#very nice! please get yourselves a slot guys

[harrywritingsbyme]

Nice and Warm

Based Off Of This Ask 

A/N: It’s extremely fluffy. The smut is fluffy too, but it’s raw, hot, and deep. Sorry the ending sucks too. Enjoy🙃

You and Harry absolutely adored being wrapped around each other. There was a warm feeling that came along with this closeness that you and Harry always craved. Now this warm feeling was already very much present when you two were simply in each others presence. But when you and Harry ventured out into your favorite way of connecting and being together (which was very often), this warmth was elevated to a level that was very pleasing and appealing to you both. This form of closeness that you and Harry were ever so fond of was cockwarming. You two couldn’t get enough of being wrapped around each other like this. You and Harry’s need to be close to each other was beyond met when you two did this. There was an insurmountable warmth that came along with having him inside you, sheathing his cock with your walls (or on rare occasions your mouth). It didn’t even matter if his cock was hard or soft, Harry was always willing to pull his cock out from his pants. It didn’t matter if you were still a little sore from Harry pounding into you, or if it was that time of the month and you were having some serious cramps (that was one of Harry’s favorite times; he liked helping with easing your cramps, and your walls were a bit warmer than usual), you always welcomed his cock filling you up. You two were so in sync with this readiness to be around each other that neither of you had to say a word. You two would just give one another a distinct look and you both would immediately begin adjusting yourselves so that you could be wrapped around each other. This was you guys’ happy medium. It was a form of intimacy for you two that combined the physicality of being together in the highest possible way and the emotional aspect of being together and enjoying each others company to form a different, more complete way of being close to one another.

Now even though you two were a bit spontaneous when it came to cockwarming, you and Harry still had special times and places that were for almost mandatory cockwarming.

Before bed was an absolute necessity for you and Harry. Along with the warm feeling that came along with being close to each other like this, cockwarming also made you two calm and comfortable. That’s why it was an absolute must for you two to do this whenever you slept together; which was every night. It helped you two completely wind down in each other, relax, and drift off into a peaceful sleep. Aside from doing this before bed, you and Harry made sure to take every opportunity you two had to cockwarm. When you guys had breakfast in the morning was one of those times. You’d take your panties off, Harry’d pull his shorts off, and you’d then sink down onto his soft cock for the second time that morning before digging into your breakfast. Afterwards, you’d lift yourself off of his cock and put your panties on. Harry’d pull up his pants and you two would go on with the rest of your day. If you two were at home for most of the day, the cockwarming would be endless. But like today, the two of you weren’t always able to be with each other all day long which meant that the cockwarming was limited to twice in the morning (the first time upon waking up, and the second time during breakfast), and later on in the evening when you two were finally able to spend more time together.

After coming home, showering, and changing into some comfortable clothes, you and Harry agree on having a relaxing little date night together. By the time you two finish cooking a little something for dinner and downing a couple glasses of wine in the process, you both are a little bit on the tired and tipsy side. But even thought this was the case, you and Harry still managed to remove any unecessary clothing items so that you two could cockwarm. It’d become a habit that was engrained in your minds. For most of the duration of dinner, the two of you just sit at the table and talked about your days while sharing a couple kisses in between. 

“Wanna cuddle?” Harry asks through a mumble, tightening his arm around your waist and dropping his head into your shoulder. 

“Mhm. Can we lay on the couch though, I don’t think I can climb up the stairs.” You sigh, bringing your hand down to his that was on the side of your waist. 

“Of course baby.” Harry coos, lifting his head up a little to sponge a kiss into your neck.

“Well m’gonna go to to the bathroom first.” You mumble back to him before slowly pulling yourself off of his soft cock and standing up. You don’t even bother picking your panties up and putting them back on. You already know that there going to come off and Harry’s going to push back into you.

“Okay baby.” Harry hums in response. While you’re taking care of your business in the bathroom, Harry decides to clean up a little bit before you come back. He quickly clears the table and places the little bit of dishes you two just used for dinner into the kitchen sink before heading into the living room to wait for you. He then crashes down onto the couch and decides to flip through Netflix in an attempt to find something that you two hadn’t already watched. His search is cut short though when you come into the living room.

“I see you didn’t bother to put on pants either.” You point out, nodding your head towards his naked lap.

“Makes both of our lives a bit easier right?” Harry shrugs, turning from his side to his back so that you could get on top of him. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” You agree with him, lifting the bottom of your shirt up a bit so that he could see your bare pussy. When he sees your cunt, Harry’s cock gets a little bit excited and he feels himself getting a little hard. 

“Now can we cuddle now? Miss havin’ you on me baby.” Harry redirects the conversation. Instead of making a response to his statement, you swing your leg over his lap and you straddle his hips. You then lift yourself up a bit and you reach one of your hands down to feel around for his cock. “Want me to line it up for you darling?” Harry offers sweetly.

“Please?” You pout down to him. You give up on feeling around for his cock and you let Harry do it all for you. 

“Of course.”Harry instantly obliges. He then reaches into his lap and he wraps a hand around his soft cock and he lines it up with your entrance. When you feel his thick crown nudging at your entrance, you begin to slowly sink down onto him, sheathing him with your warm and very welcoming walls. The both of you let out a few small moans here and there from how amazing it felt to be back around each other like this, even if it was only less than 10 minuets ago. Once he’s fully inside, you lay down against his chest with your head turned in the direction of the tv. 

“I really like having you inside me.” You hum happily, feeling his cock pushing right into the deepest end of your pussy.

“I love being inside you too sweet girl.” Harry coos, pushing his hand up underneath your shirt to stroke your back. The two of you continue to lie there together, flipping through movie after movie on Netflix to find something that you both haven’t seen and can agree on. “Wanna watch this one? We’ve already seen it but you can’t go wrong with it.” Harry suggests, stopping at a romcom that you two had seen about twice before. 

“That’s fine, it’s not like were gonna be up for that much longer anyway.” You reply through a yawn, cuddling further into Harry as well. 

And your prediction ended up being spot on. You and Harry were only about thirty minuets into the movie before you two were out for the count. The both of you fell asleep as you two cuddled and cockwarmed. This is why you two loved to do it at night before bed. It put you two right to sleep.

When the next morning came around, you woke up a little bit before Harry. You were brought out of your sleep when you felt Harry’s cock begin to harden inside of you. Even though you could’ve cared less about whether or not Harry was hard when he pushed into you, you still managed to favor him being soft when he pushes into you at first. You loved feeling him get hard inside you. You could feel him growing and stretching your walls to fit his larger size. Once he was fully hard inside you, you could feel him nudging a bit harder against your sweet spot that was in the deepest part of you. Feeling this caused you to squirm a bit against him, causing Harry to wake up too. He could feel your walls contracting and slightly moving around him and he couldn’t help but wake up. 

“Feel good down there sweetheart?” Harry grumbles, brining his hand down to give your backside a small squeeze. 

“So good.” You hum, lifting your head up from his chest. When you do this, your face his hovering right on top of his. Harry’s eyes then open and the first thing he sees is your face. Your features still have a little tinge of sleep left in them but for the most part, you’re fully awake and absolutely beautiful to Harry.

“Good morning beautiful.” Harry greets you, bringing his hand that wasn’t on your backside up to cup the side of your face. 

“Good morning handsome.” You greet him back with a smile, lowering your face down to press your lips against his. When you slot your lips with his, the both of you fully awaken. It’s like the kiss gives you both an energy boost. Even though it’s not rushed, this kiss between the two of you manages to send little tingly shocks through your bodies. It completely awakens you both, motivating you and Harry to go farther than just kissing this morning. Even though you wanted to continue feeling Harry’s tongue softly glide against yours and continue listening to the soft smacking of your wet lips against his, you just wanted to cuddle a bit more. So you pull away from his mouth and you nestle your head into his shoulder. “I love feeling your cock grow inside me in the morning.” You hum randomly. 

“You do baby?” Harry asks, deciding to continue this conversation so that he could hear more about how much you loved having him inside you.

“So much. You’re already pretty deep when you’re all soft, but you’re even deeper when you’re hard. Plus you give me a nice stretch when you grow.

“That’s nice to know.” Harry hums delightedly. He had a little bit of a praise kink so he was always fishing for little compliments from you. “What else do you like baby?” He presses further, wanting to hear more about what you liked.  

“I like being full and having you in my tummy. Your cock is right against my sweet spot too.” You continue. 

“You like this baby?” Harry asks before clenching his muscles up a little bit down there. By doing this, Harry was able to slightly twitch his cock inside you. And since you said that he was right against your sweet spot, he was able to tickle you a little bit from within; which resulted in a little giggle from you. 

“Oh my- that tickles Harry.” You laugh, tightening your walls up at the feeling.

“You like when I tickle you baby.” Harry chuckles, continuing to clench his muscles up. 

“Mhm.” You mumble through your small laughs.

“How about this?” Harry asks, raising his hips up a little to push his cock into you a bit more. 

“Mhm.” You mumble, except this time it’s through a moan. Instead of replying to you, Harry wraps an arm around your back and lifts you both up so that he’s sitting on the couch with you in his lap. “Oh my god.” You pant under your breath, feeling him completely inside of you from this angle.

“Feel good sweet girl?” Harry asks, beginning to slowly push you back and forth against his cock. 

“So good.” You whimper softly into his shoulder. You had your warms wrapped around his neck and you just moved with with the way he moved you. 

“Feel nice and and warm and tight baby.” Harry pants lightly, continuing to move you on him. “Such a perfect little pussy for my cock.” He continues. He then brings both hands down to your ass and begins to slowly move you up and down on him. The both of you couldn’t put into words just how good you were feeling. The both of you were able to fully experience the pleasure that came from being around each other. You got to not only feel his cock grow inside you, but also move and pleasure you. Whenever he lifted you up, he made sure to push the rest of his cock up into you. Even the way he gripped onto the flesh of your ass was amazing. He made you feel safe and taken care of. You always felt this way, but this morning your senses and emotions were heightened and you were a little more sensitive than normal.

Harry was feeling beyond good right now. As he continued to move your body on his cock, he got to feel your walls contract and dampen around his cock. He got to perfectly hear your moans and whimpers since your face was burrowed in his neck.

“Wanna see your pretty body baby. Gonna let me take this shirt off of you?” Harry asks softly. When he feels you nod yes against his shoulder, he continues to move his hips against you but he gently peels your arms from around his neck. He keeps a firm yet gentle grip on your hip while he bunches the large white t-shirt up and off of you. 

“What about yours?” You ask him meekly, reaching down to the hem of the shirt he was wearing.

“Take it off me baby.” Harry softly instructs, removing his hand from your waist so that you could do it. Once his shirt is off of, Harry focuses back in on you. He then pulls you  back into his chest, allowing you both to feel each others warm skin against yourself. As you two rock your hips into each other, you manage to reach down and lift Harry’s hand up to your chest that was pressed against his. When he feels your breast against your hand he loosens his arm from around your back, allowing you to move back a little so that he could fondle the area. Feeling his strong hand around your breast, feeling his cock move deep inside you and hearing his deep moans were pushing you right to the brink of your release. 

“M’gonna cum.” You huff through your whimpers. 

“Me too baby. Let go with me sweet girl.” Harry coaxes, continuing to swirl his thumb around your nipple. “Look a’me baby.” He instructs when he feels your walls contracting a bit more. You then slowly but surely shift your head back down and open your eyes to look right into his as you let go. “I love you baby.” Harry lastly whispers before leaning in and connecting his lips with yours. The two of you then proceed to release the mounting pressure that you both were holding deep inside the pits of your stomachs. As you and Harry cum, you swallow each others moans and you just ride the waves of your releases together.

For the next hour or so, the two of you just sit there together. Continuing the cuddling, kissing, and talking from earlier. Making sure to keep each other nice and warm. 

Masterlist

[darter-blue]

And now for some stucky fluff...

Read it here on ao3

Or part one, two, three, four on tumblr

Bucky’s sense has left him. It left him somewhere back on the dance floor. Maybe even before then.

It’s entirely possible that in fact he’s never had any.

He spent too long talking at Steve about particles… about soulmates… about whatever it is that's happening between them. And by some miracle, Steve is still listening, still looking at Bucky like he’s interesting, like his words mean something. And Bucky needs to harness that. Needs to grab at it before it slips through his fingers.

So he quits his yapping. He grabs Steve and he pulls at him again, marvels at the complete lack of resistance there, at the way Steve just follows him. When he dares to look back over his shoulder, Steve is still there, still staring at Bucky as if he is something wondrous. Somehow not tripping, or faltering, despite not watching at all where he’s going and or paying any kind of attention to the people or the noise or the chaos of the casino around them.

Steve’s eyes are only for Bucky.

Even as Bucky pulls them through the garishly painted doors. Even as Bucky leads him into madness.

Bucky turns away from Steve to face forward, to push clear of the doors and let them swing closed behind them.

It’s much quieter in the chapel.

Bucky sweeps his eyes from right to left and takes in the pastel pink walls, the blue ribbons along the pews, the couple chatting at the top of the aisle. One dressed as Elvis - white jumpsuit and cape, big hair, sunglasses, guitar flung over one shoulder, not slim, but filling out that jumpsuit nicely all the same - the other wearing a hot pink t-shirt that reads ‘we will wed you’ in white lettering across the chest and a fifties retro polka dot skirt.

