#this is the first time I’ve ever had a complaint ab this show

[bbyboybucket]

I honestly kinda hate what they did with Annie in s4e3. While allllll of the other characters in the show are absolutely horrible people or morally grey, she’s always been the only one, esp the only supe, who’s truly good. She was the naive girl who grew up sheltered and had to learn about the world the hard way. She was super super super innocent and the whole thing with her character is that being in the Seven took away all that innocence and naivety and sweetness. She’s always been the good girl ™️ and the most pure which made her stand out from other characters bc she’s the ONLY one.

So yeah, I really hate that they suddenly threw in the “former blonde mean girl who bullied poor kids” back story bc that’s so boring and it’s such a character assassination. Like yeah, the writers prolly added it to spice her up but I think it quite literally did the opposite.

[theycallme-thejackal]

One MidgeLenny x TSwift Fic Per Day

74. the 1

She’s started saying yes instead of no.

Good gigs, shit gigs, opening acts, warm-up spots, she’s taking them all without complaint, and she’s gained back a lot of the momentum she lost on that tarmac last year. Everything is good again.

Well, that’s what she tells herself.

She thinks she sees Lenny all the time. In the audience at her shows, on a stool at smoky bars. Once at the dry cleaner’s. But it’s not him. It’s never him.

He’s probably off doing something exciting. Headlining somewhere outside of New York. Not thinking about her. It kills her to think that he doesn’t think about her.

Today is another day she wakes up alone, the other side of the bed cold. She’s been sleeping on the left instead of the right ever since that night spent in his hotel. She sighs as she looks at the empty space.

If she’d just started saying yes sooner, would things be different now? If instead of taking her onstage to yell at her, he’d taken her there to celebrate, would everything be different now? Would she be waking up to him in the morning, or would he have left anyway?

She doesn’t know which answer is more depressing.

The phone rings, and she pulls the covers over her head, wanting to hide from the world a little longer.

The phone stops ringing, and she can hear her mother’s voice floating down the hall. It’s a normal pitch at first and then she hears, “How do I know this isn’t her brother? I know because I gave birth to the man. I know what his voice sounds like.”

Midge launches herself at the phone on her nightstand. “Mama, it’s okay. I’ve got it.”

“Miriam, who is this man claiming to be your brother?”

“It’s a joke, Mama. It’s Lenny.”

“I’m hurt you didn’t recognize my voice, Rose. Did bailing me out mean nothing to you?”

She can practically hear her mother roll her eyes, and she does hear her scoff. “Miriam, I’m hanging up now.”

“Thank you, Mama.” There’s the telltale click, and then it’s just Midge and Lenny left on the call.

“Your mother does not like me,” he half-jokes.

“Well, you didn’t make the best first impression,” Midge replies. “Making her post your bail...”

“It seemed to work just fine with you,” he comments, and she just knows he’s smirking. She’d be indignant if not for the fact that she has, in fact, always found him charming. Even from that first shared trip to the slammer.

“Well, I am not my mother.”

“Thank god for that. I can’t compete with Abe. That man has the most majestic mustache I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

That makes her laugh outright, and she shifts to sit up properly. “How are you?” She asks. “Where are you?”

“Fine. And Miami,” he answers. “A much less appealing city without you here to join me for an impromptu night about town.”

She smiles as she tucks her knees up to her chest. “Is this your way of saying you miss me?”

“Nothing gets past you, sweetheart.”

“I would agree, but my ex-husband managed to have an affair right under my nose for six months, so I would argue I am painfully obtuse.”

“Oof, and here I thought I was the king of self-deprecation.”

“I’m coming for your crown, Mr. Bruce.”

He pauses for a moment. “Don’t do that to me, Midge,” he groans.

“Do what?”

“Call me Mr. Bruce when I’m too far away to touch you.”

Her breath catches. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” he breathes. “It’s not even eight in the morning, and I’m already having some thoughts I’ll be atoning for come September.”

Midge laughs softly. “I guess you’re just going to have to come back so we can turn those thoughts into actions,” she proposes.

“Yeah?” He asks, sounding hopeful.

“Well, there’s some talking to do first,” she replies. “You did just up and disappear on me only days after we finally had sex.”

“Finally?” He asks, and there’s that smirk again - she can hear it this time.

“Oh, please, as if you weren’t thinking it.”

“Hey, I was thinking about it for almost two years. I just didn’t think you were.”

“Well...I was,” she admits quietly.

“Yeah?” He breathes again.

“Since...well, not two years, but...somewhere between that night at Upstairs at the Downstairs and Steve Allen...I started feeling something for you.”

“That early on?” He asks. “Then...if you don’t mind my asking...what stopped you...?”

She takes a deep breath. “I didn’t want to be just a one night stand,” she answers. “I’d just had a conversation with a friend about one night stands - the rules and whatnot - and...I didn’t want to lose you if it was just going to be one night.”

“It was never going to be just one night, Midge,” he whispers.

She bites her lip gently. “No?”

“Not if you didn’t want it to be.”

She finds herself smiling even more. “Lenny?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you’re coming back soon,” she says.

“You’ve given me some pretty good incentive,” he points out with a quiet laugh. “Be on the lookout. Never know when I’ll sneak up on you.”

She laughs again. “I look forward to it.”

[ahockeywrites]

Lights Down Low

This is super self-indulgent whoops. I was listening to this playlist and got an idea.

Warnings: minors dni, explicit fem!reader, smut, consensual possessiveness, use of sex toys, oral sex (male and female receiving), rough smut, unprotected sex, dom!josh, sub!reader, masturbation, orgasm denial swearing Word Count: 3.3k

Being named the first start of the night meant that Josh had more media commitments than usual, so your alone time in the apartment you shared in Montreal was extended. The blue of the 17 Reverse Retro jersey you were wearing complimented the blue thong hidden underneath.

The full-length mirror sitting in the corner of the master bedroom was perfectly placed to take sexy photos in and send to Josh and that’s exactly what you did. The Polaroid camera that you had been gifted from Josh for your last birthday was intended to take photos of the pair of you on your travels but had quickly found a more sexual purpose.

The photos taken in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and on a Gondola in Venice quickly became ones of you on all fours with Josh's hand pulling at your hair as he pounded himself into you and him walking out of a lake, abs and v-lines on show. You audibly groaned as you thought of previous nights spent under the sheets with Josh and felt the wetness pool between your legs. Josh was sure to notice when he saw you for the first time.

It was easy to take a few photos of you in his jersey, showing the small amount of lace visible underneath it. You made sure to take a few of his name on your back because he loved seeing you with it resting over your shoulder blades. He wasn't usually possessive, but whenever you wore his name or number, it seemed like all he wanted to do was rip all your clothes off and take you right there. Even in public.

Remembering to send a warning text, you didn't need one of the younger players looking over Josh's shoulder and seeing more than he bargained for again, you sent him a photo of the Polaroid images scattered over the freshly made bed. A few spritzes of the perfume you only used for special occasions added to the atmosphere you had created by lighting some candles after taking some time for yourself after Josh's fight.

He was quick to respond to the messages.

J x: you look so good in that jersey. too bad it'll be in pieces on the floor when I'm home x

Josh was always straight to the point after a game like this. You tried to keep yourself together as you connected a playlist of slowed songs to the extensive set of speakers connected through the house. Your hips swayed to the bass of the r&b flowing throughout the room and you grabbed two glasses of wine from the kitchen.

The bedside table drawer was filled with your most commonly used toys. Namely the small bullet vibrator that always went away with you on work trips but Josh always preferred to use the long, slender vibrator when he was with you. He would use it along with his fingers and bring you to climax faster than anyone ever had, even yourself. He knew your body like the back of his hand and you wouldn't have it any other way.

The silver bullet was the way you wanted to start pleasuring yourself before Josh came home and you turned it onto the lowest setting. Before putting it between your legs, you brought it around each of your nipples before teasing yourself by pulling your thong to the side and running it through your folds. Soft moans of pleasure escaped your lips and you began to lightly press it onto your clit. Short, sharp electric, pleasure waves travelled through your body and you were so close to your orgasm, you could almost touch it.

A loud thud of Josh’s black, leather hockey bag alerted you to his arrival home and you quickly dropped the vibrator down to the side but it was too late, he had already noticed that you had started the night before he had arrived home.

"Well isn't this a sight to come home to," Josh said breathlessly. His eyes were filled with passion as he looked up and down your body, taking in every inch. "Stand up for me baby girl, show me what you're wearing."

Your legs felt like jelly as you were still coming down from the almost orgasm but you still followed Josh's instructions and forced yourself off of the bed. A quick twirl showed him everything he needed to see, the way the jersey rode up exposing the lace once more.

"Lay back down for me princess," he said, using his large hands to remove the tie he was wearing. "Play with yourself if you want, you know how hot you look when you do it." Josh could feel himself growing hard at the idea of you touching yourself in front of him.

"With the toy?" you questioned, knowing how quickly you could bring yourself to a high.

"Whatever you want baby girl," he replied, moving to unbutton his shirt.

You flicked the vibrator onto the second-lowest speed and pulled your panties back to the side, immediately pressing the tip to your clit. Unconcious moans came out of your mouth as you twisted and turned under the electricity running under your skin. Your gasps of pleasure filled the room and you were about t-

"Stop. Stop now." Josh demanded. Reluctantly, you pulled the toy away from your most sensitive area. The pulsating force of your clit flowed through your body and all you needed to do was rub a few circles on it and you would be there.

You groaned in complaint but realised that Josh was going to be in control of everything tonight. Even your orgasms.

"Remember your safe word sweat pea?" Josh asked. You quickly nodded. "Say it," he said.

"Cannon," you whispered. A reminder of the time when you lived in Columbus.

You had only used it once before; when your arms were tied above your head and ankles tied to the posts at the end of the bed. You felt comfortable with the blindfold being placed over your eyes but when Josh was about to place the gag into your mouth you shouted the word three times, letting him know that you were uncomfortable. Immediately, Josh removed the blindfold from your face and went to take off the restraints on your extremities. The bathroom contained everything he usually used for aftercare and he went to collect everything he normally would. Gently, he wiped down the red marks on your skin, then moisturised them softly. He brought you into his chest and began to comfort you, never wanting to cross your boundaries.

"Josh," you whispered, looking up at him. His face still looked scared to touch you, thinking that any touch would make you uncomfortable. "I'm okay now, I'm okay now you're holding me."

He held you all throughout the night, pressing soft kisses into your hair as you fell asleep.

"And you'll say it if you need me to stop baby girl?" he asked once more.

"Yes," you whispered.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, daddy," you spoke, looking up into Josh's eyes.

"Good girl," he moaned, pushing down his dress pants. Josh kicked them to the side, leaving him in just his boxers. All you wanted to do was crawl over and kiss his clothed bulge but you knew that if you even tried moving, you'd be laying over his lap whilst his hand came down on your ass.

The bed dipped as Josh made his way to rest his forearms on either side of your head. His lips were plump and he lowered them to meet yours. One of his hands started patting around, around where you had dropped the vibrator earlier. As soon as he picked up the small toy, he pulled his face away from you but slipped his other hand under the jersey.

"No bra?" he questioned, shaking his head. "Naughty girl. And you know what happens to naughty girls?"

"They get punished, daddy," you replied without hesitation.

"You're right baby girl," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. "They get punished. And I have the perfect punishment for you. No cumming until I've cum."

You gasped and Josh found that a perfect time to kiss you deeply once again. His fingers began to trace the outline of one of your nipples, gently squeezing the surrounding flesh. It was a natural response for your back to arch up into his touch, your body begging for more than he was giving.

Rather than moving down your body, Josh shifted his weight so he could caress your other breast in the same way. He could tell that you craved more and reminded you that he always gave you what you needed. "Good girls are patient," Josh lowered his lips to your ear and said that in a deep voice before kissing you there. He spent his time focusing on your chest and collarbones before dragging his pointer finger down your stomach to the waistband of the thong.

Shuffling down the bed, Josh came face to face with your clothed core. He pressed a few soft kisses around your clit before pulling the thin material to the side and kissed around your entrance.

The vibrator that you had almost used to bring yourself to orgasm twice shined under the light of the candles and you noticed Josh place it on the lowest setting before starting to kiss up your thighs, the vibrator following the wet trail he was leaving.

Incorporating your sex toys wasn't something new with Josh, he loved to find out what you just liked and what made your toes curl. He was more than happy to sit between your legs alternating between his mouth, fingers and your favourite vibrator.

"As much as I love these on you," Josh said, motioning towards the lace sitting on your hips. "They have to fucking go." The next thing you heard was the ripping of the fabric and you saw Josh throw the remains of them somewhere in your room.

It took all of Josh's self-restraint not to drive into your pussy and start feasting on it. Instead, he brought one of his fingers through your folds, ghosting your clit. The vibrator was still in his other hand and he began tracing around your folds and you tried to move to catch the tip of the vibrator on your clit.

Josh's muscular arm came down across your hips quickly to stop them from moving. It was with a swift movement of his body that he brought his face right up to your slit, swiping his tongue through the arousal. "Such a sweet little pussy," he groaned, letting the vibrations run to your clit.

He tossed your legs over his shoulders and continued to explore your most sensitive area. Your hips stuttered and Josh could tell that you were very close, so he pulled the toy away before pressing the pad of his thumb to your clit. "Naughty girls don't get to cum, remember?" he said looking up and down your body. "Sit up for me sweetheart."

Still, in a daze, you were unable to move as quickly as Josh wanted so he lightly spanked your pussy to get your attention. "I said, sit up," this time he had an authority about his tone, one that commanded attention. You followed his word and sat up, back flush with the headboard of the bed.

Josh brought his hand to caress your cheek before tracing the outline of your lips that were stained with his favourite deep red shade. Instinctively, you brought his thumb into your mouth and started sucking on it. His head was thrown back in pleasure, imaging that it was something else you had your lips around.

“You ready to be daddy’s good girl?” Josh asked as he ran his large hand over your head. You nodded your head as much as you could with his thumb being shoved in your mouth. "I think you know what to do princess," he said motioning to the large bulge in his boxers.

Josh loved to sit at the end of the bed with you between his thighs so you pushed on his shoulder softly, letting him know exactly where you wanted him to go. Featherlight kisses were pressed against his muscular thighs as he started relaxing into the feeling of your lips on his skin.

Your soft fingers were a delicious contrast to Josh's bruised abs and he revelled in the feeling of the tips of them dancing along the waistband of his boxers. Looking up for his permission before removing his boxers was a must when Josh was in charge. He nodded before running a hand through your hair.

The material barely needed to be moved before his hard length sprung out, lightly slapping his abdomen. You pressed a few gentle kisses to his tip before licking the entire underside of it. Josh wasn't small by any means and he knew it. He never forced you to take more than you could handle.

You brought the tip into your mouth, hollowing out your cheeks around it whilst looking up at him. Josh's stare back was piercing but you could see the pleasure in his face as you began to take more of him.

Unless he was thrusting hard into your mouth, Josh's hard length couldn't fully fit into your mouth so you quickly pulled off it, and spread out the saliva that you had already put onto it. One hand rested on his thigh, the other gripped onto his base rotating slightly to increase his enjoyment.

He could tell when he reached the back of your throat, but your gag reflex had become desensitized to having something shoved down your throat after being with Josh for so long. You took a deep inhale through your nose before swallowing around his tip, feeling the whole length twitch.

The hand that rested in your hair was nothing more than a reminder of Josh. He could easily change the situation at the flip of a switch, but he loved watching you work your magic around him.

Pulling off him once more, you licked the vein on the underside again before attempting to take him back into your mouth. Josh grabbed hold of your hair, stopping you before you could. "Lay back up against the headboard princess," Josh moaned, taking in your body once more.

You followed his instructions once more, back against the headboard, legs open for him. In a split second, he was resting himself on top of you, lips pressed to yours.

Josh ran his hard length through your folds. “You want daddy to fuck you, princess? Daddy always takes care of his girl,” he growled into the shell of your ear. All you could do was nod in response.

Your head hit the headboard as he slowly entered you. Josh took his time, slowly stretching you out underneath him. His lips found yours once again and he timed one particularly hard thrust well as moaned his name into his mouth. It was the perfect time for him to slip his tongue into yours and he took control straight away.

He could feel you start to clench around him and once again brought you to almost being able to feel the orgasm before pulling out of you and flipping you onto all fours. "C'mon baby," Josh said, running his hand down the arch of your back before spanking one ass cheek, followed by the other.

His thrusts were relentless, in and out at a pace that felt unknown to man. "Fuck baby, you feel so fucking good around me," Josh moaned pulling you up by your hair to whisper into your ear. "This sweet pussy always feels good for daddy."

"Just for you daddy," you groaned as he hit an extra sensitive spot inside you. "I'm all yours, daddy." Josh hit the same spot once again and you collapsed underneath him, almost running out of energy to hold yourself up.

"C'mon baby girl," Josh said, slightly manhandling you from underneath him to both his hands resting on your hips. "Gonna ride daddy like the good girl you are, eh?" His large, calloused hand threaded his way through your hair and he pulled on it to force you to nod in response to his question. You loved to be on top, even when you were tired because you were in control, for at least some of the time, and you could see Josh's face perfectly and do exactly what you knew he loved.

Slowly, you lowered yourself onto his throbbing length, moaning loudly and throwing your head back as he filled you up. Josh allowed you to take control for the first few moments before placing one of his hands around your throat and the other on the top of your head. This was nothing new, but when he started thrusting up into you, brushing your g-spot every time, you felt something completely different. It was new but familiar at the same time.

Words were barely coming to you as he kept pounding up into you but through short gasps, you announced to Josh that you were very close to release. One of your hands snaked to your clit but the hand, which was resting on your head, slapped it away. "You wait for me baby," Josh moaned. You looked down at him to see sweat covering his brow and you reached down to press your lips to his. Josh forced his tongue into your mouth and controlled the deep kiss.

You felt him start to twitch inside you but he continued to thrust up into you with force. All of his training may have been for hockey but it came with additional benefits. Josh could easily throw you around the bedroom and it was something that you absolutely loved. He always made sure that you were okay with it but he knew that you enjoyed it more than you told him.

His hips stuttered and he pulled you off of him before releasing hot ropes of cum onto your bare chest. You knew it wouldn't take much to get there and simply sitting on Josh's bare, muscular thigh did it for you. A few back and forth movements allowed you to elongate the pleasure as you moaned your boyfriend's name. It seemed to go on forever, and you thought that you would never feel something this intense again.

A groan escaped Josh's lips as he saw you basking in the post-orgasm glow. He took one of his hands and spread his sweet release over your breasts and the blatant declaration of possessiveness was almost enough to send your overstimulated self over the edge once more.

"That's it, baby," Josh whispered, hand on your hips to help you move, "use me." He watched as you threw your head back in pleasure, repeating his name as if it was a spell.

Sitting was too much for you and you collapsed off his thigh into the plush mattress. Josh sat up on his arms and pulled a few strands of hair out of the way of your eyes. "Maybe I should fight more often," he contemplated. You could barely muster enough energy to shake your head so all he got in response was a groan.

The mattress raised slightly as Josh made his way to the ensuite to collect a washcloth and a drink for each of you. Gently, he wiped between your legs, trying to reduce the marks that his beard had made and also the cum from your chest. More often on nights like this, both of you were too tired to go for a proper shower so a quick clean up like this was common. Josh also liked to go for a softer round in bed sometimes too and even thinking about it made you lean into his touch as he brought you into his arms.

"Get some rest baby girl," he said softly. "I know you need it."

[amjustagirl]

Chapters: one. ~ two. ~ three. ~ four. ~ five. ~ six. ~ seven. ~ eight.

Word Count: 2.3k 

Summary: Being with Miya Atsumu is like chasing a storm - equal parts exhilaration and danger. After all, it’s impossible to tame a storm. 

Notes: Multipart fic, slow burn. Updates to come soon (and dw, fic’s completed, so you won’t be left hanging ^^)

Masterlist here

AO3 Link here

‘You sure you want the job?’ Miya Osamu asks her when she turns up at his shop, application in hand, responding to the advertisement in Onigiri Miya’s window for part time staff -  general help needed, ability to ride a scooter a plus point - it had read. 

There are only fifteen seats in Onigiri Miya, and hardly any space for her to fit her backpack between her knees, but sunlight streams in invitingly from the glass shop front and there is a faint smell of grilled rice and fried fish that reminds her of weekly lunches at her grandparents’ home.  

