#this is giving me time to brush up on a couple pieces so i’ve got some repertoire i haven’t played yet

[thebdsmsofurlife]

Confessions of a Manipulator

It was almost too easy.

It usually is. It’s not hard when you know what to look for. The insecure ones. The ones looking for approval from an authority figure; desperate for approval, attention, acceptance.

Speak kindly to them. Show interest - but not too much interest. Don’t make it look like you want anything from them. You want to give the appearance that you’re casually surprised to see her again but you can’t hide the flash of excitement - the physical confession of how impressive she is - that crosses your face.

Then slowly insert moments of intense attention. A couple minutes of utter focus, like you’re hanging on her every word. Nothing in the world is more interesting to you than what she will say next.

Then move on. Have a few days where you’re just so busy. Smile and wave but keep walking. You’re not giving her the cold shoulder, you’re not an incel trying to “neg” her. You’ve got a life, you’re busy, you’re focused on other things.

Make her crave your attention. Make her obsess over what she can do to get more of it.

Sure there are quicker ways to get some women into bed. But I wasn’t after a quick half hearted fuck followed by a couple awkward conversations.

I wanted her to give herself over to me completely. I wanted utter control. I wanted her to sacrifice her self respect at the alter of my acceptance.

It took six weeks, from the time I decided I wanted her until I invited her to my house so I could cook her dinner.

She came over dressed to impress. High heels, a cute little skirt, a tight top. She looked beautiful, absolutely stunning - and I told her so.

A nice meal. A couple glasses of wine. A long conversation mostly focused on her. It was a great date.

By the end I knew a couple more dates like that and she’d eagerly jump in my bed. But that wasn’t enough. I needed to push her boundaries. I needed her to hate how much she loved what I’d done to her, so the next time she came over she would consciously sacrifice a piece of herself, knowing what would happen once she got there.

I walked her to the door with my hand on the small of her back. I waited until she was a step from the door before I spun her, pulled her to me, and kissed her.

After a startled hesitation she kissed me back. It was sweet, intense, passionate. I pulled her body into me, my hands sliding over her back. I slid a hand up her body to the back of her neck. I stepped into her, bodily pushing her back against the door.

My hands slid down her waist, over her sides, brushed against her breasts. It wasn’t until I reached for the buttons on her shirt that she broke of our kiss.

“Wait,” she said. “I’m not …”

I cut her off with my mouth on hers. I got three buttons undone before she broke the kiss off again and grabbed my hands in hers.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not ready.”

I smiled at her. “Yes you are,” I said. “You just don’t know it yet.” I held her hands in mine and lifted her arms above her head.

She tried to resist a little - or maybe it was a lot for her. It’s hard to tell as she isn’t very strong.

I held her arms up and kissed her neck.

“Stop,” she said. “Please.”

Between kisses I murmured, “I can’t. I want you so much. I’ve wanted you so long.”

I grasped her wrists with one hand and slid the other down her body to her thigh. I ran my hand up the back of her leg, pulling her skirt up as I went, and cupped her ass. I pressed myself against her, letting her feel my excitement.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” I whispered.

I kissed her neck, down between her breasts, up her throat. When I tried to kiss her lips she turned her head, so I kissed her cheek.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I promised, “but I have to have you. I can’t help it. Just let me take you.”

I tasted a little saltiness on her cheek. I think she might have been crying. I don’t know. I kind of stopped paying attention to her reactions. I was lost in the moment.

I pulled her over to the couch, pushed her down on her back, and climbed on top of her. I pushed her legs apart with my knees and pressed myself against her as I started kissing her again.

This time she didn’t fight me when I unbuttoned her shirt, nor when I pulled her bra down to get to her breasts. I kissed a line down her neck, over her shoulder and down to her breasts. I covered her breasts with little sucking kisses, ran my tongue in little circles around her nipples, while grinding myself against her.

I lifted my body off hers enough to undo my pants and pull out my dick. I was so hard I ached. I just wanted her so much.

I kissed my way back up her jaw while wrapping my fingers around the back of her neck. I slid a hand between us and pulled her panties to the side, working myself into position.

“I love the taste of your skin,” I murmured as I pressed my cock against her entrance. She was so tight and wet - probably against her conscious desire. I worked myself into her slowly, letting her adjust to the feel of me inside her.

I wrapped my arms around her head and pressed my lips against her ear. “You feel so fucking good,” I said. I slid inside her gently. Every few strokes I pushed myself completely inside her and ground myself against her.

We made love like that for several minutes, me kissing her cheek, nibbling on her ear. And this time, when I went to kiss her on her lips she didn’t turn away. I guess she knew it was going to happen so she might as well give in to it.

As I kissed her I started working myself inside her faster. Thrusting and grinding, not trying to split her in two, but enough to show how much I wanted her.

When she moved her hands to my back, and started gently rubbing me, I knew she’d already given a little bit of herself. The thrill that went through me - I can’t even describe it.

But I wanted more. I needed to push her further.

I pulled myself out of her and climbed off the couch. I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her off as well, setting her knees on the floor. I stood over her and cupped her face with one hand. When I pressed my dick against her mouth she slowly parted her lips.

She closed her eyes when I pushed myself into her mouth, but she took me none the less. I held her still with a hand on the back of her head and started to thrust into her mouth. Her tongue slid down my shaft as I pushed at the back of her throat. I didn’t push hard enough to make her gag - there was plenty of time for that later. I just thrust into her mouth, strong but gentle thrusts.

I was already close to the edge at that point and it only took 3 or 4 minutes until I was ready to explode.

I think she realized it too - I guess my grunts gave it away. I could see it on her face, like she was preparing herself for me to cum in her mouth.

But at the last moment I pulled out. I held her head still with one hand and finished myself off with the other. I cursed as I came, unloading on her face and chest. I threw my head back and groaned as I covered her, the release was so fucking intense.

It was a terrible thing to do to her, I know. Humiliating. Shameful. But I’d kept my promise. I hadn’t hurt her. It was a gentle debasement.

I looked down at her and smiled. “God, you’re beautiful,” I said as I looked at her cum covered face. “You’ve never looked prettier.”

I cupped her face with my hand and brushed my thumb over her cheek.

“You’re stunning,” I said. “Absolutely perfect. Turn around. I’ve been dying to taste you.”

She looked up at me completely bewildered. So I took her hands, lifted her to her feet. Gently, but firmly I turned her around, pushed her forward so she was kneeling on the couch and bent her over so her face was pressed into the back cushion.

I scooted back a bit to give myself room and pushed her skirt up over her hips. I slid my fingers into her panties and pulled them down to her knees slowly. I ran my hands up and down her legs, over her ass, feeling the softness of her skin.

“Fucking perfect,” I growled.

I squatted down behind her and kissed the back of her thighs. I kissed up one leg and down the other. I wrapped my hands around her thighs and pulled her legs apart.

I planted my face between her legs and started licking her pussy. I ran my tongue between her lips, over her clit. I kissed and sucked her folds between my lips.

I explored her with my mouth, my tongue - eager to give her pleasure. I murmured and growled how good she tasted. I slid a hand between her legs and spread her so I could taste ever part of her.

I wanted her to feel good. I wanted her to enjoy it, to think back and remember how it felt. I wanted her to know that even though I brought her so low, I took time for her pleasure. I wanted to teach her to begin to crave more despite herself.

I enjoyed her like that for several minutes before narrowing my focus on her clit. I opened my mouth wide, spread my tongue flat and lapped her like a man lost in the desert finally finding his oasis.

It didn’t take long like that before she gave into the feeling. She started to rock her hips and make this low groaning-purring sound. I kept my rhythm steady, pressing in, reaching out to fondle his breasts as I continued licking her pussy.

She let out a near scream as her entire body tightened like an electrical current had run through her, constricting every muscle. I lapped at her until her body relaxed and she breath slowed to a deep, heavy pant. I kissed her pussy, the inside of her legs and over her ass.

I stood and ran my hands up her back to the back of her head. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and gently turned her face toward me.

Her eyes were closed so I said, “Look at me. I want to see those beautiful eyes.”

She did. She looked me in the eye for only a moment before looking away, but I swear in that moment I saw a flash of every emotion known to man. Her conflicted emotions were an exquisite sight.

I leaned over and kissed her, long and hard, letting her taste herself on my lips and tongue. As I did I started rubbing my dick against her pussy.

After a couple minutes I straightened and positioned myself behind her. I slid myself back inside her and held myself still, buried to the hilt.

“God,” I groaned. “I just can’t get over how good your pussy feels.” I slid my hands around her and grabbed her breasts as I began to thrust into her again.

I was not as gentle this time. I wanted to see just how far I could push her, how much she could handle. I wanted a clear baseline to compare with how far down the rabbit hole I’d take her.

I started thrusting into her harder. Standing straight, I held her still with a hand holding her hip and started pounding into her.

“Spread your legs,” I commanded. And when she hesitated I slapped her on the ass. “Spread them.”

She did, shifting her knees a little further apart.

I slapped her ass again. “Wider.”

She moved her knees some more. I slapped her ass again. And again. She spread her legs as far as they’d go, straining against the panties still wrapped around her knees.

“Fuck. Good girl” I said. I held her hips tight and slammed into her, our bodies slapping into each other’s in a beautifully sharp rhythm. “Fuck,” I said again. “That’s how you take a dick. That’s how you take a fucking.”

I reached forward and grabbed her by her hair. I turned her face toward me again and told her to look at me.

“That’s right. Look me in the eye while you give me this pussy.”

She lasted just a moment before she closed her eyes again. It was enough though. I wanted that image burned into her brain. I wanted her to remember looking back at me, looking me in the eye as I railed her. I wanted her to wonder if she had actually given me her pussy or if I had taken it. I wanted her to doubt herself.

I pulled her head off the back of the couch and turned her sideways. I climbed on my knees behind her, pushed her face down into the seat and shoved my dick back into her.

I fucked hard, slamming into her with her face buried in the cushions and her ass in the air. I bunches her skirt up in my hand and used it as a handle, pulling her back to meet me with each thrust.

I was close to cumming again and I slammed into her harder and harder. Her knees gave out and she fell down flat on her stomach. I rode her down, fucking her flat, holding my self up with my hands on her shoulders. Her leg slipped off the couch and her entire body almost followed along, but I held her in place and kept pumping until I exploded, filling her push with my cum.

I collapsed on top of her, a panting sweaty mess. Once I’d caught my breath I gently brushed the hair from her face. I kissed her cheek lightly.

“God you’re beautiful,” I said. “Stay with me tonight. I want you to stay the night. I’ll cook you breakfast in the morning.”

There was a long pause before she whispered softly, “ok.”

I smiled to myself. God, this girl had no idea what she was in for. She had no clue just how far she’d end up sinking for me.

And it’d been so easy.

[ailinu]

Hey, no harp this weekend, but I’ll be streaming again over on twitch the following Saturday (25 March) around 3 pm est (7 pm gmt)!

As previously, very chill—I’ve been having fun doing this, and I hope you have, too!

[loves0phelia]

Casual

Summery: Casual things you and JJ did before starting to date.

Words: 2k

Warning: bad grammar

A/N: This is my first JJ fic hope you like it

Rumours about the annual beach bonfire had been heard all week, the one night where Kooks and Pogues set aside their differences and partied in peace. 

Initially, you’d planned to skip it—staying home with a good movie sounded way more appealing than hanging out with half of the outer banks on the beach. But when a classmate invited you, and your parents chimed in, insisting it would be a great way to make new friends, you found yourself agreeing to go.

The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow over the sand as laughter and chatter echoed around you. You found yourself sitting on a wooden log, idly watching the orange flames dance. 

Your train of thought was interrupted when a blond boy dropped beside you, his sudden presence snapped you back to reality. You glanced over, surprised, as he settled in with a casual smile.

“I haven't seen you around here before” his body was turned completely to you, giving you his entire attention.

"I just moved here a couple of months ago…" you said, feeling a bit shy as you glanced at his deep blue eyes.

JJ hummed and then noticed the small stash of candy in your lap, carefully guarded under your arm. 

"What's that?" he asked.

You hugged the candy closer, "Candies, I didn't know if there was gonna be any snacks here so… I brought my own" You shrugged.

“Can I have one?” he grinned mischievously.

“I only have my favourite left” You looked down at the nearly empty box of Sour Patch Kids.

"Come on, just one. Sharing is caring, you know?" JJ chuckled, leaning a little closer, his arm brushing yours. He reached out, but you swatted his hand away, giggling.

But JJ was quick—faster than you expected. With a winning grin, he managed to snatch a piece from the carton box in your lap, popping it in his mouth before you could protest.

“Hey!” you exclaimed, half-annoyed, half-amused.

“I'll see you around sweets” After that he walked away still savoring your candy.

“what the hell” you muttered under your breath, you had not expected your night to end with a candy thief.

It was a typical evening at the local seafood shack, and you were rushing between tables, balancing trays of oysters and fried shrimp baskets. 

"Well, look who’s working hard," JJ drawled, flashing his usual grin.

You turned around, surprised to see the thief from the other night leaning casually against the counter. The last person you expected to see at your job, but somehow not a surprise at all. He tossed you a wink as you grabbed your notepad and pen.

“Candy thief,” you said, arching an eyebrow.

“That’s me,” JJ replied, laughing. “Pretty sure I’ve got an order under the name JJ Maybank.”

“Finally, I can put a name to that face.” You rolled your eyes playfully, turning to grab the brown bag labelled JJ Maybank, filled with fish tacos and crawfish. As you handed it over, you asked, “Anything else with that order?”

He leaned in, flashing that signature smirk. “Yeah, I’ll also take your number if it’s on the menu.”

You felt a blush creeping up but managed a smirk. “Bold request for a thief.”

JJ shrugged, still grinning. “I thought it was the special tonight. It's written on the window” You glanced at the window where the words “chefs special monday-friday” reflect back to you.

“I thought a sweet like you was the chef's special, my bad” he added only worsening the state of your red cheeks.

After a pause, you scribbled your number on a napkin and slipped it into his bag. “Consider it one-time only.”

JJ’s eyes lit up as he took the bag. “Perfect.  I’ll call you, then I'm gonna  take you out somewhere that doesn’t smell like shrimp!" He yelled across the restaurant and disappeared behind the doors leaving you with a bunch of customers staring directly at your flushed face.

It was nearly midnight when you heard the faint, familiar tapping on your window. Smiling to yourself, you tiptoed over and pulled it open, revealing JJ’s face. He climbed in with ease, careful not to make a sound, and you couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he landed lightly on your bedroom floor.

“Hey,” you whispered, watching him recover from his fall quickly and proceed to settle on your bed.

“Make yourself at home” You laughed and followed after him under the cozy and soft blankets.

JJ wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close as you both lay back. The quiet murmur of the movie playing on your TV plays in the background, but all you can really focus on is the warmth of his presence. You’d only known each other for a couple of months, yet moments like this already felt like second nature.

After a while, JJ sighed a hint of playfulness in his voice. “You know, it just hit me… I haven’t even taken you on the date I promised the first time I saw you at your work yet.”

You turned to him, amused. “I forgot about that. So where would you take me, then?”

He thought for a second, his eyes lighting up. “I was thinking we could go stargazing, just you, me, and a bunch of candy. What do you think about that, sweets?”

Your heart fluttered at the nickname, he's been calling you that since day one but the butterflies never fail to flutter and you smiled, feeling a little bashful. “That actually sounds perfect.”

JJ’s face softened as he brushed a stray hair from your face. “Good.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, and you nestled into him, many would say you were a couple but nothing was official yet.

JJ was stretched out on your bed, casually tossing a piece of candy up and catching it in his mouth, while you looked through dresses in your closet Kiara had invited you to Midsummers—something you never thought you’d actually attend, given how much of a Kook affair it was. But after some convincing from her, you decided to give it a shot. Now, the only thing left was choosing a dress, and naturally, JJ had found himself roped into being your fashion advisor for the night.

“Alright, what do you think of this one?” you asked, walking out of your closet in a dress to show him. It was a soft, flowy, baby blue, with delicate lace along the sleeves.

JJ, mid-candy toss, froze, the small piece landing unceremoniously on his chest as he sat up.  

“Wait… you’re actually wearing that?” he asked, blinking as if he needed to make sure he’d seen it right. “That has to be like a 100 bucks”

“Kiara said I should try something fancy, and I found it at the thrift store… I don’t know, I thought it was cute.”

JJ nodded, still staring at you as if he couldn’t look away. His usual air of easy confidence had completely vanished, and he just sat there, a little pink creeping up his cheeks. 

“Yeah, uh… fancy. Right,” he murmured, his voice unusually soft. For a moment, he seemed completely at a loss for words, a rare sight when it came to JJ Maybank.

“You don’t like it?” you asked, feeling a hint of embarrassment creep in as he continued to look at you in silence.

He shook his head quickly, snapping back to attention. “No, no—I mean, I like it. I just… I mean, you’re already beautiful and all, but in that?” He let out a soft whistle, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re, like, the most stunning person, there’s no denying it.”

You felt warmth rise in your cheeks, his words catching you off guard. JJ wasn’t one to give out compliments like that, and hearing him say it made your heart skip a beat.

“So you like it, huh?” you asked, teasing him a little as you nudged his shoulder.

“Sweets, I don’t think anyone’s ready for how good you’re gonna look. And I, for one, am officially honoured to be the first to see it.” He gave you a look that was half-amused, half-awestruck.

“Alright, then,” you said, smiling as you looked down at yourself. “Guess that means I’m wearing it.”

JJ leaned back, his grin widening.

“Good call. Just so you know, though, I’m calling dibs on the first dance.”

You chuckled, rolling your eyes. “Oh, you are?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, winking. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Besides, I have to make sure one of those Kooks doesn't try to sweep you off your feet 'cause that's my job.”

It was warm outside the night of midsummer,  the soft hum of laughter and chatter filled the air. You were standing by the snack table, chatting with one of the guests— a boy dressed with a fancy tuxedo, you had no interest in.

As you fake laughed at a joke he made, you felt a gaze burning into the back of your neck. You glanced over your shoulder and saw JJ standing by the door leading inside the house, his arms crossed, a tight frown on his face. There was a look in his eyes—something dark, almost possessive—that made your stomach flip. He wasn’t happy about something.

You turned back to the guest, unaware of the growing tension simmering behind you. It wasn’t until you felt a light tap on your shoulder that made you turned to see JJ standing right behind you now inches away, a forced smile on his face.

“Hey, mind if I steal you away for a second?” he asked, his voice a little too bitter for your liking.

You raised an eyebrow, a playful grin tugging at your lips. “Steal me away? What’s going on?”

JJ’s gaze flickered to the guest you’d been speaking with, then back to you. The jealousy was barely concealed, but it was there. “I need to talk to you. In private.”

Before you could protest, he gently guided you away from the boy, leading you through the house and into the backyard. The garden, draped in the soft glow of fairy lights, felt like a world apart from the party in front of the house. You walked slowly, and when you reached the center of the garden, JJ stopped. 