They both look up as Steve and Bucky enter.

‘He-ey,’ the man dressed as Elvis says, smile and eyes widening as he looks past Bucky and up and up to Steve, then back down and up again. One eyebrow raising in slight disbelief, no doubt, at the existence of such a perfect being.

Bucky can’t blame him.

‘Welcome, welcome!’ the woman in hot pink says, coming forward, arms outstretched, ‘hello boys!’

‘Hello,’ Bucky says, smiling at her exuberance, and her very excellent blond bee-hive up-do, and slows to a stop about halfway down the aisle.

‘Ma’am,’ Steve says, affability dripping from the buttery smooth tone in his voice, coming to a stop on Bucky’s right.

‘Oh, you two look like a match made in heaven!’ the woman says, stopping a few feet from them, she holds up her hands and makes a frame with her fingers, placing Bucky and Steve in it and looking through at them with one narrowed eye. ‘Oh yes. Beautiful, beautiful.’

‘Uh…’ Bucky starts, and falters. At a loss for exactly how to proceed.

He looks up at Steve and Steve looks down at him with an encouraging smile, slides an arm around Bucky’s waist and squeezes him closer.

‘We umm… do we have to make an appointment?’

‘You two?’ the woman says, eyeing them both up and down, ‘no appointments necessary, come come come.’ She spins around and starts heading towards Elvis, checking back to make sure Bucky and Steve are following her, ‘Come with me, I’m going to take care of everything.’

‘Okay,’ Bucky says, looking up and Steve and shrugging his shoulders.

Steve laughs and squeezes Bucky tighter, walking them down the aisle together. ‘How do you make everybody fall in love with you like this, Buck?’

‘Me?’ Bucky says, laughing and shaking his head at Steve. As if Steve has no idea of the kind of magnetism he’s exuding. The uncanny resemblance he has to a greek god.

‘Yes, definitely you,’ Steve says, ‘People are never this easy with me.’

‘I am,’ Bucky says truthfully. Everything about Steve screams home to Bucky. Screams safety and happiness. Bucky couldn’t be anything but easy with him.

‘Yes you are,’ Steve says softly. Squeezing Bucky again. He’s going to have to stop doing that, it's so warm, his arm is so strong, his hand is so big, Bucky feels encased by him. It’s dangerously addictive. Bucky wants to lean into it and let himself go.

But, actually, why can't he? This is a chapel, they are about to leap into the craziest decision Bucky has ever made in his life... So Bucky does lean into it. Lets his side press into Steve, lets them fit together like a solved puzzle.

‘Okay boys, we have some forms, we have some catalogues,’ the woman says, gesturing them into a room off to the side of the chapel, ‘I need you to put your decision making hats on, okay? We have about thirty minutes before the next couple comes in and I want to slot you right in, yes?’

‘Okay,’ Bucky and Steve say together, nodding their heads.

‘Good, good. So take a look over these, sign them, pick your rings and I’ll charge them all to your room. You’re staying in the casino right?’

‘Yes,’ Steve says, moving forward before Bucky can answer, ‘Charge it to my room, please.’

Steve starts pulling out his wallet, shows his identification and takes the pen the lady offers him, and Bucky watches with a sort of fascination, as Steve becomes completely in control.

‘Steve Rogers,’ the woman says with a smile Bucky doesn’t understand. Knowing, familiar. ‘I’m Mavis, it’s so lovely to meet you.’

‘And you,’ Steve says. He opens his arm out to Bucky to gesture him forward, and slides it around Bucky’s shoulder when he gets close enough. ‘This is Bucky.’

‘James Buchanan Barnes,’ Bucky says, holding out a hand for Mavis to shake, ‘pleasure to meet you, Mavis.’

‘Oh well you are just the sweetest thing,’ Mavis says with a chuckle, her cheeks blushing, ‘absolutely adorable.’ She pushes a catalogue towards Bucky, ‘Find your rings, darlin’ while Steve here fills out the paperwork. I just need some signatures from both of you and I’ll set up everything with Larry over there,’ she points to Elvis who waves back at them from the altar, ‘while you pop out and find yourselves a witness.’

‘Can’t you be our witness, Mavis?’ Bucky asks. He doesn’t want to unpack the kind of recklessness that it takes to be getting married in a seedy casino wedding chapel and needing to nab random strangers to be their witnesses.

‘Oh of course I will, darlin’ boy, but you need two. And Larry is the officiator, he can’t be a witness I’m afraid.’

‘It’s no problem,’ Steve says, looking up from the paperwork and handing Bucky the pen, ‘You sign these and pick out the rings, Buck, I’ll go grab somebody.’

‘Ahh... sure,’ Bucky takes the pen and watches as Steve takes off on a mission, ‘I’ll just… pick out my wedding ring from this plastic catalogue…’

‘Okay,’ Mavis says, bustling about in the small room and not watching Bucky at all, ‘Here are your complimentary t-shirts,’ she pulls some material from a storage box under the counter, ‘here is your album,’ Mavis plonks a hot pink vinyl photo album right next to Bucky’s ring catalogue, ’and here’s your notepad.’

‘Notepad?’ Bucky looks at Mavis and then down at the small notepad, blue and pink and with a vegas sign as a watermark in the background.

‘You might want to jot some quick vows down, honey.’

‘Oh.’

It occurs to Bucky, as he looks down at his coloured notepad, at the ring catalogue on laminated sheets of pink paper, at the t-shirts Mavis has put down for them on the counter, that this is perhaps a terrible mistake.

And then he looks a little closer at one of the rings on the last page… plain white gold (plated, he’s guessing) flat bands with an inscription on the inside that reads, ‘For we are but two halves, together whole’ and wonders if in fact it's the opposite of a mistake.

What if this is fate?

‘Bucky, I found somebody,’ Steve comes tearing back into the chapel followed by a dazed looking man, wide eyed and smiling, looking up at Steve as if he just met the messiah. ‘This is Scott.’

‘Hi Scott,’ Bucky says, dragging the man’s attention away from Steve, ‘thank you so much for doing this.’

‘Are you kidding?’ Scott says, beaming back up at Steve, ‘for this guy? Anything.’

He looks starstruck - Bucky can totally understand where he’s coming from.

Scott is absolutely bouncing on the balls of his feet, ‘You are a lucky guy, Bucky.’

Bucky looks at Steve, who is looking worriedly between Scott and Bucky, reminding Bucky momentarily of a confused puppy, and has to wholeheartedly agree.

‘You still sure about this, Buck?’ Steve asks, puppy dog eyes kicking into full gear.

Bucky can’t help but smile. ‘I um… found these I sort of like,’ Bucky says in lieu of an answer, pointing to the picture of the rings on the laminated page, ‘what do you think?’

Steve looks down at them, at the inscription decsribed underneath the picture and looks back up at Bucky with the softest, sweetest smile. ‘They look perfect.’

‘Yeah? You think so?’

‘I do.’

And Bucky’s heart melts. He feels the warmth of it spread right through his chest.

‘Perfect!’ Mavis cries, swooping in to grab the catalogue and disappear into the chapel, yelling back ‘get yourselves to the altar boys!’

‘I guess we ah… head out there?’ Bucky gestures over his shoulder with his thumb, to the altar, ‘let me just um…’ he jots down a few lines and then rips the page off and hands the notepad to Steve, ‘for your vows.’

‘Ahh…’ Steve looks adorably terrified at the notepad Bucky has just handed him and looks over at Scott who is smiling at both of them now.

‘You guys look good together,’ Scott says, grabbing them both around their biceps and pushing them together, ‘this is really special. Thanks for letting me be a part of this, Cap.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Steve says, calm but bemused as Scott’s hands keep squeezing.

Bucky looks up at Steve and then back at Scott who almost seems to be tearing up.

‘You guys know each other?’

‘I wish,’ Scott says, shaking his head with a laugh, ‘what a dream this night has turned out to be.’

And Bucky can’t help but laugh. It’s just crazy enough to be perfect for this evening. ‘For you and me both,’ Bucky says. And Scott squeezes his arm a little tighter. ‘We even have this t-shirt for you.’

Scott takes the t-shirt Bucky offers him reverently. ‘Viva las witness,’ he says with awe. ‘This is amazing.’

‘And for you, sir,’ Bucky says, handing one to Steve.

‘Thank you, Buck’ Steve says, standing back from them both to pull off the button down he’s wearing.

Bucky can’t stop the gasp that escapes as Steve’s shirt slides down his arms to reveal the wide expanse of chiseled porcelain perfection underneath.

Steve smiles at Bucky’s no doubt slack jawed expression but Bucky can’t look away. It’s… a lot. IKt’s more muscle than Bucky has ever seen on a real live person. Toned and smooth and carved out of marble.

What is Bucky getting himself into?

Steve is pulling the pink ‘groom’ shirt over his chest and down over his washboard abs and Bucky has to hold his hand back from reaching out to touch him, to slip his fingers under the soft material of the t-shirt.

‘Your turn, Buck,’ Steve says, staring at Bucky with one eyebrow raised, handing him the blue shirt.

‘Uh-uh.’ Bucky shakes his head. 'Nope, not after that,' he waves his hand in the direction of Steve's chest, 'no thank you.'

'Buck?'

'I don't look anything like that.'

'Nobody looks anything like that,' Scott says, his eyebrows still at his hairline.

'Scott, could you give us five minutes?'

'Yeah, I'll just…' Scott backs out of the room and towards the altar, 'let me choose you some music. Be right back.'

'Bucky,' Steve steps closer as Scott disappears, 'you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with.'

Bucky lets him closer, but doesn't move.

'But this,' Steve puts his hands to his giant pecs, nearly breaking through the t-shirt, 'this is not what makes me, me.'

'I know,' Bucky tucks his hair behind his ear, nodding his head 'I know that.' He does know that. But it’s hard to not be intimidated by his perfection.

'And as beautiful as you are,' Steve says, reaching out to take Bucky's hand and hold it, put it up against Bucky’s chest, 'this isn't what makes you, you.' Steve presses the finger of his free hand against Bucky’s forehead. 'This is, Buck. This is you, yes?'

'Yes.' And it’s true. He forgets that sometimes but it’s true.

'And it's amazing, you're amazing.'

'I am?' Is he? Bucky doesn’t feel amazing. He feels like he’s just scraping by most of the time.

'You are.'

Steve is looking down at him with so much affection, Bucky knows it’s not a line. It’s what Steve really thinks.

'You are too,' Bucky lifts his own free hand to touch Steve's forehead, 'you're so lovely.'

Steve leans in as Bucky traces his hand down to his cheek and rests his forehead against Bucky's. 'You don't have to wear the t-shirt, Bucky,' Steve says softly, running his hand through Bucky’s hair, 'You don't ever have to do anything you don't want to do.'

Steve's hands on him are like a balm. They radiate care and calm, and they speak Steve's truth.

Bucky’s insecurity washes away. He wants to be part of this. He wants to be all in. 'I do want to wear the t-shirt,' Bucky whispers, 'It's cute.'

Steve laughs and almost snorts. 'It's perfect for you.' Steve nods. 'Want me to give you some privacy?'

'No,’ Bucky doesn’t want Steve to go anywhere. ‘No I want you to help me.’

Bucky takes Steve’s hands in his own and places them gently at the hem of his t-shirt - faded and worn and washed too many times, all the more comfortable because of it.

Steve slides his hands up under the hem and over the bare skin above Bucky’s waistband, dragging the tips of his fingers across Bucky’s stomach. Bucky breaths in a sharp gasp of air as Steve’s thumb runs over his hip bone.

‘Gorgeous,’ Steve sighs the word, his breath on Bucky’s lips, he’s so close.

Bucky lifts his arms to let Steve run his fingers up further, taking the material of the shirt with him and lifting it slowly over Bucky’s head. He runs his hands back down Bucky’s chest, fingertips burning into Bucky’s skin, charged and electric.

They slow at Bucky’s stomach, sliding around the smooth, slightly rounded softness of Bucky’s waist to settle on his hips, rubbing circles over the bone with his thumbs.

‘Beautiful,’ Steve whispers, ‘you’re perfect, Bucky.’

‘Thank you,’ Bucky whispers back. Not because Steve has said it, but because he’s made Bucky believe it.

Steve’s nuzzles closer, reaching up to kiss his lips against Bucky’s forehead, Bucky settles his hands on Steve’s chest, up to Steve’s shoulders and around his neck-

‘Showtime boys!’ Mavis says, bursting into the room and then throwing a hand over her eyes as Steve and Bucky jump apart, ‘Oops! Sorry, but you need to get your sweet little butts out there, we’re running out of time.’

‘Yep, sorry, sorry,’ Bucky grabs for the blue t-shirt, ‘Elvis said we do’ plastered across the front in bright pink lettering, ‘coming right out.’

‘Better late than never,’ Mavis says with a wink to Steve and Bucky laughs at the blush that creeps into his cheeks.

‘Shit,’ Steve writes quickly in the notepad as they both hustle out to the altar, Scott off to the side pairing his phone with the sound system as ‘Fools rush in’ starts up over the speakers and Larry-Elvis smiles down at them as they move into position on either side of where he stands a step above them.

Steve tucks the notepad into his pocket and shuffles his feet. Bucky stands straight and reaches for his hands, pulls them into the space between them, holds them there, safe between Bucky’s own.