‘Yes’, she answers, gesturing with her thumb at her scooter parked outside the shop. ‘I think I’m a good fit for this job’. The corner of Miya Osamu’s mouth lifts ever so slightly, and he leans forward in his seat, hand extended to her.  

‘Welcome to Onigiri Miya then’, he says before proceeding to brisk walk her through the ins and outs of the shop, the scope of her responsibilities, work schedule and (most importantly) her wage, leaving her head spinning at the end of the impromptu briefing. Miya Osamu seems passionate about his craft, his face brightening up with enthusiasm when he talks her through the various onigiris he sells, the type of rice he buys (from a boutique rice farmer in Hyogo, apparently), and he’s generous enough to offer her a decent wage, more than what she could be making working in a combini. 

She stands by her bike on the roadside, tilting her face to the setting sun. There is the faintest smell of rain in the air. 

She soon falls into the rhythm of Onigiri Miya. 

Osamu is strangely territorial over food preparation, so her tasks in the kitchen are mainly limited to washing rice (thrice in clean water, drained thoroughly) and doling out cups of tea and bowls of soup. When he finds out that she’s studying accountancy at Osaka University, he immediately places her in charge of the cash register (and later, in charge of their books). Her scooter comes in handy when he needs her to do urgent stock runs or deliveries to customers. 

She learns the name of their regular customers - Abe-san, who only ever orders salmon onigiris with a side of pork bone soup. Kawasaki-san, who spends half her meal complaining about her aches and pains to a sympathetic Osamu. Mina-san, who turns up every day for breakfast after Osamu includes spam onigiri on his menu after he overhears that she misses her hometown of Okinawa.  

Osamu calls her over at the end of her shift on a busy Saturday night. ‘I’ve a large order for an old customer of mine. D’you think you could help deliver it?’ 

There is a gleam in his eye that she does not quite like.  

‘You sound like you’re sending me out to slaughter’ she comments half-jokingly, to which he responds with an amused shrug of his shoulder. She considers whether it’s bad form to throw her shoe at her boss’s head, but decides not to waste her time. So she shoulders the large sack of food, heading off on her scooter to a neat apartment building in a quiet neighbourhood.

Well – it would have been a quiet neighbourhood but for the music blasted from the top floor of her destination. She has to cover her ears the minute the elevator opens and wonders if their neighbours are deaf or dead because there is no way otherwise the apartment wouldn’t have copped a noise complaint. Grimacing at the tape over the doorbell, she knocks politely on the door. 

There is no response. 

She knocks once more, less politely this time, but still the door does not open. ‘Hello, your delivery is here!’ she calls firmly, slamming her fist down on the sturdy wooden door. 

There is still no response.  

She’s about to turn around when the door crashes open and a blonde head pops out. Her jaw falls open because standing before her is the spitting image of her boss that just sent her out with this order, albeit blonde and ever so slightly broader.  

‘You’re not ‘Samu, but you’re pretty’, he leers, leaning against the doorway. 

She’s tempted to deck him but she’s pretty sure that would mean losing her job. So reminding herself that all that’s standing between her and her bed is this delivery, she bites her tongue and extends the bag of food to him. ‘Your order, sir. Payment please.’ 

‘Didn’t ‘Samu mention that I don’t need to pay?’ The blonde Osamu replica tugs the bag of food towards him, frowning when she refuses to let go. 

‘Not that I know of - and I can’t let you have your order unless you pay for it’, she answers firmly, foot against the door. 

He straightens into his height in a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate her - and while he’s at least six foot of solid muscle from what she can see, it’s thanks to years of working in her father’s shop with men at least a full head taller and broader than her that she’s not afraid to tip her chin up at him with her widest, sharpest grin until he looks away to draw out a couple of thousand yen bills from his pocket, enough to cover the bill. 

‘Fine, fine - tell ‘Samu he wins’, he grumbles, slamming the door in her face. 

She waits until she’s back at her scooter and a good distance away from the apartment before she dials Osamu’s number. 

‘What was that?’ she asks without preamble when he picks up.  

‘What was what?’ Osamu answers, sounding uncharacteristically amused. 

‘Don’t play cute with me! Did you just make me deliver food to your brother?’ 

‘My twin actually’, and he ignores her squawk of indignation. ’Did he pay up?’

‘What do you take me for - of course! I didn’t let go of the food until he did.’

‘Huh’, Osamu responds, sounding surprised. ‘That’s the first time he actually gave in’. And with that, he laughs merrily and hangs up on her. 

She shrugs it off as one of her boss’s weird quirks. 

Except it doesn’t stop as being a weird quirk but turns into an annoying habit. 

Atsumu quickly becomes a regular customer (she learns during one of the twins’ many bickering sessions that he’s back in Osaka after several competitions), and Osamu latches on pretty fast that she’s far better than he is at forcing Atsumu to pay for the food he eats, so he sics her on Atsumu every time the blonde setter shows up at the shop for a meal. 

‘Pay up’ she orders Atsumu for the fourth time this week. Her tone gives no berth for refusal so Atsumu reaches for his pockets even as he grumbles his complaints about ‘cowardly scrubs’ and ‘ crazy bitches’ at a grinning Osamu. 

‘You should give me a raise for managing your brother’, she complains to Osamu later, and though he raises an eyebrow at her, to her surprise, he does exactly that. 

Osamu proceeds to take advantage of said raise to send her to man their stand at MSBY’s first match of the season, armed with a few hundred onigiris. Business is brisk, but she finds her attention diverted by the sheer speed of the plays and the way the players all seem to have wings in their feet. 

Atsumu in particular catches her eye. Osamu explained to her over a slow day at work about volleyball positions and basic plays, and he boasted about Atsumu’s talent as a setter, how ‘he always takes the best care of his spikers’. Watching him now, even to her untrained eye, she can see how much thought he puts into each of his plays - the way he tricks the blockers to let his spikers fly high above them, the quick side stepping of increasingly frustrated attackers, the dump shots at the most unexpected of times. 

She’s impressed, though she doesn’t want to admit it - because Atsumu has the personality of a puddle of muddy rainwater, and she's fairly sure he'd never let her hear the end of it if he ever finds out. 

So it isn’t surprising when she spots him being hassled by a large gaggle of his fan girls outside the sports hall. They’re hanging off his arms begging him for autographs - and probably something much less innocent from the way his eyes are bugging out of his head. It’s tempting to walk away from him – it’s not as if he’s been particularly nice to her after all, but a few of the more rabid fan girls seem to get a little  too  close for comfort and she figures even he doesn’t deserve that . Plus he probably can’t just shove them off because that might cause yet another PR debacle that she and Osamu have become accustomed seeing in the news, so she breathes a sigh through her nose, cursing her conscience.   

‘Oi asshat, your ride’s here’, she shouts as loudly as she can, shouldering her way to the center of the crowd. His fan girls stare in stunned silence, but Atsumu catches on after she shoves her spare helmet into his chest, and grabbing her wrist for dear life, they sprint all the way to her scooter.  

‘Don’t tell me you’ve never ridden before’, she snaps as he fiddles helplessly at his helmet. 

‘Of course, I have, what d’you take me for, some scrub?’ he retorts when he manages to strap his it on to his head. Her scooter groans under his weight. 

Yes - she itches to retort, because he’s clearly lying. He fights to keep upright as she loops her way through bends on the road and maintains a white knuckled grip on the back of his seat until she comes to a stop two streets away where his fan girls are unlikely to see him. 

‘So, where to?’ she asks him as he wheezes, trying to catch his breath. ‘I could let you off here, or we could grab some food - your choice.’ 

‘Eh… Could we drop by 7-11?’ he chuckles sheepishly. 

‘Really? You want me to take you to a  combini  when your brother literally owns a restaurant?’ 

‘I’m cravin’ an egg mayo sandwich, what’s wrong with that?!’ he yells as she revs off, and she laughs when he squeaks and clings on to her waist. 

They end up at a combini anyway. Atsumu buys his egg mayo sandwich. And a bucket load of oden. And a bagful of karaage. And two pudding cups (singly packed, none of the triple cup kind for him  thank you very much). At least he steers clear of the onigiri section, because Osamu might explode otherwise if he ever finds out. 

‘You’re paying the fine if my bike gets impounded’ she tells him sourly.

‘Relax - it’ll be fine’, he waves his hand airily at her. ‘’Sides, what’s a girl like you doing with a bike?’

‘A girl like me?’ she echoes, tilting her head in confusion. 

‘Y’know - kinda square and all? I assumed so, since ‘Samu mentioned you’re studying to be an accountant’, he clarifies through a mouthful of food. 

‘Square?! ’ she mouths at him, outraged, and he grins unrepentantly back at her, crunching on karaage. She abandons her annoyance to scoot back to avoid the ensuing spray of crumbs. 

‘Do you want me to answer seriously, or was that a rhetorical question, gross pig?’ 

 ‘Please, I’m always serious, darlin’, he drawls. 

She steals a fishcake from him in retaliation and he tries to rap her knuckles with his sandwich. They only settle down when the combini staff glare at them mildly in reproof. 

‘I’ve always wanted to ride a bike ‘cos it seemed like it allowed its rider to be free’, she says, shooting a fond look through the window at her own scooter, rusty and old it may be. 

‘I mean it allows you to get from one place to another, what’s so special about that?’ he asks, cocking his head in confusion.  

‘Mm…well, not just that. You see, when I was younger, I used to be so jealous of my older brothers getting to ride their motorbikes. They refused to let me borrow it, so I stole it one day when they weren’t looking and took off - but because I was so excited, I hit the thrusters so hard on the way up a hill that I ended up crashing on the way down. But right before I crashed, there was a moment when I was on the top of the world with the wind in my face - it was the first time I truly felt  alive .’ 

 She closes her eyes at the memory, her mouth lifting into a smile. ‘And that’s what I become addicted to - chasing that feeling of being completely unfettered from the world, like a bird in the sky. 

He stares at her meditatively, as though she’s a puzzle he can’t quite solve.

‘What!’ she exclaims, the tips of her ears flushing pink, suddenly self-conscious. 

‘Nothin’, darlin’. Just thought that you’re more interesting than I thought’. Ignoring her indignant ‘ what?!’ , he stands up, brushing the crumbs off his lap. ‘Shall we get goin’? It’s about to rain.’ 

 The ride back to his apartment passes in a blur of streetlights and gathering rain clouds, but thankfully it’s not as unpleasant as it was before as Atsumu eases into his seat, moving with her when she drops into a bend, loosening his hands on her waist. Still, she suspects it’s all bravado, as he stumbles stiff legged off the bike when they reach his apartment. 

But as to be expected from a seasoned athlete used to the spotlight, he manages to plaster on a grin, cocky and charming enough to make her blush. 

‘Thanks for the ride’, he says. ‘I wouldn’t mind coming out again with you for a ride sometime’. 

Then he smiles at her, and it’s soft, shorn of the sharp edges she’s used to seeing. It plants an unfamiliar seed of warmth in her core that survives her race home against the storm.

[percywinchester27]

A lot like ‘Us’ (Part-40)

Word count: 4.8K

Pairing: Sam X Reader AU

Warnings: Fluff, angst, feels, sickness

Series Summary: Y/N Y/L/N is eager and honestly, still in awe that she managed to get herself an acceptance from Stanford Law School. On the face of it, her life seems as put together, mysterious and independent as one might hope for. On the insides, she carries the burden of past that haunts her till date. Seemingly, she’d left it all behind; that is until she sets foot in the class of the Law School’s youngest, most promising professor.

A/N: The story employs two different timelines. The present timeline for the story takes place in 2014. Please let me know what you guys think :)

Beta: @deanssweetheart23​​. You’re a Rockstar <3

A lot like ‘Us’ masterlist

No one talked to you today, the whispers though, had escalated. No one was bothering to keep it quiet either. Not just your classmates, even the faculty kept giving you looks, ranging from distrust to pity. Professor Whitman, who never cared much about anything, took a whole minute to find you in the class and give you a once over, like he was seeing you for the first time- Sam Winchester’s flighty wife, back to ruin his life again.

The judgement you could take. The pity was painful. What did they see? A girl who couldn’t appreciate a good man? Or as much as you hated to think of it that way- a girl who couldn't be a mother again.

It came as a surprise when Jody called you to her office after the class. When you followed her in, she closed the door behind and unexpectedly pulled you into a hug.

“I’m sorry about all of this, Y/N,” she said. “It’s awful.”

You waited for her to let go of you then asked, “How much trouble is Sam in?”

Jody pursed her lips. “I want to say, ‘not much’ but we’ll only know on Monday, I suppose.”

“Are you part of the enquiry committee?”

She nodded. “All of the freshman faculty panel is on there. You have nothing to worry about, Y/N. Your grades are impeccable. You can’t possibly be sleeping with all of us.”

“I’m not even sleeping with Sam!” You let out, frustrated. “And I’m more worried about what happens to him.” You were a student. The most they could do is sack you from the students committee and bump down your grades. 

Jody regarded you for a moment. “The two of you are so similar. It’s uncanny.”

She sighed. “I’ll be upfront with you, Y/N. As much as I’ve tried to shake them, Sam’s priorities are set. Even absent, you were very high up on that list. With you in front of him, there are very few things Sam wouldn’t give up for you.”

You already knew that. But was it right to let him make all those sacrifices for someone as undeserving as you?

The thought plagued you after you’d left Jody’s office, just as it had plagued you for the past two days. Outside, you ran into Madison.

“Oh, I was looking for you,” she said. “Sorry, I missed the first few lectures, but I have news for you. One good, one bad.”

“Bad one first,” you said, apprehensive. 

Madison made a face. “Starting the day after tomorrow, I have no place to live.”

“What? Didn’t you have a lease for the whole year?”

“Lacey is screwing someone, who knows someone else who knows the hostel director. And, well, long story short, my lease got prematurely terminated.”

Anger flared inside you again. This was happening to Madison only because she was staunchly standing with you. 

“I want you to come house hunting with me. My brother’s agreed to help me out with the money. So, I’m good to go.”

The idea popped up in your head immediately. “Why don’t you move in with me?” 

Her eyebrows knitted together. “Meg?”

“Meg’s almost moved out next door. I was supposed to put out an add for a roommate but with everything that’s going on…” Convincing Meg to continue with the move had been very difficult. She thought it was some sort of betrayal to leave you by yourself in all this mess. Cas supported her on that. However, everyone was camping in your living room anyway. 

Ultimately, you had to put your foot down and tell her to move her ass out. Your life might always remain a tragedy. It shouldn’t pause her or Cas’s life. She had still slept on your sofa last night.

“You’re serious?” Madison was trying her best to contain her excitement.

“As a heart attack.”

She let out a loud squeal and tackled you. “This is the best thing ever. We’ll be roomies!”

“Not if you call me that.”

Madison’s laughter rang out in your ears. “Now you’ve already offered. You can’t take it back, roomie.”

“Wait, what’s the good news?” 

Her face split into a huge grin. “I heard from the HR at Acton Gris. They won’t hire me as an intern. But she asked me to apply for the position of summer associate next year. She said my chances looked great.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“Yes! I’m thinking of applying for an on campus job this year.”

Madison was sincere, smart and she worked very hard. No wonder good things were in store for her. “Let me talk to Molly today. See if she has some inside intel on vacancies.”

“You’d do that?” Madison couldn’t stop beaming and you smiled right along with her. “The world is a much better place with you in it.”

Not everyone thought that. Following the pattern of the past few days, Rebecca decided to show her face again after the lecture. You had been expecting her at this point. Maybe she couldn’t sleep without venting off her frustration on you. As usual, she had Lacey next to her, who really had gone fully darkside.

“Missing your Professor?”

You saw Madison start, but Rebecca put in. “Oh, stop being her Lapdog, Maxwell. You don’t have to rollover each time she blows a whistle.”

“It’s alright, Maddie,” you said in a calm voice. “As it happens, I do miss him very much.”

“I hope at least the sex was worth it,” said Lacey.

You grinned at her. “Mind-blowing, actually. I remember this one time, I was screaming his name for literal hours. God, the things that man can do. It’s in-credi-ble.” You drew out the last word with a relish.

Lacey’s jaw dropped.

Rebecca recovered quickly. “Christ! You’re shameless. That man’s married with a son. Have you got no shame at all?”

“Weren’t you the one making out with Sam at Maddie’s birthday party in the bar restroom?” You shot back. “I remember you described the bit about feeling his abs in extreme details. He wore his wedding ring around his neck. So how are you not shameless?”

Rebecca’s face reddened in an instant. “What… how…?”

“Doesn’t feel so good when the finger is pointed at you. Right, Rebecca? When you’re the one being put on a spot and your character is being brought into question. It was okay for you to make out with a professor. Why are the rules so different for me?”

“I- I was drunk that night. And I never slept with him!”

“Don’t you dare paint him in that light. As if you were some drunk woman he took advantage of in a toilet cubicle.” You spat. “You’re so desperate that you don’t think twice about lying over something so demeaning. You didn’t touch Sam because at 2 in the night, he wasn’t even there in that bar. So shut that bullshit.”

There was a crowd gathered around you now, and she didn’t like her words coming back to bite her.

“How do you know where Sam was that night?” Rebecca questioned, clearly baffled and out of her element, but trying to salvage the situation and save face.

You rolled your eyes. “We’re having an affair, remember? Keep up, Rebecca. You filed that complaint. Also, don’t worry about his wife, really. She totally doesn’t mind.” You winked.

The murmur around you was starting to intensify. You didn’t know how long it would be before the actual story came out. Or if it ever would come out. Neither did you care. You didn’t owe an explanation to any of these people. 

Rebecca breathed out harshly, and spoke through her teeth, contempt dripping in each word. “You’re disgusting. That child of his-”

“Don’t. Don’t utter a word about that boy,” you hissed, the anger finally burning through. “You’ve done enough harm to Sam’s reputation. But I swear to God, Rebecca, you’ll live to regret it if you so much as dare to think about Max, you deplorable excuse of a living thing.”

The warning was so raw, she flinched back from you as you stormed out. 

Madison did not follow you to the library. She knew when you wanted to be left alone. Attacking Sam was one thing, but you really did want to rip Rebecca’s throat for wanting to bring Max in the middle of it. The fierce protectiveness you felt for him was like nothing else you had experienced before. 

Throughout the following hour, you kept glancing at the door of the library, expecting Max to walk in. Sam had said he would visit. 

Maybe you would ask him to read out to you today. If anything, that could fix your mood.

��Umm… Y/N?”

You looked up to see Molly standing over you. 

“Hey. I didn’t see you there.”

She shuffled from one foot to the other looking at you awkwardly.

You squared your shoulders, realising what she might’ve heard. “Anything you want?”

“I- I wanted to say sorry.”

That brought you up short. “Why?”

Molly ran her fingers through her red hair. “I didn’t know you were… you know… Sam’s wife, and I said horrible stuff to you the other day.”

It hadn’t actually been that horrible. 

“I’d heard the rumours but I swear I didn’t believe a word. Then I ran into Chase Lincoln yesterday. He told me.”

“Everything?”

Molly nodded sadly. “It was wrong of me to make assumptions, Y/N. What happened in Sam’s life was none of my business. And for the reason you left to be so horrifying? I could have never imagined. I’m really, really sorry. I don’t know how to apologize.”

“Stop saying sorry,” you said at once. “I know you’ve always meant well for Sam and for me, Molly. Everyone likes to gossip. It’s no big deal. You didn’t hurt or offend me.”

“There must be something I can do, novia.”

“Never bring it up again. Please. Let’s just forget that conversation happened.”

You saw her eyes start to fill up. “Take the rest of the week off, yeah? Come back Monday.”

“You’re low on staff already.” You did not want anyone’s sympathy.

“I’m not doing this for you,” she said. “Spend the weekend with Sam. He’ll need a distraction more than ever before that hearing on Monday. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Molly disappeared into the librarian’s room before the waterworks started. She didn’t want you to see her tear up so you didn’t follow her in, continuing with your sideways glances at the door. The sharp ring of your phone made you jump.

“Hello?” You answered the unknown number

“Y/N? It’s Alex. Sam left me your number in case of emergencies.” She sounded frantic.

“Is everything okay?” 

“Can you please come over? Max is really sick and… he’s… he’s asking for you.”

*****

Instead of knocking on the door, you straight up punched the security key and barged into the house.

“Max? Alex?”

“Up here!” You heard Alex’s voice. Taking two steps at a time you made it to Max’s room. Your chest contracted, seeing Max in the bed. He was curled up on his side, cheeks wet, face puffy from crying. 

Alex was sitting on a chair next to him, distressed.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, rushing to Max’s side and placing a hand against his forehead. He was burning up.

