#we just schedule our rituals for Saturdays it's fine

[rotationalsymmetry]

I’m trying to train myself, when I start writing an essay in the tags, to write a new post instead. I grew up white and middle class and English-speaking and generally mainstream/privileged. That meant that I grew up trusting the police. I assumed they were there to help me and people like me, and I did not assume that meant me and other white people. I mean, I have a pretty ingrained “speak to police officers politely and respectfully” thing, and there’s a touch of fear to that, but it’s a “if you did something wrong, being polite means you might get off lightly” kind of fear, not a “you could die” kind of fear. There’s still an underlying assumption that the police are basically good and just. There is a process of unlearning this, that is not done. I can still be surprised. I can still have trouble believing certain reports of police brutality (not towards protesters, I’ve experienced that) but to people who are just trying to go about their lives and haven’t even done anything. And that is such a huge difference: yeah, white Food Not Bombs activists have been hauled off and arrested for serving food in public, yeah, white anti-war protesters or anti-globalization protesters might get tear-gassed, shot in vulnerable spots with rubber bullets, have their property confiscated, etc. But generally only in situations where you’re knowingly putting yourself at some risk. Not being able to opt out of police assholery ever, not if you’re having a rough day or rough year or your dad just died, or you’re pregnant, or you don’t have a backup childcare option if you get arrested, that’s...that’s something else entirely. There, uh, let’s use a braid metaphor. Or a rope metaphor, since I only have two strands right now. Let’s twist them together, make them stronger than either one alone. One, the system doesn’t work for me, it harms me. Two, it’s even worse in certain nameable ways for other people. One, my feelings of isolation and mental illness issues aren’t just a me thing, they’re facilitated by a culture that encourages isolation and mental illness and that frames mental illness as an individual problem rather than a public health crisis. Two, some people who have those exact same problems have a much harder time accessing appropriate medical care, and if they do access medical care it’s more likely to not be culturally appropriate. (And, being seen as having a mental illness can cause more problems than it solves; medical mental health care is not always a good thing.) One, I don’t want to sell my time for money; there seems to be if anything an inverse correlation between how well a job pays and how much it positively contributes to society. Two, being able to sell my time for money and have everything I need and a good chunk of what I want (materially speaking) is an incredible privilege, and being able to get away with being as much of a slacker as I was in my 20′s and not end up starving, sleeping on the street, or unable to access medical care is an incredible amount of privilege that lots of people don’t have. As badly as the system works for me, it’s much worse for a lot of people, people who might have really valuable ideas about how to do things better, people who have a more thorough perspective about what’s going on right now so I should listen to them. One, I was pushed too hard in high school, and that harmed me. Two, I was treated like I was going places which is basically a good thing, and lots of other people didn’t get that (or were treated like they were going to exactly one place, namely prison) and...What do I do with that? I don’t know. One, I grew up in a family where I was more or less discouraged from acknowledging most emotions, especially disruptive emotions like anger. Two. There were also a lot of really positive things about the way I was raised, including an intact family who expressed love and financial security and speaking the same language at home and at school and not being told I was wrong or less than because of my ethnicity or race or religion, things that other people didn’t have growing up. And as a writer, the ones sound real and from the heart, and the two’s mostly sound pretty fake and posture-y. Does that mean I’m still too oblivious, that I haven’t really internalized what it means to not have the privileges I’ve had? Does it mean privilege is just a shitty way of looking at things? (How do I feel about this on axes where I’m marginalized, how do I want men to understand gender and straight people to understand sexual orientation and abled people to understand chronic illness?) I think...I think I want privileged people, on axes where I’m marginalized, to understand that it’s not about them at all. Not to see their privilege, but to see the bullshit I have to deal with (the sexual harassment and fear of rape and the frikkin pockets issue and compulsory femininity and the way heterosexuality is the default and queers aren’t represented enough and the way that medical research often takes study results about men and assumes that applies to men and women and the way that products targeted at women cost more for less content (Luna bars cost more than Clif bars and are smaller, for instance) and the way that yeah I don’t like Zoom meetings either but they’re still often the difference between me being able to connect with people vs not at all and I know that once pandemic fears die down enough everything’s going to be in  person only again, and the way that doctors just assume I’ll magically not have any trouble getting to appointments even if I’ve told them enough that they should be able to infer as much, and the way that everyone asks “so, what do you do?” as small talk and the way no one knows how to handle “so how are you?” “still sick” because we know what to say when someone’s temporarily sick or dying but not when someone is going to be sick for the rest of their lives, and the way I have to feel ridiculously grateful when a group makes any effective effort at all to be inclusive because the bar shouldn’t be this low but it is.

Yeah, all that. To see that and go “oh, wow, you shouldn’t have to deal with all that, that’s not right, what can I do?” and then do it. Or at least listen while I vent, ‘cause complaining doesn’t fix things but it makes things more tolerable while they’re broken.) (And I notice they’re not all the same. I want to be seen as mighty for overcoming my illness-related BS, both the illness itself and especially the way the world isn’t set up for people who are chronically ill, especially doctors who of all people you’d think their job would require knowing how to interact with chronically ill people ffs, but if someone was all like “oh wow, you’re so strong for being bisexual” I’d just be like, wut? because that’s not how I see myself at all. And of course the disability/chronic illness thing varies; some disabled people (people who are visibly disabled more often, I think) can’t stand the “you’re such an inspiration” thing, but of course as someone who isn’t visibly disabled I don’t get that, so I haven’t developed that “you what huh?” reaction yet.)

[thorbruceweek2021]

Welcome to ThorBruce Week 2021!

ThorBruce week is a 7-day fandom event celebrating the softest of Marvel ships that is Thor Odinson and Bruce Banner! It’s happening from 25th - 31st October, with optional prompts for each day. Mods are @blueeyesblazing and @superblizzardfire

THE SCHEDULE

1. Monday, 25th October: Variants / Only one bed 2. Tuesday, 26th: October : Fire / Wearing each other’s clothes 3. Wednesday, 27th October: Fertility / Undercover as a couple 4. Thursday, 28th October: For science! / Sex pollen 5. Friday, 29th October: Habits / Body swap 6. Saturday, 30th October: Pets / Asgardian courting rituals 7. Sunday, 31st October: Halloween / Pre-2012 Avengers

POSTING

Works can be submitted to the AO3 collection ThorBruceWeek2021 or posted to Tumblr with the tag #ThorBruceWeek2021 so we can reblog them to the page! You can also use our ask button to minipost! So share your headcanons, what ifs and ship-related ideas with us all this week and join in the fun!

RULES

- No rules, only Hulk! (Just kidding. But this is a pretty chill event!)

- All forms of content are welcome: fic, art, poems, moodboards, music, interpretational dance, whatever your little heart desires

- All versions/variants (haha) of the characters are welcome: MCU, Marvel’s Avengers, comicverses, etc

- Romantic or platonic is cool

- NSFW is fine, just please tag accordingly ;)

If you have any questions, our asks are open. Have fun and see you in October!

[oftenderweapons]

Steamy Waters — Jimin

Pairing: Jimin x reader (nicknamed Princess)

Wordcount: 7.1k (to be edited when my eyes aren’t bleeding)

Genre: NSFW, pwp, smut, slightest crack. Established relationship, Idol!AU

Rating: so 18+ I feel bad at age 22. 

Hello ladybirds! Welcome to the Steamy Waters scenarios. 

Let me move very quickly to the plot (I’m super late in publishing this — yes, it’s 7am, I stayed up all night but I was having fun🤭🥴). Well, it’s been a while since Jimin has returned from the tour. Princess is supposed to meet with Vixen and Lace — Girls’ Night squad is back — for dinner and is missing only a few details before leaving when Jimin presents his counterarguments. Too benevolent to leave him sulking — and too vulnerable to his charms — Princess decides she has enough time to indulge him. Of course she ends up being late to the appointment, but she’s not the only one. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: well. Swearing/slurs (used between girls who are joking among each other) Also, there’s a generic mention of drinking wine and tipsiness at the end of the piece. Hard dom!Jimin (Sir), bratty sub!reader; use of non-verbal safewords; very mild degradation (mostly patronising acts and hinted objectification — Jimin calls reader ‘doll’; very, very mild dumbification); masturbation, both male and female, clitoral vibrator; oral, male receiving, brief female receiving; the oral male receiving is pretty intense (includes ruined makeup, gagging, tearing up, wrist pinning and wrist bondage), facefucking; plenty of voyeurism (mirrors. Mirrors everywhere); marking (with lipstick) female and male (milder) receiving; lipstick and make up fetish; spanking with a hairbrush; partly accidental exhibitionism through phonecall (the girls are telling each other they’re gonna be late but a bunch of things go wrong so all the phonecalls end up exposing the characters and their current debauchery); playful mention of foot fetish (licking, it’s contained in a joke). FINALLY, AS USUAL, UNPROTECTED SEX WITHIN AN ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP! NO, DON’T DO IT UNLESS YOU AND YOUR PARTNER(S) ARE TESTED AND CLEAN. 

Features: Namjoon x Vixen; Taeyhung x Lace. Yes. The Girls’ Night squad is back and this time it’s not Vixen’s turn to cause trouble.

Here is my masterlist!

Enjoy!!!

———————————————

Jimin was sulking.

Old news.

That brat is a professional sucker… ahem, sulker.

Anyway, he was sulking in the bathtub, the lower part of his face hidden under the bubbles, his stare so vicious he could have probably thrown very sharp daggers with it.

“It’s just one dinner.”

“It’s Saturday night! What about you join me in the tub we do our full skin care ritual and I fuck you senseless on our bed.”

“Please, the girls have been so kind to me. We have planned this dinner weeks ago.”

“I am less important than your friends?” Jimin opposed, sitting up and crossing his arms.

Dammit, you were walking in very dangerous territory. “In this moment you are a tiiiny millimeter less important than them. Very tiny millimeter.”

“Are you serious?”

“Jimin,” you begin to say, trying to make him understand. “We have the rest of the week. I owe them.” You told him. “We are always so busy, we can never meet up, plus with you guys’ crazy schedule we need our own debriefing. Let me have my time, baby.”

“So you prefer staying by yourself rather than spending time with me?” He said.

“That is not what I mean and you know it.” You replied, frowning, sitting at the vanity.

You opened a small drawer.

Oopsie. Wrong one.

Unless?

You checked your watch noticing that you had an hour left. You could make it a quick thing. Something to make Jimin quiet and willing to let you leave the house with the excuse that ‘the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll be back’.

Sure, your brain might have been slightly confused by the thought of him naked in the bathtub, and the scent of his body wash, and the sexy way his elbows were propped on top of the edges of the tub, the water sliding down his perfectly toned, smooth chest, his head thrown back, wetness glittering on his plump, luscious lips.

His eyes opened. “Fine. Go.” He said, and his voice was grumpy and sad.

You couldn’t leave him like this. Still, it wasn’t important what he said specifically. The only thing you noticed was his dulcet timbre, like a siren calling you.

Without even precisely knowing what you were doing exactly, you took the small seat in front of the vanity and the tiny, powerful toy inside your drawer; you walked to the side of the tub, placing the chair there and tugging your pencil skirt up, exposing your panties. The mirror behind the tub offered your reflection to your unsure gaze, making you move your eyes away.

Of course Jimin noticed. Of course he stayed quiet.

He’d much rather watch you undisturbed as you bent forward, pulling down your panties and sitting down, your skirt bunched up in your lap as you spread your legs and propped your feet against the edge of the tub, dragging your toes against his elbow to catch his attention. He would boost your confidence later, when it mattered the most to you.

“What is it?” He called, pretending he hadn’t seen what you were doing.

“You’re not interested?” You asked, switching on your finger vibrator, a tiny device with a silicone band that wrapped around the back of your digit and a thick, bulbous head on the other side, a vibrator embedded in the thicker part, with the specific aim of making the ridges and patterns on the head repeatedly stimulate your clit.

The sensation was immediate, rubbing it up and down your slit a couple times, you managed to capture Jimin’s ears — and eyes, soon after.

“Princess?” He called, staring at you, your hand wandering and finding purchase on the bathroom counter.

“Yes?” You moaned sultrily.

“Don’t you need to go out with the girls?” He asked, his eyes hypnotised by the motion of the toy moving back and forth from your clit to your hole and back up.

“I thought I could give you this, as a treat.” You said, licking your lips.

“A very generous one.” He replied, licking his lips, bracing his forearms on the edge of the tub, settling between your open legs and placing his cheek on the back on his hands, staring, completely mesmerised.

Your breath was becoming irregular. “How close?” He asked.

“Not too much.” You replied, removing your hand on the counter and placing it on your chest, palming it heavily.

His gaze climbed up to watch your flesh swell as you squished it. “Does it feel good?” He asked, untucking one of his hands to remove the cover blocking the drain of the tub.

Water started to rush out, his hand going from the drain to your ankle, drawing patterns up your calf, the other one lazily reaching for his length, tugging it a couple times.

Your eyes closed as you started feeling the edge of your high, the image of Jimin kneeling before you filling your senses, imagining him everywhere, all over you, his mouth on your nipples, between your legs, his hips smashing against your ass as he slammed inside you from behind, and his deliciously candy-pink cock in your mouth.

“I’m close.” You murmured.

His hand slowed down between his legs. As if it could go any slower.

“Cum for me, Princess.” He ordered. Still, siren voice.

A pattern of quick circles on your clit possessed your digit, your brain going on autopilot to the fastest way to pleasure. “Jimin, please.”

“What, Princess?” He replied flirtily, gleaming in cockiness as you were begging him without him even putting his hands on you.

“Please.” You called again, as pleasure overthrew you, your lips parting in one long, purring moan, first very high-pitched and then descending all the way down to your normal voice as you calmed down, focusing on chasing your high until it became too much, your eyes closing completely, your free hand reaching behind your, holding you up since the stool couldn’t be trusted much.

As you removed your finger — and the adjoined vibrator — you felt something wet and soft part your folds and titillate the tight ring of muscles at your entrance, still quivering with your fresh climax.

Your eyes opened, blinking a few times before you spotted Jimin’s wet hair below you, his head between your legs, body tucked in the small space between your body and the tub.

“Put that finger back on your clit. We’re not done here.” He said, placing one of his hands on your spine, on the small of your back, holding you up while his other arm went to his thick shaft. You loved looking at it, at how deliriously pretty it looked. You would gladly print a very big picture of it. Hang it in your closet. Stand there and look at it every now and then, with a glass of wine. Get inspired by the shape, length and colour. Find new ways to please him and torture him. Study every small vein on it. Every tiny detail. The small mole at the base — God only knows how a mole can end up there. And how it can make a cock look so insanely, unfairly pretty.

You felt crazy for it, completely devoid of your own will. And the way his hand left your back and caught your wrist, placing your buzzing finger on your clit made you even wilder.

“Jimin.” You called, your other hand ending in his hair and tugging him closer.

He chuckled mischievously. “Needy.” He said simply, before fighting against you trying to remove his head. You were too close.

It was all too much.

“Jimin!” You called again, desperate and embarrassed.

“Oh, no.” He said, moving his fingers away from your wrist and crooking his arm at the right angle before sliding two of his fingers inside you, his digits just the perfect measurement to reach your g-spot.

“Feels too good.” You mewled, removing your finger from your clit. Too much stimulation.

“Put that finger back in place.” He growled, his hand moving angrily on his own sex.

“Please!” You said, whining and whimpering.

“Back in place, Princess.” He said sharply.

Without room for opposition, you did as he ordered.

“Good girl.” He murmured as you cried out at your finger and his working you towards your second high. “You’re doing so well for me.” He added.

“I can’t.” You said, feeling your pleasure amplify in your abdomen. Suddenly your ears zeroed on the nasty, squelching sound coming from between your legs.

“Oh, you can, Princess. Keep going, sweetie. Sir’s waiting for you.”

He had entered dom zone.

Well, fuck.

You were officially done for the night. Especially when he pressed his chin to his hand, his tongue devilishly playing with your sensitive hole while his fingers stimulated your pulsating walls.

You came undone. His moaning turned in loud, thin moans, open mouthed breathing as he finally reached his high with a tight squeal that undid a knot in his throat.

You removed the toy almost immediately, the filling sensation inside your cunt definitely too much for your nerve endings.

He didn’t even notice, and when he did, he let it slip. You were deep in your second climax, making you sensitive and vulnerable, and he had no intention of overstepping any boundaries. Yet. His fingers slowed down, his mouth parting from you; his hand stopped at his base, giving a slow, strong tug at his shaft, milking out the last few droplets of his release.

“There you go. Has your treat been satisfactory, Princess?” He asked with a saccharine voice, most definitely trying to tease you with his bratty ways, or maybe gloating about him getting what he wants. As usual.

“Very.” You replied, pressing down the button on the ring and removing the toy from your finger.

He unhooked his fingers from your sex, sliding them out and licking one gingerly. “Nice.” He grinned in a dangerously endearing way. “Let’s clean up, yes? Can you stand?” He asked, gentle as always, standing up and quickly moving to the sink, washing up the remnants of your shared debauchery on his hands.

“I hope so.” You replied, grabbing a small towel and running it under the tap before cleaning yourself, drying your skin with an unused corner. You wore your panties and tugged your skirt down next.

“Would you like me to do your make up?” Jimin asked, looking at you in the mirror. “I’d like to repay you for the sweet treat. And I don’t want you to think I don’t support you going out.” He turned towards you, completely comfortable in his naked state. “Consider it my way of blessing your plans.”

And maybe bless your face when you come back home later and drool on my cock.

You smiled. “That’s nice of you, Jimin.”

“I’m always nice.” He said, rubbing a towel wildly against his hair before wrapping it around his waist, grabbing the small bench and putting it close to the vanity, strategically placing you so the light would hit your face enough for him to properly do your make up. “Sit, darling.” He said, patting the seat.

You followed his direction, checking your watch. Twenty-five minutes until you needed to head out.

“You already did toner, serum, lotion, all of that?” He asked, making sure that the canvas was at its best.

“Yeah.” You confirmed, wearing the small necklace he had gifted after coming back from the tour.

“You already wore your cream?”

“Yes!” You repeated, playfully cocky.

He swatted at your calf. “Don’t play cocky with me.” He reprimanded, matchingly playful.

“Primer.” He said, standing up, his perfect chest right in front of your eyes for the briefest of seconds. Then he walked behind you, removing the whole small drawer and bringing it with him as he kneeled down again, pouring a small amount of concoction on the tip of his index and middle finger. “It’s summer so I bet you’d like to stay light.” He said, touching the two digits with their twins on the other hand, only to draw tiny dots all over your face, and then using his devilish hands to spread the lotion. “Sorry, I prefer using these rather than sponges and stuff.” He said, but it was actually simply an excuse to touch your face.

The more touching he could do the better.

His goal was getting you going and any kind of touching on your face felt intimate enough to be more powerful than a booty grab or a whole body slam all over you at the moment. He just knew.

With his pinkie, he pushed back the small hair on your forehead. “You know what? Fuck beauty standards. Out there is damp like a swamp today, you should just wear some BB cream and stay fresh.” He said, kissing your head. “You’re perfect anyway.”

“Jimin.” You said, a tad emotional.

“And I don’t want men staring at you. You’d look too pretty with full makeup.” He said, leaving a ginger kiss on your lips. “I want you to shine as you are.” He said, grabbing a small compact hand mirror containing a cushion imbued with light foundation. He took a small puff and pressed it twice against the cushion before placing his left index under your chin, directing your face as he patted the puff against your face, distributing the lotion evenly.

“It contains mother-of-pearl powder. It will make you glitter like the princess you are.” He said, with a kind smile. “You already look like a diva, babygirl.” He said, twisting your head to the side before noticing a small blemish.

He stretched to the table behind you, your gaze focusing immediately on the small, solitary droplet of water rolling down his chest. A bit hesitant, you collected it with your tongue.

“Princess,” he warned before grinning. 

You were slowly, very slowly surrendering. He just needed to play the last few cards right.

With your concealing pen in hand, he fixed the red spot on your cheek, and another smaller one on your chin, blending them with the slightly damp tip of his pinkie.

You smiled and caught his hand, kissing the small digit before smiling. “Your hands are absolutely lovely.” You said. This kind of small reassurance was something you offered him daily, and even though he played tough and acted as if he wasn’t bothered by those details he so stubbornly called flaws, you still made sure his self esteem could always thrive.

“I assumed so, considering what they did earlier.” He stood up and — maybe — accidentally the towel fell, his cock standing proud in front of your eyes.

May goodness help you and God protect you.

You reminded yourself of dinner, of the girls waiting on you. I mustn’t. You told yourself. Still a part of your brain told you you’d be a fool if you didn’t took your chance.

But your chance had already disappeared behind the towel once more. “Sorry.” He said, standing straight after bending down to grab the cloth and fixing it back in place. He collected the small wooden drawer too, putting it back in place in the vanity.

Next he took your beauty case, making sure that it contained exactly what he was looking for.

This time he stood in place in front of you, his navel perfectly in front of your face. He found a small box and opened it, fishing out a miniature brush and running it against white, glittering powder. “Just a faint sparkly effect on your lids. Close your eyes.” He whispered sweetly, putting the powder in place, on one eyelid. Then the other. And then every touch disappeared. Before you felt his fingers tracing your collarbones. “Just for the extra sparkles.” He said, grinning viciously once you opened your eyes. It was indeed his fingers. Not the brush. He took his chance to widen the neckline of your white chiffon blouse.

“Tip your head back.” He said, this time more commanding.

A shiver ran down your spine.

You obeyed.

He took a dark eye pencil. It was something you hadn’t used in a while, preferring lighter make up, usually using simply dark eyeshadow to trace the line of your eyelid.

“Black pencil?” You asked.

“Be quiet. It looks so good on you.” He said, focusing on applying it evenly on both lids. “Look down.”

Right at his abs. Fantastic.

You prayed the other girls were being tempted just like you. Knowing Vixen and Namjoon, he was probably already halfway up her panties. And Lace… well. She’d probably had to change her outfit at least three times to hide Taehyung’s marks. You hoped they were late too.

There was no way you could arrive at the appointment in time with Jimin in this mood. And with your blood roaring in your veins, cursing you for each second you let him stand untouched before your eyes it was all a matter of time before it all went to hell.

“Eyes to the ceiling.” He said, “I’ll do your lower inner lid.”

“Jimin, that’s a bit aggressive...” You replied, trying to keep his hand from going anywhere close to your eye.

“You look so intense with the lower line too, though.” He teased, already tracing the corner with a slow, light-handed touch. “Just a bit. Come on, make me happy.” He said. And with that you knew precisely he was in the mood. Just like you were.

At this point there was no fucking way you could make it in time.

You stood perfectly still, the pencil too near to your eye, too dangerously close to stabbing it. “Jimin,” you called, as he moved to the other eye. “I’m gonna be late.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He already knew there was no way the other men weren’t in a similar situation. Knowing Taehyung, he probably still had Lace naked. Especially after what he’d told him about their sexy weekend.