‘Welcome folks,’ Larry-Elvis drawls, ‘We’re gonna keep this short and sweet, I as a certified official in the state of Nevada, do preside over these two young men, to bring them together in holy matrimony-’

Steve catches Bucky’s eye and bites his lip. Bucky can only look back and try and keep from vibrating out of his skin.

‘-James Buchanan Barnes, did you have some words for Steve,’

‘Ah, yep…’ Bucky says, grabbing the torn out page from the pocket of his jeans, ‘Ah, Steven-’

‘-Grant,’ Steve says quietly.

‘Steven Grant Rogers, somehow it feels like I’ve known you forever. Somehow I feel like tonight I have met the kindest, most wonderful man in the world.’

‘It’s so true,’ Scott says quietly from behind them, and it makes Bucky smile.

‘Whatever brought us together, whatever force has drawn us to each other… It feels like fate, Steve. I think maybe you’re my person.’

Steve is nodding, smiling, he squeezes Bucky’s fingers.

‘And Steve?’ Larry-Elvis asks, ‘did you have words too, son?’

‘Yeah I…’ Steve doesn’t reach for his notepad, he looks at Bucky and squares his shoulders, lifts his chin, ‘James Buchanan Barnes, my heart knows you. However our particles have danced together through time, I found you here and now, and I’m going to hold on for as long as I can-’

‘Oh, god,’ Scott sobs behind them.

‘-I think you’re right about fate, Buck, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life, just being a part of yours.’

‘Beautiful!’ Mavis cries, running over with the rings, ‘Rings boys, time to wrap it up.’

Bucky has to smile at the chaos, at Steve’s face as he bites his cheek and tries not to laugh. He checks back at Scott to see him taking video of the ceremony and hopes that he can watch this in the morning, sober, and remember how light his heart is right now.

‘That was beautiful, Steve-Steve Rogers,’ Bucky says leaning in to whisper.

‘You’re beautiful,’ Steve says back and they smile at each other like idiots as Mavis hands them their rings and the song fades out on Elvis singing about falling in love. It couldn’t be more perfect.

‘You may kiss the groom, fellas,’ Larry says with a sweeping hand, ‘I now pronounce you husband and husband.’

And all of the noise fades away around them as Steve steps in, brings their joined hands up to their chests and reaches down to rest his lips against Bucky’s.

‘May I?’ he whispers against Bucky’s mouth.

‘Fuck yes,’ Bucky whispers back, and Steve laughs as he closes that last tiny distance, presses his warm lips softly to Bucky’s and opens them just enough to fit their mouths together.

The tenderness of it has Bucky in freefall.

He sighs into the taste of Steve’s lips, the luscious sweep of them against Bucky’s, and Steve has to let go of Bucky’s hands to reach around and grab him, take Bucky’s weight where he has dropped into Steve’s hold, pressing deeper into the kiss as he does, opening wider to it, gently nudging his tongue against Bucky’s and Bucky pushes back, licks softly into Steve’s mouth, sucks at the plumpness of his bottom lip, reaches his hands up around Steve’s neck and holds on.

The bang of the confetti canon has Steve snapping back up to standing, pulling Bucky with him and wrapping his arms around him, as if to shield him. Looking up and then back at Bucky as the coloured paper rains down on them.

Bucky can't help huffing a happy laugh at his husband. His husband.

‘Congratulations!’ Mavis and Larry-Elvis and Scott all cry from around them, but Bucky’s world is all and only Steve right now. The crystal clear blue of his eyes, the rose of his cheeks, the sharp nose and pink lips, and the look of absolute adoration on his face.

‘Wanna get out of here?’ Bucky asks.

Steve smiles even wider, ducks his head to kiss Bucky again, slow and soft and sweet and whispers into Bucky’s mouth, ‘I do.’

It’s perfect.

[anobscurename]

ocean eyes – chris evans

previous part: PART XIII — masterlist

concept: a celebratory trip to the hamptons results in an altercation the first night you're there. the slowest of slow burns. part fourteen of many.

pairing: chris evans x reader // chris evans x respect women juice

word count: 2,8k

warnings: tw:sexual harrassment (drunken creeps are creepy), homophobic slurs (they're also assholes), angst

author's note: this one goes out to @fangirlovestuff as promised :) the next part will be coming shortly! we on some double upload weirdness, to make up for my disappearance basically the whole of yesterday

"Um, no... Really, I couldn't."

Lily pouted. Even when she pouted, she was beautiful. "Why not?"

"I don't want to intrude, really, you guys go and have fun. It's the Hamptons after all."

"But everyone's coming! Please?"

"I don't know..."

"For Chris? Would you do it for Chris?"

You cast a tentative glance to the man in question, currently in the midst of a tug-of-war with Dodger, barely paying your conversation any attention. If only they knew you'd do anything for Chris. "He is the worst bargaining chip you could've ever even thought of using."

"How about for me?" She jokingly batted her long, long lashes, an enchanting smile gracing her lips. "I won't take no for an answer, and Sebastian will be there."

"Sebastian?" You rolled your eyes at the suggestive arch of her brows. They were under the impression you and Sebastian were involved, somehow. You picked subconsciously at the scars on the palm of your hand, entirely healed and almost faded into nothing now.

"It would mean so much to us. You're such a big part of Chris' life, one of his best friends, and–"

"Alright!" You snapped. Quickly masking your irritation with a laugh, you repeated yourself, softer this time. "Alright, I'll come."

She clapped happily, giving no indication of having been taken aback or even mildly offended at you having practically yelled at her. Guilt pitted yourself in your stomach. You wanted to dislike her, but not only was she exceptionally beautiful, she was also incredibly nice. Beyond nice. Serial killers weren't even that nice. And it wasn't her fault that she was basically Jesus trapped in the body of a supermodel, and it wasn't her fault for Chris loving her – because honestly, it wasn't hard loving her – it was just that it was so fucking difficult at times when people kept calling you his friend. Chris' friend.

It would be so much easier to hate someone deserving of it, but you just couldn't. Because both of them were so beautiful and... nice.

Perfectly matched in every way you and Chris were not.

So you decided to go to the Hamptons beach house because why not?

What's the worse that could happen?

———————

This was the worse that could happen.

You had arrived at beach house Anthony had rented a little later that day, when the sun was making it's slow decent to kiss the horizon.

And the frenzy to all get ready to go out was nothing short of chaotic.

You were tired from the plane, and irritated from having been sat – with little to no form of escape – in the same row as Chris and Lily. It wasn't necessarily a long flight, but a second felt like hours when you put yourself through that kind of agony.

But you'd made up your mind after the gala to get over this little crush on Chris. Nothing good was going to come of it, and you tried to spare yourself further heartache and broken glass.

Easier said than done.

Anthony and Sebastian did not mirror your mood. On the contrary, they were still riding the high of finally wrapping the filming on Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and this was their celebration weekend. And they were going all out for it.

The house was lavish, no expense spared. And when you'd arrived, Anthony had opened his suitcase right in the kitchen, and began stocking the fridge with the champagne he'd packed in there, cushioned by his clothes.

You had briefly wondered why he had brought such a large suitcase for such a short trip, but as you watched the fifth bottle disappear into the icebox, your questions were answered.

"Why the long face?"

Anthony didn't even have to look at you to know you were standing there, bags having been dropped off in your room before joining him.

"Do I really have to come out tonight?" You whined. You hated how bratty you sounded, but you would much rather stay in the house alone for the night than go out with Chrily. You knew Sebastian and Anthony would be there too – Scarlett was also supposed to come, but she had other duties to attend to, being a mother – but you knew no matter how great they were at making you feel better, you would spend most of the night moody and brooding. And you didn't want to ruin their night with your personal issues.

You were being selfless for selfish reasons.

"Is that even a question?" Anthony was mid-stock with the final bottle of champagne when he looked at you. The inside of the fridge looked like a Moët & Chandon ad, with Anthony Mackie as the ambassador. "You're coming out if it kills me."

"But why?" You groaned.

"Because everything is more fun with you there, and besides... It wouldn't feel like a celebration without our best girl."

"Fine. I'll come," you rolled your eyes, turning to head out. "Need to shower first."

And then you heard the champagne bottle shake, the cork popping and suddenly, you were drenched in a spray of Moët. Over the sound of frothing bubbles, Anthony called out to you. "No need!"

And that was why – despite scrubbing your skin almost raw and lathering your hair to the point of chemical burn – you sat there, on the barstool, smelling faintly like expensive alcohol.

"I hate you," you muttered under your breath to Anthony as you and him had taken it upon yourselves to get the next round of drinks for the table.

He chuckled, struggling to grab a bartender's attention. "No, you don't."

"You're right, I don't. I'll always love you. But that doesn't mean I have to like you right now."

"Love me, huh?" Anthony arched a brow. "Now, was that so hard to say?"

"What?"

"It's not me you should be saying that to. You know that."

You knew what he meant, and a heavy sigh vacated your lungs. "You know it's not the same. You're family. With him... It's different."

"I think this is the first time you've ever admitted it out loud."

And it dawned on you that he was right. You had never let yourself properly admit it, even inwardly. The words had maybe flowed from the tip of your pen onto the pale pages of your journal – the only catharsis you found lately – but you never read those entries back, abandoning them to be lost in a sea of random thoughts, forgotten.

It didn't give you a sense of relief, saying the words. Not even slightly. If anything, they filled you up with dread.

"Don't," you rolled your eyes. "I'm over it. Or at least I'm getting there."

"Hey," he shrugged in placation. "Relax. It's not my confession to make."

Being an ex-cocktail waitress had its perks as you made your way back to the table, slipping easily past people with the tray of shots you had retrieved. You were speedy and efficient, even in your heels.

Anthony, on the other hand...

Beer bottles slotted between each finger, he was having much more difficulty getting by. And once you'd set the shots down at the table, not a drop spilled, Anthony's shirt was spattered with beer, hands slick with it.

As you plopped into the seat beside Sebastian, making him shift over in the booth to make more room for Anthony, he gave you a strained smile.

"I don't know how the fuck you put up with them," Seb whispered to you. "They're so lovey-dovey, it's unbearable."

"Just grin and bear it," you whispered back.

"What are you two giggling about over there?" Chris grinned from across the booth. It wasn't a very convincing grin, but you didn't dwell on it. No more allowing Christopher Robert Evans to occupy your mind.

"Just how Mackie would make a terrible waiter," you shrugged, sending the man in question a quick cheeky smirk.

"Oh, haha, very funny," he flicked some beer at you from his soaked fingertips. "I'd make a fabulous waitress and you know that."

You shied away from the alcohol droplets, laughing. "No! Not again!"

Chris took in his appearance. "Jesus, Ant. Is there even any beer left for us? Or are you wearing it all?"

"Wow, you're all hilarious," he rolled his eyes, finally dropping into the booth. "I didn't know I was out with a bunch of comedians tonight. Did I walk onto a sitcom set? Is this a sketch? Whose turn is it next? Seb? Lily?"

You all took turns making jokes and taking jibes at Anthony's lacklustre bottle service, which was only put to rest once the Falcon actor huffed and proclaimed that "you could all go get your own damned drinks."

As the night wore on, you found yourself gravitating towards the dancefloor. Honestly, you just couldn't be in the booth anymore. You knew getting over him was going to be a slow process, but some part of you had hoped that it would be an immediate and simple thing: just falling out of your pathetic little crush.

But it really wasn't, and so you were on the dancefloor. Regrettably alone. Chris and Lily were still in the booth, and the other couple – Anthony and Seb – were absolutely enthralled by a vintage pinball machine lurking in the back of the bar.

Every now and then, you would hear one whoop for joy as they beat the other's high score, only for the competitive nature of their activity to take over for another redemption round.

As you lost yourself in the music, it wasn't long before you attracted the attention of a drunken creep. You didn't use that term lightly, but this one was truly deserving.

You had felt eyes on you, and immediately found who they belonged to. Just to be polite, you had smiled at him, before continuing your dancing.

And then, taking it as an invitation, he sidled up to you, and clammy hands slithered over your waist, pulling your back to him with a strong, commanding grip. Your stomach lurched, uncomfortable with the fast rising intensity of the situation.

"You look so fuckin' good tonight, baby," he slurred into your ear, swaying on his feet. Alcohol was thick on his breath, and it filled your head with nausea. "Just wanna take you home and fuck you better than anyone ever has..."

You turned around to tell him to fuck off, and that was when that strong slithering grip was in your hair, tugging you to slimy liquored lips in a teeth clashing kiss. Your stomach roiled at the taste, and while he was distracted, you shoved him away from you with as much strength as he could muster.

He stumbled back a few steps, but he had returned to his senses long enough to right himself and soon he was stalking towards you again.

You knew his type. If his clothes and accessories were any indication, he was an arrogant rich kid – the tan telling you he was a Hamptons regular. He was your age, and every bit as entitled as his wealth would suggest.

"Get away from me." It wasn't a request, it was a command.

And he didn't like it. His hand wrapped around your wrist, tugging you to him. You struggled against him, desperately clawing for your freedom. Panic was slowly rising.

"You little bitch," he spat.

"Is there a problem here?"

It was Chris. He had seen the unravelling altercation from the booth, and had promptly come to your aid.

You wondered how long he'd been there for, what he'd overheard. His next words gave you your answer.

"I think the lady said to leave her alone."

The guy didn't even look at him, instead keeping his slabbering gaze on you. "Stay out of this."

