#this is clearly his way of expressing himself

[blessedbycoyotes]

On a moonless night, a stargazer traveling far afield made his way into a section of woods that was uninhabited for reasons known to the locals but not known to him. A familiar thought came to his mind as he walked: Some truths can be found in separation from others. Such is my craft. It was both true and a rationalization of his loneliness, he knew, but as he grew older, he found it harder and harder to become un-separated from the others. He and they had become too different.

Quietly, the stargazer began his work. From the forest’s edge, peeking from side to side, he walked toward the dead center of a clearing. Kneeling, slowly and aware of every rustle of grass, he set down his pack. Pencils and paper and glassware were set and arranged by feel alone on a leather pad he rolled out beside him.

The stargazer sat ram-rod straight and allowed himself a moment to breathe. He picked up his sextant so slowly as to not make one sound. Just as his eyelash was about to graze the glass –

Fwhumpf.

The stargazer and his lungs froze. He had never encountered something truly terrible from a noise in the night, but he was for some reason or other not inclined to test that theory.

Fwhumpf.

The spell broke. He rose to his feet as fast as possible, dropping the sextant onto his pad, and whipped around, straining his eyes for any sign of any thing.

Fwhumpf.

“Hello,” rumbled the dragon, only shaped by its silhouette of the stars behind.

The stargazer, to his credit, did not panic, despite the tension in his head. “Hello,” he said.

“Are you an astronomer?” it asked. Only now did the stargazer realize that he could see its eyes, which barely reflected what little ambient light was there.

“In a sense,” the stargazer replied in a tone usually meant for well-meaning strangers he did not want to talk to. “I am not a professional, if that is what you mean.”

“No matter if you do it for coin, I think.”

The dragon’s voice was gentle, but not for a lack of ability; its voice was more felt than heard, and it was clearly struggling in trying to push just enough air to move its massive vocal cords but not enough to disturb what little peace remained in the clearing.

It spoke again. “Do you watch the stars or not?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Would you like to watch together? I came out here to do the very same thing.”

The stargazer did not parse those words for a full ten seconds, stunned as he was by such an unexpected question. His mind then ran in circles, calculating risks and paths of potential escape and his odds of outrunning an animal he knew nothing about and oh to hell with it, he thought, nothing interesting ever came of running anyway.

“Very well.”

The dragon looked him in the eyes for a brief moment, before turning slightly away and tipping onto its side with all the grace of a felled tree. It squirmed, disturbing much grass, before it managed to lie on its back, facing the stars.

The stargazer laid beside it.

“Anything good tonight?” the dragon asked.

“Aye. Meteor shower, Orionids. A comet’s trail.”

“Excellent,” it purred, “I almost forgot it this year.”

The stargazer got the impression that the dragon was smiling, but could not make out anything of the dragon’s expression and would not trust himself to predict the emotions of a beast he was unfamiliar with.

“I am impressed tonight. Not often I get to see this much dust,” it said, slowly.

“Indeed,” the stargazer stated flatly. “It’s why I’m here.”

He traced Gemini with two of his fingers. Lucky stars.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“To stargaze. Good meadow for it.”

“I mean - Do you live here?”

“Nearby.”

“Why?”

It rumbled. Do dragons laugh? “As opposed to what? Living near humans? That chance is gone now.”

“Now?” the stargazer asked again. “Did you live with humans once?”

“Decades ago, yes.”

“How?”

“I was one back then.”

The stargazer, incredulous, looked at nothing and furrowed his brow. “You used to be human?”

The dragon nodded. The stargazer did not see the motion, but that did little to stop his questioning.

“Were you cursed?”

“No. I chose this.”

“Chose?”

The dragon finally turned to face him. “You are alone too, are you not?” it asked back. “You shed your humanity by severing your connections with them. I have merely taken it a step further.”

The stargazer did not reply for a beat. He did not expect to be seen by a stranger. “Do you not miss company?”

“I do.”

“Then why become a dragon? Why stay here in perpetuity?”

“Some truths can be found in separation from others.”

Silently, the dragon turned its massive head to the sky.

“I was never a good human. Yes, I had scaleless skin, and I walked on two legs, but all the rest did not come to me naturally,” it growled. “Have you ever been in a play?”

“No.”

The dragon stared past the heavens as it began again. “Imagine you are suddenly thrust into one. We are short a man today, the troupe says, and pushes you onstage. You don’t know the lines. You don’t know how to mimic characters, or emotions, or even the fellow next to you. And so, you flounder, bouncing from stage left to right, actors pushing you around and whispering instructions in your ear that you cannot follow.”

“Sounds like a mess.”

“It was.”

“So,” the stargazer turned to look where the dragon’s eyes caught the starlight, “you chose to leave the stage.”

The dragon did not face him.

“Do you think it was it the right choice?”

Against the backdrop of stars, he saw the dragon’s brow raise ever so slightly; he saw it breathe ever so slowly.

“To this day, I am not sure. I do not know if I am happier out here, slowly becoming a legend of these woods, alone. But I can tell you this; dragonhood is much truer to me than my former life ever was. This body, this separate mode of being,” it sighed, “it feels like what I was made for. As if I were cast in the wrong mold the first time around.”

A sudden pain grabbed the stargazer’s chest.

“Why do you choose to be alone, astronomer?”

He struggled to form sentences until a moment had gone. Then, quietly, “The more I think, the more time passes, the more my thoughts differ from most people’s. The more I do not see myself in them. Their priorities, their methods… they seem alien to me nowadays.”

A sharp breath.

“Like I wasn’t one of them after all.”

The dragon turned back to the stargazer and held his eye until it saw something new.

“Would you like to stargaze with me again, sometime?”

“Yes,” he said, “I think I would.”

too many stories about turning yourself into a monster as a metaphor for pretending to be something you aren't and losing yourself in the process. not enough stories about turning yourself into a monster as a metaphor for choosing to openly embrace yourself even if it's strange to other people

[no-sp4g-4-b4by]

Kanye West and Bianca Censori's appearance on the red carpet was something out of a nightmare. If you haven't seen the clip, go look it up.

It starts with them posing, then they face each other and start to talk. Their conversation is not audible, but you can see Bianca shaking her head no and readjusting her large fur coat to cover herself. After three or four words are exchanged, she turns away from the camera and starts taking off her coat slowly. Revealing her naked shoulders, then her back, then her buttocks. She turns around to finally show off the dress she's wearing, a tight, see-through piece of nylon (designed by Kanye himself, according to a post he made on his Instagram) that leaves her breasts, genitals and ass exposed. She's essentially naked. During this whole scene, Kanye is just facing the cameras with sunglasses on, neutral expression on his face.

Now, I'm not shocked by nudity. Censori is definitely not the first celebrity to walk the red carpet wearing a very revealing outfit (and she won't be the last). What disgusts me is the scene they built around the outfit.

First, the little conversation they have. You can clearly see Bianca shaking her head no and tightening her coat around her before being made to undress. There's two possibilities here:

A) Either this wasn't rehearsed, so we essentially witnessed Bianca being pressured into undressing herself in front of dozens of cameras or;

B) It was rehearsed (the most likely option, in my opinion). But then why? Why act out this discomfort before the reveal?

Some could argue they were talking about something totally unrelated, but I very much doubt it. It's their big moment on the red carpet, in front of cameras, it's not the time to talk about the groceries.

What I think is happening is that they (but most likely Kanye) voluntarily chose to paint a scene of a woman being forced to undress herself in front of thousands for the amusement of her husband. It's essentially a brag, a show of force for Kanye. He's saying: "Look at my wife and what she'll do for me. Look what I can make her do. "

The last thing I haven't mentioned, and the scariest, is Censori's facial expression through it all. Neutral expression, no smile. Her eyebrows are trimmed downwards in a way where she looks slightly worried. And her stare is totally vacant. I've seen people say she looks drugged, dissociated, downright "stupid."

I think this is the main difference between Bianca's look and others who have worn skimpy outfits in front of the cameras. Whether it be Lady Gaga, Kendall Jenner, or Madonna, they all share something: confidence. A sultry look, a cheeky smirk, hell, at least a smile! Something to show that they feel desirable, that they're in control. That they choose to show us their bodies.

Whereas Bianca looks dead inside as she's posing.

After standing in front of the cameras for a little while, Kanye takes her hand and leads her away.

The whole sequence (no matter how much Bianca has consented to it) feels like a humiliation ritual. Kayne, standing there fully dressed, pressing his wife to expose her body to the entire world before parading her around. A gross display of chauvinist male domination on the body of a woman. Like, I don't know how else to say it, but it looks like he's walking around with his sex doll, still partially in her plastic wrapping.

Why are we seeing this? What is the point? I can't help but relate this to Elon's n*zi salute. It feels like we're witnessing more and more rich and powerful men pushing the boundaries of what is socially acceptable, trying to see how far they can go. How much of their toxic, repressive views they can share before we come for them.

My heart goes out to Bianca, I hope she's safe and happy in her marriage.

[mixingandmelting]

If it's not a bother for you, can you please write batfam (including Bruce) and superfam getting jealous when reader subtly mentions her ex when they do something similar to her ex bf. (e.g. reading a book/watching a show/an activity that her ex used to love etc.)

Thank you!!!

A/N: Hello Anon! Sorry that this was sitting in my drafts for so long... 😔 I wasn't sure if you were meaning literally everyone in both families (batboys, batgirls, Jace Fox, supergirls, superboys, etc.) which would've made this post even longer and taken more time... If there are characters not written here you specifically would like, let me know

BATFAM FEAT:

Bruce:

Everything he does is subtle. The stiffness in his muscles, the tick in his jaw. All you did was mention how the way he readjusted his Rolex around his wrist reminded you of your ex. But since when did the things he did remind you of the other guy? 

“Must be a thing.” He chuckles, the grip around on his mug tightening as he takes a sip of his coffee. 

Bits and pieces of his control over his emotions continue to chip off. There’s irritation building up from sensing nostalgia in your voice when he casually asks about your ex. Under the pretext of curiosity, of course. A scowl set on his face hidden behind a newspaper without him knowing he’s making one. It’s to the point where he fails to school his expression on time when you push down the newspaper. For a moment you stare at him, shock and awe meeting cold and stormy. 

“Playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne… is jealous?” 

His eyes widen for a second. To think he was that jealous to where he couldn’t keep up a facade…

He frowns when your lips curl up into a grin. Let’s just say the two of you made up real quickly afterwards when he suddenly pulls your wrist towards him.

Jason:

Sure, people can be reminded of their ex but come on. He reminded you of yours over how he shakes his hair out after taking off his helmet? That’s way too oddly specific.

“From what? Riding a street bike?”  He snorts, placing his helmet on the bench next to him with a thud from restrained strength. 

