#we just had some feelings we needed to share

[paucubarsisimp]

attention

pairing: lando norris x reader

summary: in which lando and your son are fighting for your attention

warnings: two very clingy babies

a/n: first f1 fanfic! lmk what you guys think!

the house is eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the tv in the background. you’re curled up on the couch, flicking through a magazine, legs tucked beneath you. it’s one of those rare moments when everything feels calm—well, that’s about to change. because in this house, peace never lasts long.

theo, your five-year-old, suddenly bursts into the room, his little footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor. he’s clutching a set of plastic blocks, face bright with excitement. “mummy, look! i built the biggest tower!” he exclaims, holding them up in front of you like a trophy, his wide eyes pleading for your praise.

you glance up and smile, your heart melting just a little at his enthusiasm. “wow, theo! that’s amazing! you worked so hard on it.”

just as you’re about to reach for the blocks to take a closer look, lando strolls in, hair still damp from his shower, a towel around his neck. he scans the room and spots you on the couch. his eyes gleam mischievously, and before you know it, he’s leaning toward you. “hey, that’s my spot,” he says, playfully pointing at your lap.

theo freezes, glaring at lando as if he just dared to commit a great injustice. “no! mummy’s mine!” theo declares, squeezing tighter around your neck, like a tiny koala.

you laugh softly, amused at how ridiculous this whole situation is. “boys, please. there’s enough of me to go around, okay?”

lando pouts, but it’s clear he’s not giving up that easily. “but i was here first,” he says with a dramatic sigh, flopping onto the couch beside you. he leans in closer, clearly making a point to get as close as possible. “i want some attention too.”

theo, sensing the challenge, crosses his arms over his chest. “no, you can’t have her,” he huffs, his little voice firm and adamant.

you try to keep your composure, but it’s hard when both of them are giving you that look—like they’re both fighting for the same thing. your attention. “lando, theo, seriously. you both need to share. i love you both, no need to fight.”

but theo’s not backing down. “mummy, look at my tower! it’s way bigger than daddy’s race car!” he lifts the blocks again, practically shoving them in your face.

lando grins, his eyes narrowing with playful challenge. “oh, really? i think i’ve got a pretty awesome race car. much cooler than a tower.” he leans in, making sure you can hear his tone. “want to see it, babe?”

theo gasps in horror. “no! mummy! look at my tower!” he says, pushing lando’s arm away, as if he could physically block his dad from you. his tiny hands press against lando’s chest, trying to shove him back.

lando raises an eyebrow, impressed. “well, i guess he’s got a bit of me in him, huh?” he grins, nudging theo with his elbow.

theo shakes his head furiously, his little body tense as he pulls your arms tighter around himself. “no! mummy’s mine!” he says, his tone determined, though there’s an adorably stubborn edge to it.

you laugh, trying to calm the storm that’s brewing between your two favorite people. “boys,” you sigh, but there’s a smile tugging at your lips, “can we all just get along?”

lando leans over, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek, fully aware that theo is watching. “well, i think i’m still winning,” he says, looking at you with a teasing grin.

theo, who had been trying to maintain his stance as the “only one worthy of mummy’s attention,” glares at his dad, then glances at you. “mummy, tell daddy he can’t sit here. i need you.”

you raise an eyebrow at theo’s bold declaration. “theo,” you start, chuckling, “i’m not telling daddy he can’t sit here. i love both of you. and you both need to share mummy’s attention.”

lando stretches out next to you with a dramatic groan, “but it’s so much more fun when i get all of it.” he nudges theo with his foot, a playful gleam in his eye.

theo crosses his arms, sticking his tongue out at his dad. “mummy’s my best friend,” he says defiantly.

“oh really?” lando smirks, raising an eyebrow. “well, i’m pretty sure i’m her best friend too.”

the battle rages on. and despite the chaos, you wouldn’t trade it for the world. because in the end, you have the best of both worlds—two amazing boys who will never stop fighting for your attention, and your heart full of love for them both.

[iamgonnagetyouback-recs]

SIRIUS BLACK.ᐟ

a little list of my favorite stories ୨ৎ remember to be kind, reblog, and support the wonderful authors who share their magic with us.ᐟ

NOTE ಇ. none of these stories belong to me ♡ if you’d like your fic removed, just send me a message, and i’ll take care of it!

date by @sun-kissy

⁀➴༯ sirius for some reason thinks you have a crush on regulus

REVIEW ୨ৎ oh my god the tension in this had me actually holding my breath, san. sirius being all dramatic and broody while reader is just exhausted with potions?? perfect. but then the confrontation?? my heart hurt for both of them. sirius being jealous and insecure and reader being so confused but so soft when she realizes what's happening. and the james/regulus mention?? peak comedy. the ending was so sweet, i'm actually kicking my feet

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

forever by @/sun-kissy

⁀➴༯ you're cold, and you're in love with sirius

REVIEW ୨ৎ this was absolutely gorgeous. the tenderness, the pining, the way every little movement is soaked in love—it’s stunning. you have such a delicate way of writing sirius, san, i love it! the smoking detail was such a perfect addition—how he doesn’t put it out but still adjusts for you, how you bought an ashtray just for him. it’s intimate in the way that truly knowing someone is intimate. and that cuddle request??? i nearly stopped breathing. the way reader braces for rejection only to be met with sirius’ sure, get over here, babe—it wrecked me. and then the way he pulls her closer, holds her like it’s second nature? absolutely everything. “my arms have no curfew, sweetheart. they’re content to hold you as long as you please.” —i’m going to be thinking about that line for days. i’m in awe.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

right where i want to be by @appocalipse

⁀➴༯ it's only when lily accidentally spills amortentia on you and all you can smell is cigarettes and dog fur that you realize you're in love with sirius — probably the only person in the world you shouldn't be in love with

REVIEW ୨ৎ oh this hurts in the best way. the slow, creeping realization, the way sirius just knows and won’t let her run from it, the tension??? i’m actually losing my mind. the teasing, the softness, the way he says i want you like it’s the most obvious thing in the world??? i need to lie down. no one disturb me, except maybe you amy cause well you wrote this

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

shy!reader by @moonstruckme

⁀➴༯ bf!sirius teasing reader about something, and it actually hurts her feelings quite a lot? maybe she's always thought she's to shy for him, and he teases her about being quiet and it just hurts so much that he sees her just like everyone else does? like she thought he understood her, but instead he's teasing her about something she's really insecure about

REVIEW ୨ৎ this is so soft i could cry. sirius just knows her, and even when he messes up, he listens, he cares. the way he apologizes??? instantly, genuinely, with no ego—i’m in love. and the way he tucks her into his space so easily, so naturally, like she belongs there??? i’m melting. i now identify as a puddle of tears from all this fluffiness

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

clingy!sirius by @inkdrinkerworld

⁀➴༯ sirius being clingy and your friends teasing you guys

REVIEW ୨ৎ this is the most disgustingly adorable thing i’ve ever read. sirius is just so in love and unashamed about it, and everyone else is exasperated but also just accepting of his dramatics. like yeah, of course he buries himself under her shirt like a needy puppy, what else is new?? i am weak

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

kids by @/inkdrinkerworld

⁀➴༯ you are unsure about having kids

REVIEW ୨ৎ oh this is so soft i actually can’t breathe. the way they’re so open with each other and sirius just listens???? no judgment, just love???? and the way he reassures her without trying to change her mind??? “we can keep our family just like this” i’m actually going to cry. and then the stupid little “and a cat” moment like please. and him being like “i don’t think i could put someone over you” like sir. that is the most sirius black thing i’ve ever heard. i love them so much this fic is everything

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

i got you first by @thatdammchickennugget

⁀➴༯ "if i scare you tonight, you'll owe me a kiss." with sirius black but in the end he ends up getting scared

REVIEW ୨ৎ oh, this is delicious. sirius trying so hard to get a reaction out of her, only for her to completely turn the tables on him?? absolutely love. and that moment in the maze? when she flips the game on him, and he just folds under her touch?? yeah. that man is gone. completely and utterly wrecked by her. the way he just stares and then that lazy grin—i swear, i felt that in my soul. also, the fact that their first kiss isn't rushed or desperate, but soft and slow? sirius black, you are in love. and so am i with this fic

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

sober feelings by @lovemenotts

⁀➴༯ bsf!reader with him out of the blue suggesting 'what if we kiss but not in a dating way?'

REVIEW ୨ৎ oh my god. oh my god. this was everything. the casual suggestion like it’s nothing while my heart is combusting?? sirius being all cocky but then immediately spiraling after??? the way he was so worried the next day i'm gonna cry. and then the confession??? i am on the floor. “we should’ve kissed as friends a long time ago” sirius please be serious about me next

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

yellow hearts by @nottswitch

⁀➴༯ the times you put yellow hearts around his name, and the times he put them around yours

REVIEW ୨ৎ this was so soft i’m actually going to cry. the progression from absolute mortification to comfort and love??? sirius teasing but also so gentle???? the yellow hearts showing up again and again??? and the honeymoon bit oh my god. their bickering is so stupid and adorable and so them. the fact that they get their little happy ending and it’s literally framed in yellow hearts. i’m unwell

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

bad dog by @lupinsversion

⁀➴༯ sirius has a bad habit of flirting with others, especially in front of his girlfriend. has she finally had enough?

REVIEW ୨ৎ oh he DESERVED that bonk on the head. “bad dog” is actually the funniest and most fitting reaction ever. like yes, he’s sirius black, of course he’s going to be a little shit about flirting, but also? he needs to learn. and i love that james and remus are calling him out too because yeah, it’s “harmless” but it’s also not harmless when it clearly hurts his girlfriend. sirius sulking about it and realizing he actually feels bad?? good. let him sit in his wrongness and learn from it. this was so well done, i loved it but ahem mak i think i speak for all when i say part is needed

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

a marauders guide to siblings by @ellecdc

REVIEW ୨ৎ this was absolutely delightful. james potter and his love for love, his pure dedication to making this triple date happen—it’s so him. the way he just won’t take no for an answer, and how everyone else is reluctantly dragged into his chaos, is peak marauders energy. and the dialogue? oh mama. i love how everyone interacts here, from sirius being completely against it because of the “googly eyes” problem, to remus and regulus just being exasperated with the entire situation. and the moment james finally gets what he wants, only to immediately start overthinking it and worrying about the sibling connections?? absolutely hilarious. and sirius being all soft for reader, saying she was worth the nonsense? perfect. this was so fun to read, i adored every second of it!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨ৎㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤmain blog ￫ @iamgonnagetyouback

[starryal1na]

─ 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

genre: fluff, sfw

word count: 1.4k

characters: aventurine, sunday, boothill, mr reca, alhaitham, kaveh

notes: those headcanons are coming from my silly little mind so don't take them too seriously (ᵕ—ᴗ—) i tried to write them as canon as possible but it might come off as a bit ooc (especially mr reca since we still don't know much about him...) i personally had lots of fun writing for them since they are my favorites male characters from the games <333

Aventurine 𔘓

kisses you as if it were his last – an emotional kisser – needs to be complimented

If you're at the kissing stage with him, congratulations since he doesn't let just anyone in his life. Let alone sharing such an intimate act. Kissing Aventurine may come across as desperate, dare I say needy. It's a lot since he pours all of his emotions into each press of his lips on yours. You feel everything– his complete devotion to you, his fear of losing you, even his inner battles about whether keeping you in his life is a good idea. Even so, each of his kiss is meaningful. No matter how intense it gets, you cherish the way he allows himself to put his guards down with you.

Since he has low self-esteem, compliment him on how good his lips feel on yours. Whisper sweet words here and there between kisses until his features soften, easing all of his worries. Because he craves validation more than anything, your praise will have his heart melting in no time. Only then will he feel more confident, taking the lead and locking your lips in a passionate heated kiss. He will leave you panting and asking for more <3

Sunday 𔘓

kisses you with the greatest care – your lips are his hyperfixation (he will think about them all day long)

He is kinda shy, not daring initiate a kiss even though he dreams of kissing you over and over again. Ever since your first kiss, Sunday hasn't been able to get enough. He unapologetically stares at your lips when you talk, smile or even eat something, fantasizing about making them swollen from a make out session. All his thoughts shut down as soon as you indulge him, crashing your lips against his. It's like he is on cloud nine, the plush of your lips eager yet delicate.

His lips are soft, the softest you've ever felt. He isn’t particularly fond of tongue kissing so he prefers to give you soft, gentle pecks. However, if he feels confident he will deepen them, his body pressing closer to yours as muffled gasps of delight escapes his mouth. And when he kisses you, it’s as if you’re the most precious thing in the world. He is careful with the way he holds you, as if you might break if he dares to tighten his grip. Speaking of hands, he is always touching you. His personal favorite is keeping one hand on your cheek, gently rubbing his thumb over your cheekbone while resting the other on your waist guiding you even closer to him <3

Boothill 𔘓

a biter – and a cheeky kisser – loves to cover your face in kisses only to smother your lips over and over again

He is all for heatedly making out with you. It doesn't matter if you're in public or not, he isn't unshamed at all if it means having his pretty lover panting in his robotic arms. He loves to tease you, especially with his sharp pointy teeth. Whenever you're sitting on his lap, breathlessly following the lead Boothill sets for your make out session, he grazes his sharpened teeth over your bottom lip at some point. It's just enough to hurt a little but he knows deep down you like it this way, so why not take advantage of it ?

Aside from the biting, Boothill also loves teasing you by purposely avoiding your lips. In those moments you wish you had the power to complain, but you're left speechless. He is surprisingly soft as he presses his lips against your forehead, eyelids, cheekbones and then all the way down to your chin and neck. He is taking his time with you, cherishing these quiet moments with you since being a Galaxy Ranger is far from being safe. It's when you're looking at him with eyes full of love, of belonging, that he locks your lips into a tender kiss. But, as cheeky as he is, he pulls away only to press another kiss on your lips, this time with more force. Then another, and another, until it turns into quick breath-stealing kisses. It’s endearing though, how utterly adorable he can be when it comes to you and the way he loves you <3

Mr Reca 𔘓

a perfomative kisser – needs the setting to be perfect in order to kiss you – makes comments about the kisses

As a film director, Reca is an expert at building up a romantic kissing moment— and that applies to his love life as well. Whenever he wants to kiss you, it has to be perfectly executed, to the point where he practically writes the script for your kisses beforehand. It might comes across as superficial, but that’s just how he operates. Otherwise he’d be disappointed in himself. The setting must be romantic enough, so he usually takes you to a breathtaking landscape, a luxurious restaurant or carefully arrange your shared space– dimly lit with candles, with soft, romantic music playing in the background. Every detail must align with his vision of the perfect moment.

Kissing him is perfect. As intented. You don't mind that it was planned since you acknowledge his need to be in control of it. He just wants to be good to you. Plus, he knows how to work you up. Tilting your chin up, he compliments you on how gorgeous you look before closing the gap between your lips. The warmth of his lips is so comforting to you, as is the way he holds you. You can't help but roll your eyes when you hear the enthusiastic "magnificient !" comment he manages to blurt out. The only response he gets is you deepening the kiss, determined to shut him up for good <3

Alhaitham 𔘓

lazy kisser – doesn't kiss a lot but when he does he blows your mind – leaves you breathless and acts like nothing happened

He barely takes the initiative himself, unless you’ve been making out for a long time. Alhaitham's lack of action doesn't come from not enjoying it— it's just that he doesn't really think about it. Most of the time, it's you who come to him asking for a kiss. He never denies you the pleasure of having your pretty lips on his but, like I said, you have to work for it. If you don’t, he simply stands there and give you a chaste kiss.

Other times it's just that Alhaitham likes to tease you, purposely reacting slowly until you grow impatient and take matters into your own hands. Alhaitham patiently waits, curious to see how far you want to go with him. You have piqued his interest and that's all you needed, biting then licking his bottom lip before deepening the kiss. Soon enough, he is the one taking control, moving your lips together as he pulls you on his lap and keeps you as close as possible to him. Because yeah, Alhaitham can be very clingy when he wants to. As soon as you're done, he goes right back to his reading, looking completely unaffected (he is not though, he is internally blushing) <3

Kaveh 𔘓

kisses a lot – steals kisses whenever he has the chance to – unapologetic about the amount of kisses he shares with you (he is just a sweetheart okay)

He is the one who, I believe, would kiss you the most out of the others. He takes initiative a lot. Whenever you cross paths, he stops you just to press his lips on yours. Doing the dishes ? A kiss. Doing errands ? He subtly pulls you into a corner to steal one. Getting ready for the day ? One, two, three...... ten kisses before he finally lets you leave the house. You're not complaining, not when it means seeing him all giddy and flustered afterward. And honestly, it’s not like it leaves you indifferent either. So really, it’s a win-win situation.

The roles are reversed when he is overworking himself on a project. Convincing him to take a well-deserved break is tough, but once he does he is rewarded with the softest kisses in the quiet of his study. He sighs contentedly at the mere brush of your lips, as if you’ve just given him the ability to function properly all over again. His work fades from his mind the moment you leave him with shiny, swollen red lips. And if you sneak into his study every now and then to steal more kisses while he works, he doesn’t complain in the least <3

/!\ don't steal, translate or repost this and claim it as you own /!\

[acosmicbee]

Teddy Bear pt.2

(Not beta read so hopefully there aren't any major typos... Also, this is Tumblr exclusive and written from scratch so I hope you enjoy! Platonic Yandere Family x Child Reader)

You weren't quite sure what had happened, and it didn't help that no one would tell you. These people-- these strangers-- weren't your family, but they were acting like they were. Dinner had been an uncomfortable affair and you'd spent most of it hiding behind your teddy bear while Stephan tried to make sure you ate.

Emma was chatting with her parents and siblings, occasionally placing a hand on your head or gently chiding you to try eating a little more. But you felt like you could barely keep your food down, anxious as you kept glancing around at all these people you didn't know.

Of course you had liked Emma and Stephan, they'd been so nice to you when you'd met. They'd made you feel comfortable and safe, but they'd also taken advantage of that. They'd used your security against you, to steal you away. Sure they were being nice now, as were the people around them, but you remembered all those times your school had cops come in to talk about kidnappings. You remembered how they'd showed the statistics of all the kids who'd never made it out alive.

You tried to stifle a sniffle in the fur of your bear, staring down at your lap as a tear steamed down your face. Sure your family hadn't been the greatest... but they were still your family. More importantly, would you ever see your grandma again? The woman who'd spent her time to make you a special gift when you had nothing.

Emma frowned down at you, seeming to have noticed your distressed state. She shared a look with Stephan before excusing herself from the table, picking you up as she carried you from the room. You just let her take you, feeling worse as the sound of talking faded away.

