#what the actual fuck shelley is so insanely beautiful

[beastsovrevelation]

In Season 1, it seems like they want to make the demons (except Crowley) look ugly.

I guess they abandoned that mission, because they cast Shelley Conn as Beelzebub in Season 2?.. That woman's like, impossible to make ugly?..

I'm sorry, that

Is an absolute doll.

[jilyesplz]

Hi, sorry for what is most likely a very weird ask 😢 but I've never read TLAT since physically I don't have the circumstances to commit to such a long abandoned and unresolved fic, but i love all your stories and writing so I read your TLAT fics too! I loved them, especially the fluff dribbles because you give them such delicious dynamic 😍. I read the first chapter of Potter and Evans too and I think I understood most of it even without knowing the backstory, but I have one question if it's OK? I know this must be selfish of me but could you tell me what's the deal with James and Carlotta? Was she the prettiest girl in school? Did he really love her and then she dumped him?! 😱

Hi! First of all thank you so much for reading my stories, especially the continuation when you haven’t read the OG? :o I’m honored! This ask is not selfish at all, although I do really, really, really recommend reading TLAT! It genuinely is such a beautiful work of art. With that said...spoilers are definitely available, so I don’t ~think~ it’s evil of me to answer this?? i honestly feel kinda guilty abt this lmao but...below the cut!

Hoo mama. Strap in for this fuckin ride. (This got unbelievably long so TL/DR at bottom lmao, but a lot of it is actually relevant to P&E)

First off, yes, Carlotta Meloni is the prettiest girl in school. That is her main character trait. Her main personality trait is knowing it. 

We....hate her with the fire of a thousand suns. Everything’s fine lmao.

So in July before 7th year, James and Lily almost kiss. It’s...wow. Just...WOW. But Lil is drunk and scared of her own feelings, so she calls it off at the last second, which James takes as 'nothing is ever going to happen between us.’ Then he pops off to his beach house as The Rich are wont to do. Carlotta is there, she flirts, he flirts back, she kisses him, he kisses her back, she asks him out, he says (Lily will never love me so) yes.

MEANWHILE, Carlotta’s best (only) friend Shelley Mumps has been in love with James since 462 BC, which Carlotta knows, but Shelley isn’t pretty and he barely knows she exists. It’s very high school. (TLAT starts with its main characters as very immature teenagers, and they grow a TON and become these lovely, insane, completely fantastic people, and then this plotline comes along to be like But Lest You Forget, Wow Are They In Fucking High School. It hurts. Jules is an evil genius.) Shelley hears that Carlotta is dating James, is furious at the betrayal, so she gets a tan (and a weight loss potion and much sluttier clothes) and starts trying to sabotage James’s relationship. 

Important background here: Pre-7th year, Carlotta was pretty universally despised by Hogwarts’s female population for shagging all of their boyfriends. So as soon as Shelley starts talking shit, a slow-motion school-wide catfight breaks out...which Mundungus Fletcher decides to monetize. Dung starts taking bets from the student population on whether James will dump Carlotta for Shelley. 

Ew. 

But again: high school. 1970s. James wants to shut it down, Carlotta says don’t because she prides herself on not caring what other people think (which James does too, but he understands that this is gross and awful. Car doesn’t care). Betting turns into voting on whether James “should” dump Carlotta for Shelley. What the fuck this actually means is left intentionally vague, and it of course becomes a popularity/fuckability contest. 

Up to now, Carlotta hasn’t really done anything wrong in this story except (debatably) date her BFF’s crush. That’s about to change. 

James wants to end the voting. Carlotta again says don’t, now because (Jesus Fucking Christ, get ready for this one) she has made a secret bet with Shelley: if Car wins, Shelley will leave them alone. If Shelley wins, Carlotta will break it off with James. 

Quick note: the whole time, James essentially lets Carlotta make the decisions, acting as if the women are the wronged parties, which, yes, the school is doing a super shitty and sexist thing. But if the roles were flipped and a girl were in James’s situation, we would feel AWFUL for her. I just think it’s important that the school is doing a really horrible thing to James too, and the fact that he’s the James Potter, Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, Universally Beloved Most Popular Bloke in School doesn’t change that. Just because he acts unaffected doesn’t mean he is. James Potter is human. And God, what a human. <3

SOMEONE GIVE THIS BOY A HUG.

Anyway. Vote’s coming up. James rigs it for Carlotta to get everyone to leave them alone. The Marauders, without telling James, rig it for Shelley (because they hate Carlotta for a long list of reasons, and they love Lily, and they know Lily fancies James) (oh, yeah! Lily realized she fancied James on the platform back to school, right before finding out he was with Carlotta. Quite a gut punch). 

Carlotta...fucking rigs it...for Shelley. 

Fucking.

I cannot. 

I cannot.

Twat. 

In her defense: James is in L* with Lily, and it would be really, really hard to be his girlfriend. Also, she misses her BFF.

Not in her defense: Literally every decision she makes in this process!!! Talk to him you idiot bitch.

So then Car confesses rigging the vote to Lily and they have a heart to heart (well, more of alternating rants. They’re not mates). L says Car should tell him, but doesn’t tell him herself because she’s Lily, and because she’s worried she would be telling him because she wants him rather than because he really should know...really, she doesn’t tell him because she’s Lily. Car initially doesn’t tell him, they almost kinda get back together. She commits her greatest crime here: once upon a time, Lily told Carlotta and Shelley all the “little things” about James that she’d noticed...it’s one of the story’s first ‘oh fuck, L REALLY likes J’ moments, but way before Lily has come to terms w that. Carlotta....then uses....Lily’s little things speech....to convince J to get back together with her. Dude, she’s worse than Umbridge. But then she changes her mind because Lily has made her feel guilty so she confesses, and they break up.

Wowza. Sorry for the fucking novel. I have...a lot...of feelings.

TL/DR: J started dating Carlotta after L rejected him, while still v much in L*ve with L but trying to deny it. Lots of high school bullshit happened, ending in a school-wide vote about whether J should dump Carlotta for her ex-BFF Shelley who also fancies him. Ew, David. Carlotta and Shelley make a secret deal that Carlotta will dump J if she loses, then Carlotta rigs the vote so she’ll lose. She loses, tells him about the bet and he’s like ‘OK I’m done with you.’ She then changes her mind, tries to get him back, but Lil’s goodness guilts her into telling him the truth about the bet and they break up. So to your questions...yes, no, yes and no. Lil thought maybe he loved Car, and in Potter and Evans, she now thinks he does because she dramatically misinterpreted what Libby was saying—teasing James about how unsuccessful his attempts at moving on were—as bro-y congratulations/teasing for how fast he found a rebound.