His mind knows there’s nothing to think too hard about; your ex is an ex and he’s currently yours. But clearly his heart doesn’t, churning and coiling with awful emotions he’s all too familiar with. He goes to grab a rag and wrench for “extra maintenance” when it’s actually him finding it hard to keep himself cool-headed if he doesn’t keep himself busy. 

“Jason? Jason. Look at me. It’s not what you’re thinking of.”  The only indication that he’s listening is the glance he tosses over his shoulder, still unamused and an eyebrow raised.

“I-,” The eyebrow raises higher from your sigh, “You just do it so naturally and still manage to make it attractive, okay? My ex had to try, forcing a Justin Bieber’s hair flip. That’s all.”

He gets you to break into laughter when he grabs you by the waist and cuddles you, grumbling how you should’ve said so from the start.

Tim:

His fingers hover over the keys for a second. Then he goes back typing. Nothing is amiss albeit the sounds of the mouse and keyboard clicking a tiny bit louder. He’s not bothered. Nope. Even if it was over how he cracked open his can of energy drink with a single hand, he’s not overthinking it whatsoever. 

“Yeah?” 

His voice stays steady, masking his questions as curiosity while in a small corner of the monitor, he’s pulling up and scrolling through the file on your ex. Net worth? Minimal. Job? Mediocre. There’s nothing about your ex sharing this habit or any other habits with him. But he considers that his fault, having brushed the other as unnoteworthy (which he does with anyone who breaks your heart). He can feel annoyance bubbling inside of him from your reminiscence with the other and his inability to pass it off as a simple talk about exes. Wait. Was this why? Because of the one time he mentioned about his past relationships?

“...Tim? Are you jealous?”

“W-what? No.” 

He flushes when he catches your unimpressed expression on the reflection of the screen. Instantly, he’s turned around, surprised to comforted when you start showering him with affection. Later on, he gives in and quit trying to get back at your ex for hurting you.

Minkhoa Khan/"Ghost-Maker":

Many had purposely brought up their exes to him before, trying to poke him for attention or gauge for a reaction. And most often he’d smirk and indulge them, finding the action as “cute”. 

But right now, his lips are set into a straight line. Constantly swirling the champagne in his flute rather than drinking it down. 

“Oh, I reminded you of your ex?” 

Lacking the feeling for empathy or fear, he’s never had found himself feeling jealous especially over an old flame of his partner. Right now? His mind is filled with irrationality and possessiveness. More than peeved for such a small thing to trigger an unneeded memory. 

He’s not one to usually filter or hold back on his opinion.  However, currently, there’s twice as much sass and bluntness as he shares his thoughts on the other in response to how fond you sounded when talking about your ex’s shared habit with him where your eyes widen from how out of character he was behaving. 

“Oh my god, you’re so jealous!” 

He refuses to give you the satisfaction, choosing to stay quiet and finish his glass. But when you don’t stop gloating, his hand slowly makes its way towards your shoulder to have you stop in a more… efficient way.

SUPERFAM FEAT:

Clark Kent:

“O-oh, really? I didn’t know your ex wore glasses…”

It’s bothering him so much. He doesn’t like it  that your ex does the same thing as him with the whole pushing up glasses if they were to slide down ever so slightly. It goes from him clasping his hands in his lap to resting them on his thighs in fists. More from him trying to stop said habit than anything else. 

Frustration and restlessness is how he gets, shuffling every few seconds so he’d at least feel comfortable on the bench he shares with you. His smile more awkward and his voice more strained. He wants to be the good boyfriend that would support you in every way: emotionally, mentally, and physically. So he tries to stay empathetic but his response stays as half-hearted caused by the ugly emotion coursing in his heart and brain. 

“Clark…? You’re not possibly jealous, are you?” 

Instantly flusters, cheeks matching his Superman suit while he denies that he is. 

“No! I’m not jealous whatsoever!” He tries to endure your stare, only to sigh and wave the white flag. “Yeah…. I actually am.” 

He lets out a grunt when you wrap your arms around him, finally breaking into a smile when you call him a silly man and that you’re stuck to him with superglue.

Conner Kent:

He stops and turns towards you, an eyebrow cocked up. 

“Uh, no. I don’t think so. This?” He flicks up the collar of his leather jacket in front you. “Is a Superboy signature move originating from yours truly.” 

So obviously your ex was copying him.  Not similar or “doing the same thing”.  But apparently, you beg to differ. He keeps brushing his hair back and fiddle with his shades, trying to suppress his irk of you continuing to push that he is similar to the other. Huffing at every point you make and rolling his eyes. 

He just doesn’t get it. Why he’s feeling this way and why he can’t act like normal. It’s not his first time hearing something like this from others, taking it in stride and joking how he’s that amazing that everyone wants to be him. But That’s not what’s happening right now. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his jacket, toying with a can near his foot. 

“You’re jealous.”

“No???”

Jealous? Him? No. No way. He’s Superboy, why would he be jealous? Despite his denial, his face starts to resemble his pants as you accurately guess what was running through his mind. At least part of his dignity gets restored when you kiss his cheek, calling him cute to which he cheekily replies with a duh.

Kong Kenan:

The baseball lands into his hand with a satisfying plot while he’s looking at you with a confused gaze. 

“Me tossing baseballs… reminds you of your ex…” He’s careful and slowly enunciating each word, making sure he didn’t (more like he hopes) misheard you. 

He goes back tossing the baseball with pursed lips and blowing air through his nose. It’s only concern. Worry. There’s nothing that he and your ex share in common. So he’d think you wouldn’t stretch it that far about getting reminded over something mundane as tossing a baseball. 

His tosses get harder, his eyes straining from keeping them trained on the ball. He makes an effort to at least voice out that he gets it, quite literally saying exactly that as he proceeds to explain why you’re wrong E.g., he’s smarter. He’s skilled. He’s Superman-

“Kenan, you know you’re jealous. Right?”

He startles, snapping his head towards you.

“What do you mean? I’m just saying-”

Trust for it to happen as soon as he takes his eyes off, the baseball would come falling on his head.  Coiling over, he yelps then scowls with tinted cheeks. At least you comfort him in the midst of your laughter, rubbing circles on his back which releases the tension in him as you promise you have no intentions of leaving him.

[leeeedith]

SEVENTEEN reaction to their S/O being embarrassed over a compliment

S.Coups 🍒

"You look really cute today." S.Coups watches you immediately blush and start fidgeting with your hands, clearly flustered. He smiles softly, enjoying the sight. "Aww, why are you getting shy? It's true!" He leans in, brushing your hair out of your face, and teasingly adds, "You're always cute, though."

Jeonghan 😇

When you get all bashful after his compliment, Jeonghan can't help but chuckle. "You're too cute when you're shy." He reaches over to gently ruffle your hair, then gives you a playful wink. "Don't hide your face. You know I think you're gorgeous, right?" He loves teasing you a little, but you can tell there's affection behind his words.

Joshua 🐰

Joshua is quick to notice you looking down after his compliment. e lightly nudges you and says, "You're so cute when you blush." His voice is soft, making you know he's sincere. He takes your hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He gives you an encouraging smile, hoping to make you feel more comfortable.

Jun 🐱

Jun sees you flustered and instantly brusts into a playful laugh. "Are you seriously blushing? I can't believe I'm making you so shy!" He teases you, but it's all in good fun. "You should get used to compliments, you're going to hear a lot more from me!" He leans in close and embrace you into a hug.

Hoshi 🐯

Hoshi absolutely LOVES seeing you flustered. He can't stop smiling as he watches you turn a deep shade of red. "You're so adorable!" He jokes, "I think I need to compliment you more often just to see that face!" He then dramatically places his hand over his heart like he's in a movie. "But seriously, I can't stop telling you how beautiful you are!" He might even take a little victory dance after seeing you so embarrassed.

Wonwoo 🦊

Wonwoo notices immediately when you start blushing after his compliment, and he gives you this soft, knowing smile. He's not one to express his feelings loudly, but when he sees you shy away, he gets a little more affectionate. "You're cute when you get all flustered," he says, his voice low and calming. He reaches over to gently tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers grazing your skin softly. "You know I mean it, right? You're always beautiful." He might not show it much, but he’s always sincere, and the way his eyes look at you when he says it makes your heart skip a beat.

Woozi 🍚

Woozi isn't the type to make a huge deal out of compliments, but seeing you blush is enough to make him smile a little more than usual. "Why are you getting all shy?" he asks, his tone soft but teasing. He pulls you closer, his hand resting gently on your shoulder. "You know I mean it, right? You look great." He doesn't usually show it, but he's definitely a little proud of himself for making you flustered.

DK 🍕

DK just can't stop laughing when he sees you blush. He's so charming, his smile is contagious, and the more embarrassed you get, the more he wants to shower you with compliments. "I didn't know I had this effect on you!" He says with a wink. "But you’re beautiful. I’ll never stop saying it." You can’t help but laugh at how energetic he gets, and his genuine affection for you is impossible to deny.

Mingyu 🐶

Mingyu might act all smooth at first with his compliment, but when he sees you start blushing, he instantly gets more playful. "I can’t believe I made you shy like that. I thought you'd be used to it by now." He teases, nudging you in the side with his elbow. Then, he gets all serious, looking at you with soft eyes. "You're beautiful. Always." He leans in to give you a quick kiss on the cheek, and his smile is more genuine than ever.

The8 🐸

Minghao notices the way you shy away from his compliment, and he immediately finds it adorable. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he says with a gentle laugh. He takes your hand, his thumb rubbing over your skin as he looks at you lovingly. "You deserve all the compliments in the world. Don’t hide from them." He adds, a soft smile on his face as he leans in for a quick kiss.

Seungkwan 🍊

Seungkwan is in full 'protective friend' mode as soon as he sees you getting embarrassed. "Why are you blushing? You should be used to these compliments by now!" He gently teases you. "I'm not just saying it because I’m nice, you really do look amazing." He adds, making sure you feel reassured. He even says, "Next time, just smile and say 'thank you,' okay?"

Vernon 🐢

Vernon tries to stay cool and casual with his compliments, but when he sees you turning red, he can't hold back a teasing grin. "You look adorable right now." He chuckles. "I thought I was the shy one, but look at you!" He leans in to whisper in your ear, "It's okay, you don't have to be embarrassed. You're perfect."

Dino 🦖

Dino is all giggles when you start blushing. He's all sweet and innocent, not realizing how much he's affecting you with his compliments. "Why are you acting shy? I'm just telling the truth!" He laughs and nudges you, then gives you a big, cheesy grin. "You should hear it more often. You’re so pretty." And he's not even joking—he thinks you’re perfect, and he loves to make you smile.

