#thinking about it--and I'm just...not sure that's actually a good thing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hwaslayer · 2 days ago

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wildfire (cs) | thirteen.

—spotify playlist | series masterlist

—summary: assistant professor in bioengineering, incredibly attractive, lonely and divorced; that’s how most people describe san. but despite the events that have happened in his life, san has a lot going for himself. he’s a successful, sought out professor due to his brilliant contributions to science at just an early age of 32. he worked hard to get where he was now; head deep into his research, his publications, building his lab and creating a name for himself. everything was good and smooth sailing— until it wasn’t. because when he meets you, a bioengineering grad student interested in rotating in his lab, he finds himself ready to risk all the blood, sweat and tears he put in throughout the years just to keep you close— his need for you spiraling out of control like a wildfire.

—pairing: asst. professor!choi san x grad student!f. reader

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, grad school au | fluff, angst, smut

—word count: 7k

—chapter content/warnings: cussing, we catch a lil moment with belle 🙄, crying .. lots of crying, just lots of hurt and heartache, more misunderstandings, we see a bit of parents from both sides - esp san's dynamic with his father, flashback scene with smut: oral (f. receiving), 🤠, praises, lots of sweet kisses and tender moments, some nipple play, soft and slow smut!!

—a/n: fic announcement soon!

If the texts yesterday afternoon weren't nerve-wracking enough, it was the downtime in between the texts and seeing San that had you ready to curl up in a ball out of anxiety; fetal position, rocking back and forth as an attempt to rid the feeling. San hadn't texted much after deciding the two of you should talk the following day, and you never questioned why he couldn't just see you the same night he had told you he needed to talk.

you: 😞 you didn't even look my way when you walked back into the office and i haven't heard from you all day.

you: i hate how all my papers and presentations are due this week. plus ppl have been weird, idk. i just wanna cuddle 😭

san: i'm sorry. it's just been a day.

you: that's never stopped you before... ☹️ what's wrong, san?

san: we should talk, baby.

you: oh.. okay. so let's talk tonight? i just need to finish up a few things, and i'm halfway done on most of my papers and presentations. i think they can wait a bit.

san: no, you should finish up. i've got a ton of things to catch up on so tonight won't work. can we do this tomorrow? i'll come pick you up once we're both done in the lab.

you: are you sure?

san: mhm. i'm sorry again, it really just has been kinda all over the place today.

you: it's fine, san. as long as you can promise me we're okay?

san: we will be. i'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? try to take breaks and rest well.

You accepted it, even if it felt excruciating and painfully long.

These things never turn out well, and you knew your case wasn't gonna be an exception. You were afraid for it, you were nervous and you were wondering what San might do to try and lessen the blow of whatever was coming.

He wouldn't hurt you, right?

He meant it when he said you two would be okay, right?

Even if he tried to be as reassuring, everything about it felt off and cryptic. None of it felt like sunshine and rainbows, none of it felt like the San you felt in love with. None of it felt like the giddy excitement, the comfort, the safety you had come to know and love.

You hated automatically assuming the worse, but nothing was preventing you from doing so— not even San.

Today was actually pretty uneventful, nonetheless. Despite the wait and silence from San, you felt like you managed to get by in one piece. It still felt like everyone was looking at you; like they had all known your deepest, darkest secrets. Like they had been following your every move, especially while you were with San. It still felt awful, but you had learned how to push aside because people could talk and assume— but they would never know the true story.

And who knows? Even if you tried to explain yourself, they wouldn't get it.

You didn't really owe that explanation to anyone, you think.

The only other weird part about your day was when you had tried to help Belle earlier since you had some downtime and she brushed you off completely. She had been avoiding you, and it was pretty obvious she was letting the talk get to her head. She didn't maintain eye contact with you, she didn't acknowledge you, and she didn't talk to you the way that she used to.

—FLASHBACK

You walk into the lab, passing by a few of your labmates with a tiny, toothless smile etched on your lips. There was no Sunwoo around, but there was Belle; yet, she still hadn't turned to acknowledge your presence. You had gotten through your to-do list for Sunwoo's project, leaving you with extra time to spare today. You hadn't been able to dedicate a lot of your support to Belle lately due to all those technical issues you needed to troubleshoot for your project with Sunwoo, and you figured this would be a good time to make up for it.

Unless she had other plans.

"Hey Belle!" You come to her desk, pulling the courage from deep down within you to approach her first. She looks up at you, a brow cocked up before returning her attention to her laptop. "I have some time to help—"

"No thanks, I'm good." She doesn't look at you. "Just so you know, I don't really need extra help anymore. I've got everything figured out already."

"Oh, okay." You step away from her desk, fiddling with your fingers while you stand there looking dumb. "Are you sure?" She pauses her typing before finally looking back up at you with her brows knit tightly together.

"I just said it, didn't I?"

"I-I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure since I had the time and I haven't been able to help you out as much cause of Sunwoo's project."

"Why don't you go and use your extra time with Professor Choi since you've been doing that anyway?" She gives you a look that settles in the pit of your stomach. You don't say anything to her, even as she shuts her laptop close and stands— brushing past you to get to one of the behavior rooms. You feel a bit hurt, and your other labmates aren't even paying attention to the whole thing; or, maybe they are, and they just don't wanna say anything to dig deeper into the wound.

So, you turn on your heel with your head down, returning to your desk to continue your data analysis in silence.

—END

You try to tell yourself that it doesn't really matter— that you didn't need anyone's reassurance or validation. It hurt despite not being super close to Belle, but you knew she thought of you in a different light now and that wasn't really fair. You could see how it'd look problematic on the surface, but you thought she knew you better than that.

Guess it's also your fault for assuming.

When it's time for San to pick you up at your usual pick-up spot, you grab your keys and head out— still not having changed out of your outfit for the day. You try to take slow steps to not seem too eager, but you can't help it when you see San parked in his usual spot. This time though, he isn't watching for you in the rear view mirror.

"Hey." You swing the door open and slide in. San gives you a small smile, followed by a:

"Hey." He watches as you dip forward to kiss him on the lips like you always do, and he surprisingly takes it. You were getting ready for the rejection or some kind of pull back; but, to San's own knowledge, he did it because he knew it'd be the last time he could savor it.

"You okay? Were you able to finish everything you needed to?"

"Uh, yeah. Think so." He says with a subtle chuckle before driving off.

"Are we going to your house?"

"Thought we could sit at the view and talk, if that's okay with you?" You slowly nod, keeping your eyes trained on San as he drives.

"Okay. You're scaring me, Sannie." He shakes his head.

"Please don't be."

"Then why couldn't we just talk about this like normal at your place?"

"Y/N, you trust me, right?" He quickly looks at you as he comes across a red light. You silently nod, just in time for him to drive off and continue onto the destination. "Okay, so trust me." He's still being so cryptic and distant that you don't even know how to respond. You quietly sit back in your chair and watch the surroundings pass you by, trying to settle the queasiness you feel building in your stomach.

These things never go well, and your case doesn't seem to be a one-off.

San continues to remain silent as he drives the rest of the way to the view, the music softly filling in as background noise that's enough to distract you. When he pulls into the small empty side lot and parks his car, he lets out a sigh and sits back.

"How was your day today?" He asks softly, still avoiding contact with you.

"It was okay, I guess. Better than yesterday."

"That's good."

"San." You adjust your position so you're looking directly at him, body facing him. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"I don't know where to start."

"You have to start somewhere." He sighs again. "You know, whatever it is, you can tell me. We can figure this out together." You raise your hand to cup his cheek, almost somewhat of a gesture to force him to look at you. And for a minute, you feel him relax under your touch. You can tell he wants to turn and kiss the palm of your hand like he usually does, but he doesn't. "Sannie—"

"We should stop this." Your mouth slightly drops even though you don't know what to say. Your eyes widen, your touch turns cold. You retreat your hand while you let the response sink, San still keeping his gaze out of the window because he truly can't dare to look at you right now.

He'll fold.

He'll forget all about this and risk everything for the both of you.

He shouldn't.

"W-what?"

"We need to stop this, Y/N." He finally looks at you and his gaze feels like an icebox. Everything feels so cold and distant, even if it's supposed to be a front; it's working, and it's fucking you up completely.

"All of a sudden? I-I thought we were fine, what happened? What did I do wrong?" He shakes his head.

"Nothing. It's not anything you did, I'm just trying to be realistic here."

"Realistic? I thought you didn't care about the outside noise?"

"We're only prolonging the inevitable, don't you get it? Everything is going to come crashing down on us whether we like it or not. No matter how hard I try to stop it, this is what it'll eventually come to." You don't really understand where he's coming from or what he's getting at, but it's too late— you feel the tears steadily streaming down your cheeks.

Then, you're sobbing into your hands and you feel pathetic. But San feels terrible, he hates this. He doesn't wanna do this but he's conflicted between right and wrong, between being selfish and letting you go. "San, why?"

"Y/N, please hear me out on this, okay?" He's barely able to answer.

"Why? You ask him again. You cry in his passenger's seat, wiping it away with your sweater sleeves. "You said I could trust you, a-and that you wouldn't hurt me because you didn't care about anyone else."

"I need you to understand that I'm doing this because I care about you."

"But, I love you." San shakes his head as tears streak his own cheeks.

"We're being too selfish." He looks at you. "I am. I'm being too selfish and I don't need this to ruin things for you more. I need to put you first—"

"Why do you get to decide what that looks like for me, San?" He doesn't respond. "So, you don't want this?" He lets out a shaky sigh. "Us?"

"That's far from how I feel and you know it."

"Why can't you just say it back? Why can't we just let this be? I don't care—" You tug on his arm and he grips your hand before shaking his head.

"Because this is already hard as it is. Y/N, listen to me." He pleads, cupping your cheeks. He finally looks deep into your eyes, his thumb gently caressing the surface. The life in his eyes are gone. The glow, the stars. Now, his eyes are dull. They're holding back. They don't show you anything. "We should stop. We need to. Namjoon and the dean are discussing your future at the school, and I need you to keep going in this program. I need you to keep going forward even if that means I can't be right there with you every step of the way. You deserve to be here and you deserve to finish this until the very end. You've worked so hard to get here, and I refuse to let them lose out on you simply because of me."

"This makes no sense to me. Why do we have to do this? We can just be more careful and plan better. We can just—"

"I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me? From Namjoon and the dean? Or are you trying to protect yourself?"

"I don't give a damn about me, Y/N!" He's a little angrier with this response but you know it isn't directed towards you. It's towards Namjoon. The dean. Yunho and Iseul. This whole fucked up situation. "I'm always gonna put you first. It's always been about you and it'll always be about you." You cry a bit harder at his answer, unsure of what to make of this entire thing. You don't know if San really means this or if he is just trying to protect you. You don't know what to do, you don't know if you should keep trusting him the same way.

You don't know if you can, and that's probably because you're blinded by all the overwhelming emotions you're feeling right now.

The both of you sit in this thick silence, your cries now filling the space while San tries to muster up the last bit of his energy to try and make you feel better— to get you to understand this better.

It's not that he wants to, he has to.

"I don't—" He swallows thickly. "I don't wanna do this but I have to. You have to understand." He says at a whisper, more tears streaming down his red-stained cheeks. "You have to understand, baby. Please." He begs. "I don't want them to do anything to you and I don't wanna jeopardize your future. Just listen to me. We have to do this." He leans forward to cup your cheeks and wipe your tears away with his thumb.

"No, we don't." You almost whine, but all San can do is shake his head and sit back in his seat.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but I have to do what's best for you." His voice shakes. "I really am so sorry, sweetheart." He answers lowly, wiping his remaining tears before retreating back into his shell and showing off his cold demeanor for the remainder of his time with you. "I should get you back."

"I should've never trusted you. I should've known this was all too good to be true. You didn't care." You cry, repeating all this nonsense to try and get him to hurt the same way as you somehow. Because he'll never understand. Everything had led up to this and you were still unprepared for this. Even though you knew you'd be here at some point, nothing would have ever prepared you for the way your heart drops to your stomach; the way you feel nothing but thunder and rain.

Blue and grey.

He does, though.

In fact, he's probably hurting the most because he had to pull the trigger and let you go.

He hates it. He fucking hates it.

He's trying to drown out the rest until he gets you back to your building because he can't take it. He can't take hearing you cry anymore, he can't take hearing you say these awful things because you're angry at the moment. He hopes that you'll see where he's coming from eventually because all he's ever wanted to do was protect you and keep you safe.

All he's ever done was care about you, and you only.

All he's ever felt was love for you, and you only. You showed him what love was like again and he'll never take that for granted.

This was him showing you love. He needed to put you first.

"I care about you more than anything. I'm trying to do what's best—"

"Without involving me? Deciding for me? Yeah." You wipe away at your cheeks once more before unbuckling your seatbelt. "Whatever San, save it." You tell him before swinging the door open and stepping out. "You were just trying to protect me. I get it."

"Baby, don't be like that. Please don't make this harder than it already is. I would never intentionally hurt you. You know this." He tries to reach for your hand, but you move it away.

"You don't get to call me that anymore." You roll your eyes. "Anyway, goodluck, San." Is all you say before slamming his door shut and storming off. You begin to cry to yourself again, feeling sorry for yourself and stupid. You know deep down that San was only trying to do the right thing and that he was trying to protect you. But, right now, you're angry, you're sad, you're upset. You feel empty and betrayed and you just need to feel this out in order to let it pass.

This too shall pass.

When you head upstairs, you quickly pack up a few things, along with your laptop and other school-related necessities before locking up and heading to your car. You feel a migraine coming on, which definitely means you should take it easy and stay behind; but, all you can think about is getting to your mom and being away from school for a few days.

Nothing's better than a mother's love and comfort, even though you aren't entirely sure how she's gonna react to this, how she'll feel about San.

In the end, you don't hate him.

You can't.

You could never.

—FLASHBACK

"That was a good girl's date, wasn't it? We got massages, our nails done. Now we're eating a banana split under this nice weather." Your mom chuckles. "You need to come home more often."

"I know, I know." You scoop up a good helping of the banana split, internally conflicted on when is a good time to let your mom know about what's been going on. She would probably be surprised and scared for you, but your mom had a good way of choosing her words. She had a good way of being there for you but making her concerns known without pointing fingers or putting any blame on your actions.

"How has school been? Your friends?"

"They've been good. We've all been busy with our labs."

"Jiung's been good? You think you guys are all gonna stay in the labs you're currently rotating in?"

"He's good, yeah. And I think so, they all seem to be enjoying it."

"How about you?" You poke at the banana before scooping another helping. Your mom can already tell there's something else on your mind, but she's gonna let you take the floor and open up about it when you're ready.

Which is now.

You just don't know if she's ready.

"Uh, yeah. It's been good!" You give her a small smile. "I'm still deciding on my route, but it's been good." Pause. "There's actually something else I've been meaning to tell you."

"Okay, try me!" She chuckles. "What is it?"

"I've been seeing someone."

"Oh?" She laughs. "Well, isn't that great?! I mean, you never needed a man, okay. But, as long as they make you happy and add value to your life. I just want you happy." She laughs. "Who is he, where did you meet? Tell me everything!" You sigh and take a deep breath before starting.

"We met at school. In the lab. Because.. he's my rotation professor." You give her a look, afraid of what she'll say. She stops mid-bite and almost chokes, setting her spoon down before looking at you with knitted brows.

"Your.. what?! Y/N—"

"Mom, please. Just hear me out before you start assuming and saying things. He didn't abuse his power, I didn't throw myself on him, okay? It just happened." You immediately say and look at her with puppy eyes. "We just happened. We grew feelings for each other and just clicked really well. We've been keeping things lowkey."

"But, Y/N. Honey, I say this sincerely. What if people find out? Not that I want them to, but they will." You shrug.

"I don't know, we'll figure it out."

"H-how old is he?"

"32."

"Oh, okay. He's young."

"And handsome." You rest your chin on the palm of your hand and smile. "His name is San. Choi San. He's pretty popular in the bioengineering and neuroscience world."

"That's good." Your mom is slightly shutting down and you know it's because her thoughts are traveling at 100mph and she doesn't know what to think or do.

Or say.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I know you're worried but I'll be fine, okay? I promise. It'll all be fine." You add to break the silence and reach for her hand.

"I just don't want him to hurt you and then you lose everything you've worked so hard for over him."

"I just don't know where this is gonna take us. Things feel too overwhelming. Like.. I just don't want any talk getting into his head about us."

"It could really ruin things for the both of you, Y/N. Please be smart about your actions. Don't throw everything away because of him. That's all I ask. Just by the looks of it, I know he makes you happy and you're riding cloud nine, but you need to remember who comes first— yourself."

"I know. I hear you. I don't mean to cause any unnecessary worry or anything."

"No, you're not. Lovey, I'm your mom, I'm always gonna worry regardless. But, I trust you enough to make the right decisions and to take care of yourself. I know you'll be smart and I know you won't be completely reckless. I'm not gonna lie, this— this isn't a 'conventional' relationship and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet." She sighs and looks at you with a hint of concern in her eyes. "I'm trying hard to see this from your side, not from my side, and I think it'll take me time to get used to. In the end, I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't want people to think bad about you, and I don't want you to lose everything you've worked so hard for."

"I know, but it's all okay. I promise." You promise her, but you don't even know if you believe the promise yourself. "You can trust him." She doesn't say much, and you can tell she's trying her hardest to swallow her true emotions.

"Just becareful."

—END

San picks up the phone to call Namjoon, hands slightly trembling. He's still sitting in his car, still sitting in the same spot because it's his turn to cry and let out all his feelings. He hits the steering wheel before running a hand through his hair, second-guessing all his decisions.

Why did it have to come down to all of this? Did he really have to? How long before he folds and comes back to you?

Before he says fuck this all together and chases after you?

He keeps trying to remind himself that he needs to protect you and let this blow over. He keeps trying to remind himself that it'll all be worth it and you both will find your way back to each other again.

In time.

"San."

"It's over with." Is all he is able to say before Namjoon lets out a small sigh on the other end.

"I'm sorry, San. Look, just give this time—" Quite frankly, he doesn't wanna hear it anymore. Not today, not tomorrow, not for awhile.

"It's fine." He cute him off. "You don't have to say it. Just please make sure nothing happens to her."

"You got my word. I'll figure this out. Don't worry." San ends the call before he's digging his head into his hands and cries.

And cries.

Because now his days are going to blend back to the black and white filter he used to have on. He'll never experience that warmth, those colors, without you around.

He'll never witness where the sea meets the sky, when the sun sinks below the horizon. When dawn meets dusk.

His days will be monotone and dull, lifeless and cold. Gloomy. Days he had prayed to get past and never return to.

But, he's here again.

And somehow, this pain feels worse this time around than the first time.

—FLASHBACK

San sighs when he pulls up to his parents' house, aggressively shifting the gear to park before taking a moment to himself. He wasn't happy when his father left him a voicemail, scolding him for the rumors going around about him dating his student. He was quick to call him names and demand him to make things right before his name could be tainted in the industry. San isn't gonna lie, he's always looked up to his father. Things changed when San started making a name for himself in the academic industry, creating some kind of competitive tension between the two. Well, San never felt that way. His dad strongly did though, for whatever reason.

He never understood it. It's whatever.

What San wasn't having was the fact that his father kept calling you a little girl who only wanted to use him to work her way in and up.

He slams the door to his car, adjusting his hat and his jacket before tapping the code into the keypad on the front door.

"San, is that you?" He hears his mom's sweet voice call out to him. He smiles softly when she comes into view in the hallway, opening her arms for a hug. "Please don't mind your father, you know how he is. He's just concerned." She gives the back of his neck a reassuring massage.

"Mm, yeah. I can feel the concern especially when he starts calling me out my name."

"San." His mom gives him a look before his dad looks up from the paper he's reading on the couch, forehead crinkling when he sees his son walk in.

"Why are you here?"

"Hi to you, too." San says while his mom steps in the middle.

"Honey." She turns to his father.

"So, what was up with that voicemail?"

"Why don't you tell us what's been going on with you and your so-called girlfriend? Do you even care about yourself or what this could do to your career? You're so careless—"

"So what if I'm careless! You don't even know her so you don't have a right to do that!"

"Are you actually that stupid, San? Do you know how damaging this could be for you, for us?"

"What does this have to do with you?!" San's voice raises.

"It has everything to do with us! Everyone thinks you either forced that girl into a relationship or she threw herself on you and you stupidly took the bait!"

"Even if I said it wasn't like that, you wouldn't listen anyway!"

"Are you serious about her?"

"What makes you think I'm not? We're two grown adults who are capable of making our own decisions and knew the consequences from the very beginning."

"And you think she'll stay? Someone that young and who is just getting started with her life, basically. You think she'll stay and be there for you when times get rough?"

"Absolutely." His dad scoffs.

"Is that so? Wishful thinking. You couldn't even keep Iseul and now you're downgrading to a st—"

"Hey!" San's mom cuts off his father's statement. "That is enough from you. Don't finish that sentence."

"You have no idea what Iseul put me through!" San's tone is louder to match his father's energy. "I found somebody who genuinely and truly cares about me and who I am. That isn't enough for you? Just because she's a student, but a grown adult at that?! You can't even be happy for a second? You still find a way to be on Iseul's side even though she cheated with my bestfriend!"

"Maybe it's time you realized you pushed Iseul away. That was your own doing. And this girl? Don't come to me and make me tell you 'I told you so' when she leaves after she's gotten everything she needs from you." San's dad is fuming in front of him. "How could you be so sure things will be smooth sailing with her, hm? What makes you think this can work?"

"This is fucking bullshit, I'm not explaining myself to you. If you don't wanna be happy for me and support me, then so be it."

—END

San thinks maybe his dad was right; maybe this wasn't meant to be, and was just supposed to be another fleeting moment, another lesson.

Even though deep down, he knows it's far from it.

As he sits in his home office, he scrolls through old pictures of you and him together— you, pictures you've sent him. He feels the rush of sadness hit him like bricks, his chest almost physically hurting from the ache. He has this sudden urge to text you and call you, tell you how much he misses you.

But, he stops himself.

What if you stopped caring? What if you were so mad at him that you hated him?

He couldn't bear with it.

If only he knew how much you cried and yearned for him every night, if only he knew how much your head hurt while you laid on your mom's lap while she ran her hands through your hair— gently cooing you and shushing you to help you get some sleep.

If only he knew.

"Mom, I'm sorry." You cry and cry, laying your head on her lap as you let everything out. "You were right, I messed everything up. This was all so stupid. I'm so stupid."

"Don't say that." She shushes you and tries to coo you. "Don't ever say that again." She looks at you. "What happened?" You gather the strength to tell her everything that's been going on. How deep your relationship went with San and how well he took care of you. How you weren't always the most careful but the only reason why things blew up was because of Hae-jin, Iseul and Yunho. How Iseul and Yunho just keep trying to get in between, how Jiung even went to Professor Kim about all of this.

How San broke this off claiming he wanted to protect you and put you first.

How utterly sad and betrayed you feel.

"I'm just so tired of feeling this way. I hate how alone I feel. I hate how much I miss him. I hate how this unfolded the way it did."

"I'm so sorry, honey. You need to let things be for now, okay? I know that's not what you wanna hear, but you need to. Especially for school and yourself."

"Why does anyone care? Why does it matter?"

"People have nothing better to do, and I'm sorry it had to be those two and Jiung."

"I'm so tired, mom. When will this pass? What did I do wrong? Why did he leave so quickly?"

