#this one is beta i swear

[tenderstars]

@shincsobright | continued from here

"Well, wait til you try my pizza. I might have just bought myself a second and third chance," he joked as he squeezed her hand gently and pulled her inside. It was a big step to introduce the two, especially knowing he had to put Kaylee's best interest above his own (something he was still learning to do). Though, Logan quickly soothed his worries as he heard Kaylee laugh, reassuring him he had made the right decision. Sliding his hand over the small of her back, he smiles, "Well, it's a good thing it's an extra big one in celebration of Kaylee's awesome test scores. Let me go grab it." Nate tilted his head toward the dining table, encouraging her to join them and letting her know that he was open to this next step in their relationship. "It's the best thing Uncle Nate makes," she chimed before 'lowering her voice', "Just don't ever let him make you pasta... it's tomato water." She groaned softly, shaking her head as Nate could be heard laughing to himself in the kitchen.

[kaylinelizabeth4004]

Beggin’

(Broadchurch) Alec Hardy x Reader

Synopsis: Alec has no concept of time and barges in Y/N’s house to investigate. Shenanigans ensue.

Tags: smut, fluff, established relationship, face riding/sitting, oral sex (f receiving), slight praise, no beta we die like his heart

She'd just come out of the shower, hair up in a half hearted bun. Y/N was exhausted, the current case was on her mind. A murder, that was evident. The victim was an old woman in her home, a single gunshot to the chest and her house ransacked. But it didn't look right.

As she changed into some comfy short shorts and an oversized Elvis Presley t-shirt, she visualized the scene in her head. It just wasn't right. She remembered a little purple jewelry box up near the dresser, and it didn't appear to be opened. She made a mental note to check that out, along with the neighbors alibi and how sound could transfer in a duplex.

Of course she knew when she agreed to be a Detective Sergeant that it was going to be time consuming, that this career would become you to an extent. And she wanted that. After she accidentally stumbled into this career and saw her first scene, she knew that was what she wanted with her life. But she hadn't realized that that would mean when she does even the most basic functions, her brain would be so wholly preoccupied. She took her hair out, brushed her teeth, pulled the covers down then went to turn out the lights before climbing into them. And all throughout it, she was speculating about silencers and times of death.

Her head had barely hit the pillow before she heard a banging at her front door. She laid there for a moment, contemplating her options. It was either some tragedy has happened or some idiot come to hurt her. And quite frankly she knew she could hold her own. Y/N wasn't a fool, she wasn't going to go answer it without precaution. She quickly went and retrieved a bread knife from the kitchen before going to the door.

The knife was in position when she opened it. Instead of finding some craved criminal, or even some sobbing family member, she found her boyfriend/boss with a box of papers.

"Alec? It's one in the morning."

His eyes narrowed at the sight of her. He looked tired, but he did always look just a little tired. His hair was messed up and his beard just a touch scruffy.

"I don't trust Anderson."

"What?" She asked. He didn't answer as he walked into her house and deposited the box of files on her kitchen table. She didn't mind Alec coming over, hell she loved the chance to see him, but this was all a little unprompted for her.

"Y/N, didya get anything on Imogen Walker? I don't like her. I also don't like this bloke, who does he think he is? Fucking hell," Alec started pulling stuff out to work on.

Y/N wanted to protest, but she also knew that she wasn't going to get much sleep even if she tried. This was at least productive and she got to spend time with him. She grabbed a blanket from the living room, wrapped it around herself, and sat down at the table.

"Imogen has a few misdemeanors but nothing of this caliber, nothing that would suggest murder." She said, "As for Gary, he did have a stay in the hospital back in his twenties for mental illness. I requested the documents for the diagnosis and behavior during the stay but they probably won't come in until later today or tomorrow. I think you need to focus on her niece, her alibi is shaky at best."

If Y/N focused on DI Alec Hardy's face, she might have seen the shadow of a smile on his lips that he quickly hid with other possible motives and questions. He'd never say so, but he loved these moments. The times when he could share what he was truly passionate about with someone that he truly loved ... Those moments were the best. All he would need was Daisy cracking jokes in the corner for this moment to be complete.

It was long after the sun came up before Y/N finally decided to make some tea for the two of them. She told Alec who grumbled a one worded response she didn't bother to try and understand. Maybe it was Alec or the case, but she strangely wasn't tired. Her mind kept whirling with all the possibilities and she enjoyed the time with Alec.

"Y/N! Do you have the SOCO reports from the car in there?" Hardy called to her. "I need to call -"

He stopped, looking at her from above his glasses, his lips still perched out from his words that fell forgotten. She gave him a strange look, placing the two cuppas down on the table then passing him the SOCO report he'd wanted. Yet he still stared, didn't even bother to say a word. "Hardy?"

DI Alec Hardy was not a man of many words, but when he needed to use words he always had the right thing to say. Or at least he believed it to be the right thing to say. But now, in a moment when words would definitely be helpful, he had nothing. He just stared like a man gone wild. Y/N didn't even know what he was staring at, and she shifted awkwardly on her feet. Which drew extra attention.

"Alec? What're you looking at?"

He seemed to snap out of it, shoving his glasses up his nose and glancing back down at the paper. Y/N didn't know what to make of it, but thought perhaps he was exhausted. She pulled the kitchen chair to her, putting a leg on either side so she could rest her chest on the back of it while she read. And yet again, she looked up to see his warm brown eyes trapped on her and her body.

"Alec?" He didn't answer. "Alec! What's going on?"

Alec adjusted in his seat and said calmly, "nothing."

"Bull."

"Nothing is wrong. Can we continue?"

She felt silly for a moment, maybe she was exaggerating. Then she propped a leg on the chair and she saw his eyes wander again. Okay enough was enough. "Alec, what the hell?"

"Y/N-"

"Oh ho, don't Y/N me to try and get out of answering my question. What's got you looking at me at all weird?"

A pink started to spread on his cheeks and ears, but he looked away. No way, she thought. There's no way 'shitface' just blushed. Yes they'd been dating and she knew he was more than that nickname, but sometimes the occasion calling for it. Like when was blushing early in the morning for no reason, and she'd never seen him blush unless they were making love. Oh. Oh. Her eyes widened, and she felt a little smile on her lips. She stood up slowly, watching the way he tried to fight his gaze from following after.

"Alec, anything you want to tell me?" Y/N went and sat down on the edge of the table in front of him. He swallowed.

"Don't laugh."

"Darling, I would never laugh."

He rolled his eyes and looked away, not having the strength to say it while looking at her. He swiped his glasses off and groaned. "I... those shorts. I really like those shorts."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was not quite the answer she was expecting. "The shorts?"

"Your thighs, they... I like seeing them."

Her mouth fell open in a little o, adjusting her legs slightly as though thinking about them meant she had to move them. He likes her thighs, enough to distract him from work. Alec saw this reaction and immediately flushed darker, "you think I'm stupid."

"Gosh, no, no, no not at all," she said, "I just didn't know."

He still seemed embarrassed. Alec grabbed his glasses and shoved them back on his face, going to grab his work again. But Y/N felt bad, she certainly hadn't meant it like that, she would never shame him for something in the bedroom. She just wanted to know. And she found it very sweet that he found her so attractive. It made her feel sexy.

