

Now Ben really couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped his lips. Rey must have told her friends what they were to each other. But did they really understand how deeply they were intertwined? Evidently not, Ben thought, his lip curling. Finn and Poe’s frowns deepened.

“Look, we know she cares about you. We…can see you care about her. But we need you to promise us you’ll never hurt her the way you did that day on Starkiller base,” Finn finished, with a razor-sharp edge in his voice.

Ben measured his breathing. Like I ever could. The monster Rey had fought and had thrown her against a tree on Starkiller base was dead. He looked them both in the eye. He had to come clean, so that they didn’t go around asking ridiculous questions like this ever again. “I gave my life for her,” he said quietly. “And I would do it again, and again,” he leveled them both with a glare. “if it means she’ll live again. But I could not stay gone, for we are the Dyad.”

Poe whipped his head around at Finn, who’d gasped and gone very still. “What does that mean?” Poe pressed his friend. “What’s a Die - ad?”

Finn looked at Ben with an expression he’d never seen him make - something akin to awe. “Dyads come only once in a millennium. They’re rare, powerful bonds between two Force users, forged by the Universe itself to establish a balance. It’s the One Force, split into two. A…a kind of spiritual marriage, you could say.” It was evident to Poe that Leia had not only spent time teaching Rey the ways of the Force, but had trained Finn as well.

“And now you know what we are to each other. What she is to me,” Ben said hotly. “I can no more hurt her than I can hurt myself. She is the holder of my soul; without her bonded to me I barely exist, I’m just a ghost with no tether to existence.” And just then, he registered a warm presence, just beyond the space they occupied, but he didn’t pay it mind. He lowered his voice. “And she is my better half. I…I love her. I refuse to be apart from her.” And then he growled. “And if the two of you have a grievance, you can take it up with her. I’ve said only the truth.” He couldn’t quite stand this anymore, having to explain his very existence, his very heart, to these dolts, and moved to the door.

It slid open just then to reveal Rey standing there, staring up at him, her eyes wide with so soft an expression that he’d like nothing more than to burn the image of her like that in his memory forever. “Ben…” she whispered, and in that moment, oh, she looked exactly the way she had on Exogol, when she sensed that he’d come for her, to fight with her against Palpatine, she’d looked at him with such hope and affection that what was left of his heart seemed to burst in his chest.

Of course, Rey knew Ben loved her. He’d told her so himself, both in words and the way he’d happily laid down his life so that she could live hers. She felt it every time he looked at her, in the way he smiled only for her, the way his lips and hands moved so reverently over her skin as of late. But it awakened something deep and primal in her chest, to hear him declare it so passionately to her friends.

Finn, in all his newfound wisdom in the Force, didn’t need any more proof. Neither did he need the Force to tell him that if they didn’t leave now, they were about to see something he’d very, very much rather not see. He grabbed Poe’s arm and all but dragged him past Rey. “I’ll see you guys at dinner!” He called at the two behind him. Poe had to laugh then, and whipped his head back towards the open door. “We love you Rey! Ben, be gentle with our girl. And for the love of the Maker, shut that door behind you!”

Rey blushed a deep scarlet, and Ben growled, and the door slammed shut by the Force with a flick of his fingers. He could still hear the idiots’ laughter as they retreated.

Rey stepped closer to him, her cheeks still flushed prettily. “I’ll deal with those two later,” she said softly, her hazel eyes bright in the setting sun of the room. She peered up at him. “Were they very hard on you? Where they threatening you?” 

Ben blinked down at her. “How long were you standing there?”

Rey gave him a soft smile, and he immediately had the urge to kiss her breathless. She moved so that she was pressed right up against him. “Long enough,” she whispered, and her fingers came up to tangle in his lush, midnight hair, and she pulled his mouth down to capture hers in a fierce kiss. 

He groaned in pleasure, pulling her impossibly close, and she sighed into his mouth, her lips parting against his. He deepened their kiss, lifting her so that her thighs cradled him, and she instinctively ground her hips against his, her softness nestling on his hardness, and he could feel all of her urgency and her pleasure. He trailed his lips away from her mouth to press hot kisses down her throat, gently catching the lobe of her ear between his teeth, and she made the sweetest sounds at his touch. “I meant what I said. Every word.” Ben whispered in her ear, and his hands traced a slow trail of fire all over her. 

“I know,” She panted against his skin, “I felt it.” She moaned into his mouth as his fingers slipped beneath her tunic to stroke at her bare skin. “And I want it, too. To be with you. Always.” 

Ben leaned away to meet her gaze, setting her back down but still keeping her flush against him. “You have me.” He said simply, and pressed his forehead to hers. 

Rey’s eyes glowed almost green as her tears sprang up. “And you have me,” she whispered. “I’ll always be here.” She brought her hands up to press them against his chest, and Ben gathered her in his arms, and together they made their way to their quarters.

She was once a thorn in his side. Now she’s the warmth in his chest, the light that thrums in his veins. And damn any creature - Sith overlord or otherwise, that tries to take her from him.