"Lovey. You did nothing wrong. It wasn't you at all, and it wasn't San either. The circumstances are just tough. You didn't know it would play out this way and I'm sure he has his reasons."

"What if he's just using that as an excuse? What if he really doesn't want this anymore?"

"If he really cared about you, why would he lie, Y/N? I'm sure he was doing his best to protect you both, especially you. I know it hurts right now, hun. But, maybe this is for the best." You don't wanna hear it even though your mom might be right.

Maybe this is for the best. Maybe this was just telling you this could never work between you two.

No matter how hard you both tried.

San's urge to text or call doesn't lessen as the next few days go by, especially when he notices he hasn't seen any trace of you. He'll usually see you walking towards the biology building for Yunho's class or making your way to the dining hall with the girls.

If San hadn't overheard Sunwoo telling his lab mates that you were sick, he would've gone crazy.

It still doesn't help that you're feeling unwell and he can't do anything about it.

"Sunwoo." San pokes his head out of his door, causing Sunwoo to lift his head from his laptop and shift his attention towards him. "Can you meet really quickly?"

"Yeah, sure thing. Be right over!"

"Thanks." San heads back to his desk and lets out a breath, waiting for Sunwoo to come. It takes him less than 5 minutes to finally make his way into the office, rubbing his hands down his jeans. "Hey." San looks up at him. "Thanks for coming in on short notice."

"No prob! What's up, Professor Choi?"

"I wanted to talk to you really quickly because I wanted you to hear it from me directly. Starting next week, we'll be losing Y/N's support. She'll be heading to Professor Kim's lab."

"O-oh. Okay. Damn." Sunwoo ticks his head to the side. "Professor Kim with the steal." San chuckles a bit.

"Yeah." San can't even hide his sadness when he looks down at the papers beneath his hands that Sunwoo catches on and he feels bad. He still doesn't know the details and he never will, but if it's one thing he can gather right now, it's the fact that the room feels cold and empty.

It's the fact that San literally has to force himself to smile and deliver this news like all is okay and no big deal— when in fact, it fucking is.

Sunwoo feels so bad.

"So, I know she's out sick right now, but will I still get to see her before she goes? I wanna talk to her to wrap things up, too."

"When she returns, we'll make sure she has time to close loose ends with you and gather her things."

"Hm." Sunwoo nods slowly. "Okay."

"I'm sorry this came up so suddenly, but I had to make a few changes around here. We all thought she'd be a better fit with Professor Kim."

"I see. She's super smart and incredibly great at what she does, I know she'll do well in whatever she does and wherever she goes." San nods.

"Yeah, she will." He sighs. "There's another rotation student that I might bring in next quarter that might be a good fit to work with you, too. His name is Baehyuk."

"Cool. Down to meet whenever the time is right."

"Thanks, Sunwoo."

"No, thank you for always giving me some help and pushing me forward." San gives him a small smile. "Everything will work out."

"Yeah." Is all he could say in response. Because he hopes it will.

Right now, it seems like a far reach.

All San wants to do is love you, rather than hiding just how deeply in love he was with you.

—FLASHBACK

"Here, baby." He turns to hand you a plate with a smile on his face. "Think you can help me dry the last of these dishes and put 'em up?"

"Course, chef." He chuckles, watching as you tip-toe with nothing but his shirt on to reach over and place the dry dishes into the proper cabinet. You follow suit with the last three dishes, setting the towel aside while San wipes away the water droplets around the sink. "We did it, babe! All clean."

"Sure did." He laughs, caging you in against the counter to kiss you sweetly. "Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome." You giggle. "Thank you for making dinner."

"As long as you enjoyed." You nod.

"What do you wanna do for the rest of the evening?"

"Mm, we can watch a movie and fall asleep here on the couch without any worry."

"That's fun." You smile.

"Or, we can do other things that I have in mind." He brushes the hair away from your face while you wrap your arms around his neck.

"Ooh." You reply in a sing-song tone. "Care to indulge?"

"Absolutely." He says just as he swiftly carries you and wraps your legs around him. You squeal as he walks over to the couch and gently plops you down onto the soft cushions, wasting no time to attach his lips to every inch of skin he can. He slowly hovers over you, hands roaming up your shirt and tugging material along with it as he continues to move upward— exposing your cute pink panties from beneath. He sinks to his knees and pries your legs open after fixing your position to the edge of the couch. "Let me make you feel good, love."

"Yes please, Sannie. Please." You beg, watching as San slides down your panties and tosses them aside. His hands caress your thighs, giving them a good squeeze while laying open-mouth kisses along the surface. You continue to watch him, biting on your lip when he hovers over where you need him at most. He licks a stripe up your folds, causing your head to cock back against the cushion. He begins to gently kiss and suck at your heat— a satisfying, breathy moan leaving your lips as you let San relish being in between your thighs. He laps away at your clit, tonguing down your pussy as if he had been deprived of you for years.

You love/hate how good he is at this. "Babe—" You moan loudly, hips now working on their own terms against his mouth. He subtly nods as he continues to suck and lap away at your heat, tongue keeping you wet and filthy; just the way he likes it. "God, right there—" You whine, hips rolling upward and grinding against his mouth, his tongue.

You used to be so shy.

Now, you're not afraid to tell him what you want and he fucking loves it. "Oh—San— gonna—" Your statement comes out broken as you continue to work against his mouth, orgasm crashing down like a harsh wave against the shore. You grip his hair, body twitching as San continues to latch on and groan against your pussy; incredibly hard while watching the way your body surrenders all. "Fuck." You whisper, still twitching due to the aftershocks from your first orgasm of the night.

"That's my girl." He's back to kissing your thighs, hands gently rubbing up and down your leg as a way to soothe you.

"Need you." You tug him by the shirt to plant a messy kiss against his lips— shirt soon to be discarded on the floor, along with his sweats.

Now you're on his lap, slowly riding his cock just the way he likes it— the couch's throw blanket resting against the small of your back and draped along San's lap.

It's his favorite position after all.

"Mm— just like that, baby." He whispers against your lips as you continue to ride him slowly on the couch. "Just like that." He repeats. "You're my good girl, right? Just mine?" He asks lowly and you nod, letting out a sweet moan as he pinches your nipple and watches your head tilt back in pleasure. "Oh, fuck— just like that." His head rests back against the couch, feeling your walls brush against him and drag against his rock hard cock. "All mine."

"Mm'fuck, Sannie." You keep your head back, intense pleasure bubbling at the pit of your stomach. You take him slowly, deeply; his cock hitting all the right spots every time you do a 'lil tug and pull— hips carefully rolling against him.

"So fucking sexy." He groans. "God, you're everything." His lips drag against your skin, tongue swirling around your perky nipples as your hands tug on the ends of his soft, black hair. "Everything to me." He whispers as if your skin could hold all of the universe's secrets. The blanket is barely keeping up with your movements. San's hand comes up along the base of your neck, bringing you back down to envelope your lips with his.

The kiss is full of hunger.

The kiss is slow and steady.

The kiss is messy.

You break the kiss first, body slowly crumbling in his grip when you feel your high approaching quick. You moan loudly, breath ragged as you pant; hips slightly picking up the pace to push yourself further and further until you reach the edge.

"Oh—" San matches your moans. "That's it, sweetheart. Cum for me." He praises you, voice deep— tone sending vibrations all the way down to your core. "Give it to me. Wanna feel you cum all over this dick, angel." Hearing San talk the way he's talking is enough to make your coil snap. He continues to coo you as you come undone on his lap; stuttering in your movements and trembling in his grip. He places his hands on your hips, fingers digging deep into the flesh while he fucks up into you— reaching his high shortly after you with a loud groan and hiss. "Fuck, that was so good, baby." You giggle, forehead against his while his hands gently caress and your back. You leave a tender kiss against his plump lips, and he chases with a few repeated kisses before bringing you down with him on the couch. The both of you lay underneath the throw blanket, now properly covering most of your bodies while San holds you from behind. He has his propped up by an arm while you both watch the show on TV, but San finds his thoughts wandering elsewhere at some point. He begins to look around the house and notices how different it feels since you've been around.

Good different.

A space that used to he so grey, so lifeless; now has remnants of you everywhere.

Your polaroids.

Pictures of you and San in frames.

Your little stuffed animal keychains and rings thrown onto the kitchen island, or the room. Or even his desk in the office.

Your little post-it notes. Your favorite chips and snacks littered around the pantry.

You were there everywhere he turned, and he finds it's one of his biggest blessings.

Especially when you lay here on the couch with him, completely not minding the idea San proposed of just falling asleep on the couch together while sorting through movies.

You agreed so quickly and so happily.

No matter how big or small, most ideas just seemed silly in his last relationship.

But, now he has you— someone who is happy to just be with him and spend time with him. No matter how big or small the idea, the plans.

San loves you.

And he'll never take it for granted.

—END

—read 13.5 here

—taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @vcutparis @chngbnwf @struggling101 @sanhwalvr @angelqueendom @barbielibra @brown88 @choisansplushie @yunhoswrldddd @hyukssunflower @vickykazuya @lucid-galaxys-world @jaytheatiny @pommelex @thechaotictheoryy @vixensss @santineez @nopension @domfikeluva @in-somnias-world @my-atiny-kookie-rkive @mountiiny @naoristerling @onmymymyway @thecutiepieme @wyrated

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leighsartworks216 · 2 days ago

Note

could I request it being the first time ur in a relationship for valentine's and youre not sure how to make it special for sylus because you've never celebrated before ? :)

My First Valentine

Sylus x gn!Reader

I wrote most of this today even tho the request came in a week ago 💀 sorry

Warnings: fluff, anxiety, nervousness, embarrassment, kissing, gift giving, flowers, Valentine's Day, insecurity, declarations of love, established relationship, pet names, reader is implied as being shorter/smaller than Sylus

Word Count: 1,922

Main Masterlist

First - Second - Third LADS Masterlists

AO3

Tag List Form

'45 Fun And Romantic Valentine's Day Date Ideas!' '13 Fun Valentine's Day Activities!' '25+ Romantic Things To Do This Valentine's Day!'

You sigh, closing yet another tab of holiday ideas. You don't know how many websites you've looked at now, all of them promising fantastic gifts or experiences, sure to sweep your partner off their feet. But none of them felt good enough. Not for Sylus.

All your life, Valentine's Day was another lonely day. Your friends and their partners would be out and about or getting together at home, and you'd be stuck in pjs, eating ice cream and watching the same cheesy rom-coms as the year before. The most you'd ever gotten out of the day was in school, when you'd get those little themed cards with a heart-shaped lollipop poked through them.

Now that you have a partner, every single thing you come across feels too cheesy, or like something he wouldn't be into. Not to mention, anything you could possibly buy, he could get on his own with his gobs of money.

Go on a trip? He owns his own private jet; he could go anywhere anytime.

Buy him flowers? More likely than not, they'd wilt twice as fast in the darkness of the N109 Zone.

Dinner at a restaurant means you'd have to find some really fancy place to suit his tastes to make sure he has a nice time. Cooking something yourself could hardly compare to his professional private chef's cooking.

You could get him some vinyls, but you'd hate to get him a duplicate. Weapons? Well, he's got that covered; he deals them.

Asking Luke and Kieran is a non-starter when they're equally as likely to give you good advice as fake advice that would make you look foolish.

You can't fathom how your friends make it look so easy to make plans for the day and get gifts for their partners. Though, you suppose, none of them are dating a multi-billionaire (if not multi-trillionaire or more) crime boss.

You sigh and close your laptop with a snap. What does Sylus enjoy that you can treat him to as a special holiday treat? Something you can feasibly accomplish before the actual day rolls around? Something other than a cheap visit to the arcade or the cat cafe...

Wait... Actually...

Sylus knows you live in rather modest means. He always insists you pay with his black card so you're not stressing about going broke. Why would he suddenly expect you to dish out wads of cash now on a trip or gift? Anything you give him - even if it's a cheap toy from the dollar store - he'd cherish like a gem.

And that's when the idea forms.

With all the preparations written down, you text him, bubbling with energy.

Syyyy

You seem rather playful all of a sudden. What's got you excited, kitten?

You can tell all that from one word??

No, I can tell all that because I know you

Awe 🥺 stop being so cute

Anyway!! I actually wanted to tell you that I have Valentine's Day all worked out!

Oh?

But it's a secret!

Well now I'm interested. What do I need to do for these plans of yours?

Just show up at my place at nightfall on the day of :3

That's it? Why do I feel like I'm being lured into a trap?

Oh yeah the worst trap of all a doting partner who wants to pour all their love on you

Alright. I'll see you then, kitten

But don't think I'll be showing up empty handed

I'd be concerned if you did ngl

Ily <3333333 Goodnighttt

Goodnight, sweetie. I love you too

For how simple your plan is - or perhaps because of how simple your plan is - you've never been more nervous in your life. You've double and triple checked everything, made sure he'll be comfortable and not too disappointed with what you've come up with, and second-guessed yourself several times about whether this is actually a good idea.

Not that it matters. You'd be really down to the wire to come up with something new now.

You pace the living room, wringing your hands together, chewing your lip, fussing with your hair. You feel like a dog excited to see its owner when you hear a patterned knock on the door. So excited you nearly trip over the corner of a blanket in your haste to answer it.

Sylus is there to greet you, an easy grin on his face and softened eyes. A large bouquet that you'd drown in rests deceptively small in the crook of his arm. A bag hangs from his other hand, but he sets it down when you step into the hall to hug him.

He chuckles fondly, squeezing you tightly to him and kissing your head. "You look cozy," he teases playfully. His fingers tug at the back of your pajamas.

You laugh nervously as you step back. "Ah, yeah. It's part of the stuff I planned, actually."

He quirks an eyebrow. "I'm a bit overdressed."

"Don't worry! I got you some!" Your face grows hot. You feel like an idiot, flustered and inexperienced. "Come in, so I can explain better."

You take the bouquet from his arm. It's full of your favorite flowers, their delightful aroma tickling your nose as you carry them into the kitchen to look for a vase. You have to rely on your muscle memory to move around; they completely block your vision. Sylus follows in after you with his bag, peering around the little space of your apartment. He'd offered to get you a bigger one, once. Somewhere with a view, soundproof walls, and all the upgraded appliances you ogled in the stores. But you refused, and he respected that, even if it meant being inconvenienced by the lack of space for someone of his size.

His eyes land on the couch, covered in blankets of all sizes. Various DVDs cover the coffee table alongside a neatly folded pair of pajamas. It's cluttered, but purposefully so, as if the mess has been built into the experience.

You find a vase (bought after the first time he bought you flowers that you had to divvy up between various drinking cups) and settle the bouquet on the small dining table. There's no room left for two people to eat there. You come back out looking a mite more disheveled than before.

You smile awkwardly up at him, eyes flickering from his face to your setup as you rock back and forth on your feet. "So! Um, I've never actually had a partner to celebrate Valentine's Day with before, so I used to get a bunch of ice cream, maybe some takeout, and I'd just spend the night on the couch with a bunch of cheesy rom-coms. And now we're together and I didn't know what I could do because you can have anything you want at any given moment. But, um, I just thought, for my first Valentine's Day with someone, I could... share my 'tradition' with you." You exhale a shaky breath. "I know it's probably not what you were expecting..."

"Sweetie," he gently interrupts your rambling. He sets the bag on the couch, then closes the space between you, holding your face in both his hands, urging you to meet his eyes. They shine with something warm and sweet, like cherry wine. "It's not what I was expecting, but it's better than anything I could have imagined."

You scoff. "You're just saying that."

He shakes his head. "I can't buy a tradition, sweetie. This is something that means a lot to you. I'm fortunate enough to be the one person who gets to share it with you; no amount of money could do that."

Your heart feels light. It floats around your chest like a balloon filled with helium. Butterflies flutter in your stomach to join in on the fun. Is this how your friends felt with their partners? It's addicting. You try to blink away the incoming tears before they can form.

"What did you bring?" you ask suddenly, redirecting the conversation away so you can have a chance to gather yourself.

Fortunately, he lets you have it. With a knowing smirk, he kisses your forehead and steps away back to the couch. You miss the proximity immediately.

He pulls out each item one by one, holding it up to show you. "Wine. I can't say anything about how it'll taste, but the label was pretty, so I thought you'd like it." He sets it on the coffee table.

"You mentioned that you liked to go to the store the day after to buy the discounted candy. Well, it wasn't discounted, but I grabbed a variety." Those remain in the bag, but he has to shift it all around to reach something at the bottom.

He seems the most proud of - and the most nervous for - this one. He glances over at you before he pulls it out, as though double checking he has your attention. From the bag comes a hoodie, that he holds by the shoulders to let it unfold. It's nothing too special to look at, but the size is what strikes you. When he holds it up, it's clearly the perfect size for him. His ears tinge pink as he holds it out for you.

"You complained once that I don't have any hoodies for you to steal, like other couples do," he reminds you, voice soft and vulnerable.

He watches carefully as you step forward and reach out to feel the material. It's soft. So soft. You take it into your arms. The familiar scent of Sylus wafts up from the fabric; his body wash, his cologne, him. You hold it up to your nose to smell it better as you look up at him in awe.

"I wore it for a couple days," he admits. "If you don't like it, I can-"

"I love it." You really are going to cry now. You step forward, clinging the hoodie to your chest as he wraps his arms around you. "Sy, this means so much to me. I'm never gonna be able to take it off."

He chuckles. His arms squeeze you just a bit tighter, pull you a bit closer. "I'm glad. You're my first Valentine, too."

You pull back enough to look up at him. Your eyes are glassy, surprise to earnest on your face. "Wha- Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well, I mean, I just- You're so... you. That's a compliment, by the way."

"I was waiting for the right partner," he says with a huff of laughter. He dips his head down, soft lips capturing yours in a meaningful kiss. When he speaks again, it's in soft murmurs between kisses. "I'll go change... into the pajamas you got me... and then... we can watch... your movies."

The butterflies are back in full force. Each kiss has them flittering about, doing swoops and swirls in your stomach, wings tickling your insides. "Okay... Mm, but, stay here a bit longer..."

He smiles against your lips, hands sliding up your body to hold your face as he tilts his head, yearning to taste more of you, feel more of you. "Love you, sweetheart..."

You blindly set the hoodie on the arm of the couch to hold his fancy shirt in both hands, drawing him closer, knuckles brushing against the defined muscle beneath the fabric. "I love you, Sylus... Mm, so much... so much..."

---

Tag List:

@the-golden-jhope @armycaratlover @sylusfluffymeow @cheesemachine44 @nyx2021 @angel-jupiter @thelittlebutton @pikachuzhc @pomegranatepip @cordidy @an-ever-angry-bi @thejysemongko @deusfoundry @that-lost-one @always-just-red @22carolina08 @lunaizhere @sine-nomine0 @beautifulthingsiadore @lalaluch @burningtrashgentleman

#fanfic #fanfiction #sylus #sylus x reader #love and deepspace sylus #lads sylus #lnds sylus #love and deepspace #love and deepspace x reader #lads #lads x reader #lnds #lnds x reader #gn reader #x gn reader #gender neutral reader #x gender neutral reader

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fullfriendnerdclutch · 2 days ago

Text

Rites: Valentine

Same-sex relationship is still illegal in my country and punishable with prison term, that's why me and my boyfriend always have to lay low in public and even also took some extra measures in private to ensure our safety. But, for Valentine's Day, we always did something special for the past 2 years and we absolutely planned to do it again this year. Last year it was two stereotypical American college football jocks, this year.....well, we wanted something different

We stumbled upon this opportunity during our research about moving out from our country and settle in an entirely different one. They helped people to relocate for short-term, like quick break from daily living, to long-term such as a complete change of life. Was it the alcohol or what that clouded our judgment back then, but we followed through the procedure back at that day from that shady website and found ourselves the following morning not next to each other and in a completely different country altogether. It was chaotic but we managed to found each other and have the best sex of our relationship to that date before all in a sudden ripped away from the two fine dadbod to return to our ordinary life when the time was up

This year, we're much more well-planned and prepared as we decided to go to Brazil to celebrate our 3rd Valentine together. Spotting that Valentine falls on Friday this year, we also requested a return back to our body by Sunday evening in our country timezone because we still need to go to work on Monday after all

"Ready?"

"Always. Directly DM me, okay?"

"Sure thing, babe,"

"Okay, good night,"

---

I know it's our third time doing this, but it's always giving me such chills to open my eyes and found myself to not be in bed but actually in the middle of doing something inside a completely different body. We did mention to the agency to land us inside fit, 21-35 years old age group Brazilian men, but the weight of it really only hit when you experienced it, and it's certainly true for this one because this guy I'm in is thick!

It's Friday morning here in Rio, and I'm inside this huge tatted hunk named Gonzalo, his buzzcut and overall style makes him look very intimidating but there's a charming side to this handsome stud that I know I won't be able to resist if he flashes his smile to me. A small dog on a leash that I held added another element of surprise because I'm terrified of dog and I really cannot touch dog but I think Gonzalo here has no problem with it, right? I quickly take a selfie of myself and directly send the picture to my boyfriend's Insta as Gonzalo's insta is accessible anyway. Ohhh....he's typing right away, so he logged in to his account already huh......I wonder how he looks like

"Morning, handsome stranger. Just finished with my morning run, I'm reeked. Name's Joao,"

Fuck me, he's looking like a snack! Gonzalo's memory is filled with women and these repeated names of Carla that appeared in a lot of the memory, a girlfriend of Gonzalo apparently, but sorry to that woman, boyfriend is not going to celebrate Valentine's Day with her this year. I started to add my own input to Gonzalo's mind and make this body heated for the snack that is Joao on my screen, as I type my reply stating my interest to come over to check out how reeked he is. This two dudes might not actually know each other, but we don't really care about all that because what mattered for now is the fact that my boyfriend is inside of that man and I want to give him the love and fucking he deserved for his Valentine's Day

Once I receive the detail of his apartment location and another sultry selfie of his already taking off his musky cap and sweaty tanktop, I'm headed his way with the dog coming along with me.

The temperature in Rio is not that different with our hometown, so I find no problem strutting around over here through the walkways to the apartment located around 25 minutes walk from Gonzalo's residence. The people is definitely a lot more diverse and wearing a much-more revealing clothes compared to my hometown, but really, my mind just wandered to the idea of my boyfriend inside that taut Brazilian twunk, probably still sweaty with almost no clothings on already waiting for me. The colors of the street, the sight and senses of a new city, everything becomes secondary as I can feel the throbbing meat is accustomed to its owner's gay thoughts and just ready to be released from its cotton prison.

When I finally ring the bell of his apartment unit, the door opened quickly to the sight I simply cannot resist. I instantly lunged at him for a kiss and before long, we're already stripped naked from all our clothings as we consummate our Brazilian outings right here in this apartment while the sun shines nicely on us and the neighbors clearly can see us fucking each other but not gonna call police on us

#male possession #male takeover #racial change #rites a loose series

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emptymanuscript · 3 days ago

Text

I admit I'm on the fence about AI in general... well, on the I have never used it and am not sure if I ever should but I've got the deep fear of missing out side.

But in the context of learning, it strikes me as falling in the same landscape as a calculator or Excel. I use a calculator or (actually more commonly) Excel to do any math because I'm not particularly good at math and never really have been.

BUT

When I was growing up, you did NOT get to use a calculator until you knew how to calculate. This was not a thing to make us suffer or just make life more difficult.

I also had stupid tests where I had to solve 100 math problems in 3 minutes, and I'm not about to argue that was good for me, helped me, or should be inflicted on subsequent generations.