With a gentle touch she made him set his paper down. He looked with wide eyes. Y/N moved with slow, deliberate movements so Alec could take the time to digest it all. She carefully climbed onto his chair until her thighs were straddling him in his seat, though she hovered above him. She could see his adam's apple bob up and down as she placed her weight on him, leaning forward to take his glasses off. They were so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. She smiled, "hi."

His large hands came to rest on her thighs almost instinctively, squeezing the flesh there. From under her, she could feel the hard length of his cock pressing against his pants. It made her rock her hips just slightly to meet it. He let out a hiss, grip tightening. She quite liked him holding her there, the way he ran his hands down the length of her thighs with a tight grip. He cherished them.

"Y/N..." he murmured, eyes half shut as he lifted a hand to cup her jaw. She leaned in and captured his lips with her own, exploring the kiss and grinding against his hips as he branded her with his touch. She always loved the feeling of his kisses, the way he fell into her touch like it was instinctual. His jaw was always delightfully scratchy and she loved to run her fingers along his beard.

When they broke and their foreheads fell against each other, each gasping for breath, he spoke softly. "Darling.. I have a request."

Alec didn't often ask for much in the bedroom. Y/N certainly wasn't trying to prevent him, he just tended to stay quiet. So she pressed a soft kiss to his scratchy beard and nodded for him to continue. He swallowed nervously before continuing, "I've this fantasy. I've only had it for you."

Alec got embarrassed sometimes when talking about sex. Oh sure, he was great during the act. But he always treated any fantasies or ideas as something stupid and silly. But Y/N didn't think that, she wanted to make it pleasurable for the both of them. If he was willing to do things for her, then she would be willing to do things for him. In a voice that came out far huskier than she intended, she said, "I want to hear it."

"I, I want you to sit on my face."

Her eyebrows shot up and she pulled away to look at him, to check that was what he wanted. His flush got darker and he tried to turn away, but she grabbed his face before he could. The corner of her mouth quirked up, "Alec Hardy, even in your fantasies you want to go down on me. Are you sure that's what you want?"

He nodded vigorously, his gaze intense. She nodded an affirmation and got off, offering a hand for him to take as she guided him into the bedroom. "Tell me where you want us."

Alec nodded. He began to take off his clothing, tossing them on the chair in the corner. Then he got onto the bed near the headboard and told you to strip as well. Here came the part he got excited about, even if excited for Alec meant a pair of wild eyebrows lifted high.

Now naked, Y/N went from the edge of the bed and crawled up to him, showing off her assets. He took a deep shaking breath. She situated herself so her cunt was right above Alec's head, thighs already shaking slightly but she was determined to stay above. Then she felt his hands grab at the back of her thighs, pulling her down.

"Alec!" She squealed, "I can't! What if I hurt you?"

"Hurt you?" He asked in an incredulous way, as though the thought was the furthest thing from his mind. "How could you hurt me?"

"My weight on you.."

He answered what he believed to be a silly question with a silly answer, and dragged her down squarely on his mouth. She laughed a little as she settled, but his hot tongue on her clit was enough to distract her to silence. Well, not silence, but certainly not laughter.

This was a sensation unlike any she'd had. Alec had gone down on her before and it was bloody fantastic, she always left panting and delirious with pleasure. But this seemed to open a whole new wave of sensations. He came into it with a crazed intensity, yearning to taste every part of her he could. His touch was everywhere, hot as it skimmed over her skin and seared her. His lips were plush as they parted to let his tongue slide along her folds, tasting her. That delightful beard was going to cause a rash tomorrow morning but she didn't care as she rocked her hips to meet his tongue's ministrations.

She tasted like sweat and sex and everything good in the world, if he could bottle it up he would. Though in the back of his mind he knew Y/N worried about crushing him with her weight, it was that sensation of being fully engulfed by her that he was so attracted to. Those burning thighs were right by his head, holding him there and clenching with each stroke of pleasure. He held onto them tightly, letting her know just how much he enjoyed it. It was better than just regular oral, it was deeper and intimate. One look up at her was enough to make him shudder and hold her tighter. She looked like a goddess, head thrown back with those raspy little moans pouring from her. Her breasts heaved on her chest, begging to be touched. If he died then and there, with the image of her above him, he'd die a very happy man.

Y/N gasped his name over and over, rolling her hips and meeting his expert tongue. He was everywhere, scorching all of her. Alec’s touch was making her dizzy with pleasure and if she wasn’t careful she’d never leave her spot here. That coil inside of her started to tighten, twisting as tingles were sent all throughout her body. She could feel her orgasm coming, tightening and tightening until with a sobbing gasp she came on Alec Hardy’s tongue.

He never stopped for one second, just lapping at her oversensitive clit until he could feel her coming down from her high. Then he adjusted, helping guide her down his body so he was sitting and she was straddling him. She melted against his chest, head in the crook between his shoulder and neck, breaths uneven.

“Oh my god,” she said finally.

Alec kissed her forehead and rubbed her back, “thank you, darling.”

She gave him a thumbs up, “you tell me all your fantasies, love, because holy fuck.”

Alec nodded, “duly noted.”

“Shut up,” she said, burying her face deeper into him with a smile.

[celtrist]

Why does Vassago already have merch, we haven't even met him yet

[blue--ingenue]

My Hero

Prompt: "Don't touch her!"

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

Pairings: Sebastian x Reader

Summary: Sebastian realizes his true feelings for his Gryffindor when they sneak out of the castle and are attacked by Victor Rookwood.

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: violence, mentions of blood, swearing

See bottom for author's notes.

Despite what others in his year may say, Sebastian is rather academically-inclined, thank you very much. He's never been one to pass up an intriguing book or two (especially if it's from the restricted section), but no tome could hold a candle to the rush he feels from trying out a new spell for the very first time. The snap of his wand through the air as it matches the energy of the perfect incantation is intoxicating.

He and his Gryffindor decided to sneak out to practice new spells right after dinner. They’d found a prime spot in the form of the jobberknoll den overlooking the castle. His eyes drift to her, crimson robes sloped gently over her shoulders as she leafs through a book he borrowed from the restricted section. He focuses back on the task at hand. He draws his wand down, flicks his wrist in a flourish toward his target, and feels the familiar pull of magic sing through his body and rush out through his wand arm. "Impedimenta!"

The spell connects cleanly, striking the tallest bough of the willow tree before him. White light spreads from the center of the branch and hums through the rest of the tree as its movements stop almost instantly. He smiles and admires his handiwork. A few jobberknolls peek out from the newly-petrified branches and lock their beady eyes on him just before taking off with indignant twitters. 

"That ought to come in handy the next time we run into one of your poacher friends," he calls to her. To his left Sebastian hears rustling as she places a leaf between the pages of her book and places it on a moss-covered stump. 

“Useful indeed. Not bad,” she comments idly. Sebastian narrows his eyes at her and finds what he’s looking for. Almost imperceptible, the upturn at the corner of her lip lets him know that she’s baiting him. He doesn’t even think before taking it. 

“Is that all?” he drawls. She turns to face him fully, and wow. His lips decide that now is the perfect time to pull his faux wounded expression into an utterly besotted grin. He might actually be embarrassed at the level of effortless (and agonizingly to her,  unknown) control she has over him if he weren’t so busy trying to quell the blush that seems to hum through the very core of him. The moonlight shines against her onyx hair. Most of it has fallen out of the loose bun she’d wrangled it into with a ribbon and is framing her face like gentle vines about a wreath. She looks ethereal, silhouetted against the moonbeams and the glow of the castle behind them. 

