#ty for the tag floral!!!!

[thepaladinstrait]

hi

i saw the notification and went OOH OH MY GOD HOT CHOCOLATE but instead screamed and kicked my feet because JOSH IN A CROP TOP HELLOOOO??!!!??????!??????????????!????!?!!

[dinerfries]

[scorpioriesling]

Invisible String - Part 3

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairing(s): Eris x reader

Warning(s): angst ofc, comfort. Please be advised; future parts might not be suitable for all audiences. Proceed with caution.

Summary: You'd taken the nanny position for the royal family over a year ago, not expecting what would come of it or how close you'd grow to the child you cared for. Things became tough for Eris when his wife left him and his daughter, and he found it increasingly harder to raise Riley himself. He soon realizes, you've provided a lot more than the typical job description duties for his daughter... and maybe for him, too.

SR’s Note: I added in the advisory so that younger / uncomfortable readers won't begin the series without knowing or expecting potential risks in content to come. For those who enjoy or look forward to content as such -- get excited! Nonetheless, I hope readers will enjoy this series that came to me in a dream one night. (; Much love to all.

Tags: @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @talesofadragon @rcarbo1 @mandziaaa @lilah-asteria @a-frog-with-a-laptop @kitsunetori @dannul @velarisdusk @lamarmotta @paintedbyshadows @i-know-i-can (inbox me or comment if you'd like to be added!)

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

You'd practically torn apart every drawer in your dresser and tossed out every hanger in your closet at this point. All those clothes you'd put away were for nothing; your room was a disaster. Yet, you could not find anything suitable enough for an outing with the Autumn heir and his daughter.

"The PINK one," the four year old chimed in for the hundredth time.

Her commentary was not necessarily helping, either.

"Riley, I'm not sure that the pink is my favorite," you say, and she scootches to the edge of your bed, hopping off and trotting over to your closet. She watches as you furiously flip through the remaining hangers, and her fist closes around a fistfull of marigold fabric.

"This!" She says, tugging on a rather simple milkmaid-style dress you hadn't worn in years, honestly. It was cute, it at least had some floral detailing on it.

You sighed, looking down at the beaming child. You'd done her hair first; half up, half down with a biiiig bow, just as she'd requested. A bow to match her fluffy gown and pretty flats, of course. She truly was the definition of Princess.

"I suppose-"

"Yay!" She twirled, her dress billowing out around her. She wafted toward the corner as you slid the dress on, adjusting it to fit before stepping out in front of the large mirror to inspect it in full. You'd barely laid your eyes on the full outfit before Riley bounded over to you, her mouth wide as she gasped.

"You look so pretty!" She said, wrapping her arms around your knee as her eyes met yours in the mirror. You smiled at her, leaning down to give her a hug.

"Thank you Riles! You look very pretty today too." You complimented, and she giggled, her fingers drifting through the ends of your curled hair. You decided on a few minimal jewelry pieces and flats, pushing your accessory drawer closed when a thin, marigold ribbon fell out. Riley noticed it, racing over and picing it up for you.

"We match?" She asked, extending the hair accessory to you on an outstretched hand. You took it from her; all you could do was agree, tying half your hair back and fastening it in a bow at the back.

"We better go find your dad," you suggest, straightening the last few imperfections of your dress before Riley's attention is caught at the doorway.

"Oh my -- Riley, you look wonderful!" Eris' voice compliments from your doorway, and she bounds over to him, getting caught in his arms in an instant. He kisses her cheek, both of them looking to you after a moment's pause. "You both do," he adds, quieter this time. You turn slightly, blushing at the compliment as you retrieve your purse from your bed and walk towards them.

"As do you, Vanserra." You brush past him with a wink, heading down the hallway with all the confidence in the world today it seemed. Riley's footsteps bounded behind you, the three of you on your merry way.

✧･ﾟ: *

You'd ridden to the Town Square on horseback; Riley with her dad, of course. When you'd gotten to the main district, he'd gotten off with Riley first, helping you next like a true gentleman. His hand lingered for a moment around your waist, the heat of his touch enough to send a thrill down your spine.

Stop it. You chastized yourself. You still work for him, you know.

Riley gasped, pointing toward the center of the streets, the crowds and vendors bustling with business this afternoon. "Daddy, look!" She squealed, pointing and hopping from foot to foot in anticipation. His hand held hers, beginning the trek through the busy streets. You accompanied her other side, sure to keep close to her just in case.

"Look! Daddy!" She shrieked in delight, and Eris scratched the back of his head, failing to recognize which vendor Riley was pointing out. You looked ahead, trying to decipher what might have her so intrigued. That’s when you saw it.

You leaned over, gently tapping his shoulder. He looked to you, and you placed your fingers atop your head, pointing down at Riley and then ahead. He looked forward, the realization dawning on him then.

“Oh! I see, the lady with the crowns?” He asked. Riley shrieked, jumping up and down as your trio continued on, making way toward the craft table. Eris looked to you, silently mouthing a thank you. You only nodded once, giving him a small smile in return.

Riley let go of her father’s hand, leaping toward the table full of play pretend crowns when she was close enough to see it fully. She oogled over them all — finding it hard to choose just one.

“Good morning, folks!” The older woman behind the table greeted, and you bowed your head in polite greeting as well.

“Hi, I like all these,” Riley said, and the lady chuckled.

“Well, aren’t you a little cutie,” she cooed, and Riley nodded.

“Actually, I’m a Princess.” The lady smiled at her, and Riley inspected a pink bedazzled one more closely.

“Oh, I bet you are, aren’t you!” She said. She seemed to only just now notice Eris, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise.

“Why, if it isn’t the High Lord's son himself! Oh, goodness,” She said, curtsying hastily. Eris smiled politely.

“No worries, ma’am. Good morning to you too. Lovely day today, isn’t it?” He said, and her eyes lit up.

“It isn’t isn’t it? Gosh, what a beautiful day-“

“Daddy, I want this one!” Riley thrust a golden crown with red gems glued to it into the air, and Eris stepped forward.

“Alright dear, alright.” He chuckled, fishing out a few coppers from his pocket. “How much for this one?” He asked. The old woman waved a hand, shaking her head.

“Nonsense; it’d be my honor to give one of my crafts to the Autumn Princess.” Riley beamed, putting her new crown on her head in delight.

“That’s very kind of you, but I insist.” He dropped a few coins, definitely more than the piece cost — and the lady gave him a gracious smile.

“Thank you!” Riley said, and the woman nodded to her.

“You’re teaching that one well, Eris!” She said, and Eris waved as you all made your way to the next table.

✧･ﾟ: *

You’d only made it by about five more tables when the face painting station came into view. Of course, that was next on the agenda, and of course, it had the longest line of children. Nonetheless; Riley patiently waited her turn, standing calmly between a few other rowdy kids while you and Eris watched from the fountain a few feet away.

“That’s all you, you know.” He said, your sidelong glances meeting for only a moment. “Her, manners, I mean. How well behaved she is. Her patience,” he explains. You clasp your hands together, his shoulder resting against the stone so close to the side of your face. You were grateful, anyway; he shielded the midday sun from your view.

“She doesn’t get that from you?”

He lets out a sharp laugh, looking at you incredulously. “Oh, absolutely not. Me, as a child… Gods, I wish there was a way I could repay my mother for how reckless I was.” He shook his head, and you bit your lip to hold back your giggle.

“You seem like you’ve got this-“ he gestures his hand in a circle, motioning to Riley who looks over and mistakes it as a wave. She waves, and both of you wave back at her, that little smile so contagious.

“It just seems like you’ve got this whole thing figured out already. Like, you’ve always got an answer for everything.” He scratches his chin, and your mouth tilts in a side smile at his words.

“Eris, truly, I don’t though. I mean, I don’t even have kids myself...yet.” You say, and he lets out a long breath. Your mind races, thinking of everything you know you shouldn’t in that moment.

“You want them someday, though?” He asks. Your expression must say something, because he quickly fumbles his words. “I’m sorry, that’s, um. That’s really personal, I didn’t mean. That.”

You look down at the pavement, more than the afternoon sun warming the skin on your cheeks. “Well,” you say, your eyes daring a glance at him only to realize his face is rather flushed as well. “Riley won’t need a nanny forever, right?”

Eris runs a hand through his hair, readjusting his position against the wall of the fountain. “No, no. I suppose she won’t.”

“Look! She’s almost done,” You say, watching as the artist cleans her brush in the water one last time. Eris tries to peer around people and get a look at what design she got, and you curl your fingers around the rather large muscle of his upper arm.

“Wait! Don’t look — what do you think she got?” You ask, and Eris’ gaze wavers between where your fingers hold tight to him and your eyes trained on his.

“I…. uh… I don’t know,” he says, failing to come up with a good guess. “Probably the pony; little girls love ponies, right?” You smirk, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I bet you one copper that she comes back with a bunny painted on her cheek.” You guess, and he shrugs.

“Alright, suit yourself. One copper it is, then.” Riley scooted back in her chair, bounding over to you with a wide smile on her face. Eris watched as your smile grew with every step his daughter took toward you two, a fluffy, pink bunny painted right on her cheek.

✧･ﾟ: *

Riley started getting a bit fussy after the late lunch the three of you had shared, indicating it was indeed her naptime. She refused to be carried by her father through the busy streets, preferring to walk between you two hand-in-hand instead.

"Swing me!" She shouted, skipping along as she gripped your fingers in hers. Eris looked to you and sighed, but you only shrugged.

"Alright dear, but only a few times, we're nearly to the horses-"

"Okay, Daddy, okay!" She said, rearing back and preparing to be swung off her feet.

"One, two, three!" Eris counted, lifting her in time with you off her little feet, sending her flying into the air a few inches as she squealed in delight. When her feet hit the ground once more, she laughed with joy, asking again and again for the same thing.

You watched as the little girl fell asleep soundly against her father's chest, drifting off with the rocking atop the horse as you'd made the trek home. It made you happy to see Eris getting to do these little things, even if it was just carrying his daughter inside and lying her down for her nap. You'd taken to the kitchen, noticing the darkening sky and decided to prep for the evening meal as you'd be cooking for one extra this evening.

"I didn't realize how much went into what you do."

You didn't need to look to know he'd come into the kitchen, his voice only a few feet away. You continued to pull out the various pots and pans needed, closing the cabinets with care to not wake Riley.

"I'm not sure what you mean," you say, walking toward the fridge in search of the vegetables. Eris stalks over to the island, leaning against it as he watches you pull things out.