I had to learn how to calculate BECAUSE of the above. If YOU don't know how to calculate, then it is impossible to tell if the calculator gave you the correct answer or not.

Back when I used to post to r/excel, I used to get flack for not showing the "EFFICIENT" way to solve problems but instead would show things step by step. But this is the same thing. If you do things in a big complicated group, you either get the right answer or the wrong answer. If you do things step by step you can CHECK your answer step by step and see if they make sense.

Do I need to know how to do 87^2 in my head in 30 seconds or less? No. I really don't. But I do need to know what is going on and why it is happening.

87^2 = 7,569 is great for a calculator to do. The calculator absolutely can do it faster than most people can. But if I just plug in 87^2 and get 689, how do I verify it? How do I check? Can I even realize, hmmm, that doesn't look quite right. Are my functions all right?

Knowing what is going on is the insurance for that. I can probably catch that, oh, I was trying to use a clever trick and forgot some steps.

The answer isn't all that is important.

And yes, it absolutely can make you dumber. Like I got to hear a discussion between two lecturers I really liked. And one just went off on a tangent and the other was clearly wondering why the hell she was there, this isn't science. BUT because I knew the details of how they were both dealing with the basic problem they were talking about - current science not being able to successfully predict certain phenomenon without numbers to fudge the situation that represent things that can't be proven independently of the need to fudge the numbers - I was able to follow the miscommunication while they, themselves, could not. His tangent made perfect sense in the context of his field of interest and made zero sense in hers. And if all you have the answers with no information of how you got to them, there's zero way to connect "I think the Sun might be conscious" and "I think half of the standard model is based on incorrect assumptions." They were in fact talking about the same things and differing solutions but there's no way to align that without talking about the assumptions, which needs to be laid out in order to UNDERSTAND the answer.

And struggling with my FOMO on writing, there's the basic truth that the reason I fear like I'm missing out is in part because I AM an expert. I have a graduate degree in TEACHING creative writing. I know my shit. So if I ask ChatGPT or whatever to spit out a scene for me, I not only can tell if it is good or bad, I can explain WHY it is good or bad and what needs to be done to improve it. I have zero fear of amateurs asking ChatGPT to spit out a novel for them and getting a novel of quality that I will be competing with. I am scared of people with enough knowledge of how writing works and knowledge of how ChatGPT creating the equivalent situation of me doing long division on paper while they're plugging the equations into a calculator.

A calculator, used as a tool, by someone who understands what they're doing, can do calculations faster and with less errors than someone who also understands what they're doing but isn't using a calculator. But it's not the difference of one being able to do it and another not. It's a difference of speed and accuracy.

It's an entirely different set up when it's someone who understands what they're doing versus someone who doesn't. You can give someone who doesn't know what they're doing all the tools in the world and it will still take them longer and produce an inferior product because they can't understand what they're doing.

And that's the basic problem with using ChatGPT for education. Yes, it can give you an answer. But because you don't know how, you simply have to trust that it is the correct answer. With no way to double check, no way to gauge, and no way to adjust the workflow to better suit your needs.

It absolutely is shooting themselves in the foot. Because school is the point where access to help with process and WHY things work the way to do is easiest to get. It does simply get harder to find the farther away from educational opportunities you get. And when you need it to work isn't the best time to be trying to figure out what you're really doing instead of already having that education and skill under your belt.

It's also relying on the fatal assumption that tomorrow is going to look like yesterday. My earliest datable memory is June 1st 1982. The world is so profoundly different in February 13th 2025, that I am very comfortable promising you that the idea that you can depend on the world looking the same for your entire life WILL get you into trouble because that's simply not the way the world works. Certainly not now. The assumption that it is safe to use ChatGPT now because you will always be able to use ChatGPT is a set up for failure. Will there always be tools? Yes. Will you know how to get future tools to work the same way as ChatGPT? Probably not. I grew up using Dos and then Window's machines. These days, the programs are so different, I find it easier to use a Mac instead of learning the new way that Windows does things.

If you rely on a particular tool solving a problem for you in a way you don't understand beyond that tool giving you the answer, you will be relearning the tool every large iteration. And eventually it will be different enough that it will set you back. That you will essentially be starting from nearly scratch. And then what? If you don't know what kind of answer you should get, how are you going to know if you're using that new tool correctly because some engineer decided that it is more efficient to move in a different direction?

Even novels have changed over the course of my life. Every book I've read that was published in the last 15 years breaks fundamental rules I was taught back in the early 90's. The conventions that I would have insisted that ChatGPT follow have changed. But if I didn't know WHY those conventions existed how would I even know? How would I adjust? Why would it even occur to me that I needed to adjust? ChatGPT sure doesn't know.

That's probably fine if it's just something you're doing for fun.

But if it is your job? Getting things wrong can be the difference between keeping that job and going hungry. It is not a good idea to be utterly dependent on your tools. Tools are to make what you're doing easier, not to do the task for you all together.

Yeah, just don't. The grades are not as important as what you will be able to do (or not be able to do) later in life. And sometimes that later can be a LOT sooner than you anticipate. I watched a LOT of people wash out or nearly wash out of college because they didn't know the whys and hows of what they were doing academically. I saw straight A students flunk out because they just learned the cheat or because their schools were crap and only taught one way to do things or taught nothing at all and just let the cards fall. I had a good friend who came in with a 4.2 GPA and nearly flunk out because she wasn't taught basic skills I had gotten in middle school.

Which was intentional.

Because she was black and poor and I wasn't.

Her schooling was designed to fail her because the best way to make sure someone as smart as her STAYED black and poor was to let her fly without ever teaching her the skills to do better when she needed to. And she was damned smart. And she worked damned hard. And she pulled through and got a master's before I did. But she was in the extreme minority and had a lot of help and still slid through by the skin of her teeth. Most people in her position crashed and burned and ended up WORSE off than they started. Which is great for the powers that be because it makes them a demonstration of why you shouldn't even try. It shows that society is stacked against you. Because it is. Because it is designed to fail.

Understand that ChatGPT is the same set up. It will make things easier. For now. It will give you the answers. It will work. Until it hits the level it can't anymore. And that WILL happen. It is inevitable. And then you have no supports and you ARE going to crash and burn.

There is a reason that ChatGPT is cheap and being forced on everyone. It is controlled by the people who are being served by the current societal structure.

Are you being served? Are you sure? Because if there is ANYTHING about you they can benefit by crushing, washing you out, setting you out to sacrifice, they're going to do it. Anything that is free in our society is a tool to make YOU the product. And they're damn good at doing it. So think long and hard about using that tool when they have so much history and investment in making you crap out for their benefit. Don't rely on them to save you.

I just started grad school this fall after a few years away from school and man I did not realize how dire the AI/LLM situation is in universities now. In the past few weeks:

I chatted with a classmate about how it was going to be a tight timeline on a project for a programming class. He responded "Yeah, at least if we run short on time, we can just ask chatGPT to finish it for us"

One of my professors pulled up chatGPT on the screen to show us how it can sometimes do our homework problems for us and showed how she thanks it after asking it questions "in case it takes over some day."

I asked one of my TAs in a math class to explain how a piece of code he had written worked in an assignment. He looked at it for about 15 seconds then went "I don't know, ask chatGPT"

A student in my math group insisted he was right on an answer to a problem. When I asked where he got that info, he sent me a screenshot of Google gemini giving just blatantly wrong info. He still insisted he was right when I pointed this out and refused to click into any of the actual web pages.

A different student in my math class told me he pays $20 per month for the "computational" version of chatGPT, which he uses for all of his classes and PhD research. The computational version is worth it, he says, because it is wrong "less often". He uses chatGPT for all his homework and can't figure out why he's struggling on exams.

There's a lot more, but it's really making me feel crazy. Even if it was right 100% of the time, why are you paying thousands of dollars to go to school and learn if you're just going to plug everything into a computer whenever you're asked to think??

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the-oblivious-writer · 2 days ago

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Let the Light In |9|

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Chapter Nine: Struck by Cupid's Knife

Summary: After working up the courage, Tara asks you to spend Cupid’s birthday with her, but neither of you could have predicted the results.

Warning(s): Swearing (I think), arguing, Tara wearing The Skirt™️, innuendos, miscommunication/shit communication and mentions of masochism.

Notes: Reader’s a thirsty son of a bitch.

Masterlist|Previous Part|Next Part

You're sprawled on Tara's couch, one hand absently scratching behind Dookie's ears while the other reaches for your water. The cat purrs contentedly in your lap, a rare sight according to literally everyone who's ever met the notoriously selective feline. On screen, Leatherface is doing what Leatherface does best – terrorizing unsuspecting teenagers with questionable decision-making skills.

"You know," you muse, "for someone who claims to hate slashers, you sure own a lot of them."

Tara throws chips at your head. It misses spectacularly and lands on Dookie, who gives her the most withering look a cat can muster. "I never said I hate slashers. I said modern slashers lack the psychological complexity of—"

"—of 'Prom Night,' yes, we've all heard the dissertation," you interrupt, earning yourself another chip projectile. This one actually hits its mark. "Which, by the way, is absolutely not better than 'Sleepaway Camp.'"

"Oh my god, are you seriously starting this again?" Tara pauses the movie, turning to face you fully. "Angela Baker is iconic, sure, but—"

"But nothing! The psychological implications alone—"

"The psychological implications of a movie that ends with—"

You both start talking over each other, your voices rising with practiced familiarity of an argument you've had dozens of times before. Dookie lifts his head to watch the verbal tennis match, tail twitching with mild interest.

"Okay, okay," Tara finally concedes, though her tone suggests this is far from over. "We can agree to disagree. For now. But only because I'm starving and we still haven't decided on dinner."

"Indian?" you suggest innocently, already knowing the response you'll get.

Her eyes narrow. "You know damn well what happened last time."

"You mean when you insisted you could handle the spice level and then spent three hours complaining about heartburn?"

"I did not complain for three hours."

"You literally texted me at 3 AM to tell me your esophagus was staging a coup."

She throws her hands up in exasperation. "Fine! What's your brilliant suggestion then?"

You pretend to think about it, even though you both know exactly where this is heading. "Well, there's this place I know. Makes great burgers, killer onion rings, milkshakes that'll change your life…"

"You mean the same place we always go?"

"If it ain't broke, princess."

The nickname slips out before you can catch it, an old habit you can't seem to shake. Tara's expression does something complicated – a mix of annoyance, fondness, and something else you're not quite ready to analyze.

"Speaking of things that aren't broken," she starts, then stops, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. "There's this Valentine's party next week…"

You focus very intently on Dookie's fur, suddenly finding the pattern fascinating. "Oh yeah? Sounds fun."

"Yeah, it's at Chad's place. You could… I mean, if you wanted…" She trails off, then quickly adds, "But you probably have plans."

"Actually," you say, still not looking up, "I was just gonna stay in. The new season of 'Yellowjackets' dropped and—"

"Oh." There's something in her voice that makes you finally look up. "That… that sounds good too."

A moment passes, filled only by the sound of Dookie's purring and the paused image of Leatherface on the TV.

"You could join," you offer, the words tumbling out before you can overthink them. "If you wanted. Instead of the party."

Tara's face brightens for a split second before she schools it into careful neutrality. "What happened to your sacred solo binge-watching ritual?"

"Well, Dookie's already broken that rule," you gesture to the cat who's now fully asleep in your lap. "Besides, someone needs to be there to judge my commentary."

"Your commentary definitely needs supervision," she agrees, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "But what about Chad's party? You sure you don't want to…" she waves her hand vaguely.

You raise an eyebrow. "Want to what?"

"Nothing," she says quickly. "Just… you know. Meet people. Or whatever."

"Careful, Carpenter. That almost sounded like jealousy."

"You wish," she scoffs, but there's a faint blush creeping up her neck. "I just don't want you blaming me when you miss out on finding your soulmate at a frat party."

"Right, because nothing says true love like keg stands and questionable punch."

She throws more chips at you, but she's smiling now. "Shut up and watch the movie, dork."

You press play, and Leatherface resumes his rampage. But you can't help noticing how Tara seems more relaxed now, how she's shifted slightly closer on the couch. Dookie stretches in your lap, completely unbothered by the chainsaw sounds from the TV, and you think maybe this is exactly where you're supposed to be.

Even if Tara is completely wrong about "Prom Night.

—

Valentine's Day arrives with all the subtlety of a horror movie jump scare. You're pacing your apartment, pretending you haven't spent the last hour deciding what to wear for what's supposedly just another movie night. Dookie, who somehow managed to sneak into your place during Tara's last visit and never left, watches you with judgmental eyes from his perch on your bookshelf.

"Don't give me that look," you mutter, adjusting your shirt for the hundredth time. "This is completely normal behavior."

Dookie blinks slowly, unconvinced.

Your phone buzzes with a text, and you definitely don't lunge for it like a teenager waiting for their crush to call.

Tara (6:45 PM): omw Tara (6:45 PM): with snacks Tara (6:46 PM): and NO you cannot veto my candy choices this time

You smile despite yourself, typing back a quick response.

Dork (6:46 PM): If you brought those weird swedish fish again, we're going to have words

When the knock finally comes, you open the door to find Tara wearing a skirt that makes your brain short-circuit. It's not even particularly revealing – just a simple black pleated number that hits just above her knees – but something about the way it moves when she walks past you makes your mouth go dry.

"Earth to Y/N," Tara waves a hand in front of your face. "You gonna let me in or just stand there having a stroke?"

You snap out of it, closing the door perhaps a bit too quickly. "Sorry, just… wondering if I should be concerned about what's in that suspiciously large grocery bag."

"Liar," she smirks, dropping said bag on your coffee table. "But I'll let it slide because I'm feeling generous."

Meanwhile, in a group chat you're blissfully unaware of:

CORE 4 & CO.

Mindy: TARA CARPENTER Mindy: YOU DID NOT JUST LEAVE THE HOUSE IN THAT SKIRT Mindy: TO GO WATCH TV Mindy: WITH YOUR “NEMESIS”

Sammy: Let her live, Mindy

Chad: anyone else find it sus that they're both skipping the party? 👀

Mindy: "skipping the party to watch yellowjackets" sure jan

Tara: i can see these messages you know

Mindy: EXACTLY Mindy: WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING

Chad: yeah wearing The Skirt™️

Tara: it's just a skirt omg Tara: and don't you all have better things to do??

Mindy: than watch you attempt to seduce your nemesis? Mindy: absolutely not

Sammy: I'm turning off notifications Sammy: have fun sis Sammy: and remember to text me if you end up staying the night

Tara: SAM

Back in your apartment, you're trying very hard to focus on setting up the TV and not on how Tara's legs look when she's curled up on your couch. It's just a skirt. You've seen skirts before. This should not be affecting you like this.

"You know," Tara's voice breaks through your internal crisis, "for someone who was so excited about this show, you're spending a lot of time staring at everything but the screen."

"I'm not—" you start to protest, but she cuts you off with a knowing look.

"The remote's upside down."

You look down. The remote is, indeed, upside down in your hands. "I'm trying a new technique," you deadpan, refusing to acknowledge the heat creeping up your neck.

"Uh-huh." She shifts on the couch, the movement causing her skirt to—nope, you're not looking. You're absolutely not looking. "You know, we could still go to Chad's party if you're having second thoughts."

There's something in her tone – a careful casualness that doesn't quite mask the uncertainty underneath. You finally look at her properly, taking in the way she's trying to appear nonchalant while picking at a loose thread on your couch cushion.

"And miss the chance to prove how superior 'Sleepaway Camp' is to your precious 'Prom Night'? Not a chance, Carpenter."

The relief that flashes across her face is brief but unmistakable. "Oh my god, you're still on that? You know what, just for that, I'm eating all the good candy."

"Bold of you to assume any of your candy choices qualify as 'good.'"

She throws a Swedish Fish at your head. You catch it with your mouth, surprising both of you.

"…Okay, that was actually impressive," she admits.

"I have hidden depths," you say solemnly, finally settling onto the couch beside her. "Now shut up and watch the show. I have theories about Lottie that will blow your mind."

As the opening credits roll, you're hyper-aware of every inch of space between you, of how her skirt brushes against your leg when she reaches for the snacks, of how this feels simultaneously like nothing and everything has changed.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket – probably Henry asking how your "not-date" is going – but you ignore it. Right now, all that matters is this moment: Tara's commentary about the show's color grading, the way she unconsciously leans into you during the tenser scenes, and how maybe, just maybe, this is exactly where you both want to be.

The thing about watching TV with Tara Carpenter is that she can't sit still to save her life. She's constantly shifting, readjusting, finding new ways to accidentally-but-maybe-not-accidentally end up closer to you. It's maddening in the best possible way.

"That's not how decomposition works," she critiques, reaching across you for the popcorn. Her skirt rides up slightly with the movement, and you suddenly find the ceiling fascinating. "The timeline is completely unrealistic."

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was sitting next to a forensics expert," you quip, trying to ignore how she hasn't fully moved back to her original position. "Please, enlighten us with your extensive knowledge of body disposal."

She turns to face you, and you immediately regret your life choices because now she's even closer, her eyes sparkling with that dangerous mix of challenge and amusement that always spells trouble.

"Well, considering the ambient temperature and soil composition—"

"Is this the part where I should be concerned about your search history?"

"Please," she scoffs, but there's a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Like yours is any better, Miss 'I-need-to-research-medieval-torture-devices-for-academic-purposes.'"

"That was one time!"

"The FBI agent watching your browser history probably needs therapy."

You're about to retort when she shifts again, and suddenly her leg is pressed against yours. All coherent thoughts evacuate your brain without so much as a goodbye note.

"You okay there?" she asks, and there's something in her tone that suggests she knows exactly what she's doing. "You seem a little… distracted."

Two can play at this game.

"Just thinking about proper body disposal techniques," you say innocently, stretching your arm across the back of the couch. Not quite around her shoulders, but the implication is there. "You know, for academic purposes."

She raises an eyebrow. "Is that your way of threatening to murder me? Because I've got to say, your technique needs work."

"If I was going to murder you, Carpenter, you'd never see it coming."

"Promises, promises."

The air between you crackles with something that definitely isn't just friendly banter anymore. On screen, someone is probably being dramatically eviscerated, but you couldn't care less because Tara is looking at you with that half-smile that makes your stomach do Olympic-level gymnastics.

Your phone buzzes again, breaking the moment. This time, it's a series of texts from Henry:

Henry (8:15 PM): so how's the not-date going?? Henry (8:15 PM): has anyone been murdered yet Henry (8:16 PM): either literally or metaphorically Henry (8:16 PM): also tony says hi and wants to know if you've kissed her yet

"Something important?" Tara asks, and you quickly lock your phone before she can see the messages.

"Just Henry being Henry," you say, silently plotting your best friend's demise. "Probably asking if we've murdered each other yet."

"Night's still young," she shrugs, but she's still got that look in her eyes that makes you want to either kiss her or start an argument about horror movie tropes. Possibly both.

"Speaking of murder," you say instead, because you're a master of deflection, "want to hear my theory about why 'Sleepaway Camp' is actually a groundbreaking commentary on—"

She groans, throwing her head back dramatically. "Oh my god, you're actually the worst."

"That's not what you said when I brought you soup when you caught the flu."

"That was before I knew you'd use it as ammunition in your endless crusade against good taste in movies."

"Bold words from someone wearing a skirt that's clearly meant to be a distraction from your terrible opinions."

The words are out before your brain can stop them. Tara goes very still, and for a moment you think you've miscalculated spectacularly. But then she looks at you with an expression that's somewhere between amusement and challenge.

"Is it working?"

Your mouth goes dry. "What?"

"The distraction," she says, and you swear she moves even closer. "Is it working?"

You're saved from having to answer by Dookie, who chooses this exact moment to jump between you, apparently deciding he's been ignored for far too long. The cat gives you both a look that clearly says "I've had enough of your nonsense."

"Traitor," you mutter to the cat, who responds by making himself comfortable across both your laps, effectively creating a furry barrier between you and Tara.

Tara laughs, scratching behind Dookie's ears. "My hero," she coos to the cat. "Saving me from another lecture about Angela Baker's psychological complexity."

"You're both against me," you declare dramatically. "I'm being ganged up on in my own home."

"Cry about it," she suggests sweetly, but she's leaning against your shoulder now, and Dookie is purring, and maybe being ganged up on isn't the worst thing in the world.

—

"I cannot believe you're still defending this," you say, watching in horror as Tara drowns her mac and cheese in a truly concerning amount of hot sauce. "This is actually painful to witness."

"You're being dramatic," she retorts, adding what appears to be her entire body weight in ketchup to the already crime-scene-worthy pasta. "Some of us actually like flavor."

"Flavor? That's—" you're interrupted by the doorbell, which is probably for the best because you were about to launch into a dissertation about the difference between flavor and masochism.

"I'll get it," Tara says, but you're already standing up.

"Absolutely not. I've seen enough horror movies to know the cute girl who answers the door always dies first."

The word 'cute' slips out before you can catch it, and you practically sprint to the door to avoid seeing her reaction. This proves to be a tactical error when you open it to find possibly the most conventionally attractive pizza delivery guy you've ever seen, complete with the kind of jawline that belongs on a CW show.

"Hey," he says, then looks past you to where Tara has appeared behind your shoulder. His entire demeanor shifts, voice dropping an octave. "Hey."

You resist the urge to close the door in his face.

"That'll be twenty-four fifty," he says to Tara, completely ignoring your existence. "Though I could make it free if you'd let me take you out sometime."

Something hot and uncomfortable coils in your stomach. You reach for your wallet, but Tara beats you to it, pulling out cash from her pocket.

"Here's thirty," she says, a slight flush creeping up her neck. "Keep the change."

"You sure I can't convince you?" He flashes a smile that probably works wonders at frat parties. "I make a mean pasta. No ketchup required."

Your head snaps up at that. He must have overheard your earlier conversation, which means he's been standing here long enough to eavesdrop, which means—

"She likes her pasta exactly how she likes it," you say, perhaps a bit sharper than necessary, taking the pizza from his hands. "Thanks for the delivery."

You close the door before he can respond, turning to find Tara looking at you with an expression that makes your heart do something complicated in your chest. The flush on her neck has spread to her cheeks.

"So," she says, voice carefully neutral but eyes dancing with something that looks suspiciously like amusement. "No ketchup required, huh?"

"Don't start," you mutter, carrying the pizza to the kitchen. "And don't even think about putting hot sauce on this. I saw you wincing earlier from your mac and cheese."

"My tongue is fine," she protests, following you. "Besides, maybe I like the burn."

"Your masochistic tendencies are concerning, Carpenter."

She hops up onto your counter, legs swinging slightly in that stupid perfect skirt. "Says the person who just went full guard dog on the pizza guy."

"I did not—" you start, then catch the look on her face. "I was just… concerned about food temperature maintenance."

"Uh-huh." She's full-on grinning now, cheeks still tinged pink. "And I suppose the death glare was just about proper pizza handling protocols?"

"You know what?" You grab a slice, pointedly avoiding her gaze. "I preferred it when you were defending your crimes against pasta."

"Speaking of which…" She reaches for the bottle of hot sauce she apparently manifested from thin air.

"Absolutely not." You snatch it away, holding it above your head. "I'm not listening to you complain about tongue burn all night again."

"Bold of you to assume I need your permission," she says, sliding off the counter and stepping closer. Much closer. Close enough that you can see the flecks of gold in her eyes, can feel the warmth radiating from her skin.

