#we're three days in. halfway through the first week.

[saixpuppy]

super exhausted and life can be stressful, but honestly having a good time right now.

people give us boxes to sort all day, and then we come home and make food and watch fate. eventually we'll have money to spend on figures probably.

it's nice.

[rcmclachlan]

Relative Value (buck/tommy)

"And I feel for her, you know? I really do. The dissolution of a relationship, especially a marriage, feels like you're drowning in hot tar, and you spend every waking moment kicking your way to the surface to try and breathe. But if she brings up her divorce again while I'm in the middle of peeing? I'm going to divorce her head from her body."

Buck makes a face at the thought of Maddie's decapitated coworker. "Please don't send the 118 to that scene. I'm not so great with entrails these days. Send the 147—they deserve it after they botched that extrication on Monday." 

Maddie laughs, the sound tinny but comfortingly familiar coming through his phone's speakers. She'd propped her phone on Jee-Yun's dresser halfway through the call so she could put away laundry while she talked, and for the last five minutes he's been watching her fold Jee's clothes like she's being judged at the Olympics. 

It's nice to see that hasn't changed. Maddie should've been in jail years ago for the way she loads a dishwasher, but when it comes to laundry she's a goddamn wizard. When he was younger, his parents saddled him with taking out the trash and doing the dishes, but putting away the laundry was always Maddie's chore. She actually enjoyed it, the weirdo. She used to tell him the first whiff of warm Snuggle right out of the dryer was a cure-all. Also, she can fold a fitted sheet in under ten seconds. He'd timed her once.

Maddie takes an eye-wateringly orange shirt out of the laundry basket and with three decisive motions turns it into a perfect rectangle. If Jee ever decides she wants to go deer hunting, she'll be all set. "Since when are you not good with entrails?" 

"Since that guy was ripped in half last week."

It'd easily been the grizzliest car crash he'd ever been called to. It made the 405 pileup a few years back look like Disney on Ice. About halfway through tagging and bagging almost a dozen casualties strewn all over the westbound lanes of the Pomona Freeway, the guy responsible for the crash snapped awake while Hen and Chimney were setting up and drove off in a panic. The top-half of the motorist stuck under his car was dragged maybe sixty feet, and Buck had a front row seat to the sight of the poor guy's nerves and vasculature trailing behind him like squid tentacles before the driver came to a stop by hitting yet another car. 

"I'm also not eating spaghetti for the foreseeable future, FYI," he adds.

Maddie wrinkles her nose. "Okay, changing the subject: when do you leave again?"

It wouldn't be an overstatement to say the smile that question invokes explodes over his face. He feels it happen; the spark eats the fuse so quickly there's barely any lead-up and his cheeks burn from the sheer magnitude of the blast. 

"You look deranged," Maddie says, laughing.

"I feel deranged." He's been like this all week and it's starting to scare everyone. Chimney keeps leaving pamphlets for Clozaril in his locker. "Tomorrow morning. We're picking up the bird right after we do a coffee run."

"I wish my boyfriend was whisking me away to the mountains for a romantic getaway." Maddie heaves a theatrical sigh. "My husband says the best he can do is Shake Shack."

The whole thing is absolutely bonkers. He'd been minding his own business, half-watching a documentary about volcanoes with his feet in Tommy's lap, when they showed some insanely beautiful footage of Mount Rainier. And although his mind was focused on completing level 29 of Euclidea, his mouth was busy saying, "I've always wanted to go there." 

Thumb digging into Buck's instep, Tommy had made a thoughtful sound and said, "I'd tapped a buddy of mine to get us into Griffith Observatory after hours, but I like your idea way better. Let's do it."

If someone had told Buck 1.0 that someday a beast of a man would be flying him by helicopter to the Cascades for their two-year anniversary, he would've laughed his way into a pneumothorax. And then he would've tried to fuck his nurse. 

He looks across the living room to where their bags have been sitting, fully packed, since last night, and grins. "Tell Chim he needs to step up his game. You're worth Zankou, at least."

Maddie snorts. "Gee, thanks."

Behind her, there's unexpected movement, and every muscle in his body locks up as his heart stops in a moment of brief, blinding terror. 

It's stupid to feel this way after seven years, but a little part of him is still waiting for Doug to crawl out of the shadows like a wraith to finish what he tried to do. He's spent many a sleepless night spiraling to the soundtrack of Chimney's desperate, Do you know he's dead for sure? Did you see a body?

Buck did see his body, but a little voice sometimes whispers to him from some deep, dark place at two in the morning: it was freezing that day. It could've slowed the bleeding, could've kept him alive long enough to go to a hospital. You don't know what happened after the ambulance left with him. What if he survived? What if he's out there right now, just biding his time?

Which are bad and ridiculous thoughts to have because he knows that monster is dead, and frankly he's got better things to think about than Doug, who's absolutely having his skin torn off in hell right now—especially since his adorable, perfect niece is the one who came into the room. 

"Say hi to your uncle, Jee," Maddie says, smiling. In her hands, a pair of polka dot leggings becomes a polka dot brick with hospital corners. 

Jee-Yun jumps a little like she can't quite see him, and Maddie goes over to the dresser to obligingly tilt the camera down. 

"Hi, Uncle Buck." Jee-Yun waves, then rises an inch or two higher in the frame, and he realizes she's standing on her tiptoes. She cranes her head, moving it a bit from side to side like she's looking for something. After a few seconds, she drops back down, grimacing in disappointment.

He looks over his shoulder, but no one's there. "Sorry, kiddo, it's just me."

"Just you is fine, always," Maddie immediately pipes up, and he ducks his head with a smile. It's always nice to hear her say that. "It's just that… well, she had a question and we weren't sure if you were the one we should be asking."

Buck grins. "Lay it on me, Jee."

It's always a little hilarious to watch how Jee reacts when the spotlight's on her. She bounces and twirls a little, and her whale-spout pigtails move with her. For someone getting ready to enter kindergarten, she's got the stage presence of a Broadway star. "Uncle Buck, how do airplanes fly when they're so big and heavy?"

He opens his mouth to answer her, but there's nothing there, just an empty pocket of air that tastes vaguely like the ham sandwich he had for lunch. He closes his mouth with a click, stymied. He could've sworn he knew this one. Something about lift and drag?

"Jee, I-I'm sorry. I don't know off the top of my head. I could look it up for you?"

A little groan escapes her, but it turns into a shriek when a tie-dyed sweatshirt comes winging from off-camera and lands on her head. Jee wrestles the shirt away, static making her hair cling to her face, which she swipes with a whine. 

"That's why I wanted to ask Uncle Tommy!"

Buck has forgotten a lot about the tsunami. Time has softened the memory of how warm the water was, how it shoved its way into his mouth and nostrils like it was trying to find a way inside his veins, and that it was filled with so much debris it scored the insides of his cheeks bloody. But the one thing he never lost was how his feet went out from under him when that first wave hit like a freight train. He hasn't been able to ride a roller coaster since: he doesn't see the need to pay to experience the feeling of free fall again. He remembers every second of it like it just happened. 

He may be sitting on the couch with his feet firmly on the floor, but his stomach is thrilling at the familiar sensation of being completely unmoored. Only instead of being dragged into the dark, he's being pulled up into endless blue. 

Breathless with stratospheric joy, he digs his trembling fingers into his knees like it's going to do anything to keep him grounded, and chokes out, "Who, Jee?"

The look Jee turns on the camera is so confused that Buck isn't sure he was even using real words just then. It could've been a jumble of sounds falling from his mouth like aquarium gravel. 

"Uncle Tommy," Jee says, with the patient air of someone who forgot they were talking to an idiot. "It's okay if you don't know about airplanes, Uncle Buck. You drive fire trucks."

He's pretty sure he was just insulted. Behind Jee, Maddie's wide-eyed and mouthing an ecstatic oh my god! 

"Tell you what. When—" he swallows thickly, overcome "—Uncle Tommy wakes up from his nap, I'll have him call you and he can tell you all about how planes stay up in the air."

She mulls it over, and he can see the outline of her tongue poking the inside of her cheek like she's swishing the offer around in her mouth. Finally, she gives him two decisive nods of her head that has her pigtails bouncing. "Okay. When's that?"

"I-I don't know. Soon." If the lightning had struck a few feet away from him instead of dead-on, he thinks it would've felt like this. Any second now he's going to vibrate out of his skin and scar Jee for life. "Maybe I should go check on him." 

"I think that's a good idea," Maddie says cheerfully, coming into the foreground. Her eyes are glossy and red, and even with two screens and several miles between them it feels like she's about to wrap him up in the warmest hug. "Why don't we let you go for now? Uncle Tommy can give us a buzz later."

"Yeah, t-that sounds like a plan." He knows he's rocking the deranged look again, except it's somehow so much worse. He doesn't care. He hopes his face gets stuck like this. When he rolls into the station two weeks from tomorrow, he's going to take every pamphlet Chimney shoves at him and eat them.

Maddie's grin is threatening to split her face in half. "Give Uncle Tommy a big kiss from us."

He's going to do way more than that. "You bet. Bye, Mads. Bye, Jee!"

The very second the call ends, he's on his feet and practically running down the hall. Tommy had been coming off a rough 24 earlier when he'd sloppily kissed Buck and then staggered into the bedroom. It's been almost three hours and Buck hasn't heard a peep since. 

Buck makes sure to lift the bedroom door when he opens it so the hinges don't creak, and when he sees Tommy—sprawled diagonally across the mattress with his jeans still on and enough drool soaked into the pillowcase to fill a bathtub—his knees decide it's the perfect time to stop working. He clutches the door frame so he doesn't crumble to the floor under the weight of all this euphoria.

Jee thinks of Tommy as family. It's not hard to figure out the logic she must be using to get there: she has an Uncle Buck, who has had a Tommy for as long as she's been making real memories, and therefore… 

He can't help but wonder who else in the world is operating on that same intel. Jee has no doubt told the teachers at her kindergarten about her mom and dad and her amazingly cool Uncle Buck, but maybe she's also told them about her other uncle, who always lets her ride on his shoulders when they go to the park and who talks to her like she's a forty-seven-year old at brunch. Maybe she's told kids at the playground about the uncle who knows why planes stay in the air and who folded himself into a pretzel because she wanted him to sit next to her at the kids' table last Friendsgiving. Maybe she's drawn shitty pictures in crayon of two stick figures holding hands under a smiling sun, and when her classmates ask who they're supposed to be, she tells them, "That's my Uncle Buck and my Uncle Tommy." 

Inhaling shakily, he makes himself move from the doorway to the bed, crawling in as gingerly as he can. It's all for nothing, though, because Tommy cracks an eye open and fixes it on him. Buck scrunches his face up in apology, but Tommy just smiles a little and tugs Buck down, pressing his face into the space between Buck's neck and shoulder and settling with a hum.

Buck slides a hand into his hair and holds him close, breathing in old sweat and a hint of his own shampoo. "I love you, Uncle Tommy."

"If this is a new kink, I'm going to need at least another two hours of sleep before I'm prepared to tackle it," Tommy mumbles. 

Choking on laughter, Buck presses a kiss to the side of his head and wonders if it's possible to die of happiness. "Not quite. Your niece has a question about airplanes and wants you to call her when you wake up."

When there's no immediate answer, Buck is sure Tommy's fallen back to sleep, but then Tommy shifts a little in his arms, presses a kiss to his shoulder, and murmurs warmly, "Will do."

[hollyhomburg]

Before I Leave You (Pt.66)

(Sneek peak)(Omegaverse au, Mafia au, Bts x Reader)

Summary: Your track record with trying to survive is a checkered one. This is a red spot among the black and white.

Tags: Blood, Guns, violence, near death experiences, everyone lives nobody dies...but someone does die this chapter, horror, non-lethal injury, talks of death and dying, a bit of body horror, forced murder? Trans! tae, Tae is briefly dead named in this, implied/referenced intimate partner violence, flashbacks, brief suicidality.

W/c: 8.0k

A/N: ahhhhhh <3 we're finally ready for this part of the story <3 i wonder what your guys reactions will be, i'm really glad i decided to split this chapter into two peices! it's much cleaner this way. don't be 🥲 too mad at me.

Previous part - Masterlist - First part

Chapter 66: Go for the Throat

You hold your breath. Still peering around the corner, watching and waiting for the man to spot you.

But he doesn't, after a breath where his soft footsteps echo, you wait, but nothing happens. You peak back around the corner. 

You absorb and catalog the details as fast as you can; the black ski mask, covered by one of those traditional masks, wooden with red lacquer. This one is a little different than the one that Jimin had; this one is white with red splotch on the cheeks, not twisted with thick eyebrows in a snarl. Like a ghost sent down from above to rob you of your humanity.

The bulletproof vest stops at the collarbones. The gun itself is black and a generic model. The long end is extra bulbous with something that might be an attached silencer. Hands covered in black nitrile gloves, leathery at first glance. There is a knife at his waist along with a barrage of other small things. Rope and a knife, duct tape and handcuffs. His heavy boots look steel toed and reinforced.

The man (because it is a man you realize; tall, maybe taller than Namjoon) trains his gun at the landing on the top of the stairs. Pointing it in the direction of Hobi, Tae, and Jin’s hushed voices.

Hobi giggles and it sounds so bright. Echoing off the walls and filling the house.

There is a phone cord tangled in your hands, long and white. You grip it tight.

This man might be silent but you’re quieter as you slide your bare feet across the smooth floors. Your strides are so quiet, you take one step and then another until you're behind the man, mirroring him.

You remember when Yoongi redid the floors, it was one of the few things that he did right away- before the pack came to live here (to love here). It took him weeks and weeks of sanding before he got them to his liking. Days more of brown dark stain that colored his hands ruddy until the soft matte finish stuck. Every pass with the belt sander and dirty rag a movement of love, a meditation for it.