“Jimin, please.” You said, exasperated.

“Baby, I know you’ll be the first one there, as usual, and you’ll have to wait for them all dressed up and pretty.” He said. “Chill. You can be fashionably late.”

He put down the eye pencil and picked up the silvery tube of your mascara.

“Just a teensy, tiny bit.” He said, “Look straight ahead.”

You mean at your hard on peaking from under your towel?

Your lips twitched nervously as you tried to look away.

“What is it?” He asked.

“I’m gonna put my mouth on it.” You said in warning.

“Don’t,” He replied, fixing the upper lashes on your left eye. He applied way more mascara than necessary before moving on to the other eye.

“Don’t bat your lashes,” he said with a focused tone as he applied the finishing touches, giving quick, teasing flicks to the lower lashes and came back to the left side, making the two match.

“Lipstick.” He said.

You huffed out a stressed breath.

“Lip liner to make sure your lipstick doesn’t smear at dinner.” He said, tipping your chin up and drawing his face dangerously close to yours, his hot, quick breath fanning over your face. “Stay still.” He said, tracing your cupid bow first, then covering all the way from the peak to the angle, mirroring the gesture on the other side.

Your lower lip was tricky. From the middle he drew the left arc, then the right one. No matter how hard he concentrated there was something harder calling his attention.

And the situation worsened when he felt your hand timidly brush the back of his thigh.

“No.” He said harshly, cupping your jaw and squishing it, making sure that you opened your eyes and looked at him.

“Why?” You asked, your hand still climbing up.

“You need to go.”

“You said the girls will be late too. And I should be fashionably late.”

“Princess.” He said, his voice growling in a harsh warning.

“Jimin.” You warned, mocking his tone.

“Stay put. Let me finish my work here.” He said, a bit frustrated.

Your lips were tempting him. And his brain was telling him to claim, claim, claim.

For the umpteenth time, he closed his eyes, inhaled and exhaled slowly and calmly.

He completed the weak spots on your liner before he inspected it.

He placed down the lip pencil.

He found your Chanel lipstick, uncapping it and focusing before placing the perfectly shaped tip against your upper lip, following the liner before completing the other half.

“Almost done, Princess.” He spoke gently. But his hand shook. Especially when he felt your nails tease his skin again.

“Princess.” He scolded eloquently.

“Jimin.” You called again.

“What.” He replied drily.

“I wanna be late.” You said, your palm climbing higher up under the towel and landing on his ass, squeezing a glute seductively.

“Let me finish.” He said, giving up.

You smiled before relaxing your lips, making them extra pillowy as you offered the lower one to him.

He tapped the red paste against the inner flesh before drawing half a line, then the other half.

“Pop them.” He said, as you started pressing your lips together lightly and making them sputter.

“Am I ready?” You asked.

Jimin smirked before his eyes turned sultry.

Looking him in the eye when he had that expression was too dangerous. He held too much power.

“No.”

He stared at the upper hem of your blouse, at the way it let your collarbones show with an expensive, classy bateau neckline.

Jimin stared at the front buttons. He placed down the lipstick. And started undoing the buttons.

You grinned. “Are you gonna make me get there late?” You asked expectantly.

“Quiet.”

You obeyed. Not like you had much choice.

He reached the lace of your bra, then undid more buttons, until he reached the waistline of your skirt.

“Arms out.” He said, making the delicate fabric of the shoulders slip past your wrists, letting the blouse fall around your waist.

“From now on, not a word. Are we clear?” He asked, making you look him in the eye. “Answer.”

“Yes, sir.” You said, obediently.

“Excellent. You move when I tell you. You move how I tell you. Yes?”

“Yes, sir.” You replied again. You were salivating at the idea of what he was going to do, how he was going to use you.

His hands moved to your bra, pushing the cups under your heavy breasts. “You’re my little doll, aren’t you? Sir wants you and your nipples pop up. I bet you’re wet between your legs without me even touching you. Are you wet, Princess?” He asked.

“I’m always wet for you, sir.” You said, offering him extra praise. Not like the statement wasn’t true.

He smirked and moved to the vanity once more, letting the towel fall for real. “It was an accident.” He said, mocking you, raising an eyebrow and shrugging. “Not like you mind staring at my cock, do you, Princess?”

“I love staring at your cock, Sir.” You replied, giving him absolutely no reason to complain about you or punish you.

“So hungry for it, little doll.” He snorted.

Once more the lipstick was in his hand.

“Who do you belong to, Princess?” He asked, stroking himself as his sweet, poisonous voice enchanted your ears.

“To you, sir.” You said, sitting with your back straight, your knees pressed together, your thighs squeezing in helpless arousal, your hands laying flat on your legs.

“What’s my name?” He said, licking his lower lip as a droplet of pre-cum appeared on his tip.

“Park Jimin, sir.” You answered, sharp and refined as he wanted you.

“Just my name, Princess. Say it.”

“Jimin.” You kept your eyes on your lap, not yet sure you were allowed to look at him.

“That’s right, Princess. Good girl.” He said, voice disturbingly neutral as he bent down.

He let go of his length, running his hand under the tap and drying it, oh-so-slowly, before he cupped your breast and stared at it, his expression focused and meditative.

He placed the tip of the lipstick on the left side of your breast, drawing an horizontal line. Two curled ones. A straight one. He moved to the other side. A rectangle. Another straight line. An L-shaped one.

“There. Stand up.” He said, placing down the lipstick and offering you his hand, helping you on your feet, making you stand in front of the mirror. “Who do you belong to, my beautiful princess?” He asked, standing behind you, his lips moving sensuously at your ear.

Right there, spelled on your chest in expensive, rouge Chanel lipstick, you found your answer, just like it was indented in your heart, mind and soul. “Jimin.” You read.

“That’s right, ____. Excellent job, doll.”

He turned you towards him and placed a gentle kiss on your lip.

“Now, kneel.” He ordered, smiling gently, however the command in his voice was icy and sharp.

You smiled shyly and obeyed. Once on your knees, you waited for his hands to feed you the tip of his cock, his precum making your lipstick glisten and stain his spongy head. You opened your mouth wider, lolling your tongue out in invitation, but he refused.

“Kiss it. I want it covered in lipstick.” He ordered. “Kiss it like it’s my face. I want imprints all over it.” He ordered.

And just like that it stood in front of you, exposing all the underside to your feverish and reverent kisses.

You were ready to beg for him to push it down your throat, desperate to feel the taste of him, to feel him there; then you remembered you weren’t allowed to speak unless he asked you.

You tried to talk the only way you could. Your eyes connected with his as you gave a gentle lick.

He snorted. “Want it in?” He asked, biting his lip and placing his hand on your head.

“Please, sir.” You begged: the easiest way to get what you want. You would never, ever beg for anything in your life. But for Jimin? You would lick the soles of his feet if he asked you to. Thank goodness he was too ticklish for that.

“Open up.” He said, grinning.

You assumed your position and waited for him to slide in. Holding your head, you felt his tip on your tongue, his hand feeding his cock into your mouth.

“That’s it, Princess.” He said, pushing inside.

Your hands naturally moved to his butt, leading him further in. You wanted to take him all the way, watch your lips print a nice red ring at his base.

“Hands in place, Princess.” He scolded.

You placed them lightly on your knees.

“Yes. Good girl.” He spoke through gritted teeth. He started thrusting in, your eyes watering as you felt your throat close up, hitting your knee noisily, twice, letting him know you needed to breathe.

“Okay.” He slid out, giving you some time to catch your breath. His fingers wrapped around his length, thumb, index and middle finger forming a ring sliding up and down the tip.

“Ready?” He asked.

You simply nodded and he let the small misbehaviour slip. He just wanted to sheath himself in the warm velvet of your cheeks, tongue and throat.

Once he bottomed out a new set of prints began forming on his pelvis, your hands coming for his hips, trying to slow him down as you began tearing up.

“Hands. Princess.” He roared.

You drew them back, shaking, trying to bob your head on him, wet droplets leaving your eyes and rolling down your cheeks.

And now the black eye pencil and mascara make sense. He wanted this from the very beginning.

Your hands pressed against his abs.

“Silent. Safeword. ____.” He ordered aggressively with a growl.

No. You didn’t want him to stop. You wanted him to snap.

You made to remove your hands, but instead you cupped his balls with your right one.

He drew out. “That’s it. Brat.” He walked to the shower wall, where your bathrobe was hanging. He tugged at the tie, whipping it out of the small hooks in anger.

“Lay down.” He said, minaciously as he walked to the vanity, picking up the lipstick again.

You crawled to the carpet in the middle of the room and did as he told you. At least you wouldn’t be met with the cold of the tiles.

“Ungrateful brat.” He said, placing two fingers under your chin and straddling your chest with his legs. “I let you go out. I made you cum. I did your makeup. I offered you what you wanted. And you disrespected it, and disobeyed me.”

He caught your wrists and pinned them over your head. “But maybe I didn’t offer you what you wanted.” He said, wrapping the soft tie around your wrists, making sure it wasn’t too tight, even though he was furious. He took two deep breaths before securing the knot with a flowery bow. “Maybe this was what you wanted, uh? Answer me, Princess.” He encouraged you.

“I want what is best for you, sir.” You replied, eyes imploring as his cock laid on your chest.

“If you really did that, I would already be done fucking your mouth and I could be slamming my cock in your disobedient, tight, creamy cunt.” He said, applying more lipstick on your lips.

“You better make me cum quick, brat.” He spat the words at your face, his legs moving to bring his hips closer to your mouth. He lifted his ass and propped himself on one forearm, his hand holding his cock before offering it to your lips for small kisses. “Your non-verbal safeword is snapping your fingers. Any number of snaps will mean ‘stop immediately’. I will slide out and let you breathe, then I’ll ask you if you want to keep going.” He said, using his tip to draw your lips, just like a tube of lipstick. “Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” You replied.

“Make me proud, Princess.” He said, before accompanying his shaft into your mouth and looking down, into your eyes, before he started thrusting. The movement was identical to that he uses to fuck you nice and good on your bed, his hips usually slapping against the back of your thighs, while now they met the skin of your cheeks, the blurred mascara coming down in thicker rivultets, making your eyes redden.

You were definitely a mess.

Jimin tried to stay focused on your hands, feeling pleasure but ready to ignore it or your safety.

His thrusts became more intense, your throat producing thin, panicked whimpers before he felt your fingers snap, two, three times.

He pulled out.

You gasped for air, your eyes immediately connecting with the black stains on his pelvis. Your mascara. Or eyeliner.

And the red on his sex. All over it. Staining his balls too. It was undoubtedly your lipstick. No natural blushing could do that.

“Are you okay, ____?” He asked, and you could tell he was out of his dommy character.

“Yes.” You replied simply.

“I’m almost there, love. Can you take it, baby?” He asked, worried.

“I can. I want to.” You said, nodding and reassuring him.

“Then let’s go, Princess.” Back in the game.

He was back in your mouth in a second, and this time you were sure you wanted him to dissolve in pleasure like sugar in coffee.

You used all your tricks, swallowing once he settled in, pumping him with your cheeks until you saw him lift on his tiptoes, needing closer, giving up on the fine grip of his knees to plank on top of you and properly stroke inside you as his head rolled back in a very improper, very loud yoga position, making his mouth spill a divine moan while his orgasm spilled inside you.

He gave a small series of the tiniest thrusts before going perfectly still, his moaning stopping. It was smart of him to own a house rather than an apartment. Way more feasible in terms of… disturbing noises.

He slid out of you quickly once he realised you were there, perfectly still, trying to save your oxygen and prolong his bliss.

“Oh, Princess, angel.” He said, quickly undoing the ribbon, descending down your body, straddling your hips and touching your face. “Can you stand up?” He asked, trying to fix the smudged line around your mouth.

“Maybe.” You said, hesitant.

“Come on, let’s try.” He said, helping you up.

“I want more.” You said, kneeling on the carpet, flinching at the sensation.

“That flinch is a reply enough. And you’re messed up. And late for the meet up.”

You checked your wrist. “Lace is always twenty minutes late. Please, one last thing.” You begged, looking at his sex, half hard. “Please.”

“You want to fuck or make love?” He asked, already touching himself. He could do one more. And it was you. All he needed to do was bend you over and watch your tits move as he ground his hips against yours.

“Fuck me.” You said.

He grinned sadistically. “In front of the mirror. Bend over and spread.” He ordered drily.

You smirked back at him and turned into his doll, becoming exactly what he had asked of you, your panties soaked by now, the only protection your skirt.

You were a mess as you looked at yourself in the mirror. His name barely smeared on your breasts, your cheeks made of tens of dark, dried-up rivulets, your mouth a ridiculous attempt at a clown look.

He tugged the hem of your skirt up, exposing your ass before slipping his fingers into the see-through, fine net of your panties, his fingers digging until the fabric ripped offering your slick, honeyed entrance to his eyes.

He stood behind you, the reflection intoxicating as he showed you a wooden hairbrush.

It was that wooden hairbrush. It was the one he liked being used on himself when the roles reversed.

It was extremely fitting of him to want to use it right in that moment, on you.

“Ten. If you don’t cum on my cock all you’ll have is your fingers while I touch myself. Clear?”

“Yes, sir.” You replied.

“Ready. Count.” He said, rubbing the smooth wood against your lower glute.

The smack was harsh. Violent. The sound was scary but the pain was divine.

“One.” You called.

He slammed inside you, his thighs hot with boiling blood as he thrusted in harder before delivering another smash.

“Two!” You almost screamed.

“That’s right, doll.” He said, bending down, teasing your ear. “How pretty my name looks on those tits.” He said, slamming into you, a few more times, the various objects laying on the bathroom counter shaking as he pushed into you.

What you didn’t expect was for your phone to shake that hard.

The screen lit up.

Jimin noticed it immediately.

“Oh. It’s Vixen.” He said. “Maybe she’s worried about you.” He panted at your ear.

No. No, no, no. You thought.

“Come on, answer, Princess.” He said, vicious and petty as usually. “You love your friends so much.” He smacked your ass, just with his hand, almost playfully. “You wouldn’t want her to worry. Answer.” He ordered.

Your hand shook as it reached the phone. Jimin stilled inside you.

You picked up the call. “Hi.” You said.

“Hi bub, lovely to hear you. I might be late.” She said, straight to the point, her voice way higher than usual.

“Late?” You asked, trying to speak as little as possible.

Jimin started to move behind you.

You shook your head. NO. No, please, no.

“Forty minutes. Also, tell Lace. She’s not—” squeal “—answering.”

A dark voice behind her murmured something. “Only forty minutes?” He teased.

Namjoon, of course.

“I’m… busy?” You said, just as Jimin pulled out and smashed the hairbrush against your right asscheek. “Three.” You said under your breath.

“Didn’t catch that.” Jimin said teasingly.

You tried to cover the microphone. “Three. Sir, I said three.” You knew you were very likely putting yourself in trouble.

“Joon, why am I not getting spanked?” Vixen asked on the other end of the phone.

“Brat.” He snarled before his voice disappeared again.

“____, dearest. My boyfriend is threatening me with his ten inch cock. I can’t make that call, sweetie. Please, call her.”

“She will.” Jimin answered on your behalf.

“Thanks, Min. Enjoy.” A final squeal echoed down the line before it fell.

Another smash.

“Four, Sir.” You said, feeling Jimin stroke in while sneering, his lips parted as your wet, slippery walls welcomed him with a rich, squelching sound.

“Call Lace.” He ordered at your ear, sweet like a mermaid.

You shook your head in denial, but at the same time you searched for her contact on your phone. The sooner, the better. You would be done embarrassing yourself, and he would simply focus on torturing you until you reached your orgasm.

You pressed ‘call’ and Jimin’s ears tuned in to the sound of the phone, making sure that he began to truly fuck you only once Lace picked up.

The calling sound went on forever. “Let me… She’s not answering. Please.” You said, looking at Jimin’s reflection in the mirror.

“Wait.”

The line went silent for a second. “Vixen, for fuck’s sake, she’s sucking my cock, stop fucking calling.” Taehyung roared.

Jesus.

“It’s me, Princess?” You said, using the nickname that all the boys used. Sometimes it felt ridiculous. Like in that precise moment, when your boyfriend’s dick was buried inside you.

“Princess, what is— mh… Yes.” Taehyung stopped for a second. “Sorry. Lace is busy. Might be late.”

Jimin stretched to the mic. “I knew it.” He said, talking to Taehyung.

“Jimin, get out of my ears.” He joked with his friend. “Can I please… Twenty minutes. She’ll be there in twenty. Thirsty— Thirty at worst.” He spoke before a low rumble came from the line.

You blushed.

Jimin started pushing inside you, trying to get a moan out of you.

“Mh—Meet in forty. Vixen late. Bye.” You said before closing the call, Jimin using that precise moment to start hammering into you.

“Let’s make this quick. We need to make you presentable again, doll.” He said, picking up your knee and propping it up on the counter. You were so wide open for him, his hips smacking lewdly against your ass. To go the extra mile, he grabbed your waist with one forearm and used the hairbrush again.

“Five? Is it… Five?”

“Yes, Princess.” You weren’t sure he was saying yes to the counting or your inner walls squeezing him.

His cock touched your cervix repeatedly with a neat pattern, two fingers reaching your clit. “Quick.” He said.

You managed to push back only three times before your vision went blank, your upper body collapsing against the bathroom counter, your hand pressed against the mirror as you tried to find purchase to keep you upright, to no avail.

Jimin whimpered a few times before he went silent and collapsed on top of you.

His cock twitched twice inside you, weakly. He was probably drained.

“Jimin. Thirty-five minutes.” You called. He slipped out, immediately trying to clean you up.

“You shower, I get an outfit for you. Try to save your hair. Make up remover in the shower.” He said. “I’m driving you.” He said, helping you unglue yourself from the bathroom counter. “Do you need something special, love?” He asked, stopping you a second to hold your face and kiss your mouth, no matter how messy it was. “Aftercare, baby.”

“Just help me get ready.” You said, kissing him again. “I love you. You’re fantastic. The best.”

His ego exploded. “Love you too. Let’s make Stickerella ready for the ball.” He grinned before rushing to the closet.

——————————————

Forty minutes later, you, Lace and Vixen met in front of a classy, sleek restaurant.

“Did you pre-party, Vixen?” Lace asked as the three entered the place, Vixen leading the way to the table. Her legs were wobbly. Very.

“You’re so much fun.” She replied with a fake laugh. Namjoon’s habits were starting to rub off on her. Not the only stuff being rubbed, you thought mischievously.

“Seriously, did you swap your left shoe with your right one?” Lace asked as the tiny woman showed them the table for three. She took a seat on the closest chair, biting her lip as she lowered her bottom. Her eyes closed and she swallowed noticeably.

You smirked, right before sucking your own lips, your ass hurting with the leftovers of the spanking. “You are both two nasty bitches and I am so proud of you.” Lace said with a wide grin.

“Fix your neckline, you classy whore. I can see your boyfriend’s marks from here,” Vixen seethed, still smiling, no offense in her words. Still, she ran her tongue against the edge of her teeth, taking a calming breath as she fixed her position on the seat.

You chuckled at their scene before clearing your throat.

They both turned toward you, waiting for you to speak before realising that you simply had a sore throat. Yeah.

“Please. let’s order wine. You both sound like Marge’s sisters in The Simpsons.” She said, laughing and shaking her head.

“You’re just envious because your gag reflex sucks.” Lace said, clicking her tongue before shaking her head herself in faux disapproval.

You snorted and tried to cover your mouth.

“Glad I’m everyone’s laughing stock.” Vixen said, fixing her hair.

“Your neckline, slut.” Lace said, once more addressing Vixen with a whisper, acting with the posed mannerism of a lady from a Jane Austen novel.

Vixen laughed herself this time. “How did you get out?” Vixen asked her.

“Baby boy fell asleep like a puppy.” Lace said, a dreamy look on her face. “You?”

“Something along that line.” She replied. “What about you, sweetie?” She said turning towards you.

“Jimin brought me.” You said, smiling serenely.

“He’s such a sweetheart.” Vixen said, smiling with her whole face, her eyes turning into pure affection. Again, she looked like Namjoon.

You clicked your tongue. “Everyone’s a sweetheart when they’re getting fucked right.” You said quietly.

Both women laughed.

“I’m just sorry Yoongi’s girl couldn’t come.” Lace said, a bit sad.

“Oh, don’t worry about her. She’s fine. Coming. In… other ways.” Vixen — her neighbour — quipped.

“My god, we’re nymphos.” Lace said, covering her face with her hands.

You shrugged. “Again. That’s the magic.”

By the end of the night, the three of ended up happily tipsy, toasting to your boyfriends and ‘doing things right’.

[writing-wrxngs]

Winter Day

(I got the idea for something with wintery vibes very suddenly as I was walking to my math class the other night. It’s only mid November but we got our first little snowstorm cause I live right on Lake Ontario. It was shit to actually walk through bc I was underdressed and not about to take the elevator back up 8 floors and change. Still, I got super excited to see snow! I love winter, or at least the romanticized version of winter. Also this is hella long, enjoy!)

It was the Saturday after a snow day, which meant an extra free weekend for Techno, Wilbur and Tommy. For the older boys, it meant a break from all the work being loaded on their adolescent backs. Tommy was only in his first year of school so he was just excited for a long weekend away from boring teachers.

Phil let the boys sleep in even more than usual. It wasn’t often school closed on a Friday, they deserved a treat. They had spent most of the snow day messing about and had tired themselves out. Instead, he sipped his coffee in the kitchen and waited to see which boy would roll out of bed first. To his surprise, it was Wilbur.

“Mornin’” the boy mumbled, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a bowl. Setting it down on the table, he went to the pantry and grabbed a random box of cereal from the top shelf. The ease with which he was able to do that still surprised Phil. Wilbur was growing like a weed, and even at his age, was taller than his father already.

Phil watched this ritual silently. Tired teenagers were like wild animals, and agitated easily. Of the two older boys, Wilbur was the one with the worse sleeping habits. Neither of them slept well, as was expected of teenage boys, but Wilbur was definitely the stereotypical tired out insomniac. Phil had no clue what kept him up, and let him for the most part, as it seemed like any attempts to help the boy change his sleep schedule failed.

Once he was done making the cereal, Wilbur sat down to eat. He scowled as he took the first bite. He might not have paid attention to what cereal he got, but he still wanted a particular one. Whatever. He had already poured this bowl. It wasn’t bad, either, just not what he had hoped for. The disappointment already wavering, he continued on eating.

It wasn’t long after that Techno came down the stairs. “Wow,” he said as he entered the kitchen. “Wilbur’s awake before me?”

Wilbur looked up from his cereal. “Don’t,” he replied morosely.

Techno couldn’t help but chuckle at the response. “What, didn’t sleep or something?”