Your breath catches. She reaches up, ostensibly for the hot sauce, but her hand lands on your wrist instead. Neither of you moves.

"Tara," you say, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Your mac and cheese is getting cold."

She laughs, the sound soft and close, and you think maybe this is better than any Valentine's party could ever be. Even if she is completely wrong about pasta condiments.

"You're impossible," she says, but she's smiling, and she hasn't moved away, and maybe—

Dookie chooses this exact moment to knock over the entire box of pizza.

"Traitor," you both say in unison, then look at each other and burst out laughing.

The moment breaks, but something else settles in its place – something warm and comfortable and maybe a little bit inevitable. Like the way Tara's hand is still on your wrist, or how she's looking at you with that half-smile that makes your heart skip beats.

Your phone buzzes on the counter, screen lighting up with a notification. Tara glances at it reflexively, and something in her expression shifts – subtle enough that someone who doesn't know her as well as you do might miss it, but you've spent months cataloging her micro-expressions during horror movie marathons.

"Charlotte?" she says, and there's something in her voice that makes your stomach drop. "Didn't realize you two were still talking."

You reach for your phone, but Tara's already turning away, suddenly very interested in reorganizing the scattered pizza toppings on her plate. "It's not—"

"No, it's fine," she cuts you off, but her shoulders are tense in that way they get when she's trying too hard to seem casual. "I mean, obviously you can talk to whoever you want."

"Tara."

"I just thought after what happened at New Year's—"

"Nothing happened at New Year's," you say, perhaps a bit too quickly. "We just talked."

She lets out a laugh that doesn't sound like a laugh at all. "Right. Because that's totally why you disappeared for an hour and came back looking like—"

"Like what?" There's an edge to your voice now, the playful atmosphere from earlier evaporating like morning dew. "Come on, Carpenter. Say what you really mean."

She finally looks at you, and there's something raw in her expression that makes your chest ache. "Like you'd rather be anywhere else. With anyone else."

"That's not—" you start, but she's on a roll now.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have…" she trails off, pushing her plate away. "This was stupid. I should go."

"Are you seriously doing this right now?" You follow her as she starts gathering her things. "Over a text message you didn't even read?"

"This isn't about the text," she says, but she won't meet your eyes. "This is about you always having one foot out the door."

"Me?" You can't help the incredulous laugh that escapes. "That's rich coming from someone who can't even admit why she really skipped Chad's party tonight."

She freezes, one hand on her bag. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means." Your heart is pounding, words spilling out before you can stop them. "You're not the only one who's allowed to be scared, Tara."

The silence that follows is deafening. Even Dookie seems to be holding his breath, watching from his perch on the bookshelf with unblinking eyes.

"I'm not scared," she says finally, but her voice wavers slightly.

"No?" You step closer, close enough to see the pulse jumping in her throat. "Then why are you running?"

She looks up at you then, and there's something in her eyes that makes your breath catch – a mix of vulnerability and defiance that's so uniquely Tara it makes your heart hurt.

"Because you let her kiss you," she whispers, and the words hang in the air between you like smoke. "At New Year's. You let her kiss you, and then you came back and acted like nothing happened, and I—"

"She didn't kiss me," you interrupt softly. "I stopped her."

Tara blinks. "What?"

"She tried, yeah. But I stopped her." You run a hand through your hair, frustrated. "Because apparently I'm pathetically gone for someone who puts ketchup in her mac and cheese and thinks 'Prom Night' is better than 'Sleepaway Camp.'"

A beat passes. Then another. Tara's still holding her bag, but her grip has loosened.

"Pathetically?" she repeats, and there's a hint of something in her voice that might be hope.

"Absolutely tragic levels," you confirm, taking another step closer. "It's embarrassing, really. I can't even enjoy pizza delivery without getting jealous."

A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "That was pretty embarrassing."

"Says the person who wore The Skirt™️ to watch Yellowjackets."

She flushes, but she's not running anymore. "You noticed that, huh?"

"Tara," you say softly, "I notice everything about you. It's kind of the problem."

She looks at you for a long moment, then slowly sets her bag down. "You really stopped her?"

"Of course I did." You reach out, tentatively tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Some of us don't have terrible taste in everything."

She laughs, the sound watery but real. "Just in movies, right?"

"And pasta condiments," you agree, and when she smiles, it feels like coming home.

The moment stretches between you like taffy, sweet and fragile. Tara's looking at you with those eyes that always make you forget how to breathe properly, and you're close enough to count her freckles, to see the way her pulse flutters in her throat. Her hand finds yours, fingers intertwining with a certainty that makes your heart stutter.

You could kiss her. You should kiss her. Everything in you is screaming to close that final distance.

Instead, you step back.

The hurt that flashes across her face is gone so quickly you almost convince yourself you imagined it. Almost.

"I can't," you whisper, and the words taste like ash in your mouth. "Not like this."

"Like what?" Her voice is carefully neutral, but you can see her walls going up, brick by careful brick. "With me?"

"That's not—" You run a hand through your hair, frustrated. "You're upset about Charlotte, and the pizza guy, and—"

"Don't." She pulls her hand away, and the loss of contact feels like a physical ache. "Don't you dare try to explain away what just happened."

"I'm trying to protect—"

"Me?" She laughs, but it's a hollow sound that doesn't reach her eyes. "From what, exactly? From making my own decisions? From wanting something that apparently terrifies you?"

"That's not fair."

"No?" She takes a step back, and somehow that small distance feels like miles. "Then what is this, really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks a lot like you're the one with one foot out the door."

The words hit like a slap, echoing your earlier accusation back at you. "Tara—"

"You know what the worst part is?" She's gathering her things again, movements sharp and jerky. "For a second there, I actually thought… God, I'm such an idiot."

"You're not—"

"Save it." She's not looking at you anymore, focused intently on collecting her scattered belongings. "I get it, okay? You're not ready, or you're scared, or whatever excuse you want to use. But don't pretend this is about protecting me."

You want to stop her. Want to explain that you're terrified of ruining this, of losing her, of what happens when the Valentine's Day magic wears off and she realizes you're not worth all this trouble. Want to tell her that you've never been good at keeping the things you love.

Instead, you watch her shrug on her jacket, that stupid perfect skirt swishing with the movement.

"Tara, please—"

"I should go," she says, and her voice is steady even though her hands are shaking slightly. "Before I say something we'll both regret."

Dookie watches from his perch as she heads for the door, tail twitching like he's judging your life choices. You don't blame him.

She pauses at the threshold, one hand on the doorknob. For a moment, you think she might turn around, might give you another chance to fix this. But then her shoulders straighten, and you know what's coming before she says it.

"For the record?" Her voice is quiet but clear. "You're wrong. About everything"

The door closes behind her with a soft click that somehow sounds louder than a slam would have. You stand there in the silence, surrounded by half-eaten pizza and the lingering scent of her perfume, thinking about all the ways hearts break in horror movies versus real life.

-------

A/N: I feel like a cartoon villain. It's nice.

#tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x y/n #tara carpenter x female reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #let the light in au

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glassrowboat · 2 days ago

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Letters For You

Valentine’s Day letters from Anaxa, Aventurine, Gallagher, Jing Yuan, Phainon, Ratio, Reca, Sampo, Sunday

Wrote these for my online friends, so I hope you all have a lovely Valentine’s. Love you all, xoxo

Anaxa

My fellow scholar,

I won't lie and pretend as if I wouldn't rather be spending my time doing something actually worthwhile like studying, but whenever I finally bring myself to put pen to paper in my hectic schedule I find myself unable to use my quill for its intended purpose. I bought it for note taking and truly wished to use it for that purpose, only for me to find myself unable to focus on the words before me as I am stuck thinking of you.

You see, these were originally meant to be notes, so excuse the scribbling at the top. It's all mindless drivel and half-baked theories I'm certain you're already planning to jump at. Your curious mind never rests, just like mine. Which is why I'm so loath to admit that even us scholars need a break.

With that in mind, I ask that you find me at our usual spot to enjoy the current festivities. I'm sure once we're done, it will leave us both refreshed and ready to return to work.

In best regards,

Anaxagoras

Aventurine

Dearest friend,

I already know what you're going to say about the gifts I have left for you. “It's too much or you should save your money on something else, Aven.” To the point I can almost hear the words ringing in my ear in that scolding tone of yours. It's just as bad as the higher ups scolding me for breaking the cornerstone and yet I can't help but want to spoil you.

But I'll be nice. Just this once.

Instead of dinner at another fancy restaurant you'll roll your eyes at, let's just get takeout from your favorite place and we can play dress up with all the clothes I got us. And yes some are for me, too. I'm sure if you dig around a bit you'll find a particular lacy item you and I can both agree has its merits.

Until tonight,

Aventurine

P.S. No overtime. I promise.

Gallagher

Babe,

I'm sure you've already figured out the bag of candy is for you. I even wrapped it up with a neat bow and everything for ya, so I hope you like it. If you want, we can even try making a drink out of a few of them like we did with the cotton candy vodka. Remember that? It was interesting, that's for sure.

We can even have what's left after dinner tonight. I'm cooking. Just for you, too. I was thinking of Clockie Pizza with all those toppings you like, and we could have it at the lounge? I'm sure Dreamjolt Hostelry will have open seats even on Valentine’s Day, knowing how dead the place usually is. I'll even dress up if you want me to. Though it might just be best to put myself in your or Sioban care to choose an outfit. Either way, I'm trusting you here, so don't let me down.

Your man,

Gallagher

Jing Yuan

My darling,

It's a beautiful day out, don't you think? The sky is clear and bright blue, the wind is just right, and the sun as artificial as it might be is perfect for dozing under its shining rays. I even found a record to play a song I remember from days long past. The only thing missing on this perfect day is you. And my work to be done, too.

I take it you're wrapped in endless stacks of paperwork just as I am, aren't you? Even after all the time, they managed to keep you this week. I'm merely lucky I'll have you all to myself once the day ends. The weekend will be ours to enjoy the garden, eat good food, play with our adorable little lion, and each other.

While we may not get Valentine’s Day together between your work and mine, I am happy to make sure we still get to enjoy being together. Besides, choosing only one day to love you when I would rather do so every day for every year you're willing to share with me is far more appealing than showing you appreciation only on special occasions.

Yours,

Jing Yuan

Phainon

My favorite shopkeeper,

Time really does flash by in an instant, huh? It feels like only yesterday that I came to The Holy City with the weight of the prophecy, both bearing a heavy weight on and lifting my shoulders all at once. Back then, I was ready to face the world as a Chrysos Heir alongside the others of golden blood without daring to think anything could stop me. I was going to be the one who takes Nikador's Coreflame, and I'll be the demigod of Strife. It will be a title I wear with honor.

And that is still my intention, mind you, but I've found something else that fills me with just as much conviction as being a hero to the masses. Do I even have to say what it is? It's you.

Ever since we first ran into each other at your shop and you were giving me a side eye (yes, I saw that) at all the questions I was asking about your collection of antiques I knew I would be willing to take a moment to step away from the duty I have sworn to uphold to simply be with you.

So I guess what I'm asking is: will you be my valentine?

Your hero,

Phainon

Ratio

My dear,

Today has already been full of one headache after the next from students deeming fit to load my desk with gifts to dealing with Aventurine texting me about how many roses is “too much.” At this point, all I want to do is go home and fall into your embrace.

Still, I have tests to grade. And from what I've seen of them, it's looking like some of them have finally learned how to pick up a thing or two after I started to use the method you suggested last time. As loath as I am to admit, I never would have thought to have my student role play as great mathematicians from the past to keep them engaged. It worked.

You truly astound me. Always finding new ways to show that creative thinking plays a part in being knowledgeable as well. You put the term genius to shame, my dear.

Sincerely,

Veritas Ratio

Reca

My love interest,

I have met countless actresses and actors who have been praised as if they were Aeons themselves. Looks, skills, the way the camera is naturally drawn to them, why you could name it all! Yet they all pale in comparison to you, my snookums.

No shot is truly complete without your radiance, without your smile, or without just the thought of you lingering in the back of my mind and changing how I see each scene laid out before me. You have changed how I view romance, entirely flipping the genre on its head for me to make something entirely new and unique. You inspired me in a way I never would have thought possible despite all the stories of star-crossed lovers I know. You have simply made me, for lack of a better word, more.

The only thing I could possibly regret about you is not meeting you sooner.

So allow me to make up for all the time we have had apart, my honey bee, by coming to a play with me as my valentine.

Your charming director,

Reca

P.S. I have entrusted the Assistant Director to be in your care today while I am away. She shall take care of you in my stead while I am away, my valentine.

Sampo

Boss,

It's me, your good old buddy, your pal, your bestest guy, Sampo! Now, now, before you go and throw this letter in the trash or worse yet, set my poor heartfelt words on fire, hear me out. I only have the purest intentions for you today, and that is on my honest word as a businessman.

It is Valentine’s Day, after all, and I can't have such a profitable holiday be soured for my favorite customer. That would just hurt my coin purse. So to ensure that doesn't come to pass, I took it upon myself to give you a gift as a show of gratitude for all you've done for me these past few years.

I'm sure you've noticed them by now.

Now, I hope you like the roses I left for you. They have a bit of an extra boom to them if you know what I mean. Just not the bomb kind. Though you do always manage to blow my heart away so who knows, maybe it is.

Your number one guy,

Sampo

P.S. Okay you can light the letter on fire now just know that if you do I'll be left with nothing to do but drink at the bar until I'm crying my eyes out all by my lonesome. Orrrrr…you could join me. I would never complain about getting some time in your delightful company.

Sunday

My dove,

This is my first Valentine’s Day away from Penacony, let alone on the Astral Express with a lover I can call my own.

I find myself still adjusting to the sudden change. There's no one watching my every move and expecting utter perfection from me now but me. I still find myself checking my clothes, assuring my feathers are neat, and shining my halo to the point that it shines in the light of the stars surrounding us. They remind me of just how vast this galaxy truly is. How my past choices were a flicker of a flame to everyone else, but to me, it was my last ditch effort at saving a dying light.

Everything is different now.

I find myself mourning.

Only for you to walk in the room and wash each thought away like the oncoming tide to a cluttered shore just with your gaze and a twitch of your lips. It's like I'm hit with a revelation again: that things do in fact get better.

So please, keep smiling as you always do, my valentine.

All the best,

Sunday

#x reader #hsr x reader #anaxa #aventurine #Gallagher #jing yuan #phainon #ratio #veritas ratio #reca #sampo #sunday #gn reader #dividers by enchanthing-a

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utilitycaster · 4 hours ago

Note

i am so curious what you think about fearne as a character, especially in the full context of this campaign, and how she ranks in terms of contributing good storytelling. she was consistently my least favorite (ie., lovely and entertaining to watch, but not personally interesting or dimensional in a way that made me care, and more often than not, frustratingly avoidant of plot or depth) and i'm wondering how much you'd relate to that. i'm interested in hearing an alternate perspective! this is an invitation for as much of your thoughts as you have them, because i love reading your posts and meta. have a great day <3

Hey anon, thank you!

I find myself in an awkward place here because I do like Fearne for a couple reasons, and I think a major one is because I think Ashley is one of the only people at the table who actually explored, in-character, that Fearne was an indecisive person who was terrified of making the wrong choices (notably during both the aftermath of the first Otohan fight, and during the whole course of Shardgate). Like, Fearne's disconnect at times from the world, and moments of self-centeredness, and indecision all felt very true to Ashley's original concept both in EXU Prime and the general concept of fey morality. I also think that in a campaign with a number of fraught familial relationships that were underserved, Fearne's was, while still not given the time I wish it had been, one of the strongest. Fearne deciding, after meeting her missing parents, that she wasn't sure if she liked them felt very earned and true, and it felt like she put in the work when she later spoke to them during the party's time resting in the Feywild.

I also give Fearne something of a pass because I think she was put in perhaps the least enviable spot of all this campaign, and that's saying something. While I think pretty much every character would have been much, much better had we focused more on their backstory and exploring and resolving that, Ashley's intended darker fairytale concept was just...abandoned. Like we got Ligament Manor and Morri, and they were great! But there was no plot for her in the feywild other than "your parents are caught up in this moon thing, and your birth father is also caught up in this moon thing". The first part came up very early and got quickly overshadowed by the rest of the whole Bassuras pile-up, and the second part came out right before the Ruidus scouting mission and was perhaps one of the worst victims of the late campaign breakneck pacing. Honestly, a lot of the feywild stuff felt oddly insubstantial - we know that breaking the fey key apparently did something, and that breaking up the meeting in Pravenier prevented Fey allies from attacking Vox Machina at the key in the end (though it's hard to say exactly what that would have entailed), but like...was the Seelie Court working in opposition? Were there any extraplanar allies in the Accord? Was the Feywild at risk here, as Ollie believed it to be? Because it never entered into Bells Hells' considerations! All the Feywild plot threads just went nowhere. Even their greatest fey ally, Ira, was far more motivated by his own dislike of Ludinus than any loyalty to Fearne; the party didn't really need to cultivate him as an ally, he just showed up.

And then, of course, there's the fact that Fearne was a Ruidusborn, but she wasn't THE Ruidusborn, she wasn't exaltant, that was Imogen - and the cool thing she did get, the spark of Rau'shan, was a great moment but was, like Ashton's titan abilities, mechanical and some cool scenes only but not relevant to Predathos in a meaningful way any more so than like, Chetney's ability to turn into a wolf was. I don't even think Ashley was being particularly indecisive, or rather, the Zathuda and Yu "should we kill them or no" scenes were excruciating in the lack of decision, but I feel that the problem was she was given absolutely nothing to fucking work with and that's not her fault. I think it's a testament to Ashley's ability as an actor that I do feel she had depth and even a little character development because she was essentially pushed into a thankless second fiddle role. When I think of the people who actually made an effort to do small solo scenes or seek other people out, Fearne praying to the Wildmother or Raven Queen and pickpocketing scenes stand out as bright spots.

So I think it's valid to be frustrated or not vibe, but I think it's entirely a DM-ing problem. This campaign was really not made to accommodate Fearne's concept.

#cr tag #long post #answered #anonymous

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exponenshul · 2 days ago

Text

The Flash ::: Gravidade

SUMMARY: In this crossover story, a young woman presents her girlfriend with a bottle of Gravidade, to indulge in their mutual love of pregnancy. However, just after her girlfriend drinks it, the young woman encounters a mysterious light that triggers similar effects...

(Contains: rapid pregnancy, mutual pregnancy, lesbian sex, birth, strong language, and more. Reader discretion advised)

Word Count: ~10k

::::::::::

"Happy Valentine's Day, babe!"

Lana grinned as she approached her girlfriend Gabby, who was sitting on the couch. She had a small package in her hands, wrapped in pink paper and ribbons.

Gabby gasped in surprise. "Babe!! You shouldn't have! I thought we agreed we weren't gonna do gifts this year..."

"Well, I couldn't help it with this one," Lana said, sitting down beside her partner. She handed Gabby the gift. "You'll see once you open it..."

Excitedly, Gabby tore away the packaging, wondering what could be inside. When it was revealed, her eyes and mouth went wide with awe. It was a purple drink bottle.

"Is this...?" she started.

Lana nodded. "It sure is!"

Gravidade was a mysterious drink that became world-famous after women across two towns drank it and became suddenly pregnant. Bottles of it had appeared at the doorsteps of all women of child-bearing age, with no known trace.

However, not all of the drinks were consumed. After it was discovered what Gravidade did to a woman, many remaining bottles were disposed of... and a number of others were saved to be sold on the black market.

"How did you manage to get a bottle?!" Gabby exclaimed.

"I did have to jump through some hoops, and pay a pretty penny..." Lana said. "But it's worth it for you."

The thing was, both Gabby and Lana had a thing for pregnancy. It was part of what made them compatible as a couple. After hearing the Gravidade story on the news, both women had an insatiable desire to get their hands on a bottle of it. Gabby, who had always dreamed of being pregnant herself, was especially interested. A quick and easy way to swell up with babies? It seemed too good to be true.

The two simply sat for a while, enjoying the moment, considering the possibilities. Gabby played with the bottle in her hands, reading the label carefully. She seemed giddy.

Eventually, she looked up at Lana and said, "I...think I wanna try it, like...right now."

"I thought you might say that!" Lana giggled. She leaned in and gave Gabby a peck on the cheek. "I cleared our schedule for the day. If you're ready, then I'm down."

"Okay...!" Gabby said. She held up the bottle and grabbed the cap. After taking a deep breath, she cracked the seal open. She chuckled, both nervous and excited. "Whew...shit, I can't believe this is actually happening right now..."

Lana rested a hand on her girlfriend's thigh as she opened up the bottle. It was a lot to take in, but they both knew that if they spent too long overthinking it, they'd probably never actually go through with it.

"All right...bottoms up," Gabby declared. She lifted the bottle of Gravidade up to her mouth and took a hearty swig.

Lana watched eagerly, waiting for the reaction. She smiled as her girlfriend's eyes went wide.

"Wow, this actually tastes amazing! Everyone online was right," Gabby exclaimed. She immediately went in for another big sip. When finished, she licked her lips and shook the bottle gently. "Shit, okay, that was like half the bottle."

She put the drink down on the table and sat back on the couch, wiping her clammy hands on the cushions.

"Now I guess we just wait," Lana said.

"Hooo...yeah," Gabby breathed. She put her hands on her lower belly. "Ha...I'm kinda scared..."

"Just enjoy it," Lana said, reaching over to pull Gabby in for a hug. "This is gonna be amazing."

"Thank you," Gabby murmured, embracing her girlfriend. "You know how long I've dreamed about this..."

The two sat there in each other's arms for a while. Lana rubbed Gabby's back while Gabby ran her fingers through Lana's silky hair. They held each other tenderly until Gabby made a small noise.

"Mm...hold on, I think..."

The two pulled apart, their hearts beginning to race. Lana watched as Gabby put a hand to her stomach.

"I definitely felt something..." Gabby said. "Like, warmth, or..."

Before Lana could respond, Gabby was pulling off her shirt. Lana blushed a bit as her girlfriend cast the garment aside and sat there in her bra, staring down at her stomach. "Okay, wait. Does it already look bigger to you...?"

Lana peered closely. "...Oh, wow, I think it does...!"

The two girls each gently put a hand on Gabby's lower abdomen. It was very warm, and bumping out almost imperceptibly. Put as they kept their hands there, they noticed her belly slowly starting to fill up more and more, until there was a definite swell.

"Are you trying to push your stomach out like that?" Lana asked quietly. "Or is it really...?"

"I'm not, it's really growing," Gabby said. She looked at Lana in awe. "...I'm actually pregnant."

After another moment, Gabby sat up and grabbed the bottle of Gravidade back up off the table. She nearly thrust it in Lana's face, saying, "...You should drink the other half. We can be pregnant together!"

Lana smiled, but gently pushed the bottle away. "Actually...I think you should have the rest."

Gabby furrowed her brow a bit. "But babe...are you sure?"

"This is probably the only time we'll get this chance, and I know you want to get as big as possible," Lana explained. "I'm happy just watching you grow."

Gabby blushed. She looked again at the bottle in her hand again. "Okay...fuck it, okay." Without another thought, she brought the bottle to her mouth and chugged the rest of the contents.

When she was done, she tossed the bottle to the ground, and Lana gave her a seductive look. "Now let's see just how pregnant you get."

Quickly getting excited, Gabby practically launched herself into Lana's arms. Any remaining anxiety melted away as the two pulled each other close and began making out on the couch. Lana indulged in the sweet smell of her girlfriend's hair, the soft skin of her exposed back.

