#top 7 comfort films

[grotesque-hallucinations]

You're all about to find out how much of a fantasy romance loving sap I am. 😆❤️

Thank you @morgana-lefay for tagging me! You inspired me to rewatch Batman Begins and I forgot how great that movie is.

Top 7 Comfort Films

#1- The Lord of the Rings- Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings series are my favorite films of all time, and I've seen them probably more than almost any other films. I can't pick a favorite but Fellowship is for sure the most comforting. 💚

#2- Tuck Everlasting

This is my favorite book of all time, but also one of my favorite movies. It gives me such a bittersweet sense of peace and a longing to be out in nature.

#3- Laputa- Castle in the Sky

I'm a sucker for Ghibli movies, and although this is not my #1 fav, this is the most comforting to me. It was one of the first ones I saw as a kid and it still makes me cry every time. A visually stunning masterpiece If you have not seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it.

#4- Howl's Moving Castle

Quite possibly one of the most famous Ghibli films but for good reason. It is still my favorite. I've never identified so strongly with both the male and female lead characters. It is very dear to my heart.

#5- Stardust

The adventure, the romance, the humor: This movie is genuinely a 10/10. Also the chemistry between these two on screen... It's just 😙🤌✨

#6- Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire

I was very much a potter head growing up, and all of the films are comfort films for me. Oddly enough, this isn't even my favorite film from the series (Half Blood Prince) or my favorite book (Order of the Phoenix) but I just find it so charming and adventurous. Very comforting.