Groaning, Wilbur turned to his brother. “I slept. I slept quite well, thank you very much,” he snapped.

“Doesn’t sound like it,” mumbled Techno.

“Like you would know. You somehow act just fine no matter how much sleep you get. I’m just not a morning person.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll back off,” said Techno. He did indeed back off, leaving to find himself some breakfast.

Phil shook his head at the two of them. Not in any disapproving way, more so a playful acknowledgement of their behavior. Their petty little fights were unstoppable, so he let them happen, waiting in case the fight escalated.

Wilbur finished his cereal as Techno sat down to eat his breakfast. After that, he left to go back to his room.

In his room, he flopped haphazardly onto his bed and relaxed. He wasn’t tired or anything, he just wasn’t awake yet. From his bedside table he picked up the book he was reading last night and continued where he left off. From over the top of his book he saw Tommy leave his room and head downstairs. He was finally alone for a while. Tommy would be a while downstairs, occupying Phil, and knowing Techno, he’d stay down there the whole time, talking about something Wilbur couldn’t care less about.

It was whatever. Wilbur was quite adept at slipping out of familial situations. Tommy and Techno seemed to fill his father’s time plenty anyways.

To his surprise, and perhaps even his chagrin, Techno came in earlier than anticipated. “So like, why’d you lie about not sleeping at breakfast?” He asked as he sat down on his own bed. “You know I know when you’re up.”

Wilbur slapped his book closed. “I lied ‘cause it’s nobody’s business.”

“We literally share a room. Your business is my business. It’s my right as the eldest to bother you about it.”

“Don’t you have things to do besides be a dickhead? A recital to practice for? Strategy books to read?” Asked Wilbur.

Shaking his head, Techno said, “I’m not in the mood for that today. Spent all of yesterday doing things like that ‘cause of the storm.”

Wilbur nodded in agreement. “More than I did. When did snow days become boring?”

“Well, Wilbur,” said Techno, “they got boring for you when you started spending all day waiting for a girl who definitely isn’t gonna call you to call you.”

Wilbur shot a glare at Techno. “At least girls have my number.”

Rolling his eyes, Techno shrugged off the comeback. “Seriously though, Wil. You should do something.”

“I was doing something,” said Wilbur, gesturing to his book.

“I mean actually doing something. Get out of bed. I know, come downstairs and we can do a little sparring.”

“If you just wanted some sword practice, you could’ve just asked me,” said Wilbur dryly. In all honesty, it didn’t sound like a bad idea. “Gimme a sec to get dressed and I’ll meet you down there.”

Techno nodded and left Wilbur alone to change out of pajamas and into something more fitting for a fight.

He walked downstairs and into the practice room. Well, half of it was a practice room. It was still technically a playroom, with half of it still having Tommy’s toys strewn about. In the half dedicated to the older boys, part of it had all their musical instruments in a corner, with sheet music and guitar tabs haphazardly splayed about on stands. The part that mattered was the fighting corner. It had practice weapons, and fighting dummies. Phil had this part put in a year ago, at the boys schools suggestion, after Techno’s third suspension for fighting.

“You ready to lose?” Asked Techno, who was waiting for him in the corner.

“Losing won’t sting too badly, there’s no audience,” replied Wilbur. “Can’t bruise my ego if no one sees it.”

“You’re still gonna lose.”

Smirking, Wilbur said, “I know, but what’s a win if there’s no witnesses?”

Techno tossed a practice sword to Wilbur. “You’re really taking all the satisfaction out of this, you know.”

Catching the sword, Wilbur nodded. “I know. It’s called mind games, Technoblade. I thought you’d know all that, with all the war books you read.”

“I think it’s called ‘delaying the inevitable’. Get over here and fight me.”

And that’s exactly what Wilbur did. Techno was correct. Wilbur did lose, but then again, Wilbur always lost. They weren’t kids anymore, and Techno had long stopped giving his little brother pity wins.

Wilbur got himself up, and turned to leave. As he did that, the good mood he had fell. Tommy was standing in the doorway.

He didn’t even say hello. “How come you always lose?” He asked.

“How come you never let people know you’re watching them?” Retorted Wilbur.

“I just got here,” said Tommy. “I’ve been watching cartoons, but they’re over now. Dad said I could play outside if you and Techno watched me.”

Techno, who had been putting away the swords turned to the other two. “And who says we want to watch you?”

The question made Tommy think. “Me,” he said, stretching his arms out to fill the doorway. “I won’t leave until you say you’ll go.”

“Kid, I can literally pick you up with one hand,” said Techno.

“Didn’t he try to bite you last time you did that?” Asked Wilbur.

Yes. Yes he did. Techno grimaced at the memory. “I think we’ve just been cornered by a five year old.”

Wilbur silently agreed. “Fine. We’ll take you.”

“Yes!” Cheered Tommy, who immediately ran out to get dressed.

The two followed behind, knowing he’d take longer than the two of them, seeing as he was younger and getting dressed more than they were. Still, it was decently cold out, so they threw on some heavy jackets and your usual winter accoutrements. After slipping on some boots, the two older boys followed Tommy out.

With intent, Tommy marched out to the back yard, which was piled high with snow from the storm. “You know, it kinda looks like a fort,” Tommy said, looking at the snowbanks. “Oooo,” he mused. “We could have a snowball fight!”

“We’d pummel you if we did a snowball fight,” said Techno.

“Well, maybe we could do teams?” Tommy suggested.

Wilbur shrugged. “I mean, me and Tommy would be pretty equal to one of you, Techno,” he added.

“Not really but it that’s what you wanna do, go ahead,” Techno said.

“Yes! That’s what I wanna do!” Said Tommy, already dragging Wilbur to one of the snowbanks.

Once there, Wilbur hunkered behind it, not easily hidden the way Tommy was. “Start making snowballs, go!” He whispered, then standing up. He turned to Techno, who was behind his own snowbank. “Now,” he said, putting on an extra dramatic voice for Tommy. “These are the official rules of duelling with snowballs! Number one: you cannot start throwing until the end of the count! Number two! You must announce when you’ve been hit! And number three: first one to hit their opponent ten times is the winner! Understood?” He called out.

“Understood!” Called back Techno.

Melodramatic? Yes. Did it keep most of the other neighborhood children from playing with them? Probably. But was it fun and made Tommy look at Wilbur like he was a god? Absolutely. “Oh-Kay! Three! Two! One! Go!” He shouted, immediately dipping behind the snowbank. A snowball whizzed above his head.

Tommy chucked one, and to everyone’s surprise, landed the first hit of the fight.

“Hit!” Called Techno, who went down to collect more snow.

“Nice one, Tommy!” Said Wilbur, throwing a snowball and missing. As he shook off the loss, was hit square in the chest with a snowball. He made a noise as the impact was made, then called the hit. He left Tommy and moved to another part of the snowbank for a different angle. As he did so, Tommy tried to hit Techno again.

Techno, being Techno, dodged it. He instantly retaliated.

The hit almost knocked Tommy backwards. “Ow!” He cried, before shaking it off. “Hit!” He called out, heading back down and rubbing the shoulder that was hit.

Tommy’s reaction made Techno pause. He wasn’t sure if he actually hurt Tommy or if he was just being a baby. It could be hard to tell. This pause was just long enough for Wilbur to pelt him, hitting him on his cheek.

“Get your head in the game, Techno!” Teased Wilbur.

“It’s not my fault! I was only standing there cause Tommy acted like he got shot!”

“Just call the hit, dude,” Wilbur said.

“Fine,” Techno said, rolling his eyes. “Hit.”

This went on for some time, them calling hits until they were almost tied. Seven to nine, Techno’s favor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tommy, so he turned went to throw a snowball at him, but Tommy jumped out of the way just in time.

While Tommy distracted Techno, Wilbur ambushed him, and got a hit off, as called by Techno.

And then, Tommy pelted another snowball at Techno.

“What the hell?” He asked, dumbfounded by the ambush. “Hit,” he added realizing he hadn’t called it. Both of his younger brothers were on him, and very close. Closer than he knew they were. He was stuck. They would obviously the final blow as soon as he went to make a snowball. They already had snowballs.

“And you said it wouldn’t be an even matchup,” said Wilbur. He tossed the snowball in his hand once, then whipped it.

It hit Techno right in the face. Frowning, he wiped the snow off of his face and called the hit. “You guys won. I hope you’re proud of yourselves.”

“We are,” said Tommy.

Before Wilbur could get in a snarky comment, the back door opened. It was Phil, who had popped his head out now that he saw his sons were done with their game. “You guys have been out for too long!” He called. “Get inside before one of you gets sick!”

“Fine!” Wilbur called back, already heading to the front door.

Techno and Tommy followed behind, and they took off their winter gear together in the foyer. Both Wilbur and Techno wiped their glasses on their shirts to defog them as they walked into the living room, taking in the heat of the house.

“I was gonna call you boys in earlier, but you were having too much fun,” said Phil from the kitchen. “I figured I’d use that time for something else.”

Tommy was the first to notice, and broke out into a run. “Hot chocolate?!” He asked in surprise.

The older two followed behind, the suspicion correct. Wilbur eagerly grabbed a mug and sat down. “Thanks,” he said, taking a sip. The warmth spread through his chest and into his stomach.

“Did you three have a good time out there?” Asked Phil.

Wilbur nodded.

“Me and Wil beat Techno!” Added Tommy.

“I saw,” said Phil. “You wanna tell me about it?”

Tommy’s eyes lit up. The chocolate already giving him a rush, he began to tell Phil the story of how he and Wilbur conquered their older brother.

Watching this, Wilbur couldn’t help but smile into his mug. Today was a good day. He hated to admit it, but Techno was right. Getting out and actually doing something did make him feel better. Now, even though it was still midday, he felt good. As much as he sometimes felt out of place in his family, he still loved good times like these. Yeah, today was a good day.

[bush-viper-cutie]

Midnight Stars Tree

Pairing: young!severus X reader

Word Count: 5,350

Rating: E for Everyone

Plot: Three days before the start of seventh year, you attend a yearly potions demonstration at a wizard hotel across the street from a wizard museum. Every student seventeen and older participate in a tradition where you skip the last demonstration to hide away in a secret spot in the museum with someone of your choosing.

Warnings: None

A/N: Requested by anon (exact request found at the bottom) and I hope you like it :D I really liked the story so it got a bit long but I hope there were enough cuddle scenes! So many cute types of cuddles to choose from so I included many XD

Posted: 7/16/20

Masterlist

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(L/n) = last name

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“Children! Gather around! Please!” Professor Slughorn waved a parchment over his head, trying to capture the attention of over a dozen excited students.

The hotel lobby was full of students from other wizarding schools. All also attending the yearly potions convention before the start of term where the world’s most notorious potions masters would brew together in the world’s largest cauldron.

Most students had clearly signed up just to travel and stay at a famous wizard hotel, away from Hogwarts and the other teachers. Everyone knew Slughorn was laid back enough to allow almost anything to happen. All-nighters? Wandering around the wizard museum after hours? Visiting the rooms of foreign wizards? He had a very agreeable reputation, Horace Sees-Nothing Slughorn.

You stood in the back with your friends, eager to get assigned your rooms. Thankfully, you were seventeen, which meant you’d guarantee room on the top floor where they put both girls and boys in together – separate rooms of course. Not like that stopped anyone.

“Alright, let’s not get distracted,” he laughed and put on his glasses. He unrolled the parchment and started listing off names and handing out golden glittering stones with numbers on them.

The youngest students were called on first, next the fifth years, sixth, and lastly seventh years. You were among the seventh years quickly ushered into the fireplace that would take you and your bags to the very top floor.

You stepped in and held your breath as the bright cold flames rose to your nose and whisked you away to the last floor. You exited and coughed the soot out of your lungs, quickly spotting your friend down the hall. It had begun. The frenzied ritual of finding out who was in the rooms across and to either side.

You took out the rock and walked ahead of your friend to the door with the same number and knocked with the rock. It swung open and a familiar scent of freshly washed sheets made you smile instantly. You left the door open and ran to the far bed, setting down your stuff as a form of first dibs.

“You won’t believe who’s across the hall!” your friend threw their bags down and jumped with excitement.

“Is it that tall Ravenclaw whose been eyeing you since last year? The one with the swooshy hair like ‘honey’?”

They laughed and jumped onto the bed, “Yes!”

Well, it looked like shenanigans were already scheduled for your friend for the weekend, but now the question was how would you join in on the fun? “So, did you see who else is around by any chance?”

“No one else worth talking about. OH. Except for that Snape guy. He’s to our left and rooming with Sirius Black! So you can guess how that’ll go. I bet Sirius will beg every girl on this floor, Hogwarts or not, to sleep in their room.”

“He’ll ask anyone alive just to get away from him.”

There was a knock at the door.

You sat up quickly and laughed, “That was fast!”

You opened the door with hips on your hands ready to slam the door in Sirius’ face. Your six other friends pushed through and flopped onto your bed, taking out the museum brochure and weekend plans.

“They have a Midnight Stars tree!”

“The crystal room has couches!”

“Did you see who was across your room!”

You sat on your friend’s bed and scanned the museum brochure. There were dozens of rooms perfect for what everyone was calling the ‘Secret Skip’, where for the final performance – the one where the world’s leading potioneers would brew the most complicated potion in the largest cauldron in the wizarding world at the same time – everyone from the top floor would skip and run to an available hidden spot with your chosen sweetheart.

You had two nights to find the spot and claim it and two days to find the perfect boy. “We’ll have to spread out and remember which rooms are a go and which are definitely no good.”

. . .

It was after dinner and Slughorn had already gone down every hall with Hogwarts students, knocking and telling everyone to go to bed. After a long day’s planning, your friends got up and left to their rooms, leaving you with the list of most to least romantic-sounding spots.

You changed into your night clothes and washed your teeth, ready to pass out from all the planning when a loud THUMP nearly knocked the signed and framed pillowcase off the wall over your bed.

“What are they doing! They’ll kill me if they keep going!”

Your friend shrugged and blew out their bedside candle, “Who cares. Just take the frame down.”

THUMP

The frame fell off the wall and onto your pillow, “I’m going over and yelling at them.”

“What! No!”

You opened the door and looked to either side, making sure Slughorn wasn’t still walking around. It was empty and the few floating candles illuminated either end well enough to satisfy your concern. You turned and knocked on their door hard enough to indicate your anger.

THUMP

You knocked again and the door cracked open.

Sirius smiled at you and opened the door further, “Ah. What can I do for you so late into the night?”

You frowned and pushed passed him, marching inside ready to tell them off. You gasped instead, seeing articles of clothing thrown around the room and a bed fully tipped over towards the door, pillow shredded in two.

“What happened! You trash your room already?”

THUMP

Your head shot up towards the tall wardrobe where the noise was coming from, “Is that a boggart?”

“It is, so best not to open it up,” Sirius motioned for the door.

“Where’s your roommate?” you made your way over to the wardrobe and hovered your hand over the handle.

Sirius put his hands up quickly, “Oh, he wet his trousers and went home. Slimy git couldn’t contain his excitement.” THUMP “Told me he actually came for the demonstration,” he laughed.

You scoffed and pulled on the handle. Snape tumbled out nearly knocking you over. You caught his elbows and helped him but quickly pushed him away as soon as he was steady.

Sirius laughed, “Oh, there you are.”

Snape bared his teeth at Sirius, “I’m telling! Wait till Slughorn finds out you and your friends are planning to break into the museum across the street! He’ll send you packing.”

“Try it, Snivelly!”

Your eyes widened, “Wait! You can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Snape pushed passed you towards the door, standing as tall as possible in an attempt to match Sirius’ height.

You pulled him back by his robes, “Wait please!”

“Snivellus is just upset he’ll be sitting with the babies.” Sirius held out his wand, standing taller, “Maybe I’ll just turn you into a weasel for the weekend, since you already act like one, eh Snivelly? Where’s your wand?”

Snape jumped back, realizing his wand was not on him and instead laying at the door to the restroom.

You stepped forward, holding out your hands, “Stop it, Sirius.” You turned to Snape, “Please don’t tell. You’ll ruin the weekend for everyone on this floor.”

“How? By making you attend the demonstration you signed up to see? Get over yourself. I’d only be ruining the weekend for you dull ‘populars’ with nothing better to do than commit crimes. What you’re doing is stupidly reckless.”

You crossed your arms and tried to not be offended by his words, “We’re just having fun, Snape.”

“He’s a lost cause, (L/n). He’s just mad no one’ll take him.”

“AM NOT,” Snape growled.

“You just don’t know how fun it’s supposed to be. What if you hang out with me and we go exploring together? Join me while we scope out the museum,” you kept your eyes on Snape as Sirius laughed at your offer.

“What, YOU’LL take him? Are you mad?”

Snape shook his head confused. He was always the type to question everything, “What do you mean?”

You gave him your best smile, “Saturday and Sunday night walk around with me, after the day’s demonstrations. It’ll be fun. And if you still want to tell on us and make us all sit through Monday morning’s demonstration then… Fine.”

“I’m not hearing this,” Sirius rubbed his eyes.

Snape looked into your eyes, his scowl slowly lowered and he finally spoke, “I don’t see the point.”

“But you’ll join me anyways? Just to look around?” You could tell it wasn’t working, he seemed as distant and unapproachable as always. Ready to turn everyone who wasn’t his friends down.

“Snivelly’s too scared to. I’m not though. I’ll gladly – ”

For a second his eyes flicked to Sirius. “Alright,” his voice was low and spiteful.

You nodded and turned to leave, quickly looking at Sirius first, “If you do ANYTHING to make him tell, I’M telling everyone YOU ruined this.”

You marched to the door and exited the room. The hall was still empty and quiet and very few lights were seeping under doors now. You knocked on your own door and hoped your friend hadn’t fallen asleep yet. You were so mad you forgot you needed the rock to get back in.

They opened the door immediately and pulled you in, “I heard everything! You’re really going to hang out with him?”

You shrugged, “He can’t tell if he broke in too. Besides, it’s just to find my spot and claim it.”

“But what about finding someone! No one’s going to talk to you with Snape hanging around like a dark cloud.”

You sighed and yawned, “I’ll figure something out during the demonstrations tomorrow.”

. . .

Students were slowly and quietly filing out of their rooms with wands held brightly in front of them, down to the end of the hall with the fireplace. You left your room and waved at your friend as they walked on without you. You knocked on the door to your left and tapped your foot impatiently.

“Snape!” you whispered.

The door opened and Snape poked his head out and looked around before stepping out, “This is a bad idea. If you had any sense at all you’d go back to bed.”

You smiled amused, “Then why are you joining me?”

He glared down at you but didn’t speak.

Did Snape actually want to break into the museum for fun? You held back a laugh, “Come on, we didn’t spend all day listening to some ghost squeal about historical artifacts for nothing. Slughorn is fast asleep after the boring day and we are going to go have fun.”

You reached passed him and closed his door for him before walking down the deserted hall. Snape’s unsure steps followed.

. . .

One of the museum janitors – apparently some guy that had graduated Hogwarts twenty years ago – had left the side door open for the students and guarded it with a tall staff and a mop. The museum entrance was silent, but out in the distance bouncing lights could be seen, deep into the beast exhibit.

You pulled out your pamphlet and ran your finger down all the starred spots you had called dibs on among your friends. The closest spot was the botanical gardens named ‘Satanical Botanicals’.

“Follow me,” you led the way through a long passageway made of rocks that made your hairs stand on end with electricity.

“People shouldn’t be in here without a guide. All these plants are toxic and poisonous,” Snape dodged a purple-fanged jug plant as it tried to dig into his shoulder.

“Not true, that one was neither,” you giggled.

There were four benches located in the gardens and two were in use by a couple of Hufflepuffs. You walked around to the first bench and saw it was among a snaring prickle vine. The last one was surrounded by whispering wisterias hanging low off the branches. The gardens were dark after closing time and the light purple flowers hummed and glowed faintly.

“This is a good spot,” you sat down at the bench and looked around at the flower bunches swaying. “Romantic.”

“Sure, if you want to be put to sleep and pass out in the dirt,” he pressed his hair down over his ears.

You stood up quickly just as a yawn came over you, “I’ll just cross this one out… Next spot.”

The Midnight Stars tree was across the museum and there was only one way through to it. The corridor was dark with lights only seen out of the corner of your eyes. You stood at the entrance and looked in, trying to spot something in the dark.

“We shouldn’t go through there,” Snape stepped back.

“We’ll run. Easy and fast,” you folded up your brochure and stuffed it in your pocket.

You took a step in, then another, looking back and hoping Snape was following you in. He wasn’t big or intimidating, not by his build at least, but his presence did have a slightly calming effect, or, the knowledge that he knew far more hexes than anyone at school calmed you down.

He glanced at you briefly before stepping in after you. Cold white mist surrounded your ankles and shrieks of pain sounded in the distance. You took off running, Snape still behind, and almost tripped as red flames burst to your right and a white translucent hand shot up to grab you. You jerked away and fell forward out of the corridor, tripping Snape.

“Watch it!”

“Sorry! I-I got spooked,” you stood up and held out your hand to help him up.

He ignored it and stood, dusting himself off, “I’m going in first next time. They can’t touch you. Read the brochure.”

The Midnight Stars tree was standing tall, it’s branches spanning the tall ceiling and walls and lantern flowers blooming full force in the dark. There was no need for windows or floating candles for this room. It was well illuminated in the room by itself. No one had made it this far, likely because of the grotesque corridor of ghosts of burning witches.

“This is perfect!” You ran up to the tree and spun around, admiring the way the flower petals swayed like real fire. “Give me a lift?”

“I’m not getting on my hands and knees for you,” the flowers illuminated in his dark eyes like flames, making them seem deeper like an endless hall of shadows.

He seemed very stubborn and quick to judge, “That’s not what I meant, just… give me a boost. Please?”

The please seemed to melt him slightly, just enough to at least consider it. He looked up at the closest branch and stepped onto the soft grass towards you. He uncrossed his arms and laced his long fingers together and stood unsure beside you. His eyes snapped to yours as you put your hand on his shoulder to lower him down to your height.

You wiped your shoe on the grass and put it in his hands, placing both hands on his shoulders and looked up at the closest branch. It was only a few feet above your reach and a swift boost should do the trick. You turned back and gasped softly, not expecting him to be so close. His nose only an inch from yours.

“Just do it,” he murmured.

You nodded and pushed off, reaching high for the branch. Snape’s fingers unclasped and your foot pushed through, knocking you down onto him. You screamed and fell forward, knocking him to the ground. His arms had automatically tried to latch onto you as an attempt to stabilize himself. You opened your eyes, glad to not be in any pain and realized he was still holding you as you laid on him. He groaned and opened his eyes.

You pushed up and sat, pressing your hands to your lips, “Are you ok? I’m sorry!”

His kept his hands on your hips and looked up at you, nodding slowly. “My hands were sweaty and… Sorry.”