"I can't...believe this is real," Gabby panted between passionate kisses. Her breath caught briefly in her throat, and she glanced down. "Hh- fuck! I can feel it growing in there..."

Lana put a hand down on Gabby's belly. She lightly pressed her palm into it to try and feel the growth, but it was still subtle. "Do you...like how it feels? What's it like?"

"It feels great," Gabby said, humming a bit as Lana started to plant kisses on her neck and jawline. "I, like...can't even explain it, but I'm filling up...mmmhh..."

She shut her eyes and began to grind her hips into Lana. Her belly continued to swell, to the point where Lana started to feel it pressing against her own stomach, turning her on immensely. She continued to rub the growing mound.

After a few moments, Gabby sat up, panting. "Oh my god," she moaned, putting both hands on her belly, jutting it out to accentuate the growth. "Oh, it's growing so big!"

Lana felt her mouth getting dry as she stared at her girlfriend's pregnant belly, filling up before her very eyes. It was already the size of a grapefruit, and it seemed like the growth was only accelerating.

"I wanna feel it some more," Lana said. It was Gabby's turn to sit back as Lana lay forward, eye-level with her girlfriend's belly. Lana grasped Gabby's flanks and started planting kisses on her belly, yielding contented hums and sighs from the increasingly pregnant girl. She was amazed at how well the skin on her belly was holding up, so warm and still so soft and smooth. Lana kissed tenderly, yet firmly enough that she could gauge the tautness of Gabby's skin with her lips. It was magical, feeling the mass within her girlfriend's womb grow with each passing second.

Lana moved her kisses down, feeling more bold the hornier they both got. She started to unbutton Gabby's pants, and the latter grinned in anticipation. When Lana unlatched the button, her girlfriend's belly spilled forth, free to grow unrestrained. She tugged Gabby's pants down to her knees, but was stopped before she could get to the panties.

"Wait," Gabby blurted, voice airy. "Grab...my toy from our room. The pink one."

"Oh, you're so right..." Lana breathed, eyes widening. She immediately stood up, already turning for the bedroom. "I'll be right back, don't grow too much while I'm gone!"

Gabby giggled as Lana darted out of the room.

::::::::::

Lana knew exactly where to look. She went to Gabby's nightstand, yanking open the bottom drawer. Inside were some massage oils, lubes, and a pink vibrating rabbit toy, which they had used many times before. She grabbed up a couple items, ready to make a quick turnaround, not wanting to waste a moment.

However, when she stood up, she was almost knocked back by a strange phenomenon. Outside the bedroom window, a sudden flash of light nearly struck Lana blind. She stumbled, but by the time she went to shield her eyes, the light had already dissipated. Confused, she blinked a couple times...but had no time to question anything.

::::::::::

When Lana returned, Gabby was sprawled on the couch in just her underwear, staring down at a belly that now looked roughly seven months pregnant. Her eyes lit up as her girlfriend came back into the room.

"How are you feeling now?" Lana asked.

"Full," Gabby replied, rubbing big circles on her belly. "But I love watching the baby grow. It's better than I even expected."

"I love it too," Lana said. "Sorry if it took me a sec, I just got flashbanged in our room."

"...What?"

"This crazy flash of light came from outside," Lana explained. "I don't know. It was probably just my eyes adjusting, or something." She came over and knelt down in front of Gabby on the couch, cracking open a bottle of massage oil. "...Anyway, where were we?"

Gabby gave a half-lidded smile, adjusting her position and moving her hands to give Lana full access. "You were just telling me how much you love my pregnant belly."

"I love it so much," Lana gushed, squirting some oil onto her hand, then rubbing her palms together. "I always knew you'd look sexy with babies in you." She placed her hands palm-down on Gabby's expanding middle and began to rub. Gabby gasped as the cool substance touched her skin.

"Mmmm, babies?" Gabby cooed, emphasizing the plural. "How many did you give me?"

"Well, according to the bottle, you're gonna get pretty big." Lana said slyly. She rubbed her hands in wide circles, making sure that every inch of Gabby's gravid orb was smooth and glistening. She ran her thumb over her girlfriend's belly button as it began to flatten out from the expanding pressure behind it.

"Oooh, can't wait..." Gabby purred, shifting in her seat a bit. She put a hand up to her chest, noticing a bit of discomfort there. "Mmh- babe, help me take this bra off...it's cutting into me."

"Of course," Lana said. She moved her hands around to Gabby's back, where she deftly unlatched her girlfriend's bra (something she had a lot of experience in). Gabby pushed the straps off her shoulders, and the garment fell beside her on the couch. Her breasts spilled out, falling to either side of her pregnant belly. They were fuller, weighty, and the areola were dark and puffy.

"Ahh, that feels better," Gabby sighed with relief.

"Man, these have gotten bigger, too...!" Lana said in awe. She went to reach for them, but paused.

"Mmmh...like what you see?" Gabby flirted, wiggling her chest a bit. "Come on, give 'em a squeeze...they're really sensitive..."

"Hold on, sorry," Lana stammered, suddenly feeling off. There was a stirring in her abdomen. "I just need a sec..."

She sat back on her haunches, clutching her stomach. Something was...different. She looked down, and what she saw made her eyes go wide. "Wh...no way..."

"What is it?" Gabby asked, hearing the change in her girlfriend's tone.

Lana shook her head to make sure she wasn't hallucinating...but it was obviously real. "I'm...growing! Just like you, I'm fucking growing!"

Gabby immediately sat up as best she could. She looked down and saw that between Lana's tank top and shorts, a sliver of belly was just barely starting to push outward. It was rounding out, in exactly the same manner as hers just had. "Oh my god, you are..."

"H-how is this happening?!" Lana shrieked, scrambling to her feet. She rubbed and poked at her middle in a panic. "I didn't even drink the stuff!"

"So you're saying that you're...?"

"Pregnant...I think I'm actually pregnant."

"Babe...that means we're both pregnant..." Gabby breathed.

"I know! Was it because I was kissing you? Did I swallow some? Shit, what do I do?!"

"Babe!" Gabby shouted, getting Lana's attention back. She grabbed her girlfriend's waist and looked her in the eyes. "We're...both...pregnant...! Together!"

After seeing the lust in Gabby's eyes and realizing what she meant, Lana's sudden fears gave way to the fantasy once more. That's right...no matter how it happened, they were both pregnant now, like they'd always wanted. And at the rate they were growing, there was no time to waste with hesitation.

"...Fuck," was all Lana could muster before she sank down onto Gabby's lap, grabbing onto her face and kissing her passionately. Their bellies pressed together, Lana's barely a potbelly while Gabby's looked full term. The oil on Gabby's skin transferred onto Lana's, lubricating it the same way.

Their hips grinded, their tongues explored each other's mouths, all while their pregnant bellies grew in tandem and rubbed together. It was the horniest they'd ever felt, not only for their own pregnancies, but for their partner's. It was a scenario they'd only ever dreamed of, and they were about to take advantage of every moment.

"I love you," Lana gasped between sloppy kisses. "I didn't really expect this, but...I love it."

"Mmmh I love you too," Gabby moaned. "Oohh...squeeze my tits now, they're aching..."

Lana reached up and greedily sunk her fingers into Gabby's engorged breast, earning a yelp of pleasure. After a couple squeezes, fluid started to leak into her hand.

"Oh shit, you're making milk," Lana said breathily. "That's so hot." Without hesitating, she leaned down, taking Gabby's breast into her mouth and sucking.

Gabby arched her back as the feeling of Lana's lips on her nipple caused shocks of pleasure. "Oooh god yes! That feels so good...keep doing it!"

Lana continued to suckle, nibbling with her teeth and taking in milk. "I can't get over this...you taste incredible..."

Gabby grasped Lana's waist to steady them both. Glancing down, she slid one hand onto Lana's rapidly swelling belly, humming as she rubbed it. "Oh, your little belly is so cute..." Her fingertips brushed across the surface, handling the bump with care.

Her girlfriend unlatched, sitting back to admire their progress. "And yours is getting huge...!"

"God, you're right," Gabby said. She cradled the underside of her belly, now looking full with twins, bulging and rounding in all directions. "I feel so heavy...so much baby in me..."

"How many do you feel?" Lana asked, the two of them letting their hands explore the massive swell.

"Oooh, it's hard to tell..." Gabby murmured, swaying back and forth and gyrating her hips. "I think I feel two...no, three...!"

Lana gulped. The thought of her girlfriend carrying multiple babies...not to mention how many she might be carrying...she put her hands back on her own belly and caressed it in wonder. She looked like she could be entering her third trimester already...

"What does it feel like for you?" Gabby asked, noticing Lana's observations. She reached out and started to stroke her girlfriend's belly again.

"Mmmmh," Lana closed her eyes and leaned in, allowing Gabby to reach her growing belly better. "I totally feel full...and like, constantly fuller...and it feels really nice when you rub it." She breathed in deeply, jutting her middle farther out into Gabby's hands.

Gabby relished her partner's enjoyment of the unexpected pregnancy. She continued to feel up Lana's belly as she whispered, "I think I know something else that would feel nice..."

Lana opened her eyes again to see Gabby reaching for the pink rabbit toy, which had been momentarily forgotten in the heat of the moment. She bit her lip, insides tingling at the thought.

"I like the way you think," Lana said. "Why don't we take this to the bedroom?"

Gabby nodded in agreement- the couch was getting a bit crowded. She let Lana stand up first, then attempted to get up herself, but struggled. "Oof- help me up, babe."

Lana grabbed both of Gabby's hands and helped to pull her into a standing position, both girls grunting from the effort. Once they were up and facing each other, they took a moment to appreciate their bodies from the new angle. Lana looked full term with a single baby, whereas Gabby seemed ready to drop three. Amazingly, both girls were still growing, their bellies getting heavier by the moment.

"I'm so fucking big," Gabby said, groaning as she supported her belly with both hands, one now clutching their toy as well. "I don't know if I can move!"

"It'll be worth it once we get to the bedroom," Lana assured her, rubbing her back. "Now lemme see you waddle."

Grunting and moaning, Gabby moved forward, making heavy steps toward the bedroom. Lana followed behind, getting used to her own newfound weight. She glanced at her girlfriend's backside, eyebrows raising.

"Damn, did your ass get fatter, too?" Lana asked, feeling no better than a man.

"Oooh, I'm sure," Gabby said, voice deep and sultry. She reached back and squeezed at her own cheeks, fingers sinking into doughy flesh. "I'm filling up everywhere..."

Lana gnawed at her lip, her arousal reaching a boiling point.

The two made it to the bedroom, and Lana ushered Gabby up onto the bed. "Let's get you up there before you swell up any more."

Gabby climbed up onto the bed, crawling on her hands and knees toward the pillows. She just kept rubbing her belly, which swayed and heaved as it expanded, grazing the sheets below. She moaned, finally collapsing onto her elbows, face in a pillow. "Oooooh the babies, I feel them...they're moving around..."

Lana went up onto the bed as well, feeling crazy with desire as she watched her girlfriend in this state. Small lumps appeared and disappeared from Gabby's middle, evidence of the life within. She was in a state of fertility that was previously unfathomable, full to the brim with babies, having all but succumbed to the growth of her pregnancy. Not only that, but she had a pregnant girlfriend who was about to rail her so hard she'd see stars. Lana felt so wet she feared her panties may be soiled.

She approached Gabby from behind and put a hand between her legs, stroking her through her underwear. Gabby moaned louder, voice muffled a bit by the pillows.

Not feeling the need to waste time on more foreplay, Lana grabbed Gabby's panties and began to pull them down. Gabby angled her back and wiggled her hips to make it easier. Once the garment was cast aside, she spread her knees out to give Lana better access. Her pussy was glistening, practically begging for what was about to come.

Lana took the rabbit toy and turned on the vibration, hearing more noises of anticipation from her partner. She held the tip of the toy up against Gabby's sex, teasing her by moving it around slowly.

Gabby squirmed and seized. "Nnnghh- god, come on, give it to meeee, I need it so bad!"

"Are you gonna say 'please?'"

"Please!!"

It was no sooner than the word left Gabby's mouth that Lana plunged the toy deep into her. Gabby inhaled sharply, back arching even more as she was filled. Lana started a pumping rhythm, and Gabby moaned at the sensation.

"Ooooohh, god...getting fucked...while pregnant (nnhh) ...feels so... fuh- c- ...g-GOOD!"

Lana grinned, happy with her work. She thrust the toy into Gabby over and over, making sure to hit her most sensitive spots. She watched as her girlfriend's breasts and belly swayed back and forth with each hit, full and heavy.

After a while of this, Gabby turned her head a bit to look at Lana over her shoulder. "Babe...hhh...grab...my belly...haaahhhh...I need you to- mmh...rub it...while you fuck me!"

It was difficult for Lana to maneuver with her own gravid belly- now possibly sporting twins- in the way. But with some stretching and maneuvering, she was able to reach her free hand down and around, lightly smacking Gabby's belly and beginning to rub it.

"Ooooh..." Gabby cooed.

"That...feel good?" Lana panted, starting to sweat from exertion.

"Yes...it's been starting to feel...so tight- mmhhh!"

Lana watched as Gabby's face contorted. She was no doubt starting to feel overwhelmed with sensation...it motivated Lana, and she increased her efforts, gripping Gabby's belly more firmly and pounding her harder.

"Oh, babe...oh- OHHHH!" Gabby cried out, vocabulary shrinking as pleasure consumed her. Her tits dripped milk onto the bed as she swayed.

"Mmmgh, your belly's so tight..." Lana said, trying to get her girlfriend worked up even more. "So full and round...you're such a good momma..."

Gabby had fallen into delirious grunts, squeaks, and gasps for air. Sweat matted her hair to her neck and made her back shine. Her legs began to tremble as Lana pounded her even harder.

When she eventually fell silent and squeezed her eyes shut, Lana could tell that Gabby was getting close. She thrust the toy faster, then even faster, until her arm started to lose feeling.

At last, a loud moan escaped Gabby's throat as she climaxed. "Oh...I'm gonna...cuh...oooooOOOOAAAHHH!!"

Gabby's whole body tensed, and the toy was practically ejected from her, along with a substantial gush of fluid. Lana leaned back, knowing there was gonna be a big finish, but not expecting to be in the splash zone.

She sat back as Gabby reeled and twitched from the orgasm, the two needing a moment to catch their breath.

Eventually, Lana started to say, "Wow, babe, that was—"

"I think that was my water breaking," Gabby croaked. She began to roll over, still recovering.

Lana was taken aback. "Wait, shit...I fucked you into labor? Already?"

Gabby turned onto her back, grimacing as she clutched her huge, heaving belly. "Fuck...yeah. Grab a towel."

Acting fast, Lana heaved her pregnant self off the bed, waddling to their dresser. As she pulled out a towel, Gabby moaned again, this time from discomfort.

"You okay?" Lana asked as she headed back to the bed.

"Yeah...that was definitely a contraction, big time. Hooo...."

Lana got back between Gabby's legs, patting around her vulva and the sheets with the towel, trying to soak up some of the fluid. "Okay, just breathe. It's game time."

"Ooh, this is all happening so fast..." Gabby whined. "Mmmmgghh!"

Lana watched as her girlfriend's massive belly tightened up with the contraction. It was no longer growing, further evidence that her pregnancy was nearing the end. It was unbelievable to watch...it really was all happening so fast. Lana started to get a bit sad, realizing their fun would soon be over...

Still, Gabby continued to grunt and moan. The contractions were coming quickly. "Hnnnghh...oh! Ahh!"

"What are you feeling, babe?" Lana asked, stroking her girlfriend's thigh comfortingly.

"So...much pressure," Gabby breathed, squirming around in unease. "It feels like they already wanna come out..."

"Does it hurt?"

"Kinda, but- ngggh- not as much as I thought," Gabby explained. "Just so...full and tight! Ghhh!"

Lana watched as her girlfriend bore down, and as her belly visibly shrank from the force. She was already trying to push...

"Hold on, I'm gonna move off the edge of the bed," Lana told her. "Scoot yourself over, I'll have a better angle to help you at."

She got out from between Gabby's legs and started moving to the side of the bed. As she did, she felt a sudden tightening in her own swollen belly. She gripped it, eyebrows furrowing. That...wasn't anything, right? Though, her belly seemed to have stopped growing, too...

Lana tried not to think about it as she got off the bed. She knelt at the bedside, waiting for Gabby to move over.

Meanwhile, Gabby was struggling. She'd turned her body a bit, shifting her hips, but quickly had to stop. "Ooooh...oh, babe, it's moving down, I can feel it!"

"Come on, it's okay," Lana encouraged. She grabbed onto Gabby's legs as she turned, helping her into position. She scooted over in front of Lana, ass right to the edge of the bed with her legs hanging over the sides. Lana was once more between her thighs, eye level with her crotch. Her sex was red and swollen.

Gabby grimaced and clutched her heaving mound of belly. "Hnnggh, here comes another contraction! Fuck, it feels like there's a- mmh- bowling ball down there!"

As her girlfriend strained, Lana felt another cramp. She cradled her twin belly with one hand. This was not good timing...

Gabby moaned as her belly heaved. "Uuunggh! I've gotta p-push!"

Lana needed a way to distract them both. Acting impulsively, she leaned in, putting her mouth against Gabby's pussy. Using her tongue, she began to stimulate her partner's clit.

Upon contact, Gabby gasped and quaked. "Oh, f-fuck! Babe...!"

Lana wrapped her arms around Gabby's thighs to get a better hold. "Mmf- does this...help?"

"Uff...f-fuck...yes!" Gabby sputtered, gyrating her hips with Lana's movements.

Lana kept sliding her tongue over Gabby's most sensitive areas, sucking and biting where she could. She could feel that Gabby's pussy was starting to bulge outward, a weight pressing on it from within. The baby's head was coming.

All the while, she was quickly confirming to herself that she was having her own contractions. She was feeling that tightness and pressure that her girlfriend mentioned.

Gabby bore down again. "I'm pushing it ooout! I can- mmmmmmhh- feel it!"

Lana moved her head back and watched as Gabby's labia began to part, and the small teardop shape of a baby's head appeared. She stared in awe while she grabbed the hem of her tank top to wipe her mouth off. "Whoa..."

"Are you...seeing anything?" Gabby panted.

"Yeah, I see the head," Lana said. "You're actually pushing out a baby. Holy shit..."

Hearing that seemed to empower Gabby. She pushed again, and the crown between her legs grew bigger.

Lana moved her hands to be able to guide the head out. She spoke more words of encouragement, putting aside the fact that she was going into labor herself. She could keep quiet about it- things surely weren't too far along, and it wasn't terribly painful yet.

With Gabby's next contraction, the head reached a full crown, and she cried out. "GAAAAAH!! Ngggh!"

"Does it burn?" Lana asked.

"I- it- yeah, but like- it just- I can't even explain...hhnngggooohh GOD!"

Gabby pushed hard, and the baby's head popped fully out, along with a spurt of fluid.

"You got the head out!" Lana exclaimed, cradling the slimy mass in her hands, checking to make sure everything looked right. "You're doing so great, keep going!"

Just as she said it, Lana felt a sudden release. She glanced down as a gush of liquid escaped from between her legs, soaking her spandex shorts and leaking onto the rug below. Well, shit...there went her waters. And the rug would definitely need washing, too...

She looked back up as Gabby howled, giving her biggest push yet. The baby squeezed out past its widest point, quickly spilling out into Lana's awaiting hands. Gabby gasped and fell back, exhausted and relieved.

"My god, you did it, babe! You had a baby!" Lana said, staring at the newborn in wonder. "Awww, wow, a little girl..."

Gabby tried to look up and smiled weakly. "Hhh...wow...so, does it...really have no cord...?"

"No, it doesn't," Lana confirmed. The baby had no umbilical cord, and was staying rather quiet, though definitely breathing. After their research, Lana and Gabby both knew that these phenomena were standard for Gravidade babies, but it was still a bit strange to witness. "Hang on, let me get her settled..."

Lana took the baby and carried her away, hobbling across the floor on her knees. She went over to the foot of the bed, where they had a plush storage ottoman. With her free hand, she took a blanket from within the bin and spread it out over top of the cushion. She lay the newborn there, using the corner of the blanket to wipe her clean a bit.

Just then, Gabby started to groan again. "Ooohh babe...I think there's another right behind..."

"Coming- ghh!" said Lana, clutching her belly once more as it tightened. She was going to try and ignore that contraction, and the increasing downward pressure she was feeling...

As she worked her way back over to the bedside, Gabby called to her, somewhat sheepishly. "Mmm...do you think you could...touch me again? It felt really good- nnngh- just then..."

"Of course, my love," Lana said softly, planting herself between Gabby's thighs again. Instead of using her mouth this time, she went in with her fingers, using her thumb to rub on Gabby's clit.

Gabby began to squirm and moan with pleasure as her body worked through more contractions. Meanwhile, Lana's contractions were working her baby down quickly. The pressure was very low on her hips, the head surely already passing through the birth canal. All she did to accommodate this was spread her knees a bit wider, still focused on taking care of her partner.

After only a minute or so, Gabby began to push again, shuddering and growling from her efforts. She was sweating profusely now, hair matted and hands clammy.

Lana was faring largely the same, a long rivulet of sweat dripping down her face as she worked her magic on Gabby's sensitive parts. She was also beginning to feel the urge to push, and her body was ready to give in subconsciously.

Gabby heaved and strained, clutching the bedsheets in her fists and shoving her head back into the mattress. "Uuunnghh! It's moving down...f-filling me...it's so...mmmmh!"

Hearing her girlfriend's moans, Lana bit her lip. It seemed like she was almost getting off to giving birth...could the clit stim be helping that much? Or was she just that into it? It was giving Lana all sorts of feelings she'd never unlocked before. She licked her lips and started to press her thumb down harder.

All the while, pressure was building between Lana's legs. Even as she worked to further her girlfriend's pleasure, she was huffing and puffing her way through contractions. Now, the baby's head was right at its exit, starting to push its way down and out.

"Nggh- oooh here it comes!" Gabby bellowed. Lana watched as her vaginal lips started to part again, making way for the second baby's head. "God- so tight!"

Lana grimaced a bit as her own body tightened and squeezed. She reached one hand past her belly and groped down between her legs, feeling a small bulge. While fondling herself and staring at Gabby's opening, she felt an odd and wildly intimate sense of connection. The same thing that she was witnessing was happening to herself. She was going to push a baby out, just like her girlfriend. And, fuck...if Gabby's birth had felt anything like what she was feeling, it was no wonder her partner was getting so worked up. She allowed herself to bear down a bit, feeling the baby's head spread her more. God, she was really doing this...

"Hoo- hoo- oooaaahhhh!!" Gabby moaned, pulling Lana back from her thoughts. Quickly, Lana brought both her hands back up to support the emerging baby. Gabby was pushing hard, and the head was crowning fast.

"Take it- mmhh- easy, babe," Lana panted. "Don't hurt yourself, just let it come."

"I wanna come- want IT to- just- mmmGGGH FUCK!"

As Gabby's second baby neared a full crown, Lana felt her own baby pressing down into her underwear. Her kneeling stance slowly sank lower and spread wider, her body moving along with the intense downward pressure. "Mmmhhhh babe you're doing so goooooooood..."

"I'm- mmmm I'm tryingggg," Gabby whined. "Is it...coming out?"