[chrissturnsfav]

chris and italian reader get caught mid make out

you're leaning against the bar at a buzzing club in milan, the bass of the music thumping through your chest.

the lights flash in chaotic patterns, reflecting off the glossy floors and designer shoes of people who probably have more money than you’ll ever see in your life. you swirl your drink casually, eyes scanning the dance floor when you notice him.

he has messy brown hair that looks effortlessly styled, his blue prada sweatshirt gleams under the lights, and even in the chaos, he stands out. there’s a confidence about him—the kind that says he’s used to attention.

then you realize, it's chris fucking sturniolo.

you’ve seen him on tiktok, maybe caught a few of his chaotic youtube videos with his brothers. funny, confident, a little cocky.

you didn’t expect to see him here, though. not in milan, not at this club.

his smirk widens when your eyes meet, like he caught you staring at him. you lift a brow, daring him to come over. and of course, he does.

"hey," he says, leaning close so you can hear him over the music. his voice is rough, confident. "you gonna keep starin' or say somethin'?"

"hm, cocky," you shoot back, your italian accent thick but sharp.

he grins. "yeah, well, it usually works for me."

you laugh, shaking your head. "fucking americans."

"fucking italians," he fires back playfully, and you can’t help but grin.

before you know it, you’re dancing with him, his hand on your waist behind you as the music pounds around you.

he’s smooth, sure of himself but not pushy. you match his energy, enjoying the way he watches you like you’re the sexiest thing in the room.

"wanna get outta here?" he asks suddenly, leaning close enough that his breath tickles your ear.

"where?" you giggle sensually.

"i dunno, somewhere quieter," he says with a smirk. "unless you’re scared."

"boy, i'm not scared," you scoff, grabbing his hand.

he laughs, letting you lead him toward a dark corner near the back exit. the music fades into the background, and before you can say anything, his lips are on yours—hot, confident, and unapologetic.

you don’t hold back, kissing him like you mean it. his hands grip your waist, pulling you closer, his tongue sliding into your mouth without asking, tangling with yours as a hand slide down to your ass, your own hands in his hair.

"bro seriously, chris?" a voice cuts through you, your eyes shooting open.

you break apart, breathless, to see two guys standing a few feet away. identical to chris, but with expressions that scream what the fuck?

"what the hell are you doing?" one asks—nick, probably. or maybe matt.

"uh, making out?" chris huffs in annoyance, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "the fuck does it look like?"

"we’ve been looking for you for twenty minutes," the other brother says, exasperated. "the car's waiting."

"yeah, yeah," chris mutters, clearly unbothered. "i was busy."

you smirk, crossing your arms. "this a usual occurrence for you?"

he grins, unapologetic. "you got no idea."

his brothers are already walking back toward the exit, grumbling something about always being late because of chris.

he turns back to you, that cocky spark still in his eyes. "guess i gotta go."

"looks like it," you nod, pursing your lips that glisten in his and your saliva.

"you got a phone?" he asks, pulling his out without waiting for an answer.

"maybe," you snicker cheekily, taking his phone as he hands it to you, brushing your fingers against his in the process.

he chuckles. "sassy. i like it."

you type your number in, biting back a grin. "call me next time you're in italy," you say teasingly.

"yeah, i will," he says back with a smirk.

you nod, smirking right back at him as you turn on your heel to head back into the chaos, still looking at him over your shoulder.

and with one last grin, he jogs off after his brothers, leaving you breathless and a bit dizzy.

thank you for reading!! <3

tags 🏷️: @sturnobsessedwh0re , @idrk2292 , @mattsbrat , @ribbonlovergirl , @matthewsroses , @mattsdemi , @emely9274 , @frankoceanfanpage , @ifwdominicfike , @marrykisskilled , @strnilolover , @cayleeuhithinknott , @forgottxen , @sophand4n4 , @sturnsrecord , @purpledragon222 , @faiyaz555 , @jocelyncsblog , @freakiolos , @slut4chris888 , @chriss-slutt , @ilovedanielcaesar , @annsx03 , @snoopychris , @chrissweetheart , @slutformatt17 , @mattsturnii , @dominicfikeenthusiast , @mattsbratt333 , @ivysturnss , @tessasturns , @coquettechris , @courta13 , @sturniolo101

@chrissturnsfav ™

[harmless-variety-of-garden-snake]

Alright, BuckTommy Fluffebruary Day Three: Spider-Man Kiss is up on AO3, too! It's dumb as hell, someone needs to pay Eddie to deal with these two. Tagging @bucktommyfluffebruary.

The rock-climbing gym isn’t too busy, because it’s a Tuesday and the middle of the day. Buck, Tommy, and Eddie are probably the biggest group there, and they’re definitely the loudest. There was no way this was going to turn into anything but a race with increasingly ridiculous conditions so they might have a chance at beating Tommy.

Buck and Eddie are fit, they’ve had to climb up and down buildings, they're on ladders all the time, they’ve done their fair share of rappelling into dangerous situations, but they’re not doing medevac out of canyons, ravines, and mountains as often as Tommy does. He’s an absolute beast and only lost one race because he’d gotten a penalty for not skipping the right hold. Buck had laughed at his perturbed expression and given him a consolation butt grope while Eddie was busy doing a victory lap.

“We never stood a chance,” Eddie says, sighing.

“Nope,” Buck says, but he can’t sound glum because of how his boyfriend’s ass looks in the harness.

He gets gently shoved by Eddie, who clearly clocks the dreamy tone of his voice. “Nuh-uh, we’re getting burgers after this, I’m not getting ditched so you two can hook up somewhere. Eyes down, Buckley.”

Tommy smacks the top of the rock wall and looks over his shoulder with a cocky grin. “Time?”

“Shut up, you won by like five seconds,” Eddie calls back with a wave of disgust.

As Tommy rappels down, Buck hands off the rope to Eddie and steps closer with the intention of steadying him when he reaches the ground, but then Tommy stops about two-thirds of the way down and looks back at him. Buck steps back just in case he has to grab the rope with Eddie, but Tommy doesn't look like he's struggling.

“Can I fulfill a two decade old fantasy real quick?” he asks.

Buck squints suspiciously. “Here?”

Tommy grins. “Yes.”

"I'm not being charged as an accessory to public indecency," Eddie says, and Buck elbows him.

“Yeah, alright,” Buck says to his boyfriend, grinning as he steps closer to the wall again, ready for whatever Tommy proposes. “What’d you have in mind?”

Tommy comes down a little further and does a sort of lunge against the wall, tipping himself backward until his face is hanging in front of Buck’s and his toes are hooked under one of the holds.

“Oh, my god,” Eddie says faintly. "Really?"

“What are you doing?” Buck asks, laughing.

“I showed you this movie,” Tommy reminds him, and Buck feels a lightbulb go off. He'd actually seen this one as a kid, forgotten almost everything about it, and rewatched it with Tommy without alerting him to the fact that, yes, he was eleven when Spider-Man came out and he had actually seen it with Maddie.

When he steps forward and holds Tommy’s head in his hands, he scratched his fingers through Tommy's hair as he kisses him sweetly. There’s minimal, respectable tongue, because they're in public and there are underpaid gym employees around and also Eddie is like five feet away and has already dealt with a lot of their second honeymoon phase bullshit today. There’s also no rain, which is probably for the best, it looked uncomfortable in the movie for the actor.

It’s strange not having to tilt to avoid crashing their noses together, and Buck smiles when he feels Tommy sigh through his nose against his own chin. When he steps back, Tommy looks dazed. He hopes it’s from the kiss and not the blood rushing to his head.

“Aren’t you supposed to go save New York now?” Buck teases.

“Nah, just the greater Los Angeles area,” Tommy replies cheekily, smiling. Seeing the scrunchy expression upside-down is adorable. Buck comes in and kisses him again before stepping back once more.

Tommy moves himself back to a vertical position and drops down to his feet, and Buck is there to unhook him. He kisses him gently then, too, because Spider-Man also got kisses when he was right-side up.

When he turns to Eddie, his best friend looks thoroughly done with both of them but does hold his phone up. “I did get that on video. You’re welcome. Buy me a burger.”

“I will buy you so many burgers,” Tommy says, greedily reaching for Eddie’s phone. “And fries, a milkshake, whatever you want.”

“You’re such a fucking nerd, Kinard,” Eddie says, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’ll take onion rings instead.”

Buck leans in and peers at the video, and yeah, okay, he does get a fluttery feeling in his stomach when he sees it. He’s definitely putting it on Instagram and backing it up on every cloud he can get his hands on.

“We’re so cute,” he sighs, leaning against Tommy.

“We’re adorable,” Tommy agrees. “Jesus, I am also never wearing grey shorts when we come here again.”

“Yeah, I’ll crop your bulge out of the Instagram post.”

“Oh, god, give me my phone,” Eddie groans.

–

Buck posts the video with the caption: Went to the gym and found a friendly neighborhood Pilot-Man. Might keep him forever.♥️

firepilotTK This implies I was bitten by a radioactive pilot and gained the abilities of a pilot through their venom. Which is exactly how I got my job, actually. firepilotTK ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[countfagulaa]

I can’t. I need to talk about this stupid fucking ship (Nandermo) from this stupid fucking show (What We Do in The Shadows).

I don't know if maybe I just haven’t found anything on it, but why is no one mentioning how, in the episode where Nandor gives Guillermo the whole ceremony to decide if he wants to be a vampire or not, Nandor seems pretty eager to kill Derek? He asked Guillermo if he wanted HIM to drive the stake into Derek so Guillermo wouldn’t have to do it himself, and when Guillermo goes, “I don’t know,” Nandor literally growls, “I do,” with a small, brief wicked smile and some excitement in his voice and expression before IMMEDIATELY killing Derek as if it were nothing.

Call me crazy, but to me, this is just Nandor being eager to kill the vampire that dared to sink his unworthy fangs into his precious Guillermo’s neck. He can hardly bear to think about him having his unworthy mouth on the soft skin of his beautiful human, having the honor to taste the blood that runs through his beautiful body and keeps his sacred heart beating hypnotically. He was the one who took the great honor of turning Guillermo away from Nandor. Something so intimate, so special, so meaningful and important to him and Guillermo was taken from him by this stranger. This vampire, who hadn’t known, loved, desired, or cherished Guillermo the way he had, took this moment away from him. That moment was for him and Guillermo. No one else.

Now, Guillermo was technically the one to take that away from him and I don’t think Derek really deserves this fate. But I really doubt that Nandor would be thinking clearly enough to really think about that.

All I see is a jealous lover killing the bastard who dared to see his love’s image in such an intimate light reserved only for him, and loving every second of it.

In the episode where Nandor discovers that Guillermo was turned behind his back, he asks, “Who? Who was it?” When Guillermo tells him that it’s not relevant while protecting Derek, Nandor replies, “It’s relevant to me.”