She strides toward him, stopping just short of where he stands and looks up at him through fluttering lashes. “I’m sorry,” she says in a syrupy tone that lights a match somewhere deep within him. “Did you want me to say, ‘Oh, Sebastian! My hero! I may rest easy know that I’m in your strong, capable hands!’” she simpers. Though she jabs at him, there is only an easy warmth where the biting sarcasm should’ve been. She’s still gazing up at him when she crinkles her nose and smiles. He’s sure he’d readied a line from his well-crafted arsenal of witty comebacks. He could feel the words on his tongue, drawn back like a bow waiting to fire, but he smiles back down at her and all that tumbles from his lips is a breathless, “Yeah.”

She bursts out laughing at his change in demeanor. It’s a tinkling, melodic thing. There’s no pattern to it, but it’s as though the notes fall at perfect intervals,  just so, to create another beautiful harmony each time she pauses for breath. She punches his arm in jest, more of a pat than anything else, and looks back to the castle. 

“It’s gotten rather late. Should we be heading back soon?” she asks. Perhaps it’s just his hopeful imagination, but she sounds as reluctant to pose the question as he is to answer it. He likes spending time with her. Just the two of them. But then he sees her stifle a yawn and decides he’d rather like to see her get a full night’s rest for once. Heaven knows she needs it, what with the fate of the school seemingly falling onto her shoulders. 

“I suppose so,” he responds. “Wouldn’t want to risk missing curfew.” She rolls her eyes playfully and he sees a grin grace her lips as she gathers her things. He’s so intent on committing her silhouette to memory that he doesn’t notice there’s someone behind him until the tip of a wand presses into his neck. She glances up from her stack of books and freezes. In the same instant the books thud into the dirt she’s already whipped out her wand and fallen into a defensive stance. 

“Get away from him,” she snarls. Her voice is low and her gaze is lethal and Sebastian thinks, hysterically, that he likes this look on her. A familiar voice, self-assured and absolutely grating on his nerves, sounds behind him just as its owner presses the wand closer to his pulse point.

“I’ll say this only once: toss your wand to me or your sweetheart here stops breathing,” he spits. Victor Rookwood,the  sleazy bastard, doesn’t even have the decency to sound terrified in front of, arguably, the most dangerous witch on this side of the country. He holds her gaze.

“Run! Just get out of he-” he doesn’t get to finish. Rookwood drives a knee into his back so hard he falls to the ground. He feels his cheek scrape against a stone as he goes down, but before he can push himself up Rookwood has a fist in his hair and is pulling him to his knees. The wand tip is shoved painfully into the side of his neck in warning. He wipes a drop of blood beaded at his lip from where it had split on impact and meets her gaze. Without another word she turns a hateful gaze to Rookwood and tosses her wand a few feet to the left of him. 

“Good girl,” he purrs. Sebastian feels embers burn in his veins at Rookwood’s sultry tone and resists the urge to grab his wand and snap it in half. He freezes when he feels another presence behind him accompanied by a distinctly human hiss. The presence stoops down and sniffs, nose mere inches from the cut on Sebastian’s cheek. His Gryffindor moves as if to rip the thing away from him, but Rookwood stops them. 

“Patience now, Theo. Save it for her,” he tuts. She tenses, but remains where she stands. Theo straightens himself to his full height rather reluctantly and Sebastian sees the moonlight glint off of a pair of red-stained fangs. 

“You’re a vampire,” she breathes. Her voice is breathier. Not out of fear for herself, but for him, he realizes as she fixes Sebastian with a mixture of terror and relief. 

“Yes, stating the obvious. Quite like a Gryffindor,” Rookwood snaps. He sees a familiar blue glow swirl about her hands and knows that she wouldn’t need a wand to destroy both of the men behind him. She seems to pull the ancient magic from the very ground beneath her as the air hums and crackles. Sebastian has just enough time to wonder why the vampire looks the furthest thing from afraid when Theo is suddenly right behind her. One sickly pale hand fists in her hair and yanks her head back, exposing her throat. The other curls possessively around her front, locking her in place and Sebastian sees red. 

“Let her go!” he spits, throwing all his strength into trying to thrash out of Rookwood’s grip. A fist punches the air from his lungs and he sputters. Between gasps he can hear her thrashing in the vampire’s grip. The bastard holding him in place tuts.

“You’re hardly in a position to be making demands, Mr. Sallow,” he chides. He looks to his Gryffindor. Her chest is heaving with anger and exertion. Rookwood continues speaking, his voice laced with venom.

“Theo here has a very…rare gift,” he chooses his words carefully. “That ancient magic of yours could very well turn the tide in this little rebellion. Theo’s gift allows him to extract it from you. I promise it won’t hurt a bit,” he lilts. He sees her swallows and dips her head. She meets his eyes and she gives him a reassuring smile,  soft and sweet. Her demeanor shifts instantly as she steels herself, glares defiantly at Rookwood, and please, god, no-

“Do what you will. Let. Him. Go. And I’ll cooperate. I’ll do anything you want,” she grits out. He can only watch, chest heaving as he pulls in breath after ragged breath, as she bows her head in defeat. Theo’s fingers trail her exposed collarbone as he sweeps her hair behind her ear and Sebastian’s throat closes in unbridled rage. His voice is not his own when he thunders, “Don’t touch her!”

“Oh, you will cooperate. And you,” he hisses as he tightens his grip in Sebastian’s hair, “You’re going to watch.”

Her face twists in rage as Theo sniffs her neck, but she doesn’t fight it. 

“Oh, and I did mean it when I said this wouldn’t hurt a bit,” he mentions, seemingly as an aside. “It’ll hurt a lot.”

As the words leave Rookwood’s lips Theo seems to find what he’s looking for. Sebastian’s world narrows down to the point where his fangs pierce her skin. There’s not a rustle from the tree he jinxed a lifetime ago so he can hear them sheath into her flesh with perfect, horrible clarity. She doesn’t scream as Theo buries his head in her neck and sucks. The only sound she makes is terrified gasp and a strangled cry as he sucks the life from her veins. 

“Stop-please, please! Leave her alone!” he begs. He’s desperate, hysteric. He’d do anything in his power and beyond to take her place. Rookwood only laughs, and laughs, and laughs. He’s hyperventilating as he watches Theo drink the life from her. After every pull Theo takes a soft blue light pulses through her and fades as quickly as it came. He wants to look away. There are a million shrill voices screaming in his head and they’re all telling him to look away! but he can’t. Because she’s looking at him, really looking at him, as though she can see right into his heart and acknowledges a truth that even he can’t bring himself to admit, and smiles at him. His heart, every fiber of it belonging to her - always her - shreds itself to pieces as he realizes she’s trying to be brave for him. Damn Gryffindors. Damn their bravery, and their courage, and damn her for stealing his heart. For being beautiful and selfless, and damn the universe for gifting her with ancient magic only for it to be ripped right from her soul.