You noticed his cheeks were turning a deep red and slowly spreading across his nose as his embarrassment rose. His hair spread out on the grass below and a ladybug walked over the sea of black, the lights reflected in its shiny yellow spots. You swung your leg and fell back onto the grass, feeling his hands leave your side.

“Thanks for trying to catch me,” you smiled and looked down, feeling your own blush spread over your face. You hadn’t expected to ever be so close to him, let alone fall into his arms. Fall into Snape’s arms and to be held firmly by his soft hands.

He sat up and pulled his legs in, wrapping his arms around himself and looked down at the ground at the little bug that had fallen off his hair. “I didn’t mean to… I mean, I didn’t do it on purpose – let you fall. It just happened.”

You giggled and plucked some grass, “My hero. Thanks for giving me a safe landing.”

He looked over and a tiny smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. His hard edges smoothed, and his normal aggressive demeanor vanished. It almost seemed like the Snape that walked the halls of Hogwarts with a scowl and stone-cold eyes had cracked just enough to let light into his dark eyes. His lips looked as soft and smooth as his voice felt.

His smile dropped suddenly, and he stood, “We should go.”

You nodded and followed him through the dark corridor, averting your eyes from the pained faces of the ghosts. There were still students roaming the museum, but you still followed Snape back into the hotel. You opened your room door without another word to him as he entered his own room.

. . .

“Last night to mark your spot,” your friend reminded you as they headed out of your room to join the other students.

All day you had been chancing glances at Snape, and you could swear he had been chancing glances at you too. Whatever happened under the Midnight Stars Tree last night had changed something in you. Snape was no longer some classmate who you were vaguely aware existed.

Since finding yourself inches from his face you hadn’t stopped thinking of him all day. The way his eyes seemed to glow, the way his pink lips curled, and the slightest hint of laugh lines appeared on his face. Every time you had caught his eyes just as he looked away made you blush and smile. You had looked at your hands and bit your lips trying not to look like a fool in love. Because you weren’t. But maybe, you did have a small little crush on ‘that Snape guy’.

You stood from your bed and checked the mirror to make sure you looked ok in the outfit – the one that you had brought for specifically ‘Secret Skip’ which was tomorrow. “What am I doing?” you whispered to yourself and headed out the door.

You knocked on Snape’s door and waited, rocking back and forth on your toes and heels with your hands folded in front of you. No one answered the door. You knocked again. Nothing.

“Snape? You’re still hanging out with me… yeah?”

There was a rustle coming from inside and Snape opened the door. He looked you up and down slowly and then out towards the ends of the hall.

“I won’t tell, alright? Your threat made Sirius leave me alone – surprisingly – so you can just go pick your spot or whatever with all your other friends. You don’t have to hang out with me.”

You bit your lip and smiled, “They’d all be too afraid to go through that corridor with me. I’d feel safer if I was with you.”

He kept his eyes on the end of the hall, but his lips tugged into a slight smile of amusement, “If you prefer.”

. . .

The museum seemed a bit more rambunctious now, with students running from place to place trying to get to their spots before the next. There were hushed laughter and whispered arguments echoing through every exhibit. Except for the Midnight Stars Tree room.

“You said you’d go first, remember?” you pushed on his back slightly, feeling him lean back into your push.

He sighed, “Fine…” He took out his wand and held it up as he started forward.

You followed close behind and kept your eyes on his robes as you ran, ignoring the bursting flames to either side. You both came out the other end without tripping over each other.

“Don’t think you have to mark your spot, considering no one’s even been here.”

You shrugged and walked forward, “Just in case.”

You took your wand and traced your room number on the lower part of the trunk, watching the numbers glow gently. You turned back and sat down next to Snape, incredibly aware of how close your hands were to his – until he moved.

“Should we leave now then?” he bent his head over his knees, resting on his chin.

“Your name’s Severus, right?”

He shifted his head to rest on his cheek, nodding carefully.

“The grass is soft, isn’t it?” Your attempt at small talk was laughable.

He nodded and placed his hands back down next to yours, looking down to make sure they never touched. You laid back on the soft grass and smiled when he joined, your inner hands still almost touching.

“Your… outfit looks nice.”

You bit your lip trying not to smile and giggle at his compliment. Severus Snape liked what you were wearing? “Do… you think it’s cute?” Were you pushing it?

He nodded slowly and his hand inched closer by only a few grassy blades. You did the same and felt your pinky brush up against his. The next second his hand was over yours and you were turning your palm up for him. His hand was soft and warm, wrapping around yours perfectly. Each slender finger fit between yours and held you as firmly as when you had fallen onto him the night before.

You lifted his arm with your intertwined hand and slid closer to him, so that your arms were tucked cozily between you as your head rested on his shoulder. You held your breath waiting for a response and felt his cheek rest on your head. You breathed in and noticed his clothes still smelled like the potions classrooms and giggled quietly, wondering if he had been brewing during the few days stay at the hotel.

You let go of his hand and pushed it away, choosing instead to lean on his body and place your arm over him. He wrapped his arm around you and pushed you closer, holding you to him as if you’d suddenly run away. You held him just as tight.

Your hand slid from his side to his chest, feeling the way his chest rose with every breath. His fingertips traced the length of your arm and then brushed through your hair gently. It was relaxing laying there under the glowing flowers that looked like dancing flames in the sky. Your knee rested on his thigh and just like that you were the most comfortable you’ve ever been.

You stayed like that for several minutes, shyly enjoying each other until you heard Sirius’ voice from the other side of the corridor of ghosts.

“(L/n)!”

You stood quickly and stepped away from Severus, knowing Sirius would just love catching the two of you together like that.

Sirius burst through the darkness and looked back as another boy came through right behind him. You recognized the other boy. A Hufflepuff with emerald green eyes and who was known as the third best looking boy in the school by many. You were surprised to find him walking besides Sirius, considering he was rarely seen with anyone other than his own Quidditch team.

“(L/n), finally found you,” Sirius smiled. He looked down at Severus sitting on the grass and arched his brow. “Since you’ve been taking one for the team, having to put up with Snivelly for two nights I thought I’d do you a favor.”

“I don’t need anything from you.” You noticed Severus slowly backing away.

Sirius placed his hand on the Hufflepuff’s shoulder, “I insist. So here.”

The Hufflepuff opened his arms in defeat and winked at you, “I see you’ve picked this spot. So why don’t I join you here tomorrow?”

This was a test, an all too obvious one. If you said no then Sirius would accuse you of having asked Severus, a rumor that was sure to spread fast. The fact it would be Sirius spreading it gave you chills, knowing he could be ruthless at times and who knew what he would say.

“Sure,” you glanced back at where Severus stood last but did not see him.

Sirius looked around too, “Well it’s settled then.”

Severus was nowhere in sight. You smiled politely, “I’ll meet you here then.”

You walked around them and headed into the corridor, running as fast as you could. You couldn’t spot Severus anywhere as you searched from the corridor exit to the front of the museum. He was gone.

. . .

Wizards from all over the world were filing into the auditorium to watch the big demonstration. A giant cauldron stood on the stage where four old wizards in different color robes prepared their ingredients. All the Hogwarts students were sitting in the very back behind Slughorn and the fourth years. Severus sat two rows behind you and avoided eye contact completely as you had found your seat.

The demonstration began and the lights dimmed. Everyone sat quietly and the second the old wizards started dropping things into the sizzling liquid, all the Hogwarts students from floor seven stood and made their way out. You followed your friend and stopped at the door, careful not to be spotted by the Hufflepuff boy with emerald green eyes. He wasn’t even looking for you.

All the back rows were almost empty, except for Severus and a few other students. You made your way down again and sat next to him in the empty chair to his right. He turned and stared at you in confusion. He crossed his arms and sunk into his chair.

The crowd cheered as the smoke turned pink. You extended your hand, hoping he’d know what you meant and take it. He turned and shook his head, his black hair swaying over his shoulder.

You leaned in, “Severus, please? I only agreed so that Sirius would leave us alone. I want to be here with you, enjoying the demonstration. Like you wanted. I was never going to join him.”

He sat unmoving.

You couldn’t see his face and wished desperately to be back under the Midnight Stars tree. You touched his fingers and pulled them out from under his arm, holding his hand tight, “Forgive me?”

His fingers wrapped around your hand and Severus turned back, nodding with the same small smile as normal, “Ok.”

The demonstration went on and you couldn’t help but hug his arm and lean into him. The demonstration was the same boring one as previous years but sitting there was worth it, especially when he wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you in.

Your hand rested on his knee as you snuggled closer and his arm around your shoulder slid down around your waist. His other hand reached over and held your hand tight as it rested on his knee. His thumb rubbed your skin back and forth like gentle soothing waves.

You closed your eyes and imagined belonging to him and only him. They way he held you felt so right and it didn’t matter where the two of you were, it was just as relaxing. It felt perfect being with him, in the darkness of the theater and under the tree. Severus Snape was everything you wanted.

. . .

The demonstration as over, ending in booming claps and loud whistled cheers. Everyone stood and made their way outside where the other students were already waiting. Slughorn was none the wiser and herded everyone back to the hotel lobby.

Your friends had pulled you aside and told you every juicy detail, and luckily never bothered to ask you about your morning. They knew something was up with you and “that Snape guy” and had the decency not to push passed your walls. The rest of the morning involved packing and before you could say anything to Severus, he had Flooed away.

. . .

The Hogwarts Express arrived and students were filing out, eager to get in the large carriages that took them up to the school. You looked around again, and finally spotted a bobbing black head with sleeked lank hair. You pushed passed the crowd and pulled on his robes.

“Severus! Hi,” you smiled.

His black eyes looked on towards the carriages, “(L/n).” His voice was sharp and cold.

You frowned and waited for the last few stragglers to get in a carriage before speaking again. “Are you mad at me? Did I do something? I thought yesterday was nice, but you left so fast.”

He pulled on the sleeves of his robes and looked down, “You could have said no to him. You could have asked me… I thought you were going to ask me… I wanted you to.”

He looked sad but you weren’t sure what to say. “I thought you wanted to see the demonstration. That’s why you signed up… Sirius would have spread rumors – ”

He stared at you intensely and frowned, hurt plainly visible in his glistening eyes, “Yeah. Everyone would have known you liked me. How awful that would have been.”

He scoffed and made his way to a packed carriage. You made your way to one of the empty ones and sighed, hating the way his lips had trembled.

. . .

It was a week after term had started and dozens of students were enjoying the last few days of summer outside in the courtyard. A light breeze blew that carried laughter throughout. There were groups of friends spread out in every spot. Your group consisted of all your friends and added acquaintances, chattering away about their summers in the far corner next to a group of Gryffindors.

Severus sat hunched on a bench, ignored by everyone as he read and tried to keep his page as the wind blew. His head was hung low and his hair blocked the light from hitting his book, his finger ran across the pages tracing the words.

You looked around and sighed. You jumped down from the low stone wall and made your way over to Severus. You didn’t think he’d notice your shadow since his book was already shrouded in darkness, but he did. He looked up and tilted his head, unsure of your intentions in such a crowded space.

“Can I do something?”

He looked around at the eyes that had started to stare, “Um… s-sure?”

You pushed his book away and stepped between his legs and sat on his thigh. You hooked your arm around his neck and kissed his cheek. His arms wrapped around your waist instinctively and held you carefully. His pale face flushed pink and a wide smile spread across his face as you pulled your lips away.

Within seconds a few Slytherins came over – a part of the gawking crowd moments before. His friends sat around, bewildered by what they were seeing.

“Severus? When did this happen?”

Severus was about to open his mouth when you answered first, “Yesterday.”

Severus shrugged nonchalantly and squeezed you closer, “Told you guys to go.”

You laughed and nuzzled his cheek with your nose, loving the way he bit his lip to stop from smiling too big. You played with his hair as you sat on his lap and joined in the retelling of how it came to be.

~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~

Masterlist

Request: “may I request a young sev x reader where they cuddle 🥺🥺 pretty please?” - Anon

[quillvine]

Chase

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

Request: Anon - Could you please write date night prompt #60 for Hotch please? Congrats on 100 followers!

A/N: It kind of seems like my grammar skills were turned off for this one. Can you tell which parts were written during horny hour? Sorry it took so long Anon. We’re still celebrating passing 100 subs on my blog prompts are here so request away! 

Masterlist

Of all the ways you could be spending your Saturday mornings getting up early to run a 5k is not one of them. Sure you are technically running it with Aaron but he’s a faster runner than you so he was sent out with the earlier crowd.

At least training with him was fun. It was a nice ritual, training with him on the mornings your guy’s schedule allowed it. Not to mention post-workout cooldowns = mind blowing sex.

Speaking of that, instead of running a marathon with you, Aaron should be serving you breakfast in bed in nothing but a frilly apron. Hmmm, what a good morning that would be. Although that’s not really something Jack should be there for… you’ll put a pin in it for now.

As you make your way to the finish line you see the team cheering you on along with Aaron and Jack. It seems that the thought of your husband doing delightful things to you in the morning got you through the last bit of the race.

After you cross the finish line you go to pick up your medal and get some water. Almost immediately after you are out of the way for the runners you are bombarded with lots of hugs and kisses from a tiny body. It’s Jack, you can see Aaron behind him giving you a proud smile.

Jack is wearing his father’s medal around his neck and has a big grin on his face.

“You did really good!” he cheers, “I saw your time on the big clock, you were very fast!”

You match his smile and give him a kiss on the forehead, “Thank you buddy, you want another one?” you ask, lifting your medal from around your neck.

Before you can put it over his neck Jack snatches it from your hands and hangs the medal around his neck.

“Can we get burgers?” He asks you and Aaron.

You share a look with Aaron before nodding your head.

“Sure thing bubba,” Aaron says, “Why don’t you ask Auntie Emily and the others if they want to join us?”

The two of you watch Jack run off to the rest of the team waving his arms excitedly.

“So, how are you doing?” Aaron questions, “You did good, a personal best.”

The moment you think about how you are feeling it seems as if all the adrenaline from the race has left you. Your legs feel like they’re jelly and all it feels like all your blood is rushing to your face. Oh god, you need to cool down so badly.

“What a terrible idea, let’s never ever do this again. Whose idea was this anyway?”

“Yours,” Aaron says, giving you a fond smile.

You can’t believe that your husband has the audacity to look as if he hasn’t just run a 5k. Honestly, he looks fine, maybe a little sweaty, but other than that he looks like he just went on a light jog.

“I don’t think so, are you sure?” You say as you finish the rest of your water bottle.

“Yeah I am,” Aaron says, wrapping an arm around your waist. “You said that it would be a fun thing to do together.”

He pulls you in for a kiss and as delightful as it is, the way you sweaty skin sticks to his is not.

“No no,” you say as you try to peel yourself away from Aaron’s grasp, the last thing you need right now is more body heat. “The next time I suggest something like this you shut me down real quick. Got it?”

“Hmm, I don’t know sweetheart. I think you’ll agree that we had our post-workout fun.” Aaron says.

He gives you a look that really isn’t appropriate when Jack is around. Oh god, you are definitely going to have to revisit the apron idea.

Tags (lmk if you want to be added or removed): @winterscaptain @yes-sir-hotchner @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @crying-river @genevievedarcygranger @ange-must-die @ogmilkis @saintd0lce @agenthotchner @dr-reid-ismyspiritanimal @toasteddragoness @misskirkstark @rousethemouse

@good-heavens-chris-evans I’ve added you to my tag list hope you don’t mind!

[purpleyellow]

Sweet ritual

NCT 22nd member / Dream 8th member

Bee’s Masterlist

“Bee and Red Velvet hang out” Thank you so much for the anon who requested this!

a/n: Don’t be shy and interact a little, ask box is always open. Any kind of feedback will be very appreciated💛

“Are you fine to stay here?” Taeyong asked Bee while settling a folded sweater under her head.

NCT was currently learning the choreography for Black on Black when the girl started feeling a fever kicking in. Taeil was the first one who noticed she wasn’t feeling well, and suddenly all of them refused to keep going until she was taken care of. 

Their manager, who knew they had to go through with the normal schedule, decided to let her rest for the day, except that he didn’t want to send her home by herself in case the symptoms increased, so she was redirected to another training room, to stay there while they ended the practice.

Shifting on the black couch to lay on her side, she nodded and noticed how nice it would be to have a blanket at that moment. Of course, one of the boys had lent her another hoodie so she could wear on top of her own and while it helped to keep her a little warm, she could still feel undeniably cold.

“I’ll see if there’s someone to keep you company while we’re away,” Taeyong said patting her head and walking towards the door “Try to rest a little in the meanwhile”

Closing her eyes to avoid the brightness of the room, Bee whished her limbs weren’t so heavy so she could get up to turn off the lights, but that wasn’t a problem for too long since the medicine she had taken seemed to kick in pretty quickly and she fell asleep almost instantly.

Yun-hee didn’t know how long it had been since she fell asleep, but after a while, she started to come back to her senses, and the first thing she felt was someone running their hand on her hair in a soothing way. 

Confused to who it was, she opened her eyes slightly, turning to lay on her back and saw Irene sitting on the couch’s armrest while caressing her head. Feeling the movement of her head, Irene looked over to see Bee waking up and sighed “I told you guys to keep it down, you made her wake up”.

Looking to where she was speaking, Bee saw four other members of Red Velvet, and the reality of her seniors being there hit her. Jumping to her feet with the intention of bowing to them, she lost her balance for a little bit and fell sitting down on the couch. 

“Sunbaenim, sorry for not greeting you earlier” she said while sitting since she didn’t want to make a bigger fool out of herself.

“Hey, it’s okay. Taeyong asked us to keep you company but you were already asleep when we got here” Seulgi smiled at her, sitting next to her while Wendy stood in front of her and felt her temperature with the back of her hand.

“You don’t feel warm, maybe you got better” The Canadian idol smiled at Irene and the older pushed Bee’s hair back and off her shoulder, probably trying to tidy up her bed hair a little. “How have you been lately? Have you been eating well?”

“Wow, Unnie, you never cared about us like that before” Joy said with a teasing tone while running around the room with Yeri.

“Well, she got sick. We need to access the situation before leaving her with the boys again” Wendy joked back making Bee giggle. But when everyone stayed silent waiting for her answer she realized they were only half-joking.

“Oh, I’m fine Unnie. Everyone takes good care of me and I always make sure to stay healthy” she nodded confidently making Seulgi coo from her left.

“I’m glad you’re being taken care of” she rubbed Bee’s back and smiled sweetly.

“If you ever need some female company feel free to come to our dorm though” Yeri smiled at her and joked “We have manicures every Saturday and drink tea in the afternoons” 

“Now you’re making us look more put together than we really are” Joy smirked “Most of our dorms is actually yours and Jaein’s clothes thrown around the room”

“We’re not that messy” Yeri rolled her eyes “But yeah, the invitation to come by is still there”

“Thank you, Where’s Jaein Unnie by the way?” 

“She’s stuck recording for the next album” Seulgi explained “But she did say to tell you to get better soon”

Bee smiled and started to mess with her sleeves, the warmth of two hoodies suddenly becoming too much “Did you guys see my water bottle? I’m not sure if I left it in the other room or not”

Looking for it around the room, Wendy shrugged her shoulders “I don’t think it’s here. Hey, we could go to the cafe downstairs and grab some drinks, I’d be like, your starting ritual on the SM female group”

“Ritual??” Bee cocked her head to the side in confusion and Irene laughed.

“We would have done it sooner, but the boys basically kept you to themselves. C’mon it’s going to be fun, BoA unnie did it to us” The older pated her back urging her to get up and off they went to the SM cafe.

The seniors ordered for Bee and made sure to pay for her too, which she was very thankful for since her wallet was upstairs in the NCT dance room. 

“There you go,” Yeri said giving her a pink cupcake and staring at her expectantly. A little taken back by everyone staring at her, Bee knew better than to just take a bite of the cake, the months living with Haechan and Chenle had taught her that.

“Unnie, what is going to happen?” She said scared of some kind of insect crawling out of it.

“They sell it here so it’s nothing harmful” Seulgi tried to comfort her butt still urging her to take a bite “Starting ritual remember”

Taking a deep breath, Bee ate a little of the cupcake, but instead of the weird taste she was expecting, she was met with an incredibly sweet one, the type to give you a headache from the amount of sugar in the food. 

“It’s not bad” she mumbled with her mouth full “A bit sweet, but nothing too big”

“A bit?? That’s like, diabetes in a cake” Joy looked exasperated at her and Bee shrugged her shoulders.

“I guess I’ve always been good with sweet things” She spoke taking another bite of the cupcake and the older girls giggled at her. “oh, Taeyong Oppa!”

The older boy came running from the hallway and exhaled relieved when he saw her “There you are! When I said keep an eye on her, I didn’t mean take her away”

“Calm down, we never left the building” Seulgi smiled calmly at him and he walked past her to feel Bee’s temperature.

“Your fever is gone, good” He sighed and stopped talking when he saw the cupcake on her hand “Who gave you this?”

“We did” Irene raised one eyebrow at him as if he was going to question her.