"I just meant. Well, I don't get to spend as much time with her as I'd like." He says, and you stand, shutting the refrigerator door behind you. You walk over and stand beside him, laying out the veggies on the countertop before you.

"I see," You say. He was talking about his daughter, you knew that. A soft rumbling sounds from outside, and you glance behind you. The sky outside the window has indeed darkened; you hoped the thunder would only enhance her slumber, not stir her from it.

You bent over, reaching in the cabinet for a cutting board and placing it on the island. Eris went quiet next to you, and you risked a glance at him. Your face fell when you noticed his downcast eyes, so full of light and love just hours ago now replaced with something darker.

"What's... what has you so upset-"

"I'm the only parent she has left," he says harshly, his hands bracing the edge of the marble. "I barely know a thing about my own kid, and I don't get to see her often because of my damned job, my position in this court that I'd give up in an instant if I knew she'd be safe-" he stops, the last word broken by a crack in his voice. His knuckles had gone white against the counter, and your eyes had widened at his outburst.

You reached out a timid hand in comfort, but pulled back as the image of last time flashed through your mind. The way he freaked out when you put your hand on his arm, just trying to be there for him...

You weren't sure what he wanted from you.

"Eris... I don't know what to say." You couldn't think of what to do, shaking your head slowly as your hands hung limply at your sides. "I'm... I'm really sorry, about today, if I stepped on your toes by going with you guys, I know how important your time is with her, I just-"

His head turns, looking to you in that moment. You hadn't realized how close you stood to one another, his intense gaze feeling like fire as he scanned your face. You couldn't read him -- his eyes watered, and he looked... frustrated? Confused? What was it?

"Look, I'm sorry, I'll just leave you alone-"

"Please don't," he whispered, his eyes falling to your hands as a tear ran down his cheek. "Please. Don't leave."

Your heart throbbed, pins prickling the backs of your own eyes. In that moment, you reached both of your hands out, not caring the repercussions of your actions as you slid your arms around Eris' ribs, pulling him into you and holding tight. He breathed deep, his torso shuddering as you fought back your own tears while running your fingers up and down his back. His hands gripped your waist, his strong arms enveloping you as he allowed himself to finally relax against your touch, finally accepting a bit of the comfort you so desperately had been trying to offer him.

"Eris," you said quietly, the rainfall the only other sound in the room over the quiet sounds of your combined breaths. "You have to understand that you are a good father." His fingers flex around your waist, holding you tighter as he takes in your words.

"Riley talks about you all day long," you continue. "She waits everyday for you to come home, and I really think you don't give yourself enough credit for all of the things you do for her each and every day." You say.

"She knows your work is... not, well. Normal," you say, and he nods against your shoulder. "I think everyone knows that you do a lot, and you've been through so much," you chuckle humorlessly, pressing your cheek against his chest. "The main thing we care about, honestly, is that you come home safe every night."

He pulls back slowly, his hand sliding from your waist to brush a piece of hair from your forehead. You hadn't realized it'd stuck to your cheek -- a stream of wet from the corner of your eye was proof of that. His fingers remained lightly cupping your cheek, his thumb brushing across your skin as he continued to hold you against him.

"You truly are a Queen." Eris says, his soft smile drawing a little chuckle from you. "Beautiful inside and out."

Your cheeks are ablaze from his words, your breathing unsteady as his fingers pull you closer, his lips mere inches from yours. You can see every caramel hue in his irises, every light freckle dusting the bridge of his nose when-

A sharp crack sounds behind you, the room illuminating with the bolt of lightning that flashes across the sky. You flinch, embarassed as the moment passes and you're left in darkness again. You realize you'd clung tighter to Eris, and he'd done the same; both of you releasing your hold on the other at the same time.

He clears his throat, running a hand through his hair as he lets out a short laugh. "Uh, well," he chuckles, gesturing to the spread of forgotten vegetables on the countertop before you. "This is another thing I am not proficient at." He shrugs, and you nod, wiping your palms on the skirt of your dress.

"Oh! Right, um, well. I'd be happy to show you, if you'd like. I thought for dinner tonight, we'd do traditional autumn stew?"

✧･ﾟ: *

The rest of that night was nice... for the most part.

Dinner was nice. The three of you enjoying it together was nice. Riley insisted on having movie night afterwards, so Eris set up the projector and the three of you snuggled together in the living area under a mound of blankets and pillows to watch Moana... which was nice. You'd even fallen asleep there, and to wake up using Eris' arm as a pillow... well, you'd be lying if you said that wasn't nice, too.

What was not so nice, was the morning after.

You'd woken up first, enoying the sight around you in the dim light but eventually you made your way to the kitchen for some tea. The first light of morning hadn't risen yet, which meant you had some time before Riley would wake up to prepare a meal for her... and her father, too. You were pondering what to make when footsteps behind you had you whirling around in the dark, squinting to make out the figure before you.

"Don't worry -- it's just me," Eris whispered, and you rubbed your eyes, taking him in more clearly. He was already fully dressed, not in his usual attire or how he would dress when spending time at home, either. He was in his armor, the various straps and ties secured across his chest and arms making your eyes widen and forcing you to wake up quickly.

"Where are you going?" You asked, and he stepped closer, his voice a hushed whisper.

"I recieved word that I would be needed this week for correspondence in a few of the other courts," he says, and your heart lurches. "I am hoping to be back sooner, but-"

"Wait. You're leaving for an entire week?" You squeak, and he nods gravely. You shudder, but you feel his fingers wrap around yours as he brings your hand to his lips.

"I promise, I will try to be back sooner." He says, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of your hand. You shake your head, your mind racing with a million dark thoughts you wished you weren't having this early in the morning.

"What about Riley?"

He sighs, dropping your hand and scratching his chin. "Last time I had to leave like this, you remember she didn't handle the goodbye well-"

"So you think leaving without saying anything is better?" You ask, your frown evident. His head drops between his shoulders, and his hands lightly hold onto your shoulders.

"Y/N, you know it kills me to leave like this," he says, his eyes pleading in the dim morning light. "I can't go through that again with her." He says, and you sigh. It was horrendous last time, her wailing and sobbing as he left for his mission lasted days when she was told what wsa happening. You still felt the guilt in your gut by not telling her what was going on though.

Your fingers found his, your gaze firmly holding his. "I'm telling her today after you've gone. She at least deserves to understand what's happening." He nods, pulling you in quickly to his chest. Your heart skips a beat, the anticipation, fear, and something else all mixed together like the bubbling water of the Cauldron inside of you.

"One week. I'll see you then," he says against your hair, releasing you as he quietly makes his way to and out of the front door.

✧･ﾟ: *

That whole week was Hell.

Riley asked at least once a day when her father would come home, and you felt worse and worse when you couldn't give her a straight answer as you weren't entirely sure yourself as to when he'd return. Honestly, it made you sick not knowing exactly what was going on either, and having to put on a brave face every morning was beginning to weigh on you more than you liked to admit. You truly wished you didn't care so much -- but the tethers around your heart pulled everytime you imagined the worst, thinking of what could be happening to Eris-

"Y/N is sad." Riley stands near the end of the kitchen counter, her limp beagle dangling from her fingers. Her tired eyes were swollen and red, and you lift your head from your hands on the counter at the sound of her voice. You glance toward the clock. 9 pm.

"Riley, honey, I put you in bed an hour ago-"

"But Y/N is sad too." She walks softly toward you, the braid you'd done in her hair now slightly mussed from the tossing and turning she'd likely done in her bed before she'd woken up. She approaches, wrapping her arms around your thigh and pressing her cheek to your exposed skin. Tears threaten the corners of your eyes, all of the emotions hitting you in full today. It was the seventh day Eris hadn't come back, and you were both feeling the weight of his absence it seemed.

You bend down, kneeling before her to engulf her in your arms in a proper hug. She shakes lightly against you, and you can't help the single tear that slips free, dripping onto her soft hair. Her fingers grip onto your silky pajamas, clutching you tightly.

"I miss daddy so much," she mumbles into your shoulder. Your hand runs over her little back, trying to provide her comfort while keeping your own tears at bay.

You take a shaky breath, your voice broken as more quiet tears fall down your cheeks. "I know sweetheart. I miss him too."

✧･ﾟ: *

Riley ended up drifting off in your lap, and you'd opted to carry her to your room. The distance from the kitchen was shorter, and in an effort to not stir her again, you laid her in your plush blankets, tucking her in and watching as she snuggled into the warm blankets with contentment. You left the lamp on in case she woke up, but closed the door this time; Gods forbid you had another emotional breakdown and woke her once more.

You retreated to the living room, reaching for a few blankets in the dark room when the creak of the side door sent a chill down your spine.

Were you hearing things?

You froze in place, every drop of blood in your body turning to ice when you heard it swing shut.

Definitely not hearing things. Someone was in the house.

Your head spun, cheeks ablaze and palms clamming up all at once. This hadn't happened before, or yet, anyway. Eris had touched on this issue when you first started working here, but what had he said about intruders? You couldn't remember.

The pit forming in your stomach grew as your mind raced, trying to think of any escape, any plan, any action to get Riley out of here before you both met your end. Gods, what had he said when you were hired, anyway? Something about his swords, in his room, maybe? Those were all the way down the hall -- you'd never make it in time.

You took a silent step toward the foyer, then another. The intruder would be in the kitchen soon, and you wouldn't waste any precious seconds you had to save Riley. You had to move, now.

Passing the small entryway table, you contemplated the vase atop it for a moment. Honestly, it would only wake Riley and alert the intruder of her presence. Maybe he would just take you and leave, if you could be quiet enough. You had a better shot defending yourself with your fists anyway -- the glass decoration would simply shatter anyway.

You rounded the corner, sucking in a breath as you heard a low moan coming from the kitchen. Your heartbeat faltered, an invisible pull like a magnet drawing you closer. You squinted in the dark, trying to make out any shapes or forms through the dim lighting.

Another low groan, only this time you recognized it. Your clenched fist loosened, and you took a few quick steps toward the small faelight to flick it on, revealing the horrific scene before you.

"Eris?"

✧･ﾟ: *

You worked quickly, trotting around the master washroom with supplies as your mind seemed to fog over. You felt as though this was a silent film, and you were a puppet; nothing was real, you couldn't hear, or think, or register what was going on before you-

"Y/N, please-"

"I'm working on it," you say absentmindedly, your fingers shaking as you begin soaking the rag clutched in your hand with cleaning solution. Eris' eyes widen, and he stares at you silently.