Her gaze is growing heavier. The intervals between the blue pulses of light are dragging, and even in the miniscule light she looks pale. She’s already completely limp in Theo’s arms, but it’s the sight of her eyelids falling shut that wrenches a strangled scream from his throat. He doesn’t know how long it’s been going on but his panicked mind wonders if there’s even any blood left in her at all. He tears out of Rookwood’s grip with inhuman strength, wrenches the wand from his hand, and casts the loudest confringo to ever singe the highlands. In quick succession Rookwood rolls away from the flames and apparates himself and Theo away. There’s a loud crack and then - silence. Just a grave, damning silence.

He scrambles to his feet and trips to where she lay, dropping to his knees and turning her on her back. She’s still. Too still.

“Oh god, god no…” he trails off as he gathers her into his arms. He presses two shaking fingers to her pulse point and feels nothing. A choked shout spills from his lips. His arm is propping her up and her head tilts back, exposing the too-pale expanse of her throat. He calls her name again, and again, and again. Her features are slack and her lips are tinged blue. Why are they blue? They’re pink. Always so wonderfully pink…he wonders hysterically. He gathers her in his arms, holds her close to his chest and bows his head. 

“Please don’t do this,” he begs. He pleads to her, to the universe, to anyone who will listen. “Please don’t leave,” he sobs. Tears streak down his face, but he doesn’t feel them. He’s so numb with grief that he nearly misses the faint huff of air that graces his cheek. He stills immediately, and when he feels another breath ghost his cheek he feels a giddy flash of hope ignite in his chest. He brushes the hair from her face and holds her head in his hands. Every muscle in his body is taught with anticipation. He gently cradles her and lets his forehead fall against hers.

 “Come back to me…” he sobs.

The universe holds its breath - and then answers in the form of a weak, but wonderfully alive, little cough from the girl in his arms. He pulls back and watches, in shock, as she fills her lungs with a gasp. Her brows furrow, her eyelids flutter, and in the second before she opens her eyes Sebastian’s world blazes back into existence with agonizing clarity. Her eyes drift in and out of focus before finally settling on him, and with her first breath whispers, “...Sebastian.”

A sob wracks his body and he allows his head to fall back toward hers. He holds her in his arms like she’s the most precious, fragile thing in the world, and presses a desperate kiss to her lips. If he could only cast a nonverbal spell once in his lifetime, it would be for this. He would imbue this single kiss with all of the things he’s been too afraid to say: I love you. I’m completely and irrevocably yours. I’d give anything and everything to make sure the world never harms you again. 

“...Sebastian,” she murmurs against his lips, an urgent edge to her tone that says she has something more to say. He retreats to listen. Impossibly, she’s smiling. She’s looking right into his heart as though he hung the stars in the sky.

“...My hero,” she laughs. He presses another kiss to her forehead and laughs softly with her. She was going to be okay. And Sebastian decided that as long as he had breath in his lungs, nothing would ever harm her again.

Author's Notes: This is my first time writing a character x reader fic lmao. I had fun writing the angst. If you want to see more of my work you can find me on ao3 (blueingenue). If ya'll enjoyed and want to see more, feel free to send me asks!

[presidentbungus]

Marcel has a way of getting things done, no matter what anyone else really wants to do about it. Tavish isn’t all too sure how he ended up here, one of two seated on a luxury private jet, chugging a steady stream of cocktails he’s already forgetting the prissy names of, using up vacation days he hasn’t had since the lawsuit, but every time he looks up at Marcel sitting across from him and slowly poring through a pile of travel magazines it just makes sense.

And well he knew what he was getting himself into in the first place—you can’t really trust a lad with a watch collection, who fancies sunglasses indoors as a slick and appropriate fashion choice, to not want to spring a trip to somewhere stiff and wealthy at nowhere, equator at every feasible opportunity.

What he lacks in natural cuteness the man makes up for in the strange ability to make anything and everything sound like the most important, life-changing thing you’ve ever considered doing. Not to mention all the well I’ll just go on my own, Tavish, another lonely soul adrift in the whirlpool of solitude, Tavish, and you can stay here and keep working since I know that’s more important to you than anything else, anything at all. And so, curse his natural susceptibility to guilt, Tavish found himself here about an hour later, since all his things were conveniently already arranged in a suitcase on his bed. What a surprise.

Something about dating the French. Marcel looks up at him, and slowly outstretches one expertly fitted leather glove across the aisle, sets it down on his hand, and says: "Tavish, mon beau. Look at this."

And then an awkward shuffling-around of the magazine he's holding with only one hand, until Tavish can see a limp page advertising--well, he assumes it's advertising some sort of spa getaway, using a lot of words he doesn't really recognize, and a completely unrelated picture underneath of dolphins turning in the waves. "The Pacific Pearl package," another pertinent tap at a flowery subsection, "one of the highest-reviewed couple's massage experiences on the continent."

'Highest reviewed'. Tavish knows he's talking it up but on the off-chance he's not he decides it's not worth the risk of breaking his poor wee heart. "Mmm. Wow," sucking down something green out of a cocktail glass. Tastes like watermelon. "That sounds great."

And here Marcel's eyebrows pitch just a little bit and oh, here it comes. "Of course, we would have to give up bungee-jumping if we wanted to slot this into the schedule--"

"Nope. Good try." There it is. "Bungee-jumping is non-bloody-negotiable." Tavish sets his glass down on the table so he can point accusingly, since Marcel's still rubbing treacherous circles into his other hand. "You gave me two… experiences to plan," god he hates that word, "and by god, we're stickin' by 'em. And that also goes for--"

"Scuba diving. I'm aware." Marcel wilts, just a little. "With the sharks. And the jellyfish. And the--"

"Anemone, killer minnows, flesh-eating sandskippers, vicious brain-melting amoebas, I know, Marce."

"You need to relax, mon coeur. Not… get your adrenaline pumping out in the wild. That's all I'm getting at."

Tavish sighs. "I can relax and have a little fun repeatedly jumping off cliffs, those two things aren't mutually bloody exclusive. And you," he says, triumphantly, "you gotta live a little. I can't be the only fun one in this relationship. It's stiflin' me growth as a person."

"I'm fun." Marcel rears back, maybe genuinely offended, though of course you can never tell with him. "I'm very fun."

"Well let's prove it, then."

Marcel opens his mouth, and then it flops shut and he leans back against the seat, pulling his hand back and crossing his arms.

It might be a bad time, but Tavish quietly adds: "Thoughts on parasailing?"

"You're on thin ice."

"Understood."

[miinteaa]

i seriously have an insane amount of bsd wips over like 2000-3000k + words each that I never got around to editing and posting..

ddlc au (kinda???)

svsss au

Kunikidazai to accidental kunichuuzai pipeline (12,000k)

that one fake m-preg one

akutagawa and tachihara trapped in a museum

kunikida gets sold to the mafia

fem kunikidazai royalty au

"chuuyas program for fitness and fun"

chuuyas fake funeral

oh and also vnc fake marriage x2 and sk8 the infinity but langa is a robot and reki is a mechanic (that one was 15,000k)

OH and nice kill tanaka!!! I loved that one!!!

Daichi is killed with a volleyball to the head and becomes a ghost that haunts suga

i realllyyyyy need to stop quitting stuff

[sevs-corner]

Another one of my wild dreams coming to me, I swear the voices are having too much fun when I’m unconscious, where its the usual Soulmate-Reincarnation trope but the Tf 141 guys always get to meet each other but…you.

Every. Single. Time.