All I hear is Nandor asking who it was that dared to touch him. He’s like a boyfriend asking who it was that his lover cheated on him with. The little “okay” from Nandor that follows Guillermo’s response is shaky and said in a higher pitch that can’t keep the sting from showing. It might not matter to anyone else listening in, but it means a hell of a lot to Nandor. It’s relevant to him.

He's eager to kill the vampire that dared to touch what he considers his and far too good for anyone else but him: Guillermo.

[bread-crum206]

A Game of Hearts

Chapter thirty: Fractured Lines

Summary: Y/N’s father is a VIP for the games, he makes a deal with the Frontman that if he marries his only daughter that he will continue to sponsor the games. However, Y/N is not fond of this decision as she loathes the games and in turn, loathes the Frontman as well. Will she grow to love him? Will he let his walls down?

previous | 30 | next

Series Masterlist

The room felt emptier without him.

You sat still for a moment, staring at the closed door as if willing In-ho to come back, as if that soft click of the latch hadn’t been the final word in a conversation you weren’t sure how to continue.

But he wasn’t coming back—not yet, at least.

With a slow breath, you pushed yourself out of bed, feeling the ache in your muscles from the tension of the night before. The bathroom was dimly lit, the glow from the vanity lights casting soft shadows across the marble countertop. You stared at your reflection in the mirror, studying the way your face seemed different, like something had shifted inside of you overnight.

Maybe it had.

The Panther Mask was gone. And you knew better than to ask how.

The thought should have unsettled you more than it did. Instead, it felt like an unspoken answer to a question you hadn’t dared to voice. A reminder that In-ho wasn’t just the man who shared this space with you—he was something much more dangerous.

And yet, you weren’t afraid of him.

You turned on the faucet, splashing cool water onto your face, letting it ground you. The morning was already creeping in, and soon, the world outside this room would demand something from you. A performance. A role to play.

And you weren’t sure if you had the strength to play it today.

By the time you left the bedroom, the halls were already buzzing with quiet activity. Guards moved in disciplined formations, their masked faces unreadable as they passed by. The air smelled of something rich—breakfast, maybe—but you weren’t hungry.

You expected to find In-ho in his usual place: standing at the main observation deck, overseeing everything with that same unreadable expression. Instead, you found him where you least expected—alone, in the lounge.

He was seated on one of the leather chairs, one hand resting against his temple, his other gripping a steaming cup of coffee. His mask was back in place.

For a second, you considered walking away. Giving him the space he so clearly wanted. But instead, your feet carried you forward.

“In-ho,” you said, your voice careful, testing the distance between you.

He didn’t look up at first, just took a slow sip of his coffee before finally acknowledging you. “You’re awake.”

“You left.”

His fingers tensed around the cup. “There was work to do.”

You exhaled through your nose, stepping closer. “That’s not why you left.”

A beat of silence stretched between you.

“I warned you,” he said finally, his voice quieter than usual. “That it’s better this way.”

Better for who? You wanted to ask. Instead, you crossed your arms. “You think shutting me out is some kind of protection?”

In-ho didn’t answer, but you could see it in the way his jaw tightened.

“You can’t keep doing this,” you pressed. “Letting me in one second and shutting me out the next.”

Still, no response.

Your frustration simmered. “I’m not afraid of you.”

At that, his gaze snapped up to meet yours, something sharp and unreadable flickering behind his eyes. “You should be.”

You shook your head. “I’m not.”

The tension in the air was suffocating, charged with something unsaid, something neither of you wanted to acknowledge.

And yet, despite everything—despite the walls he built around himself, despite the violence that lurked just beneath his calm exterior—you couldn’t bring yourself to step away.

Because, in some way, you knew this was as close as he could come to protecting you.

And maybe, just maybe, you didn’t want him to stop.

———————

30!!!!! We’re getting up there in numbers! I think I might drag the burn on a little bit more, I once read a slow burn that took 80 chapters for them to hold hands, I won’t make it that extreme tho lmao. Lemme know what you think!! :)

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[selfproclaimeddoctoroflove]

It was that time of the year it seemed. Dan Heng hadn't been a sociable person by nature, but he would never go as far as to lock himself in his room for a month, even refusing basic essentials like food and water from the express. Right?

Every time this had happened, it had seemed to take you by surprise. When you had gone to knock on his door to check on him, he had gruffly declined your invitations of conversations. At some points you would get so concerned that you would ask Himeko and Welt of they knew why this happened. Himeko would just laugh and welt would dismiss it. Pain in the ass.

But you were tired of not knowing. Of all the damn secrecy.

It had been a few weeks into his 'hibernation' as you called it, and you had confidently waltzed over to his room, banging on the door.

"Come on! Let me in! Or at least talk to me!" And although your voice was mainly flooded out by the rough banging of the door, you could still be heard fairly clearly. After a few moments of banging, your hands felt weak, and you were starting to get irritated from the lack of acknowledgment.

"Listen here if you dont open this damn door I'm going to--"

"Please.. Stop banging on the door, it's causing me a headache." Dan heng cut you threat short as his voice rang out, however it was clear he was heavily breathing. At His request, you promptly stopped banging on the door, though your irritation was still apparent. Who did he think he was? He finally spoke to you just to tell you to stop because you were worried? You were growing more furious as you balled up your fists.

"Are you serious? I've been so damn worried about you. You lock yourself in your damn room for weeks on end. How do you not expect me to start banging on your door?" You stated with a cold tone. Then you heard a breathy moan escape from the room. You stood in shock for a moment.. Moan... Locked in room.. Could he be?

"You masturbate for a whole damn month!?" You gasp at the thought of it. How the hell is that even possible? A month of non stop jacking off? He must be insane!

No sound was audible from the other side of the door until Dan heng spoke up again, "... Have you ever heard of heat?"

"Yea. Its the thing that makes you sweat."

"Not that heat. The kind where people get... You know..." His voice trailed off and the embarrassment was clear as glass.

"Oh. Your going through heat? That kind of heat... Well we're friends, right? Shouldn't friends help friends?"

And that's where it all went "up hill" (the hills not the only thing that went up, that's for sure.)

You were kissing Dan Heng ferociously like someone gone mad, trying to match his intensity, your lips were together like two ink smudges draw to close together, his hand slowly made itself a home on your waist as you straddled your legs around his lap.

"Aeon, I could just eat you whole.." He could hardly get his words out though, and had to make a effortless effort to try to pull away to speak, even though you both knew he'd come back to your lips like a starved man.

"You might not be able to eat me, but you sure can eat me out," you suggested through breathy moans, a sultry smile spreading across your face. You tightened your legs around his lap and moved to hands up to grab his face and coddle it with a intensity so that it seemed less like coddling and more like man handling.

By now the atmosphere was totally different from usual. Unlike the usual calm and soothing vibe of the room, the room was filled with unspoken desires and fantasies. Ones you have committed to fulfilling.

"Hah... Your right," his words came out in a low, dangerous whisper. It didn't take him to long to maneuver your pants off of you, leaving you in only soaked undergarments. "Your so wet..." he pointed out bluntly, using his thumb to circle your clit through your panties, making you loudly moan out in pleasure.

"Aren't you captain obvious.?" You shot out snarkily. With that, he moved your panties out of the way to directly touch your clit, moving his fingers around it and maneuvering your folds.

"If you keel talking like that, I won't do much more then this," he stated, still playing with your folds. He was incredibly skilled with his hands, having already made you moan out several times.

"Fine, I'm sorry... Please just.. Please.." Your voice was hardly audible however through the heights of pleasure you were reaching. You wondered if march could hear you.

Suddenly, he inserted a finger into your wet pussy, and due to how soaked you already were, his finger slid in like a knife through warm butter. Slowly he started to curl his finger. With his rich technique, he soon hit your G-spot, making you moan out uncontrollably in pleasure. As he slowly uncurled his finger, taking it out, there was a noticeable amount of sticky white cum on it. Underneath yourself, you could feel the sheets around your clit getting soaked with cum.

"Damn it.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean.." However your monologue was quickly cut short. "Don't stress it. I can get new bedsheets. And anyway, I should be thanking you." He said before licking the cum off his fingers, "let's do it again sometime."

[succubaibri]

memories of the past

shadow x hedgehog!reader

summary: you and shadow sit under the stars together.[part two]

word count: 361

"You seem troubled."

Eyes refocus on Shadow as you sit out in the darkness of the night, stars twinkling in the sky as you take in the beauty of them.  Shadow had joined you outside as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles energy were all quite a handful, he'd admit. Not that it was a bad thing to say the least.  He still wasn't fully adjusted to this yet. 

Shadow had witnessed you distance yourself from everyone as you quietly made your disappearance. Tails suggested that you had a lot on your mind and needed some space. Shadow found himself going out his way to check on you even though no one had asked him to. There was a magnetic connection between the two of you that drawn him closer to you.

Besides, he could use the air anyways. "I'm fine, just needed to clear my head." You finally spoke out with a lopsided smile. Clearly there was something on your mind that had been bothering you.

Who knows how long for. 

"To clear your head?" Shadow furrows his brows at your attempt to brush it off as nothing; his way to expressing concern was different than how others showed theirs. He wasn't going to force you to say what was on your mind. Shadow made it known in his actions and statements that he was well...a bit concerned.

He was used to your cheerful personality, with a hint of sarcasm here and there. But now, it had been toned down. 

God. He was starting to get flashbacks from when him and Maria used to stargaze. It was one of those times where he had began to make himself more vulnerable with her.

No. Now wasn't the time to reminisce on old times with Maria.  He was sure you wouldn't mind; you knew what it felt like to lose someone close to you in a heartbeat and how certain things or people reminded you of said person. And so, Shadow sits down beside you, leaving a gap between you. Though he invited himself to sit down, you didn't mind. You can use a bit of company even if you don't speak much.

[vorchagirl]

ANGST PROMPT ❛ i don’t even recognize you anymore. ❜ for Rook x Ashur 👀

Thank you for the drabble request! I decided to write something for my Ashur x Rook x Lucanis fic The Dragon and the Crow. I hope you like it!

Demons

"Leave you with him? You can't be serious!" Ashur thundered angrily, his expression ferocious as glared at Lucanis. "Rook, he's possessed by a demon! Get out of the way so I can take care of him before he hurts you."

"What?! No!" Rook tried to shove them away from each other, but Ashur refused to move as he took hold of her arm. She shook him off, furious. "I'm not letting you attack each other. Stop this!"

The air between the two men was tense, and Ashur's magic seethed beneath his skin as Lucanis' hand tightened on the hilt of the dagger. One move was all it would take for him to throw up a shield and launch an attack at the other man. It would be fast. Instantaneous. The only question was who would be faster - The Viper or the Demon of Vyrantium. A crow or a snake.