Yoongi made every inch of this house with the same loving intent; to make it a home for all of you. You won’t let it become a grave. You won’t let this person stay here and ruin it.

Most people get it wrong; In order to kill, it is not a matter of elegance or effort. There is no such thing as a perfect kill, emotionless and analytic. it being justified only gets you halfway. There is no way to do it perfectly or cleanly. People die just as they live, messy and hopeful and dirty.

Murder isn't a matter or wanting or wishing, It’s a matter of rage.

It’s always been this way. Rage has been chewing a hole through you from the moment that you pulled the trigger with Geumjae. From the moment you said ‘I do’. Rage that these violent things have been done to you, that they continue to happen, that you can’t just get away from all the hurt and trauma.

Rage has eaten you clean through to the bone. Only now you're the hungry one. Right now, only three words run through your head;

How dare she.

How dare she send this man into your house. How dare she point a gun at the upstairs, in the general direction of your nest and your packmates. The altar at which you so desperately cling to, for sweet dreams and sweet worship. How dare she even think about hurting the people you love.

There is no courage, no bravery, no thought in your head about how stupid it might be as you step closer behind the man. You are not a trained assassin. You’re just an omega.

The adrenaline rush is an old friend, you know how to use it. You grip the phone cord in your hands and take a quiet steadying breath. He doesn't see you, he doesn't hear you, he doesn't know that you're behind him.

Wolves always go for the throat, whether they’re cornered or hunting.

The assassin’s foot ascends the bottom step. You don’t let him get to the second before you’re moving, hurtling forward. Footsteps light as a butterfly’s wings. Your hands go over the man’s shoulders. The cord no more than a white flash across his vision before you draw it tight across his neck.

Coming Saturday February 3rd at 5pm EST (Time Zone Adjustments Below)

[abiiors]

the spring curse - ross x reader ˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧💌˚.⋆🌿

a/n: this is essentially a sickfic with so much yapping in there oh my god 🙄 yapping and yearning are the two things i operate on cw: brief suggestive content but no actual smut. being ill i suppose but it's very mild and fluffy. also pls we're going to suspend our disbelief here because i have no idea what being a florist entails. wc: 3.4k

they get together at the beginning of winter. 

the last of the leaves are already a deep shade of orange, falling and falling everyday until the trees go barren and white snowflakes start fluttering all around. they’re already exclusive by the time the first proper snow of the season falls. 

ross is a boyfriend. to the girl of his dreams. it makes him feel as giddy as a teenager every time he thinks about it; every time she gives him a sweet smile and an even sweeter kiss. 

he always holds her hand just a little tighter, cuddles her closer just a little longer every time she has to go—he’s making up for the lost time, he thinks. all the time he’s wasted being stupid and a coward. and so whenever she stays over he stays near her, follows her around from room to room. she finds it infinitely amusing, so endearing that she can’t help but kiss him every two minutes for it. 

a florist’s job is pretty slow in the winter. ross learns that quite early on in their relationship when he gets to take the slow days extra slow—cuddling on the sofa and dancing in the kitchen and every other cheesy thing he can think of. 

he fucking adores the slow mornings after she stays over—loves waking up with her in his arms, loves the slow, lazy morning sex where she’s moaning and squirming and cumming on his cock barely awake, loves how she looks at him with sleepy eyes hooded with lust. 

“‘s gonna be so awful when my job picks up again and the spring weddings start happening,” she says one morning while they’re in bed still, her head on his chest. ross hums. “you’ll be lucky if you see me two days in a row.”

he pouts. “it’s not that busy is it?”

“it is! so many new flowers coming into the shop and scott wants us to make sure each one of them is absolutely perfect. individually. fuck and the pollen—you’re not allergic to pollen are you? because i get so covered in it…”

ross racks his brain. maybe he does remember being a bit more sniffly in spring but nothing severe. it’s never been noteworthy. he shrugs and holds her tighter. “nah, don’t think so. it can’t be that bad though.”

she laughs mirthlessly. “you don’t know the half of it. my ex was so allergic i had to stay away for all of spring pretty much. like three months every year where i’d move back in with my parents because it was just that bad for him.”

he pretty much stops listening halfway through, stuck on the part where she had to stay away for three whole months. he can barely stay away half the week. 

“don’t have to worry about that,” he strokes her hair, brushing off the silly unwanted thoughts. 

and it turns out to be true—even when she stays in the shop longer, busy catering to new year’s parties and other events, ross hardly ever has a reaction to it. it’s blown out of proportion, he thinks. sure pollen allergies are real, but they must be incredibly rare.

what are the odds that he has it just as bad as her ex? 

soon enough he forgets the conversation. everything is so blissful, so perfect that by the time valentine’s day rolls around, he’s already asked her to move in. 

“are you serious?” she shrieks, giddy with excitement. it works great for them—for one, the floral shop she works at is so much closer to his house. and then just as an added bonus, he doesn’t have to compromise to seeing her only half the days of the week. 

“yes. oh my god, yes! it’d be perfect…”

and he agrees. it would be perfect… until, well, it’s not. 

spring arrives with a riot of colours—little weedy flowers grow in his backyard, daisies and buttercups cover grassy patches on the ground. even the dead trees start sprouting new leaves. 

everything outside is cheery and pretty and colourful. in comparison, ross feels…weirdly tired. not that it’s an everyday thing but on days when he’s outside more, he’s way too fucking exhausted to do anything else. it’s only when the sneezing starts does the conversation come back to haunt him. 

my ex was so allergic i had to stay away for all of spring pretty much…

ross shudders, thankful that it’s not that bad for him. it’s not! he’s certain about that. it’s only a scratchy throat and mildly itchy eyes that he could have gotten from eye strain too frankly, and maybe just a little case of the sniffles. it’s annoying, sure, but it’s not the end of the world. there’s no reason she needs to know about it and worry that she'll have to be away from him when she just moved in a week ago. 

he can very easily chalk up all his symptoms to a plethora of other things. 

and well, denial’s worked great for him—for one whole week, at least. 

towards the end of her second week, ross feels more tired than usual. she’s been slightly more busy at work (there’s a big wedding coming up) and ross has taken it upon himself to do a deep clean of the house now that he has a bit more free time—spring cleaning, to get rid of the pollen that may or may not be there. 

everytime there’s a persistent cough, he brushes it off. it’s dust—of course, that’s what’s making him cough and sneeze. 

it’s all the cleaning—that’s why he’s so tired.

all of it melts away though when he hears the keys jingling and the door opening. there’s a bit of a shuffle, a door shutting softly and then he hears her. 

“ross?”

he’s out the kitchen and walking towards her the next second, smiling huge. she looks like a fucking delight—hair a bit messy from the wind, surrounded by the smell of her perfume and a whole mix of flowers, plus something inexplicably green. 

she grins when she sees him and almost tackles him into a hug. 

“i love coming home to you…” the words are muffled by his t-shirt but his heart speeds up regardless. ross smiles and tucks his nose into her hair. 

“hello, you. had a good day?”

she nods and stays exactly like she was. the bliss only lasts another second though. ross feels it only a second before it happens—the string of sneezes he lets out with only a split second’s warning from his body. 

one, two, three, fifteen… until his eyes are watery and his throat stings from the effort. she looks at him with a bewildered expression on her face, slightly confused about…all of it.

he shakes his head. “shit, sorry! must have inhaled some pepper… i was just making dinner.” 

which isn’t a lie. he was making dinner and yes he has got the pepper out on the table. she throws him one more skeptical look but doesn’t push it further. 

ross takes her bag from her. “go wash up, i’ve got a movie picked out for us.”

she brightens instantly, and gives him a gorgeous smile, one that makes the tiny dimple by her lip appear. ross watches her nod and walk away from him, making her way to their bedroom. his smile is real for the most part until she finally shuts the door and he lets the cough he’s been holding in loose. he tries not to agitate his throat more, he tries to clear it so it would get rid of the itchy, sticky feeling. 

pollen, the logical part of his brain tells him. there was a tonne of pollen in her hair. but ross stubbornly gulps a glass of water, sighing at the way it makes him feel better instantly. he splashes some water from the kitchen sink on his eyes to get rid of the stinging.

it’s only a bit of allergies, he’s not going to die from it. besides, once she showers, the pollen would be washed away…right?

the other delightful symptoms show up hours later when he’s in bed, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. his head feels fucking heavy, like there’s suddenly a dumbbell placed on there. the itchy eyes won’t let him get comfortable and the constant urge to sneeze has him almost on the verge of fucking tears from how uncomfortable he is. 

ross curses silently, staying as far away from her without falling off the bed—for one he wants to try limiting his exposure to pollen. and if there’s a slight chance that he’s coming down with something then it’s better that he stay a bit away from her anyway. 

that just makes him even more miserable. all he wants to do is cuddle and fall asleep and not wake up until it’s at least 8 am the next morning but apparently he’s not afforded this luxury. 

sighing, ross gets up and checks his phone. 1:03 am. 

then he makes his way to the kitchen. maybe some tea might help… at least out of the bedroom he can finally sneeze into the crook of his elbow without worrying about waking her up. 

ross stumbles into the kitchen, his footsteps heavy with exhaustion and frustration. he flicks on the dim light above the stove, wincing as it illuminates the small space. his head throbs with each heartbeat, and he reaches up to massage his temples, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure. 

he tries not to be miffed about it—the fact that being out of the room instantly feels a bit better. it must the the honey in the tea, or the warm water. whatever it is, he refuses to admit it to himself that it may be her. that he’s been cocky about it this whole time only for it to bite him in the ass. 

“ross?” he startles and whirls around. 

despite the painful headache, his heart melts. she looks sleepy and soft—hair half out of the braid, his giant t-shirt drowning her a little, sliding off her shoulder. she squints her eyes against the light and rubs the sleep out of them.

“what are you doing, it’s—” she has to wait till the yawn passes “—so late. you alright?”

he nods, maybe a bit too quickly and fails to stifle a wince. the movement makes a twinge of pain slice through his head and her eyes train on him. 

“you’re being weird… are you unwell?”

“‘m not being weird,” he tries to reassure her. ross walks up to her, placing a hand on her waist so he could gently steer her back to their bedroom. “i’m fine, love. my throat feels a bit dry so i thought tea would help.” 

“your eyes are all red.”

“yeah, babe. i just woke up.” lie, lie, lie. “come on, you’ve got to be up early. go back to bed, i’ll join you in a sec.”

the skepticism on her face remains. “ross, if you’re ill—”

“i’m not ill, come on. would i do this if i were ill?” and then he kisses her. for a good thirty seconds. 

predictably (and to his delight) she goes all loose in his arms, clinging to him as if the kiss is the only thing that matters. that convinces her though and once they break apart, she hmphs. 

“fine, don’t be long.” and then she drags her feet back to the bedroom. 

ross stays in the kitchen for a bit longers, massaging his aching temples and hoping the tea works as some magical cure. he even manages to convince himself a little that it’s working, and maybe it is! 

finally, fifteen minutes later he gives up. he just wants to be in bed at this point. he’ll figure out the rest tomorrow. 

ross wakes up alone to warm sunlight streaming in from the window, perhaps a bit too warm for an early spring day. everything feels weird and uncomfortable and stuffy, almost like he can barely breathe. exhaustion coats every cell in his body. 

what the fuck… 

he just woke up too, how is it possible to be this tired, this early in the morning. he stretches a little, trying to shake off the ickiness, until his eyes land on a post it stuck on the nightstand. 

i don’t know if you remember me telling you i was leaving for work early so i thought i’d leave a note. you looked really tired and uncomfy :( call me if you need me xx 

her neat handwriting stands stark against the paper. how did he miss her leaving for work? he has absolutely no memory of being even half-awake and he never sleeps in until this late. ross frowns and checks himself for a fever but his skin feels cool to the touch, normal. 

allergies. a voice chimes in again. allergies to pollen and spring and. allergies to your girlfriend. 

it’s incredibly childish to think of it that way, he knows it. but he also knows that if she knew her job was causing him this much discomfort, she’d be quite sad about it. so ross just shrugs it away and sends her a text

awake and feeling a lot better :) 

thirty seconds later, his phone pings. 

good, because i took half the day off to spend it with you ♡

despite himself, ross beams, feeling giddy like a teenager. it takes him some effort to get out of bed and shake off the fatigue. he should probably clean the room a bit before she comes back. his thoughts wander back to the last time—to him uncontrollably sneezing and coughing because of the pollen in her hair.

ross groans and tries to clear his throat again. 

somehow he manages to pass the time, doing little things here and there, getting on his playstation to see if any of his friends are free for a game (the are, but only for a bit). he makes himself a lazy lunch, quick and easy tin ravioli that she would 100% wrinkle her nose at (“pasta should be fresh though!”) and then he waits, scrolling on his phone to pass the time. 

he wakes up to an onslaught of kisses and a huge bouquet of daisies. 

for a second ross wonders when he fell asleep. he didn’t even mean to fall asleep, the tiredness just dragged him under… 

“there you are,” she grins at him and places another kiss on his nose. ross tries not to blush like a high school girl. instead, he pulls her into a quick kiss. 

“i got you flowers!” the bouquet of daisies is thrust into his hands. the flowers are beautiful, each about the same size, white and fresh and pretty and she beams at him proudly. “made that one for you.”

“you are perfect…” he kisses her again and cradles the flowers closer. “any special occasion though?”

“nah, just thought you were a bit unwell and thought i’d get you flowers.”

ross brightens. he loves how thoughtful she is, loves that she made sure to get him flowers because she suspected he was sick.

all of it comes crashing the moment he feels the familiar itchy feeling build at the back of his throat, feels his eyes starting to water. he tries not to throw the flowers away as if they were made of fire but he has twist his body away from hers when he breaks out into a coughing fit. hacking and trying to get the flowers away from him. 