Emma was talking to you, quietly cooing and whispering little promises that fell on deaf ears. She carried you into the room you were apparently staying in, setting you on her and Stephan's bed as she kneeled to look up at your face.

"Hey, sweetheart. What's with the tears?" She asked gently, reaching up to brush a tear off your face. "Do you want to lie down, honey? We can take a minute to ourselves if you need that. We don't want to rush you."

You just nodded, letting yourself flop over onto the bed as you lay on your side. All you could think about was your grandma, how you weren't sure if you'd ever get to see her again. You let Emma play with your hair, trying to calm you down as you cried. It didn't take very long before the adrenaline stopped rushing through, your body unable to continue being in fight or flight and still function. You fell asleep on the bed, your tears drying on your face.

—⁺˖°ʚ🧸ɞ°⁺˖—

"...time, honey. They'll be okay, I promise." You heard a voice murmur. Your body felt like it weighed a hundred pounds as you slowly woke up. You were thirsty, which your body had decided was enough reason to rouse you from your much needed sleep.

You slowly sat up, still trying to register your surroundings. The voices around you went quiet as you rubbed your eyes, carefully climbing off the bed. You didn't even make it two steps before you were being cradled in warm arms, a gentle hand stroking your back.

"Hey sweetheart, did you need something?" A voice asked. It took you a second to recognize the person as Stephan, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"Water..." You said, ignoring him as he cooed at you for being cute and sleepy.

"Of course, love. Emma, could you...?"

"Yeah, I'll go grab them some water." She said, appearing beside him. She smiled down at you, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead before disappearing back out of view.

You spent the few minutes before she got back, being gently rocked, tucked against a cozy chest. It almost made you drift off again, but the second you were about to give in and close your eyes a cup of water was passed to you.

You took small sips, finishing the whole cup quickly. Instead of being allowed to go back to bed, you were changed into a soft pair of pajamas and carried into the bathroom to brush your teeth. By the time you were deemed 'ready for bedtime', you were getting fussy.

You were placed onto the air mattress where you'd first woken up instead of the bed, your teddy bear hugged close to you. A fluffy blanket was pulled over your body as your head hit the pillow. You heard the voices start talking softly again but couldn't bring yourself to care enough to listen in as you fell back asleep.

—⁺˖°ʚ🧸ɞ°⁺˖—

"They're just so precious... Did you see their little frown when I made them brush their teeth?" Stephan asked, looking over for the fourth time in ten minutes to make sure you were still comfortably sleeping. Tomorrow Emma's parents were having a kid bed delivered for you, probably along with a whole slew of new clothes, toys and other activities for a kid your age.

"I saw. Hopefully they'll be able to eat a bit more at breakfast. I know they're still adjusting and just need some time but it worried me when they tired themself out like that..." Emma said, smiling as you murmured something incoherent in your sleep. "They're such a good kid... I hope they finally feel the love they've been missing."

"I'm sure they do Em. Have you booked them a ticket for our return flight next week yet?" Stephan asked, yawning as he climbed into bed. Emma cursed under her breath as she grabbed her laptop from her luggage.

"You're a lifesaver Steph. Don't know what I'd do without you." She said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "You go to bed, okay love? I'll get everything sorted out. Love you honey."

"Love you more." Stephan murmured back. Emma turned off the bedside lamp, dimming her computer screen as she navigated booking you a seat between the two of them for when the three of you would head home next week.

—⁺˖°ʚ🧸ɞ°⁺˖—

Emma had been up much longer than she'd expected to be. She'd booked your ticket hours ago, but had then stumbled down an internet rabbit hole regarding childcare. What had started with a simple search about introducing a new kid to a home had led her to some darker corners of the internet.

She was watching a video made by a woman regarding settling a child in after a unanticipated adoption when she heard you stir. She turned on the light, knowing that Stephan could sleep through it, as she climbed out of bed to kneel beside you.

Even in your sleep you looked distressed, your body twisted up into a ball as you let out a soft whine. Emma frowned, reaching out to try and soothe you when you suddenly jolted awake. A strangled cry left you when you saw her before you began to cry.

She gently shushed you, pulling you into her arms as she gently rocked you. You looked conflicted, torn between resisting the woman who kidnapped you or leaning into the novel and warm feeling of comfort she brought you. Eventually, you let yourself relax into her arms, letting her stroke your back as she delicately handled you.

"You're alright sweetheart. Do you want to talk about it, Y/N? I'm here to listen if you wish." Her voice was soft and patient and only served to confuse you more.

"Why are you being nice to me?" You asked through tears. "Why aren't you being mean?! Kidnappers are supposed to be mean!"

A look of hurt flashed across her face for a second, but she coaxed your head to rest against her chest before you could dwell on it. Her nice behavior was so confusing to you. How could this couple who had kidnapped you treat you so much nicer than your parents had? Were you a horrible child if there was a little voice inside of you begging you to behave so you could stay with them?

"Sweetheart," Emma sighed. She gently rubbed your back as she continued to speak. "The reason Stephan and I... adopted you was because we felt you deserved so much better than what you were getting. You deserved to have a life where you were told you were loved every single day. You deserved to wake up each morning with a smile. You were, and are, such a sweet kid but you were being forced out of a childhood."

"B-but you don't know me! I could be bad or just pretending! Maybe I deserved it!" You argued back, the words of your parents echoing through your head. They'd always let you know how bad you were and why they never loved you the way they loved your sister.

Emma's heart broke hearing your words as she pulled you even closer, kissing the top of your head. It took her a minute to find the words she wanted to say and even longer to put aside the idea of tracking down your old parents to teach them a lesson.

"Y/N, sweetheart, no matter how 'bad' a kid is they still deserve love. You could be the worst kid on the planet and still deserve love, but I don't think you are. A bad kid wouldn't have offered a stranger her teddy bear because they were scared. A bad kid wouldn't have been as polite as you've been. You aren't bad, lovely, you were never bad. You were just around people who couldn't appreciate you."

That incited a new wave of tears. Your arms came up to cling to Emma's pajama top, holding her close as you sobbed. You- you weren't bad? You did deserve love? Could she be right? You wanted her to be right. You desperately needed her to be right.

"A-Am I wrong? I don't wanna leave... I don't wanna go back... Is that wrong? Does that make me bad?" You whispered, not even sure if she'd heard you until she pulled you even closer. She just smiled into your hair, kissing the top of your head again.

"Oh sweetheart... Of course you aren't bad. You're allowed to be happy that you got out of a bad situation. You're allowed to be happy that you finally feel loved. You're allowed to feel the way you feel." She said, carefully grabbing your teddy before standing up with you in her arms.

She carried you over to the bed, laying you down next to Stephan's sleeping body. She placed her laptop on the nightstand before climbing in beside you and turning off the light. An arm wrapped around your waist, and you felt someone cuddling you close for the very first time. It was warm...

You decided you liked being held close as you drifted off to sleep.

—⁺˖°ʚ🧸ɞ°⁺˖—

Slowly, over the course of the week you spent with Emma's family, you started to open up. You would let Emma's parents dress you up and buy you toys. You would let her siblings ruffle your hair and twirl you around. Every night you'd find your way in between Emma and Stephan, being held close as they reminded you how much they loved you.

It was only on the day before you left that you approached Emma's father with a request. You'd whispered it into his ear, your eyes lighting up when he responded. You'd hugged him tightly and Stephan had smiled watching as his soon to be father-in-law hugged you back with a chuckle.

Later that day you handed him a slip of paper. He didn't look at it, just tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket. It was only later, while your new grandmother was giving you a luxurious bubble bath, that he pulled them aside.

"Y/N wanted me to send this to her grandmother." He said bluntly, pulling out the piece of paper. "I'm ready to follow your lead on whether or not to send it. They're your kid."

Emma and Stephan took a moment to read over the letter, murmuring between each other. Eventually they came to an agreement, turning back to Alexi. "You can send the letter."

"Are you sure?" He asked, taking the piece of paper back.

"She needs to get it off her chest. Please forward any response to my address back home." Emma said, holding Stephan's hand. The sound of your laughter echoed through the house, a testament to how far you'd come since you'd first arrived.

They knew that everything would be okay.

—⁺˖°ʚ🧸ɞ°⁺˖—

"I'm looking for a Miss Aurelia." A man dressed in a nice suit said. Aurelia wasn't in the mood, wanting to go back to mourning her lost grandchild.

"I'm not interested." She murmured, going to shut the door when the man stopped her, holding out a letter. She looked at him confused before taking the envelope. "What is this?"

"This is a letter Miss Y/N wrote for you." He said, watching the way her eyes widened. She instantly opened the envelope, pulling out the letter written in your childish scrawl.

Hi Grandma! I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. I'm living with these super nice people named Emma and Stephan. They're taking good care of me and make me feel the same way you do. I don't need to do all the chores and they make sure to tell me that they love me everyday. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you, but Emma said maybe next time we can go visit you! That way you can still knit Teddy a sweater! I still have him, he's all safe with no rips or tears at all! I love you the most grandma! Don't forget about me! -Y/N

Your grandma held the letter close, tears streaming down her face. She'd thought she'd lost you forever when her idiot son had turned up, talking about how they'd been given a large sum of money in return for your adoption. She'd yelled at him, disowning him and refusing him any entry to her home. But now... now she knew you were safe and sound.

"If you wish to write a response, you can send it here." The man said, handing her a card with an address printed on it. "Have a good day, Miss Aurelia."

Your grandmother never stopped crying as she closed the door and locked it. Not as she walked over to the mantle where she'd turned all your pictures around to flip them the right way again. Not as she finally picked up her knitting needles, which she hadn't touched since she'd heard the news, and started on the sweater for your bear.

She hoped your new family were treating you with the love you deserved. More than that, she hoped that you'd be able to see each other as soon as possible. You deserved the world, and she was glad it seemed like someone was finally giving it to you.

[gothicflowers]

damn why did Kyle’s ass block us tho

Continuing this Gaz blurb

*4 months later*

Gaz still felt guilty, and even worse… he couldn’t get off without recalling the way your body moved and voice sounded that night. Gaz was ruined. The innocent pictures he had of you when you two went to the beach once were like a playboy magazine to him. He tried a few hookups from shitty pubs but none compared to how you made him feel. Loved, warm, safe… happy.

He tried going on a few dates… one he accidentally called her your name as they were making out in his car. The other looked like you but lacked personality. Needless to say karma was biting Kyle in the ass.

“So you blocked her, after you took her to the fanciest steakhouse, wine back at her place while sharing secrets… and had the best shag of your life” soap says from the other side of the aircraft. “And let’s not forget all the cute couple shit you two had been doing”

“Who we talking about” ghost questions.

“Lass that Gaz was seeing months ago, and bloody blew it after a quick shag from the sound of it” soap snickers.

“I thought you were still seeing her” ghost questions.

“I didn’t think I’d actually sleep with her, that wasn’t my goal. And no, it’s been a while” gaz defensively replied.

Soap pinches the bridge of his nose “so your original plan was essentially a break off date”.

Gaz shrugs “I didn’t want her last memory of me to be me saying see you later after our usual Sunday walk. Plus we were never technically together”.

Prices eyebrows raised “So you just strung her along for a month and you were going to ghost her regardless of how the night ended”.

“Well… yeah and it was actually more like five months” gaz sheepishly replied.

The men went silent as they gathered their thoughts. Price being the first to speak up after a painful awkward silence “five months, you bastard she probably was falling in love with you, then you decided to pull the shittiest move a man can make”

“I panicked” Gaz shrugs and diverts his eyes from his captains burning gaze.

Ghost chuckles “wrong, you premeditated disappearing from her life. Sounds like you got a fear of commitment”.

Gaz defensive responds “I do not, it’s just with what we do it’s not worth the risk. I mean what if something happens”

“Sounds exactly like something a person with commitment issues would say” ghost quickly replied.

Soap decides to add fuel to the fire “Aye didn’t you do the same thing with the last gal you liked. Maybe it’s the chase you like. Love ‘em and leave ‘em“.

“Fuck off soap” Gaz responds trying to control his irritation.

Price sighs “I didn’t realize how much of my life I wasted having that mentality when I was your age. Had some fun one night stands but the loneliness catches up real quick. Granted things are turning up for me but boy do I feel like I missed out on that young love”.

Gaz starts to think about what price said. After a plane ride home in deep thought he asks price one last question before departing base “So what should I do to get her back”

Prices brows furrowed “You want something optimistic or something realistic”

“Fuck, realistic I guess” gaz leans against the doorframe of prices base office.

Price stands next to a filing cabinet and shakes his head “Honestly I’ll be amazed if she gives you as much as a moment to explain. But if she’s does let you, be honest about why you left and apologize. No point in lying when you have everything to gain and you can’t lose what you’ve already lost Sargent” price gives him a sincere look “regardless of how it turns out you need to let this be a teaching moment. Because maybe she doesn’t take you back, maybe life sends someone else your way. But if you get that lucky you know better than to fuck it up like this ever again”.

Gaz nods “Would flowers be a nice addition to the apology”.

Price smirks “I don’t think flowers will help your cause much, but maybe it’s sweeten her up”.

Gaz nods “thanks, see you later captain”

Gaz needs a plan to get you back, forever hopefully.

*the next day*

She wasn’t even home. So Gaz decides on waiting to see if you’ll come home anytime soon by sitting on your front door steps for two hours. He has no plans to leave until he sees your pretty face.

Gaz scrolls endlessly on his phone when the sound of heels awaken his senses, only to actually look up when he hears your voice “What are you doing here” you very clearly are not happy to see him.

Gaz stands up with flowers in his hand, clearing his voice he carefully starts his plan “I came to explain, but more importantly apologize”. Gaz sheepishly said.

Your eyes look down at the flowers in his hand, appalled. “No need honestly, I’ve moved on and I think you should to”.

Shit this isn’t going well Gaz thinks. Time to take the soft puppy dog approach. He takes a step forward to you and his eyes fill with hurt “Would you at least let me explain, if you don’t want to hear it I’ll leave now but at least let me be honest as to why I ran off”

You huff defeated, hard to say no when he’s looking at you like that but you can’t give in. “Nothing you can say will change my mind”.

“My job. It’s dangerous and I was worried that it wouldn’t work out because of the demands. And I didn’t plan on sleeping with you. Honestly I just wanted you to have a nice night before I disappeared” gaz trying to reach for your hand, you move back.

“That’s great Kyle. Well my boyfriend just left his office and I’m making dinner, so I really don’t have time for this” you fumble with your keys, as they slip to the ground Gaz picks them up and unlocks to door for you.

“At least let me help carry all this in for you and I’ll be on my way” he politely asked. Praying you’ll let him in.

You sigh a defeated “Fine”. You walk in the door first as Gaz grabs the rest of the bags on the porch. He watches as your hips sway, he can feel the blood in body start to boil. Stay calm, stay fucking calm.

Your home still smells like fresh cotton and lavender. Still perfectly tidy and comfortable. He looks over at that corner sofa where you two made out. He closes the front door and walks to the kitchen and sets the groceries on the counter, he notices a silver watch with a rather large band. Must be a big fella. That’s when he hears the front door open and close. A heavy set of footsteps approaches silently.

“I think you should get going now” you say plainly avoiding Kyle’s burning gaze. He hurt you too much for you to have a moment of doubt.

A deep voice speaks as the footsteps stop at the kitchen “Sargent”.

Gaz turns around to the voice in the room and swallows hard.

“Captain”

Pt.3

[maskedcrawford]

Permanently Yours

G-Dragon x Reader

Summary: You surprise Jiyong with a tattoo that only makes him more obsessed with you.

Warnings: Pure fluff

A/N: Anon, feel free to let me know if this wasn't what you wanted! I hope you enjoy this sweet story, it was so fun to write!

Requests are OPEN

You walk out of the tattoo parlor with the fresh ink on your skin, examining the art work. You had gotten a few tattoos before after hearing how Ji raved about them. But he knew about those, and they were special to you but this one was going to be special for both of you.

You look at the artwork of a dragon once more in the mirror when you got home. A dragon with the date of your relationship stamped above it. A lot of people told you it was risky to get it because what if you and GD break up? It’s kinda permanent, but you loved the man so much you wanted to put some kind of claim on your body that you were his, even though everyone knew.

“Babe? You here?” you hear him call out. You carefully slide your shirt over your body again to hide the artwork. You had a photoshoot tomorrow for Vogue and wanted to surprise him there with it.

“Hey, jagiya,” he smiles as he see’s you walk out of your shared room. He jogs over to you and wraps his arms around your back, right where the fresh wound is still healing. It’s not like it was a small tattoo, it spanned the space of your back almost completely. He notices you wince before he goes in to give you a hug.

“What? Did I hurt you? Are you ok?” he goes to move around you like he wants to inspect you but you take his hands in yours and bring him back in front of you.

“I’m sore, from a work out today, is all.” You smile as you lie right through your teeth and give him the usual welcome home kiss. You wake up the next morning carefully making sure to clean and moisturize your new art piece. Ji-yong loved art in general and you were sure the masterpiece on your back would get his attention.

“Babe we have to go, I’ll be late,” you giggle as Jiyong fusses with a button on his shirt.

“Here,” you say as she drops his hand like a frustrated child.

“Now you look perfect,” you kiss his nose and he once again places his hand on your back putting unwanted pressure.

“Oh, shit,” he quickly removes his hand, “It’s ok.” You have to practically restrain yourself to not scratch at it.

At the studio you’re getting dressed and Ji is waiting patiently. You fill the photographer in on the plan of how you want to unveil the surprise back piece. He nods in approval, as long as he can use it for the shoot which you oblige.

You take the first few shots, moving in different poses and you notice the look of pride on Ji-yong’s face as you do.

“All right, lets get her changed,” a costume designer shouts and you can barely contain your excitement. Ji-yong sits on his phone on a nearby bench.

“So you can get his reaction right?” you whisper to the photographer who assures you it’ll look great. You walk back to the set with a large towel covering your back. They get you set up and you take a deep breath.

“Ji-yong,” you call over your shoulder. He looks like clearly lost in his phone.

“Come here,” you motion for him. He walks over to you looking concerned.

“We’re gonna have you stand here,” the photographer positions him where he needs to be to be in the shot.

“What, I’m not,”

“Just hold still,” the man says, “3.. 2.. 1.. drop the towel,” he says and you let the towel drape off your back and you turn your head to look over at your boyfriend.

His eyes are wide and his mouth slightly open. He walks up to you, getting a closer look at the dragon.

“What did, babe,” is all he can say before you let out a giggle.