[yupitsfinnhudson]

Who: Finn Hudson and Alexis St James @alexis-st-james Where: Alexis’ room When: 11/10/20  What: Alexis gives Finn a makeover Warnings: None (but I did leave our new nicknames in for your viewing pleasure)

the rat of all your dreams The only time Finn had ever worn any kind of make up was in the various stage plays that he’d taken part of in school. But he wasn’t really nervous for Alexis to put it on him, though he was nervous about making a good impression. He’d picked out the nicest shirt he owned for the meeting, and put on shorts instead of jeans in case he got sweaty like the last time. Then made his way over to her place and knocked, shoving his hands in his pockets in case she could tell they were sweaty.

the wife of obama, mary shelley Alexis could almost hear Fauna ask why the Domme was putting so much effort in her appearance, when she claimed to not like Sawyer’s brother. But why wouldn’t she spend time doing her own makeup to flawless perfection, if that was the skill she was advertising and practicing? It was the same reason you wouldn’t go to a hairdresser who cut in their own bangs in a misshapen way. Look professional, act professional. Also Alexis knew how good she looked when her eyeliner wings were sharp enough to stab someone, and she did like being fawned over just a bit. She heard the knock at her door, heading over, her initial polite smile as she answered the door morphing into one of curiosity as she took in his outfit. Sure, she wasn’t in the ratty Comfy Clothes only Fauna and Lottie had seen her in, but the nice shirt and short combo were a stark difference from her yoga pants and bralette she herself was wearing in the Florida heat. “Hudson,” She greeted, beckoning him to follow her as they headed over to her bedroom for more privacy, unsure of her roommate’s plans but not wanting to be interrupted. Plus, all of her stuff was in her room and she couldn’t bear moving it all. “Sit.” She indicated to the stool at her dressing table. “How are you?” She then asked, gathering her stuff together. He gave her a bright smile when she opened the door, her appearance taking his breath away a little, he was sure she’d gotten prettier than that last time that he saw her. He should have brought her flowers, she was beyond beautiful. “Hello Miss Alexis thanks very much for inviting me.” He said cheerfully, trying to shake off any lingering nerves and to make a slightly more coherent example than last time. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He added, before he obediently took a seat on the stool that she had indicated to. “I’m doing good.. just sort of getting used to all my classes. But it’s nice to have my brothers all together again, and to have Evan too. How about you? You been finding everything okay?” He asked her with a signature goofy Finn smile. He liked watching her while she started to bustle around, his eyes studying her expressions carefully as she did so. Heart fluttering a little over the  fact that he could see the smooth patch of exposed skin between her bralette and leggings, and found that it was almost a struggle not to reach out and try to run his fingers over that exposed skin. There was something in the way that Finn so earnestly said her title, that wanted her to hear him say it on repeat. However, she instead just nodded as he spoke, his voice though similar to Sawyer's not as irritating, even if she did falter when he mentioned how happy he was at all his siblings joining up. She never saw the big deal in it, honestly, but then again her relationship with her siblings -- Jesse especially -- was sour at best. "How are you finding classes, then?" She asked him, wondering if a person like Finn blossomed in these types of environments. "Yeah, it's basically like my last school but less insane." She told him, moving closer to him, holding up her variety of foundations to see if any were a close match. "I may have to mix my foundation with some bronzer for a match, I'm a bit more pale than you." She mused, wanting to explain every step to him, him being fairly new to the makeup world and all. Finn swung his arms just a little as he sat on the stool. He blushed involuntarily when she mentioned classes, he was still getting used to the idea that he might have to sit next to someone like Alexis while the teacher talked about paddles. “Oh well it’s a bit of a chance of pace from college last year, less drum kits than when I was doing music.” He smiled, as she came back to him. Trying not to seem too overwhelmed when she got close to him. “Yeah.. Sawyer told me about some really odd stories about your last place.” He admitted, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Oh that’s okay.. I’ll be honest the last time I had make up on it was just like that white stage stuff that only comes in one shade.” "Stop that," She murmured without thinking when the corner of her eyes noticed his arms swinging, not one to entertain nervous ticks.  "You play the drums?" She asked, nonchalantly, gently mixing the foundatin on his jawline with her finger, surprised at how soft Finn's skin was. She refrained from rolling her eyes at the odd stories comment, because the word she would have used was horrific, but she just assumed that Fauna's Hudson was merely protecting his brother from the actualities of the last school, and she wasn't going to shatter whatever illusion Finn had in his mind about it. "Odd indeed." Once she was satisfied with the match, she applied some foundation to her beauty blender, dabbing around his face. "I'm gonna blend it now, you'll feel me....bouncing it." She explained. "Stage makeup, are you a performer?" Alexis then asked, wanting to keep her questions vague but expressed some level of interest towards him. He immediately ceased swinging his arms when she told him to stop and folded them across his chest instead. “Sorry Miss Alexis.” He responded nervously, swallowing a little.  “Yes, I have since I was like ten.” Finn told her slightly more easily. “I’m going to start a band.” He added a little more abruptly than he meant to. Trying to smile at her but then stopping when she started to put the make up on his face in case it somehow messed with the look. He nodded when she told him the thing about blending though he had no idea what she was talking about. “Oh I sing a bit.. I was in a couple of plays in high school.” Finn explained. “I actually played Danny in Grease!” Alexis was proud of herself for resisting to roll her eyes at his band comment. “What type of band?” She asked, her own lips twitching at his abundance of facial expressions in the last five seconds, trying to just focus on the blending. “I bet you made a good Danny.” She murmured, as she finished up the foundation. “Concealer now.” She said, flicking it under his eyes, flattering slightly when she realised he didn’t even need it that much. Fuck boys and their effortlessly perfect skin. “You have really good skin,” She told him instead, “Barely needed any concealer, what’s your secret?” She joked. “Well um.. I think Rory said we were indie rock alternative with a splash of punk and the on stage energy of a K pop band. But I can’t always tell when he’s joking and when he’s serious. At the moment we’re mostly playing covers.” He explained, twiddling his thumbs together for a minute and then stopping in case he annoyed her again. A blush returned to his cheeks when she said she imagined that he made a good Danny. “Thank you Miss Alexis I did my best. Obviously I couldn’t be as good as Rebecca who played Sandy but she was like.. ‘destined for broadway’ for something.” He explained, thinking of his very enthusiastic co-star. Her comment about his skin made him smile too. “Oh my Mom got me this really nice soap from the grocery store to wash my face with. I think it’s a Shay Mitchell product from pretty little liars.. because it’s got her butter on it.” Honestly, Alexis wanted to tell Finn that the band idea sounded pretty dumb, but she didn’t know if that was because of the word vomit he just spewed out to her, or just the general involvement of Rory at all. “What type of covers?” She then asked to keep her harsher words at bay. Alexis couldn’t help but smirk at the feeling of heat radiating from Finn’s cheeks, the blush peeking through the layer of foundation as she contoured his cheeks, admiring how much sharper his jaw looked with the added effect. “Destined for Broadway people rarely make it to Broadway, I bet you were a much better Danny than she was Sandy.” The Domme wanted to chalk down to her ego-stroking of the Switch before her as her hatred for those narcissistic Diva wannabes, her brother Jesse popping in her head for the first time in years. She froze slightly at the Pretty Little Liars comment, her brain lagging behind until she realised what he meant. “Shea butter?” She asked for confirmation. the rat of all your dreams04/11/2020 Finn was surprised she was interested in the band at all, he was sure that she got to talk to a lot of people in real bands all the time so he wasn’t sure why she was asking him at all. “Mostly like eighties stuff.. um I really like David Bowie and so does Rory.. um he’s lead singer so he mostly gets veto. He said nothing by journey which was a shame but I don’t really mind.” Finn responded good naturedly having to physically remind himself not to swing his arms as he was so prone to doing. He needed to stay still, or the make up would get fucked up. He knew this much. His blush deepened when she doubled down on her stance that he had been a good Danny. “Honestly Miss.. I’m a bit worried for Broadway if Rebecca doesn’t make it. She was always very determined.” He explained with a little laugh, thinking fondly of the high school diva. He’d never returned her feelings in the way she wanted him too, but he wished her all the best along the way. “Yeah! That’s it. It smells really good.” He told her. “Can you really blame him though? Journey are awful. My old school had this teacher obsessed with them.” Alexis murmured, reaching over to grab her highlighter, showing him the palette. “To help you glow, like a Cullen.” She teased, wanting to roll her eyes at how she was playing into the goth stereotype people assumed about her, obsession with vampires and all. “Determination doesn’t equal talent, trust me on this one.” She told Finn, the soft highlighter brush going over his cheek bones. “Eyes.” She ordered, waiting until they closed to smudge a little bit on. “Keep them closed.” She moved from him for a moment, to choose the palette she wanted to use, mixing in some colours with a brush. “I’m doing the base now.” She informed him, sweeping it along his closed lid. “It does, but I don’t think Shay Mitchell has any sponsorship with it, sadly.” She told him, feeling momentarily bad for shattering the illusion. Finns face fell momentarily into a sort of pout. “I like journey and I think everyone is really harsh on them because of this weird teacher that you all had. Sawyer used to be like fine with journey before he went off to school, and now he turns my CD player off when I put them on.” He complained though not with any real mal intent, but then quickly remembered that he wasn’t supposed to be moving his face around and quickly set it back to something more natural. He did laugh at her comment about the Cullens. “I’m sure I’ll be a heartthrob back in like 2008..” He joked back, unsure of how long ago Twilight was a big thing, he just knew that it had made girls at school want to bite him all the time. “I trust you Miss.” He responded, closing his eyes for her and momentarily allowing himself