“shit, you okay?” she sounds alarmed and rubs her hand up and down his back. it barely registers while ross struggles to breathe. 

quickly she runs to the kitchen to get him some water. it takes him a bit to breathe and stop coughing so he can get some water down. 

“i didn’t know you were this sick!” 

“i’m not,” his voice sounds strained but she ignores him entirely and places the back of her hand against his forehead. 

“no fever,” she frowns. “but you looked so run down before…”

“i haven’t caught a bug i promise!”

she opens her mouth again to argue, about to say something but stops halfway through the sentence, her eyes widening and ross watches in real time as the realisation dawns on her. the room goes drop dead silent. 

“fuck…” she murmurs, “it’s hay fever, isn’t it.”

ross wants to deny it so desperately but all he can do is sit there and pout miserably. there’s nothing he can say that will undo it now. 

“how long?”

“how long what?”

“how long have you been feeling it? itchy eyes, the sneezing, coughing. you know what i’m talking about.”

he does but he doesn’t want to admit it. quietly, she move the flowers as far away as possible. ross palms the back of his neck, sheepish. “two weeks.”

“you’ve been miserable for what–two weeks? because of me! and you didn’t even tell me.” her face falls more and more with each word and ross wants to point out that this is exactly why he didn’t tell her, and now she’s upset anyway. convincing herself that she’s the reason he’s been feeling so horrible. 

“why didn’t you tell me?”

sheepishly, he spills everything—how he remembers the conversation about her ex, how he doesn’t want her to feel like she’s the one making him sick. 

“and i didn’t want you moving away for three months! you just moved in”

he sounds so petulant and childish to his own ears, he sounds like a seven year old, not a fully grown man. 

for a moment she says absolutely nothing. she only looks at him, bewildered and speechless. 

“did–do—” then she has to pause to take a deep breath. “did you take any antihistamines?”

and that’s when it dawns on him. ross opens his mouth and closes it again, like a fish. antihistamines. allergy medicine. a miracle of modern science easily available to him over the counter. something he didn’t even bother thinking about.

“did you?”

“no.”

he hangs his head in shame, embarrassed that he didn’t think about it sooner until peals of her laughter jolt him back. she looks like she’s ready to collapse on the sofa, completely fucking floored by the giggles she can’t seem to suppress. 

“you are so dramatic!” she shrieks, manages to even get the whole sentence out between gasps and giggles. “you’d think you caught the black death or something.”

“oi!” ross flicks her her on the nose but joins in on the laughter too. he has been a fucking idiot, of course he has. “you said you had to move away every spring! because your ex had it that bad!”

“yeah because he had asthma, you idiot.”

with every new piece of information she reveals, ross feels his face warm up more and more. okay yeah… he really has been fucking dramatic about all this. 

“you really are an idiot, you know that?,” she catches her breath with a bit of effort and moves a bit closer to him. ross pretends to grumble but pulls her on his lap and holds her close.

“your idiot?” 

“don’t try to be cute, you’re not living this down.” she sounds stern for about two seconds before bursting into another fit of giggles and burying her face in his shoulder.  

“i’m not moving out the house just because you’re allergic to me, you know?” she teases once she’s sobered up enough. “you’ll be fine with some pills.”

he would be, now all he wants to do is make a mad dash to the pharmacy and buy whatever otc medication they have. it’s been hell as is, he just wants this feeling to go away. 

i’m not moving out the house…

his heart leaps up to his throat and relief floods his body. ross feels like he can finally breathe again (figuratively, at least). 

“i’m not allergic to you,” he counters, “i’m obsessed with you if anything.”

“flirting will not get you out of this!” but ross doesn’t miss the way her smile widens and she struggles to meet his eyes. if only he could stay like this forever…

he would have even, if not for another round of sneezes building up again. ross cringes, turning to the side. 

“shit shit! still, radioactive, sorry.” 

ross snorts, silently begging for the sneezes to go away. 

“let me make a pharmacy run for you,” she declares, putting her shoes back on and shushing him with a look before he can even protest. it’s fine though, he thinks, it's only twenty minutes. she’s coming back home to him anyway. 

taglist: @scooby-doodoo, @partoftheairforce, @justgoatsbreakinghearts0855@beachesgetpeaches, @you-muppet, @mcabister, @alexmarie29, @at-her-very-foreign, @hfkait, @squishysoupy @sierraeslaprincesa @harrie-fic-center @alien-girl-violet @thereisaplaceintheheart @kennedy-brooke @lolidontknowanymore @theoriginalwhatsername@celestcies @sugarkane1001 @ari-turner @thewaywewereinsaigon @daphnesutton @beliefandsayingsomething @ros3chu @nothingrevealedeverythingdenied @zzzhealy @mattymybeloved @fck-off @indiaamars @sofaritsalrightt @k4tie75 @wondersecret @humptyhoran @indierockgirrl @hanbiior @moreyoulove-moreyouknow @rossgirly @if-my-heart-bleeds @little-lovely-darling @abriefnirvana @renitypoem @sinarainbows @lady-may-targaryen @love4agesss @angrylittlebaldman @oneluckygirl @sinarainbows @starvchaser @noacfapologyst @abouttofillhisshoes @tbhnotthatfunny

add yourself to the taglist

[fuck-customers]

So this customer placed an order late last week and one of the items was special order (listed as such on the website, with an estimated timeframe) so I sent them an email letting them know we'd send the rest right away and restating how long the special order would take.

They email back upset that the website didn't say the item was "backordered" (again, it says right on the website this is special order and takes longer to ship, also special order is not the same thing as backorder) and demand that we cancel that item because they're in a hurry. I tell them we can do that if they want, but it will actually make the rest of the order take significantly longer, because instead of some items going out that day or the next and the special order going out later, we'll have to take the whole order out of the queue and put it on hold until the refund is processed and an updated invoice is generated, which can take 2-3 business days, and then it will go back into the queue at the end of the line, which will be another 2-3 business days to get through shipping again. I ask them to confirm that knowing this, they still want to cancel the special order item. They say yes, they definitely want to cancel it.

Today (three business days later) right before closing they call in blazing mad that their order hasn't shipped. I pull up the order and recognize it, and tell them hey, looks like it got held up for a bit because there was a request for a partial cancelation, but the refund has been processed, it's back in the queue and based on its position it will probably go out tomorrow.

Customer loses their mind yelling that this is insane and next time she'll buy direct from the manufacturer (who is on the other side of the planet and only sells through dealers, but never mind) explains slowly and loudly that "slow is BAD" like she's talking to a toddler and hangs up on me.

Like, yeah it sucks that we're so short handed it takes a few days for cancelations to be processed, but YOU waited until the last minute to order your stuff, YOU didn't read the estimated shipping time frame on the product description before ordering, and when I specifically told you the cancelation would cause a significant delay YOU confirmed you understood that and still wanted it done. If you hadn't gotten impatient it would have gone out days ago. Heck, even the special order would be halfway here by now. We might be slow, but the extra delays on your order were entirely caused by you and your unwillingness to read or listen. We're transparent about how long things will take and have actually consistently been within the time frames we provided to you since the order was first placed.

Also screaming at me after shipping is closed for the day speeds up nothing, it literally cannot go out until tomorrow, which is when it would have gone out anyway at this point if you hadn't called and thrown a fit. There is nothing I can do to make it get to you faster.

Posted by admin Rodney

[snowgsf]

Jenna Ortega/Best friend

Sinopse: Jenna and reader have always been best friends, but the two girls have had a relationship in the past that didn't work out, so they decide to just be friends, but reader still has feelings for Jenna. Jenna was getting ready for a date and the reader was helping her choose her outfit.

Contains: jealousy, friendzone, in love with best friend. (???)

Author's notes: English is not my first language, so sorry for any mistakes, the Gif belongs to me and belongs to a fanfic of mine on Wattpad, it's not posted there yet, on my Wattpad profile there are fanfics, but it's in Portuguese, if if you are interested in reading just search for RASGAKU_ there that appears. I'm not shipping Jayla with Jenna, I just took her as an example of Oc.

I break into a smile when I see Jenna with Rex on her lap all bouncy, a smile playing on her lips, the most beautiful smile I've ever seen.

- Good morning, Miss. - I play getting the girl's attention, it doesn't give 5 seconds for Rex to be on the floor and Jenna to hug me.

— You took a while, I need your help fast. — The shorter one pulls me through her house to her room, she places me sitting on her bed, my heart was beating fast in my chest. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack at any moment.

Jenna disappears from my vision, I throw myself on her bed and sigh, trying to dismiss the samba that was happening in my stomach.

- It's gonna take a while? I have to study, tomorrow I have pro- My voice dies in my throat, Jenna was in front of me.

The girl in front of me wore a black dress, it reached halfway down her thighs, she had light makeup, just highlighting her mouth, extremely tidy and lined hair.

— I don't know if I liked it, it was Naomi who chose it, I shouldn't trust her, she always likes to play "pranks".

I remain silent, she watched her body attentively, her curves present, marked, making her hotter than usual.

"Are you going to a party?" ’ I ask, finally looking up at her face.

Jenna's face drops, she didn't want to tell me, I could tell. But if Ortega wanted my help, she would have to tell me.

“I'm going on a date. - I stay silent, just staring at the girl in front of me.

- You look beautiful.

Jenna smiles, she drops a kiss on my cheek and bounces happily.

— It's a boy, his name is Noah, he's amazing, we've been talking for a while. “I'm glad to see Jenna outdoing me, I remember how she was. “He's kind, polite, a true gentleman. — I open a smile, the girl smiles at the four people in the world, I feel my light chest hurt, if I am forced to only have your friendship to keep her close, I will. - I think I'm falling in love.

It's been 7 months, three weeks, four days, and we're done. I will still get over it.

When you date someone, break up and decide to be friends, you never loved them, or you still love them.

This is my case, Jenna Ortega was the first everything in my life, from the most intense feelings to the most devastating feelings.

I chose to stay by her side, even as a friend, the pain of not having her as nothing is greater than having her as a friend.

I throw myself on the bed in my room, at that time Jenna was on her date.

- Please. "I whisper only to myself." “Don't fall in love with someone else.

[vikinglanguage]

9 number things you might not know as a foreign speaker of Danish

This is a mishmash of both cultural things and linguistic things. The idea for this post appeared in my head at 3 am so bear with me. As for the lack of links, I am adding them in a reblog to try to avoid tumblr nerfing my post.

1) Quarters – how to measure time In Denmark, we love measuring time in quarters of an hour. We love it so much we don't care about specifying the kind of quarter, it's just kvarter (itk.). Generally, we tend to use kvarter mostly just when speaking about 15 or 45 minutes, but it does go further than that. So here's a quick guide on how to tell time other than just doing as you would in English:

15 minutes – et kvarter 30 minutes – en halv time 45 minutes – tre kvarter 75 minutes/1h 15m – en time og et kvarter · fem kvarter 90 minutes/1h 30m – halvanden time (see 2) 105 minutes/1h 45m – en time og tre kvarter

and so forth, if you care to. Using fem kvarter is uncommon but acceptable, but never go further than that using just quarters of an hour. I would say that once you pass 2 hrs, I most commonly hear people starting to just count hours and minutes as you would in English.

2) Halvanden – half second An archaic way of saying 'one and a half' that just stuck for some reason. This is the preferred way to say 'one and a half ' for most people. No, this is not a joke.

Halvanden, 'half second' means halfway between one and two. Until quite recently (we're talking less than a century) halvtredje (2.5), halvfjerde (3.5), etc. were also in common use, but they have disappeared so rapidly that most current speakers will have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about. However, the ghosts of this way of counting live on in the numbers halvtreds (50), halvfjerds (70), and halvfems (90). You can read more about that in my old post about Danish numbers (see reblogs).

3) Week 42 We use week numbers! Week 1 is the first week in the new year to contain a Thursday, as we count weeks as Monday through Sunday. You don't necessarily need to know what week it is all the time, but a lot of adults use weeks in place of specific dates. I am forever thankful to ugenr.dk (you just type in a date and it tells you what week it is in or vice versa).

Important weeks are:

Week 7/8 – winter break for kids in primary and secondary school (not to be confused with Christmas break). It varies depending on municipality whether it's week 7 or 8. Lots of people go skiing these weeks.

Week 26 through 31 – summer break is usually during these weeks. All students in primary and secondary school, as well as university students and students doing professional bachelor's degrees and the like have these weeks off from school.

Week 42 – arguably the most important week. All students mentioned above have this week off from school. It's autumn break and it's ALWAYS week 42 and JUST week 42. Originally, it was to allow students in rural areas help their parents harvest potatoes (a nickname for autumn break is kartoffelferien 'the potato break'), and we just kept it.

4) DD-MM-(YY)YY If you write dates as MM-DD people will think you're a lunatic. Don't, unless you're specifically talking about 9/11, colloquially referred to as just 9/11 (nine-eleven, as you would say it in English).

5) 00:00 Denmark, like a lot of other European countries, uses 24hr clocks. Obviously, analogue clocks and watches are common, and it's perfectly ok to say stuff like klokken fire om eftermiddagen 'four o'clock in the afternoon' or klokken otte om aftenen 'eight o'clock in the evening', but you are expected to just know that 21:00 is the same as 9 PM. You can also say klokken toogtyve 'twenty-two o'clock', and it's quite normal to ask for clarification of whether people are talking AM or PM by saying stuff like klokken elleve eller klokken treogtyve? 'eleven o'clock or twenty-three o'clock?'. You cannot use AM and PM when speaking or writing Danish. The day begins at midnight; 00:00.

Don't worry yourself too much over this. Everyone occasionally forgets that 19:00 is in fact 7 o'clock and not 9 o'clock.

6) Halv to – half one When you're measuring half hours in Danish, you're always measuring towards the next whole number. It's never half past, it's always half to. As such, half (past) one is halv to 'half two' in Danish.