“You like,” you question with the biggest smile on your face.

“I fucking love it! Holy shit that’s so sexy!” He keeps his hands above the tattoo so you don’t have to wash it again.

“This is why you’re back hurt yesterday?” he says partly questioning and partly knowing. You nod your head, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth. He goes around to your front and gives you the biggest kiss. You finish the photo shoot for the day and all your boyfriend can talk about is the tattoo.

“I’m glad you like it, Oppa.” He looks at you like a prized possession. As soon as it’s healed he can’t keep his hands off it, constantly dragging his finger tips across it, and you, as much as he can.

“Its just, you’re really mine now,” he breathes after again staring at it.

“I was yours beforehand.”

“Yeah, but now it’s permanent, no removing me from your life. Not completely.” He smirks.

“I mean, tattoo removal has come a long way,” you tease. He looks genuinely offended for a moment.

“Don’t even joke about that. Now everyone that see’s this knows your mine and that’s how it’s going to stay,” he cups your cheeks giving you a sweet kiss. You smile against his lips happy that he loves the artwork.

When the magazine comes out he practically frames the cover. It’s a picture of you looking over your shoulder with the tattoo clearly visible.

“Right above the bed!” he shouts and you laugh at his child like enthusiasm.

“OH man, and this one needs its own frame,” he starts tearing out all the pictures from the magazine.”

“Babe, I wanted to read those!” you chuckle.

“Here, I got two. One to read and or take with me on the road, and this one is to hang up in our room, proudly displayed. We need something for the living room,” he pauses, “Oh, we’ll do our own little shoot at home,” he wiggles his brows as he gets his camera. You take multiple pictures as he makes sure to capture you in the best positions and lighting, he can, even taking you outside and to shops snapping pictures.

“Babe, I think we have enough,” you say as you sip on the warm beverage in your hand with a heartwarming smile.

“Just one more, hold the cup to your lips, yeah like that,” he takes one last picture and smiles proud of himself.

“Perfect.” Once your home he starts mapping out the areas of where he wants to place the pictures and you can’t help but love how artistic and excited he is.  

“I’m glad you find it so appealing, nae sarang.” You whisper as you put your arms around his waist and hug him from the back.

If you enjoyed and want to support me, buy me a coffee

“A work of art must be treasured. And you my dear, are more priceless than the Mona Lisa,” he compliments with a sweet, deep kiss before turning back to the walls to map out where he wants each picture.

[alynnia]

Sylus x Rafayel (x MC) ramblings

The fujo came out of me with this one. After my little karaoke blurb I had an epiphany and had to get it out of my system. I'm no writer but I like to write. The below is litterally brain vomit of ideas and situations spilling out as they come and they're free to the public to play with. These two have quite a bit in common and potentially have chemistry? I dunno, could be my fujo goggles.

MDNI because the last section is lewd. Nothing explicit just options of how I think the sexual part of their relationship might be.

Both bonded to MC

•Sylus, through a shared soul and Raf through an eternal bond. Both of these continue through lifetimes. So imagine Rafayel's shock when courting MC he gets two instead of one. Does he just love half of her soul or all of it? Now we don't know the exact timelines of the myths if they all share the same universe and same Philos, but let's say they did. Sylus' soul sharing with MC came first so when Rafayel bonded with MC, he was unknowingly bonding with Sylus as well. He would be reluctant in this set up, believing that MC was the one he is tied to and only her (this is true of course but we are playing pretend here) but why does he feel a similar pull from Sylus? The fiend is nonchalant about it outwardly but I can see him teasing the fuck out of fish boy. " I guess that makes me your 'beloved' as well but...I don't bow to gods, puppy. I end them. " and then gives him a few smug paps on the cheek. This likely results in a fight MC has to break up and it happens often.

•They would both try and show each other up with showing affection to MC, but Sylus would always include Rafayel in his gifting. If he buys a dress for her, he's buying a suit for him. If she gets a ruby necklace, he gets ruby cufflinks. While MC can have any color jewels she wants, he defaults to red gems. After a while, Rafayel takes notice that the crow boy likes to "mark" them with rubies as a subtle way of telling the world the two of them are both his. It's hard to say if he's doing this as a show of dominance or something more but the way Sylus gives him a satisfied smirk/smile when he sees them both wearing matching onyx and ruby brooches makes his eye twitch and his heart skip. Sensing danger between them, MC would excitedly suggest that Sylus wear one too so all three could match, a subtle way on her part to say they are all equal here.

•When talking to MC about Rafayel, he uses "our".

"I think our husband is throwing a tantrum again~"

" I am NOT your husband. "

" Tch, aaw. Tough luck, you're stuck with us both. "

" Then I want a divorce. There's got to be some way to break out of this, a loophole or a spell to break this curse... "

" You hear that sweetie? Our husband wants to break up with us. Maybe he's not as devoted as he says. "

" N-not her! JUST YOU! You are the curse that defiles our sacred bond and I will not stand for it! "

" And how do you plan to do that? Hm? Rip our very soul asunder? That can't be good for either of us, puppy~ " And he's just smirking the entire time with an arm around MC. " But if you insist, I may know someone who can help you. Very experimental, has not had one survivor yet. But! You seem to be very set on tearing her apart...are you willing to take the risk~? " He just loves challenging gods and seeing Rafayel seething is just too precious.

Both rich as fuck

•As someone else here on tumblr mentioned, Rafayel is spoiled prince rich and Sylus is mafia rich. Raf seeing Sy spend money like it was nothing takes these acts as a challenge on his own wealth. He'll offer to pay for things with a smug smile and Sylus lets him do it without a fuss, merely raising an eyebrow then smirking. Neither let MC pay for anything. This ends up frustrating Rafayel after a while. Why doesn't he say anything? Is he just going to let him pay for it all? Greedy crow. ):< Finally fed up, he confronts Sylus saying that he should pay him back with interest. Raf doesn't need the money but it's the principle of the matter! Sylus is just…

"Alright, if it will shut you up." and points him to a page of restraunts on a tablet he was looking over. Rafayel figures he's being asked where he wants to eat on Sy's tab so he chooses the most expensive establishment. The kind you need to make a reservation for a year in advance. He's already planning to order top shelf, the highest priced items on the menu and exclusive private seating for all of them. Sylus looks over the selected place and scoffs, " Pompous. " A little later when Rafayel is expecting to go out, Sylus just slaps down paperwork in front of him and tells him to sign it. What is it? Essentially the transfer of ownership of that place he chose. Apparently it had already belonged to Sylus and now it's Raf's. " This should cover it, yes? "

Both are mythical creatures

• Raf being a mermaid (God of tides) and Sylus being a dragon (Bringer of Ruin) Gods create, fiends destroy. Sy is for the skies and Raf for the seas. They're both beings of power and forces of nature.

• Being the dragon he is, Sylus would likely keep all of the art he doesn't put away or keep track of. It comes from the need to hoard treasures and because the fish is terrible with leaving his work all over the place. Don't get him started on the paintbrushes he keeps stepping on. Thomas would think him a life saver for keeping things organized and available but Sylus would charge him every time he wanted to retrieve work from him. So Thomas is left with the choice of dealing with Rafayel or paying a stupid amount of money to Sylus to bypass the anguish.

•On the flip side, After Raf has seen Sylus' treasure trove of gemstones, he would also just so happen to pick up jewels from museums to add to his own collection. Ones Sylus possibly have never seen or heard of due to their connections with Lemuria. Sylus would make a comment about Lemurians crying pearls he heard once, baiting Rafayel and of course the mermaid can't help but confirm he's able to do this. (They both know what they are by this point) But isn't that a dangerous thing to admit to a greedy dragon? Perhaps Sylus should lock him up and force him to cry to obtain such beauties. But he figures he doesn't need to. Rafayel himself is enough of a rare treasure to keep after all. He would say this right to his face without flinching, as if it was just common sense. He pins another ruby trinket to his lapel to which Raf would find himself blushing then storming off somewhere. He would like to see those scales though. They sure are shiny and our Sylus likes shiny things.

• Sylus walks in on Rafayel in the bath and sees his mermaid tail for the first time. He's enamored but doesn't show it on his face. The mermaid is squawking, telling him he shouldn't enter when someone is in here without knocking but Sylus just ignores him, grabbing what he needs and is about to head out. The mermaid did catch those eyes looking at him in a particular way, wondering why he doesn't ask about the tail.

" So...you're not going to say anything about this? "

" Should I? "

" You've just bore witness to a rare sight, the scales of real Lemurian in his full glory. You would be a fool not to admire. "

" Oh, in that case do forgive me~ " turning around casually he takes wide steps and looms over the tub, his shadow cast over the Lemurian's form, " Then allow me take a closer look... " That's when Sylus runs his hands over the glistening tail, face unchanging as he studies it's quality. This envokes the wrath of Raf smacking his hand away, " No one said you could touch! " Sylus removes his hand but smirks in response. His gaze lingers on the glittering on the mermaid's face before rising up and heading back to the door, " I've seen better. "

" ......WHAT? Where?! No you haven't! Who else has-! " the door is already shut and he's gone.

• What if Sylus took MC's place in Rafayel's myth? A fiend finally captured, tied up and thrown into the ocean. We have hints that Sylus may not know how to swim so perhaps this is his weakness. Rafayel comes across this strange drowning creature who isn't quite human but curious to know more. He cuts him free and planned to just let whatever happens to him, happen but Sylus is quick, desperate to live and be out of this water. Having heard of the Lemurian tales he grabs hold of his savior and tries to steal his breath with a kiss, biting his lip in the process just like MC did. And you know the rest after that. Would make an interesting AU I think but would divert from the myth a looot from there. Still could be a fun ride. Raf can show him the ocean and Sy could show him the skies.

A weakness and a fear

•I don't think Sylus can swim. There's an Abyssal Chaos situation that hints at this and it's living rent free in my head but he does have a pool so who knows. I'm going with the idea that he can't swim for this. So...Sylus would almost always get the one-up on Rafayel, teasing and bullying him but when it comes to water, the fish finally has the upper hand here. Sylus would never admit this weakness out loud to anyone but MC. If they went to the beach he would just stay out of deep areas and Rafayel would take notice. Being a cheeky one and in his element, he'd somehow get the drop on him and pull Sylus over into the deep side to see what happens. Also for revenge. But Sylus isn't reacting the way he thought? This big tough guy is actually going to drown if he doesn't do something. He could be rid of him finally, let the man drown and have MC all to himself. He watches him sink, feeling a twinge of satisfaction but just as he's about to take off, the mark on his chest lights up. It can't be helped, can it?

After "saving" him, Rafayel tells him it's about time he learned how to swim. It's an essential skill and it's a crime to not beable to appreciate the beauty of the ocean. Sylus, surprisingly to Raf, agrees. " Then you should teach me. It's the least you can do after trying to kill me. " Not that it would work I think. How far does his immortality go anyway? Que montage of the two of them in the water together.

• Rafayel has a fear of cats. Sylus likes cats. After all, their beloved MC is their kitten and he's raised a lion cub before. The Lemurian god is offended that he would call MC such a horrid nickname as it's essentially calling her a demon. Sy quickly picks up on the fear and like the earlier scenario, tries to tease him with it. Though it's to a lesser degree in the form of just bringing strays for MC to take care of in front of him. If she's loving the cats, there's no way Rafayel can say no to her. Sylus knows this and pushes it further holding a kitten to his face, " To think a mighty god could be felled by such a small creature. " This prompts Raf to suck it up and slowly but surely start to confront his fear of cats, Sylus happily "helping". Que montage of the two interacting with cats from kittens to tigers.

Break out?

• Sylus doesn't believe beasts should be in cages and Rafayel hates the way humans treat animals. One night, after getting drunk and arguing which leads to a bet, they set local zoo animals free or something. They will never be caught.

Music

•They would share playlists and talk shit about each other's taste but still give genuine listens. Sylus prefers records and buys one for him just to prove how much better it sounds in this format instead of digital.

•They go to the opera together. Sylus is enjoying himself but Rafayel has some harsh critisms. He can do better. Sylus would ask for a demonstration and he says it would kill him. Crow boy sees that as a challenge because well, he can't die. So perhaps he could be one of the few who could listen to his death song without dying and appreciate it. It'd still probably hurt, but maybe it's worth it? Would be funny to see Sylus wheezing in Rafayel's arms, bleeding from his ears and still tell him his singing was shit just to rile him up. It's a lie, but picking on him is too much fun.

•Singing together. See the Karaoke blurb.

If they were in a relationship (Lewd bits)

•OT3. MC is far too important to them and their own connections would be their shared loved for her. They'd prefer to be seperate with her at first but over time Sylus would be the first to invite him together with MC. Rafayel is going to say no the first couple of times (it's not offered often) but eventually warms up to the idea if only to prove to the other that he can perform better than him. Then it becomes another game of chicken when Sy leans in closer to Raf with MC in the middle. Sylus will give looks, light touches in passing but won't be the one to give in. Not because he doesn't want to, but because he wants Rafayel to be absolutely sure he's into it and he gets a kick at making him buckle. Which he will and of course, Sylus obliges letting Rafayel think he's the one that "won" in this. MC is happy to see them get along.

•The longer this OT3 relationship goes on, the more likely sometimes it would be just the two of them while MC is off on a mission somewhere in the world that takes days to complete. At this point they're used to it and the roughness becomes more gentle and tender. Well, Sylus almost always had been the more gentle one and Rafayel the more agressive and it only took them being alone for Rafayel realize it.

• They would be competative in bed but even when bottoming, Sylus more often than not has control and directing Rafayel. Telling him there's no need to go easy on him. Raf will always fight for control and sometimes "win" but he melts too easily and loses himself in the moment. His most dominant side comes out during a certain season which is a pleasant surprise for Sy. They're both waking up with scars but Sylus more so. He doesn't let them heal quickly just to show off the result to Rafayel when he wakes up.

" Are you not proud of your work? " Oh he is proud. Embarrassed seeing what he's done to him and the memories of the night flashing in the back of his mind, but proud. Another win for the fish, "conquering" such a large man. Snatching Sylus by the chin, he'd give a warning with a hint of slight concern for his bird boy, " It would be wise not to forget what I can do to you. "

" Do what? These little marks? " He brushes them away with his evol, " Oh no. Look, they're all gone. I guess you'll have to try harder. "

And now I wonder if Rafayel could end up leaving a mark on him that not even Sylus can heal through his god mode. 🤔

•Playing with the headcanon of Sylus' draconic habits and urges being active in his current life, I wonder if they would "sync" up. Honestly it sounds dangerous, Sylus may very well eat the guy. Literally. That's for the tragedy enjoyers. For the degenerates…4 swords, eh? Okay on the tamer side of things, I can see them taking it out on each other to spare the worst of it from MC. Locking themselves away just to go all out. But back to degeneracy, she'd probably end up peeking out of curiosity and end up dragged into it. Rest in Peace girlie. 🙏

•So what would a dragon/mermaid kid look lik-

OKAY OKAY I'M DONE. IT'S OUT OF MY SYSTEM. DO NOT PERCEIVE MEEEE!! But really though, this was fun. Is this 1k words? I have no idea.

I think this is how you tag people? @crutoyu @turkeysamwichh

[thevillainswhore]

Deserving

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Summary: Bucky has internal scars too deeply imbedded that cause him to hide away from the world on the dark days. But he always knows, no matter how long he takes, you’ll forever be waiting for him on the other side — the light to bring him home.

Warnings: Established relationship, angst, hurt/comfort, mental health, themes of depression, nudity (non sexual), depreciation/self esteem issues, Bucky is seriously sad, fluff.

Author’s Note: Proofread by @buck-star. Divider by @saradika-graphics. This is a little bit of a heavy one folks ❤️‍🩹 not usually my thing, but after a difficult couple of months I needed to get this out. My inboxes are always open for those who are struggling with their mental health, thank you for reading x

“How long has he been locked in there?” Steve’s concerned voice interrupts the silence of the compound late at night while you sit at the kitchen table, aimlessly stirring your now cold tea. 

You clear your throat and look up, the anxiety visibly courses through your features just as it does your friend. “Just over a week now, I think.” 

Steve sighs. “It’s gotten bad again.” 

You hum, unable to muster up anything else. It had been seven days of constant worry since the moment you had woken up on that first day to find the warm heap of muscle that usually tangled its limbs with yours wasn’t next to you in bed, but rather instead locked away in the bathroom. 

Bucky insists it’s what’s best for him; to shut himself from the world when his thoughts become dark and his nightmares come back from the dead to haunt him. But it was difficult to let him wallow in depression by himself, knowing his self destructive tendencies enjoy the hacking to his self esteem. 

Steve shuffles his weight between his feet, looking unsure of himself. “Shouldn’t we intervene by now?” He steps further into the kitchen and sits on the chair opposite you. “Surely we can’t let him continue like this.” 

You smile ruefully and push your mug to the side. “Steve, honey,” you begin carefully. “I know you’re concerned because he’s your best friend. Trust me, it’s hard for me to sit here and wait it out too. But you can’t force someone out of the recesses of their mind when they get like this.” Sliding your arms across the table, you gather Steve’s hands in yours. “Especially not Bucky.” 

The look on his face breaks your heart. “I know, I know. I just hate seeing him like this”, he sighs sadly. “I hate the feeling of doing nothing while he’s struggling.”

“Me too, sweetie.” You squeeze his hands before leaning back in your chair. “All we can do is give gentle encouragement. Let him know we’re here whenever he’s ready.” 

Although the worry was all the same in these situations, you were well seasoned with how to maintain your distance for Bucky’s well being, while also showing your love from afar by now. For example, the meals you had left him every single day without fail outside of your shared room; his favourite comfort food with a sweet treat baked specifically by you to give him some energy. 

Or the blankets you love so much slipped into the room without breaking the promise of seeing Bucky before he was ready. Without looking, you would open the door and place the fluffy material by the floor. You also took the time to spray it with your daily perfume as a familiar comfort Bucky could relish in without your physical form. 

It broke your heart to be away from him for so long, even if you were in the same vicinity as each other — always only a distance away that you could run to within sixty seconds should he need you. However, you knew this was what he needed. After the first time this happened within your relationship and you had no idea what he needed from you during that time, the two of you had sat down and discussed how you could support him better going forward. 

“Don’t worry,” you reassure gently before moving away from the table and placing your mug into the sink. “He’ll come to, he always does. Just gotta give him some time.” 

“Will you—,” Steve swallows his words harshly before trying again. “Could you let me know if he’s okay when you hear something?” Almost silently, he adds, “Please?”