“I don’t know,” said Alex, “He was fine when I picked him up from school. He said he was feeling sick half an hour ago and now he’s running a fever. I tried calling his usual doctor but it says the number doesn’t exist anymore. He’s been crying and calling out for Sam and... you.”

“Did you try Sam?”

“He’s not reachable.”

“Max, honey, what’s wrong?” You asked as gently as you could. “Do you hurt somewhere?”

He opened his eyes and your heart lurched at the tears in them. “Stomach. My stomach hurts. I want dad.”

“Sam will be home at night. He’ll be with you.” You turned to Alex. “Is he allergic to something?” 

“Not that I know of.”

You were sure he hadn’t had outside food in at least a week, so food poisoning was out.

“Does your body hurt, baby?”

Max nodded slowly, drawing into himself. “And my head.”

“Alex, could you please find the first aid box and get me a thermometer?”

She scampered off to find it, relieved to have someone else take charge of the situation. Keeping one hand on Max’s forehead, you reached out for your purse with the other and pulled out your phone. Thankfully, the number was on the speed dial. He picked up the phone on the second ring.

“Cas, where are you?”

“At the hospital. Everything okay?”

“No. Max is running a high fever. I’d guess around 101. He says he’s feeling sick, and has stomach and body ache.”

There was a pause, then Cas said. “Can you drive him to the hospital? Bring him directly to the paeds ward on the 7th floor. I’ll see you there in fifteen minutes.”

Alex was back with the thermometer. 102.3. Thankfully, she had a license and Claire’s car was in their driveway. You asked her to bring it out front.

After she left, you gently coaxed Max into a sitting position, he looked drowsy and was still sniffling a little. “Honey, listen to me. You’re going to have to deal with a little inconvenience, okay? We’re going to drive you to the hospital very quickly.”

“Hospital?” He mumbled. eyes filling up again. 

“It’s just Cas there,” you soothed him. “You remember Cas, right? We all played jenga together.”

Max opened his mouth to say something, instead his eyes widened and threw up over the front of your sweater and into your lap. 

He started crying immediately. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Your eyes filled up. “It’s okay, baby. It’s no big deal.” You removed the puke covered sweater and used to wipe away the vomit stuck to your jeans. “See, it’s all gone. No need to worry at all.”

The retching had left him weak and shivering. 

“Just stay put a minute.” You hurriedly tossed your sweater in the hamper by the door, and pulled on one of Sam’s overlarge shirts over your T-shirt. Once back, you grabbed Max’s grey blanket and wrapped it around him. Slinging your purse around your torso, you lifted him in your arms and carried into the car that was already waiting at the curb. You held Max close to your chest in the backseat, whispering soft reassurances in his ears. 

Just as Alex pulled up in front of the hospital, Max threw up on you again. It made him cry harder. You realised it was not just humiliating for him, he was missing his dad terribly. 

“Max, honey, it’s totally okay,” you assured him, kissing his brow. “I used to throw up so much as a kid, gran used to call me projectile Y/N. Just puke all around me all the time. Hell, ask your dad. He held my hair when I threw up in the toilet. It’s my jam. And we’ve got a  towel now. Let’s clean you up, okay?”

Thankfully, the blanket wasn’t soiled, so you could keep it around him as you carried him in the lift.

Cas was waiting for you there. He immediately guided you to a bed and laid Max down on it. You started to step back.

“Y/N, don’t go,” Max rasped out. 

“I’m right here, Chirp. I’m not going anywhere, but Cas needs to take a look at you.”

Max still reached out with his hand. You looked at Cas. He gave you a quick nod and you rushed to Max’s side once more, grasping his outstretched fingers tightly. Cas pressed Max’s tummy, asking where exactly it hurt, then checked the temperature again along with the pulse. You watched apprehensively as Cas pulled down Max’s eyelids and asked more questions. Meanwhile, the chills kept getting worse.

“It looks like he’s caught a viral fever. The nurse outside told me it’s been doing a round at the school. We’ve had many kids this week.”

“Why is he throwing up then?”

“It’s probably the phlegm. I don’t think there’s a reason to worry. I’ll give him an IV with paracetamol and nausea suppressants. He’ll feel much better in a few hours.” Cas hesitated. “Maybe you should ask Sam before we start the treatment. Only he can sign off on the papers. You’ll need the details of the health insurance.”

“I can’t get to him. We’ve been trying non-stop.” 

Would Sam want you to make such decisions on his behalf? Max was looking paler than usual and was clearly in pain. You couldn’t wait till midnight to start him on medication. It was killing you to see him hurting like this.

“Screw the insurance. I’ll pay whatever the bill comes out to be… and I’ll sign off on the papers as well.”

Cas gave you an apprehensive look. “Y/N?”

“Look,” you said through your teeth, “I’m still his legal guardian. I have that right. Just start him on the medication. I can’t bear to see him like this.”

“Alright.” Cas said something to the nurse behind him who rushed out and then came back with a syringe. 

“This is going to hurt just a little, Max,” Cas said, flicking at the needle.

You crouched down next to Max’s head. “You’re my brave boy, aren’t you? One little prick and that will be all. You’ll feel so much better afterwards. Can you do that?” 

Max gave you one quick jerk of his neck. “Close your eyes.” He did. 

Cas pushed the needle into the tiny crease of Max’s arm and you flinched, tears pouring down your cheeks. Max did not even make a whimper. The nurse stuck a piece of white tape over the puncture mark after Cas was done.

“You need to swallow these two little tablets,” Cas said, handing them to Max along with a glass of water. Max looked at you and you nodded encouragingly. Without any fuss, he did as Cas said. You hugged Max very tightly to your chest. “You’re the bravest little thing in this world, you know that? And I’m so damn proud of you. You get every cookie you can think of when you feel better, yeah?”

“We’ll keep him here till the nausea subsides,” said Cas. “Once he feels better, you can take him home.”

Cas seemed concerned, but it wasn’t directed at Max- which made you feel better. It was directed at you. “You better sign off on those papers, Y/N.”

“Can you please bring them here?” You pleaded. “I don’t want to leave Max.” The boy in question was still hugging your middle tightly.

“Of course.”

It was with shivering hands that you filled out the form. You stared at the paper for a whole minute before ticking off on the small box in the relationship to the patient column against mother. Max had fallen asleep in your arms and the tears just wouldn’t stop. You knew he was going to be okay, the fever was already coming down and he had stopped shivering. Sweat dewed up on his forehead. 

Occasionally you wiped it off with the back of your sleeve. 

But you were terrified of this feeling- like the world would go dark if a single wrong thing happened to this boy. There was a point in your life when you were ready to own up to this feeling, looking forward to it even- and then you had lost it, along with every other emotion in your heart. Since the day you had met Max, you’d been dancing along the edge of the precipice of this very feeling- this selfless, immense love. Not ready to take the leap. Scared that you’d be shattered if you did.

Were you scared of being a bad mother? Or were you simply scared of being a mother? 

As you sat there, alone, in the small clinical room, with Max softly snoring in your lap, you realised that what you truly feared above and beyond everything was giving in to feeling this love and losing it again. 

If you accepted him as your son, and then something happened to him, you wouldn’t make it out of it alive. Literally. Not accepting Sam’s love and a place in his and Max’s life was not only a product of your doubts and self-hatred. It was a plain survival instinct. The epiphany was so strong, it left you breathless.

You felt a hand against your shoulder. Cas’s blue eyes were sympathetic in their depth. “You can take him home now, Y/N.” He didn’t try to reassure you beyond it. He had a subtle way of comforting without saying the words out loud.

You called Alex again, who had been reading in the waiting room and she drove you back to Max’s place. He’d been asleep through the ride, right until you put him to bed. Insisting that Alex go back home and study for her exams, you stripped down to your tank top, pulled on a pair of Sam’s tracks. After making sure that Max was still out, you cleaned up your clothes, and the mess on the floor and side of Max’s bed. You didn’t dare close the door of the bathroom, lest Max call out to you and you couldn’t answer. 

Taking the chance, you made some chicken soup for him, and only then did you wake him up, gently. 

Max called out for Sam the moment he opened his eyes and your heart broke again. Doing your best to reassure him that Sam was on his way, you cajoled Max into changing out of his dirty clothes and into fresh ones. 

He refused to eat the soup, but with soft insistence, you persuaded him to finish half a bowl of it. 

“You’ll read to me?” He said in a muted, dull voice as you tucked him back in the bed.

“Of course, sweetheart, what do you want me to read?”

“Anything.”

You looked around the room, your eyes landing on the only book over his nightstand. 

“Alright, here we go.” You flipped to the page with a bookmark. “We could not wait for Atticus to come home for dinner, but called and said we had a big surprise for him. He seemed surprised when he saw most of the back yard in the front yard, but he said we had done a jim-dandy job. “I didn’t know how you were going to do it,” he said to Jem, “but from now on I’ll never worry about what’ll become of you, son, you’ll always have an idea...”

*********

It was stupid and incredibly irresponsible on Sam’s part to let his phone drain out completely. Even worse, he’d left it to charge in the meeting room and forgotten to check it in the next couple of hours while he met with the children in the boy’s home. He came back to 17 missed calls and 23 text messages- from Alex and Y/N. 

Max was sick and he’d had no idea.

Sam had frantically called first thing after going through the texts. Y/N had picked up only to whisper that Max was better and asleep, and that Sam needn’t worry. For the next five hours, Sam worried ceaselessly anyway. It drove Chase up the wall, but he played his music loudly in the car all the way till Sam dropped him off and didn’t point out how Sam was a total maniac. 

The clock on his dashboard blinked 1:22 as he made the bend to his house.

Sam parked the car all wrong in the driveway, barely giving it a second thought before running inside. He should’ve been quieter, knowing Max was asleep, but the anxiety barely kept his legs moving. He would have continued at the same rate through Max’s door if the scene before him hadn’t made him stop.

On the bed, Max was sleeping peacefully. He was dressed in a thin cotton t-shirt, the lower half of his body was covered in his blanket. That wasn’t what made Sam stop. Y/N was curled up beside him, her arm thrown around Max, who was nextled so comfortably in her embrace that he belonged there. Max’s book was balanced over Y/N’s hip, wedged open on the page she had been reading out of. On the nightstand, stood a bowl of cold soup, half empty, along with water and strips of medicine. The table on Y/N’s side held a cooking pot filled with water and a washcloth lay dipped in it. She’d been nursing him- from fever or the sweat, Sam couldn’t say.

Slowly, he walked up to Max, and very very carefully placed the back of his hand on his forehead. No fever. 

Sam looked about himself. The floor was strewn with Max’s clothes that smelled like he had been sick over them. Sam picked up the clothes and carried them to the washing machine. Inside was already a dry load of clothes that belonged to Y/N and him. So Max had thrown up on her. More than once.

Sam knew from the messages that Y/N had taken Max to the hospital- had her friend, whom she trusted implicitly take a look at his son, signed the papers as his guardian and paid the bill out of her pocket.

The thought occurred to Sam as he undressed for the night. In that last message, Y/N had apologised for signing off on Sam’s behalf, as if he could ever be mad at her for dropping whatever she was doing to look after his son, the way a mother would.

Sam understood now why Max had thrown a fit when Sam had forbidden him from seeing Y/N. It had hurt Sam that he couldn’t be enough for Max, that Max was looking for something more in Y/N. But seeing them together now, Sam could see he had been completely wrong. Max wasn’t asking something more, he’d been asking for what already belonged to him- Y/N’s love. Max had been right all along.

Sam pulled the covers and duvet off his bed and dragged to Max’s room where he laid them out at the foot of Max’s bed, so he’d be sleeping next to him on the floor. An alarm started going off on Y/N’s phone, and Sam jumped to turn it off. It was already 2 O’ clock. She had set successive alarms for every hour of the night, Sam presumed to check on Max. Sam turned off all of them. He was home now, he could take care of it. 

He checked Max’s temperature once more- still normal- and then bent down to place a kiss on his forehead. It was almost November. Max always had bouts of viral or flu in the cold months. He should have foreseen it. If Y/N hadn’t been around…

The expression on her face was so peaceful as she held onto his boy, tears sprang into Sam’s eyes. This was everything he wanted in his life. Everything. Right in front of him. He bent down once more and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. She didn’t wake at his touch, but adjusted herself closer to Max on the tiny bed, the book falling off her hip with a soft thud onto the thick carpet. 

Sam lay down on the floor, thinking of a night very long ago when Y/N had fallen asleep on the  sofa in his house, back in Lawrence. He’d read to her from this very book that night- for the first time. Sam had slept besides her on the floor that night as well. A writer would have called the parallel poetic… but Sam saw it for what it was, shrouded in a mist of uncertainty all around him- a haunting ache inside his soul.

He couldn’t thank her for what she’d done for his Max today- not only would that gesture be insufficient, it would be insulting. No, Sam wouldn’t thank her. Instead, he would check up on Max every hour, make her breakfast in bed, and iron her clothes before she woke up, so she wouldn't be late for classes tomorrow. He would pack her a lunch and kiss her goodbye at the door. Maybe she would see through him and understand how incredibly grateful he was for today… and how tragically hopeful he was for the future, when he could do these simple things everyday without the excuse of an unsaid thank you.

“I love you, Darling,” he whispered. “It can only ever be you.”

*****************************

A/N 2: It’s been a hard, awful few days. I must be made up of stronger stuff than I thought I was.

Please do let me know if you liked this part. Reblogs and comments are very much appreciated. 

Five more chapters to go!

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[rhysismydaddy]

New Years Kiss Smut - Elriel NSFW

From an ask: Elriel smut!! If you want. They can be celebrating new years eve or something, and after y e a r n i n g for years they finally kiss and it gets ✨steamy✨

___________________________________________________________

Elain smiles at the person talking her ear off, mentally trying to calculate when it’d be socially acceptable to walk away. 

It's not that she’s uninterested in whatever the heck he’s talking about, it’s more that she didn’t want to be here at all. 

Not when he’s here. 

Which, by the way, why in the world is he here? 

He’d graduated last year, which thankfully meant she hadn’t had to face running into him on campus. Avoiding him in her personal life had been hard enough. 

The guy talking to her paused and looked at her expectantly, so she nodded and said, “Yeah,” hoping that’s an acceptable answer. 

Elain didn’t know how he expected her to concentrate on a word he was saying when one of her oldest friends was standing across the room, staring at her like he hated her. 

Or maybe like he wanted to kiss her. 

Either way, she isn’t paying attention to... Luke? and his complaints about his history professor. 

Her mind’s focused on a year ago today, when she’d somehow found herself at an upperclassmen house party as a freshman. Azriel had smiled when he’d seen her, and like always, there was just something... different about being around him. 

It was like her body was in tune with his. 

When he came in the room, she noticed. When he smiled, she found herself smiling back. 

And that night... she’d been just drunk enough to believe in New Years Eve kisses and that everyone should get one in their life. 

So when the countdown had ended and the new year had begun, Elain had gone up on her tiptoes and smacked her lips against Azriel’s. 

Which was probably the stupidest thing she’d ever done. 

Because apparently, he was perfectly content to have all this sexual tension with her and never actually act on it. His hands had gone to her shoulders, gently pushing her away, and he’d looked down at her with wide, confused eyes. 

And the absolute shock on his face had been too much to bear. 

So she’d fled. 

She’d run all the way home and had adamantly refused every single one of his calls. And since he’d graduated in December and immediately moved to the city to work, she hadn’t seen him since. 

Which was honestly kind of impressive, considering for the first eighteen years of her life, she’d spent almost every day with him. 

Their friend group was insanely close, and they’d immediately noticed that Elain stopped coming around whenever she knew Azriel would be there. So she kind of... stopped coming in general. 

She'd taken an insane amount of classes in the spring so she’d be busy enough to never leave campus, then over the summer, she’d worked two jobs. And this semester, she’d done both, taking enough courses to keep her busy and also working part time at the local bookstore. 

At first, he’d called all the time. And texted. And called some more. 

But until she could figure out how to look him in the face and not break down crying or blush from head to toe in embarassment, she was staying away. 

At least, that was the plan before he’d smacked the ball firmly back into her court by showing up on campus tonight. 

He’s currently standing by the mantle, hands shoved in his pockets, glaring at her. Or rather the boy she was standing with. 

Elain didn’t realize why until the people around them shout Ten, then start counting down. Maybe-Luke looks down at her expectantly, small smile on his parted lips. 

She knows instantly that there’s no way she can kiss him, especially not when Azriel’s twenty feet away distracting her. So she blurts, “Um, I have to go.”

And runs. 

Spotting a staircase, she bolts for it, praying she’ll make it up in time to avoid the sight of all the happy people kissing other happy people. 

By the time the crowd chants, “Three, two, one,” she’s in the dark hallway, thankfully alone. 

But then a rough, very familiar voice says, “Happy New Year.”

Fuck. 

She grabs one of the closest door handles, figuring she’ll go out the window or something. Anything would be better than having to face him. Azriel, however, does not agree with this plan. 

He smacks her hand away from the handle, wraps her in very muscley arms, and dips her so low her hair grazes the floor. 

And then he kisses her. 

Elain’s dreaming. She has to be. Because this... this is all she’s ever wanted. 

A soft nip at her lower lip tells her that no, she isn’t dreaming, but she might as well be. 

Because being kissed by Azriel... it’s everything. 

One hand supports her head, the other is on her back, and he holds her captive against him as his tongue meets hers. She isn’t exactly sure when she’d even opened her mouth, but she isn’t complaining. 

Her body’s wide awake, well aware of the strong chest pressing against hers, the stubble scraping her cheek softly. 

All too soon, he pulls back and tells her, “You, Elain Archeron, are fucking done avoiding me.” 

A shiver runs over her at the pure command, the anger in his voice. And then everything that had just happened catches up to her, and she becomes really, really confused. “But I thought-”

His hazel eyes are dark, somehow brewing both irritation and amusement. 

“You thought wrong,” he mutters back, lips meeting hers again. 

Well, that’s pretty fucking obvious at this point. 

Because he’s kissing her like he’s trying to make up for lost time. She's aware she’s doing the same to him, since the result is a clash of teeth and tongues and lips and-

He stands up, bringing her with him, and then she’s against a wall, picture frames digging into her shoulder blades. 

But she doesn’t care in the slightest, because Azriel’s hands are roaming over her in a way that makes her shiver, and his mouth is moving down her neck to kiss the top of her breasts. 

For the first time since her roommate forced it on her, she’s actually glad she’s wearing the low-cut thing. 

“You are so annoying sometimes,” he mutters, teeth scraping her neck slightly as he moves back to her mouth. 

“Okay,” she gasps, head falling back against the wall with a thud. 

Angry, beautiful hazel eyes meet hers. “I’ve wanted you for years, a feeling I didn’t know you shared, by the way. And then you kiss me, and before I can do something about it, you run.”

“I’m sorry.” Gods is that true. 

His hips press into hers, and she arches against him. “That’s 365 days we missed out on.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeats against his lips. 

“You’re about to be.”

They’re kissing again, and he somehow supports her with one arm long enough to yank the closest door open and walk them inside. 

Part of her is aware that she’s sitting on the sink in a stranger’s bathroom, but the other part’s too busy yanking his t-shirt over his head so she can explore his shoulders and abs and chest. 

The straps of her dress are pushed down, a hand in her hair forces her head back, and then his mouth closes around her nipple. Her back arches instinctively, and she almost falls off the sink, but his hands shoot out to brace her hips. 

He switches to her other breast, and she knows he’s trying to be polite, but she’s way too far gone for foreplay. 

Her legs pull his hips to hers, and she grinds against him desperately. He apparently gets the message because his hands push her dress up off her hips and slides a hand to the apex of her thighs. 

Azriel curses, then says, “I’ll buy you another pair.”

She doesn’t have to wonder what he’s talking about for long, because there’s a ripping sound, and then the tights she’d forgotten about become a torn mess at the top. 

Elain couldn’t care less as she reaches for his belt and pushes his jeans down his hips. After a brief moment, he’s pushing inside her, his body tense against hers. 

His hands are braced on her hips, hers are gripping his shoulders for dear life. She’s practically laying in the sink, back arched and head against the mirror, but he keeps her in place as he starts to thrust. 

And she realizes he was right, because she is so, so sorry she missed out on this for a year. 

His hips are hard against hers, and she moans as he picks up the pace. His lips are suddenly on hers, absorbing the sound. Which is good, because she’s not exactly being quiet. 