#7- Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Idk if I even need to explain this one. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good 1800s romance between quite possibly the two most awkward people I've ever seen. Also the soundtrack is masterpiece.

~~~~~

Let me know what y'all think if you check any of these out! I pass this off to @onewholecabbage @starlit-graves @myowndesign @teenage-monster @alexsauruss @mjrtaurus if any of you want to play along. 😁💚

[hrrtshape]

things i manifested in paris !!!!!

◞ museums basically empty !!!!! like private viewings. like they cleared the louvre just for me. felt like royalty.

◞ drinking every day. obviously. no notes.

◞ dior café. 16 euros.... didn’t even flinch. didn’t even blink. felt nothing. like, yeah, charge me more. i dare you.

◞ NO LINES. literally just walking in everywhere like i was the mayor of paris or something.

◞ food ????? unreal. every bite was a religious experience. i was actually gasping.

◞ thought i lost my earring and was already mourning it…. got home….. it was under my sweater ?????? felt like i was in a time loop. literally how is that possible?/!?!?!??! it was expensive and swarovski and i swore it was lost in the streets of paris..but no. just kept manifesting that it just fell into my bag..but no..it somehow dropped from my all-around wrapped scarf under my (buttoned to the top) trench-coat.

◞ got new jewellery !!!!! like, just out of nowhere !!!!! the swarovski ariana grande set. meant to be. cosmic alignment.

◞ best margarita of my life. 7 euros. plus two free shots. bartender took one look at me and went, "this girl deserves it." and you know what ? he was right.

◞ I SHIFTED. TWICE. ON THIS TRIP. !!!!!!!! i was out here casually jumping realities between croissants. felt like the main character in an experimental film.

◞ weather ????? literally perfect every single day. like the clouds and the sun were working together just for me. rained during comfortable moments...ugh.

◞ every outfit ate. no misses. people were staring. admiring. whispering. like i was a mysterious european socialite.

◞ found the cuuuuuutest, most burberry-escue burgundy trenchcoat. no notes

◞ my hair ???? perfect. not a single bad hair day. not a single moment of struggle. just effortless beauty.

◞ got the best seat in every restaurant, every café, every bar. prime locations only. always by a window. always vibey.

◞ shopping ???? insane. walked into stores and just found the most perfect things. like they were waiting for me.

◞ make-up was on point. no brush strokes, no harsh lines, no nothing.

◞ my phone battery lasted forever. defied all logic. like my phone just decided it was on my side.

◞ got into every place i wanted to. no rejections. no complications. doors opened. things worked.

◞ my skin ????? glowing. no breakouts. no stress. just clear, angelic radiance.

◞ found money randomly. like, oh, cool, the universe is just giving me spending money now.

◞ had a night where everything felt right. the stars aligned. the city was glowing. no explanation. just pure, unadulterated magic.

◞ packed way too much but somehow my suitcase just made the weight limit. down to the gram.

◞ walked 20k steps a day but my feet ???? did not fall off. sore, but still functioning. still cute.

◞ forgot to check the weather but it just…..worked out ??? no rain when i needed sun, no heatwave when i needed a breeze.

◞ convinced myself i was getting sick at least twice, then woke up the next day perfectly fine. mind over matter.

literally a divine trip. heaven was playing favourites and i was in the list.

[emacrow]

Batfam tried to bribe the banshee child to get their stuff back.

Originally post here.

The one to figured it out was Tim who sacrifice his first camera that he still kept from back then when he stalked batman, the other two original robins and that it still have some film left in it. It was still a bit damaged and covered in tape on the camera and on the strap.

Alfred gave danny Bruce's father, Thomas's baby blanket in exchange for his favorite spoon.

Dick painstakingly gave his zitka elephant plushy for his mask, only to watch wide eyed when danny misty breath made a form of a miniature zitka the actual elephant doing one of her favorite tricks. And no he didn't cry after he left the room.

Damian offered secretly offered one of his most cherished drawing he had kept as a child, that remind him of Danyal..

Barb offered her old Batgirl costume, the one that still had a tear in it before she became the oracle..

Bruce offered one of his mother's pearls, the few that he had left.. from that night. When he gave it to danny in his tiny hand, all he felt was a sense of cold shiver that wrapped around him like a warm yet cold hug.

Duke gave him one of his first glasses that was a bit bented when his power came in, that were left discard in his draw as a reminder.

Leaving all but Jason todd who didn't know what to give Danny to have his red hood helmet back..

He tried one of his first gun, nothing..his black jacket, nothing.. it took Jason a long time (7 months tops) to figure out what to give danny.

It was 3am in the morning that he snucked in the Wayne Manor, peeking in the newest room for their youngest adoptee who was wide awake again.

Jason pulling out something from a pouch. It was old, torn and still had charred of ashes damaged but he kept it for his own selfish reasons..

He gave danny his Robin's cape, the original one that brought memories old, good and bad..

Danny held his Robin's cape and look at it, not saying anything with his eyes glow brightly before looking up at Jason with the most heartbreaking watery eyes.

He got up slowly, and hugs Jason close, chirping softly that made Jason's eyes glow a bit, before big drops of lararus pits liquid drips down from his eyes.

Just two broken core boys comforting one another, despite the puddle of lararus pits beneath them both that glow brighter and clearer then jason ever seen lararus pits have then it usuall musky growing green form... Jason close his eyes slowly as he gently hug the ghostly boy back.

Jason will never admit to anyone of what he gave that night or why he was asleep in Danny's nest the next morning after, but he suddenly felt some kind of unmoveable weight being lifted from his shoulders..

Until he saw on the news that The Joker was found dead with his ears, eyes and nose bleeding with a horrified look on his face.

[oracle-of-dream]

A Quick Walk

Summary: Being an assistant to an idol is hard work. Being an assistant to Wonbin is somehow even more demanding–especially when he's needy...

Notes: Male Reader, Idol!Wonbin, Assistant!Y/N, Blowjob, Deepthroating, Cum Swallowing, Eating Pineapple, Face-fucking, Whimpering Wonbin, Head-Pusher Wonbin

You had too many things to worry about. Press conferences, hair and makeup, TV shows, interviews on radio, and live performances. So many, all in such a short amount of time... But, of course, you weren't the one in front of the camera. You worked behind them.

The set was full of lights, cameras, and wires. People scurried about as they moved to get the filming underway. It was past midnight and you'd finally reached the final shoot of the night. Once it wrapped up, then you could go the hell home.

You waited in a side chair with your phone, sorting through messages. More offers inviting them to more events; which meant more paperwork for you.

The director called, "Can we get the talent on stage, please? The band is ready."

That was your cue. You approached a dressing room, knocking before opening the door. Slowly, the door opened and you were greeted by a handsome form. A man with shiny dark red hair; his outfit was a black tank top, a knit cardigan, and blue jeans. He was set with an in-ear headphone and a microphone that sat just below his pink lips. When his dark eyes locked onto you, he smiled.

You nodded in reply to his smile as you stayed on task. You leaned past him to speak into the room, "It's time boys, let's get this done quickly so we can get you back home."

Six other voices replied, letting you know they'd heard you. Shortly after, 7 men stepped out of the dressing room and made their way onto the set. The director gave directions, the cameras and lights were properly calibrated, and the music was tested one last time before it was finally time to start.

The men stood together in a line, and the red-haired man stepped forward. "Thank you so much for having us. We are," He turned to signal the others to finish the sentence with him. "Riize!"

You went back to your staff chair, with the other assistants. Your job was done for now unless any of the talents needed something. Then it was your job to spring into action to do anything they needed. You've been working as Riize's assistant for only a few months, but the job's been a rollercoaster. Flying for tours and somehow making time to sleep between all the activities. You weren't their manager, you were their personal assistant–meaning you had to work with Riize much closer. There were seven assistants in total, one for each member. All of them had to be male, for scandal prevention. You were assigned to be Wonbin's assistant.

Wonbin was really not much trouble. He rarely tried to burden you with requests. Mostly, he asked for drinks when he was tired. Or, at least that was how it started...

A break was called during the shoot. The members were allowed to step off set and rest, each went to their assistants to ask for treats and water. But Wonbin approached you with an all too familiar look in his eye.

"Assistant y/n!" He cheered as he approached with a smile, his chin lowered so he had to look up toward you.

"Yes, Wonbin? Do you want some water?" He nodded, accepting the water you had prepared for him. Between sips, he kept glancing at you. You tried not to notice, looking at your phone as you swiped aimlessly.

"Y/n, can I have something else?" His voice peaked slightly, indicating a smirk.

You sighed. "Of course. If you need me to get something I can go down the street and pick up a snack."

Wonbin shook his head. "Can you walk with me? I wanna stretch my legs." He stretched his back, with a slight grunt, letting his shirt lift a bit to show his v-line. Clearly dropping hints of what he wanted.

It was about two months into your time with Riize when Wonbin got comfortable enough with you to ask for his favorite thing. Sometimes Wonbin would get anxious, too excited, or just bored. He'd ask you to take a walk with him. It seemed innocent at first.

You nodded slowly. "Sure, let's go for a walk."

Wonbin held a hand out to you. You took it, and he laced his fingers with yours. Now you were locked in, you couldn't turn back unless he wanted you to. And Wonbin would never skip a walk with his personal assistant.

He took you down a long hallway, walking at a quick pace. He was practically dragging you. He found a secluded corner and pulled you in, forcing your back against the wall as he trapped you in.

"I promise, I'll be quick... I need it today or I'll never make it through this shoot." He took your free hand and guided it through his hair as he rubbed into the touch. Wonbin loved the feeling of hands in through his hair–your hands specifically.

"Can I use my hand?"

Wonbin whined, pushing up against you as he put his weight on you. "No~ that's not good enough. I need those plump lips today." His fingers poked at your lips as he leaned toward you.

You turned your head to the side as you pulled yourself together. If you let him seduce you completely, then it would be serious trouble. "No kissing. You promised."

"Kissing is for only when we're not busy," He scoffed. "I remember. I was just thinking about it... How good they'll look wrapped around it. They're always prettiest that way."

You rolled your eyes, but your heart raced. "Let's hurry before someone finds us," You muttered. Shifting Wonbin to stand upright, you slid down as your knees hit the floor. Your eyes were level with his crotch. "And, please... don't finish inside this time. It left a weird taste."

Wonbin looked offended. "I'll have you know, I've been eating pineapple every day!" You ignored him as you unbuttoned his pants and unceremoniously pulled his jeans to his ankles. "W-Woah! No foreplay?"

"No time."

"Are you sure that it's just me wanting this?"

You didn't even bother to look up at him. The shit-eating grin on his face was audible enough. "I'm just being a good assistant. If you prefer, we can stop." You started to stand but Wonbin's hand pushed your shoulder down.

"Okay! I get it. Quick suck then back to work. Please..." The way his voice trembled at the end of his sentence made you weak. The sound of him begging was something that sent butterflies into your stomach. But you couldn't afford to get more involved than you were already. You peeled Wonbin's waistband slowly before sliding down his underwear. His cock, rock hard and excited to see you, twitched as it felt your breath on it. "Please, y/n," Wonbin pleaded softly, his voice laced with desperation.

"You're so high maintenance..." You sighed before taking his length into your mouth.

No matter how often you did this, Wonbin would always get so... into it. He let out a strangled gasp as your warm mouth wrapped around him. The sensation made him shudder as he covered his mouth.

"Ah! Fuck, y/n, you're perfect." He moaned. His fingers tangled in your hair as his fingers flexed, as he struggled to control himself.

You knew the mission was to get the job done fast so you didn't hold back. You took a steadying breath through your nose before pushing yourself to deepthroat him.

Wonbin's whole body tensed as he slid to the back of your throat. He could feel the way it gripped him, flexing tightly before relaxing as you tried not to gag. "Hyung, holy fuck! Wait–you're so good!" He groaned as he almost buckled over. His other hand found its way to your head, slightly pushing you. His hips jerked as he shook. You knew he started fidgeting once he was close. He also loved calling you hyung in moments like these. "P-Please, just a little slower..." He begged his words loosely dripping from his mouth.

You pulled away to breathe and allow him a chance to compose himself. "You wanna do it?" Wonbin's eyes shook. He couldn't refuse if you were offering, but he knew he couldn't last long if he did...

"Of course, I wanna." His fingers tensed as he pulled your hair, moving you back to his cock. Wonbin's eyes rolled lazily as his hips moved with a desperate speed. You didn't offer to let him control you often–he'd never let this chance pass him. "Fuck, Hyung, you're so tight!" He grunted, and his pace faltered as he tried to hold it. Each stroke was wet heaven as he watched his cock disappear into your mouth. The fatal blow–when you looked up at him, made him lose it. The idol's vision started to tunnel as he focused on your sweet face looking at his. He felt your tongue working over him, the gentle suckles and swirls that you added. It was too much!

His orgasm snuck up on him. It crashed over him mid-thrust. He grunted as his mouth fell open. Instinctively, he pulled up into him, forcing you to take him completely. He bent over, his chest slightly brushing the back of your head as he came. He spilled load after load of hot cum directly into your mouth.

"I'm sorry! S-Sorry! I'm sorry! I can't let go–" His voice was a whisper in your ears, "P-please, swallow. I'm sorry!" It was a storm of pleasure that wracked over his body, as he rode out the aftershocks. He could feel you swallowing around him, milking his dick for every drop, which only made him jerk even more. Finally, once the tremors finished, he slowly let you go.

You pulled away, wiped a tear out of your eye, and put Wonbin back together–packing his cock into his underwear and pulling up his pants. "Good call on the pineapple by the way," You whispered as you guided him back to the set. Filming was just about to start but Wonbin had to see hair and make-up again to get retouched.

You sat back with the other assistants who looked at you with puzzled looks.

"Did you two go for a run or something? Why does he look like that?" One asked.

"The only thing that kid could run is his mouth..." You groaned as you slumped into your chair. You watched him closely as he walked back to the stage.

He noticed you and mouthed an apology to you one last time.

You'd have to get even with him later...

[mononijikayu]

hey lover! series

"did you hear?"

"huh? about what?"

"that actor ryomen sukuna!"

"what about him?"

"apparently he's dating his co-star!"

"what, really!?"

"yeah, but get this!"

"what?"

"we don't really know!"

GENRE: alternate universe - actors/celeb au

WARNING/S: not safe for work (nsfw), r-18 and above, singers au!, romance, fluff, minor angst, slow burn, humour, slice of life, will they won't they, light-hearted, flirting, playful, possessiveness, teasing, explicit content, possible, kissing, sexual content, innuendos, drama, feels, hurt/comfort, falling in love, love, happy ending, actor/singer! sukuna, actress/celeb! reader;

(a still from their romance upcoming film, winter)

ARE RYOMEN SUKUNA AND [Your Name] SECRETLY DATING? FANS ARE SPIRALLING AS THE TENSION CONTINUES TO BOIL!

By Akira Himasa, Writer for the Shibuya Scoop; Gossip Guru Extraordinaire;

Move over, celebrity couples of the year! The world has only one question on its mind: Are Sukuna and (Y/N) secretly dating?

Rumors have been swirling faster than a cursed energy storm, and fans are in a frenzy after the latest on-set shenanigans between the two enigmatic co-stars!

The notorious King of Curses, played by the enigmatic and charming Ryomen Sukuna, has always been known for his intense, bone-chilling stare and deadly aura.

But lately, sharp-eyed fans have noticed something peculiar: Sukuna seems to have a soft spot when it comes to actress (YN).

While the two have shared screen time in plenty of heated battles, the off-screen tension is what’s truly raising eyebrows.

Sources close to the set have reported seeing Sukuna offering you snacks between takes (Snacks! from the King of Curses!!) and making suspiciously heartfelt eye contact during rehearsals. And even enjoys private times in each other's trailer!!!

"You can cut the tension with a knife." said one insider, who claims they even saw the two laughing together. Laughing. Together. Are the sparks flying, or are they just that good at acting?

This week, both stars were spotted leaving a trendy Tokyo restaurant together. Sukuna, as usual, attempted to keep things mysterious by scowling (standard Sukuna protocol), while you looked effortlessly relaxed, sporting a mischievous grin that drove the internet WILD.

Fans on Twitter immediately exploded with theories.

“They’re totally dating! The way they look at each other can’t be just acting,” one fan tweeted. Another added, “I’m ready to ship it! Ryomen Sukuna x (Y/N) are THE couple of the century.”

But not everyone is buying it. Some skeptics claim it’s all a clever marketing ploy to build hype for the upcoming season.

"There's no way Sukuna would let anyone get that close," scoffed one source close to the actor's entourage. "He's Ryomen freaking Sukuna—romance isn't in his script!"

Meanwhile, fans worldwide are dissecting every interview, every behind-the-scenes video, and even Sukuna’s posture next to you during press events.

The alleged chemistry has reached fever pitch, with TikTok compilations of your most flirtatious moments going viral, and conspiracy theories flying about Sukuna’s infamous smirk during your most recent interview.

So, are they? Or aren’t they?

In a cryptic joint statement (because of course there’s a statement), Ryomen Sukuna and (L/N) (Y/N) had this to say: “We’re just very close.” (WINK WINK.)

Is this the biggest non-denial of the year? Or are we all being played like cursed puppets?

The world may never know. But one thing's for sure: Sukuna and [Your Name] are the hottest topic in town, and we can’t look away!

Stay tuned for more updates—because whether it’s love or just top-tier acting, we’re hooked!

➽───────────❥

THE SOURCE SAYS..................

CHAPTER (1) — RUMOURS

CHAPTER (2) — THE FEELS

CHAPTER (3) — OMG

CHAPTER (4) — WE GO

CHAPTER (5) — HIS PRIMADONNA

CHAPTER (6) — WHITE CHRISTMAS

CHAPTER (7) — TBA

CHAPTER (8) — TBA

[COMING SOON]

[cherryblooom]

2XL — OP81 [ part 2 ]

Summary: You are a young artist who gained a lot of popularity at the ripped age of 14 due to your talent and unusual style. Your body is considered "voluminous" so, in public, you only use 2XL clothing, to protect yourself from people on the internet and feel more comfortable while performing. You have managed to keep your personal life outside the spotlight but when Oscar finally made it to the glamorous lifestyle of motorsports, everything changed.

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x Reader

navigation series masterlist

Fic warning: best friends to lovers, kinda slow burn, slut shaming, weird people on the internet, people commenting about a minor's body, panic attack, body image, reader battles with her self-esteem, self-image, and self-love, Oscar is obsessed with his girlfriend and her body (not in a creepy way) and is not afraid of showing it, I hate Karly and will too lol

Faceclaim: Billie Eilish

Note: Oscar is a year older than the reader. SMAU mixed with narrative. Reader doesn't have that much access to social media right now as they are mostly controlled by their management. Some K-pop artist will show up 'cause why not? lol

You knew you were tearing apart your suitcase, crumpling everything in your path, even a dark blue dress your mother bought in hopes you would wear, but you threw it on the floor without any concern. That dress was the least of your problems now.

“Please, please, come on… there must be another one. Where is it?” At that moment, you were almost on the verge of a panic attack, and not being able to control it anymore, you felt the tears start to come.

You had your manager on your heels, people on social media looking for the tiniest detail to take you down, a whole crew ready to film the entire event to interview you afterwards, and on top of that you were on day two of your period, in pain that you could only describe as hell itself – could it get any worse? Oh, of course it can be worse. You’re a teenager, which means your body is constantly changing. You had to be on stage in about 30 minutes and you had no underwear, or to be more specific, all the bras you had in your suitcase didn’t fit. It’s not a secret that your breasts were one of your most striking attributes (and you try to hide them as much as you can) and you swore that they were getting bigger every day. With each passing day, you began to hate your body. The bras you have now were too small for you and even if you tried to put them on, all you could feel was the underwires digging into your sensitive bust and you couldn’t even think about walking or jumping.

''Yn, what are you doing on the floor?'' Karly, your manager for 2 years, entered the room. ''And you're not even ready! Come on, it's almost 7:00 p.m. and the show is about to start.''

''I can't. I-I don't know what happened, but none of my bras fit and they're so uncomfortable. I'm on my period and I think my breasts have grown and…''

''And what do you want me to do? Honey, I don't have another bra you can wear, at least not in your size. But why did you pack them if you knew they wouldn't fit?''

''I didn't pack them! I was going to, and you told me we didn't have time, and you'd bring me my suitcase later, and now none of them fit.''

''Look, how about you try wearing one and practice here?'' your manager said, and you heard an edge to her voice. She was upset, and it only made you feel smaller, like this was all your fault.

“I tried! I tried wearing one but it doesn’t work. I can’t even breathe without the wires digging into my bust and it just hurts,” you cried. You were upset and frustrated. This day should have been special because of the big show that awaited you outside, but it was turning into a nightmare.

''Oh my god. Yn, what do you want me to do? What can I do? Should I go out and tell your fans and the filming crew that we need to cancel the show because your bra doesn't fit you? You wouldn't want that, would you?'' she said, and you felt like crying more. She knelt down in front of you and held your hands as she rubbed her thumb against your skin. ''Honey, I know it's not easy, but we can't turn back now and even if we could, we'd have to tell everyone the reason for the cancellation and you wouldn't want that, right? Imagine the headlines'' You shook your head. No, you didn't want that. You don't want to disappoint your fans and give the media another reason to hate you and tear you apart.

—That’s what I thought. I know it’s hard, but just try, okay? I’ll have to double-check something with the film crew. Stay here and I’ll come get you when it’s time for you to go on stage.'' That was the last thing she said before leaving you alone.

You tried again with a black bra, the largest one in the suitcase, and began to practice one of your songs, but with each breath the wires sank even further.

"Fuck, damn it!"

Officially, you were panicking. There were about 25 minutes left, and you had no idea what the hell to do, at this point you couldn't even breathe, you were starting to choke, and your vision was blurry from tears.

The first thing Oscar heard when the call connected was your crying on the other end of the line and his heart broke into pieces. He didn't like hearing you like that.

''Honey, I need you to take a deep breath. Just close your eyes and breathe. Don't worry about anything but breathing.''

''I c-can't. I can't breathe and my chest hurts, and Karly is coming for me in 20 minutes and…''

''I know it's difficult, but honey, I need you to close your eyes and breathe. I don't want you to think about anything but breathing. I'll be there for you very soon, I promise.''