to indulge in a brief fantasy about a situation where she was this close and he was blindfolded. Before realising that was a very bad idea and thinking very strongly about his grandmothers horrible smelling downstairs cupboard. “Oh.. um.. my bad I guess.” He responded embarrassed at his mistake. "Sweetie, pouting doesn't work with me." Alexis reprimanded half-heartedly, clicking her tongue, but very amused at the Sawyer story. If only Finn knew the truth about the previous school, about the hell his beanpole brother and Fauna went through for their relationship to be taken seriously, the mental torture all three and more of the transfer students survived through. But she didn't want him to find out, she realised, knowing she had a million stories on the tip of her tongue, swallowing all of them down in a snap decision. "You're a heartthrob in both 2008 and 2020." She promised him, blending the colours of the eyes now. "Look at me a second." The Domme then instructed. "You really suit this colour. And don't worry, I'm sure Shay will be the face of some soap one day. I'll get you some." She teased. Finn shrugged with a little embarrassment at having been caught doing something that he considered to be something that Odette might do. "I wasn't pouting.." He grumbled a little, but was placated when she told him that he was a heartthrob. Sticking out his chest a little with pride that she thought he could be considered even somewhat attractive. "Thank you Miss Alexis." He responded with a little more enthusiasm than was probably needed for a simple compliment like that. He looked up easily at her, and his face broke into yet another smile as she doubled down on complimenting him. "Um.. what colour is it? Maybe I could get a shirt in the same colour." He suggested. "I'm sure she would make really good soap, the sunglasses she made were always advertised on instagram to me for some reason." She bit her lip at him puffing his chest at the heartthrob comment, keeping a mental note on ways to inflate his ego, if she ever needed to. She leaned in to finish blending, the smell of his cologne waving off his clothes almost intoxicating, and she was almost tempted to ask what it was, but didn't want to seem weird. "You're welcome." She said instead. "You have to wait, but it'd be a pretty shirt colour too. Eyeliner now.” She teased, getting the eyeliner pen, expertly drawing the lines for the winged look, taking a moment to examine each eye to make sure they lined up. "Well, have you Googled her?" Alexis asked in regards to the actress. "I'm really glad that I'm not colourblind." Finn said, expressing the thought that passed through his mind as her brush worked over his face. "I think it would really suck not to be able to tell what was what." The eyeliner pen tickled his eyes a little bit, and he scrunched his nose to avoid moving. "I.. don't think so.. but sometimes I used to let Odette use my phone when hers died.. so I guess it could have been because of that?" He mused. "I only really watched pretty little liars with Stassie... so I don't think it was even on my Netflix." “I’m glad too,” Alexis agreed, bemused at the random thought she decided to share with him, resisting the sudden random urge to boop his nose when he scrunched it. “Odette?” Alexis asked, her stomach turning at the name, the image of her cold mother burning into her mind. “Maybe, who’s Stassie?” Alexis then asked, out of curiosity. She buffed out a few mistakes or what she wanted to improve with his face. “Okay I’m going to add mascara now. It’s going to be a weird sensation.” She informed him. “Open your eyes but look down, do not flinch.” Alexis emphasised, pointing the mascara wand at him as a threat. “My step sister.. she’s like 5’3 and loud.” Finn explained. “If you’ve not met her already believe me you’ll know when you do, Odette isn’t the kind of person that you forget.” He smiled fondly at the thought of his step sister, Odette could be a lot to handle but Finn was pretty used to it by now, it had just sort of become a part of his life. “My ex girlfriend.. we were together on and off for a while.” He explained, not feeling any particular way about his ex at this time. “Okay Miss.” He confirmed opening his eyes, he didn’t like the idea of the little mascara brush at all, but he didn’t say anything Alexis wondered briefly if pointing out people’s heights was a knee-jerk reaction to Finn, maybe developed to be probably hearing about how tall he and Sawyer were for most of their lives. Truthfully, Odette didn’t seem like the type of person Alexis ever wanted to know, but she held her tongue. The ex comment made Alexis’ stomach tighten weirdly, and she reminded herself it was because she had no time for such petty high school relationship cliches like the “on-and-off”, “will-they-or-won’t-they” dilemmas on sitcoms her dad guest starred on. Finally deciding to not say anything, Alexis focused on not jabbing Finn in the eye. “Boys always have such nicer eyelashes, it’s unfair.” Alexis murmured mostly to herself as she worked on him, continuing the test of the makeover in silence. “Just need some setting spray.”’She declared, when she finished the last coat on the lashes. the rat of all your dreams11/11/2020 She was quiet for a minute and she didn’t comment on Odette or on Stassie which Finn couldn’t help but notice. He worried for a moment than he might be boring her, and then he guessed that maybe he wouldn’t want to hear about his step sister or ex-girlfriend if he was superstar cheerleader Alexis St James. He swallowed that little moment of awkwardness, and focused on what she was talking about instead. “How long does setting spray last?” He asked curiously, he was fine with the whole make up thing but he didn’t know if he wanted to wear it to a football practice or like when he went to go and get Mcdonalds tomorrow. Especially because he had no idea if make up held up while he was sleeping, he didn’t want to look all smudged and weird for the rest of the week. The question about setting spray almost made Alexis laugh out of surprise. “Up to 16 hours,” She told him, “if you don’t rub your face. I don’t expect you to keep it on that long, but I just want to make sure the eye makeup doesn’t run for a bit to test it.” She explained, as it was a new way to apply makeup, which could greatly affect how long it lasted. “But,” She reached over, grabbing her bottle of micellar water and some cotton pads, showing them to Finn, “these will take it off. Easy peasy, and soap of water.” She then added, lips twitching at the thought of his confusion of Shay Mitchell and Shea Butter. “You can take it off any time after about an hour, if that’s okay. I just want to see if it holds up before I do it myself.” He nodded with interest, it was kind of weird to him that there was this whole world that he didn’t know anything about. He knew like, who James Charles was but he didn’t think that really counted for anything when it came to make up knowledge. “That’s okay Miss.. honestly I was just sort of curious. The stage make up wasn’t really that complex, they just sort of slapped it on.” He explained. “Come to think of it.. I don’t really remember taking it off…” He’d be more worried that oversight would have had some sort of negative effect if it hadn’t been so long since it had happened. “That’s fine Miss! I don’t mind keeping it on for a couple of hours if you want.. I just wasn’t quite sure if it would be the best look at football practice.” He explained, he knew some guys would be really insecure about make up and stuff and before Kurt he was definitely more cautious but these days who really cared if he was wearing mascara or not. She couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped her over his seemingly panicked state at not taking off high school stage makeup. “It might have come off in the shower,” Alexis suggested softly, reaching over for her hand mirror, holding it up so the reflective side was facing her. “Well, it’s certainly not a look for football players, no. Plus it’d be moot since you guys have to wear helmets anyways, I think it’s best for cheerleaders. But you look pretty regardless.” She complimented, half teasing. “Would you like to see?” His ears went a little red when she laughed, because he definitely felt like she was laughing at him. But he also discovered just how much he loved seeing her laugh. It made him laugh just a little bit too, his face settling in a smile. “It must have, because otherwise I’d still be really pale and Odette is always talking about how if she doesn’t get her make up off that her pores will be huge. And I think my pores are okay.” He shrugged, eyeing the mirror with interest. “I’d very much like to see thank you Miss.” he replied, finding that he was actually somewhat excited to see the result. "Your pores are more than okay," Alexis assured him, surprised at how much about makeup and skincare he had taken in over the years, wondering if that were a result of just having so many girls in the house. She let herself smile slightly more, less of a smirk and more soft, at how polite he was constantly, and she knew after today she'd probably arrange to see him again. Even if she wouldn't inform him of this just yet. "Well...tada." She said, flipping the mirror over, gauging his reaction. Truthfully, Finn didn't have to like the look, it wasn't necessarily for his face anyway, except for the contour that she wanted to experiment with his sharp jawline, but she knew she'd be a little hurt if he hated it, though she had a feeling if he did, he'd be too polite to say so. He was excited to see himself, and then was almost surprised when he did. He didn’t really know that he looked like himself, but it was kinda cool to see all his features outlined. “Sick.” He said as he turned his jaw. “I’m like James Charles now.” He told her, referencing the only man he could think of who regularly wore make up other than maybe Kurt. “Way cooler than that weird white stuff I wore for the show.” He confirmed with a grin, it wasn’t something he’d probably do in his spare time but he did find himself just sort of staring at himself and preening a bit. Alexis smiled despite herself. Of all the reactions to those who she gave makeovers too, this was one of the most unique responses. “Better than James Charles,” She argued, nose crinkling at the mention of the beauty YouTuber. “I’m glad you liked it, and thank you for being so good for me as I did it. Nice and still.” The Domme praised. “So, just wait a couple of hours in your everyday routine, and let me know if there’s any smudging or anything. Afterwards, you can wash it off.” She then instructed him, eyebrow raising at how he was preening in the mirror, no doubt entranced by his exaggerated jawbone, as it was something she couldn’t stop glancing at either. “Thanks again, Finn.” She then said, her tone going back to neutral, her face once again careful not to show any direct emotion on it. Finn noted that James Charles was not someone that she wanted her make up to be compared to really, and resolved not to mention him again. He flushed when she thanked him for being good for her. “No, no problem Miss.” He responded, trying not to imagine her saying something similar for other reasons. He took in her instructions and thanked her again, promising that he would text her to see if anything changed and that he would like send a picture of any changes for her. He was almost dazed as he left her apartment, Alexis St James had not only spoken to him again but she didn’t seem all that annoyed by him. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