The magic continued to build, burning along his nerve endings in a demand to be unleashed. He wouldn't let this Crow - this murderer - close to Rook. Lucanis watched him closely, as though reading his mind, and suddenly bared his teeth in a grin, his eyes flashing purple as he smirked, egging him on.

"Lucanis' condition is complicated," Rook snapped, refusing to move from between the two men. Ashur blinked as she shoved him back a step and then moved to stand with Lucanis. "Both of you need to back down, now!"

The Crow nodded his agreement, but didn't take his eyes off Ashur as he eased his hand away from his dagger and straightened, his body language still radiating aggression and potential violence as he allowed Rook to take his hands. He blinked, his eyes returning to normal as he dragged his gaze away from the other man and onto Rook. He let out a slow breath and the tension drained out of him.

"Thank you," he muttered quietly to her. "That could have become ... messy."

He has no idea how true that is, Ashur thought to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Rook made to step away as she spoke, but Lucanis kept hold of her hands.

The Crow drew in a slow breath, and Ashur saw him squeeze her hands. "I didn't like how we left things in Treviso. I know I said I needed time after what happened, but I was upset. Seeing my home blighted and so many people - friends - killed, I wasn't thinking clearly, and I lashed out. I don't want to lose you, mi corazon. You mean too much to me."

Jealousy twisted through Ashur as Rook - his Rook - made a small sobbing sound and threw herself into Lucanis' arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck while Lucanis opened his eyes and met Ashur's gaze, his expression smug as he tightened his arms around her as if to rub it in that she had chosen him.

It was too much.

"No!" Ashur strode forward, unwilling to let her throw her life away. Not now. Not when they had finally breached that gap between them. "Rook, get away from him! He's a monster."

She swore softly and pulled away from Lucanis, still keeping herself between them. "What is wrong with you, Ashur? I don't even recognise you anymore."

"Why? Because I don’t want to stand here and watch you throw your life away? Not this time. Not for a demon. Not when you were sobbing in my arms earlier because of him!"

Ashur saw Lucanis flinch at that, and he felt a primitive surge of pride. He hoped it hurt the bastard to know that Rook had run back to him the moment he hurt her. He hoped the knowledge stung and burned for him, just as it bothered Ashur to know that Rook was with another.

She paled slightly at the memory of their kiss but didn't back down. "Ashur, don't do this. Please."

Her soft little please hit him like a bucket of cold water, and he fell back a step, feeling like an absolute bastard as he realised how scared she was of losing the Crow. For better or worse, she loved him, and he was acting like a demon himself as he lashed out and tried to separate them. The surge of jealousy faded, replaced by shame.

No matter how much he wanted her back, this wasn’t the way to go about it.

"I'm sorry, Rook." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, something deep in his core aching with disappointment and loneliness. "You should go. Just ... be careful."

Ashur turned and strode from the room before she could reply. He didn't want to see the emotion in her eyes as he walked away. If she was relieved, it would break his heart, and if she were disappointed, he would falter ... and might not have the strength to walk away again.

[cheeseatlantic]

part twosie woosie if ur new part one is like on my profile meow

MARKED FOR DEATH

(PART TWO: THE MARK) GHOST’S POV

Pain burned through his side, hot and pulsing, but Ghost had felt worse. Much worse.

He lay still, back against the pavement, chest heaving. Blood trickled from the gash on his temple, blurring the edges of his vision, but he didn’t need to see clearly to know what was happening.

You had won.

You stood over him, gun trained steady, eyes sharp and dark in the dim streetlights. He could see it—feel it—the weight of the moment, the breath between life and death.

And yet, you hesitated.

A smirk curled at the corner of his mouth. “Gonna say somethin’ dramatic first? Or just shoot me and get it over with?”

Your finger twitched on the trigger. “I should.”

“You should.” His voice was rough, a whisper of smoke. “So why aren’t you?”

Silence.

Ghost watched you closely, noting every flicker of hesitation, every shift in your stance. You didn’t know, did you? Couldn’t figure out why you hadn’t pulled the trigger yet.

Interesting.

Slowly, he lifted a hand, wiping two fingers through the blood on his temple. He saw your eyes track the movement, a flicker of confusion breaking through your focus.

Good.

Then, with a deliberate slowness, he pressed his fingers to his forehead—dragging an X in his own blood.

You went still.

Dead silent.

Ghost could feel the tension crackling between you, thick enough to choke on.

Then, finally—

“What the fuck was that?”

He grinned, lazy and sharp. “Figured it’d help, love. You looked like you needed a little encouragement.”

The way your expression twisted—somewhere between exasperation and disbelief—sent something amused curling in his chest.

“You’re insane,” you muttered.

Ghost hummed. “Only for you.”

He could see the shift in your expression, the flicker of irritation, the way your grip tightened on your weapon. He pushed, just to see how far he could take it.

“Idiot.”

You exhaled sharply, crouching before he could react. And then—

Your fingers brushed through the X he’d drawn, smearing warm blood against his skin.

His breath hitched.

It was fast—so fast even he almost didn’t notice—but you did.

Your touch was firm when you pressed your bloodied palm against his chest, right over his heart.

And fuck—that was new.

Ghost went still. Completely.

“You’re lucky I don’t like playing with broken toys,” you murmured, voice quiet but firm.

Something flickered in his chest. Sharp. Unfamiliar.

He had to go. Now.

Before you could register the shift, before you could trap him in another moment like this—Ghost moved.

A sharp twist of his body, a flick of momentum, a feint—he slipped from beneath you, rolling out of reach, vanishing into the darkness before you could react.

He climbed, fast, pushing through the pain, boots finding purchase on rusted metal as he hoisted himself onto a rooftop.

Then, just because he could, he chuckled. Low, smug, teasing.

“Better luck next time, yeah?”

And then he disappeared.

But this wasn’t over.

Not even close.

and a very special shoutout to @lluvia-jc for being the 150th follower and making this little drabble thingy happen! im so grateful for all 150 of you, all the friends ive made on this platform, all the love and support! truly from the bottom of my heart thank you.

[thefemmefatalexo]

Toji SMAU - When love was always there

Chapter 15 - Late Night Cinematics

Summary: You see him again on your first day of college. Fuck. Toji Zenin has been the bane of your existence since your first day of kindergarten. Over the 15 years you’ve had the “pleasure” of knowing him, he’s made it his personal mission to make your life a living hell. From chopping off your hair in kindergarten to pushing you into a pond on your first day of high school, Toji has done it all. You’d always thought he would choose a college far away from you, but as it has always been, fate came to kick your ass. Hard.

warnings: cursing, sexual language, mentions of bullying

an: i love them sm y‘all. SMOOCHES 💋💋💋

{chapter 14} ; {next}

taglist: @jinxiewritings @actuallyvalerie @clp-84 @stickystay

࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

The cinema lobby was buzzing with activity—people shuffling to buy tickets, the smell of buttery popcorn hanging thick in the air, and faint chatter blending with the hum of nearby arcade machines. You stood off to the side, arms crossed and foot tapping a rapid rhythm on the tiled floor, glancing at your phone every few seconds. Toji was late. Again. You tried not to scowl, but the irritation bubbled up the longer you waited.

Finally, the doors swung open, and there he was. Toji strolled in as if he had all the time in the world, hands in his hoodie pockets, a lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His hood was up, and he carried himself with that same cocky air you always found infuriating. He didn’t look the least bit apologetic.

“You’re late,” you said the moment he was close enough to hear.

Toji raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “You say that like it’s a big deal. The movie hasn’t even started.”

You glared at him, your voice rising slightly. “I told you to meet me fifteen minutes ago. You could at least pretend to care.”

“Why?” he said with a shrug. “I’m here now, ain’t I?”

The casual dismissal made your jaw clench. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that one before.” He paused, digging into the pocket of his hoodie and pulling out a pack of gummy bears. He unwrapped it slowly, popping one into his mouth, his eyes never leaving yours. “You done nagging yet?”

Your mouth opened to retort, but before you could say a word, Toji plucked a gummy bear from the pack and shoved it into your mouth. The unexpected move left you speechless for a moment, the taste of artificial fruit bursting on your tongue as he grinned at your flustered reaction.

“You talk too much,” he said, clearly amused.

You smacked his hand away, chewing quickly to get the gummy bear out of the way. “You’re such a—”

“Yeah, yeah,” he interrupted, cutting you off with a wave of his hand. “C’mon, princess, we gonna watch this thing or not?”

Letting out a frustrated huff, you turned and stormed toward the theater entrance, ignoring the sound of his low chuckle behind you.

Inside, the theater was dimly lit, the previews already rolling. You found your seats and slid into the one closest to the aisle, leaving Toji to take the seat next to you. He slouched back immediately, his long legs stretching out, one arm casually draped over the back of your shared armrest.

You shot him a sidelong glance but chose not to comment. Instead, you focused on the screen, determined to enjoy the movie despite his irritating presence.

At first, Toji tried to pay attention, but it didn’t take long for his focus to drift. The movie was colorful, sure, but it didn’t hold a candle to the person sitting next to him. He found himself glancing at you more than the screen. The way your eyes lit up during the funny parts, the small gasps you let out during the suspenseful moments, and that little smile you’d get when something particularly heartfelt happened—it was all more interesting to him than anything happening in the film.

When the characters began to sing, he noticed your expression shift. Your face softened, your lips parting slightly, and there was a light in your eyes that made him stare. He wasn’t sure why, but something about the way you looked in that moment struck him.

You must have felt his gaze because you turned to him and smiled, leaning in slightly to whisper, “I love, love. This is so cute, right?”

Toji snorted, quickly looking away. “Corny as hell,” he muttered, but the faint blush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “You’re such a liar.”

The movie continued, and your hands occasionally brushed as you both reached for the popcorn. Neither of you said anything about it, but Toji’s hand lingered just a little longer each time, almost daring you to notice.

When the credits finally rolled, you stretched your arms over your head, letting out a content sigh. “That was so good!”

Toji shrugged, standing and shoving his hands into his pockets. “It was alright.”

You rolled your eyes. “Why did I even invite you?”

“Good question,” he said, smirking as he followed you toward the exit.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook yet,” you said, grabbing his sleeve and tugging him along. “You’re buying me a snack.”

He stopped walking, forcing you to turn and look at him. “Me? Buy you something? Nah, I don’t think so.”

You crossed your arms, giving him a pointed look. “I paid for the tickets, and you were late. It’s only fair.”

Toji sighed dramatically, as if you’d just asked him to move mountains. “Fine, but you better not make this a habit, princess.”

The diner you chose was a small, cozy place with bright red booths and a jukebox humming softly in the corner. You slid into a booth, pulling out your phone the moment your milkshake arrived. It was a towering glass of pink, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, and you immediately started snapping pictures.

Toji leaned back in his seat, watching you with a raised eyebrow. “You really gonna post that?”