''No, no, please don't hang up, please…''

''No, my love, I will never do that. I want you to put your head between your knees, take a deep breath, and I need you to hold it for 3 seconds before you let it go, okay? Can you do that for me, pumpkin?

There were a few moments of silence where Oscar was worried, but when he heard you take deep breaths as he had instructed and your crying faded, he calmed down. It wasn't very common for you to have panic attacks, but that means it must be something very serious for you to have one.

''That's it. You're doing great, babygirl. Are your hands still shaking?''

''N-no''

''Perfect. I'm so proud of you, doll, you did amazing. Now please, tell me what happened?'' Oscar asked and after answering him, he couldn't help but feel the rage forming in his chest. He never liked Karly and, if it was up to him, she would have been fired months ago. ''Oh, baby, that's horrible and no, it's not your fault and you're not throwing a tantrum. You shouldn't go on stage if you're not feeling well and Karly is the one who should take care of things like that, but she didn't. It's not your fault. Don't worry, I'll fix it, okay? I promise.''

''But, how-...?''

''Just to trust me. My mom will be there with you in about 5 minutes, okay? And I'll arrive before you have to go on stage. Leave that to me. You trust me?''

''I do, I trust you''

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dailyop81 Oscar was seen today leaving a Victoria Secret's store afer he went to a Dior one, all of this before attending YN LN's concert. For whom do you think these gifts are for?

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twicetagram so proud of you girlyy! @ ynusername

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Radio Check: Part 2! I'm really excited how this story is turning out; I hope you guys are loving it as much I am.

For the news, I tried to make it like a real blog, let me know if you like it or if you would like me to keep doing it that way!

Tagged list: @xivilivix @multifan-idk @newlifeforus @diorbrxtz @vroomvroomcircuit

If you want to be tagged, just let me know and reblog if you liked it!

[huboi]

POLY! SATOSUGU ˖ . ☆

MINORS DNI!!!

╰┈➤ includes; poly satosugu ft gn! reader, a separate part where reader is afab and how they comfort you during period time, shoko is included because she’s a #girl boss, separate nsfw part, they didn’t have the kfc breakup in this so dw

╰┈➤ a/n; the shibuya arc destroyed me and I’m in desperate need for fluff, reader’s a sub (sos to all the tops/switches, I’m just a sub at heart)

these guys are complete opposites

but in a good way that they pretty much compliment each other

when you entered their life, they were smitten

they were both dating before you came into their life, they never thought of having another partner but then you came along and boom

satoru is a clingy bastard

this goes for both you and suguru

neither of you guys are safe from the menace that is satoru

he’s clingy but you guys love him for that, cause that means cuddle piles 24/7 when you’re all free and not busy with killing curses etc.

suguru is the peace keeper in a sense, he’s the most chill

like if there’s ever an argument between you guys, he’s usually the one that encourages communication

my guy knows that communication is very important in order to maintain a healthy, happy long lasting relationship

suguru shows affection more subtlety than gojo

instead of rushing towards you as soon as you come home, he instead has food ready for you if you’re hungry, if not then he just puts it in the fridge for later

one thing suguru loves is having his hair played with, you can brush it, braid it, anything, he’s like a Barbie doll

speaking of hair when you guys are sleeping, 9 times out of 10 you will find sugurus hair in your mouth, even if it’s tied in a neat bun (which he doesn’t usually do since he likes having his hair down when sleeping/relaxing)

geto is very caring and reminds you of a mother/father figure, since he always asks you and gojo wether you’ve eaten, had something to drink etc.

not in the overbearing way either, he just wants to make sure his loves are in top condition :3

shoko is the no.1 wing woman, like she roots for you guys all the time, she’s so glad that this chaotic duo found you

if you ever wanna hang out with her without the boys, you usually have to sneak out since gojo is really reluctant on letting you go without him, not in a toxic way, he’s just really fucking clingy and so wants to be around you as much as possible

but as soon as you tell him suguru’s coming home when you’re gone, he instantly plans out the little date they have whilst you go out with shoko

speaking of dates, they’re either spent in a fancy ass restaurant for dinner, or a causal night in with take out whilst watching a movie, gojo insisting on horror even though you and suguru both know he’ll piss his pants and hide behind a pillow throughout the whole film

shoko fourth wheels you guys a lot, even though suguru tends to not show affection outside of the house, gojo lives for PDA

like when you guys are walking, he’ll slither between your bodies so he’s in the middle, only to grab both of your hands and intertwine them🥹

gojo is also a big fan of cheek/forehead kisses

yes he loves kissing you on the lips but that’s more so for in the house

gojo tends to get very grumpy when you don’t reciprocate his affectionate gestures, but dw you can cheer him up by bribing him with his favourite sweets, it usually works, if not that then you can make it up to him in the bedroom *wink wink*

when sleeping gojo tends to spread out his long ass limbs as far as they can go, which leaves you and suguru barely any space

gojo defo snores, man sounds like a whole ass tractor at best, at worst a bloody horn that you hear on ships

suguru doesn’t snore, he just mumbles in his sleep sometimes, which is cute low-key

gojo is a light sleeper (due to his six eyes) and suguru is a heavy sleeper, like you have to suffocate him with a pillow to wake him tf up sometimes

whenever you have a cold/are sick, the boys become so doting, satoru somehow becoming even more clingy even though you keep on warning him that he may also get sick too, cocky bastard claiming ‘I won’t since I’m the strongest’ only to, unsurprisingly, have the exact same illness once you’re better

if you struggle with mental health a lot, the boys will do pretty much anything to help you out

gojo usually prefers to buy you loads of sugar/sweets if that’s your thing, if not then he will cuddle you and just be there for you

suguru understands since he has struggled with mental health in the past and is there for you if you want to vent/rant to someone

if you are neurodivergent then they will try their best to help with your needs

eg. if you’re overstimulated they will bring you to the closest quiet area and help you calm down wether via hugs and kisses or giving you some alone time

same goes for if you have a disability eg. you use a wheelchair etc. they are very supportive and they don’t care as in you’re still the love of their life no matter what

IF READER HAS A PERIOD (feel free to skip this if you don’t get periods)

they obviously don’t understand how painful periods can be, but they don’t make any negative comments about it

when you have terrible cramps their hearts ache as they can’t really do much other than giving you medication, hot water bottle and tea

suguru tends to place his hand on your stomach if you want to of course

if you’re craving foods, they will get them for you

mainly gojo tho cause he also loves food

when you get emotional they kinda just stand there like 🧍

one time you cried over suguru giving you a forehead kiss, he was very concerned

bro was worried he somehow upset you :(

they definitely go to shoko for some more advice on how to comfort you when you’re on your period

gojo defo says ‘apperantly orgasms can relief period cramps sooo’

you slapped him in the face

NSFW SECTION!

CW: DOM/SUB DYNAMICS, SWITCH! GOJO, BRAT! GOJO, SPANKING, SOFT DOM! GETO, BRAT TAMER! GETO, SUB!READER, AFTERCARE

when it comes to sexy times, geto is always the one in charge

sometimes gojo gets ahead of himself and forgets his place, only to be spanked till his ass is red by suguru

suguru loves praising you so much, he hates it when you misbehave and he has to spank you

gojo loves spanking you on the other hand, he also loves receiving a spanking from suguru

if gojo misbehaves one thing suguru loves to do is tie him up and make him watch as geto fucks you dumb

gojo cant touch himself, and if he does then he has to have a vibrator on his cock and not cum for 30 mins whilst watching geto fuck you yet again

satoru has a high sex drive and can seemingly go on for hours on end

suguru has a high sex drive too, but it’s not as high as gojos’

gojo’s a horny bastard :(

sometimes you will find yourself being woken up by gojo giving you head in the morning

yes suguru does find out, one way or another, and punishes gojo for giving you head without getos permission (dw gojo and geto both have ur consent to do sexy stuff to you whilst you sleep, you guys all agreed on this in the beginning of the relationship)

suguru prefers giving head over receiving, since he loves making either you or gojo moan out his name whilst he gives you delicious head

gojo prefers receiving but sometimes enjoys giving

gojo mainly prefers receiving from you since unlike geto you don’t tease him

geto’s a fucking tease in the bedroom, to both of you but mainly gojo since he’s so bratty and suguru hates that (secretly loves it)

sometimes gojo will fuck you whilst he gets fucked by geto

aftercare is a MUST for both gojo and geto

especially after an intense session

sometimes you end up slipping into sub space which can be a problem since they both hate seeing you that way

they instantly cover you with kisses, hugs and so much praise

bath time always happens after, the boys joining you

you even have a little snack or a big snack depending on how rough the session was

after you’re all taken care of, the boys and you hop into a clean, fresh bed and fall asleep in each others’ arms <3

© content belongs to @huboi on tumblr, DO NOT REPOST ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WHATSOEVER

I ONLY POST ON TUMBLR, IF YOU SEE MY FANFICTION ON OTHER WEBSITES LET ME KNOW ASAP

[flemingology]

morning cling ─ jessie fleming x reader

in which: jessie and you get cuddly on the morning of her day off

warnings: none, just a whole load of fluff

wc: 1.3K

a/n: feels good to be writing. just a short one this time. hope you enjoyed!

Jessie's schedule was relentless, and as much as it wasn't something that bothered her before she met you, it had definitely been a common topic of conversation the past couple years. She loved football, and she wouldn't trade the career she had for anything else, but – just as any other job – it came with its disadvantages. Whether she was away with Canada, or with Portland for away games, or just had a busy week at training, you would find your wife complaining about all the time she had to spend away from you.

That's why, on days off, or on prolonged time away from football, she loved just being together, just the two of you, soaking up each other's presence. Especially in the morning. Jessie didn't mind rising early. She'd grown used to early training sessions ever since she had made it professional, all the clubs she played for opting for the early day-to-day schedule. But whenever she had the opportunity to soak in the warmth of your embrace in bed for a bit longer than usual, there was nothing she would rather do.

You were quite the early riser yourself, and it's a habit you didn't shake on your days off. Ever since making it at one of the top steps at your corporate job you promised yourself you'd adapt to a fairly strict routine, including a 7am alarm every single workday. And much to Jessie's avail, you had a good biorhythm, so that meant you would wake up no later than 7:30 on weekends too.

Forever a sucker for your morning coffee and a couple pages of whatever book you were reading, it was often you found yourself up before the clock hit 8. Comfortable on the couch with a blanket or two wrapped around you, you enjoyed your quiet mornings. Your Canadian, on the other hand, did not enjoy your quiet mornings. Ever so the cuddler, you wouldn't get much more than half an hour because you'd hear a set of feet padding down the stairs, a tired frown etched on her face ushering you back upstairs for another hour of two.

Today was no different. It was the first Saturday of December, the start of Jessie's three-week winter break. You and your wife had arranged your plans for this day quite a while ago. You'd recently moved into a new apartment in Portland and while you managed to transfer over most of your furniture, this new apartment was quite a bit bigger so it didn't feel quite as homely yet as your other did. Today's plan was to go furniture shopping and Christmas shopping. Both you and Jessie were suckers for the festivities. Ever since being together, not a year had passed where you didn't decorate every single room in the house. Traditions of Christmas tree decorating, baking Christmas cookies or watching Christmas films were never skipped in the Fleming household.

As every other day of the week that had just passed, you stirred from your sleep at a little past 7. You stayed in bed for a couple more minutes before you carefully peeled Jessie's arm from your midsection and got up out of bed, successfully escaping the Canadian's grip without waking her up. You softly padded downstairs and made your way over to the kitchen to make yourself a coffee. You silently thanked your wife for having picked up a refresh of your favorite coffee beans the other day, when you noticed the package you were using was running empty. Coffee and book in hand, you made your way over to your usual spot on the couch and immersed yourself in the story at hand.

It wasn't long this time, probably only 15 minutes, until you were interrupted by the soft padding of fuzzy sock-covered feet making their way down the stairs of your shared apartment. The usual frown on your Canadian's face made way for a slight smile, it was a welcome sight on this slow Saturday morning. You softly closed your book and put it to the side while Jessie made her way over to the couch, opening your arms for her to fall into. She plopped down sideways on your lap with a satisfied sigh, her arms circling around you as she nuzzled her face into the crook of your neck.

"Morning, baby," you whispered softly against the side of her face as you pressed a tender kiss right beneath her ear, tracing soft patterns up and down her back with your fingers. "Morning," Jessie mumbled back, nuzzling her face impossibly deeper against your warm body. "Had a good sleep?" you asked her, to which you got a hum in response. You pressed another soft kiss against the side of Jessie's face, letting her rest for a couple more minutes in your arms before you inevitably had to get your day started.

"You're up early again," Jessie mumbled nearly incoherently into your skin. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, baby. Too good a biorhythm," you feel Jessie chuckle and you undo a couple knots as you run your fingers through her messy curls. "I'm gonna file a complaint at your work, I think", your wife said. "Oh yeah? Why's that?" you quipped back. "Because they're stealing my morning cuddles from me."

"Oh, are they now? I think we can't let that slide, can we." "Yeah, we can't. I'm gonna call them later, actually." "On a Saturday?" "Oh. Well, Monday."

You laughed breathily as Jessie mumbled further about her plans to sue your company. "Let me make you some breakfast, Jess, we have a busy day ahead of us," it took a bit of convincing, but eventually the midfielder slipped off your lap and let you make your way over to the kitchen. You downed the rest of your now cold coffee, and got started on some eggs. Scrambled, on toast. Just the way you knew Jessie liked them. It wasn't long before you felt a pair of muscular arms slipping their way around your waist. Jessie laid her head on your shoulder and watched you work, silently admiring the way you moved so effortlessly around the kitchen, even with a sleepy Canadian clutching onto your back. "Handsy this morning, yeah?"

"Can you blame me?" Jessie said, clutching you tighter against her. "You're lucky I love you, Jess". "I know. Very lucky," she replied, accentuating her words with a soft kiss to the nape of your neck. "Go sit down, baby. I'll have this ready in a couple moments. You want coffee?" Jessie hummed appreciatively in response and reluctantly let go of your body before taking her usual spot on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter. You finished up on your breakfast and made the both of you another cup of coffee, plating all of it up and putting your wife's breakfast in front of her.

Before you could take a seat, Jessie pulled you back into her and squeezed your body against her. She wrapped one of her hands behind your neck and pulled you down to give you a proper kiss. You groaned in appreciation when her soft lips moved against yours, not urging for anything more, just a moment of affection shared between the two of you before you got your day started. Before any of you could get carried away and forget about the breakfast you had just made, Jessie started pulling away. She brought her hand down to your front and delicately brushed your bottom lip with her thumb, pulling it back a little before letting it plop back in to place. She pressed her forehead against yours, "I love you, thank you for breakfast," you grinned and pressed a couple more tender pecks against her lips before you softly spoke. "I love you more. Now get this food down so we can get this day going."

[socialkid]

Imagine meeting Bakugou on a (Carnival) Cruise ship…

He first caught your eye in the waiting lounge when you were with your family, getting ready to load onto the ship. He looked just like his mother who he seemed to be giving a hard time. But everybody wants a cruise bae of course, so he was just one of a variety of options.

After getting food at Guy’s Burger Joint (ifykyk) with your brother, you decided to head back to your room to change into your swimsuit. You caught an elevator to the 7th floor and found your room. While struggling to take your keycard out of your lanyard, you noticed the blonde boy further down the hallway. But this time he was making eye contact with you. He cocked a brow at you as if you did something wrong, when you noticed that you’d just been staring at him. You waved awkwardly as he sorta waved back and quickly entered his room.

Later in Club O2 (teens area) you spotted him entering the room from the bean bag chair you sat on. You subtly eyed him as he looked around before his pretty ruby eyes met yours. You eyed the empty bean bag chair beside you. The boy seemed to be slowly making his way towards you before another teen took the seat next to you.

“Hey do you mind moving? My friends is coming.” You lied to the teen who looked pissed but got up and left. You turned back to Bakugou, only to be met by a quick flash of white from his tank top as he exited the club.

Later that night there was a deck party. Slipping away from your family you searched for the ash blonde boy. And you failed miserably. The deck was crowded. Giving up you attempted to make your way back to your family, before running a tall dark figure. The blue lights flashed upon his face, revealing the face you’d been looking for all night.

“Hey.”

__________________________________________________

The next morning you woke up, hoping to hang with Bakugou. Apparently he did too because when “room service” knocked on your door , you were shocked to his face through the peep hole. ‘This guy remembered my room door.’ You thought, still opening the door.

When you weren’t forced to be with family, you spent every moment of the day with Bakugou. You ate together, swam together, spent time in the arcade together, even caused a little chaos together.

The next night a movie was screening on the deck. Bakugou texted you asking you to meet him for the film.

“…and bring your swimsuit.”

“Okayyy…😭?!”

When you arrived you found him waiting for you by the hot tub. “Yer getting in right?” he asked eyeing your bathing suit. “How come no one else is in here?” You questioned as he helped you get in slowly. “I have my ways.”

Throughout the film the more comfortable you both got with each other. Maybe about half way through the movie you noticed Bakugou giving you a certain look. A look that you reciprocated. And hey it was a 7 day cruise ship, it wasn’t going to last forever. The jacuzzi stayed just between you two that night. In everyone else’s defense, would you really want to hop in a hot tub and it’s two teens swapping tongues?

He walked you back to your room at 1am…the movie ended at 11:30. In your defense, you also went to the midnight buffet.

Inside your room your brother asked you what the movie was about. Funny how you could only explain the first half.

[absolutebl]

Best & Worst BLs of 2023

My Top 15 BLs of 2023 are (in order)

1 Our Dating Sim

Korea Viki

Nerds in love, deadlines, gaming, teasing, pining tiny idiots, casual affection, linguistic oops, ADORABLE. If you haven't watched this, it's a must. A perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy.

I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent.

Also recieves my 2023 award for best giggle.

2 I Cannot Reach You

AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai

Japan Netflix

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen.

Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way.

This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen.

Also wins the best thirst award.

These were the 2 BLs that got 10/10 from me in 2023. The rest of these got 9/10 from me.

3 My School President

Thailand YouTube

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? My favourite GMMTV BL offering to date. And yes, I've watched them ALL.

Received the Namgoong award for best wingman 2023.

4 I Feel You Linger in the Air

Thailand grey

IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework. Steeped in history and family drama this is an elegant and classy BL. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. It's a marker of how great it was that it's so high on my list despite the ending which was very much not what I wanted.

Additional accolade, sexiest moment of 2023 - (the oil scene).

You could try to fight me, but you'll have no grip.

5 Kiseki: Dear to Me

Taiwan Gaga & Viki

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs (everyone is queer), and a KILLER side couple. It involves all the tropes under a very offhand framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan.

Best side couple 2023!

(thank goodness Taiwan made this list!)

6 Jun and Jun

Korea Viki

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching.

Best flirting 2023.

AKA "the tongue knows" award

7 The Eighth Sense

Korea Viki

This one is a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with great chemistry and tension. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled (which is the only reason it didn't get a perfect score) but it has a glorious ending and that counts for a lot.

2023's most likely to appeal to non-BL watchers.

8 Unintentional Love Story

Korea iQIYI

The lead, Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is a fucking GIFT, who carried this show. He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes, which he used to carry a killer plot and challenging role. Forced into a totally understandable betrayal, falling in love despite himself, put into a corner he can't get out of, the AGONY, the eyes EMOTING at us in PAIN. Driven by external conflict, social tension and pressure this story seems simple but it's actually refined and quite complex. I loved this show.

Best story structure 2023.

9 My Personal Weatherman

AKA Taikan Yoho

Japan Gaga

This is classic yaoi of the kind that really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's high heat is well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" which is exacerbated by the fact that they're already fucking. Sure is sexy tho.

Best use of props 2023 for the shower of sheets.

10 Our Dining Table

AKA Bokura no Shokutaku

Japan Gaga

Lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. It's lovely & sweet with the romance beats used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy. Special.

First prize for domesticity.

11 Laws of Attraction

Thailand iQIYI

This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. It’s tons of fun and I had an absolute blast watching it.

Charn wins my favorite character of 2023.

12 La Pluie

Thailand Viki

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL. With good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn high marks.

Most interesting concept 2023.

13 The New Employee

Korea Viki

So good, SO QUEER, so soft, a near pitch perfect office BL with conflict derived from that setting. Also found family and a lesbian bestie. This is what I wanted from this new crop of office set KBLs ALL ALONG. Rainbow rice cakes forever!

Best overall queer rep from Korea.

14 Step By Step

Thailand Gaga & YouTube & Viki

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk which added tension to the narrative and character development.

Chot wins best queer character 2023.

15 Love Tractor

Korea iQIYI

Most of this country-set BL had me feral for the beautiful broken city boy and his hot young farmer. Hyung romance, puppy/cat pairing, open frankness meets jaded reserve, language play, water hose frolicking, only one bed = all my favorite silly tropes.

Biggest "he so pretty" gasp of the year award.