He isn’t either, though. He’s tugging on her earlobe with his teeth as he murmurs all sorts of filthy, wonderful things she never knew she wanted to hear. 

He’s telling her things with his body, too. 

He’s telling her how stupid she was to not realize that he wants her, that he’s desperate for her. How glad he is that she finally knows. How this is everything for him, too. 

One hand bracing the small of her back, Azriel slides the other down her stomach to the apex of her legs and starts to draw little circles that make Elain tremble. 

“Azriel, please.” She doesn’t even know what she’s begging for, but she feels like she needs it right the fuck now. 

Her nails rake down his back as he pounds against her, and he groans, biting her lip. 

She’s so close she can hardly breathe, so when he murmurs, “Come for me, Elain,” the sound of his gruff voice does it for her. 

She gasps as release barrels into her, head dropping back again as her eyes press shut and her body shakes. She can feel his eyes on her, watching, and that somehow makes it even sweeter. 

He makes a low, helpless sound as he follows, hips hips stilling against hers. 

Pulling back a little, he looks down at her and says, “Holy shit.”

“Holy shit,” she whispers back. It’s all she can think to say. 

His dark eyes track down her frame, and his lips twitch. “I fantasize about you for years, and the first time I fuck you, it’s in a stranger’s bathroom.”

Elain smiles, a giggle escaping her. He shakes his head, then lifts her off the sink and sets her on the floor gently enough to make her laugh again. 

Callouses scrap against her skin as he fixes the top of her dress. Glancing down, he bites a lip and says, “Sorry.”

“I don’t care,” she replies honestly. If he wants to rip every pair of her tights, she’ll let him. As long as she gets a repeat of what just happened. 

Luckily, her dress is long enough to cover the ruined tights, so she doesn’t have to take them off and risk freezing to death outside. 

Azriel throws on his shirt and buckles his dark jeans, then peeks outside the door. “Thank the gods there’s not a line of people out there.”

Laughing, she walks out, feeling better than she has in ages. Especially as he follows and grabs her hand. 

“Elain.” She turns to face him and raises a brow. “I really missed you. You have to promise you won’t ever do that again.” 

Nodding, she wraps her arms around him. “I promise.”

“You’re stuck with me now,” he murmurs against the top of her head. 

“Lucky me.” Leaning up to kiss him softly, she says, “I’m really sorry I ran. And avoided you. And called you an asshole a time or two behind your back.”

He laughs, and she can’t realizes how much she’s missed that sound. 

Elain pulls back and looks at him through her lashes. “How can I make it up to you?”

The grin he gives her can only be described as wolfish. “I can think of a few things.”

_______________________________________________________

Ugh I love them. Sorry this is kinda shitty, but thanks for the ask nonnie! Feel free to hit me with some more :)

@perseusannabeth @cursebreaker29 @a-bit-of-a-cactus @girl-who-reads-the-books @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @rowanisahunk @superspiritfestival @studyliketate @over300books @justgiu12 @maastrash @aesthetics-11 @bamchickawowow @b00kworm @sleeping-and-books @musicmaam @hizqueen4life @maybekindasortaace

[lifeofkaze]

When Stars Ignite - Chapter 8

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N: Welcome back to Part 2 of the HPHM Rockstar AU! New location, new songs, new drama. Buckle up, we're going for a ride!

General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.

Specific Warning: Language

~~~

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

~~~

This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell

You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while

You're looking fancy, and I like your style

You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You keep on shouting, you keep on shouting

I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day

~ Kiss - Rock And Roll All Nite ~

Despite it being her third tour with Equinox now, Lizzie would probably never stop being amazed at the incredible machinery that stood behind every single one of their shows.

Now, two weeks after they had started out in London, their route had seen them through Bristol and on to Birmingham. All the familiar routines had established themselves again as if they hadn’t spent a whole month apart at all. Like cogs in a well tuned machine, everyone was working together in well established patterns to make each show unforgettable for those who came to see them play.

It didn’t matter whether one was part of the tech crew, the management, security or the band themselves; they were all like a big, chaotic but loveable family. Of course, Lizzie couldn’t deny that this time around there was considerably more tension to be felt backstage than she was used to, but fights were something happening even in the best of families; at least, that’s what she was telling herself.

Their soundcheck being over, Lizzie had just left the stage with Skye, waiting for the others to catch up. Even though the roof of the arena they were playing in tonight was still closed, Lizzie could feel a bead of sweat running down her spine.

It had been uncharacteristically hot for weeks now, very unusual for a British summer. Not that she was complaining, Lizzie typically loved everything about the hot weather; but the dampness that it brought with it made it almost unbearable to move, setting everyone’s nerves on edge. Hopefully it would just rain soon and be done with it; there was nothing better to clear the air than a good summer storm.

At least for them, however, the heat of the sun would soon be replaced by the spotlights burning down on them. Even after so many years of playing on stages of every size and format, Lizzie had trouble fighting the nervous feeling spreading from her stomach through her body. She was always the first one to enter the stage, the beat of her drums building up the mood until one after the other of her friends would enter and add their own instruments to the sound. As soon as she started playing she was in her element, every flare of nerves forgotten; but until then, she was stuck feeling like in free fall.

Lizzie reached into the pocket of her shorts, her fingers finding the familiar shape of the red plectrum she was always carrying with her. It had belonged to Orion before it had found its way into her possession; it was one of the plectrums he had used on the first tour they had ever played. Without thinking about it, she drew it out and let it wander through her fingers, a fun little trick Orion had taught her to help channel her focus when her stage fright was setting in.

“What’s that you got there, little rockstar?”

Charlie had finished his work on Merula’s keyboard and joined them at the stage entrance. Lizzie hadn’t noticed him approaching and jumped when he spoke, dropping the plectrum to the ground. Before she could pick it up again, Skye had gotten hold of it, turning it around between her fingers with a confused look.

“That looks familiar,” she mused, examining the colourful piece of plastic. “Is that one of our old plectrums?”

Lizzie tried snatching it from her hands but Skye quickly moved it out of her reach.

“No, it’s not, it’s just a lucky charm.”

She could tell Skye didn’t buy her explanation. “Why would you have one of these?”

Lizzie scowled at her friend as she tried in vain to reach Skye’s hand. “None of your business, Parkin. Give it back.”

Skye made an indignant sound as Charlie jumped to Lizzie’s aid; playing out his advantage in height, he unceremoniously plucked the plectrum from Skye’s fingers and handed it back to Lizzie with a wink. Giving him a grateful look, she let it disappear in the depths of her pockets.

“You’re a real spoilsport, Weasley,” Skye snorted.

“And you’re a nuisance,” Lizzie said in Charlie’s stead.

Charlie shook his head. “Hearing you two talk, I might just believe the rumours about your relationship.”

“I do have standards, you know,” Lizzie rolled her eyes, chuckling at Skye’s sound of protest.

Lizzie’s attention was drawn away from their bickering when she saw Orion and Everett were still standing on stage, engaged in a heated discussion. She stifled a sigh; Everett was still at odds with Orion’s decision to perform the new songs himself. There wasn’t one day he would spare them his complaints. Although Everett had always been a person with a temper, Lizzie couldn’t remember him ever being angry at one of them for so long.

Orion, however, wasn’t responding to Everett’s aggressive demeanour. Ever the calm and collected person, it took a lot more for him to lose his centre; Lizzie wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him anything but level-headed at all. And sure enough, even when Everett left him standing with a dismissive gesture, he only looked after him with a tired expression.

In contrast, Everett’s face was clearly showing his annoyance. He tried to hide it behind his usual sneer when he saw them looking, but the way his shoulders were tensed was speaking volumes. His posture only changed when he walked past where Artemis was still working on her explosives. She was bent deeply over the igniter she was wiring, so concentrated on her task she didn’t even notice Everett coming up behind her.

“A little lower, sweetheart. If you have to mess with our pyros, you might as well give us a proper show.”

Artemis straightened up with a face like thunder. “Go fuck yourself.”

Everett shrugged. “I don’t need to, I have plenty of people willing to do that for me. I can bump you up the queue if you like?”

Rolling her eyes, Artemis gathered up her things and moved to the other side of the stage, as far away from all of them as possible.

“Why can’t he just shut up for a second,” Charlie growled as they watched Everett strut off with a self-satisfied smirk. “I’m making no progress with her whatsoever. I’m still trying to convince her that we’re not all dickheads. Ev’s attitude is definitely not helping.

“Is it still so bad with her?” Lizzie wanted to know.

“Yeah,” Charlie admitted, “I don’t know how to get through to her. She’s a tough nut, that one.”

“Tell me about it,” Lizzie said. “I’ve never met anyone so determined to not be nice to anyone.”

“Surprised there’s people out there not wanting to be your friend?” Merula scoffed as she joined them.

“Actually, I am,” Lizzie said. “I even managed to convince you to be my friend, after all.”

“If you want to call us friends,” Merula snorted, but Lizzie knew she was teasing her.

She chuckled and turned to Charlie. “Do you have any idea why she’s so frosty?”

Charlie shrugged, looking as clueless as they came. “If only I knew. She’s giving me no chance to find out either, as soon as the work’s done, she’s off.”

“Sounds like she needs to get a few drinks in to loosen up,” Skye said. “Probably much easier to handle her then.”

Charlie looked at her incredulously. “You do realise how creepy that sounds, right?”

“Don’t be stupid, you know what I mean,” Skye rolled her eyes, “but seriously, who says no to a free drink and some good company?”

Charlie watched Artemis work her way through the remaining igniters. He didn’t seem convinced by Skye’s suggestion but shrugged anyway. “Might as well give it a shot at this point, but if she bites me, I’ll hold you accountable.”

***

Just like the weather forecast had promised, the temperatures hadn’t dropped one bit until it was time to enter the stage. And even if a cooling breeze would be blowing outside, it would stand no chance of reaching the fired up masses filling up the arena.

Lizzie wasn’t sure where it was warmer, down between the thousands of people singing along to their music, or up with them on stage where the heat of the spotlights made her wish for a cold shower.

They were already halfway through the setlist and as always, time seemed to be racing by.

Their fans were fantastic tonight as well; the arena was sold out up to the last seat and the crowd was incredibly enthusiastic. They were reacting to every prompt they were given, whether it was a challenge to cheer louder, sing along or clap to the beat. It was shows like these that reminded Lizzie time and time again that she had the best job in the world.

Everett was giving a stellar performance tonight; he had the whole stadium wrapped around his little finger like only he could, and the fans were cheering him on as he stepped back from the microphone to join the sound of his guitar with the rest of them.

Lizzie turned her head to Orion, who was already waiting for her to give him his cue. She counted down the remaining beats in her head before she gave him a nod. When he turned his attention from her and began playing his solo part, Lizzie couldn’t help but grin. The people were screaming themselves into a frenzy as Orion worked his magic on his guitar.

He never planned what he was going to do beforehand, not one solo the same as the day before. His brow was furrowed in concentration and his lips ever so slightly parted as his fingers flew up and down the neck of the guitar. In moments like these, everything else faded into the background for him; there was nothing left but him and his music.

As Lizzie watched his fingers dance with dizzying speed, her flushed skin burned at the memory of what other magic they were able to do. The thought almost made her miss a beat.

Almost.

She caught herself at the last moment before anyone could notice. She was glad everyone else was too busy to see the blush spreading on her face. But even if they had, they would never have suspected that it didn’t come from the incredibly high temperatures, but something else entirely.

The song ended with a bang, Lizzie hitting two cymbals and the bass drum at the same as KC let all the spotlights flare up. Almost blinded by the brightness flooding the stage, Lizzie closed her eyes and dipped her head back, breathing heavily. For a fraction of a second, the fading sound of the music was still hanging in the air, everyone holding their breaths, before it gave way to the cheers erupting from the crowd.

Lizzie smiled to herself, waiting for her racing heart to slow, before setting her mind onto the rhythm of the next song. The crowd was still cheering and she waited a moment longer until everyone was ready and Orion had stepped behind his own microphone. The next song was one of the unpublished ones and even two weeks after striking their deal with the label, Orion hadn’t let Everett sing one single verse of them.

Lizzie took a deep breath and set the rhythm by hitting her drumsticks against each other a few times. Luckily, it was one of the slower songs so they all had the chance to calm down a little. Orion’s melodic voice carried into the vast space of the stadium over the hushed crowd and Lizzie felt a shiver run down her spine; she had loved this song from the first time Orion had let her hear it.

The crowd seemed to share her opinion; many had taken out their phones and lit the screens, waving them through the darkness in what was looking like a sea of stars. It wasn’t quite the same sight as it had been when lighters had still been allowed in the auditoriums, but Lizzie was loving the sight nonetheless.

All of the new songs they had played so far had been very well received. They made sure to switch them every night so no one got too overexposed, but whatever ones Orion chose, they were always met with great enthusiasm.

The only unrecorded song they were playing night after night was, much to everyone’s surprise, not one of Orion’s creations. Even after Orion had given his consent, Everett hadn’t stopped pestering Ethan until he had agreed to give a few of Everett’s songs a shot. Most of them weren’t nearly as well liked as the ones Orion hadn’t even finished yet, but there was one song that had instantly become so popular with their fans that Ethan had decided to make it a permanent addition to the set list for the rest of the tour.

Everett had revelled in his triumph over Orion; at least that’s how he saw it. And Lizzie had to admit that it really was a catchy melody. But much to Everett’s dismay, whenever Orion picked up his guitar and did what he did best, all eyes were on him, and him alone. He was pouring his heart and soul into the music he played, and people could tell. Like the Pied Piper, he commanded everyone’s attention without even trying to.

That was probably what angered Everett most; the fact that Orion wasn’t even trying.

Even now, Everett was scowling darkly at Orion as he was singing the song in Everett’s stead. Lizzie tried to concentrate on keeping a steady beat, but her eyes were drawn back to their frontman’s menacing expression.

She couldn’t help the feeling that a storm was coming.

[chubbyhl]

Vault Fic #2 - The First Stuffing

Hi all -- my girlfriend suggested I post another installment of the “vault fic” aka the feedee Louis fic I started writing a year ago and never finished or showed anyone, but people seem to dig it now. I got some suggestions from awhile back to post more content from it, and people seemed to really like the idea of Louis’s first stuffing, so here you are! A nice long one. Happy Chubby Friday, and enjoy! Please note - this is a feederism centric fic. It won’t be for everyone. Also contains some unrealistic eating for entertainment purposes, don’t try this at home lol. 

-

“I forgot if you put this on your list, but this one my favorite recipes to make,” Harry said. He pulled on two oven mitts and then kneeled down, grabbing the hot dish and pulling it out. He set it on the stove and then closed up the oven, waving to the dish, “It’s five cheese baked mac and cheese. I put a bit of everything in it. White cheddar, sharp cheddar, parmesan, asiago, Swiss…and then some bacon bits, because why not.”

“Oh, that sounds so good,” Louis said, “Probably good I’ll have leftovers of that, too.”

Harry just looked at him, and then smiled, shaking his head.

“Oh, no no,” he said, “This is all for tonight.”

Louis blinked at him.

“Harry, you can’t be serious,” Louis said, “That thing could feed a family of eight.”

“That’s exactly the serving size, yes,” Harry said. He took off his gloves and waved at the dish, “Give it a minute to cool off and then we can start.”

“Harry,” Louis said, “You – you can’t expect me to eat all of that.”

“Well,” Harry shrugged, “I mean, I’ll take you having half at this point. But at some point, I’m going to make this and you’ll definitely have all of it.”

Harry kept moving around the kitchen, getting out dishes and some glasses, and Louis kept staring at the dish of macaroni. What had sounded so delicious a few minutes now loomed in front of him like his personal white whale, something Harry was expecting him to finish. Or at least, finish half of it, when Louis wasn’t even sure he could finish half a regular serving size.

Harry turned around and caught him staring, and smiled softly and came over. He tucked Louis’s cheek into his hand and kisses his forehead.

“How are we feeling?”

“Like you’re fucking with me,” Louis said, “You said today would be easy.”

“Yes, and most of today has been,” Harry said. He held up a hand, ticking down his fingers as he started a list, “Breakfast, just a bowl of cereal. A large bowl, but that’s it. Then some apple and Nutella, then a couple chicken sandwiches, and then a bagel with peanut butter. And lots of Coke.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” Louis grumbled.

“Hey, hey, that’s all easy stuff,” Harry teased, “You didn’t expect me to not spoil you at least a little today, did you?”

Louis wrapped his hands around himself, looking down. He swallowed weakly, and Harry tucked a hand under his chin and lifted him to look at him.

“Hey, it’s alright, love,” Harry said, “Seriously, just eat what you think you can. But I would be very, very happy if you had half this dish. Like, you have no idea how thrilled I would be.”

Louis glanced at the dish of the pasta again, and then back at Harry. The other man was looking at him firmly, but his eyes were wide and kind, and Louis tried to remember why he was here in the first place. The Kink, yes, but also, he liked Harry. Harry was funny and sweet and cared about him. He wasn’t going to push Louis too far past his boundaries. He would be fine.

So eventually Louis nodded and murmured out “okay,” and Harry grinned and kissed him again before going to grab everything and set it on the kitchen.

Louis sat at the table, right next to Harry’s own seat. Harry poured him a tall glass of water, and then pulled the casserole dish a bit closer to the two of them. He had laid a big spoon next to the dish, and picked it up, glancing at Louis.

“Want me to feed you?” Harry asked, “Not going to lie, I’ve been dying to do that all day.”

“Yeah,” Louis said quickly, “Sure.”

Harry smiled, and then dipped into the dish. The spoon cracked past the crispy layer of baked cheese and breadcrumbs at the top, and Louis licked his lips, which made Harry smile.

“Hungry?”

“I could eat,” Louis said. He was only a bit hungry, maybe enough for a snack, at most, because he’d been eating for a lot of the day. But he could still eat, so he was going to.

Harry grinned, and then picked up the spoon, loaded down with pasta and cheese.

“Okay, open up,” Harry said, and then softened when Louis did so, “Good boy.”

Louis flushed in spite of himself, and let Harry tuck the spoon into his mouth. He chewed, closing his eyes as he tasted it. It was creamy and so, so rich, and he hummed happily as he ate it.

“Wow, oh, man,” he said once he had swallowed, “That’s so good, holy shit.”

“Thanks,” Harry grinned, “I’ve made this more times than I can count and I haven’t gotten any complaints yet.”

“You making your mac n cheese for other boys?” Louis asked as Harry got another spoonful ready.

“That’s funny,” Harry said flatly, “Open up.”

Louis did, letting Harry give him another delicious spoonful. This would be no problem, he thought. The food was so good, surely he was hungrier than he originally thought.

Harry kept tucking pasta into his mouth, smiling at each bite Louis took.

“Doing good, love,” Harry said, “Still taste good?”

Louis nodded and smiled, letting Harry feed him. He took sips of water in between, enough to help him swallow but not enough to get him too full. Harry looked far too pleased with himself as he fed the other man, his movements as steady as his encouragement.

And then, he hit his first wall.

With a quick glance at the dish, he could tell he had only had about a regular serving and a half of the dish, and he was already full. Like, very full. Like he was having trouble chewing the mouthful Harry had just given him.

The other man watched, carefully, and frowned when Louis swallowed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, and Louis shrugged.

“I – I’m full, s’all,” Louis said.

“Ah,” Harry nodded, “I see.”

He set down the spoon and nodded towards Louis.

“Lift up your shirt, pet.”

“Um,” Louis said, “What?”

“Lift up your shirt,” Harry repeated, his voice growing a bit firmer. Louis swallowed weakly, and then did what Harry asked and lifted up the hem of his t-shirt.

When he glanced down his stomach was a bit rounded, mostly bloated-looking more than anything. Harry reached out and tugged down the hem of Louis’s sweatpants, under the curve of his stomach. Then he put his hands on the warm skin of Louis’s belly and started rubbing, pressing in firmly. Louis groaned, hiccupping weakly as Harry put pressure on his full belly. Harry just watched him, and kept rubbing, then hooked his thumb into Louis’s belly button and held the curve of his stomach with the rest of his finger and gave his belly a firm jiggle. Louis gasped weakly and then covered his mouth with his hands, trying to stifle a burp working its way through his throat. Harry rubbed his stomach harder and then gave it a gentle pat.

“Any better?” he asked, and Louis blinked at him.

“Uh,” he said, “Maybe.”

“Okay, good,” Harry said, “You let me know if you feel a bit full again.”

Louis just stared at him, but Harry was already gearing up another spoonful. Louis ate it, and he felt like he could swallow with far less difficulty. And he felt fine through another spoonful, and then another.