“Of course,” you said, angling your phone for the perfect shot. “It’s cute.”

“You’re such a dork,” he said, shaking his head.

You shot him a look, flipping him off with your free hand. “And you’re such a jerk.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, chuckling. “So, what? You just take pictures of food all day and call it a job?”

“There’s more to it than that,” you replied, putting your phone down. “I have to plan content, edit photos, engage with my followers—it’s a lot of work.”

“Sounds fake, but okay,” he teased, taking a sip of his chocolate milkshake.

You glared at him, but the small grin on his face made it hard to stay mad. The conversation flowed easily after that. You talked about his football games, your future plans, and somehow ended up debating which milkshake flavor was superior.

The drive back to your house was quieter, though not awkward. You fiddled with the hem of your shirt while Toji kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on his lap.

When he pulled into your driveway, you turned to him with a small smile. “I had fun tonight.”

He smirked, leaning back slightly. “Don’t get used to it.”

You rolled your eyes, opening the door. “Goodnight, Toji.”

“Night,” he said, watching as you walked to your door.

As he pulled out of the driveway, his eyes caught something in the passenger seat. Your scarf. He picked it up, the soft fabric slipping through his fingers. It smelled like you—sweet and familiar.

When he parked in his own driveway, he still had the scarf in his hand. Instead of leaving it in the car, he brought it inside, tossing it onto his bed. Later that night, as he lay there in the dark, he found himself reaching for it. The faint scent of your perfume lingered, and for some reason, it made him smile.

He closed his eyes, replaying the night in his mind. The way you laughed, the way your eyes lit up during the movie, the way your hand brushed against his. For the first time in a long time, Toji fell asleep thinking about someone other than himself.

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every (Other) Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁Day 24: Mike's Desire to Act 'Normal' . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Today I want to talk about how Mike's clear desire to act like he's normal and happy in front of both El and Will is a metaphor for pushing down his queerness. Coupled with El lying to Mike and the audience knowing that, Mike's ability to turn himself into someone he's not (a shitty knockoff of Mike) shows that they are a relationship based on lies and forced conformity. The airport scene is one of my favourite scenes in Stranger Things, because of how ripe it is for this narrative.

The main takeaway from the scene is that both Mike and El seem happy, but Will's down in the dumps because of it. This means that their happiness is not supposed to be a desired outcome for their relationship. Which seems odd at first, BUT this is fixed by making the happiness fake.

So everyone jokes about how bad Mike's outfit is in the airport, like he just doesn't know how to dress, right? Well that's good, he's supposed to look terrible! The costume designers intended for Mike to look like he's trying something and failing. The audience is supposed to cringe and see that he's not very skilled at acting normal or acting like he belongs.

If they dressed him too well, the audience may accidentally get tricked into thinking he isn't repressing something. If they dressed him as he usually is dressed, then the message the writers are trying to make (that he's trying to be normal) wouldn't work.

Watch this GQ video with costume designer Amy Parris to not only see that the costume designers put so much thought into their designs but to also see that...

This outfit was him "trying to make things work in California". He is wearing something that is purposefully dissimilar to his usual clothes, they aren't even his clothes. He bought them at the airport.

The double meaning here is: he isn't being himself, he is trying to hide a part of who he is, he's trying hard to even if he's failing. Therefore, the clothes themselves are a symbol of conformity.

This isn't just with the way he dresses:

Mike is simply trying to be normal period. Not just with his outward appearance. He's also trying to act normal and stay normal. If you'd like, we can call this 'normal' for what it is -- being straight.

The word 'normal' specifically is used abundantly with CANONICALLY queer characters in Stranger Things in scenes where they express or other characters express how they're trying to be straight and not themselves:

This 'normal' occurs with Robin in S3, describing how badly she wanted to be popular. We later find out she just wanted to be able to be straight:

This 'normal' also occurs with Will in S1, where Jonathan says that their dad 'is trying to force you to like normal things'. Lonnie is canonically abusive towards Will because of his queerness.

So if the word 'normal' clearly means that these characters are wanting to be straight, being forced to be straight, doesn't that mean that Mike is also trying to act straight?

No, he's just trying to act like he doesn't like D&D in front of El or those childish things like in S3!!!!

If Mike is trying to be 'normal' in that respect, then why is he totally fine with saying that he 'doesn't want to be popular', and totally fine with hanging out with the most ostracised group in Hawkins High?

He's only trying to be normal around El. He's only not himself when he's with his girlfriend. Yikes...

Alone, him trying to be normal in front of El may not be seen as queer coding, rather, it just means their relationship is wrong. But him tamping down his edginess -- aka succumbing to conformity that Eddie hates so much -- is supposed to be a metaphor for him tamping down his queer identity, and conforming. Just like with Robin and Will.

And to Mike, acting normal means not hugging Will. What's so unnormal about that Michael? Clearly it means he just wants to act straight, and in romanticising his actions with Will, he has feelings for Will, and so acting stand-offish with Will is him 'acting straight'.

So by now in the Airport scene, we should know that Mike is acting extremely off with Will, with everybody. In this moment, the audience may not have enough time to try and figure out why he's acting so odd, but luckily, Argyle comes in to metaphorically tell us the reason:

"It's a shitty knockoff" -- causing this scared, anxious looking reaction: (even though we would expect Mike to look annoyed like usual)

(In case you don't understand subtext, this basically means that Mike is the knockoff)

If he's a knockoff, it means he's not acting how he wants to act. Not hugging Will is him not being himself. The audience is also supposed to obviously root for characters to be themselves right? So the writers here want you to see that conformity in Mike is causing him to tamp down his true feelings, making himself unhappy, turning himself in a fake-Mike. Therefore his coupley moments with El in this scene are also fake.

This is conveyed in the next segment:

During the whole section of Mike 'listening' to El, he has his arm around her protectively, but we already know that El is lying to him and that Mike is trying his best to act normal and is a 'knockoff' version of himself. Therefore, he is basically acting the part of a 'normal' (meaning: straight) person here.

He's acting like he's listening, he's doing all the things he's seen couples do, but he's not really in it at all.

Calling your girlfriend's interests/suggestions weird? Yeah, no. This isn't the sign of a 'cute couple' guys, besides, El then goes onto lie about him and Will's the one that seems concerned.

His body language with the kiss as well? Is all the proof I need that he's just trying to pretend.

This is not out of romantic love, if it was, then the writers would have put more romantic music behind it, made it last WAY LONGER than a millisecond, had them in a less busy and overwhelming environment, and had Mike's lips actually touch El's head without her having to lean into it.

So if El's lying and Mike's trying to act as straight as possible? They're relationship is fake and not worth rooting for. Mike cannot say I love you to her, which is 'fixed' later. But you know what's not fixed? That he still can't act like himself around her. They do not understand each other. These are not things fixed by the love monologue and need to be addressed in S5.

The desired outcome of the scene is supposed to be for the audience to want Mike to actually be himself, for one day Mike finding out about El's lies, and for Will to stop being sad. It is not supposed to be: 'oh Mike and El are such a cute couple!!111!!!' It shows how much Mike has been effected by his internalised homophobia, enough to force himself to try and act in what he thinks is a 'normal' way -- a straight way.

[wickerwax]

Out of the mouths of Generals (Codywan First Kiss Bingo 2)

When Cody ducked through the privacy curtain, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting. General Kenobi, white-faced and breathless with pain, perhaps. That was, unfortunately, a sight he’d been privy to a few times by now, the way the corners of his mouth vanished into his beard like he was biting at his cheeks, the pallor under the freckles and mussed hair. The tightness around his eyes that made even his most comforting smiles do something a little sharp and cored-out to Cody’s chest.

The way Helix had said, “We’re analysing the gas the squad was sprayed with and every one of them is staying for observation – some of it was clearly fine enough or concentrated enough to have an effect, but mostly they’re just a little more tired – slower reaction speeds – than they ought to be. We got them out fast...Only the General’s rebreather took a moment to attach. We don’t think he took even a full breath – you know his reaction times. Whatever it is, it’s strong though. He’s not – himself.”

Instead, his General was supine on the medbay cot like he’d forgotten he had bones. The flop of his fringe glowed warmly under the harsh white lighting, his cheeks were flushed warm but not quite feverish. Cody made some kind of noise. A question that never made it past teeth and tongue.

Kenobi lolled his head on the pillow towards him. He smiled, a slow, pleased, drawing up of his lips that made Cody far, far too aware of how soft they looked, and then he blinked his eyes languorously open. His eyelashes fluttered copper.

Cody felt his pulse trip at his General’s moon-sized pupils fixing on him. The smile, the flush, the focus – it was a little too like some thoughts he would never admit to. A glimpse into something forbidden.

Only it wasn’t. General Kenobi was unwell. Intoxicated on an unknown and possibly dangerous substance. Drugged.

The shame almost drowned the relief.

“Co-o-o-dy,” Kenobi said, his crisp accent swamped by a sigh, or a yawn, or- It didn’t matter. “Co-dy, you came?”

He sounded drunk, if Cody hadn’t seen Kenobi drunk, and was well aware how it didn’t do this to him. “Of course, sir. How – how are you feeling?”

Kenobi waved a hand and Cody obediently stepped next to the bed while he searched for the words he usually kept so readily at hand. “The cot is sad.” he said, eventually. “Like...another village.”

Cody blinked down at him. Kenobi blinked right back, eyes absolutely enormous with the blue so swallowed in the black. “...Right. Can we cheer the cot up?”

He kept himself in place by the sternest exhortations of will alone when this caused a beaming grin to take over his very drug-addled superior officer. Who he did not have inappropriate feelings for and who -

Who had reached up and dragged him down by the arm with surprising strength considering the way he was sprawled out like a tooka in the sun. “Cody, we need blankets with good mem- ah, memories.”

Cody had managed to just barely brace himself on the far side of the bed and not get hauled flat into his General’s chest -he honestly might never recover from that one- and he didn’t have a lot of defences in the face of a Kenobi looking quite so unequivocally pleased, especially not this close up. “I can try to find some happy blankets, sir?”

“The crèche will have some.” he said, matter-of-fact. His eyes were trying to focus on Cody’s face but clearly struggling with whatever had overwhelmed his system. “They knit them just - just- for this – ki -i-i-nd of thing.”

Which would be great, were they in-Temple. On Coruscant. Near Coruscant.

He was sure his expression didn’t change but something like horror curled onto Kenobi’s face like smoke from a signal fire. The hand on his arm went panic-tight. “Co- Why can’t I feel the crèche?”

“Gen-” Kenobi started trying to scramble out of the cot but his muscles clearly weren’t up to that level of coordination. The light overhead buzzed and flickered. Cody sucked in a breath and wrapped his arms around his squirming General, tucking the man against his chest.