10 Worst BLs of 2023 (that I watched)

My Blessing

My Universe: Casanova Begins

Boyband the series

Cafe In Love

Chains of Heart

Hit Bite Love

Only Friends

Senior Love Me

The Luminous Solution

The Promise

Yes, you read that right. I know I'm against the flow but I really did not like Only Friends. Everyone's taste is different.

However I DNFed faster and more BL's this year than ever before, so that means my 10 worst probably aren't quite reflective...

10 Probably Actually Worst BLs (I dropped 'em)

My Story

The Day I Loved You

Beyond the Star

Crazy Handsome Rich

Dinosaur Love

House of Stars

Mr Cinderella 2

Love Bill

Stormy Honeymoon

The Star Always Follow You

Codicils in General

I only carefully track/watch Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Other countries are not fully represented.

My Numbers

So my spreadsheet chronicled 138 BLs that finish airing in 2023.

101 = watched & reviewed

2 = still in the docket (WDYEY2 & Love Syndrome III)

15 = CNF (could not find)

20 = DNF (which also accounts for how few very low scores I handed out in 2023 as opposed to previous years, I just stopped watching). Speaking of which...

Ratings spread

(# of stars. #of BLs given that rating)

0 (see the DNFs instead)

2 - IT'S DEPRESSING they killed the gay, save yourself

7 - I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM WATCHING AND NEITHER DOES IT

7 - FATALLY FLAWED but still basically BL, however… do we want to support this kind of behavior?

9 - WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO but don’t expect much, it’s a total hot mess

17 - WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED probably around the ending or in narrative structure/cohesion or censorship

14 - RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS i.e. isn’t quite BL, convoluted, not strictly HEA, too short/long, or chemistry issues

30 - RECOMMENDED some concerns around tropes (like dub con) or story structure but still satisfies as BL

13 - ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED probably a few pacing issues or one flaw

2 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED faithful to tropes, happy ending, good chemistry, few flaws, high rewatch potential

(source)

[russo-woso]

The worst day | Jill Roord

Warning smut, MDI, thigh riding, fingering, dom!Jill, sub!reader, praise kink

Summary Jill finds a way to cheer you up after the worst day

It had been a stressful day to say the least.

You had woken up late due to your girlfriend, Jill, forgetting to set the alarm.

The two of you rushed around, getting ready for training before quickly making smoothies.

You arrived just on time at the Manchester City training ground, thanks to the quickness you both had getting ready.

Training went terribly wrong.

Due to the rushing around, you forgot to pick up your boots. One of the most important things for training, and you had forgotten them.

Luckily, you had spares you kept at the training ground, but you preferred your newer ones.

Thanks to your clumsiness, you fell over, tweaking your ankle which meant that you couldn't participate in the rest of training.

You sat out, with an ice pack on your ankle, whilst you watched all the others train.

Jill came and sat by you when she could, wrapping her arms around you and pressing light kisses to your head.

You just sighed and rested your head on her shoulder.

To add the cherry on top, when driving home, you and Jill stopped off at the shops to get some groceries you needed.

Everything was going fine. You paid for your shopping, getting back in the car, driving home.

Until you got to your front door.

You had picked up one bag, Jill taking the other, and as you approached the door, the bag split right down the middle making all your groceries fall out.

The eggs smashed everywhere on your front porch, the milk cartoon fell apart.

You just burst out in tears. It really had been one of the worst days of your life.

Jill ushered you inside, insisting that you go and relax whilst she cleaned the doorstep.

As Jill reentered, she found you still in tears.

She brought you into a hug, trying to comfort you.

"Liefje, I know it's been a bad day. How about we just cuddle and watch movies?" Jill suggested, placing one last kiss on your head before looking at you.

You wiped your tears away and nodded your head.

Jill walked you through to the living room, guiding you to lay down on her on the couch.

Still cautious of her ACL injury which she did 7 months ago, you cuddled into her chest, resting your head in the crook of her neck.

She put on your favourite movie, and a comfortable silence took over.

Throughout the first fifteen minutes, you were both fine. Just cuddled up to one another, enjoying each other's presence.

Then, Jill placed a hand on the back of your thigh.

Within the space of the next ten minutes, Jill's hand had travelled all the way up your thigh and was now resting on your ass.

You got distracted from the film and you lifted your head to look at her.

"Jill, stop it." You warned but when she did it again, you knew exactly what her intentions were.

"Let me make your day better, baby. I'll make you feel good." She whispered in your ear and a smirk appeared on her face.

She began kissing you passionately, her lips moving on yours perfectly.

She bit your bottom lip, which gave her access to your mouth.

You moaned into the kiss as you felt her hand move under your shirt.

"I'm gonna pick you up, okay baby?" She asked, her voice husky, as she picked you up, your legs wrapping round her waist.

"Mind your knee, Jill." You warned, out of breath from the kiss.

As she made her way upstairs with you in her arms, she kissed your neck gently.

You both made it to the bedroom, Jill placing you down on the bed and she crawled on top of you. 

You couldn't make out if Jill was going to be gentle or rough tonight.

The kisses down your neck were hard but the touches on your body were gentle.

Jill reached down for the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head.

Her lips went straight back to your neck, slowly making their way down.

You felt her hands on your back, inching closer and closer to undo your bra.

With one hand, she unclipped it and it fell of you.

"You're so beautiful, liefje." She whispered against your chest and reconnected her mouth.

A moan slipped out your mouth as Jill placed her mouth on your breast.

One hand on your other, gently squeezing whilst her tongue worked magic on the other.

She continued down your abdomen, reaching your sternum.

"Jill, please." You whined as her fingers traced the top of the trousers you were wearing.

She grabbed ahold of them and with one pull down, she revealed your aching core.

"You're going to be my good girl tonight, okay? You're going to do exactly what I tell you to. You understand?" Jill asked and you nodded your head, desperate to feel some kind of pleasure.

Jill quickly took her clothes off, leaving you waiting for her to actually do something.

"Please Jill. I need you to do something."

"And you will get something, baby. Come here." By this point, Jill had laid down next to you. She pulled you onto her thigh so you were now straddling her one thigh. "I want you to get off on my thigh."

"Jill, what about your knee?"

"My knees fine. Now do what I said." She commanded, grabbing a hold of your hips and helping you slide up and down the length of her muscular thigh.

You and Jill both moaned at the contact.

Jill loved the feel of your soaking core on her thigh.

The muscles in her thigh hit your clit just perfectly which sent wave of pleasure through your body.

"That's it, liefje. You're being such a good girl for me." Jill said and increased the speed of your actions.

Her grip got harder and your moans got louder.

"Fuck. Jill, I'm...I'm gonna — Fuck!" You managed to say as you came undone.

"Good girl. Ride it out."

Jill released the grip she had on your hips and pulled you in for a kiss.

Her hands made her way down to your cunt, her fingers brushing through.

You whined at the sensitivity but once that had gone, you whined due to the fact you were desperate to feel Jill's fingers.

"Jill please. I need your fingers in-." You began telling her but was cut off by her fingers burying themselves in your cunt.

She leaned down to kiss you, swallowing you moans.

You stopped kissing her back after a while, your jaw dropping open as she found your g-spot.

"You feel so tight around my fingers, babe." Jill groaned and increased her speed, curling her fingers as she did.

"I'm so close, Jill." You said to her in between moans.

"You're going to be my good girl and cum for me." Jill decades and you nodded your head, feeling the familiar knot break in your stomach.

Your legs began to shake and Jill's name fell from your lips like a chant.

Jill continued to thrust her fingers into you, letting you ride out your high.

As soon as you started to get overstimulated, you jerked away and Jill pulled out.

"You were such a good girl for me." Jill whispered in your hair as she laid down next to you. "Do you need anything? Water? A bath?"

"A bath would be nice, baby. As long as you join me." You replied, your breath still uneven.

"Okay, liefje, I won't be a minute."

"Jill?" You called out to her as she got up from the bed. She tuned around with a curious look on her face. "Thank you for making my day better. That made up for all the bad things today."

"I'm glad it did, babe. You deserve the very best days. I’m sorry you didn’t have a good one.”

"Trust me, I did. You just made it a good day.”

[haras24]

Top 7 Comfort Films

Thanks for the tag @almost-born-in-1893 and @fandomsmeantheworldtome!

These are in no particular order:

1. Labyrinth

2. Les Choristes

3. The Girl Next Door

4. Bill

5. Rocketman

6. Big Hero 6

7. Goodnight Mr Tom

Honourable mention for Saltburn because it’s not necessarily a comfort film but I’m obsessed with it right now and the only thing I can think about is watching it over and over again!

I’ll tag @spineless-lobster @a-poetic-cosmos and anybody else who fancies it (absolutely no pressure!) ☺️

[justastraymoa]

Yet Unnamed

Chapter 11

Masterlist

Warnings for Yet Unnamed: Kidnapping, cuffs, injuries, drugging by injection, mentions of needles, lots of swearing, kissing, fluff, angst, idiots in love all around.

That night after showering, Felix crawled into bed with you. He seemed unsure of his welcome and without a word you turned onto your side and pulled on him until he was situated in little spoon position against your front. You hooked one leg over his hip and sighed as you nuzzled into his long hair.

Felix shifted slightly to get comfortable and pulled your hand up to his chest. You felt a soft warm touch to your fingers as he kissed them. “Are you okay?” He asked hushed in the darkness of the room.

He was, of course, referring to the reactions to your video and the overall reveal. Starting tomorrow you will need to be treated like your soul mates. You would need security and escorts, and you would have absolutely no privacy. You finally deleted your social media so that was at least one less thing to worry about. All the changes on top of the general hate from fans was a lot to handle.

You had successfully hidden in 3rachas music room and buried yourself in work all afternoon and well into the evening. As such, you were able to ignore the whole thing until now.

You also didn’t know how to properly explain how you felt. How to communicate all the jumbled feelings you had going on inside you.

“I don’t know.” You finally settled on several seconds later.

“Don’t worry. You have all of us. We will always be on your side. Nothing will happen to you.” He promised.

You didn’t respond. There was nothing really to say. You both knew there was only so much they could do. They weren’t with you 24/7, and it was impossible for them to be.

So instead, you nuzzled into him once more and settled in to sleep, falling into dreamland easily with Felix breathing a peaceful lullaby and his thumbs rubbing your hand soothingly.

~

Early the next morning you saw everyone off before getting to work. You were at home today, several hours on video call with Binnie, Lino, and Ayen for today’s interview just seemed easier from home. And in between them you were cleaning up the shorts the boys had filmed yesterday and getting them queued to the socials. And then approving more of the boys’ replies and new posts. Now that you were officially revealed they all seemed to want to post about you, using pictures you didn’t even know they had.

Luckily even though you needed to be on video call for 2 hours, their interview went smoothly, without surprises. And the people you dealt with were friendly and respectful. Exactly the kind of people you needed to deal with after yesterday.

The hate was more prominent on the socials today as more people saw the video and it was meme, clipped, and gifed thousands of times. You were all over Tumblr and X.

Stray Kids, and your name, were top searches and hashtags on nearly everything. Stray Kids 9th member was a trending topic. Someone had even gone as far as hunting down where you grew up and posting childhood photos.

You were on the video call with your three traveling soulmates when you found a picture of your grandfather and you posted to someone’s blog. It froze you in your tracks.

Seeing the picture unexpectedly knocked the wind out of you. Your eyes immediately start to burn, and your breath turns uneven. Your shoulders tighten so much they start to hurt.

“What’s wrong, Y/n?” Ayen asked, noticing the change almost immediately.

His question got the attention of Bin and Lino who leaned forward.

Taking a deep breath, you shake your head and get yourself back under control, shaking your shoulders out. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. STAY just unearthed something I hadn’t expected to see.”

Lino squinted into the screen, scrutinizing you. “What did STAY find?”

You cleared your throat. “A picture of my grandfather and i. I didn’t know it still existed. Nothing to worry about, I promise.” You clicked out of the photo and to the replies instead, morbidly curious what people had to say.

The comments were pleasantly neutral for the most part. Mostly about how strict he looked and the words ‘Tiger Grandpa’ were used a lot. You could tell the Korean natives from the nonnatives as natives tended to be more respectful of your grandfather, but harshly judgmental of me and my Korean-ness. It seems they didn’t think you were Korean enough to be in Stray Kids soul group.

Since two members were Australian Korean, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to say you weren’t Korean enough because you didn’t grow up here. And your grandfather made sure you knew and followed your heritage and traditions. It was very important to him.

“What are they saying?” Bin asked after a minute, correctly guessing what you were doing. Ayen was back on his phone, typing.

You shrugged. “The usual, nothing I wasn’t expecting going into this.”

“Y/n-“

A door opened behind their end of the video call, interrupting whatever Bin was about to say and a tech announced that they were ready for them, officially bringing the conversation to an end. Lino grabbed the phone as they walked out.

You were set on a stand near the main camera to watch and listen to what was going on. The boys looked like they were having a lot of fun during the interview. It was one that played out kind of like a game of truth or dare with challenges and punishments. For sure you had a great time. Most of the call you were trying not to laugh so you could make proper notes. You mostly failed.

When it ended Ayen grabbed the phone and they all went back to their ready room. “Your laugh is so cute, Y/n!” He gushed with a wide, dimpled smile.

You blush. “You could not hear me! I was not that loud!” You protest.

Lino held up his pointer and thumb close together. “Just a little bit. Promise.”

You were so embarrassed. Everyone there could hear you being extremely unprofessional! How were you going to get people to take you seriously if you do stupid shit like this! “Dammit! I’m sorry, guys.”

Bin snorted. “It's not like you were alone. I'm pretty sure one of the assistants wet themselves.”

That information didn’t make you feel any better, but you didn’t feel so alone in your unprofessional behavior, that was something at least.

Your notifications chimed again, grabbing your attention. “That was your last item to do until your flight. For now, get changed and relax.”

“Bye Y/n! Thank you!” Ayen cheered from off camera.

You waved. “Bye loves! See you soon!” You ended the call and immediately started dialing for another meeting with a potential new ambassadorship offer.

Bin, Ayen, and Lino were on track to get home just before midnight. And you wanted to be done with work for the day so you could sit out in the living room and wait for them. They hadn’t been gone long, but you were anxious to see them again. And you had worked hard all day with very little time for breaks, so an early night was called for.

So about two hours before they were set to land you were curled up on the couch in some fuzzy pajamas, a soft blanket over your legs and a comfort movie playing softly on the TV so you didn’t bother anyone trying to sleep. They had all gone to bed already, it was just you awake. They needed to rest for a full day of learning new choreo tomorrow.

It was a full day of choreo for you too. You were bringing back the original dance practice videos and adding a bit more ‘human’ to them. A right from the beginning video where everyone got to see – carefully chosen and edited – mistakes. You would be in the practice room with the boys all day filming from multiple angles. Taking more shorts for social media, and getting clips and photos for insta as well. You had the easy job. And you got to spend all day with your soulmates.

Now that you were settled and comfortable you opened the photo of your grandfather again. You had saved it to your phone and personal drive on your computer now. You weren’t sure if you wanted to keep it there or frame a physical copy and hang it up. There are mixed feelings, and you weren’t sure if this photo made you happy or sad or even angry.

You loved your grandfather, of course, but he was a difficult and strict man. Tough but fair, very stern. Not known for bending. Even so, you loved him, and you are grateful he was so insistent on you learning your culture. Especially now.

“That your grandfather?” Chan asked from over your shoulder making you jump and almost throw your phone. He almost got an elbow to the face out of instinct.

You glare at him as you click off the picture. “Don’t scare me like that. And it's rude to read over someone's shoulder.”

He smiled, not even a little apologetic. “Thats the picture STAY found?”

Signing you turned back around. “Seems like they already tattled on me, why bother asking.”

“They were concerned. You were upset and they wanted to make sure you were alright.”

The explanation was completely reasonable, of course, but you were still annoyed knowing that they were talking about you behind your back. Even when you specifically said that it was nothing.

“I'm fine. Thanks for the concern.”

“See. You are upset.” He pointed out. He circled the couch to sit next to you, crushing your feet under him.

“What about those words said that I am upset? I am not upset about the picture! I don't know how to feel about it, if you must know.”

Chan, being the annoying pest he is, poked your thigh repeatedly, trying to get a reaction out of you. “Then what are you upset about?”

The irritation built in your chest with each poke. It was actually starting to hurt a bit too. Growling you swat his hand away. “Go to bed, you big annoying freak!”

“You know I can't sleep. Might as well find out why you are upset. Kill some time.”

“I am not upset!” You snap.

Chan just blinked at you silently, waiting for you to realize. Waiting for you to give in.

He is a stubborn, annoying, pestering, stinking, MAN! You give in. “I’m unjustly annoyed that you guys were talking about me behind my back.” You look away when you say this, avoiding his triumphant look as he won the standoff by being annoying. His persistent ass would just keep going until you told him. Fucking manchild.

He jerked away slightly, confused. “It's not like we are saying bad things about you. Mostly we just talk about how adorable you are and share pictures of you.” He paused and shrugged his shoulders. “And occasionally share worries when we notice something.”

He reached into his pj pants and pulled out his phone, tapping at it a few times before handing it back to you with the group chat ‘Unapologetic Y/n simp support group’ pulled up. “You can do what you want. None of us would mind. We have nothing to hide. Not from you.

Your mouth was open in shock. You looked at the phone in your hands. The few messages you could see without scrolling already had you blushing. They were hopeless. There was a picture of you on the couch yesterday with Felix and Minnie both sleeping on you. You were running your hand through Minnies hair with a look of pure unhidden peace.

You immediately hand the phone back without scrolling further. “Thats okay. I don't think I would be able to handle it.”

Chan chuckled. “We do get pretty bad. Especially if we don't get to see you all day.”

“Ugh! You are all horrible! Go to bed!” You freed a foot and pushed at his thigh with it, trying and failing to push him off the couch.

He laughed and stood anyway. “Okay, okay. You are sure you're okay?”

Smiling toothily, you nod. “I promise. The picture only caught me off guard.”

He got serious again, looking at you with a strange unnamable look. “I know this is all very difficult. It was for us too, in the beginning, and sometimes even now. You can lean on us. We can handle a little extra weight.”

You nod, feeling a swell of affection in your chest. Behind you the soft sound of a door opening reached your ears and you looked over.

A super soft, sleep rumbled, half asleep Han came around the corner, rubbing his half open eyes like a kid. You really wanted to coo and swaddle him up.

“Hyung, are you coming to bed?” He mumbled, big eyes finding Chan, glassy with sleep.

“Go. Your baby needs you.” You told Chan.

“You’re my baby too. Find us if you need us.” Chan leaned in and kissed your forehead.

You watch as he went over to Hannie, picking him up from under his armpits like a toddler and cradling him close. Hannie locked his ankles around Chan's waist and rested his head on his shoulder. Then they both disappeared into Hannies room.

You snuggled back under your blanket to wait for the others to get home. If they were still running on time, they would be home in just over an hour, and you hoped you could stay up that long to greet them properly.

Unfortunately, you didn't manage to do that. A soft brush of wind and strong arms scooping you up under your shoulders and knees woke you gently. You immediately recognized Bin by smell and the feel of his chest under your cheek.

“M’elcome bck.” You mumble opening your eyes just a slit.

“Hello Angel. Did you wait up for us?” This was Lino from your other side.

“Obviously not.”

“It's the thought that counts.”

You snort, still half asleep and blinking slowly. Your sluggish brain picked up on someone missing. “Ayennie?”

“In the kitchen. He slept through the in-flight meal and is starving.” Binnie answered, chest vibrating with his words.

Blindly you reach up to pat Bins cheek, getting his ear instead but going for it anyways. “Glad you're all home. Missed you.”

“We missed you too.” You could feel Bins cheeks lift with a smile as he spoke.

There was a crunching sound. “Oh, hey Y/n!” Ayen sounded way too awake and chipper for the hour.

You wiggle your fingers in his direction while simultaneously realizing Bin was still holding you. For a long time now actually. You had to be really heavy.

You twisted to stand up and release him of your weight, but he just moved with you, gasping in panic. “Yah! Careful, babe, you're going to fall!” He complained.

“I’m heavy.”

At this Bin outright laughed. “Trust me, heavy is the last word I would use to describe you. Ever.”

“Thats a nice lie, Bin”

“For once I agree with him.” Ayen put in between mouthfuls of whatever he had found to snack on. You just hope it wasn't the veggie chips you had stashed in the cabinet.

You gave up, too tired to argue with them. “Whatever. Bed time.” To prove this, you snuggled further into Bins chest and let out a deep, slow breath.

There were a couple of ‘nights’ and you felt Bin begin to walk. You expected him to take you to your room, but was surprised to feel unfamiliar sheets under your skin. Not the soft cotton you had on your bed. You opened your eyes in confusion, disoriented. You were in Bins room, laying on his bed.

“Hope you don't mind. I've just really missed my bed.” He tucked his blankets around you.

Instead of verbally responding you freed your arms and made grabby hands at him, wanting to cuddle.

He gently took your hands. “Give me a few minutes. I want to shower off the flight.” You pout but let him leave with little fuss, watching as he left the door open a crack.

This was actually the first time you had slept in any other member's bed. You weren't against it. It was more intimate, private. You felt like you needed an invitation. It felt invasive to just plop into someone's bed without permission. It made you really happy that Bin had given you this honor.

You know you dozed off waiting for him to get cleaned up, but you still managed to wake up when the door softly squeaked open again. Bin immediately climbed into the bed, radiating wet warmth from his shower and smelling softly of the same soap you had used that first day here.