Only when the rag is practically dripping do you look up at him, barely able to look him in the eye before muttering, "this is going to hurt like Hell." He nods, and you quickly press the rag into his abdomen, his muscles immediately tensing around the area. He sucks in a sharp breath, the following few are ragged as he white-knucke grips the counter behind him.

"Gods, Y/N-"

"Hold still." You command, your tone lacking warmth as you move to press against the long gash, attempting to stop the blood free flowing from it. He groans again but you keep going, readjustign the cloth until you've wiped most of the blood away and the wound is clean for the most part.

You retreat to the medicine cabinet, grabbing a jar of salve and some large bandage wrap from it before standing before Eris once more. You gather some of the cool jelly on your fingers, making to apply it but Eris' hand grips your shoulder in an instant, and you break from whatever panic mode you were in and look up at him.

"Wait," he whispres, pain lacing his voice as his brows knit atop his forehead. You blink, realizing that in your momentary panic-ridden attempt to help him, you were not providing what he may have needed most and not gotten much of this past week.

Your eyes dropped, and your fingers lightly wrapped around his, your thumb running over his long digits. "I'm almost done, I promise," You say, with a lot more compassion this time. His eyes meet yours, and you fight against the stinging behind yours as you move toward him, your fingers brushing over the marred skin. His fingers tighten on your shoulder, a pained gasp coming out of him again.

"Shh, it's alright," you say quietly, working as quick as you can. "Almost done, I promise," You cap the salve, tearing open the bandage wrap before aligning it over his wound. His forhead finds your shoulder, his head resting on it as the muscles around his knife wound continue to retract at your touch. You lightly wind your arms around him, securing the wrap around his midsection and completely covering up his injury. It's then that you feel the warmth of his hands on you; his hands that had been holding onto you this whole time, but now had he relaxed a little, his heat had begun to return.

You stepped an inch closer, the familiar lump in your throat from earlier returning as every word you ached to say raced through your mind. Your arms found their way around his neck, and he squeezed you tighter when he felt you holding him. You threaded one hand through his hair, softly running your fingers through it while the other traced up and down lightly across his exposed back.

"You really scared me," you whispered. A small drop of water landed on his shoulder, but you didn't care. You'd allowed yourself to be vulnerable earlier in front of Riley, and it is healthy to show that you can't be happy all of the time, and that's okay; maybe Eris needed to see that too.

He nodded against your shoulder, his head turning as his nose brushed the dip of your neck. His fingers rested on your lower back, holding firm as the two of you sat in comfortable silence, a million unsaid thoughts unshared between the two of you.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly after a few minutes, his lips brushing against your skin with the action. Your body tingled, it itched, you burned inside, just wishing things could be different. You pulled back an inch, moving to look up at him through your wet lashes. He shook his head slowly at you, his thumb brushing over the tear trails down your cheeks.

"Please don't cry," he says. You chuckle, sniffling a little before unwrapping your arms from him. His hands catch yours, keeping you close to him before you can go to far.

"I hate leaving for so long." He said, his eyes dropping as he thought about how and what to say. "I don't like to be away like that."

You swallowed thickly, nodding with the effort. "Riley missed you. A lot. She asked about you every day..." you trailed off, looking to the side. He nodded, his hand letting go of yours and moving to cup your cheek, guiding you to look up at him again.

"I miss Riley, always," he said. "But, I also miss you."

Your heart seized, your chest caving at his words. You opened your mouth to answer, but nothing came out. How, in this worls, would you be able to say everything you wanted to, in just this moment?

You couldn't. You knew you wouldn't be able to. Not in just one moment like this. In the dim lighting of his master bath, just the two of you alone in the quiet -- he looked devastating, a few strands of his short hair brushing against his forehead as he gazed down at you. His gaze, his eyes, burning into yours with desire; you only hoped you coveyed every ounce of love you had in your body with a stare like that alone.

So, you did what felt right.

You pressed up onto the balls of your feet, his left hand on your hip balancing you as your lips finally met his. Every nerve ending in your body was ablaze, the feeling of those pillow soft lips on yours sending your mind into a state of bliss. His hand threaded through your hair, the other snaking around your lower back to press you closer against him.

You pulled back, just for a moment to make sure this was what he wanted as well. You barely had time to blink before his hands pulled you back in, his lips moving against yours with even more desire, more passion, the need only growing.

Your hands rested on his chest, fingertips pressing in slightly when he skated his tongue across your bottom lip. You allowed him in, surprising him when you swiped your tongue across his, the desire to explore every inch of his mouth one you'd been ashamed you'd had for months -- until now. He groaned, his grip on your waist tightening before his hand slid a bit lower, tracing the curve of your ass under his palm.

When you finally pulled back, gazing up at him with a small smile, you felt the heat between the two of you becoming rather warm in the small room. Whether it was eminating from him or it was how hot you felt inside, you couldn't be sure.

"You should... we should... it's late," you fumbled, chewing on your lower lip nervously. He nodded, loosening his grip on you a little but continued to pin you with his intense gaze.

"We should sleep," he agreed. You nodded, turning toward the door and making to leave but his fingers threaded lightly through yours. Your cheeks heated, and you looked to him as he smirked over your reaction.

"I..." you looked to his torso once more, and gasped. "Oh! I'm sorry, uh. Yeah, um. I can, help you. Get to bed, if that's. What. You, need." You stumbled out, and he chuckled lowly. You laughed nervously, and he pulled you against him once more. You squeaked at the feeling of his fingers gripping your hips, his lips pressing a small kiss just beneath your ear before his words sent a chill down your spine, despite the room's warm temperature.

"Maybe, you should just stay in here with me tonight."

Your backbone straightened at his suggestion, and he huffed a laugh once more. Your eyes met his, and a small smile played on your lips as you answered back.

"My bed is taken for the night, anyway. What's the harm?"

✧･ﾟ: *

[anystalker707]

Dolled up [2/2]

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x [male, amab] Reader Summary: Sanji wants another encounter with you. Tags: He wears pretty lingeries / Demanding, but he's a bottom / He's gets eaten out / Just a princess / a PILLOW princess

Requested by anon [I LOVE how you wrote ‘dolled up’ with sanji and i was wondering if you could do part 2 to that? If not then just another sanji x top male readers fine! You don’t have to do it btw! Ty and have an awesome day!] A/n: thanks sm for your request <33 i hope you have a great day, dear!

[PART 1]

MASTERLIST

          Sanji had noticed your persistent presence and gaze upon him. You eyed him differently after he showed up in your cabin for a midnight surprise, as if you were all the time picturing him wearing that lingerie under his normal clothes. There was something else, but he couldn’t quite get what it was.

Were you trying to figure something out about him? Studying him? He wasn’t really sure about it, but he didn’t feel like facing it directly. Some sort of superiority had been granted to Sanji the moment he found out how lost you were for him, and he wouldn’t throw it all away now. He loved the way your breath would hitch whenever he reached for something on the higher parts of the cabinets, making his shirt ride up just enough… It was good knowing he had such power.

“Excuse me,” you whispered, suddenly popping Sanji out of his bubble of thoughts and placing the ground under his feet again. Your hands were firm around his waist, gently moving him to the side so that you could walk past him and grab something from the fridge. He couldn’t even focus, mind going blank the moment your hands grabbed his waist and set him aside, so he looked down and let his hair fall more over his face in the hope it would cover his blush. Thankfully, you didn’t notice anything.

Sanji wanted the attention so badly, but he also didn’t want to be the one to give in first. This feeling bubbled up under his skin as the days passed; a presentment, though he didn’t know what for. At least until it was time for his night watch, that is.

Everything needed to be in the right measurement, and it lacked something, though Sanji wasn’t sure what. A quiet hum escaped his lips as he licked the sauce from his finger, shifting his weight to one of his legs with a soft sigh. He was a little sleepy and tired, but it was nothing he couldn’t endure. With a sigh, he was about to reach for a jar when he stopped midway.

Arms wrapped warmly around Sanji’s waist, soon accompanied by a presence behind him. It didn’t take him a lot of thought to know who it was, and his heart fluttered at the same moment.

“Doll,” you whispered right next to Sanji’s ear, making his skin rise in shivers at the same time it heated up. “My princess.”

“Yours?” Sanji whispered back almost too quickly, in a mocking tone. He wasn’t reaching for the jar anymore, only resting both of his hands on the countertop this time. The fact you were there, finally interacting directly with him and touching him without restraints, somehow managed to calm down a tension that bubbled up inside him previously. It melted away in a pleasing feeling that still carried an anxious edge.

“Of course,” you whispered with a soft chuckle, nuzzling the crook of Sanji’s neck and having fun with the way his skin rose in shivers. “I thought I’d claim you before anyone else. Am I so wrong for doing that, or did I get the wrong message? Were you just using me the other day?”

Sanji couldn’t help but sigh at your assumptions, pausing as he glanced back to raise an eyebrow at you before he shook his head to himself. Your gaze remained the same before his vague response.

“You’re difficult,” Sanji muttered, smirking at the way you gasped in offense.

“Oh, I’m the difficult one here?” You clicked your tongue and kissed Sanji’s shoulder through his shirt, inhaling the cologne he used—it was floral, in soft notes that could be caught under the smell of cigarettes and something else, stronger on the back of his neck. Also through the thin fabric of his button-up, your fingers worked on his waist, caressing and looking for something. “You’ve been avoiding me the whole week. Do you know how lonely I’ve been?”

Sanji felt a sense of pride swell in his chest at the fact that you recognized his distance—that you missed his presence and felt miserable because of that. He exhaled, smiling. “Oh? So were you having fun with your hand instead?”

“Why would I when I have you?” You scoffed, and your words sent a sparkle down Sanji’s spine that ended in the warmth that started forming in his lower stomach. His cheeks heated up a little, and he had to look down, trying to contain the smile that fought to form on his face. “Or are you bored? Maybe I just got the wrong idea.” Your touch became lighter at the same moment you paused, but Sanji promptly placed his hands over yours and tugged on your hands to wrap your arms tighter around his torso while he leaned back against you, with his head on your shoulder. It was enough to have your heart going wild in your chest.

“Don’t be silly.” Sanji chuckled, turning his head enough to plant a kiss on your cheek.