[auroraphilealis]

any book recs?

Heck yes I do!

Simon VS. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: Even if you saw the movie already, the book is like a different storyline. They’re super close but very different and I literally can’t decide which I prefer

It by Stephen King: I’m not actually the biggest horror fan of all time but after seeing the movie, I fell in love with this idea. I’m only about half way through the novel version, but there is something insane about the way Stephen King writes. He truly understands human’s on a level not many people do, or at least understands them enough to REALLY draw out the true horror of the world. I don’t know man, it’s a good fucking book. 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Actually though, i re-read this after having read it 6 years ago, and holy shit this is actually amazing. I love this novel. Frankenstein is… a fascinating story. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Seriously fucking amazing. It’s about a little girl growing up in Nazi Germany only it’s told from Death’s point of view, and I know what you’re thinking - how the fuck? But holy shit it is a fucking crazy good story, and the character of Death had me hooked on the first page

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski: One of my all time favorite books. It’s kind-of sort-of the story of Hamlet, but with a totally different modern revamp. The main character is mute, was born mute, and his closet relationship is with his dog. His mom marries his uncle after his father dies in a fire, and.. well. It’s just incredibly beautiful and amzing.

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind: Look. This is the longest book series I have ever read. I used to spend every second of every day reading these books. But if you’re a fantasy fan, and huge word counts don’t scare you, then good LORD is this the series for you. I think back on this series so fucking often, and I’ve read certain books in it like, six times each. Currently, my mom has my copies or I would be READING IT AGAIN since this series hass been on my mind alot again. Again, it’s super long. I think currently we’re on book like… 27. I googled it. holy shit it’s grown since I last picked it up. The best part about this series is 1. You can technically stop at any point because each book has a relatively good ending that will keep you satisfied (except book 1 and 2, you really have to finish 3 while youre at it). 2. They reflect the modern world so well sometimes you’re just godamn wow. Seriously. If you love fantasy, please give it a try. It’s worth it. 

The Host by Stephanie Meyer: Look, I know what you’re all going to say. Twilight was terrible, why would we read this? Listen, LISTEN I actually love The Host. It was really well done, and it definitely Stephanie Meyer’s better novel. The movie adaptation sucked ass but I actually DO still read this book over and over again. It’s a sci-fi novel about alien’s coming to Earth and taking over host bodies. They do this on lots of planets, and Earth is their newest requistion. It’s also the only planet to fight back well enough that the aliens actually think they might win. It’s not as weird as it sounds. It’s a love story, and it goes far more in depth with the meaning of life and stuff like that then Twilight could dream of, so give it a try. 