“What’s up JJ?” You asked concerned.

“I hate seeing you with him,” JJ said, his voice barely above a whisper. He was standing too close, his gaze fixed on you with a burning intensity. “I don’t know why, but it drives me crazy”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean? We were just having a conversation.”

He shook his head, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “It’s not just that. It’s… it’s the way you make me feel. I can’t stand it anymore, pretending like we're just friends”

You stared at him, realizing what he was trying to say. The way his eyes softened, the way his voice shook with vulnerability and emotion.

“I—JJ, what are you saying?”

His hands cupped your face gently. “I’m saying that I love you. I’ve loved you for so long, and I’m tired of watching you be close to some other people without them knowing you're mine”

Before you could respond, he closed the distance between you, his lips crashing into yours. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t slow. It was desperate, full of the passion and longing that had built up between you over the months. His hands tangled in your hair, pulling you closer as if he never wanted to let you go.

You kissed him back, your heart racing, the entire world fading away until it was just the two of you, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“I love you, sweets”

“I love you too JJ, it was about damn time you say it” he smiled against your lips and pressed another kiss after another on your pink swollen lips.

[fastandcarlos]

Home For The Summer : ̗̀➛ Max Verstappen

summary: travelling around the world with max is one of your favourite things to do, however none of it compares to home. even though you can't afford to make it there, someone else might just

Your eyes were sceptical as soon as Max walked into your office, a smile of mischief on his face that captured your attention. He loitered around the room, with his hands behind his back, very obviously letting you know that he was hiding something from you behind your back. 

Max took a seat just beside you, looking over your desk to see what it was that you were doing, with your books open once again swatting up on some last-minute revision before Max’s summer break started. 

He was struggling to contain himself beside you, he was beyond excited as his hands came from behind his back, resting in his lap with a white envelope being held tightly in his hands. 

“I’ve got something for you,” Max proudly informed you. 

Your eyes narrowed down on his hands, “what’s going on?” You questioned, becoming increasingly concerned about what mayhem Max was causing. 

Max’s smile grew wider and wider, bouncing on his toes. “If there was one place in the world you could go during the summer break, where do you think you’d go?” Max asked you, only making you more intrigued as to what was going on. 

“That’s an easy question,” you chuckled in reply to him, “the only place that I’d ever want to go is home, it’s been ages since I last got to visit.” 

Despite all the travelling that you did, home was a destination you very rarely visited. With your studies still ongoing you were scraping the bottom of the barrel for any money that you could find, refusing any of Max’s help whenever he offered it to you. Unfortunately for you though, flights were expensive, and you were going to have to work a lot harder in order to raise the funds to get yourself there. 

“I mean, I’d be happy anywhere if it meant time with you,” you corrected. 

“But home is the spot,” Max replied, knowing exactly what you wanted, despite how nice you wanted to sound with your second response. 

Your head slowly nodded as Max held his hand out to you, encouraging you to take the envelope from his hold. It was sealed tightly shut, leaving you incredibly interested as to what Max had up his sleeve. 

“I got you a little something, a little treat for the summer,” Max told you as your finger slid underneath the tear of the envelope, ripping it open so that you could reach inside. 

You pulled out a piece of folded paper, unfolding it and watching a ticket fall into your lap. You picked it up and twirled it around, looking straight at Max with furrowed brows as you tried to work out what exactly he was giving you a ticket for. 

“Read it,” Max whispered, watching as your eyes scanned it over to try and figure things out for yourself. 

“Where are we flying too?” 

Max chuckled as you continued to scan it, letting go of a gasp as you finally read the details of the ticket. “I thought that might be a destination that you’d be interested in visiting.” 

“Is this for real? You’re not playing a joke on me, right?” 

“No, I’d never do anything like that to you love.” 

Your fingertips brushed over the departure and arrival, struggling to let it sink in. You were off out of Nice in a couple of days, arriving in your favourite place in the world just a few hours later. Max’s smile was wide as he watched the realisation hit you, Max had given you the chance to finally get yourself home. 

You carefully placed the ticket down before glancing across at Max in disbelief. “You’ve supported me so much after the past four months, I wanted to do something to say thank you for all that you’ve done for me.” 

“I don’t know what to say,” you whispered, “this is huge Max, the flights to get home aren’t cheap.” 

The money didn’t matter to him, he’d would’ve paid everything that he had and it would have been worth it for the smile on your face. There was no price Max could put on the amount of comfort he felt from having you there cheering him on time and time again. 

“It’s yours, and there’s another one too, so you can pick someone to take with you,” he teased. 

Your eyes rolled as he innocently shrugged back at you. “Obviously I’m going to take you with me, there’s no one else I want to take home other than you.” 

“I didn’t want to assume,” Max grinned as you shuffled across and sat yourself down in Max’s lap. “These are a thank you from me, because without you I wouldn’t be having such a successful season.” 

“I do all that because I love you,” you reminded him, “not because I expect any of this from you.” 

“I know you do.” 

Your head was still shaking in disbelief, finding yourself getting excited every time you thought about home. The people you could see, the places you could go, all the things that you had missed for so long. 

“Does everyone back at home know that we’re visiting?” You asked Max, squealing loudly when his head shook, keen to surprise them like he had done you. 

He’d seen enough videos online of reunions that he wanted you to have one of your own. He’d listened to many of your phone calls with your family and heard just how much they missed you time and time again, desperate to do something about it. 

“I take it that as surprises go, this is a pretty good one then?” 

Your head nodded back at Max straight away. “It’s beyond good, I could never have imagined that I’d receive such an amazing surprise.” 

“I should probably leave you to study as you won’t be able to take all of that back home with you.” 

You remained still as Max tried to stand, deciding that studying could wait for another day. All you wanted to do was shower Max and show him how thankful you were, with as much excitement as you had, you knew that you would never be able to concentrate anymore anyway. 

Max had a feeling you’d stay in his lap anyway, savouring the feeling of your hold around him and the sensation of your lips pressing several kisses against his cheek to let Max know just how thankful you were. 

“I can’t wait to show you my home,” you whispered against his cheek. 

Max hummed in response, “I can’t wait to see all of the amazing places you grew up, all those stories you’ve told me and I’ll finally get to see those spots.” 

“I’m finally going home.” 

“Yes you are,” Max grinned, the disbelief still clear in your voice. “And I promise that I’m going to make sure that you have the best time at home too.” 

Your smile was wide back at Max, “the fact that I’m getting to go home with you already makes it the best trip ever.” 

“I’m glad you’re excited,” Max mused, “I love you, you know that right?” 

“I do, and I love you too.” 

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[unabashegirl]

Different 10 - college hs

Harry's quiet, routine-driven life changes one weekend when he meets Y/N through a mutual friend at her party. She comes from a superficial, materialistic world with absent parents who believe money solves everything. Despite their differences, something clicks that night, and Y/N can't stop thinking about him.

Author's note: hello my lovely people! Here is a new chapter of different. I hope you enjoy!

warnings: SMUT

check out my patreon (starting at $2) and get full access to all 25 chapters, various one shots and much more :)

---> different masterlist <---

Forty-five minutes into the movie the couple change positions. Majorly caused by the pain that Y/N had begun experiencing in her coccyx since her whole weight was distributed on it. Y/N sat up, careful not to make any sound that would disturb the rest of the people. She pulled away from him and laid on her side beside him, giving her back to him.

Harry followed and lay on his side too. He threw his arm over her waist and pulled her body close to his. His chest is pressed against her back and their legs are angled together as they continued watching the movie silently.

Y/N couldn’t concentrate on the movie. She could feel his hard chest expanding and condensing against her back. Harry’s fingers had found a small piece of bare skin beside her belly button. Skin that he kept caressing and kept leaving a burning trail. His touch was soft yet penetrable and her hands ached with the desire of touching him. She swallowed every bit of it back and turned her full attention back into the movie.

The two hours left movie blew past them before the couple even realized that the movie had ended. People clap and cheer loudly as the credit roll in. It was dark and chilly, but cold enough for them to make them get up quickly and leave like the others. Y/N pressed her body closer to him and snuggled into his chest.

“Chilly?” He whispered, “Turn around,” Harry said softly, as he reached over her and took another blanket that he had noticed that she had brought. “Here,” he said extending the blanket over her body.

It is dead silent for a few minutes, only their breaths could be heard.

“Do you miss England?” She asked him. Her question brought him back to reality. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked” She apologized and pulled away a bit from him.

“Where are you going?” He frowned, pulling her back into his chest. “I- I do. Haven’t been back in a long time” He shrugged, as he drew patterns on the skin of her arm.

“Have you ever felt lonely in a room full of people?” He exhaled loudly, as his brain scrambled for a response. He wasn’t sure if he needed to be honest with her or lie. The last thing he wanted to do was scared her off, but he also wanted to be truthful with her.

“Always” Harry gulped. Y/N grip on him got tighter as if she was trying to protect him.

“Me too” she whispered.

“I’ve never been to England.” She shared, breaking the tension and sadness that had arisen from the conversation.

“Absurd. We will need to change that” He chuckled after hearing her giggle. Y/N nuzzles her face in the crook of his neck. Hypnotized by the strong odor of his cologne, aftershave, and fabric softener.

The atmosphere was serene and tranquil. The thought of taking Y/N to England to meet the people close to him and where he had grown up — excited him beyond explanation.

“Would you be my girlfriend?” He asked after mustering all this courage. “I- I know that we met a few months ago… You don’t have to say yes… I understand that it might be soon — it just came out.” He rambled nervous to what she might say. She grabbed him by the chin and pulled him enough, so their lips were barely brushing against each other's.

“Yes” she whispered, “I thought you would never ask” and so she kissed him. He tangled his fingers through her hair and pulled her on top of him.

“What are you doing?” He asked feeling how she was shimming her way down this body. She pushed him down. “We are in public” He popped himself on his elbows just to see her flip her hair to the side. Her hands swiftly unbuckled and unbuttoned his pants with a cheeky smile. “darlin’ ” he laughed as she struggled to pull the jeans off his legs. “What if someone sees us?” He challenged, trying his best to regain a serious tone, so she would take him seriously. “I AM SERIOUS” Harry exclaimed with a heavy English accent.

“I am too!” Y/N giggled nibbling and kissing on the skin under his belly button. Harry gasped at the sensation of her warm lips against him. “Let me make you feel good” He nodded but continued staring at her wearily. Y/N pulled down his boxers just enough to reveal the important bit. “No fucking way” she whispered under her breath as she had her first look at him. He was bigger than she had expected.

Harry looked away, clearly feeling uncomfortable and extremely exposed. He was untouched and his innocence only made him more appealing to her eyes.

“Stop looking at me like that” He pleaded to her just seconds before she planted a soft kiss on each of his hip bones, leading a trail to the place that he desired her the most to touch. His skin was smooth and hot. Y/N reached the base of him and securely wrapped a hand around, instantly making his hips jerk towards her.

Y/N peppered kisses, leaving a wet trail to his tip. She can feel him getting painfully harder by the second of her tender touch. She looked up momentarily and caught eyes with him. He was still pooped up on his elbows, with his mouth slightly opened. As she saw the heat and the anticipation that his eyes held, she decided to put him out of his misery and wrap her mouth around him.

“Oh shit” he cried as she felt every muscle on him contract as she slowly bobbed her head. She had never been a fan of giving sloppy blowjobs. They made her feel dirty and men usually took the chance to manhandle her. She also believed that it took the intimacy out of the act. She liked taking her time especially when she desired Harry more than anyone else before. Y/N ran her tongue around the tip before pulling it entirely back into her mouth. She breathed out of her nose trying to control her gag reflex as he hit the back of her throat. “Christ” he breathed, throwing his head back.

“You like that?” She whispered with her lips still pressed against the side of him after she had taken him out. Harry nodded and exhaled loudly, recovering from the extreme pleasure that he had just experienced.

Y/N traced her tongue along the vein that kept palpitating under her tongue. It was quiet for a bit except for the clicking sound coming from the necklace she wore, his heavy breathing, and his occasional cursing. She started picking up her pace, as she felt he was starting to grow impatient. Harry reached out and gathered her hair, helping to keep it out of the way since it tickled his skin.

“Just like that” he managed to say, throwing his head back, raising his hips from the floor, and his grip on her hair tightened. Y/N pressed her hands against his thighs as she tried her best to keep him in her mouth at least until he finished releasing. He sat up to get a better view and watched her swallow any reminisce of him.

Harry sat there with a lustful look. His hair was messy from running his fingers through it and from all the movement. His breathing was still heavy, and his lips were swollen from biting down on them. He had a few marks on his thighs from her nails which he found attractive that she had marked him.

“Did you like it?” She asked, sitting back. Harry doesn’t say anything back, but instead leans forward and pulls her to his lap by her waist. She can feel him against her leg, but she tries her best to ignore it and the desire and tingling that crept up. Y/N wrapped her arms around his next and felt his hands, running down her back.

“It was good” He smiled and kissed her lips, “I can taste myself on you” Harry whispered against her lips.

“Let me help you” Y/N reached down, to try to tuck him back into his pants, but the second she touched him, he jerked away. He was still sensitive.

“Better get dressed before anything else happens” Harry shyly smiled, coming into the senses, and realizing that he was naked from the waist down in the middle of a field. “We should go. I have an early class tomorrow.” All night long, Ganesh had been texting him and asking where he was. He had also been very insistent on the importance of doing the work that the professor had assigned them. “Ganesh” he shook his head as he read over the alarming texts.

“What are you going to say to him?”

“The truth” Harry responded with a quick ok and then blocked his phone.

“That your girlfriend took you out of class, took you to a drive-in, and gave you head in the middle of a field?” She asked as she got off the back of the car to start cleaning up.

“I’ll probably omit the last part.”

--> Chapter 11

[navybrat817]

Any chance we'll see tattoo artist Steve soon? 🥺

Here's a bit of Steve's birthday, nonnie.

By Any Other Name

Pairing: Tattoo Artist!Steve Rogers x Teacher!Female Reader Summary: You're the only thing Steve wants for his birthday. Word Count: Over 900 Warnings: Implied sex, implied oral sex (f. receiving), future couple, Steve Rogers (he's a warning, okay?). A/N: Meet Thorn and Rose, set in the same AU as Hottie and Sugar. ❤️ Thank you to @jobean12-blog for chatting with me about this! Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the amazing @firefly-graphics and Steve edit by the wonderful Nix. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

The first thing you thought when you woke up was that you couldn't believe how well rested you were. The sun was already up, shining bright through the window and curtain. You didn't normally sleep in and had no idea what time it was, but you didn't care as you nestled back into the pillow. It was going to be a good day.

If indicated by the wonderful ache between your thighs.

Your eyes widened when the figure beside you wrapped an arm tight around your waist. For a second, you almost forgot that you weren't alone and weren't in your bed. The large body was so warm and solid, practically a furnace. The beard that tickled your neck made the ache in your core throb with need.

So, I did actually sleep with my tattoo artist. It wasn’t a dream.

"Morning," Steve rasped, his lips lightly brushing against your skin as you held back a whimper.

“Morning,” you whispered back.

Your heart fluttered when he raised his head, his deep blue eyes focusing more as he smiled. His blonde hair was slightly dishevled, but he managed to still look perfect. You probably looked like a monster. It didn’t stop him from pressing a kiss between the center of your eyes.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his muscular arm pulling you a bit closer.

"I'm okay," you replied after a moment, lightly tracing one of the tattoos on his forearm.

"Just okay?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

You weren't sure how to respond. The gorgeous man who talked you through getting your tattoo was practically a stranger. And you slept with him. To say he rocked your world was an understatement. The man shattered you and you couldn’t believe how he was able to put every piece of you back into place.

“Steve, Steve, Steve!”

“That’s it, sweetheart. Scream my name when I make you come for me. I’ve got you.”

The mere memory, along with his chest against yours, made your nipples hard and made you damp between your legs. You didn’t draw any attention to it though. While he didn’t seem like the type to kick you out of his bed, you had no idea where he wanted to go from here.

“More than okay. I slept really well,” you admitted, backing up just a little. He didn’t need your morning breath in his face.

Steve only pulled you closer. “So did I,” he smiled, cracking his neck a little. “And how’s your wrist feeling?”

“Just fine. Thank you,” you said as he gently took it to check. You still couldn’t believe you ran from the chair when he turned the tattoo gun on. Needles weren’t your thing. He managed to get you through it and you were glad for it.

The rose and single thorn tattoo was beautiful and worth conquering that fear.

“I’m glad you went through with it. And I’m not afraid to tie you down if you try to run from me again,” he winked, making your cheeks hot. “I have to say, this is the best way to wake up on my birthday.”

“Wait, it’s your birthday?” you smiled when he gave you a sheepish look. “Happy birthday, Steve. I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”

To be fair, you didn’t know and you hadn’t expected to go home with him last night.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said, slowly tugging the sheet away. “But do you want to give me something?”

Instead of trying to cover yourself up, you let him fully see you in the sunlight. The way his eyes darkened, he liked what he saw. “What did you have in mind?” you asked, your voice huskier than before.

“Well, Bucky and the guys are having a small thing for me tonight,” he said, lightly running his fingers along your torso. “Would you, maybe, want to go?”

Not what I thought he’d have in mind, but that kind of sounds like a date.

“Sure,” you smiled, happy that he wanted to see you again. “I’d love to go.”

Watching his face light up was almost like you gave him a real gift. “Is it selfish to ask for one more thing?” he asked, bracing himself over you before he leaned down to capture your mouth.

Any self-conciousness about your breath and anything else disappeared as desire took over. His cock was hard, trapped between your bodies as he lightly grinded against you. “That all depends on what you ask for,” you teased as he moved his kisses down your neck.

“Scream my name again. Do it while my tongue’s deep inside you,” he said as you bit your lip. It sounded more like a command and one you knew you wouldn’t be able to resist. “And do it again when I give you my cock.”

“Steve,” you whimpered, slipping your fingers into his hair.

“Louder than that, Rose,” he said, nipping your collarbone and making you giggle at the reference of your tattoo. “And since it’s my birthday, I get to eat as much as I want.”

“You really are going to be a thorn in my side, aren’t you?” you asked affectionately.

“I prefer to be the ache between your gorgeous thighs,” he smirked. “So open up and let me eat.”

Your legs spread without another word. You’d let him have his fill. It was his birthday, after all. And it would’ve been wrong to deny him.

Steve deserves it, right? Love and thanks! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Steve Rogers Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[bullet-prooflove]

Poker Face: Dwight Manfredi x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @youngadult9016 @skellyagogo @sca3a @kenbechillin 

Companion piece to:

Dior - Dwight wakes up to the scent of Dior and lipstick on his chest.

Gunpowder & Roses - Dwight's enemies make a mistake when they come after you.