A smile stretched across your face according to how you relaxed, tightening your arms around him before nuzzling the crook of his neck with a soft hum. Sanji’s fingers laced with yours, warm palms pressed to the back of your hands as he relaxed into your touches, sighing softly. It was nice to just be with him like that; your heart felt out of place with the unusual amount of happiness it felt, almost making you feel dizzy while pulling Sanji closer, wanting more of him.

Sanji gasped barely audibly as he felt your grip tighten around him, your forearms sinking just under his ribs, but still let you have that moment before he turned around to face you with his arms around your neck. “You know, I was kinda waiting for you,” he whispered as his index finger traced circles into your shoulder.

The new tone made you raise an eyebrow, studying Sanji’s apparently innocent expression as he eyed you from under his eyelashes with that small smile tugging on his lips. It was hard to resist, making something stir in your lower stomach, even more so when his fingers pressed to the back of your neck and rubbed against the skin soothingly. Since when did he have such power over you…? Well, it didn’t matter at the moment; you kept looking into his visible blue eye while he smiled and leaned in.

A familiar taste of lip balm was present on Sanji’s lips, which gave you an idea of the whereabouts of your lost lip balm, hinting at the bearings of your favorite shirt and a ring. Either way, every other thought aside from Sanji himself was erased from your mind the moment he deepened the kiss and tugged on your bottom lip with his teeth. His eyes were half-lidded, eyeing you with entertainment and the full knowledge of what he was doing.

“My dear, mon amour,” he mumbled against your lips in a soft pleading tone that you couldn’t resist.

          Nothing would happen if you two left the night watch for a while, right? You two weren’t near any island, in the first place, and it would be hard seeing Sunny in the dark, so there was nothing to worry about. The thoughts were buried in the back of your mind by the time you climbed on top of Sanji and pressed your lips to his, feeling the mattress shift under your knees as you opened up a space between his legs.

Sanji’s breath escaped his throat in short intervals that were permeated by gasps for air whenever there was a small break from the kisses. His arms wrapped around your neck, holding you closer as his legs wrapped around your waist, and he arched his back, sending both of you groaning when your hips ground together.

Aside from knowing his way around, Sanji knew you, and maybe a little too well. He knew which way he had to kiss you to have you whimpering into his mouth, and kept kissing you until you ran out of air. Entertainment played in his eyes while observing you try to catch your breath, faces just centimeters away from each other. There was a soft hum as he caressed your cheeks with gentle fingers before kissing your lips in a soft kiss that didn’t last longer than a couple of seconds.

You sat back on your legs, bottom lip between your teeth while your fingers carefully unbuttoned his shirt, slowly letting his torso come into view, all while Sanji lay there as if you were just doing the bare minimum for him. A small smile remained on his lips as he observed you, and you couldn’t help but get a little lost in him. He looked so beautiful like that, hair messy, hands above his head, cheeks with a light red tone…

A sigh escaped your lips as you finally pulled the light blue fabric away and there was a lingerie top you’d never seen before. The bralette was made of a thin and soft peach-colored lace with white satin details.

“Sanji,” you practically moaned, pressing a kiss to the exposed skin on his chest above the bra and below the delicate silver chain he used around his neck with a small gem as a pendant. You thought about gifting him a pendant with the initial of your first name so that he could use it around his neck, but you decided to keep it as a mental note for later, focusing on how his soft skin felt under your lips.

Sanji’s chest rose and fell with a deep sigh, and he hummed in response to your touches, placing a hand on the back of your head to gently caress your hair and keep you close. A soft groan escaped your lips as you started nipping on his skin with firm hands around his waist, holding tightly as if to pull him even closer because it just wasn’t possible to get enough of him.

You nuzzled into Sanji’s bra, tugging on it just enough to expose his nipple so that you could latch your lips around it. As his nipple slowly hardened under your touch, Sanji whimpered, placing more pressure on the back of your head, so you complied—your tongue ran around the bud before you started sucking on it with a soft groan, relishing how Sanji’s moans grew louder once you started using your teeth.

“Fuck,” Sanji groaned as he arched his back, only relaxing back against the bed when you finally let go of his chest with a final lick across his nipple. His face was a brighter shade of red now, and his pupils were blown—your cock twitched the moment his eyes met yours, and you started moving again.

It was messy, but Sanji still helped you get undressed, taking off your shirt while you unbuckled your belt, but he didn’t undress himself, no. He waited for you to do it, going to the maximum of helping you a little by lifting his body off the bed, nothing more.

“I see you like my lingerie,” Sanji said with a sense of pride, grinning wide.

You paused and just raised an eyebrow at Sanji, without giving him much attention to his statement—it was obvious you liked his lacy garments, the way they suited his body so perfectly and gave him an extra touch of delicacy. It made you infatuated, clouding your thoughts whenever you looked at him or thought about him wearing them.

“You planned this?” You raised an eyebrow, slipping your hands under his panties so that you could cup his ass cheeks. “Or do you just go around wearing lingerie on a daily basis, princess?”

Sanji couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips, cupping your face lovingly. “Yes to both. The thing is that I like wearing the special ones for you.”

You smiled, sighing while giving his ass a squeeze—he moaned in response, arching his back as his legs wrapped around your waist again, but his cock met no friction, much to his displeasure. “So pretty,” you breathed and kissed along Sanji’s shoulder while your fingers kneaded on the fat of his ass until soft whimpers escaped his lips, though it wasn’t much of a hard task.

Reluctantly, you pulled a hand away from Sanji to reach for the lube in the bedside table, quickly retrieving it.

“On your stomach,” you said with a soft slap on his thigh, which caused him to groan softly before he turned over, allowing you to adjust a pillow under his hips. He was such a princess, indeed, a fucking pillow princess who didn’t want to do any work today, but you didn’t mind. You’d manhandle him around if he wanted to.

You knelt between Sanji’s spread legs, taking a while to observe him, taking note of the contrast between the delicate clothes and his muscular fame, his plump ass. How could he be so perfect? A soft sigh escaped your lips as you pressed a kiss to his lower back before gently tugging his panties to the side, just enough to expose his hole, while you tugged on one of his butt cheeks.

The cold lube fell against the warm skin, making Sanji gasp and squirm a little in anticipation, glancing over his shoulder to take a look at you, but your focus was somewhere else. Your thumb circled his fluttering entrance, spreading the lube around and earning yourself a quiet sound from Sanji that stretched itself for longer when your thumb pressed past the ring of muscles, spreading the wetness into his hole.

“Mmph, darling,” Sanji whispered as he arched his back a little bit, attempting to push his hips back into your finger, but it wasn’t of much use; your goal wasn’t to please him yet, just to spread the lube. He grabbed one of your pillows to hug, folding it in half to also give his face a good place to rest.

Silence filled the room for a moment, but it was just a matter of seconds before Sanji let out another quiet sound. His hole twitched when your tongue pressed to it, tasting the sweetness of the lube along with Sanji’s taste itself. It took a while, but he finally started relaxing, groaning into the pillow as your tongue lapped at him. Since there weren’t many opportunities in which you could have privacy with anyone on the ship—or even had the time for it—, you took your time licking along his hole, pressing your tongue flat to the fluttering skin without enough strength to actually penetrate him.

Sanji’s whimpers were muffled, but not inaudible, loud enough to reach your ears and make the arousal rise within you. Finally, though, your lips were closed around the flushed entrance and sucking with enough intensity to draw a moan from him.

“Good,” Sanji whispered, though cutting himself off when he felt your tongue finally pushing inside him, lapping at his insides in a very welcome intrusion. He tightened his fingers around the pillow, arching his back as he sought more pleasure, which you seemed very eager to provide him. Not only your tongue, but the way your hands kept a firm grip on his ass and the back of his thigh also had him melting, cock twitching and leaking inside the tight panties.

The consistent rhythm of the shallow thrusts of your tongue was enough to cloud Sanji’s thoughts, making him start getting lost in the pleasure you were able to provide him. He whimpered and hugged the pillow closer to himself when your tongue glided inside him just the right way.

Despite the pleasure that it brought both of you, your jaw started complaining about the straining; a sharp pain started tugging on your muscles until you were forced to pull back, moving your chin from side to side in a small massage while eyeing his glistening hole.

Sanji didn’t have time for complaining before your tongue was replaced by a couple of fingers; he let out a long, dragged moan while his hips squirmed under your touch, and he didn’t seem to mind the replacement. His skin rose in shivers at the same time his walls tightened around your fingers when your lips ran along his ass cheek, kissing and nipping on the soft skin at the same time your fingers worked at a slow pace inside him.

Your cock was painfully hard, dripping between your legs, but your desire to keep satisfying Sanji like that was bigger than the will to indulge in your own needs. Soft moans came from Sanji as he squirmed, arching his back and almost getting off the position if you weren’t holding him in place, though he became more still when your tongue worked along the rim of his hole as your fingers reached deep inside him. His breath hitched, and with the way he squeezed around you, it was obvious he was close.

The moans that came from Sanji were louder and longer until a particular one caught in his throat, and he came, slick walls clenching around your fingers until they were spasming with the afterglow, and he whimpered at how the overstimulation threatened to take over.

You would give him a break first, but your curiosity got the best of you; before Sanji could even catch his breath, you were making him turn over and tugging on the waistband of his panties. The sight was mouthwatering, and your cock ached as it throbbed more. Sanji’s cock was still half hard, messily covered in fresh cum and confined inside those small panties.

“Fuck, I’m down bad for you,” you moaned.

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

[theoneandonlyneonleon]

Honey, Honey

Mmmmwah ty @fizzywashere87 for the prompt <333

Fem!Reader x Donnie

I might make a Masc!Reader version at some point

Prompt: Donnie and Reader are slow dancing at a wedding, and they have a deep talk (reader is emotionally constipated btb)

Fluff, minor angst?, happy ending (im terrible at tagging)

Anywhizzle enjoy <333 (+please reblog!)

@nuncscioquidsitamor-14 bc pookie wanted to be tagged <33

Word count: 1,409

The wedding was beautiful. No doubt about it. Mikey did a wonderful job with the floral arrangements, and April and Cass looked absolutely wonderful. And even more, your date. Hot damn.

Donnie didn't really wear clothes all that often, so you had no idea what you were missing out on. But seeing Donnie, all dressed up like that? You nearly lost your damn mind. The black slacks on his long legs, the white button down that he couldn't button all the way, the jacket, all of it.

"Y/N!" You hear a voice call out, and you recognize it as the bride herself, April. "Y/N c'mere!"

You walk over to April and give her a hug.

"April! You look fabulous!" You exclaim, looking at her positively gorgeous dress. "Why thank you~" she says, doing a spin to show it off. "You look great too!" April compliments, and you strike a little pose.