He hit another wall when they were a fourth of the way through the dish, and once again, Harry went back to rubbing and jiggling his tight belly, which was now rounder and tighter. To Harry’s credit, he was handling it all like a true professional, even though Louis could see his eyes getting darker and wider. He kept digging into the dish, and Louis kept eating it, like another force had taken hold of him. His stomach was screaming at him, bloated and stretched far beyond capacity, but the pasta was so good, and Harry was calling him a good boy as he shoveled food into Louis’s mouth, so he kept going.

He finally, finally hit his final wall when he was nearly into the fifth serving of the dish, and he clamped his mouth shut and shook his head.

“Harry, I can’t,” he panted. He was hot now, and sweating, and his stomach was in pain, and he just couldn’t keep it up.

“Okay, lovey,” Harry said, “Just one more bite? Please? Would make me so happy.”

“I – “ Louis choked out, “I dunno.”

“Come on,” Harry teased, wiggling the full spoon in front of him, “For me?”

“God, fuck you,” Louis breathed out, but even then, he opened his mouth. He accepted the food, and then chewed and swallowed with more effort than he had ever put into anything before, and then when he was done, he leaned back in his chair and cradled his belly delicately. It felt rock hard, and it was stretched, pressing out in a generous curve that stretched out the outline of his abs. Louis stifled another burp and held his hands in front of his mouth, his face turning red.

“Jesus,” he breathed out, “Oh my God.”

Harry leaned forward in his chair, his eyes dark but his smile sweet, and he reached out and put his hands on Louis’s distended stomach.

“Oh, what a good boy,” he cooed, “What a perfect, perfect boy you are.”

He rubbed Louis’s stomach carefully, pushing hard to make Louis hiccup and then just skimming his hands over the curve, touching and enjoying.

“Oh, Louis, we’re going to have so much fun,” he sighed happily. Louis just hiccupped again.

“I need to lay down,” he got out weakly.

“Of course you do,” Harry said quickly, “C’mon, I’ll get you up, and then I’ll give you another nice rub down. Does that sound good?”

Louis just gave Harry a nod, and then the other man was on his feet, helping pull Louis up. Instinctively, Louis’s hands went to his full, bloated stomach, and he whined, but Harry just held him, kissed the back of his head.

“Let’s get you to the couch. Good boy. Come on,” he said, “You ate what I made you so well, you deserve some rest.”

Louis’s eyelids were already drooping, the food in his belly making him sleepy, so he just nodded and let Harry guide him.

[stars-in-my-universe]

Don’t You Fake It: Tyler Seguin

Summary: Tyler’s girlfriend fakes an orgasm and he finds out.

Warnings: Smut and cursing.

Hopefully you guys like it, let me know what you think. I’m sorry if it’s not the best.

x-x

Usually you had no problem getting off, you and Tyler had a wonderful sex life. From fucking in every room of his house, to having a quickie in the back of his jeep, you guys were having sex all the time. Neither of you were complaining so when Tyler arrived home after scoring the OT winning goal, you had no complaints when he pushed you up against the wall and had his pants around his legs and your panties pushed to the side from underneath your dress you wore to the game. 

“You’re so fucking gorgeous, baby.” He was kissing your neck hotly and you wanted to get him into bed, however you were also exhausted. From having class from 8 to 11 then having work from 12 to 6 and immediately going to the game straight over, your body was tired and your mind was on overdrive.

But you also didn’t want to deny Tyler of his victory sex, it was some of the greatest sex; he deserved it. It’s not like you didn’t want him, you always wanted him. Your body was already aching for him and the wetness between your legs wasn’t helping. It was your mind that was taking a moment to catch up to everything else. Which is why after you had gotten on your knees for Tyler in the living room, him leaning against the wall, eyes closed and then moving toward the bedroom you inwardly groaned when he laid back on the bed, naked and motioning for you to ride him.

You were wet enough for him to slide in easily and despite the fact that you were tired you still let out a moan when you slid onto him, feeling him hit deep inside of you. His hands immediately found purchase on your hips and immediately started rocking you against him, your clit rubbing against his pelvic bone deliciously. Tyler groaned as you clenched around him hard and closed his eyes in pure bliss.

“Fuck, baby. You feel so fucking good.” You bit your lip and you almost felt bad for how into it he actually was. You knew there was no way you were going to cum tonight so you made it your mission to make him cum. Like before, it’s not like it didn’t feel good, from his hands splayed out across your thighs, then roaming up your tummy, hips and to your chest you moaned out loud when he pinched one of your nipples, sending shockwaves straight between your legs.

He started to lift his hips a little more now and your thighs were starting to burn a bit. You placed your hands on his abs, feeling them clench underneath your touch, one of your favorite feelings. He was letting out moans more frequently now and his thrusts were getting sloppy. He was close. 

“Come on baby,” Fuck, of course he’d want you to come first, always the gentleman. You knew you weren’t going to tonight, you weren’t even close so you did the thing you weren’t supposed to do.

You faked it.

Increasing the movement of your hips, you dug your nails into his skin a bit and let out moans a little louder than you had been. You could hear him mutter a ‘fuck’ underneath his breath and you knew he bought it. Especially as you clenched down hard around him, and brought a hand between your legs to rub your clit a little. Tyler’s hips shot off the bed as he gripped your hips to bring you down harder to him, you could feel him filling you up, his cum hot and messy making you shiver a bit. 

Panting you rolled off of him, watching as his inked chest rose up and down. He looked exhausted now but as he rolled to his side to face you he sent you a soft smile. His hair in his face,a light layer of sweat all over his tanned skin. You still thought he was the sexiest thing in the world but as your body finally relaxed and your mind going blank you fell asleep with his arms around your waist and the guilt of what you had done settling deep in your gut. 

X-x

You had invited your best friend over a couple days later just to unwind and relax. The two of you sat in the living room of Tyler’s house drinking some wine and talking. Tyler had been at a game which the Stars lost in overtime and had gotten home a while ago, he was upstairs with the dogs as far as you knew.

“So, are you ever going to tell him you faked it?’ You almost choked on the wine you were drinking.

“Shhhh, I told you that in secret!” She rolled her eyes and glared at you.

“We’ve all done it. It’s not a big deal, you were tired.” You rolled your eyes.

“It’s not like he’s bad at sex right?” You immediately shook your head.

“It was just a long day and my body was exhausted. Is it really necessary to tell him?” Your best friend shrugged. 

“Roles were reversed, would you want him to tell you?” You stayed quiet, as much as it would hurt you, you would want him to tell you. You guys weren’t the couple that lied to each other but you genuinely didn’t want to hurt his feelings. 

Tyler could come off as very cocky and hard if you will however when he showed you the real him he was the complete opposite, which you loved. You just didn’t feel like getting into an argument over something that happened once and only once. 

Your best friend cleared her throat and you looked back over to her. She had an eyebrow raised and gently put her glass back on the table.

“There’s your answer, I think I should go. Call me later okay?” You nodded and put your glass down as well, walking her to the door. Saying your goodbyes, you told her you'd call her tomorrow and closed the door. 

Humming to yourself you shut down all the lights in the living room and kitchen and made your way to the bedroom. You were expecting to see the dogs layed all across the bed and Tyler fast asleep considering that’s what he told you he was going to do.

Instead you walked in seeing the dogs all laying on the floor and a shirtless Tyler sitting at the edge of the bed, looking down at his phone in his lap. 

“Hey baby, why are you still awake?” Tyler didn’t say anything he didn’t even look up at you. He was eerily quiet.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” You froze, your whole body running cold. Fuck.

“I- what?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You didn’t know what to say, you were tongue tied. How the hell did he know?

“I went downstairs a little bit ago and stopped when I heard you guys. I’ve been up here since.” He was now standing in front of you and you swear you’ve never seen him look this...defeated.

“Why didn’t you say anything, Y/n?” You didn’t know what to say besides the truth.

“I just, Tyler. I was just, I don’t know. I was tired and you were so happy and excited and it’s not like I didn’t enjoy it, I just-”

“So you lied to me? How selfish do you think I am?” You winced at the hurt in his voice.

“No, Tyler it’s not-”

“Y/n, if you would’ve told me how tired you were I would have never pushed you to have sex. The fact that you think I would be that selfish, that I couldn’t understand that you work and go to school and then come to games to support me. But I’m not a mind reader either.” You could feel the tears at the corner of your eyes.

“I’m going to go sleep in the den, I’ll see you in the morning.” You let out a small whimper.

“No wait, Tyler. Please, let me just explain.”

“I need some time, okay?” You didn’t move from your spot, you just watched him leave the room, all 3 dogs following him. You knew this was your fault, you should’ve told him but you couldn’t help the ache in your heart and the tears free falling from your eyes as you tucked yourself away underneath the covers. You had so much trouble sleeping that night; all you did was toss and turn.

You’d fall asleep and then wake up, the guilt eating at you. The sad look on Tyler’s face, the hurt in his voice. You couldn’t remember the last time he looked that upset and all you had to do was tell him the truth.

The next morning you had woken up before Tyler, the dogs happily meeting you in the kitchen as you made yourself some tea. You let all three of the boys out and turned to sit on the counter when Tyler made his way into the kitchen. His hair was sticking up in different directions and you could tell he had gotten no sleep as well. 

You took a sip of your tea as you watched him make a cup of coffee without saying anything. You watched his back muscles move as he reached for a coffee cup and the way his shorts clung to his hip-

“So how many times?” Your eyes moved back up to his face. He was looking at you with no amusement, that glimmer in his eyes that he usually had was gone. 

“Tyler, just let me talk.”

“How many times?” You jumped a bit at the volume of his voice.

“Just the once, Ty. I promise.” You could tell he was thinking it over in his head.

“Look, Tyler It was the one time. It wasn’t your fault, I was exhausted but I still wanted to give you what you wanted. You deserved it. I didn’t want to ruin it for you. Every other night it’s been great, Tyler. More than great it was just this one time and I’m sorry. I should’ve just told you.”

“Y/n, I wish you would have told me. I don't want you to ever think I’m pressuring you or making you uncomfortable that’s not what this is supposed to be about.” You shook your head.

“Tyler, I have never felt that. I have never felt pressured even that night I didn’t.” He stayed silent for a moment.

“Am I not satisfying you in bed?” Your head shot up and You let out a loud ‘what?’

“Tyler, you’re great in bed. You know that, you’ve never had a problem-” He stepped in between your legs, invading your space and you happily wrapped your arms around his neck to get closer. You had missed him.

“You sure? There’s nothing you’re hiding about our sex life? Anything I can do to improve it?” By now Tyler was kissing your neck and running his hands up and down your thighs and even going as far as sliding one of his hands between your thighs to rub the pajama shorts against you a bit. You groaned and shook your head.

“No, Tyler. I can promise you I have no complaints.” You watched him grin, that bright gleam back in his eyes. He gripped your shorts from your hips and motioned for you to lift up so he could take them off which he did in one motion. You let out a gasp as the cold air hit you; watching Tyler kiss down your body and get on his knees in front of you had you wanting him even more.

“I still owe you one from the other night, are you going to let me say sorry?” You literally whimpered and nodded as he threw your thighs over his shoulders and placed a gentle kiss on your clit. Tyler groaned as he leaned in to trace small patterns on your pussy that had you arching up into his mouth, begging for a bit more.

About three orgasms later you were completely laid back on the kitchen island with Tyler laying on top of you, still inside you with your clothes scattered on the floor. You were trying to catch your breath and Tyler was looking up at you with a smug smile.

“Did that make up for the other night?” You smiled back at him.

“More than you know.”

[ayellowcurtain]

Could you write something of Isak dedicating himself to the priesthood for his homosexual feelings and of repentance, but he meets Even who works there gathering clothes and food for the needy and everything goes to hell?

Isak wasn’t really doing this for himself, or he was just needing some peace of mind. As long as his mom was happy and out of his ear with complaints, Isak thought he would feel a lot better already. He couldn’t take another month of his life with his mom constantly talking about religion, about Isak needing to move to a different school. So he said fuck it and accepted her offer. In a few years, he would turn 18 and he would then let himself do whatever he wants, even if that could disappoint his parents. At least he would have these few years to say that he did what they wanted and now was his time to do what he wanted.

He would have to live a life of lies for a few more years before he could let himself do whatever he wanted. It was a final count down and a final attempt to please his parent in exchange for an adulthood of freedom.

The place looks nice, a lot better than what Isak is used to. Even his tiny bedroom feels like a dream. No more hearing his parents fighting, no more mess (because he did try to pack only the necessary, knowing how bad at organizing and cleaning after himself he is). It sucks that he has to share a bathroom, but it’s only another yet small price to pay for some peace.

Isak is terrible at having a routine because that’s not at all what he’s used to. Most of the time when he was at home he had no compromise with time, he would do things as he wanted and when he wanted. 

So it takes a few weeks to adjust to waking up ridiculously early, having time to go eat and sleep and study, etc. But it’s good, especially the studying part. It turns out, Isak does enjoy studying when he has silence on his side. He can sit on his chair in front of his old, rusty table and open all his books at once and get his homework done. And maybe he’s smarter than what he thought he was.

With most of his homework done weeks before the deadline and all his hours of study already accomplished with two days of advantage, Isak lets himself wander around for the first time.

It’s a cloudy day, but not rainy. Still, most of the other students are somewhere else that’s not the common areas. Isak walks around, stops to look at the old pictures of past classes. There are also plaques everywhere with the history of the castle he knows lives and studies in.

The eating area is mostly empty, with small groups spread apart, talking, or snacking. The place is huge when empty and you can hear everything echoing.

It happens like a movie scene.

Isak is still taking it all in, the magnitude of this room when empty when he notices him.

A boy, looked a little older than him, and any student from where Isak was standing. Blonde hair, perfect posture, one of those smiles that make girls melt or something, like prince charming. His white shirt a little too perfectly fit against his lean and long figure, Isak is not sure how appropriate he’s dressing for the place he is. And he’s caring a huge basket filled with what it looks to be dirty clothes. The guy stops at the huge window that divides the kitchen and the eating lounge area. Everyone inside the kitchen seems to know him, giving excited greetings and the older lady - that every day serves Isak a little extra food - comes to the window, giving the guy a big bag also filled with what Isak assumes to be more dirty clothes.

He has to act if he wants any chance of talking to the guy and so he walks - tries not to run - and stops in the middle of the stranger’s path.

He’s noticed right away and Isak would like to dream there’s a spark that happens inside the eyes he can’t really define what colors they are. A green-ish blue, grey mixture. He’s soft but so intense.

Isak didn’t think things through, he just needed to see him up close. He’s definitely a human being, not an angel.

“What are you doing here?” He asks with his full of depth and interest voice and Isak is not so sure what he’s asking about. It feels like what are you doing here? I’ve been searching for you my whole existence and that makes Isak feel something he never felt before.

“Hm, shit, sorry.” He feels his neck and chest burning up because he just cursed and he’s sure anyone inside the kitchen heard him. But the boy doesn’t seem outraged, he raises his eyebrows and laughs softly and that sound makes Isak blush on his face too, “I don’t know where...I have some clothes to wash too.”

The boy smiles now, showing his every teeth and Isak is sure he’s staring, almost drooling. The stranger nods his head, gently biting his full bottom lip for half a second.

“Of course. You need help to get them or you think you can get them and bring them to me?” He asks so gently that Isak is not sure if he’s joking or not, but he can’t risk, so he just answers the question.

“My bedroom is so far away…”

“I can help you then, no problem.” The guy is so willing and nice, Isak never met someone like that. He realizes they never told each other their names and Isak feels ever dumber if that’s even possible.

“Sorry...you are...?” He frowns a little and tries not to look around them, some of the staff from the kitchen probably watching them and finding their interaction so weird. And there’s something about the boy in front of him that makes Isak want to look inside his eyes forever and not feel embarrassed to do so.

He puts the basket of dirty clothes under one arm and offers his now free hand to Isak.

“Even. The “do-it-all” around here.” Isak swallows hard, carefully shaking his hand.

“Isak.” That’s all he can say and Even nods his head again, seeming happy that they now have names.

“Nice to meet you, Isak.”

-

Isak is not a morning person. It feels like he didn’t sleep for a minute. He keeps his eyes closed, trying to understand what happened or if he was dreaming again about Even. His muscles feel raw and everything he feels it’s connected to a memory flashing through his eyes. Shit…

He moves to lie on his back and the left side of his hips hit something. Or someone. Sitting on his bed. Isak opens his eyes, praying he’ll meet kindness and understanding, not regret or anger.

Even is still there, sitting on his bed, shirtless. His hair is still all messy and Isak is almost completely sure it’s partially his fault. Even moves slowly, putting one arm over Isak’s middle, his hand sitting against the mattress on the other side of Isak.

He’s very aware of what they did and how fucked up it is to do it here, where he’s supposed to be studying to pretend to his parents he’ll become a priest someday. Even is not angry, at least Isak finds the same kindness and interest that made him go for it last night, kissing Even in the mouth as his life depended on it. But there’s some hint of remorse or disappointment.

“Isak…”

“You don’t have to tell me that it’s bad. I’m aware. I really don’t want a lecture from you.” Isak should focus on this conversation, but his eyes wander down as new memory come back to him. Even has abs just like Isak remembers. He tasted them…

On his knees.

Fucking shit.

Even moves carefully again, leaning closer, nuzzling against Isak’s neck, asking for some space and Isak gives it to him, putting his arms around Even’s neck, holding him tight. Even’s body is still so warm and inviting, Isak doesn’t want to let him go, to discover what Even wants to do now that they finally had sex.

After months of the weird friendship, after countless times of sneaking Even inside his room just to talk for hours. Of having to push Even under his bed so the nun wouldn’t see that he was inside a student’s bedroom late at night.

“I’m in love with you. You can’t stay here.”

Isak said these words so many times inside his head to his imaginary Even that when he hears the words coming out from the real one it doesn’t even surprise him that much. But Isak feels this sudden need to cry. Not of sadness, but of relief, in a weird way.

That’s all he wanted since the day he met Even. For them to fall in love, for Even’s words to really mean what he thought they did.

What are you doing here? I’ve been searching for you my whole existence.

[blu-joons]

BTS Reaction: You See Him Shirtless For The First Time

Jin:

You groaned at the early sunshine peering through the gap in the curtains, rolling over noticing the empty space beside you. You looked up and around the room for Jin, spotting him staring out of the bedroom window.

“Well, hello,” you chuckled as he spun around, bare skinned. You smirked, as he followed your gaze to see you admiring his figure. “Why have I never seen this body before?” You laughed, patting the space beside you.

“I guess I’ve just never had my top off before.”

“If I had my way now, you’d never have it on again, you’ve got such a good body.”

He smiled, laying down on the bed, clenching his muscles. “I didn’t even hear you get up; I would’ve got dressed sooner if I knew you were awake.”

“I’m glad I did wake up; this is the best wake up call I’ve had for a while.”

“You’re so weird,” he chuckled, feeling your hand rest on his chest. “Anyone would think you’ve never seen a topless man before.”

“Not one that looks as good as you.”

Yoongi:

You walked into your home, locking the front door behind you. A pair of footsteps could be heard running down the stairs, as you looked up finding Yoongi kneeling, topless on the stairs, confused by what the noise was.

“Look at you,” you smiled, as he walked down the rest of the stairs. “I didn’t mean to give you a fright, have you just got out the shower?” He nodded, straightening the waistband of his jeans, closing the gap between you both.

“I didn’t have time to throw a top on,” he defended.

“I don’t mind, it’s a pretty good view from where I’m standing right now, looking at you.”

He shook his head, nervously looking at the floor. “I’m just going to go and put a top on and then you can tell me all about your day.”

“Don’t. I quite like you as you are for a while, don’t hide it all.”

“If it’s what you want,” he giggled, his gummy smile shining. “Has anything good happened today at the office?”

“Well, just now is definitely the highlight of my day.”

Hoseok:

You turned over under the duvet, feeling Hobi’s body press closely to yours. Your hand reached out, accidentally touching his chest, leaving you confused when you couldn’t feel the normal material of his shirt.

“So cute,” you whispered, peering under the duvet to get a better look. “You’ve got such a lush body,” you mumbled, hearing him stir, his eyes opening when he realised what you were doing, latching onto your hand.

“And what exactly are you doing at four o’clock in the morning?” He teased, smiling at you.

“Just admiring the view, how come you’re not wearing a top? You always do.”

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “I got a bit hot in the night. I didn’t want you to see me without my top on, my body isn’t great, stop looking at it.”