Chris wasn't having it. Having eyed up the situation – that whiteknuckled grip on you – Chris clapped a strong – if not a little threatening – hand on the stranger's shoulder. He ripped the guy off of you, and with his other hand, he pulled you behind him protectively.

Your relief, however, was shortlived at the bite of Chris' next suggestion. "Look, buddy, maybe you should take a hint."

"Don't touch me, faggot," he slapped Chris' arm away. "I took the hint. She looked at me, she smiled at me. Look at what she's wearing! She's practically begging to be fucked."

That was the last straw for Chris.

Not only had he made the unforgivable transgression of groping you – and not just you, specifically, but any woman – but this man had crossed the line with the homophobic slur. To do that in front of Chris, being who he was, was tantamount to a death sentence.

And you could feel it as he seethed, fury boiling in his blood.

"You're lookin' at me, now. I'm smilin'." And he was, but it wasn't one you'd ever seen before. It was tight, and it was malicious. "Oh, look at what you're wearin'. Gets me a bit hard, if I'm being honest. Do you like that? Do you like me telling you how hard I'm gonna fuck you with this big cock? No? Then keep your fuckin' hands to yourself and well away from her before I break them."

You knew Chris well enough to know the threat was empty. He was a pacifist – regularly attending lessons in Buddhist teachings when he could. But the other guy didn't know that, and the throb of the muscle in the grit of Chris' jaw was very convincing. So convincing, in fact, you were even a little scared of him in that moment.

The guy tilted his head to address you, trying to make himself seem bigger. "Who even is this joker, your boyfriend?"

"Don't speak to her," Chris snarled. "You're speaking to me now. And as a matter of fact, I am. So fuck off."

What the guy did next shouldn't have been surprising. He was clearly not thinking straight. And if he hadn't done it, Chris effectively calling you his girlfriend might've had more of an impact.

But he took a swing at Chris – and although Chris never started fights, he sure as fuck ended them.

Easily blocking the attack, and in three quick movements, Chris had the other guy's arms locked behind his back. You knew, if he wanted, Chris could pop both of this guy's arms out of their sockets. And if Chris was anyone else, he might have. He was angry enough to do it.

"Let it go," came his scathing whisper.

Of course the other guy struggled. He struggled and yelled out curses, slurs, anything his alcohol addled mind could come up with.

It was enough to draw the attention of the owner of the establishment.

"Oi," she yelled. A severe no-shit type woman had come out of the back room to brace her arms against the bar, fixing you all with a withering look. "The three of you. Out."

The commotion had also been enough to draw the attention of the others, and you were on your way out – still protectively clutched to Chris' side by his musclebound arm – when they'd made it to you.

"What happened?" Seb panted.

"Just some asshole picking a fight," Chris explained, rage still colouring his voice. "Could you guys do me a favour?"

"Sure, man," Anthony said. "Whatever you need."

"I'm going to take {your name} back. Could you tell Lily when she gets out of the bathroom that we got kicked out and I'll be waiting for her at home?"

"If you just wait for her, we can all go home together," Seb suggested, already backing up a little to get his jacket from the booth.

Chris shook his head. "I need time to cool off. I don't want her seeing me like this."

"I'm really sorry for ruining your night, guys," you said, your voice small.

They were quick to assure you you hadn't. It didn't lessen the guilt, though.

"You guys enjoy," Chris said as you both hovered by the door. "We'll make up for tonight at the beach tomorrow."

———————

"I can fight my own battles."

It was the first words either of you had spoken since you'd gotten back to the house. The drive was done in deafening silence, and you felt compelled to finally break it.

"I know you can," Chris sighed. He hadn't been expecting a thanks, but he'd at least been expecting something more than that admonishment. "Better than anyone. But you shouldn't have to."

"I had it handled."

"My point is, you shouldn't have to handle this shit. No one should."

He had come with you all the way to your bedroom door, and you both stood, divided by the frame.

His brow was furrowed, thinking. And then: "Are you angry with me?"

"No," you smiled sadly.

The double meaning laced with your next words would serve to haunt both of you the remainder of the night.

"I just want you to know that you don't have to fight for me. I'm fine on my own."

[itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto]

Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice. Part 1.

A/N: Hi everyone! This is a follow up to ‘Sugar, Yes please!’ so if you haven’t read that, I’d recommend you read that first, and come back to this.  Possible triggers:  Mentions of an abusive relationship, swearing, drinking (alcohol).

“Coming!” You say as your doorbell rang to your flat, and opened it to your girlfriends, JJ, Penelope and Emily. “Come in…” You say opening the door for them all. “Just excuse all of the books.” The girls exchanged looks with each-other before Penelope whispered, “She’s basically a female boy wonder.” “When he sees all of her books, he’s going to read them all.” Emily laughed picking up one called ‘The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker’ and rolled her eyes. “So, what do you all want to drink?” You asked, before your date with Spencer, the girls agreed to just make sure you felt ready for your date after your last boyfriend didn’t treat you well, and the girls agreed to make sure you are comfortable for tomorrow. “I got beer, wine and I can make cocktails too.” You said gesturing to the alcohol stand on your counter. “Do you like to drink Y/N?” J.J laughed. “I see the cute lights are up that you told Spencer about.” You smile at the pumpkin and ghost lights before replying, “I used to be a cocktail waitress for a year, so it’s kind of stuck, experimenting with flavours to see what I come up with. Ooh, I’ll make you all the Pumpkin Spiced Latte cocktail I’ve been working on.” You say and start to whip it up. “So, yes.” Penelope giggled “Yeah, I usually like a cold beer on the balcony, reading a book and having a cigarette. It’s my favourite way to relax. The wine is for guests, I don’t like it, but I think it’s important to always have a bottle of red and white in for company.” You shrug and poor the cocktail into a glass, finishing it with a dusting of mixed spice. “My kind of girl.” Emily said. “May I?” She asks gesturing to the wine. “Of course – help yourselves to anything alcoholic.” You smile as Emily opens the bottle pouring herself and J.J a glass. “Ooh it does taste like a Pumpkin Spiced Latte!” Penelope giggled and continued drinking it. “Fucking hell it does!” J.J said sipping a bit of the other glass. “That’s addictive girl.” Emily laughed. “You should make one for Spencer when he comes to your place after the date.” She winked, “You may even get some action!” “I’ve never had sex on the first date!” You exclaimed, “Maybe on like date 10…” “10?! Y/N you’re such a cutie.” Penelope said putting a cocktail umbrella in her hair For the rest of the evening, you and the BAU ladies took cute selfies, and chatted about non-work-related things. “Bye ladies.” You say as they all get into a taxi and go back into your flat. You clean your kitchen, noticing it’s only 10PM, so decide to have your relaxing routine, and grab a beer out of the fridge and your packet of cigarettes, and sit by the balcony for a few hours before calling it a night. The following morning, you get up and get ready for your date with Spencer, you are pretty glad it’s a casual date as you really hate dressing up. Your phone rings, and you sigh assuming it’s work, “Agent Y/N.” You say yawning. “Oh hi, sorry did I wake you?” Spencer asks worried. “Morning Spencer, no, I was just doing exam revision. Everything okay? Are we needed at work?” You ask “No, I just realised I don’t have your address.” He laughed “For a genius, I thought you’d have that already.” You chuckled and told it to him. “Great! See you at 12.” Spencer said. “Bye Y/N.” “Bye Spencer.” You say, and hang up, going to get ready settling for a cute ghost t-shirt, black jeans and orange converse, you are going pumpkin picking after all, and wear the Pumpkin earrings your friend got you last year. Whilst you wait, you read a book on Psychology. There’s a knock at the door, you’d been reading for an hour and didn’t realise you’d read 10 books from cover to cover. “Coming!” You say checking who’s at the door through the spy hole, and smile seeing its Spencer. “Hi Spence, come in.” You smile, “Ignore the books everywhere. I try to tidy them but they just grow.” Spencer smiled, finally someone who loves books as much as him, “Hi Y/N. You look nice.” He smiled, opting for a t-shirt, cardigan, jeans and converse. “And pumpkin earrings, very fitting for today.” He said, “Have you been reading those last night?” He asked gesturing the 10 books on your sofa and took a seat. “May I sit?” He asks as you nod smiling, everyone on the team knows that they can make themselves at home at your place. “I read them in the last hour, they’re really interesting.” You smile. “I just need to put my eyeliner on and I’m ready.” You say “You don’t need to wear make up Y/N, you’re perfectly fine without it.” Spencer said accidentally out loud “You think so?” You ask as a few tears roll down your cheeks. The last guy you dated insisted you wore make up, and would hit you if you didn’t, Spencer doesn’t know of your past relationship and you definitely don’t want a repeat. “Oh Y/N, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Spencer says running over with a tissue. “You can wear it if you want, but I don’t think you need it.” He says kissing your cheek where the last tear lingered. “It’s okay Spence. I know you didn’t mean it.” You whisper, “Before we go, I need to tell you something. Because I don’t want to tell it to you too late.” Spencer nods, as you sit on the sofa. You tell Spencer about your abusive relationship before this, and how badly you were treated but managed to get out of it and get help when you started at the FBI, your ex now has a restraining order and cannot be within a certain distance from you or he will get arrested. “Oh Y/N, you’re the sweetest person I know, and I promise I won’t ever hurt you, either mentally or physically. I promise.” He said holding your hand. You nod, “I know Spence.” You say, believing his promise. “Let me get my phone and I’m ready. You look nice too by the way.” Spencer nods and ties his shoelace, “How many books do you own? I’ve counted 252 but I assume there is more.” He says glancing around the room “Erm, I have more in my room, and in the little library. I brought the place off a couple who had a baby but the flat was too small, so I converted the small room where the baby slept into a library, so I think there’s about 325 books in there. Have a look if you want.” You say putting your phone in your pocket. Spencer goes and has a look, “You were wrong. There’s 326 books.” He says laughing. “Sorry.” You giggle. “Must’ve forgot the book worm has to be included in the book count. Now come on, I wanna pick a pumpkin to carve!” You say unaware Spencer put a book in there for you. Spencer follows you out, and he drives to the pumpkin patch where there’s a long line. “Thank you.” You giggle getting out of the car, where Spencer dashed over to open the door for you. “Do you think we can use our credentials to get past the line?” “I don’t think Strauss would approve.” Spencer laughed, “But I booked ahead and got a time slot.” He said getting the paper tickets out of his pocket and handed them to an employee who checked them and allowed them inside. “Can I keep one?” You ask Spencer, who nods smiling and hands one to you. “I have a memory box. Everything fun I do with you and the team goes in there.” You explain. The rest of the afternoon is spent finding the perfect pumpkin, and getting to know each-other better, as there’s only so much you can get to know one another at work. By now, you have a full wheelbarrow of pumpkins. “Let me take your picture with all of them!” You say to Spencer who poses behind them. “Let’s see the photo!” He smiles at you, as you show it to him on your phone. “Can you send it to Penelope? I want to get it printed for my Mum.” He says as you nod.

After the pumpkin patch, Spencer drives you back to your flat. “Would you like to come in for a drink?” You offer, biting your lip. “Sure.” Spencer smiled, carrying the pumpkins you brought, and you carried the baby ones. “I had a lot of fun today Spence, thank you.” You smiled “As did I.” He said, as you walked into your apartment. “Holy shit, this is incredible.” Spencer says drinking the pumpkin spiced latte cocktail you made for him. “Thanks.” You say, sipping your beer. “I like to experiment. Penelope drank 5 of them last night.” “I can see why.” Spencer smirked, just looking at you with loving eyes. “What are you thinking?” You ask “That I want to kiss you.” Spencer said nervously. “Then kiss me.” You say and sit on his lap. Looks like the pumpkins won’t be carved any time soon… To be continued! Taglist: @pumpkin-goob​ , @jpegjade​ , @andiebeaword​ , @hotchsbabygirl​ , @hopebaker​ , @hercleverboy​ , @cupcake525​ , @gubetube​ , @aperrywilliams​ , @cosmic-psychickitty​ , @marleyhotchner​

[writingfromkitchenator]

Charlie ~ Dangerous Game

1,300 Followers Challenge!

Round 2

Masterlist

Requested by @emrfangirl

Words: 1,624

Warnings: Female Reader, D&D game (I am in no way an expert), some teasing, fluff

You were still a little surprised that you’d gotten Sam and Dean to agree to this, but you had to admit, it was proving to have some hilarious results, especially when, somehow, Dean managed to convince Castiel as well.

Sitting at the head of the table, you couldn’t help but grin as they discussed something over, and you caught Charlie’s eye, making her smile, before she turns back at the seriousness at hand.

“I don’t understand,” Castiel said.  “Is this really necessary?  Why can’t we just fight them off?”

“We’re out numbered,” Sam said.  “And injured. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think we’d survive this with a direct approach.  We either have to go around or find a way of taking out only a necessary few to get out of this.”

You smirked, and grabbed your dice, making a roll, getting the four of them to look at you. “Another three have turned up, making their way to where you’re hiding.”

“Great,” Dean huffed. “I told you that we had to hurry this along.”

“Well, I don’t see you making any suggestions.”  Sam said.

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I cast major image, a wall in front of us to blend us into the cavern.”

You smirked and rolled your dice again.  “Okay. You’re successful.  For now.”