“Oh, okay. It’s just we were trying to keep her away from it before she got addicted” he stated and his shoulders dropped a little “But I guess it’s already done”

[keshetchai]

personal posting / alcoholic parent mention / medical 

first mentioning that im furious at my primary care for not referring me for a covid vaccine because she can’t...prove i have asthma, because ??? “just because i prescribed an inhaler doesn’t mean you have asthma.” like, ...okay, whatever. thanks.

unfortunately, i do not feel excited for pesach. I actually love pesach. but I love it in person, face to face, at a table of people. i can’t have that. that’s probably for the best because as much as I love pesach, I don’t love a holiday with four cups of wine as a central ritual when my low-contact/estranged father has been an alcoholic for 10+ years now and his poison of choice is red wine. he’s hit the stage where he is dying slowly, but that could last years or months. I don’t know. 

late december he was formally diagnosed with covid-19, when we thought he’d already caught it early on. then after recovering he had a stomach surgery scheduled for a separate issue, and basically the hospital had to stop operating because he was bleeding too heavily as a result of his enlarged liver. they stopped with only a small percent of surgery done, and stabilized him a bit, and then he got transported back to the US. because he basically hit his healthcare limit from private insurance in another country. now he’s on VA stuff. i think they recently discharged him, or will discharge him in san diego. 

his kidneys and liver are failing, in addition to major intestinal issues, his gallbladder needing removing, etc. i mean, he will absolutely die of liver failure if he drinks any more. but relapse is almost an inevitability after forced sobriety while hospitalized. 

his siblings - my aunts and uncle - all finally realize truly how bad it is. my aunt karen is close enough we were able to talk (masked, in person) about why I am extremely low contact with my dad, why I was frustrated my aunts and uncle kept asking me if I’d heard from my dad...etc. because like, I don’t. we talk on birthdays, father’s day, maybe new years, maybe once about my brother. 

i showed her my texts history where it was literally just 

2020 - my birthday, his birthday, question about my brother. 

before that was 2019, i think an exchange about getting me off of his cell phone plan formally. 

i gave her all the sordid details, about his drinking when he had custody visitation with me and my brother, about telling my high school teachers he was not my custodial parent/an alcoholic/unreliable, how there were a serious of fracture points in our relationship that broke it bit by bit until finally in college he spent father’s day weekend trying to convince me to volunteer to kick myself out of his apartment where i’d been sleeping on an air mattress and working as a temp because his second wife decided to rant to him how much she hated me and wanted me gone. how i sent him an email calculating his alcohol expenses weekly and told him he owed me money. a million other little things... and she listened and understood and sympathized and was mad on my behalf. 

but i sent an email informing her siblings also of some of this stuff, about my feeling that my dad needs rehab and that we can’t force him to go, and neither of them responded. and i know it got sent, because karen replied to my email too. 

the other two have been silent. what hurts is that of course, my other aunt A did text me the other day, asking if i could join a family zoom meeting saturday night, with my dad, to check in on him. no response to anything I said about how I feel about my parent who is an addict and slowly dying, lmao. just join a zoom meeting. I had to pry to ask if it was like, going to be an ~intervention~ or something. 

i was so relieved to be able to say “sorry, not this weekend. those are the first two nights of passover, I won’t be available.” i told her i could be there some other evening, but not to hold up everything on my account, even if my dad did ask if i would attend. i pity him, i do. but i can’t help but resent everything done, and what i learned when karen told me he inherited about $40,000 in early 2018? I think? and he’s spent it all. he was working and he still spent it. i know when my mom sued for back owed child support, he settled. I don’t think he paid up in full - which that inheritance might’ve done. 

when my grandmother had lost an eye due to cancer, she also funded his trip to the ukraine to meet some woman. she needed that money to get a glass eye. but delayed it for her son. he ran out of money on this pointless trip and his siblings bailed him out. they’ve been paying for his plane tickets. he continued to ask his dying mother for money, until karen intervened a little, and even then... 

he ran through forty thousand dollars after my grandma died. and didn’t think about anyone but himself with that money. my aunt basically - i mean in nicer words - explained i won’t inherit anything most likely, he probably doesn’t have assets anymore, and i was like, well, yeah. 

...this sounds cold and awful but i have assumed for awhile my dad will die young and also that his siblings will have to pay for the funeral. even if i felt obligated to do something as his first born child -- I don’t have the money for funeral expenses, mostly because of him! 

anyways i’m disappointed my family didn’t acknowledge anything i said, i’m sad pesach is going to be isolated again, i’ve been stressed about dealing with expectations about how i should feel about my dad dying, with digging up old resentment and hurt and having to think about him more than i ever normally do... 

i finally submitted an intake form for the local jewish fam services therapy offerings and they were like “we don’t have openings now, we may in spring” today and i emailed back like “i’m fine waiting, it’s already spring....” time isn’t real anyways!

maybe i should look for other therapists right now but i wanted to go with jfs first lol. just. sigh. 

[goodwriterwithbadhabits]

Truly, Madly, Deeply

Master List

Hope this is what you were looking for! Thank you for requesting it!

~~

If you were being completely honest, your days were always long, and this was always caused by one group of 7 boys. Technically six, seeing as one of them was your boyfriend and didn’t count, but you definitely didn’t sign up for the others when you started dating their leader. You knew how many people would kill to be in your shoes, but that didn’t stop you from ending up exhausted most days. Sometimes, like today, you would wake up at 5:30 to join a few of the boys at the gym, and follow that by working an extra-long shift as a video editor, you’d get home almost 17 hours after you had woken up. All you wanted was a relaxing bath, a quiet dinner with your boyfriend, and an early night in.

Well, want in one hand, right?

Instead, as you opened the door to your apartment just past 9 pm, you were greeted with a full living room. 

“Hello, people who don’t live here.” You greet tiredly, a smile coming onto your face as they all cheer your name. JB stands to take your purse, greeting you with a kiss. “Hey, babe.” 

“You okay? You’ve had a long day.” He notes quietly, not wanting the boys to hear. “We can kick the boys out and head to bed early if you want.” You shake your head at his suggestion. 

“No it’s okay, I should have remembered it was movie night. Just let me get changed and I’ll be right out.” You give him another kiss, moving towards your bedroom. 

“Where are you going?” Jackson whines. “We just ordered pizza.”

“To get changed.” You call back, “This skirt is the furthest thing from comfy.” 

“It is sexy though!” Youngjae teases. The other boys laugh at his comment, and you definitely flip him off as you come back into the living room. You plop down between Yugyeom and JB, whining as the soreness of your legs hits you. 

“You alright?” Mark asks, dropping in front of you after putting the movie in the player. 

“Ask Jackson.” You grumble, “My thighs hurt like a bitch from this morning.” Jackson grins at you, while the others just laugh. 

“You seemed fine at lunch,” Mark notes, as you start running your fingers through his hair. 

“My muscles were still working then.” You explain. 

“Why?” Bam questions, looking away from his phone finally. 

“Heels.” You shrug. 

“No way, heels can’t be that much of a workout.” Jackson scoffs. 

“Oh?” You challenge, “You wanna try walking in my stilettos and find out?” Jackson shrinks a little, giving you a playful glare, to which you stick your tongue out at him. 

Once the pizza arrives the movie begins, and you’re almost falling asleep before the halfway mark. 

“Eomma.” Yugy whispers, shifting towards you, you lift your head from JB’s shoulder, dropping it on the younger boy’s.

“Aegi.” You respond as he lifts his phone to show you a dating profile. 

“I matched with these girls, and they both want to meet on Saturday.” He whispers, trying not to disturb the others. “Help me pick.”

“You could always go out with one this Saturday, and if it doesn’t work out, go out with the other one next week.” You offer, taking the phone from him to look through the profiles. “The blonde one is really pretty, but her ideal date is going for a walk. It's supposed to rain this weekend.” You explain, switching over to the other profile. “Oh, she likes coffee, you could take her to that little cafe down the street from yours and Bammie’s, the one with the bunnies.” Yugy nods excitedly, taking his phone back and immediately texting them. 

“You’re the best, Eomma.” He whispers, kissing your cheek before you shift back to leaning on your boyfriend. 

“Tired?” JB whispers, to which you nod. “I’ll have them head home after the movie.” 

When the movie is finally over, you have to practically peel yourself off JB in order to begin collecting plates and glasses, the other boys are too engrossed in their own things, even JB who was taking the empty bottles and pizza boxes out to the recycle bin. Jinyoung ends up being the one to help you, grabbing the dishes you couldn’t and following you into the kitchen. 

“Oh hey, are you on the Stray Kids project?” He starts, stacking dishes carefully on the counter as you begin washing them. You, Jinyoung, and Bambam all worked for the same company, a production company, but in separate departments. 

“Yeah, I’m a lead editor this time, why?” You hand him a cleaned plate, having him dry them so you didn’t have to do it in the morning. 

“I got promoted to their manager, I’m still trying to understand how their schedules look.” 

“Congrats.” You cheer, handing him another dish. “They’re really talented and smart kids, so I’m sure they’ll be pretty easy to handle. I mean you did really good with Day6.” 

“Day6 was different, they were a band, their performances could be closer together, and there are no dance practices.” “Well, if it helps, I’ll have their MV finished by the end of the week. The team meeting for it is on Thursday.”

“So that means teasers are going up soon,” He figures, to which you nod. 

“Yeah, if you want I can ask the team leader if you can join us for the meeting, we’ll be watching the video and mapping out what’s left to finish.”

“Yeah, that should be good. We should be thankful we’ve got some crazy talented kids, otherwise, this whole concept wouldn’t work.” He chuckles. 

“Right, I loved their other concepts, but I gotta say God’s Kitchen is definitely unique.” He sets the last plate in the cabinet as you dry your hands. 

“Will you text me the details for Thursday?” He asks as the two of you move to the living room where the rest of the boys are getting ready to head out. 

“No problem. I’ll talk to the team leader tomorrow and let you know by lunch.” 

“Thanks, you’re the best.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss you cheek. One by one as the boys leave the apartment, they press kisses to your cheeks, their long-standing goodbye ritual. You wave them off with a smile, shutting and locking the door, and when you turn around, you find JB standing just behind you. You jump slightly, not expecting him to be that close. 

“Oh Jesus, you scared me.” You laugh, lightly smacking his shoulder. He catches your hand easily and uses it to pull you close, his free hand cupping your cheek as he pulls your lips to his. It doesn’t take long before you’re melting into him, and when he lets go of your hand to pull you closer by the waist, your fingers tangle into his dark locks. The kiss has you stumbling back until you bump into the door, lips still tangled together. It's only when you’re forced to pull away for air that you stop. “Now I’m not complaining, but what was that for?” He simply tucks his head into your neck, pressing feather-light kisses there. 

“I just really love you.” He whispers, lips brushing against your skin, sending a shiver down your spine. You hum, not really believing him. 

“I love you too, but what’s up?” You push him back slightly, looking at his face properly. He tries to hold back, but it only takes a simple pout from you before he breaks, hanging his head in defeat. 

“It’s just, you seem really close to the boys.” He sighs. 

“What do you mean?” 

“It's nothing, I’m just being jealous.” 

“You’re allowed to be jealous, but if something is bothering you tell me, please.” He pulls away more, moving to grab both of your hands. 

“Promise me you aren’t doing anything with any of the boys, that you never will.” The confusion must have been written on your face because before you could answer, he continued. “You just seem to be super close to them, closer than the two of us are sometimes. I mean, what was up with you and Jackson this morning?”

“I went to the gym with him, that’s all. I lost a bet with him a few weeks ago and I had to do one of his workouts with him.” You explain, leading him over to the couch to sit. 

“That’s it, you promise?”

“I promise.”

“What about Mark and Yugyeom? You went to lunch with Mark, and Yugy kissed your cheek, and you’re planning something with Jinyoung for Thursday right?” Worry is evident on his face, and in the way he grips your hand. 

“Mark was at the company today, looking for one of the members of Day6, he ran into me in the lunchroom and stayed to chat until my break was over. Yugy needed help planning a date, but if you don’t like him kissing my cheek, I’ll ask him to stop.” JB shakes his head, staring down at the couch. “As for Jinyoung, he and I are both working with the same group. He just needs some info about a team meeting at work on Thursday.” You explain. 

“Okay. I’m sorry.” 

“Hey,” You grab his chin gently, pulling it up to look at you. “Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to get jealous, I’m just happy you didn’t let this mess with our relationship.” You lean forward, kissing him quickly. “If you ever feel like this again, just ask. All I need to know is that you’ll let me do the same.” 

“Of course.” He nods, and you smile again. 

“Good, cause I am madly in love with you and don’t plan on letting go of you anytime soon.” A smile erupts onto his face at your words. “You are the only one I want, and unless there’s a world-ending apocalypse, it's going to stay that way.” 

“That’s good, cause I’m madly in love with you too.” 

When his lips press to yours again, the smiles on both of your faces are what cuts it short, though that doesn’t last long.

[imnotwolverine]

Ready, set, …

Henry Cavill x OC Lisa - multi-chapter fic

Author’s note: Set life has its quirks and challenges. A fluffy, smutty Henry fanfiction to get you through the week. Bedroom fun found at the end. Ps. I should start thinking of a name for this series, any good suggestions?

Word count: 5.832

Disclaimer: smut and fluff

---

This is part 3 of the Tea for Two story. 

Find the masterlist here.

---

< Back to part 2

An early alarm clock went. 5 am. I heard Henry groan as he rubbed his eyes. ‘Fuck.’ He moped softly, pushing himself off the bed and silencing the alarm. I looked at his naked, muscular, slightly hairy form, grasping for clothes. Kal got up yawning and stretching in turn. The morning ritual. I looked at Henry sleepily. ‘Early shoot?’ I whispered. He rumbled. ‘They changed lines. I forgot that meant an early day.’ He sat on the edge of the bed, wiping some hair from my face. ‘Hello princess.’ He said softly. ‘Well, you go do your Witchy things then. I’ll see you soon.’ I rumbled. He smiled, bending over to kiss me. ‘And we might need some new condoms at your place…just in case.’ He nodded at the dusty pack of condoms that lay discarded on the night stand. I chuckled as he kissed me more deeply. Tongues fighting. He moved on top of me, his weight pressing me down. ‘Mmpff.’ He huffed in frustration. ‘Alright.’ He sighed and nodded while unwillingly getting up. ‘Time to go. Come on Kal. See you dear.’ He blew a kiss and left. Moments later I heard the door closing behind him softly.

The first few days flew by. It was less erratic at work. Much more hectic personally. Somehow press really got air of something happening. We saw tele lenses sticking out of bushes, the odd journalist jumping us when we were drinking tea outside of the warehouses in a short break. ’Mr. Cavill. Who’s this? Are you dating?’ The loud shrieky voice sounded in my neck. I had difficulty not showing utter disgust when a camera was pushed in our faces. ‘Good sir,’ Henry said, getting up, placing his hand on the journalists chest. ‘This is private property. I must ask you to leave and request permission to shoot at the Chamber of MM Media.’ ‘But are you dating?! Mr Cavill?!’ The journalist continued, while one of the security men came strolling in, grasping the man by his shirt and pulling him away. ‘How do you stay so calm?’ I grinned, taking my last sip of tea, watching Henry sitting back down. People around us didn’t even seem very impressed, already having continued with their activities. ‘It gets easier.’ He gave me a sweet smile, which truly was creepy when he was in full costume. ‘What’s the planning for the rest of your week?’ He asked, fetching his phone from his pocket. It was Wednesday. ‘Free Friday afternoon, shopping materials for Poland on Saturday, which we’ll probably discuss on Sunday, then free again on Monday.’ He scrolled through his agenda. I took the hint and grabbed my phone as well, moving it around on the table so he could see my schedule. He grinned, looking up at me. ‘Let me get to the wardrobe department and see if we can get you off the hook on Sunday. I want to take you out for a trip.’ I raised my eyebrow. “CAST CALL, RUN THROUGH IN 5, HALL 2.4..” He looked up, then quickly returned my phone. ‘Would you like that?’ ‘Yea. Sure.’ I said, not quite sure what trip meant in this case. I shrugged as he gave me a quick peck on the lips and rushed off to hall 2.

It sure was magical, how quickly he could fix such things. Within the hour, my manager dropped by to tell me I could take the Sunday off - which usually was out of the question. I looked at her in surprise. She shrugged. ‘Orders from above.’ I squinted my eyes in disbelief. Above? But there we go. It soon was Saturday and I was in the minivan with the department, getting back from a successful shopping trip. Everyone made sure to quickly move all materials to the shipping boxes, ready to go to Poland, snipping off little bits to use for the mood-boards. After that I walked to the hall where they were shooting the last few scenes. I sat down in a director’s chair and sipped on some green tea, looking at the hustle and bustle.

Anya plopped down in the chair next to me. ‘His kisses are different now.’ She said abruptly. I looked up, raising my eyebrows. She smiled an endearing smile, then studied me for a bit. ‘Had a good shoot day?’ I asked. She shrugged. ’Twas okey. Yours?’ ‘Got some pretty materials for your future dresses actually’ ‘Mmm! Cool. Hey, but about those kisses. I think he really, really likes you. He seems different..’ He cocked her pretty head, pouting in thought. ‘Really…’ I smiled, then looked at my cup of tea. ‘So are you joining him to the premiere?’ She asked in girlish curiosity. ‘The premiere? Oh, no. I’ll let you have the honours. Don’t want to have fans going wild over some casual girl on his arm.’ She squinted at me. ‘They first thought I was the worst choice EVER for Yennefer. Now they make fan porn of me. Fans are so weird.’ She shrugged giddily. ‘I’ll let them have the illusion of Hollywood for a moment longer.’ I winked. She laid her hand over mine. ‘He accidentally grunted your name when we shot a make out scene.’ We both snickered. ‘This conversation is so weird.’ I said, laughing at her. She shrugged. ‘Actors life.’

Not much later the last scene was cut and a flurry of set members once again flew out. Anya plopped out her chair, wrapping her arms around a tall man with full sleeve arm tattoos. She kissed him with childish excitement. Without looking back they walked out together, in full conversation. ‘Ready?’ I shot up in shock from his voice. He had sneaked up behind me and was standing there with his coat flung over his shoulder. He had already changed into his regular attire. ‘Ooph.’ I laughed. ‘You are quiet as a mouse.’ I wiggled out of the chair and smiled at him. He pecked me on the lips before holding out his arm, inviting me to take it. We walked out to his car as it was just getting dark. 8.30 pm. ‘Now for our trip. I’m invited by my horse riding trainer to a farm, just squeezing in a few hours in the saddle before Poland. I figured it’d be a nice outing.’ I looked at him. ‘Horse riding?’ ‘Like all fair knights do!’ He grinned. ‘Alright. Fair prince.’ I slithered. ‘Let’s fetch stuff at our houses, walk Kal, then drive there.’ ‘This evening still?’ ‘Yep, might as well get the drive over with. Can you drive?’ ‘Yea, want to switch?’ ‘No no. Just. Curious. Shift?’ ‘Of course. European remember?’ He snickered. ‘Americans ARE lazy.’

We had some quick food, fetched our things, walked Kal, then jumped into the car to drive north. It was deep in the night when we arrived. About 1-ish. And there was nothing around except for this romantically lit farm house with some barns. We jumped out and walked up to the house, some dogs greeting us with loud barks, tails wagging. A man came out in his night shift. ‘Ey ey. Easy boys…. Mr Cavill!’ A gruff, smoke-heavy voice sounded. ‘Mr. Games!’ The men greeted with loud pats on each others backs. ‘And ye brought a sweet thing with you.’ Henry moved aside, smiling at me. ‘Lisa. And careful. She can be feisty.’ Mr Games rumbled a loud laugh and hugged me tight. ’Welcome dear. Ai that wonderful smell about you. Honeysuckle?’ I looked at him in disbelief. ‘Actually yes. I don’t like perfume’s sold on the market so I wear..honeysuckle.’ ‘Such fine smell.’ He folded his arm around my back and guided us to the main house. ‘I got ye a nice little bed made. And ye know where everythin’ is. Make yourself at home. Me wife already hit the hay, so I’ll  join ‘er if ye don’t mind.’ He chuckled with insinuating tone. ‘Of course.’ Henry said, winking. Mr Games prodded him playfully. ‘HA HA HA.’ He laughed a little too loudly, then nodded at me, before holding the door open for me. We walked inside. It was dimly lit. A wooden structured house with heavy beams, the smell of hay and horses protruding from its very core. The furniture was old english style. ‘Yer room is upstairs, hallway, far left. Bathroom right across. Sleep tight good folk.’ He whistled and his dogs eagerly followed him up the stairs, his short stubby legs making the stair steps creak heavily.

Henry yawned. ’Night cap?’ I looked at him. ‘Sure, why not. We’re off for 2 days, gods be blessed!’ I exclaimed. ‘Are you religious by the way? I’ve never asked.’ ‘Nope. You?’ ‘No, raised Christian, but not following.’ He pulled open some cabinets in the kitchen and pulled out two small brandy glasses and a bottle of strong liquor. ‘He makes his own, so, fair warning: it is strong.’ He put the filled glasses on the table. ‘Do you believe in a God?’ I asked. He sat down opposite of me, looking out at the dark fields outside. ‘I think it would be practical if there were a God. But never have I seen or heard him. So no, not a believer.’ We clinked our glasses. ‘And when did you learn to ride horses?’ ‘At my parents actually. We grew up on the Jersey Islands and our neighbours kept two ponies. Darling horses, but also so darn stubborn.’ He grinned. ‘Could you tell me about your sweetest memory of your youth, living there?’ I asked. He rolled around the drink in his glass, thinking. And so we talked for another hour or so. Eventually so tired, all we wanted to do was sleep.

It was around 10 when we woke up. And made love, as morning Henry so enjoys doing. I felt my innards burning from his pounding, laying on my back heaving heavily. ‘Goodness me.’ I laughed as he rolled over and supported his head, letting a finger travel over my body. He was panting slightly. I finally opened my eyes, seeing he was looking a bit pained. I reached out to him. ‘Hi.’ I said. ‘Hey.’ He returned, his eyes twitching between loving and regretful. I looked down at his glorious body, noticing something… missing. ‘C…ondom?’ His face broke in agony, his gaze looking at something on the bed table. ‘It broke.’ ‘Wow..you..’ I got up in shock, looking at rubber, then at him. ‘Do we need to get you a morning after pill?’ He said meekly. ‘Hopefully not, I am pretty steadfast with the pill.’ I looked at him in disbelief. He sighed, ashamed. ‘I’m so sorry.’ I let out a breath I was holding. ‘Oh I’m so glad I use the pill. Please tell me next time. Oh my..this could have gone wrong.’ He sat up, looking apologetically at me. ‘I’m so sorry.’ ‘It’s okey. I just..didn’t notice.’ I sighed, then looked at him lovingly. ‘It should be alright.’ I continued, cupping his cheek. He smiled weakly, then pulled me close. ‘Ohhh. I’m such a fool!’ He said melodramatically. I snickered as I pulled his heavy body on top of me, hugging intently.  

The day was filled with horses. Saddling horses, walking with horses, riding horses, combing horses, haying horses, moving horses from field to field. Henry clearly got the knack for it, gently and without force leading the horses around. ‘It’s all in the hips and eye contact.’ He said, leading a mare ahead, with a few horses following. It was just the two of us, as Mr. Games was drying off some horses at the stables. The day was running late and food smells were flowing out of the kitchen. ‘Mares love good hips huh?’ I joked, earning a cocky smile from him. ‘Well all joking aside, my hips are …sore.’ I said, somewhat surprised by that. He laughed at me sweetly. ‘Then let us rest.’ He said. ‘I thought you’d never say it.’ I grinned with a mocking tone. He raised an eyebrow at me, smirking.

The days flew by and before we knew it we were driving back to the Hollywood Hills. The return of bright lights, stressed out honking cars and general mess that was the city, I couldn’t help but sigh. I loved my work, my friends, the closeness of everything you need, but there sure were downsides to living in the city. He squeezed my leg while he drove south to drop me off at home. Our goodbye was sweet and relaxed. It had been good to be with each other for longer then just a few minutes. The eraticness was gone and had made place for trust and comfort. We kissed a long while in front of my door, Kal waiting impatiently to go in like he usually would. But this time we really said goodbye at the door. I stood and watched while Henry made his way down the stairs, Kal following with wagging tail. Down the stairs he turned around to look up, waving at me one last time before disappearing. We were getting better at it, I smiled, walking inside of my dark apartment. I didn’t even bother turning on lights, just dropping my stuff, brushing my teeth and heading for bed. It would be another busy week. And, the last week here in the US, which made shooting all the more crazy.