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: Actually amazing. I read it for class like… idek, 5 years ago maybe? When I heard it was getting it’s own show I was like !!!! but I haven’t actually watched the show version yet, so I have no idea how it compares to the novel. The novel is fucking amazing though. Legit made me cry. However, if you have a sexual trauma or trigger, this might be a difficult read in some select parts :/ Still fucking worth it times ten. I literally bought the book when my class was over, it was so good (the teacher actually, actually handed out copies, how insane is that? She was amzing)

Beloved by Toni Morrison: FUCK SO GOOD. I’ve read it twice, both times around school, and got to write papers on it twice as well. This is… this is one hell of a book. Both times I read it, I got so much more of it than the first time. THERE IS SO MUCH TO UNPACK. It’s about a former slave whose haunted by the baby daughter she killed to prevent her children from ending up slaves as well. This was just before slavery was abolished, as well, and while her baby daughter died, her other three kids lived. However, now her home is haunted, and the baby ACTUALLY comes back. It’s crazy and amazing and one of my favorite novels of all time. I can’t pick favorites guys, okay, but I love this one so fucking much. 

Pellinor Series by Alison Croggon: Listen. Listen. I read this book when I was in high school immediately after I hurt my back so bad I was stuck in bed for a week, and literally continue to have issues with too this day. I CANNOT TELL YOU what the fucking plot was, and apparently there are 2 more books in the series that I didn’t know about, BUT I LOVED AND ADORED THIS BOOK OKAY IT WAS A WONDERFUL FANTASY NOVEL AND IT HAS A FEMALE LEAD ALRIGHT ITS GREAT JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT AND READ IT

Uglies Series by Scott Westserfeld: I remember finally getting my hands on this series and reading it in like, two days. Idk. It was great. If you can’t tell, I love fantasy and sci-fi and horror, which all mesh together horribly and you can never tell them apart. This isn’t horror though, just the other two. It’s about a world where when people turn a certain age, they get to become a “pretty’ which means to have surgery done to make them look perfect - only the reason for this is to dumb down society. Read it. I love it. 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: I love vampire novels. If you couldn’t tell, this is a vampire novel. It’s one of my preferred series though, I think Mead did an amazing job crafting the world she crafts. Vampires aren’t under wraps, nor are they inherently evil, but they do work in a really weird system where you have the Special vampires who the other vampires protect, and then like the bodyguard vampires. I can’t fully remember, it’s been a long time. But regardless, I remember this being one of the few novel series that made me cry, and I still love it to this day. 

Harry Potter by JK Rowling: I thought this was such a give in that I didn’t put it on the list until now but actually like. Super good. I grew up in this series and sometimes I talk about it and remember I’m 24 cause some people I know have never read it and IT WAS LITERALLY MY CHILDHOOD. Still think it’s worth it, even as I poke more and more holes in the story, because the older you get, the more you start to recognize problematic things. Clearly, Harry Potter was meant for children, not an adult who wants to critize everything. GOOD READ THOUGH

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I grew up the girl writing fanfiction hid away in the back of the class because I didn’t want anyone to know. I look up to the people older than me at the time who developed and crafted the world we live in now, where Fanfiction is almost acceptable. Reading this novel... brought me right back to the Harry Potter days when the fandom was sitll new, underground, and ao3 didn’t exist. Honestly... it’s a really good book, and really hits home for people like me who write fanfiction and want nothing more than to write novels one day. 

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin: But actually the books are really good. I fucking adore the show and that’s what got me into the books, but the books are HELLA good. Weirdly, Daenery’s Targaryen is not the most well written character ever, and I blame it on Martin being a guy, becasue sometimes I actually hate her in the novels (seriously, he makes her sound... like a child, which I guess she kind of is) BUT one of my favorite things in the novel is that her husband Khal Drogo does not sexually assault her in the novels. He’s super sweet and good to her, and honestly just. Yep. Yeah. Good series.

What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum Ucci: The most heartwrenching book of all time. I can’t tell you how long I cried over this book. I’m literally getting tearful as I think about it. It is... fucking BEAUTIFUL. I want to read it right this fucking second. It’s about a girl who was in remission from cancer, but who joins the cheerleading team. Only, shes technically too tall to be a cheerleader, so she gets an ED which actually puts her at risk for remission. She meets Lani Garver - the literal emodiment of a nonbinary person before that term every existed. Lani Garver is... a fucking angel. An actual angel okay. They help the main character through so much, specifically bullying, and Lani taught ME so much when I read it. The author refers to Lani as he, but remember that it was written before nonbinary was an accepted (possible even before it was a fully labeled) thing, but the book is SO worth reading. I. I’m going to go read it again. 

Streams of Babel and it’s sequel The Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum Ucci: I originally read the second novel first on accident, which just goes to show you how good an author Ucci is becasue I didn’t even NOTICE until I got to the end and saw there was a first novel, oops. But, its a take on the lives of 4 kids in a situation of chemical warfare, and what happens to them when they get poisoned by the water. I think one of the kids is a fucking comptuer genius. Idk, I can’t fully remember, but it is one of my favorite novels, so check them out. 

I’m like 100% that there’s more I could list but those are the ones I could currently recall BECAUSE THIS IS A MONUMENTAL TASK AND I LOVE BOOKS

[spine-buster]

“I don’t want you to stop.”

3200 words of fluff and smut.  I ain’t even sorry.  

#SpringWritingChallenge courtesy of @theworldiscolorful

@wrestlewriting @wrasslin-x @thegenericluchadora @thewriterformerlytaggedas@fan-fiction-galore @anerdysouthernbelle @spot-of-bother @amaranthine-reign@baleesi @flnnbalor @smuppies @sarahmatthews7 @daintymissdevitt@newjapan @corey-renee @running-ropes @balorsomega @karleedaniels27@kazuchika @ileana0300 @alexahood21 @ohcristimhookedonhavocimsodunne@fembxt @heelturn-timesten @kaitlynwwefan @50shadesofadamcolebaybay@50shadesofkennyomega @chasingeverybreakingwave @thyestean-feast @thecandicej @devittsbalor @sp00kylesley @danahart @sietefinns@kaydee-kayyyy @powerbombshell @swedish-strong-style @blondekel77@irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @nickysmum1909 @houndofjustice-imagines @wwesmutdonedirtcheap @wweximaginesxd @indywrestlinglover-life @mandi512 @kakakatey @ourscratcheddreams @sleeplessandcynical @badame124 @thevixeniris

Adam watched as Ingrid unpacked her pajamas from her suitcase as he held his phone to his ear, waiting for Nick to pick up.  From the corner of the room, her iPhone was playing ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by the Beatles – ironic considering the weather outside.  It was Ingrid’s way of summoning the sun to melt all the snow…at least that’s what she said.  When he called it voodoo, she did nothing but giggle.  Adam couldn’t take his eyes off of her lately – not that he could most days either – even while she was doing the most normal tasks.  