7) Grades (years) This is an ultra quick rundown of the Danish school system. School is mandatory for 10 years and homeschooling is allowed. This covers primary and lower secondary school.

Most people start school the year they turn 6. My birthday is in April, so I was 6 when I stated school, my sister's birthday is in September, so she was 5.

The mandatory grades are as follows. The ages are all possibly ages of a child attending that grade (not accounting for starting school early or late):

Indskolingen, grades 0-3 0. klasse/børnehaveklasse - 5-7 yo 1. klasse – 6-8 yo 2. klasse – 7-9 yo 3. klasse – 8-10 yo

Mellemtrinnet, grades 4-6 4. klasse – 9-11 yo 5. klasse – 10-12 yo 6. klasse – 11-13 yo

Overbygningen/udskolingen, grades 7-9 7. klasse – 12-14 yo 8. klasse - 13-15 yo 9. klasse - 14-16 yo

Some may choose to do 10. klasse, if they feel like they need more schooling or maybe if they're attending an efterskole.

Once they've finished their mandatory schooling, a lot of Danes choose to attend upper secondary school. You can do it in 3 years (stx, hhx, htx, and eux) or 2 years (hf, 2-årigt studenterkursus). Special circumstances like being an elite level athlete or attending MGK (preparation for attending a music conservatoire) may lead to people spending 4 years in upper secondary. Hf often sees a lot of adult students.

Gymnasium/HF, the grades are said as [ordinal number, letter(s)] 1.g (15-17 yo)/1.hf 2.g (16-18 yo)/2.hf 3.g (17-19 yo)

8) Grades (performance)

Danish schools have a 7-grade system. It's called 7-trinskalaen, and each grade corresponds to an ECTS grade (in fact, it's specifically designed for compatibility, and a lot of people above the age of 30 miss the old scale). Generally, students don't get grades until 7th grade. The grades are:

12 – A 10 – B 7 – C 4 – D 02 – E 00 – Fx -3 – F

If you are not familiar with the ECTS system, E, Danish 02, is the lowest passing grade. The intention behind the 0's in 02 and 00 is to make it impossible for the students to "change" their grade by just adding 1 in front of the grade, but the 0's are in fact also said out loud.

9) Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers are written as a number followed by a full stop. You do not capitalise the first letter of any word following the full stop (see 7) even though MS Word will try to convince you it's the right thing to do.

You can read a lot more about numbers on the Danish numbers post (again, in a reblog), but the basics that might not be covered by formal learning materials are:

nulte zeroth. This literally only exists for 0. klasse and for numbers to the zeroth power. fyrretyvende/fyrrende* – fortieth halvtredsindstyvende/halvtredsende* – fiftieth tresindstyvende/tressende* – sixtieth halvfjerdsindstyvende/halvfjerdsende* – seventieth firsindstyvende/firsende* – eightieth halvfemsindstyvende/halvfemsende* – ninetieth

The forms marked with an asterisk are largely informal spoken language to the degree that they are even considered wrong by some. Generally, they are accepted as the standard forms among the younger generations, but be careful when talking to people above the age of ~45.

[hearts4youz]

The Captains Daughter: Chapter 4

A/N Heyyyyy- Thank you all so much for reading and liking the previous parts :D I appreciate it sooo much. Hopefully yall like this chapter :) Comment if u want to be added to a taglist.

Word count: 872

Ghost pov:

At 4:00 sharp Y/N exited the locker room, she spotted me from across the gym and walked over, I met her in the middle.

remember, be friendly not bitchy

"Hello Y/N, how was your day?"

This better work soap

She looked bewildered at my question

"G-Good?" She hesitated, looking around, possibly scanning for some sort of trap.

"There's no catch, I just thought I should act friendlier towards you." I confessed

"Okay-" she slowly nodded her head

An awkward silence followed

"Lets begin," I said

She nodded her head as I walked off in the direction of the agility course. Y/N padded along beside me. The silence still felt awkward.

"So where were you stationed before coming here?" I asked her

"Anchorage, we were mostly a port for shipments, a bit of classified work too, you know, with Russia being less than 100 miles away."

"Alaska?"

"Yeah, weathers better here."

I laughed at her un-funny joke, just to break the ice.

We reached the ladder leading up to the first stage of the course, a leaderboard posted at the bottom.

"Your not on here lieutenant, I thought you were supposed to be athletic with those... muscles." She paused before the last word, my cheeks turning a dusty rose color at her mention of my body. Thank fuck for this mask.

"A big, bulky guy like me isn't the most agile," I told her.

she hummed.

"I'm going to time you, lets do 5 sets of the entire course, three minutes rest in between each." I explained

"Go!" I commanded.

She dashed up the ladder with decent speed, swinging across the hanging ropes with ease. She stepped across the moving bridge without hesitation, her foot slipped at one point. most at least stop to calculate the timing or something.

Daring, I noted.

I didn't like that trait for her, too dangerous. She should have at least stopped to analyze the situation first.

I watched her complete the first stage, scaling another ladder. She came across an obstacle that required you to jump a fair distance onto it, then use your full arms strength to pull yourself up to a platform. I pursed my lips when she struggled to pull herself up. Her arms quivered, face contorting into a grimace, finally she slipped and fell into the safety net.

"Climb down," I yelled up to her

She threw her head back and groaned, crawling across to the ladder and descending it.

"I almost had it," Y/N pouted.

"Change of plans, Lets do an arm workout."

She sighed and followed me over to the weights.

"Since we're being friendly now, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself," she suggested.

I scoffed, "what do you want to know."

"When's your birthday," she began.

"May 18th."

"Favorite color?"

"Black."

"Music preference?"

"I don't listen to music"

"Birth year?"

"1994"

"Why do you wear that mask?"

Reader pov:

Ghost looked like he just saw a ghost.

You awaited your answer.

"This is a bench press," he said gruffly. Effectively changing the subject.

You ignored his lack of response and instead listened to his explanation on how to bench.

He demonstrated with a few reps. He made the 45 pound bar look like a pencil with his large, work-hardened hands and massive biceps. He had turned from awkwardly friendly to cold and reserved again. I shouldn't have asked about his mask, you thought.

He motioned for you to repeat after him. You used to train arms 3x per week for Track and XC but your conditioning has faded, even after joining the army. Ghost told you to do 3 sets of 10, with no weight on the bar. The first set was easy enough although, You had severely underestimated what not working arms for months would do. Halfway through the second set, Your shoulders burned. Your form went to shit and you were breathing heavily. Ghost took notice and helped guide the bar up and down.

You blushed at the close proximity of you and him, hoping he would mistake it for your exhaustion and not your lack of male attention for the last year and a half. Your old base had kept men and women strictly separated. You barely finished the third set.

Without a word, he moved on to the racks of dumbells. You could sense his anger at being asked such a personal question.

"Look, I'm sorry for aski-" he cut you off.

"Save it," he snapped. Not even bothering to look back at you as he began to curl impossibly large weights. You grabbed two, ten pound weights and followed, matching his pace and motions.

After a few sets he switched the motion, exercising a different muscle. He continued this cycle until finally re-racking the weights and moving on to other machines. You followed him wordlessly, until finally he looked at you and muttered, "Dismissed." You would have missed it if you hadn't been listening to him. Silently hoping that he would turn towards you and crack a joke, or accept your apology, or at least to give you feedback.

But no.

The mysterious lieutenant brushed past you and exited the gym. Leaving you all alone.

Taglist: @abbiesxox

[haydenyoungappreciationweek]

(Note: Sorry for sending this so late, as I - @lizzybeth1986 - am feeling fairly unwell. To make up for it, I'll probably shift one of the other theme announcements to 30th, and try to get the other announcements out in a timely manner).

We're on Day 3 now, which means we are halfway through our week! We have two very exciting themes in store too and we can't wait to see what you've got for it!

The first theme for today is Soul. Every Hayden fan is familiar with their visit to Washington National Cathedral in PM2, and with the deep conversations they had with the MC (if you took the diamond option!) about spirituality and the presence of a soul in everyone. Here's your space to explore Hayden's relationship with these ideas in more depth!

Our second theme is Changes!! And this is particularly exciting to explore because Hayden's entire story represents change in a very special way! As an android, they are the beings considered the least capable of change. But even in this Hayden surprises everyone! Thanks to the Double Ripple effect, they aren't restricted or chained to a single set of personality traits, but develop a fluidity in their reactions over time. Their curiosity and desire to question makes them even more open to change and to carving their own identity! Which is why they are so open to adapting, even more than many humans in the series!

Any work is welcome – fics, art, edits, moodboards, interactive media, headcanons, meta, even screenshots of your favourite scenes! Our only requirements are that the works are original (nothing AI generated), and they center Hayden and present a positive depiction of them.

It is not necessary to put up your works only on the day of the theme – you can always put it up later. We will also be keeping a bonus week in case you’re not able to complete it during the week itself (till Oct 10th).

Please be sure to do the following when tagging your posts for HYAW 2023:

1. Use the tags #haydenyoungappreciationweek, and #HYAW, along with the day/theme you made the work for (#HYAW Day 1, #HYAW Day 2 etc).

2. Tag @haydenyoungappreciationweek, and hosts @sazanes and @lizzybeth1986 in your posts so we can access them easier!

FAN CONTENT BLOGS are the lifeline of our fandoms, esp for books that have long been over yet still have a strong fanbase. Many of them are hosting some incredible events that we highly encourage you to participate in if you feel so inclined!!

@choicesficwriterscreations – Accepts fic and art (no AI). Read up on their roster of events and guidelines here!

@choicesmonthlychallenge – Accepts fic and art. We’re almost at the end of September but can still give in entries for the “Royal Academy” event (run by @choicescommunityevents and @ladylamrian) currently hosted – particularly Day 29/Sept 29th! You could also participate in Picktober (hosted by CMC and @lovealexhunt) next month!

@choicesholidays – Mostly fic and art. Currently no events, but be on the lookout for announcements!

@choicesprompts – Mostly fic. There are a variety of events for the next three months! There is Smutember, Flufftober and Angstgiving. (Both Holidays and Prompts are hosted by @angelasscribbles)

@choicespride – All content welcome as long as it features LGBTQ+ pairings and themes! Currently no events, but they have some big plans for October! Take part in this poll for events you'd like them to host next month!

(Note from @lizzybeth1986: I'll be putting up the announcement for Day 5 tomorrow, and Day 4 on the 30th, to make up for not being able to get this done on time and to ensure people have time to both read the post and post their content. Sorry again for the delay!!)

Happy Hayden Young Appreciation Week, everyone!!

[wr1t3w1tm3]

The Outsiders a New Musical Cast Recording Reaction

Here you go @its-a-hare-pom-pom

Please note: I do not actually know the voices of who is who. I am having to assume who is who in some of the songs so I'm doing my best. I looked up a cast list for this. This is confusing and I'd need several more listens through to figure out who is and that's probably not gonna happen anytime soon (ya'll fill find out why in a later post).

Also, I curse a lot and there's a brief mention of suicide in my section on I could talk to you all night, so be warned.

Tulsa '67: Interesting how they changed Johnny's jumping to just a week before the events of the musical. I don't mind that change. I kinda like it? Maybe?

Okay. I need to rant a bit here. I grew up just a day's drive from Tulsa in a town not very dissimilar from it. Just switch East and West and you're halfway there. (Meaning in my city the East side was the old money and West was more of everyone else/the new money side of town).

Ponyboy's diatribe about how people get stuck in the town for life hits home for me because, like, of the nearly 300 person graduating class from my highschool, a vast majority of them went to school either in town or within the state. While I'm technically still in the state, I'm right across the river from our neighboring state so the line's a bit funky. I feel his longing to get the hell out. I feel the sort of resentment he feels towards Darry, who could've been a sports star had circumstances panned out differently. I feel his heartache for Soda when he mentions that his girlfriend up and left and broke his heart. My little sister and younger brother are both up-and-coming in similar ways to Darry (albeit a different sport for my sister) and Soda. The only real difference is that my family isn't just above the poverty line. In this economy maybe we're starting to slip down there, but if that's the only difference... shit. I'm in for a ride.

Moving on...

Grease got a Hold: I did watch the performance of this for Good Morning America or whatever it showed up on so this isn't my first time listening. This is the first time I can't tell who is who. I looked up the cast so I think the first singer is Dally? IDK. It's the whole gang except Johnny. This is when I discovered that Steve was in fact a named ensemble character.

Not my favorite song. But I'm sure that it introduces everyone well. I don't mind it, just def my least favorite of the ones I'd heard before.

Runs in the Family: I'm pretty sure it's a Darry song. Shit. I feel this song. I am literally Darry in this song, except I have parents, they're just not around a whole lot due to work.

I think I mentioned here that I work at a Nursing home. And especially during the winter if I worked twelves (luckily I'm PRN, so I can pick up shorter shifts) I'd be in before the sun and out after it. That is one of the worst feelings I've ever felt. You feel like you didn't do a damn thing but your so tired you can't do anything so you end up getting down and just scrolling while you eat and you barely have energy to grab something to eat. Had I not been still living at home I would have just gone through a drive through. You are a different kind of tired after a long day of taking people to the toilet and passing meds and working with memory care patients as they sundown.

So while I'm not a roofer, I'm not out every night working till midnight, I think I can relate to Darry the best out of the three here, being an eldest daughter an all especially. I like this song as a character set up, though I have to point out it sounds like he's whining but I also know I've done this so like... I can't complain if I wanna keep my whining privileges.

Great Expectations: This is the first song out, I'm sure we've all heard it. It's about Ponyboy relating to Pip, one of the characters in the book Great Expectations I think by Charles Dickens. I never read it in school I think due to Covid so...

That being said, great song. Still very much relate to him and his wanting to get the hell outta town but feeling trapped by family and obligations. Like I get the kid is only fourteen, and S.E. Hinton was about this age when she wrote this but it is raw and I still feel it.