In each new life, they’d always happen to meet, but nearing the end of theirs— a longing always seem to linger in their hearts. Pieces of their memory always missing with a piece of their soul not being fulfilled.

At first, they don’t notice it— it was already rare enough to have 4 soulmates all tied together. So, to think of another partner being somewhere out there? Yeah, that was outrageous.

They were already thankful enough that they had each other, how could they still feel so greedy and longing?

We’re they not enough for each other?

What was lacking? What were they lacking?

When then they hear murmurs of soulmates being together, they all said they’ll feel something snap into place.

They think its the soulmate bond being locked into place, their soul finally complete and fates intertwined.

Yet… they only got to the first couple of steps to that. Seeing that zing in each other’s eyes that recognizes each other as soulmates, the bonding ritual, the return of past life memories…

Every time they get to that point, they’d remember that something was just… missing.

So they try, in each life to the next, to find some way to fix that last piece into place— test out all their theories.

What if there was something wrong that they did? Were they truly partners? What if one wasn’t their mate with the other?

It wasn’t until Price offered the idea that there may be… a fifth person… involved that their tactics changed.

But they never got lucky.

How come it was so easy to find each other but not…you?

They were just about to give up in this timeline, their lives being ran rugged in the military made their hearts weak and souls crushed already— why would they make the extra effort when they already had the partners they wanted right besides them?

But they regret saying that, bringing it up and believing in it when that familiar zing rings across their brains and underneath their skins as they see you— fresh eyed recruit sent right to their team.

It was like their prayers have finally been answered, all the sacrifices their past selves made now coming to fruition—

But you see no zing- you’ve never had one.

That must be another reason why you always happen to miss them- whether it be through an early death, a bad relationship, an unfortunate event, living across the country from them.

But no, you were always right near them. You just couldn’t find them like they did with each other.

It just didn’t click until now for you and they are distraught for you.

They are so happy, souls now complete and their memories as well— but you had nothing.

That feeling of wholeness and unconditional love— you couldn’t feel it.

So they swear, that from then on, they’d always find you next— no matter how many times they’d repeat it, all the struggles and pain, it was incomparable to you who felt nothing from a forced severed soul bond.

My sleepi and awake mind are cooking but im not in the kitchen- send help what the

Masterlist here! Prev dream idea i was talkin about here- its becoming a saga oml

[ddreamghost]

Guys. I need to get this off my chest because I fr needed to get rid of this obsession of this Smug Gremlin Merchant and the ship itself,🧍and also how I felt about Remilia ending up with The Demon King. I have actually created this a long long long time ago because I was too shy to share my thoughts but then I remembered, Who cares!?

So lemme share y'all a madman obsession, all because of a Smug Gremlin Merchant.

Do Note: This isn't a proper paragraph text because I just copy paste from my Google Docs, So No Beta We Die Like Men.

⚠️Chapter Spoilers Ahead and Madman's Ramblings⚠️

The One Within the Villainess

Reasons why Remilia (Remilia Rosa Graupner)

the OG Villainess should have gone the romance route with Thorne the Merchant/Shopkeeper.

(The symbol or emblem should be Thorn vines shaped like a Web with Purple Rose in its Center)

(THORNE HAS LORE IN CHAPTER 9, WTF- THORNE HAS LORE, HE HAS LORE!!!, I HAVE TO REDO!!!! AND FU- ANGST, ITS GONNA BE ANGSTY BUT I WANT A HAPPY ENDING THAT THOSE TWO ARE THE MAIN COUPLE!!!)

1.) It would be WAY INTERESTING! There would be some CONFLICT! DRAMA! and SOME FINALLY FREAKING FRESH AND NEW ZHIT!

- Okay seriously you could do a freaking lot with this like YOO! Have you not seen it?! THE POSSIBILITIES OF THIS SHIP?!?!

- Like obviously, it ain't the Demon King, it ain't the soon-to-be King aka Crown Prince or motherfreaking Powerful asf Mage but A GUY WHO IS A MERCHANT

- Plot Twist but not really, HE IS A DEMON

- There is probably one but SEE, IT IS FREAKING RARE

- I also want Malewife and Girlboss Dynamic

- Like Charming Sly Malewife and Powerful Cunning Girlboss, they're both intelligent in different ways

- For Thorne, it will be People Skills aka He has great interpersonal skills or is great at being empathetic and communication skills (Ironic kuz He is a Demon) and is great with finances (His a Merchant Damn it!), also he should be great at being an alchemist (Kuz I am taking this idea from the premium items he sells), and appraiser (kuz obviously).

- While Remilia is somewhat good at those things, she is mostly great at being a Battlemage or mage warrior (Thanks to Emi), politics, strategist, smooth-talker and most of all being a badass queen (Honestly Remilia is too Badass OP, that I will think again what she is great at)

- I want Thorne to be great at reading people's body language (Merchant) or great at reading at people in general and can clearly tell someone is not whom they seem

- As much as Remilia is good at reading people, Thorne is way better because of his merchant experience and his high Intuition & Instincts, and he may not look like it but he is quite observant that he is able to tell something is off from someone, especially if he has a lot of information about them or knows them well enough

- Like Thorne has Kinesics(?)

- Also Thorne is secretly skilled at using plant magic since he is quite proficient at using plant magic

- You see where I am going with this? HEHEHEH

- So I find out from Chapter 9, the reason why Thorne doesn't have demon-like features is that it is a sign of lower or weak magical energy/power

- Usually, that will prevent me from making Thorne a Powerful Plant Mom Demon but I did type a skilled plant magic user, So Thorne is still a Skilled Plant Mom Magic User

-So I also find out in Chapter 9 about How Thorne believes that Remilia will make the Demon King, Angel Happy and erase the pain that has burdened him like the chapter was literally dedicated to Angel's Lore and Suffering, and how he deserved better which was stated by Thorne.

- and I am like "Oh Zhit, HOW AM I- OH BOI- OH NO- FU-"

- But then Remember why I was very hyper-fixated or obsessed with this ship of mine

2.) One of the reasons why I was obsessed with shipping Thorne and Remilia was that I DID NOT LIKE THE REASON WHY REMILIA AND ANGEL ENDED UP TOGETHER! (Update Again if Big Change Happened, like Chapter 9)

The reason was that Pina the Bish, favorite character was the Demon King, and Remilia who was out for revenge was like "Oh? Thats your favorite character? And you want to Marry him? WELL SIKE!! HIS MINE NOW!"

And thats like one of the greatest revenge ever but I found out even more that Remilia didn't marry out of Love for Angel, She married out of Spite to Pina's face

And She doesn't mind marrying Angel because he loves "Emi's Remilia" but I, the Hopeless Romantic Fool does not consider that as Love at all! I rather if Angel loves Remilia for herself! Even if it pains me even more that Remilia and Thorne will never be a together.

And Angel deserves someone who's freaking honest, isn't used for the sake of revenge, and is an actual LOVE! I mean chapter 9 was literally dedicated to Him freaking crying because he is killing his own people (and his brother, which I know won't happen kuz Remilia is gonna prevent that) and the burden of being King who has to kill his own kind just to stop even more killings

It honestly hurts knowing that they "Love" you or marry you because of revenge, To Spite a motherfreaking bish. Angel deserves better. Angel deserves someone that actually loves him

If I guess, Remilia could slowly fall in love with Angel when they are married but that's a big "IF" and knowing that she has to pretend to be "Emi's Remilia" to him and not herself in front him is already a no-no

I just want Remilia to be herself, even if it is only a single person, and also talk about Emi (LOL She needs to boast about her favorite reincarnator)

3.) Why Thorne? Why Him?