Dwight meets you at a high stakes poker game, one that’s run out of a three grand a night hotel suite. They’re about to overhaul the Bred-2-Buck, turn it into a cabaret & casino focusing on a different type of clientele, the type that’ll think nothing about dropping a couple of mill in one evening. To do that he needs you.

You run the most exclusive card games in town, poker players fly in from all over the country to spend their money at your table. It’s an invite only affair with private security ensuring that nobody gets a stupid idea in their head. He’s managed to secure a place through Margaret because she’s a little sweet on him.

When he steps through the door, his gaze immediately fixates on you because simply put, you are the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on.

 A face carved out by God himself and a body made for sin, you make his heart rate spike within three seconds of meeting you. He’s not sure if it’s the black, open backed dress that clings to every single one of your curves, the sheer shrug that accentuates your shoulders or the heels, that have fuck me written all over them.

“Mr Manfredi.” You greet him and his eyes linger on your pert red lips before you lean forward and air kiss both of his cheeks.

The scent of your perfume floods his senses as your body brushes lightly against his. It’s dark, sensual, alluring and he almost misses it when you draw away, his hands still clasped in yours. 

“You sure put together one hell of an operation.” He says, his critical eye sweeping over the room. You smile at the compliment and his entire world, it just lights the hell up.

“We can talk business after the game.” You say gesturing at the poker table with six other people already sitting around it. “Let’s see how well you play.”

Dwight’s spend twenty five years hustling luxuries out of other inmates in prison through card games, he’s pretty confident in his abilities, that is until you wipe the floor with him. Just when he thinks he’s got a bead on your tell, you prove him wrong, every single time.

“You’ve got a mean poker face.” He tells you at the end of the night after everyone else is gone.

He’s taken off his suit jacket, unbuttoned the first two buttons of his crisp white shirt. You watch from the sofa as he pours the two of you a glass of bourbon that’s older than both him.

You’re such a pretty sight, your shoes have been kicked off, your legs tucked up underneath you. His eyes flicker up to your face as you pull the silver hairpin, threaded with diamond dahlias out of your hair and it tumbles across your shoulders. He wonders what it would be like to run his hands through it, his soft it would feel between his fingers.  

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one serving you?” You ask him as he hands you the bourbon, taking up residence alongside you on the couch.

“I’ve got the feeling you don’t bow to any man.” He states as he kinks his glass against yours.

“No.” You say with an amused smile. “They usually bow to me.”

If that doesn’t get his cock rock hard…

“I have a proposal.” Dwight says, shifting so his arm comes to rest on the back of the couch, his body angled towards you. “I’d like you to consider running your games out of my place.”

“And why Mr Manfredi, would I do that?” You ask taking a sip of bourbon.

“Bottom line.” He says knowingly. “The hotel suite, the private security. All of it takes a nice big bite out of your profit. We’re rebuilding the Buck, we can give you a backroom for privacy…”

You laugh then and Dwight pauses as you gesture to the space around you.

“The storage room of your bar isn’t quite up to the standard my poker players are used to Mr Manfredi.”

“Dwight.” He says, placing his hand over his heart in a gesture of companionship. “We’re about to renovate it, turn it into a casino and cabaret. We’re happy to design the backroom to your exact specifications if you’ll consider coming on board as a partner.”

“Dwight.” You say, meeting his gaze as you cradle the glass to your chest. “I don’t need a partner.”

“But you do need legitimacy.” He points out, swilling around the ice cubes inside of his glass. “I have a gambling licence which means all the games you run will be above board. It’s less risk, more reward in the long run.”

Now that is something you’re interested in, he can tell from that spark in your eyes.

“What’s the cut?” You ask him because you’re a practical woman, you know shit like this is usually quid pro quo.

“No cut.” He states and your lips purse together in surprise. “You keep everything from your entry fees to the money you win at these games. All I want is for you to bring the whales to our door. You bait and I’ll hook.”

“I get final say on the renovations.” You try to negotiate and Dwight shakes his head.

“Joint sign off.” He bats back. “There’s another partner Mitch Keller, I need for him to be involved in this just as much as you and me. It was his idea to come to you, it’s his place we’re fixing up.”

There’s silence for a moment while you consider the offer.

“Alright we have deal.” You say before you set your drink down on the coffee table and reach for your purse, withdrawing the red lipstick. “I’ll leave you my number so you can contact me about signing the paperwork.”

“Sure, I…” You climb into his lap, straddling his hips and he’s rendered speechless for a moment as you begin to undo the buttons of his shirt, revealing his bare chest.

“You’re a big boy can’t you?” You whisper in his ear as you grind down on his stiffening cock, his palms come to rest on your thighs gripping them as his head tips back onto the couch. “I can tell.”

“I’m told I’m a lot to take.” He admits, his fingertips trailing under the hem of your dress as you uncap the lipstick and begin to write your number on his chest.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to figure it out.” You promise him as you admire your handiwork. “Afterall, that’s what partners are for right?”

Love Dwight? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

26 and 42 for the touch prompts please? They feel like they’d work well together

hope you’re able to get through the next couple of days alright :)

Astarion x AsexualBard!Tav Masterlist

Prompt: kissing the top of their head + braiding the other’s hair + @cakeboxie request: thoughts on bard tav having a hard time perfecting a piece and then astarion like, sits with them, and suddenly they’re able to finish it fine?

A/N: I thought these two would just go together. I hope that's okay!

Word Count: 1.4K

This was getting ridiculous. The melody had come to you so easily the other night. You’d felt it in your fingers the moment your head hit the pillow. All you had to do was remember it.

You plucked another handful of bars, hoping to spark something, but nothing came of it. This was normally when you would give it up. If it was actually memorable, you would have had it by now. Still, you played on. 

Something told you this one was special. It just needed a bit more patience. Maybe if you just—

"You’re repeating yourself again, darling.”

You jolted, the smooth notes scratching under your fingers as you whipped around to find Astarion standing in the doorway of your bedroom, his expression caught between exasperation and amusement.

You let out a long groan as your chin fell to your chest.

"That bad?"

You nodded.

“Aw, poor little songbird," he said, with a mocking pout.

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’ve listened to you play the same four chords for the past twenty minutes. I’ve earned it.”

You wanted to say something smart, but came up short. He was right, damn him.

He took your silence as the defeat it was, smiling in triumph as stepped closer to the bed. 

“It might help if we get this out of the way,” he said, leaning down to brush aside a few of the loose strands out of your face.

“It’s not that bad.”

He gave you a doubtful look. “Just because your head is in a scramble doesn’t mean your hair has to be. You’re just inviting the rats at this point.”

You bit back a laugh. He was probably right. Now that you were paying attention, you could easily picture just how much of a mess you were. You’d been sitting cross legged against the headboard since you got up. Add on the fact that every moment your fingers weren’t running up your instrument they were running through your hair, and you’ve got yourself quite a nest for roosting. It was a wonder he hadn’t said anything sooner.

You shrugged, not really having anything else to say. 

Astarion just rolled his eyes before pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

“Honestly, what would you do without me?” he grumbled, but with no real bite to it. 

You then watched him as he rummaged through the night stand, coming back with a brush and small strip of leather.

“Move,” he prompted. 

You did so without question, moving up the bed just enough to allow him to kneel behind you. It was an act you would have found odd not even a month ago. You’d hesitate to call it routine, but it wasn’t not that. It was just something that happened sometimes: something you were growing to like.

He worked silently, brushing out the mess of tangles with ceremonial concentration. His fingers slipped themselves into the mix as well, pulling gently on the strands as he ran his nails gently across your scalp.

You closed your eyes, feeling your whole body relax under his touch.

You weren’t quite sure when he figured out this particular weakness of yours. You’d always played with your hair as a form of self-soothing, but you never shared that fact with anyone. It felt too personal, an admittance of something lacking inside you wished to fill. 

There was never a discussion about it. He hadn’t teased an explanation out of you. He just started one day and suddenly, you didn’t feel quite so empty.

It took you a moment to realize you were humming. The melody from before vibrated against your lips with the gentle ease of water over stone. 

As if in a trance, you picked your lute and started to play, the notes floating into the air and before your eyes. You let go, following the music where it led with only the slightest turns here and there to keep it on course until it faded towards its ending.

“Lovely,” Astarion whispered, his voice low and warm against your ear. 

“You think so,” you asked, turning your head just enough to catch his eye. 

His gaze lingered on you a moment, the corners of his mouth curling with a fondness that made your head skip a beat. His finger traced along the top of your head and down your hair guiding the newly crafted braid over your shoulder. 

“It may be my best work yet,” he said, grinning. 

You raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to take the high road and assume you just mean the hair.” 

“Well, yes, but you must admit the song is the superior creation.” 

“And it was all your doing, was it?” you said, dryly. 

“I wouldn’t say it was all my doing,” he allowed. “Of course you’re the talent. But seeing as I am your muse, I believe I deserve co-authorship.”  

Your eyes narrowed. “Who says you’re my muse?” 

“Every note you play, darling,” he said, his voice imbued with delighted mischief. “Complexity disguised in simplicity. Beautiful. Mesmerizing. More than a little dangerous and all shone through the lens of someone utterly devoted.” He leaned in closer, his nose just brushing against your own. “Am I wrong?” 

You could feel a creeping of heat come up your neck, but couldn’t bring yourself to break eye contact. This thing between you was still new. Neither of you had sat down to figure out exactly what it was. Granted, you had started with an openness you’d never had before. Knowing he could read you so easily left you a little off balance.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” you warned. 

“Me?” he said, clutching a hand to his chest in a mockery of offense. 

You had to laugh. “Fine. If you are to be my muse, sit there and look pretty awhile while I work the rest of this out.” 

He gave a beleaguered sigh. “On any other day, I would be happy to oblige, however, other matters take precedent.”  

He then leaned over and pulled the lute right out of your hands. 

“Astarion!” 

“Nope. You haven’t eaten since last night. Keep that up and both of us are liable to go hungry.” 

Your frown deepened. He was cheating. There was no reason for him to starve just because you were. You’d agreed that feeding of the occasional bandit was a perfectly acceptable substitute. Besides, you were well out of the Shadowlands. All the same, he knew that line would work. You could never be too sure when your next meal was coming. 

“Fine. Fine. I’m moving. I’m moving,” you grumbled, pushing yourself off the bed and back to your feet. 

Blood rushed downward, making your light headedness and empty stomach suddenly impossible to ignore. Gods, it was almost midday. Had you really been sitting there that long? 

“Easy darling,” Astarion said, coming up behind you. “You’re welcome to swoon when Karlach can be the one to carry you.” 

“Perhaps I should dedicate my next piece to her then.”

His eyes narrowed, leaning down just enough to growl in your ear. “Don’t you dare.” 

You gave a light laugh, turning in his arms to face him. 

His features struck you as oddly serious.  His brow was furrowed and his lips were turned decidedly downward. No spark of humor laid in his eyes. He was genuinely upset. 

A part of you wanted to laugh harder at the absurdity, but you held back, knowing exactly where that hurt lay. For all his talk, he was just as unsure as you were. 

With great care you reached down, taking his hand in yours His eyes moved downward, watching in fascination. Knowing you had his attention, you raised it to your lips, pressing a gentle kiss against his fingers.

“I’m just teasing,” you assured. “If I’m lucky, you will be the last muse I ever have.” 

Astarion stayed silent a long while, searching your face for any sign of deception. Slowly, his shoulders began to relax, as a deeply held breath pushed out of his chest. 

He turned his attention to your hands then, examining them with careful consideration. His touch moved across your knuckles and fingers, lingering on the skin as if to memorize every line and hair. With gentle guidance he pried you hand open, allowing him to lean down and press his own kiss deep against your palm.

“Good,” he whispered.

Your breath hitched, your eyes widening as you felt every part of you melt. There may come a time when you would become used to such tenderness, but you doubted it was coming anytime soon.

He took a moment to press one more kiss to your fingers before fully pulling away. 

“C’mon, the others are waiting,” he said, keeping your hand in his as he pulled you towards the door. 

You let him lead you, neither of you letting go. And if you were very lucky, you never would. 

[biggestxsimps]

Top Priority

Dad!Tony Stark x Son!Male Reader (PLATONIC!)

A/N: This was requested over on our Wattpad! I surprisingly enjoyed writing this. It’s been about a year since I’ve watched the Marvel movies so my memory is pretty rusty, please let me know if I’ve mixed anything up and I’ll give it a quick fix. Also, I’m not from America so I’m not sure with their states/cities so please point out any mistakes I might’ve made.

Y/N's POV:

Things used to be good between my dad and I, but ever since Peter had shown up, all his attention had stuck on him. It wasn’t all too noticeable at first, we would still hang out when he was free, spending our Saturday nights watching movies together.

Though it only took a few weeks for him to start to brush me off more. Similar excuses each time he rescheduled our weekly plans. “I have improvements to add to Peter’s suit.” “I’ve got work to finish with Peter.” “Peter needs help getting used to the suit.” Peter this, Peter that.

It was like Peter was his son and not me. Just like that, I was thrown into the background, a minor thought in the back of his mind, it was like he no longer cared for me.

~~~

We had a recital coming up really soon, one I had expressed my excitement to my dad before for. He used to be so proud, so ecstatic to eventually see me up on stage. I hoped this would be the push he needed to give me the attention I had so easily and so quickly lost.

Dad was downstairs in his workshop, that’s where he usually was, always working on something new to dazzle the public with. I slowly open the glass door, stepping in as he speaks up. “Peter, you’re finally here. Here, try this-” He turns around, a metal plate in his hand as he props it towards me.

“Oh Y/N. Sorry about that, what do you need?” He turns back around, placing the metal back down, keeping his attention on his creation. I silently sigh as I walk over to him, taking the folded poster out of my pocket. I hand the piece of paper to him, his eyebrows raised in confusion before reading through it.

“The recitals in a couple days, I know how excited you were to come see me, and I’d love for you to be there” He smiles, stuffing the paper into his shirt pocket. “Of course I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it for the world, kid.” I can’t help the smile that grows on my face, “Thanks dad. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Dad sent a smile back my way before I swiftly left his workshop, excitedly practising my songs in my room for the upcoming day.

~~~

The day I had longed for had finally arrived. It was around 6:30pm and I was currently backstage, I was going up on stage in only half an hour. I had been practising the whole year for this recital and I was determined to perfectly execute it. I couldn’t wait for dad to see the progress I had made.

Some time had passed, the curtains would open in 5 minutes, parents and friends of the people performing with me had started to fill the seats. I looked out from the slight gap in the curtains, hoping to see my dad amongst the growing crowd.

My eyes darted across the plethora of seats, filled with unfamiliar faces. I deflate as I can’t find him, hoping, praying he was just running late.

We got into our places behind the curtains, a countdown being played in our headsets before the curtains swung open. I noticed my friends looking around for the people they invited, their faces lighting up when they did. I followed suit, taking another quick look over the crowd, never finding my dad though.

My heart pangs at the realisation, he wasn’t here, he didn't come to see me perform. Whatever. I could do this without him, I didn’t need him to make this my greatest performance. And so that’s what I did, I put my all into everything. Making it a performance he would regret not coming to see.

~~~

The recital lasted about an hour, my friends walking out with me into the cold night. The fresh air was a stark contrast to the heating anger I felt in the enclosed room. As my friends split up, they waved goodbye as they hopped into their parents cars, driving off to their homes.

I sat there, sitting on the staircase leading to the doors of the building. Usually dad would send Happy or even Pepper to come pick me up from things he wasn’t able to. But after sitting out on the chilling night, it became apparent that he wasn’t coming, no one was. I take one last look at my phone, the lack of notifications making me sigh.

Defeated, I picked up my belongings and started my journey among the dark streets of Manhattan. I dragged myself back home, walking almost sluggishly as my mind raced. Did he care? Why else wouldn’t he come? Did I do something wrong? Anger him? Maybe it was my fault he didn’t show up. Maybe something came up. But why didn’t he message me to let me know.

I’m brought out of my thoughts at the feeling of something escaping my eyes, and the taste of salt falls onto my upper lip. Fuck. I wipe my cheek, setting my mind on making it home, not wanting to fall apart on the side of the streets. I wasn’t far anyways, only another 20 minutes until I would be back home.

~~~

As I reach the front door, I unlock it with my spare keys before walking in. “Good evening, Y/N.” I hear F.R.I.D.A.Y’s robotic voice shoot from the speaker beside me. I smile slightly. “Hey Friday.” I walk to the kitchen to pour myself some water, after taking a sip I ask. “Friday?” “Yes Sir?” I look around the lit house. “Where’s dad?”

It takes a second for her to answer. “He’s in his workshop.” I nod, thanking her as I start to make my way there. Before reaching the stairs though, the sound of two voices makes its way through the glass. Dad’s laugh booming as a young boy’s follows. I didn’t even have to see him to know who was down there. Peter. I sigh, I guess I knew why dad didn't come now.

I step back up the stairs, ignoring the two as I bee-line to my room. I throw my bag onto the floor, changing my clothes as tears start to well up in my eyes once again. I curse myself, putting my clothes away before falling into bed, muffling my sniffles with one of my pillows.

“Friday. Lock my door please.” I hear her voice once more “Of course.” before the sound of a ‘click’ comes from the mechanical door. I groan into my pillow, lying to my side as I closed my eyes.

~~~

The whole night, I had thought long and hard, messaging one of my closest friends about what was going on. He offered to let me stay at his place, for as long as I needed to. We spoke about it all last night, planning for him to come pick me up tonight. It wasn’t too long of a drive, less than an hour. He lived in Hillsdale, a nice change in scenery.

I stayed in my room, packing my things in a suitcase I would use when dad and I went on his “Business trips”. Once packing all the things I wanted to take with me, I stuffed the case under my bed. I groggily walk into the kitchen, look around and not see dad anywhere. I mutter before cooking breakfast for myself.

He was probably in his workshop, working on god knows what now. He hadn’t bothered to check up on me last night, not even to make sure I made it home safely and now he hadn’t bothered to greet me. Finishing my food, I stomp back into my room, eating my food as all I can think about is how much I can’t wait to leave this stupid house.

~~~

When night arrives, I sneak to the front door, suitcase and an extra backpack in my hands. It’s not like dad would’ve noticed anyways, he was still busy ‘working’ I sigh as I open the front door, F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice stopping me. “Where are you going this late at night, Y/N?” I checked my watch, it was only 9:30.

“I’m having a sleepover at a friend's place.” F.R.I.D.A.Y replies with something along the lines of “Have fun.” I scattered out the door and looked around for the car my friend drove, once it came into view, I made my way to it. “Hey man, you got everything?” I nod as I place my luggage in the back seat, hopping into the passenger seat.