“Hello?” Nick finally picked up.

“Hey Nick, what’s up?”

“Waiting for you guys,” Nick chuckled.  “Have you guys boarded yet?”

“Listen man, we’re stuck in Connecticut.”

“What?  Why?  Have they stopped air-travel because of the blizzard?” Nick asked.

“Yup,” Adam said.  “Everything’s been stopped.  No planes, they even shut down highway access so people can’t drive.  It’s that bad.  They’re taking every precaution to keep people from traveling.”

“That sucks, man,” Nick groaned.  “Well are you in a safe place, at least?”

“Yeah, Ingrid and I managed to find rooms at a Hampton Court.  We’re just going to wait it out, see what happens tomorrow morning.  The airline promised to call us if there are any new developments,” Adam explained.

“I guess that’s the best you can do if you’re stuck there,” Nick mused.  “Well, stay safe.  I’d offer you my private jet if I had one.”

Adam couldn’t help but laugh.  “Thanks buddy.  One day.  Hopefully we’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Adam hung up, he noticed Ingrid turned towards him, smiling.  “You’re a liar, Mr. Adam Cole.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Telling Nick rooms.  That we got our own rooms.”

Adam smiled.  “We’d never hear the end of it if he knew we were sharing a room,” Adam said.

“Why not?”

Because he knows how I feel about you.  Because he knows how many times I’ve wished for something like this to happen.  “You know how he is,” he settled on saying.

Ingrid smiled but he knew it was forced.  She looked almost disappointed, like she was expecting him to say something else.  Choosing not to say anything more on the subject, she grabbed her pajamas and her skincare bag.  “Do you mind if I use the washroom to change?”

“Go ahead,” Adam said, sitting on his bed as Ingrid walked to the washroom, locking the door behind her.  Like any typical man, he didn’t have the night regimen like Ingrid, who applied five different products to her face and brushed her teeth.  He usually settled on giving his hair a quick brush after taking it was out of his ponytail, and that was about it.  Sometimes he’d brush his teeth.   Out of respect for Ingrid he put on a pair of long flannel pajama pants and an old wife-beater.  Usually he just slept in his boxers, but he wasn’t going to do that with her around.  Especially when things were so…unclear.  

When Ingrid emerged from the washroom, Adam looked at her from his position in his bed – sitting up, back against the headboard – and couldn’t help but smile.  Despite having a magazine open in his hands, he watched as she packed her old clothes back into her suitcase.  He noticed that ‘Here Comes the Sun’ had been playing on repeat.  “Your song isn’t exactly bringing any good omens,” he teased her.

“Maybe Paul McCartney’s sleeping,” she said, not looking at him.  “Even gods sometimes have to sleep.”

Adam snorted.  Her obsession with them was insane.  He liked their music, but she was on another level.  “Why do you like this song so much anyway?”

Ingrid shrugged her shoulders.  She still wasn’t looking at him.  “I don’t know.  Every significant moment of my life is associated with this song.  Like...when I graduated high school it played at my family party.  When I was stressed during university graduation because I thought my hairstylist wouldn’t be done on time, it played on the radio and just immediately calmed me down,” she explained.  “It’s...it’s just one of those songs, you know?  It’s always there.  And it’ll always be there.”

He continued to stare at her, not bothering to say anything else.  He was enjoying the music now that he knew why it was so significant to her, but she shut it off once she was finished with her suitcase.  When she finally caught him staring, she practically did a double take.  “What?”

“Nothing,” Adam smiled.  “You just look…cute.”

Ingrid scrunched up her face.  “I have no makeup on and my hair has taken on a life of it’s own.  Not to mention I’m in my pajamas.”

Adam shrugged.  “Doesn’t matter.  I still think you look cute,” he confessed.

Ingrid pursed her lips together, closing her suitcase and moving it from on top of her bed to the floor.  She walked in the space between their two beds.  He had been watching her the entire time; she was fully aware of this.  “Adam…” she said softly, picking at her nail for a brief second.  “I need you to stop calling me cute.”

“Why?”

“Because unless you plan on actually doing something about it, it’s just going to drive me crazy.”

Adam was taken aback by what she said.  He didn’t know what to think.  Did she want him to do something?  “Ingrid…I --”

“When I got my concussion,” she interrupted him, taking the liberty of sitting on the side of the bed, “and you read to me…there…we had a moment, right?  Stuff had been building for weeks.  And then you read to me and we fell asleep together in bed and I woke up in you arms!  I woke up and you were looking down at me and did nothing!  I mean there was a moment.”

“Of course,” Adam said, leaning forward.  

“But why didn’t you do anything?  God, Adam, I was waiting so long and --”

She didn’t have to wait any longer.  Before she could even finish her sentence, Adam crashed his lips against hers, placing his hand on her neck and pulling her towards him softly.  The kiss was eager but chaste – Adam knew he would need to move slowly.  They had been through a lot, and their friendship, relationship, whatever, didn’t need to get more complicated than it already was.  

When he pulled away, he still held her close.  Ingrid brought her hand up and placed it on Adam’s hand, still around her neck.  “I don’t want to admit how long I’ve wanted you to do that,” she said softly.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he admitted.

“Really?”

“God, yes.  It’s been driving me crazy.”

Ingrid bit her lip, wondering if she should ask what she wanted to ask.  “Do the Bucks know?”

“Yeah, the Bucks know.”

“What about Kenny?”

“Kenny knows.  They all know.  Every single wrestler we’ve ever worked or trained with knows.”

Ingrid’s eyes widened.  “Since when?”

“Do you want me to be honest with you?”

“Obviously!”

“Since your third week of training.”

Ingrid felt nauseous.  “It’s been that long?”  Adam nodded his head.  “That’s why Alex and Marty…” she said softly, trailing off, the gears in her mind shifting; everything beginning to fall into place.  Why Alex Shelley never pursued anything.  Why Marty Scurll didn’t pursue anything but instead had that awkward ‘talk’ about Adam.  Alison saying Adam liked her more than Ingrid thought.  The Bucks’ comments.  It all made sense now. 

“I told you,” Adam smiled nervously.  “I’m crazy about you, and I’ve been crazy about you since practically the moment we met.  You think you’re a mess?  I’m a fucking mess.”

“You’re a mess that I fell for, though,” Ingrid squeezed his hand.  

That was all Adam needed to hear.  “Can I kiss you again?”

“Please,” she practically begged, and Adam didn’t need to be told twice.  He kissed her, pulling her body towards his.  Her kisses were eager, as if she had been waiting a lifetime.  God knows he had.  He wrapped his arm around her body and Ingrid climbed into his lap, straddling him.

When his tongue entered her mouth things seemed to go into overdrive.  There were hands, her hands, pulling at the hem of his wife-beater before she lifted it off his body.  His naked torso was nothing new, but in such a more intimate position now, she could help but marvel slightly, her fingertips tracing the outline of his abs.  