Her eyes narrowed on you for a moment and then looked at the other three.  “We need to make a decision.  Now.  I do not know how long that illusion will hold.”

“I still think we should fight them off,” Castiel said, a little stubbornly.  “It’s what we’ve done so far.”

“And almost gotten ourselves killed doing it,” Dean frowned.  “I don’t know about you, but I want to live past today.  We need to try and sneak around.”

“What about these three now approaching?”  Sam asked. “We’re going to have to take them out somehow, as quietly as possible, because I’d imagine the others won’t take too kindly to the noise.”

You rolled your dice again, making them tense, but you just smile sweetly, and nodded for them to continue.

“Well, you and Cas need to handle them, Dean and I aren’t exactly cut out for taking out enemies quietly.”  Charlie said. “You need to do it quickly though.”

Sam looked at you.  “Okay, Cas and I are going to wait just behind the illusion.  When they get close enough, we’re going to step out an attack.  Sound good Cas?”

Castiel nods and they both look at you as you roll your dice again.

“You guys are lucky, despite their high perception, they don’t notice the illusion and you will both be able to get in a sneak attack.”  You rolled again.  “Yep, cool, move away.”

It surprised you that Sam and Castiel actually managed to pull it off without alerting all the other enemies around, especially considering how the game had gone so far.  Dean had already been on death’s door once, and Castiel had gained a cursed item, one that that had some…interesting results so far, including turning him into a blue sheep temporarily.

Charlie, the only experienced one out of them, and Sam, who seemed to have a natural knack for the game, had definitely been lucky, although, both of them had now used practically all their magic slots.

Now they were trying to sneak their way out of this cavern and they flinched whenever your dice rolled in front of you.

Then, they had to make a jump, the light of their escape just out of reach.  Sam and Dean made it easily, and managed to catch Charlie, just avoiding gaining the attention of the nearby enemies.

Then it was Castiel’s turn.

It wasn’t that Castiel didn’t understand how to play, in fact, he had made some good plays in the many hours you’d all spent around the table.  It was that he seemed to have notoriously bad luck.

His roll was short and all four of them groaned, looking to you.

You rolled a dice and couldn’t help but smirk.  “Well, the good news is, you make the jump.  The bad news…you take one hit damage.”

“Oh no.” Sam said quietly. “No, no, no, no, no.  We’re almost there.  Please roll good.  Please roll good.”

With a little trepidation, Castiel rolls his dice.  “Errr, eight.”

You snorted as you checked the spell page.  “You cast fireball as a third level spell centred on yourself.”

“Oh shit.”  Dean sighed heavily.  “Well, we’re doomed.”

“We’ll see,” You chuckled. “Alright everyone, make your dex saving throws.”

“This is going to hurt.” Charlie sighed.  “Whether we make it or not.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”  Dean grumbled as he rolled.  “Alright, I made it.”

“Me too.”  Sam said and they both looked at Charlie.

Charlie looked miserably at her dice before looking at you.  “Can I cast a last second spell?”

“Do you have a spell you can use?”

There was a long pause. “No.”

You shake your head.  “Sorry Charlie, no easy way out this time.  So, Sam and Dean, you take four dee six damage, and, sorry Charlie and Cas, you two take the main blow.  Eight dee six.”

“I’m going to make my way slowly into the abyss.”  Charlie sighed heavily.  “I’ve been supporting this lot through all of this and I get taken out by a random fireball.  I am dead. I am slowly burning to a crisp in front of their eyes.”

“I…have one health left.” Castiel said, a little stunned that he’d survived and he looked at the other guilty.  “Sorry.”

“I have four health.” Dean said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.  “Can we just call this now?”

“Not yet,” You said happily. “You’re not done yet, no matter how much attention you’ve just drawn to yourself.”

Sam sighed.  “I’ve got two health.  Alright Y/N, what’s coming our way?”

Charlie’s phone buzzed as you rolled a few dice and worked out what was going on, and she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrow, catching your eye.

Are you serious?  She messaged back.

I told you when you play with me to expect the unexpected.

I don’t suppose you’ll me the consequences of such a deal?

There’s no fun in that now, is there?  Although, I would’ve thought what Cas has been going through would be warning enough.

Charlie’s eyes narrowed on you as the others roll initiative, trying to decide what the best way forward was.

There are twelve enemies closing in on the four of them, Charlie would be making death rolls instead of helping, and they were all on minimal health.  Charlie was hating that you knew exactly what her character traits were.

She sighed and messaged you back.  Alright.  Save me and my friends and I will do whatever you want.

You smirked as you read the message and cut off Dean’s thoughts as he was trying to come up with some sort of strategy.  “Just as the enemies begin to close in around you, a strange smell surrounds the four of you, Charlie just managing to get to her feet.  Along with the smell, a light filled smoke begins to curl around you all, and just as an enemy comes in to attack, the four of you disappear.”

“What?”  Dean asked, frowning.  “What is happening?”

“As quickly as it came, the smoke and smell cleared and you found yourselves out in an open field, filled with grass and flowers and a couple of cows that just stare at you. For now, the four of you are safe, despite having no idea about where you are and or really what just happened.”

Dean stared at you.  “Did you really just save us from that?  After all that torture you put us through?”

“I didn’t do anything and I’ve hardly tortured you, I’ve simply played to the rules.”  You chuckled.  “You guys have to try and figure out what happened yourselves.”

Sam and Castiel looked at Charlie, who shrugged.  “Don’t look at me, I’m just as baffled as you guys are.”

Dean sighed and slid his chair out.  “Okay, break time.  I need a moment to process that.  Anyone else want a beer?”

You chuckled as Sam and Castiel followed after Dean, intending to find more snacks and drinks and bring them, while Charlie glared at you.  “Well, at least everyone is alive.”

“Yeah,” She said.  “But I’m now in service of some…all powerful being who will get me to do god knows what.  How long have you been sitting on that one for?”

“Since you got me into that demon deal in our other game,” You smirked.  “I told you revenge was coming Charlie.  It’s not my fault you didn’t take me seriously.”

Her eyes narrowed on you for a moment.  “You play a very dangerous game Y/N.”  Then it was her turn to smirk.  “We’ll see who comes out on top, although I’m sure I already know the answer.”

“Do we?”  You asked innocently.  “I don’t know, I think a change of pace would be nice.”

She held her semi-serious expression for a moment longer before the two of you broke into laughter, Charlie positively beaming at you.  “This has been good, I’ve been enjoying this immensely.  You’ve well and truly mastered keeping things interesting and your players on their toes.”

“I like to think so.” You said, chuckling.  “But that fireball was so perfect.”

The two of you cackled together as Sam, Dean and Castiel returned, getting easily into the snacks and starting to discuss the best way to go forward with the game.  The boys missed you sending Charlie a wink, and it wasn’t long at all before they were back into the thick of some sort of trouble.

[popculturebuffet]

Amphibia Reviews: The Shut-In

More Halloween Havoc, whoop woop! The Plantars return just in time for Halloween! It’s Shut-In in Wartwood, their version of halloween, but less of a focus on getting candy and more on getting suplies to protect yourselve and barricade yourself in so the moon dosen’t turn you into a monster. I remain not suprised. To pass the time our heroes tell some true spooky stories and Polly tries to find one they weren’t around for.  Phone-Mo: Anne and humanized versions of Polly, Maddie, and Toady watch a cursed video and soon disappear by one. Nothing ominous about that! Dead End: A young Hop Pop serves as Chauffer for a mysterious man played by george takei and death seems to follow them at every stop. Oh myyyyyyyy.  Skin Deep: Sprig and Ivy go to fetch a lost ball and end up running into the skin stealing seamstress. Arson naturally insues..  It’s Terror Time again, with full recap and spoilers, under the cut. 

Whelp, no dancing around it this airing order is weird. And look airing shit in a weird way has been disney’s past time since the 90′s, Darkwing Duck’s airing order is a waking nightmare, and this very show had all of season 1 air within the span of a month and a week in order to get it on disney plus by launch, star vs had it’s last season burned off in three months, and Ducktales pre-covid flip flopped from airing week to week to just one for some reason and then no others for months. Consitency is not their strong suit is what i’m saying and it’s not new.  And yes I get these holiday special episodes are mecurial: their built specifically to slot in wherever without really upsetting continuity: The Casagrandes recently aired their first season 2 episode before even finishing season 1, so this isn’t just a disney thing, while speaking of disney things ducktales had it’s first proper halloweeen episode air the week before a spring break set episode, with a christmas episode set to air next month. What i’m saying is I get these things sometimes don’t air in production order, but it’s less excuable on Disney’s part here when it’d take airing exactly one episode for this not to be a tad jarring. Not enough that it spoils the episode nor does the episode effect the ongoing story or continuity in any way, so it’s not TERRIBLE but it smacks of lazy incompetence on Disney’s part and I wish they’d do better already. 

Okay that rant out of the way we can dive right in! It’s the annual Shut-In in Wartwood! Basically their verison of halloween but instead of a fun spooky holiday, it’s the annual tradition of getting various things from the neighbors to help stay indoors during the blue moon, which in wartwood turns whoever views into a monster. Because of course their halloween is a fight for suvival. Also theirs pumpkins everywhere with their versions of jack o lanterns being fear gourds which.. okay. Point is instead of candy the kids trick or treating has turned up rusty nails, a hatchet, a first aid kit and anne, winning the night, a flamethrower! On one hand it’s neat these exist in wartwood via fire breathing slugs. On the other I do worry about Anne accidently burning everyone and everything down so please take that from her. 

The Plantars then lock themselves in. To stave off bordeom, Shut-In tradition is to go around the fire and tell each other creepy true stories that happened to them. Polly tries going first but just has the Inn story from last season which they were all there for.. thought hat dosen’t make complete sense as they werent’ awake for all of it and shoudl’ve just let her tell her side of things. But eh it sets up polly’s plot so fair enough. Luckily anne has one. So we get our first tale of terror Terror Tales of the Park/Treehouse of Horror III Styles...

Phone-Mo 

Anne’s story is very clearly made up, though no one really calls her on it and it DOES add elemnts from the domino II story from last season so fair enough.  Rather than use her real friends, which is fair enough since she just sadly had to say goodbye to Marcy and probably isn’t handeling the guilt well and Sasha you know.. tried to stab her a few months back then tried sacrifcing herself for Anne’s own well being. Point is thnking about them is a loaaded issue right now so instead she dreams up human versions of Sprig, Polly, with a bucket on her foot for a shot which is a nice visual gag, as is how we meet them, along with Maddie and for some weird reason Toady. I mean I do get Ivy is in our third story, so fair enough, but they could’ve used.. anyone else. Wally would’ve made more sense honestly and he’s also an adult but he’s also you know Anne’s friend and not some town asshole she vaugley knows. It’s just weird. That said I do love the human designs for everyone and they clearly put a lot of work in knowing the fans would like them, with little touches like Polly having pink hair, sprig having his normal haircut he does under the hat but not covered up and toady’s phone having a little keychain of his amphibia version. Also while they all have diffrent names including Anne I won’t be using them on the grounds that I don’t wanna. 

Anne and the plantars are watching a funny internet video when Toady and Maddie offer to show them one that’s apparently cursed and makes whoever watched it disappear. Sprig talks Anne out of it and keeps her from watching anyway but Polly’s naturally all in. ON the way to class, once sprig is gone, anne ends up watching it and liking it anyway because she has no self control and freely admits it.  Naturally given this is a halloween episode, the others start disapearing, with Maddie coming to anne with support after Toady vanishes which again is just.. weird. It’s just weird to hear anyone car about wether toady lives or dies. It keeps throwing me off. Anne reasssures her but sure enough the second anne’s gone Maddie’s phone eats her alive. Still nice to see her again. Regular Maddie should get a hoodie. Also anne apparently eats the corners of her sandwitch so she dosen’t have to share. Clever girl.  Back at home where Anne continues to mock whoever it is told her she can’t write stories as she makes a gila monster and a flamingo make out, where are they I must hurt them, when Sprig calls panicked that polly is missing and admits i’ts a good thing they ddin’t watch the video.. yeah about that. Sprig is of course freaked, and soon the video pops on anne’s phone and soon the weird cat thing inside comes to life and then turns deadly.. also it turns out it eats the host then forces them to be int he background of the video, which was hinted at earlier with one guy having been in there for 35 years.. despite having a smartphone. Well this is anne’s story I don’t think she knows those didn’t exist once. 

Luckily Anne figures out how to beat it.. in the most hilarious way possible. by disliking it, since liking and commeting linked it to her, she weakens it before finishing it with a rude comment. It’s.. i’ts purespun comedy gold. This frees everyone else and they leave along with sprig.. but eggs are left behind. Dun dun dun.  Final Thoughts on Phone Mo:

First off .. I have no idea what FOMO means so the title left me as lost at first at the plantars... oh okay it’s fear of missing out.. should’ve remebered that from brooklyn nine nine and amy’s legendadrily bad case of it. Aw well a decent story, if the weakest of the three. It does have an incredibly funny conclusion, neat human designs, and an intresting setting given while school stories are common, usually we don’t get that here so it’s a nice break from the norm. But compared to the genuinely chilling with a funny and odd climax next two, it’s just okay. Not bad, but not quite as good.  Back in the present, Polly once again tries this time with children of the spore, once again being shot down though that being said hop pop’s line of “I was responsible for that one” was given a great delvery by charlie addler. Also Anne missed Wally’s birthday and he’s sad. oh Wally. Though i’m sure she’ll make it up to him.. at least he’s back home. So anyways speaking of HOp Pop, it’s his turn for a story...