“Yeah, thanks for this.” I buckle my seatbelt before turning to him. “Of course, I’m here for you man.” The ride to his house is mostly silent besides the quiet music playing from the car’s speaker. I lean my head back, taking out my phone as I distract myself on the long drive.

~~~

A week had passed when my phone started to blow up, messages from friends and people from school filled my inbox. “Hey, are you okay?” “Where are you?” “I haven't seen you in a while, are you alright?” However, nothing from dad. I make sure my location is turned off before continuing with my day, sitting down to watch some T.V. I scroll through channels, my eyes landing on my name on a news headline, I put down the remote as I read the whole heading.

“Y/N Stark, Son of Tony Stark, has been reported missing.” An explanation of the time of my ‘disappearance’ was reported, including the places I would most often hang out and where I was last seen, at the performance theatre our school had rented out for the recital. Shit.

I hear my friend’s footsteps behind me, “I think it might be time for you to go back, everyone’s worried sick.” My phone rings over and over again with messages, calls, mentions on social media. Everyone asked about the news and if I was okay. I shut down my phone, shoving it in my back pocket. “Yeah, maybe.”

I hear a familiar voice play on the T.V behind me, I shoot back around to face it as I see my father being harassed by paparazzi. Microphones and cameras in his face as he tries to get into his car. “Do you have any idea where he could be?” “Do you have anything to do with Y/N’s disappearance?” “Is he alive?” “Do you have any information on Y/N’s whereabouts?” A frown appears on my face as he looks at the camera, his eyes sunken and dark and his eyebrows furrowed.

“I know as much as you guys do.” He aggressively replies. “And if the lot of you don’t leave, I’ll have you all jobless by tomorrow.” The voices quiet down, interviewers walking away from the car he got into, the engine starting with a roar.

I sigh, I never meant for it to go this far. “Let’s go” I leave to pack my stuff back up again.

~~~

It’s late at night as my friend parks in front of my house, I see extra security put up to keep the paparazzi out. I turn to my friend, thanking him before stepping out of the vehicle, I pull out my luggage, walking towards the gate. As I open it, I trudge up the long driveway to the house. Making it to the top, I drop my bags beside me, taking deep breaths as the steep walk winded me.

I bring them back into my hands, pulling them to the front door. I try to quietly open the lock, keys jingling as I hear the slight ‘click’ to indicate the door unlocking. I push against the handle, pulling my bags in as I hear shuffling in the room near me.

I looked over to the living room, my dad curled into himself, maps, documents and holograms covering the table. My heart wrenches at his appearance, the lack of sleep evident on his face and scruffed hair.

I pull my bags over to the staircase. “Y/N?” Fast footsteps approach me as I turn to the noise. I can’t help the bittersweet smile that makes its way onto my mouth as he grabs my shoulders. His eyes darted across my face, looking for any sign of injury. His arms wrap around me, tightening as I feel his relieved breaths escape him.

I hug back, head shoved into his chest as I hold onto him. “I’m so sorry, so sorry. I didn’t mean for this-” “No, no, no, no.” He repeats sullenly “It’s my fault, I shouldn't have done what I did, I’m so sorry.” I chuckle as I shake my head. “Please forgive me Y/N.” I let out a short breathy laugh. “Of course, I’m sorry I didn’t just talk to you about it, I never wanted to worry you.”

He smiles, “I never wanted to make you think I didn’t care about you. You’re my son. So much more important than anyone, especially Peter.” He rubs a hand against my back. “You’re my top priority, and I’ll make sure you never doubt that again.” “Thank you.”

That night was spent in the living room, we spoke to each other, explaining how the situation affected us both. The both of us understanding the other’s view, making sure to talk about what’s going on next time. We talk for a while, sleep only falling upon us hours later.

As I start to yawn, dad brings my head to his chest. My eyes drift shut as I fall asleep in his arms, the same way I used to when I was younger.

~~~

It had been about a month since the whole ordeal. News of a new recital making its way into school newsletters and I was beaming. I couldn’t wait, this time being able to truly showcase my abilities with my dad being there to witness it.

Once arriving home, I quickly threw my bag on the floor in front of the door. I rush down the stairs after, opening the door with a little more patience so as to not startle my dad. “Hey dad!” I close the door behind me, making my way to his workstation.

“Hey kid, what’s up?” He turns from his work, leaning back against the table as he looks at me. I handed him the poster I had borrowed from one of the drama students. He reads through it, eyes tracing each word before lifting his head back up to me. “Another one?” He holds a wide smile on his face as he drops his hand down.

“Yeah, you better come to this one.” He laughs at my playful jab, nodding as he holds the poster close to him. “I’ll be there, I promise.” I nod. “Thanks dad. I really appreciate it.” “Of course.” He lightly responds, pulling me into a hug.

~~~

It was yet again, time for me to perform. I couldn’t wait, knowing my dad would definitely be out there this time. As we get ready on the stage, I take a quick glance at the crowd, my eyes landing on my dad, sitting in the middle of the front row. I chuckle to myself, of course he was.

As the curtains draw open, I can’t help but smile at the proud look he gives me. As the group starts to sing, I look down at him, both of his hands presenting a thumbs-up. My heart warms at the action. He turns to the parent to the left of him, whispering something. I only catch onto a couple words “That- -y son-.” He points up to me, a look of admiration plastered across his face.

A/N: I wrote this entire thing in one day, it only took me about 5 hours. And it’s somehow my longest fic yet. It's not proof-read tho so apologies for anything that doesn't make sense or anything like that.

Masterlist

- Written by Owner 1

[lemoncrushh]

Tattooed Heart - Part VI

SUMMARY: You are a cocktail waitress at a swanky lounge. Harry comes in one night, and you instantly dislike him. But another encounter eventually changes your opinion.

PAIRING: Waitress Y/N x Artist/Tattoo Artist Harry

TROPES: Enemies to Lovers

MUST BE 18+ TO READ

WORD COUNT: 8.9k

STORY PAGE

“Hey, gorgeous! How are you? I’ve been so worried about you!” John exclaimed enthusiastically into the phone.

“I’m pretty good, actually. How are things at Zelda’s?” While you didn’t necessarily want to know the answer, you’d always considered John a friend and knew he had your back. Which was why you decided to give him a call.

“Oh girl, things have changed dramatically since you left!”

“Really?”

“Yes! We got a new manager. His name is Rafael, but we’re allowed to call him Rafi. He’s a dish and a half, let me tell you! Not like that last asshole.”

You chuckled. “Good, I’m glad for you.”

“Yeah, sucks for you though! If only you could have stayed. Hey, want me to put a good in for you with Rafi?”

“Um…no, that’s okay, John. I’m kind of happy where I am.”

“Seriously? Where’s that?”

You told your friend about working at the cafe. Then proceeded to tell him how Harry got you the job.

“To make a long story short,” you said, trying to do just that, “he’s not the jerk he appeared to be. And…well…now we’re dating.”

“Hold up! Stop right there. Rewind! I need to hear everything, Y/N! EVERYTHING!”

You laughed at the way John enunciated every syllable. And you’d expected as much. For the next hour, you went into every detail with him like he requested (at least as much as you were willing to divulge), and by the time you finished, it was time to get ready for your date with Harry.

“Oh my God, girl, that’s so crazy!” squealed John. “But I’m happy for you. If you’re happy.”

“I am.”

“Good. Just don’t forget about me, okay? Pop in some time, maybe with Handsome.”

“I will,” you promised.

After pulling on a pair of jeans and a stylish top, you brushed your hair and touched up your makeup. You were meeting Harry at his place, where he was making you dinner again, and then you were going to a movie. It seemed to be the first Saturday you were both off since you’d met. And you were looking forward to having a normal, mundane date night.

The last couple weeks had been both hectic and amazing. Since that evening at the gallery, Harry had been extremely busy finishing up his moon series paintings. Donovan McNulty had still been showing interest in Harry’s art, and specifically voiced that he wanted to know the minute his newest pieces would be available. And you’d been picking up extra shifts at the diner to make a little extra money. But any moment you were both free had been spent together. You took turns, rotating your visits at each others’ apartments. You enjoyed leaning against his kitchen counter while you watched him cook, and Harry enjoyed teasing Shae when she was around, and nibbling on the soft spot behind your ear as you watched TV when she wasn’t there - and sometimes when she was.

Your feelings for him were growing daily, and while you told yourself it was still too soon to have such feelings, you used your free time away from him to write them down. You expressed every emotion from the way your heart skipped when you’d see him sitting in his usual chair at the cafe, to the way your body ached for him as you laid in your bed staring at the ceiling. You even included the way it had felt when you’d seen Nicolette at the cafe and at the gallery, even though Harry assured you tenfold that he had broken off all contact with her. You didn’t want to be jealous of his ex. You knew deep down that it would not bode well if you were going to take this relationship to the next level. And you definitely wanted to.

Harry greeted you with a smile as he opened the door, a glass of wine already in his hand waiting for you. When you stepped inside, you gave him a quick kiss before accepting the glass and taking a sip.

“Mmm, something smells yummy!,” you commented, turning for the kitchen.

“Chicken Piccata with roasted radicchio and sweet potatoes,” Harry announced proudly as he followed you. “It’s almost ready.”

“Chef Styles, when are you opening your own restaurant? This is way too impressive for just me.”

“You’re the only one I care to impress,” he said, pushing your hair from your neck to softly brush his lips across your tender flesh.

You reached behind you for his hands, bringing his arms around your waist. He hummed against your skin as he gave you a squeeze. The timer on the oven sounded then with a friendly chime, and Harry hesitantly released you in order to remove its contents. Watching him serve up the meal, you joined him at the table with your wine.

“I have some news,” he announced after you’d taken your first bite and raved about its deliciousness.

“Oh? What is it?” you asked enthusiastically.

“I’m having another gallery showing. For the moon series.” Harry stabbed his fork into his chicken before lifting his eyes to you.

“Are you kidding? That was quick!”

“Well, yeah,” he grinned. “I brought them yesterday for Sherrod to see. Apparently he phoned McNulty, gave him some rubbish about how brilliant they are, and he’s flying down Thursday to see for himself.”

Quickly dismissing the fact that he’d degraded his own art, because you knew he didn’t really think it was rubbish, you focused on the positive.

“Oh my God, Harry! That’s wonderful! I’m really proud of you.”

“I know, babe. And I appreciate all the support you’ve given me. You'll never know how much.”

“I have an idea,” you jested. “You spoil me with this delicious food.”

“That’s just because I can,” he winked. “And because I want to. It’s not a payment.”

“Good to know,” you said before popping a bite of sweet potato in your mouth.

“I would like your help with something, though.”

“Sure, anything.”

“Could you help spread the word about the exhibit?” Harry requested. “Maybe invite some friends? The more the better. The cocktail party was nice, but I’d like it to be a massive event.”

“Ooh, yes! I’d love to!”

Rising from your chair, you reached over the table to plant a kiss on Harry’s lips, to which he happily accepted.

“When would you like to get your tattoo?” Harry asked as you laid twisted in the sheets, his bare thigh crossed over yours, his fingertips tracing nonexistent lines down your arm.

You turned your head to the side to look at him. If it was possible, he appeared even more beautiful than ever, his eyelids heavy, his pillowy lips swollen, his scruffy jaw threatening to produce more facial hair now that the morning was nigh. The evening of lovemaking had been blissful, Harry having brought you to orgasm not once, not twice…but three times. And while you worried you’d never walk again, the man beside you looked completely fucked.

You couldn’t help but be elated by the knowledge that you’d made that happen.

“I’m not sure yet,” you whispered, reaching for his stubbly chin. “Soon, I guess.”

You felt Harry breathe out of his nose, and while he tried to hide it, you could detect the frown on his lips.

“Do you not want it?” he inquired after a beat.

“I…no, I do,” you nodded.

“‘Cause you don’t have to get it,” Harry added. “The one I designed, or any other one. If you don’t want a tattoo, it’s fine. I’ll understand.”

“No, I want one.”

Harry continued to draw his finger down your arm. You could tell the conversation wasn’t over, but you were unsure what else to say. So you let Harry gather his thoughts instead. Finally he sighed, his gaze returning to your face.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“What for?” you asked.

“If I made you uncomfortable. It just dawned on me that I might have been a bit presumptuous with the tattoo. I know they can be very personal, and I…I should have just let you pick what you want.”

Blinking, you rolled over onto your side to face him. “Harry, no. That’s not it at all. I love the one you designed. I told you I loved that painting.”

“Then what is it?” Harry lifted a hand to brush your hair from your face, twisting the end of the strands between his fingers. “Any time I bring it up, you kind of hesitate or change the subject.”

“I…I didn’t realize,” you looked down at his chest. “I apologize.”

“Baby, look at me,” he insisted, urging your chin up. “Talk to me. Are you af-”

You stopped him mid-sentence with your finger on his lips. As you shook your head, Harry chuckled. Then tugging on your wrist, he released your hand from his mouth.

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say,” he remarked.

“Just don’t use that word.”

“Alright,” he softened his expression, returning his fingers to your hair. “Am I moving too fast for you? Is that it?”

You gulped and sucked in your lips. Then you let out a nervous chuckle of your own. “It seems ridiculous to admit that after what we just did.”

“Not really,” Harry shook his head. “Sex can be separate from feelings. Although…I’m going to confess right now…for me…it’s not. Not with you.”

“Harry…” you breathed.

“Babe…” he murmured, pulling you closer. “I reckon I’ve conveyed my feelings for you already…at least a little bit. But if you need me to back off…I will.”

You stared at him, this gorgeous man. You couldn’t believe in just a few weeks you’d gone from hating him to…whatever this was.

“No,” you argued. “I don’t want you to.”

“No?”

“No, because…I’m feeling…things too.”

Harry’s voluptuous mouth curved into a sexy grin. You felt his hand on your back, his fingers dancing up your flesh.

“I’m just…a little hesitant, I guess,” you added, “about getting the tattoo…because it’s such an intimate thing to do, you know? To get ink on my skin of something you gave me, art you designed for me. And it’s…forever.”

Harry blinked slowly with a nod. “I completely understand, love. I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

“You didn’t. It’s just me. Like you said, it’s personal. And I would feel horrible if something happened between us, and-”

“Shh, baby…” Harry interrupted you this time. “It’s okay. I get it. Take all the time you need.”

You gave him a gentle smile before he pulled you into a deep kiss. Your eyelids heavy, and sleep threatening to take over, you tugged on the sheets. Getting the hint, Harry grinned, situating the covers over you before reaching for the lamp.

“Goodnight, baby,” he whispered. “Sweet dreams.”

You hummed in agreement as he held you against his warm body, and before you could even think any more about tattoos, you were sound asleep in his arms.

The rest of Sunday and most of Monday was spent making phone calls. You promised Harry a grand party, and you were determined to deliver. After telling Shae your plan, she was more than happy to come through by offering to tell her coworkers as well as some of your mutual friends. You called John to let him know as well, and he said he was already going to ask for the night off, and maybe even bring Rafi with him…if he was available, as he put it. You also called the gallery Monday morning, unbeknownst to Harry, to speak with Sherrod yourself. He told you how excited he was for Harry’s new exhibit, which put your mind at ease a bit.

“I really want this to be special for him,” you explained. “Is there anything I can do to help? To get the word out? More advertising? Do I need to hire a caterer or something?”

“Don’t you worry about a thing, darling,” assured Sherrod. “I’m already having my secretary making contacts as we speak. And I personally phoned my caterer on Friday.”

“Oh, fantastic,” you said. “The more people we can get to come, the better. There’s just one thing…”

“Don’t worry about that either, my pet. You have my word Miss Waters will not get an invite.”

“Ohh. For some reason I thought…” you chuckled nervously. “I don’t know how art galleries work, forgive me.”

Sherrod laughed heartily through the phone, catching you off guard. “Nothing to forgive, darling. Harry and I have already spoken about this as well.”

You breathed through your nose. Of course they had.

“Thank you, Sherrod. I appreciate everything.”

“It’s going to be a splendid night, you can be sure!”

Hanging up, you felt a heavy weight lift off your chest. It was quickly replaced with a glittery excitement. You couldn’t wait.

When you arrived for your mid-day shift at the cafe, you made a beeline for Jill who was making a cold brew for a customer. The look on her face when you told her the news about Harry’s exhibit was priceless.

“Of course I’ll be there!” she squealed. “Are you kidding me?”

“Bring some friends too, okay? I want to show him all the support we can give.”

That night, you sat in front of the TV writing in your journal. You soon found yourself mindlessly doodling in the corners of the page. Harry was at work, and you didn’t want to bother him. Yet you couldn’t stop thinking about him. He truly had been the only thing on your mind all day.

“Pppfff, more like for the last month,” you admitted out loud.

Tossing your notebook to the side, you leaned back on the couch and ran your fingers through your hair, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Jesus Christ, what am I doing?”

Getting up from the sofa, you slipped on your shoes, not bothering to change out of your lounge-at-home outfit - a dark green tunic and black leggings. The only effort you made was to brush your teeth and touch up your lip gloss before heading out the door.

The neon sign in the window seemed to glow brighter than you remembered, an enticing greeting to lure you in. Not that you hadn’t already planned to go inside.

Swinging the door open, you noticed an empty waiting area and counter. Smooth, instrumental jazz played through the speakers as you peeked your head through the doorway to scan the tattoo stations, but still saw no one. You were just about to walk through the shop to Harry’s office when you saw Kyle emerge.

“Oh, hey,” he grinned. “You’re Y/N, right?”

“Yes,” you nodded, happy that he knew. Surely he didn’t remember you from the last time he’d seen you in the shop, but perhaps Harry had told him about you and he put two and two together. The idea made you blush a little.

“Harry’s in the back. I’ll go get him for you.”

Before you could retort, Kyle disappeared through the doorway from which he’d just appeared. And within seconds, your handsome, cheery boyfriend replaced him.

“Hi, babe!” he beamed. “What are you doing here?”

You shrugged, shyly. “Came to get my tattoo.”

His eyes widening, Harry stepped closer to you. “Really? Are you sure?”

Licking your lips, you nodded. “Positive.”

His dimples on full display, Harry pulled you into an embrace. You could feel his heart beating in his chest as he whispered in your ear. “I’m so happy.”

Then stepping back, Harry gestured toward his station. “Go ahead and have a seat. I’ll get everything ready and tell Kyle he can go home.”

“Oh!” you mouthed, surprised. Harry disappeared into the back room again before you could argue.

Situating yourself in Harry’s chair, you gazed at the art on display around his station as well as photos of various clients’ tats. While a few pieces looked to be fairly common, most of them were exquisite, no doubt one-of-a-kind works of art. You were staring at a large dragon piece on someone’s back when you heard a voice behind you.

“Bye, Y/N,” Kyle called. “Have a nice night.”

“Oh, thanks. Same to you,” you waved just as Harry walked up.

“You didn’t have to make him leave,” you said under your breath. “You’re not closed yet, are you?”

“I am now,” Harry wiggled his brows before walking to the front door and locking it, turning the OPEN sign to the CLOSED side.

With pursed lips, you tried to hold back a smirk as Harry returned, his own smirk tugging on his mouth.

“Slow night?” you inquired when he sat down on his stool.

“You would not believe. That’s why we were in my office. Kyle helps me with my website.”