You vaguely note that he had placed himself between you and the door, now firmly shut. Odd observation, but you had a teacher once who told the class that men tended to sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door. Most of the time they didn't even realize they were doing it. Just some ingrained need to be between what was important to them and any possible threats. You had always thought that it sounded romantic and wanted a man who would do that for you. Protect you without even thinking about it. Without consciously realizing that he was even doing such a thing.

Bin wrapped himself completely around you, pulling you as close to himself as humanly possible. You kissed the bit of bare chest that peeked out from the collar of his sleep shirt, about the only part you could get to so firmly secure in his arms like this. Then, without another word, you both fell asleep.

~

Hyunjin woke you up in the morning by forcing himself in between you and Bin. He was fully dressed and ready for the day, the rough texture of his pants unpleasant against your skin, you curled away from it. Groaning in protest, you roll over and cover your head with the blanket.

“You two are going to be late.” Hyune sing-songed patting at your butt in time with his words.

“I'm quitting. Effective immediately.” You grumble, far too tired.

Bin hadn't even twitched the whole time, still completely conked out. One hundred percent in dreamland and two hundred percent a-fucking-dorable!

“Resignation not accepted. Get moving!” Hyune was kicking at Bin now to wake him up. Bin woke up far less forgiving than you did and Hyune ended up on the floor with a thump.

You chose a practice room that had ample space so you didn't get in the way of any of their work. You also chose one with no windows and far away from where anyone else was working for the day, just in case. It was darker walled and sparsely decorated, not one of the fancier made up ones, but good for what needed to be done today. And the dark walls would be a good backdrop.

You immediately started setting up the cameras, expertly avoiding getting the other cameras in the shots, while your soulmates changed and warmed up around you. They occasionally brushed against you or flicked at your hair and clothes.

As you attempted to adjust the lighting with everyone moving around Chan called over to you. “What's the plan, Hun? What do you need us to do?”

“Face the camera so I can check the lighting. And stop moving!" You ordered studying the screen. The 8 of them immediately obeyed, lining up and staying mostly still. You had to make sure it was right. You didn't want to wash anyone out. That would just give you hours more work that you could have avoided with just a few minutes of double checking now.

“What else?” He asked when you were satisfied.

You looked around. “Nothing. Let me adjust the rest. Then do your thing. I'll try and stay out of your way.” You stepped to the next camera and they turned to keep facing you helpfully.

“Nothing?” Seungmin double checked.

Were you supposed to have them do something? “Yeah. Just learn the choreo. The video and pictures are my job, I'll worry about angles and editing.”

They all seemed stunned by this. “There isn't a skit or lines or anything?” Chan had to make sure.

“You are missing the point of a dance practice video. All you need to do is dance. Don't worry about looking good, either.” You moved to the next camera to check the lighting again. They followed, like flowers following the sunlight. “I will make you look good during editing.”

“Have I mentioned how much I love that you are in charge of all this now? Because I do. You can never leave.” Felix stated firmly. Everyone looked strangely happy, relieved.

You smiled up at Felix, moving to yet the next camera. You were very glad they liked the way you did things. Even with Chans assurances the other day, you couldn't stop the nagging doubt. That was just your nature and would probably never truly go away.

From what you knew of dance practices – admittedly very little - this one seemed to go very smoothly. You bounced from camera to camera, constantly adjusting them. In between you were on the floor or on top of a chair you found, finding good angles for photos of each member.

When they took a lunch break you decided to skip eating in favor of taking a nap. You were exhausted and you hadn't even been dancing all morning! You curled up in the corner of the dance room, using someone's hoodie as a pillow. You could eat later.

Hyunjin again woke you when break was over. “You keep waking me up and imma start hating you on principle.” You yawned, taking his offered hand up.

He kissed your temple in apology and wiped some drool from the corner of your mouth. You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, embarrassed. “You are too cute when you just wake up though. All soft, sleepy, and pouty.” Hyune said as he fluffed up your sleep matted hair for you. You couldn't even be mad at him now, damn it.

Now that they knew the basic steps of the choreography, they were having more fun with it. Testing it out and tweaking it to fit more their style as a group. It was interesting to watch them experiment and throw out ideas. They worked really well together, though they were all tired. Even when they got frustrated messing up or not figuring out a move they wanted.

The backup dancers would be added in and it would start to be blocked out tomorrow. So, you would all be right back in here to do this all over again.

Near the end, when you had been done with taking pictures and were focusing solely on the video now, Ayen ran over and pulled on your arm. “Come dance with us!”

You laughed nervously and stayed planted where you were. “Ah, no. I'm not a dancer.” You were not about to embarrass yourself in front of all them. You were so bad you didn't even classify as having two left feet – you were worse than that!

“So? It's just for fun! Please, please, please!” He was starting to attract the others' attention.

“Ayen, no. I'm still working. The video!”

In response he pouted at you, eyes big and lower lip jutted. You really wanted to melt and give in, but resisted. The thought of showing them just how horrible you really were kept you from letting the look sway you.

“Oh, please come dance! I bet you are better than you say.” Felix added in, joining in and pulling gently on the arm Ayen wasn't.

“I’ll only tease you a little bit. Promise.” Lino joked, smile far too mischievous to be truthful. He would never let you live it down and you knew it.

“Bin smiled, waggling his eyebrows and shook his hips to entice you. The whole picture made you crack up in loud laughter. He is such a Babygirl, and he owned it!

You were beginning to feel outnumbered and you knew this would only get worse, so you gave in with a sigh and a roll of your eyes. Unplanting your feet and letting Felix and Ayen pull you forward to the middle of the room with the others.

Because you watched them practice and learn the dance all day long, you knew the moves, in theory. But knowing them and doing them are two very, very different things.

Shaking off the feeling of self-conscious embarrassment, you tried to just let yourself have fun with it. This was just for fun. Just fooling around with your soulmates. No big deal.

On the second 8 count you tripped over your own foot and landed hard on your butt, laughing at yourself even as the dull pain subsided from the landing.

“You weren't kidding when you said you couldn't dance.” Lino joked with a smirk. Still laughing you kicked out at his shin.

Channie lifted you to your feet from behind easily. “Honestly it was pretty bad. But not horrible. Try again.”

Why were they taking this so seriously? “I’m not stretched, warmed up, or dressed for this, guys.” You whined getting back into position.

"GUYS! Are we just guys to you! You wound me, Y/n!" Hyune gasped from his spot, you smiled and rolled your eyes at his dramatics as he clutched dramatically at his chest and swooned in on Han who caught him.

“You have been twisted in unnatural angles all day long to get good shots. You are stretched and in good clothes.” Chan ignored the theatrics going on behind him, used to his kids and now a master at selective hearing.

The music started again and you let your head fall back, but began on que. This time you stayed on your feet, but missed a step or messed it up several times. Twice you went one way while the others went the other.

For whatever reason they actually started to seriously teach you the dance. Stopping to help or reposition you several times when you needed it. Lino especially seemed to really be enjoying teaching you and watching as you struggled before eventually getting it right.

You, however, were not having a good time. You were panting and dripping sweat. Disgusting.

“How long have we been doing this?” You asked, accepting a bottle of water from Minnie.

“45 minutes.” He deadpanned.

“45 minutes! How in the hell have you been doing this all day! I’m dying!” You gasped out in a shout in between your panting breaths.

This got you a chorus of chuckles. “Lots and lots of practice.”

“God I’m not going to be able to move tomorrow!” You complained sprawling out on the floor face down.

Someone smacked your ass lightly and then sat on it, crushing your pelvis almost painfully into the floor.

“I know where you sleep, Lino.” You warned the floor.

“You are welcome in my bed anytime, Jagi.” Lino teased, voice not coming from where you expected it to. “But I am not sitting on you. I am nowhere near you.”

You strain your neck to see it was actually Channie sitting on your butt. He was playing on his phone without a care in the world. “Why are you sitting on me?” You ask.

“Why are you laying on the ground?” He countered.

“I’m lying on the ground because my soulmates tried to kill me. I'm tired!”

“You would have more energy if you hadn't skipped lunch.”

“Pretty sure my nap gave me just as much energy as food would have. And I enjoyed it more.”

“You two argue like an old married couple.” Seungmin pointed out.

“We are married.”

There was a spitting sound and you felt a fine wet mist settle over you.

“Did you just fucking spit on me!” Your voice was high pitched as you rolled over to look at Minnie in disgust, knocking Chan off you in the process.

Minne was staring at you, mouth hanging open, still dripping water. You furrowed your brows confused about his reaction. What was he so shocked about? You knew JYP said on that first day that he had you sign the soul bond marriage certificates when you were drugged. Did Minnie somehow not know? Did he forget? Maybe he just didn't believe it.

“You're freaking married?!” Hyunes voice was high as well in disbelief.

Looking around the room it quickly became apparent that the only ones who knew about the marriages were the 4 of you that were in the office that first day.

“You didn't know?” You breathe. Your heart was racing. How could they not have been told? Surely it had come up before now. It had to have been mentioned at least in passing!

“A lot happened that day.” Chan seemed stunned.

“It just...slipped my mind.” Felix actually looked a little sick.

“You knew too?” Bin was a mixture of angry and ready to cry.

“We didn't not tell you on purpose! There were just more important things going on at the time!” Han tried to defend all of you.

Bin scoffed and turned away from the room, hand going to his mouth.

“More important than telling us Chan and Y/n are married?” Lino had a hurt look on his face that made your heart hurt even as it still raced.

“She is married to all of us. JYP had her sign when she was drugged.” Chan corrected.

You stood up and dusted yourself off. “Not helping, Channie.” Chan looked over at you with a shrug and gestured to the others with both hands, eyes begging for help. “Look, point is, we didn't keep it from you on purpose. It was an honest mistake.” This situation was getting tense and you all had to remember you were in public. Ears and eyes were everywhere.

“Is it even legal? You were drugged and forced to sign, after all.” Ayen asked. Bin made an angry noise from where he faced away from everyone, shaking his head.

You move to turn off the cameras and pack up. They were still recording, catching this whole disaster. “We can talk about this at home.” You warned them, quickly shoving your things into their bags.

Chan stood with a grunt and a few cracks. “Y/n is right. This is not the place to discuss things like this.”

No one argued with him, moving to gather their own things and get ready to go home. It had been a long day, and this evening promised to be even longer

🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹Yet Unnamed Taglist: @fackeraccount @velvetmoonlght @hyunjinstolemyheart @vampkittenb82 @happy-jj @estella-novella @demigoddreamon-blog @tiana-maxivar @ms-flowergirl @jennibahng @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @mimimiloomeelomi @simpforskz143148 @xxeiraxx @lil-bear08 @brbwritingfanfic @jisungs-iced-americano @zofia515 @malyxsoulpersonal @silentreadersthings @pixie0627

General Taglist @stellasays45 @beebee18 @weird-bookworm @velvetmoonlght

[justagalwhowrites]

The Savage and the Sanctuary - Ch. 8: Making Waves

You start filming Savage Starlight and a conflict brings you and Joel closer together. A continuation of The Savage and the Sanctuary, a no outbreak TLOU story, from the prologue through chapter 7 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

CW: Mild violence. Memory of past childhood sexual abuse, not described. No use of Y/N. Whole fic will be explicit so minors DNI, 18+ only.

Length: 11.9k

Fic Masterlist | Masterlist | AO3 | Prologue | Previous Chapter

August, 2002 

You stared down at your headshot on your lap, your stomach in knots. 

This wasn’t an audition but it felt like one. An intense one at that. Not that you’d ever taken your career casually, you’d always given your best at auditions and rehearsals and on set, even when you were first starting years ago. But that had always just been to make your mom happy and make things better for the people around you and to make something good. You’d never really worried about the practicalities of it. But you had to worry about those practicalities now. 

It had been a month since you found out your mother had, essentially, driven your financial life into the ground. You still didn’t know what her endgame was. You were hardly a genius at math but looking at the piles of papers you’d found in her office told you enough and, when you confronted her, she told you the truth: you were more than $6 million in debt, $2 million of that owed to the U.S. government. You may not know much but you knew that was bad. Really fucking bad. You needed money, way more than you’d make for a season of Family Tree. You had, at least, managed to land $100,000 an episode for the season you were filming now but still, that was only $2 million, just enough to cover the past due tax bill and nothing else. You’d been living in your trailer - it was only a matter of time before someone figured that one out - and surviving off craft services for weeks. You needed an apartment, you needed to get a lawyer to get emancipated and those things required money. You needed something else, you needed it to pay well and you needed it now. 

You heard your name and your head shot up. The receptionist smiled kindly at you. 

“Mr. Wilde will see you now,” she said. “Head on in.” 

“Thanks,” you smiled as best you could, your chest tight, and straightened your dress before you headed into the office. 

The room was huge, panoramic windows looking over the hills beyond, shelves of awards and pictures of the same man smiling with celebrities on every surface. That man, Henry Wilde, was looking down at his desk when you came in, in a blazer with the top few buttons of his shirt open. You let the door close behind you and you hovered awkwardly, trying to not fidget with your headshot. This was the first time you’d ever taken a meeting like this on your own. Your mother had been your agent but you weren’t about to let her represent you for shit anymore. You needed to find one of those, too. After what felt like a small eternity had passed, you cleared your throat quietly and he looked up, appraising you for a moment before smiling. 

“Hey there sweetheart,” he said, standing up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in! Please, make yourself comfortable.” 

He gestured to the plush seats opposite his desk and you smiled, relaxing a little as you crossed the room and sat down. He set his Blackberry to the side and laced his fingers together as he watched you arrange yourself, a small smile on his face. 

“Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Wilde,” you said. “I know you said I could reach out when I needed something but I really appreciate it.” 

“Of course, of course,” he scoffed. “I do my best to make time for rising talent like you. I’ve been enjoying your work, you are a truly gifted actor.” 

“Thank you,” you said, sitting up a little straighter, your hands looping around your knee as you crossed one leg over the other. “That really means a lot, coming from you. I mean when you look at the projects you’ve produced…” 

“Please, let’s not waste our time talking about me,” he waved you off. “I’m much more interested in what made you reach out, especially on your own without your mother. She’s always been so… hands on.”

“Yeah,” you winced a little in spite of yourself. “She’s… she’s not representing me anymore. That’s part of why I wanted to see you. I… I found out some things about what she’s been doing and how she’s been managing me and…” 

He smiled a little. 

“You need some help figuring things out on your own?” He finished for you. 

“Yes,” you sighed, relieved, and then laughed. “Yes, I really, really do. I don’t really know what I’m doing for this, just that I have some money that I owe so I need to work but I don’t know how to find an agent or a manager and how to find more work and I just…” 

“You were right to come to me,” he cut you off, reaching into a tray on his desk, flipping through a stack of file folders before finding the one he was looking for. “We can’t be losing talent like yours to the bureaucratic bullshit of the industry…” 

You were silent for a minute, watching as he paged through things, nodding to himself, before reaching into his desk and pulling out a business card. You sat up a little straighter as he looked at you across the desk. 

“I think I have a way to help you,” he said. “There’s a part that I can get you an audition for - you’d still have to land it but I’ll get you in the mix - that should solve any of the economic issues you’re having. And I have an agent for you -” he held the business card out to you between two thick fingers. You reached to take it but he pulled it back. You frowned, looking back at him. “But I’d need something in return.” 

You deflated a little. 

“But…” 

“I’m a business man,” he continued, watching you. “I don’t give things away for free. If I did, I never would have reached where I am today. This needs to go both ways, sweetheart.” 

You laughed a little in spite of yourself. 

“OK,” you said. “But I… I don’t have anything. That’s why I’m here, I don’t have any money, I don’t know anybody - at least not anyone you wouldn’t know - I…” 

“I don’t need money or power,” he interrupted you. His eyes ranged over you, slow and sharp. “But believe me, there’s plenty you have that I want.” 

You swallowed hard, your stomach clenching. 

“I don’t…” 

“And there’s plenty I have that you want,” he continued like you hadn’t spoken at all, his eyes lingering on your chest, your thighs. “The only question is what you will do to get it.” 

You steeled yourself, the threat of debt and homelessness hanging over your head.

“I’ll do anything,” you said. “Please.” 

He smiled, the expression making you want to squirm uncomfortably in your seat. 

“Good,” he said, holding the card out again. “That’s the information for the agent. I’ll give them the information for the audition if you come to my hotel tonight at 8 p.m. Sound good?” 

Your heart stuttered in your chest. It wasn’t like you had any experience with men but you knew what he was asking for. 

“Yes,” you said quietly. 

“Good,” he said. “I’ll send a car and I’ll see you tonight.” 

He looked back to his desk and you took that to mean that you were dismissed and you stood up, your legs shaky and your headshot still in your hands. 

“Oh, and sweetheart?” He said and you turned to face him, an almost hungry look on his face. “Wear something… cute.” 

You just nodded and made your way out of his office, past the receptionist and to the elevator, trying not to wonder if any of this was worth it. 

November 29. 2024

“Christmas Shoes.” 

“Bullshit.” 

“It’s true, that’s my favorite Christmas song.” 

You scoffed. 

“Who hurt you as a child?” You asked, wishing you could turn and look at your costar but you had to sit still for the makeup artists to do their job, your eyes closed as one of them worked on your eyeshadow. “That’s the worst, most depressing song choice in the world.” 

“Alright, Miss Superiority Complex,” he said. “What’s your favorite Christmas song?” 

“Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses,” you said without hesitation. 

“No,” he said and you could almost hear him shaking his head and you resisted the urge to giggle. “No, I don’t believe you. You’re just trying to sound cool, that’s not actually your favorite.” 

“Yes it is,” you said. “Sorry my taste is so much better than yours but…” 

“Alright,” your makeup artist said and you didn’t feel her fingers or brushes on your face anymore so you opened your eyes. She smiled, sitting back from you, looking proud of her work. “Ready for the wig?” 

“Hell yeah,” you smiled. “Let’s go.” 

They turned your chair so your back was to the mirror and you watched as the artists brought in a white wig that looked like it would reach your waist. The prep work for the hairpiece had already been done, a bald cap on your head while the makeup artists did their job, and putting on the wig itself didn’t take too long, a production assistant going to get one of the marketing team interns to come in and shoot the video of you seeing yourself as Starlight for the first time. You got out of the chair, keeping your back to the mirrors as your co-star, Cole Cox, watched from his own makeup chair with a little smile on his face. 

“You do look really good,” he said, the marketing person catching everything. “My kid is going to lose her mind when she sees me standing next to you.” 

“Wait ’til she sees you flying with me,” you smiled back before jumping in place for a moment to loosen yourself up, the camera fading into the background of your mind. “Alright, let’s do it!” 

You turned to face the mirror and gasped in spite of yourself. 

You’d seen yourself in costume plenty of times before in your life. Sometimes it seemed like you spent more time dressed up as someone else than you did as yourself. But you’d never seen yourself as a superhero before. Putting the costume on that morning had been an experience in and of itself. It took some help getting into it, the molded pieces and tight fabric a lot more work than you were used to when it came to getting dressed, but you couldn’t deny that the end result looked pretty incredible. 

But with the wig and the makeup - highlighting your cheekbones, making your eyes look sharper - it was even better. 

“Oh my God,” you said leaning into the mirror to get a better look at yourself. The makeup artist laughed. “This is amazing! I look… heroic!” 

“Endure and survive, baby,” Cole said and you laughed. 

“Endure and survive,” You smiled, looking over your shoulder to him. 

“Alright, let’s get you two to set,” the production assistant said and you took one last look at yourself before you turned to leave. 

It was almost hard to believe that you’d been in Austin, making Thanksgiving dinner at this time the day before. It had been a hectic day, getting up early and napping in the car on the way to the airport and again on the plane, feeling oddly safe sleeping in front of people because you knew Joel was there. You’d gone straight from LAX to the studio and into costuming and makeup and even though you were just doing some promo stuff that day, you knew you were going to be exhausted by the time you made it home that night. 

Joel, to his credit, had been surprisingly… maybe not kind, but less than surly since your conversation in your office days earlier. While he didn’t seem thrilled about getting up so early, he’d kept his commentary to himself and hadn’t even fought too hard about needing to wait outside the hair and makeup room instead of being glued to your side the entire time. You wondered if he’d be happy being quite that flexible during the rest of your trip. Somehow, you doubted it. 

Your bodyguard was right there when the door to the makeup room opened, looking like he’d been pacing the short distance of the hallway for a while, turning quickly as you left. 

“Took you long…” he began but his voice trailed off and he stared at you, his eyes going a little wide. 

“So cool, right?” You said, popping your hip and planting your hand there to strike a pose. “It really looks like the suit from the comics! Do you think Ellie will like it?” 

He snapped his mouth shut and blinked for a moment. 

“Well?” You asked, brows raised, suddenly nervous. Joel had come to know Ellie well over the last few months, what if he thought she wouldn’t like it? 

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, much of his trademark gruffness absent from his voice. “Yeah, think… You look… She’ll like it.” 

You smiled and made your way to set, Joel damn near pressed to your side the entire way. 

It was about what you expected for the rest of the day. You posed for promotional photos with Cole and by yourself, the oddly exacting feeling of Joel’s eyes on you while you did. Then, they put you in some rigging and walked you through how to pose like you were flying. 