Kenobi resisted until he seemed suddenly to register that Cody was saying, “All clear, we’re on The Negotiator, not on Coruscant. The crèche is fine. The crèche is safe.” on repeat. He slumped into Cody, face against his throat.

Cody would have to live knowing what it felt like to have General Kenobi’s nose pressed to his jawline, his beard tickling his neck. The damp warmth of his breath coming too fast. “Cody,” he mumbled, and Cody added that to the list of things he could never un-experience. “Cody, I think something’s wrong with me.”

“It’s going to be okay, sir.” Cody said, in the best reassuring-the-shinies voice he had. “You got dosed with something, we’re figuring it out.”

Kenobi’s breath shuddered. He pulled back to look Cody in the eye, head far too loose on his neck, and he almost bottled it then and there, because he’d seen his General determined, frustrated, flat-eyed and serious, pale and exhausted – but right now his eyes gleamed wetly. His eyelashes had clumped. “Ap-apologies, Cody. I can’t – it seems that I-” Kenobi closed his eyes and inhaled with painful deliberation. “Focus is. Difficult. I – Things are magnified. I haven’t felt this – out of control – since I was a teen.”

The admission itself bore all the hallmarks of a confession like pulled teeth. Cody sighed through his nose and rubbed at his General’s back with one hand, trying to project comfort. “No apologies needed, Kenobi. I promise. It’s going to be fine.” If it was some kind of inhibition-loosener, then General Kenobi was probably the safest man to be caught in it. His version of over-emoting was safe enough – even panicking he hadn’t so much as shattered a halo-bulb. Rattled it, at most. For Kenobi’s sake, he hoped his over-active circulation ran it through fast, but he trusted fewer things more totally than his General’s control. Whatever this situation was doing for his future fantasies and heartache very much aside.

Kenobi made a funny little sound – a sound around a sound – and went boneless again, flopping back into the arm around him. It jolted Cody off-balance enough that his General sprawled into the cot again with Cody’s arms trapped beneath him. He froze – foolishly, because it gave his General the time to peer up at him through the lowered fan of his eyelashes and mumble, “’s nice.”

Ah, so this is what a heart attack felt like. More dissociative than he’d expected.

“Nice?” he asked, calmly.

Kenobi’s eyes finished closing again. “’S nice.” he repeated, wiggling in place like he was trying to scratch his back-

-against Cody’s arm, his open palm caught flat between his shoulder blades.

He arched like an impatient tooka. Squinted one eye back open. “’S nice.” he said, accusatory.

From far across the galaxy, and also about six inches from a face he’d been thinking about in his off-hours for too long to admit to, Cody errored out entirely. “You want a back rub?”

“How are we doing, sir?” Helix asked as he ducked past the curtain. “We- oh. Looking a little wild around the eyes there, Commander.”

“Insubordination.” Cody returned.

“Medic.” Helix said with all his teeth showing. “Now, General, I see you’re using a non-standard mattress additive there.”

“’s not General.” Kenobi said plaintively, rolling his head to the side to aim that kite-high expression at his CMO. “’m just Obi-Wan. I couldn’t find my legs to go to the crèche.”

“News?” he said flatly, ignoring his General for his own sanity.

Helix smirked at him and something relaxed. He wouldn’t look like that if General Kenobi were in real danger.

“Initial analysis – and symptoms agree – that it’s some derivative of spetamine.” he said, then leaned down to be more on Kenobi’s level. “We’ll have you right as rain in no time, sir. Just need to keep your fluids up and get some rest, alright?”

He got a narrow-eyed, suspicious look for his trouble. “I know what- what that means, Helix.”

Helix smiled. “I get to see you well-rested and not attached to a datapadd.”

Cody looked back down at the man still lying on his arms (quickly losing sensation). His frown was already relaxing back into dreamy-eyed looseness as another wave seemed to hit. His fingers were starting to tingle from loss of blood instead of just the situation. “’lix, there’s things that need – checking on-”

“Don’t you trust your Commander?” Helix asked gently, as Cody carefully wormed his arms free, ignoring the way he wanted to draw him back in close and cling. His General tried to give them an alarmed expression and only made it as far as vaguely puzzled. Slumped properly a moment later, heavy eyelids losing the fight.

Cody dragged his gaze away and found Helix chewing on his lip just the way he told everyone else off for. “The worst we’ll likely see is some hallucinating, from what I can tell. The hangover might be pretty impressively miserable though – I wasn’t kidding about the fluids.” he paused and Cody just gestured at him. “I’m keeping everyone under watch ‘til I can confirm their systems have cleared it out.”

“Is that the good news, or the bad news?” Cody asked.

Helix sighed. “It’s both. It’s not nearly as bad as it could be, he’s encountered it before – or close variants – and also he’s going to be out of it and then likely very nauseous for a bit. Also, given his -” Helix gestured vaguely and Cody hated that he understood exactly. General Kenobi was already going to be mortified. “People he wouldn’t mind as much watching over him means the roster is pretty small. You and I, and a handful of Ghost, those who’ve already seen him as a person over being a General. A Jedi.”

Kenobi had tried to tuck his hands into his sleeves and missed. He was clutching at his elbows instead. His mouth was slightly open, the corner of his mouth twitching occasionally. A quiet snore drifted up. Cody pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, at least he’ll get some sleep first, I guess.”

Helix made a commiserating noise – the General’s worsening insomnia was a bonding topic. They watched him sleep for a moment. “There’s a lot of restlessness under the muscle relaxant, unfortunately,” he mused. “I don’t think he’ll stay under for long. I’m going to get a stash of hydro-packs for him, I’d rather not IV if I don’t have to.”

“He said the cot was sad and needed a happy blanket, and then panicked that he couldn’t feel the crèche nearby.” And he wanted very much to give him a happy blanket if only he could. A ship full of soldiers going from battlefront to battlefront wasn’t the best place to find undiluted happiness. “But he believed me when I said that we were just away from Coruscant and the crèche was fine, so-”

Humming thoughtfully, Helix said, “I don’t know how to distinguish Force readings from hallucinatory experiences. Maybe one of his robes would be a happier blanket?”

“More familiar.” Cody agreed. “I can go-”

“Oh, sit down, Commander. Do your flimsiwork in a chair for once. I’ll send Wooley, he’s been haunting the hallway.” Helix waved a hand at him and the skinny bedside chair. “It’s better’n nothing, sir. You’ve done nothing but pace all day, and the General isn’t the only one with shit sleeping habits.”

Yes, well, Cody thought sarcastically at him, Someone keeps recommending my General do dumb shit without me.

Helix swished his way back out and Cody stood for a long moment before he lowered himself into the seat, watching General Kenobi’s relaxed face. He may have focused too hard, as after a minute, his nose wrinkled and he rolled onto his side in a cascade of limbs and frowned directly into Cody’s face without opening his eyes.

“You’re...staring, my dear.”

“Yes, well, this is the first time I thought you might be properly asleep,” Cody said, and it was altogether too soft, too fond, but he couldn’t change it. “I was marvelling at the miracle.”

Kenobi managed to lift one lead-filled eyelid slightly. “You’re the...miracle – Cody, love.” His blown-out hazy gaze met Cody’s shocked one. He couldn’t – he didn’t – Cody-love?

While lost in his ever-piling list of Things He Would Be Unable to Forget and Which Would Haunt Him Later, his General managed to corral his elbow into taking his weight enough to lean up and over. He sank back into his body just in time for General Kenobi, smiling peaceably, to drop a kiss on Cody’s nose.

Cody.exe had encountered an irreconcilable error.

Kenobi dropped back to his cot, rolled onto his front, and mumbled in a tiny, hopeful voice, “Head pat?”

“Head pat?” he echoed distantly. There was another little not-word, like a tooka waking up. Cody was vaguely concerned he would suffocate himself in the paper-thin pillow like that. He watched his own hand reach out like it was on a holoscreen.

He sank his fingers in soft, warm-copper hair and stroked gently. Kenobi let out a breathy sigh and melted further into the cot, no matter how sad it felt. Although, if that was something he was picking up – with the Force, somehow, because he imagined that a medbay cot in particular probably wasn’t happy – and the idea that, perhaps, he was feeling...positive things in a way that overrode the sad?

Would General Skywalker or Commander Tano be able to feel that this cot now felt happy?

Sometimes Cody cursed the speed of his own neurons.

“Mnh- just like – that, Cody.” He cursed the squirrelly bastard all but moaning into his pillow. Do you hear yourself, he wanted to ask. Is this a joke? Am I on Space Punk’d? Could you not have done this while not high as a kite so I could at least entertain the thought of -

He cut himself off firmly. Focused on running his nails lightly over Kenobi’s scalp, kept the strokes of his hand gentle and even. Come on, Commander, I should think you might use my name now, he could almost hear the Jedi scoffing. He refused it, as he did his best to block out the breathy, progressively-sleepier noises he was eliciting with his attentions.

Which is to say with incredible, some would say actually insurmountable, difficulty.

It would have been harder if he weren’t replaying Cody-love, and that fleeting brush of a kiss.

*

When Wooley arrived some minutes later, he found the Commander standing at the foot of the General’s cot, at attention and facing the curtain rather than the bed. General Kenobi himself appeared to be asleep. Commander Cody looked a bit ...tense, or twitchy, or restless somehow. He’d bitten his lip through – Helix would be scolding again.

But then, Wooley considered as he offered the General’s robe, the Commander never liked it when the General went out in the field without him. Especially when it went wrong.

No wonder he was a bit stressed.

@codywanfirstkissbingo Number two! This one is nose kiss ^^

[samynnad102687]

"If anybody would like to send me some asks with microfic prompts, I'd appreciate it. 🥰"

how about james as a swim coach and sirius forces reg to get lessons from james, not knowing reg has had the hugest crush on his big brother's best friend. so shirtless james + swimming = flustered reg.

I asked for a 'micro fic' prompt, just to turn around and write a 2500-word one-shot. Clearly, I can't write anything short.

Thanks for the prompt.

Here is swim coach James teaching Regulus how to swim while Regulus tries not to die from the close contact.

Swimming Lessons

“I don’t want to go!” Regulus nearly shouted as he tried to pull his arm out of Sirius’ hold. 

Sirius had asked if he wanted to go somewhere and Regulus stupidly didn’t ask where he wanted to go. He assumed he wanted to go shopping since Sirius had been mentioning that he needed some new boots to go with his leather jacket for the last week. When they pulled up to the aquatic centre, Regulus started to regret his decision to come along. 

“Oh, come on, Reggie. It’s not going to be that bad,” Sirius replied, dragging him across the lawn towards the front door. “You need to learn to swim.”

“Why?” he asked defiantly. “I have no intention of ever going in the water.”

“Because it’s a life skill that everyone should know. Besides, James is a great instructor.”