You hummed in acknowledgement as you watched Harry get his tray ready just like he had the day you’d brought Shae. That already felt like a lifetime ago.

“You always surprise me with your music choices,” you commented as you listened to the soft jazz.

Harry chuckled with a nod. “This is my focus, slash wind-down music. Since it was slow, I switched it from grunge whilst we worked on the website.”

“I like it,” you grinned.

Harry gazed up at you from under his lashes before his eyes roamed down your body. You felt a tingle as his gaze made its way back up to your face.

“What?” you couldn’t help but ask.

“Was just recalling the last time you were sat in this chair.”

“Oh my God, Harry,” you blushed. “Please tell me you sanitized it!”

His eyes squinting as he giggled, Harry scooted closer to you. “You’re too much, babe.”

“Why, because I like cleanliness?”

“No, because that’s your first thought. It certainly wasn’t mine.”

You stared into his jade eyes that were now inches from your face, the irises appearing to have a dark line around them.

“That was…um, some kind of night,” you murmured softly.

“Indeed, it was.” Harry’s hand landed just above your knee then before he slid it slowly up your thigh.

“Hmm,” you nodded. “Are you trying to seduce me again?”

Harry puffed out a chuckle. “No. Don’t reckon I had to try then either.”

Dragging your tongue across your teeth, you focused on his mouth and the way his hand felt on your leg. “Fair enough. What do you remember most about that night?”

“How sweet your pussy tasted on my tongue,” he quickly replied, as if he’d had his answer ready before you’d even asked the question. “And how you tugged on my hair and your thighs trembled as you called my name.”

“Harry…”

“Oh, it was much louder than that.”

You blushed again, but this time you didn’t bother hiding it. Leaning towards you, Harry placed a soft kiss on your lips. Followed by a second, and a third. By the fourth, your fingers were in his hair, his tongue in your mouth. You reveled in the sensation, urging him with your own. When a gentle moan escaped your chest, Harry’s hand that had been on your thigh made its way between your legs. You began to grind against him in your seat, knowing your leggings and panties were already soaked through. His other hand traveled underneath your t-shirt, and when his fingers met your bare skin, you gasped.

“Are you…,” you gulped, “planning to eat me out again on this chair?”

“No,” Harry shook his head, a devilish smirk on his face.

“Oh.”

“I have other things in mind,” he added, echoing the exact words he’d said to you that night before taking you home.

“Oh…”

Harry sat back on his stool and raised a brow. “I thought you wanted a tattoo, love.”

“Harry Styles! Are you teasing me?” you exclaimed.

Giggling with glee, you noticed his eyes dancing. “Maybe.”

“Rude!” you frowned, tugging your shirt down. Your pussy still throbbing from his hand, you pouted.

“I’m sorry, baby. It’s my fault. Seeing you in this chair…it turned me on, and I got carried away. I do want to play. But I think we should get started on this tattoo, don’t you? It’s gonna take a bit.”

You nodded with a sigh. “Okay.”

Harry gave you a peck on the nose and one on the lips. “Now, did you decide where you want it? The ink, I mean,” he smirked.

“So, I had considered getting it on my side, like down my hip. There’s plenty of room to make it big. But then I changed my mind.”

“Too much?” Harry asked.

“Nope. Not enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nobody’s gonna see it there. Except you. And while the idea is sexy, I’d rather have the art my boyfriend designed to be in a spot everyone could see.”

“Baby…” Harry breathed, his hand over his heart.

“I know, I’ve been hesitant about this,” you explained. “About us. But I have no clue why. We’ve spent all this time together. You’ve shown me time again that you’re interested in more than just…a fling. Every time I’m with you, I feel butterflies and moonbeams and…all the cheesy things.” You let out a nervous sigh as you looked down at your hands, then back up to his gorgeous face. “The truth is…I’m crazy about you, Harry.”

“Sweetheart,” he cried, pulling you into another kiss. Then leaning his forehead against yours he murmured, “You make me so happy.”

“Good,” you grinned, your right hand on his cheek as you held out your left. “That’s why I think we should put it right here, below my elbow, down the inside of my arm.”

“I think that would be lovely,” he agreed, misty-eyed. Then he kissed the inside of your wrist before rising from his stool. “Let me go get the stencil, and I’ll be right back.”

When he stepped away, you suddenly felt butterflies in your tummy, and not just from the notion of getting a tattoo. You’d almost told him more than you’d planned. The truth was, you weren’t just crazy about him. You were falling for him. Hard. Perhaps you had been falling bit by bit every day. And you were finally willing to admit it to yourself. But you weren’t quite sure yet if you were ready to say it to him. It still felt too soon. But you loved the look on his face when you’d revealed what you had. His delight gave you hope that perhaps he felt the same.

Harry returned with a big smile on his face. Placing the stencil next to him, he pulled on his gloves. Then reaching for the rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad, he eyed you.

“Still wanna do this?” he asked.

“Definitely,” you beamed.

Taking your arm, he gently rubbed the soaked cotton pad down your arm, from the elbow to your wrist. Then he took a new disposable razor and gently shaved the area, just like you’d seen him do on Shae, back when you still hated him. The idea brought a sour taste to your mouth.

“You okay?” he asked again.

“Yeah, sorry. Was just…thinking.”

“About?” Harry raised a brow.

“How far we’ve come in just a short time.”

Harry’s face softened. “I think about that a lot.”

“You do?”

“I thank my lucky stars every fucking day that you forgave me. That you were able to see the real me and change your mind. I only wish…”

“What?” you asked.

His gaze seemed to burn into you as he looked deep into your eyes. “I wish we had met some other way. Like some random day at the cafe, or maybe here when you’d come with Shae. Or maybe even at Zelda’s on a night I was alone. Some other way that you could have met the real me instead of that prick I pretended to be.”

You sat in silence as you absorbed Harry’s words and watched him place the thermal paper on your arm with the stencil. When he peeled it off was when you spoke.

“What would you have said?”

“When?”

“If we had met in a different situation. What would you have said to me?”

“In which scenario?” he smirked.

“Let’s go with the first one. Obviously I wouldn’t be working at the cafe. But let’s say I came in one day that you were sitting there working on your iPad.”

Harry chuckled loudly, catching you off guard. “Well, I can’t really say for sure, can I? There are other factors involved.”

“Alright,” you agreed. “But you said you’ve thought about it. What happens in your…wish?”

You swore you caught a tiny bit of color in his cheeks as Harry pulled his tray closer to him. “We have to get serious now, babe. I’m about to stick a needle in your arm.”

You puffed out a breath in humor, then sat up straight in your chair. “Fine. Mark me.”

Harry’s nostrils flared as he chuckled at your joke. Then he made a few adjustments to his tattoo gun before getting to work. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt as bad as you thought it would. You watched as Harry traced the stencil, starting with the dripping moon at the top. After every stroke, he would wipe your skin. He seemed so focused, so gentle. You stared at his face for a little while, and every time he’d bite his lower lip, it sent your heart all aflutter. When he finished the outline, he looked up at you.

“Still doing okay?”

“Mmhmm,” you nodded.

He gave you a smile before returning his focus to your arm. You were both quiet for a moment until he spoke again.

“I probably would have stared at you for a bit.”

“Huh?”

“At the cafe. If you had been sat near me at a table by yourself. I would have kept sneaking glances at you, but making sure you didn’t notice.”

“Well then, how am I supposed-”

“At first,” he interrupted. “Then I would have wanted you to notice. When we finally made eye contact, I’d have smiled at you.”

Lifting his head, Harry gave you just the smile he was referring to. And your insides ignited.

“I would say that’s very cheesy and cliche, but it’s not. I like it.”

“So what would you have done if I’d come over to your table and asked you your name?”

“I would have told you, and hoped to God you’d ask me for my number too.”

“Alright then,” Harry snickered. “That’s one scenario. But it didn’t happen.”

“It’s fine, Harry,” you said. “Something else happened instead. And we’re here anyway.”

“Yes, we are.”

You watched Harry continue on the tattoo, the moon starting to look realistic with the shading. As always you were in awe of him and his talent. Just like when you would watch him work at the cafe, you found yourself completely mesmerized. It was utterly sexy to you, from the way he focused on his project at hand, to the curls that framed his face and neck, and even down to the way his own tattooed arms flexed as he worked. As you studied him you let out a deep breath, feeling the wetness pooling in your panties again.

“Still okay?” Harry suddenly asked with a tiny smirk, as if he’d noticed.

“I’m wonderful,” you answered dreamily.

“You need to move your elbow a little?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure,” you nodded as Harry sat back to let you. Your arm had been in one position for a while, and you were starting to feel the effects.

“Okay, I’m good,” you commented as you reached your arm out again. “Tell me about your next project. What are you working on?”

“Just a second,” Harry muttered. As he scooted closer again, you wondered what he was doing until he beckoned you with his gloved hand. “Kiss me.”

You grinned widely before you happily obliged, giving him a few more kisses than he’d asked for just for good measure.

“Mmm, thanks babe. It’s hard to be around you for this long without touching your lips.”

“You’re welcome. And you’re the sweetest.”

With a wink, Harry returned to his task, this time moving onto the shading of the heart. “I actually haven’t started anything new yet,” he replied to your previous inquiry. “With the moon series now at the gallery, I’ve kind of been trying to finish up some older pieces.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you had anything that was incomplete.”

“Yeah. You saw the citiscape one, right?”

“Yes, that was gorgeous! That wasn’t finished?”

“Not yet. I keep feeling like there’s something missing, but…I dunno. I’m also not sure if I want it to be a series or a stand alone piece.”

“Well, whatever you decide, I know it’ll be amazing. As always,” you offered emphatically.

“Thanks, babe. This is why…” he left his thought unfinished as his tattoo gun rounded the edges of the heart.

“Why what?”

Harry lifted his head, giving you an easy grin. “Why you’re a wonderful lady.”

You watched Harry finish the heart on the tat while you thought your own heart could burst. You thought he was going to say it for a second, but you understood why he hadn’t. It seemed like such a mundane moment to express those three words.

Changing the subject, Harry chatted with you lightly about the upcoming exhibit, about the cafe, about food. You told him about your pal John, and how he was planning to come as well as Jill and Shae.

“Thanks again for doing this for me, babe,” he grinned. “I truly appreciate you.”

“Of course, Harry. I honestly think I’d do just about anything for you.”

Raising his eyebrows, Harry gave you a sexy look before quickly looking back down at your arm. “I think we’re done, babe.”

“Oh. Oh!” You tore your eyes from his to gaze down at your new tattoo. It was extraordinary to say the least.

“It’s…so beautiful, Harry,” you choked. “I love it!”

“It’s yours,” he commented. “And only yours.”

Your eyes began to well up with tears, making your vision too blurry to even see it. But you knew he was right. You had a one-of-a-kind Harry Styles work of art on your arm. And you couldn’t be more proud.

“C’mere, you can look in the mirror,” Harry beckoned, gesturing to the mirror behind him on the wall.

Standing in front of it, you wiped your eyes with your fingers until Harry handed you a tissue.

“Don’t cry, love,” he cooed. “You’ll make me think you made a mistake.”

“Of course not, silly man.” You stretched your arm down to look at the full length of the ink on your skin. “No mistakes here.”

“I’m glad,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around you and resting his chest on your shoulder as you took in the image of you both in the mirror. Grabbing his phone, Harry then took a couple of quick photos of your arm. “Let’s go ahead and put a covering on that so it won’t get infected.”

“Oh, how long do I have to do that? I wanna be able to show it off this weekend.”

Harry smirked at your pout. “Just a few days. You should be okay by then.”

Once again, you sat in his chair while he applied the dressing and bandage. Then he explained to you the aftercare, which made you giddy. You knew it was his job, but you enjoyed seeing him being professional.

“I’ll give you some information to take home with you as well,” he added as he removed his gloves, “but right now, I really need to touch you.”

You opened your mouth, but before you could make a syllable, Harry slid his hands under your jaw and pulled you into a warm kiss. He soon deepened it, his tongue invading your mouth as his hands traveled around your neck to your hair. When he finally released you enough to take a breath, you gasped.

“Wow.”

“Uh huh,” he voiced so low that you barely heard it. Then he licked his lips before sliding his hand up your thigh like before. “Exactly.”

You stared at Harry, his eyes darkening as he fingers began to tease you between your legs.

“So, what…mmm,” you swallowed at the sensation, “what other things did you have in mind?”

“Oh, you really wanna know?” he quirked a brow.

“Mmhmm. Yes, please.”

“Hmm, you ask so politely. But I might wanna keep teasing you like this. Make your legs tremble until you can’t stand it anymore. Until you’re begging for me to make you come.”

“Mmm,” you moaned again as he applied more pressure with his thumb, his hand cupping you, still over your clothes. “I don’t think I would be opposed to that.”

“No? You like being teased?”

“I like the way you tease,” you replied, breathy.

A low chuckle rose from his throat, and you felt the vibration as his face was just inches from yours. Then he surprised you by rising from his chair, his hand leaving your throbbing core to tug on the bottom of your t-shirt.

“Off, sweetheart,” he demanded.

You lifted your arms for him to remove your top, careful of your freshly tattooed area. You nearly came unglued at the sight of him biting his bottom lip.

“Sorry I don’t have on fancy undies,” you said, looking down at your cotton bralette.

“Are you kidding?” he snorted before he helped you remove that garment as well, his hands quickly palming your bare breasts.

You closed your eyes, reveling in the pleasure of his calloused thumbs skimming across your perky buds. He was so light and gentle with his touch, that you almost pouted, but you knew this was his intention. To drive you crazy.

He kissed you again, his hands still on you until he backed away suddenly. You opened your eyes to see him removing his own shirt, his tattooed torso on display. Your mouth watered instantly, an automatic reaction now.

You and Harry had good sex. There was no denying it. Not that you liked to compare, but Harry was the best in bed. He already knew what you liked, what buttons to press and which ones not to (not that there were many). But the best thing about the sexual part of your relationship was that it was never boring. Even when it was just quick fucking, it was amazing. Even when it was sweet, sleepy sex, you were left satisfied.

So Harry implying - albeit obviously - that he wanted to fuck you on that tattoo chair was no surprise. But the thrill was still as strong as ever. Everything he did excited you. Jesus, just looking at him sent a bolt of electricity down to your cunt, making you squeeze your muscles together.

Letting out a breath, you reached for his belt, pulling it from the loop and releasing it. He gave you another smirk as you tugged on his jeans with your non-tattooed arm, frustrated when the button wouldn’t come loose.

“Let me help, baby,” he growled, keeping your hand in position as he covered it with his own hand and helped you pull. The button popped open, the zipper separating along with it as your tug was determined. Then Harry assisted you further, his hand guiding yours down the front of his pants.

“As if you had to help me with that,” you scoffed with a grin.

“Maybe I wanted some help,” Harry eyed you.

“I don’t think that’s necessary either, big boy.”

His sexy low chuckle vibrated through your hand while you found you were a hundred percent correct. Standing from the chair, you pulled him from the confines of his jeans, the pink, bulbous head of his hard cock greeting you.

“Mmm,” you sounded. “Maybe I could help a little.”

You released his erection for just a moment to run your hands down his chest, your fingernails raking over his pecs and the light dusting of chest hair around his nipples. But it didn’t take long for Harry to reach for your tits again, squeezing them in his hands.

“Wait…I thought I was supposed to be teasing you,” he groaned.

“So you don’t want your cock in my mouth?” you teased back.

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “Fuck, babe, I don’t know anymore. You’re so hot. I’m so turned on.”

“I can see that,” you grinned, wrapping your palm around his cock again. Before he could protest, you fell to your knees.

“Babe…” you heard as you barely licked the tip.

“Just let me, Harry. Please? I’m begging,” you looked up at him with puppy dog eyes, batting your lashes.

Letting out a breathy chuckle, Harry gave you permission with a nod and heavy eyelids. You took your time, wetting the head first, then slowly dragging your tongue underneath his length, from the base to the tip. Then licking your lips, you wrapped them around his hard cock, giving a generous amount of suction.

You heard his heavy breathing get louder and faster as you steadied yourself with your other hand on his hip. His own hands were everywhere at first, starting in your hair, then trying to paw at your breasts, then finally settling back on your head, gently urging and guiding you.

“Fuck, baby, you’re so good at this.”

You’d never considered yourself a pro at giving head. You couldn’t even take all of him, for fear of choking. But he didn’t seem to mind. Your mouth and tongue along with your hand seemed to do the trick. After a few more swirls of your tongue, you allowed your other hand to reach underneath, grabbing his balls. He moaned loudly, another expletive rising from his chest.

“Baby. Baby, baby, stop. I don’t wanna come yet.”

Popping off of him, you smiled up at him, saliva dripping from your chin. You enjoyed pleasuring him, but you were excited to move on to phase two. With another low groan, Harry ran his thumb across your chin, guiding you back up to your feet.

“Y/N. I need to be inside you. Now.”

“Aw, you mean I don’t have to beg?”

Harry didn’t bother replying with words. Instead, he pulled down your leggings with fervor, your panties clinging to them so they slipped down together, pooling around your ankles just like Harry’s jeans.

“Turn around, sweetheart,” he patted your hip while wiggling his brows.

More electricity surging through you, you happily did as you were told, bending over the tattoo chair. You felt Harry run his hands down your ass before grabbing your hip and situating himself at your entrance. He slid in slowly at first, like he always did in order to get adjusted. But as soon as he let out a gasp that echoed your own, you knew it wouldn’t be long before he started to move faster.

Harder. His fingers dug into your flesh as he pounded into you. You bit your lip at first, then thought it silly since you were alone. As you began to moan, so did Harry. The sounds intertwined with the sexy, slow jazz were intoxicating. And when Harry bent over to grab your hair and talk in your ear, you thought you might come.

“Pussy’s so good, baby. Been thinking about it all day. Always so wet for me.”

“Mmmm,” was all you could manage.

“You like me fucking you like this?”

“Yes!”

“You like my hard cock pounding into you, my balls slamming against your wet pussy?”

“God, yes!”

“Yeah. It’s mine, innit? Your gorgeous cunt is all mine.”

“Mmhm.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s all yours, Harry. I’m all yours.”

Moaning in your ear, Harry slowed down. You wondered for a moment what was happening as you knew he hadn’t come yet. Then you felt a chill on your back as he stood up, his hands at your hips.

“Let’s get these off the rest of the way,” he said with heavy breaths, indicating your pants.

Blinking, you wiped your eyes and toed off your shoes, stepping out of the leggings as you watched Harry do the same with his jeans.

“Sorry, babe, for the interlude,” his voice cracked. “I wanna try something else.”

“Okay.”

You watched as he readjusted the chair to lay flat. Then he laid down on it.

“C’mere, babe,” he beckoned. “Climb on top of me.”

You shifted your eyes nervously. “Are you sure we won’t break it?”

“Only one way to find out,” he smirked.