Come on, we've all felt like everyone expects everything of us and have just wanted to get swept up in a fictional reality where shit is hard but we know everything will be just fine in the end, right? Right?

The line about Darry hits harder after Runs in the Family. His bit about Johnny has always hit me too, because I've always wondered (anxiously, of course) about what my life would've been like had I been born to different parents. And as much as I think about that, pretty sure I'm lucky to have what I have and I'll take it over worse.

Friday at the Drive-in: So there is also a drive in in my city, and I've been several times. I freakin' love it, and it's kind of sad that they're disappearing. This chapter/scene/song has always been a favorite of mine in all Outsiders media. I love Cherry's actress. She's able to do a more country/southern accent without it sounding like a characture. Kudos to her. I'm sure this song is really cool to see in person.

I Could Talk to You All Night: Confession time: I don't like Cherry. I understand that maybe she does have a rough life, but it has always rubbed me wrong the way she told Ponyboy it's "rough all over". Bitch, both his brothers work to keep their house you shut up. Like I went through highschool with my mom hurt, grandpa dying, Covid, a whole lotta other shit and some kid literal told me to off myself b/c I got in his space while practicing a tap number for the musical. Also, I was working through the entire school year. It wasn't terribly uncommon among my peers, but to be in the musical was a sacrifice on my part and we just... we couldn't see under each others skin. My school was on the west side and his family was new money, so I guess he and Cherry are alike in my eyes in that way (even had the same hair, lol). I didn't know what was going on with him and I guess when he broke up with his gf (she was a senior and he was a junior) he got better.

That being said, I really like Cherry's character in this song. They see each other beyond the labels for the first time in their lives. It sort of feels like a love song, but also not so much, and I really dig it. I may eat my words later but I like this version of Cherry. She comes off a lot less snooty than book/movie Cherry. Its so cute.

Runs in the Family (Reprise): Shit. Darry. Okay. The silent oldest sibling burden has fucking snapped. Bro. This is so good. Seeing what all was going on behind his outburst at Ponyboy. Shit. Shit. Shit. I'm even more in love with Darry's character. Shit. The oldest sibling being a parent when the parents aren't there. The younger siblings all leading into it. The abrupt stop that is Darry slapping Pony. I wanna scream IT IS SO FREAKINNG WELL DONEOAWE RUH!!!!!! I can practically hear Pony throwing open the screen door and Darry yelling back that he didn't mean it!I@ :OUhoihlacwijhr ;iuaweh' riu

Far Away From Tulsa: Oh, oh Pony. You're innocene it showing honey. This is the one thing I feel I've got on him is that I actually live on the edge of town, so I really live within a smattering farm fields and disappearing small farm towns. Those people will be judgey as hell, they will stalk you anyway possible to get info on you and there will be rumors. Like I love that you two have a dream, but we're getting into Of Mice and Men territory with Lenny and George (is that his name?) with the rabbit farm.

Also, are they changing Pony and Johnny's motivations? Obviously I'd have to watch this but this sounds like they might be changing their motivations a bit.

The transition into Great Expectations!!! The leitmotif!??! The key change?!?!?! HOLY FUCKING SHITHLIUWE RHF AIVCWH TLGIUAWEHCFIUHA. I'm screaming!!!!! But they're dream sounds like a cowboy western fantasy. And the ending where they talk about that not being in Tulsa... realy gives me pause. I think maybe their motivations changed just a bit? BUt IDK cause I'll never get to fuckin' watch this because I am but a poor midwesterner and Broadway is a bitch.

Run Run Brother: Shit. I love this. The little boys coming to Dally. The only one they can trust to know this. This is the loss of innocence in real time. The implication that he gave them all he had (the 50 bucks) is realized here. The song sounds so frantic. Aggggg. It's so good.

The background: if you're not born into money your born into despair? The background singers are great. Grease isn't given its something you earn??? Shit. Run through the fire your bound to get burned? They really like using fire as a symbol (for obvious reasons).

The transition into "You're a Greaser now and you ain't going back?" Like he literally cannot go back. Johnny killed a kid and Ponyboy would be tried as an accomplice probably. Cheezits this is so fucking good! The wrapping back to earlier songs is so freaking well done! The desperation in whoevers voice pointing out the sign to Windrixville? I love.

Justice for Tulsa: Did they come up with a new character? Are there others? Is this the Greasers talking to each other? Immediatly suspecting Dally? So they added the interrogation that he mentions he got brought into.

Is Cherry at Bob's funeral? Honey, he's an asshole. Like I get he could've been cool but gees. I'm torn up about her. They made her way more complicated. So far I'm glad for Dally and Cherry's sake that they added this scene.

Is this Darry or Soda? No. It's a Soc. Is it Randy? Oh I love his voice. Shit, is she grilling him? She's talking about Johnny. Randy. Are they getting onto her for talking with Pony. What she did wasn't wrong? Yeah, it's a senseless tragedy. If you pushed him into it.

So this is the explanation of how they started jumping Greasers and how that tension switched things up. This might be the Act break? But I'm not sure.

Death's at My Door: Is he talking about his parents dying?

Oof. I feel him. So in my life I had a series of deaths where my grandma died, then two years later my grandpa died (different sides of the family), then a kid at my college died going home for winter break. Then a girl from my highschool died going back to school after winter break. Then working at a nursing home every time, I come back someone else is dead. So, I feel that sentiment that it feels like death is following you. But that is just growing up, and I think this is Ponyboy finally sort of coming to that realization a bit.

Are they adding romantic elements to Pony and Johnny's relationships, or is this just really flirty platonic stuff? Because now I'm confused. And I'm someone who does really flirty platonic shit with my friends.

Throwing in the Towel: Oh it's a Darry song. Oh. Darry feels guilty. Shit. Okay. Is he making up with Soda? I'm a bit upset that Soda has been jipped in here. Long list of failures, same here Darry.

Oh. Soda. Soda, ever the middle child. Trying to keep the peace, trying to hype Darry up. Their being the brothers we always knew they would.

There little harmony part is so good!

Soda's Letter: I have heard this one as well. We are finally getting a Soda song!! But still, ever the middle child, trying to keep the peace between the oldest and the youngest. Dammit. I like that they added context to the letter, since it's a bit briefer in the book/movie.

The fade in of Pony singing over Soda is so good.

Hoods Turned Heroes: I love the name on this. I think this is Two-Bit singing this. Interesting that they skipped over the fire incident and Johnny talking to them at Dairy Queen. I like that it's Soda and Two-Bit in this song. I love them as a duo. And I love that we get a Greaser son in response to Justice for Tulsa.

Interesting how they changed it to 1st degree murder for Johnny's charge, because it was manslaughter and I seriously doubt there's enough evidence to even get second degree murder.

Hopeless War: Another Pony and Cherry song. I do like the musical duo of them so far. He's not wrong about the soc's declaring the war. Cherry's also not wrong, but girlfriend, your privelage is showing.

Shit, she got a point about black and white morality. "Same mistake a thousand times" "Doing what we've all been raised to do."

Shit. I like this version of Cherry. This sounds like a country love ballad and I am all here for it. Seems like act 2, like many musicals I've seen, has fewer/shorter songs.

Geez, Cherry. Okay. I still like the Cherry best out of all of them. But girl, you've gotta understand that this kids got more skin in the game than you do. Girl. IDK, this version of Cherry is just more nuanced and I think that's what she needed.

Trouble: The way Hopeless War tansitions into this song is so fucking good!!!!

So I don't know if this is at the park or the Gang going to the park but holy shit. I love this. Is Darry trying to keep Pony out? Or is Dally? Who is telling him not to fight? Didn't book Darry let him fight??!

Little Brother: I have heard this one before as well. It's a Dally song, and it still makes me awe;u hgseruig. This is my favorite version of the Dally and Johnny relationship because it solidifies the brotherhood and the way that Dally see's Johnny. It's done fairly well in the book but the musical makes it much more clear. Even the movie does it pretty well but I like that it's a bit more spelled out here.

I think I've heard all of these last three songs so they'll maybe be a bit more in depth. Also, I am gonna say this now Grease got a Hold is growing on me as I type.

I don't really like how Johnny feels very shoe horned to the side in this version of events.

Is... is someone singing with him on the second little brother in the first chorus? Could that be Darry or am I just trippin'?

I love the way that they show Dally's descent. Oh. There's a chorus on here with him. They put a different version out on YouTube with just Dally on it. Holy shit. Holy shit!!!! I love his voice so much. When are the lyrics gonna be up I gotta see who sings what in here damn it!!!

Dally. Shit. The part where the music strips and then starts building. This will never not give me shivers. I love the orchestration on this version!

The now into no!!!!! ;jfh;ajwerhf;ija uvaiwrhf;aiu3wh I AM NOT OKAY!!!

Stay Gold: This hurts like a son of a bitch still. I can't really put my words on here, but it really is written like someone who knows they're gonna die and they're wanting to give their family a final message. Which is something you can do on hospice nowadays, but wouldn't have been avaliable in the 60's.

Can't believe we had to wait the whole musical for a Johnny solo song. But I love the touch that a man came to thank Johnny for saving the kids, because in the book that's not mentioned and neither in the movie and I like that touch. They added just a few scenes and all were very well done if not honestly needed.

The fading of Ponyboy reading it with Johnny will never not get me. They use this technique so well throughout the musical. But again with me questioning if this is platonic flirty friend shit or Johnny and Pony being romantically involved somehow? I lean towards platonic flirty friends due to the time period and the fact that they're both on the younger side... but geez.

Johnny telling Pony to tell Dally, when we know Dally is dead and Dally asked him to save a seat and just owehtouwaehrt;ouiawe I am not okay. Will never not hurt.

Finale (Tulsa '67): Is this an older Pony on the first line? Does he get out? Or is that his teacher reading it? Like the acknowledgement of Paul Newman.

Oh. This is so sweet, him turning to the hometown heroes, the little everyday ones.

He got out!!!!!! Him talking about Darry and Soda!!

Ah! They took the one paragraph directly out of the book!!!

Dally!!! Wearing grease for their disguise? Holy shit. Bro. You are killing it! Killing it! The chorus entering!!?!?! The excerpts directly from the book!

"He was just to damn good for growing old? And for his memory I'll stay gold!?!?!??!" Holy shit okay. Emotional damage dealt. You didn't have to do that.

I love me a legacy explaning final number. Shit. I love this. Beautiful ending. I love the jazzy bits.

My phone immediatly jumped me to Non-Stop by Hamilton. Fuck you spotify, didn't need that now.

Final Thoughs: Unfortunately, this is not like Hamilton in the sense that the entire freaking musical minus one song that not terribly necessary for context is on spotify. There are chunks of context missing that make me wonder how else they may have changed the story. If you're someone who's first exposure to the outsiders is this, you're gonna be left with a lot of questions. Luckily, you've got a book and two versions of a Francis Ford Coppala movie, but if this was a stand alone I think I'd be leaving the cast recording fairly confused.

I think it's amazing. I did find out while finding a cast list to compare to the featured artists that Steve is still a character. I also wonder if they're gonna release the track they use for the rumble, since I think that's a seperate track with no real singing? IDK man. I wanna see that so fucking bad.

A little mad about how they downgraded Soda and Two-Bit. I know Two-Bit was more of a minor character but it really felt like Soda got the short end of the stick here. Same with Steve, though he already had the short end so it was only a matter of time. Two-Bit makes sense despite my love of him so I kind of expected that.

Overall, I do like this, but it feels a bit incomplete as I believe some of the most critical plot details have been left for portions of the musical that are acted or spoken, which sucks for us broke ass plebs who don't live within driving distance of Broadway.

So long friends.

[mattybstqrn]

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐈.𝐆

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚞𝚝, 𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚢𝚜, 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐

Female Reader x Isaac Garcia

Y/n, Grace, Skylar, and the not-so-new girl, Jackie all sat in the library as the four of them studied, a few weeks/months (idk) ago Jackie Howard's parents and sister sadly passed away in a car accident which was the whole cause of her move to Colorado, Y/n, Grace, and Skylar met the girl on the first day and all immediately decided to go out for ice cream once Jackie had realized that Cole, the hottest guy in school left her at school and drove him and his brothers home.

The four had been best friends since.

Y/n sat in her chair as she struggled with an algebra question and she was about to ask Jackie for some help since Jackie is like a genius but instead, Jackie spoke, "So, tell me about this bonfire thing, I heard it's kind of a big deal here,"

"Okay try a huge deal," Grace whispered trying to contain her excitement since they were in the library, "Seriously," Skylar and I agreed, "You're going with, Alex, right?" Grace asked, "Yeah," Jackie nodded.

"Do you think you guys are gonna...?" Grace asked as we all smiled and laughed and raised our eyebrows in question, Jackie looked confused though, so I added in, "You know..." to which she responded, "What? no. no. why would you think that?"

"It's basically what everyone does, they hook up," I replied, "Like everyone," Skylar added, "Yeah it's like a thing," Grace nodded in agreement, "Well, no, not us, we're not there yet like we're not even close to it," Jackie decided shaking her head.

Grace, Skylar, and I looked at each other trying to hold back our laughs before bursting into laughter, "What?" Jackie questioned, "Yeah right," Skylar muttered, "Are you sure about that?" Grace asked trying not to laugh, "You guys do seem pretty close," Skylar and I added causing us to high-five underneath the table as he played with his pencil.

"Yeah, and if that's how you are in public... in private... okay," Grace trailed off as Skylar and I laughed, "Okay Alex has got to chill on the PDA," Jackie sighed, "Are you not into it? because if you're not--" Skylar asked, "No, no, it's-it just feels a little extra,"

"Right? in public?" Jackie questioned, "Way public," "Yeah" Grace and Skylar muttered in agreement, "He was not like this at all over winter break or when we're at home,"

"Really? Cause he wasn't like this with Paige either," Grace said in shock as I tried to work on my algebra problem, "I've never seen Alex like this," Skylar chimed in, "Wait what? Alex and Paige used to date?" Jackie asked in shock.