You realise then that this is Bucky’s best friend, the man who defied every order and rule book to save him — multiple times. There’s a vulnerability in his ocean blue eyes and your heart is happy that the love of your life has other people that adore him just as much as you do. You wish Bucky could see the extent as easily. 

Softening your eyes, you don’t divert your attention for a second as you sincerely swear, “Of course, Stevie. I’ll make sure FRIDAY gets a message to you.” 

Steve blows out a heavy breath, seemingly lighter than he was when he first came in. “Thank you.” 

You share a delicate smile, an understanding between teammates, friends and two people who love Bucky so immensely. You’re about to bid him good night, ready to retreat to your old room just down the hall from your shared one with Bucky when a set of footsteps, timid and apprehensive creep towards you. Steve turns his head at the same time as you to find the very man on both your minds. 

“Bucky.” The relief in your voice is loud and the tension that you hadn’t even realised was so tightly weaved into your limbs instantly relaxes at the sight of him. It takes everything in you to not run into his arms, not wanting to spook him, so you tamper your emotions and stay rooted in your place while your eyes greedily take him in for the first time in a week. “Hi, baby.” 

Your boyfriend, head down with his long, matted hair hiding his face, lifts his head slightly until a peek of storm grey meets your gaze. You clock the dark, heavy bags under his eyes, the paleness of his skin, the chapped lips that have been bitten restlessly. The clothes, stained with sweat marks, lay unusually baggy on his form. Normally, his shirts sit snug on the muscles of his biceps and his toned stomach and his sweatpants fit defined around his thick thighs. However in the week separated from him, Bucky has lost a fair amount of weight you conclude from lack of training and eating. 

Though his stature is hunched and he’s so desperately trying to hide away in plain sight, Bucky is here, visible and alive. He’s in front of you because he wants to be, you know that from past experience. He’s ready to let you in and take care of him even when the nasty voice in his head is telling him he doesn’t deserve it. You try so hard to swallow the lump in your throat and will the tears not to gather in your waterline. 

As Bucky clenches his fingers tightly, the whirring of his vibranium arm filling the silence of the kitchen, you know what he needs right now is for you to take charge. He’s not verbal yet, present but unable to speak and so you step forward slowly until you’re closer to him but not yet crowding his space. 

“How about we run you a bath, hm?” you offer softly, a suggestion rather than an order. While you’re trying to lead, you want him to set the pace — everything on his terms. “The warm water will feel nice on your muscles.” 

With a barely there nod of his head, Bucky accepts and you breathe a little easier knowing he’s still there, just a little lost. But it’s the subtle flex of his fingers, reaching out towards you that threatens to crack you. 

Carefully, you thread your fingers through his. You don’t miss the shudder that violently tracks down his back or the small gasp he lets loose. Your heart is becoming whole once again. 

Before leaving the kitchen, you glance at Steve still standing staring at his best friend. It’s then you stop and tentatively rub your thumb against Bucky’s hand. “Stevie wanted to ask you if you’d be up for a drive sometime soon. Doesn’t that sound good, honey? Taking your bike out for a spin?” 

Steve holds his breath as Bucky lifts his head slightly. “Mhm.” His voice is rough around the edges, the syllables straining against his dry throat. 

It's all he can offer right now. But from the looks of it, Steve’s eyes light up like he’s won the lottery. “Can’t wait, pal. I’m ready whenever you are, just let me know.” 

Your friend then looks to you, mouthing a silent thank you. You smile before ushering Bucky to your room. 

Bucky stands in the corner of the bathroom, looking smaller than you’ve ever seen him. He still hasn’t said anything, instead choosing to remain quiet for now. That was more than okay with you. You would rather slowly pluck away at the wall he’s built around himself and allow him to come forth smoothly. 

Meanwhile, you had rolled your sleeves up, running the water to fill the bathtub. You pick up two options of bubble bath and read them aloud to your boyfriend. “Okay. So we’ve got Lavender or Eucalyptus. Both are great for relaxation. You think you’d prefer one, baby?” 

Bucky doesn’t respond, his owlish eyes blinking at you. Though his actions threaten the well of emotions in your throat, you remain calm and soothing. “That’s alright, honey. We can just put a little of each in. Best of both worlds, huh?” 

Again, there’s no response. But you expect nothing more. You hold no expectations of him, only wanting to gently encourage him out of his shell, just like you’d told Steve earlier. 

You pour each liquid under the running faucet and instantly soapy bubbles begin to form on the surface of the water. Happy with the result, you turn each tap off and smile towards your boyfriend. “All done, Buck.” 

He stands there motionless, eyes darting between you and the bathtub, still making no move towards you. 

“Would you like some help, love?” You move slowly, each step intentionally attentive. “It’s difficult sometimes, to get your body moving, isn’t it?” 

Bucky nods. It's not much, but it's something and you can work with that. 

“Right. We all need help sometimes. No shame in that, Bucky.” You’re in front of him now, a hair's breadth away from each other and you’re thankful to be let into his space. “Would you like me to undress you?” 

The air is stilted as you wait for any kind of indication from Bucky. It’s to your surprise that a gentle whisper slips from his lips. “Please.” 

You hone down the tears bullying their way to the surface. Instead, you smile shakily. “Of course, baby. Anything you need.” 

Raising your hands cautiously, you bring them to Bucky’s eyeline, allowing him to follow each motion you make. You bring them slowly towards the hem of his shirt, lifting the material over his torso and with a small struggle over his shoulders to the top of his head. 

“All okay, Buck? Can I keep going?” You check in, wary of any stipulations to his emotions. Reading his eyes, you know you’re good to reach for his pants. And so you do, taking careful measures to not let your skin connect with his prematurely and without permission. 

With only Bucky’s underwear left, you take one last chance to gain consent. “Am I good to help you take those off? We can keep them on or I can turn around while you do it yourself if you’re not comfortable.” 

But Bucky needs no time before he whispers his fingers against yours. A sign of his authorisation for you to take the reins. 

“Sure thing, honey.” Just like before you send him a reassuring smile before inching the last piece of material down his thighs and finally away from his feet. He stands naked before you and you make sure to look nowhere else other than his eyes. “Thank you for allowing me to do that, Buck. Can I walk you to the bath now?” 

There’s a slight moment of hesitance before Bucky places one foot in front of the other, searching for your hold. Immediately, you place one arm around his back, the other wrapping around his hand. 

You step together in sync, slow for Bucky’s sake. “Great job, baby. You’re doing so good for me.” Once you reach the tub, you give some directions. “Okay, you’re gonna step in now and I’m going to be right here with you.” 

Bucky grasps your hand tighter. You know he’s scared you’re going to leave. Gently, you swipe his tangled hair behind his ear and cup his stubbled cheek. “I promise I’m not leaving. I’ll be right by your side, okay love?” 

You see him swallow the lump in his throat, Adam’s apple bobbing until he slackens his grip. Not before taking a deep breath, Bucky shakily lifts himself into the bathtub with your assistance and lowers himself into the water until his full body is submerged. 

“There we go.” Your pride for him is certain and absolute. You try your best to show him that. “Hard parts over with now, Buck. Now I can take care of you.” 

His pained groan echoes around the tiles of the bathroom. He’s hiding himself away from you but you’re eventually crumbling his defences down. 

“Let’s get this hair sorted out, huh? I’ll even let you use my shampoo you always steal.” The familiarity of your usual banter is a band aid to the wound so raw and open. Bucky was a fiend for thieving your most expensive toiletries — an excuse already lined up that no men’s products, no matter how costly, could match up to yours. 

Normally you would scold him, jumping into a shower after a prolonged mission only to find your shampoo empty with the bottle still placed on the rack. 

However, you would take those moments a thousand times over if it brought him even a slither of the happiness he supplied to you. 

It's then you run through your next steps with trained precision. You manage to run water over Bucky’s hair without getting any over his face, worried it may trigger him. You ignore the water in the bathtub, once transparent now a ruddy brown. And you silently open the bottle of shampoo, squeezing a generous amount onto your hands. 

“I’m about to climb in. Breathe for me, love.” You’re glad you wore shorts as you dip your foot into the water behind Bucky, swinging your leg over to sit on the ledge with your boyfriend between your thighs. A perfect position to stay close to him and provide him with the utmost care. 

Testing a tender touch upon his head and satisfied that Bucky is comfortable, you begin to lather the shampoo into his scalp. You relish in the grunts fighting their way through, the whimpers that climb up his throat, because this is the only way you know Bucky to finally cave in. Allow himself to be free from the shackles his mind clamps around him. Allow him to breach the prison he’s placed himself in. To come home to you. 

“That’s it, baby,” you murmur, purposely softening your voice to a gentle tone. “Let it out, I’ve got you. I’ll catch you.” 

As your nails scratch against his head, the first sob is released. You feel Bucky’s arms wrap around your thigh and his head lays itself upon you as his body begins to shake. You let him. The days worth of degradation and horror he’s allowed himself to relive escaping in this moment. 

“It's okay. Everything’s okay, Bucky.” It's a feat upon itself not to cry with him. A tear tracks down your cheek that you quickly wipe away with your shoulder because it’s your turn to be strong for him. To be the impenetrable wall he can lean on with the knowledge that he won’t fall. 

“I’m so sorry,” he weeps. You’re not sure whether he’s directing his words to you or someone else you’re not privy to. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry.” 

“Shh.” Your desire to make everything okay for him burns bright. “None of that now, okay? You’re here. With me. I’ve got you.” 

There’s a hole in his heart that’s never ending. Deep and wide and burrowed too far for anyone to try and stitch back together. You’ve tried. Though this kind of damage was irreparable. 

The good days always outweighed the bad. Bucky had come so far along in his healing journey for that to be untrue. But when the demons came out to play, there was no room for anyone else to hold a hand for him to grab on to. Bucky was dragged down into the dungeons of hell, locked away until the monsters had gotten their fix. 

Rinsing the soap out of his hair, Bucky’s wails begin to calm, the tidal wave having hit its peak and descending back down. You keep him close to you, no mind in how wet your clothes are, and quietly hum a tune. 

Your lullaby is eventually the only sound in the room, each note having the desired effect of soothing Bucky into a sense of peace. His limbs have loosened, his shoulders no longer stiff. And you wait ever so patiently for him to break the ice. 

That moment comes when you reach for the bottle of conditioner, beginning to apply it to the ends of Bucky’s hair. “Y-You’re so good to me.” While more stable, his voice still trembles. “Why are you so good to—to me?” 

You thin your lips, willing the cracks in your heart not to spread further than they already have. Grabbing the comb, you start to gently tease your way through the knots matting the strands of his chocolate locks. “That’s because you deserve it, baby,” you say confidently. “You deserve to be taken care of.” 

Bucky sighs, a heavy weight behind it. His next declaration falls from him quietly yet deafening. “Sometimes I don’t think I do.” 

“I know.” With a gentle push of your fingers underneath his chin, Bucky looks up at you, eyes sorrowful and still so beautiful. You lean down to kiss his forehead, then his nose and at last his lips. Against them, you seal your truth. “But believe me when I say it’s easy to love you. Like nothing else I’ve ever done before, no matter what goes on up here.” You tap by the side of his temple twice. “I’m in love with you on your bad days just as much as your good days. There’s no running away from that, Bucky. And I’ll prove that to you every single time, for as long as you need me to.”

His voice is hopeful when he strains out a choked, “Yeah?”” 

You hope your eyes display your conviction. “Every damn time, baby. I’ll bring you back to me.” 

Bucky’s eyes close at the sensation of your loving touch and promises. “I’d like that.” 

Kissing his lips one last time, you lean back up, setting aside the comb and grabbing the washcloth. Bucky stays unmoving, nuzzled into your thigh and so you begin to massage the muscle of his shoulders, humming your song once again. 

“Me too, Bucky.” 

You can’t fix him, you know that. Bucky is a man, tortured by memories and a past that stripped him of basic human rights. But you’re devoted to picking up the pieces he leaves behind, handing them over for him to glue back together. And if you found yourself slowly healing the cracks with your care and utter adoration for him for the rest of your life, you wouldn’t be mad about it. 

Because no matter what Bucky thought of himself, there was no doubt in your mind that he deserved your love. 

[playstation-dreamcast]

Loved your hc's on the residents evil boys! Since your requests are open could you perhaps make headcanons on Wesker's flirting game? I bet he's good at it y'know to get people on his side but when he ACTUALLY likes someone? Man got no game. He's probably going full autism mode and tells about his special interest and shit <- I see it but that's my opinion though LOL

Oooo, we have different takes here actually. I love yours, and I can see it! But, here's my take!

Wesker Headcanons: Flirting Edition!

Gif is by @digitalangel777 btw!!!

Okay so first of all, I don’t really think Wesker flirts to be honest. At least, not intentionally. This is mostly because I don’t see Wesker as the type of guy to develop, nor clock his attraction to someone immediately. It takes time!

Wesker flirting is him remembering your coffee order and leaving it on your desk. It’s him not completely tearing you to shreds when you make an obvious mistake. It’s him praising your work when you actually do a good job, beyond just “Well done.” Wesker flirting is him being able to speak with you casually about something, rather than being so damn professional and wound up all the time, ya feel me?

He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until it's too late. Until he’s in his car and Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears comes on and he catches himself daydreaming about you. You could the quick, sharp “Fuck!” He let out from the next car over. 

I think after that he’s kinda in cringefail mode ngl. Like, he’s trying to avoid you, but he’s integrated himself so much into your life and you so much into his that it is neigh on impossible, and he can’t stop giving you special treatment now, cause that makes you sad and he genuinely can’t stand when you get that glossy, upset look in your eyes

He’s not flustered. I think he’s a little too well composed for that. But he did, in fact, catch himself rambling to you for like, 45 minutes about the different strains of Flu after you told him you had just gotten your flu shot. And while you were a good sport and humored him the entire time, that was genuinely a mortifying experience for him. Had him staring at himself in the bathroom mirror at the RPD like:

“Get It Together Albert.”

He starts to actively look into you. Not necessarily in a “I have your official government docs” kinda way, but more in a “I’ve spoken to your friends and now know your favorite type of candy. Here, I got some for you.” Kind of way. More of a “You said you liked this movie. I watched it so we can talk about it. I liked Neo.” type of way, ya know? He’s going beyond the bare minimum office cordiality to actually try to connect

This is incredibly hard for him- you have to understand. The only other person he’s connected with on a human level bonded with him over unethical experiments and medical malpractice- give him time

He flirts by building a snowman with you. (This is my shameless self promo)

Oh, he also flirts by sharing his snacks. I think Wesker is genuinely really possessive of food for lack of a better word. I headcanon that he probably faced some food insecurity growing up (the boys home withholding food as punishment type deal), so he’s not big on sharing. Typically. For you though? Of course you can have the other half of his Twix. Here, don’t tell the others he hides suckers in his desk, but take one. Do you want to try this new weird chip flavor he found with him?

This is him taking care of you btw. Look at him, he’s such a good provider. He’d be so good at taking care of any potential offspring you have. Surely you want him, he is displaying so many Desirable Traits ™

This is how humans think, right? Like this is how it works? Of course it is, he’s an expert in human psychology. 

I think he eventually gets tired of beating around the bush honestly. And when that happens, a scene not unlike this one plays out

Aaaanyway- in conclusion, I think that Wesker is really good at flirting when the job calls for it and he needs to get people on his side. In that sense, he’s very good at it. But, outside of that context, he sucks at flirting. Mostly because it feels a lot like manipulation. So he doesn’t actually “flirt” to show his attraction. But there will be signs. (It’s the cup of coffee exactly the way you  like it on your desk btw. That’s the sign)

[miwiheroes]

Hii, not really a question but I'm rewatching s2 and I noticed a parallel between the "we like steve... but we don't love steve" and Nancy stammering quite a bit to say "I- I do" and Mike having a similar response during his fight with El. I don't really know if you or someone else had already noticed that but felt the need to say it

Dropping Byler Evidence Every (Other) Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . Day 32: Murray's Conversation w/ Jancy . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .

@j-gvellthings hope u don't mind I hijacked ur ask to use for my post thing i just think this is uber interesting <3

Honestly, that whole conversation with Murray and those scenes could absolutely apply to Byler and Jancy at the same time. In some moments, I feel like what he says could actually apply to Mike more than Nancy.

Jancy say they're "just friends" here ^^ and obviously,,, if you've watched literally any romcom or show with romance in, you'd know that if someone is a little two defensive about the two of them being friends, then the audience is supposed to imply that they could be something more than that -- which happens with Byler in S4, when Mike unnecessarily calls them friends. It's not in the same context obviously, but Mike takes it romantically.

Murray also says that Jonathan and Nancy have 'shared trauma' which is apparently the 'real shit' (meaning the apex of the conversation and the most important thing). Now, this obviously applies to Jancy because they went through a lot and that's what creates this meaningful bond between the two of them. Steve does not understand what Nancy's been through -- Jonathan does. And vice versa i guess.

Byler also have this exact dynamic. Mike was with Will during S2 when all that shit happened - and the subsequent dynamic has shifted so Mike seems like the only one that really understands what Will goes through. They also both go through the same types of bullying, which is shown in S1.

Some examples of their 'shared trauma' dynamic are:

Will says that Mike shouldn't tell anyone else about his True Sight because 'they won't understand' - S2E02

Mike says that Will is quiet today and Lucas brushes it off, but Mike sees it as something deeper - S2E01

Will only tells Mike about D'art and Mike is the one to shout at the others and gets rid of his problem for him - S2E03

At the Snow Ball, Will looks at Mike when a girl asks him out, because he's so used to checking with him for things - S2E09

Mike asks Will if he's okay at the movie theatre because he's so in tune with Will's emotions surrounding scary stuff (they were about to watch a horror movie) - S3E01

I only really named ones in S2 because that's the season where Murray actually says that so I feel like it has more value when it's all in S2

"Trust issues am I right? Something to do with your dad."

Obviously, we all know that Will's had issues with his homophobic father - so has Jonathan, so it can apply to both of them. Most of Will's internalised homophobia can be traced back to bullying which includes his father.

It is shown right from the beginning of the whole show that Lonnie calls Will slurs, and attempts to make him like things that any 'normal' boy should want. Jonathan counteracts this by telling Will that he shouldn't just like things because people tell you to and telling Will that it's much better to be a 'freak' than normal.

This homophobic bullying could arguably lead to trust issues for Will - his internalised homophobia from his dad is what is keeping him from telling Mike the truth. He's afraid that Mike 'won't like the truth' because of the things he's experienced in the past.

Now, the one where Murray calls out Nancy is way more interesting:

"You. You're harder to read."