—

I was exhausted by the time it was Saturday. I could sleep anywhere, anytime. And yet I had to pack my stuff for my flight tomorrow evening. It was only now I really started to miss Bib. Usually it would be a whole hustle to get my way too old cat in the plane, having to do all these health checks, her being completely paranoid for the rest of the day. No more of that. I plopped on my bed. It was 11.30pm. I opened my Whatsapp to check on any messages. No message from him yet. I sent him a kissing emoji, followed by a sleeping emoji. ‘Flying tomorrow. When do you get to Poland?’ I fell asleep and only woke up again when the alarm clock buzzed 8 hours later. I groaned. He had responded. ‘Sleep well dear. Probably arrive there on Wednesday evening if all goes well. Wish I could travel with you :) Safe travels and contact me when you arrived!’ Followed by a picture of all his stuff being packed. All the picture frames, dog toys, some workout gear, put into boxes. I snickered. I didn’t bring quite as much with me. Just clothes and a few books. I owned this home and kept all my valuables in a locked closet, then rented out the apartment to colleagues who worked here off and on as well. I had to miss my stuff for these months, but oh well.

We were flying. I was completely dazed, barely striking up conversation with colleagues flying with me. I was too darn tired and all I wanted was that day off after landing. If anything I realised full well I wouldn’t be able to keep up this lifestyle forever. It made good money, which I invested wisely just so in a few years I could settle down and pick a more quiet hobby-that-made-some-money and live off the earnings of my investments. Always better than what most colleagues were doing; blowing through the money like there was no tomorrow. Expensive cars, clothes, going out for dinner every single night and then complaining they couldn’t go to the dry cleaners multiple times a week. Silly folk. I watched a simple romcom, listened to some music, tried to sleep in the rather uncomfortable seat I was situated in (squeezed in between two sizeable ladies who were talking extremely loud and were sweating like whales). I couldn’t describe the happiness when the captain announced we were starting to land.

*Lapalice caste*

It was morning in Poland, the sky and buildings as grey as last we were here. The communist building style really didn’t do any good for this culture. Nevertheless, it was a relief when the crew’s bus arrived and we were transported to the countryside. We were starting the set build at a castle, an artistic 20th century interpretation, absolutely lovely. A small encampment had already been made with running water, hot showers and a large food area. This would do for the next month. Our manager immediately started with nudging us to come up with ideas for the brainstorming session tomorrow, but I, like everyone else, simply ignored her. ‘Tomorrow Lazz. Don’t want to have more of us burned out.’ One of the men said, tapping her on the shoulder. We were escorted to our quarters. Shamefully..it were small bunk beds. I rolled my eyes. Well, no privacy then. Trying to stay awake for a little while longer I walked around a bit and sent a selfie with the set in the background to Henry. ‘Smells medieval to me!’ I added. ‘Gonna switch to European SIM. Add my number: 316123456789.’ Also, being back in Europe, and having switched sim cards, I took the opportunity to give my mother a call. She answered after some waiting. Always a busy woman.

‘Dear! How are you? Oh such things I’ve heard! Are you sleeping well?’ She rattled in dutch. ‘Hi mom. I’m pretty good. Kind of jet-lagging. Just arrived in Poland. So, mostly trying to stay awake now haha. How are you guys?’ ‘So good! Oh, exciting news. We got permission to start rebuilding the back of the house. It’s gonna be so pretty. I’ll send you the drawings.’ ‘Cool! With the wooden porch?’ ‘Yes. Oh it’s going to be lovely. Hey but what did I hear..or read. Are you pregnant?’ ‘What? No mom. Who told you that?’ ‘Oh my sister, you know she loves following your work. She told me you were seen with this actor and he was touching your belly and all.’ ‘If I would be pregnant I’d surely not forget to tell you mom. No. No babies coming. But I am dating, yes.’ ‘Is he good to you? Or is it a she? That’s fine too.’ ‘It’s a guy. Actor yes. And he’s a darling.’ ‘Oh so maybe babies at some point then?’ ‘Mommm.’ ‘What?! I had babies by your age.’ ‘You’re insufferable at times mom. So how are grandma and pa?’ I diverted the conversation. ‘Not great, you should call them. They have moved to a senior house and they absolutely detest it. Poor folk.’ ‘Ay…’ We chatted for a while longer. It was good to speak to her again, her voice rattling happily through the phone. At times it’s hard to remember how important family is, until you reconnect.

I ended the call and saw some more messages coming in from Henry (seen as an unknown number, since I switched SIM card). A whole selfie diary of what he had been doing that day. Working out, walking the dog, some more firewood with a shrugging emoticon (definitely hinting at jerking off) and finally a selfie of him having lunch with some of the cast. I snickered. ‘Busy man! And miss you a lot :) Especially seeing the tiny, tiny bunkbeds they got us xD Goodbye privacy..’ I typed. He responded. ‘We’ll make up for that on Wednesday then.’ Wink. I smiled, then wondered if they had installed the trailers yet for the lead actors. I started strolling around the area, and sure enough the shiny aluminium trailers appeared at the far edge of the campsite.

The next few days was mostly just scouting the area for good shoot locations, collecting material and starting the build of the set for the first week. It was decidedly more relaxed then the previous weeks. To which I was glad. It also did wonders for the team spirit. Many nights we were huddled around campfires, drinking hot wine and making music. It sure felt like a small holiday. And I got to know my colleagues a whole lot better. We worked in a team of 15 for set design. 2 Of them were apparently going to get married in a month’s time, right after our crew was let off, 5 of them had gone to the same college, and most of them were utterly curious about my relationship with Henry. I kept it a bit under the wraps, but spoke honestly about how much fun we had. And how normal it felt. And yes, we were all official. ‘You are..so lucky. Urgh.. Why not me?’ One of my gay colleagues blurted out. We all snickered. ‘It’s the vagina I’d say..otherwise you surely would have had a shot.’ I winked. He warped his mouth in oo-ing shape. ‘Oh Hell! I’d let myself be rebuilt if that means I’d have a shot.’ We all belted out a loud laugh.

Wednesday came. The sun was starting to break through the grey clouds for the first time these days. How suitable, I thought, sipping my morning tea while looking over the hunting grounds that were being prepped for a scouting scene. More bushes, white biodegradable dye after which fake snow would be added. We were sitting around a large wooden board on two scaffolds, serving as huge meeting table. Materials for clothes were splayed out. I wasn’t really paying attention, since this part of the production would be running when I was already off-duty. ‘Hey, whatcha think, light or darker blue for him?’ One of the ladies woke me from my day dreaming. I stood up and looked at the scraps of fabric. ‘Darker. Besides the bias works better on this fabric.’ The lady smiled contently. ‘I told you.’ She said, looking at the other dressmaker who shrugged in slight annoyance. ‘Like she knows anything about cloth making.’ She shot me a dirty look. I shrugged in return, smiling. ‘Who knows!’ Which annoyed her even more. ‘It is indeed a better fabric to cut on bias though.’ The other woman retorted, nodding at me to acknowledge me. After they wrapped up their little meeting, the woman came up to me. ‘You sew?’ I looked up in confusion. ‘A bit. Made some costumes for fun before I got this job actually.’ ‘Good. And you helped buy they fabrics too right?’ ‘I was more a dumb force dragging along fabric rolls, if that counts as helping.’ She smirked. ‘Well silly questions maybe. But..Any chance we can borrow you for a few hours tomorrow and stand in for some fittings. Much better then that Polish girl they found. Can’t speak english, doesn’t understand fit..Urgh. And can’t have Ciri look like a mess.’ I raised my eyebrow, surprised by the request. ‘Uhmm..I’ll have to check my schedule. We’re doing a run-through around 12. And..and I’m not sure we share the same..build…Freya and I’ ‘That’ll be fine. Both small figure. We’ll do a further fit when she arrives - she got delayed…actresses…’ I shrugged, looking at my phone to check my schedule. ‘Alright.’

Not much later the main crew arrived in a large black bus. The first one getting out was Kal, who sprinted out like he hadn’t seen daylight in days. He sniffed and peed everywhere and greeted people with great excitement. The crew gladly petted him and started helping unpacking. Henry and Anya were in conversation when they got off the bus, joking around. Freya indeed wasn’t there. Hmm.. Then Henry noticed me and smiled an even broader smile. He walked up to me, carrying some of his luggage which he dropped to the muddy grass to give me a deep kiss. ‘Hi princess.’ ‘Hey you.’ I said with cheeky smile. He looked up to see what Kal was doing, now playing with one of the camera guys. He sniffled. ‘Good to be here. How are you?’ ‘Good actually. It’s been some lovely relaxed days, just building up, having campfires and the weather’s getting better too. How was your trip?’ ‘Decent. Some turbulence which got the ladies screaming.’ He rolled his eyes with amusement. I snickered. ‘But all went well…’ He fell quiet for a bit and looked at me. And I just returned his quiet stare, smiling. ‘Already found my trailer?’ ‘In the back, far right. A trailer with a view of the lake.’ I winked. ‘Best view in town.’ He smiled in return, folding an arm around me. The very weight making me have to shift my feet in the slippery grass. He stared out over the fields around him, looking at the crew walking around with set pieces, smiling proudly. I just took the moment to wrap my arm around his lower back, leaning into him.

‘Yea let’s get my stuff to the trailer and find something to eat. I’m starving.’ He said, his stomach rumbling. I snickered, diving away from underneath his arm and walking to the bus to grab some of the stuff I knew to be his. We walked up to his trailer, his PA already waiting there to hand him his key and schedule for the first week. ‘Argh..and back to dehydration nightmare again.’ He said, glancing over the schedule. We moved his stuff in, unpacked all his picture frames and put them on top of the floating kitchen cupboards and set up some dog food and water for Kal. He walked back to the door, pulling it closed. I could see his eyes darken with lust while he pinned me against the kitchen block. ‘No bunk bed here.’ He growled. ‘Mmm I have to do a run-through in 10. Later.’ I whispered in between his shower of kisses. ‘Mmpff.’ He cupped my jaw in his large hands. ‘I can’t wait.’ ‘I know.’ I snickered, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before moving to get back outside. He stopped me with one arm, grabbing me around the waist. He bit my neck playfully. ‘Rrr.’ He growled into my ear. I giggled, squirming in his arm. ‘Let me go!’ I puffed, pushing down his arm. He turned me around with great ease and looked at me, this time more sweetly, then smiled sheepishly. ‘Come look for me when you’re done.’ He said. I nodded, then pried myself out of his iron grip and made way for the set.

The camp fires were lit again and dinner was served. With the crew slowly growing in size it became more rowdy. I joined Henry and some stunt men around a fire, huddled against him while forking around in a plate of Chinese food. It was rather bland shamefully. The men were enthusiastically talking through some of the stunt work that had been planned. Burning building jumps, fighting with dogs, monster fights, the whole shebang. Henry was joining in with great excitement. He loved doing as much stunt work on his own as he could. A little boy’s dream of his. His arms flexed while he talked, his eyes gleaming. After dinner however, he soon lost out to his jet lag. He poked me out of my dreaming stare into the fire and whispered. ‘Join me?’ I nodded and smiled a tired smile. Without further ado we excused ourselves, I brushed my teeth and went to his trailer, Kal already sleeping on the floor, only his ears twirling up in curiosity.

Just moments after he turned the lock on the door I could feel his hands roam over my body. He pulled me flush against his chest, my back towards him as he sniffed my hair. ‘I missed this smell of you.’ He rumbled, lust trailing his voice. I sniffled, turning my head slightly so I could kiss him. ‘I’ve missed YOU.’ I whispered against his lips, a smile on my lips. His arms folded around me, squeezing me even closer as his head dipped down, his lips blazing a trail on my neck. ‘Very funny..Now..I would like to be patient, but…’ He swirled me around with a force I had not experienced of him yet. I barely had time to register what was happening when he swooped me up in his arms, needing just a few long strides to lay me on the bed at the back of the trailer. He quickly stripped off his clothes as I stared at him, my dazed head needing a good moment to take in what was happening while my gaze fell on his rushed striptease. I didn’t even think about undressing myself. He took my breath away as he had done a dozen times by now. That hair tumbling in unruly curls around his face, his flexing muscles, the slight smirk on his lips and that godly chest hair. By the time he looped his thumbs around the waistband of his boxers, he raised an eyebrow at me. ‘Undress.’ He simply commanded, his voice dark. I obliged gingerly, quickly wriggling myself out of my comfy outfit as I laughed at his impatience.

I was just about to unclasp my bra when he pushed me down on the bed, crawling on top of me. I gasped as one of his hands slipped around my throat (even though he was careful) and I immediately halted any further attempts to remove my underwear as his heavy body pushed me down, his lips meeting mine. Eager hands slipped down my panties, feeling how wet I already was for him. He rumbled a low chuckle as he reached his arm out towards a small drawer next to the bed, his eyes not leaving mine. I raised an eyebrow as he rumaged around in the drawer, finding what he was looking for: a condom. He kept his eyes trained on me as he ripped the packaging with his teeth, not looking away once. I felt myself get wetter by the second as I looked in his lust-laced eyes, hearing  his ragged breath. He pumped his erection a few times before putting the condom on, his eyes finally trailing away. He looked down at his erection, now eagerly pressing against my hip. And he sure liked what he saw, because when he looked back up there was that all-familiar question in his eyes. I took a shallow breath, which was apparently enough of an answer as he pressed his lips against me more feverishly.

He was..impatient..to say the least. His lips bruised mine deliciously, making me moan and groan in response while his right hand moved aside my panties. He guided his erection to my folds, rubbing it generously against my core - earning another longing moan from me. Then he got up a bit, making eye contact once more. DO IT - I thought, but he waited, just tilting his head slightly. And so I wrapped my legs around his hip, pulling him inside of me. We both gasped, savouring the feeling of becoming one. He slumped forward a bit, leaning heavily on his arms as his head dunked down to bite the soft skin of my neck. Without breaking contact, he slowly pumped out, before pushing all the way back in. I groaned. He was so big. And hard. I scratched at his back as he started to slowly up his pace. ‘That smell.’ He rumbled, lowering it to a tone that sounded more like Geralt then Henry. I groaned and moaned as he started a frantic speed. ‘Oh gods.’ I moaned as his lips attacked my neck, jawline, cheek, forehead, eyelids. He did not leave one bit of skin untouched.

I felt he was getting closer to his release and tried to pry one of my hands in between us, to stimulate myself. He groaned, realising he had neglected my needs. I opened my eyes, seeing he gave me a pleading look before he pulled my arm away, pushing me over on my belly before pulling my hip up. My head still pressed to the mattress and my butt in the air, I felt a bit vulnerable. I tried to turn my head to see him, but he pushed my shoulder down. ‘Like that.’ He said darkly, and before I could protest he pushed back inside of me again. I groaned. He could reach even deeper in this position, hitting my cervix in a way I wasn’t sure I was enjoying fully. I wanted to sit up, change the position, but his strong arm kept pushing me down. He started to push into me again, something I wasn’t so very much enjoying. ‘Babe..’ I gasped, my voice laced with pain. He folded over me, pausing his thrusting as he finally touched my bud. I could feel his lips on the skin of my naked back. ‘That better?’ He asked, a touch concerned. I immediately felt that all familiar electricity coil up inside. I gasped again. He bent over further, involuntarily moving inside of me. I squealed it out as he hit an unfamiliar place inside of me, an orgasm bursting through me making my whole body shake. Was that my g-spot? I thought after some seconds. I had even forgotten about Henry’s heavy body pushing into me, only realising he was asking me if I was okay when the haze lifted. ‘Baby? Hey?’ He was holding himself still, his lips next to me ear. I finally managed to turn my head towards his face, a smile on my lips. ‘That was..’ I started..but couldn’t finish. I burst out into laughter. He nuzzled my cheek, finally understanding. A husky laugh rumbled through his chest. ‘Are you okay?’ He finally asked, his face more serious now. I nodded, closing my eyes and wiggling my hips, immediately feeling his erection hard inside me.

Staying folded over me like he was shielding me from the world, he started pulling and pushing into me. Again and again..and again. And boy. Did it feel good this time. His hand once more circled my nub while he played around with the angles of his thrusts. The higher he moved up my body, the more frantic were my shivers. I wasn’t even sure if it was just one very long second orgasm bursting through, or several. Not that I could even care anymore. I groaned, moaned and shivered while he pushed into me, his orgasm finally taking him over the edge as well. He groaned as his seed spilled inside of me, releasing the hand from my nub to steady himself. He took a few deep breaths, stilling himself, before gently pulling out. I flopped down on my belly, still shivering, while he rolled on his side. Our eyes met, a smirk on his lips. ‘I’ll remember that.’ He finally said as his hand travelled over my slightly shivering body. I sniffled, moving closer to kiss him. ‘Hi.’ I smiled, still dazed from my orgasms. ‘Hi.’ He responded, smiling a broad smile, pulling me even closer, folding his arms protectively around me. He nuzzled me, taking a calm breath. ‘How I missed you.’ I nodded in agreement, too spent to talk and instead just enjoying laying there in his arms until sleep overtook me. I had missed this indeed.

---

Part 4 >

[popculturebuffet]

Toons for Our Times: Ducktales: They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!

At Glomglast, Glomgold Glomturns! Flintheart Hero of Earth Glomgold continues riding his wave of good PR from helping save the earth in the manner you’d expect: With  a dangerous attention seeking pr stunt/ferris wheel/half-ased plan to murder scrooge. Naturally Dewey is first in line for it. Meanwhile Webby tries to convince a wound up Penumbra to stay and enjoy earth so she can get a new alien friend who she relates to and her brothers can get a new step mom, while Launchpad is awkward because his coffee with Pennumbra went worse than the one he had with the gas cloud. The Glom Knight Glomturns under the cut. 

This one is late for both good reason, I didn’t want to hog the wifi while my nieces were trying to remote school, and not so good I.e.... I entirely forgot an episode was today because I’m not used to the new schedule, as in the past the show’s either aired on saturday like usual for a disney show, or as a cluster of episodes throughout one week, so even if it wasn’t something I was used to, I was tuned to stay in. The new schedule is weird  and my brain is stupid is what i’m saying. Now i’ve covered my butt on with the review! This week focuses on Penumbra, and explains exactly what happened to the Moonlanders after Moonvasion. For Penny at least she’s apparently been living in the McDuck hangar, or somewhere near it, and working on rebuilding one of the bigger ships to get her people home. Della, while not missing the opprotunity to point out now Penny’s the one living in HER garage buliding a rocket home, pitches in and we see things have clearly changed. At least with Della, Penny’s let down her guard and now openly considers her her best friend.. and perhaps more because the romantic tension is so thick here you could cut it with a sword. Granted I may have swords on the brain because of this. 

Which if your not up to date on your x-men comics, is an event where our Uncanny X-Men, now having their own nation of krakoa where all mutants are welcome, which includes apocalypse so he’s on THEIR SIDE in that shot, must fight ten other mutants in a ritual sword duel with some of the strongest swords in the mighty marvel canon, and loosing means the other mutants, many of whom are the CHILDREN of apocalyspe from centuries ago he thought lost, get to invade earth with a demonic horde. And if NONE of that made you curious, let alone want to read that, I just.. don’t get you. 

Back to the gays, yeah the ten sword thick sexual tension is broken by the fact that Penumbra reveals she tried SOME earth culture and did get that coffee with Launchpad, with Della baffled.. I mean look at those abs. Though it’s probably less “Launchpad really?” and more “Why not me first? Is he sexier? Dammit he is. “ It went about as well as you’d expect.. with Penny storming out suddenly saying this is terrible and running off. Eh not the worst first date i’ve seen in animation this year. I’ve seen a woman go on a date with a man conjoined to his ex.. and not like their siblings it’s a medical procedure. Because close enough is pretty fucking insane and let’s keep it that way.

But yeah so Penumbra’s not sold on earth and Della’s attempts to get her to go with the kids, get to that in a minute, fall on deaf ears. But the thing is. her people are. When meeting with gibious and zenith, if you don’t remember the married moon couple we saw back in “The Golden Spear”, Penumbra finds out she’s the only one who wants to go home. Her people like it here...the happy couple even got adorable new outfits, a job with Glomgold in Gibbious’ case, and an adorable new dog named good boy. Look at them. 

I would die for either of them. I hope we see Good Boy again. And that the show introduces Bolivar, donald’s dog at some point. Or even his ostrich hortense. I just want the duck to have a pet dammit. 

Point is their happy here and while Penny wants to go back to the old routine of them all on the moon and her saving them.. their fine if she wants to go home but.. their staying here. And it’s easy to see WHY they want to: The moon was harsh, filled with monsters and much like us humans right now with earth, they only stayed in their clusterfuck of a home world because they had no way out. It’s probably why Lunaris sold hte invasion so easily: With his pitch they were just taking a nicer world from a bunch of mean asssholes who refused to share it and whose sole representative had seemingly betrayed them. Without any reason to hate the earthlings and, outside of once incident later in the episode, the earthlings accepting them with open arms and forgiveness, why wouldn’t they stay on a nice, sunny world, in a large city willing to house them and give them jobs, with delicious foods and all sorts of fun shit to distract you from the bad parts of living here that the moon lacked. 

Penny’s issue is while THEIR lives were miserable.. her’s wasn’t. She was a hero, a super hero really.. I mean she’s dressed like a kree sentry, she protects the helpless and she’s a fearless warrior whose now a fish out of water on a world she never could’ve expected but grows to love. Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, the Mar Vell one, Warlock, Adam Warlock and yes their separate characters, Supergirl, not superman because while he is an alien he grew up here.. all aliens who immigrated here and grew to love and protect it and see it as their home. Penny just hasn’t got to the “love and protect it” part yet and while the rest of her people have new purpose, new homes and new lives and still meet once a week to party she finds herself, theri greatest champion an outsider, desperately wanting her old life back but not accepting it’s gone. She can go home but she’d be the one person on a desolate moon clinging to the past.  Penny here honestly reminds me of jasper in steven unvierse future: Both are old soldiers who find their empire gone, their entire way of life uprooted and have no way to cope and desperately hoping things will collapse back to THEIR normal, not realizing the new one isn’t going anywhere and is better for their people. They need to move on but their too proud and too scared to try. 