Sucking in your lips, you climbed on with Harry’s assistance. You giggled at the awkwardness of it all as you straddled him.

“Just a second, honey,” he said when you were about to aim his cock. “Let me look at you.”

You glared at him, once again wondering what was going through his head. He acted as if he’d never looked at you before. But as you smiled down at him, his own lips grew into his dimpled grin, making you warm all over. He brushed your hair from your face, his thumb grazing across your cheek.

“You’re like an angel,” he murmured. “You take my breath away.”

“Harry…” you exhaled.

“I’m all yours too, honey.”

You beamed at him, knowing it was a reply to your previous admission. Then lifting yourself onto your knees, you looked into his eyes as you sank down onto his cock. You hissed as he closed his eyes, both of you already sensitive.

You rode him with determination, needing to chase the release. After bouncing on him a few times, Harry took your left hand and held it to his chest, making sure you didn’t put too much pressure on that arm. You giggled awkwardly as you tried to keep your balance, but your boyfriend was good at helping.

As you started to reach your high, the burn imminent both in your thighs and your core, you began to cry out.

“Harry….it’s so good, baby…oh, God…Harryyyyy.”

Bucking his hips against you, his hands both now on your own hips, he stared you in the eyes.

“I know, honey. Tell me.”

“Mmmmm…I’m all yours, Harry,” you bit your lip, throwing your head back.

“Y/N. Look at me.”

Blinking, you gazed down at him, his gorgeous face flushed. He groaned in pleasure before wrapping his arms around you.

“Tell me, baby. I wanna hear you say it.”

“What?”

“Tell me you love me.”

Your eyes widening, you stared at him in…no, not disbelief. Because you absolutely believed it.

“I know you feel it, baby. Just like I do. Tell me. Please.”

You’d slowed down your hips, Harry having paused his thrusts. But as you began to resume, moving faster, his gorgeous mouth hanging open, you nodded.

“I love you, Harry.”

His lips twitched before he licked them, then pulled you to him for a kiss.

“I love you, too, Y/N.”

A tiny giggle escaped your throat as realization kicked in. You were in love. And all his.

You rode Harry to the finish, reaching orgasm just before he cried out those three words again. He kissed you deeply, his tongue letting you know how pleased he was. His head falling back, his eyes closed in complete bliss, the biggest, dopiest grin on his face.

“Say it again, babe.”

You kissed his salty chest and neck, then gnawed on his stubbly chin.

“I love you,” you sang softly before kissing his lips.

“And I love you,” he echoed while your face hovered over his, your hair surrounding you both like a secret garden. “So much.”

Chatter filled the room and your ears as you suddenly heard the clink of a fork against glass.

"Ladies and gentlemen! A toast! To our man of the evening!" announced Sherrod. Harry turned to him with a bashful grin. "It has been my utmost pleasure to host this soiree for such an incredible artist. He is a viable part of this community, and I know you all join me in congratulating him at completing another remarkable series. To Harry Styles!"

As everyone clapped and cheered, raising their glasses, you heard Stan shout, "Hear, hear!"

Smiling at your boss, whom you had been thrilled to see arrive with his wife, you watched him make a taste of his own.

"Harry, my son, I've watched you sit at that same table in my cafe for over a year, doodling on your notepads and…thingamajig…" he gestured, making the guests chuckle. "To be honest, I didn't understand why my coffee shop, or why that table…or why only flat white lattes…" more laughs erupted as he patted Harry on the shoulder. "But I knew you had talent. And ambition. I'm proud of you, son. And I'm proud to say I knew you when."

"Hear, hear!" Sherrod and others cheered, raising their glasses again.

"Thank you, Stan. Thank you Sherrod," Harry choked. "This whole night means more to me than you'll ever know. All of you. I'm so humbled that each of you came tonight. This truly was special. I'll never forget it."

Harry's eyes met yours during his final words. Then as the chatter resumed, he stepped forward and pulled you into a long kiss.

"Alright you two," said Jill behind you. "Don't go find a room just yet. I need to take pictures."

You giggled as your friend held her phone up and you posed for several photos with Harry, including one where you were kissing him on the cheek. Satisfied with her shots, Jill squealed with joy and announced she had to take some more with her other friends next to Harry’s art.

A waiter came by then with more champagne, and you gladly took another glass, handing him your empty one.

“I’m so happy to see you having a good time,” beamed Harry, his arm still around you.

“I may have had a few too many of these,” you snickered, covering your mouth with your hand.

“No matter. We have that limo, thanks to you.”

“You can actually thank Shae. It was her idea.”

“Where is Shae, by the way?” Harry turned his head to search for your roommate. He spotted her next to the shrimp, talking to Kyle. His chest shook with laughter as he turned back to you.

“What?” you asked. “Kyle’s a nice guy, right?”

“Yeah. Too nice. She’s probably giving him an earful, and I’ll have to hear about it later.”

You playfully slapped his arm in your friend’s defense, though you knew he was right.

“Good idea, by the way, showing off your tattoo right away. I already have some clients lined up.”

“That’s awesome!” you cheered. You figured one of them was the nice lady you were talking to last time, since you saw her again soon after you’d arrived.

“Harry, my good man, congratulations!” another voice sounded. You both swiveled to see Carlo, his arm already stretched to give Harry a hug.

“Thank you so much for coming, Carlo.”

“Anything for you, my friend! Y/N, I don’t believe you’ve met my beautiful wife, Jossalyn.” Carlo gestured to the stunning tattooed brunette to his right.

You both gave each other salutations before Harry pulled her into a hug as well. Then they announced their exit and said their goodbyes.

“You have a lot of friends and admirers, Harry,” you commented.

He nodded. “Seems that way. I need to remember to count my blessings.”

You lifted your hand to his handsome face, and he covered it with his own, gently shutting his eyes.

“Y/N! We have to be going, guys!” John shouted, breaking your reverie.

“John, thank you so much for coming!” you told him as you squeezed him. “And for bringing Rafi.”

“Told you he’s a dish,” he whispered in your ear.

You nodded as you watched his partner shake hands with Harry, then you did the same. As soon as they left, Harry leaned into you.

“Rafael is interested in my art.”

“Your art, or something else?” you quirked a brow. “I saw how he looked at you earlier.”

Harry cackled. “I promise it was strictly a professional conversation. But if it makes you feel any better, I’ll remind him I’m taken.”

As he slid his arm back around your waist, you shook your head as you smiled up at him. “I was teasing you. I wouldn’t blame anyone in this room for wanting a piece of you…professionally or otherwise. But I appreciate the sentiment. Also, I trust you.”

“Yeah? I’m glad, baby.”

Harry brought his hand up to slide under your jaw, and he was just about to kiss you when the other man of the hour interrupted.

“Harry, lad, I have an early flight in the morning, so I must bid farewell,” said Donovan McNulty. This evening he wore a black suit with a red bowtie. You smiled at him, holding out your hand.

“Mr. Nulty, thank you so much for coming. You’ve made Harry so happy.”

Donovan leaned in and kissed your cheek, then the other. “My dear, I reckon it’s the other way around. Besides, it looks like he’s found his happiness right here, with his muse.”

He gave you a wink as he squeezed your tattooed arm before shaking Harry’s hand and waving goodbye.

The party continued for another hour or so. You and Harry both gave a lot more thank yous and farewells. Then when no other guests remained (Harry insisted on seeing everyone out to show his appreciation), Sherrod finally shooed you out to the limo.

“Thanks for helping with everything, sweetheart,” cooed Harry as he necked you in the back of the car.

“I didn’t do much,” you conveyed. “Sherrod set up most of it.”

“No, you did more than you know. I love and appreciate you.”

“Same here, handsome,” you grinned before caressing his soft lips. “By the way, I have something to show you when we get to your place.”

“Yeah? Is it under your dress?”

You giggled as his hand wandered under the flimsy fabric of the new dress you’d purchased just for this occasion.

“No,” you playfully tugged at his wrist. “It’s something I left there while we were getting ready. It’s in your nightstand.”

“Handcuffs?”

“No! Harry Styles, I’m trying to be romantic and open, and you’re being naughty.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, babe. I can’t help it. It’s just where my mind went.”

“It’s okay,” you tutted.

“What is it?”

“You’ll see.”

Harry held your hand as he walked you to his apartment. The glow of the moon shone through the balcony doors, punctuating the end of the moon-themed evening like a full stop. Although you weren’t ready for it to end just yet.

You laid your clutch bag on the counter next to his keys and wallet before he pulled you in for yet another kiss. Throwing your arms around his neck, you let his tongue tangle with yours, tasting the champagne you’d both consumed. Then he lifted you up, wrapping your legs around his waist as he carried you into the bedroom.

“Are you gonna show me now?” he asked between kisses after he laid you down.

You simply nodded, then reached for the bedside table, opening the top drawer. You retrieved a small notebook, the one you’d been writing in. Opening it, you flipped to the page you wanted to show him. When you handed it to him, he looked at you inquisitively.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Remember when you asked me if I had a hobby, something that I was passionate about? And I mentioned I used to write?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“You inspired me.”

With an easy grin, Harry sat back on the pillows, crossing his ankles. You sat next to him, your legs tucked underneath you as you bit your bottom lip nervously.

Brilliant, blazing, glistening, glittering

The celestial satellite shines by the light reflected from the sun

Its beautiful mystery soothingly captivates us

All aglow, seemingly from within

Feminine energy that affects the rise and fall of the tides

A big balloon, luminous and serene

These are words used to describe the moon

But they are also words to describe my heart

For my heart is now a big balloon

All aglow and alight from within

From the light of your heart, the sun

Brilliant, blazing, beautiful

Wondrous and astral, my heart is now home

Lowering the notebook after reading your poem, Harry looked at you.

“It’s kinda short,” you offered with a hesitant chuckle. “But it took me forever.”

“Baby,” he said, scooting closer to you and reaching for you. “This is beautiful.”

“Really?” you crinkled your nose, still not completely confident.

“Yes, baby, really. I love it. I love you.”

Your expression softened, easing into a smile. Harry pulled you to his chest, brushing your hair back from your face.

“Thank you for writing it, but even more, for sharing it with me.”

“I figured I should, since you share so much with me.”

“That’s what I mean, love. Not only did you share your heart with me, but you put it into words on paper. It’s stunning. I’m…”

His hands still in your hair, he paused his words.

“What?” you asked as you saw a tiny tear escape from the corner of his eye and down his cheek. “Harry…”

“Can’t help it, baby,” he choked as you wiped the tear. “I’ve fallen so hard for you.”

“Me too,” you whispered.

“Tell me again, Y/N.”

“I love you…” you said, his lips capturing yours once again before you could say his name.

You didn’t mind that he asked you to say those words. In fact, you liked it. You would tattoo it on your heart if you could.

THE END

And there we have it :). Please like, comment and consider following me if you enjoyed it! Feedback is love x.

[hoodsturnedheros]

Mar-Bit Babysitting Kat

It was late afternoon at the Curtis house, and Cherry Valance was brushing her fingers through her newborn baby girls red curls that matched hers perfectly. She was reminding herself that she’s making the right choice. It had only been a month and Sodapop and Cherry were both happy for their new bundle of joy but completely and utterly exhausted. Kat had colic, BAD. So a night out was something Cherry only dreamed of— in between Kat’s short sleep windows. But she’d been planning this night out for weeks—her first evening alone with Sodapop since the baby was born—and she was both excited and nervous.

“You sure you’re okay with this, Marcia?” Cherry asked for the third time, her eyes full of concern as she handed over a packed diaper bag. “Babies can be a lot of work.”

Marcia, leaning casually against the kitchen counter, gave Cherry a wide grin and waved her off. “Come on, Cherry, we’ve got this! It’s just one night. Besides, Two-Bit’s been dying to prove he can handle this kind of thing. Right, Two?”

From the living room, Two-Bit Matthews, lounging on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table, nodded confidently. “Piece of cake, babe! I’ll have this little peanut laughing her head off before you two even make it to the drive in.”

Cherry bit her lip, still unsure, but Soda came up behind her, placing a reassuring hand on her waist. “They’ll be fine, Cher. We’ve got this night planned, and we deserve it. Kat will be in good hands. Plus, it’s only for a couple of hours.”

Cherry finally exhaled, giving her boyfriend a small smile before leaning down to kiss the baby’s forehead. “Alright, sweetheart, you be good for Uncle Two-Bit and Aunt Marcia, okay?”

Soda, giving Two-Bit a playful punch on the arm, added, “Just don’t let her learn any of your bad habits, man.”

Two-Bit grinned. “No promises.”

With one last look back at Kat, Cherry and Soda finally left the house, and Marcia stood in the kitchen watching them drive off.

“Well,” Marcia said, turning to Two-Bit with a mischievous smile, “looks like it’s just us and the baby now.”

Two-Bit stretched lazily on the couch before standing up and walking over to the crib where Kat lay, still quiet and content. “She’s not even making a peep. I told you, this is gonna be easy.”

Marcia raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Famous last words, Matthews.”

Kat stirred slightly, making a small cooing sound. Two-Bit reached into the crib and gently scooped her up, holding her awkwardly but carefully. “See? She likes me. I’ve got the magic touch.”

Marcia crossed her arms, laughing softly. “Don’t get too cocky. Babies can turn on you in a second.”

Two-Bit smirked. “Nah, not this one. Little Kit-Kat is too sweet for that.”

As if on cue, Kat’s little face scrunched up, and she let out a loud wail, her tiny fists flailing in the air.

Two-Bit’s eyes widened in panic, and he looked at Marcia like he’d just been handed a ticking time bomb. Moving the baby out to an arms distance. He stammered—“Uh... okay, what do we do?”

Marcia stifled a laugh and stepped forward, taking Kat from Two-Bit’s arms. “Let’s see if she needs to be changed first. Diapers are usually the culprit.”

Two-Bit looked visibly relieved as Marcia took control of the situation. She laid Kat down on the changing mat and expertly went through the motions of changing the diaper while Two-Bit stood off to the side, looking slightly out of his depth.

“How do you know how to do all this?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Marcia shrugged. “I’ve babysat before, remember? Besides, it’s not that hard once you get the hang of it.”

Two-Bit crossed his arms, watching with a mixture of awe and confusion as Marcia quickly changed Kat into a fresh diaper. “Yeah, well, good thing you’re here. I’d probably be trying to change her with duct tape or something.”

Marcia laughed, picking Kat up again and cradling her in her arms. “Let’s just say it takes a little more finesse than that.”

Kat had quieted down now, her wide eyes blinking up at Marcia as she yawned. Two-Bit peered over her shoulder, making funny faces at the baby.

“You think she remembers me from all those times I made her laugh?” he asked, his voice playful.

Marcia rolled her eyes. “You’ve known her for like a month, Two.”

“Hey, that’s a lot of time in baby years!” He leaned in closer, sticking his tongue out at the little girl. She stared at him with a look of confusion before finally giving a tiny smile, and Two-Bit grinned like he’d just won a medal. “See? Told you she likes me.”

Marcia shook her head but smiled. “Okay, Mr. Baby Whisperer, let’s see how long that lasts.”

They spent the next hour trading off responsibilities. Marcia took care of most of the practical things—feeding Kat her bottle, making sure she was comfortable in her crib—while Two-Bit kept her entertained with goofy faces, noises, and random jokes. It wasn’t long before the baby started to grow tired, her eyes fluttering as she fought off sleep.

“Looks like she’s getting sleepy,” Marcia said softly, sitting on the couch with Kat resting in her arms.

Two-Bit sat down next to her, looking at the baby with a strange mix of amusement and awe. “Man, it’s weird seeing Soda with a kid. Like, we were just dumb teenagers not that long ago, and now he’s got this whole... family thing.”

Marcia nodded, her voice softer now. “Yeah, it’s kind of crazy. But I think it suits him. He’s good with her.”

Two-Bit smiled, thinking about how much Soda had changed since becoming a dad. “Yeah, he’s a good guy. Always has been. I guess that’s why he makes it look easy.”

Kat stirred slightly in Marcia’s arms, but she didn’t cry. Instead, she just nestled closer, her tiny hands gripping onto Marcia’s blouse.

“You’re not so bad at this yourself,” Marcia said, glancing over at Two-Bit. “For someone who’s never babysat before, I mean.”

Two-Bit gave her a cheeky grin. “Hey, what can I say? I’m a quick learner. Besides, Kit-Kat’s not so tough. I could handle another hour, no problem.”

As the evening wore on, the house grew quiet. Kat finally drifted off to sleep in her crib, and Marcia and Two-Bit sat together on the couch, talking in low voices so as not to disturb her.

When Cherry and Sodapop finally returned, looking refreshed and happy from their night out, they were met with the sight of a peacefully sleeping baby girl and two very proud babysitters.

“How’d it go?” Cherry asked, her eyes full of gratitude.

Marcia smiled, standing up from the couch. “It went great. She’s a little angel.”

Two-Bit gave a dramatic sigh, leaning back. “Told ya I had it under control.”

Soda clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. We owe you one.”

“Just don’t make me change any diapers next time,” Two-Bit joked, his grin wide. “That’s Marcia’s department.”

Cherry laughed, her eyes softening as she looked at her sleeping daughter. “We’re so lucky to have you both. Really, thank you.”

As Soda and Cherry tucked Kat into bed and the house returned to its usual quiet, Two-Bit and Marcia exchanged a knowing glance.

“Guess we didn’t do so bad after all,” Two-Bit said with a wink.

Marcia smiled, nudging him playfully. “Not bad, greaser.”

With the night winding down, and Kat sound asleep, it was clear that babysitting wasn’t quite the disaster Two-Bit had expected. In fact, he might even say he had fun.

[beaker1636]

Unexpected Visitor - Noah Sebastian

Request: Since you're starting to dab into BO could you try to write something with Noah? He's on tour, they miss each other like crazy so when they get a couple days break, he shows up at their place with a bouquet and some pizza. You can end it however you want and whatever genre. You have compete freedom, you can even change what I said to something you're more comfortable with.

AN: So I feel like this is alright, could be a bit better but I have rewritten it multiple times, I think once I have a flow for BO and know more about Noah's personality that it will be better! I intend for the smut request to knock yall out of the water. So here is a fluffy Noah piece for my debut into the bad omens fanfic world on Tumblr. Hope you enjoyed it!

“Noah, what are you doing here?” you exclaim the second you open your front door and see him standing in front of you. 

“Well, it was my understanding that my beautiful girlfriend has been missing me and we had an off day so I flew in so we could do a date night tonight, and then I leave tomorrow again for tour again,” he explains softly. “Now, are you going to let me in so that I can set the flowers down and give you a proper hug?”

You giggle before stepping aside so that he could walk into your apartment and set the flowers down that he got you on your coffee table.  Once he does, he turns towards you and opens his arms, silently begging you for a hug.  You step towards him, letting him wrap his arms around you tightly, you hold him just as tight as the two of you share your first embrace in a month. 