"Oooohh it's totally coming ooout," Lana said, not sure if she was talking to herself or Gabby at that point. Her upper and lower halves were focused on entirely different things.

Breathing heavily, Gabby gave herself only a moment's rest before pushing again. This time, her second baby's head popped out fully.

"Ah! Oooh, I can't stop pushing...it- mphh- f-feels too...good!" she squeaked.

"You got it, babe, just- mhh...go nice and steady," Lana encouraged. She was trembling from the feeling of her own baby stretching her. There was pressure and pain, but through that, it did somehow feel good...was that another Gravidade side effect? Or was all birth like this...?

"Ohhh it's gonna come, I'm gonna-" Gabby croaked, gritting her teeth as she bore down. The baby squeezed out past its shoulders, and there was once more a little human sliding out into Lana's arms. "NGAAAAAAAHHH! Oh, fuck!"

Lana caught the baby and tried to sit back with it in her arms, though moving was difficult with a crowning head between her legs. She looked at the baby and smiled. "Whew! Another girl!"

Gabby sighed with relief, collapsing onto the bed again. "Hhhh, man...that was a lot."

"Mmmh... yeah," Lana muttered, throat tight. She could feel her own baby pressing further into her clothes, the head feeling ready to come out. She would have loved to stare at Gabby's newborn for longer, but there wasn't much time until she'd have one of her own. She maneuvered her way over to the ottoman, careful not to make any sudden or heavy moves, lest gravity pull her baby out more.

As Lana was nestling the second newborn next to the first, Gabby called to her. "Hooo...okay, babe, there's definitely more in me...but I think we've got some time before the next one comes."

Lana looked over, watching as Gabby rubbed her still-massive belly, skin flushed from all her efforts. She was looking up at the ceiling, obviously not yet feeling ready to sit up.

"Do you...hnngh...need anything? Water? More pillows?" Lana asked.

"No, but..." Gabby said softly, "...I do want you to come up here...so I can thank you."

Lana gulped, fully aware of the nearly-birthed head tenting out her shorts. But who was she to say no to her girlfriend's request? "...Say no more, my love."

There was still plenty of room on the ottoman, so Lana used it as a step to help herself get up. Every movement of her legs threatened to open up more room for the emerging baby, and every shift of her weight made her want to push more. But she held back, just for now.

Gabby saw Lana approaching on her hands and knees and smiled. "Mmmh, there you are...look at you, all...hooo...big and pregnant."

Lana smiled, trying to hide the fact that she was giving birth. "Nnnh... uh huh." She crawled right over to her girlfriend, their faces close, bellies touching.

Abruptly, Gabby reached up with both hands and grabbed Lana's breasts, earning a grunt. She squeezed playfully and hummed. "Ooooh, and look at these...so full. I think- mmmh- the milk's starting to leak into your shirt...how many cup sizes do you think you've gone up, hmmm?"

The sudden sensation caused Lana to arch her back, sticking her ass more into the air. She pushed involuntarily as Gabby squeezed into her sensitive flesh. "Ooohhggh... nnho... I dunno..."

"And this..." Gabby continued, moving her hands down to cup Lana's sweaty, bulging belly. "You got so big...how does it feel for you?"

Lana's breath caught at the touch of Gabby's hands on her bare belly. The skin was so stretched and sensitive... "Mmmh...hooo...it feels...unngh...great."

"It's tight, like a drum..." Gabby marveled, starting to move her hands around in slow, long circles. "I'm sure it could use some rubs..."

"I..." Lana started, just before giving in to another push. Her hips moved back, and when she bore down, the baby's head came fully out into her shorts, stretching the elastic fabric profusely. "NNGH! Ahhhh..."

Gabby noticed her girlfriend's thighs shaking. Lana's head was down, and she was obviously in distress. "Babe? Are you okay...?"

"I'm...okay," Lana grunted. "You can...mmph...keep rubbing my belly..."

"Okay..." Gabby said, continuing to run her fingers across Lana's middle. The sensation quelled the labor pains, which Lana enjoyed.

"Mmmh, that's it..." Lana cooed, now rocking forward and back on her knees, her body fully focused on easing the baby out. The shoulders were starting to stretch her, causing immense pressure. "Hooooooo..."

After a moment, Gabby smirked. "You know, that's not the only thing I can rub..."

"Mmmghh..." Lana gurgled in response. She was helpless to intervene as Gabby reached one hand between her legs, immediately feeling the baby's head protruding under her clothes.

Shocked, Gabby gasped. "Babe!! What the hell? You didn't tell me yours was coming out!"

"Didn't...wanna worry you- ngggggghhhhh...!" Lana pushed again. This time, the baby was fully born, lodging itself in the leg of her shorts. "Ooooh...it's out. Shit, it's really out."

Quickly, Lana sat herself up, gasping for air. She tugged her shorts and underwear halfway down, just enough past her ass to be able to reach in and grab the baby. Gabby just stared open-mouthed, still processing what just happened.

Lana smiled as she brought the baby, a little boy, up into her arms. "Ohh, hi baby...Oh, look at you..."

"Damn, babe, you really just did that!" Gabby said, laughing incredulously. "Wow. You made it seem like nothing."

"Yeah...did not expect it to be that fast..." Lana breathed.

"Yeah...oof," Gabby said, first chuckling, then wincing as she clutched her belly. "Uh, speaking of which..."

"You got another one coming?" Lana asked. Her girlfriend nodded in response.

After pulling her shorts back up, Lana carried her baby over to the ottoman, sitting him with the others. She took a moment to breathe and reset, then went back over to her partner.

Gabby was shifting around on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. "Uggh... my back is aching."

"Do you wanna try a different position?" Lana asked.

"Actually...mmh- maybe, yeah. I wanna get on my hands and knees, like you just were."

It took Gabby a minute, but with Lana's assistance, she was able to roll her heavy body over, getting up into her new position. Her head faced the pillows, and her backside faced Lana, who was once more in place to help guide her baby out.

"Did it...nnggh...help to rock back and forth?" Gabby asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Lana said, cradling her own belly. "It helped the baby move down easier."

Gabby nodded. "Okay...hoooo. I'm gonna- mmh- focus on these contractions...if you could maybe just rub my back a bit."

"You got it," Lana said. As she started to gently massage Gabby's back, she had time to collect her thoughts and think about the current situation. She'd just given birth...and Gabby was about to have a third kid, all from what seemed like magic. They weren't done quite yet...Lana knew she still had one more baby in her womb, and Gabby surely had another. But things were going fast, and after they'd pushed out their babies...they'd probably never be pregnant again. Lana caressed her belly, feeling melancholy for a moment. She'd barely gotten to enjoy being pregnant...she didn't want it to end yet...

She was pulled from her reverie by her girlfriend's moans. Lana watched as Gabby's body tensed up, her belly lifting up from the bed.

"Ooohhh God," Gabby groaned, burying her face in her arms. "Yeah, this one's...definitely coming fast. Nggghh!"

"That's okay, babe, you're doing so good," Lana said, pressing her palms into Gabby's aching muscles. "Do you like being in this position?"

"Gghh- yeah," Gabby grunted. "Hooo...I think...I want you to rub my belly now..."

Lana leaned in as far as she could with her own belly in the way. As she attempted to reach around, she unmistakably felt another contraction of her own. Shit, things really weren't letting up...

She placed a hand flat on the side of Gabby's low-hanging belly and began to rub in circles. Gabby hummed and cooed in response, enjoying Lana's touch.

"I never thought...this would feel so nice," Gabby breathed.

"Tell me about it," Lana replied. "It doesn't even...mmmggh...feel real."

"I just can't believe..." Gabby started, trailing off in the middle of the sentence as her next contraction hit. "Hoooo....nngaaah! Ah, fuck...I gotta start...pushing again!"

Lana held onto Gabby's belly as she pushed, feeling the muscles tighten under her fingertips. She watched as Gabby's pussy began to bulge out just slightly, and redoubled the efforts on rubbing her gravid swell.

At the same time, Lana felt another contraction of her own. She desperately wished that her body would hold out; maybe if she tried to ignore it, labor would last longer.

"NNGAAAHH!" Gabby bellowed. "It's- ghhh- stretching me!"

Lana watched as the now-familiar teardrop shape formed between Gabby's legs. She moved her hand away from her girlfriend's heaving belly in order to guide the head out. "Doing great, babe. Mmh...keep pushing!"

Gabby spread her legs wider and bore down again. She was getting good at this, now- the baby's head quickly reached a full crown.

Meanwhile, Lana felt the weight of her baby sinking lower, down through her birth canal. God, please hold on, she thought. As long as she didn't try to push, she could probably keep the baby in for a bit...

"Unnggh!!" Gabby grunted, as she got the head out. She was certainly not thinking about holding back.

Lana supported the head as fluid dripped onto the sheets below. "Nnhh- almost there, Gabby! You got this!"

Gabby pushed again as the baby's shoulders stretched her. "Ahhh it buuurns, fuck!"

"Come o- onnnnnnn!" Lana groaned, her whole body tightening as a contraction sent her baby's head right up against its exit. She instinctively clutched the underside of her belly and grimaced. "Oooh, ohhhh..."

"I- I've got it, it's..." Gabby choked. "...Hnng! It's COMINGGGGGAAAAAH!!"

With a final push, the baby was born into Lana's hands. Lana held it gently, even as she was struggling through her own labor.

"Ahh...mmmggh...you did it. It's a buh...boy," Lana said, growing weary.

"God...wow..." Gabby replied, gasping for air. She'd collapsed forward onto the pillows, also exhausted. "I dunno how much longer I can keep this up...!"

"Well," Lana breathed, as she turned to set the newborn down. "I think we both only have one baby left...then we're- nggh- done."

"God," Gabby repeated, lost for words. She turned over, flopping onto her back and splaying her arms out like a starfish. Her still-pregnant belly rose and fell with her heavy breathing. She was drenched in sweat at this point, having endured a proper workout.

After resting the baby on the ottoman, Lana turned back and started crossing the bed to approach her girlfriend. The baby was trying to escape her, but she clenched her muscles, attempting to stop it from crowning through sheer willpower. It was working somewhat, but keeping a straight face through it all was another kind of challenge.

Lana knelt in front of Gabby and began to rub her belly with both hands. "Take a breather, babe. We've...mmph...only got so much longer to enjoy this..."

Gabby closed her eyes and exhaled. "Hooo...this has been...so intense."

"Hrrnngh- I know," Lana grunted. She couldn't help tensing up as the baby's head began to press down into her panties. The pressure on her pelvis was unbearable. "...But I've been...ghh- loving every bit."

"Me too," Gabby said, her tired eyes looking up at Lana lovingly. "I love you so much."

Lana bent down as best she could, planting her arms on either side of her partner's shoulders. "I love you too," she said, before leaning down and meeting Gabby's lips with a kiss.

Gabby was worn out, but did her best to kiss back passionately. She took her arms and wrapped them around Lana's back, pulling her in.

"Ah-!" Lana yelped, caught off guard. She almost head-butted Gabby was she was forced downward, the two girls' bellies colliding and pressing together. The added pressure caused Lana's baby to crown more, and she let out a low moan. "Uuuooaah! Ohhh fuck..."

Hearing this, Gabby knew something was wrong. "What's...? Oh no, don't tell me..."

Lana grimaced and bit her lip as she felt Gabby's hand leave her back and trace its way around her body, down between her legs, where the bulge of the baby's head was prominent.

"You've got another coming out..." Gabby observed, gently feeling the lump with her fingers.

"Y-yeah..." Lana croaked. She felt herself getting flushed, feeling ashamed at the question she was about to ask. "D-do you...nngggh...think you could...p-push it back?"

"...Huh?"

"J-just a bit, with your hand," Lana sputtered, knowing how crazy she sounded. "I'm...I just...don't wanna stop...b-being pregnant yet."

Gabby stared at Lana with eyebrows furrowed...but quickly, she started to understand. She pondered while Lana tried desperately not to push any more. After a moment, Lana saw her expression shift.

"...Hold still, this'll probably hurt." Gabby said softly.

Lana barely had a second to brace herself before Gabby was pushing back on the crown between her legs. She let out a choked groan as she instantly felt the pain of the baby being forced back into her. Her jaw clenched and her legs shook, but Gabby did not relent until the head was all the way back inside, and her hand could press flat again Lana's vulva.

Once it was done, Gabby removed her hand, and quickly maneuvered her pregnant body to get off the bed. "Okay, hold it there for a sec. I have an idea."

Still reeling from what had just happened, Lana fell onto her side, grasping her belly and squeezing her thighs together. "Ohhh...wh-what're you...doing?"

She watched as Gabby waddled over to their dresser, opening the drawer of athletic garb. After a little searching, she pulled out three pairs of spandex shorts.

"Here- mmpph- put this on," Gabby told her, tossing one of the pairs over. "And I'll put on the other two. That should hold things off for a bit."

Lana was surprised at her girlfriend's suggestion. She sat up and picked up the shorts. "A-are you sure that's...smart?"

"Like you said, we- hooo- don't have much time," Gabby explained, starting to step into the shorts one by one. "I'm feeling my contractions starting again too, and- ngggh!- if we wanna enjoy these pregnancies while we can, this should hold everything together a...ggh, a little longer."

Realistically, Lana had no time to mull it over. A few more minutes of waiting, and their babies were going to be born, and the pregnancies they'd been dreaming of would be over for good. "...Okay. Let's try it..."

The two young women both managed to wrangle the stretchy shorts up past their thighs and wide hips. Gabby now had two layers of shorts on, while Lana had a couple pairs of her own, as well as her panties underneath.

"How does it feel?" Gabby asked, waddling over as she cradled her belly.

"Definitely very tight," Lana said, as two layers of compression fabric dug into her. "But it...hoooo...feels like everything will, uh...stay in place for a while."

"Mhmm, totally," Gabby said, feeling the fabric over her crotch with her hand. "Gotta be a pretty strong baby to- ngghh- get through that."

Lana grunted and heaved as she stood up from the bed, still trying to keep her legs together, fearing the baby would start coming out again. "Oof...so, ah...what now? Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"I think I could definitely use some water," Gabby said. "I've been...mmph...sweating a lot."

"Me too," Lana agreed. She began to walk out of the room with Gabby, but stopped briefly. "Oh, wait, hold on..."

Lana reached up and grabbed the bottom of her tank top, which had become wet with milk and stained with sweat. She pulled the well-worn garment up over her head and tossed it onto the bed. Her breasts spilled out over top of her belly, full and heavy. Now, both girls were fully naked except for their shorts.

Gabby's mouth curved into a smirk, and Lana smiled back. "...Okay, that feels better. Now let's go."

::::::::::

The two made their way back out to the living areas, taking slow, narrow footsteps. The couple was very worn out by now, and didn't want their walking around to speed up labor. Gabby detoured to the bathroom to wash her hands and face while Lana went to the kitchen to fill glasses of water.

While standing at the sink, Lana began to struggle again. Her body was not happy with her after Gabby put the birth into reverse. Now she was faced with incessant contractions and a constant low, heavy feeling on her hips. She swayed from side to side, shifting her weight back and forth, trying to breathe deeply and steadily. The baby's head pressed right at its exit, threatening to crown again at any moment...

Suddenly, Lana felt a pair of hands grab her by the waist, and she yelped. Behind her, she heard Gabby start to chuckle. Her girlfriend's pregnant belly pressed into her back, and she sighed.

"Babe, don't do thaaaat," she groaned. "No sudden movements...you're- unnggh- gonna make me start pushing again."

"Oh yeah?" Gabby said. She took one hand and traced it over Lana's backside, down between her legs, causing her to shudder. She took her fingers and gently rubbed at Lana's pussy through her shorts, right where the baby would be coming out. "Go ahead...I'll just push it back again and again...nnhh...until you tell me to stop."

Lana felt her heart pounding, her loins quivering. "Mmmhh...please..." She angled her hips back toward her partner, still clutching the full water glasses.

Feeling playful, Gabby brought both her hands back up and started to fondle Lana's breasts, kneading the flesh like dough. Spurts of milk jetted out into the sink with each squeeze. Lana gasped and whimpered, getting very turned on despite herself.

"Ooooh, babe..." Lana moaned. She set down the glasses, so as not to spill or break anything. She gripped the edge of the sink, starting to lose control of her urges. She bore down a bit, and her sex bugled out into her underwear just slightly...

Abruptly, Gabby removed her hands, realizing she may have been working things up too quickly. She came up next to her girlfriend and grabbed a glass. "Sorry...let's rehydrate and get back to the bedroom."

::::::::::

The walk back to the bedroom was even more laborious. Both women were getting very close to giving birth to their final babies...Lana's was more than ready to start crowning again, and Gabby's wasn't very far behind. The girls waddled toward the bed huffing and puffing, Lana slightly doubled over while Gabby was slightly bow-legged. Once there, they crawled up on their hands and knees, flopping onto their sides so that they could face each other. They reached their arms out in a loving embrace, as close as their could get with their round bellies between them.

Gabby ran her fingers through Lana's messy hair, looking into her eyes. "Thank you again...so much," she whispered. "This has been...nggghh...so incredible."

"Pregnant you is- ghhh- just as beautiful as I'd imagined," Lana said, trying not to let her voice sound so strained. "I'm so glad I- hooo- nghh...c-could make this happen."

"I wish- uunngghhh...!" Gabby groaned, grimacing and clutching her tight belly.

Lana put her hand alongside Gabby's, rubbing her girlfriend's gravid swell. "Are you feeling pushy?"

Gabby simply nodded. Lana kept rubbing her girlfriend's belly, letting her work through the contractions and urges. She tried to take in as much sensory information as possible, so that she would always remember what her partner's pregnant belly felt like.

At the same time, Lana was actively fighting back from pushing. She had her legs pressed together, almost crossed, and noticed that Gabby was doing the same.

After the contraction faded, Gabby took a deep breath and stared at Lana again. "You know, babe...hoooo...I feel like I've barely done anything for you...come here."

She shifted down, so that her head was more in line with Lana's chest. She took the breast resting on top into her mouth and began to suckle.

Lana gasped, immediately feeling jolts of pleasure. Gabby had of course played with her tits before, but it never felt this good. She hugged Gabby with one arm and weaved her fingers into her girlfriend's hair.

"God damn, you taste good," Gabby said through her teeth, as she started to nibble and lick, taking in milk. "This is...mmhh...a whole new level of sexy."

A moan escaped Lana's throat as she gripped the back of Gabby's head, holding her in close. The erotic pleasure was once more washing away her inhibitions, and she felt the need to push overcome her. She lifted her top leg, opening up her hips and giving the baby room to emerge.

Gabby kept sucking, now using one hand to rub Lana's belly. "You feel so...unngh, fertile...like you were meant to carry babies..."

"Ooooh, baaabe..." Lana groaned, scrunching up her face as she bore down. She realized she couldn't stop herself from pushing, not with Gabby stimulating her body like this. She felt her labia parting, the head crowning once more into her shorts. "Nnguuhh...oh! Ahh, f-fuck! B-abe, it's...nnnh!!!"

Gabby took her mouth off Lana's breast, scooting herself back up a bit. She let the hand on Lana's belly drift down between her legs. "Mmh...push for me, baby."

Now Lana really couldn't stop. For the first time, she pushed with everything she had. She growled in pleasure and pain as the head quickly pressed outward into her shorts, into Gabby's hand...but it could go no further than that. If the two layers of shorts weren't enough of a barrier, the hand definitely was. Lana's baby was stuck at just about a full crown, leaving her the gasp and moan helplessly.

"Shhh, take it easy," Gabby said. She started to rub gentle circles on the bulge in Lana's pants. "Just take it in...feel how it's stretching you."

Lana slowed her breathing and tried to relax, despite the pressure. She felt the tightness of her belly, the indescribable sensation of fullness in her groin. The full weight of her baby, right there, ready to be born...and Gabby's hand, coaxing it to stay in place. She thought about Gabby calling her fertile, and how much she enjoyed that...how great it felt to be bearing life...

After a moment, Gabby retracted her hand a bit. It was now time for her to start grimacing and moaning, earning Lana's attention. She saw that Gabby had curled up more, and had opened her legs up a bit. Lana took her hand from Gabby's back and brought it down past their pregnant belly, down between her girlfriend's legs, where there was another lump forming.

"You're...crowning, too," Lana breathed.

Gabby nodded again, frantically. "A-a little..."

The two just lay there for a moment, entangled in each other. Their bellies pressed into one another, their tits both leaking drops of milk onto the sheets. Their hands between each other's legs, each cradling the head of an emerging baby, confined by tight clothes. It was an intensely intimate moment that neither had ever experienced or thought they would experience. The whole time, they looked in each other's eyes, communicating a thousand things but saying nothing.

Eventually, something had to give. Lana watched as Gabby bore down again, and felt as the baby's head pushed out further into her palm. Gabby grunted, "Babe...I love you, but...I don't think we can keep doing this forever..."

"I...I know..." Lana sighed. She tensed up as her baby pushed out just a bit further, despite the restraints. "I just...fuck, I'm gonna miss being pregnant..."

Gabby chuckled, despite her straining. "Heh...and to think, you were so- mmggh- freaked out at first."

"I just didn't know what was going on!" Lana said. "Like, nngggh- I didn't even drink any guh...Gravidade, right? So how...?"

"Maybe it was...gggh...that light you saw," Gabby joked.

"Who fucking knows. I just know it- mmggh, fuck- won't be this easy to be pregnant again..."

Gabby removed her hand from between Lana's legs and placed it tenderly on her belly. "Well, nngh- never say never," she said. "We could get pregnant again...be surrogates, or something...and for a...hooo...whole nine months, too."

"I guess...you're right," Lana said. She felt herself pushing again, and this time, the head was at a full crown, about to force itself out into her tight shorts. "Okay...gggh!...I'm done...let's get these babies out."

The two had held out long enough. They feverishly went to remove their shorts, but it was easier said than done. They were so swollen and sweaty, and the fabric so tight, that it took a lot of effort just to peel them off their hips.

"Mggh- oh god," Gabby grunted, trying to wiggle her hips as she tugged her shorts down past her ass. "It's fucking c-cominggg!"

"Ooh, oh, ohhhhh...!" Gabby moaned, her remaining strength split between pushing out the baby and pulling off her clothes. Every inch she pulled her shorts down, the baby emerged to fill the space. The head popped out, and she shuddered.

Gabby had gotten her shorts down to her knees, and that was enough for her. Her baby was already halfway out by the time she got on all fours to push. "NnggGHUOOAAH!!"

As Gabby's baby slid out, Lana gave up on trying to full remove her shorts, opting to flop on her back and bear down.

"HHHRNNGH! GAAH!" Lana bellowed, giving her final push. The baby had just enough room to come out, landing in Lana's shorts like a hammock.

Totally spent, the two girls collapsed onto the bed, resting in their own pools of sweat, milk, and birth fluids.

"Guh...we did it, babe..." Gabby panted. "We fucking did it."

::::::::::

Unfortunately, the two couldn't rest for very long, because they had a lot to take care of. They took turns using the restroom, cleaning themselves up, and getting dressed into pajamas.

Lana stripped the bed and picked up the rug to make a laundry pile, while Gabby went and retrieved the empty bottle of Gravidade from the living room floor, as a keepsake.

At the end, the two sat on the bedroom floor, hugging each other. Gabby kissed the top of Lana's head softly while Lana rubbed her back.

"Best Valentine's Day ever, huh?" Lana asked.

"Yeah," Gabby breathed. She quietly looked over at the ottoman, where six whole newborns were now sleeping soundly.