Nancy is of course, harder to read than Jonathan because she hides so much -- she's harder for the audience to figure out because she's in a relationship already. Even so, I think this applies to Mike even more than Nancy. We have Nancy's POV. We can often see what she's thinking and feelings, but with Mike, we haven't had his POV and private thoughts and inner conflicts since S2. For two whole seasons, there has been barely a moment of introspection for Mike. The audience has constantly questioned what the hell he's thinking and why he's acting this way.

It's simple -- he's supposed to be harder to read.

"Probably, like everyone, afraid of what would happen if you... accepted yourself for who you really are"

HELLO? I think when i rewatched this I was a little confused because the wording of this sentence does not really allude to Nancy's issues alone. She is, of course, afraid of accepting who she really is, but it's hard to see that as her main character arc. She's more afraid of leaving the safety of Steve, but this wording is just so oddly familiar to someone telling someone who's queer to accept themselves.

Literally Mike's arc - he's afraid of what would happen if he accepted himself. If he accepted himself - it would mean he realises he doesn't love El, which means he's failed her and has to break up with her. He might lose her if he accepts himself. Idk, the wording is just tooooo suspicious to just apply to Nancy here.

"retreated back to the safety of... Name?" "Steve"

This is kind of insane UM,,, so Nancy uses Steve as her safety blanket because he's a well-respected, popular person at school and has a lot of money, which is similar to her parents' situation. Being with Jonathan is the less secure option, but it aligns with her true feelings. Which means the audience should want her to be with the person she actually loves rather than someone she doesn't want to lose purely based on safety.

Mike literally does this returning to the safe option thing 3 times in the show...

Mike slowly realises that meeting Will was the best thing he ever did, not meeting El, not helping her etc. This happens over the course of S2, and Mike accepts that El is gone, placing her in the same category as Bob when talking to Max. When El comes back, he's torn between the two, and we can see this dilemma in the Snow Ball scene. Will is off with someone else - Mike is questioning why he's feeling like this and what he should do - so he sacrifices his true feelings for what he feels is the greater good and what he should just do, which is to stay with El.

At the end of S3, Mike realises something and is scared of what this could mean. He realises that he has been trying to change himself too much over the course of the summer and just wants things to go back to the way they were. In S4, he attempts to cover up his feelings and push them down because he's afraid of what would happen of he accepted himself, and pretends to be in a normal, healthy relationship.

During S4, Mike realises that his relationship with El is something that he's insecure about, and often confides in Will about this. He alerts to Will that he should have 'explained himself' to El, rather than telling her I love you, implying that he doesn't want to say that ever. He agrees with Will that the truth could hurt someone he cares about. He's worried that El doesn't need him anymore, and is happy when Will tells him that she'll need him no matter what - but he still has to be encouraged by Will's words to say I love you to her. This is for the greater good - what he thinks will keep her alive and what he thinks she needs.

So again, Mike and El's relationship is built on commitment and safety - being with Will is the least safe option because it would mean having to look inside himself, accepting himself, and possibly losing El, who he still cares about.

"We like Steve." "Yes!" "But we don't love Steve."

This one's pretty self-explanatory and was the original point of the ask above - Nancy has literally in this season told Steve the words 'I love you'. You can say those words even when you don't mean it, the writers aren't that stupid to be worried that the viewers will suddenly go "OH BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE TIME-"

But, obviously, before Nancy went off with Jonathan, the last thing she talked to him about was their argument about her not being able to say I love you to him - in that argument, when asked to tell him, she stumbles and goes "Really?" before they're interrupted. Then she can't say anything. She can't say it because it's not true.

Sound familiar? - while there are many more nuanced aspects to Mileven's scenes in S4, it is arguably similar to the Stancy's plot that Murray is talking about. Nancy 'likes' Steve, but her feelings aren't deeper than that. She cares about him, but that doesn't have to necessarily mean she loves him romantically. In the same sense, Mike blurts out "I care for you" instead of "I love you" during their argument.

Nancy stumbles over her words trying to deny it - which is the same with Mike when he gets confronted about it in S4, leading to him trying to gaslight and become defensive, using words like "ruin" and "ridiculous".

All I'm trying to say here is that the Duffers aren't strangers to writing a plot where a character is repressing their feelings and using a relationship as protection in order to hide who they really are. And the lines are written to be so non-specific that we can't ignore that they can easily apply to Byler as well as Jancy.

[supernotnatural2005]

The Arrangement - Chapter Four

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Summary: Things are growing tense between the you and Dean, buried feelings seemed to be bursting at the seems. How long until they finally burst? Is the real question.

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings/Tags: Angst, the usual pinning idiots, fluff.

AN: Okay this chapter became way too long so I had to split it 😅 call it the first half to chapter 5, where we will continue on. As always I hope you enjoy! ☺️

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist < Catch up here

After your steamy shower escapades, you’d both decided to part ways for the night. As much as you wanted to bask in the aftermath, sleeping together—actually sleeping—felt like crossing an invisible line you weren’t quite ready to acknowledge.

Luckily, you had an easy excuse. You had work in the morning, and Dean had an even earlier start for his long drive out to Stanford. And after a day filled with very thorough extracurricular activities, the moment your head hit the pillow, you were out like a light.

By the time you woke up, Dean was already gone. A small part of you felt miffed that you hadn’t gotten to see him off—not just because of whatever this thing was between you, but because, at the end of the day, he was still your best friend. And you missed him when he wasn’t around.

That little pang of disappointment eased when you spotted the note on the coffee machine, still warm from where he must have made a fresh pot before leaving.

You weren’t prepared for the wave of emotions that crashed into you at the sight of his familiar scrawl. Why did he have to be so…Dean?

Letting out a long sigh, you lightly slapped your own cheek. Snap out of it. It’s nothing new.

Dean had always been like this. A natural caretaker. Your friend. That was all.

You shoved those unwelcome feelings down, drowning them in bites of warm, buttery pancakes and strong coffee. The food did wonders for distracting your heart.

By noon, you were about ready to throw in the towel. Your caseload was piling higher by the minute, the endless spreadsheets and budget reports turning into a blur of numbers. 

As the company’s-chartered accountant, you were used to the pressure—but Roman’s impulsive decision to buy into the Biggerson’s fast food chain had sent your workload into overdrive. You were now up to your eyeballs in audits and projections, making sure the company wasn’t about to haemorrhage money on a half-baked business venture.

A familiar teasing voice broke through your frazzled thoughts.

“Damn, I don’t know whether you need a drink or a cigarette.”

Spinning your chair around, you found yourself face-to-face with your favourite redhead, her signature smirk firmly in place.

“Can I have both?” you deadpanned, rubbing a hand over your already mussed-up hair. “Seriously, why couldn’t he wait until after the holidays for this manic decision? And why the hell Biggerson’s?”

Charlie plopped down onto your desk, crossing her legs as she shrugged. “Yeah, no clue. Although… Frank—”

You arched a brow. “Conspiracy-theory Frank?”

“The very one.”

Of course.

Charlie leaned in conspiratorially. “He’s convinced the company heads are actually cannibals, and this whole buyout is part of some elaborate scheme to fatten up Americans before they, and I quote, ‘chow down.’”

You burst out laughing, the stress momentarily melting away. “Wow. That’s a new one.”

“Right?” Charlie grinned before giving your arm a pat. “C’mon, let’s get some lunch. And then you can tell me why Gary looks like he’s been sucking on a lemon all morning.”

A few blocks away, you and Charlie found yourselves at Rufus’ Deli, home to some of Kansas’ finest sandwiches. Rufus himself was a legend—gruff, no-nonsense, and about as approachable as a guard dog, but no one could deny the man’s skills. His sandwiches were that good, drawing lines down the block every day.

Luckily, you and Charlie had managed to worm your way into his good graces over time. Whether it was your shared appreciation for his craftsmanship or the fact that you never tried to chat his ear off like other customers, he had developed a soft spot for you both. And that meant one very important perk—you got to skip the line.

So, when the lunch rush was in full swing and Rufus spotted you, a warm smile replacing his usual gruffness, jerking his head toward the counter. “What’ll it be today, ladies?”

You gave him your order with a grateful smile, and within minutes, you and Charlie were seated at your usual spot, tearing into your sandwiches.

“So,” Charlie mumbled around a bite of her chicken club, “wanna fill me in on the Gary sitch?”

You sighed, setting your sandwich down and swallowing before launching into the whole story. You kept the details light—omitting the drinking with Jo and the deeper parts of your frustration—but you didn’t hold back on the bare minimum effort Gary had put into your so-called relationship.

Charlie listened intently, her expression shifting from mild curiosity to full-on irritation. When you finished, she scoffed. “Damn. What a prick.”

She leaned back, crossing her arms before her lips curled into a mischievous smirk. “You know… you just gave me the incentive I needed to fill that douchebag’s computer with enough viruses to make it cry.”

You nearly choked on your drink, barely managing to cover your mouth as you laughed.

Charlie worked in the tech department and she was the company’s most valuable asset. The only one who came close to her level of expertise was Frank, and even he admitted she was the best. You’d met her in your second month on the job when she’d swooped in to fix a software issue you’d been struggling with. Not only had she solved it in minutes, but she’d also taken the time to teach you a few tricks that you still used to this day.

The two of you had hit it off immediately. She was a giant nerd at heart—quirky, sarcastic, and fiercely loyal. You’d bonded over your shared love of Harry Potter, both agreeing that Hermione was the real reason Harry even survived half his adventures.

“You know…” you smirked, eyes glinting with amusement. “I wouldn’t hate to see that.”

Charlie grinned, wiggling her fingers as if casting a spell. “Then consider it done.”

The two of you burst into laughter, the weight of your morning stress lifting—at least for now.

After lunch, you and Charlie made your way back to the office, the brisk winter air nipping at your cheeks and turning the tip of your nose red. The cold was sharp, but in a way, it was refreshing—like it was clearing out the mental fog that had settled in after your morning of spreadsheets and stress.

As you neared the building, Charlie shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “You coming to the company Christmas party tomorrow night?”

You blinked, nearly having forgotten about the annual bash Roman Enterprises threw right before everyone was released for their so-called ‘Christmas break.’

“Shit, I completely forgot about that,” you admitted, your breath visible in the air. Your mind had been preoccupied with... well, other things.

“Well, I’m only going if you are. I can only tolerate these people when I’m getting paid for it.”

You laughed at that, shaking your head. “I mean, I guess it’d be the decent thing to show our faces, right?” You shrugged, considering it. “And I do have to admit—Dick throws a damn good party.”

“Right? And there’s always a chocolate fountain,” Charlie said, eyes lighting up.

You hummed in agreement. “Fuck it. Let’s go. I can grab a new dress on my way home later.”

Charlie grinned, clearly pleased. “Oh! You should invite Dean. It’s been a while since I saw that knucklehead.”

That made you hesitate.

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to invite Dean, but an office Christmas party wasn’t exactly a casual setting. And inviting him made it feel a little too much like... a date.

But then again, Charlie would be there. It wasn’t like it would just be the two of you. Three friends hanging out. Totally normal.

“Sure,” you said after a beat, forcing nonchalance into your voice. “I’ll ask him. Though he’s not a suit-and-tie kinda guy.” You chuckled, already picturing his disgruntled expression. Getting Dean to wear anything remotely formal had always been a battle.

Charlie smirked. “Tell him there’s an open bar. I’m sure he’ll be persuaded.”

You huffed a small laugh, shaking your head as you pulled open the office door. “Yeah... you might be onto something there.”

By the time you left the office, the sky had deepened into rich blues and purples, the last traces of daylight fading behind the city skyline. You made your way down to 9th Street, stopping in a few stores to find something to wear for the company Christmas party. Dick Roman always hosted black-tie events, and currently, your wardrobe leaned more toward casual attire, jeans, hoodies, sweatpants—not exactly gala material.

Luckily, it didn’t take long to find the dress. A deep red gown with delicate lace accents, an open back that dipped daringly low, and just enough side-boob to make going braless the only option. It was definitely more revealing than what you’d normally go for, but for some reason the thought of Dean seeing you in it, gave you enough incentive to buy it.

Once you got home, you decided it was finally time you got stuck into the gift wrapping. You slipped into your loungewear and set up in the living room, surrounded by wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. 

Wrapping gifts had always been something you enjoyed—it wasn’t a chore but a ritual. You loved making each present look as perfect as possible, picturing the happiness on your loved ones' faces when they unwrapped them.

Dean’s gift was the last one left of the night, and it was by far the most meaningful.

You had managed to track down an original pressing of Led Zeppelin II—the very album he’d lost as a kid in the house fire. It had been bad, nearly costing Mary her life, the electrical damage so severe that renovations had taken years. They had lost so much—family photos, keepsakes, and among them, the vinyl his dad had given him on his 10th birthday. 

You could still remember the hours you spent in his room, the two of you lying on his bed, singing along to Ramble On, always a little off-key but never caring. Finding another copy had been next to impossible, but last month, Charlie had tracked one down in a tiny record store just outside of town. You had almost kissed her for it.

Now, as you carefully folded the wrapping paper around the record and tied a bow on top, you smiled to yourself. You hoped he liked it.

Just as you finished up, your phone buzzed. Dean. You ignored the flutter in your chest at the sight of his name and flipped open the screen.

“’Sup?”

“Why did I agree to this again?” Came Dean’s gruff voice.

“Because you’re a massive pushover?” you deadpanned.

“Do you know I’m currently parked out on a dirt road? No motels. Havin’ to rough it tonight.”

You bit your lip, picturing him scowling at his surroundings.

“I still don’t feel sorry for you.” You chuckled, and he let out a dramatic sigh.

“’Course you wouldn’t.”

You smiled into the receiver, adjusting the phone against your ear as you stacked the last wrapped gift onto the pile.

“You do realise Sam has a license and could’ve driven himself home, right?”

Dean groaned. “Yeah, but I kinda only got him some shaving foam and a razor for Christmas.”

Your mouth dropped. “WHAT?! That’s all you got him?” You screeched into the receiver. “No wonder you took, like, five minutes to shop. I thought they were your toiletries, not presents!”

“Yeah, well, now he’s got a road trip with his big bro to add to it.”

“You’re a nightmare,” you scoffed, shaking your head with an amused twitch of your lips despite yourself.

The line fell silent for a beat, the comfortable kind, before you remembered your conversation with Charlie.

“I, uh, had lunch with Charlie today,” you said.

“Yeah? How is the nerd?” he teased, though there was clear fondness in his tone.

“She’s good. She’s also plotting to destroy Gary’s computer with viruses.”

Dean let out a bark of laughter. “Brilliant.”

“She also reminded me about the company Christmas party tomorrow night.”

“Oh yeah? You goin’?”

You hesitated, trying to sound casual. “We agreed to go if the other did… but she also asked if you wanted to come.”

There was a pause. “Really?” Dean hummed. “Do you want me to go?”

Your heart thudded in your chest.

“I mean, I know they’re not really your thing. It’s a black-tie event, super formal,” you said quickly, then mentally facepalmed. Were you trying to talk him out of it?

“Sounds pretty terrible,” he agreed, and you panicked.

“There’s an open bar, though.”

Silence. Your stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“Hmm. Now that does change things,” he mused. “I can come if you want me to?”

Your face flushed at the unintentional pun—although, knowing Dean, it was probably very intentional.

“More the merrier, right?” You shrugged it off, with a lame chuckle, wanting to smack yourself in the head.

Dean chuckled. “Yeah, that’s true.”

Another comfortable pause settled between you.

“I’ll, uh, let you get some rest,” you said, softer this time. “Don’t want you falling asleep at the wheel.”

“Yeah, probably best.” He sighed, and you could almost picture him, all scrunched up in the backseat.

“Goodnight, Dean.”

“’Night, sweetheart.”

The next day, you busied yourself tidying up around the apartment. You didn’t want Dean thinking you were completely incapable of living alone, so you straightened up, wiped down the counters, and even tested out a few cake recipes for Christmas. 

After a few failed attempts, you finally landed on a winner—a pecan upside-down cake. It was soft, sweet, and had just the right crunch from the pecans. For a first try, it wasn’t bad. And that was exactly what Dean walked into a few hours later, when he finally arrived.

“Whoa. What the hell smells so good?”

You turned at the sound of his voice, smiling, and for a second, Dean forgot how to breathe. It had only been a little over twenty-four hours since he’d last seen you, and somehow, he’d missed you way more than he was willing to admit.

“Hey. I was just trying out some recipes for Christmas. Think I found a winner.” You cut a slice of cake and slid it onto a plate before handing it to him.

He eyed it suspiciously, glancing between you and the dessert. “You made this?”

You scoffed, your hands settling on your hips in a defensive stance. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

Dean smirked at your reaction. He lived to rile you up. Still, he picked up the slice and took a big bite. The second the flavours hit his tongue, his eyes fluttered shut, and he let out a deep, satisfied moan.

“Shit, that’s good.”

You swallowed hard.

“Really?” you asked, voice a little breathier than you intended.

His eyes snapped open. “You kiddin’ me? I think I just found my new favourite dessert.”

Your face warmed. That was high praise coming from him. Dessert was practically Dean’s second language—specifically, the pie dialect—so for him to say that about your cake. That was a damn honour.

“Well, that’s that then. Dessert is sorted.” You dog-eared the page in the recipe book you’d picked up while dress shopping, mentally noting to make this again for Christmas.

Dean took a seat at the island as he finished his slice of cake, the two of you making idle chit chat about his trip, and how much LA traffic sucked, when you got onto the topic of Sam and his new lady friend. 

“So, Is he punching?” You asked rather bluntly, a teasing smirk on your lips as you gathered everything coated in cake batter and dumped it into the sink.

“Oh, massively. She’s way out of my brother’s league.” Dean laughed, the sound rich and amused, and you raised a brow.

“Sounds like you’re just as smitten,” you mused, a little sharper than you’d intended. What the hell is wrong with you?

You turned your back to him to cover your idiocy, arms buried in warm, soapy water as you busied yourself scrubbing utensils clean.

It was just an innocent comment. It wasn’t like you cared if Dean thought some girl was attractive. You weren’t overthinking, not at all. Not about how easy it would be for him to fall for someone else, someone uncomplicated, someone not you.

Jesus, girl!

You were broken from your spiralling thoughts when you felt him behind you. His presence was unmistakable heat radiating off of him in waves, his scent a lingering mix of soap, leather, and the faded remnants of his cologne. It made your head swim.

A dish clinked gently as he slipped his plate into the water beside you.

“Do I detect some jealousy in that tone of yours?” His voice was low, teasing, the warmth of it curling down your spine.

“Pfft, you’re joking, right?” You scoffed, but the slight crack in your voice gave you away.