"Yeah, you didn't know that I'm pretty sure she was Alex's first," I chimed in, Jackie turned to look at Paige who sat across from us before turning back to me with a very shocked look, "Girlfriend! his first girlfriend!" Skylar exclaimed.

As the three talked I tried to work on my algebra problem, but I could not focus so I told them that I'd see them later before grabbing my bags and walking in the halfway.

While walking through the hallway Y/n accidentally bumped into another student dropping her books, "oh Dios mío, lo siento mucho" I spoke letting my Spanish side slip out as I bent down to pick up my books, "Mira a dónde vas... quiero decir que lo siento," the voice spoke, I recognized the voice in Spanish and in English, I looked up to see Isaac and Lee, who stood off to the side.

"Oh, hey Isaac, and Lee, sorry about that," I apologized to Isaac as I picked up my books with his help, "It's okay, you good?" Isaac asked as he handed me the rest of my books, "Thanks,"

"Yeah, no problem," he said as he helped me stand up, "Isaac, let's go," Lee rushed, "I'm coming,"

"I'll see you at the bonfire?" I questioned before he could leave, "Yes, you will," he replied with a cheeky smile, I sent him back a smile before we both walked away, leaving me smiling the rest of the day. Was he flirting with me? I asked myself.

A few days later the bonfire arrived Y/n was excited to play games and talk to her friends, Isaac especially, she had been thinking about him flirting with her and he had been thinking about it too, he knew he made her fold and if he didn't, he would be very surprised.

Y/n arrived a little later than she planned but now that she was here, she couldn't wait to see her friends and play her favorite game, beer pong.

Y/n walked over to Grace and Skylar and the three of them talked and laughed until Isaac came over, with Nathan following behind him, Skylar awkwardly moved over not wanting to be near him for some reason, I looked at the two confused before they spoke, "Hi,"

"Hi,"

"You care if we join you?" Isaac asked as we confusingly looked around, "Sure," I shrugged before dragging both Grace and Skylar with me as I went to grab another drink with Isaac and Nathan following behind us.

"Do you need some help?" Isaac asked as I struggled to do anything because of my stupid gloves, "No, it's just my stupid gloves are so big, I can't do anything with them on," I groaned as I took them off and threw them on the ground.

"Okay then,"

The two of them walked back over to Grace, Nathan, Skylar, and now Kiley who asked, "Who wants to play beer pong?" "Definitely me," Grace immediately responded going over to Kiley, "Me too," I agreed before turning to Isaac, "How's your aim?" "How's perfect?" I smiled at him before grabbing his hand and dragging him along with me to play.

Isaac and I played beer pong and let's just say his aim was in fact perfect, "Oh wow, what happened to having "perfect aim"?" I teased, "I know, I know, I'm just warming up," he said, "Mmm sure," I sarcastically nodded.

The two continued to play and then it was the final shot, all Y/n had to do was make it in and they won. Y/n shakily picked up the ball trying to perfect her aim before throwing the ball into the cup, she did it, and she won.

"Oh my god!" I excitedly said lifting my arms up in the air in victory before jumping into Isaac's arms, he spun me around before placing me on the floor, and the two of us just looked into each other's eyes, "I'm so happy right now I could..." I trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Could what?"

"I could kiss you," I breathed out with a small smile looking at him with pure lust, "So why don't you?" he asked with a smirk as I nervously bit my lip, "Maybe later," I shrugged as I started to walk away, "I'll be looking forward to it," he called out after me.

"So will I," I muttered to myself as I continued to walk away.

A little while later a fight broke out between Alex and Cole, turned out that Cole wasn't only hooking up with rando's he was also hooking up with Erin's best friend, Olivia. Danny and Cole left but Isaac stayed to keep Y/n company.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked him as I got yet another drink, "How about that kiss?" he suggested, "Why don't we go somewhere else?" I offered, "Lead the way," I grabbed my drink with one hand and interlocked our hands with the other as I led him over to where Jackie and Alex stood earlier.

The two placed a blanket down and sat down as people started leaving, "Thank god, I bought this blanket,"

"Yeah," he nodded, "So about that kiss?"

"What about it?" I asked, "Do I get one or...?" he asked, "You can have one, but I want to ask you something first," I replied, "Shoot," "Do you have a girlfriend?" Isaac looked at me with a smirk before asking, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Why do you wanna know?" I questioned tilting my head to the side in amusement, "Just wondering," he shrugged, I slowly leaned in slightly placing my lips on his before responding, "No I don't have a boyfriend, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked again, "No,"

"Good,"

Y/n then kissed Isaac and he immediately kissed back, the two had kissed people but it never felt like this, they were falling in love, Y/n especially, she's usually not the type to let a guy ask her out, she always does the asking but for Isaac, she didn't mind.

Usually, girls are chasing after him and he liked it, but he knew Y/n was not one of those girls and he didn't mind chasing her.

The two sat there making out as people left. "Y/n!" I heard a loud yell from across the beach, it was Grace who was running over to Isaac and I with Skylar who followed behind us, "Oh hey Isaac, we're going to get some food, you wanna come?" Grace asked, I looked at Isaac wanted to finish what we started before answering, "No were good, maybe next time,"

"Okay, well see you tomorrow and be careful," Grace gave me a knowing look and smirk before waving goodbye as Skylar followed her. "Where were we?" Isaac cockily asked, I rolled my eyes before bringing my lips back to his as I bought my hand to cup his cheek.

The two sat on the blanket slightly rolling around as they continued to make out, Y/n didn't want to take it too far if he wasn't ready considering she was a year older than him and had done it multiple times, but she was pretty sure he had never done it and she didn't want to go too far.

Isaac kissed down Y/n's neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck trying to contain herself, "Isaac," she called as he went to take off his shirt, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Uh, yeah," he responded nodding his head as he continued to take off his shirt and pants, Y/n looked at him before also taking off her clothes....

[bellaxgiornata]

The internal dialogue in my head as I sit down to write for Frank accidentally yet again. Yes, it was an accident. I tripped and wrote almost half of the second chapter for You're Safe With Me. Oops.

This is for those of you who enjoy these weird moments with the fictional men living in my head like a family of raccoons that won't shut up.

Matt: Are you serious right now? You said you'd work on that first date of mine next in ATY. You've said that like three different times this week. Why the hell are you writing for him again?

Frank: Relax, Red. You've waited seven years for that date because you were bein' an idiot. You can wait a few more goddamn days.

Mikey, sighing on the couch as he turns a page in his Steinbeck novel: I had one date and fuckin' Amanda ruined it. You're over there bitchin' but I'm still sittin' here wonderin' what's happenin' to Grace. I know Bella left her on somethin' bad halfway through the next chapter.

Frank: Yeah? Well my girl--

Matt: She's not your girl.

Frank, glaring at Matt: My girl was just gettin' chased outta her home by some crazy assholes.

Mikey, still focused on his book: Ya aren't 'bout to be much better than them when ya meet her. You're sorta an arsehole yourself, actually.

Frank, glaring at Mikey: Yeah, well she's sorta a pain in my ass.

Matt: You're both a pain in my ass. Do you know how many series Bella had about me before you both showed up? Do you know how many words she's written about me?

Frank: Exactly why you should sit your ass down and shut up, pretty boy.

[Matt, mouthing 'pretty boy' while looking offended]

Mikey: If ya both don't stop arguin' she's just goin' to turn that fuckin' God awful show back on.

Frank, settling in on the couch and about to kick his boots up on the coffee table before hesitating and putting them back on the floor: I liked that baking show, actually.

Mikey: No, not that one.

Matt, wincing: The other show.

Frank, looking confused: What other--

[Love is Blind begins to play]

Mikey, furiously slamming his book closed: Fucking hell, not this shite again!

Frank, squinting at the television: The fuck is this?

Matt: The absolute worst concept for a show. Love is blind? Seriously?

Mikey, running a hand over his face: Just had to fuckin' keep fightin' didn' ya? Ya know she hates it. Fuck. We're goin' to be listenin' to this for the next couple o' hours now while she writes. Great job, arseholes.

[insomniac4000]

The Ultimate 5 a side, ChrisMD

The sun was shining brightly over the London skyline, casting a golden glow across the city as Chris, strolled down the bustling street toward the podcast studio. He had a spring in his step, a secret in his heart, and a grin that he just couldn't shake off. Today was the day he'd share some news that would turn his life upside down in the best possible way.

The familiar sign of the "Pitchside Podcast" hung above the entrance to the studio, and as Chris pushed the door open, he was greeted by the warm, lively buzz of conversation. Chris had been a regular guest, bringing his infectious energy, love for the game and sometimes bad takes but today was different. Today, he had something personal to share.

"Chris! The man himself!" Theo Baker, one of the co-hosts, called out as Chris entered the studio. Theo was already seated at the large round table in the center of the room, microphone in front of him, headphones resting around his neck. Sitting next to him was Reev, who gave Chris a knowing smile as he took his seat.

"Hey, lads," Chris greeted them with a grin, settling into his chair. He was dressed casually, as always, in a simple t-shirt and shorts, but there was an undeniable spark in his eyes.

"So, we've got a packed episode today," Theo began, clicking through some notes on his laptop. "But first, Chris, you told us before the show that you’ve got some big news to share?"

Reev raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with a playful smirk. "Yeah, mate, you’ve been teasing us with it all week. Spill the beans!"

Chris chuckled, glancing down at the table for a moment before looking up at his friends. "Alright, alright. You know how Lottie and I have been talking about growing the family?"

Theo and Reev nodded, both of them now fully focused on Chris, anticipation written across their faces.

"Well," Chris continued, taking a deep breath, "we're not just growing it we're doubling down. Lottie and I are expecting twins!"

There was a beat of silence as the words sank in, and then the room erupted in cheers and laughter. Theo nearly knocked his microphone over in his excitement, while Reev clapped Chris on the back, his grin wider than ever.

"Mate, that’s incredible!" Theo exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Twins? You and Lottie are gonna have your hands full!"

"Yeah, full to the brim, mate," Chris said, unable to hide his joy. "I mean, we're already at three, so why not round it out with two more, right?"

"Three plus two equals… a five-a-side team!" Reev quipped, laughing. "ChrisMD’s very own family football squad. That’s genius, mate."

Chris burst out laughing, shaking his head. "That’s actually true! I didn’t even think about it that way."

Theo leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Think about it, Chris. You’ve got the perfect setup. You, Lottie, and the five kids. You could take on any family in the park."

Reev chimed in, "You could even start your own family football league! The Dixon Dynamos, taking on all comers."

Chris laughed again, imagining the sight. "Yeah, and I'll have them all in little matching kits, running around the pitch. It’d be chaos, but the good kind."

The three of them spent the next few minutes tossing around jokes and ideas about the imaginary Dixon family team, the banter flowing effortlessly. But beneath the humour, there was a deep sense of camaraderie and genuine happiness for Chris and Lottie.

"So, when are the twins due?" Theo asked once the laughter had subsided, leaning forward with a more serious tone.

"January," Chris replied, his voice softening slightly. "We’re just about halfway there, and everything’s looking good so far. Lottie’s doing amazing, as always."

"That’s fantastic, mate," Reev said, nodding. "And the kids? How are they taking the news?"

Chris grinned, thinking about his three children at home. "They’re over the moon. Especially Jude — he’s been asking for a younger sibling for a while now. I don’t think he was expecting two, though."

"Double the fun, double the trouble," Theo joked, earning another laugh from Chris.

"Exactly," Chris agreed. "But seriously, we're just so excited. It’s a bit daunting, sure, but it feels right, you know? Like our family is about to be complete."

"Complete with a starting five," Reev added with a wink.

The conversation shifted to other topics as the episode continued, from the latest Premier League drama to their predictions for the upcoming season. But the atmosphere remained light and joyous, the news of the twins casting a warm glow over everything.

As the recording wrapped up, Theo leaned over to Chris, his expression sincere. "Mate, we’re really happy for you. It’s amazing news. And you know if you ever need anything, we’re here for you."

"Thanks, Theo," Chris replied, his voice touched with emotion. "That means a lot."

Reev nodded in agreement, giving Chris a fist bump. "Absolutely, mate. It’s gonna be wild, but you’ve got this."

Chris smiled, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for his friends. "I know I do. Thanks, guys."

The three of them packed up their equipment, chatting about plans for the weekend as they made their way out of the studio. As Chris stepped outside, the sun still shining brightly, he felt a wave of contentment wash over him. Life was about to get a whole lot busier, but it was a challenge he was ready for.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Lottie, letting her know the podcast had gone well and that he’d be home soon. Almost immediately, a reply came through, and Chris couldn’t help but smile as he read it.

"Can’t wait to hear it. The kids are excited to see you. Love you ❤️"

Chris slipped his phone back into his pocket, taking a deep breath of the crisp afternoon air. In a few months, his family would be welcoming two new members, and the thought filled him with a sense of wonder and joy. He’d always dreamed of being a dad, and now he was on the brink of having a five-a-side team of his own.

As he walked down the street, heading toward home, Chris couldn’t help but laugh to himself. Life had a funny way of surprising you, but sometimes, those surprises turned out to be exactly what you needed.

Back at home, the Dixon household was a hive of activity. Lottie was in the kitchen, overseeing a batch of cookies baking in the oven, while their three children — Jude, Edie, and Sienna — were busy with their after-school activities. Jude was sprawled out on the living room floor, assembling a Lego set, while Edie and Sienna were at the dining table, colouring in their favourite Disney princesses.

The door creaked open, and Chris stepped inside, greeted by the familiar warmth of home. The kids looked up at the sound, and in an instant, they were on their feet, racing toward their dad with shouts of "Daddy!"