Regulus screeched to a halt, yanking his arm out of Sirius’ grip. He crossed his arms as Sirius turned towards him with a confused expression. Regulus already didn’t want to learn how to swim, he hated the water. Even if he did, there was no way he would learn anything if James was the instructor. Regulus has had a minor crush on his brother’s best friend since he came back from a sports summer camp three years ago. 

“What? Do you hate James now or something?” Sirius quirked an eyebrow in question. 

“No,” Regulus scoffed. “I just don’t want to learn how to swim. I told you that.”

They stood in the middle of the walkway, glaring at each other before Sirius sighed and the corner of his lip twitched. Great. He’s gonna try to bribe me. It’s not going to work.

“What if I buy you those new Doc Martens you’ve been eyeing for the past three months?”

Fuck! He had been eyeing them and he was trying to save up for them but since being disowned and losing his inheritance, it was hard to keep up with his bills let alone indulge in something for himself. 

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, but if I drown it’s your fault.”

“Ha, you’re not going to drown. James won’t let you,” Sirius chuckled, grabbing his arm again and dragging him through the door. 

Regulus resigned himself to being in close contact with his crush for the next however long. At least he wouldn’t be the only one. Sirius stopped at the receptionist's desk, talked for a few minutes in a quiet tone so Regulus couldn’t hear him then laughed loudly and grabbed the swim trunks from the blonde.

“Here you go,” he said, holding out the bright red shorts. “You can change in the bathroom over there.”

Regulus glared at him again before snatching them and stalking off the restroom and taking his time changing. He knew he was delaying the inevitable but he figured Sirius might forget about him if he took too long. 

Or not.

“Let’s go, Reggie,” Sirius shouted from the door. “Or I’ll throw you in the pool in your clothes.”

Regulus poked his head out of the stall, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me, little brother,” Sirius smirked before crossing his arms over his chest and cocking a challenging eyebrow.

“Ugh.”

Of course, Sirius would. He finished quickly and sauntered out into the hallway, leading to the pool. He glanced at the door leading outside before sighing and following Sirius inside, the chlorine smell assaulting his sense of smell as soon as they opened the door. Regulus took a deep breath. He could do this. He just had to keep telling himself that he could and then he might believe it. 

Once they were inside, Regulus looked around. There was a large pool and three diving boards at the end at varying heights, as well as some bleachers off to the side. What he didn’t see, was James or anybody else aside from Sirius, who was standing next to him. 

“Where is everybody?” Regulus asked dumbly. “I thought this was a–”

He cut himself off as someone jumped off the diving board with a splash and swam to the edge. Regulus had to will his breathing to get under control as he watched James, clad in a pair of tight, barely there shorts, pulling himself out of the water and shaking his hair before running his hand through it. The water glistened off his golden six-pack as it dripped down to his toned v-line. Regulus felt his heart rate pick up as the back of his neck started to burn from the blush he was sure was there. 

“Pads!” James exclaimed when he noticed them standing there. He walked over to them and pulled Sirius in for a hug.

“Ugh, Prongs, not the jacket!” Sirius shrieked, pushing him off and James laughed loudly. 

Regulus’ knees nearly buckled from the sound. He tried to take a subtle breath, willing his heart to get back to normal as James turned towards him. It didn’t work.

“Hey, Reg. I’m surprised Sirius got you here.”

“I had to bribe him… after I kidnapped him,” Sirius chuckled when Regulus didn’t say anything.

James shoved Sirius in the shoulder and Sirius pushed him back, nearly pushing him back in the pool. When they were done messing around, James turned back to Regulus.

“Sorry,” he said sincerely. “He told me you agreed to come last week.”

What? Oh, he was going to kill his brother. 

“Of course, I didn’t believe him,” James chuckled before speaking softer, “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“It’s-” Regulus cleared his throat, hoping the blush went away when they goofing off. “It’s fine. I should probably learn anyway, considering there is a high probability of Sirius throwing me in if I disagreed.”

“Are you sure?” James asked with a gentle smile. 

“Yeah. I just thought there would be more people here when I found out what we were actually doing.”

“Oh.” Regulus was confused. He was going to ask him what he meant by ‘oh’ but James wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was staring at Sirius, who had an expression that screamed he was innocent. “You didn’t tell him it was a private lesson?”

“Hey, I was barely able to get him here,” Sirius remarked, putting his hands up in surrender.

James pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. “Go back to the lobby and bug Marlene. You’re not allowed in here anymore.”

“But-” Sirius started before looking at James and Regulus had never seen that expression on James’ face. Granted, the only expressions he had really seen were smiles and gentleness. “Fine.”

James turned back to Regulus after the door closed. “I’ll ask again. Are you sure you want to learn? I’m not going to make you do anything that you don’t want to do, like your idiot brother,” he said, raising his voice on the last part so Sirius could hear.

“Umm…” Regulus’ eyes darted everywhere except at the toned chest in front of him. “I- I-” he cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus on James’ face inside of his water covered abs, “I guess I could try, since I’m already here,” he said as nonchalantly as he could manage.

Oh, that smile is going to be the death of me. Regulus willed the blush to disappear as much as he could, averting his eyes to the pool. 

“Okay. I promise nothing’s going to happen. I’ll make sure of it,” James responded, reassuringly.

“O- okay.”

James led him over to the shallow end of the pool and jumped in before holding his hand out for Regulus to take if he wanted to. Regulus stood there nervously as he looked from the water to James and back again repeatedly. 

“Don’t worry,” James said with a gentle smile. “It’s only three feet deep right here.”

He stood up completely so the water only came up to his waist to prove his point. Regulus sighed again, forcing himself to focus on the water and not James. He stepped towards the edge of the pool and dipped his toe in, testing the water’s temperature. It was warm and he hated that he couldn’t use it as an excuse to run out of the aquatic centre. 

“What exactly are we going to do?” Regulus asked as he grabbed the railing of the ladder.

James smiled and Regulus was glad he had something to hold onto as his knees wobbled slightly. 

“Well, since I can tell you’re nervous, I figured we could start with getting used to the water and maybe work on floating today,” James remarked as he stepped closer to the edge. “If you want to continue after that, then we can do some more or set up another time to work on it.”

Regulus hated that that sounded logically. He had hoped James was planning on throwing him into the deep end then he could have bailed without worrying about hurting anybody’s feelings. He sighed and sat on the edge, letting his legs dangle over the ladder and held his hand out for James to take to guide him into the water. 

James did before putting one of his hands on Regulus’ hip gently, waiting for him to scoot farther into the water. It took some time but Regulus managed to get all the way into the water and moved away from the edge towards the center with James’ guiding hand on his lower back. Regulus took a subtle deep breath to calm his racing heart at having his crush so close to him. It was a good thing they were in the water. He never would have been able to stay standing if he was still on land. 

“Okay,” James started, coming around to the front to face Regulus. “Now that you’re in the water, how do you feel?”

Regulus thought about it for a few seconds before locking eyes with James. That was a mistake as he saw the gentleness in the hazel irises and he hoped James couldn’t tell he was flustered. 

“G- umm, good. I think I’m good,” Regulus managed to get out when he looked back at the water, composing himself again. 

“Great. You’re doing so good already,” James beamed and Regulus’ heart skipped a beat at the praise. “Do you want to try floating or is this enough for the day?”

“Uhh… I think we could try floating. I’m not going to go under the water, right?”

“No, no of course not. I’ll keep you up the whole time,” James said quickly.

Regulus hated that he was so accomodating. It made him fall for James even more than he already was. Pretty soon, other people might notice his infatuation and start to tease him about it. Especially if Sirius figured it out. 

“Okay,” he replied, nodding his head before the word was out of his mouth. 

“Great,” James smiled gently. “Okay, I’m going to put my hand on your lower back and will gingerly move your legs up so you’re on your back. Is that alright?”

Regulus took a second to think about what that would feel like and figured this was probably the only way he was going to have James’ hands on him. He also forgot that he was in the water as James stood in front of him with the sweetest smile he had ever seen. At least until the water moved around them. 

James took a step closer and held his hand out, waiting for Regulus to turn around so he could place it on his back. Regulus did so and shivered when James placed his hand there. James guided him onto his back and Regulus made a point to not freak out as his hair touched the water when his legs were up. He was so focused on the feeling of James’ hand on his back that he didn’t notice he was floating by himself until James beamed at him from above. 

“What?” he asked with a little bite at the obvious amusement on James’ face. 

“You’re floating… by yourself,” he replied, showing Regulus his hands to prove his point. 

It took him a few seconds to register what was happening before he started flailing and James grabbed his hips before he went under the water. Once Regulus was standing back on the bottom of the pool, he smacked James in the chest, sucking in his breath when he made contact with his solid upper body. 

“You said you weren’t going to let go,” Regulus whisper-shouted. He didn’t want his brother coming in and asking what was going on. 

“No,” James smirked, “I said I would keep you up and I did. You didn’t go under the water, did you?”

Regulus glared at him for a few seconds before making his way to the ladder and hoped his heart didn’t make him do something stupid. James chuckled behind him but didn’t stop him. They got out of the pool and Regulus stalked towards the door. He needed to get out of there. He pushed the door open, grabbed his clothes from Sirius and made his way to the restroom to change back into his dry clothes again. 

He took his time changing, mostly to calm his heart down and will the blush off his pale cheeks before returning to his brother and most likely James. When he finally came out of the bathroom, James was talking to Sirius and the blonde receptionist jovially. 

“You good?” Sirius asked when he emerged. 

“Fine. Let’s go. You owe me a new pair of Docs,” Regulus grumbled. 

Sirius chuckled and when Regulus turned towards them, James was standing there with a sweet smile. 

“You did really well today, Regulus,” he said easily taking a step towards him. “Would you like to try another day? Maybe get you actually swimming next time.”

Regulus stumbled over his own feet as he took a step back from James’ closeness. James reached out, grabbing his arm so he didn’t fall on his ass. Everything seemed to stop as Regulus looked up into James’ golden irises. His breath stuttered as his arm heated up with where James was holding him up. 

“I’d really love to see you again, love,” James whispered, causing Regulus to suck in a breath and he nodded subtly. James smiled before straightening up and turning towards Sirius. “And Pads…”

“Yeah?”

“No more kidnapping your brother.”

“Regulus..”

“Hmm?”

“I can give you my number and you can text me when you want to set up another lesson.”

“Okay.” Regulus nodded, pulling his phone out without thinking about it. 

James entered his number before winking and handing it back. Regulus looked at the phone in his hand, noticing there was a new note open on it. He snapped his eyes up to look at James but he was already saying goodbye to Sirius and talking to the receptionist. 

He clicked on the note without thinking. 

Text me anytime. Even if it’s not about swimming lessons.

James

Regulus was sufficiently freaking out now. There was no way that James was flirting with him right now, especially in front of Sirius. But he really hoped he was.