Dean heard it too. You didn’t need to see his face to know he was smirking. The self-satisfaction practically rolled off him.

You placed the last item on the drying rack and turned, only to find him closer than expected. Your breath hitched.

“No. I’m deadly serious.”

Your pulse pounded in your ears as his eyes locked onto yours, heavy-lidded and unreadable. The space between you shrank, an invisible force pulling you toward him. Like gravity, like inevitability.

Dean leaned in; his breath warm as it fanned across your lips. His hands braced against the counter on either side of you, caging you in. The heat between you was palpable, something crackling in the air, something that made your knees weak and your thoughts scatter.

Then—

His ringtone shattered the moment.

You jolted slightly, the haze lifting as quickly as it had settled. Dean sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he pulled his phone from his pocket. One glance at the screen and his expression soured.

“What?” he answered gruffly.

You took that as your cue to leave, slipping away down the hall and into your bedroom, pressing the door shut behind you.

You needed a breather. Badly.

What the hell was that?

He can’t be home for more than five minutes before you want to jump his bones.

And, seriously, “Sounds like you’re smitten?” What were you thinking?

You groaned, rubbing your hands over your face before shaking yourself out of your stupor. A shower. A cold one, preferably. Then you could focus on getting ready for tonight—because the last thing you needed was to be a flustered mess at a party where you were supposed to look put together.

The irony.

By the time you stepped out of the shower, steam curling into the air, Dean had left again. Apparently, Sam had forgotten one of Jess’s bags, the one containing all of her clothes for the next couple of days, in Dean’s trunk, so he had to drive back to his parents’ house to drop It off.

That allowed you to take your time getting ready, without being rushed for ‘hogging’ the bathroom.

You pampered yourself—lotions, perfumes, careful grooming (not at all for a certain green-eyed man). You took your time with your hair and makeup, allowing the slow, methodical routine to settle your nerves.

You’d just finished curling your hair when Dean returned.

Still in your robe, you stepped out of your room to grab a drink, only to nearly collide with him in the hallway.

“Oof.”

Dean caught you, steadying you before you could fully crash into him. Your hands landed briefly against his chest, warm and firm beneath your palms.

He chuckled, the sound low and easy, but then his gaze flickered over you, taking in your appearance.

A slow smirk spread across his lips. “You know, when you said black tie, I didn’t realise you meant the robe kind.”

You glanced down at yourself—silk black robe, tied securely at the waist—and realised what he meant.

Unimpressed, you looked back up at him. “Wow. You’re freakin’ hilarious.”

Dean barked out a full-bodied laugh, clearly pleased with himself as you brushed past him toward the fridge, shaking your head. You twisted off the cap of a beer and took a sip.

“Any more jokes like that out of you tonight, and you can stay home,” you warned, levelling him with a serious stare.

Dean only grinned wider but raised a hand in surrender. “Don’t worry, I’ll be well-behaved.”

But the dark glint in his eye told a different story.

He left you there and headed for the shower, while you worked to calm the nerves still rattling in your chest.

Tonight was going to be… complicated.

Questions would be asked.

Is Dean your date? Are you two together?

And you’d have to say no.

Which meant leaving him wide open for the kill.

The women in HR were like sharks in bloodied water—desperate, predatory, and not the least bit subtle. They’d be all over him tonight. And you weren’t sure if you were equipped to handle seeing it. Because those were exactly the kind of women Dean would bed. And you were basically serving him up on a silver platter.

Lord, give me strength.

By the time the clock neared 7 p.m., you were dressed and ready.

You stood in front of the mirror, taking in your reflection. You had to admit—you looked good. Hot, even.

The dress hugged every curves perfectly, the wide-open back revealing the delicate slope of your spine before stopping just above the curve of your ass. A bold red lip completed the look, matching the rich fabric of your gown. Your hair was swept up in a loose bun, soft curls framing your face.

Satisfied, you stepped out into the living room—only to stop short at the sight of Dean.

He was already dressed, waiting, phone in hand.

And he looked—

God.

A black suit, fitted just right, a crisp white dress shirt beneath. The same suit he’d worn for his parents’ anniversary dinner last year. It had looked good on him then. It looked even better now.

The broad set of his shoulders, the slim taper of his waist—it was unfair how well he filled it out. His hair was neatly gelled, but not too much. Just enough to keep that natural, tousled look in place. And he smelled… incredible.

He must’ve sensed your presence, because he looked up from his phone, and had to do a double take.

Holy. Mother of God.

Dean couldn’t breathe. It was as if you’d knocked the wind right out of his lungs just by existing in that dress.

You were stunning.

And that word didn’t even come close to doing you justice.

His gaze dragged over you, drinking in every detail. The way the dress clung to you, the deep red fabric a striking contrast against your skin. The soft glow of the light catching on the shade of your eyes, making them look brighter somehow. The way your lips—painted that same rich shade of red—parted slightly as you waited for him to say something.

Jesus.

He wanted to say something smooth, something that would make you smile, make you roll your eyes at him the way you always did when he teased you. But his mouth had gone dry, and his brain wasn’t quite catching up.

Dean cleared his throat, forcing his voice to work.

“You…” He exhaled, shaking his head slightly, his lips twitching up at the corners. “Damn.”

Your brows lifted in amusement. “That bad, huh?”

Dean huffed out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not even close.” His eyes met yours, more serious now. “You look incredible.”

Your breath hitched. He meant it—there was no teasing lilt in his voice, no smug grin. Just honesty, plain and simple.

You swallowed, feeling warmth rise in your cheeks. “Thanks,” you murmured. “You clean up pretty good yourself.”

Dean smirked, but it softened almost immediately. His gaze lingered, his expression shifting into something unreadable.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

The air between you felt different—thicker, heavier. There was something unspoken in the way he looked at you, in the way his fingers twitched at his side like he was stopping himself from reaching out.

For a brief second, you let yourself sink into it. Let yourself feel the weight of his attention, the warmth in his eyes.

But then, just as quickly, you snapped yourself out of it.

“Alright,” you said, exhaling sharply and breaking eye contact. “We should get going before we’re late.”

Dean blinked, like he was shaking off a daze. “Right.” He cleared his throat and followed you to the door, as you grabbed your coat.

Dean opened the door for you, placing a hand at the small of your back as he guided you out. The heat of his touch lingering long after.

AN: I just want to bang their heads together! but at the same time, where would be the fun in that!? 😂 I hope you noticed I gave y'all a little break from all the spice in this chapter, but fear not, these too can never stay separated long 👀

(Also, if anyone reading this works in HR, it was just an idea I went with, I don't mean to offend or think HR is like that 😅)

If you would like to be tagged in my future works please respond to this >form< so I can add you to the character's you'd like 😊

Dean Winchester/series Tag List:

@bettystonewell @nancymcl @happyfxckinghorrors @ambiguous-avery @jollyhunter @tbgfvfdcb @crooked-haven @chevroletdean @paganvamp @stoneyggirl2 @deans-baby-momma @spnaquakindgdom @ladykitana90 @lyarr24 @impala67rollingthroughtown @jackles010378 @riteofpassage77 @spnaquakindgdom @fangirlingfromdownunder @cevansbaby-dove @star-yawnznn @piptoost @shadysoulangel @deansimpalababy @megara0224 @hobby27 @idontwannabehere7 @maddie0101 @kr804573 @mrs-nesmith @zepskies @ohheyguyss @suckitands33 @ultimatecin73 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @arcannaa @aylacavebear @bobbdylann @waynes-multiverse @jaredpadonlyyyy @impala67stellawinchester @bonbonnie88 @youroldfashioned

Next Time...

Your fingers tightened around your glass as you watched her laugh at something he said—too exaggerated, in your opinion. He wasn’t that funny. And then, as if things couldn’t get worse, her manicured hand squeezed his bicep. That was the last straw. Charlie had abandoned you to use the restroom, leaving you with no distractions other than to sit and watch Dean practically fall in love with another woman right in front of you. Okay, maybe you were being dramatic. But he looked interested, smitten even, and it made your stomach churn. Deciding you’d tortured yourself enough, you pushed to your feet and manoeuvred through the crowd toward the bar. More alcohol seemed like the only logical solution. Except, before you got there, you walked straight into someone solid.

[snowysosturn]

Fire & Desire - Matt Sturniolo Part 19

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19

Pairing: Y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary: Y/n has always clashed with Matt. Despite working for Chris’s clothing brand and being close with Nick, her relationship with Matt has always been tense at best. While being forced to be around each other more, their animosity turns into something deeper. Can they overcome their differences, or will their fiery emotions tear them apart?

Warnings: mentions of drinking, tension, suggestive

Nick and Nate stumble toward us, their faces lit up with amusement, the unmistakable buzz of alcohol obvious by their faces. Their energy is loud, unfiltered, and completely opposite to the quiet, intimate vibe Matt and I had been enjoying just moments ago.

"Look who we have here!" Nick announces, swaying slightly as he points between the two of us. His tone is teasing, like he's caught us in the middle of something.

I glance behind them, noticing Chris is nowhere to be seen. "Where’s Chris?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Nate lets out a laugh. "Dude got a FaceTime call and then just decided to dip. Didn’t even say a real goodbye, just up and left."

Matt and I share a similar look.

"Old people behavior."

We both burst into laughter at how effortlessly it came out of both of us, but the second I meet Nick and Nate’s eyes again, I realise our little moment wasn’t so subtle. They’re both looking at us with suspicion, eyes narrowing as they exchange a glance of their own.

"Okay" Nick says, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is going on with you two? How was your night?"

I freeze slightly, feeling the weight of their gazes. I can tell they’re waiting for us to slip up, for one of us to give something away, and I don’t trust myself to answer without letting something show.

I bring my cocktail to my lips, taking a slow sip to buy time, but before I can come up with something casual, Matt steps in smoothly.

"Good, we were hungry so got some pizza and now a cocktail” Matt gestures to his near empty glass. “Nate, you wanna come the bar with me? I need another drink" he says, the ease in his voice almost too perfect.

Nate pauses, his eyes flicking between us for another second, before he shrugs. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

As they turn toward the bar, Matt throws me a quick reassuring glance. He knows Nick is going to grill me, and he’s giving me a chance to handle it before they come back.

I sigh and tilt my head toward the outdoor seating. "Come on, Nick. Let’s go find a bigger table before they get back."

Nick follows, but I can feel his stare burning into the side of my face.

"As we weave through the crowd to find an open table, I can still feel Nick’s eyes on me, sharp and calculating. The second we sit down, he doesn’t even try to play it cool.

"Alright" he says, leaning forward, elbows on the table. "Do you have feelings for Matt?"

I choke on my cocktail, barely managing to swallow before shooting him a glare. "Jesus, Nick. Being subtle really isn’t your thing, huh?"

He smirks, clearly enjoying how flustered I am. "Nope. So? Do you?"

I stare at him for a second, debating whether I should keep playing it cool. But honestly? I’m tired. Tired of pretending, tired of acting like there’s nothing there when the weight of it has been pressing down on me for so long.

I exhale, setting my drink down. "Yeah" I admit, my voice quieter than I expected. "I do."

Nick blinks, like he wasn’t actually expecting me to say it out loud. "Wait- seriously?"

I nod, suddenly feeling like a huge weight is off my chest. 

Nick doesn’t say anything for a moment. He just studies me, processing everything. Then, to my surprise, he huffs out a laugh. "You know, I always kinda suspected there was something there. You two have been dancing around it for so long, it was only a matter of time before one of you snapped."

I groan, covering my face with my hands. "Is it that obvious?"

Nick grins. "Not to everyone. But to me? Yeah. And definitely to Nate, too. You should’ve seen the way he was looking at you two earlier."

I peek through my fingers. "Shit..Nate has actually said it to me before."

Nick chuckles, shaking his head. "So what now? Are you guys.. together?"

I hesitate, chewing on my lip. "I don’t know" I admit. "I mean.. we kissed.. but it’s not like we’ve talked about what it means."

Nick raises a brow. "And you’re okay with that?"

I pause, really thinking about it. "I think I just.. want to see where it goes. I don’t want to overthink it."

Nick leans back, nodding. "Fair enough. Just-" He points at me. "If he screws with you, I’m kicking his ass. I don’t care if he’s my brother."

I snort, rolling my eyes. "Noted."

Before he can say anything else, I spot Matt and Nate heading back toward us, fresh drinks in hand.

"Alright" Nick says, lowering his voice as they get closer. "Your secret’s safe with me.. for now."

I shoot him a grateful look before turning my attention to Matt. And when our eyes meet, something in my chest tightens.

Yes. I do have feelings for him. And there’s no point denying it anymore.

Matt sets the drinks down on the table and slides into the seat next to me, his arm casually draped over the back of my chair. He takes a sip of his cocktail before looking at Nick and Nate.

"So, how was your night?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Nate snickers immediately, nudging Nick. "Oh, you mean aside from Nick pulling?"

I blink, turning to Nick so fast I nearly give myself whiplash. "Excuse me?"

Nick just shrugs, way too nonchalant for my liking. "What?"

"You kept that quiet!" I say, narrowing my eyes at him.

Nick leans back in his chair, taking a slow sip of his drink like he hasn’t just been exposed. "I keep my cards close to my chest" he says, smirking.

I groan, laughing at him. "I actually hate you"

Nick just grins, clearly enjoying this way too much.

Matt, who has been watching all of this with an amused expression, finally cuts in. "Hold on, hold on, so Nick got a guy’s number and just wasn’t gonna tell us?"

Nate nods, grinning. "Yup.The guy just walked over, chatted a bit, asked for his number as if it was nothing."

I shake my head at Nick. "Unbelievable."

Nick just shrugs again. "Maybe I wanted to keep things private. Ever think of that?"

I give him a narrow eyed look, almost to telepathically say "Oh, so you get to be private, but you get to interrogate me about Matt?"

Nick doesn’t even try to hide his smug expression. "Love you too, Y/n."

Matt leans back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head as he glances at me. "You know” he starts, tapping his fingers lightly against the side of his drink, "we haven’t really had a proper beach day since we got here."

I tilt my head at him, knowing I had only mentioned it to him earlier. 

“What do you mean? We’ve been to the beach loads of times." Nick says.

"Yeah" he nods, "but not when Y/n’s been here. Not just a full day of sun, sand, and doing absolutely nothing."

Nate leans forward, intrigued. "Are you trying to sell us on the idea of a lazy beach day?"

Matt shrugs, his eyes still on me. "I just think Y/n should experience it properly at least once before we leave. No chaos, no interruptions, just..enjoying it."

Something about the way he says it makes my stomach flip, the idea of spending a whole day with nothing to do but be with him settling into my mind.

I smile at him, nudging his knee under the table. "Alright. You’ve convinced me."

Matt grins, satisfied. "Good. It’s settled then. Beach day tomorrow."

Nick raises his glass. "To doing absolutely nothing productive tomorrow."

We all clink our drinks together, and I can’t help but look over at Matt, the way he’s already watching me with that smile.

Tomorrow’s going to be a good day.

After finishing our cocktails, we fell into conversation for a bit. Although the strip is still alive with laughter and music, the idea of heading back to the villa sounds more appealing now. 

"Alright, shall we head back?" Matt asks.

Nick and Nate nod in agreement, both still riding the buzz from their night out. "Yeah, I think we’ve done enough damage here" Nick laughs, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I need my bed."

We stand to leave and Matt throws an arm around my shoulders as we start walking. The four of us move through the strip, dodging groups of tourists and late night partiers, the warm breeze carrying the scent of salty food from the vendors still open.

"You excited for tomorrow?" Matt asks, keeping his voice low just for me.

I glance up at him, feeling the emotions of the night settle in my chest in the best way. "Yeah" I admit. "I think I really am."

His fingers brush against my arm before he lets them fall back to his side. "Good."

We eventually reach the villa, Nick and Nate disappear to their rooms, already half asleep on their feet, but Matt and I pause for a moment in the hallway, neither of us quite ready to part ways just yet.

"Well" I breathe, stretching my arms above my head. "Guess I should sleep if we’re making a whole day out of tomorrow."

Matt leans against the wall, watching me with that same unreadable look I’ve started to recognize. like he wants to say something, like he’s thinking too much. But instead, he just nods. "Yeah. Get some rest."

There’s a moment, just a flicker of hesitation, but then I smile at him, a quiet promise in the way my eyes meet his. "Goodnight, Matt."

He exhales, like he was holding something in. "Goodnight, Y/n."

And then, finally, I slip into my room, shutting the door behind me. My heart is still racing, but it’s not from nerves, it’s from something else entirely. Butterflies.

I stand in front of the mirror, slowly wiping away my makeup with a cotton pad. My mind is a blur, replaying the way Matt had looked at me, the way his voice had wrapped around my name like it meant something more.

I sigh, dropping the used pad into the bin and reaching for my moisturizer when there's a knock at my door.

I pause, my heart stuttering in my chest.

Slowly, I walk over to the door but before I could pull it open, Matt walks in, his hair slightly tousled like he ran a hand through it a hundred times before knocking. His expression is unreadable for a second, but then his lips pull into a small, loving smile.

“I, uh..” He exhales through his nose, shaking his head like he’s annoyed with himself. “I couldn’t let you go to sleep without this.”

And before I can even process what ‘this’ is, he steps forward, his hand gently cradling my jaw as his lips press against mine.

It’s soft but carries intent, like he’s been holding onto this moment all night. My breath catches as I melt into it, my hands instinctively finding their way to his chest like something I could sink into forever.

It lasts only a few seconds, but it leaves a spark running through me, setting my skin on fire. When he pulls away, his thumb brushes against my cheekbone, his forehead lingering against mine for just a moment longer.

“Sweet dreams” he murmurs, his voice softer than I’ve ever heard it.

I barely manage a whisper, my lips still tingling. “You too.”

And just like that, he’s gone, leaving me standing in my doorway, my heart hammering against my ribs, my entire body buzzing.

I can't wait for tomorrow.

The next morning, I wake up naturally, the sunlight filtering in through the thin curtains. There's an excitement in me that I can’t quite shake. I stretch lazily before glancing at my phone, it's still early, too early for anyone else to be up. But I don’t mind. If anything, I love the quiet, the peaceful anticipation of the day ahead.

I slip out of bed, the cool tiles meeting my bare feet as I wander downstairs into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. It seems like I’m the first one up.

A small smile tugs at my lips thinking about today. Beach day.

Feeling restless, I make my way outside onto the patio, but something catches my eye through the glass doors leading to the patio. Movement.

Curious, I walk over quietly, pushing the door open to step out onto the deck next to the pool. That’s when I see him.