"More importantly," April starts, "Donnie."

You raise an eyebrow at her.

"What about him?" You ask, curious as to what she means.

"I'm talkin about how you're practically drooling every time you look at him" she places her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at you.

"I cant help it!" You say. "He just looks so goodddd."

"And how long have you been dating for now?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"Uhmmm.... Justttt one or two orrrrrrr eightttttt months?"

"Have you said the 'I love you' yet?"

"Mmmmmmmnnnnooooo?" You say, or rather- ask. Aprils eyes widen and her jaw drops a little.

"Eight months and you haven't said 'I love you'?? Girl-" She starts, ready to lay into you.

"I know I know- I'm emotionally constipated, okay? I'll tell him when I'm ready." She narrows her eyes at you before promptly walking away.

You suddenly hear her in the speakers, announcing something.

"Alright party people! Lets get all those couples out on the dance floor for a slowwww dance" You look at her to find her holding up two thumbs ups pointed in your direction.

Your attention is pulled from April as you hear the familiar sound of your boyfriends voice behind you.

"May I have this dance, darling?" He asks, holding out a hand. You take it and he leads you to the dance floor as some cheesy love song plays.

He places a hand on your waist, you place yours on his shoulder, and you both intertwine fingers best you can. You sway to the beat, not really knowing how to dance.

"You look gorgeous tonight." Donnie says, causing you to blush and look away. You werent the best with taking compliments.

"Look at me, would you?" He requests, squeezing your waist ever so slightly. You still dont, your gaze resting on your hand perched on his shoulder rather than his eyes.

"Is everything alright, darling?" He asks, raising a drawn on eyebrow at you. You shrug, and he momentarily lets go of your waist to gently move your chin so you look at him. You meet his eyes and blush. The corner of his mouth quirks up in a half smile as he cocks his head slightly.

"You okay?" He asks again, waiting for verbal confirmation.

"Yeah.... I'm fine, I just-" you start, averting your gaze once again. He looks at you, waiting for you to finish. Gosh, he was so patient with you. The way he looks at you, everything thing about him, just him. You loved him so much. Now if only you could tell him that.

"I dunno..." Is what you settle on. "Its just a lot, yknow?"

"Are you overstimulated? Too noisy? Too bright? What is it, hon?" He asks, so patient and caring.

"No... Not that." You think carefully for a moment, searching for the right words. "I've been thinking."

"About?" Donatello questions and he spins you gracefully. 'What a talented dancer' you think.

"Us."

Don raises a brow, looking slightly worried for a second. "This isn't you trying to break up with me, is it?"

"Dont worry, its not." You reassure him.

"Relieved sigh. Thats good. I love you so much I don't know what I'd do if you left me." He chuckles, and you almost stop in your tracks, but don't to continue the flow of dancing, causing you to trip over your own feet. Luckily, Donnie holds you up.

"You okay?" He asks, and you half nod, mind occupied by something else. Those three words. The words you had not yet worked up the nerve to say.

He takes note of the expression on your face, and as if he was a mind reader, he says something.

"I imagine this is because I said the 'L' word?"

You glance at April and Cass, then back to him. "Lesbian?"

"No- Love, Y/N. I said I love you." He states, thumb rubbing gently against your waist.

"Right...."

"Yknow typically when someone says 'I love you', you typically say it back." He smirks that adorable smirk you love so much.

"Your hesitation issss...... Quite unnerving, Y/N. Do you not love me back?" You see the worry on his face and quickly deny it.

"What? Nonono- of course I do, Donnie, I just- I don't know how to say it." He looks at you quizzically as you try to explain.

"Its easy. Like this: I love you too, Donatello, love of my life. Simple"

You sigh. "Its not just that easy. I've never been in a relationship this long. Ive never said....... That.... To someone else before."

Donnie, being as sweet as ever, just listens.

"And its not like I dont love you, I definitely do. I guess I'm just scared that- once I say it, this- us, will become real."

He raises an eyebrow.

"Like once I say.... It..... Im admitting to myself that I'm in love with you, and that's only going to make it hurt that much more when this ends."

When you're finished speaking, you look away, trying to swallow the lump building so annoyingly in your throat. His hand releases yours and cups your cheek, brushing his thumb against your skin.

"What makes you think this is gonna end?" He asks, forcing you to look at him. "I dunno..... I just know that one day you'll find someone so much better than me, and you'll leave me behind. They always do."

The look that flashes across Donatellos face is a mixture of melancholy and love.

"Darling..... There is no one in this world I would rather be with. You're not perfect, sure. But neither am i. And I can promise you, that I will not be leaving you any time soon. Y/N I love you, more than anything or anyone, okay? And by Galileo that will never change. Understand? So, take your worries about me finding someome better and throw them out, because I don't want anyone else. I want you."

By the time he finishes you're nearly on the verge of tears. He pulls you closer into an embrace and you resist the urge to bury your face into the crook of his neck.

"God..... You're perfect...." You say quietly. He responds with "I know, dearest."

"I love you, Donatello, love of my life." You tell him, backing up from the embrace to look into his eyes. He smiles that beautiful smile at you.

He says "I love you too, Y/N. More than anything." before he captures your lips in the sweetest, softest kiss you've ever experienced.

The song ends and Mikey comes on the mic.

"Alllllright party people! Time to pump it up!"

The next song starts and you turn to Don once you recognize the opening. He looks at you the same, a grin spreading across his face.

He grabs both you hands and dances with you, singing along to the ABBA song playing over the sound system.

"Honey, honey how you feel me, uh huh. Honey, honey nearly killed me, uh huh. Honey, honey."

You look around, seeing Leo dancing with his boyfriend, April and Cass dancing together, Raph dancing a little on the side, Mikey dancing with himself by the laptop controlling the music, and Donnie. The love of your life, dancing with you, swaying to the music and spinning you around.

In that moment, you knew just how lucky you were. To be a part of a family like this, to have someone like Donatello. There was no where else you'd rather be.

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

Since this is named after one of my fave ABBA songs I wanted to include my headcanons for the boys' fave ABBA songs

Raph: SOS

Leo: Dancing Queen

Donnie: Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (Man After Midnight)

Mikey: Lay All Your Love On Me

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

Ty for reading! And please please please reblog, my writing won't get shown to people without it. (Reblogging is the very core pillar of Tumblr!)

[derelictheretic]

OC SMASH OR PASS

Tagged by @adelaidedrubman and @kyberinfinitygems Ty Ty <33

RULES: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

QUICK FACTS

full name: heather lucille valentine

height: 5' 2"

age: 30

gender: the only woman ever (in her opinion)

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: bisexual

PROS:

🥀 will shower you in gifts (from a key chain to a condo it depends on her mood and how much she wants u)

🥀 will bring you the hearts of your enemies on a silver platter and a nice floral arrangement (better than anything John can do if u ask her)

🥀 makes you feel like the most important person in the world (love bombing? Heather? nooooooo.....)

🥀 will throw the best birthday parties (mostly catered to her taste but the food will be your favourites)

🥀 she's hot, look at her. She takes pride in being eye candy!

🥀 literal ride or die she will make sure u never get caught

CONS:

🥀 obsessive if she actually likes you and isn't just using you to fill up time (She does not like sharing but she doesn't mind a competition, as long as she wins anyway—)

🥀 emotionally and mentally unstable, don't do anything she perceives as betrayal and you'll be fine :)

🥀 hypocritical and contradictory but will openly gaslight you about it and go in circles until you let it go <3

🥀 kinda on the run from a few warrants but it's whateverrr

🥀 might call you the wrong name in the beginning, on multiple occasions—sometimes on purpose just to mess with you

🥀 literal ride or die also a con bc she will take u down with her <3

no pressure tags: @deputyash @megraen @killyourrdarlingss @inafieldofdaisies @aceghosts @firstaidspray @florbelles @henbased @i-am-the-balancing-point @shallow-gravy @shellibisshe @trashcatsnark @voidbuggg @wewillryesagain @clicheantagonist and the person reading this <3

[coldshrugs]

five character associations — io

tagged by @lilas and @lavampira ty beloveds!

emotions

hope

patience

grief

acceptance

sensory over-stimulation

colors

deep blue-black

lush, verdant green streaked with yellow

burnt orange

opal

brick red

scents

soft, peppery florals

sun-warmed skin

damp earth, decaying ruins

dried blood

wood, leather, and sinew after fletching arrows

objects

a pearl earring, softly lustrous and set in silver

well-worn leather thighboots

weapons with sleek, simple designs

books with dog-eared pages

a handheld harp in a travel bag, a larger one at home

body language

an arm crossed over her torso, slouched shoulders as if making herself appear smaller

ears held alert until she allows herself to relax

open hand reaching -- for an arrow, for a hand to hold, to draw someone in, to keep away harm

light, quick movement, a rhythm set to music you feel more than hear

eyes and smile full of warmth

aesthetics

a gauzy curtain blowing in the breeze, light rain on the other side of the window. everything smells green

the world so small below, the sky stretching out all around, and the wind tugging hair, clothes, and laughter during flight

a night sky flecked with stars, perfectly reflected in dark eyes.

the eager, electric almost before a first kiss, the last moment a touch is still unknown

darting in and out of frenzied battle, distant and deadly, close and desperate.

no pressure tagging: @syrcus @scionshtola @hythlodaes @razrogue @itzpapalotl @myreia @thevikingwoman @redwayfarers @callmenadya @uriangerswife and anyone else who wants to do this!

[scionshtola]

five character associations - corisande ymir

tagged by @lavampira @coldshrugs and @redwayfarers ty!! 💗

emotions

optimism

curiosity

empathy

grief

pensiveness

colors

deep wine red

soft light pink

verdant forest green

dark inky blue

cool dark brown

scents

pepper and gunpowder

a wonderfully fragrant kitchen

warm florals

soil and freshly picked herbs

salty spray of the sea

objects

red silk ribbon

grimoire with notes scrawled in the empty space

gifted silver ring with a purple stone

bronze flower earrings

thigh holster carrying a pistol

body language

kind, quiet smile

arms crossed, reserved but present

a reassuring squeeze of an arm

a distracted nod on their way out

side by side, a comforting presence just out of view but felt nonetheless

aesthetics

short skirt, long jacket, lace trimmed thigh high stockings

shelf full of books, spilling onto the floor

a warmly lit apartment teeming with plants and bouquets

a misty morning walk through the woods

a blanket spread in the sun, a book lying open on top

[druidx]

Writing Patterns/First 10 Lines Tag Game

Tagged by @hannahcbrown, TY! Apparently the last time I did this was literally a year ago, 15 April, so it'll be quite cool to look and see if there's been any changes with my opening lines.