“Noah, you didn’t have to spend your off day flying to me just to have to fly back tomorrow.  You should have used it to rest so that you aren’t too tired at the next show,” you say, moving so you can look up at him. 

“I didn’t need to but I wanted to.  I’ve been missing you as much as you have been missing me princess, and this is our only chance to get time together before the tour ends in another month,” he answers, smiling down at you. “I know it isn’t much time but it is all we have, so I wanted to take it.  You are worth being exhausted for.”

“Oh Noah, you are so sweet.  Thank you.  Instead of a date though, can we stay in, focus on eachother?” you ask him. “I want to just cuddle up with you and enjoy what little time we have with one another instead of being around others, risking someone interrupting our time.”

“We can do that, want to order dinner in and have a quiet night then? Whatever you want is what we will do so long as I get to spend it with you,” he says, slowly rocking where you two stand with each other in each other's arms. 

“Thank you Noah, and thank you for still making time for me despite being so busy with tour and everything.  I really have missed you a lot,” you admit before moving to wrap your arms around his neck.  Urging him to lower his head so that you could give him a kiss.  When his lips brush yours time seems to stand still, the two of you sighing into the kiss as it is the first one you have shared in almost a month.

When you finally pull away he rests his forehead against yours for a moment, still lingering in the closeness that the two of you have before he slowly separates from you. 

“What are you hungry for? Do you care or do you just want to order a pizza?” He asks you, moving to pull you onto the couch next to him.

“Pizza is fine, whatever you want is fine,” you hum, sitting sideways in his lap so that you can rest your head against his shoulder.  Him playing with your hair as he pulls out his phone to make the order for the two of you.

“It is ordered, now tell me about how things are going here for you? What have I missed?” He asks you.

One arm is holding you in his lap as he continues to play with your hair as you talk, nothing important but catching him up on things that you haven’t been able to tell him while he has been away.  You listen to his stories of meeting fans and what the boys have been doing while they have been away.  The two of you are content just getting to talk to one another and be close after being separated for so long.  

You let out a soft sigh when the doorbell rings, letting you know your food is here.  You are hungry but you are so comfortable and happy where you are that getting off his lap to go get dinner is slightly disappointing.  But you want to be the one to answer because you don’t want to risk it being someone who knows him, take even a few seconds away from what little time the two of you have.

You make sure to thank the delivery guy before you close the door, bringing the pizza back into the living room so both of you can eat.  Which you do, still talking and laughing with each other as you finish dinner, enjoying your company.  At this point he is doing most of the talking but that is perfectly alright for you, just wanting to hear his voice in person and enjoy being around him.  You missed this so much and you didn’t even realize how much until you are having it again, and that is when it hits you that he is leaving again in the morning.

You wind up lost in your thoughts of him leaving again, distracted with all the negatives that are running through your head and no longer present in the moment.

“Where did you go y/n, I lost you,” he says playfully, moving to rest his hand on your thigh, pulling your mind back towards him.

“Sorry, it just hit me that it is starting to get late and that you are leaving me again in the morning.  I’m sorry that I zoned out, I just, when it hit me I just…yeah,” you say, embarrassed to be admitting that your thoughts have all turned negative.  

“I know, I wish I had more time with you too.  But at least we have tonight right?” He asks you sadly, squeezing your thigh where his hand rests to try and bring up your mood.

“Yeah, that is more than I thought I would have with you this tour.  I just miss you so much Noah. And, and when you are gone I can’t help the thoughts that show up, wondering what you are doing, who you are meeting.  Sometimes I see the meet and greet pictures that are posted and see you with such beautiful women that it then makes me just, feel like I am not enough for you.  Like maybe you deserve someone who is willing to give up their job to tour with you and be there for you, that you might want someone who fits your look and personality more than I do.  I know it is just me being insecure and I trust you but it… it is hard,” you admit softly, looking down at where his hand is, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I have doubts sometimes too you know.  That you will decide you want someone who you can come home to every night, that will always be here when you have a bad day and need them.  I hate that everything gets put on hold when I leave, making it feel like we aren’t actually in a relationship sometimes.  It isn’t always easy for me either y/n.” He responds, a hand reaching for your chin to make you look up and meet his eyes. “But I know that you are here waiting for me, and that is what matters.  We both knew this would be hard, the first tour I have had since we have gotten together but it also has given us time to think about if we really want this.  And I don’t know about you but being away from you has made me realize that I love you.”

Both of you freeze at his words, he didn’t intend to say this to you like this.  And you didn’t expect him to tell you for the first time that he loved you tonight.  You honestly didn’t expect him to say it at all, figuring that he would realize while on tour that he didn’t want this. You mind is running so hard, you are lost in your thoughts until he speaks again and inturrupts your train of thought.

“You don’t have to say it back you know, it just came out.  I planned for us to have a nice date and then tell you later, but it’s true.  I love you and am not afraid to say it,” he says gently, getting slightly nervous that you aren’t responding.

“Sorry Noah, you just caught me off guard.  I, I love you too,” you respond, so quietly he barely heard the words leave your mouth. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t expect you to say that so it caught me off guard.” You respond, meeting his eyes.

Both of you with a shy smile on your face as you realize your feelings for eachother.  

He pulls you into another kiss, this time holding all of the emotions that neither of you are trying to hide anymore within it.  His lips gentle as they move against your own, both of you lost in the moment until he pulls away, both of you breathing heavily.

Noah suppresses a yawn as you both sit on the couch together, the exhaustion of traveling and touring catching up with him finally.  

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.  I don’t need to exhaust you more than you already are before your show tomorrow night,” you say softly, standing up and reaching a hand out for his.  

“This isn’t how I intended to wind up in your bed tonight you know,” he teases as you both walk down your hallway towards your room, hand in hand.

“Well, we still have time tomorrow morning for that before you leave.  So rest up, we have a busy morning before your flight ahead of us,” you tease him back. 

You watch as he loses his shirt before changing out of his jeans before laying down in your bed waiting for you, while you do the same.  After you do, you lay down next to him and turn the lamp off. He sighs slightly and moves towards you, resting his head against your chest as you begin to play with his hair.  Something that you have learned he loves you to do when you two go to sleep, and you are happy to do it for him until you both drift off for the night.  Happy with how the night went but also disappointed that he will be leaving you again soon, but at least you got some time with him, even if it wasn’t as much as you hoped for.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

a silly little request, feel free to ignore! ❤️‍🩹

a scenario is like, (human)chubby!y/n and a character are in some kind of a situationship or similar relationship (not in a one actual romantic relationship still) and they both went out shopping because character needs a new outfit for a celebration, as he tried on a shirt y/n came up to them, almost entering his changing cabin and says to him as she fixes his collar “you got nobody to do this for you big guy?” as she bats them with innocent eyes and expression, as she now is almost completely leaning against them. Characters could be Hades, Rudra and Raiden? feel free to add whatever you want or remove, delete if uncomfortable!

-You had invited (Love) out to go clothes shopping with you, after you had both been invited to a party, one that required a specific dress code.

-The two of you weren’t a couple, but you were… something… yeah- that was a good word, something. You were both very close, being good friends, but you weren’t a couple, despite other people thinking that you were.

-You agreed to go to this party together, as both of you needed a date, but first things first- clothes shopping!

-You found your outfit pretty easily, trying it on while (Love) was across the shop in the men’s section, and once you paid for your outfit, you wandered over, “(Love)?”

-He popped his head out of his changing room, before opening the door, showing you the nice dress shirt he had picked, “You finished already Y/N?”

-You nodded, giving him a grin, holding your bag up, “Yup! It’s super cute!” he grinned as you set your bag down before you walked over.

-His eyes went wide as you reached up, standing close to him, your hands reaching for his collar, fixing it as it had bunched up.

-You gave him a warm grin, “I’ll fix it since you don’t have anyone else to do this for you, big guy.” His eyes went wide, seeing you so close, feeling you press slightly against him.

-Hades- His eyes were wide, seeing you so close, feeling your hands brushing against his neck as you straightened his collar. He swallowed hard, something you saw and your cheeks instantly flushed, seeing how close you were and you immediately took a step back, “Sorry about that!” you turned, looking embarrassed and Hades felt his own face warming. Once he came back out, ready to make his purchase, you went to rush out, “I’ll wait for you outside!” his hand shot out and caught your own, halting you and you turned, looking at his hand holding yours before looking up at him, “Stay with me Y/N- please.” The staff nearby were gushing on the inside, seeing how cute the two of you were as you gripped his hand lightly and he smiled down at you.

-Rudra- Two sets of his hands went to your waist, encircling it before his third hand went to your cheek while the fourth was holding onto the door frame and he bent, making you immediately freeze- your face going bright red before he kissed you softly. He pulled back, shocked with that he had done, he didn’t realize what he had been doing and he quickly pulled back, “Forgive me- I’m not sure what came over me!” you pouted lightly, twirling a piece of your hair around your finger, looking away from him, “There’s nothing to forgive- I’ve been trying to muster the courage up myself.” Rudra was stunned, hearing this before he beamed, immediately embracing you again, “Then don’t mind me~” before he kissed you again, make you smile into the kiss.

-Raiden- He had to fight against himself so hard not to pull you into the changing room with him, not wanting to put you in a situation that you might not appreciate, but it was so hard when you were pressing up against him and being so close. Raiden’s hand came up to your face, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear, surprising you before he bent and kissed you softly. It was like time stood still, your eyes going wide before he pulled back, giving you a small smile, “I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do th-” you cut him off, pulling him down and kissing him back before you pulled back, “Took you long enough!” his laughter echoed through the shop, elated that you felt the same way.

[eijirousbestie]

“This supposed to be art?”

headcannon where Bakugou is friends with an art major

he doesn’t know shit abt art

kinda motivational in a weird way

kaws rug DUPE

* * *

Your knees ache from kneeling on the ground for so long. Black sweatpants now littered with blue and green splotches as you add the finishing touches on your art project. The tarp you laid out on the floor of your dorm sticks to the palm of your hand as you steady yourself on the ground to lean forward and paint this giant replica of your head. Your art teacher thought it would be a great idea to make your class recreate their heads into a 3D model using cardboard and glue guns. It’s supposed to be an abstract piece and thank god for that allowance because what you’ve done so far has made the face look unidentifiable. Bullshitting and calling it an abstract creation on critique day is gonna save your ass. And your grade. Dipping your brush into the turquoise paint you were using for 1/4th of the head, your hand slips a bit as a knock on your door breaks through your concentration.

You grumble a gruff “Come in,” voice slightly gravely from not having talked in a couple hours due to your hyper focus. Facing away, you hear your dorm room door click open, the hinges squeaking a bit. Standing with his hand encircling the door knob is Bakugou, broad build taking up majority of the doorway.

“Called your name like fifteen times and you still didn’t respond. Had to make sure you weren’t up here plotting my demise or some shit.” You give an absent minded hum as a reply, all too focused on applying never ending layers of blue paint on cardboard that continues to suck it up like there’s no tomorrow. Thirsty bitch.

Bakugou watches your uninterested form from where he stands and his face slightly twists in confusion as he tries to discreetly peek over your shoulder at what you’re doing. However all he can see is what appears to be a blue mess. The smell of acrylic paint only now registering in his mind and nose. Deciding to be curious, he takes a step forward towards your bent over form, letting the door close behind him. The plastic tarp you laid out crinkles under his socks, earning a grunt of disapproval from you. “Watch your step. If you track paint on my rug man I swear to god-”

“Nobody’s gonna get shit on your fake ass KAWS rug. Calm the fuck down. Just tryna see what’s got you so holed up in here.” He’s directly behind you now, leaning over your shoulder at a better angle to see what you’re working on.

“Art project. It’s due Tuesday so I’m trying to get as much done so I can chill this weekend,” you say, not once looking away from your creation.

“Well what the hell is it supposed to be?” His brows are furrowed together as he tries to make out whatever the hell it is you’re making.

“My head.”

“Your what.”

“My head. It’s supposed to be my head.”

It’s silent for a moment, until it’s not.

“This the most trifling shit I’ve seen in a minute.” You let out a loud and exasperated sigh, looking at him over your shoulder.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you if you don’t got shit nice to say, keep your mouth shut?” He’s usually always a dick but today was just not the day to test you. The project is frustrating enough as it is.

He shrugs before speaking. “She taught me not to lie.” He chuckles lightly before squatting near the head, almost level to your seat on the ground. “That was a joke if you couldn’t tell.” You cave a little as you both stare at your nearly finished project.

“Well since you love honesty, tell me straight up if this is ass or not.”

“I don’t know shit about this so my opinion wouldn’t really matter much. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“But does it even look like art? Like something you’d see in a museum?”

He looks at you with a raised eyebrow. “This supposed to be art?”

“Dawg I literally told you it was an art project for my art class.” Your eyes follow his fleeting form as he stands up and heads for the door.

“Well art or not, just keep going til you get it done. Then you won’t have to look at it anymore if you’re not satisfied with it. Problem solved.”

Your eyes retreat back to the blue mess and you nod. “Makes sense I guess.”

“Majority of the things I say usually do. Oh and the next time I have to call you fifteen times I’m blowing your door down and throwing out your fake ass rug.” And with that, he leaves.

You can’t help but shake your head and let out a soft chuckle before resuming your task. Just get it done.

[catastrophicclouds]

Have some Kurogiri in these trying times. These last few volumes of MHA have been hitting hard, so I had to draw one of my favourite comfort characters. I also have a prediction for Kurogiri’s fate, but I’ll put that below the cut (major spoiler warning).

I was experimenting with different brushes and line weights, and I’m really happy with how they turned out. I can see myself doing more of these greyscale drawings in the future, so I’ll just have to see what inspires me next.

Most people I’ve seen so far are sure that Kurogiri/ Shirakumo died after getting blasted by Bakugo. But honestly, I’m not so sure of that. What Bakugo blasted was a separate portal and not Kurogiri, himself, so Kurogiri should still be safe where he was standing in the distance. And I know with how rushed the Rooftop Gang’s story has been in the last arc of MHA, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll get a complete, fleshed out ending. However, even though there isn’t a lot of time before the story ends, I get the feeling that they’ll have more of a resolution than we initially thought.

There have been a few interesting points about Kurogiri in the last couple of volumes that I wanted to point out. First, we saw him practically melting in front of Mic and Aizawa ever since he joined them on the battlefield. This points to his body being very unstable in a way we hadn’t seen before. When Mic and Aizawa got through to Shirakumo, the shape of his mist would change, and eventually, part of it turned white when Shirakumo had fully woken up. But this being such a different reaction points to Kurogiri’s melting as having a different cause. I speculate that it’s because of his nomu body acting up rather than him waking up and having an identity crisis. Recently, he’s been constantly sedated in both a high end prison and a hospital so that he wouldn’t use his quirk to escape. He was tested on and examined a lot for the sake of research and finding out his true identity. Then, when he escaped the hospital, he teleported up to Mic and Aizawa, all while his body was freaking out, to teleport them away. After a behind the scenes reconciliation (?) with his best friends, he proceeded to open up a million different portals so more heroes could make it to the battlefield, eventually joining them there. That’s a lot of stress for his body to be under, to say the least, so it’s no wonder he’s having a hard time keeping himself together at this point. And now, with the extra weight of his two lives clashing together, Kurogiri has the added emotional stress on top of it. My man’s been through it all.

The next point I wanted to mention was how we saw his portal starting to deteriorate when he reached out to save Shigaraki. It looked like literal pieces of it were breaking off in shards while others were dissolving in the air, more like ashes from a bonfire than mist. So not only is his physical body suffering, but so is his nomu-engineered quirk. This is where the point of these details all comes together.

For one, nobody in the manga has mentioned either of these things out loud. I know a lot of creators like to leave smaller details for their audiences to pick up and piece together themselves, but for these details to be so incredibly obvious to the viewer, I’m certain that they’ll come up again later. And for them to come up, the story will also have to focus back on the Rooftop Gang. Not only that, but I doubt they would leave Mic and Aizawa (Aizawa especially), two fan favourites, just hanging like that at the very end of the series. What happened to Kurogiri will have to be brought up eventually. There may not have been as much attention on him in the final arc as there should have, but giving him and the gang some sort of conclusion would only make sense at this point and is practically inevitable.

And then to my last point, which is just my own speculation based on what we’ve already seen and my own thoughts over everything. I don’t think Kurogiri has a very hopeful ending for him. Midnight’s dead, most of the league is dead, Shigaraki who was almost like his own son is dead, a large part of the city is destroyed, last I checked, all of U.A. or at least a decent bit of it was destroyed, his own body is failing, and his two lives are merging together in a way that would make continuing to live very complicated for him. That is to say if he lived at all. With how totalled his body seems at the moment, a part of me doubts that he’ll be able to come back from that, not to mention his death being an easy way to a smoother plot. And even if he did, he’d have to finish school (which isn’t as much of a problem), decide whether he still wants to be a hero, figure out with Mic and Aizawa where they want to go from there (if they’ll still be as close of friends or friends at all), and live in a society that knows he was a villain at some point and would likely still treat him badly because of it. I doubt that just because the show is ending, everyone will get their own “happily ever after”, so it’s still possible that we’ll get a few more tragedies before it’s officially over. A part of me believes there’s a chance that Kurogiri will be able to live, figure out who he is now as a person, become a hero, and start that hero agency with Mic and Aizawa like they’d wanted. But as of right now, when volume 424 just came out, it’s looking like he might die in the end. If that’s the case, I’m sure he’ll be able to talk with Mic and Aizawa and get some closure before it happens, probably the good kind.

But whatever happens, I hope he’ll be happy in the end. I’d love to see what he would do with his friends if he got to live, maybe come to work at U.A. or they’d all leave for the agency (which I doubt since Mic and Aizawa really care about U.A. and its students). I’m also interested in what he would do with the surviving league members when everything cleared up. As a Kuropress/ Black Magic enjoyer, I hope we’ll see Kurogiri and Mr. Compress interacting a little bit, even if it’s not relationship related.

Well, that turned out to be more of an essay than I thought it would. As I said, most of this is speculation based on what I know about storytelling and what’s happened in the story so far. I can’t say for certain any of this will happen or even be relevant in the final volumes, but as far as I know, there’s a good chance some of these points will be touched on or even happen in the story. Here’s to hoping.

[lumiolivier]

So is the Life of a Pirate (5/?)

Series: One Piece

Chapter: 5/?

Word Count: 3512

Rating: T

Pairing(s): Sanji x OC (Reader)

A dalliance six years ago has a funny way of catching up to Sanji when the Straw Hats stop to restock the ship.

a/n: Hi! Welcome back. You want to take a little detour? A little side something, something? Here.

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And the rush continued.  Table after table ordered their meals and the orders started to stack up.  Both Nora and Cordelia got nervous.  And yet, Sanji kept at it, perfectly content in his happy place.  Despite the odds of Sanji not working himself into the ground, the little bell at the window went ding.

“Order!”