Chris knelt down, arms wide, as the three of them barrelled into him, nearly knocking him over. He laughed, hugging them tightly. "Hey, you three! How was your day?"

"Good!" Jude exclaimed, holding up his partially constructed Lego creation. "Look, Dad! I’m building a spaceship!"

"That’s awesome, Jude!" Chris praised, ruffling his son’s hair before turning to his daughters. "And what about you two? How were school and nursery today?"

The girls both launched into excited stories about their day, talking over each other in their enthusiasm. Chris listened with a smile, nodding and asking questions as they led him into the living room to show off their drawings.

Lottie watched from the kitchen, a soft smile on her face as she saw Chris with the kids. The sight always filled her with a deep sense of love and gratitude. Chris was an amazing father, and she knew he was just as excited as she was about the twins.

"Smells amazing in here," Chris said as he finally made his way into the kitchen, the kids now back to their activities. He leaned in to kiss Lottie, who smiled up at him.

"Chocolate chip cookies," she said, nodding toward the oven. "Almost ready."

"Perfect," Chris replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Lottie admitted, resting her head on his shoulder. "But good. I can feel them moving more now."

Chris's hand moved instinctively to her belly, a look of wonder on his face as he felt the faint kicks. "I can’t believe there are two of them in there," he said softly.

"Me neither," Lottie agreed, her voice filled with awe. "But I can’t wait to meet them."

"Me too," Chris said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It’s going to be a bit chaotic, isn’t it?"

"Just a bit," Lottie teased, laughing lightly. "But we’ll manage. We always do."

Chris nodded, his eyes meeting hers with a look of determination and love. "Yeah, we will. And we’ll have our little five-a-side team to keep us on our toes."

Lottie laughed, the sound filling the kitchen with warmth. "That’s one way to look at it."

The cookies were done a few minutes later, and the family gathered around the kitchen table to enjoy the freshly baked treats. As they sat there, talking and laughing, Chris felt a deep sense of contentment settle over him.

Later that evening, after the kids had been tucked into bed, Chris and Lauren sat together on the couch, the soft glow of the television playing in the background. Chris had his arm around Lauren, her head resting on his chest as they relaxed in the quiet of the evening.

"You know," Chris said after a while, "I told Theo and Reev about the twins on the podcast today."

Lottie looked up at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "How did they react?"

"Pretty much like you’d expect," Chris said with a chuckle. "They were over the moon, and then Reev pointed out that we’re going to have our own five-a-side team."

Lottie laughed softly, shaking her head. "Of course he did."

"But they were really happy for us," Chris added, his tone more serious. "And it made me realize just how lucky we are, you know? To have this life, these amazing kids… and now two more on the way."

"We are lucky," Lottie agreed, her voice soft. "And no matter how crazy it gets, I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

"Me neither," Chris said, kissing the top of her head. "We’re in this together, no matter what."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, just enjoying each other’s presence. Chris knew that the months ahead would be challenging, but he also knew that they had something special — a bond that could weather anything life threw their way.

As the night wore on, Chris felt his eyes growing heavy, the events of the day catching up with him. He pulled the blanket up over them, settling in for the night.

"Goodnight, love," Lottie murmured, her voice laced with sleep.

"Goodnight," Chris whispered back, holding her close. "Sweet dreams."

The next morning, the Dixon household was a whirlwind of activity as usual. Chris was up early, helping get the kids ready for school and nursery while Lottie prepared breakfast. The twins were already kicking up a storm, and Lottie smiled as she felt the little flutters in her belly.

As they sat down to eat, Jude looked up at Chris with a serious expression on his young face. "Dad, when the babies come, can we teach them how to play football?"

Chris grinned, his heart swelling with pride. "Of course. We’ll teach them everything we know."

"And can we all play together?" Edie asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Definitely," Chris replied, ruffling her hair. "We’ll have our very own family football team."

Sienna giggled, clapping her hands. "We’re gonna be the best team ever!"

"That’s right, Enna," Chris said, his grin widening. "The best team ever."

As they finished breakfast and got ready to head out the door, Chris felt a sense of anticipation building inside him. The future was full of unknowns, but he knew one thing for sure — he had an amazing family by his side, and together, they could handle anything.

Later that day, after dropping the kids off, Chris found himself back at the Pitchside studio, ready for another day of filming. But this time, he was carrying a secret plan.

As the cameras started rolling, Theo and Reev welcomed the audience to another episode, their usual energy on full display.

"Before we dive into the latest football news," Theo said with a grin, "we’ve got something special planned for today."

Chris raised an eyebrow, playing along. "Oh? What’s that?"

"We’ve been thinking," Reev said, leaning forward, "about that five-a-side team of yours. And we thought it might be fun to put it to the test."

Chris blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

Theo grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "We’ve set up a little challenge. You, us, and a couple of special guests… in a five-a-side match."

Chris laughed, shaking his head. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Reev said, standing up and grabbing a football from under the table. "And we’re playing today."

Chris couldn’t help but smile as he realized what they’d planned. "Alright, then. Let’s see what you’ve got."

The match was set up in a nearby park, a small pitch perfect for a five-a-side game. Chris, Theo, and Reev were joined by two surprise guests Billy Wingrove and of course Big John, both of whom were ready for some friendly competition.

As they kicked off, the banter flowed as freely as the football. Chris found himself laughing more than he had in ages, the joy of the game mingling with the excitement of his upcoming fatherhood.

At one point, Theo turned to Chris, panting slightly from the exertion. "Mate, I think you’re ready for that five-a-side team of yours."

Chris grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "You reckon?"

"Absolutely," Reev called from the other end of the pitch. "But you might want to start training those kids now. They’ve got some big shoes to fill."

Chris laughed, shaking his head as he dribbled the ball down the pitch. "Don’t worry, they’ll be ready."

The game ended in a draw, both sides exhausted but happy. As they gathered on the sidelines, drinking water and catching their breath, Chris felt a deep sense of contentment settle over him.

"That was brilliant," Billy said, clapping Chris on the back. "But I think you’re going to have your hands full with those twins."

"No doubt about it," Chris agreed, smiling. "But I’m ready for it."

John grinned, leaning over to Chris. "Just make sure you don’t let them all gang up on you. Five kids can be a handful."

Chris laughed, nodding. "I’ll keep that in mind."

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the park, Chris looked around at his friends, his heart full. He knew that life was about to get even more hectic, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He had an amazing family, incredible friends, and a future that was brighter than ever. And with his very own five-a-side team on the way, there was no challenge too big for ChrisMD to handle.

As they all walked back to the studio, Chris felt a sense of peace settle over him. The journey ahead would be filled with ups and downs, but he was ready for whatever came his way.

And as he looked out at the horizon, Chris couldn’t help but smile, knowing that the best was yet to come.

[searchingforgravity]

Deck the Halls - Day 5 (Elvis/Austin!Elvis x Reader)

Character/Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: You and Elvis have been married for about a year now and it's your first Christmas as a married couple. Just days before, you find out that you're also pregnant. While decorating Graceland for the holidays, you decide that now is as good a time as any to let him in on the news.

TW: Smut, sex, oral (female receiving), dirty talk, daddy kink, fluff

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Word Count: 2249

A/N: Halfway there guys! I'm so excited to see how many people are enjoying the 10 days. I hope you like this one, happy reading! (Can I just say how adorable Elvis looks in this picture).

"You think we need lights along the railin' there?" Elvis asks, his arms snaking around you as he pulls you flush against him. You can't help but relax back into him as a sigh leaves your lips. He notices your reaction as he brings his lips to your neck, kissing softly. "E, don't distract me, we have a lot to do," you whimper, already getting aroused. "Not even doin' anything, mama. Not my fault you get wet so easy," he whispers dangerously. "Not even touchin' you. I can if you want me to," he breathes as his hands inch towards your waist.

You are jolted to reality when he calls you by that pet name. Mama. You found out last week that you are pregnant and you haven't found the right time to tell Elvis yet. With Christmas coming up so soon, you figure that you'll tell him today while putting up the decorations. Though, now that the day is here, you are more nervous than ever.

Pulling yourself out of your thoughts, you go to push Elvis away but his grip tightens on you as he leans down to kiss your neck again. "Elvis, that's enough I'm serious," you groan trying to wiggle away from him. "Please, baby. I'll be quick, I promise," he groans, suddenly needy as he presses his now semi hard-on against you, making you sigh at the feeling. You hate denying him, but you have other things on your mind right now. "Sweety, we can later. Can we please just get this done first?" you whine as you try resisting his burning touch. He sighs deeply as he reluctantly lets you go. "Fine," he huffs, "But I want some lovin' later," he complains as he gives you puppy dog eyes in a last attempt as you turn around to face him. "I promise I'll give you some after we're done," you breathe as you pull him in for a kiss.

After he adds some lights to the railing, you both go in the living room to start decorating in there. He starts adding to the tree as you turn your attention to the fireplace. You start putting up the stockings as well as some tinsel and a thought runs through you. Next year, you'll have three of these. You smile at the thought, but suddenly become nervous. Now is the time to tell him, you think. You look over to where he's standing and he's completely engrossed in his decorating, humming along to the Christmas music playing on the record player. You hold one of the stockings in your hand, rubbing the fabric between your fingers as a knot forms in your stomach. "H-hey honey," you call over, looking back at the fireplace, too nervous to look at him. "Yeah baby," he calls back, still sounding preoccupied with his decorating. "Do you think we should get new stockings?" you question and this grabs his attention as he looks over to you. "What do you mean? We just got those stockings last year," he replies as he turns his attention to the stocking in your hand. "I know but...I want them to match the new one." You glance over to him and he has a questioning look on his face as he tries understanding what you're telling him. "What do you mean 'the new one'? Those are the only two we got." Your cheeks flush, this is harder to say than you thought it would be. "I-I know, but we'll need a new one for next year. It'll be smaller than these but I want them to match..." You drop your gaze from his, embarrassed. "Honey, would ya' look at me?" he asks and you look back up to him. There's confusion in his face. "What are you goin' on about? We'll need a small stocking for next year? Why would we need a-" he suddenly stops himself short as he puts two and two together.

He looks at you, then at the stockings, disbelief painting his features. "You're not...?" he starts as he chances a glance down to your stomach and back up to your face. You nod so softly that you aren't even sure if he could see it, your hands shaking slightly. He just stands in shock for a moment before bringing his hands over his mouth, a smile playing on his face. "No, baby, really?" he gasps, and you smile in return. "Y-yeah," you whisper and he runs over to you in an instant, scooping you in his arms making you yelp in surprise. He spins you around and you squeal and giggle, beside yourself. "Elvis! put me down, damn it," you laugh at his excitement. "Baby, are you really?" he gasps from the exertion of his excitement, pulling back to look at you. You nod as you grab his face, smiling back at him. "I'm pregnant," you whisper, confirming. He spins you around again as he pulls you to him.

"You're gonna be such a good mama," he whispers, his lips coming to your neck. You smile and sigh at his action as you pull him closer. "You're gonna be such a good daddy," you whisper back and you feel him smile against your neck. "I like hearin' that outta your mouth," he mumbles and he gently sucks the spot be previously kissed, the excitement from the news quickly turning heated. "I'm so happy, baby," he whispers, his hands coming to rest on your hips. "Me too," you gasp as he gently squeezes your hip bones, your legs reflexively tightening around his mid section. "Such a good mama," he mutters as his hands run up and down your waist.

He brings his lips to yours and pulls you in for a heated kiss, his tongue wasting no time exploring your mouth. Suddenly you feel his boner poking against your thigh, causing you to whine as you grind against it. He gently bites you bottom lip in response, causing a wave of arousal to course through you. "Oh daddy," you moan, seeing how the words feel in your mouth. He groans loudly at hearing those words as he walks over to the couch, sitting you down on it. "Keep sayin' that and I'll put another baby in ya'," he mumbles as he quickly moves to remove your pants. You help him, just as needy, as you discard them on the floor, pulling your shirt and bra off next.

He slowly sinks to his knees in front of you, inching himself in between your legs. He brings his hands to your hips and trails them up your waist, resting them on your stomach. He pauses for a second as a soft smile plays on his lips. Seeing him so happy like this makes your heart melt. You run your fingers through his hair and he brings his lips to your stomach, kissing softly all around it. You allow yourself the relax back into the sofa and he spreads your legs further, pulling you closer to the edge of the cushion as he trails his lips down to your hips. He kisses along the inside of your thigh before coming to your panties, kissing the fabric just by your clit. You sigh as he nuzzles his nose up against your nub, your hands tightening on his hair. "Always taste so fuckin' good," he groans after licking the wet spot that's formed on your panties. "Always so wet for me," he continues as he hooks his fingers in the sides of the fabric, pulling it down slowly. Ever so gently, he ghosts the tip of his tongue to your clit as he gently circles it, teasing you.

You groan out in frustration, needing more. "E, don't tease me," you whine as you wriggle your hips, desperate now. "Beg for it," he groans suddenly. Your eyes snap to him at his sudden dominance and he gazes up at you with an intensity you only see when he is completely blown with lust. It makes you catch your breath. "Did I stutter, sweet heart? Beg for me to eat your pussy if ya' want it so bad," he breathes, his eyes unwavering on yours.

"P-please, honey. I need you so bad," you whine. He gaze remains firm on you. "Do it better," he groans and you huff in frustration. Then, suddenly an idea comes to you. "Please daddy, please eat my pussy. Need it so bad. So wet for you," you whimper and this does the trick. He groans loudly as he dips his head to engulf you. You gasp as his tongue trails the length of your cunt, slightly dipping into your hole along the way. "Oh baby," you moan as you thread your fingers through his hair, pushing him down on you. He moans in response, bringing his tongue to your clit, now circling it fully as he alternates between sucking and licking. Your head falls back at the feeling as a whine escapes your lips. He brings his right hand up to your breast, tweaking your nipple softly, causing you to buck you hips up to him.