Dead End:  And it’s a story from Hop Pop’s Youth! Given we’ve never SEEN hop pop beyond his present day and only heard the ocasional scrap, it’s REALLY nice to hear. It dosen’t tell us a ton more granted, but we at least see what he looked like, get to hear charlie adler use a slightly less aged voice for him and get to see him with a luxrious golden mane of johnny bravo hair, which is as hilaroius and glorious as it sounds. 

Back in those days Hop Pop was a coachman. He still had the farm, but given how tight things are now it’s not a stretch to assume he could always use some extra coppers to keep his family we never get to know about besides the grandkids fed. He also prides himself on honest work, not taking payment till the rides finished and the customer is satisfied which is INCREIDBLY risky, but I do kinda get it both for Hopidah’s sense of honor and because it seems clear he mostly does it in town by the fact all his stops this ep are within wartwood or close enough, so clearly it’s mostly people he knows personally.  This time though the rider is the well dressed, crimson red Mr. Littlepot, played by George Takei. Best known for Star Trek, being out and proud and since coming out after years and years in the closet, using his celebrity to help promote gay rights and other good stuff. He’s also known for saying ohhhh myyy and this clip from futurama. 

I got a lot of respect for the guy, He was even in archie comics once after Kevin Keller was introduced. So it’s nice to see him doing some voice work and he kills it here.. pun intended but more on that in a sec. Littlepot has some simple rule: keep driving no matter what hapepned where he was.. and given both places he ends up have someone dying, once by a horrifying looking snake, it’s clear somethings up. IT also nicely builds the tension as hop pop tries to steady himself, but is clearly cracking as he realizes his client might be murdering people he knows.. and he could be next. As Hopidiah KNOWS each person Littlepot visits and it nicely ratches up the tension. But turns out he’s not a killer.. he’s simplyd eath himself come to collect those already about to die. 

It’s a nice twist: The genuine trappings of the guy make you think h’es some form of the devil, the crimson skin, yellow eyes and cultured demanor.. it’s only as he goes you start to realize what the man actually is and even then he easily could still be frog satan. But no he’s just the frog reaper and defends himself to Hop Pop when confronted: He’s just doing his job, just like Hopidiah, getting people where they need to be. Unforutnately for Hop Pop his final stop is the farm.. though thankfully for him he hasnt come for Hopidiah.. just his hair. Yeah it’s a nice comedic twist on an otherwise chiling and well done story that what the devil came to take is his hair.. which he starts wearing hilariously. So Hop Pop lives but sobs, and Anne points out it was pretty fucked up. 

Final Thoughts for Dead End:  Not much to say. This one was dripping with atmosphere, Takei was utterly awesome and need to do more voice work, and the comedic ending twist was really damn funny. Top notch. 

Polly tries again, gets shut down again and is now really understandably frustrated at not having a story. Naturally given the other plantars have gone though, Sprig does. And he dosen’t have at itle at first until one cuts him off ....

Skin Deep:

Ivy’s Back! 

Yeah I was genuinely worried the return ep would break up either her and sprig or hop pop and silvia.. and while the second one remains a horrifying sword of damocles over my head, Sprig and Ivy are fine and Ivy gets a nice spotlight episode here. It was a pleasant surprise to get some fresh info since i’tll be months till we find out anything else.  So the young couple are playing bugball down at the old courts, when a couple of guys they were up to no good, started making trouble in the neghborhood. Sprig got in one little fight and Hop Pop got scared he said “your moving with your auntie and uncle to bell air”. He begged and pleaded day after day but Hop Pop packed his suit case and sent him on his way. He gave him a kiss and then he gave him a ticket Sprig put his walkman on and thought he might as well kick it. First class yo this ain’t bad, drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass. Is this what the people of bel air live like, yo, this might be alirght!   He whistled for a cab and when it came near the liscene plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror, if anything he could say that this cab was rare but he thought man forget it yo holmes to bell air. He pulled up to the cab about 7 or 8 and yelled to the cabbie yo holmes smell ya later. He looked at his kingdom and he was finally there to sit on his throne as the fresh prince of bell air. 

So then Will walked into the mansion and wait.. wrong show.. so the young couple are playing bugball when they loose their ball, and it goes off into the creepy part of the woods. Ivy also looses her hat and is self concious about her hair. Looks fine to sprig but she’d rather not. Aww she’s insecure. But the two head off with Sprig getting more and more nervous, as Ivy details a legend about the area of the seamstress, a mysterious recluse who steals your skin! Naturally Sprig is nettled while Ivy says it’s fine and does what anyone would do upon finding out the ball went into a creepy abandoned shack in a world where it’s clear murderers are pretty common: kick down the door! It’s the perfect crime. 

Naturally Sprig gets more unernved, finding a set of needles and thread, which gets a great gag as Ivy points out that’s nto that uncommon.. but the giant pile of skin they find sure is!

Oh.. it gets worse me. Sprig finds the ball. and the Seamstress who has a horrifying patchwork of skins on her and wants to add theirs.. the kids are naturally spooked and prepare to flee but she wants their skin and grabs ivy! Thankfully she breaks free and Sprig busts some off.. OH GOD.. and it turns out she’s a glass frog! .. turns out theres a kind of frog that has translucent skin.

But yeah obvoiusly the show takes it a step further, and her skin is entirely see through. Poor girl. Ivy sympathizes shows off her hair.. then puts her hat over the Seamstress’ eyes and tells sprig now, and sprig starts a fire, and the two start to escape when he grabs Ivy’s leg!

Thankfully Ivy breaks free and the two leave her to die. Sprig compliments ivy’s hair, ivy gets him a smooch it’s all adorable and they defintely murdered someone who defintely murdered a lot of people. Horay!

Naturally the rest of the family is freaked out by this with Anne wanting to know if ivy being bitten means sh’es infected and Hop Pop wanting to know if one of her skins was his friend fred he hasn’t seen in a while. Sprig then spooks them by having ivy show up, complete with a burlap frog skin.. maybe. She could’ve been lying. We dunno. Ivy heads home to risk her life for a good gag, depsite the fact her boyfriend’s house is right there and her mom and grandmom clearly had to sign off on this shenanigan given the night. But this life risking prank naturally risks some life as Polly has ran off to look at the moon to get her own story. The rest of hte family runs after her only tfind it did.. ntohing. She’s apparently fine just fine and they assure her the fear they felt thinking she might become some kind of monster was scarier than any story and the rest of them head home with polly following.. after transofrming. Turns out the moon DOES make you into monsters but she’s fine with it. She’s got her legs now! Everyone screams understandably, Anne finally realizes this isn’t quite a holiday the end. 

Final Thoughts on Skin Game and the special as a whole: Easily my faviorite, partly for shipping reasons as I do like Ivy and Sprig together, and partly because it really let Ivy have a roll OTHER than sprig’s love intrest. Sure she still smooched his cheek and their clearly still together, but she got to be proactive, badass and hilariously impulsive and trollish. It was a nice change of pace and the story itslef was the best of the bunch to me becuase of that, though Dead End was really close.  Overall this was a nice treat, a good anthology with lots of fright and humor and a nice wraparound story arc with polly, as well as some nice call backs to previous episodes. An utterly excellent halloween special i’ll probably be revisiting every year and another slam dunk from disney this year. The airing snaufu really dosen’t hurt it any and in the future this one will likely be after Return to Wartwood on D+ anyway so no harm done. Great all around. If you liked this review follow me for more amphibia whenever it comes back, ducktales reviews every monday, and loud house reviews every saturday or sunday depending. And until next time stay safe, stay spooky and happy halloween!

[lilhemmo]

Can I request a sequel to "I'll always be with you"? Maybe reader finding out she's pregnant and freaking out cause they still have a toddler?

read i’ll always be with you here!

ps, thanks for requesting a part two. you wanted pain?! here comes the pain ;) 

When Evangeline turns four, you decide to sit her down and tell her about her father. Her real father.

As per usual, she’s stubborn and unwilling to accept anyone other than Sweet Pea as the only dad she’s ever known. She puts on a pout that looks a little bit like you when you want to eat cookie dough out of the tub and Sweet Pea tells you it’s bad for your health. But, it’s those deep eyes looking miles into your soul that make the both of you break down.

Sweet Pea starts the process of legally adopting her two days later.

You swear that it’s just the process of him choosing your daughter that your deadbeat boyfriend left behind that’s making you emotional. Of course you’d want to eat a whole tub of pickles dipped in soft serve because Sweet Pea is just that nice. It’s normal, right?

Except at the next family get together, your mom notes that you look like you’ve gained a little weight around your middle. You put your hand to your stomach a little too defensively, but try to shrug it off and tell her that you’ve got a real man taking care of you and you’re just fat and happy. 

Then you take off to the convenience store as soon as you’ve put both Pea and Eve to bed. You leave a note on the counter that you’re running out for tampons, but you pick up a pregnancy test instead.

Actually, you pick up three. Just in case.

The first one pops a negative, but you use both of the remaining tests just to be sure. Your stomach starts to churn as you await the results, and you’re nothing short of breathless when the two tests both show stripes resulting in a positive.

There are a few choice words you use in the moment and you’re glad your toddling daughter is currently snoozing a few rooms over.

For some reason it takes you another week and three more pregnancy tests to finally break the news to someone. And it’s not even on purpose.

Sweet Pea rakes in enough cash with his auto shop and the Wyrm that you can afford to only work part-time, a virtual job that you can work from the comforts of your very own home. Toni comes to visit you on Tuesdays after her early morning shift at the local bookstore before she heads out to the Wyrm, but you tell her to bring you decaf instead of your regular and she knows.

“So, how far along are you?”

You spit out your disgusting decaf, half-thanking her that you don’t have to drink anymore of it. It’s a horrid substitute.

“Before you try to make up some bull crap lie about trying to get healthy because you want to be the perfect soccer mom, I also noticed that you only drank water at the Wyrm the past couple of weeks, and you’re wearing baggy clothing even though you haven’t gained that much weight.” Toni looks at you knowingly, raising a dark brow and flashing you that beautiful smirk that means she’s been onto you for a while. “Plus, you’re glowing.”

You cave, “I went to the doctor when I found out just to be sure, and I’m five weeks.”

“You need to tell Pea,” Toni crosses her arms over her chest as if she were scolding you. She licks her lips, but you beat her to it: “I know, Topaz. I’m working on that part. Right after I get over the fact that we have a four year-old and I’m pregnant.”

Toni shakes her head and chuckles, “Pea is gonna be excited, and you know it.”

Deep down you know she’s right, but anxiety creeps up your neck like a spider that you know you can’t swat away.

Toni offers to take Evangeline for the weekend so you and Sweet Pea can go on a date and do some house chores with no interruptions. You think you’ll even be able to catch up on that Hulu show you’ve been binge-watching.

But, a rough bought of morning sickness makes you less than eager to go out that night, coupled with the swell of your belly that you can’t hide under a form-fitting set of clothes. Sweet Pea senses that something is wrong and you both love and hate him for it.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks you as he pulls on his Serpent vest. He approaches you where you sit on the edge of the bed, slotting his knees between your thighs and leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of your head. “You’ve been off lately, but I figured it was just because Evie was starting to lose her teeth and got gum in her hair the other day. But this is something else.”

You can’t help it. You blurt, “Do you want more kids?”

Sweet Pea is down on his knees in a millisecond, his hands cupping your cheeks as he forces you to look him in the eyes, “Hey, of course I do. Where is this coming from?”

You lick your lips and damn your hormones. “When do you want kids?”

“Baby,” he pushes your hair away from your eyes so he can look at you clearly. His voice is soft and husky and if it were any other conversation you’d have him in your sheets already.

That word makes you unravel. Tears leak down your eyes and you duck your head so you don’t have to look at him and face the truth.

“Hey,” he cradles you to his chest, rising just enough to hold you. “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. C’mon, I love you, no matter what. What’s making you feel this way?”

You furiously wipe at your face, hating your body for betraying you like this. How dare you not be in control of your own emotions? Are they even yours anymore? Is this how you’re going to be like as a two-child mom?

Sweet Pea can read your mind, it seems, because he runs his palm over your head, smoothing your hair as he whispers, “Stop thinking so hard and talk to me, sweetheart.”

“I’m pregnant.”

Time stops.

In those milliseconds where it takes him to respond, you’ve already formulated a plan to pack your bags and find someone else to stay with because there’s no way that Sweet Pea is okay with having another baby while you still have a toddler to raise. The societal norm of premarital children shouldn’t bear a weight on you, but it does for some reason and you can’t help but wonder what everybody else will think.

“I’m gonna be a dad to two babies?” he asks in astonishment, his hands already touching your body so much more gingerly than before.

You swipe at your face and your voice shakes, “I-I I’m sorry, Pea, I don’t know how-”

“Oh, I’ll show you how,” he practically growls into your neck, gently tilting you back onto the bed so he can straddle your waist. Sweet Pea’s eyes are shining with admiration and hunger and it lights you on fire and chills you to the bone at the same time.

He catches sight of the absolute terror in your eyes and it breaks him out of his carnal reaction to simmer down and treat you tenderly. He brushes kisses all over your face and down your neck to your collarbones, feather-light and intimate.