Matt is already up, standing by the small outdoor table, his back to me as he arranges something on the surface. A tray sits there, holding two plates, fresh fruit, toast, and what smells like coffee.

Breakfast for two.

I blink, taking in the scene, my chest tightening in a way that feels both overwhelming and sweet. His hair is still a little messy, like he’d just rolled out of bed, but he’s already dressed in shorts and a loose t-shirt, barefoot, moving around casually as he preps everything.

He hasn’t noticed me yet, so I take a second to just watch him. The fact that he did this, that he got up early, set this up for just us, makes my heart do something stupid in my chest.

After a moment, I clear my throat, and Matt turns, his brows lifting slightly before a slow smile spreads across his lips.

“Morning” he says, voice still thick with sleep.

I glance at the table, then back at him, my lips tugging upward. “Didn’t stick you for the breakfast in the early morning type.”

He shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck, almost sheepish. “Figured you’d be up early, excited about the beach.” His eyes flicker to mine, a little softer now. “Thought I’d surprise you.”

My stomach flips.

I step closer, glancing down at the plates before meeting his gaze again. “Well, consider me surprised!”

Matt pulls out a chair, gesturing for me to sit, and I do, watching as he takes the seat across from me. The morning sun rising higher, the pool water glistening, the palm trees swaying gently in the breeze. It feels intimate, peaceful.

“Thanks for this” I say after a beat, picking up my fork. “Really.”

Matt just grins, reaching for his coffee. “Anything for you.”

As we eat, the conversation flows easily, a mix of light teasing and comfortable silence. Matt asks me what I’m most excited about for today, and I tell him everything, the sand, the sun, the sounds of the ocean. 

At some point, he reaches over and steals a piece of fruit off my plate, smirking as I gasp dramatically. “You have your own, Matthew” I scold, though there’s no real heat behind it.

“Yeah, but yours just looks better” he quips, popping the piece of mango into his mouth.

Before I can retaliate, the sound of footsteps shuffling from inside catches our attention. A moment later, the patio door slides open, and the peace of the morning is replaced by the familiar chaos of everyone else waking up.

Nick is the first out, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. “Look at you two, up and at it like a married couple” he teases, eyeing the spread on the table. “Where’s my breakfast, huh?”

I roll my eyes, while Matt just smirks. “You were sleeping like the dead, figured you wouldn’t be up anytime soon.”

Chris and Nate follow shortly after, both looking groggy but intrigued by the food. Nate sniffs the air dramatically. “Damn, y’all didn’t think to make this a group thing?”

Matt leans back in his chair, stretching lazily. “Early bird gets the breakfast.”

Nick scoffs. “Yeah, well, early bird is gonna have to share.” He plucks a piece of toast off Matt’s plate before flopping into the seat beside me.

I glance at Matt, who meets my eyes with an amused look, before shaking my head and laughing. Just like that, the quiet moment is gone, replaced by the usual banter and noise of everyone together. But I don’t mind, we still have the whole day ahead of us.

After breakfast, everyone scatters to get ready for the beach. I head to my room, digging through my suitcase for the bikini I packed specifically for a day like this. It takes me a minute to decide, but I finally settle on a black two piece, simple but flattering. I throw on a light, flowy cover up over it and slide into my sandals before grabbing my tote bag, stuffing it with suncream, a towel, and a pair of sunglasses.

When I step out into the living room, Matt is already there, wearing swim trunks and a white linen shirt that’s unbuttoned, exposing just enough of his toned stomach to make me momentarily forget what I was supposed to be doing. He smirks when he notices me looking.

“You ready?” he asks, tossing a bottle of suncream between his hands.

I clear my throat and nod. “Yeah as always”

Nick and Nate appear a few minutes later, carrying a speaker and a cooler. Chris follows behind, looking half awake but ready. The energy is high, there’s a buzz in the air, a shared excitement.

We pack up our things and head out, the beach isn’t too far so we decide to walk. As we walk onto the beach, the sand warm beneath our feet, I fall into step beside Nick. I nudge him playfully with my elbow.

“So, did you text him yet?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Nick rolls his eyes but can’t hide the smirk tugging at his lips. “No” he admits. “Didn’t want to seem too eager.”

I scoff. “Oh, please. You got his number for a reason. What’s the harm in a little ‘had fun last night’ text?”

He shrugs, glancing at his phone like he’s debating it. “I don’t know. What if he’s not actually interested? Maybe he was just being nice.”

I laugh. “Nick, he gave you his number. That’s not just being nice, that’s interest. Don’t overthink it.”

He sighs, shaking his head. “I hate that you’re right.”

I grin. “I know.”

Matt, who had been walking ahead with Nate and Chris, slows his pace until he’s beside me, catching part of the conversation.

“Nick’s got a little romance brewing?” Matt teases.

Nick groans. “Oh, God. Here we go.”

Matt smirks. “Hey, I’m just saying, maybe we should all go on a double date.”

I laugh, while Nick looks horrified. “Absolutely not” he says firmly, shoving Matt’s shoulder. “You two are bad enough alone.”

Matt just grins, giving me a quick glance before looking back at the ocean stretching out ahead of us. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I glance over at Chris, who’s been quiet this whole time, eyes glued to his phone as he scrolls with a concentrated expression. He hasn’t said much since we left the villa, and now that I think about it, he was the first to call it a night yesterday.

"Where’d you disappear to so early last night?" I ask, nudging his arm lightly.

Chris barely looks up, but I catch the small smirk on his lips. “Had some business to attend to.”

I raise an eyebrow. "Business? Sounds sketchy."

Matt, walking just ahead of us, snorts. "It’s Chris. It probably was sketchy."

Chris finally pockets his phone and rolls his eyes. "Relax, I just had to deal with something."

Nick jumps in. "Deal with something, or someone?"

Chris doesn’t answer right away, just smirks before shaking his head. "You guys are way too interested in my life."

I narrow my eyes at him, feeling like there’s more to it than he’s letting on. "So, no details then?"

Chris flashes me a knowing look but doesn’t elaborate. "Nah, just know I had a good reason to dip early."

I exchange a glance with Matt, who looks just as unconvinced as I feel. But before I can press further, we reach the beach, and Chris walks ahead like the conversation never happened.

Nate is power walking ahead of all of us, completely determined to claim the best possible spot on the beach. “Man’s on a mission” Nick mutters beside me, shaking his head as we watch him weave through groups of people like he owns the place.

By the time we catch up, Nate has already staked out a prime spot. not too close to the water but not too far either. “Five loungers secured!” he announces proudly, dropping his bag onto one of them.

“Alright, Nate” Matt chuckles, setting his towel down. “Did you fight someone for these, or?”

“Nope” Nate grins. “Just my superior speed and determination.”

Chris rolls his eyes as he kicks off his slides. “More like you nearly took out a family of four.”

Nate shrugs, completely unbothered. “Survival of the fittest.”

I laugh as I drop onto one of the loungers, stretching my legs out. The sand is warm beneath my feet, and the sound of the waves rolling onto shore instantly puts me at ease. The weather is perfect, just hot enough to make the idea of getting in the water tempting, but not unbearable.

Matt plops down beside me, rubbing some suncream onto his arms. “Alright” he says, turning to me with a small smirk. “Are you actually getting in the water today, or are you gonna pretend to and then just sit here looking cute?”

I scoff, taking off my sunglasses to look at him properly. “Excuse you! I always get in.”

Matt raises an eyebrow. “Dipping your toes in doesn’t count.”

I roll my eyes, but before I can argue, Nick throws his arm around me dramatically. “If you don’t, we’re throwing you in” he warns.

I groan. “You all are mean.”

Chris, who’s already lying back with his arms behind his head, cracks a lazy smile. “Better start mentally preparing now.”

We lounge in the sun for a while, letting the warmth soak into our skin as we take in the beach around us. The sounds of waves crashing and distant laughter create the perfect atmosphere, and for a little while, none of us feel the need to do anything but just exist.

Chris has his arms folded behind his head, eyes closed like he might actually fall asleep. Nate, always restless, scrolls through his phone but keeps glancing up at the water like he's itching to go in. Nick is lying on his stomach, probably still thinking about how to text that guy from last night. Meanwhile, Matt is next to me, shifting occasionally as if he’s just waiting for the perfect moment to drag me into the ocean.

Eventually, Nate sighs dramatically. “Alright, enough lying around. We came to the beach, let’s actually get in the water.”

Chris grunts but doesn’t open his eyes. “You go ahead.”

Nick stretches, sitting up. “Yeah, I’m down. I need to cool off before I melt.”

Matt turns to me with an expectant look, his smirk already forming. “You coming, or are we throwing you in?”

I roll my eyes but stand up, dusting sand off my legs. “I’m coming, I’m coming. No need for violence.”

Matt grins. “Good choice.”

We all head toward the shoreline, the hot sand beneath our feet quickly giving way to the cool, foamy edges of the waves. The water is crystal clear, and as soon as we step in, it’s instantly refreshing.

Nate, naturally, is the first to dive under. He comes up shaking his hair out like some kind of surfer movie actor. “This is the life” he sighs.

Nick walks in a little slower, shivering as the water reaches his waist. “Okay, yeah, that’s cold” he mutters.

Matt stays beside me, watching me closely. “Alright” he teases, nudging me. “Moment of truth, are you going all the way in, or are we carrying you?”

I give him a look before dramatically diving under myself, resurfacing a moment later with a victorious grin. “Ha! See? No need for threats.”

Matt laughs, shaking his head. “Damn. I was kinda looking forward to an excuse to tackle you.”

I splash him in response, and before I know it, all of us are caught in an all out splash war, laughter mixing with the sound of the waves.

As we calm down, Nate suddenly claps his hands together. "Alright, I have an idea! Lets play a game of chicken!"

Nick groans. "Oh god."

Matt looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think? You wanna take these guys on?"

I shake my head, laughing. "Matt, have you seen them?. We’re at a serious disadvantage here."

Matt grins. "So? We’ve got strategy."

"Strategy?" I repeat, skeptical.

"You’ll see" he says, already crouching slightly to let me get onto his shoulders.

I hesitate for a second before climbing up, balancing myself as he stands to his full height. From up here, I can see Nate already hoisting Nick up onto his own shoulders, calling over to Chris to ask him to referee.

Chris calls out from the shore. "Alright, you two, fight to the death! Uh, I mean, first one to fall loses."

I brace myself as Nick reaches out, trying to shove me, but I dodge, gripping Matt’s head for balance.

"Not happening" I tease.

Nick tries again, but I bat his hands away, and Matt shifts his stance, stepping further into the water.

Matt suddenly spins in the water, making me abruptly shift to the side, just enough to knock Nick off balance.

"What the-" Nick yells as he topples, dragging Nate down with him.

Water splashes everywhere, and when it settles, Matt and I are the only ones still standing.

"Are you kidding me?" Nick sputters, pushing his wet hair out of his face.

Nate shakes his head, laughing. "Damn. Alright, that was smart."

I let out a victory cheer, throwing my arms up. "Champions!"

Matt tilts his head up to look at me. "Told you we had strategy."

I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. I slide off his shoulders, feeling an odd mix of emotions settle in my chest. There was something about being that close to him, his hands steady on my thighs, the way he instinctively moved to keep me balanced, that left a weird, lingering feeling inside me. I shake it off, telling myself it's just adrenaline from the game.

We step back onto the warm sand, making our way to the loungers. I grab my towel, patting the salt water off my skin, while Matt runs a hand through his dripping hair before flopping onto his chair beside me.

Nick, still toweling off, suddenly perks up. His phone buzzes on the table between us, and he snatches it up. His eyes scan the screen, and his expression changes instantly, somewhere between excitement and nerves.

“Who is it?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

Nick hesitates, then sighs dramatically. “It’s him.”

Nate, who had just finished stretching out on his lounger, peeks over. “Wait, the guy from last night?”

Nick nods, staring at his phone like it holds the secrets of the universe. “He said, ‘Last night was fun, we should do it again sometime.’”

I grin, nudging him with my foot. “See? That’s a good sign.”

Nick groans, tossing his head back against the lounger. “What do I even say back?”

“‘Yeah, let’s do it’” Nate suggests, completely unbothered as he sips his water.

“Too forward” Nick mutters, fingers hovering over his keyboard.

Matt, who’s been silent beside me, finally speaks up. “You’re overthinking it, dude. Just be casual, try find out how long he’s even here for. Say something like, ‘Agreed. When are you going home?’”

Nick considers it, then slowly starts typing. I lean closer, watching the message form on the screen, before teasing, “I can’t believe I’m witnessing the birth of your love story right now.”

He hesitates for just a second longer before finally hitting send. “Alright. Now we wait.”

I grab the bottle of sunscreen from my bag now that I need to reapply, shaking it a little before twisting off the cap. The midday sun is hot, and I can already feel my skin warming under its intensity. As I squeeze some into my palm, I pause, realizing there’s no way I can reach my back properly.

I glance over at Matt, who’s lounging beside me, his sunglasses perched on his nose as he scrolls through his phone.

“Hey” I say, nudging his arm. He looks up, pushing his glasses onto his head.

“What’s up?”

“Can you help me with this?” I hold up the sunscreen, turning slightly to expose my back. “I can’t reach.”

Matt doesn’t hesitate, taking the bottle from my hand. I shift forward on my lounger, pulling my hair over one shoulder as he squirts some into his palm. The first touch of his hands against my skin makes me shiver slightly, not from cold, but from something else entirely.

He moves slowly, rubbing the lotion in with firm, warm strokes, his fingertips grazing my shoulder blades before moving lower. The feeling is.. distracting. That same odd sensation I had earlier in the water creeps back in, the awareness of how close we are, the way his hands linger just a little longer than necessary.

“You’re tense” he murmurs, his voice lower than usual.

I huff out a small laugh, trying to ignore the way my heart suddenly seems to be hammering in my chest. “Probably from carrying all you guys in chicken.”

Matt chuckles behind me, his breath warm against my shoulder. “You wish.”

His hands glide over my lower back before finally pulling away, and I find myself missing the contact more than I should. I take the bottle from him, murmuring a quick, “Thanks” as I shift forward, trying to shake off whatever that was.

But as I catch his gaze, I wonder if he feels it too. But then I notice it, almost staring right at me.

As casually as I can, I grab my phone and type out a quick message to Matt:

Fix your pants.

I glance up just in time to see him read it. His eyes widen slightly before he tilts his head, smirking at the screen. A second later, my phone buzzes.

Can’t help it when you’re sitting next to me like that.

My breath catches, heat creeping up my neck as I reread his words. I hesitate before replying, but there’s no point in denying it.

I feel the same.

There’s barely a pause before he responds.

You wanna help me fix it?

I bite my lip, trying to suppress the shiver that runs through me. My mind spins for a way to sneak off without raising suspicion, and then it hits me.

I clear my throat and stretch, making a point to sound nonchalant. “Anyone hungry?”

Nate lazily tilts his head back from his lounger, eyes half shut behind his sunglasses. “Not extremely” he mutters.

Nick shakes his head. “I could eat, but I’m not starving.”

I nod, keeping my tone even. “I think I’m gonna walk back to the villa to grab something.”

Matt immediately pushes himself up from his chair. “I’ll come with. We can make sandwiches for everyone and bring them back down.”

The perfect excuse.

Nick shrugs. “Sounds good.”

Chris barely looks up from his phone, and Nate just mutters something about getting some fries later.

I stand, brushing the sand off my legs, and Matt does the same. I feel his eyes on me as I grab my bag, and when I finally meet his gaze, I know we’re on the same page.

We turn toward the path leading back to the villa, walking just a little too fast, anticipation crackling between us.

The second we step inside the villa, the cool air hits my sun kissed skin, but it does nothing to cool the heat building between my legs. The door clicks shut behind us, and suddenly, the feeling gets thicker, heavier.

Matt drops the beach bag onto the counter, glancing at me as he rubs the back of his neck. "So.. sandwiches?"

I raise an eyebrow, biting back a smirk. "Is that really what we came back for?"

His lips twitch, and before I can blink, he's stepping closer, crowding me against the kitchen counter. "You tell me" he murmurs, voice low, teasing.

My breath hitches, but I hold my ground, tilting my chin up. "You were the one that needed fixing."

His hands land on the counter on either side of me, caging me in. "Yeah?" His eyes flick down to my lips for just a second before meeting mine again. "And you're the one that offered to help."

a/n : LOOK AT THESE HORNDOGS

taglist : @mattybearnard @sturn-33 @ncm9696 @yourfavsturniologirl @crazy4jewel @sodakid1234 @stupendoustreewinner @lovealwayssturniolos @matthewsturniolosss @m4ttsmunch @loveexxx @ilusa @starkeyszn @wonnieeluvvr @dylnblue @valxrieq @maggot3647 @cigarettecemetary @ribread03 @chrisstvrns @bandasaruswrx @noplaceissafeanymore @amexiass @witchofthehour @mattssgf @jetaimevous @v33angel  @ivysturnss @urmom69lol @ashlishes @watercolorskyy @sturnioloshottiekay @amelia-sturniolo3 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @pvssychicken @alizestvrnss @chrisstxrnsaxe @sophand4n4 @vickytaa @marrykisskilled @bxtchboy69 @yourfavsturniologirl @julisturn @sydneyylainn @sophia-77n @trevorsgodmother @sturnslutz @yourmother29 @girl24cherry @astronea @pinkdyit

[dionysianchub]

Not-So-Small Update

[TW: Health Issues]

I'll admit I've been struggling. I'd gained weight so quick and easy before, but the last several months have proved to be trying. A good friend and amazing human got me in contact with their partner, a feeder who works in obesity/weight loss research (proof that miracles happen tbh, a living breathing unicorn), with the hope that they could help me figure out how to break my plateau. We only had a brief back and forth on my gaining issues before they encouraged me to get tested for diabetes. As it turns out, there was a very big reason I was struggling to gain. The test results came back on Monday night and sure enough, I'm diabetic.

I've been dealing with a lot of mixed feelings the past two days; panic, shame, anxiety, fear (and maybe some slight kinky pride that I pushed myself this far) because as hot as health issues are in fantasy, I want to be able to live a sustainable life alongside this kink and this served as a rough wakeup call. But thanks to these two wonderful humans I'm able to maintain hope in what felt in the moment like my world was crumbling.

Short term, I need to put gaining on pause and focus on getting my body to stop revolting against me. Unfortunately I may need to lose some weight to achieve this, but I've been honest with my doctor about my preference in size and she only wants to see me lose 5% (12lbs) just to reduce my insulin resistance, improve my blood sugar, and help with my cholesterol (which is also pretty high as well).