“Are you kidding me? Hobi look at you, you’re fit, your body is great, you are perfect!”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, I know my body isn’t fantastic,” he sighed, as your lips landed on his, shaking your head at him.

“I’m not, have more confidence in yourself sweetheart.”

Namjoon:

Tiptoeing down the stairs, you could hear Namjoon humming along to one of the boys’ songs whilst he made breakfast. You walked into the kitchen, smirking when you found him, shirtless, placing two pieces of toast into the toaster.

“What’s all this? The naked chef?” He jumped at your voice, instantly turning a crimson shade of red with embarrassment. “Don’t be looking like that, this is a lovely way to wake up in the morning, I could certainly get used to it.”

“Stop, I was trying to surprise you with breakfast in bed and you ruined it.”

“I’ve not ruined anything, I’d say I’ve got quite the appetite now, don’t be ashamed Joon.”

He giggled anxiously, feeling your arms wrap around him. “You’ve never seen me without a top on before, it’s making me all nervous.”

“Don’t be,” you assured him, “you look great, there’s no complaints from me.”

“Well, that does make me feel better,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “Now go back upstairs so I can finish this.”

“I’d much rather stay here, there’s a better view.”

Jimin:

After finishing work, you decided to head down to the studio to pay Jimin a visit. He’d been working long hours, so you hoped a visit from you would pick up his mood, as you walked into the rehearsal room.

“Damn.” Was all you could say as you found him having a drink, without a shirt on. “That was not what I was expecting to see when I walked through that door,” you grinned, struggling to hold the smile back that etched across your face.

“Well this is a lovely surprise, I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” he greeted.

“It’s a pretty lush surprise for me too. Have you been working that hard today?”

He nodded, pulling you into a hug. “My top is just drenched with sweat, I thought I’d take it off whilst I was rehearsing alone, well, I thought I’d be alone.”

“There’s no complaints from me. You dancing topless sounds like a dream.”

“Oh, stop it,” he chuckled, lightly hitting your arm. “If you want to stay you could go and get me a new top from the dorm to put on.”

“Absolutely no way, you’re staying like this for a while.”

Taehyung:

The two of you headed down to the hotel pool after his late-night show. He was desperate to slip into the water and relax for a while, giving his muscles the time to cool down, changing into his swimming trunks.

“You’re looking fit,” you whispered as he discarded his top, noticing the expression on his face. “Why on earth have you always hidden your body from me? It’s beautiful Taehyung, look at all those abs, it’s hot.”

“I’m just not confident at all, I always feel like I’m a bit too skinny.”

“Not at all, you’ve got a great physique. Your lean, but you are really strong and fit.”

He jumped into the pool, whilst you sat on the side, dipping your toes in. “That means a lot to me, listening to your kindness.”

“Trust me, you don’t need to be ashamed or embarrassed at all.”

“Thank you, that was exactly what I needed to here. Maybe I’ll get my body out a bit more now, that was a big step for me.”

“I’m proud of you, you don’t ever have to worry around me.”

Jungkook:

The hot water of the shower stopped, the curtain opening. Jungkook’s eyes widened when he saw you in the room, trying to find your hairbrush in one of the bathroom drawers, turning around when you heard him tut.

“Wow,” you chuckled, your eyes falling on his beautifully defined abs. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get you all flustered, but your body is insane.” You smiled, noticing his smile grow at your positive reaction to his body.

“What are you doing here? Can’t a man shower alone in peace,” he joked.

“Not when said man looks like that,” you teased, “I might never make you wear a top again.”

“I’m sure you’d like that,” he chuckled, wrapping his towel around himself, “if I’d have known you’d be there I would have done a few more sit ups.”

“Oh, shut up! Your body is perfect, there’s nothing you need to do to look better right now.”

“I’m glad I could make you smile, and blush. Look at your cheeks right now,” he laughed, pointing to your reflection in the mirror.

“I can’t help it, this is your fault, you’re too good-looking.” 

---

Masterlist

[monstaxeurope]

Shownu:  Beauty+ Interview

Shownu is a bit unique. He has almost no desire and strong ambition that is common in the entertainment industry. He's not overly excited and doesn't brag about the promotions in America that heated up overseas press in the beginning of this year.

 "(I want) to have a beer with our members after successfully finishing our schedule" is all he says. On KakaoTV's <Face ID> Minhyuk said: "I don't know what kind of person he is. He seems pretty busy but doesn't really do anything, he's mysterious." He said it jokingly but he's not actually wrong. He does his best and with no complaints accepts all the work given to him, just like an athlete. In this era where vanity is "eating up" the society his healthy and honest appearance might look mysterious to someone. Especially if a person doubts "could a human, who is exactly the way he looks from the outside, actually exist". You should meet Shownu. He doesn't really hate anything. It's faster if we just talk to him about the things he likes. He likes baseball hats, cars, games and analog (things). He recently watched <Fight Club> and liked it. "Brad Pitt's character remains in my memory. It was interesting how he expressed the fictitious character. The movie was also visually fresh." "Did you watch the movie because you paid homage to it in the ‘Love Killa’ MV?" "No."(laugh) Do you know what I mean?

After watching <Face ID> I noticed you have a lot of apps on your phone and you're subscribed to a lot of youtube channels. How would you explain your day with apps, youtube content etc.?   SH: When I wake up in the morning I listen to youtube music mix whether I am going somewhere or I'm exercising.‘R&B pop to enjoy a drowsy afternoon’‘Chill hip hop that makes your dirty corner of the room seem hip’ etc., it depends, I choose the one I like at the moment.I also listen to this before sleep. I also watch exercise knowledge or diet management videos on youtube a lot. I practice doing it when I need to take care of myself more. There are times we play games with members too. In the evening I watch 20-minute movie summary of an originally 2 hour long movie. Recently I've been watching a lot of cooking videos too.

You released 3rd full album <Fatal Love> and promoted song ‘Love Killa’. How would you rate this album and stage? SH: I got hurt here and there a lot in the past but this time not only me but also all of the members had no injuries, we were able to finish with no problems so I'm happy. Our fans loved it too. I especially like that ‘Love Killa’ has a clearer concept when compared to our past tracks. MV had a theme too. I think we expressed the precise colours of our music and stage well. The choreography wasn't stronger or more agressive than in the past, but we stood on stage with more confidence than ever. This gave us power while promoting.

Where does that confidence come from? SH: Should I say we took a bit more of a relaxed approach this time, our image is not as strong as it was in our past releases. Love Killa's colour is clear so we discussed between us a lot and while practicing it we gained a lot of confidence. I feel like our understanding of the song got better.

If you watch ‘Love Killa’ stage you can see only Shownu wears a crop top now and then, whose decision was it?  SH: I never said I was gonna wear a short jacket.(laugh) I think it was on the MV set when I first wore the jacket and it was short. Rather than saying I was the only one wearing a special outfit, we all wore different clothes. Someone wore a crop top, someone only wore a jacket with no shirt inside it, someone a shirt with tattoo patterns, someone covering all with a turtleneck.

Since your debut Monsta X got a lot of attention for lifting shirts and showing abs on stage, what do you think about that kind of performance? Do you have the confidence that this is Monsta X's colour? SH: While thinking about music colour, ideas like ‘how would it look like if we show some skin here, what about a tattoo shirt in this part’ pop up, so we decide on a performance we think would suit our song the most. It'd be nice if you think of it as an artistic approach to match the song's vibe. I never thought it doesn't fit well or that it feels foreign.

Monsta X always shows a strong energy on stage, but what about practice, how powerful is it? SH: Not as powerful/strict as you'd think. It's much better to dance to the song twice than doing it 10 times alone in the practice room. That way I get more energy and that kind of practice is more effective. Tension goes up when someone is doing the same movements next to you. That doesn't really happen no matter how much you practice in front of a mirror alone. I get exhausted quickly if I dance alone.

What do you mostly have in mind when dancing on stage? SH: If there is a move I don't like when practising, I concentrate on it and practice that part more. But after that I don't really think about it on stage (anymore). I only think about how I'll do it in the practice room. If I overexaggerate and try too much on stage it's rather a failure. It also doesn't look pretty.

Do you believe in yourself this much because you know you practiced a lot beforehand? SH: That is also the case, but even if I don't practice a lot I don't really think about it on stage.(laugh)

You took major steps in your career this year with the release of first full album in the USA, 8th mini album <Fantasia X> and 3rd full album <Fatal Love>. It will most probably stay in your mind as an eventful year. Do you have a feeling Monsta X took a step forward this year? SH: Truthfully, I'm not sure if we made a leap forward.(laugh) It's just something like ‘We did our best this time too, we promoted actively this year too’. We've been saying we want to become singers, a team, who keep developing and show growth since long time ago, but I'm really not sure if we made a leap and if we showed any growth. I do think we did our best. We had a strong will to confront everything in front of us all the time with no need to look back later. I do think ‘I need to do better next time’ sometimes, because it's not always a ‘very satisfying result’. ‘We finished it well, we worked hard, we need to do even better next time’. This way I'll make more effort (in the future).

Is there a specific part that you feel is lacking? SH: We're not attached to charts that much, but it's always good to get a lot of attention. There's nothing that I feel is lacking, I just think ‘we should always try our best, let's do better next time’.

Was there a reason for your US promotions to be focused more on vocals than your unique strong performances? SH: It wasn't a strategic change. The album's title and theme are ‘All About Luv’, so everything about love. After collecting songs with that theme I guess it just ended up being a more sensitive album. I like albums like this too.

5th place on Billboard 200 Chart, attending Jingle Bell tour 2 years in a row etc., you're showing good results in the US and overseas market in general, what do you think is the reason you are exceptionally popular overseas? SH: It might sound like an obvious answer but I think we got a big amount of fans because a lot of older and younger K-pop artists established the foundation there. I don't know if it's because our group's atmosphere is good but everytime we come from stage or come back from meeting the media, everyone talks good about us. It also helps a lot in the US market to have members who are good in English. One thing is that the whole album is in English, but for fans (us speaking English) might make it even more special and easier to support us.

Is there a Monsta X song you especially like? SH: I like "All I Do". Because it's a song with a medium tempo.  

You participated with OST 'I'll be there' for drama <Tale of the Nine-Tailed> and featured in PREP's song 'Don't look back'. Is there a genre or a specific style of song you'd like to try?  SH: Not really. I get thoughts like 'This song fits me well', 'This one doesn't work well for me'. But I also think 'What could I be good at?' 'I'll Be There' was a really hard song for me. 'Why is this song this hard for me?' I was really curious what the reason was. I don't express my opinion that much when it comes to song and album concepts. I just want to become a person, who sings songs given to me well and is good at expressing myself when it comes to dancing on stage.

You are participating as a judge on audition program <Cap-Teen>. What do you focus on when watching an applicant's performance? SH: I think I mostly look at (the applicant's) charm and the feeling they give off. Even if they don't dance really well, if their face expressions are good and they are witty, it can still be considered charming. I personally like a simple and refreshing style of dancing.

I feel like you will think of the past while filming <Cap-Teen>? SH: Can't help it, the memories come to mind, yes. The times, when I had no definite plans yet, wasn't a trainee or part of a company yet. And to be able to give even the slightest advice to them is very meaningful to me.

What was your goal when you first debuted 5 years ago? SH: 5 years ago I had this vague thought ‘I want to become the best, I want to become number 1 singer’. That's because I knew nothing at the time.  Now I think ‘Let's be nice to our fans, let's be grateful’. If our fans personally come watch us on stage or if they only watch our videos. ‘Let's do our best for all kind of stages’ is our main thought. I think all of this makes us more grateful.

So you're trying your best to be good to your fans? If we look at Shownu related keyword search there's a ‘video call fansign’. You said ‘I left my jacket opened just for this fansign’ and it became a hot topic. SH: Am I really? I don't think that's me. I am not good when it comes to flirting and making witty comments. I also lack in freshness and don't have the strengths I should possess as an idol, which always makes me feel sorry for the fans who like me. There must be fans who want selfies, but I rarely take them. They just don't come out well. Nevertheless I can upload them after using photoshop so I've been trying to take more lately. It's still hard though. So I'm trying to repay fans in other ways.

This year is almost at its end, what kind of thoughts are in your head now that only 1 month is left? SH: Firstly, I want to finish this year well and turn over the "year 2020" page. I hope it ends well with no problems. As of now team promotions are really precious to me. There's a member who released a mixtape, another one is an MC, our individual activities are increasing this way. I want to keep working like this, doing some individual activities while also doing our best as a team.

When new year comes, one can feel fear and anxiety. Do you have this feeling when you think of the future? SH: I am not someone who thinks of this deeply, I don't live looking far into the future. Just doing my best and working on things in front of me at the time got me far all of a sudden. I don't feel anxious about the future, I think doing my best now will help me grow with time. I believe I'll get there at some point.

And, what is in front of you right now? SH: We have an English interview later at night. Then, I need to concentrate on our dance practice for our special stage that's going to be a part of year-end award ceremony next week. My goal is to pull off these well.

Do you have a favorite Christmas song? SH: ‘This Christmas’. It's a very old song and I heard it since I was young. I like it because it's less known than other carols. A lot of singers covered this song, but I especially like Donny Hathaway's version of it. I liked Chris Brown's version too but I've cut ties with him.(laugh)

This magazine's name is BEAUTY+ so I want to ask, what is something you considered pretty recently? SH: I think the staff gathered here today for the photoshoot are really pretty, because they're doing their respective work very well.

뷰티쁠 BEAUTY+  | Scan Reference Translation KR-ENG: Monsta X Europe

[aquietwritingcorner]

Moms Made Fullmetal 2020 Day 3

Word Count: 3928 Author: Katie/Ally; RealityBreakGirl Rating: T Characters: Riza Hawkeye, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Roy Mustang Prompt:  Disappointment or Apologies or Grounded Summary: The boys are grounded. A mission is underway. The boys un-ground themselves. And Riza will do whatever it takes to protect her two boys.

Disappointment/Apologies/Grounded

“I can’t believe he-he—He grounded us!”

Edward’s complaint sounded loudly in the car, and if Riza Hawkeye was a more expressive woman, she would have sighed at it.

“He grounded us! Like we were—Like we were kids or something!”

“Um, but you know, we are kids, Brother.”

“Th—That’s not the point! He shouldn’t be able to ground us!”

This was shaping up to an epic rant, and it honestly wasn’t one that Riza was in the mood for. “The Colonel has his reasons,” she said, hoping to cut off the rant. “Please accept that, Edward.”

“Reasons to treat us like kids?!” Edward shot back.

“Um, it does seem a bit of an overreaction, to be truthful, Lieutenant,” Alphonse said. “We fixed all the damage we caused.”

“I understand that,” she replied evenly, “but remember that the Colonel has more information then you do, and a better read on the situation beyond you two and your mission. You need to trust him sometimes.”

“But pulling our traveling privileges!” Edward clearly wasn’t finished protesting. “He just wants to keep me around here to show off when the generals come through.”

Riza huffed, a little bit exasperated. “Edward, would you please just accept that he’s trying to help you? Your last mission caused far too much property damage. Eyes are on you. You have enemies. It’s not a bad thing to lay low for a bit.”

“Tch. Whatever.” Edward was clearly not having any of this, too angry at the colonel to want to consider any other perspective.

“It’s just hard, ma’am,” Alphonse tried to take up for his brother. “We’re not used to staying in one place for long, especially when its our research on the line. And it does seem like the Colonel’s decision was a bit of an overreaction.”

She pulled the car to a stop in front of the hotel the boys were staying at, and put it in park, turning to where she could look at both of them easier. “Boys, listen. I understand your frustration. I really do. But please believe me when I say it’s for the best. Go inside, go to your room, and relax a little. And please trust us.”

“Its not you I’ve got a problem with,” Edward said, but he got of the car anyway, Alphonse not far behind him. “Fine. We’ll go to our room tonight. We’ll do some research tomorrow. Happy?”

“I’m satisfied for now,” Riza replied. “As long as you keep to that.”

There was a little something that went through Edward’s eyes then, something that, she could tell, he was fighting in himself with. She didn’t let her gaze waver from him. Finally, he looked away.

“Yeah. See you in the morning, I guess.” He was still not happy, but Riza would take it.

“Yeah, bye Lieutenant Hawkeye,” Alphonse said, a bit more at ease then his brother. “Have a good evening.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, boys,” She replied. “Have a good evening yourselves.”

For a moment they stood there, as if expecting her to drive off. When they realized that she wasn’t, they turned, making their way inside the hotel. Riza waited for a few moments, just to make sure that they stayed inside, and then put the car in drive and left. Now that the Elrics were safe, she needed to focus on the mission at hand.

The brothers had come back at possibly the worst time ever, and with far too much attention on them. The brothers had inadvertently and unknowingly disrupted the supply chain for the black-market suppliers three times in the past two months. This last debacle had taken down one of the major underground warehouses for goods and had gained the brothers some powerful enemies. On top of that, the boys had returned to Central, where many of the main players in the black market had come together to meet. The team had been on this for months and was looking to make a big move to capture these leaders. But with the Elrics back in town and they having unwittingly made enemies of these powerful men, the attention was starting to shift to them. Normally getting them out of town would be a viable option, but with the current influx, Mustang had been worried that it would bring more attention to Ed and Al and make them more of a target.

No, the best thing to do was for them to lay low, and the best way to make that happen was to restrict their privileges. The option of telling them had come up, but the whole team agreed that it wouldn’t keep them out of trouble, it would just involve them more and that the opposite of what they wanted. This was a very precise operation, and they boys weren’t know for being very precise in their dealings with people.

Riza parked the car a few blocks away from the rendezvous point, quickly removing her uniform jacket, and bottoms, and slipping a skirt on instead, and taking her hair down, and put them and her service holsters and weapons the bag she had brought with her. In the dark her boots would do as far as footwear went, and she tucked some food on top of the clothing and weapons in her bag, making it look a little less suspicious. She headed out then, making her way towards the apartment they had all agreed to meet at.

Everyone else was already there, and the plan, which had been weeks in the making, was gone over while they all ate. Riza was, as expected, stationed in a nearby tower where she could see the whole area. She would be their eyes and ears, as well as their protection. The minute people started to leave the building, her job was to find their main targets and take them down—preferably without killing them, of course, but if it was necessary, she had been given the clearance to do so. It was all set up, it was all ready, and all they had to do was get in position.

A few more details, the suiting up and gathering of items, and the team was leaving in staggered exits. There were others on standby, of course, as this was far too large of a group and too big of a job for their six members to handle alone. But of course, they weren’t all of the men under Mustang’s command, just his most trusted ones, and more stood ready to move on command. There were lots of moving parts to this plan, and they needed to be able to stay within a certain margin of error.

It didn’t take Riza long to get to her sniper’s nest once she left, and she settled in quickly and nicely, able to see most of the building. She watched the patterns of the guards, saw people arriving, and, along with the other spotters, called in what they saw. Quietly, the teams moved in, ready to make the bust. It was almost time. There was no turning back now, no matter what happened.

Riza waited, quiet and still in the silence, only turning to look at movement here and there through her scope. Mostly it was guards, the occasional dog, or one of their own men. But her heart dropped to her stomach when she caught sight of something completely different.

Edward and Alphonse.

Mentally she cursed. What were they doing here? Clearly, they were sneaking around, but she doubted they had any idea of what they were about to stumble into. Not good, not good at all. Both boys had a large target on their backs, and they way that Edward tended to react to situation, while often useful, would also upset the entire operation. There was no way to warn the colonel. He didn’t have a radio with him, nor did most of the teams going in. She would have to take care of this herself. She didn’t see another choice.

“Ed and Al are here. Solow, Neason, come take over my position. I’m going after them.”

She heard the surprise and the responses from the other end, and then she slipped off her headset, only taking the time to make sure she was as armed as possible before she slipped down the stairs.

Although it wouldn’t have surprised many people, most didn’t realize just how good at being stealthy Riza was. Borne from years of sneaking around her own home to avoid her father, as well as years of hunting, stealth had come easily to her in her military training. It wasn’t a skill she always utilized, but she had it, nonetheless. Now it was put into use as she slipped down and away, going towards the building and her last sighting of the Elric brothers. Maybe she could catch them before everything went sideways—because she was convinced that it would go sideways now.

And it did.

She heard the shouts of surprise first, and then of civilians giving orders. She heard the telltale clap and ring of alchemy, and she emerged into the room just in time to see everything go wrong.