“I am so sorry you’ve had to go through this alone,” he murmurs, mouth hot against your flesh. He noses your earlobe and it’s like you’re the only people in the universe when he speaks, “I can’t wait to see you waddling around the house unable to see your feet. You’ll be so pretty, baby, so pretty. I can’t believe it.”

Damn your hormones. They can’t let you have anything, can they?

“Pea,” your voice cracks, “I still have Evangeline.”

“We have Evangeline,” he reminds you, tone firm. Sweet Pea stares you straight in the eyes, those chocolate irises swirling with too many shades of emotion to count. He kisses your nose, “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I know, but I just...she’s so young, babe, and I just don’t know if we’re any kind of ready.” You sniffle and lick your lips, shaking your head as reality comes crashing down on you in waves, “She hasn’t even started kindergarten yet. A-And I don’t-I just don’t know if we’re financially stable to support them both and I don’t want you to feel trapped and I-”

He doesn’t kiss you to shut you up, because he knows how that would piss you off. Instead, He leans forward and presses his forehead to yours until you understand that he’s not going anywhere.

“I own the garage, girl,” he laughs, touching his lips to yours in a brief peck. “If I need to take more payroll, I can. And I practically own the Wyrm, once I can buy it out of Veronica’s slippery hands. We’re golden, baby. We’ll be alright.”

You look at him and for the first time since you craved pickles dipped in soft serve, you realize that he might just be right.

“Are you sure?” You have to give him one last out, one last escape plan, before you’ll ever convince yourself that you’re not trapping him into this life.

Sweet Pea crushes your lips with his as if to convey the message without words. He runs his palm against the expanse of your belly underneath your shirt, a smile gracing his lips even as he keeps on kissing you. His thumb tickles your navel but you don’t care because your belly is alight with fire for this man who will stop at no ends to make sure that you are safe and happy.

“I love you,” you find yourself repeating like a mantra. “I love you so much, I love you.”

He echoes his words against your lips and just as you roll your hips into him, you feel the coolness of metal against your left hand.

“Please?” he asks, breath stuttering as he leans back to look you in the eyes.

You don’t care about the size of the rock on your finger because you know this man loves you. And size isn’t always important, and even when he does, he’s got it where it counts.

“You didn’t even have to ask,” you murmur before yanking him down by the lapels to kiss him again.

And you don’t plan on stopping any time soon. You have the house to yourselves, after all.

-

now you guys have me wanting to do a part three!!! what the literal heck man!!!!

a/n: on a serious note, drop me an ask and let me know what you think! if you’d like, request another prompt!

[delightful-mystery]

Interview with Dolly Daggerz of Tokyo Taboo!

Tokyo Taboo are a loud, ferocious band fronted by the inimitable Dolly Daggerz – who pole dances whilst singing at their shows! (As a pole dancer, I am incredibly impressed) I caught up with Dolly to get the low down on what it’s like in the industry, as well as what she thinks of #DLGRL (We now have an Instagram as well as a Facebook page, follow us @dlgrl2021)

Firstly, thank you so much for being an unapologetic, loud woman we can all look up to! How and when did you first begin to connect to your energy and power?

I think just slogging away in the music industry for a decade makes you really resilient and slowly not care what anyone thinks of you. It’s this fearlessness that has helped me when performing. Having idols that have a stage presence and something to say also helps! Pole has helped me enormously too as I’ve built my physical (and mental) strength and sometimes I’ll watch videos back and don’t recognise myself! I’m always surrounded by amazing women in pole class too so I’m sure this gives me strength and makes me feel supported. Never underestimate the power of women coming together and supporting each other. All the mainstream media and press want is for us to be against each other but when we join forces I honestly think women can conquer anything.

When did you make the decision to pole dance during your live shows? As a fellow musician and pole dancer, I’m hella impressed!

I’ve been performing for a long while and I get bored easily, so performing in the band was getting a bit stale. I always used to drink large amounts and climb on speakers and bend myself backwards off things as a thrill when performing. I took away the drink so replaced it with pole. We tried it for one gig and slowly I tested my comfort zone and every show I pushed myself a bit more. Now I have shows where I’m on my X Stage platform about 90% of the show! (If it’s super sweaty and hot in the venue I struggle but otherwise I am flying!) It really has changed our whole live show!

Cris Watkins photographing the fabulous Dolly Daggerz!

What makes you the most proud about being a woman working in the music industry?

I think it’s important that I write the songs (alongside Mickey). Every lyric is written by me. I get so bored of reading / hearing the male point of view. I love female songwriters who are honest and outspoken. I particularly love Lily Allen’s lyrics for these reasons. I’m proud that I’m still standing and that I haven’t given up. I’m proud I’m still writing music I love, and putting on a stage show that is different to most, and for that reason, special.

What does your songwriting process look like? Such a fan of all your tunes!

We’ve just started writing again, focusing in on the final five songs of our second album. I usually play chords on the piano then words will flow out if I’m feeling particularly inspired, or emotional. At the piano I write really fucking sad songs and cry a bit. Other times I’ll be out running (another addiction) and I’ll have a song title idea or I’ll be sat on the tube and use my notes app on my phone to write a whole bunch of bollocks that’s running through my head, like a stream of consciousness. Then, I run through it all and edit it. I bin a lot of it and Mickey and I will work on a very small amount of my lyrics. It’s just important to let everything out, then edit later, whether it’s amazing genius or utter shite.

Cris Watkins photographing the fabulous Dolly Daggerz!

What is one show you’ve done that you would like to live through forever? (think Groundhog Day!) And what is one show you would most like to avoid?!

I loved playing at Byline Festival last year. We were in the middle of a forest so I felt like a little pole fairy in the woods! We gathered quite a big crowd! We definitely had a captive audience and got a lot of people messaging us after, saying that they were completely blown away. The nice messages always make you realise you should keep going even though the music industry can feel a bit much a times!

The worst gig for me was when I was sexually assaulted last year. A random drunk guy grabbed my ass when I was coming back through the crowd after singing sat on the bar. I was honestly so shocked that it ended up being Mickey who called him out. I’ve had a lot of problems with men touching me inappropriately and it makes me not want to perform when that happens. It feels like all the hard work I put into creating a great live show gets flushed down the toilet and I’m left feeling powerless and small. That feeling is so depressing. I make a point to speak up about being touched when I’m just doing my job selling merch or chatting to fans. We might eventually hire security at shows if it gets really bad, but I like chatting to people after the show. It’s a shame some people spoil everything and make me feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

What would seeing a woman in the headline slot at Download Festival mean to you? Do you have a pick of who you’d most like to see in the slot? (other than yourselves, of course!) I actually had no idea that a woman had never headlined before until you contacted us! I was shocked and saddened but also not surprised. You look at a lot of festival lineups and it’s all the same ‘safe’ acts. Mainly male. It’s boring. We need festivals to take more risks I think! I LOVE Halestorm so please get Lzzy headlining PLEASE! Pretty please? 

Massive thank you to Tokyo Taboo for supporting us with this campaign and answering all our questions! Make sure to follow this badass band on all the socials, which you can find below. And if you haven’t signed our petition yet, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE? Linked below as well.

#DLGRL petition: https://www.change.org/p/get-a-woman-to-headline-download-festival

TOKYO TABOO SOCIALS:

Live Video: https://youtu.be/OycnPvWDzw8

Official Website: www.tokyotabooband.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tokyotaboo

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TokyoTaboo

from Interview with Dolly Daggerz of Tokyo Taboo!

[marvelous-avengers]

Friends, Right?

Summary: (College AU) You and Steve had been friends for years, 

Pairing: Steve x reader

Word count: 1,191

Note: This is an idea I’ve had for a while! It’ll be a multi-part fic, so keep an eye out for updates! :)

Unlocking the front door to your apartment, you found solace in the quiet and empty hallway. Your day had dragged on and you couldn’t wait to get into bed and sleep. You checked your mail slot on reflex, finding nothing there. Trudging up the stairs, you slid the key into the knob and opened it in the middle of an intense conversation.

“No way! No fucking way!”

“Language, Buck.”

“You cheated!” The brunette exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at his blonde counterpart. “You definitely cheated, you sonofa–”

“What the hell is going on here?” You were still standing in your open doorway, looking very confused at what was happening in your living room. Steve and Bucky turned to finally notice you as you shut the door behind you and made your way to them. “Are you guys playing...Clue?”

“Not anymore,” Bucky said, clearly annoyed, as he slumped back against your couch with his arms crossed, looking more like an annoyed child than a grown-ass adult. “Steven keeps cheating.”

“Buck, I didn’t cheat–” he starts, but Bucky holds his hand up to stop him. You stare between the two of them, dumbfounded.

“You’re both idiots.” You shake your head, bringing a hand up to rub your face. “Why are you two playing by yourselves? And how the hell did you get into my apartment?”

Steve dangled a key in front of him, a small grin on his face. “No one else was home, and we wanted to play a game.”

“So why didn’t you take it and go back home?”

“In this weather?” Bucky scoffed, and you raised your eyebrows at him. He was lucky you weren’t in a horrid mood when you discovered them here, otherwise, him and his smart ass self would be outside in this freezing cold weather.

“And,” Steve grabbed your hand, making you look at him, “we figured you’d want to watch a movie with your two favorite people when you got back from work. Please?” He looks at you with those big blue eyes, pulling a puppy dog face, and you turn your head and see Bucky leaning forward, doing the same. I can’t believe these two, you think, mouth open.

What you really wanted to do was curl up in bed and get at least one good night’s sleep before the semester starts again. Tomorrow might be Monday, but classes didn’t start until Tuesday and you had planned to take your day off tomorrow to sleep and make sure that you had everything you needed for classes. But with these two looking at you like this, your original plan started to look less and less appealing.

You sighed in defeat. “Fine.” They both grin, and you just roll your eyes at them as you leave to head up to your room. “And that key was for emergencies only.” You turn to Steve and send a disapproving look his way.

“It was an emergency!” He laughed, sending you a flashy smile. “We wanted to play Clue.”

You send him a look but then Bucky catches your attention. “Don’t worry doll, I wanted to see you.” He sends a smirk your way.

“Bite me.”

“Right now? In front of poor, innocent Steve?” He feigns shock and then cackles once your face flushes and you flip him off. You make your way to your room, but don’t miss the smack that must come from Steve and an “ow” followed by Bucky.

You shed your winter coat once your door is shut and toss your beanie on your bed. You fall back on it and rub your face with your hands.

You’ve known the two of them since you were little. You all grew up together and had been hanging out since you were tikes, but parted ways once high school rolled around. When you saw Steve on the first day of Art History on your first day of college, you almost didn’t recognize him. Long gone was the scrawny boy you had known, replaced with a tall and well-built man, muscles and all.

His bright blue eyes had caught yours and a big grin washed over his face. “Y/n?”

And it was right back to where it had all began.

You spent that first few weeks catching up, hearing all about Steve joining football and baseball in high school and his growth spurt finally hitting his sophomore year. Once he started training and playing every year, that’s when he started bulking up and it was like everything else fell into place. He told you about Peggy, his high school sweetheart, and how they parted ways after graduation as she went back overseas. They both knew long distance wasn’t going to work, and still talk occasionally, staying good friends. You told him about your own high school days, being super involved on campus and in art, and that it was what brought you both to the same school. After asking about Bucky, Steve proudly told you that they were still as close as ever and how he also couldn’t wait to see you.

That only proved itself when you had been out one day running errands, and heard your name called from across the street.

“Y/N!”

You turned your head just before a body collided with yours, knocking the wind out of you and simultaneously wrapping you up in a bone-crushing hug. “Hey, Buck!” You had managed to squeeze out, giving him a pat. He gave you a big grin, and just like that, it was as if the three of you had never separated.

“Y/n?” Steve calling your name from your living room brought you out of your thoughts. “What do you want to watch?”

You rubbed the back of your hands against your eyes as you got up and started shedding your cold work clothes, grabbing some pajamas. “Uhh,” you were fumbling with your sweatpants, hopping around your room as you pulled them up. “Anything. Something funny.” You pulled an oversized tee over your head, grabbed some socks and headed downstairs. They had both settled comfortably on your couch, leaving a nice space in the middle for you. You plopped down between them and finally took notice of the title screen as you put your socks on. “Clue? Really?”

“What?” Bucky shrugged, a funny grin gracing his face. “It’s funny! And a collective favorite.”

“You two are unbelievable,” you chuckled, settling in between them. Steve grabbed the blanket from next to him and spread it out across the three of you.

“Maybe, but you love us.” He grinned, throwing his arm around the back of the couch and nudged you with his foot.

You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms over your chest, hoping he couldn’t see your pink cheeks. “Yeah yeah, whatever.”

“Okay kids, let’s watch one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces in the history,” Bucky claimed as he pressed play on the remote. You simply chuckled at him and got comfortable in between your two best friends. As the movie stretched on, you each collectively recited lines from the film and laughed until your sides hurt.

“Three murders?”

“Six altogether.”

“This is getting serious.”

tagging is open~!