However Penny refuses to admit defeat to her people and that she can’t have “earth fun”, and left with no other choices, decides to take the kids up on their offer after all. To explain that we quickly wrap to the top of the episode, where Webby, bored and having trouble finding anyone, finds Penny and after Penny dosen’t want to hang out finds Dewey and Louie. I assume since their absent this episode, Huey is introducing Violet to Gyro, Fenton and Boyd, Beakly is buying groceries, Donald is courting Daisy and Scrooge.. is trying to get fethry’s hands, feet and head out of pickle jars because he thought they’d preserve him and Donald is busy for once so he’s the only one left to do it.  Louie and Dewey plan on just laying around and biinging old ottoman empires, I can relate, but the news gives them a better option. A GLOMGOLD OPTION. Oh me mow how i’ve missed this big beautiful man. Seriously Glomgold is easily one of the best parts of the reboot and Keith Fergeuson brings an utterly delightful manic glee to the guy any time he shows up to eat the scenery whole. While I get holding back on him since he had an arc last season, it’s still nice to have him back in all his hammy glory.  And naturally being glomgold he has a scheme going: After gifting a rolelrcoaster previously, over water and with sharks because his brand’s nothing if not consistent, he’s now offering the flintferris glomwheel, which is shoddy, dangerous, secretly a plot to kill scrooge, and is very likely to kill a child.. so in other words it’s Glomgold himself roleld into a ferris wheel. Dewey is psyched to go because he let another kid go first for Glomgold’s last PR Stunt/Nightmare and that kid got all the glory and as such is now Dewey’s new nemisis. So after asking his mom “If we can go ride a death wheel so I can get famous’, which of course Della says yes to, our heroes end up taking Penny along.  Launchpad drives and gets his subplot for the episode, being awkard around Penny because the date went bad and not sure if this makes then enimies and avoiding her. He tries going to dewey for help, and while Dewey is out of his element, he does actually give good advice to just talk to her.. Launchpad just takes it while he’s driving because it’s launchpad. Thankfully webby can drive. He spends the rest of hte episode getting into shenanigans before, after helping her with the climax, phrasing, being honest and apologizing. And i’m also covering the plot to get her answer out of the way now: Penny admits he’s fine, thery can be fight buds, he’s a good warrior sh’es just “Not interested in an earth..male” her exact words. 

I mean.. there’s no real subtly here. Even if she’s not into Della, which all evidence suggests is the case, Penumbra is CLEARLY into women. I mean Frank is basically saying as loudly as his mousey overlords will allow “SHE’S GAY FOR DELLA”. Wether this goes anywhere, I dunno. While Lumity started ramping up this year, that property’s not based on Disney’s classic canon and STILL had to fight tooth and claw to make Luz bisexual and her love intrested a girl. Disney won’t even let this show use Mickey and almost didn’t let them use the rescue rangers, the odds are against them.. but I also never thoguht we’d see violet’s gay dads on screen, or so many previously  comics only characters, so frank’s said screw the impossible before. Now probably is no different. 

Back to the main plot, and to the return of Glomgold whose great as ever. Glomgold made the moonlanders and some of duckberg think he was soley responsible for saving the world.. how many people besides the non-penny moonlanders think he actually did it is up for debate but he DID genuinely help save the world. Also his scheme to get his company back somehow WORKED despite not being legally binding, as he’s now back in his tower, back to scheming and has an actual assitant instead of a professional career woman he treats like one in a bit that didn’t age all that well even a year later.  Gibious is now Glomgold’s sidekick and in a nice contrast to Owlson instead of being fed up with his crap Gibious, buying into Glomgold’s own ego, lavishes praise on his new boss, treats him like the god he thinks he is, and is genuinely sweet and helpful. It’s a nice dynamic giving Glomgold someone who ACTUALLY and genuinely likes him as a person and wants him to suceed and trusts in his insane schemes and leads to some great bits like Gib genuinely calling the safety inspector when Glomgold makes an airquotes remark about it and at the end Glomgold admitting “I can’t stay mad at you” to his new lackey/Best friend. Frankly Glomgold needed a 21 to his Monarch, and i’ts a delight to see it and Paulson and Ferguson have real chemistry.  Meanwhile in the A-Plot, Webby tries to get Penny to enjoy earth, first with a street performer she tosses in the water ,as you should, then with a shooting range which ends with her massacering a clownhead to the children minus webby’s horror and tears. We were one more frame away from this really. 

Also we get the ducks feeding.. ducks, a gag Frank’s apparently wanted to do for three seasons now, and with Penny being as confused as the audeince. but non of this, including roller skates really works.  So while Dewey goes off to get in line to one up his rival, Webby gets honest with Penny about why she’s so invested and this episode goes from good.. to truly fantastic. While webby fangirling over a mighty and gay space warrior makes sense, there’s a personal reason she wants to help here that really tugs at the heart strings: Webby was like her once. Like Penny she spent her whole life honing herself into a weapon, sealed in her own tiny world, For Penny it was her moon village for Webby it was the mansion. And being thrust out into it was .. frightening. We saw webby struggle to adjust in “Daytrip of Doom!” and part of her wanted to plunge back into the mansion and her saftey net at times. But she didn’t.. with the help of her family, and her friends, she found out just how wonderful the world is and how as scary as the world is.. it opened up new parts of her. Duckberg webby was just as great as mansion webby if not better. So Webby wants to do the same for penny and what really clinches the scene is how she does it: a Hamburger, the symbol from the pilot of what webby was deprived of all her life, given to a new friend as a symbol of what the world offers. And it works at first, even without cheese. But then Penny gets a brain freeze, and Glomgold, needing a distraction from the saftey inspector rames her as going beserk because he’s an asshat in every other way let’s add racisim to it. 

A chase insues, Penny’s determined to flee.. but she gets a second wind when Dewey, who rushed in to get the first ride and webby get trapped. Sadly dewey’s new enemy gets all the attention, and as we find out is aware he one upped Dewey and brags over it, but Penny has now gone from fish out of water to shark on the hunt, and with Launchpad’s help to get past Glom and Gib, and the roller skates from earlier finally has some earth fun by skating into the air, climbing the Ferris wheel and saving the kids. Penny FINALLY found something she likes about earth; That she can Still protect people, including her people and do what she loved there and the danger here is WAY more intresting.. I mean on hte moon itw as just the usual monsters she was used to. Here she had to rocket into the air, and climb an megalomainics cannon armed ferris wheel to save two adorable children. In short she’s become a super hero and like those I mentioned, has grown to care about earth. So basically this is like captain marvel was an episode of Steven Universe. I likes it. But it’s a nice character arc, as Penny realizes the outside world, and her new friends/future stepchildren, have b eauty and worth. And she will protect their kind, she will protect them. I mean duckberg already has about 4 other superheroes if you count lena, which with that outfit last time I dooo, but frankly with how much disaster it faces on a daily basis, and how much Fenton needed a goddamn break, and with Darkwing leaving for st canard soon, they could probably use her. 

So the day is saved, Glomgold is buired in fines but has a new minon, Dewey is dewfeated and Penny is happy again. We end on Penny recounting everything to Gibious and wife, and Good Boy obviously, along with Della who casually admits she really shoduln’t of let her child go but sooths him anyway over his loss. Penny is happy and deciding to stay, and her and her new best buddy laucnhpad are going to go tear the ship apart with her carrying della along. I swear when they finally do do it she’s just going to.. carry a willing della to her bedroom and throw her down on that thing.. everything after is up to you Id ont’ write porn here. Nothing wrong with it just not my bidness. So with a hopeful new future and a neat t-shirt, Penny finally finds her place in the world. 

Final Thoughts: A very good, very gay episode that’s just as good as last weeks and gives penumbra a hell of a character arc, while also being an utterly hilaroius episode, from penumbra’s destruction, to glomgold’s hilarious as always antics to dewey’s attention whoring reaching self endagering heights of stupidity and ego, this was a great one and keeps up Season 3′s quality streak. While the plot progression may be slow for now, everything else is at an alltime goddamn high. 

Next week, it’s the HALLOWEEN EPISODE BITCHES. Nuff Said. Until then you can check my blog for more reviews, as we have some halloween stuff coming up. Sadly with Loud House going silent, it seems this is our only weekly coverage but expect more reviews of various shows, and some very spooky ooky ones coming very soon including some brucie bonus episodes and until we meet again, go team venture! Play us out glomgold....

[hosdamniny]

a simple snowstorm

Pairing: Fionn Whitehead x Reader

WORD COUNT: 1628

A/N: HAAAAAAAA THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I’VE TRIED TO WRITE AN IMAGINE DRABBLE ONESHOT THING NO PROMISES ON HOW IT IS AHGHGHG. IM USED TO WRITING SCIENTIFICALLY. if it seems as if its really simplistic, that was a concept ???¿ idk i tried lol. also this polar vortex is making me need cozy and warm fionn to cuddle with so yeahhh

TRIGGER WARNINGS: none just sincere fluff i think

Fionn and I are busy people. I think it’s safe to say we take pride in what we do, we’re hard workers. His schedule can get pretty clogged for a period of the year when working on a new movie, show, or anything of the like. But right now, we’re both pushing and giving our best. 

The new film Fionn’s in is in the heat of shooting, and it seems to be more rigorous than his last one. There’s a lot of running involved for him; this isn’t a problem, he just comes back to our flat exhausted and ready to go to bed. I’m currently a barista at a small coffee shop in town, but I’m also a college student. Fionn often times comes to visit me when I’m working and he has a break in filming. He always seems to compliment me on how well I do latte art, and will proceed to say something along the lines of “I was complete shit when I worked in a coffee shop, but this is beautiful.” It was like a ritual to him whenever he was visiting, and I am not complaining. 

Today is Saturday, and it was quite chilly out in London. When I was at work, many customers kept mentioning and asking if I and the rest of my coworkers that day were ready for the snow storm moving in later. I knew it was cold, but I hadn’t realized there would be gratuitous amounts of snow coming in. It wasn’t until the end of my shift that I was able to check the radar, and sure enough the storm was an hour or two away. After much deliberation, my coworkers, manager, and I agreed to not open the next day out of consideration for our well beings.

I left the shop around 2:30. The storm isn’t going to arrive for about two hours now, but it was snowing lightly. The white gentle flakes kissed my nose and cheeks as I made my way to our flat.

Once inside, I took a deep breath. It didn’t dawn on me how busy it was at work, and how exhausted I was now that I was in a place where it was calm. The small flat Fionn and I live in was more on the modern side. Showing peace and calmness with its theme colors of navy blue, greys, greens. It was cozy and comforting nonetheless. I removed my winter gear, and began my post-work ritual.

I made my way to our bedroom and I was greeted by a messy bed. My eyes grazed over it to the photo of the two of us propped on one of our bedside tables. Fionn was the last one to get up today, and he’s usually particular about the bed and it’s neatness, even if it is just straightening the duvet out. I chuckle assuming he was too tired to do so this morning. I go and choose a fresh set of underwear and comfy clothes from our closet, and head to the bathroom. 

My shower is quick, and it tends to always have been. I adjust the cable knit sweater I’ve just put on while I attempt to wipe the steam away from the mirror. I’ve always liked my eyes, they look like forests that I could wander into for days. Their (e/c) branches snaking and weaving towards the new moon of my pupil. Breaking my thoughts away, I finish up and head to the kitchen. I think it’s safe to say we should all have a bit of hot tea when there’s a big snowstorm coming.

My eyes peer over to the stove clock as I press kettle’s switch down, it’s 4:00 pm. Fionn said he’d be done for the day around 6, and the snow is starting pick up and get heavier. I believe that Fionn will get home, but now I’m not sure on the time. Snow causes delays, and it’s what begins to kickstart a small feeling of anxiety in my stomach. The small click of the kettle wakes me from my thoughts, and I begin to fill my mug.

It is now 5:30. The snow is really coming down now, and I haven’t really been to anxious about Fionn; he texted me saying he was going to pick up some take away. I’ve been busy studying for the past hour and a half when I hear the door to our flat open. I glance up to see a Fionn in his black winter coat covered with snow, his hands, bare and red from the winter chill, grasping a plastic bag with chinese food. 

A smile creeps onto my face, “Hi.” he says.

“Well, hi lovely,” I say as I make my way over to him.

“I underestimated how far away the restaurant was.”

“I see that,” I giggle, grabbing the bag from his chilled hands.

I empty the bag on the counter, and turn the kettle on once again. This time it was for both of us. Out of his winter attire, he joins me in the kitchen. I can see him out of the corner of my eye, and he’s fiddling with his glasses that have now fogged over from the change in temperature. He grabs a mug from the cabinet and sets in on the counter with a sigh. By this time, I’ve turned around, leaning on the counter and facing him. I grab his hands, still cold, attempting to help warm him.

“Did you get let out early because of the weather?” I gently ask, playing with his fingers. His nose and cheeks are rosy.

“Yeah, we couldn’t film anymore,” he exhales, “None of the scenes required falling snow, so we just called it a day.”

The quiet click of the kettle pulls Fionn’s warmer hands from mine, I then grab the food and leave to the living room. Fionn follows suit with two fresh mugs of tea, made to our own liking. We settle down into the couch, and begin to eat with a soft sitcom on the telly; we catch up on each other’s day.

“What was the coffee shop like today? Busy?” Fionn inquires as he feeds some stir fried veggies.

“Surprisingly, yeah. It was steady,” I answer as I move my hands in effort to emphasize, “but it was like, and uncomfortable steady.”

“Yeah? How was your latte art today, you know I like that.” He nudges my arm gently in a loving tease.

“Oh it was fine, you dork.”

“Fine? Just fine??” he retorts, “I think we both know that you are the best barista with the best latte art! At least in my books.”

“God, fine, whatever you say.” I bashfully indulge, smirking.

He talks about his day, it’s just as busy as it was yesterday. He says he was still exhausted from the day before, and that today just amplified his fatigue.

The rest of our time eating is spent switching between having simple conversation, studying each other, and watching the sitcom. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s fascinating really. Fionn is such a cute boy and I’m glad I’m with him, sharing this relationship. I’m in the middle of watching him take a bite while simultaneously watching the sitcom when his phone rings across the room. He then gets up to answer it, leaving the container of food on the coffee table.

When he comes back, I’m now slumped into a crook of the couch, cozy as ever. He lays down with me, cozied up against me. His head resting on my chest and arms tangled with mine. 

He looks up with a grin, “I’ve no filming to do tomorrow.”

“Because of the storm?”

He nods and replaces his head on my chest again, I peer out the window behind the television. I have this feeling he does the same, for he says, “(Y/N), you’re just as pretty as that snow out there.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he responds as I place my hand on his head, petting and playing with his hair.

“How so?”

He inhales before he starts, “Well, no matter how hard it seems to be coming down, it’s always mesmerizing.”

I tittered as I raised an eyebrow, “And how does that relate to me, lovely?”

“Well you work so hard all the time, but you never fail to mesmerize me in all your states of mind.”

I smiled, I was taken aback a bit, in a warm way. I knew I work hard, but just the way Fionn said it in his tired and gentle state made it mean so much more. By this time, it’s safe to say that we were both tired and on the brink of falling asleep.

“Fionn, I can say the exact same for you.”

I felt him smile as well in that moment, and I was greeted with the feeling of content. We were in that moment where we just didn’t need anything else to add to it. We know we love each other, and we don’t necessarily need to say it aloud. Fionn did just to reinforce the moment, as some sort of reassurance for me.

“I love you,” his tired and delicate voice said.

Boy, could I listen to that forever and ever.

“As do I.” I return as my lips lower and linger on his head.

His soft hair under my finger tips and our synchronized gentle breaths eventually put us to sleep on the couch. The telly is still on, but that does not matter, nor does the snow storm gracefully raging outside. All we know is that we have a Sunday to be dedicated to each other, coziness, and a moment of rest from our intertwined busy lives.

[sisterwifeudaku]

King’s Trip

T’Challa , M’Baku, Redeemed! Erik

Warning: Mention of death, slight cursing

Word count: 1,914+ words

Note: This is part one to a fandom collab started by @royallyprincesslilly !! @blackandfair I can’t wait to see what you come up with!!

"I'm just asking you both the same question I did in family counseling...how are you two going to run Wakanda if you can not get along?" The therapist posed the question making the cousins sit back and digest what was said.

A technique that they had learned during one of their many sessions. Erik was the first to speak up and voice his opinion.

"You right Iyanla. We gotta do better in order to be better for all these nigg- the citizens of Wakanda".

The therapist, actually named Fundiswa laughed lightly at the joke Erik threw her way. After knowing her and sharing his darkest secrets with the woman he felt comfortable enough to crack a little joke here and there. At first she thought he just didn't want to say her name but he later explained why he called her that, "she fixes and saves lives and that's what you're doing. I never had anyone to talk about my feelings with", so you gladly excepted it as a way of him showing that he cares.

T'Challa looked at his cousin and smiled. He had witnessed him battle with his demons from the moment he stepped foot on Wakanda soil and he had come so far.

"My dear cousin you have taken the words out of my mouth. I agree we must do this for not only our Citizens but ourselves as well" the two slapped hands as they sat on the couch.

"Great! Now if I recall M'Baku was a problem for you N'Jadaka correct?" The man nodded and ran a hand over his lowcut fade.

"Ok so why don't you two invite him and go on some type of trip perhaps? That way you can bond and talk about whatever issues that are bothering you." Fundiswa suggested. The royal family did group sessions as well as individual sessions which showed her that they all had secrets that they have yet to share with one another.

" So you saying we should have a guys trip?" Erik spoke rubbing his chin hairs.

"I like it. E it sounds very interesting." T'Challa spoke up before standing and looking at the time.

"Ms. Fundiswa thank you for this suggestion. We might need a How people say brocation-" T'Challa stated only to be cut off.

"Nigga I know you didn't just say brocation. We need a cooler name like Kingcation or some shit." Erik said as he stood up and stretched his limbs.

The two men bid the therapist farewell as they began to walk down the hall towards T'Challa's office.

"Inform Lord M'Baku that I would like to meet with him." T'Challa told his assistant as she nodded and ran off to do what she was told.

"Thank you" he yelled out as she sped walked down the long hallway.

The following day the Royal Family stood waiting for the Great Gorilla to exit the vibranium ship. Being the man that he is, M'Baku chose to make a grand entrance having his soldiers chant and bang on drums.

Shuri and Queen Mother looked at one another with questioning gazes before looking to T'Challa whose face held a smirk as his hands stayed behind his back.

"Brother why is it that every time Lord M'Baku comes to the palace he does something this extra?"

"Well princess" a beat "I am a big man and a big man deserves an even bigger entrance" M'Baku answered walking on the rose petals that were thrown at his feet.

As the large man greeted the Udaku family he stopped at Erik.

"Outsider" he stated with a small nod.

"Mr.T" Erik stated back curtly

Before M'Baku could say anything else T'Challa stepped in and began to talk.

"Before the two of you start to argue let us talk in my office"

Once they made it to the room the two male's bodies possessed the seats on the opposite side of the vibranium desk facing the King. It was quiet as he observed the two in front of him. Sure he had his issues with them both but after a year of therapy and coming to terms with everything that had transpired since he became the king he learned to let go of any and all animosity towards them, mostly his cousin.

"M'Baku" a beat " For years you have been voicing your opinion on how we run things here and once you decided to no longer isolate your people from the rest of us I noticed the hostility towards others." The king spoke as he sat back in his seat.

"Well we believe now that in order for us all to move forward we must put the ill feelings aside. And what better way than to learn more about one another"

"That is not the worst idea I have heard but why is he here" M'Baku asked, pointing to Erik who sat beside him mugging him.

"He is here because he will be learning more about us and vice versa" he responded in a matter of fact tone.

"I see" a few seconds passed before he finished his statement.

"You make a valid point. A true warrior and king must put his feelings to the side and focus on his people". It was silent before he spoke up again.

"So how exactly are we going to do this?"

"N'Jadaka go on and tell him" T'Challa spoke. He had no time to plan anything with his busy schedule so he gave Erik that task along with his trust to ensure that he would make the right decisions for the mini vacation.

"Ok so peep this shit" the man stated as he stood up and clapped his hands.

"So we going on a lil kingcation for 10 days. Starting off in Cali for numerous reasons" he stated before bringing in a chart and laser pointer.

" To show you all where I'm from, California knows how to party, and lastly we can do something at the outreach center so it's not just all play" he listed off folding his arms once he was complete.

"I for one find that to be a good plan. Count me in cousin" the king stated pulling at his father's necklace.

"Perhaps I can attend. Just keep Agent Ross' people away from me" M'Baku stated.

"So that settles it huh? Kings take LA" Erik stated with a smile. He missed home just a little. It wasn't better than Wakanda but it was all he knew for so long.

"Kings take Los Angeles" T'Challa and M'Baku reiterated before M'Baku started to bark.

Here all three of them were walking off the ship with the a decent amount of Dora Milaje and Jabari warriors for protection walking into the outreach center in California.

"Better to get it over with now than to wait until I get you two fucked up off the Henny" Erik said when in reality he just wanted to see the place where his father took his last breath.

The whole time T'Challa showed the two around Erik's mind was racing and when they got to the exact area of where the worst day of his life had happened so did his heartbeat.

He stood there in the entrance as everyone else piled into the room reliving the tragedy.

His chest got tight as he looked over at his cousin who had been trying to get his attention for the last few minutes.

"N'Jadaka what is wrong?" T'Challa questioned as he observed his odd behavior before it clicked in his mind. This must be where his father, T'Chaka, had taken the life of his own baby brother. 

"This is where I became an orphan. Where I saw my father laying in a pool of his own blood." He spoke up as the room fell silent and he continued. He didn’t want to keep talking about the issue but the large range of emotion he felt at the moment made him just blurt everything out. Perhaps it’s what he needed.

"Sometimes Iay awake at night thinking about that day. What time I woke up to my father making me breakfast, he hated cereal and refused to let me eat it. And how we watched Saturday morning cartoons together before he sent me to get dressed and play outside with some kids from the building. That night he let me stay out a little later since Uncle Ja- Zuri came over to talk to him. I was usually asleep when this happened but this time he let me play. I always think of that day and how I wish I was in my bedroom. That way he could have killed me too, taken me with him, or I could have protected my daddy since nobody else would" by the end of his little speech everyone had a sympathetic look on their face and some were even wiping tears.

He didn’t feel completely better but it was a start. He had explained his sorrow infront of his cousin one time and that was when he took the throne in ritual combat. Yet this was the first time Erik noticed how the king and his people cringed at the thought of the previous King’s actions.

"Shit coulda been different man" he spoke before a few tears fell from his eyes. T'Challa looked at him before wrapping an arm around his shoulders leading him to a corner so they could talk.

" I know you are in pain now and this pain may never end but you must know your baba is no longer suffering. I too have lost my baba to a senseless act of violence but I know I must keep moving on, it is fine to cry and express that pain but life must still go on" he spoke as he rubbed his cousin's back.

"N'Jadaka" M'Baku spoke as he made his way towards them.

"I am sorry if I interrupted however I just wanted to give you my condolences. No child should have to go through what you have went through. I don't want you to take this as pity but you have earned my respect sir. You dealt with that tragedy and still managed to live on"

"Good looks man. 'preciate it" he said extending his right hand for a handshake.

"You know what you a ok nigga" Erik responded as they dapped one another up.

"Aye T y'all niggas got a kitchen in here. Crying made a G hungry as hell" he spoke making some of the employees of the center laugh.

"I believe so. Follow me" the king said leading the group towards the cafeteria area.

"Aweee shit is that fried chicken" Erik said as he looked at the kids plate when they walked past.

On his way to get himself a plate Erik saw a speaker and auxiliary cable sitting on a vacant table. He smiled as he pulled out his phone and connected it to the speaker.