At least twenty men were in the room, several already firing at Ed and Al. She could hear the bullets ding off of Al’s armor even as Edward raised a wall to protect them both. Unfortunately, it happened at the same time that the explosions were set to block off the men’s path out one side of the building—and Ed’s wall was blocking off the entrance that the teams were planning on using to enter. There was no back up, and Ed and Al were between these dangerous men and their only exit.

She would have to do something about that.

She pulled her rifle amidst all the chaos. These were her boys. Ed and Al were her boys, and she was going to everything she could to protect them. One, two, three shots. One, two, three men down. It garnered her attention, though, and she had to move and move quickly. She dodged heading low zigzagging her way across and shooting as she went. These men were heavily armed, and they were one woman and two alchemists. She took out a few of them, but there were more of them coming at her, firing at her.

“Lieutenant!?” she could hear Ed’s surprised from across the room.

“Hunker down!” she called back, hoping that he’d listen.

She winced and stumbled as she felt a bullet graze her arm, and it stung like it was on fire, but she had more important things to worry about. While she was sure that the colonel and the teams were already working to find an alternate way around, she wasn’t sure that there was that much time. Some of the men in the room had decided to physically take on Edward and Alphonse and, while she knew they could hold their own in a fight, these men were big and played dirty.

And that was when she caught it.

This room was large and had an odd sort of decoration that went around the top. It was big enough for someone to stand on—or to snipe from. And there was a sniper up there.

No. No. Not her boys. She wouldn’t allow it!

There was a ping as the bullet struck Alphonse’s head, and she was certain that he would have a dent in it when they took time to look. She heard him protest, but she had to fight off the man in front of her. He had gotten too close for her to use her guns, was trying to keep her from moving forward physically, and made it so she wasn’t able to take down the sniper. Fortunately, Riza was no slouch in hand to hand, and Alphonse was no fool. He had moved to protect his brother better.

But these boys were her boys, were her responsibility, and she wasn’t going to let this thug or any other stand in her way. She wasn’t just the Hawk’s Eyes anymore, she was a vengeful Mother Hawk who was going to protect her young no matter who got in her way. It meant that she took some good blows here and there, but she worked to drop or otherwise incapacitate the men between her and her boys.

Suddenly a man was being kicked out of her face by a black and red figure, and the sound of clanking wasn’t far behind him

“Lieutenant! What are you doing here?”

“You were supposed to stay at the hotel!” She snapped back at him. Where had the sniper moved to?

“We’re not kids! We had a lead and we followed it!” Edward snapped back.

“You followed it into a military operation!” she said. “We need to l—”

She paused, spotting the sniper and realizing that Ed had put himself right into his sights when he came to assist her. Riza cursed out loud this time, and she moved, only hoping that whatever gun that sniper had, it wasn’t a proper sniper rifle, with proper sniper ammo. Her attention was fully on protecting Edward, not even paying the least bit of attention to whatever he might have been saying.

“Not my boy!” she snarled out.

In one fluid motion she stepped in front of Edward, using her momentum to shove him behind the wall he had erected earlier. Her had was reaching for one of her guns, but there was no time. The bullet pierced her side, and she went down with a cry. Simultaneously there was a blast from one of the blocked entrances and fire spilled out into the room, close enough that the flames licked at her arms. She cried out again, and for a moment, the world was a dizzying blur of pain, flame, shouts and smoke.

Then suddenly, something was blocking her from all of that, and a distressed young face appeared over her.

“Lieutenant! Lieutenant, hang on!”

“Is she--?”

“We—we gotta get her out of here, Al! She needs help!”

Riza reached up to grab at Ed’s sleeve, grasping it hard. She ignored the burns on her arm. “Hunker…. Down…” she said again.

“But you need—” he tried to protest.

Riza could still hear the fighting going on. It wouldn’t be safe to leave now. But through the pain, the only words she managed to get out again were “Hunker down!”

He hesitated for a moment, and then his coat was off of him, and pressing into her side. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he was saying. “I can’t help the burns, but I can try this! I’m sorry!”

Riza swallowed, and closed her eyes for a second, trying to hear how the battle was going. It sounded like it was winding down, and it should have, with all of the soldier that they had brought with them. Footsteps sounded, coming around the wall, and Riza forced her eyes open again, grabbing Ed’s head and pushing it down protectively, even as she pulled out a gun to aim at the intruder. Edward gave a startled sort of squawk at this, but she didn’t care. A startled Alphonse tried to reach for her, but she wasn’t having it.

She fired off a warning shot as whoever it was approaching. “Stay away from my boys!” she snarled out again.

The footsteps stopped. “Lieutenant?”

“Colonel.”

And just like that, all of the fight was gone out of her. The gun clattered to the ground and she allowed Edward up even as she sank back down. The voices around her grew frantic again, but she was having trouble concentrating on them through the pain she was in. She reached for Roy’s arm, holding onto his sleeve. “Keep them safe. Keep my boys safe…”

The next thing that Riza was aware of was waking up in a haze of drug-induced fuzziness. She blinked a little, trying to make sense of things. It took her a second to realize that she was in a hospital bed, and that she had dulled pain in her side and on her arms.

“Riza?”

That voice was familiar, and it took her a moment to place it in the drug-addled brain. She turned her head slowly to see Roy looking at her with concern.

“Roy?” she asked and then, after a moment, “sir.”

He shook his head. “It’s alright its just the two of. Are you finally with me?”

She blinked at him. “What?”

“Well, you’ve woken up a little before, but always slipped right back into sleep.” He smiled at her. “It’s kinda cute.” Riza scowled at him, and he laughed. “Alright, alright, you’re back with me.”

She took a moment to look down at herself, noting the bandages on her arms and the pain in her side. “What happened?” she asked. “How am I?”

“You took a bullet to the side, Riza, from a rifle. But you stopped it from getting Edward. That’s why your side hurts. As for you arms, one small part is from a bullet that grazed you. But the rest is my fault, I’m afraid. I didn’t know you were there, and you ended up in the way of some of my flames when I used them to burst in the door. They had to do surgery on your side. You’ve been out for about and day and you’re going to be in here for a least a week.”

“Oh.” She said, scowling a bit at the thought of a week in the hospital. But then another thought occurred to her. “The boys?”

“Safe. Both of them are safe. Turns out that some information had been planted to draw them to those black-market dealers. That’s why they ended up there. Speaking of,” he looked up and towards the door. “They’ve been worried sick. Do you feel up to having visitors?”

Riza answered with little hesitation. “Yes,” she said. She wanted to see that they were alright with her own two eyes.

Roy nodded and stood, heading towards the door. Riza didn’t pay much mind to what was going on until she heard a voice.

“Lieutenant Hawkeye?”

She blinked for a second, and then look up to see the uncertain faces of Edward and Alphonse (well, Alphonse’s body language) greet her.

“Boys,” the word fell from her lips, a little more relieved then she meant for it to sound. Oh well.

They seemed to perk a little at her response, looking encouraged by it, and came further into the room.

“Lieutenant! We’re so glad you’re awake!” Alphonse’s voice was enthusiastic, although quiet. “How do you feel?”

She was quiet for a moment. “Numb,” she finally said. “But I think that’s the pain medicine. Pretty sure when that’s out of my system my side and arms are gonna feel awful.” The boys exchanged guilty looks, and, even medicated, it didn’t escape her sharp eyes.  “How are you two?”

“Oh, um brother is going to have to figure out how to get this dent out of my head,” Alphonse said, bending to show her an area of his helmet that had a good dent in it. “But other than that, I’m fine!”

“I’m alright too. Just the usually bumps and scrapes.” Edward frowned. “It would have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for you.” He looked at her, his eyes full of guilt. “I—Lieutenant, I just—I—”

Riza shook her head. “If you’re going to apologize for me getting hurt, protecting you, don’t. I made that choice and I’d make it again. You do not need to feel guilt or feel bad about that.”

“But if it wasn’t for us being there, you wouldn’t be hurt like this!” Edward said, emotions and thoughts he’d clearly been dwelling on coming out. “You wouldn’t have taken that bullet for me, and you wouldn’t have nearly bleed out or gotten your hands burned! Mustang explained what the plan was! You would have been safe up in that tower! And just—we really—” he wasn’t looking at her anymore, his shoulders tight and his gaze downcast. Alphonse, like was, was looking incredibly guilty for a suit of armor. “…we’re sorry.”

“We know we shouldn’t have gone,” Alphonse added on. “We really didn’t think it would be that much trouble! But we did anyway. Are you angry at us?”

Riza was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts as best she could.

“I’m not angry,” she finally said, and they both looked at her with surprise and a bit of relief. “But I am disappointed in you.” If possible, they looked more stricken then before. “I asked you to trust the colonel. I asked you to stay in your room that night. And you told me you would. And what I’m disappointed in, was that you broke your word.”

“But we didn’t—”

“You didn’t say that in so many words, no.” Riza said. “But I trusted that when you said that the both of you would stay in your room, that you would. You were complaining about being treated like a child, but a man is someone who means what they say, even if they don’t give their explicit word. And I’m disappointed that you didn’t do that.”

Both boys were looking down now, stricken. “Lieutenant,” Edward said, “we’re—we’re sorry. We’re sorry that we broke our word.”

“We’re sorry that we messed up the plan,” Alphonse added.

“We’re sorry that you got hurt.”

“We’re sorry that things got out of control.”

“We’re sorry that we didn’t listen.”

“We’re sorry that we didn’t trust the colonel more.”

“We’re sorry for disappointing you.”

The last one was spoken in unison. Riza was silent during their apologies and, when it seemed that they had finished. She gestured for the both of them to come closer. “Edward. Alphonse. Do you know why I’m so disappointed in you?”

“Because you got hurt?”

“Because we put the team in danger?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m disappointed because I care about the two of you very, very much. When Edward joined, I promised that I would always look after the two of you as best I could. That feeling has just grown deeper over the years.” She reached out with one bandaged hand, putting all of their hands together on the edge of her bed. “I care for everyone on my team—but you boys, I care for you in a special way. I would do anything I could to protect you.”

Both of them were staring at her with a mix of emotions clear in them, and she gave their hands a squeeze.

“…you mean a lot to us too,” Alphonse finally said. “Sometimes… sometimes its hard to tell just how much the adults around us care but…”

“But you’ve always cared,” Edward picked up. “And—and we care about you too. That’s why we’re so sorry. Our actions got you hurt this badly and we’re so sorry.”

She gave their hands a squeeze again. “It’s all forgiven, at least from me. Just promise me that next time you’ll listen when we tell you to stay put.”

There was rapid agreement from the boys, and then Riza asked them to fill her in on what had been going on with the case and in the office. Her boys launched into an explanation, and Riza settled back, content. Perhaps they weren’t her boys in blood. But they were definitely her boys in her heart.

[takingcourage]

Hi. Ik I'm shameless since you released just 3 days ago a new story of them, but do you think you have the time and the inspiration to write one more heart-melting story starring Cassian x Kellen ? It doesn't need to have major plot or anything, only major cotton candy fluff that makes you smile and go "aww", heh ☺️🍭 It's nothing if your schedule is too busy now and you can't do it, but I needed to try since I miss them so much and I love their dynamic as you write it 💕

Oh my goodness! Thank you for loving them so much, @secretsaladbouquet​.    : )  I promise I do have more WIPs for this pairing on the way -- they’ve just been coming along slowly and June has been a crazy month for me. In the meantime, here’s a little something set between Volumes I and II. 

_____

“As you can see, these numbers indicate an upward trend in...”

Hands poised over her laptop keyboard, Kellen had a perfect view of the screen on her smart watch. As it lit with a notification, all interest in the topic of their meeting dissipated. Messages (1)

Surely she could be forgiven for her state of distraction. After spending the better part of the summer working jobs that had her on her feet and out of doors for most of the day, the transition back to an office desk job was proving a little tricky.

“...toward reaching our clients’ longterm goals, despite being in the middle of a financial....”

Her eyes slid back down to her wrist as the screen lit again. Messages (2)

Beyond the change in work environment, having devices again had taken some getting used to. Going weeks without a smartphone had definitely done a number to her psyche. 

“...implementing this new system means...”

Discreetly bringing her hands to her lap, Kellen rotated the watch in a half circle. Before placing her fingers back on the keys, she checked the notification bar one final time. Messages (6)

Catching Harika’s eye across the table, Kellen had to bite down on her cheek to suppress a smile. Who was she kidding? There was one reason she’d been insanely distracted during this first week back at work, and one reason only: Cassian.

Harika inclined her head toward the hall outside with a jolt that was anything but subtle. Shaking her head in response, Kellen shifted her gaze back to the front of the room. Feeling the stares of colleagues on either side of the conference table, she trained her eyes on the speaker. Only five more minutes.

When she finally reached the relative privacy of her office, her first action was to retrieved her phone from the side drawer. Propping her hip against the corner, Kellen thumbed in her password and skimmed her notifications. As she’d suspected, Cassian was responsible for all six of the messages that had been blowing up her phone. 

Afternoon, love. I hope your meeting’s going okay.

I’m just leaving the doctor’s and wanted to get you an update.

Everything’s healing and looking good.

But that’s not all.

I’ve been cleared to go without bandages.

😉

Based on his chosen emoji, he’d clearly paid attention to her recurring complaint that she “never saw him naked anymore.” The spark kindling in her belly was testament to how excited she was to put that era behind them. 

Beyond her flickering desire, however, was something more constant: the warmth of affection. She’d been so lucky to find a man who listened to her, even when she was being ridiculous. Cassian made her feel more valued -- more cherished -- than anyone in her life had before. Sometimes she couldn’t quite believe the way he cared for her, so guileless and unassuming. The deep physical attraction was just an exceptionally wonderful bonus. 

Lips kinking up in an indulgent smirk, she sent back her reply. As if I needed any more reason to look forward to the weekend... I’m headed your way now. 

Gathering up her few belongings, Kellen hoisted her briefcase over her shoulder and headed for the door. As she stepped into the hall, she had to rock back on her heels to avoid running into Harika. 

“You’re getting out of here in a hurry. Big plans for the weekend?”

There was no use arguing; the smug expression plastered across her face was a dead giveaway. “I’m on my way to see Cassian.” 

“Yes!” she shrieked, blessedly keeping the volume to a minimum. “No wonder you couldn’t focus in that meeting. I want to hear all the details Monday.” 

With a snicker at the other woman’s presumption, Kellen offered a goodbye and continued on her way. 

Not too long after, she walked along another hallway, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of how quickly the once-foreign building had become familiar. It hadn’t even been a month since they’d come back from Nantucket, yet she’d already lost track of how many times she’d been over to Cassian’s for the night. 

Her own empty apartment no longer held the same appeal.

He’d given her a key to his place shortly after they’d gotten back to Boston, but she still hadn’t had an occasion to use it. Every time she showed up, he welcomed her in before she could even unzip the pocket that held it.

She didn’t even bother disguising her laugh as his door flung wide yet again.  

Quickening her pace, she made it into his arms seconds later. “I’m so happy it’s the weekend,” she murmured in his ear, feeling all tension leave her body as his hold tightened. 

“No happier than I am. It still feels strange to go so long without seeing ya. I got used to having you around through the day.” 

Sighing her agreement, she combed a hand through his curls. “This has been one of the longest weeks of my life. I love my job, but getting back to the grind has been way harder than I expected.” 

“It’ll be second nature again in no time,” he promised, letting her go with a final squeeze.

“Of course it will.” A sly smile stole across her lips as she followed him into the apartment. “And I have your abs to console me in the meanwhile.” 

Chuckling, Cassian pulled the door shut behind her. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist them.” Once they were both inside, he rolled up the lower half of his shirt for her inspection. 

After dropping her bag beside her, Kellen’s curious fingers spanned the his ribcage. Taut skin quivered beneath her touch, the muscles contracting as she slipped down from his ribs to his stomach. One, two, three, four... she counted silently, mouthing the syllables close enough for him feel her breath. 

With a quizzical brow, he reached out a hand and tucked it under her chin, tilting her face up to his. “What’re you doing down there?”

“Making sure they’re all here!” 

Above her, Cassian bellowed with laughter. “Satisfied?” he asked when her counting stopped moments later. 

Biting her lip, she flashed him a saucy look. “I’m getting there.” Winding her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a kiss. The heat of his still-exposed stomach filtered through her thin blouse and set her skin on fire. 

“Trust me, Cassian. I’ve had nowhere near enough of you.” Somehow, she was beginning to doubt she ever would. 

_____ I hope it made you smile and go “aww.” : ) Feel free to drop by with requests anytime. I don’t promise to respond right away, but I do love receiving them. 

[snezfics-n-shit]

Whumptober Day 25: Cranky

Fandom: Ace Attorney 

Characters: Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright, Trucy Wright, Athena Cykes, Apollo Justice

Notes: Post-DD. Established married!Wrightworth because what else did you expect? Miles has been taking time out of his schedule to care for the employees of the Wright Anything Agency after a particularly brutal cold season. He’s been doing great, he’ll swear on his life. The patience of a saint, that’s Miles Edgeworth for you. He is totally not going to completely lose it. 

     He couldn’t believe it. For the first time this week, Miles didn’t have to scrape perfectly decent breakfast, breakfast he made, into the garbage. He could have sworn it was proper etiquette for guests he and his husband so graciously welcomed in their home to at least try to clean their plates. 

“They live alone, babe. It’ll do them good for us to extend some hospitality,” he remembered Phoenix saying. At first, Miles didn’t mind at all. He may not have been any Florence Nightingale, but he saw merit in caring for his husband’s colleagues while they were unwell. He didn’t even complain when the two infected his husband with a cold that reduced his voice to a hoarse crackle and kept Miles awake with hours of coughing and sneezing assaulting his ears. No, no. It was no trouble at all, really.

He could have sworn when he first welcomed Apollo and Athena as guests, he was up for anything they asked for. He could prepare soup with his eyes closed, and by the second day of Phoenix’s cold, Miles was very tempted to do so just so he could say he got something resembling sleep. As the number of hands helping him dwindled to zero, Miles’s energy was wearing a little thin. Just a little thin, though, not too much at all.

Then there was the texting. Since Miles was the only one in the house whose voice was audible, his cell phone was constantly blowing up with short, grammatically lacking text messages. Hardly any of them allowed him time to fulfill one person’s request without being bombarded with other unrelated tasks they expected of him. He could make tea and he could check pages of calculus homework, but not simultaneously; there was only one of him. He would do it again, though, really. Go ahead, ask him to care for ten sick people, and for a month this time. Just direct a hospital’s worth of patients to his house, why don’t you?

Oh, no, Miles wasn’t losing his patience at all. He was mature and collected, so he brought anything his family and guests asked for without a complaint. That was true, wasn’t it? Or did thoughts to himself about how tired he was getting from running around the house grabbing whatever anyone wanted count? He was doing so well the first three days of the arrangement, so surely at the tail end of the week his eyes shouldn’t be twitching from exhaustion he was most definitely not feeling.

“I’m really happy to finally taste your cooking, Mr. Edgeworth.” Athena’s recovered voice startled Miles. He had almost forgotten more people could speak than just him. “Trucy kept telling me you were a really good cook, and I’m definitely not disappointed.” Something about that felt underhanded, Miles was sure of it. She was doubting his skills as a cook, wasn’t she?

“You’ve been really good to us, Papa.” Trucy smiled. “Thank you so much!” Of course Trucy was the first to verbally thank him for his efforts. She was taught manners and was clearly not raised in a barn. And no, Apollo, emojis and ‘memes’ did not count.

“You’re very,” Miles heard his voice crack and cleared his throat, “you’re very welcome, Trucy.” 

“Yeah, thank you so much, hon.” Phoenix was the second person Miles could count on for gratitude. What Miles really wanted to hear, however, was an apology for all the sleep he lost thanks to Phoenix’s poor volume control late at night. There was always something, be it sniffling, sneezing, or coughing that would start just as Miles thought he finally had some peace and quiet.

“Thanks.” Apollo said nothing besides that and continued eating the last of his toast. What a wordsmith, wasn’t he? A real Shakespeare.

“You’re both quite welcome as well.” Miles’s nose twitched ever so slightly as he spoke. “Are you all finished? I’d like to,” he cleared his throat again, “clean the dishes soon.” He knew no one would bother helping him with the task. They all had much more important things to do like watch television or play games on their phones.

Just as he thought, all responses were a chorus of confirming they were finished eating and not a single offer to help. Despite the fact they were all clearly more than ready to be back on their feet, Miles was on his own in carrying the pile of dishes to the counter by the sink. None of the dishes were his. He wasn’t hungry, and the lord knew he wasn’t about to be a hypocrite by committing the horrid act of wasting food. He would never be so ungrateful, so wasteful, so--

“Oh, I’d actually like a refill of orange juice.” Apollo asked, just as he always did since he arrived last Thursday.