Tagging back my whole list because this isn't limited to fanfic and I think can count for OG fiction: @aalinaaaaaas-sequel @thewriteflame @wildswrites @aquadestinyswriting @artdecosupernova-writing @autumnalwalker @blind-the-winds @eli-writes-sometimes @hannahcbrown @oh-no-another-idea @rhikasa @swordsoulwrites @winglesswriter @andromeda-grace @writingmaidenwarrior @wispstalk @late-to-the-fandom @athenswrites

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern!

Last time I did this there was an even split of dialogue to prose for my starters. This time there's only 3 (not counting stories in 1st person). Previously, it seemed that I started with dialogue when the work was shorter, but this isn't the case with these more recent ones. For example, No. 1 is a 100k longfic, whereas No. 5 has the shortest word count. With both types I do seem to prefer to hit with a hook rather than set the scene - 7 of these are nebulous in the 5 Ws, but are (I hope) intriguing enough to have the reader continue. So that's my pattern - give enough info to ask questions but don't give answers straight away.

1 Her Countenance was Light:

"What's it doing?"

2 A Light in the Darkness:

The month of Morning Star is a drear and dreadful one.

3 It's Fashion, Boss:

"Griffiths, you're late."

4 Greetings After a Long Departure:

It's been a few years since… Everything.

5 A Floral Surprise:

Dawn crept along the streets of London as if chasing the shadowed heels of the lean figure as it lept a fence and scaled a wall, delicately prising open a second-floor window.

6 Night Exercises:

Aderyn shivers as the night breeze brings the acerbic scent of pine down from the ridge on their right, mingling with the bog-brown smells of the heath.

7 A Little Something-Something:

Grubby, weed-filled concrete below, and grubby overcast skies overhead.

8 You Never Forget Your First:

"Where you go, I'll be right behind you…"

9 Home That Our Feet May Leave, But Not Our Hearts:

Somewhere, an alarm is chirping incessantly.

10 Crasberry Saviour:

The space station hummed and buzzed around us as we waited for the Rotik Sales Representative.

[stingslikeabee]

which imaginary illness do you have?

Blooming Pox Their roots have taken hold inside your veins, your breath is shared now. Life grows from your flesh - an inescapable, floral infection. It will feast upon you until you have nothing left to give, it will trap you and make you unable to move forward. You know all this as you watch the flowers bloom just above your skin, their own petals stained with crimson - but isn't it nice to be needed, doesn't it feel good to have them depend on you for them to grow out of your not yet rotting corpse.

tagged by: @oftoska (ty, this hurt me hahaha) tagging: @dojimakaichou . @bitterarcs . @phoenix-flamed . @holyguardian & you!

[chokit-pyrus]

Get to Know Your Tav

Tagged by @starknstarwars TY TY!!! 💜

Rowan (they/them)

What is your tav’s favorite weapon? I'm a Rogue lover at heart, so even though Rowen is a Ranger, I chose the classic dual blades + bow.

Style of combat? Uh.... I just hit things until I don't have to anymore.

Most prized possession? Uhhhhh....! 😅 They're just sorta vibing? Rowan doesn't really have any sort of backstory of personality. They just look pretty LOL

Deepest desire? 😅😅😅

Guilty pleasure? Maybe they like dorky or silly things? Something you wouldn't expect from a tough and cool Tiefling (but also something you would totally expect of someone who is bright purple) 💜

Best-kept secret? Their personality? Because I sure as heck have no clue

Greatest strength? Literally, they are VERY strong, but besides that, Rowan is very intuitive and intelligent. Not really in actual history or lore knowledge, but in people. They're also very compassionate, which I consider a strength.

Fatal flaw? They are perhaps too forgiving of others, and a bit too easy going. Their friends become their blind spot.

Favorite smell? PFT I have no clue! 😂 I'd say something purple like lavender, but honestly it's probably something earthy like wood or trees.

Favorite spell or cantrip? NONE. Only because I find the spells confusing LOL

Pet peeve? Prob something really benign like, people who scrape their teeth on forks, or people who sniffle a lot. Maybe they have really good hearing so little noises like that bother them.

Bad habit? Only ever wearing one color, and refusing to wear anything that isn't bright pinkish purple.

Hidden talent? I feel like Rowan can make mini sculptures out of wood. Like little animal carvings or something.

Leisure activity? They're a nature babe so probably stuff like rock climbing, swimming, climbing trees, hiking.

Favorite drink? Pft water? Maybe floral teas ☕

Comfort food? Hot mush, whatever is perfect. Just that it's warm.

Favorite person(s)? Literally anyone in the party. These weirdos say the freakiest stuff and Rowan is like 'LOL K THAT'S FUN'

Favored display of affection (platonic and/or romantic)? Probably physical affection. They seem like a huggy person. Also playful teasing.

Fondest childhood memory? I have no clue, probably something with animals or maybe other Tiefling children they knew.

Free-response! Is there anything else about your Tav you’d like to share? Rowan is nonbinary! (they have a fem frame but a masc voice)

I'm not sure who of my mutuals plays this game so if you see this, consider yourself tagged by me! Feel free to @ me! 💜💜💜

[dnangelic]

memories of childhood.

repost. don't reblog. bold what applies. italicize what sometimes applies.

scraped knees, silent tears in a locked room, slamming doors, pervasive loneliness, a dog barking, rain on a metal roof, flinching at movement, the creak of an old house, forced laughter, wandering in the dark woods, wondering how you made it through, sudden loss, trying to make sense of the noise, hiding what you love to protect it, trying to explain but your words falter, invaded privacy, confusion at the pain, running barefoot in the grass, wondering what you did wrong and coming up with nothing, realizing you aren’t a priority, grass stains on white clothing, trying to earn love you will never have, being threatened over the smallest mistake, secrets you are warned not to share, the feeling of never being good enough, the hope things might someday get better, grief that aches in your bones, childish dares and pranks, the sense that your body isn't yours, shame and guilt that aren't yours to carry, sledding down a frozen hill, absentmindedly following snakes through the grass, punching a tree until your knuckles bleed, tears over every dead creature you find, searching out small places you can hide… just in case, climbing the tallest tree so they can’t touch you, the feeling of something tainted under your skin, a curious child told to stop asking, floral dresses, body tensing at approaching footsteps, anger with nowhere to go, brief escapes from the chaos, the purr of a contented cat, taking the blame to keep the peace, being told you’re too sensitive, the creaking springs of a trampoline on a sunny day.

tagged by: @longerhuman ty!!!

[adversitybloomed]

𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

repost. don't reblog. bold what applies. italicize what sometimes applies.

scraped knees,  silent tears in a locked room,  slamming doors,  pervasive loneliness,  a dog barking,  rain on a metal roof,  flinching at movement,  the creak of an old house,  forced laughter,  wandering in the dark woods,  wondering how you made it through,  sudden loss, trying to make sense of the noise, hiding what you love to protect it,  trying to explain but your words falter,  invaded privacy,  confusion at the pain,  running barefoot in the grass,  wondering what you did wrong and coming up with nothing,  realizing you aren’t a priority,   grass stains on white clothing,  trying to earn love you will never have,  being threatened over the smallest mistake,  secrets you are warned not to share,  the feeling of never being good enough,  the hope things might someday get better,  grief that aches in your bones,  childish dares and pranks,  the sense that your body isn’t yours,  shame and guilt that aren’t yours to carry,  sledding down a frozen hill,  absentmindedly following snakes through the grass,  punching a tree until your knuckles bleed,  tears over every dead creature you find,  searching out small places you can hide… just in case,  climbing the tallest tree so they can’t touch you,  the feeling of something tainted under your skin,  a curious child told to stop asking,  floral dresses,  body tensing at approaching footsteps,  anger with nowhere to go, brief escapes from the chaos,  the purr of a contented cat,  taking the blame to keep the peace,  being told you’re too sensitive,  the creaking springs of a trampoline on a sunny day

tagged by: @luckhissoul ( ty !!! ) tagging: @caracarnn + @battleguqin + @orangeshinigami + @thuganomxcs + @auburniivenus + @sparesovereign + @incissam ( both ) + @ka-go-me + @katesgotabow & or steal from me & tag !

[addiesock]

Chapter one of something i’ve been working on like a rabid animal is out now! this is ch1 of Florally Right okay bye

Chapter 1` Sunshower Surprises

It was the worst weather of the season, and absolutely nobody was prepared.

Especially the plants. Especially Jimmy.

The shop's windows were all open and flowers surrounded the perimeter of the building, not to mention all of the inside plants that were sunbathing in the garden that had yet to be brought in for proper shelter due to Jimmy's lack of responsibility.

Easy to say, Jimmy was right panicked. His job requires him to check the weather the morning of his opening shift so he knows what to do with the plants and where to set them and he had forgotten because he woke up late and was already so stressed just trying to get to work. Not to mention he couldn’t grab coffee on the way out. In his defense, he thought it was nice when he stepped outside. The rain was a total sunshower.

“Oh gosh..” he mumbled, a half- exhausted/ half- stressed sigh releasing from his chest as the rain began to fall harder on his little garden shop. An assortment of flowers, vines and other specifically small and more delicate plants begin to gather in his arms as he races from the pouring rain to shelter. Not to mention, his coworker who was supposed to keep him in check today bailed on him completely! (She called in sick the day before).

After about thirty minutes of panicking, all of the delicate plants had been safely moved to their respective spots under the sunroof in the green room off to the side of the main entrance and he was now sitting on the floor with his back to the wall and his hands on his head, soaking wet. He never really liked the rain.

just then, as if his luck couldn’t get any worse, and also to his slight surprise. The bell above the entrance rang and he looked up to see another person, wearing only a red sleeveless shirt and dark jeans holding a bag that seemed to be meant for tools, also soaking wet and even more inconvenienced looking as Jimmy. The man then set his bag down on the floor as he walked in and reached a hand up to un- stick the blonde, almost fire like hair from the sides of his face.

Jimmy was rightfully shocked, not only because he wasn’t expecting someone to come into the shop anymore because of the horrid unexpected weather but also because they looked like they were dressed for a nice summer day. He guessed they hadn’t checked the weather either.