You gasp out when you feel his tongue enter you, thrusting in and out at a agonizingly slow pace. "Fuck, E," you gasp absentmindedly fucking his face as you buck up into him. He groans as he brings his hand down to palm himself through his pants, in need of some sort of relief. At noticing this, you pull him up towards you, seeing his face glistening with your juices. This makes your cheeks flush as you bring your lips to his, tasting yourself on his tongue. This makes you groan as he hoists you up on the couch, laying you down on your back. You reach your hand down between his legs as you palm him, feeling him hard as a rock in your palm.

"Shit, mama," he groans as he bucks into you hands. You rush to undo his belt, throwing it on the floor as you quickly unzip his pants, pulling them down. He helps you the rest of the way as he kicks them off along with his boxers. You grasp at his now fully erect dick and he gasps in a shaky breath as you stroke him slowly, your thumb trailing over his tip. "Feels so good, baby," he grunts as he bucks into you eagerly. This makes you clench around nothing as you guide his tip to your hole, now soaking for him. You glide his tip along your heat and a shaky breath leaves your lips at the feeling. He takes control as he positions himself at your entrance, softly pushing himself inside you.

You both gasp at the contact, his teeth clenching tightly as he brings his mouth back to your breasts, nipping and sucking harshly. Your toes curl as he slowly thrusts into you, pulling out almost all the way before thrusting back in at the same slow pace. You whine as the pace, needing more. "D-Daddy, please, faster. I can't take it," you groan, enjoying this newfound kink of his. "Goddamn, lil' mama, love hearin' that come outta your mouth," he groans as he speeds up has pace. Finding a steady pace, he gingerly fucks into you, hitting all the right spots he always does.

You become a mewling mess underneath him as brings his thumb to your clit, rubbing it at a fast pace. Deciding you want to take care of him, you flip over so now you're on top. He lets you take control as he licks his lips in anticipation, drinking in your form. When you start riding him, you bounce on him in a relentless pace, circling your hips around his cock when he is fully inside you. He throws his head back against the cushions as his grips tightens on your waist, profanities falling for his mouth. He looks back up at you, his eyes completely blown with lust as he rakes his eyes over you. "Such a good girl. Always take me so fuckin' well," he grunts, his hands coming to your breasts, gently squeezing them. "Mh, feels so good, daddy," you whine, closing your eyes as your head falls back. "Shit baby," he moans, thrusting up into you. "Such a good little slut for daddy. Always so good, goddamn" he grunts as his grip tightens on your waist.

Your thrusts start getting sloppy from the pleasure and Elvis starts meeting your thrusts harder. "C'mon baby, you got this. You're almost there," he breathes bringing his thumb back to your clit. This makes you whimper out as you claw as his chest for support. "Doin' so fuckin' well for me. Takin' me so good," he encourages, his thrusts more urgent, and you can tell he's close too. He hears the telltale repeated whines leaving your lips, and he knows you're close. "C'mon mama, cum for me. Ya' look so damn good fallin' apart 'round me," he moans. He clenches his eyes shut, trying to hold off his orgasm until you get there. His words throw you over the edge as a string of profanities leave your lips. He groans deeply, shoving his face into your chest as he spills inside you, clinging you close to him.

"Can't believe you're gonna make me a daddy," he mumbles in your ear after pulling you down on him, his hand threading through yours. You smile as you lean into him, just as excited.

Masterlist

Taglist:

@flowersofcement @looloolily @peaceloveelvis @tantamount-treason @goldobsessionsworld @horrorgirl4life @father-of-2cats @dark-raven031

[serickswrites]

Make Me Your Villain XV

Master list here (includes summary, chapter links, and character bios)

No warnings necessary. Another fluffy chapter here. And the last completely fluffy chapter until near the end, folks. The chapter coming out next week has some fluff and some darkness. But after that, we're heading into a very whumpy climax for several chapters, so brace yourselves, folks. And enjoy this last bit of fluff.

Nova loved her little life. She loved her day to day routine with Liam. With Henry. She loved living in the Haven. She loved almost everything in her life. Except the ever hanging dread of Jude. But even that, Nova told herself regularly, would come to an end soon. She knew she was on the precipice to discovering how to stop Jude. She was certain it was Liam’s powers. It just had to be.

“Stop reading, I’m home. Let’s go do something fun,” Liam whined one afternoon. He had been home for the last two weeks, a record in recent months.

“But I’m just getting to something interesting,” Nova said as she stopped skimming the page. Liam’s father had a list of books that he wanted to add to his library—Nova was certain what their topic might be—and she found them. They had only arrived yesterday after being shipped halfway across the world.

Liam pouted. “Please. We don’t even have to leave. We can just go down to the pool or the green house.”

Nova rolled her eyes. “Fine. Let’s go for a swim.”

Liam’s smile made her heart stutter for a moment. Even three years later, he still had that affect on her. It filled his whole face, made him look younger. “Great! Let’s go get changed.”

Nova looked down at her outfit—workout shorts and a tank top. Her rainbow hair had been thrown in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. “It’s just the pool?”

“We haven’t had a dress up date in a couple of months. Could be fun?” Liam waggled his eyebrows at her.

Nova shook her head. “I’m comfy. We’ll just tell Henry not to go or look outside.”

“And skinny dip? You are naughty, gorgeous.” Liam stood up and held out his hand. “Still, could be fun for a dress up date.”

“Not to the pool.” She placed her hand in his, not understanding why he wanted to teleport when they could just walk down.

But as he pulled her through the in between and the private beach they had been to all those years ago coalesced around her, Nova realized her mistake. The stars glinted off the water. It was beautiful.

“I don’t—“ Nova turned around and saw a table, complete with gilded chairs, candles, and table cloth, on the edge of the beach.

“Nova,” Liam’s voice was in her ear. He never called her Nova. “I have something I want to say. To ask. But you need to let me talk, first.” He guided her over to the chair.

Nova immediately knew what was happening. Her heart thrummed in her chest. This was really happening. She was going to cry. And he’d let her wear her ratty workout gear.

“Nova, you coming into my life has been the best thing. I was alive, but I wasn’t alive. Not until I met you. I was resigned to a life alone. Between Jude and everything, I knew that love wasn’t in the cards for me. I was so alone, Nova. So painfully and terribly alone. But I thought that was what my life was slated to be.

“But I was so wrong. And I am so happy to be wrong. You brought light into my life. It was so dark and lonely. So painfully dark until you. I couldn’t see how dark it was until you lit my life up. You were everything I didn’t know I was missing. And once I had you, I couldn’t lose you. So I did the stupidest thing I have ever done. And still, you didn’t give up on me, Nova.”

Tears pricked at the corners of Nova’s eyes. This was all so much. She loved Liam. More than anything. And she knew he loved her. But to hear all of this, to hear him profess his love like this had Nova’s heart swelling.

“And so, Nova Ambrose,” Liam said as he dropped to one knee, “will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honor of being my wife?” He held a small silvery band in his fingers, the stones glinting in the candlelight.

Nova nodded, her voice choked by tears. “Yes, a thousand times yes.” She let him slide the ring on her finger—a perfect fit—before throwing her arms around his neck.

She had never been so happy. Had never had her heart feel so full. This was everything and more. “I love you, baby, forever and always.”

“Love you, gorgeous, in this life and the next,” Liam breathed into her lips as he kissed her.

The evening passed in a blur—Nova was overcome with happiness. She was so happy she felt her heart would burst. And she knew Liam felt the same way. It was only right that the two of them get married. It cemented Nova’s perfect little life. And who knew, perhaps she would find the key to defeating Jude and then her life truly would be perfect.

“I don’t want to wait to marry you,” Nova said to Liam the next morning. She twirled the platinum, diamond, and sapphire band on her finger—a family heirloom Liam had said that he would be happy to replace if she didn’t like it.

Liam grinned at her over his cup of tea. “I don’t want to wait either, gorgeous.”

“No, I mean it, baby. Let’s get married today. Tomorrow. This week. Let’s get married now. I don’t want to wait!” Not when tomorrow wasn’t promised in the way they both hoped. Not when Jude still stalked and plotted.

Liam’s face fell a little. “What about having a wedding?”

Nova shook her head. “I only have a couple of friends—they won’t mind.” Nova had been a nomad for so long it meant her longest friendships were the ones she had now. It was the longest she had lived anywhere since being kicked out at 16 when her powers manifested.

“Only if you’re sure, gorgeous, I don’t want to rob you of the chance at anything.”

Nova leaned over and took his hand in hers. “I want to start our forever together as soon as we can. We can always throw a party. But I can’t wait to marry you.” She let her other thoughts go unsaid, though she knew Liam understood. As much as Liam hadn’t wanted to risk Nova’s life, Nova knew he was much less careful about his own. And she couldn’t risk him.

And so by the end of the week, Nova, Liam, Elsie, and Henry found themself in the courthouse in Oxwell. It was a simple, civil ceremony, and it was perfect. Nova only had eyes for Liam and he only had eyes for her. It was everything Nova wanted and more.

“I promise to always love you, in this life and the next, gorgeous,” Liam said as he slid the wedding band onto her finger.

“And I promise to love you forever and always, baby,” Nova replied as she slid the wedding band onto his finger.

Later that evening, as Liam slept in the hotel bed, his soft, deep breaths a comforting sound, Nova let her mind wander. They were married! Liam was her husband. As she began to drift off to sleep, Nova cast her healing energy out to him, curling her body around his, as she felt the pain in is heart lighten a little. Perhaps she could heal him after all.

Tags: @dutifullykrispyland@jesssmolfur@parad0xical2@st0rmm@keeper-of-all-the-random-things

@pigeonwhumps@gala1981@allylovessweets@whumpitywhumpwhump

[adrianasunderworld]

Miss Yuu spends summer in Briar Valley

This had been sitting in my drafts for ages. I was initially going to add more, but I lost steam towards the end and forgot 😅. But fuck it, here, take what I have now.

🖤💚🖤💚

A Miss Yuu/Mc who complains to Malleus on one of their night walks that she has nowhere to go over the summer. That's it's likely Crowley will have her work as groundskeeper for a room and food. It was honest venting, she didn't expect Malleus to solve her dilemma. But lo and behold a couple weeks before school let out, Malleus offered a room at Briar Valleys castle. His grandmother had given permission, and Mc needed only to respond. Mc of course packed up all her and Grims belongs and joined the Diasmonia gang home.

Her room was spacious with a luxurious bathroom and a tower view. It was so relaxing and nice to be the one pampered and served for once. Malleus ensured she was treated like a princess. But after a couple weeks...Mc noted there wasn't much else to do. Malleus had said he grew up rather isolated in the castle, she didn't think she would get a taste of that. Silver and Sebek we're often training with Lilia. Or Sebek would be home with his parents. Malleus grandmother had kept him occupied with state affairs. Mc had found herself video chatting with the rest of the first year gang more and more. She tried to play it off when asked if anything exciting was going on over there. But no one was convinced she was having any fun.

Lilia, of course, had picked up on this. Telling Mc if she was feeling antsy, she was welcome to come with him and Silver to their cottage for a few days after they finished training at the end of the week. Malleus wasn’t too keen on Mc leaving so soon after arriving, but he supposed he had neglected his child of man. Hopefully by the time she had returned, he would have caught up on everything and they could enjoy themselves. So at the end of the week, Mc joined Silver and Lilia at their house. Lilia had prepared their rather cozy guest room, and Mc enjoyed the next couple days playing games with Lilia into the wee hours and going with Silver into the woods.

Mc had not heard from Sebek until halfway through the week. Lilia had errands to do, and sent Silver, Mc, and Grim into town with the grocery list. As they walked around town, Grim noticed something interesting. 

“Zigvolt Dental Clinic...isn’t that Sebeks dads buisness?”

“That it is.” Silver replied. “Come to think of it, I think Sebek mentioned something about having to help his mom at the front desk...”  All Grim and Mc heard was ‘lets go bother Sebek.’ 

So they walk into the clinic, and sure enough there was their friend behind the desk organizing files. The silent horror that crossed their Sebeks face as his mother greeted them “Hello! Do you...Silver! Sweetie, what are you doing here?”

“Hello Mrs.Zigvolt, we were only stopping by to say hi.” 

“Aw how sweet. Sebek, your friends are here! Oh i’m so sorry, honey, I didnt get your name.”

“It’s Yuu. Nice to meet you ma’am. This is Grim.” 

“So You’re Yuu and Grim! Sebek, you never told me they were in the valley. If I had known we could have invited them to dinner or something.”

"Mother,please. Yuu has been staying in the castle, I doubt she would have had time to-"

Mrs. Zigvolt interrupted her son with a thought. "Oh! If you three aren't busy, you should join us for lunch so we can catch up. We were about to head out. Sebek, be a dear and get my purse." Then she added. "Besides Silver, knowing your father it's safer to send you off on a full stomach."

"You're right as always , ma'am." Silver didn't argue, and neither do Mc or Grim.

Sebeks mother made Mc feel very welcome to the valley. Even inviting her to dinner with the rest of the family like she had originally wanted. She was so loving and nurturing that Yuu wanted to be swallowed up by all the motherly affection she had gone so long without. She was a bit sad when the mini trip to the cottage was over. But Mrs.Zigvolt promised to treat her to a girls day with her and Sebeks sister next time she went to visit her son.  

They went back to the castle, and Malleus had welcomed her back with open arms. He had finally gotten some free time and was able hang out more. Malleus had shown her the rose garden, the library, every gargoyle in the castle. It was nice to finally spend more time with him. 

What Mc didn’t know was that someone else had some free time as well. One day she returned to her room to find a beautiful dress laid out for her, along with an invitation to tea tomorrow. It was from the Briar Queen, Malleus’ grandmother.