When his hands went underneath her old t-shirt, she was much more nervous.  Adam didn’t seem to notice, however, pushing the fabric higher and higher until he pulled it completely off, throwing it across the room.  In the moment, he stopped, looking at her and her exposed breasts with a fire in his eyes.  Self-conscious, Ingrid began to cover herself with her arms, but Adam grabbed her wrists, making her unable to do so.  “No no no,” Adam breathed out, holding her arms firmly at her sides.  “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she smiled slightly.

“Shit,” Adam huffed, kissing her again.  “I can’t believe” kiss “I waited” kiss “this long.”

“You and me both,” Ingrid admitted, her hands at the waistband of his flannel pants.  She looked down between their bodies and saw the bump concealing his growing erection.  She gulped.  He probably wasn’t even fully erect and she was already concerned about his size.  From the way things were going, she knew it would eventually lead to sex.  There was too much pent up emotion for it not to escalate into sex.

Adam began kissing a trail down her neck, past her collarbone, finally settling on her breast, sucking and biting at her nipple.  Ingrid threw her head back in pleasure, moaning as Adam continued his work.  His hands moved from her hips and cupped her ass forcefully.

Ingrid didn’t think herself to be the seductive type, but Adam was making her feel so good, and moans and noises and sounds were coming out of her and she had no idea where they were coming from within her.  She even surprised herself when she whispered seductively in Adam’s ear, “Make love to me, Adam.”

“Fuck,” Adam growled, tightening his grip around Ingrid’s body and flipping her over, pinning her under him.  Ingrid’s busy hands worked on ridding Adam of his pajama pants.  He shimmied out of them easily before continuing to pay attention to her breasts.

“Adam…” Ingrid said nervously as he kissed a trail, down the valley of her breasts, down her stomach.  “Adam…uh…can you go slow please.”

“Slow?” he mumbled, his tongue gliding along her skin, getting dangerously close to her panty line.  She knew what he wanted to do, and she was anxious – beyond anxious.  

When his fingers played with the hem of her pajama bottoms, she gulped.  “I haven’t done this before,” she blurted out.

And there it was.  She regretted it the second she said it.  Adam stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at her.  “You’re a virgin?”

Ingrid could only nod her head.  “There wasn’t exactly a demand for chubby wrestling nerds with gay best friends,” she said, covering her eyes with her hand briefly so she wouldn’t have to look at him.  God this was so embarrassing.  “Do you want to stop?  I understand if you want to stop.”

Instead of stopping, Adam came back up and kissed her passionately.  “No.  Fucking.  Way,” he whispered.  “This just makes this all the more sweeter.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.  Now I can show you how you should have been treated all those years,” he mumbled as he kissed her neck.

“Adam.”

“You should have been worshipped.  Like I’m going to worship you right now.”

“Adam,” she moaned as she felt him nipping at her ear.

“Can I taste you?” he asked.  When Ingrid didn’t answer immediately, he continued.  “If you’re nervous, it’s okay.  I want to make you feel good, though.  I promise I’ll go slow, and I’ll stop the second you tell me to.”

Ingrid was at a loss for words.  She could only nod her head.  Adam gave her a quick peck on the lips.  “It’ll make you feel great, I promise,” he whispered huskily.  “Just tell me to stop if you want me to stop.”

“Okay,” Ingrid nodded as Adam slowly, painstakingly, kissed his way down her body.  He slid off her pajama bottoms and panties all in one go, then spread her legs apart with his hands.

Ingrid had never felt as nervous or as sexy as she did right now.  When Adam’s finger felt her, gently, she flinched.  She was already so sensitive.  Adam smiled.  “You’re so wet already,” he breathed out.  “Give me your hands.”

Ingrid obliged, and he intertwined his fingers with hers tenderly before he began to taste her.  With the first flick of his tongue, Ingrid flinched again, squeezing his hands as he kept at it, regardless of how much she gyrated in pleasure.  

“Oh, fuck,” Ingrid sighed as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.  

“Do you want me to stop?” Adam mumbled as he pulled away for a moment.  

“No,” Ingrid said firmly, as if it was the most ludicrous idea in the entire world.  “I don’t want you to stop.”

Adam chuckled and continued, the vibration from his laughter making the experience even more pleasurable as he lapped at her.  She let go of his hands, bunching the bed sheets into fists as his hand gripped her hips.  In no time at all she could feel her orgasm building – she knew she wouldn’t be able to last long.  Not under these conditions.  

As her orgasm overcame her, her body writhed at the feeling.  She tried to stop her legs from clamping together and squeezing Adam’s head in between her thighs, but the attempt was futile.  Adam – God bless him – moved in tune with each squirm, never taking his mouth off her, even for a second.  It was a fucking miracle.  If it wasn’t for the sudden dry feeling in her throat, Ingrid wouldn’t have even known she was moaning or had screamed out during her orgasm; she was that caught up in the pleasure of it all, the image of Adam in between her thighs something that she would never forget.

When Ingrid regained basic consciousness, she could see Adam smirking.  Clearly he was proud of himself.  “You taste so sweet,” he licked his lips.  

“You’re going to turn me into a nymphomaniac,” she blurted out without thinking.  “Especially if it’s gonna be like that.”

“I don’t see the issue with that,” Adam grinned like the Cheshire cat, his body over hers as he gave her a wet, sloppy kiss.  Ingrid could taste herself on his lips.    

“I want you inside me,” Ingrid whispered as she pulled away slightly.  “God, I can’t take it anymore.  I need to feel you inside of me.”

Reluctantly, Adam pulled away to fish for his pants, where his wallet was, to get out a condom.  Ingrid watched as he slid it on, making sure everything was good to go, before re-joining her on the bed.  

He peppered her face with light, airy kisses as he settled in between her legs, which had spread so easily for him.  “Are you nervous?” he asked her.

“A little,” Ingrid nodded her head.  

“Tell me why.”

Ingrid gulped.  Did she tell him what was really on her mind?  This was no place for lying, after all.  “You’re big,” she said simply.  

Adam grinned.  “You really know how to make a guy feel good, don’t you?” he bit his lip.  He gave her a light kiss on the nose.  “It’s going to hurt at first, but I’ll go as slow as you want me to,” Adam began to explain.  “If you want me to stop, tell me and I’ll stop.  You’re in total control here, okay?” he assured her.

Ingrid nodded her head.  She was still nervous, but felt considerably calmer than she did before.  There was still a lot going through her mind.  How would it feel for him?  Would it feel as good for him as it would for her?  She considered that the best part in all this was that she trusted him one hundred percent – she knew that if she told him to stop, he’d stop.  She didn’t plan on it, but it was reassuring to know.  

As he entered her, Ingrid felt a twinge of pain.  She dug her nails into his shoulder blades as he pushed further and further into her.  She winced, a stray tear falling from the corner of her eye; it barely had time to roll away before Adam wiped it away with his thumb.  “Are you okay?” he asked.

Ingrid nodded her head.  He pushed further, until he was fully in her.  He took a few moments to allow them to get used to the feeling.  “God, you’re so tight,” he muttered as he kissed her, biting down on her bottom lip.  She felt like perfection.  Everything in this moment felt like perfection.  He pulled out and pushed back in a few more times before a small smile started to appear on Ingrid’s face.  He took this as a good sign.  “Feels good?”