“OK this is trippy,” you said, hanging 10 feet in the air. “Are we going to use any of this footage for anything but promos? I’m not sure of her physicality yet, especially with flight…” 

“This is just for your intro video,” the director said. “Kind of like a highlight reel. It’ll circulate online plenty after the announcement but we don’t have any plans to use this anywhere in the final film.” 

“So I can fuck around as much as I want,” you said. “Noted.” 

You heard Joel stifle a laugh and you looked toward him as he rolled his eyes. 

“What, Big Miller?” You teased. 

“Nothin’,” he said. “Just learning where that niece of yours got her mouth from.” 

“She had to learn it somewhere,” you winked and you saw him try not to smile.

You ended up in the air for a while, the camera slowly panning down your costumed body, capturing you from every angle and you tried not to feel self conscious about that before you focused on looking strong and intimidating with a wind machine in your face. 

Then were some fight sequences - mostly just your side of it, almost like you were battling a camera man - and striking poses that felt immensely foolish, your hands out in front of you like you were sending a burst of energy forth but none came. The marketing person followed you around any time you weren’t actively filming, catching you goofing off with Cole and dancing a little to the music that was playing on set as everyone got into position. It was disconcerting, being so observed again. You’d become spoiled in Texas, months since you’d last been on a film set or under the omnipresent eye of a camera. You had to maintain a different persona here, one that was palatable and easily consumed and, by the time you went back to get out of costume, you were exhausted. 

“You alright?” Joel asked, his hand on your lower back as he led you to the car. 

“Fine,” you said, trying to hide a yawn and failing miserably. “Just tired.” 

“Probably hungry, too,” he muttered, sounding irritated. “Didn’t see you eat a damn thing today and you were doin’ all that shit, flying around, fighting… Gonna fuckin’ collapse if you’re not careful.” 

You looked at him, a little incredulous as he opened the car door. 

“There’s not room for me to eat anything in that suit,” you said. “And since when do you pay attention to my eating habits?” 

He rolled his eyes. 

“In the car.” 

“So demanding,” you muttered but you obeyed all the same, too eager to have room to breathe to fight his orders on principle. Joel climbed in after you, pulling the door closed with a little too much force. The driver started moving almost the second the door was closed. “But the statement still stands, since when do you care what I’m eating?” 

“Since you collapsing would make my life difficult,” he said. “And since we were on that set all damn day with that big food table and all you did was drink water and Diet fuckin’ Coke.” 

“Such a gentleman.” 

“Shove it,” he griped. You snorted. “You got food in that house of yours or are you just planning to go on hunger strike for this whole damn movie?” 

You rolled your eyes but unbuckled your seatbelt and leaned between the front seats so you could see the driver. He glanced at you, brows raised. 

“Ma’am.” 

“Hi,” you smiled. “You don’t have to just go to my house, right? I can tell you somewhere else to go?” 

“Yes ma’am,” he said. 

“Siren,” Joel said, a warning tone on his voice that you ignored. 

“Perfect,” you said. “Then let’s go to In ’n Out, one near the beach please.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he said again and you sat back, crossing one leg over the other and looking at Joel, smug.

“Security don’t get a say in this?” He said wryly. 

“Nope,” you said.  

“You tryin’ to get yourself killed?” He asked. 

“Usually,” you said.

He rolled his eyes. 

“Seatbelt,” he said. 

“Seatbelt,” you said, lowering your voice to parrot his own, bobbing your head from side to side but obeying anyway. “God, isn’t it exhausting being that controlling?” 

“You’re exhausting,” he said. “You’re not just going inside a restaurant, you know.” 

“I know,” you said. “It’s fast food, Joel. It has a drive through.”

“Jesus,” he muttered and you smiled. 

“You forgot,” you said. He looked at you, brows raised and you smiled wider. “You forgot that fast food places have drive throughs for a minute there, didn’t you.” 

“No,” he said, defensive and irritated and you had to press your lips together to keep from laughing. “I just always expect you to do the most ridiculous shit, damn the consequences. Don’t see why you’d change that now.” 

You just rolled your eyes and watched the city go by, girls in short dresses dashing across streets and ducking into bars, guys clapping hands with their friends, the lights of the city sparkling. You wondered what it would be like to live that life, one where you could just be a face in the crowd that no one paid any mind to beyond the people you loved, where a small economy wasn’t riding on you showing up to work every day, where you weren’t so caged by choices made for you before you could even really understand them. 

You did a video call with Ellie on the drive and checked in with her and Elise, who had come to stay at your house for the few weeks you were gone so they would be better protected. She’d had a good day, Esmo helping the two of them decorate the house for Christmas. 

“Sissy, look at this shit!” Ellie said, turning the camera so it faced out into the living room. 

“Ellie!” Elise scolded. “Language!” 

“Fine,” she sighed, exasperated. “Look at this stuff.” 

“That looks amazing, kiddo!” You said, watching as she panned around the room, showing off the fat tree that sat against the back wall. “Good eye.” 

“It even has the old ornaments, look!” She said, going to the tree and going in close on a bulb that was covered in haphazard glitter paint in the shape of a small handprint, one Ellie and Anna had made when Ellie was a toddler. “Like the really old ones I made with Mom!” 

“Yeah,” you said, getting choked up. “Check that out.” 

She turned the camera back on her face. 

“We saved some for you to put on. But… Wish you could have been here to decorate and sh…stuff,” she said.

“Me too,” you smiled a little sadly. “But I’ll be home before you know it and you can show me everything.” 

“Cool,” she said. “Hey, Big Miller!” 

“What’s up, trouble maker?” He asked, putting his face next to yours so he was in the frame, too. 

“Do you have a tree and ornaments and stuff at your house or are you going to have to use ours?” 

You felt him stiffen for a moment at your back for half a moment before responding. 

“Not much point in decorating for just me,” he said. “But don’t care about the holidays much, anyway so it don’t matter.” 

“You should get some ornaments and a stocking and shit,” she said. 

“Ellie!” Elise scolded. 

“And STUFF,” Ellie said. “I said stuff, Grandma!” 

“No you didn’t,” you and Joel said at the same time. 

“Traitors,” Ellie muttered, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, you should bring some Christmas stuff,” Ellie stressed the word “and put it up with our stuff. You’re at our house all the time, anyway.” 

Before you had a chance to intervene and force some of the professional distance Joel claimed to have wanted, he answered for you. 

“Maybe, kid,” he said. “Don’t… don’t really have much of that kind of thing though.” 

“We should head to bed over here,” Elise said, looping her arm around Ellie’s shoulders and giving you a soft smile. “It’s late. You’re taking care of yourself out there? Not stressing yourself too much?” 

“I’m fine, Mom,” you smiled back. “And Big Miller here isn’t letting me out of his sight so no scary fans can come run off with me, promise.” 

“Good,” she said. “Get some rest. We’ll talk to you tomorrow, honey.” 

You said your goodbyes just as the car pulled up to the In ’n Out drive through. 

“What do you want,” Joel said, reading the menu as you waited your turn. 

“I’ll just order it myself,” you waved him off. 

“No, you won’t,” he said. “Don’t need anyone recognizing your damn voice and calling the fuckin’ paparazzi…” 

You snorted. 

“That’s not a thing you need to worry about,” you said. “We’d be long gone before they showed up. It’s fine. And you’d just order it wrong. If I’m risking this damn costume not fitting tomorrow so I can eat tonight you’d better believe I’m getting what I want.” 

He looked at you, his jaw clenched tight, but he still rolled down the window when you pulled up to the kiosk and you let Joel order first because it seemed like the nice thing to do. You had to lean over him to get closer to the window and he stiffened, sitting stock still as your front brushed against him. 

“Hi!” You called brightly through the window. “Can I get a double double, protein style and animal style and fries with spread on the side and a Diet Coke?” 

“Is that even food?” Joel asked once the man working the window repeated your order back to you. 

You scoffed. 

“It’s definitely food. And don’t be jealous when mine is better than yours,” you said. “I’m not sharing.” 

You ignored Joel when he tried to yank you into the back seat, his hand closing around the waist of your yoga tights as you leaned between the front seat to get your food, the kid working the window gaping at you for a moment. 

“Hi,” you smiled. 

“Oh my God,” he said, gaping at you. 

“Is the spread in there?” You asked, holding up the bag. 

“Uh,” he said, his eyes wide. “Yeah… yeah, it’s in there.” 

“Awesome,” you smiled wider. “You’re the best. Thank you!” 

“You about gave that kid a heart attack,” Joel said, opening his own bag and pulling out a French fry. “That famous face of yours is gonna get someone killed…” 

“Ha ha,” you rolled your eyes. “And you’re not allowed to eat yet.” 

“Dyin’ to know why not,” he said, popping the fry in his mouth anyway. 

“Because you have to wait until we’re at the beach to eat it, that’s the rule,” you said before turning your attention to the driver. “Nearest beach, please. Not Santa Monica, that’ll be too busy by the pier.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he said. 

“No,” Joel snapped. “Absolutely not.” 

“Absolutely yes,” you said. 

“It’s not safe,” he said, leaning forward to talk to the driver. “Don’t listen to her, do not go to the beach.”

“It’s after dark and I want to see the ocean,” you said. 

“It’s dangerous,” he growled. 

“No one knows I’m going to be there,” you said, as calmly as you could. “No one is expecting me. It’s after dark, no one will be there trying to swim or sunbathe. This is the time to go.” 

“You don’t need to go look at the damn water,” Joel said. “It’s water. Same as always.” 

“I miss the beach,” you said, watching him closely. “Come on, Joel. I’m giving up enough, aren’t I? Can’t I have this? Just one little normal thing? Please?” 

He watched you back for a moment, those brown eyes of his sharp at first but softening. 

“You listen when we’re there,” he said eventually. “If anyone else is there, we leave. You don’t do anything reckless or dumb. We clear?” 

“Crystal,” you smiled, practically giddy. “I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.” 

“Better not do anything dumb,” he muttered, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest but not protesting any more. 

The driver stopped in an empty lot, the horizon dark, the light of the city at your back, Santa Monica Pier bright in the distance. But this stretch of sand was empty of people, just the way you liked it. You looked to Joel all the same, eyebrows raised and one hand on the door handle. 

He sighed. 

“Go on.” 

You couldn’t help but squeal a little, too excited for this little slice of normalcy to hold it in. You damn near threw the door open, all the exhaustion that had weighed you down fading enough that you ran, arms spread wide, toward the water. 

The crash of the waves was loud, the air crisp and cool and laden with salt and the harsh tang of wet seaweed and rotting fish. You stopped just at the edge of the waves, the tide high, and whooped out into the night, to where the stars disappeared into the darkness, laughing as your voice faded to nothing in the distance. 

“The hell are you doin’,” Joel said more than asked as he came up alongside you. 

“Enjoying the ocean,” you said, breathless, watching the waves roll in for a moment, listening to them crash before looking at Joel smiling. “Why, do you do something besides yell at the water when you do it?” 

He gave you a look that, even in the dim light of the city behind you and the pier in the distance and the moon overhead, you recognized as at least a little exasperated and you laughed. 

“C’mon, Big Miller,” you teased, clapping him on the shoulder before traipsing back inland. “Let’s eat.” 

You got the food from the car and you planted yourself down on the sand, midway between the parking lot and the water, taking off your shoes and burying your toes in the cool sand. Joel sat beside you, close enough that his elbow brushed yours when he moved. You got the burger out first and took a bite, giving a satisfied moan when you did, your stomach growling too. 

“Fuck, that’s good,” you said, your mouth full. “I was hungrier than I realized.” 

“Told you,” Joel said, smug, taking a bite of his own burger. “Shit, think I was, too.” 

“You don’t have any damn excuse,” you said, taking another bite. “You can have all the craft services you want, you don’t have a costume that has very little stretch that was made from very precise measurements to fit into every day.” 

“Sounds like a personal problem,” he said. 

“Suppose it does,” you said, balancing the burger on your knees to open the spread and dip a fry in it. 

“So,” Joel said after a minute. “Why’d you want to come to the beach.” 

You looked over at him, brows raised. He was staring determinedly ahead at the water as he took a sip of his drink. 

“Do you really want to know?” You asked. “Or do you want leverage on me.” 

He shrugged. 

“Dunno what I could leverage on you about a fuckin’ beach.” 

You laughed dryly. 

“Suppose that’s true,” you looked at the water, too. “I used to come to the beach a lot when I was little. It’s about the only thing I remember from before I started working.” 

You felt Joel’s eyes on you then but you kept looking straight ahead. 

“Most people come to Los Angeles but I was from here,” you continued. “And yeah, I might be some rich asshole now but I wasn’t exactly born into money. I’m guessing my mom brought me here because she was flat broke and this was a free way to keep me occupied. But I remember sitting on the sand and eating those saltine crackers - the individually wrapped ones, like you get with soup at restaurants which is probably what she did, swiped them from work when she was waiting tables - and just watching the water and wondering how far my voice would travel if I yelled. I thought it might carry across the world when I was really little because there was nothing there to stop it… Anyway. I still like coming here, I miss it when I can’t. It makes me feel small.” 

“And that’s a good thing?” Joel asked, his eyes still on you. 

You looked at him then, at his uncommonly soft gaze, tracing the outline of his face with your eyes. You realized that you knew his face so well now, better than so many others. Even in the dark, you knew where the flecks of gray had started in his beard, knew that the creases would be less pronounced around his eyes right now because he wasn’t glaring at you. 

“I think so,” you said softly, the waves crashing in their steady rhythm before you. “It’s nice to be reminded that, in the grand scheme of things, I’m actually quite insignificant.” 

“Don’t think that’s true,” he said. “Think you’d always matter.” 

You watched him for a moment, as though he was going to change his mind or take it back, but he didn’t. 

“Yeah, well,” you shrugged, looking back to the water and brushing the sand off your shins. “I guess it doesn’t really make much difference, does it?” 

“Suppose not,” he said. 

You put the paper wrappers and your empty cup in the bag and tucked it where you didn’t think it would blow away before looping your arms around your knees, taking a deep, centering breath. 

“You ready for a lot more days like today?” You asked. “Standing around while I play dress up?” 

“Jesus,” he muttered. “Can’t believe how many times they make you do the same damn thing again and again.” 

You laughed. 

“Yeah, that happens,” you said. “It’s gotta be pretty boring to watch from the outside.” 

You more felt him shrug than saw him. 

“Had more boring jobs.” 

You kept watching the waves, the energy you had from just being at the beach slowly fading and the exhaustion for the day catching up with you and you leaned your head onto Joel’s shoulder. He stiffened for a moment but, before you moved away from him, he relaxed into you.  He was calming, something sturdy about his presence, and he smelled clean and masculine and you had the oddest desire to nuzzle into his neck and breathe him in and commit that scent to memory.

“See why you like the beach,” he said eventually. “It’s… nice. Steady.” 

You smiled a little. 

“Yeah,” you said. “It is.” 

You stayed like that for a while, until you were worried you were going to fall asleep on him and you went back to the car. On the drive home, you fought to keep your eyes open but failed, your head finding the warm comfort of his broad shoulders once again and you drifted off to the steady cadence of his breathing as the world went by outside your window. 

***

He shouldn’t allow this. 

He knew better. He did. But as you leaned against his side, your head on his shoulder, he slumped down further in his seat so you stayed in that place pressed into him, the artificial scent of hair spray and makeup remover mixing with sand and the salt of the water and your sweat. 

He fucking knew better. This was stupid. Arguably one of the stupidest things he’d ever done. He didn’t want to be attached to you. He definitely didn’t want to get any more attached than he already was. He didn’t want to know what your fucking hair smelled like or how soft your skin was or how your body felt when it relaxed against his own. 

But. 

But you were there. You were close and protected and had unconsciously found comfort in him in a way no one had done in so, so long and he hated how much he enjoyed that. He liked you close, wanted you close. He felt calm, sure when you were close.

This was stupid but he wasn’t sure how to stop it. It felt like when he was a kid, running down a steep hill at full speed and he knew that even if he stopped putting one foot in front of the other he would keep careening toward the bottom, not able to control it.  

He felt it when he was with you on the plane and you were groggy and he stopped the flight attendant from waking you to offer you breakfast or a drink because you needed the rest and instead kept the fruit and the granola bar and gave them to you when you woke. He felt it when he saw you in that damn costume, as if the fucking leggings and sports bras weren’t bad enough, you dressed in something made for you - designed to make you look powerful and beautiful and strong - made his heart stutter in his chest. He felt it when he watched your costar touch you in the ways he wanted to touch you. He tried to shove that urge down deep, tried to keep from breaking his damn jaw from clenching it so hard as he watched you work. 

And now you were asleep against him, relaxed and soft. He should stop it, he knew that, but he couldn’t. 

You didn’t wake as the car came to a stop in your driveway, you didn’t even stir. 

“Hey,” he said softly, nudging you gently. “C’mon, we’re home.” 

Your face scrunched but you just pressed closer to him. 

“Hey,” he said again, giving you a little shake. “Gotta get you inside.” 

You didn’t respond at all that time and, as good an actress as you might be, Joel could tell you weren’t faking. Back when he thought you were nothing more than a spoiled brat, he’d be frustrated by it but he knew better now. You’d been traveling since 3 a.m. local time, been going non-stop since you were on the ground and it was after 10 now. Joel had gotten to sit there and watch you work all day - the contained space of the movie studio making his job easier than he was used to - and he was pretty damn tired. It was no wonder you were exhausted. 

Joel sighed. 

“Alright, hang on,” he said to himself far more than to you. 

He carefully arranged you so you wouldn’t fall over without him to lean on and slowly, delicately, got out of the car before gingerly pulling you against his body. He tucked your head into his shoulder, one arm going behind your back and below your arms, the other looping beneath your knees. You groaned a little in your sleep, your eyebrows knitting together, but you just nuzzled closer to him, your fingers looping around the collar of his shirt and tangling in the fabric to hold him close. 

Dominic, one of the guards at your front door who had been on your detail the last time you were in LA, smirked a little as he opened the door for Joel. 

“Shut up,” Joel muttered as he carried you inside. 

“Didn’t say a thing,” Dominic said. 

Joel carried you to your room, the lamp on your nightstand on when he got there and set you softly on the bed. He carefully removed your shoes and tugged the knit throw draped over the foot of your bed up and over you. You smiled in your sleep, face content and relaxed, and he let himself pretend, for a moment, that that look was for him. He watched you from that reality, one where he didn’t manage to destroy everything he ever cared for, one where he was worthy of your peace and quiet spaces, but stopped himself before he got lost there, in that world that wasn’t for him. He went to turn off the lamp but paused for a moment, looking at a photo on your bedside table. 

In any other context, with any other person, it wouldn’t have been anything extraordinary. It was you, Anna, Elise and Ellie at Disneyland. Ellie couldn’t have been more than seven, a gap in her smile as the four of you posed in front of the castle. Your arm was around her front to pull her back against you and Anna’s head was on your shoulder and Elise was beaming on the other side of you. But the best part was you in the middle of it all. You looked… normal. Still so beautiful he was sure people would be staring at you even if you weren’t famous but your skin was shiny with sweat, a pair of sunglasses tucked into the neck of your tank top, cutoff shorts and tennis shoes and Mickey Mouse ears on like you were just any other person. If you’d started the day in makeup it was long gone by the time this picture was taken but you didn’t seem to care. You looked happy. So fucking happy, in a way Joel was sure he hadn’t seen before, like this was all you wanted in the world. Not the movie premieres and awards shows but this, being next to the people you loved, giving your niece something she wanted. 

Something about that gave Joel a lump in his throat. That, when it came down to it, the thing you really wanted was probably the same thing he did - more time with someone who was gone. 

He tucked the blanket in tighter around you and tried not to think about the disturbingly human version of you that he left behind in your bed when he went to his own. 

“Did you put me to bed last night?” You asked by way of greeting the next morning, sitting in your kitchen with a cup of coffee in your hand when Joel got up for the day.

Joel shrugged, getting himself a mug and going for the coffee pot. 

“You could have woken me up, you know,” you said, a teasing edge to your voice. 

“Tried that,” he replied. “You weren’t movin’. Couldn’t just let you sleep in the car all night, not safe.” 

“Well, I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t need to haul my ass around today,” you said. “But… thanks.” 

“Sure,” he said again. “But… it was fine. Didn’t mind.” 

You smiled a little and tried to hide it behind your mug and Joel tried to ignore the way his chest swelled a little when you did, when you gave him some indication that you liked him looking out for you. 

That day was more of the same, Joel sitting on a movie set and not fully understanding what was happening, watching you in that perfectly fitted fucking costume as you ran and jumped and threw punches and flew with your all-too-handsome costar pressed tight to your side. He tried to get used to it, to watching you work while he sat on his ass, to seeing you touch someone else in that soft and tender way without a spark of jealousy catching in him. 

It was the same the next day, too, and the day after that and Joel was starting to wonder how long you could really keep going at this pace. They had you getting to set at six in the goddamn morning, in hair and makeup and costuming until close to nine and then you were shooting until close to nine at night, often with nothing but a smoothie or fucking Diet Coke in between. 

“Acting is… harder than I thought it’d be,” Joel said one day on the ride back to your house. 

“It can be a hard job,” you said with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very lucky to do what I do and I love acting but yeah, it can absolutely kick your ass some days.” 

“Good to know you earn that damn paycheck at least,” he said dryly. 

You laughed. 

“Always happy to have your seal of approval, Big Miller.” 

He was relieved when things relaxed on Thursday, you apparently having meetings at the studio half the day and you didn’t move from your room for so long that Joel was starting to worry. But, eventually, you emerged, looking almost oddly polished and professional with dark jeans and a turtleneck and a blazer on. 

“Starting to think you died,” Joel said dryly from his place on the couch. 

You smiled a little. 

“Sorry to disappoint,” you said. “Just tired, needed to catch up on sleep.” 

“Can’t blame you,” Joel muttered. “Seems like that director is bound and determined to work you to death.” 

You shrugged.