He stands up quickly and places himself behind the counter and begins tending to his wet clothes and looking under the counter for anything spare.

“Welcome to Canary Florals! We have plenty of shelter here.” Jimmy says with a smile and a customer service under-your-breath friendly laugh as he shakes his coat and apron off and replaces it with a new one, tying it around his neck first and reaching back to finish the second one before attaching his name tag back onto the apron.

When he looks up again, to properly address the customer, he notices that it’s a man who looks about his own age and he isn’t bad looking at all. In fact, he looked like the sun. Great. Of all the days to be drenched it’s when a hot guy comes in.

“Thank goodness. I can’t stand the rain.” the man says with a slight laugh, exhaling from his nose and making his way up closer to the counter. “It’s like it came out of nowhere, one minute I'm walking down the street looking for somewhere to get a coffee and now I'm..” he looks down at his clothes and grabs the end of his shirt for example. “..miserable.” his eyes squint as he laughs at himself, cringing at his unfortunate situation.

“Oh that sounds awful. Well you're lucky you found shelter here because everywhere else on this street is closed for the day. Something about closing early on Sundays? couldn’t be us.” Jimmy rambles in obvious nervousness, letting his customer service persona go and folding his arms on the counter at a clear attempt at looking cool.

He smiles at the blue eyed fellow in front of him and takes a look around the shop, noticing all sorts of plants, flowers, and signs covered in color that say things such as Flower Power! and Trust in the Sun! He also noticed different flower arrangements placed in the windows of the shop, including an unfinished one placed behind the canary, with flowers of blue, white and green. He had to admit, it was really cute. And so was the florist he assumed, standing in front of him. Despite them both being covered in rain.

“So, Jimmy,” he looks down at the blonde's name tag, “You’re a florist? ” He smiles kindly, leaning in with clear interest.

Jimmy's eyes widen and he looks down at his chest, forgetting that he had put that back on.

“oh, yeah, s’ just a hobby. Picked it up in college.” he looks behind him, gesturing to the bouquet in progress. “and now i’m here i guess. not that i’m complaining though.” he looks to the side, glancing at the various flowers scattered around the room. “i like what i do.” he looks back at the taller man in front of him and a look of guilt crosses his face. “Sorry for that” he laughs nervously. “what’s your name?”

The taller man’s face was rightfully amused, the canary in front of him was…mesmerizing almost. He snapped himself out of his thoughts to attempt to answer the simple question. “oh.. my name's Tango,” he reached down with one hand and picked up his bag from before, various metal sounds following the movement. “of the tek variety.” he smiled at the phrase, recognizing the fact of how lame it is and reveling in it.

the canary’s eyes lit up in amusement and he fell back laughing. Jimmy wasn’t sure he’d heard that irony of a dad joke since he’d seen mumbo drunk on a friday night.

Tango was left speechless. Again. he was sure that it wouldn't be a hit. and in his experience he’s the only one who ever seems to enjoy it.

before they knew it they had been talking for over half an hour, talking about flowers, cars, dumb dad jokes, and the rain. and as jimmy took his eyes of tango for a second, he noticed that the rain had stopped and the sun was shining again through the windows a dark shade of orange.

Tango turned around, noticing the sunset. “oh shoot.” he started to search his pockets for his phone, then his bag.

Jimmy looked up, his eyes questioning the comment.

“I was supposed to be back so long ago..” he let out a defeated sigh. “oh well, s’ too late now” he laughed nervously and met eyes with jimmy again with a smile.

“I wanna see you again. we should get a coffee sometime, maybe without any rain this time.”

Jimmy's eyes widened in surprise that this really smart and handsome guy was asking him out. His face probably resembled a tomato. “yes. absolutely i’m down .” he managed to choke out.

“great. i’ll uh-“ he checked his phone again and visibly cringed “i’ll see ya around!” Tango said as he smiled at the canary one last time and rushed out the door. Taking a sharp turn right and disappearing.

Jimmy was left absolutely speechless. the whole situation gave him whiplash. and the greatest (sarcasm)

part is that he was supposed to start closing ten minutes ago. although it was genuinely absolutely worth it.

find it here on ao3 ~

[exosmutfactory]

Only Forever 005

Originally posted by hyunniebaeked

How long could you wait for the love of your life to decide you are his as well? How many times could you witness all his best moments of winning over agencies and the amount of clothes left overnight from his daily one night stands?

Main Masterlist | Bookclub zone | Chapter 5✓

networks — @/superm-net @/bbh-net

pairing — Baekhyun x You

word count — 3.3k

genre — model! baekhyun, playboy! baekhyun, friends to lovers! romance, angst, fluff, smut (eventually)

[ This chapter contains: 😏 ]

⏰💋 Only Forever Tag List: 💋⏰

@to-all-the-stories-i-love @you-n-me-e-e @insta1010 @bellamendoza @bbhflrt @weirdoome @marovekian1 @pearliejoy @loey0491 @__jxnnx3 @soonvivi @jairahxelle @dynqstyna

Chapter 5

Your body's looking good tonight

I'm thinking we should cross the line

You’ve been back home for a little under 48 hours and there’s already a lot on your plate.

The apartment is full of dust. Your bank account is looking empty. The lock on your bedroom door is jammed. Your landlord insists that your rent has gone up 2% because you were ‘short’ on your last payment, (which you vividly remember paying him 2 dollars over the amount before your trip). A raccoon decided to make a home in the back of your closet and your air conditioner unit broke again. All of the above are top-tier conditions to live in a week before your final fall semester.

In other words, you are royally fucked.

At least the raccoon doesn’t have rabies. That’s the least of your problems. You’re pulling your hair out over the fact that you have to wait for someone to come unlock your bedroom door and pray that it gets fixed before animal services arrive. The only reason you hadn’t noticed the wild animal last night is because you had passed out on the couch the moment you entered your apartment. Now, not only do you have an intruder in your home, but you also have to battle against the herd of fire ants crawling under the door.

By the time someone installs a new doorknob and the raccoon has been whisked away, you are gathering your hair into a ponytail and rolling up your sleeves to face the overwhelming stream of insects traveling in and out of your window. All in all, you’d give this experience a negative 10 out of 10.

This just goes to show that as much as you love (and need) your yearly beach vacations with Baekhyun, the clusterfuck you come back home to will never be anything less than overwhelming. You did not sign up for a WWE match with a colony of ants in the middle of your bedroom, or the hole in the wall at the back of your closet where that Over the Hedge looking rat bastard must have dug its way through.

Why did you insist on an apartment next to an oak tree on the second floor? In times like this, you’re seriously rethinking all your life choices. Thankfully, you have a strong support system to counteract all the mental breakdowns that threaten to disrupt your day-to-day life.

The next morning, you nearly fall flat on your face in your hurry to tie up your hair, throw on a cute outfit, and rush downtown to meet your friends for brunch at your usual spot. The early-August sunrise paints the sky in beautiful shades of baby pink and lavender hues. It’s warm enough for you to forgo a jacket and sprint to the nearest bus stop—the only perks of late-summer mornings. You get a good look at your surroundings while waiting for the bus, neatly tying bows on the ends of your long sleeve floral shirt and dusting off your faded blue jeans. By the time a bus arrives, the summer heat is already starting to bear down on the nape of your neck.

Now, there’s something that should be mentioned about your friends before you step off of the public transportation (that you are growing to disdain every day you travel around the city without a car. You’re one good chair kick away from swearing this woman’s entitled kid up to the heavens).

As someone who has never been much of an outgoing person, you like to keep your friendship circle small and close to your heart. Old classmates used to tease you about it in the past, especially at the small following you had across all your social media. ‘You have that little friends? How sad.’

Well, as you say time and time again, you rather have 5 close friends than 50 people who would leave you at the drop of a hat in their quest to gain popularity. Hell, your friendship circle has gotten even smaller than that these days. But the moment you step through the door of the upscale bakery, a familiar pair of brown and gray eyes light up at the sight of you.

May’s smile is blinding when she waves you over, with a smudge of blue paint on her cheek and her vibrant pixie-cut hair bobbing with every enthusiastic movement. Her pastel off-the-shoulder t-shirt rests snuggly above her waist, paired nicely with her high-waisted blue jeans. There’s an excited glint in her gray eyes that lets you know you’re in for a wild ride today. From her energy alone, you know she’s halfway through her second cup of coffee.

Your eyes shift over to Shea as she elegantly crosses her legs and nods at you, hiding her fond, rogue lipstick-colored smile behind her coffee mug. She sits tall and regal, not a curl or hoop-earring out of place. The sunlight streaming through the windows favors her burgundy pantsuit-clad frame and beautiful skin. Her mischievous brown eyes flash and she taps her french-tipped acrylic nails on the table as you approach.

You quickly make your way over to them, taking the empty side left in the cozy little booth, and the moment your eyes meet theirs, you’re immediately bombarded with their flow of questions.

“So!” May leans forward with a teasing grin, the pencil tucked behind her ear and her neon green crocs holding on for dear life. “How was the honeymoon? Any progress with Mister Heartstealer~~~?”

You nearly choke on the steaming drink a waitress sets down in front of you. That question alone reminds you of your last day at the beach, a vivid image of messy black hair, alluring brown eyes, and glistening pectorals instantly coming to mind. “Uh-” you shift your eyes off to the side as your face heats up, “-well-”

“Oh?” Shea quirks an amused smile.

“Ha!” May squeals, clapping her hands and gripping the edge of the table. “I knew something steamy happened! Spill!!!”

“U-uh-” you laugh nervously, shrinking under the curious (and irritated-) stares around the room. “I mean, I would but we don’t got all day-”

Shea scoffs, her crystal necklace sparkling under the cozy lights. “Girl, who are you kidding? I cleared my entire schedule for this.”

“Final painting done and submitted for the gallery next month.” May nods, fixing you with a serious look. “Now spill the beans.”

With a fond sigh, you recount every significant moment you had with Baekhyun over the last few weeks. The retelling of your story sounds like something out of a young adult novel and rekindles the heat in your cheeks. You wonder what he’s up to right now and frown. You hope he hadn’t gotten into too much trouble for blowing off his schedule yesterday to spend time with you. In a way… it’s almost as if he hates the fact your vacation came to an end as much as you do.

By the time you finish and trail off into your thoughts, a hush has fallen over the booth. 

“You’re telling me you went skinny dipping, stargazing, rubbed each other down, and you still think he doesn’t have feelings for you?” Shea gives you the most exaggerated stare before turning to May. “Who’s gonna tell her?”