“Feels really good,” she whispered.

He worked up to a steady pace.  She began to moan in pleasure underneath him and that only worked him up even more.  She scratched her nails down his back and he relished in the feeling.  “Harder,” she mewled beneath him, her body now moving in tune with his.  “Harder, Adam.  Harder.”

He practically growled as he obeyed her command.  The sounds of their moans filled the hotel room as he went harder, faster.  He would never be able to get enough of her.  Soon, Adam could feel her walls tightening around him; it took every ounce of self-restraint he had not to start pounding into her so hard the bed would rock against the wall.  “Are you close, baby?”

Ingrid could only nod her head.  

“Come for me baby.  Come for me.”

At his words, Ingrid became undone, moaning expletives and his name over and over again.  With only a few more thrusts, he too became undone, lowering himself and burying his face in her neck.  Ingrid continued to quiver beneath him, her whole body in a state of euphoria.  

He eventually collapsed on to her, both of them breathing heavily, trying to regain their composure.  Adam began to kiss and suck on her neck almost lazily – although he was definitely leaving marks – as if he was finding an excuse to keep touching her, feeling her, tasting her.  

“So this is what I’ve been missing?” she asked in between breaths, knowing Adam would get a rise out of it.  

He chuckled as he stopped kissing her neck to kiss her lips.  “You betcha.  How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but amazing,” Ingrid admitted.  

“Give me a second, I’ll be right back,” Adam said, pecking at her lips quickly before he rolled out of bed.  She watched as he took care of his condom before climbing back into bed with her.  He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her flush against his body.  With his hands on her bare skin again, the ache between her legs didn’t start to feel so bad.  “Go to sleep beautiful,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her shoulder tenderly.

The next morning, Ingrid had woken up still curled next to Adam.  Neither had woken up at any point in the night, so they were both still naked, their body heat radiating off each other.  Feeling a bit cramped, the ache between her legs almost gone, she tried to stretch as inconspicuously as possible.  The attempt was futile however, as at the slightest movement of her body, Adam moved too.  

“G’morning, beautiful,” he mumbled into her ear.

She could definitely get used to him calling her beautiful.  “G’morning.”

“Sleep well?”

“Of course.”

“Are you still sore?” he asked, his hand wandering down her body.  

“A little bit,” she admitted.

“You know what the cure for that is, don’t you?” he asked playfully, a grin appearing on his face.

Ingrid couldn’t help but giggle.  “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re trying to get in my pants again, Mr. Cole.”

“Too bad you don’t have any pants on,” he said, his hand cupping her mound.   Ingrid smiled and bit her lip, instinctively hooking her leg over Adam’s, allowing his hand greater access.  He began to kiss her, morning breath be damned.  

“Adam?” Ingrid whispered in between kisses.

“Hm?”

“Are we going to talk about this?” she asked quickly.  

Adam stopped kissing her.  “Did…Did I not make it clear last night?” he asked.

“Are we going to be exclusive?” Ingrid asked.

“Of course.”

“And there’s no-one else?”

“How can I even look at another girl with you around,” he kissed her quickly.  “I’m yours, Ingrid.  I’ve been yours since I walked into that boardroom with that stuffy producer and met you and Gavin.  I only want to be able to call you mine.”

Ingrid couldn’t help but smile.  “I’m yours,” she kissed him.  “Only yours.”

[burningdarkfire]

books i read in march 2022

[these are all short + casual reviews - feel free to msg me and ask   about individual ones if u want a full review or ask for my goodreads!!] 

this was SUCH a good reading month both in quantity and quality!! three 5*s! 13 books! we love and cherish a good reading month 🥰

she who became the sun - shelley parker-chan ★★★★★ (historical fantasy)

one of the easiest five stars i’ve ever given!! give me infinitely more genderless, nameless, insanely hungry and morally gray characters like zhu. give me infinitely more perfectly balanced, extremely toxic, relentlessly interesting trifectas like ouyang/esen/baoxiang!! i enjoyed the character-driven plot a lot and i’m so excited for the second book to come out 🤩

jade legacy - fonda lee ★★★★★ (urban fantasy) jade war - fonda lee ★★★★★ (urban fantasy)

the green bone saga didn’t change my life in the lightning strike way that some books do, but it felt like taking the deepest breath in for hundreds of pages and then slowly, slowly letting it out. such an incredibly satisfying read! fonda lee’s writing is insanely good; the way she crafts her characters and her world feels so detailed and real. i love the “slow burn action” style that follows our protags over years of their lives. definitely an exemplar of the urban fantasy genre and i’m so eager to read anything else by fonda lee now!

indian horse - richard wagamese ★★★★☆ (historical)

god this was actually heart-crushing. this was one of those books that really slams home how the nature of history and the nature of stories is that they can't be changed. not a single line in this book was surprising - i’ve read a lot of similar canadian lit - but wow did richard wagamese deliver the story well

beautiful world, where are you - sally rooney ★★★★☆ (contemporary)

i’ve been sold on sally rooney. this was a miserably relatable and realistic book. even if you don’t see yourself in the main characters of her book, surely you know someone who does. it’s so exhausting reading characters that are so close to being us! a surprise highlight of the book for me were the ruminations on god - they were beautiful and touching

deaf republic - ilya kaminsky ★★★★☆ (poetry)

this was lovely and haunting, but most of the highlights from this have already been circulated endlessly on social media

false witness - karin slaughter ★★★☆☆ (thriller)

this was a surprisingly thoughtful thriller. i can’t think of another book in the genre that has such a compassionate depiction of trauma. parts of the book dragged but i was impressed overall. i should look up more karin slaughter!

bloodchild and other stories - octavia e butler ★★★☆☆ (sci fi collection)

this had an interesting format where butler gave an afterword on each of the stories and essays in this collection. the curated short stories were all quite interesting; the essays and new short stories were dull. i learned that butler and i do not really see eye on eye on what her stories “mean” lmao

how high we go in the dark - sequoia nagamatsu (sci fi)

this was an interesting concept that was ruined by the last few segments. nagamatsu has some lovely writing but the book just mostly felt trite, especially after two years of the pandemic. this might’ve been a good book if it was released in 2019 instead of 2022?

the maid - nita prose ★★★☆☆ (mystery)

this was fun! the POV character reads more like a gimmick than a fully realized person, which is a shame. i’d love to read a more thoughtful version of this book, but it was still engaging enough that i read it all in one sitting

summer son - lee mandelo ★★☆☆☆ (fantasy horror)

the entire plot happened to the main character while he fucked around and complained, which made this a really frustrating book to read. every side character was more interesting than our pov who suffers greatly from main character syndrome

in my dreams i hold a knife - ashley winstead ★★☆☆☆ (thriller)

i hate protags who have no self-respect. most of the characters were just one or two tropes stacked on top of each other and the reveal was not very thrilling

the seep - chana porter ★☆☆☆☆ (sci fi)

this book read so childish and i refuse to give the time of day to stories that insist pain and suffering is what makes us human!