“No way,” Cordelia gasped, watching as order after order started funneling through the window.  Including, but not limited to, Luffy’s request of one of everything.  And Cordelia simply smiled.  I really should know better, shouldn’t I?  I know Zeff ran the Baratie, but I think you were running it under the table, “Sanji?”

“Yes, darling?” Sanji poked his head out of the window, “Is something missing?  Pretty sure I sent everything.”

“You did,” Cordelia assured him, “But…You’re incredible.”

“It’s amazing what happens when you try your best,” Sanji kissed her cheek, “Go on.  Get me something else to do.”

For the rest of the morning rush, Cordelia ran back and forth between the kitchen and the front, taking care of many a hungover customer from the night before or anyone just passing through or regulars, locals from around Beniville Bay.  And with rave reviews from anyone who ate there.  Buzz about the new chef at the tavern spread like wildfire and of course, it only meant more work for all involved.  Just another regular day at the tavern.  Once everyone had cleared out from breakfast, Cordelia sat down at the bar.

“You’re still on the clock, hon,” Nora reminded her, “I’m not serving you.  Not yet anyway.”

“And my son is still sitting by the window,” Cordelia retaliated, beyond exhausted, “I’m not ordering a drink.  Might think about ordering a snack, though.”

“Did I say you wanted a snack?” Sanji popped out of the kitchen and leaned over the bar.  He looked Cordelia over.  Tired, ragged Cordelia, “Look at that.  I seemed to have found one.”

“Flirt with her on your own time,” Nora chided him.

“After I give you mine?” Sanji poked at her a little more, “Fine.  Sorry, Nora.  Your waitress is cute.  I can’t help myself.”

“You sound like half the men who come in here when I’m working on a Saturday night,” Cordelia giggled to herself, “Only you’re not smacking my ass on the way through.”

“Only if you asked me nicely.”

“It’s good to know the spark is still alive,” Nora teased them, “But in all seriousness, thank you, Sanji.  I greatly appreciate it.”

“Not a problem,” Sanji brushed her off, “We were taking a couple days off anyway.  I needed something to fill my time.  And it’s been a while since I’ve been able to cook for a crowd like that.”

“When was the last time?” Nora wondered.

“When I still worked at the Baratie,” Sanji thought back, “When Zeff would work my ass to the bone and barely give me a thank you.”

“When who?” Nora gasped, “You’re not talking about…Red Foot Zeff, are you?”

“The one and only,” Sanji nodded, “He was practically the dad I never had.  Why?  You know him?”

Nora hid her face, “I need to go get something out of the freezer.  I’ll be right back.”

And she disappeared without a trace.  And it had Cordelia scratching her head, “That’s weird.”

“Super weird,” Sanji agreed, “What do you think that was all about?”

“Not sure,” Cordelia shrugged, “I’ve never heard her talk about Zeff before.  Maybe we should ask him when we get to the Baratie.”

“Or,” Sanji suggested, “Maybe we let sleeping dogs lie on this one.”

“Or…” Cordelia smirked, “I get either Zeff or Nora the right amount of drunk and see if I can pry it out of them.”

“Cordelia, no,” Sanji shot her down, “Don’t do that.  That’s their business.”

“Alright, alright.” I will find out before I leave today.  Cordelia got up from her spot at the bar and pulled up a chair next to the table full of miscreant pirates.  And her baby, “If there was any problem with your meal today, you can direct all complaints to our new chef.  That I kind of stole from you guys.”

“I thought that was Sanji’s cooking,” Luffy sat back, pleasantly stuffed, “It tasted just like it.”

“You can tell who made your food just by the taste?” Usopp looked at him strangely, not entirely believing him.

“Yep!  And that was definitely something that could’ve come out of our kitchen.”

“But it didn’t,” Cordelia flattened out on the table, “It came out of ours instead.  I’m so glad I didn’t have to cook today.”

“Do you cook here, too?” Usopp asked.

“Mmhm,” Cordelia nodded, “Depends on what it is.  But for a lot of things, I’m the one cooking.  But if I don’t have to tonight, I’ll be quite happy.”

“It’s a good thing I rolled into the village when I did then, isn’t it?” Sanji rested his head on her shoulder.

“Seriously?” Cordelia gasped, “Sanji, no.  After everything you did this morning and even before you got here, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“I’ll have to when I get back to the ship anyway,” Sanji shrugged, “Why not?  Besides, you made dinner for all of us last night.  It’s the least I can do.”

Cordelia held her face in her hands, beyond argument and reasoning, “Alright.  If you say so.”

“Wonderful,” Sanji pulled up a chair, “You know, it’s the strangest thing.  I would’ve thought Zoro would’ve been here by now.  He did say he was just napping his hangover off.”

“And Zoro’s lucky to find the bright side,” Nami pointed out, “We’re in a village we haven’t been to in years.  What makes you think he’d be able to find us now?”

Ding!

“Kitchen’s closed!” Cordelia called out.

“So were my eyes until about half an hour ago,” Zoro came stumbling in and pulled up a chair, “Are you sure I can’t get anything?”

“I’m sure if we get Nora out of the freezer,” Cordelia figured, “She might think about making something for you.”

“Isn’t she a sweetheart?” Zoro rubbed his eyes, “And how much longer are we on shore leave, Captain?”

“That’s a question for Cordelia,” Luffy told him, “When are we leaving, Cordelia?”

“Tomorrow morning, if I can swing it,” Cordelia hoped, “But someone needs to come out of the freezer first.”

“Should someone go check on Nora?” Sanji worried.

“Don’t everyone get up at once,” Cordelia got up and started heading back toward the kitchen, “Sanji, can you take care of the bar please?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you!” Cordelia headed back into the kitchen and rounded the corner. The door to the walk-in freezer had the padlock in front of it.  Cordelia rolled her eyes, knowing exactly who that was for, and knocked on the door, “Uh…Nora?”

“Hi, Cordelia,” Nora had pulled herself together just enough to function again, “I’m sorry.  I had a little flashback to the early days.  Don’t worry about me.  I’m fine.”

“Alright,” Cordelia couldn’t let it go.  She knew she told Sanji she would, but she couldn’t do it, “What the hell happened with you and Zeff?”

“I know Zeff,” Nora shrugged her off, “We met a long time ago.  And we had a night or two together.  It was a lot like you and Sanji, actually.  Only difference is he pulled out.”

“Nora!” Cordelia cringed, “I have to go see this man with my baby and that baby’s father!  That happens to be Zeff’s pseudo son!  I don’t need that mental image in my head.”

“It’s true,” Nora giggled under her breath, “Honestly, Cordelia, I didn’t take you for such a prude.”

“I’m not a prude,” Cordelia scoffed, “But I do have my limits.  And Zeff is a hard line in the sand for me.”

“Alright, alright,” Nora backed off, “You asked, honey.  I just answered.  You didn’t have to push.”

“And now, I’m kind of regretting it, yeah.”

“But regardless,” Nora went on, “It didn’t go anywhere.  I was hoping he would stay, but he said he had to move on.  And I see he did.  I’m glad he’s doing well.  Truly, I am.  And I’m glad you have him in your life in some capacity, Cordelia.  You’re lucky to have Zeff.  Hell, you’re lucky to have Sanji, too.  And damn lucky he came back.”

“He didn’t exactly come back for me, Nora,” Cordelia clarified, “He came back because Nami steered the ship this way.  He came back because they needed to restock the ship.”

“Or,” Nora added, “We can close our eyes and pretend Sanji came back for you.”

“I think fate has a funny way of making this play out,” Cordelia cracked a smile, “But it’s nice that it threw a win my way.”

“I’m glad it threw a win your way,” Nora rested her head on Cordelia’s shoulder, “You needed a win like this.”

“And to add to that win,” Cordelia went in for the kill, “I would love to get my time off.  I’m sure the trainee will do just fine.”

“I’m hoping so,” Nora sighed out, “Because granted, no one’s going to compare to you, but you have one tradition, Cordelia.  And you finally get to have the whole family in on it.”

“I do,” Cordelia felt her breathing hitch.  I do, don’t I? 

“You’re good,” Nora assured her, “You’re cleared for the next month.  When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Stop by here before you leave,” Nora demanded, “I’ll have something for you.”

“Thank you,” Cordelia awed, “But you don’t have to give me anything.  I’m sure the ship is already restocked.  And not for nothing and I love him to death, but Sanji’s kind of a picky bitch about what goes on the ship, supply wise.”

“I never said this was going to be for Sanji,” Nora shoved her finger in Cordelia’s shoulder, “This is for you.  And maybe a little something, something for the little one.”

“I’m going to be gone for a month, Nora,” Cordelia reminded her, the two walking out of the freezer together, “It’s not like I’m going away forever.”

“You say that now,” Nora scoffed, “A lot can happen in a month.  Next thing you know, you’ll come back and say, ‘I got married, Nora!  I’m only back around Beniville Bay to say my goodbyes!’.  And then, I’ll have to sit here and be sad.”

“I don’t think that’s in the cards any time soon,” Cordelia promised, “Don’t worry, Nora.  I will be back.  That is a God’s honest promise.  Besides, we’re too wired in here.  I can’t uproot Ash like that.”

“Again, you say that now,” Nora smiled, grabbing the kitchen door, “But love can make you do some crazy things.”

“I know it can,” Cordelia agreed, “But some of us have a decent head on our shoulders and don’t have to think with our libido.”

“If you say so…”

“Is everything alright, Nora?” Sanji finished wiping off the last table.

“Everything’s fine, sweetie,” Nora took a quick look around the sparkling clean tavern, “What did you do?”

“I didn’t know how long you were going to be in the freezer,” Sanji shrugged, “And I know you’re going to open back up around four, so…”

“Sanji,” Nora hugged him tight, “Thank you so much.  This place isn’t even this clean on health inspection day.”

“And I don’t think I’m hungry anymore,” Zoro cringed, his head on the table.

“I’m surprised you have any appetite,” Nora gave Zoro a little swat to the shoulder, “Especially since you damn near drank me dry last night!  No.  That’s on me.  I should know better when you all come around.  I should’ve known the second I knew pirates had docked in the harbor.  I wouldn’t have much left.  And then…Imagine my surprise to realize notorious bounty hunter and even more notorious lush Roranoa Zoro comes rolling through.  And all of a sudden, I have no more sake.  I’m lucky to have any whiskey left.  And I’m two beer kegs short.”

“What’s a lush, Mama?” Ash wondered.

“Zoro in a nutshell,” Nami giggled.

“Love you, too, Nami,” Zoro flipped her off.

“Someone who likes to drink a little too much,” Cordelia put a hand on Zoro’s shoulder, “Still not feeling too hot, huh, Zoro?”

“No.”

“I got him covered, Nora,” Cordelia told her, “If it’s alright with you.”

“Fine by me,” Nora allowed, “But nothing too big.”

“I got it,” Cordelia nodded, “You want anything specific, Zoro?”

“Anything to kill my headache?” Zoro asked.

“Eating will help,” she promised, “Hey, pretty boy.  Come with me.”

“Me?” Sanji perked up.

“No,” Cordelia rolled her eyes, “The other pretty boy.”

“Alright,” Sanji followed her back to the kitchen, “No need to get snappy at me.”

“Well,” Cordelia made sure the doors were shut before she jumped up and wrapped her legs around Sanji’s waist, “I wanted us to have a little time alone with the good news before I start making Zoro breakfast.”

“The good news?” Sanji wondered.  Only for his stomach to flip in the next second, “Cordelia, I hardly touched you last night.  You can’t tell me you’re pregnant again.”

“No,” Cordelia assured him, “I am not pregnant.  I got my sabbatical.  We can leave tomorrow morning.”

“Cordelia!” Sanji hugged her tight, “That’s wonderful!”

“I thought so, too,” she cuddled into Sanji’s neck, “I can’t wait for us to get to the Baratie.”

“That’s…what…” Sanji thought for a moment or two, “At least a week’s worth of sailing?”

“Roughly, depending on what kind of wind we’re working with,” Cordelia nodded, “But…I need to tell you something.”

“What?” Sanji set her down on the counter, “What is it?”

“I know what happened with Nora and Zeff.”

“Cordelia!” Sanji squeaked, “I told you to leave it alone!”

“I know,” Cordelia winced, “But I couldn’t help it.”

“I’m not angry with you,” he sighed out, “But I am a little disappointed.”

“So,” Cordelia started digging pans out, “Does this mean you want me to share?”

Sanji cracked a little smile, his teeth sinking into his tongue, “Is it bad I want to say yes?”

“See?” Cordelia squealed, “I’m not the only one.  I just had the balls to ask her.”

“That’s because you know Nora better than I do,” Sanji pulled up a stool, “That wasn’t for me to ask her.”

“You could’ve, too,” Cordelia took a mixing bowl and cracked a couple eggs in it, violently beating them into a singular, yellow glob, “So, do you want to know or not?”

“Yes, please.”

“Are you sure?” Cordelia grabbed the flour, “Because once you know, there is no going back.”

“Tell me!” Sanji begged, “Please?”

“Alright, alright,” Cordelia kept mixing, “I’ll tell you.  But like I said, once you know, you can’t unknow it.”

“Just tell me, Cordelia,” Sanji whined, “I can handle it.”

“Zeff and Nora boned.”

“Eww…” Sanji cringed, “I didn’t need to know that.”

“Apparently, you did,” Cordelia giggled, “You were the one that wanted to know so bad.  You begged me to tell you.  And I tried to warn you.  You don’t want to know, Sanji.  Keep your innocence.  Don’t know what I know.  It’s the worst.  It’s going to sear at your brain, but what did you do?”

“I know,” Sanji pulled up a metal stool, “And now, I live with all the regret.”

“But,” Cordelia went on, “That’s why Nora likes you so much.  Why she likes you coming around.”

“Because I remind her of her times doing unholy things with Zeff?” Sanji gagged a bit.

“No,” Cordelia started pouring batter on the flat top, “That’s not it at all.  It’s because seeing us together reminds us of the way she was with Zeff.  And I cannot wait to get to the Baratie and give Zeff so much shit about Nora.”

“You think they’d ever hook back up?” Sanji asked.

“Honestly?” Cordelia leaned against the counter, “No.  Nora’s days of her dalliances are over.  She just wants to stay around Beniville Bay.  I’ve asked her if she’s wanted to come to the Baratie with Ash and me before, but she always says no.  Now, I know why.  But like I said, I’m going to give Zeff so much shit about him and Nora.”

“Don’t,” Sanji settled her, his arms draped over her shoulders, “Just let them be.  Because there’s one big difference between you and me and Zeff and Nora.”

“What’s that, Sanji?” Cordelia started flipping Zoro’s pancakes.

“One of us came back,” Sanji kissed her cheek.

“And one of us got me pregnant,” Cordelia added, “Your ass better have come back.”

“I did!” Sanji squealed, “See?  Promise.”

“I noticed,” Cordelia poured on some more pancake batter and watched as the bubbles came up, “And now, where are we going?”

“The Baratie, last I checked.”

“And right now,” Cordelia finished off the pancake batter and plated them, “I’m going to go bring Zoro his pancakes.  Because I don’t want to have to clean up puke from the tavern floor.  Or worse, deal with someone who realizes our kitchen equipment is still on and tries to come in and order.  Zoro’s an exception.  He’s family.  And he knows the girl in the kitchen.”

“Hey!”

“I wasn’t talking about you.”

“Oh,” Sanji started to relax, “We’re not leaving for the Baratie until tomorrow morning, right?”

“Bright and early,” Cordelia nodded, grabbing a cup of coffee on the way through.

“Good luck getting half the crew up for that,” Sanji chuckled to himself, “Cordelia, you’re lucky to get Luffy to move in the morning.  The same goes for Usopp and Zoro.  They’re disasters.”

“I know,” Cordelia walked out to the dining room and put a fresh stack of pancakes in front of Zoro, “Here, sweetie.”

“This is why you’re my favorite, Cordelia,” Zoro swooned, “I really appreciate it.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Cordelia kissed his cheek.

“I need to get out of here,” Sanji leaned against the booth, “I could stand a smoke.  And I need to get to the marketplace.”

“For what?” Cordelia looked at him strangely.

“We’re a little short on supplies in our kitchen,” Sanji pointed out, “So, I’m going to do a little shopping, if that’s alright with you.  We have two guests aboard tonight.  Because they were so kind to host us last night.  And it’s our last night in Beniville Bay.  Why not cap it off with a nice meal?  If you’re not busy for the afternoon, I could stand a little company in the kitchen.”

“I’d be happy to,” Cordelia smiled, “Ash, you want to go hang out on the ship with us?”

“Yeah!” Ash’s eyes lit up.  The prospects of being on an actual pirate ship (aside from his mother’s) tickled him.

“Wait a sec, Ash,” Luffy pouted, “I thought you, me, and Usopp were playing today.”

“Well…” Ash looked over at Cordelia, torn between playing on the ship’s deck and playing with the actual pirates. 

“It’s alright, baby,” Cordelia allowed, “If you want to go play with Luffy and Usopp, it’s fine.  As long as they swear to me that they’ll bring you back just the way they got you.”

“They will, Mama!” Ash swore, “Honest!”

“I know they will,” Cordelia awed, shooting a sweet, but unsettling glare in their direction, “And they will like their lives depend on it.  Won’t you, boys?”

“I think they will, Cordelia,” Sanji agreed, “Because their lives do depend on it…And I am making dinner tonight, am I not?  I know a few different poisons that are completely tasteless, odorless, and potent.”

“We got him, Sanji,” Luffy promised, “Honest.  We’ll make sure nothing happens to him.”

“What would you be so concerned about Ash for?” Usopp wondered.

Both Sanji and Cordelia froze.  This wasn’t a conversation that was meant to be had lightly.  Certainly not because of an offhanded comment made by Usopp.  Fortunately for both of them, Ash wasn’t thinking much about it.  He was still too excited for the prospects of playing with pirates.  And even more so, they had Zoro.

“He’s his girlfriend’s kid,” Zoro finished off his pancakes, “Of course, he’s going to take her side.  Anything to get in her-”

“Zoro!” Cordelia snapped.

“Alright, alright,” Zoro kept his mouth shut, realizing his mistake.  Yeah,  the kid’s right here.  He doesn’t need to hear that.  Hopefully, that’s not a way he takes after his day, “Sorry.”

“Thank you,” Cordelia relaxed, wrapping herself around Sanji’s arm, “So, does that mean you’re going to show me the kitchen?”

“I’d be happy to,” Sanji smiled a bit, “But first, you, young lady, need to show me the marketplace.”

“With pleasure,” Cordelia let Ash jump into her arms.  Because his big hugs would never ever get old, “Be careful.  Behave yourself.  Don’t make things too hard on Luffy and Usopp.  Ok?”

“Ok, Mama,” Ash kissed her cheek, “Love you.”

“I love you, too, baby,” Cordelia put him back on the floor.  She shot a quick look to Nami and Zoro, who would definitely be the ones watching over Ash more than Luffy and Usopp.