@micafabbv

[thelostcatpodcast]

THE LOST CAT PODCAST TRANSCRIPTS: SEASON 5: EPISODE 3: HUMANS SCREAMING

THE LOST CAT PODCAST TRANSCRIPTS: SEASON 5: EPISODE 3: HUMANS SCREAMING

Released on : 10th April 2020

https://thelostcat.libsyn.com/season-5-episode-3-humans-screaming

My cat was walking across open night-time fields beneath an infinite sky of stars, but his eyes never rose above the level of the trees - looking for birds - and constantly scanned the ground for any small mammals. He did not care at all for the mysteries of the space above him.

Which was ironic, considering where he was about to go.

THE LOST CAT PODCAST BY A P CLARKE, SEASON 5, EPISODE 3: HUMANS SCREAMING

A net came down upon him, then he was put in a cage, which was put in a van, which drove off in to the night.

The van stopped in time, the cage was taken out, and my cat stayed very low and still as he looked out at his new surroundings.

They had just passed a very high, thick wire fence surrounding a huge flat open area with several incredibly tall, cylindrical rockets at the centre. They were headed toward a collection of low buildings right on the edge of the compound.

Above the door was a sign that read ‘Space Inc’ with a logo of with the globe and stars, with both within the flame of a rocket. A inscription read ‘Sub Caelo, Mundus’.

“I want this one up in an hour,” said an older man, walking stridently at the front.

A woman, looking in to the cage with a concerned look said “we have to run tests! We have to make sure he is healthy first at least.”

“What, he’s a cat, he’s fine, put him with all the other subjects!”

“We could at least give him a good meal.”

“What?” said the man, peering in to the cage. My cat looked at him, and stayed very, very still. “He looks like he’s eaten very well, and recently. Guys, stop this. Put him with the others.”

And the cage was roughly taken away from the lady by a couple of large, white-coated men. And as they travelled the corridors of the compound at counted dozens of humans walking around.

Finally my cat was shoved in to a storage space filled with similar cages, filled with animals all similarly staying very quiet and still.

The men banged the cage down on top of another, rattling my cat about.

The men left, laughing, and my cat followed them very carefully with his eyes.

My cat looked down, and a small dog in the cage below him looked up. They did not need to say anything to each other. The situation was obvious.

And then the woman snuck back in to the storage space. She put some fish into my cat’s cage, and some water.

“I am sorry,” she said. “I hope you like this. I am doing everything I can, I promise, but they’ll push me out entirely if I make any more of a problem. Do you understand? No, of course you don’t.”

She put some food in the other cages too, patting the dog on his head gently.

“At least you get a nice meal.”

She turned out the light as she left.

“I am so sorry.”

An hour later, the men turned up, loaded the cages on to a trailer, and drove it towards one of the huge rockets.

As they did, the older man’s voice sounded out loud over a PA.

“Friends! Our humble private business was formed to do the necessary work our governments have completely failed to do: to set our eyes beyond our world and conquer the frontier of space! For habitation! For commerce! For life! And this flight, friends, will represent the last step to prove our readiness to head in to full-scale mobilisation. If you control the sky, you control the world! Friends! The future is here, and the future is ours! Sub Caelo, Mundus!”

All around were roars of approval, the animals were pushed from their cages in to special slots in the rocket, then the rocket was sealed up tight with a tomb-like slam, and all of the sound from outside was gone. There was only the gentle beeping of machinery then, the hum of artificial air, and the whimpering of a dozen small animals.

Then a great rumbling began through the metal, then a great force, pushing them all down.

The whimpering stopped then, and they all stayed as flat as they could.

The roaring continued for an eternity, then a snap and a wobble and all the weight left them.

My cat, in his box, began to float. He looked out of his tiny porthole and found that the stars had come to him.

He saw the great globe of Earth shining blue beneath him.

And then a great shadow passed over the porthole and everything was dark. They were approaching something huge.

Small thrusts from the ship, pushed my cat back and forth, then there was a low clank, a release of gas and everything was finally still.

Then the doors of their boxes opened, and the animals were free.

They floated out and found that the rocket had docked with a larger station, orbiting the earth.

The animals spun around in various states of confusion, bouncing off the walls, with no ability to control their movement.

An electronic click filled the space and a voice sounded out.

“Complete! Fully-automated launch and docking with live payload. Congratulations my furry friends, you are helping secure the future for all mankind! Now, do please make yourselves at home. You maybe be here some time!”

There was laughing and a clinking of glasses could be heard. And then the radio snicked off.

The animals floated about in the space.

My cat put out its claws, and attached himself to the soft material of a wall and stayed there, secure. He oriented himself to this new configuration, and then began to walk, claws out, towards the cockpit. He was quite well suited to this new situation, he found.

But the other animals floated around him. They seemed quite calm, all things considered. Possibly dazed.

And then they all heard a different kind of noise. Not mechanical, or electronic, but kind of squelchy.

The sound moved, rhythmically along a pipe in what, to my cat, was the ceiling of the cabin, a sucking, fleshy sort of noise.

At the far end of the cabin, a panel in the pipingflew open in a blast of steam, and then a bright, yellow mass fell from it. The mass plopped on to the floor, barely more than a puddle. My cat watched it with some interest, for the mass started to produce some kind of mist.

The mist grew and undulated around the mass and became so thick the mass almost began to disappear behind it.

The mass just sat there at the far end of the cabin, and the animals all watched the small cloud waft about in the air currents.

Then a small animal squeaked and the mist all moved round to face the direction of the squeak.

My cat looked closer, and realised it was not a mist, but thousands and thousands of filament thin fronds, splaying out from its body in every direction for half a metre. The fronds all moved independently, wafting to their own wind, tasting the air, sensing currents and movements, and they were all now were pointing towards the poor animal that had just squeaked.

Then hundreds of the fronds weaved together beneath the mass to form thick woven rope, and lifted it up, as if on to legs. Then the mass ran at the animals.

The animals, floating in the air, panicked. They writhed and squealed and ran their legs, to precious little effect.

My cat stayed absolutely still, with its claws dug right in to the wall.

The dog – by far the biggest of the animals - banged off a bulkhead, and bounced around a corner into a side corridor. The fog of filament fronds all coalesced in that direction, and the mass stopped running forwards, and scuttled out of the main cabin in to the corridor the dog had just gone down.

There was banging

as equipment went flying, there was a heavy, wet snarl as the dog bared its teeth. There was the squelching as the alien got closer.

There was the noise of a desperate scuffle, the wet snaps of jaws closing, then a high pitched yelp, then everything was still. But only for a moment - for then the barking started. A great, terrified barking, with great sucking, panicked whining in between.

The dog reappeared from the corrdior, gently and purposefully floating back towards the other animals.

Though it barked in terror, its limbs were completely still. Its body completely calm. For the dog was not controlling them any more. For, covering the back of his head, with thousands of filament fronds of pushing into his scalp, the alien creature pulsed, controlling the poor animal’s body.

But the dog’s eyes were still wide with panic. The dog was still conscious. It barked and yelped and growled and its eyes swivelled in its head. It knew what was happening to it.

The alien had complete control over the rest of the animal, but seemed to leave the dog’s surface, conscious, mind, as well as its face, completely free. Presumably, the alien had no use for either.

So the dog barked and yelped as best it could, for that was all it could do, And it floated calmly past my cat, not even moving a muscle.

My cat looked at the dog as it passed, and the dog’s eyes pleaded for help.

My cat could do nothing.

Then the dog’s body rearranged itself in the space, and neatly, efficiently pushed off a control panel with its hind legs directly towards my cat. The alien was coming for him.

My cat pricked its claws and ran off to the far end of the cabin, in to the next corridor, and hid.

At least the dog was easy to avoid, barking in such distress as it was.

My cat hid as best he could, and listened.

He heard the barking, safely far away. Then he heard a whole series of squelching noises, and then a chorus of terrified squeaks and squeals, as the alien split in to parts and took over all the other animals.

A symphony of horror came from the main cabin.

And then, just as suddenly, every bark and squeal stopped, and the station was almost entirely silent.

My cat peaked out from his hiding place, and saw the dog’s body floating belly up gently passed him, not moving at all now. The body rotated, revealing a completely clear head, and absolutely no life.

Then the alien reared up behind my cat and launched itself at him.

My cat hissed, and bared its teeth, and a thousand filament fronds leapt down his throat.

It was not a long fight.

My cat throbbed and bucked, then it went still, and began floating up from its hiding place.

The alien had gained control.

My cat could feel the unnatural horror of a thousand knife-like worms burrowing through his brain, through his spine, through his very veins,

It felt like acid when he resisted and so it forced him to retreat further and further back in to himself.

And there was only a blankness where once had been his body, with only the dimmest sense of movement remaining, felt only as different intensities of absence, as if his body was a ghost that he now haunted.

And then, something else too, an acid-y, electric seeping in the darkness, that my cat realised was the alien itself, getting on with its business with his body. And my cat, rather than try to hold on to the physical sensations in his body, turned his attention wholly to the consciousness of the alien and began to see the landscape of its mind open out before him, and the weather of its moods roil above.

And it was not what my cat was expecting at all.

This creature was simple, deep down, like rolling hills against the cat’s intricate caves.

The alien lived by joining with, and merging into, other creatures, and conquered not by destroying the creature, but by destroying the barriers between them and becoming one.

But stuck on this space station, however it got here, the alien had no ability to merge and grow and spread.

It was, the best way my cat could interpret: lonely.

This was utterly fascinating to my cat – who mostly just ate other creatures.

So simple, almost sweet, and so easy to play with.

The alien’s consciousness lit up as it noticed the cat’s attention, and the frilling fronds of its consciousness fell full upon my cat’s mind. The brightening of the alien made it seem almost happy.

As the fronds rushed out towards my cat he knew he only had a little time.

In the last few moments he had, my cat realised that they both wanted off this space station. And that would be enough.

And as the alien rushed towards my cat, my cat rushed towards the alien.

And they met.

And my cat was overwhelmed. And in the flaying rush of psychic fronds, my cat roamed the creature’s landscape of desire, and over-layed his own until there was a perfect match and a connection, of needing to escape, was made.

And my cat, as accurately as any such communication can be described, said “hello.”

And the landscape pulsed and the whole colour and temperature changed around them.

And my cat continued: “I have an idea…”

And once the wills had been aligned, the alien was pretty easy to convince. It was, by its nature, a fairly simple organism, whose inherent simplicity allowed for devastating force.

My cat wanted to get back home. The alien wanted open space and lots of creatures to join with. My cat simply ushered up the image of the open spaces the rocket centre, bustling with so many white-coated people.

And with that my cat had that devastating force on his side. The alien, controlling my cat’s body, took off towards the control room. My cat had to hold in some panicky yowling as its body moved around him.

My cat leapt up to the control panel, fronds from the alien leapt up and in to the panels and circuitry.

Then my cat, my cat observed, lifted its paw and pressed some buttons, tapped numbers in to a key pad, and then pushed a gauge to maximum. My cat watched himself do this with quite some interest.

A great rumbling was felt through the station then, the great earth beneath them began to shift, and my cat was run into the small compartment of the rocket he had arrived in.

And, in the great dark sky above the rocket compound back on Earth, a star began to burn brightly, then fall, getting brighter and closer all the time.

Alarms sounded in the compound, people ran out of the buildings, looked about and then pointed at the falling star, that was now a raging fireball.

“Do not worry,” said the elder man. “We programmed for this. There are safety measures.”

The space station roared and flamed overhead and then smashed in to the empty fields over a mile from the compound. They felt the rumbles through their feet, but they were safe.

And then, floating down gently on perfectly programmed retro-boosters, the rocket came to a rest, vertical with barely a wobble, dead centre of the landing pad.

And the people gathered all congratulated themselves on how clever they were.

The hatch popped open, and my cat was jumped out.

“Aww look, it’s the cat!”

And the people all ran towards him.

“Hey, what’s that on its head?”

And then the alien loosed its fronds upon the humans, split into dozens of globs of sickly yellow flesh that travelled up the fronds into the screaming mouths of the people. Such were the riches around the alien, almost the entire mass of the alien split into parts as it spread leaving my cat with only a small, controlling part left.

My cat, inside itself, approached the alien, and ate it whole.

Then, free, he trotted off to find some more food.

My cat walked through the compound, which had started to fill with the sound of humans screaming. White coated figures walked by, perfectly calmly and slowly, but their eyes were wide and they were screaming. They knew exactly what was happening to them.

My cat saw the elder, speech-giving, man walk past calmly, screaming in utter terror. My cat walked on.

Then he heard a familiar voice, whispering in fear. He saw one of the aliens approaching the nice lady who had fed him food. The cat yowled, and the alien moved away.

Out of respect. Out of fear. Possibly out of friendship.

The woman stared at my cat in amazement. My cat meiowed at her, then walked off. The woman rose, gave one last look around, and then hurriedly followed him.

They both walked, quite quickly, past the humans screaming, out of the compound, which was now on fire and rapidly collapsing.

At the gates, The woman petted my cat, then looked around for her car, but when she turned back my cat was already walking off in to the night, to continue his journey beneath the infinite sky of stars, accompanied by the sounds of humans screaming.

THIS HAS BEEN EPISODE 3 OF SEASON 5 OF THE LOST CAT PODCAST, TITLED ‘HUMANS SCREAMING’, WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY A P CLARKE

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

Links

https://apclarke.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-cat-podcast

thelostcat.libsyn.com

twitter.com/LostCatPod

thelostcatpodcast.tumblr.com

facebook.com/lostcatpodcast

soundcloud.com/a-p-clarke/sets/the-lost-cat-podcast