“Guys-”

“He’s in love with you, idiot.” May huffs, crossing her arms.

“It’s not like that!” you groan, fanning yourself in hopes of alleviating the heat in your cheeks. Is the coffee making you hot or is this conversation? You’re too flustered to tell. “We’ve been best friends for over 10 years.” The teasing, sly smirks, and heartfelt smiles… “He’s always like this.”

Shea takes a calm and collected sip of her coffee. “You really are a dumbass.”

You throw your hands up in defeat and the conversation draws to a close as a waitress comes over to take your orders. As familiar as your group is with Baekhyun, no one can forget how easy it is for rumors to fly about the supermodel in a place like this. You hope too much information hasn’t left your table when you catch a pair of waitresses whispering to each other off in a far corner of the room. The last thing you need is everyone finding out you are who Baekhyun vacations with every year.

To be fair, the general public knows a bit about you anyway. Not your name, or your face, but you’ve caught a few articles discussing the “Jane Doe” who is “frequently seen by his side” when the pair of you do mundane everyday things over the years. That and the wench who you do not speak of who always worms her way into paired photoshoots with him. But we digress:

You’re so glad you met up with your friends today as you discuss the message behind May’s latest art exhibit and the progress Shea’s marketing team has made recently. When all else has gone astray in this world, you can always count on your friends to be there for you. Just a conversation in a cozy setting like this is enough to get you through the rest of the week. If you were a castle, May and Shea are your pillars of strength.

All too soon, Shea looks down at her smartwatch when it beeps, and you check your own phone in astonishment to find out that it’s already a quarter to noon. You’re not surprised that you managed to spend over 3 hours catching up with your friends, that’s usually how it goes with how busy everyone is in your small group. It’s the fact that time has slipped away from you, the once gentle sunlight now blazing your fingertips through the windows. You’re already wincing at the thought of riding a bus back to your apartment in this “clear blue sky with a side of hell” weather until a jingle of keys catches your attention.

Shea smiles knowingly at your surprised expression. “Well?” she raises a brow, twirling her keys around her fingers, “I got one more errand to run before turning in for the day. You down?”

You’re already nodding before she even finishes her sentence, setting down your fair share of the tip and the bill before leaving the bakery. 

Shea watches you head for her sleek red car with a smile while May slaps money down on the table.

“Bet $20 he’ll make the first move,” the artist smirks, waving over a waitress to order a pastry before they leave.

Shea raises a brow, smoothing down her suit and grabbing her purse. “But if liquor ‘s involved?”

“...Touche,” May giggles, following her outside. She squints when they step out on the curb, shielding her eyes from the sun, “but when does she ever party?”

“When it comes to him?” Shea chuckles, glancing at you in the distance. “Don’t act surprised.”

🌊🌊🌊

You’ve reached a dilemma—or, more accurately, you’re facing one right now.

It’s a quarter to midnight, the moon high in the sky, the stars twinkling in celestial light, and you’re shivering like a fawn prepared to take its first steps into the wildest party you’ve ever seen with your own eyes.

How did I get here? you ask yourself as if the answer isn’t strolling up to you right now with midnight hair and sultry brown eyes.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” Baekhyun asks you from across his pristine kitchen counters, imploring you with curious brown eyes.

You stare blankly at him, taking the last bite of your favorite cuisine and hopping off of a bar stool before turning to rinse off your plate in the sink. “That depends,” you share hesitantly, weary of the hopeful expression on his handsome face. After this morning’s events and nearly running late to your interview when a certain someone decided to critique every single article of clothing you wanted, you can only imagine what ideas are forming in that beautiful head of his right now.

“There’s a party going on over on Maple street,” he starts, tapping his fingers on the counter, already giving you those puppy eyes. But all you can focus on is the fact that he’s asking you to go to a party with him. He’s asking you to go to a party with him. In the middle of the week. On a Tuesday night.

It takes less than 15 seconds for you to give him a reply, “I don’t dance.”

Baekhyun smiles as if he expected that answer, walking over to lightly bump his hip to yours. “There are plenty of other things to do at a party than just dance.”

“I don’t smoke either.”

“Free shots?”

“...” you pointedly look at his empty fridge. “Gin and juice does sound good about now.”

Remember when your friends called you a dumbass? Yeah, you are one. Now here you are, already two shots of vodka in from your ride over here, pacing back and forth on some rich guy’s lawn, trying to talk yourself into stepping through those double doors or turning around and sprinting back home… and then Baekhyun shows up fashionably in all his glory, stopping you dead in your tracks.

His black hair is messily tousled as always, the tips falling into his half-lidded, kohl-lined brown eyes. The first few buttons of his shirt are unbuttoned, revealing the sliver of a thin silver chain on his collarbones and a peek of his honey-toned skin. His shirt is tucked into a snug pair of dark jeans that your gaze is locked on a little too long before you manage to look away. From this distance, you can tell he’s already blazed.

As per privacy precautions, your best friend had asked you to meet him at the party rather than show up together. Even a frat party among a group of (plastered. Absolutely plastered and the party only started 30 minutes ago-) elite individuals calls for carefully navigating the lines between Baekhyun’s modeling and inner circles. More than half the crowd tonight is full of celebrities in celebration of one of their fellow influencers’ birthdays. You swear you can see the lean silhouette of another famous supermodel from here.

Baekhyun steps closer, the midnight breeze drowning you in his cologne and rich vanilla scent as he leans closer to murmur in your ear. “You ready?”

You glance back at the LED light, lit-up mansion behind you, feeling the wind flow through your crop top and the heavy bass of speakers in your newest pair of dainty black strap heels. You wonder if Baekhyun realizes how close he is standing to you, the warmth of his strong thighs felt through the fabric of your jeans and his minty breath caressing your ear. Unlike how loud you imagine the music is inside, you can hear him perfectly fine out here, under his sharp gaze and the light of the moon.

“Yes,” you whisper, meeting his eyes before he takes you by the hand and leads you inside.

Like you’ve mentioned before, parties aren’t really your scene of choice. You attend one every now and then to accompany May on her wild adventures for “inspiration” but even then you tend to stick close to the nearest wall and watch over the rest of your friends. You don’t like being in the center of attention like free-spirited May, elegant Shea, or your suave best friend. Yet when Baekhyun softly squeezes your hand and walks you through the heart of the party, you don’t have the heart to complain. As long as you are with him, you know that you’re safe.

The music is what hits you first, the bass boom of the latest R&B album overwhelming your senses. The inside of the house is decorated with smoke machines and disco lights, casting vibrant colors across the dim-lit rooms. If the smoke isn't already hindering your vision, you also walk by a group of guys passing around a joint in the center of the room. You stumble over someone’s feet in the crowd, looking back over your shoulder at the group of girls hurrying to catch their drunk friend before her swaying body falls.

There’s so much happening at once that when you finally reach the kitchen, you grab the nearest empty red cup and crack open a new bottle of tequila. You quickly throw back your drink, wincing at the way it burns down your throat.

Baekhyun cracks open a can of beer and leans his hip against the counter, chuckling at your pinched-up expression. 

You playfully roll your eyes, searching the fridge for a can of soda like you own the place before mixing another drink. The flashing lights are already giving you a headache. You’ll need something to sip on if you want to get through the rest of the night. Not even sza’s latest hits can persuade you to go back into the sweaty makeshift dance floor.

“Baekhyun!” a deep voice calls from the other room. You look up and squint through the dizzying clouds of smoke to see a tall figure step forward to greet Baekhyun and clap him on the back, recognizing their signature ears and a wide grin. Park Chanyeol: a rising rockstar and musician who is frequently seen among Baekhyun’s “industry” inner circle. His ripped t-shirt and right-sleeve tattoos look menacing when his piercing stare lands on you. 

A commotion in the next room has you peeking over Baekhyun’s shoulder into the crowded dining area, your curiosity peaked at the platter of sliced lime and a salt shaker laid out on the table.

Chanyeol clears his throat and crosses his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “We’re doing body shots. You game?” He tilts his head, raising a brow in challenge.

You screw the tequila bottle tight and meet the giant’s smug gaze with narrowed eyes. Now you ain’t a party girl, but one drink down and two shots in, you're ain’t no chicken either. “I’m in,” you grit out, brushing past both of them to enter the next room.

Liquor courage? Maybe. You’re a force to reckon with when there’s alcohol flowing through your veins. The worst thing someone can do is underestimate you while in a tipsy state. You’re already pushing through the small crowd, chugging your drink, and climbing up onto the dining table without a second thought.

Someone instructs you to lie still for them to pour the salt on your bare skin, put the shot glass in place, and for you to hold a slice of lime in your mouth. The music is still going. Your heart races in your ears. Cheers echo around the room, but everything fades into the background when your best friend’s shocked and handsome face comes into view. For a minute you feel a sense of triumph, savoring the rare moment when you leave Baekhyun, your ever-flustering best friend dumbstruck—until he shifts into his modeling persona. 

Baekhyun’s dark brown eyes lock on yours as he places his hands behind his back and leans down to slowly trace his tongue up the salty trail on your navel. You quiver when his warm breath fans over your hip, his mouth hovering over your waist before he licks up the rest of the salt on your torso, coming closer to the shot glass nestled between your breasts.

It takes everything in you to not bite through the lime wedge in your mouth when he wraps his lips around the edge of the glass and throws back the shot of tequila without breaking eye contact. But the sultry gaze in his smoky eyes keeps you locked in place with bated breath. When he leans closer to pull the lime from between your teeth and his bottom lip brushes over yours, you break, surging up to tangle your fingers in his hair and yank his mouth back down to yours as the world fades to black.

Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5✓ | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 |

A/N: “Just friends” take body shots off of each other right? 😇 Riiight? 😇🤭 Happy new year, loves! 🥳🎊🎉💕

[mayakern]

Hello! I was just wondering what skirt designs are going to be going up in your store in the next week or two? I tried searching your #store tag to see if you had already made a list but all I found was the list of designs you're ordering this summer 😅.

Side note: I got my journal order today!! It's so pretty and I'm very excited to begin using it!! It's got such a nice texture and weight to it 🥺 I now really need a skirt with the same design (poppy) lol it's so pretty!

i've posted this several times but here's the list again:

bluebonnets

crystal clusters

deadly florals

hiss from a rose (red/black)

ocean

rainbow

snails

star gayzing

these will hopefully be going up next thursday, the 20th, but i'm not 100% on that yet which is why i haven't given an official date

also ty im glad you like the journal!