All of a sudden the children jumped up to dance as Tupac Shakur's "California Love" blared through the area. "Now let me welcome everybody to the wild Wild West a state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness" the kids and the adults screamed as they jumped and danced. Erik smiled at the sight of people enjoying life. The place he dreaded and felt unsafe in was a place these people loved and felt safe. The place that took so much from him gave so much to the community. It provides education, jobs, sports, and a place for families to prosper. He could deal with his demons if it meant less problems for the youth to endure.

"So how do you like it N'Jadaka?"

"Man T this shit is dope" he spoke before grabbing his tray.

"So you do not want to leave after we eat? You are fine here today?" M'Baku asked raising his brow.

"I'm a hunnid man we can chill out here. They lit" he responded with a genuine smile watching the kids.

[asociallyawkwardteen]

Scared || Yang Jeongin (I.N) FF || Pt. 1

>Pt.1< | Pt.2 | Pt.3 | Pt.4 (soon)

Pairing: Reader x Jeongin (I.N)

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Warning: Mention of Social Anxiety, Social Isolation and Depression, so please if you get easily triggered by the mentioned things stop reading here.

Disclaimer: English is not my first Language so please don’t mind my bad  grammar ^^’

Our little story actually started a while ago, to be more exact you were around 5 or 6 years old back then.

You and your mom had a little weekend ritual, every Saturday you two would go out to the little park not far from your Apartment, and so you did this Saturday too, and as always you begged your mom to take at least one toy with you.

And since you did that a couple of times before it wasn’t really hard for you to convince her. “okay but you have to take care of it, if it breaks or you loose it, you won’t get a new one”

You nodded our little head in excitement and rushed to your room, a few moments later you came back with your little blue plastic ball which was nearly bigger than your head.

You mom smiled as she saw your hand wrapped around it. “so the ball it is?”

She only earned a nod from you again.

Soon after you headed to the Park, it was a pretty little park with 2 swings, 1 normal slide, a little “castle” as how the kids called it and a big area in which you and your mom decided to stay.

You two stared to play a bit with the ball, nothing big only throwing it to each other and catching it.

About 15min in your game you mom excused her to sit down on the bench not far from you, “Don’t worry I will always have a eye on you my little princess~”

You smiled at her and started to think of a game you could play alone, not because there weren’t any kids around - well there weren’t much- but thee main reason was that you were shy, you didn’t now how you should approach then and you somehow didn’t want to either.

Due to you being a single child you learned how to entertain yourself pretty soon and you always got new ideas so you didn’t get bored at all.

Soon you got an idea and started to throw the ball in the air trying it hold t up as long as possible, at some point you somehow managed to throw it really far so you started running, eyes glued to the blue ball and arms raised up to catch it once it got down, you obviously didn’t watch where you were running, believing that there won’t be any other kids around.

But little did you know there were and soon enough you bumped into someones back.

The kid was ready to scream at you because he thought it was one of his friends slowly turned around “He-”

You looked at the boy with big eyes, scared because of him raising his voice at you. you couldn’t stand when people screamed at you so you slowly looked to the ground.

“ 미안 해요” (Mianhaeyo.../ I’m Sorry) you whispered barely noticeable and slightly bowed not daring to look up at the probably angry looking boy.

The boy just looked at you not knowing what he should do now but this actually would change soon.

You totally forgot about your ball already so you really didn’t expect it, when it come crashing down and hitting you on the head.

With a little “ow” you fell back in the grass, eyes closed and one hand on your head where the ball just hit it.

The boy in front of you widened his eyes as he saw the ball hitting your small doll like head.

He looked at you worried only thinking ‘Please don’t start crying’. And you didn’t somehow it didn’t hurt much but you still were in shock.

“A..are you okay..?” you heard a sweet voice in front of you.

You slowly opened your eyes, blinking a few times to get a clear view. You only looked at him not sure what to say/do.He slowly extended his hand, attempting to help you up.Gladly you accepted his offer and he pulled you back up on your feet. You rubbed your head, frowning a bit.

“Does it hurt?” He asked still looking at you

You just shook your head, i mean it did but you didn’t want to look like a crybaby.

“Are you sure” he asked again.

“yes” you quietly answered, looked at you a little bit surprised since he thought he would only earn another nod.

He started to look around, and leaving soon after, your eyes followed him a little bit confused but once you saw that he just left to get your ball you had to smile a little.

He rushed back to you handing you the ball.

“Thanks, sorry for running into you...”

“Don’t mind that anymore, okay?”

“Jeongin!” you heard a female voice shout, instantly the boy in front of you turned is head.

“I have to go now..” and with that being said he left you standing there. You figured that it was also time to head back to your mum, and a few moments later you were already on you way home.

You didn’t tell your mum what happened because she only would be worried. Still your mind was circling around the boy you met today, he somehow had a energy to him that made you curious but sadly you probably won’t be seeing him ever again.

But what you didn’t know was that the boy was just as fascinated from you as you were from him. So on his way home he started to bombard his mother with questions.

Jeongin: “Mommy? can i ask you something?”

His mom chuckled, “Sure you can you don’t need to ask that” she answered still smiling at her son’s behavior.

Jeongin: “I saw a girl today, she was playing all by herself, it seemed like she didn’t have friends... do you know her?”

The boy’s mom thought for a moment, “I may not know her but a friend’s friend told me that she told her that her daughter is very shy around people so every time they go to the park she rather plays by herself then with other kids.

Jeongin looked around while carefully listening to his mothers words.

he whispers: “she must feel lonely...”

his mom continued talking “apparently even in Kindergarten she is very likely to be alone, but why are you asking about her?”

“oh, I was just curious since I never saw her here before”

“Well that might be because we normally don’t come here on Saturdays, my friend told me that Saturday was the only day her friend can spent time with her daughter due to her busy work schedule”

The boy only nodded and stayed silent the rest of their way, his mind still busy thinking about you.

~lil time skip~

A week has passed and you finally went to the park again today you dragged a badminton set with you, the bat barely even fitting in you small hands but luckily your mom got a smaller and a lighter one just for you.

As always you played together with your mom for the first 15 - 20 minutes, and once she left you started to play alone again, you tried to hold badminton ball (I honestly have no idea how you call that thing, if anyone know that please tell me!) up in the air as long as possible.

You couldn’t hold it up longer than 2 or 3 times, but when you finally held it up for at least 5 hits something/someone surprised you.

“Y/N?”

You froze for a second and just watched the ball (still no idea how its called) fall to the ground, kinda sad that that person had the attitude to interrupt you playing, oh yeah right someone called out your name but wait nobody knew you name here except you mom.

You frowned and slowly turned around to see who the person, but once you say him you only got more confused.

Jeongin, the boy from last week  stood in front of you his hand behind his back

You probably looked hella confused because he had to chuckle a bit at y´the face you were making.

Now both of you stood there not really knowing what to do next, you because you were really confused how he knew your name and what he wanted, and he because he actually didn’t think that he would get this far.

He finally got his voice back, “Hey, can I play with you”

You somehow didn’t really need company but you didn’t want to be rude either so you just nodded.

“But you have to take to heavy one” you said barely hear able, yet he heard it.   “It’s to heavy for me” you added even more quiet

He just smiled and took the other bat and you started playing.

And that was basically the beginning of your first ever friendship.

~As the years go by~

You and Jeongin became best friends, well probably more, he is like your real brother you both even got your braces only a few weeks apart from each other (not planing it tho)

Jeongin was like the only person you trusted and so far to only one you didn’t make your regret letting in your life.

You were shy ever since so that definitely didn’t change through out your life, which made it even harder to make friends but you were okay with that.

Throughout, elementary and middle school you were fine with that, you didn’t even really realize it, and people kept telling you that it is normal to be shy, and that they were shy too but now they made it t something and all that.

But it was the last year of middle school when it hit you, you had a fight with your best girl friend and you didn’t speak to each other, you realized that you were completely alone, all the other people in you class went to her and had a good time during the breaks n which you only set in your class at your table, eating you sandwich, all by yourself.

You fell deep back then, deep in a bad state of mind you never thought you could get into because until now your life was fine.

You found out a lot about yourself during that time, and suddenly everything was clear, but also a little to late.

All the times you were on these class trips and your bff wanted to drag you to play truth or dare with the others, you denied, you didn’t want to and you somehow had no idea how to do it either. I mean sure you knew how to play truth or dare duuh but something was off.

You now knew how you mental state was and at was eyeopening, yet you didn’t tell anybody, not you bff not you mom and definitely not Jeongin. And honestly it was because you were so embarrassed to tell other people, which probably would only think that you were not appreciating you good life.

And because of that you learned how to hide and cover up all that was going on in you mind, you kept being the quiet girl in class not talking unless you really had to. And once middle school was over you felt relived, so got damn relived to finally never see all those people again, all those people that without even realizing it ruined you, you were ready to finally open up a new chapter. Which would be better than this one, or at least you imagined it that way.

~ ~ ~

Well so I guess this is the end of the first part of this little FF.

If anyone even read that crap please tell me what you think about it!

I will try to bring out the next part within the next week I guess idk I am slow at writing so yeah.

Anyways hope you have a good day/night and if not, tomorrow's gonna be better!~

~J☯

[plungermusic]

Sad that I’m leavin’ bye-byes ain’t always pleasin’ ...

Maverick Sunday always has a laid-back, more muted, vibe going on, whether that’s due to the realisation that it’s all nearly over, a reflective Sabbath mood… or just Saturday’s hangover is debatable.

With only four hours of music an early start is essential (even if it means the bar isn’t open yet)  and we rolled up in good time to hear the massed voices of The Rabble Chorus rehearsing on the Green before Australian duo The Weeping Willows opened the Barn with the appropriately Old Time Religion of House Of Sin. a hint of Western menace ran through the bustling Black Crow with its dextrous banjo-style picking, while C.C.Rider was covered as sharp-harmonied, rattling-paced skiffle.

We caught Forty Elephant Gang (above) by chance doing an unbilled spot on the Buskers Stage behind The Saloon - although dogged by sound issues (with a soundman crawling among the cables front of stage) the stripped down arrangements gave a mellow folky edge to things, including a new song (we think) Hard Times, which mixed Californian sophistication (soft toms, fluid mandolin) with a Kilburn lyric very effectively, and even featured an extended instrumental coda, while Charles and Eddie’s classic Would I Lie To You was given a fun backporch makeover with audience participation.

Minnesotan singer/songwriter Humbird kept the relaxed vibe going, with a hypnotic, reflective, confessional solo set including a very trad-Appalachian-sounding On The Day We Are Together Again, which she wrote during the isolation of the pandemic.

Plunger weren’t going to pass up the chance to see Mickelson (below), back at the Moonshine for another glittering set of double-Bruce (Hornsby/Springsteen) expansive epics, including a couple of songs which Plunger can’t place (so either very old or brand new) with fantastic reverbed-up ringing banjo; loose, fluid piano; lithe drums and some fine harmony bvs too.

Evangeline Gentle (main pic) returned to the Barn for another intimate set (again aided by some lush harmonies and judicious guitar work from Nick Ferrio), with a spine-tingling lilting tremulous a cappella opening to Ordinary People; a winning combination of strength, vulnerability and defiance in the stately hymn-like Good And Guided; and a mesmerising new song written following Evangeline’s participation in a Wiccan ritual (“Don’t ask me how I came to be participating in a Wiccan ritual…”) - based around the chant ‘We All Come From A Goddess’ and dedicated to a tragically young victim of breast cancer, this was an increasingly impassioned incantation that built to a powerful close.

Now, all that ‘peaceful-easy-feeling-like-Sunday-morning’ stuff… forget Plunger said that, as the final Barn set of the weekend was another invigorating blast from the Hamilton Hurricane Terra Lightfoot (below). A reprise of Called Out Your Name’s soul-rocker juxtaposed a playful sweet-natured voice with paint-peeling riffs (matched with muscular drums and fluid bass); the Bandish off-kilter chug of Empty House featured dreamy pauses, catchy hooks and increasingly passionate vox, and No Hurry’s combination of jangling stadium chords and 50s harmonies included a lovely coruscating solo (and proved to be an astonishingly persistent earworm for days after). Showing her mellower side, a solo rendition of Two Wild Horses featured lovely picking and velvety restrained vox in an introspective bluesy-country waltz, before the urgent four to the floor “Oooh”-laden glam-boogie of Consider The Speed proved to be the finale for our Maverick #15 (Note to self - never pre-book a taxi for the scheduled finish time…)

A shame not to have been able to wish a proper ‘farewell’ to another stonkingly fine Maverick: good-natured, well-run, down-home welcoming, very-few-flies-in-the-ointment-y (the occasional water pressure-related toilet closures and the absence of The Pie Co van being the sole hitches), with such a diverse, something-for-everyone range across the spectrum of Americana (including those all important, previously-unheard, new favourites like Mickelson and Redhill Valleys) make this Plunger’s hands-down favourite festival.

Sad to leave, delighted to have been, and excited to return next year… “Anyway, Bye-bye”

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

223: 23 Ways to Have a Great Start This Fall

“The French have a special word for it, La Rentrée; in English it is simply referred to as ‘Back to school’. However we choose to call the September post-vacation return, and no matter how far our schooldays are behind us, few would deny that this really is the moment in the year that shouts ‘new beginnings’, ushering in a renewed sense of resolve and purpose that has far more potency than any January resolution. As grown-ups, the brand new pencil case and shiny new pair of school shoes that signal a fresh start are replaced by the new-season updates that we hope will deliver so much more than just the latest look: the confidence-boosting coat, that uplifting new shade of lipstick . . . But it really is the change of attitude that matters most, the yearning to be smarter, more balanced – in short, the eternal quest to finally get life ‘right’.” – Lucy Yeomans, editor-in-chief Porter magazine

The attitude we approach anything with undeniably plays a role in how successful the endeavor we are embarking on will play out, and while here in the states businesses don’t shut down entirely for the month of August or July as well sometimes as they do in France, when Labor Day travel winds down, there is a shift in everyday routines, expectations at work and at school, and a mental shift is expected to occur.

The French expression “À la rentrée” is loosely translated to “See you in the fall!” (literally translated to “at the return”), but it is understood September is the date at which all will return – from their extended vacations, from their respite from school, from everyday expectations and regular activity that occurs the other 10 or 11 months out of the year. 

Studies have shown, repeatedly that taking the time to literally get away from work, putting down the technology and truly being on vacation can have highly beneficial effects on the brain. When we allow our brains to rest and think freely – problems magically seem to have solutions, creative ideas spring up like daffodils in early spring and we are renewed and reenergized.

So no wonder the French celebrate the return from their vacations. September and thereafter offers an opportunity to put our best self forward, to, as the quote above states, ‘finally get it right’. And while nothing will ever be perfect, improving and fine-tuning will always continue to bring different results than if we did the same thing over and over again.

Over the past handful of years, I have written posts to help ensure a strong fall. With one short list here, and another short list there, some of them shared a few similarities, while also offering new ideas. However, none of them have been a podcast episode, and now I have a few more items I would like to add. So today, I’ve made a list of 23 ways we can all welcome the beginning of fall (or spring for my southern hemisphere readers!) with optimism, hope and the best possible path too living a more balanced and enjoyable everyday life. This is the actual list I look at each year (and as I mentioned, it is tweaked and improved each year as my life evolves), and I have organized into arenas of our lives: health, wardrobe, beauty, organization, sanctuary, and regular balance/tranquility. In some arenas, things may be moving along quite well, but perhaps in others we know we could improve. Home in on where areas you want to improve, and take a day, or a few hours in a quiet, relaxing setting to curate a life that excites you to wake up to each day. 

Overall Health (physical & mental - peace of mind included)

1. Ask yourself this question, “What has made my life more enjoyable these past 2-3 months?” or “What routines/habits have made my life easier, healthier and brought more contentment these past 2-3 months?”

Often when our schedule changes with the summer months, we unconsciously change our ways of living, ways that we love (or not so much as it will depend upon the individual). However, I have a feeling, you have a few habits that you will miss when the fall season begins. Ask yourself, and be honest, is there any way you can bring them into your year-round routine? Can or should you shift your priorities if it indeed is bringing so much joy and satisfaction into your life?  Remember, simply because we used to do something one way or do something at all, doesn’t mean we cannot stop and incorporate something more fulfilling. In fact, we should.

2. Create a default capsule weekly menu & establish a food shopping plan.

~Learn more about TSLL's seasonal capsule menus here (summer will be posted this Wednesday - August 22).

3. Stock your Épicerie

As I was taking my lunch break today, I was reminded that I needed to restock my favorite balsamic vinegar which reminded me that having our épicerie stocked and ready for whatever meal we’d prefer to cook is a simple thing to do now to enhance the seamless flow of a day that has little time to wiggle. Here is a post to remind you of the necessities to have on hand.

4. Plan a regular fitness routine that works with your daily work/school demands. Be honest with yourself about what you can achieve. You don’t want to burn out and quit altogether. Remember it is consistency that will make the difference. So choose activities that blend enjoyment with challenge.

5. Balance your budget and know where you stand financially. Due to your schedule potentially changing, financial expectations may change as well, so know exactly where you are and how much you can spend.

6. Make appointments now

Just as our schedules change, so do the schedules of our doctors, dentists, aestheticians and other professionals we wish to make appointments with. While their schedules may have been more limited, but as well, with more availability during the summer months, often that changes in the fall. So why not be proactive, and design your schedule with what works best for you by making those appointments early?

Optimal Organization

7. Clean your home/office/bedroom/car thoroughly. It will simply make you feel better when you enter each and every time.

8. Purchase any necessary supplies for your office, desk and planner

9. Spruce up and stock up your handbag

Whether you have found your favorite go-to day handbag, take a few minutes, to clean out, and then restock for the new season. Chapstick, Tide-to-Go, hand lotion, breath mints, a favorite pen, anything to get you through your day – stock it up, and then toss the rest so that it is neat and tidy.

Wardrobe

10. Assess your wardrobe

On Saturday September 1st TSLL Fall Seasonal Shopping Guide will be posted here on the blog (no longer do you need to subscribe to receive it!). Full of splurge and save items when it comes to the new trends as well as many items I have hand-picked for your fall capsule wardrobe, knowing exactly what you need makes the shopping easier and brings fewer regrets. (Have a look at the 2018 Spring Shopping Guide here.)

~Shop TSLL Capsule Wardrobe Boutique here to view the essentials for each season.

11. Take anything to the dry-cleaners that you’ll be wearing for fall (coats, tops, dresses, skirts, sweaters, etc)

Beauty

12. Stock up make-up supplies that are running low. Visit your make-up counter for make-up to try out the new fall products.

~Why Not . . . Automate It? 12 Ways to Improve the Everyday

13. Confirm and/or schedule your regular hair appointment

14. Plan/Schedule Beauty Routines and/or appointments. From the beauty routines you can do at home - pedicures and manicures, to the seasonal facials at your local spa to not only give yourself a luxurious hour or so to relax, but also help your skin, tend to these appointments is a way to feel and look your best, but also find a balance in your everyday routine.

Creating Regular Balance & Tranquility

15. Stock up or put together a home pampering kit (bubble bath, truffles, wine, candles, music, etc). There will be days when your heels are ready to be taken off, your mind is a jumble and emotional stamina has been exhausted. Be prepared in advance and have what you need to relax stocked and ready to go.

16. Do you have a travel coffee mug or water bottle that works? For only $15 make sure you have a reliable mug that you can take with you to meetings, lectures, on the commute to help you get your day started off right.

17. Create a morning routine to look forward to and set the right tone for the entire day.

~11 Ways to Start the Day 'Smart'

18. Create a bedtime ritual

The amount of sleep we receive each night is a strong determiner in the day we will have, so be cognizant to the small details that you have control over. You might be surprised of the significant benefits you will reap each evening when you turn in. A few things to try: remove the television and all technology (especially your phone), light a soothing scented candle (lavender, chamomile, bergamot, jasmine, or sandalwood) – this is my favorite as it has a fantastic scent and lasts for 60 hours, write in a gratitude journal to end your day on a positive note, meditate (find out how & why here), or read a book.

19. Order or Check-Out/Put on Hold Reading Material to Enjoy

I can’t wait for the time to snuggle in when it’s raining out or I’ve wrapped up my to-do list, and dive in. A true simple luxury. And since now I have the time to peruse and put them on my wish list, I can rest-assured I will always have reading material to enjoy.

20. Pick up a journal

As I mentioned above, the daily ritual of writing in a gratitude journal is a simple idea to end the day on a positive note. And even if you’ve had one of those days, there really are things to be grateful for – check this list if you find yourself at a loss for what to write down. Simply taking note of positive events (or non-events – the car didn’t break down!), can be a wonderful reminder that things are going better than we might have first thought.

Create a welcoming sanctuary

21. Visit your local nursery

Fall plants will begin appearing at nurseries to finish the blooming season – check out mums, daisies and sunflowers. Add a few to your porch or vases throughout the house.

22. Look closely at your home's decor

Perhaps you traveled this summer, or maybe you attended a course in which you saw personal growth and a shift in what you value and/or love. Welcome in who you now, let go of what no longer inspires you, and create a space that best reflects you and welcomes you home as well as you guests. 

Putting It All Together

23. Set your intention

Often when a yoga class begins, one of the reminders at the beginning of our session is to set our intention – what do we wish to receive or achieve by attending class – do we want to push ourselves further, do we simply just want to make it through class, do we want to be more aware of staying focused and letting go of outside thoughts – whatever our intention is, it is ours. So what will your intention be for the fall season and beyond?

Choose one, write it down and reflect upon it from time to time. Create daily rituals and habits that help this intention become your reality. I think you will be surprised that what you focus on, you are more likely to create – much like the attitude we bring to any new venture or beginning. If we’re excited, that excitement spreads and invigorates, but if we’re leery or cynical, moments of wonder are less likely to be enjoyed and discovered.

Wishing you a lovely start to a beautiful new season, and thank you for stopping by.

~PODCAST NEWS: Season 5 will begin on Monday September 3rd, and the new schedule for Season 5 will be shared right here on the blog on Monday August 27th in lieu of a podcast episode. Don't worry, there will always be a motivating post to kick off your work week - right here on TSLL blog. I will explain the entire schedule (there will be 30 new episodes in the coming 12 months) and share specific dates when episodes will air. Looking forward to another season and so tickled we have had such an amazing four years!

SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES FROM THE ARCHIVES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~11 Ways to Start Your Day "Smart"

~Why Not . . . Gradually Prep for La Rentrée?

~11 Steps to a Fresh Start

~The Importance of a Daily Routine & How to Create One You Love, episode #164

Petit Plaisir:

Mini Portable Chargers

RAVPower Mini Portable Charger (seen below)

Anker PowerCore+ mini lipstick size portable charger (many different colors)

Hengtai Gaotok mini portable charger (multiple colors)

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #223 ~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | YouTube | Spotify

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