I can't fully explain it since I am clearly bad with words and constantly forgot the knowledge I learned, especially with my vocabulary. So I will say this as I explain in number 1 but let's add more. The reason that I have chosen Thorne, and why I was hyper-fixated with that character and would love for him to be the main love interest for Remilia is because of how he was drawn. His drawn cat eyes were the moment I instantly love this character and the way his personality showed the more you look at his expression whenever he reacted to Remilia's words or actions. Honestly, I already explained more in number 1 that Thorne and Remilia will be interesting asf, and something brand new or something fresh of breath air.

I also wished Thorne to be ML because if I tried to understand based on chapters alone, Remilia always went out to grab the quest items and always come back home to either spend a day or a few days. So it probably means Remilia and Thorne also spend quite time with each other, and it's usually because of business but don't you bond with your business partner? Yes! Yes, you do bond with them, which means their connection with each other will go better and stronger. So, I know Thorne is merely a merchant but that's the interesting part he is merely a merchant which is a breath of fresh air since the male leads are always either, a crown prince, a knight, a powerful wizard, or a demon king. I mean sure the plot twist of Thorne was him being a demon but that's it.

I am just taking advantage of the fact that he and Remilia spend more time together than Angel and Remilia because I have a headcanon that Remilia is a type of person who falls in love with a person if they bonded emotionally or spend so much quality time with each other. Usually one of the factors is her love for Emi, thats like the biggest reason she started her revenge but what if Remilia also fall in love while still doing her revenge for Emi. Because I just imagine Remilia remembering Emi's wise words as she starts to slowly fall in Love with Thorne's being, his expressive face, his wit, his cat smug face, and his honesty with her as they bond together.

I want Remilia to slowly fall in Love, and finding out this how Love is, and how different loving someone like a family and a lover. Of course Thorne will be similar to the original but let's make his personality even shine more, especially the way he reacts, talk, and How the hell did become a capable chief!

4.) Thorne is Cute ASF, and he probably is one of the people who understand her way better especially if she confesses about Emi and more. No.3 explained better.

- This on Reddit that was explained way better but Yes. The 2nd Picture was my Response.

5.) Thorne's Headcanon full name is Thornevine Amin Ginton

-Actually idk if I prefer Thorne Amin Ginton or Thornevine Amin Ginton, I just added -vine on his name full name kay I thought it sounded good (PLEASE DON'T LAUGH-)

-Amin means Devoted and Ginton means Garden

-A Devoted Garden 🥺💖❤️💖

-So I found out Thorne was an Orphan Kid from Chapter 9, So I will headcanon that he learned those words from Miss Mizari or a wise old person and instantly falls in love with it, and turned into his full name

-THAT'S HOW CUTE THORNE IS!!

-OR! When Remilia and Thorne decided to become a couple or Married even 😏, They will make their own last names together!! TO REPRESENT THEIR LOVE~! 🥺🥺💖❤️💖

-THAT'S HOW WHOLESOMELY CUTE THEY ARE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't believe you just read all that. Here, have some of my Fanarts that I didn't get to share because I was Internet Shy-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I imagine a scene where Thorne is asking Remilia if she is willing to forgive him for what he did to Emi (The Love and Charm Potion/Perfume)

[I have no clue what Remilia is wearing on this one ⬇️]

This was just my take on Manga's "ML" in every otome romance manga. Also this whole time, Thorne isn't Tan Skin but a Milquetoast Guy 😭😭

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So anyway, Thank you for Reading a Madman's Obsession throughout Last Year-

Will this obsession be over? I have no clue. 🧍

[raekensarcher]

All About Control Chapter Ten

Summary: Liam blinks, the words cutting right to his core. Because, of course Theo fucking knows. God, of course Theo knows the way Liam spirals. He knows exactly what Liam is terrified of, has witnessed Liam tornado everything in his path when he is hurting. In all of his shame and rage induced spirals and convincing himself that Theo never gave a shit in the first place, he pushed out all logic and reason that defied those thoughts. Even tonight, everything about tonight has proved him wrong, every single thing Theo has done tonight has proved that he knows Liam so deeply it’s something he wouldn’t ever be able to forget.

[moefongo]

I got some Qi brainrot so I'll leave this also yes I made a new file just for him lol (im working on a few requests so I'll pose those eventually as well)

Qi's kids sneak into the research center

The kids had been begging to go there since they learned how to talk, but he doesn't want them there because of two reasons.

One of them being their safety and the second one is that he does not want his kids to touch his Gundam collection.

Of course his kids sneak into the research center instead of going to school. In fact he was the one who dropped them off that say so he was more than sure that they were in school.

The kids had planned it for days in advance, they somehow even managed to make a copy of his keys just in case it was locked.

Luckily they didn't need them since they snuck in when their dad was distracted with work. Plus there are many ways to enter the center so to them it was a breeze.

Their next target, his dad's Gundam collection. Or more likely they were assembling an intact set that the builder found and was keeping hidden as a birthday gift for Qi. But since these kids are nosy, they found it and decided to do the most devious prank ever and place it there and wait until he notices it.

Qi's focus was interrupted when he heard giggles coming up from his old bedroom. Frustrated, he went to check what was going on and lo and behold, there sitting on the floor were his two kids half way through the Gundam set.

Honestly he was impressed so he allowed them to skip school that day and sat down to help them finish it and after that he spent the rest of the day with them, away from the center of course.

Eventually the builder found out because Jane notified them that the kids had escaped from school. But their totally awesome dad prevented them from getting in trouble for their shenanigans.

[camelspit]

1 day into the semester and i am so over it

[syncopatedid]

Kansei University Track & Field Fan Club Appreciation Day:  Stage reading segment  🎉 🎉 Just in time for Hakone Ekiden Day!  🎉 🎉

[absolute-snzaster]

Hoiy shit, y'all, it's me actually answering a prompt! (Well, two prompts.) With a fic! (Well, a mini fic.) @victoriablackrose and @sniction-fiction , two of my greatest comrades in being hørny for W/itcher snz, were both so lovely as to send me prompts from this list, and I decided to combine them!

500ish words of pre-g/eraskier with sick!jask under the cut, for the prompts "sleepy sneezes", "shivery" and "concern". This is meant to be set in the same timeline as Not With That Cold (which I mean to add chapters to someday I swear I have drafts), but much earlier on. Gonna give slight mess and language warnings just in case but they're really barely there. LOTS of stuffy talk, so heads up if that is or isn't your thing. Hope y'all like it! 💕

If Jaskier’s wits had been any less dulled, he would have woken with a shout at the hulking presence looming over him like a ravenous wolf. As it was, however, he had spent the past several days doing battle with an all-consumingly horrid head cold, and every last one of his senses might have been stopped up with glue for all the good they were doing him. And so he merely stirred into vague half-consciousness and turned over in his bedroll, rubbing his interminably stuffy nose against a warm object that, if he really thought about it, hadn’t been there when he went to sleep.