"So, uhhhh...now what?"

::::::::::

THE END

#it's the big one #exponenshul's writing #gravidade #pregnancy fic #birth fic #pregnancy kink #birth kink #mutual birth #pregnant lesbians #rapid pregnancy #casual birth #birth denial #clothing birth #fpreg #preggophilia #preggo kink #pregnancy fantasy

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coolemmasulivan2 · 10 hours ago

Text

A Beautiful Mess | 2

Pairing: Lando Norris

Summary: Two neighbors who can’t stand each other, until an accidental kiss changes everything.

Word count: 3125

You can read part 1 here

Do we need somebody Just to feel like we're alright? Is the only reason You're holding me tonight 'Cause we're scared to be lonely?

It had been a week since you last saw Lando. After his visit to the school, it was like he had vanished. You knew he was home because, as always, he made sure you knew that, but beyond that, there was no sign of him.

The touch of your lips has haunted you ever since. You cursed yourself, telling yourself that you should have pushed yourself away the moment your lips met, you shouldn't have frozen.

"You're not getting it! Our lips touched." You practically yelled at your sister over FaceTime. She burst out laughing. "It's not funny. I hate him."

"If you hate him so much, why are you this worked up?" She teased you.

You frowned. "Are you implying I felt something?"

She shrugged. "Did you?"

"NO!"

At the same time, Lando was telling Max, who was stuffing clothes into his suitcase, since he was going back to Lonon, what had happened.

"It was an accident, dude!" Max said, watching his friend with amusement. "Just forget about it."

"I can't forget it!" Lando groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Our lips touched, Max. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it."

Max snorted. "Sounds like you liked it."

Lando spun around. "Are you insane? I meant goosebumps in a bad way. Like… I feel sick."

"Yeah, sure." Max smirked, barely holding back laughter.

You downed the last sip of your coffee, grabbed your bag, and stepped out of your apartment. Today was going to be a good day. You could feel it.

You had woken up early, gone for a run, had breakfast, and still had time to stop by your favorite bakery at the end of the street. Everything felt perfectly in place.

For once, Lando Norris was the last thing on your mind. Or at least, he was supposed to be.

You stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor, as you shifted your bag onto your shoulder, but then, just as the doors were sliding shut, a hand shot between them, forcing them open.

Your stomach dropped.

Lando locked eyes with you, before stepping inside. He didn't said anything and neither did you. The doors closed, sealing you both inside the small space. The building had a few years, so the elevator was not that spaceous.

He looked at his watch and run a hand through his curls. He looked like he was in a hurry.

Just five more floors.

Four.

Three.

Then... A jolt.

The elevator shuddered violently before coming to a stop. The lights flickered once, then settled into an unsettling dim glow.

You both froze. Then Lando sighed, pressing the emergency button. Nothing happened.

"You've got to be kidding me." Lando muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "Great. Just my luck." He let out a long sigh, pacing in the cramped space. If the elevator had felt small before, it felt suffocating now.

You, far too calm for his liking, pressed the emergency button a few times. "Can you stop moving?" You snapped, growing irritated.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I bothering you?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

You shot him a look. "Yes, actually. You've been bothering me for a while now. Thanks for finally noticing."

Lando scoffed. "Excuse me if I'm not as relaxed as you!"

You could see he was nervous. "If you keep panicking like that, you're going to run us out of oxygen."

His head snapped toward you, eyes wide. "What--?! Aren't you supposed to be a teacher? That's not how you tell someone to calm down!"

"You're not a kid, are you?"

Lando let out a fake chuckle. "Fuck. Why did I have to get stuck with you?"

You crossed your arms. "Trust me, I'm wondering the same thing."

He let out an amused breath, shaking his head. "Please! This is probably going to be the highlight of your day."

"You really think you’re that special? You're just an idiot, Norris." You said, crossing your arms over your chest.

Lando smirked, taking a deliberate step closer. "Well, then it seems we're not that different, princess."

"Don't you have anything better to do? Grow up, please. That pretty face of yours isn't going to get you out of everything forever."

"Oh..." He tilted his head, his smirk widening. "So you think I'm handsome?"

You exhaled sharply. "That's the only thing you got from what I said? You're impossible."

Somehow, the space between you had vanished. You weren't sure who had moved first, but suddenly, he was close. Closer than necessary.

Lando's gaze flickered down to your lips, as he licked his own. The air grew thick. The bickering stopped and he elevator fell into silence.

Your breath caught in your throat. Every logical thought screamed at you to move, push him away, to say something, but you didn't. Neither of you did.

Lando's hand twitched at his side like he was debating whether to reach for you. His chest rose and fell in deep, controlled breaths, but you could see it. He was just as caught in this moment as you were.

Then, just as his face leaned closer and your lips were about to touch, the elevator jerked back to life.

You stumbled slightly, as you immediately took a step back away from each other. He run a hand through his hair and you looked away from him. The air was thick, but neither of you acknowledged it.

The doors slid open and without hesitation, you stepped out, ignoring the concerned doorman who asked if you were okay. You didn't spare him, or Lando, a single glance as you strode out of the building.

Lando watched you go, jaw clenched, hands on his hips. He let out a breath and muttered under his breath: "What the fuck just happened?"

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Even surrounded by a classroom full of energetic kids, you couldn't shake the thoughts swirling in your head.

Why hadn't you pushed him away? Why hadn't you moved? Had you actually… wanted to kiss him? The questions run in your mind, each one making you more frustrated than the last.

By the time you got home, you felt exhausted, not physically, but mentally. You barely made it to the couch before grabbing your phone, dialing your friend number without hesitation.

"Let's go out tonight!" You blurted before she could even say hello.

A beat of silence. Then, suspicion. "Go out as in... clubbing?"

It had been a while. You weren't exactly the party animal type, so your sudden enthusiasm was unexpected.

"Yes!" You confirmed, already sitting up. "I need a distraction. Let's get dinner and then let's go out. Call the others."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my responsible and sensible friend?"

"Just be ready."

Determined to wipe the morning from your mind, you took a long shower, letting the heat ease the tension from your shoulders. Then, you dug through your closet, finding a dress you barely remembered owning: it was a red dress that hugged your body in all the right places. Paired with black heels that made your legs look like they belonged on a runway and a swipe of bold red lipstick. You felt powerful and it was just what you needed.

Lando leaned against the DJ booth, his drink on his hand as his friend, Martin Garrix, animatedly talked about his upcoming tour dates.

The club was packed, people moving to the heavy bass, neon lights flickering across the dance floor. It was the perfect place to blow off steam, to forget about the week.

Or at least, it was.

But the moment you walked in with your friends, all thoughts of relaxation evaporated.

Lando stiffened, nearly choking on his drink. "Oh, for fuck's sake."

"WHAT?" Martin shouted over the music.

Lando gestured toward the entrance. "Do you see that group that just walked in?"

Martin followed his gaze, spotting a group of friends laughing as they stepped into the club. "What about it?"

"The girl in the red dress. It's my neighbour!"

Martin's eyebrows shot up. "Wait... The neighbor? The one you kissed?"

Lando rolled his eyes. "We didn't kiss."

"Yet!" Martin smirked, clearly enjoying himself seeing Lando's annoyed face. He turned back to glance at you again. "She's beautiful."

Lando made a face, scoffing like the idea was ridiculous. "She's a nightmare, that's what she is." Martin chuckled, seeing right through him. "And she's a kindergarten teacher, bet it's gonna be real awkward for some parents to see their kid's sweet little teacher dressed like that."

Martin laughed, draping an arm over Lando's shoulder. "Dude, you're so jealous already."

"Shut up. What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's obvious!" Martin smirked. "You like her. And you hate that every guy in this club is about to spend their night looking at her. I can practically see smoke coming out of your ears, mate."

"Fuck off."

Your feet ached, but you didn't care. You were having the time of your life. Hours had passed in a blur of music, laughter, and drinks, and you and your friends hadn't left the dance floor for more than a few minutes at a time.

The alcohol had done its job: Lando hadn't crossed your mind all night. (Well, except maybe now. But that doesn't count.)

Leaning against the bar, you waited for your drink when a man approached you. Tall, broad shoulders, very handsome. And exactly your type.

He flashed you a smile. "Do you come here often?"

You blinked at him before bursting into laughter. "Oh my god. That pick-up line does not match your face."

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, that was terrible. I panicked."

You smirked. "I can tell."

"Not much of a flirt, I guess." He admitted, laughing along with you.

"Clearly."

He stuck out his hand. "I'm Eric, by the way."

You shook it, still grinning. "Y/n."

Lando leaned against the railing, beer in hand, eyes fixed on the bar. He told himself he was just people-watching, just casually scanning the room, but his gaze kept landing on you.

And the guy standing way too close to you.

The guy who looked like he'd stepped straight out of a fashion magazine. Tall, charming, and irritatingly good-looking. The kind of guy who knew exactly how to play his cards.

Lando took a sip of his beer, jaw tightening as he watched you laugh at something the guy said. You were drunk and from the way the guy leaned in, so was he. Too close. Way too close.

"You look like a creep." Martin shouted over the music, snapping Lando out of his glare. "Stop looking at her."

"I'm not looking at her."

Martin snorted. "Right. You're just analyzing the guy she's with." He nudged Lando's shoulder. "Worried she might take him home?"

Lando scoffed, tearing his eyes away. "I don't fucking care."

"Sure." Martin smirked, taking a sip of his drink. He didn't press further, letting his friend drown in jealousy.

You stumbled outside, the cool night air hitting your flushed skin like a slap. Eric followed closely behind, his hand steady on your back as he helped you sit down on a nearby bench as you waited for the cab.

"You're really nice, you know that?" You mumbled, tilting your head to look at him as he sat down beside you.

Eric smiled. "Thank God. I was worried I screwed up my chances with that terrible pickup line."

You laughed softly, resting your head against the cool metal of the bench. "You saved yourself."

"I'm glad!" He admitted, his voice warm. "I had a good time tonight."

"Me too." You sighed, your stomach swirling uncomfortably. You cleared your throat, barely above a whisper as the words slipped out. "I wish you were him."

Eric frowned. "Who?"

Before you could answer, a voice interrupted you. His voice.

"Y/n?" You and Eric both turned, and there he was. Lando. Hands in his pockets, his gaze locked onto you.

Eric's eyes widened in recognition. "Wow. Lando Norris?" He sounded excited, most likely a fan.

But you barely registered his reaction. Your stomach twisted again, and before you could stop it, you shot up from the bench, turned away from them both, and emptied your stomach onto the pavement.

Lando instinctively moved toward you, but Eric was faster. He was by your side, gathering your hair in his hands and rubbing slow circles on your back.

Lando clenched his jaw, watching the way Eric took care of you. It shouldn't bother him, but it did. The guy was too perfect. A walking green flag.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked gently. "Think you can stand?"

You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, groaning as you nodded. Eric helped you to your feet, keeping you steady against his side. "Where's that damn cab?" Eric muttered under his breath, glancing around.

"I'll take her home," Lando said suddenly.

Eric turned to him, brows raised. "What?"

"We're neighbors. She's most likely going to pass out on the way back."

"Yeah, we drank quite a lot." He looked between you and Lando. "Y/n? You okay with that?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay with going with Lando? Is he your neighbour?" He asked you, and Lando could almost hear himself rolling his eyes. The guy was seriously too nice.

"Yes!" You confirmed. Lando took a step forward and stretched his hands. You blinked up at him, your head heavy. "You're so annoying. Why are you always everywhere?" Despite your grumble, your hands slowly found his.

Eric's lips twitching into a sad smile. He gently let you go as Lando pulled you closer, steadying you against him.

"Thanks for taking care of her." Lando said.

"It was my pleasure." Eric replied, his gaze soft as he looked at you. "She's something special. And I just met her, so…"

You chuckled. "I like you, Eric."

He smiled. "I know, Y/n." Then his expression flickered, just for a second. "But I'm not him, right?"

Lando frowned, watching as you only groaned in response.

Eric let out a small breath before leaning in and pressing a kiss to your cheek. Lando's grip on you tightened.

"It was nice meeting you." Eric said. "Call me sometime, yeah?" He turned to Lando, extending a hand. "Big fan, man. Nice to meet you."

Lando shook it briefly. "Yeah. You too."

Eric gave you one last glance before walking off.

Lando glanced down at you, your body leaning heavily into his side. "Come on, let's get you home."

You hummed, already half-asleep. "Still annoying."

"Yeah, yeah."

Lando pulled into his parking spot, turning off the engine with a quiet sigh leaving his mouth. When he glanced to his right, he wasn't surprised to see you fast asleep, just like he'd predicted.

Your head rested against the window of his McLaren, your mouth slightly open, breaths slow and steady. One of his Quadrant hoodies was draped over you.

Lando exhaled, leaning back against the seat as he stared at you. He'd never really taken the time to look at you before, not like this. You looked… peaceful. And you were indeed a very beautiful woman.

His fingers moved on their own, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face, tucking it gently behind your ear.

"What the hell am I doing?" Lando muttered to himself, running a hand down his face, he groaned under his breath. "I must be crazy."

Shaking off whatever the hell that was, he reached over and carefully pulled your head away from the window. Then, he stepped out of the car, circling around to your side and pulling the door open.

"Y/n?" He called, his voice quiet but firm as he nudged your arm. "Wake up. We're home."

"Hm?" You groaned, keeping your eyes firmly shut.

"Wake up. Come on."

He turned your face into the seat, snuggling deeper into the warmth. "Let me sleep!"

Lando huffed, crossing his arms as he glanced around the dimly lit garage. "If you don't wake up, I'm leaving you here." Nothing. "I cannot believe her." With a sigh, he leaned down, sliding one arm beneath your legs and the other behind your back. He hesitated for a second before carefully lifting you into his arms.

You instinctively curled into his chest, your face pressing against the crook of his neck, a small sigh leaving your lips. Lando froze for a split second, his heart racing in his chest.

Lando stepped into the elevator, shifting you slightly in his arms to press the button for his floor. You were still dead weight against him, your warm breath fanning against the side of his neck. He clenched his jaw, doing his best to ignore the way you seemed to fit perfectly against him.

When the doors opened, he carried you down the hall, stopping in front of your apartment.

"Alright, time to go home." He muttered, adjusting his grip. "Where's your key?" You mumbled something against his neck, your lips brushing against his skin. Then, before he could even react, you wrapped your arms around him, holding him close. "Y/n." He tried again, shaking you gently. "Where's your key?"

Another muffled murmur. He sighed, dropping his head back against the door in frustration. Since you refused to answer him, and since he couldn't exactly rummage through your purse while holding you, he had no choice.

"Alright, you're coming with me." He muttered, carrying you across the hall to his own apartment.

He walked straight to his bedroom, gently lowering you onto his bed. As soon as your back hit the mattress, he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. But just as he moved, you reached out, your fingers curling into the fabric of his white shirt, right where it gaped open.

"Stay." You murmured, eyes still closed.

Lando froze. "You're drunk!" He reminded you, gently prying your fingers off him. You groaned but refused to let go, gripping his shirt again, this time tighter. His breath hitched as your fingertips brushed against his bare chest. "Y/n!"

"Lando!" You snuggled against the pillow, your grip unrelenting. "Stay." You whispered.

Lando clenched his jaw. He should go. He needed to go. But the way you held onto him, the way you looked so small and vulnerable in his bed… it made something twist inside his chest.

With a heavy sigh, he gave in. "Fine! But just until you fall asleep." He told himself that.

And yet, as he laid down beside you, feeling the warmth of your body so close to his, he had a sinking feeling that this was only going to make things a lot more complicated.

Tags:

@lilorose25 @downsideup1989 @anayaverse @ln4-cl16-world @chlmtfilms @444-leqz @joannaln4 @notarshia

#lando norris #formula 1 #lando norris x y/n #lando imagine #lando x reader #lando x you #lando norris x you #lando norris x reader #lando norris imagine #ln4 fic #ln4 imagine #ln4 #ln4 x reader

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ladyloveandjustice · 8 hours ago

Text

I mean, Legend of Lattes did have a conflict, her coffee place straight up burned down? It wasn't a major focus for most of the book but it happened.

I've only read a few cozy fantasy things, and didn't find a few of them super memorable myself, but the definition of cozy fantasy is pretty broad from what I've seen. Emily Wilde is categorized as that and it is FULL of conflict and action and has some great and memorable characters.

But people have always liked stuff that's low tension/stakes/fluffy. See coffee shop aus in fanfic, or fanfic tagged fluff. See slice of life anime where characters are just hanging out. It's not a new thing. People have always wanted to watch or read things that just give cozy vibes and allow them to hang out with characters. The book industry realizing there was a market for that was inevitable. If it's not for you, it's not for you, but it's obviously for someone or it wouldn't be doing well.

I also think this is a good example of how condescending we can get when talking about a genre we don't like. Rather than say "it's not for me, I don't find the characters memorable and want better stakes, maybe there should be more variety" (which was more where OP was at) it has to be somehow bad for people to read it and write it. like...

And so sometimes it feels impossibly challenging to write any book except one where nothing bad happens and nothing is in danger and nobody is really bothered or worried about anything and everything is mostly fine and there aren't any major setbacks…..

That is a hell of a condescending assumption to make about those writers. Jesus. I'm a professional author too, but I would not want to make these assumptions about my fellow writers.You don't know if they're doing it because it's easy, or if they're doing it because they felt there was a need for it, or it was just an idea they liked writing. You don't like it, great. That doesn't mean those writers are slacking off or doing something wrong somehow. You don't know that they don't also write books with tension and conflict. I feel like most of them probably have, actually. Assuming they sat down and thought "omg this will be easy I'm so lazy" is just...do you make the same assumption about romance writers? It can get pretty formulaic, but that doesn't mean it's easy to write. Have you tried to write a cozy fantasy and sell it and make it do well? If not, I don't think you should talk about how easy it is.

But that leaves readers cold.

I mean not all readers obviously, since it wouldn't be doing well or selling well?

And frankly, I don't feel like it does much of anything to nourish either our souls or theirs.

It feels like eating a bag of potato chips for dinner instead of going to the effort of even just heating up a frozen dinner that has a vegetable in it.

Why does reading HAVE to "nourish your soul", whatever that means? What's wrong with eating a bag of potato chips? You teach college, so I wonder if you've ever run into a colleague who thinks this way about regular fantasy and sci-fi. Where they think that genre fiction is inherently more disposable and less challenging than literary fiction. I've sure as hell run into those professors, that look down on readers and writers of "commercial fiction", and I've seen the bad impact they have on their students. Do you agree with them? Because you're sounding a lot like them right now. This is the exactly the kind of argument they'd make.

You don't know whether these people don't also read books with more stakes or a variety of genres as well. Low effort reading has it's place, it just maybe shouldn't be the only thing you read if you want to actually experience the breadth of literature.

And I see this a lot in the book community, but dissing the stuff people are into and saying they need to challenge themselves more or they won't be smart like you (I see this with YA a lot too) is not going to convince them. It frames reading as a chore, and people often don't like doing chores in a life full of them, and reading is a hobby for a lot of people. Rather that say "you need to read this to better your mind" say what can be interesting or intriguing about these books that are more challenging, what kind of cool things you can get from them. Sometimes it seems to me like the point of these arguments is to feel superior, rather than actually convince people.

Nothing's wrong with reading low effort books or watch low effort shows--it's when say, a YA reader says books are inherently flawed if they don't spell things out like YA sometimes does or has more challenging themes. Or a cozy fantasy reader acting like all books should be cozy fantasy and books with tension are bad. Those are the people that ruin the discourse. But, doing the inverse isn't any better.

idk, man. I've taught university classes about this shit, but what do I know.

I teach grad school classes on writing, (I don't like to pull that card, since it's not like teachers can't have flawed ideas about their subject but since we're here) and have taught similar lessons. Yet, here's what I think I do know: telling students the genre they write is wrong is not something a teacher should do. Those literary fiction professors love doing that, and I'm not them.

As a teacher with a variety of students in a variety of genres, I have to read genres I don't like all the time--god I hate most 'dark romance' and man do I not get or like omegaverse, but I sure as hell had to read both. But just because I don't like them doesn't mean they're worthless, or there isn't a market for them, or it's wrong to write them. So I put those feelings aside, think about what kind of help the student needs to be successful in their chosen genre, and what the audience would want, because that will help them improve. (though I do try to hint if something seems like, incredibly sexist, that maybe we should reconsider that, or look at it from all angles and decide if it's something the story needs). And at the same time, I do teach them basic lessons on how to structure a story, and what's good about conflict, stakes, etc.

But I wouldn't tell any of them they're wrong for writing cozy fantasy even if it's not always my cup of tea, because there is a market for it, and I want them to do well at it and do what they love. What pays the bills pays them, and if you actually like what you do, that's also important. Writers do need to challenge themselves, which is why I encourage students to be open minded about all genres, try out writing them, try writing different POVs, different stuff even if they don't publish it, because that can only help them get better at what they do. But if what they publish is cozy fantasy, hey, it gets them good money and they like doing it, that's more than I can say for most jobs.

Cozy Fantasy and Why It Doesn't Work

I think I am among many who feel like they should love cozy fantasy and have found it an incredibly lacking genre.

This newly branded "cozy fantasy" genre that has taken readers by storm since 2020 and while it is new that books are now marketed as cozy, the genre itself isn't new. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a great example of the genre before it was labeled and also how to make it work.

Cozy fantasy is defined by many as fantasy with low stakes. Fantasy aesthetic but less sword fights. On paper, it sounds great. But the execution has been less than stellar for readers like me. The lack of physical stakes has also impacted the emotional stakes of these books, creating forgettable characters with boring problems. As a romance reader, I find this frustrating. Romance is known for being a predictable and formulaic genre, the now defunct Romance Writers of America defined romances as needing happy endings, a term romances have continued to follow. Yet these romance texts manage to have low physical stakes (how to date your neighbor, how to confront your toxic friends, etc) while still maintaining high personal stakes that keep readers invested and begging for more. So I was initially confused why cozy fantasy authors struggle to write texts that connect to readers like me.

I think I have found the answer which is the genre is just here for vibes. It is all about aesthetic, not even worldbuilding that fantasy is known for as most cozy fantasy I read have so many problems as soon as you ask one question. It is hard to acknowledge that a genre that is pitched to work for readers like me doesn't work for many of us. Especially because occasionally there is one that works beautifully to my taste.

I often say my favorite cozy fantasies that are more contemporary are short and visual, which I plays into the idea of the genre being an aesthetic. The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz is a good example because it is a simple story that is given the perfect amount of pages and gorgeous visuals without dragging on when the message is very clear and easy to understand. Books like The Phoenix Keeper and Legends and Lattes have absolutely nothing for me, their very clear message hitting the reader over and over so the readers don't miss it and focusing on the aesthetic of worldbuilding rather than the reality of the fantastic elements within the world.

I guess my point is. . . I realize this genre isn't for me since I have realized it is more of an aesthetic than anything. .. .but I want it to be. Should I let it go and put my efforts elsewhere? Or should I keep exploring this new trend and find the hidden gems?

#writing #book talk #sorry...sometimes the tone of a thing gets to me even if i also don't care for the subject

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luzyuvu · 3 days ago

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Amphoreus worse romcom.

Ch 11.

Anaxa fic part 2!

Take this as a Valentine's day gift!