“I did ask them to try and squeeze as much filming into a day as possible,” you said. “I don’t want to be away from Ellie for too long. This whole process is going to be tricky when we start shooting with the whole cast next month, we’re just trying to knock out what we can now because we can.” 

“Still,” Joel said. “Can’t make a movie if you drop dead from exhaustion.” 

“Aw, Big Miller,” you smirked a little. “Look at you, caring. Who knew you had it in you?” 

“Alright, let’s go,” he said, getting to his feet and grabbing his jacket. “Before this all goes to your damn head…” 

He tried to ignore the pleased little smile on your face on the drive to the studio offices, the sunlight through the tinted windows almost making your skin glow. 

Joel stayed closer to you than usual as the two of you headed into the skyscraper in Burbank, this space less contained than the studio lot. It looked so much like a regular office building it was a little disconcerting and he felt distinctly out of place here, especially with you because you were out of place here, too. 

Not in the way he was, of course. Joel had never been under the misplaced assumption that he would one day work in a building like this one. This world was different than the one he occupied, he would never be anything more than an interloper among powerful people who dominated the corporate world and made more money than he could even dream of. But you were on the opposite side of the spectrum, so far apart from him that you may as well have been a different species. Things as mundane as a business meeting and an office building seemed so far below you - though, at least, this place seemed to realize that. 

A young woman met you at the front door, handing you an iced coffee and ushering you quickly through a turnstile and to an elevator without you needing to talk to anyone or pass through a metal detector like the other mortals that were coming and going from here. 

“Do you know your way from here?” She asked as the elevator neared its destination. 

“Yes, thank you,” you smiled. “I appreciate your help.” 

“Of course,” she said as the door chimed and opened. “Please let me know if I can get you anything else.” 

Quinn met you at the elevator doors, which opened onto another lobby - one much more opulent than the one downstairs, looking more like a luxury hotel than an office building. 

“We just need to get a few things nailed down,” she said, you and her talking low as Joel trailed along behind you to an office with a secretary waiting out front. 

“I think you’re safe to wait out here,” you said when Joel went to follow you inside. “Don’t think there are any big bad monsters lying in wait for me up here.” 

“Probably right,” Joel said and you gasped. 

“Joel Miller, admitting that I’m correct? I’m shocked!” 

“Don’t get used to it,” he said, resisting the urge to smile as he watched you head into some oversized office with some overpaid executive before settling in to wait. 

He tried to soothe his unease at there being a wall between you in a place he didn’t know by being alert, his arms crossed over his chest, body tense. He could just see some of the lobby outside through the glass in the door and he caught a glimpse of the jackass producer you’d dated in the past, the one who was far too old for you as he went walking past. He tightened his jaw. 

Eventually, you and Quinn came back out, some man Joel hadn’t met before following behind. 

“Looking forward to sharing this with the world,” he said, offering you his hand. 

“You and me both,” you smiled, taking it as Joel looked the man up and down. But you weren’t stiff and uncomfortable like you’d been in the past, instead seeming much more like yourself. 

“Seemed like that went well,” Joel said, following you and Quinn back to the lobby. 

“It did,” you smiled a little, looking back over your shoulder to him. “Believe it or not, not everything in this town is dramatic.” 

Joel snorted. 

“Could’ve fooled me.” 

The three of you were headed for the elevators again when you stopped, looking at a woman and a man talking in two arm chairs not far away. 

“Margie?” You said and the woman looked up, blinking in surprise at you before smiling hugely. You smiled back and headed for her, Joel and Quinn trailing behind you. It took him a moment to place the woman and then he recognized her, the mother of the girl who was playing the younger version of you in Savage Starlight. “Hey, how are you! What brings you out here?” 

“Oh, we just had some meetings today,” she said, standing so she was on your level, looking a little star struck. 

“Yeah?” You smiled. “Is Catherine here? In talks for another role? I’m not surprised if she is, she’s very talented.” 

“Kind of,” Margie said. “Henry Wilde said he wanted to meet her, can you believe that? She’s in with him right now, we’re just…” 

Joel felt you stiffen, watched the smile slip off your face. 

“She’s with him now?” You asked, all the warmth gone from your voice. “Alone?” 

Margie’s face fell, too. 

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, she is, what…” 

You and Quinn exchanged a quick look. 

“Go,” she said and you gave Joel a look, almost pleading, before starting toward another door off the lobby. 

Joel followed at your heels. In any other circumstance, he’d have stopped you, pulled you back and demanded to know what the hell it was you thought you were doing but he had a feeling about this, one that made his stomach turn. 

You shoved the door open and the secretary jumped to her feet, her eyes wide, you not even slowing down as you stalked past her. 

“Mr. Wilde is busy right now,” she said. “You can’t just…” 

“Oh I bet he is,” you said, going to the other door and giving it a sharp shove. It didn’t budge. 

“Like I said,” the secretary said again, sharper this time and standing next to you and Joel. “Mr. Wilde is in a meeting and is not to be disturbed.” 

“Oh, I think I can disturb him all I want,” you said, stepping back from the door and looking to Joel. “Do me a favor and open that for me, would you?” 

There was something about the look in your eyes, something sharp and earnest and vulnerable, that made him just obey, bracing his shoulder and forcing the door open with a crack. 

He stumbled into the room, a huge office with floor to ceiling windows along the back with a desk in the middle of them. Wilde’s head shot up and Catherine jumped from her seat opposite him, her eyes wide. 

“What the…” 

“Henry!” You swept in behind Joel, back straight and head high, something almost intimidating about you when you did. Joel followed close behind you and you stopped next to Catherine’s chair. “Been a while.” 

Joel watched the man behind the desk, ready to move for him, but he just shook his head a little before getting to his feet. 

“Too long,” he said. 

“Mr. Wilde,” the secretary ran in, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry, I tried to stop them, but…” 

“It’s not your fault,” he said. “Why don’t you take Miss Ford here back to her mother and her agent, we were just finishing up anyway. Give us some space to chat, would you?” 

“Of course,” she said. “Miss Ford, why don’t you come with me?” 

“But…” Catherine looked between you and Wilde. Your eyes were raking over her, again and again, like you were looking for something. 

“It was lovely to chat with you,” Wilde said. “I’ll be in touch.” 

“Go see your mom,” you said, a tight smile on your face that didn’t reach your eyes. “Stick close with her, OK?” 

“OK,” she said cautiously, watching you for a moment before going to the secretary and doing as she was told.

You watched Catherine and the secretary leave, waiting until you heard the outer office door close before turning your attention back to Wilde. 

“That was a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” He asked, coming around his desk and standing close enough to you that it made Joel stiffen. “You know if you want to see me all you have to do is ask.” 

“You and I both know that I want absolutely nothing to do with you,” you snapped, your voice so much sharper than Joel was used to hearing it when you spoke to anyone else. Even when you were harsh with him, there was an undercurrent of your typical teasing edge to it or, at least, hurt. This was hateful, pure vitriol, and it felt earned.

“Oh, I don’t think that’s true at all,” he smirked. “Why else would you come bursting in here?” 

“Because I am not about to let you sink your fangs into that little girl,” you said through gritted teeth, eyes flashing. 

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Yes you do,” you said. “You know exactly what I mean. I know exactly who you are, Henry. I know exactly what you do and you will not do it to that girl, do you understand me?” 

“I think you forget which of us is in charge here,” he said, his face shifting. He wasn’t amused anymore, he was angry. Joel stiffened. “Maybe you need a reminder but I fucking own you, sweetheart.” 

“Not anymore you don’t,” you said, holding your ground. 

“Yes, I do,” he said. “You’d be nothing without me and I could fucking bury you without even trying…” 

“Could you?” You cut him off. “Because I remember you trying that before and here I am, the most bankable fucking star in this goddamn town. You think I’d just disappear quietly? That you can intimidate me? I’m not a kid you can push around anymore, Henry, I’m not a fucking Barbie you can play dress up with I’m an entire goddamn industry and I will burn you to the fucking ground if you lay a finger on that girl.” 

“You couldn’t shove me out before,” he sneered. “Do you really think you could do it now? Some stupid girl who’s barely got a fucking high school diploma and you think you can push me around? I could buy and sell you 100 times over, sweetheart, and…” 

“And no one outside this fucking city knows your name,” you said, chin out. “Go after her and I will eviscerate you in the press, I’ll spill all your dirtiest little secrets.” 

“And take yourself down with me?” He asked, brows raised. “I don’t think so.” 

“What’s that they say about a woman scorned?” You asked. “Don’t try me, Henry. The entire world cares what I have to say. Do you think they give a shit about some old man who sits behind a desk?” 

He just narrowed his eyes at you and you smirked. 

“That’s what I thought,” you said. “She’s under my protection, understood? You will stay the fuck away from her or you’ll find out just how far I’m willing to go. And I hear about you taking your little one on one meetings with other girls? I will burn you down.” 

You turned to leave but Wilde grabbed your arm, yanking you back hard enough that it made you stumble and something inside Joel snapped. 

He moved quickly, putting his body between you and the other man. Wilde’s eyes went wide and Joel grabbed his arm, wrenching it away from yours before shoving him back. 

“Keep your fuckin’ hands to yourself,” Joel growled, pressing in closer to the man, forcing him to back up until he was pressed against the window. 

He watched Wilde’s expression shift from shock to righteous indignation. 

“You don’t know who you’re messing with, son,” he said. “I recommend you step back and let your client and myself handle this.” 

“You put a hand on her,” Joel said, the strangely foreign yet familiar heat of rage roiling beneath his skin. He had to fight to not put this fucker through the window. “My job to take that hand off. Whether it’s just off her or off you, too, is your choice.” 

“I pay your fucking salary,” he tried to shove Joel and failed, his hands all but bouncing off Joel’s chest in a way that would be comical if Joel wasn’t so ready to put him in the ground. Joel shoved his arm into Wilde’s throat, pinning him to the window. 

“Pretty sure it ain’t your name on my goddamn check,” Joel said. “And even if it were, I’m paid to keep her safe from threats. You’re a threat. Try that shit again and you’ll see just why I got the job I do.” 

Joel stepped back, letting the other man stumble forward before he turned to look at you. 

“You alright?” He asked. You nodded once, your hand covering your elbow where Wilde’s hand had just been. “Good. You done here?” 

“Yeah,” you said, looking at Wilde as he straightened his blazer. “I’m done.” 

Joel just gave you a nod and he put his hand on the small of your back as you headed back toward the lobby. 

The second you were out the door, your breathing picked up, panicked and trembling. 

“You’re OK,” Joel said quietly, guiding you quickly for the elevator and looking back over his shoulder to make sure Wilde wasn’t following. “Just keep moving, I’ve got you.” 

You nodded quickly and Joel pushed the call button, thankful the elevator doors opened almost immediately. He ushered you inside and pushed the button for the ground floor but, as soon as it started to move he pulled the emergency stop and turned to face you, your eyes wide, hands trembling. 

“What…” your voice trailed off, breaths still coming in scared little pants. 

“Think you’re having a panic attack,” Joel said. “Or somethin’ like it, anyway. Bought us some time so none of those assholes see it happening, just take a deep breath for me Siren, alright?” 

You nodded quickly and closed your eyes, taking a shuddering but deep breath. 

“There you go,” he said gently. “You’re doing good baby, hold that for a second.” 

You nodded, clenching your eyes shut tighter but obeying all the same. Joel counted for a few seconds. 

“Alright, let it out nice and slow,” he said. “Focus on it, get all the air out.” 

You obeyed, not shaking quite as badly now. 

“Good,” he said when you finished. “Again, in, deep and slow.” 

He guided you through it a few more times until your trembling stilled and your eyes opened again, looking at him all open and honest. 

“You OK?” He asked, reaching out and cupping your cheek before he could stop himself. You nodded into his palm. “Ready to see other people?” 

“Yeah,” you said, taking a deep breath again. “Yeah, I’m good.” 

“You got any other meetings today?” Joel asked gently. 

“Um,” you closed your eyes for a moment, brows knitting together in concentration before you opened them again. “Just Quinn and Leo but…” 

“Think they’ll let you cancel?” Joel asked. His hand was still on your skin and his heart was racing. “So we can get you home?” 

“Yeah,” you nodded quickly. “Yeah, Quinn will understand, she… she knows.” 

“OK,” Joel said. He knew he should take his hand back but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Your eyes stayed locked on his and he felt a pull at the root of him, a drive to bring your body against his own and press his lips to yours. He tried to shake that feeling as you leaned into him but he couldn’t, he just forced himself to stand stock still as you moved to be against him, your face tucking below his chin and burying in his shirt. He moved slowly, cautiously, to hold you, your body warm and soft against him. Joel cradled you there, focusing on you, trying to ignore the feeling that you weren’t quite close enough. 

After what felt like no time at all you stepped back, giving your head a small shake and taking another deep breath. 

“Thank you,” you said quietly, staring at his chest instead of really looking at him. “You didn’t have to do that and… thank you.” 

“Sure,” Joel said gruffly before reaching around you to start the elevator again. 

By the time the two of you reached the ground floor, you looked like yourself again, a sense of power in you when the doors slid open. Quinn was waiting for you, looking you up and down. 

“All good?” She asked. 

“Yeah,” you said quickly. “Catherine make it down OK?” 

“Yeah,” Quinn nodded. “We’ve got her, she’s fine.” 

“Good,” you said. “Are they still here?” 

“No,” Quinn said. “I sent them home…” 

“What did you say?” You frowned, brows drawing together. 

“Nothing extreme,” Quinn said quickly, her eyes darting to Joel. “I told Margie to never let Catherine take a meeting alone, ever. She’s talented, there are a lot of people who might want to not give her what’s she’s due, she needs to have representation.” 

“Good,” you nodded, taking a deep breath. “OK. If it’s alright with you, can we push our…” 

“Of course,” Quinn said quickly. “I’ll talk to Leo. You get home, take a hot bath, just… take it easy. I’ll see you in the morning, alright?” 

“Yeah,” you smiled tightly at her before pulling her in for a hug. ���Thank you.” 

You were silent on the drive home, staring determinedly out the window, your hand over your mouth the entire way, the presence of the driver forcing him to bite his tongue. When you got there, you didn’t wait for Joel to come around and open your door, instead jumping out the second the car stopped and, normally, he’d yell at you for that. It was reckless and stupid and your total lack of care for your own safety drove him insane but, this time, he just followed after you. 

“Hey,” he said gently once you were both inside. 

“Thanks for your help, Joel,” you said, rushing past him you toward your room. “I appreciate it.” 

He sighed, watching you leave, wishing there was something he could do to help you even if he didn’t fully understand what he wanted to help you with. 

But he couldn’t bring himself to hide in his room the way he so often did where you were involved. Instead, he hovered in the main part of the house, hoping that you’d come out. 

He tried to tell himself it was because he needed to know if you were alright for professional purposes. The convention was tomorrow. If you weren’t going, he’d need to know. If you were, he’d need to know how likely it was that you’d do something reckless, whether or not you’d remember emergency procedure, if you would pay close enough attention to know when something odd happened. That was an acceptable reason for his concern. Not that he could admit the real one even to himself. 

It was late when he started debating stretching out on the couch so he would hear you if you got up in the night when you appeared, in an oversized robe and bare feet and you startled then when you saw him. There was something keenly vulnerable about you like this, an odd intimacy in your dewy skin and open expression. 

“Joel,” you said quietly, your hand covering your heart. “Sorry, I…” 

“You really apologizing for being in your own house?” He asked, brows raised. 

You smiled a little and laughed once. 

“I guess so,” you said, crossing your arms, looking a little more like yourself when you did. “You’re up late.” 

He shrugged. 

“So are you.” 

“Yeah, well…” you looked down at your feet for a moment. “I was going to eat something…” 

“It alright if I join you?” He asked before he could stop himself. 

“Of course,” you said, meeting his eyes and giving him a tight smile. 

He trailed behind you to the kitchen and worked silently alongside you, taking your unspoken direction as you pulled deli meat and cheese and vegetables out of the fridge, piling them on the counter. He even followed you to the pantry, where you got out bread and chips and then froze, a bag dangling from your hand. You were staring at your Oscar where it still sat from the last time you were in town, tucked away at the back of a shelf. 

“C’mon,” Joel said, putting a gentle hand on your shoulder and you let him guide you back to the counter. 

He watched you out of the corner of his eye as you made a sandwich, almost overly focused on the process of spreading mustard on bread and layering it with turkey and lettuce and sliced tomato. When you were done, you put some carrots on your plate, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat at the bar. But you just stared down at your plate more than anything else, pushing a carrot from side to side and watching it roll. Joel finished making his sandwich and sat beside you. He took a bite - more out of pretense than anything else - before finally looking at you. 

“Wanna talk about it,” he said more than asked. 

“Not especially,” you replied, pushing the carrot again, watching it wobble on the china. 

He was quiet for a moment. 

“Meant what I said when I told you I’d protect you, even from him,” Joel said eventually. 

You stared at the plate. 

“I know,” you said. 

“Helps when I know what I’m protecting you from,” he said. 

You looked at him then, with that sharp and exacting gaze of yours, like you were seeing through everything to the core of him. All the walls that had built up after the loss of his child, all the protection he’d put into place the first time he met you, all of it meant nothing now. 

You looked down at your plate again, your hands drawing into tight fists, the flesh straining over the bone of your knuckles. 

“Everything they say about me is true,” you said, your voice thick. 

Joel frowned. 

“What do…” 

“That I fucked my way to the top,” you said. “That I wouldn’t be where I was if I didn’t spread my fucking legs, it’s all true.” 

Joel was silent, his jaw clenched tight and you laughed bitterly. 

“It’s not because I wanted to,” you said, still staring at your food. “You can judge me all you want, I don’t care, but I didn’t have much choice. I owed a lot of people a lot of money and the only way I could get the job that would pay me enough to take care of it was…” 

Your voice trailed off and Joel frowned. 

“Owed…” he paused. “Do you mean when… when you were a kid, when your mother…” 

“Yeah,” you said, clenching your fist tighter, and Joel’s stomach turned. You finally looked at him then, your eyes wide, a desperate, pleading edge to them. “I made a trade. I did what I had to do. But I know what it’s like to be a teenaged girl in a world full of men and I know what it’s like when the only bargaining chip you have is between your thighs and I know what it’s like to be backed into a fucking corner by Henry fucking Wilde and I will not let that happen to that girl, I don’t care if it’s the last thing I fucking do.” 

“Did you tell anybody?” Joel asked weakly, searching your face. 

“Who was there to tell?” You asked, brows raised. “I didn’t even fully understand what happened until years later, after we dated because I was stupid enough to pretend like there was something romantic about it. I kept telling myself that he must have really loved me to have wanted me then. But really all he wanted was someone young, someone he could control and when I stopped letting him control me after the Oscars… When we broke up I very famously fucked half of Hollywood while I got dropped by my manager and my agent and no one would touch me with a 10-foot-pole because he controlled all of it, they all answered to him. It would have been my word against his, the impulsive, entitled starlet crashing out because her powerful boyfriend broke up with her. No one would have believed me.

“If it wasn’t for Quinn just getting started and clawing her way up from nothing and desperate to take on a client, I never would have worked again. No one would represent me, no one wanted to work with me. She got me Siren and I took a lot of shit on that fucking job but it was a job. It helped me stay relevant while everything else blew over. It’s not like I could do anything else because Henry was right about that, too. It’s not like I went to college, the degree I have barely even counts as a high school diploma. I’m not sure I could have gotten a job at McDonalds back then. This is all I know how to do.” 

You looked back at your plate and took a deep, shaky breath. 

“I hate that I put Catherine in his orbit. I hate that he’s on this fucking movie,” you said softly. “I hate having to answer to him again. I have a lot more power now than I did before but… He’s right. He owns me.” 

“No, he doesn’t,” Joel said and you looked at him. “He can want to all he damn well pleases but that don’t make it true. May not have known you very long but I know this much about you: No one owns you but you.” 

You laughed a little and sighed. 

“He must have something on me that I’m forgetting about,” you said. “Something in his back pocket that he’s ready to make public and burn me down. I don’t think he will now that he’s producing Savage Starlight - at least not right this minute - but just the thought that he’s sitting there, ready to destroy my life…” 

Joel shrugged. 

“Fuck ‘em,” he said. You frowned at him. “It’d be shit but you’d have Ellie and Elise and…” He trailed off. “You’d have the shit that matters is what I’m saying. And if that fucker ever touches you again, I’m gonna put him on his ass.” 

You smiled, laughing darkly, before sighing and leaning into him, catching him off guard. You were between his legs, your head nuzzled into his shoulder, the warmth of your breath on his throat. He swallowed, a knot in his throat, and put his arms around you. 

“I think you were brave for doin’ what you did,” he said quietly. “Catherine… she’s lucky she has you. I’m sorry you didn’t have that when you were her age. You deserved better than you got.” 

“Thanks,” you said softly. “That… that means a lot.” 

He held you like that for a while before you sat up from him, taking a drink of your water, and Joel watched for a moment as you took a bite of your sandwich before he, eventually, ate alongside you in silence. When you were done, you went to put your dish in the dishwasher but he stopped you. 

“I got it,” he said and you frowned. “You had a shit day. I can… S’fine.” 

“Thanks,” you smiled tightly at him. “I… Thanks for not… Thanks for treating me like a person about it. Not everyone would.” 

He just nodded slowly. 

“Course. See you in the morning, Siren.” 

“See you in the morning, Big Miller.” 

He watched you go and sat there on his own in silence, trying not to linger on what you’d told him. He cleaned up your kitchen and, before going to his room, he went to the pantry and picked up your Oscar. He had to do something to take care of you, he couldn’t help it. The trophy was heavy in his hand and he carried it to his room, tucking it at the back of the closet where he could protect you from having to see it again. 