“heh… ehhh… tssh’hew,” he sneezed as the tickle in his feverish nose spiked, irritated by something decidedly hirsute in its immediate presence. The presence moved, then, the warm rampart drawing away from the wet spray of his sneeze, and it was only then that Jaskier’s eyes cracked open enough to see the lumbering form above him.

“Mbelitele’s sacred tits, Geralt, what cad you possibly be doi’g.” His voice was a thin and reedy spectre of its usual melodious affront, his mind still too foggy and congested to properly startle. “‘s the biddle of the ‘dight. Why’re you leadi’g over be like I’b your dext ‘beal.”

Geralt grunted. “You were shivering.”

“I was s—” Jaskier stopped short in the middle of his usual sardonic repetition, stumbling into wakefulness as the realization dawned on him. “...I was shiveri’g. Oh.” He broke out into a positively delighted grin, one that Geralt recognized all too well even on a red nose, cracked lips and bleary eyes and dreaded all the same. “Why, Geralt, you great cake-hearted fool! You–hehh–you were—hehh’TCHEW!! You were cod’cerdned for be!” He gave a tremendous, self-satisfied sniff.

Geralt turned away with a grudging ‘hm’, and Jaskier swore he could almost see the Witcher’s face reddening in the dim glow of the firelight. “You were!” he crowed. “You care for be, Geralt, I kdew it all alo’gg,” he needled him, languidly poking a finger between his ribs.

“Don’t push it,” the Witcher scowled sullenly.

Jaskier held his hands up in surrender. “All right, all right, I yield,” he capitulated. “Sdf. You kdow, you’re dot wro’g. It r-really is cold out hehh-heh-EHHTSSCHIIEEWH!” He sneezed wetly, and began shivering again as if to illustrate the point. “Oh d-dear… I d-dod’t suppose you had adythi’g id bi’d to put ad e’d to this, did you.” He drew his bedroll tighter in around him, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. Geralt didn’t speak by way of reply. He merely grunted and eased himself down next to Jaskier, wrapping his muscle-bound arms around the shivering bard and pulling him back-first into his big, broad, blessedly warm barrel chest. “Not a word,” the Witcher muttered, stopping Jaskier’s bewildered gasp in its tracks, and while the sniffly bard did technically comply, he couldn’t help the groan of relief that slipped from the depths of his being as the heat—that unfaltering fire he’d always ached for but never had leave to touch—enveloped him.

As he began to drift off, awash in bliss as much as in congestion, Jaskier felt Geralt stir with an unspoken question behind him. “Yes, mby dear Witcher?” he prompted.

Geralt was silent for a moment. Then, “...cake-hearted?”

Jaskier scoffed reproachfully, turning it into a dramatic snuffle which served him all the same. “You mbustd’t laugh at mbe, Geralt. I have—ahhh–hah-hih’TISSH-IEW!—a terrible cold.”

[jackyfalahees]

And here is my second snippet for the fic I decided to write to give myself a break from sword fic, aka Library Fic, currently untitled:

“If you- you would like to spend more time here, yes?” He asked, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something more, but cut himself off. Was he waiting for her to follow? To lead?

Time with you?

“In the library?” She went in the opposite, unwanted direction.

“Yes.”

He walked down the opposite path, and she fell.

“Yes,” she swallowed her pride, and wished she could swallow the uncomfortable swell in her throat. “Very much.”

He smiled.

She couldn’t be angry with him.

Not when he smiled.

Not when he looked at her, not when he walked into a room and tried to make her feel comfortable, not when he didn’t leave.

And not when he was standing in front of her, leaning against the bookshelf and holding his favorite poem, wearing black but bringing light and vibrancy into the entire room. No stone walls between them. No dark corners.

“I am sorry, but you will have to endure more of our English stories.” He feigned a disappointed sigh, but he failed, the corner of his mouth turning upwards. He ran his free hand through his hair. “I swear, we have some fine works-”

“I will read them,” she said. “Do not worry, Your Majesty. I want to learn all I can.”

“And you will.”

His voice, so deep and full of confidence, so sudden, hitting her in the chest like a punch. Confidence and- faith? Faith in her?

“You’ll never be able to hide your intelligence, Guinevere.”

Another punch, a stronger strike, a blow to the knee.

“Not with you?”

God, her voice was small, but she swore the question echoed on the stone walls, throwing the shards of vulnerability back in her face. Hits and cuts.

“No,” he shook his head, “not with me.”

Actions, she thought.

Actions, not words.

“A fine compensation for having no French.”

She waited for a laugh. “There can be no books in French, my Queen, because we were at war with them.” A false chide, different from her father’s favorite tone— if he went down the wrong path, they could still see each other across the way. Pray for a fork in the road.

Arthur didn’t laugh.

He glanced at the shelves.

He nodded, to himself.

“You did not bring any of your own books with you?” He asked.

[inkybinkyboink]

a casual essay on breaking bad as a piece of queer media

word count: 2280

spoiler warning for breaking bad, better call saul and el camino!

essay is under the cut!

its safe to say that the breaking bad cinematic universe is one of the most successful pieces of storytelling in film we have ever come across. all three parts of the story, breaking bad, better call saul and el camino are well known to have all gotten very successful ratings and have been well received by the majority of its viewers. something incredibly fascinating about all three of these pieces of media is the theme of love, and how love doesn't take a place as a B plot, but is rather tightly woven in to the main idea. on top of that, it's execution on screen diverts from the typical imagery we frequently see in film and tv. love and affection is tailored to the characters themselves, and sex is not included unless it's absolutely necessary, or if it furthers the plot. none of the love and affection is gratuitous which makes it all the more meaningful when it does happen, because you know theres an inherent intention behind it.

more specifically, the writing team of the breaking bad cinematic universe don't approach their story with a heteronormative perspective, and not limiting their ideas on gender expression when it comes to the characters. by observing specific instances of this occurring (in no particular order), a greater understanding of not only the characters, but their relationships with others can be obtained.

something that can easily be observed occurring in all breaking bad, better call saul and el camino is the sheer amount of homoeroticism the respective stories contain. homoeroticism is portrayed differently depending on who's doing the writing and filming. for example, kathryn bigelow is well known for her portrayal of homoeroticism typically shot in tandem with violence, with men fighting each other, but very intimately. vince gilligan and co take a different approach, including homoerotic, or same sex affection that is really quite gentle in many occasions. el camino is a good guide for this. over and over we get instances of men being gentle and close with one another, adjusting the action to fit the tone, regardless of if it deviates from the gender stereotype. jesse leaning his nose against the back of casey's head, panicked, allows the viewer to gather just how desperate jesse is, opposed to something heteronormative and stereotypical, like jesse fighting his way out of the situation. and it's not just that instance we see that intimacy between men. other notable scenes include todd lifting jesse's chin up, or neil staring casey down mere inches from his face. in the case of el camino, gentle and quiet intimacy is used as a vessel for control, contrasted to the modern mainstream stereotype that men have to be strong, loud and rather angry all of the time. badger and skinny pete provide a good example as well. they live together in a house and they just vibe. there's a trampoline outside in their yard, and they're clearly happy being around each other all the time. the idea that "boys don't cry" is almost non-existent in the breaking bad universe.