“Your legs aren’t broken.” Miles snapped without even thinking about what he had just said.

“Woah, where did that come from?” Athena was taken aback by Miles’s harsh tone.

“YEAH, SOMEONE’S CRANKY!” Widget blurted in its usual loud and robotic tone, further irritating Miles.

“Would you mind telling that thing to put a sock in it?” Miles clenched his teeth, becoming more frustrated when Phoenix stopped him from reaching for his dishwashing gloves.

“Hey, if something’s bothering you, just tell us.” Phoenix wanted to de-escalate as well as he could. “Did something happen at work?”

“I wouldn’t know, Phoenix. I haven’t been in the office all week!” Miles was so caught up in the outburst he failed to hear how hoarse he sounded. He hardly thought anything when the strain caused him to cough. 

“Oh, babe.” Phoenix’s expression softened. “You’re not feeling well, are you?” He kissed his husband’s forehead. “Mm, you’re warm, too.”

“Please, not in front of guests. Not to mention-- mention, hhh…” Miles turned away from Phoenix’s concerned gaze. “Hh’uurrssSHH” He sneezed in his elbow, leaving a damp spot on his pink pajama sleeve. He instinctively pressed a hand under his running nose, not doing anything to get Phoenix off his back. He wasn’t even done yet. “Hu’RRsshhooh! HH’RSSHOOH!” How disgusting.

“We can do the dishes, Papa!” Trucy offered. She looked at Apollo and Athena, who both nodded in agreement. “It’s only right to return the favor.” What a sweetheart she was, absolutely her father’s daughter.

“You’re going back to bed.” Phoenix put his head on Miles’s shoulder and embraced him from behind. “We’re not going to let you lift a finger.”

Miles found himself spacing out for the duration of Phoenix ushering him to bed. He really was out of sorts, wasn’t he? He couldn’t even remember stepping out of the kitchen. It was almost dreamlike to find himself bundled up in bed. 

“Are you okay?” Phoenix waved his hand in front of Miles’s face. “It was way too easy to get you into bed and you haven’t said anything since we were in the kitchen.” He gently took Miles’s glasses and set them aside.

“Of course I’b dot okay.” Miles grumbled, turning on his right side. “I haved’t slept ihd days, we have the worst house guests I’ve ever had the displeasure of beetig, ahd by owd husbahd wod’t eved let be wash the dishes.”

“You’re a real ray of sunshine this morning.” Phoenix brushed Miles’s hair with his fingers. “My poor sick grouch of a husband.” He cooed.

“I’b dot a grouch.” Miles frowned, hardly supporting his claim. 

“What would you call yourself, then?” Phoenix made a small hum. “With how you acted in the kitchen, I wouldn’t be surprised if you poked your head out of a trashcan and told us to scram.”  

“I wasd’t by best, was I?” Miles knew that was the understatement of the year. That tickle in his throat that pestered him, admittedly since he went to bed last night, finally became a full-fledged cough. “I feel awful.” He croaked.

“I know, babe.” Phoenix sighed. “It’s our turn to take care of you, now. You did so much all by yourself, we’re gonna show you how grateful we are. You’ll even have Apollo and Athena to-”

“Doh.” Miles said firmly. “They’re goi’g hobe. Today.”

“Alright, alright. Then it’ll be just me and Trucy.”

“That’s better.” 

Phoenix helped Miles sit up so he could fluff the pillow behind him. He gave a sympathetic smile as he listened to Miles’s thick, hardly effective sniffling. 

“You must be so tired.” Phoenix let Miles lie back down. “I’m sorry if I kept you up all night.”

“I ab ahd you did.” Miles confirmed flatly. 

Miles just closed his eyes for a moment, only to be disturbed by something poking into his mouth. He made a soft grunt, dismissing it until that horrible beeping had him opening his eyes again. He watched a blurry figure resembling Phoenix walk outside his field of vision, only for the figure to return a few moments later. He felt something cold and damp rest on his forehead and flinched from the dramatic contrast in temperature. 

“Is it too cold?” Phoenix’s voice was muffled by Miles’s congestion-affected hearing. When Miles shook his head in response, Phoenix gave a sympathetic smile and gently adjusted the cool compress in place. He looked over at the doorway and spotted Athena and Apollo watching from outside the room. He mouthed something along the lines of ‘he’s resting.’

“I should apologize.” Miles said groggily. “The way I acted was terribly rude.”

“Hey, hey.” Phoenix shushed his husband softly. “You weren’t feeling like yourself this morning. Athena and Apollo aren’t strangers, and Trucy and I definitely know you wouldn’t act like that on a regular basis.” He kissed his warm cheek. “You were just a little cranky, is all.”

“That’s dot ad excuse.” Miles closed his eyes again. “It was udcalled for.”

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Athena couldn't help but speak up. "We accept your apology, but the boss is right. We know you don't always act like that."

"You were pretty rude." Apollo muttered just before Athena gave him a light nudge with her elbow. "But, uh," he scratched the back of his head, "we probably deserved it." 

Miles refused to have a serious discussion sounding like he did, so he yanked about five or six tissues from the end table tissue box. The amount seemed to be just enough by the time he was done. He checked the remaining contents of the box before tossing the used tissues in the trash bin.

“No one deserved the harsh words I used.” What Miles’s voice lost in congestion was made up for in hoarseness. “It wasn’t right.”

“You can’t be on model behavior all the time, hon.” Phoenix massaged Miles’s hand with his thumb. He noticed Miles starting to look annoyed again. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re too nice about this.” Miles grumbled. His mood wasn’t completely improved. He would come up with more excuses to wallow in excess guilt if he wasn’t so, so very tired. 

The next thing the trio of lawyers heard from him was one of his ‘world famous’ snores, as Phoenix jokingly described them when Miles wasn’t in the room. Miles was completely out cold when Trucy tiptoed in, intending on telling him the dishes were clean and put away. 

“Papa’s asleep?” Trucy whispered and Phoenix answered with a nod. “Don’t worry,” she directed her assurance to Apollo and Athena, “he’ll be in a better mood when he wakes up, I promise.”

. . .

     It was two in the afternoon when Miles finally woke up. All built up grumpiness washed away in his sleep and with a clear head, he felt as if he were in good enough shape to climb out of bed and see if his family needed anything. Just as he reached for his glasses, he found an envelope that wasn’t there before. It wasn’t sealed, so the card inside slid out easily into his hand. 

The card was handmade, covered in variations of ‘Thank You’ written in different colored pencils. It was easy to tell whose message was whose, especially Athena’s multilingual expressions of gratitude and Phoenix’s barely legible handwriting. Miles felt himself tear up a little, not noticing Phoenix and Trucy standing by the bedroom doorway.

“We thought you’d appreciate that.” Phoenix was holding a steaming mug of tea, likely made just recently. He either had very strong husband intuition or just planned on waking Miles up when it was ready. He took a couple tissues from the box on the end table to use as a makeshift coaster to set the mug down on. “You should also know our guests left today as promised.”

“Before they left, we all made that card.” Trucy had her hands behind her back. “It was Polly’s idea!” 

So Apollo was grateful after all. No, no. Miles wasn’t going to let himself fall back into that sort of attitude.

“We were going to make you soup but we didn’t know for sure if you would be hungry.” Phoenix handed the mug over to Miles, who accepted it gratefully. He watched Miles take a moment to inhale the steam with that smile he always had whenever Phoenix made him tea. There was a quality in Phoenix’s brews that Miles could never replicate no matter how hard he tried. “I’m glad to see you smiling again.”

“I think tea will suffice, thank you.” Miles’s voice was in worse shape than before. If this was how he sounded the first day into this cold, he wasn’t at all looking forward to the upcoming days that would surely go downhill from here. “I would hate to waste any of your cooking.”

“Oh yeah,” Phoenix chuckled nervously, “sorry about all that food you had to throw out. While you were sleeping, Trucy and I realized that must have bothered you a lot.” Indeed it did, as ashamed as Miles now felt for letting it get to him. 

“I accept your apology,” Miles took a sip from the mug, “if only because you make a wonderful cup of tea.” He laughed briefly, causing a vibrating sensation in his chest that made him need to cough. 

“Oh! Right!” Trucy presented what she had been hiding behind her back: a brand new jar of vapor rub. “We picked this up today! Do you want to put this on yourself or should Daddy do it?” 

“I think I can do this myself.” Miles set down the mug so he could take the jar. He had just started dating Phoenix when he first experienced the substance’s decongestant properties. Phoenix applied it the first few times, but Miles was never a fan of how Phoenix knew exactly what parts of his chest were ticklish. He did, however, like how Phoenix was not at all judgmental about his unfamiliarity with the product. 

“I did say you wouldn’t be lifting a finger.” Phoenix ruffled his husband’s hair. “I’m kidding, of course. Just know if there’s anything you need, you say the word and we’ll get it for you.”

“And I would like you to know,” Miles kissed Phoenix’s cheek, “if I’m too demanding, just tell me.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” 

Phoenix was just going to pretend he didn’t see Miles’s devilish smirk just then.

[katrinawritesthings]

jongtae/taekey; Taemin voice: hm.; nc-17

its Elle's birthday nd this is the most Elle energy fic I have ever written 

🐌 crop top jonghyun  

🐌 gremlin taemin  

🐌 queer Supreme key

🐌 horny giggly jongtae

🐌 grump/pest taekey

@taketaemtoyourleader here you go uwu

“Now, see, Kibs,” Jonghyun says. His arms come up heavy and snug on Taemin’s shoulders, hands playing with his hair. “You know I like you because you put up with this every day and you never come complain to me.”

“It’s ‘cause he’s got a crush on me,” Taemin says.

Taemin’s dick is in bliss, which means that he's in bliss, and he bites a lazy smile as he lifts his arms up to hold onto his headboard. He has soft fluffy pillows nestled under him, loud hard rock music playing around him, and Jonghyun above him, fucking himself perfectly up and down on his cock in time with the music. He’s hot and sweaty and his whole body feels fuzzy, blurry, floaty with the pleasure that thumps through his veins and tingles under his skin.

He rolls his hips up to meet Jonghyun each time he comes down, their skin slapping together almost loud enough to be heard over the music, their bodies perfectly in tune with each other. Jonghyun is all sweat and smiles as well. His grin is nice sharp teeth between nice plush lips, his nice soft light brown hair is wild and mussed on his forehead, his body is full of nice thick muscles flexing with each movement. The fuzzy lavender shoulderless crop top sweater that he showed up in is even more askew than before, so far down his right shoulder that Taemin can practically see half of his chest, but it still clings tight around his ribs so Taemin can see his pretty abs and each deep line between them.

Taemin lowers one hand back down to feel, to run his fingers over Jonghyun’s muscles before he just holds his waist tight to guide him even better on his cock. He wishes he could see Jonghyun’s cock, heavy and leaky, but it’s hiding underneath his cute pleated burgundy skirt. He feels like maybe if he fucked Jonghyun harder Jonghyun would want to jerk off, so he does just that, digging his heels into the mattress and driving his hips up to snap against Jonghyun’s, to fuck his cock in deeper and put more pressure on his prostate.

Almost immediately Jonghyun’s eyelids flutter, his breath catches, his fingernails dig into Taemin’s chest through his shirt. He licks his lips and looks back at Taemin again with a wide, lazy smirk, eyes little glimmers through his lashes.

“You’re so good, dude,” he says loud over the music. “You’re so--fucking good.” His breath caught again there because Taemin slipped his hand around to cop a feel of his booty under his skirt. Taemin grins back lazily, shaking his bangs out of his eyes.

“You too,” he pants. His confidence boosts a little, enough for him to want to flip them over and really show Jonghyun what he can do, to hold his legs up and fuck him wide open. That would probably let him see Jonghyun’s dick, too, so he makes the snap decision to do just that.

Well, try to, at least; as he props himself up on one arm and wraps the other snug around Jonghyun’s waist to prepare to roll them over, they’re interrupted by his dorm door opening.

“God, Taemin, what have I told you about the fucking music, you’re gonna--y’all.”

Kibum stops in the doorway, phone in one hand and backpack dangling out of the other, and just looks at the both of them, mouth an annoyed line. Taemin is suddenly grateful now that Jonghyun’s skirt is at least covering their sexy bits as Kibum closes the door behind him and finishes dumping his bag on the floor.

“Hi,” he says lazily, lifting a hand from Jonghyun’s waist to wave. On top of him, Jonghyun looks away from Kibum, grinning at the wall and very obviously fighting back giggles with slightly pinked cheeks. Cute.

“Okay,” Kibum says. “Ignoring, this,” he says, waving a vague hand at Jonghyun, “turn your fucking music down, you’re gonna get us in trouble with the RA again.”

“Ooh,” Jonghyun says, He pops back up brightly, smiling wide at Kibum and raising his hand high above his head. “That’s me!” he chirps. This time Taemin looks away to muffle his laugh as Kibum just looks at them and then closes his eyes to sigh loudly.

“That’s--what the fuck, Jonghyun,” Kibum says. Jonghyun’s hand comes back down to Taemin’s chest and he shrugs easily.

“Sex good,” he says. “But anyway--his music’s fine. I already had him turn it down. But I actually was gonna come over here anyway to talk to you.”

“Ha,” Taemin says loudly. Ha fucking ha. Finally Kibum’s getting in trouble for something. Up until now Taemin thought it was just him that Jonghyun came to reprimand, but apparently he was just a side note? Hell yeah. Oh how the turntables.

“What the fuck? Why, what did I do?” Kibum whines. Jonghyun holds up one finger and leans forward on top of Taemin to reach for his phone on the headboard. As he does so he pulls halfway off of Taemin’s cock, and then when he moves back he settles back down, sucking him in all the way, and Taemin closes his eyes and hums happily as he holds Jonghyun down in his lap and rolls his hips up just slightly. Nice. “Quit getting off right in front of me,” Kibum snaps. Taemin chooses to ignore him and start feeling up Jonghyun’s sweaty thighs where he can get at the soft patches of skin between his over-the-knee socks and skirt. Those also are nice.

“You,” Jonghyun says slowly, thumbing through his phone with one hand and drawing little lines on Taemin’s chest with the other. “Are bothering the girls in the all gender bathroom and making a mess with all of your makeup, apparently.” He looks up from his phone to Kibum, who’s scowling even more, a familiar expression of indignant fury on his face. Taemin lifts his brows blandly. Sounds fake to him.

“I--they’re--every fucking day, I’m just--and I never--but they always--”

“Now, now,” Jonghyun says, wiggling his finger in his best stern mother gesture. “I know you’re real clean in there and I know that this complaint is a thinly veiled sludge of queerphobia because they’re upset that you exist outside of the binary in what they think is their space even though it’s literally a gender neutral bathroom made for you and not for them and they can shove it up their asses,” he says. “But you know it’s still my job to come deliver the complaint and make them think I care.”

He tosses his phone into the sheets next to them and sits up a little straighter, rolls his hips just the tiniest amount on Taemin’s dick with a little wink, and looks back to Kibum, who looks significantly less angry and significantly more grumpy and pacified.

“And I mostly wanted to ask you if I could tell them off about the queerphobic thing or if you don’t want that kind of stress in your life and I should just lie and tell them that you promised to be a good enby and clean up more to get them off your back.” He shrugs simply. “I don’t wanna drag you into discourse if you don’t wanna be in it,” he says.

“Hey, that’s real thoughtful,” Taemin says. He reaches up to pinch Jonghyun’s soft cheek when Jonghyun smiles down at him with pleased crescent eyes.

“Thanks,” he says.

“I mean,” Kibum sighs. He runs his fingers through his hair and then sighs again, a big puff of air through his lips. “I’m guessing I can’t go yell at them myself?” he asks hopefully. Taemin snorts; Jonghyun grins apologetically and shakes his head.

“I’ve been doing so well at keeping this floor nice and calm and peaceful this semester,” he says. “I’m gonna get a raise if I keep it up.”

“Oh, well, we wouldn’t wanna interfere with that, would we,” Kibum mutters. Jonghyun pouts; Taemin sits up and wraps his arms around his waist protectively, frowning at his roommate.

“Be nice to him, he’s our mom,” he says. He’s their mom for the whole floor and he loves and supports them all so much.

“Do not,” Kibum says, one hand lifting only to chop back down through the air with each pause for emphasis. “Call him. Your mom. While. Your penis. Is. Inside of him.”

“Mommy,” Taemin grins, nuzzling into Jonghyun’s chest just to be a gremlin. He noses into the hem of Jonghyun’s sweater until he can push it down enough to reveal his nip and give it a tiny kiss. “Mommy, let me succ nourishment from your breast,” he murmurs into it.

“Now, see, Kibs,” Jonghyun says. His arms come up heavy and snug on Taemin’s shoulders, hands playing with his hair. “You know I like you because you put up with this every day and you never come complain to me.”

“It’s ‘cause he’s got a crush on me,” Taemin says.

“I do not,” Kibum snaps, and then, when Taemin opens his mouth to tell him that he does, cuts him off. “Whatever--I guess, just. I got a project to do this week. Tell them I said I’ll be cleaner and if they get whiny again later you can tell them to stop being queerphobes.”

“Got it,” Jonghyun chirps, giving him a sunny thumbs up. “Now, uh.” He looks down to Taemin, eyes hooded and mischievous as he slips one hand down to cup his chin for a tiny kiss before glancing back. “Do you want me to leave or can I finish up?” he asks Kibum. Taemin leans a little more forward to kiss softly against his jawline so in case Kibum does kick him out he can at least get a couple last smoochies in. He’ll be fine jerking himself off but this is his first interaction with Jonghyun that wasn’t just a quick doorway visit. He’ll be pouty to see him go.

“No, you two can.” Kibum waves a vague hand at them again. Taemin brightens up happily. Hell yeah. “I was gonna go get a smoothie anyway.”

“Ooh,” Taemin says, even brighter. Hell fucking yeah. He takes the hand from Jonghyun’s booty to grab the wallet on his headboard and then chuck it at Kibum.

“I didn’t offer, but, sure,” Kibum says, catching it. He opens it and pulls out a five. “What do you want?” he asks as he tosses it back. Taemin makes no move to catch it and it falls somewhere on the bed that he’ll find later maybe probably.

“You already know my usual because you have a crush on me,” he says.

“I don’t have a crush on you,” Kibum snaps. The glare he gives Taemin could melt ice, but Taemin just grins broadly back.

“Why are you blushing then?” he asks. His eyes flick down to the pink flush coming up Kibum’s neck just to make sure that Kibum sees that he sees. The pink rises even higher as Kibum’s scowl grows.

“I’m gonna go to the pet store and buy you a dog biscuit and tell you it’s human food when I get back,” he grumbles, and he turns around and walks out without a glance back, mumbling under his breath. Taemin smiles fondly at his back until the door closes behind him. He’s so cute. They’re gonna be good boyfriends when Kibum finally admits that he has a crush.

“Anyway,” he says, turning back to Jonghyun. Jonghyun cocks a brow at him, looking amused yet also like he doesn’t want to bother digging into their business. Taemin presses a soft kiss to his bottom lip and slides his hands up his thighs. “Where were we?” he asks. It’s a rhetorical question, because he knows full well that his dick is still inside of Jonghyun’s booty, hard and throbby and eager to get back to the fricking. Jonghyun still giggles and pushes his hair out of his eyes.

“I think it was somewhere around, ‘You’re so good Taemin, fuck, you’re so fucking good,” he says thoughtfully.

“Ahh, of course,” Taemin grins. So they're on the same page. “Then let’s--” He gets one arm around Jonghyun’s waist again, pushes off of the bed with the other, and flips them over quickly, setting Jonghyun down against his pillows and smiling at his surprised squeak and loud laugh. Miraculously, he kept his dick in there too, and he’s real proud of himself as he pushes Jonghyun’s legs apart while he laughs into his hands.

Flipping Jonghyun’s cute skirt up too, he bites his lip when he can finally get the full picture. Jonghyun’s ween has softened slightly, probably from that whole conversation they all just had, but Taemin’s not worried. He can fix that quick enough. It’s still real cute and real hot. He leans down when Jonghyun tugs at his shoulder and accepts his messy kiss, rolling his hips slowly against Jonghyun to get readjusted and back in the mood.

“Let’s keep going,” he finishes. Jonghyun smiles wide against his mouth, one leg hooking around his hips.

“Please do,” he says, so Taemin does.