A/N: Joel and Siren are getting closer! If Joel's not careful he's going to realize that she's a real person he's got feelings for and not some ethereal being who is so far out of reach she may as well be an alien and who KNOWS what'll happen then 👀

Thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying reading these two as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Love you!

Taglist: @christinamadsen @eff4freddie @brittmb115 @copperhalfcent @r3dheadedwitch @pedropascalsbbg @lovelyjess69 @yopossum @moel-jiller @picketniffler @lilyevanstan1325 @reluctanthalfwayoptimism @wintersquirrel @missladym1981 @mellymbee @canthinkof1user @inept-the-magnificent @secretlyangelic @pedrobae @scarletsloveletter @phry-k @sunnytuliptime

[makncheese12]

Top Shelf

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Jenna Ortega x fem!reader

Masterlist

Summary: being the kid of a well-known book store owner was easy, so was running into famous people. But being book smart doesn’t make everyone people smart.

Warnings: my writing, language(bad words😯), my attempt at being funny, mention of gun shots and head shots, mentions of my favorite book(literally love Ruta Sepetys sm omg.

A/N: part 2? I am going to make you all suffer through the most oblivious slow burn. R if going to be so dumb/oblivious it’ll hurt you all🫶🏻

Word count - 3.6k

Credits: @novmoth (my friend from school who feeds into my delusions and gives me more ideas for this story🫶🏻)

(bare with me English is not my first language🥲 I’m getting help from my friend to edit it)

You were born to it.

The books. The films. The music and video games.

It was your life, literally. With your parents being owners of the infamous establishment called ‘top shelf’, you had no choice but to.

And you wouldn’t ever change.

Books upon books, movie after movie, games old and new and music that could last you weeks. Who would want to change such a life?

Your father was the first to start it.

He was poor man in Washington but had just enough money to buy it from the man who owned the small movie shop before he retired. He slowly started added book shelves and video games to the mix. Getting few customers but enough to survive day to day during the time of his early years

Your mother was a wealthy run away. Wanting something different and new in her life when she met your father. The man was playing on his game boy behind the counter before he saw her.

The poor boy and his run away wife, a classic really.

The rest after that is history.

As soon as they found out your mother was pregnant with you, they used the rest of her money they saved and went to New York where they bought the huge abandoned apartment complex.

They broke all the insides down and built what you now know as your second home. Hundreds of video games, films and music in one section and thousands of books in another.

Thus, Top Shelf was born only two weeks after you.

You met many friends there in the comfort section where students and business people worked as you all goofed off.

Your had also met your small friend group during your younger years, the four of you all never letting your father have the peace he wanted and dragging him all over New York.

With the thousands of books and hundreds of video games and films your parents sold, you had money. Lots of it.

But your mother made sure you never let that get the best of you, never. It went against everything she went for when she ran away.

She would make sure you would work for and earn everything you got, always.

She never let you have too much online activity, in case her family found you and made sure you were both street smart and book smart.

Your neighbors made sure you were street smart more than anything but you still gave her credit for trying.

Though, the book store was beautiful in every season. Winter was a favorite and when it was busiest. It was too your favorite.

Your father lighting the public fire place, your mother setting soft seasonal music, hell even the cheesy Christmas cartoons on the TV’s set the mood for the perfect bookstore vibe.

The lights dim just enough to where it almost felt like dark academy yet the plants that grew down the upstairs railing made the entire place feel more alive.

————

“Bullshit!” You yell out as you throw your head back onto the head rest of your chair, groaning loudly as the photo sound of your death snapped in your ears.

“Man, he’s fucking using cheats!” Dru calls out through the mic before his name pops up above to yours in dark red on the screen as you respawn.

“Of course he is, he’s a pussy.” Mj says, as her name, too, pops up on the screen.

“Oh come on, guys!” Lyle says through his staticky mic. “You all just suck.” He laughs

“Now I know your cheating, dude. Your mic is acting up again, just like last time!” Dru says, the sound of his voice booming louder than needed and you roll my eyes.

“DD, just because you like to replay games without using cheats doesn’t mean the rest of us do.” Lyle says in a matter-of-fact tone.

“It’s multiplayer, stupid! It’s meant to be fair for everyone!” Dru says making you snort. “Says the guy who chases around little kids and steals their horses making them cry.” Mj says making Dru blow into his mic making loud, unnecessary noises.

“Quit that!” You say taking one head phone off your ear. “Tsk tsk tsk,” Lyle starts. “Such a sore loser.”

“I’ll show you sore loser, get on Elden ring and we’ll test your irritation.” Dru says, mic now muffled by his own spit.

“Your tank build is not enough to stop me, comet azur will always save the day.” He says in a sing-song voice.

“And you call me a try hard, yet you’re the one always using a broken spell.” Dru complains. “Theres nothing I have to try hard at when I can just hold a simple button.” The sound of Dru’s groans become louder as his spit clears out from his Mic. “Same thing!”

You laugh once again before picking up your phone and looking at the time.

“Shit!” Your eyes go wide at the sight, 8:48 AM.

You quickly throw the head set off and push yourself out of the chair, opening your closet grabbing a quick pair of jeans and a hoodie before rushing to put it all on.

Your cat skids across the floor, startled by your sudden movements before a crashing in the your pile of books and out the door.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you mumble as you jump up and down to put on your shoes, failing at not falling and race toward the door. “Sorry!” You call to your cat who yells at you next to his food bowl.

You grab your keys and rush out the door before slamming it shut and locking it.

“Ay, y/n!” Your neighbor, Rosa, shouts from beside her door. “Quiet will you! I just put Nona to sleep!” She yells raising her news paper tapping your head with it.

“Sorry! sorry, Señora Rosa.” You whisper yell as you try to push her weaponized hand away. “I’m just a little late.”

“And I just got a moment of peace! Quiet!” She says giving you one last wack making you try and shrink away from her as you rush toward the stairs.

“You got your pepper spray, right?” She calls and you raise your key chain to show her the attached small can. “¡Buena niña!”

You rush down the stairs and push passed the glass door, almost slipping on the ice before running down the street.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket making you quickly take it out.

“Hello?” You ask without knowing who it was.

“Arthur Morgan would be very disappointed at your sudden disappearance from an important mission.” Lyle says before sighing.

“It’s multiplayer, there are no main missions.” You say, trying to avoid the ice on the ground before stopping at the red hand across the street. “Plus, we were in the middle of four way 1v1. He’d be more upset that we were going against each other.”

“Loyalty is everything in such a game,” he says, sarcasm in his voice and you imagine him shaking his head. “Of course he would be upset at my bullet in DD’s head.”

“Why’d you call me exactly?” You ask watching the hand turn into a green man walking before taking off again.

“Well, you just yelled ‘shit!’ Before disappearing on us, had to make sure someone didn’t break in and kill you.” He replies casually as if he knew that weren’t the case. “But after hearing you continue on your ‘shit’ rant and the door slam I figured it was okay, just had to call and make sure, y’know?”

“Ever heard of a text, loser?” You ask, barley missing a man walking and looking down at his phone. “Gross,” he says before making a gagging noise. “why waste such time typing when I can simply just hit one button?”

“You’re so lazy.” You laugh out loud as you run across another street. “Work smarter not harder, Y/N. You should know this with that big brain of yours.”

“What if I want to work both smarter and harder?” You ask, running up to the glass window to see the books lined up. “Well, then your just weird.” You roll your eyes.

“Just kidding. I guess you can do both, I just personally prefer the alternative.” He says as the sound of guns shooting fills the phone. “Yeah, also sorry about leaving.” You say pushing into the store being greeting with the familiar smell of books and the warm smile of my mother.

“I forgot I had to get ready for work.”

“You’re at top shelf?” He ask and you reply with a ‘mhm’. “I might stop by later to say hello actually, I need a new game anyway.” He laughs as the sound of Dru yelling in the back ground becomes more prominent.

“Sounds good, see you loser” You say as you take your sweat shirt off, leaving you in your tank top you hand before leaving. “Later,” you hear him say before hanging up.

“Good morning,” you hear your mother say as you pull the staff sweat shirt over your head and pull up your sleeves. “Mornin’,” you reply before kissing her cheek.

“Wheres dad?” You ask looking around before your eyes setting on the woman stack a pile of books into one pile.

“He’s going to be out of town for a few days,” she says carrying the pile to the check back station. “A vacation, I insisted as I continue your training.” She says making you smile.

“We both know he needs it, he’s getting older.” She says and your smile fades as you nod. “So are you.” You mumble and she, too, nods.

“You know him getting old is different from me getting old.” She states, sighing quietly.

“What’s todays task?” You ask, quickly changing the subject at the sight of her sad frown. She looks at you for a moment before smiling once again.

She moves to storage closet and unlocks it, allowing you to see the boxes upon boxes along with stacks of different other things.

“To be a good store owner, you have to know your customers.” She says returning with a large box that you quickly take from her.

“Just put it on that table — and to know your customers, you must socialize and help them throughout the store.” She finishes as you take the box to the table noticing the label romance written across it.

“That also means having to work while helping the customers, so you’ll be on stock duty as well.” She says with a smile.

Yes.

You mentally say to yourself. Stock duty required work of you finding the places of different books, movies and games which also meant finding new things you didn’t know about before.

“One more thing,” you mother says as she walks behind the counter to finish opening up the store. “No head phones.” Your eyes go wide.

“But ma!” You call out to the lady who switches the sign from closed to open. “What else am I supposed to do when I stock!” You call, holding onto the white cords and swinging them around.

“Help the customers and socialize.” She laughs out making you frown. “I should call CPS.” You mumble carrying the box to the sorted area before hearing the woman’s laugh.

“Sure, call ahead but don’t be disappointed when they decline a twenty year old.”

You roll your eyes before continuing down the aisle.

“And after you sort those, get the others out of the storage closet!” You huff quietly as you glance back with a small playful glare on your face.

“If I wanted to work out, I would have gone to the gym.” You say and she rolls her eyes. “You’ll be just as sore in the morning, trust me.”

————

Hours hand passed, since you last seen the romance box having moved on to the horror section of the films.

You search through their placement areas, looking at all the old cinematic master pieces, the many Dracula films placed neatly next to each other, in order of both year and name.

Horror was one of the favorites when coming here, your father being a collected through his years he had many people couldn’t get their hands on.

Sure you could watch it online now but where’s the fun in that when you have a real copy with the static noises and written voices on screen. Some people still had some class left in them.

You hear a book hit the floor making the library echo as heads turned toward the cause of the sudden interruption of their silence.

“Shit—” You hear someone say quietly, making you roll your eyes as you place the rest of the CD’s in their rightful places before making your way toward the aisle the noise came from.

You subtly make your way toward the aisle while acting like your checking the books before taking a peek around the corner.

You see a rather short girl — shorter than the third shelf — craning her neck to look up at all the books in front of her.

Just to your luck, your mother placed a box for that genre next to the end of the shelf and you picked it up.

You make your way down the aisle and set the box toward the middle before looking up the girl who was already staring, and boy was she something.

Freckles littered across her tan skin, strands of her short hair fell from her half up half down style, her eyes — damn her eyes — they were the prettiest brown you’ve ever seen.

You smile lightly before picking up the first book and reading both the authors name and the title while trying to slow down your racing heart.

Who was this girl? Matter of fact, what was she? She wasn’t a regular, that’s for sure but you always get random people coming in so it didn’t exactly matter.

After putting away a few books, you glance up to see the girl a few feet away and on her tippy toes, reaching for a book on the fifth or sixth shelf.

You snorted quietly catching the girls attention making you quickly look away to keep yourself from laughing.

“You think this is funny?” She asks and you begin shaking in quiet laughter.

After a few moments, you compose yourself and stand shaking your head.

“No, not at all. Would you like some help?” You ask taking step toward her. She narrows her eyes. “Are you making fun of me right now?” She asks, both amusement and annoyance in her voice.

“Why would I do that? It’s poor customer service.” You say with a smile before watching her own smile grow.

“It’s poor customer service to laugh at a customer.” She mumbles before stepping back. “Please.” You walk up and grab the book.

“Look how easy that was.” She says, taking the book you held out for her. “Being six-foot-two does have its perks.” She says looking over the back of the book.

You roll your eyes but your smile only grows. Looking down at the book you nod and raise your eye brows, “that’s a good one, read it a few years back.” You say, making your way back to box of books.

“I’d hope so, for all the work I had to do to try and get it.” She mumbles making you smile and shake your head. “Anything else good?” She asks, looking down to you.

“You’re asking me if there’s anything else good in here when there’s just by the look of it thousands of books here?” You ask, smirking at her when she rubs the back of her neck.

“Yes, there is, I’ve read more than I can count. My recommendation board is up by the front desk if you want to check it out.” You say before placing crave by Tracy Wolff into the slot.

“You must have come here a lot before working then? If you’ve read so many books from here.” She asks, following hot on your trail with the book tucked between her arm. “Oh, for sure,” you say nodding. “The owners and I are real close, we were together a whole nine months before I was born.”

Her eyes widen slightly at the information. “You’re parents own this place?” She asks, gesturing to the entire book store and you nod, smiling.

It felt like you were a teenage boy, flaunting his muscles to a girl he finds attractive.

“Wow,” she says looking around once again. Book still tucked tightly into her arm as she did so. “Just wow. Your parents have taste.”

“More like their people pleasers.” You say shaking your head. The real other reason why horror is so popular in the movie section is because of their request.

Every week they check their request list and buy everything people ask for. New books, new movies, new music and games, there’s always something new. You’re surprised there’s still room, then again the place would be as big you supposed.

“They like having their customers choice their number one priority. It’s good business.” You say looking up to the girl who had a look of wonder in her eyes as she stared down at you but there was also something else. Something you couldn’t quite place.

She stares at you for another moment before speaking again, “do you.. know who I am?” She asks and your furrow your eye brows in question.

“Should I?” You ask tilting your head. She stares for another moment again, eyes scanning your face and it’s features as if searching for something.

Her smile then grows, as she shakes her head. “You shouldn’t, or rather shouldn’t have to. It’s just a surprise.” She says, tucking her hair behind her ear.

You knit your eye brows together in confusion.

She walks out of the aisle and you catch the light smile on her face as she does.

What the hell? You wonder to yourself as you place the last few books away.

You were pretty sure that was the last section, unless your mother put out some more stuff you didn’t notice. You’d just check out the to-do list.

Your mother and father always had one for both you and their own sake. Adding things so no one would forget.

As you made your way to check out, you see the girl walking in the general distraction as well.

“All set?” You ask, placing the box inside the others, moving past the small door attached to the low counter.

“Yep,” she says once again staring at you.

You take the book you got for her earlier along with another you recognize almost immediately. “Between shades of gray?” You ask, looking at her as if she were serious.

“Your description seemed trust worthy enough to make me interested.” You glance over to see your board clearly flipped through before nodding.

You scan both books. “Careful, it’s sad, dark and traumatic. It’s one of my favorites though.” You say looking up at her, she pauses for a moment, staring at you once again and just smiles and shakes her head.

“I think I can deal with a few of those.”

“Bartering or buying?” You ask. “Bartering,” she replies and you nod. “Good, I need to get a review on what you think.” You say with a smirk and you see a glint of something in her eyes.

“Name?” You ask and she looks at you a little confused. “We have to know whose using our books, how else do you think we send emails threatening to charge or get them back?” You snort.

“Oh, your totally right.” she says quietly before taking out her credit card.

“Jenna Ortega..” she says and you nod, typing in the name before reaching for the credit. Her grip on the card tightens at your lack of response.

You pull the card gently but her grip is to hard for you to take.

“Can I… get the card?” You ask, looking around slightly uncomfortably with the stone like stare she was giving you.

“Are you sure you don’t know who I am?” She asks letting go allowing you to swipe the card.

“Again, should I?”

You both stare at each other, both confused and entrapped by the other.

You find is strange how she thinks you know who she is or why you don’t know her.

Maybe she was some big deal somewhere off and you still have yet to hear about her.

Her name did ring a bell but you weren’t sure. Was she a person you knew from your child hood? An old friend trying to reconnect? Maybe some relative on your moms sent by the older ones to investigate if it was really you.

“Miss Ortega?” You’re both broken out of your thoughts as two large men stand behind her. “Time to go.” he says gesturing to a few people who were standing and staring in your general direction.

One grabs the bag off the counter before quickly walking towards the door.

“Looks like I gotta go,” she says, smile now suddenly shy with others watching. “Don’t worry, I’ll return your book Y/N.” She says before walking toward the door, one of the men right behind her.

“Yeah, you bet-“ you pause after the the realization hits you. “Wait, how’d you-?” You begin to ask before watching her gesture to her chest.

You knit your eyebrows together, you look down to see the name tag right under the library symbol.

She was strange.. cute.. but strange

Read next sort here!

A/N : Some parts once again rushed🧍🏽‍♀️This is just an introduction I suppose, the details will get better I tried my hardest🥲

[voltadream]

Hi Volta! What are your top ten fic recs (any ship, any length) ?

Dude I have so many recommendations of fics that have like… changed my life. Like it’s dramatic but I reread them and I get filled with so much nostalgia and love for them- sometimes the second read is better than the first and you spot the details of characterisation and easter eggs!! So allow me to just ramble my appreciations for these fics (I go on tangents a lot whoops)

So I feel I must mention this first but

1) Bloodlust - Libbywednesday

This fic got me back into the fandom when I saw the animatic on youtube!! I was hooked and read it in a day. I loved the grittiness and the slow burn aspect of it, the characterisations were also amazing!

2) The Thief Trilogy - Wintergrew

I read this fic straight after I completed Stick of Truth!!! MY GOD… it’s amazing. It’s a favourite Creek fic of mine but it wasn’t just the romance, it was the action and the amount of world building that went into it that truly made it spellbinding. I read it in like five days and it has one of my favourite characterisations of Tweek to be honest!!! This fic was also what made me get an ao3 account.

3) Stan Marsh and the Lost Lyre - Alottodix

Okay- this was the first fic I read when I got an ao3 account and I am in love with it!!! I may not have read Percy Jackson or know much about it but this fic made me WISH I did. It’s amazing, the narration, storytelling and the characters are so well written and it brings me so many feelings of how it felt when I first read fantasy as a kid!! Like it’s just so cosy and the found family dynamic is just SO good. Also @alottodix has the best characterisation of Cartman, rereading passages gave me a deeper appreciation!!

4) Chaos Plan - Helioleti

THIS FIC MADE ME CRY. BAWL. SOB. Like I was crying at 2am even though I had a shift next morning LMAO. This is such a good fic, it’s quite dark with themes and it reads like a suspense/mystery. It reminds me a lot of the film ‘Brick’ with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and I love that aspect of it- solving the mystery and the characterisation of Kenny is so fucking amazing. I highly recommend reading the Chaos Plan extra - I read it because I needed more Chaos Plan content and it was so worth it.

5) I Will Make of You - Purplepeptobeismol

This fic also made me cry- but happy tears this time lmao. As you can tell I’m just very emotional. This fic is one of the best for original character at the centre but still weaving it into canon- I LOVE COOPER MCCORMICK!! Reading this was a blast and I loved the amount of research that went to it such as time travel and all that (I’m not gonna spoil the rest but just AAAA) it’s so good and the writing is so good and I found myself emotionally invested.

6) Top 3 reasons to not open a multidimensional time rift: number one will surprise you - Clearly_Nonsense

THIS FIC IS SO GOOD!!! It has the zaniness of South Park and it’s done so well, I found myself laughing out loud at some passages!! I loved the multidimensional aspect and how characters from FBW/SOT/SP would interact in these different settings. I also love Tool Shed <3 he’s my favourite character in this fic (Brazilian Tool Shed FOR LIFE) !!! I also need to mention the art work that’s in the fic is AMAZING- it captures the scenes so well. It’s so good and y’all should follow @up-side-in-side-out for their art!!

7) The Gods Watched Over Us - Ursamajorstories

AAAA if you love Atlantis and Road to El Dorado this fic is for you!! It has incan Craig/explorer Tweek and it’s so good. I loved the characterisations and the writing was IMPECCABLE. Like it was so vivid with imagery and it’s like a comfort read honestly. I also loved the world building as well and it was another fic I read when I first got my ao3 account!!!

8) Groomsmen - Apricotkittycat

I LOVE THIS FIC!!! I love their take on style in this fic and Stan and Wendy’s friendship <3 I also love Ike and Marjorine in it too. The concept is kind of like Slice of Life-ish but then BAM there’s a whole mystery to solve. It’s a great spin on things. The narrative is great and I love so many scenes that I can’t say for fear of spoiling but I highly recommend it- I read it in a day!!

9) The Perks of Being an Eldritch Abomination - PheonixKenny

I know I mentioned it earlier but this fic is AMAZING!! I LOVE cthulhu Kenny and this fic did so much effort with the body horror aspect of his curse taking on physical form - also there’s a lot of comfort so it’s really sweet and I loved the friendship dynamics. Really good- I love it!!

10) I saw the Stars in Your Tail - Craigtuckeradvocate

I will always love this fic. I read it when I was 12 or 13 and it has such a special place in my heart (I’m also a sucker for mermaid AUS.) THIS WAS AMAZING - I loved the romance between Craig and Tweek and it’s stays with me ever since. I’ll probably cry reading it because of nostalgia and how long time has passed. <3

Sorry this took forever but here are fics I LOVE and am obsessed with forever <33