if we look at better call saul, we see this idea of homoeroticism being perpetuated. we see it a little bit, albeit in a slightly different light with amber, nikki and jo. what's interesting about the three girls is that it's never verbally confirmed the state of their relationship both with each other and with nacho. for all we know, they could just be friends, and it's the open endedness of their relationship that reinforces the representation of gender stereotypes and homoeroticism in the story. by that logic, you could assume badger and skinny pete were together too, because there's no qualifiers that inherently say for certain that they are or aren't together romantically. even in the light that the girls and nacho are dating, the point still stands, because it makes it representation for polyamory. the beautiful thing about nacho and his two to three weed smoking girlfriends is the gentility that accompanies them. falling back onto the point of sex not being a gratuitous device, we never see nacho or the girls doing anything remotely sexual. they are simply together in the most literal sense possible.

perhaps the most biting example of homoeroticism being prevalent though, has to do with lalo salamanca and howard hamlin. these two characters, who meet exactly once, and who have little to nothing in common, upon being murdered are lowered into a pit where they will spend eternity together. the thing is, the characters who cleaned up after the murders arguably didnt have to do this. they didn't have to bury lalo and howard together, but they did. the concept is almost laughable because of how absurd it is in nature, but i think that's what makes it so good. not only are they buried together, but their positions mimic real photos of male skeletons being found together holding one another, leading the public to theorize that they may have been gay lovers. it's both beautiful and sad, but also funny because conceivably, the skeletons of howard hamlin and lalo salamanca could be found and assumed to be gay lovers. if that doesn't scream "homoeroticism" i don't know what does.

sifting through all this gay talk, we actually find a real gay in the mix. owner of the cock brothers- i mean los pollos hermanos- gustavo fring. gustavo fring, in my opinion, is one of the best examples of queer rep that exists. though him being gay wasnt something that came out until after the show, gus being gay wasn't an afterthought. it wasn't something tacked on like j. k. r/wl/ng saying dumbledore was gay. you can tell this was a character written to be queer, the subtext is absolutely there, and it's covertness is what makes it all the more beautiful, and makes gus such a strong character. what's fascinating about gus is that his relationship with max is one of the few established and prioritized relationships in breaking bad and better call saul. gus is strongly motivated by max's death, or for the sake of keeping all our ducks in a row, motivated by his lover. the only other people to do this are jimmy and kim, and walter and skyler.

this is where the idea of the theme of love not taking a backseat really gets kicked into high gear. because the theme of love is so closely woven in with the main plot, the actions a character makes are going to, at least in part, be made because of their loved ones. if we look at gus, this is arguably all we see. he's a man born into poverty, who built himself up from nothing, only to continue to be held back by societies views on something you literally have no way of controlling. it's the one thing you cant "fix" or "work around". especially in the 80′s. despite that hindrance, he still finds someone who loves him unconditionally, who he clicks with, he can work with no matter what, and then that's ripped away from him. it's ripped away from him in the most traumatic way possible. the thing is, gus cant tell anyone about it. he can't even say "i lost my partner" and disguise it as something its not because that would mean outing himself as a gay man in the 80′s.

this is only reinforced in better call saul near the end of season 6, when we see gus go to a restaurant to drink some wine. he runs into an old friend called dave and dave decided to sit down and chat for a little bit. and the thing is, gus is this kind of quiet, very professional, almost superficial guy, but when talking to dave, he's interested and smiling, and it could be inferred he likes this guy a lot, maybe he's even flirting a little bit. it's so different from the gus we're familiar with. and yet, when dave leaves for a moment, we get this incredible close up of gus and i swear to god you can see the cogs moving in his mind. you can see him thinking about what it would mean to pursue a relationship. like clockwork you see him want, realize, hurt, and decide. you see gus decide he doesn't want to keep talking to dave despite his clear interest. whether that's because he doesn't want dave to get caught in the crossfire, or something to do with max is something only the actor would know, but the actions and verbs giancarlo esposito plays come across loud and clear. along with the cinematography, it makes one of the most heartbreaking and well done scenes my amateur ass has seen in a while.

almost all of what we learn about gus' true feelings and past is learned through subtext, or nonverbal communication. not only does this highlight the writing quality of this show, but esposito's acting skill, and ability to shape and build a character. gus is outwardly a villain, but has motivations based in good, something that's universal among many breaking bad characters. all of them do shitty things, but with good intentions, because they think what they're doing is justifiable. no character is purely good or purely bad, they're all just human.

gus' love for max is highlighted most in the fact that gus built a village for him. and not just a village, god no, that would be too easy, but a village dedicated to healing, peace and pure love. not only that but the entire scene between mike and gus has a big fucking highlighted flag on it that says "im literally telling you gus thinks he's in the right doing these things". gus thinks he's in the right to hurt the salamancas and take revenge because they killed max. and he explains this. next to a pond. dedicated to max.

the desire to get justice for a loved one is a pretty universally relatable concept. the want for someone you truly love to live a long, happy life is understandable, so when they don't get that in one way or another, it's upsetting. this idea is shared by gus and mike. gus who wants revenge for max, and mike who understands the will for revenge because of his son, matty. mike is never told explicitly that the village is for gus' dead boyfriend, but he doesn't need to be told. all he needs to be told is "you understand preserving the love you have for someone, and you understand the thirst for revenge".

the theme of love in the breaking bad universe is such a universally understood thing that it wouldn't make sense to confine it to one cookie cutter figure in the first place. it's a good show because none of the characters rely on explicit gender norms to back up their personalities. except for jesse, none of them are hesitant to do things that may make them appear as more or less masculine or feminine. and even though jesse starts off the show as that exception, by the end he comes out the most open-minded out of all of them.

this openminded-ness is stretched across most characters, from saul saying things like "bring your boyfriend or girlfriend to court with you", to lalo referring to max as gus' "boyfriend" even though hector had previously explicitly referred to max using derogatory slurs. breaking bad, better call saul, and el camino aren't love stories. theyre not of the romance genre, but the idea of love is painfully present in all three. love that is romantic, like in the case of max and gus, and jesse and jane is soft and precious. love that is anything but is still just as heart wrenching. jesse hugging walter after jane dies, nacho gently taking the remote from jo, jimmy taking care of chuck, lalo faking his death and only telling hector he's still alive, they're all the product of love, regardless of how fucked up it is conceptually.

the breaking bad cinematic universe has recently had a sort of comeback in the fandom. this could very well be because better call saul ended less than a year ago as of writing this, but i would argue it also has to do with all of the aforementioned points. re: the point about characters not needing to fall back on stereotypes- it's something that is frequently seen in specifically queer circles. a lot of folks who participate in what i guess could be considered fandom culture identify with the queer community as well, because of the large part of fandom culture that is open and accepting of the queer community. breaking bad fits right in by design because of its lack of gender stereotypes.

breaking bad and it's companion are incredible pieces of storytelling, and that doesn't need to be said. obviously, theres more than one answer as to why they are actually so well done and successful. the plot extends far, far beyond just the theme of love, and there's so much more to the story than love. however, you can't look at those other themes and messages without considering the influence of the themes of love, care and affection. part of the reason breaking bad is so good, is because the fundamental concepts are conceptual and relatable. it's people doing what they think is right in order to provide or give to those they care about. as long as you can get one foot in the door, you can weasel your way into understanding everything else. i think that starts with the theme of love. because what is not more relatable than giving to those you truly care about?

[terrifiedtrinket]

so real honestly