Long term, I do plan to return to gaining once my A1C is within normal range again. With the support and help of these wonderful people, we're all confident that I can continue to gain weight in a more healthful way that doesn't push me back into the danger zone, as it were.

I'll still be around, and I'll still be making content (my feeder and I plan to make more content together, even if the food can't be a co-star). I'd also love to hear from any other feedee/gainers with type 2 diabetes that can share their experiences, tips, recipes... Anything would help.

And as always, thanks for being here. I'm forever grateful for the connections I've made in this community and I would never have made it this far in my journey without the support I've found here. Y'all the best. 💜

[quokkicidal]

L.M. | Husband Material

Genre: Fluff, established relationship

Warnings: None

Pairing: non-idol!Minho x gn!reader

A/N: Not a full on story, just some little blurbs :)

Requests open

Materlist

The kitchen smelled of your favorite breakfast, being cooked by your one and only Minho. He offered to make it because that’s just how he shows his love. Small gestures that build up, and you can’t help but to feel so lucky.

He looked at where you were sitting at the kitchen island and said, “How do you want your eggs?”

“Hmm, scrambled please!”

He just nodded his head and continued cooking. He started humming as he brought your food to you, placing the plate on the table and a kiss on the top of your head. You said thank you and he sat down and ate with you. He was the only person in your life that you could tell everything. He made you feel so safe and you truly cherish all the moments you have together, even the simple ones like these.

———

In the grocery store, Minho pushed the cart. Not because he wanted to, but he knows that if you pushed it you guys would be getting way more than what you needed. “Alright, next on the list is beef.” He said reading from the list you and him worked on together.

“Let’s go to the freezer isle then, and we can pick up some ice cream while we’re over there and we can have a movie night!” Minho smiled at your enthusiasm for movie nights and ice cream. It’s one of his favorite nights because you guys cuddle and make fun of movies together. One time you were watching Benji and Minho was trying his hardest not to cry, but there’s just something about animals in a sad setting that really pull at his heart stings. Of course you were crying too, who wouldn’t. But every time you bring it up to tease him, he always says, “You were crying more than I was!” When in reality he cried harder than you.

———

If you’re having a bad day at work, he’ll make sure to run you a bath before you get home. Filled with your favorite bath soap and your favorite candle lit on the counter. Despite what his friends see, he truly is a romantic at heart. Acts of service is definitely his love language. Before you get out of the bth, he’s already handing you a towel he previously tossed in the dryer to warm it up. He truly treats you like you’re a queen. You Al’s do the same for him, but in a different way. If you wake up before him, you make sure to make breakfast for the both of you and you iron his clothes if he has to dress formal. You know it’s not needed but he appreciates the crisp fold of a white button up.

———

Date nights are always looked forward to between you two. Whether you’re just going out to lunch, or you’re going to a full on five star restaurant. You tell him that he doesn’t need to do all this, but he’s planning something. As you both finish your dinner you share a dessert, which he lets you choose, he makes small talk. To be honest, he’s a bit nervous. He feels so safe around you, enough to let his guard down. When you first met him, you never would’ve expected being one of the few people that he lets in his bubble, but you are so happy that it ended up this way. The waiter eventually comes back to the table, and asks you guys to come with him. The waiter led you both to a back secluded garden area, which was absolutely beautiful. It was covered with flowers and even had a fountain. You stop by the fountain marveling at the work, and beside you, Minho gets down on one knee. As you turn, you couldn’t help but to start tearing up. “Oh my god, is this what I think it is?”

He nervously smiled, “Only if your answer is yes?” You couldn’t believe it, “These past three years have been the best three years I could have asked for. You truly are someone so special to me and i wouldn’t want to live the rest of my life if you weren’t by my side, will you marry me?”

By this time, you are full on waterworks, “Yes yes yes, of course I’ll marry you!” He put the ring on your finger and hugged you like it would be the last time he saw you. Through tears he says, “I love you, i love you so much.”

You laugh and say, “I love you too, and I always will.”

[trimmedarmor]

So I think if you're good friends with me you know how I feel about twitter and tumblr user LaithRaihan. I just need to vent about the situation underneath so it doesn't expose people to sensitive stuff

tw: cp, csa, proshipping, possible gaslighting, definitely manipulation.

There's a part of me that feels pretty vindicated that people feel lied to and horrified about Laith drawing Minori and Reigen having sex (as trauma art according to her). I have no qualms with people working through trauma with art, but I have no sympathy for her getting dogpiled rn for multiple reasons. 1. She and her friends were huge voices that engaged in calling out people on being proshippers/groomers. The callout posts were ALSO accusing people of being in the wrong for drawing vent/trauma art. If someone argued with her or went against her, she would use her large following to defend herself and harass them. Now she's crying about the same thing happening to her despite being ok with harassing others doing the same thing. Lots of minors trusted her because it seemed like she was the kind of person who was willing to call out "groomers". Now she's acting like the fandom is suddenly being unreasonable for calling her out. If it were anyone else who posted art on their priv of the same thing, they would be accused of possibly being a groomer, dangerous, and would be put on a proshipper blocklist. If she has accused people who draw proshipper content as groomers, what would it mean about herself since she also draws it? She lied about who she was to her fans and is a hypocrite in her values.

2. She kept claiming multiple times that she was depicting the relationship between Reigen and Minori as platonic and familial. People found this suspicious enough for her to get messages occasionally saying that the depiction didn't look familial or platonic to them. She would manipulate her fans into seeing her as being right and to defend her and attack others when they disagreed. Some of these people were harassed off of platforms. Needless to say, I don't think she's interpreting them as familial or platonic when she drew them having sex with each other and she can't feign that ignorance given how avid she was at calling other people out for much less.

3. If you're going to post art online in front of any audience other than yourself, there's always the possibility of it being shared with others, especially if it's controversial. Laith of all people should know that, as she had called out an ex-friend of hers who shared personal information about her within their circles (then subsequently convinced her followers to attack said ex-friend). I am not defending her ex-friend, this is just an example of it being something she has already experienced happening. She is a grown adult. She made the choice to post a drawing of an adult and minor having sex with each other in front of an audience despite knowing her followers would disapprove, given her history. These are just the consequences of misconstruing who you are to others.

4. How do we even know it was "leaked maliciously" or was whoever who leaked it concerned that Laith had been lying about who she was and wanted her fans, many of which who are minors and csa victims (who don't want to follow someone who draws adult x minor content), to know. Maybe don't lie to your fans in the first place! The claim that it was leaked maliciously from her private account makes Laith look like the victim. She's been purposefully lying to and gaslighting her fans about the intent of her drawings and encouraging them to harass others for it saying otherwise. If it was always meant to be platonic and familial, why are you drawing them having sex? I know she's saying it's trauma art but she already harassed multiple people for the same reason. I guess it's fine if she makes trauma art but if someone else does it they're a groomer and they should die (sarcasm).

5. This is personal. It's not related to what had happened recently but further illustrates that she's not a safe person and is ok with hurting and using people who are innocent. She's completely okay with falsely accusing others of racism, grooming, and ableism in order to exact "revenge" on those that she dislikes. She's okay with stalking people to find any single minor thing wrong with them and encourages her friends to do so to convince others of whatever she's accusing the person of. She's also okay with lying about all of this to get the fandom to donate to her for the "trauma" she endured, trauma that she completely made up. She did that to me and my friends and many people in the fandom still believe we're all those things, but thankfully some have seen our side and understood how much bullshit the accusations were. What did we do to piss her off so badly? We didn't let her into a PRIVATE discord server because one of the members was uncomfortable with her. That person was me. I had a bad interaction with her that left me feeling like she was incredibly parasocial and insecure to the point of wanting to take down others as a result. I understand low self esteem but when you feel the need to hurt others all because they're doing things "better than you", I have no sympathy. Sometimes I felt bad about not letting her into our server because of how much harassment, trauma and hate we got from it, but now I'm glad I stood my ground because we're a lot better off without someone like her in our lives.

If you're new to it, the our response to the whole harassment ordeal is here. Screenshots are actually included because we put a lot of work into it! You can also see all the lovely qrts clowning on us without actually reading it: https://x.com/poopshittersGC/status/1687267251055988736 I still get mad about her calling us out and I still go to therapy for it, even more than a year later. It's one thing for someone awful to lie about who you are, it's another thing for people who don't know us to believe the liar and join in on harassing you, without even wanting to hear your side of the story. I still get mad about her using peoples' trauma with racism, sexual harassment, and ableism to get them to support her unquestionably. It left me with a lot of trust issues, to say the least, and a more pessimistic outlook on other people. I still get mad about the fact that she literally got paid for harassing us. I now personally know she's okay blatantly lying to people and acting like the victim to gain attention, sympathy, power, money, etc. She's someone who I think has gone through and goes through a lot of trauma. And yet I'm not excusing her behavior nor am I sympathetic to her. It's not okay to hurt people, stalk them, harass them, and manipulate your followers into harassing them all because you feel personally wronged that someone doesn't like you. I've really tried to be understanding early on after everything blew over, but every time I tried, I felt like I was just hurting myself.

Laith, if you ever happen to find this rant I'm so glad I never have to deal with someone as vindictive, jealous, egomaniacal, manipulative, selfish, immoral, and hypocritical as you irl and I hate that you have so many young, impressionable fans who still believe you're in the right because you keep playing the victim card and absolving yourself of blame. I've seen your tweets for a while and there were so many times where you criticized others' art until you find out that that they like yours, then you start taking on the very traits you criticized previously. At this point I'm convinced that everything you criticize is projection. Given the types of things you harass others about, it doesn't leave me with a positive impression.

To her young fans, this woman is a grown adult on the internet. You do not know who she is and she does not know you. Her art is good, but that does not make her a good person. She's an incredibly manipulative person, using every excuse into making it seem like she's either a victim or sympathetic in a relatable way that appeals to you. The biggest reason she is getting attacked right now is because she deceived her fans by pretending she doesn't do the same thing that she has harassed others for. People are angry at her because she is a hypocrite and lied about who she is. Again, I don't have any qualms about people using art to process trauma. I have all qualms about lying to people to seem like you're better than others who are like you, refusing to take accountability for the things you've done and turning it back on those who are angry at you and misleading your audience into attacking people who are in the right.

There's probably a lot more I could say but I've needed to say my piece about how much I dislike Laith for a while. I stopped talking about it as much after her callout to our server because I wanted to move on from the anguish and also because I know that if I said anything more and one of her fans found it, I run the risk of getting others in the server to be harassed. They've gone through enough and deserve it the least. I'm just glad it's getting more traction that she is not a good person.

Here's an article about the classic tactic she uses every time she gets accused of something by someone. It's great to know when dealing with abusers in general:

Some facts about this may not be relevant or incorrect at this point since she's constantly answering DMs, justifying, bemoaning that people leaked her private art (i.e. exposed her of being a liar). I'm not going to check up on her as it just pisses me off to see people come to her defense.

All this to say is, Laith, why can't you, at the very least, apologize for leading your fans into thinking you were the kind of person who doesn't draw child porn?

[pineconepie]

parental yandere guardian angel perhaps?? 👀

TW: Violence, infantilization, mentioned stalking(?), parental yandere, alcohol, attempted mugging

...

You drag out a long sigh, not bothering to look the presence you know is next to you in the eye. For days he's been following you around like some puppy looking for attention, and you're more than tired of it.

"I do not like these bars," Seradiel murmurs. "There's all sorts of harmful people around. Are you trying to make my job harder?"

"A pointless job, might I add," you chuckle humorlessly. "You don't need to watch after me like I'm some baby. And for the record, you don't need to be sitting next to me 24/7, either."

At first, you thought Seradiel was crazy when he claimed to be your guardian angel, but ever since you nearly got ran over from not looking both ways on the street, the dude had been following you everywhere like some sort of shadow.

He said he had been guarding over you ever since you were a newborn, but decided to make his presence known ever since that incident.

He would appear out of nowhere in your house while you were sleeping and making sure you're breathing right, or follow you on walks, protecting you from any potential danger.

Seradiel's frown deepens. "Either way, you won't approve. If I watch you from afar, you claim that's creepy; but if I make myself known, you get annoyed."

You give Seradiel a pointed look. "That's because most people don't have an angel follow them around all the time."

He shakes his head. "That isn't true. Everyone has an angel. Some are just less dedicated than I am."

A groan escapes you. What kind of excuse is that?

You wave him off. "Can you at least, I don't know, sit at another table? The waiters keep looking our way since they can't see you and probably think I'm talking to myself like a crazy person."

"No, they can see me. I just don't have wings in anyone else's vision," he claims. "They're probably giving funny looks because of our conversation."

"Whatever," you mutter under your breath. "Why are you so dedicated, as you claim?"

He ruffles your hair. "Because you're like my baby. Sure, you may have biological parents, but even they don't share the same kind of connection with you as I do. After all, I've been watching over you ever since your first moments of life. I've spent more time with you than anyone else on this Earth has. And you were such a sweet child. Sometimes I wonder if you miss those days as much as I do."

"Not at all," you mutter, even though that isn't true at all. "So you just watched me my whole life?"

"Of course. Therefore, you are essentially like my child. And no good parent would allow their child to wander around such a sketchy establishment like this." He motions towards the dimly lit, rather unimpressive bar.

"Any good parent would let their adult child do what they please, because they're an adult." You take another sip from your cup. The liquid burns your throat going down, and you almost immediately feel drowsier and more light-headed. Seradiel yanks the cup away from you. "Hey! What the hell, I paid for that!" You reach for it back.

"You've had too much already," he scolds. "Now let's leave." He grabs your hand and leads you out. With you stumbling after him, you finally make it onto the street outside and head home.

The walk is silent other than your occasional hiccup. But every few minutes, Seradiel makes sure you're still lucid.

"Just leave me alone," you whine. "Please. I want just a minute of independence, I can't do anything without you hovering over me! Is that too much to ask?"

Seradiel's eyes narrow. "Is that so?" Without warning, he lets go of your hand. "Fine. If you'd like to be a brat, we can play your game."

He disappears in an instant. Despite the fact that you were begging for him to stop being so clingy, you find yourself strangely unsettled at his departure, as if something's missing.

Nonetheless, you decide to ignore it; he'll come back eventually.

You continue your drunken stumble back home.

However, you barely make it another block before you hear the sound of footsteps behind you.

Normally you would've ignored it, but combined with how late it was and how sketchy the bar itself was, you pick up your pace. Whoever was behind you speeds up also.

Now more than nervous, you start running, not caring about how lightheaded you felt and how awful your body ached.

Whoever was following you started running after you now, and in the dead silence of night you can hear their rapid steps thumping against the ground.

Their heavy breathing rings through the air, and your heart drops when you realize they were gaining on you.

Before you knew it, a firm hand wrapped around your arm, yanking you to a stop.

The person has a knife, dressed in all black clothing, looking eerily similar to someone who was ready to commit murder.

"Empty your wallet now," he hisses. "And don't make any noise. If you try to scream, I'll cut off your fucking tongue."

You scramble to empty your wallet. There isn't much money in there, which just pisses him off.

"That's it? That can't be all you have," he snarls. He backhands you in anger, causing you to stumble back. You rub your face where he struck you, crawling backwards as he rummages through your things himself. However, he only finds a couple pieces of gum. He looks even more angered by this outcome, reaching for his knife again.

"Seradiel!" you cry out, shutting your eyes tight. "I'm sorry! Please help me!"

Suddenly, there's a gust of wind. Your eyes fly open, and in front of you is none other than Seradiel. He stands tall, looming over your mugger with his white wings stretching out like a curtain to conceal you. His golden hair shines in the moonlight. Although usually calm, his demeanor has completely changed.

His eyes are now slit into furious daggers glaring straight ahead at your mugger.

"What the hell..." the man mutters.

With no words, Seradiel reaches forward and grabs the assailant by the neck, throwing him across the road and into a wall like the assailant is merely paper trash.

Seradiel begins to stalk towards the mugger, who's coughing violently from the impact. "I usually hold empathy for criminals like yourself; just trying to survive. But then you decided to try and hurt my child," Seradiel growls. You've never seen such fury radiating from his usually calm appearance. He looks more than capable of murdering the mugger then and there.

The assailant scrambles backwards, attempting to stand. Unfortunately for him, before he can rise Seradiel is upon him again. The angel knocks the mugger off their feet and kicks them, sending them flying backwards.

He grabs the knife he dropped, twirling it between his fingers.

"Hmm. Should I kill him?" Seradiel asks, turning towards you. He doesn't even look remorseful. On the contrary, he looks emotionless; he doesn't care if the criminal lives or dies. It was like he was asking you to pass him salt on the dinner table.

"No," you whisper. "Please don't. I just want to go home. Let's just go home, please."

"Alright. As long as he apologizes." He turns back to the assailant. "Well?"

The attacker sobs and nods. "Okay! Okay, I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!"

"And give them back their belongings," Seradiel adds.

The mugger obliges and hands all your belongings back to the angel. Once Seradiel steps aside, he scrambles away until you can't see him anymore.

He turns to face you again, his expression immediately softening. You instinctively take a step back. Seeing him switch demeanors so quickly is shocking.

"My love," Seradiel murmurs softly. "I told you it wasn't safe here. Are you okay?" He approaches you cautiously. He takes out his handkerchief to dab the bleeding scratch on your cheek. Then he inspects you, making sure you haven't sustained any other injuries. "See what happens when you walk alone? This is why I need to watch over you at all times. Does that not make sense to you yet?"

He puts his arms underneath your legs and back, picking you up. You bury your face in his robes.

"I don't like bars," you mumble quietly. "I promise I won't go to another one."

"Not just bars. Everywhere is dangerous. It's a good thing I'm your guardian angel; the world would eat you alive otherwise," he mumbles. "Oh, little lamb. What will Papa do with you?" He kisses the top of your head while carrying you.

It's not the first time he's referred to himself as that word. Papa.

In some ways, it makes sense; he does act very fatherly and treats you like his baby.

Still, you have mixed feelings about him. You still can't wipe the vision from your mind of him brutally beating up your mugger just minutes ago.

"Aren't angels against violence?" you rasp.

He shakes his head. "Not in cases such as those. Angels protect others. Most just happen to use violence as the last resort. And I will always protect my children."

"How many children do you have?"

"You're the only one," Seradiel coos. "And trust me, I love you very much. I hope this was a valuable lesson for you."

You fall into silence once again, clutching his robes.

When you finally arrive home, he opens the door for you. "Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"...thank you, for protecting me," you mutter under your breath.

He gives you a smile, but it's far from gentle. No, it looks almost... proud, victorious. "Of course. Just remember that I'll always be here to keep you safe."