As part of Aglaea's plan to slowly but surely get you two together was to get the help of the other Chrysos heirs, not only with the intentions of finally appease (or try to) Anaxagoras's jealousy, but also because with their combined efforts it would be way more easy to start trying to close the distance between you two without forcing you to be alone with him. It was perfect, or at least, at the time of just think about the plan, it was.

------

Phainon swears he is doing his best, because he is! He is doing his best so you and Anaxa can have a good time together.

The original plan was for him to be the third wheel, only using his presence so you could feel more comfortable with Anaxa, but Phainon forgot how even if his fellow Chrysos heir is a sage and has incredible wisdom in his hands, he is definitely not good when it comes to dates or have interactions not related to his job. And it's so painfully obvious that every time you try to make things more natural it ends up with you looking down, only to rise your gaze to look out at Phainon with pitiful puppy eyes asking for help.

And Phainon is trying, really hard, but it seems that you end up accidentally talking more with him rather with Anaxa, and the sage is definitely not having it. He knows it's not his fault, and Anaxa does too, but since he got feelings for you his jealousy seems to have grown and rose out of the sky and his logic and reason is down in the core of the earth when it comes to you.

And that's how we got here, with poor innocent Phainon between the two of you with in his right a girl lost and uncomfortable and on his left a man with a gaze so lethal he could kill a Titan by just looking at them.

He thought Anaxa's gazes were deadly before but it seems that somehow they got even worse, and he swears that if it wasn't because of you Anaxa's gun would be already on his head threatening to shoot.

Phainon it's internally crying, he just wants to help.

So in a desperate attempt to got you two to exchange more than a few words he decides to let you two alone, making up any excuse to leave for at least a few minutes.

He is glad that the death glare has lightly softened but in exchange he nows has to face the pure panic and desperate look in your eyes, begging him to not let you two alone.

"I'm sorry, my friend, this is for the best... " He thinks to himself before walking away.

-----

"Finally, some time alone. " Anaxa thinks to himself as he looks at Phainon's back. Then, his gaze goes back to you and how your eyes go back and forth between your hands and him.

He doesn't blame you for being nervous, until then he did nothing but put walls between you two and was also an absolute asshole to you, he is actually surprised you aren't openly rude to him as well. It's one thing that he likes about you, thought, he hopes you are not such a pushover to other people who are rude to you.

"I'll make sure she is treated well, if not, well... " His expression hardens lightly at the thought of people mistreating you, and it's already thinking of ways of how to get rid of those people who dared to even raise their voice at you.

After a short moment of silence he decides to start a conversation, it feels a little robotic and it's not the most friendly and extroverted one, but you are now looking at him and lucky he will get you to give him more than two whole sentences at once. Maybe, you would get comfortable enough to get you to make those jokes of yours again. He might not be the type of people who laughs loudly or makes excessive amounts of jokes, he is not a jester, but he would like you to be that comfortable with him so you can smile in his presence more often.

------

Phainon let's out a sight of relief when he sees the two of you finally have a proper conversation and finds himself smiling at the sight. It is not the most intimate or friendliest of conversations, but it's such an amazing improvement compared to previous attempts and it's definitely a good step to the right direction.

He can't wait to tell to the others what he is just witnessing, even though he knows that soon or later he has to go back and face Anaxa's cold gaze for interrupting his precious time with his beloved puppy.

------

Castorice is more than willing to help Anaxa on his attempts if winning her sister's heart. She isn't experienced in love at all, her power's don't slow her to be that close to someone and she has a hard time talking to people two. The only approach she had to love is thanks to the romance novels she read and thanks to her beloved friend, but she will still do her best to help.

So, to help Anaxa, she tells him every little thing she knows about you, what food you liked your favorite color, favorite book... There's not a single detail about you that Castorice doesn't hold dear to her heart, and Anaxa is taking notes. He is listening every single word out of her mouth, making sure he knows everything he would need to get closer to you.

He is already making strategies and making plans of how he could make his next move, studying Castorice's information in the same way he does his research, with a expression of pure focus and concentration. Castorice smiles at the sight, she is glad someone finally wants to make a move on you and making so much effort.

Of course she is aware of your and Anaxa's situation. As your closest confident, she was the first person to know the details and how it made you feel, but she believes people can change, she is seeing with her own two eyes how hard Anaxa is trying his best and even Aglaea is helping, so it surely can end well despite the rough start.

It might not be a perfect fairytale of romance or a perfect story like some books she read, but it's real and genuine, and that's what makes it special.

She hopes you can both be happy and have your happy ever after.

-------

Anaxa notices how you slowly start to deliver messages to him again. He knows it's Aglaea's, after all, you can't refuse her. It only takes a smile and her gentle tone to persuade you to do her a favor. And he also knows that, in your eyes, it would be worth it when you go back to receive her gratitude and softness. It makes him narrow his eyes in jealousy how you act like a child, eager to make their parents proud when it comes to her. Though, he must admit, the mental image of your happy smile at receiving such reward makes his lips want to curl.

It's thanks to this small opportunities that she gives him that he can put into use all of Castorice's information, and also a way to test his hypothesis and theories of how to act around you and his plans to win your heart. He has a whole note for all the things he had planed and he has even more notes of how you react with each interaction you have, pages after pages of details of how you react, every little gesture, improvement or dislike he notices.

If someone saw it, they would think he is actually making an experiment instead of courting his crush, but it's just the way he is, not even when it comes to love he stops being a scholar.

Is with each little interaction that he slowly starts to master his skills when it comes to your interactions, and with each passing day he is starting to learn how to distract you and make you slowly lose yourself into your conversations, successfully distracting you from the reason you came in the first place.

And he hopes soon enough you'll start visiting him on your own.

Love is new to him and even thought the way he approaches it it's too similar to of how a researcher investigates a new species, it doesn't make it less genuine, he can't give you an out of a fantasy love story but he can give you his heart and the most genuine of efforts. At his own unique and particular way of doing so.

--------

As usual, you find yourself walking towards Aglaea's place to meet her for a tea party, you make sure to do so every now and then, mostly for to check on each other and make sure the other is okay. And as usual, it started well, nothing out of the ordinary, until...

"Lover's day is nearing. " she comments with a calm smile. Of course you know it, couples all over the city are already planning what to do, meanwhile, single people cry out of loneliness.

You always bake some sweets for your friends, but Aglaea already knows it, so you just look at her lightly confused as you agree.

"Your sweets are lovely, I look forward for them every year.... " she starts with her gentle tone, and you can't help but smile too.

"Have you thought about giving Anaxagoras some? " she says calmly as she takes a slip of her tea, you almost choke with yours.

After a few moments of recovery you look at her confused, and before you can even form your questions, she continues.

"I know he might not look like the kind of person that would enjoy or care about this kind of celebration, nevertheless, if it's you who gifts him such a sign of appreciation, he won't refuse. " Sensing your doubt, she places a hand above yours.

"I'm sure you've noticed how much he had improved over months. " She gives your hand a reassuring squeeze. "Please, dear friend, give him a chance, you can't know how it will turn out if you don't try. " Her tone and smile are gentle as she softly let's go of your hand.

Aglaea tries to convince you a little more before changing of topic, going back to your usual themes of conversation.

Times goes by and you find yourself walking out of the residence as you say goodbye to Aglaea, but before you can close the door she calls you once more.

"Please, consider what we talked earlier. " She gently pats your head. "Don't worry, my child. Trust me, you know I would never suggest something that could cause you any harm. " And with that, you walk to your home, thinking about your earlier conversation.

Doubt lingers on the back in your mind, but with a sight you decide to take her suggestion.

The worse it could happen is if the chocolates turn out to not be of his liking.

--------

Later on the same day, moments after you leave, Anaxa knocks Aglaea's door.

The conversation is fairly similar to what she had with you, it started casual, with regular and not so important topics before bringing the real focus of the day.

"Lover's day is around the corner, have you already thought about what are you going to gift to your beloved, Anaxagoras? " She notices how his body tenses at the mention of such date.

Of course he knows it's near, he is even aware of the seconds and minutes that are left for said date to arrive. In fact, he had been preparing his gift for a whole month, meticulously looking out for the perfect recepie, choosing your favorite flavor, your favorite type of chocolate, how would you like the shape to look like, your favourite type of packaging. He also will buy the same day a bouquet of flowers, also carefully and deliberately chosen to express his intentions with you and a plush of your favorite animal. Castorice herself helped him to make sure everything is perfect for the important day, but he won't tell Aglaea all of that, so he just nods.

She decides to not ask more questions and keep the conversation light, satisfied to know that he did something. She already knows he didn't just pick anything and go with it, he is too perfectionist for that and wants your love so badly it's impossible for him to not do something worth of you.

She can't wait for the day to finally arrive.

---------

The first one to receive our gift is obviously Castorice, you woke up early to greet her and give her her sweets, followed by your dear Aglaea, Phainon and Mydei, followed by some other important people. That lives you with only one box of chocolates to give... Anaxagoras's.

All the Chrysos heirs asked about it, after thanking you properly for your gesture, of course. You have all the same exact response, telling them how you haven't seen him yet and that you'd look out for him. Truth to be told, you have been intentionally avoiding him.

It's not like you are scared if him, not the way you did before anyways. It's not like it's the first time you find yourself in this situation, it was exactly like this the first time you gifted something to anyone for the first time, and to this day you still cringe when remembering it. You just hope it won't be as painfully awkward as when you first gave one gift to Mydei, you wouldn't handle it.

It's not like you didn't put effort or anything, actually, you tried so hard to make it perfect that you forgot to sleep and eat.

Everything is handmade, from the chocolates to the box, everything made carefully with Anaxa's likings on mind, but still, your nerves are killing you.

You really hope he likes it, you think as you finally start looking out for him.

-----

Anaxa has been looking out for you everywhere.

He asked everyone he knew and they were equally confused as him. According to them, you were looking out for him, but he was also doing the same so there could be two options, or you two are having terrible bad luck (he doesn't believe in luck) or you are avoiding him. The last option makes his heart hurt, but he still is determined to find you, soon or later.

------

You take deep breaths to steady your nerves, but it doesn't help. Every second feels like torture and you can't do anything about it. You can't hide forever, he will find you, and if not him, Aglaea will and you don't want to go throughout that embarrassment. So you use the little bit if strength you have and look out for him.

It doesn't take too much for you to find him, and even less for him to notice you. It almost scares you how quickly he was aware that you were approaching him, but you decide to ignore it and before he can open his mouth, you hand him his gift.

You somehow find the courage to look at his eye and his surprise surprises you, but it quickly transforms into anxiety as he inspects the box. It is of his favourite colors, elegant and sophisticated. He can notice the handmade nature of the box as he sees the small imperfections in it. He also sees the rests of your effort on your fingers as you play with them, the paint clearly visible around your hand.

The chocolates are also good, they have leaf shapes and are bitter, as he likes. He can't stop the way his lips curl ever so lightly and how his gaze seems to soften.

"Thank you. " his voice lacks his usual coldness and arrogance, and you never heard it before, it takes you a little to process before he hand you your gifts.

A plush, some chocolates and flowers, it's obvious it was picked for you, because it all has your favourite things all over it, and you can't help but be stunned. You don't know what's more impressive, the fact that he gave you something at all, or how much he did to make it so you'd love it.

You give him the biggest smile you could and your tone is nothing but grateful and happy as you thank him. He still looks at you with the same almost unnoticeable softness as you admire your gifts and he wishes you could always be like this around him.

You talk a little before heading to your respective houses before his voice calls you out.

"You don't have to call me Anaxagoras, just Anaxa is fine. "He calmly comments, but you are completely flabbergasted. He hates being called Anaxa, he made sure to make it clear and you did your best to avoid calling him that, so it was a shook to hear him saying that, especially since he didn't say a reason why you could.

Still, after recovering from the recent surprise, you nod and oblige, and you can almost see a smile before you two part ways.

The day didn't have a confession, some wild drama or anything extravagant, but you two were content, and that's all that matters. This was your story, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

-----------

Aglaea smiles to herself as she looks at the scene, glad that everything worked out at the end and that the two lover birds are happy and satisfied. So she walks away like the other two, ready to keep sketching more ideas for your wedding dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author note: poor baby Phainon, he has to deal with Anaxa's jealousy :( anyways, this is not the final part, idk how much more there will be BDNDNDN

Also, we all need an aglaea in our lives

I was thinking about naming this fics 'Amphoreus worse romcom' but what would you think? Anyways, see ya

#anaxa x reader #hsr anaxa #hsr x reader #xreader #hsr imagines

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jamisonwritestf2trash · 3 days ago

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TF2 Mercs (+ Miss Pauling) HC: Love Languages!

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Happy Valentines Day, everyone! The title is pretty self-explanatory. I know not everyone believes in love languages, but I still thought It'd be a nice post for the holiday :) More romantic than platonic, I fear, but you can take it however you please! Also, kind of x reader-ish, as in using the word you a lot. Also, also! We're doing the love language they give (how they express love) and the love language they like receiving (what makes them feel loved in return.)

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Demo-

Giving: Physical touch

This man has to CONSTANTLY be touching you, or he is NOT happy. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. He can find happiness in just being with you! But he can't deny that he wants nothing more than to hold, kiss, or cuddle with you. But don't assume all his expressions of love come from your classics. Sure, cuddling and kisses are nice, but there's more to it than that. Brushing or playing with your hair, tracing words on your arms and back, appreciating diffrent parts of your body you might have issues with, massages, and even just letting your rest your head on him after a long day, no matter what type of contact he provides to you, he will always be doing his best to make you feel loved through touch.

Receiving: Quality time

He just wants you to spend time with him, and he's more than happy. Involving him in even just a small part of your life makes him overjoyed. Ask him to join you with cooking, cleaning, hell, he'll even be content joining you in a hobby he may have NO interest in. It just makes him feel so loved to be a part of your life.

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Engie-

Giving: Words of affirmation

Engineer is never short on compliments, petnames, good advice, or even just genuine affirmation. He always wants to show you he cares through his words. Calling you beautiful, smart, caring, he always seems to know the right words to say to you to make you know how much he truly cares for and loves you. It's straightforward and leaves no room for questions. You'll hear compliments a million times a day, or at the very minimum, three times a day. He's more than happy to wake you up with compliments and help you to sleep with them. Outside of just compliments, if you're having a hard day, he'll always tell you just what you need to hear to push on a bit longer. When you're doing something well he's always there with a "I'm so proud." Or "I believe in you!" And even when you do something that, really, doesn't mean a lot, he'll always be sure to tell you just how much EVERYTHING you do means to him.

Receiving: Words of affirmation!

I think he genuinely enjoys giving and receiving the same type of love. Even if it does make him a little bit flustered sometimes. Knowing that he gets to hear words from your heart, the same way he provides words from his just does something to him. He's really a sucker for praise and comments on his smarts and skills. They make him melt, and get all shy. He can't help it!

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Heavy-

Giving: Acts of Service

Oh boy. This man would move mountains for you if he physically could. Hell, try asking him. He might just go and do it. He'll do anything you ask of him, and even things you don't ask of him. Have a hard time falling asleep? He's already making you a tea and finding a book to read to help you relax. Oh, you didn't eat today? Well, firstly, he's having a talk with you about the health ramifications, but he's also cooking you dinner. Cooking for you is actually his FAVORITE act of service to provide! He loves cooking and learning how to cook new dishes. So he's more than happy to learn a recipe for you. He'll help you with anything you need, anytime, anywhere. You mean the WORLD to him, so let him take care of you the way you DESERVE!

Receiving: Words of affirmation

Heavy is a simple man. Providing love to you makes him feel loved. That being said... knowing just how much you appreciate his acts of love makes him so incredibly happy. Even simple compliments on his cooking, or soft mentions of how much you enjoy hearing him read to you, just, you don't understand HOW overjoyed it makes him.

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Medic-

Giving: Words of affirmation

Similar to Engineer, he's never short on pet names, affirmations, or good advice. He is a bit more reserved with compliments, but they still make an appearance regularly. (Also, REALLY stretching it here, but he loves to tell you stories. It's his favorite thing, and he just really loves anything to do with talking to you.) You get petnames in both languages, always very heartfelt, my love/beloved, my darling, my heart. When you're doing good at something that doesn't involve him, his compliments tend to be generic. "Keep it up!" Or "Good work!" Being go tos. But when you're helping him specifically, then the more personal ones come through. He's more than willing to tell you just how helpful you are, how needed you are, how you make his days better. Speaking on strictly affirmations, though, he is partial to brushing your hair, or face softly, and repeating affirmations to you that help you feel better about yourself in any way.

Receiving: Physical touch

Soft gentle touches melt this man's heart every time. Gentle touches to his arms, face, and waist make him weak. He loves to be held, cuddled, and kissed. Everything about physical touch makes him feel so valued. He's a man who spends his day focusing on other people's bodies, it means a lot that someone focuses and cherishes his.

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Scout-

Giving: Acts of service

Unlike Heavy, Scout is more, secretive, about his desire to serve. Don't get him wrong. He adores you! But you know... he's gotta be a cool guy for you! He very casually does things. Your shoes got untied? Oh well, I mean, Scout's actually closer to the ground anyways so he might as well do it for you. There's a puddle on the ground in front of you that you most certainly can avoid? Woah woah woah, not on Scout's watch, you're a very classy person, so naturally, he should deal with this for you. He's very silly and over the top, but he loves you, and that's just the price you pay for winning his heart. His favorite act of service is "fixing" things for you, primary by getting Engie to fix them, but hey, he still got it done! And by cooking for you. I know, I know, the fandom is divided on this one, but hear me out! He loves his Ma, and do you really think she'd let her boys walk out of the house thinking cooking is women's work? Hell no. He makes sure to cook you extra special dinners when the time is right. I actually think he has a recipe box from his Ma, and he wants to cook you every recipe in it.

Receiving: Words of affirmation

Please tell him how good he's doing, please mean it, please- Okay, we all know how Scout is. He may act all tough and cocky, but above all, he really values you and your opinions. He WANTS to hear your praise and reassurance, and he wants to know he's making you feel as loved as possible. Loving you, as cheesy as it sounds, makes him feel loved too.

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Sniper-

Giving: Gift giving

Sniper, by nature, is very reserved, so sometimes it's hard for him to express his love in normal ways. Thus leading to you finding various...uh...unorthodox gifts, left out for you. Animal parts being a major one (if you're a little too freaked out by this, or too much of an animal lover, he WILL respect this, you'll find yourself receiving small wood carvings instead) from hides to bones to just the whole ass animal, it's his way of showing you he loves you! Much like how cats do it, it's a mix of displaying his affection while also getting your attention. A dead rabbit on the doorstep makes for a good conversation... Yeah? Giving you things is like giving a piece of himself to you, and every time you accept, he falls more and more.

Receiving: Quality time

Hey, so speaking of that dead rabbit, you know how you could make him feel really loved? Sniper is more than happy to spend some one on one time with you, preferably somewhere quiet. Honestly, he'd find it so nice to just go somewhere in the desert, start up a fire, show you how to clean up the rabbit (again, if you're an animal lover, you don't have to deal with any of this! He'll take you out to the same place, start the same fire, but just teach you how to do small wood carvings or handle weapons.) And have a nice dinner out there with you, albeit not the most filling, but hey, I'm sure there's other animals around to spot while you spend some time with him.

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Spy-

Giving: Acts of service

Spy is a gentleman by nature. Of course, he loves to help you out! Although he complains a little, none of it is serious. He'll pull out your chair and hold doors open for you. If you need something, he's more than willing to grab it for you. He can TRY and cook for you also with...mixed results. Though ask him to mix you a drink or make you a nice cup of coffee, and he definitely won't disappoint. He really does enjoy making you drinks more than anything. He loves being able to bring you coffee (or tea) early in the morning. He is also VERY fond of helping you with your clothes in any context, wearing a dress? Let him zip it up for you. Wearing a suit? Let him tie your tie for you. Literally just wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants? Well, let him give you a jacket so you won't be cold. He loves doing the little things for you to make your days better.

Receiving: Physical touch

Dance. With. Him. He wants nothing more than to dance with you, having you be close to him. Feeling you rest your head softly against him in slower dances or feeling your body tense up as you two move faster in more upbeat dances. Even if you can't dance, he'll find a way to teach you. Also, he absolutely adores when he's trusting enough, the feeling of you taking off his mask gently, showing you the real him. Touching and kissing his face softly will never fail to make him smile fondly.

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Soldier-

Giving: Words (sort) of affirmation

He might not SOUND the most, uh, affirming, or gentle, but trust it has the intent there! Petnames and compliments are Soldier's whose main go tos when it comes to showing his love. It may sound like he's calling you the names he'd call any other soldier, but his voice does get a little more softer when calling YOU, cupcake, maggot, private, or hippe. To be fair, though, he does have, not so much softer moments, but quieter moments off the battlefield. He'll talk to you, praise your efforts during the day, and maybe even talk to you about how words are just, both his strong suit, but they're still how he expresses his love. He cares for you, you're a damn good soldier, just like him.

Receiving: Gift receiving

Oh, he's so happy to receive a gift at any time. Any type of gift works too. He's just so happy. He loves the gifts so much. Whether it's food, art, or just things that remind you of him. It all just makes him overjoyed. You make him food, and he tells everyone within yelling distance about it.. You make him something? He's showing it off for weeks. Oh, you found some things you think he'd like? Everyone's hearing about it, seeing it, AND he'll find a way to use it. He loves thay you care about him, and he loves the little trinkets your gift him. Bonus points also if you get gifts for the raccoons!

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Pyro-

Giving: Gift giving

Pyro absolutely loves to make you handmade gifts. I think Pyro would have so much fun with clay and pottery, although it does get to the point where you physically can't store any more items because of how much it has given you. They can't help it! They need to put all the love they have for you in something, they channel all their love into each project. I also think baked goods (with the help of Scout and Heavy) are a pretty frequent gift. And even if they are a little bit charred sometimes, it's really the thought that sounds. They will also gift you stuffed animals! Just don't be surprised if they come over to sleep over and visit you pretty frequently to spend the night with their favorite person, and also check in on its babies.

Receiving: Physical touch

Pyro absolutely adores being touched. Especially with how hidden most of its body is. They've had a life of feeling repulsive, like a freak...but to know you love them, all of them, regardless of their body. It makes a part of them feel healed. They love being held too. After a bad day or even a lot of stress, they just, they can't express how much they love the feeling of being cared for.

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Miss Pauling-

Giving: Words of affirmation

Miss Pauling might not have all the time in the world for you, she is a busy woman, but she makes sure you are loved, and thay she tells you that everyday. She's definitely the type to leave sticky notes around that have diffrent compliments and aftermarions on them. You've definitely woken up to one or two on your face when she wakes up in a sillier mood. If she's having a rough morning however, she'll still right nice notes, or before she leaves tell you that she loves and cares for you. If you're having a rough day she'll even try and sneak in a message or two to you giving you confidence. Letting you know you got this, and that she's always here for you. She was never really cheered on as a kid, and now she wants to make sure you know how much you mean to her.

Receiving: Quality time

Again, she might not have all the time in the world, but she does love to spend the time she has free with you. Even doing something simple like laying on the couch is good enough for her. Making time for her when she can't do the same for you, makes her feel...appreciated? In maybe a weird way. She thinks the fact that you can make time for her no matter what is the most amazing thing ever. When you find new things to be able to do, together. She really feels loved.

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I hope you all enjoyed it! Let's hope i didn't mess these up too bad, lol. I may have been writing this from 2am-6:30 am. But I loved writing this one, I just love these guys so much. I hope everyone has a very happy Valentines Day with their loved ones, family, or friends!

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